TartariaE01
TartariaE01 is the first part of the narrative of the sci-fi utopia Tartaria.
This article presents the initial conditions for the Gedankenexperiment “Tartaria”, which examines a minimal social system built on a reduced set of taboos.
The stability of such a society is examined through the experience of a single participant: technician Ruvim Pechor, a highly specialized but socially unadapted researcher.
The goal is to reveal the dominant channels of collapse of such a system.
In this article, Ruvim Pechor, residing in the USA, loses his job and enters the social system of Tartaria, which he initially perceives as a barbarian country.
The events take place at the beginning of the 22nd century..
Navigation on First Book:
«TartariaE00», Preface
«TartariaE01», From USA to Tartaria
«TartariaE02», If tomorrow corrupt
«TartariaE03», Nata Kiskin and Cranberry
«TartariaE04», Again Nata
«TartariaE05», Clever Times and departure
«Ruvim Pechor», Trajectory of personage
«Constitution of Tartaria», Main Law
«Tartaria Guide for Newcomers»,
«Trulag»,
USA
For several years, Ruvim Pechor lived in a cheap rented flat in the suburbs of Springfield, surviving on welfare and occasional temporary jobs unrelated to his specialization. His resident permit allowed him to take any work, which he did, unable to find a position in his field. His contacts with the scientific community had nearly vanished; occasional messages from colleagues received only delayed and indifferent replies.
Earlier, Ruvim had acquired a reputation as a difficult and eccentric colleague. He was warned that his publications raised doubts about the success of the entire Project. His supervisor recommended that he withdraw a manuscript analyzing the statistical significance of medical effects of extracts from newly developed genetically modified plants. The publication was considered undesirable, as it could undermine confidence in quantum genetics used by the drug industry.
Ruvim refused to withdraw the submission. The paper was published. Shortly afterward, he was dismissed for “failure of his direct duties.”
His stagnant life was interrupted by an unexpected letter. The dean of the Faculty of Biology at GNUT (Galia National University of Tartaria), Lesli Landov, offered him a position as professor.
Ruvim did not know who Lesli Landov was. He had never applied to any institution in Tartaria and could not recall any scientific publications from there. He was not even aware that such a university existed.
He did know that his homeland no longer existed, and that on its former territory a number of unstable, semi-organized states—collectively referred to as “Tartaria”—had emerged under loose international control. The idea of a functioning university there seemed doubtful.
However, Landov’s offer included full reimbursement of travel expenses, regardless of the hiring decision. Remaining in the United States offered no clear prospects. Ruvim accepted.
He informed his landlord that he would likely not renew the lease and suggested that any remaining belongings be disposed of after its expiration.
Airport
Kristovina Airport was represented by the quite decent runway, hangar and 2-store building. All looked functional, but incomplete — as if built in haste and left without revision.
By the stairs, Ruvim stepped out of the aircraft onto the concrete.
The official took the Ruvim's ID and asked about the purpose of his visit.
- Interview at the University, - Ruvim told and realized, that he does not remember the name of the University.
- OK, - the official told, returning the ID to Ruvim. - You are in our database. Welcome to Tartaria, Ruvim pro!
A girl stood nearby, barefoot, in a short red dress, holding a sign: RUVIM PECHOR
She looked about ten. Ruvim approached.
— Hello…
— Хай. Ю ар профессор Рувим? — she asked, almost singing.
— I am Ruvim Pechor.
— Нице то сее ю, Рувим про. Ай ам Гелла Иванов. Фоллов ме.
Ruvim glanced around, expecting to see an adult responsible for her. No one reacted.
They stopped near a small flyer with a transparent dome. Gella Ivanov opened the cap.
— This… is yours? — Ruvim asked.
— Оф Босс.. Плиз энтер.
She took the pilot’s seat. Ruvim hesitated for a moment, then entered, dropped his backpack and sat. No one at the airport seemed to find this unusual. The canopy closed. The seat belt fastened by itself. The engine started. The flyer turned, accelerated, lifted.
— Хов дид ю кnов абоут оур университи? — Gella asked.
— From Lesli Landov. By the way, do you speak Russian?
— Йес. То есть да.
— Я тоже.
— О. Босс не сказал. Обычно пришельцы только спикают.
Ruvim looked down. The land below was fragmented as irregular spots, with no visible planning.
— Сколько вам лет? — he asked.
— Девять будет.
University
The flyer descended abruptly, without any visible glide, and landed on a narrow strip between low wooden buildings. The structures looked primitive at first glance — thick logs, uneven geometry — but the roofs were covered with solar panels, and thin cables connected the houses into a network.
- “Юниверсити”, - said Gella Ivanov, opening the dome. - “Велкам”.
Ruvim Pechor picked up his backpack, stepped out and looked around.
The place resembled neither a campus nor a laboratory — rather, a village assembled from incompatible ideas.
Children moved between buildings carrying equipment: cables, glass containers, something that looked like sensors. Most of them were barefoot.
