09_the_final_nightmare-第33章

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to　him　stood　Nova　Satori。

Nova　managed　to　pull　herself　together　a　bit。　〃I'm　here　to　take　Musica　back　to　headquarters；〃　she　managed　shakily；　then　cast　another　frightened　look　at　Zor。

〃No；　you're　not；〃　Dana　answered。

Nova　plunged　down　the　steps　that　connected　her　level　with　the　one　below。　But　when　she　was　halfway　there；　Zor；　remaining　where　he　was；　let　out　a　tormented　howl。

〃This　plant　is　responsible　for　my　being　the　monster　I　am！〃　He　gasped　for　breath；　staggered　for　balance　there　at　the　brink　of　the　ledge。

He　was　only　dimly　aware　of　them　all　staring　up　at　him。　The　scent　of　the　spores　and　the　presence　of　the　Matrix　forced　his　memories　to　merge　and　open　themselves　to　him　with　the　same　pulsion　that　made　the　Flower　of　Life　blossom。　He　stared　out　into　the　resplendent　rings　of　the　Matrix；　his　creation。

〃I　stole　the　secret　of　Protoculture　from　the　Invid；　and　betrayed　them。　I　was　betrayed　in　turn；　and　my　contemporaries　became　the　Robotech　Masters。〃　He　went　down　on　all　fours　at　the　very　lip　of　the　drop。

〃But　I　broke　free　of　their　will　at　last！　I　thwarted　them！　And　they've　brought　me　back　as　a　clone；　again　and　again；　hoping　I　would　gibe　them　my　great　secret。　But　they　won't　have　it！〃

〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　Bowie　yelled　back　in　the　echoing　chamber；　〃but　this　is　all　something　the　Invid　want〃…sweeping　his　hand　at　the　Flowers　of　Life…〃and　they're　on　their　way！〃

That　seemed　to　jolt　Zor　back　to　a　measure　of　reality。　Nova　continued　her　descent　of　the　steps。　She　couldn't　understand　how　she　had　ever　felt　drawn　to　Zor；　felt　such　attraction　to　him；　some　alien　trick　perhaps？　The　thought　made　her　all　the　angrier。

〃We　can　sort　all　of　that　out　later。　Musica　is　still　my　prisoner；　and　I'm　taking　her　back　with　me。〃　Nova　came　to　the　bottom　step。

Dana　stepped　to　block　her　way。　〃Sorry；　Nova。　No。〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

And　the　mountains　in　reply
Echoing　their　joyous　strain
Prewar　Earth　hymn

The　Robotech　Masters　had　deployed　their　assault　ships　and　mand　ships　and　lesser　warcraft。　Blue　and　red　Bioroids　were　set　to　fight；　mindlessly；　in　a　G鰐terd鋗merung。

Emerson's　fleet　was　ing　at　flank　speed；　to　hurl　itself　on　the　invaders'　rear。　In　an　order　that　had　his　staff　gulping；　Emerson　directed　that　his　Tristar　flagship　lead　the　attack。　The　equipment　that　had　let　him　work　his　singularity　ploy　was　fused　and　useless；　this　battle　would　be　toe…to…toe。

As　Emerson's　battle…weary　elements　threw　themselves　into　a　last；　almost　spasmodic　attack；　the　Masters'　advance　faltered。　Virtually　everything　in　the　Southern　Cross　capable　of　getting　off　the　ground　rose　from　Fokker　and　a　dozen　other　bases；　braced　for　the　Twilight　of　the　Robotech　Gods。

Marie　Crystal　and　Dennis　Brown　led　their　A…JACs　forth；　and　the　Triumviroids　thronged　to　meet　them。　The　Earth　mecha　did　their　best　to　use　the　tactics　that　were　successful　against　the　invaders　for　the　15th。　Dreadnoughts　lit　the　eternal　night　with　cannon　salvoes。　Missiles　left　their　ribbontrails。


Nova　ignored　Zor's　attempted　intercession。　〃I'll　expect　you　all　to　remember　your　oaths　of　service；〃　she　said；　sweeping　her　eyes　across　the　15th。　She　gave　Bowie　Grant　a　particularly　fixing　stare；　he　was　the　key　to　it　all。　If　she　could　get　him　to　see　past　his　deluded　attraction　to　the　clone　woman；　the　whole　affair　would　be　resolved　peacefully。　If　not。。。

〃I'm　not　part　of　the　military　anymore；〃　Bowie　said　stubbornly；　squeezing　Musica's　hand。

〃General　Emerson　is；〃　Nova　invoked　the　name。　〃And　he's　fighting　with　everything　he's　got　to　save　this　planet。〃

〃I　don't　care！〃　Bowie　burst　out。　〃Musica's　my　friend…not　my　prisoner　or　my　enemy；　and　not　yours　either；　do　you　hear　me？　Why　can't　you　leave　us　alone？〃

Nova　saw　that　all　the　ATACs　quietly　agreed…even　the　normally　duty…bound　Dante。

〃Is　love　so　difficult　for　you　to　understand；　Nova？〃　Dana　asked　angrily。　〃Why　d'you　always　have　to　be　so　coldblooded？〃

