12_symphony_of_light-第35部分

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She　had　been　so　misguided　in　assuming　his　form；　in　so　doing　she　had　been　captured　by　the　rage　and　fears　and　emotions　that　blinded　her　to　Protoculture's　true　purpose。　It　was　not　simply　to　supply　mecha　with　the　ability　to　transform　and　interact　with　its　sentient　pilots；　it　was　meant　to　merge　with　the　race　that　had　passed　eons　cultivating　its　source。　They　had　used　the　Flowers　for　nourishment　and　sustenance　and　spiritual　succor；　and　for　all　these　millennia　the　Flower　had　been　trying　to　offer　them　something　more。

And　Zor　had　played　the　catalyst。

〃My　child；〃　the　Regis　continued；　〃I　see　now　the　new　world　that　calls　to　us。　And　we　shall　consume　and　bond　with　that　blessed　life　that　provides　our　passage。〃

〃Do　you　understand　what　she's　saying？〃　Lancer　asked　Sera　as　the　Regis　seemed　to　reincorporate　with　the　chamber　globe。

Sera　nodded；　her　attention　still　fixed　on　the　battle　scenes　displayed　there。　Lunk　and　Annie　gasped　as　the　latest　view　was　flashed　into　the　inner　chamber：　Shadow　Fighters；　visible　now；　piercing　through　the　hive's　protective　envelope。

And　Reflex　Point　was　beginning　to　react　to　their　entry。　Colored　lights　began　to　strobe　into　the　chamber　from　unseen　sources；　dissolving　the　weblike　neural　arrangements　supporting　it　and　eliciting　a　threatening　tide　of　organic　waste　and　refuse　from　those　collapsing　cells。

〃Well；　the　takeoff　may　be　decided；　but　she　just　ran　outta　time；〃　said　Lunk。

Sera　started　off　in　one　direction　of　her　mand　ship；　but　Lancer　put　his　arm　out　to　stop　her。　〃Let　me　go；〃　she　pleaded　with　him。　〃I　must　protect　the　Regis　and　the　hive　until　she　has　assured　our　departure。〃

〃I　want　to　help　you；〃　Lancer　told　her。

She　stopped　struggling　and　turned　to　him。　〃You　will　be　fighting　against　your　own　people。〃

Tight…lipped；　he　nodded。　〃If　they　knew　what　I　know　now。。。they'd　understand。〃

〃We　understand；〃　Annie　encouraged　him。　She　grabbed　hold　of　Lunk's　arm　and　led　him　toward　the　APC。　〃Now　let's　get　out　of　here　before　this　whole　place　es　apart。〃


Word　of　the　Shadow　Fighters'　successful　penetration　of　the　hive　was　relayed　to　the　flagship；　but　Reinhardt　was　still　not　encouraged。　Six　cruisers　had　been　taken　out　in　the　past　hour；　and　it　had　required　over　fifty　fighters　to　get　a　mere　four　through　the　hive's　defenses。　And　if　those　few　survivors　didn't　make　it　into　the　central　chamber；　Reinhardt　asked　himself；　what　then？

〃Sir？〃　Sparks　said　from　his　station。

Reinhardt　looked　at　him　wearily。　〃I　have　no　choice。。。I　want　all　neutron　missiles　armed　and　ready　for　an　immediate　launch　against　Reflex　Point。〃

Sparks　swung　around　to　his　console。　Reinhardt　listened　while　his　orders　were　radioed　to　the　rest　of　the　fleet。　He　wondered　what　the　other　manders　must　be　thinking　of　him。　But　there　was　no　alternative；　they　had　to　realize　that。。。

〃T　minus　fifty　and　counting；〃　he　heard　Sparks　say。

At　the　edge　of　Earthspace；　the　thrusters　of　two　dozen　mushroom…shaped　droneships　flared　briefly；　propelling　their　armed　warheads　toward　the　target　area。


The　hive　corridor　was　oval…shaped　and　surgeon's…gown　green。　Lancer　had　no　idea　as　to　its　purpose　or　its　direction。　But　Sera　appeared　to　know　where　she　was　going；　and　that　was　all　that　mattered。　She　was　at　the　controls　of　her　pink　and　purple　mand　ship；　he　was　alongside　her　in　a　Cyclone　he　had　taken　from　the　VT；　reconfigured　in　Battle　Armor　mode。

