The "Emperor" moans quietly and grabs his head, tries to walk towards the door. I jump from the throne, wrapping up the terminal with a wave of my hand, grab the man by the collar and push him towards the throne, ordering:

– Take the helmet off! Shut down the machine!

– I… I didn't mean to… – mumbles the 'emperor'.

– I'll mail you the bill for your rescue, – I cut him off, – exit, now!

The man's hands jerk to his head, then hammer the air erratically, his figure dims, the orange thread disappears. I take the glasses off.

The hacker under the tunnel opening is almost ghostly already, he rotates his head slowly looking around. That's how the legends of miracle making divers are born.

– Let's go, – I say to Unfortunate who still circles around the hacker, looking up into the tunnel opening, from where various garbage still pours in. – Come on!

I have to drag him away by hand, like a kid. The hacker stays in the empty hall, he's still full of curiosity. The hole in the ceiling narrows slowly and his channel will be broken in around ten minutes. Ah well, let him sort his own problems out by himself – if he's so damned cool…

The door leads us out into a small hall with seven more similar doors and an elevator shaft. Somewhere nearby the leader of red ants dreams on his throne, the wily plans are plotted by the ruler of intelligent medusas and by other game addicts…

– Why did you glue yourself to that hacker? – I ask Unfortunate in elevator but he doesn't answer.

Let him, the most important thing is that I've finally got him out of "Labyrinth", just from under the nose of two mighty corporations!

Elevator brings us to Deeptown's street, I look around. There's the AOL tower, long rows of hotels, the green of the park – this is "Giltoniel's Gardens". A-ha, not too bad: we are on the border Russian, European and American sectors of the city. Unfortunate raises his head and pronounces:

-‡">С§¤Л Ё Џ« ­ҐВЛ: •Я§ПЁ­ ‘ЁАЁГБ !

I follow his look: the colorful neon sign is glowing above the building that we've just left: "Stars & Planets: Master of Sirius". { Engl. In the original } A famous company, it's worthy to offer them diver services – the work is easy but earnings are stable.

– Unfortunate, what language is native for you?

– You don't know it, – he waves his hand.

I make a guess:

– Basic maybe?

We both laugh.

– Okay, – I agree, – You're alive, you're not a product of computer intelligence.

– Thanks.

– But who are you?

Unfortunate shrugs and studies passers by with curiosity of somebody who entered virtuality for the first time.

– Take the mask off, – I advise and pull respirator from him myself, – No need to scare the people.

– Will we go anywhere else? – asks Unfortunate.

To be honest, I have no idea myself. I was fearing a quick and energetic pursuit which we'll need to flee with much noise and blood. Then we would rush to "Amusements" immediately.

– Let's walk a little, – I decide. – Have you ever been to the Elvish Gardens?

– No.

– Let's go then. Not that it's a super attraction, but…. – I start talking, but it looks like it isn't my fate to be a guide today.

The bright rainbow flashes up in the evening sky dimming the stars, the crystal ringing is heard: a symbol of the Net-wide broadcast. It was used for only 5 or 6 times on my memory.

And I can guess what they will convey now.

– Taxi! – I scream, stretching my hand. A car stops by in an instant, I push Unfortunate inside and get in myself. The driver – a young curly-haired black girl – turns to us with a smile.

I don't have a revolver with me now, so I just pull the gloves on and knock the girl out with a fist. Unfortunate doesn't protest, he can correctly tell real people from programs.

– To the brothel "Any Amusements"! – I order and the girl submits.

The car jumps forward.

– Citizens of Deeptown!

The voice is coming from everywhere, nobody can hide from it in a cozy car interior or behind the walls of the house.

– This is Jordan Reid addressing you, the city's Security Service commissar…

I know Reid, he's a nice guy even if an American, one of those who is ready to communicate with divers and to tolerate minor offences for the sake of the whole Net's well being.

– An important message is being broadcasted… please pay attention…

– mumbles the girl.

But I'm attention itself already.

– A crime was committed on the territory of "Labyrinth of Death" around half an hour ago, a crime that is threatening the very existence of Deeptown itself. – says Reid.

Mother of God! What is that?

– Two persons, one of them is a diver, are charged of using a virus weapon of a type forbidden by the Moscow Convention. It is a polymorphic virus with labeled 'Warlock-9000', with unlimited ability for spreading.

What's this bull? Never would Maniac make such a virus!

– One of the virus' characteristics is interception of control over communication hardware. Al-Kabar Corporation and "Labyrinth of Death" are among the victims.

Now it becomes clear to me. When the fighting rivals understood that their prey had escaped, they united and charged me of everything, including destruction of the 33rd level.

Great. Now just try to prove that 'Warlock' have only drilled a hole for us and then died peacefully as any decent legalized virus should. Even if to surrender the source code to the police, nobody would take a risk to acquit me. Who knows how could 'Warlock' interfere with "Labyrinth"'s virtual space?

– Shit, – I whisper.

– Is it bad? – asks Unfortunate.

– Much worse.

I pull my hand over the girl's shoulder, grab a phone from the dashboard and dial Guillermo's number.

– Now you can see the appearance that was used by suspects in "Labyrinth", – informs Jordan, – We offer these individuals to arrive to Deeptown Security Department voluntarily. I would also request anybody who knows these individuals to contact me.

Our portraits flash up in the sky, then me and Unfortunate are demonstrated full height and in motion.

Looks impressive, especially when I cut off Dick's head with the lash.

– Assholes, – I mumble ungluing myself from the window.

Connection establishes in around 10 seconds.

– Hello! { in Engl }

– Hi Willy, – I say quickly, – How should I understand that?

A pause.

– Ah! Gunslinger? Where are you?

– In a car.

I don't risk, the knocked off transportation program doesn't report its location.

– A misunderstanding have happened, – says Guillermo quickly, – Come here, we'll fix everything.

– Drop your charges first.

Willy sighs:

– Gunslinger, this is not in my… aaa… powers.

– Too bad. I'll call you later. – I promise and put the phone back.

We approach the brothel and a new problem arises – what to do with a car? It's not the easiest task to destroy the program completely. If I let it go – Deep Transit would restore control over it sooner or later and will figure out our route.

I'll have to get help from Deep-Transit itself…

I take a box with an emerald beetle from my pocket, put the glasses on, then command:

– Unfortunate, get out.

I exit the car after him, throw the dumb insect inside and shut the door. The result follows immediately.

Deep-Transit doesn't guard its cars too well preferring to tolerate small pranks like my free and undocumented rides, but they mercilessly crush any attempts to penetrate into their servers. It's impossible to defeat their security with primitive programs such as the beetle.

The cab dims and dissolves in the air – the comm channel was chopped off at the very first attempt of the beetle to crawl into the foreign computer.

– Let's go, – I poke Unfortunate slightly and grab his hand. If there are any customers in the lobby now – we're in deep trouble. But we are lucky