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〃Disturbance in Hive Center！〃 thundered the Sensor； in the voice of the Regis。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Plutarch said courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness。 Shakespeare said it mounteth with occasion。 What we've got here is living proof。
Scott Bernard's mission notes
Rand skidded to a halt； spun； and saw what had happened。 〃Typical！〃
But he went dashing back； as Controllers turned to converge on the spot where Annie lay。 Their bulging arms were raised and pointed； and their built…in weapons were ready to fire。 〃Intruders。 Two in number。 Neutralize them；〃 the Regis exhorted her troops。
Annie levered herself up miserably。 〃No； please don't！ We didn't mean anything！〃
Rand calculated time and angles。 〃Just hang tough； Mint。 These jerks won't know what hit them in a coupla' seconds。〃
〃Surrender； Humans； or be destroyed；〃 the Regis demanded。 Rand watched the Controllers close in； his hand on his H90。 Then he holstered it and put both hands over his ears and opened his mouth wide； to lessen the impact of the blast。 Annie； terrified； did the same。 〃Humans； this is your final warn…〃
Most of the blast from the limpets' shaped charges was directed inward； into the grotesque coils of the Sensor； but the backwash was more than enough to knock the leading three Controllers sideways。
The Sensor bore the brunt of a stupendous blast。
Marlene gasped。
Scott； too busy to notice； was watching through his binocular as smoke roiled from one of the snowpeak's upper openings。 〃They did it！ Isn't that a beautiful…〃
He lowered the binocular and turned； hearing Marlene cry out and then collapse into racking sobs。 Rook and the others rushed to her side。 〃Is it the same thing as last time？〃 Lancer asked； gently trying to quiet her。
〃She's screaming at me！〃 Marlene managed； through convulsing shudders。
Lunk's low brows met。 〃Who is？〃
Rook tore her gaze away from the smoking fortress and tried not to fear that Rand had been hurt or killed。 〃Is there any way we can help； Marlene？ Tell us what to do！〃
Marlene was on her knees； holding her head in her hands。 But she shook it no； her hair swinging。
〃Let's get moving；〃 Scott barked； to snap his team out of it。 〃Rand and Annie might need help even more。〃
〃I。。。don't。。。believe it；〃 Annie stammered； gazing upward。
Rand stood tranfixed near where she lay； looking up as well。 〃That…that thing。。。〃
The Controllers were all down； smoking； either from the initial blast or from secondary explosions。 And the Sensor had vanished from its nutrient bath； all right。 But now sickly pinkish blobs of it； in various sizes； bobbed and drifted around the Hive Center。 They tumbled like slow…moving meteors； drifting； caroming off each other； spreading like floating amoebas to fill the place。
My god！ We hit it with enough wallop to knock off a half…dozen Shock Troopers； and yet…〃It's dissolved into some kind of； of protoplasmic flesh！〃 He wasn't even sure what the phrase meant himself。 Perhaps； he babbled to himself； 〃Protoculture ectoplasm〃 would be more the term？
Annie was struggling to get to her feet。 〃It's ing straight for us！〃 The deploying blobs had somehow located them； and were homing in from all over the chamber like evil clouds of murderous jelly。
Annie threw her arms around Rand's waist。 〃It's g…gonna eat me！〃
Rand had his H90 out； gripping it in both hands。 〃Eat this；〃 he told the remains of the Sensor； and began firing。 But the bolts just split the flying lumps into smaller ones； and the firing somehow made them charge at high speed。
The Regis's voice came from every doughy lump； down to the least globule； as if from a vast chorus； 〃Attack！〃
Rand fired hopelessly as Annie screamed。
One pilot short； the team still got all VTs into the air。 The Beta was linked to Scott's Alpha； which increased its firepower and speed。 The fighters moved forward on thrusters that shook the earth and started minor avalanches in the valley behind them。 Down below； Lunk's APC； rigged for cold…weather work； moved cross…country almost as nimbly as a snow…mobile； bound straight for the fortress's main portal。
As they jumped off a snowbank and roared on again； Lunk said out of the side of his mouth； 〃I hope your stomach's stronger than your head； Marlene。〃 But she sat hugging herself； eyes unfocused； shivering in spite of the outpouring of the heaters。
Rand tried not to retch； as wad after wad of the stuff that had been the Sensor splattered into him； coating him。 The stuff had the consistency of runny putty but was warm to the touch。 The most horrible thing about it； though； was that it moved by itself； snaillike； spreading wherever it hit。 And it wouldn't e off。
The Sensor knew； even in its dispersed state； that it was dying。 But it knew； too； who its enemies…its slayers…were； and it would have its revenge。
Annie's mind was about to snap。 She closed her eyes as she rubbed and brushed at the stuff； uselessly tore it with her nails； batted it and shrilled； 〃No； no； no； no； no！〃
She flung herself back at Rand； who was trying to clear the plugged muzzle of the H90。 He was already wearing a pink mantle that was surging to cover his head。 There was a waist…high pile all around them； making it impossible to run。
Rand beat； trying to shield Annie 〃Annie； listen to me！〃
〃Auff。 It's getting in my mouth！〃
The amorphous clots of residue streamed down at them from every quarter。 He heaved at her。 〃Hang onto me and try to keep your head above it！〃
Her voice was muffled by a mask of the stuff。 〃I can't breathe！〃
His arms were all but paralyzed。 〃Annie； listen！ Check the emergency tracking beam！ Is it still flashing？〃 The crud was surging up around his face。
She gathered all her courage and forced down her panic。 With a supreme effort； she got her head around and managed to get a glance down at the thing like a silvery fountain pen with a flashing tip that was clipped to one of her pockets。
She forced herself to get out the words； 〃I think so…yes！〃
