Project Ouroboros (3 page)

Average morning in the office of "Enki" started at seven a.m., when staff checked the generators and ran the operating system. The lighting, elevators and computers were turned on, later came the cleaning staff. At eight in the morning the first employees appeared in the workplace and morning shift security guards replaced the night shifters.

Today, by this time, Mr Director General and his secretary have already been in place. Trier Lugal was waiting in the receiving office. He was visibly nervous as an ordinary office employee, who had to see a Ain Soph. Director General aroused panic in his subordinates, when they met him it was like something cold and sticky penetrating their souls, and there was a strange feeling, as if it was not a person in front of you. His translucent icy unblinking eyes seemed to see through the interlocutor, and his thin lips were always twisted in a contemptuous and arrogant grin. Director General's expression changed only in the moments when the black cell phone with no display rang. The apparatus had no buttons or touch panel, just a microphone and a speaker. No one understood how that thing worked, but for some reason everyone feared these mind quickening signals no less than Mr Soph.

Calls could go off at any hour of the day or night, with whom and wherever the Director General was. Legends were composed, because it was the only thing that made Ain Soph change his familiar to everyone frozen expression for a more or less emotional. Most often, it was puzzlement or mild anxiety — the director was clearly afraid of the people, who called him, but tried to control himself.

Today the Director General was late for three minutes — which was a flagrant violation of discipline for him — and still for a long time he didn't start receiving visitors. Trier Lugal was nervously glancing at the clock, and languishing from downtime. He could not decide where to begin with the story about the purpose of his visit because it was supposed to be about a woman-scientists, for whom Mr Lugal was not ready to take charge, but he had an argument in her favour, which was the contents of a folder with printed results of her studies.

Finally, the secretary invited Mr Lugal to the Director's office.

— What is it? — Aine Soph looked through the papers provided be the subordinates casually.

— A very interesting theoretical study of synthetic nerve cells, the development of Dr Tekhina Ami.

— She is not our employee.

— She has to be. And if we don't buy the idea of Dr Ami, someone else can do it. My son works at her laboratory. She is ready to work with us, providing the university with only theoretical calculations. This research will help us to understand... and to continue project "Lamashtu".

— Invite Dr Ami to see me. Tomorrow. Any time convenient for her.

Trier Lugal thanked Mr Director General and left the office.

Aine Soph took off his jacket and began to examine  the documents more carefully. Oh, they really interested him. This woman was not just smart, she was brilliant!

Director General's actions were as cool as his eyes. For his subordinates, he always appeared to be a hasteless and mannered man. While talking, he drawled and slowly made decisions about what to say in the next instant. His grey, almost white hair at any time was neatly combed, and he usually was clean-shaven.

Black phone rang.

Mr Director brought the phone to his ear:

— Dear Aine Soph, Mr Chesed greets you.

— I am listening.

— Mr Daath asked me to convey to you that he is unhappy. At yesterday's meeting, we learned that two Lamashtu appeared in the city. Do you remember why we returned you?

— Of course, Mr Chesed. Please convey to Mr Daath that I am working on it. Very soon I will be able to isolate them. And ... Tell Mr Daath that we have advanced in the search for ways to create new Lamashtu.

— Goodbye, Mr Aine Soph.

The phone disconnected.

Director sat perfectly still for a while, thinking about his next steps. If one Lamashtu was already in the city, and was seen, how does the second look like? And why the hell no one knows about him here, but it is already well known there?

He touched the panel of corporate communicator.

— Good morning, Mr Soph — a female voice answered.

— Good morning, Rada. I would like to see El’Athar. Wherever he is, he should be here as soon as possible.

— Yes, Mr Soph — the girl disconnected.

She sent the notification for El’Athar to urgently come to the office through the corporate messenger. Rada worked as a secretary in "Enki" since she graduated from high school seven years ago. Then, the research centre was still in Uruck. In the Rada's work there was nothing remarkable: she had to return calls, coordinate visits and brew coffee. Rada fulfilled her duties well and without any complaints from the staff or management. Superiors were very content with such an agile employee, but didn't even think about encouraging her in any way or increasing her salary, although Rada often dreamed of a more interesting job.

Rada thought about why they could need El’Athar so urgently ... Although, to be honest, she had no idea what he was doing. According to the statements of the personnel — he was a special security personnel, but what his work truly was remained unknown for everyone. Except the Director, of course. She often wondered about the mysterious colleague. Who was he? A Secret Agent, a killer, an industrial spy? How can such people be engaged in simple research centres? To steal information from competitors? ..

