第十三章
Use your discretion, but try to have your men hold off until you're certain that at least half of them [ed. note: the Zentraedi] are inside-that includes Breetai and that kingsize bitch, Kazianna. Instruct the demo team to use more charges than they think necessary; I don't want any of them coming out alive. In fact, it might be worthwhile to sabotage as many of their environment suits as possible beforehand. Neither of us believe in accidents, Adams, but we're going to call it that no matter what.
A "Code Pyramid" communiqu·from T. R. Edwards, as quoted in Wildman's When Evil Had Its Day
你自己判断，但是尽量让你的人不要接近，直到你确定至少他们[编者按：天顶星人]中的半数都进去了——包括布里泰和那只超大号的婊子卡赞娜。命令破坏组使用更多的装药量，比他们认为必要的量还要多；我不希望他们中的任何人活着出来。实际上，事先尽可能地破坏他们的防护服应该值得一试。我们俩都不相信意外，亚当斯，但是不管怎样我们都会这么说的。
——一则来自T·R·爱德华兹“代号金字塔（计划）”的通讯，被引用于怀特曼的《在邪恶降临之日》
A tight cluster of lights was descending out of Fantoma's perpetually brooding skies. Breetai watched them for a moment, then turned away from the command center's blister viewport to face his lieutenant.
一丛密集的光线正从凡托玛星终年幽森的天空中延伸下来。布里泰注视了一会，接着转身离开指挥中心的泡形观察窗，面向他的副官。
"They've arrived, my lord."
“他们已经到了，大人。”
"So I see," Breetai said soberly. He glanced back over his shoulder, snapped the faceshield that sealed his pressurized armor closed, and moved to the hut's airlock. The lieutenant and two armed soldiers followed him out into Fantoma's night.
“我知道了，”布里泰严肃地说。他转身回瞅了一眼，吧嗒一声合上面罩，将他的加压装甲服密闭起来，并走向房间内的气闸。他的副官和两名武装卫兵跟随他一起步入到凡托玛的夜色当中。
A constant debris-filled wind had been scouring the ringed giant's surface for the past three days, and Breetai instinctively raised an arm against it as he marched in lumbering high strides toward the landing zone's illumination grid. Nearly all of the Zentraedi cadre had turned out for the confrontation, and Breetai spied Kazianna Hesh among them. Nearby were a dozen or so Micronians in environment suits-some of Lang's Robotechs. Edwards's Ghost Riders were reconfiguring their Veritechs now, imaging over from Guardian to Battloid as they touched down.
在过去的三天里，一股夹杂着岩屑的持续强风一直在侵蚀着巨大环形山的表面。布里泰本能地抬起一只手挡风，一面迈着笨拙的大步向着陆区域的照明台架前进。差不多所有的天顶星骨干成员都出现在这次对峙中，布里泰在他们中间发现了卡赞娜·海希。旁边是十来个穿着防护服的微缩人——一些朗博士的机器人技术人员。而爱德华兹的幽灵骑兵们（幽灵中队）正在将他们的机甲变形，在落地时由守护神变为战斗机器人。
"He apparently has more on his mind than a friendly chat," Breetai said to his lieutenant while the last of the squadron was snapping into upright mode. As murmurs of discontent reached him over the tactical freq, Breetai instructed his first officer to pass the word along that he wouldn't tolerate any incidents; no matter what Edwards said or did, his troops were to keep silent.
“他脑子里盘算的显然不止一次友好的谈话。”布里泰对他的副官说，那边最后一架幽灵中队的战机正咔咔嚓嚓地变形为站立模式。当听到战术频道中充斥着一些不满的怨言时，布里泰命令他的大副传下话去：他不能容忍出现任何敌对行为；不管爱德华兹说什么或做什么，他的部队都必须保持沉默。
Edwards stepped his Battloid off the grid and began to move across the field in Breetai's direction. The Zentraedi knew better than to regard this as some gesture of compromise. Four of the Ghosts flanked Edwards, with a kind of threatening casualness to the way they cradled their rifle/cannons. Breetai threw his lieutenant a knowing glance. The show of force came as no surprise; Dr. Lang had already given him an idea of what to expect.
爱德华兹操纵他的机器人走下台架，开始穿过野地朝布里泰的方向移动。这个天顶星人心里很清楚，还不至于把这个举动视为某种妥协的姿态。四台幽灵战队的机甲护卫在爱德华兹两侧，带着一种险恶的随便，从他们揣来福枪/炮的方式可以看得出来。布里泰心照不宣地瞅了他的副官一眼。军队的出现并不令人惊讶；朗博士已经告诫过他会遇到些什么情况。
"New Zarkopolis welcomes General Edwards," Breetai said with practiced elaborateness."We're sorry we couldn't provide the general with better weather." He could hear a few Zentraedi snicker.
“新札寇颇利斯欢迎爱德华兹将军，”布里泰说，带着一种老练的巧妙语色，“很抱歉我们没能给将军提供更好的气象。”（译注：原文用了英文weather的双关含义，即天气和处境）他能听到旁边一些天顶星人的窃笑。
"Very thoughtful of you," Edwards returned over the mecha's external speakers, mimicking Breetai's tone of voice."And I'm sorry I can't bring you better news."
“真是体贴入微，”爱德华兹打开机甲的外部扬声器，并模仿布里泰的口吻说，“我也很遗憾没能带给你们更好的消息。”
The two men fell into an uneasy silence; the wind came up, howling and pinging gravel against Breetai's armored suit and the Battloid's alloy. The Zentraedi commander narrowed his eyes and grinned, picturing Edwards in the mecha's cockpit, nervous hands on the controls. When one of the VT's gauntlets came up, Breetai almost made a grab for it, but restrained himself at the last moment. Edwards caught the gesture, however.
两人都陷入了一种尴尬的沉默。风刮过来，呼啸着，砂砾撞击着布里泰的装甲服和战斗机器人的合金外壳碰碰作响。想象着机甲座舱里爱德华兹用紧张的双手握着控制杆的样子，这个天顶星指挥官不禁眯起眼睛咧嘴一笑。（见状）一台变形机的金属大手（不敬地）伸了过来，布里泰差点就想一把抓住它，但最后克制住了自己。无论如何，是爱德华兹拦下了这个手势。
"A bit nervous today, are we, Breetai·"
“我们今天都有一点紧张，不是吗，布里泰？”
Breetai snorted."This wind has put me in a foul humor."
布里泰哼了一声，“这风弄脏了我的幽默感（心情）。”（译注：humor仍有双关的含义）
Edwards inclined the ultratech knight's head."Well then, maybe this won't seem like bad news after all." The mecha's hand held out an outsize audio device for Breetai's inspection."You and your...crew are relieved, Commander. New Zarkopolis is now under REF jurisdiction, and I'll be assuming personal control of this facility. Tomorrow's cargo run will be your last. You can hear it straight from the council, if you wish."
爱德华兹低下这个超技术骑士（VT机甲）的脑袋，说：“好吧，毕竟这看起来也许不像是坏消息。”他的机甲手中拿出一个特大号的音频设备要给布里泰查看。“你和你的……队伍被接替了，指挥官。新札寇颇利斯现在由太空堡垒远征军管辖，而我将担任这里设施的最高管理者。明天的货物运输将是你们最后一次勤务。你可以直接从委员会听到这个决定，如果你愿意。”
The Zentraedi began to grumble among themselves, and Edwards's sentries took a step forward. Breetai motioned his cadre silent with a downward wave of his massive hand. He accepted the playback device and regarded it for a moment."No need for that. But I should warn you, General, that you're going to find the conditions here somewhat harsh. This is, after all, Zentraedi's work."
天顶星人群中开始发出抱怨声，爱德华兹的哨卫向前迈了一步。布里泰用他的大手做了一个向下的手势，示意他的队伍安静。他接过录音回放设备，打量了一会。“没那个必要。但是我要提醒你，将军，你将会发现这里的情形有些棘手。这毕竟是天顶星人的工作。”
Edwards's short laugh issued from the speakers."We'll manage all right. Of course, you're all welcome to stay on-as laborers, you understand."
扬声器里发出爱德华兹短促的笑声。“我们会搞定的。当然，也欢迎你们都留下——作为劳动力，你明白的。”
"I'll consider it, General."
“我会考虑的，将军。”
"Good, Breetai, good," Edwards said, pleased with the outcome."I like a man who can follow orders. Could be that you and I will see eye to eye yet."
“好的，布里泰，好的，”爱德华兹说，对这一结果感到很高兴，“我喜欢服从命令的人。现在你我的看法都一致了。”
Breetai nodded, tight-lipped. Peripherally, he noticed Kazianna stepping deliberately into his restricted field of view.
布里泰点点头，嘴唇紧闭着。在外边，他注意到卡赞娜故意走进到他有限的视野里。
Edwards went on to inform him that within a week's time several hundred men and women would begin arriving from Tirol, along with the new mecha Lang's teams had designed. Until then, Edwards was leaving behind six of his troops to oversee the transfer of command. Six or six hundred, Breetai said to himself, it wouldn't matter now.
爱德华兹继续告知他，在一周的时间内将会有几百名男人和女人开始不断从泰洛到达这里，带着朗博士团队设计的新型机甲。在那之前爱德华兹会留下6个他的人来监督调任命令的执行。6个还是600个，布里泰对自己说，现在都已没什么要紧的。
When Edwards and most of his squadron had lifted off, Breetai swung stiffly into the wind and made for the mining colony's Quonset-style headquarters. On the way, he asked the lieutenant if his men had completed their task.
当爱德华兹和他的大部分幽灵骑兵都升空离去之后，布里泰迎着风僵硬地转过身，向这个采矿殖民地的指挥部——具有匡西特风格的建筑——走去。在路上，他问起副官是否他的人已经完成了他们的任务。
"Almost, my lord."
“差不多了，大人。”
"And the fool's ore·"
“那个白痴的矿石呢？”
"Loaded for tomorrow's delivery."
“已经装载完毕等待明天发货。”
Breetai grunted."See to it that the last of the monopole is placed aboard the ship. The delivery will go as scheduled, but the monopole remains our property."
布里泰轻蔑地哼了一声。“务必保证最后的磁单极子矿装在船上。交货将按计划进行，但磁单极子矿我们自己留下。”
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow."About Edwards's soldiers, Commander..."
副官张大眼竖起了眉毛。“那爱德华兹的士兵怎么办，指挥官……”
Breetai came to a halt short of the headquarters hatchway."Invite them along to 'oversee' the delivery. Afterward, we'll give them the option of joining us."
布里泰在指挥部的舱门前站立住。“邀请他们一起去‘监督’交货。然后，我们会留给他们加入我们的选择权。”
"And if they refuse·"
“如果他们拒绝呢？”
"I leave that up to you," Breetai said, stepping inside.
“那就交给你处理了。”布里泰说，一边走进屋去。
"Pregnant·" Max asked, as Rhestad's morning rays touched the med team's geodesic shelter.
