18_the_end_of_the_circle-第29章

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〃You　have　to　stop　loving　me；　Scott。　You　have　to　stop　treating　me　so　human。〃


Elsewhere　in　the　Ark　Angel　Minmei　and　the　sister　clones　sang：

Little　Protoculture　leaf；
Waiting　for　our　palates；
Where　will　you　take　us？
Flower　of　Life！
Treat　us　well！


What　had　happened　on　this　world？　Zor　recalled　having　asked　himself　only　a　few　days　before。　What　enchanted　hand　or　conspiracy　of　sky　and　soil　had　shaped　that　grand　experiment　in　life？

For　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see　there　had　been　nothing　but　this：　a　living　landscape　under　skies　tinged　with　aquamarine。　Life　pure　and　unadulterated；　which　here　had　chosen　but　two　forms　of　expression。　The　one；　vegetal　but　without　question　sentient；　the　other；　more　the　animal　stuff　of　his　own　being　but　seemingly　free　of　the　gross　entanglements　so　often　given　rise　to　by　bone　and　sinew。　The　one；　a　flower；　fruit；　and　tree；　pulsating　with　occult　power；　the　other；　feeding　from　that　power　but　returning　everything　to　it；　tranquil　and　self　sufficient；　with　no　need　to　look　outside　itself　to　answer　the　questions　that　burned　in　Zor's　soul。　It　was　symbiosis　of　the　most　perfect　sort；　true　synthesis；　two　life　forms　nourishing　each　other　in　every　possible　way　and　altering　in　the　process　of　that　joining　the　physical　structure　of　their　environment。　Nothing　there　seemed　fixed　or　constant；　neither　natural　law；　nor　dictated　shape；　nor　evolutionary　design。　All　was　potential　。　。　。

He　recalled　Vard　calling　out　to　him。　Vard　and　several　of　are　ship's　crew　on　the　trail　below；　the　one　that　switchbacked　down　from　that　bit　of　high　ground　the　creature　had　guided　them　to。　An　eagerness　in　Vard's　voice　Zor　had　rarely　heard　before；　excitement　prompted　by　the　thrill　of　discovery。　Zor；　e！　Hurry！　He　had　ignored　the　young　man's　direction？drill　too　mesmerized　by　sky　and　landscape　to　tear　himself　away　。。。

Weeks　before；　the　dropship　had　put　down　in　a　boundless　field　of　the　tri　petaled　flowers。　Triumvirate　in　their　groupings；　they　were　of　a　coral　color；　with　elongated　teardrop…shaped　buds　and　long　trailing　stamens。　And　oddly　enough　they　cast　forth　both　pollen　and　seeds。

The　landing　party　had　made　its　way　into　a　forest　of　sphersically　canopied　fruit…bearing　trees…impossibly　tall；　some　of　them　with　rainbow…colored　fluids　coursing　through　translucent　trunks。　Zor　remembered：　Tzuptum's　rays　warming　limbs　stiff　from　space　sleep：　the　spongy　ground　cover　wondrously　wele　to　feet　too　long　accustomed　to　deckplates　of　cool　and　unyielding　alloy。　The　air　thick　and　redolent；　almost　too　perfumed　to　inhale　unfiltered。　And　in　fact　two　members　of　the　party　had　succumbed　to　a　kind　of　delusional　psychosis　and　had　had　to　be　returned　to　the　ship。　But　for　Zor　those　bet　weeks　had　been　magical。　He　and　his　science　team　had　run　scans　and　collected　botanical　samples　while　other　teams　charted　distances　and　topography　and　probed　the　surface　for　useful　metals。

It　was　shortly　after　he　had　determined　the　inherent　sameness　of　flower；　shrub；　and　tree　that　the　landing　party　had　had　its　initial　encounter　with　the　planet's　indigenous　beings。

Limbless；　amorphous；　asexual　creatures…vaguely　mushroom…shaped　when　Zor　first　saw　them…they　lived　munally　in　conical；　hivelike　structures　from　which　they　made　daily　forays　into　the　surrounding　countryside　for　the　purpose　of　hover…gathering　fruits　and　flowers　of　the　planet's　singular　plant　life。　After　several　days　of　observing　the　creatures　in　their　routines　and　rituals…all　of　which　centered　on　the　flowers　and　trees…Zor　came　to　understand　that　the　beings　made　use　of　the　plant　for　physical　as　well　as　spiritual　nutrition。　Seemingly　oblivious　to　the　presence　of　off…worlders；　they　ingested　the　flower　petals　and　fruits　of　the　mature　crop　and　often　sipped　the　sap　of　the　seedlings；　which　Zor　had　discovered　possessed　strong　psychoactive　ingredients。

Ultimately　he　had　approached　what　he　took　to　be　the　hive　leader　and　had　learned　that　the　creatures　were　capable　of　telepathic　munication。　He　realized；　too；　that　they　had　the　capacity　to　alter　their　physical　being　to　suit　their　circumstances。　While　Zor　and　the　hive　leader　had　conversed；　the　creature　had　actually　assumed　a　semblance　of　sexually　differentiated　humanoid　form。　It　was　that　one　who　had　identified　the　race　by　the　name　Invid　and　first　used　the　term　〃Flower　of　Life。〃　This　one　who　led　the　landing　party　to　the　overlook　and　told　Zor　about　the　Queen…Mother　they　called　Regis。

Zor！　Are　you　ing；　Zor？　Vard　had　shouted　once　more；　and；　reluctantly；　Zor　had　begun　to　follow　him　down　the　steep　slope；　along　a　path　strewn　with　velvety　Flower　of　Life　petals。

And　so　had　menced　a　marvelous　journey　of　two　Tzuptum　days　through　Flower…crowned　hills　and　bustling　hive　settlements　that　weled　them　with　silent　chant　and　delivered　them　finally　to　the　lair　of　the　Queen…Mother。　。　。

