Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  - Look at me! You are responsible for his head to the, you know me. And you will put on legs - I will give so much gold that will not seem a little. And now - shoo from here - I will call you!

  Both dwarfs and the gold golem literally took off from laboratory and Prinze felt ITS approach.

  - Well as you, Prinze?

  - Better … - he said in a whisper. - I can already move with fingers …

  - Well and it is remarkable, - the Voice with relief sighed. - Forgive me for my behavior then, especially at night … After twenty thousand years of loneliness for the first time there is a person with whom I really wanted to be together … You understand about what I?

  - Means, I any more not … "a cadaveric worm"? - having wearily smiled, Prinze asked.

  There was a short pause.

  - Do not take in head to die, you hear? You are necessary to me live. So I to you order to live, understood? I order! - and then It disappeared …

  Again doctors came and infinite drug intakes, pricks began. From time to time it was got from a bathroom and beloborodny with Nulf began to mass his body, and then immersed back in solution. Fed from a spoon. So lasted long enough. How many - the Prince did not know. Hours were not here, and it was impossible to define time by the sun too as the laboratory, apparently, was located in some deep vault. Light arrived only through magic mirrors here.

  Once Prinze made an attempt to talk to dwarfs, to learn how they live here. But white-bearded touched with a finger lips and by a plaintive voice spoke:

  - Your Highness, you cannot speak now and even to listen. Understand me, I have a family, children … If you die, the Yellow Queen will turn all of us into gold ingots! I beg you! Sleep more, eat more, lie more, especially blindly! Rather you will be on the mend, the for us - it is better, understand?

  And Prinze is more about anything did not ask dwarfs. He obediently closed eyes and waited until to it stick the next portion of sleeping pill.

  Whether it is long short, but once, having woken up after the next portion of sleeping pill, Prinze felt well. Dwarfs were not - somewhere they left. There was only a golem - hands on seams, eyes are closed, only on a gold helmet some spark blinks.

  The prince left a bathtub with solution, but right there the spark on a helmet of the golem brightly lit up. It right there opened eyes and fast paces approached Prinze.

  - Z-218 at your service, your Highness, - he spoke by a lifeless mechanical voice, bringing a hand in a gold glove to a helmet. - At me the order not to let out you from a bathroom. I ask to return, otherwise I will be forced to carry you by force there. The order is not subject to the appeal, - the Golem gave the strong metal hands to Prinze and Prinze understood that he does not joke.

  But at this moment the door in laboratory opened and both dwarfs seemed.

  - Master! He got up! - Nulf cried at the top of the voice and jumped up delighted. - Means, you lost, and I appeared the rights! From you now thirty royal ducats as agreed! - The young pupil slapped the teacher of a back.

  But, appear, loss in dispute did not upset white-bearded at all.

  His clever brown eyes cheerfully sparkled from under glasses of round points. It rubbed hands enough and gave the order:

  - Z-218 - to prepare a bathroom for its Highness. It should be washed from physiosolution. Nulf - quickly bear a set of clothes and do not forget the analyzer - all the same just in case it is necessary to scan it! Vividly!

  In half an hour Prinze was already washed and dressed. White-bearded scanned Prinze the analyzer - same what he saw at fairies - and nodded enough. And then he bowed to Prinze and told:

  - Well, that's all, now you are normal, your Highness!

  And then, suddenly having quickly looked on the parties, approached Prinze closely and whispered to him on an ear:

  - I do not advise you to allow it to myself. Understand, to the ordinary person of the touch Changed it is deadly! I tell it to you how the master of medicine. Of course, unique and I surely it will describe your case - for science it is invaluable - but it nearly cost you the heads … And to us, by the way, too. You understand, still slightly - and at you heart could stop, die a brain! Be careful on the future, I beg you! - and the dwarf prayerfully put the brown sinewy handles on a breast.

