10_invid_invasion-第24部分

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〃Good；〃　the　colonel　said　haltingly。　Then：　〃You　mean　to　tell　me　that　your　men　are　out　there　searching　each　other？！〃　He　was　about　to　say　more；　when　he　heard　a　small　crash　behind　him；　as　if　something　had　fallen　from　a　rooftop。　Turning；　Briggs　saw　a　cluster　of　red；　yellow；　and　green　balloons　weighted　down　by　something　he　couldn't　make　out　until　he　had　taken　three　steps　toward　it。

〃Protoculture　canisters！〃　he　exclaimed；　kneeling　beside　the　helium　balloons　and　their　precious　cargo。　He　looked　up　and　saw　scores　more　drifting　high　over　the　city　on　a　northeast　wind。　〃Gather　up　all　those　balloons；〃　he　ordered　the　lieutenant。　〃Shoot　them　down　if　you　have　to！。。。And　bring　me　that　singer；〃　he　hastened　to　add；　thinking　back　to　the　concert　and　its　colorful　finale。。。

Briggs　was　hurrying　back　to　his　van　when　a　vehicle　from　the　facility　pulled　alongside　him。

〃Have　you　found　them？〃　he　asked　eagerly。

〃No；〃　the　driver　answered。　〃But　the　Invid　Intercessors　have　arrived　at　the　facility。。。And　they　wanna　speak　to　you。。。〃


The　getaway　truck　and　the　rigged　balloon　clusters　arrived　at　the　transmitter　site　at　the　same　time；　a　clearing　in　the　woods　that　fringed　the　northeastern　outskirts　of　Norristown。　The　team　hopped　out　and　began　gathering　up　the　canisters。　Rook　and　Lancer　were　heading　for　the　Cyclones　when　they　heard　Annie　yell　and　saw　her　point
to　the　sky。

〃Invid。〃

There　we　a　five　Troopers；　ing　in　fast　from　the　southwest　but　still　several　miles　off。　Scott　told　everyone　to　grab　whatever　canister　packs　they　could　carry　and　run　for　the　mecha。　Lancer；　already　suited　up　in　battle　armor；　headed　directly　for　one　of　the　Cyclones　and　inserted　a　fresh　canister　into　the　cylinderlike　fuel　cell　below　the　mecha's　engine。　He　straddled　the　cycle　and　activated　the　ignition；　watching　with　delight　as　the　power　displays　came　to　life；　glowing　with　an　unprecedented　brightness。　Nearby；　Scott　was　in　the　cockpit　of　the　Veritech；　Lunk　attending　to　the　refueling。

Rook　was　preparing　to　power　up　her　red　Cyclone　when　she　saw　Lancer　lift　off　and　reconfigure　to　Battle　Armor　mode。　Beside　her；　Rand　was　strapping　on　the　last　of　his　Cyclone　armor。

〃Rand；　did　you　remember　to　put　in　a　fresh　canister？〃　she　asked　him；　certain　he　had　forgotten。

〃Oh；　right；〃　he　returned；　and　stooped　ego　insert　the　fresh　pack。

〃Dimwit；〃　Rook　scolded　him　as　she　roared　off；　going　to　Battle　Armor　mode　a　moment　later。　Rand　followed　her　up　and　through　to　reconfiguration；　and　the　two　of　them　streaked　off　to　assist　Lancer；　who　was　going　head　to　head　with　two　Invid　Troopers。

Lancer　had　coaxed　the　Troopers　to　the　ground　and　was　executing　leaps　to　avoid　pincer　swipes。　Frustrated　now；　one　of　the　creatures　was　ready　to　bring　its　shoulder　cannons　into　play。

Lancer　stepped　back　when　he　saw　the　muzzles　begin　to　glow；　Rook　and　Rand　had　set　down　behind　him；　and　the　three　of　them　felt　the　blast　of　the　first　charge。

〃Let's　not　push　our　luck　until　the　Alpha　arrives；〃　Lancer　said　over　the　Cyclone's　tactical　net。

