Roman: Reflection of the moon in the water

États-Unis, 2018. Le texte du roman est en anglais et en russe.

Modern prose

Olga Demina

Roman: Reflection of the moon in the water

Title of the book in Russian: «Отражение луны в воде»

Annotation:

Aimin and a few more volunteers are participating in an experiment called "Lunar City". This is a scientific experiment to simulate the life of people on the moon. The project participants will have to live in the lunar module for several months. There is no connection with the outside world. The tension is growing every day. The constant stay in a closed space leaves its imprint on all team members ...

The experiment was held in a specially equipped research laboratory, which was located in the city of N. In total, eight volunteers participated in the experiment. The team included students from China, the United States, France, Korea, Russia and Japan. Wang Aimin came from the south of China. She was the best student at Guangdong University of Technology.

Life in the "Moon City" was originally perceived as participation in the quest.

The project involved four girls and four guys. Will there be sympathy between them? Is it possible to have a service romance in the "Moon City"? I wonder if Aimin will meet the guy of his dream?

Extrait du livre:

Chapter 1

"Moon City"

Aimin dreamed of rain. Large drops of rain beat on the roof and knocked on the window. She ran out of the house into the street and ran through the puddles. The people who came to meet her were smiling affably. The girl ran to the beach, the waves splashed at her feet. In the dream, Aimin smiled. It was a dream from childhood. Then Wang Aimin was happy. They lived in a fishing village in Guangdong province on the beach. Aimin loved to walk on the beach and listen to the surf. Waves splashed about the shore, and she listened to the melody of the sea. The sea had its own voice. The girl knew what the sea was singing about. Aimin could sit for hours on the shore and watch the waves, the flight of seagulls, the fishing schooners. It was a wonderful picture. Magnificent landscape, it changed during the day. In the morning the water was painted in golden shades of the rising sun, in the afternoon the sea played with blue and azure paints of the sky, and in the evening at sunset everything was painted in purple colors. After sunset, the moon appeared in the sky. The yellow moon reflected in the water. Aimin and her younger brother Demin liked to look at the moonlit path.

Rain, sea, moon track. It was a dream from childhood, a happy childhood. A few days later, Aimin's father will die during the devastating tsunami that struck the coast, and disaster will come to their house. Then in the village many people died. It was a big trouble for everyone. Aimin was then eight years old, she was still a little girl, but she understood how hard it was for her mother to live. Now she will have to bring up two children alone. The girl saw how her mother was heartbroken, how she cried at night. Her mother was tired at work, she worked all day at a rice plantation. Aimin wanted so much to help her mother. And the girl tried to do everything, she studied well at school, helped her mother, cleaned the house, washed dishes, looked after her younger brother. When Aimin became older, she helped her mother in a rice plantation. Aimin loved to observe how young shoots grow, how the delicate tender rice stems in the wind tremble. The green rug of the rice field stretched to the horizon, it was a very picturesque picture.

Since then, 15 years have passed, childhood remained in the memories. It was night. Wang Aimin woke up and sat in bed, she could not sleep. Memories rushed over her. Her heart was restless, and for some reason it was very sad. The room was very quiet. There was no noise in the nocturnal city, no gusts of wind, no rustle of leaves, no singing of birds. The girl wanted to go to the window, but before her was a blank wall, painted white. Aimin remembered that she was now in her cabin, located in a scientific laboratory.

It was a special experimental capsule, a copy of the lunar module. Aimin and several other members of the team participated in the experiment called "Lunar City". This was a serious project, developed by scientists from different countries. To participate in the experiment, volunteers from the best universities in the world were selected. The experiment was held in a specially equipped research laboratory, which was located in the city of N. This was an experiment to simulate the life of people on the moon. Participants of the project had to live several months in the "Moon City".

In total, eight volunteers participated in the experiment. The team included students from China, the United States, France, Korea, Russia and Japan. Wang Aimin came from the south of China. She was the best student at Guangdong University of Technology.

The experiment was designed to see how a bioregenerative life-support system in which animals, plants and microorganisms co-exist, works in the lunar environment, and also tests the physical and mental state of people in such an environment. The module "Moon City" was an experimental closed ecological life support system for a person with autonomous control.

