Author: КРАСНОПЕРОВ МАКСИМ СЕРГЕЕВИЧ | KRASNOPEROV MAXIM
"Love is the only passion that recognizes neither the past nor the future"
Honore de Balzac
Preface
The world is huge and multifaceted. Millions, billions of people live in it, each of whom undoubtedly has his own understanding of the past, perception of the present and representation of the future. What kind of future awaits this world? What will be the role of man in this future? Will there be a place for sincere and warm feelings and love in it? Or will they become rare? These questions have always been and will always worry the human mind. This is the relevance of my work. My goal is to imagine a possible future, to see it through the eyes of Alex and Esmahan, people from two completely different eras who were united together by true love. Is technological progress so important if people stop being human and forget about love? Perhaps it's worth thinking about.…
The main part
1534, the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul.
A beautiful morning was dawning over the majestic capital of the vast eastern empire… The silhouettes of palaces and minarets dissolved in the first rays of the sun, the Bosphorus was calm, and only a few boats occasionally disturbed the mirrored surface of the water. The Sultan's capital, the legendary Istanbul, was waking up, as vast and charming as ever. But how much cruelty, tears, and merciless struggle for the benefits of power were hidden by the walls of the sultan's palace rising to the sky…
Two janissaries stood near a small pier, looking around. Here, two tall, identically dressed men in elegant caftans and turbans came here, forcibly leading a young girl by the arms. A girl of medium height, thin, fragile build, with luxurious black hair, and expressively beautiful bluish eyes, plump, almost childish lips, and beautiful facial features, the girl was pale and speechless. The people leading her stopped at the pier, and anticipating the sad outcome, the girl unsuccessfully tried to escape.
- Hurry up! – said the janissary, holding his hand on the hilt of his scimitar.
- I feel sorry for you, young Esmahan… You are just a victim of the power struggle that has always been waged in this palace for centuries.… The great Hurrem Sultan became the legitimate wife of Sultan Suleiman Khan, and he soon embarks on another campaign against the Persians. The lady will not spare you for the fact that you had the imprudence to attract the gaze of the Padishah of the world with your beauty..." said one of the escorts, while the second threw a bag over the young concubine. A minute later, the waves of the Bosphorus became the haven of an innocent creature…
The year is 2105.
- Can I come in?
"Yes," replied the young man sitting at the table on a levitating chair. With a flick of his hand, he moved the holographic screen to the side, and adjusted his glasses. Tall, slightly fragile build, he was endowed with a very pleasant appearance: greenish eyes, expressive and burning with some kind of fire of thought, thoughtfully pursed lips, dimples on cheeks, combed brown hair.
- Won't I distract you, Alex? – the girl who entered asked, straightening her snow-white hair with a hand on which a technological watch of a fresh model was flaunted, she stared at the interlocutor with her amber-colored eyes, a smile flashed on her bright cherry lips, for a moment transforming the beautiful face of the girl. She was beautiful, with a proud bearing and smooth movements full of dignity.
- No, Eva. I've been reading about the love story of the once great Padishah, Suleiman the Magnificent, and the main woman in his life, Hurrem. A beautiful love story. But you and I, even in our time, are perfectly familiar with this inexplicably wonderful feeling. It brought you and me together once. History is about people, epochs, events of bygone days, and…
"And you're a historian to the core, Alex, and you've always been one, ever since we met. Eve added, smiling.
- History is full of riddles, and their solution is the search for the experience of the past, which we must not forget if we do not want to make mistakes in the future… You and I grew up at a time when the world finally changed, and we were almost close to the end," Alex said enthusiastically.
