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ive fighter groups and was scoring heavily in all sectors。
〃They should break off the attack while there's still time；〃 Vince said to no one in particular。 He felt Jean's warm hand on his shoulder。
〃We've pinpointed the ship；〃 she told him as he swung around from the view。
Vince glanced over her head at intel officers and techs grouped around the tactical board。 In tight close…up on…screen was one of the interdimensional sphere ships； with few labor drones about。
〃Is that the one？〃 Vince asked。
〃Yes； sir；〃 a lieutenant colonel replied。 〃We're certain it's the prototype。 First off the line； first to be equipped with drive units。〃 The young man swiveled to face Vince。 〃It's our best bet； General。〃
Vince answered him with a grim nod。 〃Any word from Nichols？〃
〃Just up； sir；〃 a tech said； displaying a message on one of the sit board's peripherals。 〃Looks like they're inside the Awareness。 We've also received reports of a full…scale hostage uprising planetside。〃
Vince studied the big board； then turned to the viewport； narrowing his eyes against an angry strobing of battle light。〃 All right； gentlemen；〃 he said after a moment。 〃Inform Colonel Bernard that his Veritech group has a green light。 But make sure he understands they're to wait for Dr。 Nichols's all…clear before attempting to board the prototype。〃
The tech activated the …line。 〃Anything else； sir？〃
Vince snorted。 〃Wish him Godspeed； Sergeant。〃
The Awareness was an argent temple that brought to mind Tiresia's pyramidal Royal Hall。 Louie and his infiltration team approached it cautiously； evading program sentries when necessary； although most of those had been successfully lured away to implement Exedore's requests for system updates。
Once they were inside； the place turned out to be a labyrinth of mand corridors and data reservoirs； as difficult to enter as it probably was to exit。 But there was no time to be selective。 Gibley surrendered the point； and Louie joysticked himself through a columned portal。 Angling through a maze of lower function hallways； he began arming the virus charges the raiders had carried in。 The idea was to home in on the source of the disruption signals that would result once they were detonated。
And in that； the charges did not disappoint。
The Awareness rallied； filling its instinctual level corridors with a veritable horde of antibiotic programs。 But the teams' decision to engage early on had been predicated on the expectation of just such a primitive reaction； and by so doing； the Awareness not only lost momentary control of its logic circuits but allowed Louie's team to ascend rapidly through its mand and control hierarchy。
Louie followed the path of most resistance； deploying ghosts to confuse trackers； and eventually entered a vaguely defined triangular chamber close to the pyramid's summit。 Normally there would have been access codes to decrypt there； but the Awareness had apparently been engaged in entering them when the Karbarran attack had begun。
When Louie had brought the raiders to a halt； he sent three recon drones through the elaborate window at the chamber's apex。
The data they returned stilled his thoughts。
In the space above the temple's golden triangle were perhaps tens of thousands of discorporate intelligences。 Louie had discovered where Haydon and his race were hiding。
By the time he found the presence of mind to order the team out； the first of Haydon's antipersonnel security…force programs was…already engulfing them。
CHAPTER TWENTY
〃Now； children；〃 I heard one of the child…care staffers； say into the mike； 〃stop being so damned destructive！〃 He turned to me red…faced and apologetic； but I was already thinking： Damned children； damned children 。。。 When and where had I heard that before？
Lisa Hayes； Recollections： The Lost Journey
Rem did not need the clonesongs to open his mind to what had happened once Zor had left Optera with the Flower of Life specimens the Regis had given him。 He knew from both the historical record and the cellular memories he had summoned while at work on Lang's facsimile matrix that the Regent had learned of his wife's infidelity； exposed the hoax Zor had perpetrated； and ordered the landing party to leave the planet。
Though the use of deception was still in vogue among the arts of that period； the direction of physical force against other life…forms was not； and the landing party had assented to the outraged husband's demands and exited the Tzuptum system the following day。 But instead of continuing with their grand tour of the Quadrant； they had returned almost immediately to Tirol； where Zor had described for the Elders the wonders to be found on Optera and had given them their first look at the mysterious Flower he had accepted on their behalf。
What had followed for Zor were years and years of tedious； most often solitary experimentation with the Flower。 The Elders had been pleased to accept his gift； but their disappointment was apparent。 True； the Invid…Flower symbiosis seemed to be a process worthy of further investigation； but that was the end of it。 The Elders lacked the necessary vision to see how the Flower might have any lasting import to human life。 So Zor had endeavored to demonstrate just what could be acplished by harnessing the Flower's bio…energy and by employing the language the Regis had taught him； he introduced Protoculture to the Quadrant。
So began the brief but catastrophic era known as the Great Transition： the years of barbaric infighting that led to the formation of the Robotech Masters； the rapid redevelopment of terror weapons and spacefold drives； the bloody program that anticipated the early clone experiments； and finally； the neural re…programming of the miner…giant Zentraedi。
Zor had long since lost control of his discovery and fallen victim to the pulsion the Masters had placed upon him。 And those same Masters would oversee his eventual return to Optera； no longer as trickster or would…be king but conqueror； thief； and destroyer of worlds 。 。 。
