15_death_dance-第6部分

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　the　cavern。　〃I　only　know　that　their　destiny　lies　somewhere　in　space。　This　condition　of。。。levity　is　but　a　transitional　stage　in　their　life　cycle。　They　are　sentient；　in　what　might　be　termed　a　primitive；　or　instinctual；　fashion。　But　the　important　thing　is　that　they　seem　to　understand　our　need　for　their　assistance…their　support；　if　I　may　be　permitted　to　play　with　your　language　some。　In　fact；　Sarna　and　I　detect　a　certain　desperateness　to　their　own　flight…as　if　they　are　not　merely　obeying　a　behavioral　directive；　but　are；　in　quite　a　real　sense；　escaping。〃

No　one　felt　a　need　to　state　the　obvious：　Praxis　was　a　tectonic　nightmare　from　which　they　all　wished　to　awaken。　The　heat　and　stench　of　the　cave　only　reinforced　that　fact。　And　if　the　cave　was　indeed　a　volcanic　vent　of　some　sort；　it　was　no　wonder　the　globes　were　anxious　to　leave。

Cabell；　his　face　and　glabrous　pate　beaded　with　sweat；　was　watching　one　of　the　smaller　creatures　now；　as　it　bobbed　its　way　toward　the　entrance。　He　couldn't　help　but　be　reminded　of　Tiresia's　antigrav　spheres；　and　he　began　to　question　if　there　wasn't　some　mysterious　connection　here。

Rick　was　watching　the　same　sphere；　but　he　was　wondering　just　how　many　it　might　take　to　lift　an　Alpha　to　the　edge　of　the　Praxian　envelope。　〃Do　they　understand　what　we're　asking　of　them？…the　specifics；　I　mean。〃

Veidt　hovered　over　to　a　position　directly　beneath　a　cluster　of　the　creatures。

〃The　mecha　should　lift　off　on　its　own　power；〃　Sarna　answered　for　him。　〃After　that；　Veidt　and　I　will　be　able　to　herd　the　orbs　into　place。〃

Excited；　Rick　punched　the　palm　of　his　hand。　He　swung　around　to　Jack　and　Karen。　〃Contact　the　GMU。　Tell　Vince　to　round　up　the　Skull　and　the　Wolff　Pack。　We've　got　to　work　fast　and　assemble　a　crew　for　the　module。〃

〃Will　we　be　heading　back　to　base？〃　Karen　thought　to　ask。

Rick　shook　his　head。　〃Give　Vince　our　position。　Tell　him　what　we've　learned。〃　He　glanced　up　at　the　globes；　rivulets　of　sweat　running　down　into　his　eyes。　〃I　want　the　base　to　e　to　us。〃


While　members　of　the　Sentinels　hurried　to　break　down　the　camp　and　ready　the　GMU　for　motion；　Burak　was　breaking　the　news　to　Tesla。　The　Invid　made　him　repeat　it　several　times　until　satisfied　he　had　all　the　details　straight。

He　had　felt　certain　all　along　that　he　wasn't　fated　to　end　his　days　on　Praxis；　and　now　Burak　had　brought　word　that　Hunter　and　the　others　had　discovered　a　way　to　reach　the　orbiting　drive　module。　With　precious　little　time　to　spare；　Tesla　thought　as　he　and　Burak　packed　away　the　few　belongings　the　Invid　kept　in　his　cell。

Ever　since　his　earlier　ingestion　of　the　mutated　fruits；　his　mind　had　been　reeling；　locked　in　a　kind　of　revelatory　state；　where　answers　came　to　him　full…blown；　like　short…lived　explosions　of　light。　He　had　been　asking　himself　why　the　Regis　had　e　to　Praxis　in　the　first　place；　it　was　a　question　that　had　been　plaguing　him　on　and　off　for　months　now。

It　was　before　the　mutiny　aboard　the　Farrago　that　they　had　encountered　one　another；　when　Tesla　had　landed　on　Praxis　to　choose　specimens　for　the　Regent's　zoo。　The　Regis　had　given　him　a　vague　explanation　then；　and　it　didn't　occur　to　him　until　much　later　on　to　question　her　responses。　With　the　continual　quakes　to　spur　him　on；　however；　and　the　aid　of　the　fruits；　the　answer　became　obvious：　she　had　e　here　to　conduct　further　Genesis　Pit　experiments…part　of　her　grand　scheme　to　transmute　the　Invid　race　into　something　Tesla　himself　could　not　yet　begin　to　imagine。　Optera　had　been　the　site　of　the　first　Pits；　where　Tesla　and　most　of　the　other　evolved　Invid　were　birthed。　But　the　Regis's　experiment　there　had　almost　doomed　the　planet；　it　had；　in　fact；　touched　off　the　initial　search　for　secondary　worlds　she　might　employ。　Abandoning　Optera　and　the　Regent；　she　had　finally　e　to　Praxis　to　hollow　out　new　Pits　deep　in　the　planetary　core。　And　of　course　that　was　why　she　had　left　the　place…because　her　experiment　was　following　the　same　course　it　had　taken　on　Optera。

Left。　But　for　where？　Tesla　asked　himself。。。

He　put　a　hand　on　Burak's　shoulder　as　they　were　about　to　leave　the　room。　〃You　say　they　will　be　choosing　a　crew　to　pilot　the　first　Alpha　up　to　the　module？〃