“怀孕了？”麦克斯问道，若斯达（译注：嘎鲁达星球的“太阳”）的晨辉正沐浴着医疗队的网格掩蔽所。
Vince shrugged his huge shoulders."That's what Jean says. And Cabell concurs."
文斯耸了耸他宽大的肩膀。“吉英就是这么说的。而且卡贝尔也赞同。”
"That's right, my boy," Cabell affirmed."It is most remarkable, but true." The Tiresian was all smiles for a change, his concern for Rem momentarily eclipsed."I thought her first pregnancy the exception that proved the rule. But this-this is nothing short of..."
“是这样的，我的孩子，”卡贝尔证实道，“相当不同寻常，但是是真的。”这个泰雷西亚人变得满脸笑容，他对雷的担忧暂时消褪了。“我曾认为她第一次怀孕只是普遍规律中的例外。但这次，这次又是完全相同的……”
"Remarkable," Max finished for him, shaking his head in disbelief."Yeah, tell me about it."
“异乎寻常，”麦克斯替他把话说完，怀疑地摇着头，“好吧，告诉我是怎么回事。”
Vince laughed."What's with you· It takes two, if I'm not mistaken."
文斯笑道：“你怎么搞的？发生两次了吧，如果我没弄错的话。”
Max looked up into Vince's brown face."Yeah, but Vince, you don't understand. Remember, Miriya's...different."
麦克斯抬头看着文斯褐色的脸颊，说：“是的，但是文斯，你不懂。记得吗，米莉娅……她不同的。”
"She had Dana," Vince started to say.
“她已经有了戴娜。”文斯说道。
"Yeah, and Dana's different."
“是，但戴娜是不一样的。”
"How is she different·" Cabell wanted to know.
“她怎么不一样？”卡贝尔想弄清楚。
Max and Vince traded looks, but left the question unanswered."Can I see her·" Max said suddenly, getting up.
麦克斯和文斯交换了下眼神，留着这个问题没有回答。“我能看看她吗？”麦克斯突然说，站了起来。
Vince laughed."That's a good start."
文斯笑了：“这是个好的开端。”
Max started off for the small area of the med dome Jean's team had partitioned off.
麦克斯动身前往医务圆顶房，这里被吉英的小组隔离开了的一片小空间。
"Remarkable," Cabell mused as he and Vince walked back to where Rick, Lisa, and Karen were undergoing treatment. The three had yet to emerge from semiconsciousness...
“异乎寻常，”卡贝尔沉思着，他和文斯走回到瑞克、丽莎和卡尔正在接受护理的地方。这三个人才刚刚脱离半昏迷状态。
"Any change·" Vince asked his wife a moment later. She was standing over Rick just now, looking almost as drawn and pale as her patient. Vince put his arm around her narrow waist.
“有什么变化吗？”片刻之后文斯问他的妻子。吉英刚才正看护着瑞克，她的脸色几乎和她的病人一样憔悴和苍白。文斯用手臂搂在她纤细的腰上。
"I'm worried, Vince. They should have come out of it by now. We've tried everything-antipsychotics, transfusions..." She threw up her hands."I don't know what to do."
“我很担心，文斯。他们现在应该要缓过来了的。我们已经试过了所有的办法——安定药、输液……”吉英甩着她的手说，“我不知道该怎么办。”
"It is the hin" Veidt said, hovering over to them from the foot of Karen's bed. He had spent the last several hours absorbing everything Jean's medical library databanks had to offer."Garudans live in the womb of the hin. It is what you might term 'an alternate reality.' The microorganisms here, the same which keep Kami's people in a constant state of hin, have caused your friends to become unstuck in what constitutes Human reality."
“是‘赫因’，”维特说，从凯伦的床尾向他们飘飞过来。之前的几个小时他都在消化吉英的医学图书馆数据库所能提供的每条信息。“嘎鲁达人生活在赫因的发源地。你们可以称之为‘一种植物学实体’。这里的微生物，也就是维持卡米族人在一个恒定赫因状态的相同的东西，致使你们的朋友们在人类实体的构成上变得紊乱。”
"Yes, and it's killing them, Veidt. It's not providing them with psychedelic trips or allies or personal power. It's draining the life from them while we sit here and...and-"
“是的，它（赫因？）正在吞噬他们的生命，维特。它不是在给他们提供意识改变的体验或者是联接或者是个人的能力，而是正在消耗他们的生命，就在我们坐在这里的时候，而且，而且……”
"Come on, Jean," Vince said."You're doing what you can."
“别这样，吉英，”文斯说，“你做了你能做的。”
Cabell tugged at his beard."There is a treatment, of course." He turned to Veidt as Vince and Jean's eyes fixed on him.
卡贝尔捋了捋他的胡须，说：“当然了，还有治疗的办法。”他转向维特，文斯和吉英的眼睛都盯着他。
"I will be succinct," the Haydonite began."On my world there are devices capable of reversing the Garudan effect.'Mental illness,' as some of your disks name it, is unknown to us; it is as archaic a thing as your own smallpox."
“我简单点说，”这个海顿人开始讲道，“在我们的世界，有些设备可以逆转嘎鲁达人现象。‘精神疾病’，一些你们的数据中是这么叫的，但对我们来说是未知的；它古老的就和你们那的天花一样。”
"Then what are we waiting for·" Jean said, looking up at Vince."Our work here is finished, isn't it· Garuda's liberated."
“那我们还在等什么？”吉英说，抬头看着文斯。“我们在这的工作完成了，对吧？嘎鲁达解放了。”
Vince removed his hand from her waist to feel his jaw."Yes, in a way."
文斯从吉英的腰间收回自己的手，摸着下巴说：“是的，某种意义上。”
"In a way· What's that supposed to mean·"
“某种意义上？那是什么意思？”
"We've learned that the Regent is on his way to Haydon IV," Cabell told her."With what remains of his fleet, no doubt."
“我们已经知道瑞金特正在去往海顿4号的路上，”卡贝尔告诉吉英，“带着他剩余的舰队，毫无疑问。”
Jean compressed her lips."More fighting, then."
吉英抿紧了嘴唇：“也就是说，还要打仗。”
"It's not even as simple as that," Vince added.
“没有那么简单。”文斯补充道。
"Our world," Veidt said,"cannot be approached with the same tactics you employed to liberate Karbarra, Praxis, and Garuda. Haydon IV is in a certain sense beyond both conquest or liberation. And while it is true that the Invid have assumed control of our political structure, they have not in any way attempted to tamper with our lives. They could not. Haydon IV is an open world and will always remain so."
“我们的世界，”维特说，“不能够用你们解放卡巴拉、普拉西斯和嘎鲁达的那些相同策略来接近。海顿4号在某种意义上不属于征服或是解放的范畴。还有，虽然因维人确实已经取得了我们行政机构的控制权，但是他们并没有以任何形式来试图伤害我们的生命。他们不能。海顿4号是一个开放的世界，而且也将一直保持如此。”
"Couldn't we sneak through or something· I mean, isn't there a back door we could use, some way of getting to those devices without confronting the Invid·"
“我们不能偷偷通过或怎么样吗？我是说，有没有我们可以使用的后门之类的，某些路线可以拿到那些设备而不与因维人冲突？”
Veidt stared at Jean and shook his head."It is impossible."
维特凝视着吉英，摇了摇头：“不可能。”
Vince was pacing up and down, hands clasped behind his back."We've gotta ask ourselves whether it's worth the risk."
文斯在一旁走来走去，双手紧扣背在身后：“我们必须问问我们自己是否值得冒这个险。”
"Whether Rick, Lisa, and Karen are worth the risk, you mean."
“是不是值得为瑞克、丽莎和卡尔冒这个险，你意思是说。”
"And Rem," Cabell added.
“还有雷。”卡贝尔补充。
Vince nodded.
文斯点点头。
"Look what you've already risked to save them," Veidt pointed out.
“看看为了救他们你们已经冒过的险吧。”维特指出。
Everyone fell silent; then Vince said,"Gather the Sentinels. We've got a decision to make."
大家都陷入了沉默；然后文斯说：“集合所有哨兵成员。我们需要做一个决定。”
"I will not have him here! I will not!" the Regis railed to one of her servants. Was there no escaping him· she asked herself. Even here on Haydon IV·
“我不要他来这里！我不要！”瑞吉斯斥责她的一名仆人。没有逃离他吗？她问自己。即使是在海顿4号这里？
"I'm afraid it's too late, Your Grace," the servant said, unmoved from its posture of genuflection."The Regent's flagship has already left Optera to rendezvous here with the remnants of his fleet."
“恐怕太迟了，夫人，”仆人说道，仍旧保持着曲膝的姿态，“摄政王的旗舰已经离开奥普特拉前往这里，与他其余的舰队汇合。”
"How long do I have·" she asked, whirling on the sexless creature, the tassels of her long gloves whipping about.
“我还剩多少时间？”她问，猛地转过身来对着这个无性别的生物，她长长触手的流须在不停地抽动。
"Less than one period, Your Grace."
“少于一个周期（注：何种时间周期待定），夫人。”
She dismissed the servant; when it left the room, she clenched her fists and waved them in the air."Must he stalk me·" she said aloud."Must he continue to punish me·"
她谴退了这个仆人；当它离开房间时，瑞吉斯攥紧了她的拳头，对着空中挥舞。“他一定是在跟踪我？”她大声地说道，“他一定是要继续伤害我？”
Abruptly, she turned around to regard Rem; the Zor-clone was asleep, perhaps unconscious after his sessions with the Regent's scientists from Garuda. They had cured him of the madness induced by that world's atmosphere, only to induce a more controlled state of hallucinatory dread. And then they had picked his brain. Oh, how they had picked his brain.
突然，她转过身来打量着雷；这个佐尔的克隆体正在熟睡中，或许是不省人事，在他与来自嘎鲁达的瑞金特手下的科学家们呆了一段时间后就这样。他们已经将雷从嘎鲁达大气所诱发的疯癫中治愈了，仅仅只激发了一种更多受控的幻觉恐惧状态。而接着他们就窃取了他大脑中的信息。噢天，他们是怎么掏空他的脑袋的。
For the better part of five days now the Regis had had him much to herself; hers to toy with, hers to examine-his dreams and thoughts to dissect, his memories to relive...United with him on some psychic plane, she had walked again through those fields they had walked on Optera. Old Optera, Optera before the fall. She had been able to view those times through his eyes now, and had found herself stirred. He had seen how much she wanted to emulate him, in every way; and she had seen how much he had desired her. Not her physical being, not the form destiny had wed her to, but her spiritual self-her essence. There was at one time a semblance of love there, and this discovery filled her with joy. But it was a rapture that could not survive the realities his war-hungry race had introduced into her garden; a rapture that could only endure on that etheric plane, where things cast beautiful but ultimately painful shadows...
