02_battle_cry-第27部分

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ous　starlight　in　the　ship's　hull。　Rick　used　to　say　that　it　was　their　balcony　〃with　a　view　of　forever。〃

They　spent　many　long　hours　here…after　their　two　week　ordeal　together；　before　Rick　had　joined　the　Defense　Force；　and　before　Minmei　had　been　crowned　〃Queen〃。。。She　had　listened　to　Rick　talk　about　the　horrors　of　space　battle；　his　victories　and　defeats；　his　fears　and　dreams。　And　he　had　listened　to　her　fears；　her　plans　for　the　future；　her　song　lyrics；　her　dreams。

And　now。。。

Why　did　this　have　to　happen？　Why；　when　everything　in　her　life　was　so　wonderful；　did　tragedy　have　to　visit？　Why　did　this　collision　of　dream　and　reality　always　have　to　occur？…as　if　no　good　fortune　was　possible　without　a　balancing　amount　of　evil。　What　sort　of　god　would　have　set　such　a　mechanism　in　motion？

Face　to　face　with　that　portion　of　the　universe　revealed　by　the　starlight；　Minmei　began　to　cry。　Later　she　would　bang　her　fists　against　the　rail　of　the　balcony　and　curse　those　stars；　then　sink　back　against　the　wooden　slats　of　the　bench　and　surrender　to　her　sorrow。　And　ultimately　she　would　retrieve　from　her　handbag　a　penlight　she　carried　there；　and；　aiming　it　toward　the　ship's　bay；　she　would　click　it　on　and　off；　again　and　again；　a　light　signal　into　〃forever〃　of　her　undying　affection　for　him。


CHAPTER　FIFTEEN

Spirit　does　not　willingly　abdicate　its　throne。　The　Big　Bang　was　Spirit's　first　rebellion　against　form…its　imprisonment　in　matter。　Subsequently　it　fought　humankind's　acceptance　of　fire；　it　battled　against　steam；　it　contested　electricity　and　nuclear　power；　it　raged　against　Protoculture。。。War　is　Spirit's　attempt　to　attain　freedom　from　matter；　its　effort　to　remain　autonomous。　Wars　are　waged　to　prevent　matter　from　being　too　fortable　or　placent。　For　it　is　Spirit's　divine　purpose　to　someday　abandon　its　vehicle　and　transcend；　to　reunite　with　the　Godhead　and　suck　the　universe　back　into　itself。
Reverend　Houston；　from　the　foreword　to　Jan　Morris's　Solar　Seeds。　Galactic　Guardians

Protoculture　is　technology's　royal　jelly。
Dr。　Emil　Lang

Unknown　to　Breetai　or　his　crew；　there　was　a　stowaway　aboard　the　Zentraedi　flagship…a　Micronian　Veritech　ace　named　Max　Sterling。

Sucked　into　space　through　the　hole　in　the　hull　created　by　Rick　Hunter's　self…destructed　Battloid；　Max　had　unknowingly　duplicated　the　walk　Breetai　had　undertaken　along　the　outer　surface　of　the　ship　sometime　earlier。　Breetai；　however；　was　familiar　with　the　manual　air　lock　mechanisms；　so　he　merely　had　to　let　himself　in；　Max　had　to　discover　a　way　in。　Fortunately　he　had　stumbled　upon　an　unclosed　breach　in　the　hull…the　fried　bristle　sensors　surrounding　the　hole　gave　evidence　of　a　previous　explosion…flown　himself　into　an　empty　bay；　and；　returned　to　Battloid　mode；　made　his　way　into　the　ship　through　an　unlocked　hatchway。　His　gatling　cannon　had　been　left　in　the　hold；　his　lasers　were　burned　out；　and　he　had　scarcely　half　a　dozen　rockets　left。　Max　was　operating　on　willpower；　driven　by　the　hope　of　rescuing　his　friends。

The　interior　of　the　flagship　was　a　labyrinth　of　corridors　and　serviceways；　some　well　lighted　and　maintained；　others　dark；　damp；　and　in　varying　states　of　disrepair。　But　luckily；　all　of　them　had　been　deserted。

