15_death_dance-第4章

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round；　hoping　to　catch　Kami　in　the　act；　but　he　was　way　off　to　her　left　inspecting　a　chunk　of　rock　near　the　cave　wall。　Lron；　too；　seemed　to　be　preoccupied　with　other　things。　So；　wiping　sweat　from　her　face；　she　turned　back　to　Jack；　and　said；　〃Not　funny。〃

〃What？〃

She　put　a　hand　up　to　shield　her　eyes　from　his　miner's　light。　〃Throwing　things。　I'm　not　real　thrilled　about　being　in　here　to　start　with。〃

〃I　didn't　throw　anything；〃　he　started　to　say；　when　Lron's　gurgling　snarl　interrupted　him。

〃Who　hit　me？〃　the　Karbarran　growled。

Jack　felt　a　tap　on　his　shoulder；　swung　to　it；　then　instinctively　looked　up。　His　light　illuminated　what　looked　like　an　assemblage　of　globular…shaped　deposits　on　the　cave's　ceiling。　Suddenly　he　saw　one　of　the　things　move；　and　realized　that　it　was　some　sort　of　free…floating；　translucent　sphere。　Kami　switched　on　the　light　strapped　above　his　muzzlemask　and　shined　it　on　another　portion　of　the　ceiling；　here　were　more　spheres；　ranging　from　baseball　size　to　almost　four　feet　in　diameter；　all　bobbing　against　the　rock　like　helium　balloons。

〃What　the。。。？〃　Jack　said；　moving　his　head　around；　the　beam　finding　more　and　more　globes。　〃Jeez；　the　place　is　crawling　with　them。〃

〃Jack！〃　Kami　shouted；　training　his　light　on　something　further　along　the　corridor。　Everyone　turned　in　time　to　see　a　medium…sized　globe　emerge　like　a　bubble　from　a　conelike　projection　in　the　cave　floor。　Jack　rushed　ahead；　watching　the　milky　thing　ascend；　and　soon　found　himself　perched　on　the　rim　of　a　large　shaft；　roughly　circular　and　belching　up　a　lot　of　heat　and　noxious　fumes。　Kami；　Lron；　and　Karen　joined　him　a　moment　later；　just　as　another　globe　was　beginning　to　make　its　way　up　and　out。

〃What　a　stink；〃　Karen　mented。

Warily；　Jack　reached　out　to　touch　the　basketball…sized　orb。　It　was　hot；　but　not　dangerously　so；　what　surprised　him　was　the　thing's　misleading　solidity。

〃Jack；　don't；〃　Karen　warned　him　when　he　tried　to　capture　it。

But　as　was　so　often　the　case　with　Jack；　the　warning　came　too　late：　no　sooner　had　he　taken　hold　of　the　sphere　than　it　shot　toward　the　ceiling；　lifting　Jack　off　the　floor。　Arms　extended　over　his　head；　he　rode　it　up　for　fifteen　feet　before　letting　go　and　landing　on　the　other　side　of　the　cavern　in　a　neat　tuck…and…roll　that　blew　out　the　miner's　light。

〃Yeah！〃　he　whooped；　as　Kami　helped　him　to　his　feet。　It　wasn't　unlike　the　spill　he　had　taken　six　months　ago　in　Tiresia；　but　this　time　he　had　landed　among　friends。

Karen　hauled　off　and　whacked　him　in　the　arm。　〃Jack；　can't　you　just…〃

〃That　thing　took　off　like　a　rocket！　Almost　pulled　my　arms　out　of　the　sockets。〃

〃Yeah；　we　noticed；　Jack；〃　Karen　said；　miffed。

They　were　all　staring　at　the　ceiling　now。

Jack　watched　the　spheres　bob　against　one　another。　〃Almost　seems　like　they're　looking　for　a　way　out　of　here；　doesn't　it？〃

