16_world_killers-第40章

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〃Jack；　don't　do　this；〃　she　whispered。

He　bolstered　his　gun　like　a　man　in　a　trance。　His　forehead　was　covered　with　rivulets　of　sweat。　Hooking　his　hands　in　her　bonds；　he　began　pulling　her　up。　A　part　of　him　felt　that　he　couldn't　simply　leave　her　body　there；　that　he　must　move　it　further　into　the　darkness　to　hide　his　terrible　crime。　Another　part　simply　wanted　to　lift　her　up　and　bear　her　away…away　from　the　danger。

Her　infighting　moves　were　severely　limited：　ankles　and　knees　were　strapped　together；　her　hands　bound　behind　her　at　elbows　and　wrists。　But　as　he　lifted　her　up；　she　made　her　play；　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　knocking　him　unconscious。

Lurching　against　him；　she　pinned　him　between　the　wall　and　herself；　putting　her　mouth　to　his。　The　zombielike　dullness　slipped　from　him；　and　after　a　surprised　instant；　he　kissed　her　back；　arms　going　around　her；　supporting　her。　He　buried　his　fingers　in　her　hair　and　hugged　her　tight。　Time　stopped　for　both　of　them。

〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Burak's　footsteps　clicked　on　the　floor。

Jack　could　only　release　her　and　turn　to　go　for　his　gun　in　a　desperate　contest。　Karen　tucked　her　chin　in　and　managed　to　avoid　having　her　head　cracked　open　as　she　toppled　over　backward　in　a　painful　fall。

Jack　didn't　have　time　to　unholster　his　pistol；　because　Burak　was　practically　on　top　of　him；　though　one　of　the　man's　groping　hands　blundered　open　the　retaining　strap　that　held　his　set　in　its　pouch。　But　he　managed　to　grab　Burak's　wrist　and　give　it　a　practiced　twist；　sending　the　Perytonian's　handgun　bouncing　across　the　floor。　Then　Jack　hit　him　with　a　right　cross；　sending　him　staggering　into　the　wall。

Tesla　sensed　what　was　going　on　and　strove　to　reassert　his　dominance　over　Jack；　sending　a　mental　bolt　at　him　just　as　he　went　to　grapple　with　Burak。　Jack　somehow　endured　the　attack；　but　he　was　off　balance。

Knocking　aside　Jack's　clumsy　defense；　Burak　used　an　instinctive　attack；　one　the　Sentinels　hadn't　seen　from　a　Perytonian　yet；　and　that　Jack　wouldn't　be　looking　for。　Rather　than　use　hands　or　feet；　Burak　faked；　then　lowered　his　head　and　gored　Jack　Baker。

The　long；　dart…keen；　tapered　horns　ripped　through　the　tough　fabric　of　the　man's　uniform　and　through　flesh　and　muscle；　opening　twin　channels　across　his　midsection。　One　horn　hung　up　on　a　rib；　and　Burak　was　pulled　off　balance。　Jack　managed　to　land　a　hammer　blow　to　the　base　of　Burak's　neck　with　his　fist；　but　the　Perytonian　lifted　him　from　his　feet　and　dropped　him　like　a　bull　tossing　a　matador。

As　Jack　fell；　Burak　looked　around　dizzily　for　his　gun。　But　a　burst　from　a　Badger　made　him　duck；　and　he　rushed　madly　for　the　bunker's　entrance。　Karen　fired　again；　but　with　no　way　to　aim；　she　was　lucky　she　just　stitched　a　line　of　shots　across　the　ceiling。

Lucky　I　didn't　shoot　my　own　young　tush　off！　she　told　herself。

As　it　was；　she　had　through　some　miracle　managed　to　squirm　over　to　Burak's　gun；　rolling　over　it　backward　to　get　it。

As　Burak　fled；　he　kicked　something　that　skittered　ahead　of　him。　He　instinctively　scooped　it　up　as　he　ran；　barely　breaking　stride：　Jack's　set；　which　had　bounced　loose　in　the　struggle。

