Chapter 4: One of the worlds that has not fallen
"…and the other inhabitants of the universe have not fallen…"
(Book of Isaiah: chapter 26 verse 18)
After stretching his muscles and going through the hygiene and medical procedures, Ruthra returned to the room with the displacement units. This time he was curious to do a session himself. But he took his time, went over everything his mind had memorized with the analysts, and, trying not to show his concern, wondered if this was really some kind of world or if it was happening inside his brain. That it was no longer a staging – he knew – Rangit was an impartial arbiter, and yes the intuitive subconscious feeling we define as 'gut feeling' spoke of the reality of the event. "I wonder," thought Rutra, "in an actual logical line what the Indians of America had come to imagine the world to be like when they first saw the Europeans, Columbus and crew?" Another thought came next: how do we know what we dream in those dreams we don't remember? In fact, we don't remember at all what in our consciousness is going on in the dream. And is it in our consciousness? And is it in ours?
Ruthra lay down in the machine, and the process began: a bright beam, an indistinguishable sound, a slight but sharp reflex twitching of the body… and his consciousness was already seeing another reality. Whether it was a staging, a dream, hypnosis, trance, or an artificial coma, Ruthra didn't even want to find out. Everything that was happening around him felt real, natural. What made it real was that he was aware of his sensations in this state and remembered the events that had preceded his arrival here. "But how the hell how?" – he wondered, though he himself was proving the possibility of it. And yet, how could such a thing be believed, for everything around him was the same, well, almost the same, as it was there, in that world of his. And in that world? Is it yours? Is this world alien, is it different?
The same type as before was walking towards him again. As he approached, Ruthra pondered, "This type is a figment of my imagination, even if he is natural. After all, it was Rangit who pulled him out of my imagination, out of my mind, back when there were perception experiments. So it could very well be fictional now, too. It couldn't be the other way around. Then Rangit must have known about this world, about this Bedouin, to put his image into my consciousness… or the stage manager's perception." Ruthra grinned, saying to himself: "Yeah, right, all fictional, no matter how real it seemed last session. That's the trick – the identity of the man. Though… is he identical? And me… what am I like?" Rutra looked around himself… he was dressed the same way he was in the movie sessions and in the past… "God, is this really real? And the face…?" – he asked himself. Then he looked at the smoothness of the pond, walked towards it, not waiting for the Bedouin he thought the man walking towards him looked like. "One must take a look at oneself," he pondered.
– Your doubts are justified," he heard the familiar one. – There is no need to go there, you are not like yourself, can't you feel it by the sensations of your body?
– How am I supposed to feel, it's not that big of a difference.
– There you go. And yet there is a difference.
Ruthra ran toward the body of water, the stranger continued unperturbed:
– Consciousness takes up residence in the preferred body, which is more familiar. The law of subconscious logic is that this body should also be controlled by consciousness. You will choose a familiar vehicle than some unknown one if you are given a free choice. Moreover, you will not drive a locomotive if you are untrained.
– What the hell is going on? – Ruthra glanced at the water surface.
Oh, my God! It wasn't him.
– It's real, believe me. The politicians will be here soon. I hope you remember who they are.
– How…and how do you know that if it's not a production?
– And this is coming from the inventor of the method. Hmm. You think this is my first time here? You think this is your first time here? Or do you think you won't be in my role? You will be… come what may… in the future… your future, – everyone will be. It'll be as real as flying on an airplane to anywhere. Do you understand now?
Ruthra looked around:
– Let's say.
– So go ahead. At least even if it's a production, in your opinion, you have a chance to check out the reality around you anyway. Why go back to the lab over and over again?
– Who the hell are you?
– That's better. I'll tell you everything. I've gotten pretty good at these worlds.
– What?
– I am an unfamiliar person in reality, but very familiar to you, and in different hypostases, from historical – and not so historical – chronicles.
– What?" Ruthra was almost indignant.
– In fact, I am as much a researcher as you are. I understand what state of doubt you are in now, all the more I can imagine what will be in the minds of those who will read it, because the whole chronicle of events will be unloaded from your brain, and from mine as well, written down in ordinary letters and analyzed. Naturally, it is hard to believe it. However, believe it… or rather, you believe it, but you doubt it. It was once mind breaking to believe in the magnitude of Earth's world – you are from Earth, aren't you?
Rutra gawked at the Bedouin, thinking not of the next production, but of the past scene, which… "Damn it, she was real!" – he resented to himself.
The mysterious interlocutor continued:
– Imagine what an explosion of perception of the surrounding reality it was. Later or sooner we, or rather you, will discover these worlds and visit them. I mean, what am I saying, you have already discovered and visited them. Believe me, everything is real. I'm here on the same mission. Or rather, I wander through the worlds to find out the reality of the past events of my world. Just like you. The worlds are parallel, Mr. Ruthra, and in our world there are you too… and I'm looking for the same thing you are. Accordingly, I found you for a reason. Believe me, I've been looking for a long time. We need to live in the real events of this world, and, as in your program, to see how they really developed, and then you know.
– What is this nonsense?
– I would like to remind you that you yourself justified this nonsense, developed the theory. And now about myself: I, like you, by the way, will be using Rangit… yes, yes, we also called it that, the worlds are identical. Almost identical. You gave it a name. His code name was GOB, remember? Then you wished to name him after your father's name, Rangit. Do you remember that?
Ruthra thought for a moment. At least Maimoun could know all this. He did, by the way. And yet…
– Probably, yeah. И?
– Is Rangit a familiar name to you? Of course it is!
– И?
– Consider me Rangit, your esteemed majesty Rutra Tigrovich, that's how your friend, the luminary of science, puts it, isn't it? And the ISKIN has adopted that manner from him. But I must confess, I am a kind of prototype of the universal Rangit. I am not your earthly Rangit, so don't get confused, because in your mind you will talk to him, not to me.
– What is this gibberish? – Ruthra hissed, looking at the stranger incredulously.
– Sorry, we discovered these worlds ourselves, developed this technology ourselves, and now… well, you have understood: in this world I have penetrated this body, just as your Rangit has penetrated your consciousness, by the way. And the most important thing is why I'm here: it's important for our world to have the influence of your world on us, hence, the world that will influence yours. And even more importantly – you still have this assumption, but a valid one, it's not for nothing that it took me so long to find the original thread – events in your world developed in a different history, that is different. So I would like to know your history of the events