对于五天中更好的部分而言，现在瑞吉斯已经拥有雷更胜于她本人；属于她的，可以用来消遣的，可以用来审视的——剖析他的梦境和想法，复活他的回忆……在某些精神层面与他结合在一起，她又再一次走过了那些他们曾经在奥普特拉走过的旷野。旧奥普特拉，失陷之前的奥普特拉。现在她已经可以透过雷的眼睛重温那些时光，内心的情感也已激荡而起。他见到了她有多么想要赶上他，在各个方面；而她见到过他曾有多么渴望她。不是她的物质存在，不是命运已经赋予她的形态，而是她的精神自我——她的本质。那曾经有过一段表象上的爱情，这个发现让她充满了欣喜。但这是一种不能幸免于他带来的战争真实的狂喜——饥饿的种族被引入了她的花园；一种仅能在灵媒层面持续的狂喜，在这里事物投射出美丽但终究痛苦的阴影……
Still she could hardly tear herself away from that realm, even though her self-indulgence might mean death for the clone. He was her plaything; much as she had been Zor's!
她仍然几乎无法将自己从那种（精神）领域中摆脱出来，即使是她的自我放任可能意味着这个克隆人的死亡。他是她的玩偶；就像她曾经是佐尔的玩偶！
She understood, however, that Zor had somehow meant to redeem himself by sending the Protoculture matrix far from his Masters' reach. But much of this remained unclear, muddled by what she had accessed from Haydon IV's data systems. These grand designs again: Zor, the Masters, the Invid, all locked together in some immense, unfathomable framework.
然而，她明白，佐尔已经用了某种方式来意图弥补自己（的作为），他将史前文化母体远远送离了他雇主所能够及的范围。但这中间多数情况仍然是不清楚的，她已经从海顿4号数据系统中获取的信息把这些搅得乱七八糟。还是这些极其重要的图谋：佐尔，机器人统治者，因维人，所有的一切都在某种浩瀚的、深不可测的架构中被紧密连接在一起。
Along with this mysterious blue-white world revealed by the clone's thoughts, this nexus of events, this pleroma...
连同克隆人思想中透露出来的这个神秘的蓝白色的星球（译注：指代地球），这种事件之间的连系，这种浑融天成（注：pleroma为基督教术语，意为基督神性的总体或充实状态。）……
She had yet to learn either the name of the planet or its continuum coordinates, but she now had a sense of where to begin her search. And sooner or later her sensor nebulae would locate it.
瑞吉斯仍然必须获悉那颗行星的名字或者是它的统一性坐标二者之一，但她现在意识到该从哪里开始她的搜寻。而且她的感应星云迟早都会找到它。
I will follow the nebulae, she decided all at once. I will quit this Quadrant and place myself as far from his reach as that matrix was from the Masters' evil embrace.
我会跟随（感应）星云，瑞吉斯突然决定。我会离开这个星区，让自己远离他（瑞金特）能影响的范围，就像（史前文化）母体远离机器人统治者的邪恶拥抱一样。
She found herself excited by the prospect, laughing as she overlooked Haydon IV's artificial land-and cityscapes. She could even leave some of her Children behind until the moment arrived-the moment when that blue-white world was discovered and made her own!
瑞吉斯发现自己为这种前景而感到兴奋了，大笑着俯瞰海顿4号的人造陆地和都市风景。她甚至可以将一些她的孩子留在身后，直到那一刻的来临——那一刻，那颗蓝白色的星球被发现了，并且归她所有！
She increased her size, towering up to fill the room, knowing a determination she had thought lost with love itself. Regarding Rem, she said,"Now let the Regent have his way with you, clone. Let him peer into your memories of our time together, and let him suffer for what he missed!"
她增大自己的身形，高耸到填满房间，想出一个她认为是无情的决定。关于雷，她说：“现在让瑞金特用他的方式处理你吧，克隆人。让他窥视你记忆中那些我们在一起的时光，让他为他未曾得到的东西痛苦吧！”
Miriya did not look as well as Max had imagined she might. Where was that rosy glow, that special something· Instead, she seemed wasted; baggy-eyed, bone-weary, even slightly jaundiced.
米莉娅看起来并不像麦克斯之前想象的那般好。（脸上）玫瑰色的红晕，还有那特别的神采哪去了？相反地，她看着消瘦了；松垂的眼睛，疲惫的筋骨，甚至有一点像得了黄疸病。
"It's just from my exposure to the atmosphere," Miriya told him as he carefully sat down on the edge of her cot."But Jean says everything's fine, all systems go. So smooth your wrinkled brow, my darling, and kiss me before I do something violent."
“这不过是暴露在嘎鲁达大气中造成的，”麦克斯小心地坐在她的小床边上，米莉娅告诉他说，“而且吉英说没什么事，一切正常。所以不用皱着你的眉头，亲爱的，亲亲我，别让我自己来。”
Max forced a smile and leaned into her arms; they held each other for a moment. Max patted her back and straightened up."I'm not sure I know what to feel," he confessed.
麦克斯憋出一个笑脸，偎依在米莉娅的臂弯中；他们彼此拥抱了一会。麦克斯轻拍米莉娅的后背，直起身来。“我不确定我知道该说些什么。”他坦白地说。
"I know, Max. I'm just as concerned as you are about Rick and Lisa."
“我理解的，麦克斯。我和你一样关心着瑞克和丽莎。”
"Good news, bad news..."
“好消息，坏消息……”
"That's life, Max. And now Dana's going to have a sister."
“这就是生活，麦克斯。而且现在戴娜也将有个妹妹了。”（旁注：汗~她怎么知道自己怀的是个姑娘？）
Max's brows went up."Jean tell you that·"
麦克斯的眉毛一下竖了起来，“吉英告诉你了？”
"She didn't have to." Miriya caressed her belly."I can sense it."
“她不需要说，”米莉娅爱抚着自己的腹部，“我能感觉到。”
Again, Max tried to feel good about things, but the more he looked at his wife, the more anxious he became. He was about to take her hand, when someone rapped against the partition. Crysta, Gnea, and Teal asked if they could come in for a moment. The Spherisian was carrying the infant-a two-foot Baldan, although still faceted and speechless as yet.
麦克斯再次试图让自己感觉好一点，但是他越看着妻子，就变得越焦虑。他正打算握着米莉娅的手，这时有人叩响了这个隔间的墙。克里斯塔、妮雅和缇尔问她们是否能够进来一会。史菲利思人（缇尔）正抱着婴儿——一个两英尺长的巴丹，尽管目前仍然是多晶面状态而且也不能说话。
"As soon as I heard the news I came down," Teal explained."I wanted you to see the infant."
“我一听到消息就下来了，”缇尔解释道，“我想让你看看这个婴儿。”
"Congratulations," Gnea said to Miriya uncertainly.
“祝贺你，”妮雅含糊地对米莉娅说。
"Hey, what about the father·" Max asked good-naturedly.
“嗨，不对父亲也说点什么？”麦克斯和善地问道。
The Praxian turned to him."Why· Did you have something to do with Miriya's condition·"
普拉西斯人（妮雅）转向他说，“为什么？米莉娅这个情形与你有关系吗？”
Max started to respond, but thought better of it, shutting his mouth and blinking stupidly.
麦克斯一下子没反应过来，还好脑子不算慢，他闭上了嘴，傻傻地眨着眼睛。
"When does he become smooth, like you·" Miriya was saying to Teal.
“他什么时候能变得光滑，像你一样？”米莉娅对缇尔说道。
"It doesn't. It's not necessarily a he."
“它不会。它没必要变成一个他。”
Miriya looked around uncomfortably."But I thought that Baldan...that this..."
米莉娅费力地察看着，“但我想巴丹……这……”
"It is of Baldan," Teal replied, regarding the infant analytically."But the features and what I think you call 'the sex' are ultimately left to the Shaper."
“它是巴丹的，”缇尔答道，“但是面貌和我想你们叫做‘性征’的东西都最终留给了塑形者。”
"The Shaper· You·" Crysta said, surprised, one huge paw to her muzzle.
“塑形者？你？”克里斯塔说，感到很惊讶，一只巨大的手掌抚在她的面具上。
"Who else· The young Spherisian remains faceted until smoothed by its Shaper. Soon I will de-facet it."
“还会是谁？史菲利思幼仔会一直保持着多晶面的状态，直到被它的塑形者平整化。一会我就要平整它。”
"But you'll shape him, er, it in Baldan's image, won't you·"
“你会把他，呃，它塑形成巴丹的样子，是吗？”
"Why would I do that· I am bonded with the infant now. I could just as easily shape it in my own image."
“为什么我要那样做？现在是我与婴儿联结在一起。我可以，比如很容易地把它塑造成我自己的样子。”
"But this is all that remains of Baldan," Crysta argued."Don't you want to recapture his essence· It would mean much to all of us."
“但这是巴丹仅有的遗存，”克里斯塔争论道，“你不想重获他的本体吗？这将对我们大家意义非常。”
Miriya and Gnea agreed. Max kept out of it.
米莉娅和妮雅也表示同意。麦克斯在一旁没有出声。
"Among Spherisians I am considered most attractive," Teal told them proudly."A young one could do far worse than be shaped as I am." She regarded Max and Miriya a moment."You Earthers don't even have a choice in the matter."
“在史菲利思人之中，我被认为是最有魅力的，”缇尔自豪地告诉他们，“一个幼仔没有比塑造成我的样子更好的了。”她打量了麦克斯和米莉娅一会说：“你们地球人在这个问题上甚至连个选择的机会都没有。”
"No argument there." Max laughed."But maybe that's the beauty of it."
“那没有根据的，”麦克斯笑道，“但也许这就是它的美丽之处。”
Gnea made a face, astonishment in her gold-flecked eyes."So you did have something to do with it."
妮雅做了个鬼脸，金色斑纹的眼睛中闪烁着惊讶，“所以你确实对她做了什么吧。”
Max looked from Praxian, to Karbarran, to Spherisian, to his own Zentraedi wife, and wondered if he could possibly explain himself.
麦克斯打量着她们，从普拉西斯人到卡巴拉人，到史菲利思人，再到他自己的天顶星妻子，怀疑是否能解释清楚。
The Zentraedi's cargo transport-named the Valivarre for Fantoma's primary-was the largest of the ships constructed to serve the needs of the mining op. It was essentially an enormous shell, with vast featureless cabinspaces and cargo holds, and numerous launch and docking bays sized to accommodate ranks of surface mecha and outsize shuttles. Typical of the new breed SDFs-4 through 8-the Valivarre was only lightly armed and somewhat slow by galactic standards; but unlike those fortresses the ship was equipped with Protoculture/Reflex drives that enabled it to astrogate near-instantaneous folds throughout "local space."
天顶星人的货运飞船叫瓦利瓦号——凡托玛星的恒星，是那些为了采矿作业需要而建造的船舰中最大的一艘。它外形巨大，配有大量普通船舱和货舱，以及众多的起降隔舱，可以适应各种级别的陆基机甲和大型穿梭机。瓦利瓦号属于典型新式太空堡垒（从4号到8号）的类型，只配备了轻型武装，而且相对星系（航行）标准来说航速也有些慢；但与那些堡垒战舰不同的是，这艘舰装备了史前文化/反射驱动器，这使它可以近距导航——通过瞬时折叠穿越“本地空间”。
The transport was in stationary orbit over Tirol just now, off-loading the latest of Fantoma's riches to cargo shuttles, which were making runs both to the SDF-3 and to the moon's surface.
