05_force_of_arms-第20部分

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rom　waging　their　war。　The　UEDC　planners；　engineers；　and　rulers　had　too　much　at　stake　and　only　scoffed　when　she　tried　to　make　the　point。

He　saw　she　wasn't　going　to　yield　the　point；　she　simply　gave　up　arguing　it　for　the　time　being。　He　turned　to　go；　saying；　〃I　have　work　to　do。　If　anything　es　up；　I'll　be　in　the　central　core。〃

〃Yes；　sir；〃　Lisa　said　wearily。


CHAPTER　FOURTEEN

I　was　close　enough　to　Lang　in　those　days　to　be　certain　that　he　had　no　confidential　knowledge　of　the　hidden　Protoculture　source　to　which　Exedore　was　referring。　Had　he　but　known　the　secret　of　those　great；　sealed　reflex　furnaces；　he　might　have　formulated　an　immortal　update　to　Einstein's　remark：　Protoculture　doesn't　play　dice　with　the　universe；　but　It　certainly　knows　how　to　palm　an　ace　at　the　crucial　moment！
Dr。　Lazlo　Zand；　On　Earth　As　It　Is　in　Hell：　Recollections　of　the　Robotech　War

〃Officer　Lynn…Kyle；　what　is　your　military　rank？〃　Exedore　asked　in　the　vaulted　hearing　chamber。

Kyle　gave　him　a　surly　look。　〃I'm　a　civilian。〃

Exedore　made　a　brief；　mocking　chuckle。　〃With　your　superpowers？　I　doubt　it。〃

Kyle　bared　his　teeth　at　the　alien。　〃I　have　no　idea　what　you're　talking　about！〃

Exedore　looked　around；　confused。　He　was　satisfied　that　these　Micronians　were　doing　their　best　to；　to　〃level　with〃　him；　as　Colonel　Maistroff　had　put　it　on　the　way　over。

Gloval　intervened。　〃Mr。　Minister；　he's　telling　the　truth。　This　man　possesses　no　superpowers。　For　that　matter；　none　of　us　in　this　room　possess　the　powers　you're　referring　to。〃

Gloval　was　taking　a　gamble。　The　bluff　of　human　superpowers　hadn't　made　the　enemy　go　away　and　couldn't　be　sustained　for　very　long。　But　there　was　something　murky　about　the　whole　war；　something　that　made　him　suspect　that　a　basic　breakdown　in　munication　was　responsible　for　the　whole　thing。　It　was　time　for　someone　to　try　to　get　to　the　bottom　of　it。

〃But…we　saw　him　on　our　monitors；〃　Exedore　protested。

〃Oh；　that　was　a　movie；　merely　a　form　of　entertainment；〃　Gloval　replied；　scratching　his　head　to　try　to　think　how　to　explain　better。　〃It's　not　true；　it's。。。simply　for　enjoyment。〃

Exedore　decided　to　table　that　for　now；　he　knew　the　enjoyment　he　found　in　the　ancient　lore　and　history　of　the　Zentraedi；　but　those　were　factual。　〃Then　what　about　your　energy　barrier　and　destruction　waves？〃

〃These　are　merely　defensive　and　offensive　weapons　based　on　technology　discovered　in　this　ship　when　it　originally　crashed　on　Earth。〃

〃Ah；　but　you've　forgotten　the　Protoculture！〃　Exedore　said　slyly。　〃The　great　genius　of　the　Robotech　Masters'　race；　Zor；　hid　the　secrets　of　Protoculture　and　its　last　great　manufacturing　source　in　this　vessel　before　he　dispatched　it　here。〃

Now；　at　last；　Gloval　was　seeing　some　of　the　aliens'　cards；　and　he　was　sure　the　talks　were　worth　it。　All　the　questions　of　who　the　Robotech　Masters　were；　who　Zor　was　and　why　he　had　picked　Earth；　had　to　be　set　aside；　intriguing　as　they　were。　The　life　of　the　human　race　might　be　measurable　in　hours；　even　minutes。

Gloval　opened　a　fne。　〃I　think　we're　ready　for　Dr。　Lang　now。〃

Lang　entered；　the　greatest　mind　of　his　time；　an　intellect　worthy　to　sit　with　Newton　and　Einstein　and　yet　a　man　frustrated　by　the　many　mysteries　of　Robotechnology。　He　had　been　monitoring　the　exchanges　in　a　waiting　room　and　was　eager　to　talk　to　Exedore。

