09_the_final_nightmare-第43章

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Octavia　didn't　know　how　to　answer　that；　exactly；　she　hadn't　the　right　words　in　her　vocabulary；　or　the　right　notes　in　her　music。

And　yet；　bringing　all　her　will　to　bear；　she　knew　in　a　revelation　as　bright　as　a　mountain　sunrise　that　he　was　wrong。


From　Earth　rose　every　remnant　of　its　military　striking　power。　Nothing　that　could　conceivably　reach　the　approaching　Masters　was　left　behind；　men　and　women　readied　for　battle　and　took　strength　from　a　source　greater　than　the　Protoculture。

They　were　willing　to　die　for　their　families　and　children　and　planet；　if　that　be　the　price；　so　long　as　the　Masters　died　as　well。　And　if　the　Masters　meant　to　end　life　on　the　planet；　then　all；　invader　and　defender；　would　die　alike。

The　beings　who　had　ruled　galaxies；　and　meant　to　rule　all　the　Universe；　wouldn't　have　understood　that　sense　of　fatalism　no　matter　how　it　was　phrased。

Again；　that　terrible　Human　advantage　had　e　into　play。　The　Masters　proceeded；　as　they　always　had；　upon　logical　conclusions；　the　creatures　Earth　had　bred　rose　up；　in　a　manner　that　swept　those　calculations　away；　to　stand　and　fight。

Just　then　a　minor　subentity；　an　artificial　intelligence　construct　of　the　Protoculture　cap；　reported　to　the　Masters　that　there　was　no　rational　explanation　as　to　why　these　creatures　had　not　either　totally　destroyed　themselves；　or　bee　a　slave　culture　（a　stagnant　one；　the　subentity　would　have　pointed　out；　if　the　Masters　had　created　it　to　be　more　candid）　like　the　Robotech　Masters'　clones。　The　concept　of　a　third　alternative　had　simply　never　been　considered　before。

Zor；　Zor。。。you　sent　your　dimensional　fortress　to　no　random　world！　Earth　was　a　deliberate　choice　for　the　centerpiece　of　this　great　War；　wasn't　it？　Some　least…constrained　part　of　the　Masters'　unified　consciousness　whispered　the　insight；　a　death…dry　croak　that　sent　panic　all　through　them　and　made　the　cap　pulse　like　an　alarm　beacon。

Then　they　had　it　back　under　control　again；　and　themselves　as　well。　〃The　Micronian　fleet　is　advancing；　m'lords；〃　Jeddar　said；　head　bowed　low；　frightened　by　his　own　boldness　in　interrupting　them　but　frightened　even　more　by　the　long　barracuda　shapes　of　the　Terran　warships。

Then　Shaizan；　Dag；　and　Bowkaz　were　alert　once　more；　eyes　so　bright　that　it　seemed　rays　of　divine　wrath　might　shoot　forth。　The　Masters　had　shaken　off　or　put　down　every　misgiving。　If　there　was　some　small　voice　within　their　munal　mind　that　persisted　in　faint；　tormented　murmurs　of　mortality；　it　was　altogether　drowned　out　in　their　drumming　mental　din　of　conquest。

Or　at　least；　almost　altogether；　none　of　the　three　would　dare　admit　he　heard　it。

Shaizan　sent　out　the　mand；　〃Let　half　of　our　remaining　attack　forces　go　forth　to　engage　this　enemy　fleet。　The　remainder　will　descend　to　the　planet　and　retrieve　the　Protoculture　Matrix。〃

The　other　mother　ships　were　all　but　useless；　as　were　the　bat　craft　arid　clones　aria　mecha　remaining　to　them。　But　the　Protoculture　cap　told　them　the　resources　still　available　to　the　Masters　in　their　flagship　would　more　than　suffice。

As　long　as　the　Matrix　was　recovered；　any　and　all　losses　suffered　would　be　negligible。　But　if　the　mission　failed；　such　sacrifices　would　be　immaterial：　the　Robotech　Masters　themselves　would　have　no　hope　of　survival。

Shaizan　touched　the　Protoculture　cap　again；　so　that　the　Masters　were　gazing　down　on　a　scene　of　the　three　mounds　near　Monument　City。　Sensors　indicated　that　the　aura　of　protection　generated　by　the　guardian　wraiths　below　was　weakening。　As　the　energy　of　the　last　Matrix　began　to　fail；　the　powers　of　the　wraiths　diminished。　There　was　yet　a　tiny；　unique　window　of　opportunity。　The　Protoculture　cap　had　already　gotten　a　precise　fix　on　the　Matrix's　location；　like　seeking　out　like；　across　the　negligible　distance　between　planet　and　space。

Shaizan　had　activated　another　mechanism。　Like　magic；　a　circular　gap　appeared　in　the　deck　behind　them；　and　from　it　rose　a　glassy　sphere　a　yard　in　diameter。　They　turned　to　regard　it。