〃I　consider　it　an　honor　to　be　fighting　side　by　side　with　you；〃　Sera　told　him　over　the　link。

Yes；　we're　both　fighting　on　the　same　side　now；　he　thought。　And　in　a　sense　they　were　a　nonallied　counterforce；　separated　from　the　Human　as　well　as　the　Invid　cause。

〃You　know；　I've　been　thinking　about　how　we　met。。。　〃　he　said　leadingly。

〃Lancer；　would　it　be　possible　for　you　to　love　one　of　my　race？〃

He　thought　back　to　Marlene。　And　Scott。　〃I　think　I　could。　And　what　about　you？〃

She　sighed　over　the　net。　〃I　only　hope　we　have　time　to　find　out。〃

Two　Shadow　Battloids　were　fast　approaching　them　from　the　corridor　terminus。


〃T　minus　ten　seconds　and　counting；〃　the　tech　reported。

Reinhardt　was　standing　at　the　control　center　now；　Earth's　beautiful　oceans　and　clouds　filling　the　bridge　viewpoints。　Short…lived　explosions　flashed　across　the　field；　and　off　to　port　a　holed　cruiser　floated　derelict　in　space。　He　had　already　inserted　the　override　key　into　the　console　lock；　he　gave　it　a　quarter　turn　and　menced　arming　the　main　switches　as　the　countdown　continued。

〃Seven；　six；　five；　four。。。〃

Reinhardt　hit　the　secondaries　and　slammed　home　the　final　crossover；　now　the　S　missiles　were　beyond　anyone's　control；　no　matter　what　followed。

〃Three；　two；　one；　zero！〃

Reinhardt　could　discern　bursts　of　white　light　below　him　against　the　seemingly　tranquil　face　of　the　planet。

〃God　forgive　me；〃　he　said　under　his　breath。


The　Regis's　voice　boomed　out；　omnipresent。　It　was　as　if　she　had　bee　the　entire　hive　now；　and　each　part　of　it　her。

〃The　final　attack　has　begun。　And　a　terrible　error　has　been　made。　But　in　seeking　to　reach　our　own　goal　we　shall　see　to　it　that　these　creatures　have　a　chance　to　reach　theirs　as　well。　The　shadow　of　the　Robotech　Masters　has　been　allowed　to　rule　this　world　for　too　long。。。Now　it　will　be　dispersed！〃


Sera's　ship　took　a　hit　to　the　shoulder　from　one　of　the　Battloids　in　the　corridor；　but　she　rallied　and　returned　fire；　taking　out　not　only　the　one　who　had　shot　her　but　two　more。　Lancer　hovered　clear　off　to　one　side；　unable　to　assist。　But　he　had　already　done　his　part　by　destroying　the　first　two；　and　it　pained　him　even　now　to　think　about　those　Human　lives　he　had　taken。

Suddenly　two　more　Shadow　Fighters　streaked　into　view。

〃We'll　never　be　able　to　stop　all　of　them！〃　he　shouted　to　Sera。

She　was　about　to　reply　when　unexpected　fire　from　behind　them　devastated　the　intruders。　Lancer　twisted　around　to　find　Scott's　VT　behind　them　in　the　corridor。

〃Figured　you　could　use　some　help；〃　the　lieutenant　said　flatly。

〃You're　a　wele　sight；　Human〃　Sera　told　him。

〃Yeah；　well　I'd　love　to　stay　and　chat　about　that；〃　Scott　said　after　a　moment；　〃but　I　suggest　we　get　ourselves　out　of　here　on　the　double。〃


Lunk　and　Annie　made　it　out　of　the　hive　before　the　three　pilots。　Rook　and　Rand　and　Marlene　were　also　in　the　clear；　a　few　miles　off　when　the　hive　began　to　undergo　the　first　changes。

In　the　shotgun　seat　of　the　APC；　Annie　gulped　and　found　her　voice。　〃Lunk；〃　she　said；　pointing；　〃tell　me　what's　happening！〃

As　if　he　could　explain　it。

The　hive　had　gone　from　a　crimson；　almost　blood…red　color　to　steely　blue。　It　was　also　more　transparent　now；　and　some　sort　of　huge　spherical　nodes　had　been　made　visible　in　the　deep　recesses　of　the　dome…perhaps　those　same　round　mo　devices　Lunk　and　Annie　had　stood　beneath　only　minutes　before。　With　the　barrier　envelope　disappeared；　the　Shadow　Fighters　had　direct　access　to　the　Regis's　lair；　but　they　couldn't　get　near　it　because　of　the　intense　electrical　discharges　that　were　surging　up　throughout　the　area。