- Alex… My dear Alex, listen to me. I never stopped admiring the scale of your personality, your potential.… It's been seven years since we met... But... Alex, I have to say this–I'm tired…
- Eva, maybe I'm doing something wrong, tell me…
- You're a wonderful person, and a guy. You have surrounded me with such sincere care. I promised you once that my love for you would be unshakable, that we would become sources of strength for each other, and nothing else mattered... the years passed, I was 24 and you were 25. I have always wanted to become an architect, and you helped me realize my dream – I am a member of the Directory of one of the largest construction companies in the Russian Republic. But, Alex, if we want to move forward, we need to do it together, right? However, I see that you are fixated on history and genetic science, you spend time in archives, trips, experiments, you give lectures at the university, but you are only satisfied with the place of a simple teacher, although with your potential you could already take a much higher place! You're so wrapped up in all this that you... forget about me. Yesterday was our anniversary day, and you didn't even remember, you didn't come! You were with your friend Ali. But it was yesterday that I ordered and took Capsule "A". Remember? There are four capsules of this type: Capsule "A" – allows a woman to activate the ability to conceive a child, the effect lasts 12 hours. After this time, if conception has not occurred, the procedure can be repeated no earlier than six months later. Then Capsule "B" – if a person of either sex accepts it, he will forever lose the ability to experience feelings, emotions. Capsule "C" – the person who took it plunges into a long sleep, he can designate any period of desired awakening, and until that time he will be in a special closed device, in acid, which will slow down all the physiological processes of his body. How many lonely people have chosen such a dream, in the hope that someday the world will become a better... more humane. And the capsule "X" – the one who took it loses his memory.
- Eva, so you took Capsule "A"?! I... I didn't know, if I only knew! Alex said, covering his face with his hands.
- Alex. I made one very important decision, and believe me, it wasn't easy for me. I know that I may be making a mistake, hurting you, betraying you. I hope your hobbies and projects will alleviate this pain, and you will forgive me someday… But I will choose to move on, alone. I decided to take Capsule "B"... - at the end, Eva's voice, previously calm, trembled, tears gushed from her eyes.
- what? Eva, no! Alex shouted and headed towards the girl, but she hurriedly left the room, pressed the panel, and the doors slid shut, locking Alex. Eva blocked the doors and, wiping her tears, left.
Alex couldn't pull himself together, he was rushing around the room, picking up various gadgets, trying to somehow get out. He paced around the room for about an hour, until finally the doors opened.
- Alex, what's wrong with you? A steady, confident voice was heard. A man of 35-45 years old stood in the doorway, tall, powerfully built, with the bearing of a former officer. His face was of an oriental type, swarthy, with a gray-streaked beard, and a look in his black eyes, made it clear that this man had seen and experienced a lot. – Why were the doors locked from the outside?
"Eva, she wants to take Capsule B." Ali, please, I have to make it!
- Hurry up, get in my airmobile! Ali commanded.
Both entered the elevator, and soon they were in the parking lot, which was located at the bottom of the soaring skyscraper. The aircar separated from the platform and sped off at full speed, skirting hovering buildings, other vehicles and aerial flowerbeds. The city has not been lively yet, so our heroes have not encountered any special obstacles. Here, around the next turn, an impressive polyclinic building appeared. Ali stopped the aircar near the porch platform, and Alex rushed to the entrance with all his might. Along the way, he asked and clarified several times where the dispensary specializing in Capsules was located. The young man repeatedly encountered, touched patients, robotic nurses and automatic mechanisms for transporting tools, when he finally found the office he needed. Alex caught his breath, and pressed the panel, the doors to the office opened. A robot doctor was levitating in the middle of the office, with a tray in his manipulator hand. The tray was empty, and Eve was standing next to it. She turned around, and Alex was struck by an electric shock… Standing in front of him was the same woman he had loved in recent years, who had become a pillar of support and an integral part of his life. It was only now that he realized this again, just as he had seven years ago, when he offered her, a young, dreamy girl like him, full of ambitious plans, in a voice trembling with excitement, to link her fate with his… This woman, she is in front of him, but her gaze is no longer the same – it has gone out, it is cold and empty, and her beautiful face does not express anything. That face, which always lit up with a smile at the sight of him, now expressed nothing…
- The session is over – the mechanical voice of the robo-doctor sounded. And Eve left the office, ignoring the figure of the once important person bent over from mental pain…
Ali appeared and supported Alex in time, preventing him from collapsing to the floor from impotence.
- She did it. I didn't have time..." the young man said.
