09_the_final_nightmare-第48章

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that。　Dennis　was　edging　her　way。

She　was　also　drawing　the　guards'　attention。　She　had　noted　that　Louie　Nichols　was　holding　a　shock　grenade　behind　his　back；　fiddling　with　it　by　feel　while　he　watched　Karno　and　the　rest；　readying　to　toss　it。　Nova　readied　herself　to　dive　for　cover；　taking　into　account　the　fact　that　no　harm　must　e　to　the　baby　if　she　could　help　it。

〃These　are　not　your　slaves！〃　Musica　cried。　〃These　are　individuals；　whose　freedom　of　choice　has　made　them　free　of　your　society。　Now；　stand　away！〃

〃Then　you　will　die；　you　who　disrupt　our　lives！〃　With　that；　Karno　brought　up　his　weapon；　as　did　Sookol　and　Darsis；　and　opened　fire。　At　that　moment；　the　young　man　who　had　acted　as　guide　for　Angelo　threw　himself　in　front　of　Musica。　He　took　the　first　five　rounds　of　the　firelight；　all　at　once　and　all　in　one　tight　group。

The　ATACs　were　standing　straddle…legged；　firing　back　at　almost　point…blank　range；　in　the　same　second…all　except　for　Louie；　who　slid　the　shock　grenade　the　guards'　way　and　hollered；　〃Get　back！〃

Refugee　clones　in　the　first　rank　fell　like　scythed　wheat；　but　the　ATACs'　fire　cut　into　the　enemy　guardsmens'　ranks　at　once；　and　all　the　clones'　accuracy　was　lost。　Enemy　shots　rebounded　from　the　troopers'　armor；　and　the　tankers　laid　down　a　suppressing　fire　that　had　the　guardsmen　ducking　for

The　detonation　of　the　shock　grenade　was　like　a　freezeframe　of　the　guards'　postures；　lasting　only　a　fraction　of　a　second。　Its　blast　sent　them　somersaulting　and　flying；　while　the　refugees　and　the　Humans　scuttled　for　cover；　and　the　ambushers　struggled　to　regain　the　offensive。

Musica；　crouched　behind　one　structural　frame；　cradled　to　her　the　youth　who　had　guided　Angelo　and　taken　the　rounds　meant　for　her。　〃Why　did　you。。。？〃

〃You　are　the　soul　of　us　all。　You　are　the　hope　of　us　all。〃　The　eyes　rolled　up　in　his　head；　showing　only　white；　and　the　breath　rattled　from　him。

She　laid　his　head　down　gently；　then　rose　and　stepped　back　into　the　passageway；　into　the　fairway　of　the　firelight；　the　various　beams　and　bolts　and　streams　of　discs　bickering　back　and　forth。　〃Karno！　Stop　this　at　once！〃

Bowie；　pinned　down；　couldn't　reach　her；　but　screamed　at　her　to　get　to　cover。　Karno；　crouched　to　fire　from　cover；　bawled；　〃Musica；　the　Micronians　have　cast　a　spell　over　you！〃

〃That's　not　true！　I've　freely　chosen　a　new　way　of　life…ahh！〃

There　was　no　telling　if　the　beam　that　seared　her　arm　was　from　friend　or　foe。　She　went　on　through　locked　teeth；　〃The　truth　is。。。we　are　all　free　beings。　With　free　will。　And　you　know　that！〃

〃You　speak　lies！〃　he　shrieked。　〃You're　bewitched！〃

〃Got　any　brilliant　inspirations？〃　Louie　asked　Angelo；　as　they　squatted　in　the　lee　of　a　huge　packing　crate。

〃We　could　send　'em　candy　and　flowers　an'　say　we　won't　never　do　it　no　more；〃　Angelo　allowed；　then　snapped　off　another　round。　〃Or；　pray　for　a　miracle…〃

Just　as　he　was　saying　that；　the　bulkhead　was　punched　inward；　one　of　the　more　curious　coincidences　of　the　war。　It　was　as　if　one　of　those　ancient　beer…car　openers　was　broaching　a　cold　one；　only　the　opener　was　a　stiff…fingered　shot　by　a　Battloid。

The　Battloid；　having　following　their　transponders；　peeled　back　the　bulkhead　like　wrapping　paper　and　stood　into　the　gap。　Smoke　curled　around　it　and　the　guard　clones　shrank　back　in　hysteria；　forgetting　their　attack。　A　voice　amplified　to　Olympian　volume　rang；　〃So　for　this　you　stood　me　up　at　our　rendezvous？〃

〃Meant　to　drop　ya　a　note；　Phillips；〃　'Dante　admitted。　〃But　I　got　real　distracted。〃

〃No　excuses！〃

Where　he　might　have　used　the　towering　mecha's　weapons　to　wipe　out　every　enemy　there；　Sean　instead　chose　to　chastise　them。　He　had　seen　enough　war；　seen　enough　slaughter　and；　more　to　the　point；　sensed　that　a　few　more　incidental　enemy　KIAs　wouldn't　influence　the　oute　of　things。　He　had　no　heightened　senses　or　Protoculture　powers；　just　simple　Human　intuition　that　the　oute　of　the　war…the　very　core　of　it…had　nothing　to…do　with　scoring　a　few　more　clone　body　counts。

