Chapter 28 Chapter 27 Interlude: Confession

The human mind is amazingly adaptable; after a while, even the most implausible becomes trivial.Now, the crew of the Leonov also no longer pay attention to the surrounding environment, which may be their subconscious decision to protect their sanity. Dr. Heywood Floyd used to think that, on some occasions, Walter Kono was trying too hard to be the soul of the party.Although he provoked what Sasha Kovalev would later call the "confession" episode, it was clearly not planned by him.When he expressed his dissatisfaction with life in weightlessness, the prelude began naturally. "If I had a wish," he said aloud at the daily "six o'clock Soviet meeting," "it would be to soak in a tub of foam, with only the nose exposed to the scent of pine."

As the murmurs of agreement and sighs of disappointment died down, Katerina Rudenko rose to the challenge. "What profligate decadence, Walter," she remarked cheerfully, "you sound like a Roman emperor. If I return to Earth, I'll find some more active pleasure." "for example?" "Well... can I talk about the past?" "up to you." "I used to spend my childhood holidays on a kibbutz in Georgia. There was a beautiful brown stallion there. The guy who bought it cost him Earned money on the local black market. He was an old rascal, but I loved him—and he let me ride an Alexander across the country fields. I nearly died for it—but the memory brought the earth closer to me Near, more than anything else, I can't resist."

After a while of contemplation, Kono asked, "Who else wants to talk?" Had it not been for Max Brerowski to break the silence, everyone would have been caught up in their own memories and the game would have ended there. "I want to dive - that's my hobby, whenever I have the time - and I'm glad I still have the opportunity to do it during astronaut training. I've been to the Pacific atolls, the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Sea - Lagoon Reef It is the most beautiful place in the world. However, what impresses me the most is another completely different place - the Japanese seaweed forest. It is like an underwater cathedral, and the sunlight is slanting down from the huge leaves... mysterious. I will again I haven’t been there, maybe it will feel different next time, but I’m still willing to try.”

"Great," said Walter, who always called himself the moderator, "next?" "I can answer quickly," said Tanya Oleva. "Swan Lake. But Vasily would not agree. He hates ballet." "Then both should speak. By the way, what will you choose, Vasily?" "I was going to say about diving, but Max beat me to it. So I said the opposite to him - gliding. Flying in the summer clouds, all around in silence. Well, not absolutely quiet - just brushing above the wings The airflow makes a little bit of noise, especially when turning. That's how you get to see the earth like a bird."

"Zania?" "It's very simple. Go skiing in the Pamirs. I like snow." "What about you, Chandra?" As soon as Walter asked a question, the atmosphere became focused.After all this time, Chandra still feels strange—polite, even a little courteous, but never about himself. "When I was little," he said slowly, "my grandfather took me on a pilgrimage to Varanasi-Benares. If you haven't been there , I’m afraid it’s hard to understand, that for me — and even for many Indians today, regardless of their religion — it’s the center of the world. I plan to go back there one day.”

"What about you, Nicholas?" "Oh, we've mentioned the sea and the sky, and I want to combine the two. I used to love surfing, but now I'm worried I'm too old – but I'm willing to try again." "It's just you, Woody, what do you choose?" Freud thought about it all the time, and his honest answer surprised not only the others, but also himself. "I don't mind where I am on earth - as long as I'm with my youngest son." After that, there is nothing more to say.End of the meeting.