00000000: 00 10 38 09 03 0C 01 09 00 5A 08 98 05 54 68 69 |..8......Z...Thi|
00000010: 73 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 73 65 |s is the interse|
00000020: 63 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 74 77 6F 20 61 76 65 |ction of two ave|
00000030: 6E 75 65 73 20 69 6E 20 4D 6F 73 63 6F 77 2E 20 |nues in Moscow. |
00000040: 20 54 68 65 20 73 74 72 65 65 74 73 20 61 72 65 | The streets are|
00000050: 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 70 6F 6C 69 73 68 65 64 20 61 | like polished a|
00000060: 6C 75 6D 69 6E 75 6D 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 |luminum, and the|
00000070: 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 6E 6F 20 62 75 69 6C 64 69 |re are no buildi|
00000080: 6E 67 73 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 63 6F 72 |ngs on these cor|
00000090: 6E 65 72 73 2E 20 49 6E 20 74 68 65 20 63 65 6E |ners. In the cen|
000000A0: 74 65 72 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 |ter of the inter|
000000B0: 73 65 63 74 69 6F 6E 2C 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 |section, there i|
000000C0: 73 20 61 20 73 74 72 75 63 74 75 72 65 20 6D 75 |s a structure mu|
000000D0: 63 68 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 61 20 6B 69 6F 73 6B 2E |ch like a kiosk.|
000000E0: 00 44 6F 20 79 6F 75 20 6D 65 61 6E 20 63 6C 69 |.Do you mean cli|
000000F0: 6D 62 20 75 70 3F 00 54 68 65 20 6B 69 6F 73 6B |mb up?.The kiosk|
00000100: 20 69 73 20 61 20 72 65 63 74 61 6E 67 75 6C 61 | is a rectangula|
00000110: 72 20 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 34 20 |r block about 4 |
00000120: 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 74 61 6C 6C 20 61 6E 64 20 |meters tall and |
00000130: 74 68 72 65 65 20 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 73 71 75 |three meters squ|
00000140: 61 72 65 2E 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 74 68 |are. There is th|
00000150: 65 20 6F 75 74 6C 69 6E 65 20 6F 66 20 61 20 64 |e outline of a d|
00000160: 6F 6F 72 20 69 6E 20 6F 6E 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 |oor in one of th|
00000170: 65 20 77 61 6C 6C 73 2E 20 4E 65 78 74 20 74 6F |e walls. Next to|
00000180: 20 74 68 65 20 64 6F 6F 72 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 | the door there |
00000190: 61 72 65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 62 61 72 73 2E 00 |are three bars..|
000001A0: 54 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 74 |They are about t|
000001B0: 65 6E 20 63 65 6E 74 69 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 6C |en centimeters l|
000001C0: 6F 6E 67 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 61 72 65 20 70 6C 61 |ong, and are pla|
000001D0: 63 65 64 20 76 65 72 74 69 63 61 6C 6C 79 2C 20 |ced vertically, |
000001E0: 73 69 64 65 20 62 79 20 73 69 64 65 2E 00 54 68 |side by side..Th|
000001F0: 65 20 64 6F 6F 72 20 73 6C 69 64 65 73 20 6F 70 |e door slides op|
00000200: 65 6E 2C 20 72 65 76 65 61 6C 69 6E 67 20 61 20 |en, revealing a |
00000210: 63 6F 6D 70 61 72 74 6D 65 6E 74 20 73 6F 6D 65 |compartment some|
00000220: 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 64 65 | three meters de|
00000230: 65 70 2E 20 49 6E 73 69 64 65 2C 20 74 61 6B 69 |ep. Inside, taki|
00000240: 6E 67 20 75 70 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 74 68 65 |ng up almost the|
