11_metamorphosis- 第31部分

Lancer；　standing　his　turn　at　watch　in　the　tower；　a　binocular　raised　to　his　eyes；　couldn't　help　but　feel　that　chill　he　got　whenever　things　were　going　a　little　too　well。　It　wasn't　very　many　minutes　later　that　he　found　himself　staring　through　his　binocular　at　a　Shock　Trooper　whose　optical　sensor　was　looking　right　back　at　him。

〃What　I　figure　is；〃　he　was　telling　the　others　a　minute　later；　〃it's　not　sure　yet　that　there's　anything　going　on　here。　But　I'd　be　shocked　if　the　Invid　don't　e　looking　around　very　soon。　If　we　want　the　element　of　surprise；　we'd　better　get　hopping。〃

Scott　would　have　liked　another　two　days　to　reconnoiter；　double…check　the　boats　from　stem　to　stern；　rest　up；　and　perhaps　even　do　a　short　sea…trial。　But　he　didn't　even　have　two　minutes。

Lunk　had　some　experience　with　a　Resistance　quickboat　outfit；　and　he　was　the　logical　one　to　take　mand　of　the　missile　cutter。　He　put　out　to　sea　with　Annie　and　Marlene　joining　him　on　the　bridge。　The　two　PTs　were　towed　by　hawsers。

The　VTs　lifted　off　to　rendezvous　with　the　tiny　flotilla；　but　the　minute　they　activated　their　Protoculture　engines；　Shock　Troopers　came　shooting　up　out　of　the　trees。　Annihilation　discs　hatched　infernos　all　around　them。

〃This　always　happens；　very　time　I　go　up！〃　Rand　plained。　〃Don't　those　guys　have　anything　better　to　do？〃

The　VTs　went　darting　off　on　evasive　maneuvers；　the　pilots　punching　up　weapons　and　targeting　displays。　The　Troopers　folded　their　ladybug…shaped　forearms　close　to　them　and　blasted　after　the　VTs；　firing　from　their　shoulder…mounted　cannon。　The　fighters　led　the　Invid　on　a　long　swing　out　to　sea；　to　keep　them　away　from　the　boats。　The　humans　were　breathing　heavily　from　the　g…forces；　legs　locked；　stomach　muscles　tightened　to　keep　the　blood　up　in　their　heads　where　it　was　needed　the　most。　The　tac　net　sounded　like　a　wrestling　tournament。

One　Shock　Trooper　got　a　glancing　hit　at　Rook's　ship。　Rand　heard　her　groan　of　pain　over　the　tac　net；　and　his　heart　went　cold。　He　turned　around；　thumbed　the　trigger　on　his　stick；　and　flamed　a　Shock　Trooper　that　never　even　knew　what　hit　it。　A　second　Trooper　broke　off　its　pursuit；　diving　and　sliding　to　avoid　meeting　a　similar　fate。

〃Serves　ya　right　for　fooling　around　with　the　big　kids！〃　Rand　cut　in　full　military　power　and　caught　up　with　his　teammates。

Two　more　Troopers　showed　up　but　fell　in　with　the　surviving　one；　and　turned　back　toward　the　coast。　Invid　patrol　patterns　were　a　little　inflexible；　Scott　saw。

Rand　slid　in　until　his　wingtip　was　under　Rook's　and　nearly　touching　her　fuselage。　〃Hey；　Rook？　Are　you　hurt？〃

Her　answer　had　a　clenched…teeth　sound　to　it。　〃Nothing　I　can't　live　with；　farmer。〃　He　didn't　press　her　about　it；　it　would　only　have　brought　on　another　spitting　match　over　the　tac　net。

〃But　I　owe　you　one；〃　she　grated；　taking　him　pletely　by　surprise。

In　her　cockpit；　Rook　looked　down　at　the　fizzling　avionics；　so　badly　shot　up；　and　at　the　left　thigh　and　bicep　sections　of　her　armor；　which　had　been　split　open　by　flying　shrapnel　and　Invid　force　ricochet。　Blood　seeped　from　her　wounds。

Lancer　scouted　ahead；　and　in　less　than　ten　minutes　the　VTs　had　located　a　place　to　rest。　They　stopped　in　the　midst　of　a　tiny　chain　of　islands　not　too　far　off　shore。　While　Rand　coached　Rook　in　for　a　landing；　Lancer　went　back　to　help　Scott　provide　air　cover　and　guidance；　and　convoy　the　boats　in。

