Читать книгу: «Time Jumps. The Paradigm of Immortality», страница 6

CHAPTER 13. RESIDENCE. RF

– Hello, Mr. President! – Kalinkin was courteous and emphatically calm. He was comfortably seated in an armchair at the side table, facing the incoming person. A spacious room of yellow-olive shades, with two banners and the coat of arms of the Russian Federation on the wall. On the left, ten meters away, there is a huge monitor. Behind his back is a metal barrel on legs, the only new object in the setting, not counting the guest himself.

– Who are you? How did you end up here? – The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was seriously alarmed, if not surprised, to see a man in his office, protected from the outside world by all available means, from the construction of the labyrinth of the building itself, technical means of protection, to bodyguards and several sanitary cordons. Lost in his thoughts, he started in surprise. Despite the Chekist tempering and endurance gained thanks to considerable managerial experience, he did not expect to see anyone here.

– A normal human reaction … – thought Peter.

To the alarm button placed under the black tabletop with a computer screen, and you need to take five more steps, but for some reason president’s legs refused to obey and grew into the light yellow parquet.

– A terrorist attack? – involuntarily, the most obvious explanation flashed through the brain for a person on the first line of fire, whose motorcade increased annually and this year reached seventy special vehicles, not counting helicopters, snipers and FSO operatives in the form of traffic police officers along the entire route. He fixed his imperious gaze on the newcomer, hoping to paralyze his will, as he brilliantly managed to do in a conversation at his favorite table with all sorts of governors there. Some government officials sweated mercilessly and were afraid to accidentally empty their bladder out of fear. But today the situation was reversed. However, the stranger has not yet made any sudden movements, no weapons were there were, and the president pulled himself together with an effort of will.

Five minutes ago, Peter Kalinkin flew over from ice France and woke up sitting in a time machine chair, on the monitor screen on July 12, 2024, Moscow time – 16 hours 15 minutes. He turned off the unit by pressing the red button and waited. A smart machine moved him to the right point when the owner of the residence was already in public service – to Novo-Ogarevo, or maybe to the Crimea, because the offices were identical, and the exact location of the first person of the state was a secret just in case, but in this particular case it did not work.

Peter gallantly invited the president to take his rightful place and put his hands on the table. He himself remained sitting, turning to the right, to the interlocutor, and immediately got down to business.

– First of all, I do not pose any threat to you, but do not give any signs or commands, I am elusive. And listen, – he asked rather hastily. Then he paused a little and began to speak more slowly, trying to be as convincing as possible. – My name is Peter Kalinkin, from St. Petersburg, your hometown. I’ll be brief. By the will of fate, I am rewarded with an extraordinary ability to move through time and space as I please. I found myself here, and this, I think, is the best proof of the truthfulness of my words.

The president nodded slightly, without taking his eyes off him, habitually assessing the personality and mental state of the interlocutor, a man of about thirty, professionally studied his face, the expression of blue eyes and the movement of lips during conversation.

– Nothing betrays a mental patient in him, except the essence of his speeches, – he thought.

The uninvited visitor was talking some nonsense, really nonsense, but the situation demanded: you need to listen, even express some interest, and then… After all, these…, there, behind the door, at the displays, must sooner or later figure out and take action. Therefore, it is necessary to wait and pretend that you are listening…

– I am invisible to tracking devices, – Peter said firmly, sensing the interlocutor’s concern.

– And this construction next to you is a time machine? – with undisguised irony, the president supported the conversation for the first time and turned his eyes to a nondescript iron barrel with hoops on short metal legs, and thought: – Of course, he is paranoid. But how did he get here?

– I have no barriers, but the place was chosen by the time machine according to the cause-and-effect relationship. – Peter didn’t know how to read thoughts, but he caught this one.

Hearing the legal terms, the president smiled and really relaxed. The anxiety suddenly disappeared somewhere, and he again felt as usual, the master of the situation.

– What do you see the connection in? – he asked politely. It was really curious: what would this decently dressed citizen in a black suit from Keaton answer? By a mocking coincidence, the owner of the office was wearing exactly the same, even speckled ties, even a wristwatch of the same brand, only on the other, right hand. The mirror image, similar to a challenge, was alarming and at the same time distressing.

