16_world_killers- 第1节

Robotech　Sentinels：　World　Killers
Book　16　of　the　Robotech　Saga
Copyright　1988　by　Jack　McKinney

arranged　by　dayuan　＇　robotech　zone　＇



CHAPTER　ONE

They　were　the　New　Paladins；　riding　forth　to　answer　the　trumpet　call　to　a　nightmare　war。
They　were　mortals　caught　up　in　events　that　transcended　anything　they　had　ever　expected。
Many　of　them　were　career　military　people　who　had　learned　that　wars　were　often　won　by　those　who　made　the　fewest　screwups。
But　they　also　knew　that　everybody　screws　up　sometime。
Le　Roy　la　Paz；　The　Sentinels

〃Everybody　stay　sharp！　Looks　like　we're　gonna　have　to　go　to　guns！〃

Jack　Baker　trimmed　the　mated　Veritechs　he　was　flying…the　sleek　Alpha　fighter　was　now　joined　like　a　vaned　nose　cone　to　the　bigger；　burlier　Beta　ship。　A　quick　glance　over　his　weapons　status　displays　revealed　that　the　other　two　Alpha…Betas　of　his　raiding　party　were　still　in　tight　formation　behind　him。

〃Jack；　no！〃　yelled　Janice　Em。　She　was　in　the　second　ship　along　with　Burak；　Lron；　and　Tesla。　〃You　heard　what　Veidt　and　Sarna　said：　this　world's　defenses　will　respond　to　any　hostile　action！〃

Actually；　Veidt　had　said　the　legendary　protective　systems　of　the　planet　responded　to　the　mere　intent　of　intrusion　or　provocative　act。　And　that　certainly　seemed　to　be　the　case　today；　even　though　the　fighters　had　gone　in　with　weapons　and　shields　down。

〃I　got　a　news　flash　for　you：　we've　already　got　Haydon　IV　PO'd　at　us；　kiddo；〃　Jack　snorted。　〃Or　d'you　think　this　planet's　surface　usually　twitches　and　then　starts　spitting　sparklers　at　people？　Get　ready；　like　it　or　not；　it　looks　as　if　we're　in　for　some　turns　'n'　burns。〃

One　part　of　him　registered　the　fact　that　the　terrain　of　Haydon　IV　wasn't　actually　twitching；　it　was　changing　shape；　like　something　from　one　of　those　old…time　clay…animation　flicks。　And　the　things　shooting　up　at　the　ining　Veritechs　were　more　like　swirling　vortices　or　sheets　of　flame　than　sparklers。

Whatever　they　were；　they　were　traveling　at　such　high　velocity　that　Jack　saw　the　VTs　had　no　chance　of　running　for　it。

〃Activate　shields　and　weapons。〃　Jack　tried　to　sound　calm。　〃And　stay　close　to　me。〃　It　was　too　late　to　go　back；　so　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　drive　on。

Only　he　wished　there　were　experienced　bat　fliers　in　the　other　two　bined　VTs。　Janice　had　been　through　training；　and　so　had　Learna；　but　neither　of　them　had　any　dogfighting　experience　to　speak　of。　He　would　have　preferred　to　have　Max　and　Miriya　Sterling　flying　at　his　wingtips。

But　Miriya　had　been　stricken；　like　Rick　Hunter　and　his　wife　Lisa；　by　the　strange　microorganisms　of　Garuda。　And　so　had　another　Sentinel；　one　whose　possible　death　filled　Jack　with　feelings　and　impulses　that　bewildered　and　shocked　him。。。

He　tried　to　put　that　out　of　his　mind；　what　was　happening　to　the　famous　Baker　cool　and　concentration？　Damn！

From　the　cockpit's　rear　seat；　where　she　was　strapped　into　the　copilot's　station；　Bela　reached　forward　to　clap　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃That's　the　lad！　Kick　their　flaming　arses！　I'll　loan　you　the　boot！〃

The　vortices　of　fire　came　darting　and　circling；　changing　shape　and　roiling…like　silken　scarves　on　the　wind。　All　Jack's　sensors　were　in　alarm　mode；　but　none　of　them　could　tell　him　what　he　was　facing。

Fire　with　fire；　he　told　himself　fatalistically；　and　put　a　burst　of　pumped　laser　into　the　first　one　to　e　into　range。

Somehow　Tesla　got　on　the　tac　net。　〃No；　you　fool！　You're　signing　our　death　warrants！〃

〃Don't　bother　me；　I'm　workin'；〃　Jack　growled。

The　cannonfire　seemed　to　have　no　effect；　the　vortice　changed　course　a　bit　and　came　straight　for　him。　He　shot　it　again。　The　other　VTs　chose　targets　of　opportunity　and　opened　up；　too。

The　vortices　flared　angrily；　and　some　were　jarred；　but　they　kept　ing。　More　came　from　what　seemed　to　be　an　opening　in　the　countryside　below；　like　flecks　of　incandescent　paint　falling　upward。

Jack　was　still　firing　when　the　first　vortex　hit　him。　It　flared　angrily　against　his　shields；　sending　the　indicators　toward　the　danger　zones；　and　it　seemed　he　could　feel　the　infernal　heat　right　through　the　fuselage。　More　swarmed　after。

The　other　VTs　were　struck；　too。　The　vortices　spread　across　them；　coating　them　in　a　blinding　radiance。


