10_invid_invasion-第14部分

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〃A　figure　in　red　Cyclone　battle　armor　launched　itself　across　the　lake　and　came　down　at　the　end　of　the　street；　hopping　in　for　a　rescue；　dodging　one；　two；　then　three　explosive　blasts　from　the　Invid　Shock　Trooper。　I　saw　the　soldier　return　fire　from　the　rifle/cannon　portion　of　the　armor's　right　arm　and　heard　the　Invid　take　a　direct　hit　and　e　apart。〃

〃The　soldier　put　down　behind　me　as　I　rolled　over；　Annie　oohing　and　ahhing　nearby；　just　in　time　to　see　Scott　appear　at　the　other　end　of　the　street　with　three　Invid　on　his　tail。　He　dropped　one　for　the　crowd　and　took　off　out　of　sight；　the　other　two　closing　on　him。　I　got　up；　hand　shielding　my　eyes；　and　tried　to　follow　the　fight。　Overhead　now；　Scott　blasted　a　second　Invid；　then　swooped　in　low　and　ass…backward　to　finish　off　the　last。　I　saw　him　sight　in　on　the　Trooper；　then　loose　the　shot。　It　tore　into　one　of　the　Invid's　hemispheric　cranial　protrusions；　loosing　fire　and　smoke　from　the　hole。〃

〃Scott　was　thrown　backward　by　the　missile's　kick　and　landed　on　his　butt　not　ten　feet　in　front　of　us…Annie；　me；　and　the　mysterious　red　Cycloner。　The　Invid　came　in　on　residuals；　mimicking　Scott's　undignified　approach　with　one　of　its　own；　and　immediately　fell　face　forward　to　the　street；　a　sickly　green　fluid　spewing　from　its　wound；　its　outstretched　pincer　trapping　and　nearly　mincing　poor　Annie。　Scott　had　explained　that　the　fluid　was　a　kind　of　nutrient　derived　from　the　Flowers　of　Life；　but　I　had　yet　to　see　exactly　what　it　was　that　the　stuff　was　keeping　alive！　Scott；　his　faceshield　raised；　turned　to　thank　the　red　who　had　e　to　our　aid。　But　it　was　obvious　he　had　seen　something　I　hadn't；　because　he　stopped　in　midsentence；　as　though　questioning　what　he　was　seeing。〃

〃And　Red　bounded　off　without　a　word。〃

〃At　the　same　time；　Annie　was　crying　for　help；　and　Scott　went　over　to　her；　lifting　the　pincer　enough　to　allow　the　pale　and　shaken　kid　to　crawl　free。　What　a　picture　she　made；　kneeling　there　in　the　dirt；　tears　cascading　down　her　face；　her　torn　jumpsuit　hanging　off　her　shoulders。〃

〃‘I'm　so　sorry；'　she　wailed。　‘This　is　all　my　fault。'〃

〃Scott　didn't　say　anything；　he　simply　walked　over　to　the　fallen　Invid　and　regarded　it…analytically；　I　thought；　as　though　he　had　seen　those　things　bleed　before。〃

〃I　was　sitting　on　the　engine　cover　of　my　overturned　Cyclone　feeling　twenty　years　older　and　wondering　what　had　happened　to　solo　riding。〃

〃‘We　did　what　we　could；'　I　told　Scott。　‘But　it　just　wasn't　enough。'〃

〃Annie　said；　‘Now　what　are　we　going　to　do；　Rand？'〃

〃And　Scott　and　I　exchanged　looks；　remembering　Ken　and　the　other　island。。。〃


〃We　found　Annie's　knapsack；　and　I　did　what　I　could　to　sew　up　the　tear　in　her　jumpsuit。　The　causeway　had　been　reextended　to　plete　the　span　between　the　islands；　Scott　figured　that　Ken　and　the　others　had　heard　the　explosions　and　realized　they　were　going　to　have　to　deal　with　us　one　way　or　another。　This　was　pretty　much　the　case。　Ken　said；　‘I'm　glad　you　made　it；'　when　he　saw　us　cycle　in。　But　Annie　wasn't　buying　it；　she　leaped　off　the　rear　seat；　even　before　I　had　brought　the　Cyclone　to　a　halt；　and　whacked　Ken　across　the　face　forcefully　enough　to　spin　him　around。　He　gave　us　a　brief　over…the…shoulder　look　and　decided　he　had　better　take　it　or　he　would　have　us　ing　down　on　him　as　well。

〃He　asked　Annie　to　forgive　him；　and　frankly；　I　was　surprised　by　the　sincerity　he　managed　to　dredge　up。　‘I　only　did　it　to　save　the　others；'　he　explained。　'If　we　stood　up　to　the　Invid；　all　the　people　in　Laako　would　suffer　for　it。　The　way　things　are；　we　get　by　all　right。'〃