瓦利瓦号正位于泰洛星的定常轨道上，把最新一批凡托玛的财富（矿石）卸货至货运穿梭机，这些穿梭机将飞往SDF-3号和这颗卫星的表面。
On the Valivarre's bridge, Breetai was informed that one of the returning shuttles was bringing up two passengers. He arrived in the busy docking bay just as Dr. Lang and Exedore were descending the shuttle ramp.
在瓦利瓦号的舰桥里，布里泰被告知在一艘返航的穿梭机里带来了两名乘客。他来到繁忙的船坞舱，正碰上朗博士和爱克西多从穿梭机的舷梯上下来。
Lang took a look around. Under the watchful gaze of four Ghost Squadron Battloids, a dozen Zentraedi were loading the last of the monopole ore into a second shuttle. There was more noise than Human ears were meant to withstand, so he donned a pair of silencer muffs, and went on the amplibox to communicate with Breetai.
朗博士看了看四周的情况。在四架幽灵中队战斗机器人警惕地注视下，十几个天顶星人正在将最后一批磁单极子矿石装载进另一艘穿梭机。巨大的噪声让人类的耳膜难以承受，于是他戴上一副消声套，用扩音盒与布里泰通话。
"It appears that everything is in order, Commander," he said, trying to sound businesslike."But I have some matters to discuss with you regarding the transfer schedule. Is there somewhere we can talk·"
“看起来一切正常，指挥官，”他试着用公务性的语调说到。“但我有些事要和你讨论，关于调任时间表。有什么地方方便我们说话吗？”
Breetai led them out of the hold and into a small cabin-space outfitted with a Micronian commo balcony.
布里泰带他们从货舱出来，进入到一个配有微缩化通讯望台的小舱室里。
"This area is secure," Breetai told them after he had dogged the hatch.
“这里很安全，”布里泰尾随进舱口后告诉他们。
Lang got right to the point."You'll never get away with this, Breetai. What do you take us for·"
朗直入重点说道：“你不可能侥幸成功的，布里泰。你弄我们来做什么？”
The Zentraedi grinned."The fool's ore...It wasn't my intention to trick you, Lang. Only Edwards's men. As far as they are concerned, we are off-loading the monopole."
天顶星人露齿而笑：“那个傻子的矿石……不是我要骗你，朗。是爱德华兹的人。就他们而言，我们正在卸货磁单极子。”
"But, Commander," Exedore said,"what are you trying to accomplish· You're aware that Lang and I will have to report this."
“但是，指挥官，”爱克西多说，“你在试图实现什么计划？你知道我和朗将不得不报告这些。”
"And I fully expect you to. I ask only that you delay your report for three hours."
“而我完全期待着你们报告。我要的只是你们推迟你们的报告3个小时。”
"You're leaving!" Lang said, excited."I knew it."
“你要走！”朗激动地说，“我就知道。”
Breetai folded his arms across his chest and nodded."That's right, Doctor. We're leaving. And we're taking the monopole with us."
布里泰在胸前交叉双臂，点点头。“是的，博士。我们要走。而且我们会带着磁单极子和我们一起走。”
Lang was shaking his head."It's a mad scheme, Breetai. Edwards will hunt you down."
朗不停地摇着头说：“疯狂的计划，布里泰。爱德华兹会逮到你的。”
"Perhaps. But he'll think twice about firing on us while we have the ore aboard. Not when he learns that Fantoma's yield is exhausted, I'm relying on you to make this clear to him."
“也许吧。但我们有矿石在船上，他会重新考虑是不是要向我们开火的。当他获悉凡托玛的矿石生产已经枯竭的时候就不会这么做了，我需要你们把这一点明白地告诉他。”
"Commander, may we enquire-"
“指挥官，我们可以问一下……”
"To search for Admiral Hunter, Exedore. I don't accept that the Sentinels have become outlaws any more than I believe the Invid Regent is dead. We know that enemy, Exedore; we engaged them throughout this sector. If he had been assassinated, his queen's troops would have already massed against Tirol and atomized it." Breetai leaned closer to the balcony railing to regard his Micronized friend."We are free of all imperatives now, Exedore. The Zentraedi will follow none but their own. Will you join us·"
“去找卡特将军吧，爱克西多。我不认为哨兵已经变成逃犯更甚于我不相信因维摄政王已经死了。我们了解那个敌人，爱克西多；我们曾在这里的整个星区与他们作战。如果摄政王被刺杀了，他王后的军队早就已经蜂拥到泰洛并把它撕碎了。”布里泰凑近望台的扶手向他的微缩化的朋友致意。“现在我们不受任何命令了，爱克西多。天顶星人将只追随自己的意志。你会加入我们吗？”
Exedore bowed his head."Commander, you honor me. But I, too, have an inner imperative."
爱克西多低着头说：“指挥官，我以你为荣。但是我，也有一件不方便说的紧要事情。”
Breetai mulled it over, then nodded."I understand, my friend."
布里泰深思了一会，接着他点点头：“我明白，我的朋友。”
Lang looked at the two Zentraedi, suddenly aware of the import the moment held. A surge of misgiving washed through him; a shaping charge he could barely sustain. His voice cracked when he spoke."To Praxis, Breetai· Garuda· Spheris· The ship you seek is small enough as to be insignificant."
朗看着两个天顶星人，突然意识到刚才那一刻的意思。一阵汹涌的不安冲刷过他的身体；不断增大的负荷令他难以承受。朗说话的时候声音已变得嘶哑：“去普拉西斯吗，布里泰？嘎鲁达？史菲利思？你要找的那艘船简直小到不值一提。”
Breetai fixed his eye on Lang."I don't believe that, Doctor. Nor do you."
布里泰的目光盯着朗，“我不相信，博士。你也不信。”
Lang rasped,"Haydon IV." She is there, something told him.
朗尖声地说道：“海顿4号。”她在那，有什么告诉他。
Exedore stretched out a hand."Doctor-"
爱克西多伸出一只手：“博士……”
"Don't ask me to explain." Was it Janice, he wondered, or some other she· It was a presence the Shaping had alerted him to, a power unlike anything he had experienced...
“别让我解释。”是贾妮斯吗，他怀疑，或是某个其他的她？它是一种存在，不断的增长已经警示了他，是一种不像他之前任何经历的力量……
Breetai regarded him for a moment."I will begin my search there."
布里泰打量了他一会，说：“我会在那开始搜索的。”
Lang nodded, weakly, wondering whether he would ever see the Zentraedi again.
朗无力地点点头，不知道他是否还能再次见到这个天顶星人。
On Garuda, the Sentinels grouped together in the long-house to discuss their options and priorities, which meant that it was back to transpirators for almost everyone involved. Vince, Max, and Jack were so certain of where they stood that they had already had Rick, Lisa, and Karen brought up to the SDF-7. Under Wolff's and Janice's supervision, Tesla and the two Invid scientists had also been moved to the ship, along with Miriya-who was still too weak to take part in the meeting-and Teal and the Spherisian infant.
在嘎鲁达星球上，哨兵们聚集在长厅里，讨论他们面临的选择和事情的轻重缓急，这意味着几乎每个人又回到带呼吸面罩的状态。文斯、麦克斯和杰克都很确定他们的立场，而且已经把瑞克、丽莎和凯伦带到了SDF-7上。在沃尔夫和贾妮斯的监督之下，泰斯拉和两名因维科学家也已经被带到船上，和米莉娅、缇尔以及史菲利斯婴儿一起——米莉娅仍然很虚弱，没有办法参加会议。
Most of Garuda was celebrating-the grieving would come later-and the wild sounds of song and dance made it all the more difficult for the group to come to any agreement concerning the Haydon IV option. They did find themselves united, however, on the issue of Garuda. With the Optera tree orchards in ruins, it wasn't likely that the Invid were going to have much use for the planet-especially not when their initial campaign against Garuda's inherent defenses had ended in so many deaths. But just in case the Regent decided to think along the lines of reprisals-which, Cabell maintained, was highly unlikely given the disastrous defeats the Invid leader had been suffering in other quarters-the Sentinels were prepared to leave most of their forces "onworld to complement the strength of the remaining Bioroid clones. The one Invid hive that had come through the battle reasonably intact would serve as their base. Vince and Veidt were in favor of this even though it would significantly reduce the Sentinels' firepower. Haydon IV, though, was not be thought of in terms of a military campaign; they were undertaking the journey for the sake of Rick, Lisa, Karen, and Rem.
嘎鲁达的大部分地方正在进行庆祝，暂时远离了悲伤，狂野的歌声和舞蹈让哨兵们在关于海顿4号的问题上达成某种共识变得更加困难。他们发现自己确实团结起来了，无论如何在嘎鲁达的事情上是这样。由于奥普特拉果树园林成为了废墟，因维人不太可能拿这颗星球还有很多用处，尤其是在他们对嘎鲁达本土防卫力量的初始战役以如此多的伤亡收场之后不太可能。除非是瑞金特决定按照报复的方式去想——卡贝尔认为这里不太可能会造成因维领导人曾在其他星区所遭受的惨痛失败——哨兵们准备留下他们大部分的军力在星球上以补充残存生化克隆人的力量。一个在经历战斗之后差不多完好无损的因维巢穴将被用作他们的基地。文斯和维特赞同这个做法，即使它会明显削弱哨兵的火力。海顿4号的问题，不管怎样，是没有被考虑为按照一次军事作战的形式的；他们为了瑞克、丽莎、凯伦还有雷的缘故才准备开始这段旅程。
Once again, as someone pointed out.
不是第一次了，有人指出来。
But the Karbarrans and Praxians, in any case, chose to disregard Vince's statement. They likewise ignored Veidt and Sarna's claim that the planet had not been adversely affected by the Invid presence. Haydon IV had Invid; therefore, Haydon IV needed to be liberated.
但无论如何，卡巴拉人和普拉西斯人选择了不理会文斯的发言。同样他们也无视了维特和莎娜的声明：那颗星球并不曾受到所在因维人的不利影响。他们认为，海顿4号有因维人；因此，海顿4号需要被解放。
Kami and Learna were reluctant to leave, reluctant to abandon the hin and to have to reattach themselves to life-support systems; but they agreed to see things through to their completion after Lron and Crysta reminded them of how they had left their son, Dardo, behind on Karbarra.
卡米和莱亚娜不太情愿离开，不愿意放弃“赫因”而被迫给自己重新套上生命维持系统。但是勒荣和克里斯塔提醒他俩，之前他们是怎样将儿子达多留在卡巴拉星球上的，于是卡米和莱亚娜同意参与直到事情完结。
The Sentinels were back to the core group.
哨兵们又回归了核心小组。
And they were also back to unknowns.
同时他们也回归了未知。
It was possible they might beat the Regent's fleet to Haydon IV; get in and out without incident. But it was just as likely that things would continue in the same unpredictable fashion they had grown accustomed to.
他们可能会打败瑞金特驶向海顿4号的舰队；来去从容，全身而退。但那只是可能，事情会以他们已经习以为常的同样不可预知的方式继续。
Ten Earth-standard hours later, the SDF-7 left orbit and jumped.
