16_world_killers-第9章

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The　snakes　had　gotten　through　on　the　decking　now；　swarming　at　them；　while　more　rained　down　from　every　cranny　in　the　ceiling　like　some　bizarre　neon　version　of　an　Old　Testament　plague。　〃All　right；　everybody：　hit　it！〃　Jack　barked。　〃And　once　you　touch　down；　keep　moving　and　don't　look　back！〃

Janice　had　already　punched　out；　pieces　of　her　Battloid　blown　free　by　explosive　bolts　so　that　her　cockpit　could　be　fired　clear　on　blue　eruptions　of　Protoculture　power。　Kami　and　Learna　went　at　almost　exactly　the　same　moment；　lofted　through　the　air　along　with　their　passengers。

Jack　hesitated　until　he　saw　that　Lron　was　away；　and　then　reached　for　his　eject　switch。　He　hit　it；　then　reached　up；　crossing　his　arms　during　the　fuse…delay　to　grab　his　seat　harness；　hands　to　opposite　shoulders。

He　gripped　with　everything　he　had　and　held　his　elbows　tightly　to　him　so　that　his　arms　would　not　flap　around　and　get　broken　when　the　charges　went　off。

He　almost　didn't　make　it；　the　snakes　had　gotten　through　his　mecha's　shin　armor　and　attacked　the　systemry　there。

A　power　flux　sent　the　metal　goliath　reeling；　and　for　a　moment　Jack　thought　he　and　Bela　were　going　to　be　fired　straight　into　a　metal　rampart　of　Haydonite　apparatus。　But　at　the　last　split　second；　the　Battloid　responded　to　his　frantic　imaging　and　straightened。　The　jolt　of　the　ejection　felt　like　it　was　going　to　push　his　head　down　into　his　chest　cavity。

Bela　let　out　a　lusty　battle　cry；　mixed　with　her　deep　laughter。　Jack　was　not　nearly　so　boisterous。

Lron　and　the　rest　were　already　scrambling　free　of　their　cockpit/escape　capsules。　Crysta　and　her　Invid　passenger　came　trotting　toward　the　grounded　capsules　from　the　spot　where　her　cockpit　had　stopped　after　Jack　bowled　it　into　the　clear。

Even　the　Invid　captives…Tesla　and　the　two　scientists…were　stepping　lively。　Jack　was　fumbling　to　hit　the　releases　on　his　safety　harness　before　his　capsule　smacked　the　decking；　partially　crumpling　its　skin。

He　heard　Jan's　voice　over　his　helmet　phones。　〃Get　clear　of　your　capsules！　Hurry！　The　snakes　have　sensed　them　somehow！〃

Jack　blew　the　canopy　and　scrambled　out　to　stand　on　his　seat；　grasping　the　windshield　frame。　Jan　was　right：　most　of　the　snakes　were　still　massing　to　smother　the　now…motionless　Battloids；　but　some　had　turned　toward　them　and　were　slithering　in　the　direction　of　the　ejection　capsules。

〃Bela；　e　on！〃　He　was　popping　emergency　panels；　grabbing　out　gear　and　weapons　from　the　drop…lockers。

But　she　was　already　on　her　feet；　gathering　up　her　Praxian　weapons　and　the　REF　gear　she　had　brought　along。　〃Right　behind　you；　laddy…buck。〃

Janice　Em　had　laid　down　fire　with　her　Wolverine　assault　rifle；　but　powerful　as　it　was；　it　wasn't　very　effective。　The　shots　seemed　to　make　the　snakes　take　notice　of　her　and　move　to　converge　on　her。　On　sudden　impulse；　she　took　the　weapon　and　hurled　it　as　far　from　her　as　she　could。　Snakes　were　on　it　even　as　it　clattered　to　the　decking；　striking　at　it　as　if　the　rifle　were　a　living　enemy。

〃Get　rid　of　your　Protoculture　weapons！〃　she　yelled　over　the　net。　〃That's　how　they're　sensing　us！〃