And　somehow　the　voice　of　the　Invid　queen　was　reaching　all　of　them　where　they　fought；　died；　or　waited。

〃Hear　me；　my　children；〃　she　intoned。　〃When　we　sensed　the　first　faint　indications　of　the　Flower　of　Life　resources　on　this　world；　we　thought　we　had　at　last　found　the　home　for　which　we　searched。〃

The　hive　was　barely　visible　now。　It　was　engulfed　in　a　kind　of　swirling　storm　of　blinding　yellow　light　from　which　rays　of　raw　energy　poured　into　the　sky；　while　a　crazed　network　of　lightning　and　electrical　groundings　danced　overhead。　It　was　more　like　a　contained　explosion　than　anything　else；　as　though　the　hive　had　bee　an　epicenter　for　all　the　world's　random　energy；　as　though　the　very　processes　of　universal　creation　were　gathering　together　and　being　run　through　at　an　extraordinary　pace。　The　hive　had　bee　the　vessel　for　the　Great　Work；　the　merging　of　opposites…the　pleroma。　Here　was　the　meeting　place　of　the　red　and　white　alchemical　dragons：　the　point　of　transcendence。　The　air　was　crackling；　local　storms　unleashed　and　billowing　clouds　tearing　through　darkened　skies　as　though　in　a　time…frame　sequence。　And　the　land　was　changing　and　reconfiguring。　The　trees　surrendered　their　leaves　as　an　intense　chill　swept　in　from　all　sides；　minitornadoes　swirling　around　the　sunlike　fires　that　glowed　within　the　hive。　Invid　ships…Scouts；　Troopers；　and　Pincers…were　streaming　into　it　like　insects　drawn　to　the　flame　that　annihilates　them。

〃We　had　called　together　all　of　our　children　scattered　throughout　the　galaxy　to　begin　life　anew　on　this　planet。　We　began　rebuilding　a　world　that　had　nearly　been　destroyed　by　evil。　And　we　constructed　the　Genesis　Pits　in　order　to　pursue　the　path　of　enlightened　evolution。　But　it　was　not　enough。〃

Suddenly　light　and　shadow　seemed　to　reverse　themselves；　and　the　world　drained　of　color。　Where　the　hive　had　stood　there　was　now　only　an　impossible　tower　of　radiant　amber　light；　launching　itself　through　hurricane　clouds　with　blinding　determination；　a　pillar　of　raw　but　directed　energy。

It　was　a　mile…wide　circular　shaft　of　horrific　power　that　erupted　from　the　hive；　mushrooming　up　with　a　rounded；　almost　penile　head　into　that　feminine　void　above；　a　million　blast　furnaces　in　concert。


Overhead；　at　the　edge　of　the　envelope　that　was　Earth's　protective　shield；　the　neutron　missiles　were　falling　toward　their　target；　but　now　that　target　was　now　ing　up　to　meet　them；　with　a　face　as　different　as　any　could　be；　a　face　only　the　once…dead　would　recognize。。。

Reinhardt　and　his　bridge　staff　saw　it　ing　and　would　not　have　been　able　to　move　away　from　it　had　they　had　the　power　to　do　so；　they　were　transfixed；　in　awe；　in　some　sort　of　splendiferous；　almost　holy；　reverie。　Before　their　eyes　the　light　was　changing　shape　even　as　it　pierced　through　Earth's　atmosphere　and　entered　the　vacuum　out　of　which　it　had　been　born。　It　was　anthropomorphic　here；　contorted　into　a　dragon's　face　there；　with　its　fanged　mouth　opened　wide；　its　tongue　a　lick　of　solar　fire；　ready　to　engulf　all　that　dared　stand　in　its　way。　It　struck　like　a　serpent；　twisting　and　flailing　about　as　though　charmed　by　its　own…existence；　charmed　by　its　own　imminent　swan　song。

Reinhardt　saw　the　creature…for　that's　what　he　termed　it　to　be；　a　living　light：　energy　and　life　bined　on　some　new　and　unimaginable　scale…encounter　the　warheads　he　had　launched　against　it；　and　he　saw　those