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otech Wars； most of the principals had been snatched is the dimensional fortress or drawn hither in Peter Pan。
And if the Regis could assert her will so thoroughly over events； what hope could mortals have of prevailing against her？
AS ONCE UPON EARTH I SOUGHT TO FIND； THROUGH EXPERIMENTS IN MY GENESIS PITS； THE IDEAL FORM THAT MY RACE WOULD ASSUME FOR ITS EXISTENCE ON THAT PLANET； SO I HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE FOR MY STUDY。 BY SIFTING THROUGH YOUR PSYCHES AND WHAT SOME OF YOU CALL YOUR SOULS； I WILL DECIDE THE NEW MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CLIMATE OF THIS CREATION OF MINE； THIS MALLEABLE DOMAIN； THIS NEWSPACE。
Lang seemed to have assumed the role of speaker； and he showed a pronounced vexation when Louie Nichols butted in。
〃Hey； retro back a second！ You mated with the Protoculture； you went through your transcendence。 What more d' you want？〃
TRANSUBSTANTIATION IS A MOCKERY； A PRISON！ I WAS DRIVEN TO SEEK IT BY YOU HUMANS！ THE SHAPINGS ARE A HOLLOW JOKE； A CELL WITH NO EXIT。
The Karbarrans were growling as if they might utter some defiant roar； and so Rick hastened to say； 〃But what do you want？〃
A harsh beam of light sprang from some unseen source to pin Rem squarely。 It was not a weapon； and yet he cried out； throwing an arm across his face。
I WISH ONLY A RETURN TO THAT STATE MY INVID AND I ENJOYED WHEN ZOR CAME LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT。 I WISH OPTERA TO BE AS IT WAS AGAIN AND FOR THE INVID TO REVERT TO THE FORM WE KNEW THEN。
〃Then why don't you do it？〃 Louie shouted。 〃You have total control over newspace。〃
BUT NOT CONTROL OF THE SHAPINGS！ AND BECAUSE THE INVID LEFT THEIR FORMER STATE BEHIND TO WAGE WAR AND STRIVE AGAINST THE SHAPINGS； CLOSING CERTAIN CONFIGURATIONS BEHIND THEM； A REVERSION TO OUR ORIGINAL STATE IS THE ONE THING I CANNOT DO； EVEN HERE。
NEITHER DO I WISH TO LIVE IN THE CHAOTIC NOT璍AWS THAT ARE THE NATURAL STATE OF NEWSPACE。 THEREFORE； I WILL PERMIT THE REAL UNIVERSE TO BLEED INTO THIS SPACETIME； AND WHEN ALL MY RAW MATERIALS ARE AT HAND； I SHALL REFASHION ALL THE COSMOS IN THE IMAGE I DEEM FIT。
〃No！〃 With help from Minmei； Rem was struggling to rise。 〃It's not their fault！ You can't banish away their entire existence！〃
AND WAS IT MY FAULT WHEN THE FIRST OF YOUR BLOOD； ZOR； CAME LIKE A POISONOUS VIPER TO OPTERA？ WAS IT MY FAULT THAT YOUR ROBOTECH MASTERS DECREED THE RAZING OF OPTERA？ THE UNIVERSE CARES NOTHING FOR JUSTICE 。。。 NOR DO THE SHAPINGS。
It was Learna； mate to Kami and at one with the hin； who spoke then。 She stood erect； and even though she was of smaller stature than anyone else there but the children； her foxlike appearance gave her a certain nobility that struck the others with an undeniable poignancy。
〃Then why spare us？ Why not obliterate us and make a clean beginning？〃
No one else had been brave enough to call out the question。 The Regis hesitated long seconds before replying。 BECAUSE I NEED TO STUDY YOU。 I MUST DECIDE WHETHER THERE SHALL BE IN THIS NEWSPACE THE ONLY THING YOU MORTAL RACES HAVE DEVELOPED THAT IS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE： LOVE。
〃In spite of what it did to her；〃 Lisa heard Rick murmur； she had been thinking the same thing。
Louie Nichols's voice cracked。 〃‘Only'？〃 he cried。 〃What about intelligence？〃
A MERE COPING MECHANISM。 AN INEVITABLE OUT璆ROWTH OF EVOLUTION。
〃Art； literature；〃 Rick heard Dr。 Penn say。
CONCEITS； DEVISED TO FILL THE WAIT BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE FEEDINGS AND SLEEPS。
〃Music…〃 Bowie started to protest； but the word was drowned out。
ENOUGH！ YOU ARE NOT HERE TO IMPORTUNE ME！
