09_the_final_nightmare-第35章

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preparing　for　another　run。　At　Emerson's　order；　she　began　to　consolidate　elements　of　the　various　shattered　TASC　units。

But　we　better　get　some　help　soon；　she　thought；　or　that's　all　he　wrote。


〃General；　you　have　to　mit　all　your　reserves　now；〃　Emerson's　image　said　to　Leonard。

The　supreme　mander　kept　his　face　neutral。　〃Current　tactical　trends　preclude　that　at　this　time。〃

So　much　easier　than　saying　〃screw　you；　〃　Emerson　thought；　as　his　flagship　shook　to　a　Bioroid　assault　and　the　guns　pounded。

〃There'll　be　no　other　chance！〃　he　roared　at　Leonard。　〃Move　now；　you　fool！〃

Leonard's　wattles　shook　with　his　anger。　〃You　dare　give　me　orders？　Carry　out　your　mission！〃

He　had　barely　broken　the　connection；　and　was　picturing　Emerson's　imprisonment　for　insubordination　under　fire；　when　an　aide　leaned　close　to　say；　〃Enemy　assault　ship　descending　for　landing；　sir；　about　five　miles　outside　the　city　limits。〃

Leonard　turned　back　to　raise　Emerson　again。　There　must　be　no　more　penetration　of　Earth's　defensive　forces；　whatever　it　took。

Predictably；　Emerson　claimed　that　the　order　was　unworkable　was　simply　contradictory　to　reality。　Leonard　let　him　go　on；　and　then　hit　him　with　a　blow　he　had　been　saving　until　the　battle　was　over。

〃Carry　on！　Oh；　and　it　may　interest　you　to　know　that　your　ward；　Private　Grant；　has　deserted　in　the　pany　of　an　enemy　agent。　The　GMP　is　hunting　him　even　now。〃

Emerson　wanted　to　cry　out　in　grief；　to　insist　that　it　had　to　be　a　mistake　or　that　Bowie　had　been　brainwashed。　But　he　saw　Leonard　was　enjoying　it　too　much　to　be　persuaded　of　anything　Emerson　might　claim。

Emerson　broke　the　mo　connection　and　began　redeploying　his　remaining　forces　for　a　direct　assault　on　the　only　remaining　mother　ship。


On　Earth；　Leonard　exulted　that　he　bad　managed　to　give　Emerson　such　agonizing　news　when　the　man　couldn't　even　spare　a　moment　for　regret　or　memory　or　worry。

But　he　didn't　have　long　to　enjoy　it。　An　appalling　new　enemy　teemed　from　the　assault　ships　that　were　slipping　through；　to　wreak　havoc　in　Monument　City。

Assault　ship　hatches　dropped　open；　even　as　Leonard　watched　from　his　tower；　and　the　mindblanked　assault　troop　clones　charged　forth　like　insane　demons。


CHAPTER　EIGHTEEN

It's　ironic　that　the　SDF…3　expedition　was　on　its　way　to　find　the　Robotech　Masters　to　strike　a　diplomatic　accord；　at　exactly　the　time　the　Masters　were　on　their　way　to　Earth。　Ships　passing　in　the　night；　in　truth。
There　are　those　who　lament　the　fact　because　they　believe　the　second　war　could　have　been　averted。　I　do　not　share　this　view。　Do　Humans；　mining　for　precious　gems；　make　deals　with　the　monkeys　whose　jungle　they　invade？
The　Masters　were　arrogant　in　a　way　that；　in　Humans；　would　certainly　be　diagnosed　as　psychotic。　They　were　as　single…minded　as　the　mindblanked　clone　troops　they　were　forced　to　use　in　their　final　offensive。
Major　Alice　Harper　Argus　（Ret。）；　Fulcrum：　mentaries　on　the　Second　Robotech　War

〃Doesn't　even　faze　'em；〃　an　infantryman　gritted　over　his　tac　net。　He　put　another　burst　into　the　alien；　and　this　time　the　raving；　long…haired　wildman　in　offworld　uniform　went　down。

But　not　for　long。　The　thing　got　up　again；　hollow…eyed；　skin　stretched　tight　across　its　face；　leering　like　a　skeleton。　It　raced　at　him　with　unnatural　speed　and　dexterity；　firing　some　kind　of　hand　weapon。　The　grunt　flicked　over　from　tefloncoated　slugs　to　energy　and　held　the　trigger　down；　until　the　zombie　was　burning　chunks　of　debris。

But　all　at　once　another　zombie　reared　up；　grinning；　to　bear　him　over　and　grapple　hand　to　hand；　not　skilled　but　as　unrelenting　as　a　mad　dog。　They　pressed　rifles　against　one　another。　Only　the　infantryman's　armor　kept　him　from　having　his　throat　bitten　out。

Everywhere　it　was　the　same。　Only　a　few　Southern　Cross　units　had　been　deployed　here　to　Newton；　to　guard　against　a　landing　at　the　outmost　perimeter　of　Monument　City。　The　grunts　were　badly　outnumbered　by　the　Living　Dead。　What　had　happened　among　the　defenseless　civilians；　the　soldiers　could　not　bring　themselves　to　think　about。

