tz.cobra strike-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Shepherd　handle　it？〃　he　said。
　〃Well。。。　I　suppose　so；　yes。　I　just　thought　that　your　advice　would　be　helpful　on　this。〃
　〃Unless　you're　talking　emergency…〃　Jonny　broke　off　as　a　fluttering　hand　waved　between　him　and　the　phone。
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Chrys　stage…whispered　fiercely。　〃Let's　go　see　what　they've　got。〃
　If　I　live　to　be　a　thousand；　the　old　line　flashed　through　Jonny's　head。　〃Never　mind；〃　he　told　Banyon。　〃I'll　be　right　there。〃
　They　found　Banyon　and　Shepherd　on　the　Menssana's　bridge；　their　attention　on　a　set　of　three　displays。　〃It　wasn't　something　that　registered　right　off　the　blocks；〃　Banyon　began　without　preamble；　indicating　a　dark　mass　now　centered　in　the　largest　display。　〃Then　we　found　out　it　was　moving。〃
　Jonny　leaned　close　to　the　screen。　The　mass　seemed　to　consist　of　hundreds　or　thousands　of　individual　dots。　〃Enhancement　all　the　way　up　on　this？〃
　Shepherd　nodded。　〃There's　a　lot　of　upper　atmosphere　turbulence　over　us　at　the　moment；　and　that's　limiting　drastically　what　the　puter　has　to　work　with。〃
　〃I'd　say　it's　a　herd　or　flock　of　some　sort；〃　Jonny　said。　〃I　gather　it's　headed　this　way？〃
　〃Hard　to　tell…they're　still　a　hundred　kilometers　away…but　it　looks　right　now　like　the　flank　will　sweep　across　us；〃　Shepherd　said。　He　touched　a　switch　and　the　infrared　picture　on　one　of　the　other　screens　was　replaced　by　a　schematic。　The　various　extrapolation　regions　were　done　in　different　colors；　and；　sure　enough；　the　edge　of　the　red　〃90％　probable〃　wedge　just　touched　the　Menssana's　indicated　position。　The　mass's　average　distance　and　speed　were　also　given：　106　km；　8。1　km/hr。
　〃So　we've　got　thirteen　hours　till　they　get　here；〃　Jonny　murmured。　〃Well　。。。　we　can　break　camp　in　one　if　necessary；　but　the　scientists　won't　like　all　their　in　situ　stuff　being　moved。　I　suppose　the　logical　thing　would　be　to　send　a　squad　of　Cobras　to　check　out　this　herd　and　see　if　they　can　be　stopped　or　deflected。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　that's　what　we　thought。〃　Banyon　hesitated；　and　Jonny　saw　on　his　face　the　same　expression　that；　on　his　sons；　had　usually　signaled　a　favor　request　was　ing。　〃Uh；　Governor　。。。　would　you　be　willing　to　fly　out　with　the　team？　We'd　all　feel　better　with　someone　of　your　experience　along。〃
　Jonny　looked　back　at　Chrys；　raised　his　eyebrows。　She　was　still　studying　the　displays；　though；　and　when　she　finally　met　his　gaze　she　seemed　surprised　he　was　even　asking。　〃Of　course；〃　she　said。　〃Just　be　careful。〃
　If　I　live　to　be　ten　thousand。。。。　Turning　back　to　Banyon；　he　nodded。　〃All　right；　then。　Let's　get　cracking。〃
　It　was　indeed　a　herd…a　big　herd…and　to　Jonny；　who'd　seen　such　things　only　on　tape；　the　sight　of　so　many　wild　animals　together　at　once　was　both　awesome　and　a　little　bit　frightening。　Even　just　jogging　along；　the　mass　of　brown…furred　quadrupeds　made　a　thunder　audible　inside　a　sealed　aircar　two　hundred　meters　overhead；　and　their　wide　hooves　raised　a　dust　cloud　despite　the　damping　effect　of　the　webgrass　underfoot。
　〃I　think；〃　Banyon　mented　as　they　all　took　in　the　sight；　〃we're　going　to　have　to　rethink　our　basic　plan。〃
　One　of　the　other　Cobras　snorted；　and　someone　else　let　loose　with　a　rather　strained　chuckle。　Jonny　let　the　tension…easing　noises　ripple　around　the　crowded　aircar　and　then　gestured　out　the　window。　〃Let's　get　a　few　kilometers　ahead　of　them　and　see　if　we　can　e　up　with　a　way　to　shift　them　off　their　course。〃
　Banyon　nodded　and　turned　the　vehicle　around；　but　as　the　roar　faded　behind　them　Jonny　studied　the　landscape　below　with　decreasing　hope。　The　Cobras　had　already　established　that　there　weren't　any　natural　obstacles　between　the　herd　and　the　Menssana；　and　now　that　he　knew　what　they　were　up　against　it
　seemed　very　unlikely　they　could　do　anything　to　the　terrain　that　would　make　any　difference　whatsoever。　Something　more　drastic　was　likely　to　be　necessary。　Drastic　and　dangerous。
　Banyon　had　apparently　reached　the　same　conclusion。　〃We're　going　to　have　to　scare　them；　I'm　afraid；〃　he　murmured；　just　loudly　enough　for　Jonny　to　hear。
