– Strong. A bandage was applied. They have been looking for you for about half an hour.
– I thought less.
– What happened to you?
– I do not know. I want to find out.
– Why did you disappear?
– I cannot be in the cold and in the heat, too.
– Where are you now?
– In Ryazan.
– I will do it later. Varya suddenly disappeared. Dasha came. Gena continued to surf the Internet reading articles related to rain, thunderstorms and lightning. – Maybe I was struck by lightning and I became like this? An article related to radioactive elements aroused his interest. – This is what we need. Straining his memory, Gena tried to remember the moment when he went under the water. – How could I? What happened? I’m a great swimmer. Where did this cut come from? Gena was right, he was a great swimmer. The bleeding wound appeared after the first bath, only Gena did not feel it. Gene usually dived upside down. During the second jump, having gone down with his head, he felt a lump of mucus in both hands. This slime enveloped his body, mixing with his blood. Opening his eyes, he saw purple crystals flying at him from the bottom. The slime prevented him from surfacing, pulling him to the bottom and enveloping his body. The bottom was clearly visible, crystals illuminated it, and the mucus formed a funnel mixed with his blood particles, and pulled him to himself. Gena resisted as much as he could and passed out. Leaning back on the back of the kitchen corner, covering his face with his hand where his eyes are. He partially recalled what had happened and plunged into thought. Gena remembered that day as a farewell to Varya. In fact, it was the last day of his human life, and he spent it with his beloved and only girlfriend. Varya’s words brought him back to reality.
– It smells like ozone.
– Ozone. Be it not okay. Gena continued to search for articles. It took him the whole night. – In short – ozone belongs to some mysterious gas – which was later called «smelling», i.e. ozone. Why don’t I smell?
Another characteristic feature of ozone is its ability to change its color and consistency depending on temperature and pressure. In natural conditions, ozone has a pale purple color. When the pressure increases, this gas turns blue. At a temperature of -111.9° C, ozone condenses into an unstable liquid of a dark blue hue. At -192.5° C, O3 turns into solid dark purple, almost black, crystals.
This article horrified Gena. – In short, I am a mutant. Having looked through the information further, Gene realized that he was practically immortal.
It has been proved that ozone in the atmosphere can destroy both nitrogen and hydrogen compounds (for example, ammonia and methane) and chlorine compounds (chlorofluorocarbons – freons). Freons are used in refrigeration units, air conditioners, solvents; aerosol cans/sprays and fire extinguishers.
– In short, only a plus temperature and alcohol can kill me! Although I am not very friendly with the cold either. Dawn came. Gena dozed off in a sitting position. The sound of the door key brought him to his feet. Looking for a way to hide, he formed a pile and crawled under the kitchen corner. Footsteps sounded like the director’s footsteps in the apartment. Seeing nothing but women’s legs, Gena strained his ears.
– What did I say! Someone broke into the apartment. The computer is turned on. Apparently, the girl was talking on the phone. – The police. I’ll call у now.
– Correspondence! I have not deleted my page. Gena was panicking. The girl was dialing the police. Gene had no choice but to protect Varya with an attack. By this time, Gena’s body was limp from the heat and could no longer be so physically strong. – I will try to scare her. Gena stood in front of the landlady of the apartment at full height and walked towards her with a decisive step. Accordingly, the girl screamed and ran out. Gena did not hesitate to lock the door behind her. With a quick movement, he deleted all the tabs and his page. The door lock opened again. The last tab was closed. Gene flushed into the sink.
– Don’t worry. I am with you and I believe you. A man’s voice soothed her. – The police are coming now. At his own risk, having received a cold portion of air, Gena returned to understand what was being planned against him. The police came as an armed gang.
– «Where is he?»
– I do not know. He closed the door behind me and stayed here. The police were examining the house. From what they saw, they realized that this creature likes warmth and food.
– They are wrong. I do not like heat. Gene hovered in the kitchen drainpipe, expecting every second that water would pour on him at any moment.
– He used a laptop.
– What a clever monster. Each of the policemen had a gun at the ready. It was like dealing with a dangerous maniac.
– Tell me how dangerous is he?
– Just four days ago, he attacked your neighbor. The poor woman almost went crazy.
– And what did he do with it?
– He ate a cutlet.
– Are you laughing?
– Unfortunately, no. This creature has been walking around the city for about ten days. There were no attacks, but people are in fear. He also robbed Auchan, stole food and clothes. The young woman stood in fear as well as all the locals.
– Stay with me. A man’s voice calmed the landlady of the apartment. Gena was waiting for everyone to leave.
– I have restored the tabs!
– «Not that. The story dragged on for an hour. Gena felt himself falling apart. Fortunately, for him, no one used the kitchen faucet.
– Interesting pages. We are dealing with a mutant. In my opinion, this is not just a police matter.
– I underestimated her. It turns out she has a man. Gene thought, exhausted from the heat of the drainpipe.
– I found his social page.
– «Not that. Varya! A heart-rending silent scream rang out. Gena was flying down the drainpipe. Unable to remember himself from fear, he was already swimming against the current on the Oka. Here it is the right tributary of the Oka. The return route was already more or less known by its names. It was not far from Moksha to Tsna. – Consider me home. Gena did not make stops and reinforcements. All his thoughts were occupied with Varya.
– With the onset of December, the air temperature dropped significantly lower. The water was getting colder. A growth of ice could be seen from the shores. To his surprise, Gena did not feel the cold, or he simply had no time to feel it, he hurried to Varya, afraid not to make it before the police arrived.
December. The city was fully prepared for the New Year. In every park and square, near every ice palace, in every shopping center there was an elegant Christmas tree and pleased guests and residents of the city with its beauty. Performances were held in youth theaters. In the evening cafes, it was impossible to sit down; there were not enough free tables. Varya enjoyed the decoration of the city with all her appearance. Deep down, she was afraid to admit that she liked the hustle and bustle of the city and preparing for the holiday. Correspondence with Gena disturbed her peace. The girl was waiting for the next messages, but they did not arrive. Realizing that something had happened and Gena could not write, Varya patiently waited for him to act. Dasha’s pressure made her agree to meet the New Year in Tambov. Parents fully supported this idea. – That is right. Well done. Varya looked at her father in surprise. The father understood that the holiday with the family would turn into mourning, and the unfinished house under the windows would be an eternal grave that their daughter would forever mourn.