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a　bulkhead。　〃She　directed　her　voice　starboard；　toward　Toler's　station　beneath　the　threat　board。　〃Mister　Toler；　you're　the　youngest　among　us。　How's　your　vision？〃

〃Better　than　perfect；　sir；〃　Toler　told　her；　a　crack　in　his　voice　on　the　last　word。

〃Do　you　think　you　can　make　your　way　to　the　hatch　and　engage　the　override？〃

〃With　my　eyes　closed；　sir。〃

Everyone　laughed；　and　the　tension　eased　somewhat。　〃Yes；　well；　you　can　keep　your　eyes　open；　Lieutenant。　This　isn't　a　test　of　your　agility。　I　just　want　to　know　if　the　whole　ship's　in　this　fix。〃

〃I　understand；　sir。〃

Lisa　heard　Toler's　chair　swivel。　A　few　moments　later　came　the　low　thud　of　retracting　bolts。　The　air　stirred　as　the　hatch　slid　open　and　the　sound　of　half　a　dozen　voices　drifted　in　from　the　operations　room。　Toler　and　someone　else　made　startled　sounds。　〃What　happened？〃　Lisa　asked。

A　man's　voice　growled：　〃Who　is　that？〃

〃Lieutenant　Toler。　Who's　that？〃

〃mander　Forsythe；　Lieutenant。　Stand　aside。〃

〃Sir！〃　Toler　snapped。

Lisa　heard　a　hollow　meeting　of　flesh　and　bone　and　a　follow　up　wince　of　pain。　〃Damn；　boy；〃　her　bald…headed　exec　said；　〃you　don't　have　to　salute　me！〃

Just　then　the　emergency　lights　came　up；　banks　at　a　time；　red　and　somber　throughout　the　bridge。　A　slight　shudder　swept　through　the　ship；　and　Klaxons　wailed　midnote；　signaling　battle　stations。

〃That's　more　like　it；〃　Lisa　enthused。　〃Showing　up　crippled　would　send　one　hell　of　a　message　to　the　Regis。〃

Forsythe　stepped　through　the　hatch；　throwing　Toler　a　hard　look　before　joining　Price　at　one　of　the　forward　heads…up　display　screens。

〃We're　still　dead　in　space；　sir；〃　Hakawa　updated。　〃Auxiliary　power　forward　and　to　all　priority　stations；　but　all　scanning；　ECM；　and　defense　systems　are　non…op。〃

〃Can　we　determine　our　position？〃　Forsythe　asked。　〃Negative；　sir　Guidance；　telemetry；　and　astrogation　are　still　down。〃

Lisa　traded　frowns　with　Forsythe　and　glanced　over　her　shoulder　at　the　watch　officer。　〃Well；　we　can　at　least　take　a　look　outside；　can't　we？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Raise　the　forward　cowl；　Mister　Hakawa；〃　Forsythe　said　impatiently。

Lisa　could　barely　contain　herself。　It　was　almost　as　though　she　could　dismiss　this　latest　snafu　the　way　a　cyclist　might　shrug　off　a　punctured　tire　after　a　thousand…mile　journey。　Earth；　after　close　to　fifteen　years。　With　nothing　unforeseen　in　store　for　them　this　time：　no　accidental　jumps　to　Pluto；　no　fold　hitchhikers　to　rescue；　no　surprise　attacks　by　alien　cruisers。　The　REF　knew　who　and　what　they　had　e　for：　the　Regis　and　the　world　they　had　lost　to　her。　They　knew；　too；　the　Shock　Troopers　and　Pincers　they　would　be　facing；　and　they　knew　how　to　engage　them。

And　best　of　all；　they　knew　they　would　succeed。

Six　years　of　effort　had　gone　into　this　one　day；　and　the　fleet　that　was　the　result　of　that　labor　would　be　spread　out　before　them；　weapons　arrays　and　bat　mecha　targeted　for　Reflex　Point。　Earth；　Lisa　said　to　herself　again　as　the　forward　view　port　shields　retracted。　Earth！

Light　of　a　sort　began　to　filter　onto　the　bridge；　only　it　was　neither　the　wele　warmth　of　Sol　nor　the　reflected　brilliance　of　their　blue…white　homeworld。

It　was　the　alien　light　at　the　end　of　Lisa's　tunnel　in　the　sky。　It　was　death　light。


On　the　mand　balcony　of　the　fortress's　cavernous　Tactical　Information　Center；　Rick　Hunter　stared　unprehendingly　at　the　monitors　affixed　to　the　portside　bulkhead。

〃I'm　sorry；　sir；〃　an　enlisted…rating　tech　stationed　at　a　nearby　console　repeated；　〃but　the　opticals　are　on…line。　This　is　the　external　view。　Sir。〃

In　the　phasing；　satanic　illumination　of　the　emergency　lights　the　room　could　have　been　a　corner　of　hell。　Rick　would　have　taken　odds　that　it　was　just　that：　the　hell　of　his　space　lace　given　shape　during　the　fold。　But　unlike　Lisa's　recurrent　tunnel；　Rick's　nightmare　vision　did　not　require　a　jump　to　ignite　it。　The　set；　the　setting；　the　thousand　separate　elements　that　posed　it　could　all　be　traced　back　to　the　Genesis　Pits　on　Optera。　Walk　away　from　it　you　might；　but　turn　around　and　the　fear　would　be　there；　waiting　for　you；　beckoning　you　back　into　its　sinister　embrace。

