16_world_killers-第2章

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Rem　laid　his　head　to　his　chest　and　sobbed。　Deep　in　the　hin；　he　felt　the　sunlight　jeering　at　him；　his　fear…sweat　turning　to　acid　against　his　skin；　panic　closing　off　his　windpipe。

He　heard　the　creak　as　the　Regent　rose　from　his　chair。　〃Above　all　things；　I　despise　stubbornness。　That；　I　punish。〃


Lynn…Minmei　tried　to　stop　the　passageway　from　spinning　as　she　lurched　along；　her　hand　held　by　the　mysterious　VT　pilot；　she　was　barefoot　and　disheveled；　sick　with　the　drinks　she　had　downed　but　sicker　still　with　her　latest　and　worst　glimpse　of　Human　nature。

Not　that　she'd　meant　to　drink　a　lot；　she　had　nothing　but　contempt　for　drunkards。　But　life　as　the　consort　of　General　T。　R。　Edwards　was　a　little　easier　to　bear　after　a　round　or　two。　And　then　there　was　the　drink　itself…from　Edwards's　private　bottle…something　she　had　heard　the　top…echelon　officers　jokingly　call　weed…whacker。

It　was　a　150…proof　vacuum　distillate　that　had　been　soaked　in　fibers　from　a　plant　related　to　the　Flower　of　Life；　and　strained　out　again。　Brackish；　deadly。　But　oddly　smooth　and　warming。　

Best　taken　by　the　slow　shot　glass。

But；　she　had　needed　something　to　fortify　her　as　she　sat　there　and　listened　to　Edwards…the　man　Minmei　had　thought　she　loved；　the　man　to　whom　she　had　given　herself…reveal　himself　as　a　devil　incarnate。

She　was　dizzy；　and　thought　she　might　lose　her　balance；　or　her　lunch…she　had　had　no　dinner。　〃Wait；　wait；〃　she　puffed；　breathless。　Her　head　spun；　and　she　tasted　bile　in　the　back　of　her　throat。

The　VT　pilot　stopped　and　turned　to　her；　gesturing　in　a　way　that　made　it　clear　he　was　concerned　about　her。　Minmei　brushed　her　hair　out　of　her　eyes　yet　again；　to　study　him。　〃Do　I　know　you？　Who　are　you？〃

He　was　tall　and　lean；　and　demonstrated　a　supple　strength。　Behind　the　tinted　facebowl　of　his　flight　helmet；　all　she　could　discern　was　the　dark；　thick　beard。　He　regarded　her　for　a　moment；　then　answered；　〃It　says　right　here：　REF　Service　#　666…60…937。〃

She　could　see　that；　and　his　flight　officer's　insignia　and　unit　flash。　But　his　name　tape；　stitched　over　his　left　breast　pocket；　was　unfamiliar：　Isle；　L。　His　voice；　ing　through　the　helmet's　tinny　external　speaker；　was　unrecognizable。

Her　mystery　savior　was　wearing　the　unit　patch　of　one　of　the　outfits　from　Dr。　Lang's　research　facility。　Lang　had　managed　to　ram　through　the　council　an　authorization　for　his　own　security　forces；　but　Edwards　had　fought　the　seconding　of　pilots　to　the　Robotech　scientist。　So；　this　was　almost　certainly　one　of　the　fliers　who　had　been　selected　from　the　lower　ranks　and　trained　on　Tirol　to　fill　the　cockpits　of　Lang's　personal　army。

But　what　was　he　doing　on　SDF…3？

Minmei　swayed　slowly　from　side　to　side；　closing　one　eye　in　an　effort　to　focus　on　him。　〃C'mom；　c'mon；　I　mean；　why're　y'doing　this？〃　She　still　wasn't　sure　he　wouldn't　drag　her　back　to　Edwards…maybe　to　claim　some　kind　of　reward　or　favor。

She　was　also　waiting　for　the　alarms　to　go　off。

Surely；　by　now；　Edwards　had　realized　that　she　hadn't　simply　fled　his　embrace　and　his　bedroom　for　some　fresh　air。　Even　vain；　cold　Edwards　must　have　admitted　to　himself　by　now　that　Minmei　had　made　a　break　for　freedom。

