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Max narrowed his eyes as a series of plex schematics flashed on…screen。
Dana got a grip on the Zentraedi's shoulder。 〃Don't go mute on us now； Exedore； or I'll…〃
〃It's changing；〃 he said before she could plete the threat。 〃The entire planet。 Haydon IV is reconfiguring！〃
〃The second star to the right？〃 Rick asked； wondering when he had heard the phrase before。 〃Why that one？〃 Lang's broad shoulders heaved。 〃It's the closest。 It appears to be； I should say。 Light seems to enjoy playing games with itself in this place。 One moment the star lies directly along our course； the next it doesn't。 One moment it's effectively beyond reach； the next at our bow。〃 The scientist gestured to the engineering room's tablescreen。 〃You see！ There it changes again。 As if it were pensating for the deficiency of our drive system or trying to decide just where to locate itself。〃 He shook his head。 〃What's the sense of trying to discover the essential mechanics of this realm where there is nothing immutable to measure against？〃
Several theories had been advanced when the fog of newspace had lifted and distant stars had appeared； all of which had since been quickly overruled by updated findings： The SDF…3 had not been returned to hyperspace； nor had it manifested from fold somewhere in the intergalactic void。
According to some； however； the present darkness was but the afterlife tunnel itself； and next would e encounters with deceased relatives and shadowy presences。
Many； in fact； had already begun to review their lives。 Screen…weary； Rick was massaging his eyes with his fingertips。 Here was a universe to behold from the viewports； but to hear Lang tell it； the stars might as well have been insubstantial。 Rem was standing behind the two of them； silently brooding。
Lang said； 〃We train our scopes on the farthest reaches； millions of parsecs distant； and what do we find？〃
Rick waited； then realized that he was supposed to answer。 〃Uh； I don't know。 What do we get？〃
〃Stars literally winking into existence。〃 Lang punched a scancorder's playback bar。 Eyes on the monitor again； Rick felt as though he were soaring over the crest of an invisible hill to watch stars appear on the horizon。
〃Maybe we're inside some sort of torus；〃 he ventured。 〃Our motion's a continuous curve instead of the straight line we perceive。〃
Lang's upper teeth were bared when he turned Rick an over…the…shoulder look。
Rick felt skewered。 〃It was only a suggestion。〃
〃Of course；〃 Lang said with unconcealed condescension。 All at once Rick was aware of Rem's breath on the back of his neck。 〃Are you just going to stand there？〃 he asked； adopting Lang's curdled expression as he swung around。
〃I have nothing to add；〃 Rem told him。
Rick inclined his head to one side。 〃Rumor has it you blacked out when the lights hit us。〃
Lang twisted around in his chair。 〃I heard nothing of this。〃 The Tiresian regarded them coolly。 〃Minmei exaggerates。 We unfortunately found ourselves at a nexus point。 The experience was somewhat overwhelming。 I may have lost consciousness； but only for a moment。〃
Lang traded looks with Rick。 〃Why didn't you report this？〃 Rick pressed。
Rem shrugged。 〃There was nothing to report。 A slight feeling of dissociation； not altogether unpleasant。〃
Rick regarded him for a long moment。 〃The next time you lend yourself at the center of something； Rem； you e to tell us about it。 That's an order。〃
Jack gave the Alpha's thinking cap an angry toss as he bed from the cockpit。 The sensitive helmet struck the forward seat with an audible thud and drew the attention of a burly flight mechanic who was standing nearby。
〃You wanna watch that； sir；〃 the man said as Jack dropped to the deck。 〃Next time your bird's not answerin'； you know why； right？〃
Jack considered making an issue of it but in the end apologized。 〃I'll watch it。〃
〃That'd be smart； Cap'ain。〃
Everybody's a goddamn expert； Jack thought； striding away。 mand when they order you not to engage； mechies when they're telling you how to care for your gear。 And Sean and the rest of the 15th jockeys when they're telling you how to pilot your craft。
Captain Phillips was approaching from across the hangar bay； Dante and Marie Crystal on either side。 Jack looked around for Karen； but she was nowhere in sight。 So I'll go it alone。
〃That was some soarin' there； hotshot；〃 Sean began。 〃Where'd you think you were； in an air circus？〃
〃And I suppose you had the whole thing sussed； is that it； Phillips？〃
〃At least we knew enough to go to Battloid； Jack；〃 Marie interjected。
Jack glared at her。 〃Enough to go to Battloid？ That was the most asinine thing I've ever seen。 Even a VT cadet knows better than to go upright when going to lasers。 It's not only a waste of fuel but a wasted thought。 I don't know if that kind of stunt flying cut it against the Masters…personally； I doubt it…but this is null…g； folks。 I mean； you Troopers better get your exo shit together if you're gonna stay with the program。〃
The three ex…tankers exchanged wide…eyed looks。
〃Can you believe this guy？〃 Sean said。 〃He goes in teats up； belly lasers engaged…full retro； mind you…and he's got the nerve to rag us about stunt flying？〃
Jack fumed。 It was the same argument they had been having for two years。 Of course there had been no missions to fly all that time； so the petition had to be saved for practice runs with green cadets outside Tirol's envelope or the occasional deep…space prototype of off the Ark Angel。 Then there were the nights on leave when things got roughneck and rowdy downside in some Tiresian canteen。 But what else could you expect from mechamorphs who had suddenly been plucked from bat and practically returned to school when they were not drawing watch assignments in ordnance factories or on some Karbarran…manufactured peat…cruisers？
〃I'm gonna have to trim your course some； Phillips；〃 Jack said。 menacingly。
Sean motioned his teammates back and set himself in a bent…knee stance。 He curled his fingers at Jack。 〃e on； then； Jack。 Make your move。〃
