11_metamorphosis-第24章

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Scott　had　turned　and　turned　again；　hurtling　along　at　max　thrust；　praying　the　walls　and　turns　would　muffle　some　of　the　blast。

Then　it　caught　up　with　him。

The　Beta　and　the　other　two　Alphas；　shepherding　Lunk's　truck；　arrowed　toward　the　titanic　triangle　of　the　alien　stronghold's　rear　gate。　Beyond　it；　a　snowy　Earth　shone。

〃Nice　of　'em　to　leave　the　back　door　open；〃　Rook　smiled。　Then　she　felt　her　flesh　goosebump　as　she　saw　that　the　light　was　dwindling；　the　two　halves　of　the　giant　triangle's　door　were　sliding　in　from　either　side。

〃But　not　for　long！〃　cried　Lancer。　〃Lunk；　hurry！〃

Lunk　gritted　his　teeth；　floored　the　accelerator；　and　hit　a　few　buttons。　〃Can't　make　it；〃　he　muttered；　but　the　APC　leapt　ahead　in　a　way　that　disputed　that。

The　VTs　had　to　e　through　standing　on　one　wingtip；　the　APC　almost　got　its　tailpipe　caught。　But　they　all　made　it；　as　the　massive　door　halves　ground　shut。

〃I　think　that　one　took　some　paint　off　my　baby；　here；〃　Rook　said　cheerily；　patting　her　instrument　panel。

Lunk　just　tried　to　control　his　trembling；　Annie　was　either　meditating；　praying；　or　passed　out。　Marlene　looked　atose。

Rand　glanced　back　over　his　shoulder　at　the　fortress。

C'mon；　Scott！


Somehow；　being　slammed　against　walls　and　dribbled　along　the　deck　for　a　bit　hadn't　destroyed　the　superstrong　Battloid。　Even　though　the　blast　from　the　reflex　furnace　had　shaken　the　whole　mountain　and　had　fissured　walls；　floors；　and　ceilings；　it　had　somehow　been　relatively　contained。　But　he　was　registering　secondary　explosions；　and　there　was　every　chance　that　the　core　was　going　to　explode　again　with　an　even　more　spectacular　Big　Bang。

Then　it　was　on　his　tail；　a　fireball　even　bigger　than　the　first。　His　sensors　picked　it　up　even　while　he　was　jetting　for　a　secondary　reargate；　unable　to　find　the　main。　Fast　as　it　was；　the　Battloid　had　no　chance　of　outrunning　the　flashflood　of　utter　destruction　for　long。

And　the　bad　news　was　that　the　gate　he　was　headed　for　was　closed。

He　let　the　gate　have　everything　he　had　left；　his　only　hope　being　to　break　through。　No　room　for　explosives；　he　fired　pumped…lasers。

Well；　Scott：　make…it…or…break…it　time！　he　thought；　all　in　an　instant；　as　the　valve　before　him　disappeared　in　a　wash　of　demonfire。

Then　he　was　through；　the　Battloid　thrown　into　the　clear　like　a　marionette　fired　out　of　a　mortar。　But　somehow　the　Robotech　colossus　held　together；　straightened　itself；　and　regained　flying　posture；　as　the　core　explosion　reached　the　open　air　on　the　mountain　behind　it。　It　was　as　if　somebody　had　opened　a　floodgate　into　the　heart　of　a　star。

Scott　dazedly　shook　his　head；　trying　to　image　his　mecha　along；　looking　around　him　wonderingly；　and　tasting　the　special　sweetness　of　being　alive。　Well；　what。。。do。。。you。。。know！　He　went　down　to　join　the　others。


Down　below；　Annie；　Lunk；　and　Rook　cheered　as　the　mountain　shook　to　its　roots。　Lancer　was　silent；　but　even　he　nodded　approval。

But　Marlene　only　watched　dully；　hearing　the　distant　wailing　of　the　Regis；　and　Rand　was　thinking　to　himself　that　somewhere　thousands　upon　thousands　of　drones　had　been　consumed。　When　he　thought　about　the　horrible　things　their　quickening　would　have　meant　for　Humans；　he　couldn't　feel　pity。

