11_metamorphosis-第20章
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As Rand turned to go； snatching his makeshift ski poles out of the ground； Rook seemed to be about to say something or even grab his arm。 But when she saw he was looking at her； she abruptly turned away。
Annie turned out to be a better skier than Rand himself； though neither of them was very good。 Then Annie got fancy； Rand tried to chastise her…a bad move while skiing…and they both ended up in a snowbank。
It proved to be a heaven…sent spill； shadows crossed the snow and Invid Pincer Ships landed to examine things that had fallen from Annie's pink rucksack。 Somehow； the skiers' tracks had been obliterated by the drift of snow on the slope。
〃That's my bikini！〃 Annie yelped； struggling to get to her feet and take on the entire Invid horde by herself。 Rand pushed her face down further in the snow； stifling her。
The Invid hooked the bikini bottom in question （Why was she carrying it on a ski run？ Rand wondered） in its claw； and raised it close to its optic sensor for examination。 The mini…panty had in turn hooked one of the metallic submarine…sandwich…like charges the team had prepared for the fortress job。
Seeing it tottering there in the seat of the bikini； Rand pushed the struggling Annie even further into the snow。 The sapper charge tottered and fell。 Rand exhaled in relief when the charge proved inert。 The Invid personal armor mecha dropped the bikini bottom and rocketed away on a wash of thruster…fire。
Skiing to the base of the fortress mountain held no other terrors； they kicked off their improvised bindings。 A modified grenade launcher got a grapnel up to an opening。 There was terror in the climb； as they watched a patrol of Shock Troopers cruise by below them。 But the Invid didn't notice the climbing rope； and the Humans pulled themselves up near the topmost access tunnel。
Annie nearly fainted back into Rand's arms； a Shock Trooper mecha was standing there。
Rand shoved the edge of his hand in Annie's mouth and she bit down so hard that she drew blood。 But the Trooper appeared to be looking at the surrounding peaks with no more interest than an Alpine sightseer。 It turned to go； each step sounding like a boiler being thrown down on a concrete floor； back down the dark； arched tunnel from which it had e。 Rand rubbed his hand and wondered if Annie had had her shots lately。
The two pushed their goggles back and went in after the Trooper。 The tunnel was a place of heat gradients； the chamber at the end being almost womblike in its warmth and moisture。 It was a bizarre landscape of structures that looked like neurons and axons （or were they stalactites and stalagmites？）。 Dendrites bent and arched； and the undulating ceiling resembled Liver Surprise。 Cable…thick creepers ran from the squishy…looking support members。 A knee…high mist obscured everything。 〃All this place needs is bats；〃 Rand whispered。
Bela Lugosi； where are you？
They sprinted through the echoing； gutlike halls of the Invid； trying not to breath。 Annie had banished all rational thought from her brain； and so she was surprised when Rand hauled her behind one of the sticky…looking dendrite pillars。
There was a strange echo as the three smaller mecha stumped by； these ones only eight or nine feet tall； their optical sensors set in long snouts。 They had the faces of metallic archer…fish。 Even the two Humans heard the resonating message in the Regis's voice； the very armor of the enemy reverberating with it； 〃All my outlying units； report to transmutation chamber at once！〃
Rand watched them lumber off。 〃This could be a lot harder than we figured。〃
He had pushed Annie into the shadows of a doorway of some kind； and she began experimenting with the wet…looking； illuminated membranes that looked like buttons。
A door…size sphincter opened next to her； she gasped； seeing what lay beyond； then giggled。 〃Open Sesame！〃 Words she had always dreamed of using； so appropriate now。 There were certainly more than forty bad guys in this cave。
The two stepped into the next chamber； awestruck； gazing around them。 Their stage whispers were lost in the size of the place。
〃Wouldja look at…〃
〃Holy…〃
It was the size of the biggest indoor arena Rand had ever seen； the one in the radiation…glazed deathtown they used to call Houston。 He and Annie walked out on a gantrylike thing； which looked like a suspended arm with dangling Robotech fingers。 They looked down。