A few days later…
"I am Alexey, Alexey, born in 2080, in a small town in Russia. My mother, who was born in Norway, a woman of strong will and firm spirit, passionate in her youth about science and the idea of improving the world, she was undoubtedly a wonderful person of her time. My father, who was born in a small Russian city, is a dreamy, gentle, melancholic man, inclined to creativity. They were brought together by a common goal: to benefit this world, which was in crisis at the time. My mother did research in genetics, and my father tried to write literary works, essays, articles. My birth made them happy, and three years later I had a sister, Freya. We were children, but we were subconsciously aware of the changes taking place in the world. Decades of thoughtless disposal of natural resources have brought humanity almost to the brink of extinction, but at the same time, it has united its active part. Progress accelerated, waste-to-oxygen plants and treatment plants were being created, the climate and sea levels were changing, state authorities were losing their influence on events, and a temporary moral and moral decline began among most of humanity. The formation and strengthening of new values, priorities and worldviews took place gradually, in parallel with technical changes. For example, a huge orbital station was created, a kind of city in space, which only increased. People were actively moving there, by the thousands and millions. The world on our planet is, in fact, divided into 4 parts. The West is the territories of the American continent and Europe, a single territory in the political and economic sense, governed by the Supreme Council, there was a center of technological progress. The second part is the African Union, however, the most defenseless of the parts of the world. The West actively tried to subordinate it to its influence, and what was later hypocritically called "cooperation" turned out to be an attempt at economic and political colonization. The third part, the Eastern World, had the greatest human and agricultural potential. The emirates, autonomies and free cities here had their own authorities, however, they all acted in the same direction. Once this territory and its population gravitated towards the Russian Republic. The mentality of the people, the commonality of strategic and economic interests created prerequisites for active interaction between these two parts of the world, however, by provocations and deception, the West inspired the Eastern World with the prospect of forcible enslavement of its territories by the Russian Republic. With the active mediation of Western engineers, a long wall was being built on the northern borders of the Eastern World. Finally, the fourth part of the world is the Russian Republic, which was governed by the National Assembly. It was a kind of counterweight to the West, the active development of the economy, science, and industry took place here, despite the challenges from the outside. Soon the Russian Republic received the territories of the Middle East, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and the northern part of Syria. As a result of climate change, sea level, local peoples and nationalities actively migrated to the east, or emigrated to new cities in the orbit of our planet. The remaining parts of the population actively integrated into Russian society, and the territories developed, construction was carried out here, and all spheres of life were improved.
I grew up exploring the world, being inquisitive. Freya grew up with me, and I was often the one who taught her to speak and read when her parents were busy. So time went on, but gradually the parents, who were too different in character, moved away from each other. My mother, a strong-willed woman, lost interest in our father over the years, an indecisive and melancholic man. Their common bond, the desire to make the world a better place, soon weakened. The trip to the Norwegian Autonomy, which was supposed to bring diversity and strengthen the union of these people, was the prelude to the final break. They decided to separate… I didn't know then that this might be the last time I would look into little Freya's clear, heavenly-tinged eyes. My sister stayed with my mother and they went to the space city, and I returned to Russia with my father. As the years passed, my father gradually found himself in an unexpected field – construction. He co-founded a young and promising construction company, and I was pleased to see that he was passionate. We moved around a lot, which is why I had almost no regular friends. I had to create myself, and I did it! I was developing, and the history of mankind, as well as science, began to attract me. However, my father ignored this and wanted to introduce me to his construction company. Perhaps it would have been so, however, the economic crisis began. It was not long-lasting, but it affected my father's construction company. Although things were gradually getting back to normal there, it seemed to break something in his soul: his father closed himself in, lost interest in everything and decided to take Capsule "C". He named the distant year of the desired awakening, and thus escaped from the world, hiding from it.
From that moment on, I had to build my own path. I didn't forget about my sister, my Freya. However, the following events deprived me of the hope of reuniting with her: the result of the economic crisis was the final separation of space cities from Earth. They realized their full independence, and created a union of cities and republics. A powerful membrane was activated above the atmosphere, which would not miss a single aircraft. My sister and I found ourselves on both sides of two worlds– the Old and the New.
