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Jack　fell　silent　for　a　moment。　〃No；　I　suppose　I　don't；〃　he　conceded；　contemplating　the　view。　〃But　I　guess　I'll　take　it　over　the　alternative　any　day。〃


PART　II

COHERENT　LIGHT

CHAPTER　TWELVE

The　question　of　Professor　Nichols's　whereabouts　during　the　years　following　the　end　of　the　Second　Robotech　War；　including　that　period　now　referred　to　as　the　Occupation；　remains　a　source　of　controversy。　While　it　has　been　elsewhere　demonstrated　that　he　remained　with　Jonathan　Wolff　through　March　of　2033　（see　Tasners　Sheep　in　Wolves'　Clothing）；　his　subsequent　alliances　are　more　the　product　of　conjecture　than　hard…earned　investigative　proof。　However；　based　on　evidence　that　links　Nichols's　associates　（Gibley；　Shi…Ling；　Stirson；　et　al。）　to　the　Yakuza　organization　that　inherited　the　remains　of　Lang's　Tokyo　plex　（see　Makita　and　others）；　the　author　is　of　the　opinion　that　Nichols　somehow　prevailed　upon　Wolff　to　furnish　him　with　safe　passage　to　Japan；　where　he；　we　know；　was　eventually　located　by　intelligence　operatives　assigned　to　his　case　by　the　REF　G2　chief；　Niles　Obstat。
From　Ronstaad　Irk's　preface　to　the　fourth　edition　of　Nichols's　Tripping　the　Light　Fantastic　

〃I'm　sorry　I　ever　had　to　drag　you　into　this　。　。　。Ariel；〃　Scott　said；　finally　working　up　the　courage　to　meet　her　gaze。

〃Please　don't　make　things　worse；〃　Marlene　told　him　weakly。　〃And　don't　refer　to　me　by　that　name；　Scott。　I'm　Marlene。　I　have　been　since　the　day　you　found　me。〃

Scott's　nostrils　flared。　〃You're　not　Marlene；　damn　it！〃　he　cried；　turning　away　from　her。　He　stormed　three　steps　toward　her　cabin's　security　door　before　swinging　around。　〃You're　Ariel；　and　the　sooner　you　understand　that；　the　better。〃　He　gestured　offhandedly　about　the　shipboard　cell　G2　had　fashioned　for　her。　〃Why　do　you　think　you're　locked　up　in　here？　This　isn't　some　free　ride。　Intel's　convinced　you　know　where　the　Regis　is。　So　put　yourself　in　touch　with　your　real　self；　Ariel。　Tell　them　what　they　want；　for　your　own　sake。〃　Marlene　hung　her　head；　waves　of　red　hair　falling　forward　to　conceal　hollow　cheeks　and　colorless　lips。　〃Don't　you　think　I'm　trying；　Scott？〃　She　lifted　her　face　to　him。　〃Look　at　me。　Can't　you　see　what　this　is　doing　to　me？〃

He　didn't　want　to　look；　but　when　he　did；　he　could　not　stop　himself　from　hurrying　to　her　and　encircling　her　frail　form　with　his　arms。　She　was　so　pale；　so　thin。　And　he　kept　recalling　Sera；　wasting　away　in　Lancer's　bed。　〃Marlene；〃　he　whispered；　rocking　her　gently　back　and　forth。　〃Marlene　。　。　。　〃

He　had　already　been　through　the　same　argument　just　hour；　earlier；　shortly　before　the　Ark　Angel　had　folded　from　Earth　space。　Some　numbnuts　from　G2　had　given　permission　for　Kurt　and　Lana　Rush…the　real　Marlene's　parents…to　observe　by　remote；　one　of　Obstat's　brain　probe　sessions　with　Ariel。　The　Rushes　had　sought　Scott　out　immediately　afterward；　understandably　upset；　visibly　distressed　and　angered。

〃How　could　you　do　this　to　us；　Scott？〃　Lana　had　sobbed　from　the　safety　and　fort　of　her　husband's　thick　arms　〃Even　if　Marlene　was　captured　and　conditioned　by　the　Regis。　Why　couldn't　you　have　left　her　alone？　How　could　you　let　her　be　put　through　this　hell？〃

Scott　had　been　dumbstruck。　〃But　that's　not　your　daughter；〃　he　had　managed　to　reply。　〃That　。。。　creature　in　there　has　green　blood　in　its　veins！〃

