第十四章
While it was true the Invid had been existing on the very same fruits and flowers that were rapidly turning Tesla into something not-quite or more-than Invid, it must be pointed out that the liquified plant-stuff which reached Optera was of a "pasteurized" variety, and was principally utilized as nutrient bath for the soldiers* battle mecha-Scouts, Shock Troopers, Pincer Ships, and such. By forcing himself to subsist on the pure (or the impure, in actuality), Tesla was receiving megadoses of the same stuff that years earlier had sent the Zentraedi Khyron clear over the edge of the Imperative, and into undreamed-of states of metanoia.
History of the Second Robotech War, volume XXXVI "Tirol"
尽管因维人确实一直依靠着这些果实和花朵过活——它们很快地将泰斯拉变成某种不纯粹也不出格的因维人，但必须指出，那些到达奥普特拉的液态植物原料是一种“消过毒”的品种，主要用于士兵战斗机甲的营养液，如因维侦察机、突击骑兵机、螯击机等。通过依靠这种纯正的（实际上或许也不纯正）原料来对自身催长，泰斯拉正在接受超大剂量的植物原料。早些年用同样的原料已经清除了天顶星人凯龙（内心）对训命的抵触，并令他进入了意想不到的“悔悟”（译注：基督教用语，意为心灵的改变。）状态。
——第二次宇宙大战史，第XXXVI卷，“泰洛”
"I demand to know where she is!" The Regent bawled as he and his eleven-trooper elite stormed across one of Haydon IV*s ice-blue plazas, the splendors of the city lost on them.
“我要知道她在哪里！”瑞金特叫骂着，他和他的11个精英突击兵疾步穿过一个海顿4号的冰蓝色广场，把城市壮观的景色甩在身后。
The planet*s indigenous beings paid the Invid little mind, and went about their mysterious business, hovering in groups of two or three in and out of Glike*s spirelike buildings, across graceful bridges, and through parks too perfect to believe. But visitors, guests, and merchants from other worlds stopped to gaze upon the one whose race had most recently changed the face of the Fourth Quadrant. A few Karbarrans even had to be restrained from running forward to mock the Regent with reminders of their recent victory."Sentinels! Sentinels!" they chanted, and succeeded for a moment in bringing the Regent around to confront them. No one, however, dared make a violent move, for beneath those very same plazas and parks lurked surprises of a decidedly punishing nature. Haydon IV had rules for citizens and strangers alike, and it enforced them without bias.
这颗星球上的原住民对这些因维人并不在意，各自做着他们有些神秘莫测的事情：三两成群地盘旋着，或从格莱克城锥形的建筑中进进出出，或通过雅致的桥梁，或以令人难以置信的优雅（飞行着）通过公园。但是观光客、商旅等来自其他星球的各色人等都停下来注视着因维人，这个种族才刚刚改变了第四星区的面貌。几个卡巴拉人要不是被拦着，甚至想凑上前来嘲弄瑞金特，炫耀他们刚刚获得的胜利。“哨兵！哨兵！”他们高呼着，并且有一会招致了瑞金特转身与他们对峙。但是，没有人敢做出暴力行为，在那些非常类似的广场和公园之下潜藏着由一种坚决的惩罚性自然力产生的惊人事物。海顿4号对（自己的）公民们和外来者们有着相同的法规，它强迫所有人一视同仁。
Glike：格莱克（城），海顿4号地名。
The Invid squad commander whispered as much to the Regent, while the ursine Karbarrans continued to hurl insults and imprecations. And at the same moment one of the Regis*s servants approached, offering a brief and unconvincing genuflection.
这些像熊一样的卡巴拉人不断地抛出侮辱和诅咒的词令，因维队长则一直在与瑞金特耳语。就在此时，一个（女王）瑞吉斯的仆人走过来，做了一个短暂且不够恭敬的曲膝礼。
"Your Highness," the servant said, with a condescending tone.
“殿下，”瑞吉斯仆人的语调高傲。
The Regent raised a fist."How dare she refuse to honor my arrival!"
瑞金特挥舞起一只拳头，“她怎么敢不来给我接风！”
"Perhaps, my lord," the Regent*s own lieutenant suggested,"she trembles in terror at the mere thought of your blinding presence."
“也许，王上，”瑞金特自己的尉官暗示他，“仅仅是想一想您眩目的容貌就已经让她害怕地发抖了。”
"Grovel on your own time," the Regent snarled. He fixed his wife*s servant with a gimlet stare."Where is my shameful wife· Explain this breach of protocol, worm, before I find a place for you in the Pits."
“拍你自己的马屁去吧（二校点），”瑞金特咆哮道。他直勾勾地盯着他妻子的仆人。“我那让人丢脸的妻子在哪？赶快解释这种背弃协议的行为，蠕虫，在我把你扔到起源坑里之前。”
The servant lifted its head."She is gone, Regent."
这个仆人抬起头，“她走了，摄政王。”
The Regent knew as much already, and bristled at the servant*s impertinence."I*m aware that she is gone-her flagship has left orbit. But I want to know where."
瑞金特已经知道了这些，而对这名仆人的无礼气得毛发都竖起来了。“我知道她走了——她的旗舰已经脱离了（行星）轨道。我要知道她去哪了！”
"She left no word, m*lord. Save to say that she is not expected to return."
“她没有留话，王上。只说她不打算回来。”
"Which explains your laxity." The Regent raised himself to his full height, and looked down his snout on the Regis*s creature."Perhaps I will make an example of you, grub. Now, lead me to our chambers before I forget myself...See that my pets are cared for," he said to his lieutenant as an afterthought,"and have the Sentinel prisoner brought before me."
“这倒是解释了你的懈怠。”瑞金特完全挺起身，越过他的长嘴低头看着这个瑞吉斯的创造物。“也许我该给你做个示范，蛆虫。现在，在我发火之前带我去我们的会客室……看看我的宠物们照看得怎么样了，”他接着又对副官补充道，“再把哨兵囚犯给我带来。”
Several other servants appeared to usher the Regent and his retinue to the same rooms his queen had occupied and abandoned, and along the way he could not help but take note of some of Haydon IV*s wonders. The planet was unlike anything he had ever seen, and yet there was a sense of familiarity everywhere he looked. Here, a structure that was reminiscent of Tiresia; there, a patch of forest seemingly lifted from Garuda. Spherisian crystal palaces, Karbarran factories without the dirt or stench, Praxian arabesque carvings, totems, statues, pillars, and pedestals-even some things which could only have come from Optera itself: fields of Flowers and rows of Fruit-bearing trees, all sterile to be sure, but so faultless, so exquisite in appearance.
几名其他的仆人出来将瑞金特和他的随行人员引导到他的王后曾经占有并抛弃的那些房间，在前行的途中他不禁注意到一些海顿4号的神奇之处。这个星球不同于他以往见过的任何一个，他所看到的每个地方都有一种熟悉的感觉。这里，有一幢建筑令人回想起泰雷西亚；那里，有一片森林仿佛移植于嘎鲁达。史菲利思的水晶宫殿；没有污垢或臭气的卡巴拉工厂；普拉西斯的阿拉伯式图样雕刻品、图腾、雕像、台柱及底座——甚至还有一些只能来自于奥普特拉自身的东西：成片的生命之花和成行的处于结实期的果树，当然都是不育的，但却如此完美，拥有雅致的外观。
And yet nowhere a hint of instrumentality.
可是这些都没有一点助益。
There was silence on the bridge of the SDF-7 while Wolff and Vince waited for the ship*s identification library to display its assessment. Wolff folded his arms and leaned away from the console when the data appeared.
SDF-7的舰桥一片沉寂，沃尔夫和文斯等待着舰上的身份数据库显示评估结果。沃尔夫双臂叉在胸前，倚靠在远离控制台的地方，这时数据出来了。
"Well·"
“嗯？”
"Signatures confirmed," Wolff said flatly."Invid troop carriers the Regent*s flagship. We*re too late."
“信号确认，”沃尔夫有气无力地说，“因维运兵舰——瑞金特的旗舰。我们来晚了。”
"Are they scanning us·"
“他们在扫描我们吗？”
Wolff exhaled loudly and swung to a peripheral monitor."Affirmative. But it*s low-level, cursory. Could be we*re an unknown quantity. God knows there are enough other ships docked out here."
沃尔夫大声地呼气，转向一个外围显示屏。“是的。不过是低水平和粗略的扫描。也许我们还是一个未知单位。谁能知道有足够多的其他船只停泊在这里。”
Vince had to agree; he had never seen so many different types and classes of starship. Haydon IV was obviously all that Veidt and Sarna had been telling everyone.
文斯也得同意；他从没看到过如此多的不同类型和级别的星际飞船。海顿4号显然正如维特和莎娜曾告诉大家的情况一样。
"So what do we do, Captain-open a hailing frequency, tell them we*re just in for liberty, a little R *n* R·"
“那我们怎么办，舰长——开启一个呼叫频率，告诉他们我们只是为行使自由权利而来，（某术语）？”
Vince frowned and put a hand on the ship*s address-system stud...
文斯眉头紧锁，一只手放在舰船的呼叫系统按钮上……
"Haydon IV is an open world," Veidt was explaining in the briefing room ten minutes later."I thought I had already made myself clear on this point. The planet has never been taken by force; its defenses are legendary. There are, in the central records, references to an attempted invasion some two thousand Earth-standard years ago. Several hundred vessels were destroyed in a matter of moments."
“海顿4号是一个开放的世界，”十分钟后维特在简报室里解释道，“关于这一点我想我已经讲清楚了。这个星球从未被武力征服过；它的防御体是个传奇。在中央档案里，提到一次约2千地球标准年之前的试图入侵的事件。几百艘船在一瞬间被消灭了。”
"But the Invid-" Jack started to say.
“但是因维人……”杰克开始说。
"The Invid did not engage Haydon IV*s defenses," Sarna picked up."Any who come in peace are free to stay and trade. The Invid came and insinuated themselves into positions of political authority; but they are quite tame here. We may land in safety, but we will surely be taken into custody."
“因维人没有攻击海顿4号的防御体，”莎娜接过话，“任何友善的来宾都可以自由地停留和贸易。因维人来了，并且巧妙的使他们进入到拥有行政权力的位置；但他们在这里十分驯服。我们可以平安地着陆，但我们肯定会被带去羁押。”
"Then we can*t go in under arms," Crysta said.
“那么我们不能武装进入了，”克里斯托说。
Jack grunted."Maybe you don*t have the courage to try, but I do."
杰克嘟囔着：“也许你没有勇气去试一下，但我有。”
Lron glared at him from across the table."You dare impugn her courage· Perhaps you-"
勒荣在桌子那边怒视着杰克说：“你胆敢质疑她的勇气？也许你——”
"Stop this!" Jean interrupted."Both of you."
“够了！你们两个。”吉英打断道。
"Exactly what are these *defenses,* Veidt·" Vince wanted to know.
“确切点说，这些‘防御体’是指什么，维特？”文斯想弄明白。
"I have never seen them. As I stated, they have not been put to the test in two thousand of your years."
“我从未见过它们。就像我说过的，它们已经有2千地球年没有被动过了。”
"Come on," Jack said, looking around."Then how do we know they*re still functioning·"
“好了，”杰克说，一边环顾四周，“那么我们怎么知道它们仍然有用？”
"Do you hunger to challenge them·" Sarna asked.
“你这么渴望去挑战它们？”莎娜问。
Jack returned a sullen stare.
杰克回应了一个愠怒的眼神。
Jean shook her head and snorted."So to utilize the medical facilities, we have to go in with our hands raised."
吉英一边摇头一边呼哧地说：“这样看来为了使用星球上的医疗设备，我们只好高举双手（投降）前往了。”
"Yes, straight into an Invid stronghold," Bela said.
“是的，直接进入一个因维据点，”贝拉说。
"We are given no choice," Gnea added."Our comrades will have to be surrendered. But who among us will escort them down·" The Praxian glanced around the table.
