02_battle_cry-第13章

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〃Requesting　your　permission　to　leave　the　ship；　sir；　and　recon　the　interior　of　the　base。〃

The　captain　regarded　her　with　concern。　〃But　Lisa…〃

She　interrupted　him。　〃I'd　like　to　check　out　the　source　of　those　signals；　sir。　There　could　be　survivors　here！〃　Only　when　she　caught　the　look　of　protective　paternalism　in　his　eyes　did　she　break　down。　〃Please；　sir。　It's　important　to　me。〃　She　had　no　idea　whether　Gloval　knew　anything　about　her　past；　but　he　knew　her　as　a　crewmember；　knew　when　she　needed　his　attention。

Claudia　offered　an　unsolicited　assist。　〃I'll　cover　her　duties　here；〃　she　told　the　captain。

Gloval　thought　it　over。　Anyone　who　was　within　500　kilometers　of　the　base　would　have　already　e　running。　But　there　was　something　so　personal　in　her　insistence　that　he　decided　to　allow　her　to　go。

〃But　I　want　you　to　take　two　security　personnel　with　you！〃　he　called　out　as　she　hurried　from　the　bridge。


Lisa　ignored　the　captain's　mand；　after　all；　it　hadn't　been　issued　as　a　direct　order。　She　outfitted　herself　with　helmet　and　environment　suit；　radio；　and　laser　sidearm　and　took　charge　of　a　small　personnel　carrier　from　supply。

Had　she　been　thinking　about　it；　she　might　have　pared　her　short　ride　across　the　Martian　wastes　to　the　driving　training　she'd　undergone　on　the　moon　years　ago；　but　her　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　She　had　to　find　Karl　and　renew　their　life　together　or　discover　for　herself　that　he　was　dead。

The　base　had　the　familiar　look　and　feel　of　the　countless　war…torn　cities　she'd　experienced　on　Earth…not　voluntarily　abandoned　but　simply　cut　down　in　its　prime。　All　life　had　been　sucked　from　the　place　in　an　instant；　and　that　sort　of　ending　always　left　ghosts　lingering　about。　She　could　sense　their　presence　all　around　her；　almost　as　if　they　were　still　confused　by　what　had　occurred　here　and　were　now　demanding　an　explanation　from　this　stranger　who　was　visiting　their　resting　place。　Yes；　it　was　like　those　ravaged　cities　but　more　so：　The　howling　of　the　winds　was　louder　and　angrier；　the　soil　appeared　more　blood…stained；　and　there　was　never　a　blue　sky　here。

She　used　the　homing　device　to　direct　her　to　the　source　of　the　transmissions　received　by　the　SDF…1。　They　emanated　from　a　large　building；　central　to　the　plex；　that　had　served　as　the　munications　center。　She　entered　this　through　the　blown　front　hatchway　and　made　her　way　through　deserted　halls　to　the　puter　room；　the　sound　of　her　own　breathing　heavy　in　her　ears。　Everywhere　she　looked　there　was　evidence　of　the　disaster。　The　scientists　who　were　stationed　here　must　have　had　some　sort　of　warning；　though；　because　there　were　no　bodies　lying　about…how　she　had　feared　that！…just　general　disarray；　as　if　there　had　been　a　last…minute　effort　to　collect　what　they　could　and　leave　this　place　before　the　sky　fell。

At　last　she　reached　puter　control。　She　stood　motionless　in　the　doorway　and　peered　into　the　deserted　room：　chairs　tipped　over；　papers　strewn　about；　a　carpet　of　glass　shards　from　blown　monitor　screens　wall…to…wall。　But　at　the　far　end　of　the　room　there　were　flashing　console　lights；　greens　and　reds；　and　an　on…line　puter　frantically　emptying　its　memory　banks　across　a　monitor　screen　no　eyes　were　meant　to　read；　like　an　infant　left　crying　in　a　crib。　Lisa　walked　over　to　the　machine　and　shut　it　down。　She　turned　and　took　another　look　around　the　room；　puzzling　over　its　emptiness。

So　there　was　no　half…starved　band　of　survivors　huddled　in　one　sealed　room　using　the　puter　as　shipwrecked　sailors　would　a　signal　fire。　Just　a　machine　that　had　somehow　activated　itself。

The　way　memories　did。


Hidden　in　a　deep　chasm　fifteen　kilometers　from　Sara　Base；　Khyron　and　his　attack　force　of　200　Battlepods　waited。　The　Backstabber　himself　occupied　his　Officer's　Pod；　a　mecha　different　from　the　rest；　with　lasers　protruding　like　whiskers　from　its　elongated　snout　and　two　arms　that　were　deadly　cannons。　He　ingested　the　dried　and　intoxicating　leaves　of　the　Invid　Flower　while　monitoring　reports　from　his　squad　leaders　who　were　holding　at　other　points　along　the　perimeter。