The　stronghold　itself　began　to　sink；　subsiding　into　the　ground　the　way　the　mountains　above　the　Genesis　Pit　had　subsided。　Passes　everywhere　were　blocked　with　the　snow　shaken　down　by　the　fortress's　passing；　but　at　least　now　the　way　was　open　for　any　who　might　want　to　e　after；　for　anyone　who　had　had　enough　of　the　south　and　wanted　to　try　a　new　life。

Who　knows？　Annie　thought。　Maybe　there　is　a　Paradise！

Far　below　the　snow　line　they　found　a　lake　that；　though　cold；　was　a　wele　place　of　respite。　In　no　time；　Annie　was　in　the　water；　her　much…touted　bikini　covered　by　a　T…shirt。　Rook　was　in；　too；　in　bra　and　panties；　eager　to　wash　off　the　trail　and　the　deaths　and　the　killing。　In　no　time；　Annie　had　her　engaged　in　a　splash…fight。　Both　of　them　loved　it；　even　though　their　lips　were　turning　purple。

Marlene　sat　on　the　grassy　shore；　watching　in　bewilderment。　Maybe　if　she　could　figure　out　this　inprehensible　behavior　it　would　help　her　figure　out　all　the　other　enigmas　that　were　her　life。　Thus　far；　she　had　simply　gone　along　with　the　people　who　had　found　her；　like　a　spore　borne　on　the　wind。　But　was　that　what　she　should　be　doing；　even　if　it　did　feel　appropriate？　Nothing　made　any　sense。

A　few　yards　away；　the　men　sat　at　ease　after　setting　up　camp。　Annie　had　pointedly　informed　them　that　it　was　ladies　first　in　the　bath；　and　they　would　have　to　wait　their　turn。

Rand　was　shaking　his　head；　saying；　〃Poor　Marlene。　All　those　attacks　or　whatever　they　are。　And　she　still　hasn't　pulled　out　of　that　amnesia。　I　wish　there　was　something　we　could　do　for　her。〃　He　was　looking　in　her　direction；　but　it　was　also　easy　to　shift　focus　just　a　little；　and　watch　Rook　splashing　around　in　that　skimpy　outfit；　which；　drenched　in　water；　was　just　about　transparent。　His　breathing　became　a　little　ragged。

〃Don't　push　it；〃　Scott　said。　〃She's　been　through　some　pretty　rough　times。　She's　got　problems　she's　got　to　work　through；　who　doesn't？　She'll　open　up　when　she's　ready。〃

Lancer　was　eyeing　Scott；　thinking　about　the　matter　of　Marlene's　naming；　wondering　what　things　the　team　leader　was　working　through。

Annie　was　hollering　for　Marlene　to　e　in　and　join　the　fun。　Rook　added；　〃Yeah；　c'mon　girl。　It'll　do　you　good。〃

Cold　water　immersion　therapy？　Rand　wondered。　I　could　use　some　right　about　now。

Then　his　predicament　got　even　worse。　Marlene　said；　〃All　right；〃　to　Annie's　invitation；　in　a　hesitant；　unsure　voice…as　if　plying　came　more　easily　than　deciding。

She　rose　and　began　shedding　clothes　as　innocently　as　a　child。　All　four　men　stared；　bug…eyed；　but　it　was　Rand　who　choked　out；　〃Marlene；　stop　that！　Are　you　trying　to　give　me　a　cardiac？〃

But　she　was　already　naked　and　seemed　not　to　hear；　feeling　the　sun　and　the　wind　on　her　skin；　her　fine；　waistlength　red　hair　stirred　by　the　breeze。　It　was　the　slim…but　full；　flawless　female　body　Rand　remembered　so　well　trying　not　to　stare　at。

