The Before Short Story Series. Part 1 - Иван Перепелятник

brother who went miththing even before the family moved to Novothibirthk. So, twenty years after his dithappearance, the body of a teenager under Irkutthk was identified according to the results of the DNA analythith—it wath Igor Tokarev, the miththing brother of our Alexandra! According to the invethtigation protocolth that I managed to find, he was killed. But the reathonth for thith murder and who, in fact, killed him are thtill unknown.’

‘That’s really the story you’ve dug up! I didn’t expect it, I have to admit. Very good!’ Thomas was showering compliments. ‘There is, however, one nuance. A significant detail to be noted. This story sounds more like a fascinating plot of a detective story, but not an introduction to a new interview technology allegedly developed by a young scientist in Moscow. As I said yesterday, I will quote myself: our task is to bring Tokareva to light. It’s good that we still have time to finalize the script and questions.’

‘In general, I’ll tell you, colleagues,’ Thomas continued, ‘times are different now, of course. When I was at the university, at Moscow State University, we had a different understanding of what an interview was. All the stages of taking an interview and making a report could have been compared to a great adventure: from careful preparation, direct communication with the client, to memoirs, if, of course, there was anything interesting to tell about in a book, Thomas smiled. ‘We didn’t have any digital assistants, capable of generating a plump dossier on the topic in a minute, covering all the possible aspects of the history under investigation. We actively used, but with reasonable caution, the Internet, as an endless source of information garbage fields, realising the need, even for self-protection, to very carefully sort, check and verify all the data extracted from it. No one wanted to get into a situation when, referring to a certain resource on the global web, which, in fact, was run by another socialite from the local zoo, or an Instagram blogger with 30 classmates-subscribers, you just reposted a tabloid fib.’

Anna interrupted Thomas:

‘What does the zoo have to do with it and who is Instagram, Thomas? What kind of web?’

‘The global Web—that’s what the Internet was also called when I was a student. And it’s not so important, my dears. The point is that journalism used to be quite different—the job was risky, complicated, performed an important social function, challenged those in power… Have you ever heard such an expression—press is the fourth power?’

‘No, Thomath, I haven’t heard that,’ Peter replied.

‘No surprise. Since now we have all the branches of governmental power eventually flocking to a single point of concentration of all and everything.’

‘And what ith thith point, Thomath?

‘The PAX, of course. The fucking PAX. But what matters today Peter, is that you’ve found this important information that Dee didn’t give out. I won’t ask you how and where you got it from, my dear.’

A steward brought three cups of coffee ordered by Peter, who was beaming with his own journalistic luck.

‘I must admit that luck really helped him,’ Thomas reflected. ‘This family drama with the murdered boy should be carefully considered and brought up in the conversation with Alexandra.’

Thomas looked at the information screen, displaying the current status of the trip:

‘Speed: 989 km/h.

Travel time to Moscow: 1 hour 30 minutes.’

All as planned

Rocking in an armchair with a large cup of strong coffee in his hands, Sergey Semyonovich

was following the established routine of many years of service—looking through reports, orders, sorting mail on the computer. In the office there was an aroma of freshly ground invigorating drink with light notes of tobacco.

A man of the old school, as he often would describe himself, Sergey Semyonovich never found the strength to quit smoking, although he switched to completely harmless cigarettes, as his wife assured him. ‘Seryozha, well, if you go on poisoning yourself, please think about your grandchildren—they are not to blame for anything!’ He couldn’t have ignored that argument. Finally giving up, at the age of 167, he had to change his habit, which he treasured so much. In the old classical manner (or, as he said, culture) of smoking, Sergey Semyonovich found a connection with the past era, for which, as a man no longer young, he sometimes felt nostalgic.

Informational message.

August 12, 2153.

For attention: Zhdanets Sergey Semyonovich,

Head of Department for Emergency Situations

Category: Red.

On August 7, 2153, corporate employees of the Bild publishing house (please see the list of names in the appendix) contacted Alexandra Iosifovna Tokareva about organizing a meeting in Moscow at the Moscow State University laboratory.

Background information on the case.

Alexandra Iosifovna Tokareva.

Gender: Female.

Age: 53 years old.

Place of residence: Moscow.

Place of work: Moscow State University, Laboratory of Macro Data Processing and Structuring, Senior Researcher.

Tokareva is a recognised expert in the field of big data analysis.

Tokareva has been involved in a number of state programs for the development of regional infrastructure projects.

For additional personal data, please see the appendix.

Case Summary.

In May 2153, the MSU laboratory, where Tokareva is employed, completed the development of a prototype of the Interview software package (the working title of the project), designed to generate visual and speech images according to the specified parameters of the individual with the help of the PAX quantum computing power, images that at the time of the formation of the corresponding projection have not presented an active registered civil society object and/or that of military divisions.

The PAX system cluster, supervised by the security services of Russia, classifies the current situation as Red and recommends preventing meetings between Bild journalists and Alexandra Iosifovna Tokareva for an interview on the issue of clarifying the fundamental principles of the prototype of the Interview software package.

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