18_the_end_of_the_circle-第37章

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〃What　are　your　survivor　estimates；　Max？〃　Vince　asked。

〃Probably　two　hundred　or　so　Karbarrans；　〃　Max　responded　after　a　moment。　〃A　lot　of　them　in　bad　shape。　About　two　dozen　Praxians　and　three　or　four　Spherisians。　Then　there's　the　seven　of　us。〃

〃Seven？〃　Vince　said。

〃Veidt　and　Vowad；　〃　Max　explained。　〃They　helped　us　take　out　the　production　center；　Vince。　I've　got　no　qualms　about　taking　them　along。

Vince　mulled　it　over。　〃Guess　they　don't　want　to　be　around　when　Haydon　wakes　up；　huh？〃

〃Neither　do　I；　〃　Max　affirmed。　〃Honeymoon's　over　on　this　place。〃

A　smile　tugged　the　corners　of　Vince's　wide　mouth。　〃See　you　soon；　mander；〃　he　signed　off。


In　newspace；　fifteen　Zentraedi　Battlepods　launched　from　the　SDF…3's　forward　mecha　bay　formed　up　on　Kazianna's　Officer's　Pod　and　fell　toward　the　vernal　surface　of　an　unknown　world。

An　unseen；　unforeseen　something　had　been　detected　there　and　had　since　disappeared　with　two　members　of　Hunter's　scouting　party。　The　admiral…perhaps　still　unconvinced　that　the　fortress　had　been　flung　far　from　familiar　shores…had　requested　reinforcement　from　two　XT　teams；　probably　in　the　hope　that　someone…Karbarran；　Garudan；　or　what　have　you　would　be　able　to　municate　with　the　unseen　thing。

This　unforeseen　thing。

Kazianna　found　herself　thinking　of　Drannin　and　the　sphere　the　children　had　assembled　and　destroyed。　Were　they　really　chanting　Aurora？　she　wondered。　Sending　a　telepathic　call　to　the　youngest　Sterling　the　way　she　had　once　sent　one　to　her　older　sister　across　a　sea　of　stars？

An　SOS；　Lisa　had　called　it。

And　what　of　this　strange　planet　that　had　brought　the　fortress　here？　For　that　was　how　she　considered　it；　despite　what　Lang　and　the　others　were　saying　about　intergalactic　voids　and　patterning。

No；　this　was　more　than　a　world；　she　was　certain　of　that　much。　It　was　perhaps　even　an　intelligence　unto　itself；　with　something　to　teach　them　all。


The　control　consoles　and　acceleration　couches；　the　general　interior　makeup　of　the　sphere　ship；　had　not　been　designed　for　human　hands　or　eyes　or　posteriors；　Scott　had　decided。　Not；　for　that　matter；　with　crystalline　fingers；　paw…mitts；　or　outsize　limbs　in　mind。

The　ship　was　merely　a　spherical　chamber　of　light…emitting　metal　divided　into　several　levels　by　featureless　decking；　unconnected　by　ladders；　stairways；　or　lift　tubes。　On　what　had　to　be　the　mand　level　was　a　continuous　circumferential　bench　four　feet　from　the　floor　without　so　much　as　a　screen　or　a　function　key　to　mar　its　smooth　surface。

It　was　only　through　Louie　Nichols's　remote　manipulation　of　the　external　hatch　that　Scott's　team　had　been　permitted　access　to　the　ship　at　all；　and　only　because　of　his　deactivation　the　ship's　artificial　gravity　that　they　had　been　able　to　explore。

Then；　just　when　Scott　was　thinking　that　no　one　outside…of　Haydon　himself　was　ever　going　to　be　able　to　make　use　of　the　ship；　the　bench　console　came　suddenly　to　life；　banded　in　color　like　the　planetary　rings　of　some　gaseous　giant；　and　a　huge　projecbeam　display　of　the　Ark　Angel's　bridge　took　shape　in　the　center　of　the　sphere。