“我们别无选择，”妮雅补充道，“我们的（病患）同志将不得已投降（前往）。但我们当中谁将护送他们呢？”这个普拉西斯人环顾桌子的四周。
"I*ll go," Wolff volunteered.
“我去，”沃尔夫自愿报名。
Jean caught her husband*s eye."I will, too."
吉英注视着她丈夫的目光说：“我也去。”
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Jack said, standing up."I*m as concerned about Karen and Rick and Lisa as any of you. But just suppose the Invid deny the request for medical help. Then they*ve not only got Karen, they*ve got you and you and whoever else is crazy enough to volunteer." He shook his head."Uh, uh. We need to find some way around this."
“等会，等会，”杰克站起身说，“我和你们每个人一样关心着凯伦、瑞克和丽莎。但是仅仅设想一下因维人拒绝医疗援助请求的情况。那么他们会不止抓到凯伦，他们也会抓到你还有你，还有任何足够疯狂到当志愿者的人。”他摇着脑袋。“呃，呃。我们需要找到一些应对这种情况的办法。”
"The Invid cannot deny that which is promised by the planet to all," Veidt said, loud enough to cut through all the separate arguments Jack*s objection had raised. Everyone heard the Haydonite*s remark, but the bickering continued.
“因维人不会拒绝被这颗行星所允诺的任何事情，”维特说，声音很大，盖过了杰克的异议所引发的不同争论。大家听到了这名海顿人的讲述，但争论还在继续。
"All right, simmer down," Vince told the table."Max has an idea."
“好吧，总结一下，”文斯向桌边的人群说，“麦克斯有个主意。”
"Two landing parties," the Skull ace began when everyone was quiet. He was exhausted, having spent every minute by Miriya*s side. Her condition had deteriorated after the fold to Haydon IV, and it was Jean*s thought to number her among the patients."Some of us take the four of them down; the rest of you go in unannounced to keep an eye on us."
“两支着陆队伍，”大家安静下来，这名骷髅中队的王牌开始发话。他很疲惫，之前一直陪在米莉娅的身边。在（SDF-7）折叠到海顿4号后，她的病情开始恶化，在吉英看来她也加入到了病患之列。“我们中的部分人带着他们4个降落；其他人悄悄潜入等待我们的指示。”
"It will not work, Commander," Veidt said; but Jack, Lron, Bella, and Gnea were already enthusiastic. Even Burak added his voice to the group as a show of support.
“这没有用，指挥官，”维特说；但杰克、勒荣、贝拉和妮雅已经满怀热情。甚至连伯拉克也加入进来，随声附和以示支持。
"The* planet*s defenses will detect you," Sarna tried to warn them."We*ll have to risk it," Vince answered her.
“星球的防御体会探测到你们，”莎娜试图警告他们。“我们必须冒险，”文斯回答她。
And the plan was put to a vote.
接着这个计划被付诸表决。
Jean and Wolff had already volunteered, and now Max and Vince and Cabell joined them. Veidt and Sarna would escort them. Jack, however, insisted that Karen*s cause would be better served by his doing something more than crying by her bedside; so he opted for the second team. Burak, Kami and Learna, Bela, Gnea, Lron, and Crysta threw in with him. Janice was undecided until the last minute; then she allied herself with Jack*s group-on one condition: that they take Tesla and the two Invid scientists along with them.
吉英和沃尔夫已经自愿前往，现在麦克斯、文斯和卡贝尔加入到他们一起。维特和莎娜将陪同他们。而杰克坚持认为他得做点什么会更有助于凯伦当前的境遇，而不是在她床边哭鼻子；因此他选择了第二支队伍。伯拉克、卡米、莱亚娜、贝拉、妮雅、勒荣和克里斯托加入到他这一边。贾妮斯直到最后一刻还在犹豫；然后她决意加入杰克的队伍——但有个条件：他们得带着泰斯拉和两个因维科学家和他们一起去。
"He did help out back on Garuda," Jack was willing to concede."But I still don*t trust him."
“他确实在嘎鲁达撤退时帮上了忙，”杰克愿意承认这一点，“但我还是不相信他。”
"I don*t either," Janice said."I*d just like to see what would happen if Tesla and the Regent came snout-to-snout."
“我也是，”贾妮斯说，“我只是想看看如果泰斯拉和瑞金特猪嘴对猪嘴碰面会发生什么事。”
Only Wolff heard Burak*s gasp; but he didn*t think anything of it.
只有沃尔夫听到了伯拉克倒吸一口气；但他并不以为然。
"Breetai and his Zentraedi are traitors and criminals," T. R. Edwards told the council, positioning himself where he was certain the cameras would close in on his polished skullplate and furious expression."They*ve stolen the very thing we need to return to Earth, and thereby condemned our world to defeat at the hands of the Robotech Masters." He swung around and walked angrily back to his seat, facing the audience now."Some of you are probably thinking that this is the Zentraedi*s way of avenging themselves on the RDF. But I suspect they have an even darker purpose in mind. It*s my belief that Breetai means to band together with the Sentinels and form a cartel to take control of the spaceways.
“布里泰和他的天顶星人都是叛徒和罪犯，” T•R•爱德华兹向议会讲道，他摆好位置使镜头能完整地拍到他锃亮的头套和暴怒的表情。“他们偷盗了我们返回地球所需要的东西，也因此宣告了我们的世界（二校点：远征的部队？）落败于机器人统治者之手。”他转过身愤怒地走回座位，面向听众。“你们中的一些人可能在想，这是天顶星人为他们自己向太空堡垒防卫军复仇的方式。但是我怀疑他们心里有一个更为黑暗的企图。我相信布里泰是想和哨兵联合起来，构成一个（政治）联盟来控制航路。”
"And with the Invid Regent dead and our own forces stranded, there will be little to stop them from putting their plans in motion-unless we take quick and decisive action against them. For this reason, I*m asking for the council approval of my request for the four ships that comprise our new flotilla. The Zentraedi must be hunted down and destroyed!"
“再加上因维摄政王的死和我们自己军队的进退两难，这将没有什么能阻止他们实行他们的计划——除非我们对他们采取快速和决定性的反击行动。出于这个原因，我现在请求议会批准我对组成我们新舰队的四艘舰船的（授权指挥）要求（译注：是指SDF-3~SDF-6吗？）。这些天顶星人必须被猎杀和摧毁！”
There were conflicting reactions from the crowd, all of which Senator Longchamps silenced with three determined gavel blows."The council will not tolerate these continued outbursts," he warned the audience."If this occurs again, I*m going to order the room cleared. Now," he said, turning to Edwards,"the council appreciates the generals*s concern, but there are a few issues that need to be addressed." He consulted his notes, then said,"Mr. Obstat·"
人群起了反应，产生了（不同意见的）冲突，隆尚议员用议事槌敲了三下让一切安静下来。“议会不能容忍这些不休的喧哗，”他警告听众，“如果再发生这种事情，我就要命令清理房间了。现在，”他说，转向爱德华兹，“议会很赞赏将军的担忧，但还有一些观点需要进行讲演。”他参考了一下笔记，然后说“奥博斯坦先生？”
"Isn*t it true, General, that action of the sort you propose could quite possibly jeopardize the very ore we*re so desperately in need of·"
“是不是真的，将军，你提到的这类行动将完全可能危及到我们如此迫切需要的矿石？”
Edwards stood up."Do you propose to let them have it, then·" he asked evenly.
爱德华兹站起身。“那么你建议让他们拥有它？”他平静地问。
"We don*t know why they took it in the first place," Justine Huxley argued."I for one am not convinced that they mean to do as you suggest-band together with the Sentinels and embark on some sort of transgalactic campaign. Can*t we simply continue to mine ore until the Zentraedi make their demands known to us·"
“首先我们不知道他们为什么带走矿石，”贾丝廷•赫胥黎争论道，“以我为例，我不确信他们打算像你所说的那样做——与哨兵联合起来从事某种穿越星际的军事活动。难道我们不能在天顶星人告诉我们他们的要求之前，简单地继续开采矿石吗？”
Dr. Lang spoke to that."I*m afraid that Fantoma has yielded up the last of its monopole ores. Only trace quantities remain, and further mining is hardly justified at this stage."
朗博士回应道：“我恐怕凡托玛星已经产尽它最后的磁单极子矿了。只剩微小的存量，在眼下进一步开采很难说是有效的。”
"What about our reserves, Doctor, here and on Tirol," Harry Penn asked."Don*t we have enough to repair the fortress*s fold systems·"
“我们的储量怎么样，博士，包括这里的和泰洛的，”哈利•潘问道，“我们没有足够修复堡垒折叠系统的矿石吗？”
"Unfortunately not," Exedore asserted."The...stolen ore represented more than three months of mining. It is crucial to our goals."
“很不幸没有，”爱克西多宣称，“那……那些被盗的矿石据说超过3个月的采矿量。它对于我们的目标至关重要。”
Edwards waited for the gasps and buzzing in the room to subside."With the council*s indulgence, I have reason to question Dr. Lang and Ambassador Exedore*s assessment of the situation. It*s no secret to the RDF that both of them have special interests in furthering the Sentinels* cause-"
“在议会的特许下，我有理由质疑朗博士和爱克西多大使对于形势的评估。在RDF众所周知他们都对哨兵的主张有着特别的兴趣——”
Longchamps banged his gavel."General, I must caution you to refrain from using this session to cast aspersions on any members of this council. Is that understood·"
隆尚敲响了他的槌子，“将军，我必须警告你不可以利用这次会议抛出诽谤任何议会成员的言论。明白了吗？”
The cameras tracked in to catch Edwards*s stiff and silent nod.
镜头在追踪，捕捉到爱德华兹僵硬且沉默的点头。
In Edwards*s chambers aboard the SDF-3, where she was watching the proceedings, Minmei got up to fix herself another drink. Lang*s face was on-screen when she returned to the edge of the bed.
在SDF-3号上爱德华兹的房间里，也是她观看会议进程的地方，明美起床又给自己倒上一杯。当她回到床边时，朗的面孔正出现在屏幕上。
"That*s true, Senator," the Robo-wiz was saying."Exedore and I were the first to discover that the material offloaded from the Valivarre was a type of *fool*s ore,* if you will. We immediately reported this to General Edwards-"
“确实如此，参议员，”这个机器人技术奇才（朗博士）说道，“是爱克西多和我首先发现从瓦利瓦星系卸货的原料是一种“白矿石/冒牌矿石”，如果你们愿意这么叫。我们立即向爱德华兹将军报告了这件事。“
"After that ship had folded out of Tirolspace, Doctor," Edwards barked.
“是在那艘船已经折叠出泰洛空间之后，博士，”爱德华兹咆哮道。
"General Edwards," Longchamps cut in,"weren*t some of your own Ghost Squadron aboard the Valivarre supervising the transfer·"
“爱德华兹将军，”隆尚插话道，“不是有一些你自己的幽灵中队（战机）在瓦利瓦监督调运吗？”
Minmei saw Edwards*s face drain of color; the cameras captured the fury in his single eye."I*m certain that those brave men were killed, Senator."
明美看见爱德华兹的脸变得苍白；镜头捕捉到了他那只独眼中表露的愤怒。“我很肯定那些勇敢的军人都被杀了，议员。”
The cameras cut to Lang."Council members, I can personally attest to the presence of the general*s men. And Exedore and I both found them very much alive."
镜头切换到朗博士，“议会成员们，我可以亲自证明这些将军的部下在场。而且爱克西多和我都看到他们好好地活着。”
Minmei sipped her drink, anticipating Edwards*s comeback; he didn*t surprise her.