Zor　stood　gazing　at　her　now；　eyes　next　to　closing　from　the　soporific　warmth　of　the　hive's　central　chamber。　She　had　conjugated　herself　in　an　approximation　of　humanoid　female　form　in　his　honor。

In　his　honor。　The　phrase　she　had　sent　to　him。

〃We　have　anticipated　your　return　to　Optera　for　so　long；　Bringer　of　Life。　Forgive　me　if　I　am　not　yet　adept　at　fully　mimicking　your　present　form。〃

You　anticipated　our　ing？　Zor　had　asked　her；　confused。

〃The　memory　is　ancient　but　deep　within　me。　The　Flowers　were　your　gift　to　us。〃

Zor　realized　that　he　was　being　mistaken　for　someone　who　had　visited　Optera　in　the　dim　past　and　was　about　to　correct　the　Regis　when　a　sudden　paralysis　gripped　his　thoughts。　The　Flowers　of　this　world　contained　a　form　of　novel　bio…energy。　They　endowed　life…indeed；　nature　and　matter　itself…with　the　power　to　shift　and　reshape；　to　wrestle　from　the　gods　themselves　the　ability　to　control　the　course　of　evolution。

Then　consider；　Zor　found　himself　thinking；　what　the　result　might　be　if　the　plant's　bio…energy　could　be　harnessed　and　directed。

Would　the　power　to　light　a　thousand　worlds　seem　too　much　to　ask？　The　power　to　drive　a　thousand　ships　across　the　sweep　of　stars？　The　power　to　shape　and　reconfigure　the　very　continuum　itself？　The　extension　of　life　。。。

And　yet　the　secret　of　municating　with　the　Flower　and　harnessing　that　energy　lay　with　the　unknown　being　that　had　brought　it　to　Optera。　And　with　this　Invid　shape　changer　who　had　fallen　heir　to　the　Flower's　fortunes。

Zor　was　intrigued。　He　realized　that　the　Regis　was　the　key　unlocking　Optera's　mysteries；　and　in　an　instant　of　mad　inspiration　he　decided　to　set　himself　the　goal　of　possessing　that　key…if　he　had　to　seduce　this　queen　to　make　that　happen！　〃Yes；　your　highness；〃　Zor　said　to　her　at　last。　〃I　have　finally　returned。〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

I　knew　Lisa　was　serious　the　moment　she　stepped　out　of　the　vanity；　dressed…barely！…in　that　revealing　black　camisole　Karen　Penn　gave　her　for　her　thirty…ninth　birthday。　I　was　surprised；　even　though　I　shouldn't　have　been。　I　mean；　I　remembered　the　look　in　Lisa's　eye　when　she　saw　Kaziana　with　Drannin　that　first　time；　and；　after　all；　we　had　talked　over　the　idea　some。。。Well；　Lisa　must　have　caught　the　look　on　my　face　（that　night　on　the　Ark　Angel）；　because　she　laughed　and　started　to　accuse　me　of　backing　out。　But　I　told　her　no　way。　And；　well；　let's　just　say　I　put　my　whole　heart　into　what　naturally　followed。
The　Collected　Journals　of　Admiral　Rick　Hunter

There　was　a　girl　in　Rick's　past；　a　gamine；　honey　blond　California　free　spirit　named　Jessica　Fisher；　the　eldest　daughter　of　Alice　Fisher；　an　old　friend　of　Pop's。　Rick　had　met　her　shortly　after　Pop　had　taken　the　flying　circus　to　Sacramento　in　search　of　spectators　with　a　bit　of　extra　wartime　scrip　in　their　pockets。

Rick　had　just　turned　nine；　and　he　and　Jessica　were　introduced　to　one　another　as　cousins。　It　had　not　taken　long；　however；　to　understand　that　there　was　no　actual　blood　bond　between　them；　especially　after　Pop　and　Alice　had　decided　to　bring　their　own　romance　out　from　behind　closed　doors。　Rick；　in　fact；　had　been　there　when　things　had　gotten　started　between　his　aging　dad　and　the　independent　Alice；　the　night　the　four　of　them　had　gone　into　San　Francisco　and　〃the　Visitor…the　SDF…1…had　made　its　grand　appearance。　Of　course；　very　few　people　realized　they　had　seen　a　ship　in　the　skies　that　night；　and　Russo's　government　had　managed　to　keep　the　Macross　project　under　wraps　for　the　next　five　years。　But　Pop　and　Alice　seemed　to　have　been　touched　by　something　in　the　air；　because　their　relationship　had　changed　from　that　night　on。　Rick；　too；　had　been　transfigured　by　the　event。　Youthful　flying　ace　that　he　was　fast　being；　he　had　liked　to　think　the　sky　as　his　property…even　though　Neasian　and　other　military　pilots　might　have　argued　the　claim…and　suddenly　in　that　same　sky　he　had　glimpsed　a　power　that　surpassed　all。　The　impact　on　his　young　mind　was　as　devastating　as　it　was　exhilarating；　for　while　Pop　had　done　his　best　to　keep　his　only　child　sheltered　from　the　disputes　that　had　plagued　Earth　at　the　time；　〃the　Visitor〃　had　made　it　clear　there　would　be　no　hiding　from　war's　long　reach。

Jessica；　ironically；　had　guessed　the　truth　about　what　they　had　witnessed。　I'll　bet　it　was　an　alien　spaceship；　she　had　told　Rick。　And　it's　e　down　to　show　everybody　on　Earth　that　war　isn't　the　only　way　that　things　get　changed；　that　there're　all　kinds　of　powers　in　the　universe　we'll　never　understand　if　we　keep　thinki