– Out loud," Ruthra said loudly.
– Listen, please. As you know, the temperature on planet Earth has been rising steadily.
– Really," Ruthra interrupted wryly again.
– Don't interrupt. Or I'll have to strap you back in.
At these words, Ruthra jumped off the couch.
– No shit.
– Listen, please.
– All right. Go ahead.
– After 2027, the process became irreversible. The constant increase in temperature caused the melting of fossil glaciers, and most coastal cities and countries began to flood. The UN decided to give the territory of Siberia to the inhabitants of the flooded areas, as the climate there has become moderate. In return, Russia demanded that the main control center of the world government be located in Moscow under the administration of the Russian president and another 30% of the UN budget. This led to a conflict in the movement of finances, distribution of resources, coupled with the fact that armed conflicts began around the world… all of which caused the Perimeter system to go into combat mode.
– Wait, wait, wait. Let's say I believe all this. First, what kind of perimeter system are you talking about?
– The Perimeter system is a complex of automatic control of a massive retaliatory nuclear strike. To ensure guaranteed fulfillment of its role, the system was originally designed as fully automatic, and in the event of a massive attack is capable of making a decision on an adequate retaliatory strike on its own, without human participation. In Europe and the United States, it is known as the "Dead Hand." It is a complex expert system equipped with a multitude of sensors, monitors the presence and intensity of negotiations in all systems. It is an artificial intelligence.
– I don't believe any of this, but I realize something extraordinary is going on here. What's the bottom line?
– The Perimeter system has gone into combat mode, can launch missiles at any moment.
– Anything at all? Why didn't she launch? Or what does it depend on?
– The system went offline in 2029, and conditions have been met since then to ensure that it does not activate.
– This is already interesting. What are the conditions and why can't it just be turned off?
– You can't turn it off. It's designed that way. No one thought about it at first. But when they decided to disable it, it turns out it sees it as an enemy takeover of the system. There's no password from the system's true creator. It was created that way, as it turns out, on purpose. And the conditions: it requires full access to all radio and television broadcasting systems, control of all types of communication.