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Project A129. «Remember the future…» English edition (The original version of the book was published in 2017)
Gertcel Davydov
The events in the book take place in 27 AD. (2073 according to the old calendar). To avoid monopolization of power, the ruler of Vinland was controlled by Artificial Intelligence. He served on the Continent as an arbitrator and guardian of 282 laws, which were also called the Code.This system was designed to protect citizens from dictatorship, preventing the concentration of power in one hand.The book was translated into English using Google Translator.
Project A129
«Remember the future…» English edition (The original version of the book was published in 2017)
Gertcel Davydov
Перевод Gertcel Davydov and Google Translate
© Gertcel Davydov, 2023
ISBN 978-5-0060-9079-8
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Project A129
by Gertcel Davydov
Chapter First
Continent of Vinland, 2073
The air literally vibrated with tension. The planes entered a dive, somersaulted, converged, forming various figures, and scattered again, like disturbed birds. Laser cannons fired, shooting at the meteorite, the sky was ablaze with reflections of crimson and bright blue, as if huge buckets of fluorescent paints had been splashed out there.
The stands went wild. People either froze in tension, not taking their eyes off the silhouettes of steel birds shining in the sun, or burst into cries of jubilation. Sometimes a wave of disappointment would roll through the crowd. The adrenaline was off the charts, because everyone felt involved in what was happening and everyone knew that the stakes were high.
The most popular show, Apollo’s Arrow, was in full swing.
The competing teams were located opposite each other in special glass capsules. Each had a captain and five pilots. Two teams fought for the right to make it to the finals. Despite the fact that players controlled three-dimensional models of the aircraft from specially equipped transparent capsules, the sensations were close to real. A state-of-the-art virtual reality helmet created a flight simulation, and sensors from the capsules transmitted the physical data of the players to large screens, which changed depending on the load.
In each round, a virtual meteorite fell from space to a certain point, and the team’s planes, following the commander, had to rush to that square on the Vinland map and shoot down a celestial body in the upper atmosphere. The game went until three wins. If at the appointed time no one managed to shoot down the meteorite and it fell, then neither team received points, and two were played out at once in the next round. If the players did not hit the target the third time, both teams left the competition until the next season.
Since each team, having reached the point of impact, sought to be the first to shoot down the target, the planes of the opposing sides entered into fierce firefights, and not all pilots managed to reach the target. Therefore, to win the competition, quick reactions and well-coordinated team play were required.
In this show, teams not only competed with each other, but also practiced skills in dealing with dangers that could threaten the Continent at any moment. The players suffered from high blood pressure, and it happened that some of them lost consciousness during the game. The show was widely popular, despite the fact that it was already in its fourth year. People from all over Vinland gathered with their families in front of the screen to cheer for their favorite team and admire the colorful competition, replete with special effects.
The Taffer family was no exception. Mother, Barbara, baked an apple pie. She and her son ate it at the tea table and watched the show on the large screen installed in the living room. The family cheered for Captain Fleming’s team: it was one of the oldest, but despite this, it still beat the younger participants.
– Dodge, dodge! – Chris cried, holding a piece of pie in his hands. The young man always watched the competitions emotionally, and this game was no exception. – He was hit! Now there are three left on each team. Ours must win! Come in from behind! Well done! He was left alone, now he needs to manage to shoot down the meteorite. Well done, well done! We got another point! Score 2:1! Fleming leads!
Chris himself was involved in piloting in a student club. The young man was even predicted to have a brilliant future, but Chris was not sure that he wanted to connect his fate with aviation. Yes, he liked to lift the car into the air and, overcoming overloads, rise higher and higher, like the legendary Icarus, trying to fly to the sun. Moreover, unlike Icarus, who was carried by wings molded from wax, Chris had at his disposal powerful modern technology that could go beyond the atmosphere. He had the highest level of access, providing small but pleasant privileges. Chris liked to feel freedom and extraordinary lightness, liked the smooth elasticity of the trigger and the euphoria that engulfed the body at the moment when the training target scattered into billions of splashes. And yet what kind of pilot is he? In order to become a real pilot, Chris believed, you need a special adventurous personality, like those guys from Apollo’s Arrow. Chris Taffer was too down-to-earth, an ordinary young man, and therefore believed that the greatest benefit could come from studying the history of past civilizations. In addition, the euphoria from successfully passing exams is no less, and now it is more important for the Continent to analyze the past in order to build an ideal model of the future on this basis. No, heaven is not for him.
