09_the_final_nightmare-第3章

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O。　One　day；　I　remember；　Leonard　had　been　grumbling　about　putting　Zor　back　into　lab　isolation　and　dissecting　him。
Ten　minutes　later　the　phone　rang。　Leonard　didn't　say　much　in　that　conversation…it　was　real　brief。　And　whatever　he　heard　through　the　earpiece　had　him　sweating。　Right　after　that　he　dropped　the　topic　for　good。
I　happened　to　see　the　phone　logs　for　the　afternoon　over　at　the　mo　desk　a　little　later。　The　call　had　e　from　Dr。　Lazio　Zand；　who　ran　Special　Protoculture　Observations　and　Operations　Kommandatura。　I　did　my　best　to　forget　I'd　ever　seen　that　log。
Captain　Jed　Streiber；　as　quoted　in　〃Conjuration；〃　History　of　the　Robotech　Wars；　Vol。　CXXXIII

〃The　Revenge　of　the　Martian　Mystery　Women？〃　Zor　echoed　Dana。

〃Right！〃　she　said　excitedly。　〃Everybody　says　it's　a　dynamite　movie。　You'll　love　it！　And　it　won't　cost　you　anything　'cause　I've　already　got　the　tickets！〃　She　showed　him　the　pair　of　ducats。

They　were　sitting　in　a　little　park　outside　the　big；　imperial…looking　building　that　housed　Alpha　Tactical　Armored　Corps　HQ。　Birds　were　singing；　and　a　fountain　splashed　nearby。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　they're　hard　to　e　by；　and　the　scalper　charged　me　plenty　for　these！〃　She　frowned　a　bit；　wondering　if　she　was　making　a　fool　of　herself。

Zor　gave　a　thin　smile。　〃Well　then；　how　can　I　refuse；　Lieutenant？〃

An　officer　in　the　10th　squad　who　had　seen　the　movie　last　night　had　said　that　it　was　romantic　as　well　as　exciting。　Dana　liked　the　idea　of　seeing　a　movie　about　alluring；　captivating　alien　women　with　Zor。

She　rushed　on；　〃I　don't　know　what　I　would　have　done　if　you　hadn't　said　yes！〃　Then　she　stopped；　looking　perplexed。　〃Only…now　I'm　not　sure　what　I　ought　to　wear。。。〃

Zor　watched　her　as　she　deliberated；　certain　that　no　matter　what　she　decided　to　wear　she　would　look　beautiful。　He　tried　to　sort　out　the　conflicting　emotions　and　veiled　impulses　that　kept　him　in　a　state　of　confusion　much　of　the　time。　Zor　wondered　if　these　feelings　for　his　lieutenant　were　what　the　Human　beings　called　love。


In　a　geostationary　orbit　some　23；000　miles　above　the　Earth　hung　six　stupendous　mother　ships…the　invasion　fleet　of　the　Robotech　Masters。

In　the　huge　flagship；　which　still　bore　the　scars　of　battles　with　the　Human　race　both　in　space　and　on　the　surface　of　the　planet；　stood　the　Triumvirate　of　Masters。　They　looked　down　from　the　vantage　point　of　their　floating　Protoculture　cap…the　enormous；　humplike　instrument　that　gave　them　total　control　of　superhuman　mind　powers　and　abilities。

Like　virtually　all　members　of　their　race；　the　Triumvirate　of　Masters　functioned　as　a　triad；　each　standing　upon　a　small　platform　attached　to　the　hovering　cap。　They　were　males；　with　hawklike　faces　that　wore　perpetual　scowls。　The　severity　of　their　faces　was　emphasized　by　scarlike　V's　of　tissue　under　each　cheek。　All　of　them　were　bald…or　shave…pated；　their　long；　fine　hair　fell　below　their　shoulders。　They　wore　monkish　robes；　their　wide；　floppy　collars　suggesting　the　tripartite　blossom　of　the　Invid　Flower　of　Life。

The　Masters　usually　mindspoke　through　direct　tactile　contact　with　their　Protoculture　cap；　but　they　chose　now　to　say　their　words　out　loud。　Shaizan；　who　was　often　the　spokesman　for　the　Triumvirate；　said；　〃So；　you're　saying　our　Bioroid　clones　are　limited　in　their　effectiveness？〃

Looking　up　at　him　was　a　triad　of　Clonemasters；　two　males　and　a　female；　standing　under　their　own；　smaller　Protoculture　cap。　All　were　tall；　pale；　and　slender。　They　wore　tight…fitting　clothes　vaguely　suggestive　of　the　early　Renaissance。

Both　males　wore　full　blond…brown　mustaches　and　mutton　chops；　and　one　of　them　had　a　beard；　the　androgynouslooking　female　wore　her　long　blond　hair　in　a　simple　style。　The　minor　differences　between　them　only　served　to　emphasize　their　sameness　of　body　and　features。

The　leader　of　the　Clonemaster　triumvirate　nodded。　〃Precisely。　Their　current　cerebral　position　makes　them　undependable。　They　perform　adequately　as　shock　troops；　but　in　order　to　deal　with　an　Invid　attack；　we'll　need　clones　much　more　tightly　mindlinked　to　our　triumvirate。〃

