09_the_final_nightmare-第40部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



But　instead；　he　drew　back；　and　she　was　so　astounded　that　she　sat　frozen　while　the　hatch　of　the　little　superhard　alloy　sphere　closed　and　secured。　All　at　once　she　was　staring　at　him　through　a　viewport。　His　smile　was　wistful；　as　he　made　some　adjustment　to　the　locking　mechanism；　and　it　gave　a　loud　click。　He　smiled　at　her　again；　fondly　but　mournfully。

〃Zor！〃　She　was　pounding　at　the　viewport　and　trying　to　work　the　locking　controls；　but　it　did　no　good。　He　disappeared　from　view。　She　was　still　struggling　to　get　free；　crying；　shouting　his　name；　when　the　capsule　gave　a　lurch；　moved　by　the　transfer　servos；　preparing　for　ejection。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…FIVE

They　give　you　clothes；　they're　free　with　guns；　And　trainin'；　food　and　lodgin'；　But　tell　me：　what　career　moves　can　e　from　bullet　dodgin？
Bowie　Grant；　〃Nervous　in　the　Service〃

〃Sarge；　we're　picking　up　some　kinda　we　ejection　capsule　launch　from　the　mother　ship；〃　Louie　Nichols　reported；　sitting　beside　Angelo　at　the　controls　of　the　liberated　assault　ship。

Behind　them；　refugee　clones　were　crowded　in　tightly；　frightened；　but　used　to　the　discipline　of　the　Masters　and　so　obediently　quiet。　Angelo；　sweating　over　the　controls；　snapped；　〃So　what？　Maybe　it's　somebody　makin'　their　own　getaway。　It　sure　ain't　a　raidin'　party　or　a　Bioroid。〃

That　was　true；　and　it　was　unlikely　that　there　were　many　bat　forces　left　in　the　mother　ship；　or　that　they　would　do　the　Masters　much　good　even　if　they　could　get　to　the　Earth's　surface。　For　some　reason；　the　Bioroid…pilot　clones　and　other　fighters　of　the　Masters'　invasion　force　had；　according　to　the　transmissions　the　escapees　were　monitoring；　suddenly　bee　almost　totally　ineffective。　The　attacking　enemies'　ability　to　fight；　their　very　will　to　fight；　seemed　to　have　simply　vanished；　and　Earth's　ragtag　defenders　were　counterattacking　everywhere；　a　plete　rout。

Something　occurred　to　Angelo。　〃Get　on　the　military　freqs　and　find　somebody　who's　in　charge；〃　he　told　Louie。　〃Tell　'em　we　got　an　airlift　of　refugees　in'　down；　and　to　hold　their　fire。　Tell　'em。。。tell　'em　these　people　here　ain't　the　enemy。〃

Louie　threw　him　a　strange　smile。　〃Hear；　hear；　Angie。〃

He　felt　Bowie；　who　stood　behind　him；　clap　him　on　the　back；　and　felt　Musica's　light　touch　h　at　his　shoulder。　Then　Angelo　pronounced　a　few　choice　army　obscenities；　the　ship　having　wandered　off　course。　He　was　no　fly…boy　and　even　the　coaching　of　experienced　clone　pilots　didn't　make　it　much　easier　to　herd　the　alien　craft　along。

〃Everybody　keep　still　and　lemme　drive；〃　Angelo　Dante　growled。


Within　the　mother　ship；　Zor's　red　Bioroid　stomped　back　toward　the　mand　center；　its　discus　pistol　clutched　in　its　gargantuan　metal　fist。　Below　the　ship；　the　mounds　hove　into　view。

I　cannot　undo　the　damage　I've　done。　Across　a　hundred　reincarnations；　across　a　hundred　million　light…years　light…years。　And　yet：　I'll　make　what　restitution　I　can。。。

The　Invid　would　not　have　Earth。


Below；　the　Protoculture　wraiths　sensed　Zor　Prime's　ing；　all　in　accordance　with　the　Shaping　that　had　given　the　original　Zor　his　vision　and　set　the　course　of　the　Robotech　Wars；　so　long　ago　and　far　away。

The　wraiths　summoned　up　the　strength　that　was　left　to　them；　for　their　final　deed。　The　rainbow…rings　of　the　Matrix　were　dimmer　now；　but　still　dazzling；　still　playing　their　haunting　song。　As　the　wraiths　tapped　its　power；　the　Matrix　flared　brighter。


