09_the_final_nightmare-第44章

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〃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　canister　poured　its　full　energies　into　Dana　Sterling；　who　hung　in　a　split…instant's　graceful　pose；　high　in　the　air　with　the　Masters'　last　Protoculture　mass　radiant　between　her　hands。。。


With　no　sense　of　transition；　she　found　herself　awakening　on　a　green　field　lush　with　the　pink　Flowers　of　Life。　She　still　wore　her　armor；　she　looked　around　at　hills　and　vales；　not　sure　that　they　were　of　Earth；　though　she　saw　wind…blasted　crags　and　what　seemed　to　be　rusting　Zentraedi　wrecks　in　the　distance。　She　had　barely　begun　to　wonder　how　she　had　e　to　be　there　when　she　realized　she　wasn't　alone。

〃Huh？〃

There　were　dark；　cloaked　figures　standing　back　at　a　slight　remove…female；　she　thought；　feeling　a　bit　drifty；　though　she　couldn't　quite　be　certain。　Each　of　the　dark　figures　held　one　of　the　three…stemmed　Flowers　of　Life；　the　three…that…were…one。

But　there　was　someone　else；　kneeling　right　before　her；　a　pact；　blond　young　woman　in　gauzy　pink　robes；　clutching　a　bouquet　of　the　Flowers；　wearing　a　necklace　something　like　Musica's。　The　woman　had　a　roundish　hairdo　and　an　upturned；　freckled　nose；　she　was　calm；　and　yet　there　was　a　sense　of　life　and　gusto　to　her　that　made　her　very　winsome。

Dana　gave　her　head　a　slight　shake　and　realized　that　she　was　looking　at　herself。　And　she　realized　that　she；　like　this　image　of　her；　held　a　Flower　of　Life。

She　levered　herself　up　and　saw　that　there　were　more　of　the　dark　figures；　standing　silently…making　no　move　as　yet…clutching　their　Flowers；　forming　a　ring　around　Dana　and　her　doppelg鋘ger。　Dana　realized　that　she　wasn't　armed；　but　somehow　the　fact　didn't　bother　her；　and　she　felt　only　peace　and　a　yearning　to　have　her　questions　answered。

Then　the　kneeling　image　of　herself　suddenly　shifted；　separating　out　to　either　side　so　that　there　were　three；　smiling　their　mysterious　smiles　at　her。

The　triumvirate！　She　sat…bolt　upright；　recalling　what　had　happened…grasping　the　canister…and　looking　at　the　Flower　in　her　hand。

The　discharges　released　the　Zentraedi　side　of　my　mind！　I'm　seeing　thos