18_the_end_of_the_circle-第72章

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〃The　drives　might　be　anyplace；　Roy；　anyplace　in；　um；　space　or　time！　Look　everyplace。〃

Then　he　quailed　a　bit　as　tentacles　of　astral　malignance　and　and　quested　overhead；　the　Regis　trying　to　reach　the　children　again。　But　Minmei's　song　kept　them　at　bay。

Rick　realized　that　his　son　was　tugging　at　his　arm。　〃Daddy；　we　found　them。　We　looked　across　time；　'n'　we　looked　across　space。〃

〃What？　Buddy；　you're　beautiful！〃　Rick　didn't　know　if　he　was　laughing　or　crying。　〃Can　you　bring　'em　back？〃

As　an　answer；　Roy　pointed。　Outlines　were　appearing；　an　enormous　containment　casing　ing　into　existence。　Cheers　began　around　the　partment。

Rick　came　to　his　feet；　ready　to　start　lending　a　hand　hooking　up　the　fold　drives。　He　was　going　to　give　a　cheer　himself　until　he　realized　that　something　was　not　right。

Others　were　beginning　to　see　it；　too；　especially　engineering　types。　The　casing　took　on　more　and　more　substance；　and　one　by　one　people　in　the　drive　section　understood　what　they　were　looking　at。　Rick　had　never　actually　seen　the　object　he　now　beheld；　but　he　had　certainly　seen　enough　holographs；　schematics；　tapes；　and　such。

〃Christ；〃　he　whispered。

〃We　got　them；　Daddy！〃　Roy　squealed　delightedly。

〃Y…you　sure　did；　old…timer。〃　And　solved…and　created　one　of　the　great　mysteries　of　the　Robotech　Age。

We　will　win！　Minmei's　song　hit　a　crescendo　and　stopped。

The　original　fold　drives　from　SDF…1　sat　there；　big　as　ten　diesel　lootives　and　just　as　solid。　Lisa　was　staring　at　them；　speechless；　as　techs　approached　them　tentatively。　Then　she　blurted；　〃Careful！　They　may　still　be　hot。〃

She　meant　thermal　energy；　not　hard　radiation；　but　the　heat　was　quite　minimal。　Not　bad；　she　decided；　seeing　that　as　far　as　the　drives　themselves　were　concerned；　they　had　just　finished　taking　the　SDF…1　on　a　jump　from　Earthspace　to　the　orbit　of　Pluto。

They'd　been　snatched　from　that　instant　directly　to　this　one；　though　decades　had　passed　in　the　interim。

〃Oke…〃　Vince　Grant　finished　gulping；　and　tried　again。　〃Okay！　A　fold　drive's　a　fold　drive。　Let's　get　'em　hot…wired。〃　People　hopped　to　it。

Pursued　by　the　Zentraedi；　the　SDF…1　had　attempted　a　fold　jump　to　hide　in　the　lee　of　Earth's　moon。　A　miscalculation　or　so　it　was　said…had　sent　the　ship　to　the　edge　of　the　Sol　system；　where　the　drives　immediately　vanished；　leaving　behind　only　a　few　winking　luminous　particles。　Then　SDF…1　had　begun　her　years…long　odyssey　homeward。

Lisa　wondered　what　Henry　Gloval　would　think　of　all　this。　Maybe　he　already　knew。

The　design　of　the　SDF…3's　drives　was　based　on　that　of　the　original　Super　Dimensional　Fortress。　There　was　no　time　for　niceties；　and　there　was　every　possibility　the　ship　would　be　blown　to　nothingness；　but　the　drives　were　connected。　There　was　a　residue　of　First　Generation　Protoculture　left　in　them　in　the　wake　of　the　Pluto　jump；　but　the　instruments　showed　that　trace　vanishing…melding　with　the　Regis　and　newspace；　apparently…even　as　techs　were　charging　into　action。

The　psi…fog　the　Regis　had　manifested；　along　with　its　squall　effects；　had　retreated；　though　the　children　had　broken　their　circle　and　Minmei　was　no　longer　singing。　〃But　that　don't　mean　the　dame　is　gonna　leave　us　alone　for　long；〃　Angie　said；　frowning。

〃Has　she　gone？〃　Miriya　asked　Aurora。

Aurora's　brows　met。　〃Something　else　is　placing　demands　on　her　attention。〃

〃Haydon；〃　someone　said；　and　they　realized　that　Louie　Nichols　was　standing　there；　looking　like　he　had　been　through　hell。

There　wasn't　even　time　to　ment　on　his　exposed　bionics。　〃Are　you　sure？〃　Vince　demanded。

His　team；　who　had　stayed　in　the　background　through　the　Regis's　appearance；　closed　ranks　behind　Louie。　〃Ask　Marlene。〃

She　nodded　her　head　unwillingly。　〃My　instincts　tell　me　the　same　thing。〃

〃And　what's　going　to　happen　here　in　newspace　has　nothing　to　do　with　us　anymore；〃　Louie　added。

〃All　the　more　reason　to　haul　anchor；〃　Angie　snorted。　Indeed；　there　was　nothing　the　contingent　from　realtime　could　do　in　a　collision　between　such　entities。　But　while　the　preparations　for　the　jump　were　rushed　to　pletion…with　Louie　and　his　team　quickly　being　key　players…Lisa　turned　to　something　else　she　had　to　do。

