第二章
Unfortunately, there are no detailed descriptions of the Genesis Pits, other than Rand's colorful but highly personalized and impressionistic accounts (specious, as some would add), and the notes Colonel Adams hastily scribbled to himself while on Optera. And despite a plethora of theories and explanations, the sad truth is that the mechanism of the Pits remains a complete mystery-except to say that they were devices utilized by the Regis for purposes of creative evolution. Praxis apparently played host to the largest of these, and Lang, to name one, has speculated that the Pits not only gave rise to extinct creatures, but succeeded in regressing the entire planet to a formative stage of destructive vulcanism.
Zeus Bellow, The Road to Reflex Point
不幸的是，没有起源坑的详细描述，这和关于伦德的那些精彩，但极富个性且令人印象深刻的记述不同（徒有虚表，一些人会添加这个词），况且这本笔记是亚当上校在奥普特拉时匆忙写下的。尽管有太多的推论和解释，但令人沮丧的真相是，除了知道起源坑是瑞吉斯用来进行创造性进化的设备外，它们的作用机理仍旧是个完整的谜。普拉西斯上的起源坑，显然是它们中最大的一个。朗等人推测起源坑不仅仅能复活已灭绝的生物，而且能使整个行星回退到火山活动频繁的成型时期。
——宙斯·贝洛，《通往反射点之路》
Burak and Tesla had become the Sentinels' silent partnership, then Jack Baker and Karen Penn were certainly the group's inseparable pair. But that, each liked to believe, was merely a result of duty assignments. And even four months on Praxis hadn't provided them with enough time to work through the competitive trifles that fueled their relationship. They were not only marooned, but marooned together; and Praxis had become the proverbial town that just wasn't big enough for the two of them. Bela, Praxis's wasp-waisted local sheriff, was only one of the contributing factors; but Karen nevertheless took every opportunity to keep Jack as far from Bela as she could, often encouraging the Hovercycle recons that had become something of Jack's stock-in-trade.
巴拉克和泰斯拉已成为哨兵中一对不为人知的伙伴，杰克·贝克和凯伦·潘无疑是这个组织中不可分割的一对。但他们各自却认为这仅仅是职责分配所至。即使是在普拉西斯上的四个月，也没有给他们足够的时间去处理完那些相互竞争的琐事，他们的关系也因此火上浇油。他们被放逐孤立了，而且是一同被放逐的，众所周知，普拉西斯对他们而言已经不够大了。贝拉，细腰的普拉西斯地方治安官，仅仅是起作用的因数之一，但凯伦不放过每一次机会，尽其所能的让杰克远离贝拉，她常常怂恿杰克参加气垫摩托侦查任务，于是这任务成了杰克的家常便饭。
A joyride disguised as a scouting mission had brought Jack and Karen to a series of caves two hours out from the GMU. Lron and Kami had ridden with them. Four months had given the Sentinels plenty of time to grieve for those who had gone down with the Farrago; but Karen often wondered just how long it was going to take for her to grow accustomed to her XT comrades. She wasn't a bit xenophobic-a fact that had won her a place with the Sentinels to begin with-and in actuality it wasn't so much the strangeness of Lron or Kami that overwhelmed her, but the similarities. If only Karbarrans didn't so resemble Kodiak bears, she would tell herself. And if only Kami didn't look like upright versions of the foxes she used to see near the cabin her father had once owned...She had much less trouble with Baldan and Teal, with their bodies of living crystal. Or Tesla, for that matter-now there was an alien you could believe in!
一次打着侦查名义的兜风，让杰克和凯伦离开了GMU两个小时，到达了一个山洞群，与他们一道的还有勒荣和卡米。四个月已经给了哨兵同盟充足的时间，去为那些与法拉戈号一同殉难的战友伤心；但凯伦常常困惑，她要花多长时间才能习惯她的外星朋友。她不是因为怀有一点对外星人的恐惧——事实是与哨兵接触的伊始，这种感觉就已占据了她心中的一席之地——实际上，勒荣和卡米的陌生感并没有大到可以将其淹没，但也有类似之处。只要卡拉巴人别那么像科迪亚克棕熊，她自我安慰道，只要卡米别再像以前在父亲小屋周围常看到的，且能直立行走的狐狸……巴丹和缇尔对她的困惑则少些，因为他们的身体都是活着的水晶。
But wolves and bears and snail-headed things...Karen was in the midst of wishing that Bela had had a more alien form-even a more rotund form-when without warning, Jack hissed:"Cut it out!"
但狼、熊和蜗牛头……凯伦正希望着贝拉能再拥有一点外星人的形态——即使再胖一点也好——突然，杰克嘘声道：“停下来！”。
The four Sentinels were well into the central cave now, inside a huge vaulted corridor that was as hot as blazes and reeking of sulphur. Curiosity had drawn them in; but Jack, never one to do things halfway, had insisted they go "just a little further," and here they were a good half a click along. There were primitive sketches on the walls of the caverns they had passed through-depictions of hideous spiderlike creatures Jack claimed were "symbols"-and Karen was in no mood for fun house games or laugh-in-the-dark surprises.
现在，这四个哨兵进入了中间的那个山洞，洞中巨大的拱道热得像熊熊的火焰，像冒着熏烟的硫磺。好奇心驱使他们走进了这个山洞，但杰克从来就不是一个半途而废的人，坚持“再向前走一点”，此时他们已经愉快地前进了500米。洞壁上画着原始的壁画，描绘着一种可怕的类似蜘蛛的生物，杰克戏称它们为“符号”，凯伦可没心情玩房子游戏，或者在黑暗中惊奇地哈哈大笑。
"Huh·" she said, gulping and finding her voice.
“嗯？”凯伦咽了一口口水，想着该说些什么。
"I said cut it out."
“我说停下来。”
"I know what you said, Jack..."
“我知道你在说什么，杰克……”
She threw him an angry look in the darkness, wondering suddenly if she had actually voiced some of her private musings about Bela. Then all at once something hit her on the top of the head. XTs or not, she decided, someone was trying to be funny. Karen whirled around, hoping to catch Kami in the act, but he was way off to her left inspecting a chunk of rock near the cave wall. Lron, too, seemed to be preoccupied with other things. So, wiping sweat from her face, she turned back to Jack, and said,"Not funny."
在黑暗中，她生气地看了一眼杰克，诧异地想到是不是刚才，自己说出了一些对贝拉的自私想法。突然，不知是那些外星人还是别的什么，打了下她的头顶，于是她肯定，是某人想开她的玩笑。凯伦转向四周，希望能将卡米逮个正着，但此时卡米离她很远，正在靠近洞壁的地方研究着一块大石头。勒荣也似乎正全神贯注地看着其它的东西。于是，她擦了擦脸上的汗水，转向杰克说，“没什么有趣的。”
"What·"
“什么？”
She put a hand up to shield her eyes from his miner's light."Throwing things. I'm not real thrilled about being in here to start with."
凯伦用手挡住了他的矿工灯射来的光线。“朝我扔东西，我才不会因为在这里而吓得发抖,从一开始就不会。”
"I didn't throw anything," he started to say, when Lron's gurgling snarl interrupted him.
“我没扔任何东西，”杰克刚开了个头，就被勒荣低沉的咆哮所打断。
"Who hit me·" the Karbarran growled.
“谁打我？”卡拉巴人低吼着。
Jack felt a tap on his shoulder, swung to it, then instinctively looked up. His light illuminated what looked like an assemblage of globular-shaped deposits on the cave's ceiling. Suddenly he saw one of the things move, and realized that it was some sort of free-floating, translucent sphere. Kami switched on the light strapped above his muzzlemask and shined it on another portion of the ceiling; here were more spheres, ranging from baseball size to almost four feet in diameter, all bobbing against the rock like helium balloons.
杰克感到有东西轻打下他的肩膀，朝它转过身，本能的向上看去。洞顶被他灯光照亮的地方，集结着一堆球状堆积物。忽然，杰克看到其中的一个移动了，他意识到这是某种可自由飘浮的，半透明的球体。卡米转动着捆在面具上方的矿灯，光线照亮了洞顶的另一块区域，这儿有更多的球体，尺寸从棒球大小直至四英尺的直径，它们来回碰撞着岩石，就像氦气球一般。
"What the...·" Jack said, moving his head around, the beam finding more and more globes."Jeez, the place is crawling with them."
“那是……？”杰克边说边转着脑袋，光束找到了越来越多的圆球。“呀，它们布满这块地方。”
"Jack!" Kami shouted, training his light on something further along the corridor. Everyone turned in time to see a medium-sized globe emerge like a bubble from a conelike projection in the cave floor. Jack rushed ahead, watching the milky thing ascend, and soon found himself perched on the rim of a large shaft, roughly circular and belching up a lot of heat and noxious fumes. Kami, Lron, and Karen joined him a moment later, just as another globe was beginning to make its way up and out.
“杰克！”卡米叫道，他的灯光瞄准了甬道的更深处。每个人都立刻转了过去，他们在洞穴地面上的一个锥形突出物中，看到一个中等大小的泡沫般球体。杰克冲在了最前面，他看到乳白色的物体正在上升，并很快发现他正处于一个毛茸茸的大圆井的边缘，灼热有毒的气体正从中涌出。卡米，勒荣和凯伦随后赶到，这时另一个球体正上涌而出。
"What a stink," Karen commented.
“太臭了。”凯伦说道。
Warily, Jack reached out to touch the basketball-sized orb. It was hot, but not dangerously so; what surprised him was the thing's misleading solidity.
杰克伸出手，小心翼翼地去碰那个篮球大的球体。它很烫，但不是那么的危险；使杰克惊讶的是这东西有着令人迷惑的硬度。
"Jack, don't," Karen warned him when he tried to capture it.
