按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
m。。。tell 'em these people here ain't the enemy。〃
Louie threw him a strange smile。 〃Hear； hear； Angie。〃
He felt Bowie； who stood behind him； clap him on the back； and felt Musica's light touch h at his shoulder。 Then Angelo pronounced a few choice army obscenities； the ship having wandered off course。 He was no fly…boy and even the coaching of experienced clone pilots didn't make it much easier to herd the alien craft along。
〃Everybody keep still and lemme drive；〃 Angelo Dante growled。
Within the mother ship； Zor's red Bioroid stomped back toward the mand center； its discus pistol clutched in its gargantuan metal fist。 Below the ship； the mounds hove into view。
I cannot undo the damage I've done。 Across a hundred reincarnations； across a hundred million light…years light…years。 And yet： I'll make what restitution I can。。。
The Invid would not have Earth。
Below； the Protoculture wraiths sensed Zor Prime's ing； all in accordance with the Shaping that had given the original Zor his vision and set the course of the Robotech Wars； so long ago and far away。
The wraiths summoned up the strength that was left to them； for their final deed。 The rainbow…rings of the Matrix were dimmer now； but still dazzling； still playing their haunting song。 As the wraiths tapped its power； the Matrix flared brighter。
Dana's efforts to contact Zor with the capsule's little mo unit had drawn no response。 Now she blinked at the bright sunlight； as the hatch opened and the fragrant air of Earth drifted in。
The capsule had landed at the cress of a low foothill across the plain； just within view of the SDF…1's gravesite。 She already knew from the capsule's crude monitoring equipment that the mother ship had followed her down through the atmosphere； headed for the mounds。
Dana drew herself out of the capsule and saw the five mile length of the Masters' last starship e in to hover over the resting place of the SDF…1。 〃Zor。 Don't…please！〃
There was no other way。
Zor's red raised its discus pistol。 The destruction of the mother ship directly over the mounds would ensure that the Flowers of Life and their spores would be pletely obliterated； and spare the Human race the slaughter and ruin of an Invid invasion。
Some spores had already drifted free of the mound； though instruments weren't clear as to why that hadn't happened before； there were pletely unique and unprecedented Protoculture aberrations down there； and no time to analyze them。 But that didn't matter now。 The radius of the blast would get all of them。
Now！
The red fired its pistol at carefully selected targets； it was easy for him to find the vulnerable points in the systemry the original Zor had conceived。 In moments the entire ship was a daisy chain of ever increasing explosions； ripping open its hull； gathering toward that final； utter detonation。
He thought he would be swallowed up by grief in those last moments； to see only the ghosts of the victims； and the shadows of the suffering he had caused。 Unexpectedly； though； Zor Prime's last thoughts were of the thing that had made this last incarnation so different from the rest； and let him free himself。
Dana； I love you！
Dana shrieked at the exploding ship； knowing it would do no good； until the explosions reached a crescendo。 〃Stop！ Zor； there must be a better way…〃
Then she threw herself to shelter behind the grounded； armored capsule and wept； face buried in her arms。
In the mounds； the wraiths gathered all their remaining energy； and contained the explosive force of the mother ship。
Zor's calculations were entirely correct； insofar as they went。 The self…destruction should have vaporized the mounds and wiped out the curse that was the blooming Flowers； the drifting spores。
But the Shaping of the Robotech Wars had been set long before。 Earth was to be saved from destroying itself in a Global Civil War and； at the same time； serve as the focal point that would let a tremendous wrong be righted。 The time for the righting of that wrong had not yet e to pass； though the stage was now set。
And so the wraiths dampened the blast of the exploding starship。 The Matrix flared like a nova； sang a single piercing note； and released all its power upward。 The wraiths used it to muffle the blast in an unimaginable contest of warring forces； and won。
Still； the mother ship was blown to fragments and； even as Zor Prime soared to a higher plane of existence； freed at last of the cycle of crime and guilt in which he had been caught since his first terrible transgression； the fragments began to fall。
Even a small piece of the mother ship was enormous； and not all of the explosive force had been contained。 Housings and armor and structural members pelted the plain and the mounds； raising huge puffs of dust； opening the mound even further； the explosive force caught the rising spores and sent them high and wide； to ride the winds of the world。 Ripping down into the garden that had been the last Matrix； the blasts freed a hundred thousand times as many more； and sent them wafting； lifting petals and even whole plants； gusting them forth。
The winds that came from the Protoculture detonation behaved unlike normal air currents。 It was as if they had been given a purpose； dispersing the spores； sowing them； taking many into upper airstreams that would bear them far…would seed the face of the planet with them。
The wraiths looked upon their work and upon the Earth that the Shaping had made their home for so long。 They had been given life； of a sort； by the Protoculture； taking power from the masses within the wreckage of SDF…1； SDF…2； and Khyron's downed battlecruiser。
But now their part in the Shaping was over； and the Matrix's last energy was used up； it was gone forever。 They began their return to nothingness； making sure that the residual Protoculture around them underwent conversion to the Flowers of Life。
Dana watched the drifting pink petals； the swirling spores。 The Invid are ing！ Her parents' warning was right； and nothing could stop this species that even the Masters held in dread。
Three shadows loomed up out of the mounds； growing； but being more and more tenuous as they did。 Dana； her senses expanded by her exposure to the Matrix and even more so by the jolt from the canister containing the Masters' last mass； knew that the phantasms would do her no harm。
She was so preoccupied； thinking about her family； about the Masters' words and Zor's； that she didn't hear the stealthy footsteps behind her； covered as they were by the moan of the winds。 The projectile took her at the base of the skull； where her armor offered no protection。 She went down。
〃You saw them！〃 an eerie voice said。 It sounded Human but had some of the sepulchral emotionlessness of a Robotech Master's。 〃Without instruments or sensors； you saw the Guardians of the Mounds！〃
She lay on her side； dazed； unable to move though she was fully conscious。 She realized she had been shot with some kind of paralyzing agent。 A moment later； two peculiar men came into view。
One she recognized； and the sight of him almost stopped her heart。 Zand； heir to Dr。 Lang's secrets。 He was wearing gleaming angelic