03_homecoming-第9部分

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fensive　barrier。　We　are　breaking　through　the　alien　fleet！〃

〃Macross　City　evacuation　is　nearly　plete；　Captain；〃　Sammie　told　him。

The　voices　of　the　others　kept　up　a　constant；　quiet　flow　of　orders　and　report。　〃All　sectors　begin　transformation。〃　〃All　section　chiefs　please　report　to　the　bridge。〃　〃Damage　crews　stand　by。〃　〃Emergency　medical　and　rescue　personnel　ready；　Captain。〃

Banks　of　screens　showed　interior　and　exterior　scenes；　the　frantic　haste　to　brace　for　attack　and　reconfiguration。

Once　again　the　awesome；　incredible；　and　perilous　Robotech　transformation　of　SDF…1　was　about　to　take　place。


It　had　been　hard　to　get　used　to　the　bustle　and　activity　of　Macross　City；　but　this　sudden　abandonment　of　it　was　even　stranger。

The　three　Zentraedi　spies　still　had　no　idea　what　was　happening。　The　PA　announcements　were　bewildering；　impossible　to　understand。　The　trio　was　hesitant　to　show　ignorance　at　first；　but　by　the　time　they'd　worked　up　the　nerve　to　start　asking　questions；　everybody　was　scurrying　in　a　different　direction　and　answers　were　impossible　to　get。

Now　they　found　themselves　standing　at　the　center　of　a　deserted　intersection　as　traffic　lights　and　crosswalk　signals　blinked　through　their　accustomed　sequences。　The　EVE　system　was　shut　down；　the　artificial　sky　gone；　leaving　only　cold；　distant　metal　high　overhead。

〃Everyone's　vanished；〃　Rico　said　slowly；　pivoting　through　a　360…degree　turn。　It　felt　very　spooky　to　be　standing　in　the　middle　of　an　empty　city。

〃What　d'　you　think　that　announcement　was？〃　Konda　asked。　〃What　could　it　be…this　‘transformation'　they're　talking　about？〃

Bron　was　about　to　add　something　when　the　street　began　to　quake　beneath　them；　tossing　them　around　like　water　droplets　on　a　griddle。　As　deep　grinding　noises　began；　they　were　thrown　to　the　surface；　so　they　tried　to　cling　to　the　pavement。　They　could　feel　the　vibrations　through　the　ground。

Then　the　street　parted　beneath　them　and　an　enormous　sawtooth　opening　widened　rapidly。　Despite　his　hysterical　scrambling；　Rico　disappeared　into　it。


CHAPTER　SEVEN

What　they　never　asked　themselves　was　whether　Khyron　would　have　behaved　as　he　did　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　accursed　Micronians！　I　hated　Micronians；　too；　we　all　did。　It　was　just　that　Khyron　was　better　at　it。
Grey　aide　to　Khyron

Reacting　faster　than　Bron；　Konda　just　managed　to　grab　Rico's　sleeve　and　keep　him　from　falling　beyond　reach。　Then　Bron　was　there　to　help　pull　his　panion　back　out　of　the　abyss。

It　was　a　long　drop；　into　a　type　of　machinery　they　hadn't　seen　in　the　battle　fortress　before。　Rico　lay　puffing　and　gasping；　white…faced。　〃What　kind　of　insane　place　is　this？〃


Elsewhere；　the　titanic　booms　that　were　the　battle　fortress's　bow　were　rotated　to　either　side　by　monster　camlike　devices。　Whole　sections　of　hull　moved　and　slid；　opening　the　ship's　interior　to　the　vacuum　of　space　as　precious　atmosphere　escaped。　Giant　armor　curtains　slid　into　place　to　seal　the　gaps；　but　not　before　there　was　grievous　loss　of　the　very　breath　of　life。　The　SDF…1's　life　support　systems　would　eventually　replace　it；　but　the　inhabitants　of　Macross　would　be　living　under　the　same　atmospheric　conditions　as　Andean　Indians　for　a　while…if　they　survived。

Enormous　pylons　the　dimensions　of　a　city　block　rose　from　the　floor　and　descended　from　the　ceiling；　crushing　the　buildings　in　their　way。　The　grinding　of　servomotors　shook　every　bolt　and　rivet　in　the　ship。