Chris was completely ordinary in appearance – of average height, not very athletic, but rather lean by nature, with dark hair and clearly defined cheekbones. Perhaps the only notable detail of his appearance was a crescent-shaped scar on the left side of his chin – a consequence of an injury received during one of his training flights.
No, Chris Taffer was in no way fit to play the hero.
And yet, the heart involuntarily froze at the sight of the next somersault on the screen, and the hand clenched, as if actuating an invisible control lever.
– Don’t lose speed! What are you doing?! Come on! Let’s! – Chris whispered, without taking his eyes off the plane as it turned. Watching what was happening, he felt as if he was with the team, and victory depended on his skill and speed of reaction.
Barbara was more reserved, but just like her son, she was happy with the team’s success.
After the point was played, the players were given a ten-minute break. Technicians used this time to check the instruments and accuracy of each pilot’s shots. The channels returned to the current topic of the election and played videos of the two candidates, and then once again announced a special appearance after the show by the Supreme Ruler of Vinland, Demian Roskhald.
– I hope we will be able to watch the game to the end and listen to the speech of the head of the Continent. Last week, the rebels tried to interfere with the broadcast at the most interesting place. They say they were preparing an uprising, you heard about it on the news.
Without taking his eyes off the screen, Chris said:
«Mom, Mr. Graves doubts this is the work of the rebels.»
«Your professor constantly doubts everything.» I don’t like him. You shouldn’t have started studying history at all. You are the best in this student flying club of yours. You could go into aviation and now fight for one of the teams, you could become the star of the show «Apollo’s Arrow», and I would watch and be proud of you!
– Mom, I’ve been training at the club for six years. During this time, as you know very well, I learned to fly many aircraft, received awards for aerobatic maneuvers both in deserted areas and in urban environments, but understand, this is not my thing.
– Why? What could be better?
– It’s impossible to explain. You yourself work in the university library precisely because you like it.
«I love books, and you seem to be all like me,» Barbara looked at her son tenderly.
– By the way, even if it weren’t for history, I still would not have become an aviator, but would certainly have gone to the remote areas of Vinland to eliminate the consequences of the disaster. Hundreds of volunteers went there to improve the environment on the Continent. Everyone there is friendly, they work hard, and in the evenings they gather, sing songs with guitars and discuss the bright future of Vinland,“ Chris noted, taking advantage of the moment of calm that came in the game. „I watch a lot of reports: these people have a hard time, but they are doing useful work. At the same time, one-story houses are being built there, but recently there have been constant power outages. They say that one of the nearby substations in the north of the continent was attacked by rebels last week in order to disrupt the leader’s speech.
– When will Mr. Roskhald restore order? Only he can pacify these robbers,» the woman sighed.
«The fight against the rebels continues every day. Today they even carried out checks at the university to identify the conspirators. Prohibited literature was found on one student’s computer. He is suspected to be linked to the resistance. I’m sure this is a misunderstanding. Surely he just downloaded some book about the revolutions of the past from a forbidden source, and soon everything will become clear. Sometimes I am tempted to download a book from a pirated site, but I try to obtain knowledge only from licensed sources and am sure that there is enough information about everything there.
– Son, you need to think about your career and communicate less with students who have violated the ban and read books that have not been licensed by the Ministry of Education. And please, put thoughts of exploring new areas, rebels out of your head, and rather focus on your studies – it’s your senior year. In your position, you will bring much more benefit to the Continent – there is now an acute shortage of specialists. – Looking at a childhood photo of Chris near the big screen, she continued: «You are the first generation after that terrible tragedy that occurred 26 years ago, and you must do everything for the prosperity of Vinland and maintain the power of the rightful ruler.» They used to like to say: everyone should be useful in their place, try to follow this. A brilliant career awaits you.
When the host announced the start of the third round, the Taffers once again immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the show.
The game ended in victory for Rick Fleming’s team, which mother and son were very happy about.
There was another version of the show «Apollo’s Arrows», the so-called night one. In it, the battle took place entirely in the real world, and often state criminals or the same rebels found themselves in the arena. They fought with professionals for the opportunity to receive a pardon. Chris was not too sympathetic to them, since he recognized the right of the state to punish the guilty, but still did not like the night version of Apollo’s Arrow. Cruelty, even forced, did not attract him.