The Pincer Ships still casting about for Rook's trail weren't prepared for the sudden appearance of a vengeful trio of Veritechs。 The dogfight had barely begun when four of the Invid personal…armor mecha were falling in whirling； flaming fragments。 The team spent its missiles prodigally； their kill score climbed。
Lunk's truck； bounding and slewing across the open snowfield； attracted other attention。 He saw cannons in a half…dozen niches in the cliff face open fire； and he began dodging and juking。 Invid annihilation discs began Frisbeeing all around him。 Snow was melted and earth blown high in fountains of flame and smoke。 As was his habit； Lunk froze from his thoughts the image of what even one hit would do to him； Marlene； and the truck； in view of the ordnance and Protoculture they were hauling。
But Scott had seen what was happening； and dove in； loosing more missiles。 The gun emplacements were knocked out in cascades of snow and broken rock； leaving only smoking holes like horizontal chimneys。
Rook and Lancer had vanquished the last of the opposition； the VTs made an attack run and blew open the main gate of the Invid fortress。 The fighters slowed； moving on hoverthrusters； sailing into the colossal main corridor。 Lunk's APC brought up the rear； his finger on the autocannon's steering wheel trigger。
They had little time to observe the fortress； with its bizarre and unnerving bination of alien technology and XT organics。 Following Annie's tracer beam； they came to the Hive Center at last。 The aircraft had been forced to slow down in the maze； so that Lunk pulled to a stop just as they grounded VTOL style。
The VTs knelt in a Hive Center of twisting； still…burning Controller mecha。 The place was filled with thick smoke； the stench of incinerated organic material； and the reek of the disintegrating matter that had been the Sensor。 The pilots jumped down； as Lunk and Marlene both coughed from the foulness around them。
At last they spotted the mound of pinkish stuff that had been the Sensor。 Then they saw the dim flashing ing from its summit。 Scott dashed toward it。 〃Gimme a hand here！〃
The Sensor…stuff was beginning to melt； in another moment； Scott and Lunk had pulled two bodies free。 Rand was barely breathing when they got him out； but he had shielded Annie in a little air pocket he had formed with his own body。
Rook stood to one side； staring down； not moving。 She seemed about to speak； then was silent。 But she never took her eyes off of Rand。
At last Rand's eyes opened。 〃W…what took you so long； pal？〃
Rook let out a breath and pulled her features back into their normal unconcerned； uncaring expression。 And so when Rand eagerly looked at her； she gave him a casual look。 He still managed a smile； grateful that she was alive； though he would have crawled back in under the Sensor offal before admitting it。
Lunk called over； 〃Annie sez she'll be all right once she brushes her teeth！〃
Rand was already pushing Scott away from him； ing to his feet； clearing the last of the goo out of the H90； weaving a little。 〃I've had it！ I'm gonna slaughter those walking tin latrines！〃 He steadied himself and lurched away。 By the time Scott caught up with him； Rand was standing at a lower entrance to the huge dome where empty mecha waited in fetal repose。
Scott whistled low。 〃What is it； an incubator？〃
Rand brought up his pistol。 〃Whatever it is； it's history！〃
Something inside him knew he should be off somewhere ferreting out the place where the drones themselves were created…that he should be wiring that place up with all the explosives in Lunk's truck。
But he just wasn't made that way。 The drones； for all their grotesqueness； were living things。 And without their mecha； they were nothing。
Rand fired into the hemisphere in the middle of the dome…the thing that looked so much like the first instant of a nuclear explosion。 He didn't know quite what would happen； but it turned out that the thing was fragile as stained glass。 Sections of it geysered； then caved in； and black smoke roiled forth。
Rand was watching it in stonefaced satisfaction when； suddenly； Marlene's screech echoed to them down the alien halls。
They raced back to find the others trying to help； without any effect； as Marlene knelt； clutching her head。 She wept that she couldn't stand it…though she didn't say what it was。
When Lunk wondered aloud what could be the cause of Marlene's seizures； no one answered until Scott said softly； 〃I wish I knew。〃
〃Bad news； guys；〃 Rook cut through their unease。 She was standing by Lunk's truck； examining its beeping displays。 〃That Invid patrol that left the hive this morning is on its way home！〃
Scott didn't take the time to wonder if it was because the raid had taken too long or because the destruction of the Sensor had alerted the mecha。 〃Okay； people： let's get out of here on the double。 Rand； take the Beta Fighter。〃
Rand was already off and running。 When the VTs hovered in the Hive Center and Lunk was racing his engine； Scott said over the tac net； 〃Listen up： you either break out of this rat's nest now； or you spend the rest of your lives as sharecroppers on an Invid Protoculture farm。〃
〃What d'you mean ‘you'？〃 Rand challenged。 〃What's Bernard gonna be doing while we're busting out？〃
Scott tried to sound matter…of…fact。 〃I'm the one who got us into this。〃
〃Nobody's arguing；〃 Rand shot back。
〃As you were！ So； it's my place to take some of the heat off you。 I'm going to block the front door for a while； don't lollygag getting out the back。〃 His thrusters lit like blue novas； and his Alpha sprang away into one of the huge elevated conduit…passageways。
〃Lancer； we should back him up；〃 Rand said slowly； pulling on his thinking cap。
〃Let him go； country boy； he'll be fine！〃 Rook snapped。 〃We've got enough problems of our own！〃
Scott mechamorphosed to Battloid mode as he zoomed toward the shattered main gate。 He met the first of the returning Pincer Ships with blasts from the mecha's massive rifle/cannon； a weapon with a muzzle as wide as a storm drain。 The enemy flight was ing head…on； and Scott had little chance to dodge them。 He blasted the first ship out of the air and scattered the ones near it。
But they came at him anyway；