Over time, I went to university and worked at the same time. At one of the many rotating part-time jobs, I met Eva: she captivated me not only with her beauty, but also with the breadth of her personality, sincerity, great plans, dreams. This brought us closer together, and we decided at some point that we could not find a better complement for each other than our union. We took on the most daring projects, traveled, tried new things, over time she grew in her career, achieved brilliant success. The time with her was filled with many wonderful moments…
And so, Alexey, it was as if I had lost the star that illuminated my path, which gave me strength, which was the whole world for me..."
- Alexey, my friend – a voice was heard: it was Ali. He sat down next to Alex, on the edge of a tall building; from here he could see flower beds, a park on floating platforms, flower beds from below, and so on several floors with many passages. Children of different ages played on playgrounds with swings and in flower beds. The city was getting lively, there were more and more passers-by.
- Ali, I only feel a burning annoyance that I didn't have time. Just a few minutes, and I wouldn't let her destroy her personality. In recent years, this world has so rarely remembered love, couples are formed for reasons of benefit, children appear from capsules only at certain times. Do you see, Ali? More and more people, once disappointed in love, take these capsules and no longer feel anything. This has become the norm. In the midst of all this, Eva was a hope for me, she reminded me every day that even though the whole world would lose the ability to feel feelings, but our love is indestructible! We were like Sultan Suleiman and Hurrem, who lived in the 16th century! That's just, I did not lay half the world at the feet of my beloved, as that powerful ruler did. I couldn't give her everything she wanted..." Alex said.
- No words can soften your annoyance right now, I understand that. You know, I haven't told you about my past, and maybe now is the right time for that. I was born in eastern Turkey, where I grew up. My dream was to teach children, to help them explore the world. I moved to the Iraqi Autonomy when I got my education. At that time, the Eastern World had just developed, and I went there because it was there that teachers, doctors, and engineers were needed. There I met Atike, who conquered my soul. She had just finished her studies, becoming a medic. We lived a quiet life in a small town, and our daughter, Fawzia, was born. However, Atike left us soon after that – they couldn't help her. It's not fair, is it? The world has overcome the crisis, the possibilities of humanity have increased significantly, we have conquered space – but in one town, on the edge of the Eastern World, we could not help the one who wanted to help others. Little Fawzia became my consolation. I raised her, surrounded her with love and care as best I could. However, she turned out to be ill and the disease broke her… I also lost my Poetry. I, Ali, devoid of meaning, was led astray. But I didn't take the "B" Capsule. It would be mean to my Atika and Fawziye, so I decided to carry the annoyance that I felt and still feel. I traveled a lot, wrote articles, but did not publish them. Then, unexpectedly, I decided to become an officer, so 15 years have passed. What happened after that? The provocation of the West, and the construction of the wall. I saw how it was built: they hurried, fenced me off from the lands with which the happiest memories are associated. Yes, I crossed into the territory of the Russian Republic a day before the wall was completed. I've been here ever since, and here I am, the way you know me. We conducted experiments together, studied archives, and worked. Thanks to you, I once again believed that this world is not without hope, that as long as there are people like you, the world will not forget how to feel and appreciate feelings!
- Ali, you impressed me with the strength of your spirit. You voluntarily gave up the opportunity to numb your pain once and for all by taking the "B" Capsule. Besides, you are cut off from your native places. Perhaps one day you will be able to change this political injustice, and our country will be reunited with the Eastern world, one of the beautiful representatives of which I see now in front of me. But Ali, what should I do? Alex said.
"The same as before, my friend. Our path is filled with different people, they teach us something, help us become better. It is important not to lose what this or that person has given us. Eva helped you become who you are. Don't give up! What were you planning to do recently? Ali said
- Well, I received permission from the National Assembly to conduct research in Istanbul, in the waters of the Bosphorus, for my historical book. And also – I didn't tell anyone else except you –to find materials for one of my scientific projects, Renaissance," Alex replied.
- Here! Let's not delay, we'll hit the road tomorrow!
