PREFACE
"Every tragedy in this world begins with one thought and a bunch of people sharing it. This one was no exception. One idea, then an oversight, an accident, and an unexpected result. Everything you need to divide society into two camps, so unnoticeable before, but stand out now. For those who are ready to create their own present every day, and those who always want to return to the past. Each of them will be right in their own way, but now we will not talk about that. We are going back to the origins of"

Weiss Stas
Beginning of September. The weather is hot, it feels like summer is somewhere around the corner and is not ready to leave. I, as the most responsible person in this building, am a little late for the meeting. I have an iron excuse - there is a big queue at the buffet, but I want to eat, so I have to spin like a squirrel in a wheel, for the sake of a bun with poppy seeds. When I finish my studies, I will become a sought-after specialist with a large salary and I will probably stop being late. Okay, I need to come up with a better excuse while I'm walking. For example, he transferred his grandmother across the street, no, across the campus, or it was a lost freshman. I like it, now you can live in peace.
- Stas! – almost choking, a familiar voice groaned from behind. We have one on the stream, a little hoarse, like during a cold, not counting me, of course.
- What is Petrush? Are we late? – I was a little snide, there's no other way. A bun in your pocket, a candy in your hand, not treating a good boy in our group is a sin. – Keep it and don't worry.
- Thank you, – I put it in my pocket, now it will definitely be lying there before the break. – We need to hurry, Lisak wrote that Eduard Valerievich is already angry.
- Oh, oh, oh – Petrusha by the hand and "flew" until they were expelled. – A nightmare! The main thing is that, like last time, I was not sent for a month of work.
While we were running, I managed to remember all the prayers. Sorry it didn't help. Valeryanovich met us at the door.
- Weiss Stas! Last time you didn't learn the lesson that you can't be late for me. A month of work – I don't know what's scarier, or his look, or the fact that he chewed an ice cream stick. I nod, I don't argue once again, so as not to be in the place of this toothpick. – Thank you, Petrusha, for bringing your irresponsible classmate.
Petrusha was also silent and nodded. It seems to me that he was also worried about the fate of this wand. They slipped into their seats. The fox withers a malevolent look.
- Heh, heh, heh, and I told you not to be late, – the headman, and so angry. – What's up with my bun?
- Fields, for you at least a star from the sky! – I'm digging in my pockets, it's good that they are so big.
- So far I only need a bun. – I switched to a half-whisper, so Valeryanovich will start broadcasting soon.
Somehow I got the order from the dining room and handed it to the outstretched pens. The light faded. We need to listen a little bit to what we are going to do this year.
- Before I start, I will ask you to take a test on your tablets. Try a little better than usual – what an important one, because I waited until everyone came for this test.
- Again it is necessary to do something, eh... - no one needs my dissatisfaction, but I will express it anyway.
Despite the fact that I am very often late, I am an excellent student. Knowledge is oozing right out of me, I am completely confident in my abilities. Let's see what he wrote there. So, anatomy is learned from cover to cover, chemistry is easy, mathematics is also, pathology, oncology, neurology, radiology. We have all learned this, but the questions are all with a trick and are more related to practice. I have nothing to worry about, a month of work makes itself felt.
Everything is ready, it's only been an hour, you can sleep for a second. How good!
- Where did you fall? Get up, otherwise it will fly in again – the Fox seems to have passed the test and she became bored. I'm not bored, I'm sleeping. The restless elder does not particularly care about this, which was proved by a nail poke under the rib.
- Ah! For what? – my involuntary whisper sounded pathetic enough.
- You need to sleep at night.
- I was already sleeping – seriously, what else can a student do except sleep off forever.
- Since everything has passed, now look at the board – Valeryanovich perked up – Those whose names are listed here can go home.
I'm looking carefully. Clearly, today I was unlucky, I remain sitting further. Here are the happy people who went home, leaving 5-6 unlucky ones. At least none remained.
- All those who did not pass have left, we can get down to business. – Valerianovich knows how to turn the situation upside down – From today I'm taking you into my research project, you get rid of all classes, but if you can't help research, you'll come back. If someone is not ready for this, then I will ask them to leave.
I wonder if a month of earnings will be forgiven? If they are left, then you still don't need to go to classes. Of course, I will not refuse this! Someone came out, but that's their business.
- Everything? – as he looked, it even became scary – Then you can tell what the essence of the project is, listen carefully.
He pauses, he always does.
- We will study ways of manipulating information stored in memory with the help of external interference in the brain.
It's so good that I stayed. (I wish I'd never done that)
Kornev Petrusha.
