18_the_end_of_the_circle-第48部分

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　and　it　was　big。

Without　taking　his　eyes　from　it；　Max　edged　over　to　an　inter　on　the　bulkhead　and　signaled　the　bridge。　〃This　is　Sterling…Max　Sterling　on　Foxtrot　Deck；　partment；　uh；　H…2108　starboard。　I　have　a　visual　on　possible　bogey。〃　Something　about　the　indistinct　shape　made　his　stomach　twist；　and　sweat　had　started　at　his　forehead。

A　brisk　voice…Mr。　Toler；　Max　thought　it　was…answered。　〃Our　sensors　show　nothing；　mander。〃

〃Then　they're　malfunctioning！　Gimme　some　hull　lights　down　here；　now！〃

High…candlepower　external　lights　sprang　to　life　out　on　the　hull。　The　harsh　illumination　they　threw　forth　splashed　against　a　shape　that　made　Max's　mouth　fall　open。

It　was　not　like　any　mecha　he'd　ever　heard　of；　though　he'd　been　pretty　sure　he　knew　them　all。　It　incorporated　features　of　Invid　Inorganic；　RDF　Beta　Battloid；　and　Robotech　Master　Bioroid。　But　the　bulbous　torso　with　its　plastron　cannon　and　the　reverse…articulated　legs　immediately　made　him　think　of　Zentraedi　pods。　And　its　single…lensed　turret　of　a　head　sported　long；　gleaming　saber…tooth　fangs　like　those　of　a　Hellcat。

It　floated　out　there；　looking　straight　at　him　with　its　yellow　and　red　lens；　while　Max　whispered　a　soft；　almost　admiring　obscenity。　Seconds　ticked　by　while　the　two　stared　at　each　other。

He　heard　running　feet　and　glanced　over　automatically　to　see　Colonel　Xien　dash　into　the　partment　with　some　staffers　bringing　up　the　rear…a　mere　flicker　of　the　eyes。　And　yet；　when　Max　looked　back；　the　black　mecha　was　gone。

〃mander　Sterling；　we　have　nothing　on　scopes　or　visual；〃　the　voice　from　the　bridge　said　a　bit　primly；　perhaps　peeved　at　Max　for　implying　that　those　on　watch　would　let　something　sneak　up　on　the　ship。　〃Whatever　it　is；　we　don't　see　it。〃

Max　stared　at　empty　space　for　a　few　moments　before　keying　the　inter　to　reply。　〃That　figures。　It　wasn't　here　to　see　you；　either。〃


It　was　a　race　against　time　that　had　the　Elders　frothing　behind　their　respirator　masks。　The　mechamorphosis　of　Haydon　IV　into　a　Robotech　warrior　was　an　astonishing　achievement；　violating　laws　of　engineering　and　strengths　of　materials　by　means　of　higher　powers　Haydon　reserved　unto　Himself。

But　still　the　transformation　was　too　slow　to　suit　the　Elders。　The　rabble　are　too　close！　Nimuul　protested；　following　developments　via　the　planet's　mental　data　dissemination　nets。　Where　are　your　weapons？　Why　do　you　not　fire？

Haydon　was　smaller　than　they　had　yet　seen　Him；　appearing　from　the　west　like　a　moving　crag。　I　WEARY　OF　YOUR　STUPIDITY。

There　was　a　multiplicity　to　the　voice；　as　if　more　than　one　were　speaking。　The　Elders　became　aware　of　other　moving　shapes。　BEHOLD　AND　LEARN。

From　east；　north；　and　south　came　other　embodiments　of　Haydon　returning　from　unguessable　missions。　As　the　four　merged；　there　were　outpourings　of　radiance　too　intense　to　bear；　when　the　Elders　could　look　again；　Haydon　was　a　single　figure；　back　to　his　original　size。

Once　more　he　flew　off　over　the　terrain　of　His　synthetic　world；　which　had　in　effect　bee　a　mecha；　and　the　Elders'　carpet　lifted　off　to　follow。

They　were　not　far　from　the　right　arm's　juncture　to　the　body；　but　from　their　viewpoint　it　was　more　like　a　curve　in　the　world；　vanishing　away；　with　another　even　greater　bulge　rising　out　of　sight　far　beyond。　They　were　too　small　to　have　any　sense　of　the　planet's　new　shape。

