10_invid_invasion-第12章

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e　were　right　alongside　an　open　freight　elevator；　and　down　we　went；　eight　feet　or　more；　would…be　opponents　wrapped　in　each　other's　arms。〃

〃I　blacked　out　for　a　moment；　perhaps　we　both　did。　But　Annie　came　around　first　and　laid　into　me　as　though　I　had　just　tried　to　maul　her。　I　came　to　with　her　shouting：　‘Get　off　of　me；　you　monster！　You　dirty　Forager　sleaze！　You're　all　alike！'　She　heaved　me　off　her　and　scrambled　up　out　of　the　shaft　with　a　nimbleness　and　speed　that　surprised　me。　By　the　time　I　poked　my　head　out；　she　was　nowhere　in　sight。　But　I　heard　her　rummaging　around　in　a　nearby　pile　of　mecha　scrap；　still　cursing　men　in　general；　me　in　particular。　When　I　saw　her　e　up　with　an　oldfashioned　automatic　rifle；　I　started　having　second　thoughts　about　showing　myself。　Fortunately；　she　was　only　interested　in　emptying　the　thing's　clip　against　the　already　devastated　facade　of　a　building　across　the　street。　Then　she　tossed　the　depleted　thing　aside　and　dove　back　down　into　the　scrap　heap。　Meanwhile；　I　was　wondering　what　had　bee　of　Scott　and　whether　the　Invid　would　home　in　on　Annie's　gunfire。　When　I　looked　over　at　her　again；　she　was　wrestling　an　antitank　weapon　up　onto　her　shoulder。〃

〃‘Watch　where　you　point　that　thing！'　I　started　to　warn　her。　‘It　might　be…'〃

〃And　it　was。〃

〃The　small　missile　nearly　put　a　center　part　in　my　hair；　then　changed　trajectory　and　detonated　against　the　side　of　the　building。〃

〃A　little　to　the　right　and　she　would　have　connected　with　the　Invid　who　was　just　stepping　around　that　same　corner。〃

〃I　ran　for　the　overturned　Cyclone；　hopped　on；　and　darted　over　to　pick　up　Annie；　who　now　had　control　of　the　weapon。　She　located　another　missile　and　launched　it　against　the　approaching　Shock　Trooper。　I　backed　her　up　with　Scorpions　from　the　front…end　launch　tubes　of　the　Cyclone；　but　neither　of　us　managed　to　connect　with　a　soft　spot　in　the　thing's　shell；　and　it　kept　up　its　menacing　advance。　Annie　screamed　and　made　a　run　for　it；　not　a　second　before　the　creature's　right　claw　came　down　at　her；　the　tip　of　its　bladelike　pincer　swept　the　pack　from　her　back　and　ripped　open　the　jumpsuit　neck　to　waist　but　left　her　otherwise　untouched。　But　the　nearness　of　the　blow　paralyzed　her；　I　saw　her　reach　back；　finger　the　tear；　and　collapse　to　her　knees。〃

〃Meanwhile；　I　had　problems　of　my　own。　The　Invid　had　turned　its　attention　to　me　and　fired　off　several　discs；　one　of　which　blew　the　Cyclone　out　from　under　me　and　threw　me　a　good　fifteen　feet　from　the　blast。　My　back　was　to　its　advance　now；　but　one　look　at　Annie's　shocked　face　told　me　everything　I　needed　to　know。〃

〃‘Heeelp！'　she　was　screaming。　'Anyone！'〃

〃But　there　was　something　else　in　my　line　of　sight　as　well：　a　glint　across　the　lake；　sunshine　on　gleaming　metal。　And　even　as　my　head　was　going　down　to　the　street　in　a　gesture　of　surrender　and　ultimate　indifference…some　part　of　my　warped　mind　wondering　what　that　giant　cloven　foot　or　pincer　was　going　to　feel　like…I　knew　Annie's　call　had　been　heard。〃

〃A　figure　in　red　Cyclone　battle　armor　launched　itself　across　the　lake　and　came　down　at　the　end　of　the　street；　hopping　in　for　a　rescue；　dodging　one；　two；　then　three　explosive　blasts　from　the　Invid　Shock　Trooper。　I　saw　the　soldier　return　fire　from　the　rifle/cannon　portion　of　the　armor's　right　arm　and　heard　the　Invid　take　a　direct　hit　and　e　apart。〃

〃The　soldier　put　down　behind　me　as　I　rolled　over；　Annie　oohing　and　ahhing　nearby；　just　in　time　to　see　Scott　appear　at　the　other　end　of　the　street　with　three　Invid　on　his　tail。　He　dropped　one　for　the　crowd　and　took　off　out　of　sight；　the　other　two　closing　on　him。　I　got　up；　hand　shielding　my　eyes；　and　tried　to　follow　the　fight。　Overhead　now；　Scott　blasted　a　second　Invid；　then　swooped　in　low　and　ass…backward　to　finish　off　the　last。　I　saw　him　sight　in　on　the　Trooper；　then　loose　the　shot。　It　tore　into　one　of　the　Invid's　hemispheric　cranial　protrusions；　loosing　fire　and　smoke　from　the　hole。〃

