09_the_final_nightmare-第11章

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Captain　Komodo　led　his　unit　out　at　a　run。　He　had　indulged　his　grief　and　put　aside　his　humiliation；　now　it　was　time　to　discharge　his　duty；　to　live　up　to　his　oath　of　service。　But　a　voice　calling　his　name　made　him　stop　short　as　the　rest　ran　on　to　the　personnel　elevator　that　waited　to　take　the　battlecruisers'　crewpeople　to　their　assignments。

Dana　caught　up；　breathless。　〃I　just　want　to。。。say；　I'm　sorry；　sorry　about…〃

He　gave　her　a　smile。　〃Forget　it；　Dana。　Thanks　for　everything。〃

The　silence　that　followed　was　awkward；　as　they　listened　to　announcements　and　instructions　for　everyone　who　was　going　to　hurry；　and　for　everyone　else　to　get　clear。　Dana　and　Komodo　groped　for　something　to　say　to　each　other。

Then　a　hand　reached　out　to　touch　Komodo's　armored　shoulder。　〃Captain。。。〃

Komodo；　pivoting　to　see　Nova　Satori　standing　at　his　side；　looked　like　a　deer　caught　in　headlights。　She　took　his　gauntleted　hand　in　both　of　hers。　〃I　just　wanted　to　say…be　sure　to　e　back　safely。〃

It　took　him　a　few　false　starts　to　answer。　〃Nova；　yes！　I　will！〃　He　turned；　dashing　to　catch　up　with　his　mand。　〃Don't　worry　about　that！〃

Dana　figured　Nova　was　still　not　in　love　with　Komodo。　But　what　did　that　matter　when　a　person　might　die…when　a　whole　world　might？

Dana　was　about　to　bury　the　hatchet　with　Nova；　to　tell　her　what　a　decent　thing　that　was　to　do；　when　both　were　distracted　by　another　lift…off　drama。

〃Marie！　e　back！〃

But　Marie　Crystal　already　had　a　head　start；　and　even　weighted　by　her　bat　armor　she　got　to　the　elevator　well　ahead　of　Sean　Phillips。　And　anyway；　Sean　had　been　caught　by　Angelo　Dante；　who　gathered　him　up　practically　under　one　arm；　and　dragged　him　back。

Angelo　hollered　at　his　onetime　CO；　〃Be　a　man；　for　god's　sake！　She's　got　more　important　things　on　her　mind；　idiot！〃

But　Sean　struggled　free　at　the　last　moment；　as　the　countdown　went　for　zero　and　ground　crews　and　PAS　bellowed　at　the　ATACs　to　get　to　shelter。　Sean　dashed　for　the　elevator；　but　he　was　too　late。　The　doors　closed　just　before　he　got　there。　Marie　watched　emotionlessly…or　did　she？　Just　as　the　closing　doors　took　her　from　him；　her　stone…face　expression　seemed　to　change。

Sean　curled　up　inconsolably　on　the　hardtop；　and　let　Angelo；　Dana　and　Nova　lift　him　up　and　bear　him　away。


In　the　ready…room；　Bowie　was　by　himself　again　at　the　piano。　He　played　the　songs　Emerson　had　taught　him；　and　the　ones　he　himself　had　posed　early…on。

He　heard　the　first　rumbles　of　prelaunch　ignition　reverberate　across　the　countryside　and　the　city；　as　his　godfather　and　guardian　readied　for　battle。


The　battlecruisers；　destroyer　escorts；　and　other　bat　ships　rumbled　and　flamed　and　rose；　
shaking　the　ground。　The　thunderclaps　of　their　drives　echoed　across　Monument　City。　Dana；　Sean；　Nova；　and　Angelo　watched　the　strikeforce　draw　lines　of　fire　into　the　blue。

The　tumult　and　the　glare　of　it　filled　the　ready…room　windows；　Bowie　hit　a　last；　hateful　note；　then　sat　staring　at　the　keys。


CHAPTER　SIX

It　is；　perhaps；　some　ultimate　universal　justice　on　the　behalf　of　intelligence　（as　opposed　to　physical　strength　or　predation　skills）　that　the　secrets　of　the　Universe　are　open　only　to　those　who　have　left　certain　outdated　belief　systems　behind。
Or；　maybe　it's　one　big…how　do　the　Humans　say？…one　big　gag。
Exedore；　as　quoted　in　Lapstein's　Interviews

The　Robotech　Masters；　in　their　flagship；　were　aware　of　the　impending　launch　of　Emerson's　expeditionary　force；　this　time　there　would　be　no　surprises；　and　the　Earth　would　be　dealt　a　final；　crushing　blow。

It　was　imperative　that　Earth　be　destroyed　not　only　because　the　constrained　seeds　of　the　Flower　in　the　Matrix　below　were　beginning　to　sprout　into　actual　blossoms；　but　also　a　new　and　more　dangerous　element　had　entered　their　equations。

The　Robotech　Masters；　nailless　hands　touching　their　Protoculture　cap；　contemplated　the　cloud　of　interstellar　gas　that；　in　astronomical　terms；　was　so　close。　To　an　Earthly　observer　it　would　simply　be　a　curiosity；　a　spindrift　that　had　wandered　Earth's　way　from　some　impossibly　distant　H　11　region。　Its　aberrant　motion　could　be　attributed　to　a　close　encounter　with　a　far…off　mass　of　dark　matter　or　to　galactic　streaming　dynamics。　The　oddities　in　its　internal　movements　and　constitution　would　be　chalked　up　to　some　natural　phenomenon　of　density　waves。

