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〃‘How'd they find us！' Annie was yelling into my left ear。〃
〃‘Your boyfriend； Ken；' I told her。 ‘He delivered us right into their claws。' But she didn't want to hear it。 Who…Ken？〃
〃‘He'd never do anything like that…never！'〃
〃It wasn't really a good time for an argument； though。 The Troopers were sticking to us like magnets； firing off bursts of plasma fire。 The fact that I had seen what those annihilation discs could do to a Human body was probably responsible for the chancy moves I made on the Cyclone。 But the memory of those liquid remains paid off； because I got us through the first stretch unscathed。 Then； after we had taken them around one block； down an alleyway； and through half a dozen more right angles； Scott told me to get the kid out of there； he was going Battle Armor to lure them away。 Scott was nothing if not noble。 But I couldn't resist getting another look at that reconfiguration act； and caught some flack for it。〃
〃‘What're you looking at？' Scott berated me over the externals。 ‘Get moving！'〃
〃Annie seconded this with a couple of cleanly placed kidney shots。 So Scott and I parted pany at a T intersection； and the next thing I heard was a massive exchange of cannonfire and a series of crippling explosions。 But the Invid had done their part in sticking to Scott's tail； and Annie and I were in the clear for the moment。〃
〃I pulled the bike over and told her to hop off。 There was no way I was going to let Scott take all the heat； I just had to get my Cyclone to reconfigure； battle armor or not。 Trouble was； the damn thing wouldn't respond。 I thumbed the switch above the starter button； but nothing happened； so I started flipping switches left and right； cursing the thing for being so obstinate。 Annie； the little darling； stood by me； hands behind her head； taunting me and telling me in no uncertain terms to hurry the hell up。 Of course； I have since learned that that is precisely what you don't do with a piece of mecha； but what did this basically backwoods loner know about mecha then？ I just kept jiggling this； pounding that； turning the other； and all of a sudden I found myself flat on my back in the seat； the Cyclone grotesquely reconfigured； with both wheels behind it now； its nose kissing the street。〃
〃Annie was kind enough not to laugh in my face； she turned aside first。 And I did something brilliant…like leap off the cycle and try to place kick it into the lake…which only resulted in an injury to my foot to match the one already sustained by my pride。〃
〃But now Annie was shouting and pointing up at something。 Scott； in full battle armor； had taken to the buttressed top of a building a few blocks away。 One minute he was standing there like some sort of rooftop Robostatue； and the next he was playing dodge…the…plasma…Frisbees。 I saw him drop into that annihilation disc storm and execute one of those Bernard bounces that carried him out of sight； just short of the explosions that turned the building into a chimney； flames roaring up from its blasted roof； black parabolas of slagged stuff in the sky。〃
〃Meanwhile； I had worked through my frustration and managed to get the mecha back into Cycle mode。 Annie still wanted to know why the thing wouldn't change。 I started to explain about the armor and ‘thinking cap；' and the next thing I knew she was running off toward the causeway。〃
〃‘I'm gonna go and find Ken and get him to tell me once and for all why he went and sold us out to the Invid！' she yelled after I tried to get her to stop。 'If you don't like it…tough！'〃
〃I had to admit that I was thinking along those very same lines； but Annie's timing left a lot to be desired。 And since I didn't relish the thought of finding that pink backpack of hers dangling from a bloody pincer； I threw the Cyclone into gear and went after her。 I reached out； and she swatted my hand away； telling me to get lost。 Angry now； I decided I would just scoop her up in my left arm and put an end to the foolishness； but I misjudged both my course and her weight。 No sooner did my arm go around her waist than I was pulled from the mecha。 Worse still； we were right alongside an open freight elevator； and down we went； eight feet or more； would…be opponents wrapped in each other's arms。〃
〃I blacked out for a moment； perhaps we both did。 But Annie came around first and laid into me as though I had just tried to maul her。 I came to with her shouting： ‘Get off of me； you monster！ You dirty Forager sleaze！ You're all alike！' She heaved me off her and scrambled up out of the shaft with a nimbleness and speed that surprised me。 By the time I poked my head out； she was nowhere in sight。 But I heard her rummaging around in a nearby pile of mecha scrap； still cursing men in general； me in particular。 When I saw her e up with an oldfashioned automatic rifle； I started having second thoughts about showing myself。 Fortunately； she was only interested in emptying the thing's clip against the already devastated facade of a building across the street。 Then she tossed the depleted thing aside and dove back down into the scrap heap。 Meanwhile； I was wondering what had bee of Scott and whether the Invid would home in on Annie's gunfire。 When I looked over at her again； she was wrestling an antitank weapon up onto her shoulder。〃
〃‘Watch where you point that thing！' I started to warn her。 ‘It might be…'〃
〃And it was。〃
〃The small missile nearly put a center part in my hair； then changed trajectory and detonated against the side of the building。〃
〃A little to the right and she would have connected with the Invid who was just stepping around that same corner。〃
〃I ran for the overturned Cyclone； hopped on； and darted over to pick up Annie； who now had control of the weapon。 She located another missile and launched it against the approaching Shock Trooper。 I backed her up with Scorpions from the front…end launch tubes of the Cyclone； but neither of us managed to connect with a soft spot in the thing's shell； and it kept up its menacing advance。 Annie screamed and made a run for it； not a second before the creature's right claw came down at her； the tip of its bladelike pincer swept the pack from her back and ripped open the jumpsuit neck to waist but left her otherwise untouched。 But the nearness of the blow paralyzed her； I saw her reach back； finger the tear； and collapse to her knees。〃
