ain and mind…probing you've gone through。〃
Rem was nearly in tears； but the Regent was leaning forward in the colossal throne； drowning him out。 〃But it needn't happen that way！ You can save them； Zor…clone； and save yourself as well！ The Haydon IV healers can cure them and cure you； too； this very hour； you can leave with them…if you'll simply say a few paltry words and give me what I want。〃
Rem was broken。 Courage and conviction and strength and faith…and even love…are overrated when it es to defense against torture。 Yet the Regent failed to incorporate one thing into his equations…the one factor that no agony could overe： ignorance。
〃Tell me where the last Protoculture matrix is；〃 the Regent hissed。 〃Tell me where the original Zor sent it…hid it！ You have many of his memories…how； I'm not sure。 But that one must be there； it must！〃
But it wasn't。 If it had been； Rem would have yielded it up in a moment。 That escape was closed to him； though。
Rem laid his head to his chest and sobbed。 Deep in the hin； he felt the sunlight jeering at him； his fear…sweat turning to acid against his skin； panic closing off his windpipe。
He heard the creak as the Regent rose from his chair。 〃Above all things； I despise stubbornness。 That； I punish。〃
Lynn…Minmei tried to stop the passageway from spinning as she lurched along； her hand held by the mysterious VT pilot； she was barefoot and disheveled； sick with the drinks she had downed but sicker still with her latest and worst glimpse of Human nature。
Not that she'd meant to drink a lot； she had nothing but contempt for drunkards。 But life as the consort of General T。 R。 Edwards was a little easier to bear after a round or two。 And then there was the drink itself…from Edwards's private bottle…something she had heard the top…echelon officers jokingly call weed…whacker。
It was a 150…proof vacuum distillate that had been soaked in fibers from a plant related to the Flower of Life； and strained out again。 Brackish； deadly。 But oddly smooth and warming。
Best taken by the slow shot glass。
But； she had needed something to fortify her as she sat there and listened to Edwards…the man Minmei had thought she loved； the man to whom she had given herself…reveal himself as a devil incarnate。
She was dizzy； and thought she might lose her balance； or her lunch…she had had no dinner。 〃Wait； wait；〃 she puffed； breathless。 Her head spun； and she tasted bile in the back of her throat。
The VT pilot stopped and turned to her； gesturing in a way that made it clear he was concerned about her。 Minmei brushed her hair out of her eyes yet again； to study him。 〃Do I know you？ Who are you？〃
He was tall and lean； and demonstrated a supple strength。 Behind the tinted facebowl of his flight helmet； all she could discern was the dark； thick beard。 He regarded her for a moment； then answered； 〃It says right here： REF Service # 666…60…937。〃
She could see that； and his flight officer's insignia and unit flash。 But his name tape； stitched over his left breast pocket； was unfamiliar： Isle； L。 His voice； ing through the helmet's tinny external speaker； was unrecognizable。
Her mystery savior was wearing the unit patch of one of the outfits from Dr。 Lang's research facility。 Lang had managed to ram through the council an authorization for his own security forces； but Edwards had fought the seconding of pilots to the Robotech scientist。 So； this was almost certainly one of the fliers who had been selected from the lower ranks and trained on Tirol to fill the cockpits of Lang's personal army。
But what was he doing on SDF…3？
Minmei swayed slowly from side to side； closing one eye in an effort to focus on him。 〃C'mom； c'mon； I mean； why're y'doing this？〃 She still wasn't sure he wouldn't drag her back to Edwards…maybe to claim some kind of reward or favor。
She was also waiting for the alarms to go off。
Surely； by now； Edwards had realized that she hadn't simply fled his embrace and his bedroom for some fresh air。 Even vain； cold Edwards must have admitted to himself by now that Minmei had made a break for freedom。
〃You said you want to go to Tiresia； didn't you？〃 the VT flier was saying。 〃And perhaps to Garuda； or Haydon IV？ I'll see that you get to wherever you want to go； Minmei。 But Tiresia's the obligatory first stop。〃
There was some resonance in his voice； even over the speaker； that she thought she recognized。 Minmei sighed and ran her hand through her fine black hair again。 Plainly； no VT could make a star…jump； and the few remaining REF vessels that could go superluminal were scarcely the kind of spacecraft you could sign out like a borrowed fanjet。
But there was something in the man's tone； something steely and yet passionate； that didn't sound like it brooked failure。
She vaguely remembered saying to him； outside Edwards's quarters； that she wanted to go to Tiresia or Garuda； but the beginning of their adventure was an alcoholic mini…blackout。 She was not sure what her plan had been； though； except that Jonathan Wolff and Rick Hunter were out there someplace。
She shook her head slowly。 〃I don't…I don't。。。〃
He took her hand again。 〃Don't worry； Minmei。〃
Then he led her off again。 Minmei lost track of things for a while； but Wearily realized at one point that he was shoving oversize deck slippers onto her bare feet。 At another point； she felt something sting her arm and saw that he had given her a shot with a medikit ampule。
〃Antinausea；〃 REF # 666…60…937 explained。 〃It makes it tough to see out the cockpit canopy if you heave your cookies。〃
〃Cockpit？〃 she repeated； trying to figure out what he was getting at。 Then she realized that he had her standing near a hatch that led to a hangar deck。 There were the distant whines of VTs being readied for flight。
〃Wait right here；〃 he said after he led her into the vast； mostly darkened hangar deck。 Minmei did not get to ask what he was doing； he was gone。
The antinausea drug settled her queasiness and brought her around a bit； too。 She was drawing deep breaths and burping a bit； sitting on the deck； when he caught her hands and pulled Minmei upward。
〃All set； just follow me。 That's our ship over there。〃
〃Wh…〃
And then they were walking among the parked mecha of the hangar deck。 Welding sparks leapt and humming maint…crew machinery made noise in the distance； and she could hear men and women yelling or cursing or cajoling or laughing as they sweated to keep the REF's fighting forces operational。
He was leading her toward an armored Alpha； a lusterless gray fighter trimmed in olive drab； bulked by its augmentation pods。 It was one of the most formidable ships in the REF inventory； and she didn't think it likely that it had been assigned to one of Lang's 〃six…month…wonder〃 pilots。
Minmei saw the boarding ladder before her and it brought back a flood of memories。 She was a non…tech person； why did mecha insist on playing such an overwhelming part in her life？
Then somebody yelled from the distance； and more voices took up the cry。 She realized woozily that the voices were ing her way。 She had both hands on the boarding ladder and one foot on the first rung when she became aware of a ruckus behind her。
By the time she turned around； there were three or four flight…deck personnel laid out flat； unconscious。 Minmei blinked at them owlishly。 What…
Then REF # 666…60…937 was pushing her up the ladder； loading her into the copilot's seat； and then belting her in。 Apparently he knew all the right codes； the launch…cat airlock accepted the powerful Alpha fighter and flung it out into space。
Green； looming Fantoma cast its light on them and their ship； and Tirol was a gibbous splotch of orange…brown…gray not far from it。 The VT pilot turned his craft toward Tirol。
Suddenly his instruments were squealing and beeping for his attention。 〃Hot scramble from SDF…3； of course；〃 she heard him mutter。 〃They want you back。 They're ing to get you。〃
〃Then…〃
〃Sit tight。〃 He hit the auxiliaries for full military power and dove toward Tirol。 Eager pursuers formed up for the hunt。
Minmei； pressed back in her seat； looking out at the unknowable stars； felt tears pressed from her eyes by accelerati