Jack　had　gathered　up　his　own　gear；　but　now　he　threw　aside　his　Wolverine　and　his　Shiva　energy　handgun　as　well。　All　around　him；　the　others　were　doing　the　same。　As　each　discarded　weapon　landed；　snakes　piled　onto　it；　striking　at　it　with　bites　that　sent　up　fireworks　and　scoria。

The　party　moved　away　from　the　capsules　carefully；　picking　their　way　among　snakes　that　only　seemed　interested　in　getting　at　the　ejection　modules。　There　were　detonations　from　the　besieged　Battloids　as　they　toppled　or　erupted　from　the　effect　of　the　snakebites。

Jack's　little　mand　took　shelter　behind　a　bank　of　cognizance　relays；　ducking　away　from　the　final；　bright　explosions　that　obliterated　the　mecha。　At　Jack's　mand；　those　who　weren't　wearing　flight　helmets　kept　their　hands　over　their　ears　and　their　mouths　wide　open；　so　that　they　wouldn't　be　deafened。　Wreckage　whirled　and　debris　ricocheted　off　the　walls　of　the　machine…cavern。

Jack　was　already　taking　stock　of　his　situation；　and　there　was　nothing　about　it　that　made　him　want　to　do　victory　rolls。　True；　they　still　had　conventional　firearms　and　the　Praxian；　Garudan；　and　Karbarran　weapons。　And　the　handheld　inertial　trackers　would　give　them　a　direction　of　sorts。　But　there　were　only　the　limited　emergency　rations　of　food　and　water　in　the　ejection　packs；　and　no　viable　hope　of　raising　Vince　Grant　or　the　others　up　on　the　surface　with　the　flight…helmet　municators。

Most　of　the　equipment　the　team　had　brought　along　had　been　destroyed　with　the　VTs。　They　were　more　like　a　bunch　of　marooned　survivors　than　a　raiding　party。

But　there　was　one　critical　thing　in　their　favor：　the　snakes　were　ignoring　them。　Now　that　the　Battloids　were　smoking　wreckage；　the　snakes　seemed　to　be　dissolving　away；　perhaps　returning　to　whatever　fabrication　matrices　had　given　them　form。　Powerful　blasts　of　fire…fighting　gas　belched　from　fixtures　all　around　the　remains　of　the　Battloids；　extinguishing　the　fires；　and　tremendous　ventilators　created　a　minor　windstorm；　drawing　away　the　fumes。

〃Walking　is　good　healthy　exercise　anyway；　so　my　mom　used　to　tell　me；〃　Bela　said　cheerfully；　getting　to　her　feet。　She　was　checking　over　her　crossbow　and　resettling　the　two…handed　shortsword　she　carried。　Clearly；　her　skintight　REF　flightsuit　was　less　fortable　to　her　than　the　rather　daring　fighting　costume　she　usually　wore。

Gnea；　looking　like　a　giant；　lissome　seventeen…year…old；　went　to　join　her　friend　and　mentor。　Gnea　held　one　of　the　naginatalike　Praxian　halberds；　a　polearm　with　a　curved；　glittering　head　and　a　wicked　spike　set　at　the　opposite　end。　Jack　had　seen　the　two　use　their　weapons　in　bat；　and　had　learned　the　foolishness　of　underestimating　primitive　arms。

He　checked　his　inertial　locator；　there　was　no　use　going　back；　and　so　Glike　was　their　only　hope　now。　But　then　he　noticed　Janice；　standing　to　one　side；　distracted。　She　looked　as　if　she　were　listening　to　some　distant　siren　song　to　which　the　rest　of　them　were　deaf。

〃It's　near；〃　she　whispered。　〃Somewhere　close；　and　it's　aware　of　us。〃　Burak；　horned　like　an　auroch；　who　had　ridden　with　her；　looked　at　her　strangely。

