10_invid_invasion-第11章

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〃Scott　was　a　block　or　two　ahead　of　me　when　we　hit　the　island；　and　talk　about　your　low…rent　downtown。。。the　place　looked　as　though　it　had　seen　some　intense　fighting　with　conventional　weapons　as　well　as　the　usual　Robo　upgrades。　Scott　had　slowed　his　cycle　to　a　crawl　and　was　using　the　mecha's　externals　to　broadcast　our　arrival。

〃‘This　is　mander　Bernard　of　the　Twenty…first　Armored　Tactical　Assault　Squadron；'　his　voice　rang　out。　‘I'm　looking　for　any　Mars　Division　survivors。　If　you　can　hear　my　voice；　please　respond。。。Is　anybody　there？　I　just　want　to　talk！'〃

〃Annie　and　I　looked　around　but　didn't　see　anyone　moving。　I　would　have　been　happy　to　see　some　more　of　those　sunken…eyed　citizens　we　had　seen　on　the　other　side；　but　suddenly　even　those　shadowy　cliff　dwellers　were　in　short　supply。　Up　ahead；　Scott　was　stopped　near　a　pile　of　trashed　mecha；　a　perverse　war　memorial　plete　with　Veritechs；　Battlepods；　Hovertanks；　and　Bioroids；　arms；　legs；　and　cannon　muzzles　fused　together　in　a　kind　of　death…affirming　sculpture。　I　came　up　behind　him　and　toed　the　Cyclone　into　neutral。　We　were　on　a　small　rise　above　the　causeway；　Scott　off　to　my　left；　staring　at　the　junk　heap　with　a　kind　of　morbid　fascination。

〃Then　we　saw　the　Cyclones。〃

〃And　the　bodies。〃

〃You　couldn't　ride　the　wastes　in　those　days　and　be　a　stranger　to　death；　and　like　everyone　I　had　seen　my　fair　share　of　Human　remains；　but　there　were　fresh　kills　in　the　heap；　and　it　was　obvious　what　had　happened。〃

〃‘This　isn't　any　junk　pile！'　I　heard　Scott　say。　‘It's　a　goddamn　graveyard！'〃

〃Annie　gave　a　start　and　hugged　herself　to　my　back。　‘What's　it　mean？'　she　cried；　panic　already　in　her　voice。〃

〃Scott　glanced　over　at　us；　his　face　all　twisted　up。　‘It　means　I　smell　a　rat　and　it's　got　your　boyfriend's　face！'〃

All　at　once　we　heard　a　deep　whirring　noise　acpanied　by　sounds　of　mechanical　disengagement。　I　looked　back　toward　the　causeway　in　time　to　see　it　give　a　shudder；　then　begin　a　slow　retraction　toward　the　main　island。　But　I　was　more　puzzled　than　alarmed。　I'd　already　seen　Scott　leap　that　mecha　of　his　twice　the　distance　to　the　island；　so　our　being　able　to　get　off　this　one　alive　only　meant　that　I　was　going　to　be　learning　the　secrets　of　Cyclone　reconfiguration　in　spite　of　myself。　Moreover；　I　couldn't　figure　why　Ken　needed　to　resort　to　such　elaborate　plans　to　rid　Laako　of　intruders。

〃I　think　Scott　must　have　been　way　ahead　of　me　on　this　one；　because　he　didn't　seem　at　all　surprised　when　two　Invid　suddenly　surfaced　in　the　lake。　Annie's　pounding　me　on　the　back；　shouting；　‘We　gotta　get　outta　here！'　and　Scott　is　just　sitting　silently　on　the　Cyclone　taking　in　the　situation　like　he's　got　all　the　time　in　the　world。　I'll　always　remember　the　look　on　his　face　at　that　moment…and　I　would　have　reason　to　recall　it　often　during　the　following　months。　I　thought　to　myself：　The　eye　of　the　storm。〃

〃Two　more　Invid　were　now　heading　our　way　from　up　the　street；　looming　over　us；　pincers　gleaming　like　knives　caught　in　the　light；　the　ground　shaking　from　their　footfalls。　These　weren't　Scouts　but　Shock　Troopers；　the　larger；　meaner　version　whose　shoulder…mounted　organiclooking　cannons　gave　them　a　wide…eyed　amphibious　look。　The　lake　creatures　had　submerged；　only　to　reappear　behind　us；　rising　up　through　the　plastar　streets　and　putting　a　radical　end　to　thoughts　of　escape。　In　a　moment　the　four　were　joined　by　a　fifth；　who　had　also　taken　the　subterranean　route。〃

〃I　felt　pelled　to　point　out　that　we　were　surrounded；　and　Scott　said；　‘Take　off！'　Which　I　was　all　for。　I　spun　the　cycle　around　my　left　foot　and　was　gone；　Scott　not　two　lengths　behind　me；　his　Cyclone　launched　from　the　street　by　an　overhead　pincer　slam　that　nearly　flattened　him。　Later；　Annie　apologized　for　the　fingernail　prints　she　left　in　my　upper　arms；　but　at　that　moment　I　was　feeling　no　pain。〃

〃I　had　what　I　thought　was　the　presence　of　mind　to　head　for　the　narrower　streets；　but　the　Troopers　were　determined　to　have　us　for　lunch；　their　leader；　airborne　now；　simply　used　its　shoulders　to　power　a　wider　upper…story　path　between　the　buildings。〃

