Kitabı oku: «Constructor of Worlds. Volume 1», sayfa 3

– I’m sorry, but I think it’s worth considering the philosophy of scientific development, which is very important especially for fantastic works.

– In that case, what are the goals of creating textbooks? Science should be located only for popularization and no more. And even then it should not be increased unnecessarily. And you propose to increase the volume – another listener was already asking, but it was clear from the intonation that everyone perfectly understood the idea of Vadim Alexandrovich, but they asked questions specifically to refute the idea at all costs for the young researcher.

– Gentlemen, to protect the work, I can bring to your attention a more detailed presentation of the work «Philosophy of Science in Works», which has been published and has detailed instructions and answers to your questions.

– We have read your work, Vadim Alexandrovich. We didn’t find any special evidence of your rightness there…

This dispute lasted for quite a long time, so the candidate’s work cost Vadim Alexandrovich much more than the master’s work. But this did not frighten him, because he planned to present his biggest work in his doctoral dissertation. After receiving the post of Candidate of Sciences, Vadim began to receive much more and already seemed to have enough for a comfortable life, but he could not get down to it in any way. Therefore, he decided first to take up the post of doctor of sciences, and then to take care of his apartment, his house, which still remained the same as it was.

The work on the doctoral dissertation was going well and Vadim Alexandrovich repeatedly rewrote the work that he had conceived back in his master’s degree. Together with Vasily Nikolaevich, who was always there, they were able to publish a monograph and a textbook, as well as about 50 scientific articles for this year. Protection was coming soon. Vasily Nikolaevich never showed even the slightest distrust of his colleague, on the contrary, he supported him. But a lot changed in the summer of 2002.

Vadim Alexandrovich and Vasily Nikolaevich continued their work at the professor’s house, who never invited his colleague. The door opened and the grandson of the Doctor of Sciences entered. The scientists did not get distracted and did not pay attention, and noticed the boy only when he approached the dense. Then they decided to take a break and go out for tea. Then the boy asked:

– Vadim Alexandrovich, and what is your most important work based on, as grandpa says? – in the eyes of the boy there was a sincere desire for knowledge and curiosity, which did not give rest for a moment, Vadim had to explain in the simplest possible language, without a term, and then he said:

– I’ll explain it to you like this. Imagine you’re reading an interesting book, and you really like it. It’s about spaceships, about adventures…

– And about pirates, rescuers? the boy added.

– And about pirates, and about rescuers. And now imagine a writer who came up with a story, but does not know how to write for a boy like you, so that it would be very interesting. Here I will come to help him.

– How is that?

– It’s very simple. If he has an idea, then he can look at my table and understand what his idea looks like, because there are many of them, and their types too. Having learned the type, he can also, through my table, looking at the features of his story, which I have listed here, understand how to write so that all such boys and girls like his book, and so that it is popular.

– Is it possible?

– Of course, it’s possible.

– Then I will definitely read your work when you are done! – the boy spoke with delight. – And then I will write the best book that has not been read yet!

– Go play – said the professor, then turned to a colleague – Are you sure that we will succeed?

– Of course, Vasily Nikolaevich, because we have been working for a whole year.

– Maybe it will work out, but I’m not sure what they will miss there. You have not forgotten the dispute after the defense of the candidate.

– Of course I haven’t forgotten, but what prevents me from breaking through a second time?

– Hmm… I made an appointment with Gabriel Artemovich about our meeting with him. He asked you to be there too. Therefore, if you don’t mind, let’s go to him, and we will continue the work after arrival – the professor tried to persuade.

– If it’s urgent…

Very soon they were already in place and were sitting with their old friend, Academician Gavriil Artemovich.

– Vasily Nikolaevich told about your work – the academician himself was of advanced age, so he spoke slowly. – And you know, Vadim Alexandrovich, now I don’t know you enough, and you know me. I have often supported you, but this time, we need to face the truth. This is too large-scale work.

– Gavriil Artemovich, you can not doubt me.

– Vadim Alexandrovich – this was said by Gavriila Artemovich’s comrade Academician Viktor Romanovich, who was sitting with them – if you want to hear my advice, as an academician and colleague of Gavriila Artemovich, then for so many years I have never heard that there was such a miraculous table in literature, even if the best psychologist in the world takes up the case. Believe me, I don’t see much prospect. Yes, it was a good job. Yes, they agreed with you when you were a teacher, when you were a master, even when you were a candidate, but to have a doctor already… I’m sorry, but I think you should do more mundane things.

