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we've all been brought down here。
〃For all this sudden militant posturing； they do seem to have our safety in mind。 Haydon knows they require no true atmosphere for themselves； nor any need of Glike； for that matter。〃 The Zentraedi snorted。 〃A surface paradise； indeed； for that's all that it was…a veneer； to borrow a Terran word。
〃It only confirms what I've been saying all along： that Haydon IV is not a planet transformed by ultratech wonders but a ship。 Its very name suggests as much。 Haydon IV； and yet it occupies the third place in the Briz'dziki system。 〃 Exedore adopted a puzzled frown。 〃No。 It has e to be known as Haydon IV because it was Haydon's fourth。〃
〃Haydon's… fourth what？〃 Max wanted to know。
Exedore threw up his hands。 〃Any answer I give you would be pure speculation。 Much as my guess as to exactly where it is that we're headed。〃
〃We'll know when we get there； is that it？〃 Dana said。 〃Well put。〃
Max looked from Exedore to Dana and back again。 〃But what about these calculations of yours？ You still think this has something to do with the SDF…3？〃
〃I'm certain of it；〃 Exedore affirmed。 〃And with the Invid departure as well。 A pulse of novel energy has been sent into the known universe。 Our calculations prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the focus of this outpouring is the dead star we Zentraedi know as Ranaath's。〃
Miriya sucked in her breath。 〃Exedore！〃
〃Yes； Miriya； I'm afraid so。 But there's more： This pulse has also caused subtle but potentially dangerous quantum and gravitational shifts throughout the continuum。 All standard measurements seem to have been infinitesimally affected。〃 〃Meaning what？〃 Max said。
〃Meaning that something unprecedented has occurred； Max。 It's as though everything is suddenly drawing closer and closer together。〃
CHAPTER SEVEN
Eventually； Rem saw the logic of the REF's arguments ＇that a Protoculture matrix was essential to ensure certain victory against the Invid Regis＇…or at least he gave Lang every impression of being convinced。 Just as Zor had once given sway to the Robotech Masters' conviction that knowledge went hand in hand with power and that all real power sprang from the conquest of life itself 。 。 。 This tendency to submit； this plasticity； was a character flaw inherited by both clones…Rem and Zor Prime and taken advantage of by yet new generations of masters。 〃Zor； the reshaped；〃 as Lang himself once thought to describe Rem in his notes。 Who else could have enticed Protoculture from the secret places of the Flower but one of equal lability？
Adrian Mizner； Rakes and Rogues： The True Story of the SDF…3 Mission
Even with the knowledge they had been able to amass during the voyages of the SDFs…1 and …3 and with what little they had been able to beg； borrow； and steal from the Sentinels； the fortress's chief astrogators still considered themselves among the Quadrant's least experienced travelers。 So while the void they had been folded into presented a novel challenge； there was no sure way of ascertaining whether this 〃newspace〃…as it had been termed…was not just some monplace occurrence among the more well traveled。 To this end； interviews with those Sentinels aboard…Kami； Learna； Lron； Crysta； Baldan； Gnea； and others…had thus far proved unenlightening； a not entirely unexpected development given that the original crew of the starship Farrago had never been top…notch spacefarers to begin with。
Lang nevertheless had gone about his investigation of the ship's environment with unflagging confidence and textbook determination。 The results of Jack Baker's brief extravehicular recon were in。 Exterior background temperatures and the velocity of light had been measured and found to be constant； the fortress chronometers were still functioning。 Physical laws inside the ship…and within a radius of a half million kilometers from it…were in fact operating much as they should have。 It was simply that the stars…indeed； space itself…had disappeared。
The SDF…3's reflex engines were functioning； but there was still nowhere for the fortress to go。
〃I'm inclined to favor the hyperspace hypothesis；〃 Lang was saying； eyes glued to an immense tabletop display screen in his office。 Rem stood behind him； just off to one side； the handsome features of his pale face highlighted by the screen's intermittent flashings。 〃We've somehow bee trapped in the fold corridor itself。〃
Rem grunted nonmittally。 〃You're dismissing the popular notion； then…the one circulating through the ship？〃
〃What； that we're all actually dead？ I certainly am。〃 No one knew just how the rumor got started； but it seemed that the results of a survey taken of some two hundred crew persons had revealed remarkable similarities in their fold； space lace experiences。 These included feelings of tranquillity； out…of…body experience； the encountering of a presence or a deceased relative in a dark tunnel； a sudden urge to review one's life； a warm and accepting light at the end of the tunnel； and a brief merging with that light prior to an immediate return to physicality。
〃If we were all dead；〃 Lang continued； 〃we probably wouldn't have returned at all。〃
〃And how to prove it in any case？〃 Rem said； smiling。 〃Against what can we measure nonexistence？〃
Lang turned to regard the Tiresian； pleased that he had finally succeeded in spiriting him away from Minmei； if only for a short while。 One would have thought the strangeness of the ship's predicament alone would have been enough to pique Rem's interest； but the Zor…clone had agreed to a conference only after Lang had made mention of the vanished Protoculture。
Lang had reminded himself later that he should have known better； Protoculture was the only thing that ever brought Rem around。 But Rem did not share Lang's enthusiasm for Protoculture's application to mechamorphosis or astrogation。 In fact； the REF had had to coerce him into lending his brilliant talents to the creation of the facsimile matrix by painting lurid scenarios of what was bound to occur throughout the Quadrant should the Invid Regis have her way with Earth。 How long； they asked him to consider； before the Queen…Mother would decide to spread her vengeful horde across the stars as her husband had done？ How long before her armies would return to the Local Group for what they had been forced to surrender…Optera itself？ And what of the Praxians； then； who had made that tortured world their own？ And what of Tirol and Spheris and the rest； so recently liberated from the claw hold of that very race？
Rem could be infuriating at times； but how Lang enjoyed the few discourses they had shared！ How thrilling it was to converse with an intellect as powerful as his own。 What they might be able to achieve together； he often thought； were it not for Rem's preoccupation with the biotransmutational aspects of Protoculture or his inexplicable attachment to Lynn Minmei。
Lang swung back to the tablescreen。 〃Oh； I'll admit there's something to this afterlife speculation that's worth pursuing；〃 he said abruptly； 〃but for the present there are more tangible enigmas to grapple with。〃 He motioned to the displays。 〃These are the latest readouts。〃
Rem leaned over the table。
〃Either t