Dana's　efforts　to　contact　Zor　with　the　capsule's　little　mo　unit　had　drawn　no　response。　Now　she　blinked　at　the　bright　sunlight；　as　the　hatch　opened　and　the　fragrant　air　of　Earth　drifted　in。

The　capsule　had　landed　at　the　cress　of　a　low　foothill　across　the　plain；　just　within　view　of　the　SDF…1's　gravesite。　She　already　knew　from　the　capsule's　crude　monitoring　equipment　that　the　mother　ship　had　followed　her　down　through　the　atmosphere；　headed　for　the　mounds。

Dana　drew　herself　out　of　the　capsule　and　saw　the　five　mile　length　of　the　Masters'　last　starship　e　in　to　hover　over　the　resting　place　of　the　SDF…1。　〃Zor。　Don't…please！〃


There　was　no　other　way。

Zor's　red　raised　its　discus　pistol。　The　destruction　of　the　mother　ship　directly　over　the　mounds　would　ensure　that　the　Flowers　of　Life　and　their　spores　would　be　pletely　obliterated；　and　spare　the　Human　race　the　slaughter　and　ruin　of　an　Invid　invasion。

Some　spores　had　already　drifted　free　of　the　mound；　though　instruments　weren't　clear　as　to　why　that　hadn't　happened　before；　there　were　pletely　unique　and　unprecedented　Protoculture　aberrations　down　there；　and　no　time　to　analyze　them。　But　that　didn't　matter　now。　The　radius　of　the　blast　would　get　all　of　them。

Now！

The　red　fired　its　pistol　at　carefully　selected　targets；　it　was　easy　for　him　to　find　the　vulnerable　points　in　the　systemry　the　original　Zor　had　conceived。　In　moments　the　entire　ship　was　a　daisy　chain　of　ever　increasing　explosions；　ripping　open　its　hull；　gathering　toward　that　final；　utter　detonation。

He　thought　he　would　be　swallowed　up　by　grief　in　those　last　moments；　to　see　only　the　ghosts　of　the　victims；　and　the　shadows　of　the　suffering　he　had　caused。　Unexpectedly；　though；　Zor　Prime's　last　thoughts　were　of　the　thing　that　had　made　this　last　incarnation　so　different　from　the　rest；　and　let　him　free　himself。

Dana；　I　love　you！


Dana　shrieked　at　the　exploding　ship；　knowing　it　would　do　no　good；　until　the　explosions　reached　a　crescendo。　〃Stop！　Zor；　there　must　be　a　better　way…〃

Then　she　threw　herself　to　shelter　behind　the　grounded；　armored　capsule　and　wept；　face　buried　in　her　arms。


In　the　mounds；　the　wraiths　gathered　all　their　remaining　energy；　and　contained　the　explosive　force　of　the　mother　ship。

Zor's　calculations　were　entirely　correct；　insofar　as　they　went。　The　self…destruction　should　have　vaporized　the　mounds　and　wiped　out　the　curse　that　was　the　blooming　Flowers；　the　drifting　spores。

But　the　Shaping　of　the　Robotech　Wars　had　been　set　long　before。　Earth　was　to　be　saved　from　destroying　itself　in　a　Global　Civil　War　and；　at　the　same　time；　serve　as　the　focal　point　that　would　let　a　tremendous　wrong　be　righted。　The　time　for　the　righting　of　that　wrong　had　not　yet　e　to　pass；　though　the　stage　was　now　set。

And　so　the　wraiths　dampened　the　blast　of　the　exploding　starship。　The　Matrix　flared　like　a　nova；　sang　a　single　piercing　note；　and　released　all　its　power　upward。　The　wraiths　used　it　to　muffle　the　blast　in　an　unimaginable　contest　of　warring　forces；　and　won。

Still；　the　mother　ship　was　blown　to　fragments　and；　even　as　Zor　Prime　soared　to　a　higher　plane　of　existence；　freed　at　last　of　the　cycle　of　crime　and　guilt　in　which　he　had　been　caught　since　his　first　terrible　transgression；　the　fragments　began　to　fall。

