18_the_end_of_the_circle-第62章

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Louie　gulped　but　entered。　What　else　was　there　to　do？　〃Doctor；　look：　I　know　what　you're　thinking；　but　you　can't　control　the　Shapings。　Remember　what　happened　to　Zand？〃

Lang's　voice　cut　like　razor　wire。　〃You　impertinent　little　cyborg　Pinocchio！　Do　you　think　you've　risen　so　high　that　you　can　look　down　on　me　in　that　fashion？〃

〃That　wasn't　what　I　meant。〃

Lang　eyed　him　and　grudgingly　believed　him。　〃Doctor　Nichols；　if　what　we　are　observing　were　allowed　to　e　to　pass…if　real；　spacetime　were　drawn　into　newspace　and　the　whole　reformed　along　lines　chosen　by　the　Regis…I　believe　that　your　somewhat　unorthodox　intellect　and　talents　would　make　you　the　new　template　for　the　nature　of　Protoculture。　〃And　I　do　not　find　that　an　easy　thing　to　concede。〃

Louie　swallowed。　〃I　just…〃

〃Please。　Allow　me　to　finish。　As　glorious　a　thing　as　that　new　universe　would　be…that　fresh　start；　that　shining　correction；　perhaps；　of　all　that's　gone　wrong　with　our　old　one　there　is　much　that　would　inevitably　pass　away。　Maybe　most；　or　virtually　all；　of　everything　we　have　known。〃

〃I　don't　celebrate　evil　or　pain；　oh；　no！　But　all　that's　happened　means　something；　perhaps　gives　some　irreducible　validity　to　existence　itself。　Or　maybe　the　struggle　of　evolution　against　entropy；　of　ferment　against　mere　sameness。〃

〃And　I　find　that　I　cannot　let　the　past　die；　for　all　its　short璱ngs。　There　are　too　many　precious　things　in　our　space　time；　preserved　in　amber；　as　it　were。　I　won't　let　them　perish。〃

Louie　wondered　if　he　had　the　strength　to　wrench　that　long　control　around　on　its　hinge；　swing　it　against　Lang's　head；　get　in　the　first　shot。　〃You　can't　do　any　of　that　by　trying　to　control　the　Shapings；　Doctor。　Zand　proved　that。〃

Lang　shifted　to　turn　a　dial。　The　console　shone　brighter　and　sang　more　gloriously。　〃I　know　that。　What　I'll　do　is　merge　with　them。　For　they；　too；　are　reaching　the　end　of　a　vast　cycle。

〃Not　that　I'm　of　any　significance；　but　perhaps　I　can　be　like　an　insignificant　snowflake　that　determines　which　way　the　avalanche　shall　fall。　In　any　case；　I　won't　know；　for　Emil　Lang　won't　exist　anymore。〃

Louie　had　taken　Lang's　shift　of　position　into　account　and　now　gathered　himself。　But　Lang　threw　him　off　by　rising；　and　Louie　noticed　for　the　first　time　that　something　truly　new　had　been　added　to　Zor's　apparatus：　a　pair　of　brass　handgrips　set　perhaps　a　yard　apart　on　the　console。

Lang　smiled　suddenly；　his　black；　all…pupil　eyes　gleaming　limpidly。　〃There's　no　one　else　eligible　for　the　job；　so　I　have　to　try；　at　the　very　least。　Won't　you　wish　me　well　。。。　Louie？〃

Louie　froze　and　found　himself　answering；　〃I　do；　Emil。　I　wish　you　well。〃

He　moved　with　all　the　speed　he　could　muster　but　stopped　just　before　he　got　within　reach。　The　control　bar　was　forgotten；　the　fight　forgotten。　Louie　Nichols　found　himself　guided　by　a　simple　intuition…nothing　to　do　with　Shapings　or　psi　but　only　a　feeling　that　the　man　had　spoken　the　truth。

