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〃Right；　I　saw　it；〃　Shi…Ling　agreed。　〃Green　haze　portal；　like　the　one　we　developed　back　in　Tokyo　for　Matushima。〃　Stirson　grinned。　〃That's　the　one。〃

〃First　one　in　goes　straight　to　drive　programming；〃　Louie　instructed。　〃What　we're　looking　for　is　an　override　mand　allow　Bernard's　team　to　get　aboard　the　prototype　and　steer　it　clear　of　the　artifact。〃　He　thought　briefly　about　Dana；　moving　against　the　factory's　drive　production　center　now。　〃If　we　can　deactivate　the　drives　of　the　rest　of　those　prototypes；　so　much　the　better；〃　he　thought　to　add。

〃Haydon's　not　going　to　like　this　one　bit；〃　Stirson　said。

Louie　had　his　fingers　on　the　jump　toggle。　〃Yeah；　let's　just　we　never　have　to　answer　to　them　face　to　face。

He　toggled　back　into　machine　mind。


With　crude　shields　and　weapons　raised；　the　four　Sterlings　emerged　from　the　transport　tube　on　level　two；　but　all　that　greeted　them　was　what　remained　of　Glike's　debris…strewn　main　boulevard。

〃We　must　be　on　the　surface；〃　suggested　one　of　the　Praxians　who　followed　them　out。

The　sky　was　a　backlit　haze；　seemingly　draped　from　the　summits　of　Glike's　ruined　onion　domes　and　spires。　Though　tinged　with　odors　of　dust　and　smoke；　the　air　smelled　like　Haydon　IV's　saccharine…smelling　own；　but　Max　felt　certain　they　were　still　subsurface。　He　thought　it　likely　that　the　city　had　been　lowered　and　moved　inside　during　reconfiguration；　that　the　overcast　〃sky〃　they　were　staring　into　concealed　the　ceiling　of　some　cavernous　hold。

It　was　irrelevant　in　either　case；　and　in　short　order　the　hastily　formed　team　had　reconned　the　immediate　area　and　set　off　for　the　drive　production　area　Exedore　had　located；　distant　explosions　and　plasma　cannon　reports　shaking　the　streets　at　random　intervals。　The　farther　they　got　from　the　transport　tube　egress；　the　more　Max's　hypothesis　began　to　make　sense。　Glike's　borrowed　and　indigenous　architecture　which　had　always　seemed　purely　aesthetic　in　both　function　and　design…had　been　transformed　and　incorporated　into　the　workings　of　a　massive　assembly　line。

The　robot　masters　in　charge　of　production　work　barely　acknowledged　the　humans　as　they　followed　Dana's　lead　across　once…green　parks　that　had　bee　staging　areas；　along　avenues　converted　to　parts　conveyers；　past　monuments　and　obelisks　truncated　and　metamorphosed　into　stanchions　and　pylons；　and　through　buildings　that　housed　the　busy　machines　themselves條athes；　presses；　extruders；　and　such。　Ultimately；　Dana　brought　them　to　a　building　Max　thought　he　recognized　as　the　former　headquarters　of　the　Haydonite　Elite。　The　adamantine　arches　and　gilded　roots　of　its　almost　pre…Global　Civil　War　Arabic　look　were　still　in　evidence　among　the　ultratech　puter　devices　that　crowded　the　entryway。

〃This　is　it；〃　Dana　announced　loudly　enough　to　be　heard　over　the　roar　of　the　production　line；　〃the　brains　of　the　operation。〃　She　was　standing；　arms　akimbo；　in　that　defiant　superhero　pose　that　had　bee　something　of　a　trademark。

Max；　too；　recognized　it　from　the　schematics　Exedore　had　called　up　on　the　monitor。
Dana；　scanning　the　power　junction　catwalks　for　Haydonites；　snorted　derisively。　〃Haydon　wasn't　expecting　anybody　to　get　this　far。〃　She　aimed　an　index　finger　at　a　towering　bank　of　apparently　undefended　data…control　terminals。　〃We　knock　those　out　and　production　grinds　to　a　halt　in　this　entire　section。　Haydon'll　have　his　ships；　but　they　won't　be　able　to　take　him　anywhere。〃

One　of　the　Praxians　stepped　forward；　a　broad…shouldered　white…maned　Amazon　a　foot　and　a　half　taller　than　Max。　〃We've　e　to　silence　this　machine　servant；〃　she　said　in　thickly　accented　Tiresian。　〃Let's　get　on　with　it。〃

Dana　grinned　and　rubbed　her　hands　together。　She　stooped　to　retrieve　the　table　leg　she　had　carried　up　from　level　four　and　said　to　Aurora；　〃Watch　closely；　kid。　We'll　show　you　how　it's　done。〃

Max　received　a　gentle　shove　from　Miriya　and　was　about　to　join　his　daughter　and　the　four　Praxians　when　someone　poured　a　bucketful　of　nitric　acid　into　his　head。　That；　at　least；　was　how　he　decided　it　felt　as　he　was　dropping　to　his　knees；　hands　pressed　tightly　to　his　ears。　Dana　and　the　rest　were　similarly　felled；　knees　buckling；　faces　twisted　up　in　pain。