– I think the importance of the information that I am simply obliged to convey to you, taking into account your unlimited powers in Russia and your influence in the world. This is without flattery.

The president’s face remained impenetrable.

– What kind of information?

– The world, the whole planet is in terrible danger, a catastrophe. I have just come from there and saw everything with my own eyes: there is no Paris, there is reason to believe that the whole of France and even Europe perished under a layer of ice!

The president thought for a while, and then, as if for the record, said:

– The Russian leadership pays great attention to climate problems together with the leading world powers and international organizations. Recently I had to express my point of view on these issues in my interview, including global warming and permafrost in Siberia.

Having finished the sentence, he made a meaningful pause and looked at his counterpart, as if looking for his support and a proper assessment of his words. And he thought irritably:

– It’s already been fifteen minutes, how much longer do I have to act here? Burdocks!

– That is why I am addressing you, Mr. President!

– And what is the source of the danger? – the guarantor asked in a completely businesslike way.

– Yellowstone supervolcano. Located in Wyoming, USA. It will explode in 2086, hundreds of millions will die, the climate will change irreversibly on the planet, dust will eclipse the atmosphere from the sun’s rays, a long cold snap will come, ice will erase the civilization of the twenty-first century, chaos will come.

In every phrase, in every word of Kalinkin, genuine anxiety sounded. The President listened without interrupting and continued to analyze what he had heard:

– Let’s assume for a moment that this is true. The terrible truth. But there is no proof! Am I referring to this subject as a source!? And how relevant is it now, in the period of integration of the country after reconciliation, because sixty years are ahead… And then, it directly concerns America – our business partners, friends of our enemies, and those who have property and investments there. Even if I inform the US president about this, it will not bring any dividends to either Russia or its leadership. But the Western media will easily laugh at me, my image will suffer, and the trust rating will undoubtedly fall…

Peter looked at the president and tried to get into the course of his reasoning, but he clearly failed. Hoping for real support in the name of humanity, he did not expect much gratitude for himself personally, but hoped for unconditional interest in such a serious issue and empathy for a caring, responsible citizen of his country.

– Yes, thanks for the warning. Saving the people is one of the main tasks in Russia. The consistent fight against poverty and international terrorism is important, these are our priorities. I have already stated this from the rostrum of the economic forum, – he heard. – And if your information is reliable, I recommend contacting the US presidential administration directly, without intermediaries. After all, as you noted, this is THEIR volcano. And I will call the volcanologists at our Academy of Sciences, and I will instruct them to thoroughly study this issue. After all, we are on the same planet and have already defeated the pandemic!

The President smiled triumphantly: he masterfully, skillfully handled a difficult situation, gave a concrete answer to an inadequate person and managed to protect himself and, consequently, the entire Russian government and inviolability from a tragic, ridiculous accident. However, so far none of these oafs from the security service has even made an attempt to protect him, he must do everything himself, everything himself… After thinking about it, he decided that a certain benefit from the supposedly unlimited possibilities of this type can still be tried to extract:

– Tell me, can you describe the situation in the world, say, in a year?

– What exactly is meant? – Kalinkin tensed.

The president looked at Peter with cunning and evasively, unhurriedly, they say – you know, clarified:

– Territories of military conflicts, the cost of oil, stock prices of large American companies, the ruble exchange rate in the end! By doing this, you will be able to provide invaluable assistance to our state…

While waiting for an answer, the owner of the office looked at his watch, and then calmly shifted his gaze to Peter. He understood everything, turned around and abruptly closed the door of the barrel. The device is working. A minute later, sitting in the chair of the time machine, he was already typing icons for a trip to the White House in Washington.

