09_the_final_nightmare-第34章

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Nova　and　the　others　followed　Zor's　pointing　finger。　They　were　watching　the　great　mass　of　the　Flowers　of　Life；　hearing　the　tonalities　from　the　Matrix　that　were　so　like　the　Muse's　songs。　〃From　the　Protoculture　all　life　flows。　Once　the　clones　have　been　quickened；　it　is　the　playing　of　Musica　and　her　sisters　that　keeps　them　docile　and　obedient。　That　tells　them；　in　effect；　who　they　are。〃

〃And　now；　she's　learning　to　play　the　songs　of　Humankind；〃　Louie　Nichols　said　quietly；　the　words　forming　a　core　of　argument　there　at　the　very　center　of　Nova's　decision。　There　was　too　much　happening　for　her　to　consider　the　fact　that　it　was　an　amazingly　profound　thing　for　such　a　mechie…as　she　had　always　thought　of　him　and　his　ilk…to　put　forth。

And　if　Fredericks　and　Leonard　and　the　UEG　got　their　hands　on　Musica？　They　would　pull　her　every　which　way　like　a　wishbone…cruelty　was　one　of　their　first　resorts。　Musica　embodied　the　hope　of　peace；　but　Nova　dreaded　to　think　what　her　songs　would　sound　like　once　she　had　been　put　into　the　United　Earth　Government's　mill。

〃We　have　to　move　quickly；〃　Nova　said。　〃I　mo'ed　for　a　flying　squad　of　GMP　officers；　it'll　be　here　any　time　now。〃

〃We've　gotta　get　out　of　here！〃　Dana　snapped。　Emerson　was　in　battle；　and　there　were　few　others　she　could　trust。　But　the　world　was　wide；　much　of　it　unpopulated；　and　a　Hovertank　squad　mounted　plenty　of　firepower。　They　would　have　to　lay　low；　try　to　get　to　someone　sane。　Perhaps　they　would　have　to　contact　the　Robotech　Masters　as　well；　and　force　some　kind　of　ceasefire。　Then　a　truce；　then　peace。

She　threw　aside　her　oath　in　that　moment；　the　other　party…the　UEG　and；　by　extension；　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross…hadn't　kept　its　end　of　the　bargain。　She　sensed　that　her　ATACs　stood　with　her；　as　did　Nova　and　Musica。

Peace　renegades！　It　sounds　so　weird；　she　thought。

〃Your　officers　won't　make　any　moves　without　instructions　from　you；〃　Zor；　who　knew　from　experience；　reminded　Nova。　〃We　must　move　calculatedly；　but　very　quickly　now。〃

He　showed　no　emotion　as　Dana　clapped　her　hands　and　began　organizing　the　escape；　somehow　drawing　Nova　into　her　little　band　as　if　the　GMP　lieutenant　had　always　been　an　ally。　That　instinctive　talent　for　manding　loyalty　and　cooperation　must　be　something　Dana　had　inherited　from　both　her　warrior…woman　Zentraedi　mother　and　her　ace…of…aces　Human　father；　Zor　reflected　in　passing。

Suddenly　there　was　that　sound　again；　the　one　Bowie　had　heard　before；　as　if　something　was　moving　among　the　mass　of　Flowers。　They　all　heard　it；　as　they　heard　a　sudden；　high；　playful　sound；　like　a　cross　between　a　small　dog's　yip　and　the　tones　that　came　from　the　Matrix。

〃Polly！〃

Dana　was　on　one　knee；　beckoning　to　him；　and　Bowie　groaned。　〃I　should've　known。〃　Nova　and　the　others　stood　trying　to　fathom　their　latest　marvel。

The　little　creature　looked　a　low…slung　white　dog　or　mophead；　some　kind　of　crypto…Lhasa　apso　with　a　sheepdog　forelock；　until　one　noticed　the　knob…ended　horns　and　feet　something　like　untoasted　muffins。　He　showed　a　miniature　red　swatch　of　tongue　and　yipped　again；　running　to　her。

〃You　know　this　thing？〃　Angelo　demanded；　scratching　his　head。

Bowie　answered　for　Dana。　〃All　her　life。　Her　godfathers　introduced　her　to　him。　Only　I　never　believed　in　Polly　till　now；　never　saw　him。　I；　uh；　always　thought　he　was　imaginary。〃

Dana　was　nuzzling　and　laughing；　hugging　the　little　beast。　A　Pollinator；　her　three　unlikely；　self…appointed　godfathers；　the　former　Zentraedi　spies　Konda；　Bron；　and　Rico　had　called　him。　Three…year…old　Dana　had　given　him　his　shortened　name　right　then　and　there。

She　had　quickly　learned　that　Polly　was　a　magical　beast　who　came　and　went　as　he　willed；　no　walls　or　locks　could　hold　him。　He　showed　up　very　rarely　and　went　his　way　when　he　wished；　simply　vanishing　while　she　was　looking　the　other　way。　In　her　whole　life；　she　had　seen　him　perhaps　seven　or　eight　times。　He　never　changed；　or　seemed　to　grow　older。

〃A　Pollinator；　yes；〃　Zor　said；　looking　down。　〃And　now　you　know　what　he　pollinates。〃　She's　been　tied　to　all　this　since　she　was　a　child…perhaps　before　her　birth。　Dana；　Dana：　who　are　you？

