09_the_final_nightmare-第51章

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Russo　returned　with　devices　like　nothing　either　Earth's　Robotechnology　or　the　Masters'　had　ever　produced。　It　seemed　to　be　all　crystal　nimbuses　and　rainbow　whorls；　humming　faintly　like　the　Matrix。

Zand　smiled　like　a　fiend。　〃Much　more　pact　than　anything　you'll　have　seen　even　in　the　mother　ships；　I'll　bet。　Those　were　crude　toys　pared　to　this。〃

He　was　assembling　it　in　some　fashion　she　couldn't　quite　follow。　〃I've　had　plenty　of　time　to　study　the　Matrix；　you　see。　Years！〃　The　apparatus　seemed　to　shift　and　fold；　as　if　it　were　moving　among　dimensions。　Its　aura　had　a　fractal　look　to　it。

Zand　laughed　a　bit。　〃The　Masters　and　the　Human　race；　destroying　each　other　over　a　mere　Matrix！　When　the　real　crux　of　the　matter　is　you；　Dana…and　your　Destiny；　which　is　to　yield　up　your　powers　to　me！〃

He　reached　out　to　touch　something　like　a　node　of　pure　light　against　her　forehead。　It　clung　there；　and　she　felt　an　utter　cold；　even　through　the　numbness。　〃Your　powers　will　grow。　They　will　see　beyond　the　Protoculture！　They　will　be　matchless！　But；〃　his　mouth　flattened　grimly；　〃they'll　do　all　that　as　mine；　once　I've　taken　them　from　you。〃

He　looked　around。　〃Where　is　the　Protoculture　cell？〃

When　Russo　gave　him　a　blank　look；　Zand　lashed　out　and　sent　him　sprawling。　Russo　crawled　and　flopped　away；　whimpering　like　a　whipped　hound；　to　return　with　a　prism　perhaps　a　foot　long；　slender　and　glowing。

Dana　fought　against　her　paralysis；　but　couldn't　shake　it　or　defy　it。　Zand　had　planned　it　well。　He　had　foreseen　this　day　with　powers　of　his　own。　As　he　took　the　Protoculture　cell　and　prepared　to　shift　Dana's　gifts　to　himself；　she　had　a　moment　to　wonder：　what；　then；　of　her　Vision；　the　Phoenix？

Her　own　life；　she　knew；　was　over。　Zand　was　about　to　take　something　that　was　so　much　her　essence　that　she　would　die　like　a　withered　husk　without　it。

He　had　mated　the　prism　with　the　rest　of　his　strange　device。　〃So　much　Protoculture　in　one　place；〃　he　smiled。　〃It　took　a　long　time　to　gather；　even　for　me；　diverting　military　supplies。　But　it's　the　power　I　need　to　draw　your　powers　from　you　to　me。〃

The　device　shone　brighter；　Russo　was　groveling；　crouched　with　his　face　in　the　sand。　Zand's　strange　voice　was　exalted。　〃First　the　power　of　the　Protoculture　fills　me；　then　the　powers　of　Dana　Sterling！〃　The　light　was　unbearable。

Zand　seemed　to　swell　and　grow。　Dana　feared　what　the　Universe　was　in　for；　with　Zand　striding　across　it　like　a　god。

Just　then　she　heard　a　bark。

Polly！　In　her　paralysis；　she　couldn't　even　say　it。

The　Pollinator　came　traipsing　up　and　sat　down；　head　canted　to　one　side；　tongue　lolling；　to　consider　Zand。　He　barely　registered　the　XT　creature；　though；　because　something　was　terribly　wrong　with　him。

His　enlarged　form　was　vibrating。　Soon　he　was　contorting；　convulsing；　his　device　flashing　like　a　lighthouse　in　an　earthquake。　Russo　had　thrown　himself　flat；　covering　his　head　with　his　hands；　wailing。

Dana　had　a　sense　that　the　last　of　the　wraiths　was　vanishing　away。　And　with　them；　the　last　of　the　Matrix；　as　well　as　the　last　of　the　Protoculture　in　the　area；　was　being　transformed。

Zand　voiced　a　howl　of　agony　and　fright　so　ghastly　that　she　was　to　remember　it　all　her　days。　The　light　engulfed　him。　Still　the　Pollinator　sat　and　watched。　The　Protoculture　in　the　Matrix　had　been　changed　to　the　Flowers　of　Life。。。

Perhaps　it　was　the　discharge　of　so　much　Protoculture。　In　any　case；　Dana　felt　the　world　slipping　away；　and　saw　the　old　Vision　once　again；　the　Phoenix。　Only；　this　time　she　saw　Zor；　too。　It　was　given　to　her；　in　that　trance；　to　know　why　the　Robotech　Wars　had　e　to　be；　and　what　the　ultimate　oute　was…just　what　the　Phoenix　was。

Just　as　the　blinding　light　faded；　Dana　found　that　she　could　move　a　little。　Either　Zand　had　underestimated　the　dosage　or　her　expanded　powers　were　helping。　Dana；　Polly；　and　the　whining　Russo　gazed　on　what　had　appeared　in　Zand's　place。

In　a　way；　he　got　his　wish；　was　Dana's　fist　coherent　thought。

There　had　never　been；　nor　eves　would　be　again；　one　to　match　it；　the　biggest　Flower　of　Life　that　ever　was。　It　stood　rooted　in　the　sand；　spreading　its　petals；　a　coral…colored　tripartite　beauty。　Of　Zand　there　was　no　sign　except；　perhaps；　in　the　shape　and　detail　of　the　central　blossom；　it　might　only　be　her　imagination；　or　it　might　be　that　she　saw　his　face　there。

