It seems like the Golden Age of humanity finally came. All human needs are satisfied by sensitive and powerful cybersystems-"shells". Humans no longer need any kind of special abilities or skills. While super intelligent "shells" take care of everything human ability to think deteriorates. And it is that mental placidity that invisible information non-humanoid forms need to use to turn humans into the biorobots… To achieve that purpose, non-humanoids slowly infiltrate the "shells". Eventually, the planet Earth is completely overtaken by cybersystems. Only the residents of inter-space settlements offer a strong resistance and in the bloody battle overpowering the machines possessed by the "information demons" and take control over cybersystems.

"Agent Falko carefully peered inside the door with a word "Canteen" written on in. Immediately, some fried eggs flew above his head and sullied the wall. Generally, the conditions in the room reminded the havoc in which the Earth was created: clouds of steam, geysers of boiling water, jets of melted fat and powerful music of shinning jukebox… The counter was an especially amazing sight: coffee makers, toasters and grillers together, created conditions intolerable for life.

"Robot-waiters were running around throwing plates of food like grenades, spinning knifes and pricking with forks all sources of ultra-red radiation. Gone mad cybers were overturning tables, breaking chairs, driving each other into the walls and cutting any live "meat" that was coming their way. At times, the whole situation reminded the hockey match, but more often it was like the Spanish bullfight

"The visitors of the canteen were scattered everywhere like pigeons: on cupboards, refrigerators even curtains the public sat and hung like bunches of grapes. Especially nimble citizens climbed the cornice. Canteen attendant - daring blond girl - tried to battle small but especially vicious cybershells on her own. She was using a broom and after each attack ran hiding in the supply room. Inside the big fatty paddle laid the body of a policeman…"

While humans slowly disintegrate under the "sweet" despotism of cybersystems, the new empire - Cosmika - is formed on one of the inter-space bases. Cosmika is populated by mutants, which are divided according to their caste. In these mutants super intelligence and super abilities co-exist with totally underdeveloped emotions. They achieve the independence from mother-Earth and in difficult battle overpower possessed by the "information demons" machines.

It seemed that finally residents of Cosmica could enjoy the fruits of their labour, but new disaster strikes. The specimen of non-protein alien life gets its seed on the prefect of Mercury, where it grows and multiplies by absorbing human souls (or their psi-structures). To facilitate the process of absorption the Creature seduces humans by giving them a short-term power over the bone substance.

But there is a person, who finds the way to save human souls from becoming a food for the Creature.

"My policeman's working day began with the fight between two different varieties of our native "wild" mutants. The fight took place in tavern "Freedom to Mutations" by the wasteland - the worst part of the city. It all started when one of the small-time thieves - intelligent cross between monkey and a rat - started to get into the bags of other visitors and drinking all their booze. In response, offended mutants sniffed some car battery liquid and started the fight with another group, which was under influence of a toxin.

"I called the "Special" unit - 10 policemen - greeted them and commanding them to form a straight line sent them to the crime scene. There were two hundred mutants trying to kill each other inside and outside the tavern. The bodies, subject to lowered gravitational force, were flying all over the place like some oversized bumblebees...

"Having not much choice, the special unit stepped right into the mess... In the first few seconds I have lost both of my poisonous gas cylinders. There and then I was grateful for having my hands intact and still in joints. In a short while I lost the sight of my boys... My electric shock night stick was broken on my own head - only special anti-force jacket saved me from the coma, shock and multiple bone fractures. I would hardly recommend these jackets - extremely useful thing: thin titanium springs in special silicon foam...

"Soon after that I was thrown into the air and consequently on the ground for several times. When I hit the ground for the final time I got right into the elephant-like stampede... In a few moments, there would have been nothing left of me to save but the boots - the moment of smearing the lieutenant over the ground was rapidly approaching...

"Suddenly five FMs (female mutants) accidentally got themselves in the middle of the fighting mobs. These were the progressive feminists, which by the genetic modifications were turned into flat, man-hating, frigid and generally scary creatures. Actually on the outside they appeared quite attractive, what made them dangerous was their special abilities which very much reminded the poltergeist.

