It was an ordinary day, or rather, morning, and nothing unusual should have happened in it, or rather – there were no direct preconditions for it, but, as usual, something extraordinary happened. Many people believe that time is not material, that it has no physical substance, that if there is no physical component, at least one particle of atom's nucleus, there will be no time, because there is no something against which it can be measured. As we know, history teaches people that it teaches nothing, and time as an independent, independent event constantly proves it. It proves that it exists, regardless of whether there is anything else but it. And this time time has once again cracked. Its component could not withstand the artificial alteration of its course and shouted out loud: "My time has come!" This morning time cracked and the "wheel" of history rolled into another uncharted distance.
– Rutra Tigrovich Paskhov, why are you sleeping, time will not wait for you! – Captain Klimov shouted in his half-joking manner from beside his bunk.
– What happened? I was on watch," Ruthra muttered, throwing a disgruntled look at the duty officer, meaning: "How did you get in? Why didn't you warn me?"
Although Klimov was senior in rank, he did not have a security clearance level to a highly classified part of the facility.
Knowing Klimov's mannerisms, Ruthra realized that he was aware of what had happened in the country, so he thought not of that, but of why he had put it that way. Apparently, although their structure knew everything in advance, the clash of forces was so massive that the outcome was still unpredictable.
It was the morning of August 18, 1991. The further events were known to everyone, and their internal structure and the reasons that led to them are the subject of numerous disputes and conspiracy theories.
In a period when everything that could change was changing and everything that could change was being changed, when the beloved country turned into something for some and for others finally disappeared, these events began and lasted until today.
Rutra was fortunate enough to be privy to some of the secrets and especially important values of the state called the Soviet Union. Like many people who had to do with the existence of that system, he developed a certain type of personality. Many people who did not know what the strength of the system was and what it was based on could not understand these people. These people were of that category who never uttered words in vain. Every word, gesture, action, deed and even facial expression had a meaning. That's the way the system had raised them. People like them are called exes; it is said about them that "they have no exes". However, they are not the ones who are known as those who "have no exes", because if not everyone knows about them, then these people do, and nothing is known about these people. Although these people remain human beings with their human concepts of existence, especially within the social economic-political "field" on which they were raised by the system of values they were called to defend. Therefore, at the crossroads of history, which gives not only disruption and cracks to the usual way of life, but also new choices and opportunities, many people took the position that was closer to their hearts. Given the freedom to choose, people showed their true selves. It turned out that many people are not ready to sacrifice themselves – not only their lives, but also their time and lifestyle, and they want big and easy money. And for the sake of this they are ready to compromise moral and ethical taboos. Others could not overstep their conscience and tried not only not to bend moral standards, but also to earn honestly in the new world, where most people have forgotten these principles.
Many were at a crossroads. Ruthra tried to get on with his life and his friends. His friends, comrades and superiors did not forget him, nor did he forget his friends and comrades, for the business they had been trained for was not as such. Though much of the new was a risk to life and a risk to liberty, it was still close in spirit to Rutra and company.
They were people who couldn't live without it. Since there was not much to choose from, Rutra agreed to various special operations. The essence of the case was that it was necessary to travel abroad under the guise of tourists, businessmen, representatives of public or religious organizations (in a word, under someone else's documents) for contacts with various special services.
The fact is that what ordinary citizens see and hear is very different from what it really is. Special services have an unspoken agreement not to disclose the essence of their existence, even if they are opponents. And the essence of the job is for them to exist and be in power all the time. In fact – there is a myth that it is possible to come to power, so to speak, honestly. What is the question? Things seem to happen, but no one will ever be "supreme" in power without the permission of those who are already "supreme" in power. That authority should never be seen by anyone. It's logical. If you wish, you can raise a person in the right spirit from childhood, prepare him and bring him, through all procedures and intermediate links, to any level of power. Having received this power, he can create an illusion of freedom of choice. And this has already happened once and the "supreme" power did not need it.
The essence of the work was to collect, decipher, filter and systematize information obtained through visual, electronic, overt, covert, open and closed sources. The methods, objects and subjects of collection could be very different, from the usual copying, data interception and theft to fantastic non-verbal communications using hypnosis and psychotropic drugs.
