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party started walking。
Rick and Lisa led the way。 Roy was farther back； with the children and most of the other parents。 Scott Bernard was following close behind the Hunters。 Marlene came after him； a part of the group at her own insistence and over his objections。 The Hunters and the rest weled her presence； she was the closest thing the expedition had to an expert on the Regis。
The landing party was armed； but it did little to assuage Rick's nervousness。 He did not really think guns would do much good against the dangers that menaced his ship； friends； and family。
Lisa cast a glance back to make sure the kids were all right and to see if the other parents were coping emotionally。 All of them were under stress； but she was particularly worried about Max。 If the Veritechs' top gun was starting to see things that weren't there； anybody could lose his grip。
In the last few hours others had begun falling prey to the insidious effects of the new continuum。 Word had it that the Karbarrans' morose augury chants had brought them Wagnerian visions of doom。 The Garudans' hin sendings had the lupine XTs fatalistic and despairing。 Baldan had had ghostly encounters on the Crystal Highways of Omphalos and at length had been ejected by them。
Even the music of the Muses and the Cosmic Harp had taken on a doleful sound they seemed helpless to rise above。
The libidinous climate of the past few days had changed； and the only possible explanation was that something about the Regis had changed。
And what if Her Highness doesn't feel like granting us an audience？ Rick was asking himself at the same moment。 Do we sacrifice a few oxen； blow on a ram's horn； or what？
But as he pushed through the last screen of bush； he saw that there was reason to hope for an audience with the Regis； after all： The field had changed； even though nobody from the SDF…3 or the recon flights had seen it。
Where the swaying grasses had grown to midcalf height； there was a structure that brought a sinister grunt from Scott。 〃Invid hive。 Huh。 Looks like a miniature Reflex Point。〃
It did indeed； but it was far smaller than the sprawling stronghold/nerve center that had been the Regis's seat of power on Terra。 It was a dome with the same organic look； the same glowings in orange and red and yellow； like a super…high…speed photograph of a thermonuclear explosion。 Around it was the strange foam of bubblelike objects suggesting concentric waves ing in at the dome； as at Reflex Point； there were the same smaller peripheral nodes； much like the central structure； all of them interlinked by a network of conduits or accessways as brilliant as tubes of flowing lava。
〃Maybe we should send in a recon team；〃 Lisa said。
〃I don't even see a way in。 Scott？〃
But before the Invid invasion veteran could answer； there was a motion from farther back in the line。 It was Drannin and the other Zentraedi children； followed by Roy and the humans； pushing to get through and head for the miniature hive。
〃Roy； wait！〃 Lisa dodged around Payton； another Zentraedi giant…youngster； to try to stop her son。 Just then； knocking small trees aside； Kazianna and a Zentraedi male caught up to head off their kids。
Roy did not push Lisa away； but he writhed 〃in her grasp。 〃Mommy； please！ She's waiting to talk to us。 But we haveta hurry！〃
Lang had left his place in line； too； with Louie Nichols and his cyber…whiz disciples in his wake。 〃I understand your reticence； Admiral； but the lad is right。 Right now our chief jeopardy lies in delay。〃
〃But how do we get…〃 Rick swallowed the question when he turned back to the mini…hive。 There was a dark semicircular opening directly in front of them。
His lips became two thin lines； and he turned back to his little mand。 〃Listen up！ We're going in。 Remember your orders； and I want all weapons on safety and either holstered or slung。〃
The door was high enough even for Zentraedi。 The party filed into the unfortably warm darkness under the dome； smelling again the strange aromas and alien odors…some pleasant； others not…of an Invid hive。
It was like being inside a cathedral of dark stained glass。 Most of the space enclosed under the dome was occupied by a veined bronze sphere that shone dimly。 There was room for even the tallest Zentraedi to stand erect。 The contingent from the SDF…3 ranged themselves along the wall； waiting to see what would e next。
Rick felt sweat trickling down his uniform collar and soaking his shirt。 He had faced Zentraedi and the Regent； but he had never felt the misgiving he felt there in the shrine of an entity that was close enough to a deity as to make no difference。
The children looked at one another with their lambent eyes； then stepped closer to the sphere； joining hands…the Zentraedi sitting in lotus position so that the humans could reach them； Aurora stood in the middle of their line； a nimbus of whirling scintillas welling up from her。
Without warning； a zigzag bolt of incandescence broke from somewhere overhead to smite the bronze globe； turning it into a ball of deep amber light。 Shadows moved within it； and then they saw the face of the Regis； exalted and endowed with a terrible beauty； gazing back at them。
They heard her voice in their minds： AT LAST； THROUGH YOUR EVOLVED CHILDREN； YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE PLANE UPON WHICH WE CAN MUNICATE。 KNOW THEN THAT THE CUSP IS NEARING IN WHICH ALL THAT EXISTS WILL E TOGETHER IN THIS； MY CREATION； MY NEWSPACE。
Rick realized that he had been waiting for Aurora to speak； after all； the children were the ones in contact with the higher mental realms where the Regis moved。 He saw his mistake： The children might have powers of munication and perception； but they lacked their elders' experience and training； their grasp of the situation and ability to deal with it。 Despite the kids' astounding powers； the oute of the crisis would still hinge on the adults' actions。
He was the leader of the ground unit； and it was his place to speak up； but before he could； Lang's voice broke the silence。
〃Mother of the Invid race！ Why have you brought us here？ Why is the universe we know being drawn into this one？ Haven't the Shapings been fulfilled？〃
Rick saw that Lang was not addressing what was to him a critical point： getting the fold drives back and getting the SDF…3 and Peter Pan out of newspace。 But before he could interject that matter； the Regis answered。
KNOW THEN THAT I WHO AM THE REGIS AND ALL OF THE INVID RACE IN ONE ENTITY BROUGHT YOUR VESSEL HERE IN MY TRANSUBSTANTIATION BY MY DOMINION OVER THE PROTOCULTURE。 YOUR SDF…3 WAS SELECTED BECAUSE ITS ENGINES WERE BEST SUITED TO SUCH A CONTINUUM FOLD。 YOU MADE THE FIRST TINY PUNCTURE THAT HAS BEE A MIGHTY RIFT IN THE BARRIERS BETWEEN THE REAL UNIVERSE AND NEWSPACE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU NUMBER AMONG YOU SO MANY WHO LED THE WAR ON THE INVID AND WHO HAVE STRONG TIES TO THE PROTOCULTURE AND THE SHAPINGS…THE GREAT； INELUCTABLE CYCLE OF COSMIC EVENTS。
Looking about her； Lisa thought how true that was。 Oh； a few like Exedore and Cabell were absent； but of the survivors of the Robotech Wars； most of the principals had been snatched is the dimensional fortress or drawn hither in