　〃There　used　to　be　herds　this　size　all　over　parts　of　Earth　and　Blue　Haven；〃　Jonny　said。　〃I　wish　I　knew　how　they'd　been　hunted。　Well。　We　don't　have　anything　like　real　explosives　aboard；　and　we　don't　yet　know　what　this　species〃　predators　even　look　like。　I　suppose　that　leaves　close…in　work　with　lasers　and　sonics。〃
　〃Laser　range　isn't　that　short…oh。　Right。　If　they　don't　see　us；　there's　no　guarantee　they'll　figure　out　which　way　to　run。〃
　〃Or　even　notice　they're　being　killed　off。〃　Jonny　thought　for　a　minute；　but　nothing　else　obvious　came　to　mind。　〃Well　。。。　let's　try　buzzing　them　with　the　car　first。　Maybe　that'll　do　the　trick。〃
　But　the　animals　apparently　had　no　enemies　that　were　airborne。　pletely　oblivious　to　the　darting　craft　above　them；　they　continued　stolidly　on　their　way。　〃We　do　it　the　hard　way　now？〃　one　of　the　others　asked。
　Banyon　nodded。　〃Afraid　so。　But　hopefully　not　too　hard。　Saving　the　biologists　some　work　isn't　worth　anyone　getting　killed　over。〃
　〃Or　even　hurt；〃　Jonny　put　in。　〃We'll　just…〃
　A　ping　from　the　car's　phone　interrupted　him。　〃Governor；　we've　got　something　here　that　may　or　may　not　mean　anything；〃　Captain　Shepherd　said；　his　attention　somewhere　off…camera。　〃The　satellite's　been　pleting　its　large…scale　geosurvey　。。　。　and　it　looks　very　much　like　that　herd　is　running　along　one　of　the　planet's　magnetic　field　lines。〃
　Banyon　looked　at　Jonny；　eyebrows　raised。　〃I　thought　the　only　things　that　used　geomagnetic　navigation　were　birds；　insects；　and　tweenies；〃
　〃So　did　all　the　Menssana's　biologists；〃　Shepherd　returned　dryly。　〃But　they　admit　there's　no　reason　something　larger　couldn't　make　use　of　the　mechanism。〃
　〃If　we　assume　they're　indeed　paralleling　the　field　lines；　is　the　camp　still　in　danger？〃　Jonny　asked。
　〃Yes。　The　probability　actually　goes　up　a　couple　of　points。〃
　Jonny　looked　questioningly　at　Banyon。　〃Worth　a　try；〃　the　other　grunted。　〃Captain；　is　there　anything　aboard　the　ship　that　can　generate　a　strong　magnetic　field？〃
　〃Sure…the　drive　modulators。　All　we'll　need　to　do　is　pull　off　some　of　the　shielding　and　we'll　get　enough　field　leakage　to　overwhelm　their　direction　finders。　If　that's　what's　really　happening。〃
　〃It's　worth　trying；〃　Banyon　repeated。　〃How　fast　can　you　get　that　shielding　off？〃
　〃It's　already　being　done。　Say　another　hour　at　the　most。〃
　The　gently　rolling　terrain　could　not　by　any　stretch　of　the　imagination　be　called　hilly；　but　even　so　the　flatfoot　herd　was　audible　long　before　it　could　be　seen。　Standing　a　few　meters　back　from　the　main　line　of　Cobras；　Jonny　wiped　the　perspiration　off　his　palms　as　the　thunder　steadily　grew；　hoping　this　was　going　to　work。　In　theory；　the　Cobra's　antiarmor　lasers　should　be　able　to　make　fungus　feed　out　of　the　herd　if　something　went　wrong　。。。　but　Jonny　couldn't　help　remembering　how　hard　the　equally　herbiverous　gantuas　of　Aventine　were　to　kill。
　〃Get　ready；〃　his　phone　said。　He　glanced　up　to　see　the　car　as　it　hovered　above　and　ahead　of　the　Cobras。　〃You'll　see　them　any　minute　now。　Wait　for　the　captain's　signal。。。。〃
　And　the　leading　edge　of　the　herd　came　over　a　low　rise；　like　a　dark　tsunami　clearing　a　breakwater。
　They　weren't　heading　directly　toward　the　Cobras；　and　in　actual　size　were　quite　a　bit　smaller　than　gantuas；　but　the　sheer　numbers　and　ground…level　view　more　than　made　up　for　it。　Jonny　clenched　his　jaw　firmly；　fighting　hard　against　the　urge　to　turn　and　run　for　cover　。　。　。　and　as　the　wave　poured　over　the　rise　a　new　voice　on　the　phone　barked；　〃Now！〃
　The　answer　was　a　volley　of　Cobra　antiarmor　lasers…　directed　not　at　the　flatfoots；　but　at　the　clusters　of　boulders　the　Cobras　had　wrestled　into　position　fifty　meters　closer　to　the　herd。　Very　special　boulders　。。。　and　if　the　Menssana's　geologists　had　been　right　about　that　particular　formation…
　They　had。　The　mix　of　high…　and　low…expansion　minerals　in　each　boulder　could　survive　for　only　a　second　or　less　under　a　laser's　glare　before　disintegrating　with　a　crack　that　was　audible　even　over　the　herd's　rumble。　Like　a　string　of　firecrackers　the　boulders　blew　up　as　the　Cobras　continued　their　sweep　。。。　and　like　firecrackers；　they　actually　produced　little　more　than　noise。　But　it　was　enough；　and　as　the　herd's　headlong　rush　faltered　in　sudden　confusion；　Jonny　could　almost　see　them　lose　t