15_death_dance-第15章

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〃…〃

〃Abdicate！〃

〃…〃

〃Surrender　to　me！〃

〃…〃

The　simulagent's　four…fingered　hands　tore　desperately　at　Tesla's　own；　but　could　not　counter　the　strength　madness　had　lent　them。　Tesla's　powerful　thumbs　found　soft　and　vulnerable　places　as　he　continued　to　squeeze　the　life　from　his　would…be　foe。　Black　eyes　bulged　and　a　horrible　death　rattle　began　to　emerge　from　the　simulagent's　ruptured　throat。　Then　it　was　over。

He　withdrew　his　hands　and　stepped　back；　as　if　waking　from　some　somnambulistic　experience。　The　Regent's　body　was　sprawled　on　the　floor　below　him；　already　drained　of　life's　vernal　colors。　This　being；　who　had　been　like　a　father　to　him。。。And　suddenly　Tesla　knew　a　gut…wrenching　fear…a　fear　intense　enough　to　engulf　all　the　anger　and　hatred　and　maniacal　urges　he　had　given　vent　to　only　a　moment　before。　He　turned　to　the　door；　down　in　a　fugitive's　stoop；　fluids　running　wild　within　him。　He　had　been　misguided！　He　could　not　take　the　Regent's　place！　The　Regis　would　murder　him　for　his　betrayal。　He　would　be　devolved　to　the　lowliest　life…form；　a　mere　troglodyte；　exiled　from　his　own　kind。　And　what　was　he　to　do　now？。。。

He　remembered　the　Sentinels。　Surely　Wolff　would　be　returning　to　Praxis；　he　thought。　He　would　persuade　Wolff　and　the　others　to　take　him　along；　remain　with　them　until　all　this　blew　over。　The　Regis　might　rule　for　a　time；　but　sooner　or　later　he　would　assume　his　rightful　place　and　rule　by　her　side…the　Sentinels　would　encourage　him　to　do　so！

Tesla　gave　a　final　look　at　the　body。　He　began　posing　himself　for　the　guards；　then　realized　that　no　such　charade　was　necessary。　With　the　Regent　dead；　they　were　little　more　than　mindless　devices；　it　was　possible　they　wouldn't　even　remember　Tesla's　visit。

With　these　things　in　mind；　he　opened　the　door。


Lang；　Wolff；　and　the　others　had　split　up　to　search　the　fortress　for　Burak　and　Tesla；　after　agreeing　on　a　time　to　rendezvous　in　the　shuttle　launch　bay。　With　an　all…Human　crew　aboard…save　the　Regent　and　his　retinue…there　wasn't　much　chance　of　the　XTs　escaping　detection；　but　one　never　knew　what　to　expect　from　Tesla。　There　was　no　time　to　investigate　the　release　order　that　had　freed　them；　either；　but　Lang　promised　to　look　into　the　matter　later　on。

It　was　Exedore　who　discovered　Burak　lurking　in　one　of　the　corridors　near　the　ship's　designated　Invid　sector。　It　occurred　to　him　that　the　fortress　seemed　unusually　deserted；　but　he　barely　gave　it　a　second　thought。　He　was　explaining　the　need　for　urgency　to　the　Perytonian　when　Tesla　showed　up　all　in　a　rush；　looking　like　he　had　just　seen　the　face　of　the　Creator。

〃Where　have　you　been？〃　Exedore　said；　toe…to…toe　with　the　towering　Invid。

Tesla　began　to　stutter　a　response；　then　remembered　himself　and　said；　〃I　don't　have　to　answer　to　some　Zentraedi　clone。〃

Exedore　bristled　at　the　ment；　but　decided　against　engaging　in　what　would　be　a　useless　argument。　Instead；　he　drew　a　handgun；　informed　the　two　of　Wolff's　departure　plans；　and　hurried　them　along　to　the　hold。　Wolff；　Janice；　and　Sarna　were　already　there；　anxious　to　get　under　way。　The　guards…some　of　whom　were　part　of　the　plan…had　already　been　dispatched；　so　it　was　safe　for　the　moment　for　both　Lang　and　Exedore　to　be　on　the　scene。

