eamed； cringing to her knees； arms closed protectively around her middle。 Rem knelt next to her； eyes slitted against the onslaught。
The cloud became a face that Rem recognized。 The Regis looked down emotionlessly at the two。
NO； YOU WON'T BE SAVED。 ALL YOUR PLANS WILL E TO NOTHING。 THIS IS THE MOMENT OF MY TRIUMPH AND YOUR EXTINCTION。
〃No！〃 Rem howled。 He hauled Minmei to her feet to seek shelter； but when he started off； she pulled in another direction。 〃That way！ That way！〃
They left the cloud behind； though there were still swirls of fury around them。 Minmei led the way down one passageway and then another until they came to a quarters hatch。 Rem hit the release and on the other side found a pistol leveled at him。
Bowie stared down the barrel。 Rem felt his pulse pound； waiting for the blast。 After a long hesitation； though； Bowie bit out； 〃Close it。 Seal it behind you。〃
Rem saw then that Musica was trying to fort Allegra； both Muses huddled together in the lower bunk。 Bowie reholstered the sidearm； saying； 〃I don't know what's happening； but I know I want the Singers and me together when it does。 No more soldiering for me。〃
His eyes flicked to Minmei。 〃What brought you back？〃 She was sobbing； shaking her head； chest racked； unable to tell him。 Maybe she could not have even if she hadn't been crying。 Rem took her into his arms。
Bowie went to where his pact synthesizer keyboards were set up next to the glowing Cosmic Harp。 〃Well； maybe you just wanted to be played out with some song。 Good a way to go as any。〃
His fingers touched keys； evoking full； uplifting chords。 〃It's what I was planning on。〃
Minmei swiped back the limp hair from her eyes； lifting her head。 〃Yes。 Music。〃
Rem helped her over to where she could slump into a seat near Bowie and sat stroking her shoulder； back； and face。 Bowie played a melody she knew； and she lifted her voice。 At least she could give her unborn baby that much。
Minmei lost herself in the words for a few bars； shutting out the rest of the world； until she realized that Musica had sat to stroke notes from the fine lines of resplendence that were the strings of the Cosmic Harp。
Musica sang； too； and in a few more moments Allegra joined in。 The SDF…3 shook and jolted； distant shrieks and wails rang from far…off bulkheads； doomsday light anomalies impinged again and again at the edges of their song。 But within it； for the moment； the music somehow kept them safe from the terminal spasming of the Shapings； from the probings of the Regis or； perhaps； only from her malice； from the rift…energies as newspace drew in realtime's structure； and from the desperation and despair claiming so many others aboard the SDF…3。
In the drive section； techs were being ordered back to stand along the bulkheads and everybody was donning headgear。 There was no time for much else in the way of safety precautions like getting all hands into spacesuits and no telling what sort would be needed。
Pinwheels of ghostly pastel flame swooped and buzzed through the cavernous partment like startled birds； the mental sounds and the jarring of the SDF…3 were increasing。
The children had formed their circle of power once again； this time with Aurora as a link between Roy and Drannin。 They were situated off in one corner of the partment in the hope that they would be out of the way of danger。 The parents moved back； Lisa releasing Roy's shoulder only after Rick put his arm around her。
Rick tried to get Jack or Karen on the inter to find out what was happening at Lang's sanctum； but all munications seemed to be down。
The children had taken up a new chant； the eerie glow of their eyes brightening。 Rick could not hear it over the astral storm that blew and crashed around them； then； leaning closer； did hear。
Ro…bo…tech； Ro…bo…tech； Ro…bo…tech 。。。
The children had picked their mantra； their source of power and unity； their psychic spell word and focus； something about it made the parents； the techs； and the rest stand a bit straighter； hold their chins a little higher。 Lisa felt Rick squeeze her hand and saw that his eyes were glistening with tears。
The chant became louder than the astral storm not in sheer decibels but in the minds of those gathered。 Their physical surroundings…the drive ancillaries； the bulkheads…fell away in a panorama of boiling psi…stuff； and the children forced back the curtain with their unity； searching。
Ro…bo…tech！ Ro…bo…tech！ Ro…bo…tech！
The perceptual mist fell away and they saw the SDF…3's drive housing； like a phantom； translucent and insubstantial； there where it had once been。
