18_the_end_of_the_circle-第20章

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Rick　briefly　considered　what　he　would　do　if　he　was　out　there。　He　pictured　himself　strapped　into　the　cockpit　seat；　one　hand　clasped　on　the　Hotas；　face　bathed　in　display　light；　scalp　tingling　from　contact　with　the　helmet's　neural　sensors；　the　smell　of　fuel　and　heated　circuitry。　No　good　to　use　heat　seekers；　he　thought。　Go　right　to　lasers。

〃Lasers　fired；　sir；〃　the　same　tech　reported。　Rick　squinted　at　the　monitor　screens。

And　what　he　saw　blinded　him　for　the　next　ten　seconds　and　left　him　with　a　dull　ache　in　the　back　of　his　head　he　knew　he　would　feel　for　a　week。

His　eyes　opened　to　the　sight　of　men　and　women　throughout　the　TIC　bent　over　their　consoles　in　postures　of　anguish。　The　lasers　had　only　fed　strength　to　the　light。

Succeeded　in　angering　it。

Sirens　wailed：　Brace　for　impact！


Kami　deliberately　placed　himself　in　the　path　of　the　first　light　tendril　to　penetrate　the　hold。　It　shook　him　with　all　the　force　of　a　baleful　premonition；　a　minatory　sending　from　the　hin。

And　how　like　the　hin　it　seemed…the　source　of　this　light！　Garudan；　Kami　had　an　intimate　knowledge　of　such　non　ordinary　states　of　mind…that　which　Terrans　considered　non　ordinary　was　the　norm　on　Garuda。　Credit　Haydon　or　blame　him；　but　his　tamperings　had　resulted　in　a　planet　that　was　hell　for　those　offworlders　who　chanced　to　breathe　its　rarefied　atmosphere；　a　heaven　for　those　fortunate　enough　to　have　been　born　into　it。　No；　hell　for　the　lupine　Garudans　was　to　be　deprived　of　their　homeworld's　atmosphere。　And　it　was　thanks　only　to　treatments　received　on　Haydon　IV　that　Kami　could　function　aboard　the　SDF…3　without　the　transpirator　he　had　worn　through　the　Sentinels'　perilous　campaign。

Credit　Haydon　again。　Or　blame　him。

Kami　saw　that　Learna；　his　mate　and　partner　those　long　years　of　war　and　tenuous　peace；　had　discerned　his　intent　and　was　also　about　to　position　herself　under　the　full　force　of　the　teeming　rain　of　crazed　light。　Her　sendings　were　strong　as　she　ventured　forth　from　useless　cover；　the　hin　both　guide　and　umbrella。

From　across　the　hold　came　shouts　of　concern　from　their　Terran　shipmates　and　Local　Group　brothers　and　sisters　in　arms。　Gnea　said　something　in　Praxian　neither　Kami　nor　Learns　could　prehend。　Baldan；　Lron；　Crysta；　and　several　other　Karbarrans　were　nearby。　There　was　barely　a　corner　the　light　had　overlooked　by　then；　save　for　what　some　called　〃the　Pit；〃　where　Kazianna　Hesh　and　a　dozen　or　so　Zentraedi　were　suiting　up　in　power　armor。

And　it　was　not　until　the　tendrils　found　the　warrior　giants　that　the　Garudans'　allies　in　the　hin　opened　a　portal　to　the　truth。

Kami　realized　at　once　that　the　SDF…3　was　not　dealing　with　some　blindly　malicious　Luciferian　strike　force　but　the　scouts　and　emissaries　of　a　powerful　but　childlike　superintelligence。　His　encounter　was　brief　by　necessity；　for　he　could　barely　maintain　his　individual　self　in　the　suffocating　intoxication　of　the　experience。　The　portal　had　been　opened　into　a　realm　unlike　any　he　had　ever　visited　in　the　hin；　opened　into　a　soul　unlike　anything　met　there。　The　call　of　life's　beyond；　a　siren　song　of　such　warmth　and　transcendence　that　Kami　was　tempted　to　surrender　himself　and　be　absorbed。

It　was　only　Learna's　presence　that　saved　him；　Learna；　anchored　firmly　in　the　non…ordinary　and　beckoning　him　back　with　her　love。

The　light　in　the　fortress's　belly　was　retreating；　dazzling　eye　and　mind　with　its　speed　and　brilliance。　It　had　discovered　something　in　the　Zentraedi　that　filled　it　with　fear；　a　fear　that　sent　it　screaming　through　the　rest　of　the　ship；　as　though　desperate　to　find　a　route　to　its　own　safety。


〃Please；　Rem；　hurry；〃　Minmei　said；　tugging　at　the　flared　sleeve　of　the　Tiresian's　tunic。　〃I　don't　like　this；　I'm　frightened　of　it！〃

Rem　was　standing　in　the　center　of　the　cabin；　arms　akimbo　and　face　uplifted　to　the　ceiling。　He　looked　like　a　dreamy　eyed　teen　in　love　with　the　idea　of　being　caught　out　in　a　spring　shower。

〃You're　a　child　sometimes；〃　he　told　her　with　a　laugh。　〃Something　wondrous　seeks　us　out；　and　you'd　have　me　hide　under　the　bed。　What　frightens　you？〃

