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In the partment holding Lang's vault module； Louie Nichols zeroized his goggles' transparency and threw his forearm across them for good measure。
The brightness was too intense for sight to have any coherence； anyway。 At the ground zero of Lang's ultimate Protoculture act； Louie found himself perceiving things with new and different senses。
He beheld the end of Lang by immersion in the Protoculture。 In the end； the man's expanded intellect； colossal as it was； was overshadowed by his boundless delight in the elegance； subtlety； and mystery of the universe and of life itself。
As Jovian as those things were； though； Lang had been right； somehow； Louie sensed that Lang's essence was no more than a single snowflake against the endless winter vista of the Shapings。 The single particle that had been Lang floated away to bee part of the Shapings； the man himself lost and gone forever。
Because the nature of Haydon had not been intended for the transition to newspace； the sphere ships exerted unique adaptive energies to the transit。
Negotiating perilous intercontinua missures； they endured and wended toward their destination but accumulated more and more excess psi…quanta in their force envelopes。 It was not unlike a skier building up more momentum than was desired and finding himself unable to shed it。
The sphere ships would either reach the bottom of their hill with incalculable mental energy potential or perish in a failure that would destroy everything； everywhere； everywhen。
Lisa watched her son pulled from sight without even the hope that she could sacrifice herself to save him； without even the hope that she would have his body to mourn over。
Then something changed the world of ectostorm and mind blast there in the violence of the drive partment； something that called the unleashed fury to heel for an instant and calmed the cataclysm for a beat。 Lisa knew what it was； but it took her a moment； in her stunned state to fix words to it。
Life is only what we choose to make it
Let us take it
Let us be free！
Lisa heard Rick croak； 〃Minmei！〃
By the time Lisa had levered herself up and looked around； there were indescribably sweet notes backing Minmei's silvery voice and other voices chiming in。
Minmei stood near the hatch； looking scared and weary and haggard； but she clung to Rem； who bore her up； and she became a pure instrument for her song。
We can find the glory we all dream of；
And with our love；
We can win！
Musica and Allegra wove their spell behind hers。 The Cosmic Harp danced like a starry spiderweb under Musica's fingers。 Giving it all a kind of human interface was Bowie； eyes closed； drawing lofty chords from the synth…keyboard slung over his shoulders。
Scarcely aware of it； Lisa also took in Jack and Karen and Harry Penn； all of them apparently out of breath and hunkered down near the harp。 Of course； it hadn't just levitated itself there。
But her thoughts were all for Roy and the kids； Lisa looked back to see the dark coronas fade a bit； the children still sitting in their places。
As Minmei let her song take flight； the chant came up beneath it； somehow merged with it？
Ro…bo…tech！ Ro…bo…tech！ Ro…bo…tech！
CHAPTER THIRTY？SEVEN
The quick and the dead…we're both！
Remark attributed to Rick Hunter at the Intersection
Rick threw himself at his son； dreading the barrier that would hurl him back again。
But this time he made it； passing through a sort of resistance area； a membrane。 He went down on one knee next to his son。 〃Roy； try again。 Try for the spacefold drives again！〃
Roy left off the chant； though the others kept it up； to look at his father with glowing eyes。 〃We're trying； Daddy。 But that lady； the Regis…she put them someplace that we can't find them。〃
〃Keep looking； they have to be somewhere。〃
God； what was he doing； giving psi…search pointers to his superkid？ But he couldn't help it； he had to do something； bed to keep them in the fight。
〃The drives might be anyplace； Roy； anyplace in； um； space or time！ Look everyplace。〃
Then he quailed a bit as tentacles of astral malignance and and quested overhead； the Regis trying to reach the children again。 But Minmei's song kept them at bay。
Rick realized that his son was tugging at his arm。 〃Daddy； we found them。 We looked across time； 'n' we looked across space。〃
〃What？ Buddy； you're beautiful！〃 Rick didn't know if he was laughing or crying。 〃Can you bring 'em back？〃
As an answer； Roy pointed。 Outlines were appearing； an enormous containment casing ing into existence。 Cheers began around the partment。
Rick came to his feet； ready to start lending a hand hooking up the fold drives。 He was going to give a cheer himself until he realized that something was not right。
Others were beginning to see it； too； especially engineering types。 The casing took on more and more substance； and one by one people in the drive section understood what they were looking at。 Rick had never actually seen the object he now beheld； but he had certainly seen enough holographs； schematics； tapes； and such。
〃Christ；〃 he whispered。
〃We got them； Daddy！〃 Roy squealed delightedly。
〃Y…you sure did； old…timer。〃 And solved…and created one of the great mysteries of the Robotech Age。
We will win！ Minmei's song hit a crescendo and stopped。
The original fold drives from SDF…1 sat there； big as ten diesel lootives and just as solid。 Lisa was staring at them； speechless； as techs approached them tentatively。 Then she blurted； 〃Careful！ They may still be hot。〃
She meant thermal energy； not hard radiation； but the heat was quite minimal。 Not bad； she decided； seeing that as far as the drives themselves were concerned； they had just finished taking the SDF…1 on a jump from Earthspace to the orbit of Pluto。
They'd been snatched from that instant directly to this one； though decades had passed in the interim。
〃Oke…〃 Vince Grant finished gulping； and tried again。 〃Okay！ A fold drive's a fold drive。 Let's get 'em hot…wired。〃 People hopped to it。
Pursued by the Zentraedi； the SDF…1 had attempted a fold jump to hide in the lee of Earth's moon。 A miscalculation or so it was said…had sent t