And now Kira and Alexey played the recording of their new song. The music started playing. Kiras voice could be heard. The first verse sounded, at first as if nothing was happening, and then suddenly a golden light began to appear from the ceiling, transforming into a bright column of light.
Kira and Alexey exchanged glances and, silently, holding each others hands, entered the golden circle. The warm golden light seemed to envelop them with its incredible radiance. Right in front of them hung the very screen that Kira had told them about. The same one. Alexey gasped.
So its all true he said.
And you didnt believe me, Kira replied, sounding a little offended. She approached the screen, squinting at the numbers and letters. The same buttons, the same inscriptions were there.
Listen, Kira! Last time you entered four digits it was your birth year. How about we try to peek into the future?
What year do you have in mind? Kira asked.
I suggest 2020, Alexey confidently answered. Because it will be two years from now. And by then, in 2020, we wont forget what we saw now. But if we look far into the future, who knows what will happen to us? Will we remember what happened today? Alexey scratched his head. Just take your time.
Kira entered 4 digits, as requested on the screen. She typed 2020. Nothing happened at first, because a message appeared asking her to choose a letter. Last time, Kira chose the letter A.
Wait, Alexey said, we need to choose the letter A. After all, it will be the same timeline. You saw yourself in the past with the letter A, so now we have to choose the letter A as well.
But how will I know what the letter B means? Kira asked. Lets take a look at the letter B instead. Im curious to see the options.
Okay, Alexey agreed, but later. First, lets find out what awaits us on our timeline. I understand that A represents your dimension. Its a shame that I havent read much science fiction. I dont understand any of this. But I still understand some details. If we have multiple possibilities of fate, then we choose our own version. What if each person chooses their own dimension? Each choice has its own path that it follows. You can go in one direction or another. And like that, every time, every day, we choose our path and destiny.
Interesting train of thought, Kira said thoughtfully, so you mean to say that every day we make our own choice, and our future depends on that choice?
I dont know, Kira, but we can check if Im guessing right, Alexey replied.
Alright, so I choose the letter A?
Alexey nodded in agreement, and Kira pressed the letter A. Buttons appeared Find Yourself, Your World, Enter.
Press Find Yourself, Alexey said.
Kira pressed the Find yourself button. The screen started spinning and swirling, numbers and letters flickering. Exactly one minute later, everything settled down, and an image began to appear. They saw Kira on the screen, sitting by the window, just like in a movie. She was in her room, but the decor was slightly different: there was a new sofa against the wall, and a new computer on the table. Kira had a sad expression on her face. But the most surprising thing was that outside the window, where there used to be bustling life, it was now quiet. Not a single car or trolleybus passed by, only the sound of an ambulance siren could be heard.
The door opened, and Kiras mother entered the room, saying, Someone else fell ill again. Her mother approached the window and closed the curtain. She gently stroked Kiras head and invited her to the kitchen for dinner.
Ill be there in a moment, Kira promised her, but then the phone rang.
Hey, Leshka, hi, she happily answered the phone. How are you? Alive and well? Everything is fine? Im glad, Lesh. Take care of yourself. And maybe we can meet today? I have something for you! How about meeting at my studio?
Kira, theres a police presence around. I wanted to come to you today, but I was stopped. Thank God they didnt give me a ticket. They showed some mercy. But Ill try to get to you in the evening, when it gets dark. Ill take the backyards. First, Ill come for you, and then together well try to get to the studio.
Agreed. Dont forget your mask.
The music stopped, the screen disappeared, the light vanished. Kira and Alexei looked at each other with surprise and fear in their eyes.
What was that? Alexei was the first to gather his thoughts. What mask?
What a nightmare, Kira regained her composure. What awaits us in two years? Just two years, and our lives will change so much. It cant be true. Its nonsense. Were they trying to fine you for wanting to come to me? What does this mean, Lesh? Did I do something illegal and get arrested? Oh my goodness! Kira screamed. Did I kill someone?
Kira shuddered. We need to do something, we need to do something, she rambled like a parrot.
But why did Mom say that someone else got sick again? Kira said, slightly calming down as she took a big sip of warm tea. And why the mask?
I dont understand either, Kira, Alexei sat down on a chair, took a notebook and pen from Kiras table, and started scribbling something. Then he wrote: 2020A you cant go outside. 2020B he put a question mark.
But I have a suggestion, he continued, play your song again. Because we chose the wrong letter. What if you choose the letter B?
Well, I think we should choose the letter A again and see the world. Remember, there was a choice! Find ourselves or explore the world. Lets see what the world was like in 2020. Lets take a look, and then we can choose the next letter.
Makes sense, Alexei replied. And they started playing another song by Kira. The melody played, then the song itself began. When it came to the chorus, the familiar golden pillar appeared before their eyes once again. Kira and Alexei stepped inside. Dialing the numbers 2020 and the letter A, Kira pressed a button on the screen labeled Your World. After a while, the world opened up. Their city appeared on the screen, Kira and Alexei together. Empty streets, empty sky, only police cars and occasional ambulances on the roads. There were hardly any people. And the few individuals who hurriedly went somewhere were wearing medical masks. Then the image changed, and the friends saw different cities that first approached, showing empty streets, then moved away, and approached again. They swiftly passed Paris, Milan, Moscow, New York, the images succeeding one another. After the stream of images with empty streets, other pictures started to appear: riots, shootings, chaos, and confusion.