16_world_killers- 第20节

No　objections。　The　Sentinels　descended　into　the　slave…pens　of　Haydon　IV。


CHAPTER　ELEVEN

Awright；　so　the　mecha　are　in　dinged…up　shape　and　the　weapons　barrels　are　shot　out　and　the　replacement　parts　stocks　are　all　gone。　Boys　and　girls；　we're　all　functioning　beyond　manufacturer's　specifications。
Rick　Hunter；　quoted　in　Mizner's　Rakes　and　Rogues：　The　True　Story　of　the　SDF…3　Expeditionary　Mission

〃I　forbid　it！〃

Vowad　hovered　before　Sarna　as　she　sought　to　take　control　of　the　giant　flying　carpet。　Some　two　acres　in　area；　it　would　hold　all　the　Sentinels　and　all　the　freed　slaves；　too…provided　that　any　of　them　survived　the　uprising。

And　it　wasn't　every　Haydonite　who　could　mand　and　control　such　a　carpet　alone。　But　she　was　the　daughter　of　the　greatest　intellect　of　her　species。

Nevertheless；　Vowad　blocked　her　way　as　she　tried　to　take　control　of　the　carpet　there　on　the　immense　landing　surface　at　the　summit　of　the　city's　tallest　tower…the　roof　of　her　home。

〃I　forbid　you　to　bee　involved　in　this　bestial　business！〃　Vowad　ranted。　〃Let　the　lower　orders　settle　their　own　vendettas！　Let　them　kill　and　kill　one　another　if　that's　what　they　want　so　badly！　You　have　a　far　higher　destiny！〃

〃Why　do　you　always　talk　like　a　god　to　me；〃　Sarna　asked　him；　〃but　bow　your　head　like　a　slave　to　the　Invid？〃

Hearing　that　he　went　rigid；　the　only　movement　being　his　robe's　hem　wafting　in　the　breeze。　She　went　around　him；　took　control　of　the　vast　carpet；　and　bade　it　rise　into　the　air。

Moments　later；　she　was　streaking　for　the　Central　Slave…pen。


Bela　stabbed　her　shortsword　tip　in　the　elevator　floor　to　jam　the　doors　open。

The　Invid　in　the　mand　center　were　preoccupied　with　reports　of　a　firefight　at　the　arsenal；　and　the　sudden　silence　from　the　guard　station　by　the　slavepen　entrance；　when　Jack　and　his　raiders　opened　up。

The　two　ranks　put　out　the　heaviest　volume　of　fire　they　could；　aware　that　the　Invid　would　respond　very　quickly；　and　that　the　pneumatic　reservoirs　of　the　Karbarran　long…guns　would　empty　rapidly。　Even　the　submachine…gun　magazines　would　last　only　three　or　four　seconds　at　full　auto。　The　Sentinels　were　all；　including　Burak；　on　the　firing　line；　Gnea　and　Bela　had　abandoned　their　traditional　weapons　in　favor　of　automatic　weapons。

Tesla；　Garak；　and　Pye　cringed　in　the　furthest　corner　of　the　elevator；　making　no　move　to　either　interfere　with　or　break　past　their　captors。

In　that　first　onslaught　the　team　threw　the　mand　center　into　plete　chaos　and　irreparably　cut　the　Invid　chain　of　mand。　Explosive　armor…piercing　bullets　could　penetrate　vulnerable　spots　even　in　Enforcer　alloy　at　such　short　range；　the　unarmored　Invid　were　targets　assigned　to　Burak；　the　ursinoid　Karbarrans；　and　the　foxlike　Garudans。

And　the　vital　equipment　that　made　the　Invid　nerve　center　function　was　everybody's　bull's…eye。

ponents　exploded　and　clear…polymer　indicator　faces　blew　apart；　power　connectors　shorted　and　splintered　housing　became　deadly　shrapnel。　Invid　who　had　been　calling　for　mass　execution　of　hostage…slaves　only　a　moment　before　died；　clutching　terrible　wounds。

〃Fire　in　the　hole！〃　the　amazons　yelled；　as　per　REF　training。　With　their　teeth　they　had　yanked　out　the　pins　of　the　stick　grenades　they　held　in　each　hand。　Now　they　lofted　them　off　in　assorted　directions　as　the　rest　of　the　raiders　hugged　the　floor。

The　Praxians　had　been　careful　to　angle　the　throws　so　that　the　pylon/elevator　would　shield　the　party　from　the　blast　and　shrapnel。　The　Sentinels　clapped　their　hands　to　their　ears　and　opened　their　mouths　to　reduce　the　effects　of　the　explosions。

The　world　seemed　to　jump；　and　there　was　a　whirlwind　of　shredded　tissue　and　equipment　outside　the　elevator　doorway。　When　Jack　looked　up；　he　saw　the　dead　and　dying　and　heard　the　moans　of　the　injured…but　that　was　mere　background。　Tottering　toward　the　elevator　was　an　Enforcer；　its　armor　pitted　and　lead…smeared　by　impacts。　It　was　lurching；　and　Jack　could　see　green　Invid　soupy　stuff　leaking　from　its　right　knee　joint。

〃LAW！〃　he　yelled；　even　while　he　was　emptying　his　chattergun　magazine　at　the　thing；　lead…smearing　it　some　more。　But　the　Enforcer　was　bringing　its　rifle　sights　into　alignment　with　the　elevator　car。