〃I　guess　this　is　good…bye　for　a　while；〃　Wolff　was　saying　while　Sarna　and　an　armed　Janice　escorted　Burak　and　Tesla　aboard。　〃I　don't　know　what　to　say；　Lang。〃

〃Just　pray　we're　not　too　late；〃　Lang　said　soberly。　He　offered　Wolff　his　hand。　〃Godspeed；　Colonel。〃

Wolff　stepped　back　and　saluted　Lang　and　Exedore；　gave　one　last　look　around　the　bay；　and　hastened　up　the　ramp。

Lang　said；　〃Have　we　done　the　right　thing；　Exedore？〃

〃We　do　what　we　can；〃　the　Zentraedi　told　him。

They　didn't　wait　around　to　watch　the　launch。


〃They're　on　their　way；　General；〃　Colonel　Adams　reported　to　Edwards　a　short　time　later。　〃Your　orders？〃

〃Your　men　are　to　give　pursuit；　but　tell　them　to　keep　their　enthusiasm　in　check。　Just　be　sure　it　looks　good；　and　make　certain　that　the　ship　is　allowed　to　fold。　I　don't　want　any　slipups　now。〃

〃Roger；　sir；〃　Adams　said；　and　signed　off。

Edwards　collapsed　onto　his　bed；　weary　from　the　choreographing　the　plan　had　entailed。　Freeing　the　aliens；　supplying　them　with　what　they　needed　to　know；　keeping　the　corridors　clear；　instructing　the　guards　in　confinement　and　in　the　shuttle　bay　how　to　behave。。。It　was　more　than　most　men　could　have　handled。　But　then　again；　Edwards　reminded　himself；　he　was　not　most　men。

And　so　far　things　had　gone　off　without　a　wrinkle；　the　Invid　imposter　was　surely　dead；　and　Wolff　was　a　criminal。　The　council　could　not　help　but　see　things　his　way　from　now　on；　and　the　threat　of　a　stepped…up　war　with　the　Invid　would　result　in　the　construction　of　the　fleet　he　needed　to　carry　out　his　more　important　plan：　the　eventual　conquest　of　Earth。


CHAPTER　SEVEN

Miriya　Parino　Sterling's　rescue　of　the　Spherisian　crystallite　＇sic＇　was　an　act　of　derring…do　worthy　to　stand　beside　the　infamous　〃costume　change〃　that　had　earned　her　husband　such　plaudits　during　the　early　stages　of　the　First　Robotech　War。
LeRoy　La　Paz；　The　Sentinels

〃I　want　someone　to　sweep　the　caves；〃　Rick　said　into　his　helmet　pickup。　〃Then　we're　out　of　here！〃

Bela　volunteered。　Rick　looked　around　and　spied　her　down　below；　waving　to　him　from　the　area　the　GMU　had　occupied　before　Cabell's　desperate　plan　had　been　set　in　motion。　Rick　chinned　the　helmet　stud　again　and　told　Bela　to　make　it　quick。　He　saw　her；　Kami；　and　Learna　scurry　off　toward　the　mouth　of　the　cave　and　disappear　inside。　Rick　called　up　a　display　on　the　helmet's　faceshield；　then；　satisfied　that　he　had　sufficient　oxygen　remaining；　he　scrambled　up　the　steep　slope　toward　the　relocated　vehicle。

Praxis's　atmosphere　had　grown　superheated　and　unbreathable；　forcing　everyone　but　Veidt　and　Teal　into　helmets　and　environment　suits。　From　the　high　ground　above　the　caverns；　where　the　GMU　was　maintaining　its　precariously　angled　position；　Rick　glanced　back　at　the　wrinkled　terrain。　Eruptions　of　volcanic　light　could　be　seen　through　the　dense　shroud　that　stretched　from　the　hills　all　the　way　to　the　base　of　a　distant　escarpment。　And　out　of　this　storm　came　two　lone　Veritechs；　returned　from　a　final　reconnaissance　flight。　Rick　tuned　into　the　mand　freak；　only　to　have　his　worst　fears　confirmed：　there　wasn't　a　safe　region　to　be　found　anywhere　on　the　planet。