〃Meanwhile； I had problems of my own。 The Invid had turned its attention to me and fired off several discs； one of which blew the Cyclone out from under me and threw me a good fifteen feet from the blast。 My back was to its advance now； but one look at Annie's shocked face told me everything I needed to know。〃
〃‘Heeelp！' she was screaming。 'Anyone！'〃
〃But there was something else in my line of sight as well： a glint across the lake； sunshine on gleaming metal。 And even as my head was going down to the street in a gesture of surrender and ultimate indifference…some part of my warped mind wondering what that giant cloven foot or pincer was going to feel like…I knew Annie's call had been heard。〃
〃A figure in red Cyclone battle armor launched itself across the lake and came down at the end of the street； hopping in for a rescue； dodging one； two； then three explosive blasts from the Invid Shock Trooper。 I saw the soldier return fire from the rifle/cannon portion of the armor's right arm and heard the Invid take a direct hit and e apart。〃
〃The soldier put down behind me as I rolled over； Annie oohing and ahhing nearby； just in time to see Scott appear at the other end of the street with three Invid on his tail。 He dropped one for the crowd and took off out of sight； the other two closing on him。 I got up； hand shielding my eyes； and tried to follow the fight。 Overhead now； Scott blasted a second Invid； then swooped in low and ass…backward to finish off the last。 I saw him sight in on the Trooper； then loose the shot。 It tore into one of the Invid's hemispheric cranial protrusions； loosing fire and smoke from the hole。〃
〃Scott was thrown backward by the missile's kick and landed on his butt not ten feet in front of us…Annie； me； and the mysterious red Cycloner。 The Invid came in on residuals； mimicking Scott's undignified approach with one of its own； and immediately fell face forward to the street； a sickly green fluid spewing from its wound； its outstretched pincer trapping and nearly mincing poor Annie。 Scott had explained that the fluid was a kind of nutrient derived from the Flowers of Life； but I had yet to see exactly what it was that the stuff was keeping alive！ Scott； his faceshield raised； turned to thank the red who had e to our aid。 But it was obvious he had seen something I hadn't； because he stopped in midsentence； as though questioning what he was seeing。〃
〃And Red bounded off without a word。〃
〃At the same time； Annie was crying for help； and Scott went over to her； lifting the pincer enough to allow the pale and shaken kid to crawl free。 What a picture she made； kneeling there in the dirt； tears cascading down her face； her torn jumpsuit hanging off her shoulders。〃
〃‘I'm so sorry；' she wailed。 ‘This is all my fault。'〃
〃Scott didn't say anything； he simply walked over to the fallen Invid and regarded it…analytically； I thought； as though he had seen those things bleed before。〃
〃I was sitting on the engine cover of my overturned Cyclone feeling twenty years older and wondering what had happened to solo riding。〃
〃‘We did what we could；' I told Scott。 ‘But it just wasn't enough。'〃
〃Annie said； ‘Now what are we going to do； Rand？'〃
〃And Scott and I exchanged looks； remembering Ken and the other island。。。〃
〃We found Annie's knapsack； and I did what I could to sew up the tear in her jumpsuit。 The causeway had been reextended to plete the span between the islands； Scott figured that Ken and the others had heard the explosions and realized they were going to have to deal with us one way or another。 This was pretty much the case。 Ken said； ‘I'm glad you made it；' when he saw us cycle in。 But Annie wasn't buying it； she leaped off the rear seat； even before I had brought the Cyclone to a halt； and whacked Ken across the face forcefully enough to spin him around。 He gave us a brief over…the…shoulder look and decided he had better take it or he would have us ing down on him as well。
〃He asked Annie to forgive him； and frankly； I was surprised by the sincerity he managed to dredge up。 ‘I only did it to save the others；' he explained。 'If we stood up to the Invid； all the people in Laako would suffer for it。 The way things are； we get by all right。'〃
〃Fire in his eyes； Scott dismounted； took off his helmet； and walked over to Ken。 ‘So you feed potential troublemakers to the Invid to save your own skins；' he growled。〃
〃I'm not sure what would have happened next if a crowd of Laako's citizenry hadn't appeared。〃
〃‘You got that right； soldier！' their leader told Scott。〃
〃They were only a dozen strong； men； women； and children； and they were unarmed； but there was an attitude of defiance about them that rattled us。 The rest of the audience was glaring down at us from their cells in those shells of buildings。〃
〃‘You've got to leave here！' the man continued。 ‘I'm sorry； but we don't want any soldiers in this town。 So get out…now！'〃
〃I had to hand it to the guy。 He wasn't especially large or well built； and his glasses and workman's blues gave him a kind of paternal look； but here he was standing up to an offworlder in Cyclone battle armor。 I thought Scott would take the poor man apart； instead； I heard him laugh。〃
〃‘Well； was it something we said？' Scott asked。〃
〃‘There is nothing funny about the situation； young man；' the man responded angrily。 ‘I am in deadly earnest。 Nobody here even wanted your Robotech Expeditionary Mission to begin with； and if it wasn't for you soldiers； this planet would still be living in peace！ Now； get out！ Save your rescues for somewhere else！'〃
〃I winced at hearing this； knowing the man had gone too far。 Scott stepped into the guy's face； shouting back： ‘Why you。。。Don't you realize that without any kind of resistance； you've got no hope？！'〃
〃‘We know；' Ken chimed in from behind Scott。 ‘But we still want you to leave。'〃
〃‘Terrific；' Scott snarled。 ‘You're going