〃I　wish　you　well。〃

〃Thank　you；　Louie。　Good…bye。〃

Lang　rose　unhurriedly　and　seized　both　handgrips。　A　light　like　the　beginning　of　the　universe　filled　the　vault　module；　and　Louie　felt　as　if　all　the　winds　of　time　were　blowing　through　his　brain；　something　so　symphonic　and　grand　and　terrible　that　he　shrank　from　perceiving　them。

He　was　hurled　back　through　the　air；　through　the　door　of　the　vault；　as　the　light　expanded。


CHAPTER　THIRTY？SIX

What　with　all　the　new　psi　powers…and　other　faculties…we　saw　manifested　along　the　way；　maybe　this　whole　kick…out's　just　been　the　universe's　way　to　give　evolution　a　leg　up。
Bruce　Mirrorshades；　Machine　Mind　and　Arthurian　Legend　

Down　near　Ranaath's　star　the　sphere　ships　spiraled　along　the　accretion　disc；　orienting　themselves　for　the　final　transit。

The　mingled　energies　of　Second　Gen　Protoculture　and　the　Awareness　cloaked　them；　so　that　they　were　like　a　string　of　mirror…perfect　pearls；　to　shield　them　against　the　tidal　forces　and　the　more　menacing　phenomena　beyond。

Within　the　ships；　all　platforms　but　one　were　occupied　by　simulacra　of　the　One　Haydon；　giants　but　still　minute　now　that　they　were　parts：　tens　of　thousands　of　them　watching　silently　over　the　ships'　systemry　as　the　moment　approached。

On　that　other　single　platform　stood　the　Robotech　Elders；　watching　gleefully。　The　infusion　of　Protoculture　had　freed　them　of　the　need　for　their　life…support　thrones；　they　were　swelled　and　vibrant　with　the　vitality　the　Second　Gen　essence　had　given　them。

They　waited　near　a　sphere　of　their　own；　a　small　vessel　fashioned　and　put　there　by　Haydon。　In　it　they　would　journey　back　from　the　moment　of　intersection　with　all　the　power　of　Protoculture　at　their　mand。　That　power　would　bring　the　Local　Group　under　their　dominion；　just　the　springboard　they　needed　to　put　the　universe　at　their　feet。

The　Elders；　looking　like　scavenger　birds　on　a　storm　wind；　gazed　into　the　scanner　hungrily。

The　Event　Horizon　loomed　up　before　them。


〃I　just　get　the　feeling　that　the　people　in　this　whole　long　historical　contest　are　starting　to　fall　together　like　pieces　of　a　puzzle；〃　Jean　Grant　pondered。　〃I　mean；　from　Zor　to　Roy　II…〃

〃It's　as　likely　as　any　other　explanation；〃　Lisa　admitted。　Just　then　Rick　turned　to　them　in　the　crowded　shuttle；　lowering　the　　unit　he　had　been　using　to　follow　what　was　going　on　between　the　SDF…3　and　the　shuttle's　　officer。　He　was　still　holding　Roy　II　in　his　lap；　but　it　didn't　look　out　of　place　with　humans　and　XTs　and　Zentraedi　children　and　so　forth　all　crammed　into　one　ship。

〃Somebody　shut　down　the　mo　jamming；　but　I　don't　think　we're　gonna　be　able　to　make　any　sense　of　anything　until　we　get　back　to　the　SDF…3。　Louie　and　Lang　are　having　some　kind　of　showdown　or　something。　But　at　least　Vince　has　Engineering　alerted　and　getting　set　for　the　big　push。〃

Lisa　reached　out　to　smooth　Roy's　raven　hair。　Even　with　the　proof　that　the　children　had　preternatural　powers；　even　accepting　the　fact　that　they　were　the　newspace　strandees'　only　hope　of　survival；　she　had　trouble　from　moment　to　moment　keeping　herself　from　denouncing　the　plan　Rick　had　formulated。

She　reminded　herself　of　the　Sterlings'　encounter　with　the　Black　Knight；　though。　What　hope　was　there　for　Roy　if　he　became　part　of　the　Regis's　lab　experiments？　Or　if　Haydon　took　over？

