Expelled From Paradise

Jed

1

Jed was like an island surrounded by a sea of sand. At the entrance, there was a cargo terminal. They parked their land rover in the parking for non-resident vehicles. The city flourished due to it being a market located in between other cities. Dingo led Angela to the market. Along the streets under the eaves were small shops. Everything from garbage to food was traded here. There were bright posters with booze and women with heavy makeup standing in the doorways.

Angela was shocked to see so many people here. There was nothing in the desert, so all the people gathered here. There was real pandemonium on the streets. Following Dingo was already difficult. Some strange traders told her,“You there beautiful, take it while it’s cheap,” and they offered dried lizards and scorpions soaked in rum. Angela turned away in disgust. However, Dingo was enjoying this bustle. Somehow managing to catch up with him, Angela asked, “And how do you plan to collect information?”

“We’ll look for those that could have traded with the Pioneer.”

“And do you know who to look for?”

“We’ll sort it out on the spot.”

Dingo headed for an alley, further from the main road. Here everything was different. There were suspicious men everywhere. They seemed to be eyeing the passer-bys. Here there were stores, selling stolen goods and drugs. Dingo kept walking. He stopped before a store that was selling suspicious electronic parts. Near the window on a table sat a man, that was in charge of this store.

Dingo spoke to him,“ ಐ ಓ ಔ ಕ ಖ ಗ ಘ.”

Angela watched doubtfully. She did not understand the language that Dingo spoke in. There were several different languages mixed up together, forming its own dialect.

The man looked at Dingo suspiciously.

“ಙ ಝ ಞ ಲ ಶ ಹ ય ર લ ળ વ ಕ ಖ দ ধ ন প ফ ব অ আ ই.”

The man spoke.

“র ল শ ষ স অ আ ই ঈ উ.”

Angela turned on her wrist computer. She activated the automatic translator. But their conversation had too much slang. After a simple translation, a lot of words were left, the meaning of which were unclear. She could have asked Deva’s operator for an algorithm for an exact translation, but she couldn’t use the satellite communication system.

“ભ મ ય ર લ ঢ ণ ত থ ળ વ શ ષ.”

Saying something, Dingo held out a small diamond in his hand.

“ સ ই ঈ উ હ ড ঢ ণ ত ধ ন প ফ ব ভ ম য.”

The man got up and went into the store.

Angela said in a whisper, “Hey, translate.”

“Oh sorry,” Dingo was able to answer before the man came back.

“ র ল শ ষ স অ আ.”

“Hey.”

“Later.” He said to Angela and followed the merchant deep into the store.

“Wait… Oh damn it!”

Angela’s dissatisfaction reached its limits. She will not forgive for not explaining anything to her and doing what he wants. In Deva, she always carried out investigations on her own. She decided by herself and acted by herself. She got the information from the network and gave instructions to AI support, she solved many cases of interference with the system. But in the real world, she wasn’t capable of anything. She couldn’t achieve anything.

“What is this… How is this! Damn him!”

Angela herself did not notice that she lost control, and three hooligans noticed her.

“I can’t translate, I can’t collect information. Why does this world outside of Deva even exist? Why do they live in such a disgusting place?”

She continued to grumble as the hooligans approached her. Two of them came in from behind. One was a small but strong guy, like a wrestler, and the second had a bubble gum and a knife in his hand. The third that stood in front of her wore round glasses and a Hawaiian shirt.

“Hello beautiful. Lost?”

The wrestler added.

“Let us walk you. But you have to pay for that.”

“Huh..?”

Angela was slightly taken aback. Thanks to the tracking system in Deva, it was simply impossible to perform such an open blackmail. But this was the real world. She could only rely on her own strength to survive.

Angela chuckled.

“Perfect. Just in time. So you’re saying directions. Bring me to a place with a lot of space.”

Not really understanding her reaction, they led her to a place with no people at all. The guy ahead with the glasses looked around.

“Well, will this place suit you? Now about the payment…”

“Well, I don’t even know.”

In response, she kicked with her leg into his jaw. He flew into a pile of garbage. She turned around and called the other two.

“Come on.”

“Oh, you little snot!”

The guy with the bubble gum started swinging his knife. Fighting with an armed enemy with bare hands was Angela’s forte. The knife was facing her. Angela grabbed the guy’s wrists and threw him onto his back. Her fist crashed directly into his solar plexus. The enemy uttered a cry of agony.

“Rubbish!”

The wrestler struck a blow with brass knuckles. Angela blocked it, went behind him and hit his crotch with her knee. Groaning, the wrestler fell. Angela moved in a dance rhythm. These games were not enough for her. Enduring the pain, the hooligans stood up, expecting more blows.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy. She could barely stand on her legs.