Of　his　fantastic　device；　nothing　remained。

She　found　she　hall　the　strength　to　rise；　but　came　only　to　her　knees；　swaying。　She　heard　a　cry　and　looked　up　to　see　Russo；　shrieking　and　screaming；　running　off　down　the　hill　like　a　crazed　ape。　He　was　headed　directly　out　into　the　wastelands；　she　let　him　go。

Dana　dragged　one　foot　to　her；　until　she　was　on　one　knee；　the　spores　drifting　about　her。　The　odd　thought　struck　her　that　perhaps　Zand's　fate　was　some　lesson　from　the　Protoculture；　some　chastening；　to　balance　the　power　she　had　been　granted。

She　found　herself　humming；　then　realized　it　was　a　seventeenth…century　hymn　her　father　had　loved　and　her　Zentraedi　mother　had　approved　of　as　holding　much　and　proper　wisdom；　so　Rolf　Emerson　had　told　her；　when　Emerson　taught　it　to　Bowie　and　Dana。　As　a　little　girl　she　had　taught　it　to　Konda；　Bron；　and　Rico；　and　they　had　insisted　that　what　was　in　the　words　and　the　tune　was　nothing　less　than　universal　truth：

Lead　kindly；　Light；
Amid　the　encircling　gloom
Lead　Thou　me　on；
The　night　is　dark　and　I　am　far　from　home
Lead　Thou　me　on；
Keep　Thou　my　feet
I　do　not　ask　to　see　the　distant　scene
One　step　enough　for　me


CHAPTER　TWENTY…SIX

Now　our　slaves；　the　Robotech　Masters；　are　passed　away
Now　all　our　Protoculture　balefires　burn　low
Now　the　Shapings　turn；　we　surrender　the　stage　to　Invid　and　Human
Our　cold　light　leaves　the　Universe
We　see　at　the　last　that
Those　who　remain　behind　know　no　fear　of　the　darkness
And　we　ourselves　learn
What　it　is　to　weep
Death　song　of　the　Robotech　Elders

Dana　gathered　Polly　under　one　arm　and　walked　tiredly　back　to　the　escape　capsule。　Russo；　already　a　mile　away；　was　barely　visible　as　a　mad　figure　capering　and　lurching　into　the　wastes。　The　Pollinator　licked　her　face。

A　thin　whine　of　engines　caught　her　attention；　and　she　looked　up　to　see　an　assault　ship　ing　in　at　her；　flying　unsteadily；　seemingly　about　to　go　into　a　nosedive。

She　threw　herself　flat；　expecting　the　worst；　but　somehow　the　vessel　righted　itself　enough　for　a　jouncing　set…down　right　near　her。　She　remembered　that　she　was　unarmed；　but　she　had　no　place　to　run　and　was　too　tired　and　battered　to　feel　fear…thought　that；　perhaps；　she　would　never　know　it　again。

But　when　the　assault　craft's　hatches　opened；　instead　of　letting　forth　attack　teams　of　Triumviroids；　it　yielded　her　own　15th　squad；　along　with　Nova；　Musica；　and　a　bunch　of　clones。

〃Damn　it；　Phillips！〃　Angelo　Dante　was　seething。　〃I'd　like　to　see　you　make　a　better　landing　with　an　XT　ship！　We　walked　away　from　it；　didn't　we？〃

〃All　I　said　was；〃　Sean　replied　in　a　blase　voice；　〃that　I　could　do　better　with　boxing　gloves　on。　Hey；　Dana！　You　made　it！〃

The　refugees　stayed　back；　but　her　squadmates　and　Musica　and　Nova　clustered　around　her；　along　with　Marie　Crystal　and　Dennis　Brown。　She　blinked　at　him。　〃How　did　you　find　me？〃

〃Picked　up　your　voice　transmissions　from　the　escape　capsule；〃　Angelo　said。　〃But　then；　all　of　a　sudden；　the　engines　and　all　the　systems　quit。　We　had　to　land　on　emergency　power。〃

〃Ya　shoulda　let　Marie　and　Dennis　take　over；〃　Sean　snorted。

But　Dana　was　shaking　her　head。　〃No；　Angie　couldn't　help　what　happened。　It's　the　Protoculture…there　was　nothing　he　could　do。〃　Angelo　looked　at　her　strangely；　not　used　to　having　her　defend　him。

There　were　still　Protoculture　power　supplies　on　Earth；　she　knew；　outside　the　radius　of　effect　of　the　wraiths'　transformation。　Enough　to　animate　mecha　for　a　transition　period。　But　there　would　be　no　new　Matrices；　no　new　sources。

〃The　war's　over；　Lieutenant；〃　Bowie　told　her　happily。　〃The　enemy　mecha　stopped　fighting；　and　the　clones　just　want　peace。〃

〃That's。。。that's　great；　Bowie。〃　He　didn't　understand　why　she　sounded　like　she　was　about　to　start　bawling。　People　noticed　the　Pollinator；　but　hesitated　to　ask　about　it。　They　saw　the　huge　Flower　that　had　been　Zand；　but　they　were　used　to　seeing　the　triad　plants　by　now；　and　even　such　a　huge　one　was　far　down　on　th