18_the_end_of_the_circle-第12章

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Max　looked　from　Exedore　to　Dana　and　back　again。　〃But　what　about　these　calculations　of　yours？　You　still　think　this　has　something　to　do　with　the　SDF…3？〃

〃I'm　certain　of　it；〃　Exedore　affirmed。　〃And　with　the　Invid　departure　as　well。　A　pulse　of　novel　energy　has　been　sent　into　the　known　universe。　Our　calculations　prove　beyond　a　shadow　of　a　doubt　that　the　focus　of　this　outpouring　is　the　dead　star　we　Zentraedi　know　as　Ranaath's。〃　
Miriya　sucked　in　her　breath。　〃Exedore！〃

〃Yes；　Miriya；　I'm　afraid　so。　But　there's　more：　This　pulse　has　also　caused　subtle　but　potentially　dangerous　quantum　and　gravitational　shifts　throughout　the　continuum。　All　standard　measurements　seem　to　have　been　infinitesimally　affected。〃　〃Meaning　what？〃　Max　said。

〃Meaning　that　something　unprecedented　has　occurred；　Max。　It's　as　though　everything　is　suddenly　drawing　closer　and　closer　together。〃


CHAPTER　SEVEN

Eventually；　Rem　saw　the　logic　of　the　REF's　arguments　＇that　a　Protoculture　matrix　was　essential　to　ensure　certain　victory　against　the　Invid　Regis＇…or　at　least　he　gave　Lang　every　impression　of　being　convinced。　Just　as　Zor　had　once　given　sway　to　the　Robotech　Masters'　conviction　that　knowledge　went　hand　in　hand　with　power　and　that　all　real　power　sprang　from　the　conquest　of　life　itself　。　。　。　This　tendency　to　submit；　this　plasticity；　was　a　character　flaw　inherited　by　both　clones…Rem　and　Zor　Prime　and　taken　advantage　of　by　yet　new　generations　of　masters。　〃Zor；　the　reshaped；〃　as　Lang　himself　once　thought　to　describe　Rem　in　his　notes。　Who　else　could　have　enticed　Protoculture　from　the　secret　places　of　the　Flower　but　one　of　equal　lability？
Adrian　Mizner；　Rakes　and　Rogues：　The　True　Story　of　the　SDF…3　Mission

Even　with　the　knowledge　they　had　been　able　to　amass　during　the　voyages　of　the　SDFs…1　and　…3　and　with　what　little　they　had　been　able　to　beg；　borrow；　and　steal　from　the　Sentinels；　the　fortress's　chief　astrogators　still　considered　themselves　among　the　Quadrant's　least　experienced　travelers。　So　while　the　void　they　had　been　folded　into　presented　a　novel　challenge；　there　was　no　sure　way　of　ascertaining　whether　this　〃newspace〃…as　it　had　been　termed…was　not　just　some　monplace　occurrence　among　the　more　well　traveled。　To　this　end；　interviews　with　those　Sentinels　aboard…Kami；　Learna；　Lron；　Crysta；　Baldan；　Gnea；　and　others…had　thus　far　proved　unenlightening；　a　not　entirely　unexpected　development　given　that　the　original　crew　of　the　starship　Farrago　had　never　been　top…notch　spacefarers　to　begin　with。

Lang　nevertheless　had　gone　about　his　investigation　of　the　ship's　environment　with　unflagging　confidence　and　textbook　determination。　The　results　of　Jack　Baker's　brief　extravehicular　recon　were　in。　Exterior　background　temperatures　and　the　velocity　of　light　had　been　measured　and　found　to　be　constant；　the　fortress　chronometers　were　still　functioning。　Physical　laws　inside　the　ship…and　within　a　radius　of　a　half　million　kilometers　from　it…were　in　fact　operating　much　as　they　should　have。　It　was　simply　that　the　stars…indeed；　space　itself…had　disappeared。

The　SDF…3's　reflex　engines　were　functioning；　but　there　was　still　nowhere　for　the　fortress　to　go。