– I’ll think about it, – Kalinkin replied, maintaining the dialogue and not looking at the president, trying to buy him much – needed time. Native penates have already become uninteresting to him. Disappearing into the “wormhole”, he did not even have time to say goodbye. Ugh, Peter, how uncultured…

The president was in thought for a few seconds, then pressed the intercom button and calmly said:

– The head of security call to me…

CHAPTER 14. THE OVAL OFFICE

Returning from a meeting with the president, Peter struggled to understand what exactly caused his distrust, or rather, misunderstanding in a conversation with the first person of America. Whether due to sound skepticism, or due to old age, the news of a catastrophe of universal scale did not cause the owner of the Oval Office not only an acute, but even a visible reaction. The owner sat in an armchair at a large table – a gift from Queen Victoria to President Hayes in 1880. Peter modestly sat opposite in the same black suit from Keaton, next to the time machine, and looked around curiously, involuntarily comparing his impressions with the sensations of meeting with the first person of Russia. The whole atmosphere of the conversation in this world-famous hall with a ceiling at least five meters high, artfully draped with gold curtains, windows and numerous doors, parquet covered with a blue oval carpet, in the center of which the American coat of arms was emblazoned, inspired calm confidence and conservatism in traditions and views. After completing his brief statement, Peter waited for an answer, but the president was in no hurry to express his attitude to what he heard. Surprise? Shock? It seemed to Kalinkin that no event could shake the psychological Aikido developed over decades, inherent in a wise man and an experienced politician. What can not be said about taste and political views. Taking office in early 2021, the Democrat installed busts of figures symbolizing progress in his office: Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy… He also hung portraits of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, outlining continuity as his political credo. There is also a moonstone, a tribute to the American space program, science and the American dream. The pause lasted for a good five minutes, and Peter had the opportunity to adequately appreciate all the splendor of the interior and the taste of its creators. Of course, he did not know in the face of these outstanding figures of America, looking with some arrogance at an uninvited guest from canvases and pedestals, guarding the tranquility of the owner – his office guardian spirits.

Finally, after a sleepy reflection of the interlocutor, in response to his rather emotional story (of course, in good American English), he received a leisurely and verified message in his formulations, which boils down to the following:

– If I’m not mistaken, in 2007, during the presidency of George W. Bush, we created a special scientific council for the study of Yellowstone. The volcano began to be seriously studied by the best American geophysicists and seismologists. Even intelligence officers and the US Secretary of Defense joined the work. Meetings were held every month, which were personally chaired by the President. But as far as I know, by now scientists have come to the conclusion that the information about the impending catastrophe has been significantly exaggerated. But even if you believe such forecasts, many questions involuntarily arise. For example, why is there so little talk about this in the press and on television? The fact is that the United States Government has recognized that it is inappropriate to cover this topic, since humanity is unable to prevent the impending catastrophe. Moreover, creating panic and rocking the boat – there are so many challenges and problems in modern society. By the way, the UN has supported and approved our position.

– As in the case of UFOs? – Peter licked his dry lips with excitement.

– Of course, as in the case of the so-called “flying saucers”. And this position has proven its viability over time. Moreover, it seems to me the only true one, – the president wearily raised his eyelids, but still found the strength to express gratitude to the strange visitor:

– However, is this your first time in the United States? I can instruct you to organize an excursion to Yellowstone, or even a representative scientific symposium with your participation, if you consider it appropriate.

– Thank you, Mr. President, – Peter politely declined the offer. – It is unlikely that my opinion represents any scientific weight in this matter. Of course, it’s not easy to believe what I saw with my own eyes…

– Nevertheless, thanks for the warning, we appreciate the concern to preserve the unshakable foundations of the existing world order and the power of our country as a guarantor of stability on the whole planet. – The President straightened up in his chair, making it clear with his intonations that the audience was over.

Without thinking twice, Kalinkin typed “Yellowstone” on the display right in the Oval Office – he was smart enough to listen to the President’s advice.

– Thank you for the conversation, – Peter politely said goodbye, and in response received a slight nod of the head of a tired, gray-haired elderly man, already managing the country and a good half of the world with difficulty – however, as well as himself. It seemed that he would pay dearly to send to hell all this hateful establishment, to ride a young mustang and ride back to the flow of time, to his exuberant youth.

