18_the_end_of_the_circle-第36章

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ryone　else's　in　the　room。　〃Tell　them；　Scott；　please。　Make　them　understand。〃

〃Well；　Colonel？〃　Vince　said；　averting　his　eyes。　〃Suppose　you　tell　us。〃

Scott's　hands　clenched　beneath　the　tabletop。　He　looked　at　Marlene　as　he　slowly　rose　to　his　feet。

〃I'm　sorry；　mander；〃　he　began；　〃but　I　guess　our　trick　didn't　work。〃　Again　he　locked　eyes　with　Marlene。　〃It　was　a　good　idea　to　make　it　seem　like　you　were　releasing　her　in　my　custody；　but　I　guess　she　just　didn't　buy　it。　I　certainly　did　my　part　to　convince　her　that　I　。。。　loved　her；　sir。　But　she　wouldn't　tell　me　anything。〃

Scott　swallowed　hard　and　continued。　〃Hell；　I　would　have　told　her　anything　she　wanted　to　hear　to　get　that　information。　I　sure　don't　mind　admitting　now　that　this　was　the　toughest　charade　I've　ever　had　to　play　out。　Pretending　love　for　this　。。。　Invid。　And　all　the　while　thinking　about　what　they　did　to　Earth；　what　they've　probably　done　to　our　friends　and　rades　on　the　SDF…3。〃　Scott　snorted；　averting　his　eyes　from　the　table。　〃I　think　all　I　managed　to　do　was　help　convince　her　she　really　is　human；　mander。　Imagine　that；　will　you…this　Invid；　human。〃

Wide…eyed　through　Scott's　confession；　Marlene　suddenly　put　her　hands　to　her　head　and　screamed。

The　scream　was　a　nonhuman　one。

She　aimed　a　finger　across　the　table　at　Scott。　〃You　betrayed　me！　You　told　me　you　loved　me！〃

Scott　held　his　breath。

Marlene　was　about　to　continue；　when　her　body　was　seized　by　a　violent　paroxysm。　The　two　majors　flanking　her　leapt　from　their　seats　as　she　began　to　fade　from　view。

〃Don't　touch　her！〃　someone　warned。　As　if　anyone　was　about　to。

Scott　thought　he　might　pass　out；　but　just　then　Marlene　rematerialized；　skin　tinged　green　and　expression　vacant。　Her　right　hand　was　still　raised　but　pointed　out　the　viewport。　She　regarded　the　table　for　a　long　moment；　as　though　challenging　anyone　to　speak。　But　it　was　Marlene　herself　who　broke　the　spell　her　brief　disappearance　had　cast。

〃There；〃　she　said　finally　with　utter　contempt。

Scott　joined　the　others　at　the　table　in　following　her　finger。　〃Ranaath's　Star？〃　Obstat　stammered。　〃Your　queen　is　inside　the　black　hole？〃

〃You　asked　to　know；〃　Marlene　said　flatly。

〃Christ；〃　Louis　Nichols　muttered。　〃Veldt　wasn't　kidding　when　he　said　the　Ark　Angel　isn't　built　for　the　trip。〃


〃I　know　how　difficult　that　was　for　you；　Scott；〃　Vince　said　after　Marlene　had　been　taken　from　the　room。　〃But　we　had　to　know。　You　understand；　don't　you？〃

Scott　looked　up　at　him；　face　drained　of　blood。　〃And　is　she　going　to　understand　that　I　was　lying　just　now？〃　He　sighed　heavily。　〃I've　sentenced　her　to　death；　mander。　I've　killed　her。〃

Dr。　Penn　almost　laid　a　hand　on　Scott's　shoulder　but　withdrew　it。　〃She　had　to　remember　who　she　was；　son。　The　shock　was　necessary。　You　couldn't　have　prevented　it；　anyway。　She　belongs　to　her　own　kind；　not　here；　divided；　trapped　in　two　separate　worlds。〃

Scott　uttered　a　sardonic　laugh。　〃A　lot　of　good　it　did　us；　Doctor。〃　He　motioned　with　his　chin　toward　the　viewport。　〃The　SDF…3　is　out　of　reach。〃

〃Haydon　doesn't　seem　to　think　so；〃　Louie　said　into　the　silence。　〃Look；〃　he　explained　as　heads　turned；　〃I　realize　that　any　directional　coordinates　we　could　coax　from　the　Awareness　would　be　useless　now。　But　Haydon's　obviously　convinced　that　it's　possible　to　follow　the　lead；　no　matter　where　it　ends　up。〃

Vince　shook　his　head。　〃If　you're　thinking　that　I'll　risk　taking　this　ship　into　that　。　。　。　〃　he　said；　indicating　Ranaath's　Star。　Louie　held　up　his　hands。　〃I'm　not。　I　was　only　going　to　suggest　that　instead　of　pilfering　coordinates；　we　steal　one　of　those　ships。〃


Minmei　was　crying　when　she　left　the　music　room。　But　what　she　had　first　assumed　to　be　a　rapturous　outpouring　brought　upon　by　the　harmonies　of　the　clones'　psalms　she　now　understood　to　be　tears　of　sadness。　The　ancient　songs　had　awakened　an　aged　hurt　inside　her　one　she　could　not　be　certain　was　even　hers；　but　it　touched　her　as　though　it　was　and　was　connected　somehow　with　Rem。

The　tears　were　flowing　patently　by　the　time　she　rushed　blindly　onto　the　lift；　where　she　ran　straight　into　Lisa　Hayes　Hunter。

