10_invid_invasion-第16章

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　shouted　over　his　shoulder。

Scott　realized　that　the　land　dropped　away　sharply　up　ahead；　but　he　couldn't　discern　just　how　high　they　were　above　the　lower　terrace。　Lancer　was　cutting　their　forward　speed　as　they　approached　the　ledge。　Scott　leaned　in　to　ask　him　how　he　planned　to　negotiate　the　jump。　But　all　at　once　Lancer　threw　his　arms　straight　up　and　was　gone。

Instinctively；　Scott　grabbed　hold　of　the　handlebar　controls　and　saved　the　mecha　from　overturning。　He　looked　over　his　shoulder　and　saw　Lancer　squatting　on　the　overhanging　branch　he　had　swung　himself　to；　smiling　and　waving　Scott　off。　Scott　was　impressed。　It　had　been　one　heck　of　a　gymnastic　feat。　But　neither　of　them　was　in　the　clear　yet。　An　Invid　Trooper　broke　through　the　woods　and　began　to　open　up　with　disc　fire。　Lancer　executed　a　Tarzan　leap　from　the　tree　and　disappeared　into　the　undergrowth。　Scott　lowered　his　head　to　the　rush　of　the　wind　and　goosed　the　cycle。　But　the　cliff　face　was　close　now；　closer　than　he　had　realized；　and　an　instant　later　he　was　sailing　into　blue　skies　above　the　treetops。　He　lost　the　Cyclone　and　plummeted　on　his　own；　no　one　to　catch　him　or　take　note　of　his　alarmed　cry。。。

Elsewhere；　Lancer　had　worked　his　way　back　toward　the　rest　of　the　team。　He　literally　ran　into　them　not　a　mile　from　where　he　had　put　Scott　in　charge　of　the　Cyclone。　They　had　three　Invid　Troopers　behind　them；　devastating　the　forests　with　sporadic　sprays　of　fire。　Lancer　took　the　point　and　led　them　along　the　same　path　he　and　Scott　had　Cycloned　not　an　hour　before。　Twilight　was　giving　way　to　darkness　now；　and　Invid　cannon　sounds　and　annihilation　discs　lent　a　hellish　atmosphere　to　the　scene。

Once　again　the　Troopers　succeeded　in　boxing　them　in；　and　once　again　Rook；　Lunk；　Annie；　and　Rand　yelled　good…byes　to　one　another　while　explosions　rained　leaves　and　forest　carpet　all　over　the　place。　But　Scott　turned　the　tide。　He　had　survived　his　plunge　into　the　trees　and　made　his　way　to　the　concealed　Veritech。　The　Invid　Pincer　ship；　as　he　explained　later；　was　history。

Now　the　Alpha　came　tearing　into　the　woods　and　took　out　the　Trooper　whose　cannons　were　ranging　in　on　the　team。　Then　Scott　launched　the　VT　straight　up　into　the　starry　skies；　reconfiguring　to　Battloid　at　the　top　of　his　booster　climb　and　bringing　out　the　mecha's　rifle/cannon　to　deal　with　his　pursuers。　Two　more　Troopers　fell　to　the　Alpha's　storm；　but　a　third　managed　to　work　its　way　in　close　enough　to　inflict　a　pincer　swipe　that　brought　Scott　tumbling　back　to　the　woods。

The　Trooper　roared　into　a　long　sweeping　turn　and　headed　back　in　on　the　downed　Battloid。　Inside；　Scott　shook　himself　to　clear　his　head　and　ran　through　a　rapid　assessment　of　his　options　as　he　brought　the　techno…knight　to　its　feet。　The　mecha's　external　pickups　brought　the　team's　cries　of　warning　into　the　cockpit；　especially　Annie's　high…pitched：　〃Behind　you；　Scott！　Behind　you！〃

Scott　thought　the　Battloid　through　a　quick　about…face　in　time　to　see　the　approaching　Trooper。　He　reached　for　the　launch…tube　cover　levers。　The　Invid　fired　first；　blazing　discs　spinning　and　twisting　out　of　the　cannon　muzzles。　But　Scott's　aim　was　surer：　Red…tipped　heat…seeking　missiles　ripped　from　the　Battloid's　shoulder　partments　and　homed　in　on　the　Invid's　dark　form；　detonating　against　pincers　and　torso　alike；　and　giving　brief　life　to　a　blinding　fireball；　a　brilliant　orange　midnight　sun。


