05_force_of_arms-第48部分

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opened　her　arms；　cradling　his　head　to　her　breast。　Rick　hit　the　throttle；　and　his　VT　left　a　trail　of　blue　fire　across　the　sky。


Lisa　stared　up　through　her　window　at　the　rotting　hulk　of　the　SDF…1。　Beneath　it　was　a　thriving；　growing　city；　but　its　presence　put　everyone　in　mind　of　the　war。

〃Hmmph！　What　a　view！〃　As　a　morale　builder；　she　was　wearing　a　tight　blouse　with　a　high；　upturned　collar。　Every　once　in　a　while　she　permitted　herself　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　herself　in　a　full…length　mirror　there　in　her　quarters　and　admit；　not　bad！

The　SDF…1　wasn't　bad　to　look　at　either；　really。　The　more　so　because　the　SDF…2　would　be　lowered　into　place；　back　to　back　with　it；　in　another　day　or　so。　Lang　and　his　disciples　had　worked　out　some　way　to　move　the　sealed　enigmatic　engines　from　one　to　the　other。　Lisa　had　heard　the　briefings；　could　sort　of　understand　the　mathematics　Lang　scrawled　all　over　every　flat　surface　that　came　to　hand；　and　had　faith　in　him；　but　she　still　thought　her　new　assignment　was　an　unknown　quantity。

The　set　birred　for　her　attention。　She　picked　up　the　handset。　In　seconds　she　had　word　of　the　New　Portland　raid　from　Vanessa　and　was　hurrying　for　the　door。


Sunset　had　e；　and　a　freezing　rain；　as　the　Zentraedi　ransacked　New　Portland。　They　had　cut　a　swath　of　destruction　from　the　diminished　Lake　Oswego　to　the　once　great　Columbia　River。

The　pods　fired　and　devastated　without　mercy。　Local　militia　and　police　were　victims　just　like　the　civilians；　in　the　first　hours　of　their　rampage；　the　alien　malcontents　slew　over　four　hundred　men　and　women　of　assorted　constabularies；　police　departments；　and　guard　units。

They　set　buildings　afire　with　a　mere　brush　of　their　plastron　cannon；　they　trod　houses　and　people　flat　underneath　their　pods'　huge；　hooflike　feet。

Now　they　loomed；　three　abreast；　in　the　center　of　New　Portland　as　black　smoke　roiled　around　them　and　the　screams　of　the　dying　echoed　through　the　rain…washed　streets。　Blood　ran　in　the　gutters。

Down　from　the　night　swooped　the　VTs　of　Skull　Team　under　Ransom's　mand。　Robotechnology　made　them　all…weather　fighters；　as　dangerous　in　blackness　as　they　were　in　light。

〃Nobody　fires　unless　they　have　a　confirmed　target；　there're　civilians　down　there；〃　Ransom　said。

Just　then　New　Portland　came　into　view；　burning　like　a　skillet　of　molten　metal；　smoke　funneling　up　from　it　to　form　thickening　layers　that　threw　back　red　light。

Bobby　Bell　began；　〃My　God！　This　is　horrible…〃

〃Shut　up；　Sergeant；〃　Ransom　cut　him　off。　〃All　VTs　form　up　on　me。　Let's　get　down　there　and　stop　this　thing。　And　watch　your　fare！〃


Jeanette　LeClair　and　her　best　friend；　Sonya　Poulson；　ran　through　the　rain…slick　streets　of　New　Portland　hand　in　hand；　shivering　in　the　frigid　rain；　crying　for　the　loved　ones　who　had　died；　pulses　hammering　because　death　was　at　their　heels。　Jeanette's　birthday　a　month　before　had　made　her　eight　years　old；　Sonya's；　four　days　later；　had　brought　them　even。

Behind　them；　a　Zentraedi　Battlepod　stumped　around　the　corner；　kicking　a　traffic　light　through　a　brick　wall　and　snapping　power　lines；　then　turned　its　guns　on　them。

Jeanette　fell；　and　Sonya　wanted　to　keep　running　but　found　that　she　couldn't。　She　dashed　back　to　her　friend；　trying　to　help　her　up；　but　she　fell　instead；　and　the　two　of　them　sprawled　on　the　rain…washed　cobblestone　street　as　a　huge　round　metal　hoof　came　down　at　them。　They　wept；　held　each　other　close；　and　waited　to　die。

The　pod　paused　in　the　act　of　trampling　yet　more　victims。　The　armored；　lightbulb…shaped　torso　turned；　as　if　listening　to　something。　Jeanette　and　Sonya　could　hardly　know　that　it　was　receiving　an　urgent　message　from　one　of　its　fellows。

