15_death_dance-第11章

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Burak　finally　got　the　message　and　threw　his　hands　around　the　Invid's　thick　neck。　The　two　of　them　butted　heads　and　snarled　and　cursed　at　each　other。　Burak　was　working　his　thumbs　up　Tesla's　snout　by　the　time　Wolff　succeeded　in　pulling　him　away。

〃Back　off！〃　Wolff　told　him；　brandishing　one　of　the　handguns。　〃Tesla；　on　your　feet！〃

Sarna　hovered　over　to　the　。

The　Invid　raised　his　hands；　but　remained　on　his　knees；　pleading　with　Wolff　not　to　kill　him；　and　confessing　to　his　attempt　to　seize　the　ship。

〃And　if　it　wasn't　for　this　horned　fiend　I'd　have…〃

〃Cut　the　crap；〃　Wolff　said。　He　turned　around　to　Burak；　who　was　trying　his　best　to　look　innocent；　even　heroic。　〃You　threw　in　with　this　slug。〃

〃I　didn't！〃　Burak　argued。　〃He　put　a　spell　on　us！〃

〃A　spell？〃　Wolff　almost　laughed。　〃You　mean　he　made　you　do　it？〃

Burak　pointed　to　Janice。　〃Ask　her　if　you　don't　believe　me。〃

Janice　had　reactivated　herself。　She　looked　at　Wolff　and　said；　〃They　were　in　it　together…〃

〃Liar！〃　Burak　yelled。

〃…but　they　couldn't　seem　to　agree　on　a　destination。　So　I　made　the　decision　for　them。〃

Tesla　and　Burak　traded　looks。

〃Where　are　we？〃　Wolff　said；　as　confused　as　anyone　else。

〃Fantoma；〃　Janice　said；　and　Tesla　fainted。


CHAPTER　FIVE

Betray　（I　looked　it　up）：　to　deliver　to　an　enemy　by　treachery　or　disloyalty；　to　be　unfaithful　in；　to　seduce　and　desert。。。Is　this　what　I'm　guilty　of？　Have　I　seduced　and　deserted　him？　Am　I　delivering　Jonathan　over　to　an　enemy？　Have　I　been　unfaithful？　As　I　repeat　the　word　over　and　over　to　myself；　it　begins　to　lose　all　meaning；　it　bees　a　meaningless　sound；　a　bit　of　Tiresian　or　Praxian　babble。　But　then　I　begin　to　think　of　it　as　a　kind　of　war　cry；　a　sound　that　echoes　back　and　forth　across　the　terrain　of　my　life　and　these　twenty　years　of　bloodshed。　If　I　am　a　betrayer；　I　am　also　the　betrayed。　I　am　the　SDFs…1；　2；　and　3；　I　am　all　the　councils　and　all　the　generals。　I　am　the　dead；　the　War　itself。
An　excerpt　from　the　journal　of　Lynn…Minmei

With　Rick　and　Lisa　and　all　the　other　men　and　women　who　had　joined　the　Sentinels'　cause　missing　and　presumed　dead；　there　were　precious　few　people　Dr。　Lang　could　trust；　let　alone　seek　out　for　pany　or　old…fashioned　good　counsel。　Things　had　not　been　the　same　between　Lang　and　Harry　Penn　since　Karen　left；　and　of　the　Plenipotentiary　members；　only　Justine　Huxley　and　Niles　Obstat　were　still　receptive。　Edwards　had　influenced　the　rest　to　one　degree　or　another；　except　of　course　for　Exedore；　who　had　bee　Lang's　unofficial　ally　and　close　friend。　Even　Lynn…Minmei　had　been　turned…by　what；　Lang　wouldn't　even　try　to　imagine。　Lang；　however；　was　well　accustomed　to　isolation；　so　even　when　it　wasn't　self…imposed　he　could　get　by。　He　had　been　managing　to　hold　his　own　with　the　council；　in　spite　of　Edwards；　and　at　the　same　time　was　overseeing　both　the　mining　operations　on　Fantoma　and　the　repairs　to　the　SDF…3。　But　the　Regent's　visit　had　introduced　something　new　and　threatening　to　the　horizon：　the　possibility　of　a　partnership　between　Edwards　and　the　Invid。　Lang　had　seen　Protoculture　shape　stranger　events　these　past　twenty　years；　but　none　so　potentially　dangerous…to　the　Expeditionary　mission；　to　Tirol；　to　the　Earth　itself。