– But…

– Viktor Romanovich is absolutely right, – Gavriil Artemovich added, – I will also advise you to leave this job of yours and take up a simpler type. For example, leave at least that table to determine the type of narration and based on this, in addition, you have enough for this.

– But Professor, so much work…

– I think Viktor Romanovich and Gavriil Artemovich are right, Vadim. I also agree with them, I just couldn’t tell you that. This is pure utopia, Vadim Alexandrovich, and there is no point in continuing our work. It is better to take one detail and develop it a little, as far as possible. In my opinion, this is the only move.

– Also, do not forget about your health, because if you work too much on such a big job, you may face insanity – said Viktor Romanovich.

– Viktor Romanovich, how can this threaten me when I love my job…

– Which has no future of its own – added Gavriil Artemovich.

– Maybe, maybe your idea is somehow realized in 5 years, maybe in 10, or maybe in 100 years at all? – Vasily Nikolaevich tried to speak mildly, but now we have no chance. The best thing that can happen is that your speech will not be approved as valid, and we will return. And at worst, you will be offered to perform only next year!

– I understand you, gentlemen – only Vadim Alexandrovich replied dryly.

Then Vasily Nikolaevich looked at his watch and said:

– Excuse me, I think it’s time for us, we still need to prepare the work – I offered Vadim Alexandrovich to go.

They were returning to Vasily Nikolaevich’s house, but then suddenly the professor told the driver to turn off. When they turned around, they arrived in the forest…

Chapter four. Journey

It is not known where they were going and what the professor was up to, but when they turned, they were already passing through some forest that Vadim Alexandrovich had not been familiar with before. Suddenly the driver lost control and the car fell to the side of the road. To the horror of the scientists, the driver died on the spot, and they themselves were slightly injured. When they came out, the candidate of Sciences asked the professor:

– Professor, where were we going?

– We were going to the same university, I wanted to show you an old friend of mine, but apparently fate threw us not far. This is the same forest where my colleague died in an accident – said Vasily Nikolaevich holding on to a colleague. It was already evening and it was dark, they needed to get back into the city somehow.

– Vasily Nikolaevich, but how will we get home?

– There are no cars passing through here, because a longer, but safer way was built, I wanted to shorten it. Therefore, the only option is for us to walk, I think there should be an exit not far away, because we have not driven so deep.

– What about our phones?

– We won’t be able to give any signal, our phones won’t work.

After this brief dialogue, they continued their journey on foot. On the way Vadim Alexandrovich asked:

– And who was your colleague and why did you want to show me his place of work?

– I wanted to show you his work. He was a physicist and worked tirelessly. He was a candidate of sciences and worked on chemical compounds or, more precisely, on their atomic structures. He worked so hard and was able to reveal completely new data. Then the security services became interested in him, he began to appear less in public, and I had little opportunity to communicate with him after that. And then, I was able to meet him for the last time. And then, it became clear about his death. Surprisingly, at his request, his corpse is still here. I think we’ve come,» the professor whispered.

The professor’s phone had a built-in flashlight, and he didn’t turn it on to save the charge, which was almost gone, but now he couldn’t help but show it. He turned it on and directed it up. A body appeared before the eyes of Vadim Alexandrovich, this man was hanged on a tree branch. Frozen bottomless eyes exuded incomprehensible emotions. He was a middle-aged man, slightly younger than the professor. He was wearing a white lab coat and gloves. And a crazy smile froze on his face for ever…

Vadim Alexandrovich froze in place, and Vasily Nikolaevich spoke:

– That’s what excessive striving leads to! Do you think science will reciprocate your efforts? – no! They will suck all your blood and make you rot hanging on the gallows made by your hands! Yes, we are scientists, but we must also beware of this force. When we go too deep and learn, we become stronger, but our enthusiasm causes fear – they are afraid of us. They were afraid of him! He became so strong that people simply did not catch up to him and that’s what it led to! Therefore – he quickly looked at Vadim – stop Vadim Alexandrovich and stop your work! And start a simple job, otherwise the same fate awaits you!

