Video message and anti-missile attack.
After visiting the toilet and listening to another unnaturally obscene joke from Landskricht, who expressed the theoretical possibility of turning on the engines and creating acceleration in an insignificant part of the force of gravity so that Zavirdyaev's stay in solitude would not be complicated by weightlessness, he began to settle into the seat.
- I think in the future you will be called the greatest ace of this War, - said Landskricht and extended her left hand towards Zavirdyaev.
With her right hand she held the joystick, installed on a stand previously hidden inside the control unit.
- Extend your hand to me, it's inconvenient for me, - she said.
Zavirdyaev, feigning displeasure, extended his right hand towards Landskricht. The distance to the Earth was now shrinking almost before our eyes. It was reduced, of course, on the indicators - there was no way to see anything in the windows.
Landskricht grabbed Zavirdyaev's wrist quite tightly, but nothing happened.
- When we turn on the ion screen, radio communication will be lost. You know that, - Landskricht's voice was heard. - Therefore, part of the video will be broadcast directly, and part with a certain delay, in the recording. I am informing you of this just in case, so that you know that there may not be an immediate reaction to your... our... my words. They didn't shine a laser selector at you, did they? Know that it is harmless for the ship.
Zavirdyaev suddenly focused his gaze, turned his head and found the camera, fixed a little further away, behind the instrument module.
- It has begun! - he thought and was not mistaken.
- This is Chief Zavirdyaev speaking, - he said without wanting to. - How are you down there? Did you miss me? I know you. I bet some of you, when you were watching my flight with the sodium headlights on, expected another MDS missile to fly into my car? Right? Okay, jokes aside. While I was flying about my business, I watched TV, and you know what? I am very disappointed with the brothel you've set up here without me. When I decided to throw away my warheads, I also looked under the hood and found an incomprehensible part there. It's called, - then came a combination of letters and numbers.
Meanwhile, Zavirdyaev realized that this was written in white on the blue board of the unit responsible for detonating the mine on board the shuttle - when Landskricht showed him this thing, she even read the first letters out loud. It had to be admitted, the announcement of the discovery of the module and the mine was not without elegance. - I assume, - continued Zavirdyaev's voice, not obeying its owner, - that this is some kind of listening device. It is quite low not to trust a person who trusted you and agreed to test a new machine. Do you know what else I want to tell you? - Now I am addressing everyone who is watching my broadcast now, and not just those who prepared the shuttle. I flew away from Earth. I am tired of this War. I am tired of all of you. I decided to find peace there, - the eyes themselves rose upward, indicating that the conversation was now about something opposite to the concept of "Earth". - On the way, I decided to drop by the Moon, After all, we all know that the "Beatles" live there. And Elvis - I think everyone knows this great African musician. I wanted to ask them what I should do next.
- Your mother, what bullshit! - the thought flashed through Zavirdyaev's head.
When it came to the Moon, he was already not averse to ending this farce, but when he tried to twitch, he realized that nothing was working. On the one hand, all this was amusing, but on the other hand, it finally buried the serious image of Zavirdyaev, who at the beginning of the flight seriously considered himself as the leader of the world revolution
- However, I messed something up, - the disobedient voice continued, - and my rocket went back to Earth. Then I realized that I had not gained enough speed. Of course, I decided to fix everything and add gas, but the onboard computer did not let me do this and said that I would not get to the Moon this way. The funniest thing is that the bombs that I threw out most likely also fly in a similar way. It's good that I did not throw them all out. Soon I will have to turn on my backlight, and I will not be able to be with you, but when I turn it off, you will be able to see me again. I almost forgot. I think the name of that thing was not the one I dictated to you. It was called... - more letters and numbers followed. - And also, - the voice continued, - I want to address all people... at least the Western nations, because lately it seems to me, like many others, that outside our Western Community there is something generally unknown and incomprehensible. So, my fellow citizens of the Western Bloc, although everyone else too... The overwhelming majority of you despise me. You, once... You, or your decrepit parents, bargained big and now we live as we live. I flew into space, stopped hostilities at the front, did it for you, and now you began to beat each other up in the rear with renewed vigor. You are cattle. And Oppenheimer also appropriated my merits. It was I who froze the fronts, not he. I admit that he is watching my speech now. Maybe even sitting on the toilet. In general, it's always like that with him. You are controlled from the push. I congratulate you. By the way, about my bombs, it seems they won't harm anyone, I checked the trajectory. I remind you of this just in case, so that you can once again be convinced of my high moral qualities.
At these words, the window began to flicker - the ion screen turned on.
- You did great! - Landskricht's voice was heard, - with such data, you should be filming in Hollywood.
Zavirdyaev could not answer anything, but now he was able to turn his head towards Landskricht. She was looking in his direction with a serene and joyful expression on her face.
