"How you've grown," said the old man, who looked much older than Leah's great-grandfather. "The last time I saw you, you were still in a wheelchair, but you were just as beautiful."

"Have we met before?" Leah replied in surprise.

"Your grandfather used to work for me," said old man. "Once he came to a corporate party with his son, your dad, and you. You distracted all the women with your appearance, and they didn't let go of you until the end of the evening," he laughed, stroking his mustache.

"I didn't know my grandfather lived in this sector," Leah said, surprised.

"He didn't live here, and neither did I," my grandfather smiled. "Your grandfather was raised well by your great-grandfather, and they had many interesting experiences together," my grandfather said with a smile. "Please have a seat, there's no need to draw attention to yourself," he gestured towards the two chairs across from him.

For the next half hour, Clord Patier and Leah discussed her grandfather, whom I had never heard of before.

As I looked up at the ceiling, there was much to observe. It was only now that I finally realized I was in space. Just forty meters above me, outside the transparent dome, was open space. For the first ten minutes, I couldn't think of anything but being in space.

I knew I was on a space station, and I was even in outer space when the crazy Leah jumped through the hole in the station's hull. But then I didn't have time to think about what was happening around me. Now, I finally had time to realize that I was nowhere, and maybe not when.

As I became more accustomed to the feeling of losing my home, I began to notice other details in the picture that appeared on the ceiling. Currently, the station was orbiting the planet Xarlex, after which it was named. Even from this stationary position, it was evident how much damage the planet had sustained from the war.

Based on the large green spots, it appeared that life was slowly returning to the planet. However, it was unclear if the current life forms were similar to those that existed before the war.

Additionally, I observed a massive object falling onto the planet's surface, which I later identified as an orbital elevator.

" I think it's time to end our evening of reminiscing," Clord abruptly changed the subject. Turning to him, I realized that they had managed to finish dinner while they were talking, and listening to my feelings, I realized that I had somehow kept up with them. " When you called and gave me the password that only your late great-grandfather knew, I thought for a second that he was alive, but remembering what was left of his flyer, I rejected that idea. So before we go any further, I would like to know how you found out about this password. I am excluding the possibility that your great-grandfather told you, because when he died, your grandfather was not much older than you are now. What can you tell me about this?" the Clord asked, pulling a device out of his pocket, and in the next second, it was as if the sound was cut off from us, we couldn't hear anything that was happening outside of our table.

"That's what my great-grandfather told me," Leah replied. Her words alarmed Clord, and he sat up, preparing to act. "Do you know what my grandfather did before the war?" she asked.

"I don't know the details. Even during the war there was a death penalty for revealing it," Clord replied, "but it had something to do with robotics."

Leah nodded in agreement with Clord, indicating that what he said was true. I had already studied her behavior and noticed such nuances well, which were not the kind that her.

"He participated in the development of a full-fledged artificial intelligence. Not the kind that aliens have, but the real thing, I think you know what I mean?"

The Clord was surprised by Leah's response and asked, 'Himrat?' to which Leah replied, 'I'm not going to confirm or deny what you said.' A week before the crash that killed him, he managed to digitize all his memories and even activated the adaptation module. However, he did not have time to finish. "As a child, I was fortunate enough to find a barely functioning positronium unit from my grandfather. With his help, I was able to activate it. Unfortunately, he was not a true great-grandfather, and he was losing his humanity every day. A few days later, my grandfather decided to deactivate and copy the memory of the device. However, something went wrong during the process, and the positronic unit seemed to resist shutting down, resulting in a conflict that caused only a portion of the memory to be saved, including the password. "

Clord asked, 'So you're saying that your grandfather knew this password and didn't come to me when your grandmother got sick?'

"Yes, he tried to save her himself. And he gave me the password in case I needed your help," Leah replied.

"This story sounds like a fairy tale," said the Clord, "but you won't tell the truth, will you? To be honest, I wouldn't believe this tale either."

"No," Leah answered briefly with a smile. "But I can assure you that I have earned the right to use your help honestly."

"Very well," Clord replied, leaning back in his chair. "You still haven't told me what you want."

