10_invid_invasion-第26章

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Robotechnology。　The　Cyclones　had　been　rolled　into　a　corner　and　covered　over　with　a　couple　of　mildewed　canvas　tarps。

Lancer；　Rook；　and　Rand　headed　straight　for　their　machines；　activated　them；　and　rode　off　to　the　sound　of　the　guns。　Annie　and　Lunk　wished　them　luck　and　watched　as　the　Cyclones　reconfigured　to　Battle　Armor　mode。　Lunk　was　heading　back　to　the　van　when　he　heard　his　name　called。　It　was　Pedro；　looking　somewhat　sheepish　and　conciliatory。

〃Lunk；　you're　determined　to　go　through　with　this？〃

Lunk　gestured　to　the　by…now…distant　Cyclones　and　said　harshly；　〃That　oughta　answer　your　question。〃

Pedro　nodded　sullenly。　〃Then　there's　something　I　want　you　to　see；〃　he　said；　leading　Lunk　back　into　the　barn。　Inside；　he　motioned　to　an　object　concealed　under　a　nylon　cloth　and　pulled　the　cover　away。

〃I　want　you　to　have　this。〃

Lunk　knew　it　by　its　slang　term…a　〃Stinger〃…a　lightweight　autocannon　no　larger　than　a　turn…of…the…century　M…70　machine　gun　that　ran　on　Protoculture　and　delivered　piercing　bursts　of　Reflex　firepower。　Stingers　were　the　weapon　of　choice　for　the　resistance　early　on；　but　with　the　Invid's　control　of　Protoculture；　the　weapon　had　passed　quickly　into　disuse。　This　one　looked　as　though　it　had　never　been　fired；　but　it　hadn't　been　well　cared　for　either。

〃This　was　given　to　our　town　by　a　group　of　freedom　fighters；〃　Pedro　began　to　explain　while　Lunk　inspected　the　gun。　〃Before　I　was　mayor；　when。。。Nader　was　alive。〃　Lunk　straightened　up　at　the　mention　of　the　name。

Pedro's　voice　took　on　a　harder　edge。　〃But　Nader　didn't　want　it　used。　He　actually　believed　we　could　make　a　separate　peace　with　the　Invid　and　hid　the　gun；　afraid　that　fighting　back　would　end　in　death　for　all　of　us。　But　many　of　the　townspeople　misinterpreted　his　concern；　they　accused　him　of　cowardice　and　worse。　When　he　still　wouldn't　reveal　where　he　had　hidden　the　thing。。。they　beat　him　to　death。　They　burned　his　home；　they。。。〃

Lunk　saw　that　Pedro　was　sobbing。　〃So　that's　your　dirty　little　secret。。。the　reason　why　those　men　attacked　us。　You're　all　ashamed　of　what　happened　here。〃

Pedro　nodded。　〃May　God　have　mercy　on　us。　By　the　time　we　found　the　gun；　it　was　too　late　to　do　anything。　The　Invid　had　overrun　everything。〃

〃And　now　you're　the　one　who　feels　responsible　for　this　place。　You've　inherited　Nader's　legacy。〃

〃You　could　say　that。〃

Lunk's　hard　look　softened。　〃Pedro；　maybe　I've　misjudged　you。〃

〃And　I；　you；〃　returned　the　mayor。　〃A　mon　enough　mistake　these　days。〃


Out　on　the　flats　things　were　looking　grim　for　Scott　and　the　team。　The　arrival　of　the　Cyclones　had　taken　the　pressure　off　him　to　some　extent；　but　the　Invid　still　outnumbered　them　three　to　one。

Shock　Troopers　again。　Scott　wasn't　sure　why　they　had　showed　up。　It　was　possible　that　one　of　the　Scouts　they　had　tangled　with　earlier　had　gotten　away。　He　had　seen　the　first　of　the　Troopers　just　as　the　team　had　been　entering　Roca　Negra　and　had　doubled　back　to　deal　with　it。　But　on　the　tail　of　the　first　came　a　second；　then　a　third　and　a　fourth；　and　before　Scott　knew　it；　he　was　in　the　midst　of　a　full　contingent　of　Pincer　units。

He　dropped　the　Alpha　in　for　a　release　run　now；　going　after　three　grounded　Invid　who　had　pinned　down　Rook　and　Rand　with　cannon　fire。　The　already　cratered　and　fused　terrain　was　being　torn　up　by　annihilation　discs；　the　air　above　superheated　and　crosshatched　by　missile　tracks　launched　from　the　Cyclones'　forearm　tubes。　Scott　loosed　a　flock　of　heat…seekers　at　the　bottom　of　his　dive　and　climbed　sharply；　looking　back　over　his　right　shoulder　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　results　of　his　run。　Two　Invid　ships　were　flaming　wrecks；　collapsed　and　bleeding　green　nutrient。　Another　was　badly　damaged　but　still　on　its　feet；　one　of　its　pincers　blown　away。