"The first time I read this, I felt sick, the second time, it became clear why"
September 11th
I was very lucky today. Eduard Valerievich took me into his research project. Stas and Polina also participate in it. How good that we were all able to pass the test.
I sympathize with our group, now they have to go to work for a low score in the last test. Stas at first began to gloat over them, but Eduard Valerievich reminded him that he also had to go to them.
To begin with, we assist senior researchers to understand how experiments are conducted. Polina was probably less lucky in this regard, she has to follow the documentation.
September 15th
The doctor prescribed me new pills, said that these would definitely help. I don't think he believes it himself, but that's okay.
Stas tries not to be late and comes in an hour, although now he is being scolded for sleeping in the workplace.
Polina handles all the documentation. No wonder, she was always the most organized. It is clear that she likes to sort out papers herself.
September 17
Today it got bad again, I didn't go anywhere, I'm sitting at home. I don't like it.
Medicine has come so far, but it cannot cure some disease. I'm not asking for something impossible, just not to experience pain every day of my existence.
September 19
I can't anymore.
September 23
The doctor allowed me to go to school. You don't have to sit in 4 walls.
September 24
While I was away, life did not stand still. I was introduced to Ida, she is in charge of the equipment. We managed to talk a little. At this stage of the research, primary studies are being conducted, she only does what she looks like, no matter what she breaks. And she is constantly forced to write reports, but she shifts it to Polina. It turns out they've known each other since high school.
Stas is so interested in research that he doesn't even go out to the dining room. I'm happy for him. I hope this leads to something.
September 27th
Polina finished sorting out the reports, and grouped them by month, topic, and made an informative, "brief" excerpt. No wonder she is our headman.
Four hours later Stas came running, persuaded me to go with him to show something. Of course, I went, it was at lunch, there is no appetite again. Probably, I will "go" on sick leave again soon.
Stas began to prove his theory, the essence of which was that there was one case when during an MRI a person died suddenly and in the picture the most active area was the department responsible for memory. We clung to this idea, and it turned out that when we die, the whole life flashes before our eyes. Based on this discovery, research continued in the direction of working with simulated death. Stas decided to understand exactly what was happening at our last moment. I didn't expect him to operate on 13 rats for this, but maybe it was really worth it, because for the sake of science, all means are good.......
So, Stas found a new hormone produced at the time of death. This has significantly advanced the research.
September 29.
I don't feel well, but I came. Research has shifted. Eduard Vasilyevich praised Stas, it was literally – never. After the "holiday of encouragement" he walked and shone all day.
Now we are on a par with scientists, and not as assistants.
At the end of the day, I felt so bad that I had to finish it at lunch. It's good that I managed to get home.
October 1
The attacks became more frequent.
October 2
My hands are starting to go numb.
October 6th
I had to go to the hospital, I hope it will get a little easier.
October 7
They replaced my pills again.
October 10th
After the IV was released from the hospital, they said that it would get worse. I called Polina to find out how the research is going there.
October 11
Polya said that they began to remove a substance that promotes the production of a hormone without death. They don't work out, but I believe in them, I even offered a couple of my own options. You can use either synthetic hormones or the structure of a natural hormone, which is extremely difficult to recreate, but here you need to act through trial and error to achieve a similar effect.
October 13
I was so tired of sitting at home that I started calculating all possible variants of the synthetic compound equations. There are interesting instances that can work in practice, but it needs to be checked. Hope this helps.
October 15th
Today I can afford to leave the house and get back to work. I barely put all the papers in my backpack to show them to the others.
After reviewing the materials, Polina began to divide them into groups. Closer to lunch, she finished and sent it to everyone. Sometimes, I'm afraid of her performance.
It turned out that there are options that they haven't tried yet. The work began to boil again.
October 17th
It seems to me that I have found the right way. Stas tested it on rats. It worked.
Yes, I did something useful.
Lisak Polina.
"If I wasn't here, everything would have happened exactly the same." 

- Polya, the light of my eyes, what did Valeryanovich say there about what we could do? – Stas was emotionally spinning around. No, I would like to go myself, and not throw it off on me, and there is enough to do without him.
- He said that it was necessary to consolidate the result and double–check everything "a hundred" times - Petrusha reported tired. If anyone needs to rest, it's him. He works a lot, so he also claims that he does nothing. Definitely going on sick leave soon.
- You should have guessed earlier, and not run to me after the first successful test and send me to Valeryevich – I am not satisfied. We rejoice in every "trifle".
- The evil headman is a hackneyed phrase from Stas.
- I prefer to call myself busy. If you don't need me anymore, I'll go write a report for Ida, she will finish it only next year – I finally muttered and went.