“杰克，别……”凯伦发出警告时他正试图捕获它。
But as was so often the case with Jack, the warning came too late: no sooner had he taken hold of the sphere than it shot toward the ceiling, lifting Jack off the floor. Arms extended over his head, he rode it up for fifteen feet before letting go and landing on the other side of the cavern in a neat tuck-and-roll that blew out the miner's light.
但一如既往，对杰克来说这个警告来得太迟了；在这个圆球射向洞顶前，杰克一把抓住了它，而它也带着杰克离开了地面。杰克的胳膊伸过了头顶，在掉落前，他在十五英尺处骑上了它，到达了洞的另一边。杰克背靠着洞顶，将头埋进卷起的双腿间，双手环抱着膝盖，这个优雅的姿势挡住了矿灯射出的光线。
"Yeah!" he whooped, as Kami helped him to his feet. It wasn't unlike the spill he had taken six months ago in Tiresia, but this time he had landed among friends.
“呀！”在卡米的“帮助”下，杰克大叫一声摔倒在地。这和六个月前，他在泰雷西亚摔的那跤不同，这次他摔在了朋友的当中。
Karen hauled off and whacked him in the arm."Jack, can't you just-"
凯伦将他拖了起来，重重地打了他的肩膀。“杰克，你就不能……”
"That thing took off like a rocket! Almost pulled my arms out of the sockets."
“那个东西就像火箭一样腾空了！差点把我胳膊扯下来。”
"Yeah, we noticed, Jack," Karen said, miffed.
“是的，我们注意到了，杰克。”凯伦有点恼火地说。
They were all staring at the ceiling now.
现在他们正一起盯着洞顶。
Jack watched the spheres bob against one another."Almost seems like they're looking for a way out of here, doesn't it·"
杰克看着圆球之间相互撞击。“它们好像正在找出去的路，不是吗？”
"Yeah, just like we are," Karen and Lron said at the same time.
“是的，就像我们一样。”凯伦和勒荣齐声说道。
In the commo chamber of his hivelike domain on Optera, the Invid Regent received a transmission from the simulagent who was representing him on Tirol. It seemed that the so-called Humans now occupying the Robotech Masters' ravaged and forlorn moon had put on quite a show-with the kind of pomp and circumstance the Regent strived to imitate. He was almost sorry he hadn't gone there himself. What with most of his remaining fleet anchored in Fantomaspace, was there really anything to fear· he asked himself. Still, the fact remained that there were too many unanswered questions. What, after all, did the would-be commander of the Human forces-this Major General Edwards-want· He had been so quick to come to the Regent's aid in that matter of the Sentinels' ship...But it bothered the Regent that the Human had yet to ask for anything in return. Did he simply wish to capitalize on the Sentinels' defeat to move himself higher in the chain of command, or were these machinations part of some larger scheme·
在奥普特拉蜂房的通讯室内，瑞金特收到了在泰洛的替身发来的讯息。现在，所谓的人类正在占领那颗被机器人统治者蹂躏过且被遗弃的卫星，他们那种虚张声势的排场也正是瑞金特所努力仿效的。他对自己没能亲自出席几乎感到遗憾。在剩余的大部分舰队都驻扎在凡托玛的星域时，真的会有什么东西让自己害怕吗？瑞金特自问道。尽管如此，事实上还有很多未解的疑问。毕竟，作为人类军队的指挥官，爱德华兹少将想要得到什么？他如此迅速地帮助瑞金特摧毁了哨兵的飞船……但令瑞金特烦恼的是这个地球人已经向他讨要回报。他仅仅是期望用哨兵联盟的失败让他的仕途之路更进一步，还是这些诡计只是巨大计划中的一部分？
In a certain sense the answer was unimportant, the Regent decided at last-providing he could make use of that factionalism that divided the Human forces.
从某种意义上来说，这个答案并不重要，瑞金特判定最后能利用的，就是派系之争给人类军队带来的分裂。
He regarded the image in the communications sphere, catching a look in his double's eyes that troubled him."Is there news of Tesla·"
他注意到了通讯球幕上的图像，双眼所看到的让他烦恼。“这是泰斯拉的消息？”
"There is," the simulagent said."It appears the Tesla was aboard the Farrago when our forces destroyed it."
“是的，”替身回答，“它显示法拉戈号被摧毁时，泰斯拉也在那艘船上。”
Tesla, dead, the Regent thought. It touched him in a way he would never have believed possible. But perhaps it was not true, perhaps there were survivors of that battle· He had yet to hear from the follow-up forces who had been sent in to resecure the planet."Who seems to be in charge·" he asked after a moment.
泰斯拉死了，瑞金特想到。这触动了他，他从不相信有这种可能。但也许它不是真的，也许在那次战斗中还有生还者？他已经从前去那颗行星增援的部队那听说了。“谁像是他们的主管？”过了一会瑞金特问。
"As you surmised," the simulagent continued,"there are signs of an ongoing power struggle, principally between Edwards and a certain Dr. Lang-a scientist who did his best to charm me during the introductory sessions."
“正如你所猜测的，”替身继续道，“有迹象表明这里正进行着一场权利的斗争，主要发生在爱德华兹和一个叫朗的博士之间，朗是一位科学家，在介绍会上他尽了最大的努力来吸引我。”
"Is Lang the weaker one, then·"
“朗的实力较弱？”
"No...no, this is not my belief. The scientist in fact seems to have the backing of the Humans' council-an assembly that functions as a kind of governing body."
“不……不，这不是我的看法，事实上这个科学家似乎有着人类委员会的支持，这是个由多人组成的议会组织，功能类似于一种管理团体。”
The Regent found the idea odd-as he had the puzzling gerontocracy the Robotech Masters had favored. He couldn't understand how twelve minds could agree on anything, when he and his queen-merely two minds-had quarreled over every decision.
瑞金特觉得这是个奇怪的想法，正如机器人统治者的老人政府让他产生的迷惑。他想不明白十二个脑袋是如何达成一致的，他和他的王后仅仅只有两个脑袋，但每个决定他们都为之争吵。
"Then, you must work on Edwards," the Regent said."Promise your continued support in his petty struggle if it comes down to that. Tell him we'll join forces. But just make certain you learn the whereabouts of their homeworld! and how they came to possess Protoculture. It may be that they know more than we do about Zor's matrix or the Masters' destination."
“你必须在爱德华兹身上下手，”瑞金特说道，“总而言之，你向他保证将会支持他的卑鄙争斗。告诉他我们将会与他联合军队。但是你要确保得到他们老家的位置！而且要弄明白他们是怎样取得史前能量的。关于佐尔的母体，或者机器人统治者的目的地，他们知道的也许比我们更多。”
"Am I to make no demands of Edwards in return for our support, Your Highness· It hardly seems a wise move."
“不为我们的支持向爱德华兹提出一些回报，我的殿下？这似乎不是一个明智之举。”
The Regent stared at the sphere's image in disbelief. Was this some evil mirror he was looking into now·"Just what would you have me demand·" he asked, seething under the restraint he kept in his voice.
瑞金特盯着球幕中的图像难以置信。他正看着的是一面魔鬼之镜？“你想让我提什么要求？”瑞金特问，他克制着语调掩饰着内心的激动。
"The brain, to begin with. Along with their promise to keep out of the sectors we still control."
“首先，让其归还生物电脑，然后让他们允诺离开我们现在仍控制的区域。
The Regent made a dismissive motion toward the sphere."These things are obvious, servant. What else is on your mind·"
瑞金特朝球幕做了一不屑的动作。“这些事情显而易见，仆人，你惦记的是什么？”
"Minmei," the simulagent said without explanation.
“明美，”替身没有进一步去解释。
The Regent made an irritated sound and scowled."What's a Minmei·"
瑞金特怒吼一声，对其怒目而视。“明美是什么？”
"The Human female that sang for my benefit."
“一个人类女性，她的歌声使我受益。”
The Regent caught himself from staggering back from the sphere. He had only the vaguest understanding of this thing called singing, but the implication was clear enough: the simulagent was flawed in the same way that the Regis was. She had allowed herself to be seduced by Zor, and now this pathetic creature the Regent had sent to Tirol was falling victim to the same perverse urge! Was there no end to these injustices!
在球幕前，瑞金特吃惊地后退了两步。他对唱歌这种东西只有一个模糊的了解，但其中的隐喻他却知道的很清楚：这个替身有着和瑞吉斯同样的瑕疵。瑞吉斯允许自己被佐尔所诱惑，而这个被瑞金特派往泰洛的可怜生物，同样堕落为无耻欲望的牺牲品！这种不公正的事情没完没了了吗？
"Hear me, grub," the Regent growled, hood puffed up like a poisonous sac."My reach is long enough to end your life where you stand. Do my bidding, or feel the power of my wrath."
“听我说，幼虫，”瑞金特咆哮着，外颚叶鼓得像毒囊一般。“我能触及到你所站在的地方来结果你的性命。遵照我的命令，否则让你尝尝我的愤怒。
The simulagent genuflected for the remote eye of the sphere."My lord."
替身向球幕里遥远的目光屈单膝跪地。“我的陛下。”
"Now and always," the Regent said, shutting down the device.
“现在的也是永远的。”说完瑞金特关闭了通讯装置。
Rick had spent the better part of the Praxian day inside the GMU, brainstorming with Vince and Wolff about possible ways to contact the orbiting Spherisian drive module. Onboard computers had calculated the period of the module's eccentric course, and gone on to project just how much Sekiton fuel the thing contained, how far the module could be expected to fold, and just when its newly-attained orbit around Praxis might decay. But there were still no solutions to the big questions of how to reach the module or bring it down.
