sonally see that you rue this day。 You will give us your total cooperation。 Do you both understand？〃
〃Yes。〃 Minmei nodded。 When Kyle stood unspeaking； unresponsive； she put a hand to his shoulder。 〃They need our cooperation。 Hostility won't do us any good； don't you see？〃
Gloval had turned to Exedore； he let his irritation show in his voice。 〃Now； Mr。 Minister； if you would kindly tell us what your mission here is all about？〃 He began stoking up a favorite meerschaum。
〃All in its proper sequence；〃 Exedore said earnestly。 〃But I assure you： My reason for being here is of crucial importance for you as well as for the Zentraedi。〃
Gloval puffed out a blue cloud that his officers tried to ignore。 Reading this alien's mind is impossible； he reflected。 The song and dance had convinced him of that。 I'll just have to wait and hear him out。
In the UEDC's subterranean plex； Lisa Hayes sat at the end of long rows of techs who were manning monitor screens。 All attention was focused on the SDF…1； Lisa had gotten the impression； in subtle ways； that the world rulers were chewing their nails； waiting to see what would happen。
She had stopped wishing that she was back onboard to help in what was going on； it hurt too much。 The emergency； the shortage of good officers； the dangers of space travel during the current hostilities； the fact that she had had access to classified UEDC information； her value as an intelligence source…her father had a dozen justifications for keeping her right where she was； and there was little she could do about it。
Now； she stared up at her own master console。 The more she learned about the Grand Cannon； the more convinced she was that it would serve little purpose except to get the Zentraedi angrier。
She started； realizing that her father had e in to bend down near her。 The other technical officers and enlisted ratings kept diligently at their work； it was unwise to be seen letting one's attention stray when Admiral Hayes was around。
She was beginning to understand that her father wasn't a popular officer。 She had never found it easy to make friends； and now that she was known as the admiral's daughter； she was effectively frozen out。
She removed her headset in time to hear him say； 〃How do you like your new job？ Everything okay？〃
〃Fine； fine；〃 she lied； and attempted to smile。 〃I understand that the SDF…1 and the Zentraedi fleet have reached a cease…fire agreement。〃
〃That's what I hear；〃 her father said nonmittally。
She tried to sound as upbeat as she could。 〃Well； if things keep going this way； maybe we won't have to use the Grand Cannon； after all。
〃It's possible； but I doubt it。〃
She turned away； dropping her eyes in discouragement。 They were all so blind down here in their little rabbit warren！ Then she felt his hand on her shoulder。
〃Listen； Lisa。 We can't trust the Zentraedi； we have to prove what we can do。〃
It would do no good to tell him again that the SDF…1's main gun was easily a match for the Grand Cannon； and it hadn't kept the Zentraedi from waging their war。 The UEDC planners； engineers； and rulers had too much at stake and only scoffed when she tried to make the point。
He saw she wasn't going to yield the point； she simply gave up arguing it for the time being。 He turned to go； saying； 〃I have work to do。 If anything es up； I'll be in the central core。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Lisa said wearily。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I was close enough to Lang in those days to be certain that he had no confidential knowledge of the hidden Protoculture source to which Exedore was referring。 Had he but known the secret of those great； sealed reflex furnaces； he might have formulated an immortal update to Einstein's remark： Protoculture doesn't play dice with the universe； but It certainly knows how to palm an ace at the crucial moment！
Dr。 Lazlo Zand； On Earth As It Is in Hell： Recollections of the Robotech War
〃Officer Lynn…Kyle； what is your military rank？〃 Exedore asked in the vaulted hearing chamber。
Kyle gave him a surly look。 〃I'm a civilian。〃
Exedore made a brief； mocking chuckle。 〃With your superpowers？ I doubt it。〃
Kyle bared his teeth at the alien。 〃I have no idea what you're talking about！〃
Exedore looked around； confused。 He was satisfied that these Micronians were doing their best to； to 〃level with〃 him； as Colonel Maistroff had put it on the way over。
Gloval intervened。 〃Mr。 Minister； he's telling the truth。 This man possesses no superpowers。 For that matter； none of us in this room possess the powers you're referring to。〃
Gloval was taking a gamble。 The bluff of human superpowers hadn't made the enemy go away and couldn't be sustained for very long。 But there was something murky about the whole war； something that made him suspect that a basic breakdown in munication was responsible for the whole thing。 It was time for someone to try to get to the bottom of it。
〃But…we saw him on our monitors；〃 Exedore protested。
〃Oh； that was a movie； merely a form of entertainment；〃 Gloval replied； scratching his head to try to think how to explain better。 〃It's not true； it's。。。simply for enjoyment。〃
Exedore decided to table that for now； he knew the enjoyment he found in the ancient lore and history of the Zentraedi； but those were factual。 〃Then what about your energy barrier and destruction waves？〃
〃These are merely defensive and offensive weapons based on technology discovered in this ship when it originally crashed on Earth。〃
