And at last sintetik KI-7. Developed in three thousand hundred sixth. Similar synthetics were not any wonder now. They have joined human community for a long time and helped us with different spheres. Beginning from medicine, finishing with fighting. He asked to address him by the name of Ki. Stood at the distant terminal, not movably as statue. His body was humanoid, but without attempts to imitate the person: opaque gray composite, the head it is deprived of hair, with hardly planned features where two blue photoreceptors instead of eyes shone. It was thinner and higher than the person. Synthetics in this era as my memory prompted, was not either slaves, or the risen cars. They were the reasonable persons created for specific tasks with the limited, of course, but legitimate rights enshrined in the general galactic charter. In my opinion, they even had the labor union. KI-7 was responsible for navigation calculations, logistics and the analysis of data. It is logical, pedantic. Perhaps, the most objective crew member.

– Mironov! – the captain has bellowed without turning around. – Have you there in mirror admired? Your Gravikomp as?

Everything, except the concentrated Alice, for second have transferred to me look. The old instinct has not brought me and has worked ideally. I have got into Sergey’s role. Not with captation, but yours faithfully, which is demanded by the senior on rank and experience.

– Captain. Has carried out full diagnostics. The anomaly was in the phase equalizer, local failure. Has corrected. System in green zone. Are ready to flying away.

I spoke with confidence, putting persuasiveness which has learned for years of interrogations and recruitments in voice. Lavrov, at last, has turned in my party. His small, prickly eyes chinks studied me.

– Heard, you in hangar rolled. Has hit?

– The captain has broken from ladder. Accident. Will not repeat any more.

He has hemmed, and in it hmykaniye there was something like approval. The person recognizing mistake was appreciated above here, than the one who hides it.

– All right. Take the place at the second console. You will help Alice to verify navigation data and with the cargo declaration.

I have nodded and have passed to the console. Alice has glanced at me, her fingers have not stopped.

– Mironov. Packages three and seven show divergence in weight for 0,003%. Check on manual of gravikomp, it is its error or mistake in the declaration.

– Well, – I have answered, and my dexterous fingers have already stretched to the interface.

It was the most reliable way not to think of event metaphysics – to bury in specific, clear objectives. My new fingers were remembered, appear, that it is better to do, than my consciousness. Holograms responded on contacts, lines of data flowed on the holographic screen as familiar lines. The divergence in 0,003% was the chronic error of gravikomp of «Scythian» included in the logbook three more raids back. I have noted it in the report. Alice, having obtained data, only has hardly considerably nodded – the highest form of praise in its execution. Meanwhile the countdown on the main screen inevitably ate minutes. By the ship the start fever familiar to me on old army times before large operation has begun, only instead of ural there was starprobe vehicle here.

– Gene, pressure in highways of tertiary contour! – the captain has bellowed, keeping the eyes glued on the report.

– Normal, boss! – the muffled voice has reached from the hatch. – But docking coupling on the last legs. I said that it needs to be changed!

– Let’s replace. Do not grumble. After delivery it is surely replaceable. Kim, look and check external sensors.

Vlad, without having uttered words, has postponed clean weapon and has disappeared in corridor, moving with silent, predatory grace. I used turmoil finally to develop the area. With the permission of Alice I have received from her nod, this time angrier I have left from the bridge under the pretext of final check of gravitational traps in cargo compartment.

The cargo compartment of «Scythian» was its belly and the cause of existence. It represented huge cave with corrugated floor for fixing of containers. Height of ceiling is about ten meters. Air was colder here. On the walls as lianas, hoses of life support systems, power captures and flickering readers lasted. Five black massive containers have been in the middle fixed. In the distant end the massive lock of the ship through which «Scythian» swallowed and vomited cargoes gaped. Here the booming, metal silence broken only by case scratch on dock captures reigned. The perfect place for undesirable meetings or carefully planning of the actions, I have analytically noted. Old skills worked automatically.

On the way back I have glanced in galley – the tiny capsule with the food synthesizer which is eternally hammered to the full and couple of shabby chairs fastened to floor. Here smelled of cheap coffee and hopelessness. Then has come into inhabited compartment – narrow corridor with six sleeping capsules which are built in wall as cabins in the train. My capsule, according to bracelet, was the third at the left. I have glanced inside. Close space, folding table, the terminal for personal data and the small hatch in ceiling for emergency evacuation. Any personal belongings, except the jammed photo of some mountain landscape on sucker at headboard.

Having returned on the bridge, I have found final preparation.

