Description:

— Hello, my name is Dung Beetle, and I am your friend. You have registered in the game, where you must to pilot a humongous mecha. Congratulations, this is not game, is it real war for saving the earth. Oh, what? You don't want to play anymore? Cancellation of registration is impossible. Is it danger? Oh, one moment, the mecha needs special fuel. In short, you will understand soon yourself, he-he. And who is our enemy? Who invented this game? And why does our mecha have so strange appearance? Eh, there are things that you better not know. So good luck ... suicider.

Dedication:

Emnily and Chiaki Ishikava for the «Uninstall». Note: the title of open song in Russian sounds like «Анин стол» = «Anna's table». This is unofficial name of OST and anime/manga among Russian-speaking fans, and Anna is one of pilots in this fanfiction story.

Author's Notes:

The events take place on an alternate Earth, what is no way connected with Earths from the plots of the original anime or manga, as well as with our Earth. Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental, and are not propaganda of anything.

(Instead of a prologue)

A horrible end is better than endless horror.

The man, who walked through the destroyed city, convinced in it from own experience. The buildings became uninhabited during last two months. It seems here no people at all... Maybe, radiation? Deep down, man hoped what it will kill him.

It was dusk and getting colder. Rain was trickled from the dirty sky. Cold drops were falling on the skin. Apparently, the night will not be warm. He was should put on warm clothes, but he had no power to this. He had no power to find shelter.

He had no power to fight for life. And he had no power to kill himself.

Soon tramp found himself in a spot, where were not undestroyed buildings. Only concrete blocks, which were pressed into the ground by a gigantic force. Among the concrete blocks here and there lay trees, carcasses of vehicles - they all were immersed in soil, only slightly protruded above the ground. Maybe, if digging here, other things can be found. And the bones of the unlucky inhabitants, which too long procrastinated to run away from...

From war.

Tramp sat down in the middle of that bizarre wasteland. Rains, winds, blast waves long ago ruined flat traces of recent events. Tramp wanted to die here. It was strange, but this place resurrected in him sweet memories. The only sweet memories during last half-year.

That same war

He was a soldier in this war. Fate gave him honor to fight on the front lines. He eagerly strove to kill enemies and even cowardly comrades. He strove to die himself, as if exactly death had to give his life meaning. Sadly, fate didn't let him die. And later there came a victory. And with victory - emptiness.

"Now I will die here."

Water was poured from the sky. Tramp wanted to drink, but his despair was so vast, what he didn't try to open mouth for to drink drops, to quench his bitter thirst. Is there any point in living, if all so ended? And is there any point to die, if there is nothing more to die for?

Suddenly, something appeared near to him. Even in delirium tramp recognized this purple tint and pair of stuck up antennas.

It, or rather, she — she spoke of herself in a feminine gender — earlier, he was in awe of her. And now he hate she. It's all her fault!

According to she words, she was somebody like divine angel, but according to her actions she was more like a demon. It would be better if she was demon! How she... "Magnificent and..." — man did not want to remember dignities, which she self-congratulatory named herself and required to others to slavishly call her.

Tramp rushed on she, realizing the futility of his desire to harm she, and only want to give vent to his anger. "Come on, come on, tear off my hands and legs, flay out my skin, pluck out my eyes, as you can, as you like!"

«Angel» only calmly climbed higher.

Tramp felt — she mocked him. She mocked, soundless and scornfully, enjoying his suffering.

— Nonentity... — «angel» said in a calm, chilling voice.

Yes, thought tramp, he really was nonentity. He was very weak to life. And very weak to die...

It was hot July evening. It was one of those days, when you don't feel like doing anything.

Group of twelve teens from Carpathian youth camp named «Karpatski Zori», disposed wearily on the river bank.

Everyone of them was given a task to make some nature-study observation and to write the results in the notebook. Just for the sake of formality, all children went to the said river, but weather was not conducive to any study activity. In any way, it is able to write something believable at home, as said, at a venture. But now, nobody want to come back in stuffy rooms.

— U-u-uh, it is boring... — wearily and drawn out said Vasilisa, holding a blade of grass between she lips.

— Let's go for a swim more!