Their　rest　stop　had　been　a　resort　only　a　generation　before。　A　place　where　people　came　to　worship　the　sun　to　the　point　of　melanoma；　pay　for　drinks　with　plastic　beads；　coo　and　woo　under　the　coconut　trees；　surf；　scuba。

To　make　love；　Scott　thought；　looking　around　at　the　place。　The　bay　was　translucent　blue　and　the　sand　powder…white。　Eat；　drink；　gamble。　The　team　was　doing　all　those　things　now；　he　assumed；　although　he　might　be　projecting　a　little　on　the　trysting　part。　And　the　freedom　fighters　were　gambling　with　and　for　things　a　lot　more　precious　than　plastic　beads　or　casino　plaques。

Annie　had　been　reading　manuals　and　instruction　pamphlets；　and　decided　to　play　nurse　on　Rook。　The　onetime　biker　queen　gritted　her　teeth　but　sat　still　for　it。　Annie　wound　her　upper　arm　and　thigh　in　enough　bandage　to　restrain　a　small　moose。　Rand　watched　interestedly　without　seeming　to；　Rook　had　certain　soft　spots；　like　the　one　for　Annie；　and　he　was　determined　to　learn　them。　Then　Rook　scowled　at　him；　and　he　turned　his　attention　elsewhere。

Stripping　to　his　shorts；　Rand　took　the　swim　he　had　been　thinking　about　since　he　had　listened　to　the　chorus　of　the　gulls　that　morning。　Lunk　had　promised　Scott　that　he　could　patch　up　Rook's　Alpha　and　the　other　damage　the　VTs　had　suffered；　with　minimum　delay。　But　meanwhile；　all　they　could　do　was　wait。　Rook　rested　her　chin　on　her　fist　and　squinted　balefully　at　Annie　and　Rand；　who　were　frolicking　in　the　surf。

Marlene；　in　a　white　mini　bikini　made　of　knotted　lengths　of　parachute　silk；　went　running　and　yelling　into　the　water。　The　wet　silk　made　Rand　gape；　and　then　he　looked　away；　swallowing　with　a　loud　noise。

Scott　appeared　to　say　that　everything　would　be　ready　when　Lunk　was　done。　Rand　came　out　of　the　water　sniffling　and　laughing　and　dripping…and　happy。　Rook's　jaw　muscles　jumped　a　bit；　but　she　held　back　her　temper。

Then　Rand　was　holding　his　hand　out　to　her；　more　serious　than　she　was　used　to　seeing　him。　〃I'm　sorry　you　were　injured；　but…c'mon　down　to　the　water　and　enjoy　yourself。　Otherwise　I　can't　be　happy。〃

It　shocked　her　so　much　that　she　didn't　quite　know　what　to　say；　but　she　saw　that　Rand　suddenly　wasn't　smiling；　he　was　just　watching　her。

She　practically　stuck　the　back　of　her　hand　in　his　eye。　〃I　guess　it　can't　hurt。　Well？　Aren't　you　gonna　help　me　up？〃

Marlene　and　Annie　stopped　splashing　each　other　and　shouted　happily　for　Rook's　recovery　as　Rand　gallantly　helped　her　up　and　led　her　down　to　where　the　waves　were　foaming。　Rand　called　triumphantly；　〃Hey；　look　who　finally　gave　in　and　decided　to　have　some　fun！〃

Scott　saw　Rook's　fingers；　the　ones　on　her　free　hand；　curl　into　a　fist　and　then　open　again；　away　from　Rand's　sight。　It　was　like　some　quick　debate。

Scott　watched　Marlene's　lithe　grace　in　the　spray　and　surf。　Maybe　they're　right　about　this　place。　We　should　enjoy　it　while　we　can。


Corg　and　Sera　and　the　mecha　they　led　split　up　to　search　the　chain　of　islands　for　the　rebels　and　for　the　Simulagent；　Ariel。　Sensor　triangulations　indicated　that　there　was　a　strong　possibility　she　was　near。

They　understood　their　orders。　If　possible；　they　were　to　contact　Ariel。　If　not；　they　were　to　observe　her　interaction　with　the　Humans　in　order　to　determine　the　cause　of　her　malfunction。　Failing　any　of　the　above；　they　were　to　destroy　her　utterly；　and　the　outcasts　who　had　swayed　her。


