09_the_final_nightmare-第20章

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ther　she　and　Angelo　Dante　stomped　about　the　hall；　firing；　demolishing　the　gorgeous　entablatures　and　columns。

Then　at　random　she　fired　at　another　bulkhead　of　rectangular　metal。　The　rectangle　crumpled　and　fell；　revealing　a　space　beyond。　The　hatch　fell　and　through　the　smoke　and　flame　stepped　one　lone　red　Bioroid。

〃Zor！〃　Dana　knew　it　had　to　be　him。　All　her　anger　was　gone　in　a　moment；　and　the　terrible　thought　that　she　had　lost　him　again；　perhaps　forever；　to　the　Masters；　brought　out　the　other　side　of　her　personality。　Forgetting　everything；　she　hiked　herself　up　out　of　her　seat；　and　leapt　to　lower　herself　from　her　cockpit…canopy。　〃Zor！〃

〃Lieutenant！〃　Angelo's　first　impulse　was　to　fire　for　effect；　but　before　he　could　do　anything；　she　was　in　too　close；　nearly　at　the　Bioroid's　feet；　arms　held　up　to　it　imploringly。

〃Oh；　Zor；〃　she　cried　forlornly。　〃Don't　you　remember　me？　Have　they　taken　that　from　you；　too？〃　But　the　great　discus…shaped　handgun　in　the　red　fist　swung　to　bear　on　her。

Angelo　locked　down　his　controls　and　rose；　to　drop　from　his　tank。　He　couldn't　start　a　firefight　and　he　wouldn't　leave　Dana　to　be　captured　or　killed。　He　chose　not　to　question　his　own　motives　as　he　ran　to　stand　at　her　side；　but　he　knew　loyalty　and　duty　were　not　his　only　ones。

Dana　was　so　young　and　beautiful；　so　filled　with　a　fighter's　spirit。。。In　his　whole　life；　he　had　met　only　a　handful　like　her：　good　soldier；　reliable　panion。。。someone　you　could　trust；　could　count　on。　In　Angelo's　vocabulary；　those　words　meant　everything。

Zor's　voice　came　to　them　without　benefit　of　their　headphones。　It　sounded；　once　more；　as　it　had　when　Dana　had　first　seen　him　revealed；　near　the　burial　mound　of　SDF…1。　His　mindspeech　was　thin　and　reedy；　higher　than　it　had　been　a　few　moments　ago；　and　sounding　like　someone　talking　on　the　inhalation　rather　than　the　exhalation。

〃Do　not　move。　Surrender　or　you　will　be　instantly　destroyed。　〃

〃Zor；〃　she　murmured；　distraught。　〃What　have　they　done　to　you？〃

Then　light　broke　from　the　Bioroid　as　its　head　swung　back。　Its　chest　and　shoulders　opened　outwards；　to　reveal　the　ball　turret　within　it。　That；　too；　opened…and　Zor　uncurled　from　a　fetal　position；　seemingly　given　birth；　in　blinding　glory。

He　stood　to　regard　them　with　contempt；　mindspeaking　to　them。　〃You　have　fallen　into　this　trap　much　more　easily　than　I　would　have　thought；　Lieutenant　Sterling。　You　and　your　mand　are　now　captives　of　my　lords；　the　Robotech　Masters。〃


〃I　cannot　understand　the　extraordinary　influence　the　female　Micronian　exerts　over　Zor　Prime's　mental　functions；〃　Dag　told　his　two　counterparts。　〃Exposure　to　her　emotions　is　causing　departures　from　several　of　the　clone's　cognitive　schemata；　even　here　at　the　center　of　our　power。〃

〃But　our　control　module　is　at　maximum　energization；〃　Bowkaz　pointed　out。　〃We　have　near…total　manipulation　of　Zor　Prime。　Clearly；　it　will　suffice。　What　are　emotions；　after　all；　but　primitive　behavioral　residue？〃


Zor　had　retreated　back　into　his　control　sphere；　and　the　discus　handgun　remained　pointed　at　Dana　and　Angelo。　The　two　ATACs　had　removed　their　helmets　and　stood　looking　up。

〃Zor；　I　have　to　talk　to　you！〃　Dana　tried　again。　〃You　remember　me；　don't　you？〃

There　was　no　response；　but　Angelo　noticed　that；　suddenly；　the　pistol　was　wavering。　From　the　shadowy　figure　of　Zor；　curled　up　again　in　his　globe；　there　was　no　movement。　Dana　started　walking　toward　the　Bioroid's　foot。

〃Look　out；　Dana！　He's　gonna　shoot！〃　Angelo　tackled　her　just　as　the　titanic　handgun　fired；　the　annihilation　disc　missed；　as　the　two　ATACs　fell　headlong　together；　but　Angelo　was　quick　to　understand　that　it　would　have　missed　anyway。

Another　blast　superheated　the　deck　nearby；　but　at　that　range　it　should　have　been　dead　center。　Dana　and　Angelo　looked　up　to　see　the　red's　armor　re…securing；　closing　protectively　around　the　ball　turret。　The　red　moved　spasmodically；　more　rounds　blasted　into　the　deck　at　random。

Angelo　made　his　decision　and　ran　for　his　tank。　The　red　continued　its　disoriented　firing；　seemingly　in　conflict　with　itself；　until　it　noticed　his　main　battery　ing　to　bear　on　it。　Dana　was　just　far　enough　out　of　the　way。　Angelo　fired；　but　the　Bioroid　ducked；　barely　in　time。　Zor　fell　aside　as　the　deckplates　beneath　his　feet　leapt　up　in　fire　from　the　sergeant's　second　shot。