He　remembered　Marlene's　father　taking　a　menacing　step　for　ward；　fists　balled　up。　〃Damn　you　for　that；　Bernard！　〃　Rush　had　seethed。　〃I　don't　care　what　color　they　turned　her　blood　and　hair。　I　know　my　own　daughter。　That's　Marlene　your　intel　freaks　are　torturing　with　their　devices。　And　you　put　her　there！〃

There　had　been　no　convincing　them　and；　in　the　end；　no　way　of　convincing　himself；　either。　Each　day　saw　more　and　more　of　Marlene　emerge　in　the　simulagent；　more　and　more　of　what　had　been　Ariel　submerge。　And　each　day　seemed　to　bring　both　personalities　closer　and　closer　to　death。

Scott　huddled　with　her　on　the　cool　floor　of　the　cell；　railing　silently　at　the　thought　of　losing　her　a　second　time。

〃I'm　going　to　try　harder；　Scott；〃　Marlene　said；　full　of　false　hope。　〃I　know　how　much　your　friends　mean　to　you　and　I　desperately　want　to　help　you　find　them。　You　know　I'd　give　up　my　life…〃

〃Don't；〃　Scott　said；　stopping　her。　〃I　don't　want　to　find　them　only　to　lose　you　in　return。　I'll　help　you。　Maybe　together。　。　。〃　She　showed　him　a　wan　smile。

〃We'll　be　on　Haydon　IV　soon；〃　he　went　on。　〃Exedore　will　have　some　answers　for　us；　I'm　sure　of　it。　We've　made　a　start；　Marlene；　that's　what's　important。　We'll　find　the　Regis。　Even　if　we　have　to　go　back　in　time　to　do　it。〃


In　a　spacious　cabin　aft　of　the　Ark　Angel's　astrogation　section；　Louie　Nichols　locked　his　hands　behind　his　head　and　leaned　away　from　a　screenful　of　hyperspace　position　grids　and　spacetime　calculations。　〃Well；　I　think　it's　a　righteous　intro　to　interstellar　travel；〃　he　told　Harry　Penn　and　Vince　Grant。　〃I　mean；　I've　heard　of　missing　the　hoverbus；　but　missing　an　entire　planet。　。　。　This　is　one　for　the　record　files。〃

Gibley　and　Strucker；　two　of　the　mohawked　members　of　Nichols's　team；　laughed　from　their　seats　at　the　far　end　of　the　table；　where　they　were　headlocked　into　an　interactive　video　ic　book　pulled　up　from　the　ship's　entertainment　mainframe。　Gleaming　interface　plugs　studded　their　cranial　cyber…ports。

Penn；　a　curl　to　his　upper　lip；　eyed　the　two　with　disdain；　their　tattoos；　tight　clothes；　bad　skin；　and　bad　hair。　Now　that　he　had　gotten　to　know　Louie's　team　a　little；　he　had　decided　they　were　as　unappealing　a　lot　as　he　had　ever　encountered。　Video　fiends　and　substance　abusers；　they　related　only　to　things　they　could　plug　themselves　into。　Despite　all　their　ravings　about　artificial　intellect　and　〃machine　mind；〃　it　was　almost　a　pre…Protoculture；　electronic　age　fascination　that　animated　them。

The　portly　scientist　cleared　a　low　growl　from　his　throat。　〃And　I'm　telling　you　we're　exactly　where　we're　supposed　to　be；　Professor　Nichols。　If　anything's　missing；　it's　Haydon　IV。〃

Nichols；　grinning；　put　a　hand　to　his　round…leaned　goggles　as　he　peered　over　his　shoulder　at　Penn。　〃Some　wrinkle　in　the　Newtonian　universe；　Doctor？　A　planet　gets　it　in　mind　to　leave　orbit；　and　off　it　goes？〃

Penn　scratched　at　his　beard。〃　Need　I　remind　you　of　some　of　the　wonders　we've　experienced　these　past　thirty　years；　Professor？　Besides；　with　that　world　anything's　possible。〃

Nichols　smirked。　〃Relax；　Harry。　I'm　sure　your　aim　was　true。〃　His　forefinger　called　up　data　on　the　touchscreen。　〃What　we　have　here　are　indications　of　gravitational　perturbations　throughout　this　star　system。　So　I　believe　it's　safe　to　assume　the　planet　has　in　fact　vanished。〃

〃But　Cabell　had　been　in　munication　with　Exedore；〃　Vince　thought　to　point　out。　〃There　was　nothing　in　his　transmissions　about　。　。　。　this。〃

〃Then　it's　likely　the　event　occurred　recently；〃　Nichols　said：　〃Obviously　within　the　past　Earth…standard　month。〃

