by…person breakdown of the vote。 Of the ten members of the ＇Plenipotentiary＇ Council； there are believed to have been two abstentions from Stinson and Longchamps。 Obstat； Huxley； and others have elsewhere indicated the basis of their individual decisions。 Of the participating members of the REF mand staff； seven voted in favor of using the Neutron…S missiles； five against。 It is altogether ironic that the decision to irradiate Earth was arrived at in Tiresia； where； centuries before； the Robotech Masters had sentenced Optera to suffer a similar fate。
Ahmed Rashona； That Pass in the Night： The SDF…3 and the Mission to Tirol
Lisa dreamed a tunnel in the sky； a radiant corridor stretching timeless across the heavens。 Warm to her hands and bare feet； secure and enfolding； redolent with aromas of spring and summer。 At one end her father waved good…bye； a smashing figure in his United Earth Government tunic with its breast salad of ribbons and braid； at the other end was a patch of scudded sky that could have belonged only to once…upon…a…time Earth。
It occurred to her that she could not have been more than seventeen； returning to Macross Island after her first real leave。 Was this carpeting below her； then？ The warm glow the lights of some airport concourse or jetway？
But where were the flight attendants； then； where were her guides？ And how could she hope to find her seat without a boarding pass？
She slapped the pockets of her long coat as she walked； panic gaining on her。 The light ahead was almost too intense to behold； like the sun itself on a cloudless south Pacific afternoon when there was not a breeze in the world。
The hot sand was making her hurry along； but it was the voice she was responding to now。 The panic evaporated； trailing behind her ghostly and diffuse； and the warmth returned。 Her mother's voice； her arthritic hand waving in the light at the end of the corridor。 Her guide； to be sure； a smile broadening as Lisa outran the years； the deaths and disappearances that ruined her garden。 A child as she approached the light； Earth too remote to touch 。。。
I'm dead！ she thought？
…as noise filled her up and air swelled her lungs； bringing renewed life to her pounding heart。 A dream； she told herself； the recurrent one her mind reserved for hyperspace folds。
Everyone had them； those nightmares and visions； brief excursions to private heavens or hells。 Space lace； some of the crew called it。 With an ever…present out…of…body ponent； an after…life acpaniment。
Only this time she had died； and that had never happened before。 Grief coursed through her； a profound sense of loss； a kind of terminal nostalgia。 Had it been stirred by the dream？ Or did it emanate from the nurturing other she had discovered within herself？
Roy was suddenly on her mind； her bright center in the universe； her barely five…year…old hero。 The thought of having to open her eyes filled her with fear。 But open them she would。
And the grief propagated。
The SDF…3 bridge was as dark and silent as a tomb。 Sweat burst from her palms like splinters of ice。
〃Lieutenant Toler；〃 she said。 〃Mister Hakawa？〃
〃Here； sir；〃 someone answered from a duty station behind the mand chair。 She called to the rest…Williamson； Price； Martino…and one by one they responded； reborn from dreams。 Lisa flathanded the …line stud built into the arm of the chair and called for Dr。 Lang in engineering。
〃All systems are down； Sir；〃 said a voice in the darkness…Price； Lisa ventured correctly。 〃No response from any of the backups： It's like we're unplugged。〃
〃Nonsense；〃 Lisa returned。 〃We're obviously not weightless； Mister Price。 And unless we've somehow defolded on Earth's surface； I'd hazard a guess some systems are operational。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Doesn't anyone keep a damn flashlight up here？〃 she said； cautiously feeling her way out of the chair。 Off to her right she heard a pneumatic hiss； a tear of Velcro。 〃Everyone stay put；〃 she called toward the sound。 〃We're still on full alert； gentlemen。 Besides； I don't want anyone walking into a bulkhead。 〃She directed her voice starboard； toward Toler's station beneath the threat board。 〃Mister Toler； you're the youngest among us。 How's your vision？〃
〃Better than perfect； sir；〃 Toler told her； a crack in his voice on the last word。
〃Do you think you can make your way to the hatch and engage the override？〃
〃With my eyes closed； sir。〃
Everyone laughed； and the tension eased somewhat。 〃Yes； well； you can keep your eyes open； Lieutenant。 This isn't a test of your agility。 I just want to know if the whole ship's in this fix。〃