00000250: 20 77 68 6F 6C 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 69 6F 72 2C | whole interior,|
00000260: 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 63 72 61 62 | there is a crab|
00000270: 2D 6C 69 6B 65 20 63 72 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 6F |-like creature o|
00000280: 72 20 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 2E 00 54 68 65 20 64 |r machine..The d|
00000290: 6F 6F 72 20 69 73 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 74 77 6F |oor is about two|
000002A0: 20 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 68 69 67 68 20 61 6E 64 | meters high and|
000002B0: 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 6D 65 | almost three me|
000002C0: 74 65 72 73 20 77 69 64 65 2E 00 54 68 65 20 63 |ters wide..The c|
000002D0: 72 61 62 20 69 73 20 6D 6F 74 69 6F 6E 6C 65 73 |rab is motionles|
000002E0: 73 2E 20 49 74 20 68 61 73 20 6E 75 6D 65 72 6F |s. It has numero|
000002F0: 75 73 20 6C 65 67 73 20 61 6E 64 20 74 77 6F 20 |us legs and two |
00000300: 70 6F 77 65 72 66 75 6C 2D 6C 6F 6F 6B 69 6E 67 |powerful-looking|
00000310: 20 63 6C 61 77 73 2E 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 | claws. There is|
00000320: 20 61 20 6B 69 6E 64 20 6F 66 20 68 6F 70 70 65 | a kind of hoppe|
00000330: 72 20 6F 6E 20 69 74 73 20 62 61 63 6B 2E 00 49 |r on its back..I|
00000340: 6E 20 74 68 65 20 68 6F 70 70 65 72 20 74 68 65 |n the hopper the|
00000350: 72 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 73 6D 61 6C 6C 2C 20 73 |re is a small, s|
00000360: 6F 6D 65 77 68 61 74 20 6F 76 6F 69 64 20 6F 62 |omewhat ovoid ob|
00000370: 6A 65 63 74 2E 00 54 68 65 20 6F 62 6A 65 63 74 |ject..The object|
00000380: 20 69 73 20 6F 76 6F 69 64 20 69 6E 20 73 68 61 | is ovoid in sha|
00000390: 70 65 2C 20 77 69 74 68 20 6F 6E 65 20 65 6E 64 |pe, with one end|
000003A0: 20 63 75 74 20 6F 66 66 2E 20 20 49 74 20 69 73 | cut off. It is|
000003B0: 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 31 30 20 63 65 6E 74 69 6D | about 10 centim|
000003C0: 65 74 65 72 73 20 6C 6F 6E 67 2E 20 4F 6E 20 6F |eters long. On o|
000003D0: 6E 65 20 73 69 64 65 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 |ne side there is|
000003E0: 20 61 20 63 69 72 63 75 6C 61 72 2C 20 64 61 72 | a circular, dar|
000003F0: 6B 65 6E 65 64 20 67 6C 61 73 73 20 70 6C 61 74 |kened glass plat|
00000400: 65 2E 20 4F 6E 20 65 76 65 72 79 20 6F 74 68 65 |e. On every othe|
00000410: 72 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 2C 20 74 68 65 72 65 |r surface, there|
00000420: 20 61 72 65 20 74 69 6E 79 20 6F 70 65 6E 69 6E | are tiny openin|
00000430: 67 73 20 61 6E 64 20 73 6D 61 6C 6C 2C 20 70 6C |gs and small, pl|
00000440: 75 67 2D 6C 69 6B 65 20 70 72 6F 74 72 75 73 69 |ug-like protrusi|
00000450: 6F 6E 73 2E 00 54 68 69 73 20 6D 61 79 20 73 6F |ons..This may so|
00000460: 75 6E 64 20 63 72 61 7A 79 2C 20 62 75 74 20 49 |und crazy, but I|
00000470: 27 6C 6C 20 62 65 74 20 74 68 61 74 27 73 20 73 |'ll bet that's s|
00000480: 6F 6D 65 20 6B 69 6E 64 20 6F 66 20 6D 65 6D 6F |ome kind of memo|
00000490: 72 79 20 73 74 6F 72 61 67 65 20 64 65 76 69 63 |ry storage devic|
000004A0: 65 2C 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 61 20 72 65 61 64 2D 6F |e, like a read-o|
000004B0: 6E 6C 79 20 6D 65 6D 6F 72 79 20 63 61 72 74 72 |nly memory cartr|