〃You　said　you　want　to　go　to　Tiresia；　didn't　you？〃　the　VT　flier　was　saying。　〃And　perhaps　to　Garuda；　or　Haydon　IV？　I'll　see　that　you　get　to　wherever　you　want　to　go；　Minmei。　But　Tiresia's　the　obligatory　first　stop。〃

There　was　some　resonance　in　his　voice；　even　over　the　speaker；　that　she　thought　she　recognized。　Minmei　sighed　and　ran　her　hand　through　her　fine　black　hair　again。　Plainly；　no　VT　could　make　a　star…jump；　and　the　few　remaining　REF　vessels　that　could　go　superluminal　were　scarcely　the　kind　of　spacecraft　you　could　sign　out　like　a　borrowed　fanjet。

But　there　was　something　in　the　man's　tone；　something　steely　and　yet　passionate；　that　didn't　sound　like　it　brooked　failure。

She　vaguely　remembered　saying　to　him；　outside　Edwards's　quarters；　that　she　wanted　to　go　to　Tiresia　or　Garuda；　but　the　beginning　of　their　adventure　was　an　alcoholic　mini…blackout。　She　was　not　sure　what　her　plan　had　been；　though；　except　that　Jonathan　Wolff　and　Rick　Hunter　were　out　there　someplace。

She　shook　her　head　slowly。　〃I　don't…I　don't。。。〃

He　took　her　hand　again。　〃Don't　worry；　Minmei。〃

Then　he　led　her　off　again。　Minmei　lost　track　of　things　for　a　while；　but　Wearily　realized　at　one　point　that　he　was　shoving　oversize　deck　slippers　onto　her　bare　feet。　At　another　point；　she　felt　something　sting　her　arm　and　saw　that　he　had　given　her　a　shot　with　a　medikit　ampule。

〃Antinausea；〃　REF　#　666…60…937　explained。　〃It　makes　it　tough　to　see　out　the　cockpit　canopy　if　you　heave　your　cookies。〃

〃Cockpit？〃　she　repeated；　trying　to　figure　out　what　he　was　getting　at。　Then　she　realized　that　he　had　her　standing　near　a　hatch　that　led　to　a　hangar　deck。　There　were　the　distant　whines　of　VTs　being　readied　for　flight。

〃Wait　right　here；〃　he　said　after　he　led　her　into　the　vast；　mostly　darkened　hangar　deck。　Minmei　did　not　get　to　ask　what　he　was　doing；　he　was　gone。

The　antinausea　drug　settled　her　queasiness　and　brought　her　around　a　bit；　too。　She　was　drawing　deep　breaths　and　burping　a　bit；　sitting　on　the　deck；　when　he　caught　her　hands　and　pulled　Minmei　upward。

〃All　set；　just　follow　me。　That's　our　ship　over　there。〃

〃Wh…〃

And　then　they　were　walking　among　the　parked　mecha　of　the　hangar　deck。　Welding　sparks　leapt　and　humming　maint…crew　machinery　made　noise　in　the　distance；　and　she　could　hear　men　and　women　yelling　or　cursing　or　cajoling　or　laughing　as　they　sweated　to　keep　the　REF's　fighting　forces　operational。

He　was　leading　her　toward　an　armored　Alpha；　a　lusterless　gray　fighter　trimmed　in　olive　drab；　bulked　by　its　augmentation　pods。　It　was　one　of　the　most　formidable　ships　in　the　REF　inventory；　and　she　didn't　think　it　likely　that　it　had　been　assigned　to　one　of　Lang's　〃six…month…wonder〃　pilots。

Minmei　saw　the　boarding　ladder　before　her　and　it　brought　back　a　flood　of　memories。　She　was　a　non…tech　person；　why　did　mecha　insist　on　playing　such　an　overwhelming　part　in　her　life？

