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〃Invid？〃　Lisa　said；　cocking　her　head　to　one　side。　〃Some　self…mutated　form？〃

Rick　met　his　adjutant　at　the　hatch。　〃Maybe　someone's　shown　up　to　lead　us　home；〃　he　suggested；　and　was　gone。


Belowdecks　in　one　of　the　fortress's　mecha　bays；　Captain　Jack　Baker　gave　a　downward　tug　to　his　flight　jacket　as　he　paced　back　and　forth　in　front　of　his　small　audience　of　veteran　pilots　and　mechamorph　aces。

And　not　one　of　them　had　soared　where　he　had　now。　〃You　may　think　the　background　stuff's　unimportant；　Captain　Phillips；〃　Jack　was　continuing　after　a　bothersome　interruption；　〃but　what　I'm　trying　to　do　is　give　you　a　sense　of　the　experience。〃

Sean　Phillips　threw　an　imploring　look　to　the　high　ceiling。　〃No　offense；　Baker；　but　I　think　we've　all　heard　about　what　happened　when　you　piloted　the　VT　down　to　Haydon　IV。　I　just　don't　see　the　relevance。〃

Jack's　innocent　face　reddened。　With　so　many　heavy　hitters　to　choose　from；　he　still　could　not　figure　out　why　the　admiral　had　singled　him　out　for　the　void　recon。　He　hoped；　of　course；　that　Hunter's　finger　had　simply　gone　right　to　the　top　of　the　list；　but　then；　he　supposed　that　list　could　have　been　alphabetical。　Jack　nevertheless　was　determined　to　make　the　most　of　the　distinction　while　it　lasted。

〃I'm　talking　about　the　unknown；　Captain；〃　he　told　Sean。　〃The　importance　of　state　of　mind。〃

〃Like　going　against　the　Robotech　Masters　was　a　given？〃　Sean　asked。

Jack　grew　flustered。　〃I'm　not　saying　that。　I'm　just　saying　that　what　Haydon　IV　threw　at　us　was　totally　unlike　anything　we'd　faced。〃

〃Did　we　ever　tell　you　about　the　spade　fortress　that　put　down　just　outside　of　Monument　City？〃　Sergeant　Angelo　Dante　asked　in　a　conversational　tone；　the　only　one　of　the　group　who　had　refused　to　accept　a　mission。　He　swung　around　to　face　everyone；　elbows　flared；　large　hands　on　wide　spread　knees。　〃The　Fifteenth　ATAC　was　ordered　to　recon　the　ship；　see。　So　we　tank　out　there　and…〃

〃Now　who's　being　irrelevant？〃　Jack　cut　in。　〃I　mean；　why　don't　we　just　invite　some　of　the　Karbarrans　in　here　to　entertain　us　with　their　war　stories？　Or　how　'bout　getting　Gnea　in　here　to　talk　about　hand…to…hand。〃

〃Yeah；　I'll　bet　you'd…enjoy　that；　Jack；〃　Marie　Crystal　laughed；　affectionately　nudging　Karen　Penn　with　an　elbow。　Black　Lion　leader　during　the　Second　Robotech　War；　she　was　just　another　officer　here。　Sean；　who　had　been　her　fiance　three　times　over　the　past　year；　was　being　his　usual　arrogant　self；　and　while　she　rarely　approved　of　his　teasing　sarcasm；　Baker　was　so　easy　to　put　off　balance。　〃What　d'　you　think；　Karen？　Shall　we　call　the　Praxians　in？〃　she　contributed。

Karen　smiled　and　regarded　Jack　from　her　seat。　Lithesome　and　honey…blond；　she　appeared　to　be　every　bit　Marie's　opposite；　but　in　fact　the　two　had　grown　to　be　close　friends。　〃That's　up　to　Captain　Baker；〃　she　said。　〃It's　his　show。〃

〃Jeez；〃　Jack　muttered；　brushing　back　a　recently　styled　silver…tinted　pompadour；　〃et　too？〃　He　spread　his　hands　in　a　conciliatory　gesture。　〃All　right；　for　cryin'　out　loud；　I'll　get　on　with　it。〃

The　pilots　applauded　wildly　as　Jack　called　up　memories　of　his　brief　EVA。
〃It's　like　flying　through　a　cloud；〃　he　began　on　a　serious　note。　〃Only　there's　no　vapor　around　you；　no　droplets　streaking　your　canopy。　Other　times　it's　like　moving　toward　a　cloud　you　can't　seem　to　reach。　I　had　a　hard　time　looking　forward；　because　everything　started　to　go　solid　on　me。　But　watching　your　displays　doesn't　help；　because　there's　absolutely　nothing　happening　on…screen。　I　kept　feeling　like　I　was　close　to　punching　through　it；　but　it　just　went　on　and　on。　And　it　never　changed；　no　matter　which　heading　I　took。　The　SDF…3　is　your　whole　world；　the　only　game　in　town。〃

He　blew　out　his　breath　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know　what　more　to　tell　you；　really。　The　VT　performed　well；　no　glitches　in　any　of　the　systems。　I　thought　it　through　a　couple　of　reconfigurations；　and　there　were　no　problems。　Weapons　systems　seemed　to　be　fully　operational；　but　I　was　under　orders　not　to　enable。　Dr。　Lang's　thinking　is　that　missile　propulsion　isn't　affected。〃

