02_battle_cry-第25部分

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now？　I　know　how　you　enjoy　holding　me；　but　you'll　have　to　learn　to　admire　me　from　a　distance。〃

Rick　mumbled　something　into　his　headset　and　set　his　mander　back　on　the　floor　of　the　hold。　Max　and　Ben　were　taking　alternate　turns　on　the　air　lock　to　keep　their　lasers　from　overheating。

Rick　stepped　forward　to　join　them。　He　was　motioning　Ben's　Battloid　aside　when　he　heard　what　sounded　like　a　war　cry…not　through　his　headset　but　shattering　the　air　of　the　hold　itself。　He　spun　the　Battloid　around　in　time　to　see　the　returned　Zentraedi　leap　from　an　open　hatchway　overhead。　The　giant　attacked　like　a　samurai　warrior；　he　held　aloft　a　thick；　pipelike　tool　that　he　brought　down　with　gargantuan　strength　on　the　head　of　Ben's　Battloid；　dropping　the　mecha　to　the　floor　with　a　resounding　crash。

The　Zentraedi　stood　victorious　over　his　fallen　enemy；　then　turned　his　attention　to　Max　and　Rick。　Issuing　a　guttural　sound；　he　gripped　the　tool　with　both　hands　and　thrust　it　in　front　of　him。

Max　and　Rick　separated　some　and　raised　their　useless　cannons；　gripping　them　palms　down　like　battle　staffs。　The　Zentraedi　was　moving　in　slowly；　each　step　calculated　and　deliberate。

〃He's　getting　ready　to　charge；〃　said　Max。

Rick　risked　a　step　forward；　motioning　Max　to　fall　in　behind　him。　He　brought　the　cannon　up　over　his　head　and　stood　his　ground；　waiting　for　the　charge。

The　Zentraedi　launched　himself　with　a　basso　yell。　Rick　planted　himself　and　brought　the　cannon　down　like　a　sledge；　putting　every　ounce　of　strength　he　could　summon　into　the　blow。　Metal　met　metal　with　fusion　force。

Breetai　swung　his　weapon　like　a　bat；　sending　the　gatling　flying　from　the　Battloid's　hands。　It　hit　the　floor　nose　first；　almost　flattening　Lisa　Hayes。

Now　six　more　Zentraedi　soldiers　in　helmets　and　fullbody　armor　arrived　on　the　scene。　One　of　them　rushed　forward　with　some　sort　of　satchel　and　sacked　the　dazed　Micronian　pilot。

Max　witnessed　it；　but　three　soldiers　now　stood　between　him　and　the　mander。　Regardless；　he　moved　in　to　engage　one　of　them。　The　Zentraedi　tried　to　wrestle　the　gatling　from　his　grip；　so　Max　turned　the　sallow…faced　man's　strength　to　his　own　advantage；　relaxing　his　own　hold　on　the　cannon　for　a　moment；　then　using　the　soldier's　uncontrolled　momentum　to　heave　him　to　the　floor。　But　he　was　hardly　in　the　clear：　A　cluster　of　five　more　were　opening　fire　on　him　with　shock　guns。　Max　tossed　aside　the　cannon　and　leaped　up；　firing　the　Battloid　foot　thrusters　as　he　did　so。　Halfway　to　the　ceiling　of　the　hold　he　reached　for　the　mode　levers；　reconfigured　the　Guardian；　and　began　returning　fire；　dodging　blue　bolts　of　energy　that　shot　past　him　and　impacted　on　the　inner　skin　of　the　ship。

Rick　had　been　knocked　flat　on　his　back　by　the　Zentraedi　mander。　The　giant　stood　over　him　now；　preparing　to　pile…drive　the　tool　through　the　Battloid's　abdomen。　Rick　brought　the　mecha's　right　leg　up；　bent　at　the　knee；　and　fired　the　foot　thruster　full　into　the　face　of　his　assailant。　As　the　Zentraedi　went　back；　clutching　his　face　and　losing　his　grip　on　the　weapon；　Rick　pulled　his　thruster　lever　home　and　went　in　for　the　kill；　catching　the　giant's　midsection　and　somersaulting　him　into　a　midair　front　flip。　But　the　giant　somehow　managed　to　reverse　the　throw。　Although　Rick　landed　on　top　of　him；　he　found　himself　facing　the　Zentraedi's　feet。　And　the　next　thing　he　knew；　he　was　being　pressed　into　the　air　by　the　standing　Zentraedi　and　launched　across　the　hold。