〃Scott　was　thrown　backward　by　the　missile's　kick　and　landed　on　his　butt　not　ten　feet　in　front　of　us…Annie；　me；　and　the　mysterious　red　Cycloner。　The　Invid　came　in　on　residuals；　mimicking　Scott's　undignified　approach　with　one　of　its　own；　and　immediately　fell　face　forward　to　the　street；　a　sickly　green　fluid　spewing　from　its　wound；　its　outstretched　pincer　trapping　and　nearly　mincing　poor　Annie。　Scott　had　explained　that　the　fluid　was　a　kind　of　nutrient　derived　from　the　Flowers　of　Life；　but　I　had　yet　to　see　exactly　what　it　was　that　the　stuff　was　keeping　alive！　Scott；　his　faceshield　raised；　turned　to　thank　the　red　who　had　e　to　our　aid。　But　it　was　obvious　he　had　seen　something　I　hadn't；　because　he　stopped　in　midsentence；　as　though　questioning　what　he　was　seeing。〃

〃And　Red　bounded　off　without　a　word。〃

〃At　the　same　time；　Annie　was　crying　for　help；　and　Scott　went　over　to　her；　lifting　the　pincer　enough　to　allow　the　pale　and　shaken　kid　to　crawl　free。　What　a　picture　she　made；　kneeling　there　in　the　dirt；　tears　cascading　down　her　face；　her　torn　jumpsuit　hanging　off　her　shoulders。〃

〃‘I'm　so　sorry；'　she　wailed。　‘This　is　all　my　fault。'〃

〃Scott　didn't　say　anything；　he　simply　walked　over　to　the　fallen　Invid　and　regarded　it…analytically；　I　thought；　as　though　he　had　seen　those　things　bleed　before。〃

〃I　was　sitting　on　the　engine　cover　of　my　overturned　Cyclone　feeling　twenty　years　older　and　wondering　what　had　happened　to　solo　riding。〃

〃‘We　did　what　we　could；'　I　told　Scott。　‘But　it　just　wasn't　enough。'〃

〃Annie　said；　‘Now　what　are　we　going　to　do；　Rand？'〃

〃And　Scott　and　I　exchanged　looks；　remembering　Ken　and　the　other　island。。。〃


〃We　found　Annie's　knapsack；　and　I　did　what　I　could　to　sew　up　the　tear　in　her　jumpsuit。　The　causeway　had　been　reextended　to　plete　the　span　between　the　islands；　Scott　figured　that　Ken　and　the　others　had　heard　the　explosions　and　realized　they　were　going　to　have　to　deal　with　us　one　way　or　another。　This　was　pretty　much　the　case。　Ken　said；　‘I'm　glad　you　made　it；'　when　he　saw　us　cycle　in。　But　Annie　wasn't　buying　it；　she　leaped　off　the　rear　seat；　even　before　I　had　brought　the　Cyclone　to　a　halt；　and　whacked　Ken　across　the　face　forcefully　enough　to　spin　him　around。　He　gave　us　a　brief　over…the…shoulder　look　and　decided　he　had　better　take　it　or　he　would　have　us　ing　down　on　him　as　well。

〃He　asked　Annie　to　forgive　him；　and　frankly；　I　was　surprised　by　the　sincerity　he　managed　to　dredge　up。　‘I　only　did　it　to　save　the　others；'　he　explained。　'If　we　stood　up　to　the　Invid；　all　the　people　in　Laako　would　suffer　for　it。　The　way　things　are；　we　get　by　all　right。'〃

〃Fire　in　his　eyes；　Scott　dismounted；　took　off　his　helmet；　and　walked　over　to　Ken。　‘So　you　feed　potential　troublemakers　to　the　Invid　to　save　your　own　skins；'　he　growled。〃

〃I'm　not　sure　what　would　have　happened　next　if　a　crowd　of　Laako's　citizenry　hadn't　appeared。〃

〃‘You　got　that　right；　soldier！'　their　leader　told　Scott。〃

〃They　were　only　a　dozen　strong；　men；　women；　and　children；　and　they　were　unarmed；　but　there　was　an　attitude　of　defiance　about　them　that　rattled　us。　The　rest　of　the　audience　was　glaring　down　at　us　from　their　cells　in　those　shells　of　buildings。〃

〃‘You've　got　to　leave　here！'　the　man　continued。　‘I'm　sorry；　but　we　don't　want　any　soldiers　in　this　town。　So　get　out…now！'〃

〃I　had　to　hand　it　to　the　guy。　He　wasn't　especially　large　or　well　built；　and　his　glasses　and　workman's　blues　gave　him　a　kind　of　paternal　look；　but　here　he　was　standing　up　to　an　offworlder　in　Cyclone　battle　armor。　I　thought　Scott　would　take　the　poor　man　apart；　instead；　I　heard　him　laugh。〃

〃‘Well；　was　it　something　we　said？'　Scott　asked。〃

〃‘There　is　nothing　funny　about　the　situation；　young　man；'　the　man　responded　angrily。　‘I　am　in　deadly　earnest。　Nobody　here　even　wanted　your　Robotech　Expeditionary　Mission　to　begin　with；　and　if　it　wasn't　for　you　soldiers；　this　planet　would　still　be　living　in　peace！　Now；　get　out！　Save　your　rescues　for　somewhere　else！'〃

〃I　winced　at　hearing　this；　knowing　the　man　had　gone　too　far。　Scott　stepped　into　the　guy's　face；　shouting　back：　‘Why　you。。。Don't　you　realize　that　without　any　kind　of　resistance；　you've　got　no　hope？！'〃

〃‘We　know；'　Ken　chimed　in　from　behind　Scott。　‘But　we　still　want　you　to　leave。'〃

〃‘Terrific；'　Scott　snarled。　‘You're　going　to　sit　back　and　relax　and　let　the　Invid　rule　ov