18_the_end_of_the_circle-第40章

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Zentraedi　and　Sentinels　gathered　before　him；　Jack；　Karen；　and　the　rest　of　the　remaining　recon　party　formed　a　semicircle　behind。　The　mecha；　weapons　ready；　took　up　a　circle　around　the　group；　keeping　watch　in　all　directions。

〃You　know　the　main　facts。〃　Rick　pointed　out　the　route　his　recon　party　had　followed。　〃We　were　advancing　through　a　densely　wooded　area　about　a　mile　and　one…half　along　that　valley；　with　Sergeant　Dante　on　point。　Gnea　moved　up　to　walk　the　slack　position；　some　six　yards　or　so　behind　him。

〃As　we　entered　an　open　grassy　area；　both　the　sergeant　and　Gnea　were　enveloped　by　what　appeared　to　be　a　somewhat　different　version　of　the　luminous　phenomena　that…〃

Jeez。　Been　talking　bureaucratese　in　the　TIC　too　long；　Rick！　He　started　in　again。　〃From　what　we　could　see；　this　hail璼torm　of　light　swirled　down　on　them；　and　we　lost　them　from　sight。　At　the　same　time；　sensors　picked　up　an　enormous　life　reading；　but　there　were　no　large　organisms　in　sight。

〃The　light　was　gone　in　a　couple　of　seconds；　and　so　were　Angie　and　Gnea。　We　searched　the　area…no　trapdoors；　camouflaged　openings；　or　other　clues。　We　even　blew　open　the　ground　and　lasered　down　nearby　trees；　they　were　solid。

〃I'm　splitting　you　into　search　units。　Battlepods　and　Quadronos　will　deploy　on　the　ground；　Battloids　will　fly　recon　and　cover。　I'm　hoping　the　Garudans'　extended　senses；　the　Karbarrans'　hunting　and　tracking　skills；　or　the　Praxians'　scouting　procedures　turn　up　something　we　missed。〃

He　looked　to　Baldan。　〃And　I　was　thinking…maybe　if　there's　some　equivalent　of　the　Crystal　Highways　here　。　。　。〃　Baldan　nodded　his　gleaming　head。　〃I'll　do　what　I　can　do；　Admiral。〃

Rick　began　calling　off　assignments。　The　mixed　contingents　sorted　themselves　out　to　move　back　into　the　target　zone。　


〃Aw；　sca…rew！〃

Angelo　Dante　knelt　with　the　stock　of　his　rifle　pressed　to　his　cheek；　swinging　the　muzzle　this　way　and　that　in　the　milkwhite　mist。　Not　that　there　were　any　targets　around；　it　was　just　something　to　do　while　he　tried　to　sort　things　out。　〃Not　again；〃　he　grated。

Like　most　of　the　younger　Amazons；　Gnea　had　developed　a　preference　for　modern；　high…firepower　weapons　over　the　traditional　arms　of　her　Sisterhood。　Now；　though；　for　reasons　she　could　not　quite　pin　down；　she　reslung　her　submachine　gun　and　took　her　halberd　in　hand；　giving　it　a　preparatory　spin；　the　long　curved　blade　leaving　a　silver　trail　in　the　air。　〃You　mean　you've　encountered　this　phenomenon　before；　Sergeant？〃　Like　his；　her　voice　brought　no　echoes。　She　wondered　if　they　were　outdoors。

〃Naw。　It's　just…weird　stuff　like　this；　ma'am。　It　simply　ain't　military。〃

And　it　always　sounded　so　goddamn　lame　in　an　after…action　report。　Like　when　Angie　and　the　other　ATACs　went　through　all　that　crap　in　the　Masters'　spade…shaped　mother　ship。　Living　energy　nexuses　and　mindmusic　and　alien　horticulture。　Try　writing　those　up　without　having　some　G…staff　chairborne　mando　laughing　at　you！

It　was　all　too　involved　to　explain　to　some　dame　from　another　planet。

Gnea　pivoted；　spinning　her　polearm　to　hold　it　at　high　port；　and　kept　watch　in　the　opposite　direction。　〃What's　the　last　thing　you　remember？〃