Rick　engaged　the　shoulder　retros　to　cut　his　airspeed。　He　executed　a　neat　front　flip　with　a　half　twist　that　left　him　standing　face　to　face　with　the　Zentraedi；　but　he　was　unfortunately　off　balance　and　stunned。　A　right　cross　followed　by　a　front　kick　sent　him　down　to　the　floor　again。　This　time　his　opponent　was　playing　for　keeps。

Breetai　grabbed　the　mecha　by　its　right　arm；　spun　it　into　a　three…sixty；　and　hurled　it　against　a　set　of　bulkhead　cargo　spikes；　these　perforated　the　Battloid's　arms；　chest；　and　shoulders　and　left　it　hanging　there；　pinned　to　the　wall。

Identifying　with　the　mecha；　Rick　felt　like　the　victim　of　a　careless　circus　knife　thrower。　The　Battloid　was　immobilized；　half　its　systems　disabled；　and　now　this　giant　with　the　faceplate　was　ing　in　to　finish　him　off。　Valiantly；　Rick　fired　the　top…mounted　lasers；　but　the　Zentraedi　dropped　himself　out　of　range　in　the　nick　of　time。

Rick　was　suddenly　looking　at　foot…long　life　and　love　lines…the　giant　had　brought　his　hand　up　over　the　canopy　and　was　beginning　to　crush　it。　One　by　one　the　life　support　systems　began　to　fail。　And　now　the　giant　was　working　on　the　chestplates；　literally　tearing　the　Battloid　apart！　He　ripped　the　armor　from　the　mecha　and　tossed　it　aside　as　though　it　weighed　nothing。

Grinning；　the　Zentraedi　peered　in　at　him　now　through　the　torn　cockpit　module；　taking　obvious　delight　in　Rick's　fearful　situation。　Rick；　armed　the　mecha's　still…functioning　self…destruct　warhead　and　in　desperation；　reached　down　under　the　seat　for　the　manual…eject　ring　and　gave　it　a　wholehearted　tug。　The　head　of　the　Battloid　lolled　forward；　its　explosive　charges　crippled；　but　the　cockpit　seat　managed　to　launch　itself。

The　Zentraedi；　too；　launched　himself　with　a　powerful　jump。　He　snatched　Rick　from　the　air；　crushing　him　in　his　fist；　bringing　on　blessed　relief　from　further　fear。。。

Witnessing　the　giant's　catch；　Max；　his　Guardian　still　moving　through　the　hold　dodging　laser　bolts；　was　certain　that　the　lieutenant　had　been　killed。　Hunter's　murderer　was　going　to　pay　in　kind；　Max　decided。　He　nose…dived　the　VT；　preparing　to　loose　all　the　firepower　he　had　left。

But　all　at　once　the　remains　of　Rick's　Battloid　exploded。　The　Zentraedi　was　thrown　off　his　feet；　a　breach　was　blown　in　the　hull；　and　Max's　Veritech　was　sucked　from　the　air　lock。

The　hull　quickly　sealed　itself；　and　the　Zentraedi　soldiers　gathered　around　their　fallen　mander。　Breetai　was　flat　out　on　his　back；　his　tunic　and　uniform　torn　and　tattered。　But　he　was　made　of　sterner　stuff　than　even　they　realized。　He　said　as　much　as　he　got　up。

His　right　hand　was　still　clenched。　Carefully　he　relaxed　his　grip　to　regard　the　small　creature　held　there；　strapped　to　its　ejection　seat；　unmoving　and　as　quiet　as　death。