‘Huh?!’ was what she had time to think before the guy with the knife jumped up and stood in a fighting stance. He began to roughly wave the knife. She was going to grab his hands and deliver a blow again, but her body refused to move the way she wanted it to. To dodge the blows, she decided to retreat. Somehow she was able to do it. She could only dodge all his knife attacks.

She barely moved but sweat a lot, besides, she was shivering as if her whole body was frozen. Angela couldn’t understand what was happening to her. Her legs stammered. She was about to fall, but her legs somehow still held her balance.

But then the wrestler jumped up and grabbed Angela.

“Аh!”

While she was concentrating on the knife, she didn’t notice her rear at all. She fought the best she could, but the guy was too strong. The guy with the knife neared her with a smile. The guy with the glasses held a stick and also approached her. The knife was zeroing on her chest.

“And what can we do with you?”

The hooligans giggled terribly. Angela glared at them angrily.

“I don’t like your gaze. It is necessary to punish you properly.”

He took the knife with a reverse grip and began to swing it. Angela shut her eyes.

A shot sounded. With a metallic sound, the bullet sent the knife flying. Blood flowed from the hand of the guy which held the knife. He turned around. There stood Dingo with his revolver. Silently, the hooligans looked at the muzzle of the 45-caliber pistol. The guy with the glasses looked at the knife on the ground. The thin blade split in two. He nodded to his comrades. They let go of Angela and fled.

Angela fell right on the spot. Dingo said reproachfully.

“Don’t underestimate the real world.”

“I don’t need your concern…”

It was difficult for her to breath. Her voice weakened. Now that she was free from fear, she couldn’t get up. Realizing what was wrong, Dingo’s expression changed.

“Sorry. I should have noticed. I know that you are stubborn, but you don’t need to put up with it this long.”

He held out his hand, but Angela pushed it away.

“It’s okay… I’ll manage.”

Even as she rose, she kept shaking. There was no strength left in her legs. She began to fall again.

Dingo barely managed to catch Angela as she fainted.

2

Above her was the dirty ceiling of the land rover. There was something cool and soft on her forehead. A wet towel. She realized that she was sleeping in Dingo’s bed. She turned and saw Dingo sitting on an old couch. In his hands was a thick faded book.

“What’s with me?”

Dingo looked at her.

“You’re awake.”

He closed the book and put it on a table. The side was labeled “Space Technology”.

“You’re tired. Your body is weak and you somehow managed to catch a pathogen.”

“I got sick?”

Dingo was amazed.

“You have a fever. And you also ran around like a maniac in this state, which only made it worse.”

Angela, reproaching herself, smiled bitterly.

“It’s an inconvenient thing, this physical body.”

“Did you really not notice, that you weren’t feeling well?”

“My support is provided by the operator at the combat station. He monitors my autonomic nervous system and reports a deterioration of my physical state if any. But there is no connection with him right now.

“Report? How could you not have noticed that you aren’t feeling well?”

“I thought this was how the physical body felt.”

“I see…” Dingo’s face was grim. “You’ve never been sick and tired before.”

Angela frowned.

“It’s strange, I’ve been vaccinated. And my genes have been improved to withstand different bacteria.”

Angela frowned.

Well, anything could happen. A human body isn’t as resistant as you think it is.”

Dingo put Angela’s bag on her lap and opened the retractable lid.

“I’ve been digging into your first aid kit, but didn’t find any medicine. Do you not have them?”

“A medical device is built in the middle. Depending on the physical condition it will make the necessary drugs. But the diagnosis could be carried out only when it’s online.

“So it’s time to use it.”

Sighing, Dingo touched the touch panel of the medical device. Since he was an agent, it activated after scanning his fingerprint. There was no connection yet, but a dialogue box was opened to connect to the closed network of Deva. On clicking the connection icon, they would enter online mode.

“Wait, what are you doing? No communication systems.”

“Without access to Deva, you will not recover. Do you think that you can fulfill the mission in such a state?”

“And what do people on Earth do when they’re sick?”

“If it’s a simple cold, we just eat properly, rest in the warmth. If it’s something serious, we immediately search for a doctor and medicine, playing a game of chance with death.

“Let me try too then.”

“Are you serious?”

“I told you, I was vaccinated. If the illness is unknown, then there’s nothing to be done… But if it’s simply overwork, then I just need to rest.”

“Are you sure? You will have to suffer until recovery.”

“I will carry out this mission without support. So I decided. And there is no other way out anyways…”

“Why are you exhausting yourself like this?”

