09_the_final_nightmare-第11部分

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　Moment。　Nothing　will　be　allowed　to　stop　it。〃

Cochran；　a　thin…faced；　intense　redhead；　swallowed。　He　had　a　brother　in　Emerson's　strikeforce…who　probably　would　soon　bee　a　casualty　of　the　Shaping；　but　Cochran　knew　that　would　not　matter　to　Zand。

To　make　him　feel　even　more　unfortable；　Cochran　was　seated　next　to　Russo。　Russo　was　the　former　senator　and　head　of　the　United　Earth　Defense　Council。　He　was　the　man　whose　ambitions　and　prejudices　had　made　him；　more　than　any　other　Human　being；　the　source　of　the　misjudgments　and　errors　that　had　cost　Earth　so　terribly　in　the　First　Robotech　War。

Russo　had　no　ambitions　now；　he　was　barely　alive。　He　was　a　vacant…eyed；　doglike　slave　to　Zand；　very　much　a　creature　of　the　shadows；　like　his　master。

Cochran　managed；　〃I　just　thought…〃

〃You　just　thought　to　interfere　with　the　Shaping　so　that　your　brother　would　be　out　of　danger？〃　Zand　cut　in。　〃Don't　look　so　surprised！　Why　do　you　think　your　attempts　to　get　him　a　transfer　all　failed？　It　was　because　I　was　giving　you　a　test；　a　test　of　loyalty。　You　wavered；　and　so　you　failed。　Kill　him。〃

The　last　words　were　soft；　but　they　brought　instant　action。　Russo　was　out　of　his　seat　in　an　instant；　pouncing　on　Cochran。　Beckett；　on　the　other　side…Cochran's　colleague　and　friend　since　college…didn't　hesitate　either；　helping　Russo　bring　Cochran　to　the　floor。

Zand's　other　disciples　threw　themselves　into　the　fray；　terrified　of　failing　this　newest　test。　Even　matronly　Millicent　Edgewick　was　there；　kicking　the　doomed　man。　Zand　sat　and　watched；　nibbling　dried　petals　of　the　Flower　of　Life。

Cochran　went　down；　his　chair　overturned。　His　screams　didn't　last　long。


CHAPTER　SEVEN

The　generals　who　let　us　die
so　they　can　shake　a　fist…
They'd　none　of　'em　be　missed；
they'd　none　of　'em　be　missed！
Bowie　Grant；　〃With　Apologies　to　Gilbert　and　Sullivan〃

Bowie　was　tinkering　with　the　keys　again；　trying　not　to　think　about　the　strikeforce　expedition。　〃Doesn't　that　get　boring？〃　Sean　asked；　leaning　on　the　piano。

〃Not　really。〃

〃I　don't　mean　you；　Bowie；　I　mean　those　two。〃

He　pointed　toward　Dana　and　Louie；　who　were　toiling　over　a　simulator　that　looked　as　if　it　had　been　stripped；　ponents　lying　everywhere。　Why　they　had　chosen　the　readyroom　to　work　in　instead　of　one　of　the　repair　bays　or　maintenance　workrooms　was　still　unclear；　except　perhaps　the　fact　that　Dana　kept　trying　to　entice　people　into　volunteering　to　help。

Dana　had　mandeered　the　simulator　from　the　canteen　on　authority　from　R&D；　and　neither　she　nor　Louie　had　slept　that　night。　On　the　other　hand；　as　of　yet　no　R&D　support　troops　had　shown　up。

〃I'm　starting　to　wonder　if　that　Cromwell　really　wants　Louie's　gizmo　for　simulation　training；〃　Sean　murmured。

〃I　just　like　machines；〃　Louie　was　expounding　to　Dana；　as　he　reassembled　things。　〃They　expand　Human　potential　and　they　never　disappoint　you；　if　you　build　'em　right。　Somebody　with　the　right　know…how　could　create　the　ideal　society。　Unimpeded　Intellect！　Machine　Logic！〃

〃I　didn't　know　you　were　such　a　romantic；〃　she　said　dryly。　Ideal　society？　Boy；　what　a　mechie！

Louie　wanted　to　run　the　final　test；　but　Dana　pulled　rank　and　he　yielded　amiably。　She　pulled　on　a　visor；　hopped　into　the　simulator；　and　the　puter…modeled　slaughter　began。　It　was　a　quantum　leap　from　the　old　thinking　cap；　her　score　soared。