The　two　Troopers　took　to　the　air；　then　swooped　down　for　strafing　runs。　But　Rand　had　tailed　one　of　them　and　launched　shoulder…tubed　Scorpions　before　the　Invid　could　fire。　The　Trooper　took　two　missiles　to　the　face　and　went　down；　leaking　a　thick　green　fluid。

Rook　took　out　a　second　creature；　Lancer　dispatched　a　third　that　was　giving　Rand　a　hard　time；　bringing　the　odds　more　to　everyone's　liking　by　the　time　Scott　got　the　Veritech　up。

The　two　remaining　Troopers　kept　to　the　ground；　dishing　out　annihilation　discs　against　the　ining　Alpha；　but　Scott　flew　undaunted　into　the　fire；　loosing　the　VT's　own　brand　of　vengeful　energy。　With　a　last…minute　leap；　one　of　the　Invid　narrowly　escaped　the　Alpha's　angry　red…tipped　missiles；　but　the　second　stood　its　ground　and　suffered　for　it。

Scott　continued　his　power　dive　against　the　fifth　and　final　Invid　now；　it　had　put　down　again；　emptying　its　upturned　cannons　against　him。　Scott　dropped　through　the　annihilation　discs　like　some　sort　of　slalom　flyer；　getting　off　one　shot　before　pulling　out　of　his　dive。　But　that　one　connected；　impacting　the　Trooper's　midsection　and　splitting　it　in　half。

Scott　banked　hard　at　the　top　of　his　climb　and　fell　away　toward　Norristown　and　the　enormous　buttes　which　overshadowed　the　city。　Down　below　he　could　discern　a　long　line　of　police　vehicles　speeding　from　the　city　toward　the　team's　somewhat　ravaged　forest　clearing。

Hearing　Scott's　warning　over　the　tac　net；　Rand；　Rook；　and　Lancer　landed　their　mecha　and　reconfigured　to　Cyclone　mode。　Annie　and　Lunk　were　running　around　gathering　up　late…arrival　balloonloads　of　Protoculture　canisters。　They　took　to　the　police　van　at　Scott's　amplified　insistence　and　sped　off　following　the　Cyclones'　lead；　the　setting　sun　huge　and　blood…red　at　their　backs。


CHAPTER　TEN

Rook's　hometown　＇Trenchtown；　formerly　Cavern　City＇　typified　an　offbeat　trend　in　city　planning　that　was　popular　between　the　＇First　and　Second　Robotech＇　Wars。　This　plan；　called　the　Obscuro　Movement；　was　formed　as　a　reaction　to　threats　of　invasion；　real　and　imaginary；　by　Zentraedi；　Tirolian　Masters；　Invid　；　or　any　of　a　number　of　self…styled　conquerors　and　terrestrial　invaders。　Cities　were　constructed　in　the　most　unlikely　places…on　the　tops　of　mesas；　the　bottom　of　ravines；　the　heart　of　darkness…anywhere　deemed　unassailable　by　founders　and　would…be　leaders。
〃Southlands；〃　History　of　the　Third　Robotech　War；　Vol。　XXII

Rands　journal　picks　up　the　story：

〃We　had　a　good　enough　jump　on　Norristown's　police　force　to　lose　them　without　too　much　hassle。　But　just　to　make　sure；　Scott　saw　to　it　that　our　escape　route　was　wiped　out　behind　us　with　a　few　well…placed　missiles　from　the　Alpha。　Chances　are　that　most　of　the　vans　turned　tail　as　soon　as　they　caught　sight　of　the　Veritech　anyway。　We　could　only　guess　what　the　Invid　decided　to　extract　in　the　way　of　retribution；　at　the　very　least　some　heads　were　going　to　roll。〃