"Clean documents have been run through all the databases with a clean history," Leah answered.

"In the last few years, all registration systems have been taken over by alien AIs," Clord replied, clearly inflating his own self-importance. "But it can be done," he added.

"It won't be easy; we'll need to grease a few palms."

"What will it cost us?" Leah asked.

"Very expensive," Clord replied.

"Even for me?" Leah blinked her one organic eye. "For the only granddaughter of your best employee?"

"It's hilarious," the Clord chuckled before regaining his composure. "We should work with aliens. They have zero level access to AI, so they can do anything with it. And they won't lift a finger for less than a hundred thousand credits. We need them to create documents for two people and run them through all the databases so that even the central sectors cannot find fault with them. It will cost at least a million."

"Goddamn it," I muttered, realizing that we had missed the opportunity.

"Wait," Leah said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Look at his eyes. He needs something from us."

The Clord replied, "Smart, just like her grandfather and great-grandfather," realizing he didn't need to upsell her anymore. "In the next few weeks, the CEO of Agnen will be retiring. He has to name his successor in four days." There are currently three candidates for the CEO position: the CEO's son, who is an unlikely option due to his drug addiction and lack of knowledge; my grandson, who currently serves as the deputy general director; and a third candidate who married the CEO's daughter six months ago.Despite being unknown a year ago, he has worked his way up from head of retail sales to deputy head of security.

When Leah asked if he wanted thet his grandson to be the CEO.

"That's correct. If the CEO transition had occurred a year ago, that would have been the outcome," Clord responded. "However, my team recently discovered that documents were being prepared for a third candidate, Mathieu Urs."

"What do you suggest we do? We don't engage in violent activities," Leah replied, considering the potential risks of the task.

"Under no circumstances should he be physically harmed."

The Clord stated, 'I want his reputation completely destroyed, and I want to know how he exerts influence over the General's family.'

Leah hesitated, stating that they needed information but couldn't agree to such extreme measures.

The Clord responded, 'You can only take what you can remember away from this table.' He then handed Leah a communicator, which she quickly activated and turned towards me to reveal its contents.

In summary, the subject had an impeccable reputation and was a well-known philanthropist. Every week, he visits orphanages and donates large sums of money. Once a month, he participates in a charity auction. This month, he bought a child's drawing for 400,000 credits, which were used to reconstruct an old house. His wife accompanies him to hospitals and provides medical treatment to the terminally ill at her own expense. In addition to all of this, he is constructing a new speeder factory for 3,000 workers.

It was only his rapid career that raised suspicions. Too fast, only one year to do what others need a lifetime to do. It would be difficult to ruin the reputation of someone like him, very difficult, we had nothing to cling to. The only thing we noticed were his daily visits to the Church of the One God. He didn't look like someone who believed in this new religion invented a few decades ago to control the poorest people on the entire station.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"I can't guarantee anything, he is too holy a person," Leah replied after almost an hour of analysis. "How much time do we have?

"In four days, a successor is to be announced at the annual report to the shareholders," Clord replied. "If you make it in time, I'll pay for all the documents for you. They will be authentic in all areas of the station.

"Then we should get down to business, do you have any information on the local churchmen's cell?" asked Leah.

"It's deaf side, my men have already checked that side. He's a real believer," Clord grimaced, "according to his official biography, he grew up in a church orphanage."

"Has it ever occurred to you that this is their handiwork?" I asked him, "What if this is their long-term operation?

"Don't be ridiculous, they're stupid," Clord dismissed my idea, but I didn't think so. And Leah thought the same.

"And the last question, why us and not your people, you have a very large team." Leah asked Clord.

"My people are known, but not you. The first information about you was found only half an hour before we met. You were being treated for radiation sickness, and one of the medical staff decided to make money off of you by turning you in to the police. " Clord replied, "But all in all, you got out of the trap beautifully. The police arrested the medical worker for giving false information and making a false call," Clord smiled, "and we learned a little bit about the clinic. And the fact that you are not yet licking the head doctor's feet means that you have figured out his trick as well."

"Thank you for the information" Lia replied. "So you decided to use us because we are unknown and your people are being watched. Do you have that much trust in us?