000004C0: 69 64 67 65 2E 20 59 6F 75 20 6B 6E 6F 77 2C 20 |idge. You know, |
000004D0: 61 20 72 6F 6D 63 61 72 74 2E 00 49 20 6B 6E 6F |a romcart..I kno|
000004E0: 77 20 49 27 76 65 20 73 65 65 6E 20 74 68 61 74 |w I've seen that|
000004F0: 20 73 68 61 70 65 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 2E 20 42 | shape before. B|
00000500: 75 74 20 49 20 63 61 6E 27 74 20 72 65 6D 65 6D |ut I can't remem|
00000510: 62 65 72 20 77 68 65 72 65 2E 2E 2E 00 49 20 74 |ber where....I t|
00000520: 68 69 6E 6B 20 69 74 27 73 20 61 20 52 61 6D 61 |hink it's a Rama|
00000530: 6E 20 65 67 67 2C 20 53 6B 69 70 70 65 72 21 20 |n egg, Skipper! |
00000540: 57 61 74 63 68 20 6F 75 74 2C 20 69 74 20 6D 69 |Watch out, it mi|
00000550: 67 68 74 20 68 61 74 63 68 2E 2E 21 20 53 65 72 |ght hatch..! Ser|
00000560: 69 6F 75 73 6C 79 2C 20 74 68 6F 75 67 68 2C 20 |iously, though, |
00000570: 49 20 77 6F 6E 64 65 72 20 77 68 61 74 20 74 68 |I wonder what th|
00000580: 61 74 20 64 61 72 6B 20 6C 69 74 74 6C 65 20 77 |at dark little w|
00000590: 69 6E 64 6F 77 20 69 73 20 66 6F 72 2E 00 70 6B |indow is for..pk|
000005A0: 69 6F 73 6B 00 0D 00 00 00 D4 00 EA 00 93 01 E1 |iosk............|
000005B0: 01 7E 02 BE 02 32 03 69 03 48 04 CE 04 10 05 91 |.~...2.i.H......|
000005C0: 05 11 55 00 0B 01 27 66 01 37 0C 00 00 01 01 04 |..U...'f.7......|
000005D0: 02 06 32 80 B3 26 81 35 11 81 59 0A 72 08 44 05 |..2..&.5..Y.r.D.|
000005E0: 03 81 C0 03 03 05 00 0C 00 13 00 1A 00 21 00 28 |.............!.(|
000005F0: 00 2B 01 08 18 48 3E 00 01 02 25 01 09 18 48 3E |.+...H>...%...H>|
00000600: 00 01 02 1C 01 09 0C 48 51 00 01 02 13 01 08 0C |.......HQ.......|
00000610: 48 3E 00 01 02 0A 01 1B 01 02 05 01 1B 94 01 02 |H>..............|
00000620: 81 85 03 03 04 00 0A 00 0F 00 14 00 19 00 1E 01 |................|
00000630: 48 3E 00 01 02 16 01 48 3E 00 01 02 0F 01 48 51 |H>.....H>.....HQ|
00000640: 00 01 02 08 01 48 3E 00 01 02 01 02 81 59 04 07 |.....H>......Y..|
00000650: 05 48 14 45 0D 43 06 3E 22 2D 1B 24 01 1B 02 02 |.H.E.C.>"-.$....|
00000660: 23 01 1B 03 02 1E 11 49 00 06 01 1B 06 02 05 01 |#......I........|
00000670: 1B 9D 01 02 0F 01 1B 05 02 0A 01 1B 07 02 05 01 |................|
00000680: 1B 9C 01 02 81 21 04 07 02 45 3F 44 02 77 11 0C |.....!...E?D.w..|
00000690: 02 07 11 49 01 03 02 04 02 80 0E 01 1B 04 27 49 |...I..........'I|
000006A0: 00 43 2E 03 3C 02 21 11 0C 17 07 11 49 01 03 02 |.C..<.!.....I...|
000006B0: 04 02 80 0E 01 1B 04 27 49 00 43 2E 03 3C 02 08 |.......'I.C..<..|
000006C0: 05 06 01 1B 9F 02 01 02 40 11 0C 02 07 11 49 01 |........@.....I.|
000006D0: 03 02 04 02 80 0E 01 1B 04 27 49 00 43 2E 03 3C |.........'I.C..<|
000006E0: 02 21 11 0C 17 07 11 49 01 03 02 04 02 80 0E 01 |.!.....I........|
000006F0: 1B 04 27 49 00 43 2E 03 3C 02 08 05 06 01 1B 9F |..'I.C..<.......|
00000700: 02 01 02 05 01 1B 9F 01 02 80 9C 11 07 5F 07 11 |............._..|
00000710: 03 04 03 02 04 02 80 13 1F 03 09 01 1B 91 27 66 |..............'f|
00000720: 00 02 05 01 1B A5 01 02 08 05 06 01 1B 9F 02 01 |................|
00000730: 02 74 11 66 01 20 04 00 03 6F 0B 25 04 24 0C 10 |.t.f. ...o.%.$..|
00000740: 01 1B 86 02 0F 01 1B 87 02 0A 01 1B 88 02 05 01 |................|
00000750: 1B 9B 01 02 4B 11 66 00 47 04 00 03 6F 18 25 04 |....K.f.G...o.%.|
00000760: 24 26 37 11 7D 00 06 01 1B 89 02 08 01 1B 09 27 |$&7.}..........'|