〃We　were　all　feeling　great。　The　Cyclones　practically　had　to　be　reigned　in；　thanks　to　the　fresh　infusion　of　'Culture。　Scott　thought　that　the　Invid…manufactured　batch　was　more　powerful　than　the　'Culture　Earth　mecha　had　been　operating　on　during　the　last　twenty　years。　The　only　thing　that　held　us　back　was　the　police　van　we　had　mandeered。　But　it　seemed　a　wiser　idea　to　accept　the　thing's　limitations　rather　than　carry　Lunk　and　Annie　on　the　Cyclones　or　in　the　fighter。　It　continued　to　puzzle　us　why　the　Invid　didn't　simply　overwhelm　us　with　Troopers；　with　three　Cycs　running　at　high　speed；　it　should　have　been　easy　enough　to　track　us　down。　But　Scott　explained　that　they　had　demonstrated　the　same　sort　of　tactical　shortings　in　previous　encounters。　I　was　always　trying　to　press　him　to　elaborate；　but　he　was　reticent　to　talk　about　Tirol　and　the　other　worlds　he　had　seen。〃

〃We　traveled　north　for　two　days　almost　without　letup；　using　the　scrip　Woods　had　given　Lancer　to　barter　supplies　and　bedrolls　in　some　of　the　settlements　we　passed　through。　The　terrain　was　arid　and　rugged；　characterized　by　buttes　and　tors　and　mesas　similar　to　those　around　Norristown　but　softened　by　small　skyblue　lakes　and　patches　of　hardwood　forest。　We　made　our　first　real　camp　alongside　one　of　these　cold　water　lakes。　We　had　e　across　a　dozen　wild　cattle　earlier　on　and　shot　one　for　provisions；　so　we　were　eating　well　and　getting　good　rest　in　the　sleeping　bags。　Scott　ran　us　through　a　kind　of　mutual…appreciation　debriefing　on　the　Norristown　raid。　More　and　more　we　were　beginning　to　feel　like　an　actual　team　and　not　just　six　individuals　on　the　run。〃

〃I　tried　to　insist　that　we　make　camp　in　the　woods；　but　everyone　else　was　intent　on　enjoying　the　sunlight　at　the　edge　of　the　lake。　I　put　Annie　in　charge　of　gathering　firewood；　and　she　kept　ing　in　with　nearly　petrified　pieces　of　hardwood。　（Not　that　we　really　even　needed　the　fire…I　was　doing　most　of　the　cooking　over　a　propane　stove　anyway…but　a　fire　was　their　idea　of　camping　out；　and　I　wasn't　into　spoiling　anyone's　fun。）　Lunk　whittled　when　he　wasn't　going　over　the　Cyclone　and　VT　systems。　Scott　cleaned　and　maintained　the　ordnance。　Lancer　was　finding　it　easier　and　easier　to　relax　around　us；　and　he　would　often　fall　quite　naturally　into　a　kind　of　midway　mode　that　was　part　Lancer　the　freedom　fighter　and　part　Yellow　Dancer。　He　had　fashioned　a　shower　for　himself　by　punching　a　series　of　holes　in　one　of　our　old　cook　pots。　He　would　bring　in　water　heated　on　the　fire　and　pour　this　into　the　holed　pot　he　had　fastened　to　an　overhead　branch。　Lunk　got　a　big　charge　out　of　this　and　once　tried　to　interrupt　Lancer　while　he　was　showering。　It　was　a　pretty　ical　exchange　that　ended　with　Lancer　calling　Lunk　〃a　mindless　brute；〃　and　Lunk　amazed　that　Lancer　of　all　people　should　be　modest。〃

〃Rook　was　the　only　one　keeping　to　herself。　I　would　see　her　standing　alone　by　the　lake；　absently　skimming　stones　across　the　surface。　It　was　obvious　that　she　had　something　disturbing　on　her　mind；　but　she　didn't　want　to　share　it　with　the　rest　of　us。　Scott　also　sensed　it。　I　have　since　learned　what　the　brooding　was　all　about；　but　back　then　all　I　could　sense　was　Rook's　uneasiness　and　an　inexplicable　feeling　of　helplessness。　The　only　time　the　team　discussed　it　was　after　she　had　turned　on　Annie；　who　was　only　trying　to　entice　her　to　join　us　around　the　fire。〃

〃‘What　d'ya　thinks　wrong　with　her？'　L