– The honest one.

– I don't know Lenia. I really wish I could answer but I really don't know.

– Stupid you are, Vika.

– And you're a boor.

I laughed. If anybody not familiar with modern operating systems could hear me he would decide for sure that my Pentium is intelligent.

– Sorry, Vika.

– That's okay, I'm not angry.

Intellect and its fake... Where is the border between them? We already talk to our computers, they greet us and wish us good night. Many people including me spend most of their time in virtuality. But it's not a victory of the human intelligence, just a fake of the victory, bright colored banners and fireworks above the void. Higher processor speed, more memory – and the computer gets human look and feel. But nothing more...

And Unfortunate – he can be a program too. Just as cunning as Maniac's virus, penetrated through the filter, rooted itself in the 33rd level's server, the one able to support the talk and to shoot the monsters.

– Shit!! – I shouted.

It's so simple! Just a hundred of phrases said sometimes in the right time, sometimes irrelevantly. The program that learns on its own words, returning you your own thoughts, obediently following its naive rescuers... Sure it doesn't need any comm channels.

What did I tell Unfortunate, what did he reply? I strained my memory.

I don't know... It might be a program. Then both Al-Kabar and Man Without Face were too wide of the mark.

Good if I'm right, the riddle is solved quite simply.

The Silence, Gunslinger...

I shivered, remembering the void that rolled over me after his words.

A program?

Unfortunate, carrying the drawn kid with such care...

A program?

– I can't understand a thing, Vika, – I said, – Absolutely nothing, and you can't help me.

– Can I help? – replies Vika inopportunely.

– No!

– Who can then?

I was silent for a while before replying.

– The real Vika. The Deep!

– Deep program start?

I put my hands on the keyboard instead of an answer.

Deep

Enter.

The darkness on the screens is lined by falling stars, the rainbow spiral whirling before my eyes, erasing reality, pulling me towards Deeptown's skyscrapers.

The first second is the most difficult one. The room is the same, but I know, all this is an illusion, a mirage.

– Is everything okay, Lenia?

I rotate my head. The room is okay. It's me who is different.

– Personality #7, Gunslinger.

– Acknowledged...

This time my appearance changes painfully long, nothing can be done, it's an inevitable cost of the weapon.

– Is everything okay Lenia?

I stand up and look at my reflection in the mirror.

– Yes. Thanks Vika.

I open the fridge looking for soda. Sprite is over, only Coke has left. It'll do.

– Good luck, Lenia.

– Thanks.

I drink the most popular beverage in the world greedily which – how funny – was created as a diarrhea relief... Urman estimated that I have five hours more, now only four have left. I can almost feel how somewhere in the great distance, on other continents, the various officials' brains screech in strain, starting to comprehend the Unfortunate's phenomenon. Very soon the 33rd level will be shut down, very soon the hunt for Unfortunate will start. It's not important whether he's a human or a program, I'll get him out.

– Call the taxi, – I say leaving the apartment. I descend in a small clean elevator and open the doorway.

An old Ford is waiting for me, the driver is a sleek young guy in a white shirt, an exact copy of the one that I killed two days ago before penetrating into Al-Kabar. I even feel shame looking at his friendly smile.

– Brothel "Any Amusements"! – I growl.

100

It looks like Vika made Madam to establish a special status for me. When I enter the lobby, I see the three men in there. All three pull their heads up, in all three's eyes is confusion and fright. They don't see each other, two of them are even overlapping in space looking like some kind of ugly siamese twins.

These two are stately blue eyed brunettes, standard bodies from Windows-Home's kit, obviously put on for disguise. The third one is a swarthy robust guy with a cleanly shaved head. The common feature of all three is their look, the one of somebody caught being busy with pressing out pimples.

So, I'm now what, have the same rights as the brothel's employee? I can see all three customers, enter the service areas…

– Hi… – I say raising my hand limply. All three nod quickly. One of them puts aside the green album with artificial negligence, the other one casts the purple one aside. Only the shaved guy continues to look through the black album stubbornly, curiously studying the pictures.

I approach the guard, he opens the door before me obediently and I leave the lobby sparing the visitors from their soul tortures.

Nobody is going to escort me but I remember the way. The corridor is empty, some doors are opened. Bursts of laughter can be heard from behind one of them. There is a small pavilion surrounded by blossoming sakura, the gentle spring sun shines in the sky, the cone of Fuji is seen in the distance. Two girls are drinking tea inside, noticing me they wave their hands cheerfully:

– Hi Gunslinger, want some tea?

– N…no, – I mumble and walk away quickly. An absolutely naked girl steps out from the other door, without even a hint of shyness.

– Vika is busy! – she says, – Maybe you'll stay with me for a while? I'm boooored!

There's no hint in her words whatsoever and the thought about having sex doesn't excite her more than the process of inhalation-exhalation. There's something dreadful in the situation itself… in all those cheerful and friendly young girls.

I suddenly realize what do they remind me of, some old sci-fi book about merry young people who are busy with their favorite work, who spend days and nights at it, they are friendly, they are always ready to help their friend, they are unable to say a single bad word about each other…

It's like a distorted mirror, the false reflection. The evil had put on the dress of good and as strange as it may seem, it fit!

– Thanks, but I'd better wait in her room, thanks again… – I say smiling desperately.

The girl pouts sorrowfully and disappears in her room. I go further until my look meets with the black kitten's on the picture.

– Meow! – I whisper softly pushing the door. The kitten opens his tiny maw, mews in return and freezes again.

The mountain hut is empty, just the wind from the opened window flutters the short curtains. Leaned against the window-sill, I watch the mountains for quite a time. No, this is impossible, to create the whole world absolutely alone and not for fame and money, not at an order, just for herself and even never enter it!

To create it just in order to know that it exists, right here, behind the window: the sparkling snow on the mountain crest, the endless blue sky, rocks on the slopes, the black moss under pine trees, birds soaring in the skies and squirrels scurrying about in the trees. The world of silence, cleanliness and serenity, the world where the word 'filth' is not invented.

I think that Unfortunate would like it. I really hope he will like it.

– Lenia?

Vika enters quietly and it takes me by surprise.

– I'm sorry… didn't they tell you?

She shakes her head.

– I just wanted to be with you… for a little time, – I start make excuses involuntarily, – Are you… all right?

Vika nods.

– You shouldn't dive in the Deep so often, – I say approaching her, – have you at least had some snack?

– A little… It's a flood of customers today.