Finally, it became possible. Zavirdyaev raised the glass and inhaled the air of the cabin. Landskricht hung in a strange position, as if she had stood up to her full height, clutching the back of her chair with her legs, which, unlike Zavirdyaev's, was brought to a sitting position.
- Well, now do you take my words more seriously? - What else can I do? - answered Zavirdyaev, recalling stories about cyborgs, or rather androids - such machines were used for fun before the War - in real military affairs, humanoid robots turned out to be of no use to anyone.
- That's good, - she answered and headed towards him, - Come on, sit down, buckle up, you can rest now.
- I still have some thoughts about robots, - said Zavirdyaev, buckling up to his seat. - Agree, your formulation "monster from space" sounds somehow... it doesn't say anything specific. What you showed is simply stunning, but what's the matter? Is this some kind of technology that allows you to become a superman? Of course, I mean all these abilities to be in airless space.
- A-a-a, - Landskricht responded cheerfully and jokingly shook her finger, - you let that slip well. Superman is such a... provocative word. Superhuman. Although I am just... Well, I am not a human. Live with it, as they say.
- Then I would like to switch to a more serious tone, - Zavirdyaev answered calmly. - Do you represent an alien race? Do you look like us? Do you live among us? Are there many of you?
- Here, on your Earth, there is only me, - Landskricht answered.
- Okay, I understand, - Zavirdyaev answered calmly.
It suddenly seemed to him that from the outside this conversation could look like a conversation between a psychiatrist and a madwoman, only the circumstances were different now.
- How did you end up on our planet? Where is your ship? Are you exploring?
Here he felt a strong desire to push away the thought of another option - after all, it was possible to do more than just investigate. Now a higher level could be added to the established hierarchy of wars, beginning with a trifle like the conflict between the left bank and the right bank at the lower levels and crowned by the Great War.
- Explore! - Landskricht grinned. - You yourself, I mean explore yourself, have a hard time doing it. And it's hard not because it's so difficult, but because it's not really necessary.
She paused and took a breath, clearly getting ready to continue her speech.
At this point, Zavirdyaev had a bad feeling. He looked at Madame with an emotionless gaze.
Maybe AEX and GBA had come up with some kind of miracle serum that would allow you to go into space without a spacesuit? That would be a pretty calming answer to questions about what had happened.
Zavirdyaev simply suddenly imagined that a conflict with an alien and more advanced race could become a reality. They made movies, wrote books before that, but it will come someday... That's what made him anxious when he peered into the familiar black hair and the black two-tailed tie, which was still there on the shuttle - for some reason she loved them, and they really suited her.
And why could it be scary? Maybe it's a natural mechanism, an animal reaction to something alien. Maybe all living things will unite against this invasion. Not just people, but also birds, insects, and various other creatures. There was something like that in some movie, and not just one.
- If humanity is studying itself, Landskricht continued. - Then it's an ineffective fuss. But what you can do well, - she summed it up measuredly, - is, of course, - she slapped her hand on the dashboard of her seat. - Of course, fight. Partially destroy yourself. Almost like a phoenix, but a little differently.