Binary code: Mystery number one - стр. 42

– I understand," Ruthra replied, shook hands with his superior and went to his office.

Zhidkov left in the service car. Ruthra spent the rest of the day studying the Perimeter system and everything connected with it. His intuition told him to look where something like it had been. For some reason, its exploitation had been abandoned, though the urgency of the subject had not waned.

During the Cold War, the U.S. had its own "backup" codenamed "Mirror". Crews were constantly in the air for three decades with the mission to control the skies if control of the ground was lost due to a surprise attack. The main difference between the Mirror and the Perimeter system, which they called "dead hand", was that the Americans relied on humans to warn them of an attack.

After the Cold War, the U.S. abandoned the system, although it is still not clear who exactly controls the Soviet version. Rutra was never able to figure out who made the initial decision, as there were three other posts besides the official ones. One of them was within the structure of Center Zero, but the other two were designated by the secret code "Polygon" and the facility "Kremlin-2". No indication of the disposition of these posts he did not find. Vasilievich also strangely evaded answering, citing that he could not talk about it, even on a closed line, and added: "This is an empty designation. These posts do not exist. The secret of these posts is only this. To have spies looking for something that doesn't exist."

Such an explanation, which could not be said over the special communications telephone, raised even more questions. Ruthra didn't seem concerned by this answer, though there was certainly common sense in such a disguise. He also found out that even high-ranking military officers were careful not to speak on the subject.

General Ivashov, head of the analytical department for new types of weapons and, at the same time, head of the "P" department where Post No. 3 was located, was the only person in the center who was knowledgeable on the subject. When asked by Rutra about the structure of the system and the problem it posed, he evasively replied, "Those who know about it avoid talking about it." When asked to talk about Polygon and Kremlin-2, he replied in a way that stumped Rutra: "I can't talk about it, because I know what happens to those who try to find out.

Ruthra decided to wait until the next day and talk frankly with Vasilievich. In the meantime, he decided to study what was opposing the Perimeter system.