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〃Then it was you who sent the carpet；〃 Miriya said。 The two Haydonites traded looks。 〃No；〃 one of then started to send； when Aurora said； 〃I called the carpet。〃 Veidt； nodded perceptibly。 〃I believe she did；〃 he announced； nonplussed。
Dana looked at her younger sister and laughed。 〃Damn kids nowadays。 Can't teach 'em a thing。〃
CHAPTER TWENTY…ONE
It has been claimed that all laws of science； our very ability to predict future events； will break down upon reaching the singularity。 That the black hole's event horizon trapped light's desperate spacetime path…is but a one…way membrane； we are about to find out。 If only Dr。 Hawking were here to join us。
Dr。 Harold Penn； The Brief but Timeless Voyage of the Peter Pan
Like laser light in a smoke…filled room Louie's cyber…self punched through the green haze security threshold leading to the Awareness's higher function core and arrowed straight into a cluster of telemetry mands in charge of programming dimensional data into the sphere ships' drives。 The team was spread out in a V formation behind him； targeting 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。