Soon Alex and Ali were already in Istanbul, which was part of the Russian Republic. Ali activated the crane lift and he began lowering the single-man submarine into the waters of the Bosphorus. Alex was inside. The searchlights of the submarine illuminated the wreckage of ancient ships, plants and many other things that hid the bottom. With his manipulator claws, Alex examined the remains of one of the ships, and an hour later turned back to the shore. Here, not far from the old pier, which was flooded once, dozens of old, almost decomposed bags attracted his attention, they were tied with ropes to the rocks at the bottom. This sight did not have the most pleasant effect, and when a crane on the shore began to lift the boat, the rope of one of the bags caught on the manipulator claw.
- What is it here? Ali's voice was heard as Alex got out of the boat. Look
Ali unhooked and dropped a half-decomposed bag on the ground, from which parts of the bones spilled out.
- It looks like this innocent victim was drowned here once. Perhaps it is worth returning this find to the waters of the Bosphorus
- Wait a minute. Do you remember you told me about the Renaissance project? And that for this you will need a part of the flesh of a living being to extract DNA..." said Ali.
- Yes, I use the data of some animal for this, - Alex replied.
"These bones have been lying here for centuries, and no one cared about them. No one will know, maybe you'll use them?
Alex looked at Ali in surprise. The idea seemed shocking, but also rational at the same time. There might not be another chance, so Alex agreed.
Alex spent the next month in his laboratory. Only Ali, his friend and right-hand man in research, was the link to the outside world. Alex worked tirelessly, enthusiastically.
- Do you think something will come out of this, Alex? Ali asked one day.
- Time will tell. When I was still a boy, I was secretly interested in my mother's research. Maybe she knew about it and didn't interfere with my curiosity. When she suddenly made the decision to separate from my father, everything happened quickly. We left, and she took all her research, all except one – I had one flash drive, completely by accident. I grew up, delved into the project contained on the flash drive, I gave it my name – "Rebirth". The essence of it is to create a special substance that, with a special technology, will be able to recreate living tissues based on DNA. It will be possible to create living prostheses for a person based on his DNA, and under certain conditions ... from DNA, for example, bones of a once living person, it will be possible to recreate it again. Just imagine! I've already done most of the research, and the bones we found are now in cybermatter, as I call it. I managed to get their DNA, apparently, these are the bones of a girl who was once brutally drowned. Now we need to wait and see if my cybermatter formula works or not.
Day after day passed, and Alex watched in amazement as life was formed in his cybermatter, in a special tank! This process looked like the formation of a child in the womb, only much faster. One morning, he and Ali went outside the laboratory to solve some cases. Already approaching the building of the residential complex where his apartments and laboratory were located, he felt the pulsation of the gadget on his arm.
- Has something happened? Ali asked.
- I don't understand, the sensors in the laboratory are reacting to something…
Both entered the laboratory, and from the mouth of Ali, who had not been here for about a week, burst out "no way!"
A girl was struggling in a tank, half empty, as if in some kind of hysteria.
- I didn't think it would happen today! Her consciousness was inactive, and suddenly! In such a case, I installed an automatic system for draining cybermatter so that "she" would not suffocate in it. Her body and physical characteristics are normal, I wonder what's wrong with consciousness? Ali, activate that panel over there," Alex commanded. The tank opened and a girl emerged from it. She took an unsteady step, but collapsed to the floor. Alex grabbed a blanket and sat down next to her, trying to calm her and cover her trembling body with at least something.
- No! Please don't, I won't inconvenience the lady, the Padishah won't notice me anymore! Tell Hurrem Sultan that I will be devoted to her, but don't do anything to me! The girl cried out, grabbing Alex's hand.
- Calm down, calm down, no one will hurt you! Hush... - at a sign from Alex, Ali injected the newly-born girl with sleeping pills. They both wrapped her in a blanket and laid her on a sliding levitating chair.
Ali took Alex by the shoulders:
- My friend, do you even understand what you have done? You created life from the bones that lay forgotten for centuries at the bottom! You created a man, a whole person. You succeeded!