〃Uh　。。。　We　were　moving　through　that　open　area；　and　I　felt　something　kinda　strange；　like　the　way　electricity　makes　your　hair　stand　up；　only　it　was　inside　my　head。　So；　that…〃

He　hated　to　hurt　a　woman's　feelings；　but…　〃So　I　gave　you　the　signal　to　pull　back；　only　you　didn't　do　it。〃　He　was　making　a　circular　motion　with　one　hand。

She　took　a　quick　glance　at　it　over　her　shoulder。　〃Oh；　yes；　your　UEG　field　signal。　It　took　me　a　moment　to　remember　what　it　meant；　in　our　army　that's　the　gesture　for　close　intervals。〃

It's　what　you　get　mixing　different　services　together；　he　thought　sourly；　but　kept　it　to　himself。　〃So　whatever　that　tinsael　blizzard　was；　it　got　you；　too。〃　He　began　trying　to　raise　somebody　on　the　tactical　freq。

Gnea　sensed　nothing　nearby；　visibility　looked　like　it　might　be　several　dozen　yards；　but　it　was　impossible　to　make　an　accurate　estimate；　lacking　any　point　of　reference。　She　set　the　spiked　butt　of　her　halberd　on　the；　floor　by　her　feet　（at　least；　she　assumed　it　was　a　floor；　it　was　glossy　and　smooth；　like　a　single　white　tile）。

〃Sergeant；　I　think　it　would've　gotten　us　no　matter　what。　And　I　don't　think　something's　gone　to　all　this　trouble　just　to　harm　us。〃

Well；　she　was　a　cool　one；　he　had　to　give　her　that。　All　frequencies　were　silent；　and　so　Angelo　came　to　his　feet；　rifle　leveled　at　waist　height；　covering　his　field　of　fire。　〃Maybe　not。　Even　though　some　aliens　I've　known　like　to　collect　specimens。〃

He　slipped　a　pencil　flare　out　of　his　belt　pouch；　struck　it　alight；　and　dropped　it　to　the　ground。　〃What　we'll　do　is　work　out　as　far　as　we　can；　keepin'　the　flare　in　sight；　and　run　a　circular　search　pattern。〃

She　frowned。　〃You　mean　split　up？〃

〃Hell　no！　What　d'　ya　think　this　is；　a　slasher　movie？〃

〃Excellent。〃　She　whipped　the　halberd　around　again；　bringing　it　en　garde。　Angie　thought；　If　this　is　a　movie；　at　least　the　slasher's　on　my　side。

〃Only；〃　Gnea　went　on；　wetting　a　forefinger　and　holding　it　up；　〃I　seem　to　feel　an　air　current　ing　from　that　direction。　Shall　we　start　there？〃

〃Good　as　any　other。〃

They　both　moved　to　take　the　point　at　the　same　moment；　then　looked　at　each　other。　There　was　no　telling　who　out　ranked　whom。　Gnea　topped　Angelo　by　half　a　head　and　more；　from　her　looks　and　reputation　and　what　he　had　seen　of　the　Praxians　already；　he　was　prepared　to　believe　she　could　handle　herself。　But　still；　she　was　carrying　that　frog　dissector　while　he　had　a　rifle　with　its　selector　switch　flicked　over　to　continuous　fire。　〃Look；　if　y'　don't　mind？〃

Gnea　nodded　with　reserved　grace。　〃By　all　means。〃　She　knew　that　some　human　males　still　harbored　strange　attitudes　about　females。　But　at　least　this　one　was　quick　to　react；　willing　to　shoulder　a　dangerous　job。　Perhaps　he　was　even　as　petent　as　he　seemed　to　think。

Angelo　found　himself　staring　into　those　inhuman　eyes　of　hers；　eyes　that　belonged　in　a　bird　of　prey。　He　forced　himself　to　look　away　from　them。　The　two　moved　out　with　Gnea　watching　behind；　going　in　a　sort　of　sideways　crab　step。　Their　footfalls　sounded　lonely　and　small。　In　thirty　paces　（fewer　for　Gnea）　the　flare　was　getting　dim　behind　them；　but　the　current　of　air　was　stronger。　〃How　long　will　it　burn？〃　she　asked。