Her messenger squeaked — it received an incoming message.

Rada dialled the Director:

— Mr Aine Soph, El’Athar will arrive in twenty minutes. Coffee? In a minute.

El’Athar burst into the office as a hurricane, sweeping away everything and everyone in his path. He was tall, skinny and awkward, in huge shapeless clothes. Weekly bristles on a sufficiently thin and effeminate face and matted long, almost to the waist, dark hair, inadvertently suggested of where Director's order reached him. On the one hand, only blind couldn't notice such a secret agent, but on the other hand, it was difficult to suspect him of a serious operative work. El’Athar rather created the impression of a young, but already rumpled bohemian.

— The Director is waiting for you! — Rada had time to shout to him before the Director's office door slammed shut loudly.

— Good afternoon, Mr Soph. — without waiting for an invitation, El’Athar literally fell into a chair and crossed his legs.

— Did you do what I asked for?

— Yes, — the young man took out multiple folders from the diplomat. — Here are the photos and copies of documents you have requested. I did everything so that no one had any suspicion that someone had seen them.

— Good. Here's another task — Tekhina Ami. In the near term, our future employee. We need to know everything about her. She is, so to speak, clean at hand. But ... I will not allow such things here. I want to be sure that she is completely controlled by me. If the information leaks to the masses... Centre "Enki" will be liquidated, and all we will have to do is to commit collective suicide — it will be much better than space prison,  where we will be going sharply afterwards. I think you will be able to determine what to prepare for the security services, and that for me personally.

— Do not worry, Mr Director.

— And more... Two Lamashtu appeared in the city. Find them.

— What should I do with them?

— Nothing. Just find and watch.

El’Athar nodded.

Aine Soph pressed the red button:

— Rada, prepare an order for the accounts to grant Mr El’Athar performance fees in cash.

— Yes, of course, Mr Soph.

Director hung up.

— You know what, El’Athar — said Aine Soph after a minute thinking — Invite Rada on a date. She's a good girl.

— Certainly.

Early morning was unusually sunny and warm. There was no wish to get up, but it was time to get ready for work. Ea rose from the bed and went to the bathroom to brush up. The apartment was quiet, so Aleph was still asleep. The woman still could not understand how she related to this strange young man who settled so suddenly on the sofa in her living room.

She would not want him to continue to play in the streets. If Aleph gets beaten again ... she would be upset. Yes. She had to admit it. Perhaps there Ea's inner longing showed, the causes of which were unsettled personal life and absence of children. If she had a son like that... Someone for whom she prepared various goodies, with whom she could go to the movies, or just talk about everything! Aleph awakened sincere sympathy in her, but somehow Ea was afraid to look him in the eye — this transparent and indifferent look made her feel uneasy.

A woman came out of the shower and made some coffee. Ea decided to leave her guest a note, and as to do two things at the same time never worked for her, a piece of paper on a table was covered with intricate coffee stains.

Ea Aohni was one of the first to be asked to return to Anshan to resume work on her specialty, which she gladly accepted. Not because she missed home town, far from it. She would be happy to forget both this place, and the nightmarish events that happened here thirty years ago. She was young and energetic, and has just received an important position back then... And everything was destroyed. Much to her dismay, after the tragedy the past decades she could not achieve anything even approximately similar to her past life. She washed the floors in the homes of others, and looked after other people's children, and suddenly she got the opportunity to gain the lost and return to the meteorological station. Ea could not say no.

For a long time she did not leave attempts to answer the question, what had happened thirty years ago. But even now, after the return of people to the city, the public has not been provided with any official versions. The Investigation of the reasons of Tiamat continued, but there was no hope to complete it. No one will ever be able to answer why so many people died.

Aleph did not sleep, he waited until Ea had left to get up and collect his belongings scattered all over the room. Ea bought him some new shirts and Aleph has not yet decided whether it was right to pick them up, shyly running away from this house without a farewell.

— How long can you sit on the neck of a poor woman, — he grumbled under his breath. — It's too intrusive, to stay here just like that, without any reason, it is time to call it quits.

While washing his face, Aleph was thinking that the last few performances gave him some money and now he could afford to settle in a motel for a few days. And what came then was yet to be seen.

He took two bottles of water, some apples with him, and he threw away with regret the breakfast prepared for him. It was not that Ea was a bad cook, on the contrary — Yum! But... a strange thing — he did not feel the need for food: as far as musician could remember, he had never eaten anything more than a few apples. The only time when Ea tried to feed Aleph, he got sick, and since then he had to quietly dispose of part of the meal so that Ea was not worried that he was hungry.

