05_force_of_arms-第24章

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VTs　shifted　configuration　according　to　the　needs　of　the　moment；　Battloid　and　Guardian　and　Veritech　modes　were　intermingled。　Pods　and　tri…thrusters　mixed　it　up　with　them　and　opened　fire。　Space　was　one　big　killing　ground。

The　armored　VTs　were　faster　and　more　maneuverable　than　anything　else　in　the　battle　as　well　as　being　more　heavily　armed。　They　pierced　the　enemy　formations；　ripping　a　hole　for　the　rest　of　the　attack　force　to　exploit。

Skull　Team　seemed　to　be　everywhere；　unhittable　and　unavoidable。　Many；　many　Zentraedi　saw　their　Jolly　Roger　insignia…the　skull　and　crossbones…and　died　instants　later。　The　heavy　autocannon　buzz…sawed；　the　missiles　streamed；　leaving　boiling　trails。　But　for　every　enemy　downed；　three　more　dove　in　to　try　to　seal　the　gap。

It's　love's　battle　we　must　win。
We　will　win。
We　can　win！


The　range　was　close　now。　Around　the　bowl　in　which　Minmei　performed；　the　ship's　mecha　opened　up。　The　Destroid　cannon　in　particular　put　out　staggering　volumes　of　fire。　Every　battery　the　ship　mounted…except　for　the　monster　main　gun；　whose　energy　demands　might　have　damaged　the　SDF…1…was　working　overtime。

The　Grand　Fleet's　losses　in　the　first　moments　of　the　battle　were　awful；　but　its　numbers　still　gave　it　a　vast　edge；　and　some　of　the　enemy　ships　were　returning　fire。　The　SDF…1　and　the　armada　dreadnoughts　forged　on；　blazing　away　in　all　directions。　Enemy　mecha　were　starting　to　get　through　to　the　alliance　capital　vessels　now；　despite　the　best　efforts　of　the　VTs　and　the　armada's　pods；　tri…thrusters；　and　powered　armor。

But　slowly；　seemingly　by　inches；　the　allied　force　drew　closer　to　Dolza's　headquarters。


Max　and　Miriya　were　like　avenging　angels；　beyond　any　mortal　power　to　resist　or　stop。　Faced　with　the　redtrimmed　armored　VT　or　the　blue；　all　any　enemy　pilot　could　do　was　resign　himself　to　death。

Rick　had　part　of　his　mo　and　guidance　equipment　tuned　for　signals　of　life　on　Earth；　especially　from　Alaska　Base。　If　there　was　any　sign　of　life。。。

A　light　cruiser　was　trying　to　break　past　the　VTs　for　a　go　at　the　SDF…1。　He　went　in　at　it；　letting　go　a　torrent　of　mixed　ordnance；　aiming　for　the　vital　spots　the　defectors　had　told　the　RDF　about。

The　cruiser　fired　back；　and　Rick　decided　this　was　one　head…on　he　wasn't　going　to　survive。　But　all　at　once　the　cruiser　expanded；　armor　flying　off　it　like　rind　off　a　bursting　melon；　and　then　the　vessel　and　its　crew　were　scattered　atoms　and　little　more。

So　violent　was　the　explosion　that　Rick　was　distracted；　avoiding　being　damaged　by　it。　When　he　looked　around　again；　he　saw　that　a　trio　of　Battlepods　had　loosed　multiple　spreads　of　missiles　at　him；　and　there　was　absolutely　no　hope　of　dodging　them　all。

He　eluded　some；　jammed　some　of　the　others'　guidance　systems；　shot　a　few　right　out　of　existence…and　the　special　VT's　armor　protected　him　from　several　hits。

But　that　left　still　more　to　go　for　his　vitals。　In　Battloid　mode；　he　crouched；　trying　to　shield　himself。　He　nevertheless　took　several；　right　in　the　breadbasket。　VT　armor　was　good　but　not　that　good。

The　damaged　Battloid；　leaving　a　wake　of　flame　behind　it；　spun　and　tumbled　for　Earth；　flopping　lifelessly。


CHAPTER　NINETEEN

When　you're　in　the　upper…right…hand　corner；　pushing　that　envelope；　and　the　〃CANCEL〃　stamp　es　your　way；　you　do　a　lot　of　thinking。
The　Collected　Journals　of　Admiral　Rick　Hunter

The　crescent　moon　filing　low　on　the　horizon；　the　landscape　of　Earth　made　the　two　bodies　like　twins　now。

pared　to　the　barrage　that　had　laid　waste　to　the　Earth；　the　stray　beams　and　rounds　from　the　colossal　battle　above　were　barely　distant　sniper　shots。　But　they　were　enough　to　rattle　an　Alaska　Base　that　was　already　mortally　wounded。