CHAPTER 15. HOTEL 3*** AND THE FOURTH IN ADDITION

On July 13, 2024, the cozy three-story Yellowstone Park Hotel on Grizzly Avenue received a new guest. Emerging from another dimension in Wyoming, the time traveler found himself in a luxury room and felt himself sitting on a wide soft bed in a state of mild prostration. Turning his head, he looked around his apartment with curiosity: beige walls and brown floor of a spacious bright room harmoniously combined with the decor and color of furniture, red and black accents of decoration emphasized the harmony of the situation. The office leather sofa is importantly located at the partition with reproductions of mountain landscapes. Next to it is a photo of some woman who probably left her mark on the history of the development of local territories. And here is a wonderful barrel on legs – she brazenly fit into a niche by the closet, as if she had always stood there as a dubious semblance of antiques. The rumbling refrigerator at the wardrobe turned out to be full of food and drinks, which turned out to be very useful – Peter did not have time to look into the White House buffet. When he saw his haggard, tired face and faded eyes in the mirror, he realized that if he did not stop this exhausting marathon now and did not give the body a break, then he could discard the hooves. It was here, at this moment, that a kind of pit stop came in this crazy race for the super idea of saving humanity: a monstrous fatigue fell on the time traveler with a heavy stone.

– Driven horses are shot, aren’t they? Three days to relax! – having diagnosed himself and prescribed a course of rehabilitation, Kalinkin trudged off to take a shower. Alternating hot and cold streams of water miraculously cheered up his exhausted body, and flowing foamy streams with the scent of balm interrupted the endless running in a circle of obsessive thoughts. After some ten minutes, it felt like he was born again! The anxiety dissipated like smoke, and suddenly a long-heard motive surfaced from the subconscious, and an invisible chorus burst out powerfully:

– Hey, Barguzin, move the shaft,

Well done swim near…

After rubbing his body to redness with a soft towel, he felt weightless and lightened, soaring to the gates of paradise, where, however, he still had to penetrate. The pass was found in the refrigerator: Texas straight bourbon, a weighty flask of first-class first-class corn. Cold and sweet, with the aroma of cinnamon, the “the Texan” quickly spread through his veins, warmed up and with the skill of an impressionist began to paint the world in bright colors. Kalinkin, throwing on a robe, sat down in a wide armchair with a glass in his hand and cast a glance at the green plain spread out outside the window with patches of yellow sand islands. In the distance, at the horizon, there were white tops of distant mountains, the possessions of a Large Volcano. Soon he will touch the mysteries of the beautiful creation of nature, but today – whiskey and cigar, cigar and whiskey…

The next day, Peter woke up from the noise of slamming car doors under the window. It’s ten minutes to twelve on the clock. The room was in semi-darkness, someone’s footsteps could be heard in the corridor. The hotel lived its usual life, the guests came and went somewhere, and the sleepy inhabitant of the luxury suite was involuntarily included in the usual whirl of events and faces. Yesterday, he obviously had too much alcohol and barely resurrected gatherings in a bar with an elderly Indian or Mexican, whom he treated to a drink and chatted about volcanoes and politics. The insidious bourbon hit the brain twenty minutes later already downstairs, at a table on the veranda, and then everything got mixed up and broke into separate episodes. Now the face of the interlocutor floated out of memory like the frames of a chronicle: tanned olive skin, gray mustache and hair, a smile of a gap-toothed mouth. The rest he remembered poorly, even forgot the name – like Joe, or maybe Jack. When Peter was still in control, he found himself in the company of young men and girls, where he introduced as a specialist volcanologist. Glasses with drinks, debates about nothing, music and female laughter, and then – indistinctly, vaguely to the point of disgust…

After making sure that the barrel was in place, Peter barely shuffled to the refrigerator, took out a can of beer and drank it in three gulps. Before taking the second one, he automatically glanced at the whiskey bottle: it was almost empty… Although his head was bursting with pain, Peter remembered that yesterday he took no more than a third on his chest before going down to the bar. So, either he was unconscious and then drank alone in the room, or someone kept him company. Badly… A terrible guess, having penetrated his half-drunk brains, mobilized him to search for the key to the portable safe. Fortunately, soon the ill-fated key was found in the pocket of the suitcase: documents, bank cards and money were in place. His heart is relieved! The false alarm in the soul organically transformed into a small jubilation, which is not a sin worth noting. Kalinkin took another sip of the bottle – there’s no good to be lost… and hit the spot: the pain in the back of his head gently flew up somewhere, to the ceiling, and hid there, insidious. And ten minutes later, warmed up by libations, the undimmed joy of life filled his being to the brim again and called for action. He lit a cigarette greedily, and then began to dress. The Fiesta has started again…

– Are you really from Russia? – the girl at the bar turned to Peter and smiled mysteriously.