Something　within　him　refused　to　accept　Hunter's　death；　he　knew　he　wasn't　standing　alone　here；　but　he　had　nevertheless　been　powerless　thus　far　in　persuading　the　council　to　launch　a　rescue　ship…even　now　when　there　were　several　available　with　the　capability　for　the　required　spacefold；　some　running　on　Sekiton；　some　on　the　recently　mined　monopole　fuels。　But　it　was　the　Regent's　behavior　at　the　introductory　summit　sessions　that　finally　convinced　him　to　take　matters　into　his　own　hands。　And　it　was　that　decision　that　brought　him　to　Fantoma。　He　had　allowed　his　godson　and　apprentice；　Scott　Bernard；　to　acpany　him；　but　left　Exedore　behind　on　the　fortress　to　safeguard　their　mutual　interests　while　the　Regent's　fleet　remained　anchored　in　Fantomaspace。　The　crew　of　the　newly　christened　prototype　dreadnought　he　had　mandeered…the　unnamed　SDF…7…was　one　that　had　been　handpicked　for　the　journey　after　a　bit　of　chicanery　by　himself　and　General　Reinhardt；　they　were　a　capable　and　loyal　lot；　manded　by　Major　John　Carpenter；　who　was　being　considered　as　a　candidate　to　head　up　the　first　return　mission　to　Earth。

Lang's　reasons　for　choosing　Fantoma　could　be　summed　up　in　one　word：　Breetai。　He　was　aware　of　the　hostilities　that　had　cropped　up　between　Breetai　and　Edwards　over　the　issue　of　the　Regent's　arrival；　and　he　knew　precisely　where　the　Zentraedi's　loyalties　lay。　And　where　Breetai　went；　so　followed　his　hundred…strong　cadre　of　sixty…foot　biogenetically…engineered　warriors…a　force　to　be　reckoned　with　no　matter　what　the　council's　ultimate　decisions　might　be。

No　sooner　did　Lang　step　from　the　shuttle　that　had　ferried　his　party　to　the　surface　of　the　ringed　giant　than　Breetai　insisted　on　escorting　him　through　a　tour　of　the　mining　plex。　It；　was　obvious　that　the　Zentraedi　was　taking　some　pride　in　his　acplishments；　so　Lang　didn't　offer　any　resistance。　But　the　opportunity　to　discuss　the　pressing　issues　that　had　brought　him　here　didn't　present　itself　until　much　later　on；　and　by　then　Lang　was　nearly　feverish。　Breetai　had　led　them　to　a　massive　Quonset…style　structure　that　served　as　the　colony's　mand　and　control　center…the　only　such　building　in　New　Zarkopolis　designed　to　acmodate　both　giants　and　Humans　in　relative　fort。　There；　Lang　reviewed　what　had　been　said　during　the　so…called　truce　talks；　and　what　reported　statements　had　been　exchanged　between　Edwards　and　the　Regent　during　the　subsequent　one…on…one　sessions。　Breetai　said　little；　preferring　instead　to　listen　or　grunt　an　occasional　exclamation　of　anger　or　surprise。　But　when　Lang　finished…with　an　audible　sigh…the　Zentraedi　collapsed　his　steepled　fingers　and　leaned　forward　in　his　chair；　gazing　intently　into　the　Humans'　balcony　area。

〃One　part　of　me　wants　to　blame　Admiral　Hunter　for　allowing　things　to　e　to　this；〃　he　told　Lang。　〃But　if　anyone　can　appreciate　the　unpredictable　nature　of　these　things；　I　can。〃　Lang　didn't　have　to　be　reminded　of　the　bizarre　reversals　the　Zentraedi　mander　had　witnessed　and　suffered　through；　and　in　this　the　scientist　and　warrior　were　brothers　of　a　sort。　〃I　suggest　we　take　steps　to　secure　our　position　against　Edwards。〃