十个地球标准小时之后，SDF-7离开轨道并进行了空间跳跃。
《沙丘》六部曲合集
《波西杰克逊》系列合集
《猎魔人》合集
A "Code Pyramid" communiqu·from T. R. Edwards, as quoted in Wildman's When Evil Had Its Day
你自己判断，但是尽量让你的人不要接近，直到你确定至少他们[编者按：天顶星人]中的半数都进去了——包括布里泰和那只超大号的婊子卡赞娜。命令破坏组使用更多的装药量，比他们认为必要的量还要多；我不希望他们中的任何人活着出来。实际上，事先尽可能地破坏他们的防护服应该值得一试。我们俩都不相信意外，亚当斯，但是不管怎样我们都会这么说的。
——一则来自T·R·爱德华兹“代号金字塔（计划）”的通讯，被引用于怀特曼的《在邪恶降临之日》
A tight cluster of lights was descending out of Fantoma's perpetually brooding skies. Breetai watched them for a moment, then turned away from the command center's blister viewport to face his lieutenant.
一丛密集的光线正从凡托玛星终年幽森的天空中延伸下来。布里泰注视了一会，接着转身离开指挥中心的泡形观察窗，面向他的副官。
"They've arrived, my lord."
“他们已经到了，大人。”
"So I see," Breetai said soberly. He glanced back over his shoulder, snapped the faceshield that sealed his pressurized armor closed, and moved to the hut's airlock. The lieutenant and two armed soldiers followed him out into Fantoma's night.
“我知道了，”布里泰严肃地说。他转身回瞅了一眼，吧嗒一声合上面罩，将他的加压装甲服密闭起来，并走向房间内的气闸。他的副官和两名武装卫兵跟随他一起步入到凡托玛的夜色当中。
A constant debris-filled wind had been scouring the ringed giant's surface for the past three days, and Breetai instinctively raised an arm against it as he marched in lumbering high strides toward the landing zone's illumination grid. Nearly all of the Zentraedi cadre had turned out for the confrontation, and Breetai spied Kazianna Hesh among them. Nearby were a dozen or so Micronians in environment suits-some of Lang's Robotechs. Edwards's Ghost Riders were reconfiguring their Veritechs now, imaging over from Guardian to Battloid as they touched down.
在过去的三天里，一股夹杂着岩屑的持续强风一直在侵蚀着巨大环形山的表面。布里泰本能地抬起一只手挡风，一面迈着笨拙的大步向着陆区域的照明台架前进。差不多所有的天顶星骨干成员都出现在这次对峙中，布里泰在他们中间发现了卡赞娜·海希。旁边是十来个穿着防护服的微缩人——一些朗博士的机器人技术人员。而爱德华兹的幽灵骑兵们（幽灵中队）正在将他们的机甲变形，在落地时由守护神变为战斗机器人。
"He apparently has more on his mind than a friendly chat," Breetai said to his lieutenant while the last of the squadron was snapping into upright mode. As murmurs of discontent reached him over the tactical freq, Breetai instructed his first officer to pass the word along that he wouldn't tolerate any incidents; no matter what Edwards said or did, his troops were to keep silent.
“他脑子里盘算的显然不止一次友好的谈话。”布里泰对他的副官说，那边最后一架幽灵中队的战机正咔咔嚓嚓地变形为站立模式。当听到战术频道中充斥着一些不满的怨言时，布里泰命令他的大副传下话去：他不能容忍出现任何敌对行为；不管爱德华兹说什么或做什么，他的部队都必须保持沉默。
Edwards stepped his Battloid off the grid and began to move across the field in Breetai's direction. The Zentraedi knew better than to regard this as some gesture of compromise. Four of the Ghosts flanked Edwards, with a kind of threatening casualness to the way they cradled their rifle/cannons. Breetai threw his lieutenant a knowing glance. The show of force came as no surprise; Dr. Lang had already given him an idea of what to expect.
爱德华兹操纵他的机器人走下台架，开始穿过野地朝布里泰的方向移动。这个天顶星人心里很清楚，还不至于把这个举动视为某种妥协的姿态。四台幽灵战队的机甲护卫在爱德华兹两侧，带着一种险恶的随便，从他们揣来福枪/炮的方式可以看得出来。布里泰心照不宣地瞅了他的副官一眼。军队的出现并不令人惊讶；朗博士已经告诫过他会遇到些什么情况。
"New Zarkopolis welcomes General Edwards," Breetai said with practiced elaborateness."We're sorry we couldn't provide the general with better weather." He could hear a few Zentraedi snicker.
“新札寇颇利斯欢迎爱德华兹将军，”布里泰说，带着一种老练的巧妙语色，“很抱歉我们没能给将军提供更好的气象。”（译注：原文用了英文weather的双关含义，即天气和处境）他能听到旁边一些天顶星人的窃笑。
"Very thoughtful of you," Edwards returned over the mecha's external speakers, mimicking Breetai's tone of voice."And I'm sorry I can't bring you better news."
“真是体贴入微，”爱德华兹打开机甲的外部扬声器，并模仿布里泰的口吻说，“我也很遗憾没能带给你们更好的消息。”
The two men fell into an uneasy silence; the wind came up, howling and pinging gravel against Breetai's armored suit and the Battloid's alloy. The Zentraedi commander narrowed his eyes and grinned, picturing Edwards in the mecha's cockpit, nervous hands on the controls. When one of the VT's gauntlets came up, Breetai almost made a grab for it, but restrained himself at the last moment. Edwards caught the gesture, however.
两人都陷入了一种尴尬的沉默。风刮过来，呼啸着，砂砾撞击着布里泰的装甲服和战斗机器人的合金外壳碰碰作响。想象着机甲座舱里爱德华兹用紧张的双手握着控制杆的样子，这个天顶星指挥官不禁眯起眼睛咧嘴一笑。（见状）一台变形机的金属大手（不敬地）伸了过来，布里泰差点就想一把抓住它，但最后克制住了自己。无论如何，是爱德华兹拦下了这个手势。
"A bit nervous today, are we, Breetai·"
“我们今天都有一点紧张，不是吗，布里泰？”
Breetai snorted."This wind has put me in a foul humor."
布里泰哼了一声，“这风弄脏了我的幽默感（心情）。”（译注：humor仍有双关的含义）
Edwards inclined the ultratech knight's head."Well then, maybe this won't seem like bad news after all." The mecha's hand held out an outsize audio device for Breetai's inspection."You and your...crew are relieved, Commander. New Zarkopolis is now under REF jurisdiction, and I'll be assuming personal control of this facility. Tomorrow's cargo run will be your last. You can hear it straight from the council, if you wish."
爱德华兹低下这个超技术骑士（VT机甲）的脑袋，说：“好吧，毕竟这看起来也许不像是坏消息。”他的机甲手中拿出一个特大号的音频设备要给布里泰查看。“你和你的……队伍被接替了，指挥官。新札寇颇利斯现在由太空堡垒远征军管辖，而我将担任这里设施的最高管理者。明天的货物运输将是你们最后一次勤务。你可以直接从委员会听到这个决定，如果你愿意。”
The Zentraedi began to grumble among themselves, and Edwards's sentries took a step forward. Breetai motioned his cadre silent with a downward wave of his massive hand. He accepted the playback device and regarded it for a moment."No need for that. But I should warn you, General, that you're going to find the conditions here somewhat harsh. This is, after all, Zentraedi's work."
天顶星人群中开始发出抱怨声，爱德华兹的哨卫向前迈了一步。布里泰用他的大手做了一个向下的手势，示意他的队伍安静。他接过录音回放设备，打量了一会。“没那个必要。但是我要提醒你，将军，你将会发现这里的情形有些棘手。这毕竟是天顶星人的工作。”
Edwards's short laugh issued from the speakers."We'll manage all right. Of course, you're all welcome to stay on-as laborers, you understand."
扬声器里发出爱德华兹短促的笑声。“我们会搞定的。当然，也欢迎你们都留下——作为劳动力，你明白的。”
"I'll consider it, General."
“我会考虑的，将军。”
"Good, Breetai, good," Edwards said, pleased with the outcome."I like a man who can follow orders. Could be that you and I will see eye to eye yet."
“好的，布里泰，好的，”爱德华兹说，对这一结果感到很高兴，“我喜欢服从命令的人。现在你我的看法都一致了。”
Breetai nodded, tight-lipped. Peripherally, he noticed Kazianna stepping deliberately into his restricted field of view.
布里泰点点头，嘴唇紧闭着。在外边，他注意到卡赞娜故意走进到他有限的视野里。
Edwards went on to inform him that within a week's time several hundred men and women would begin arriving from Tirol, along with the new mecha Lang's teams had designed. Until then, Edwards was leaving behind six of his troops to oversee the transfer of command. Six or six hundred, Breetai said to himself, it wouldn't matter now.
爱德华兹继续告知他，在一周的时间内将会有几百名男人和女人开始不断从泰洛到达这里，带着朗博士团队设计的新型机甲。在那之前爱德华兹会留下6个他的人来监督调任命令的执行。6个还是600个，布里泰对自己说，现在都已没什么要紧的。
When Edwards and most of his squadron had lifted off, Breetai swung stiffly into the wind and made for the mining colony's Quonset-style headquarters. On the way, he asked the lieutenant if his men had completed their task.
当爱德华兹和他的大部分幽灵骑兵都升空离去之后，布里泰迎着风僵硬地转过身，向这个采矿殖民地的指挥部——具有匡西特风格的建筑——走去。在路上，他问起副官是否他的人已经完成了他们的任务。
"Almost, my lord."
“差不多了，大人。”
"And the fool's ore·"
“那个白痴的矿石呢？”
"Loaded for tomorrow's delivery."
“已经装载完毕等待明天发货。”
Breetai grunted."See to it that the last of the monopole is placed aboard the ship. The delivery will go as scheduled, but the monopole remains our property."
布里泰轻蔑地哼了一声。“务必保证最后的磁单极子矿装在船上。交货将按计划进行，但磁单极子矿我们自己留下。”
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow."About Edwards's soldiers, Commander..."
副官张大眼竖起了眉毛。“那爱德华兹的士兵怎么办，指挥官……”
Breetai came to a halt short of the headquarters hatchway."Invite them along to 'oversee' the delivery. Afterward, we'll give them the option of joining us."
布里泰在指挥部的舱门前站立住。“邀请他们一起去‘监督’交货。然后，我们会留给他们加入我们的选择权。”
"And if they refuse·"
“如果他们拒绝呢？”
"I leave that up to you," Breetai said, stepping inside.
“那就交给你处理了。”布里泰说，一边走进屋去。
"Pregnant·" Max asked, as Rhestad's morning rays touched the med team's geodesic shelter.
“怀孕了？”麦克斯问道，若斯达（译注：嘎鲁达星球的“太阳”）的晨辉正沐浴着医疗队的网格掩蔽所。
Vince shrugged his huge shoulders."That's what Jean says. And Cabell concurs."