〃Fifteen　minutes；　anyway。　Let's　keep　goin'。〃

〃Yes；　but　drop　another　flare。〃

He　did；　not　that　there　was　much　to　go　back　to。　Another　thirty　paces　and　the　air　had　a　distinct　cold　tinge　to　it。

〃An　exit；　maybe；〃　Angelo　muttered；　striking　a　third　flare。　Before　he　had　to　reach　for　a　fourth；　something　loomed　up　in　the　mist　before　them。　With　scale　so　tough　to　judge；　he　thought　at　first　that　it　was　a　city　or　at　least　a　building。

They　drew　close　enough　to　make　out　details。　When　they　finally　had　a　clear　look　at　it；　they　stopped　in　their　tracks。　Angie's　jaw　was　hanging　open。　〃Well；　tug　my　gearshift　and　call　me　Five…Speed。〃

Gnea　shouldered　her　halberd：　〃I　think　you　might　as　well　got　your　weapon　up；　Sergeant。　Whatever　did　this；　I　doubt　a　leer　means　much　to　it；　and　we　definitely　don't　want　to　offend　it。〃

Angelo　had　never　been　very　enthusiastic　about　taking　orders　from　women　except　when　they　made　overwhelming　sense。　Like　now。　He　slung　his　piece；　and　they　continued　on；　walking　side　by　side。

〃Y'　know；　this　qualifies　as　theft　of　gov'ment　property；〃　it　occurred　to　him　to　observe。

Gnea　smiled　unexpectedly。　〃And　have　you　brought　proof　of　ownership？〃

That　one　gave　him　pause。　〃I　don't　think　they　put　serial　numbers　on　spacefold　drives。〃

The　Protoculture　drives…or　rather；　the　casing　that　held　them；　what　the　engineers　called　the　housing…bulked　before　them；　big　as　a　building。　Somehow；　out　in　the　open　likethat；　they　were　less　overpowering　than　in　the　SDF…3's　drive　section。　Nevertheless；　the　two　could　not　see　the　far　end　from　where　they　stood。

Of　course；　the　trillion…dollar　question　was　how　the　hell　the　drives　had　gotten　there…wherever　〃there〃　was…and　who　or　what　had　done　it。　Angelo　figured　the　answer　to　that　one　would　go　a　long　way　toward　explaining　what　had　happened　to　the　SDF…3　and　what　the　newspace　stuff　was　all　about。

〃They're　ours；　all　right；〃　Gnea　said。　〃You　see　that　multiphaser？　Doctor　Lang's　work。〃

Hot　for　the　first　time　since　they　had　gone　on…line；　the　fold　drives　were　pletely　dark；　inert。　Like　so　many　other　Robotech　devices；　the　housing　had　had　all　Protoculture　drained　from　it。　Only　unlike　the　rest；　the　physical　structure　had　been　stolen；　too。

〃Maybe　there's　another　around　here　someplace；〃　Angelo　mused　as　he　and　Gnea　began　a　slow　tour　around　the　huge　drives　housing。　To　him　it　resembled　a　great　sealed　city　of　domes；　megablocks；　and　manifold　roadways。

〃Another　fold　drive　array？〃

He　clicked　his　tongue。　〃Yeah。　The　one　the　old　SDF…1　lost　back　in　'oh…nine；　near　Pluto。　Maybe　something　around　here　collects　'em。〃

They　pleted　a　cautious　circuit　of　the　fold　drives　housing　without　finding　anything　else。　Gnea　pointed　to　a　stairway　leading　to　the　service　catwalks。　〃We　might　be　able　to　see　something　from　up　there。〃

〃Worth　a　try。〃

They　made　their　way　to　the　little　mesa　that　was　the　top　of　the　primary　containment　casing。　But　there　was　nothing　to　see；　they　could　not　even　spot　the　flares。　Angelo　yelle