An　inter　buzzed　insistently　at　Rick's　back。　〃mand　One；〃　he　heard　his　adjutant　say　at　last。　〃Doctor　Lang；　Admiral；〃　the　colonel　continued；　conveying　the　mobile　over　to　him。

〃What　the　hell's　going　on？〃　Rick　shouted　into　the　mouth　piece。　〃Where　are　we？〃　He　glanced　at　the　monitors　once　more　before　proceeding。　〃It　looks　like　fog　out　there；　Lang。　Is　that　possible？〃

〃I　would　like　to　humor　you；　Admiral；〃　Lang　said；　〃but；　unfortunately；　there　is　little　humor　in　the　situation。　And　if　it　is　indeed　a　fog；　as　you　suggest；　it　is　of　the　quantum　sort。　We　have　life　support；　but　little　else；　as　I'm　sure　you're　aware。　〃

Rick's　boot　continued　to　tap　the　floor　long　after　Lang　had　finished。　The　two　men　had　grown　distant　from　each　other　on　Tirol；　Lang　like　some　Prometheus　with　his　facsimile　Protoculture　matrix；　and　Rick　busy　with　Roy　more　often　than　not。　The　wizard　of　Robotechnology　kept　getting　stranger　while　Rick　just　kept　getting　grayer。

〃How　long　before　you　can　return　power　to　the　drives？〃　Rick　demanded。

It　was　to　be　the　REF's　final　battle；　he　thought；　the　one　that　was　to　decide　their　fate；　return　to　them　their　homeworld　or　send　them　back　to　Tirol；　an　irradiated　Earth　in　their　wake。

Lang　launched　his　patented　maniacal　laugh　through　the　earpiece。　〃Perhaps　you　should　abandon　your　post　for　a　moment　and　e　below；　Admiral。　There's　something　I'd　like　you　to　see。〃

〃I　don't　have　time　for　this；　Lang；〃　Rick　told　him。　〃Just　tell　me　where　we　are。〃　He　heard　the　urgency　in　his　voice　and　noted　that　his　adjutant　was　fixing　him　with　a　concerned　look。

Lang's　laugh　trailed　off　as　he　cleared　his　throat。　〃You　may　not　like　the　answer；　Admiral。　〃

Rick's　hold　on　the　phone　became　viselike。　〃You　let　me　lie　the　judge　of　that。〃

Lang　was　quiet　a　moment；　then　said：　〃Nowhere。〃


In　whispered　voices　behind　cupped　hands　it　was　often　suggested　that　Dr。　Emil　Lang　ran　the　ship。　Not　that　he　had　much　to　do　with　mand　decisions　or　actual　hands…on　astrogation；　but　that　he　ran　the　ship　in　the　sense　of　driving　the　ship；　fueling　it。　Word　was　passed　in　those　same　engineering　huddles　that　the　Reflex　furnaces　and　Protoculture　drives　were　nothing　but　pretense…mock…ups　constructed　to　put　the　uninitiated　at　ease…when　in　fact　Lang　himself　was　the　drives。　Lang　folded　space；　Lang　jumped　the　fortress　from　realm　to　realm。

Lang　was　aware　of　all　the　rumors　but　did　little　to　discourage　them。　Myths　concerning　his　powers　and　prowess　had　been　in　the　making　since　the　first　day　he　had　set　foot　inside　the　grounded　SDF…1。　No　one　had　seen　him　take　the　Protoculture　mindboost　that　had　altered　the　direction　of　his　life；　but　they　had　read　the　change　in　his　reshaped　eyes。　And　had　his　eyes　not　betrayed　him；　even　had　he　not　taken　the　boost；　they　would　have　invented　it　for　the　myth；　witnessed　that　he　alone　among　Earthers　was　destined　to　see　deeper　and　clearer　than　the　rest；　that　the　Protoculture　had　a　natural　affinity　for　him。

But　that　was　just　the　sort　of　thinking　that　pointed　out　how　great　a　distance　he　had　yet　to　travel。　The　ship's　drive；　he　sniggered　to　himself。　Hardly。　The　ship's　driven；　perhaps；　the　SDF…3's　preconscious　libidinal　urge　。。。

Lang　lifted　his　eyes　to　regard　the　displays　once　more。　On　screen　were　remote　views　into　the　heart　of　the　fortress's　power　plant；　safely　rendered　for　a　mortal's　eyes；　for　one　did　not　look　long　into　the　naked　eye　of　God　and　live　to　describe　it。　But　there　was　a　burning　bush　now；　no　ten　thousand　stars　or　golden　heavens；　simply　the　absence　of　those　things。　What　Lang　saw　instead　was　a　reflection　of　his　own　pride；　the　hubris　that　had　dominated　him　for　the　past　five　years。　He　and　Cabell　and　the　Zor…clone；　Rem；　harvesting　the　Flower　of　Life　from　Optera's　regrown　fields；　coaxing　the　secret　of　the　Shapings　from　its　trifoliate　core；　creating　a　matrix　of　their　own　design。　And　now　this。

Lang　saw　his　face　in　the　display　screen　and　laughed　out　loud。　The　Shapings　were　teaching　him　a　lesson。

He　was　still　laughing　when　Rick　Hunter　rushed　in；　threading　his　way　through　the　chaos；　techs　and　their　bewildered　assistants　moving　frantically　from　station　to　station。

〃What'd　you　get　me　down　here　for；　Lang？〃　Rick　barked；　pa