I didn't meet anyone on the way, you can immediately see everyone here is busy with their own business. I would like to join, but I took over the whole organization again. I admit, I like it.
- Ida, let me guess, you didn't write a report – I go to her as if to my home.
- I didn't guess. Today I did everything myself – she surprised me. Even my soul warmed up from these words. – However, now I have nothing to occupy myself with. Tell me how the research is progressing.
I sit down at the table while she takes care of it from all the broken equipment and their spare parts.
- The guys were able to finish isolating the serum. Vasilievich comes up with a name for the hormone in order to patent it, another research group has found a way to get to the brain without an autopsy. – I listed all the news for today while Ida was pouring tea.
- Do you have to write reports again? – she asked.
- I always have to write reports – I state the fact.
A knock on the door. Valerievich came in. There was an awkward silence. I understand that to do an enthusiastic look, it will not help me to get rid of additional work.
- Pour me one too, please, – Valerievich pulled me out of my thoughts – We need to talk.
Tea is on the table, we are at the table, and there is silence around. Voltage.
- Firstly, Polina, you will need to forward reports mentioning the hormone, now it is called margcytocin. – thank you, boss, I've always dreamed of spending a couple of hours of my life on this. – Secondly, Ida, I found you a job. It's time to program the device to be able to interact with memory. I will send you the necessary reports, and later I will transfer the development that I borrowed from my comrades. That's it, good job ladies.
He drank his tea in one gulp and left. I now understand why people dislike the authorities. Okay, it won't take long to fix everything, I'm more worried about Ida's "murderous" look.
- How I don't like it when they do that – you could feel her discontent from a kilometer away.
The following weeks Ida was so busy that she locked herself in her room. Stas also did not go anywhere, continuing to watch how the substance works. Petrusha went on sick leave. All this time I had to be present at all the studies in order to record everything that was happening. Valerievich said: "If there is time to drive tea, then there is time for work." Thanks.
Today I was given a break, and I can eat.
- Fields, sun, you won't believe it – and, clearly, I won't eat. Thank you, Stas, as always, on time. – You'd better listen. If you inject a certain amount of substance, namely 0.1 milliliters per 10 grams, then the corner responsible for memory will light up on the MRI. In less time, the mice ran around the cage for about two minutes, and there was no logic in their movements. I think this is a common disorientation in space. There is no negative effect, except fright. If you increase the dosage once, the mouse will try to hide in a hole and sit for more than three hours, if you do this regularly, it will begin to degrade. A mouse that has never been subjected to such a procedure will pass the tests three times faster than the one that was the test subject.
- How interesting, but what about the reports on all these experiments?
- Evil headman, I'm telling you this, and you're all about your reports. Ay-ay-ay.
- This is a professional formation. Petrusha crept up from behind, holding a tray of food in his hands. Recently, he has become very thin.
- Petrusha, at least you explain to her that we are making history – and Stas still won't calm down.
- Hey, historian, I brought you a new piece of equipment, and you're talking here – Ida flew up to the table, carrying something small in her hands.
When I finally decided to take a little rest, everyone immediately decided to finish their business and come.
- Keep it and keep it as the apple of your eye – Ida handed an incomprehensible device into Stas's hands – Now listen to how to use it. We fix the body on the temple from the right side to fix it, press the button. She's alone, you can't miss. So, you see these thinnest threads, Valerievich gave them to me from research on tumors. They work like this: they scan the information of cells and translate it to the screen. To program this, I didn't sleep for four nights.
Maybe I'm paranoid, it all seems to be gaining dangerous momentum
Safronova Ida.
- Ida, please explain to everyone how this device works – the supervisor asked me, to be honest, I didn't remember his name.
- Yes, of course. For starters, you can call him ruptur. To fix the device, place it on the temple, then press the button. At this time, the tip will pierce the cranial box, enough not to damage anything, but to penetrate inside. – I hope they won't decide to disassemble anything if I explain in detail how everything works. – Do you see these threads? They do all the work, scan the brain and redirect all the information to the computer in the form of program code. Questions?
Many people are interested in learning how to work with code. After that, long weeks of lessons began working with ruptur. Not many scientists know how to program in Pascal, and here is a whole new language with a complex structure.
I hope I get paid for it. Noble goals are, of course, good, but I have already grown out of the age when you can live on pure enthusiasm.
Enough about me. Too many thoughts lead to insanity. I need to get out of my closet and ask what's going on. The fields are probably in the dining room right now. I'll go to her, she always has something to tell.