"I... I can't get over it myself. Did it really work out? I had fears that it would be just a body without a soul and personality. But you saw the fear in her eyes, the pleading, the emotions, the words about the Padishah, in whose time she most likely lived. She remembers, she feels! Ali, you know yourself: no one else must know!
- I will be silent outside this laboratory!
...Alex was left alone, and a few hours later the girl woke up. The sleeping pills were still working, so the girl only had enough strength to sit down and lean on the back of the chair. Alex carefully sat down opposite, activated the automatic translator from Russian to Turkish, and said:
"You don't have to be afraid of me, I won't hurt you. Tell me, who are you? What happened to you?
- I am Esmahan, born in 1514 in the Russian kingdom. In 1530, Crimean Tatars and Ottoman Turks came to our settlement, and I and several other girls were taken into slavery. I remember tears, fear, despair. Whole days in a cramped cart, and then the ship, the sea and Istanbul. I found myself in the palace of the Ottoman Padishah Suleiman Kanuni in 1531. After long tortures, all hope of breaking free was destroyed in me, they forced me to forget my former name and gave me a new one. I tried not to stand out, to get used to a new fate, not to make mistakes. Gradually, I resigned myself, and one day, when I had the honor to serve the famous Hurrem Sultan during the holiday, I saw Sultan Suleiman Khan for the first time. He came unexpectedly, and I had the temerity to drop the tray. However, instead of punishing me, the Padishah gave me his attention. Perhaps, wanting to besiege the pride of Hurrem Sultan, the Padishah from time to time wished that it was me who served him. I was warned that the lady would not forgive this. And so it turned out. They announced that the Padishah was going on a campaign and one morning the servants of the harem seized me and brought me to the Bosphorus. I remember: fear, a bag, water and... nothing. But what's wrong with me? Where am I, please answer, kind man! The girl covered her beautiful but pale face with her hands.
- Esmahan, I am unable to explain everything to you right now, because I am very impressed myself. You're safe now, you're in 2105," Alex replied.
- Which one?! "What is it?" the girl asked, fixing her expressive eyes on Alex. He looked into those eyes, feeling a strong desire to help his new ward, vaguely imagining what was going on in her soul.
I will only briefly describe how Alex helped Esmahan realize what had happened to her. Gradually, day after day, he explained to her where she was, they found a common language immediately: after all, the girl was from Russian lands. Alex did not notice how the days passed, and the girl gradually came to her senses, turning out to be strong in spirit and quite smart. Soon the young man earned her final trust.
The doors opened and Ali came in with a briefcase. He noticed a girl of medium height wearing a white sweater that suited her. She smoothed her luxurious black hair cut in a square, revealing a fair, beautiful face. The girl was cleaning, wiping the surfaces in the room.
- Esmahan, do you know where Alex is? Ali asked–
- He flew to the university, the members of the Directory wanted to know where he had gone while he was taking care of me. He went to tell them that he would soon be able to teach again," Esmahan replied affably.
- Why are you wiping surfaces, screens, panels? Cleaning robots do this," Ali smiled.
- Alex patiently and for a long time explained to me everything that now seems ordinary to you. Don't forget, I'm from the 16th century. However, I have already got used to and adapted to life. Alex conducts lessons with me, I have learned to read, and in my free time I do reading, I have learned to search for information in global information networks. Yes, it can be difficult sometimes, and I still have so much to learn. But Alex is there, he supports me, sometimes we go outside, and I look at how incredibly this world has changed, words cannot convey! Alex wants to make documents for me and says that over time I will be able to find myself, live the way I want. He's done so much for me! It doesn't fit in my head, he accidentally found my bones at the bottom, and brought me back, gave me the opportunity to live again, freedom that I couldn't even dream of. I don't know how to use all these devices yet, and I do a lot of things manually. But know this, Ali, I will learn, I have been given a new chance, I will not miss it!
- Ali, it's good to see you – Alex's voice was heard. They entered the laboratory.
- I brought the gadgets you asked for.
"Ali, I called you for another reason," Alex said intently.
- I'm listening.…
- You yourself witnessed the miracle that we have created. We, Ali, yes. This is also your merit, and therefore I sincerely want to help you. Alex handed Ali a container with a luminous bluish liquid.