瑞克把普拉西斯一天中的大好时光都花费在了GMU里，他和文森、沃尔夫正讨论着如何与轨道上史菲利思的驱动舱取得联系。机载电脑已经计算出驱动舱那奇怪运行路线的周期，下面要计划的就是它带有多少塞基顿燃料，能折叠多远，它在普拉西斯全新的轨道上，能量何时会衰减。但有一个大问题始终无法解决，那就是如何登上驱动舱，或者如何让它降落。
Rick left the base just before sunset, as had become his habit this past month, and joined the core group in their makeshift camp on the outskirts of the Praxian inland city. He wasn't fond of the scene, which reminded him more of a recreational campground than the billet it was supposed to be. Things were not just lax, but loose, as though everyone but him had grown to accept the situation. There was a logic to it, of course; it made no sense to walk around tied up in knots. But just the same, Rick had no patience with complacency, and he silently hoped that an idea would come to them one night while sitting around these camp-fires comparing cultural notes. So he stood in line with the rest of them now, Human and XT alike, and helped himself to the Praxian gruel the mess staff was cooking up to supplement the reconstituted meals and nutrient pills taken from the base's dwindling stores. Moreover, these sessions were the only waking hours he got to spend with Lisa-the new Lisa, that was, the liberated Lisa.
在日落前瑞克离开了基地，这是他在过去一个月里养成的习惯，他走进了一个营地，加入到核心团体当中，这个临时搭建的营地位于普拉西斯内陆城市的边缘。他并不喜欢这个场景，因为这让他想到更多的是娱乐性的野营而不是应有的兵舍。这里的事物已不能说是松懈，应该拿放纵来形容，好像除了他以外，每个人都渐渐接受了这个处境。的确，这个状况自有道理；现在走路时已没有必要绷着神经。但同样，瑞克无法安于现状，他默默地期盼某天晚上，当他们围坐在篝火旁交换着文化见解时，某个人能想出一个主意解决那个问题。所以，人类与外星人，现在他与他们中剩下的人站在一起，喝着普拉西斯的稀粥，这种食物由再造的谷物粉和从日益缩减的基地仓库中拿出的营养片混合熬成。此外，这是唯一一段时间能让他和丽莎共度白天的时光，而且是与一个全新的丽莎，一个被解放了的丽莎。
Where Gnea and Bela were still unforgiving of Miriya Sterling's Zentraedi past, they had embraced Lisa as though she were a long-lost member of the Sisterhood. At first Rick was not entirely unhappy about it, but all at once Lisa seemed a different person than the one who had argued so strongly against his joining the Sentinels to begin with. And while it was true that what was good for Lisa was good for the group, Rick couldn't help but feel a bit, well, jealous of the partnership Gnea and Lisa had formed. The Praxian seemed to draw this sort of reaction everywhere she stepped. Rick knew that Karen was having troubles with her, and he guessed that even Bela must be harboring some ambivalent feelings about her friend's sudden preoccupation with Lisa.
妮雅和贝拉仍旧不能原谅米莉娅作为天顶星人的过去，她们拥抱丽莎就好像她是这个姐妹组织中长久失散的一员。起初，瑞克对此并非完全不开心，但突然间，丽莎似乎变了一个人，不再是那个从一开始就强烈反对他加入哨兵联盟的丽莎。然而，这是个不争的事实，什么东西对丽莎有益，也就是对这个团体有益。对妮雅和丽莎之间形成的朋友关系，瑞克不禁感到一点满意和嫉妒。这个普拉西斯人似乎到哪都要带着这种反应。瑞克知道凯伦与她有过结，他猜即使是贝拉，也会因她朋友突然间对丽莎的投入而感到矛盾。
With Gnea it was martial skills that mattered most; but beyond speed and strength, Lisa had discovered something else: an independence and self-assertiveness that was taking some getting used to.
妮雅拥有的大部分东西是她的战斗技能；但在速度与力量之外，丽莎发现了一些别的东西：独立自主与自作主张的性格是她所习惯的。
Rick had these thoughts in mind when she came over to sit beside him in the firelight, still flushed and exhilarated from her latest weapons training session. She talked about the feel of the halberd in her hands, the power of the naginata; she was practically poetic in describing Gnea's crossbow and two-handed shortsword. Rick took it all in, forcing a smile and offering all he could in the way of appropriate nods and utterances; but behind the smile his mind was doing backflips. What next· he asked himself. Would he come out here one evening to find her parading around in some skimpy fighting costume, like Bela's bossed and D-ringed body harness· Would she suddenly take to buccaneer boots, some totem-crested helm, long-bladed dirks and throwing knives· Rick shuddered at the thought, grateful for the fact that that damned Robosteed, Halidarre, was temporarily grounded. Unfortunately, however, the Praxian's lambent-eyed malthi, Hagane, was not, and the winged pest nearly parted Rick's hair as it came darting in just now to settle itself on Bela's bulky forearm sheath.
瑞克思考着这些事情，伴随着火光的映衬，她来到了他的身边坐下，最近一次武器训练课让她依然沉浸在激动与喜悦中。她谈论着戟的手感，薙刀的威力；她几乎要用诗歌来描述妮雅的弓弩与那把双柄短剑。所有的话瑞克都听在耳里，挤着微笑，并尽其所能地给予适时的点头与评论；但在微笑背后他的思绪正飞快的转着。下面会发生什么？他自问道。某天晚上当他离开这里时，他会不会发现她正穿着短小紧身的战斗服，就像贝拉穿的那种有突起的D环状甲胄，同时她还在四处炫耀？她会不会突然喜欢上海盗靴、带图腾顶饰的帽子、带长刃的匕首和扔飞刀？瑞克想到这里不寒而栗，谢天谢地，机器战马哈丽达尔还暂时停在地上。然而不幸的是，有着温暖明亮眼睛的马尔鹈——哈格尼却没有闲着，在将自己固定在贝拉宽大的前臂护具前，这只坏鸟儿飞快地掠过瑞克的头顶，差点撇开他的头发。
Rick muttered a curse and looked over at his wife."Glad to hear how well it's going," he told her."And I'm sure all this'll come in handy at the next Tirol decathlon."
瑞克暗自咒骂一声，然后将目光转向了他的妻子。“很高兴听到一切都进展顺利，”他对丽莎说道，“我相信这一切在下次泰洛十项运动会上都派得上用场。”
She looked at him askance and took a forkful of food from his plate."Something bothering you, Rick·"
她斜视着瑞克，从他的餐盘里取了一勺食物。“什么东西让你心烦了，瑞克？”
"No, no, I mean, it's good to see you keeping busy, Lisa."
“不，不，我的意思是很高兴看到你在保持忙碌，丽莎。”
"Is that what you think I'm doing-'keeping busy'·"
“这就是你想的——我在让自己保持忙碌？”
Rick inclined his head, eyes narrowed."It's what we're all doing, isn't it· What am I supposed to do: spit in my palm and pledge my fealty to someone·'For the Eternal She and the glory of Haydon!'" Rick mimicked.
瑞克垂下了头，眯小了眼睛。“我们都在做这个的，不是吗？我该做什么：在手掌吐口口水，然后发誓忠诚于某人？‘为永恒她与海顿的荣耀！’”瑞克模仿道。
"Rick-"
“瑞克……”
"No, really. Maybe we should all be practicing swordplay and crossbow technique, leaps and high jumps. Then maybe one of us'll be able to reach that module instead of wasting away down here."
“不，说真的，也许我们应该正在练习击剑、弩艺，跳远、跳高。然后，我们中的某个人也许能够到那个太空舱，省得浪费时间把它弄下来。”
Almost everyone in the circle caught an earful of Rick's words, and the usual evening's chatter abruptly ceased. The fires crackled, and four Hovercycles could be heard approaching the perimeter. Lisa and Rick seemed to be locked in an eye-to-eye contest when Jack, Karen, Kami, and Lron entered the camp. Jack took a long look around, oblivious to the uncomfortable silence his swaggering entrance had dispersed, and announced cheerfully:"Wait'll you hear what we found."
几乎圈子中的每一个人都听到了瑞克惊人的回答，在旁晚时分，往常那喋喋不休的谈话戛然而止。火堆烧得劈啪作响，四辆气垫摩托愈渐靠近的声音清晰可辨，当杰克，凯伦，卡米和勒荣驾驶着摩托冲入营地时，四人之间激烈的竞速牢牢地吸引着瑞克和丽莎的目光。杰克看了看四周忘却了刚才不和谐的气氛，因为那早已被他的昂首阔步所驱散，他高高兴兴地宣布：“等会儿，你们将听到到我们的发现。”
"They've agreed to help us," Veidt said later on, hovering into the cavern where Rick and some of the other Sentinels were puzzling over the hideous cave paintings Karen had pointed out."If 'agreed' is the proper word."
“它们同意帮助我们，”过了一会维特说道，盘旋至瑞克和其他哨兵所站的地方。此时，他们正苦苦思索着凯伦所指出的那些骇人壁画。“如果用‘同意’来形容恰当的话。”
Karen noted that there were fewer globes than there had been that afternoon; several had apparently found their way out, as evidenced by the fact that one or two had been found bobbing against the ceiling close to the mouth of the cave.
凯伦注意到比起下午这里少了些圆球；显然它们中的几个找到了出路，证据是在洞口处，已有一两个圆球正贴着天花板来回移动。
"Then they are life-forms·" Rick said.
“他们有着生命形态？”瑞克说。
"Oh, most assuredly."
