按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
der generation Cyclones and Veritechs had simply given up the ghost。
No one knew what to make of the events that had occurred at Reflex Point。 In the wake of the Invid departure all sorts of reports had reached Scott and his team of freedom fighters。 The REF fleet had been destroyed； it had survived。 The Invid had exited the solar system； the Regis had relocated her horde in the Southlands。 The SDF…3 had been destroyed； it had manifested from fold and been swallowed up by the Invid phoenix； it had failed to appear at all 。 。 。 Eventually； Scott learned that the fleet had indeed been vaporized and that the flagship had failed to emerge from hyperspace。 He had not bothered to wait around for verification。 With an assist from Lunk and Rand； he had managed to mandeer and make serviceable an anni…disc…ravaged Beta； only to find that the VT was not much good outside the envelope and that the Ark Angel had removed herself to stationary orbit over the Southlands。
It had begun to make sense after the initial anger and disappointment had washed through him。 Much of the northern hemisphere was devastated； and where else would reconstruction mence but in the south； where several cities had actually flourished during the occupation。 Norristown； once the site of a Protoculture storage facility； was fast emerging as the leader of the pack； and it was there that Scott had ultimately set down。 Like a fly on lacquered paper。 Mired in red tape for close to two months before Provisional mand had okayed his request to be among those shuttled up to the starship。
The question he had heard most often those two months had been： 〃Scott who？〃
It seemed that Mars and Jupiter Divisions were filed away in mand's mainframe as having gone down with all hands； and so the person claiming to be Lieutenant Scott Bernard of the 21st Squadron； Mars Division； had to be a ghost； a zone loonie； or an ambulatory case of what the neurometrics were calling Post…Engagement Synaptic Trauma PEST； for short。
Ask Dr。 Lang about Scott Bernard； he had pressed。 I'm his godson； for chrissake！
Only to hear： 〃We're sorry； er； Lieutenant Bernard； but Doctor Lang is not available at this time。〃
Later； Scott would learn that his godfather and mentor had been aboard the ill…fated SDF…3 when it had jumped from Tirol。 But in the meantime he suggested that Captain Harrington might be able to vouch for him。 Harrington had manded the first wave of Cyclone ground teams the REF had directed against Reflex Point。
After all； it wasn't like he was asking for medals； Scott had assured the analysts。 But the least mand could do was acknowledge what he had achieved on the yearlong road to Reflex Point or applaud his one…on…one with the Invid Corg in the seasonally shifting skies above the hive cluster。 Why； some of Harrington's team had even seen the Invid simulagent's flame cloud； had even seen Scott go into the central dome！
He was sorry he said it even before the words had left his lips。
〃Now； uh； what was that you were saying about talking to the Regis； Lieutenant？〃 the boys from G2 had asked。 〃You did say something about her being； let me see here； 'a baldheaded column of light twenty feet high。'〃
And so he had played the PEST for them； steering clear of any mention of Marlene or Sera or any of the mind…boggling time…space displacements he'd experienced inside the hive chambers。
In retrospect； he had to ask himself whether pulling out all the stops would have brought the med teams' debriefing reports to Jean Grant's attention any sooner； but they had reached her on their own momentum in any case； and Scott had finally been granted permission to e aboard。
And issued a battlefield mission to full bird； to boot。
For Scott it was something else to snigger at： a promotion； in an armed force without ships or soldiers； defenders and liberators of a world that wanted little part of them even now。
The shuttle docked in one of Ark Angel's starboard bays just as Sol was flooding the eastern coast of the Southlands with morning light。 Scott drank in the view that had been denied him when Mars Division had approached a year earlier： Earth's characteristic clouds and swirling weather fronts； its deep…blue water oceans and healing landscape。 And for the first time in years he found himself thinking about Base Gloval； his father's forefinger thrust upward into the Martian night； pinpointing a homeworld。 Huddled afterward in the prewarmed fort of his sleep partment； he would grapple with the notion…that faint light； a home。 But even after his family had been transferred to the factory satellite to work on the SDF…3； Scott could not regard Earth as such。 And he had so few memories of those years that he called Tirol home now and perhaps always would。
Only a week ago he had learned that his parents were still there。
The memories surrendered to more recent recollections as Scott and the rest of the shuttle's privileged boarded a transfer vehicle that ferried them into the ship proper； Ark Angel's artificial gravity settling on him like oppression itself。 Nearly every ponent of the ship was different from what he remembered； from the illumination grids that checkered the holds to the persistent foot…tingling basso of the dreadnought's internal systemry。
He soon caught sight of Vince Grant； towering walnuthrown and square…shouldered over a small gathering of civilians and military personnel bottlenecked at the arrival hold's security gate。 There were hands in the air； salutes； a welter of voices that brought to mind vid…scenes of turn…of…the…entury airport arrivals； and it was obvious to Scott all at once that the REF was as altered as the Angel herself。 He sensed something cool but determined in the ship's slightly sour air； a single…mindedness at work he had not experienced since Tiresia。
A male aide appeared out of the crowd to escort him through security； and a moment later he stood facing the Grants and the two Plenipotentiary Council senators。 〃Colonel Bernard； reporting as ordered；〃 Scott said with a crisp salute。 〃Permission to e aboard； sir？〃
〃Granted；〃 Vince returned； working the muscles of his massive jaw into a tight…kipped smile。 〃Wele home； Scott。 〃
〃Oh； Scott；〃 Jean said； rushing forward to embrace him。 〃God； let me look at you。〃
He took a step back to allow for just that； extending a hand at the same time to Justine Huxley； then Dr。 Penn。 Vince and Jean were outfitted in modified REF uniforms； collarless now but with flared shoulders and simleather torso harnesses retained。 The senators wore loose…fitting jumpsuits of a design that had originated on Garuda。
〃Good to see you； my boy；〃 Penn said with paternal sincerity。 〃I only wish Emil and Karen could be here with us。〃 There was no mention of Karen's lover； Jack Baker； certainly there was no love lost between Dr。 Penn and Baker； in any case。 Karen； like Bowie Grant； had elected to ship out aboard the SDF…3。 Let them all have better luck than Marlene and I had； Scott thought。 Even if that means dying together。 The scientist's words had thrown a curtain of silence around the five of them； a spot of stasis amid the bustling activity in the hold。 〃Is there any word？〃 Scott asked； hoping