Framed　there　against　the　mountains　with　the　sun　gleaming　from　her；　Scott　thought　Marlene　was　somehow　a　higher　being。　She　seemed　finer　than　other　Humans…a　creature　possessed　by　an　unconscious　beauty　and　a　natural　grace　so　overwhelming　that　it　caused　an　ache　in　your　heart　just　to　see　it；　and　left　you　changed。

Lancer　had　calmly；　almost　gently；　grabbed　Rand　by　the　earlobe　to　stop　his　raving。　〃Don't　you　know　it's　not　polite　to　stare　at　a　lady？　You　might　make　her　feel　self…conscious。〃

And　who'd　know　better　than　you？　Lunk　thought；　but　not　unkindly。

〃Ow！　Okay！〃　Rand　was　yelping；　trying　to　squirm　out　of　Lancer's　hold。　〃I　didn't　mean　to！　I　won't　do　it　again！　Uh；　but　maybe　what　I　need's　a　swim…〃

Lancer　shoved　him　over　in　mock　disgust。　Rook；　having　watched　from　the　lake；　was　suddenly　scowling。

Gawdamn　hick！


They　were　all　to　remember　the　interlude　by　the　lake　wistfully；　though。　Their　route　soon　descended　to　a　sandblown　desert　region　that　didn't　appear　on　twentieth…century　maps。　It　was　a　desert　more　resembling　those　of　North　America　than　anything　that　had　existed　in　the　South　before　the　devastations　of　the　Zentraedi；　Robotech　Master；　and　Invid。

The　terrain　and　climate　hampered　their　rate　of　travel；　but　the　enemy　activity　was　much　more　of　a　problem。　In　the　wake　of　the　fortress　raid；　the　Regis　had　saturation　patrols　scouring　the　countryside　for　them…consisting　mainly　of　immense　Shock　Troopers　now；　with　Pincers　and　Scouts　in　support　roles。

They　knew　the　aliens　were　concentrating　a　great　deal　of　their　resources　on　the　freedom　fighters；　and　Scott　began　to　fear　the　team　had　attracted　a　fatal　amount　of　attention　to　itself。　What　none　of　them　could　know　was　that　the　Regis　was　also　enraged　and　frustrated　that　she　had　lost　contact　with　her　Simulagent…Marlene。

There　came　a　time　when　the　team　was　held　up　in　a　cave　as　a　sandstorm　raged　outside　and　Shock　Troopers　paced　the　desert　outside；　searching　for　their　trail。　Though　it　should　have　been　broad　daylight；　the　world　was　a　sand…red　dusk；　and　even　in　the　cave　that　tinted　the　air　and　layered　everything；　making　their　world　monochrome。

Marlene；　who　had　bee　ill　once　they　had　e　down　onto　the　desert；　was　nearly　in　a　a；　shivering　in　her　sleeping　bag。　In　reality；　she　was　suffering　a　delayed　reaction　to　the　impact　of　the　Sensor's　destruction　and　the　PSI　emanations'　impact　on　her。

And　their　water　supply　was　virtually　gone；　their　main　supply；　in　jerry　cans　rigged　to　Lunk's　truck；　had　been　shot　up　in　a　brief　skirmish　when　they　made　their　dash　from　the　high　country。　Morale　was　so　bad　that　Scott　blamed　Lunk　for　it；　and　Rand　in　turn　jumped　all　over　Scott；　the　argument　almost　had　them　at　each　other's　throat。　It　didn't　blow　over　so　much　as　spread　to　the　others。　They　were　sick　of　seeing　and　hearing　each　other　and　being　crowded　into　the　cave　with　their　mecha；　the　sand　in　everything；　and　the　endless　howl　of　the　wind。

At　last　Marlene　cried　out　in　her　fever…dream　and　startled　everyone。　There　were　some　shamefaced　apologies；　as　Rand　knelt　to　squeeze　some　moisture　into　her　mouth　from　a　rag…twisted　bit　of　cactus　flesh。　She　opened　her　eyes　at　the　taste　of　the　juice　and；　despite　its　sour　flavor；　smiled　up　at　him　gratefully；