文斯耸了耸他宽大的肩膀。“吉英就是这么说的。而且卡贝尔也赞同。”
"That's right, my boy," Cabell affirmed."It is most remarkable, but true." The Tiresian was all smiles for a change, his concern for Rem momentarily eclipsed."I thought her first pregnancy the exception that proved the rule. But this-this is nothing short of..."
“是这样的，我的孩子，”卡贝尔证实道，“相当不同寻常，但是是真的。”这个泰雷西亚人变得满脸笑容，他对雷的担忧暂时消褪了。“我曾认为她第一次怀孕只是普遍规律中的例外。但这次，这次又是完全相同的……”
"Remarkable," Max finished for him, shaking his head in disbelief."Yeah, tell me about it."
“异乎寻常，”麦克斯替他把话说完，怀疑地摇着头，“好吧，告诉我是怎么回事。”
Vince laughed."What's with you· It takes two, if I'm not mistaken."
文斯笑道：“你怎么搞的？发生两次了吧，如果我没弄错的话。”
Max looked up into Vince's brown face."Yeah, but Vince, you don't understand. Remember, Miriya's...different."
麦克斯抬头看着文斯褐色的脸颊，说：“是的，但是文斯，你不懂。记得吗，米莉娅……她不同的。”
"She had Dana," Vince started to say.
“她已经有了戴娜。”文斯说道。
"Yeah, and Dana's different."
“是，但戴娜是不一样的。”
"How is she different·" Cabell wanted to know.
“她怎么不一样？”卡贝尔想弄清楚。
Max and Vince traded looks, but left the question unanswered."Can I see her·" Max said suddenly, getting up.
麦克斯和文斯交换了下眼神，留着这个问题没有回答。“我能看看她吗？”麦克斯突然说，站了起来。
Vince laughed."That's a good start."
文斯笑了：“这是个好的开端。”
Max started off for the small area of the med dome Jean's team had partitioned off.
麦克斯动身前往医务圆顶房，这里被吉英的小组隔离开了的一片小空间。
"Remarkable," Cabell mused as he and Vince walked back to where Rick, Lisa, and Karen were undergoing treatment. The three had yet to emerge from semiconsciousness...
“异乎寻常，”卡贝尔沉思着，他和文斯走回到瑞克、丽莎和卡尔正在接受护理的地方。这三个人才刚刚脱离半昏迷状态。
"Any change·" Vince asked his wife a moment later. She was standing over Rick just now, looking almost as drawn and pale as her patient. Vince put his arm around her narrow waist.
“有什么变化吗？”片刻之后文斯问他的妻子。吉英刚才正看护着瑞克，她的脸色几乎和她的病人一样憔悴和苍白。文斯用手臂搂在她纤细的腰上。
"I'm worried, Vince. They should have come out of it by now. We've tried everything-antipsychotics, transfusions..." She threw up her hands."I don't know what to do."
“我很担心，文斯。他们现在应该要缓过来了的。我们已经试过了所有的办法——安定药、输液……”吉英甩着她的手说，“我不知道该怎么办。”
"It is the hin" Veidt said, hovering over to them from the foot of Karen's bed. He had spent the last several hours absorbing everything Jean's medical library databanks had to offer."Garudans live in the womb of the hin. It is what you might term 'an alternate reality.' The microorganisms here, the same which keep Kami's people in a constant state of hin, have caused your friends to become unstuck in what constitutes Human reality."
“是‘赫因’，”维特说，从凯伦的床尾向他们飘飞过来。之前的几个小时他都在消化吉英的医学图书馆数据库所能提供的每条信息。“嘎鲁达人生活在赫因的发源地。你们可以称之为‘一种植物学实体’。这里的微生物，也就是维持卡米族人在一个恒定赫因状态的相同的东西，致使你们的朋友们在人类实体的构成上变得紊乱。”
"Yes, and it's killing them, Veidt. It's not providing them with psychedelic trips or allies or personal power. It's draining the life from them while we sit here and...and-"
“是的，它（赫因？）正在吞噬他们的生命，维特。它不是在给他们提供意识改变的体验或者是联接或者是个人的能力，而是正在消耗他们的生命，就在我们坐在这里的时候，而且，而且……”
"Come on, Jean," Vince said."You're doing what you can."
“别这样，吉英，”文斯说，“你做了你能做的。”
Cabell tugged at his beard."There is a treatment, of course." He turned to Veidt as Vince and Jean's eyes fixed on him.
卡贝尔捋了捋他的胡须，说：“当然了，还有治疗的办法。”他转向维特，文斯和吉英的眼睛都盯着他。
"I will be succinct," the Haydonite began."On my world there are devices capable of reversing the Garudan effect.'Mental illness,' as some of your disks name it, is unknown to us; it is as archaic a thing as your own smallpox."
“我简单点说，”这个海顿人开始讲道，“在我们的世界，有些设备可以逆转嘎鲁达人现象。‘精神疾病’，一些你们的数据中是这么叫的，但对我们来说是未知的；它古老的就和你们那的天花一样。”
"Then what are we waiting for·" Jean said, looking up at Vince."Our work here is finished, isn't it· Garuda's liberated."
“那我们还在等什么？”吉英说，抬头看着文斯。“我们在这的工作完成了，对吧？嘎鲁达解放了。”
Vince removed his hand from her waist to feel his jaw."Yes, in a way."
文斯从吉英的腰间收回自己的手，摸着下巴说：“是的，某种意义上。”
"In a way· What's that supposed to mean·"
“某种意义上？那是什么意思？”
"We've learned that the Regent is on his way to Haydon IV," Cabell told her."With what remains of his fleet, no doubt."
“我们已经知道瑞金特正在去往海顿4号的路上，”卡贝尔告诉吉英，“带着他剩余的舰队，毫无疑问。”
Jean compressed her lips."More fighting, then."
吉英抿紧了嘴唇：“也就是说，还要打仗。”
"It's not even as simple as that," Vince added.
“没有那么简单。”文斯补充道。
"Our world," Veidt said,"cannot be approached with the same tactics you employed to liberate Karbarra, Praxis, and Garuda. Haydon IV is in a certain sense beyond both conquest or liberation. And while it is true that the Invid have assumed control of our political structure, they have not in any way attempted to tamper with our lives. They could not. Haydon IV is an open world and will always remain so."
“我们的世界，”维特说，“不能够用你们解放卡巴拉、普拉西斯和嘎鲁达的那些相同策略来接近。海顿4号在某种意义上不属于征服或是解放的范畴。还有，虽然因维人确实已经取得了我们行政机构的控制权，但是他们并没有以任何形式来试图伤害我们的生命。他们不能。海顿4号是一个开放的世界，而且也将一直保持如此。”
"Couldn't we sneak through or something· I mean, isn't there a back door we could use, some way of getting to those devices without confronting the Invid·"
“我们不能偷偷通过或怎么样吗？我是说，有没有我们可以使用的后门之类的，某些路线可以拿到那些设备而不与因维人冲突？”
Veidt stared at Jean and shook his head."It is impossible."
维特凝视着吉英，摇了摇头：“不可能。”
Vince was pacing up and down, hands clasped behind his back."We've gotta ask ourselves whether it's worth the risk."
文斯在一旁走来走去，双手紧扣背在身后：“我们必须问问我们自己是否值得冒这个险。”
"Whether Rick, Lisa, and Karen are worth the risk, you mean."
“是不是值得为瑞克、丽莎和卡尔冒这个险，你意思是说。”
"And Rem," Cabell added.
“还有雷。”卡贝尔补充。
Vince nodded.
文斯点点头。
"Look what you've already risked to save them," Veidt pointed out.
“看看为了救他们你们已经冒过的险吧。”维特指出。
Everyone fell silent; then Vince said,"Gather the Sentinels. We've got a decision to make."
大家都陷入了沉默；然后文斯说：“集合所有哨兵成员。我们需要做一个决定。”
"I will not have him here! I will not!" the Regis railed to one of her servants. Was there no escaping him· she asked herself. Even here on Haydon IV·
“我不要他来这里！我不要！”瑞吉斯斥责她的一名仆人。没有逃离他吗？她问自己。即使是在海顿4号这里？
"I'm afraid it's too late, Your Grace," the servant said, unmoved from its posture of genuflection."The Regent's flagship has already left Optera to rendezvous here with the remnants of his fleet."
“恐怕太迟了，夫人，”仆人说道，仍旧保持着曲膝的姿态，“摄政王的旗舰已经离开奥普特拉前往这里，与他其余的舰队汇合。”
"How long do I have·" she asked, whirling on the sexless creature, the tassels of her long gloves whipping about.
“我还剩多少时间？”她问，猛地转过身来对着这个无性别的生物，她长长触手的流须在不停地抽动。
"Less than one period, Your Grace."
“少于一个周期（注：何种时间周期待定），夫人。”
She dismissed the servant; when it left the room, she clenched her fists and waved them in the air."Must he stalk me·" she said aloud."Must he continue to punish me·"
她谴退了这个仆人；当它离开房间时，瑞吉斯攥紧了她的拳头，对着空中挥舞。“他一定是在跟踪我？”她大声地说道，“他一定是要继续伤害我？”
Abruptly, she turned around to regard Rem; the Zor-clone was asleep, perhaps unconscious after his sessions with the Regent's scientists from Garuda. They had cured him of the madness induced by that world's atmosphere, only to induce a more controlled state of hallucinatory dread. And then they had picked his brain. Oh, how they had picked his brain.
突然，她转过身来打量着雷；这个佐尔的克隆体正在熟睡中，或许是不省人事，在他与来自嘎鲁达的瑞金特手下的科学家们呆了一段时间后就这样。他们已经将雷从嘎鲁达大气所诱发的疯癫中治愈了，仅仅只激发了一种更多受控的幻觉恐惧状态。而接着他们就窃取了他大脑中的信息。噢天，他们是怎么掏空他的脑袋的。
For the better part of five days now the Regis had had him much to herself; hers to toy with, hers to examine-his dreams and thoughts to dissect, his memories to relive...United with him on some psychic plane, she had walked again through those fields they had walked on Optera. Old Optera, Optera before the fall. She had been able to view those times through his eyes now, and had found herself stirred. He had seen how much she wanted to emulate him, in every way; and she had seen how much he had desired her. Not her physical being, not the form destiny had wed her to, but her spiritual self-her essence. There was at one time a semblance of love there, and this discovery filled her with joy. But it was a rapture that could not survive the realities his war-hungry race had introduced into her garden; a rapture that could only endure on that etheric plane, where things cast beautiful but ultimately painful shadows...
对于五天中更好的部分而言，现在瑞吉斯已经拥有雷更胜于她本人；属于她的，可以用来消遣的，可以用来审视的——剖析他的梦境和想法，复活他的回忆……在某些精神层面与他结合在一起，她又再一次走过了那些他们曾经在奥普特拉走过的旷野。旧奥普特拉，失陷之前的奥普特拉。现在她已经可以透过雷的眼睛重温那些时光，内心的情感也已激荡而起。他见到了她有多么想要赶上他，在各个方面；而她见到过他曾有多么渴望她。不是她的物质存在，不是命运已经赋予她的形态，而是她的精神自我——她的本质。那曾经有过一段表象上的爱情，这个发现让她充满了欣喜。但这是一种不能幸免于他带来的战争真实的狂喜——饥饿的种族被引入了她的花园；一种仅能在灵媒层面持续的狂喜，在这里事物投射出美丽但终究痛苦的阴影……
Still she could hardly tear herself away from that realm, even though her self-indulgence might mean death for the clone. He was her plaything; much as she had been Zor's!