— Leave me alone! I'm tired, — replied Vasilisa. She will have to training tomorrow according to plan. But she wasn't sure, that fatigue will allow her trainings.

— Don't touch her, she already has a boyfriend.

— Ah you... — Vasilisa couldn't decide who to punch. Pesky Kirill, who even couldn't swim, but only want to stare on she in swimsuit, or Timur, who now sticks to smartphone.

— And what's wrong? — Timur didn't even now turned his back on the phone. — That Sanyok, from another group.

— Ah ... none of your business.

Maybe go to swimming with Alice? Although the river was muddy, and mosquitoes bite. And in other hand, all this boys was blockheads.

Timur continued to look at the phone. The next game will be finished soon. Let this princess in love prepare to her judo competition, he was more interested by virtual fights.

— Look! Look what I caught! - Andrei it seemed was the only one who did not get bored on this walk. Of course, excellent fishes pecked in the river.

What he caught this time was not fish. He was holding a huge frog in his hands.

— A-a-a-a-a!

Lena's reaction only made the boys laugh.

— Grill it up! — commented Kirill. — Anna, God allows you to eat such food? — acrimonious guy tried to joke further.

— A? — The girl who was sitting under the tree was distracted from the book.

— Don't touch her, — third boy, Ivan, not than very respect religion, but he didn't like attempt to offend this modest girl.

— And you what, fell in love to this pious? — asked Kirill.

— Not funny at all.

— Otherwise what?

— It is filthily.

— And how are you, relationship with Valeria was successful? — Timur as usual asked indifferently.

— WHAT? — The time has come for Kirill to become victim of pin.

— I saw your photos in the Personbook. How is it there?

— None of your business!

— It means "not successful" — indifferent added Timur. — As always.

— Don't get into my life!

— Now it is clear, what's why you try to pick up to me, — added Vasilisa.

— Nothing to put on the internet stupid photos, — calmly said Timur, and bumped into the internet again, not put attention to indignation of his group mate.

It seemed, boredom was in the very summer atmosphere. Location of summer camp did not give an opportunity run quickly to the nearest large city. Unless, of course, you want to spend half of your weekend on the road. And the guys from not the poorest urban families had no interest in wandering around the villages... And mountains overgrown with bushes are uncomfortable to long walk, especially for teens, who are used to moving on urban asphalt.

What's why classes began perceive to be perceived by boys and girls not as a burdensome duty, but as if not a blessing, then as an relaxation among summer stuffy weekdays. However, Kirill tried to quickly visit the nearest village once, but he said, what in it is nothing interest. Villages, distant from towns, gradually died, slowly fell into decay, become abandoned, only third part of dilapidated huts was inhabited. Yards are overgrown with grass and bushes, and in houses lived in best case old men, in worst case some suspicious personalities.

Nothing interest for young boys and girls. For all but one.

For Timur. World of Internet absorbed him, and he could not pass by sites, dedicated to the paranormal. Although he realized that most of the theirs content is fictional - however, he believed, what there are grains of truth in the tales of mystical events. And now, he was close to such only nominally inhabited localities, which should be swarmed by manifold mysterious miracles. He gathered all his determination, firmly decided set out personally to try his luck, and try to meet something magical.

At home, sitting at a smartphone, he perceived the horror stories about living in the boondocks sorcerers, ghosts and aliens as not scary, even as funny. At some moments of reading mystical stories, Timur began to overwhelm with the desire to go and check something himself. Or tickle himself nerves by something like the Bloody Lady's summon in an abandon building... But when he got here, something began to bother him to go and personally look on the subjects of stories he read. It was not fear, but rather indecision, which always prompted him to put all off until later. And prolonged physical activity was unaccustomed for young man, who used to living in the internet.

The first couple of weeks, when the heat was not yet so strong, and his classmates wasted most of their free time to sports games and walks, Timur generally preferred to sit at the summer camp dormitory, justifying himself that he had other plans besides going to gaze at the monsters, which may not exist at all, or which may be dangerous, or which he may simply overlook. He wanted to finish the next game, then read the next story, then watch a next review of new gadgets. Then he thought over his trip again and again, promised himself to go to the nearest villages the next day, next week, only for to cancel his promise for a trifling circumstance and again and again make a promise to himself to go exactly in a week.