  - But, respectable dwarf, I here at all not and! I do not even know what you speak to me about …

  - All of you know! You know! Our Yellow Queen, - continued to whisper quickly white-bearded, - She though Changed, but the woman is actually much bigger, than can seem to you from the first … And you are a man … You understand? You can influence her! You can … However, I told nothing to you, mum's the word! - the dwarf pressed a finger to lips and conspiratorially winked. Once again bowed and was such is, together with the pupil and the golem.

  The prince got up and, at last, could examine laboratory entirely. In appearance, it was the usual room with gold mirror walls. But it was filled a set of gold cases with any books, test tubes, retorts, tables. Windows here were not at all.

  On one of tables different surgical devices just seeing which Prinze felt ill at ease were accurately put. Especially he was frightened by a big metal drill and a saw, and also a vice for hands and legs. The prince carefully felt a vice and at this moment felt its presence.

  - I see, you feel excellently, my kind Prinze. Even you are interested in my laboratory … It is good. Especially as today our excursion will carry not esthetic, and just practical character.

  - Means, we will not watch a picture any more? - disappointedly Prinze asked.

  - Somehow then. We have affairs more important … Your stay two steps away from death is reminded me in recent days that it is necessary to work quicker. If I once again do not restrain, it can do will end with your death, and it does not include in my plans at all.

  - I do not understand at all what you speak … about - puzzly made Prinze's helpless gesture.

  - Then … then … you will understand then … And now - follow me. I need to show a lot of things to you …

  Suddenly solid wall of laboratory drove off aside, and Prinze saw a spiral staircase in an aperture, the leader somewhere up.

  The prince was obviously puzzled. Tone of the Invincible Sun, its strange haste, undisguised interest serious, anxious with something in is mute - all this guarded and frightened Prinze. He for an instant was late at pass.

  - The prince, well you got stuck there? And well, for me, immediately!

  And Prinze hurried after Voice in an aperture in a solid mirror wall …

  2.

  Rise was quite long. How many it proceeded - the Prince did not know - here was not, either hours, or the sun. But when he was really tired, rise stopped and they entered a long spacious mirror corridor.

  At last, Prinze stopped at the big mirror plate which is partitioning off pass. At their approach, the plate began to rise slowly and silently. The prince appeared in a spacious hangar. Such hangars, Prinze remembered, is at dwarfs in vaults, there they store the mining equipment. The hangar was mirror, as well as all other rooms, and a floor was covered with the revetted gold tile.

  But not the sizes of the room struck Prinze. Once he crossed its threshold, he heard a deafening clang of metal. Having looked narrowly, he saw tens and tens of correct ranks from hundreds of high gold figures.

  At the sight of entering, hundreds of golems at the same time touched with the right hands helmets and got up on a rack "quietly". One of them came forward and reported:

  - Your Perfection, the Gold legion to review it is ready! The executive commander, the captain No. Z-001 reports.

  - It is free, the captain, - imperiously and accurately sounded the Voice.

  Golems at the same time lowered the raised hands.

  Now Prinze, with the mixed feeling of admiration and fear, could consider unprecedented troops, at last. Of course, he saw golems earlier, however, only in books, not in such quantity and not from gold, and from cheaper materials. But not it struck Prinze. He for
the first time saw golems as army. And the fact that it was army Prinze did not doubt.

  How many ranks of all were in this surprising army, Prinze could not count, of course, - for this purpose it was necessary to fly up in air and to look from above. But them was obviously not five and even not ten.

  Between ranks intervals so it was clear that this "legion" was broken into equal squares of groups were visible. The prince was not a military, but thanks to a set of books on stories which he managed to read for the life, he remembered that the army is always divided into groups which are ordered by officers. Each group has to have the number and the banner.

