18_the_end_of_the_circle-第14章

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g；　they　asked　him　to　consider；　before　the　Queen…Mother　would　decide　to　spread　her　vengeful　horde　across　the　stars　as　her　husband　had　done？　How　long　before　her　armies　would　return　to　the　Local　Group　for　what　they　had　been　forced　to　surrender…Optera　itself？　And　what　of　the　Praxians；　then；　who　had　made　that　tortured　world　their　own？　And　what　of　Tirol　and　Spheris　and　the　rest；　so　recently　liberated　from　the　claw　hold　of　that　very　race？

Rem　could　be　infuriating　at　times；　but　how　Lang　enjoyed　the　few　discourses　they　had　shared！　How　thrilling　it　was　to　converse　with　an　intellect　as　powerful　as　his　own。　What　they　might　be　able　to　achieve　together；　he　often　thought；　were　it　not　for　Rem's　preoccupation　with　the　biotransmutational　aspects　of　Protoculture　or　his　inexplicable　attachment　to　Lynn　Minmei。

Lang　swung　back　to　the　tablescreen。　〃Oh；　I'll　admit　there's　something　to　this　afterlife　speculation　that's　worth　pursuing；〃　he　said　abruptly；　〃but　for　the　present　there　are　more　tangible　enigmas　to　grapple　with。〃　He　motioned　to　the　displays。　〃These　are　the　latest　readouts。〃

Rem　leaned　over　the　table。

〃Either　this　void　has　yet　to　decide　which　set　of　physical　laws　it　plans　to　subscribe　to；　or　our　scanners　are　in　over　their；　artificial　heads。〃　The　Terran　scientist's　voice　was　a　mixture　of　apprehension　and　excitement。　〃I　haven't　seen　anything　like　it　since　my　supercollider　days　thirty　years　ago。　But　at　least　I　knew　then　that　our　accelerators　were　manufacturing　all　those　weakly　interacting　massive　particles。　Here；　there's　no　rhyme　or　reason　to　it。　One　could　almost　believe　we've　entered　a　kind　of　dark…matter　universe。〃

〃I　doubt　we　could　exist　in　such　a　place；　Lang。〃

〃Precisely　my　point。　The　findings　are　more　consistent　with　fold　anomalies　than　anything　else。〃

Rem　nodded。　〃Then　the　real　question　we　should　be　asking　ourselves　is　whether　the　ship　is　still　on　its　way　to　somewhere　or　whether　it　has　in　fact　arrived。〃

Lang　threw　him　a　skeptical　look。　〃I　don't　see　how　we　can　possibly　be　on　our　way　to　something　without　the　fold　drives。〃　Rem　made　a　dismissive　motion　with　his　hand。　〃The　Protoculture　is　only　essential　for　initiating　a　fold；　Lang；　it　has　little　to　do　with　destination。〃

〃But　how　are　we　to　emerge；　then？〃

Rem's　gaze　grew　unfocused。　〃You　fail　to　see　the　potential；　Doctor。〃

〃Perhaps　I　do；　Rem；　but…〃

〃When　all　you　need　do　is　think　back　to　your　experiences　inside　the　ship　you　called　SDF…1…when　it　crash…landed　on　Earth。〃

Lang's　face　went　blank。

〃Your　own　notes　state　that　you　were　at　a　loss　to　explain　the　time　displacement　you　and　your　team　experienced　inside　the　ship。〃

〃Yes。。。〃

〃And　so　you　postulated　that　some　'quantum'…your　word；　Doctor…some　quantum　of　hyperspace　had　adhered　to　the　ship。〃

〃And　the　team　was　actually　walking　through　a　kind　of　hyperspace　dimension；〃　Lang　finished　in　a　rush。　〃Yes；　of　course；　I　remember　now。〃

Rem　laughed。　〃Ah；　what　tricks　the　overmind　plays　with　us！〃　He　offered　Lang　a　tight…lipped　smile。　〃Listen　to　your　words；　Doctor：　‘I　remember　now。'　That's　what　the　SDF…3　is　doing。　Zor's　ship　captured　a　quantum　of　hyperspace　and　conveyed　it　into　the　world　of　time。　Our　ship　has　captured　a　quantum　of　time　and　carried　it　into　hyperspace。　〃

Lang　glanced　at　the　mathematical　constructs　assembling　themselves　on　the　tablescreen　as　if　to　confirm　something。

〃I　don't　know　why　the　Protoculture　chose　this　particular　moment　to　abandon　us；〃　Rem　resumed；　〃or　just　what　Shapings　are　to　be　inferred　from　it。　But　I　do　know　that　the　SDF…3　is　remembering　now…now；　Lang。〃　He　gestured　toward　the　exterior　bulkheads。　〃And　what　I　think　we're　seeing　out　there　is　a　universe　in　the　making。〃


〃Remember　when　he　was　just　learning　to　walk？〃　Rick　asked；　regarding　his　five…year…old　raven…haired　son　from　the　transparent　side　of　the　nursery's　one…way　mirror。　〃It　was　like　he　wanted　to　start　off　running。　Always　in　a　hurry　to　get　somewhere。〃

Lisa's　eyes　narrowed　somewhat。　〃No　thanks　to　you。　Walking　must　have　seemed　awfully　tame　after　all　the　aerial　acrobatics　you　put　him　through。〃

