Today we're all sitting at the Shepards'. The younger ones, with squeaks and laughter, are playing monopoly, and Den is in charge, working as a banker along the way. All this is accompanied by bursts of laughter and friendly teasing. They are especially acute in Eugene! That's a little man, red-haired as fire, and with the same explosive temper.

It's strange, but I love her more than everyone else, and I can't answer why. Who would have told me three years ago that I would call people my brothers, sister and parents? It's amazing how easily they accepted us. And after all, none of them will renounce kinship... I just know it from somewhere.

Nova is sitting next to me, snuggled up, reading something from a datapad — probably another human fantasy about dragons, knights and all sorts of other magicians. `Elf meat,' as Eugene says. That's how he says, `not in the eyebrow, but in the eye,' as Leshka says! In the holovision, talking heads talk about the latest successes in some kind of negotiations, all this is interspersed with stupid commercials — squalor! But, as Zhenya sometimes says, it will do for the background.

I'm trying to read a history textbook myself. Mathematics and physics are taught through a mnemograph, and we learn history the old-fashioned way — it's boring! Tell me, why would I, a Turian, need to know when the Terran Alliance of Systems was formed there, and who stood at its origins? Which state initiated the creation? And they are forced to teach, as well as the history of the Republic, Hierarchy and the Salarian Union. At least it's not very long for people....

Mothers and grandmothers, along with Ray, have taken chairs and are enthusiastically weaving "macrame" — this is such a human needlework. They bought ropes of all types and thicknesses, and they weave all kinds of crafts out of them. Then they use these crafts to hang the house, potted flowers, and other things, and Naina and Gina help them. But Zhenya is indifferent to this — she prefers cleaning the carbine or tinkering with the equipment. An unusual girl. The fathers and grandfather, in the company of Tael, are playing preference in the kitchen, Sei and Ivan are also sitting there. The little one just fell for her grandfather, and he is very indifferent to her — he takes her to his place whenever possible, and she is glad to sit on her hands. In general, the old admiral treats the female part of his grandchildren much more gently than the male part. Although Zhenya says he loves the same way, he's just stricter towards guys and that's it. You can trust her, she feels it!

Deniska's voice came from the carpet:

"I'm going down the path of crime!" and, after a while. and, after a while. "`You got caught smuggling and you were put in jail, skipping three moves!'. Well, bli-in!"

"Ha ha ha, gotcha, sit down now!" Leshka laughs.

My brother sits and watches dejectedly as the others play.

Vasil gently strokes his hand and whispers, but I can hear:

"Don't worry, Dishy, it's just a game!" Did she have a crush on Deniska? After all, a brat is still quite small by the standards of the Asari! Although, who would understand women?..

Eugene is here in a clear voice:

"And I'm going down a criminal path too!" And after a while: "`You become the leader of several criminal gangs, and this earns you 10,000 credits for each of the next five moves!' Oh-oh-oh! Cool stuff!" that's where she gets these words from?"

"Some people are lucky!" Denis is talking. "You're a real Aria, Little Fox!"

"Oh, yes, I am!" Eugene stands up and, spreading his arms, speaks in a low voice. "I am the Omega!"

A chorus of laughter follows, even the women laugh.

"Where did you see that?" Ray asks through laughter.

"Yes, over there!" the nurse answers and points to the holovision.

The game continues, and I'm trying to stuff into my long-suffering head the dates and surnames of prominent political figures of the Earth two hundred years ago. It feels like everything I've read is falling right through my head into the abyss. I close my eyes and try to remember what I just read, oh spirits, I didn't remember anything at all! I put down the datapad and stare blankly into the holovision. Nova sighs next to me and snuggles closer to me — she's read the sad thing in the book again. I stroke her collar, gently running my claws along the inside, and she presses my hand into hers and gently bites it. I'm just melting with tenderness, and the thought is in my head that if it weren't for Eugene, nothing would have happened! We would just walk around looking at each other....

Some clowns are jumping around in the holovision and pretending to sing, in sharp, shrill voices to absolutely wretched music! Eugene, who was sitting in front, straightened her hair and threw the dice, and the redhead was sitting next to them and watching them go. He's always there for her, well, except for school. After the service, when I return here to Mendoir, I will definitely buy myself the same cat! I'll get into debt, but I'll buy it!