“Because otherwise, nothing will work…”

Angela stared at the ceiling. Because of the heat, her vision was clouded, but at the same time full of confidence. "I am the holder of the third rank in the security service… And don’t you dare underestimate me. Do you think I can’t accomplish the mission entrusted to me? I will achieve beyond that. I will show everyone what I can do.”

“Clear.”

Dingo said this with admiration and turned off the medical device.

“And you do not plan to stop at third rank, do you? You must keep going as far as possible.”

“Hmm… Of course. Otherwise just…”

Otherwise, why was I born into this world at all? She closed her eyes. She fainted again. How much time has passed since then? She felt something warm and tasty. She felt weak; her head was unbearable. Her throat hurt. In front of her was a worried Dingo. He held a bowl from which steam came out.

“What is this?”

“Porridge containing millets; soft and easy to eat. And it is good for digestion.”

“Is it nutritious?”

“Well yeah. Just try and say for yourself…”

Angela began to lift her exhausted body.

“Okay, give me.”

He handed her the bowl and a spoon. She scooped up some porridge and put it in her mouth. It was hot, Angela burned her tongue and didn’t even understand the taste. And yet, she kept eating.

3

Further away from Jed, the rover stopped. The desert became dark, a myriad of stars shone in the night sky. On the roof of the car, Dingo lit a single lamp and played on an acoustic guitar. Soft and quiet chords were heard. Even Angela, who was lying on the bed, heard them.

She opened her tired eyes. For some time she kept listening, then quietly got up. She climbed the stairs and opened the hatch that led to the roof and looked out. Angela saw the back of Dingo. Hearing her, he stopped playing and turned around.

“Are you sure you should move?”

“I can, a little.”

“Well if you’re feeling better, you will recover soon. But if you overwork, you will collapse again. Don’t hurry and continue to rest.”

“Yeah.”

Angela answered obediently, looking at the swaying flame of the lantern.

“Hey, you said that you need to feel the music with every part of your body.”

“Huh? Oh, yes I did.”

“Is it that amazing?”

“Well, I’m sure it can’t be compared to the amazing things that can be experienced in Deva.”

“Yes. Depending on the amount of memory, you can extend your perception range to a level beyond a physical body.”

Angela looked at the starry sky.

“When a star died, I was able to listen to a burst of gamma radiation, which occurred billions of light years from here. I could feel the Higgs field at the molecular level with my fingertips. I could feel a fertilized egg hatching. But I’ve never heard of feeling music with every part of your body.”

She looked at Dingo again.

“Are you not scared of me? Does this not bother you at all?”

Dingo answered: “Why should I be scared? The security service of Deva is my client. I’ve done work together with you so many times. It’s not like you’re ghosts or monsters.”

“Exactly. You have to understand. Digitized humanity is a new round of evolution. People who have remained on Earth, are the passed, they have no future.”

Dingo just grinned and kept silent.

Angela continued.

“You just get hungry, tired, or ill, and then you can’t even move. Yet you’re still communicating with me despite your frailty. Are you not interested in Deva and the new humanity at all?... Why are you so confident? Is it because we have discarded our physical bodies and you can feel the exceptional value of your body? Is it because you can feel music with every part of your body?”

Dingo silently stood up with his guitar and lantern in his hands.

“You are sitting in the wind. Go sleep.”

Having said this, he went downstairs.

Angela didn’t like his attitude but didn’t interrogate him either. She glanced up at the night sky. There was the unseen beauty of the Milky Way. From here it was much more clear and majestic than if she were looking at it from Deva. In this filthy place with lifeless land, Dingo, as well as the people in the city, were enjoying themselves. They all looked so alive. It was unlikely that Angela would understand this. But the sprout of this desire grew.

4

The land rover approached the next stop, the city of Grabika. In the passenger’s seat, next to Dingo, a completely recovered Angela was seated.

“Sleep. There are six more hours until Grabika.”

While adjusting her blonde hair, Angela said, “I’m already fine. And if I continue to lie in bed, I will just go crazy.”

“Is the bed so uncomfortable?”

“It’s rather the fact that in Deva, I do not take rest often.”

“Then how do you relax? Or do you not sleep at all?”

“No, we rest, of course, just the resting process in Deva is optimized. But for this, you just need a click on the corresponding icon in the system’s capabilities, and then all the resources are unloaded. Like this, I can sleep for five minutes.”

“A dream in five minutes? Yep, sounds terrifying.”

“And you sleep too much.”

There was still only sand and rocks around the land rover. From time to time, a few vestiges of the departed were seen. But these cities were completely absorbed in sand. These ghost towns were like islands in the burning sea of sand. It looked like the end of the human race on Earth. Angela looked at Dingo. Despite the landscapes that surrounded him, he was humming something happy and fun to himself. This was just impossible to understand.

