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我的美母教师 | 乡村精品合集 | 乡村活寡 | 乡村欲爱 | 乡村春潮 | 乡村花医 | 欲望乡村(未删) | 乡村艳福 | 乡村春事 | 人妻四部曲

18_the_end_of_the_circle-第26部分

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 But Musica's voice was more alive than ever; as was Allegra's; and together their harmonies came close to recalling for Bowie the magic of his first taste of that ethereal sound。

He had been a keyboard artist then; masquerading as a tanker; just another artist caught up in the war。 But he had been lucky enough to emerge from it with his creative impulses intact; and love to boot。 Love for Musica: his pale and slender green…haired muse; his vocal acpaniment; his very life。 Even limboed in newspace; they had each other; the separate world created and sustained by their music。

For years Bowie had tried with synthesizers and samplers to play the part of their missing third。 But a rendering; an interpretation was the best that had been achieved。 Oh; the harmonies might sound pleasing to an audience of untrained ears; but for those lucky enough to have experienced the triumvirate songs; the reconstructions were as far from the pure as Lang's facsimile matrix was from Zor's original creation。

Missing in both cases was some immeasurable emotional ponent; the true conjurer's magical touch。 Lang lacked it; and Rem as well。 And Bowie; for all the love that went into his work; simply could not push the positions over the top。 In the end what the trio had had to settle for was virtuosity; when the goal had been transcendence。

What they lacked was a voice: powerful; heartfelt; sublime。 Minmei was possessed of the gift; and countless times the past two years Bowie had wished that she might sing again。 Now; suddenly; there she was standing in the music room's curved hatchway。

〃You really want to listen?〃 Bowie asked as the hatch hissed closed。

Minmei approached the keyboards tentatively; as though afraid of them somehow。 〃Well; more than listen; really。〃 She pressed a finger down on a black key。 〃Is it true you've learned to play some of Octavia's vocal parts?〃

Bowie looked up at her。 〃Yeah; I have。 Sort of。 I mean; I sampled her voice before she 。。。 died。〃 He gestured to one of the keyboards。 〃Electronics do most of the real work。 But we can't get the harmonics Octavia's voice used to create。〃 Minmei paused to consider that; then smiled lightly at the sister clones。 〃Do the three of you ever 。。。 well; do you ever sing any of the ancient Tiresian psalms?〃

〃The Clonemasters' songs?〃 Musica asked。

Minmei bit her lower lip and shook her head。 〃No。 I was thinking of the psalms from the early days; before the Great Transition。〃

Allegra looked surprised。 〃You know something of our ancient culture; Minmei?〃

〃Some;〃 she confessed。 〃I read quite a bit when I was in Tiresia。〃 In the hospital; she left unsaid。 〃And of course Rem talks about those times。〃

The sister clones eyed one another。

〃So; you'd like us to sing one of the old psalms?〃 Bowie said uncertainly into the silence。

Minmei fingered a minor chord。 〃Actually; Bowie; I was wondering if you could teach me some of Octavia's parts。〃


Lisa hurried through the ship's corridors; returning salutes when she was forced to but primarily attempting to avoid everyone's gaze。 Not that she heard so much as a giggle from the crew; but she knew what they were all thinking。

She huffed to herself as she exited the lift on the med deck。 One did not have to be a telepath to read the expressions of concealed amusement; to take note of the near smiles。

She came through the hatch to the nursery's observation room with fire in her eyes; the anger palpable enough to be seen clear across the room by the on…duty pediatric nurse and child…care staff。

〃Sir?〃 the nurse asked cautiously after springing to attention。

Lisa threw everyone a cold; appraising look。 〃Which one of you made the PA announcement?〃

A small hand went up; and a corporal stepped sideways into view from the rear of the group。 〃I did; sir?〃 the young staffer said in a tone that modulated to falsetto。