Immediately after the end of the show, the speech of the head of Vinland was announced. People from all over the Continent were waiting for this speech. For several months now, intrigue has persisted: will the ruler agree to run for a third term, as numerous voters asked him to do, or will he propose a successor in his place who will compete for this post. Chris and his mother were also looking forward to the performance. The woman didn’t even go to boil water for tea, for fear of missing the beginning. The Taffers were supporters of the ruler and were going to give him their votes.
«At work all week they were just discussing whether Mr. Roskhald would agree to run for a third term or not.» «I wish he’d make up his mind as soon as possible, we’re already so used to him,» Barbara sighed.
«And Professor Graves says that they have already decided everything a long time ago and are just waiting for the right moment to announce the nomination.»
«This professor of yours knows everything,» the mother grinned. – The Supreme Ruler will go for a third term if he is confident that he can do something useful for Vinland and its citizens, which is why he thinks about it, and does not deliberately pause.
Despite the fact that last weekend during the broadcast there was interference on the air and the show was interrupted for several minutes, interest in the program did not fade, and the ratings broke new records… As soon as the speech of the head of the Continent was announced, people clung to the screens.
– Citizens of the Continent! I am proud to welcome you on the eve of new elections. «I thank you for the trust that you have placed in me all these years, and it is absolutely clear…» the ruler began solemnly, but then the image suddenly trembled, rippled and changed.
Instead of a traditional office with a huge flag of the Continent, a dimly lit room with bare gray walls appeared on the entire wall, and instead of a ruler, a man in a mask appeared before the audience.
«Citizens of Vinland, isn’t it clear to you that elections are just another government show?» We are being deceived, we are being manipulated!..“ the stranger said hotly. „I call on all concerned residents of the Continent to join the rebel movement and put an end to this government. We must not succumb to government manipulation! Go out and declare…
Then the image flickered again and disappeared.
– What is it?! – Barbara jumped up in fear. – How did these robbers even manage to break into the airwaves?
Chris shrugged. He didn’t know the answer to this question. The only thing that became clear: these same rebels had good opportunities. It is not surprising that the government has been unable to deal with them for so long.
This time the broadcast was interrupted for several hours, and the ruler’s speech was postponed indefinitely. Chris, returning to the room, continued reading another historical novel, and Barbara finished her tea and thought about what to cook for her son for breakfast.
* * *
The man sitting at the table raised his head and looked at the visitor with a hard look, from which the broad-shouldered man who entered seemed to shrink.
In this office – quite large, but furnished extremely minimally: a long table, several chairs with high straight backs, the only decorations were a large portrait of the ruler located above the chair of the owner of the office – as if there was an eternal draft. Everyone who entered felt uncomfortable and exhaled with relief only when they again found themselves on the other side of the massive mahogany door.
«And don’t say that you haven’t sorted out this small matter yet,» said the owner of the office, staring at the visitor with watery-gray eyes.
– We’re on the trail. Our agent, embedded in the rebel camp, reported that the list was in the possession of Professor William Graves. We set up surveillance and…
«There’s nothing left until the election of the head of the Continent,» the voice of the owner of the office seemed deceptively calm, but with each word the visitor shrank more and more. – Please don’t waste my time. I expect you to put on this table what interests me, and not to explain why you haven’t done it yet. If I suddenly want to chat, I will find a more interesting company. All clear?
– Yes, High Guardian! – The visitor stood at attention, seemingly forgetting to breathe.
– Then do it! «The man sighed heavily and bent over the tablet, instantly forgetting about the unlucky visitor who hastened to silently retreat from the office. What to do if you have to work with not very competent employees. Sometimes seditious thoughts came to mind that among the rebels there were much more thinking and capable people, otherwise they would not have lasted so long. For example, this professor…
A three-dimensional photograph of an elderly man with a very noticeable bald spot in his hair appeared on the tablet. An absolutely ordinary-looking person, except that intelligence is visible in his eyes, and his jawline reveals a stubborn nature. Perhaps you can’t just split something like that. Well, let them try.
It was this man who found himself at the center of state interests, and his life was now worth less than nothing. The professor’s unspoken death sentence had already been signed. All that remains is to shake all his secrets out of this smart guy.
The High Guard of Vinland, Holofernes, stretched in an uncomfortable chair, stretching his stiff back. Yes, you could put one of those newfangled floating chairs here that adapts to any body shape, but that’s for spoiled slackers. He sincerely believed that the chair should be uncomfortable so as not to allow him to relax. First of all, service. There will be rest later, when all matters are settled, the rebels are neutralized, and the very memory of them is covered with dust.
