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〃Right； I saw it；〃 Shi…Ling agreed。 〃Green haze portal； like the one we developed back in Tokyo for Matushima。〃 Stirson grinned。 〃That's the one。〃
〃First one in goes straight to drive programming；〃 Louie instructed。 〃What we're looking for is an override mand allow Bernard's team to get aboard the prototype and steer it clear of the artifact。〃 He thought briefly about Dana； moving against the factory's drive production center now。 〃If we can deactivate the drives of the rest of those prototypes； so much the better；〃 he thought to add。
〃Haydon's not going to like this one bit；〃 Stirson said。
Louie had his fingers on the jump toggle。 〃Yeah； let's just we never have to answer to them face to face。
He toggled back into machine mind。
With crude shields and weapons raised； the four Sterlings emerged from the transport tube on level two； but all that greeted them was what remained of Glike's debris…strewn main boulevard。
〃We must be on the surface；〃 suggested one of the Praxians who followed them out。
The sky was a backlit haze； seemingly draped from the summits of Glike's ruined onion domes and spires。 Though tinged with odors of dust and smoke； the air smelled like Haydon IV's saccharine…smelling own； but Max felt certain they were still subsurface。 He thought it likely that the city had been lowered and moved inside during reconfiguration； that the overcast 〃sky〃 they were staring into concealed the ceiling of some cavernous hold。
It was irrelevant in either case； and in short order the hastily formed team had reconned the immediate area and set off for the drive production area Exedore had located； distant explosions and plasma cannon reports shaking the streets at random intervals。 The farther they got from the transport tube egress； the more Max's hypothesis began to make sense。 Glike's borrowed and indigenous architecture which had always seemed purely aesthetic in both function and design…had been transformed and incorporated into the workings of a massive assembly line。
The robot masters in charge of production work barely acknowledged the humans as they followed Dana's lead across once…green parks that had bee staging areas； along avenues converted to parts conveyers； past monuments and obelisks truncated and metamorphosed into stanchions and pylons； and through buildings that housed the busy machines themselves條athes； presses； extruders； and such。 Ultimately； Dana brought them to a building Max thought he recognized as the former headquarters of the Haydonite Elite。 The adamantine arches and gilded roots of its almost pre…Global Civil War Arabic look were still in evidence among the ultratech puter devices that crowded the entryway。
〃This is it；〃 Dana announced loudly enough to be heard over the roar of the production line； 〃the brains of the operation。〃 She was standing； arms akimbo； in that defiant superhero pose that had bee something of a trademark。
Max； too； recognized it from the schematics Exedore had called up on the monitor。
Dana； scanning the power junction catwalks for Haydonites； snorted derisively。 〃Haydon wasn't expecting anybody to get this far。〃 She aimed an index finger at a towering bank of apparently undefended data…control terminals。 〃We knock those out and production grinds to a halt in this entire section。 Haydon'll have his ships； but they won't be able to take him anywhere。〃
One of the Praxians stepped forward； a broad…shouldered white…maned Amazon a foot and a half taller than Max。 〃We've e to silence this machine servant；〃 she said in thickly accented Tiresian。 〃Let's get on with it。〃
Dana grinned and rubbed her hands together。 She stooped to retrieve the table leg she had carried up from level four and said to Aurora； 〃Watch closely； kid。 We'll show you how it's done。〃
Max received a gentle shove from Miriya and was about to join his daughter and the four Praxians when someone poured a bucketful of nitric acid into his head。 That； at least； was how he decided it felt as he was dropping to his knees； hands pressed tightly to his ears。 Dana and the rest were similarly felled； knees buckling； faces twisted up in pain。
Only Aurora appeared unaffected。
With effort； Max managed to lift his head and search the control room。 Hovering fifteen feet above him was a group of four Haydonites； similar in aspect to the jailers who had patrolled level four's confinement areas； their dzentile glowing with charge。
Dana screamed and cursed； pounding the floor with a fist in an attempt to shake off the psychic force the Haydonites were directing against them。 Through the mottled cloud her field of vision had bee she spied Aurora and called to her in a pleading voice。
Aurora made no response。 She stood stiffly above her fallen panions arms at her sides； eyes unfocused as the Haydonites began a slow descent。
But just when the four were reaching what would have been the Praxians' headtop level； Max heard a loud swwooossh at the building's entrance and turned to see one of Glike's fabulous flying carpets e streaking into the room on edge。 It was an exquisitely textured specimen； vaguely rectangular in shape； as large as a ball court； and it was headed directly for the hovering Haydonites。
They； too； swung around at the sound or presence of the thing and tried frantically to counterdirect it with last…moment sendings； but the carpet was already upon them； trapping them in a brilliantly executed broadside cigarette roll and propelling them clear across the control room。
Max struggled to his feet and ran to check on Miriya and Dana。 The pain was gone； but trouble was still on the scene in the form of two additional Haydonites who had followed the carpet into the building； one with a coppery skin tong and bulging cranium。
Max was surprised to hear his name sent and shortly recognized the two as Veidt and Vowad。
〃The Awareness has mitigated the strength of its directives；〃 Veidt explained。 〃Several of us are now free to assist in your escape。〃
〃We've got more than escape on our minds；〃 Dana muttered； wiping her hands on her pants。 The Praxians voiced agreement。
