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In the center of the vastness was a device the size of an upright shuttlecraft。 Top and bottom wire sawtoothed halves； as if a cylinder of taffy had been sawn apart and stretched。 What hung between them was…
Whaaa…at？ Louie asked himself； dumbfounded。 It looked like a single braided mass of fibrous tissue； red； black； pink； and yellow like some textbook illustration of a muscle。 But pieces hung from it； curled and kinked in the way of sprung wires peeling from a cable； or fibers of steel wool。
The whole circular chamber was lined with instruments stretching up and up out of sight。 The central device itself was orbited by slow…moving amoeboid shapes of pure bluewhite light。
What an amazing creation！ The flagship's control nexus。
Louie still had the alien energy…burpgun he and Bowie had managed to steal。 He worked it as if he had been using one all his life； preparing to empty it in one blast； without regard to his own survival。
Destroy…this； and the Robotech Masters are finished。 And there wasn't even anybody around to put him in for a posthumous medal； oh well。。。
He decided to start high and blast a vertical cut in the thing。 No sooner had he opened fire than jagged lightning broke from one of the amoeboid shapes。 The weapon was sudden giving out heavy voltage。 He managed to let go before his heart was stopped； and it was levitated away high into the air。
From the central tissue mass； a hundred ghostly ribbons of force； or ectoplasmic lariats； were dropped。 They wound around Louie and squeezed his breath from him； sending an awful surge of energy through his body。 He was lit up like a Christmas tree ornament。 One of the less fortunate martyred saints。
Word went out that the Living Protoculture had captured its assailant。 The search for the other raiders intensified。
Dana didn't want to hear or see any more。
Latell had taken her past too many glassy spheres filled with bubbling fluid。 In them； naked； wired…up clones wearing helmets floated； dead to the world。 One of these clones was supposed to be the actual Latell the Stonecutter； or perhaps the embodiment of the triumvirate of Stonecutters； but then who was this talking to her？
This time； the guards who showed up didn't do much talking。 The doors parted and three charged in shooting。 The first few rounds shattered the container of Latell's 〃original body。〃 The Latell she had been talking to gave a grievous moan as she pulled him behind the other containers and apparatus for cover。
The clone…fetus； slick with fluids； looked at Dana。 Then its eyes rolled up into its head and it expired there among the shards of its container。
Something in her snapped； and several objects on which she could vent her rage were right close to hand。 The guards weren't really much as soldiers； apparently all they had ever had to do was keep docile slaves in line and now and then round up some extraordinarily aberrant one。 Invaders were all but unknown； and the upshot was that the guards' bat skills weren't nearly so well…honed as Dana's。
She came flying at them from behind a pillar of support equipment； shrieking a ki…yi that froze them。 She took out the first with the sword edge of her right foot； and that only fed her hatred。 The second； too close to get clear； tried to swing the butt…plate of his weapon into her face。 She ducked； and then broke his neck。
She bent down to pick up the weapon he had dropped； but the third had fallen back against the hatch to spray energy bolts in her direction； forcing her to throw herself back。 Latell managed to find her among the disintegrating containers and sputtering power lines； and together they crawled off through a side hatch as still more guards appeared and converged on them。
The guards cornered them in the next partment； a sort of nursery for infants。 Why would the Masters need infants； it occurred to her； when they can grow clones to adulthood in vitro？
Latell palmed a tiny device to her。 〃This is a maintenance sensor； it will lead you to the control center。 Destroy the center！〃
Latell tried to push her to cover； tried to block the way。 He was a dysfunctioning slave of no importance； the guards shot him down。
There was no place to run away。 Dana cradled his head in her lap。 He achieved a thin smile。 〃Please do not feel badly； Sister。 You are Freedom； and my life was not worth the living。〃
And so the clone Latell the Stonecutter died。
The firefight in the power…relay area was one of the more interesting fights of Angelo Dante's life； although it did threaten to fix things so he would never collect any of his retirement pay。
Still； he and Sean had good cover。 They had taken out a lot of guards already； and there was still some chance they could get free。 Angelo stood and sprayed shots at the enemy。 If the ATACs were pinned down； so were the guards； who had learned better than to try to rush the Human marksmen across the yards of open space。
Then the sergeant realized that Sean wasn't firing。 He was about to holler something suitably crude and insulting when he felt a tug at the sleeve of his stolen guard uniform。
Angelo whirled to see ten； eleven； perhaps a dozen of the runabouts in an arc behind him； all crowded with guards and officers who had drawn a bead on him and Sean。
〃Don't think I'll forget your face； slimeball； 'cause I won't！〃 Angelo growled as the guard thrust him headlong onto the detention cell floor。 Sean； who had been more resigned and reasonable； disembarked from the elevator with his hands behind his neck。 The elevator doors closed。
Dana； sitting on a sleeping shelf with her knees drawn up； simply looked at the two new arrivals。 Louie didn't even look。 Bowie knelt by Angelo's side。 〃You okay； Sarge？〃
Angelo nodded； springing up and shrugging Bowie off； stretching and flexing his ample muscles。 〃Yeah。 Gang's all here； huh？〃
Dana grunted。 They were all there； stripped of weapons and disguises； dressed in their ATAC uniforms。
〃And we failed our mission；〃 Angelo went on； as bitter at himself as at any of them or at fate。 〃We lost！〃
Now Dana did look up； to fix him with her stare。
〃Only round one；〃 she said。
Gazing down on the captive specimens through their Protoculture cap； the Robotech Masters were taken aback； in spite of the information and insights they had gained through Zor Prime。
〃Most interesting；〃 Shaizan said。 〃They show no fear of their captivity； only anger that they have failed； and an illogical unwillingness to face reality。〃
There was an unspoken consensus among them： there were terrible； unsuspected powers in the one…mindedness and emotions of the Micronians。
Powers upon which a universe could turn。
It didn't take long； in a little bowl…shaped； inescapable confinement some fifteen feet across at floor level； for the ATACs to get on each other's nerves。
A crack from Angelo about Zor's spying。 A hurt objection from Dana that she had no way of knowing。 A blithe ment from Sean that love was blind； followed by Dana kicking Sean's feet out from under him； then both of them ready to twist each other's bones loose； and the others diving in to break it up。
〃Fascinating。 The Earthlings have a pronounced tendency to