〃I　concur；〃　Penn　said。

The　bridge　…line　tone　sounded；　and　Vince　leaned　forward　to　respond。

〃Receiving　an　urgent　distress　call；　〃　his　exec　began。　〃Survivors　from　the　Karbarran　ship　N'trpriz。〃

〃Survivors？　What　happened？〃

The　line　was　quiet　for　a　moment。　〃Sir；　the　N'trpriz　was　ordered　to　Haydon　IV　on　an　extraction　op。　Seems　that　several　hundred　Karbarran　traders　were　taken　prisoner　during　the　rebellion。　〃

Vince　and　Penn　traded　astonished　looks。　〃What　rebellion？〃　Penn　demanded。

〃It's　unclear；　Doctor。　Apparently　the　Haydonites　have　risen　up　against　the　Awareness。　Offworlders　caught　up　in　the　rebellion　have　been　transferred　to　subsurface　confinement　areas　below　what　remains　of　Glike。

〃This　is　madness；〃　Vince　said。　〃Ask　them　if　the　N'trpriz　attempted　to　engage　the　planet。〃

〃Affirmative；　sir。　N'trpriz　was　in　munication　with　the　surface　when　the　planetary　Awareness　succeeded　in　arming　the　ship's　auto…destruct　systems。〃　Grant's　first　officer　paused　momentarily。　〃The　survivors　claim　to　have　jumped　ship　in　an　escape　vehicle　prior　to　detonation。　They　claim　that　the　ships　of　their　own　battle　group　deserted　them。　〃

Vince　tightened　his　lips。　〃Tell　them　we're　on　our　way　to　their　position。　But　ask　if　they　can　give　the　approximate　present　location　of　Haydon　IV。〃

〃Negative；　sir。　They　say　no　can　do。　〃

〃Why　in　heaven's　name　not？〃　Penn　said。

〃Response；　sir：　‘Because　Haydon　IV　executed　a　fold。'〃


After　rescuing　the　Karbarran　survivors；　the　Ark　Angel　executed　a　jump　of　its　own　not；　however；　for　the　ursinoids'　homeworld　but　for　Fantoma's　third　moon；　Tirol。

Scott　had　to　call　in　most　of　the　favors　owed　him　to　get　himself　included　among　the　small　landing　party　that　was　shuttled　down　to　Tiresia。　But　the　hassle　was　well　worth　it；　if　only　for　the　quick　ride　through　the　city's　streets　to　the　Royal　Hall；　which　still　towered　argent　and　pyramidal　over　the　city　scape　like　a　holy　mountain。

Otherwise；　the　place　had　changed　dramatically　in　the　three　years　since　the　Mars　Group's　departure。　Scott　had　not　been　here　for　the　return　of　Jonathan　Wolff's　starship；　and　with　it　the　arrival　of　the　15th　ATAC　and　the　Tiresian　clones　they　were　conveying　home。　Nor　had　he　been　around　for　the　first　Flower　of　Life　harvest　on　New　Praxis　or　the　development　of　Lang's　facsimile　Protoculture　matrix；　which　had　been　left　in　Tiresia　for　safekeeping。　That　alone　had　returned　enormous　wealth　and　prosperity　to　Tirol；　what　with　liberated　worlds　throughout　the　Local　Group　hungry　anew　for　interstellar　transports　and；　inexpensive　but　efficient　sources　of　energy　to　assist　in　the　mammoth　task　of　reconstruction。　Most　of　the　actual　manufacturing　of　ships　and　machines　had　been　farmed　out　to　Karbarra；　but　it　was　Tirol　that　had　reaped　the　rewards。　The　moon　had　bee　a　kind　of　cultural　crossroads；　almost　on　a　par　with　Haydon　IV　in　the　trafficking　of　information　and　construction　techniques。

Thus；　Tiresia's　public　buildings　and　housing　structures　sparkled　like　gems　in　an　emerald　setting。　Under　REF　supervision；　the　clones　and　indigs　had　irrigated　and　terraformed　the　city's　once…denuded　outskirts；　and　while　a　Rome…analogue　look　had　been　preserved　in　places；　reconfigurable　stadiums　and　ultratech　high　rises　dominated　the　skyline。

Scott's　parents；　both　of　whom　were　engineers　largely　responsible　for　the　rebuilding　of　Mars　Sara　Base；　were　among　a　group　of　Terran　settlers　and　exiled　Ghost　Squadron　pilots　who　had　elected　to　remain　on