ell wait and ride down with his panions。 He was painfully aware that； except for Lancer and Lunk； they had no place in this regular…army campaign。
Rand and Rook came to side…on stops； pushing up their goggles； and Lancer showed up moments later； with Lunk not far behind。 Scott checked himself to make sure the mauve…and…purple flightsuit with its unit patches of his division； the Mars Division； and his knee…length； rust…red boots were all in order。 Insignia； buttons； sidearm…he wasn't quite strac； but he wasn't looking too bad for somebody who had been stranded for so long。
Scott and his teammates were exchanging a few mild； almost self…conscious congratulations…when Annie gave a dismayed yelp。
〃The base！ Look！〃
They turned to look at the base just as the sun crested the ridge and its light shone off the snowy hills； brightening the little valley that was the home of Earth's liberation army。
But what they saw wasn't a home but rather a graveyard。 Attack…transport spacecraft lay gutted like crushed eggs。 Broken and burned…out mecha were everywhere。 Ranks of parked Veritech Alphas had been holed and eliminated before ground crews and pilots could even reach them。 Battloids and Hovertanks and MACs and logistical vehicles lay on the ground like shattered toys。 And the stench of death wafted on the warming breeze。
The valley was filled with jutting； broken； blackened fuselages and skeletal； burned…off airframes and hulls。 Barely keeping his balance； Scott stumbled to the edge of the rise； looking down； both hands buried in his dark hair。
The clearing of the mist only made it worse by the second。 〃I don't believe it； this； this can't be…〃 He howled across the valley； hoping the survivors would answer。 He fired his H90 aimlessly into the air。 The others sat in their vehicles and looked at one another in despair。 At last Scott Bernard dropped the pistol； sank to his knees； and wept。
Earth's liberating army！ The mist for its shroud； the vultures to caw taps over it。
One by one his friends dismounted and gathered around him。
They went down among the monolithic wrecks； there was no place else to go。 Lunk opened up the last of their rations and Annie built a fire。 Scott had wandered off。
He was sitting in the shade of a three…tube pumpedlaser turret； looking off at nothing； eyes unfocused。 Eventually； Rand came over with a plate of food and a cup of ersatz ration coffee； nudging them up against Scott。 〃Enough is enough。 Time to eat； before you keel over。〃
He turned to go； then turned back for a moment。 〃You've got the team to think about； y'know。〃 Rand walked away； the soles of his desert boots gritting in the sand。 Scott stared blankly at the field of carnage。
Back at the campfire； Rook tried to sound positive； although cheerleading wasn't usually in her line of work； but everybody else seemed to be falling apart。 〃Look； here's a good idea： Why don't we get outta this dump right now？〃
Lancer studied his ration can's contents； stirring them。 〃Not until we collect everything of use。 Ordnance； supplies； weapons； perhaps Protoculture。〃
They all shivered a little； realizing how grisly that search would be。 Lunk blew out smoke from a ration…pak cigarette； unsteadily。 Rand returned。
〃How is he？〃 Lancer asked； looking at the distant figure sitting with arms around knees。
Rand pulled up the hood of his sweatshirtlike windbreaker。 〃Catatonic。 I dunno。〃
Lancer set down his ration can。 〃e on； Scott！ We're wasting time！〃
Rand caught Lancer's arm。 〃Uh； I think I'm gonna go forage over that way。 Maybe Scott can establish a mo base。〃
Like the others； Lancer caught what was in Rand's eyes。 In another moment they were on the move； eager to replenish their supplies； eager to get away。 As Rand sped off in a plume of soil； Rook raced after him。
The Robotech graveyard was a strange place for a two…ride； but Rand weled it。 It came； really； just as he had decided it was pointless to try to get close to the onetime biker queen。 By her city lights； he was just a hick； a wilderness Forager。 She had made it clear to him that he wasn't one of the Bad Boys。 Rand tried not to show his astonishment as she fell in with him； their tires stenciling parallel tread patterns among the looming derelicts。
They were moving slowly； searching； he had his hood down and his goggles up on his forehead。 He glanced over at Rook； admiring the lissome grace her red…and…blue racer's bodysuit showed off。 〃Why'd you e along？〃 He had to yell； not wanting to key his headset。 〃Not that it bothers me or anything。〃
