Vadim Simbarskiy – Cubes (страница 3)

wasn’t visible. Just a matte blue sky without a

single cloud. As if it were artificial, and there

was no wind at all…

Meanwhile, as Ben tried to analyze his sensations,

the hum grew louder and louder. And suddenly, as

if on cue, walls opened in all the buildings. Like

garage doors. People poured out of them, yes,

people. Everything around became bustling,

something like buses appeared from somewhere, but

without wheels, and people started getting into

them, and everything began to spin and whirl. Still

not recovered from his first impressions, Ben

received a second dose and realized that he looked

100% like a complete fool. No wonder many were

looking at him very strangely.

Here, dear reader, for the full picture, I switch

to a first-person narrative.

As I was gawking around, my gaze fixed on something

hurtling towards me, seemingly about to crush me.

Yes, it was the so-called bus. But someone’s strong

hands, probably, grabbed me and threw me aside.

A second later, I was sitting on the floor, and

next to me stood a guy about my age, of average

height with light hair and tanned skin. His clothes

resembled those worn by plumbers or mechanics.

I examined him, he examined me.

Then he asked, “Is your distance sensor not

working?” In response, I continued to stare at

him, blinking, as I caught myself thinking that

he was speaking to me in a language completely

incomprehensible to me, sounds I didn’t know, but

for some reason, I understood him. To me, it seemed

like some hellish mixture of English, German,

Russian, and some other languages.

“Are you okay?” he asked again.

Apparently recovering from shock, I quietly said:

“Yes, I’m okay.”

Apparently, he understood me perfectly as well.

“So what’s wrong with your sensor?” he asked again.

And then he stared at me, his eyes widened, and

pointing his index finger at my chest, he said:

“Where’s your cube? Cube?!” he repeated twice,

while pointing at some red cube hanging on his

chest. Then I began to absentmindedly examine

myself, and everything in me said that I didn’t

understand what cube he was talking about.

“Cube!!!” he almost panicked. Then his voice

dropped to a whisper, and taking my hand, he led

me aside. Looking around suspiciously, he asked:

“Are you one of them?” he mysteriously pointed

his finger upward.

At this point, I couldn’t hold back anymore and

gave in to my emotions. In a raised voice, I yelled:

“What the hell is going on here? Where am I and

how did I get here?”

I was gesticulating wildly. In short, I let off

steam.

“Do you… have emotions?” he asked with surprise

and even, I would say, awe in his drawn-out voice.

“So you’re from the elite? A golden cube?”

“What cube?! What elite?!”

The stranger’s eyes changed. With concern, he took

my hand and led us into the shadows, saying in a

conspiratorial voice:

“Are you one of the rebels?”