Minmei　still　stood　with　Rem's　arm　around　her。　Lisa　went　over　and　took　both　Minmei's　hands　in　hers。　〃Thank　you　for　what　you　did。　Thank　you　for　saving　my　son；　Minmei。〃

Minmei　stood　away　from　Rem。　She　and　Lisa　held　each　other；　Lisa　patting　Minmei's　shoulder。　〃I　heard　the　children's　voices；　and　I　knew　my　place　was　here。〃　Rick　and　others；　mostly　parents；　closed　in　to　thank　Musica　and　Allegra；　the　Muses　smiled　timidly。　Bowie　was　already　in　a　clinch　with　his　parents。

〃Ahem。　Isn't　anybody　gonna　thank　the　furniture　movers？〃　Jack　Baker　hinted。

The　idea　to　get　the　siren　music　to　the　drive　section　had　been　Minmei's；　of　course；　but　if　he　and　the　Penns　had　not　happened　upon　her　and　the　Muses　and　Bowie…drawn　by　Minmei's　a　capella　singing…as　they　struggled　along　with　the　harp；　things　would　have　gone　very　differently。

Karen　gave　Jack　an　elbow　in　the　ribs。　〃You're　not　really　going　to　be　happy　until　you're　an　eighth…dan　schmuck；　are　you？〃

But　Harry　Penn；　having　gotten　his　breath　back；　gave　Jack　a　clap　on　the　back。　〃I'll　say　this　much　for　you；　Baker：　You　hold　up　your　end。〃　That　made　Karen's　eyes　go　large；　she　had　assumed　that　her　father's　loathing　of　Jack　was　set　in　permacrete。　Jack　looked　dumbstruck。

〃This　is　no　time　for　a　whoopee；〃　Vince　Grant　reminded　everybody　loudly。　He　turned　to　Lisa。　〃Replacement　fold　drives　on…line；　Admiral。〃

Pull　pin　and　throw；　Rick　thought。

Lisa　keyed　an　inter。　There　was　still　static；　as　there　were　still　muted　sound　and　light　phenomena　loose　in　the　ship。　Raul　Forsythe　responded　from　the　bridge。　〃Navigation　has　worked　out　algorithms　that　should　be　what　we　need　to　find　our　way　out；〃　he　reported；　〃but　there's　no　way　to　check　'em。〃

〃There's　one；〃　Lisa　replied。　〃Exec…〃

All　of　newspace　seemed　to　go　through　a　paroxysm；　an　expand…and…contact　feeling　that　made　everyone　cry　out；　as　if　the　warp　and　weft　of　it　were　caught　in　some　unthinkable　contest　of　forces。

〃…ute　fold　jump；　Captain！〃　Lisa　finished。

Everything　around　them　seemed　to　be　dissolving　into　distortion。　Rick　heard　screams　and　orders；　reports　and　moans。　He　whirled　and　yelled　his　son's　name；　but　all　sane　perception　seemed　to　have　fallen　away　to　nothingness。

Then　the　fold　drives　hummed；　building　power；　and　coherent　reality　rezzed　up　again。　Rick　took　no　chances　but　snatched　Roy　up　into　his　arms　again；　other　parents　following　suit…including　the　Zentraedi；　which　was　quite　a　sight。　Lisa　faced　the　fact　that　she　could　not　mand　her　ship　by　inter　and　let　Raul　concentrate　on　running　the　bridge。

Vince　had　been　holding　his　breath；　not　knowing　how　the　SDF…l's　drives　would　take　to　Second　Gen　Protoculture　hell；　he　hadn't　even　known　how　the　SDF…3's　would。　Now　he　found　out；　as　the　smooth　fold　sequence　stuttered；　the　sound　of　the　drives　falling　off。

〃Run　start…up　sequence　again；〃　he'd　just　said；　when　everything　around　him　dissipated　into　perceptual　chaos　again；　making　him　feel　he　was　going　mad。


In　a　place　with　no　real　existence　in　space　or　time；　the　onrushing　Haydon；　with　all　the　accumulated　energies　of　his　crossing；　rushed　headlong　at　the　Regis；　who　was　determined　to　defend　this；　her　last　domain。

The　rift　between　the　domain　of　newspace　and　realspace　widened；　all　things　flowing　together　at　the　cusp。　The　very　end　of　the　Shapings　had　e。


With　the　residue　of　the　expanded　senses　he　had　been　given　by　exposure　to　Lang's　discorporation；　Louie　Nichols　perceived　the　settling　of　that　single　snowflake　on　the　endless　winter　landscape　of　the　Shapings。　It　took　its　place；　losing　itself　in　the　whole。　

But　its　very　arrival　generated　the　movement　of　those　beneath　it；　and　they　imparted　infinitesimal　shifting　to　those　farther　down。　There　was　mass　movement。


Aboard　the　SDF…3；　the　start…up　sequence　ran　again　and　the　fold　drives　raved　to　life。　This　time　the　process　caught；　and　everyone　aboard　could　feel　the　generation　of　the　fold　jump　field　as　it　sprang　out　from　the　ship。　Once　more　they　were　passing　into　the　unknowable。


For　Haydon　there　could　be　no　going　back；　for　the　Regis　there　was　no　retreat。　Collision　was　inevitable；　and　only　one　entity　could　survive。

Both　beings