Under the conditions of the experiment, all the team members could not leave the laboratory, practically all the time being in an enclosed space. It was an experiment to explore the cosmos. There was no connection with the outside world. The tension was growing every day. The constant stay in the enclosed space left its imprint on all the crew members.

I must say that many members of the team took part in the scientific experiment very amusing and interesting. Staying in the "Moon City" was initially perceived as participation in the quest. Quest is an intellectual game in which players are locked in a room from which they have to get out in time, searching for items and solving puzzles. In the "Moon City" was a unique atmosphere, there was expensive equipment, various appliances, the project participants conducted research work here. It was a real quest in reality! The dream of all the boys.

The most offensive was that the head of the group was a girl Wang Aimin. Aimin felt that the young men were unhappy with her appointment to such an important post. Li Guangming, a student from Shanghai University, was the first to comment on this. Guangming narrowed his eyes cunningly and asked: "Aimin, tell me why you were appointed the captain of the team? You're a weak woman. You will not be able to quickly make a decision in a difficult situation." Aimin was very embarrassed, but did not respond to Guangming's caustic remark.

Li Guangming recently graduated from the Faculty of Sociology. He was older than Aimin. Guangming has turned 26 years old. He was handsome. And he was a snob. Fashionable haircut, white-toothed smile, aristocratic manners. He behaved very self-confidently. He condescendingly looked at the provincial Aimin. Guangming was a successful man, he was the son of wealthy parents. He held himself rather arrogantly. His tone was patronizing. His manner of behavior terribly infuriated Zhou Wenhua, a student at the Korean University. Wenhua studied in the engineering department, he considered sociology to be a frivolous science, even useless for the future exploration of the cosmos. Wenhua was a serious student, after lectures, he immediately went to the university library. And his appearance was appropriate. He was collected and strict, wore glasses in a dark frame. A person who spends a lot of time acquiring knowledge. Girls do not really like these guys.

The first quarrel between Guangming and Wenhua arose at a formal dinner, when they celebrated the birthday of Zhang Xiaoming, a student from the Korean Medical University. Everyone gathered at the festive table. Various dishes were prepared and served. Only instead of beer and other liquor was juice and tea. The atmosphere was quite festive. The first week of the experiment was held at the station "Lunar City". All looked to the future with hope, and were optimistic. It seemed to everyone that participating in the project would be an interesting adventure. Zhang Xiaoming was a very pretty girl, she was smiling sweetly, accepting the congratulations of the team members. Each resident of the "Lunar City" prepared for her a small gift. Such attention of the collective flattered the self-love of Xiaoming. She was a flirt and appreciated the signs of attention to her person. Of all the gifts Xiaoming most appreciated the gift of the French student Sofia Didier. Sofia was a doctor and biologist by education, she represented the University of Paris.

Sofia brought with her French perfume brand Chanel. Sofia presented these perfumes to Xiaoming for her birthday. Perfume Chanel - it was the favorite perfume Xiaoming. She sincerely thanked Sofia Didier for a wonderful gift:

- What an elegant perfume! What a delicate floral fragrance with notes of jasmine and a delicate iris. Thank you, Sophia, for this exceptional gift.

- Unforgettable Coco Chanel claimed that perfume is the best and always fashionable decoration. It foreshadows the approach of a woman and makes you think about it always, said Japanese woman Yoko Tanaka. Yoko was a specialist in the field of cell biology, genetics and microbiology, but she was also well versed in perfume.

Guangming immediately offended that Xiaoming did not appreciate his gift. But Guangming so wanted to please Xiaoming. He gave the girl an expensive phone.

- Xiaoming, did you really dislike my present? Asked Guangming.

- By no means! I really liked your gift, Guangming, Xiaoming replied.

- But you are so enthusiastically praising the gift of Sofia ... And I also tried, choosing a gift for you. This phone is the latest model, it is resistant to water.

- Xiaoming, now you can take a bath without parting with the phone, Wenhua commented with an irony in his voice.

- I forgot to ask you! angrily said Guangming.

- Do not be offended, Guangming, Xiaoming said. She smiled affably. Your gift is very good. I always dreamed of such a phone. But I love spirits so much that I was very happy with Sofia's gift.

