； and the third turned back to the Elders。 SAY ON。
Nimuul responded： We know where there is Protoculture； new Protoculture that the Regis did not steal！ Enough to power all your ships。 We will lead you to it gladly。
Gladly。 It was pivotal that Haydon be given the means to leave spacetime。
AND IN RETURN？
In return you will provide us with the means to exert our will over the Local Group star systems and their inhabitants。 You will grant us your authority to rule the planets you touched so long ago。
DONE！ The Awareness had already spoken to Haydon of the ships it had built and the single energy that must power them。
Agreement came so readily that the Elders were tempted to ask for more concessions； but they dared not。 It was manifest that Haydon…or the Haydons…wanted nothing more from the physical universe except the means to pass beyond it。
Haydon raised one hand in a divine gesture。 There was a psychic shuddering through the planet as the Awareness prepared to turn itself to new tasks； the Haydonites on their carpets came about in vast flocks to regroup and race away to all points of the pass； bent on missions Haydon had given them。 First among those was pletion of the unfinished sphere ships。
Haydon turned back to the Elders。 NAME OUR DESTINATION。
Treacherous as they were； the Robotech Elders were loath to trust anyone。 But before the might of Haydon they had no other choice； fearing that if they were uncooperative； he would snuff out their lives and go seeking Protoculture on his own。
The Elders joined their minds to speak； practically fondling the words with their thoughts。 Optera first…〃New Praxis；〃 it is called now。 Then 。。。 Tirol！
SO BE IT。
The planet shifted under them； already on the move。 FIRST； WE MUST GATHER UP OUR SPHERE SHIPS。 THEN IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO DIVERT TO LASKAR。
The Elders were puzzled even as they felt a certain lassitude stealing over them。 Your planet's primary？ Why？ FUEL IS NEEDED FOR SUCH A JOURNEY。
As they grasped the enormity of that； they felt themselves losing consciousness。 A trick！ Stop！ We demand？
The Elders' thoughts faded as the med machines' sedation took hold。 Haydon turned away from them disinterestedly as the carpet on which their thrones sat whisked them out of His presence。
Haydon had already given His mand to the Awareness。 Like a worshiping slave； it strained itself to carry out His directions to the fullest。
Haydon IV gathered in the sphere ships； finished and unfinished alike； holding them in readiness； then reabsorbed what it could of the factory tubes。 Haydon saw that His discorporate hibernation had lasted longer than He had foreseen。 That and the appearance of the Sentinels； plus the demands of producing the sphere ship fleet； had nearly exhausted the power reserves of the artificial planet。
Eventually； of course； power could be brought back to full by other means； but there was not time for that。 While the Haydonites raced to carry out the labors He had assigned them； the planet left orbit and began its descent toward Laskar； dying lesser sun of the Ranaath system。
The star's place in the arc of the sky grew and grew as Haydon IV rushed toward it。 The artifact world hurtled past the orbit of the system's innermost planet。 At the same time a strange energy field polarized into existence； surrounding Haydon's handiwork to protect it and more。
It was well within the reach of stellar prominences before it stopped。 A preliminary beam licked out from Haydon IV； probing into the monstrous furnace of the star itself。 Back poured a mammoth gush of naked power。
For several long minutes Haydon IV hung there； tethered to its star； drawing in energy as it had drawn in raw materials from the asteroid。 Within； its reserves were restored； then rilled to repletion； with all the power the planet would need。
The fiery stream of starfire stopped； dissipating； as Haydon IV moved away from Laskar again。 As it went； Haydon had word from the Awareness of troubling findings。
At the edge of perceptible space there were aberrations and anomalies。 The fabric of the continuum was losing integrity； and whole regions seemed to be disappearing。
Time was growing short； very short。 Haydon IV's drive activated； its course charted for Optera。 It went superluminal and vanished。
Still Rem drifted； still the nucleic dreams showed him the past。
Not even Haydon could predict how things would develop； while he slept； on the worlds he had touched personally。
Therefore； he left instructions with the Awareness that if any arrived with enlightenment； or even some portion of it； the Awareness would recognize that by certain signs。
And Zor had manifested such a sign； much （though not all） of the Awareness's data revealed itself。 Zor mentioned the Texts of Haydon； of which he had learned； and they were opened to him。 But not translated for him。 He had to demonstrate certain aptitudes or begone。
The Texts of Haydon resembled no book or archive before them。 They were a cyclorama of thought images and psimemes。 But Zor； with his Flower…altered mind； found them intelligible…barely。 Had he not； the Awareness would have known and slain him on the spot。
He forgot about food and sleep； laboring to receive the disembodied knowledge until it seemed his brain would burst like a lightning…struck tree。 But stopping was unthinkable； and he persisted； pausing only to ingest another petal or two of his shrinking Flower supply or； when he remembered to； drinking water from a font the Awareness had set by him。
