16_world_killers-第12章

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tors　like　a　long…lost　lover。

Jack　squeezed　off　a　short　burst　into　the　decking　in　the　scientist's　path；　tracers　drawing　bright　warning　lines；　ricochets　glancing　away　into　the　distance。　Tesla　stopped　as　if　someone　had　slapped　him　out　of　a　trance；　gazing　down　at　the　dully　gleaming　bullet…smears　of　lead　at　his　feet。

Jack　had　the　submachine　gun　up　to　his　shoulder；　Tesla　bracketed　in　the　sight　blades。　Tesla　moved　back　a　step；　and　then　another；　until　he　was　back　where　he　had　been　standing。　Jack　stole　a　quick　glance　aside　at　Burak；　who　was　fingering　his　Garudan　small　arm；　a　thing　that　looked　like　a　grappling　hook。

Burak　looked　indecisive；　but　it　was　plain　that　he　was　furious　with　Jack's　intervention。　Then　a　hand　fell　on　Burak's　shoulder。　Bela　had　shouldered　her　crossbow　and　held　her　shortsword　in　her　other　hand。　Gnea　held　her　halberd　ready。　There　was　no　struggle；　only　an　understanding　that　Burak　was　to　lower　his　weapon　and　stand　his　ground；　or　else　see　his　head　fly　from　his　shoulders。　He　chose　the　former　option。

Wise　decision；　Jack　thought。　Otherwise　those　ladies　would　probably　have　your　horns　on　their　living…room　wall；　kid。

〃Look！〃　Jack　pivoted；　seeing　what　Crysta　was　bellowing　about。　His　jaw　dropped。

Janice　Em　was　still　wrapped　in　a　strobing　aurora；　but　she　was　changing　appearance。　One　moment；　she　was　the　Janice　who　had　sung　with　Minmei　and　later　joined　the　Sentinels。　The　next；　she　was　the　Artificial　Person　she　had　revealed　herself　to　be。　Then　she　was　something　even　more　disturbing…a　transparent　Human　being　or　a　Spherisian。　And　after　that　she　flickered；　seeming　to　be　a　Haydonite；　with　their　smooth　lack　of　features；　an　ectoplasmic　robe　flowing　around　her　as　she　hovered　above　the　decking。

The　brilliance　grew　more　intense；　so　that　they　could　barely　endure　it。　Jack　thought　about　spraying　a　burst　into　the　machinery　or　turning　a　random　control；　but　decided　that　might　get　them　into　even　worse　trouble。

A　wind　swept　through　the　mammoth　chamber；　and　somewhere　in　the　center　of　the　light　Janice　was　shifting　through　various　forms…some　Human；　some　not。　Kami　was　baying　in　hysteria；　and　Tesla　was　screaming；　while　Lron　had　both　hands　clapped　to　his　ears。　Gnea　and　Bela；　arms　outspread；　swords　lifted；　were　war　goddesses　howling　a　banshee　challenge　to　the　elements。

Just　when　it　seemed　they　couldn't　bear　it　anymore；　the　light　faded　and　the　sound　died　away。　The　air　lost　every　breath　of　movement。　In　the　stillness　that　followed；　the　raiders　collected　themselves　and　blinked　away　the　dazzling　lights　circling　before　their　eyes。

Janice　Em　stood　once　more　in　her　Human　form；　the　disconnected　interface　jack　in　her　hand。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃　Bela　ventured。

〃Yes；　quite；　thank　you。〃　She　sounded　distant；　but　then　she　beamed　at　them　in　a　very　Homo　sapiens　smile。

〃I'm　fine；　and　I　found　out　what　we　need　to　know。〃


〃But。。。〃　Jack　realized　his　submachine　gun's　muzzle　was　pointed　her　way　and　quickly　lowered　it。　〃What　was　all　that　shape…changing　about？〃

