Adam didnt even notice he was off the ground. He climbed higher and faster, watching without feeling as cities, villages, forests, and even mountains burned, as rivers vaporized and boiled from the high temperatures. He saw dozens, hundreds of the same uncompromisingly destructive fire clots and a mysterious emerald glow in the spaces between them. The Earth seemed to be gone. Now it was sick, but no longer with the presence of life on it, but on the contrary with its death, its absence.
Hey, are you okay? A familiar male voice sounded from somewhere far away.
Instantly, everything was gone, switched like a channel on an ancient television. Adam saw the hallway, the floor and the walls again. He turned his head at the sound and saw Audley leaning over him.
Ill call the medics,» he said. How are you feeling?
No need for medics,» Adam replied in a shaky voice. I think its a side effect of the neural interface,» he added immediately, gradually regaining consciousness. Im sorry you had to witness that. I didnt realize it could be so serious.
When did you use it?
Before we met. Im sorry. Im fine. Really, dont worry. Ill get help myself.
Audley stared incredulously, but then straightened up and asked in a different tone.
Can you walk?
Yes, of course.
Adam rose to his feet. He felt no physical discomfort now. His head didnt ache, his body was full of energy. It was as it should be, but the feelings damn them! They continued to rage inside, interfering with his thinking, nullifying his attempts to appear normal.
The drive to the lobby passed in complete silence. Adam did his best to keep his cool. In his mind he berated himself for daring to use the neurointerface, knowing that it was damaged. That could have ended badly at all. He had to finish his business with Robert and then go through a recovery course. If hed just done poorly on a medical test before, and had taken the matter less than seriously, now, faced with the real consequences, he felt fear. If something like this happened again, it was far from certain that his nervous system would hold up. And then everything would come to an end. Even if he didnt die, he would be an invalid for life, unable to do anything, and that was frightening.
Yes Robert broke the silence as they entered the vaults of the lobby dome. Stop using the neural interface. I know it saves a lot of time, but in our reality, should we be rushing? It would be a shame if one of these toys took everything away from you.
Youre certainly right,» Adam agreed. Again, I apologize for this awkwardness. Its embarrassing, really.
Forget it. Get well. But remember, Ill see you tomorrow.
Yes, of course,» Adam nodded.
Dead or alive!
Alive, I hope. Im very intrigued by you.
Both of them laughed. One, not a natural, working laugh, the other, just as unfairly, overpowering the storm of emotion that still lingered inside.
No sooner had Robert left the walls of the Center than a vibration pierced his hand a ringing.
Did he leave? How did it go? Agatha was excited.
It went well, but he twisted my arms. Ill have to go to his office with a prototype. He promised to sign a contract for three hundred thousand units, Adam exhaled and added a little more quietly, Agatha, can I come up and talk to you if I have a minute?
Uh, sure. Come on in and tell me all about it. Three hundred thousand is even more than we expected, well done! The director replied briefly, and ended the call.
The door to Agathas office was ajar so that snippets of the newscast could still be heard from the hallway:
«Panic attacks day» so dubbed this day by medics and scientists all over the world. Hundreds of thousands of cases of uncontrollable visions have been recorded in the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance and the Federation of Independent States. Victims claim to have seen the end of the world associated with the use of weapons of mass destruction. The heart is racing. Against the background of these events, a number of non-profit associations have already become active, demanding the complete destruction of old stockpiles of nuclear weapons and the closure of all nuclear facilities. Spontaneous rallies have begun in many cities. We have North Atlantic Alliance spokesman Major Arthur Kirk live with us:
We cant give an explanation for these strange visions,» came a stern commanding voice. Im getting data from scientists. They attribute this phenomenon to unusual activity on the Sun. The only thing we can assure you of is that there can be no military action using the old nuclear arsenal.
A janitorial robot ran down the corridor, catching Adam, who had been listening to the majors statements, off guard. He recoiled, whispered a curse, and then glanced back at the doorway where Arthur Kirks speech was coming from.
I have already spoken with my counterpart in the Federation of Independent States, the major continued. We have once again confirmed all agreements under the treaty on the storage and use of nuclear weapons. We have been living in peace and harmony for more than thirty years, and there is no reason for either our side or the government of the Federation of Independent States to start hostilities.
I havent had faith in politicians for a long time. It came from my father. When he watched the news, he always scolded them, calling them bums and freeloaders. Adam didnt think of them as such, but he had no faith in their words.
We ask the public to take todays events calmly and let the scientists figure it all out,» the speakers continued. I can also confirm that todays phenomenon affected only citizens of the North Atlantic Alliance and the Federation of Independent States.
«Interesting, us and the FNG people are affected by the sun, but the others arent? Its all nonsense,» the thoughts rang in the head.
Well keep you informed and make all the necessary checks to get to the bottom of this and make a clear assessment of todays events,» Kirk promised confidently, setting the record straight.
Adam knocked on the office door and opened it ajar. The director was sitting at her desk, reviewing the vision recordings already available online. The images were familiar: the explosion, the flames destroying everything around them, and the ashes left by the wave that had passed.
Thats news to me! I thought it was my neural interface playing tricks on me,» Adam said as he slowly approached the screen with pictures of the victims memories.
Did you get it too? Agatha asked anxiously.
Yeah, the moment I walked Robert out. Must have blacked out for a couple of seconds. Its all very strange.
The principal frowned and shook her head:
Look, go home, get some rest. I dont know what any of this means, and you have to close Audleys contract tomorrow. Get two vials for the Capsule from the warehouse. For yourself and your wife, just in case. If theyre not better by tonight, I suggest you use them. Tell them I asked for them. Recuperate and close the R.G.I. issue tomorrow, thats the main thing.
Agatha, if its not a non-interface, Im totally fine!
The principal was adamant.
Go and do as I say. She turned off the videotape, stood up, came closer and added more gently, Well talk about the results tomorrow. Meanwhile, get some treatment. I cant risk my lead engineer.
The journey home was not a quick one. Thousands of cars and other vehicles were slowly making their way through the city streets in a single stream. There was a buzzing noise all around. The whistling of electric motors, the shouts of outraged people wanting to get away faster, and the panicked roar of the crowd, invisible and scattered everywhere.