One of the most impressive feats of contemporary hard sci-fi, Sergey Zharkovsky’s language and style of the absolutely fascinating “I, Hobo”, is also one of the most difficult to understand, even for native speakers. Probably only Kharms and Platonov could rival with its stylistic brain-teasers.
So I thought why not provide the brave with a thesaurus of sorts? A structured glossary of acronyms, neologisms, slang, and technical terms I decrypted as best I could, then sorted alphabetically, with domain tags, extended definitions, authentic in-text examples, and cross-references.
And, with as few spoilers as possible…
АСИУ
- Domain: Physiology / Technology
- Definition: Specialized underwear / diaper-like garment for use in наркобоксы or long-duration confinement. Provides daily hygiene, basic body protection, and thermal regulation in all circumstances. Single-use.
- Quotes:
- «Марков, уже голый, в памперсе АСИУ…»
- See also: Наркобокс
Атрибуты Судьи
- Domain: Political / Symbolic / Technology
- Definition: Sacred regalia (меч, печать, перстень) symbolizing the Judge’s sovereignty. In reality, a placeholder name for an alien/high-order technological kernel housed in the Сундук. Custody confers binding legitimacy via Слово/Клятва.
- Notes: Coveted by the Emperor; pursued via multiple expeditions (Черняков envoys, General Шос’s marines). Their nature blurs myth, legality, and advanced physics.
- Quotes:
- «…атрибуты Судьи принадлежат и подчинены только Судье.»
- «…цель – деревянный лакированный ящик, а точнее – его Содержимое…»
- See also: Сундук, Слово/Клятва, Трасса
Автофайл
- Domain: Technology / Information Systems
- Definition: Automatic state-dump/commit generated at milestones (pre-flight, pre-Riemannian, pre-landing). Immutable, timestamped, uplinked to higher command, containing ship’s and crew states. Equivalent to Git auto-commit + CI artifact.
- Quotes:
- «…отправил предстартовые автофайлы…»
- See also: БВС, SOC
Балок
- Domain: Technology / Space Infrastructure
- Definition: Large floating space structures, modular docks or depots with limited life-support capacity. Often host inertial generators and construction racks.
- Quotes:
- «Монтажный двустрельный тысячетонник-рэк… это был балок для монтажников.»
- «…балок сможет поддержать жизнедеятельность обитателя без снабжения?»
- See also: Скраб, Рэк
БС (Бортовая Сеть)
- Domain: Technology / Ship Systems
- Definition: Likely refers to the onboard computer/control network interlinking ship modules.
- See also: БВС
БТ, БТ-пара
- Domain: Technology / Robotics
- Definition: Remotely operated ground bots, often in leader–follower configuration, equipped with effectors.
- Quotes:
- «…Три один, пошёл. На грунте. Видео, аудио…»
- See also: Эффектор, Скорчер
БТ-СТАДА
- Domain: Technology / Robotics
- Definition: Heavy-duty robot carrying Ейбо’s corpse, later functioning as a personality interface and Mark’s interlocutor.
- Quotes:
- «БТ-СТАДА стоял неподвижно, а я ходил вокруг него, как вокруг новогоднего дерева…»
- See also: БТ, SOC
БВС (Бортовая вычислительная система)
- Domain: Technology / AI
- Definition: Ship’s main flight computer/hypervisor manager. Executes checklists, fires автофайлы, monitors SOC sensors. «БВС-ГЛАВНАЯ» = supervisory instance.
- Quotes:
- «БВС-ГЛАВНАЯ грузовоза, трёхпроцессорный greENTown-1000001…»
- See also: Автофайл, SOC, СОЖ
Вентинг атмосферы (перед переходом Евклид → Риман)
- Domain: Physics / Information Theory / Protocol
- Definition: Essential step of Riemann transition: ship depressurized, temperature lowered including of human bodies, air vented to remove uncontrolled molecular degrees of freedom. Prevents decoherence and reduces entropy/information cost.
- Physics parallels: Bekenstein bound (info ∝ energy/radius), Landauer principle (reset cost/bit), decoherence factories (gases).
- Quotes:
- «…разгерметизировал корабль… выждал пять минут… и загерметизировался.»
- See also: Процедура перехода, Риман
Город
- Domain: Slang / Ships
- Definition: Informal designation of the second expeditionary ship, contrasted with the vanished first expedition.
- See also: Трасса, ЭТАЦ
DTL
- Domain: Technology / Vehicles / Observation
- Definition: Small orbital craft or telescope platform. Needs refueling and pressurization; paired with ИТМ.
- Quotes:
- «ИТМ “Нелюбов” – DTL “ОРБИТЕР-04/02”…»
- See also: ИТМ, Зеркало
ЕН-5355
- Domain: Astronomy
- Definition: Stellar designation; central star of the system where events occur.
- See also: Зенит, Трасса
Зенит
- Domain: Astronomy / Orientation
- Definition: Reference frame orientation relative to ecliptic; used for inertial alignment and Riemann transitions.