Only　Aurora　appeared　unaffected。

With　effort；　Max　managed　to　lift　his　head　and　search　the　control　room。　Hovering　fifteen　feet　above　him　was　a　group　of　four　Haydonites；　similar　in　aspect　to　the　jailers　who　had　patrolled　level　four's　confinement　areas；　their　dzentile　glowing　with　charge。

Dana　screamed　and　cursed；　pounding　the　floor　with　a　fist　in　an　attempt　to　shake　off　the　psychic　force　the　Haydonites　were　directing　against　them。　Through　the　mottled　cloud　her　field　of　vision　had　bee　she　spied　Aurora　and　called　to　her　in　a　pleading　voice。
Aurora　made　no　response。　She　stood　stiffly　above　her　fallen　panions　arms　at　her　sides；　eyes　unfocused　as　the　Haydonites　began　a　slow　descent。

But　just　when　the　four　were　reaching　what　would　have　been　the　Praxians'　headtop　level；　Max　heard　a　loud　swwooossh　at　the　building's　entrance　and　turned　to　see　one　of　Glike's　fabulous　flying　carpets　e　streaking　into　the　room　on　edge。　It　was　an　exquisitely　textured　specimen；　vaguely　rectangular　in　shape；　as　large　as　a　ball　court；　and　it　was　headed　directly　for　the　hovering　Haydonites。

They；　too；　swung　around　at　the　sound　or　presence　of　the　thing　and　tried　frantically　to　counterdirect　it　with　last…moment　sendings；　but　the　carpet　was　already　upon　them；　trapping　them　in　a　brilliantly　executed　broadside　cigarette　roll　and　propelling　them　clear　across　the　control　room。

Max　struggled　to　his　feet　and　ran　to　check　on　Miriya　and　Dana。　The　pain　was　gone；　but　trouble　was　still　on　the　scene　in　the　form　of　two　additional　Haydonites　who　had　followed　the　carpet　into　the　building；　one　with　a　coppery　skin　tong　and　bulging　cranium。

Max　was　surprised　to　hear　his　name　sent　and　shortly　recognized　the　two　as　Veidt　and　Vowad。

〃The　Awareness　has　mitigated　the　strength　of　its　directives；〃　Veidt　explained。　〃Several　of　us　are　now　free　to　assist　in　your　escape。〃

〃We've　got　more　than　escape　on　our　minds；〃　Dana　muttered；　wiping　her　hands　on　her　pants。　The　Praxians　voiced　agreement。

〃Then　it　was　you　who　sent　the　carpet；〃　Miriya　said。　The　two　Haydonites　traded　looks。　〃No；〃　one　of　then　started　to　send；　when　Aurora　said；　〃I　called　the　carpet。〃　Veidt；　nodded　perceptibly。　〃I　believe　she　did；〃　he　announced；　nonplussed。

Dana　looked　at　her　younger　sister　and　laughed。　〃Damn　kids　nowadays。　Can't　teach　'em　a　thing。〃


CHAPTER　TWENTY…ONE

It　has　been　claimed　that　all　laws　of　science；　our　very　ability　to　predict　future　events；　will　break　down　upon　reaching　the　singularity。　That　the　black　hole's　event　horizon　trapped　light's　desperate　spacetime　path…is　but　a　one…way　membrane；　we　are　about　to　find　out。　If　only　Dr。　Hawking　were　here　to　join　us。
Dr。　Harold　Penn；　The　Brief　but　Timeless　Voyage　of　the　Peter　Pan

Like　laser　light　in　a　smoke…filled　room　Louie's　cyber…self　punched　through　the　green　haze　security　threshold　leading　to　the　Awareness's　higher　function　core　and　arrowed　straight　into　a　cluster　of　telemetry　mands　in　charge　of　programming　dimensional　data　into　the　sphere　ships'　drives。　The　team　was　spread　out　in　a　V　formation　behind　him；　targeting　ghosts　against　approaching　strings　of　defense　bytes。

Stucker　had　found　that　some　of　them　could　actually　be　absorbed　and　turned　against　their　own　kind。

Louie　was　a　quarterback　in　that　moment　of　stasis　before　the　inevitable　inrush　of　linemen　and　backs；　searching　through　banks　of　data　in　a　reckless　effort　to　locate　the　prototype　ship　intel　and　indentified　as　nearly　plete。　The　team　was　doing　an　incredible　job　of　blocking　the　Awareness's　poisoned　advances；　but　the　line　was　beginning　to　weaken。

Back　aboard　the　Ark　Angel；　Louie's　fingers　tattooed　hunches　and　possibilities　to　his　discorporate　mind；　his　fingers　danced　on　the　directional　cross；　maneuvering　him　clear　of　cicuit　frying；　brainwipe　booby　traps。

Then；　suddenly；　he　had　it：　an　on…line　ship　designated　by　a　perplexing　series　of　emblematic　icons　and　alphanumeric　analogues。　As　expected；　the　ship　had　been　safeguarded　against　entry；　but　no　longer。　Louie　tapped　the　override　program　and　keyed　a　new　sequence　of　mands　into　the　console。

Neuron　probes；　meanwhile；　were　nipping　at　the　p