– Where am I going?
– You're a reasonable man, obey orders.
– What, whose? – Ruthra asked.
– Mine," said the doppelganger. – I'm Colonel Rutra here, and now it's up to you to decide whether you or I get out of here to the center.
Ruthra began to speculate in his mind: is this a prank, a test, just plain crazy…
– Why colonel? I'm a lieutenant colonel.
– You will if you pass the exam.
Ruthra remembered that Vasilievich had promised to initiate some grand secret after he passed the exam. Besides, the chief had said that Rutra would get clearance to all departments.
– Take off your clothes," the same order followed again.
Ruthra decided to see what would happen. It was reassuring that he hadn't been killed yet. So he could hope that his life was not in danger. He stripped down to his underwear.
– Completely," the same order followed again.
A hatch in the corner opened. Ruthra had taken off his underwear after all.
– Throw your clothes over there.
Ruthra wanted to object, but he saw the look in his copy's eyes. He had to obediently follow the command, pushing the things into the hole.
– Take off the belt.
Ruthra always wore a leather belt with an electronic key to the safe where the codebooks and the dialing device for entering secret codes were kept. It was never allowed to be removed, not even in the bathroom.
– I can't take it off, the belt can only be torn or cut.
– Tear it up," the doppelganger said.
Ruthra tore the belt with difficulty and threw it into the hatch, secretly hoping that the alarm that the Zero Center should sound after this manipulation would save him. The hatch closed automatically. The doppelganger instantly slammed the door shut. Ruthra was left alone. Something clicked in the "vestibule," and several small openings opened at the bottom, top, right, and left. A stream of liquid came from everywhere, so strong that it hurt. Ruthra tried to hide his face, turning in different directions because standing in one position was painful. He waited impatiently for it to stop. The shower watered Rutra for about five minutes, the smell from the water was unpleasant, resembling a mixture of disinfectants. When the shower ended, warm air under great pressure flowed through the holes. The surface of the body became completely dry.
A recess opened in the wall to the right. It contained the same overalls as the double, socks, underwear, and shoes. Ruthra realized it was all meant for him. He dressed, then the door opened.
– Let's go," the Rutra doppelganger said in a calm, monotone voice.
– Explain what's going on!
– You'll be told everything soon enough," the doppelganger replied.
They walked to the end of the room. The doppelganger rested his forehead against the wall and froze for a few seconds. Ruthra realized it was a method of identification, and part of the wall moved away, revealing a long corridor. Everything was white – floor, ceiling, walls, furniture.
– Keep up," the doppelganger said and walked quickly forward.
Ruthra could barely keep up with him, it was a veritable white-washed maze.
– Where are we going? Why can't we go straight ahead?
– You haven't been to 51 yet.
– Where?" asked Ruthra.
– You still have a long way to go, wait for it.
– Wait for whom? – Ruthra asked, trying not to show his anger.
So they reached the room, the entrance to which the doppelganger had discovered by retinal scanning. There was nothing here (except a few oddly shaped chairs).
– To adapt, you must attend an introductory lecture," the doppelganger announced nonchalantly.
– Some other nonsense? – Ruthra asked.
There was no reply, of course. The doppelganger remained silent. Ruthra waited, curious and indignant. A minute or so passed.
– Have a seat, listen.
Ruthra sat down in the chair, and the doppelganger moved to the wall. Speech came from somewhere in the ceiling, apparently there were invisible speakers built in. A woman's voice announced:
– Information preparation. Part one. Medical professionals have learned how to beam knowledge directly into the brain. Leading scientists have made a new innovative discovery. They have created a special computer that allows you to pump information into the human brain. The unique discovery belongs to the researchers of the center HRL Laboratories, which is located in the city of Malibu, California. The authors of the project believe that in the future, when this technology can be improved, people will be able to use it to accelerate the acquisition of necessary skills, for example, to quickly learn foreign languages or learning to drive. In addition, each person will be able to create a clone: it will be possible to "print" a person using a 3D printer in just 2 hours and 47 minutes. Special lasers have been developed that can print 100 cells in a few seconds. Nanoengineering experts are studying the possibility of cloning a human heart on a 3D printer. According to them, if the technology is developed, the vital organ can be printed incredibly quickly – in 30 seconds. But that's not all – scientists have created a drug in case of nuclear war. An international group of scientists has developed a drug to combat the effects of radiation on the human body. The drug was created on the basis of the medical department of the University of Texas in the USA.
The voice was silent. Ruthra waited a moment, looked at the doppelganger, who was also silent, then asked:
– All of them?
– That's it. Let's go," the doppelganger said calmly and walked forward, constantly turning down monotonous corridors.
Ruthra followed him. When he finally lost his coordination in space, the doppelganger stopped in front of a wall and said into an invisible speaker, "It's okay." The wall slid apart a little, forming a passage. It was the door to a room.
– Come in," the doppelganger "asked.
Ruthra saw an ordinary office, with a long table with a chair and chairs in the middle, a single shelf of books along the wall, and several shelves of electronic modules, each with glowing lights. There were no windows. In the chair sat a man in his sixties, almost completely gray-haired, with a slightly elongated face, blue eyes, neither fat nor thin.
– Good afternoon," he said and smiled.
– Kind," Ruthra replied without emotion.
– Sit down, I hope you've calmed down. It's always like that at the beginning of the journey.
"So it's practiced here. What kind of place is this? In whose department?" – Ruthra pondered.
– Who are you?
The master of the office rose from his desk, approached Rutra, and held out his hand.
– Yuri Yarovitovich," he introduced himself; taking Rutra under his elbow, he motioned for him to sit down.
– Rutra Tigrovich," Rutra introduced himself in turn and sat down at the table.
– I understand you're a bit taken aback," the man said, looking intently at Rutra and then at his double.
The man nodded and walked out, the door closing automatically.
– I'll try to explain everything briefly, but don't interrupt and don't ask questions. You can write down your questions, here's a sheet of paper and a pen. What I will tell you will seem incredible, but I think that your psyche is already a little prepared after acquaintance with Center Zero, Metro-2 and Metro-3. And before that you have seen a lot of things, read special literature, including, as far as I know,