Today Timur firmly decided to went to one place, about which he read about on the site of creepypasta. And which accidentally turned out to be nearby to their camp.

Probably, if Timur never dared, further events developed in much better way... Or contrariwise, everything would be much worse... It can always been worse, it it not? But even now, had coming out from the dormitory with a firm intention use a chance and walk to one strange building in abandon village, Timur procrastinated and looking for something else to do, before going to the intended goal.

Wandered from half a kilometer, boy met with another half of his group. He stopped and observing, how the other two girls from his group, Valeria and Alisa, were resting swimming in the river. Timur suddenly thought it would be nice to convince one of his group mates to come with him. Sure, this thought came to him before, but because lack of habit of making accurate plans, Timur still hasn't decided: he must go on this walk alone or with someone.

— Listen, there is a rumor about hut of enchantress here... — Timur waited until the girls to come ashore, and started to talk.

— It's again your creepypasta... — objected Valeria lying on the shore. — You are smart boy, but believe in various nonsense.

After glancing at bikini-clad bodies of girls from his group for a few seconds, Timur collided with slightly annoyed glance of Valeria, and then looked away. Pin up her friend Alisa about her relationship with Kirill?.. However, Timur was a frequenter imageboards visitor and never could made a serious relationship with girls, especially with such. Yes, he can worked out to joke, but something more serious... Yes, he could not even dream of this, rather, he will learn himself to do something miraculous, for example, to transfer himself to drawn 2D anime-girls, than convince this two to go with him to no one knows where.

He remembered that Elena sometimes reading girly fantasy about wizards. Maybe is it worth going back and persuading her? "Let's go to see on real witches, not only in books." She seems to be not so arrogant as this two daughters of rich dads.

— Svetlana was afraid go to the toilet because of your stories, — Alisa added.

— Why should she go anywhere? She is disabled, permanently sits in a...

— Don't say so! — Valeria answered with indignantly.

— Stop! — added Alisa.

Really, disabled person is unpleasant being hearing remind of own injury. Also, Sveta was here. Due to his impossibility to swim, she was sitting near the shore in the wheelchair, and was weaving a next beaded bracelet. However, it seemed, emotionless Dmitry did not care about her feelings. He just frowned even harder, dissatisfied with being interrupted.

Judging by the fact, that even this misanthropist did not go to home, and was sitting near the saving coolness river, the heat that day was really strong. A thought flew through Timur's head: maybe, it is worth postpone the travel for another day? Well, not! If is it decided, it must to do.

— No, really. Really! Alexey's uncle told him, what when he flew the plane, he saw some luminous objects shaped rings, is it not? — lover of surfing the Internet tried to save his position.

A couple of girls just rolled their eyes, and the rest, judging by the their indifferent reaction, did not seem to be touched by his story.

— No, please, seriously. I reviewed Googleplex maps. Here building appeared some time ago. Are you remembered, I told to you about site, where people found strange things on the online-maps? So... it is literally not so far. On another site said what some strange granny was seen near... Okay, well, there's nothing to do anyway, let's go and verify? — Timur repeated with desperate, because he saw, what nobody took his stories seriously. — Well, at least you, Alex?

Alexey was laying on the grass, covering his face with panama. He was plenty friendly boy, more physically strong than Timur, who accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. And he partly shared the interests of his computer-geek friend. That's with whom is it need to look for enchantresses!

— A? No, Timoha, today I'm not. Let's when the heat subsides.

It is not known how Timur's last travel would have ended if he had not met someone. Maybe he would has wandered through the forest and get lost. Or would has found a reason to go home and postpone his walk until the next day.

Suddenly, vivify heroine from the very same mystical history appeared here in front of him.

Smiled, pretty cheerful for his age, granny stood in the another side of glade.

— Hello, young man. Would you be so kind as to lead up the old woman home?

There was something ominous in her smile. The easiest way to describe it — malicious joy, strangely mixed with confusion.

— Good... after... noon... — Timur confusedly answered. Certainly, he could met in forest anybody, but something prompted him what granny was not accidental human. After standing for several seconds in confusion, Timur rallied his strength and asked: — And who are you?