I walk around the supervisor's office three kilometers away, I don't want to write reports. I walk into the dining room and immediately notice the Fox.
- Guess who finally got out of his kennel - I'm trying to be friendly, but it turns out badly.
- Have you come to find out what's going on in the outside world? – Polina rattled wearily
- Of course, you have to always be aware of events
- Let's start with the fact that one half of scientists stock up on hellin, if that's what Valerievich called the substance, and you don't need to monitor it, just record how much is stored. Using the scientific method, we learned that after three days the substance deteriorates and leads to the only result, namely death. We had time to check it before giving it to the mice. It is also necessary to monitor the expiration dates. Reports from your training pass through me and in most cases are rewritten. Thank you, Valeryevich, who dumped all this work on me. – in an emotional form, Polina began her own.
"I wouldn't envy you.
- Okay, then it will be easier. I heard that Valerievich wants to start experimenting on people and finish the project. I don't understand the reason for such a rush. – my friend did not lower her narration by a single degree.
- The pension is knocking on the window, so it's in a hurry. – I'm trying to dilute the situation. There is some truth in every joke.
- Retirement can always be delayed, there are important studies here.
- Scientists are always difficult to understand.
- I want to leave, even if I have to go through a year of training again. I don't like it.
- Do not exaggerate, if he really will lead the project until retirement, then there are only a couple of months left. It's just nothing.
- Maybe. I need to think a little more. – sighing heavily, Polina gets up. – I'll go, there's still a lot to do.
It's a difficult conversation, although I agree with many things. Such a pace of research is too unnecessary.
Boring weekdays have come. My attempts to avoid work were not successful, and I had to write detailed instructions on the work of rupture. Nothing interesting.
A few weeks later, the entire research group was called to a meeting.
- Ida, for how many years, how many winters, has not even come to us once – Stas pressed with his energy, where does he get it from?
- It's with you, I wouldn't have seen you for another hundred years. the sharpness in his voice should scare him off.
- How can you say that about your best student – well done, he did not give up a step, he also began to dramatize.
- Stas, calm down – Petrusha suddenly coughed.
Lately, it's already scary to throw a glance at him. I have never seen that the disease affects people so much. Stas fell silent without saying a word.
A few minutes later, the supervisor came out. He said something about the achieved goals and plans. I didn't really listen, only at the end of the speech I decided to find out what he was telling there.
- As soon as we achieved the necessary goals, I submitted a request for permission for experiments involving humans and I can congratulate you, I received it. Now we need to create a focus group of subjects. Are there any volunteers?
An unexpected question. I really don't think anyone in their right mind would agree to be a test subject. Even Stas lost all his frivolity and made a diligent face. The only thing that confused me in this whole performance was Petrusha's raised hand. Although, in his case, it was expected.
Lisak Polina.
- Petrusha, I know that you are already an adult, an absolutely adequate person, but have you thought well? – this attempt to dissuade him from becoming a test subject has already failed, but I'm still trying.
- yes. You can't change my mind. It will be better this way, I'm sure. – Petrusha doesn't back down a bit.
- Stas, say at least something - someone has to convince him, if not me.
- Fields, calm down, everything has already been checked and tested. There's nothing to worry about. - now they convince me.
Why they don't want to listen. It's all very strange. I don't think it should be like this. Not so fast.

I'm worried. Nothing bad should happen. Everything will be fine.
- Come on, it's time for us – I couldn't distinguish who exactly was saying this. There are too many thoughts in my head.
Petrusha is placed on the couch, hellin is injected and the device is fixed. He rolled his eyes for a few seconds, but then returned to his usual position. I write down everything I see. Ida is sitting behind the code. It's hard to say she's so absorbed in her work.
This hour was the longest in my life. Petrusha talked all the time about seeing life flash before his eyes, as if he was living it anew. Stas was hanging around Ida and asking about the code. Valerievich looked at all this action and wrote something down in his notebook.
For another hour after the experiment, I watched the condition of Petrusha.
- Polya, calm down that you're running around with him like a little child. You see, he's all right. – Stas calms me down. It turns out badly.
I look at Petrusha, he glows as if something good has happened. It seems he sensed my displeased look and tried to smile as much as possible.
- Okay, do what you want, but then don't come to me to cry. – worry, don't worry, and if a person has decided to do something, he will do it. I don't like all this. I don't like it at all. Even if I leave, nothing will change. Okay, that's it, we need to calm down. We'll figure it out later.
Research.
Report: The subject's condition is stable. The dose of hellin is 50.8 milliliters. The substance is injected through the carotid artery. A minute to assimilate it. Fixation of the rupture in the temple area. No rejection. The subject's condition is stable. Code output. Checking memory departments. The code is stable.