The　shattered　mouth　of　what　had　once　been　the　Grand　Cannon　was　already　ringed　with　bizarre　energy　phenomena。　Crackling　discharges；　wandering　spheres　of　ball　lightning；　and　fireflylike　radiation　nexuses　had　sprung　from　the　tremendous　forces　loosed　by　the　Grand　Cannon　and　their　interaction　with　both　local　fields　and　the　fury　of　the　enemy's　rain　of　death。

〃Earth　Defense　Sector　four…alpha；　e　in　please；〃　Lisa　called　into　her　headset　mike　as　the　room　tossed。　〃This　is　Alaska　Base！〃

The　base　heaved　again；　shaking　down　dust　and　debris　from　the　ceiling。　The　tremors　were　caused　by　stray　shots　from　the　battle　and　by　the　rebellion　of　the　very　planet　against　the　obscene　things　that　had　been　done　to　it。　But　they　came　as　well　from　the　interior　of　the　base　itself。　The　installation　was　dying；　but　from　what　Lisa　could　read　from　her　instruments；　it　would　not　be　a　slow；　quiet　death。

She　had　found　no　one　else　alive　in　the　base。　She　had　been　ordered　to　see　about　a　glitch　in　a　shielded　mo　relay　substation；　had　been　there　just　as　the　cosmic　fireworks　went　off。　Being　the　last　survivor　in　an　underground　charnel　house　might　be　somebody　else's　idea　of　a　stroke　of　fortune；　but　it　wasn't　Lisa's。

She　fought　to　keep　her　voice　and　her　nerve　from　breaking　as　she　tried　another　call。　She　kept　herself　narrowly　fixed　on　the　job　at　hand　to　shut　out　the　ghastly　things　she　had　seen　and　smelled　and　been　forced　to　e　in　contact　with　in　making　her　way　back　to　her　post。

The　place　was　nearly　dark；　lit　only　by　dim　red　emergency　lights。　The　weak　flow　from　the　fallback　power　system　was　barely　enough　to　keep　her　console　functioning。　There　was　plenty　of　power　in　the　base；　power　gathering　itself　for　a　split…second　rampage；　but　she　couldn't　tap　any　of　it。

〃It's　no　use。　They're　all　gone；〃　she　said　numbly。　She　wondered　how　long　she　would　last；　the　only　living　thing　in　the　city　of　the　dead；　perhaps　the　only　human　being　alive。

Not　long；　she　hoped。

Abruptly；　multicolored　lines　of　static　zagged　across　her　screen；　and　her　father's　face　appeared；　broken　by　interference；　only　to　reappear。

〃Is　that　you；　Lisa？　I'm　reading　you；　but　the　transmission　is　very　weak。〃

She　let　out　a　long　breath。　〃Thank　God　you're　alive！〃

She　could　see　that　he　was　still　in　the　mand　station。　A　few　figures　moved　in　the　gloom　behind　him；　lit　by　occasional　flashes　of　static　or　electrical　shorts。　So　others　had　been　spared　by　the　concussion；　the　explosions　and　air　contamination；　the　fires　and　smoke　and　radiation。

〃The　Grand　Cannon　was　severely　damaged；〃　he　admitted。　〃I　don't　think　it　will　fire　again；　but　we　have　to　try。〃

〃Oh；　Father。〃

He　smiled　weakly。　〃It　seems　you　were　right　all　the　time。　The　Zentraedi　forces　are　much　too　powerful　for　our　weapons　to　handle。　I　should　have　listened　to　you。〃

Another　shock　wave　shook　the　base。　Admiral　Hayes　said；　〃Lisa；　you　have　to　get　out　of　here　now！〃

Get　out？　What　was　he　talking　about？　The　surface　was　a　radioactive　execution　chamber　carpeted　with　molten　glass　for　miles　all　around。　She　was　about　to　tell　him　so；　to　make　her　way　to　him；　to　die　with　him　because　it　was　a　better　place　than　the　one　she　was　in　now；　and　she　knew　she　would　die　this　day。

Before　she　could　speak；　there　was　some　sort　of　eruption　from　the　Grand　Cannon　base　equipment　behind　him；　and　the　screen　broke　up　into　rainbow　distortion；　then　went　dark。

〃No！〃　She　threw　herself　at　the　console；　then　sank　to　the　floor；　wracked　by　sobs；　as　the　wailing　of　the　base's　power　plant　built　and　built　for　a　final；　terrible　outpouring。

〃Father。。。Father。。。〃

As　the　battle　draws　on；　we　feel　stronger；
How　much　longer　must　we　go　now？


Rick　recognized　the　voice　at　once；　even　in　the　daze　he　was　in　from　the　missiles'　pounding。　He　blinked　and　saw　the　Earth　whirling　before　him。　His　flying　sense　told　him　his　ship　was　spinning　and　sprawling　toward　the　ground；　its　thrusters　only　marginally　effective　in　slowing　it。　He　was　inside　a　big；　loose…limbed　fireball　meteor。

