Parallel worlds – one. Fire and flame - стр. 33

He shook his head, "What is this, bring me back to reality!" Nearby, in a neighboring rig lay… him!

It is very difficult to make the consciousness believe in its absence from the real world only on the basis of the fact that the brain knows about the existence of the virtual. How can you convince yourself, in the apparent reality of the self, that you are not in reality, it's all not true? How?

– And there you go," he heard in his head.

– Who's that? Irene, is that you?

Ruthra asked because the voice was unusual: male. The artificial intelligence could speak in a man's voice, but it didn't give orders to do so.

– No, it's not me.

– Then who?

– I don't know. There was no commutation through me.

– Then how and who?

– I'm checking. There was no outside entrance to you.

– And to whom, me? What's going on?

Ruthra glanced angrily at the "servants of science" who stood a little away from the rigs, then awkwardly stood up and walked over to the next rig. He couldn't believe his eyes – there was a man who looked just like him! Suddenly, Ruthra realized that the scientist could have done such a thing to learn the secrets he possessed in the real world. He shuddered, "Then who am I now?"

Ruthra looked into the mirror set into the wall, a large, full-length mirror. He couldn't say he was horrified; he couldn't say he was surprised… Strangely enough, Ruthra didn't even feel a strong sense of surprise, so much so that he'd been raised and trained by virtual reality, or rather, by feeling in it and not believing in it afterward. Ruthra was aware of what the scientist had done, knew it wasn't real, but couldn't quite grasp the purpose, though he could guess. Apparently, the one wanted to demonstrate his new capabilities and accomplishments. Of course, the brazenness and daring he had displayed was also so provocative that Ruthra's rage could hardly be contained by his new body. His body, and in fact the body of a scientist! The mirror reflected the "luminary of science".

Another man's body was horrible. Though it was perfectly normal by Ruthra's standards, quite athletic, it was alien. The only thing that made him feel better was the unreality of what was happening. Ruthra rushed to wake himself up, to reprimand the insolent man who'd gotten into his body and end the experiment, but then he felt another twitch. He couldn't influence the real world in the virtual world, he couldn't order the experiment to stop!

– For crying out loud, you're not natural either! – he yelled at the scientists. – Wake him up immediately! – he shouted, realizing at the same time the absurdity of his demand in two guises.