Scraps　of　buildings；　torn　loose　by　the　outpouring　of　air；　were　whirled　around　like　leaves　in　a　cyclone。　Macross　City　was　being　leveled。

The　three　spies　went　dashing　down　the　middle　of　a　broad；　empty　street；　dodging　a　falling　sign　here；　a　broken　cornice　there。　Utility　poles　toppled；　whipping　live　power　lines　around　like　snapping；　spitting　snakes。　Konda　puffed；　〃I　think　it　would　be　advisable　for　us　to　take　cover　as　soon　as…〃

He　never　got　to　finish。　Just　then；　the　ship's　internal　gravity　fields　shifted　from　the　effect　of　the　massive　power　drains　of　the　transformation。

The　three　went　floating　into　the　air　among　drifting　automobiles；　scraps　of　roofing　material；　uprooted　trees；　and　spinning　trash　barrels。


All　through　the　great　fortress；　modules　shifted；　and　billboard…size　hatches　closed　here；　opened　there。

The　full…ship　transformation　had　the　two　Thor…class　flattops；　Daedalus　and　Prometheus；　swinging　out　from　the　SDF…1's　sides　by　the　elbowlike　housings　that　joined　them　to　the　ship。　The　midships　structure　that　housed　the　bridge　and　so　many　other　critical　areas　rotated；　ing　end　for　end　into　the　center　like　a　spinning　torso。

Inside；　cyclopean　power　columns　met　and　latched　as　cables　snaked　out　to　connect　with　them　and　plete　the　new　configuration。

Gloval　fought　to　stifle　his　impatience；　the　ship　was　nearly　helpless　while　undergoing　transformation；　but　there　was　absolutely　no　way　of　hurrying　it。　And　there　was　no　alternative：　The　SDF…1's　main　gun　couldn't　be　fired　in　any　other　configuration　because　the　ship　spacefold　apparatus　had　simply　vanished　after　that　first　disastrous　jump　from　Earth　to　Pluto。　The　transformation　was　a　kind　of　glorified　hot…wiring；　bringing　together　ponents　that　would　otherwise　be　out　of　each　other's　reach。

〃Starboard　wing　section　transformation　seventy…five　percent　plete；〃　Vanessa　said。

〃Port　wing　section　transformation　plete；〃　Kim　added。　〃Now　connecting　to　defensive　power　system。〃

〃Enemy　vessels　approaching　in　attack　formation；〃　Lisa　said；　her　face　lit　by　her　screens。　〃Estimated　intercept　in　fifty…three　seconds。　Ghost　and　Vermilion　teams　on　station　to　engage。〃

The　battle　fortress　had　bee　a　tremendous　armored　ultratech　warrior　standing；　straddle…legged；　in　space；　awaiting　its　enemies。　They　swooped　at　it　eagerly。

〃The　enemy's　within　range　of　our　main　gun；　sir；〃　Kim　said。

From　Vanessa：　〃Fighter　ops　reports　all　Veritechs　clear　of　the　line　of　fire。〃

〃Transformation　plete；　Captain；〃　Sammie　told　Gloval。

〃Fire！〃　Gloval　growled。

The　safety　shield　had　been　retracted　from　the　main　gun's　trigger。　Lisa　pressed　the　red　button　hard。

Tongues　of　starflame　began　shooting　back　and　forth　between　the　booms　that　constituted　the　gargantuan　main　gun；　whirling　and　crackling　like　living　serpents　of　energy。

The　blizzard　of　energy　grew　thicker；　more　intense。　Then　it　leapt　away；　straight　out　from　the　booms；　merging　and　growing　brighter　until　suddenly　there　was　a　virtual　river　of　orange…white　annihilation；　as　broad　and　high　as　the　ship　itself。

The　hell…beam　tore　through　space。　The　first　ten　heavyweight　warships　from　Khyron's　contingent　flared　briefly；　like　matches　in　the　middle　of　a　Veritech's　after　blast。　In　a　split　second　their　shields　failed；　their　armor　vaporized；　and　they　were　gone。


Khyron's　handsome　face　was　distorted　like　a　maniac's。　〃We　must　press　the　attack！　Move　the　next　wave　in！〃　The　Zentraedi　warrior's　code　could　forgive　audacity…even　direct　disobedience…from　an　officer　who　won。　But　defeat　might　very　well　be　unforgivable　and　earn　him　the　death　penalty。