The candidate of Sciences froze in place and simply could not move, could not say a word, he was torn apart from the inside, he was shod with fear, fear, where did his scientific courage go? Where had his fearlessness gone? Now they were gone and Vadim Alexandrovich realized how far he had come… Suddenly they heard the howl of a wolf and rushed forward, trying to escape as quickly as possible, but Vadim Alexandrovich fell and lost consciousness…

When the scientist woke up, he was already at Vasily Nikolaevich’s house. They were rescued by a forester who lived nearby and helped them get out. Now in Vadim’s eyes that fervor did not burn, that enthusiasm did not burn, and no, he did not lose interest – he was scared, he abandoned and buried his idea in a grave that is deeper than any hole on Earth, he buried it in his soul as far as possible so that he would never remember it again.

Finally, a solemn day has come, which Vadim used to think would be one of the happiest in his life. Before the speech, he met his friend Gleb Valentinovich, the one with whom they were waiting in line to defend their master’s thesis.

– Vadim Alexandrovich! How glad I am to meet you again! Are you trying to be a doctor?

– You guessed right, Gleb Valentinovich, but we haven’t seen you since the magistracy.

– Exactly. After all, I worked for a long time after that. Right now, only on the candidate.

– Are you worried?

– Why should I worry when everything is paid.

– I’m sorry, what do you mean?

– I will definitely be a candidate, even if I don’t say anything. I paid them to take me in. I trust you even with my innermost secrets, because we have not worked side by side for two years in vain, right?

– I’m sorry, but I’m a little surprised by your act.

«You don’t look it.» Excuse me, but why are you so sad, dear friend? Something happened? If you’re worried, it won’t be difficult for me…

– No, you don’t need to. And I’m sad because I buried my most grandiose idea.

– Well, this is also not a problem, you just need to pay and they will accept any of your whims, Vadim Alexandrovich. At least announce the number «pi» again!

– Thank you, but I’d rather kill myself along with my idea than act so meanly with my honor! And now, allow me to leave.

– Whatever you say, Mr. Honesty! Gleb grinned.

Vadim felt an unprecedented disgust for this man, after what he heard. Finally, he waited for his entrance and solemnly began his speech, which this time was by the very appearance of Vadim Alexandrovich much sadder than all the previous ones:

– Ladies and gentlemen… Today, I will present to your attention the work «Table of the narrative system», it is devoted to the definition of the style of narration. It is very simple and consists in… – he spoke his report without interest.

When the performance was over, few people asked questions. This topic was already trodden and was an easy way to pass, which really annoyed Vadim, who was a real scientist in his heart. So he received his degree and was proudly called Doctor of Philology, Professor of Tomsk State University Vadim Alexandrovich Vavilov.

So ten whole years have passed, Vadim has just turned forty-four years old, and the ticket for the liner has even risen in price, but at the same time he began to receive much more salary as a professor. Over time, he forgot about his pain and happily continued his work in his new position, giving lectures and sometimes conducting research. There was an era of cable television, DVD players, discs and cassettes were sold in stores, new stores were built or opened for them. Vadim himself already had his own TV, it was colored and showed old channels.

He looked at life as a trinket, a native of the pure Soviet principles of work and get, he tried to instill it in the yard boys who behaved like bandits in the area. Of course, he was bypassed, some laughed.

Vadim Alexandrovich continued to teach students, and sometimes children, and released more than a dozen from the walls of the university. It has been transformed with the age of new technologies. Now these computers and an electronic database have appeared, Vadim has been learning for a long time from their new young candidate of information sciences how to understand these computers and the Internet. Anatoly Romanovich seemed to be a ray at that time, only twenty-four years old, and he knows so much about computers, and explains it well, although Vadim turned out to be a bad student and in general it was difficult for him to do this.

He took antidepressants once, when it was already impossible to see nightmares in front of his eyes anymore, and now this jar still lies in a larger plastic box that contained everything necessary for first aid, for the cure of diseases. With Vadim’s immunity, some kind of flu or runny nose were not so terrible. And Vadim Alexandrovich did not put the apartment in order, but left everything as it is, even though the salary was already quite sufficient.

