Артур Задикян – Parallel Worlds pro et contra (страница 18)

– Grandiose, magnificent," Rutra said with a triumphant applause.

The rest of the attendees looked at each other, some just smiled.

– We don't want to disbelieve you, but it's hard to believe it either," the head of the economic bloc said no less solemnly.

The situation was familiar, as with the past fantastic proposals of the "luminary of science". The thing was that the other masters did not spend resources on practical testing of the scientist's ideas. Though any wonderful ideas could be tested here or a real program could be disguised as something else in some science center or complex. All it required was money, and the power was already there. The Sphere system was a secret organization of an international consortium of the world's rulers, but there were still points that could not be hidden: large expenditures required explanation to the public. It was clear to ordinary but thinking people that, for example, the grandiose Large Hadron Collider, running several billion dollars deep between several countries, had not been built simply to find some hypothetical Higgs boson. The same is true here. The cost is already looming in the minds of the audience. It couldn't be an inexpensive thing. Everyone realized this project was bigger than building a spaceport. In addition, everything must take place secretly, with distraction. But what was said next surprised everyone except Rutra.

– I'll tell you right away, the project itself is inexpensive. I will say, if we do not have to build another similar center. After all, the participants of the project, whom we are going to send to parallel worlds, have to live and prepare themselves, i.e. everyday life must exist, their bodies must be serviced in the process. But nevertheless I still think it is worth it. Imagine if someone had told you at the dawn of the invention of electricity: one day the whole world will be covered with wires. You would have said, "There are not enough resources for that, it is impossible to realize. Wouldn't you? And now think… if I say that this installation, which, by the way, is not very different from the virtual reality installation, will be an ordinary commodity, that such flights to parallel worlds will be entertainment and attraction. How's that? You'll say: he's sick. Yes, I am carried from primitive consciousness to the depths of space.

– Wait, wait, wait. Let's take it back to Earth. Let's say all of this is true. The technology for consciousness transfer is kind of already in place. Quantum teleportation is known to science. But please tell me, what makes you think there are parallel worlds? Have you already tried your process? – the same head of the department asked less emotionally.

– All of this comes from what I said. I was talking about quantum entanglement. That is to clarify: entanglement is not from the word "entanglement", but from the fact that one particle has a double, which allows a parallel reality, somewhere changes with instantaneous speed its state. Repeats it, the particle. Like you in a mirror, your reflection. Quantum teleportation provides the answer to the existence of these worlds. It's hard to believe, but it does. Billions of years this process has been going on. We're all made up of these particles. We know what photography, x-rays, tomography are, and it doesn't surprise us anymore. What's that… cloning and genetically modified foods don't even surprise us. So why not assume that our whole world, consisting of molecules, atoms, particles and so on, emitting all this every second, has not folded into the same world in another area, where the appropriate conditions exist. Why shouldn't that be allowed to happen? So, logically speaking – all of this is there, is there in numerous forms, that is, one world is reflected in another, and that one in a third, and so on. Of course, with each copy, and taking into account the conditions around, the subsequent world will already be a little different.

– All right. Let's get to the practical part. How many resources do you need for this, for all the stages of the project, if you prove its viability here? – asked the financier firmly.

– That's the thing – not much at all. We need to build one more additional center with installations, or better yet, two. You understand, we'll send the human consciousness to the edge of the universe, and the body will stay here. Imagine if something happens: a fire, an earthquake, an asteroid, a nuclear war. There must be insurance.

– Oh, great. You're saying the rig could be affected? Don't you think something could happen to the body, too?

Obviously, a dispute started between the scientist and the head of the economic block. Everyone listened to their discussion with interest.

– Now what I – I mean, I'll put it this way: I'm very grateful to the board for that past project. Grateful to those who believed in it and made it happen. I mean cloning and creating a second personality from the original. Agree, to create a copy of you, and at any desired age, and even with changed parameters, for example, a different hair color, is also a grand idea and work. Now I'm going to use this technology. I'll create a clone of the person whose consciousness we're sending. And we will keep a digital copy of the consciousness, if something goes wrong, say, our test subject dies there and it will be mirrored, i.e. the body dies here, – then we will be able to put the digital copy into the clone. Everything will be restored. A miracle? Absolutely.

– I have nothing to say. And yet – how much are you asking? – Without expressing any particular surprise, the economist emphasized his question.

– Fifty billion, I think, will be enough," the scientist replied quite calmly.

– Well, shall we risk it? – addressed the economist to the audience.

– According to the protocol – the co-author responsible for the practical part of the project must provide evidence of the feasibility of the project," the head of the Sphere system's governing board said expectantly to everyone.

– The project is feasible and the first trial is cost and risk free. It can be done here. It's a test of transferring consciousness from one to another, which is what you actually observed. The second stage – we'll do the same thing in Earth conditions, somewhere between continents. The third is between Earth and space, and then we can launch everything into distant parallel worlds," Ruthra answered the demands for explanations, his voice extremely confident.

He knew his role, he knew his power. In Ruthra's system, if he was not the first and most important, he was certainly an equal among the first.

– As for the practical part, I don't think there are enough fingers on my hands to list in what fields and for what purpose this process can be used. For example, even in earthly conditions it is possible to create several clones of one person, and he can be instantly transported across oceans and continents and remain himself. It is the same in those worlds. Initially, once there, you can create the same technological setups and the same clones. So traveling to deep, deep space is not a problem at all now.

By voicing such fantastic possibilities for the project, Rutra not only inclined the council to approve the scientist's proposal, but also ignited a desire to make future financial investments. His scientist friend glowed. It was clear how grateful he was.

– You know, I still have to say," the chairman began cautiously. – I am, of course, surprised at the lack of questions and the way we are taking this project on faith. Of course, the topic of cloning and this show you put on played a role, but let's look at it a little bit from the outside. Mr. Master, do you want us to believe in the existence of other worlds, even if we leave aside our faith in technology? I'm still asking for proof. Honestly, if it's not protocol, I'd like it to be true. But you should also understand what we're talking about right now. Okay? What does the board say? Do we approve stage one? Give us six months for preliminary preparations? Allocate a sum of money for the first, earthly, part of the project? – the head of the council asked the audience.

To Rutra's surprise, almost everyone was silent. It was clear that the project was very improbable. Rutra thought to himself: "That's all right, soon I'll be the chairman of the council, and I won't approve any of your projects. Of course, he thought this in jest. However, he made sure that his emotional state was transmitted to those around him.

– I approve," said the head of the economic bloc.

Turns out everyone was waiting for it. Almost simultaneously, the others were in favor of approving the project.

– I am very grateful to you. I promise to send you to parallel worlds, too," the scientist said cheerfully.

To which the economist hastily replied:

– No, no, no. You first, please, yourself.

He spoke with a smile. Everyone understood the joke. For Rutra and the luminary of science, the meeting was over, the assistants took off their masks, and the world became ordinary.