Karen　fired　one　more　burst　blindly；　then　let　Burak　go　and　set　the　Badger　aside。　She　went　back　to　work　on　the　makeshift　bonds。　By　the　time　she　had　her　wrists　loosened　up　a　bit；　the　rumble　of　her　ascending　VT　shook　the　air。

Burak　didn't　have　the　flight　helmet；　but　with　luck　and　a　little　skill　he　could　get　back　to　Tesla　using　sheer　manual　controls。

Other　hands；　slick　with　blood；　fumbled　to　help　Karen　free　herself。　In　seconds　she　was　kneeling　by　Jack；　and　he　curled　back　on　the　floor。　The　goring　had　been　savage；　and　he　was　losing　blood　fast。　But　she　could　see　that　he　had　shaken　off　Tesla's　influence。

She　looked　around　for　her　flight　helmet　to　call　for　a　medevac　but　saw　it　lying　in　pieces；　an　inadvertent　victim　of　one　of　her　own　unaimed　bursts。

Jack　managed　a　pale　ghost　of　one　of　those　maddening　grins。　〃Isn't　Prince　Charming　supposed　to　awaken　Sleeping　Beauty　with　the　kiss？　Penn；　can't　you　get　anything　right？〃


Armed　with　all　the　non…Protoculture　weaponry　they　had　been　able　to　muster；　the　Sentinels　dropped　into　Beroth　to　throw　themselves　in　on　the　side　of　the　blinking　Invid。

If　the　Brain　had　been　more　devious；　it　might　have　had　its　troops　imitate　Tesla's　strobe　signals　and　confuse　things　again。　But；　an　aging　and　somewhat　obsolescent　organism；　it　practiced　only　the　standard；　brute　tactics　of　Invid　warfare。

The　Sentinels　had　e　in　armed　with　everything　from　Karbarran　pneumatics　to　Garudan　slingshots；　but　most　were　carrying　REF…style　non…Protoculture　weapons。　Even　the　Praxians　had　put　aside　their　polearms　and　swords　and　dart…throwers　willingly　for　submachine　guns　loaded　with　explosive　bullets；　heavy　machine　guns　that　fired　discarding…sabot　rounds；　and　portable　recoilless　rifles。

There　were　also　mortars；　flame　guns；　Garudan　things　that　squirted　molecular　acid；　blowtorches；　and　a　lot　more。　The　VTs　and　the　few　remaining　Hovertanks　couldn't　use　Protoculture　weapons　either；　of　course；　but　there　had　only　been　time　to　retrofit　a　few　of　them　with　old…style　autocannon　and　rocket　pods。　Still；　even　lacking　firearms；　a　multi…ton　mecha　throwing　armored　punches　or　swinging　a　superalloy　club　as　long　as　a　utility　pole　could　do　a　lot　of　damage。

It　was　easy　to　sort　out　friend　from　foe；　Tesla's　new　subjects'　cyclopean　eyes　flashed　brightly。　The　Sentinels　launched　themselves　into　the　fray　with　that　same　hunger　for　revenge　and　victory　that　they　had　brought　to　other　battles。

But　Tesla　was　beginning　to　feel　misgivings。　Burak　was　already　on　his　way　back　with　the　Fruit…slowly；　because　he　wasn't　used　to　handling　a　VT；　and　certainly　not　without　the　special　thinking…cap　flight　helmet…but　the　Sentinels　might　discover　Tesla's　treachery　at　any　time；　if　Baker　or　Penn　could　get　word　back　somehow。

Was　it　luck　or　was　it　the　Shaping　of　the　Protoculture　that　Penn's　helmet　had　been　shot　up　and　Baker's　set　taken　by　Burak？　Tesla　steeled　himself　against　doubts。　Though　every　Inorganic　he　could　mand　was　sorely　needed　in　the　battle；　he　detached　several　and　sent　them　toward　the　bunker；　to　do　away　with　two　troublesome　Humans　before　they　could　interfere　any　further。