Dana　couldn't　picture　Polly　buzzing　around　like　a　bee　there　in　the　Flower　mass；　but　obviously　something　had　been　at　work。　She　let　the　little　creature　lick　her　cheek　again；　then　stood　up　with　him　in　her　arms；　petting　him。

〃What're　you　all　staring　at？　Let's　go！〃

Zor　looked　to　the　Flowers　of　Life　that　would　no　doubt　be　detected　by　the　Invid。　He　still　couldn't　recall　everything；　but　one　thing；　he　knew。

The　Masters'　power　must　be　broken。　The　original　Zor　was　not　altogether　responsible　for　what　had　happened　once　he　beguiled　the　Invid　Regis。　Perhaps　I　am　not　either；　though　I　am　him　and　he　is　me。

But　it　lies　within　my　power　to　do　what　must　be　done。　Let　this　be　the　lifetime　when　at　last　I　acplish　it！


The　fighting　raged　around　the　five　great　surviving　mother　ships　of　the　Masters'　fleet。　The　Humans　were　proving　to　be　enemies　even　more　terrible　than　the　teeming　Invid。

But　that　was　not　the　worst　news。　Optical　relays　showed　an　invader　in　the　realm　of　their　Protoculture　masses；　a　thing　to　be　feared　more　than　any　Invid　or　Battloid。

It　was　small　and　white；　yipping　and　chasing　its　own　bedraggled　tail　among　the　storage　canisters。　A　Pollinator。

The　Masters　knew　better　than　to　waste　time　attacking　it。　Try　to　stab　the　wind；　shoot　a　bullet　at　the　sun。

The　Masters　accepted　the　devastating　news　with　the　same　emotionless　reserve　they　had　always　displayed。　To　say　it　was　stoicism　would　have　been　inaccurate。　It　would　have　implied　they　had　some　other　mode　of　behavior。

The　dissipation　of　Protoculture　made　itself　felt　not　only　in　the　declining　performance　of　the　Masters'　Robotechnology；　but　in　the　failure　of　judgment；　dispiritedness；　and　lack　of　coordination　of　the　clones　themselves。　Never　had　the　Masters'　own…the　primary…Protoculture　cap　been　so　weakened。

Even　now；　whole　masses　of　Protoculture　were　transforming；　all　through　the　fleet；　into　the　Flowers　of　Life；　just　as　was　happening　below。

Their　unspoken　conference　was　short。　Shaizan　gave　the　order。　〃Transfer　all　functioning　clones　and　all　Protoculture　reserves　to　Our　flagship。　Set　automatic　controls　on　an　appropriate　number　of　bat　vessels　to　land　them　on　the　Earth's　surface；　and　fuel　them　for　a　one…way　voyage。　Process　as　many　clones　as　is　feasible　to　serve　as　mindblank　assault　troops。〃

The　Scientist　bowed　his　head；　swallowing　his　objection。　The　clones　were　mere　plasm；　subject　to　the　dictates　of　the　Masters。　Who　dared　declare　things　otherwise？

Even　if　it　meant　genocide。。。


Allegra　and　Octavia　had　not　so　much　adjusted　to　their　reduced　status　as　gone　into　a　sort　of　lasting　shock　that　insulated　them　from　it。　Even　though　they　were　Muses；　Musica　and　her　Cosmic　Harp　were　the　key　to　their　triad's　power　and　effect。　Without　her　they　were　all　but　useless　to　the　Masters。　Since　being　interned；　they　had　seen　the　horror　of　reduced　Protoculture　and　the　dissonance　of　Musica's　absence　all　around；　they　had　bee　desensitized　to　it。

But　a　new　flurry　of　activity　roused　them　a　little。　The　most　ambulatory　of　the　malfunctioning　clones　were　being　injected　by　guards；　shunted　along　in　a　torpid　line；　at　the　end　of　which　was　a　door。　None　who　were　passed　through　that　door　returned。

Antipain　serum；　the　words　came　quietly　among　the　despondent　prisoners　near　them；　Allegra　looked　to　Octavia。　They　both　knew　what　that　meant：　clones　who　would　be　all　but　immune　to　normal　sensation　once　the　drug　took　effect…who　would　be　aggressive；　terrible　antagonists。　Their　minds　would　be　blanked　to　anything　but　fighting；　until　they　were　blasted　apart　or　until　the　drug　burned　up　their　physiology　pletely。

〃Mindblanked　assault　troops；〃　a　voice　said。　Octavia　turned　to　see　who　it　was；　and　gasped。

In　the　advance　stages　of　Protoculture　deprivation；　the　clone　had　bee　a　crone；　witchlike；　nodding　out　the　last　moments　of　her　life。

She　gazed；　glassy…eyed；　at　the　other　clones　being　injected。　〃Sacrifices　on　the　altar　of　war。　That　is　the　Robotech　way。〃


Resistance　from　the　mother　ships　seemed　to　be　failing；　but　Marie　Crystal　kept　herself　from　any　hope　or　distraction；　dodging　through　enemy　fire　and　preparing　for　another　run。　At　Emerson's　order；　she　began　to　consolidate　e