明美抿着她的酒，预计着爱德华兹的反驳；他（这样）并不令她吃惊。
"Yes, and exactly what motivated you and the ambassador to shuttle up to the Valivarre, Doctor·"
“是的，确切地说是什么促使你和这位大使飞到瓦利瓦去的，博士？”
"We were merely going over the transfer schedule with Commander Breetai-"
“我们不过是去和布里泰指挥官查对调运进度表——”
Minmei touched the remote and the screen went blank. She drained her glass and thought, A few more of these and I*ll be too numb to care. And numb was just what she was after. She had lost her friends, her faith, her voice, any sense of purpose she might have once called her own. Rick, Lisa, Janice, Dr. Lang, Jonathan...And lately she had even been thinking about Kyle. She wasn*t sure why, but guessed that it had something to do with Edwards and the control he had begun to assert over her. She imagined she saw a curious pattern at work that coupled Rick and Lynn-Kyle, now Jonathan Wolff and Edwards-some slide into self-abuse when she came too close to genuine love and commitment. Property, she thought in disgust. That was how she was beginning to view herself. Her voice co-opted by the RDF, her dreams destroyed by war, her will at the mercy of men who wanted nothing more than to rule and possess her, body and mind.
明美按下遥控器，屏幕变空白了。她喝干了杯子里的酒，一面想：再多来一点我就会变得麻木不能自理。而麻木正是她所寻找的。她失去了她的朋友、她的信仰、她的歌声，以及那些她可能曾经认为是自己特有的追求。瑞克、丽莎、贾妮斯、朗博士、乔纳森……而最近她甚至一直在回想凯尔。她不确定为什么，但是猜测与爱德华兹和他已经开始宣称对自己的支配有关系。她想象中自己看见了一幅古怪的活的图案，瑞克和林凯都在，而现在是乔纳森•沃尔夫和爱德华兹——当她过于靠近真正的爱情和承诺时，有些不知不觉地陷入自责。（私人）财产，她觉得令人厌恶。这是她开始审视自己的方式。她的声音被RDF征用，她的梦想被战争毁灭，她的意志任由一个男人摆布，这个人所要的不过是支配和占有她，她的身体和心灵。
Numb, comfortably numb, she told herself...
麻木，安逸的麻木，她告诉自己……
Thirty minutes later the door hissed open and Edwards strode into the room, grinning evilly. Minmei realized she had dozed off, and, startled now, she began to back herself onto the bed. Edwards leered at her, perhaps thinking she was toying with him, and came down on top of her, elbows supporting his upper body. She pressed her hands against his chest and said,"Please..."
30分钟后，门嘶的一声开了，爱德华兹大步走进房间，邪恶地咧着嘴笑。明美意识到她刚才打了一会瞌睡，而现在惊醒了，于是仰面躺在床上。爱德华兹不怀好意地看着她，也许他以为明美在和他调情，便俯身凑到她的上面，用肘支撑着上半部身体。明美用双手抵住他的胸口，说：“不要……”
"What*s the matter with you·" he asked, face-to-face with her.
“你怎么了？”爱德华兹与明美面对面地问道。
"I*m just...confused." She tried to roll out from under him, but his arms held her fast.
“我只是……有点困惑。”明美试图从他身下翻身出来，但爱德华兹的手臂把她搂得紧紧的。
"Oh, no, you don*t," he told her, bringing his mouth hard against hers-a kiss he liked to think passionate, but one she felt was simply rough."The council gave their okay."
“噢，不，你不用这样，”爱德华兹告诉明美，并把嘴狠狠地压在明美嘴上——一个在他看来充满热情的吻，而只让明美觉得极其粗鲁。“议会同意了。”
"W-what does that mean-that you*re going to-"
“什，什么意思，你是要……”
"Precisely that," he said, rolling off her onto his back.
“正是如此，”爱德华兹说到，一边从明美身上翻开身躺在床上。
He gazed at the ceiling and laughed."First the Zentraedi, then the Sentinels." He looked over at her.
他盯着天花板笑道：“先是天顶星人，然后是哨兵。”爱德华兹打量着她。
Minmei was aghast, gaping at him; he had his right hand curled tightly around her left wrist.
明美吓呆了，张口结舌地看着他；爱德华兹用他的右手紧紧地握住明美的左手腕。
"When this is over I want you to marry me."
“当这一切结束时我要你嫁给我。”
Her right hand flew to her face."What!"
“什么！”明美（吃惊地）用右手掩住脸。
"It*ll be just like the Hunters* wedding," he said, as though thinking aloud."Except it*ll be you and me, and the destination won*t be Tirol, but Earth." His grin was still intact.
“婚礼将会像卡特夫妇的一样，”爱德华兹说，仿佛在自言自语。“只是换成了你和我，并且目的地不会是泰洛，而是地球。”他还是那样咧着嘴笑着。
"And the mission won*t be for peace, but for war!" she screamed at all once, yanking her arm away.
“而且它的使命不是为了和平，而是为了战争！”明美一下子尖叫起来，猛地把手臂抽出。
Edwards sat straight up as she made a move for the door."What are you talking about· Minmei!"
她向门口跑去，爱德华兹坐起身问：“你在说什么？明美！”
She was slightly drunk and clumsy even through her fear and shock; she bumped against a table, sending some tapes to the floor, crashed against the bulkhead, fumbling for the door release.
在恐惧和震惊之中，明美显得有些踉跄和笨拙；她先碰到桌子，把一些带子弄到地板上，接着撞向舱壁，摸索着找门把手。
"Minmei!" he yelled again, more harshly than before.
“明美！”爱德华兹又更加严厉地大叫一声。
He was angry now and she was panicked. She left the room and ran barefooted along the ship*s corridor. She heard someone behind her as she entered the elevator and swung around; but it wasn*t Edwards. It was a VT pilot, wearing his helmet, oddly enough, a tall and slender bearded man she thought she had seen before. He was regarding her bare feet and disheveled appearance. She forced a trembling, smile, pushing and patting her hair back in place.
他现在很生气，而明美则惊慌失措，她离开了房间，光着脚向船舱的走道里跑去。当进入升降梯转过身来的时候，她发现（注：二校点）有人跟在身后；但那人不是爱德华兹。是一名变形战机飞行员，带着头盔，最奇怪的是，这个瘦高的留胡子的男人她觉得以前在哪见过。这个人打量着明美的光脚丫和凌乱的外貌。明美勉强露出一个颤抖的微笑，把头发向后整理好。
"Troubles·" he said.
“有麻烦了？”飞行员问。
"Yes," she told him, surprising herself.
“是的，”明美不经意脱口而出。
"Anything I can do·"
“我能做点什么？”
"I need to get back to Tiresia. Are any shuttles leaving soon·"
“我需要回到泰雷西亚。一会有穿梭机出航吗？”
"I*ll take you myself," he said after a moment.
“我会自己带你去，”飞行员顿了一会儿说。
It made her laugh."What-in an Alpha· I don*t know...
明美笑了，“什么——在阿尔法战机里？我不知道……”
"I*ll take you wherever you want to go."
“你想去哪我就带你去哪。”
She stared at him, wondering why she was ready to believe him."How about Garuda or Haydon IV...uh,666-60-937·" she asked, reading the pilot*s REF service number from his helmet.
明美盯着这个飞行员，很惊奇为什么自己会打算相信他。“那嘎鲁达星或者海顿4号怎么样……呃，666-60-937？”她一边问，一边读着飞行员头盔上的太空堡垒远征军（REF）勤务编号。
"Long trip," he told her. But he didn*t laugh, didn*t think she was putting him on.
“长途旅行，”飞行员对明美说。他没有笑，也没有认为明美在逗他（注：二校点）。
The elevator doors opened. The pilot extended his hand and Minmei allowed herself to take hold of it.
升降梯的门打开了。飞行员伸出手，明美主动握住了它。
"A simulagent, a simulagent," Tesla mumbled, stuffing the last of Garuda*s Fruits into his mouth."I*ve been tricked-tricked!"
“一个替身，一个替身，”泰斯拉嘟囔着，一面把最后一个嘎鲁达水果塞到嘴里。“我被骗了——被骗了！”
The two scientists the Sentinels had captured from Garuda backed themselves toward what they hoped would be a safe corner of the dimensional fortress*s hold, certain that Tesla*s ingestion of the mutated Fruits from that infected world had driven him half mad. First there was all that nonsense about the Regent being dead, and now this talk of simulagents and assassination.
那两个被哨兵们从嘎鲁达星抓来的因维人科学家，背靠向这艘时空要塞（译注：SDF即Super Dimensional Fortress，字面意义超时空要塞，此处指SDF-7号，哨兵母舰）的货舱的一角，似乎觉得这样会安全一点。他们很确信泰斯拉因为摄取来自被感染世界的变异水果而使他自己变得半疯半癫。先是那些关于瑞金特已经死了的胡话，而现在又是这些什么替身和暗杀的言论。
"Has he been doing this everywhere you*ve been·" one of the Invid asked Burak in the lingua franca.
“他在你们去过的每个地方都这样（歇斯底里）吗？”一个因维科学家用通用语（译注：不同语种生物之间的交流语言，又作混合语）问伯拉克。
"Only on Karbarra, Praxis, and Garuda so far," the Perytonian devil said in low tones, shrugging."I suppose his killing the Regent was nothing but an imagining, then-"
“到目前为止，只是在卡巴拉、普拉西斯和嘎鲁达这样，”这个长得像恶魔的（译注：Burak，the devilish-looking Perytonian，CHAPTER ONE）佩里顿人耸耸肩，用低沉的语调说道，“我猜他把瑞金特杀掉了只不过是一个幻想，所以——”。
"An imagining!" Tesla had heard Burak*s whisper and swung around to the three of them, monstrous in his anger."He knows that I tried, he knows that I*m out to usurp his throne...And I shall have it, do you hear me·! Tesla will rule!"
“一个幻想！”泰斯拉听到了伯拉克的低语，愤怒异常地向他们3个转过身来。“他知道我干了什么，他知道我公开侵夺他的王座……我应该得到它（王座），你们听到了吗？！泰斯拉将获得统治权！”
"He*s going to get us all sent to the Pits," one of the scientists groaned."We won*t be repatriated-we*ll be devolved!"
“他要把我们都送到起源坑去（译注：the Pits/ Genesis Pits，起源坑，CHAPTER ONE），”一个因维科学家叹息道，“我们不会被礼送——而是被押送！”（二校点：直译没看出遣返和移交有什么区别）
Something, some force, suddenly brought Tesla to his feet. Tesla*s skin was rippling, muscles and sinews contorting beneath the flesh as though his internal systems were rearranging themselves, reconfiguring. An aura of light was swirling around his head, throwing rainbow colors across the ceiling, bulkheads, and floor of the hold. His head was listed, neck stretched out, mouth agape in a kind of silent scream. Burak stood rooted to the floor, astonished as he watched the Invid begin to lose stature and bulk, while at the same time Tesla*s neck, head, arms, hands, and feet reshaped themselves. The two scientists had buried their heads against one another, but Burak was too awed to summon the will even to look away. He saw then what the Fruits were after, the final form they tried to birth, and he could hardly believe his eyes, much less grasp what such a transformation meant. For the shape was a humanoid one-like that of Jack Baker or Gnea or Rem.
某个东西，某种力量，突然令泰斯拉站了起来。他的表皮泛起阵阵褶皱，皮肤下的肌肉和肌腱扭曲着，好像他的身体内部系统在重新排列和重新装配一样。有个光环在他的头部盘绕，投射出五彩的颜色，映照在货舱的天花板、舱壁和地板上。他的头被拉直了，脖子撑长，嘴像某种无声的尖叫般张开。伯拉克呆呆地站着，被他看到的景象惊呆了：这个因维人开始无法维持其身材和体形，而与此同时他的脖子、头、手臂、手掌和脚都在重新塑形。两个科学家已经（害怕地）把头互相埋在一起，而伯拉克因为太恐惧甚至无法振作意念让目光移开。他看到了这些水果带来的后果，以及它们设法孕育的最终形态。他无法相信自己的眼睛，更无法理解如此的（形态）变化意味着什么。（泰斯拉的）这个体形具有人的特点——就像杰克•贝克或是妮雅或是雷一样。
Tendrils of energy were whirling around Tesla, reaching out to Burak where he stood. They danced between his horns and sent a downward rush of paralyzing light through the top of his head. Tesla*s eyes were fixed on his as something beyond language coursed between them. Burak stiffened, as a cold fire engulfed his heart. He bellowed, and Janice came rushing through the hatch.
