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cing； Doctor。〃
Penn leaned back in his chair； stroking his chin as muttered questions and exclamations were exchanged around the table。 〃But Professor；〃 he queried at last； 〃you said all existing Protoculture。 And yet dozens of mecha remain fully functional； to say nothing of the Ark Angel herself。〃
Nichols traded amused looks with his associates。 Scott noticed that the four had linked their terminals together； employing cables of peculiar design。 From each console dangled equally strange…looking umbilical jacks。
〃A valid prompt； Doctor； but you don't need a simul。。 。er； a Marlene to run it。 What I should have said was all the first…generation Protoculture…the pure strain that came from Zor's original matrix； along with the home brew the Regis was concocting from the orchards here。〃
〃As distinct from what？〃 Penn asked。
Nichols let out an exasperated sigh。 〃As distinct； Doctor； from the Flower stuff the REF cooked down in this facsimile matrix Lang and the Tiresian…what's his name？〃
〃Rem；〃 Gibley said。
〃Rem。 What Lang and Rem cobbled together on Tirol。〃
Penn and the REF staffers mulled it over for a noisy moment。
〃That would account for the fact that certain mecha are still functioning；〃 Vince offered。 〃But of course we'd have to do a plete craft…by…craft accounting。 As far as the Ark Angel is concerned…〃
〃It is Sekiton…fueled；〃 Nichols pleted。
Penn's ruddy face registered astonishment。 〃My God。 You're saying that the SDF…3 。。。〃
Nichols nodded encouragement。 〃The fold generators of the SDF…3 were taken from Breetai's flagship and the Robotech factory satellite； both of which were fueled with first generation Protoculture。〃
〃And that Protoculture；〃 Penn said； 〃was caught up in the Invid transformation that occurred here； on Earth。〃
〃You've got it；〃 Nichols told him。 〃If we can learn where the Invid went； we'll find the SDF…3。〃
〃But how can we do that？〃 Jean Grant asked。
〃Folding for Haydon IV is a good way to start；〃 Nichols said。 〃The more I hear about Haydon and this ‘Awareness；' the more I'm convinced there's a lead there。 Second； we can take the Invid 。。。 woman along。 Some part of her is still on…line with the Invid group…mind； wherever it is； in this dimension or some other。〃
Some other dimension？ Scott wanted to ask him。 Wrinkled foreheads and bobbing Adam's apples suggested that he was not alone in his concern。 Nichols's group； however； seemed to be taking the revelations in stride。 Scott watched the one named Gibley。 He had one of the umbilicals in hand and seemed to be applying some sort of spray lubricant to the jack。
〃‘We；' Professor；〃 Vince said。 〃Can I take that to mean that you and your associates have agreed to acpany us？〃 Nichols nodded。 〃But not for the reasons you probably imagine； General；〃 he was quick to add。 〃Like most of you； we have friends on that ship who are important to us。 But as for viewing Protoculture as a necessity in shaping Earth's future； we couldn't disagree with you more。〃
Scott's mouth dropped open as he saw Gibley part his long tail of bleached hair and insert the multipronged jack directly into the base of his skull。
Nichols caught Scott's expression。 〃They're called cyberports；〃 he told Scott； fingering aside the hair on the right side of his cranium to reveal a similar alloy receptacle。
Jean Grant blanched as the rest of Nichols's team began to follow Gibley's lead。
〃And we call this…headlocking；〃 Nichols explained； regarding the table for a moment。 〃You see； despite what you may think； Protoculture's reign is finished。 Robotechnology is dead。
〃It worked its final shapings in the Quadrant when it merged with the Invid。 I suspect； in fact； that that was its raison d'etre all along…to be both mate and propellant for the Invid transformation。
I
〃But I repeat： It has no place in the world it reshaped in the process。〃 Nichols shook his head； his eyes a mystery behind mirrors。 〃No。 From this point on it will be up to us to shape our destiny as a race； and we will have to look to superintelligences to help us define and design our course。〃
He motioned to his headlocked associates； their activated consoles and rapt expressions。 〃‘Machine mind' holds the answers。 Through it we will acplish all that we have failed to acplish in the past。 Through it we will achieve where we have failed。 Through it we will journey where we have never been。〃
The table waited in silence。
〃Not out among the stars； either；〃 Louie said with a grin。 〃But in a reality we will create。 Using the power of our own enhanced intellects and the immortal machine bodies we will someday soon fashion for ourselves。〃
CHAPTER NINE
During the cruel reign of the Robotech Masters； Karbarra had exported its revolution （along with tens of thousands of its pneumatic projectile rifles） to several Local Group worlds； including Garuda； Praxis； and Spheris。 During the Invid occupation； Karbarra had seen its very future （i。e。； the Karbarran childcubs） held hostage。 The origin of the planet's subsequent turn to dreams of empire is most often traced to its solid defeat over the （T。 R。） Edwards…controlled Invid on Optera （see La Paz； Mizner； London； et al。）。 But who if not Haydon himself ＇sic＇ was Karbarra rising up against…Haydon and the curse of his ＇sic＇ Ur…Flower。
Noki Rammas； Karbarra
Dana was ready to jump the first Haydonite that glided across the laser…barred threshold to the Sterlings' plush level…four lockup。 But when that visitor turned out to be Veidt； all she could do was quietly lay aside the Praxian hardwood war club she had fashioned from a table leg； try to ease unnoticed from her place of concealment behind the couch； and join her parents and Exedore in questioning the being who had been like family to all of them in their time on…world。
She was encouraged to hear Veidt address everyone as 〃my friends。〃
Exedore made his relief known with a slow exhalation of breath。 〃What is going on； Veidt？〃 he asked； staring up into the hovering figure's bilaterally symmetrical suggestion of facial features。 〃I certainly can't tell anything from your expression。〃
〃Would that you had learned to discern our nuances；〃 Veidt sent to everyone。 〃You would have undoubtedly noticed alterations in my countenance since the initial stirrings of the Awareness some months ago。 Our inner states are as much on display as your own； you know。〃
〃Tell us what's happening to you；〃 Exedore said。
A dull； pulsating glow lit Veidt's dzentile。 〃Thoughts e not without great difficulty now； Lord Exedore。〃
〃Try； Veidt；〃 Miriya said； 〃please。〃
Veidt's hairless head rolled briefly within the high collar of the robe。 〃One might pare it to the pulsion the Robotech Masters used to extract unfailing allegiance from the Zentraedi。〃 The Haydonite regarded Max。 〃I have found nothing in Terran history that invites parison； although my intuition tells me otherwise。〃
〃We Haydonites nevertheless have as a world been forced to respond to a type of behavioral programming that up until recently has lain dormant within us。 But it appears that those of us who have had continued contact with offworlders can exercise intermittent control over the programming。〃
Exedore and the S