〃Ah； but you've forgotten the Protoculture！〃 Exedore said slyly。 〃The great genius of the Robotech Masters' race； Zor； hid the secrets of Protoculture and its last great manufacturing source in this vessel before he dispatched it here。〃
Now； at last； Gloval was seeing some of the aliens' cards； and he was sure the talks were worth it。 All the questions of who the Robotech Masters were； who Zor was and why he had picked Earth； had to be set aside； intriguing as they were。 The life of the human race might be measurable in hours； even minutes。
Gloval opened a fne。 〃I think we're ready for Dr。 Lang now。〃
Lang entered； the greatest mind of his time； an intellect worthy to sit with Newton and Einstein and yet a man frustrated by the many mysteries of Robotechnology。 He had been monitoring the exchanges in a waiting room and was eager to talk to Exedore。
The Zentraedi； Minmei and Kyle； and the others there who had never seen Lang before got a bit of a shock and understood why he shunned the limelight。 Normal…looking in every other way； the man had eyes that seemed to be all dark； liquid iris…no pupil or white。
Gloval remembered that day well； hours after the SDF…1's crash in 1999； when he； Lang； and a few others had first boarded the smoking wreck。 They had discovered an astounding technology； fearsome mecha guardians； and bewildering time paradoxes。
They had also discovered a recorded warning that they couldn't fathom。 And Lang； yielding to an unquenchable thirst for more knowledge； more interface； had somehow subjected himself to direct contact with whatever it was that animated the ship。 That was when his eyes changed； when he himself became different； as if he were hearing celestial music。 Nevertheless； it was his genius that had allowed the rebuilding of the SDF…1 and the construction of the Robotech Defense Force。
Now； Lang said to Exedore； 〃We've heard Protoculture mentioned many times； Emissary。 Will you tell me now what it is？〃
Exedore's brows shot up。 〃You mean you still insist that you Micronians don't know？ Protoculture is the most powerful energy source in the universe。〃
Lang's deep； dark eyes bored into him。 〃I have been able to find nothing of that nature in this vessel； and I've been searching since your fleet first arrived in the solar system。 But I believe I know what has happened。 Will you e with me； please？〃
Gloval rose but told the others； 〃You will all kindly remain here； please。〃
The jeep was waiting； and the trip through the huge passages and byways of the battle fortress took only a few minutes。 Very shortly they were in the engineering section； just forward of the huge reflex engines that were the ship's power plant。
They were in a large partment that had once held the ship's spacefold apparatus。 Now there was some leftover machinery from the pin…point barrier system that had been the ship's main defensive weapon on its precarious trip across the solar system。 As there had been for years； there were also the lights。
〃When the Zentraedi first attacked Earth； we made our spacefold jump to get to safety；〃 Lang was explaining。 〃We had no time to experiment； no time to test。 A jump that was meant to take us beyond our moon's orbit took us instead to the orbit of Pluto。〃
〃I remember well；〃 Exedore said； scratching his cheek； staring at the giant； almost…empty partment。
〃You made the jump too close to the planetary surface； we were convinced that you were suicidal。〃
〃You gave us no choice；〃 Gloval said in a low voice； thinking back to the appalling devastation and loss of life that day。 He did his best to put it from his mind。
〃But in the wake of the jump；〃 Lang went on； 〃the spacefold apparatus just。。。disappeared。 Utterly！ Simply faded from view and was never seen again。 And in its place were those。〃
Lang meant the lights： darting； glowing sparks； fireflies and tiny ets that swarmed and drifted through the space where the spacefold apparatus had once been。 Exedore turned to him。 〃May I borrow some of those instruments you've brought； Doctor？〃
It took only a little time to prove his suspicions。 〃Ah； yes： definite residual Protoculture signature here； but the Matrix is gone。 And I detect no other great manufacturing mass； only the lesser animating charges of your weapons and the reflex furnaces。〃
Exedore lowered the detector numbly。 〃The secrets of Zor； gone！ This long war fought for nothing！〃
Lang patted Exedore's shoulder miseratingly。 〃Perhaps someday we will find it again； who can say？〃
Gloval was shocked to see how quickly the two had bee easy in each other's pany。 〃I think we'd better get back to the hearing room；〃 the captain said。 〃We still have a great deal to talk about。〃
Deep within the sealed fastness of the mighty reflex engines； something stirred and then was quiet again。 It could not be detected by Lang's relatively primitive instruments； was capable of hiding itself even from the Zentraedi's scanners at this range。
As Zor had provided； the last Protoculture Matrix was safe； biding its time； waiting until his great Vision should e to pass。
〃It does appear we've made a great mistake；〃 Exedore confessed when they were all back in their places。 〃But！ You cannot possibly deny the power of the female's singing！〃
〃I wouldn't dream of it；〃 Gloval responded simply； drawing a doubtful look from Colonel Maistroff。
But Bron was on his feet。 〃He won't deny it because it's true！〃
〃Minmei's song has incredible power！〃 Rico added； jumping up too。
Minmei； for her part； gave a shy smile that seemed to have some secret wisdom behind it。
〃This is not the first time the Zentraedi have encountered something like this；〃 Exedore told them all。 〃A very long time ago we were exposed to a culture like yours； and it nearly destroye