The　Alphas　whooshed　in　overhead；　reconfigured；　and　maneuvered　into　the　open　maw　of　the　GMU's　ordnance　bay。　The　Hovertanks　and　the　Skull's　VTs　were　already　aboard；　only　two　mecha　remained　outside…the　VTs　Rick　and　Max　would　pilot　up　once　Vince　Grant　gave　the　go　signal。

Rick　dug　his　toes　into　the　ground　and　pleted　the　climb；　out　of　breath　when　he　reached　the　rim　of　the　chute　the　Sentinels　had　blown　open　in　the　roof　of　the　cave。　The　front　end　of　the　GMU　overhung　the　rim；　elevated　now　by　the　hundreds　of　orbs　that　had　streamed　from　the　cave　after　the　chute　had　been　opened。　It　was　Cabell's　idea；　and　Veidt's　peculiar　talents；　that　made　the　plan　workable。

As　a　last　resort　the　Sentinels　had　decided　to　enlarge　the　diameter　of　the　cave's　internal　passageways　to　acmodate　the　huge　creatures　stuck　for　want　of　an　egress　suited　to　their　size。　That　way；　Cabell　reasoned；　they　could　at　least　raise　a　few　more　Alphas　before　the　planet　blew　itself　to　smithereens…providing　of　course　that　the　orbs　could　be　made　to　understand　that　the　Sentinels　weren't　trying　to　destroy　them；　as　they　had　those　spiderlike　monstrosities。　And　assuming　for　the　time　being　that　Wolff　and　Janice；　or　someone；　would　be　ing　to　their　rescue。

Rick　couldn't　recall　just　who　had　pointed　out　that　some　of　the　larger　orbs　were　still　going　to　face　difficulties　reaching　the　entrance；　but　it　was　Veidt　who　proposed　boring　an　artificial　chimney　through　the　roof　of　the　cave。　Additionally；　the　Haydonite　maintained；　the　Sentinels　were　wasting　their　time　airlifting　individual　mecha；　when　the　increased　supply　of　globe…beings　would　allow　them　to　raise　the　entire　GMU…if　the　mobile　base　could　be　positioned　in　such　a　way　that　the　orbs　could　get　underneath。　（Even　with　its　one…hundred…foot　tires；　the　thing　was　still　too　low　to　acmodate　the　largest　of　the　orbs。）　Vince；　Rick；　Lisa；　and　some　of　the　others　had　determined　that　the　GMU　could　sustain　itself　in　orbit　for　a　limited　time；　thanks　to　the　modifications　the　landcrawler　had　undergone　during　its　stint　with　the　Farrago。　It　would　mean　a　dangerously　unfortable　existence　for　as　long　as　Praxis　held　together；　but　even　weightlessness　and　privation　were　preferable　to　the　death　they　were　bound　to　suffer　on　the　surface。

So　after　Veidt　had　relayed　the　details　of　the　scheme　to　the　orbs　（who　were　in　his　words　〃thankful〃　and　more　than　willing　to　reciprocate）；　and　firepower　had　opened　the　chute；　the　GMU　was　repositioned　at　the　rim　of　the　opening　to　catch　the　creatures　as　they　levitated　from　the　cave。

As　Rick　regarded　the　all…but…floating　vehicle　now；　he　decided　it　was　the　most　bizarre　sight　he　had　ever　seen：　the　GMU　looked　as　though　it　were　sitting　atop　a　mountain　of　unburstable　bubbles。　Veidt　was　hovering　nearby　directing　the　flow。　And　in　spite　of　the　scale　and　the　incredible　size　of　some　of　the　orbs；　the　end　result　of　the　Sentinels'　partnership　with　the　creatures　had　rendered　the　GMU　almost　toy…like　in　appearance。