05_force_of_arms-第7章
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〃The points're piling up； Lieutenant；〃 Max said； referring to his score。 Rick； teeth gritted； was trying to wax the fox that was leaping for the grapes。 Damn thing moved faster than a Zentraedi tri…thruster。
After a lot of bleeping； ringing； and flashing from Max's machine； a flood of tokens； glittering like gold； slid into the payoff tray。 The tokens could be used for more games； of course； or redeemed for prizes； vouchers of various kinds； or…if one really pressed the issue…cash。
〃That's great！ I always make more than I can cart off。〃
〃Well； you left me behind；〃 Rick admitted。 Wasn't this supposed to make me feel better？
Actually； it did。 〃Max； look at that！〃 More and more tokens slid down into the tray until they were spilling all over the place。
Close Encounters's assistant manager； Frankie Zotz； a nervous young man in white pancake makeup and black； owllike hairdo； rushed into the manager's booth。 〃Hey； boss！ We're gettin' wiped out at some of our most difficult machines！〃
Blinko Imperiale； the manager…he of the goggle shades and two…tone Mohawk and vaguely intimidating lab coat…sat with chin on fist。
〃Dincha hear me？〃 Frankie Zotz yelped。 〃That pilot's upstairs again； and the green…haired dame's inside turnin' a VT game every which way but profitable！〃
Blinko didn't even move； sadly staring off at nothing。 〃Oh； boy。 I knew I never shoulda opened this place near where those RDF maniacs hang out！〃
The split…screen parisons were obvious even to nontechnical personnel。 The DNA strands and analysis workups spoke for themselves。
The presentation flashed along as Admiral Hayes muttered； 〃Interesting。。。hmmm。。。〃
It was much more than that； it was astounding。 It shook the very foundations of human knowledge。
It had long been thought that wherever the basic chemical building blocks of life coexisted in the universe； they would preferentially link to form the same subunits that defined the essential biogenetic structures found on Earth。 In other words； the ordering of the DNA code wasn't a quirk of nature。 Tentative evidence dated back to long before the SDF…1's crash landing on Earth； both from meteoric remains and from spark…discharge experiments。
The new data pointed up a universal chemistry…that the formation and linking of amino acids and nucleotides was all but inevitable。 The messenger RNA codonanticodon linkages that blueprinted the production of amino acids seemed to operate on a coding intrinsic to the molecules themselves。 This meant that life throughout the universe would be very similar and that some force dictated that it be so。
Admiral Hayes skimmed over all that； it had little to do with the war。 He skimmed some of Dr。 Lang's hypotheses and preliminary findings； too： that somehow the very energies that drove Robotechnology were identical to the shadowy forces governing molecular behavior。 There was also mention of this irritatingly mystical Protoculture； something none of the alien defectors had had sufficiently high clearance to have learned much about。
Lang； it appeared； was monumentally frustrated that the hints and suspicions couldn't be verified。 But he was vocal about his suspicion that this Protoculture the Zentraedi were so obsessed with was the key to it all…molecular behavior； the war； the origins of life； ultimate power。
The point of the presentation was obvious even to an aging flag…rank officer whose Academy biochemistry classes were far behind him。 〃Let me see if I'm pletely clear about what you're telling me。〃
〃You believe our genetic backgrounds； the Zentraedi's and that of the human race； are similar。 And because of the possibility that we might all be part of the same species； you hope to promote peace talks。〃
Lisa was nodding； wide…eyed as the little girl he remembered。 〃But will all this convince the UEDC to open negotiations； sir？〃
He sighed； the heavy brows lowering； staring down at the briefing file before him on the coffee table。 Lisa held her breath。
〃I'm not sure；〃 her father said at last。 He looked up at her again。 〃But I'll present it to them and make sure they listen； then we'll see what they say。〃
For the first time since she left the SDF…1； Lisa smiled。
Miriya bent over the VT machine； refining her game。 Next to her； on the floor； were two plastic pans filled with playing tokens。 Frankie Zotz had had to refill the game's reservoir twice to pay off all her winnings。 She ignored his sweaty invitations to go play some other game…or； better yet； take a rain check and just go…with a slit…eyed amusement and a dangerous air that kept him from pressing her too hard about it。
Max came downstairs with Rick； holding his own tray of tokens。 Suddenly； he stopped yammering his overcheerful encouragements about how Rick would eventually get the hang of the puter games。 That was fine with Rick； he had had just about enough light banter。
Max paused on the stairs。 〃Oh！ That girl！ Sitting at that game！〃
Rick looked at the green hair。 She wore a tight brown body suit that showed off a lithe figure； and a flamboyant yellow scarf knotted at her throat。 〃So？ What about her？〃
〃Isn't she incredible？〃 Max said； more excitedly than Rick had ever heard Max talk about anything。 〃I've been seeing her everywhere。〃
〃Well； she is sort of attractive；〃 Rick had to admit； his mind too full of Lisa Hayes and Minmei for him to go on at any greater length。
Max； the renowned VT wizard； wasn't much when it came to the pursuit of females； his few fumbling attempts with one or another of the Terrible Trio had failed； and he retreated pletely when Sammie； Vanessa； and Kim became involved with the three Zentraedi ex…spies； Konda； Bron； and Rico。