– All to take places! To buckle up! – Lavrov’s voice has not trembled, but in it the steel string, familiar on pilots, has appeared that. – Ki, report the status.

Sintetik has turned the head, its voice was equal, without emotions as the announcer of the answering machine, but with ideal diction:

– All systems within norms. Dock captures are disconnected. Planetary control gives the green light to exit. Coordinates of the purpose are loaded. Estimated time in way at standard hyper jump seventy two terrestrial hours. Error plus or minus six hours.

– I confirm, – Lavrov has thrown. – Alice, bring us. Smoothly. I do not want my cargo in compartment to have mixed up.

– Has understood, the captain, – has responded Alice. Her fingers have stood on joysticks of manual control.

The deep, breaking rumble proceeding, appear, from the skeleton of the ship was distributed. «Scythian» has shuddered, and has softly pressed me to chair. On the screen that was broadcast from external cameras. The steel wall of dock has floated down, having been replaced by the blackness of space covered not with flickering and motionless, bright dots of stars. Any blueness of the earth for which I instinctively waited. Only chasm. Cold, majestic and infinitely indifferent.

Heart for moment has gone to heels. The ancient, bodily fear has held down me for second. But immediately it was changed by wave of the same ancient, exulting delight. I in space. Devil take it, I in SPACE!

– Stabilization in orbit, – Alice has reported. – Are ready to jump.

– Gena? – Lavrov has turned back to the engineer who, sweaty, all smeared in oil, with dirty hands and happy. He has already got out of the hatch he held accurately put rags in hand.

– The reactor purrs as kitten, the captain. The hyper engine is normal.

– Perfectly. Ki, enter coordinates. Planet Aurum-4. System Helios-beta.

– I import, – has responded sintetik. – I remind: Aurum-4 – the planet, class the mine colony with the atmosphere, rarefied, but suitable for breath of the person. Primary activity on the planet, extraction of rare-earth metals. Board corporate – council of space corporation Herpix Industries. Safety level: average. Risks: the increased geological activity, periodic dust storms, high probability to meet pirates.

– Thanks for in the hope lodging in team and the reference, – was grumbled by Lavrov. – All to prepare. Jump on ten. Nine …

Everything has occurred not as I expected. There was no deafening roar, there were no stars turning into the uniform line. The world behind windows as if was wrinkled, has contracted in point, and then was developed again, but already by other pattern. Stars have jumped on new places. In stomach has unpleasantly missed a bit, in temples for second has hooted. And all.

– The jump is complete, – Ki has reported. – We in system Helios-beta. To Aurum-4 sixty eight hours own course and then two hours of braking.

– There now and perfectly, – groaning, the captain has come unfastened. – Standard log schedule. Gene, go humour the cursor. Kim, is free. Alice, carry out the main diagnostics of systems with Mironov if he has not forgotten yet how it to do after the falling. And that again what be will find anomaly to the own harm.

In its voice it has sounded not as sneer, and as caution. I have caught on myself Alice’s eye. In her eyes something has flown like female sympathy for me.

– Let’s go, Mironov. I will show how not to be bored to death in transit and what to do if «Herpix» decides to throw us.

I have followed it, mentally grinning. Boredom? Oh, lovely Alice. I had just had so many cases that I will definitely not be bored to death. Here to me will once miss. Now I should make impossible for three days: to study the ship so that the nobility is better than it the former owner. To understand motivation of each crew member, to find their weak and strong points. To understand as this new, wild Universe with its Guilds, corporations and the empire is arranged. It was necessary to find out what now in the empire there was system? Absolute monarchy (autocracy) or dualistic monarchy. And I for some reason needed to find out the main thing surely that for cargo we carry on Aurum-4.

– Here, – Alice has pointed a finger at the scheme on the tablet, – we can monitor energy consumption of all systems in real time. If gravikomp starts over again being capricious, you will see jump on this line. I see?

We were in close compartment which Alice called technical labyrinth, both stood in the narrow aisle between two rows of the hooting server racks. Light was muffled, and air hooted from coolers. The perfect place for private conversation, if the nobility how to be risen.

– It is clear, – I have nodded, trying to look concentrated. Then has purposely rubbed whisky. – Everything is logical. Simply … the head still hoots after this falling. Sometimes it seems that I remember each bolt by the ship, and I am sometimes confused in elementary. It is a shame, of course.

Alice has looked on me, and in her eyes, usually at such strict, something has flown like understanding. She has leaned back on one of racks, having crossed hands.