“哦，差不多。”
Rick heard Bela snort behind him. After Jack had told them of the find, the Praxian women claimed to have heard tales of these orb creatures from Arla-Non, chief of the Sisterhood. But the things were believed to be extinct, just as the beasts depicted on the cave wall were-or so Rick and the others hoped.
瑞克听到身后贝拉的鼻息声。在杰克告诉他们这个发现后，普拉西斯女人声称从姐妹会的领袖阿露·诺那里，曾听说过这种圆球生物的故事。但人们认为这种生物已经灭绝了，就像壁画上的野兽所描绘的那样，或者并非如此，就像瑞克和其他人所期盼的。
They had all tried to convince Rick that the orbs could wait until the morning, but he had insisted Jack lead them back to the caves immediately. Now, not quite four hours since Jack's return to the base, Rick and half a dozen or so of the core group were standing in the floodlit heat of the cave, listening to the results of Veidt's telepathic probe.
他们都曾试图说服瑞克，让他相信那些圆球一直能待到早晨，但他还是坚持让杰克立即带他们返回洞穴。现在，离杰克回到基地那时还不到四个小时，瑞克和其他六个人，或者说是核心团体中的大部分人，都站在这泛着灯光的热洞穴内，听着维特讲述使用心灵感应后的结果。
"I register no sense of how they came to arrive here," the mouthless Haydonite was mind-speaking, motioning to the cavern."I only know that their destiny lies somewhere in space. This condition of...levity is but a transitional stage in their life cycle. They are sentient, in what might be termed a primitive, or instinctual, fashion. But the important thing is that they seem to understand our need for their assistance-their support, if I may be permitted to play with your language some. In fact, Sarna and I detect a certain desperateness to their own flight-as if they are not merely obeying a behavioral directive, but are, in quite a real sense, escaping."
“我没有关于他们如何到达这里的记录，”没有嘴巴的海顿人边阐述着想法，边向洞内移动着。“我只知道他们的命运系于宇宙的某处。这种……飘浮形态只不过是他们生命周期内的某个过渡状态。他们是有感觉的，而这种感觉是以一种原始或本能的形式存在着。如果能允许我稍稍玩弄一下你们的语言，我想说重要的是，他们似乎明白我们需要他们的帮助，需要他们的支持。事实上莎娜和我发现他们这么拼命地飘动，并不仅仅是因为行为上的指引，更为真确的感觉像是在逃跑。”
No one felt a need to state the obvious: Praxis was a tectonic nightmare from which they all wished to awaken. The heat and stench of the cave only reinforced that fact. And if the cave was indeed a volcanic vent of some sort, it was no wonder the globes were anxious to leave.
没人觉得有必要去陈述这个显而易见的事实：普拉西斯是个梦魇，他们希望能从中醒来。这个炎热且散发着臭气的洞穴只能更加佐证这个事实。如果这个山洞确实是某种类型的火山口，那就难怪这些球体要急于离开这里。
Cabell, his face and glabrous pate beaded with sweat, was watching one of the smaller creatures now, as it bobbed its way toward the entrance. He couldn't help but be reminded of Tiresia's antigrav spheres, and he began to question if there wasn't some mysterious connection here.
卡贝尔的脸上和光秃的头顶上都挂满了汗珠，现在他正观察这些小生物中的一个，这个小球正来回移动着向洞口靠近。他不禁想起了泰雷西亚的反重力球，这让他开始怀疑两者之间是不是有着某些神秘的联系。
Rick was watching the same sphere; but he was wondering just how many it might take to lift an Alpha to the edge of the Praxian envelope."Do they understand what we're asking of them·-the specifics, I mean."
瑞克正看着同一个圆球；但他疑惑的却是要多少圆球，才能将阿尔法战斗机抬到普拉西斯上的升限高度。“他们了解我们请求他们干什么吗？我指的是细节。”
Veidt hovered over to a position directly beneath a cluster of the creatures.
维特盘旋而上，到达了这一群生物的正下方。
"The mecha should lift off on its own power," Sarna answered for him."After that, Veidt and I will be able to herd the orbs into place."
“战机应该先靠自己的力量上升，”莎娜对他回答道，“在那之后，维特和我能让他们在指定位置聚集。”
Excited, Rick punched the palm of his hand. He swung around to Jack and Karen."Contact the GMU. Tell Vince to round up the Skull and the Wolff Pack. We've got to work fast and assemble a crew for the module."
瑞克兴奋地拳击手掌。他转向了杰克和凯伦。“联系GMU。告诉文森集合骷髅中队和沃尔夫战队。我们已经有工作要做了，为太空舱集合一队人员。”
"Will we be heading back to base·" Karen thought to ask.
“我们要回基地吗？”凯伦问。
Rick shook his head."Give Vince our position. Tell him what we've learned." He glanced up at the globes, rivulets of sweat running down into his eyes."I want the base to come to us."
瑞克摇了摇头。“把我们的位置传给文森。告诉他我们了解了什么。”他向上看着这些圆球，汗水如小溪般流进了他的眼睛。“我想让基地来我们这。”
While members of the Sentinels hurried to break down the camp and ready the GMU for motion, Burak was breaking the news to Tesla. The Invid made him repeat it several times until satisfied he had all the details straight.
当哨兵成员正忙着拆除营地，为GMU的移动做准备时，巴拉克委婉的把这个消息告诉了泰斯拉。因维德人让巴拉克一连重复了几遍，直到他掌握了所有的细节。
He had felt certain all along that he wasn't fated to end his days on Praxis, and now Burak had brought word that Hunter and the others had discovered a way to reach the orbiting drive module. With precious little time to spare, Tesla thought as he and Burak packed away the few belongings the Invid kept in his cell.
他始终坚信他的日子不会在普拉西斯上终结，现在巴拉克又带来了这个消息，那个瑞克和其他人已经找到一种方法，能让他们登上轨道上的驱动舱。可以节省下的宝贵时间很少，他一边思考着，一边和巴拉克收拾着牢房中的几样东西。
Ever since his earlier ingestion of the mutated fruits, his mind had been reeling, locked in a kind of revelatory state, where answers came to him full-blown, like short-lived explosions of light. He had been asking himself why the Regis had come to Praxis in the first place; it was a question that had been plaguing him on and off for months now.
从最初到现在，每当他食用那种变异水果后，他的大脑就会开始晕眩，就像是被锁在一种启示性的状态，突然间，答案会从中一涌而出，就像光线短暂性的迸发。他一直在问自己，为什么瑞吉斯会首选来到普拉西斯；这个问题一直困扰着他，最近几个月他终于将其解开。
It was before the mutiny aboard the Farrago that they had encountered one another, when Tesla had landed on Praxis to choose specimens for the Regent's zoo. The Regis had given him a vague explanation then, and it didn't occur to him until much later on to question her responses. With the continual quakes to spur him on, however, and the aid of the fruits, the answer became obvious: she had come here to conduct further Genesis Pit experiments-part of her grand scheme to transmute the Invid race into something Tesla himself could not yet begin to imagine. Optera had been the site of the first Pits, where Tesla and most of the other evolved Invid were birthed. But the Regis's experiment there had almost doomed the planet; it had, in fact, touched off the initial search for secondary worlds she might employ. Abandoning Optera and the Regent, she had finally come to Praxis to hollow out new Pits deep in the planetary core. And of course that was why she had left the place-because her experiment was following the same course it had taken on Optera.
在法拉戈号发生兵变前的那段时间里，泰斯拉为了给瑞金特的动物园选取标本，踏上了普拉西斯的土地，在那里他们相遇了。但在那很久之后，他才向瑞吉斯提出了他的问题，而瑞吉斯也只给了他一个模糊的解释。然而，接二连三的地震启示了他，在那种水果的帮助下，答案终于浮出了水面：她来到这里是为了建造更大的起源坑，这是她伟大计划中的一部分，为了将因维种族改变成连他都难以想象的生物。奥普特拉上有着第一批起源坑，泰斯拉和大部分进化了的因维人都是在那里出生。但是瑞吉斯的实验差不多毁了那个行星；事实上，在她首次“再创世界”的实验中，这颗行星炸裂了。放弃奥普特拉后，瑞金特和她终于来到了普拉西斯，在这颗行星的内核深处开凿了全新的起源坑。当然，这就是为什么她要离开这个地方的原因——因为她的实验让这颗行星承受了与奥普特拉相同的一切。
Left. But for where· Tesla asked himself...
离开了，但前往何方？泰斯拉自问道……
He put a hand on Burak's shoulder as they were about to leave the room."You say they will be choosing a crew to pilot the first Alpha up to the module·"
当他们离开这个房间时，他把手搭在了巴拉克的肩膀上。“你说他们会选一队人去驾驶第一架与驱动舱接触的阿尔法战机？”
Burak felt the strength of the Invid's grip, and tried to shake it off, but could not."Are we going to die here, Tesla·" he asked in a faltering voice."Peryton, my people-"
巴拉克感觉到因维人强劲的握力，他试着想将其抖去，但失败了。“我们会死在这里，泰斯拉？”他吞吞吐吐地问道。“佩里顿，我的人民……”
"Quiet, you fool!" Tesla stepped through the doorway, glancing around to assure himself that no one was within earshot, then swinging back around to Burak."We won't die here-not if we're part of that crew, we won't."
“安静，傻子！”泰斯拉跨过门口，朝四周一瞥，确定没人能听到他的声音后，转向巴拉克。“我们不会死在这里，只要我们在那批队员中。”
Burak's face contorted."But how-"
巴拉克的表情扭曲着。“但怎样……”
"You leave that to me. I just need to know one thing." Tesla sniffed at him."Can you pilot that Spherisian module·"
“你把那个交给我。我只需要知道一件事。”特斯拉鄙视着他。“你能驾驶那个斯菲普斯的太空舱吗？”
"I suppose so," Burak said uncertainly.
