11_metamorphosis-第27章

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Vines　of　living　Protoculture　power　snaked　out　from　the　Sensor　to　envelope　the　Trooper。　In　another　moment　it　seemed　to　be　in　a　rictus　of　agony；　its　superhard　armor　crumbling　from　it　like　plaster；　as　it　stood　in　the　center　of　a　globe　of　transplendence。

Abruptly　the　armor　was　gone；　and　a　pulsating　egg　hung　in　the　center　of　the　solar　fury。　〃The　disembodiment　is　plete；〃　the　Regis　decreed。　〃You　are　yourself；　unadorned；　without　identity；　awaiting　transmutation　into　the　shell　that　will　make　you　invincible！〃

The　egg　beat　like　a　heart。　What　it　held　was　like　the　drone　Rand　and　Annie　had　seen；　and　yet　unlike　it；　the　product　of　a　long　evolutionary　progression。

The　Regis　gathered　her　indistinct　hands　to　her　blank　breasts；　palm　to　palm。　〃Behold　the　final　stage　in　your　evolution！　Behold　the　Enforcer！〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

They　had　moved　so　fast　they　had　forgotten　something。　They　were　racing　to　save　a　world；　and　particularly　the　Human　species；　but　nobody　had　ever　said　anybody　was　going　to　be　grateful。　It　was　just　as　well　that　they　started　getting　used　to　that　fact　then。
Xandu　Reem；　A　Stranger　at　Home：　A　Biography　of　Scott　Bernard

The　Invid　anome　hung　before　the　Regis；　a　minor　sun　throwing　off　streamers　of　starflare。　She　threw　her　hands　out　wide；　and　the　sunlet　was　swallowed　up　in　a　roaring　pillar　of　ravening　power。　It　burned　upward　like　a　huge　searchlight　beam；　as　something　took　shape　within。

The　light　died　and　it　was　revealed。　Twice　the　size　of　the　Shock　Troopers；　it　mounted　a　shoulder　cannon　like　theirs　but　had　a　suggestion　of　the　Controller's　long　muzzle。　Its　claws　were　proportionately　smaller；　adapted　for　finer　work；　but　much　more　powerful　than　those　of　the　mecha　standing　around　it　paying　homage。　It　held　all　the　power　of　the　Matrix　outpouring　that　had　created　it。

Its　optical　sensor　fixed　on　the　Regis；　the　Enforcer　awaited　her　mand。


The　cool；　clean　water　felt　so　good　that　Lancer　could　almost　believe　he　was　back　at　the　o…faro；　the　bath。　When　he　had　lathered　and　rinsed　himself；　he　began　a　little　Musume　exercise；　like　the　ones　his　masters　used　to　give　him。

Using　a　theatrical　depilatory；　he　removed　the　hair　from　his　chest；　legs；　armpits；　and　so　on。　Then　Yellow　Dancer　performed　a　maiden's　bathing　ritual；　abandoning　self　for　role。　Each　stylized　gesture　and　movement　would　make　an　audience　believe　in　the　demure　young　girl；　each　pose　and　motion；　handed　down　for　centuries；　contained　a　hundred　subtleties。

But　Yellow　had　bee　so　clumsy；　so　out…of…practice！　Surely　Master　Yoshida　would　have　broken　three　sticks　upon　Lancer　by　now！　Still；　the　exercise　brought　a　feeling　of　calm　serenity；　a　reminder　of　gentility　and　the　frailty　of　beauty…a　renewed　faith　in　the　high　value　and　evasive　exquisiteness　of　life　itself。

Yellow　emerged　from　the　bath；　still　moving　with　the　grace　of　the　art。　She　held　a　towel　close　for　modesty；　even　in　that　solitary　place。　She　bed　her　long　purple　hair　out　carefully　with　her　free　hand。　Then　Yellow　Dancer　stretched　out；　stomach　down；　towel　wound　around　middle；　to　nap　in　the　warm　sunlight　that　found　its　way　down　through　gaps　in　the　jungle　roof　and　the　forest　canopy。

