in the clearing. The fact is that, after consulting with his close friend, engineer Vyazemsky, he decided to keep everything he saw a secret, explaining that the scientists on the council are skeptics and they are only interested in the percentage of income from the extracted minerals, and his story can cause interest only in a small group of ufologists. But the professor nevertheless decided to leave the data on this incident in the archive, hoping that perhaps someone would still be interested in this discovery…
Chapter 3 Second Expedition
Entering the office, Professor Vyazemsky, Deputy Head of Zaslon Joint-Stock Company, the largest scientific and technical center with competencies in the development, production and supply of information and integrated automated control systems, software, instrumentation and microelectronics, turned on the ionizer. Immediately, the scent of pine needles and mountain air spread throughout the room. Sitting in a chair, the man picked up a tablet. As always, nothing new. A little about politics, then advertising, advertising and more advertising. It seemed that everyone thought only about how best to sell their product. The professor shook his head. Now everything was built on a market economy. And the competition in the international market was getting more and more intense, although their company still managed to stay in the top five. Then the silence was broken by the loud rumble of a helicopter flying over the house. Instruments rattled. The professor looked out the window – yes, everything, as always. At the same time, he heard a call. Approaching the table, the professor ran his hand over the touch surface and selected the Skype function. Immediately, a hologram of a young man appeared in front of him.
– Good morning, Valery Stepanovich.
– Hello, Arthur. Are you not at home? Something happened?
– Yes. We urgently need your help…
Professor Vyazemsky frowned.
– Arthur… I told you to be careful. As your guardian, I…
– Valery Stepanovich, we have something that may interest you. However, the information is highly confidential…
– What?!
Professor Vyazemsky raised his eyebrows.
– Arthur, urgently come to the institute!
– Yes, we are already here. But, as you know, without a pass…
Professor Vyazemsky pressed a couple of buttons. A voice over the speakers grumbled:
– I’m listening…
– Andrei, a visitor should be waiting for me at the entrance to the institute…
– So this is for you? I was wondering what these two are rubbing about here about the access code… Well, then let them in. I’ll take it now.
Professor Vyazemsky paced the office nervously. Hearing footsteps in the hallway, he opened the door.
– Come on, Arthur…
The young man who entered nodded, letting the girl go forward.
– Valery Stepanovich, let me introduce you to Anna, our staff journalist and specialist in ancient texts.
– Very glad, – the professor shook the girl’s hand. – So are you a linguist?
– Yes, I have studied rare languages since childhood…
– Well, in that case … – the professor sat in a chair, and turned on the speakerphone. – Martha, bring us some coffee, please.
– Don’t, professor. We won’t be long, – Arthur lowered his voice. – Whatever I say must remain between us.
– Of course. Martha, you don’t need coffee. And don’t let anyone in, I have an important conversation…
The professor turned off the connection and lowered soundproof shields over the windows.
– Lucky for you, I only recently had a soundproofing system installed… But in any case, we cannot be protected from tracking chips…
– Our chips are deactivated.
– That is… Arthur, it’s against the law!
– Professor, let’s get down to business. You promised to help us.
Professor Vyazemsky spread his hands in confusion.
– Arthur, what are you getting me into?
– Well, since we understood each other, there is something else… – he approached the elderly man and handed him a vial with a strange, blue liquid. – Drink this.
– What is it?
– Neutralizer, experimental nano-version, in the form of a syrup. He will block on the chip if you drink the full dose, but half is enough to turn him off for an hour and a half. We don’t need the Magisterium to see everything we’re about to show you through your eyes…
Professor Vyazemsky looked uncertainly at Arthur. He nodded.
– Arthur, you are a scientist. Don’t you know what Chip really is. Our company took part in its development many years ago, so…
– … So do you want to hear my story or not?
Valery Stepanovich caught his breath with difficulty, drops of sweat appeared on his forehead. The chip has been a part of a person’s life since birth. Embedded in the brain, it replaced all the best quantum computers, allowing a person to literally take fate and the world into his own hands. He gave everything, depriving the main thing – freedom. And, among other things, making the world gray. In the truest sense of the word, since the introduction of the chip took away all colors from a person. But in return, opening before him almost inhuman possibilities…
– Good.
Raising the flask to his lips, the professor took a sip of the tart-tasting liquid… And immediately everything swam before his eyes. He curled up in his chair and put his head in his hands. It seemed that his brain was about to explode… He rushed to the door.
– Poor fellow, I was rinsing for about five minutes… – Arthur looked sympathetically after the professor. Finally, the office door swung open. The professor at the door looked around in amazement. Arthur walked over to him and helped him to a chair.
– Well, how do you feel?
– I… This… It’s even hard for me to describe… Anna, you have hair…
– Dark chocolate, yes. It’s such a special color.
Arthur chuckled.
– Will there be more… But now you are ready to listen to our story? There is no way back.
The professor nodded. Arthur made a sign to the girl, she took out a stone from a secret pocket of her jacket. Arthur looked at the professor. Looking extremely dazed, he picked up the stone with trembling hands.
– For