- I told them the biochip identifier, this is the second marking, now someone will be completely confused. They will have butthurt.
Zavirdyaev did not immediately understand what was being said, but then he realized that they were talking about those letters and numbers spoken for the second time.
- Now I'll show you how I can control the ship. Almost the same as with a car, only more freedom. Look at the monitor, there will be flight data. There will be no pictures from the cameras for some time, but you will feel the flight.
Zavirdyaev turned his head towards the screen. It was noteworthy that this time, unlike the first turns, Zavirdyaev was not wearing a spacesuit or helmet. No doubt, this would have been noticed on Earth. In general, it was more comfortable in some ways, especially the absence of a helmet that became heavier under overloads was felt.
The altitude dropped quite confidently. Last time, when the shuttle crossed the one hundred twenty thousand meter mark, the rate of descent was significantly less. The flickering outside the windows began to turn into a glow. The display with the interlink was still showing something - the connection was still maintained via an optical channel, but Zavirdyaev hardly looked at this screen. Until that moment.
Now two anti-missile launch locations were clearly visible on it. Or rather, two marks had already traveled more than a hundred kilometers and were heading to meet the shuttle, to the lead point.
A force was felt, pulling somewhere to the left - the ship began to maneuver.
- So, what do I see? - the voice that did not obey him, Zavirdyaev, came into action again. - I see that two sys.520 are flying in my direction. Although wait, there are already five of them. How can you scatter like that? Living there, in Siberia, in that asshole, every time an anti-missile took off, I knew that it was protecting something. Protecting me or someone else, possibly living a thousand kilometers away. More than a hundred asses were torn to make it. And now what? You shoot them at me, and so stupidly at that.
The eyes themselves rose up, as did the face. Both windows disappeared from the Field of View. For a few moments, the cabin became a little lighter.
- I feel like they shot at me with a non-conventional anti-missile. I wonder if they hit me? It's good that the interlink works. It's through the laser beam, if anyone didn't know.
At that moment, Zavirdyaev was pressed into his seat with such force that he wasn't pressed even at launch.
- Well, - the voice continued, - I had to steer a little. If you were in my place now, you would feel the fear that your ass would split. I got a little used to it on takeoff. In general, this shuttle is pretty strong. Say thank you. If you lose me, your future will be unenviable. But for now, Uncle Zavirdyaev is still with you. Wow, another nuclear one is flying. What do you want from me?
Here the head turned to the right by itself. Landskricht was sitting in her seat, holding the joystick in her right hand. She was looking at Zavirdyaev. Her expression was mischievous. Releasing the joystick from her hands, she showed him the "V" sign, then grabbed the control stick again, after which the ship made several jerks, from which, if the neck muscles had not pulled in the head, it would have hit hard.
The head again turned to the instrument panel. The altitude was now less than a hundred kilometers, or ninety-two thousand meters to be exact. The ion cloud had compressed and stretched out like a tail in a way it had never stretched out before.
- I also want to draw the attention of those who are now watching my flight. - the voice continued, - Do you see how it sparkles ahead? There was nothing like that before. This is adiabatic compression of air. There is a strong plasma there. Now, your infrared guidance from the forward hemisphere will not help you, just like the radars before. How do you like it? I see that you like it, so much so that you have started firing nuclear missiles at random. Your problem is that there is someone cooler than you, and I can tell you where your next missile will hit. Miss three thousand five hundred meters. When I say "now", then plus three seconds. Five o'clock from me, a thousand meters lower. Now!
Three seconds later, data about a close detonation appeared on the monitor. This time, the light filters, stunned by the light flux, held back the radiation so effectively that nothing was noticeable in the cabin.
In fact, even when he turned his head, he noticed that the light filters on the windows were already black - perhaps they were overloaded by the light radiation from the ion cloud or that same adiabatic compression of the oncoming flow.
Meanwhile, on the interlink screen, a dozen new missiles were reaching the center of the field, that is, to the shuttle's location. Not without emotion, Zavirdyaev noted that more than half of them came from terminals located in the SSSF, which was about two minutes away.
- We can take a break, we won't be performing all the time, - Landskricht's voice was heard.
- When I flew alone, this did not happen, - Zavirdyaev almost groaned, - you did not say that you would immobilize me again, we did not agree on that.
- Really? Well, excuse me. In general, this is so that you don't hurt yourself or dislocate your neck. See how it shakes?
With these words, she made several jerks with the joystick and the ship began to toss from side to side again.
- This is still easy, when you turned your head last time, the overloads were much stronger. And we need to maneuver - see how many missiles they are launching?
Zavirdyaev wanted to turn back to the screen, but his neck did not obey again. Immediately his whole body was pressed into the seat, then pulled to the right, then pushed in the back. The dark, almost black windows brightened slightly.
