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Minmei　lost　herself　in　the　words　for　a　few　bars；　shutting　out　the　rest　of　the　world；　until　she　realized　that　Musica　had　sat　to　stroke　notes　from　the　fine　lines　of　resplendence　that　were　the　strings　of　the　Cosmic　Harp。

Musica　sang；　too；　and　in　a　few　more　moments　Allegra　joined　in。　The　SDF…3　shook　and　jolted；　distant　shrieks　and　wails　rang　from　far…off　bulkheads；　doomsday　light　anomalies　impinged　again　and　again　at　the　edges　of　their　song。　But　within　it；　for　the　moment；　the　music　somehow　kept　them　safe　from　the　terminal　spasming　of　the　Shapings；　from　the　probings　of　the　Regis　or；　perhaps；　only　from　her　malice；　from　the　rift…energies　as　newspace　drew　in　realtime's　structure；　and　from　the　desperation　and　despair　claiming　so　many　others　aboard　the　SDF…3。


In　the　drive　section；　techs　were　being　ordered　back　to　stand　along　the　bulkheads　and　everybody　was　donning　headgear。　There　was　no　time　for　much　else　in　the　way　of　safety　precautions　like　getting　all　hands　into　spacesuits　and　no　telling　what　sort　would　be　needed。

Pinwheels　of　ghostly　pastel　flame　swooped　and　buzzed　through　the　cavernous　partment　like　startled　birds；　the　mental　sounds　and　the　jarring　of　the　SDF…3　were　increasing。

The　children　had　formed　their　circle　of　power　once　again；　this　time　with　Aurora　as　a　link　between　Roy　and　Drannin。　They　were　situated　off　in　one　corner　of　the　partment　in　the　hope　that　they　would　be　out　of　the　way　of　danger。　The　parents　moved　back；　Lisa　releasing　Roy's　shoulder　only　after　Rick　put　his　arm　around　her。

Rick　tried　to　get　Jack　or　Karen　on　the　inter　to　find　out　what　was　happening　at　Lang's　sanctum；　but　all　munications　seemed　to　be　down。

The　children　had　taken　up　a　new　chant；　the　eerie　glow　of　their　eyes　brightening。　Rick　could　not　hear　it　over　the　astral　storm　that　blew　and　crashed　around　them；　then；　leaning　closer；　did　hear。

Ro…bo…tech；　Ro…bo…tech；　Ro…bo…tech　。。。

The　children　had　picked　their　mantra；　their　source　of　power　and　unity；　their　psychic　spell　word　and　focus；　something　about　it　made　the　parents；　the　techs；　and　the　rest　stand　a　bit　straighter；　hold　their　chins　a　little　higher。　Lisa　felt　Rick　squeeze　her　hand　and　saw　that　his　eyes　were　glistening　with　tears。

The　chant　became　louder　than　the　astral　storm　not　in　sheer　decibels　but　in　the　minds　of　those　gathered。　Their　physical　surroundings…the　drive　ancillaries；　the　bulkheads…fell　away　in　a　panorama　of　boiling　psi…stuff；　and　the　children　forced　back　the　curtain　with　their　unity；　searching。

Ro…bo…tech！　Ro…bo…tech！　Ro…bo…tech！

The　perceptual　mist　fell　away　and　they　saw　the　SDF…3's　drive　housing；　like　a　phantom；　translucent　and　insubstantial；　there　where　it　had　once　been。

Angelo　Dante　sent　up　a　cheer；　feeling　a　personal　stake　in　the　matter　of　the　drives；　and　was　the　first　one　to　grab　a　connector　cable　as　thick　as　his　own　upper　arm；　ready　to　hook　up。

But　Gnea　held　him　back；　just　as　Vince　Grant　and　some　of　the　others　called　out　for　everybody　to　keep　their　distance。　The　drives　were　still　insubstantial；　the　children　had　not　fully　materialized　them　yet。

The　chant　became　more　intense；　and　the　drives　took　on　solidity。　They　became　opaque；　then　substantial。

And　then　the　sky　opened　up。

The　Regis　looked　down；　anger　somehow　showing　forth　from　her　blank　mask　of　a　face。

I　HAVE　BROUGHT　YOU　HERE；　AND　HERE　YOU　WILL　REMAIN；　RAW　MATERIALS　FOR　MY　TRANSFORMED　NEWSPACE！

Long　cyclonic　whips　of　otherworldly　force　lashed　in　at　the　drives　from　everywhere；　striking　at　their　housing。　The　children's　chant　wavered；　became　unsure。　The　drives　lost　substance　once　more　and　faded；　the　ectoplasmic　storm　closed　in。

But　the　Regis's　face　remained　above　those　gathered　below。　I　WILL　BROOK　NO　MORE　INTERFERENCE！

Around　each　child　a　dark　corona　grew　as　the　Regis　sought　to　waft　them　away　into　her　own　zone　of　existence。　The　chant　faltered；　the　children　fighting　her　will；　but　the　coronas　became　darker　and　darker　still。

Like　dozens　of　others；　Rick　and　Lisa　leapt　forward　to　save　the　children　but　rebounded　from　a　barrier　of　force　that　enpassed　the　circle。　Lisa　watched；　helplessly　sprawled　on　the　deck；　as　Roy　and　the　rest　faded　from　view　into　night。