A　yawning　opening　appeared　in　the　surface　of　the　planet；　and　Haydon　entered　in　serene；　floating　fashion。　The　carpet　trailed　obediently　after。　Haydon　IV　reverberated　to　the　shocks　of　the　final　reconfigurations。　As　it　did；　the　first　maximum　range　salvos　began　to　blossom　around　it。

The　war　machine　waited　in　space　as　the　flotilla　of　Local　Group　ships　rushed　to　the　attack。


PART　IV

FINALE　AND　OVERTURE

CHAPTER　THIRTY…NINE

It's　been　said　that　we're　all　three　people：　the　one　we　see　ourselves　as　being；　the　one　others　see　us　as　being；　and　the　one　we　really　are。
The　Regis　seemed　determined　to　explore　all　of　those；　and　I　don't　know　which　frightened　me　most。
Dr。　Harold　Penn；　The　Brief　but　Timeless　Voyage　of　the　Peter　Pan

Because　Dante　and　Gnea　had　been　accosted　there　by　the　Regis's　strange　luminous　effects；　it　was　decided　that　the　attempt　to　establish　contact　with　her　should　be　initiated　on　the　planet；　which　some　scholar　in　the　SDF…3　crew　had　dubbed　Omphalos。

Most　of　the　mand　people　were　all　for　it；　since　it　was　seemingly　the　only　course　of　action　open　to　them。　Rick　and　Lisa　were　more　hesitant；　since　the　experts　felt　the　only　plausible　method　of　municating　with　the　vanished　racial　entity/queen　lay　in　Roy　and　the　other　children；　everything　that　had　happened　regarding　newspace　thus　far　indicated　that　it　was　a　domain　with　a　special　affinity　for　psi…phenomena。　Certainly　the　Regis　had　not　responded　to　any　conventional　attempts　at　munication。

Calculations　showed　that　the　breach　draining　the　substance　of　the　universe　into　newspace　was　widening；　though。　There　was　a　growing　faction　among　the　theorists；　lining　up　behind　Lang；　who　believed　that　real　spacetime　would　be　altogether　sucked　into　the　adjunct　province　of　newspace　and　find　itself　under　the　dominion　of　the　Regis。　Thus；　the　children's　lives　were　already　horribly　at　risk；　and　the　perils　of　contact　with　the　Regis　must　be　borne。

A　lot　of　people　in　G2　and　G3　wanted　to　make　a　landing　in　force　to　secure　the　area　against　any　possible　hostile　action　by　the　Regis…post　Battlepods；　hovertanks；　Veritechs；　and　the　rest　in　a　layered　defense。　But　cooler　heads　prevailed；　mecha　firepower　probably　would　not　amount　to　much　against　the　entity　that　controlled　newspace。

So；　two　shuttles　flanked　by　one　Alpha　and　one　Beta　descended　as　if　on　a　diplomatic　mission；　slow　and　steady；　followed　by　two　pods　and　two　suits　of　powered　armor。　Once　down　on　Omphalos；　the　party　formed　up　on　the　ground　and　moved　out　for　the　field　where　Angelo　and　Gnea　had　disappeared。

They　could　have　dropped　in　for　a　landing　directly　in　the　field；　of　course；　but　it　was　felt　that　going　in　on　foot　would　help　re…create　the　circumstances　of　the　first　encounter　and　look　much　less　belligerent。　The　Alpha　was　sent　back　aloft　to　patrol；　and　the　ground　party　started　walking。

Rick　and　Lisa　led　the　way。　Roy　was　farther　back；　with　the　children　and　most　of　the　other　parents。　Scott　Bernard　was　following　close　behind　the　Hunters。　Marlene　came　after　him；　a　part　of　the　group　at　her　own　insistence　and　over　his　objections。　The　Hunters　and　the　rest　weled　her　presence；　she　was　the　closest　thing　the　expedition　had　to　an　expert　on　the　Regis。

The　landing　party　was　armed；　but　it　did　little　to　assuage　Rick's　nervousness。　He　did　not　really　think　guns　would　do　much　good　against　the　dangers　that　menaced　his　ship；　friends；　and　family。

Lisa　cast　a　glance　back　to　make　sure　the　kids　were　all　right　and　to　see　if　the　other　parents　were　coping　emotionally。　All　of　them　were　under　stress；　but　she　was　particularly　worried　about　Max。　If　the　Veritechs'　top　gun　was　starting　to　see　things　that　weren't　there；　anybody　could　lose　his　grip。