Scott　swung　his　head　as　he　thought　the　Alpha　through　a　roll　and　saw　Lunk's　van　streaking　across　the　sands；　seemingly　on　a　collision　course　with　three　more　Invid　ships。　Alert　to　the　van's　approach；　the　Troopers　lifted　off；　forming　up　in　a　triangular　pattern　to　deal　with　it。

But　in　a　moment　it　was　obvious　that　they　had　misjudged　Lunk。

Scott　caught　sight　of　a　brilliant　flash　at　the　front　of　the　van　an　instant　before　one　of　the　ships　exploded　in　midair。　A　second　flash　and　another　Invid　was　blown　to　pieces。　Scott　realized　that　Lunk　had　mounted　some　sort　of　cannon　to　the　van。　Apparently　the　Invid　also　recognized　the　weapon；　because　they　were　suddenly　giving　the　van　a　wide　berth。　Rook；　Rand；　and　Lancer　took　advantage　of　the　opportunity　to　deal　out　death　blows　of　their　own；　managing　to　fell　two　additional　Troopers　with　precision　shots　to　the　ships'　optic　scanners。

Scott　smiled　broadly　and　uttered　a　short；　triumphant　cry　to　the　skies　outside　the　Alpha's　canopy。　Not　only　had　they　cut　the　odds；　they　had　won　the　battle。

The　remaining　Invid　were　actually　turning　tail　and　fleeing　the　area！

It　was　the　first　time　Scott　had　ever　seen　them　retreat。


Lunk　returned　to　Roca　Negra　alone。　He　had　a　longer　talk　with　Pedro　and　Josh　about　Alfred　Nader。　Both　men　had　known　Nader's　son；　Lunk's　friend；　and　were　sorry　to　hear　that　he　had　been　killed。

The　battle　on　the　flats　hadn't　affected　the　rest　of　the　town's　attitude　toward　Lunk；　but　he　understood　this　and　pitied　them　the　cross　they　had　to　bear。　He　had　his　own；　and　the　emotional　weight　of　it　hadn't　been　lessened　any　by　this　brief　stop　at　Roca　Negra。　In　fact；　he　felt　even　more　confused　than　before。　Would　Nader　have　turned　out　to　be　a　sympathizer　in　the　end？　Would　his　town　have　been　just　another　place　where　the　people　were　too　busy　maintaining　their　separate　peace　to　rally　to　the　cause　of　a　greater　one？

Lunk　spent　some　private　time　at　what　had　once　been　Nader's　ranch；　picking　up　ripened　olives　from　the　tree　and　drinking　cool　water　from　the　well。　Lunk　kept　the　book。　More　than　the　object　of　a　promise　now；　it　had　bee　a　symbol　of　confusion；　of　mistrust　and　treachery。。。markings　engraved　upon　Earth's　tortured　and　embattled　landscape　and　upon　the　very　fabric　of　Human　life。


CHAPTER　FOURTEEN

Psychohistorian　Adler　Ripple　traces　Jonathan　Wolff's　treachery　to　his　illicit　affair　with　Lynn…Minmei。　He　had　met　her　on　Little　Luna　（the　Robotech　factory　satellite）；　during　the　Hunters'　wedding　and　fallen　in　love　with　her　while　the　two　of　them　were；　for　all　intents　and　purposes；　stranded　on　Tirol。　It's　likely　they　would　have　married　had　the　Sentinels　not　e　between　them。　（Minmei　had　vowed　to　steer　clear　of　soldiers　after　her　brief　and　disastrous　fling　with　Rick　Hunter。　Ironically；　she　caught　the　bridal　bouquet　at　Hunter's　wedding　and　in　a　sense　felt　destined　to　marry　Wolff。　The　subsequent　degradation　she　fell　into　can　be　attributed　in　part　to　her　learning　about　the　wife　and　child　Wolff　had　left　behind　on　Earth。）　Ripple　asserts　that　Wolff's　decision　to　return　to　Earth　was　motivated　by　the　broken　engagement　with　Lynn…Minmei。　Wolff　was　suddenly　convinced　that　he　could　take　up　where　he　had　left　off　with　the　family　he　had　abandoned。　When　that　didn't　occur；　he　turned　to　drink　and　drugs　and　embarked　on　a　campaign　of　self…destruction。　（Information　that　has　only　recently　e　to　light　suggests　that　Wolff　also　had　a　brief　affair　with　Dana　Sterling…the　daughter　of　Max　and　Miriya；　who　took　Wolff's　ship　back　into　space　with　the　hyperdrive　perfected　by　her　former　Southern　Cross　rade；　Dr。　Louie　Nichols…and　that　Wolff　had　learned　the　Invid　were　holding　hostage　both　his　wife　Catherine　and　his　son　Johnny。）
Selig　Kahler；　The　Tirolian　Campaign