她仍然几乎无法将自己从那种（精神）领域中摆脱出来，即使是她的自我放任可能意味着这个克隆人的死亡。他是她的玩偶；就像她曾经是佐尔的玩偶！
She understood, however, that Zor had somehow meant to redeem himself by sending the Protoculture matrix far from his Masters' reach. But much of this remained unclear, muddled by what she had accessed from Haydon IV's data systems. These grand designs again: Zor, the Masters, the Invid, all locked together in some immense, unfathomable framework.
然而，她明白，佐尔已经用了某种方式来意图弥补自己（的作为），他将史前文化母体远远送离了他雇主所能够及的范围。但这中间多数情况仍然是不清楚的，她已经从海顿4号数据系统中获取的信息把这些搅得乱七八糟。还是这些极其重要的图谋：佐尔，机器人统治者，因维人，所有的一切都在某种浩瀚的、深不可测的架构中被紧密连接在一起。
Along with this mysterious blue-white world revealed by the clone's thoughts, this nexus of events, this pleroma...
连同克隆人思想中透露出来的这个神秘的蓝白色的星球（译注：指代地球），这种事件之间的连系，这种浑融天成（注：pleroma为基督教术语，意为基督神性的总体或充实状态。）……
She had yet to learn either the name of the planet or its continuum coordinates, but she now had a sense of where to begin her search. And sooner or later her sensor nebulae would locate it.
瑞吉斯仍然必须获悉那颗行星的名字或者是它的统一性坐标二者之一，但她现在意识到该从哪里开始她的搜寻。而且她的感应星云迟早都会找到它。
I will follow the nebulae, she decided all at once. I will quit this Quadrant and place myself as far from his reach as that matrix was from the Masters' evil embrace.
我会跟随（感应）星云，瑞吉斯突然决定。我会离开这个星区，让自己远离他（瑞金特）能影响的范围，就像（史前文化）母体远离机器人统治者的邪恶拥抱一样。
She found herself excited by the prospect, laughing as she overlooked Haydon IV's artificial land-and cityscapes. She could even leave some of her Children behind until the moment arrived-the moment when that blue-white world was discovered and made her own!
瑞吉斯发现自己为这种前景而感到兴奋了，大笑着俯瞰海顿4号的人造陆地和都市风景。她甚至可以将一些她的孩子留在身后，直到那一刻的来临——那一刻，那颗蓝白色的星球被发现了，并且归她所有！
She increased her size, towering up to fill the room, knowing a determination she had thought lost with love itself. Regarding Rem, she said,"Now let the Regent have his way with you, clone. Let him peer into your memories of our time together, and let him suffer for what he missed!"
她增大自己的身形，高耸到填满房间，想出一个她认为是无情的决定。关于雷，她说：“现在让瑞金特用他的方式处理你吧，克隆人。让他窥视你记忆中那些我们在一起的时光，让他为他未曾得到的东西痛苦吧！”
Miriya did not look as well as Max had imagined she might. Where was that rosy glow, that special something· Instead, she seemed wasted; baggy-eyed, bone-weary, even slightly jaundiced.
米莉娅看起来并不像麦克斯之前想象的那般好。（脸上）玫瑰色的红晕，还有那特别的神采哪去了？相反地，她看着消瘦了；松垂的眼睛，疲惫的筋骨，甚至有一点像得了黄疸病。
"It's just from my exposure to the atmosphere," Miriya told him as he carefully sat down on the edge of her cot."But Jean says everything's fine, all systems go. So smooth your wrinkled brow, my darling, and kiss me before I do something violent."
“这不过是暴露在嘎鲁达大气中造成的，”麦克斯小心地坐在她的小床边上，米莉娅告诉他说，“而且吉英说没什么事，一切正常。所以不用皱着你的眉头，亲爱的，亲亲我，别让我自己来。”
Max forced a smile and leaned into her arms; they held each other for a moment. Max patted her back and straightened up."I'm not sure I know what to feel," he confessed.
麦克斯憋出一个笑脸，偎依在米莉娅的臂弯中；他们彼此拥抱了一会。麦克斯轻拍米莉娅的后背，直起身来。“我不确定我知道该说些什么。”他坦白地说。
"I know, Max. I'm just as concerned as you are about Rick and Lisa."
“我理解的，麦克斯。我和你一样关心着瑞克和丽莎。”
"Good news, bad news..."
“好消息，坏消息……”
"That's life, Max. And now Dana's going to have a sister."
“这就是生活，麦克斯。而且现在戴娜也将有个妹妹了。”（旁注：汗~她怎么知道自己怀的是个姑娘？）
Max's brows went up."Jean tell you that·"
麦克斯的眉毛一下竖了起来，“吉英告诉你了？”
"She didn't have to." Miriya caressed her belly."I can sense it."
“她不需要说，”米莉娅爱抚着自己的腹部，“我能感觉到。”
Again, Max tried to feel good about things, but the more he looked at his wife, the more anxious he became. He was about to take her hand, when someone rapped against the partition. Crysta, Gnea, and Teal asked if they could come in for a moment. The Spherisian was carrying the infant-a two-foot Baldan, although still faceted and speechless as yet.
麦克斯再次试图让自己感觉好一点，但是他越看着妻子，就变得越焦虑。他正打算握着米莉娅的手，这时有人叩响了这个隔间的墙。克里斯塔、妮雅和缇尔问她们是否能够进来一会。史菲利思人（缇尔）正抱着婴儿——一个两英尺长的巴丹，尽管目前仍然是多晶面状态而且也不能说话。
"As soon as I heard the news I came down," Teal explained."I wanted you to see the infant."
“我一听到消息就下来了，”缇尔解释道，“我想让你看看这个婴儿。”
"Congratulations," Gnea said to Miriya uncertainly.
“祝贺你，”妮雅含糊地对米莉娅说。
"Hey, what about the father·" Max asked good-naturedly.
“嗨，不对父亲也说点什么？”麦克斯和善地问道。
The Praxian turned to him."Why· Did you have something to do with Miriya's condition·"
普拉西斯人（妮雅）转向他说，“为什么？米莉娅这个情形与你有关系吗？”
Max started to respond, but thought better of it, shutting his mouth and blinking stupidly.
麦克斯一下子没反应过来，还好脑子不算慢，他闭上了嘴，傻傻地眨着眼睛。
"When does he become smooth, like you·" Miriya was saying to Teal.
“他什么时候能变得光滑，像你一样？”米莉娅对缇尔说道。
"It doesn't. It's not necessarily a he."
“它不会。它没必要变成一个他。”
Miriya looked around uncomfortably."But I thought that Baldan...that this..."
米莉娅费力地察看着，“但我想巴丹……这……”
"It is of Baldan," Teal replied, regarding the infant analytically."But the features and what I think you call 'the sex' are ultimately left to the Shaper."
“它是巴丹的，”缇尔答道，“但是面貌和我想你们叫做‘性征’的东西都最终留给了塑形者。”
"The Shaper· You·" Crysta said, surprised, one huge paw to her muzzle.
“塑形者？你？”克里斯塔说，感到很惊讶，一只巨大的手掌抚在她的面具上。
"Who else· The young Spherisian remains faceted until smoothed by its Shaper. Soon I will de-facet it."
“还会是谁？史菲利思幼仔会一直保持着多晶面的状态，直到被它的塑形者平整化。一会我就要平整它。”
"But you'll shape him, er, it in Baldan's image, won't you·"
“你会把他，呃，它塑形成巴丹的样子，是吗？”
"Why would I do that· I am bonded with the infant now. I could just as easily shape it in my own image."
“为什么我要那样做？现在是我与婴儿联结在一起。我可以，比如很容易地把它塑造成我自己的样子。”
"But this is all that remains of Baldan," Crysta argued."Don't you want to recapture his essence· It would mean much to all of us."
“但这是巴丹仅有的遗存，”克里斯塔争论道，“你不想重获他的本体吗？这将对我们大家意义非常。”
Miriya and Gnea agreed. Max kept out of it.
米莉娅和妮雅也表示同意。麦克斯在一旁没有出声。
"Among Spherisians I am considered most attractive," Teal told them proudly."A young one could do far worse than be shaped as I am." She regarded Max and Miriya a moment."You Earthers don't even have a choice in the matter."
“在史菲利思人之中，我被认为是最有魅力的，”缇尔自豪地告诉他们，“一个幼仔没有比塑造成我的样子更好的了。”她打量了麦克斯和米莉娅一会说：“你们地球人在这个问题上甚至连个选择的机会都没有。”
"No argument there." Max laughed."But maybe that's the beauty of it."
“那没有根据的，”麦克斯笑道，“但也许这就是它的美丽之处。”
Gnea made a face, astonishment in her gold-flecked eyes."So you did have something to do with it."
妮雅做了个鬼脸，金色斑纹的眼睛中闪烁着惊讶，“所以你确实对她做了什么吧。”
Max looked from Praxian, to Karbarran, to Spherisian, to his own Zentraedi wife, and wondered if he could possibly explain himself.
麦克斯打量着她们，从普拉西斯人到卡巴拉人，到史菲利思人，再到他自己的天顶星妻子，怀疑是否能解释清楚。
The Zentraedi's cargo transport-named the Valivarre for Fantoma's primary-was the largest of the ships constructed to serve the needs of the mining op. It was essentially an enormous shell, with vast featureless cabinspaces and cargo holds, and numerous launch and docking bays sized to accommodate ranks of surface mecha and outsize shuttles. Typical of the new breed SDFs-4 through 8-the Valivarre was only lightly armed and somewhat slow by galactic standards; but unlike those fortresses the ship was equipped with Protoculture/Reflex drives that enabled it to astrogate near-instantaneous folds throughout "local space."
天顶星人的货运飞船叫瓦利瓦号——凡托玛星的恒星，是那些为了采矿作业需要而建造的船舰中最大的一艘。它外形巨大，配有大量普通船舱和货舱，以及众多的起降隔舱，可以适应各种级别的陆基机甲和大型穿梭机。瓦利瓦号属于典型新式太空堡垒（从4号到8号）的类型，只配备了轻型武装，而且相对星系（航行）标准来说航速也有些慢；但与那些堡垒战舰不同的是，这艘舰装备了史前文化/反射驱动器，这使它可以近距导航——通过瞬时折叠穿越“本地空间”。
The transport was in stationary orbit over Tirol just now, off-loading the latest of Fantoma's riches to cargo shuttles, which were making runs both to the SDF-3 and to the moon's surface.