“我想是的。”巴拉克不太肯定地说。
Tesla stretched out his thick neck."Then we're all set."
特斯拉伸出了他那粗粗的脖子。“我们准备就绪了。”
《沙丘》六部曲合集
《波西杰克逊》系列合集
《猎魔人》合集
Zeus Bellow, The Road to Reflex Point
不幸的是，没有起源坑的详细描述，这和关于伦德的那些精彩，但极富个性且令人印象深刻的记述不同（徒有虚表，一些人会添加这个词），况且这本笔记是亚当上校在奥普特拉时匆忙写下的。尽管有太多的推论和解释，但令人沮丧的真相是，除了知道起源坑是瑞吉斯用来进行创造性进化的设备外，它们的作用机理仍旧是个完整的谜。普拉西斯上的起源坑，显然是它们中最大的一个。朗等人推测起源坑不仅仅能复活已灭绝的生物，而且能使整个行星回退到火山活动频繁的成型时期。
——宙斯·贝洛，《通往反射点之路》
Burak and Tesla had become the Sentinels' silent partnership, then Jack Baker and Karen Penn were certainly the group's inseparable pair. But that, each liked to believe, was merely a result of duty assignments. And even four months on Praxis hadn't provided them with enough time to work through the competitive trifles that fueled their relationship. They were not only marooned, but marooned together; and Praxis had become the proverbial town that just wasn't big enough for the two of them. Bela, Praxis's wasp-waisted local sheriff, was only one of the contributing factors; but Karen nevertheless took every opportunity to keep Jack as far from Bela as she could, often encouraging the Hovercycle recons that had become something of Jack's stock-in-trade.
巴拉克和泰斯拉已成为哨兵中一对不为人知的伙伴，杰克·贝克和凯伦·潘无疑是这个组织中不可分割的一对。但他们各自却认为这仅仅是职责分配所至。即使是在普拉西斯上的四个月，也没有给他们足够的时间去处理完那些相互竞争的琐事，他们的关系也因此火上浇油。他们被放逐孤立了，而且是一同被放逐的，众所周知，普拉西斯对他们而言已经不够大了。贝拉，细腰的普拉西斯地方治安官，仅仅是起作用的因数之一，但凯伦不放过每一次机会，尽其所能的让杰克远离贝拉，她常常怂恿杰克参加气垫摩托侦查任务，于是这任务成了杰克的家常便饭。
A joyride disguised as a scouting mission had brought Jack and Karen to a series of caves two hours out from the GMU. Lron and Kami had ridden with them. Four months had given the Sentinels plenty of time to grieve for those who had gone down with the Farrago; but Karen often wondered just how long it was going to take for her to grow accustomed to her XT comrades. She wasn't a bit xenophobic-a fact that had won her a place with the Sentinels to begin with-and in actuality it wasn't so much the strangeness of Lron or Kami that overwhelmed her, but the similarities. If only Karbarrans didn't so resemble Kodiak bears, she would tell herself. And if only Kami didn't look like upright versions of the foxes she used to see near the cabin her father had once owned...She had much less trouble with Baldan and Teal, with their bodies of living crystal. Or Tesla, for that matter-now there was an alien you could believe in!
一次打着侦查名义的兜风，让杰克和凯伦离开了GMU两个小时，到达了一个山洞群，与他们一道的还有勒荣和卡米。四个月已经给了哨兵同盟充足的时间，去为那些与法拉戈号一同殉难的战友伤心；但凯伦常常困惑，她要花多长时间才能习惯她的外星朋友。她不是因为怀有一点对外星人的恐惧——事实是与哨兵接触的伊始，这种感觉就已占据了她心中的一席之地——实际上，勒荣和卡米的陌生感并没有大到可以将其淹没，但也有类似之处。只要卡拉巴人别那么像科迪亚克棕熊，她自我安慰道，只要卡米别再像以前在父亲小屋周围常看到的，且能直立行走的狐狸……巴丹和缇尔对她的困惑则少些，因为他们的身体都是活着的水晶。
But wolves and bears and snail-headed things...Karen was in the midst of wishing that Bela had had a more alien form-even a more rotund form-when without warning, Jack hissed:"Cut it out!"
但狼、熊和蜗牛头……凯伦正希望着贝拉能再拥有一点外星人的形态——即使再胖一点也好——突然，杰克嘘声道：“停下来！”。
The four Sentinels were well into the central cave now, inside a huge vaulted corridor that was as hot as blazes and reeking of sulphur. Curiosity had drawn them in; but Jack, never one to do things halfway, had insisted they go "just a little further," and here they were a good half a click along. There were primitive sketches on the walls of the caverns they had passed through-depictions of hideous spiderlike creatures Jack claimed were "symbols"-and Karen was in no mood for fun house games or laugh-in-the-dark surprises.
现在，这四个哨兵进入了中间的那个山洞，洞中巨大的拱道热得像熊熊的火焰，像冒着熏烟的硫磺。好奇心驱使他们走进了这个山洞，但杰克从来就不是一个半途而废的人，坚持“再向前走一点”，此时他们已经愉快地前进了500米。洞壁上画着原始的壁画，描绘着一种可怕的类似蜘蛛的生物，杰克戏称它们为“符号”，凯伦可没心情玩房子游戏，或者在黑暗中惊奇地哈哈大笑。
"Huh·" she said, gulping and finding her voice.
“嗯？”凯伦咽了一口口水，想着该说些什么。
"I said cut it out."
“我说停下来。”
"I know what you said, Jack..."
“我知道你在说什么，杰克……”
She threw him an angry look in the darkness, wondering suddenly if she had actually voiced some of her private musings about Bela. Then all at once something hit her on the top of the head. XTs or not, she decided, someone was trying to be funny. Karen whirled around, hoping to catch Kami in the act, but he was way off to her left inspecting a chunk of rock near the cave wall. Lron, too, seemed to be preoccupied with other things. So, wiping sweat from her face, she turned back to Jack, and said,"Not funny."
在黑暗中，她生气地看了一眼杰克，诧异地想到是不是刚才，自己说出了一些对贝拉的自私想法。突然，不知是那些外星人还是别的什么，打了下她的头顶，于是她肯定，是某人想开她的玩笑。凯伦转向四周，希望能将卡米逮个正着，但此时卡米离她很远，正在靠近洞壁的地方研究着一块大石头。勒荣也似乎正全神贯注地看着其它的东西。于是，她擦了擦脸上的汗水，转向杰克说，“没什么有趣的。”
"What·"
“什么？”
She put a hand up to shield her eyes from his miner's light."Throwing things. I'm not real thrilled about being in here to start with."
凯伦用手挡住了他的矿工灯射来的光线。“朝我扔东西，我才不会因为在这里而吓得发抖,从一开始就不会。”
"I didn't throw anything," he started to say, when Lron's gurgling snarl interrupted him.
“我没扔任何东西，”杰克刚开了个头，就被勒荣低沉的咆哮所打断。
"Who hit me·" the Karbarran growled.
“谁打我？”卡拉巴人低吼着。
Jack felt a tap on his shoulder, swung to it, then instinctively looked up. His light illuminated what looked like an assemblage of globular-shaped deposits on the cave's ceiling. Suddenly he saw one of the things move, and realized that it was some sort of free-floating, translucent sphere. Kami switched on the light strapped above his muzzlemask and shined it on another portion of the ceiling; here were more spheres, ranging from baseball size to almost four feet in diameter, all bobbing against the rock like helium balloons.
杰克感到有东西轻打下他的肩膀，朝它转过身，本能的向上看去。洞顶被他灯光照亮的地方，集结着一堆球状堆积物。忽然，杰克看到其中的一个移动了，他意识到这是某种可自由飘浮的，半透明的球体。卡米转动着捆在面具上方的矿灯，光线照亮了洞顶的另一块区域，这儿有更多的球体，尺寸从棒球大小直至四英尺的直径，它们来回碰撞着岩石，就像氦气球一般。
"What the...·" Jack said, moving his head around, the beam finding more and more globes."Jeez, the place is crawling with them."
“那是……？”杰克边说边转着脑袋，光束找到了越来越多的圆球。“呀，它们布满这块地方。”
"Jack!" Kami shouted, training his light on something further along the corridor. Everyone turned in time to see a medium-sized globe emerge like a bubble from a conelike projection in the cave floor. Jack rushed ahead, watching the milky thing ascend, and soon found himself perched on the rim of a large shaft, roughly circular and belching up a lot of heat and noxious fumes. Kami, Lron, and Karen joined him a moment later, just as another globe was beginning to make its way up and out.
“杰克！”卡米叫道，他的灯光瞄准了甬道的更深处。每个人都立刻转了过去，他们在洞穴地面上的一个锥形突出物中，看到一个中等大小的泡沫般球体。杰克冲在了最前面，他看到乳白色的物体正在上升，并很快发现他正处于一个毛茸茸的大圆井的边缘，灼热有毒的气体正从中涌出。卡米，勒荣和凯伦随后赶到，这时另一个球体正上涌而出。
"What a stink," Karen commented.
“太臭了。”凯伦说道。
Warily, Jack reached out to touch the basketball-sized orb. It was hot, but not dangerously so; what surprised him was the thing's misleading solidity.
杰克伸出手，小心翼翼地去碰那个篮球大的球体。它很烫，但不是那么的危险；使杰克惊讶的是这东西有着令人迷惑的硬度。
"Jack, don't," Karen warned him when he tried to capture it.
