16_world_killers-第43章

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All　around　the　place；　a　ring　of　thousands　upon　thousands　of　Spherisians　was　rising；　head　and　shoulders；　from　the　body　of　their　planet。　As　that　was　happening　the　weapons　pylons　and　gun　emplacements　toppled　or　settled　into　the　rock；　swallowed　by　it。　The　last　few；　out　of　kilter；　blasted　uselessly　into　the　sky　then　were　gone。

Other　batteries　were　still　firing　from　the　hive　proper　at　mecha　and　parts　of　the　city…the　Ark　Angel　being　too　far　off　yet。　But　the　Spherisians　were　too　close　to　the　hive　to　be　in　its　fields　of　fire。


And；　safe　in　that　fashion；　the　thousands　rose　to　join　the　first　two；　until　they　were　standing　around　the　hive　in　a　circle　several　miles　in　circumference。　From　where　she　flew；　Gnea　could　see　still　more　heads　appear　and　then　bob　back　down　again；　in　the　direction　of　the　hive；　like　porpoises　heading　under　a　ship。　It　seemed　that　the　landscape　rippled。

The　first　two　Spherisians　to　appear…Gnea　somehow　had　no　doubt　who　they　were…held　out　their　free　hands。　All　the　others　linked　up；　all　around　the　great　ring。　There　was　a　strange　moment　of　silence　then；　the　Invid　guns　ceasing　fire。

Spheris　shook　again；　then　vast　faceted　dowels　of　crystal　the　size　of　skyscrapers　thrust　their　points　up　out　of　the　planet's　crust；　angling　in　from　every　side；　going　up　and　up　until　they　formed　an　irregular　apex　over　the　center　of　the　hive's　dome。

The　hive　trembled…and　began　to　sink。

Gnea　thought　there　were　great　counterforces　fighting　back；　the　hive　seemed　to　be　trying　to　fight　free　like　a　fish　caught　by　a　sea　anemone。　Rock　and　dust　and　segments　of　the　hive　foundation　were　flung　up　all　around　its　sides。　But　inch　by　inch　it　was　pulled　down。

A　liquid；　lucid　substance　gushed　up　slowly；　hardening　as　it　went；　trapping　the　dome　and　everything　in　and　around　it　like　flies　in　amber。

Veidt　had　the　carpet　at　a　hover　now。　The　firing　had　stopped　everywhere。　He　and　Gnea　watched　as　the　Invid　stronghold　was　pulled　low　and　disappeared　from　sight；　the　ground　closing　over　it　like　something　alive…like　the　landscape　of　Haydon　IV；　and　yet　different　from　it。

A　single　united　psychic　scream　came　from　the　Brain　and　the　Invid　immobilized　in　the　amber…stuff；　as　they　were　drawn；　forever　unmoving　but　still　alive；　deep　into　Spheris。　Every　Sentinel　and　Spherisian　winced　at　it。　Then　it　faded　and　was　gone。

The　Spherisians　began　melding　with　their　world　again；　all　but　the　first　two；　who　stood　looking　at　the　spot　from　which　the　Invid　had　ruled。


Tesla　had　no　time　to　be　outraged　at　the　defection…that　was　how　he　thought　of　it…of　Gnea　and　Burak。

The　Brain　was　gone！　The　Invid　garrison　was　his　to　mand！

But　at　the　same　time；　he　was　aware　of　the　terrible　fate　the　hive　had　met；　and　knew；　too；　that　the　Ark　Angel　was　in　the　area。　Though　he　had　an　army　under　his　control；　he　dared　not　use　it　there　on　Spheris。

He　heard　a　clanging　sound　and　turned　to　find　that　some　of　the　more　simpleminded　Inorganics　had　gone　back　to　fighting　one　another。　With　a　mental　shriek；　he　began　rallying　his　forces。　They　began　pouring　toward　the　camouflaged　transports。


〃Getting　strange　power　readings　from　the　spaceport；〃　someone　relayed　the　report　to　Lisa。　〃Could　be　Tesla。　Inorganics　are　disengaging　and　withdrawing　that　way。〃