— Who am I? My name is Nimidora, — granny smiled even stronger. — I live not far from here. Would you be so kind as to lead up me to home?

"Not far" could mean everything, but he immediately assumed what it may mean. What if this is the same building? Thrill and anticipation gripped Timur. This is it — miracle, what he was searching. She herself came to him, and now she invites him to her home. Oh, and what if she's a maniac? What if she decoy him, then will dismember him into the organs and sell?

— Don't be afraid of me, I will not harm you, — the one who introduced herself as Nimidora seemed to discerned his fright and tried to calm him down. — You, a young man, are you understand computers?

— Yes, — snap out Timur.

— Would you help me?

— And what you need?

— I look up for beta-testers.

Timur opened his mouth, but out of astonishment the words stuck in his throat. In general, it was uncomplicated technical term, but which was quite unexpected to hear it from an elderly villager.

— Let's go with me, young man, let's go, — young computer geek didn't even notice how granny appeared very close to him and took his hand.

Nimidora walked surprisingly fast for her age. However, Timur was not sure even approximately how old she really was. Some time passed, and he could already see the same house, that appeared in one satellite image as the small rectangle. A week ago, it was not in the photo of that village — only a few dilapidated old huts. And next week he already appeared. Some attentive Internet users noticed and posted. They mentioned: look, a new building, obviously made of metal and stone. Moreover, it was in an area where the road is already overgrown with plants, where no building materials possible be brought. And from what is available locally, you can, at best, build a wooden hut. And even hut can't build in a week.

At some moment, Timur thought that perhaps this granny herself had posted this information. Most of those looking for the oddities on maps are mainly combing photographs of airbases and military training area in the USNA (United States of Northern American) or the Asian Union. Or reviewing the ice of Antarctica. Well, or, if patriotic feelings draw their attention to their native Ukrainian People's Republic, then somewhere in two out of three cases they undertake to explore the exclusion zone of the Chigirinsk Nuclear Power Plant, and not the Carpathians. It was there that the cursed stalkers from one game Timur recently played were fighting mutants and looking for rare artifacts.

And the metal structure was called the «enchantress' house» as if on purpose to attract the widest possible audience. From dilettante ufologists to lovers of stories about sorcerers.

Well, it was obviously done to decoy someone, Timur thought. Someone like him.

— Let's go, young man, let's go.

Approaching the entrance to the building and opening the metal door, Nimidora pushed the young man forward and only after that she entered herself.

Inside, the building was even more amazing. The guy expected to see anything: from a warehouse of all kinds of junk obtained from neighboring houses to bloody hooks, on which would hang cut human carcasses. Yes, even a talking cat and a broom flying around the house would not look so unexpected in the countryside.

Some tables with computers stood inside the hut. It seemed, that they even more underline discrepancy between this building and the abandoned wooden huts in the forest.

— Where do you get electricity? — Timur asked in surprise. — Solar panels? Generator? M ... magic?

— If you want, you may deem so, — Nimidora replied with feigned sweetness, — Let's assume that this is my secret! Yes, a secret! Secret of my company!

— Eh? What company?

— My. Where I'm work. And now... very...

The old woman released Timur. While he was looking at the computers that were standing, she began to rummage in one of the cabinets in her house.

— Now I am developing a game. Yes, the game. Game with robots. Robots ... — Nimidora said. — The game is very realistic. Just like the real life. You pilot the robot that protects the Earth. Fifteen enemies. Fifteen battles. Yes, fifteen. Defeat all enemies and you win. If you will lose - the-e-e-e-en ...

— And are you a programmer? — Timur asked.

— If you want, you may deem so, — granny answered with her usual suggestiveness and sweetness. — Do you have friends?

— Yes, — snap out Timur. — I'm... here... group from summer camp. There are thirteen of us... Just, they are unlikely to want to come, — added boy, suddenly mentioned to himself that it was not worth put out everything to an unfamiliar strange old woman.

— It's not problem. Eh ... the memory fails! — Nimidora stepped away from the cabinet, and climbed into another. - Where does it lie ...

— And what is this game? Can you please tell more details? — Timur decided to ask. If he reached here, he must, at least, find out something new.

