made the piercing like the lead singer of the Rocker Stars. The tattoo is very similar to the symbolism of the Blackened group. And Mitka, of course, contracted the teenage addiction to nicotine from Dimka.
– Listen, Dim. Why are you friends with me?
– You’re cool, funny. But not only that. How do you like Kolka, new guy?
– Which one is Ideal? – asked Mitya.
– Yeah, he’s the one.
– Boring, like all clones.
«That’s the same,» said Dima. – They look alike. And you are wrong. You often infuriate me with your jokes and antics. Sometimes when you blurt out something, I want to kill you. But as soon as we part for an hour or two, it immediately becomes empty. If you were Ideal, I wouldn’t be friends with you. Okay, enough talk. Insert the chip into the back of your head and let’s go!
An electric discharge passed through the body. The world was filled with new colors and changed. It became lighter. Before your eyes is a navigation panel. Dima increased the subjective temperature and removed the wind.
– And I recommend it to you – otherwise you’ll be chilled to the bones!
Mitya smiled and repeated the procedure. The boys looked at the lifeless bodies of their avatars, who were sitting on the asphalt.
– I hope that while we are in the virtual world, no one will find us in real life? – asked Mitya.
«We won’t stay long,» Dima answered. – Taking out the «Gargoyle Wings» will not open a teleport to the Bank.
Behind the backs of the teenagers there are wings that look like bats. By the way, the appearance of the guys has changed considerably: both are muscular, tall, and 10 years older. Augmented reality made it possible to change the appearance to taste. They soared up and flew over the tops of skyscrapers, and sometimes flying through steel walls. And in every room there is a fragment of someone’s secret life. But the new era cannot keep secrets. Only the richest can afford to buy virtuality broadcast suppressors. Well, it’s the same in government facilities. And so, go into any apartment in virtual form and look into someone else’s, once private, life. A world without borders, a world without castles.
– Do you know where to fly? – asked Mitya.
– Let’s go down to this roof. The security system here is weaker.
– Listen, what if we get caught?
– Don’t whine like a woman! – Dimka grinned somehow ominously. – I suggested to you right away: go to mathematics. He himself wanted to go with me.
– I’m a boy, I’m not a woman!
– Don’t drift! You haven’t forgotten who you’re dealing with, have you? I took second place at the Young Programmer Olympiad
As soon as he landed on the roof, two huge stone troll statues came to life.
– This is what I understand – a security system! Nobody promised that it would be easy!
The troll hit the roof, sending a shock wave in all directions.
– Mitya, don’t step on these blue symbols. These are beacons: you can’t wash them off. And then the Guardians will quickly figure you out.
Dima issued some combination of commands, and a scarlet whip shone in his hand, sparkling with energy. The blow – and the troll shattered into fragments, turning into a pile of stones.
– Will you teach me to do this too? – Delight was visible in Mitka’s eyes.
– No need to skip computer science lessons, that’s the whole secret!
Dima entered another combination of commands, and a gap appeared in the wall (of course, only in virtuality, but this was enough to get inside)
Along the walls there were shelves with various information. But the most interesting thing is in the center of the hall, which ended the long corridor. A sphere glowing in various shades of blue, flowing with energy.
– What is this? – Mitka whispered spellbound.
– Looks like this is the Server Key! Mit, we are rich! Now, to get any information we are interested in, we don’t even need to wander around Technopolis! You need to grab it and make legs!
Dima extended his hands to the sphere, but then something grabbed his hand. He tried to pull his hand away, but tenacious black paws held him. Then their owner appeared, a huge black ghost, reaching to the ceiling. Dima tried to create a whip in his hand, but the program code crumbled from his fingers.
– Did you really think it was so easy to get into the Centrum? Statues are just decorations; any programmer can pass through them. But we will not give the sphere to anyone.
«Mitka, hit him from behind with something!» I’ll distract him, and you’ll hit him! I can’t press the exit button from virtuality. They blocked me!»
The beauty of virtuality is that you can send messages that no one except the recipient will see. The ghost had no idea yet that there was someone else in the building besides Dima. But Mitya shook his head. A tear ran down his cheek.
«Forgive me, Dim. I can’t»
«Why?»
«If I get caught now and my parents find out. I’m finished!
«Well, you and #%$#*, Dima! I didn’t expect it from you! You’re scum!
Mitya’s image flashed and disappeared into virtuality. He returned to the real world.
The ghost twisted Dima’s limbs, but he did not feel pain. Feelings were obscured by another pain that had no equal: the first betrayal, like the first love, remains forever in the heart. Tears flowed down my cheeks, which even in virtuality made my face wet. Probably, in the real world his avatar is crying.
– Do you know what I will do to you, sucker? – the ghost laughed creakingly.
– Yes to me #$%#$%, do what you want!
– Everyone said that before meeting people like me. But I will do something good with you. I will reeducate you. They say that you can educate for up to ten years. But we have found a way to educate at any age. Juvenile criminals like you are no longer sent to prison. There is little space under the sun, and every year there is less and less. Why spend money on places of detention when you can re-educate them forever and make people Ideal?
A white sphere shone between the ghost’s fingers, shimmering with rows of zeros and ones.
– What is this? – Dima asked scared, although deep down he already knew the answer to this question. He made another attempt to get out, but to no avail. He shouted several obscene phrases, but the ghost did not pay attention to them. He placed a white sphere between Dima’s eyebrows, and it shone blindingly. This light passed through the whole guy. At first it hurt. And then he, looking around. I could appreciate the perfectly even outlines of the hall.
And then there was a flash – and Dima opened his eyes on the wet cold asphalt. He hung his backpack on his back and trudged home.
The thirty-eighth floor, but for some reason the elevator was not working again. This happened often. It smelled like dog urine: many defenders let poor animals in to bask in the entrance, and laid out the bones on a piece of newspaper on the ground floor. The light was blinking while waiting for the wiring to be repaired. Swear words are written on the steel wall with a marker. Usually Dima ran out of breath on the fifth floor, but today he reached his floor without shortness of breath. The young man’s room was in «creative» chaos. The bed is not made. Dima corrected this misunderstanding. Swept and washed the floors. I washed the dishes. I replaced the outlet that I promised to fix more than a month ago. And he sat down to study. Isn’t this logical? Every teenager, when he comes home, should do