More　heavy　ships…of…the…line　moved　up；　firing　plasma　cannon　and　annihilation　discs。　The　SDF…1　shook　and　resounded　from　the　first　hits。　There　were　a　few　gasps　on　the　bridge；　but　Gloval　and　the　bridge　crew　concentrated　on　their　jobs。

The　enemy　dreadnoughts'　blue…fire　cannon　volleys　rained　on　the　SDF…1　as　Khyron's　second　attack　wave　bored　in。

The　three　green…white　discs　of　the　dimensional　fortress's　pin…point　barrier　system；　each　bigger　than　a　baseball　infield；　slid　along　the　ship's　surface　like　spotlight　circles。　The　disaster　of　the　spacefold　equipment's　disappearance　had　left　the　vessel　unable　to　protect　itself　pletely；　the　pin…point　system　was　the　stopgap　defense　developed　by　the　resident　Robotech　genius；　Dr。　Lang。

Now；　the　female　enlisted…rating　techs　who　operated　the　pinpoints　sweated　and　flickered　their　eyes　from　ship's　schematics　to　threat…display　screens　to　readouts　from　the。　prioritization　puters。　In　a　frantic　effort　to　block　enemy　beams　they　spun　and　twirled　the　spherical　controls　that　moved　the　pin…point　barrier　shield　loci　across　the　ship's　hull。

The　circles　of　light　slid　and　flashed　across　the　battle　fortress's　superalloy　skin。　Enemy　beams　that　hit　them　simply　dissipated；　changing　the　locicircles　into　a　series　of　concentric；　rippling　rings　for　a　split　second。　Then　the　circles　came　back　to　full　strength；　racing　off　to　intercept　another　shot。

No　one　had　ever　done　that　kind　for　work　before；　and　the　three　young　women　were　good　at　what　they　did…experts　by　necessity。　But　sometimes；　unavoidably；　they　missed。。。


The　SDF…1　shuddered　at　another　impact。　〃Starboard　engine　has　been　hit；〃　Claudia　informed　Gloval　without　looking　up　from　her　console。

Gloval　said　nothing　but　worried　much。　Even　now；　a　decade　and　more　after　the　SDF…1's　original　appearance　and　crash　landing　on　Earth；　nobody　understood　very　much　about　its　enigmatic；　sealed　power　plants…not　even　the　brilliant　Lang。　What　would　happen　if　an　engine　were　broached？　Gloval　didn't　spare　time　to　worry　about　it。

The　bad　news　was　ing　fast。　〃Industrial　section　hit。〃　〃Sector　twenty…seven　pletely　nonfunctioning。〃

Claudia　looked　to　Gloval。　〃The　pin…point　barrier　is　losing　power。〃

Gloval　didn't　permit　himself　to　show　his　dismay。　Now　what？　he　thought。　We've　fought　so　hard；　endured　so　much；　e　so　close。　〃Keep　firing　the　main　battery！〃　he　said；　aloud。

Lisa　knew　how　to　read　him　so　well　after　all　these　years。　Look　at　him；　she　thought。　It's　hopeless！　I　know　it！

〃Lisa；　didn't　you　hear　the　order？〃　Claudia　was　yelling；　a　little　desperately。

〃Yes；〃　Lisa　said　resolutely。　She　pressed　the　trigger　again。

Another　unimaginable　flood　of　utter　destruction　leapt　out　to　devour　the　second　Zentraedi　wave。


In　her　mand　center；　Azonia　watched　a　dozen　proud　Zentraedi　warships　vanish　from　the　tactical　display　screens。

〃That　imbecile　Khyron！　What　does　he　think　he's　doing？　He　has　no　authority　whatsoever　for　this　attack！〃

Yaita；　her　aide；　said　laconically；　〃No；　mander。〃　Then；　〃Therefore；　what　are　your　orders？〃

In　an　event　of　this　magnitude　there　was　opportunity　for　the　right　junior　officer　to　get　herself　noticed；　perhaps　even　mentioned　in　dispatches　to　Dolza's　headquarters。　Interfering　with　the　unstable　battle　lord　risked　a　confrontation；　perhaps　even　bat；　but　by　nature　Yaita　was　a　risk　taker。

Azonia；　even