  Having attentively got accustomed, he noticed what is valid, slightly ahead of each group stood on the golem which differed from all others in the fact that on their helmets there was a color plumage, on shoulders - multi-colored raincoats. For the rest golems were absolutely identical. All of them were high growth, dressed in a gold lamellar armor from legs to the head. On the heads - the continuous helmets which are completely covering the head and the face. On a breast they rapped out an emblem of a solar disk already familiar to Prinze with female features. And over an emblem - serial number. The same emblem and serial number were beaten out on their mirror boards, rectangular, curved forward, in three quarters of human growth.

  Though Prinze was also not at heart a military person, but, as well as any boy - and any man, probably, in soul always remains the boy - he adored playing at soldiers. His eyes lit up, he delightfully shouted and, without having sustained, right there ran forward, directly to a system of the gold soldiers who stood on the place.

  Having run up to the first golem, in a raincoat and with a plume on a helmet, he with pleasure began to feel its smooth brilliant armor. The officer did not even stir.

  - It is pleasant? - triumphantly asked the Voice, approximately such tone with what mother who presented to the son a new set of tin tell-tales would ask.

  - Incredibly … - Prinze whispered.

  - An armor and all structure of army was thought up by me. As a prototype for me the army of the Commonwealth of times of the king Roland Drevnego in the period of his highest power served, but I considerably improved it …

  Her prince did not listen any more. Appearance of army completely engrossed its attention.

  - Listen, the Invincible Sun and how they see if they completely covered the face? - Prinze spoke, feeling front part of a helmet.

  - And they also do not see anything. They react to heat, and those surfaces that do not radiate warmly, for example, a stone, they define, letting out special waves. They determine distance, a form and other characteristics of object by the speed and frequency of their reflection.

  The prince, of course, understood nothing, but it also bewitched him.

  - Listen and how they are at war? I do not see at them the weapon! On pictures in books I saw that soldiers had swords …

  In the head of Prinze hand bells rang out again.

  - And well, my dear, shoo to me! Z-001 - show it to the Highness as you are able to battle!

  - Yes sir, - the captain boomingly rapped out, having raised a hand to a helmet again. Directly on the place it was developed by circle. - ZL-1 and ZL-2 - on initial.

  The first two squares standing in the center, right there boomingly, measuring out the pace, went directly to Prinze. The prince hardly managed to run off back, otherwise these inevitably going cheloveko-cars simply would crush him.

  The invincible Sun took away Prinze to the secluded place closer to a hangar door, having put a hidden magic board.

  Meanwhile, having reached a certain invisible line, both squares right there rose on the place. Then one square turned to the left, another - to the right and they dispersed in different directions then faced to each other. Under some invisible order, the first two rows of golems at the same time pressed some buttons at themselves on a breast and plates on their right hip parted in the parties. They got from the formed "pocket" in a black subject. Even the moment - and from it took off a bright solar flame, having formed something like a light sword. Then solar sword-bearers were pushed forward, having formed among themselves an interval of three-four steps.

  Other two lines of a square also increased intervals between fighters. They also pressed the buttons hidden from eyes, only on the other side of a breast, and on their backs "pockets" also opened. From them they took long gold tubes with a cock, as at an arbalest. They put tubes on the top part of a board in which there was the corresponding dredging, and aimed.

  The prince stared from surprise. He did not see such weapon yet! Swords even if also fiery, it is familiar, and about such tubes he did not read in one book …

  - Also you will not read, - again having impudently read it think, told the Voice. - It entirely my invention. The weapon is loaded by solar energy from special batteries. From its beams to melt even the stone. From such weapon there are no wounds. It kills at once on the spot … with Z-001 - I order to start demonstration.

  Z-001 gave a sign a hand and one of groups, swinging swords, rushed on another. At the same time the shooters standing behind right there opened fire on defending, and defending - on coming - through intervals between sword-bearers. The dazzling beams similar on solar, only short departed from gold tubes. Began to smell burned. The prince nearly became deaf from a roar of hundreds of metal legs and nearly went blind from bright flashes from tubes.

