09_the_final_nightmare-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


gship。

Instead　of　a　mindless　primitive　in　armor；　he　had　turned　out　to　be　a　sensitive　creature。　Bowie　was　a　musician　and　he　sat　down　at　her　Cosmic　Harp　and　played　tunes　of　his　own　devising…beautiful；　heart…rending　positions　that　bound　her　feelings　to　him。　New　songs…songs　that　wouldn't　be　found　in　the　approved　songlore　of　the　Masters。　He　had　shown　an　inexplicable　warmth　toward　her　from　the　very　start；　and　he　quickly　drew　the　same　from　her。

Now　Musica　found　herself　sitting　at　her　Harp；　playing　those　same　airs；　as　the　other　five　looked　on　in　shock。

Bowie；　do　you　feel　this　way　about　me？　How　I　wish　we　could　be　together　again！


CHAPTER　THREE

There　was　never　any　other　child　born　on　Earth　from　a　union　of　Zentraedi　and　Human。　I　made　sure　of　that；　with　the　powers　at　my　mand。　Because；　of　course；　I　immediately　knew　that　Dana　was　the　One；　Dana　was　all　that　was　needed。　And　the　plan　went　forward。
Dr。　Lazlo　Zand；　notes　for　Event　Horizon：　Perspectives　on　Dana　Sterling　and　the　Second　Robotech　War

Lieutenant　Nova　Satori　took　a　precise　sip　of　wine；　then　consulted　the　heavy　chronometer　on　her　wrist。　〃Zero　hour。〃

Across　from　her；　Zor　gave　her　a　puzzled　look。　〃Something　important？〃

Although　he　was　good　at　fighting；　there　were　still　so　many　things　he　simply　didn't　understand。　Was　he；　in　the　terms　of　this　〃date；〃　behind　schedule　somehow？　Was　he　late　in　initiating　the　curious　physical　interchanges　the　barracks　braggarts　always　talked　about？　Was　there　some　accepted　procedure　for　abbreviating　the　preliminaries？　Perhaps　he　should　begin　removing　garments…but　whose？

Nova　stared　at　him。　〃Well。。。don't　tell　Dana　or　anyone　else；　but　the　relief　force　is　just　lifting　off　for　the　moon。〃

Nova　couldn't　for　the　life　of　her　figure　out　why　she　was　telling　him；　except　that　she　liked　one…upping　Dana。　She　couldn't　really　put　a　finger　on　why　she　had　e　along　with　him　to　the　restaurant　either；　except　that　she　felt　drawn　to　him…almost　against　her　will。

When　Zor　was　first　captured；　Nova　was　responsible　for　his　interrogation。　She　had　felt　that　he　was　an　enemy　then　and　was　suspicious　that　that　still　might　be　the　case。　But　there　was　something　singularly　attractive　about　him。　He　had　an　agelessness　about　him　even　though　he　looked　young；　a　serenity　even　though　he　was　tormented　by　his　missing　memory；　as　though　he　were　a　part　of　her。　It　was　as　if　he；　as　the　expression　went；　had　a　very　old　soul。

Zor　was　thinking　along　quite　different　lines。　Nova's　mention　of　Dana　reminded　him　that　he　was　supposed　to　have　gone　to　the　movie　with　her。　It　had　pletely　slipped　his　mind；　he　wondered　if　bit　by　bit　he　was　losing　all　memory　functions。

Some　curiosity…more　of　a　pulsion；　actually…had　made　him　ask　Nova　to　dinner。　He　hoped　that　she　could　tell　him　more　about　himself；　he　might　even　be　able　to　recover　a　part　of　his　lost　self。　But　there　was　more　to　it　than　that；　motivations　Zor　Prime　couldn't　fathom。

He　studied　Nova；　an　attractive　young　woman　with　a　mantle　of　blue…black　hair　so　long　that　she　had　to　sweep　it　aside　when　she　sat　down。　Like　Dana；　she　wore　a　techno…hairband　that　suggested　a　headphone。　Her　face　was　heart…shaped；　her　eyes　dark　and　intense；　lips　mobile；　bright；　expressive。

〃Earth　calling　Zor。〃　She　chuckled；　breaking　his　reverie。

〃Eh？〃

〃Promise　not　to　mention　it；　I　said。　Dana's　got　an　awful　temper；　she's　going　to　split　a　seam　when　her　precious　15th　squad　gets　left　out　of　another　major　operation！〃

〃Don't　worry。　I　won't　tell　her。〃

Nova　shrugged　to　indicate　that　it　really　wouldn't　be　so　bad　if　Dana　found　out　from　him　and　learned　that　he　had　found　out　from　Nova。

She　said；　〃No　one's　supposed　to　know　the　relief　force　is　on　its　way　until　tomorrow。　I　really　shouldn't　have　told　you　about　it。〃

The　vague　pulsions　in　Zor　suddenly　coalesced；　and　he　found　himself　asking；　〃How　many　ships　are　going？　How　are　they　planning　to　get　past　the　enemy？〃

It　would　all　be　revealed　tomorrow　anyway；　and　Nova's　tongue　had　been　loosened　by　the　wine　with　which　Zor　had　been　plying　her。　〃Well；　I　heard　that…〃

〃So！　there　you　are！〃　Dana　howled；　rushing　toward　the　table。　The　pianist　stopped　playing　and　silverware　was　dropped　by　startled　diners。