Gradually；　Lancer　reemerged；　working　on　the　problem　of　how　to　carry　on　the　mission　to　Reflex　Point。　Had　Scott's　single…mindedness　blinded　him　to　the　drawbacks　in　his　rafting　scheme？

A　sudden　sound　made　him　look　up；　all　freedom　fighter　now。　He　couldn't　believe　someone　had　managed　to　steal　up　on　him；　it　had　never　happened　to　Lancer　before。　But　it　was　too　late；　a　knobby　branch；　padded　by　windings　of　creeper；　thumped　across　the　back　of　his　skull。


〃Tim…ber…rrr！〃

Rand　stepped　back　as　the　tree　went　down；　dragging　vines　and　creepers；　branches　from　other　trees　with　it。　It　sent　up　leaves　and　dust　and　all　sorts　of　sounds　as　the　creatures　living　in　the　tree　fled　in　panic　or　anger。

〃I'm　gettin'　pretty　good　at　this　Paul　Bunyan　stuff；　huh？〃　he　asked　his　teammates　proudly。

But　nobody　seemed　very　impressed。　Annie；　looking　up　from　where　she　and　Rook　and　Marlene　were　making　cross…members　for　the　raft；　snarled；　〃Whaddaya　want；　a　standing　ovation？〃

Marlene　giggled；　and　everyone　stared　at　her。　〃Looks　like　our　patient's　finally　starting　to　loosen　up　a　bit；〃　Scott　smiled。

But　inside；　he　was　trying　to　sort　out　his　feelings。　If　Marlene　was　improving…if　she　began　regaining　her　memory…that　might　mean　she　would　go　her　own　way　soon。　He　had　tried　not　to　think　of　that　other　life　that　she　had　obviously　left　behind。　He　tried　not　to　think　about　the　lover　or　even　the　husband　who　might　be　waiting　for　her；　but　now　that　was　less　and　less　possible。

In　the　midst　of　Scott's　thoughts　about　Marlene；　a　long　spear　with　a　gleaming；　machined…metal　head　suddenly　arced　out　of　the　treeline　and　buried　itself　in　a　forest　giant　right　next　to　him。　The　long　shaft　of　stripped；　dried　wood　bobbed　slowly。

More　spears　followed；　as　Scott　roared；　〃Follow　me！〃　and　led　the　way　back　toward　the　mecha。　The　rest　of　the　group　pounded　after　him。　Miraculously；　no　one　had　been　hit。　They　had　to　veer　from　a　direct　course；　as　a　virtual　hedgehog　of　spearpoints　was　thrust　through　a　wall　of　undergrowth。

Scott　detoured；　hoping　he　wouldn't　lose　his　bearings；　gun　in　hand。　He　yelled　for　Lancer；　but　got　no　answer；　and　feared　the　worst。　Scott　had　no　idea　who　was　attacking；　but　it　clearly　wasn't　the　Invid；　and　he　had　no　wish　to　hurt　any　Human　if　he　could　help　it。　As　the　team　members　sprinted　across　a　clearing；　leaves　and　dirt　flew　as　ropes　of　braided　grass　creaked；　and　all　six　travelers　were　hoisted　aloft　in　an　enormous　net。

They　were　squashed　in　together　against　each　other　every　which　way；　Scott　losing　his　pistol；　the　others　too　tightly　pinned　to　get　to　theirs。　The　world　spun　and　swayed　below　them；　but　after　a　moment　Scott　saw　people　e　out　of　concealment　and　into　the　open。

The　spears　had　Rand　expecting　some　lost　tribe；　a　bunch　of　Yanamamo；　perhaps；　who　had　somehow　survived　the　Wars　and　left　their　traditional　territory。　But　instead；　the　team　was　looking　down　at　men　in　factory…produced　shoes　and　boots；　albeit　tattered　and　decaying　ones；　and　trousers　made　from　machine…woven　fabric。