A month later, in June, when Vadim did not need to appear at the university and all these exams were passed, the man bought a ticket for a liner that would sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Florida and back with a plane flight through Europe. Of course, it was a very expensive journey, but most of the time Vadim will finally sail on a ship, and even if not as it was in his dreams, but this thrill, this thought, like a corpse, will come to life again, at the sight of the black depths of the ocean. At the same time, now he could quite afford to realize his dream.

The flight to Lisbon in Portugal will be here in one week. The professor was given a corresponding brochure with a guide to Florida, in which they will be at most two days and back to the pier, to the ship. He could already feel the sound of the surf, this wind with drops of sea water and the song of seagulls that fly near the land of islands and continents.

The man often imagined this moment, in colors, probably, this is the only image that he remembered so fondly. He took his time-worn briefcase, which would serve his master to death, and packed into it the most necessary things for the trip. A toothbrush, toothpaste, some ready-made food, clothes and money, a couple of tens of thousands of rubles. Oh, this is the time before you go on trips, to distant wonderful lands, to people who speak a different language and whom you fiercely despised during the Cold War.

Vadim literally trembled and beat a fraction every day, an hour turned into years. The man literally had nothing to do, he lived without communication, because even though he worked with Vasily Nikolaevich and others, he did not communicate with them heart to heart and for almost twenty-odd years he forgot what it was like to talk to people longer and reveal his soul to them. Vadim talked to the boys in the yard, but it was just a couple of sentences that practically did not change from year to year.

He couldn’t wait to diversify his life somehow, and he often asked himself what would happen next, for example, in another ten years, or would he already go crazy by this moment and die without waiting for a ray of light in the wilderness in which he has been living for a long time. He often returned to the events of the past, it was an integral part of him, from which he had no right to refuse because of resentment against his mother, who still glowed in his chest, he nurtured and cherished this beast, or what does hatred for a person turn into? The professor felt that it was not a beast and not emptiness, but pure hatred, like burning lava and like acid that eats everything, and it smells no better than rotten food.

July 2009.

A week passed and Vadim Alexandrovich, despite the old bones and back pain, was ready to jump on the walls with happiness. He instantly dressed in his old coat, which went out of fashion back in the seventies, shoes and a hat to cover his graying hair from the raging winds. Taking the briefcase, the keys to the house, Vadim looked around his poor home. It has not changed in any way in all twenty-two years of living, only the TV appeared, and the radio broke down and that’s all. All the same old walls, dusty bookshelves, kitchen, sofa with a broken spring. He sighed and left his abode, quickly descending the concrete stairs.

The soles of his shoes rattled, and the things in the briefcase, which were already sloppily folded so that the briefcase seemed bigger and bloated, were even more mixed up inside. There were inscriptions and various drawings on the entrance wall, Vadim Alexandrovich once caught such a person, but did not teach him a lesson, it was all the same what this young man was doing, the main thing was not with a knife in his hand.

I got to the airport by bus, which were delivered at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Convenient transport, but crowded and not very pleasant smelling, well, just like an ordinary train then. I found the right flight and got on the plane for the first time. The professor did not get out anywhere, except on the street to work or to the store, he did not see the country, as well as foreigners, only if Negroes were students or the same tourists. At that moment, the man felt joy and a surge of energy, he was excited, like a child after chocolate, from just the thought of the sea and the ship!

Sitting in his seat on the plane, he felt a little dizzy with admiration. The smell of the plane was sterile and quite unusual. A flight attendant walked through the rows and checked the tickets or whether someone was sitting correctly. The plane was still standing for a long time before departure. Few came yet, but soon the entire economy class was packed with different families and people. Then a voice sounded on the microphone, which drowned out the general hum and urged to buckle up immediately.

The plane went on the track, this moment was very exciting, it seemed to the doctor of sciences that the tremor had returned, and it was only the plane that vibrated easily from the work of the engines on the wings. Then he began to accelerate harder until he completely lifted off the ground and removed the chassis. Vadim was looking out the window with his eyes all this time, his heart was captured by the whole landscape and the moment. For a long time, the man believed that he would never go to sea, swim on a ship, and now he is flying all the way by plane to Lisbon, then across the Atlantic Ocean by ship to Florida, from there also back.