〃Doctor　Nichols　assures　me　that　you　can　see　me；　Colonel；〃　Vince　Grant　said；　as　though　he　were　in　the　same　ship。　Is　that　true？〃

Wondering　for　a　moment　where　to　direct　his　words；　Scott　shrugged　and　said　to　the　projecbeam　image；　〃Not　just　you；　General；　but　the　entire　Angel　bridge。　Doctor　Nichols；　Mrs。　Grant；　Doctor　Penn；　Cabell；　Exedore；　the　Sterlings；　all　of　you；　sir。〃　He　thought　about　asking　what　the　hell　Veidt　and　Vowad　were　doing　there　but　decided　against　it。

Louie　Nichols　nodded　in　the　background。　〃We're　going　to　begin　ferrying　some　things　over　to　you；　Colonel；〃　he　began　as　uncharacteristically　subdued　manner。　〃ponents　of　the　Angel's　onboard　AI；　which　will　ultimately　bee　our　interface　hardware　with　that　ship's　power　plant。〃

〃Then　we　can　make　use　of　it？〃　Scott　asked。　〃You　can　get　us　through　the　breach？〃

Louie's　face　collapsed　somewhat；　and　Scott　recalled　hearing　about　the　teammate　Nichols　had　lost。

〃I'm　certain　we　can　do　that　much；　Colonel。　I'm　just　not　as　certain　about　getting　us　back　out　again。〃

No　one　spoke　to　it。

Vince　cleared　his　throat。　〃We'll　mence　transporting　life　support　essentials；　mecha；　and　personnel　as　soon　as　Doctor　Nichols　has　his　team　in　place。〃

〃Well；　there's　not　much　in　the　way　of　a　wele　we　can　arrange；〃　Scott　told　him。　〃We　haven't　found　the　liquor　cabinet　yet。〃

Polite　laughter　greeted　the　remark；　principally　from　Scott's　own　team　members。

Vince　gestured　behind　him。　〃Cabell　and　Exedore　won't　be　joining　us；　Colonel。　The　Ark　Angel　will　make　for　Tirol　after　disembarking　her　Karbarran　passengers。　And　hopefully　act　as　our　beacon　in　this　realm　once　we've；　well；　crossed　over。〃

Scott　gulped；　thinking　of　Ranaath's　Star。　〃Who'll　be　crewing　this　ship；　then；　sir？〃

〃I've　put　it　on　a　voluntary　basis；　Scott。　Jean　and　I　and　Doctor　Penn　are　ing　over。　And　so　far　we've　got　three　squadrons　of　mecha　pilots　and　a　sufficient　number　of　technical　assist　crews。〃

〃I　hope　you've　already　counted　me　in；　mander；〃　Scott　said；　sensing　that　Vince　had　left　something　dangling　in　the　air。

Vince　nodded。　〃I　have。〃

Scott　folded　his　arms　and　stared　at　the　floor。　〃There's　just　one　more　thing；　sir　。　。　。　The；　ah；　Invid　simulagent。　I　was；　you　know；　thinking　it　would　help　having　her　along。〃

〃Marlene　will　acpany　us；　Scott。〃　Vince　traded　brief　looks　with　Louie。　〃There　doesn't　seem　to　be　anything　left　for　her　in　this　realm。〃

Or　much　left　of　her；　Scott　kept　to　himself。


The　transfer　of　supplies　and　personnel　took　less　than　twelve　hours；　during　which　time　Haydon　IV　did　not　so；　much　as　stir。　But　finally　the　moment　arrived　for　the　Ark　Angel　and　the　pirated　ship　to　part　pany。

Louie　canceled　the　override　and　punched　up　the　original　mands　the　Awareness　had　programmed　into　the　sphere's　drives；　and　the　ship's　systems　instantly　came　on…line。

While　Cabell　and　the　rest　watched　from　the　Ark　Angel　bridge；　the　sphere's　massive　drives　flared　once　and　hurled　the　ship　toward　the　dark　eye　of　Ranaath's　Star。　The　sphere　seemed　so　hang　suspended　at　the　edge　of　the　whirlpool　for　the　briefest　of　moments　before　it　vanished　from　space　and　time。