But　the　men　were　a　bearded　and　mustached　and　headbanded　bunch；　carrying　homemade　bows；　arrows；　and　spears；　although　the　weapon　heads　were　of　metal。　They　wore　beads　and　feathers　and　shell　jewelry。　Nothing　made　sense。

〃W…whoever　they　are；　they　look　like　they're　honked　off　about　something；〃　Annie　observed。

An　older　fellow　with　snow…white　hair　and　beard　gestured　up　at　them　with　a　warclub　whose　head　had　been　set　with　flakes　of　sharpened　steel。　〃Bring　them　to　the　temple！〃

The　way　he　said　〃temple〃　had　Rook　expecting　something　from　one　of　the　venerated　oldtime　movies；　but　she　was　wrong。　The　natives　marched　them　at　spearpoint　downriver　to　an　aging；　massive；　hydroelectric　power　dam　that　looked　to　be　in　disrepair。

They　were　soon　disarmed　and　standing　out　on　a　platform　of　lashed　timbers　on　one　of　the　dam　crest　piers。　The　green　river　valley　seemed　to　stretch　out　forever；　and　the　waters　of　the　spillway　basin　fought　and　swirled　far　below　them。　All　gates　appeared　to　be　open；　and　water　fell　in　huge；　white　cascades；　filling　the　area　with　mist。

Their　hands　had　been　tied；　and　each　captive　had　been　fitting　with　an　ankle　shackle　rivetted　to　a　heavy　weight。　Scott　was　looking　around　for　some　sign　of　Lancer；　hoping　that　he　had　gotten　clear　and　could　e　to　their　rescue。

〃Now　you　will　pay　for　your　sacrilege！〃　the　white…haired　leader　said。　〃You　are　outlanders　and　your　presence　in　this　place　has　offended　the　river　god。〃

He　gestured　to　where　the　open　taint…or　gates　and　lowlevel　outlets　were　letting　the　level　of　the　reservoir　fall。　〃It　is　because　of　you　that　the　river　god　has　turned　his　back　on　us　and　is　leaving　the　valley！〃

〃Oh；　e　on！〃　Rand　shouted；　and　some　of　the　spearheads　wavered　close　to　his　chest。　〃You're　not　telling　me　you're　going　to　kill　us　just　because　this　friggin'　dam's　had　a　malfunction？〃

Scott　already　saw　that　that　was　exactly　what　the　locals　had　in　mind；　but　could　make　little　sense　of　the　matter。　How　could　such　a　tribal　society；　such　a　primitive　belief　system；　spring　up　in　a　single　generation？

The　only　answer　he　could　think　of　was　the　fact　that　the　team　was　now　in　the　region　that　had　bee　a　Zentraedi　control　zone；　back　when　Khyron　took　refuge　after　the　apocalyptic　battle　in　which　Dolza's　force　was　wiped　out。　The　Zentraedi　would　certainly　have　found　good　use　for　the　hydroelectric　power；　but　their　giant　size　would've　made　it　difficult　for　them　to　operate　and　maintain　the　dam。　The　answer　would　have　been　to　spare　a　picked　group　of　Micronian　techs。

Most　of　the　men　in　the　group　were　in　their　mid…twenties　or　so；　Scott　judged。　If　a　lot　of　the　techs　had　been　killed；　inadvertently　or　otherwise；　upon　Khyron's　departure；　that　would　have　left　kids　and　a　few　oldsters…like　the　white…haired　man　with　the　slightly　unhinged　look　in　his　eye…to　put　together　a　new　society　of　their　own。　Perhaps　they　had　borrowed　elements　of　their　crude　culture　from　local　Indians。

As　to　why　the　whole　area　had　been　roofed　over；　apparently　by　the　Invid…Scott　could　only　conclude　that　this　was　another　of　their　experimental　labs；　a　kind　of　grandiose　ant　farm。

〃Silence！〃　the　old　man　was　howling。　〃The　only　way　to　bring　back　the　river　god's　de