〃Yeah；　just　like　we　are；〃　Karen　and　Lron　said　at　the　same　time。


In　the　mo　chamber　of　his　hivelike　domain　on　Optera；　the　Invid　Regent　received　a　transmission　from　the　simulagent　who　was　representing　him　on　Tirol。　It　seemed　that　the　so…called　Humans　now　occupying　the　Robotech　Masters'　ravaged　and　forlorn　moon　had　put　on　quite　a　show…with　the　kind　of　pomp　and　circumstance　the　Regent　strived　to　imitate。　He　was　almost　sorry　he　hadn't　gone　there　himself。　What　with　most　of　his　remaining　fleet　anchored　in　Fantomaspace；　was　there　really　anything　to　fear？　he　asked　himself。　Still；　the　fact　remained　that　there　were　too　many　unanswered　questions。　What；　after　all；　did　the　would…be　mander　of　the　Human　forces…this　Major　General　Edwards…want？　He　had　been　so　quick　to　e　to　the　Regent's　aid　in　that　matter　of　the　Sentinels'　ship。。。But　it　bothered　the　Regent　that　the　Human　had　yet　to　ask　for　anything　in　return。　Did　he　simply　wish　to　capitalize　on　the　Sentinels'　defeat　to　move　himself　higher　in　the　chain　of　mand；　or　were　these　machinations　part　of　some　larger　scheme？

In　a　certain　sense　the　answer　was　unimportant；　the　Regent　decided　at　last…providing　he　could　make　use　of　that　factionalism　that　divided　the　Human　forces。

He　regarded　the　image　in　the　munications　sphere；　catching　a　look　in　his　double's　eyes　that　troubled　him。　〃Is　there　news　of　Tesla？〃

〃There　is；〃　the　simulagent　said。　〃It　appears　the　Tesla　was　aboard　the　Farrago　when　our　forces　destroyed　it。〃

Tesla；　dead；　the　Regent　thought。　It　touched　him　in　a　way　he　would　never　have　believed　possible。　But　perhaps　it　was　not　true；　perhaps　there　were　survivors　of　that　battle？　He　had　yet　to　hear　from　the　follow…up　forces　who　had　been　sent　in　to　resecure　the　planet。　〃Who　seems　to　be　in　charge？〃　he　asked　after　a　moment。

〃As　you　surmised；〃　the　simulagent　continued；　〃there　are　signs　of　an　ongoing　power　struggle；　principally　between　Edwards　and　a　certain　Dr。　Lang…a　scientist　who　did　his　best　to　charm　me　during　the　introductory　sessions。〃

〃Is　Lang　the　weaker　one；　then？〃

〃No。。。no；　this　is　not　my　belief。　The　scientist　in　fact　seems　to　have　the　backing　of　the　Humans'　council…an　assembly　that　functions　as　a　kind　of　governing　body。〃

The　Regent　found　the　idea　odd…as　he　had　the　puzzling　gerontocracy　the　Robotech　Masters　had　favored。　He　couldn't　understand　how　twelve　minds　could　agree　on　anything；　when　he　and　his　queen…merely　two　minds…had　quarreled　over　every　decision。

〃Then；　you　must　work　on　Edwards；〃　the　Regent　said。　〃Promise　your　continued　support　in　his　petty　struggle　if　it　es　down　to　that。　Tell　him　we'll　join　forces。　But　just　make　certain　you　learn　the　whereabouts　of　their　homeworld！　and　how　they　came　to　possess　Protoculture。　It　may　be　that　they　know　more　than　we　do　about　Zor's　matrix　or　the　Masters'　destination。〃

〃Am　I　to　make　no　demands　of　Edwards　in　return　for　our　support；　Your　Highness？　It　hardly　seems　a　wise　move。〃

The　Regent　stared　at　the　sphere's　image　in　disbelief。　Was　this　some　evil　mirror　he　was　looking　into　now？　〃Just　what　would　you　have　me　demand？〃　he　asked；　seething　under　the　restraint　he　kept　in　his　voice。

〃The　brain；　to　begin　with。　Along　with　their　promise　to　keep　out　of　the　sectors　we　still　control。〃

The　Regent　made　a　dismissive　motion　toward　the　sphere。　〃These　things　are　obvious；　servant。　What　else　is　on　your　mind？〃