She　jabbed　her　fist　into　her　palm。　He　had　to　be　stopped！　First　Karen　Penn　had　made　her　report　over　Bela's　set；　then　Gnea　returned　on　Veidt's　carpet；　to　fill　in　gaps　in　the　story；　all　of　it　proved　that　Tesla　must　be　reimprisoned　or　perhaps　even　eliminated。　And　yet　there　were　still　wounded　being　loaded　directly　into　the　Ark　Angel。　She　couldn't　just　seal　up　and　go　chasing　off　after　Tesla。

〃Have　one　Beta　do　a　recon　of　the　spaceport。　Get　all　other　available　VTs　over　here　to　fly　security；〃　she　snapped。　〃And　have　all　non…Protoculture　weapons　stand　ready。　Keep　the　Hovertanks　on　landing…zone…perimeter　patrol。〃

Rick　was　helping　lug　a　stretcher　over　to　a　cargo　lift…all　the　powered　gurneys　were　long　since　full…when　the　sound　went　through　the　city。　He　thought　it　was　an　aftershock。　But　word　of　movement　came　from　the　VTs　flying　cover；　in　moments　everyone　was　watching　as　buildings　out　at　the　starport　began　to　fly　apart。

Since　Spheris　didn't　react　in　pain；　Rick　assumed　the　Invid　had　rigged　some　sort　of　repulsion　charges　rather　than　using　Protoculture　explosives。　In　any　event；　pieces　of　what　had　been　assumed　to　be　a　hangar　plex　were　thrown　outward。　Something　began　rising　from　the　spot　where　the　structures　stood。

Somebody　shouted；　〃I…Invid　troop　transports！〃

Three　of　the　clamshell　vessels　were　lifting　off…troopships　bigger　than　any　the　Sentinels　had　encountered　before。　Rick　expected　them　to　open　up　on　Ark　Angel　for　a　parting　volley；　but　apparently　the　appalling　fate　of　the　hive　had　intimidated　Tesla。

The　starships　rose　higher　and　higher；　throwing　shadows　across　the　city。　Rick　wasn't　surprised　that　Lisa　held　fire；　Spheris　had　been　wounded　enough；　aside　from　the　fact　that　the　planet　might　react　just　as　violently　to　the　Sentinels'　flagship　as　it　had　to　the　hive。


Tesla　watched　Spheris　sinking　away　beneath　him　with　a　mixture　of　relief　and　wrath。　His　victory　had　been　so　close！

But…perhaps　it　was　better　this　way。　Surely；　the　Shapings　of　the　Protoculture　were　leading　him　toward　his　rightful；　Evolved　fate。　〃Optera；〃　he　whispered　to　himself。

He　had　the　greater　part　of　the　Inorganic　garrison　with　him。　From　what　he　could　glean　from　munications　logs　on　the　ships；　the　Regent　was　now　presiding　over　a　Home　Hive　guarded　by　a　badly　depleted　army。　If　he　struck　before　the　Regent　heard　of　the　oute　on　Spheris　and　could　reshuffle　forces；　Tesla　would　have　the　numerical　and　tactical　advantage。

〃Optera；〃　he　said；　a　little　louder；　to　his　bridge　crew。　They　hastened　to　plot　the　course。

Once　he　had　slain　the　Regent　and　assumed　control　of　half　the　Invid　species；　Tesla　would　lead　his　race　to　triumph。　There　were　ways　of　coping　with　the　Sentinels　and　the　Robotech　Masters　and　the　rest　that　the　devolved　maggot　hiding　on　Optera　couldn't　begin　to　conceive。　And　once　Tesla　had　the　universe　beneath　his　heel；　there　would　be　the　Regis　to　win。　But　how　could　she　resist　him；　Evolved　as　he　was？　No　doubt；　he　would　conquer　her　without　firing　a　shot。

〃Optera！〃　he　exulted；　and　took　his　first　bite　from　one　of　the　sunflower…yellow；　pyramid…shaped　Spherisian　Fruits　of　the　Flower　of　Life。　The　juices　ran　down　his　chin　and　moistened　his　magnificent　robes。