“杰克，别……”凯伦发出警告时他正试图捕获它。
But as was so often the case with Jack, the warning came too late: no sooner had he taken hold of the sphere than it shot toward the ceiling, lifting Jack off the floor. Arms extended over his head, he rode it up for fifteen feet before letting go and landing on the other side of the cavern in a neat tuck-and-roll that blew out the miner's light.
但一如既往，对杰克来说这个警告来得太迟了；在这个圆球射向洞顶前，杰克一把抓住了它，而它也带着杰克离开了地面。杰克的胳膊伸过了头顶，在掉落前，他在十五英尺处骑上了它，到达了洞的另一边。杰克背靠着洞顶，将头埋进卷起的双腿间，双手环抱着膝盖，这个优雅的姿势挡住了矿灯射出的光线。
"Yeah!" he whooped, as Kami helped him to his feet. It wasn't unlike the spill he had taken six months ago in Tiresia, but this time he had landed among friends.
“呀！”在卡米的“帮助”下，杰克大叫一声摔倒在地。这和六个月前，他在泰雷西亚摔的那跤不同，这次他摔在了朋友的当中。
Karen hauled off and whacked him in the arm."Jack, can't you just-"
凯伦将他拖了起来，重重地打了他的肩膀。“杰克，你就不能……”
"That thing took off like a rocket! Almost pulled my arms out of the sockets."
“那个东西就像火箭一样腾空了！差点把我胳膊扯下来。”
"Yeah, we noticed, Jack," Karen said, miffed.
“是的，我们注意到了，杰克。”凯伦有点恼火地说。
They were all staring at the ceiling now.
现在他们正一起盯着洞顶。
Jack watched the spheres bob against one another."Almost seems like they're looking for a way out of here, doesn't it·"
杰克看着圆球之间相互撞击。“它们好像正在找出去的路，不是吗？”
"Yeah, just like we are," Karen and Lron said at the same time.
“是的，就像我们一样。”凯伦和勒荣齐声说道。
In the commo chamber of his hivelike domain on Optera, the Invid Regent received a transmission from the simulagent who was representing him on Tirol. It seemed that the so-called Humans now occupying the Robotech Masters' ravaged and forlorn moon had put on quite a show-with the kind of pomp and circumstance the Regent strived to imitate. He was almost sorry he hadn't gone there himself. What with most of his remaining fleet anchored in Fantomaspace, was there really anything to fear· he asked himself. Still, the fact remained that there were too many unanswered questions. What, after all, did the would-be commander of the Human forces-this Major General Edwards-want· He had been so quick to come to the Regent's aid in that matter of the Sentinels' ship...But it bothered the Regent that the Human had yet to ask for anything in return. Did he simply wish to capitalize on the Sentinels' defeat to move himself higher in the chain of command, or were these machinations part of some larger scheme·
在奥普特拉蜂房的通讯室内，瑞金特收到了在泰洛的替身发来的讯息。现在，所谓的人类正在占领那颗被机器人统治者蹂躏过且被遗弃的卫星，他们那种虚张声势的排场也正是瑞金特所努力仿效的。他对自己没能亲自出席几乎感到遗憾。在剩余的大部分舰队都驻扎在凡托玛的星域时，真的会有什么东西让自己害怕吗？瑞金特自问道。尽管如此，事实上还有很多未解的疑问。毕竟，作为人类军队的指挥官，爱德华兹少将想要得到什么？他如此迅速地帮助瑞金特摧毁了哨兵的飞船……但令瑞金特烦恼的是这个地球人已经向他讨要回报。他仅仅是期望用哨兵联盟的失败让他的仕途之路更进一步，还是这些诡计只是巨大计划中的一部分？
In a certain sense the answer was unimportant, the Regent decided at last-providing he could make use of that factionalism that divided the Human forces.
从某种意义上来说，这个答案并不重要，瑞金特判定最后能利用的，就是派系之争给人类军队带来的分裂。
He regarded the image in the communications sphere, catching a look in his double's eyes that troubled him."Is there news of Tesla·"
他注意到了通讯球幕上的图像，双眼所看到的让他烦恼。“这是泰斯拉的消息？”
"There is," the simulagent said."It appears the Tesla was aboard the Farrago when our forces destroyed it."
“是的，”替身回答，“它显示法拉戈号被摧毁时，泰斯拉也在那艘船上。”
Tesla, dead, the Regent thought. It touched him in a way he would never have believed possible. But perhaps it was not true, perhaps there were survivors of that battle· He had yet to hear from the follow-up forces who had been sent in to resecure the planet."Who seems to be in charge·" he asked after a moment.
泰斯拉死了，瑞金特想到。这触动了他，他从不相信有这种可能。但也许它不是真的，也许在那次战斗中还有生还者？他已经从前去那颗行星增援的部队那听说了。“谁像是他们的主管？”过了一会瑞金特问。
"As you surmised," the simulagent continued,"there are signs of an ongoing power struggle, principally between Edwards and a certain Dr. Lang-a scientist who did his best to charm me during the introductory sessions."
“正如你所猜测的，”替身继续道，“有迹象表明这里正进行着一场权利的斗争，主要发生在爱德华兹和一个叫朗的博士之间，朗是一位科学家，在介绍会上他尽了最大的努力来吸引我。”
"Is Lang the weaker one, then·"
“朗的实力较弱？”
"No...no, this is not my belief. The scientist in fact seems to have the backing of the Humans' council-an assembly that functions as a kind of governing body."
“不……不，这不是我的看法，事实上这个科学家似乎有着人类委员会的支持，这是个由多人组成的议会组织，功能类似于一种管理团体。”
The Regent found the idea odd-as he had the puzzling gerontocracy the Robotech Masters had favored. He couldn't understand how twelve minds could agree on anything, when he and his queen-merely two minds-had quarreled over every decision.
瑞金特觉得这是个奇怪的想法，正如机器人统治者的老人政府让他产生的迷惑。他想不明白十二个脑袋是如何达成一致的，他和他的王后仅仅只有两个脑袋，但每个决定他们都为之争吵。
"Then, you must work on Edwards," the Regent said."Promise your continued support in his petty struggle if it comes down to that. Tell him we'll join forces. But just make certain you learn the whereabouts of their homeworld! and how they came to possess Protoculture. It may be that they know more than we do about Zor's matrix or the Masters' destination."
“你必须在爱德华兹身上下手，”瑞金特说道，“总而言之，你向他保证将会支持他的卑鄙争斗。告诉他我们将会与他联合军队。但是你要确保得到他们老家的位置！而且要弄明白他们是怎样取得史前能量的。关于佐尔的母体，或者机器人统治者的目的地，他们知道的也许比我们更多。”
"Am I to make no demands of Edwards in return for our support, Your Highness· It hardly seems a wise move."
“不为我们的支持向爱德华兹提出一些回报，我的殿下？这似乎不是一个明智之举。”
The Regent stared at the sphere's image in disbelief. Was this some evil mirror he was looking into now·"Just what would you have me demand·" he asked, seething under the restraint he kept in his voice.
瑞金特盯着球幕中的图像难以置信。他正看着的是一面魔鬼之镜？“你想让我提什么要求？”瑞金特问，他克制着语调掩饰着内心的激动。
"The brain, to begin with. Along with their promise to keep out of the sectors we still control."
“首先，让其归还生物电脑，然后让他们允诺离开我们现在仍控制的区域。
The Regent made a dismissive motion toward the sphere."These things are obvious, servant. What else is on your mind·"
瑞金特朝球幕做了一不屑的动作。“这些事情显而易见，仆人，你惦记的是什么？”
"Minmei," the simulagent said without explanation.
“明美，”替身没有进一步去解释。
The Regent made an irritated sound and scowled."What's a Minmei·"
瑞金特怒吼一声，对其怒目而视。“明美是什么？”
"The Human female that sang for my benefit."
“一个人类女性，她的歌声使我受益。”
The Regent caught himself from staggering back from the sphere. He had only the vaguest understanding of this thing called singing, but the implication was clear enough: the simulagent was flawed in the same way that the Regis was. She had allowed herself to be seduced by Zor, and now this pathetic creature the Regent had sent to Tirol was falling victim to the same perverse urge! Was there no end to these injustices!
在球幕前，瑞金特吃惊地后退了两步。他对唱歌这种东西只有一个模糊的了解，但其中的隐喻他却知道的很清楚：这个替身有着和瑞吉斯同样的瑕疵。瑞吉斯允许自己被佐尔所诱惑，而这个被瑞金特派往泰洛的可怜生物，同样堕落为无耻欲望的牺牲品！这种不公正的事情没完没了了吗？
"Hear me, grub," the Regent growled, hood puffed up like a poisonous sac."My reach is long enough to end your life where you stand. Do my bidding, or feel the power of my wrath."
“听我说，幼虫，”瑞金特咆哮着，外颚叶鼓得像毒囊一般。“我能触及到你所站在的地方来结果你的性命。遵照我的命令，否则让你尝尝我的愤怒。
The simulagent genuflected for the remote eye of the sphere."My lord."
替身向球幕里遥远的目光屈单膝跪地。“我的陛下。”
"Now and always," the Regent said, shutting down the device.
“现在的也是永远的。”说完瑞金特关闭了通讯装置。
Rick had spent the better part of the Praxian day inside the GMU, brainstorming with Vince and Wolff about possible ways to contact the orbiting Spherisian drive module. Onboard computers had calculated the period of the module's eccentric course, and gone on to project just how much Sekiton fuel the thing contained, how far the module could be expected to fold, and just when its newly-attained orbit around Praxis might decay. But there were still no solutions to the big questions of how to reach the module or bring it down.
