09_the_final_nightmare-第36章

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He　was　shaking　his　bunched　fists　in　the　air　before　him；　speaking　an　unprepared　speech　for　once。　Then　he　realized；　with　surprise；　that　a　few　of　the　men　and　women　around　him　were　nodding　their　heads　in　agreement。　He　had　e　to　think　of　himself　as　a　man　who　could　never　have　the　heartfelt　support　of　those　around　him。

He　was　thinking　along　new　lines　when　Bowkaz；　speaking　up；　dashed　his　hopes。　〃Leonard；　this　is　an　ultimatum…a　fact　of　life…not　a　suggestion　or　a　mere　threat。　The　Invid；　our　bitter　enemies；　have　already　detected　the　presence　of　Protoculture　on　your　planet。〃

〃They　will　be　here　soon；〃　Dag　said。　〃And；　it　seems；　there　will　be　more　war。　You　can　leave　or　you　can　be　crushed　between；　there　is　no　third　way。　Go；　and　leave　this　matter　to　us。〃

Leonard　resisted　the　urge　to　duck　offscreen　to　consult　with　his　advisers　and　image…makers；　or　break　the　connection。　But　pride　made　him　stand　there；　as　the　Masters　knew　by　now　that　it　would；　protecting　to　the　last　his　Lone　Warrior；　his　Gunfighter…Patton…Caesar　persona。

But　the　self…preserving　side　of　his　mind　was　making　very；　very　fast　calculations。　If　only　a　portion　of　the　Human　race　were　to　survive；　it　was　his　duty　to　rule　them。

〃Impossible〃　he　told　Shaizan；　hoping　the　word　didn't　sound　too　tremulous。　〃More　time！〃　Leonard　added。　He　grabbed　a　figure　from　the　air；　〃At　least　seven　days！〃　There　was　something　Biblical　about　it；　but　nothing　workable。

Shaizan　raised　his　arm；　but　Leonard　couldn't　see　that　he；　like　his　triad　mates；　was　touching　the　Protoculture　cap。

〃Forty…eight　of　your　hours；　and　no　more；〃　Shaizan　decreed。　He　cut　off　Leonard's　objections。　〃And　after　that；　no　life　on　Earth。〃

The　screen　de…rezzed；　then　went　clear。　Leonard　turned　to　his　nearest　subordinate；　saved　from　an　agonizing　decision　because　the　Masters　had　insisted　on　the　impossible。　〃Reconsolidate　all　units　in　the　area　of　Monument　City　and　prepare　for　an　all…out　assault。〃

There　were　only　a　few　tentative　hesitations；　all　of　them　jumped…to　when　he　bellowed；　〃Do　it　now！　On　the　double！〃

They　were　pliant　because　no　other　attitude　was　tolerated　in　Leonard's　inner　circle；　and　so　there　was　no　contradiction。　They　scurried。

Leonard　reflected；　We　whipped　the　Zentraedi　and　we　can　whip　these　Robotech　Masters！　And　the　Invid；　whatever　in　hell　they　are！

Men　and　women　prepared　as　best　they　could。　Some　children　were　shielded　or　remanded　to　shelters　by　their　elders；　but　many　found　a　weapon　and　got　ready　to　be　part　of　the　final　battle。

There　was　a　brief　calm　in　the　wake　of　the　beams；　something　to　savor　even　though　it　wasn't　meant　to　be　savored。　Soon；　the　sky　split　apart　again。


The　holding　action　fought　by　the　Tristar；　Emerson's　flagship；　was　the　sort　of　thing　children's　stories　and　patriotic　poetry　are　made　of。　Emerson　himself　would　have　given　anything　not　to　be　there；　or　at　least　not　to　be　the　last　living　crewmember　among　the　dead。

But　that　was　how　it　had　happened。　An　enemy　blast　took　out　virtually　all　the　bridge　systemry　and　killed　the　senior　gunnery　mander　who　had　been　standing　between　him　and　the　nearest　explosion。　But　he　had　taken　shrapnel　and　the　mand　chair　under　him　was　stained　with　his　blood。　His　head　had　been　rocked　against　his　headrest　at　an　angle　where　the　padding　was　of　little　help；　dazing　him。

Emerson　felt　infinitely　tired　and　regretful…regretful　that　he　had　never　spoken　his　heart　to　Bowie；　that　he　had　lost　the　battle；　that　he　had　made　such　a　mess　of　his　marriage。　More　than　anything；　he　was　regretful　that　so　many　lives　had　been　or　were　about　to　be　sped　into　the　blackness。

Smoke　roiled　from　the　control　panels　in　a　bridge　that　would　soon　be　a　crypt。　Emerson's　head　lolled　back　and　he　had　only　an　instant　to　recall　something　he　had　read　in　Captain　Lisa　Hayes…Hunter's　war…journal；　Recollections。

It　was　getting　harder　to　think；　but　he　pulled　the　quote　together　by　an　act　of　will。　Why　are　we　here？　Where　do　we　e　from？　What　happens　to　us　when　we　die？　Questions　so　universal；　they　must　be　structured　in　the　RNA　codons　and　anticodons　themselves；　it　seemed　to　Emerson。

