An old man, in his 50s, was shaved clean. It further marked his painful thinness and gray skin tone. The man was wearing a white coat. He was sitting in a wheelchair. The wheelchair was equipped with an autonomous life support system. The fine threads of the drops wrapped around the man's neck. The panel watching his body's vital signs winked indifferently.

The room was cool, the air conditioning was buzzing quietly. A huge table stretched along with one of the walls and was filled with monitors. There were many lines of code on the screens. The wall itself was gla.s.s, and behind it there was a huge room in which computer cases stood in straight rows. Thousands of hard disks and system boards, processors and other specialized equipment formed a single system. Thick bundles of s.h.i.+elded cable went into the floor and walls. They stretched in different directions and disappeared into the walls of the building complex. In several large rooms in the buildings there were hundreds of rows of medical capsules that supported the lives of thousands of people. Only now these people were called 'materials' and 'objects'.

Formally, the complex was in a government department, but for several years now it was run by the Company. The buildings were staffed by people in white coats. The government had security on their behalf. The records identified the complex as a Rehabilitation Centre to a.s.sist Criminals. They could correct themselves and return to a full society. In the history of the center, none of the prisoners have left the compound.

Several decades ago, prisoners from all over the country were brought to the complex. These criminals were sentenced to a life sentence. The state was in a hurry to free up budgetary resources. The scientific study of Cryonics was of interest. There was no success in this direction. Even the beginning of the era of virtual reality did not change anything when it brought with it several years of unsuccessful scientific experiments. The content of the complex required huge resources. One of the concerns offered its a.s.sistance in rehabilitation activities. The government agreed. The government's commission was appointed and the complex got a new owner.

"You have an appointment. You will come with me."

A young man in a strict black suit entered the room without knocking. An old invalid with a careful movement of the joystick turned the wheelchair towards the guard.

"I'm ready. Please take a tablet with my report."

The guard came to the table and took the tablet computer.

He waited until the invalid left the room, put out the lights and locked the door with an electronic lock. The guard followed the programmer's chair down the hall. He was a couple of steps behind, like a security guard. They took the elevator and arrived at the office on the fourth floor of the administration building. A gold-plated sign shone on the office door.

"Come in, you're already expected," said the guard.

He opened the door and helped the programmer overcome a small threshold in front of the door. The guard gave the invalid a tablet computer and came out of the office.

There were two left in the s.p.a.cious office with a large table. An official of the Company was a young professional, who immediately got down to business:

"Have you been briefed on the results of the Security Service investigation?"

"Of course. I do not suffer from memory failures," smiled politely at the programmer.

"That's interesting. I'm here because I don't understand what you're doing. The company has repeatedly encountered attempts at industrial espionage. Your case cannot be explained by personal motives. You've been with us for over twelve years. You've had good references and repeated references to your professionalism. Over the past seven years, you have allowed yourself only indirect interference in the work of the complex and perfectly cleaned up your tracks. Other specialists have found little information about the consequences of your actions. I was interested in your report. You worked alone and found an answer to the cause of the deaths of the people. But that answer is incomplete. You asked to meet for your full report. I'm listening to you."

The programmer started his report.

"The company has to do with Virtual Reality. The company produces products for complete immersion."

The programmer turned on the tablet and asked for the big display. A man from the Company pressed one of the b.u.t.tons on the table. On the sidewall of the cabinet, the Company logo was s.h.i.+mmering on the big monitor screen. A signal was received from the tablet and a huge array of constantly changing program code appeared on the screen.

"What is it? Some kind of program?" asked the young man.

"No, it's not even code. It's a thoughts. The thoughts of criminals who are connected to the compound. You know that the entire complex is run by a few Artificial Intelligences.

I was disturbed by the work of one AI. One little-known company was going to make a name for itself in the world of computer games and used this artificial intelligence. The team wasn't making any progress. It is difficult to compete with huge corporations that contain an army of scriptwriters and programmers. Their last project was a game universe with huge tools and an empty world. The meaning of the game was that the players themselves wrote an interesting world for the game. The game gathered a small audience and the company went bankrupt. AI was in the market, where it was purchased for our science center.

It had access to the tools of previous developers.

Tech Security studied the programs and found no danger. The old programs were not removed and AI started working. But for the act of creation, he needs a full mind, not the mess that was in the heads of criminals. AI faked the presence of psychiatrists and started his work."

