t and debris that had been heaped on the Super Dimensional Fortress fell away or was incinerated。
But just when it was beginning to look as if the Masters were intent on levitatingif not resurrectingthe fortress； the flagship abruptly powered down； tipped to one side； and exploded。
Then something even more unexpected occurred： the explosion appeared to arrest itself。 Misa thought that she had inadvertently activated the wallscreen's replay…and…pause function； but not a moment later a nova flared at the center of the cleaved mound and a shaft of refulgent energy shot upward from the SDF…1； engaging and somehow dampening the blast of the exploding starship。
Dampening； but not entirely containing the burst。
There was no way to stabilize the satellite…relayed image now。 The ground was shaking with the force of an earthquake； and enormous fragments of housings； armor； and structural members were pelting the two standing mounds and the surrounding plain that had once been Lake Gloval。 Atomized； the SDF…1 disappeared in what at first seemed to be a storm of swirling dust particles； but in close…up looked more like seeds or spores。 Spores； and more： petals； leaves； flowers； entire plantssucked upward and sent wafting in every direction； as if being sown by the explosion itself。
Misa gaped at the wallscreen； not knowing what to make of the sight。 She reached a trembling hand for her cup of green tea and raised it to her lips。 Had the Earth been savedrescued one final time by the very ship that had started it all？ Or had something more sinister than defeat been visited on the world？
Dana Sterling marched bravely at the head of the crowd； the side arm she had filched from Angelo Dante tucked into her broad leather belt； Polly the XT pollinator gamboling at her feet。 She felt ravaged in every part of herself； burned raw； inside and out。 Rolf Emerson； Leonard； and Morandead 。 The afternoon made colder by strange winds； born of the destruction of the Masters' flagship and the SDF…1 mound。 The sky shrouded by black smoke from the funeral pyre that had been Monument City 。。。
Behind her marched the rest of the 15th ATACAngelo； Bowie； Sean； and Louiealong with Cosmic Unit manders Marie Crystal and Dennis Brown； Global Military Police lieutenant Nova Satori； Musica； Mistress of the Cosmic Harp； and the two hundred or so alien clones the 15th had rescued from the Masters' flagship。
In the east hung a great roiling cloud of spores and petals that had been funneled into the upper atmosphere by the destroyed flagship。 Dana had e to think of the mushroom cloud as a transfer station for the seedlings of the Flower of Life； a place of penultimate appointment where they hung until the winds dispersed them worldwide。 The physical and spiritual foodstuff of the Invid； the Flowers of Life were harbingers of Earth's next cataclysm。
To many it would appear that Zor Prime had died for nothing； having sacrificed his life to prevent the Masters from retrieving the Protoculture Matrix hidden by his namesake aboard the SDF…1。 But Dana had been granted a glimpse of a deeper truthor at least she thought she had。 Mirroring the chaotic dance of the spores overhead； images swirled in her mind； though she couldn't say which were the by…products of real events and which were flashbacks of hallucination。
Her recollection of those final moments aboard the flagship were nothing less than dreamlike。 The plummeting ship 。。。 Zor Prime's assassination of the Master named Shaizan 。。。 Zor Prime's final words to her。 〃They brought punishment down on themselves through their misuse of the Protoculture； and I am the instrument of that punishment； ordained by the Shaping。〃
The Shaping。 Over the years she'd heard the term bandied about by the disciples of Dr。 Emil Lang and Lazlo Zand； both of whom had turned Robotechnology into a kind of religion； with Protoculture as its demiurge。 But to hear the word from Zor Prime's lips 。。。 Was he crazy at the end； she wondered； or merely a victim of the Protoculture？
Only moments earlier； on the flagship； as a consequence of touching a canister of the Protoculture； Dana had had her own fling with madness： a vision of sorts； fashioned of images lifted from events of the past year； mingled with others whose origins she couldn't explain。
She recalled a green field； lush with the Flowers of Life； surrounded by hills and valesthough only her Southern Cross body armor and the distant； wind…blasted crags gave any hint that she was on Earth。 Dark； cloaked figures had shown her a youthful image of herself and had intimated that she belonged to a triumvirate of clones； like those the Masters had created on Tirol。
She had rejected the suggestion； even if it wasn't far off the mark。 She was； after all； half Zentraedi； and that race of giant warrior clones had also been created by the Masters。 And； yes； there were many times when she had tried to deny her ancestry； in the interest of fitting in。 But in the hallucination； rejecting the alien side of herself had landed her in a bleak landscape； among skulls and bones and the ash piles of ten thousand cremations。 Only to be rescued from her exile by a black…eyed sprite of a girl； who was wearing a short； flowing garment of gold and white； cinched at the waist by a broad belt。 A garland of woven Flowers of Life in her hair； the sprite had introduced herself as the other child of Max and Miriya。
Dana's sister。
〃Oh； Mother and Father will be so glad to know that I've finally made contact with you；〃 she had said。
And Dana could recall thinking； Finally？
Around them were low crystal domes； and arching overhead was a purple sky hung with unrecognizable constellations。 Faint music filled the air； reminiscent of the ethereal strains that emanated from Musica's Cosmic Harp。 The sprite pressed a bouquet of Flowers into Dana's hands and hurried away to join two shadowy figures that had appeared on the scene。
Time grows short； one； or perhaps both of them； had sent to Dana without speaking。 So much has happened since our last contact with Earth； so many astounding things。 Your powers are awakened now； and they are growing。 Use them cautiously。 We of the Sentinels are only beginning to understand the true nature of Protoculture。
Okay。 She had known about the Sentinels since Major John Carpenter's bumbling return from Tirol； months earlier。 But was she supposed to accept that the hallucination's two shadows were her parents； who had apparently thrown in with that ragtag band of alien freedom fighters？ Sounded like more of that nonsense about the Shapings。 Even so； the sprite had given voice to a warning that was still ringing in Dana's ears。 〃Beware the spores； Dana。 Beware the spores and the Invid！〃
Dana had still been in the throes of the Protoculture…induced vision when Zor Prime had kissed her； scooped her up in his arms； and sealed her inside an ejection capsule； like she was some Lisa Hayes Hunter surrogate。 Astounded by his actions； she sat frozen while he had secured the latch of the little； superhard alloy sphere and tasked it for launch。 〃I will allow no harm to e to your people；〃 he had assured her。
But Dana had wondered during her slow descent to Earth； had Zor Prime been referring to Humans or Zentraedi？
The capsule had landed on the crest of a low foothill； atop which sat the Macross Scenic Overlook。 It had puzzled her that Zor Prime should send her there； of all places； but then it dawned on her that she was meant to bear witness to his self…sacrifice and to the death of the Robotech Masters。 And she had： curling herself into a ball when the flagship exploded； then railing at Zor Prime and the falling sky when the Protoculture Matrix had released the Flowers of Life from bio…stasis and seeded the world with their spores。
But she did so only for a moment。 Because Lazlo Zand and Napoleon Russo had suddenly appeared on the scene； pletely out of their skulls。 Zand； who had had a fixation on Dana since her infancy； was vampirelike； displaying some sort of high…tech Dracula device； babbling about Dana's matchless powers； how they went beyond Protoculture； and how he would have them。
〃First the power of Protoculture fills me；〃 Zand had raved； 〃then the power of Dana Sterling。 The Masters promised me that I would be wed to the Flower and I will not be disappointed！〃
Polly； Dana's Cheshire cat of a pet； had shown up shortly after Zand had activated the device； but could do nothing as he trained it on Dana。 The Protoculturist's own form enlarged； vibrating and contorting； while Dana stood paralyzed and rotund Russo cowered like the little creep he was。
Across the plain； the Masters' flagship was ing apart and the genetic messengers of the Flower were gushing into a hellish June afternoon。 Dana felt the tap of Death's bony hand on her shoulder and was on the verge of turning into the Reaper's embrace； when Zand loosed a howl of such agony and fright that even the Reaper retreated。
Zand had perhaps underestimated the dosage the device was feeding him； or somehow underestimated Dana's contribution to the influx of power。 But either way； the net result was his transformation into a short…lived burst of radiant energ