ard the SDF…3 had once mented in Exedore's presence。
〃Featureless； yes；〃 Veidt sent； 〃but hardly unfinished； Exedore：〃
Early on Exedore had found it somewhat unnerving to have his thoughts scanned on a moment…to…moment basis； but he was long past concern or misgiving。 It was logical； in fact； that he open his mind to Veidt； if only to expedite the unraveling of the cosmic puzzles someone had seen fit to send their way。
And 〃baffling〃 only began to describe them。
The SDF…3 was missing； not merely disappeared into hyperspace but vanished from the Quadrant。 The ship had not emerged from fold anywhere in known space； nor was it trapped in the netherscape of the hyperdomain。 Haydon IV's Awareness had told them that much already。 But what the artificial sentience could not tell them was where the ship was or whether it existed at all。 The SDF…3 had simply ceased to be； and yet there were no indications that it had met with any of the thousand ills matter was heir to。
That the dematerialization had coincided with a reawakening of a myriad slumbering puter ponents； Exedore initially read as a sign that the artifact planet had been in some sense； responsible for the event。 Subsequent investigation； however； had led him to the conclusion that the Awareness had not been responding to the SDF…3's plight； after all； but to a concurrent phenomenon that had taken place clear across the Quadrant：
Along a spacetime curve that led to Earth。
Something originating there had sent an energy pulse through the fabric of the continuum； whose destination seemed to be the distant collapsed giant the Tiresians knew as Ranaath's Star。
Haydon…he has returned to our world！ Veidt had sent at the time； and…novice astrophysicist that he was…Exedore had taken him literally。 But literalness was not something the Haydonites practiced with regularity； and the expression…for that was what it was…was best translated by the Terran self condemning phrase Well； I'll be damned！
The very one Exedore had used sometime later when he bad learned of the Invid's departure…months ago； Earthrelative； after a series of mostly interrupted exchanges between Earth and Tirol and between Tirol and Haydon IV。 Since then； the Awareness had been spewing out a steady stream of mathematical calculations and puzzling data readers； conversing with itself on an information level the likes of which Exedore had never encountered。 Veidt had been successful in eavesdropping on the Awareness's inner dialog and enticing it to display some of its findings…in holographics； projecbeam； and the occasional verbalization； remarkably enough； issued forth in fluent Tiresian （linga franca）。 But little of it made any sense to Exedore； on whose shoulders the search for the missing flagship had fallen。 The Zentraedi could almost smile； recalling Zor's original fortress； the SDF…1。 He had been successful in tracing that one； but that hardly qualified him as an expert in the field。
Cabell had promised to tear himself away from Tiresia to join in plying the Awareness with questions； but Exedore thought the coded outpourings might outdistance even the master himself。
They needed Emil Lang or the Zor…clone； Rem； who had contributed so much to the facsimile matrix fashioned by the REF to empower its fleet。 They needed the bined intellect of the SDF…3's Robotechnicians。
Better still； they needed Haydon。 〃My thought exactly； Lord Exedore。〃
Exedore chuckled to himself。 〃Yes； Veidt。 The Earthers have a saying； I believe。 ‘Great minds think…'〃
The chamber had begun to vibrate。 That in itself was nothing unusual。 In fact； during the five years Exedore had been on…world he had known instances where the vibrations were strong enough to rattle the alloy walls and rumble data discs out of their holders。 But the sudden tremor was more intense than any he had experienced。
〃Another atmospheric cleansing？〃 the Zentraedi asked in a quavering voice。 〃A seasonal change？ An internal overhaul； the upwelling of a new lake or the damming of a stream…send something； will you！〃
Veidt had glided back to his station by the central data pillar； his high…collared cape a screen for projecbeam schematics； a dizzying light show of flashing alphanumeric analogues and equational abstracts。
〃An intruder； perhaps；〃 Exedore continued； his stubby hands spread atop leaping sheets of hard copy like some Ouija board reader。 〃An unannounced ship…〃
〃I heard you；〃 Veidt sent with a sting。 〃It is none of those things。 Something novel； unprecedented。〃
Exedore ceased his futile efforts to steady his work and with some difficulty swiveled to regard the strobing databanks of the Awareness； data scrolls and cards tattooing to the floor at his feet。 The information traffic displayed was enough to render the Invid leave…taking a minor itch。
〃What is it； Veidt？〃 Exedore pressed； a note of alarm in his voice。 A deep…space view of Haydon IV advanced through the 3…D field of a projecbeam； a variegated ball in time…lapse motion。 〃Veidt；〃 he repeated。
