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Kami leaned in as if to whisper something and snapped at the Invid's face； missing it by inches。 Just as suddenly； a soldier threw a stranglehold on Kami from behind； in his weakened state； the Garudan was easily subdued。
The scientist shrugged it off and continued his appraisal of the group； leering； Rick thought； at Karen； and puzzling for a moment over Rem。 〃Why； you're Tiresian。〃 he said at last； and whirled through an excited turn to face his group。 〃We have a marvelous opportunity here to acplish something invaluable for the realm。 For the record；〃 he added； looking to Rick； 〃where are the Robotech Masters？〃
Rick beetled his brows。 〃The Masters？〃
〃Yes。 Where is the Protoculture matrix？〃
Rick groaned。 The thing had bee a thorn in the galaxy's side。 〃I don't know what you're talking about。〃
〃That is hardly the response we require to justify sparing your lives； Earther。 Be reasonable； you have Protoculture…fueled ships； Protoculture…based weapons。。。How did you e by these if not through contact with the Masters or the matrix？ Unless； of course； the Flowers of Life grow on your homeworld。。。〃
Rick fought to keep his surprise from registering。 So that's what they're after； he thought； and recalled something Roy Fokker had told him almost ten years ago about the warning Lang had inadvertently keyed in the SDF…1…Zor's warning about the Invid！ The Tirolian knew！…he knew the Invid would eventually go in search of the matrix。 Cabell's words to Lang rang in Rick's ears： You must destroy the Invid here； destroy them while you still can！
〃I see something in your eyes； Human；〃 the scientist was saying。 〃You know something。〃
Rick tightened his lips to a thin line。
〃Then perhaps your dreams will tell us what we wish to know。〃 The Invid waved a hand at the soldiers。 〃Take the Humans outside。〃
〃You can't！〃 Kami bit out； his windpipe pinced in the soldier's grip。 Others had stepped in to take hold of Rick； Karen； Rem； and Lisa。 〃They'll die！〃
〃Yes；〃 the scientist said matter…of…factly； 〃they probably will。〃
CHAPTER TEN
The psy scanners the Invid employed on Garuda （on Hunter and the rest） were patterned on similar devices developed by the Tiresians。 Ironically enough； the Robotech Masters had used the scanners on Zor shortly after his death； （and would use them again to monitor Zor Prime after the clone had been inserted into the Fifteenth ATAC）； much as the Invid were using them on Rem。
History of the Second Robotech War； volume XXXI； 〃Tirol〃
Dream a little dream with me。
Late twentieth…century song lyric
The male human was dreaming of pursuit。 He was being chased by some sort of bird creature with an enormous wingspan； and…an Invid scientist had noted…a body shaped curiously like those of the raptorial birds depicted face…to…face on the Human's uniform insignia patch。 The Human was running downhill； hopelessly out of control； with the bird pecking at his neck and back； flapping its great wings all the while。 The backdrop for the dream was a world of ravaged landscapes； barren； cratered expanses of solidified volcanic flow。 The Human was； and at the same time was not； both the pursued and pursuer。 Crowds of other Humans seemed to be viewing the event from the sidelines； gesturing； pointing； applauding； laughing。 One wore the face of the injured Human female who was presently being terrorized by dreams of her own…although she was sympathetic here； eager to help the running man； so it appeared。
〃There's nothing of use to us in this one's thoughts；〃 the head scientist said dismissively。 Disappointed； he turned from the images in the instrumentality sphere and moved to the sphere his assistants had set up to monitor the dreams of the injured female。
Lisa； like Rick； Karen； and Rem； was strapped on her back to a kind of gurney； with her head positioned beneath a thick and heavy…looking ring…shaped device that resembled a scaled…down version of an MRI scanner。 What the Invid scientists were calling dreams； however； were of the wide…eyed variety…altered states of consciousness； hellish ones by and large； normally kept locked away behind those proverbial doors of perception。 Five minutes of exposure to Canada's tainted atmosphere had been enough to elicit them。 The scientists had no way of knowing whether this constituted what would amount to a lethal exposure…some Invid had lasted as long as half an hour without suffering irreversible effects。 But these Humans were fragile things； physically strong for their size； it was true； but with limited tolerance for even the slightest of psychic assaults。 They were inhabitants of the base realms； the sensate worlds at the lower end of the spectrum； as insubstantial as interstellar dust； and therefore highly expendable。
The leader of the white…robed group now activated the sphere attached to the device above Lisa's head； and here； too； the scientists encountered images of pursuit。 Kami； muzzled and shackled in a corner of the hive's lab； was too deep into his own delirium to take note of their dismay。
〃It seems to be something of a fixation with them；〃 one of the assistants ventured。
The Human female was for all intents and purposes trapped on a spiral staircase that lacked any clear…cut terminus。 Moreover； whatever it was that was pursuing her； hunting her； was so vague a thing as to be untranslatable by the sphere's Protoculture circuitry。 There were momentary flashes of a feline creature； however； that brought to mind the Invid's own Hellcats。 But the central concern of the dream and dreamer was the female's seemingly reduced size。
〃Some reference to the Zentraedi； perhaps？〃
The master scientist made a disgruntled sound。 〃Who can tell with these beings？ Let us move on。〃
They grouped together in front of Karen's sphere next； arms folded and four…fingered hands tucked into the sleeves of their robes。 The master among them had found himself strangely moved by this green…eyed； honey…haired Human； but unfortunately her dream…terrors proved to be as pedestrian and unrevealing as the previous ones。 Her world was at least populated with a host of other beings； but they were there principally to insure that Karen was suitably horrified by the prospect of being buried alive。
The master expressed his distaste after a minute's viewing。 〃What a pitiful race。。。One wonders why they don't walk in fear of their own shadows。 They've been more traumatized than Optera itself。〃
By now they had reached Rem…the Tiresian…and to their absolute astonishment； there in living color and as big as life in the center of the attendant sphere was Optera。 This much could have been accounted for and dismissed； but next they found themselves viewing images of the Regis in her pretransformed state！ And this was not the defoliated Optera of their ravenous present； but the edenic homeworld of their racial past…a verdant wonderland； with fields of Flowers basking in the warmth of the planet's twin suns； stretching as far as the eye could see across a landscape of arcadian beauty。 Here was the lost harmony； the innocent splendor； the paradisiacal ease they could now access only in moments of collective trance； or at the mystical promptings of the Queen…Mother herself。