〃I'm　inclined　to　favor　the　hyperspace　hypothesis；〃　Lang　was　saying；　eyes　glued　to　an　immense　tabletop　display　screen　in　his　office。　Rem　stood　behind　him；　just　off　to　one　side；　the　handsome　features　of　his　pale　face　highlighted　by　the　screen's　intermittent　flashings。　〃We've　somehow　bee　trapped　in　the　fold　corridor　itself。〃

Rem　grunted　nonmittally。　〃You're　dismissing　the　popular　notion；　then…the　one　circulating　through　the　ship？〃

〃What；　that　we're　all　actually　dead？　I　certainly　am。〃　No　one　knew　just　how　the　rumor　got　started；　but　it　seemed　that　the　results　of　a　survey　taken　of　some　two　hundred　crew　persons　had　revealed　remarkable　similarities　in　their　fold；　space　lace　experiences。　These　included　feelings　of　tranquillity；　out…of…body　experience；　the　encountering　of　a　presence　or　a　deceased　relative　in　a　dark　tunnel；　a　sudden　urge　to　review　one's　life；　a　warm　and　accepting　light　at　the　end　of　the　tunnel；　and　a　brief　merging　with　that　light　prior　to　an　immediate　return　to　physicality。

〃If　we　were　all　dead；〃　Lang　continued；　〃we　probably　wouldn't　have　returned　at　all。〃

〃And　how　to　prove　it　in　any　case？〃　Rem　said；　smiling。　〃Against　what　can　we　measure　nonexistence？〃

Lang　turned　to　regard　the　Tiresian；　pleased　that　he　had　finally　succeeded　in　spiriting　him　away　from　Minmei；　if　only　for　a　short　while。　One　would　have　thought　the　strangeness　of　the　ship's　predicament　alone　would　have　been　enough　to　pique　Rem's　interest；　but　the　Zor…clone　had　agreed　to　a　conference　only　after　Lang　had　made　mention　of　the　vanished　Protoculture。

Lang　had　reminded　himself　later　that　he　should　have　known　better；　Protoculture　was　the　only　thing　that　ever　brought　Rem　around。　But　Rem　did　not　share　Lang's　enthusiasm　for　Protoculture's　application　to　mechamorphosis　or　astrogation。　In　fact；　the　REF　had　had　to　coerce　him　into　lending　his　brilliant　talents　to　the　creation　of　the　facsimile　matrix　by　painting　lurid　scenarios　of　what　was　bound　to　occur　throughout　the　Quadrant　should　the　Invid　Regis　have　her　way　with　Earth。　How　long；　they　asked　him　to　consider；　before　the　Queen…Mother　would　decide　to　spread　her　vengeful　horde　across　the　stars　as　her　husband　had　done？　How　long　before　her　armies　would　return　to　the　Local　Group　for　what　they　had　been　forced　to　surrender…Optera　itself？　And　what　of　the　Praxians；　then；　who　had　made　that　tortured　world　their　own？　And　what　of　Tirol　and　Spheris　and　the　rest；　so　recently　liberated　from　the　claw　hold　of　that　very　race？

Rem　could　be　infuriating　at　times；　but　how　Lang　enjoyed　the　few　discourses　they　had　shared！　How　thrilling　it　was　to　converse　with　an　intellect　as　powerful　as　his　own。　What　they　might　be　able　to　achieve　together；　he　often　thought；　were　it　not　for　Rem's　preoccupation　with　the　biotransmutational　aspects　of　Protoculture　or　his　inexplicable　attachment　to　Lynn　Minmei。

Lang　swung　back　to　the　tablescreen。　〃Oh；　I'll　admit　there's　something　to　this　afterlife　speculation　that's　worth　pursuing；〃　he　said　abruptly；　〃but　for　the　present　there　are　more　tangible　enigmas　to　grapple　with。〃　He　motioned　to　the　displays。　〃These　are　the　latest　readouts。〃

