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ouldn't　have　lasted　a　day。

He　didn't　fully　understand　the　reasons　for　all　the　secrecy　about　the　missing　flagship　and　the　sudden　inactivation　of　much　of　Earth's　Protoculture…driven　mecha　until　Vince　Grant　invited　him　to　attend　an　introductory　summit　held　in　Norristown's　city　hall；　a　castlelike　affair　that　had　served　as　an　Invid　Protoculture　storage　facility　during　the　occupation。

The　REF　was　represented　by　the　Plenipotentiary　senators　Penn；　Huxley；　Stinson；　and　Longchamps。　The　latter　two；　still　in　some　sense　allied　with　the　old　Southern　Cross　apparat；　were　a　faction　in　their　own　right；　hoping　to　reconnect　with　whoever　was　currently　representing　the　interests　of　the　demolished　government　of　Wyatt　〃Patty〃　Moran；　General　Anatole　Leonard；　and　Dr。　Lazlo　Zand。　And　while　all　three　men　had　died　during　the　final　days　of　the　Second　Robotech　War；　a　small　group　recently　released　from　an　Invid　internment　camp　did　step　forward　to　speak　on　their　behalf。

Planetside　Earth　had　numerous　secondary　spokespersons　as　well；　several　of　whom　Scott　recognized　by　sight　and　a　few　of　whom　he　knew　by　reputation。　Donald　and　Carla　Maxwell；　for　example；　from　Deguello；　and　Terri　Woods；　one　of　Lancer's　contacts　in　the　resistance；　who　now　headed　up　a　diverse　but　vocal　contingent　of　REF　supporters。　Then　there　were　the　two　women　Obstat　had　told　Scott　to　keep　an　eye　out　for：　exGMP　lieutenant　Nova　Satori；　the　charismatic　leader　of　the　Homunculi　Movement；　and　Jan　Morris；　Corporeal　Fundamentalist；　whose　large　following　advocated　a　return　to　agrarian　and　religious　primitivism。

Loyalists；　separatists；　cultists　。。。　each　group　took　its　turn　at　the　podium；　and　each　stirred　argument；　debate；　in　some　cases　violence　among　the　gathered　crowds。　Scott　could　see　that　Huxley　was　bent　on　reaching　acmodations　with　one　and　all；　even　though　her　patience　was　wearing　thin。　The　Council's　principal　aim　was　the　restabilization　of　humankind's　understandably　paranoid　mind…set　in　the　hope　that　Earth　could　avoid　a　return　to　the　feudal　mentality　that　had　prevailed　during　the　Masters　War　and　the　occupation。　It　was　obvious　that　the　REF　figured　to　achieve　that　with　the　promise　of　advanced　technologies　in　exchange　for　a　large　piece　of　the　planet's　geopolitical　pie。

No　mention　was　made　of　the　missing　SDF…3；　nor　was　any　attempt　made　to　explain　mecha　failure　or　Earth's　sudden　energy　crisis。　The　Council　not　only　acted　as　though　the　situation　were　easily　reversible　but　suggested　that　they　had　even　had　a　hand　in　bringing　it　about！


No　decisions　had　been　reached　by　the　time　Scott　was　shuttled　up　to　the　Ark　Angel　to　attend　a　prelaunch　briefing。　Justine　Huxley；　Longchamps；　and　the　rest；　backed　by　several　squadrons　of　functioning　mecha；　remained　on…world　to　press　the　REF's　case。　A　select　few　were　apprised　of　the　fact　that　the　Ark　Angel　would　soon　be　leaving　Earthspace。

The　briefing　was　held　in　a　dungeonlike　cabinspace　located　on　the　starship's　engineering　level　that　had　e　to　be　called　the　Sentinels　Bay；　for　it　was　there　that　campaign　strategies　had　been　hammered　out。　Scott　arrived　in　the　pany　of　the　Grants'　adjutants　and　aides；　Vince　and　Jean　were　already　positioned　at　the　partment's　horseshoe…shaped　table；　along　with　Dr。　Penn；　Niles　Obstat；　and　a　dozen　or　so　of　the　ship's　mand　and　intel　officers。　But　the　briefing　did　not　get　under　way　until　the　table's　remaining　seats　were　occupied　by　five　of　the　most　bizarre…looking　civilians　Scott　had　encountered　in　quite　some　time。　Dressed　alike　in　tight…fitting　black　jumpsuits　studded　with　what　looked　like　chrome　stars；　the　five　sported　round　mirror…leaned　goggles　and　hairstyles　that　made　the　outlandish　razor　cuts　and　permtints　of　the　century's　first　decade　seem　tame　by　parison。

〃Professor；　I　believe　you're　acquainted　with　everyone　here；〃　Harry　Penn　said　by　way　of　wele。　〃With　the　possible　exception　of　Colonel　Bernard。〃　Turning　to　Scott；　he　added：　〃Colonel　Bernard；　Professor　Nichols；　and　his　team　from　Cyber…Research；　Doctors　Stirson；　Gibley；　Strucker；　and　Shi…Ling。　〃

The　five　Penn　had　addressed　as　doctors　nodded　in　unison；　they　might　have　been　clones　or　biogenetically　engineered　quadruplets。　Of　their　apparent　leader；　a　short；　lantern　jawed　man　with　an　enormous　pompadour　of　henna…colored　hair；　Scott　asked；　〃Nichols；　as　in　Louie　Nichols；　creator　of　the　Syncron　drive？〃