Angelo　Dante　followed；　embarrassed。　The　Revenge　of　the　Martian　Mystery　Women　had　been　a　debacle；　animated　camp　moron…fodder　instead　of　the　sizzling　interplanetary　romance…edy…adventure　Dana　was　under　the　impression　they　would　be　seeing。　Apparently　the　officer　who　had　told　Dana　about　it　was　jazzing　her。　Angelo　had　laughed　so　maniacally　that　she　had　slugged　his　arm　and　dragged　him　out　of　the　theater。　Then　she　set　out　on　a　mission　of　revenge。

Now　she　set　her　fists　on　her　hips　and　glared　daggers　at　Zor。　〃Just　who　the　hell　d'you　think　you　are；　you　double…dealing　dirtbag；　standing　me　up　so　you　can　take　out　something　like　her？〃

Zor　looked　very　confused　and　almost　queasy。　Nova　said；　〃I　don't　think　I　like　the　sound　of　that　last　part。〃

〃You're　not　supposed　to；　you　tramp！　It　was　an　insult！〃

Angelo　managed　to　intervene　just　as　Nova　was　about　to　vault　across　the　table　for　a　go　at　Dana；　who　was　waiting　to　clean　Nova's　plow　before　going　on　to　put　Zor　in　traction。

〃Now　calm　down；　ladies！〃　He　looked　to　Zor　for　assistance；　the　maitre　d'　was　already　headed　their　way。　〃Hey；　Zor；　you　just　gonna　sit　there　like　a　vegetable　or　what？〃

Zor　tried　to　put　his　thoughts　in　order。　He　couldn't　remember　why　it　had　been　so　important　to　get　Nova　to　tell　him　those　secrets　about　the　relief　expedition。　Now　that　Dana　had　interrupted　everything；　he　could　barely　recall　the　impulse　that　had　made　him　ignore　his　date　with　Dana。

〃I…I'm　so　sorry。〃　He　got　to　his　feet　unsteadily。　〃I　don't　feel　well。。。。　〃　He　lurched　from　his　place；　and　headed　for　the　door。

〃Damn　chicken！　e　back　and　die　like　a　man！〃　Angelo　fumed；　for　he　felt　that　he　was　about　to　meet　his　own　fate。

Outside；　Zor　stopped　to　catch　his　breath；　leaning　on　a　railing　overlooking　a　garden　near　the　restaurant's　entrance。　He　heard　Nova's　voice　in　his　head　again；　〃The　relief　force　is　just　lifting　off　for　the　moon。〃

But　then　there　was　another　voice；　a　cold　one；　speaking　directly　to　his　mind。　It　filled　him　with　terror　and　hate；　and　he　saw　an　image　of　an　ax…keen；　angry　face　set　against　a　collar　that　looked　like　the　Invid　Flower　of　Life。

It　said；　Message　received　and　understood。


At　Fokker　Aerospace　Field；　on　the　outskirts　of　Monument　City；　the　last　units　of　the　emergency　relief　force　were　lifting　off。　The　larger　warships　were　being　helped　aloft　by　the　brute　power　of　a　dozen　flying　tugs。　The　tugs　released　their　cables　as　the　warcraft　climbed　above　Earth's　gravitational　grip。

They　formed　up；　making　their　way　out　beyond　the　atmosphere；　moving　at　flank　speed；　maintaining　munications　silence。　Their　ascent　was　masked　by　the　bulk　of　the　Earth　for　the　time　being。　Since　the　Robotech　Masters　couldn't　maintain　geostationary　position　over　Monument　City　and　still　guard　access　to　Luna；　the　expedition　would　have　an　element　of　surprise。

To　someone　of　an　earlier　day；　the　giant　battlecruisers　would　have　resembled　prenuclear　submarines；　plete　with　conning　towers；　and　bulky　thruster　packages　attached　to　their　sterns。　Their　estimated　time　of　rendezvous　with　the　units　from　ALUCE；　station；　barring　trouble；　was　in　just　under　six　hours。


At　Moon　Base　ALUCE；　Marie　Crystal　began　organizing　things　for　the　evacuation；　with　brave　words　to　the　wounded　about　how　they　would　be　on　Earth　by　the　next　morning。

Home；　she　thought；　and　thought；　too；　of　a　certain　deuce　private…formerly　a　First　Lieutenant…in　the　15th　squad；　ATAC。　Sean；　Sean！　to　be　with　you　again！


Jeddar；　group　leader　of　the　Clonemasters；　glared　at　Musica　sternly。　〃What　exactly　is　the　meaning　of　this　behavior？〃

〃Do　you　realize　that　you're　jeopardizing　the　very　existence　of　our　people？〃　added　bearded　Ixtal；　the　other　male　in　the　Clonemaster　triumvirate。

Tinsta；　the　tall；　androgynous　female；　manded　not　unkindly；　〃Child；　explain　yourself。〃

Allegra　and　Octavia　watched　the　scene；　not　daring　to　say　a　word。　They　had　already　concluded　that　they　would　never　be　able　to　prehend　Musica's　new；　aberrant　behavior。　They　were　frightened　to　death　of　being　contaminated　or　punished　for　what　their　triad…sibling　was　doing。　Off　to　one　side；　Karno　and　the　other　Gua