The　colossal　Battloid　brushed　a　flock　of　guards　into　a　wall；　most　of　the　others　broke　and　ran；　dropping　their　weapons。　Among　those　downed　was　the　Guard　Triumvirate。

Angelo　led　the　refugees　the　other　way；　toward　the　assault　ships。　But　Karno　reared　up　and　spied　Octavia；　who　had　been　promised　to　Sookol　so　long　ago　by　the　Masters。　She　looked　so　like　Musica。

Karno　dragged　himself　up　and　dug　out　his　sidearm；　to　shoot　her　as　she　dashed　by。　She　screamed　and　fell；　Bowie　and　Musica　turning　back　to　help　her。

Sean　turned　his　Battloid　and　brought　up　the　Cyclopean　foot。　Even　as　Bowie　and　Musica　were　carrying　Octavia　to　cover；　Karno　screamed。　The　last　thing　the　clone　ever　saw　was　the　bottom　of　the　foot　of　the　Battloid…configuration　Hovertank　Bad　News；　15th　squad；　Alpha　Tactical　Armored　Corps。

Bowie　knelt　in　the　lee　of　the　alloy　container　while　Musica　sought　to　fort　her　sister。

Octavia's　hand　caressed　her　cheek。　〃It's　all　right；　Musica…I　know　my　spirit　and　my　songs　will　live　in　you！〃

〃We're　still。。。as　one；〃　Musica　struggled。

〃Yes；　I　know；　though　greater　things　are　in　you　now；　such　greater　things！　But　to　the　end　of　space　and　time…we　three　are　one。。。always。。。。〃

And　she　was　dead。　Bowie　tugged　at　Musica's　arm　because　a　sudden　rush　by　counterattacking　guards　might　put　Musica　in　jeopardy　before　Sean's　Battloid　could　make　them　see　reason　and　drive　them　back。

The　counterattack　was　repulsed；　not　much　of　a　job　for　a　mecha　that　had　the　firepower　of　an　old…time　armored　troop。　Sean's　Bad　News　burrowed　through　a　bulkhead　like　a　big；　glittering　badger；　and　opened　the　way　for　the　refugees；　who　went　spilling　into　the　assault　ship　hangar　deck。　〃There；　that　oughta　do　it；　everybody　into　the　troop　carriers！〃


As　planned；　the　battle　on　and　just　over　the　planet's　surface　and　the　decoys　that　were　the　surviving　mother　ships　had　led　most　of　the　Earth　forces　away　from　the　flagship。　Those　that　were　left　were　of　no　importance。　The　Robotech　Masters'　last　functioning　mother　ship　closed　in　to　execute　the　final　portion　of　its　mission。

Three　segmented　metal　appendages；　like　huge　blind　worms；　extruded　themselves　from　the　underside　of　the　flagship　and　met；　their　pleted　instrumentality　throwing　out　a　light　as　bright　as　a　solar　prominence。　A　beam　sprang　down　to　penetrate　one　of　the　mounds　below；　and　the　second；　and　the　third；　with　zigzagging　sensor　bolts。

Inside　the　Masters'　ship；　engines　of　raw　power　were　brought　into　play。　The　distortions　and　occlusions　of　the　Protoculture　wraiths　could　not　stand　before　that　raw　power；　and　the　Masters　saw…at　last　where　their　target　lays。


The　three　wraiths　looked　upward。　Their　hour　was　nearly　sped；　there　was　no　resisting　the　focused　might　of　the　mother　ship。


At　the　touch　of　the　Masters'　might；　the　mound　covering　the　SDF…1　shuddered；　then　began　to　split　open；　as　the　Flowers　of　Life　stirred；　and　the　spores　bobbed　upward。　Rock　ground　against　rock；　and　tremendous　volumes　of　soil　were　shifted　with　ease。　The　mound　itself　was　split　in　half　and　pulled　apart　by　the　invaders'　awesome　instrumentality。　As　the　gap　widened；　trees；　boulders；　and　dirt　from　the　mound's　flat　top　rained　down　onto　the　wreckage　below。　In　the　place　of　the　relatively　small　opening　that　had　been　above　the　Matrix　garden；　there　appeared　a　rift　that　exposed　the　entire　wreckage　of　the　SDF…1。

The　guardian　Protoculture　wraiths　released　the　hold　they　had　maintained　on　the　spores　for　so　long；　the　spores　began　drifting　up　toward　the　sunlight　and　the　winds　of　Earth。

The　Masters；　studying　their　operations　with　satisfaction；　watched　the　mound　split　open　and　willed　their　great　ship　to　speed　to　it；　for　the　extraction　of　the　Matrix。　There　was　time　to　save　enough　of　it　to　provide　them　with　sufficient　new　Protoculture　to　rebuild　their　galactic　empire。

They　were　no　longer　on　their　floating　cap；　since　its　systemry　had　to　be　merged　with　that　of　the　ship　itself　for　this　crucial　function。　Instead　they　stood　on　a　circular　antigrav　platform；　nearly　at　floor　level。　Without　Bowkaz；　it　was　less　crowded　than　they　were　used　to。　Shaizan　held　the　canister　with　the　last　mass　once　more；　waiting　for　the　moment　when　its　total　power　must　be　brought　to　bear。

〃Soon　even　the　Invid　will　not　dare　stand　against　us；〃　Shaizan　declared。　He　turned　to　issue　another　order