00000770: 7D 00 01 02 29 11 4B 00 06 01 1B 89 02 08 01 1B |}...).K.........|
00000780: 0B 27 4B 00 01 02 17 11 61 00 06 01 1B 89 02 08 |.'K.....a.......|
00000790: 01 1B 0A 27 61 00 01 02 05 01 1B 9B 01 02 01 02 |...'a...........|
000007A0: 05 01 1B A2 01 00 00 01 02 05 01 1B 9E 01 02 80 |................|
000007B0: AB 10 07 5F 15 10 65 01 0D 01 1B 90 4F 0E 27 65 |..._..e.....O.'e|
000007C0: 00 3E 03 02 05 01 1B 8F 01 02 80 90 10 07 5F 07 |.>............_.|
000007D0: 10 03 04 03 02 04 02 80 0A 01 1B 90 27 66 00 02 |............'f..|
000007E0: 05 01 1B 9E 01 02 74 10 66 01 20 04 00 03 6F 0B |......t.f. ...o.|
000007F0: 25 04 24 0C 10 01 1B 85 02 0F 01 1B 86 02 0A 01 |%.$.............|
00000800: 1B 87 02 05 01 1B 9A 01 02 4B 10 66 00 47 04 00 |.........K.f.G..|
00000810: 03 6F 18 25 04 24 26 37 10 7D 00 06 01 1B 88 02 |.o.%.$&7.}......|
00000820: 08 01 1B 0A 27 7D 00 01 02 29 10 4B 00 06 01 1B |....'}...).K....|
00000830: 88 02 08 01 1B 0C 27 4B 00 01 02 17 10 61 00 06 |......'K.....a..|
00000840: 01 1B 88 02 08 01 1B 0B 27 61 00 01 02 05 01 1B |........'a......|
00000850: 9A 01 02 01 02 05 01 1B A1 01 00 00 |............ |
..8......Z...THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF
TWO AVENUES IN MOSCOW. THE STREETS ARE
LIKE POLISHED ALUMINUM, AND THERE ARE N
O BUILDINGS ON THESE CORNERS. IN THE CEN
TER OF THE INTERSECTION, THERE IS A STRU
CTURE MUCH LIKE A KIOSK..DO YOU MEAN CLI
MB UP?.THE KIOSK IS A RECTANGULAR BLOCK
ABOUT 4 METERS TALL AND THREE METERS SQU
ARE. THERE IS THE OUTLINE OF A DOOR IN O
NE OF THE WALLS. NEXT TO THE DOOR THERE
ARE THREE BARS..THEY ARE ABOUT TEN CENTI
METERS LONG, AND ARE PLACED VERTICALLY,
SIDE BY SIDE..THE DOOR SLIDES OPEN, REVE
ALING A COMPARTMENT SOME THREE METERS DE
EP. INSIDE, TAKING UP ALMOST THE WHOLE I
NTERIOR, THERE IS A CRAB-LIKE CREATURE O
R MACHINE..THE DOOR IS ABOUT TWO METERS
HIGH AND ALMOST THREE METERS WIDE..THE C
RAB IS MOTIONLESS. IT HAS NUMEROUS LEGS
AND TWO POWERFUL-LOOKING CLAWS. THERE IS
A KIND OF HOPPER ON ITS BACK..IN THE HO
PPER THERE IS A SMALL, SOMEWHAT OVOID OB
JECT..THE OBJECT IS OVOID IN SHAPE, WITH
ONE END CUT OFF. IT IS ABOUT 10 CENTIM
ETERS LONG. ON ONE SIDE THERE IS A CIRCU
LAR, DARKENED GLASS PLATE. ON EVERY OTHE
R SURFACE, THERE ARE TINY OPENINGS AND S
MALL, PLUG-LIKE PROTRUSIONS..THIS MAY SO
UND CRAZY, BUT I'LL BET THAT'S SOME KIND
OF MEMORY STORAGE DEVICE, LIKE A READ-O
NLY MEMORY CARTRIDGE. YOU KNOW, A ROMCAR
T..I KNOW I'VE SEEN THAT SHAPE BEFORE. B
UT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE....I THINK IT'
S A RAMAN EGG, SKIPPER! WATCH OUT, IT MI
GHT HATCH..! SERIOUSLY, THOUGH, I WONDER
WHAT THAT DARK LITTLE WINDOW IS FOR..PK
IOSK.....T.......~...2.I.H.N......U...'F
.7........2..&.5..Y.R.D..............!.(
.+...H>...%...H>.......HQ.......H>......
........................H>.....H>.....HQ
.....H>......Y...H.E.C.>"-.$....#......I
.............................!...E?D.W..
...I..........'I.C..<.!.....I..........'
I.C..<..........@.....I..........'I.C..<
.!.....I..........'I.C..<...............
....._................'F................
.T.F. ...O.%.$......................K.F.
G...O.%.$&7.}..........'}...).K.........
.'K.....A..........'A...................
..........._..E.....O.'E.>............_.
............'F........T.F. ...O.%.$.....
.................K.F.G...O.%.$&7.}......
....'}...).K..........'K.....A..........
'A..................
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