09_the_final_nightmare-第35部分

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　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　makes　possible　eternal　life；〃　Shaizan　was　saying。

Zor；　though；　was　shaking　his　head　angrily；　eyes　squeezed　to　mere　slits；　breathing　hard。　〃No！　I　was　never　a　Master；　never　one　of　you！　And　the　Protoculture　hasn't　brought　life；　it　has　brought　only　death！〃

He　brought　the　assault　rifle　level　with　his　waist　and　fired；　the　weapon　burping　brief　meteoric　bursts　that　blew　open　a　half　dozen　of　the　canisters　of　degraded　Protoculture　mass　along　the　wall。　It　showered　the　deck　with　nutrient　fluids　and　the　raveled；　dripping　Flowers　of　Life；　their　soaked　petals　and　spores；　their　intertangled　roots　and　blossoms。

〃I　will　end　this　here　and　now！〃　he　screamed；　turning　the　barrel　on　his　onetime　Masters。

In　spite　of　their　calm　greeting；　the　Masters　hadn't　thought　to　confront　Zor　at　this　moment；　in　this　situation。　It　was　suddenly　clear　that　he　was　too　overwrought　to　listen　to　reason　or　blandishment。　The　accursed　Human　emotions　had　thrown　the　Masters'　calculations　awry　yet　again。

Shaizan　stepped　from　the　Protoculture　cap　to　stand　protectively　near　the　resplendent　globe　that　held　the　remaining　mass。　Zor　must　be　kept　at　bay；　until　the　help　that　had　already　been　silently　summoned　could　arrive。　〃Surely　you　are　not　prepared　to　destroy　your　most　precious　creation；　the　embodiment　of　all　your　hopes　and　dreams。　Without　it；　your　own　species　and　the　civilization　you　founded　will　die。〃

Shaizan　himself　felt　a　strange　ripple　coursing　through　him。　He　felt　as　if　he　needed　biostabilization　and　longed　for　contact　with　the　Protoculture　cap；　but　there　was　no　time　for　that　in　this　crisis。　He　could　see　that　both　Dag　and　Bowkaz　were　experiencing　the　weird　perturbations；　too。

〃My　civilization　is　already　dead！〃　Zor　hissed；　and　opened　fire　again；　bolts　chopping　at　the　spilled；　saturated　Flowers；　sending　up　steam　and　burning　blossoms　and　bits　of　glowing　deckplate。

Zor　felt　as　if　he　were　made　of　pure　rage。　Strange；　that　beings　as　emotionless　as　the　Masters　should　find　it　so　easy　to　use　emotions　to　their　own　ends…to　torment　him　and　manipulate　him　so　with　guilt　and　sorrow…to　batter　down　his　resolve。　They　made　it　so　hard　to　think　clearly；　and　unclear　thought　could　only　work　to　their　benefit。

Then；　all　at　once；　the　scent　of　the　Flowers　came　to　him。　The　aroma　summoned　up　a　memory　as　clear　and　substantial　as　diamond；　though　it　was　a　memory　inherited　from　a　Zor　who　had　died　long　ago。　He　recalled　how　he　had　plumbed　the　mysteries　of　Protoculture；　and　why；　and　the　tragedies　of　that　great　undertaking。　He　recalled；　too；　that　he　had　never　intended　his　discoveries　to　be　used　for　the　ends　to　which　the　Masters　had　put　them。　He　saw　that　the　civilization…if　that　was　the　word　for　it…around　him　was　their　perversion；　their　responsibility；　not　his。

And　he　saw；　in　an　almost　preternatural　calmness；　that　it　didn't　lie　within　his　power　to　change　the　Masters'　civilization；　only　to　stop　it。

Zor　brought　his　weapon　around　and　blasted　the　base　of　the　sphere。　The　glassy　material　shattered；　in　big　fragments　and　infinitesimal　ones；　like　the　end　of　some　Cosmic　Egg。　Shaizan　bent　aside；　shielding　himself　with　his　hands。