They are hitting almost at random, - Landskricht announced, - or rather, they gave the order to hit at random, expanding the radius of impact to indecent values. So they hit plus or minus kilometers. Don't worry, the coating will withstand the radiation - the coating is designed for interplanetary flights. In general, the ship is outstanding in its own way. An old and proven design. It can fly as a hypersonic aircraft. You've seen what kind of protrusions it has. That's what they're made for. And there's a place to attach the landing legs. They've always made these, it's not an invention of AEX. Or rather, they made it all themselves, but they didn't come up with how it should look. Whoever designed this one saw the real ones, the old ones. With my help. Yes, I've already talked about that.
- Did you help them?
- Well, yes. In a very general sense.
She yanked the handle again, and once again Zavirdyaev was pressed into his seat.
- What should we call our ship? Do you have any ideas? - Landskricht continued carefree.
- I don't know, - Zavirdyaev groaned.
- For example, Nageltfar. It's a ship from an ancient legend. You've slightly modified and distorted it, but it doesn't matter.
- Our Nageltfar is flying forward! - she sang.
- Do you know that song about a steam locomotive? - Zavirdyaev lisped.
- Well, I needed to somehow, even superficially, get acquainted with your country. Yeah, your mother! - she pulled the handle.
The ship felt like it was "airplane-like" and, so to speak, jerked upward, also if we say "airplane-like".
Zavirdyaev was pressed back into his seat rather than jerked to the side.
- You shouldn't have wasted the missiles! - added Landskricht. - I'll be honest, - she continued in a calmer voice, - at first glance, your Russia caused me nothing but rejection. Total despondency. But I have more experience, so there's no need for me to pretend to be a softie. Everything is fine with you, don't worry. And on Earth, you thought that I looked down on your locals, right?
- What are you getting at, almost shouted Zavirdyaev through the howl of some onboard units and the knock of vibrations.
- The fact that your country, despite some of your compatriots' fears, has a place in the future. After the Conversion of War and beyond, so don't worry. We'll think of something.
The monitor continued to display the flight parameters. Now the altitude had dropped to eighty-three thousand meters, while the speed was only a few percent short of orbital.
- The Superfederant, by the way, also went all out, - Landskricht continued, - some tiny region that was painful to look at, and now... In the industrial regions of Germany and Ireland, as you saw, battles have broken out. Both local Super-Federalists and visitors from... well, let's say, from our region are "bombing" there now. Although they came to you first, picked up bad habits and went back to their place. Who would have thought. Kuznetsk Krai raised a worthy... worthy units. They rushed to all ends of the continent, and those who tracked these movements were satisfied with the explanation that they were fleeing from a future attack from Lebedev. Clever, isn't it? These are not my intrigues and not even another idea of Oppenheimer. These are your bosses and their fabrications. A new struggle will unfold. Remember from history, how it was in Russia - the people demanded the Factories and Factories for the workers. Now the people, these workers will demand that the factories and plants be brought under the jurisdiction of AEX and GBA. Yes, we have already talked about this. The workers are kicking their national state with their boots and fleeing under the wing of the transnational supercapitalist. Your fellow countrymen, or rather those who have arrived and left again, will simply play the role of uninhibited guys with a suitable biography, the main thing is that they know how to hold a weapon in their hands and confidently run under fire a couple of times. Others who took up arms only the day before will run after them. The psychology of primates. I do not mean to be disparaging - thanks to this, you have gone from a stone axe to such a shuttle. Here is the key to development and the key to the future. This key is simply in the very functional psychology of primates. Do as the others do. From such conclusions devoid of sublimity, your other revolutionary, Lenin, with his, or rather not his beautiful speeches, that a man sounds proud, would have fallen face down into a puddle from his armored personnel carrier, - she laughed again. - Do you like the ship? It flies like a laumfschinder, - she said something in her strange language, - that is, an air combat plane. And no capricious silicate coating is needed. The ion screen replaces all of this. The assembly, although it can be better, I judge by the flight data, but for the first time it is still not bad. It was necessary to declare out loud that the ship is called Nageltfar. Although in the interlink it is now called that. Now we will go up and it will be possible to turn off the ion ejectors. We fly like a lamp. One reporter said that a lamp flies above the Earth. Funny.
Once again, Zavirdyaev was pressed into his seat and the altitude from the eighty-five thousand mark went up. Less than half a minute later, the ship went beyond the one hundred twenty thousand mark and the power spent on the ejectors began to be reset.
The light filters on the windows brightened and it became visible that the ion glow was now only a pale flicker. There was another jerk, throwing Zavirdyaev, or rather, mostly his head, to the left, after which a rectangular glowing spot appeared on the wall of the ship - again, a nuclear warhead exploded somewhere nearby.