At the End of the World

— Hey. After defeating AbsoluteSolver, all the drones decided to celebrate and reconstructed the Elliott's restaurant. The restaurant was noisy, as if hundreds of fans had suddenly been transported from the stadium at the moment the team's leading player scores a goal, into a large room with a bunch of small tables and a long bar counter, under which several victims of the melted spaghetti cocktail were already lying. In general, the restaurant was drunk, bad and badly drunk, ears were blocked from other people’s screams, and V, who miraculously survived, decided that it seemed to her that J was calling her, and besides, she was busy repairing the ship. So she moved on, looking with disapproval at Khan's dish standing at one of the tables. — Hey! Perhaps this word was only heard by V in the howls of a local band doing something unimaginable with instruments on stage. — Hey!!! This time V turned around towards the sound and met the gaze of a girl sitting alone at one of the nearby tables. However it wasn’t J. V's surprise knew no bounds. “If some stranger calls you with the voice of a friend, then you need to at least find out what he wants from you, maybe he just liked your rear engine?” Perhaps N would have said this, or perhaps he would have said something completely different, but for V, N’s imaginary voice in his head was a good reason to approach the girl at the table. — Did you call me? — V asked, noting that the stranger looked quite normal, if only a little tired. And in general more like a doll. Not Doll, but doll. Is this a new suit for drones? She was probably tired of this terrible music, and it would only be a joy to meet the end of some indie series. — What? - She raised her head and stared at V in disbelief. — Let’s get acquainted, my name is V. Your voice reminded me of my partner, so did you call me? - V explained patiently. The girl stared at her in surprise and then laughed. At first glance, it looked like an earthling, although in the Universe, in fact, there were thousands of species that resembled earthlings. Besides, the restaurant was private for now, what did she forget here? — Pardon, no. I called... heh, another person - the girl bit her lip, as if still holding back her laughter, and looked away. — Oh, I’m sorry, - V looked around, noticed that her companions were each busy with their own business (or they were playing a game in which they had to pretend that everyone was busy with their own business), and sat down on an empty chair. The stranger seemed to her pleasant and the most sane person a hundred miles around. - I would like to be your friend, but I can’t, as you see. — I hope she comes soon. I would like to see your reaction. I’m Ragatha, by the way, - the stranger introduced herself and looked at Khan’s next dish with a disapproving glance. V respected her even more. - I’m from Earth, just like you. And, like you, partially. — That can’t be true! Did you leave there before Cyn destroyed the planet for a gasket or some stuffing? — No, - Ragatha smiled and looked at V with interest. And only now did she pay attention to the look of her new acquaintance. It seems that Ragatha is not a girl at all, but a middle-aged woman, and her eyes are equal in age to the Multiverse itself. Although this, of course, cannot be, at least for a moment Ragatha must be younger, because... because N would probably say something like this. And if such a phrase is not there in his brain, then V will make sure that it appears. — I left Earth, ending up in a digital prison. Still, to be honest, even it is more suitable for life. — This is about tens or hundreds of years before my birth? - V tried to calculate. — A billion after. “Approximately,” - Ragatha became even more amused. — In that place, the chronology was slightly different, so I can’t tell you the exact date. But now I am in your position. I didn’t expect that the drone greeted me so kindly. You didn't expect an earthling here. It’s logical that they don’t come here often. People don't really like to watch everything die. Although I even learned to get some... satisfaction of this. — Actually, drones are quite friendly, but our programs were simply washed, - V hastened to explain. - Some people are also quite normal. But it doesn’t matter, because the Earth was destroyed in the thirtieth century and... — Sometimes, - Ragatha interrupted her, -it seems that everything is lost. - There is no more planet, no exit, we are very far from home and everyday life, and the person for whom you live has completely died, but... Don’t believe it. Then it will definitely turn out that the planet can be restored, an exit can be found, and a convenient interuniversal express will be launched to both, and that same person... — I don’t understand, - said V. She was completely uninterested in hearing about strangers and some kind of exits, but about the Earth and its restoration... - How is that? — You will find out in due time. If, of course you decide to do it. Anyway, I’m not sure about my time, - Ragatha looked at V so much that she swallowed all other questions. - In the meantime, enjoy the concert, the menu, the end of everything (she slightly mixed up the concepts of Circus and Copper-9, although in some way she was still right), this is a wonderful sight! It means that someday everything will finally end. — Finally? — V began to suspect that she drank melted spaghetti and somehow didn’t notice it. — That’s why I come here and take break from Circus. About once in the life of an ordinary person, and once every hundred, two hundred, and recently three hundred earthly years for me and other toys. I see the moment when this life will finally end. And that’s the only reason I don’t go crazy and can live and wait further. — Wait for what? — Her, - Ragatha noticed someone at the end of the hall and waved his hand. V turned around and saw a drone with two pigtails approaching their table. — I hate the toilets here! I want to take out the laser and deal with them the old fashioned way, like stupid robotic workers, - the girl said mockingly and stared straight at V. —J?! — Yes, she is the one, - she seriously introduced her, - and you are V, - she pointed to her old friend. — What about your...voices... - V didn’t understand. — Mmm? — J didn’t understand too. — No matter, - Ragatha waved it off. -I called you, but she answered, because she thought that you were calling her.” — Next time, call louder, - J deftly pulled V to his feet and sat down on a chair. - Pardon, buddy, but this is my place and my Ragatha. And I don't want to waste a moment of her strange chatter. V said a restrained goodbye and hurried away. These two must only meet here, at the end of everything, as the doll said... maybe that's why they have the same voices? In general, there is no need to take up their precious time. And sitting down at his table, V had already thrown the strange couple out of his head, forgot about their existence... — Why are you doing this? — Ragatha asked, following V with her gaze and correcting her memory. — Because I want to share every moment of the life of this Multiverse only with you, especially after all my life and your life. And it doesn’t matter that in fact we still have a very, very long time to live until its end. Every time we dine here, I understand that life is not endless. — But almost. — Yeah, yeah, - J accepted a plate with a frighteningly sized piece of pie from the waiter’s hands. - And do you know what the point is, Ragatha? I know that even at the end of the Multiverse, I will be by your side. J looked at the table in the far corner, where a lonely traveler was sitting... Ragatha, who had not yet met his V and, due to a strange glitch in the Super-Accurate-Table-Ordering-Program, found herself in the restaurant at the same time as them. Ragatha did not look back, she smiled at all the drones and looked out the window, where space was dying in a bright blinding light. Someday they will die with her. But something told Ragatha that this was unlikely to really be the end of it all...