In　the　meantime；　sensing　the　deployment　of　the　Sentinels　and　the　manner　in　which　the　battle　was　taking　shape；　he　began　a　series　of　strategic　withdrawals；　in　order　to　shift　the　burden　of　the　fighting　over　to　his　former　captors。　He　would　need　his　own　troops　for　other　things。


On　Optera　the　Regent；　still　dripping　from　nutrient　immersion；　viewed　a　recording　of　the　brief　fragment　of　message　that　his　Spheris　garrison　had　managed　to　send。

〃Under　attack　by…〃

Then　the　screen　went　blank；　because　the　main　munications　installation　had　been　the　first　thing　against　which　Tesla　directed　his　troops'　fire。

But　the　Regent　could　hardly　know　that。　He　could　only　quake　with　rage　and　fright；　that　an　enemy　could　so　suddenly　overwhelm　his　most　important　remaining　stronghold　outside　of　Optera。

Burak　barely　survived　his　landing；　crumpling　the　Guardian's　powerful　leg　under　it　with　a　creaking　of　metal；　and　stoving　in　the　radome。


〃Can　you　fly　it？〃　Tesla　demanded　of　Gnea。

She　shook　her　head　somewhat　groggily；　leakage　from　Tesla's　mind　let　bits　and　pieces　of　the　fierce　battle　through　into　her　own。　〃Not　without　a　helmet。〃

Tesla　roared　and　reached　out　to　swat　her　like　a　bug；　she　never　even　flinched。　But　he　stopped　himself；　realizing　that　she　might　be　of　some　further　use。　Burak　emerged　from　the　keeled…over　Guardian　hobbling；　somehow　contriving　to　carry　the　bundled　Fruit。　The　ring　of　flashing…eyed　troops　that　Tesla　had　drawn　around　the　area　to　protect　himself　opened　for　Burak。

By　the　time　the　Perytonian　was　dragging　himself　up　the　ramp　to　join　him　on　the　landing　platform；　Tesla　was　already　issuing　new　marching　orders　to　his　usurped　army。

Just　then　a　contact　signal　came　from　the　municator　on　Gnea's　belt。　It　was　Lisa　Hunter's　voice　over　the　mand　freq。　〃Tesla；　get　your　eastern　and　northern　elements　going　in　a　pincer　movement；　do　you　read　me？　What　they're　doing　now　is　worse　than　useless！〃

Tesla　took　the　set　in　his　now…dexterous　hand。　〃Oh　yes！　I　read　you；　female；　have　no　fear。〃

He　broke　the　contact；　but　continued　what　he　was　doing。　His　objective　now　was　the　troopships　on　the　other　side　of　the　city；　the　Brain　was　too　well　guarded；　and　he　had　sworn　never　to　go　back　into　Human　captivity。

The　VTs　the　Sentinels　had　been　able　to　field　had　already　hit　some　of　the　tanker　ships　in　port；　sending　tidal　waves　of　nutrient　fluid　washing　outward。　But　the　troopships　stationed　there　in　long…term　ground　positions　were；　in　accordance　with　military　procedure；　camouflaged　against　space　attack…just　as　the　Terror　Weapons　on　Tirol　had　been。　They　were　still　there　awaiting　Tesla's　pleasure。

〃And　then　on　to　Optera！〃　he　cried；　shaking　his　fist　at　the　sky。

〃No！〃　It　was　Burak；　limping　toward　Tesla　with　a　wild　look　on　his　face　and　Jack's　blood　still　glistening　darkly　on　his　horns。　He　dropped　the　bundles　of　Fruit　and　stepped　back　from　them。

〃Not　Optera；　Peryton！　You　promised！〃

Tesla；　furious；　sent　out　a　mental　bolt　that　almost　flattened　Burak。　How　the　Perytonian　had　slipped　his　mental　leash；　Tesla　had　no　idea；　except　that　Tesla's　concentration　was　div