He　had　no　answers；　but　expected　to　shortly。　He　was　pretty　sure　those　answers　would　be　as　surprising　to　the　Robotech　Masters　as　they　would　be　to　dead　Terran　generals。

Then　he　was　blinking　up　at　Lieutenant　Crystal　and　Lieutenant　Brown。　Emerson　couldn't　imagine　how　they　could　have　landed　their　craft　on　the　critically　damaged　Tristar。　He　couldn't　decide　if　they　were　real　or　not。　But　the　agony　he　felt　as　they　dragged　him　over　to　an　ejection　module　convinced　him　it　was　all　real；　and　even　revived　him　a　bit。

Dennis　Brown　didn't　quite　know　what　to　say　to　Marie；　the　whole　Emerson　rescue　had　been　so　improvised；　and　they　had　only　gotten　to　know　one　another　as　unit　manders。　Sitting　crowded　into　the　little　alloy…armored　ball　with　the　injured　general　made　things　different；　somehow　awkward。　But　there　had　been　no　time　to　get　back　to　their　mecha；　and　anyway　both　craft　were　so　badly　damaged　that　the　ejection　capsule　was　the　better　bet。

〃Looks　like　we　made　it；〃　he　ventured；　as　the　Tristar　began　to　blow　to　pieces　behind　them；　jolting　the　metal　sphere　along　on　its　shockwave。

She　considered　that。　〃Yep；〃　Marie　hedged。

But　then　they　saw　that　they　had　been　premature；　the　maw　of　an　enemy　cruiser；　one　of　the　last　still　functioning；　came　at　them　like　the　open　mouth　of　a　shark；　like　something　out　of　a　nightmare。

They　were　swallowed　up。


At　point；　Dana　looked　down　and　the　Pollinator　was　no　longer　frisking　along　behind；　she　was　used　to　those　sudden　disappearances；　but　wondered　if　she　would　ever　see　him　again。

The　15th　and　its　friends　and　allies；　having　made　it　to　the　top　of　the　mound　that　buried　the　SDF…1　and　every　vital　secret　of　Protoculture；　looked　down　at　a　circus　of　light　and　sound。　The　GMP　appeared　to　have　gotten　there　first；　with　troop　carriers；　giant　robots；　and　crew…served　weapons。　There　was　an　energy　cordon　farther　out；　and　a　lot　of　activity　at　the　foot　of　the　mound。　In　the　distance；　cities　burned　and　smoke　went　up　in　mile…wide　clouds　where　the　enemy　had　struck。　For　some　reason　the　GMP　troops；　following　Colonel　Fredericks's　orders　to　recapture　the　aliens　at　all　costs；　were　forgotten　or　couldn't　be　reached　by　Southern　Cross　brass　desperate　for　reinforcements。

As　Zor　thought　about　the　madness　of　it　all；　Dana　thought　about　Zor　and　how　very　badly　she　needed　to　understand　him　and　understand　herself。　As　the　eight　who　stood　there　dealt　with　their　wildly　varying　thoughts　and　memories　and　impulses；　another　shadow　crossed　the　land。

They　all　looked　up；　as　did　the　Gimps　below；　to　see；　hovering　above；　a　cinnamon…red；　whiskbroom…shaved　Robotech　Master　assault　ship。


Karno　and　his　triad　mates　were　gazing　into　an　enormous　lens。　〃There　rests　the　last　Protoculture　Matrix；〃　Karno　said　in　his　single…sideband　voice。　〃But　who　are　those；　atop　the　mound？〃

Theirs　was　the　ship　and　the　mission　for　which　all　the　rest　were　providing　a　distraction。　The　last　thing　they　had　expected　was　to　find　the　mound　surrounded　by　bat　units。

It　was　all　very　confusing。　There　was　no　sign　of　the　three　frightful　Protoculture　wraiths；　no　least　indication　of　any　counteraction；　and　that　was　enough　to　make　anyone　knowledgeable　in　the　ways　of　Protoculture　cautious。

But　this？　As　the　focus　zoomed　in；　Karno　saw　his　onetime　fiancee；　Musica；　the　latest　of　the　Zor　clones；　and　six　Earth　primitives　ranged　about　at　the　brink　of　a　cliff。

〃Zor　is　with　them；〃　Darsis　observed　with　a　dispassion　worthy　of　the　Elders　themselves。

〃Even　Musica；〃　pronounced　Karno；　forcing　himself　to　match　that　proper　tone；　willing　to　die　before　admitting　the　hot；　hateful　feelings　coursing　through　him。


Dana　looked　at　Zor　in　surprise；　as　he　stepped　to　the　brink　and　addressed　the　empty　air。　〃If　you　attack；　we　will　destroy　all　that　is　here。　Flowers。　Protoculture。　Muse。　All。〃

〃Go　to　your　Robotech　Masters！　Tell　them　this　war　must　end。　You　in　the　depths　of　your　ignorance；　you　and　your　Masters：　it　is　time　for　you　to　learn　how　to　learn。〃

Zor　was　intent　on　the　ship；　but　Nova　looked　at　him　wonderingly；　and　had　misgivings。　What　if；　somehow；　he　wasn't　bluffing？

The　godlike　voice　from　the　assault　ship　gave　the　Humans　a　start；　but　Musica　and　Zor　were　braced　for　it。　〃We　will　be　back；〃　it　said；　as　fl