The　Zentraedi；　Minmei　and　Kyle；　and　the　others　there　who　had　never　seen　Lang　before　got　a　bit　of　a　shock　and　understood　why　he　shunned　the　limelight。　Normal…looking　in　every　other　way；　the　man　had　eyes　that　seemed　to　be　all　dark；　liquid　iris…no　pupil　or　white。

Gloval　remembered　that　day　well；　hours　after　the　SDF…1's　crash　in　1999；　when　he；　Lang；　and　a　few　others　had　first　boarded　the　smoking　wreck。　They　had　discovered　an　astounding　technology；　fearsome　mecha　guardians；　and　bewildering　time　paradoxes。

They　had　also　discovered　a　recorded　warning　that　they　couldn't　fathom。　And　Lang；　yielding　to　an　unquenchable　thirst　for　more　knowledge；　more　interface；　had　somehow　subjected　himself　to　direct　contact　with　whatever　it　was　that　animated　the　ship。　That　was　when　his　eyes　changed；　when　he　himself　became　different；　as　if　he　were　hearing　celestial　music。　Nevertheless；　it　was　his　genius　that　had　allowed　the　rebuilding　of　the　SDF…1　and　the　construction　of　the　Robotech　Defense　Force。

Now；　Lang　said　to　Exedore；　〃We've　heard　Protoculture　mentioned　many　times；　Emissary。　Will　you　tell　me　now　what　it　is？〃

Exedore's　brows　shot　up。　〃You　mean　you　still　insist　that　you　Micronians　don't　know？　Protoculture　is　the　most　powerful　energy　source　in　the　universe。〃

Lang's　deep；　dark　eyes　bored　into　him。　〃I　have　been　able　to　find　nothing　of　that　nature　in　this　vessel；　and　I've　been　searching　since　your　fleet　first　arrived　in　the　solar　system。　But　I　believe　I　know　what　has　happened。　Will　you　e　with　me；　please？〃

Gloval　rose　but　told　the　others；　〃You　will　all　kindly　remain　here；　please。〃

The　jeep　was　waiting；　and　the　trip　through　the　huge　passages　and　byways　of　the　battle　fortress　took　only　a　few　minutes。　Very　shortly　they　were　in　the　engineering　section；　just　forward　of　the　huge　reflex　engines　that　were　the　ship's　power　plant。

They　were　in　a　large　partment　that　had　once　held　the　ship's　spacefold　apparatus。　Now　there　was　some　leftover　machinery　from　the　pin…point　barrier　system　that　had　been　the　ship's　main　defensive　weapon　on　its　precarious　trip　across　the　solar　system。　As　there　had　been　for　years；　there　were　also　the　lights。

〃When　the　Zentraedi　first　attacked　Earth；　we　made　our　spacefold　jump　to　get　to　safety；〃　Lang　was　explaining。　〃We　had　no　time　to　experiment；　no　time　to　test。　A　jump　that　was　meant　to　take　us　beyond　our　moon's　orbit　took　us　instead　to　the　orbit　of　Pluto。〃

〃I　remember　well；〃　Exedore　said；　scratching　his　cheek；　staring　at　the　giant；　almost…empty　partment。

〃You　made　the　jump　too　close　to　the　planetary　surface；　we　were　convinced　that　you　were　suicidal。〃

〃You　gave　us　no　choice；〃　Gloval　said　in　a　low　voice；　thinking　back　to　the　appalling　devastation　and　loss　of　life　that　day。　He　did　his　best　to　put　it　from　his　mind。

〃But　in　the　wake　of　the　jump；〃　Lang　went　on；　〃the　spacefold　apparatus　just。。。disappeared。　Utterly！　Simply　faded　from　view　and　was　never　seen　again。　And　in　its　place　were　those。〃

Lang　meant　the　lights：　darting；　glowing　sparks；　fireflies　and　tiny　ets　that　swarmed　and　drifted　through　the　space　where　the　spacefold　apparatus　had　once　been。　Exedore　turned　to　him。　〃May　I　borrow　some　of　those　instruments　you've　brought；　Doctor？〃

It　took　only　a　little　time　to　prove　his　suspicions。　〃Ah；　yes：　definite　residual　Protoculture　signature　here；　but　the　Matrix　is　gone。　And　I　detect　no　other　great　manufacturing　mass；　only　the　lesser　animating　charges　of　your　weapons　and　the　reflex　furnaces。〃

Exedore　lowered　the　detector　numbly。　〃The　secrets　of　Zor；　gone！　This　long　war　fought　for　nothing！〃

