10_invid_invasion- 第19部分

Rand's　color　started　to　return；　and　he　coughed　up　a　few　mouthfuls　of　water。　Softly；　Rook　called　his　name。

Rand　straightened　up　with　an　energy　that　surprised　all　of　them；　knocking　an　unsuspecting　Lunk　backward　into　the　river。　He　looked　around　dazedly　and　dropped　back　to　his　knees　exhausted。

〃Uh；　the　Invid　are　all　gone；〃　Annie　said。

〃Yeah；　you　can　calm　down；　Superman；〃　Rook　added。

Rand　smiled　thinly。

〃All　right；〃　Scott　said；　extending　his　hand　to　Lunk　and　helping　him　to　the　bank。　〃Now　that　they're　gone；　we　can　get　back　to　Lancer。　We　can't　be　too　far…〃

Rook　saw　Scott's　eyes　go　wide。　She　spun　around　and　saw　the　reason　for　it：　An　enormous　black　bear；　frightened　and　up　on　its　hind　legs；　was　breaking　through　the　brush。　Scott　had　his　weapon　raised　but　froze　as　a　bizarre　giant　tiger…striped　spider　dropped　from　a　tree　onto　the　weapon's　barrel。　Scott　winced　and　uttered　a　startled　cry；　reflexively　loosing　a　bolt　from　the　thing　that　whizzed　past　the　bear's　head。　Rook　lunged　for　Annie　as　the　animal's　huge　claw　came　down；　narrowly　missing　her。　Lunk　almost　caught　the　backlash　and　rolled　for　cover。

Rand　missed　with　two　shots　from　his　own　weapon；　and　the　bear's　right　paw　connected　with　the　blaster；　sending　him　and　the　weapon　flying　in　opposite　directions。　Rand　looked　up　into　bared　teeth　and　sharp　claws；　the　face　of　furry　black　death。　He　made　his　peace　with　the　Creator　and　glimpsed　a　brilliant　flash　of　white　light。。。But　when　the　smoke　cleared；　he　found　himself　still　alive　and　the　bear　gone…vaporized。

The　only　problem　was　that　there　was　now　an　Invid　ship　overhead…and　not　one　of　the　Troopers　either；　but　one　of　the　rust…brown　Pincer　units！

〃Well；　I　never　thought　I'd　be　happy　to　see　you　guys！〃　Rand　said　as　he　got　to　his　feet；　the　smell　of　roasted　meat　in　the　air。　He　joined　the　rest　of　the　team　in　a　jog　for　the　woods。

The　Invid　rained　fire　down　on　them　as　they　ran；　steering　them　away　from　the　safety　of　the　trees　and　bringing　one　of　the　patrolling　Troopers　in　on　the　action。　The　team　soon　found　itself　cornered；　fenced　in　on　open　ground　by　high…energy　beams　and　annihilation　discs。　But　Scott　heard　a　familiar　sound　cutting　through　the　tumultuous　roar　of　the　Invid's　death…rays。

It　was　Lancer；　riding　one　of　the　abandoned　Cyclones。

Lavender　hair　trailing　in　the　wind；　he　leapt　the　mecha　over　a　surprised　Invid　Trooper　and　landed　it　not　more　than　fifteen　feet　from　where　the　team　stood　huddled　together。

〃All　I　had　to　do　was　ride　to　the　sound　of　the　guns！〃　Lancer　yelled　when　the　Cyclone　had　skidded　to　a　halt。　〃What're　you　waiting　for；　Scott？　Climb　on！〃

Scott　offered　a　silent　prayer　to　the　gods　who　governed　silver　linings　and　threw　himself　onto　the　rear　seat。　Lancer　popped　the　mecha　into　a　long　wheelie　that　shot　them　through　the　legs　of　the　bewildered　Trooper。　But　the　Pincer　ship　chased　them；　loosing　continuous　disc　fire　from　its　treetop　course。

Lancer　kept　the　Cyclone　in　the　woods　for　cover。　Scott　saw　that　they　were　nearing　the　river　gorge　now　and　raised　himself　on　the　rear　pegs　in　an　effort　to　spot　the　Alpha。　Lancer　took　one　hand　from　the　controls　and　pointed。　〃At　the　foot　of　the　cliff　on　the　right！〃　he　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