A summary of Boris Akunin’s "Science Fiction" Automatic translate

This 2005 novel blends science fiction with a historical retrospective of the waning Soviet era. The events span the period from 1980 to 1991. The author charts the evolution of two teenagers. The young men survive a mysterious car accident. After a severe injury, they gain supernatural abilities.

The book is part of the literary project "Genres." Boris Akunin experimented with classic forms of fiction there. The novels "Children’s Book" and "Spy Novel" have also been added to this series. The works are united by a common fictional universe, with hidden plot connections between them.

The Kolina Gora disaster

On a May evening in 1980, a bus crashed into a glowing white column on the Kolinogorsk Highway outside Moscow. All passengers were killed. Only two young men in the back seat survived. Investigators attributed the accident to driver error and a log lying on the road. The surviving teenagers, Robert Darnovsky and Sergei Dronov, soon discovered they possessed extraordinary talents.

Robert, an insecure, excellent student, gains the ability to hear others’ thoughts through direct eye contact. His inner perceptions are always accompanied by symphonic music in the background. The young man uses telepathy for brutal manipulation. He easily seduces Regina, the class’s most beautiful girl. By extracting the correct answers from examiners, Robert receives a medal and is admitted to MGIMO with flying colors.

Over time, Darnovsky makes a distinguished scientific career. He works at a prestigious institute and develops into a cynical diplomat. Robert later marries Inna, an incredibly beautiful but emotionally cold woman. She is the daughter of a high-ranking intelligence general, Vsevolod Ignatyevich Stroyev. The marriage seems ideal, although Robert feels a growing emptiness inside.

Technical school student Sergei Dronov suffers from beatings from his alcoholic stepfather. After an accident, he hears a distinct rhythmic pounding in his head. In moments of fear or sharp pain, Sergei’s pulse speeds up fourfold. A special combat mode is activated. The world around him slows down significantly. He experiences incredible speed and phenomenal reflexes.

To activate his gift, Sergei wears a sharp needle under his fingernail. He quickly dispatches local gangsters and cripples the fearsome hooligan Rep. Dronov becomes an authority figure in Basmanovo, on par with the crime boss Müller. Soon, sports official Ivan Panteleevich notices Sergei’s physical abnormalities and takes him under his wing.

A mentor, whom Dronov calls "Sensei," trains him to become a multiple world champion in track and field. Sergei is awash in wealth and worldwide fame. At the Seoul Olympics, a wasp sting triggers an involuntary acceleration just before the start. The athlete is permanently disqualified for suspected use of an unknown doping substance. Deprived of his sport, Dronov goes into shady land dealings with his old friend Müller.

The girl with blue eyes

Exactly ten years later, on May 10, 1990, the heroes’ paths cross again. Sergei sees a mute flower girl by the road. He sees her as the epitome of unearthly beauty. The former champion takes her to his luxurious country house. He names the stranger Maria and falls passionately in love.

Robert, passing by the same spot, also notices the flower girl. Initially, he sees only an unattractive, poorly dressed provincial girl. After a brief moment of eye contact, her appearance transforms into a perfect ideal for him. The telepath hears the stranger’s mental voice. Robert calls the girl Anna.

Darnovsky obsessively tracks this strange woman. He secretly infiltrates Dronov’s secure compound. Robert discovers that Anna also possesses a gift — she doesn’t read, but rather, subtly senses other people’s emotions and thoughts. The diplomat takes the girl away. They live in a secret Moscow apartment, leading a celibate life. The man is torn between Anna and his legal wife, Inna. Meanwhile, Sergei obsessively searches for the kidnapper, identifying him by the cherry-red color of his car.

Collision and abduction

In the spring of 1991, Dronov breaks into Robert’s hideout. A brutal fight to the death breaks out between the men. At that very moment, a gas grenade, fired by unknown saboteurs, breaks through the window. The attackers knock out their opponents with chemical gas and take Anna away.

After waking up, Robert and Sergey are forced to join forces. They track down the pursuers’ vehicles. The partners lure the operatives into the forest and capture one of the surveillance agents. The captured intelligence officer breaks free and commits suicide by jumping from a high cliff. The heroes are left without a valuable informant.

The search leads the partners to a secret mansion on Chernoposadsky Lane. They daringly storm the building, smash the security cameras, and neutralize the guards. The heroes capture Professor Ilya Petrovich. The scientist shows them the medical file on Marianna Dolina — the flower girl’s official name. In the mansion’s basement, the fugitives are again trapped with sleeping gas. The men lose consciousness.

Secrets of the Sanatorium

Darnovsky and Dronov come to in a bright medical bay. Colonel Vasiliev explains in detail what’s happening. The facility, called the "Sanatorium," is secretly controlled by the KGB. The organization is covertly fighting a full-scale alien invasion of Earth.

Aliens called "Migrants" are preparing our planet for global colonization. They caused a car accident in 1980. The aliens imbued Robert, Sergei, and a girl named Marianna, who happened to be there, with special physical properties. Intelligence agencies call these altered individuals "mutants."

The aliens are also actively recruiting agents of influence within the highest levels of power in the USSR. The Chekists refer to the recruited traitors as "policemen" or "zombie." The sanatorium wages a merciless secret war against the alien agents. Marianna was thoroughly examined in the laboratory and deemed safe for humanity.

Choice and denouement

The colonel brings the heroes to Marianna. The officer says, "You have a decision to make." The girl refuses to leave with Robert. She silently confesses her love to the diplomat, but ultimately chooses Sergei. The former athlete is too vulnerable and simply won’t survive without her. Darnovsky, in despair, leaves the secret base. Upon exiting, he unexpectedly encounters his high-ranking father-in-law.

Vsevolod Ignatyevich Stroyev turns out to be the director of the Sanatorium. Dronov also knows him by the nickname "Sensei." His father-in-law is a member of a secret government — the powerful Club. The general frankly admits that Robert’s marriage was part of a cold-blooded operation. The intelligence services had been monitoring the behavior and development of the bearer of telepathic gift for years. His daughter, Inna, is actually a career KGB officer.

It’s August 20, 1991. Moscow is in the midst of the August coup. The Secret Club is desperately trying to seize state power from the "policemen" who have seized control of the country. The special operation fails due to the use of an alien psychotropic weapon that suppresses the will of soldiers and officers.

The Sanatorium Director plans to create an invincible sabotage cell. He wants to unite the Intellect, Strength, and Intuition of Robert, Sergey, and Marianna. Stroyev is confident that this triangle will help the earthlings win the coming underground war.

Devastated by the loss of Anna and disillusioned with the world order, Darnovsky gets behind the wheel of his car. In the depths of despair, he races down the nighttime country road. He ignores the rules, wanting to check the reality of what’s happening. At high speed, Robert crashes into the same glowing white column on Kolina Gora. The last thing he’s aware of before the terrible impact is the loud symphonic music.