"Jack McKinney - Robotech 14 - Dark Powers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

was already turning to have a comline opened to Dr. Lang's science/research
division.
"Respond, please," the transmissions came, in that strange, processed-
sounding voice that might have been computer generated. "Alien vessel, please
respond."
Alien? Lisa pondered as Lang came onscreen. He was flanked by Breetai,
and Exedore. Once Humanity's greatest enemies, these two Zentraedi were now
staunch allies.
"Can you speculate on what this means, Doctor?" Lisa asked. "Or
Commander Breetai? Lord Exedore?"
It was Exedore who answered, his voice still holding something of the
weird Zentraedi quaver, even though he had been Micronized to Human size.
His was the greatest mind of his race, and the storehouse of its
accumulated-in some cases, fabricated-lore and history. "The language is
Tiresian," he confirmed, "with loan-words from our own battle language and
some elements of the Robotech Masters' speech. But it is being spoken by a
non-Zentraedi, non-Tiresian.
"As for the ship, it fits no profile known to my data banks, although
certain portions of it bear resemblances to the spacecraft of various
spacefaring cultures."
"But this is no Zentraedi ship," boomed Breetai. "Of that I feel sure.
Our race conquered thousands of worlds, contacted tens of thousands of
species. The language of Tirol became the lingua franca of much of this part
of the galaxy. This warcraft might come from anywhere in the entire region, or
even beyond."
All of them heard the next transmission from the battleship. "We come in
peace," that eerie voice said. "We come in friendship. Do not fire! We are
desperately in need of your help!"
"Identify yourselves," a commo officer transmitted in her clear
contralto. "Incoming vessel, who are you?"
"We are the Sentinels," the eldritch voice answered. "We are the
Sentinels."
Down in the TIC, Rick Hunter had a sudden vision of black obelisks and
dire events to the tune of Also Spracht Zarathustra.
Lisa looked at the bridge's main viewscreen.
Suddenly Edwards's face appeared in an inset at one corner of it. "It's
some kind of trick! Admiral, you can't let them-"
"General, that...will...do!" Lisa thundered, and blanked him from the
screen. A moment later she was talking to the Plenipotentiary Council.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I recommend that we allow the, er, alien ship to
land under close escort by our VTs and with its weapons systems inert. We can
track it with the SDF-3's main gun, and cover it with the GMU's as well, once
it's down. If it turns out that they want to fight, let it be from a position
of such tactical disadvantage."
That touched off a hectic, bitter debate in the council. Some members
shared Edwards's attitude after the almost mindless hatred with which the SDF-
3's arrival had been greeted by the Invid.
It was Lang who cut through the rancor with a single quiet plea, perhaps
the most Human thing he had said since that Protoculture boost so long ago.
"My dear companions, we've traveled across the better part of the Milky