Lancer　grew　despondent　looking　at　the　pointless　destruction　the　Invid　had　inflicted　on　the　island。　He　followed　a　stream　he　had　spotted　from　the　air　and　found　a　small　waterfall　in　a　grotto　a　few　hundred　yards　up　an　overgrown　trail　into　the　jungle。　He　tried　not　to　reflect　upon　all　the　people　who　had　e　that　way　before　him；　and　what　their　eventual　fate　had　been。

This　time　he　put　aside　the　Musume　persona。　He　waded　in　and　began　washing　the　sweat　of　fear　and　battle　and　the　rankness　of　too　many　hours　in　the　cockpit　from　him。　He　sang　loudly　in　Lancer's　voice。　He　sang　as　if　he　were　trying　to　drown　out　some　other　tune；　perhaps　a　funeral　dirge。。。

It　might　have　been　memory　of　the　Magruder　ambush　that　kept　him　alert。　Even　though　the　little　waterfall　was　splattering；　he　heard　foliage　parting　and　swinging　back；　and　caught　the　movement　of　a　shadow　out　of　the　corner　of　one　eye。


Sera　had　picked　up　those　strange　auditory　impulses　through　the　superattuned　senses　of　her　mecha。　The　Regis　had　given　her　crowned　offspring　the　means　to　know　what　it　was　to　be　a　demigod；　to　soar　over　oceans　and　continents…to　see　each　movement　of　the　blades　of　grass；　hear　each　bend　of　a　leaf。

But　the　Regis　never　guessed　what　a　trap　that　could　be。　The　strange　sonic　input　kept　Sera　from　firing　on　its　source。　It　kept　her　from　contacting　her　brother　Corg；　or　the　Pincer　Ships。　The　only　thing　she　could　do　was　stalk　closer。　She　had　heard　the　music　of　the　spheres；　but　she　had　never　heard　Human　singing　before。

Before　she　realized　what　she　was　doing；　she　was　out　of　the　all…embracing　armored　safety　of　her　mecha；　padding　through　the　strange　smells　and　sights　and　sounds　of　the　island；　the　terrifying　intimacy　of　it。　She　was　drawn　by　the　siren　song。

She　couldn't　put　a　name　to　what　she　felt。　She　knew　that　not　all　of　her　genetic　coding　came　from　the　Regis；　of　course。　Some　of　it　was　Human。　Was　that　what　was　forcing　her　to　this　aberrant　activity？　She　repressed　any　doubt；　she　must　see　what　was　making　these　pelling；　beautiful　sounds。　Information　wetware　input　told　her　that　it　was　what　the　Humans　called　〃singing〃　but　that　word　was　a　mere　cipher。。。

The　Human　had　long　purple　hair　and　was　a　male。　He　was　standing　under　a　precipitation　runoff　as　some　sort　of　an　ablutionary　function　or　perhaps　a　superstitious　rite。　The　Human　sang；　and　Sera　hunkered　down　to　listen。　But　her　hand　pressed　frond　to　frond；　which　made　slight　noise　and　changed　the　silhouette　of　vegetation　against　the　westering　sun。

She　saw　him　tense　and　look　around；　and　she　drew　back。　When　she　edged　one　eye　up　for　another　look；　he　was　pressing　into　the　heavier　part　of　the　waterfall；　off　to　the　right；　where　the　view　was　screened　from　her　by　the　thickness　of　the　foliage　and　the　weight　of　the　water。

This　was　madness。　She　should　kill　him；　summon　her　brother　Corg；　and　eradicate　all　the　rest　of　them。　But　there　was　something　about　the　sounds　he　made。　His　〃song〃　was　so　haunting；　so　soft　and　knowing；　as　if　he　had　been　given　instruction　in　the　things　most　intimate　to　her。

The　feelings　that　stirred　in　her　had　no　name。　Sera　pushed　forward　a　little　in　the　undergrowth　to　hear　more　before　she　would　be　obliged　to　still　that　voice　forever。

She　could　hear　nothing。　She　waited；　standing　on　the　rim　of　the　waterfall's　pool；　looking　this　way　and　that。　With　the　song　ended；　a　measure　of　sanity　returned。　Better　to　kill　the　Human　now　and　forget　the　aberration　of　his　singing。

Two　hands　closed　on　her　ankles；　pulled；　and　Sera　screamed。　Then　she　was　swallowing　water。


CHAPTER　TWENTY…TWO

There　were　all　these　escapist　books　（as　Rand　called　them）　at　th