〃When　do　we　get　a　crack　at　it？〃　Sean　said；　rising　to　his　feet　for　added　effect。

As　soon　as　Admiral　Hunter　figures　you're　ready；　Jack　was　about　to　tell　him；　when　hooters　drowned　out　the　thought。　The　ship　was　returning　to　full…alert　status。　A　female　voice；　boomed　from　the　flight　bay's　overhead　speakers：

〃We　have　uncorrelated　targets　closing　on　the　fortress　in　all　sectors。　Captains　Baker；　Phillips；　Penn；　and　Crystal　report　with　your　teams　to　assigned　launch　bays　immediately。　Substations　November；　Romeo；　Tango；　Zebra；　prepare　for。　。　。　〃

Jack　let　the　rest　of　it　pass　right　through　him。　Phillips　and　his　15th　cohorts　were　already　up　and　hurrying　toward　their　VTs；　pale…faced　but　eager　wingmen…bat　virgins　the　lot　of　them…falling　in　behind。

Jack…stepped　down　from　the　missile　pallet　that　had　been　his　temporary　stage；　Karen　was　waiting　for　him；　a　grin　forming。

〃Cheer　up；　flyboy；〃　she　said；　linking　arms　with　him　as　he　approached。　〃For　what　it's　worth；　you'll　still　go　on　file　as　being　the　first　out。〃

Jack　snorted　sullenly。　〃Fame's　a　damned　fleeting　thing　these　days。〃


CHAPTER　EIGHT

The　elderly　spokesperson　for　what　remained　of　the　planetside　contingent　of　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross　introduced　herself　tome　as　'Regina　Newhope。'　The　woman's　associate…as　facially　scarred　and　ghoulish…locking　a　creature　as　I　have　ever　encountered…went　simply　by　the　name　‘Farnham。'　I　recall　thinking　at　the　time　that　there　was　something　strangely　familiar　about　the　pair　of　them；　something　I　wanted　to　connect　to　the　deceased　Lazlo　Zand。　Then；　when　I　subsequently　learned　that　Newhope's　real　name…her　pre…Invid　name…was　Millicent　Edgewick；　I　realized　that　the　Zand　connection　was　a　sound　one。　And　even　now　I'm　certain　that　‘Farnham'　was　none　other　than　the　First　Robotech　War's　most　wanted　political　criminal；　Senator　Alfonse　Napoleon　Russo。
Dr。　Harold　Penn；　quoted　in　Justine　Huxley's　I've　Been　to　a　Marvellous　Party　

The　REF　pilots　who　had　escorted　Scott　Bernard　to　New　York　were　ordered　to　return　the　colonel　and　his　alien　charge　directly　to　Norristown　rather　than　to　the　launch　pad　in　Venezuela。　The　Southlands　city…where　tech　crews　ferried　down　from　the　orbiting　Ark　Angel　had　been　working　overtime　to　clear　a　landing　zone　for　the　soon…to…be…arriving　dignitaries…had　been　selected　as　the　temporary　site　of　the　reunited　Earth　governments。

No　sooner　had　the　VT　set　down　than　Marlene　was　whisked　away　to　the　REF's　planetside　HQ　by　three　sinister…looking　men　from　G2　dressed　in　dark　suits　and　opaque　glasses。　Scott；　too；　was　hurried　off　to　yet　another　debriefing；　but　this　time　at　the　hands　of　the　intel　directorate　chief　himself；　former　Plenipotentiary　Councilman　Niles　Obstat；　the　balding　and　stoop…shouldered　old…guard　ally　of　Emil　Lang。　Unlike　the　neurometric　specialists　whose　job　it　had　been　to　evaluate　Scott's　psychological　state；　Obstat　was　interested　in　learning　all　he　could　about　the　political　climate　of　the　Southlands。　Which　towns　had　impressed　Scott　most？　Who　seemed　to　be　in　charge？　Who　controlled　the　wealth；　the　distribution　of　goods；　the　private　armies　and　fringe　groups？　Who　had　been　partisans；　and　who　had　been　sympathizers？　And　who　headed　up　the　quasi…religious　movements　like　the　Church　of　Recurrent　Tragedy　or　the　so…called　Interstellar　Retributionists？

Scott　answered　as　best　as　he　could；　covering　much　of　the　same　ground　he　had　covered　months　earlier。　Obstat　pursued　oblique　lines　of　questioning；　ever　on　the　alert　for　nuance；　personal　impressions；　the　recollection　of　some　seemingly　trivial　episode。

The　sessions　continued　for　two　days。　Scott　was　asked　to　thumb…print　oaths　and　papers　and　was　instructed　not　to　discuss　anything　about　the　SDF…3　or　the　returning　REF　with　〃downsiders；〃　which　he　understood　to　mean　planet…bound　Terrans　of　all　varieties。

Afterward　he　was　left　pretty　much　to　himself；　and　more　than　a　week　slipped　by。　Marlene　was　kept　inmunicado；　as　far　as　anyone　in　G2　was　concerned；　the　Invid　simulagent　was　military　property。　Besides；　as　someone　had　suggested　to　Scott；　she　was　a　lot　better　off　than　she　would　have　been　on　the　streets；　where　if　word　of　her　background　got　out　she　wouldn't　have　lasted　a　day。

He　didn't　fully　understand　the　reasons　for　all