His　aura　shone　brighter。


Because　the　new　starships　still　under　construction　had　no　drive　units　or　functioning　weapons；　Breetai's　Valivarre　was　the　only　hope　of　catching　Edwards。

The　fact　that　the　hijacked　SDF…7　mounted　more　fire…power　and　had　more　fighting　mecha　aboard　didn't　deter　the　Zentraedi　giants　for　a　moment；　Edwards　had　made　himself　their　blood　enemy。　Skulls　and　others　were　quickly　boarding　in　their　VTs　and　Hovertanks；　even　as　the　Valivarre　was　casting　off；　but　Wolff　hadn't　been　able　to　get　back　through　the　press　of　battle。

〃Sorry；　Colonel；〃　Breetai　said　sincerely　when　Wolff　pleaded　with　him　to　wait。　〃Every　second　counts　if　I'm　to　catch　that　devil。〃

But　Wolff　had　his　own　schedule；　and　he　kept　it　by　getting　three　Diamondback　VT　pilots　in　Battloid　mode　to　add　their　boost　to　his　own　Hovertank　Battloid's　back　thrusters。　It　was　a　near　thing；　but　he　managed　to　grab　the　aft　section　of　Valivarre　without　being　roasted　by　its　thrusters；　and　drag　himself　to　an　airlock。

〃Wele　aboard；〃　Breetai　said　dryly　over　the　inter。

Edwards　refused　to　stand　and　fight；　and　wouldn't　even　answer　their　transmissions。　〃It's　a　drag　race　now；〃　as　one　Human　officer　put　it。　Both　ships　increased　velocity　toward　lightspeed；　but　bit　by　bit　the　SDF…7　pulled　away。　And；　once　superluminal；　she　could　multiply　her　lead　many　times。

〃We're　losing　him；〃　Breetai　said　in　his　bulkhead…shaking　basso。　Valivarre　had　never　even　gotten　within　weapons　or　VT…strike　range。

Wolff；　standing　near　on　one　of；　the　high　catwalks　Humans　used　for　face…to…face　conversations　with　the　giants；　begged；　〃At　least　let　me　try　a　mo　channel　with　him　one　more　time！　He'll　talk　to　me；　I　know！〃

Breetai　hid　his　pity　behind　a　stern　military　mien；　but　ordered　that　it　be　done。　The　colonel　said；　〃Edwards；　this　is　Wolff。　Answer　me！　Edwards；　I　challenge　you　to　answer　me！〃

He　was　about　to　give　up　in　despair；　the　SDF　widening　its　lead　on　the　Zentraedi　ship。　But　to　everyone's　surprise　Edwards's　contemptuous　smile　appeared　on　the　main　screen。

〃Jonathan；　old　man！　Sorry　I　can't　dawdle；　but　tempus　fugit；　and　so　must　I。　You　understand。〃

〃I　challenge　you；〃　Wolff　said　again。　〃One　on　one。　VTs；　Hovertanks；　bare　hands…name　it。〃

The　Zentraedi　on　duty　on　the　bridge　grunted　a　certain　grudging　respect　for　Wolff　then；　even　though　he　had　shown　certain　weaknesses；　this　was　a　challenge　worthy　of　a　Zentraedi！

But　Edwards　shook　his　head　in　mock　exasperation。　〃Still　the　romantic；　eh；　Jonathan？　Well；　I'm　afraid　I　haven't　got　time　to　play　black　knight　to　your　Galahad。　I've　other　things　to　do；　as　you　can　see。〃

The　camera　angle　shifted　to　a　long　shot；　and　Wolff　moaned。

He　and　the　others　in　Valivarre　were　staring　at　the　most　outlandish　wedding　scene　conceivable。　Inorganics　formed　a　guard　of　honor。　Ghost　Riders　stood　in　ranks　in　a　〃chapel〃　that　was　a　vacant　hold。　The　altar　appeared　to　be　the　unadorned