众多能量卷须在泰斯拉周围转动着，伸展到伯拉克站的地方，它们在他的触角间舞动，并且从他头顶发出一道向下的使人瘫痪的光流。泰斯拉的双眼死死地盯着他的眼睛，好像有什么超出语言之外的东西在他们之间流通。伯拉克僵在那里，仿佛一股寒气袭来吞没了他的心。他吼叫起来，然后贾妮斯快速跑进了舱门。
She had been outside listening to their muffled exchange, and though baffled by the sudden silence, she had not wanted to risk tipping her hand. Burak*s animallike wail had changed all that, but now she couldn*t see what was happening. Something or someone was throwing blinding, colored light across the hold. She could make out Burak and the two shadowy shapes of the Invid scientists behind him, but Tesla was concealed by the dazzling prismatic intensity, seemingly at the center of it. She brought her hands to her face, trying to shield her eyes, and all at once the light was gone. Tesla was on the floor, flat on his back.
（之前）贾妮斯一直在外面听着他们模糊不清的言语交流，尽管对突然之间的安静有些困惑，但她还没想要去示意她也在这。伯拉克那动物般的哀号改变了这一切，但现在她看不见发生了什么事情。某种东西或某个人正在货舱对面抛射出眩目多彩的光线。她没法辨认伯拉克和他身后两个因维科学家朦胧的身形，而泰斯拉则被耀眼的多彩光亮湮没了，仿佛他正处在光亮的中心。贾妮斯用双手掩住脸，试图遮挡眼睛，但突然间光线消失了。泰斯拉平躺着倒在地板上。
She rushed over to him; he was alive, but his breathing was labored. And something else: he looked different. His snout was shorter, his head more defined, his hands and feet more humanoid than reptilian. His skin was a pale green, waxy and smooth.
贾妮斯连忙向他跑过去，泰斯拉还活着，但呼吸很吃力。此外还有点别的：他（外表）看起来不同了。泰斯拉突出的嘴变短了，头形更容易分辨，他的手和脚更有人的特点而不是爬虫的。他的皮肤呈苍绿色，蜡质而光滑。
"What happened to him·" Janice asked, turning around to Burak.
“他出了什么事？”贾妮斯转向伯拉克问到。
The Perytonian stared at her."I...I..."
佩里顿人瞪着她（支吾着）：“我……我……”
Janice took him by the arms and shook him."What happened·"
贾妮斯抓着伯拉克的双臂摇晃着他：“发生了什么事？”
Burak cleared his head and gave her a blank look. He reached up to feel his horns, then regarded Tesla for a moment."I think he ate too much."
伯拉克整理了一下思绪，面无表情地看着贾妮斯，伸手摸了一下他的触角，然后打量了泰斯拉一会，说：“我想他吃得太多了。”
The Regent sat slumped in his throne, feeling as though some great weight had been placed on his chest. It was a mistake for him to have viewed the recordings of the Regis*s nostalgic lovefest with the Zor-clone, a terrible mistake. Looking for guilt, for some sign of regret, he had found only love, genuine and unfulfilled. And he began to wonder if he hadn*t been wrong in not following her lead when there was still time; when she had pleaded with him to allow himself to be evolved. But he had been stubborn about it, hurt, unforgiving, and now she was lost to him. He had seen, too, the Zor-clone*s memories of a world far removed from Optera and Tirol*s strife, linked somehow to the Protoculture matrix planet was anything more than Zor*s fanciful imaginings· Besides, he had good reason to believe that the Regis had gone off in search of that very world, and he would know if and when she found it. No, what he needed was accurate data, data the clone had not yet surrendered up to Haydon IV*s mind-probe devices. Perhaps, he thought, it would have to be conjured from the clone, the way Zor had conjured Protoculture from the Flowers of Life.
瑞金特消沉地坐在宝座上，感觉胸口被巨大的重量压迫着。观看瑞吉斯与佐尔克隆体之间旧时恋情的录影对他来说是一个错误，一个可怕的错误。没有所期待的内疚感，或一丝悔恨的痕迹，他找到的只有爱，真实的无法兑现的爱。瑞金特开始怀疑，在一切还来得及的时候，当瑞吉斯恳求他同意进行自我进化的时候，如果他没有错误地违背她的领导将会怎样。但他却固执地这样做了，令人受伤且无情，结果现在他失去了她。另外，他看到了佐尔克隆体关于某个世界的记忆，它远离奥普特拉和泰洛的冲突，并以某种方式连接到史前文化母体的行星，而这并不是佐尔虚幻的想象吧？而且，他有很好的理由相信瑞吉斯已经离开去寻找那个特别的世界，他想知道瑞吉斯是否找到以及何时找到它。不，他需要的是准确的数据，是那个克隆人没有释放给海顿4号精神探测器装置的数据。也许，他想，这（数据）可能得从那个克隆人身上“唤起”，就像佐尔当初从生命之花中“唤起”史前文化一样（注：二校点）。
In the meantime, however, his empire was crumbling. Garuda had fallen to the Sentinels, depriving the Invid of the Fruits needed for the mecha nutrient baths. And Tesla was still unaccounted for-although at times the Regent thought he could actually feel the traitor*s bloodlusts reaching out for him.
然而，与此同时他的帝国正在崩溃。嘎鲁达已经被哨兵攻陷，这使因维人丧失了机甲营养液所需要的（嘎鲁达）水果。而且泰斯拉仍然下落不明——尽管不时地瑞金特认为他能够切实感受到这个叛徒伸向他的杀戮欲望。
Much the way he felt at the moment. Even his pets seemed stricken by the same lassitude. He overcame his mood somewhat when a servant entered to announce that an important message had been received. But it was the lieutenant*s words that brought the Regent back to life.
此刻他也感到有些崩溃。甚至他的宠物们也同样无精打采，看起来像病了一样。瑞金特稍微收拾了一下心情，一个仆人进来声称收到了一条重要信息。而正是这名副官的话让他回过神来。
"The Sentinels! Here·"
“哨兵！在这里？”
"Yes, m*lord. They are requesting permission to land. Four of their number are in need of treatments apparently only Haydon IV can provide. They are seeking a truce by way of surrender."
“是的，王上。他们正请求着陆许可。他们中的4个需要治疗，显然只有海顿4号可以提供。他们正通过投降的方式寻求一份停战协定。”
The Regent shot to his feet."This is a dream!"
瑞金特猛地站起来：“这是一个梦！”
"No, m*lord."
“不，王上。”
The Regent stood motionless for a moment, then laughed."Here! Of course they would surrender here, where to fire first means certain death." He reached up to feel his swollen cowl."However..."
瑞金特站着不动好一会，然后笑了。“在这！在这里他们当然要投降，率先开火必然意味着死亡。”他伸手抚摸着他臃肿的外袍，说：“不过……”
The lieutenant waited while the Regent paced in front of his throne."Yes, yes, it could work." He swung around."Inform the Sentinels that we accept their terms. And bring the Zor-clone to my chambers. I will put it to him simply: the matrix for the lives of his comrades. What could be more just·"
副官等候着，瑞金特走到他的宝座前面。“是的，是的，这样可行。”他转过身来说，“通知哨兵，我们接受他们的条件。还有把那个佐尔克隆体带到我的会客室。我会直接告诉他：用母体换他同志们的性命。还有什么比这个更公平吗？”
"May the Great Shaper Haydon watch over you this day," Teal told the shuttle group from the balcony in the SDF-7*s launch bay.
“愿伟大的塑造者海顿守护你们（这一天），”缇尔从SDF-7号发射区的瞭望台上对（准备出发的）行动组说。
Vince, Cabell, Max, and the others saluted their friends as the hatch sealed itself. In a moment the shuttle*s attitude jets flared, and the craft began to descend toward the green and silver crescent that was Haydon IV.
船舱的门徐徐关上，文斯、卡贝尔、麦克斯等人向他们的朋友们敬礼致意。不一会儿，穿梭机的姿态喷射器向外展开，这艘飞船开始向着银色和绿色交织的月牙状星球——海顿4号下降。
The second group numbered twelve, including the three Invid-one in each of the three armored Alpha Veritechs. Jack had a no-nonsense air about him as he strapped into the forward cockpit of his mecha. Bela was behind him; Gnea, Kami, and one of the scientists in the Beta module. Janice was piloting the second VT, with Burak in the copilot*s seat, and Lron and Tesla in the Beta. The third VT held Learna, Crysta, and the second scientist. Jack had taken one last look at Rick, Lisa, and Karen before they had been moved into the shuttle, and the sight of their slack, colorless faces was with him now as he engaged the Alpha*s thrusters and maneuvered the ship out of the launch bay. The SDF-7*s human and XT crew had been instructed to keep the fortress clear of the Invid fleet, but in close enough proximity to Haydon IV*s surface to eliminate any threat of an enemy sneak attack.
第二行动组有12人，包括3架全副武装的阿尔法变形战机，每架战机上携带一名因维人。杰克在自己战机的前驾驶舱座上系好固定带，一副严肃的样子。妮雅、卡米和一名因维科学家在战机的贝塔模块舱中。贾妮斯驾驶着第二架变形战机，伯拉克坐在副驾驶位，勒荣和泰斯拉在贝塔机中。第三架变形战机装载着莱亚娜、克里斯托和第二名因维科学家。在瑞克、丽莎和凯伦被转移到穿梭机上之前，杰克看了他们最后一眼，现在他正使用阿尔法的推进器操作战机离开发射区，脑海中却一直浮现着三人虚弱苍白的面容。SDF-7上的人类和非人类船员已经得到指示要让战舰摆脱因维舰队，但需要和海顿4号表面保持足够接近，以便消除敌人发动偷袭的威胁。
译注：一共12人乘3架VT，1号机4人；2号机4人；3号机3人？根据前文漏掉了贝拉，这几个人中间谁会开VT？
Veidt and Sarna had done their best to convince the Sentinels to abandon their plans for an unannounced approach, but Jack and the rest were determined to give it a try. Besides, it wasn*t like they were going in with weapons blazing. Their approach would be a gentle one, Jack had insisted; a simple landing in the forests west of the planet*s principal city. Surely, three small mecha weren*t going to touch off Haydon IV*s legendary (and somewhat questionable) defenses.
维特和莎娜已经尽力去说服哨兵们放弃悄悄潜入（海顿4号）的计划，但杰克和其他人还是决定要做一次尝试。除此之外，不能像他们那样明显地带着武器过去。但杰克一直坚持，他们的进入方式会很友好的；不过是在行星首要城市以西的森林地带简单着陆而已。毫无疑问，3架小型机甲还不至于触发海顿4号那传说中（还有些可疑）的防御体。
It is merely intent, Veidt had tried to tell them.
这仅仅是一厢情愿，维特已经试图和他们解释过了。
Jack heard the words surfacing in his thoughts, and made an effort to push them from his mind. In a moment he would be able to discern details of the planet*s surface topography. It was bound to be an extraordinary sight-an entire world reconfigured to conform to the demands of its inhabitants.
（此刻）杰克脑海中不断浮现出（维特的）这些话语，他努力把它们从脑子里清除掉。不一会他就能亲眼目睹行星表面地形地貌的细节了。这一定会是一番非同寻常的景象——整个世界都是按照居住者的需求而重新构建的。
Jack found himself wondering about the guiding intelligence behind such a feat.
杰克为打造这一壮举的引领性才智而感到惊奇（二校点）。
Then he began to notice that the forest they had chosen as landing zone, was, well, moving-sliding east to west across the variegated landscape like some sort of by-pass door. And something very bizarre was rising up at them from the space that forest had vacated...Swirling vortices of energy, radiant silken scarves riding Haydon IV*s savage updrafts.
接着他开始注意到，他们选作着陆地点的森林，好吧，正在移动中——从东向西滑行，穿过（色彩）斑驳的像某种旁路门般的地貌。而且某种非常奇异的东西正在从森林（移动）所腾出的空间中向他们升起……弯曲盘绕的能量漩涡，依托海顿4号猛烈上升气流（而来）的柔软光亮的（能量）丝带。
Jack sent a telepathic plea to the planet: We*ve come in peace. We*ve come in peace!