Lisa coughed into her hand; suppressing a smile。 〃Now hear this; mister。 When my presence is required or requested; can send a courier or you can key into my mand channel。 But I don't ever…repeat: ever…want to hear a call that over the PA again。 Is that understood?〃

Yes; sir;〃 the corporal returned crisply。

〃‘Admiral wanted in the nursery'〃 Lisa muttered to herself。 〃Remember; all of you; we have to at least pretend that I'm running this ship。 That I'm not just some working mom fitting a job around child rearing。〃

〃Sir!〃 said several voices in unison。

Lisa adopted a theatrically firm expression。 〃Good。 NOW what's all this about?〃

〃The children; Admiral;〃 the nurse said; indicating the nursery's one…way observation window。

Lisa stepped over to have a look; a puzzled frown contorting her features。 Roy and a couple of human toddlers; along with Drannin and the rest of the Zentraedi children; were assembled in what was called the 'creative crafts area;' where a sphere a good fifteen feet around had been fashioned out of extruded plastifoam。 Lisa could see that some sort of hinges were inset along the equator of the sphere。

〃They didn't do all that by themselves; did they?〃 she asked in alarm。

The corporal shook his head。 〃No; sir。 They asked for our help with the 。。。 globe or whatever it is。 But they told us exactly what they wanted。〃

〃I take it it opens somehow。〃

The head nurse chuckled。 〃It does indeed; Admiral。〃 Lisa regarded the two of them。

〃What's inside?〃

〃The most amazing thing;〃 the nurse said; enunciating each word。 〃They've been working on it all day long; every one pitching in。 The Zentraedi doing the heavy work; Roy directing the other kids in the fine work。 But with barely word exchanged among them。 It's like they knew from the start what they were after。〃

Lisa felt a chill run through her。 〃And what is it?〃

The nurse looked to the corporal; who drew a breath 〃Their own version of a puzzle block or a transformable toy。 Made entirely out of what they could salvage from other toys except for a few items they asked us to procure: springs cams; lubricants; that sort of thing。〃

〃Lubricants?! You should be in there supervising them。〃

〃We tried that; Admiral;〃 the nurse said。 〃But they stop playing whenever anyone enters the nursery。 Frankly; sir; find it a little; well; unnerving。 That's why I asked you down。〃

Lisa folded her arms; considering。 〃I think it's time we found out just what they're up to。〃 She spun on her heel and stepped to the nursery door。 〃I'm going inside;〃 she told the staff; one hand already on the knob。


In a silent and deserted corridor on the recreation deck; Rem pressed an ear against the hatch to Bowie's music room。 He had promised Minmei he would wait until conditions were right before attempting to reachieve the altered state of mind that had gripped him when the lights had penetrated the fortress; but walking past the music room had proved too great a temptation。

Rem understood that the nucleic memories awakened by those probing lights were not his own but Zor's…Zor's to a degree he had never experienced。 Not at the insistence of the Regent and Haydon IV's mind…bending devices; not with Cabell's guidance; not under the influence of dried Flowers from Optera's regrown gardens。 The lights…and whatever intellect animated them…had acplished something perilously wonderful by unveiling the sensate content of his progenitor's experiences。 And though the lights had vanished; perhaps never to reappear; they had left an open frequency to his other self。

He ventured that he needed only attune himself to that unamon freq and the flood of psychoid stuff would remence。 And with it; answers to just where the fortress was and for what purpose it had been brought there。

Reluctantly; Minmei had agreed to assist him。 The clones' songs will provide the prompt I require; he had told her。 But how much greater the effect if the triumvirate's harmonies could be reinstated! For Minmei it would mean ing out of voluntary retirement; facing fear; relocating the voice that had worked miracles。

And Rem could hear that voice now; muted by distance and inch…thick alloy。 Bowie's synthesizer was teaching her a vocal line; a measured; seemingly impossible leap of octaves。 Minmei sang and Rem grinned: Yes; yes!

〃All right;〃 Bowie said。 〃Le
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