“Then wake up quickly and come to me at full speed. I can’t be alone here. I’m scared. There was a golden pillar in my studio, and the whole screen was blue, and I was there, just a baby in a stroller, can you imagine?”
Alexei quickly jumped out of bed.
“Where are you? Are you okay? What screen are you talking about? He didn’t fully understand in his drowsy state.
“I’m at the studio. My studio on the Embankment. I’m fine, but I need you urgently.” Kira decided that explaining over the phone would take too long.
“Understood. I’ll be there soon,” Alexei replied quickly and hung up the phone.
Kira took a sip of warm tea and calmed down a bit. She began to remember how that light appeared. She was singing into a microphone, her eyes closed. And when she opened her eyes, that light was shining from the ceiling.
Kira started singing the lyrics from the song “The Dawn of Lonely Planets” aloud. Then she fell silent and listened. Silence. Nothing happened. Then she continued, “Where we are not…” And again she fell silent. Still quiet. Nothing happened. Kira felt a bit relieved. She couldn’t wait for Alexei to arrive so she could tell him everything. He was a true friend.
There was a knock on the door. Kira approached the door and looked through the peephole. There stood a excited Alexei. She opened the door and said, “Come in!”
Alexei entered, quickly glanced around the studio, closed the door behind him and asked, “What happened? What screen? I had so many thoughts running through my mind while running to you.” He looked slightly disheveled. He didn’t even have time to drink his coffee before rushing off to study. He quickly put on jeans, a shirt, grabbed his bag with textbooks, and hurried to Kira.
“Alex, you won’t believe what just happened,” Kira began her explanation in a jumble. “I was singing my new song with my eyes closed, and then when I opened them, it was there, you know?”
– Who? – Alexei tried to understand what Kira was telling him, but he didn’t understand anything yet.
– Well, a column, how can you not understand. Bam, and a column appeared. All golden – golden. I stepped into it, and there was a screen with numbers and letters, and then – bam, that’s it!
– What’s it? – Alexei asked suspiciously.
– Well, how can you not understand, bam, and I’m in the past, whew, – Kira exhaled. – I’m in a baby carriage. Got it?
– Kira, wait. Let’s go through everything in order. I don’t understand anything. A screen, the past, a golden column, a carriage…
– Fine. I’ll tell you again. I ju – mped! – Kira said slowly and deliberately.
– I understood that, what happened next?
– Then I open my eyes and see a bright golden light coming straight from the ceiling. It was a light column. Do you understand now?
– I think I understand. Go on!
– Well, then. I decided to step into this glowing light.
– You stepped in?
– Yes!
– And what was there?
– There was a screen. Blue in color. And on the screen, there were numbers and letters. And a huge inscription right in front of me, – Kira switched to a conspiratorial whisper, – “Choose four numbers and one letter.” I chose my year of birth! 2001. And I chose the letter “A” – the first letter of the alphabet.
– Interesting, – said Alexei, looking at Kira with particular interest. Kira noticed this strange expression on Alexei’s face, as he began to look at her suspiciously.
– Lesha, I beg you, don’t look at me like that, otherwise I won’t tell you anything else. Kira pouted her lips slightly in a hurt manner. I also thought at first that I was going crazy. But no. I’m fine, Lesha. I think clearly, even though I didn’t sleep all night, but I’m not crazy. Just try to believe me. Will you try? Lesha thought that he could trust Kira. She had never had such fantasies and inventions before. She always told the truth. That’s why Alexei liked her, because she was sincere and had never deceived him. She didn’t have a hint of coquetry that other girls have. Kira was beautiful, but she never boasted about her beauty.
After thinking, Alexei nodded:
– Okay. You can fully trust me. Go on.
– Thank you for believing me, – Kira smiled. – I chose my year of birth and then I saw my city, my mom and dad, when they were young. They were right next to me, just like you are now. But it was all on the screen. And I had just been born. I was in a baby carriage.
– Are you sure it was you?
– Of course I’m sure. Dad said, “My little daughter!” And they only have one little daughter – me! So, think about it!
– Strange, – Alexei pondered. So, you chose your year of birth? What if you had chosen another year? And what does the letter “A” have to do with it? – Alexei asked skeptically again.
– I don’t know, Lesha. I’m lost in conjecture myself.
Alexey paced from one corner of the studio to the other, contemplating like a great thinker, then he sat on the neighboring stool, swaying slightly, and finally expressed his next thought:
“We need to try to bring back that golden pillar and screen. How can we do it? Remember, how did it appear?”
“I don’t know, I just recorded the voice. I only managed to record the first verse and chorus. I was standing and singing with my eyes closed, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that light. But I was already thinking about it. I tried to sing again, but nothing else happened.”
“Think, Kira, think. When did the light disappear? What preceded it? Why did it disappear?”
Kira pondered.
“It disappeared when the recorded song ended. I only managed to record one verse and the chorus.”
“That’s it! Eureka! Your song! The whole secret lies in that. You composed a song that opens the doorway to the future and the past! You invented a time machine!” Alexey exclaimed excitedly. “We just need to test it all again in practice!”
“Do you think I should turn on the recording?” Kira whispered again, her big blue eyes widening in surprise.
“Definitely!” Alexey responded eagerly. “Turn on the recording!”
Kira cautiously approached the control panel and pressed the Play button on the computer. The music started playing. Alexey had never heard this song before. He knew all of Kira’s songs and adored them. Now he was listening to a novelty. Whenever Kira wrote a new song, the first person she would let listen to it was Alexey. He always eagerly listened and praised Kira. She knew that he loved all of her songs. They especially loved gathering in Kira’s studio with friends, having evening sessions with a guitar, tea, and candies. Kira would sing, and her friends would listen. It was Leshka’s happiest time. All their friends eagerly awaited the invitation from Kira to her next concert at her studio. Only the chosen ones were invited. Only those who were true fans of her work. And Alexey brought them along. He wanted Kira to be able to somehow express her talent. Knowing Kira’s character, he understood that she didn’t need a producer simply because she wouldn’t listen to them. Kira couldn’t stand it when someone wanted to change the harmony or make the song different or alter the lyrics; she would immediately stop communicating with such a person. If they didn’t understand her, it meant they were not on the same page. That’s how