Even　a　small　piece　of　the　mother　ship　was　enormous；　and　not　all　of　the　explosive　force　had　been　contained。　Housings　and　armor　and　structural　members　pelted　the　plain　and　the　mounds；　raising　huge　puffs　of　dust；　opening　the　mound　even　further；　the　explosive　force　caught　the　rising　spores　and　sent　them　high　and　wide；　to　ride　the　winds　of　the　world。　Ripping　down　into　the　garden　that　had　been　the　last　Matrix；　the　blasts　freed　a　hundred　thousand　times　as　many　more；　and　sent　them　wafting；　lifting　petals　and　even　whole　plants；　gusting　them　forth。

The　winds　that　came　from　the　Protoculture　detonation　behaved　unlike　normal　air　currents。　It　was　as　if　they　had　been　given　a　purpose；　dispersing　the　spores；　sowing　them；　taking　many　into　upper　airstreams　that　would　bear　them　far…would　seed　the　face　of　the　planet　with　them。

The　wraiths　looked　upon　their　work　and　upon　the　Earth　that　the　Shaping　had　made　their　home　for　so　long。　They　had　been　given　life；　of　a　sort；　by　the　Protoculture；　taking　power　from　the　masses　within　the　wreckage　of　SDF…1；　SDF…2；　and　Khyron's　downed　battlecruiser。

But　now　their　part　in　the　Shaping　was　over；　and　the　Matrix's　last　energy　was　used　up；　it　was　gone　forever。　They　began　their　return　to　nothingness；　making　sure　that　the　residual　Protoculture　around　them　underwent　conversion　to　the　Flowers　of　Life。

Dana　watched　the　drifting　pink　petals；　the　swirling　spores。　The　Invid　are　ing！　Her　parents'　warning　was　right；　and　nothing　could　stop　this　species　that　even　the　Masters　held　in　dread。

Three　shadows　loomed　up　out　of　the　mounds；　growing；　but　being　more　and　more　tenuous　as　they　did。　Dana；　her　senses　expanded　by　her　exposure　to　the　Matrix　and　even　more　so　by　the　jolt　from　the　canister　containing　the　Masters'　last　mass；　knew　that　the　phantasms　would　do　her　no　harm。

She　was　so　preoccupied；　thinking　about　her　family；　about　the　Masters'　words　and　Zor's；　that　she　didn't　hear　the　stealthy　footsteps　behind　her；　covered　as　they　were　by　the　moan　of　the　winds。　The　projectile　took　her　at　the　base　of　the　skull；　where　her　armor　offered　no　protection。　She　went　down。

〃You　saw　them！〃　an　eerie　voice　said。　It　sounded　Human　but　had　some　of　the　sepulchral　emotionlessness　of　a　Robotech　Master's。　〃Without　instruments　or　sensors；　you　saw　the　Guardians　of　the　Mounds！〃

She　lay　on　her　side；　dazed；　unable　to　move　though　she　was　fully　conscious。　She　realized　she　had　been　shot　with　some　kind　of　paralyzing　agent。　A　moment　later；　two　peculiar　men　came　into　view。

One　she　recognized；　and　the　sight　of　him　almost　stopped　her　heart。　Zand；　heir　to　Dr。　Lang's　secrets。　He　was　wearing　gleaming　angelic　robes；　shiny　metallic　stuff；　cut　somewhat　in　the　fashion　of　the　Robotech　Masters'　monkish　ones；　and　his　collar　was　shaped　like　the　Flower　of　Life。　That　alone　told　Dana　what　was　happening；　and　the　danger　she　was　in。

Zand　had　gone　pletely　insane　and　saw　her　as　his　passport　to　divine　powers。

Along　with　Zand　was　a　stout；　vacant…faced　little　man　with　a　pencil　mustache；　so　different　from　the　pictures　in　the　history　books　that　Dana　didn't　recognize　him　until　Zand　turned　to　say；　〃Russo！　Bring　the　equipment。〃　The　scientist　tossed　aside　the　tranquilizer　gun　indifferently。

Russo　scuttled　away。　Dana　knew　there　was　no　aircraft　or　surface　vehicle　around；　she　had　seen　none　on　landing。　Had　they　simply　been　sitting　out　here；　waiting？　She　couldn't　figure　out　how　Zand　had　foreseen　that　she　would　be　where　she　was。　Perhaps　his　powers　were　already　greater　than　hers。

Russo　returned　with　devices　like　nothing　either　Earth's　Robotechnology　or　the　Masters'　had　ever　produced。　It　seemed　to　be　all　crystal　nimbuses　and　rainb