21_before_the_invid_storm-第3章

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　launch。　〃I　will　allow　no　harm　to　e　to　your　people；〃　he　had　assured　her。　

But　Dana　had　wondered　during　her　slow　descent　to　Earth；　had　Zor　Prime　been　referring　to　Humans　or　Zentraedi？　

The　capsule　had　landed　on　the　crest　of　a　low　foothill；　atop　which　sat　the　Macross　Scenic　Overlook。　It　had　puzzled　her　that　Zor　Prime　should　send　her　there；　of　all　places；　but　then　it　dawned　on　her　that　she　was　meant　to　bear　witness　to　his　self…sacrifice　and　to　the　death　of　the　Robotech　Masters。　And　she　had：　curling　herself　into　a　ball　when　the　flagship　exploded；　then　railing　at　Zor　Prime　and　the　falling　sky　when　the　Protoculture　Matrix　had　released　the　Flowers　of　Life　from　bio…stasis　and　seeded　the　world　with　their　spores。　

But　she　did　so　only　for　a　moment。　Because　Lazlo　Zand　and　Napoleon　Russo　had　suddenly　appeared　on　the　scene；　pletely　out　of　their　skulls。　Zand；　who　had　had　a　fixation　on　Dana　since　her　infancy；　was　vampirelike；　displaying　some　sort　of　high…tech　Dracula　device；　babbling　about　Dana's　matchless　powers；　how　they　went　beyond　Protoculture；　and　how　he　　would　have　them。　

〃First　the　power　of　Protoculture　fills　me；〃　Zand　had　raved；　〃then　the　power　of　Dana　Sterling。　The　Masters　promised　me　that　I　would　be　wed　to　the　Flower　and　I　will　not　be　disappointed！〃　

Polly；　Dana's　Cheshire　cat　of　a　pet；　had　shown　up　shortly　after　Zand　had　activated　the　device；　but　could　do　nothing　as　he　trained　it　on　Dana。　The　Protoculturist's　own　form　enlarged；　vibrating　and　contorting；　while　Dana　stood　paralyzed　and　rotund　Russo　cowered　like　the　little　creep　he　was。　

Across　the　plain；　the　Masters'　flagship　was　ing　apart　and　the　genetic　messengers　of　the　Flower　were　gushing　into　a　hellish　June　afternoon。　Dana　felt　the　tap　of　Death's　bony　hand　on　her　shoulder　and　was　on　the　verge　of　turning　into　the　Reaper's　embrace；　when　Zand　loosed　a　howl　of　such　agony　and　fright　that　even　the　Reaper　retreated。　

Zand　had　perhaps　underestimated　the　dosage　the　device　was　feeding　him；　or　somehow　underestimated　Dana's　contribution　to　the　influx　of　power。　But　either　way；　the　net　result　was　his　transformation　into　a　short…lived　burst　of　radiant　energy。　And　regardless；　Dana　wanted　to　believe　that　the　outsize　Flower　of　Life　that　took　root　where　he　had　stood　was　actually　himZand；　wed　to　the　Flower　。。。　

Arriving　in　a　hijacked　alien　assault　craft；　the　members　of　the　15th　had　found　her　there；　stripped　of　her　armor；　Polly　under　one　arm。　Dana　doing　her　own　　babbling　about　Zor　Prime；　the　spores；　the　Invid；　and　a　starship　that　she　would　someday　pilot　to　wherever　her　parents　were。　But　everyone　had　been　patient　with　her；　figuring　that　the　nonsense　she　was　spewing　was　the　result　of　bat　trauma。　It　was　Dana's　cry　for　Mommy；　the　orphaned　generation's　cry　for　all　that　had　been　denied　them。　

Nova　Satori　had　brought　her　around。　〃Invid　or　no　Invid；　we　have　to　report　to　whomever　is　in　interim　mand；〃　the　intelligence　officer　had　said。　Plans　had　to　be　made；　defenses　set　in　place。　No　matter　that　Nova　was　cradling　a　clone　infant　in　her　arms。　

Dana　had　posed　herself　and　had　ordered　that　the　escape　capsule　and　the　bottle…shaped　assault　craft　be　emptied　of　all　rations　and　emergency　supplies；　and　then　she　had　grabbed　Angelo's　side　arm　and　assigned　herself　the　point　position。　

Renewed　hope　had　eased　the　burden　of　the　first　couple　of　miles；　but　as　the　sky　darkened　and　Monument's　fire　glow　suffused　the　horizon；　Dana　felt　herself　sliding　into　despair。　The　brooding　silence　of　the　march　told　her　that　her　squadron　mates　and　the　Tirolean　clones　were　experiencing　the　same　sense　of　loss。　

〃The　war　is　over；〃　　Bowie　had　announced　when　he　had　stepped　from　the　assault　craft。　And　at　the　time　she　had　been　prepared　to　believe　him。　But　now　she　wanted　to　respond；　〃This　　waronly　this　war　is　over。〃　And　suddenly　there　seemed　so　much　to　do　。。。　

But　it　would　get　done；　Dana　decided。　The　way　all　things　got　done：　one　step　at　a　time。　So　she　gritted　her　teeth；　straightened　her　shoulders；　and　concentrated　on　planting　one　foot　in　front　of　the　other。