〃Minmei；〃　the　simulagent　said　without　explanation。

The　Regent　made　an　irritated　sound　and　scowled。　〃What's　a　Minmei？〃

〃The　Human　female　that　sang　for　my　benefit。〃

The　Regent　caught　himself　from　staggering　back　from　the　sphere。　He　had　only　the　vaguest　understanding　of　this　thing　called　singing；　but　the　implication　was　clear　enough：　the　simulagent　was　flawed　in　the　same　way　that　the　Regis　was。　She　had　allowed　herself　to　be　seduced　by　Zor；　and　now　this　pathetic　creature　the　Regent　had　sent　to　Tirol　was　falling　victim　to　the　same　perverse　urge！　Was　there　no　end　to　these　injustices！

〃Hear　me；　grub；〃　the　Regent　growled；　hood　puffed　up　like　a　poisonous　sac。　〃My　reach　is　long　enough　to　end　your　life　where　you　stand。　Do　my　bidding；　or　feel　the　power　of　my　wrath。〃

The　simulagent　genuflected　for　the　remote　eye　of　the　sphere。　〃My　lord。〃

〃Now　and　always；〃　the　Regent　said；　shutting　down　the　device。


Rick　had　spent　the　better　part　of　the　Praxian　day　inside　the　GMU；　brainstorming　with　Vince　and　Wolff　about　possible　ways　to　contact　the　orbiting　Spherisian　drive　module。　Onboard　puters　had　calculated　the　period　of　the　module's　eccentric　course；　and　gone　on　to　project　just　how　much　Sekiton　fuel　the　thing　contained；　how　far　the　module　could　be　expected　to　fold；　and　just　when　its　newly…attained　orbit　around　Praxis　might　decay。　But　there　were　still　no　solutions　to　the　big　questions　of　how　to　reach　the　module　or　bring　it　down。

Rick　left　the　base　just　before　sunset；　as　had　bee　his　habit　this　past　month；　and　joined　the　core　group　in　their　makeshift　camp　on　the　outskirts　of　the　Praxian　inland　city。　He　wasn't　fond　of　the　scene；　which　reminded　him　more　of　a　recreational　campground　than　the　billet　it　was　supposed　to　be。　Things　were　not　just　lax；　but　loose；　as　though　everyone　but　him　had　grown　to　accept　the　situation。　There　was　a　logic　to　it；　of　course；　it　made　no　sense　to　walk　around　tied　up　in　knots。　But　just　the　same；　Rick　had　no　patience　with　placency；　and　he　silently　hoped　that　an　idea　would　e　to　them　one　night　while　sitting　around　these　camp…fires　paring　cultural　notes。　So　he　stood　in　line　with　the　rest　of　them　now；　Human　and　XT　alike；　and　helped　himself　to　the　Praxian　gruel　the　mess　staff　was　cooking　up　to　supplement　the　reconstituted　meals　and　nutrient　pills　taken　from　the　base's　dwindling　stores。　Moreover；　these　sessions　were　the　only　waking　hours　he　got　to　spend　with　Lisa…the　new　Lisa；　that　was；　the　liberated　Lisa。

Where　Gnea　and　Bela　were　still　unforgiving　of　Miriya　Sterling's　Zentraedi　past；　they　had　embraced　Lisa　as　though　she　were　a　long…lost　member　of　the　Sisterhood。　At　first　Rick　was　not　entirely　unhappy　about　it；　but　all　at　once　Lisa　seemed　a　different　person　than　the　one　who　had　argued　so　strongly　against　his　joining　the　Sentinels　to　begin　with。　And　while　it　was　true　that　what　was　good　for　Lisa　was　good　for　the　group；　Rick　couldn't　help　but　feel　a　bit；　well；　jealous　of　the　partnership　Gnea　and　Lisa　had　formed。　The　Praxian　seemed　to　draw　this　sort　of　reaction　everywhere　she　stepped。　Rick　knew　that　Karen　was　having　troubles　with　her；　and　he　guessed