And　they　all　knew　that　the　need　to　deal　with　the　savage；　relentless　Invid　might　e　soon。　The　Flower　of　Life　had　bloomed　on　Earth；　and　where　the　Flower　bloomed；　the　Robotech　Masters'　mortal　enemies；　the　Invid；　were　bound　to　appear　in　short　order。

It　was　all　so　frustrating　to　the　Masters；　even　though　they　didn't　reveal　any　emotion。　They　had　traveled　for　nearly　fifteen　years…across　the　galaxy…in　search　of　the　last　Protoculture　Matrix　in　existence。　There　were　determined　to　find　that　source　of　power　that　could　return　them　to　their　rightful　place　as　lords　of　all　creation。　And　yet；　although　they　were　near　their　prize；　they　were　unable　to　claim　it　because　of　the　stubbornness　of　the　primitive　Humans　below。　Unbeknownst　to　the　inhabitants　of　Earth；　the　Matrix；　sealed　under　one　of　three　mounds　on　the　outskirts　of　Monument　City；　was　going　to　seed。

The　Masters'　calculations　showed　that　the　Protoculture　would　soon　shift　from　a　contained　mass；　kept　in　the　prefertilized　state　in　which　it　exuded　its　incredible　and　unique　forces；　and　convert　into　the　Flowers　of　Life　that　the　Invid　ingested　to　sustain　themselves。

But　the　Humans　weren't　the　Masters'　only　opposition；　they　weren't　the　most　formidable　enemies。　The　mounds　were　guarded　by　invisible　Protoculture　entities…three　strange；　mysterious；　and　sinister　wraiths。

The　wraiths　had　manifested　themselves　once…or　rather；　they　had　permitted　the　Masters　to　perceive　them。　They　were　cloaked　and　cowled　fire…eyed　specters…ghosts　whose　power　stymied　the　Masters'　efforts　to　find　out　exactly　where　the　Matrix　lay。　Without　that　information；　it　was　impossible　for　the　Masters　to　use　simple　brute　force　to　rip　the　Matrix　from　the　mounds；　that　would　risk　damaging　the　thing　they　had　e　so　far　to　retrieve。　The　Masters　weren't　sure　yet　what　other　powers　or　designs　the　wraiths　might　have。

And　now；　to　plicate　matters　further；　local　perturbations　were　hampering　the　performance　of　the　Masters'　cloned　slave　populace。　〃Yes；　that　might　be　our　problem　with　Zor　Prime；〃　Shaizan　was　saying。　〃We've　had　some　trouble　with　him；　almost　from　the　first　moment　when　he　was　set　down　among　the　Humans。　His　neuro…sensor　has　been　malfunctioning。〃

Not　that　Zor　Prime；　cloned　from　tissue　samples　of　the　slain　original　Zor；　greatest　genius　of　his　race　and　discoverer　of　Protoculture；　hadn't　been　of　some　use。　Divested　of　his　memories；　the　clone　had　been　dispatched　among　the　Terrans　as　an　unwitting　spy；　so　that　the　Masters　could　see　through　his　eyes　and　hear　through　his　ears。

The　Masters　were　also　hoping　that　the　trauma　of　being　among　the　local　primitives；　and　being　on　the　planet　to　which　the　original　Zor　had　dispatched　the　Protoculture　Matrix　so　long　ago；　would　spur　Zor's　memory。　Perhaps　they　could　get　Zor　Prime　to　tell　them　why　the　Matrix　had　been　sent；　precisely　where　it　was；　and　how　to　get　it　back　from　both　the　Humans　and　the　invisible　wraithlike　Protoculture　entities　who　guarded　the　mounds　that　hid　it。

Dag；　second　among　the　Masters；　had　a　slightly　more　prognathous　jaw　than　the　others。　He　said；　〃It　seems　the　Human　behavioral　dysfunction　known　as　emotions　may　be　responsible　for　this　malfunction。〃

Bowkaz；　third　of　the　Masters；　nodded；　his　brows　nearly　meeting　as　his　frown　deepened。　〃Yes。　These　emotions　destabilize　the　proper　functioning　of　the　healthy　brain　and　the　rational　mind。〃

〃What　is　your　will　then；　Masters？〃　asked　Jeddar；　leader　of　the　Clonemaster　triumvirate…their　chief　slaves…bowing　humbly　before　them。

〃Hmm；〃　Shaizan　said；　gazing　down　on　him。　〃You　would　like　our　permission　to　carry　out　this　plan　of　yours；　no　doubt。〃

The　Clonemaster　kowtowed。　〃Yes；　my　lord。　We　believe　it　will　be　our　key　to　a　quick；　decisive　victory。　We　only　need　your　approval。〃

The　Masters　touched　hands　to　their　Protoculture　cap。　Wherever　one　of　the　nailless；　spiderlike　hands　touched　a　mottled　area　of　the　mushroom…shaped　cap；　the　mottled　area　came　alight　with　the　power　of　Protoculture。　The　Masters　swiftly　and　silently　came　to　a　consensus。


The　barracks　housing　the　15th　squad；　Alpha　Tactical　Armored　Corps…ATAC…was　a　truncated　cone　a　dozen　stories　high；　of　smoky　blue　glass　and　gleaming　blue　tile　（the　most　modern　of　polymers）　set　on　a　framework　of　blued　all