瑞克把普拉西斯一天中的大好时光都花费在了GMU里，他和文森、沃尔夫正讨论着如何与轨道上史菲利思的驱动舱取得联系。机载电脑已经计算出驱动舱那奇怪运行路线的周期，下面要计划的就是它带有多少塞基顿燃料，能折叠多远，它在普拉西斯全新的轨道上，能量何时会衰减。但有一个大问题始终无法解决，那就是如何登上驱动舱，或者如何让它降落。
Rick left the base just before sunset, as had become his habit this past month, and joined the core group in their makeshift camp on the outskirts of the Praxian inland city. He wasn't fond of the scene, which reminded him more of a recreational campground than the billet it was supposed to be. Things were not just lax, but loose, as though everyone but him had grown to accept the situation. There was a logic to it, of course; it made no sense to walk around tied up in knots. But just the same, Rick had no patience with complacency, and he silently hoped that an idea would come to them one night while sitting around these camp-fires comparing cultural notes. So he stood in line with the rest of them now, Human and XT alike, and helped himself to the Praxian gruel the mess staff was cooking up to supplement the reconstituted meals and nutrient pills taken from the base's dwindling stores. Moreover, these sessions were the only waking hours he got to spend with Lisa-the new Lisa, that was, the liberated Lisa.
在日落前瑞克离开了基地，这是他在过去一个月里养成的习惯，他走进了一个营地，加入到核心团体当中，这个临时搭建的营地位于普拉西斯内陆城市的边缘。他并不喜欢这个场景，因为这让他想到更多的是娱乐性的野营而不是应有的兵舍。这里的事物已不能说是松懈，应该拿放纵来形容，好像除了他以外，每个人都渐渐接受了这个处境。的确，这个状况自有道理；现在走路时已没有必要绷着神经。但同样，瑞克无法安于现状，他默默地期盼某天晚上，当他们围坐在篝火旁交换着文化见解时，某个人能想出一个主意解决那个问题。所以，人类与外星人，现在他与他们中剩下的人站在一起，喝着普拉西斯的稀粥，这种食物由再造的谷物粉和从日益缩减的基地仓库中拿出的营养片混合熬成。此外，这是唯一一段时间能让他和丽莎共度白天的时光，而且是与一个全新的丽莎，一个被解放了的丽莎。
Where Gnea and Bela were still unforgiving of Miriya Sterling's Zentraedi past, they had embraced Lisa as though she were a long-lost member of the Sisterhood. At first Rick was not entirely unhappy about it, but all at once Lisa seemed a different person than the one who had argued so strongly against his joining the Sentinels to begin with. And while it was true that what was good for Lisa was good for the group, Rick couldn't help but feel a bit, well, jealous of the partnership Gnea and Lisa had formed. The Praxian seemed to draw this sort of reaction everywhere she stepped. Rick knew that Karen was having troubles with her, and he guessed that even Bela must be harboring some ambivalent feelings about her friend's sudden preoccupation with Lisa.
妮雅和贝拉仍旧不能原谅米莉娅作为天顶星人的过去，她们拥抱丽莎就好像她是这个姐妹组织中长久失散的一员。起初，瑞克对此并非完全不开心，但突然间，丽莎似乎变了一个人，不再是那个从一开始就强烈反对他加入哨兵联盟的丽莎。然而，这是个不争的事实，什么东西对丽莎有益，也就是对这个团体有益。对妮雅和丽莎之间形成的朋友关系，瑞克不禁感到一点满意和嫉妒。这个普拉西斯人似乎到哪都要带着这种反应。瑞克知道凯伦与她有过结，他猜即使是贝拉，也会因她朋友突然间对丽莎的投入而感到矛盾。
With Gnea it was martial skills that mattered most; but beyond speed and strength, Lisa had discovered something else: an independence and self-assertiveness that was taking some getting used to.
妮雅拥有的大部分东西是她的战斗技能；但在速度与力量之外，丽莎发现了一些别的东西：独立自主与自作主张的性格是她所习惯的。
Rick had these thoughts in mind when she came over to sit beside him in the firelight, still flushed and exhilarated from her latest weapons training session. She talked about the feel of the halberd in her hands, the power of the naginata; she was practically poetic in describing Gnea's crossbow and two-handed shortsword. Rick took it all in, forcing a smile and offering all he could in the way of appropriate nods and utterances; but behind the smile his mind was doing backflips. What next· he asked himself. Would he come out here one evening to find her parading around in some skimpy fighting costume, like Bela's bossed and D-ringed body harness· Would she suddenly take to buccaneer boots, some totem-crested helm, long-bladed dirks and throwing knives· Rick shuddered at the thought, grateful for the fact that that damned Robosteed, Halidarre, was temporarily grounded. Unfortunately, however, the Praxian's lambent-eyed malthi, Hagane, was not, and the winged pest nearly parted Rick's hair as it came darting in just now to settle itself on Bela's bulky forearm sheath.
瑞克思考着这些事情，伴随着火光的映衬，她来到了他的身边坐下，最近一次武器训练课让她依然沉浸在激动与喜悦中。她谈论着戟的手感，薙刀的威力；她几乎要用诗歌来描述妮雅的弓弩与那把双柄短剑。所有的话瑞克都听在耳里，挤着微笑，并尽其所能地给予适时的点头与评论；但在微笑背后他的思绪正飞快的转着。下面会发生什么？他自问道。某天晚上当他离开这里时，他会不会发现她正穿着短小紧身的战斗服，就像贝拉穿的那种有突起的D环状甲胄，同时她还在四处炫耀？她会不会突然喜欢上海盗靴、带图腾顶饰的帽子、带长刃的匕首和扔飞刀？瑞克想到这里不寒而栗，谢天谢地，机器战马哈丽达尔还暂时停在地上。然而不幸的是，有着温暖明亮眼睛的马尔鹈——哈格尼却没有闲着，在将自己固定在贝拉宽大的前臂护具前，这只坏鸟儿飞快地掠过瑞克的头顶，差点撇开他的头发。
Rick muttered a curse and looked over at his wife."Glad to hear how well it's going," he told her."And I'm sure all this'll come in handy at the next Tirol decathlon."
瑞克暗自咒骂一声，然后将目光转向了他的妻子。“很高兴听到一切都进展顺利，”他对丽莎说道，“我相信这一切在下次泰洛十项运动会上都派得上用场。”
She looked at him askance and took a forkful of food from his plate."Something bothering you, Rick·"
她斜视着瑞克，从他的餐盘里取了一勺食物。“什么东西让你心烦了，瑞克？”
"No, no, I mean, it's good to see you keeping busy, Lisa."
“不，不，我的意思是很高兴看到你在保持忙碌，丽莎。”
"Is that what you think I'm doing-'keeping busy'·"
“这就是你想的——我在让自己保持忙碌？”
Rick inclined his head, eyes narrowed."It's what we're all doing, isn't it· What am I supposed to do: spit in my palm and pledge my fealty to someone·'For the Eternal She and the glory of Haydon!'" Rick mimicked.
瑞克垂下了头，眯小了眼睛。“我们都在做这个的，不是吗？我该做什么：在手掌吐口口水，然后发誓忠诚于某人？‘为永恒她与海顿的荣耀！’”瑞克模仿道。
"Rick-"
“瑞克……”
"No, really. Maybe we should all be practicing swordplay and crossbow technique, leaps and high jumps. Then maybe one of us'll be able to reach that module instead of wasting away down here."
“不，说真的，也许我们应该正在练习击剑、弩艺，跳远、跳高。然后，我们中的某个人也许能够到那个太空舱，省得浪费时间把它弄下来。”
Almost everyone in the circle caught an earful of Rick's words, and the usual evening's chatter abruptly ceased. The fires crackled, and four Hovercycles could be heard approaching the perimeter. Lisa and Rick seemed to be locked in an eye-to-eye contest when Jack, Karen, Kami, and Lron entered the camp. Jack took a long look around, oblivious to the uncomfortable silence his swaggering entrance had dispersed, and announced cheerfully:"Wait'll you hear what we found."
几乎圈子中的每一个人都听到了瑞克惊人的回答，在旁晚时分，往常那喋喋不休的谈话戛然而止。火堆烧得劈啪作响，四辆气垫摩托愈渐靠近的声音清晰可辨，当杰克，凯伦，卡米和勒荣驾驶着摩托冲入营地时，四人之间激烈的竞速牢牢地吸引着瑞克和丽莎的目光。杰克看了看四周忘却了刚才不和谐的气氛，因为那早已被他的昂首阔步所驱散，他高高兴兴地宣布：“等会儿，你们将听到到我们的发现。”
"They've agreed to help us," Veidt said later on, hovering into the cavern where Rick and some of the other Sentinels were puzzling over the hideous cave paintings Karen had pointed out."If 'agreed' is the proper word."
“它们同意帮助我们，”过了一会维特说道，盘旋至瑞克和其他哨兵所站的地方。此时，他们正苦苦思索着凯伦所指出的那些骇人壁画。“如果用‘同意’来形容恰当的话。”
Karen noted that there were fewer globes than there had been that afternoon; several had apparently found their way out, as evidenced by the fact that one or two had been found bobbing against the ceiling close to the mouth of the cave.
凯伦注意到比起下午这里少了些圆球；显然它们中的几个找到了出路，证据是在洞口处，已有一两个圆球正贴着天花板来回移动。
"Then they are life-forms·" Rick said.
“他们有着生命形态？”瑞克说。
"Oh, most assuredly."
“哦，差不多。”
Rick heard Bela snort behind him. After Jack had told them of the find, the Praxian women claimed to have heard tales of these orb creatures from Arla-Non, chief of the Sisterhood. But the things were believed to be extinct, just as the beasts depicted on the cave wall were-or so Rick and the others hoped.