〃Fire　in　his　eyes；　Scott　dismounted；　took　off　his　helmet；　and　walked　over　to　Ken。　‘So　you　feed　potential　troublemakers　to　the　Invid　to　save　your　own　skins；'　he　growled。〃

〃I'm　not　sure　what　would　have　happened　next　if　a　crowd　of　Laako's　citizenry　hadn't　appeared。〃

〃‘You　got　that　right；　soldier！'　their　leader　told　Scott。〃

〃They　were　only　a　dozen　strong；　men；　women；　and　children；　and　they　were　unarmed；　but　there　was　an　attitude　of　defiance　about　them　that　rattled　us。　The　rest　of　the　audience　was　glaring　down　at　us　from　their　cells　in　those　shells　of　buildings。〃

〃‘You've　got　to　leave　here！'　the　man　continued。　‘I'm　sorry；　but　we　don't　want　any　soldiers　in　this　town。　So　get　out…now！'〃

〃I　had　to　hand　it　to　the　guy。　He　wasn't　especially　large　or　well　built；　and　his　glasses　and　workman's　blues　gave　him　a　kind　of　paternal　look；　but　here　he　was　standing　up　to　an　offworlder　in　Cyclone　battle　armor。　I　thought　Scott　would　take　the　poor　man　apart；　instead；　I　heard　him　laugh。〃

〃‘Well；　was　it　something　we　said？'　Scott　asked。〃

〃‘There　is　nothing　funny　about　the　situation；　young　man；'　the　man　responded　angrily。　‘I　am　in　deadly　earnest。　Nobody　here　even　wanted　your　Robotech　Expeditionary　Mission　to　begin　with；　and　if　it　wasn't　for　you　soldiers；　this　planet　would　still　be　living　in　peace！　Now；　get　out！　Save　your　rescues　for　somewhere　else！'〃

〃I　winced　at　hearing　this；　knowing　the　man　had　gone　too　far。　Scott　stepped　into　the　guy's　face；　shouting　back：　‘Why　you。。。Don't　you　realize　that　without　any　kind　of　resistance；　you've　got　no　hope？！'〃

〃‘We　know；'　Ken　chimed　in　from　behind　Scott。　‘But　we　still　want　you　to　leave。'〃

〃‘Terrific；'　Scott　snarled。　‘You're　going　to　sit　back　and　relax　and　let　the　Invid　rule　over　you　and　the　entire　planet…'〃

〃'Fighting　the　Invid　will　aggravate　the　whole　situation！'　the　crowd　leader　interrupted。　‘All　we　want　is　a　peaceful　life。　What　difference　does　it　make　who's　at　the　top…some　corrupt　Council　or　the　Invid？　There's　no　such　thing　as　freedom！'〃

〃The　man　must　have　caught　a　whiff　of　his　own　words；　because　all　of　a　sudden　he　was　soft…spoken　and　rational。　‘Look；　anybody　who　hasn't　seen　it　our　way　has　already　left。　So　will　you　please　go？'〃

〃I　had　heard　the　same　speech　so　often　that　I　hardly　paid　any　attention　to　it；　but　you　just　didn't　go　throwing　the　reality　of　the　situation　into　the　face　of　a　guy　who　had　e　halfway　across　the　galaxy　to　fight　your　battles　for　you。　Before　I　could　open　my　mouth；　Scott　had　grabbed　the　guy　by　the　shirtfront　and　was　ready　to　split　his　head　open。〃

〃I　told　Scott　to　leave　him　alone。　After　all；　in　their　own　way　they　were　right：　They　had　peaceful　lives；　even　without　the　so…called　freedoms　that　were　so　important　thirty　years　ago。　Besides；　nothing　Scott　or　I　could　say　or　do　was　going　to　change　the　way　they　felt。〃

〃‘Look　around　you；'　I　told　Scott。〃

〃He　did；　and　the　truth　of　it　seemed　to　sink　in　some。　He　shoved　the　man　aside　and　spat　in　the　street。　‘I　don't　believe　what　I'm　witnessing　here；'　he　rebuked　the　crowd。　‘You　people　make　me　sick！　You　think　I'm　the　only　one　fighting　the　Invid？　Well；　there　are　plenty　of　others。　People　who　aren't　ready　to　roll　over　and　play　dead；　understand？'〃

〃The　crowd　looked　at　him　pityingly。　He　donned　his　helmet；　mounted　the　Cyclone；　and　took　off　without　a　word　to　any　of　us。〃

〃I　felt　that　I　had　to　back　Scott　up　and　made　some　kind　of　silly　speech　about　selling　out　strangers；　but　it　all　fell　on　deaf　ears。　Except　Annie's。〃

〃‘That　goes　for　me；　too；'　she　told　the　crowd。　‘I　wouldn't　want　to　live　in　this　rotten　town　anyway。'　With　that；　she　threw　herself　onto　the　cycle's　rear　seat　and　told　me　to　‘let　'er　rip。'〃

〃Annie　hugged　herself　to　me　f