" If you're even ten percent like your grandfather was when he worked for me, then yes, I do," Clord smiled.

After a quick goodbye, Leah and I left the restaurant. We needed a place to discuss the assignment we had just received. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it was definitely better than killing someone or sitting in a dump waiting for something. We really needed the documents, and if they were really of the level Clord was talking about, then we could try to complete the task.

"What do you think?" Leah asked me as we walked outside, "You're not the same person you used to be, sometimes you have good ideas."

"There's something fishy here, I don't think his people can't find out everything they need to know," I replied.

"I don't think so either, but that doesn't make it any easier. We need the documents. We're going to Vespers now, and your job is to put on a show so I can get into their computers," Leah said. "If we realize this smells like something serious, we'll just disappear.

" Don't forget to call your date and tell him you can't meet him tonight," I reminded Leah.

"Hmm, that's a good idea, he's an army man and has access to the military network, I'll have to look for information there."

"Do you think Clord has no people in the military?" I asked her.

"Maybe, but it will still be useful," Leah replied, "Now get ready, in five minutes they should forget about me," Leah added as we entered the temple where our target goes every day.

The service was in full swing. A dark-skinned man was running around the stage shouting that we, ordinary people, have the power over everything around us, that without us, ordinary workers, everyone would have died long ago.

To be honest, there was some truth in what he was saying, but I knew from Leah that the church was artificial and was created specifically to control the common people and prevent the common people from rebelling against the power of the corporations and the wealthy.

The priest's speech was interesting, but it was time to act. Leah was already at the edge of the crowd and it was time to play the part. In fact, I had no idea how to do it so that I could leave safely. Except that there was only one. The next thing I knew, I bumped into the woman in front of me and started falling off her. She immediately turned around to tell me what she thought of me, but I faked an epileptic seizure.

"Help, there's a man dying," the woman screamed so loudly that I went deaf for a moment. A moment later, the pastor stopped and looked for the person screaming in the crowd. "This way, this way, he's dying from Nebulian fever." The next moment, the crowd around him ran to the door, the woman said something wrong, and the pastor turned pale, but found the strength to come to us. At that moment I heard the doors of the church close and the crowd began to shout to be let out.

"Everybody calm down, we haven't heard of patients with Nebulian fever for ten years," the pastor began to speak to the entire congregation, "but if we have expressed suspicion, we must be sure and quarantine him for at least an hour. "At that moment he stopped a few feet away from me, looked at me and exhaled loudly, "This is not a case of Nebulia, his skin color is normal." At this point the crowd shouted with joy and a girl rushed to save me.

"He has cramps in his stomach and throat." she said quickly, then took a syringe from her purse and injected me. Almost immediately I felt his muscles begin to relax. "I injected him with Vadox, it has already taken effect." And I really could no longer fake a seizure. I could barely move.

"What's wrong with him?" the pastor asked as he leaned over me.

" I don't know, I just started studying to be a medical technician." The girl replied.

"Let me see," Leah replied, "I was a combat medic for three years," and everyone calmed down after she said that. And Leah demonstratively turned on the scan mode in her artificial eye. "Why did you put a piece of krasht in your mouth, you idiot?

"What? Krasht? What an idiot. How can there be such people in the world," the whispers began, "the instructions say not to put it in your mouth.

"What will happen to him?" the pastor asked Leah.

"What will happen to him? He will live, although the next few days will be fun. Leave your contacts, this idiot," she turned to the girl who was injecting me, "let him thank you for saving his life.

"Me? Saved me?" the girl was surprised.

" Yes, he has some kind of allergic reaction. He has a personal intolerance to krushta. Thanks to you, we were able to stop the attack. You're a hero today," Leah said.

" Our hero," the pastor said to the entire congregation, "I ask you to come up on stage with me. This is another confirmation that all life on Xarlex depends on us, ordinary people, a simple girl saved another life. Let's thank her for that," the pastor on the stage raised the girl's hand, and the entire crowd responded with a loud "Thank you."