Janice　looked　up　at　the　web　of　light。　〃You　might　say　that　Haydon　IV　has　been　teaching　me　a　few　things　about　my　own　capabilities　and　potential。　The　Tokyo　project　teams　and　even　Dr。　Lang；　I'm　afraid；　didn't　quite　realize　them　all。〃

She　collected　herself；　turning　her　attention　to　matters　at　hand。　〃But　that's　beside　the　point　now。　We　must　be　on　our　way。〃

She　had　bent　to　pick　up　her　own　weapons　and　equipment。　〃And　we　must　hurry。　The　others　are　in　danger；　up　above　in　Glike；　and　we　have　to　get　to　them　at　once。〃

〃Huh？　Hey！〃　Jack　trotted　after　to　catch　up；　as　Jan　started　for　a　nearby　column　of　instrumentality。　The　others　fell　in　behind；　Gnea　and　Bela　in　particular　making　sure　the　Invid　kept　up　and　got　into　no　mischief。

The　column　was　the　circumference　of　a　spaceport　control　tower；　stretching　from　the　floor　to　the　ceiling。　As　Jan　approached　it；　a　section　of　flickering　indicators　slid　aside；　revealing　a　small　partment。

Jan　turned　on　her　panions；　silencing　their　objections；　demands；　and　threats。　〃Listen：　I'll　answer　any　question　you　want；　explain　everything　I　can；　on　the　journey。　Only；　we　must　start　now；　and　this　is　the　first　step　on　the　road　to　Glike。〃

Jack　blew　his　breath　out；　cheeks　bulging　like　a　bugler's。　〃If　I　survive；　I'm　never　volunteering　for　anything　again。　Okay；　let's　march。〃

The　place　wasn't　too　cramped；　they　had　about　as　much　room　as　in　a　half…filled　elevator。　None　of　them　was　particularly　surprised　when　the　partment　closed　up　again　and　there　was　a　feeling　of　movement；　straight　up。

〃First　question；〃　Jack　said　tiredly。　〃D'they　have　rest　rooms　on　this　flight？〃

〃You　should've　thought　of　that　before　we　left。〃　Janice　Em　grinned　back　at　him。


The　medics　had　injected　her　with　something　calculated　to　speed　along　her　sobering…making　her　neurotransmitters　block　the　acute　depressant　effects　and　raising　her　P3　waves。　But　Minmei　was　still　writhing　between　a　pair　of　Ghost　Rider　security　people　as　she　was　dragged　before　Edwards　in　his　office　on　the　top　floor　of　Base　Tirol　HQ　on　Fantoma。

She　had　tried　to　bite；　scratch；　and　kick；　but　the　REF　people　were　used　to　hand…to…hand　bat；　and　even　though　they　were　under　orders　not　to　retaliate；　they　had　kept　her　from　inflicting　any　significant　damage。　Exhausted；　she　was　pushed　forcefully　into　a　chair　and　kept　seated。

Her　face　was　smudged　with　dirt　and　tears。　Through　a　sort　of　blur；　she　saw　a　figure　move　and　heard　Edwards's　voice。　〃Wait　outside；〃　he　told　his　troops。

She　heard　the　brittle　fury　in　his　voice　and　became　truly　afraid　for　the　first　time。　She　had　seen　his　moods　before；　knew　he　was　capable　of　anything　when　he　was　like　this…even　of　murdering　her　on　the　spot。

She　wiped　her　eyes　and　tried　to　stop　crying。　Edwards　was　standing　behind　his　desk；　hands　clasped　at　the　small　of　his　back。

〃Who　was　the　pilot　who　helped　you　escape？〃

〃Go　to　hell；〃　she　choked。

He　walked　unhurriedly　from　behind　the　desk。　〃Where　did　you　think　you　were　going？〃

〃God　damn　you！〃

He　moved　with　stunning　speed；　grabbing　a　fistful　of　her　hair　and　winding　it　painfully；　making　her　cry　out；　holding　her　in　her　seat　with　his　other　hand。

