16_world_killers- 第6节

〃What　we　should　be　giving　thought　to　is　whether　any　of　those　fire…demons　still　lurk　down　here；〃　Bela　broke　in。

〃I　see　none；　nor　detect　any；〃　Lron　reported。　The　others　concurred。

〃Perhaps　the　machines　cannot　see　or　smell　us　when　we're　down　here；〃　Gnea；　the　younger　amazon；　suggested。　〃After　all；　they're　used　to　adversaries　ing　at　them　from　outer　space；　not　stepping　inside　their　very　gates。〃

Like　flies　hiding　on　an　upraised　flyswatter；　Jack　realized…which　was　only　a　good　idea　until　the　swatter's　operator　discovered　the　flies'　whereabouts。

The　opening　overhead　seemed　to　be　shrinking；　and　some　members　of　the　team　cried　out；　preparing　to　lift　off　and　escape。　Jack　yelled　for　them　to　stand　fast。　〃You　want　those　air　defenses　to　nail　us　for　good？　We're　safe　for　now；　and　it　looks　like　we　discovered　a　back　entrance。〃

He　was　less　sure　than　he　sounded。　The　Haydonite　defense　systems　hadn't　been　challenged　in　two　thousand　years　（although；　granted；　they　allegedly　had　cost　some　local　warmonger　a　few　hundred　ships　that　time）。　Jack　had　difficulty　believing　that　planetary　defenses　so　outdated　could　be　any　match　for　Robotech　mecha。　After　all；　how　much　trouble　would　Wolff　Pack　Hovertanks　have　with　Earth　weapons　even　twenty　years　obsolete？

〃Now；　we've　got　a　transponder　fix　on　the　shuttle；　and　an　inertial　track；〃　Jack　went　on。　〃It　looks　to　me　like　there's　plenty　of　room　for　Battloids　to　make　their　way　along　underground。　That's　how　we're　gonna　get　to　Glike。〃

There　was　a　muted　motion　and　then　Lron's　voice　came　up　over　the　net。　〃It　seems　Tesla　doesn't　agree　with　your　idea；　Jack　Baker；　but　a　pistol　waved　at　his　snout　has　him　quiet　once　more。

〃I　for　one　think　this　is　a　good　plan　you　have。　We　can　remain　out　of　sight　beneath　the　city；　and　if　we　encounter　trouble；　we　always　have　the　option　of　blasting　our　way　back　to　the　surface。〃

Jack　bit　back　his　own　dark　conclusions　on　what　an　unfortunate　recourse　that　would　be。　〃Jan；　you　take　the　point。　Lron；　drop　back　and　walk　drag。　I'll　be　slack　man；　then　Learna；　then　you；　Kami。〃　Jack　took　up　his　position　at　the　head　of　the　main　body；　keeping　Janice　in　sight　as　she　picked　out　their　route。

He　had　thought　about　walking　point；　but　he　was　in　mand　and　responsible　for　looking　after　his　tiny　unit　from　a　more　appropriate　place。　Besides；　Jan　had　proven　herself　to　be　amazingly　capable…adept　at　military　sciences；　mecha　piloting；　small　arms；　and　hand…to…hand。　She　even　excelled　at　the　archaic　weapons　of　the　Praxian　amazons。

These　excellent　military　abilities；　ing　from　a　woman　whose　former　claim　to　fame　was　as　a　female　vocalist；　didn't　make　a　lot　of　sense　to　Jack；　but　just　now　he　was　grateful　to　have　her　there。　Jack　watched　as；　far　overhead；　the　last　of　the　opening　in　Haydon　IV's　surface　closed　out　the　last　few　rays　of　Briz'dziki。

The　VTs　waded　up　from　the　underground　reservoir；　shedding　waterfalls；　as　the　last　of　the　bubbles　rose　from　Crysta's　VT。　Jan　found　a　route　through　a　thing　that　they　took　for　a　spillway；　some　twenty　yards　in　diameter。　Though　there　were　some　light　sources　in　the　labyrinth　of　living　instrumentality；　the　Veritechs　brought　up　all　their　wing…lights　and　spotlights　to　cut　through　the　gloom。

Jan　scouted　several　conduits　and　accessways。　Twice；　the　team　pulled　back　to　the　brink　of　the　sea　to　start　over　again　because　the　route　had　narrowed　to　a　squeeze　so　tight　that　the　Battloids　couldn't　get　through。　The　third　try　was　a　washout　due　to　extremely　high　radiation　levels；　the　VTs　would　protect　their　occupants　for　quite　a　while；　but　Jack　had　no　idea　how　long　the　journey　would　take；　and　had　no　desire　to　end　up　as　a　human　night…light。

The　fourth　try　brought　them　into　a　sort　of　pipeline　all　aglow　with　the　colors　of　the　rainbow。　The　sensors　couldn't　determine　what　the　light　effects　were；　but　they　didn't　seem　harmful；　and　time　was　wasting。　〃Let's　do　it；〃　Jack　decided。

The　team　moved　along　like　infantry；　or　SWAT　officers；　Lron　covering　the　rear　in　a　kind　of　crabstep；　the　enormous　rifle/cannon　of　the　Beta　held　at　high　port。　The　pipeline's　diameter　was　about　thirty　feet；　not　much　higher　than　the　Battloids；　and　so　the　mecha　moved　cautiously。

