– And what's so bad?
– For you – nothing. The ordinary person will laugh. But solid people like little-little when they are laughed at.
– Can you cut him off manually?
– How?
How, really? Even if they trace the line using which the player entered the Labyrinth and cut off the connection, nothing will change. The person would just be hung in the void or the world around him would freeze like a photograph depending on what his subconsciousness would decide. It's the same as to cover the drowning person with a non transparent cover so that he would not bother the rest of the swimmers.
– Please trace his channel anyway…
– It's very hard, – Guillermo points at the city outside with imposing gesture, – Now there's 2036… excuse me, 2035 players already… This is 2035… no, now 2037 phone lines. All that is delivered to 28 main servers, then is being divided into levels and processed by our own and rented computers on all continents. We use 4 satellites to synchronize the data exchange. Either Internet user or an unorganized one who called one of 700 company numbers can connect to "Labyrinth"…
– I see… – No, it's possible to trace Unfortunate anyway but this fun will be so terribly expensive that it's useless to try to convince Guillermo to do it. – Can you summon your divers here?
– They are not online now.
It's understandable too, if they really tried to get Unfortunate out for whole 24 hours then they must simply sleep sluggishly now, one of them in Ukraine, the other one in Canada. Maybe they curse aloud in their sleep.
– Okay, – I decide. – Is it possible to enter the 33rd level directly?
Guillermo looks aside.
– Have you played long time ago? Do you still have your records saved?
– No…
– Then you'll have to go from the very beginning.
This is what I didn't expect.
– What's the bull? All games have service channels for traveling between levels. Are you an exception?
– Yes.
– But why?
– "Labyrinth" has a big prize fund for setting new level record or fast finishing the entire game.
– I remember, but… is it a big fund?
– The main prize is half a million dollars. This money will go to the one who manages to pass all levels and destroy the Alien Prince in 47 hours 59 minutes! – the commercial type solemnness starts to sound in Guillermo's voice.
Oy-oy-oy….
Why am I not a player?
– This is big money, – notes Guillermo for some reason, – Yes? Any codes that give nonsusceptibility or full weaponry and gear to the player would be figured when one talks about half a million. Any service channel would be found and used. We would be forced to pay prize amounts too often… or to be exact, never.
– But how do your divers work?
– They had passed "Labyrinth" previously. They have records on all levels, in all dangerous places. They need just a couple of minutes to get where they need.
Great beginning…
– How much time does it require to reach the 33rd level?
– From 25 hours to infinity.
What was Man Without Face counting on anyway? If "Labyrinth"'s divers fail to get Unfortunate out in 24 hours it means it's impossible at all…
Guillermo is silent watching me.
– Can I get level maps at least? – I ask, – Complete ones?
– No. There's no complete maps in existence. "Labyrinth" changes constantly and on its own. This is not a movie, not a book after all Gunslinger. This is the whole world, the miracle world! The miracle can't be static.
Part 2. "Labyrinth"
0
The Portal through which "Labyrinth" is connected to the rest of the deep is really beautiful. It's a huge black marble ark going up into the sky. Purple sparks slide along it back and forth and low rumble is emitted by the stone, sometimes accompanied with deep nonhuman sighs. The ark's entrance is filled with swirling red fog.
And right into this fog people are coming, slowly as if mesmerized. Maybe not all or them are real, some of them are created by "Labyrinth"'s sysops for more solemnity but it's impressive anyway.
I join the common flow.
– Hey…
The guy walking by my side touches my shoulder:
– What's your name?
– Gunslinger.
– I'm Alex.
– Nice to meet you… – I turn away, but the guy doesn't leave me alone.
– Going to the first level?
– Yes.
– Let's go together? It's much simpler, honestly!
I examine him. He has obviously individually created appearance, his manners are somehow insolent but self confident.
– We'll pass 5-6 first levels together, – he goes on, – they are simple but it'll be easier to warm up. After that we'll separate if you want. Well?
– Okay.
We shake hands and walk side by side. The bloody fog envelops us, nothing can be seen around anymore. The voice comes from the sky:
– Your entrance mode?
– Pair entrance! – says Alex, – Alex and Gunslinger!
– Pair entrance, – I repeat, – Gunslinger and Alex!
The fog dissipates slightly. We're standing by the section car that rests on the rusted rails. Two overalls are scattered on it together with two mask helmets and two guns. All our 'fellow travelers' have vanished somewhere. We check the chargers and change.
– There'll be a trap by the station building, this is obvious… – mutters Alex, – We can't relax… Where are you from, Gunslinger?
– From Mommy and Daddy.
No more questions arise. We climb the section car and start pumping the lever. The old rattletrap accelerates quickly, we move through dissipating fog.
– Gunslinger, do you like [Stephen] King or what?
– Why?
– Well, your nick… or you just shoot well?
– You'll see.
We leave the fog. The rails are going along crumbling embankment, the station building is ahead burned like the Reichstag building after the storm. The likeness is improved by the red flag on the dome. Either it's an entourage detail (some Westerners are still setting their scores with the communism), or some Bolshevik have decided to commemorate the revolution anniversary. The latter is more likely, November 7th is in three days.
– Now look attentively and be prepared, – says Alex from behind my back, – The trap is there for sure. You know, everybody needs the spare charger…
– I know, – I say turning around. I shoot twice and the already aimed gun falls from the hand of my short-time ally. I bend down to him. Alex gulps the air with his mouth looking at me with senseless eyes. The program gives him 5 more seconds to understand his defeat. – And in fact, I like King too, – I inform him picking up his gun.
That's all. I had one gun with 8 cartridges, now I have two guns with 14 cartridges.
I throw the body down over the section car's skirting, under the embankment, onto the pile of similar looking bodies. It was me who was supposed to end up there according to Alex's plan.
– I was playing 'Deathmatch' when you even couldn't reach up to the keyboard, – I friendly say in parting. The body will decay quickly, in around 6 hours. That's how it is made here, otherwise all "Labyrinth"'s space would be filled up with bones.
The station building gets closer. I look at it trying to understand what have changed since my last time here. It seems to me that tower at the right wing was missing before.