- Quotes:
- «БТ-СТАДА наставил височную пару объективов в зенит…»
- See also: Риман, EH-5355
Зеркало
- Domain: Technology / Observation
- Definition: One-use orbital mirror telescope, deployed by boosters, fragile but critical for reconnaissance.
- Quotes:
- «…“зеркало” относилось к разряду одноразового оборудования…»
- See also: DTL, Город
ИТМ (Интерпланетный Транспортный Модуль)
- Domain: Technology / Vehicles
- Definition: Shuttle-class interplanetary transport craft, capable of orbital station-keeping and limited atmospheric operations.
- Quotes:
- «ИТМ с безумцем в пилотском кресле тормозил на форсаже.»
- See also: DTL, Город
Капа
- Domain: Physiology / Technology
- Definition: In-mouth catheter/interface used for medical support or cybernetic control.
- Quotes:
- «…Марков держал капу во рту, связь прямая…»
- «…снял капу, сплюнул кровь и заорал.»
- See also: Наркобокс, SOC
Кафар
- Domain: Psychology / Slang
- Definition: Term for depressive state, likely from French avoir le cafard. Used as common slang for clinical malaise.
- Quotes:
- «…меня мучил кафaр, я не мог подняться.»
- See also: SOC, Слово/Клятва
Маха
- Domain: Technology / AI
- Definition: AI operator controlling ПРО channels and information flows for human dark operatives, unknown even to the captain of a ship freshly arrived from Earth. Hacks into all present systems, civilian ships, personnel files.
- Quotes:
- «– Я МАХА, ГОТОВА К ПЕРЕДАЧЕ…»
- See also: ПРО, Резидент
Наркобокс
- Domain: Technology / Physiology
- Definition: Suspension pod: suppresses respiration, immobilizes body from G-forces, lowers temperature and slows metabolism. Keeps crew stable during Riemann transfer. Equivalent to VM freeze-container.
- Quotes:
- «Автоматика наркобокса включилась…»
- See also: Капа, SOC, Процедура перехода
«Машинка времени»
- Domain: Psychology / Coping
- Definition: Main character’s dissociative/time-skipping mental mechanism under trauma.
- Quotes:
- «До поездки верхом на коне моя, заведённая в “лётке” “машинка времени” отказывала трижды…»
- See also: SOC
ПРО (Проекция)
- Domain: Technology / Telepresence
- Definition: Over-Riemannian projection allowing temporary physical-seeming presence across astronomical distances, albeit with a grayscale/‘glowing’ body effect. Extremely costly in energy and time-limited. Equivalent to live VM instancing. Reserved for exceptional government operative’s semi-IRL interventions.
- Quotes:
- «Ходили слухи, что есть такая машина – ПРО. Я никогда в неё не верил.»
- See also: Резидент, Риман
Прик
- Domain: Social / Slang
- Definition: Pejorative term for clones/colonists, implying legal inferiority and ownership by the Empire. Resonates with English “prick.”
- Quotes:
- «…вы, прик Байно Марк… собственность Императора.»
- See also: Трасса, Атрибуты Судьи
Процедура перехода (Евклид → Риман)
- Domain: Technology / Protocol / Information Theory
- Definition: Detailed transition protocol: crew frozen in наркобоксы, lights off, atmosphere vented, temperature dropped to +4 °C, 5 minutes in vacuum, then reseal.
- Why: Reduces entropy and information overhead, enabling stable encoding into Riemann space. Prevents decoherence by eliminating chaotic gas microstates.
- Quotes:
- «…погасил на грузовике внутреннее освещение… стравил давление… снизил температуру… разгерметизировал корабль… выждал пять минут… и загерметизировался.»
- See also: Вентинг атмосферы, Риман
Резидент
- Domain: Operations / Intelligence / Projection
- Definition: Local field agent or projection endpoint. In надримановая проекция, the human “host” receiving the projection. Broader sense: embedded agent keeping networks alive.
- Quotes:
- «…технология надримановой проекции… для приватных контактов с осведомителями и резидентами на местах.»
- See also: ПРО, Маха
Риман / Надриман
- Domain: Physics / Hyperspace
- Definition: Riemannian and over-Riemannian manifolds as overspace for travel and projection. Based on Riemann surfaces: higher-dimensional phase-states where ships/brains exist outside Euclidean spacetime.
- Extended note: Transition encodes crew/hull into state vectors, carried through branch-like “cuts” and decoded on return. Not warp drive, but information-physics tunnelling. Requires entropy-reduction (venting) to make encoding tractable.
- Quotes:
- «До восхода в надриман осталась стандартная тысяча пятьсот.»
- See also: Процедура перехода, Вентинг атмосферы, SOC, Зенит
Рэк
- Domain: Technology / Structures
- Definition: Construction rack (from English rack), part of modular orbital structures.