I look at her back, and under her thin T-shirt I can see her slender figure, thin arms, and protruding ribs with shoulder blades. She seems so fragile and defenseless, even though I know perfectly well that she's not. The little man is much stronger than Nain, heavier, and, despite his appearance, tougher. But sometimes you still want to hold her, who seems so defenseless, with thin, almost transparent skin, under which a blue network of veins is visible, to yourself. Pin her down and protect her from the whole world. She turns around and smiles at me with her soft, understanding smile. An empath!

"I can wrap myself in your feelings, Hame, like in a blanket — they are so strong and warm. As strong and warm as you are," she told me once in Turian, ridiculously swallowing sounds unpronounceable to humans.

Chapter 8.4 A show about the Protheans with Liara.

A garish screensaver flashed by with loud music.

"Good morning, reasonable people! This is Diana Allers, and this is the morning show `Good Morning, Citadel'! Today we will talk about the protheans and their role in the formation of our civilization. Jeremy Epstein, a prominent political scientist and media expert, is with us in the program. And also, in the second half of the program, xenoarchaeologists from the international archaeological expedition are our guests with new data that they brought back from the expedition that just ended!"

I wonder how old she is? He couldn't have been more than eighteen. And who put her on the morning show, I wonder?

"Hmm, Lady Provocation!" It's coming from Eugene. "Already on the air..."

A fat guy with a sugary smile appears on the screen, sits sprawled in an armchair and begins to talk absolute banality, and all this with the most serious look. Boo! Where did they find this unpleasant guy?!

Eugene says again,

"And blah, blah, blah! No intelligence, no imagination — just aplomb and not a drop of knowledge of the subject. Where do they get these freaks from, clone them or something? Three hundred years have passed, nothing has changed! I picked up on the tops — and there, too, media expert, political idiot! Stupid idiot! Ugh!" My sister whispers angrily.

"Come on, Little Fox!" he answers Tam. "Forget about him! You've got him, he's messing with something, so let him mess with it! Come on, play."

Vasil inserts his five cents:

"It will be interesting to listen to archaeologists, but really forget about these talkers, Zhen! Oh, you have two sixes, go!"

I hear my father's voice from the kitchen:

"I'm playing six of spades!"

"Six clubs!"

"No, I'll pass!"

"Seven spades!"

"I'll pass too!"

"Play, Dakar!"

"Grandpa, Grandpa! I want to piss!" Sei whines, tugging at his sweater.

"Zhenya, we're going to your room, okay?" Grandfather asks. Eugene, without distracting himself from the game, makes an indefinite gesture with his hand. This probably means agreement. Grandfather understood that, and went upstairs.

Mikhail's voice:

"Well, maybe fifty drops?"

"I'm in favor!"

"Me too!" Father and Tael answer.

"Pour it out, Mishka, and don't forget your father!"

"Dakar, get out the glasses!"

The refrigerator door slammed. And Tael's satisfied voice:

"Oh, cognac! Is it smuggling again?"

"What contraband! Innuendos! To be honest, one of our guys from the ore carrier brings it to me! They carry iridium concentrate to Earth, and that's where it's stored in exchange for skins."

"Eh! It's a pity, no one flies to the Hierarchy!" says the father. "Otherwise, I would have ordered a `Crizzer'. I have a lot of skins."

"It's a picky thing, but it's very sweet! I liked it when you treated me that time at the Citadel. Although, he can negotiate with our people who fly to Bekenstein. You can get any kind of booze in this sewer! The criminal bosses there don't like to limit themselves! And "Krise" is a status drink. I'll hang out with my friends in Gagarin, and maybe I'll come to an agreement with someone. Another one?" Mikhail asked.

"Let's!"

"I agree."

"Where's Grandpa?"

"Well, apparently, `pee' turned out to be `not just pee'! So we're waiting."

There's still the same pompous greedy guy in the holovision, what can he talk about for so long? Okay, I take the datapad and try to memorize the story again. The advertising block went on — as always, louder than the program itself, again weight loss products, shampoos from everything in the world, rags, perfumes and other very necessary rubbish! They probably think we're morons....

"And good morning again! With you in the studio, Diana Allers and prominent political scientist and media expert Jeremy Epstein, we continue the morning show `Good morning, Citadel!'. As I promised, our guests have just returned from an international archaeological expedition. Prominent xenoarchaeologists are Marek Jankulowski, Professor of the Department of Xenoarchaeology at Moscow State University, and Liara T'Soni, Doctor of Xenoarchaeology from Tessia. Welcome!" A tall, youthful and fair-haired man dressed in a light green unik, and a young, very beautiful Azari in exactly the same unik appear on the screen.

Zhenya roused herself and looked closely at Azari, and on the verge of hearing, I caught my sister's whisper:

"So that's what you are, Liara T'Soni, the Azari from my dreams!"

The little sister wrapped herself in biotics, and the holovision remote control lying on the back of the sofa flew into her hand. The volume control crept up, and everyone left their business and started watching the show. Even Nova looked up from her book.

Moderator: "Dear scientists, we are glad to see you in our studio, and hello again!"

PROFESSOR: "Hello!"

The DOCTOR: "Hello."

M: "How was the expedition?"

P: "In general, it was very successful, we found very valuable samples and quite a lot of information, we flew well! Really, Dr. T'Soni?"

D: "Yes, yes, Professor. The joint work has brought a lot of data, which, however, still needs to be processed ... but some conclusions can already be made public."

The expert: "Gentlemen scientists, can you finally give an answer? Where and why did the Protheans disappear?!"

M: "Yes, yes! Everyone is extremely interested in this! Do you have an answer?"

P: "There is no definite answer yet! But the further we investigate the problem, the clearer one version becomes."

E: "What's the theory, Professor?"

P: "The Protheans did not disappear, but were destroyed!"

M: "Destroyed?!"

E: "Pfft! Professor! What do you mean, destroyed? By whom? Who could destroy the most powerful civilization of the past?! It's impossible!"

P: "Well, why is that? It is quite possible!"

D: "In some of the restored archives, we find references to those who destroyed them — the Protheans called them `Reapers'!"

The hubbub and laughter in the studio.

E: "Professor, the Protheans have built repeaters and a Citadel! But they are still there and they work fine, because you and I are just at the Citadel. And you say they were destroyed? Why didn't they destroy these facilities?"

P: "You see, uh?.."

E: "Jeremy Epstein, Professor!"

P: "So, Jeremy, according to the latest research data, the Citadel and the repeaters are much older than the rest of the Prothean artifacts found!"

E: "And how ancient is it?!"

P: "Rather, the term `how many times' ancient is appropriate here! And you can talk about it dozens of times! We can confidently say that the Citadel and the repeaters have been around for millions of years!

E: "But, Professor! Your statements completely contradict the official conclusions! The leading scientists of the Republic and the Union have established that the Citadel and the repeaters were built by the Protheans."

D: "Well, first of all, we didn't establish it, but assumed it! And secondly, we are using data from the latest scanning experiments, both from the Citadel and the repeaters. And these data show that these objects are several million years old!"

M: "Dr. T'Soni, how old are you?"

D: "I'm 84 years old, but what does it matter..."

E: "But wait! By Asari standards, you're still underage! And you're trying to tell us that all scientists are wrong, and you yourself are, in fact, still a child, telling the truth?"

D: "I'm not pretending to be the truth, I'm just talking about research data! And I've been doing protean research for almost thirty years now!"

P: "That's right! And I, in turn, want to say that Dr. T'Soni is a great specialist and a wonderful scientist! I am very happy working with her!"

M: "And what kind of `Reapers' are these, Dr. T'Soni? Can you tell?"

D: "As far as we have been able to understand from the reconstructed, fragmentary and incomplete data of the Protheans, the `Reapers' are an ancient race of machines. Very ancient and very powerful."

E: "Pfft! Cars? Is it like the Geth, or what? Ha ha ha! And we have to believe that some crazy Russian in the company of a teenage Azari has found the reason for the disappearance of the Proteans! Everything you've told us here is complete nonsense!"

P: "Young man, who gave you the right to insult me and, moreover, Dr. T'Soni?! Who are you, anyway?!"

E: "I am a political scientist and a media expert!"

P: "And a media expert is, excuse me, an expert in what?"

Eh: "Uh... professor?"

P: "That is, some pompous Jew who does not know what he is an expert in will be me, a hereditary noble, a world-renowned scientist, the author of more than a hundred scientific papers — works recognized, by the way, by all races of the Citadel, and my assistant, a very worthy scientist from the Azari race Saying that we're nuts and talking nonsense?! What is it possible to talk about and with whom here?!"