〃Wake　up！　e；　e；　I　have　no　time　for　this　nonsense！　Wake　him！〃

Rem　heard　the　thick；　moist　rumbling　voice；　loud　enough　to　echo　and　shake　the　walls。　He　associated　it　with　the　sensation　he　felt　now：　bonds　still　holding　his　raw；　bleeding　wrists　and　ankles；　and　the　cottony　blur　the　Invid　psy…scanners　had　left　in　his　brain。

At　the　Regent's　mand；　Invid　officers　applied　brief　pain　to　speed　up　the　effects　of　the　reviving　injections　they　had　given　him。　Rem　squirmed　and　moaned；　shaking　off　part　of　the　fog；　and　opened　his　eyes。

Rem　saw　the　throne　room　that　the　Regent　had　decreed　for　himself　high　in　a　Haydon　IV　tower。　It　was　a　minor　mercy　to　see　the　light　of　Briz'dziki；　the　local　sun；　rather　than　the　cold　insides　of　the　Invid's　nearby　hive。

Rem　tried　to　recall　what　he　was　doing　there；　and　it　came　back　in　a　confused；　horrifying　rush。　Capture　by　the　Invid　on　Garuda；　exposure　to　Garudan　atmosphere…why　wasn't　he　dead；　or　mad？

Or；　perhaps　he　was…perhaps　he　was　both。

No；　he　wasn't　dead；　the　pain　of　his　shackles　was　a　branding…hot　clarity　too　sharp　for　that。　But　mad。。。

As　he　struggled　feebly；　he　heard　a　low；　mosquitolike　humming　that　quickly　built　until　it　shock…waved　from　one　side　of　his　skull　to　the　other。　The　shackles　seemed　to　grow　teeth　and　gnaw　at　his　wrists；　promising　to　devour　their　way　up　his　arms　and　legs；　ripping　and　savaging。

Rem　screamed。　The　Invid　stench　coagulated　with　evil　glee　in　his　chest…he　was　sure　he　would　suffocate。

Not　mad；　then…but　even　more　terribly；　a　victim　of　hin；　the　Garudan　altered…reality　or　transcendent　state。

Kami　and　Learna　and　their　people　thrived　that　way…in　hin…as　a　matter　of　symbiotic　course；　interacting　with　their　environment　on　a　microorganic；　even　subatomic；　scale。　Stranded　from　the　synergistic　biota　of　their　planet；　they　would　not　even　be　sentient　beings。

But　to　outside　life…forms；　exposure　to　the　atmosphere　of　Garuda　and　to　hin　was　a　sentence　of　death　by　insanity。

Rem　fought　to　hold　onto　some　last　shred　of　reality。　The　seemingly　endless　memories　of　the　Optera　of　long　ago；　and　the　paradise　it　had　been…but　had　he　only　dreamed　them？　Images　of　the　Regent's　estranged　mate；　the　Regis；　and　her　passion　for　Zor；　whose　biogenetic　material　had　been　made　manifest　in　Rem's　cloning…were　they　fever…dreams　of　the　hin？　But　they　had　seemed　so　real；　not　hallucinatory；　more　ordered　and　in　focus　than　any　dream　or　nightmare。

The　Invid　officers　hoisted　Rem　to　his　feet　with　a　clanking　of　his　chains。　To　Rem's　addled　and　tormented　senses；　the　cold　tiles　felt　like　white…green　frost　that　burned　the　soles　of　his　feet　and　froze　them　at　the　same　time。

The　Regent　loomed　before　him；　twenty　feet　high；　massive　and　terrible；　his　mantle　spread　like　a　cobra's　hood　as　he　gazed　down　through　liquid　black　eyes　as　big　as　manhole　covers。　Rem　felt　the　hin　seize　him　again；　making　the　breath　in　his　lungs　congeal　and　refuse　to　move。

Rem　heard　his　own　whimpering；　felt　his　self…control　about　to　slip　from　his　grasp。　He　had　the　abrupt　impression　that　there　were　things　in　the　shadows　waiting　to　pounce　upon　him　and　feast　on　his　marrow；　then　take　his　mind　and　steal　his　soul。　And　though　a　remote　part　of　his　intellect　could　recognize　it　as　the　mind…wrenching　effect　of　hin；　he　couldn't　find　the　strength　of　will　to　fight　it。

〃Stand　him　up　straight；〃　the　Regent　said；　when　Rem　would　have　pulled　himself　into　a　weeping　fetal　ball。　〃Hold　his　head　up。〃

When　Rem　was　standing　up　and　staring；　as　wild…eyed　as　an　animal　with　its　leg　in　a　trap；　the　Regent　went　on。　〃You're　a　very　difficult　fellow；　Tiresian。　Or　should　I　say；　‘Clone'？　Or　better　yet；　‘Zor…clone'？〃

He　held　up　four…fingered　fists　on　wrists　several　times　thicker　than　Rem's　waist。　〃Whatever　you　really　are；　here's　something　that　might　interest　you。　Your　Sentinel　friends　are　ing。〃

Rem　couldn't　hide　a　wretched　whimper　of　disbelief　and　despair　mixed　with　crazed　hope。　The　Regent　caught　it。　〃That's　right：　they　are　ing　directly　into　my　hands。　To　be　imprisoned　like　you；　to　be　put　to　the　Inquisition　like　you；　and　to　go　through　all　the　pai