〃‘How'd　they　find　us！'　Annie　was　yelling　into　my　left　ear。〃

〃‘Your　boyfriend；　Ken；'　I　told　her。　‘He　delivered　us　right　into　their　claws。'　But　she　didn't　want　to　hear　it。　Who…Ken？〃

〃‘He'd　never　do　anything　like　that…never！'〃

〃It　wasn't　really　a　good　time　for　an　argument；　though。　The　Troopers　were　sticking　to　us　like　magnets；　firing　off　bursts　of　plasma　fire。　The　fact　that　I　had　seen　what　those　annihilation　discs　could　do　to　a　Human　body　was　probably　responsible　for　the　chancy　moves　I　made　on　the　Cyclone。　But　the　memory　of　those　liquid　remains　paid　off；　because　I　got　us　through　the　first　stretch　unscathed。　Then；　after　we　had　taken　them　around　one　block；　down　an　alleyway；　and　through　half　a　dozen　more　right　angles；　Scott　told　me　to　get　the　kid　out　of　there；　he　was　going　Battle　Armor　to　lure　them　away。　Scott　was　nothing　if　not　noble。　But　I　couldn't　resist　getting　another　look　at　that　reconfiguration　act；　and　caught　some　flack　for　it。〃

〃‘What're　you　looking　at？'　Scott　berated　me　over　the　externals。　‘Get　moving！'〃

〃Annie　seconded　this　with　a　couple　of　cleanly　placed　kidney　shots。　So　Scott　and　I　parted　pany　at　a　T　intersection；　and　the　next　thing　I　heard　was　a　massive　exchange　of　cannonfire　and　a　series　of　crippling　explosions。　But　the　Invid　had　done　their　part　in　sticking　to　Scott's　tail；　and　Annie　and　I　were　in　the　clear　for　the　moment。〃

〃I　pulled　the　bike　over　and　told　her　to　hop　off。　There　was　no　way　I　was　going　to　let　Scott　take　all　the　heat；　I　just　had　to　get　my　Cyclone　to　reconfigure；　battle　armor　or　not。　Trouble　was；　the　damn　thing　wouldn't　respond。　I　thumbed　the　switch　above　the　starter　button；　but　nothing　happened；　so　I　started　flipping　switches　left　and　right；　cursing　the　thing　for　being　so　obstinate。　Annie；　the　little　darling；　stood　by　me；　hands　behind　her　head；　taunting　me　and　telling　me　in　no　uncertain　terms　to　hurry　the　hell　up。　Of　course；　I　have　since　learned　that　that　is　precisely　what　you　don't　do　with　a　piece　of　mecha；　but　what　did　this　basically　backwoods　loner　know　about　mecha　then？　I　just　kept　jiggling　this；　pounding　that；　turning　the　other；　and　all　of　a　sudden　I　found　myself　flat　on　my　back　in　the　seat；　the　Cyclone　grotesquely　reconfigured；　with　both　wheels　behind　it　now；　its　nose　kissing　the　street。〃

〃Annie　was　kind　enough　not　to　laugh　in　my　face；　she　turned　aside　first。　And　I　did　something　brilliant…like　leap　off　the　cycle　and　try　to　place　kick　it　into　the　lake…which　only　resulted　in　an　injury　to　my　foot　to　match　the　one　already　sustained　by　my　pride。〃

〃But　now　Annie　was　shouting　and　pointing　up　at　something。　Scott；　in　full　battle　armor；　had　taken　to　the　buttressed　top　of　a　building　a　few　blocks　away。　One　minute　he　was　standing　there　like　some　sort　of　rooftop　Robostatue；　and　the　next　he　was　playing　dodge…the…plasma…Frisbees。　I　saw　him　drop　into　that　annihilation　disc　storm　and　execute　one　of　those　Bernard　bounces　that　carried　him　out　of　sight；　just　short　of　the　explosions　that　turned　the　building　into　a　chimney；　flames　roaring　up　from　its　blasted　roof；　black　parabolas　of　slagged　stuff　in　the　sky。〃

〃Meanwhile；　I　had　worked　through　my　frustration　and　managed　to　get　the　mecha　back　into　Cycle　mode。　Annie　still　wanted　to　know　why　the　thing　wouldn't　change。　I　started　to　explain　about　the　armor　and　‘thinking　cap；'　and　the　next　thing　I　knew　she　was　running　off　toward　the　causeway。〃

〃‘I'm　gonna　go　and　find　Ken　and　get　him　to　tell　me　once　and　for　all　why　he　went　and　sold　us　out　to　the　Invid！'　she　yelled　after　I　tried　to　get　her　to　stop。　'If　you　don't　like　it…tough！'〃

〃I　had　to　admit　that　I　was　thinking　along　those　very　same　lines；　but　Annie's　timing　left　a　lot　to　be　desired。　And　since　I　didn't　relish　the　thought　of　finding　that　pink　backpack　of　hers　dangling　from　a　bloody　pincer；　I　threw　the　Cyclone　into　gear　and　went　after　her。　I　reached　out；　and　she　swatted　my　hand　away；　telling　me　to　get　lost。　Angry　now；　I　decided　I　would　just　scoop　her　up　in　my　left　arm　and　put　an　end　to　the　foolishness；　but　I　misjudged　both　my　course　and　her　weight。　No　sooner　did　my　arm　go　around　her　waist　than　I　was　pulled　from　the　mecha。　Worse　still；　we　were　right　alongside　an　open　freight　elevator；　and　down　we　went；