They saw a large truck for long-distance transportations parked at the side of the road. The hooded man was waving his hand. It seemed as though he wanted them to stop. Dingo pressed on the brakes and slowed down. He stopped behind the parked car.

Surprised, Angela asked, “Why did you stop? This is just a waste of time. Let’s keep driving.”

“No. Maybe he stopped because something broke. Anyone rarely passes here. Staying here is just life-threatening. We can’t leave him here.”

Angela pouted.

“Nothing will happen to our work. Wait a bit.” having said that, Dingo got out of the car.

He approached the man and spoke to him. Angela opened the window and listened in. She heard a tired voice of a man.

“Please excuse me. I just thought that the engine was jarring, but then it stopped working. I don’t understand what’s the matter.”

“Maybe the battery.”

“No, that’s not it. Something else broke, but it’s not clear as to what broke. I will not be able to move until I find the reason.”

“Hm… And where were you going?”

“To Jed. Listen, can you tow me?”

Dingo folded his arms on his chest.

“Well, I don’t know. We will need to go back. Maybe it would be better to go to Grabika?”

“There’s no one who can repair my truck there. Please. This is a matter of life and death. If I don’t get there...

They heard a voice.

“Show me the drive unit computer control.”

Turning around, Dingo saw Angela, getting out of the land rover.

“What are you going to do?”

“I want to look inside. Maybe the programs are faulty.”

“Is this possible?” Dingo asked the man.

He nodded and let Angela into the driver’s seat. Angela looked at the dashboard connection terminals and asked Dingo standing behind her.

“Is there a cable that could be used to connect to my terminal?”

“I think so. I’ll bring it now.”

Dingo brought out a connecting cable from his car. Angela connected her wrist terminal to the control computer. The display on her palm showed the language of the program code. With just a glance, she was outraged.

“What’s with this code? Did a child write this? There are only system errors here. It is amazing that this even worked.”

With fast movements of her hands, she began to fix the program code.

“I think this is good. I rewrote the algorithm. Try to start the engine.”

She let the man into the driver’s seat and he carefully started the engine. The engine growled and the console indicators lit up. Everything worked normally.

The man jumped from joy.

“You’re good, little one. It works better than before. Before it always made weird sounds. Incredible… Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Without stopping, he shook Angela’s hand. Taking off his strong dirty hand, standing next to him, Dingo quickly said.

“The repair - 20 nano-carat.”

“You repaired my truck, which is dearer to me than my life, so this is nothing.”

The man gave Dingo the money. His car started off and he kept signaling them many times in gratitude on his way to Jed.

“Good job.”

Angela puffed out her chest proudly.

“How else? Who do you think I am?”

Dingo smiled and wanted to give the money to Angela.

“What?”

“You earned it.”

Angela waved her hands.

“I don’t need them. I don’t know what to do with it anyways. Keep it.”

“We’ll buy something tasty in Grabika.”

“And yet, it’s such a childish program that makes a car move.”

“Nothing surprising. Deva lives at the expense of software.”

Angela was confused. For her, a hacker of the level of Pioneer here was a real mystery. They went back to the land rover and continued on their way.

Admiring the scenery from the passenger’s seat, Angela asked, “He was lucky that we were driving by. But what would have happened if no one showed up?”

“If he has a motorcycle or a buggy, he would have gone to the city, if not, he would have gone by foot… And would be attacked by something like the sandworms. Due to the environment, he could have died from dehydration. So moving from city to city is rather risky.”

“Just because the cities are so far apart from each other, so many problems are made. It would have been better if everyone was in one place.”

“There aren’t many places to live in amongst the surviving buildings.”

“And you don’t build new ones?”

“First we would need Deva’s data. For large-scale construction, a large number of people and materials are needed, and also a lot of time. It’s so much easier to live in ruins. In addition, a lot of the cities have their own advantages.”

“Like what?”

“It’s fun.”

“Huh?”

“They are all different and we live differently there. As a result, all these cities have something unique: goods or food. Isn’t this great?”

“Do they not understand, how risky it is to move from city to city?”

“If they properly prepare and behave carefully, then they should be fine. Maybe you don’t think so but traveling is actually very fun.”

“Is it like this everywhere?”

“On the other continent, there is something that can be called a metropolis. But mostly, yes, all are like this.”

“Hmm.”

Dingo looked at Angela slyly, “Did the real world interest you all of a sudden?”

“Where’d you get that idea from?”

“You’re just asking so many questions. You weren’t interested at all before.”

“Collecting information is very important.”

“Oh, yes of course.” Dingo smiled suspiciously.

He turned on the radio, and old rock began to play loudly in the car. Angela frowned but did not complain. She just silently looked at the desert through the window.