杰克在心里向行星（海顿4号）祈求着：我们带着善意而来。我们带着善意而来！
（END）
《沙丘》六部曲合集
《波西杰克逊》系列合集
《猎魔人》合集
History of the Second Robotech War, volume XXXVI "Tirol"
尽管因维人确实一直依靠着这些果实和花朵过活——它们很快地将泰斯拉变成某种不纯粹也不出格的因维人，但必须指出，那些到达奥普特拉的液态植物原料是一种“消过毒”的品种，主要用于士兵战斗机甲的营养液，如因维侦察机、突击骑兵机、螯击机等。通过依靠这种纯正的（实际上或许也不纯正）原料来对自身催长，泰斯拉正在接受超大剂量的植物原料。早些年用同样的原料已经清除了天顶星人凯龙（内心）对训命的抵触，并令他进入了意想不到的“悔悟”（译注：基督教用语，意为心灵的改变。）状态。
——第二次宇宙大战史，第XXXVI卷，“泰洛”
"I demand to know where she is!" The Regent bawled as he and his eleven-trooper elite stormed across one of Haydon IV*s ice-blue plazas, the splendors of the city lost on them.
“我要知道她在哪里！”瑞金特叫骂着，他和他的11个精英突击兵疾步穿过一个海顿4号的冰蓝色广场，把城市壮观的景色甩在身后。
The planet*s indigenous beings paid the Invid little mind, and went about their mysterious business, hovering in groups of two or three in and out of Glike*s spirelike buildings, across graceful bridges, and through parks too perfect to believe. But visitors, guests, and merchants from other worlds stopped to gaze upon the one whose race had most recently changed the face of the Fourth Quadrant. A few Karbarrans even had to be restrained from running forward to mock the Regent with reminders of their recent victory."Sentinels! Sentinels!" they chanted, and succeeded for a moment in bringing the Regent around to confront them. No one, however, dared make a violent move, for beneath those very same plazas and parks lurked surprises of a decidedly punishing nature. Haydon IV had rules for citizens and strangers alike, and it enforced them without bias.
这颗星球上的原住民对这些因维人并不在意，各自做着他们有些神秘莫测的事情：三两成群地盘旋着，或从格莱克城锥形的建筑中进进出出，或通过雅致的桥梁，或以令人难以置信的优雅（飞行着）通过公园。但是观光客、商旅等来自其他星球的各色人等都停下来注视着因维人，这个种族才刚刚改变了第四星区的面貌。几个卡巴拉人要不是被拦着，甚至想凑上前来嘲弄瑞金特，炫耀他们刚刚获得的胜利。“哨兵！哨兵！”他们高呼着，并且有一会招致了瑞金特转身与他们对峙。但是，没有人敢做出暴力行为，在那些非常类似的广场和公园之下潜藏着由一种坚决的惩罚性自然力产生的惊人事物。海顿4号对（自己的）公民们和外来者们有着相同的法规，它强迫所有人一视同仁。
Glike：格莱克（城），海顿4号地名。
The Invid squad commander whispered as much to the Regent, while the ursine Karbarrans continued to hurl insults and imprecations. And at the same moment one of the Regis*s servants approached, offering a brief and unconvincing genuflection.
这些像熊一样的卡巴拉人不断地抛出侮辱和诅咒的词令，因维队长则一直在与瑞金特耳语。就在此时，一个（女王）瑞吉斯的仆人走过来，做了一个短暂且不够恭敬的曲膝礼。
"Your Highness," the servant said, with a condescending tone.
“殿下，”瑞吉斯仆人的语调高傲。
The Regent raised a fist."How dare she refuse to honor my arrival!"
瑞金特挥舞起一只拳头，“她怎么敢不来给我接风！”
"Perhaps, my lord," the Regent*s own lieutenant suggested,"she trembles in terror at the mere thought of your blinding presence."
“也许，王上，”瑞金特自己的尉官暗示他，“仅仅是想一想您眩目的容貌就已经让她害怕地发抖了。”
"Grovel on your own time," the Regent snarled. He fixed his wife*s servant with a gimlet stare."Where is my shameful wife· Explain this breach of protocol, worm, before I find a place for you in the Pits."
“拍你自己的马屁去吧（二校点），”瑞金特咆哮道。他直勾勾地盯着他妻子的仆人。“我那让人丢脸的妻子在哪？赶快解释这种背弃协议的行为，蠕虫，在我把你扔到起源坑里之前。”
The servant lifted its head."She is gone, Regent."
这个仆人抬起头，“她走了，摄政王。”
The Regent knew as much already, and bristled at the servant*s impertinence."I*m aware that she is gone-her flagship has left orbit. But I want to know where."
瑞金特已经知道了这些，而对这名仆人的无礼气得毛发都竖起来了。“我知道她走了——她的旗舰已经脱离了（行星）轨道。我要知道她去哪了！”
"She left no word, m*lord. Save to say that she is not expected to return."
“她没有留话，王上。只说她不打算回来。”
"Which explains your laxity." The Regent raised himself to his full height, and looked down his snout on the Regis*s creature."Perhaps I will make an example of you, grub. Now, lead me to our chambers before I forget myself...See that my pets are cared for," he said to his lieutenant as an afterthought,"and have the Sentinel prisoner brought before me."
“这倒是解释了你的懈怠。”瑞金特完全挺起身，越过他的长嘴低头看着这个瑞吉斯的创造物。“也许我该给你做个示范，蛆虫。现在，在我发火之前带我去我们的会客室……看看我的宠物们照看得怎么样了，”他接着又对副官补充道，“再把哨兵囚犯给我带来。”
Several other servants appeared to usher the Regent and his retinue to the same rooms his queen had occupied and abandoned, and along the way he could not help but take note of some of Haydon IV*s wonders. The planet was unlike anything he had ever seen, and yet there was a sense of familiarity everywhere he looked. Here, a structure that was reminiscent of Tiresia; there, a patch of forest seemingly lifted from Garuda. Spherisian crystal palaces, Karbarran factories without the dirt or stench, Praxian arabesque carvings, totems, statues, pillars, and pedestals-even some things which could only have come from Optera itself: fields of Flowers and rows of Fruit-bearing trees, all sterile to be sure, but so faultless, so exquisite in appearance.
几名其他的仆人出来将瑞金特和他的随行人员引导到他的王后曾经占有并抛弃的那些房间，在前行的途中他不禁注意到一些海顿4号的神奇之处。这个星球不同于他以往见过的任何一个，他所看到的每个地方都有一种熟悉的感觉。这里，有一幢建筑令人回想起泰雷西亚；那里，有一片森林仿佛移植于嘎鲁达。史菲利思的水晶宫殿；没有污垢或臭气的卡巴拉工厂；普拉西斯的阿拉伯式图样雕刻品、图腾、雕像、台柱及底座——甚至还有一些只能来自于奥普特拉自身的东西：成片的生命之花和成行的处于结实期的果树，当然都是不育的，但却如此完美，拥有雅致的外观。
And yet nowhere a hint of instrumentality.
可是这些都没有一点助益。
There was silence on the bridge of the SDF-7 while Wolff and Vince waited for the ship*s identification library to display its assessment. Wolff folded his arms and leaned away from the console when the data appeared.
SDF-7的舰桥一片沉寂，沃尔夫和文斯等待着舰上的身份数据库显示评估结果。沃尔夫双臂叉在胸前，倚靠在远离控制台的地方，这时数据出来了。
"Well·"
“嗯？”
"Signatures confirmed," Wolff said flatly."Invid troop carriers the Regent*s flagship. We*re too late."
“信号确认，”沃尔夫有气无力地说，“因维运兵舰——瑞金特的旗舰。我们来晚了。”
"Are they scanning us·"
“他们在扫描我们吗？”
Wolff exhaled loudly and swung to a peripheral monitor."Affirmative. But it*s low-level, cursory. Could be we*re an unknown quantity. God knows there are enough other ships docked out here."
沃尔夫大声地呼气，转向一个外围显示屏。“是的。不过是低水平和粗略的扫描。也许我们还是一个未知单位。谁能知道有足够多的其他船只停泊在这里。”
Vince had to agree; he had never seen so many different types and classes of starship. Haydon IV was obviously all that Veidt and Sarna had been telling everyone.
文斯也得同意；他从没看到过如此多的不同类型和级别的星际飞船。海顿4号显然正如维特和莎娜曾告诉大家的情况一样。
"So what do we do, Captain-open a hailing frequency, tell them we*re just in for liberty, a little R *n* R·"
“那我们怎么办，舰长——开启一个呼叫频率，告诉他们我们只是为行使自由权利而来，（某术语）？”
Vince frowned and put a hand on the ship*s address-system stud...
文斯眉头紧锁，一只手放在舰船的呼叫系统按钮上……
"Haydon IV is an open world," Veidt was explaining in the briefing room ten minutes later."I thought I had already made myself clear on this point. The planet has never been taken by force; its defenses are legendary. There are, in the central records, references to an attempted invasion some two thousand Earth-standard years ago. Several hundred vessels were destroyed in a matter of moments."
“海顿4号是一个开放的世界，”十分钟后维特在简报室里解释道，“关于这一点我想我已经讲清楚了。这个星球从未被武力征服过；它的防御体是个传奇。在中央档案里，提到一次约2千地球标准年之前的试图入侵的事件。几百艘船在一瞬间被消灭了。”
"But the Invid-" Jack started to say.
“但是因维人……”杰克开始说。
"The Invid did not engage Haydon IV*s defenses," Sarna picked up."Any who come in peace are free to stay and trade. The Invid came and insinuated themselves into positions of political authority; but they are quite tame here. We may land in safety, but we will surely be taken into custody."
“因维人没有攻击海顿4号的防御体，”莎娜接过话，“任何友善的来宾都可以自由地停留和贸易。因维人来了，并且巧妙的使他们进入到拥有行政权力的位置；但他们在这里十分驯服。我们可以平安地着陆，但我们肯定会被带去羁押。”
"Then we can*t go in under arms," Crysta said.
“那么我们不能武装进入了，”克里斯托说。
Jack grunted."Maybe you don*t have the courage to try, but I do."
杰克嘟囔着：“也许你没有勇气去试一下，但我有。”
Lron glared at him from across the table."You dare impugn her courage· Perhaps you-"
勒荣在桌子那边怒视着杰克说：“你胆敢质疑她的勇气？也许你——”
"Stop this!" Jean interrupted."Both of you."
“够了！你们两个。”吉英打断道。
"Exactly what are these *defenses,* Veidt·" Vince wanted to know.
“确切点说，这些‘防御体’是指什么，维特？”文斯想弄明白。
"I have never seen them. As I stated, they have not been put to the test in two thousand of your years."
“我从未见过它们。就像我说过的，它们已经有2千地球年没有被动过了。”
"Come on," Jack said, looking around."Then how do we know they*re still functioning·"
“好了，”杰克说，一边环顾四周，“那么我们怎么知道它们仍然有用？”
"Do you hunger to challenge them·" Sarna asked.
“你这么渴望去挑战它们？”莎娜问。
Jack returned a sullen stare.
杰克回应了一个愠怒的眼神。
Jean shook her head and snorted."So to utilize the medical facilities, we have to go in with our hands raised."
吉英一边摇头一边呼哧地说：“这样看来为了使用星球上的医疗设备，我们只好高举双手（投降）前往了。”
"Yes, straight into an Invid stronghold," Bela said.
“是的，直接进入一个因维据点，”贝拉说。
"We are given no choice," Gnea added."Our comrades will have to be surrendered. But who among us will escort them down·" The Praxian glanced around the table.
“我们别无选择，”妮雅补充道，“我们的（病患）同志将不得已投降（前往）。但我们当中谁将护送他们呢？”这个普拉西斯人环顾桌子的四周。
"I*ll go," Wolff volunteered.
“我去，”沃尔夫自愿报名。
Jean caught her husband*s eye."I will, too."
