18_the_end_of_the_circle-第2章

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It　had　begun　to　make　sense　after　the　initial　anger　and　disappointment　had　washed　through　him。　Much　of　the　northern　hemisphere　was　devastated；　and　where　else　would　reconstruction　mence　but　in　the　south；　where　several　cities　had　actually　flourished　during　the　occupation。　Norristown；　once　the　site　of　a　Protoculture　storage　facility；　was　fast　emerging　as　the　leader　of　the　pack；　and　it　was　there　that　Scott　had　ultimately　set　down。　Like　a　fly　on　lacquered　paper。　Mired　in　red　tape　for　close　to　two　months　before　Provisional　mand　had　okayed　his　request　to　be　among　those　shuttled　up　to　the　starship。

The　question　he　had　heard　most　often　those　two　months　had　been：　〃Scott　who？〃

It　seemed　that　Mars　and　Jupiter　Divisions　were　filed　away　in　mand's　mainframe　as　having　gone　down　with　all　hands；　and　so　the　person　claiming　to　be　Lieutenant　Scott　Bernard　of　the　21st　Squadron；　Mars　Division；　had　to　be　a　ghost；　a　zone　loonie；　or　an　ambulatory　case　of　what　the　neurometrics　were　calling　Post…Engagement　Synaptic　Trauma　PEST；　for　short。

Ask　Dr。　Lang　about　Scott　Bernard；　he　had　pressed。　I'm　his　godson；　for　chrissake！

Only　to　hear：　〃We're　sorry；　er；　Lieutenant　Bernard；　but　Doctor　Lang　is　not　available　at　this　time。〃

Later；　Scott　would　learn　that　his　godfather　and　mentor　had　been　aboard　the　ill…fated　SDF…3　when　it　had　jumped　from　Tirol。　But　in　the　meantime　he　suggested　that　Captain　Harrington　might　be　able　to　vouch　for　him。　Harrington　had　manded　the　first　wave　of　Cyclone　ground　teams　the　REF　had　directed　against　Reflex　Point。

After　all；　it　wasn't　like　he　was　asking　for　medals；　Scott　had　assured　the　analysts。　But　the　least　mand　could　do　was　acknowledge　what　he　had　achieved　on　the　yearlong　road　to　Reflex　Point　or　applaud　his　one…on…one　with　the　Invid　Corg　in　the　seasonally　shifting　skies　above　the　hive　cluster。　Why；　some　of　Harrington's　team　had　even　seen　the　Invid　simulagent's　flame　cloud；　had　even　seen　Scott　go　into　the　central　dome！

He　was　sorry　he　said　it　even　before　the　words　had　left　his　lips。

〃Now；　uh；　what　was　that　you　were　saying　about　talking　to　the　Regis；　Lieutenant？〃　the　boys　from　G2　had　asked。　〃You　did　say　something　about　her　being；　let　me　see　here；　'a　baldheaded　column　of　light　twenty　feet　high。'〃

And　so　he　had　played　the　PEST　for　them；　steering　clear　of　any　mention　of　Marlene　or　Sera　or　any　of　the　mind…boggling　time…space　displacements　he'd　experienced　inside　the　hive　chambers。

In　retrospect；　he　had　to　ask　himself　whether　pulling　out　all　the　stops　would　have　brought　the　med　teams'　debriefing　reports　to　Jean　Grant's　attention　any　sooner；　but　they　had　reached　her　on　their　own　momentum　in　any　case；　and　Scott　had　finally　been　granted　permission　to　e　aboard。　

And　issued　a　battlefield　mission　to　full　bird；　to　boot。

For　Scott　it　was　something　else　to　snigger　at：　a　promotion；　in　an　armed　force　without　ships　or　soldiers；　defenders　and　liberators　of　a　world　that　wanted　little　part　of　them　even　now。


The　shuttle　docked　in　one　of　Ark　Angel's　starboard　bays　just　as　Sol　was　flooding　the　eastern　coast　of　the　Southlands　with　morning　light。　Scott　drank　in　the　view　that　had　been　denied　him　when　Mars　Division　had　approached　a　year　earlier：　Earth's　characteristic　clouds　and　swirling　weather　fronts；　its　deep…blue　water　oceans　and　healing　landscape。　And　for　the　first　time　in　years　he　found　himself　thinking　about　Base　Gloval；　his　father's　forefinger　thrust　upward　into　the　Martian　night；　pinpointing　a　homeworld。　Huddled　afterward　in　the　prewarmed　fort　of　his　sleep　partment；　he　would　grapple　with　the　notion…that　faint　light；　a　home。　But　even　after　his　family　had　been　transferred　to　the　factory　satellite　to　work　on　the　SDF…3；　Scott　could　not　regard　Earth　as　such。　And　he　had　so　few　memories　of　those　years　that　he　called　Tirol　home　now　and　perhaps　always　would。

Only　a　week　ago　he　had　learned　that　his　parents　were　still　there。

The　memories　surrendered　to　more　recent　recollections　as　Scott　and　the　rest　of　the　shuttle's　privileged　boarded　a　transfer　vehicle　that　ferried　them　into　the　ship　proper；　Ark　Angel's　artificial　gravity　settling　on　him　like　oppression　itself。　Nearly　every　ponent　of　the　ship　was　different　from　what　he　remembered；　from　the　illumination　grids　that　checkered　the　holds　to　the　persistent　foot…tingling　basso　of　the　dreadnought's　internal　systemry。