CHAPTER　EIGHT

Most　mentators　overlook　the　fact　that　Lancer　was　a　singer　long　before　he　was　a　freedom　fighter；　and　a　crossdresser　long　before　a　Yellow　Dancer。　But　he　was　first　and　foremost　an　actor…malleable；　dramatic；　and　narcissistic。　And　while　it's　true　that　he　can　be　linked　to　certain　literary　traditions　wherein　heroes　carried　out　their　crusades　under　the　guise　of　fops　and　other　fabulous　fools；　Lancer　was　no　Scarlet　Pimpernel　or　ic　Zorro：　He　was　a　fox　of　an　entirety　different　order。
Zeus　Bellow；　The　Road　to　Reflex　Point

Prior　to　Zor's　arrival　on　Optera；　it　was　the　Flower　of　Life　that　held　the　central　place　in　the　Invid's　naturalistic　pantheon。　But　that　was　no　longer　the　case。　They　were　aggressive　species　now　every　bit　as　warlike　as　the　Tirolian　Masters　who　defoliated　Optera。　And　they　worshipped　Protoculture；　the　bio…energetic　by…product　Zor　had　coaxed　from　the　Flowers　themselves。　They　continued　to　subsist　on　the　Flowers　their　captive　Human　population　planted　and　harvested；　but　it　was　Protoculture　that　fueled　the　army　of　mecha　which　kept　that　enterprise　running　smoothly　and　without　incident。　Indeed；　it　could　be　said　that　the　Invid　themselves　had　bee　more　dependent　on　Zor's　discovery　than　the　Robotech　Masters　ever　were。

Enormous　amounts　of　Protoculture　were　required　to　oversee　and　maintain　Earth's　diverse　population　centers　and　to　put　down　uprisings　and　revolts　in　the　farms　and　factories。　（Exedore　would　have　been　chagrinned　to　learn　that　the　Invid　had　found　their　own　way　to　manufacture　Protoculture　without　having　to　resort　to　the　matrix　device　that　had　figured　so　prominently　in　the　First　and　Second　Robotech　Wars。）　These　reserves；　fashioned　by　Human　hands　into　individual　energy　canisters　suitable　for　Invid　and　Terran　mecha　alike；　were　stored　in　scores　of　warehouses　across　the　globe　and　guarded　by　Humans　〃sympathetic〃　to　the　Invid's　purpose。　The　privileges　enjoyed　by　these　sympathizers　varied；　sometimes　hostages　were　taken　to　assure　allegiance；　while　on　other　occasions　outlaws　and　petty　powerbrokers　were　given　charge。　Towns　and　cities　bartered　with　the　Invid　overlords　for　simple　freedoms：　the　right　to　enjoy　a　semblance　of　normal　life　in　exchange　for　snooping　out　resistance　groups　or　seeing　to　it　that　Protoculture　cells　did　not　fall　into　the　wrong　hands。　Often　the　Invid　allowed　those　in　charge　before　the　invasion　to　keep　their　lofty　positions；　except　that　there　was　a　new　authority　to　answer　to…the　Regis　and　her　legions　of　territorial　supervisors　who　dealt　directly　with　their　underlings。

Lancer　explained　some　of　this　to　Scott　while　the　team　licked　its　wounds　after　their　encounter　with　the　Troopers。　Even　though　the　episode　had　consisted　largely　in　their　outrunning　the　Invid；　it　had　nevertheless　served　to　unite　the　members　of　the　team　and　instill　in　each　of　them　a　confidence　that　hadn't　been　there　two　days　before。　They　were　now　beginning　to　understand　and　accept　each　other's　strengths　and　weaknesses；　and　they　were　learning　to　trust　one　another　as　well。　Without　any　formal　vote　or　voiced　acknowledgment；　Scott　surfaced　as　the　leader；　which　was　only　right　given　his　training　and　resoluteness。　Lunk　was　something　of　a　sergeant　to　Scott's　lieutenant；　Annie；　everything　from　den　mother　to　mascot。　Rook　still　held　herself　separate；　but　could　always　be　counted　on　for　her　instinctive　bat　sense。　And　Rand　was　their　backwoods　provider；　fishing　and　hunting　when　he　wasn't　sitting　under　a　tree　scribbling　notes　to　himself。　That　left　only　Lancer。

Scott　still　had　misgivings　about　the　man；　but　as　he　listened　to　Lancer's　detailed　account　of　the　Invid　infrastructure　and　occupation　techniques；　he　began　to　see　him　in　a　new　light。　The　female…singer　ploy　had　yet　to　be　explained；　but　it　was　obvious　from　Lancer's　report　that　the　adopted　persona　of　Yellow　Dancer　had　opened　many　doors　to　him。　He　would　discuss　his　former　ties　with　the　resistance　only　in　a　vague　way；　but　Scott　understood　that　his　contacts　were　as　numerous　as　his　information　was　exhaustive。

