18_the_end_of_the_circle-第58部分

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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　registered　the　jump　of　SDF…3；　though　the　Regis　could　spare　no　attention　for　it　and　Haydon　saw　no　reason　to；　the　cosmos　for　which　it　was　bound　would　soon　be　destroyed；　anyway。　They　charged　upon　each　other　to　do　ultimate　bat。

Then　both　near　deities　let　out　silent　emanations　of　shock；　wonder；　fear；　and　awe。

The　Shapings　were　shifting　in　a　way　unique　in　all　their　long　history。

In　that　intersection；　Haydon　suddenly　had　access　to　a　wider　mental　vista；　a　fuller　historical　perspective；　than　he　had　ever　had。　The　Regis；　meanwhile；　was　opened　to　a　total　vision　of　all　that　had　taken　place　and　all　that　would。　Both　knew　humbling　and　unprecedented　sensations　of　acceptance；　resignation…and　peace。

It　was　as　if　all　continua　and　all　probabilities　were　rotating　on　infinite　axes　beneath　them。　Once　again　the　Regis　was　transformed　into　a　phoenix　of　racial　essence；　about　to　take　flight　for　a　final　destination。　But　Haydon　turned；　in　the　eternal　instant　when　the　rift　in　spacetime　still　yawned　wide；　and　reached　into　the　SDF…3；　searching。


At　the　moment　of　Intersection；　as　a　side　effect　miracle；　the　perceptual　blindfolds　fell　away　from　the　eyes　of　the　SDFers；　and　they　gazed　across　time。


Kazianna　Hesh　clutched　Drannin　while　the　Super　Dimensional　Fortress　plunged　into　the　eye　of　the　continua　hurricane。　If　death　rose　up　to　claim　her　at　last；　she　knew　how　to　greet　it；　she　was　Zentraedi。

But　instead；　what　she　thought　at　first　to　be　a　hallucination　manifested　itself　before　her。　She　saw　mighty　Breetai　as　she　had　first　seen　him；　unscarred　and　unbeatable；　leading　the　legions　of　the　Zentraedi　to　victory。

As　she　saw　and　heard　her　love　again；　watched　him　leave　his　mark；　huge　and　unique；　on　galactic　history；　Kazianna　came　to　realize　that　it　was　no　dream　or　specter。　Somehow　she　was　seeing　across　the　conventional　boundaries　to　points　on　the　timestream　where　he　still　existed。

She　witnessed　again　the　terrible　battle　in　which　Zor　died；　the　great　slaughter　of　Dolza's　fleet；　Breetai's　triumphs　in　the　Malcontent　Uprisings　and　the　Sentinels　War。

She　saw　herself　again；　too；　as　she　went　to　him　on　Fantoma　and　awakened　love　in　him　as　he　already　unknowingly　had　in　her。　She　saw　how　he　had　bee　truly　happy　for　the　first　time　then。

There　was　no　hard　and　fast　linearity　to　the　scenes。　She　was　seeing　many　times　and　places　where　Breetai　was　in　effect　alive　still　and　would　always　be　so…as　Lang　had　intended；　though　Kazianna　knew　nothing　of　that　at　the　moment。

She　saw　him　presiding　like　some　war　god　at　the　post…battle　revels　of　the　Zentraedi；　proud　of　his　conquests　and　yet　weighted；　always；　by　the　burden　of　his　leadership。　Nevertheless；　Kazianna　knew　a　fierce　joy　that　some　part　of　him　would　preside　forever　in　the　halls　of　victory。

And　she　saw　him　brooding；　about　to　enter　his　final　contest　against　the　Invid　Regent；　and　knowing　that　this　time　the　Shapings　had　a　different　oute　in　store　for　him。

She　felt　Drannin　stir　in　her　arms。　〃Is　that　man　my　father？〃　Is。　That　was　the　right　word。　She　understood　now　that　he　was　no　more　lost　to　her　than　if　he　were　on　some　far　shore。　She　was　still　with　him　in　many　times　and　places　and　knew　a　certainty　that　she　would　be　again。

〃Yes。　That　is　Great　Breetai。　〃

The　child　was　silent　for　a　long　moment；　then　his　voice　rang　out　across　the　barrier　between　them。　〃Hail；　Breetai！〃　At　that　moment　Breetai's　head　rose　from　his　preoccupations；　and　one　of　his　very　rare　smiles　touched　his　lips。　He　had　known；　going　to　his　death；　that　his　wife　carried　his　son。　Now　Kazianna　had　no　doubt　that　somehow　he　had　heard　the　boy's　voice　across　time。

She　held　herself　very　erect。　〃Yes；　hail；　Breetai。〃　But　she　said　it　with　a　lover's　softness。


For　Lisa；　it　was　Karl　Riber：　the　love　of　an　older　man…all　of　nineteen！…for　an　introverted　sixteen…year…old。　She　was　the　daughter　of　a　military　family；　he　a　gentle　thinker　and　dreamer。

She　saw　that　his　lonely　life　at　Sara　Base　on　Mars　was　not　as　horrible　as　serving　in　the　RDF　would　have　been。　When　he　met　death　in　the　Sara　Base　raid；　she　did　not　turn　her　eyes　from　it；　and　she　saw　a　vast　calm　in　him　then。　Karl　had　never　feared　dying；