18_the_end_of_the_circle-第58章

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Dad。〃

Vince　took　it　and　shook　it；　but　Jean　threw　her　arms　around　Bowie　and　kissed　him　over　and　over；　laughing　even　though　there　were　tears　streaming　from　her　eyes。　Musica　and　Allegra　watched　from　one　side；　fascinated。　Then　Jean　embraced　them。

The　two　groups　met　and　mingled　in　individual　encounters　that　varied　greatly。　Dana　managed　to　clutch　both　Sean　and　Marie　to　her　and　at　the　same　time　kiss　a　strangely　blushing　Angelo　Dante；　while　Gnea　looked　on　dubiously。　Harry　Penn　embraced　his　daughter　and　spared　a　handclasp；　albeit　a　cool　one；　for　Jack　Baker。　Scott　Bernard　led　Marlene　over　by　the　hand　to　meet　Lang；　who　seemed　subdued；　even　shy；　out　in　public　like　that。　Kazianna　sat　to　one　side；　not　wanting　to　trample　anybody；　but　knelt　to　exchange　kisses；　like　humans；　with　her　old　rade…in…arms　Miriya。　Angie　saw　Dana's　face　go　blank　and　distant　as　she　caught　sight　of　Rem。

Minutes　went　by　before　Miriya　realized　that　Aurora　was　not　anywhere　to　be　seen。　She　mouthed　the　name　to　Max；　and　he　shrugged　helplessly　while　Rick　Hunter　pumped　his　hand　and　pounded　him　on　the　back。　Then　Miriya　realized　that　there　was　a　spreading　pool　of　silence　over　by　Peter　Pan's　lock　and　another　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　partment。　The　crowd　went　silent　by　degrees；　being　aware　that　Aurora　waited　on　one　side；　Roy　and　Drannin　and　the　SDF…3　children　on　the　other。

Some　had　not　seen　the　children's　glowing；　otherworldly　eyes　before；　there　were　murmurings　and　uneasy　shiftings　in　the　crowd。　People　instinctively　made　way　until　the　children　and　Aurora　were　staring　at　each　other　over　a　gap　of　empty　deck。　Aurora　and　Roy　moved　at　the　same　time；　drawing　close　like　kids　in　a　pretend　wedding。

When　they　came　together；　they　took　each　other's　hands；　and　a　crackle　of　blue　radiance　startled　the　grown…ups。　Aurora　informed　her　parents；　〃The　others　and　I　must　talk。〃

Roy　led　her　over　into　the　circle　of　lamp…eyed　youngsters；　and　the　group　headed　for　the　lock。　Lisa　wanted　to　haul　them　back；　but　Jean　put　a　restraining　hand　on　her　arm。　〃We　need　to　talk；　too；　Lisa。〃

With　some　difficulty；　Lisa　cut　the　core　leadership　people　out　of　the　herd　and　got　them　across　the　passageway　to　the　conference　partment。　Vince　and　his　essential　people　came；　too；　while　the　rest　of　the　celebrants　repaired　to　a　nearby　rec　hall　to　carry　on　with　the　reunion。

〃We've　run　some　calculations；〃　Lisa　began　before　everyone　was　seated。　〃I　want　to　get　all　personnel　evacuated…in　one　hop　if　you　have　sufficient　deck　space。　Even　if　that　means　we'll　be　sitting　on　each　other　and　take　only　the　clothes　on　our　backs。　〃

Rick　had　been　watching　the　troubled　look　on　Vince's　face　and　braced　himself　as　the　general　spoke。　〃Lisa；　I'm　not　sure　we　have　any　place　to　go　back　to。　Whatever　it　is　that　happened　when　you　were　drawn　here；　it's　affecting　the　universe。　Louie；　maybe　you'd　better　take　over。〃

Louie　rose；　adjusting　his　black　goggles；　his　grin　ing　and　going　in　tics。　He　launched　into　a　recap　of　what　had　happened；　the　SDFers　interrupting　with　intermittent　questions　but　for　the　most　part　listening。

The　transcendence　of　the　Regis　and　her　race；　the　appearance　of　Ark　Angel　in　Earthspace；　the　search　expedition　for　the　SDF…3　and　the　battle　at　Ranaath's　Star…Louie　recounted　it　all　succinctly；　although　Lisa　noticed　that　he　described　the　strange　psi…contact　between　the　SDF…3's　children　and　Aurora　in　oddly　neutral　terms；　apparently　not　wanting　to　offer　much　theory　about　that　just　yet。

Lang　watched　Nichols；　that　Robotech　up…and…er。　The　scientist；　having　studied　some　of　Louie's　brilliantly　insightful　work；　became　convinced　nonetheless　that　Louie　saw　the　solving　of　the　mysteries　of　Protoculture　not　as　a　holy　pursuit　and　the　search　for　the　Grail　but　rather　as　some　immense　and　rather　elite　game。

So：　there　was　Rem　the　reborn　template；　and　Nichols　the　secular　adept；　along　with　all　the　others…half…breeds；　Wyrdlings；　mind…savants；　and　the　rest…gathered　in　one　place　at　last。　But　none　of　them　could　occupy　the　place　in　the　Shapings　that　Lang　could。