〃Warning！　Warning！　Enemy　fightercraft　approaching！　Form　up　to　take　defensive　action！〃

The　two　little　girls　looked　up　at　the　ridges　and　features　of　the　huge　hoof　and　realized　it　was　pulling　away。　In　moments；　the　pod　had　turned　and　grasshoppered　off　for　some　destination　they　couldn't　even　guess　at；　riding　its　foot　thrusters。

Moments　later；　thunder　came　down　through　the　sky　as　Skull　Team　VTs　arrived　at　full　throttle。　The　two　girls　helped　each　other　up。　Buildings　shook　and　windows　broke　to　the　sonic　boom　as　the　RDF　fighters　swept　in　vengefully。

The　girls'　voices　were　very　small　in　the　middle　of　all　that；　but　they　cheered　nonetheless。

The　pods　chose　straightforward　battle；　charging　out　in　a　group；　firing　the　primary　and　secondary　cannon　mounted　on　their　armored　chest　plastrons。

That　suited　Skull　Team　just　fine；　they　flew　down　through　the　intense　ground　fire　in　Guardian　mode；　like　eagles　for　the　kill；　gripping　their　chain…guns。

〃Let's　hit　'em；〃　Ransom　said。

〃Sure；　but　we've　gotta　lead　'em　away　from　the　city！〃　Bobby　Bell　yelled。

He　was　right；　and　the　formation　split　even　while　it　exchanged　fire　with　the　rampaging　pods。　The　Guardians　turned　back；　and　the　pods；　firing　with　every　gun；　rocketed　and　kangaroo…hopped　after。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…FIVE

For　the　Zentraedi；　peaceful　life　and　a　disengagement　from　their　warlike　culture　was；　after　all；　a　profound　struggle；　a　sort　of　sublimating　battle　into；　which　they　could　hurl　themselves。　For　a　time　they　were　content　with　it；　as　they　were　content　with　any　other　conflict。
Is　it　any　wonder；　though；　that　with　the　battle　won；　so　many　of　them　began　to　fall　prey　to　a　frustrated　restlessness？　The　fight　for　peace　can　be　a　noble　one；　but　as　history　and　legend　tell　us；　the　warrior…born　should　beware　the　disaster　of　total　victory。
And　so　should　those　about　him。
Zeitgeist；　Alien　Psychology

In　the　foothills　at　the　outskirts　of　New　Portland；　the　VTs　stopped　running　and　the　mecha　clashed　in　earnest。

Almost　by　instinct；　the　pods　came　abreast　to　set　up　a　firing　line。　The　Guardians　dove　at　them；　and　the　bluewhite　lances　of　energy　beams　jousted　against　streams　of　high…density　slugs　lit　by　tracers。

A　concentrated　salvo　of　alien　cannon　fire　took　off　the　left　arm　of　Ransom's　Guardian。　〃These　dudes　really　wanna　fight；〃　he　said　grimly。　He　looped；　trying　to　manage　the　damage；　and　unleashed　a　spread　of　Stilettos　at　them。

No　more　tromping　on　little　girls；　bozos！　Let's　see　you　pick　on　somebody　your　own　size！


〃This　could　be　defined　as　dereliction　of　duty；　mander；〃　Lisa's　voice　said　in　Rick's　ear。

〃What're　you　talking　about？〃

〃Where　were　you？〃　she　said　icily。

〃Uh；　on　recon。〃　Guilt　made　him　snappish。　〃It's　within　mission　guidelines。　Why；　any　objections？〃

Back　in　the　mand　center；　she　looked　down　at　the　latest　satnet　locater　profiles　of　military　aircraft。　He　had　been　grounded　at　the　edge　of。　Granite　City。　No　surprise。

〃I　object　when　you　jeopardize　the　lives　of　the　men　under　your　mand；　Hunter。〃

He　couldn't　help　it；　the　accumulated　experiences　of　the　day　just　made　him　lose　control　as　no　cool；　petent　bat　flier　is　supposed　to。　〃What's　your　goddamn　problem；　Lisa？〃

〃Your　men　are　in　bat；　and　you're　supposed　to　be　leading　them；　you　unutterable　moron！〃　she　yelled　into　the　mike；　then　snapped　it　off。

Well；　there。　They　had　had　a　grand　argument　over　a　mand　mo　net　about　everything　except　what　was　really　driving　them　apart。　What　satisfaction。

She　stalked　away　from　the　mo　console。　〃Oh；　that　man。〃


〃Take　cover；　take　cover；〃　chanted　Vanessa　in　a　whisper　to　the　rest　of　the　Terri