Only then will it be possible to relax and take a break. And now it’s work and only work, especially on the eve of the elections. Everything must go smoothly so that nothing interferes with the election of the ruler for a new term.
He moved his finger slightly, removing from the screen the image of the professor, probably living out his last days in freedom, and switched to a special communication channel. It was time to go out with a daily report and explain to the ruler how the rebels managed to get on the air and disrupt the performance.
Chapter Two
Continent of Vinland, 2073
The lecture at the historical university was coming to an end. In order to cover all the material, Professor William Graves drew the students’ attention to the final slide of the presentation, which summarized the topic of the history of past civilizations. It presented all the empires known over the last three thousand years with a chronology of existence.
After making sure that the audience had time to familiarize themselves with the content of the slide, Mr. Graves said:
– Every civilization, just like people, goes through four stages: birth, maturation, flourishing and aging, or, in other words, destruction. All the empires I mentioned went through these stages. Each of the powers at some point completed its historical path, passing the baton to the next.
After looking at the recording, the professor continued:
– Starting with Alexander the Great, whose empire replaced the Persian, all the rulers of the past dreamed of realizing the prophecy of the conquest of the world by one superpower. They conquered countries not with the aim of destroying or plundering them, as is commonly thought, but liberated them from oppression, giving people freedom. Yes, it was with the idea of freedom and equality that they dreamed of conquering the whole world and becoming united rulers. After the fall of Alexander the Great, the Mauryan Empire was formed in the east, and in China, the ruler Qin Shi Huang founded the Qin dynasty. Later, the Roman Empire appeared, during the division of which Byzantium arose, which existed for about a thousand years, as well as the Holy Roman Empire, which united many territories of Europe. At its peak, it included Germany and parts of the territories of Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and France. The war with Napoleon Bonaparte at the beginning of the 19th century led to the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted more than 800 years.
Looking at the table in the center of the slide, the professor added:
– It is also worth special mentioning the three largest empires in world history, which controlled the largest territories: British, Mongolian and Russian. The Soviet Union was subsequently formed on the territory of the latter. The British, at the peak of their greatness, owned almost a quarter of the world, that is, every fourth inhabitant of the planet was a subject of the crown. Their colonies were located on all inhabited continents of that time and occupied an area of 36 million square kilometers. But it is worth noting that the British Empire did not declare itself the ruler of the world, or at least did not explicitly lay claim to world hegemony.
Raising his hand, one of the students asked:
– Professor, why didn’t the rulers of the past manage to conquer the world?
After thinking for a moment, Mr. Graves replied:
– Many historians agree that the time for the rule of one superpower had not yet come. The leaders of these empires were brilliant commanders and orators, but in those days the technologies that appeared at the beginning of the 21st century did not exist. One of the main factors in the conquest of territories is the rapid exchange of information and the mobility of troops, and the armies of the past were no different in this. In ancient times, campaigns took years, if not decades. The commanders died, and the soldiers, exhausted by long marches, lost their fighting spirit. Time, literally and figuratively, was not on their side. Only with the development of technology and the rapid exchange of data has it become possible to conquer other lands in a matter of months. There was no longer a need for a regular army – everything was done by drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, and combat robots, and specialists controlled them from another continent. They could turn off the Internet anywhere in the world, and the enemy troops would be left without communications, which made coordination of movements impossible, and the most technologically advanced army would quickly gain the upper hand.
Students looked at the screens carefully, comparing the periods of greatest power of the great powers, as well as the size of the territories they conquered.
After a short pause, the professor continued:
– If we return to relatively recent history, to the confrontation between the democratic system and the communist one, then America, having studied the experience of previous empires, combined financial and ideological struggle. She proposed a new world order based not on military expansion, but on freedom, which they called democracy. All this was supported by a financial and economic model, focused primarily on achieving personal success, and then collective success, which is how they defeated communism. Until the disaster, the United States remained the leading economic power on the planet. And now we will move on to the causes of aging, that is, the collapse of the last civilization, and the onset of a new, our era.
Mr. Graves walked around the pulpit and resumed his story:
– The United States has practically realized that ancient prophecy thanks to technological progress. They swept away all obstacles on the way to their cherished dream – to rule a single world, investing huge amounts of money in advanced technologies. The desire for hegemony required large expenses, and when the global economic crisis began in 2007 and difficulties arose with financing new types of weapons, the intelligence services came up with blockchain technology, on the basis of which the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was created. This peer-to-peer payment system not only solved the issue of developing new types of weapons, including space weapons, but also helped destroy the economies of other powers without firing a single shot. In 2029, the global financial system collapsed. Independent states became unable to service their external debt, as well as fulfill social obligations to citizens, and one after another they abandoned their sovereignty. Another redistribution of the world has occurred.
