Parallel Worlds pro et contra

– My plan is for you to get to know him first, make friends with him.

– Tell the idea in full.

– I will introduce you to him through the mailing list as a coin dealer who is not very knowledgeable. He's an amateur numismatist. He likes to be listened to as an expert. You get the story. Coins you get original, rare enough. Since the main group I picked up from Russia – coins will be the time of the Russian tsars. In conversation with this man casually mention that you are interested in various riddles that you even tried to participate in an intellectual quiz. I will do everything properly, and he will find on the Internet mentions of your participation in the intellectual game, the questions you asked. At this point, he should invite you to join the team as it is not fully staffed yet. After you have played a couple of games, I will invite two more individuals who will be the main characters of our experiment.

– So how do you plan to do it?

– There's a certain Catherine on the team. I will enter her brain, adapting to her rhythm in her sleep, and there I will play out a certain scene.

– You've got something so twisted… Spill it.

– The thing is, the two people we're looking for are divorced and, as they say, on the prowl. And you, according to legend, are a divorced man. Quite good-looking, athletic, successful businessman. Not too cool and rich, otherwise why would you sell coins and waste time on games?

– Do only middle-income people go to the game?

– No, it's just off topic. The next concept is that you have to become an oligarch-level businessman. Until then, you should not attract them much. In their eyes, you have to climb the career ladder gradually.

– Okay, what's next?

– Then, when you become friends with them, romantic intrigues, gradually begin to tell about their activities.

– What activities? And what do you mean, romantic entanglements?

– You must, as if in confidence, tell us about your work in a closed research institute. First, you will demonstrate a rather deep knowledge of physics, astronomy, and related topics. This will intrigue them: why do you have such a deep knowledge in these fields, but in life you do other things? You will reveal the secret to them as confidants, which will further strengthen your relationship. But do it one by one, not all at once.

– You're not telling the truth again.

– No, listen. By revealing a secret to one and not telling the other, you are both showing your exceptional treatment of the woman and testing her ability to keep a secret, whatever you ask. But, of course, she'll tell her friend.

– What makes you so sure?

– Oh, Rutra Tigrovich, you know how women are.

– Irene, what is this?

Ruthra smiled ironically, glancing up, though Irene could have been watching from anywhere.

– What's next?

– Next, you'll do the same thing with the men.

– Oh, that's two men. Who's the other one?

– Someone I've labeled as Narcissus, or Petty.

– Is he short?

– Let me show you all of them.

– Only in real life, visually. I don't want them in my brain. I know your habits and manners.

Irene visualized holographic images of the people she had chosen. They appeared at the table in front of Ruthra. A robotic mechanism, in the form of a delicate female hand, extended from a nearby wall with two cups of fragrant, steaming coffee and placed them on the table.

– I can "revitalize" them.

– No, not yet. I don't know them. What am I gonna talk to them about?

– That's as close as you'll get to finding out without their knowledge.

– No. For now, you and I will just talk. Then I'll watch them, listen to them talk to each other from the sidelines. And then we'll get to know each other virtually. Then we can get real. By the way, you picked some good-looking girls.

– Do you like it?

– Let me see them without makeup.

Irene immediately did as asked. Ruthra thought, "Women invented the disguise and the whole conspiracy system. And not by design, but as if for everyday needs.

– I'm fine. All I care about is what's in there.

– Over there?

– There, in my head.

– Of the many combinations, this is one of the best groups.

– Why do we need Shallow? Why do you call him that, by the way? He's not so small.

– Through nicknames, pseudonyms, and name interpretations, I label human mentality, behavior, and character.

– What about him?

– Fairly erudite, but a petty little scoundrel.

– Why do we need him?

– It will come in handy. He will play the role of schemer between you and the women.

– What's that for?

– I apologize, but you still have a poor understanding of the whole concept of the experiment.

– Why?

– If the characters are familiar, they'll find themselves in a similar environment there as well.

– Damn it, I get confused all the time. It's hard to imagine what it's like. I should try it in virtual reality soon.

– You need to get to know them.