The Before Short Story Series. Part 1 - Иван Перепелятник

in microelectronics. Unfortunately, your chip models are more vulnerable at the hardware level, rather than bugs in the software.

What we’d suggest to do promptly,’ after a short pause the senior officer Tochkov continued, ‘is to flash your chips here and now, which will ensure the required level of their reliability and smooth operation.’

‘I would prefer such an upgrade made by specialists on the Earth in full compliance with the regulations and safety requirements. I think it’s the right thing to do,’ Meryl looked at the gray-haired man sitting in front of her.

‘Of course, hypothetically, you can do that, Meryl. But in this case, you and your husband will have to be isolated, because, once again, I stress it, your Tracker has been hacked and is now configured to attack the infrastructure of the PAX system on the Moon. We just have no right to let you out and let you walk around the station. All and any of your actions and movements entail risks for its regular operation. Your very presence determines the risk of the system being hacked. It is exactly for this task that your chips have been now programmed. Yours, Meryl, and that of Lewis. All this is not some joke. The situation is extremely serious. The most straightforward and prompt solution, completely painless and safe, is to do flashing of the Tracker in a medical laboratory by an authorized specialist.’

‘My God! This is madness!’ Meryl’s thoughts were confused.

‘What do you think, Lewis?’ she turned to her husband.

‘I don’t even know what to say. The officer says the situation is serious. I agree—it’s extraordinary. I can’t remember a bearer’s Tracker being hacked without someone realizing it. The Tracker’s operating system is provided with a quantum…’

‘Lewis, Meryl, I do understand your concern. Believe me. If my Tracker had been hacked, I wouldn’t be here anymore—they would have definitely sent me back to the Earth in a sealed virtual digital container. And would have isolated me here on the Moon. Let’s make a decision and get over this problem!’

‘Lewis, secured by quantum…—secured by what? You didn’t finish.’ Meryl looked at her husband carefully.

‘Meryl, what’s all this got to do with it!’ Ilya interjected, interrupting again.

‘Secured by quantum encryption. Which means that it is theoretically impossible to hack the system.’ Lewis was looking at Meryl.

For a second, everyone in the room went silent.

‘I have to leave you for a couple of minutes now,’ Ilya said, checking the time. ‘When I get back, we’ll have to go to the laboratory, dear all.’

Casting a quick glance at his young colleague, who had brought Lewis and Mary into the room for exemplary presentations, Ilya Tochkov left as quickly as he had come in.

‘Let me get you some water,’ the junior officer said to the elderly couple. ‘These screens here have made my throat a little dry.’

‘Thank you,’ Lewis said after the officer leaving the room.

‘I mean, Meryl! I can’t believe we’ve got into such a trouble here!’

‘Almost got, dear! Don’t you understand?! They want to con us! I think they wanted to. Like old and naïve idiots, they just wanted to con! Oh, my God!’ Meryl slammed her fist on the table.

‘Well, yes! Wanted and did it! Hacked the damn chips, Meryl!’

‘They haven’t hacked anything, Lewis! They want to do this to us! Call the security service now!’

I love you

Meryl sat down helplessly in a chair in the hotel room and burst into tears.

‘Meryl, are you so upset about these crooks? They aren’t the first nor the last in our lives. They are not worth it… God, what’s wrong with you, darling?! Meryl, what’s happened?! Lewis knelt down in front of Meryl and hugged her. ‘What is it, Meryl?! Tell me… Meryl…’ Lewis almost whispered.

Meryl was shaking all over… She was crying and couldn’t utter a word…

‘I… I… I’m sorry, please, Lewis!’ she continued crying.

Meryl knelt down next to her husband and hugged him tightly…

‘It’s okay, sweetheart… please…’ Lewis soothed Meryl, gently stroking her on her head.

‘I thought for a moment that…’ Meryl started saying through tears nearly choking, ‘I thought that you had arranged it… You tried…’ endless despair was braking through Meryl’s sobs.

‘Forgive me… Forgive me! Sorry!’

Meryl and Lewis were kneeling in front of each other and crying.

‘I love you, Meryl.’

Before: Elections

Legislative, executive and judicial power are the three pillars and the defining foundation of a state system. This has been the case for thousands of years.

Society is inherently a human structure, and as such it is always gravitating towards the leader. A leader who knows what and how to do, who is ready to take responsibility for complex, difficult decisions, and can fulfil his obligations. People are ready to trust a leader who is able not only to lead in times of crisis and instability, appealing to the duty of the future generations. A leader who is ready to start a sequence of changes to determine fundamental revision and upgrade of the vertical power structure. A structure designed for a new stage of society’s development, even if such changes will bring into question the need of fulfilling his own public duties. Impartial, experienced and wise, ready to serve—a leader capable of leading his country to the threshold of a new world.

By the end of the 21st century, humanity came to understanding the need for global reforms of the state system: otherwise, without introducing changes it would have been impossible to further develop society. At the beginning of the last century, the first signs of degradation of the world order model that had dominated the planet for more than a century became obvious. These signals were not noticed by the majority of political elites, and those who understood the potential of arising changes, deliberately ignored them and, moreover, made