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〃Tesla;〃 Rick said; biting out the name。

Vince nodded。 〃That's my guess。〃

〃But where's the Alpha now?〃 Rick added; looking back and forth between the two of them。

Jean pushed herself back from the console; her hands on the arms of the chair。 〃That's the weird part。 The Alpha made it aboard。〃

Rick fell silent; it felt for a moment as though they were speaking to him in a foreign tongue。 He shook his head; hoping everything would settle into some sort of order。 〃Maybe it wasn't Tesla。 Maybe Janice knows something we don't。。。〃

〃Okay;〃 Vince said。

〃And maybe she managed to get word to Wolff; but he couldn't reach us。。。〃

〃Okay; again。〃

〃And maybe they had to fold because they realized there was no way to get everyone offworld using the VTs。。。〃

〃Uh huh。〃 Vince folded his arms。 〃So they take off for Karbarra or Tirol; figuring we'll be able to wait it out。〃

Rick left it unanswered。 There was no need; anyway; now that the tremors had remenced。 A steady; thunderous roar filtered into the room; somewhere nearby; mountain ranges were beginning to crumble。


It was a short jump。 Wolff could feel himself ing out of the fold's dizzying effects; and was on his feet even before Sarna had furnished him with an all…clear sign。

When the two of them burst onto the module's bridge; they found Tesla and Burak seated at the controls。 Janice was off to one side; asleep; Wolff thought。

Tesla and Burak both swung around as they heard the hiss of the hatch。 The Invid's snout dropped open when he saw Wolff standing there armed to the teeth; and he immediately fell backward against his coconspirator; hoping Wolff would read it as Burak attempting a capture。

The two XTs rolled across one of the console benches and down onto the floor。 Taken pletely off guard; Burak didn't know what had hit him。 But Tesla was forcing himself into a subordinate position now; and ordering Burak to grab him by the neck。

〃Fight; you idiot!〃 Tesla was whispering。 〃You've go to make them believe you had nothing to do with this!〃

Burak finally got the message and threw his hands around the Invid's thick neck。 The two of them butted heads and snarled and cursed at each other。 Burak was working his thumbs up Tesla's snout by the time Wolff succeeded in pulling him away。

〃Back off!〃 Wolff told him; brandishing one of the handguns。 〃Tesla; on your feet!〃

Sarna hovered over to the 。

The Invid raised his hands; but remained on his knees; pleading with Wolff not to kill him; and confessing to his attempt to seize the ship。

〃And if it wasn't for this horned fiend I'd have…〃

〃Cut the crap;〃 Wolff said。 He turned around to Burak; who was trying his best to look innocent; even heroic。 〃You threw in with this slug。〃

〃I didn't!〃 Burak argued。 〃He put a spell on us!〃

〃A spell?〃 Wolff almost laughed。 〃You mean he made you do it?〃

Burak pointed to Janice。 〃Ask her if you don't believe me。〃

Janice had reactivated herself。 She looked at Wolff and said; 〃They were in it together…〃

〃Liar!〃 Burak yelled。

〃…but they couldn't seem to agree on a destination。 So I made the decision for them。〃

Tesla and Burak traded looks。

〃Where are we?〃 Wolff said; as confused as anyone else。

〃Fantoma;〃 Janice said; and Tesla fainted。


CHAPTER FIVE

Betray (I looked it up): to deliver to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty; to be unfaithful in; to seduce and desert。。。Is this what I'm guilty of? Have I seduced and deserted him? Am I delivering Jonathan over to an enemy? Have I been unfaithful? As I repeat the word over and over to myself; it begins to lose all meaning; it bees a meaningless sound; a bit of Tiresian or Praxian babble。 But then I begin to think of it as a kind of war cry; a sound that echoes back and forth across the terrain of my life and these twenty years of bloodshed。 If I am a betrayer; I am also the betrayed。 I am the SDFs…1; 2; and 3; I am all the councils and all the generals。 I am the dead; the War itself。
An excerpt from the journal of Lynn…Minmei

With Rick and Lisa and all the other men and women who had joined the Sentinels' cause missing and presumed dead; there were precious few people Dr。 Lang could trust; let alone seek out for pany or old…fashioned good counsel。 Things had not been the same between Lang and Harry Penn since Karen left; and of the Plenipotentiary members; only Justine Huxley and Niles Obstat were still receptive。 Edwards had influenced the rest to one degree or another; except of course for Exedore; who had bee Lang's unofficial ally and close friend。 Even Lynn…Minmei had been turned…by what; Lang wouldn't even try to imagine。 Lang; however; was well accustomed to isolation; so even when it wasn't self…imposed he could get by。 He had been managing to hold his own with the council; in spite of Edwards; and at the same time was overseeing both the mining operations on Fantoma and the repairs to the SDF…3。 But the Regent's visit had introduced something new and threatening to the horizon: the possibility of a partnership between Edwards and the Invid。 Lang had seen Protoculture shape stranger events these past twenty years; but none so potentially dangerous…to the Expeditionary mission; to Tirol; to the Earth itself。

Something within him refused to accept Hunter's death; he knew he wasn't standing alone here; but he had nevertheless been powerless thus far in persuading the council to launch a rescue ship…even now when there were several available with the capability for the required spacefold; some running on Sekiton; some on the recently mined monopole fuels。 But it was the Regent's behavior at the introductory summit sessions that finally convinced him to take matters into his own hands。 And it was that decision that brought him to Fantoma。 He had allowed his godson and apprentice; Scott Bernard; to acpany him; but left Exedore behind on the fortress to safeguard their mutual interests while the Regent's fleet remained anchored in Fantomaspace。 The crew of the newly christened prototype dreadnought he had mandeered…the unnamed SDF…7…was one that had been handpicked for the journey after a bit of chicanery by himself and General Reinhardt; they were a capable and loyal lot; manded by Major John Carpenter; who was being considered as a candidate to head up the first return mission to Earth。

Lang's reasons for choosing Fantoma could be summed up in one word: Breetai。 He was aware of the hostilities that had cropped up between Breetai and Edwards over the issue of the Regent's arrival; and he knew precisely where the Zentraedi's loyalties lay。 And where Breetai went; so followed his hundred…strong cadre of sixty…foot biogenetically…engineered warriors…a force to be reckoned with no matter what the council's ultimate decisions might be。

No sooner did Lang step from the shuttle that had ferried his party to the surface of the ringed giant than Breetai insisted on escorting him through a tour of the mining plex。 It; was obvious that the Zentraedi was taking some pride in his acplishments; so Lang didn't offer any resistance。 But the opportunity to discuss the pressing issues that had brought him here didn't present itself until much later on; and by then Lang was nearly feverish。 Breetai had led them to a massive Quonset…style structure that served as the colony's mand and control center…the only such building in New Zarkopolis designed to acmodate both giants and Humans in relative fort。 There; Lang reviewed what had been said during the so…called truce talks; and what reported statements had been exchanged between Edwards and the Regent during the subsequent one…on…one sessions。 Breetai said little; preferring instead to listen or grunt an occasional exclamation of anger or surprise。 But when Lang finished…with an audible sigh…the Zentraedi collapsed his steepled fingers and leaned forward in his chair; gazing intently into the Humans' balcony area。

〃One part of me wants to blame Admiral Hunter for allowing things to e to this;〃 he told Lang。 〃But if anyone can appreciate the unpredictable nature of these things; I can。〃 Lang didn't have to be reminded of the bizarre reversals the Zentraedi mander had witnessed and suffered through; and in this the scientist and warrior were 

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