Jack really had not expected things to go that far but clearly realized there was no backing down。 〃Suit yourself； Sean；〃 he said； about to raise his fists。
〃That'll be quite enough of that；〃 a voice said loudly enough to bring everyone around。 Jack thought for a moment that Karen was ing to his six； but one look at her face told him he was flying blind。
〃This is positively the most pathetic excuse for a debriefing I've ever witnessed。〃
〃We weren't exactly debriefing； sir；〃 Dante started to say。
〃That's right；〃 Sean said with a glowering glance at Jack。 〃It was more in the way of paring styles。〃
Marie said； 〃Look； Karen； we were just…〃
〃Maybe you've forgotten that we lost several good pilots out there； is that it？〃 She shook her head in disapproval。 Real heroes； all of you。〃
〃Jeez； Karen；〃 Jack said with a hangdog look。
〃Save it；〃 she told him。
〃How are they being listed； sir？〃 Angelo Dante asked softly as Karen was about to walk away。
She turned to face him。 〃A new classification to suit our situation； Sergeant Dante。 Neither killed in action nor missing and presumed dead。〃
〃How then； sir？〃
〃Presumed missing； 〃 she told him。
Elsewhere in the superdimensional fortress； retired 15th Corporal Bowie Grant was making music。
The return of the stars； the lightstuff of real space； had proved something of an inspiration for Bowie and his female lead singer。 Musica and Allegra…two of the clone population Jonathan Wolff's starship had returned to Tirol…and they were trying out their gifts on a new position when Minmei's quiet entrance into the music room startled them into silence。
〃I…I didn't mean to disturb you；〃 she said。 Bowie was speechless。
〃I just wanted to listen for a moment。〃
〃C…e in； please；〃 Bowie stammered。 The two clones； poised like museum statuary on either side of his rack of Boards； regarded him with bemused expressions。
Their sister in the triumvirate； had died on Earth； Musica's mystical rapport with the Cosmic Harp…an instrument whose melodies had once given shape and effect to the telepathic power of the Robotech Masters…had died too。 But Musica's voice was more alive than ever； as was Allegra's； and together their harmonies came close to recalling for Bowie the magic of his first taste of that ethereal sound。
He had been a keyboard artist then； masquerading as a tanker； just another artist caught up in the war。 But he had been lucky enough to emerge from it with his creative impulses intact； and love to boot。 Love for Musica： his pale and slender green…haired muse； his vocal acpaniment； his very life。 Even limboed in newspace； they had each other； the separate world created and sustained by their music。
For years Bowie had tried with synthesizers and samplers to play the part of their missing third。 But a rendering； an interpretation was the best that had been achieved。 Oh； the harmonies might sound pleasing to an audience of untrained ears； but for those lucky enough to have experienced the triumvirate songs； the reconstructions were as far from the pure as Lang's facsimile matrix was from Zor's original creation。
Missing in both cases was some immeasurable emotional ponent； the true conjurer's magical touch。 Lang lacked it； and Rem as well。 And Bowie； for all the love that went into his work； simply could not push the positions over the top。 In the end what the trio had had to settle for was virtuosity； when the goal had been transcendence。
What they lacked was a voice： powerful； heartfelt； sublime。 Minmei was possessed of the gift； and countless times the past two years Bowie had wished that she might sing again。 Now； suddenly； there she was standing in the music room's curved hatchway。
〃You really want to listen？〃 Bowie asked as the hatch hissed closed。
Minmei approached the keyboards tentatively； as though afraid of them somehow。 〃Well； more than listen； really。〃 She pressed a finger down on a black key。 〃Is it true you've learned to play some of Octavia's vocal parts？〃
Bowie looked up at her。 〃Yeah； I have。 Sort of。 I mean； I sampled her voice before she 。。。 died。〃 He gestured to one of the keyboards。 〃Electronics do most of the real work。 But we can't get the harmonics Octavia's voice used to create。〃 Minmei paused to consider that； then smiled lightly at the sister clones。 〃Do the three of you ever 。。。 well； do you ever sing any of the ancient Tiresian psalms？〃
〃The Clonemasters' songs？〃 Musica asked。
Minmei bit her lower lip and shook her head。 〃No。 I was thinking of the psalms from the early days； before the Great Transition。〃
Allegra looked surprised。 〃You know something of our ancient culture； Minmei？〃
〃Some；〃 she confessed。 〃I read quite a bit when I was in Tiresia。〃 In the hospital； she left unsaid。 〃And of course Rem talks about those times。〃
The sister clones eyed one another。
〃So； you'd like us to sing one of the old psalms？〃 Bowie said uncertainly into the silence。
Minmei fingered a minor chord。 〃Actually； Bowie； I was wondering if you could teach me some of Octavia's parts。〃
Lisa hurried through the ship's corridors； returning salutes when she was forced to but primarily attempting to avoid everyone's gaze。 Not that she heard so much as a giggle from the crew； but she knew what they were all thinking。
She huffed to herself as she exited the lift on the med deck。 One did not have to be a telepath to read the expressions of concealed amusement； to take note of the near smiles。
She came through the hatch to the nursery's observation room with fire in her eyes； the anger palpable enough to be seen clear across the room by the on…duty pediatric nurse and child…care staff。
〃Sir？〃 the nurse asked cautiously after springing to attention。
Lisa threw everyone a cold； appraising look。 〃Which one of you made the PA announcement？〃
A small hand went up； and a corporal stepped sideways into view from the rear of the group。 〃I did； sir？〃 the young staffer said in a tone that modulated to falsetto。
Lisa coughed into her hand； suppressing a smile。 〃Now hear this； mister。 When my presence is required or requested； can send a courier or you can key into my mand channel。 But I don't ever…repeat： ever…want to hear a call