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the Sterlings found themselves lodged with the four Praxians whose very size dictated that they be given the largest of the four rooms。 Their section of the jail was flanked by Karbarran and Spherisian quarters but was effectively sealed off from them； with access to the central portion of the domed chamber barred by laser fence。 Thoughts of escape were not only difficult to entertain but periodically discouraged by squads of the now obsequious jailers who glided through sweeps of the area。
Dana； however； had not yet given up on the idea and sat timing the patrols while Exedore filled everyone in on the details of his own arrest。
〃One moment Veidt and I were interpreting the results of our latest calculations； and the next I was being hurried out of the data room by two of these black…cloaked fellows； with Veidt warning me to obey their every mand。〃
〃Our advocates acted the same way；〃 Max said。 〃Turned on us without warning。〃
〃Oh； I don't think it safe to assume they were acting at all；〃 Exedore cautioned。 〃It's my belief that the Awareness sent a mand to each and every Haydonite…a telepathic stirring； if you will； analogous to that which prompted the planet to reorient itself in space。〃
〃Then we are 。 。 。 moving？〃 Miriya asked。
Exedore nodded。 〃Most definitely moving。〃
〃But we saw a salvo of energy bolts； Exedore；〃 Dana interjected。 〃The planet's probably moving because it's under attack。〃
Exedore shook his head。 〃There's been no attack； although what you witnessed was certainly defensive fire。 It seems that the mander of one of the Karbarran cargo ships armed his weapons array when planetary realignment menced。 The Awareness registered this and responded as programmed。 I'm afraid several ships were destroyed in the process。 This much I was able to learn from Veidt。〃
〃Then our lives are in danger；〃 Miriya said； hugging Aurora to her。
〃No； child。 Haydon IV is not only abandoning its orbit around this system's primary but shedding its atmosphere as it accelerates。 That's precisely why we've all been brought down here。
〃For all this sudden militant posturing； they do seem to have our safety in mind。 Haydon knows they require no true atmosphere for themselves； nor any need of Glike； for that matter。〃 The Zentraedi snorted。 〃A surface paradise； indeed； for that's all that it was…a veneer； to borrow a Terran word。
〃It only confirms what I've been saying all along： that Haydon IV is not a planet transformed by ultratech wonders but a ship。 Its very name suggests as much。 Haydon IV； and yet it occupies the third place in the Briz'dziki system。 〃 Exedore adopted a puzzled frown。 〃No。 It has e to be known as Haydon IV because it was Haydon's fourth。〃
〃Haydon's… fourth what？〃 Max wanted to know。
Exedore threw up his hands。 〃Any answer I give you would be pure speculation。 Much as my guess as to exactly where it is that we're headed。〃
〃We'll know when we get there； is that it？〃 Dana said。 〃Well put。〃
Max looked from Exedore to Dana and back again。 〃But what about these calculations of yours？ You still think this has something to do with the SDF…3？〃
〃I'm certain of it；〃 Exedore affirmed。 〃And with the Invid departure as well。 A pulse of novel energy has been sent into the known universe。 Our calculations prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the focus of this outpouring is the dead star we Zentraedi know as Ranaath's。〃
Miriya sucked in her breath。 〃Exedore！〃
〃Yes； Miriya； I'm afraid so。 But there's more： This pulse has also caused subtle but potentially dangerous quantum and gravitational shifts throughout the continuum。 All standard measurements seem to have been infinitesimally affected。〃 〃Meaning what？〃 Max said。
〃Meaning that something unprecedented has occurred； Max。 It's as though everything is suddenly drawing closer and closer together。〃
CHAPTER SEVEN
Eventually； Rem saw the logic of the REF's arguments ＇that a Protoculture matrix was essential to ensure certain victory against the Invid Regis＇…or at least he gave Lang every impression of being convinced。 Just as Zor had once given sway to the Robotech Masters' conviction that knowledge went hand in hand with power and that all real power sprang from the conquest of life itself 。 。 。 This tendency to submit； this plasticity； was a character flaw inherited by both clones…Rem and Zor Prime and taken advantage of by yet new generations of masters。 〃Zor； the reshaped；〃 as Lang himself once thought to describe Rem in his notes。 Who else could have enticed Protoculture from the secret places of the Flower but one of equal lability？
Adrian Mizner； Rakes and Rogues： The True Story of the SDF…3 Mission
Even with the knowledge they had been able to amass during the voyages of the SDFs…1 and …3 and with what little they had been able to beg； borrow； and steal from the Sentinels； the fortress's chief astrogators still considered themselves among the Quadrant's least experienced travelers。 So while the void they had been folded into presented a novel challenge； there was no sure way of ascertaining whether this 〃newspace〃…as it had been termed…was not just some monplace occurrence among the more well traveled。 To this end； interviews with those Sentinels aboard…Kami； Learna； Lron； Crysta； Baldan； Gnea； and others…had thus far proved unenlightening； a not entirely unexpected development given that the original crew of the starship Farrago had never been top…notch spacefarers to begin with。
Lang nevertheless had gone about his investigation of the ship's environment with unflagging confidence and textbook determination。 The results of Jack Baker's brief extravehicular recon were in。 Exterior background temperatures and the velocity of light had been measured and found to be constant； the fortress chronometers were still functioning。 Physical laws inside the ship…and within a radius of a half million kilometers from it…were in fact operating much as they should have。 It was simply that the stars…indeed； space itself…had disappeared。
The SDF…3's reflex engines were functioning； but there was still nowhere for the fortress to go。
〃I'm inclined to favor the hyperspace hypothesis；〃 Lang was saying； eyes glued to an immens