Max's modest； self…effacing shipside persona made him a sort of uninteresting doormat for women。 Perhaps he wasn't suave or seductively menacing enough。 So when he wasn't out in a Veritech； he kept to himself for the most part。
But this was different； the Close Encounters arcade was his turf。 〃Maybe I can get her in a game with me！〃 Max said； as he went racing down the stairs。
There was quite a crowd around Miriya； she had rolled up one of the largest scores ever on the Veritechs game。 She felt a little irritated； even a bit strange； with all these Micronians gathered around。 Yet she endured their gaze； proud and pleased to show off her prowess。
She briefly considered the idea that her strange sensations had something to do with the damned Micronian food。 It was nothing like the cold； processed； sanitized rations of the Zentraedi； human food had strange textures and flavors； odd biological constituents。 It was all animal tissue and plant substances； and she suspected it was affecting her system。
She shook off the feeling and kept playing； rolling her score higher and higher； until she went over the top； beating the game； and more tokens poured into her tray。 Getting enough money to survive in Macross had been no problem for Miriya since she had discovered the arcades。
Now someone pressed through the crowd： an unremarkable…looking VT pilot with a tray of token winnings in his hands。 She was inclined to dismiss him； dozens of men had made overtures to her since she first came to the SDF…1。
But there was something different about this one； she thought。
Max worked up the nerve to say； 〃'Scuse me； would you be interested in playing a game with me？ From what I've seen； I think we'd be equally matched。 Don't you？〃
He looked so young and eager that she almost laughed in his face and ignored him。 Then she considered the tray of tokens in his hands。 Miriya knew enough about the arcades to appreciate how good he must have been to have accumulated so many of the glittering pieces。
Of course it was beyond the realm of possibility that this slim youngster could be the premier enemy killer； but if he provided some petition； it might make for useful practice。
She looked at him languidly beneath long black lashes。 Max felt his heart pounding。 〃Are you willing to bet all that？〃 Miriya asked。
He gasped happily。 〃Yes； I am！〃 He set his tray down next to hers； then scooted around into the seat opposite her。 He babbled； 〃This is absolutely terrific！ I know we're gonna have a great game！〃
Watching frorn the sidelines； Rick wondered if there wasn't something else Max could do to screw up his chances of impressing her。 Trip over her； maybe； or throw up。
But once in his seat； Max took on the air of confidence and aplomb that was his in matters regarding the VTs。 〃How about starting with level B？ All right with you？〃
She shrugged； somehow making it seem alluring and yet indifferent。 〃Fine。〃
〃All right。 Here we go。〃
He deposited the tokens； and the screen lit。 Miriya had picked red for the color of her VT； Max selected blue； for the trim on his own ship。 He didn't notice that Miriya's eyes suddenly narrowed at that choice。
Little animated Minmei figures walked out from either side of the screen to strike a gong in the center； and the action began。 They guided their VTs through the twisting； changing puter…modeled landscape； using control sticks and foot pedals； maneuvering at each other and firing。
It didn't take long for Miriya to lose her nonchalance。 Try as she might； she couldn't gain the advantage on him； couldn't shake him once he'd gained on her。 A frown crossed her face； then a sudden flare of rage； when his fighter destroyed hers。 She hid the expression in an instant； looking at him more closely。
The video warriors gathered around them were aghast。 It had been a master…level fight。 Max grinned at her。 〃Whoops！ Looks like I won； huh？ Wanna go on to level A？〃 He winked at her。
Rick groaned to himself。 Somewhere along the line； Max had learned exactly how to antagonize beautiful young women。
She regarded him coldly。 〃Yes。 Let's go on to level A。 That should prove quite interesting。〃 This time she would give the fight serious attention。
Max fed in more tokens； this time a blue hemisphere sprang from the game； a holoprojection。 The muttering of the growing crowd became louder； until the real purists silenced everybody。
The miniature Veritechs flew over the flat surface of the gaming table now； going to Battloid mode and taking their autocannon in hand at high port。 There was a moment in which Miriya gazed through Max's bluetrimmed； ghostly mecha； through his blue aviator glasses； into his eyes。
Somehow； she knew in that moment； all the rest of the game would only be proof of what her instincts were telling her。
The little Battloid puter images looped and fired； maneuvering on each other； going to Guardian or Veritech as their players decreed。 There were outbursts and yells from the onlookers as the game moved。 It was the fastest； most canny maneuvering anyone had ever seen； even though side bets were strictly illegal； everybody was making them。
Frankie Zotz projected it onto the arcade's main screen。 Veteran players looked on in awe at the amazing dogfight。 Tiny missiles and tracers spat； the puters could barely keep up with the instructions ing from the control sticks。 The minuscule mecha circled and attacked。
Miriya used the same tactics she had used that day in her Quadrono armor； his responses were the same。 For a moment； it seemed to her that her simulacrum
