09_the_final_nightmare-第17章

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〃Bowie；　we've　always　been　straight　with　each　other；　and　I'm　telling　you：　I　get　those　same　feelings；　too。〃

〃But　Dana；　that　doesn't　tell　me　how　to　deal　with　it！　Ahhh！　So；　there　it　is。　Nothing　you　can　do　about　it；　Lieutenant。　I'm　gonna　have　to　sort　this　one　out　for　myself。〃

〃I'm　only　part　Human；〃　she　blurted。　〃I；　I　guess　I'm　related　to　Zor　and　the　rest；　in　a　way。　I　don't　like　the　idea　of　killing　any　of　the　clones；　either。　But　Bowie；　think　about　the　alternative。　Remember　what　Zor　said！〃

She　threw　her　arms　around　his　shoulders；　pressing　her　cheek　to　him。　〃We　can't　let　that　happen　to　Earth；　Bowie；〃　she　whispered；　〃and　we　can't　let　that　happen　to　the　Fifteenth。〃


A　few　weeks　before；　the　Masters'　fleet　would　have　disintegrated　the　impudent　Human　attack。　Now　it　fought　for　its　life；　its　energy　reservoir　failing　to　a　point　where　the　battle　was　horribly　even　and　attrition　seemed　to　be　the　not…so…secret　weapon。

Terran　energy　volleys　and　alien　annihilation　discs　crosshatched；　thick　as　nettles；　as　the　Human　strikeforce　closed　in。

The　15th　cranked　up　and　sealed　their　armor；　preparing　to　follow　Dana's　Valkyrie　into　the　launch　lock。　They　got　word　that　their　tactical　area　of　responsibility…their　TAOR…had　been　increased　by　50％；　because　the　12th　squad　had　been　blown　to　bits　along　with　everyone　else　aboard　the　battlecruiser　Sharpsburg　when　enemy　salvoes　fund　it。


The　earth　fleet　threw　everything　it　had　at　the　enemy；　but　the　news　that　came　to　Emerson；　watching　stone…faced　from　his　flagship；　was　bad。

〃Missiles；　solids；　energy…nothing　seems　to　be　doing　them　much　damage；　sir；〃　Green　told　him。

There　was　no　sign　of　the　hexagonal　〃snowflake〃　defensive　fields　the　Masters　had　used　before；　but　what　Green　said　was　undeniably　true。　Ordnance　and　destructive　force　equivalent　to　a　good…size　World　War　was　being　tossed　at　the　lumbering　invaders；　to　no　avail。

〃It　might　be　some　kind　of　shield　we　haven't　seen　before；　or　it　might　just　be　their　hulls；〃　Emerson　replied。　But　their　I　wasn't　much　room　for　fancy　changes　of　plan　or　pauses　to　consider　now；　the　huge　operation　was；　by　its　own　size　and　weight；　all　but　unstoppable。

〃Press　the　attack；〃　Rolf　Emerson　forced　himself　to　say；　trying　not　to　think　of　the　casualties　but　only　of　what　would　happen　to　Earth　if　he　and　his　fleet　failed。　He　had　seen　excerpts　from　Zor's　debriefing；　and　the　monitoring　of　Zor's　ments　about　life　under　the　Robotech　Masters。

〃Hit　them　harder；〃　Emerson　said；　〃and　get　ready　to　send　in　the　fighters；　then　the　tanks。〃

Going　in　close；　risking　the　furious…bright　particle　beams　of　the　teardrop…shaped　invader　batteries；　the　Earth　ships　poured　down　torrents　of　fire　at　them。　Tube　after　tube　of　the　heavier　missiles；　Skylords　and　such；　gushed　forth　flame　and　death；　racks　of　Swordfish　and　Jackhammers　emptied；　only　to　be　reloaded　for　another　fusilade。

Marie　Crystal；　ready　to　lead　the　TASCs　out；　sent　a　silent　thought　to　Sean；　to　take　care　of　himself。


A　close；　highly　concentrated　missile　barrage　that　cost　the　Terran　forces　a　destroyer　escort　and　the　crippling　of　a　frigate　somehow　opened　a　gap　in　the　alien　flagship's　hull。　It　happened　just　as　the　15th　was　about　to　leave　the　launch　lock；　and　their　mission　changed　in　a　moment。

There　was　little　G3　operations　could　add　to　the　standing　orders。　Get　inside　there　and　disable　them！　Distract；　neutralize！

The　Hovertanks；　pact　as　enormous　crabs　or　turtles　with　all　appendages　pulled　close；　dropped　on　the　inverted　blue　candleflames　of　their　thrusters。

The　rent　in　the　enemy's　upper　hull　was　as　big　around　as　the　15th's　barracks；　a　gaping；　irregular　hole；　sides　fringed　with　twisted；　blackened　armor　seven　yards　thick；　streaming　black　smoke　and　atmosphere　like　a　funnel。　It　was　slightly　forward　and　portside　of　one　of　those　mountainous　spiraled　ziggurats　Louie　insisted　on　calling　〃Robotech　Teats。〃

It　would　still　be　a　tight　squeeze　for　a　whole　Hovertank　squad；　and　Dana　didn't　like　the　idea　of　being　crowded　together　fish…in…a…barrel　style。　But　there　was　no　telling　when　the　gap　would　be　closed　by　some　repair　mechanism；　no　time　to　pause　and　reconsider。　At　her　order；　the　ATACs　dropped　slowly　toward　the　hole；　for　a　close　pass　before　paying　their　housecall。