- See also: Балок, Скраб
СЛУ-3
- Domain: Technology / Weaponry
- Definition: Targeting designator/прицел visible in video feeds.
- See also: Эффектор, Скорчер
Скорчер
- Domain: Ops / Weaponry
- Definition: Heavy 9 kg heat-gun; unwieldy in confined complexes but powerful.
- Quotes:
- «…тебе скорчер в неразвитом комплексе подавай. Метр семьдесят инструмент, девять килограмм.»
- See also: Флинт, БТ
Скраб
- Domain: Technology / Energy Infrastructure
- Definition: Inertial generator core element, often cold until powered; stabilizes complexes in Riemann space.
- See also: Балок, Рэк
Солнечный Колодец
- Domain: Infrastructure / Energy
- Definition: Energy chokepoint/gate sustaining the Трасса. Its shutdown = Trail extinction.
- Quotes:
- «…ЩЁЛК – И ПОГАС НАМ СОЛНЕЧНЫЙ КОЛОДЕЦ.»
- See also: Трасса, Сундук
Слово / Клятва
- Domain: Symbolic / Social
- Definition: Binding operator; enforces Judge’s legitimacy. Equivalent to oath-backed cryptographic key: once spoken, physiological confirmation occurs (pump off).
- Quotes:
- «– Сделка? – Слово. Слово, Марк, слово.»
- See also: Атрибуты Судьи, Сундук
СОЖ (Система обеспечения жизнедеятельности)
- Domain: Technology / Life Support
- Definition: Complete life-support suite: atmosphere control, pressure regulation, gas analysis, O₂ generation (ТИК-ШаЦ), emergency decompression.
- Quotes:
- «…“Будапешт” стоял в доке на реставрации бортовой СОЖ…»
- See also: БВС, Наркобокс
SOC (Сфера ориентации сознания)
- Domain: Psychology / Physics Interface
- Definition: Sphere of Orientation of Consciousness. Serialized vector of mind-state crucial in Riemann environments.
- Index: quantifies adaptation like IQ, from negative values upward.
- Reserve: last stable snapshot; rollback point.
- Sensor SOC: reports coherence-hours remaining.
- Analogy: Git status + rollback window + VM snapshot.
- Quotes:
- «…доклад в отчёт, показания датчика SOC… пятнадцать часов верных, резерв до семнадцати.»
- «…индекс SOC определялся как отрицательный плюс, а адаптивность – средняя…»
- See also: Риман, Наркобокс, Капа
Сундук
- Domain: Symbolic / Political / Technology
- Definition: The Judge’s chest, alias “treasures of earthly kings.” Most likely alien in origin, conferring superior destructive power to the possessor. Custody = leverage over Трасса’s and Earth existence, hence sought by numerous actors, the Emperor of Earth first of all. In the beginning of the story, the container is described as “made out of wood on Earth, without a doubt, 2 000 years ago.” Audiobook and text diiffer on this point.
- Quotes:
- «…цель – деревянный лакированный ящик, а точнее – его Содержимое…»
- See also: Атрибуты Судьи, Слово/Клятва, Солнечный Колодец
Трасса
- Domain: Social / Infrastructure
- Definition: The “Trail”: 13 colonies of star systems with habitable planets over 191 parsecs, allows faster than light transfers from Euclidean to Riemannian space without specialized ships. Maintained by 500K clones born to work in space (hence the term “hobo”), 100 years of cost. Shutoff from Earth, at the Solar system AKA «Солнечный Колодец», leaves the whole trail personnel without resupplies, technology, etc. to slowly wither away.
- Quotes:
- «ВСЯ ТРАССА СЕЙЧАС ПОВИСЛА НА НАС С ТОБОЙ.»
- See also: Сундук, Солнечный Колодец, EH-5355
Токамак
- Domain: Technology / Energy
- Definition: Fusion core reactor of complexes.
- Quotes:
- «…токамак комплекса на связь не выходит, фон в зоне рабочий.»
- See also: Скраб, СОЖ
Флинт
- Domain: Ops / Weaponry
- Definition: Compact sidearm, used instead of heavy arms in tight spaces.
- Quotes:
- «Первый, я работаю всухую, с флинтом.»
- See also: Скорчер, Эффектор
Шипы
- Domain: Technology / Ship Hardware
- Definition: Hull protrusions (antennae, sensor masts, hardpoints) retracted before Riemann transitions.
- Quotes:
- «…убрал под корпус антенны и датчики…»
- See also: Риман, Процедура перехода
ЭТАЦ
- Domain: Technology / Infrastructure
- Definition: Mining/industrial complex inspected during Expedition 2.
- Quotes:
- «Грузовоз падал прямо как бомба. Прямо на ЭТАЦ.»
- See also: Город, токамак
Эффектор
- Domain: Technology / Robotics / Weaponry
- Definition: Actuator or tool carried by bot/human; context-dependent (welding, combat, manipulation).
- See also: БТ, Флинт
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