Just　another　collection　of　whorls　and　billows　of　dust　and　phosphorescent　gas；　just　another　emission　nebula。

But　the　Robotech　Masters　knew　better　and　had　good　reason　to　be　afraid。　It　was　an　Invid　Sensor　Nebula；　searching　for　Protoculture　and/or　the　Flower　of　Life。　The　Invid　would　be　ing　soon；　and　so　the　Masters'　time　was　short。

Long　ago；　the　Invid　had　been　a　peaceful　species；　living　out　their　lives　on　idyllic　Optera；　ingesting　the　Flower　and；　with　the　powers　it　gave　them；　rejoicing　in　their　contemplation　of　the　Universe。　Then　Zor；　the　original　Zor；　had　e　to　live　among　them；　to　learn。　He　saw　in　their　almost　photosynthetic　biological　processes　a　by…product　that；　when　isolated；　gave　him　the　key　to　ultimate　power：　Protoculture。

The　infinitely　metamorphic　Invid　were　the　Apple　of　Temptation　to　him；　harboring　ultimate　secrets。　Zor　was　the　same　to　them…especially　to　the　Invid　Queen；　revealing　to　them　the　two…edged　bane/blessing　they　had　never　conceived　of：　passion；　love。

He　understood　that　the　key　to　the　power　of　Protoculture　was　the　Invid　Queen。　Zor；　consumed　with　the　hunger　for　knowledge；　used　her；　barely　knowing　what　it　was　he　was　doing；　and　set；　the　course　of　a　tragedy　that　would　stretch　across　eternity。

The　Invid　Queen；　the　Regis；　became　infatuated　with　Zor。　This　infatuation　would　bring　a　universe　crumbling　down　with　no　promise　of　what　would　rise　from　the　ashes。　Love　and　Protoculture；　Protoculture　and　love；　they　were　locked　forever　after　in　a　pattern　of　exaltation　and　disaster。

Zor's　superiors　on　Tirol；　his　homeworld；　immediately　understood　the　more　obvious　implications　of　Protoculture…its　power　to　penetrate　spacetime；　to　impart　vast　mental　powers；　its　connection　to　the　fundamental　shaping　force　of　the　Universe。　Like　all　leaders；　they　lusted　for　power；　naive　Zor　was　no　match　for　them。。。at　least　at　that　point。

Using　rudimentary　powers　derived　from　the　more　malign　aspects　of　Protoculture；　the　overlords　of　Tirol　banded　together　to　subdue　Zor　mentally；　to　place　an　irresistible　pulsion　on　him。　At　their　direction；　Zor　stole　as　many　of　the　Flower　seeds　as　he　could　from　his　Optera　hosts；　and　as　much　Protoculture。

Under　his　Masters'　enslavement；　he　betrayed　the　Invid　hivequeen；　who　had　taken　on　a　form　like　his　own。　Zor　left　the　Regis　loveless　and　full　of　hate…she　who　had　literally　transfigured　herself；　loving　Zor　so。　The　rest　of　Optera　Zor　laid　waste；　so　that　the　Flower　of　Life　would　never　grow　there　again。

Love　and　Protoculture；　Protoculture　and　love。

Conquest　and　dominance　were　the　panion　cravings　of　the　Tirolean　tyrants'　Protoculture　addiction。　Their　giant；　cloned　Zentraedi　worker…menials　were　transformed　into　conquering　legions；　Zor　became　their　savant…slave。　He　shaped　the　Protoculture　Matrices；　and　went　forth　to　seed　the　Flower　of　Life　on　other　worlds；　so　their　seeds　could　be　harvested　for　more　Matrices。

The　overlords　of　Tirol　were　transmogrified　into　the　Robotech　Masters。　Their　own　race　became　to　them　mere　objects；　plasm　to　be　reshaped　and　put　to　the　use　they　chose。

Meanwhile；　the　Invid；　changed　by　their　hatred　and　suffering；　burst　forth　from　Optera　to　seek　the　Flower　of　Life　wherever　the　Masters　seeded　it；　and　to　slay　the　Robotech　Masters　and　their　servants　wherever　they　found　them。　The　Invid　began　reproducing　with　monocellular　speed；　being　a　teeming　horde　that　daunted　even　the　Masters。　A　stupendous　war　roiled　across　galaxies；　but　the　Masters　were　content　that　in　time　they　would　win。

The　Masters；　however；　in　their　arrogance；　had　forgotten　Zor's　original　exposure　to　the　secrets　of　Protoculture　on　Optera；　and　the　expansion　of　his　mental　gifts。　Little　by　little；　Zor　was　making　patient；　microscopic　progress　against　the　pulsion　by　which　the　Masters　held　him。

His　breakthrough　came　in　the　form　of　a　Vision　of　what　was　to　be；　given　to　him　by　the　Protoculture。　He　saw　a　small；　blue…white；　unimportant　world。　A　world　where　Humanity　would　ultimately　obliterate　itself；　an