The　zombies　kept　ing　even　after　their　weapons　were　exhausted；　trying　to　grapple　hand　to　hand；　wanting　only　to　kill　before　they　themselves　died　from　the　supercharged　overdoses　they　had　been　given。　In　time；　the　Human　survivors　rallied　near　the　town's　central　plaza。　They　formed　a　tiny　square　of　fifteen　men　and　women；　one　rank　standing　and　one　kneeling。

Like　something　from　a　nineteenth…century　imperialist's　fantasy；　the　square　fired　and　fired　on　all　fronts　as　the　damned　rushed　in　at　them。　Time　and　again　the　tremendous　firepower　of　modern　infantry　weapons　cleared　the　area；　and　each　time　more　mindblanked　assault　clones　stormed　forth；　some　still　firing　but　most　not；　their　weapons　exhausted。

At　times　it　was　hand　to　hand；　body　armor　gave　the　infantry　a　powerful　edge。　But　each　time　they　drove　back　their　foes；　a　new　wave　came　to　crash　against　them。

The　square　shrank　to　a　triangle；　eight　desperate　men　and　women。　And　then；　high　above；　cross　hairs　fixed　on　them。

It　was　regrettable　that　two　assault　ships'　cargoes　of　mindblanked　clones　had　been　mistakenly　disembarked　in　the　target　population　center。　But　such　things　were　unavoidable；　given　the　haste　of　the　operation　and　the　unreliability　of　some　of　the　crew　clones。

Still；　the　demonstration　of　Robotech　Master　power　had　to　be　made　as　ordered；　even　at　the　cost　of　a　few　expendable　null　sets。

From　a　third　assault　ship；　a　beam　sprang　down　and　the　entire　middle　of　Newton　disappeared　in　a　thermonuclear　inferno。　Friend；　foe；　civilian…all　vanished　instantly；　as　blast　and　shockwaves　spread　holocaust。


Leonard　heard　the　news　without　showing　any　response；　cold　as　a　Robotech　Master。　The　technical　officers　clamoring　at　him　with　their　assorted　explanations　of　how　the　alien　ray　worked；　some　claiming　it　was　a　new　development；　others　disputing　it；　were　of　no　importance；　and　he　waved　them　aside。

Two　towns　had　been　utterly　destroyed；　but　that　was　of　no　importance　to　him；　Leonard　knew　as　well　as　anyone　that　Monument　City　might　very　well　be　next；　and　it　had　no　defense。　There　was　no　time　to　consolidate　forces　in　the　UEG　capitol；　but　he　gave　the　mand　that　it　be　done　nevertheless。

An　aide　tapped　his　shoulder　tentatively；　〃We're　receiving　a　munication　from　the　Aliens！〃　The　face　of　Shaizan　appeared　on　the　primary　display　screen　before　him；　Bowkaz　and　Dag　standing　behind　and　to　either　side。

They　knew　his　name。　〃mander　Leonard；　we　are　now　capable　of　destroying　your　species　with　very　little　effort。　You　will　therefore　surrender　and　evacuate　your　planet　immediately。〃

Leonard　looked　at　the　screen　blankly。　Evacuate？　He　had　once　read　a　war　college　projection　that　if　spacecraft　production　were　to　continue　at　full　speed　and　the　birth　rate　were　suddenly　to　drop　to　zero；　such　a　thing　might　be　possible　in　another　ten　years　or　so。　As　it　was；　the　aggregate　space　forces　of　Terra　before　the　current　battle　wouldn't　have　had　a　hope　in　hell　of　carrying　out　such　a　mission。

But　where　was　the　Human　race　supposed　to　go？　A　few　frail　Lunar　and　Martian　colonies；　and　several　orbital　constructs　were　the　only　alternatives；　unless　the　Masters　meant　to　help；　which　they　manifestly　did　not。

That　left　an　instant　for　Leonard　to　marvel　at　how　the　Masters　overestimated　the　Human　race　in　assuming　homo　sapiens　could　pull　off　such　a　miracle。　But　again；　it　was　more　likely　that　the　Masters　simply　didn't　care；　maybe　〃evacuation〃　only　meant；　to　them；　the　escape　and　preservation　of　the　power　structure…the　government。

Thoughts　and　evaluations　boiled　in　Leonard's　mind　then：　perhaps　it　would　be　possible　to　take　the　very　most　essential　personnel…himself　chief　among　them；　of　course…and　thus　avoid　total　annihilation。

As　he　was　studying　the　Masters'　sword…sharp　faces　he　heard　Shaizan　say；　〃Within　thirty…eight　of　your　hours。　Else；　we　shall　have　no　option　but　to　slay　you　one　and　all。〃

Leonard's　fists　shook　the　desk　with　a　crash；　as　he　stood。　〃Now　you　listen：　this　world　has　been　ours；　from　the　time　our　species　stood　up　straight　to　use　its　hands　and　its　brains！　Through　every　disaster　and　our　own　wars　and　the　ones　you　and　your　kind　waged　on　us！　This　world　is　ours！〃

He　was　shaking　his　bunched　fists　in　the　air　before　him；　speaking　an　unprepared　speech　for　once。　The