The　shuttle　and　acpanying　VT　and　Zentraedi　arrived　on　the　hangar　deck　to　find　Louie's　cybernaught　team　under　close　arrest…having　surrendered；　apparently；　because　outside　interference　in　the　confrontation　between　Louie　and　Lang　was　impossible　now…and　most　other　people　trying　to　sort　themselves　out。

〃We've　got　a　team　by　the　main　hatch　to　the　partment　where　Lang　and　Nichols　are；〃　Men　reported　a　bit　shakily；　〃but　as　yet　they　can't　get　it　open。　Some　kind　of　cyber…stunt。〃　He　glared　at　Louie's　fellow　grid…gallopers；　who　did　not　ap璸ear　to　notice。

〃Never　mind　that　for　now；〃　Vince　said。　〃WeVe　got　to　detour　around　that　partment　and　get　back　to　the　drive　section。　Are　the　new　patch…ins　rigged？〃

An　engineering　officer　who　looked　like　she　was　not　old　enough　to　vote　reported；　〃The　teams　are　almost　ready；　sir。　I've　had　my　people　leave　a　lot　of　leeway　in　the　leads　and　cables；　because　nobody　seems　sure　just　where　the　drives'll　be　situated　when　they；　um；　appear。〃

IF　they　appear；　Vince　amended；　but　kept　it　to　himself。　There　was　also　the　possibility　that　the　SDF…3's　spacefold　drives　would　show　up　upside　down　or　something；　but　there　was　not　much　point　worrying　about　that。　〃Very　good。〃

The　Sterlings　were　still　clinging　to　one　another；　but　Aurora　tugged　to　free　herself。　〃I　have　to　go　aft　with　the　others。　But　I　wish　you'd　e。〃

Rick　and　Lisa　knelt　by　Roy。　Lisa　ran　her　fingertips　through　the　boy's　fine　hair。　Rick　told　his　son；　〃Don't　be　afraid；　we're　gonna　be　right　there　with　you。〃

He　was　already　tugging　at　their　hands。　〃We　haveta　hurry！〃

Rick　had　already　directed　Colonel　Vallenskiy　to　remain　in　mand　in　the　TIC；　Lisa　had　left　Raul　Forsythe　conning　the　bridge。　They　both　stood；　each　taking　one　of　the　boy's　hands；　and　hugged　each　other　quickly　and　very　urgently。

Just　then　there　was　a　message　over　the　PA。　Karen　Penn；　who　with　Jack　Baker　was　leading　the　security　team　that　was　covering　the　partment　containing　Lang　and　Louie　Nichols；　reported；　〃Admiral；　something's　happening　in　there。　I'm　not　sure　what。〃

The　rest　of　it　was　lost　in　the　sudden　soaring　of　sound；　the　rising　vibrations…that…were…not…vibrations；　that　shook　the　ship。　Light　seemed　to　e　from　everywhere；　and　someone　screamed。　Wind　squalls　swept　the　vessel。　All　at　once　there　were　radiant　vortices　everywhere；　shooting　back　and　forth　at　high　speed　like　living　things；　going　through　solid　bulkheads　without　any　perceptible　resistance。

Vince　bellowed；　〃All　right；　stations　everybody！　Stand　to！　Let's　do　it；　people！〃
The　flux…storm；　or　whatever　it　was；　abated　a　bit；　and　people　rushed　off　to　their　stations。　Scott　and　Marlene　went　with　the　party　headed　for　the　drive　section；　as　did　a　lot　of　the　XT　Sentinels　and　Zentraedi。　Even　Veidt　and　Vowad　went　along。　Rem；　Minmei's　hand　in　his；　was　following　step　by　slow　step　when　another　light…storm　struck。

This　one　was　different；　a　cloud　of　lumens　that　closed　in　around　them　alone；　and　none　of　the　others　seemed　to　notice。　Minmei　screamed；　cringing　to　her　knees；　arms　closed　protectively　around　her　middle。　Rem　knelt　next　to　h