— Very realistic. it is like virtual reality... Here! — with last words granny turn of from the cabinet, holding some kind of metal thing in her hand.

The thing looked pretty simply: an inclined metal plate attached to a metal stick about one meter high, which in turn was attached to another metal plate that served as the basis for this entire structure. Nevertheless, there was something strange about it — at least the very kind of metal ... and was it metal at all? Timur could swear that he had never seen a material of such a strange color and such an unusual texture.

— What is «here»?

— Do you want to try, young man? Then, you must to registry!

— But there is no any virtual reality apparatus here. And how do I register?

— It will be brought. Will be brought soon... — Nimidora added with her usual suggestiveness. — And now, let's registry.

Noticing Timur's bewilderment, she brought closer that «metal thing» to him.

— You must put your hand here, — Nimidora pointed at top metal plate, — and take an oath of gamer.

Perplexed, Timur cautiously extended his hand forward. While he pondered about what the words «take the gamer's oath» might mean, lines of glowing letters appeared in the air.

«Identification code of the Universe» — after this was a set of some symbols, of which there were at least thirty. Timur's gaze slid to the next line:

«Gamer: Kochmarev Timur. Age: 14 years. Registered».

— What?

After this was some other information, like height, blood type, and other, that was shining under the caption below. Obviously, it was concerned to Timur

— Wow ... amazing!

It was certainly some kind of miracle. Or likely, rather a fantasy that has become reality. Timur closely followed technical innovations. And if with the help of holography it is possible to create such inscriptions, then where did Nimidora have information about him? Or did she find it from somewhere? She somehow observed him, hacked internet-resources? No, it's impossible ... And the sudden appearance of a metal structure in an abandoned village, then, is it possible?

And it must be said, the last line alerted him a little:

«We remind you that the registration cancellation is impossible. Good luck».

Timur spent the rest of the day with interest digging in the computers of a strange granny. Judging by her words, that very game was not yet ready even for alpha testing, but soon it will be completed, and then it will be possible to play. The guy was surprised by the previously unheard-of operating system, looked at pictures with strange landscapes, discovered a couple of dozen unfamiliar mini-games. He was a little frightened by the snapshot of a big, no, just a gigantic footprint, which in shape resembled a human one, but which was at least fifty meters in length, because the nearby situated dilapidated buildings and the fallen trees seemed dwarf against of this trace. Granny was also become agitated when Timur opened this photo. But the rest of the computers, which Timur himself called «secret developments», contained nothing frightening. Also there was nothing miraculous besides that metal plate. There were also documents written in a strange language — apparently, some kind of encrypted information, boy decided. Perhaps, the young computer nerd thought, people like Nimidora use some kind of their own artificial language so that they can read texts with classified information in it even in the presence of others. However, some of the folders and files were closed with regular passwords.

In addition to these «secret developments» in the room there was one ordinary tablet with software familiar to Timur, and the young computer nerd even helped with setting up a simple interface between this tablet and an alien computer. The wire connecting them, unlike other «secret developments», looked evidently «garage-made».

Nimidora, meanwhile, casually asked him about his group mates, about what they was doing in the camp, about why he decided to take a walk. At some point in time, it seemed to Timur that Nimidora's mood at unexpectedly changed from sugary to sad. She answered questions about herself evasively, and Timur did not dare to insist on answers. Studying with enthusiasm a previously unseen technique, the young man did not notice how the sun began to decline, and soon he ran back through the forest with an unusual speed in order to have time to return to the camp before dark.

A couple of days have passed since then. Timur did not dare to tell about his adventure — it looked extremely incredible. Eh, he even forgot to take a photo of the strange building. However, the tedious weekend was soon over, and the group was to have a computer science lesson. The teacher was late. Immersed in his thoughts, Dmitry behaved somehow a little worried, as if he had a presentiment that something strange was about to happen. And when the children already thought that the lesson will be canceled due to the absence of a teacher, an old woman, painfully familiar to Timur, entered the office.

— Good morning young people. My name is Nimidora Ivanovna, and today I will give you a lesson.

On her right shoulder she carried a bag, apparently with one of her «secret developments». In her left hand she was holding some long object wrapped in cloth. And Timur already knew what it was.