A　secondary　explosion　in　the　systemry　under　the　Masters'　last　protoculture　mass　shot　the　hurricane…lantern　canister　into　the　air；　as　if　a　child　had　launched　a　tin　can　with　a　firecracker。

Trailing　wires　and　dendrites；　it　turned　slowly　end　for　end。　Unused　to　physical　action；　Bowkaz　still　sprang　from　his　standing　place　at　the　ca　tog　catch　it　before　it　shattered　against　the　deck。

But　Zor　was　pivoting；　livid　with　anger。　Perhaps　he　would　have　fired　at　anybody　who　came　into　his　sights　then…even　Dana。　Certainly；　he　shot　Bowkaz；　the　impact　of　the　blasts　sending　the　Master　back；　setting　his　monkish　robes　on　fire；　his　Flower　of　Life…shaped　collar　flopping；　to　fall　to　the　deck。

But　while　Zor　was　distracted；　firing　at　the　Master；　Dana　was　in　motion；　slinging　her　carbine　over　her　shoulder　and　leaping　high。　It　wasn't　so　different　from　football　or　volleyball；　but　it　was　the　best　save　she　had　ever　made。　She　had　always　been　athletic；　but　a　desperation　to　save　what　might　be　her　own　personal　salvation　and　the　key　to　the　war　made　her　faster　and　stronger　than　she　had　ever　been　before。

And　yet；　even　while　she　hurled　herself　up　for　the　catch；　gauntleted　hands　closing　in；　she　could　hear　the　one　called　Dag　actually　screeching；　〃Do　not　touch　the　terminals！〃

She　had　no　choice；　Dana　caught　it　as　best　she　could；　and　as　her　hands　closed　over　the　discs　of　systemry　at　either　end　of　the　canister；　there　was　a　bright　discharge。　She　wailed；　a　long；　sustained　sound；　as　an　absolute…zero　shock　of　energy　pulsed　through　her；　and　time　seemed　to　slow。

She　could　see　every　detail　of　the　vegetable　mass　in　the　canister。　It　was　really　very　beautiful。　Unhurriedly…though　she　could　sense；　somehow；　that　it　was　happening　very　quickly…the　little　twisted　buds　that　reminded　her　of　the　mother　ships'　cannon　began　to　open。

Sheets　of　crackling　energy　raged　and　swept　through　the　partment；　throwing　out　harsh　shadows　one　moment；　then　making　her　and　Zor　and　the　Masters　all　transparent　as　X　rays　the　next。　Bowkaz　had　barely　begun　to　fall；　but　his　fall　was　stopping；　making　him　seem　to　her　to　hang　in　midair；　contorted　with　pain　from　Zor　Prime's　shot。

The　canister　and　its　Protoculture　mass　glowed　like　a　star。　Shaizan；　watching；　registered　Impossible！　The　Masters；　in　concert　with　their　Protoculture　cap；　might　have　been　able　to　work　something　like　that　effect；　but　no　unaided　entity…not　Elder；　Master；　clone；　Zentraedi；　or　Human…could　so　evoke　the　power　of　the　Universe's　most　potent　force。

But　Dana　heard。　Somehow；　as　if　from　far　away；　she　heard　Shaizan's　thought…speech；　The　Flowers　have　blossomed！

Far　below；　Flowers　began　opening　faster　and　faster；　as　the　three　enigmatic　entities　set　to　guard　and　watch　over　the　matrix　by　Zor　sensed　what　had　happened　in　the　mother　ship。　The　three　wraiths　began　to　gather　themselves；　depleted　as　they　were；　for　their　final　task。


Zor　felt　himself　engulfed　in　a　quicksand　of　time　dilation；　he　began　to　mouth　a　cry　that　echoed　Dana's；　a　cry　that　seemed　to　stretch　to　Forever。　And　still　the　can