In　the　last　few　hours　others　had　begun　falling　prey　to　the　insidious　effects　of　the　new　continuum。　Word　had　it　that　the　Karbarrans'　morose　augury　chants　had　brought　them　Wagnerian　visions　of　doom。　The　Garudans'　hin　sendings　had　the　lupine　XTs　fatalistic　and　despairing。　Baldan　had　had　ghostly　encounters　on　the　Crystal　Highways　of　Omphalos　and　at　length　had　been　ejected　by　them。　

Even　the　music　of　the　Muses　and　the　Cosmic　Harp　had　taken　on　a　doleful　sound　they　seemed　helpless　to　rise　above。

The　libidinous　climate　of　the　past　few　days　had　changed；　and　the　only　possible　explanation　was　that　something　about　the　Regis　had　changed。

And　what　if　Her　Highness　doesn't　feel　like　granting　us　an　audience？　Rick　was　asking　himself　at　the　same　moment。　Do　we　sacrifice　a　few　oxen；　blow　on　a　ram's　horn；　or　what？

But　as　he　pushed　through　the　last　screen　of　bush；　he　saw　that　there　was　reason　to　hope　for　an　audience　with　the　Regis；　after　all：　The　field　had　changed；　even　though　nobody　from　the　SDF…3　or　the　recon　flights　had　seen　it。

Where　the　swaying　grasses　had　grown　to　midcalf　height；　there　was　a　structure　that　brought　a　sinister　grunt　from　Scott。　〃Invid　hive。　Huh。　Looks　like　a　miniature　Reflex　Point。〃

It　did　indeed；　but　it　was　far　smaller　than　the　sprawling　stronghold/nerve　center　that　had　been　the　Regis's　seat　of　power　on　Terra。　It　was　a　dome　with　the　same　organic　look；　the　same　glowings　in　orange　and　red　and　yellow；　like　a　super…high…speed　photograph　of　a　thermonuclear　explosion。　Around　it　was　the　strange　foam　of　bubblelike　objects　suggesting　concentric　waves　ing　in　at　the　dome；　as　at　Reflex　Point；　there　were　the　same　smaller　peripheral　nodes；　much　like　the　central　structure；　all　of　them　interlinked　by　a　network　of　conduits　or　accessways　as　brilliant　as　tubes　of　flowing　lava。

〃Maybe　we　should　send　in　a　recon　team；〃　Lisa　said。

〃I　don't　even　see　a　way　in。　Scott？〃

But　before　the　Invid　invasion　veteran　could　answer；　there　was　a　motion　from　farther　back　in　the　line。　It　was　Drannin　and　the　other　Zentraedi　children；　followed　by　Roy　and　the　humans；　pushing　to　get　through　and　head　for　the　miniature　hive。

〃Roy；　wait！〃　Lisa　dodged　around　Payton；　another　Zentraedi　giant…youngster；　to　try　to　stop　her　son。　Just　then；　knocking　small　trees　aside；　Kazianna　and　a　Zentraedi　male　caught　up　to　head　off　their　kids。

Roy　did　not　push　Lisa　away；　but　he　writhed　〃in　her　grasp。　〃Mommy；　please！　She's　waiting　to　talk　to　us。　But　we　haveta　hurry！〃
Lang　had　left　his　place　in　line；　too；　with　Louie　Nichols　and　his　cyber…whiz　disciples　in　his　wake。　〃I　understand　your　reticence；　Admiral；　but　the　lad　is　right。　Right　now　our　chief　jeopardy　lies　in　delay。〃

〃But　how　do　we　get…〃　Rick　swallowed　the　question　when　he　turned　back　to　the　mini…hive。　There　was　a　dark　semicircular　opening　directly　in　front　of　them。

His　lips　became　two　thin　lines；　and　he　turned　back　to　his　little　mand。　〃Listen　up！　We're　going　in。　Remember　your　orders；　and　I　want　all　weapons　on　safety　and　either　holstered　or　slung。〃

The　door　was　high　enough　even　for　Zentraedi。　The　party　filed　into　the　unfortably　warm　darkness　under　the　dome；　smelling　again　the　strange　aromas　and　alien　odors…some　pleasant；　others　not…of　an　Invid　hive。

It　was　like　being　inside　a　cathedral　of　dark　stained　glass。　Most　of　the　space　enc