The entrance looks suspicious to me, the door is torn from its hinges and screeches, even if there's no wind. Behind it is full darkness. Windows are covered with blue moss from inside.
– There? – I ask. The boy nods. I raise my foot above the threshold.
– I'm sorry… – the boy whispers clearly, – they said that they'll let Mommy go if I…
In the last instant I manage to jump back and the jet of fire misses me. Something is heavily moving inside the building and rolls on the floor. I launch my last rocket in there.
An explosion bangs, but sounds only become louder after it. The boy screams, breaks free from Unfortunate's hands who tries to hold him, but the kid scratches his face, slips down and rushes into the door.
– Mommy!!! – his thin scream can be heard followed by the muffled champ and the silence falls.
– What a nice walk for beer it was… – I mumble dragging Unfortunate by the shoulder out from the building. He seems to be ready to storm inside after the boy, right into the welcoming gob of the unknown monster.
– Why? – he whispers, turning to me, – Why did he do this?
It's useless to explain him the logic of "Labyrinth"'s creators, he obviously takes everything what's going on seriously.
– They forced the boy to lure the passers by into the ambush, – I say,
– They threatened to kill his mother. That's why he submitted.
Unfortunate stays quite for some time as if thinking over my words. Then asks:
– And why did he rush inside?
At least now my ward have become a little more talkative.
– He was afraid for his mother.
– We need to help them, – says Unfortunate gripping the carbine more comfortably.
He's definitely ready to crawl even in the devil's gob.
– They're already dead! – I shout, – They have perished, believe me!
He believes and lowers the weapon. Thanks God he doesn't insist on revenge for the poor kid.
We go further.
I have an empty launcher, the Unfortunate's winchester has 10 loads at the most. Aren't we armed great?… What a beautiful walk.. And when I notice the guy standing in some 100 meters from us with the corner of my eye, my mood becomes even more lousy.
– Knock him off, – I command. Unfortunate turns to me in surprise.
– Why?
Sure. If he believes in reality of events he would never shoot at people. What a nice guy.
– Give me the weapon! – I insist, looking at the stranger intently. Is it Alex or not? Gee, how I need my binoculars now…
– No! – says Unfortunate firmly and hides the winchester behind his back.
I even don't want to argue with him, I just stand and watch the alien. He studies us too for some time, then steps behind the building's corner and vanishes.
Looks like it wasn't Alex.
– Let's go, my grief you…
In half an hour our situation improves a little. The purple clouds in the sky disappear opening the evil Southern sun. We're almost near the exit from Disneyland. Unfortunate managed to deflect the attack of two spider-like monsters, I find the loads for the launcher and the plasma gun with one energy cell. The life becomes better.
We take a break in the shade of the ruined pizzeria. This time I don't have to ask Unfortunate to eat. He chews the last sandwich very concentrated, I watch him. I don't need food, but at least he could offer to share it, lamer…
– Why did you want to kill that man? – asks Unfortunate.
I don't dare to tell him that his gear would be useful for us.
– He could attack us.
– No. Dick is good.
– Dick?
– Yes. He tried to help me. This morning.
My brains screech in strain.
So, one of "Labyrinth"'s divers watches us? Without interference, without offering help. All this is odd.
– Is Anatol good too? – I launch a probe.
Unfortunate shakes his head energetically, but doesn't try to explain the reasons for his dislike towards the second diver.
– What about me? – this becomes interesting. Unfortunate stops chewing and thinks.
– I don't know yet, – he concludes. Then adds in apologetic tone, – Most likely, good.
It's better not to stop the talk. I carefully take Unfortunate's hand and say:
– Do you understand that everything around is virtual reality?
– Yes.
Perfect. This is half of success.
– Hey kid… What is your name?
– I can't say, – he confesses with obvious regret.
– Are you sure?
– I can't.
– Kid, you're in virtuality for one and a half day already. this is much, very much. Your body is tired, it requires rest, food, water…
I really hope that my voice sounds insinuatingly, like hypnotizer's.
– I need to exit, – he agrees.
– I'll help you, – I promise again, – We're already close. but if something goes wrong, it'll be easier to help you by other means.
Unfortunate swallows the remains of sandwich and looks at me questionably.
– Tell me your Net address, – I ask, – "Labyrinth" will inform your providers, they will send a guy who will eject you from the deep manually. There's nothing shameful in this, I swear, it can happen to anybody.
– No, this is impossible.
– Listen to me… If you are so shy about what happened, or fear something… I'll personally come to you. Wherever you might be. I'm a private party. I don't care about "Labyrinth". I just want to solve your problem! Do you believe me?
– Yes.
– Then tell me the address… – for a moment I think that I've won. I'm really ready to jump out of the deep, to buy the plane ticket and go to Unfortunate's home, even to the Sakhalin [Island] or to Magadan.
– No.
Annoyed, I hit the wall and hurt the finger bones.
– Then stand up! – I command.
The exit from Disneyland is made inside the mirror labyrinth. The labyrinth inside "Labyrinth"… I start feeling dizzy imagining this inclusion of virtual spaces.
– Okay… – I say when we pass the stone statue of the moustached old man with the pile of some sort of ad brochures in granite fingers. The statue watches exiting players sadly. – I'll go in front of you. You'll keep close behind, okay? And try to notice the enemy first, you have keen eyes.
– All right, – says Unfortunate.
We enter the mirror labyrinth. In the beginning it's just a corridor with mirror walls, then it begins to branch, alternating with columns and I lose orientation completely. There's ten pairs of divers and Unfortunates around me. The world breaks into pieces, rotates and flows.
Shit.
It's absolutely different from the mirror labyrinths they like to show in cheap sci-fi movie tales. It's impossible to confuse reality and illusion, no matter how directors try.
Here it's no difference.
I think about leaving the deep, though it'll not help: the detailed illusion will be replaced with the schematic one, that's all.
– Careful, Unfortunate! – I warn, mechanically calling him by the name invented by Guillermo.
He doesn't protest.
We wander in the labyrinth for twenty minutes and finally enter the big hall.
It's a mirror one also: 13-edge prism. Computers are installed along the walls. It's the exit!
And just under the ceiling there are small balconies where monsters stand in pairs. I haven't seen those before – big bulging eyes, long hands holding carbines firmly, scaly bodies.
Except this, they're quite human-like.
– Get back! – I shout, and Unfortunate seems to try to jump back into the mirror corridor.
But at this moment monsters open fire.
Bullets pierce the mirror floor, sharp needles stick into my body. I shoot at random at one of the balconies, clearly understanding that only one of them is real, all others are just reflections.