Minmei　opened　her　mouth　to　speak　but　realized　she　had　so　response　in　mind。　The　truth　was　that　she　could　not　articulate　what　it　was　about　the　lights　that　frightened　her；　but　all　her　instincts　told　her　that　Rem　was　in　danger。

That　he　was　not　listening　to　her　came　as　no　surprise；　really；　for　who　was　she　to　tell　Lord　Protoculture　anything？　Oh；　once　he　would　have　listened；　when　she　was　still　the　voice　that　had　won　the　Robotech　War；　but　it　had　been　years　since　that　voice　had　sung；　and　it　was　Rem's　star　that　had　been　on　the　ascendant　since。　Playing　Johnny　Appleseed　on　New　Praxis　with　the　Flowers　of　Life；　conjuring　Protoculture　from　them；　fabricating　the　matrix　Lang　and　the　REF　mand　worshiped　like　some　sacrosanct　icon。

Rem　suddenly　took　hold　of　her　narrow　wrist　and　pulled　her　close；　encircling　her　shoulders　with　his　right　arm。　〃Let　it　find　us　together；〃　he　said；　still　eyeing　the　ceiling　expectantly。　〃Open　your　mind　to　it。〃

She　tried　not　to　quiver　so　in　his　embrace；　but　dread　was　sluicing　through　her　veins　like　ice　water。　She　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　dig　a　deep　dark　hole　for　the　two　of　them　to　hide　in。

The　first　lights　passed　through　the　cabinspace　with　scarcely　a　moment's　hesitation；　piercing　the　room　obliquely　from　ceiling　to　floor。　A　second　group　followed　from　the　opposite　direction。　But　the　third　and　fourth　entered　through　the　starboard　bulkhead　and　instead　of　exiting　along　their　line　of　flight　began　to　dart　around　the　perimeter　of　the　cabin；　as　if　to　fence　the　couple　in。

Rem　took　a　bold　step　forward　and　immersed　a　hand　into　the　flow。　The　light　raced　up　the　length　of　his　arm　and　outline　of　his　body；　as　it　was　doing　to　other　objects　in　the　room。　Minmei　instantly　became　part　of　the　tableau；　her　thoughts　sent　reeling　by　the　tendrils'　inquisitive　caress。　And　suddenly　then　was　more　longing　in　her　heart　than　her　mind　could　process　more　light　in　the　cabin　than　her　eyes　could　absorb。

Rem　bellowed　the　most　mournful　sound　she　had　ever　heard　and　collapsed　in　a　heap　on　the　floor。


CHAPTER　ELEVEN

With　the　confusion　of　the　Great　Transition　behind　them；　the　Zentraedi　Imperative　in　place；　and　the　pulsion　implemented；　the　Robotech　Masters　went　about　systematically　expunging　Zor's　name　from　all　records　of　the　technovoyages　of　the　starship　Amtraph。　They　sought　nothing　less　than　to　rewrite　history　in　such　a　way　that　credit　for　the　discovery　of　the　Protoculture　would　go　to　the　Elders　themselves。　However；　Zors　own　accounts　of　those　voyages　survived　in　secret　for　some　time；　until　destroyed　by　the　young　scientist　himself　as　he　began　what　has　been　termed　his　quiet　rebellion…save　for　a　precious　few　jottings　preserved　by　Cabell。　All　details　of　Zor's　early　investigations　and　experiments　vanished　with　the　destruction　of　these　notebooks　and　journals。　And　it　is　likely　that　we　will　never　know　more　than　we　do　now　about　the　Amtraph's　first　sighting　of　Optera。
From　Emil　Lang's　introduction　to　Cabell's　…　Zor　and　the　Great　Transition　

Rem's　cells　remembered。

So　many　worlds　to　explore；　countless　even　within　the　limited　zone　defined　by　the　ship's　reflex　superluminals。　So　many　landscapes　to　wander　across　with　devices　in　hand；　hillsides　to　climb；　forests　to　penetrate；　skies　to　soar。　So　many　life璮orms　to　contact；　cultures　to　experience…more　than　a　mortal　should　be　allowed　to　glimpse；　let　alone　contemplate；　more　than　an　understanding　god　would　have　created　。。。　They　were　there　but　to　tempt；　those　climes　of　eruptive　heat　or　frost　waste；　those　worlds　of　nascent　sentience　or　eons…old　evolutionary　struggle。　But　was　there　any　greater　rapture　than　to　journey　from　one　to　the　next？　To　watch　worlds　turn　through　cycles　of　their　lives？　To　gaze　from　a　ship's　deck　upon　the　sweep　of　time　itself？　。。。　If　there　was；　it　was　surely　beyond　the　scope　of　his　intellect　to　imagine；　and　even　had　that　gift　of　imagining　been　his；　would　he　choose　to　deprive　himself　of　this　joy？　He　supposed　not　。。。

Always　those　thoughts　upon　awakening　from　the　essential　sleep；　Zor　told　himself。　The　artificial　extension　of　life；　while　the　Amtraph　thrust　itself　from　star　to　star。　Man's　little　game　played　with　time。　A　bit　of　existential　trickery　。。。

He　regarded　the　sleep　chamber　now…the　nutrient