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the　purpose　for　which　it　had　been　given　form　so　long　ago。　The　Elders'　carpet　went　into　a　descent；　angling　down　toward　the　curve　in　the　planet's　surface。

It　was　not　a　dome　but　rather　the　open　end　of　a　curved；　circular　tube；　as　if　an　unimaginable　horn　of　plenty　had　wound　its　way　up　from　the　heart　of　the　world。　There　was　an　impenetrable　darkness　within　it。

The　Elders'　carpet　continued　to　descend　while　the　carpets　of　the　Haydonites　ranked　themselves　in　rows　all　around　the　gargantuan　aperture　below　like　angels　assembling　for　a　heavenly　choir。　The　Elders　strained　against　their　confinement　uselessly；　then　gave　it　up。

Their　carpet　was　the　only　one　to　descend　to　the　surface　of　the　planet。　It　came　to　a　stop　before　the　yawning　opening；　but　there　was　no　telling　how　far；　the　scale　of　things　threw　off　any　normal　sense　of　perspective。

A　long　silent　moment　went　by；　except　for　the　wind　fluttering　the　Robotech　Masters'　hair。　Then；　at　the　same　instant；　a　light　appeared　far　down　the　conduit　from　some　source　beyond　its　curve；　and　the　Haydonites　took　up　a　single　piercing；　tentative　note；　a　mental　moan　of　ecstasy　and　holy　dread。

The　light　grew　brighter；　and　the　note　louder。　Then　all　at　once　brilliance　leapt　forth　from　the　maw　of　the　great　conduit；　and　the　Haydonites'　note　became　a　full…throated　telepathic　cry。　It　was　well　that　the　Elders　were　connected　and　cathetered；　they　lost　control　of　their　bodily　functions。

The　light　and　sound　grew　until　the　planet　shook。　The　winds　tore　across　the　Robotech　plain；　yet　the　Haydonites'　carpets　somehow　held　position。

And；　deep　in　the　soul　of　the　light；　something　moved。

It　came　toward　them　slowly；　unhurriedly…regally。　Nimuul；　Hepsis；　and　Fallagar；　held　fast；　eyes　threatening　to　start　from　their　heads；　watched　spellbound。

The　Haydonites'　chorus　swelled　as　if　it　would　fill　the　universe　as　Haydon　emerged　from　a　sleep　of　eons。


〃You　can't　be　serious；〃　Exedore　said；　though　he　had　known　Cabell　long　enough　to　be　aware　that　no　other　possibility　existed。

〃See　for　yourself；〃　the　sage　challenged；　presenting　the　data　caps　with　a　flourish。　〃I've　included　the　mathematics。〃　Ever　since　the　two　had　returned　to　Tiresia；　they　had　been　busy　around　the　clock；　analyzing　and　collating　their　observations　from　events　at　Ranaath's　Star。　Now　Exedore　fed　the　caps　into　a　projector；　it　took　only　a　cursory　scan　to　show　that　Cabell　was　right；　at　least　in　terms　of　the　implications。　The　sphere　ship's　plunge　into　the　black　hole　had　revealed　a　new　mathematical　world；　and　one　particular　subfunction　stood　out　glaringly。

I　don't　know　why　we　didn't　see　this　before；　Exedore　thought；　a　sure　sign　that　the　function　he　was　looking　at　was　valid。

Exedore　looked　back　to　Cabell　but　pointed　to　the　equation　in　question。　〃This　implies　。。。　Anti…Protoculture！〃

Cabell　was　nodding　almost　tiredly。　〃You're　correct；　dear　fellow；　we　should　have　realized　it　long　ago。　It's　almost　as　if　wed　been　blinded　to　this　side　of　the　mathematics。〃

Of　course　it　was　old　hat；　scientifically；　that　each　particle　had　its　mirror　image…an　antiparticle　carrying　an　opposite　electrical　charge…and　that　pairs　would　annihilate　each　other　in　a　supreme　release　of　energy　whenever　they　encountered　each　other。　But　no　one　had　ever　supposed　the　yin/yang　symmetry　extended　to　this：　a　shadowy　counterpart　force　to　Protoculture　itself；　one　whose　first　glimmerings　implied　apocalyptic　mutual　destruction　should　the　two　ever　be　brought　together。

Exedore　drew　a　breath　and　grabbed　a　calculator。　〃I　suppose　we　had　better　get　to　it；　my　friend。　There　is　much　to　learn　ago　not　very　long　to　do　it。〃

Cabell　was　still　nodding。　〃We　must　penetrate　this　frightening　new　secret　before　anyone　else　does。〃


CHAPTER　TWENTY…THREE

I　figured　maybe　the　SDFs　needed　some　new　kind　of　unit　patch　say；　a　spacefold　drive　with　a　red　diagonal　through　it。
Jack　Baker；　Upwardly　Mobile

Once；　darting　down　into　a　danger　zone　in　her　powered　armor　like　a　giant　Robotech　hornet；　Kazianna　Hesh　would　have　felt　the　urge　to　howl　a　Zentraedi　battle　cry。　Foeman；　prepare　to　die！　The　Quadronos　e！