〃Then it was you who sent the carpet；〃 Miriya said。 The two Haydonites traded looks。 〃No；〃 one of then started to send； when Aurora said； 〃I called the carpet。〃 Veidt； nodded perceptibly。 〃I believe she did；〃 he announced； nonplussed。
Dana looked at her younger sister and laughed。 〃Damn kids nowadays。 Can't teach 'em a thing。〃
CHAPTER TWENTY…ONE
It has been claimed that all laws of science； our very ability to predict future events； will break down upon reaching the singularity。 That the black hole's event horizon trapped light's desperate spacetime path…is but a one…way membrane； we are about to find out。 If only Dr。 Hawking were here to join us。
Dr。 Harold Penn； The Brief but Timeless Voyage of the Peter Pan
Like laser light in a smoke…filled room Louie's cyber…self punched through the green haze security threshold leading to the Awareness's higher function core and arrowed straight into a cluster of telemetry mands in charge of programming dimensional data into the sphere ships' drives。 The team was spread out in a V formation behind him； targeting ghosts against approaching strings of defense bytes。
Stucker had found that some of them could actually be absorbed and turned against their own kind。
Louie was a quarterback in that moment of stasis before the inevitable inrush of linemen and backs； searching through banks of data in a reckless effort to locate the prototype ship intel and indentified as nearly plete。 The team was doing an incredible job of blocking the Awareness's poisoned advances； but the line was beginning to weaken。
Back aboard the Ark Angel； Louie's fingers tattooed hunches and possibilities to his discorporate mind； his fingers danced on the directional cross； maneuvering him clear of cicuit frying； brainwipe booby traps。
Then； suddenly； he had it： an on…line ship designated by a perplexing series of emblematic icons and alphanumeric analogues。 As expected； the ship had been safeguarded against entry； but no longer。 Louie tapped the override program and keyed a new sequence of mands into the console。
Neuron probes； meanwhile； were nipping at the perimeter of the envelope in which…he had secreted himself。 There was no time left to search out the space drive production mands； Dana would have to see to it on her own。
〃Toggle out！〃 Louie ordered as the first of the probes penetrated his defense net。 〃Toggle out！〃
Scott Bernard maneuvered the Alpha through a storm of annihilation discs launched from Haydon IV's in…close plasma arrays。 The planetoid's big guns were still trained on the few ships that remained of the Karbarran battle group。 The ursinoids' fighter squadrons had been literally blown to pieces during counteroffensive impact runs by cloud after cloud of labor drones。 Stray bits of those fighters drifted around the Alpha； touched by explosive glints； cyan and crimson。
But Haydon IV had been taking a pounding as well。 It was a twin…eyed monstrosity below him now； hemispheric surfaces scorched and molten； factory tubes holed and venting gouts of alloy debris。
In the midground of the Alpha's curved canopy view floated a hundred or more of Haydon's sphere ships； temporarily abandoned in varying stages of readiness。
Scott had not flown a space bat op in well over a year and felt rusty。 As rusty as the first day he had piloted a Veritech through Earth's atmosphere； a green VT Lunk had stashed away in an old barn。 But no matter。 The searing discs； the blue…green bolts； those swaths of agitated light were mild pared to his inner torment。
Marlene was dying。 Again！
And this time he had killed her。
〃Able leader；〃 announced a female voice over the mand net。 〃Target ship's shields down and deactivated。 You are go for boarding。 You can take your team in； Colonel。〃
Scott acknowledged Ark Angel mand and went on the tac net to municate with his wingmen。 The squadron had lost only one mecha； a red Beta piloted by a Mars Base lieutenant Scott had known since childhood； who had gotten himself caught between Haydon IV's main guns and the Karbarrans' recently crippled flagship。
Atomized； Scott thought。 Released。
〃Colonel；〃 the mand net voice squawked； 〃why are you delaying？ Target's shields are down； repeat； down。〃 Scott shook his head clear of thought and addressed himself to the Alpha； thinking the mecha through to Battloid mode。
So reconfigured； the squadron began to follow him in。
The sphere ship enlarged before him until it obscured all else。 The surface was ball…bearing smooth save for the faint outline of a hexagonal hatch low down on the curve of its starboard side。
There were no viewports； no visible weapons or scanner arrays。 No way to see where they would be going and no way tp protect themselves once they got there。 But God willing； the hapless crew of the SDF…3 would be waiting for them。 And with them the Invid Queen…Mother。 Scott's hope and salvation。
〃Just stay put；〃 Vince Grant advised after he had expressed how good it was to hear Max's voice。 〃We'll get sense Alphas down there to pick you up as soon as we can。〃
〃I don't see that we have much choice； Vince；〃 Sterling said to him。
Outside the bridge viewports Haydon IV's primary batteries were inactive； they of course had been silent throughout the duration of the Karbarran attack； but now they were shut down as well。 Early on the assumption was that the Awareness had quieted the planetoid's fire once the Karbarran flotilla had no longer been deemed a threat。 But then Exedore had gotten word through to the Ark Angel that the entire superintelligence was temporarily shut down； probably as a response to the virus programs Nichols had infiltrated during the raid that had claimed the life of one of his team members。
The Ark Angel was closing on the battered planetoid after a brief reflex burn； most of its mecha squadrons deployed on search and rescue operations among the remnants of the Karbarran battle group。 The pirated sphere ship…under remote control by the Angel's AI…would be meeting them halfway with Scott Bernard's team safely inside。
〃What are your survivor estimates； Max？〃 Vince asked。
〃Probably two hundred or so Karbarrans； 〃 Max responded after