〃I understand； sir。〃
Lisa heard Toler's chair swivel。 A few moments later came the low thud of retracting bolts。 The air stirred as the hatch slid open and the sound of half a dozen voices drifted in from the operations room。 Toler and someone else made startled sounds。 〃What happened？〃 Lisa asked。
A man's voice growled： 〃Who is that？〃
〃Lieutenant Toler。 Who's that？〃
〃mander Forsythe； Lieutenant。 Stand aside。〃
〃Sir！〃 Toler snapped。
Lisa heard a hollow meeting of flesh and bone and a follow up wince of pain。 〃Damn； boy；〃 her bald…headed exec said； 〃you don't have to salute me！〃
Just then the emergency lights came up； banks at a time； red and somber throughout the bridge。 A slight shudder swept through the ship； and Klaxons wailed midnote； signaling battle stations。
〃That's more like it；〃 Lisa enthused。 〃Showing up crippled would send one hell of a message to the Regis。〃
Forsythe stepped through the hatch； throwing Toler a hard look before joining Price at one of the forward heads…up display screens。
〃We're still dead in space； sir；〃 Hakawa updated。 〃Auxiliary power forward and to all priority stations； but all scanning； ECM； and defense systems are non…op。〃
〃Can we determine our position？〃 Forsythe asked。 〃Negative； sir Guidance； telemetry； and astrogation are still down。〃
Lisa traded frowns with Forsythe and glanced over her shoulder at the watch officer。 〃Well； we can at least take a look outside； can't we？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Raise the forward cowl； Mister Hakawa；〃 Forsythe said impatiently。
Lisa could barely contain herself。 It was almost as though she could dismiss this latest snafu the way a cyclist might shrug off a punctured tire after a thousand…mile journey。 Earth； after close to fifteen years。 With nothing unforeseen in store for them this time： no accidental jumps to Pluto； no fold hitchhikers to rescue； no surprise attacks by alien cruisers。 The REF knew who and what they had e for： the Regis and the world they had lost to her。 They knew； too； the Shock Troopers and Pincers they would be facing； and they knew how to engage them。
And best of all； they knew they would succeed。
Six years of effort had gone into this one day； and the fleet that was the result of that labor would be spread out before them； weapons arrays and bat mecha targeted for Reflex Point。 Earth； Lisa said to herself again as the forward view port shields retracted。 Earth！
Light of a sort began to filter onto the bridge； only it was neither the wele warmth of Sol nor the reflected brilliance of their blue…white homeworld。
It was the alien light at the end of Lisa's tunnel in the sky。 It was death light。
On the mand balcony of the fortress's cavernous Tactical Information Center； Rick Hunter stared unprehendingly at the monitors affixed to the portside bulkhead。
〃I'm sorry； sir；〃 an enlisted…rating tech stationed at a nearby console repeated； 〃but the opticals are on…line。 This is the external view。 Sir。〃
In the phasing； satanic illumination of the emergency lights the room could have been a corner of hell。 Rick would have taken odds that it was just that： the hell of his space lace given shape during the fold。 But unlike Lisa's recurrent tunnel； Rick's nightmare vision did not require a jump to ignite it。 The set； the setting； the thousand separate elements that posed it could all be traced back to the Genesis Pits on Optera。 Walk away from it you might； but turn around and the fear would be there； waiting for you； beckoning you back into its sinister embrace。
An inter buzzed insistently at Rick's back。 〃mand One；〃 he heard his adjutant say at last。 〃Doctor Lang； Admiral；〃 the colonel continued； conveying the mobile over to him。
〃What the hell's going on？〃 Rick shouted into the mouth piece。 〃Where are we？〃 He glanced at the monitors once more before proceeding。 〃It looks like fog out there； Lang。 Is that possible？〃
〃I would like to humor you； Admiral；〃 Lang said； 〃but； unfortunately； there is little humor in the situation。 And if it is indeed a fog； as you suggest； it is of the quantum sort。 We have life support； but little else； as I'm sure you're aware。 〃
Rick's boot continued to tap the floor long after Lang had finished。 The two men had grown distant from each other on Tirol； Lang like some Prometheus with his facsimile Protoculture matrix； and Rick busy with Roy more often than not。 The wizard of Robotechnology kept getting stranger while Rick just kept getting grayer。
〃How long before you can return power to the drives？〃 Rick demanded。
It was to be the REF's final battle； he thought； the one that was to decide their