In that manner Zor came to know the story of Haydon； first and greatest of the intellects spawned by the galaxy （the Texts had a bewildering way of referring to Haydon in the plural one minute and in the singular the next）。 In exploring and mastering the universe around Him； Haydon had gained immortality and probed the essential secrets of Creation。
But when His exploration of the universe seemed to hold no further mysteries； no further challenges； Haydon still had not found the answers that He longed for； the destiny for which； He was sure； He had been called into being。
Some of His investigations indicated to Him the existence of a level of being beyond those that could be seen or touched。 Of a place outside His continuum where Haydon could at last find fulfillment； achieve a level of being that had bee an undeniable need。
And Haydon found that He could not reach that other side。 Every approach failed； every assay fell short； until at last Haydon faced the fact that He could not attain transcendence。
But that did not mean some other life form could not。 And so began an age of grand experimentation； epic journeys； profound contemplation； and unprecedented megaprojects。 The Garudans were endowed with their expanded senses and their psychotropic biosphere。 On Spheris； crystal lifeforms were given an evolutionary helping hand。 An investigation into thought control went awry on Peryton； leading to the holocaust Moebius in which the planet became trapped。
Not least importantly； Haydon IV was given form； and its Awareness was brought to life。
Zor read on； feverish with the need to know。 At last he came to the mention of Optera and the Invid。 A curious race； Haydon found； with some promising characteristics； but apparently at an evolutionary dead end unless something new were added。 And Haydon had that something in mind； an intriguing plant He had encountered。
The organisms on the plant's planet of origin did not seem to be exploiting the plant's potential； and so Haydon transplanted the entire species to Optera leaving none behind。 Zor stared long and hard at the image of the Flower's original home； such an unremarkable little place 。。。
The introduction of Flower of Life to the Invid was like the rebining of long…sundered halves。 Almost overnight the Invid's entire existence came to revolve around the Flower and something they seemed to perceive in it。
（A lab mutation of the plant； the ur…form called Sekiton； was introduced to Karbarra。 But while the ursinoids there found many uses and demonstrated a peculiar affinity for it； the experiment was essentially a failure。）
The star…spanning experiments Haydon had begun were set in place； and Haydon began to prepare for His long sleep； weary of the tedium of immortality。 The event of transubstantiation would cause His artificial world to awaken Him more accurately； to return him from mere stored information to physical form。
The ticking off of the centuries began。
Zor lashed out； stopping the parade of thought records as a seething rage took hold of him。 It had been bad enough to know that the Robotech Masters had perverted his discoveries and the Protoculture to evil ends that the Zentraedi had laid waste to Optera。
Now； in addition； Zor understood that his meddling and the Masters' fiendishness had derailed a bold and unique attempt to push living intelligence through into an entirely new realm。
Zor threw back his head and roared up into the echoing spaces of Haydon IV's inner reaches； fists raised high； for the sheer iniquity of it all。 The waste and suffering and loss； the death and devastation。
His fury bined with his contact with the Awareness gave Zor a moment of lucidity unlike any other he was ever to have。 He suddenly had a vision； a Grand Design； of his own。 He would atone for what had happened。
It was all there before him： a reseeding program； a mighty new starship incorporating everything he had learned about Protoculture with which to execute his plan； a renewal； especially of Optera and its idyllic way of life； and eventually； a return of the galaxy to the way it had been before the rise of the Robotech Masters。
And lastly； he thought； he would return the Flower to the world on which it had originated； for who could tell what role it had yet to play there？ Yes； even Haydon had been shortsighted in that instance； the Flower deserved to grow once more in its appointed place； the unremarkable little bluewhite world called Earth。
His exhaustion； his hyperstimulation through mental contact with the Awareness； his ingestion of the petals perhaps it was just a bination of these。 But the fact was； it was the image of Earth； the invocation of it； that brought on his seizure。
Zor cried out； thinking himself blinded； hands clamped to a skull that threatened to fly apart。
He saw a column of pure mind energy rising from the Earth； a pillar of dazzling force a hundred miles in diameter； crackling and swaying； swirling like a whirlwind； throwing out sheets of shimmering brilliance。 It climbed higher and higher into space； all in a matter of moments。
Zor knew what the mind cyclone was； recognized it as the racial transmutation of the Invid。 The pinnacle of the cyclone abruptly gave shape to a monumental bird； a phoenix of mental essence。 The firebird of transfiguration spread wings wider than the planet and soared away； bound for another plane of existence； with a cry so magnificent and sad that his heart was wrenched by it and he was changed forever。
Zor shuddered； sobbed； and fell to the floor weeping； then lost consciousness。
In the sphere ship； Louie Nichols gathered the survivors of his team。 Other personnel were distracted by the strange； swirling