- what is it?
- This is the rest of the cybermatter Esmahan grew up in. I haven't created a new cybermatter yet, but I have a formula. I will continue to do this. Ali, I remember you were talking about your daughter, Fawziah. I want to give you a chance: find a way to cross the border secretly, go to the Eastern World and use what I gave you: get your daughter back, I want you to be happy. I wrote down the algorithm of actions on this flash drive. You'll find what's left of Fawzia, extract her DNA, and grow her anew.…
- Alex! You're giving me a new meaning! I will never forget this, you know! Ali hugged his young friend tightly.
After seeing Ali off, Alex set about further arranging Esmahan's future. The girl showed an increasing interest in creativity and soon made a conscious decision to enter the journalism faculty. A month later, on a sunny morning, they went outside and walked slowly to the university building.
"Esmahan, knowing you very well already, I see that you want to talk about something," Alex said.
"Alex, I can't express how grateful I am to you. You know that yourself. You raised me as if I were your child. I have always been honest and honest with you, and now, recently I realized something important for myself.
- What is it?
"You will have every right to turn away from me after this, but I will accept any answer you give," Esmahan began, lowering her expressive eyes. – My attitude towards you goes far beyond gratitude and respect. I love you…
Alex stood motionless for a minute. Such unexpected words awakened thoughts in his soul that he had somehow ignored lately. During the months that Esmahan was with him, she imperceptibly filled his life with new meaning. Who was she to him? Only now did he realize that he was more than just a ward, a friend. New feelings were just emerging in him…
"Esmahan, I..." Alex began, but suddenly a dark aircar stopped near them, and a wave of electricity stunned both of them.
...Alex woke up and looked around: he and Kaya were in a small room.
- Greetings, my friend, – a familiar voice was heard.
- Ali?! What does it mean?
- Calm down, Alex. I'm not going to hurt you, I'll explain everything now. You see, I returned to the Eastern World, but it was only there that I realized that many technical achievements pale in comparison with what you created. No one, even the most perfect mechanism, will replace the human potential. That's what you've always appreciated: a man, his potential! I suddenly realized that with such a miracle – Ali raised the container with cybermatter – I could rule the world! You will give me the formula and I will create a great armada of bones on ancient battlefields, and then I will enslave this world. I will be at the head of everything and everyone!
"Instead of getting your daughter back, you..." Esmahan began, but Ali pulled out a blaster and pointed it at her.
"You're going to give me what I want!" Otherwise, she's finished!
- Do you want to get the formula ... - Alex said and rushed at Ali, who pushed him away, at that moment Kaya tore out the container and broke it. Ali hit the girl in the face with all his might, and pushed Alex against the wall.
- A useless trick! Ali said.
"The formula is only in my mind, Ali. I emptied the flash drive with the calculations, and this was the last sample of matter. You won't get anything. My creation will remain only mine..." Alex opened his palm: there was an X capsule on it. He swallowed it.
"No!– shouted Ali.
"I've been wearing it since the day Eve erased the feelings. I thought I would take this capsule, but Esmahan appeared and became my new meaning. Now the capsule will take effect and I will save the world from a tyrant like you. You remember: it erases memory. Even if I lose the formula, I will do good," Alex said. Esmahan crawled up to him and took his hand.
The epilogue
The opening day of the new School of Science was approaching. Alex was sitting in the director's office, leaning on the back of an armchair. The beard made his face even more imposing. There is a framed photograph on the table: it shows Esmahan with a diploma. It says on the door of the office: "I am urgently looking for a deputy and a reliable assistant."
The doors open, Eva enters.
- Good afternoon, I'm here about the vacancy, – she said.
- Come on in, I'll be glad to meet you…
Esmahan graduated from her studies perfectly, becoming a sought-after journalist. Taking the pseudonym "Freya", she wrote articles, reports and books on the fight against the wall between the Russian Republic and the Eastern World, and also called for the removal of the membrane between the Old and New Worlds. Esmahan became Alex's wife, and they had two children: a daughter, whom they named Fawzia, and a son, Victor. This union made them both happy…