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ainment mainframe。 Gleaming interface plugs studded their cranial cyber…ports。
Penn； a curl to his upper lip； eyed the two with disdain； their tattoos； tight clothes； bad skin； and bad hair。 Now that he had gotten to know Louie's team a little； he had decided they were as unappealing a lot as he had ever encountered。 Video fiends and substance abusers； they related only to things they could plug themselves into。 Despite all their ravings about artificial intellect and 〃machine mind；〃 it was almost a pre…Protoculture； electronic age fascination that animated them。
The portly scientist cleared a low growl from his throat。 〃And I'm telling you we're exactly where we're supposed to be； Professor Nichols。 If anything's missing； it's Haydon IV。〃
Nichols； grinning； put a hand to his round…leaned goggles as he peered over his shoulder at Penn。 〃Some wrinkle in the Newtonian universe； Doctor？ A planet gets it in mind to leave orbit； and off it goes？〃
Penn scratched at his beard。〃 Need I remind you of some of the wonders we've experienced these past thirty years； Professor？ Besides； with that world anything's possible。〃
Nichols smirked。 〃Relax； Harry。 I'm sure your aim was true。〃 His forefinger called up data on the touchscreen。 〃What we have here are indications of gravitational perturbations throughout this star system。 So I believe it's safe to assume the planet has in fact vanished。〃
〃But Cabell had been in munication with Exedore；〃 Vince thought to point out。 〃There was nothing in his transmissions about 。 。 。 this。〃
〃Then it's likely the event occurred recently；〃 Nichols said： 〃Obviously within the past Earth…standard month。〃
〃I concur；〃 Penn said。
The bridge …line tone sounded； and Vince leaned forward to respond。
〃Receiving an urgent distress call； 〃 his exec began。 〃Survivors from the Karbarran ship N'trpriz。〃
〃Survivors？ What happened？〃
The line was quiet for a moment。 〃Sir； the N'trpriz was ordered to Haydon IV on an extraction op。 Seems that several hundred Karbarran traders were taken prisoner during the rebellion。 〃
Vince and Penn traded astonished looks。 〃What rebellion？〃 Penn demanded。
〃It's unclear； Doctor。 Apparently the Haydonites have risen up against the Awareness。 Offworlders caught up in the rebellion have been transferred to subsurface confinement areas below what remains of Glike。
〃This is madness；〃 Vince said。 〃Ask them if the N'trpriz attempted to engage the planet。〃
〃Affirmative； sir。 N'trpriz was in munication with the surface when the planetary Awareness succeeded in arming the ship's auto…destruct systems。〃 Grant's first officer paused momentarily。 〃The survivors claim to have jumped ship in an escape vehicle prior to detonation。 They claim that the ships of their own battle group deserted them。 〃
Vince tightened his lips。 〃Tell them we're on our way to their position。 But ask if they can give the approximate present location of Haydon IV。〃
〃Negative； sir。 They say no can do。 〃
〃Why in heaven's name not？〃 Penn said。
〃Response； sir： ‘Because Haydon IV executed a fold。'〃
After rescuing the Karbarran survivors； the Ark Angel executed a jump of its own not； however； for the ursinoids' homeworld but for Fantoma's third moon； Tirol。
Scott had to call in most of the favors owed him to get himself included among the small landing party that was shuttled down to Tiresia。 But the hassle was well worth it； if only for the quick ride through the city's streets to the Royal Hall； which still towered argent and pyramidal over the city scape like a holy mountain。
Otherwise； the place had changed dramatically in the three years since the Mars Group's departure。 Scott had not been here for the return of Jonathan Wolff's starship； and with it the arrival of the 15th ATAC and the Tiresian clones they were conveying home。 Nor had he been around for the first Flower of Life harvest on New Praxis or the development of Lang's facsimile Protoculture matrix； which had been left in Tiresia for safekeeping。 That alone had returned enormous wealth and prosperity to Tirol； what with liberated worlds throughout the Local Group hungry anew for interstellar transports and； inexpensive but efficient sources of energy to assist in the mammoth task of reconstruction。 Most of the actual manufacturing of ships and machines had been farmed out to Karbarra； but it was Tirol that had reaped the rewards。 The moon had bee a kind of cultural crossroads； almost on a par with Haydon IV in the trafficking of information and construction techniques。
Thus； Tiresia's public buildings and housing structures sparkled like gems in an emerald setting。 Under REF supervision； the clones and indigs had irrigated and terraformed the city's once…denuded outskirts； and while a Rome…analogue look had been preserved in places； reconfigurable stadiums and ultratech high rises dominated the skyline。
Scott's parents； both of whom were engineers largely responsible for the rebuilding of Mars Sara Base； were among a group of Terran settlers and exiled Ghost Squadron pilots who had elected to remain on Tirol。 He was eager to see them again； plans for a meet having already been firmed up during a short ship…to…surface conversation earlier on。
Cabell…the bald and bearded wizard who had seemed such a sinister figure to an eleven…year…old Scott Bernard…was on hand to wele the landing party and escort them； in a caravan of surface…effect vehicles； to that part of the Royal Hall given over to Local Group affairs。 There； Vince and Jean Grant； Harry Penn； and the rest were greeted by planetary envoys from Karbarra； New Praxis； Spheris； Garuda； Peryton； and several emerging worlds once dominated by the Robotech Masters and Invid that had never been visited by the Sentinels。
The Haydonite foreign minister and the whole of the ambassadorial legation had been placed in custody。
〃They haven't revealed so much as a thought since their arrest；〃 Scott heard Cabell inform Vince while a Karbarran representative had the chamber's floor。 〃And of course we know of no way to force them to send。 I'm certain they've fallen victim to the same programming that has set their homeworld in motion。〃
〃First the Invid； then the SDF…3； now Haydon IV；〃 Jean whispered back。
Cabell nodded； flaring white eyebrows bobbing。 〃And these disappearances are only the beginning。〃
〃How so？〃 Vince asked。
The Tiresian voiced a note of frustration。 〃The very fabric of the continuum has been affected in some way。 It would require a plex array of instruments and measuring devices to demonstrate my findings。 But I will say this much： Our universe appears to be shrinking。〃
Penn blanched。 〃But…〃
〃Wait。〃 Cabell cut him off； holding up a graceful hand。 〃Hear this one out。〃
There was motion on the floor。 Scott saw that the Karbarran who had been growling demands at everyone had been issued a message of some sort and was pacing before the amphitheater seats； waving the crumpled thing overhead in a clenched paw…hand。
〃Let it be known to all members of the Local Group that Karbarra is fully prepared to go to war unless reparations are made for the capture of our citizens and the destruction of three of our vessels。〃
The aud