In　some　places；　the　route　was　lined　with　pulsing　bundles　of　filament　as　thick　as　a　mecha's　leg…like　brilliant　gatherings　of　unshielded　optical　fibers。　In　others；　intertwinings　of　mysterious　ducting　and　hoses　resembled　an　incredible　Robotech　root　system。　Stupendous　struts　and　support　members　were　the　geology　of　the　underground　world。

Gradually；　though；　the　〃terrain〃　started　changing。　The　pipeline　widened　again；　and　the　Battloids　had　as　much　room　as　foot　soldiers　moving　along　a　highway。　A　world　of　dazzling；　inprehensible　supertech　plexity　surrounded　them。　Light　danced　and　tremendous　loads　of　power　surged　and　hummed。

It　was　a　technological　reflection　of　the　nearby　Arabian　Nights　cityscape　in　Glike。　But；　the　manifestations　were　above；　as　well　as　around　and　below。　Ziggurat　power…management　terminals　bigger　than　any　Egyptian　pyramid；　enigmatic　things　that　looked　like　Van　de　Graaff　generators　the　size　of　the　Monument　City　Sportsdome；　megastructures　of　warped；　prismatic　light　that　on　closer　inspection　turned　out　to　be　mountains　of　contoured　instrumentality。

As　their　route　opened　up　into　a　kind　of　open　countryside；　they　began　to　lose　the　oppressive　feeling　of　being　underground。　That　is；　until　Jan's　voice　came　over　the　net。

〃I'm　picking　up　readings。　I　think　these　immunosystems；　or　whatever　they　are；　are　beginning　to　detect　and　respond　to　us　again。〃

〃What？　Where？〃　Jack　was　punching　buttons；　searching　frantically。　〃I　don't　see　anything。〃　Don't　tell　me　she's　a　sensor　wizard；　too！

〃Trust　me；　Jack。〃　Her　voice　was　so　steady　that　he　believed　her。　〃There's　something　big　ahead；　something　very　big。　Perhaps　the　nexus　of　everything　that　Haydon　is；　and　now　that　we've　stumbled　so　close　to　it；　whatever　it　is；　it's　got　a　line　on　us　again。〃

Jack　didn't　have　time　to　ask　her　what　she　was　jabbering　about；　because　just　then　Kami　yelled；　〃Snakes；　snakes！　Millions　of　em！〃

Jack　whirled　even　as　Kami　fired；　forgetting　the　lessons　about　short；　accurate　bursts；　the　Garudan's　Battloid　hosing　its　rifle/cannon　back　and　forth　like　a　Robotech　fireman。

The　others　were　blazing　away；　too。　Jack　could　see　that　whatever　Kami　spotted　wasn't　really　snakes；　but　the　undulating；　crackling　flows　of　green　and　yellow　streaming　toward　the　VTs　would　put　that　image　in　the　mind　of　almost　anybody…especially　a　Garudan　in　the　hin…altered　reality。

Not　that　Jack　had　much　time　to　think；　Janice　Em　was　right。　Whatever　it　is　we're　getting　close　to；　it's　got　a　line　on　us。

Like　all　the　other　Battloids；　he　brought　his　rifle/cannon　up；　hoping　the　stress　on　Crysta　and　the　captive　Invid　in　the　backseat　of　her　cockpit　hadn't　harmed　them。

〃Security　wheel！〃　he　bellowed　over　the　din　of　their　cannonfire。

The　vast　space　under　Haydon　IV　was　lit　by　stroboscopic　bursts　brighter　than　all　the　pulses　of　its　power　routing；　as　the　Battloids　formed　a　security　wheel；　backing　up　until　their　mighty　shoulders　grazed　one　another；　firing　outward　to　all　points　of　the　pass。

A　sustained　burst　usually　blew　one　of　the　energy　snakes　to　dispersing　sparks；　and　the　Battloids　soon　cleared　a　ring　of　death　around　them。　But　more　serpentines　of　energy　were　pouring　from　every　crevice。　The　things　massed；　too　numerous　for　even　Robotech　weapons　to　deal　with；　and　closed　in　from　every　quarter　like　a　worldscape　of　angry　vipers。


CHAPTER　FOUR

It　would　be　fair　to　say　that　I　have　been　less　than　sensitive　to　the　plight　of　the　soldier　in　the　past…have　held　military　types　in　utmost　contempt。　I　had　my　reasons；　which　I　have　set　down　elsewhere　in　these　pages。
But　it's　just　as　fair　to　point　out　that　since　I　have　bee　one　of　them…shared　their　privations　and　sufferings　and　rare　moments　of　success；　seen　their　despicable　vices　and　their　noble　virtues　up　close…I　am　a　man　chastened。
From　the　journals　of　Flight　Officer　Isle；　L。；　REF　Service　#　666…60…937

Minmei　had　been　to　REF　Base　Tirol　many　times；　but　never　via　dark　alleys　and　elevated　roadway　foundations　like　some　escaped　convict。

She　would　have　been　curious　about　this　flight　officer…Isle；　his　nametag　said…except　that　she　was　feeling　sick　again　and　was　exhausted　after　the　harrowin