"Anthony, Piers - Mode 01 - Virtual Mode" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

"Yes. Not by a Cyng of Hiahtar, but by others. They have brought back people or things. Some women have brought back babies or odd animals. But if you want to marry and love her, you must explain to her what this entails; you must not abduct her, for then she will hate you and be no true wife to you."

"Well, of course I wouldn't abduct her!" Darius exclaimed. "If I were inclined to treat women in that manner, I would be better off simply marrying a chain of wives here and casting them aside!"

"Precisely."

"If that is the only problem, then certainly I will-"

"No. There is worse. We have ascertained through sometimes bitter experience that not all people or things can be taken. It seems that any person who plays a significant role in his or her or its Mode-"

"Its?"

"Some Mode-folk are sexless, and some are mechanical."

Darius shuddered. "Go on."

"No person of significance can be taken. Apparently there is a certain stability; a Mode will not let go of what it needs to make it what it is. This has a peculiar effect."

"Go on," Darius said, experiencing a chill.

"In general, only those folk who are destined to have minimal impact on their realities can be taken. It may be that their Modes know that these folk are soon to be lost anyway, and do not try to hold them."

"Do you mean they are about to be accidentally killed?"

"Not necessarily. They may have some terminal malady. You could bring such a one here, but she would soon die anyway. Or possibly she merely is of little account, so will live but will have no significant impact. You might find that she has similarly little effect here."

Darius was still struggling with another aspect of this. "You said their Modes know, and hold those they want. The Modes are conscious? The Modes are like people?"

"We don't think so. It seems more like a stone that does not readily give up any of its substance. But if part of it has been cracked, a chip may be flaked off with less effort. So you will have to find a loose flake."

Darius pondered this. A diseased woman? It would be better to take one who was about to be killed. But what kind would that be? A criminal? He did not want to marry that kind either. The prospects were dimming.

"I anticipate your next question," Pwer said. That was good, because Darius didn't know what to ask next. "Yes."

"How do you locate such a woman?" the man said. "The answer is that we can help you there. There are settings on the Chips. Not many, but enough. We can put you through to a reality that is livable, with human beings much like us, and where one is suitable. We can make that one female. We can not guarantee that she is not already married, but of course if she dies that will not matter. We can not guarantee her age or health or personality. But we can put you close to her. Not completely close, for our command of this alien device is imperfect, but in her Mode and in her vicinity. Then you can inspect her, and bring her back here with you if that seems appropriate. Which brings up your final question."

"Yes," Darius agreed, as before.

"How do you return? And the answer is that you will have a signal device, an aspect of the Chip. When you activate that, I will receive the signal, and will revert you and whatever you hold to this reality. If you do not signal within a month, I will assume you are not going to. Because you are dead or unable to signal. Without this signal we can not bring you back, because the Chip is unable to fix on you."

So now Darius had all the information, and was not reassured. He understood perfectly how three of ten could fail to return, and three or four others would not attain their desire. But at least some did succeed. That left him hope.

"Suppose I go, and return without a woman?" he said. "Could I then go again, and perhaps that time find one?"

Pwer stared at him. "Go again? Few have been interested in that! Each time a person goes, he has about one chance in three of not returning. If you went twice, you would double your chance of that."

"But I would also double my chance of finding what I need," Darius pointed out.

"Perhaps. But you could not return to the same other Mode. There are too many of them, and our way is imprecise. Some few have tried to go again to the same one, but none we know of has succeeded."