09_the_final_nightmare-第38章

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ot　the　sort　of　all…out；　fused…earth　attack　that　had　claimed　Newton。

〃Bowie；　I'm　so　ashamed；〃　Musica　said；　tears　wetting　her　cheeks；　as　they　saw　the　ragged　lines　of　survivors　making　their　way　from　the　city。

〃It's　not　your　fault；〃　Bowie　told　her；　holding　her　to　fort　her。

She　looked　up　at　him；　trying　to　smile。　〃The　harmony　is　strong；　between　you　and　me。　I　feel　your　joys　and　sorrows；　they　are　my　own。〃　Being　close　to　him　was　so　wonderful；　a　divine　gift　of　happiness　that　shored　her　up　in　the　horror　that　was　around　them。

Off　to　one　side；　Dana　asked　Nova　quietly；　〃Do　you　think　Zor　knows　what's　going　to　happen　next？　That　he　sees　the　future？〃　It　was　no　time　to　voice　a　more　personal　question　to　herself；　And；　have　I？　All　her　dreams　and　Visions　crowded　so　close　about　her。

Nova　considered　that。　〃What　are　you　saying？〃　The　results　of　her　interrogations　and　observations　were　inconclusive　but…if　Zor　did　have　some　sort　of　precog　powers；　perhaps　the　Human　race　could　turn　them　to　good　use。

Dana　was　looking　at　Zor；　who　stood　alone；　watching　the　pyre　that　was　Monument　City。　〃He　doesn't　want　to　help　Musica；〃　Dana　faced　the　truth。　〃He　wants　revenge；　and　he　wants　to　die　more　than　he　wants　to　live；　I　think。〃　Her　voice　caught　a　little；　she　still　loved　him。

Zor　studied　the　destruction　and　suffering　before　him；　standing　near　the　Three…In…One；　Dana　had　supposed　he　named　his　tank　that　because　of　its　three　configurations；　but　understood　now　that　it　was　some　deeper　memory　that　had　moved　him　to　do　so。　Zor　was　repeating　the　silent　vow　as　if　it　were　a　mantra；　This　time　they'll　pay！　This　time　I'll　stop　them！

That　was　when　he　heard　the　crackle　of　Shaizan's　voice　over　the　cockpit　speaker　of　Sean's　Hovertank；　the　Bad　News。　〃Zor！　Traitor！　Are　you　there？〃　Sean　nearly　jumped　out　of　the　tank　like　an　ejecting　pilot。

Zor　was　in　the　cockpit　of　his　Three…In…One　in　an　instant；　hands　on　the　control　yoke　grips。　〃I　hear　you。〃

Somehow；　the　Masters　had　contrived　to　send　their　image　over　the　tank's　display　screen。　〃You　are　aware　that　the　Protoculture　Matrix　is　undergoing　degradation；　as　the　Flowers　bloom。〃　It　wasn't　a　question。　〃And　by　now；　the　Sensor　Nebula　has　surely　alerted　the　Invid。〃

Zor　looked　at　his　onetime　Masters。　The　words　made　bits　of　memory　and　realization　fall　into　place。　〃I…yes。　But　I　also　know　that　I　control　the　key　to　this　planet's　survival。　I　dictate　the　terms。〃

〃We　are　of　the　opinion　that　you　are　mistaken；〃　Shaizan　replied。　〃Watch　closely；　and　you　will　see。〃

The　other　ATACs　were　watching　on　their　own　screens；　with　Musica　looking　over　Bowie's　shoulder　and　Nova　over　Dana's。　They　saw　Rolf　Emerson；　teeth　locked　in　pain；　with　Marie　and　Brown　trying　to　fort　him。

〃Emerson；〃　Bowie　said　numbly；　while　Sean　whispered　Marie's　name　like　a　hopeless　prayer；　and　Dana　heard　Nova　breathe；　〃Dennis。〃

Then　the　Masters　were　onscreen　again。　〃'These　three　men　will　be　released　when　you　return　Musica　and　remove　your　troops　from　this　area。〃

Men？　Sean　Phillips　found　a　second　to　think；　wondering　if　they　had　gotten　a　good　look　at　Marie。　I　suppose　everybody　in　armor　looks　the　same　to　them　but…maybe　these　vampires　aren't　as　smart　as　everybody　keeps　tellin'　me　they　are。　Anyway；　if　that's　what　it's　like　to　be　immortal；　they　can　keep　it！

〃Do　you　find　this　acceptable？〃　Shaizan　continued。　〃We　trust　that　we　need　not　mention　the　alternative。〃

Zor　fought　down　his　fury　long　enough　to　ask；　〃What　are　your　conditions？〃

〃You　will　be　picked　up；　and　we　will　exchange　prisoners　onboard　our　mother　ship。〃　The　Masters　disappeared　from　the　screen。

Zor　lowered　himself　from　his　tank　wearily　and　had　barely　begun；　〃I　do　not　wish　for　the　rest　of　you　to　be　invol…〃　Bowie　hit　him　with　a　shoulder　block；　driving　the　bigger　Zor　up　against　the　armored　side　of　Three…In…One；　trying　to　choke　the　life　out　of　him。

〃They're　not　getting　Musica！　I'll　kill　you！〃

Zor　grimaced；　trying　to　twist　free；　but　didn't　strike　out　at　him。　〃Then　stay　here　and　do　nothing；　and　watch　your　good　friend　be　killed！　The　techniques　of　the　Masters　can　be　more　cruel　than　anything　you　can　conceive　of！〃

