– Logical reasoning. Robert Gates, who was the CIA's deputy director of intelligence at the time, recalled, "We could have been on the brink of war without knowing it." In 1983, the world was living as usual, unaware of the catastrophe it was facing. I was working on Britain at the time. Margaret Thatcher had become Prime Minister for the second time and her potential successor, Cecil Parkinson, had been forced to resign after admitting that he was raising a son with his secretary, with whom he was having an affair. Two young socialist troublemakers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, become MPs for the first time. Police count the bodies of serial killer Dennis Nielsen's victims in his London apartment, and a gang of six carry off £25 million worth of gold from Brinks Mat's warehouse. Hitler's "diary" is found, which turns out to be a fake. England's soccer players fail to qualify for the European finals. Everyone sings Sting's song (Every breath you take), which has these words: "I'm watching every breath you take, every step you take". Unwittingly, Sting has very accurately summarized what we and the Americans have been doing on the international stage. Both sides have new, more powerful and more effective instruments of destruction. Reagan, who replaced Jimmy Carter, raises the stakes in this dangerous game by delivering his provocative speech in which he calls the Soviet Union an "evil empire." And then began the events that almost led to disaster. On November 2, 1983, the North Atlantic Alliance of Western countries led by the United States began a planned ten-day exercise code-named "Skillful Archer" to test its military communications systems in case of war. The exercise scenario included an invasion by the USSR using conventional weapons. The decisive moment was to come with a simulated launch of nuclear missiles. Command posts and missile bases were in full readiness, but, as was repeatedly reported to the USSR leadership, no real weapons were used. In every message our leadership was informed in huge letters that this was "only an exercise". But they, fearing Reagan's supposed recklessness, preferred not to believe these messages.

Vasilievich was meaningfully silent.

– This was the World War II generation that had always remembered how Hitler had deceived Stalin into launching the bloody Operation Barbarossa in 1941 under the pretext of conducting exercises. Gordievsky and other KGB officers around the world received urgent telegrams demanding evidence that the exercises were a cover for a real preemptive nuclear strike. Washington was completely unaware of the powerful effect Skillful Archer had on the Soviet leadership. In fact – Reagan was not preparing for war, but doing the opposite. It turns out that he was impressed by the movie he watched. This is the case when the "invisible weapon" turns out to be stronger than any thermonuclear weapon. At the end of the day, it's the brain that controls everything. Therefore, the strongest weapon is the one that affects it. At his presidential residence, Camp David, Maryland, he recently watched a television version of the sci-fi movie "The Day After," which tells the story of the aftermath of nuclear war. The former Hollywood cowboy was more impressed by the movie than all the military briefings and reports. The movie predicted the deaths of 150 million people. Reagan wrote in his diary, "It made a strong oppressive impression on me. We must do everything we can to make sure that nuclear war never happens." The old warhorse changed course and soon began trying to establish friendly relations with Moscow, which led to his first visit to the Soviet Union and the establishment of bilateral relations. But Reagan nearly missed his chance. When the exercises reached their peak, our outrage reached its highest point. During the exercise, their forces nearly fired a theoretical salvo of 350 nuclear missiles. Our military put the nuclear forces on highest alert, when all that was left to do was press the button to launch a massive retaliatory strike. The pilots of our nuclear bombers sat in the cockpits of their airplanes, engines idling, waiting for the command to take off. Three hundred intercontinental ballistic missiles were ready for launch, and 75 mobile SS-20 launchers hurriedly moved to their secret positions. Navy ships hid in shelters, anchored off the cliffs of the Baltic, and nuclear submarines with their missile arsenals cruised under the Atlantic ice and prepared for missile launches. The situation was saved by two spies, one on each side . The Americans reacted instantly, lowering the heat. Moscow took a step back from that precipice. Only later did America realize how close the world had come to the apocalypse. Greater efforts began to find ways to end the arms race. Today, America's relationship with Russia is strained. To some extent this is reality, to some extent it is a spectacle. It is clear that "Zero", meaning us, is in control of the situation. Be that as it may, the person in power, even if he is controlled, always has very great opportunities. And in this case, the risk is deadly. Now, hopefully, you understand better the essence of the mission that we are carrying, the part of it that will be entrusted to you? Some very important events, for people, unfortunately go unnoticed. Amid growing concern about nuclear proliferation, the staff of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved its doomsday clock forward, setting it half a minute to midnight. From here on out, you will increasingly realize the gravity and danger of the situation. I hope you pass the tests with flying colors and are invited to the big gathering.

– What kind of tests? – Ruthra asked tensely.

Zhidkov pretended to miss the question.

– Do you know what a big gathering is? – He asked, smiling, and answered: "A big gathering is when all the secret authorities come out of their skechers and onto the center deck.

"He was using a sailors' slang expression. He was among the carriers of the Chegeta," Rutra decided.

Rutra had just begun to settle into his new life when, on another visit, Vasilievich, in order to "ponder over coffee," as he liked to put it, said:

– Moving on to the next phase. Today we have legalization.

– What the hell is that?

– That's what we do legally.

– And what's that?

– You're giving a lecture to the students today. Understand?

– I understand," Ruthra replied without further question.

– Come on, I'll introduce you.

– Wait, I didn't prepare.

– It's okay, you tell them about the NSA's methods, it'll be great for them.

They went up to the upper level, went to the secret part of the university, where, under the legend of the Institute of Statistics, they were engaged in training specialists for the secret services. Vasilievich introduced Rutra to the undergraduate and graduate students as Paschovsky, a doctoral candidate at the U.S. National Defense University.

A lecturer came up to the pulpit and spoke about new methods of systematizing and analyzing information. Having finished his short speech, he introduced Rutra to the audience once more. Apparently, he had been trained at Zero as well. "So I'll probably meet him again," Rutra thought.

The lecturer stated:

– The following will be told to you by an expert who works in the United States and personally advises the NSA. Mr. Paschowski, please.

Rutra stepped up to the pulpit, looked around the audience, said hello, and, giving his speech an American accent, began to narrate: