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o the demanding Ultimate Player level。 Dragonbane； with its swirling nightmare reptile attackers and Nordic swordsman； seemed a little too much like his own duel with inner demons。
Nor was he inclined toward Psycho Highway Chainsaw Bloodbath。 Eventually； though； Max convinced him to take on a pair of side…by…side Aesop's Gauntlet machines； mostly because the easy chairs before them were thickly upholstered and fortable。
Down below； on the main level； Miriya sharpened her skills at the Veritechs！ game： She found grim amusement in being a simulated Micronian pilot； blowing Zentraedi Battlepods to whirling fragments。 She was disappointed that there were no Quadrono powered…armor opponents in the game； her own unit was by far the elite of the alien armada。
She also approved of the training machine…as she thought of it…for not introducing trainees to the realities of warfare at this early phase of their instruction。 It was clear that the gamesters would need a little hardening and proper military discipline before they could deal with the horror and bloodshed of real warfare。 This clean； neat gaming gave them appropriate affection for bat without any confusing exposure to certain unpleasant aspects of a real warrior's life。 Clever。
She sent another pod to puter…modeled oblivion； pretending it was that of Khyron； whom she had e to despise。 The score credit flashed； and little Jason； still watching； piped up； 〃Wow！ Look at that！〃
She tried to ignore him as tokens stamped with a big M poured into the payoff tray。 The little Micronians were intriguing to her； but disquieting。 And the small ones were always so boisterous or emotional…certainly impulsive and rather simpleminded。 At first she thought that they were a slave underclass； but that didn't square with the indulgent treatment they got from the bigger Micronians。 She forcefully shut from her mind the truth about human childbearing； pared to it； the war and slaughter were simple； prehensible； painless things。
And such thoughts were not in keeping with her true mission aboard the SDF…1。 She looked around； wondering when she would find her quarry。 The memory still burned in her： of how the Micronian ace had outflown her and then； in the very streets of Macross itself； she in her Quadrono superarmor and he in his Battloid； faced her down； made her flee。
Her face burned again at the thought of it。 She had difficulty eating or resting and would until she regained her honor。
The dimensional fortress was big； but not big enough that her enemy could hide forever。
CHAPTER FIVE
Considering the staggering expense involved in any Robotech operation； the match that took place in the arcade that day certainly ranks as the most cost…effective VT mission of the war…and perhaps the most fateful。
Zachary Fox Jr。； VT： the Men and the Mecha
Every animal in Aesop's Bestiary seemed to have it in for Rick； while Max progressed through the ascending levels with ease。
〃The points're piling up； Lieutenant；〃 Max said； referring to his score。 Rick； teeth gritted； was trying to wax the fox that was leaping for the grapes。 Damn thing moved faster than a Zentraedi tri…thruster。
After a lot of bleeping； ringing； and flashing from Max's machine； a flood of tokens； glittering like gold； slid into the payoff tray。 The tokens could be used for more games； of course； or redeemed for prizes； vouchers of various kinds； or…if one really pressed the issue…cash。
〃That's great！ I always make more than I can cart off。〃
〃Well； you left me behind；〃 Rick admitted。 Wasn't this supposed to make me feel better？
Actually； it did。 〃Max； look at that！〃 More and more tokens slid down into the tray until they were spilling all over the place。
Close Encounters's assistant manager； Frankie Zotz； a nervous young man in white pancake makeup and black； owllike hairdo； rushed into the manager's booth。 〃Hey； boss！ We're gettin' wiped out at some of our most difficult machines！〃
Blinko Imperiale； the manager…he of the goggle shades and two…tone Mohawk and vaguely intimidating lab coat…sat with chin on fist。
〃Dincha hear me？〃 Frankie Zotz yelped。 〃That pilot's upstairs again； and the green…haired dame's inside turnin' a VT game every which way but profitable！〃
Blinko didn't even move； sadly staring off at nothing。 〃Oh； boy。 I knew I never shoulda opened this place near where those RDF maniacs hang out！〃
The split…screen parisons were obvious even to nontechnical personnel。 The DNA strands and analysis workups spoke for themselves。
The presentation flashed along as Admiral Hayes muttered； 〃Interesting。。。hmmm。。。〃
It was much more than that； it was astounding。 It shook the very foundations of human knowledge。
It had long been thought that wherever the basic chemical building blocks of life coexisted in the universe； they would preferentially link to form the same subunits that defined the essential biogenetic structures found on Earth。 In other words； the ordering of the DNA code wasn't a quirk of nature。 Tentative evidence dated back to long before the SDF…1's crash landing on Earth； both from meteoric remains and from spark…discharge experiments。
The new data pointed up a universal chemistry…that the formation and linking of amino acids and nucleotides was all but inevitable。 The messenger RNA codonanticodon linkages that blueprinted the production of amino acids seemed to operate on a coding intrinsic to the molecules themselves。 This meant that life throughout the universe would be very similar and that some force dictated that it be so。
Admiral Hayes skimmed over all that； it had little to do with the war。 He skimmed some of Dr。 Lang's hypotheses and preliminary findings； too： that somehow the very energies that drove Robotechnology were identical to the shadowy forces governing molecular behavior。 There was also mention of this irritatingly mystical Protoculture； something none of the alien defectors had had sufficiently high clearance to have learned much about。
Lang； it appeared； was monumentally frustrated that the hints and suspicions couldn't be verified。 But he was vocal about his suspicion that this Protoculture the Zentraedi were so obsessed with was the key to it all…molecular behavior； the war； the origins of life； ultimate power。
The point of the presentation was obvious even to an aging flag…rank officer whose Academy biochemistry classes were far behind him。 〃Let me see if I'm pletely clear about what you're telling me。〃
〃You believe our genetic backgrounds； the Zentraedi's and that of the human race； are similar。 And because of the possibility that we might all be part of the same species； you hope to promote peace talks。〃
Lisa was nodding； wide…eyed as the little girl he remembered。 〃But will all this convince the UEDC to open negotiations； sir？〃
He sighed； the heavy brows lowering； staring down at the briefing file before him on the coffee table。 Lisa held her breath。
〃I'm not sure；〃 her father said at last。 He looked up at her again。 〃But I'll present it to them and make sure they listen； then we'll see what they say。〃
For the first time since she left the SDF…1； Lisa smiled。
Miriya bent over the VT machine； refining her game。 Next to her； on the floor； were two plastic pans filled with playing tokens。 Frankie Zotz had had to refill the game's reservoir twice to pay off all her winnings。 She ignored his sweaty invitations to go play some other game…or； better yet； take a rain check and just go…with a slit…eyed amusement and a dangerous air that kept him from pressing her too hard about it。
Max came downstairs with Rick； holding his own tray of tokens。 Suddenly； he stopped yammering his overcheerful encouragements about how Rick would eventually get the hang of the puter games。 That was fine with Rick； he had had just about enough light banter。
Max paused on the stairs。 〃Oh！ That girl！ Sitting at that game！〃
Rick looked at the green hair。 She wore a tight brown body suit that showed off a lithe figure； and a flamboyant yellow scarf knotted at her throat。 〃So？ What about her？〃
〃Isn't she incredible？〃 Max said； more excitedly than Rick had ever heard Max talk about anything。 〃I've been seeing her everywhere。〃
〃Well； she is sort of attractive；〃 Rick had to admit； his mind too full of Lisa Hayes and Minmei for him to go on at any greater length。
Max； the renowned VT wizard； wasn't much when it came to the pursuit of females； his few fumbling attempts with one or another of the Terrible Trio had failed； and he retreated pletely when Sammie； Vanessa； and Kim became involved with the three Zentraedi ex…spies； Konda； Bron； and Rico。
Max's modest； self…effacing shipside persona made him a sort of uninteresting doormat for women。 Perhaps he wasn't suave or seductively menacing enough。 So when he wasn't out in a Veritech； he kept to himself for the most part。
But this was different； the Close Encounters arcade was his turf。 〃Maybe I can get her in a game with me！〃 Max said； as he went racing down the stairs。
There was quite a crowd around Miriya； she had rolled up one of the largest scores ever on the Veritechs game。 She felt a little irritated； even a bit strange； with all these Micronians gathered around。 Yet sh