〃Do　you　really　think　you　can　ever　be　free　of　me；　Minmei？　I　never　yield　anything　that's　mine；　you　should　know　that　by　now。〃　His　voice　was　very　soft；　as　if　it　calmed　him　to　be　hurting　her。

Minmei　resisted　ineffectually　for　a　moment；　then　gave　up。　〃Go　ahead！　Do　what　you　want！　You　think　being　cruel　makes　you　strong？　I've　known　real　men；　and　pared　to　them　you're　a　pitiful　excuse　for　a　Human　being　and　a　miserable　failure　as　a　lover…〃

Her　own　scream　cut　her　off；　as　he　gave　her　more　pain。　He　had　her　wrist　in　a　hold　that　felt　like　he　was　about　to　break　it；　and　he　shook　her　head　back　and　forth　slowly　to　emphasize　each　word。　〃Your　Jonathan　Wolff's　dead　by　now；　like　Hunter　and　the　rest。　Were　you　going　to　join　the　Zentraedi？　They　got　in　my　way；　too；　they're　finished。〃

He　knelt；　pulling　her　face　around　to　his。　〃I　told　you　there　are　things　I　know；　things　I've　learned　since　we　got　to　Tirol；　that　will　give　me　unlimited　power。　Unlimited　control。　You　may　not　love　me　willingly；　but　you　will　love　me。〃

Nothing　Minmei　had　ever　heard　had　terrified　her　like　those　words。　She　could　feel　his　hot　breath　on　her；　it　sickened　her。

〃Now；　you're　going　to　tell　me　everything　I　want　to　know；　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　And　in　the　meantime　we'll　just　keep　you　nice　and　calm。〃

The　general　reached　out　with　his　free　hand　and　buzzed　for　the　guards。　All　her　blathering　about　awakening　the　dead…it　had　to　be　mad　raving；　of　course；　he　told　himself；　but　it　still　bothered　him。　And　yet　a　search　of　the　area　had　turned　up　no　sign　whatsoever　of　the　pilot　who　had　spirited　her　off　SDF…3；　nor　could　Edwards's　agents　produce　any　clues。

The　dead　might　mean　a　number　of　things；　but　Edwards　suspected　he　knew　whom　she　meant。　Preposterous。。。

He　flung　her　at　the　guards。　〃Lock　her　up；　dry　her　out。　I　want　no　one　to　get　word　of　this。　plete　cover…up。　Tell　the　interrogators　to　keep　me　updated。〃

After　the　guards　had　dragged　her　out；　Edwards　gazed　out　the　window。

He　could　hardly　know　that；　far　across　a　distant　landing…site　hardtop；　a　man　in　a　pilot's　suit　was　staring　back　through　a　telebinoc　at　the　silhouette　so　far　away　that　was　a　mortal　enemy。

Lieutenant　Isle　lowered　the　telebinoc。　All　the　elaborate　security　systems　and　plex　equipment　and　weaponry　between　him　and　Edwards　were　just　an　abstract　problem　in　mission　planning　now；　just　a　layered　project　requiring　the　proper　application　and　strength　of　will。

But　the　battle　itself　was　joined。


CHAPTER　EIGHT

If　Sartre's　right　and　the　history　of　every　person　is　the　story　of　failure；　then　something's　outta　whack　here。
mander　Vincent　Grant；　quoted　in　The　Sentinels；　by　Le　Roy　la　Paz

If　Glike　was　enchanting　from　the　landing　stages　and　spires　of　the　city；　it　was　overwhelming　from　the　vantage　point　of　a　Haydonite　cone…flier。

Vince；　mesmerized　by　the　fantasyland　view；　blinked　in　surprise　to　realize　that　the　cone　was　hovering；　with　its　disk…rim　up　against　a　landing　stage；　over　the　summit　of　a　skyscraper　that　suggested　an　inverted　icicle。　The　transparent　dome　under　which　he；　Jonathan　Wolff；　and　Max　had　been　standing　now　parted；　providing　a　debarkation　gate。

But　the　landing　stage　was　empty。　Max　turned　to　the