Rem wept in his quarters aboard the SDF…3； recalling the hell Optera had been sentenced to by his clone…father and the millions…strong Zentraedi。 The theft of the Flowers； the ravaging of that garden planet； the overnight devolvement of the Invid； the war that had raged across the face of countless worlds 。。。
As little as two Earth…standard years ago； Rem had convinced himself that by reseeding Optera…New Praxis…he had actually redressed some of Zor's injustices。 But he understood now that he had balanced only half the equation The Flowers prospered； but only to serve the demand of the beings that sowed them…to yield up the Protoculture。
The pulsion lived on。 For in fabricating the matrix Rem had helped deal yet another blow against the Flowers true guardians。
He began to ask himself what Zor had hoped to acplish by sending the original matrix to Earth。 Zor's hand had been guided by something he had learned on Haydon IV； Rem knew that much。 But what was it he had discovered there？
Some way to rescue the Invid； perhaps； to make amends to the Queen…Mother he had seduced。
Some way to balance the other side； of the equation。
Rem realized that he would need Minmei's help one final time to dredge up nucleic memories of Zor's quiet rebellion against the Masters and of his critical encounter with Haydon IV's artificial sentience； the Awareness。
〃I suppose we should be grateful they disassembled the thing；〃 Emilio Segundo； the ship's pediatrician； suggested。 Lisa looked at him askance； 〃‘Disassembled；' Doctor？ I'd say they destroyed it。〃
Kazianna Hesh issued a low； grunting sound that sent the nursery's Micronian balcony vibrating。 〃What can we expect；〃 she said； 〃with world killers as their role models？〃
Lisa could have almost believed she was conversing with one of the women in the childbirth class she and Rick had taken before Roy was born。 Although Lisa； Dr。 Segundo； and Kazianna Hesh were standing eye to eye； the balcony was me forty feet above the nursery floor。
But killed was certainly an apt description of what the human and Zentraedi young ones had done to the alloy and foam sphere they had expended such energy fashioning。 The wing was literally in pieces； hemispheres cleaved； the plex transformable modules of their interiors scattered about。 The nursery looked like a war zone； which was how the pediatrician had related it to Lisa over the inter several minutes before。
〃Did they give any explanation？〃 she asked him。
Dr Segundo shook his head； one hand tugging at his salt…and璸epper goatee。 〃None whatsoever。 One minute they had the sphere opened and transformed into something that looked to be an oversize pair of binoculars； and the next they attack it with every toy in the place。〃
〃plete with sound effects；〃 Kazianna said。 〃Mecha flight sounds； explosions； death rattles； that sort of thing；〃 ahe added； sensing Lisa's bafflement。
〃So it was all an elaborate game…building this thing； then wrecking it？〃
Segundo shrugged。 〃It would hardly explain the secrecy they attached to it。〃 He looked at Lisa。 〃And all this guarded behavior the staff claim they demonstrated。〃
〃Oh； they did；〃 Lisa affirmed； recalling her confrontation with Roy and Drannin。 〃Trust me on that one； Doctor。〃 Lisa stepped closer to the one…way glass to peer down into the playroom。 The children； cross…legged…human and Zentraedi alike…had formed an inward…facing circle on the floor。 〃Let's have the audio again；〃 she said after a moment。 Segundo activated a wall switch； and low…voiced chanting filled the balcony space。 The chant sounded like some sort of monotone； three…syllable canine call： Ur…rur…ra； ur…rur…ra； ur…rur…ra 。 。 。
〃They've been at it for close to fifteen minutes now；〃 Kazianna said。
Lisa was about to respond when the inter sounded。 Segundo made a volume adjustment on the nursery mikes and hit the …line ready stud。 Raul Forsythe's face appeared on…screen。 〃Go ahead； Raul；〃 Lisa said； positioning herself in front of the camera。
〃Message from below； Admiral；〃 Forsythe began。 〃Two members of the scouting party have disappeared。〃
Lisa's hand went to her mouth。 〃Oh； no 。 。 。〃
〃Seems scanners detected the presence of a life…form just prior to the disappearances…enormous by the sound of it。 But the thing vanished before the team could fix its location。〃
〃Any confirmation from our onboards？〃 Lisa asked。
〃Not yet。 But Admiral Hunter is requesting backup。 They've got a lot of ground to cover； and it's slow going。〃
〃Was he specific？〃
〃He wants two teams…one Sentinels； one Zentraedi。〃 Lisa turned to Kazianna to see if she was listening。 The Zentraedi nodded； but Lisa noticed misgiving in her sad eyes。 〃What is it； Kazianna？〃 Lisa said after she and Raul had signed off。 〃If you have any concerns about going planetside； now's the time to make them known。〃
Kazianna shook her head。 〃It's not that； mander； it's the chant。〃
Lisa listened for a moment。 The children seemed to have upped the tempo； if not the volume。
〃‘Ur…rur…ra；'〃 Kazianna mimicked。 〃I think they're saying Aurora。〃
Toggled out of machine mind； Louie Nichols sat palsied at his console in the Ark Angel's data room； his own internal systems scrambled by Haydon's security programs。 That he emerged with his personality intact was nothing less than miraculous； given what the Awareness had launched against the team。 Gibley； however； had not been as fortunate。 He was laid out like a rag doll on a table across the room； eyes open but expression blank。 Two med techs were working on him but while they might succeed in keeping the body alive； Gibley was fried inside； a plete brainwipe。
〃You okay？〃 Louie heard Strucker ask behind him。 He owned and nodded。
〃mand says Bernard's VTs are closing on the ship。〃 Louie took a deep breath。 〃Then we've gotta go back in。 But this time we steer clear of that central shaft；〃 he told his team。 〃Everybody got it？ I think we bypassed mand and control in the way up to Haydon's cyber…sleep chamber。〃
〃On the left as we cleared that tall logic column；〃 Stirson aid。
〃Right； I saw it；〃 Shi…Ling agreed。 〃Green haze portal； like the one we developed back in Tokyo for Matushima。〃 Stirson grinned。 〃That's the one。〃
〃First one in goes