Vadim Panov, "Manual Drive," summary

Vadim Panov’s 2008 science fiction novel "Manual Drive" reveals the underbelly of our everyday existence through the lens of the concept of higher powers that control human souls — "sparks." The work is part of the author’s "Anchors" series, number one.

Return from Eternity

The events begin in the reserve morgue of Moscow’s Mikhailovskaya Hospital, on the so-called "Small Earth." A "spark" named Victor returns here from the Kingdom via a cunning device called the Incubator. He is to serve as the senior assistant to the Substation commandant. This secret facility, designed to regulate the balance of souls on Earth, is overseen by the silent and cynical Herman, nicknamed Carbide. "Sparks" come from the Kingdom to the Earth’s Moment to correct past mistakes or to serve on the Manual Drive. Herman has a number of odd employees under his command: the mute projectionist Askold Arturovich, the mechanic Cherepanych, two stokers named Bison and Bandera, and a pet raccoon named Agava.

Suddenly, the duty room is alarmed — a so-called "misunderstanding" has occurred, where the automated system cannot determine where the released human "spark" is going. Using the Manual Drive, Herman brings a dying patient back to life on the operating table, interfering with the natural course of events. It soon becomes clear that a dangerous illegal alien, the "cutter" Pandora, is operating on Earth. She possesses the rare gift of reshaping the structures of "sparks," extracting the life force and valuable properties from donors and transferring them to wealthy clients. The "cutters" victims become "vegetables," their damaged "sparks" are sent to the Manual Drive Sump, and the "cutters" themselves are sent by their commandants to undergo the so-called second round — a complete memory wipe and rebirth.

Pandora finds a new client, American gangster Harry Scott, who suffers from phobias. She kidnaps quiet citizen Richard Johnson, ties them both to chairs in the basement, and performs a ritual. During the transplant, Scott gains unprecedented courage and rejuvenation, while Johnson loses his mind. To cover her tracks, Pandora blows up the basement with plastic explosives.

On the trail of an illegal

German and Victor arrive at the scene of the explosion. They learn the donor’s name from the Manual Drive Sump and watch the tape of the kidnapping in the Substation’s cinema. Karbid realizes that Pandora is behind the crime — it was she who sent his former partner, Gorely, on a second lap several months ago.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, young journalist Yulia Soboleva, a friend of Oleg Chasovshchikov, notices anomalous statistics at Mikhailovskaya Hospital: the rate of people returning from clinical death is significantly higher than normal. She goes to investigate, visiting the head physician, Soviet academician Ivan Alekseevich Mitin. He assures her that the problem lies in the doctors’ professionalism, but Yulia notices a strange, ancient building on the grounds called "Malaya Zemlya," which is not listed on the map. Overhearing orderlies talking about a patient’s predicted death, Yulia decides to investigate the building’s secrets.

Herman and Victor find Scott in America. Using hypnosis, Victor discovers that Pandora has departed, and Scott’s memory of the ritual is being erased using the Manual Drive. Returning to the duty room, the partners argue: Victor is a careerist and a strict adherent to the Kingdom’s instructions, while Herman acts according to his conscience and the dictates of the Manual Drive.

Meanwhile, Pandora arrives in Moscow. She meets with a new client, the major arms dealer Martin Izderas. At the same time, Pandora encounters a young man, Andrei Vesnin, at a cemetery. Andrei’s father, the wealthy businessman Sergei Vesnin, recently died, and his widow, Maria Krestovskaya, leads a life of idleness and intends to disinherit her son with the help of her lover, Semyon Kostylev.

Playing with death

Yulia attempts to unravel the mysteries of "Malaya Zemlya." She speaks again with Mitin and surgeon Vagit Khalidov. The doctors admit that the old building evokes a strange sense of apprehension and fear. Yulia enters the building and encounters a spatial anomaly: the corridors change, the doors disappear. She descends to the basement, where she meets Cherepanych and sees the Manual Drive and the Sump with its glowing "sparks" for the first time.

At the same time, a new crime occurs: a "rider" knocks the "spark" out of the body of young Andrei Vesnin right on the street. Bandits, hired by Maria Krestovskaya through the crime boss David Grygadze, kidnap the young man. But the body that occupies him isn’t a helpless boy, but his father, Sergei Vesnin, who has returned to Earth with the help of a higher power. Using his newly acquired "spark" superpower, Sergei easily dispatches the kidnappers in the forest, extracts a confession from Grygadze, and punishes those who ordered it. He forces Kostylev to shoot Maria, after which Kostylev commits suicide.

Carbide and Yasen detect a surge during the expulsion of Andrey’s "spark." The young man’s "spark" ends up in the Substation Sump, but the commandants don’t find the "rider" at the scene of the abduction — he’s taken away by bandits. Viktor tries to act independently to gain authority: he contacts Andrey’s "spark" in the Sump via the Manual Drive, learns of his connections, and goes to the apartment of his friend Sveta. There, Sergei Vesnin attacks him, brutally beating him and breaking his kneecap.

Oleg Chasovshchikov, having lost Yulia, contacts Lieutenant Kuzmin and Senior Lieutenant Stotsenko at the police station. Unable to receive immediate assistance, Oleg goes to the Mikhailovskaya Hospital himself, where he encounters anomalies in "Malaya Zemlya" and sees strange things. The next day, Stotsenko goes to check on "Malaya Zemlya," but Viktor, using hypnotic suggestion, convinces the police officer that Yulia has safely left the hospital and that there is nothing suspicious in the building itself.

Payback and choice

Pandora chooses Yulia Soboleva as a donor for Martin Izderas, who desires the quality of "kindness" to raise a child. Yulia is kidnapped and taken to an abandoned construction site. However, due to the influence of the Manual Drive, Yulia’s "spark" is revealed: she gains the ability to manipulate energy. In the basement of the construction site, Yulia engages in battle with Pandora and defeats her.

Herman and Victor arrive and take Pandora to the Substation, while Yulia is returned home to Oleg, preserving her newfound abilities and erasing the tragic memories of her loved ones.

In the duty room, Herman and Victor have a crucial conversation. Pandora dreams of a second circle, to wash away her sins and repent, having lost her memory. The Bush Kingdom curator demands that Victor release Pandora to avoid provoking conflict between the Kingdoms, while Herman suggests that Victor decide her fate himself. Herman places a revolver with one bullet on the table.

Victor understands the essence of the commandants’ service: they become pariahs to their Kingdoms and never return to Eternity, remaining forever on Earth to protect Providence. Victor refuses to send Pandora to the Kingdom for judgment and takes the sin upon himself.

Victor goes out onto the roof to see Herman. A black tattoo of his motto appears on his forearm — a sign that Manual Drive has accepted him as its true commandant. His fate has been decided: Victor remains on Earth.