A　Micronian　recon　ship　had　already　overflown　the　canyon　and　failed　to　detect　the　presence　of　his　troops。　The　abandoned　base　was　surrounded；　the　gravity　mines　were　in　place；　and　the　fortress　had　set　down　just　where　he　had　predicted　it　would。　The　foolish　Micronians　had　taken　the　bait…an　on…line　puter…and　the　trap　was　almost　ready　to　be　sprung。　Soon　he　would　capture　Zor's　ship；　for　the　glory　of　the　Zentraedi！　And　for　the　honor　of　Khyron。　It　would　be　a　shame　if　he　was　forced　to　take　on　the　fortress　himself。　He　did　so　want　the　credit　to　go　to　Breetai。　If　only　things　weren't　going　so　slowly。　The　leaves　always　made　him　somewhat　impatient。

〃Gerao；　aren't　those　gravity　mines　ready　yet？〃　he　shouted　into　his　link　mike。

The　Battlepod　speaker　crackled　with　static　and　the　monitor　erupted　into　patternless　noise　bars　before　Gerao's　face　appeared　on　the　screen。　His　droid　team　was　operating　at　almost　three　kilometers　below　the　surface。　Gerao　may　have　won　the　collision　bet；　but　it　didn't　pay　to　best　one's　mander。　Khyron　laughed　to　himself。

〃The　energy　accumulation　is　up　to　seventy　percent；　my　lord。　Not　much　longer。〃

〃Blast　it；　this　waiting　is　irritating　me！　Drive　those　droids　harder；　Gerao；　or　I'll　leave　you　buried　on　this　godforsaken　world。　You　have　my　word　on　it！〃

Gerao's　emphatic　salute　signaled　that　he　understood　Khyron's　threat　pletely。　He　signed　off。　Khyron　began　to　drum　his　fingers　on　the　console。　Zor's　ship；　he　thought　to　himself。　Why　was　mander　in　Chief　Dolza　wasting　his　time　with　this　one　when　there　were　countless　worlds　left　to　conquer？　Since　when　were　the　Zentraedi　errand　boys？　If　the　Robotech　Masters　were　so　desperate　about　getting　Zor's　Protoculture　matrix　back；　they　could　go　retrieve　it　themselves。　What　did　Khyron　care　about　Protoculture？　It　was　the　Invid　Flowers　that　were　important　to　him。。。He　picked　up　one　of　the　dried　petals　and　regarded　it　lovingly：　Here　was　the　true　power。

As　Khyron　was　placing　the　petal　in　his　mouth；　the　face　of　one　of　his　troops　surfaced　on　the　Officer's　Pod　mo　screen。

〃We've　waited　long　enough；　mander；〃　the　soldier　said。　〃I'm　going　in　now。　Any　longer　and　we　will　jeopardize　our　mission。〃

To　Khyron's　amazement；　the　soldier's　Battlepod　fired　its　thrusters　and　began　to　lift　off　from　the　chasm　floor。　Was　he　seeing　things　or　had　this　fool　actually　decided　to　use　his　own　initiative？　Khyron　was　as　fond　of　insolence　as　anyone；　but　this　was　pushing　things　too　far。　He　allowed　the　pod　to　climb　almost　to　the　rim　of　the　chasm　before　bringing　up　one　of　the　cannon　arms　of　his　mecha　and　firing。　The　Battlepod　took　a　direct　hit；　turned　end　over　end；　and　plummeted　and　crashed　on　the　chasm　floor。

The　pilots　of　two　other　pods　hopped　their　crafts　over　to　their　fallen　rade　and　checked　his　status。

〃He's　still　alive；　my　lord。〃

〃So　much　the　worse　for　him；　then；〃　yelled　Khyron。　〃If　I　can　wait　here　patiently；　so　can　the　rest　of　you。　The　next　one　who　disobeys　my　orders　will　meet　a　worse　fate。　I　promise　you　that！〃

Khyron　was　imagining　his　underlings　stiffening　into　postures　of　salute　inside　the　pods　when　the　voice　of　Gerao　entered　the　headset。

〃My　lord；　I　fear　that　use　of　the　cannon　may　have　promised　our　position。　The　Micronian　recon　plane　is　circling　back　in　this　direction。〃

〃The　recon　plane！　Gerao；　are　you　ready　with　the　mines？〃

〃Just　ten　percent　more　to　go。〃

Khyron　slapped　his　hands　down　on　the　pod　console。　〃Ninety　percent　will　have　to　be　good　enough。　You　have　my　permission　to　attack！〃


Claudia　was　worried：　There　had　been　no　word　from　Lisa　for　almost　an　hour　now。　The　ining　data　from　the　base　had　terminated；　but　the　seismic　sensors　were　picking　up　something　new。　Captain　Gloval　and　Vanessa　were　trying　to　make　sense　of　the　readings。

〃Nearby　in　the　mountains；　I　think…a　disturbance　or　explosion；〃　said　Vanessa。

〃A　landslide；　perhaps。〃

〃No；　there's　too　much　sonic　attached　to　it。　It　must　have　been　an　explosion。〃

Gloval　turned　to　Claudia。　〃Instruct　the　Cat's…Eye　to　make　another　pass　over　the　eleven　o'clock　zone　at　the　fifteen…kilometer　perimeter。　And　see　to　it　that　recon　readings　are　patched　into　the　main　screen　here。〃

Claudia　contacted　the　Cat's…Eye；　and　within　minutes　new　data　was　filling　the　screen：　The　sensor