吉英注视着她丈夫的目光说：“我也去。”
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Jack said, standing up."I*m as concerned about Karen and Rick and Lisa as any of you. But just suppose the Invid deny the request for medical help. Then they*ve not only got Karen, they*ve got you and you and whoever else is crazy enough to volunteer." He shook his head."Uh, uh. We need to find some way around this."
“等会，等会，”杰克站起身说，“我和你们每个人一样关心着凯伦、瑞克和丽莎。但是仅仅设想一下因维人拒绝医疗援助请求的情况。那么他们会不止抓到凯伦，他们也会抓到你还有你，还有任何足够疯狂到当志愿者的人。”他摇着脑袋。“呃，呃。我们需要找到一些应对这种情况的办法。”
"The Invid cannot deny that which is promised by the planet to all," Veidt said, loud enough to cut through all the separate arguments Jack*s objection had raised. Everyone heard the Haydonite*s remark, but the bickering continued.
“因维人不会拒绝被这颗行星所允诺的任何事情，”维特说，声音很大，盖过了杰克的异议所引发的不同争论。大家听到了这名海顿人的讲述，但争论还在继续。
"All right, simmer down," Vince told the table."Max has an idea."
“好吧，总结一下，”文斯向桌边的人群说，“麦克斯有个主意。”
"Two landing parties," the Skull ace began when everyone was quiet. He was exhausted, having spent every minute by Miriya*s side. Her condition had deteriorated after the fold to Haydon IV, and it was Jean*s thought to number her among the patients."Some of us take the four of them down; the rest of you go in unannounced to keep an eye on us."
“两支着陆队伍，”大家安静下来，这名骷髅中队的王牌开始发话。他很疲惫，之前一直陪在米莉娅的身边。在（SDF-7）折叠到海顿4号后，她的病情开始恶化，在吉英看来她也加入到了病患之列。“我们中的部分人带着他们4个降落；其他人悄悄潜入等待我们的指示。”
"It will not work, Commander," Veidt said; but Jack, Lron, Bella, and Gnea were already enthusiastic. Even Burak added his voice to the group as a show of support.
“这没有用，指挥官，”维特说；但杰克、勒荣、贝拉和妮雅已经满怀热情。甚至连伯拉克也加入进来，随声附和以示支持。
"The* planet*s defenses will detect you," Sarna tried to warn them."We*ll have to risk it," Vince answered her.
“星球的防御体会探测到你们，”莎娜试图警告他们。“我们必须冒险，”文斯回答她。
And the plan was put to a vote.
接着这个计划被付诸表决。
Jean and Wolff had already volunteered, and now Max and Vince and Cabell joined them. Veidt and Sarna would escort them. Jack, however, insisted that Karen*s cause would be better served by his doing something more than crying by her bedside; so he opted for the second team. Burak, Kami and Learna, Bela, Gnea, Lron, and Crysta threw in with him. Janice was undecided until the last minute; then she allied herself with Jack*s group-on one condition: that they take Tesla and the two Invid scientists along with them.
吉英和沃尔夫已经自愿前往，现在麦克斯、文斯和卡贝尔加入到他们一起。维特和莎娜将陪同他们。而杰克坚持认为他得做点什么会更有助于凯伦当前的境遇，而不是在她床边哭鼻子；因此他选择了第二支队伍。伯拉克、卡米、莱亚娜、贝拉、妮雅、勒荣和克里斯托加入到他这一边。贾妮斯直到最后一刻还在犹豫；然后她决意加入杰克的队伍——但有个条件：他们得带着泰斯拉和两个因维科学家和他们一起去。
"He did help out back on Garuda," Jack was willing to concede."But I still don*t trust him."
“他确实在嘎鲁达撤退时帮上了忙，”杰克愿意承认这一点，“但我还是不相信他。”
"I don*t either," Janice said."I*d just like to see what would happen if Tesla and the Regent came snout-to-snout."
“我也是，”贾妮斯说，“我只是想看看如果泰斯拉和瑞金特猪嘴对猪嘴碰面会发生什么事。”
Only Wolff heard Burak*s gasp; but he didn*t think anything of it.
只有沃尔夫听到了伯拉克倒吸一口气；但他并不以为然。
"Breetai and his Zentraedi are traitors and criminals," T. R. Edwards told the council, positioning himself where he was certain the cameras would close in on his polished skullplate and furious expression."They*ve stolen the very thing we need to return to Earth, and thereby condemned our world to defeat at the hands of the Robotech Masters." He swung around and walked angrily back to his seat, facing the audience now."Some of you are probably thinking that this is the Zentraedi*s way of avenging themselves on the RDF. But I suspect they have an even darker purpose in mind. It*s my belief that Breetai means to band together with the Sentinels and form a cartel to take control of the spaceways.
“布里泰和他的天顶星人都是叛徒和罪犯，” T•R•爱德华兹向议会讲道，他摆好位置使镜头能完整地拍到他锃亮的头套和暴怒的表情。“他们偷盗了我们返回地球所需要的东西，也因此宣告了我们的世界（二校点：远征的部队？）落败于机器人统治者之手。”他转过身愤怒地走回座位，面向听众。“你们中的一些人可能在想，这是天顶星人为他们自己向太空堡垒防卫军复仇的方式。但是我怀疑他们心里有一个更为黑暗的企图。我相信布里泰是想和哨兵联合起来，构成一个（政治）联盟来控制航路。”
"And with the Invid Regent dead and our own forces stranded, there will be little to stop them from putting their plans in motion-unless we take quick and decisive action against them. For this reason, I*m asking for the council approval of my request for the four ships that comprise our new flotilla. The Zentraedi must be hunted down and destroyed!"
“再加上因维摄政王的死和我们自己军队的进退两难，这将没有什么能阻止他们实行他们的计划——除非我们对他们采取快速和决定性的反击行动。出于这个原因，我现在请求议会批准我对组成我们新舰队的四艘舰船的（授权指挥）要求（译注：是指SDF-3~SDF-6吗？）。这些天顶星人必须被猎杀和摧毁！”
There were conflicting reactions from the crowd, all of which Senator Longchamps silenced with three determined gavel blows."The council will not tolerate these continued outbursts," he warned the audience."If this occurs again, I*m going to order the room cleared. Now," he said, turning to Edwards,"the council appreciates the generals*s concern, but there are a few issues that need to be addressed." He consulted his notes, then said,"Mr. Obstat·"
人群起了反应，产生了（不同意见的）冲突，隆尚议员用议事槌敲了三下让一切安静下来。“议会不能容忍这些不休的喧哗，”他警告听众，“如果再发生这种事情，我就要命令清理房间了。现在，”他说，转向爱德华兹，“议会很赞赏将军的担忧，但还有一些观点需要进行讲演。”他参考了一下笔记，然后说“奥博斯坦先生？”
"Isn*t it true, General, that action of the sort you propose could quite possibly jeopardize the very ore we*re so desperately in need of·"
“是不是真的，将军，你提到的这类行动将完全可能危及到我们如此迫切需要的矿石？”
Edwards stood up."Do you propose to let them have it, then·" he asked evenly.
爱德华兹站起身。“那么你建议让他们拥有它？”他平静地问。
"We don*t know why they took it in the first place," Justine Huxley argued."I for one am not convinced that they mean to do as you suggest-band together with the Sentinels and embark on some sort of transgalactic campaign. Can*t we simply continue to mine ore until the Zentraedi make their demands known to us·"
“首先我们不知道他们为什么带走矿石，”贾丝廷•赫胥黎争论道，“以我为例，我不确信他们打算像你所说的那样做——与哨兵联合起来从事某种穿越星际的军事活动。难道我们不能在天顶星人告诉我们他们的要求之前，简单地继续开采矿石吗？”
Dr. Lang spoke to that."I*m afraid that Fantoma has yielded up the last of its monopole ores. Only trace quantities remain, and further mining is hardly justified at this stage."
朗博士回应道：“我恐怕凡托玛星已经产尽它最后的磁单极子矿了。只剩微小的存量，在眼下进一步开采很难说是有效的。”
"What about our reserves, Doctor, here and on Tirol," Harry Penn asked."Don*t we have enough to repair the fortress*s fold systems·"
“我们的储量怎么样，博士，包括这里的和泰洛的，”哈利•潘问道，“我们没有足够修复堡垒折叠系统的矿石吗？”
"Unfortunately not," Exedore asserted."The...stolen ore represented more than three months of mining. It is crucial to our goals."
“很不幸没有，”爱克西多宣称，“那……那些被盗的矿石据说超过3个月的采矿量。它对于我们的目标至关重要。”
Edwards waited for the gasps and buzzing in the room to subside."With the council*s indulgence, I have reason to question Dr. Lang and Ambassador Exedore*s assessment of the situation. It*s no secret to the RDF that both of them have special interests in furthering the Sentinels* cause-"
“在议会的特许下，我有理由质疑朗博士和爱克西多大使对于形势的评估。在RDF众所周知他们都对哨兵的主张有着特别的兴趣——”
Longchamps banged his gavel."General, I must caution you to refrain from using this session to cast aspersions on any members of this council. Is that understood·"
隆尚敲响了他的槌子，“将军，我必须警告你不可以利用这次会议抛出诽谤任何议会成员的言论。明白了吗？”
The cameras tracked in to catch Edwards*s stiff and silent nod.
镜头在追踪，捕捉到爱德华兹僵硬且沉默的点头。
In Edwards*s chambers aboard the SDF-3, where she was watching the proceedings, Minmei got up to fix herself another drink. Lang*s face was on-screen when she returned to the edge of the bed.
在SDF-3号上爱德华兹的房间里，也是她观看会议进程的地方，明美起床又给自己倒上一杯。当她回到床边时，朗的面孔正出现在屏幕上。
"That*s true, Senator," the Robo-wiz was saying."Exedore and I were the first to discover that the material offloaded from the Valivarre was a type of *fool*s ore,* if you will. We immediately reported this to General Edwards-"
“确实如此，参议员，”这个机器人技术奇才（朗博士）说道，“是爱克西多和我首先发现从瓦利瓦星系卸货的原料是一种“白矿石/冒牌矿石”，如果你们愿意这么叫。我们立即向爱德华兹将军报告了这件事。“
"After that ship had folded out of Tirolspace, Doctor," Edwards barked.
“是在那艘船已经折叠出泰洛空间之后，博士，”爱德华兹咆哮道。
"General Edwards," Longchamps cut in,"weren*t some of your own Ghost Squadron aboard the Valivarre supervising the transfer·"
“爱德华兹将军，”隆尚插话道，“不是有一些你自己的幽灵中队（战机）在瓦利瓦监督调运吗？”
Minmei saw Edwards*s face drain of color; the cameras captured the fury in his single eye."I*m certain that those brave men were killed, Senator."
明美看见爱德华兹的脸变得苍白；镜头捕捉到了他那只独眼中表露的愤怒。“我很肯定那些勇敢的军人都被杀了，议员。”
The cameras cut to Lang."Council members, I can personally attest to the presence of the general*s men. And Exedore and I both found them very much alive."
镜头切换到朗博士，“议会成员们，我可以亲自证明这些将军的部下在场。而且爱克西多和我都看到他们好好地活着。”
Minmei sipped her drink, anticipating Edwards*s comeback; he didn*t surprise her.
明美抿着她的酒，预计着爱德华兹的反驳；他（这样）并不令她吃惊。
"Yes, and exactly what motivated you and the ambassador to shuttle up to the Valivarre, Doctor·"
“是的，确切地说是什么促使你和这位大使飞到瓦利瓦去的，博士？”
"We were merely going over the transfer schedule with Commander Breetai-"
“我们不过是去和布里泰指挥官查对调运进度表——”
Minmei touched the remote and the screen went blank. She drained her glass and thought, A few more of these and I*ll be too numb to care. And numb was just what she was after. She had lost her friends, her faith, her voice, any sense of purpose she might have once called her own. Rick, Lisa, Janice, Dr. Lang, Jonathan...And lately she had even been thinking about Kyle. She wasn*t sure why, but guessed that it had something to do with Edwards and the control he had begun to assert over her. She imagined she saw a curious pattern at work that coupled Rick and Lynn-Kyle, now Jonathan Wolff and Edwards-some slide into self-abuse when she came too close to genuine love and commitment. Property, she thought in disgust. That was how she was beginning to view herself. Her voice co-opted by the RDF, her dreams destroyed by war, her will at the mercy of men who wanted nothing more than to rule and possess her, body and mind.
