09_the_final_nightmare-第1章

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Robotech：　The　Final　Nightmare
Book　Nine　of　the　Robotech　Series
Copyright　1987　by　Jack　McKinney

arranged　by　dayuan　＇　robotech　zone　＇




CHAPTER　ONE

Many　women　were　often　in　the　thick　of　the　fighting　during　the　First　Robotech　War。　They　served　splendidly　and　gallantly。　But　they　were　usually　restricted　to　what　the　military　insisted　on　calling　〃non…bat　roles；〃　despite　the　great　numbers　of　them　killed　as　a　direct　result　of　enemy　action。
By　the　time　of　the　Second　Robotech　War；　with　the　Earth's　resources　depleted　and　its　population　drastically　reduced　by　the　First；　sheer　necessity　and　mon　sense　had　overe　the　lingering　sexism　that　had　kept　willing；　qualified　women　off　the　front　lines。
Nevertheless；　the　Robotech　Masters'　onslaught　quickly　had　Earth　on　the　ropes。　It　is　instructive　to　consider　what　the　oute　would　have　been　if　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross　had　faced　the　planet's　second　invasion　without　half　its　fighting　strength。
Fortunately　for　us　all；　that　is　not　what　happened。
Betty　Greer；　Post…Feminism　and　the　Robotech　Wars

Lieutenant　Marie　Crystal　made　a　willful　effort　to　face　the　camera　now　as　she　had　faced　enemy　guns　yesterday。

She　drove　back　her　bone…deep　exhaustion；　the　pain　of　battle　injuries；　and　the　despair　of　a　desperate　situation　that　even　the　light　lunar　gravity　couldn't　alleviate。　She　intended　to　finish　her　report　with　the　clarity　and　precision　expected　of　a　Tactical　Armored　Space　Corps　fighter　ace　and　the　leader　of　the　TASC's　vaunted　Black　Lions。。。

And　maybe；　after　that；　she　could　collapse　and　get　a　few　minutes'　sleep。　It　seemed　now　that　she　never　wanted　anything　but　sleep。

In　the　wake　of　the　disastrous　all…out　attempt　to　destroy　the　Robotech　Masters'　invasion　fleet；　Marie　had　to　shoulder　even　more　responsibility。　The　chain　of　mand　had　been　shot　all　to　hell　along　with　the　Earth　strikeforce　itself。

Admiral　Burke　was　dead…diced　into　bloody　stew　by　an　exploding　power　junction　housing　when　the　blue　Bioroids　cut　the　strikeforce　flagship　to　ribbons。　General　Lacey；　next　in　line；　lay　with　ninety　percent　of　the　skin　seared　off　his　body；　teetering　between　life　and　death。

The　senior　officer；　a　staff　one…star；　was　still　functional；　but　he　had　virtually　no　bat　mand　experience。　The　scuttlebutt　was　that　he　was　being　pressured　to　let　somebody　else　run　the　show。　An　implausibly　successful　Bioroid　sortie　and　the　resultant　hangar　deck　explosion　on　board　the　now　defunct　flagship　resulted　in　Marie　being　named　the　new　flight　group　mander。

She　went　on　with　her　after…action　report　to　Southern　Cross　military　headquarters　on　Earth。

〃Our　remaining　spacecraft　number：　one　battlecruiser；　two　destroyer　escorts；　and　one　logistical　support　ship；　all　of　which　have　suffered　heavy　damage；〃　she　said；　looking　squarely　into　the　optical　pickup。　〃Along　with　twenty…three　Veritech　fighters；　twelve　A…JACs　bat　mecha；　and　assorted　small　scout　and　surveillance　ships。　At　last　report　we　have　one　thousand；　one　hundred　sixteen　surviving　personnel；　eight　hundred　and　fifty…seven　of　them　fit　for　duty。〃

Fewer　than　nine　hundred　effectives！　Jesus！　She　pulled　at　the　collar　ring　seal　of　her　bat　armor；　where　it　had　chafed　her　neck。　She　couldn't　recall　the　last　time　she　had　been　able　to　strip　off　the　alloy　plate　and　get　some　real　rest。　Back　on　Earth；　probably。　But　that　was　a　lifetime　ago。

〃As　I　stated　previously；　deployment　of　the　enemy　mother　ships；　and　their　assault　craft　and　Bioroid　bat　mecha；　made　it　impossible　for　the　strikeforce　to　return　to　Earth。　Since　we　were　also　cut　off　from　LS　Space　Station　Liberty；　and　were　forced　to　take　refuge　here　at　Moon　Base　ALUCE；　we　are　making　round…the…clock　efforts　to　fortify　our　position　against　an　enemy　counterattack。　Major　repairs　and　life…support　replenishment　are　being　carried　out　as　well；　and　civilian　personnel　have　been　placed　under　emergency　military　authority。〃

It　all　sounded　so　crisp；　so　can…do；　she　thought；　trying　to　focus　her　eyes　on　her　notecards。　As　if　everything　were　under　control；　instead　of　at　the　thin　edge　of　utter　catastrophe。　As　if　the　survivors　were　an　effective　fighting　force　instead　of　a　chewed　up；　burned…out　bunch　of　men　and　women　and　machinery。　As　if　the　attack　hadn't　been　the　most　insane　strategy；　the　worst　snafu；　the　most　horrifying　slaughter　she　had　ever　seen。