Elsewhere；　the　Tristar；　Emerson's　flagship；　was　fighting　a　desperate　diversionary　action；　luring　the　main　body　of　the　enemy's　forces　one　way　so　that　the　more　badly　damaged　expedition　ships　could　try　to　limp　to　ALUCE。

〃We　can't　take　much　more　of　this　pounding！〃　Green　growled；　as　the　Tristar　was　jarred　again　by　enemy　fire。

〃I　know；〃　Emerson　said　calmly。　〃Get　me　a　precise　position　fix　and　tell　the　power　section　we'll　need　emergency　max　power　in　two　minutes。〃

〃Sir；〃　Rochelle　said　and　bent　to　the　task。　Green　turned　a　silent；　questioning　look　on　the　man　he　had　served　for　so　long。

〃We're　going　to　generate　a　singularity　effect；〃　Emerson　said。　They　all　knew　he　meant　use　of　the　mysterious　〃special　apparatus〃　given　him　by　R&D　in　a　cryptic　transfer　that；　rumor　had　it；　could　be　traced　to　Zand　himself。

The　idea　was　to　create　a　small　black　hole　where　the　ship　was；　the　ship　itself　being　yo…yoed　momentarily　into　another　dimension。　The　singularity　would　then　pull　in　and　destroy　everything　in　close　proximity　to　it。　The　untested　theory　and　some　of　the　apparatus　came　from　Dr。　Emil　Lang's　research　on　the　now…destroyed　SDF…1。

〃And　then　the　enemy　bees　a　brief　accretion　disc；　gets　sucked　into　the　singularity；　and　vanishes　forever；〃　Green　muttered。　〃Perhaps。〃

〃We　try　it　or　die　anyway；〃　Emerson　pointed　out。　To　underscore　that；　another　enemy　salvo　shook　the　Tristar。

Power　readings　seemed　insane；　violating　all　safety　factors　and　load　tolerances。　Emerson　had　a　microphone　in　his　hand。

〃Lieutenant　Crystal；　you　and　the　other　TASCs　will　lure　all　enemy　forces　as　close　to　the　Tristar　as　possible；　and　be　ready　to　get　clear　on　a　moment's　notice；　in　approximately　six　minutes；　do　you　copy？〃


〃You　heard　the　man；〃　Marie　told　the　Lions。

It　was　the　weirdest　mission　she　had　ever　been　on：　sting　and　run；　get　the　enemy　assault　ships　and　battleships　and　'roids　chasing　you。　Juke　and　dodge　to　keep　them　from　shooting　your　tail　off；　somehow　keep　them　from　engaging　and　diverting　or　delaying　you。　Protect　your　teammates　but　keep　moving；　do　your　best　to　ignore　the　heavy　losses　suffered　by　pilots　who　had　been　forbidden；　in　effect；　to　turn　and　give　battle。　And　watch　the　time　diminish　down　to　zero。

As　the　timer　wound　down；　the　area　around　the　Tristar　was　thick　with　dogfighting　mecha；　the　biggest　rat　race　of　the　Second　Robotech　War。　The　enemy　forces　were　hitting　Emerson's　flagship　almost　at　will；　and　it　couldn't　last　much　longer。

Then　Marie　heard　Emerson's　order　to　get　clear；　the　A…JACs　cut　in　all　thrusters　and　headed　away；　leaving　the　field　to　the　milling　Bioroids　and　bat　vessels。

Emerson　watched　the　indicators　and；　when　it　was　time；　he　threw　the　switch。　Crackling　energy　wreathed　the　battlecruiser；　seeming　to　crawl　around　it　like　superfast　serpents。　The　tremendous　discharge　expanded　to　form　a　sphere　just　big　enough　to　contain　the　ship。　The　Bioroids'　emotionless　faceplates　were　lit　up　by　the　radiance　of　the　blaze。

There　were　cosmic　fireworks；　then　nothing　to　see　as　the　lightshow　was　engulfed　by　the　Schwarzchild　radius。　The　Bioroids　and　vessels　closest　to　the　vanished　flagship　were　destroyed　by　tidal　forces。　The　invaders　were　sucked　into　nullset…space。

Those　slightly　farther　away　were　helpless　to　escape　being　accretion　material；　whirling　down　to　and　over　the　event　horizon　after　their　fellows。　The　Masters'　mightiest　assault　force　was　gone　except　for　a　little　quantum　leakage。

