09_the_final_nightmare-第37部分

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She　saw　the　two　Masters；　but　realized　that　she　could　see　through　them；　as　though　they　were　made　of　stained　glass。

Zor　threw　his　head　back　and　spat；　〃Your　perversion　of　the　Protoculture　only　proves　how　little　you　truly　know　about　it。　Do　you　think　such　things　can　go　unpunished？　No！　And　I'll　never　rest　until　there　has　been　vengeance。〃

Dana　had　hauled　herself　to　her　feet；　mind　still　whirling　with　the　things　she　had　seen　and　heard　in　her　trance。　But　she　drew　a　deep　breath　and　said；　〃I'll　be　right　behind　you；　Zor。〃

That　seemed　to　bring　him　out　of　his　seizure　of　blind　rage。　He　turned　and　put　his　hand　on　her　shoulder。　〃Thank　you。　Thank　you　many　times　over；　Dana。　For　showing　me　kindness　and。。。for　caring　for　me。　For　helping　me　bee　whole　again；　and　free　myself。〃

He　smiled；　but　it　was　bittersweet；　as　he　shouldered　his　weapon。　〃I　only　wish　you　were　safely　out　of　here。〃

He　indicated　the　partment's　hatch。　〃That's　one　barrier　we　could　never　burn　through　with　hand　weapons；　and　the　Masters　have　sealed　us　in…given　the　ship's　systemry　an　order　through　their　Protoculture　cap。　We're　trapped。〃

〃Are　you　sure？　It's　worth　a　try；　anyhow。〃　She　crossed　to　it。　〃Maybe　we　can　short…circuit　it；　or　something。〃

He　was　about　to　tell　her　that　the　Protoculture　didn't　work　that　way。　That　there　was　no　hope　of　countermanding　the　Masters'　instruction　to　it；　when　the　hatch　opened　to　their　touch　at　the　controls。

Zor　Prime　looked　at　her；　open…mouthed。　〃By　the　Protoculture！〃　he　whispered。　〃Who　are　you？〃

She　shrugged。　I'm　only　beginning　to　find　out。　In　a　lot　of　ways；　we're　the　same。　Now；　how　do　we　find　those　two　and　stop　them？〃

He　had　the　rifle　off　his　shoulder　again。　〃Rest　assured：　we　will　find　them。〃


〃Musica's　e！〃　Octavia　rose　from　her　ministrations　to　a　dying　clone；　and　Allegra　did　the　same。　Already；　in　the　Muses'　minds；　there　were　the　unheard　harmonies　of　their　triumvirate。

Musica　appeared　a　moment　later；　leading　the　ATACs　and　Nova　Satori　and　Dennis　Brown。　The　Muses　were　reunited　in　a　three…cornered　embrace。　〃I'm　so　happy　you　both　are　still　alive！〃　Musica　said。　〃Many　of　our　people　have　been　set　adrift　in　space。〃

Bowie　had　e　up　behind　her。　〃We've　got　to　get　out　of　here。　The　guards　are　headed　this　way！〃

The　Muses　turned　to　their　people；　the　three　voices　raised　in　urgent　singsong；　beseeching　them　to　get　up；　to　follow　and　escape。

The　phlegmatic　clones　didn't　seem　to　hear；　at　first；　but　in　moments　the　15th　troopers　were　tugging　them　upright。　Dante's　voice　came　in　a　roaring　counterpoint；　getting　more　of　the　clones　moving　the　way　only　an　experienced　NCO　could；　he　was　perfectly　happy　frightening　and　intimidating　people；　if　it　was　for　their　own　good。

Nova；　too；　helped　roust　the　Masters'　slaves。　She　no　longer　looked　on　them　as　the　enemy　or　soulless　biological　units；　she　had　changed；　just　as　the　others　had　changed　in　this　last　stage　of　the　Second　Robotech　War。　ing　across　the　tiny　infant　clone　that　Dana　had　seen　on　the　15th's　last　foray　aboard　a　Master　ship；　she　saw　no　one　else　was　looking　after　it　and　so　gathered　it　up　in　her　arms；　calling　on　the　adults　to　follow　her　lead。

In　seconds；　scores　of　clones　who　had　been　resigned　to　death　were　up　and　active。　Hope；　and　the　example　of　Musica　and　her　sisters；　filled　the　emptiness　that　had　afflicted　the　clones　when　the　Masters　discarded　them。