But　not　here；　not　today…if　〃today〃　meant　anything　in　what　the　humans　were　calling　newspace。　She　wasn't　free　to　throw　her　life　away　in　splendid　battle　anymore；　had　obligations　and　priorities　above　even　military　glory…a　child　to　protect。

Thus；　she　was　a　hundred　times　more　dangerous　than　the　Kazianna　of　old。

With　the　fifteen　Zentraedi　mecha　behind　her；　there　was　an　even　division　of　eight　powered　armor　suits　and　eight　Battlepods。　Eight　males；　eight　females；　even　Exedore　could　not　say　why　the　suit…configuration　mecha　responded　so　much　better　to　women；　the　pods　to　men。　It　was　simply　so。　They　descended　in　frontal…assault　formation　to　the　planet　that　had　appeared　from　nowhere。

The　humans　and　some　of　the　others　might　rhapsodize　over　the　place　and　its　forests　and　seas；　but　it　was　just　another　alien　world　to　her；　with　none　of　the　perilous　grandeur　of　Fantoma　or　the　austere　dignity　of　Tirol。　Perhaps　there　was　something　in　newspace　that　liked　the　giants　less　than　it　did　the　rest。

If　so；　let　that　something　beware；　its　foe　was　Kazianna　Hesh；　mate　of　mighty　Breetai　and　mother　of　his　son。

The　Zentraedi　squadron　homed　in　on　Rick　Hunter's　beacon；　and　Kazianna　established　contact　over　his　tactical　freq。　At　his　direction；　the　giants　dropped　in　for　a　landing　on　and　around　the　high　ground　where　the　first　party's　Battloids　had　posted　a　guard。

Groundside；　Kazianna　and　her　spitfires　remained　sealed　in　their　suits；　but　the　pods　opened　to　permit　debarkation　of　the　Sentinels'　personnel：　Baldan；　Kami　and　Learna；　Lron　and　Crysta；　and　several　of　the　Praxian　Amazons。　None　of　them　seemed　any　the　worse　for　the　ride。

Kazianna　had　taken　a　shine　to　the　warrior　women；　had　hound　a　spiritual　kinship　with　them；　as　soon　as　she　met　them。　Indeed；　the　former　Quadronos　and　the　Praxians　had　done　a　trtde　radely　drinking　in　SDF…3's　split…level　rec　club。

Now；　though；　the　Praxians　were　distraught；　almost　unsoldierly。　Kazianna　supposed　it　was　understandable　what　with　Gnea；　their　leader　and　one　of　the　great　heroines　of　the　war；　missing。　When　one　was　spoiling　for　a　fight；　it　always　made　discipline　secondary。　No　doubt　they　would　settle　down　as　soon　as　blood　began　to　flow。

Now　the　only　problem　was　to　find　someone　to　fight。　Down　below；　at　the　level　of　Kazianna's　lower　shins；　Rick　Hunter　was　finding　out　just　how　determined　the　Praxian　furies　could　get。

〃As　you　were！〃　He　bellowed　it　with　veins　standing　out　in　his　temple　and　neck；　it　finally　shut　them　up。　〃I　didn't　bring　you　down　here　so　you　could　go　charging　off　in　all　directions　and　end　up　missing；　too！　You're　here　to　observe　and　advise；　so　anybody　who　can't　follow　orders　is　going　back　upstairs　in　a　pod！〃

That　quieted　them。　Brudda；　their　section　leader；　drew　a　deep　breath　and　saluted。　〃Understood；　sir。　We　place　ourselves　at　your　mand。〃

Rick　forced　himself　to　calm　down；　too。　〃Thank　you。　Lron；　Baldin；　over　here；　please。〃　There　was　no　point　going　over　the　whole　business　twice。　〃Kazianna；　let　me　know　if　you　can't　hear　me。〃

Zentraedi　and　Sentinels　gathered　before　him；　Jack；　Karen；　and　the　rest　of　the　remaining　recon　party　formed　a　semicircle　behind。　The　mecha；　weapons　ready；　took　up　a　circle　around　the　group；　keeping　watch　in　all　directions。

〃You　know　the　main　facts。〃　Rick　pointed　out　the　route　his　recon　party　had　followed。　〃We　were　advancing　through　a　densely　wooded　area　about　a　mile　and　one…half　along　that　valley；　with　Sergeant　Dante　on　point。　Gnea　moved　up　to　walk　the　slack　position；　some　six　yards　or　so　behind　him。

〃As　we　entered　an　open　grassy　area；　both　the　sergeant　and　Gnea　were　enveloped　by　what　appeared　to　be　a　somewhat　different　version　of　the　luminous　phenomena　that…〃

Jeez。　Been　talking　bureaucratese　in　the　TIC　too　long；　Rick！　He　started　in　again。　〃From　what　we　could　see；　this　hail璼torm　of　light　swirled　down　on　them；　and　we　lost　them　from　sight。　At　the　same　time；　sensors　picked　up　an　enormous　life　reading；　but　there　were　no　large　organisms　in　sight。

〃The　light　was　gone　in　a　couple　of　seconds；　and　so　were　Angie　and　Gnea。　We　searched　the　area…no　trapdoors；　camouflaged　openings；　or　other　clues。　We　even　blew　open　the　ground　and　lasered　down　nearby　trees；　they　were　solid。