If　only　he　had　the　strength　to　seize　it。


CHAPTER　THIRTY

In　that　happy…yet…sad　reunion　with　the　people　from　Peter　Pan；　I　felt　one　special　pang　but　kept　it　to　myself。
It　was　clear　how　much　Scott　Bernard's　mixed　feelings　about　Marlene　had　put　him　through；　but　in　some　ways　I　couldn't　help　envying　him。　As　much　as　I　loved　Rick　and　Roy；　I　couldn't　help　thinking　about　other　human　DNA　remains；　in　other　wreckage　at　Sara　Base；　on　Mars。　How　would　I　feel　if　Karl　Riber　reappeared？
At　one　point　I　discovered　I'd　been　sitting　there　for　five　minutes；　staring　out　the　bridge　viewpane；　lost　in　that　thought。　And　realizing　newspace's　apparent　affinity　for　our　memories　and　emotions；　I　knew　we　really　had　to　get　out　of　there。
Lisa　Hayes…Hunter；　Recollections：　The　Lost　Journey

The　Robotech　Elders'　tempers　flared；　even　though　the　rage　was　impotent。　You　fancy　yourself　a　god？　Then　act　like　one！

Haydon　ignored　them　as　usual。　That　was　far　more　infuriating　than　if　he　had　caused　them　pain　or　silenced　their　mental　rantings。

The　Second　Gen　Flowers　from　New　Praxis　had　been　taken　below　the　surface　of　the　artifact　planet；　and　faraway　sounds　and　tremors　indicated　that　they　were　being　processed；　or　perhaps　digested；　in　some　fashion。　And　yet；　aside　from　Haydon　IV's　superluminal　passage　to　the　Valivarre　system；　nothing　seemed　to　have　been　acplished。

If　the　Awareness　and　your　facilities　cannot　produce　any　warcraft　or　bat　mecha；　then　arm　the　sphere　ships　and　send　forth　your　Haydonites　to　do　battle！　You　cannot　venture　into　bat　this　way；　OUR　lives　are　at　risk　as　well　as　yours！

Haydon　was　as　imperturbable　as　he　was　vast。　He　watched　as　the　planet　went　subluminal　and；　swung　toward　majestic；　green　Fantoma。　His　planet's　sensors　told　him　that　His　arrival　had　been　noticed　and　that　a　flotilla　of　ships　was　deploying　even　now　to　intercept。

He　ignored　their　hails。　Once　He　would　have　swept　them　aside　like　so　many　gnats　or　drowned　them　under　an　ocean　of　His　own　war　simulacra。　But　the　damage　done　to　Haydon　IV　by　space　attack　and　cyber…burn　had　limited　His　options。

That　only　meant　that　His　victory　would　be　somewhat　uneconomical；　a　bit　inelegant。　In　another　way；　though；　it　would　show　those　absurd　little　creatures　what　an　intelligent　mind　could　do　with　Robotechnology。

The　Elders　felt　the　world　shifting　and　quaking　around　them　again。　What　are　you　doing？　We　demand　to　know！

Haydon　made　no　response　as　long　moments　slid　by　and　the　artificial　planet　seemed　on　the　verge　of　tearing　itself　apart。　The　Elders　raged　and　vituperated；　but　at　last；　their　fury　spent　and　their　apprehensions　waxing；　they　spoke　the　words　they　had　not　used　since　the　days　of　their　mortality。

We　。。。　beg　you　to　tell　us　what　is　happening。

Haydon's　blank　face　gazed　down　at　them　indifferently。　YOU　PRESUMED　TO　CALL　YOURSELVES　ROBOTECH　MASTERS？　I　WILL　SHOW　YOU　WHAT　MASTERY　IS。

With　that；　light　burst　from　the　organ　in　His　forehead；　and　Haydon　levitated　into　the　air。　At　the　same　time；　the　carpet　carrying　the　Elders'　imprisoning　thrones　rose；　joining　Him　as　an　immense　bubble　appeared　from　somewhere　to　enclose　Haydon。

The　planet　below　was　going　through　profound　mechamorphosis。　It　was　only　as　the　bubble　climbed　high　above　the　atmosphere　that　the　Elders　began　to　understand　the　mind　numbing　scale　of　it。


Having　had　little　time　to　train　together；　the　pickup　flotilla　of　the　Local　Group　was　fortunate　that　it　had　experienced　no　collisions；　much　less　that　it　had　somehow　gotten　into　a　passable　formation。

Tracialle　led　the　way；　with　Valivarre　prominent　on　the　right　wing　of　the　formation。　The　armed　merchantmen　of　the　Karbarran　fleet　were　the　flotilla's　backbone；　with　the　other　planets'　vessels　interspersed　all　through　the　three…dimensional　deployment　scheme。

Hodel　watched　as　long…range　sensors　fed　him　information　about　the　intruder　world's　approach；　noting　the　appearance　of　the　bubble　high　over　it　but　more　concerned　with　the　throes　of　the　gargantuan　artifact　itself。　It　seemed　that　Haydon　IV　was　trying　to　self…destruct；　fly　apart　in　uncountable　pieces　or　grind　itself　to　dust。

〃We're　detecting　anomalies；〃　a　clone　from　the　Valivarre　reported。

〃Indeed？〃　Hodel　scoffed　in　a　moist　rumble。　〃Don't　you　think　they're　apparent？〃

〃I　am　referring　to　new　topograp