He　soon　caught　sight　of　Vince　Grant；　towering　walnuthrown　and　square…shouldered　over　a　small　gathering　of　civilians　and　military　personnel　bottlenecked　at　the　arrival　hold's　security　gate。　There　were　hands　in　the　air；　salutes；　a　welter　of　voices　that　brought　to　mind　vid…scenes　of　turn…of…the…entury　airport　arrivals；　and　it　was　obvious　to　Scott　all　at　once　that　the　REF　was　as　altered　as　the　Angel　herself。　He　sensed　something　cool　but　determined　in　the　ship's　slightly　sour　air；　a　single…mindedness　at　work　he　had　not　experienced　since　Tiresia。

A　male　aide　appeared　out　of　the　crowd　to　escort　him　through　security；　and　a　moment　later　he　stood　facing　the　Grants　and　the　two　Plenipotentiary　Council　senators。　〃Colonel　Bernard；　reporting　as　ordered；〃　Scott　said　with　a　crisp　salute。　〃Permission　to　e　aboard；　sir？〃

〃Granted；〃　Vince　returned；　working　the　muscles　of　his　massive　jaw　into　a　tight…kipped　smile。　〃Wele　home；　Scott。　〃

〃Oh；　Scott；〃　Jean　said；　rushing　forward　to　embrace　him。　〃God；　let　me　look　at　you。〃

He　took　a　step　back　to　allow　for　just　that；　extending　a　hand　at　the　same　time　to　Justine　Huxley；　then　Dr。　Penn。　Vince　and　Jean　were　outfitted　in　modified　REF　uniforms；　collarless　now　but　with　flared　shoulders　and　simleather　torso　harnesses　retained。　The　senators　wore　loose…fitting　jumpsuits　of　a　design　that　had　originated　on　Garuda。

〃Good　to　see　you；　my　boy；〃　Penn　said　with　paternal　sincerity。　〃I　only　wish　Emil　and　Karen　could　be　here　with　us。〃　There　was　no　mention　of　Karen's　lover；　Jack　Baker；　certainly　there　was　no　love　lost　between　Dr。　Penn　and　Baker；　in　any　case。　Karen；　like　Bowie　Grant；　had　elected　to　ship　out　aboard　the　SDF…3。　Let　them　all　have　better　luck　than　Marlene　and　I　had；　Scott　thought。　Even　if　that　means　dying　together。　The　scientist's　words　had　thrown　a　curtain　of　silence　around　the　five　of　them；　a　spot　of　stasis　amid　the　bustling　activity　in　the　hold。　〃Is　there　any　word？〃　Scott　asked；　hoping　to　break　the　spell。

Jean　shook　her　head；　her　dark　honey　plexion　paled　by　the　exchange。　Her　hair　was　pulled　back　into　a　tight　chignon；　imparting　a　touch　of　severity　to　what　was　normally　the　warmest　of　faces。　〃We've　received　some　garbled　subtrans　from　Tirol。　The　ship　folded　soon　after　Rheinhardt　and　the　others　were　away。　There's　been　no　word　from　the　SDF…3　since。　〃

〃I　think　we　should　have　this　discussion　elsewhere；〃　Vince　said　with　a　hint　of　suggestion　in　his　voice。　〃We　all　have　a　lot　of　catching　up　to　do。　〃

〃Colonel；〃　Huxley　said　before　everyone　set　off；　〃I　do　want　to　apologize　for　this　somewhat　subdued　wele。〃　She　gestured　around　the　hold　with　a　quivering；　aged…hand。　〃As　you　can　well　imagine；　we've　all　been　trying　to　adjust　to　the　loss　of　our　friends　and　patriots。〃

Scott　could　see　that　she　was　referring　to　the　destruction　of　the　fleet　rather　than　the　presumed　loss　of　the　SDF…3。　〃I　understand；　Senator；〃　he　told　her。　〃No　need　for　apologies。〃

〃Besides；　Colonel；〃　Huxley　continued　after　a　deep　breath；　〃what　with　the　Council　trying　to　set　up　summits　with　our　planetside　counterparts　and　Jean's　medical　teams　doing　what　they　can　。　。　。　Well；　I'm　certain　you　do　understand；　Colonel　Bernard。〃

Scott　did　not　envy　either　group　but　thought　it　might　be　particularly　rough　going　for　the　Council　itself。　To　the　last　they　had　been　respected　members　of　the　United　Earth　Government。　But　that　was　before　the　ascendancy　of　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross；　the　arrival　of　the　Robotech　Masters　and　the　Invid；　and　the　factionalism　and　isolationalism　that　had　thrived　during　the　occupation。　Those　would…be　leaders　below　barely　trusted　their　neighbors；　let　alone　a　council　of　lawmakers　and　theoreticians　absent　for　fifteen　years。　Scott　was　not　sure　whether　Huxley；　Penn；　and　the　rest　had　grasped　the　fact　that　Earth　was　a　changed　world。

Scott　found　Vince　Grant　studying　him　when　he　looked　up。　〃I　know　the　promotion　might　not　seem　like　much；　Scott；　but　we　haven't　gotten　around　to　honoring