Dana　was　dashing　to　intervene；　but　somehow　Musica　got　them　first。　〃Stop　it；　Bowie！〃　He　had　no　choice　but　to　risk　harming　her　or　back　off。　He　let　go　his　grip　on　Zor。

〃I　will　not　permit　you　all　to　suffer　because　of　me；〃　she；　told　Nova　and　the　15th。　〃I　will　go　back。〃

Before　Bowie　could　object；　Dana　said；　〃She's　right。　Saddle　up；　Fifteenth！　C'mon；　what're　you　all　gaping　at？〃

Nova　was　the　one　among　them　most　distanced　from　Emerson's　predicament。　The　fate　of　a　few　Human　beings；　even　a　flag…rank　officer　and　two　TASC　fliers；　was　insignificant　against　the　survival　of　the　Human　race　and　its　home　world；　everyone　who　took　the　Southern　Cross　oath　understood　that。　Shaping　strategy　and　policy　on　the　basis　of　hostages　and　emotional　responses　led　to　disaster；　it　had　been　one　of　the　major　contributing　factors　to　the　Global　Civil　War。

Marie　thought　about　her　pistol　again；　but　realized　that　events　had　gone　too　far　for　that；　and　that　she　must　see　things　through　along　with　Dana's　ATACs。　Protoculture　seemed　to　have　some　barely　hinted…at　power　to　shape　events；　and　she　could　only　hope　that　the　benign　side　of　that　mystical　force　was　working　now；　because　Fate　had　the　bit　in　its　teeth。

〃There's　no　telling　what'll　happen；〃　Dana　was　telling　her　men。　〃We'll　have　to　play　it　by　ear。　But　this　thing　isn't　about　Southern　Cross　or　the　UEG　anymore。　I　don't　think　even　the　mound；　here；　is　as　important　now。　This　thing　is　between　us　and　the　Robotech　Masters。〃

In　the　wake　of　her　experiences　on　the　flagship　and　her　exposure　to　the　spores；　pollen；　and　Flowers　below；　and　to　Musica's　song；　something　in　her　was　ing　fully　to　life…was　flexing　its　powers　like　a　butterfly　emerging　from　its　cocoon　and　pumping　out　its　wings。

Dana　didn't　know　exactly　how；　but　she　knew　the　words　were　true。　〃Maybe　this　was　always　meant　to　be；　right　from　the　start。〃


The　contact　broken；　the　Masters　easily　reached　an　unspoken　consensus：　Musica　was　critical　to　their　plans；　and　there　was　no　longer　any　need　for　the　others…not　even　Zor。　Furthermore；　there　were　disturbing　things　about　the　halfbreed　lieutenant；　Sterling；　some　genetic　throw　of　the　dice　had　embued　her　with　insights　and　an　affinity　for　the　Protoculture　that　made　her　dangerous。　It　was　best　that　she　and　her　unit　be　terminated　as　soon　as　possible；　the　Masters　could　tolerate　no　rival　in　the　matter　of　the　Protoculture。


The　units　encircling　the　mounds　simply　held　their　fire　as　a　flotilla　of　a　dozen　assault　ships　came　low　to　pick　up　the　Hovertanks。　Hopelessly　outgunned；　the　GMP　troops　breathed　a　universal　sigh　of　relief　when　the　invader　craft　lifted　away。

In　due　course　the　15th　came　forth　to　form　a　spearhead　on　the　huge　hangar　deck：　Dana's　Valkyrie；　Angelo's　Trojan　Horse；　Bowie's　replacement　tank；　the　Re…Tread；　which　had　taken　the　place　of　his　Diddy…Wa…Diddy；　abandoned　on　an　earlier　sortie　aboard　a　mother　ship。　Sean's　Bad　News　and　Louie　Nichols's　Livewire　pleted　the　roster。

There　were　ranks　of　clone　guards　with　rifles　aimed　at　them；　rabbits　policing　the　wolves。　But　the　ATACs　only　watched　and　waited；　the　tanks'　headlights　and　downswept　hoods　making　them　appear　to　be　glowering。

When　Dana　had　looked　the　place　over；　she　switched　her　mike　to　an　external　speaker　and　announced；　〃First　of　all；　we　want　to　see　Chief　of　Staff　Emerson。〃

There　was　some　conferring　among　the　invaders。　Finally　they　opened　ranks　and　the　Hovertanks　fell　in　to　follow　a　guard　runabout；　moving　into　the　vaulted　passageways　of　the　residential　district；　so　much　like　those　of　the　Masters'　original　flagship。

Guards　stood　on　ledges　all　along　the　way。　Dana　wondered　if　they　realized　they　were　scarcely　more　than　so　many　popup　targets　before　the　armor　and　firepower　of　the　Hovertanks。　They　didn't　seem　worried；　and　that　worried　her。

But　while　she　didn't　have　words　to　explain　it；　something　told　her　that　what　she　was　doing　was　right；　that　against　all　logic；　what　she　was　doing　was　what　she　should　be　doing。　Again　she　felt　connected　to　something　much　greater　than　herself；　and　breathed　a　quick　prayer　that　it　wasn't　some　kind　of　self…delusion。　It　was　nothing　but　faith；　really；　but　if　she　had　understood　her　Academy　philosophy　courses；　w