瓦利瓦号正位于泰洛星的定常轨道上，把最新一批凡托玛的财富（矿石）卸货至货运穿梭机，这些穿梭机将飞往SDF-3号和这颗卫星的表面。
On the Valivarre's bridge, Breetai was informed that one of the returning shuttles was bringing up two passengers. He arrived in the busy docking bay just as Dr. Lang and Exedore were descending the shuttle ramp.
在瓦利瓦号的舰桥里，布里泰被告知在一艘返航的穿梭机里带来了两名乘客。他来到繁忙的船坞舱，正碰上朗博士和爱克西多从穿梭机的舷梯上下来。
Lang took a look around. Under the watchful gaze of four Ghost Squadron Battloids, a dozen Zentraedi were loading the last of the monopole ore into a second shuttle. There was more noise than Human ears were meant to withstand, so he donned a pair of silencer muffs, and went on the amplibox to communicate with Breetai.
朗博士看了看四周的情况。在四架幽灵中队战斗机器人警惕地注视下，十几个天顶星人正在将最后一批磁单极子矿石装载进另一艘穿梭机。巨大的噪声让人类的耳膜难以承受，于是他戴上一副消声套，用扩音盒与布里泰通话。
"It appears that everything is in order, Commander," he said, trying to sound businesslike."But I have some matters to discuss with you regarding the transfer schedule. Is there somewhere we can talk·"
“看起来一切正常，指挥官，”他试着用公务性的语调说到。“但我有些事要和你讨论，关于调任时间表。有什么地方方便我们说话吗？”
Breetai led them out of the hold and into a small cabin-space outfitted with a Micronian commo balcony.
布里泰带他们从货舱出来，进入到一个配有微缩化通讯望台的小舱室里。
"This area is secure," Breetai told them after he had dogged the hatch.
“这里很安全，”布里泰尾随进舱口后告诉他们。
Lang got right to the point."You'll never get away with this, Breetai. What do you take us for·"
朗直入重点说道：“你不可能侥幸成功的，布里泰。你弄我们来做什么？”
The Zentraedi grinned."The fool's ore...It wasn't my intention to trick you, Lang. Only Edwards's men. As far as they are concerned, we are off-loading the monopole."
天顶星人露齿而笑：“那个傻子的矿石……不是我要骗你，朗。是爱德华兹的人。就他们而言，我们正在卸货磁单极子。”
"But, Commander," Exedore said,"what are you trying to accomplish· You're aware that Lang and I will have to report this."
“但是，指挥官，”爱克西多说，“你在试图实现什么计划？你知道我和朗将不得不报告这些。”
"And I fully expect you to. I ask only that you delay your report for three hours."
“而我完全期待着你们报告。我要的只是你们推迟你们的报告3个小时。”
"You're leaving!" Lang said, excited."I knew it."
“你要走！”朗激动地说，“我就知道。”
Breetai folded his arms across his chest and nodded."That's right, Doctor. We're leaving. And we're taking the monopole with us."
布里泰在胸前交叉双臂，点点头。“是的，博士。我们要走。而且我们会带着磁单极子和我们一起走。”
Lang was shaking his head."It's a mad scheme, Breetai. Edwards will hunt you down."
朗不停地摇着头说：“疯狂的计划，布里泰。爱德华兹会逮到你的。”
"Perhaps. But he'll think twice about firing on us while we have the ore aboard. Not when he learns that Fantoma's yield is exhausted, I'm relying on you to make this clear to him."
“也许吧。但我们有矿石在船上，他会重新考虑是不是要向我们开火的。当他获悉凡托玛的矿石生产已经枯竭的时候就不会这么做了，我需要你们把这一点明白地告诉他。”
"Commander, may we enquire-"
“指挥官，我们可以问一下……”
"To search for Admiral Hunter, Exedore. I don't accept that the Sentinels have become outlaws any more than I believe the Invid Regent is dead. We know that enemy, Exedore; we engaged them throughout this sector. If he had been assassinated, his queen's troops would have already massed against Tirol and atomized it." Breetai leaned closer to the balcony railing to regard his Micronized friend."We are free of all imperatives now, Exedore. The Zentraedi will follow none but their own. Will you join us·"
“去找卡特将军吧，爱克西多。我不认为哨兵已经变成逃犯更甚于我不相信因维摄政王已经死了。我们了解那个敌人，爱克西多；我们曾在这里的整个星区与他们作战。如果摄政王被刺杀了，他王后的军队早就已经蜂拥到泰洛并把它撕碎了。”布里泰凑近望台的扶手向他的微缩化的朋友致意。“现在我们不受任何命令了，爱克西多。天顶星人将只追随自己的意志。你会加入我们吗？”
Exedore bowed his head."Commander, you honor me. But I, too, have an inner imperative."
爱克西多低着头说：“指挥官，我以你为荣。但是我，也有一件不方便说的紧要事情。”
Breetai mulled it over, then nodded."I understand, my friend."
布里泰深思了一会，接着他点点头：“我明白，我的朋友。”
Lang looked at the two Zentraedi, suddenly aware of the import the moment held. A surge of misgiving washed through him; a shaping charge he could barely sustain. His voice cracked when he spoke."To Praxis, Breetai· Garuda· Spheris· The ship you seek is small enough as to be insignificant."
朗看着两个天顶星人，突然意识到刚才那一刻的意思。一阵汹涌的不安冲刷过他的身体；不断增大的负荷令他难以承受。朗说话的时候声音已变得嘶哑：“去普拉西斯吗，布里泰？嘎鲁达？史菲利思？你要找的那艘船简直小到不值一提。”
Breetai fixed his eye on Lang."I don't believe that, Doctor. Nor do you."
布里泰的目光盯着朗，“我不相信，博士。你也不信。”
Lang rasped,"Haydon IV." She is there, something told him.
朗尖声地说道：“海顿4号。”她在那，有什么告诉他。
Exedore stretched out a hand."Doctor-"
爱克西多伸出一只手：“博士……”
"Don't ask me to explain." Was it Janice, he wondered, or some other she· It was a presence the Shaping had alerted him to, a power unlike anything he had experienced...
“别让我解释。”是贾妮斯吗，他怀疑，或是某个其他的她？它是一种存在，不断的增长已经警示了他，是一种不像他之前任何经历的力量……
Breetai regarded him for a moment."I will begin my search there."
布里泰打量了他一会，说：“我会在那开始搜索的。”
Lang nodded, weakly, wondering whether he would ever see the Zentraedi again.
朗无力地点点头，不知道他是否还能再次见到这个天顶星人。
On Garuda, the Sentinels grouped together in the long-house to discuss their options and priorities, which meant that it was back to transpirators for almost everyone involved. Vince, Max, and Jack were so certain of where they stood that they had already had Rick, Lisa, and Karen brought up to the SDF-7. Under Wolff's and Janice's supervision, Tesla and the two Invid scientists had also been moved to the ship, along with Miriya-who was still too weak to take part in the meeting-and Teal and the Spherisian infant.
在嘎鲁达星球上，哨兵们聚集在长厅里，讨论他们面临的选择和事情的轻重缓急，这意味着几乎每个人又回到带呼吸面罩的状态。文斯、麦克斯和杰克都很确定他们的立场，而且已经把瑞克、丽莎和凯伦带到了SDF-7上。在沃尔夫和贾妮斯的监督之下，泰斯拉和两名因维科学家也已经被带到船上，和米莉娅、缇尔以及史菲利斯婴儿一起——米莉娅仍然很虚弱，没有办法参加会议。
Most of Garuda was celebrating-the grieving would come later-and the wild sounds of song and dance made it all the more difficult for the group to come to any agreement concerning the Haydon IV option. They did find themselves united, however, on the issue of Garuda. With the Optera tree orchards in ruins, it wasn't likely that the Invid were going to have much use for the planet-especially not when their initial campaign against Garuda's inherent defenses had ended in so many deaths. But just in case the Regent decided to think along the lines of reprisals-which, Cabell maintained, was highly unlikely given the disastrous defeats the Invid leader had been suffering in other quarters-the Sentinels were prepared to leave most of their forces "onworld to complement the strength of the remaining Bioroid clones. The one Invid hive that had come through the battle reasonably intact would serve as their base. Vince and Veidt were in favor of this even though it would significantly reduce the Sentinels' firepower. Haydon IV, though, was not be thought of in terms of a military campaign; they were undertaking the journey for the sake of Rick, Lisa, Karen, and Rem.
嘎鲁达的大部分地方正在进行庆祝，暂时远离了悲伤，狂野的歌声和舞蹈让哨兵们在关于海顿4号的问题上达成某种共识变得更加困难。他们发现自己确实团结起来了，无论如何在嘎鲁达的事情上是这样。由于奥普特拉果树园林成为了废墟，因维人不太可能拿这颗星球还有很多用处，尤其是在他们对嘎鲁达本土防卫力量的初始战役以如此多的伤亡收场之后不太可能。除非是瑞金特决定按照报复的方式去想——卡贝尔认为这里不太可能会造成因维领导人曾在其他星区所遭受的惨痛失败——哨兵们准备留下他们大部分的军力在星球上以补充残存生化克隆人的力量。一个在经历战斗之后差不多完好无损的因维巢穴将被用作他们的基地。文斯和维特赞同这个做法，即使它会明显削弱哨兵的火力。海顿4号的问题，不管怎样，是没有被考虑为按照一次军事作战的形式的；他们为了瑞克、丽莎、凯伦还有雷的缘故才准备开始这段旅程。
Once again, as someone pointed out.
不是第一次了，有人指出来。
But the Karbarrans and Praxians, in any case, chose to disregard Vince's statement. They likewise ignored Veidt and Sarna's claim that the planet had not been adversely affected by the Invid presence. Haydon IV had Invid; therefore, Haydon IV needed to be liberated.
但无论如何，卡巴拉人和普拉西斯人选择了不理会文斯的发言。同样他们也无视了维特和莎娜的声明：那颗星球并不曾受到所在因维人的不利影响。他们认为，海顿4号有因维人；因此，海顿4号需要被解放。
Kami and Learna were reluctant to leave, reluctant to abandon the hin and to have to reattach themselves to life-support systems; but they agreed to see things through to their completion after Lron and Crysta reminded them of how they had left their son, Dardo, behind on Karbarra.
卡米和莱亚娜不太情愿离开，不愿意放弃“赫因”而被迫给自己重新套上生命维持系统。但是勒荣和克里斯塔提醒他俩，之前他们是怎样将儿子达多留在卡巴拉星球上的，于是卡米和莱亚娜同意参与直到事情完结。
The Sentinels were back to the core group.
哨兵们又回归了核心小组。
And they were also back to unknowns.
同时他们也回归了未知。
It was possible they might beat the Regent's fleet to Haydon IV; get in and out without incident. But it was just as likely that things would continue in the same unpredictable fashion they had grown accustomed to.
他们可能会打败瑞金特驶向海顿4号的舰队；来去从容，全身而退。但那只是可能，事情会以他们已经习以为常的同样不可预知的方式继续。
Ten Earth-standard hours later, the SDF-7 left orbit and jumped.
十个地球标准小时之后，SDF-7离开轨道并进行了空间跳跃。