The micro-mechanical device stored each location with its name and a miniature diagram—everything saved to memory.
He hadn’t seen a function like this before.
With a surprised twist of his lips, he looked up—just as the guide pointed toward the entrance to the underground passage.
“A little interest in your city’s history wouldn’t hurt.”
“It’s not my city.”
“I see… Happens often.”
“That’s why I don’t get too attached. People lived here before me, they’ll live here after.”
“But for me—it’s home. That’s why I do care. I’m passionate about its history…”
They moved toward the underground crossing near Amir Temur Square.
“This metro station used to have a different name, you know. And do you know why the monument to Temur is shaped the way it is? Since I was a child, I always asked: Why? For whom? Why exactly like this? That’s why I carry a head full of facts most people think are useless.”
“My good man, I do appreciate that—or at least I’ll pretend I do. But I don’t need bursts of memory or excessive emotion at every step. Makes me too impulsive… Mind if I just call you pal?”
“Of course! Call me whatever you like.”
“Pal, I don’t even know the historical name of the city I was born in. I leave that to the historians. I just need practical, utilitarian skills to keep my personal life in order. No one calls that talent, but for me—it’s enough.”
They arrived at the platform, where the train was about to stop.
“To be honest—you’re right,” the guide said. “Specialists like you are exactly what’s needed. That’s why we’re here together.
Not just together—this task was entrusted to you, not to me.”
The young man tried to figure out why this person had been assigned as his escort.
“So… are you a courier too?” he asked.
“No… well, in a way—yes. I’m a lead specialist in history, specifically in numismatics and linguistics. Which, as you can imagine, doesn’t exactly sharpen one’s delivery skills.”
“And how’s that relevant to any of this?”
A rising rumble cut off the reply—the train was arriving.
The young man turned to ask another question, but his companion was already focused on the incoming train, calculating which door would be best to board.
The noise drowned out the rest of their conversation.
They stepped into the carriage. The train began to move.