"One of the fighting mutants, seeing the FM, suggested a "closer acquaintance", but the first second he tried to grab her, four of her girlfriends appeared as if from nowhere. The FMs did not group together but formed a certain combination, after that they set on destroying the enemy. They were spinning around making it impossible to hit them, but they themselves were leaving unconscious 5 mutants in a single hit. The most amazing thing was that FMs did not seem to hit anybody, on the contrary, they were trying the avoidance technique, while the mutants themselves were lining up making it easier for FMs to hit them.

"After seeing the fate of their brothers the rest of the monsters, all together, without subdivision on "sniffers" and "toxin injectors" turned against FMs. However that only created more commotion and did not slow street-smart FMs from clearing a way and disappearing in the unknown direction."

Homo sapient becomes a non-thinking entity. The "intelligence" becomes a property of cybersystems-"shells", which control everything on Earth. Evil creature - specie of non-protein live form - uses degradation of earthlings and because of its totally different make-up is invincible to human weapons. The evil creatures lives of dying civilisations by absorbing people - body and soul, and even their personal belongings... Only the detachment of outer space troops can resist the creature because they are a special breed of mutants with microchips inside and an iron will power.

"Fiksa was just standing there expressionless while electric giant Cactus was approaching, playing with electrical charges between his palms... When he tried to attack again my vision blurred. When it cleared there was nothing left to see: Fiksa was already behind Cactus, who was thrown on a ground by powerful strike to the neck.

It came as a total surprise: I did not expect her to be such an expert in martial arts! I felt uncomfortable fighting a woman but nevertheless decided to help my unfortunate friend. I did not attack her from behind like a slime-bucket would, but waited until she will turn around to face me. I pretended that I was going to fall on my hands and hit the lower half of her body but instead I jumped up and targeted her ear. I made a proper half-turn, admired the swift movement of my leg and prepared for the collision of her head and my boot. What happened next was a total mystery... My vision became blurred once again and my ears got blocked within a second. The only thing I felt was a tickling sensation, as if the stream of bubbles swept over me...

That "tickling" ended extremely painfully for me. Before my mind switched off, I had enough time to land, register the presence behind me and to receive an excruciating blow to the back of my head... The body turned out to be weaker than the spirit so my brain switched off... When I regained consciousness, my mouth was full of debris and my nose was bleeding. I understood that I plunged into the floor and Fiksa was the one responsible for that. In a meanwhile Fiksa was quite elegantly leaving through already vacated door. She turned around and abruptly addressed one of us: "Are you going to wipe off that drool or you'll be needing a bucket?"

Courteous control system announced the strength of the received blow and evaluated my condition as a light form of concussion. It also offered a good advice: to take the appropriate medicine and crawl into the bed. Still on a floor, I was agreeing with the control system - lying was good. When with a great difficulty I attempted to get up I felt week at the knees. Despite all that, I was still able to observe Cactus trying to get up from all fours with his face "off colour" and a laser axe still in his shaky hand. My friend obviously butted the woods with his nose.

Space Empire Cosmika frees Earth from the cybersystems' enslavement. During the cybersystems' reign thinking ability of humans is greatly diminished. As a result, the era of feudalism and barbarism commenced. The changes in climate, vegetation and animal life brought about by Cosmika allow all human population on Earth to engage in farming: to become either a peaceful peasant, pugnacious feudal or a valiant nomad. Directors and ministers became civil and religious authorities.

The Empire needs the barbarians as a primary material for creation of new type of robots - whose calling is to master the Universe.

Space Empire - Cosmika - liberates the Earth.

In some Siberian districts heated by artificial suns-sollets, several powerful new countries, with the technological development equivalent to that of 17th century, were established... At the same time in low-populated regions of Arctic, Cosmica is locating its secret military bases. Empire is fighting the rebels from Saturn, whose psyche and bodies were modified by the new religious cult.

The mind of the agent of Callstial intelligence Paklin is implanted into Earth's robo-cop Klim. Unlike Callisto, where humans are considered to be "God's best creation" on Earth, cybercivilisation confined humans - "soft bodies" - to ghettos. But even there human-hating robots and cyber-animals attack the remains of human population.

All that is observed by the Resident - the genius programmer, the real lord of both physical world and the cyberspace, who himself is affected by infovirus...

Small, but rich town, which used to be a military base, becomes a site for large-scale crime operation. Mafia, containing city's former administrative staff, came up with a plan to take control over all city assets and get rid of all surplus population. To achieve that they are spreading the rumour that the city will soon become a victim to catastrophic space events. However "new Russians" stop the "old Soviets" on their track.