Marie　was　waiting　for　the　Tristar；　praying　that　the　last　and　most　critical　part　of　the　operation　wouldn't　be　a　disaster；　when　cannonfire　rocked　her　A…JAC。　〃Damn！〃　she　yelled；　pushing　her　stickup　into　the　corner　for　a　pushover；　imaging　the　aerobat　move　through　her　horned　helmet　even　though　she　was　in　airless　space。　There　was　one　battleship　left！

The　other　A…JACs　scattered　as　the　enemy　drove　in　at　them；　putting　out　a　fearsome　volume　of　fire　with　primary　and　secondary　batteries。　It　was　obviously　damaged…and　so　had　moved　too　slowly　to　be　drawn　within　the　deadly　radius　of　the　singularity　effect。

Now　it　was　practically　on　top　of　the　Lions；　still　capable　of　doing　fatal　damage　to　the　Tristar；　should　Emerson's　ship　reappear　and　be　taken　by　surprise。　Marie　gave　quick　orders；　and　the　Black　Lions　went　at　the　enemy　dreadnought　like　wolves　after　a　mammoth；　biting；　ripping；　ing　back　for　more　even　though　they　suffered　heavy　losses…and　luring　the　battlewagon　into　position。

But　the　clones　weren't　blind　to　what　had　happened　to　the　rest　of　their　battle　group　and　fought　to　keep　clear。　The　Masters'　battleship　put　its　remaining　power　into　a　run　for　safety。

But　it　found　another　vessel　blocking　its　way。　Although　the　Salamis　was　shaking　with　secondary　explosions　and　seemed　more　holes　than　hull；　it　closed　in　on　the　alien；　firing　with　the　few　batteries　still　functioning。

The　captain　of　the　Salamis　and　most　of　its　officers　were　dead。　Captain　Komodo　was　now　in　mand；　and　he　knew　he　rode　a　death　ship。　His　engines　were　about　to　go；　and　there　was　nothing　he　and　his　crewpeople　could　do　but　make　it　count　for　something。

Salamis　rode　its　failing　drive　straight　into　the　enemy's　fire。

All　engine　readings　were　far　into　the　red；　the　destroyer　escort　trembled。　〃I　love　you；　Nova；〃　Komodo　whispered。

Salamis　vanished　in　brilliance。


〃Okay！　Everybody　run　for　it！〃　Marie　manded。　The　A…JACs　heeded　her；　zooming　away　in　all　directions。

Marie　was　beginning　to　think　she　had　miscalculated。　Maybe　she　misjudged　the　spot　or　perhaps　Emerson　simply　wasn't　ing　back。　Then　an　enormous　globe　of　ball…lightning　leapt　into　existence　near　the　enemy；　and　etlike　sparks　flew　outwards　from　it。

Even　though　the　explosion　of　Emerson's　reentry　was　nothing　like　the　release　of　energy　the　decay　of　a　natural　black　hole　would　have　produced；　it　was　enough　to　vaporize　the　enemy　battlewagon。　In　another　moment　Tristar　floated　alone　in　space；　as　Marie　laughed　aloud　and　Emerson　prepared　to　rejoin　the　expedition's　main　force。


Supreme　mander　Leonard　put　on　a　self…satisfied　look　as　he　passed　word　of　Emerson's　victory　along　to　the　UEG　council；　taking　as　much　of　the　credit　for　himself　as　he　possibly　could。　But　inside；　he　seethed。　He　must　have　victories　of　his　own！

When　he　was　back　in　his　offices；　though；　a　phone　call　brought　wele　news　that　turned　his　day　around。

〃That　was　Cromwell　from　R&D；〃　said　his　aide；　Colonel　Seward。　〃They've　pleted　modifications　on　that　targeting　system　they　got　from　the　trooper　in　ATAC。　Mass　production　and　retrofitting　have　already　begun；　they've　got　their　special　units　on　it　now。〃

Then　we　can　start　preparation　for　my　attack　plan！　Leonard　exulted。　He　said　to　his　gathered　staff；　〃Gentlemen；　the　time　has　e　to　strike　the　telling　blow；　and　capture　or　destroy　the　enemy　flagship；　using　both　Earth…based　forces　and　the　ALUCE　contingent。

〃Inform　General　Emerson　I　want　him　back　here　on　Earth　A。S。A。P　He'll　be　my　field　mander　on　this　one。〃

Run　the　gauntlet　again；　Rolf！　Your　luck　has　to　give　out　sometime！


〃Listen　up；　everybody！〃　Dana's　tone