Another one. More, and more, and more. It's time to admit that I'm paranoid.
Next, we have research on memory changes. Ida said she would keep the original one and return everything back in an hour. And the memory will change slightly. I, as always, need to write down everything that happens.
Petrusha comes in and lies down on the couch.
- What did you eat before the study? I ask.
- Two apples.
Stas introduces hellin and fixes ruptur. After half an hour of dissatisfied sighs, everything was ready. He's being released.
- What did you eat before the study? I ask again.
- Sauerkraut? I don't like sauerkraut – there is a bit of bewilderment in my voice, but in general everything is fine. In addition to coughing, it has really become more frequent lately.
His health condition is rapidly deteriorating. He began to drop things, and also showed a strong tremor. The whites of the eyes began to turn blue, began to get lost in space. Something is definitely wrong here.
- How long will you hide your condition? I asked suddenly.
- It's all right, don't worry. – in response, I received only a look of sad withered eyes. While I was preparing to throw out a huge speech on Petrusha, his trace had already disappeared. If it didn't work out that way, then you'll have to ask others.
The first person I went to was Stas. As I thought, he doesn't see anything and wants to continue the research. The second person is Ida, who has gone into complete refusal to indulge my whims. The last person was the one who started all this.
- Eduard Valeryevich, I ask you to excommunicate Petrusha from research. – almost demanding, I say.
- Lisak Polina, until he himself comes with this request, I do not intend to do anything. – he said absolutely indifferently.
- You understand that he has health problems, right?
- of course. Go and get busy, and don't make a tragedy out of nothing.
- Of course.. – they didn't let me finish.
- If you think that we are doing something wrong, then you can go home and not come back. The diploma will come home to you tomorrow.
I hesitated a little. This is not what I wanted. We need to find Petrusha and try to convince him.
That's what I did for the rest of the day. It didn't work out for me. I'll do it all again tomorrow.
He didn't come. I'll go to his house myself.
I'm standing in front of his door. I knock first. There is no answer. I knock harder. Nothing again. I have to open the door myself. It's good that I at least know her password.
I'm coming in. The shoes are all in place, as are the keys. Petrusha is definitely at home. I'm calling him. There is no answer. I'm heading to the bedroom.
Lying down, but smiling. That's right, I made you worry ahead of time. I approach, I try to wake up. Petrusha does not wake up. I never would have thought that he could sleep so soundly. Is he breathing?
No. I think he's dead.
Weiss Stas.
- Stas, let's go - leaning over my shoulder, Polina whispered faintly and, taking my arm, led me away.
I've never been to a funeral before and I don't want to be here now. Two days ago Petrusha was talking to me
about plans for the future, and today…
Officially, he died because of his illness, but Paul continues to think that it's all because of research, and blames himself.
Polya tried to convince him against this step, and I also supported his decision, and turned a blind eye to all the alarming signs. Yes, it was I who created Hellene and introduced him into it with my own hands. From the realization of this, the blood in the veins freezes.
- It's all my fault and don't even think about arguing. You know that very well yourself. I said very confidently.
- We won't discuss it.
That was the last thing she said that day.
Soon, Polya stopped appearing in the laboratory and got a job. Now she is a sought-after specialist. Sometimes, we even meet and talk to her. Usually such evenings end with a subtle note of sadness.
After some time, the study itself was closed due to the strange affairs of our professor. There are rumors that he went abroad, but this did not save him from censure in the scientific community.
All our developments on the project became a problem after a while. Who knew that an unofficial psychotropic drug could be made from hellene and distributed through third parties. AIDS medications once went the same way. The only difference between it and hellin is safety and the presence of a small positive effect. With our substance, everything is more complicated. No full-fledged clinical trials have been conducted. Some people take it as a cough medicine and rejoice in the side effects. It turns out that many will prefer to live their past, hiding from real problems. At some point, I wanted to succumb to this temptation myself, but will it help me?
No. It's better to correct your mistakes than to make one big tragedy out of them. That's what I did.
It seems that the world around has only gotten worse. When you go outside, you will see that every thirteenth takes hellene.
By the way, only Ida knows how to create a rupture. The only plus, of course, is the price of its development. If anything, then everything is absolutely legal. It works mainly by state order.
This is how tragedies happen in the world. People are always to blame, whether a hundred years ago or now. No matter how we try to develop, internally we remain the same.

AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD
That's how we plunged into one of the options for a possible future, or to be more precise, into one of the situations modeling it. That's it, see you in the future.