〃Adapter　of　the　Syncron　device；　Colonel；〃　the　professor　said；　adjusting　his　glasses　as　if　to　sharpen　their　focus。　〃But　yes；　one　and　the　same。〃

〃I'm　honored；　sir；〃　Scott　said　in　obvious　awe。　The　Nichols　drive；　as　it　was　sometimes　called；　had　been　responsible　for　assuring　the　nearly　instantaneous　return　of　the　REF　fleet　from　Tirol。　〃Your　reputation　has　reached　clear　across　the　Quadrant。〃

Nichols　smiled　tolerantly。　〃And　we've　heard　about　you；　too；　Colonel。〃

Scott's　face　flushed；　Nichols's　tone　of　voice　left　it　unclear　whether　he　had　been　plimented　or　insulted。　His　assistants；　meanwhile；　had　begun　to　set　up　some　sort　of　puter　station　off　to　one　side　of　the　table。　Scott　had　never　seen　decks　or　consoles　quite　like　the　ones　they　were　unpacking。

〃Dr。　Penn　informs　me　you　have　some　news　for　us；　Professor；〃　Vince　was　saying。

〃Yes；〃　Nichols　said　after　a　moment；　〃thanks　to　the　colonel's　capture　of　the　simulagent。〃

Vince　appraised　Scott　with　a　quick；　look。　〃‘Capture'　might　be　too　strong　a　word；　Professor。　As　I　understand　it；　the　Invid；　er；　operative　voluntarily　turned　herself　over　to　REF　custody。〃

Nichols　made‘　a　dismissive　gesture。　〃File　it　where　you　want；　General。　The　important　thing　is　that　the　simulagent　gave　us　the　go…to　we　needed　on　the　Protoculture。　Based　on　what　we　managed　to　access　from　it…〃

〃It　has　a　name；　Professor；〃　Scott　cut　in　angrily。　〃We　called　her　。。。　Marlene。〃

Nichols　stared　at　him　from　behind　the　mirrored　goggles。　〃Sorry　about　that；　Colonel。　I　screened　it　but　misfiled　it　somehow。　Well；　this　Marlene；　then；　gave　us　a　solid　return　on　our　investments。　The　Regis　did　in　fact　wed　her　race　to　all　existing　Protoculture　at　the　moment　of　transubstantiation　the　incident　that　gave　rise　to　the　‘phoenix　vision'　some　of　your　own　ship's　crew　have　confessed　to　experiencing；　Doctor。〃

Penn　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　stroking　his　chin　as　muttered　questions　and　exclamations　were　exchanged　around　the　table。　〃But　Professor；〃　he　queried　at　last；　〃you　said　all　existing　Protoculture。　And　yet　dozens　of　mecha　remain　fully　functional；　to　say　nothing　of　the　Ark　Angel　herself。〃

Nichols　traded　amused　looks　with　his　associates。　Scott　noticed　that　the　four　had　linked　their　terminals　together；　employing　cables　of　peculiar　design。　From　each　console　dangled　equally　strange…looking　umbilical　jacks。

〃A　valid　prompt；　Doctor；　but　you　don't　need　a　simul。。　。er；　a　Marlene　to　run　it。　What　I　should　have　said　was　all　the　first…generation　Protoculture…the　pure　strain　that　came　from　Zor's　original　matrix；　along　with　the　home　brew　the　Regis　was　concocting　from　the　orchards　here。〃

〃As　distinct　from　what？〃　Penn　asked。

Nichols　let　out　an　exasperated　sigh。　〃As　distinct；　Doctor；　from　the　Flower　stuff　the　REF　cooked　down　in　this　facsimile　matrix　Lang　and　the　Tiresian…what's　his　name？〃

〃Rem；〃　Gibley　said。

〃Rem。　What　Lang　and　Rem　cobbled　together　on　Tirol。〃

Penn　and　the　REF　staffers　mulled　it　over　for　a　noisy　moment。

〃That　would　account　for　the　fact　that　certain　mecha　are　still　functioning；〃　Vince　offered。　〃But　of　course　we'd　have　to　do　a　plete　craft…by…craft　accounting。　As　far　as　the　Ark　Angel　is　concerned…〃

〃It　is　Sekiton…fueled；〃　Nichols　pleted。

Penn's　ruddy　face　registered　astonishment。　〃My　God。　You're　saying　that　the　SDF…3　。。。〃

Nichols　nodded　encouragement。　〃The　fold　generators　of　the　SDF…3　were　taken　from　Breetai's　flagship　and　the　Robotech　factory　satellite；　both　of　which　were　fueled　with　first　generation　Protoculture。〃

〃And　that　Protoculture；〃　Penn　said；　〃was　caught　up　in　the　Invid　transformation　that　occurred　here；　on　Earth。〃

〃You've　got　it；〃　Nichols　told　him。　〃If　we　can　learn　where　the　Invid　went；　we'll　find　the　SDF…3。〃

〃But　how　can　we　do　that？〃　Jean　Grant　asked。

〃Folding　for　Haydon　IV　is　a　good　way　to　start；〃　Nichols　said。　〃The　more　I　hear　about　Haydon　and　this　‘Awareness；'　the　more　I'm　convinced　there's　a　lead　there。　Second；　we　can　take　the　Invid　。。。　woman