Her fair brows knit； the strawberry…blond hair blew around her freckled face。 〃Too depressing back there。〃
They came in a tight turn round a smashed tanker。 Rand was saying； 〃I know what you…heyyyyy！〃
They dug to a stop at the lip of a drop…off； looking down into a kind of arroyo ledge protected by drainage ditches。 There stood a village…or at least； the remains of a village； its caved…in tile roofs and beaten…down walls and the general lifelessness of it somehow let them know it had suffered the same fate as the strikeforce。
〃Two transgressors approach；〃 the voice of the Regis said to her mecha warriors。 〃Remain in concealment！〃
The war machines hunkered down； Scouts and Shock Troopers in personal battle armor； watching through optic sensors。 Rand and Rook wound their way down the narrow lane。
Rand rode through the streets calling for any survivors； even though it might attract dangerous attention。 But there was little time to search； and he hated the idea of leaving anyone； especially a child or someone who had been injured； behind。 Rook was impressed with Rand's nerve； but she kept that to herself。 She joined in the yelling。
They dismounted near the only building that was still in one piece； a large hacienda。 Obviously the place had been too close to the strikeforce's rendezvous point； and it had been included in the slaughter。 More carnage。 But the two had grown callous to such scenes。
They were looking around the hacienda； not talking or meeting each other's gaze； when Rook smelled something strange and went to a spot where most of an adobe wall had been blown away。 She stepped through into a garden； and knelt next to something jellylike and translucent； like a dying man…o'…war； draped across the swordleafed plants there。 It was three or four inches thick； and had perhaps the surface area of a table cloth。
Rook knelt by it。 〃Careful；〃 Rand grated； holding his gun uncertainly。 But she touched it； then snatched her hand back with a hiss of pain。
〃Damn thing burned my hand！ And it's nothing to smirk about！〃
〃Well I said watch out。〃
She was suddenly as alert as a doe。 Her voice came more softly； so intimate that it made him a little lightheaded。 She practically mouthed it； 〃Do you think the Invid are still around？〃
He shrugged。 She was up and moving； he had been staring； fascinated； at the blob of protoplasmic stuff； but now he couldn't take his eyes off the fit of her bodysuit； the shape of those slender legs； the swirl of the seemingly weightless cascade of hair。。。
〃I'll look outside； you check in back of the house。〃 She pulled out her gun； and that brought him back to reality。 His own gun was in his hand； fitted with its attachable stock and barrel extension； in submachine gun configuration now。 He stepped back through the rift in the wall and thought about the blob of clear jelly。
A brief sensation of expanded awareness； as if his mind had been touched by another； swept through him。 Why do I feel like I've been through all this before？ The thought came unbidden and bemused him。
He heard a sound from back somewhere in the vaulted darkness of the hacienda。 It might have been some debris falling as easily as it might have been some living thing blundering into a pile of rubble。
Rand warily followed the noise； his weapon raised。 In a courtyard at the center of the place； he saw another sheet of the glistening； deposing man…o'…war stuff； shrinking in the sun as he watched it。 Its highlights twinkled like stars。 He strained to remember what it reminded him of； as he moved on； footsteps echoing in the darkened hallways。
It looked almost。。。almost。。。But the image eluded him。
He heard a sound。 He whipped around a corner with his weapon ready； braced to do battle。 〃FREEZE！ Just fr…just； that is。。。〃
CHAPTER SEVEN
Not even Zand； for all his PSI Sinsemilla； his Flower ingestion； had foreseen anything like it。 And on and on； the Protoculture Shaped events。
Xandu Reem； A Stranger at Home： A Biography of Scott Bernard
She sat in a shaft of sunlight that poured down on her like a benediction from above。 Her arms were crossed on her bare bosom； long； slim fingers clutching opposite shoulders。 She stared aimlessly at the light。
Her hair was a deep red； like his own but waist…length； and luxuriant as some rare pelt。 Her skin was so pale； her body so frail…looking…and yet it was a woman's。 Highlights glistened from her
Like the twinkling of stars。
Rand realized how close he had e to shooting by blind instinct。 He also realized that she was naked； and he saw how beautiful she was there under the soft； almost loving sunlight。
〃Ooo！ That is。。。excuse me！〃 He brought th