Meanwhile, two guys from the church came over with a stretcher and quickly put me on it. From the short conversation between them and Liya, I realized that it was impossible to leave the church for the next hour, because after the words of that stupid woman, the small quarantine regime in the church was automatically activated. And now it is impossible to open the temple doors until the timer goes off. And on the way out, you will have to undergo a quick test by the quarantine service's rapid response team.

They have already been contacted and informed that the alarm was false, but everyone will still have to undergo rapid testing for signs of Nebulian Fever.

I was to be sent to the hospital to be treated for Krasht poisoning at the church's expense. Leah volunteered to accompany me to the hospital, playing the role of a proper parishioner.

And so it happened. An hour later, the main entrance to the church opened and there was an inflatable gate waiting for people where they were going to test all the parishioners before letting them out. But they decided to test me and Lia first so that they could send us to the hospital immediately.

" So it was you who raised the alarm," the older woman in the suit smiled. "You don't look like a patient with Nerbulian fever," she added, taking a drop of my blood to test in the tester. Hoyst, let them through," the woman said to the armed guards standing by the airlock. "You're clean."

As soon as I was carried out of the temple, I was met by a medical team called in by the church. They quickly loaded me and Leah onto the flayer, and within three minutes we were on our way to the hospital.

"You were paid for a complete cleansing of your body." The woman in the emergency room spoke to me. "We are going to put you in this capsule and you will be able to go home in an hour." She smiled. "You can wait for your friend near the capsule," she turned to Leah.

As soon as the capsule closed, gas began to flow into it, just like the last time. And just like last time, I didn't want to sleep, for some reason this gas didn't work on me, although I think I know why it didn't work on me. It had something to do with my shoulder.

An hour later the capsule opened and I was actually able to stand on my feet after the operation. After signing the documents that we had no claims against the hospital, we quickly left the hospital. We had other things to do.

"Won't they find out that I didn't have krasht poisoning?" I asked Leah.

"Why do you think you didn't have krasht poisoning?" Leah asked. When she saw that I didn't understand, she explained, "While I was examining you, I injected liquid krasht under your skin. So the medical capsule will show that it also purged your system of krasht. If it wasn't for that fool with the Vadox, it would have been better. Otherwise, you'll have to lie still for a few days without purification." She replied, "But the seizure was actually a good one.

"At least it wasn't for nothing?" I asked her as we got on the bus.

"They have a good security system there... for the time when it was installed, ten years ago," Lia smiled, "A hacking algorithm has been leaked into the network for several years ago. So I have access to all the information. " She tapped her finger on the implant. "Now the information is sorted and filtered. And what I see," she smiled, "is that there are confession records of all the parishioners. For that alone, the church can be sued for a very large sum."

"And when will all the information be sorted and filtered?" I asked her.

"If I had a neural network, I would have it now. As it is, I have a simple Cortex seventeen coprocessor here. So at least five or even six hours. It'll be time to relieve the stress with the soldier," Lia smiled lustfully. "So you have until morning to take a break from my company, I recommend you go to the prostitutes. Here comes Rafael," a soldier guarding the entrance to the garbage dump met us at the bus stop.

Leah changed her behavior almost immediately, as if she had turned into a silly blonde. I looked a little offended when they left. I wasn't going to follow her advice, I love my wife Valya too much, and even if I couldn't come home, it would be a real disrespect to her to go to prostitutes.

Maybe in the future I'll change my mind, but right now I couldn't. I was just disgusted at the thought of sleeping with another woman. So instead of going to a brothel, I decided to go to a place that would help me understand the world around me.

According to a search on the Internet, there is no such thing as a library anymore, although there were paper libraries before the war. Now they have been replaced by information centers. Of course, one should not expect to find any important knowledge there, given the elite's policy of dumbing down the common people. But I didn't need it. I needed to understand the basic questions of how the world around me worked.

Luckily, the information center was open around the clock, so after paying a thousand ksars at the entrance for a private room with a holographic projector and ten thousand ksars for access to textbooks and newspapers, I locked myself in the holographic room and started by calling up the last year's newspapers. Almost immediately, I was surrounded by issues of all the newspapers published in this sector of the station, three hundred and sixty degrees in all directions.