〃Yeah； here it es；〃 Dana heard Louie Nichols mutter。 Louder； he added； 〃Why'd you have the kids bring us here？〃
MY EXPANDED SENSES INFORM ME THAT THE RE瑼WAKENED HAYDON； IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ROBOTECH ELDERS； EVEN NOW LAUNCHES AN ATTACK ON TIROL IN AN EFFORT TO RECOVER THE FACSIMILE PROTOCULTURE MATRIX。 SHOULD HAYDON WIN HE WILL ENTER NEWSPACE BY MEANS OF THE SHIPS BUILT BY HIS ARTIFICIAL PLANET AND HIS ARTIFICIAL RACE。 WITH THE POWER OF THE MATRIX AT HIS DISPOSAL； HE MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP。 HE WOULD CONTROL THIS PLACE THEN； AND HAYDON WILL HAVE LITTLE TOLERANCE FOR THE CONVENTIONAL SPACETIME BODIES； LAWS； AND ENTITIES THAT HE HAS BEEN TRYING SO LONG TO PUT BEHIND HIM。
〃Why are you telling us this？〃 Lisa demanded。
TO PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT IS TO E。 IF AND WHEN I MUST E TO GRIPS WITH HAYDON； IT WILL BE A BATTLE OF MENTAL FORCE AND PSI…ENERGIES璒F IMAGES AND POSSIBILITIES； SINCE I HAVE BEEN MONITORING YOUR PSYCHES； THE THINGS I HAVE SEEN WITHIN YOU WILL BE IMPORTANT WEAPONS。 YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE CAUGHT UP IN AN APOCALYPSE。
〃No！〃 That was Minmei； tears in her voice； she and Rem supporting each other and looking as if they were at the end of their strength。
〃You can't！ We…we have innocent children with us。 At least spare them！〃
WAR SPARES NO ONE； YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL AS I。
There were roars from the Karbarrans； baying from the Garudans； Gnea's angry Valkyrie war cry； and more； all mixed in a general howl of outrage。 The Regis took no notice； however。
Her voice thundered in their heads。 PREPARE YOURSELVES。
Within the blazing sphere； her countenance faded out； replaced by brighter and brighter glory。 Once more they had to shield their eyes。
。。。 RESIGN YOURSELVES。
When they opened their eyes again； the hive was gone and they were standing in a field of waving grass under the calm sky of Omphalos。
CHAPTER THIRTY…TWO
You humans should cavil less about our tempers。 I have observed your own behavior。 With better fangs and claws； you might go far。
Lron； as quoted in Noki Rammas's Karbarra
The Local Group captains； following Hodel's example； had spoken boldly and resolutely in exhorting their crews。 When they initiated their attack on the hulking worldlet…size Robotech warrior； though； it was with considerable caution。
The first strike brought improvised strategic missiles to bear： subluminal spacecraft packed with thermonuclear explosives set to run by remote control。 Drones and robot probes went in ahead of them； firing with hastily installed weapons； to draw fire and test the megacosm…mecha's defenses。
The remotes' visual pickups gave their controllers a strange view of a reconfigured Haydon IV； which looked less and less like a humanoid figure as the kamikaze sortie closed on it。 Model found himself expecting the action to start once the remotes flew in between the extended arms； physically impossible as it was for structures that size to move with any speed； he could not help feeling that one of them would lash out at any moment to swipe the jury…rigged ships out of existence。
That did not happen； though； and Hodel dismissed the notion as the natural expectation of the Karbarrans； whose bearish fighting style relied so much on their awesomely powerful arms。 He bent closer to peer over a remote operator's shoulder and follow the attack。
That particular ship was a Tirolian courier craft； small but very fast and agile。 It dove in at Haydon IV as the planet's plasma guns started firing at extreme range。 As the intel staffs had projected； there was no repeat of the Awareness's taking over of automated systemry。 Because of damage suffered in Louie Nichols's cyberburn or the battle near Ranaath's