Rick　laughed。　〃Guilty　as　charged。　But　I　didn't　have　anything　to　do　with　turning　him　into　a　whiz　kid。　That's　gotta　be　your　doing。〃

Lisa　patted　the　bun　of　gray…streaked　hair　at　the　back　of　her　head　and　laughed　with　him。

In　meeting　at　the　nursery；　the　two　proud　parents　had　agreed　to　call　a　moratorium　on　discussing　the　fortress's　present　circumstance；　at　least　until　Lang　and　Rem　could　sort　out　whether　they　had　punched　themselves　into　some　misty　uncharted　corner　of　hyperspace　or　were　simply　on　line　in　limbo；　waiting　for　judgment。　Morale　was　low　in　all　sections；　and　so　Lisa　had　ordered　most　of　the　ship　to　secure　from　battle　stations。

She　returned　her　eyes　to　Roy　and　to　the　transformable　puzzle　block　one　of　the　ship's　child…care　specialists　had　handed　him。　Silently；　as　she　watched　Roy　rotate　the　alloy　block　in　his　tiny　hand；　she　applauded　his　analytical　powers：　the　way；　he　seemed　to　size　it　up　before　making　a　move；　the　way　the　expression　on　his　sweet　face　mirrored　his　intense　concentration。　At　the　same　time　she　marveled　at　the　dexterity　he　demonstrated　as　he　began　to　expose　one　after　another　of　the　block's　hidden　forms；　nimble　fingers　prying　open　doors；　separating　sections；　twisting　others；　extending　telescoping　parts。　And　just　as　silently　she　worried。

Up　until　a　few　months　ago　Roy　had　seemed　just　an　ordinary　child　to　her；　perhaps　too　ordinary；　if　anything。　For　all　her　efforts　at　keeping　him　as　far　from　the　SDF…3　as　she　could　manage；　at　seeking　to　raise　him　as　someone　other　than　the　son　of　two　career　officers；　Roy　had　been　going　through　the　same　action/adventure　stages　as　his　peers　aboard　the　fortress。　One　could　take　the　child　away　from　Earth；　but　one　apparently　could　not　take　Earth　away　from　the　child。　Airplanes；　action　figures；　toy　guns　。。。　even　an　invisible　friend　who　still　showed　up　every　so　often。

But　things　had　changed　once　she　and　Rick　had　pleted　their　transfer　to　the　SDF…3。　Suddenly　it　was　puzzles　that　fascinated　him；　both　manual　and　puter…generated。　And　then　there　was　the　look　he　would　give　her　sometimes；　as　if　to　say：　I　know　exactly　what　you're　thinking。　To　hear　Kazianna　tell　it；　her　son　Drannin　and　some　of　the　other　Zentraedi　children　were　behaving　likewise；　and　there　had　been　occasions　when　Lisa　had　had　to　drag　Roy　screaming　from　his　oversize　〃play　mates。〃　She　still　didn't　know　whether　to　feel　forted　by　all　the　youthful　bonding　or　even　more　worried　than　she　already　was。　More　than　anything　she　wished　Miriya　were　there　to　tell　her　what　it　was　like　to　nurture　a　genius；　what　the　Praxians　sometimes　called　a　Wyrdling。

And　how　much　of　it；　Lisa　wondered；　could　be　traced　to　the　ship　itself？

She　felt　Rick's　arm　go　around　her　shoulder；　and　she　rested　her　head　against　his。

〃We've　had　some　good　days；　haven't　we？〃　Rick　said　softly。　〃Especially　these　past　few　years。〃

She　knew　what　he　meant：　how　good　it　had　been　to　absent　themselves　from　the　endless　tasks　they　had　overseen　during　Reconstruction　and　again　after　the　destruction　of　New　Macross。

Rick　turned　to　face　her。　〃I've　been　missing　them　lately。　Really　feeling　at　a　loss。〃

Lisa　recalled　her　postfold　malaise　and　shot　him　a　look。　〃You；　too；　Rick？　Like　you've　lost　something　important？〃

He　nodded。　〃First　I　thought　it　was　just　leaving　Tirol；　but　it's　more　than　that。　Lately　I've　been　thinking　about　Pop's　air　circus；　Macross　Island；　even　the　Mockingbird。〃

〃But　it's　pervasive；　isn't　it？〃　Lisa　said。　〃Like　you　can't　pin　it　down。〃

Rick　bit　his　lower　lip。　〃I　think　I　know　what　it　is　now；〃　he　began　with　a　nervous　laugh。　〃I'm　willing　to　lay　odds　it's　the　Proto…〃

〃Begging　your　pardon；　sirs；〃　Rick's　adjutant　interrupted；　stepping　through　the　observation　room　hatch。　〃Tactical　Center　requests　the　admiral's　immediate　presence。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　Lisa　asked；　hurrying　to　the　room's　inter。

〃We've　got　a　screenful　of　bogies；　sir。〃　〃Signatures？〃　Rick　said。

〃Not　yet；　sir。　Radar's　silent。　The　ship's　bio…sensors　made　the　call。〃

Rick　and　Lisa　traded　looks。　〃Bio…sensors？〃

〃TIC　patched　the　system　into　IFF；　sir；　but　couldn't　raise　a　signature　or　profile。〃

〃Invid？〃　Lisa　said；　cocking　her　head　to　one　side。　〃Some　self…mutated　form？〃

Rick　met　his　adjutant　at　the　hatch。　〃Maybe