明美按下遥控器，屏幕变空白了。她喝干了杯子里的酒，一面想：再多来一点我就会变得麻木不能自理。而麻木正是她所寻找的。她失去了她的朋友、她的信仰、她的歌声，以及那些她可能曾经认为是自己特有的追求。瑞克、丽莎、贾妮斯、朗博士、乔纳森……而最近她甚至一直在回想凯尔。她不确定为什么，但是猜测与爱德华兹和他已经开始宣称对自己的支配有关系。她想象中自己看见了一幅古怪的活的图案，瑞克和林凯都在，而现在是乔纳森•沃尔夫和爱德华兹——当她过于靠近真正的爱情和承诺时，有些不知不觉地陷入自责。（私人）财产，她觉得令人厌恶。这是她开始审视自己的方式。她的声音被RDF征用，她的梦想被战争毁灭，她的意志任由一个男人摆布，这个人所要的不过是支配和占有她，她的身体和心灵。
Numb, comfortably numb, she told herself...
麻木，安逸的麻木，她告诉自己……
Thirty minutes later the door hissed open and Edwards strode into the room, grinning evilly. Minmei realized she had dozed off, and, startled now, she began to back herself onto the bed. Edwards leered at her, perhaps thinking she was toying with him, and came down on top of her, elbows supporting his upper body. She pressed her hands against his chest and said,"Please..."
30分钟后，门嘶的一声开了，爱德华兹大步走进房间，邪恶地咧着嘴笑。明美意识到她刚才打了一会瞌睡，而现在惊醒了，于是仰面躺在床上。爱德华兹不怀好意地看着她，也许他以为明美在和他调情，便俯身凑到她的上面，用肘支撑着上半部身体。明美用双手抵住他的胸口，说：“不要……”
"What*s the matter with you·" he asked, face-to-face with her.
“你怎么了？”爱德华兹与明美面对面地问道。
"I*m just...confused." She tried to roll out from under him, but his arms held her fast.
“我只是……有点困惑。”明美试图从他身下翻身出来，但爱德华兹的手臂把她搂得紧紧的。
"Oh, no, you don*t," he told her, bringing his mouth hard against hers-a kiss he liked to think passionate, but one she felt was simply rough."The council gave their okay."
“噢，不，你不用这样，”爱德华兹告诉明美，并把嘴狠狠地压在明美嘴上——一个在他看来充满热情的吻，而只让明美觉得极其粗鲁。“议会同意了。”
"W-what does that mean-that you*re going to-"
“什，什么意思，你是要……”
"Precisely that," he said, rolling off her onto his back.
“正是如此，”爱德华兹说到，一边从明美身上翻开身躺在床上。
He gazed at the ceiling and laughed."First the Zentraedi, then the Sentinels." He looked over at her.
他盯着天花板笑道：“先是天顶星人，然后是哨兵。”爱德华兹打量着她。
Minmei was aghast, gaping at him; he had his right hand curled tightly around her left wrist.
明美吓呆了，张口结舌地看着他；爱德华兹用他的右手紧紧地握住明美的左手腕。
"When this is over I want you to marry me."
“当这一切结束时我要你嫁给我。”
Her right hand flew to her face."What!"
“什么！”明美（吃惊地）用右手掩住脸。
"It*ll be just like the Hunters* wedding," he said, as though thinking aloud."Except it*ll be you and me, and the destination won*t be Tirol, but Earth." His grin was still intact.
“婚礼将会像卡特夫妇的一样，”爱德华兹说，仿佛在自言自语。“只是换成了你和我，并且目的地不会是泰洛，而是地球。”他还是那样咧着嘴笑着。
"And the mission won*t be for peace, but for war!" she screamed at all once, yanking her arm away.
“而且它的使命不是为了和平，而是为了战争！”明美一下子尖叫起来，猛地把手臂抽出。
Edwards sat straight up as she made a move for the door."What are you talking about· Minmei!"
她向门口跑去，爱德华兹坐起身问：“你在说什么？明美！”
She was slightly drunk and clumsy even through her fear and shock; she bumped against a table, sending some tapes to the floor, crashed against the bulkhead, fumbling for the door release.
在恐惧和震惊之中，明美显得有些踉跄和笨拙；她先碰到桌子，把一些带子弄到地板上，接着撞向舱壁，摸索着找门把手。
"Minmei!" he yelled again, more harshly than before.
“明美！”爱德华兹又更加严厉地大叫一声。
He was angry now and she was panicked. She left the room and ran barefooted along the ship*s corridor. She heard someone behind her as she entered the elevator and swung around; but it wasn*t Edwards. It was a VT pilot, wearing his helmet, oddly enough, a tall and slender bearded man she thought she had seen before. He was regarding her bare feet and disheveled appearance. She forced a trembling, smile, pushing and patting her hair back in place.
他现在很生气，而明美则惊慌失措，她离开了房间，光着脚向船舱的走道里跑去。当进入升降梯转过身来的时候，她发现（注：二校点）有人跟在身后；但那人不是爱德华兹。是一名变形战机飞行员，带着头盔，最奇怪的是，这个瘦高的留胡子的男人她觉得以前在哪见过。这个人打量着明美的光脚丫和凌乱的外貌。明美勉强露出一个颤抖的微笑，把头发向后整理好。
"Troubles·" he said.
“有麻烦了？”飞行员问。
"Yes," she told him, surprising herself.
“是的，”明美不经意脱口而出。
"Anything I can do·"
“我能做点什么？”
"I need to get back to Tiresia. Are any shuttles leaving soon·"
“我需要回到泰雷西亚。一会有穿梭机出航吗？”
"I*ll take you myself," he said after a moment.
“我会自己带你去，”飞行员顿了一会儿说。
It made her laugh."What-in an Alpha· I don*t know...
明美笑了，“什么——在阿尔法战机里？我不知道……”
"I*ll take you wherever you want to go."
“你想去哪我就带你去哪。”
She stared at him, wondering why she was ready to believe him."How about Garuda or Haydon IV...uh,666-60-937·" she asked, reading the pilot*s REF service number from his helmet.
明美盯着这个飞行员，很惊奇为什么自己会打算相信他。“那嘎鲁达星或者海顿4号怎么样……呃，666-60-937？”她一边问，一边读着飞行员头盔上的太空堡垒远征军（REF）勤务编号。
"Long trip," he told her. But he didn*t laugh, didn*t think she was putting him on.
“长途旅行，”飞行员对明美说。他没有笑，也没有认为明美在逗他（注：二校点）。
The elevator doors opened. The pilot extended his hand and Minmei allowed herself to take hold of it.
升降梯的门打开了。飞行员伸出手，明美主动握住了它。
"A simulagent, a simulagent," Tesla mumbled, stuffing the last of Garuda*s Fruits into his mouth."I*ve been tricked-tricked!"
“一个替身，一个替身，”泰斯拉嘟囔着，一面把最后一个嘎鲁达水果塞到嘴里。“我被骗了——被骗了！”
The two scientists the Sentinels had captured from Garuda backed themselves toward what they hoped would be a safe corner of the dimensional fortress*s hold, certain that Tesla*s ingestion of the mutated Fruits from that infected world had driven him half mad. First there was all that nonsense about the Regent being dead, and now this talk of simulagents and assassination.
那两个被哨兵们从嘎鲁达星抓来的因维人科学家，背靠向这艘时空要塞（译注：SDF即Super Dimensional Fortress，字面意义超时空要塞，此处指SDF-7号，哨兵母舰）的货舱的一角，似乎觉得这样会安全一点。他们很确信泰斯拉因为摄取来自被感染世界的变异水果而使他自己变得半疯半癫。先是那些关于瑞金特已经死了的胡话，而现在又是这些什么替身和暗杀的言论。
"Has he been doing this everywhere you*ve been·" one of the Invid asked Burak in the lingua franca.
“他在你们去过的每个地方都这样（歇斯底里）吗？”一个因维科学家用通用语（译注：不同语种生物之间的交流语言，又作混合语）问伯拉克。
"Only on Karbarra, Praxis, and Garuda so far," the Perytonian devil said in low tones, shrugging."I suppose his killing the Regent was nothing but an imagining, then-"
“到目前为止，只是在卡巴拉、普拉西斯和嘎鲁达这样，”这个长得像恶魔的（译注：Burak，the devilish-looking Perytonian，CHAPTER ONE）佩里顿人耸耸肩，用低沉的语调说道，“我猜他把瑞金特杀掉了只不过是一个幻想，所以——”。
"An imagining!" Tesla had heard Burak*s whisper and swung around to the three of them, monstrous in his anger."He knows that I tried, he knows that I*m out to usurp his throne...And I shall have it, do you hear me·! Tesla will rule!"
“一个幻想！”泰斯拉听到了伯拉克的低语，愤怒异常地向他们3个转过身来。“他知道我干了什么，他知道我公开侵夺他的王座……我应该得到它（王座），你们听到了吗？！泰斯拉将获得统治权！”
"He*s going to get us all sent to the Pits," one of the scientists groaned."We won*t be repatriated-we*ll be devolved!"
“他要把我们都送到起源坑去（译注：the Pits/ Genesis Pits，起源坑，CHAPTER ONE），”一个因维科学家叹息道，“我们不会被礼送——而是被押送！”（二校点：直译没看出遣返和移交有什么区别）
Something, some force, suddenly brought Tesla to his feet. Tesla*s skin was rippling, muscles and sinews contorting beneath the flesh as though his internal systems were rearranging themselves, reconfiguring. An aura of light was swirling around his head, throwing rainbow colors across the ceiling, bulkheads, and floor of the hold. His head was listed, neck stretched out, mouth agape in a kind of silent scream. Burak stood rooted to the floor, astonished as he watched the Invid begin to lose stature and bulk, while at the same time Tesla*s neck, head, arms, hands, and feet reshaped themselves. The two scientists had buried their heads against one another, but Burak was too awed to summon the will even to look away. He saw then what the Fruits were after, the final form they tried to birth, and he could hardly believe his eyes, much less grasp what such a transformation meant. For the shape was a humanoid one-like that of Jack Baker or Gnea or Rem.
某个东西，某种力量，突然令泰斯拉站了起来。他的表皮泛起阵阵褶皱，皮肤下的肌肉和肌腱扭曲着，好像他的身体内部系统在重新排列和重新装配一样。有个光环在他的头部盘绕，投射出五彩的颜色，映照在货舱的天花板、舱壁和地板上。他的头被拉直了，脖子撑长，嘴像某种无声的尖叫般张开。伯拉克呆呆地站着，被他看到的景象惊呆了：这个因维人开始无法维持其身材和体形，而与此同时他的脖子、头、手臂、手掌和脚都在重新塑形。两个科学家已经（害怕地）把头互相埋在一起，而伯拉克因为太恐惧甚至无法振作意念让目光移开。他看到了这些水果带来的后果，以及它们设法孕育的最终形态。他无法相信自己的眼睛，更无法理解如此的（形态）变化意味着什么。（泰斯拉的）这个体形具有人的特点——就像杰克•贝克或是妮雅或是雷一样。
Tendrils of energy were whirling around Tesla, reaching out to Burak where he stood. They danced between his horns and sent a downward rush of paralyzing light through the top of his head. Tesla*s eyes were fixed on his as something beyond language coursed between them. Burak stiffened, as a cold fire engulfed his heart. He bellowed, and Janice came rushing through the hatch.