〃Yes；　but　how？〃　Lang　asked。

〃Just　as　you　have　begun；〃　Breetai　said；　motioning　to　where　Carpenter　and　his　exec　were　seated。　〃And　you　must　arrange　for　additional　mecha　to　be　sent　here。。。〃

〃Disguised　as　mining　devices　perhaps。〃

〃Exactly。　We　have　our　own　ship；　our　own　mecha；　but　we　must　have　our　own　weapons。　New　Zarkopolis　could　bee　our　base　of　operation。　And　of　course　we　possess　something　even　more　important　than　firepower。。。〃

〃The　ore；〃　Lang　pleted。

Breetai　nodded。　He　had　his　mouth　opened　to　say　something　more　when　a　Human　at　the　m　console　interrupted　him。　〃Report　from　the　fortress；〃　the　tech　announced；　straining　to　hear　the　muniqu？　〃A　ship　has　entered　the　system。　Colonel　Wolff　and　some　of　the　Sentinels　are　said　to　be　aboard。〃

〃Thank　God；〃　Lang　said；　throwing　his　head　back。

Breetai　wore　an　enigmatic　look。　He　touched　his　faceplate　in　an　absent　manner　and　rose　from　the　chair　to　tower　over　the　〃Micronian〃　balcony。

〃The　Protoculture　is　at　work　again。　We　call　out　and　it　answers。〃

〃Yes；〃　Lang　directed　up　to　him。　〃And　would　that　we　could　always　predict　its　response。〃


Word　of　the　drive　module's　approach　spread　to　all　stations　and　was　relayed　down　to　Tirol's　surface。　In　her　canteen　in　Tiresia；　Minmei　swooned　upon　receiving　the　news。　She　had　returned　to　the　surface　only　hours　before；　and　now　she　tried　to　collect　her　thoughts　before　hastening　back　to　the　city's　shuttle　staging　area。

At　the　same　time　in　his　quarters　aboard　the　SDF…3；　T。　R。　Edwards　was　in　the　midst　of　a　session　with　the　false　Regent。

〃It　seems　you　were　a　bit　premature　in　reporting　the　destruction　of　the　Farrago〃　he　said　with　a　maleovent　grin。　Even　the　Invid's　black；　unreadable　eyes　failed　to　conceal　a　sense　of　shock；　but　the　simulagent　quickly　rallied。

〃And　perhaps　the　data　you　supplied　was　in　error；〃　he　countered　angrily。

The　Invid　imposter　had　taken　it　upon　himself　to　have　one　more　go　at　winning　Edwards　over；　despite　the　Regent's　orders　to　the　contrary。　He　had　given　careful　thought　to　the　Regent's　harsh　criticisms　and　was　convinced　that　a　follow…up　discussion　was　in　order。　He　now　thought　he　had　a　clear　understanding　of　the　concept　of　sublety；　but　like　Tesla　he　was　not　big　on　surprises；　and　the　sudden　appearance　of　the　Spherisian　module　had　pletely　undermined　his　efforts。

Edwards　was　waving　a　forefinger　at　him。　〃There；　there；　Your　Highness；　no　call　for　insults；　is　there？　Just　when　we　were　getting　along　so　famously。〃　Then　Edwards's　face　grew　serious；　his　one　eye　cold。　〃Besides；　it's　just　a　couple　of　our　people　and　one　of　yours。　There　were　bound　to　be　survivors。〃

〃One　of　mine？〃　the　simulagent　asked；　alarmed。

〃Tesla…isn't　that　his　name？　Or　didn't　you　know　he　was　aboard？〃

The　Invid　curled　one　his　sensors。　〃You　failed　to　mention　that。〃

Edwards　shrugged。　〃What's　the　difference？　He's　alive。〃　And　so　is　Wolff；　Edwards　thought。　He　glanced　across　the　desk　at　the　Invid；　beginning　to　tire　of　the　game。　Would　this　Tesla　be　able　to　confirm　his　s