The　question　rocked　Nova　a　little；　almost　as　if　Dana　had　struck　her。　She　had　felt　like　an　outsider　all　her　life；　the　more　so　when　she　had　joined　GMP。　The　bewildering　attraction　she　had　felt　for　Zor；　and　then　the　sudden　absence　of　it；　the　slow　warming　to　Dennis　Brown；　the　pity　she　held　for　Captain　Komodo；　because　she　knew　how　it　felt　to　be　rebuffed…those　were　things　she　didn't　dare　inspect　too　closely。

She　drew　her　sidearm；　holding　it　close　to　her　hip　and　leveling　it　at　them。

〃It's　my　duty；　that's　why；〃　she　told　Dana。　〃And　for　me；　Earth　es　first。　And　the　Human　race。　I'm　taking　Musica　back；　whether　some　of　you　get　hurt　or　not。〃

It　was　all　too　melodramatic；　Dana　thought；　even　as　she　got　set　to　play　out　her　role。　Bowie　had　stepped　into　the　line　of　fire；　shielding　Musica；　and　Musica　was　already　making　timid　but　determined　insistence　that　he　move　aside；　to　avoid　bloodshed。

The　rest　of　the　15th　reacted　to　the　appearance　of　the　pistol　with　predators'　reflexes；　shifting　weight；　edging　this　way　and　that　slightly；　barely　seeming　to　move　their　feet。　They　turned　their　bodies　side…on　to　Nova　to　minimize　their　target　silhouettes；　bracing　to　take　her。

〃What　happened　to　all　that　talk　back　at　GMP　headquarters；　Nova？〃　Bowie　challenged；　holding　Musica　back。　〃Honor。　Freedom。　Defending　Human　ideals　and　our　way　of　life。　You　said　you　could　be　a　friend　to　anyone　who　valued　those　things。〃

〃Well；　this　is　my　life。〃　He　put　his　arm　around　Musica's　waist。　〃D'you　really　have　it　in　you　to　be　a　friend？〃

〃I…〃　Nova　had　forgotten　those　talks；　an　attempt　to　win　over　a　friend　in　the　enemy　camp　of　the　15th。　It　had　started　out　as　a　turning　operation；　at　Colonel　Fredericks's　direction。　But　it　ended　up　with　her　actually　feeling　something　for　the　maverick　trooper　private；　if　only　an　unspoken　sympathy　for　his　confusion；　his　alienation。　And　then　he　was　also　Claudia　Grant's　nephew。

Nova　had　the　flash　of　memory　again；　not　clear　but　strong。


It　was　Christmas　in　rebuilt　Macross　City；　the　Christmas　that　would　see　Khyron's　sneak　attack。　Little　Nova　Satori　was　out　with　her　older　sister　and　her　sister's　friends；　caroling；　as　the　snow　drifted　down。　They　happened　upon　a　tall；　regal　black　lady；　beautiful　as　a　Snow　Queen；　who　looked　very　sad。

But　when　she　spoke　to　them；　Nova's　sister　recognized　the　lady's　voice；　as　all　the　older　girls　did。　Back　on　the　SDF…1；　hers　had　been　the　PA　voice　that　so　often　restored　hope　in　the　midst　of　war；　told　the　people　where　to　go　and　what　to　do；　gave　the　world　calm；　transmitted　courage。

She　was　mander　Claudia　Grant。　The　chorus　of　little　girls　gathered　close　in　a　ring　around　her　and　sang；　the　best　they　ever　sang。　There　was　no　question　about　what　carol　it　would　be。

〃An…gels　we　have　heard　on　high！　Sweetly　singing　o'er　the　plain！〃


They　all　wanted　to　be　mander　Grant；　mander　Grant　wanted　them　to　be　more。　She'd　hugged　them　all　to　her　and　wept。


〃…I'm　a　friend。。。。〃　Nova　managed；　not　sure　what　she　was　saying。　Her　training　and　the　pistol　gave　her　mand　of　the　situation。　She　knew　what　moves　to　make　and　procedures　to　follow；　even　what　tone　of　voice　she　ought　to　be　using　at　this　point　to　ensure　that　Phillips　and　the　others　didn't　try　any　of　their　absurd　heroics。

She　had　singlehandedly　managed　situations　against　even　greater　odds；　against　truly　ruthless　and　evil　people；　and　that　last　part　was　the　glaring　incongruity。　She　was　disarmed　of　her　greatest　weapon：　the　conviction　that　she　was　totally　in　the　right。　And　all　her　other　resources；　powerful　though　they　were；　began　to　fail　her。

When　Zor's　big　hand　closed　over　the　weapon　and　took　it　from　her；　Nova　barely　registered　it　through　the　sudden　numbness　she　felt。　〃You　won't　need　this；〃　he　said　in　an　almost　conversational　tone。　She　could　have　had　the　pistol　back　at　once；　by　using　an　infighting　trick；　she　didn't。

Nova　shook　herself　loose　of　the　paralysis；　the　realization　that　she　couldn't　fire　at　these　people；　that　her　oath　conflicted　with　the　ideals　it　was　supposed　to　uphold。

She　looked　to　Zor。　〃But…isn't　she　one　of　the　clones？　Zor；　they　did　such　terrible　things　to　you…〃

Zor　was　shaking　his　head；　the　lavender　curls　swaying。　〃She　is　a　Muse；　the　very　soul　of　harmony。　She　is　vital　to　the　Robotech　Masters；　however。　Look！〃

Nova　and　the　others　followed　Zor's　pointing　finger。　They　were　watching　the　great　mass　of　the　Flowers　of　Life；　hearing　the　ton