〃Minmei；〃　Lisa　said；　surprised。　〃What's　wrong？〃

The　odd　thing　was　that　the　sight　of　Minmei's　tears　actually　helped　to　dam　the　flow　of　Lisa's　own。　Relieved　by　her　exec　only　moments　before；　Lisa　had　nearly　fled　the　bridge　like　a　lovesick　adolescent；　crushed　by　the　discovery　that　a　romance　meant　to　last　an　eternity　was　not　even　going　to　survive　the　football　season！　She　was　at　a　loss　to　explain　just　what　had　brought　the　nosedive　on…some　aftereffect　of　the　argument　with　Rick；　perhaps；　or　just　plain　concern　for　his　well…being　planetside…and　she　was　headed　for　the　nursery　to　press　Roy　to　her　breast　with　a　vengeance。

〃Do　you　want　to　talk　about　it；　Minmei？〃　Lisa　asked；　feeling　that　the　situation　was　awkward　all　of　a　sudden。　Their　friendship　had　been　on　a　steady　decline　since　Lisa　and　Rick's　wedding　day。　The　Sentinels　campaign　hadn't　helped；　nor　had　Minmei's　fling　with　T。　R。　Edwards　and　her　subsequent　retirement　from　public　life。　But　Lisa　had　heard　that　Minmei　had　been　on　the　mend；　thanks　to　Rem。　And　hadn't　Rick　mentioned　something　about　her　singing　again？

Well；　maybe　it　was　one　of　those　artistic　mood　swings；　Lisa　started　to　tell　herself；　when　Minmei　said；　〃It's　Rem。〃

Lisa　eyed　the　young　woman　who　had　slipped　onto　the　lift　behind　Minmei　and　was　off　to　one　side　now；　pretending　disinterest　in　the　conversation。　The　woman　had　security　written　all　over　her。

〃e　on；〃　Lisa　said；　leading　Minmei　off　the　lift　at　the　Hoed　deck。　〃Now　tell　me　what　happened；〃　she　added；　a　few　steps　down　the　quiet　corridor。

Minmei　sniffled　and　ran　the　back　of　her　hand　under　each　eye。　〃That's　just　it；　Lisa；　I　don't　know　what　happened。　I　just；　it's　just　。　。　。　I'm　feeling　like　he　used　me。　Just　the　way　everyone　else　has　done　for　my　whole　stupid　life。〃　She　took　a　deep　breath。　〃The　singing　hasn't　helped　me。　It's　made　me　feel　worse　about　everything。　He　just　wanted　me　to　sing　so　he　could　take　his　little　trip　down　memory　lane。〃

Lisa　waited　for　her　to　continue。

Minmei　sniffled　again。　〃It's　for　Zor；〃　she　said　dismissively。　〃He　thinks　the　old　Tiresian　songs　will　jar　memories　of　Zor's　early　experiences　on　Tirol　and　Optera。〃

〃Optera？〃　Lisa　said；　thinking　suddenly　of　the　planet　below。　A　planet　that　had　appeared　out　of　nowhere。

〃I　just　keep　feeling　he's　betrayed　me　somehow；〃　Minmei　explained；　sobbing。　〃He　doesn't　love　me。　He　probably　never　loved　me。〃

Lisa　was　not　listening。　Some　half…formed　realization　had　begun　to　vie　for　her　attention；　a　thought　she　could　not　quite　assemble。　But　before　she　knew　it；　she　had　taken　Minmei　by　the　upper　arms　and　was　shaking　her。　〃Did　Rem　tell　you　why　it's　so　important　he　recall　Zor's　memories？〃

Minmei　looked　up；　startled。

Lisa　dropped　her　arms　at　her　sides　and　exhaled。　〃Minmei；　listen　to　me。　I'm　on　my　way　to　the　nursery　right　now　because　I　feel　like　Rick's　been　lying　to　me　about　something。　That　he's　really　in　love　with　that　little　idiot　Sue　Graham　or　someone。　But　I　know　that　isn't　true；　even　if　he　has　been　acting　like　a　plete　jerk。〃　She　looked　into　Minmei's　eyes。　〃And　I'm　sure　Rem　hasn't　betrayed　you。　It　has　something　to　do　with　this　place；　Minmei。　Something　we　haven't　considered　yet。〃　She　gnawed　at　a　finger；　remembering　Roy。　〃It's　even　begun　to　affect　the　children。〃

Minmei　looked　ashen。　〃Oh；　please；　don't　tell　me　that；〃　she　said；　turning　to　face　the　corridor　wall。　〃You　can't　tell　anyone；　Lisa；〃　she　added；　〃but　I'm　carrying　Rem's　child。〃


CHAPTER　NINETEEN

Although　Wilfred　Gibley　is　most　often　credited　with　the　discovery　of　machine　mind　and　the　development　of　cyber…interface　technology　（See　Shi…Ling's　〃Sometimes　Even　a　Yakuza　Needs　a　Place　to　Hide〃）；　Nichols　was　to　bee　the　movement's　principal　advocate　and　spokesperson。　Evidence　suggests　that　Nichols　himself　may　have　been　working　along　similar　lines　as　early　as　May　of　2031；　when　he　wrote：　〃It　was　Bowie　＇Grant＇　that　started　me　thinking。　He　used　to　say　that　he　thought　of　music；　like　mathematics；　as　this　place　somewhere　out　there　that　adepts　could　tune　into。　And　that　the　key　signatures　and　notes　and　scales　were　actually　solid　things　you　could　approach　in　that　realm。　So　I　thought：　Why　couldn't　it　be　the　same　for　data？　After　all；　what's　mind