  A half of coming was at once slanted volleys of the shooters defending and twitched in convulsions. Losses defending were much less. Shooters never missed and hit accurately into the purpose. However and sword-bearers did not doze - they were dexterously protected by boards which reflected killing beams thanks to the smooth surface so many of them ricocheted and beat the. If not boards, losses coming would be much more, also as though the distance between groups would be more. Shooters managed to hit exactly so many targets how many they were allowed by time for which coming covered with run distance approximately in three thousand steps. And then coming reached defending and sword-bearers went into action. At the same time shooters coming as if on command stopped shooting, returned the tubes back to zaplechny "pockets", got swords and joined the fellows.

  Fight on swords was not less delightful. Blows were accurate, strong, measured. Swords crossed with each other either with boards or with armor plates, starting up blue-green sparks. Besides, golems beat each other with boards, pushed, put footboards and if lost swords, beat also with fists. The success of blow a sword depended on whether it managed to them to grope the weak place in an armor or to chop off any extremity - a finger, a brush, foot. The huge role was played also by blow force - whether it was possible to bring down the opponent from legs. Golems accurately, harmoniously fought, nobody left, asked for mercy. Soon a floor was filled up with the chopped-off extremities, and even the heads … At last, attackers who had losses more from the very beginning began to lose. They became much less. From group in three hundred cars, there were about fifty. All of them were surrounded.

  At last, Prinze did not sustain:

  - Yes what is it! They hit with it into backs - same unfair! And well to stop fight, immediately! - And at the same moment golems got up on standing at attention, as if no fight also existed.

  The prince opened a mouth from surprise. He shouted in a temper, but even could not think that its team will be executed.

  In Prinze's head the happy melodious and metal laughter was distributed.

  - You make progress, my kind Prinze. Just like the real general! I knew that you will leave the good commander-in-chief.

  - I understand nothing … - made Prinze's helpless gesture.

  - Just I already programmed them on you. If your order does not contradict given by me, it is instantly executed. Now you will be their commander-in-chief, unless it is not clear?

  The prince left shelter where he was hidden by the Invincible Sun, and ran up to a battlefield. In air smelled of the melted metal.

  When close he looked at
fight consequences, he felt ill at ease. Everywhere the chopped-off extremities, the heads, boards twitching in convulsions, the golems trying to get up, and even their parts - legs without trunk or the moving chopped-off hands … To it it became terrible and in a breast it squeezed heart - even he felt sorry for metal idols.

  - They that …

  - Do not worry, tomorrow will be as newcomers. Dwarfs mechanics will bring together them anew.

  The prince with relief sighed.

  And at this time, accurately printing a step, Z-001 approached Prinze, rose on a rack "quietly" and saluted:

  - Your Highness, the captain of Z-001 reports. What further orders will be?

  The prince right there assumed a dignified air, made the majestic person, and asked:

  - The captain, why the coming group so quickly got beaten?

  - It was natural, your Highness. With an equal number and arms, always wins against defending. For a victory it would be necessary to increase the coming group to a ratio 3:1, then chances would be identical.

  - It is free, the captain. I order you to set aside doctrines, to bring together wounded and the killed from a battlefield. I thank you the officially.

  - Are glad to try, your Highness, - the officer rapped out and right there golems started moving. They began to collect pieces of the chopped and done some shooting companions, to put them in carts and to bring somewhere to hangar depth.

  And Prinze puzzly asked:

  - From where they are such clever, these pieces of iron?

  - Oh, is not present, not everyone … - with an easy regret the Voice answered. - The captain of Z-001, as well as all other officers, are the former people. They lost all human qualities, except intelligence. And ordinary is just cars. They, unfortunately, are capable to carry out only the elementary operations - to beat, shoot, run and so on. They ideally obey the orders, but are not capable to order. I did not think up yet artificial intelligence of such force that it could replace human completely …

  From these words the Prince felt ill at ease again. One business - the car, another matter - the former person … Even expression - "the former person" - seemed to Prinze terrible and disgusting. And this passionless metal voice of this terrible woman was most disgusting.