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ing frantically from station to station。
〃What'd you get me down here for； Lang？〃 Rick barked； pacing behind Lang's chair and glaring down at him。
Lang's upturned look was unreadable as he indicated the displays。 His humanity as well as his age seemed to have been arrested by continual contact with the Protoculture。
〃See for yourself； Admiral。〃
Rick spread his hands atop the console and leaned toward an on…screen puter…enhanced translation of the engines' subatomic fire。 He held the pose for a moment； then glanced at Lang in annoyance。 〃I don't see anything wrong； Doctor。〃
Lang snorted。 〃No； of course you wouldn't； Admiral。〃 Rick was used to the condescending tone。
〃Explain。〃 The Roboscientist sighed and blanked the monitor with a tap of a crooked forefinger。 〃It has vanished； Admiral…the Protoculture。 Disappeared。 〃
Rick's dark brows beetled。 He reached out to reactivate the screen； but Lang's powerful hand restrained him。
〃Take my word for it； Admiral； the Protoculture has vanished。〃 It would have been senseless to talk about the shadowy presence of the black…robed wraiths Rem had taught him to recognize。 〃Yes； exactly as it disappeared from the SDF…1；〃 he added； discerning Rick's thoughts。
〃But how？〃 Rick began。 〃Why？〃
〃To teach us a lesson； I think。〃
Rick shook his head。 〃A lesson？〃 He swept his arm through an all…enpassing gesture。 〃Listen to me； Lang。 Rheinhardt and the rest of the fleet are out there waiting for us。 Do you understand what that means？〃
The scientist gave him a pitying look。 〃I assure you； Admiral； the fleet is not out there。〃
〃Then where the hell are we？〃 Rick said； at the end of his rope。 〃And don't tell me nowhere。〃
Lang folded his arms and met the intensity of Rick's gaze。 〃All right。 It's possible that we're still in hyperspace； although there is no evidence to support the hypothesis。 It's also possible that we have died； as some of the ship's personnel are suggesting。 Or that we have somehow jumped to a void in intergalactic space； perhaps jumped beyond the expansion wave of the big bang itself。〃
Rick went wide…eyed。 〃You mean we've jumped outside the galaxy？〃
Lang shrugged。 〃It's simply one theory among many。 A jump beyond time could perhaps explain how and why the Protoculture vanished； although our own continued existence would seem to contraindicate it。〃
Rick staggered backward into a chair adjacent to Lang's。 〃But…but there has to be something out there。〃
Lang shook his head。 〃Not according to our instruments。 We are nowhere； Admiral。 Not even a when that I can determine。 I'm sorry； but there's no other way to put it。〃
Rick turned to face him。 〃Then get us somewhere； Doctor。〃
Lang rubbed his chin。 〃What would you have me do fashion a world for you out of nothingness？〃
Rick forced out his breath。 〃Yes； damn it。 Fashion us a world if you have to。〃
CHAPTER FOUR
〃It's absolutely true。 Mom really did have a took； a different grimace for every occasion。 But I'll tell you something I've never told anyone before： The strangest of all Mom's looks was the one she reserved for any mention of Scott Bernard。 Seriously。 For the longest time I was convinced that they'd had an affair or something。 But then one day Mom told me about the time he stopped by looking for Marlene。 There was that look again； the whole time she told the story。 And I suddenly realized that I wasn't seeing one of those what…might…have…been looks but one that was saying what…never…should…have…been。
Maria Bartley…Rand； quoted in Xandu Reem's A Stranger at Home： A Biography of Scott Bernard
Scott breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the craft settle down； rubber tires chirping against the tarmac on a smooth but long disused stretch of Southlands highway。 Mission priorities and the usual red tape had made it impossible for him to procure an old VTOL； much less an Alpha； so Scott was stuck with a forty…year…old air breather； a civilian five…passenger jet some group in G4 must have liberated from a pre…Wars museum。 They'd blown the dust off the thing and fitted it with new rubber； but the cockpit had seen far better days； and the instruments were ancient。 Scott's biggest problem was refraining from trying to think the aircraft through mechamorph maneuvers。 A lot of good that would have done； anyway； the thing wasn't even equipped with a neural interface thinking cap！
Priorities aside； though； there were good reasons for flying civilian and denying any military affiliation just then。 Earth's surface； the Southlands especially； had bee a sorry place for soldiers。 With the so…called fall of Reflex Point and the Invid abandonment of their hives； Flower of Life orchards； and POW camps； humankind was once more on the move。 People were quite literally crawling out of the holes they had buried themselves in when the Invid had landed。 Tens of thousands； many of whom had spent the past year or more in internment centers in what had once been called Canada； were migrating south from the ruined Northlands； lured to Brazilas by rumors of massive reconstruction efforts and the promise of a United Earth Government rising from the ashes of the Southern Cross apparat。 At the same time thousands more had taken to the cracked and rutted roadways of the thrice…invaded world in search of lost friends and loved ones； while others busied themselves by exacting vengeance on spies； sympathizers； and any who had profited during the occupation。
Soldiers of any army； private or otherwise； were often at the receiving end of the general wrath and blood lust； espe璫ially those unfortunates who had fancied themselves insurgents or freedom fighters。 It was an accepted fact that insurgency had done more damage than good…Invid reprisals having far outweighed the dubious worth of destroying a handful of Shock Troopers or Pincer ships…and that the Regis had not really been defeated but had willingly abandoned the planet in search of richer hunting grounds。 The returning REF consequently was not looked upon as some beneficent force of liberators but as yet another conquering army； a gang of thugs looking to resume control after a fifteen…year absence。
Under the circumstances； Scott's small jet was