In　the　partment　holding　Lang's　vault　module；　Louie　Nichols　zeroized　his　goggles'　transparency　and　threw　his　forearm　across　them　for　good　measure。

The　brightness　was　too　intense　for　sight　to　have　any　coherence；　anyway。　At　the　ground　zero　of　Lang's　ultimate　Protoculture　act；　Louie　found　himself　perceiving　things　with　new　and　different　senses。

He　beheld　the　end　of　Lang　by　immersion　in　the　Protoculture。　In　the　end；　the　man's　expanded　intellect；　colossal　as　it　was；　was　overshadowed　by　his　boundless　delight　in　the　elegance；　subtlety；　and　mystery　of　the　universe　and　of　life　itself。

As　Jovian　as　those　things　were；　though；　Lang　had　been　right；　somehow；　Louie　sensed　that　Lang's　essence　was　no　more　than　a　single　snowflake　against　the　endless　winter　vista　of　the　Shapings。　The　single　particle　that　had　been　Lang　floated　away　to　bee　part　of　the　Shapings；　the　man　himself　lost　and　gone　forever。


Because　the　nature　of　Haydon　had　not　been　intended　for　the　transition　to　newspace；　the　sphere　ships　exerted　unique　adaptive　energies　to　the　transit。

Negotiating　perilous　intercontinua　missures；　they　endured　and　wended　toward　their　destination　but　accumulated　more　and　more　excess　psi…quanta　in　their　force　envelopes。　It　was　not　unlike　a　skier　building　up　more　momentum　than　was　desired　and　finding　himself　unable　to　shed　it。

The　sphere　ships　would　either　reach　the　bottom　of　their　hill　with　incalculable　mental　energy　potential　or　perish　in　a　failure　that　would　destroy　everything；　everywhere；　everywhen。


Lisa　watched　her　son　pulled　from　sight　without　even　the　hope　that　she　could　sacrifice　herself　to　save　him；　without　even　the　hope　that　she　would　have　his　body　to　mourn　over。

Then　something　changed　the　world　of　ectostorm　and　mind　blast　there　in　the　violence　of　the　drive　partment；　something　that　called　the　unleashed　fury　to　heel　for　an　instant　and　calmed　the　cataclysm　for　a　beat。　Lisa　knew　what　it　was；　but　it　took　her　a　moment；　in　her　stunned　state　to　fix　words　to　it。

Life　is　only　what　we　choose　to　make　it
Let　us　take　it
Let　us　be　free！


Lisa　heard　Rick　croak；　〃Minmei！〃

By　the　time　Lisa　had　levered　herself　up　and　looked　around；　there　were　indescribably　sweet　notes　backing　Minmei's　silvery　voice　and　other　voices　chiming　in。

Minmei　stood　near　the　hatch；　looking　scared　and　weary　and　haggard；　but　she　clung　to　Rem；　who　bore　her　up；　and　she　became　a　pure　instrument　for　her　song。

We　can　find　the　glory　we　all　dream　of；
And　with　our　love；
We　can　win！　

Musica　and　Allegra　wove　their　spell　behind　hers。　The　Cosmic　Harp　danced　like　a　starry　spiderweb　under　Musica's　fingers。　Giving　it　all　a　kind　of　human　interface　was　Bowie；　eyes　closed；　drawing　lofty　chords　from　the　synth…keyboard　slung　over　his　shoulders。

Scarcely　aware　of　it；　Lisa　also　took　in　Jack　and　Karen　and　Harry　Penn；　all　of　them　apparently　out　of　breath　and　hunkered　down　near　the　harp。　Of　course；　it　hadn't　just　levitated　itself　there。

But　her　thoughts　were　all　for　Roy　and　the　kids；　Lisa　looked　back　to　see　the　dark　coronas　fade　a　bit；　the　children　still　sitting　in　their　places。

As　Minmei　let　her　song　take　flight；　the　chant　came　up　beneath　it；　somehow　merged　with　it？

Ro…bo…tech！　Ro…bo…tech！　Ro…bo…tech！


CHAPTER　THIRTY？SEVEN

The　quick　and　the　dead…we're　both！
Remark　attributed　to　Rick　Hunter　at　the　Intersection

Rick　threw　himself　at　his　son；　dreading　the　barrier　that　would　hurl　him　back　again。

But　this　time　he　made　it；　passing　through　a　sort　of　resistance　area；　a　membrane。　He　went　down　on　one　knee　next　to　his　son。　〃Roy；　try　again。　Try　for　the　spacefold　drives　again！〃

Roy　left　off　the　chant；　though　the　others　kept　it　up；　to　look　at　his　father　with　glowing　eyes。　〃We're　trying；　Daddy。　But　that　lady；　the　Regis…she　put　them　someplace　that　we　can't　find　them。〃

〃Keep　looking；　they　have　to　be　somewhere。〃

God；　what　was　he　doing；　giving　psi…search　pointers　to　his　superkid？　But　he　couldn't　help　it；　he　had　to　do　something；　bed　to　keep　them　in　the　fight。

〃The　drives　might　be　anyplace；　Roy；　anyplace　in；　um；　space　or　time！　Look　everyplace。〃

Then　he　quailed