"- And now, - said the master Phillip Nikolaevich pompously, - Throw that rat out".

Wow, I think he was referring to me... The door of the helicopter was open and "helpful" Caucasian male invited me to join the strong air current outside. My soul was about to leave the body, when I suddenly remembered: the bag, my bag! My bag was under one of the sits and in the front pocket there was a mace gun. The problem on hand was under which of the 3 seats it actually was.

"Listen, does the person at least has the right to look presentable after death?" - said I, trying to stretch the time.

"Comrade Shwartz, you are going to look nice right up to the point you'll lend on our wonderful planet. I also beg your pardon for calling you a "rat" earlier; maybe what I should have said was "Set this proud bird free" - sardonically added the former leader of the Komsomol.

"Go on. Go on. - making a wide gesture said the Caucasian as if inviting me to step out for some fresh air. By now I have established that my bag was under the 3rd seat. I fell to my knees enduring the humiliation, but not seeing any other way. I definitely was not going to dye for the pleasure of Phillip Nikolaevich Tarkhov.

"The body turned out to be weaker than the spirit. And all because I really hate draughts."

"Look at him letting his snots out. Next he's going to piss his pants." - Phillip Nikolaevich contemptuously spitted.

It seemed, that in the L'vov's eyes flashed with contempt, as if he expected more of me. Since demand requires a supply I shall try to deliver. I have jumped from my knees and extending like a string, similar to the soccer's goalkeeper, put my hand into the side pocket of my bag. L'vov attempted to jump me, but successful "scissors" movement enabled me to hit his shin and under his knee. While he was stacked on a deck, I have snatched out the gas revolver and "shot" approaching Caucasian. L'vov managed to get the "stinky" out of my hands, but as he tried to get up, I hit him in the Adam's apple, which had put him down again.

All of these events were followed by a pause. Caucasian was winging and scratching his face, while L'vov was tossing his head from side to side making bubbling noises. I was just about to relax but suddenly noticed that Tarkhov's hand unbuttons a jacket and dives somewhere in the proximity of his armpit. Could it be a gun? I straightened my body and threw myself in the Tarkhov's stomach. Comrade-member of Komsomol made a small noise and gave in.

I was trying to extract his weapon, when suddenly some force has seized me by the collar and hurled me in the direction of the door. Sasha L'vov must have come to his senses. My head was already outside in the wind. Despite my horror I have noticed the 2nd helicopter. Was that Plotycin trying to come to my rescue? However, soon my observations were interrupted. L'vov was not able to push me out completely as I have stuck my foot in some welded part of the helicopter so instead he bent down aiming to kick me in the temple.

Now there were two helicopters manoeuvring in the air in a very close range. The pilot of our helicopter trying to avoid another machine made a horizontal manoeuvre, which re-directed Sasha's knuckle to the side and threw Sasha himself to the side enabling me to get up and hit him in the groin. L'vov's own weight tilted him to the other side.

I got to Tarkhov just in time: he was just about to point a gun at me. After a fight with L'vov, the tackle with Tarkhov was like a warm-up. I deflected the gun in direction of the cockpit and then... I'm not sure what happened exactly - was that I, who accidentally pressed Tarkhov's finger or him, but the gun discharged.

The mournful cry preceded pilot's falling to the side. I tried to get the weapon from Tarkhov's hand but L'vov hurled me to the deck and took the possession of the gun.

"Shoot him" - quickly ordered Phillip Nikolaevich.

"By himself comrade Tarkhov can only shoot one of his own"- said I not afraid to be insolent before death. Despite the fact that the present moment was easily one of the most horrifying moments of my life I was surprisingly calm.

"The pilot's fried, - calmly reported L'vov. As if in confirmation, the helicopter endured several strong jolts swinging from its nose to its tail.

"I would gladly land the machine", - cheerfully said I. "Don't shoot L'vov if you want to land alive and not like the omlet with fried bacon.

"Kill him" - repeated Tarkhov.

"All former Komsomol-members become maniacs" - I spoke out.

"Phillip Nikolaevich, you've just killed the pilot. The machine is falling. It seems, that you want all of us to reach the ground dead. Shwartz here served in the helicopter troops" - described the situation L'vov. "Shwartz, please take the pilot's seat. If you lied about your skills - you'll die next"

"Don't worry, Sasha. I had the chance to observe how the pilots navigate helicopters more than once".