众多能量卷须在泰斯拉周围转动着，伸展到伯拉克站的地方，它们在他的触角间舞动，并且从他头顶发出一道向下的使人瘫痪的光流。泰斯拉的双眼死死地盯着他的眼睛，好像有什么超出语言之外的东西在他们之间流通。伯拉克僵在那里，仿佛一股寒气袭来吞没了他的心。他吼叫起来，然后贾妮斯快速跑进了舱门。
She had been outside listening to their muffled exchange, and though baffled by the sudden silence, she had not wanted to risk tipping her hand. Burak*s animallike wail had changed all that, but now she couldn*t see what was happening. Something or someone was throwing blinding, colored light across the hold. She could make out Burak and the two shadowy shapes of the Invid scientists behind him, but Tesla was concealed by the dazzling prismatic intensity, seemingly at the center of it. She brought her hands to her face, trying to shield her eyes, and all at once the light was gone. Tesla was on the floor, flat on his back.
（之前）贾妮斯一直在外面听着他们模糊不清的言语交流，尽管对突然之间的安静有些困惑，但她还没想要去示意她也在这。伯拉克那动物般的哀号改变了这一切，但现在她看不见发生了什么事情。某种东西或某个人正在货舱对面抛射出眩目多彩的光线。她没法辨认伯拉克和他身后两个因维科学家朦胧的身形，而泰斯拉则被耀眼的多彩光亮湮没了，仿佛他正处在光亮的中心。贾妮斯用双手掩住脸，试图遮挡眼睛，但突然间光线消失了。泰斯拉平躺着倒在地板上。
She rushed over to him; he was alive, but his breathing was labored. And something else: he looked different. His snout was shorter, his head more defined, his hands and feet more humanoid than reptilian. His skin was a pale green, waxy and smooth.
贾妮斯连忙向他跑过去，泰斯拉还活着，但呼吸很吃力。此外还有点别的：他（外表）看起来不同了。泰斯拉突出的嘴变短了，头形更容易分辨，他的手和脚更有人的特点而不是爬虫的。他的皮肤呈苍绿色，蜡质而光滑。
"What happened to him·" Janice asked, turning around to Burak.
“他出了什么事？”贾妮斯转向伯拉克问到。
The Perytonian stared at her."I...I..."
佩里顿人瞪着她（支吾着）：“我……我……”
Janice took him by the arms and shook him."What happened·"
贾妮斯抓着伯拉克的双臂摇晃着他：“发生了什么事？”
Burak cleared his head and gave her a blank look. He reached up to feel his horns, then regarded Tesla for a moment."I think he ate too much."
伯拉克整理了一下思绪，面无表情地看着贾妮斯，伸手摸了一下他的触角，然后打量了泰斯拉一会，说：“我想他吃得太多了。”
The Regent sat slumped in his throne, feeling as though some great weight had been placed on his chest. It was a mistake for him to have viewed the recordings of the Regis*s nostalgic lovefest with the Zor-clone, a terrible mistake. Looking for guilt, for some sign of regret, he had found only love, genuine and unfulfilled. And he began to wonder if he hadn*t been wrong in not following her lead when there was still time; when she had pleaded with him to allow himself to be evolved. But he had been stubborn about it, hurt, unforgiving, and now she was lost to him. He had seen, too, the Zor-clone*s memories of a world far removed from Optera and Tirol*s strife, linked somehow to the Protoculture matrix planet was anything more than Zor*s fanciful imaginings· Besides, he had good reason to believe that the Regis had gone off in search of that very world, and he would know if and when she found it. No, what he needed was accurate data, data the clone had not yet surrendered up to Haydon IV*s mind-probe devices. Perhaps, he thought, it would have to be conjured from the clone, the way Zor had conjured Protoculture from the Flowers of Life.
瑞金特消沉地坐在宝座上，感觉胸口被巨大的重量压迫着。观看瑞吉斯与佐尔克隆体之间旧时恋情的录影对他来说是一个错误，一个可怕的错误。没有所期待的内疚感，或一丝悔恨的痕迹，他找到的只有爱，真实的无法兑现的爱。瑞金特开始怀疑，在一切还来得及的时候，当瑞吉斯恳求他同意进行自我进化的时候，如果他没有错误地违背她的领导将会怎样。但他却固执地这样做了，令人受伤且无情，结果现在他失去了她。另外，他看到了佐尔克隆体关于某个世界的记忆，它远离奥普特拉和泰洛的冲突，并以某种方式连接到史前文化母体的行星，而这并不是佐尔虚幻的想象吧？而且，他有很好的理由相信瑞吉斯已经离开去寻找那个特别的世界，他想知道瑞吉斯是否找到以及何时找到它。不，他需要的是准确的数据，是那个克隆人没有释放给海顿4号精神探测器装置的数据。也许，他想，这（数据）可能得从那个克隆人身上“唤起”，就像佐尔当初从生命之花中“唤起”史前文化一样（注：二校点）。
In the meantime, however, his empire was crumbling. Garuda had fallen to the Sentinels, depriving the Invid of the Fruits needed for the mecha nutrient baths. And Tesla was still unaccounted for-although at times the Regent thought he could actually feel the traitor*s bloodlusts reaching out for him.
然而，与此同时他的帝国正在崩溃。嘎鲁达已经被哨兵攻陷，这使因维人丧失了机甲营养液所需要的（嘎鲁达）水果。而且泰斯拉仍然下落不明——尽管不时地瑞金特认为他能够切实感受到这个叛徒伸向他的杀戮欲望。
Much the way he felt at the moment. Even his pets seemed stricken by the same lassitude. He overcame his mood somewhat when a servant entered to announce that an important message had been received. But it was the lieutenant*s words that brought the Regent back to life.
此刻他也感到有些崩溃。甚至他的宠物们也同样无精打采，看起来像病了一样。瑞金特稍微收拾了一下心情，一个仆人进来声称收到了一条重要信息。而正是这名副官的话让他回过神来。
"The Sentinels! Here·"
“哨兵！在这里？”
"Yes, m*lord. They are requesting permission to land. Four of their number are in need of treatments apparently only Haydon IV can provide. They are seeking a truce by way of surrender."
“是的，王上。他们正请求着陆许可。他们中的4个需要治疗，显然只有海顿4号可以提供。他们正通过投降的方式寻求一份停战协定。”
The Regent shot to his feet."This is a dream!"
瑞金特猛地站起来：“这是一个梦！”
"No, m*lord."
“不，王上。”
The Regent stood motionless for a moment, then laughed."Here! Of course they would surrender here, where to fire first means certain death." He reached up to feel his swollen cowl."However..."
瑞金特站着不动好一会，然后笑了。“在这！在这里他们当然要投降，率先开火必然意味着死亡。”他伸手抚摸着他臃肿的外袍，说：“不过……”
The lieutenant waited while the Regent paced in front of his throne."Yes, yes, it could work." He swung around."Inform the Sentinels that we accept their terms. And bring the Zor-clone to my chambers. I will put it to him simply: the matrix for the lives of his comrades. What could be more just·"
副官等候着，瑞金特走到他的宝座前面。“是的，是的，这样可行。”他转过身来说，“通知哨兵，我们接受他们的条件。还有把那个佐尔克隆体带到我的会客室。我会直接告诉他：用母体换他同志们的性命。还有什么比这个更公平吗？”
"May the Great Shaper Haydon watch over you this day," Teal told the shuttle group from the balcony in the SDF-7*s launch bay.
“愿伟大的塑造者海顿守护你们（这一天），”缇尔从SDF-7号发射区的瞭望台上对（准备出发的）行动组说。
Vince, Cabell, Max, and the others saluted their friends as the hatch sealed itself. In a moment the shuttle*s attitude jets flared, and the craft began to descend toward the green and silver crescent that was Haydon IV.
船舱的门徐徐关上，文斯、卡贝尔、麦克斯等人向他们的朋友们敬礼致意。不一会儿，穿梭机的姿态喷射器向外展开，这艘飞船开始向着银色和绿色交织的月牙状星球——海顿4号下降。
The second group numbered twelve, including the three Invid-one in each of the three armored Alpha Veritechs. Jack had a no-nonsense air about him as he strapped into the forward cockpit of his mecha. Bela was behind him; Gnea, Kami, and one of the scientists in the Beta module. Janice was piloting the second VT, with Burak in the copilot*s seat, and Lron and Tesla in the Beta. The third VT held Learna, Crysta, and the second scientist. Jack had taken one last look at Rick, Lisa, and Karen before they had been moved into the shuttle, and the sight of their slack, colorless faces was with him now as he engaged the Alpha*s thrusters and maneuvered the ship out of the launch bay. The SDF-7*s human and XT crew had been instructed to keep the fortress clear of the Invid fleet, but in close enough proximity to Haydon IV*s surface to eliminate any threat of an enemy sneak attack.
第二行动组有12人，包括3架全副武装的阿尔法变形战机，每架战机上携带一名因维人。杰克在自己战机的前驾驶舱座上系好固定带，一副严肃的样子。妮雅、卡米和一名因维科学家在战机的贝塔模块舱中。贾妮斯驾驶着第二架变形战机，伯拉克坐在副驾驶位，勒荣和泰斯拉在贝塔机中。第三架变形战机装载着莱亚娜、克里斯托和第二名因维科学家。在瑞克、丽莎和凯伦被转移到穿梭机上之前，杰克看了他们最后一眼，现在他正使用阿尔法的推进器操作战机离开发射区，脑海中却一直浮现着三人虚弱苍白的面容。SDF-7上的人类和非人类船员已经得到指示要让战舰摆脱因维舰队，但需要和海顿4号表面保持足够接近，以便消除敌人发动偷袭的威胁。
译注：一共12人乘3架VT，1号机4人；2号机4人；3号机3人？根据前文漏掉了贝拉，这几个人中间谁会开VT？
Veidt and Sarna had done their best to convince the Sentinels to abandon their plans for an unannounced approach, but Jack and the rest were determined to give it a try. Besides, it wasn*t like they were going in with weapons blazing. Their approach would be a gentle one, Jack had insisted; a simple landing in the forests west of the planet*s principal city. Surely, three small mecha weren*t going to touch off Haydon IV*s legendary (and somewhat questionable) defenses.
维特和莎娜已经尽力去说服哨兵们放弃悄悄潜入（海顿4号）的计划，但杰克和其他人还是决定要做一次尝试。除此之外，不能像他们那样明显地带着武器过去。但杰克一直坚持，他们的进入方式会很友好的；不过是在行星首要城市以西的森林地带简单着陆而已。毫无疑问，3架小型机甲还不至于触发海顿4号那传说中（还有些可疑）的防御体。
It is merely intent, Veidt had tried to tell them.
这仅仅是一厢情愿，维特已经试图和他们解释过了。
Jack heard the words surfacing in his thoughts, and made an effort to push them from his mind. In a moment he would be able to discern details of the planet*s surface topography. It was bound to be an extraordinary sight-an entire world reconfigured to conform to the demands of its inhabitants.
（此刻）杰克脑海中不断浮现出（维特的）这些话语，他努力把它们从脑子里清除掉。不一会他就能亲眼目睹行星表面地形地貌的细节了。这一定会是一番非同寻常的景象——整个世界都是按照居住者的需求而重新构建的。
Jack found himself wondering about the guiding intelligence behind such a feat.
杰克为打造这一壮举的引领性才智而感到惊奇（二校点）。
Then he began to notice that the forest they had chosen as landing zone, was, well, moving-sliding east to west across the variegated landscape like some sort of by-pass door. And something very bizarre was rising up at them from the space that forest had vacated...Swirling vortices of energy, radiant silken scarves riding Haydon IV*s savage updrafts.
接着他开始注意到，他们选作着陆地点的森林，好吧，正在移动中——从东向西滑行，穿过（色彩）斑驳的像某种旁路门般的地貌。而且某种非常奇异的东西正在从森林（移动）所腾出的空间中向他们升起……弯曲盘绕的能量漩涡，依托海顿4号猛烈上升气流（而来）的柔软光亮的（能量）丝带。
Jack sent a telepathic plea to the planet: We*ve come in peace. We*ve come in peace!
杰克在心里向行星（海顿4号）祈求着：我们带着善意而来。我们带着善意而来！
（END）