The professor again drew the students’ attention to the slide, and then continued:
«All these countries, which followed the United States in launching dozens of their own blockchain platforms and cryptocurrency projects, both anonymous and public, managed to collect trillions of dollars for the hidden financing of military space programs. As a result, this technological race and the subsequent attempts to colonize the moon led in 2046 according to the old calendar to the third world war, which almost destroyed life on the entire planet. On the only habitable continent, called Vinland and retaining some of the technologies of the previous civilization, a new, post-Christian era began 26 years ago.
– It turns out that the prophecy about a single world, equal and fair, never came true? – an inquisitive student asked a new question.
Lost in thought, the professor answered with some annoyance:
– Yes, that’s exactly how it is. In the remaining time we will talk about the main factor that served as the trigger for the collapse of the previous civilization. It is the emergence of Bitcoin that is significant in this chain. Before his appearance, there were about two hundred independent states in the world, and this helped maintain the balance of power. Many compared the hype around cryptocurrencies with the tulip mania that occurred in the 17th century in Holland or the dot-com boom at the end of the 20th century. At that time, few could have imagined that this phenomenon would surpass all of them combined in consequences.
– How did religions react to the emergence of cryptocurrencies?
– If among financiers and politicians there was a dual opinion regarding the investment attractiveness of cryptocurrencies, then among religious leaders there was unanimous condemnation, since it made some fabulously rich, while others deprived them of everything. Events developed so rapidly that denominations began to fear the approach of the apocalypse. Christianity, a very widespread religion of the time, saw in these events a prophecy from the gospels. It talks about four horsemen who will come to earth one after another. The horsemen meant global events, and the spread of cryptocurrencies was associated with the third of the horsemen, on a black horse. People on different continents did not believe the skeptics and believed that this revolutionary invention would save the world from the dictates of central banks and large financial corporations.
The professor thought for a moment and walked back and forth across the department again, after which he continued:
– I read many books, articles and declassified materials on this topic. As has happened more than once throughout history, blockchain technology, one might say, appeared by accident, that is, they were looking for one thing and found something completely different. It, like the Internet or Wi-Fi, was developed by the military. Initially, this technology was supposed to serve as an unhindered financing of the opposition in countries with dictatorial regimes, bypassing the authorities. But seeing its potential and rapid spread, they decided to expand the scope of cryptocurrencies, that is, to raise money for the hidden financing of military space projects, both public and private. In order for the development to arouse widespread interest and not be associated with any country, it was decided to declare it to be the creator of the mythical Satoshi Nakamoto. Articles and reports about Bitcoin, created in 2008 and launched in early 2009, began to appear on the Internet and the media. It was hailed as an instrument of freedom for all people, the main advantage of which, in addition to the speed of transfers and anonymity, was the complete decentralization of the system.
Many enthusiasts saw new technologies as an alternative to a centralized banking system controlled by a group of people. As stated in the declassified documents, the developers themselves did not expect the ensuing effect. Then all that remained was to watch as the flame fanned out from the spark. Quotes went up, attracting the attention of new investors. The media reported day after day how Bitcoin broke a new milestone, rising another 200% in a few months, while income from bank deposits and other financial instruments could not even cover inflation. Then people did not understand that Pandora’s box had been opened, and the old world order had come to an end. Over time, all savings of citizens, funds from mutual investment and non-state pension funds were invested in cryptocurrency.
Economists warned about the consequences of the bursting of the bubble, but no one was willing to listen. Leaders of various faiths also spoke out about the risks of investing in cryptocurrency, claiming that its purchase was contrary to religious norms, and even scared of hell, but the thirst for profit was above all. This time is commonly called the Great Fever, because by 2029, twenty years after the creation of Bitcoin, almost the entire population of the planet was involved in this process. Attempts by state leaders, financiers and religious figures to reason with the people were in vain. At one point, the market collapsed, and this led to the fact that countries were unable to provide citizens with conditions for even the most modest existence. Famine came, which was personified by that very rider on a black horse. The rulers had a choice: to be overthrown and torn to pieces by the crowd or to voluntarily join the superpower.
Seeing his hand raised, Mr. Graves allowed the student to ask a question:
– Professor, didn’t the heads of state really have any other tools besides persuasion to stop this process?