瑞克听到身后贝拉的鼻息声。在杰克告诉他们这个发现后，普拉西斯女人声称从姐妹会的领袖阿露·诺那里，曾听说过这种圆球生物的故事。但人们认为这种生物已经灭绝了，就像壁画上的野兽所描绘的那样，或者并非如此，就像瑞克和其他人所期盼的。
They had all tried to convince Rick that the orbs could wait until the morning, but he had insisted Jack lead them back to the caves immediately. Now, not quite four hours since Jack's return to the base, Rick and half a dozen or so of the core group were standing in the floodlit heat of the cave, listening to the results of Veidt's telepathic probe.
他们都曾试图说服瑞克，让他相信那些圆球一直能待到早晨，但他还是坚持让杰克立即带他们返回洞穴。现在，离杰克回到基地那时还不到四个小时，瑞克和其他六个人，或者说是核心团体中的大部分人，都站在这泛着灯光的热洞穴内，听着维特讲述使用心灵感应后的结果。
"I register no sense of how they came to arrive here," the mouthless Haydonite was mind-speaking, motioning to the cavern."I only know that their destiny lies somewhere in space. This condition of...levity is but a transitional stage in their life cycle. They are sentient, in what might be termed a primitive, or instinctual, fashion. But the important thing is that they seem to understand our need for their assistance-their support, if I may be permitted to play with your language some. In fact, Sarna and I detect a certain desperateness to their own flight-as if they are not merely obeying a behavioral directive, but are, in quite a real sense, escaping."
“我没有关于他们如何到达这里的记录，”没有嘴巴的海顿人边阐述着想法，边向洞内移动着。“我只知道他们的命运系于宇宙的某处。这种……飘浮形态只不过是他们生命周期内的某个过渡状态。他们是有感觉的，而这种感觉是以一种原始或本能的形式存在着。如果能允许我稍稍玩弄一下你们的语言，我想说重要的是，他们似乎明白我们需要他们的帮助，需要他们的支持。事实上莎娜和我发现他们这么拼命地飘动，并不仅仅是因为行为上的指引，更为真确的感觉像是在逃跑。”
No one felt a need to state the obvious: Praxis was a tectonic nightmare from which they all wished to awaken. The heat and stench of the cave only reinforced that fact. And if the cave was indeed a volcanic vent of some sort, it was no wonder the globes were anxious to leave.
没人觉得有必要去陈述这个显而易见的事实：普拉西斯是个梦魇，他们希望能从中醒来。这个炎热且散发着臭气的洞穴只能更加佐证这个事实。如果这个山洞确实是某种类型的火山口，那就难怪这些球体要急于离开这里。
Cabell, his face and glabrous pate beaded with sweat, was watching one of the smaller creatures now, as it bobbed its way toward the entrance. He couldn't help but be reminded of Tiresia's antigrav spheres, and he began to question if there wasn't some mysterious connection here.
卡贝尔的脸上和光秃的头顶上都挂满了汗珠，现在他正观察这些小生物中的一个，这个小球正来回移动着向洞口靠近。他不禁想起了泰雷西亚的反重力球，这让他开始怀疑两者之间是不是有着某些神秘的联系。
Rick was watching the same sphere; but he was wondering just how many it might take to lift an Alpha to the edge of the Praxian envelope."Do they understand what we're asking of them·-the specifics, I mean."
瑞克正看着同一个圆球；但他疑惑的却是要多少圆球，才能将阿尔法战斗机抬到普拉西斯上的升限高度。“他们了解我们请求他们干什么吗？我指的是细节。”
Veidt hovered over to a position directly beneath a cluster of the creatures.
维特盘旋而上，到达了这一群生物的正下方。
"The mecha should lift off on its own power," Sarna answered for him."After that, Veidt and I will be able to herd the orbs into place."
“战机应该先靠自己的力量上升，”莎娜对他回答道，“在那之后，维特和我能让他们在指定位置聚集。”
Excited, Rick punched the palm of his hand. He swung around to Jack and Karen."Contact the GMU. Tell Vince to round up the Skull and the Wolff Pack. We've got to work fast and assemble a crew for the module."
瑞克兴奋地拳击手掌。他转向了杰克和凯伦。“联系GMU。告诉文森集合骷髅中队和沃尔夫战队。我们已经有工作要做了，为太空舱集合一队人员。”
"Will we be heading back to base·" Karen thought to ask.
“我们要回基地吗？”凯伦问。
Rick shook his head."Give Vince our position. Tell him what we've learned." He glanced up at the globes, rivulets of sweat running down into his eyes."I want the base to come to us."
瑞克摇了摇头。“把我们的位置传给文森。告诉他我们了解了什么。”他向上看着这些圆球，汗水如小溪般流进了他的眼睛。“我想让基地来我们这。”
While members of the Sentinels hurried to break down the camp and ready the GMU for motion, Burak was breaking the news to Tesla. The Invid made him repeat it several times until satisfied he had all the details straight.
当哨兵成员正忙着拆除营地，为GMU的移动做准备时，巴拉克委婉的把这个消息告诉了泰斯拉。因维德人让巴拉克一连重复了几遍，直到他掌握了所有的细节。
He had felt certain all along that he wasn't fated to end his days on Praxis, and now Burak had brought word that Hunter and the others had discovered a way to reach the orbiting drive module. With precious little time to spare, Tesla thought as he and Burak packed away the few belongings the Invid kept in his cell.
他始终坚信他的日子不会在普拉西斯上终结，现在巴拉克又带来了这个消息，那个瑞克和其他人已经找到一种方法，能让他们登上轨道上的驱动舱。可以节省下的宝贵时间很少，他一边思考着，一边和巴拉克收拾着牢房中的几样东西。
Ever since his earlier ingestion of the mutated fruits, his mind had been reeling, locked in a kind of revelatory state, where answers came to him full-blown, like short-lived explosions of light. He had been asking himself why the Regis had come to Praxis in the first place; it was a question that had been plaguing him on and off for months now.
从最初到现在，每当他食用那种变异水果后，他的大脑就会开始晕眩，就像是被锁在一种启示性的状态，突然间，答案会从中一涌而出，就像光线短暂性的迸发。他一直在问自己，为什么瑞吉斯会首选来到普拉西斯；这个问题一直困扰着他，最近几个月他终于将其解开。
It was before the mutiny aboard the Farrago that they had encountered one another, when Tesla had landed on Praxis to choose specimens for the Regent's zoo. The Regis had given him a vague explanation then, and it didn't occur to him until much later on to question her responses. With the continual quakes to spur him on, however, and the aid of the fruits, the answer became obvious: she had come here to conduct further Genesis Pit experiments-part of her grand scheme to transmute the Invid race into something Tesla himself could not yet begin to imagine. Optera had been the site of the first Pits, where Tesla and most of the other evolved Invid were birthed. But the Regis's experiment there had almost doomed the planet; it had, in fact, touched off the initial search for secondary worlds she might employ. Abandoning Optera and the Regent, she had finally come to Praxis to hollow out new Pits deep in the planetary core. And of course that was why she had left the place-because her experiment was following the same course it had taken on Optera.
在法拉戈号发生兵变前的那段时间里，泰斯拉为了给瑞金特的动物园选取标本，踏上了普拉西斯的土地，在那里他们相遇了。但在那很久之后，他才向瑞吉斯提出了他的问题，而瑞吉斯也只给了他一个模糊的解释。然而，接二连三的地震启示了他，在那种水果的帮助下，答案终于浮出了水面：她来到这里是为了建造更大的起源坑，这是她伟大计划中的一部分，为了将因维种族改变成连他都难以想象的生物。奥普特拉上有着第一批起源坑，泰斯拉和大部分进化了的因维人都是在那里出生。但是瑞吉斯的实验差不多毁了那个行星；事实上，在她首次“再创世界”的实验中，这颗行星炸裂了。放弃奥普特拉后，瑞金特和她终于来到了普拉西斯，在这颗行星的内核深处开凿了全新的起源坑。当然，这就是为什么她要离开这个地方的原因——因为她的实验让这颗行星承受了与奥普特拉相同的一切。
Left. But for where· Tesla asked himself...
离开了，但前往何方？泰斯拉自问道……
He put a hand on Burak's shoulder as they were about to leave the room."You say they will be choosing a crew to pilot the first Alpha up to the module·"
当他们离开这个房间时，他把手搭在了巴拉克的肩膀上。“你说他们会选一队人去驾驶第一架与驱动舱接触的阿尔法战机？”
Burak felt the strength of the Invid's grip, and tried to shake it off, but could not."Are we going to die here, Tesla·" he asked in a faltering voice."Peryton, my people-"
巴拉克感觉到因维人强劲的握力，他试着想将其抖去，但失败了。“我们会死在这里，泰斯拉？”他吞吞吐吐地问道。“佩里顿，我的人民……”
"Quiet, you fool!" Tesla stepped through the doorway, glancing around to assure himself that no one was within earshot, then swinging back around to Burak."We won't die here-not if we're part of that crew, we won't."
“安静，傻子！”泰斯拉跨过门口，朝四周一瞥，确定没人能听到他的声音后，转向巴拉克。“我们不会死在这里，只要我们在那批队员中。”
Burak's face contorted."But how-"
巴拉克的表情扭曲着。“但怎样……”
"You leave that to me. I just need to know one thing." Tesla sniffed at him."Can you pilot that Spherisian module·"
“你把那个交给我。我只需要知道一件事。”特斯拉鄙视着他。“你能驾驶那个斯菲普斯的太空舱吗？”
"I suppose so," Burak said uncertainly.
“我想是的。”巴拉克不太肯定地说。
Tesla stretched out his thick neck."Then we're all set."
特斯拉伸出了他那粗粗的脖子。“我们准备就绪了。”