- That's right, Xiaoming, perfume is always in fashion! said Wenhua. And that phone, piece of iron, soulless device.

- Are you the cleverest of us?! Why climb into someone else's conversation? I do not understand! said Guangming in displeasure. He looked angrily at Wenhua.

- None of your business! Wenhua retorted. Do not spoil the holiday.

- This is who, I wonder, I spoil the holiday? asked Guangming.

- To all gathered at the table.

- It's none of your business! said Guangming angrily.

- Why is not it my business? This is exactly my business! said Wenhua, and with a challenge looked at Guangming. We are here all one team, by the way. One team. And we do not need quarrels here.

- Friends, do not quarrel! said conciliatory Michael Douglas, a US student, software specialist.

- And no one was going to quarrel, Wenhua said. Just Guangming was offended that Xiaoming did not appreciate his gift. And the phone, it seems, is very expensive. Guangming really wanted to brag about all his generosity and impress Xiaoming. But Xiaoming of all gifts preferred perfume. And this is her right, by the way. Today is her birthday. And now Guangming beats himself in the chest and proves to everyone how generous and noble he is, and no one notices it. You are ridiculous, Guangming, in your vanity!

- What did you say, Wenhua? cried Guangming. He jumped up from his seat and ran to Wenhua: "Well, repeat what you just said!"

- I said that you are ridiculous, Guangming, in your vanity! said Wenhua.

The guys clung to the breasts, between them came a fight. Michael rushed to separate them.

"So! It seems that the most interesting begins, thought Anton Ivanov. Two males entered the fight because of a beautiful girl. Guangming quarreled with Wenhua because of Xiaoming. And that, Xiaoming is a very beautiful girl. True, a little frivolous and flirtatious, but very pretty. Although I like Aymin more. Her beauty is not as bright as that of Xiaoming, but Aimin is a very feminine and kind girl. No, I would definitely fall in love with Aimin."

Anton Ivanov came from Russia, he studied at Voronezh University, his specialty was psychology. He already participated in such a project and knew from experience that a long stay of people in a closed space causes quarrels and discord in the team. The human psyche is very thin and fragile, like a mirror. And very often it does not endure any pressure from the side or a stressful situation. Very often, the human psyche fails and the person experiences a nervous breakdown. Even quite normal people in a complex crisis situation begin to behave differently than in normal life. And here in the scientific laboratory of the "Lunar Palace" people were without contact with the outside world, not being able to go outside to get some fresh air, take a walk in the park, go to the store or to the cinema. Of course, the station had its own cinema hall, and a library, and a greenhouse, where flowers, vegetables, strawberries and even wheat grew.

But people were deprived of the opportunity to leave home from work, having worked their shift. The sunlight did not penetrate here, only the light of fluorescent lamps illuminated the station's premises. Cold white light. Participants in the experiment were deprived of the opportunity to talk on their mobile phone with their relatives and friends left in the outside world. There was no internet here. This was a very severe test for the generation of people who grew up in the age of the Internet and mobile communications. There were a lot of restrictions here, too many. But every member of the team knew what he was on. People were not forced to participate in a scientific experiment. All consciously decided to come to the "Lunar City" and conduct an experiment. And only in this was the heroism of these people. Refuse for a few months from the usual way of life, from entertainment, from visiting clubs and cafes, from all alcoholic beverages, even beer. You could not smoke here either. Only a measured working rhythm, work is a dream, and so every day, from day to day.

Of course, Guangming flared up. He was not used to such a life full of prohibitions. This life was understood by such people as Wenhua. It's clear that Wenhua is a "botan", he spends all his time in lectures and books. "Wenhua probably did not see anything in life except books and notes," thought Guangming. He lay in his bed in his cabin and, silently, looked at the ceiling. A yellow lamp burned on the ceiling. The bright light hurt painfully in the eyes, but Guangming did not want to get out of bed to turn off the lights. Evil retreated, he no longer was angry with Wenhua. Guangming was now angry with the leaders of the scientific project, who persuaded people to participate in this stupid project. Guangming was now sure that this project was stupid, stupid, that it was useless. It is not known when people will go to the moon or to Mars. Humankind currently does not have such an opportunity to create stations for people living on the Moon or on Mars. The question is: "Why then do these scientific experiments? If no one goes there."