Obshchina of Neural Network. Arc 1

Episode 5: "Phantom Visit"

"Who am I?" Borislava thought...

She had no idea what she was destined to learn during this journey. And then she realized that she was not afraid, because everything had already happened in the past and since she decided to open up even to herself, now she can rely on fate.

Borislava was lying on the bed in the Obshchina's room. She looked at the sleeping Martha and thought: why did her friend accept her reality so easily, without even understanding its depth? Why didn't Martha ask her anything? No one talked to her about her role either. Martha lived her life, really lived and accepted everything that was happening to everyone around her in a normal human way.

Moonlight illuminated the room. Borislava recalled the last nights and hours spent together, and thought that Marta was still the person closest to her. Hugging her rabbit Kuzima, Boriska felt very good, but she did not feel anything for Martha - this feeling remained undefined.Suddenly, the spirit of Professor Dargomyzhsky appeared in the room. He looked tired and aged. Boriska was used to his regular appearances, but now Dargomyzhsky looked like he had to experience a lot of hardships.

"So, the longing for the true body that has sunk into obscurity turned out to be stronger than even I expected," Borislava realized. 

Dargomyzhsky looked at her and nodded almost imperceptibly. She felt a little sad, but she didn't show it. She always had a feeling that any external manifestation of human emotions on the part of Dargomyzhsky was a deliberate mockery of her confusion. One could only hope that other spirits did not have such a tradition.

Dargomyzhsky made a short movement with his hand and a sheet of white paper appeared in the air. Still silent, he pointed at it and immediately disappeared. Borislava looked sadly at a blank sheet of paper, pulled a pen out of her pocket and thoughtfully moved it. Realizing that she did not know what to write, she put her name.

Sighing, she lowered her eyes, but before she opened her mouth, Dragomyzhsky reappeared and gave her the same sheet that she had already seen. This time there was nothing to write on the sheet.

Dargomyzhsky looked at her, shook his head disapprovingly and disappeared. Turning the sheet over, Borislava read her name, written in an even small handwriting: "Borislava". She looked around.

She didn't know what to do. And went to bed.

In a dream, she saw her rabbit Kuzima, who ran away from her in the forest when she arrived in Moscow. She screamed after him, but he did not hear, and then ran away far, far away, and she lost sight of him.

With difficulty shifting her legs, Borislava wandered in the direction where Kuzima had rushed off. She thought that one way or another she would catch up with him, and even began to hum something, but suddenly discovered that she did not know the way.

"This is a trick," she thought, "completely lost in Moscow. Well, nothing, after all, Kuzima did not leave me alone... although why am I? Am I lonely without Kuzima, or what?" 

She looked around and realized that she had lost not only Kuzima in Moscow. There were tall trees all around, with a path winding between them that she couldn't follow. Suddenly Borislava noticed a big red bird sitting on one of the peaks. The bird looked attentively at Borislava and flew away again. Then she saw another bird, very far away. She looked at Borislava again, then at another and another... She got scared and screamed. And when she screamed for the third time, the birds saw her again.

"What is it? Borislava thought. 

—I don't like it, it shouldn't be like this.

 She wanted to go forward, but the path disappeared. There were tall trees and bushes all around. 

"Stop," Borislava decided. "You just have to close your eyes." 

And she squeezed her eyes shut. The same thing happened when she tried to walk back. Borislava once again tried to understand how this was happening, and suddenly she was struck by lightning. She felt herself hanging in the dark, and then suddenly found herself in a clearing covered with low grass. Behind her was a high wall with countless windows.

Opening one of the windows, she saw a joyful Svetlana, alive and happy. Opening another window, Borislava saw India. She saw her as she saw her when she wanted to see her. When she saw India, she immediately wanted to see it, and, of course, she did. And soon Borislava felt what would happen next. However, if she had been told what would happen next, she probably wouldn't have believed it. And it would be stupid, of course.

Borislava missed India very much. She decided to climb into this window. As a result, she fell down onto a stone staircase cut into the rock. It was terribly cold and the wind was blowing, so soon she was completely chilled. In order to somehow warm up, she started chewing leaves, and suddenly she saw a woman in a white skirt in front of her. She could not get closer because of the steepness of the stairs, but at a distance of two steps she suddenly saw a small black dog with long ears, which suddenly turned into a huge black and white hare.

- Kuzima! Borislava exclaimed,

"Don't you recognize me?" the woman asked, smiling. - It's me, your Aunt Amrita!

Borislava was very happy and stretched out her hands to her, but the woman suddenly turned into a monster - an unprecedented beast with golden eyes and a red mouth full of sharp fangs.

The girl woke up. It was already morning. Martha, Farisa and Tatiana were having breakfast in the room.

Their eyes were lowered. Martha lowered the book, looked at Borislava sitting opposite and whispered in her ear: 

- Your hands are shaking. Something happened? I always know you're in danger. I'm scared, Borislava. I see drops of sweat on your face. We have to leave today. Necessarily. And as far away as possible.

- Why? Borislava asked. 

- What if he comes back? 

- Who's coming back? - Borislava did not understand.

- - Dargomyzhsky! - Martha exclaimed.

- He already came at night while you were sleeping! - Borislava said.

- What are you talking about! - Farisa whispered. - What a horror! What should we do?

- Just don't go anywhere. Go down to the basement and sit there. I'll keep watch. And if he comes, I'll meet him. I'm good with guns. It's not magic. I don't know what it is, but it's something! - said Tatiana.

- And help you make a bomb to destroy all the enemies of humanity? - Martha asked.,

"Yes," Borislava replied. - We will help you kill these enemies. Let's kill ourselves. And we... We will solve this problem. We're all together. Together. Together! Together!