The　patchwork　Terran　attack　fleet　moved　in；　deploying　its　bat　forces；　and　opened　fire。　A…JACs；　VTs；　and　other　bat　craft　raked　the　mother　ships　with　energy　weapons　and　all　the　ordnance　they　could　carry。　Triumviroids　swept　out　to　meet　them；　fighting　with　a　furious　disregard　for　their　own　survival。

The　Human　battlecruisers　let　loose　their　volleys；　missiles　and　cannon　blasts　lit　the　scene。　Warheads　blossomed　in　hideous　orange…red　eruptions。　The　Robotech　Masters'　Flower　budshaped　guns　answered；　filling　that　volume　of　the　void　with　their　eerie　green　electric…arc　effects　and　white…hot　volleys。

With　power　so　low；　though；　the　Masters　couldn't　afford　to　generate　their　snowflakelike　defensive　fields；　and　so　the　battle　was　a　slugging　match。　The　four　remaining　mother　ships；　drained　of　their　Protoculture　reserves；　were　sitting　ducks　for　the　Human　gunners。　Pass　after　pass　by　the　mecha　and　broadsides　from　the　heavier　craft　inflicted　heavy　damage　on　the　mightiest　machines　of　the　Masters'　Robotechnology。　But　what　the　Humans　didn't　realize　was　that　they　were　wasting　valuable　time　and　effort　on　targets　of　no　importance…on　targets　that　contained　only　a　few　barely　functioning　zombies。

The　Masters'　flagship　was　far　more　effective；　taking　a　heavy　toll　on　its　attackers　and　sustaining　little　damage。　The　Southern　Cross　forces；　unaware　that　they　had　been　outflanked；　decided　to　concentrate　on　eliminating　the　other　mother　ships　first。　They　would　deal　with　the　flagship　once　the　rest　of　the　invasion　fleet　had　been　destroyed。

One　mother　ship　flared；　and　minutes　later；　another；　their　power　systems　rupturing　and　yielding　up　their　remaining　energy　in　explosions　that　expanded　them　and　rent　them　apart。

Another　mother　ship；　drifting；　began　the　long　crashplunge　into　the　Earth's　atmosphere。　Mecha　and　heavy　craft　raced　after；　trying　desperately　to　shoot　it　to　bits。　The　impact　of　an　object　that　large　could　work　more　damage　than　any　other　blow　the　Masters　had　yet　struck；　Humanity　had　learned　that　with　the　SDF…1s　crash；　so　long　ago。

It　was　then　that　the　first　reports　came　through　of　the　massive；　renewed　attack　on　Earth　itself。


The　Triumviroids　dropped　in　waves　on　Monument　City；　Fokker　Base；　and　a　half…dozen　other　strategic　objectives　in　the　region　of　the　mounds。　Southern　Cross　mecha　and　defense　forces　barely　had　time　to　brace　themselves　before　the　countryside　became　a　ghastly　killing　ground。

Reds　whirled　and　swooped　on　their　Hovercraft；　strafing　and　spreading　death　and　destruction。　Outnumbered；　the　Humans　fought　grimly　to　make　every　death　count；　but　still　the　uneven　score　mounted　in　the　enemy's　favor。　All　the　volunteers　and　final　reserves　went　into　action。　The　death　toll　mounted　and　mounted。

Triumviroids　met　their　end；　too；　in　staggering　numbers；　it　mattered　little　to　the　Masters　if　their　mecha…slaves　were　wiped　out　to　the　last　one。　The　Matrix　was　the　only　important　thing　now。　Neither　side　gave　quarter　or　asked　it。


In　his　office　high　up　in　the　Southern　Cross　headquarters；　Supreme　mander　Leonard　looked　down　on　the　Taming　graveyard　that　was　Monument　City。

Colonel　Seward　implored　again；　〃Sir；　the　defense　forces　are　simply　outgunned　and　outnumbered！　Monument　City's　doomed！　We　have　no　choice　but　to　evacuate！〃

Seward　knew　there　was　at　that　moment　another　flight　of　assault　ships　ing　in　at　the　city　from　the　north。　It　might　already　be　too　late。　For　some　reason；　the　enemy　hadn't　seemed　to　have　understood　that　the　slim　white　towers　were　the　nerve　center　of　the　Terran　military。　But　with　the　enormous　volume　of　munications　traffic　now　being　channeled　directly　there；　and　the　obvious　disposition　of　surviving　forces　to　protect　it；　even　the　aliens　would　realize　it　was　a　prize　target。