No　Bioroids　anywhere；　Dana　registered。

I　don't　like　it；　Angelo　told　himself。


〃A　different　tactic　now。　How　strange；〃　Shaizan　said；　sounding　more　puzzled　than　perturbed。

Dag　turned　away　from　the　crystalline　pane；　where　he　had　been　observing　the　Hovertanks。　〃This　is　an　unexpected　opportunity；〃　Dag　said；　as　the　descending　mecha　swung　slowly　past　the　ruptured　hull　behind　him。

〃Yes；　I　believe　it　is　time　to　test　the　new　Invid　Fighter；〃　Shaizan　concurred。

Dag　turned　and　barked；　〃Scientists！　Quickly！〃

That　triumvirate；　having　been　high　among　the　looping　arteries　and　carryways　of　the　ship's　control　systemry；　descended　now　on　their　cap。　〃Yes；　Masters？〃

〃Deploy　our　Triumviroid　Invid　Fighters　against　those　Human　mecha　out　there　at　once。〃

〃At　once！〃　The　Scientists　soared　off　to　obey。

Bowkaz；　watching　the　15th　e　around　for　another　close　pass；　closed　his　thin；　atrophied　hand　into　a　fist；　the　spidery　fingers　unaccustomed　to　such　a　strong　gesture。　〃Amazing！　These　missing　links　actually　think　they　can　triumph　against　us！〃


In　a　large　partment　in　the　flagship；　an　infernal　fantasy　landscape　had　been　created。　The　translucent　pink　room　consisted　of　high…arching　carryways　and　Protoculture　arteries；　with　clusters　of　globes　that　resembled　grapes；　of　all　things；　at　their　intersections。

Far　below　the　energizing　and　monitoring　systemry；　the　Invid　Fighters　reared；　standing　in　threes；　insects　by　parison　but　cyclopean　giants　in　terms　of　the　war　raging　on　the　outside。

The　Bioroids'　chest　plastrons　were　open；　shoulder　pauldrarns　raised；　helmet　beavers　lifted　to　expose　the　ball…turrets　in　which　their　pilots　would　sit；　in　yogi　fashion。

Dovak's　voice　came；　〃Vada　Prime；　triumvirates　of　the　Invid　Fighters；　to　your　mecha！　Haste！　The　Human　prey　is　near！〃

Light　poured　in　from　the　arch　intersections　where　the　grape　clusters　hung；　it　illuminated　triads　of　young　male　clones；　the　Vada　Prime；　red…haired　but　bearing　a　strong　resemblance　to　the　original　Zor。　They　stood；　back　to　back；　where　the　extended　chest　plastrons　of　the　mecha　met　like　lowered　drawbridges。

〃Prepare　for　utilization　against　the　Humans　and　their　blasphemous　concepts；　their　individuality！　Obliterate　them！〃

〃Three　will　always　be　as　one！〃　one　Vada　leader　chanted。　That　was　the　essence　of　the　Invid　Fighter　systems：　the　transference　of　power；　awareness；　thought…Protoculture　energy…back　and　forth　among　the　members　of　each　triune　unit　and　its　mecha；　on　a　millisecond　basis；　This　occurred　so　that　each　machine　and　pilot　would　be　triply　effective　in　the　telling　moments　of　bat；　which　were　themselves　relatively　few。

〃One　for　three　and　three　for　one。　In　thought；　action；　firepower；　and　reaction；〃　Dovak　intoned。　〃Remember　this；　Vada　Prime！〃

The　Vada　Prime　clones　retreated　to　their　globular　control　sanctuaries；　and　prepared　to　hunt　down　the　Hovertanks。


Dana　led　the　15th　in　a　low　approach　vector；　ready　to　go　down　into　the　hole　in　the　enemy　flagship's　hull；　hoping　things　went　better　than　they　had　the　last　time　the　15th　entered　the　Masters'　metal　homeworld。

But　things　became　plicated　even　before　the　tanks　could　enter；　giant　figures　on　Hovercraft　rose　up　out　of　the　smoking　abyss　of　the　hull　breech。　Dana　couldn't　help　but　feel　dismay　when　she　saw　what　was　ahead。　Red　Bioroids！

Three；　four…six　that　she　could　see；　and　perhaps　more　in　the　smoke。　She　tried　not　to　surrender　to　despair。　Six　red　Bioroids！　〃New　targets　ahead；〃　she　said；　trying　to　sound　confident。

The　15th　bore　in　at　the　Triumviroids；　the　downsweep　of　their　front　cowlings　and　the　halogen　lamps　tucked　beneath　them　giving　the　tanks　the　look　of　angry　crabs　about　to　settle　a　grudge。　The　tanks　broke　right　and　left　and　up　and　down；　they　needed　maneuvering　room。

The　enemy　split　up　and　jumped　them；　firing　from　weapons　in　their　control　stems；　and　from　the　disc　handguns；　lashing　streams　of　annihilation　discs　this　way　and　that。　Dana　saw　what　she　feared：　they　were　all　as　fast　and　deadly　as　Zor　was；　operating　in　perfect　coordination。　She　fought　her　recurring　image　of　a　ple