Angelo Dante sent up a cheer； feeling a personal stake in the matter of the drives； and was the first one to grab a connector cable as thick as his own upper arm； ready to hook up。
But Gnea held him back； just as Vince Grant and some of the others called out for everybody to keep their distance。 The drives were still insubstantial； the children had not fully materialized them yet。
The chant became more intense； and the drives took on solidity。 They became opaque； then substantial。
And then the sky opened up。
The Regis looked down； anger somehow showing forth from her blank mask of a face。
I HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE； AND HERE YOU WILL REMAIN； RAW MATERIALS FOR MY TRANSFORMED NEWSPACE！
Long cyclonic whips of otherworldly force lashed in at the drives from everywhere； striking at their housing。 The children's chant wavered； became unsure。 The drives lost substance once more and faded； the ectoplasmic storm closed in。
But the Regis's face remained above those gathered below。 I WILL BROOK NO MORE INTERFERENCE！
Around each child a dark corona grew as the Regis sought to waft them away into her own zone of existence。 The chant faltered； the children fighting her will； but the coronas became darker and darker still。
Like dozens of others； Rick and Lisa leapt forward to save the children but rebounded from a barrier of force that enpassed the circle。 Lisa watched； helplessly sprawled on the deck； as Roy and the rest faded from view into night。
In the partment holding Lang's vault module； Louie Nichols zeroized his goggles' transparency and threw his forearm across them for good measure。
The brightness was too intense for sight to have any coherence； anyway。 At the ground zero of Lang's ultimate Protoculture act； Louie found himself perceiving things with new and different senses。
He beheld the end of Lang by immersion in the Protoculture。 In the end； the man's expanded intellect； colossal as it was； was overshadowed by his boundless delight in the elegance； subtlety； and mystery of the universe and of life itself。
As Jovian as those things were； though； Lang had been right； somehow； Louie sensed that Lang's essence was no more than a single snowflake against the endless winter vista of the Shapings。 The single particle that had been Lang floated away to bee part of the Shapings； the man himself lost and gone forever。
Because the nature of Haydon had not been intended for the transition to newspace； the sphere ships exerted unique adaptive energies to the transit。
Negotiating perilous intercontinua missures； they endured and wended toward their destination but accumulated more and more excess psi…quanta in their force envelopes。 It was not unlike a skier building up more momentum than was desired and finding himself unable to shed it。
The sphere ships would either reach the bottom of their hill with incalculable mental energy potential or perish in a failure that would destroy everything； everywhere； everywhen。
Lisa watched her son pulled from sight without even the hope that she could sacrifice herself to save him； without even the hope that she would have his body to mourn over。
Then something changed the world of ectostorm and mind blast there in the violence of the drive partment； something that called the unleashed fury to heel for an instant and calmed the cataclysm for a beat。 Lisa knew what it was； but it took her a moment； in her stunned state to fix words to it。
Life is only what we choose to make it
Let us take it
Let us be free！
Lisa heard Rick croak； 〃Minmei！〃
By the time Lisa had levered herself up and looked around； there were indescribably sweet notes backing Minmei's silvery voice and other voices chiming in。
Minmei stood near the hatch； looking scared and weary and haggard； but she clung to Rem； who bore her up； and she became a pure instrument for her song。
We can find the glory we all dream of；
And with our love；
We can win！
Musica and Allegra wove their spell behind hers。 The Cosmic Harp danced like a starry spiderweb under Musica's fingers。 Giving it all a kind of human interface was Bowie； eyes closed； drawing lofty chords from the synth…keyboard slung over his shoulders。
Scarcely aware of it； Lisa also took in Jack and Karen and Harry Penn； all of them apparently out of breath and hunkered down near the harp。 Of course； it hadn't just levitated itself there。
But her thoughts were all for Roy and the kids； Lisa looked back to see the dark coronas fade a bit； the children still sitting in their places。
As Minmei let her song take flight； the chant came up beneath it； someho