Within　his　Robotech　womb；　Zor　sweated；　moaning；　in　his　trance。　He　fought　himself　even　more　determinedly　than　his　Bioroid　fought　Angelo；　but　the　internal　bat　wasn't　going　well。

Dana　swung　to　Angelo。　〃You'll　never　stop　him　that　way！　Switch　to　Battloid　mode！　And　don't　hurt　him！〃

Who's　she　think　I　am；　Wyatt　Earp？　Angelo　wondered。　What'm　I　supposed　to　do；　wing　that　goddamn　'roid？　But　he　went　to　Battloid　and　fired　his　rifle/cannon　from　the　hip。　The　red　dodged；　but　more　slowly。


〃Zor's　brainwaves　indicate　a　deviance；〃　Bowkaz　observed。

Behind　him；　Myzex；　group　leader　of　the　Politician　triumvirate；　spoke　from　his　triad's　Protoculture　cap。　〃His　exposure　to　Human　influence　may　have　produced　an　adverse　effect　on　his　anterior　brain　structure。〃

Dag　half　turned　to　the　politicians。　〃You　suggest　an　awakening　of　dormant　racial　memory？〃

〃Possibly；　my　Master。〃

Perhaps　this　was　the　breakthrough　the　Masters　had　hoped　for！　It　might　be　that　emotions　were　the　missing　key　to　the　recovery　of　Zor's　mental　gifts　and；　possibly；　even　to　the　Inheritance　of　Acquired　Knowledge　capacity　they　had　hoped　to　channel　into　him　by　use　of　their　artificial　psi　abilities。　The　I。A。K。　and　the　recovery　of　the　original　Zor's　secrets；　a　new　Matrix…a　universe…spanning　realm　belonging　to　them　alone…it　was　suddenly　all　possible。

〃The　Human　disturbance　and　distraction　must　be　eradicated　at　once；〃　Shaizan　decreed。

Suddenly　Zor　barreled　past　Angelo　before　the　sergeant　could　get　off　a　shot；　bashed　through　another　hatch；　and　disappeared　down　a　passageway。

〃Angelo；　stay　down！〃　Dana　yelled。

〃What　happened？〃　Angelo　was　shaken　badly；　he　had　thought　his　number　was　up。　〃He　had　me　dead　to　rights；　why　didn't　he　nail　me？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　Dana　said；　heading　back　to　the　Valkyrie。　〃But　we　have　to　find　Bowie　and　the　others　before　the　aliens　do。〃

Aliens。


The　firefight　in　the　passageway　was　successful　for　the　15th。　The　ATACs　used　what　they　had　learned　about　the　Triumviroids'　weaknesses。　Without　Dana　around　to　object；　they　had　done　some　fast；　straight　faceplate…shooting；　and　even　Bowie；　seeing　that　his　squadmates'　lives　were　on　the　line；　had　made　his　choice　and　taken　his　stand。

But　as　they　stood　in　the　smoking　aftermath　of　the　firefight；　they　had　realized　that　it　was　time　to　lie　low　for　a　while。　They　had　withdrawn　to　a　nearby　recycling　plant…a　gigantic　partment　full　of　moving　conveyor　belts　and　organic　looking　reclamation　equipment。　Hopefully　Dana　would　follow　their　transceiver　signals。

Sean　picked　up　two　signals　that　got　stronger；　until　they　had　to　be　right　in　the　partment。　He　looked　up　to　see　two　Hovertanks　shake　loose　of　the　debris　and　scrap　on　a　tenyard…wide　belt　high　overhead；　and　descend　on　gushing　thrusters。　Angelo　and　Dana　landed　amid　a　shower　of　junk　and　garbage；　Dana　crying；　〃Look　out　below！〃

〃'Bout　time；　Lieutenant；〃　Bowie　mented　dryly。

There　were　no　guards　or　surveillance　devices　that　they　could　see。　Dana　and　Angelo　and　the　others　hid　their　tanks　in　the　dark　reaches　under　a　big　overhead；　then　the　15th　gathered　around　to　do　some　improvising。

It　was　clear　that　they　couldn't　rely　upon　Emerson's　return　anytime　soon；　and　to　simply　run　riot　would　be　to　make　it　just　a　matter　of　time　before　the　Triumviroids　converged　to　wipe　them　out。

〃So；　what　we　gotta　do　is　locate　the　flagship's　mand　center　or　bridge　or　whatever　they　call　it　around　here；　then　e　back　with　the　tanks　and　take　it　by　force。　Everybody；　shuck　your　armor；　this　is　a　recon　job。〃

〃Secret　agent　time；〃　Sean　sighed。　〃And　where　d'we　look；　in　a　ship　five　miles　long？〃

〃The　logical　place；　in　view　of　their　setup　and　systems；　is　the　center　of　the　ship；〃　Louie　said。　They　began　climbing　out　of　their　armor　and　checking　their　small　arms。

The　ATACs　wanted　to　pack　all　the　weapons　they　could；　but　Dana　nixed　the　idea。　A　lot　of　throw…weight　would　only　attract　attention；　and　if　they　got　into　a　situation　wherein　a　few　pistols　and　a　rifle　wouldn't　suffice；　they　we