A　week　of　hard　riding　brought　dramatic　changes　in　both　the　terrain　and　the　social　climate　of　the　settlements　the　team　passed　through。　The　land　was　thickly　forested　except　where　it　had　been　cleared　for　farm　cooperatives　and　villages。　The　road　system　was　well　maintained；　and　food　and　supplies　were　readily　available。　Lunk　knew　the　reason　for　this：　They　were　approaching　one　of　the　Invid's　so…called　Protoculture　farms；　where　Human　laborers　were　forced　to　toil　endlessly　in　vast　gardens；　maintaining　and　harvesting　the　aliens'　nutrient　plant；　the　Flower　of　Life。　But　where　the　team　had　expected　to　encounter　armies　of　Scouts　and　Troopers；　they　found　none；　and　in　place　of　a　downtrodden　populace；　they　found　people　in　a　celebratory　mood。　The　Invid　were　said　to　have　stopped　their　patrols　a　little　over　a　month　ago；　and　there　were　rumors　to　the　effect　that　this　had　something　to　do　with　the　arrival　of　a　platoon　of　Robotech　soldiers　who　were　currently　engaged　in　an　assault　on　the　Protoculture　farm　itself。

Scott　was　certain　this　unit　was　posed　of　men　and　women　from　the　Mars　Division　attack　wing。　One　of　the　predesignated　rendezvous　points　set　up　by　the　mission　mander　was　located　some　five　hundred　miles　north　of　the　team's　present　coordinates；　and　it　was　likely　that　a　splinter　group　from　the　main　force　had　moved　south　to　engage　the　Invid　at　the　farm。　Scott　was　tempted　to　take　the　Alpha　north　to　see　for　himself；　but　his　sense　of　loyalty　wouldn't　permit　leaving　his　friends　on　their　own。　At　least　not　until　each　of　them　had　found　a　peace　of　sorts　or；　better　still；　a　home。　It　was　no　secret　to　any　of　them　that　the　team　was　more　like　a　family　than　the　invincible　military　machine　each　member　sometimes　imagined　it　to　be。　And　it　was　something　none　of　them　took　for　granted；　least　of　all　Scott；　the　most　recent　victim　of　the　war's　dispassionate　savagery。

So　they　stayed　together　and　eventually　found　their　way　to　the　city　where　the　Robotech　soldiers　were　supposedly　garrisoned。　It　was　an　immense　place；　far　larger　than　any　of　the　places　they　had　passed　through　thus　far；　a　former　military　base　（whose　buildings　had　been　adapted　for　civilian　use）　that　had　grown　up　within　the　confines　of　an　enormous　depression　in　the　Earth's　denuded　crust；　enclosed　by　the　severe　walls　of　an　unnatural　escarpment。　The　city　now　had　hotels；　restaurants；　and　a　thriving　population　of　five　thousand　or　more。

Scott　left　the　Alpha　concealed　outside　the　city　and　rode　down　into　the　bowl　with　Lancer　and　the　others。　As　newers；　they　were　questioned　and　searched　at　the　main　gate…an　immense　security　fence　watched　over　by　armed　guards　stationed　in　nearby　ultratech　towers…but　ultimately　permitted　to　enter。

Scott；　already　searching　for　familiar　faces；　was　perhaps　a　bit　more　hopeful　than　the　others　if　no　less　puzzled。　There　were　indeed　soldiers　all　over　the　place；　but　they　were　hardly　the　strac　troops　Scott　had　convinced　himself　he　would　find。　Nor　were　they　Mars　Division。　Their　high…collared；　belted　jumpsuits　were　the　same　iceblue　color　as　Scott's　own；　but　the　unit　patches　were　unlike　any　he　had　seen。　Scott　glanced　around　some　more；　certain　he　would　find　what　he　was　after。　Here　were　three　soldiers　stumbling　out　of　a　bar；　there；　three　more　drinking　on　a　street　corner。　Other　troops　in　jeeps　and　personnel　carriers　were　joyriding　through　the　narrow　streets；　trash　and　empty　liquor　bottles　in　their　wake。　Even　Annie　was　stunned。

〃What's　with　this　place？〃　she　asked　from　the　van。　She　was　standing　on　the　seat　in　the　open　back；　her　arms　draped　over　the　vehicle's　roll　bar。

〃There's　no　shortage　of　'Culture；　that's　for　sure；〃　Rand　observed；　motioning　to　the　cruising　jeeps。

Scott　tuned　in　to　a　nearby　conversation…soldiers；　new　arrivals　by　the　sound　of　them：　〃This　town's　a　gas！〃　one　of　them　said。　〃Unbelievable；〃　said　another。　〃I　didn't　think　I　could　ever　feel　this　way　again。〃

Scott