Within　it　was　the　last　major　Protoculture　mass　left　to　them；　not　a　Matrix　that　could　perpetuate　itself　and　spawn　other　Matrices；　but　still　a　power　source　of　vast　potency。　It　was　a　tangled　collection　of　vegetable…looking　matter；　glowing　and　flickering；　sending　out　concentric　waves　of　faint　blue　light　in　a　nimbus。　It　was　far　different　from　the　huge　mass　Louie　Nichols　had　seen　and　by　which　he　had　been　captured；　this　one　was　uncontaminated　and　unbloated。

It　was　contained　in　a　clear　canister　only　a　little　larger　than　and　the　same　shape　as　an　earthly　hurricane　lantern；　with　flat　metal　discs　of　systemry　at　either　end。　The　container　and　the　globe　around　it　rested　on　a　stem　of　metal　that　was　grown　around　with　leaved　creepers　of　a　Flower　of　Life　stem。

Ranged　around　the　partment　were　other　such　vessels；　the　Flowers　within　them　now　blooming…the　masses　useless；　their　remaining　power　shunted　into　the　single　remaining　viable　one。

Its　power；　too；　would　soon　show　signs　of　atrophy；　but　it　would　serve。　The　three　looked　on　if　silently；　thinking　greedy　thoughts　of　the　vast　energies　waiting　for　them　on　Earth；　exulting　in　the　contemplation　of　the　absolute　tyranny　they　could　establish。

〃Our　victory　is　within　reach；〃　Shaizan　said　aloud；　and　the　words　had　a　death…knell　echo　in　the　chamber。

〃I　shall　never　allow　that　victory！〃　a　new　voice　cried；　a　ringing　challenge。　The　Masters　whirled；　shocked。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO

Lazlo；　my　dear　friend；
es　now　a　parting　of　the　ways；　you　know　our　quandary。　Max　and　Miriya　Sterling　will　not　consent　to　bringing　their　child；　Dana；　along　on　the　SDF…3　expedition　for　fear　that　the　Shaping　endangers　her；　and　for　mistrust　of　me；　I　suspect。　It　may　even　be　that　Jean　and　Vince　Grant　leave　their　little　boy　behind　for　kindred　reasons。
Of　course；　you　will　be　monitoring　Dana's　progress　and　seeing　to　her　welfare　and　education；　that　is　a　given。　But　I　warn　you　to　do　nothing；　nothing；　to　harm　her。　The　scales　of　the　Protoculture；　we　know；　often　take　a　long　time　to　e　back　into　balance；　but　ill　is　always　paid　for　ill；　and　good　for　good；　despite　your　ponderings。
Parents　are　a　fearsome　breed　anyway；　how　much　more　so；　Earth's　greatest　Robotech　ace　and　the　battle　queen　of　the　Zentraedi？
While　we　may　look　to　the　Shaping　for　certain　protection；　do　not　make　the　mistake　of　forgetting　that　there　are　Powers　far　and　above　anything　we　see　in　the　Protoculture。
Your　colleague；
Emil　Lang

〃So；　Zor　Prime；　you　have　finally　e；〃　Shaizan　managed　to　say。　〃We　have　been　expecting　you；　and　you　have　not　disappointed　us。〃

And　they　had　expected　him；　but　not　quite　like　this。　How　had　he　survived　the　Triumviroids？　He　was　armored；　though　unhelmeted；　and　had　a　Southern　Cross　assault　rifle　leveled　at　them。　Dana　was　backing　him　up；　the　stock　of　her　tanker's　carbine　clamped　against　her　hip；　muzzle　swinging　a　bit　to　keep　them　all　covered。

Still；　the　Masters　were　little　dismayed。　In　the　final　analysis　wasn't　Zor　one　of　them？　The　Protoculture's　intoxicating　effect　on　them；　the　rush　of　its　sheer　power；　made　them　sure　that　if　they　offered　to　share　it　with　the　clone；　he　would　be　theirs。　The　halfbreed　enemy　female　was　of　no　real　importance。

〃So…you　know　why　I'm　here？〃　Zor　asked；　eyes　narrowed。

Shaizan　nodded　serenely。　〃But　of　course。　Your　purpose　has　always　remained　the　same…through　every　incarnation。〃

〃You　are　the　embodiment　of　the　original　Zor；〃　Bowkaz　added；　〃creator　of　the　first　Protoculture　Matrix；　the　Master　responsible　for　our　race's　ascendancy。〃

The　words　had　Dana　reeling；　she　had　good　reason　to　know　some　of　the　Masters'　works。　〃You　mean。。。Zor　also　developed　the　Zentraedi　people？〃

Dag　studied　her。　〃Zor　was　the　prime　force　behind　all　the　advancements　of　our　race。〃　He　sensed　that　Zor　Prince　hadn't　yet　recalled　all　the　things　the　Masters　and　their　Elders　had　done　to　the　original　Zor。　If　he　had；　Dag　thought；　the　clone　would　have　entered　firing。

Dana　studied　Zor　Prime；　reincarnation　of　the　man　who　had　created　her　mother's　race…he　who　was　therefore；　at　least　in　part；　her　own　creator　as　well。　She　looked　back　to　the　Protoculture　mass；　and　wondered　if　it　was　the　key　to　everything：　the　war；　peace；　and　her　own　origins　and　destiny。

〃But　his　most　important　discovery…the　one　from　which　our　lifeblood　flows…is　the　Protoculture　that　ma