Until　now。

Max　was　at　the　intersection　of　two　corridors…curved　ceilings；　large　overhead　light　banks…peering　around　the　corner　when　he　saw　the　alien　enter。　A　private；　Max　guessed：　standard…issue　drab　highrise…collared　uniform；　a　round　cap　with　an　insignia。　He　moved　the　Battloid　back　a　step　and　scanned　the　area。　A　short　distance　down　the　corridor　behind　him　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　utility　closet　with　a　curved…top　hatch。　He　made　his　way　to　this　as　quickly　and　quietly　as　he　could　manage；　threw　the　bolt；　and　secreted　the　mecha　inside。　Shut　off　from　the　corridor；　Max　had　no　way　of　knowing　which　route　the　Zentraedi　had　taken；　so　the　look　of　surprise　on　the　alien's　face　upon　discovering　a　Battloid　in　the　utility　closet　was　no　greater　than　the　startled　look　on　Max's　own。

For　what　seemed　like　an　eternity　they　both　stood　there　marveling　at　each　other；　until　Max's　training　brought　a　decisive　end　to　it。　He　executed　a　sidekick　with　the　Battloid's　right　foot　that　caught　the　Zentraedi's　midsection；　instantly　doubling　him　over。　Gathering　up　the　unconscious　private　in　the　Battloid's　right　arm；　Max　stretched　out　the　left；　grabbed　the　door　bolt；　and　slammed　the　hatch　shut。

He　was　puzzling　over　what　to　do　with　the　guy；　when　all　at　once　the　cockpit　indicators　began　crying　out　for　attention。　He　checked　the　readouts　but　still　couldn't　make　sense　of　anything：　All　systems　were　functioning；　and　there　didn't　seem　to　be　any　immediate　threats　to　the　mecha；　environmentally　or　otherwise。　So　what　was　going　on？

Then　Max　glanced　at　the　astrogation　displays。　The　temporal　sensors　were　spinning　wildly…the　flagship　was　folding！

Max　watched　as　hours　and　days　began　to　accrue　on　the　gauge。　He　slumped　into　his　seat　and　waited。。。


The　emergency　spacefold　which　had　catapulted　the　SDF…1　and　Macross　City　clear　across　the　solar　system　had　been　Lisa's　first；　and；　as　such；　there　hadn't　been　time　to。。。well；　look　around。　It　had　also　been　a　relatively　short　jump　through　space　and　therefore　a　brief　one　through　time。　But　for　this；　her　second　trip　through　the　continuum；　the　temporal　indicator　built　into　her　suit　registered　the　equivalent　of　fourteen　Earth…days。　Wherever　the　Zentraedi　were　going；　it　was　a　long　way　from　home。

Lisa　had　plenty　of　time　to　look　around。

It　was　nothing　like　she　had　expected；　nothing；　in　fact；　like　she　had　been　trained　to　expect。　The　stars　did　not　so　much　disappear　as　e　and　go。　She　couldn't　be　certain；　however；　that　it　was　the　same　stars　that　were　rematerializing　each　time。　The　heavens　seemed　altered　with　each　fade；　as　though　someone　had　snipped　frames　from　a　strip　of　film；　editing　out　the　transitions　from　event　to　event。　The　energy　umbrella　that　kept　her　and　the　others　confined　to　the　grid　prevented　her　from　observing　flux　details　in　the　laboratory；　but　when　she　looked　at　Rick　or　Ben；　she　noticed　a　slight　shimmering　effect　that　blurred　the　boundaries　of　objects；　occasionally；　this　effect　intensified　so　that　there　was　a　sense　of　double　focus　to　everything：　the　form　of　the　past；　the　form　of　the　future；　distinct；　discrete；　unable　to　unite。

In　real　time；　one　Earth…day　elapsed；　and　as　the　flagship　began　to　decelerate　from　hyperspace；　the　past　twenty…four　hours　took　on　a　dreamlike　quality。　Had　she　slept　through　most　of　it；　dreamed　a　good　part　of　it？　Or　was　this　some　new　condition　of　consciousness　yet　to　be　named？

Lisa；　Rick；　and　Ben　stood　at　the　edge　of　their　small　world；　watching　the　stars　assume　lasting　form　once　again。　These　were　alien　configurations　to　their　eyes：　brilliant　constellations　of　suns；　dwarfs　and　giants；　three　planets　or　moons　of　some　unknown　system；　all　against　the　backdrop　of　a　gauzy　multihued　nebulosity。　And　something　else…something　their　unadjusted　vision　labeled　an　asteroid　field；　so　numerous　were　the　dark　objects　in　that　corner　of　space。

