Денис Седов – One step into Tomorrow (страница 3)

"And that’s it?"

"No," Makar shook his head. "Rumors spread. Our… 'partners' learned about the incident. After long negotiations, a joint group was organized to study the phenomenon. That’s how the first controlled passage appeared." He took a sip of mors. "The passage there is with us. And with the Americans—only the way back."

I narrowed my eyes.

"But the first guy got out somehow? So there’s an exit here too?"

"Correct," Makar nodded. "But we haven’t been able to bring anyone back yet."

"Why?"

He paused.

"Because not everyone can enter. That’s the first issue. There is also a second one, but we won’t talk about that now."

I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

"Look," Makar said, resting his elbows on the table. "For the first expedition, we equipped two groups. Volunteers. High-level specialists."

I listened in silence.

"The first group entered…" He slowly shook his head. "And a second later, out of ten people, only two remained. The rest vanished."

I didn’t quite understand what he meant and asked:

"How… vanished?"

"Evaporated. Their things remained, but they were gone." Makar looked away. "Within a five-kilometer radius of the entrance, there is communication with us. We can even transmit video. But beyond that—silence. The second group…" He squeezed a napkin between his fingers. "They all vanished."

I said nothing.

"But now we have a theory," he continued. "Researchers at the entrance installed cameras and instruments. They helped us understand one thing." He paused. "If a person from here has a living double there, then that person vanishes during the transition. I hope I’ve explained that clearly?"

I felt my stomach knot up.

"Nikolai was able to enter because his double died in a skirmish with the creatures. Died in front of witnesses from the first group. When this theory emerged and we learned of it, we immediately began testing it and looking for suitable candidates for transitions. And that is exactly why Nikolai became one of the researchers."

I opened my mouth, but Makar stopped me with a gesture.

"I’ll tell you the details later. The main thing is—Nikolai is alive but wounded. Right now, he is being hidden by three of our… local employees, so to speak. Two operatives from the first group are heading toward the exit point in Texas."

"To where?" was all I could manage.

At that moment, the waitress brought the order. I stared at the steam rising from the potatoes and mushrooms. We remained silent until she left.

"To Texas, Kostya. There’s not exactly an exit there, but more on that later…" Makar continued. "Maybe order a hundred grams after all?" he added with a smirk.

"Even a bottle a day for a week wouldn’t help me figure this out. No need, thanks. I don’t really drink," I said.

"Fine. As I was saying," Makar went on, "communication only works near a transition point. At least, that’s what we know at the moment. So—"

"And where are your two specialists now?" I interrupted.

"I can’t even imagine. Besides reaching the exit, they have another task—to try and find other transition points. There’s a theory: if they manage to establish contact somewhere along the way, it means there might be a way out in that area. Or a way in. To be honest, I don’t know yet."

For a while, we ate in silence. Only when I pushed my plate away did Makar continue.

"Your double is dead."

"Good thing you waited until I finished eating," I muttered.

"At the end of that video I showed you, he was gunned down from that vehicle. The drone accompanying Nikolai filmed everything. We cut that part out so as not to shock you immediately."

"And what do you want from me now? For me to climb into this 'Tomorrow' of yours?" I already knew the answer, but I asked anyway.

"Yes, that’s exactly what we want, Kostya."

He raised a hand, stopping my next question before I could ask it.

"This is solely your decision, Konstantin, and no one else’s. There…" He waved a hand vaguely. "There could be anything. Diseases, mutant creatures, radiation… And what did you expect? How many facilities have stood without control? Chernobyl might seem like a sweet bedtime story compared to that."

He leaned forward slightly.

"From what we’ve managed to gather—from limited research and from information provided by our partners—something went wrong there with their laboratory experiments. People, after being vaccinated against some virus—let’s say, something similar to our COVID, to make it easier for you to understand—began to mutate. Not immediately, but after some time."

"The mutations varied in type and stage. Some turned into creatures resembling a hyena crossed with a gorilla. Some remained on two legs but were no longer human—vicious, aggressive beings. Some… became mutants but retained the ability to think. Those are the most dangerous ones."

"Those who didn’t take the vaccine—they die. Mutants kill them, the lack of medicine and the constant struggle for survival finish them off."

He paused.

"And the creatures… that’s a whole other conversation. Mutants—they were the ones in the car. And near it too."

"I’ll tell you straight," Makar went on, "the biggest problem is something else. If a person from here has a double there—and that double is a mutant—then during the transition, that person also vanishes. Finding a candidate for transition without risk is practically impossible."

"Now we have you. And that first guy who managed to come here—or rather, fall out of Tomorrow at the very beginning. But there’s a problem with him—he categorically refuses to return. His double died three years ago during a special operation."

"It’s the same story with the Americans who fell through—or whoever they are, I don’t know exactly. Their doubles are also dead. The reasons vary, but the result is the same."

He paused.

"And one more important point: the Americans have the same situation—none of those who came from there want to go back."

Makar fell silent.

And I, though I had only just learned about this “Tomorrow,” already understood very well those who didn’t wish to return. Everything he was telling me simply didn’t fit in my head. And something in this story clearly didn’t add up.

Questions were piling up. More and more.

But aloud, I asked only one:

"So all of this is just to pull Kolya out? I find it hard to believe a fairy tale about saving not even your own soldier, but some freelance guy who just agreed to go on a quick gig. Let’s either have it as it is—or I’ll pay for this lovely lunch and we’ll go our separate ways."

"There is, of course, something else," Makar said. "But I will only speak of that after your consent."

He had somehow imperceptibly switched to the informal tone.

"You're not much of a recruiter," I said ironically.

"It’s not my primary profession. To be completely honest, I’m doing this for the first time. It’s just the deadlines—and there’s no one else for now," Makar said, spreading his hands.

Silence hung in the air.

For about five minutes, each of us was lost in our own thoughts. Makar responded to messages on his phone, occasionally glancing in my direction. And I stared blankly at the TV, where an ad for the restaurant and the dishes served here was playing.

"Let me tell you how we see it," Makar finally said, unable to hold back any longer, pouring more mors into our glasses.

"We assume the following: after certain training, you go into… 'Tomorrow.' You try to get Nikolai out. His condition is stable but grave. There was a moment when he began to recover, but lately his condition has deteriorated. During the last comms session, he could barely speak, constantly losing his train of thought."

"What exactly led to this…" Makar spread his hands again. "Without an on-site examination, it’s hard to say more. You will be the one to conduct that examination. You will receive everything we have for this."

"Task number two: you install equipment with the help of our specialists. They will stay on comms as much as possible. After that equipment starts working, you return together with Nikolai. If we can’t open a passage, then we’ll wait for news from the first pair of specialists."

He paused and looked at me.

"In turn, if you consent, we will immediately settle all your problems. There will be a handler at the training base; they will brief you. And once we’re sure everything is ready, you can move out."

"Besides everything else, the commission for your transition there will be…" He paused, opened something on his phone, and turned the screen toward me.