– Happens to everyone, Mironov. Especially after the skirmish with hard-alloy floor. What do you confuse?

The small fish has pecked. Now the main thing is not to hurry and not to change.

– Context, – I have honestly told what was the truth. – It seems I remember why we fly to Aurum-4, I remember about «Herpix». And here what we carry, but not their corporate fleet. I do not remember. And why such rigid terms? In the head scraps, and there is no overall picture. As though I read the instruction, having pulled out from it half of pages.

Alice has sniffed, but without rage. More likely, from shares of cynical approval.

– Means, it was knocked not for nothing. If has begun to ask the correct questions. All right, listen. – It has lowered voice though around, except servers, was nobody. – We carry not just containers with nuts. We carry biostabilizers for geothermal wells. Special order, piece goods very expensive. Herpix on Aurum-4 drills so deeply that without this thingummy even their heavy-duty equipment melts. And terms … – she has made pause, choosing words. – Terms because at them there, on the planet, the small revolt is planned. Miners were tired of severe conditions, the corporation winds norms, reduces payment. One of their main pits – Vulcan Soar already stands idle the third day. If we do not deliver stabilizers in time and will break the well, there will be not revolt, but accident on half-planets. And Herpix very much does not want competitors or, God forbid, galactic Trade Inspection to have learned about it. Therefore have employed us, imperceptible free dealers. Do you understand our haste now?

I have nodded. Of course, I understood. It was classical operation under cover. To deliver crucial freight in zone of the potential conflict, keeping visibility of neutrality. My old blood has played.

– Means, we can be met not with flowers, – I noted.

– In flowers? – Alice has grinned, and in this smile there was something bitter. – We will be met, most likely, by scanners of drones, checks at customs before loss of pulse, and then also will try to beat down the price, having referred to force majeur circumstances. The captain knows it. Therefore has taken in Kim’s raid. If negotiations go to case … not according to the plan.

– And we, – I have carefully asked, – we on whose party? Formally.

– On the party of the contract, the fool, – Alice, but already without irritation has answered. – The guild of free dealers sells services, but not conscience. We deliver freight. What there Herpix does with miners – it is their internal affair. Though … – she for moment has thought. – The captain speaks, from this invention smells of setup. So if strongly press, he can break. And then … well, you saw Kim in business?

– It did not happen, – I honestly admitted.

– Also it is not necessary. A picture is worth a thousand words, than hundred times … well, you have understood. The main thing is not to occur to it in the path. It is forgiving. It it is simple … will kill, will step through corpse and will go further.

I have nodded, digesting information. The picture cleared up. «Scythian» was not just truck. He was player on thin ice of corporate games. The ideal environment for the person with my experience.

– And sintetik? Ki? – I have asked, passing to the following object interesting me. – It always such … detached?

– Ki is Ki, – Alice has shrugged shoulders. – It follows logic and clauses. For it we, crew, – variables in the equation of successful delivery. But be not deceived. It for the ship. If it is necessary to choose between the order of the captain and rescue of «Scythian», he will choose the ship. It has the logic.

– It is clear, – I have murmured. The rational and incorruptible computer mind potentially dangerous in critical situation.

– Computer?! – she has attentively looked at me.

– I mean artificial intelligence, but the term «computer» it is pleasant to me more. It means cold and heartless. – I have tried to take away conversation aside and to cover the oversight.

– All right, there will be enough chatter, – Alice has become straight. – The head has cleared up?

– As though fog has dissipated, – I have smiled the new, charming smile. – Thanks to you, Alice. Has helped out me.

– There is nothing, – she has looked at me with interest again. – You as though have indeed changed. All right, – she has waved hand. – Just do not play the fool next time. And that Gena will set you straight not by voice, but wrench. We go, I will show how to clean sensors of external scanning. It is boring, but is vital if you do not want to fly in cloud of meteoric dust.

I have followed it, feeling as in the head my plan gradually is built, it was necessary to understand their technologies now. And for this purpose I had two and a half days. The following stop, I have solved, there will be galley in the evening. Place of informal communication. It is ideal to observe crew members in non-working situation. And after to try to start conversation with Ki. With sintetiky it is necessary to speak language of logic and the facts. What, with the facts was at me all right. I was the walking, breathing anomaly fact. «Keep, Vasily Ivanovich, – I have mentally told myself. – You in business. And it is similar, this business is worth it».

We cling to our memoirs as if they define us. We are defined what we do. My soul has survived to remind us that humanity – here our virtue. I know who I am such. And for what I have appeared in this world.