Rutra listened attentively and absorbed everything like a sponge, and Vasilievich kept talking:
Now our spies are working on civilian projects. For example, new materials, technologies, computer programs are being developed in some state. We want to know how many enterprises, firms are opening, how many are closing, how many of them are engaged in wholesale, how many and what they produce, where they take it, what is their ability to reduce prices, how much the product costs them, when construction will be completed, the unemployment rate. How the science and technology sector is doing. What are the promising developments. These are the ones that are primarily used in the military sphere. Yields, climate, social sphere, their interconnection, prospects for change, first persons, and not only in politics, their contacts, family and business ties, religious, social, political preferences. Everything should interest you. Analyze everything and anything, and put it into a predictive matrix, so that you know not only what they want to do, not only what they can do, but what they will think, even if they don't think they will think it. All the information is very necessary. It makes up the picture of a country's economy, and the picture of a country's economy is its pulse. The way it beats determines how this state lives. Anyway, get started. You will have several assistants, they will analyze the information, collect and systematize. How the program works on the computer will be explained to you. It shows events in real time, and you will know what is happening on planet Earth. You will get any information, including secret information, concerning politics, military sphere, economy. Where what is being developed, where what is being extracted, in what condition the fixed assets are, what ships, trains, airplanes, automobiles are going where, when they will reach, what they are carrying. You have to calculate possible variants of changes in market conditions, new technologies, fulfillment and non-fulfillment of contractual obligations. In general, all sorts of things. You'll figure it out. Your level should correspond to your rank, but you should know that there are no ranks here, we have to join the civilian life. You will participate in many civic events, forums, exhibitions, seminars, meetings, but nowhere should anyone suspect who you really are.
Ruthra was immediately reminded of a James Bond movie. It was hard to suspect a special agent in him a drunkard, a smoker, a boozer.
The assistants will tell you the details, they know you in advance. There's a file on each of them in the safe. Here's the key, carry it with you at all times. Even though it's connected to the entry-exit system, you'll still be asked. And now I have a question: although our system works very well and knows what urine test you will have after the New Year, I would like to know from your mouth how you feel about Jews?
That question surprised Ruthra. It surprised him because it sounded like it was here. He made many inferences from any question and tried to choose the answer that was appropriate in this case. Ruthra answered calmly:
I'm fine with it. But why the Jews? Are you Jewish?
No way. You have a very serious and responsible assignment. I don't think you have your own game, the viability of the state depends on it, that is, what can be done with the system.
Having said that, Vasilyevich left. Rutra's brain was working hard. He could not understand the sacred meaning of what he had said last. What did this have to do with the secret center? How could one play his game here? Just as Ruthra sat down at his desk and tried to make sense of his office, there was a knock at the door. It was opened by a girl, tall, thin, with black hair. Rutra noticed that there were other girls behind her.
Hello! they said.
Hello," Ruthra replied.
We came to find out our mode of operation," said the first one and smiled strangely.
Ruthra replied in surprise:
What, you get to choose? This is a restricted facility, there are regulations and shifts. Excuse me, who are you?
Your assistants.
Then let's get acquainted," Ruthra suggested.
My name is Katya.
It's a pleasure.
The girl hiding behind her said she was Yulia, the next one called herself Olesya. They smiled.
What's so funny? Ruthra asked.
There's nothing funny," Katya said. Can I come in?
Come on in.
She came close and asked almost in a whisper:
Did he ask you about the Jews?
Ruthra looked at her in surprise.
Do you know what his last name is?
No, I don't know.
Did he scold or praise the Jews? she asked.
I don't know, I don't care. He just asked.
I hope I didn't offend you.
Rutra looked at the girls and thought, "What are busty young women doing here? What kind of professionals are they?"
No," Ruthra replied. Let's talk about work. Tell me all about the center. I haven't been very involved. What did you do before my appointment?
Analyzing the situation," Yulia said. We work in Europe and the United States. You also have our senior manager Kristina, financial analyst Natalia and the administrator of the center, who is not in the staff at the moment. Or rather, this position is vacant. There are also specialists of the hall, but they are subordinate to us, according to the direction of activity. They are in another hall, there are 20 of them. The rest of the departments, of course, and their heads are directly subordinate to Yury Vasilyevich.
What do they do?
They are engaged in primary processing and analysis of information coming through the lines of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GRU, SVR. They analyze everything. Not only how, for example, the serial production of memristors will affect the computing power of data centers, but also, for example, how soon the chicks will hatch in a factory in Denmark.
What, is that a big deal, too?
Of course. Every situation counts. You have to do all sorts of gibberish. How will the creation of the ionistor affect the consumption of energy resources and, consequently, their procurement, extraction, production, processing, delivery? How many banks with minus balances, what is changing in bankruptcy law in Liberia, for example, how many cattle will calve, how much grain will be harvested, how tobacco is growing there, the lifespan of satellites, the prospect of using unstable elements, the consumer focus group in fifty years, and so on. Who is registered offshore, which ones, why there and not others? Transfers of finances around the world, analyzing the work of stock exchanges, the reasons why quotes change depending on the time of day and weather. Everything matters.
I understand," Rutra interrupted. What does Yuri Vasilyevich do?
He is exercising temporary control. He's here temporarily and is very nostalgic for his past activities. He doesn't know much about economics. He is a fighter of the invisible front, he came to us from the SVR," explained the woman who appeared in the doorway of the office. Hello. May I come in?
You can.
My name is Natalia and I am a financial data processor.
It's a pleasure," Ruthra replied.
She smiled and said:
We're used to everything here, especially after Yuri Vasilyevich.
To what, exactly? Ruthra asked.
To the fact that real first and last names, even our own, we have almost forgotten. But one still wonders why people take those particular ones.
I didn't just ask about Jews," Katya said and added: Do you know what his last name is?
Ruthra looked at her questioningly.
Zhidkov," she said.
Yuri Vasilyevich's voice was heard outside the office door.
Not at all," he said.
The girls looked at each other and quickly left. Discipline had taken its toll. Yuri Vasilyevich's age, rank, and record spoke for themselves. Zhidkov came into Rutra's office, as if he had been standing somewhere close by.