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 a moment。 〃A lot of them in bad shape。 About two dozen Praxians and three or four Spherisians。 Then there's the seven of us。〃
〃Seven？〃 Vince said。
〃Veidt and Vowad； 〃 Max explained。 〃They helped us take out the production center； Vince。 I've got no qualms about taking them along。
Vince mulled it over。 〃Guess they don't want to be around when Haydon wakes up； huh？〃
〃Neither do I； 〃 Max affirmed。 〃Honeymoon's over on this place。〃
A smile tugged the corners of Vince's wide mouth。 〃See you soon； mander；〃 he signed off。
In newspace； fifteen Zentraedi Battlepods launched from the SDF…3's forward mecha bay formed up on Kazianna's Officer's Pod and fell toward the vernal surface of an unknown world。
An unseen； unforeseen something had been detected there and had since disappeared with two members of Hunter's scouting party。 The admiral…perhaps still unconvinced that the fortress had been flung far from familiar shores…had requested reinforcement from two XT teams； probably in the hope that someone…Karbarran； Garudan； or what have you would be able to municate with the unseen thing。
This unforeseen thing。
Kazianna found herself thinking of Drannin and the sphere the children had assembled and destroyed。 Were they really chanting Aurora？ she wondered。 Sending a telepathic call to the youngest Sterling the way she had once sent one to her older sister across a sea of stars？
An SOS； Lisa had called it。
And what of this strange planet that had brought the fortress here？ For that was how she considered it； despite what Lang and the others were saying about intergalactic voids and patterning。
No； this was more than a world； she was certain of that much。 It was perhaps even an intelligence unto itself； with something to teach them all。
The control consoles and acceleration couches； the general interior makeup of the sphere ship； had not been designed for human hands or eyes or posteriors； Scott had decided。 Not； for that matter； with crystalline fingers； paw…mitts； or outsize limbs in mind。
The ship was merely a spherical chamber of light…emitting metal divided into several levels by featureless decking； unconnected by ladders； stairways； or lift tubes。 On what had to be the mand level was a continuous circumferential bench four feet from the floor without so much as a screen or a function key to mar its smooth surface。
It was only through Louie Nichols's remote manipulation of the external hatch that Scott's team had been permitted access to the ship at all； and only because of his deactivation the ship's artificial gravity that they had been able to explore。
Then； just when Scott was thinking that no one outside…of Haydon himself was ever going to be able to make use of the ship； the bench console came suddenly to life； banded in color like the planetary rings of some gaseous giant； and a huge projecbeam display of the Ark Angel's bridge took shape in the center of the sphere。
〃Doctor Nichols assures me that you can see me； Colonel；〃 Vince Grant said； as though he were in the same ship。 Is that true？〃
Wondering for a moment where to direct his words； Scott shrugged and said to the projecbeam image； 〃Not just you； General； but the entire Angel bridge。 Doctor Nichols； Mrs。 Grant； Doctor Penn； Cabell； Exedore； the Sterlings； all of you； sir。〃 He thought about asking what the hell Veidt and Vowad were doing there but decided against it。
Louie Nichols nodded in the background。 〃We're going to begin ferrying some things over to you； Colonel；〃 he began as uncharacteristically subdued manner。 〃ponents of the Angel's onboard AI； which will ultimately bee our interface hardware with that ship's power plant。〃
〃Then we can make use of it？〃 Scott asked。 〃You can get us through the breach？〃
Louie's face collapsed somewhat； and Scott recalled hearing about the teammate Nichols had lost。
〃I'm certain we can do that much； Colonel。 I'm just not as certain about getting us back out again。〃
No one spoke to it。
Vince cleared his throat。 〃We'll mence transporting life support essentials； mecha； and personnel as soon as Doctor Nichols has his team in place。〃
〃Well； there's not much in the way of a wele we can arrange；〃 Scott told him。 〃We haven't found the liquor cabinet yet。〃
Polite laughter greeted the remark； principally from Scott's own team members。
Vince gestured behind him。 〃Cabell and Exedore won't be joining us； Colonel。 The Ark Angel will make for Tirol after disembarking her Karbarran passengers。 And hopefully act as our beacon in this realm once we've； well； crossed over。〃
Scott gulped； thinking of Ranaath's Star。 〃Who'll be crewing this ship； then； sir？〃
〃I've put it on a voluntary basis； Scott。 Jean and I and Doctor Penn are ing over。 And so far we've got three squadrons of mecha pilots and a sufficient number of technical assist crews。〃
〃I hope you've already counted me in； mander；〃 Scott said； sensing that Vince had left something dangling in the air。
Vince nodded。 〃I have。〃
Scott folded his arms and stared at the floor。 〃There's just one more thing； sir 。 。 。 The； ah； Invid simulagent。 I was； you know； thinking it would help having her along。〃
〃Marlene will acpany us； Scott。〃 Vince traded brief looks with Louie。 〃There doesn't seem to be anything left for her in this realm。〃
Or much left of her； Scott kept to himself。
The transfer of supplies and personnel took less than twelve hours； during which time Haydon IV did not so； much as stir。 But finally the moment arrived for the Ark Angel and the pirated ship to part pany。
Louie canceled the override and punched up the original mands the Awareness had programmed into the sphere's drives； and the ship's systems instantly came on…line。
While Cabell and the rest watched from the Ark Angel bridge； the sphere's massive drives flared once and hurled the ship toward the dark eye of Ranaath's Star。 The sphere seemed so hang suspended at the edge of the whirlpool for the briefest of moments before it vanished from space and time。
Thousands of miles distant； the fey； aged crew of a second ship monitored the sphere ship's protracted plunge into the black hole a