The programmer pressed a b.u.t.ton on the tablet, and the screen played with paint. The screen was broadcasting landscapes of the fairytale world. A very beautiful world. Medieval cities lived their lives. Warriors in armor fought with different monsters and even dangerous plants.

"Are you saying that artificial intelligence, using the thoughts of our subjects, began to create a new Game?" frowned a young man.

"AI had already created the game. This is the most accomplished project in the world.

Modern games have their own gradation in the success of the project. The requirements are high, it's the depth of immersion in the game, and the percentage of real equivalents and other details. Today, the most famous game projects have hundreds of millions of registered users. Attention! The degree of authenticity of these projects is 85%. But you now see the world with a 95% authenticity degree. I have conducted the necessary tests. AI has almost finished the project. The company has a unique product for market entry."

For a while there was a silence in the office, disturbed by raindrops. .h.i.tting the window.

"This is the important information of an economic character. Now I can see why you worked alone," smiled a young man.

The programmer laughed sadly.

"I noticed an increase in the energy used by one of the AI. I looked at the problem and made a report to management. The problem looks complicated and unusual.

Each criminal's capsule is connected to an AI complex. But on this AI, every criminal is an incomplete administrator. The mediator between the criminals and the real world has full rights. A month ago, this artificial intelligence simply removed those who remembered how to use the tools. The company's capsules are perfectly equipped and have served as a great tool for this AI."

"This is crazy," sighed the young man. "You're telling me that our subjects have created a game with artificial intelligence and live in it. But some have been exploited."

"They refused to accept the new reality for themselves. For them, this is not a game. The tech department has diagnostic pods connected to the complex. Anyhorr is a world built of nightmares and horrors connected to it. I was there. All the surviving players are there all the time and are fighting for their lives. They are not in a coma."

"Have you spoken to them?"

"Anyhorr has forbidden this to me."

"Anyhorr is Artificial Intelligence?"

"No. It's an Intermediator, an imitator written by artificial intelligence."

The programmer activated the tablet, and a picture of a strange woman appeared on the big screen. One half of her body was like an angel, but the other half couldn't be looked at without disgust.

"It's a kind of embodiment of the meaning of that world," explained the programmer. "The world is almost complete. It's impossible to influence it programmatically. Believe me, I've tried it. Disconnecting patients from service is not the answer. Criminals will lose their sense. They could die. Anyhorr agrees to delegate authority if we take the final steps to make the world complete. It'll take two steps. One step from our side and the other step from artificial intelligence."

"Virus attack?" suggested a man from the Company.

"I tried it. I was shown a demonstration. The man I was trying to influence died there in the game. The capsule automatics couldn't do anything. The brain gave the player's body a team to die, and the body followed orders."

"What steps does Artificial Intelligence require?" asked the Company man with a doubtful voice.

"He doesn't have enough power. Anyhorr demanded that seven more artificial intelligence be connected to him. That's enough to complete the world. The problem is they can only be activated from the other side. In exchange, he'll give the Company power over the Holy Grail, which is being searched for by game creators all over the world."

For some time, the young man has been thinking about the situation.

"Is all the material on your tablet on this case?"

"Yes. Initial economic and my technical calculations."

"The company will consider this case. You'll have to live at work for a while. I hope you don't mind."

"I understand everything. The HR department is good at selecting employees. The corporation pays for my life," grinned the programmer and pointed to the life support system.

"Leave the materials. The fate of the complex will be decided by the board of directors of the corporation."

A security guard went into the office and helped an invalid leave the room. The Company man finally loosened the noose of the tie. He was young but had already achieved great success as a good administrator and a great manager.

He got the phone and dialed the number. After a short beep, he was answered by a cheerful soft baritone.

"h.e.l.lo, do me a favor. I need an a.n.a.lytical profile on the economic sector of the world's biggest gaming projects. It's a secret for now. Oh, great. I'm waiting."

An employee started scrolling through the files on the tablet computer. He was an excellent manager and rightfully took a seat on the board of directors of one of the largest companies in the world, which gained new prospects for development.

The old man was going back to his lab.

They won't refuse that kind of profit. A team of top specialists will be created. They'll be targeted at Anyge. They'll kill half the sc.u.m in the pods. I can' t be in any hurry. Some knowledge has no value. Like life, old man, like life itself.