〃What　are　those　things？〃　asked　Ben。

〃Space　debris；〃　Rick　suggested。　〃We　might　be　near　their　home　base。〃

Lisa　squinted；　then　her　eyes　opened　wide　in　amazement。

Not　asteroids；　not　space　debris；　but　ships：　amorphous　ships　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　ships　bristling　with　guns；　too　numerous　to　count；　too　numerous　to　catalogue…scouts；　recons；　destroyers；　cruisers；　battle　wagons；　flagships。　Thousands　of　ships；　millions　of　them！

〃The　enemy　fleet！〃

It　was　too　much　to　take　in；　but　Lisa　used　the　microvideo　recorder　the　aliens　had　overlooked　to　capture　what　she　could。

More　than　a　year　would　pass　before　they　learned　the　exact　count；　a　day　of　reckoning。。。

The　flagship　was　now　closing　on　a　dazzling　cluster　of　lights；　a　kind　of　force　field　that　housed　an　immeasurable　asymmetrical　fortress　their　senses　refused　to　prehend。

But　they　soon　had　other　issues　to　confront。　Without　warning；　the　energy　umbrella　had　been　deactivated　and　the　circumstances　of　their　world　redefined。　They　had　wondered　how　their　captors　had　been　able　to　provide　them　with　food　and　drink　served　on　human…size　plates；　with　cups　and　utensils　in　proper　proportion。　But　there　would　be　no　such　fort　for　them　from　this　moment　on。

Two　giants　now　stood　on　either　side　of　the　grid；　which　turned　out　to　be　some　sort　of　specimen　table。　Could　anything　have　prepared　them　for　the　assault　of　sensations　that　followed…the　deafening　basso　rumble　of　the　giants'　voices；　the　sonorous　roar　of　their　mecha　and　machines；　the　intensity　of　the　corridor　lights；　the　overpowering　smells　of　hyperoxygenated　air；　stale　breath；　sweat；　and　decay？

They　were　transferred　to　a　second　platform…a　hovertable　directed　through　the　corridors　by　their　jailers…and　ultimately　to　a　gleaming　conference　table　as　large　as　a　football　field。　There　were　banks　of　overhead　lights　and　several　chairs　positioned　around　the　table。　Lisa　noticed　that　amplifiers　had　been　strategically　positioned　here　and　there…the　better　to　hear　you　with；　my　dear！　And　one　by　one　their　interrogators　entered　the　room　and　sat　down。

The　first　to　arrive　was　a　male　scarcely　half　the　size　of　those　Zentraedi　they'd　seen。　A　slightly　hunched　back　was　evident　beneath　his　blue　cowl；　swollen　joints　and　outsize　hands　and　feet　suggested　some　sort　of　birth　defect。　He　had　an　inverted　bowl　of　henna　hair　thick　as　straw　concealing　a　deformed　cranium；　uneven　bangs　bisecting　a　high　forehead　above　a　drawn　face；　and　bulging；　seemingly　lidless　eyes　with　pinpoint　pupils。　He　was　carrying　notebooks；　which　he　placed　on　the　table　next　to　a　light…board　device；　this　he　activated　as　he　sat　down；　bending　forward　to　regard　his　three　prisoners　analytically。

Next　to　enter　the　chamber　was　the　immense　soldier　Rick　had　battled　in　the　hold；　there　was　no　forgetting　that　faceplate；　no　forgetting；　that　malicious　grin。　Trailing　behind　him　were　three　more　males　of　differing　heights；　wearing　identical　red　uniforms；　not　one　of　them　as　short　as　the　disabled　Zentraedi　or　as　tall　as　their　mander。　They　took　seats　at　the　far　end　of　the　table。

Lisa　was　wondering　who　or　what　was　going　to　fill　the　empty　seat　between　the　mander　and　his　adviser；　when　the　answer　to　her　whispered　question　arrived；　she　was　at　once　sorry　she　had　asked。

〃How　many　sizes　do　these　guys　e　in？〃　said　Ben　in　amazement。