Where　am　I？　What　happened？　Then　it　came　back　to　him　in　a　rush。　As　he　gained　a　little　control　over　himself；　his　VT；　taking　its　impulses　from　the　receptors　in　his　helmet；　did　the　same。

Gotta　go　to　F　mode！　The　bucking　and　spinning　of　the　dive　made　it　difficult　reaching　for　the　one　close　control。　He　knew　that　if　the　ship　hadn't　made　minimal　attempts　to　control　the　crash；　he　would　likely　never　have　woken　up。

It　was　the　hardest　thing　he　had　ever　done　in　his　life；　but　he　got　his　hand　to　the　F　lever　and　yanked　it。　Damage　control　systems　in　his　Robotech　ship　made　decisions　and　blew　off　the　armor　and　pods　with　which　it　had　been　retrofitted。　Somehow；　the　burning　ponents　were　jettisoned　too。

The　Battloid　folded；　elongated　here；　shortened　there…mechamorphosed。　And　in　a　moment；　a　sleek；　conventional　VT　rode　the　thickening　air　down　toward　Earth。

Seems　to　be　handling　all　right；　he　thought。　Maybe　I　wasn't　hit　as　bad　as　I　thought。

The　ship　had　automatically　assumed　a　belly…flop　attitude　for　atmospheric　reentry。　The　speed　of　its　descent　reddened　its　ablative　shielding　a　bit；　torching　the　air　around　it。

Oops！　Better　activate　heat　shields！　In　another　moment　a　protective　blister　of　heat…reflective　armor；　bearing　the　Skulls'　Jolly　Roger　insignia；　slid　into　place　over　the　canopy。　Other　vulnerable　ponents　were　similarly　protected。

The　heat　in　the　cockpit　began　dropping　at　once；　and　Rick　tried　to　assess　his　situation。　I'm　still　alive。　That　covered　just　about　all　the　important　stuff　as　far　as　most　pilots　were　concerned。

Minmei　was　still　singing。　He　recalled　those　last　words　he　had　exchanged　with　her　in　his　quarters　as　the　sirens　shrilled　for　a　VT　hot　scramble。

You　can　do　it；　Minmei。　Just　remember：　Today　you　sing　for　everyone。

But　…I　want　you　to　understand；　Rick。　I'm　really　singing　for　you。

And　then　she　had　given　him　a　kiss　that　he　had　felt　to　his　toes；　a　kiss　that　made　him　feel　he　didn't　need　a　VT　in　order　to　fly。

I　love　you；　he　told　her；　l　love　you；　she　said。

But　it　was　really　good…bye；　and　they　had　both　known　it。

He　shook　off　the　recollection；　that　was　the　sort　of　stroll　down　memory　lane　that　got　pilots　killed。　He　was　deep　in　the　atmosphere　now；　his　VT　trimmed；　seeming　to　respond　well。　He　slowed；　bringing　the　wings　out　to　minimal　sweep；　rolling　back　the　heat　shields；　for　a　look　around。　Night　lay　over　the　wasteland；　and　clouds　closed　in　above。

He　tried　to　figure　out　why　the　VT　was　descending　in　the　first　place；　why　it　seemed　to　be　homing　in　on　something。　Then　he　noticed　that　the　mo　system　had　picked　up　a　signal　and　remembered　that　he　had　given　it　a　certain　task。

He　swept　in　lower　over　the　ravaged　surface；　trying　to　get　a　stronger　signal。　The　utter　horror　of　what　had　been　done　to　his　planet　made　him　lock　his　mind　to　the　job　at　hand　and　that　alone。　His　mo　equipment　had　picked　up　emanations　of　some　kind　on　the　designated　frequency。

He　turned　and　banked；　climbed　through　the　smoky　night。　A　minute　of　maneuvering　went　by；　then　two；　and　as　if　by　magic　he　was　rewarded　with　a　signal　that　came　in　five　by　five…perfectly。

〃I　say　again：　This　is　mander　Hayes；　Alaska　Base。　Anyone　receiving　this　transmission；　please　respond。〃

There　was　a　note　of　fear　in　her　voice　that　he　had　never　heard　before。　Something　in　it　brought　home　to　him　forcefully　how　important　she　had　bee　to　him。

Farewell；　Minmei。

He　was　so　eager　to　reply；　to　tell　her　he　was　there；　that　he　fumbled　in　opening　his　transmitter　and　ignored　all　proper　procedure。

〃Lisa！　Lisa；　it's　me！〃

〃Rick？〃　She　said　it　low；　like　a　prayer。　Then；　wildly；　〃Rick；　is　it　really　you？〃

〃Yes！　Are　you　all　right？〃

She　suddenly　sounded　downcast。　〃Yes；　but　I　think　I