Burak　felt　the　strength　of　the　Invid's　grip；　and　tried　to　shake　it　off；　but　could　not。　〃Are　we　going　to　die　here；　Tesla？〃　he　asked　in　a　faltering　voice。　〃Peryton；　my　people…〃

〃Quiet；　you　fool！〃　Tesla　stepped　through　the　doorway；　glancing　around　to　assure　himself　that　no　one　was　within　earshot；　then　swinging　back　around　to　Burak。　〃We　won't　die　here…not　if　we're　part　of　that　crew；　we　won't。〃

Burak's　face　contorted。　〃But　how…〃

〃You　leave　that　to　me。　I　just　need　to　know　one　thing。〃　Tesla　sniffed　at　him。　〃Can　you　pilot　that　Spherisian　module？〃

〃I　suppose　so；〃　Burak　said　uncertainly。

Tesla　stretched　out　his　thick　neck。　〃Then　we're　all　set。〃


CHAPTER　THREE

In　Admiral　＇Rick＇　Hunter's　personal　notes　＇recorded　on　Praxis＇；　we　learn　of　several　discussions　that　took　place　between　Cabell　and　Bela　regarding　the　issue　of　child…bearing　among　the　Praxians。　（Hunter　himself　was　nonplussed　to　hear　Bela　refer　to　Arla…Non　as　her　〃mother。〃）　＇Bela＇　even　allowed　Cabell　to　tour　the　whaashi…〃birthing　center；〃　or　creche…although　refused　to　enter　it　herself。　It　was　understood　that　certain　members　of　the　Sisterhood　were　preselected　to　receive　female　〃offspring；〃　who　were　then　raised　as　〃daughters　of　the　Sun。〃　The　Praxians　had　little　understanding　of　courtship；　sexuality；　or　pregnancy；　the　〃coupling　rite〃　being　a　kind　of　catch…all　mystery　that　was　at　the　same　time　enticing　and　fearsome。　Cabell；　of　course；　was　quick　to　see　Haydon's　hand　at　work。
A。　Jow；　The　Historical　Hay　don

Of　all　the　worlds　she　had　visited；　this　was　the　saddest；　the　Regis　decided　as　she　contemplated　Haydon　IV's　cityscape　from　the　uppermost　tier　of　the　Invid　headquarters　there。　It　was　a　small　world；　perfect　in　every　respect；　but　with　a　heart　as　lifeless　as　the　faceless　beings　who　hovered　across　its　surface　and　seemed　to　know　one's　every　thought。　The　Regent　liked　to　believe　that　he　had　conquered　the　place　by　cajoling　his　way　into　a　position　of　absolute　authority；　but　Haydon　IV　had　seen　many　a　would…be　ruler　e　and　go；　while　it　itself　remained　unchanged；　ungovernable；　unreachable。　It　was　one　of　the　few　open　trading　ports　left　since　the　Tirol…Optera　war　had　spread　like　some　contagion　through　the　Quadrant；　and　as　such　Haydon　IV　enjoyed　a　semblance　of　peace。　Still；　the　Regis　sensed　the　presence　of　an　inprehensible　evil　here；　far　worse　than　the　vulcanistic　horrors　her　Genesis　Pit　experiments　had　unearthed　on　poor　Praxis。

She　had　e　to　see　for　herself　what　the　Invid　scientists　had　found　here；　and　now；　as　grateful　as　she　was　for　the　data　they　had　supplied　her；　she　could　feel　nothing　but　a　kind　of　vague　dread　for　the　future；　for　the　very　path　she　had　embarked　on。　Haydon　IV's　sophisticated　scanners　had　picked　up　a　trace　of　the　Robotech　Masters'　course；　and　in　effect　pointed　a　way　to　Zor's　ship　with　its　matrixed　Flowers。　But　the　Regis's　private　samplings　of　the　planet's　vast　store　of　metaphysical　knowledge　had　revealed　something　of　potentially　greater　import…a　suggestion　that　she　had　been　as　self…deceived　as　the　Regent　had　been。　That　her　ostensibly　evolved　nature…along　with　her　continuing　efforts　to　search　out　the　physical　form　deemed　most　perfect　to　embody　her　intellect…was　but　a　carefully　constructed　delusion；　self…generated　and　engineered　to　keep　her　from　the　real　truth。　And　yet　it　was　a　truth　she　refused　to　contemplate；　a　mating　she　would　not　accept…one　she　was　not　at　any　rate　prepared　to　accept。

There　would　e　a　moment　years　hence　when　these　truths　would　dawn　on　her　like　the　primordial　fireball　itself；　and　the　Invid　Regis　would　willingly　surrender　the　shackles　of　physicality　and　ascend；　but　just　now；　she　chose　to　keep　Haydon　IV's　revelations　from　her　thoughts；　and　turn　her　attention　to　the　Praxian　woman　who　had　requested　audience。

〃This　world　is　a　paradise；〃　the　Regis　said；　turning　from　the　spire's　inparable　view；　but　gesturing　to　it　nevertheless。　〃I　have　traveled　the　Quadrant　over；　and　never　have　I　known　such　an　exquisite　place。〃

Arla…Non　flashed　her　a　scornful　look；　and　tossed　back　a　luxuriant　mane　of　sun…bleached　hair。　〃Better　a　cave　on　Praxis　than　a　palace　here；〃　she　sneere