Rem　leaned　over　the　table。

〃Either　this　void　has　yet　to　decide　which　set　of　physical　laws　it　plans　to　subscribe　to；　or　our　scanners　are　in　over　their；　artificial　heads。〃　The　Terran　scientist's　voice　was　a　mixture　of　apprehension　and　excitement。　〃I　haven't　seen　anything　like　it　since　my　supercollider　days　thirty　years　ago。　But　at　least　I　knew　then　that　our　accelerators　were　manufacturing　all　those　weakly　interacting　massive　particles。　Here；　there's　no　rhyme　or　reason　to　it。　One　could　almost　believe　we've　entered　a　kind　of　dark…matter　universe。〃

〃I　doubt　we　could　exist　in　such　a　place；　Lang。〃

〃Precisely　my　point。　The　findings　are　more　consistent　with　fold　anomalies　than　anything　else。〃

Rem　nodded。　〃Then　the　real　question　we　should　be　asking　ourselves　is　whether　the　ship　is　still　on　its　way　to　somewhere　or　whether　it　has　in　fact　arrived。〃

Lang　threw　him　a　skeptical　look。　〃I　don't　see　how　we　can　possibly　be　on　our　way　to　something　without　the　fold　drives。〃　Rem　made　a　dismissive　motion　with　his　hand。　〃The　Protoculture　is　only　essential　for　initiating　a　fold；　Lang；　it　has　little　to　do　with　destination。〃

〃But　how　are　we　to　emerge；　then？〃

Rem's　gaze　grew　unfocused。　〃You　fail　to　see　the　potential；　Doctor。〃

〃Perhaps　I　do；　Rem；　but…〃

〃When　all　you　need　do　is　think　back　to　your　experiences　inside　the　ship　you　called　SDF…1…when　it　crash…landed　on　Earth。〃

Lang's　face　went　blank。

〃Your　own　notes　state　that　you　were　at　a　loss　to　explain　the　time　displacement　you　and　your　team　experienced　inside　the　ship。〃

〃Yes。。。〃

〃And　so　you　postulated　that　some　'quantum'…your　word；　Doctor…some　quantum　of　hyperspace　had　adhered　to　the　ship。〃

〃And　the　team　was　actually　walking　through　a　kind　of　hyperspace　dimension；〃　Lang　finished　in　a　rush。　〃Yes；　of　course；　I　remember　now。〃

Rem　laughed。　〃Ah；　what　tricks　the　overmind　plays　with　us！〃　He　offered　Lang　a　tight…lipped　smile。　〃Listen　to　your　words；　Doctor：　‘I　remember　now。'　That's　what　the　SDF…3　is　doing。　Zor's　ship　captured　a　quantum　of　hyperspace　and　conveyed　it　into　the　world　of　time。　Our　ship　has　captured　a　quantum　of　time　and　carried　it　into　hyperspace。　〃

Lang　glanced　at　the　mathematical　constructs　assembling　themselves　on　the　tablescreen　as　if　to　confirm　something。

〃I　don't　know　why　the　Protoculture　chose　this　particular　moment　to　abandon　us；〃　Rem　resumed；　〃or　just　what　Shapings　are　to　be　inferred　from　it。　But　I　do　know　that　the　SDF…3　is　remembering　now…now；　Lang。〃　He　gestured　toward　the　exterior　bulkheads。　〃And　what　I　think　we're　seeing　out　there　is　a　universe　in　the　making。〃


〃Remember　when　he　was　just　learning　to　walk？〃　Rick　asked；　regarding　his　five…year…old　raven…haired　son　from　the　transparent　side　of　the　nursery's　one…way　mirror。　〃It　was　like　he　wanted　to　start　off　running。　Always　in　a　hurry　to　get　somewhere。〃

Lisa's　eyes　narrowed　somewhat。　〃No　thanks　to　you。　Walking　must　have　seemed　awfully　tame　after　all　the　aerial　acrobatics　you　put　him　through。〃

Rick　laughed。　〃Guilty　as　charged。　But　I