This is a fan translation of Emperors of Illusions (Императоры иллюзий) by the Russian science fiction and fantasy author Sergei Lukyanenko. The novel is a sequel to Lukyanenko's Line of Dreams (Линия грёз) novel and can be considered a fan fiction of the original Master of Orion game.
Chapter 2
"May your guest take a seat?" Shegal asked.
"Make yourself at home," Kay replied politely.
Vyacheslav flipped open a spring-loaded seat near the wall. He threw a curious glance at Tommy. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking.
"No, it's not him," Kay said.
Shegal nodded.
"I was just a little late to the party. But I'm glad I've managed to make it to the first conversation."
"Wasn't much of a party. Lemak and I turned out to be in different weight classes."
"That's good. If you were to get yourself shot, the Emperor would have been displeased."
"Long live the Emperor. How is his health?"
"Worse than before. I agree with your opinion that Gray is a bastard at the apex of power. But the man at the top is doomed to be a bastard. Gray, at least, only affords himself that right. Anyone else who crosses the line is punished without mercy."
Kay gave Shegal a surprised look.
"I had all the surveillance equipment in the cell turned off."
"I don't believe you."
"I have both the authority and the desire to do that. I want to talk to you about the Line of Dreams."
"So Curtis has already started his advertising campaign?"
"Yes. But that's not the point. How did you find out about the reality variator?"
"From Curtis Jr."
"How did he find out?"
"From God."
Shegal grimaced.
"Are you confident in your words?"
"I am," Kay looked at Vyacheslav pensively. "You know a lot. You're not even surprised."
"Nothing to be surprised about. Sooner or later, one of the races had to encounter the power that made the world. I'm only surprised about the activity of this power. According to theologians, it was supposed to be passive and contemplative."
"It has to do with the man. Curtis is a technocrat and a coward. All his thoughts were about power, which he understood as incredible technology, and of safety, which is equal to immortality. He couldn't even imagine having psi-abilities… or universal prosperity in the world."
"It wouldn't have helped him. Our reality can't be changed anymore. Curtis can only become a demiurge in a new universe. I'm amazed that changes still have managed to enter our world."
"He asked for an extension. He got it. Since immortality to Curtis is just a product of machines, he was given aTan… which works for everyone. To get to another world, he got the Line of Dreams."
"There are no rules that cannot be circumvented…" Shegal rubbed his temples, staring at Kay. "I understand what you were trying to do. It was pointless. Man cannot defeat God."
"There are no rules…" Kay broke off before finishing the phrase.
"I'm very sorry for you," Shegal sounded sincere. "You helped me on Layon."
"By accident. I didn't know who you were. Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"How old are you?"
"Old."
"Then another question. Why did you dream about this?"
Shegal was staring into his eyes.
"I don't think that our world is that bad."
"You're wrong. I don't give a crap which universe you once lived in. I don't care how you've manifested our world. I only want to know why you created it the way it is."
Tommy, who had been listening to their conversation silently, grabbed Kay by the hand. It was the hurried movement of a scared child, which he hadn't been for a long time.
"Kay, you're used to living at the bottom," Shegal replied dispassionately. "You've always been up to your ears in dirt. Don't think of the entire world as the bottom. Universal prosperity is unthinkable, there can't be light in a world without shadows."
"You're no angel yourself, Shegal. You've always been at the top, is there a lot of light there?"
"I've been near the top, Kay. I've always had the ability to control and, at the same time, the right to be independent. Most humans are happy, trust me. An engineer working at an Endorian shipyard, who has a wife and a mistress, who buys a bottle of cheap Mrrshan wine on weekends and saves up to buy a tiny pleasure boat, is much happier than Gray, whom you hate so much. Benchmarks are more important than their height."
"You haven't spent two weeks in the hold of a cargo hauler, hungry and dirty, having lost your home and family. You haven't been a young outcast on a planet where you didn't belong. You didn't join the Bodyguard League because there was no other work to be found. You didn't execute people on Haaran. Didn't drive over living bodies on Incedios…"
"True, Kay. That wasn't me. That was you. Only Kay Dutch made the choice on how he should act."
Shegal rose to his feet, and the seat slammed back against the wall.
"I gave you all freedom. Everyone, you included. You have a choice which path to take. Don't tell me that you couldn't have stayed on Altos as a farmer and lived a calm and happy life, like everybody else."
Dutch laughed.
"The right to be dirt? Thanks. I chose the right to be blood, which you'd also given me."
"Well then, be grateful. You've lived your life the way you wanted."
"I'm not dead yet, Shegal."
"Not for long. I don't think you should meet the Emperor. This ship will be your last home."
"I've spent a long time looking for you…" Kay said, as if not hearing his words.
"So what are you waiting for?"
"I don't want to make your job any easier."
Shegal nodded.
"It's fine. I'll have more opportunities to end your path."
His gaze switched to Tommy.
"Kid, you must be Arthur's clone, right?"
Tommy didn't answer.
"You have a chance to survive, boy. Remember that it exists."
The young man's face twitched visibly.
"You may even be able to rise to the top… and save the Empire, while you're at it, just like you and Kay wanted. You should think about whether you will be obedient or not."
Vyacheslav Shegal took a step towards the wall, and it parted obediently. A moment later, the guards were back at their post behind the glass barrier.
"Do you understand what he was talking about?" Kay inquired.
Tommy shook his head.
"The Emperor has decided to get rid of Curtis and his Line of Dreams. He wants to get a new Curtis, capable of controlling aTan."
The young man seemed to ignore this.
"Dutch, is he really the creator?"
"Yeah. The Emperor's operative. A specialist at dirty jobs," Kay laughed. "He enjoys life's thrills… which is why our lives are an endless adventure. A bored God and an entertained messiah, what a pair!"