Thousands　of　miles　distant；　the　fey；　aged　crew　of　a　second　ship　monitored　the　sphere　ship's　protracted　plunge　into　the　black　hole　and　the　subsequent　departure　of　the　Ark　Angel。　They　then　turned　their　attention　to　the　reconfigured　Haydon　IV　and　waited。


PART　III

AWAKENINGS

CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO

Survival　recognizes　and　rewards　anything　that　sustains　life；　and　here　was　undeniable　proof　of　that。　No　matter　how　noxious　its　central　characteristic；　it　proved　itself　to　have　a　stark　value　in　what　the　Earthers　call　Darwinian　terms…even　a　functional　formidability。
The　Scribe　Triumvirate　of　Aholt；　Ulla；　and　Tussas；　Nothing　but　Animus：　A　History　of　the　Robotech　Elders

Death；　their　tireless　enemy；　had　them　cornered　at　last。

It　had　pursued　them　for　an　age；　ever　since　they'd　cast　off　the　bonds　of　a　mortal　life　span　and　received　unholy　munion　with　the　Protoculture　a　naive　Zor　had　fetched　home　to　them　from　the　stars。　Death　was　the　inevitable　dark　side　of　nthe　bid　they　made；　immediately；　for　eternal　life。　Not　just　longevity　but　immortality；　anything　less…prolonged　years　in　dread　of　the　end…was　nothing　but　a　unique　torment。

For　the　Robotech　Elders；　death　had　bee　the　greatest　of　fears；　in　some　ways　a　Singularity　of　fear。

Watching　the　sphere　ship　plunge　into　Ranaath's　Star；　somehow　surving　the　deadly　swirl　of　the　accretion　disc；　the　utter　anihilation　of　the　event　horizon；　the　Robotech　Elders　had　shuddered　at　the　risk　its　passengers　and　crew　were　running。　Foolish　little　subcreatures；　so　reckless　with　their　brief　lives！　

The　Elders　sat　despondent；　even　their　mindspeech　silent；　in　their　habitual　circle。　They　arranged　themselves　in　their　triumvirate　from　habit…from　reflex；　by　now。　Between　them　was　their　darkened　Protoculture　cap；　a　mushroomlike　console　of　instrumentality　ten　feet　across；　a　hateful　mockery　of　its　former　glorious　self。

Once　it　had　bent　worlds　to　their　will。　In　the　years　since　the　Elders　had　fled　Tirol…upon　the　arrival　of　the　SDF…3…it　had　kept　them　alive；　barely；　through　its　residue　of　power。　With　the　disappearance　of　all　Protoculture　in　the　Elevation　of　the　Invid　race；　the　cap　had　died；　bee　nothing　more　than　a　burnt…out　artifact。

Their　ship　was　a　small　prototype　a　Scientist　triumvirate　had　been　working　on　when　the　Invid　onslaught　had　finally　reached　Tirol。　The　vessel　was　considerably　smaller　than　the　assault　ships　that　had　once　carried　the　Robotech　Masters'　colossal　Bioroids　into　bat；　smaller　than　the　tri…thrusters　their　Zentraedi　giants　had　flown　in　battle　in　an　age　now　vanished　forever。

They　had　languished　in　it　for　years　with　little　to　behold　but　one　another；　each　ing　to　hate　the　others　and　yet　incapable　of　surviving　without　them。

Some　of　the　craft's　systems　had　been　altered　over　the　intervening　years　to　run　on　more　conventional　power　sources。　Thus；　it　could　still　provide　life　support　and　had　marginal　maneuvering　capability。　But　nothing　could　power　the　cap　except　Protoculture　itself；　after　all　this　time　the　Elders　were　looking　death　in　the　face　as　they　never　had　since　that　first；　transmogrifying　taste　of　the　Essence　of　the　Flow