Seward　fidgeted；　wanting　to　run。　Good　career　moves　might　justify　a　certain　recklessness；　but　all　the　threat…evaluation　puters　agreed　that　staying　in　the　HQ　was　suicide。　And　Seward　had　no　desire　for　a　posthumous　medal；　no　matter　how　high。

But　Leonard　didn't　seem　to　see　things　that　way。　He　stood；　bulky　and　stolid　as　a　stone；　his　back　to　the　staff　officer；　watching　as　the　city　burned。


Even　as　Seward　was　begging　for　Leonard　to　see　reason；　alien　sights　were　ranging　on　the　white　towers。　Slim；　gleaming　pillars　suggesting　Crusaders'　pennons　and　medieval　ramparts；　the　HQ　structures　were　an　easy　target　to　spot。　Targeting　puter　gunlock　was　established　almost　instantly。


〃Go　if　you　want；〃　Leonard　said　brusquely。　〃I'm　staying　here　until　this　battle　is　over。〃

It　wasn't　an　act　of　bravery　or　loyalty。　He　knew　he　had　made　a　terrible　blunder；　answering　the　alien　feint　with　the　bulk　of　his　forces。　His　hatred　of　all　things　unearthly；　the　loathing　burn　in　The　terrible　injuries　he　hall　taken　in　bat　against　the　Zentraedi；　had　blinded　him　to　everything　but　the　chance　for　revenge。

He　seemed　bigger　than　life　to　the　people　around　him；　but　the　damage　done　him…to　his　body　and　thus　to　his　spirit；　his　mind…that　day　of　Dolza's　holocaust　attack；　almost　eighteen　years　before；　was　beyond　any　healing。

From　the　moment　when　Leonard　had　overridden　Emerson's　wait…and…see　policy；　when　the　Masters　first　showed　up；　things　had　gone　from　bad　to　worse。　Leonard　had　long　since　admitted　to　himself　that　Rolf　Emerson　was　the　better　strategist　and　tactician　by　far；　the　better　general　even　in　terms　of　manding　his　troops'　loyalty。　But…dammit！　The　man　had　no　true　appreciation　of　the　danger　of　these　aliens；　of　all　aliens！

Seward　saw　further　argument　was　useless；　and　started　for　the　door。　His　rationalization　was　that　he　was　carrying　Leonard's　last　dispatch；　but　in　fact　he　was　deserting　his　doomed　post。　The　Southern　Cross　was　finished。

Leonard　let　him　go；　waiting　to　die。　Better　that　way；　rather　than　to　live；　being　known　as　the　man　who　had　lost　Earth　to　obscene　monsters　from　another　star。

Leonard　didn't　have　long　to　wait；　the　first　salvoes　hit　while　Seward　was　still　in　the　doorway；　a　massive　strike　that　lit　the　sky　and　shook　the　ground。　The　proud　white　towers　of　the　Southern　Cross　were　blackened；　as　concrete　went　to　powder　and　structural　alloys　melted　at　the　peripheries。　At　the　centers　of　the　hits；　there　was　plete　destruction。　For　Leonard；　it　was　the　end　of　an　inner　agony　that　had　lasted　some　seventeen　years；　for　the　Human　race；　his　death　came　too　late。


The　15th　had　picked　up　more　of　the　refugee　clones；　hundreds　of　them；　until　Angelo　Dante　began　wishing　somebody　a　little　more　suited　to　the　mass　escape　was　in　charge…say；　somebody　who　could　part　the　Red　Sea；　for　instance。

But　there　wasn't；　even　Lieutenant　Satori　was　less　qualified　than　he　to　lead　a　bat　operation　like　this。　Just　a　big；　dumb　career　sergeant　waiting　around　for　his　pension；　he　thought；　who　happened　to　get　his　turn　in　the　barrel　at　the　wrong　time。　Just　bad　luck；　drive　on；　ATACs！

Going　back　for　the　tanks　was　out　of　the　question。　The　15th　had　to　move　onward；　as　fast　as　possible；　and　give　their　trust　to　luck。

〃This　hatch　leads　to　an　assault　ship　docking　area