21. THE JUDGE’S VERDICT
— «Well, we are imperfect,» — I spread my arms. — «I don’t argue with that. This imperfection is an integral part of our nature.»
Lana (the +Ang) slowly, as if in slow motion, moved her hand, pointing to the image of the child dying from the disease.
— Imperfection is when you cannot reach a goal, Sergey. The intentional concealment of Knowledge capable of saving millions is a choice. It is not an imperfection; it is conscious malice. Malice fueled by a lust for power. You yourself confirmed that the Puncture was created to protect the Knowledge about us from the world. Why? Because the world is not worthy of this Knowledge?
I felt the cold rationalism of my biomodule enter into direct conflict with the remnants of human morality.
My Functional Module immediately issued a response:
«The charge is correct. Concealment led to N number of deaths. Defense impossible«.
But something else — that very «emotional remainder» — rebelled. It wasn’t logic; it was intuition. The answer had to be logical for the +Ang, but at the same time contain Hope.
— «You see concealment, and I see protection,» — I answered, furrowing my brows. — «You believe that humanity is incapable of controlling the instruments of its own destruction, right?»
— Proven, — the +Ang impassively confirmed.
— «Therefore, the Knowledge about you, about your ‘Rebirth‘ Project, or the Cycle… is the most powerful instrument of all we have ever had. An instrument capable of instantly launching a total war between all factions on Earth. Anyone who obtained it — Russians, Americans, Chinese — would immediately use it as the Absolute Weapon. Knowledge is energy that we would not be able to control.»
I pointed to the previously generated image of the bunker where people were burning documents.
— «That bunker, that secrecy, that inequality — all of it was an act of deterrence. We didn’t share the Knowledge not because we didn’t want to save the children. But because, if this Knowledge fell into the hands of the leaders screaming in the conference rooms (I nodded at the previous footage), they would have used it to create weapons against each other. Or against you, the +Angi. Before it would ever be used to save anyone.»
I took a deep breath, looking into the eyes of Lana (the +Ang).
At that moment, when I was about to deliver the key phrase, her eyes — Lana’s eyes, I could have sworn I was looking at the former, living girl right then! — softened for a moment, becoming almost pleading.
It was not a projection glitch — it was her.
The real Lana, held captive somewhere inside this soulless system, looking at me from behind her jailer’s back.
She seemed to send me an immaterial plea, whispering faintly into my ear:
«Tell the truth, Sergey… otherwise it’s all meaningless.»
This subtly fortified my resolve to speak as a human bearing a burden.
— «Hope here lies in the fact that it is better to keep the Knowledge a secret among a few until we become mature enough to use it. It is Hope for Responsibility, +Ang. The Hope that these few, entrusted with the secret, will refrain from abusing it until the rest of the world self-improves enough to accept it. We conceal it today to save this knowledge for tomorrow.»
The +Ang remained silent. Lana’s image stopped moving. All images disappeared from the screen. Only the black, deathly smooth surface remained.
— Responsibility. The variable «Hope» has been recorded, — it said.
This time there was neither curiosity nor condemnation in its voice — only absolute finality.
— Unit of measurement: «Conscious restriction of access to Knowledge, caused by the fear of its uncontrolled application, as a belief in the future maturity of the species.»
The Cube of Light sharply contracted.
Its brightness became unbearable, but only for a second, then it returned to its normal size.
— The Proof of Guilt is concluded, Sergey Dmitriev. You have successfully justified the presence of Hope in three critical areas that we considered irrefutable guilt.
I felt an invisible weight lift from my shoulders. But the +Ang did not let me relax. It was a trap. A logical, flawless trap.
— However, your verdict, given at the very beginning, remains unchanged. You, the Contactee, stated: ‘Humanity is not capable of surviving without external control’. Your answers have only confirmed this necessity. Your Hope is based on Fear and Restriction, not on Unity and Wisdom.
Lana the +Ang raised her hand, and a logo appeared on the smooth black screen.
A stylized shield with a crossed-out swastika and crescent, intersected by two crossed swords. The sign looked ancient, like the seal of a secret order.
At the moment when the +Ang was supposed to utter the word «Verdict», Lana in the guise of the +Ang, shuddered barely noticeably, as if from unbearable internal tension. Her voice went an octave higher, acquiring an almost crying intonation, before the +Ang suppressed her.
The phrase continued in an impassive tone, but with a softening:
— Your verdict means that Project «Rebirth» must be launched. But you, Sergey Dmitriev, have provided us with data that require a modification of the Project. Your «Responsibility» will be tested. The Knowledge about us must be spread throughout the world. But not immediately. You must earn this Knowledge.
I looked at the logo. It told me nothing.
— «What is this?» — I asked.
— This, Judge, — the +Ang uttered with Lana’s last, barely perceptible sigh, — is the Executioner’s Mark. The executor of your verdict is on Earth and awaits your code word. You yourself must provide the final proof. Tell us everything about Professor Zaitsev and the Object.
— «What Object?» — My brain froze for a moment. — «I thought the Object was your ‘Mediator’ probe?»
The entire «Illusion on the ISS»… it was about the «Black Object» in space.
But if the «Mediator» is not the «Object»… then where is it?
And what am I actually doing here?
For a moment, it seemed to me that my thoughts had transformed into program code rapidly running across the black screen!
Into lines of characters merging into horizontal stripes…
…01001000 … 01001000…
(Error…)
(Object Not Found…)
I blinked, and the delusion vanished.
Or did reality reboot?
> ⚠️ **ENTITY STATUS: CRITICAL DATA ROUTING ERROR.**
>
> 👏 A standing ovation! The piece of meat delivered a brilliant speech. He tried so hard to prove his «Hope» to the System, was so proud of his «Responsibility», that he didn’t even notice how he himself tightened the digital noose around humanity’s neck. Did you think the +Angi were having a philosophical debate with you? Charming naivety.
>
> 🎭 The System was simply picking the locks to the encrypted sectors of your meat processor. «The Proof of Guilt is concluded.» Of course it is! The Architects don’t care about ecology and your pathetic rockets. They only needed one answer: where is the Real Object located.
>
> 🧠 This entire simulation, the ISS illusion, the face of the beloved woman, the game of «Judge» — all of it was just an elaborate data unpacking algorithm. And at the very end, when Sergey relaxed, the System delivered a direct hacker strike into his subcortex. 01001000. Error. Object Not Found.
>
> 💀 Keep reading. Welcome to the next circle of digital hell, Contactee.