A note that Aleph found on the table, said: "I went to work, will be back at 8". The guy turned the page and wrote: "Thank you for your hospitality, I will not stay in debt. See you".

The musician left the apartment, the door slammed shut behind him automatically — triggered by an electronic lock. Aleph slowly descended the stairs, not paying attention to the free elevator — there was nowhere to hurry. He decided to walk along the still deserted sunny street to the sea. He wanted to swim and to play the flute.

It was getting hot. Glass skyscrapers of bizarre shapes — an architect, who designed these retail, office centres and homes, apparently claimed to be the most ambitious — iridescent colours of the rainbow, and the young palm trees happily rustled leaves over the heads of pedestrians. The air smelled of salt water.

The beach was almost empty. All bars were open until late in the evening, but during the day barely anyone came there. Looking around, Aleph spotted tousled curly teen standing ankle-deep in water, looking into the distance. And no one else for many kilometers of sandy shore.

— Do you like the water? — asked Aleph.

— Try for yourself — teenager did not leave his occupation.

There was absolutely nothing to do, therefore, after removing the shoes and tucking his jeans Aleph stepped into the water.

— Cold! — he recoiled immediately.

— No, you only think so. Wait five minutes and it becomes good.

— You think?

— Well, I'm standing.

— All right, — Aleph peered closely into the face of his interlocutor. A funny fellow. Snub-nosed, freckled, red-haired and plump. In his background the skinny blonde  seemed even thinner, but how could he?

Something in this teenager was special, Aleph felt warm inside. He felt the need to show him something ...

— My name is Aleph. And yours?

— Tharsis.

— Wow, a beautiful name.

— You're the first of twenty-two?

— Yes. And you ... — Aleph revealed the cuneiform writing on the wrist.

— Me too. Seventeenth. — Tharsis turned to look, although he knew that he had

the exact same tattoo on his hand. — I did not think I'd find you so soon.

— I'm not looking for anyone. I do not remember anything. Neither who I am nor why I'm here.

— And you do not have to remember. You've done the most important thing — appeared in the world and called for all of us. Take it as a new life from scratch ... You can be anyone, do whatever you want. For example, you can tell people that your name is Duke Karl Rudolf Libershtern the Fifth. In my opinion, it's funny — Tharsis smiled.

— I tell everyone, my name is Aleph.

— And this is not right. I'm not sure that I'm right yet, but I think — there are people who we disturb by our existence and purpose. Soon there will be twenty-two of us and we should be very careful if we are to fulfil our mission.

They stood in silence. Tharsis began to look at the horizon again, where a few boats could be seen. It seemed that he was trying to see something, but maybe it was just a manifestation of curiosity. Aleph was a bit confused, thinking about what he was doing there. For who was Lamashtu's presence there important? What was their purpose? Could Aleph understand the meaning of his own existence? He did not know.

— I want to go play by the theater. Would you come with me? — after a few minutes of silence and reflection Aleph asked his new acquaintance.

— Of course! I heard about your talent. In our circles, they say that you play better than the Pan! — Tharsis turned to leave the water, and once again briefly, from under his brows, squinting his dark brown eyes, looked at him.

Aleph picked up his sneakers and barefoot trudged behind the same barefoot Tharsis. And, apparently, the red-haired didn't have any shoes at all. He was wearing only a T-shirt and denim breeches. No bag or pockets — nothing.

Near the city theater people gathered — today one of the most popular plays of the season was showed. Many of the spectators came in advance to have time to admire the scenery, chat with friends, drink wine and listen to the flute player, rumours of whom filled Anshan.

The scenery was really gorgeous: wide palm alley that ran along the beach, disappeared somewhere over the horizon, and new high-gloss houses absorbing all shades of the sunset with fantastic iridescent colours. It was especially advantageous in this palette to watch glass Ziggurat-6.

The sea roared, pan flute sounded in the air, barefoot teen collecting money from passers-by, who huddled around the musician.

The police never bothered Aleph. They just enjoyed the music with the rest of the citizens, and when he lived at Ea, even occasionally gave him a lift home.

Suddenly he was filled with cold.

Aleph finished playing and looked up at the man, blocking out the sun. The tall, fair-haired, with piercing blue eyes, man stared at the musician. Then Aleph understood. This man came for him.