〃Primary activation sequences have menced；〃 the Haydonite sent with curious detachment。 〃Atmospheric integrity is constant for the moment。 Surface damage is projected to be well within accepted parameters。 Casualties among offworlders are not expected to exceed a thousand。〃
〃Casualties？〃 Exedore said； up on shaky legs； bulging eyes darting between Veidt and the projecbeam field。
Veidt rotated to face him； a lavender brightness pulsating from the center of his smooth forehead。 〃The crossing is achieved。 The Event is occurred。 Praise Haydon。〃
Careful not to be too literal； Exedore reminded himself。 Praise Haydon could mean almost anything。 〃The Event？〃 he asked cautiously。
Veidt nodded。 〃Haydon IV is leaving orbit。 Shortly； we will depart the Briz'dziki system entirely。〃
Exedore's mouth fell open。 〃Haydon；〃 he muttered。 〃He has returned to our world。〃
CHAPTER THREE
The motion to leave Earth irradiated rather than leave it to the Invid Regis was carried by a narrow margin。 Balloting was kept secret； and there has yet to be discovered a person…by…person breakdown of the vote。 Of the ten members of the ＇Plenipotentiary＇ Council； there are believed to have been two abstentions from Stinson and Longchamps。 Obstat； Huxley； and others have elsewhere indicated the basis of their individual decisions。 Of the participating members of the REF mand staff； seven voted in favor of using the Neutron…S missiles； five against。 It is altogether ironic that the decision to irradiate Earth was arrived at in Tiresia； where； centuries before； the Robotech Masters had sentenced Optera to suffer a similar fate。
Ahmed Rashona； That Pass in the Night： The SDF…3 and the Mission to Tirol
Lisa dreamed a tunnel in the sky； a radiant corridor stretching timeless across the heavens。 Warm to her hands and bare feet； secure and enfolding； redolent with aromas of spring and summer。 At one end her father waved good…bye； a smashing figure in his United Earth Government tunic with its breast salad of ribbons and braid； at the other end was a patch of scudded sky that could have belonged only to once…upon…a…time Earth。
It occurred to her that she could not have been more than seventeen； returning to Macross Island after her first real leave。 Was this carpeting below her； then？ The warm glow the lights of some airport concourse or jetway？
But where were the flight attendants； then； where were her guides？ And how could she hope to find her seat without a boarding pass？
She slapped the pockets of her long coat as she walked； panic gaining on her。 The light ahead was almost too intense to behold； like the sun itself on a cloudless south Pacific afternoon when there was not a breeze in the world。
The hot sand was making her hurry along； but it was the voice she was responding to now。 The panic evaporated； trailing behind her ghostly and diffuse； and the warmth returned。 Her mother's voice； her arthritic hand waving in the light at the end of the corridor。 Her guide； to be sure； a smile broadening as Lisa outran the years； the deaths and disappearances that ruined her garden。 A child as she approached the light； Earth too remote to touch 。。。
I'm dead！ she thought？
…as noise filled her up and air swelled her lungs； bringing renewed life to her pounding heart。 A dream； she told herself； the recurrent one her mind reserved for hyperspace folds。
Everyone had them； those nightmares and visions； brief excursions to private heavens or hells。 Space lace； some of the crew called it。 With an ever…present out…of…body ponent； an after…life acpaniment。
Only this time she had died； and that had never happened before。 Grief coursed through her； a profound sense of loss； a kind of terminal nostalgia。 Had it been stirred by the dream？ Or did it emanate from the nurturing other she had discovered within herself？
Roy was suddenly on her mind； her bright center in the universe； her barely five…year…old hero。 The thought of having to open her eyes filled her with fear。 But open them she would。
And the grief propagated。
The SDF…3 bridge was as dark and silent as a tomb。 Sweat burst from her palms like splinters of ice。
〃Lieutenant Toler；〃 she said。 〃Mister Hakawa？〃
〃Here； sir；〃 someone answered from a duty station behind the mand chair。 She called to the rest…Williamson； Price； Martino…and one by one they responded； reborn from dreams。 Lisa flathanded the …line stud built into the arm of the chair and called for Dr。 Lang in engineering。
〃All systems are down； Sir；〃 said a voice in the darkness…Price； Lisa ventured correctly。 〃No response from any of the backups： It's like we're unplugged。〃
〃Nonsense；〃 Lisa returned。 〃We're obviously not weightless； Mister Price。 And unless we've somehow defolded on Earth's surface； I'd hazard a guess some systems are operational。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Doesn't anyone keep a damn flashlight up here？〃 she said； cautiously feeling her way out of the chair。 Off to her right she heard a pneumatic hiss； a tear of Velcro。 〃Everyone stay put；〃 she called toward the sound。 〃We're still on full alert； gentlemen。 Besides； I don't want anyone walking into a bulkhead。 〃She directed her voice starboard； toward Toler's station beneath the threat board。 〃Mis