“Это вас дом”, - Gella said, pointing to a small house.
Inside, the door opened after she touched a panel.
“Я прошу вашей руки,” she added, taking this hand. - “Нажмите здесь”.
Ruvim hesitated, then pressed his hand to the sensor.
“Готово,” she said. “Теперь дом знает тебя.”
The door closed. He touched the panel again.
“Велкам, професор Рувим Печор,” - the door announced in Gella’s distorted voice.
Gella laughed: “Работает.”
Ruvim did not answer. He dropped his backpack inside and followed Gella. They walked toward a larger building.
“Правила простые,” Gella said. “Студенты учатся. Старшие учат младших. Ты проверяешь.”
“And lectures?” Ruvim asked.
“Иногда. Если надо.”
“And discipline?”
Gella looked at him, not understanding.
“Если кто-то мешает,” she said finally, “ему объяснят.”
They entered an office. A gray-haired man in a white suit turned toward them.
“Welcome, Professor,” he said.
That was Lesli Landov. The conversation was brief. Ruvim was expected to:
Teach in English.
Supervise students of all levels.
Set qualifications.
Be available at any time and respond to requests immediately.
Then Landov hanged on Ruvim's neck a soft red device.
“Biper,” - he said. - “Communication. Navigation. Recording. Keep it with you all the time.”
“Recording?”
“Yes.”
They entered another hall. The walls were covered with wide screens. Each screen showed rooms, corridors, people. Landov shown one frame at one of the screens:
"This is is view from your biper."
And indicates another frame:
"This is view from my biper. Your biper has bottom. Press it if you need something; it is supposed to recognize voice commands. Here is screen."
Ruvim pressed the bottom and said:
- Where are we?
Biper shown the map of the campus and coordinates. Rubim pressed bottom again and asked:
- Where is Gella Ivanov?
Biper shown the map with arrow and coordinates; then shown the toilet with Gella inside.
- "Sorry" - Ruvim said.
- “Do not worry" - Gella answered.
- "This is total monitoring system,” - Landov said calmly. - “Students observe teachers. Teachers observe students. Everyone may verify everything.”
- “How about privacy?” - Ruvim asked.
- “No privacy. We are in Tartaria.” - The answer was.
First days
The first days were disorienting.
The students were too young. Some barely understood English.
At the same time, they were expected to teach others.
The programs were inconsistent.
Some basic facts were misinterpreted.
Some illustration were just wrong.
One lesson claimed that green plants absorb the central (green) part of the solar spectrum for photosynthesis.
Several students insisted that frogs and worms reproduce in the same way as mammals.
Ruvim indicated the mistakes to Lesli Landov. Lesli corrected the manuals in the real time.
Some students traced the modifications and asked for the explanations.
Each question triggered more requests.
They came at any time. Day. Night. The biper asked. Questions appeared. Answers were expected immediately.
The laboratory was not better.
Equipment was outdated.
Connections failed.
Measurements contradicted theory and themselves.
Students assembled setups from fragments of incompatible devices.
Sometimes they succeeded.
Lesli did not know which equipment us better to buy. Ruvim had to suggest.
Ruvim learned to redirect questions from younger students to older ones.
Ruvim made catalogue of students in order to remember, to whom he can redirect the question. It did not save but time, as Ruvim had to check the explanations. Ruvim gave an "A" grade for correct answers. But often he had to correct the explanations.
Ruvim worked continuously. He explained. Corrected. Rechecked. Sometimes it was sufficient to say few keywords, and the student could find an answer by him/herself. Sometimes, the long and detailed explanations were nessessaty. Ruvim lost the feeling of time.
Next chapter of this book: TartariaE02 (If tomorrow corrupt)
References
https://royallib.com/read/Sheckley_Robert/a_ticket_to_tranai.html#0 Robert Sheckley // A Ticket to Tranai
2012.oo.oo. https://ia600203.us.archive.org/21/items/TheThree-BodyProblem2024/Arkady%20Strugatsky%20-%20Roadside%20Picnic.pdf Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Strugatskii, Arkadii Natanovich, author. Piknik na obochine. English. 2012 // Roadside picnic / Arkady and Boris Strugatsky ; translated by Olena Bormashenko. .. Happiness for everyone! Free! As much happiness as you want! Everyone gather round! Plenty for everyone! No one will be forgotten! ..
Keywords
«Bolshevism», «CivilWar2024», «Collapse of RF», «Collapse of USA», «Communism», «Cannibal tale», «Churchill about Russia», «Constitution of Tartaria», «Duration», «Fascism», «Gedankenexperiment», «Moscovia», «New World Order», «Payback», «Propaganda», «Quasistationary Model of Putin world war», «Realpolitik», «Taboo», «Tartaria», «Vestism», «World War II»
«А нас то за что», «Большевики убили почти всех», «Всех убьём, всех ограбим», «Движуха», «Люксембург-Воркута», «Мы попадём в рай а они сдохнут», «Предсказания революций», «Удвоение ВВП сказка»,