Janice　Em　shouldered　Jack　aside；　out　of　the　doorway。　She　peered　through　the　sights　of　the　light　antitank　weapon；　fixed　the　Enforcer　in　the　reticle；　and　pulled　the　thumb…trigger。　The　Enforcer　took　the　shaped　charge　in　the　middle　of　its　abdomen　and　swelled；　its　armor　cracking　open　like　a　hard…boiled　egg　with　an　expanding　yoke。　By　then　Jan　was　on　the　floor　with　her　head　covered。　The　blast　went　toward　the　ceiling；　but　left　all　of　them　partly　deaf。

Jack　shook　his　head　in　an　effort　to　stop　the　ringing。　〃Everybody　on　your　feet！〃　Bela　was　shouting。　〃Move　it！〃

The　raiders　rushed　out　into　the　mand　center　to　find　that　secondary　blowups　from　the　systemry　had　done　even　more　damage　than　the　bullets　and　the　grenades　had。　There　was　smoke　everywhere；　and　the　stench　of　the　cracked…open　armor；　a　few　small　fires　still　burned。

〃If　you　see　any　Protoculture　weapons；　grab　'em！〃　Jack　called　out。

Gnea　looked　around　at　the　devastation。　〃This　equipment　is　useless！　Janice　Em；　you　said　you　would　be　able　to　find　out　where　Arla…Non　and　our　other　sisters　are　being　held！〃

〃And　I　shall。〃　Jan　didn't　seem　to　need　direct　physical　connection　to　Haydon's　Awareness　now　that　she　had　interfaced　with　it　once；　instead；　she　went　straight　to　a　small　terminal　and　punched　up　a　schematic。

She　studied　the　glowing　displays　for　a　moment　then　switched　off　the　terminal。　〃There：　that's　our　route。〃

She　pointed　toward　a　column　on　the　far　side　of　the　mand　center；　an　even　bigger　one　than　they　had　arrived　in。

The　raiders　hurried　over　toward　the　column。　Lron　and　Crysta　had　Invid　rifles　now；　and　Kami　and　Learna　pistols。　The　Garudans　were　still　keeping　a　wary　eye　on　Tesla；　Garak；　and　Pye。　Jack　himself　never　let　Burak　stray　from　his　sight。

Some　unseen　manipulation　of　Jan's　caused　the　second　column　to　open　and　reveal　another　elevator　whose　existence　the　Invid　had　never　suspected。

〃Other　Sentinels　are　already　in　the　plex；　and　battle's　begun；〃　she　said。　〃But　the　Invid　are　rushing　reinforcments　here。〃

〃Everybody　in；〃　Jack　said；　standing　by　the　doors　of　the　second　elevator。　When　the　three　Invid　captives　hesitated；　Gnea　and　Bela　prodded　them　with　still…hot　rifle　muzzles。

〃Why　can't　you　just　release　us？〃　Pye　wailed。

〃We　might　still　have　use　for　you；　worm；〃　Bela　said；　ominously　guttural。　Her　whole　world　had　died；　she　had　no　forbearance　with　the　Invid　anymore　and　would　just　as　soon　kill　them。　

〃The　suffering　you've　endured　is　nothing　pared　to　the　suffering　you've　inflicted；　so　do　not　try　my　patience！〃

Jack　got　them　all　boarded；　even　Burak；　who　seemed　to　be　in　another　of　his　strange；　inmunicative　moods。　The　elevator　dropped　toward　the　subsurface　levels。


Rick　led　his　group　at　a　fast　walk；　stopping　himself　whenever　he　found　that　he　had　broken　into　a　trot。　Stumbling　into　an　ambush　wouldn't　help　anything　right　now；　even　though　he　felt　each　ticking　second　as　a　possible　loss　of　Praxian　lives。

Just　before　they　had　started　down；　they　had　heard　the　distant　firefight；　realizing　that　Zibyl's　bunch　had　armed　themselves　and　were　keeping　the　Invid　busy。　But　it　would　still　only　be　a　matter　of　time　before　the　Regent　arrived　with　fresh　troops　and　mecha；　enough　to　crush　any　resistance　the　escaped　slaves　could　put　up。

Lisa　had　yielded　the　point　position　to　her　husband；　but　continued　to　conduct　herself　as　overall　mander　of　the　contingent。　Rick；　Max；　Vince；　and　Jean　accepted　that；　as　they　accepted　the　fact　that　Veidt　and　Cabell　were　determined　to　e　the　whole　distance　despite　the　fact　that　the　Haydonite　couldn't…and　the　old　sage　wouldn't…use　a　weapon。

Their　path　led　down　through　a　plex　refurbished　in　Invid　style；　feeling　more　like　a　walk　through　a　living　organism　than　a　raid　on　a　prison　facility。　But　on　the　third　level　below　the　surface；　they　encountered　the　first　of　the　cages。

The　Praxian　slaves　were　being　kept　in　big　ironwork　affairs　suspended　from　the　ceilings；　more　like　captured　birds　or　sideshow　exhibits　than　prisoners　of　war。　When　Rick　spotted　the　first　cage；　the　women　crowded　into　it　looked　at　him　listlessly　for　a　second　or　two；　then　sud