Ringing the center of the huge dome were concentric ranks of egg…shaped objects： motionless protoplasmic things； with untenanted mecha sleeping inside like hunkered fetuses。 And at the center of that vast place was a brilliant； shining dome。 To Rand； it resembled those twentieth…century pictures of the first nanoseconds of a thermonuclear explosion。 Around it grew a low； irregular palisade of things like budding mushrooms； but they stood ten yards high。
Annie looked down at the embryonic mecha。 〃Y'think they're all asleep； or something？〃
Rand shrugged。 〃Y'got me； but if they are； maybe we can wake 'em up。〃 His patented grin showed itself。 〃A riot in the Invid Incubator Room！ That's gotta be some diversion。〃
Still； the ranks of huge eggs reminded him unfortably of an old…time space flick he had seen as a kid； and he had no intention of having something leap up and give him some interspecies mouth…to…mouth。 He held Annie back and kept his gun level as he pulled a coin out of a slit pocket over his midsection and tossed it。
The coin glittered in the red…orange…yellow light and bounced off the top of one egg。 Rand was expecting a gelatinous quiver； but instead the coin bounced with a metallic bonk！ and skipped； to land on the floor with a faint chiming。 Nothing moved； nothing happened。
〃My last quarter；〃 Rand said ruefully。 A 1/4…Cid piece from the city…state of Espana Nueva back down south。 True； it wouldn't be much good on the road to Reflex Point； but still。。。
〃Maybe they're in suspended animation；〃 he considered； rubbing his jaw。 〃And maybe they won't wake up until they're supposed to。〃
He disregarded the idea of using his gun to experiment further； most likely； it would set off alarms and draw the enemy straight to him。 Then Annie was crooning； 〃Uhohh…hh。〃
A saucer…shaped air…vehicle whose underside was all glowing honeyb…hexagons had e floating silently from among distant dendrites。 Its curved； mirrorlike upper surface showed four equidistant projections like knobbed horns。 It came directly at Rand and Annie。
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
So？ I thought you country boys could rub your psoriasis together and start a fire？ Where's that pioneer spirit？
Rook； to Rand
The flying saucer was fifty feet wide。 When it had covered most of the distance separating it from the intruders； it halted。 It remained motionless； lying dead still without sound or motion。
Suddenly the honeyb…cells began shedding harsh light； the saucer's underside solid convex of brilliance。 One of the embryo…mecha began to glow。 Its egg expanded and rose into the air toward the saucer。 Rand and Annie stopped their withdrawal and watched what was happening。
Again there was the regal female voice； reverberating from the saucer； the cross…echoes making it difficult to understand。 But Rand thought he heard； 〃Nine…X…Nineteen has been selected for transmutation。 The quickening will begin。 Retrieve a Scout pod and transfer it to Hive Center。 〃
The egg had disappeared and the unborn Scout was enclosed in a larger globe of light； some sort of lifting field。 It looked similar to the ones Rand and the team had fought。 It was slowly unlimbering； its contours still curved to its confinement； the way a baby bird's are to its shell for the first few moments after it breaks free。
Rand and Annie watched the mecha borne away by the saucer。 He's being promoted？ Rand tried to puzzle out。 He didn't know much about how Invid society really functioned； nobody did； or at least nobody who was talking。
Annie shook him and he realized that time was wasting away。
In the Hive Center lay one of the bio…constructs that was the Regis's direct contact with each installation and every individual of her far…flung realm。 It was the center of the hive's reverence； obedience。。。adoration。 It spoke to the hive members； and with them； and for them。
It was situated in a shallow nutrient pool about five or six yards wide； filling two…thirds of it。 A half…dozen mature light…stalks blossomed around it； beaming down nourishing rays…radiating flowers like the Flower of Life and yet unlike it。
The darker chocolate…orange of the Hive Center's floor was broken across its entire span by large and small dark pink circles。 It looked as if a hundred spotlights of various sizes shone there。 But the only visible path of light was the incandescent beam that shone down on the Sensor； the coordinating intellect…clearinghouse of the hive。
Mecha stood by as the Regis spoke。 Listening to her were a single looming Scout unit and a half dozen and more of the smaller； more highly evolved； trumpet…snouted Controllers。
〃The proliferation of the Flower of Life on Earth has reached a critical phase； a triggerpoint；〃 it said。 〃Soon the mass thriving of the Flower will be assured； and we will need the Human race no more； and Earth will be