〃What　is？〃　Crysta　asked。　She　was　pumping　up　the　globlar　reservoir　of　her　long　Karbarran　pneumatic　rifle　with　its　hinged　forestock　lever。　〃Janice；　what　is　it　you　perceive？〃

〃Haydon　IV　the　artificial　world　has　a　mind；　an　Awareness；〃　Janice　said；　as　if　in　a　dream。　〃And　the　seat　of　that　Awareness；　its　nexus；　is　not　far　away。〃

She　knew　it　was　true；　but　couldn't　understand　how　the　knowledge　had　been　given　to　her。　She　turned　to　them。　〃We　must　go　to　it！〃

〃Huh…uh。〃　Jack　was　shrugging　into　his　packstraps。　〃They'll　be　waiting　for　us　up　there　in　Glike；　remember？　Admiral　Hunter；　and　Karen　and　the　rest？　People　we're　supposed　to　rescue？　I　admit　things　haven't　exactly　been　beer　and　skittles　so　far；　but　we're　not　gonna　let　'em　down。　We　stick　to　the　plan。〃

Janice　Em　found　that　she　couldn't　answer。　She　felt　like　a　double　image　on　a　monitor　screen；　ghostly　twins　standing　side　by　side。　The　whirlpool　of　thoughts　and　sensory　impulses　that　spun　within　her　had　stolen　her　voice；　immobilized　her。　Vast　forces　were　vying　within　her。

She　had　a　sudden　sense　of　Lang…not　of　the　Robotech　genius's　physical　presence；　but　rather　of　his　voice；　his　intellect。　Intentionally　submerged　memories　had　surfaced　in　this　moment　of　crisis。　Changes　were　triggered　in　the　being　the　REF　and　the　Sentinels…and　even　Minmei…knew　as　Janice　Em。

As　she　transformed　her　panions　drew　away　from　her。


CHAPTER　SIX

Anybody　who　says　million…to…one　odds　are　unbeatable　never　had　Breetai　standing　on　their　side　of　the　scales　at　the　weigh…in。
Lisa　Hayes　Hunter；　Recollections

There　was　no　reality；　no　orderly　flow　of　time；　no　ground　underfoot　or　substantial　object　that　she　could　touch。　She　was　in　a　void；　without　form；　as　she　had　been　for　so　long。

Then　things　began　to　impinge　upon　her。　It　came　to　her　that　her　name　was　Karen　Penn。　Other　facts　and　memories　and　realizations　coalesced。

She　was　a　member　of　the　Sentinels　by　way　of　the　Robotech　Expeditionary　Force。　Her　mother　had　died　in　childbirth；　and　her　father　held　that　against　Karen　to　this　day。　There　was　another　young　officer；　Jack　Baker；　whom　she…

She　blocked　that　thought　out。　But　there　were　more…the　memory　of　how　she　had　been　poisoned　by　the　atmosphere　of　Garuda；　swept　up　in　the　hallucinatory　expanded　mind…state　the　Garudans　called　hin；　a　state　for　which　the　human　mind　had　never　been　intended。　Then　there　were　the　nightmares；　the　visions；　the　visitations　of　the　endless　mindstorm　of　the　hin。　Some　had　been　horrible；　some　of　terrible　beauty；　but　all　had　strained　her　grip　on　her　sanity　and　the　very　functions　of　her　autonomic　nervous　system。

The　flickering　spark　of　her　life　had　been　all　but　out　when　without　warning　something　seemed　to　be　fanning　it；　encouraging　it　to　glow　and　grow　brighter。　Then　there　was　an　almost　physical　feeling；　as　if　she　were　being　flushed　out　with　snowmelt　water　from　a　mountain　river…as　if　she　were　wired　up　with　electrodes。

And　a　chorus　of　somehow　silent　voices；　singing　words　she　never　quite　understood；　drew　her　up　and　up　from　the　verge　of　death。

Over　the　preceding　weeks；　Karen　had　dreamed　or　hallucinated　many　times。　Now　she　had　fina