Then　somebody　yelled　from　the　distance；　and　more　voices　took　up　the　cry。　She　realized　woozily　that　the　voices　were　ing　her　way。　She　had　both　hands　on　the　boarding　ladder　and　one　foot　on　the　first　rung　when　she　became　aware　of　a　ruckus　behind　her。

By　the　time　she　turned　around；　there　were　three　or　four　flight…deck　personnel　laid　out　flat；　unconscious。　Minmei　blinked　at　them　owlishly。　What…

Then　REF　#　666…60…937　was　pushing　her　up　the　ladder；　loading　her　into　the　copilot's　seat；　and　then　belting　her　in。　Apparently　he　knew　all　the　right　codes；　the　launch…cat　airlock　accepted　the　powerful　Alpha　fighter　and　flung　it　out　into　space。

Green；　looming　Fantoma　cast　its　light　on　them　and　their　ship；　and　Tirol　was　a　gibbous　splotch　of　orange…brown…gray　not　far　from　it。　The　VT　pilot　turned　his　craft　toward　Tirol。

Suddenly　his　instruments　were　squealing　and　beeping　for　his　attention。　〃Hot　scramble　from　SDF…3；　of　course；〃　she　heard　him　mutter。　〃They　want　you　back。　They're　ing　to　get　you。〃

〃Then…〃

〃Sit　tight。〃　He　hit　the　auxiliaries　for　full　military　power　and　dove　toward　Tirol。　Eager　pursuers　formed　up　for　the　hunt。

Minmei；　pressed　back　in　her　seat；　looking　out　at　the　unknowable　stars；　felt　tears　pressed　from　her　eyes　by　acceleration；　to　wet　the　headrest　behind　her。

〃Here　they　e；〃　said　REF　#　666…60…937。




CHAPTER　TWO

In　the　case　of　Garudan　evolution；　there　can　be　no　question　that　a　wide　spectrum　of　intracellular　organelles　developed　through　the　cannibalistic　warfare　among　bacteria　that　led　to　an　amazing　degree　of　symbiosis。　The　interactions　of　the　entire　Garudan　ecosystem；　the　planet's　dominant　species　included；　give　weight　to　those　who　argue　that　the　evolution　of　multicellular　organisms　resulted　from　the　extracellular　symbiosis　of　monocellular　organisms。
Like　ours；　a　Garudan's　body　is　posed　of　about　ten　quadrillion　animal　cells　and　another　one　hundred　quadrillion　bacterial　cells。　But　the　range　of　microorganic　activity　and　variety　is　far　greater；　and　the　interaction　of　the　symbionts　far　more　plex。
The　upshot　is　that　a　Human　who　is　exposed　to　Garudan　atmosphere　is　like　a　pocket　calculator　plugged　into　a　mainframe：　it　is　not　designed　for　it　and　will　quickly　burn　out。
Perhaps　unsurprisingly；　in　light　of　recent　research；　the　Garudans　have　a　simple　explanation　for　the　extraordinary　nature　of　their　planet's　ecosystem：　〃Haydon　wished　it　so。〃
Cabell；　A　Pedagogue　Abroad：　Notes　on　the　Sentinels　Campaign

Vince　Grant's　hand　covered　Lisa　Hunter's　forehead　and　then　some。　He　drew　it　back；　moist　with　her　perspiration。　〃She's　still　feverish。〃　He　struggled　with　himself　for　a　moment；　not　sure　if　he　could　or　should　say　what　else　he　was　thinking。

Jean；　Vince's　wife；　nodded　slightly。　The　patients　were　all　that　way：　Rick　and　Lisa；　Karen　Penn　and　Miriya　Sterling。　They　were　atose　and　failing　fast；　as　a　result　of　their　exposure　to　the　Garudan　atmosphere。　They　were　tied　down　on　gurneys　to　help　control　their　intermittent　seizures。

The　shuttlecraft's　deckplates　vibrated　under　Vince's　boot　soles。　〃Jean；　what　if　Veidt's　wrong；　or　the　Invid　double…cross　us？〃

Somebody　had　to　ask　the　question。　The　fate　of　worlds　was　riding　on　what　the　Sentinels　would　do。　Moralists　would　say　that　the　lives　of　f