The　team　had　retrieved　the　two　other　Cyclones　from　where　they　had　left　them　in　the　grass　and　spent　three　days　in　the　river　gorge　dining　on　pit　roasted　fish；　recuperating；　and　planning　the　next　move　in　their　northward　journey。　They　were　careful　about　using　the　mecha　now；　convinced　that　Rand's　theory　was　correct。　Most　of　the　time　the　Invid　Scouts　and　Troopers　were　operating　in　a　kind　of　background　net　of　Protoculture　emanations　and　couldn't　home　in　on　any　one　source。　But　when　they　were　engaged　in　a　particular　search；　their　senses　were　more　acute　at　screening　out　the　random　waves　from　the　usually　nearby　active　ones。　In　any　case；　it　was　a　moot　point　at　the　moment；　the　Alpha　was　depleted　of　charge；　and　there　was　scarcely　enough　left　in　the　Cyclones　to　power　them；　let　alone　reconfigure　or　fire　them。

That's　where　Norristown　entered　the　picture。　Located　somewhat　east　of　their　present　route；　it　was　one　of　the　Southland's　largest　cities；　transplanted　like　so　many　others　from　the　devastated　north　during　the　reign　of　Chairman　Moran　and　the　formation　of　the　Army　of　the　Southern　Cross。　The　city　had　prospered　throughout　and　boasted　one　of　the　continent's　few　surviving　sports　arenas。　But　most　important；　it　was　the　site　of　one　of　the　Invid's　Protoculture　storage　facilities；　a　heavily　fortified　castle　（constructed　years　ago　in　the　Hollywood　style）　that　overlooked　the　city。

Lancer　had　a　map　of　the　place。

And　a　rather　ingenious　plan。


Less　than　a　week　later；　Rook　and　Annie　were　on　one　of　the　roads　leading　into　Norristown。　They　made　an　interesting　picture…the　blonde　in　her　red　and　white　bodysuit　leaning　almost　casually　against　the　parked　Cyclone　and　Annie　in　her　military　greens　and　ever…present　cap　perched　on　the　seat　like　some　diminutive　ornament。　Not　five　miles　away　was　the　city　itself；　a　tight　cluster　of　buildings　surrounded　by　forest；　with　Drumstick　Butte　and　the　hulks　of　two　Zentraedi　ships　casting　their　giant　shadows　from　behind。　The　Protoculture　storage　facility　could　be　discerned　at　the　foot　of　the　oddly　shaped；　topheavy　butte；　linked　to　the　city　below　a　well…maintained　switchbacked　roadway。

Rook　straightened　up　at　the　sound　of　an　approaching　vehicle　and　glanced　over　at　Annie；　the　youngster　nodded　and　hopped　down　from　the　Cyclone's　seat　to　stand　alongside　her　traffic…stopping　teammate。　Up　the　road　a　truck　came　into　view；　and　Rook　threw　the　driver　a　playful　wink　and　raised　her　thumb　in　a　hitchhiker's　gesture。　Innocently　and　with　well…rehearsed　bashfulness；　Annie　pressed　her　forefingers　together　and　called　for　the　driver　to　stop　and　lend　a　hand。

The　driver　halted　the　truck　and　climbed　down　from　the　cab；　taking　in　a　long　eyeful　of　the　two　marooned　girls　and　their　red　Cyclone。　He　bent　down　to　inspect　the　mecha；　plimenting　them　on　the　fine　condition　of　the　thing；　but　was　sad　to　report　that　they　were　out　of　Protoculture　fuel。　This　was　so　mon　an　occurrence　that　the　driver　scarcely　gave　it　a　second　thought；　anyone　might　stumble　upon　some　wonderful　specimen　of　aged　Robotechnology　only　to　e　to　think　of　it　as　a　worthless　piece　of　junk　when　the　all　but　irreplaceable　Protoculture　energy　cells　were　depleted。　True；　there　was　a　black　market；　but　it　was　one　that　few　people　had　access　to。　Between　the　needs　of　the　Invid；　the　resistance；　and　your　everyday　'Culture　hounds；　Protoculture　had　bee　a　priceless　modity。

〃We　were　hoping　you　could　fix　it；〃　Annie　said　to　the　truck　driver。　〃We're　on　our　way　to　the　Yellow　Dancer　concert　in　Norristown。〃

The　driver　smiled　up　at　her。　〃Not　without　Protoculture。　There's　nothing　I　can　do。〃

〃Hey；　mister；〃　Rook　said　suddenly；　as　if　noticing　the　driver's　Invid…occupation　double…C　hard…hat　emblem　for　the　first　time。　〃You're　from　the　storage　facility；　aren't　you　？〃

〃So？〃　the　man　answered；　wary　now。

〃Couldn't　you　spare　us　some？〃　Annie　asked；　leaning　over　the　Cyclone's　seat。

The　man　snorted。　〃What're　you；　nuts；　kid？　If　anyone　found　out　I'd　shared　my　rations；　I'd　be　in