The Before Short Story Series. Part 1 - Иван Перепелятник

understand, is not accidental at all. In mines or open pits, in an abandoned industrial zone, there may be laboratories, some production lines or workshops where people can work, almost invisible to the world.’

‘Olya, it doesn’t work out somehow. How can it be that we have heard about divergents in Cheremkhovo, and the

all-seeing PAX is not aware of what is happening under its nose. It's hard to believe such a story!’

‘This is our main goal for today, Tonya, to understand how really things are in Cheremkhovo, what is happening there, who works, how divergents live, if there are at all.’

‘Great! Filmed! Well done, Tonya, Olya! Camera, stop!’ Gleb gave instructions.

The Signal of the System

Alexey was walking quickly along the brightly lit, seemingly endless corridor. On both sides of it, at regular intervals on each door leading to the offices of employees, there were screens displaying department numbers, first and last names. Alexey looked at his watch. ‘Pulse 115. Need to calm down. Sergey Semyonovich would not stand weakness. And being nervous is definitely not a manifestation of strength.’ He stopped abruptly and began to take short breaths, leaning against the wall, ‘Inhale-exhale, inhale-exhale. Everything is fine. I'm good. Inhale-exhale…’

‘Head of the Emergency Monitoring Department.

Sergey Semyonovich Zhdanets’.

‘Sergey Semyonovich, good afternoon. Is there a chance to have a quick talk now? There is quite an urgent issue’. Alexey decided that it would be prudent to call him first before interrupting the boss's work schedule.

‘Ah, Alexey! Hi! Come in. I'm just about to leave for a meeting. Please walk me to my car. Will we have time to discuss everything?’

‘Of course, Sergey Semyonovich! I'm already here, right behind your door.’

‘Sergey Semyonovich, there is some reason to believe that the meeting may have to be postponed. The issue is quite urgent!’ Alexey began from the doorway.

‘Really!? A morning can’t be good? I see you've decided to re-enforce the old rule.’

‘Sergey Semyonovich, here is a story. Three teenagers from Irkutsk decided to shoot a video for YouTube about the settlement of divergents near Cheremkhovo. They are already in town, in Cheremkhovo, arrived there. That’s to start with. In addition, Sergey Semyonovich, the system classified this situation as requiring special attention.’

‘Well!? Really, Alyosha? And what does the AI find so important in this case?’

‘So that's the question, Sergey Semyonovich. If it wasn't for the red marker, would I have worried you over trifles! The system predicts with a 94% probability a connection between teenagers, Iganov and a hacker from Cheremkhovo.

‘Right!?’ Sergey Semenovich seemed even more surprised. ‘The same Iganov, the president of that group… what's the name… System X?‘

‘Precisely, Sergey Semyonovich.’

‘Indeed, Alexey, it does look right for you to take me, so to speak, out of the flow … let's go through everything in detail.’

‘It turns out that the story is as follows.’ Alexey started reporting quickly. ‘The other day in a cafe in Irkutsk, the teenagers were discussing a case with a broken mail machine. Moreover, as our security officers found out, the reason for the breakdown at the post office was an external impact on its scanners.’

‘Was it?’ Sergey Semyonovich looked at the young employee in surprise. ‘That is interesting.’

‘So it is, Sergey Semyonovich. More than amazing. Furthermore, the system recorded a meeting, again in Irkutsk, of Iganov with a certain person, at first not identified. Later the same day, the system by the digital passport identified a citizen named Alexey Petrovich Fomin at the metro station entrance in the center of Irkutsk as the person with whom Iganov had met. So, Sergey Semyonovich, this Fomin guy is a chracter directly involved in the story of the broken mail machine, which led the bunch in the cafe to the idea of a trip to Cheremkhovo. And then it's already possible to put two and two together into a bigger picture without the brains of the PAX.’

‘Well-well, Alyosha,’ Sergey Semenovich drawled, looking at some additional information on the screen, ‘it wouldn’t have been easy for you and me to see the picture this way, from this angle, to connect everything like this, and even actually online. A simple mail machine, which did not succumb to the hacked Tracker of this fashion specialist, let him down.’

Alexey was waiting for the decision of the boss who studied the detailed report on the computer for a few more

minutes. Having received authorization, the PAX initiated provisional detention of the hacker and Iganov, and the safe

evacuation of Olga, Tonya and Gleb.

Before: Taxi

“It’s time to leave, Inda! We're going to be late!” Rodger said as loudly as possible, on the verge of shouting, “Are you ready or not!?”

“Just a few minutes. You don't want me to look worse than Oprah today, do you! I need a little bit more time.” Inda was irritated and shouted back, so that so that her voice would surely reach the ground floor. “God, it's the same thing every time. First he pushes me, then he mumbles that I should have paid more attention to the details of my appearance so that everyone would know who’s who.” Inda muttered, looking at the various earrings arranged in beautiful caskets on the dressing table. “What to wear, so that this … Oprah would finally understand her place …”

Rodger plunged himself into an armchair in the living room, glancing from time to time at the changing background of news pictures on the large screen panel on the wall.

“How long will it take us to get to the theater, Sith?” Rodger asked addressing the panel.

”Rodger, it will take no more than an hour to get to the Grand Opera. The roads are all clear at the moment.” A route map appeared on top of the news release on the panel, occupying about a third of the screen. “The starting point