Recording　her　stiff…upper…lip　report；　she　felt　like　a　liar；　but　that　was　the　way　Marie　Crystal　had　been　taught　to　do　her　duty。　She　wondered　if　the　brass　hats　at　Southern　Cross　Army　HQ　back　on　Earth　would　read　between　the　lines…if　that　pompous；　blustering　idiot；　Supreme　mander　Leonard；　had　any　idea　how　much　suffering　and　death　he　had　caused。

She　yanked　her　mind　off　that　track；　feeling　murderous　toward　her　superiors　would　not　help　now。

〃Our　medical　personnel　and　volunteers　from　other　strikeforce　elements　are　tending　to　the　wounded　in　the　ALUCE　medcenter。　But　facilities　are　extremely　limited　here；　and　I　am　instructed　to　request　that　we　be　permitted　to　attempt　a　special　mission　to　ferry　our　worst　cases　back　to　Earth。〃

What　could　she　add？　There　was　the　natural　Human　impulse　to　tell　the　goddamn　lardbutts　in　their　swivel　chairs　how　much　hell　she　had　seen。　There　was　the　desire　to　see　someone　capable；　someone　like　General　Emerson；　for　instance；　march　in　before　the　United　Earth　Government　council　and　charge　Leonard　and　his　staff　with　inpetence。　There　was　an　inner　pulsion　to　tell　how　futile　it　felt；　preparing　the　civilian　ALUCE…Advanced　Lunar　Chemical　Engineering…station　for　a　last　stand；　and　getting　the　VTs　and　other　mecha　ready　to　sortie　out　again　if　the　need　arose。

Forget　it；　shoot　'n'　salute；　that　was　a　soldier's　duty。　Maybe　a　miracle　would　happen；　and　the　mysterious　aliens　who　called　themselves　the　Robotech　Masters　would　cut　ALUCE　and　the　strikeforce　a　little　slack。　If　the　Humans　could　just　have　a　few　days　to　get　themselves　back　into　some　kind　of　fighting　shape；　that　would　change　the　mix　a　lot。　But　Marie　had　her　doubts。

〃This　pletes　the　situation　report。　Lieutenant　Marie　Crystal；　reporting　for　the　mander；　out。〃　She　saluted　smartly；　her　mouth　tugging　in　a　faint；　ironic　smirk。

The　camera　tech　wrapped　it　up。　〃We'll　transcribe　it　and　send　it　out　in　burst　right　away；　ma'am。〃　She　took　the　cassette　of　Marie's　report。

The　Robotech　Masters　had　been　having　more　and　more　success　interfering　with　the　frequency…jumping　munications　tactics　the　Humans　had　been　forced　to　use。　To　avoid　any　interference；　the　report　would　be　sped　up　to　a　millisecond　squeal　of　information。　Hopefully　it　would　get　through。

And　when　they　get　it；　what　then？　Marie　wondered。　We　might　be　able　to　sneak　one　shipload　of　WIAs　back；　but　for　the　rest　of　us　there's　no　way　home。


In　the　headquarters　of　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross；　Supreme　mander　Leonard　studied　the　tape。　The　smudged　and　hollow…eyed　young　female　flight　lieutenant　reeled　off　facts　and　figures　of　bitter　defeat　with　no　expression　except　that　last　upcurling　of　one　corner　of　her　mouth。

〃Mmm〃　was　all　he　said；　as　Colonel　Rochelle　turned　off　the　tape。　〃We　received　this　transmission　from　ALUCE　eight　minutes　ago；　sir；〃　Rochelle　told　him。　〃Nothing　else　has　gotten　through　the　enemy's　jamming　so　far。　Looks　like　they're　onto　our　freq…jumping　stunt。　The　people　down　in　signal/crypto　are　trying　to　e　up　with　something　new；　but　so　far　the　occasional　odd　message　is　all　we　can　really　hope　for　from　Strikeforce　Victory。〃

Leonard　nodded　slowly；　looking　at　the　huge；　gray　screen。　Then　he　whirled　around　and　threw　himself　into　a　seat　across　the　conference　table　from　Major　General　Rolf　Emerson。

〃Well；　Emerson！　How　about　that！〃　Leonard　pounded　his　pale；　soft；　freckled　fists　the　size　of　pot　roasts　on　the　gleaming　oak。　〃It　would　appear　that　our　little　assault　operation　wasn't　a　plete　failure　after　all；　eh？〃

Everyone　in　the　room　held　their　breath。　It　was　a　well…known　fact　that　Emerson　had　opposed　the　mad　strikeforce　scheme　from　the　outset；　and　that　there　was　no　love　lost　between　the　Supreme　mander　and　his　chief　of　staff　for　Terrestrial　Defense；　Emerson。　And　everyone　had　watched　Emerson　grow　grimmer　and　grimmer　as　Marie　Crystal　delivered　her　casualty　report。

Now　Emerson　looked　across　the　table　at　Leonard；　and　more　than　one　staff　officer　wished　they　had　had　time　to　get　a　little　money　down　on　th