Lang　patted　Exedore's　shoulder　miseratingly。　〃Perhaps　someday　we　will　find　it　again；　who　can　say？〃

Gloval　was　shocked　to　see　how　quickly　the　two　had　bee　easy　in　each　other's　pany。　〃I　think　we'd　better　get　back　to　the　hearing　room；〃　the　captain　said。　〃We　still　have　a　great　deal　to　talk　about。〃


Deep　within　the　sealed　fastness　of　the　mighty　reflex　engines；　something　stirred　and　then　was　quiet　again。　It　could　not　be　detected　by　Lang's　relatively　primitive　instruments；　was　capable　of　hiding　itself　even　from　the　Zentraedi's　scanners　at　this　range。

As　Zor　had　provided；　the　last　Protoculture　Matrix　was　safe；　biding　its　time；　waiting　until　his　great　Vision　should　e　to　pass。


〃It　does　appear　we've　made　a　great　mistake；〃　Exedore　confessed　when　they　were　all　back　in　their　places。　〃But！　You　cannot　possibly　deny　the　power　of　the　female's　singing！〃

〃I　wouldn't　dream　of　it；〃　Gloval　responded　simply；　drawing　a　doubtful　look　from　Colonel　Maistroff。

But　Bron　was　on　his　feet。　〃He　won't　deny　it　because　it's　true！〃

〃Minmei's　song　has　incredible　power！〃　Rico　added；　jumping　up　too。

Minmei；　for　her　part；　gave　a　shy　smile　that　seemed　to　have　some　secret　wisdom　behind　it。

〃This　is　not　the　first　time　the　Zentraedi　have　encountered　something　like　this；〃　Exedore　told　them　all。　〃A　very　long　time　ago　we　were　exposed　to　a　culture　like　yours；　and　it　nearly　destroyed　us。〃

〃How　do　you　mean　that？〃　Gloval　was　quick　to　ask。

Exedore's　protruding；　pinpoint　eyes　roamed　the　room。　〃To　a　Zentraedi；　fighting　is　a　way　of　life。　Our　entire　history　is　made　up　of　nothing　but　battle　after　glorious　battle。　However；　exposure　to　an　emotionally　open　society　like　yours　made　our　soldiers　refuse　to　fight。

〃This；　of　course；　could　not　be　tolerated；　and　the　infection　had　to　be　cleansed。　Loyal　soldiers　and　the　Robotech　Masters　themselves　came　in　to　exterminate　all　those　who　had　been　exposed　to　the　source　of　the　contagion。〃

The　three　spies　in　particular　were　pale　and　silent。　The　rest　looked　at　one　another。　Exedore　went　on。　〃Dolza；　our　supreme　mander；　will　do　everything　in　his　power　to　avoid　making　the　mistake　our　ancestors　did。　When　and　if　he　reads　my　report；　he　will　certainly　launch　an　all…out　attack　on　Earth；　especially　in　light　of　the　fact　that　the　Protoculture　Matrix　is　no　longer　on　the　SDF…1。〃

Gloval's　eyes　shifted　to　Rick。　〃That's　the　same　one　mentioned　in　your　report？〃

Rick　licked　his　lips。　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Almost　five　million　warships！

Exedore　nodded。　〃I　know　what　you're　thinking。　But　you　see；　these　new　developments…the　defections；　the　Minmei　cult；　the　mating　of　our　greatest　warrior　with　one　of　your　pilots…change　the　entire　picture。〃

He　looked　around　at　them；　the　center　of　their　riveted　attention。　〃For；　you　see；〃　Exedore　said；　〃unless　some　solution　can　be　found；　we…Breetai's　forces…are　in　as　great　a　danger　from　Dolza　and　the　Grand　Fleet　as　you。〃


Breetai　sat　in　his　chair　in　the　mand　station　overlooking　his　flagship's　bridge。

A　projecbeam　drew　a　two…dimensional　image　of　Azonia　in　the　air；　the　woman　who　had　replaced　him　in　the　war　against　the　humans；　failed　to　bring　it　to　a　successful　conclusion；　and　been　replaced　in　turn　by　Breetai。

〃mander！〃　she　began。　〃How　long　do　you　intend　to　allow　this　situation　to　continue？〃　She　was　a　mediumsize；　intense　Zentraedi　female　with　a　quick　mind　and　high　aspirations。　Her　short；　frizzy　hairstyle　puffed　within　the　confinement　of　her　hig