Vadim Alexandrovich experienced an unheard-of pleasure when flying and realizing his own dream, which he had been striving for since childhood

He was ready to jump out of the window from this overabundance of emotions, but in fact he looked calm, not a muscle twitched from overflowing delight. Cities, forests, rivers, lakes, seas and all that are located under it. There were no people in sight, but they were swarming under this plane. The sound from the engines was very loud and even sound insulation with the help of portholes was not omnipotent. Soon the plane rose much higher than the clouds, and it was already difficult to see the ground under the clouds and pale white clouds.

Vadim Alexandrovich was looking out the window all this time and reading a magazine along with a brochure, in addition, he had an interesting book in his briefcase, but unfortunately, he was taken and put in the luggage compartment of the plane. An equally old man, already completely gray-haired and with a prosthetic tooth, was snoring under his ear. Vadi ambiguously adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and also decided to sleep at least a little, he wouldn’t miss anything.

Sleeping on an airplane was somewhat different from sleeping on a train, if on the train you were lulled by the transport itself knocking on the rails, then the plane flew smoothly, only trembling a little, as if the plane also had goosebumps from delight. But Vadim was an ordinary person and even standing up could fall asleep like a horse in a herd, so it was not difficult to fall asleep here under the snoring of a neighbor, even somehow much easier.

And so Vadim got to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, as far as he knew…

We boarded at the airport without interference. Walking down the ramp, Vadim felt the rays of the sun glide over his pale skin. He could feel the wind blowing through his body, through the jacket he wore at school. Some kind of traveler mania has awakened in the man’s mind. He saw so many people in one place, heard so many words, the meaning of which he did not understand. Vadim took his briefcase, completely stuffed with things in his hand, and walked with a very confident and straight gait in the general pile of chattering people. Camera lenses sparkled, many taxi drivers stood near the airport, they approached and offered their services.

The guide met a bunch of tourists just at the exit and led them to the bus. The transport shone from its cleanliness and all the smoke went up through the pipe immediately into the air. The bus itself was dark and stuffy, and a lot of people who were talking among themselves went inside. Vadim sat down with a thin man who took a paper bag on his lap. He looked unhealthy, and when the bus started moving under the voice of the guide, who was talking about local places, Vadim realized what was the matter. This man began to feel sick and he threw out all the contents of his stomach into a bag. Vadim had to look at it, and when his eyes failed him, he continued to listen to the muffled moans of his neighbor.

Vadim did not listen to the guide’s chatter, but simply watched the cars that passed next to the bus or paid attention to houses with interesting architecture. Soon they arrived at the ferry. A pleasant wind blew in my face, bringing with it the smell of water, wet stones and, it seems, boiled corn. A ship was slowly rocking at the dock. It was a large-sized liner with a deckhouse at the very top, it was built recently and although it has already managed to make several voyages, this route was built specifically for this newest liner and now it will set off for the first time on a new course.

The liner itself matched its proud name, which was emblazoned on it – «Columbia». Its engine was hidden by the hull of the ship, but the propellers were visible from the outside and even the black water did not hide them. The captain and a sailor were standing at the gangplank, the captain was smoking a pipe and wiggling his mustache when he checked the passengers’ tickets. His tokens glowed in the sun. The sailor was standing next to him, his hands folded behind his back and his youthful chest puffed out. He looked to be twenty-two, and the stubble was already visible on his face. Vadim looked at him with invisible envy, because he could also be an ordinary sailor and surf the seas and oceans like pirates from books.

The ladder creaked under Vadim’s feet, and his eyes looked into the foaming abyss. Moss and algae grew on the stones of the pier. The ship was rocking on the waves, and Vadim almost fell, leaning on the railing. Lifebuoys hung on the walls of the ship, the clear glass of the portholes sparkled. All the doors were open, but thick and heavy. Ropes rested on the floor, and an anchor lay hidden from all eyes overboard. There was a swimming pool on the ship, and there were sun loungers nearby. The sailors walked around the deck and washed the floor, or went about their other business. On the ground floor there was a technical compartment under the floor, already higher on the second floor there were cabins and rooms for entertaining people, for example, a private mini-bar. When the captain checked all the tickets, he walked slowly to the control room, accompanied by that young man. There were a lot of people on board, the wheels of their suitcases beat a drum on the deck, speech flowed in a stream from human lips.