– Yes, and how do you know me?

She laughed, throwing her head back slightly and revealing perfect teeth. Then she perkily shook her black shock of short hair and slyly looked at the interlocutor:

– Yesterday we met and even danced…

Due to embarrassment, Peter blushed and did not immediately find what to answer.

– Yesterday I was too heavy on cocktails, – he barely came out of his stupor. – I was overworked the day before, and the resul there is…

He found the strength to smile back, but the smile turned out to be somehow forced. He have to get so drunk that he don’t remember anything…

– You look much better today, but that doesn’t mean you’re more attractive. You told so many interesting things about Yellowstone that our company sobered up a little and focused on your story. What terrible things: a catastrophe, human casualties – is it all a fantasy?

– First of all, excuse the bitter drunkard: what’s your name?

– Catherine Joyce. I’m a student at Broward College from Fort Lauderdale. You can call me Cat.

Kalinkin took a bolder look at her and noted the slimness of her young body, the delicacy of her hands and the grace of her neck, decorated with a thin gold chain.

– Catherine, I am glad to meet you for the second time and I regret my forgetfulness…

– Never mind, sir, – she elegantly brought the conversation back on track. Peter nodded understandingly.

– What is your specialization?

– I’m studying to be a general practitioner.

– And where is Fort Lauderdale located?

– It’s in Florida, not far from Miami. That’s my home.

– Let’s start from the beginning. My name is Peter, I’m from St. Petersburg, from Russia. I can say that I am not a professional scientist, but rather a lover of geology. I was interested in Yellowstone as a potentially dangerous object for modern civilization. Doesn’t that sound very grandiloquent?

– Not really, – the girl supported him. – Is that why you came to the USA?

– That’s right.

– Alone?

– Yes, alone, as a tourist, – Kalinkin paused for a while and gently added: – Alone and in the sense of personal life.

Why did he make this clarification? Perhaps there was something in her besides her bright beauty – perhaps a genuine interest in the topic, or did he succumb to her charms? Meanwhile, alcohol habitually drowned Peter’s natural timidity in a glass and transparently hinted: “Hey, barguzin, move the shaft…”

– Are you alone today too? But…

– They left the hotel in the morning, there was something like a farewell dinner yesterday.

The girl lit a cigarette and fell silent, avoiding unnecessary details. Perhaps not without reason…

Peter caught himself and suggested:

– Can I buy you something?

After a few seconds of internal struggle, Catherine overcame herself, discarding sad memories, and then whispered in a conspiratorial tone:

– Well, geologist, let’s have fun! We will order two cocktails “East meets West”. Symbolic, isn’t it?

– Much more symbolic! And what is the basis?

– Texas bourbon, – Peter almost choked, remembering the empty bottle in the refrigerator. – Ice, mint, lemon, pomegranate… Any objections?

– On the contrary! I am always for the East to unite with the West, – Kalinkin said in a bold, aggressive tone. Kat smiled:

– Yesterday it already happened, we were dancing with you, and I felt something…

The conversation took on quite obvious signs of intimacy, and he happily floated on the waves, caught up in the flow of increasing attraction:

– And what is it?

– How close your volcano is to eruption!

Peter lowered his eyes and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. Yes, too much has already been said, bridges have been burned and the way to retreat has been cut off. They boldly clinked glasses and slowly, looking at each other, drank to the symbolic fusion of the two sides of the world.

– Will you tell me more about Yellowstone?

– With great pleasure. But it’s a little noisy here, – he turned to the hall filled with tables in confirmation of his words. – Can we go upstairs? What’s your number?

– Two hundred and seventeen, – she replied, and lightly touched his knee with her palm.

– The good fellow is going to swim not far … – the devil sang in his ear. It was so obvious that there was no point in arguing with him.

– Beautiful stranger, I’ll call you in five minutes, – Peter vowed, winked playfully and gave her his hand, – honest volcanological…

The blonde and the brunette walked up to the elevator doors and disappeared from the curious gazes of the restaurant’s visitors, giving them the opportunity to indulge in the pleasures of dolce Vita all night under a slight buzz of alcohol, light weed and soft muted music.