CHAPTER　FOURTEEN

As　I　have　elsewhere　stated；　preliminary　tests　on　the　three　Micronian　subjects　indicate　that　their　anatomical　makeup　and　physiological　systems　are　very　similar　to　those　of　the　Zentraedi；　I　hasten　to　add；　however；　that　I　am　here　referring　to　〃wet…state〃　subjects　rather　than　mature　and　viable　ones。　＇Editor's　note：　There　is　as　yet　no　adequate　Panglish　equivalent　of　the　Zentraedi　term。　Some　linguistic　camps　favor　〃pretransformized；〃　while　others　have　pushed　for　〃neocast〃　or　〃neocloned。〃　See　Kazinsky；　Chapters　Seven　and　Eight；　for　a　lively　overview　of　the　continuing　controversy。＇　Subsequent　psychoscanning；　in　any　case；　brought　to　light　the　dissimilarities　which　are　the　focus　of　this　report。　These　include：　（1）　significant　anomalies　throughout　the　neocortical　regions　and　topical　convolutionary　conduits；　（2）　structural　anomalies　in　the　vascular　and　neural　networks　of　the　infundibulum；　the　pyramidal　tracts；　and　the　hippocampus；　（3）　pineal　insufficiency；　and　（4）　reticular　imbalance　of　the　pons　and　attendant　cerebellar　pathways。
Exedore；　from　his　Military　Intelligence　Analysis　Reports　to　the　Zentraedi　High　mand

Micronians　think　too　much！
Khyron

Previous　dealings　with　Micronians　had　largely　been　a　matter　of　eradication。　But　now　Exedore　actually　had　three　live　specimens　to　analyze　and　examine。　And　the　results　of　tests　thus　far　conducted　were　as　surprising　as　they　were　baffling　and　disforting。　Genetically；　anatomically；　and　physiologically；　the　Micronians　appeared　to　be　almost　identical　to　the　Zentraedi。　They　were　of　course　culturally　and　behavioristically　worlds　apart；　but　the　physical　similarities　suggested　a　point　of　mon　origin　lost　to　time　and　history。

Exedore　studied　the　prisoners　from　his　sealed…off　operating　station　inside　the　ship's　laboratory…who　knew　what　contagious　diseases　these　beings　harbored？　The　scanner　umbrella　which　in　effect　kept　them　isolated　and　confined　to　the　specimen　table　was　probably　sufficient　in　itself　for　this；　but　Exedore　was　taking　no　chances。

Breetai；　however；　wanted　no　part　of　the　laboratory　or　the　operating　station。　Exedore　brought　him　up　to　date　on　the　findings　in　the　mand　center；　illustrating　facts　and　speculations　with　data　readouts；　x…rays；　scans　of　various　sorts；　and　relevant　historical　documents；　all　of　which　flowed　freely　across　the　center's　many　monitor　screens。

Breetai　took　particular　interest　in　the　female　of　the　group。　He　shifted　his　attention　from　one　screen's　anatomical　depictions　and　turned　to　the　specimen　table　monitor。　The　Micronian　female　appeared　to　be　unconscious　or　asleep；　the　other　two　as　well。

〃Is　it　wise　to　keep　the　female　and　males　together？〃

Exedore　had　the　camera　close　on　the　table。　〃It　is　apparently　their　practice；　mander。　It　will　certainly　benefit　us　to　observe　their　interactions。〃

A　look　of　surprise　came　over　Breetai's　face；　and　Exedore　now　turned　his　attention　to　the　monitor。　The　Micronians　were　beginning　to　stir。

The　two　Zentraedi　watched　intently。

The　black…haired　one　was　first　to　rise…the　tough　little　pilot　who　had　manned　the　mecha　Breetai　had　destroyed。　The　female　recon　pilot　was　next；　but　together　they　couldn't　seem　to　rouse　the　third　and　largest　member　of　their　party。

〃This　one　has　a　very　slow　metabolic　rate　and　is　less　intelligent　than　the　others；〃　Exedore　said　by　way　of　explanation。

Something　curious　began　to　happen　just　then：　The　female　and　the　male　were　arguing。　Breetai　signaled　his　adviser　to　activate　the　audio　monitors。　The　words　came　fast　and　furious　and　were　for　the　most　part　unfamiliar　to　Breetai；　but　he　understood　enough　to　get　the　gist：　They　were　blaming　each　other　for　the　failure　of　their　mission　and　their　eventual　capture。

Breetai　was　amused。

〃They　fight　with　words　as　aggressively　as　they　fight　with　mecha。〃

〃A　result　of　the　mingling　of　males　and　females；　sir…an　ancient　practice　long　ago　abandoned　by　the　Zentraedi。〃

〃I　see。。。anger　without　discipline。〃

〃Precisely　that；　mander。〃

As　Breetai　continued　to　observe　the　argument；　however；　he　was　overe　by　a　feeling　of　sickness；　he　felt　debilitated　and　phobic。　He　ordered　Exedore　to　deactiva