11_metamorphosis- 第20部分

As　Rand　turned　to　go；　snatching　his　makeshift　ski　poles　out　of　the　ground；　Rook　seemed　to　be　about　to　say　something　or　even　grab　his　arm。　But　when　she　saw　he　was　looking　at　her；　she　abruptly　turned　away。

Annie　turned　out　to　be　a　better　skier　than　Rand　himself；　though　neither　of　them　was　very　good。　Then　Annie　got　fancy；　Rand　tried　to　chastise　her…a　bad　move　while　skiing…and　they　both　ended　up　in　a　snowbank。

It　proved　to　be　a　heaven…sent　spill；　shadows　crossed　the　snow　and　Invid　Pincer　Ships　landed　to　examine　things　that　had　fallen　from　Annie's　pink　rucksack。　Somehow；　the　skiers'　tracks　had　been　obliterated　by　the　drift　of　snow　on　the　slope。

〃That's　my　bikini！〃　Annie　yelped；　struggling　to　get　to　her　feet　and　take　on　the　entire　Invid　horde　by　herself。　Rand　pushed　her　face　down　further　in　the　snow；　stifling　her。

The　Invid　hooked　the　bikini　bottom　in　question　（Why　was　she　carrying　it　on　a　ski　run？　Rand　wondered）　in　its　claw；　and　raised　it　close　to　its　optic　sensor　for　examination。　The　mini…panty　had　in　turn　hooked　one　of　the　metallic　submarine…sandwich…like　charges　the　team　had　prepared　for　the　fortress　job。

Seeing　it　tottering　there　in　the　seat　of　the　bikini；　Rand　pushed　the　struggling　Annie　even　further　into　the　snow。　The　sapper　charge　tottered　and　fell。　Rand　exhaled　in　relief　when　the　charge　proved　inert。　The　Invid　personal　armor　mecha　dropped　the　bikini　bottom　and　rocketed　away　on　a　wash　of　thruster…fire。

Skiing　to　the　base　of　the　fortress　mountain　held　no　other　terrors；　they　kicked　off　their　improvised　bindings。　A　modified　grenade　launcher　got　a　grapnel　up　to　an　opening。　There　was　terror　in　the　climb；　as　they　watched　a　patrol　of　Shock　Troopers　cruise　by　below　them。　But　the　Invid　didn't　notice　the　climbing　rope；　and　the　Humans　pulled　themselves　up　near　the　topmost　access　tunnel。

Annie　nearly　fainted　back　into　Rand's　arms；　a　Shock　Trooper　mecha　was　standing　there。

Rand　shoved　the　edge　of　his　hand　in　Annie's　mouth　and　she　bit　down　so　hard　that　she　drew　blood。　But　the　Trooper　appeared　to　be　looking　at　the　surrounding　peaks　with　no　more　interest　than　an　Alpine　sightseer。　It　turned　to　go；　each　step　sounding　like　a　boiler　being　thrown　down　on　a　concrete　floor；　back　down　the　dark；　arched　tunnel　from　which　it　had　e。　Rand　rubbed　his　hand　and　wondered　if　Annie　had　had　her　shots　lately。

The　two　pushed　their　goggles　back　and　went　in　after　the　Trooper。　The　tunnel　was　a　place　of　heat　gradients；　the　chamber　at　the　end　being　almost　womblike　in　its　warmth　and　moisture。　It　was　a　bizarre　landscape　of　structures　that　looked　like　neurons　and　axons　（or　were　they　stalactites　and　stalagmites？）。　Dendrites　bent　and　arched；　and　the　undulating　ceiling　resembled　Liver　Surprise。　Cable…thick　creepers　ran　from　the　squishy…looking　support　members。　A　knee…high　mist　obscured　everything。　〃All　this　place　needs　is　bats；〃　Rand　whispered。

Bela　Lugosi；　where　are　you？

They　sprinted　through　the　echoing；　gutlike　halls　of　the　Invid；　trying　not　to　breath。　Annie　had　banished　all　rational　thought　from　her　brain；　and　so　she　was　surprised　when　Rand　hauled　her　behind　one　of　the　sticky…looking　dendrite　pillars。

There　was　a　strange　echo　as　the　three　smaller　mecha　stumped　by；　these　ones　only　eight　or　nine　feet　tall；　their　optical　sensors　set　in　long　snouts。　They　had　the　faces　of　metallic　archer…fish。　Even　the　two　Humans　heard　the　resonating　message　in　the　Regis's　voice；　the　very　armor　of　the　enemy　reverberating　with　it；　〃All　my　outlying　units；　report　to　transmutation　chamber　at　once！〃

Rand　watched　them　lumber　off。　〃This　could　be　a　lot　harder　than　we　figured。〃

He　had　pushed　Annie　into　the　shadows　of　a　doorway　of　some　kind；　and　she　began　experimenting　with　the　wet…looking；　illuminated　membranes　that　looked　like　buttons。

A　door…size　sphincter　opened　next　to　her；　she　gasped；　seeing　what　lay　beyond；　then　giggled。　〃Open　Sesame！〃　Words　she　had　always　dreamed　of　using；　so　appropriate　now。　There　were　certainly　more　than　forty　bad　guys　in　this　cave。

The　two　stepped　into　the　next　chamber；　awestruck；　gazing　around　them。　Their　stage　whispers　were　lost　in　the　size　of　the　place。

〃Wouldja　look　at…〃

〃Holy…〃

It　was　the　size　of　the　biggest　indoor　arena　Rand　had　ever　seen；　the　one　in　the　radiation…glazed　deathtown　they　used　to　call　Houston。　He　and　Annie　walked　out　on　a　gantrylike　thing；　which　looked　like　a　suspended　arm　with　dangling　Robotech　fingers。　They　looked　down。

Ringing　the　center　of　the　huge　dome　were　concentric　ranks　of　egg…shaped　objects：　motionless　protoplasmic　things；　with　untenanted　mecha　sleeping　inside　like　hunkered　fetuses。　And　at　the　center　of　that　vast　place　was　a　brilliant；　shining　dome。　To　Rand；　it　resembled　those　twentieth…century　pictures　of　the　first　nanoseconds　of　a　thermonuclear　explosion。　Around　it　grew　a　low；　irregular　palisade　of　things　like　budding　mushrooms；　but　they　stood　ten　yards　high。

Annie　looked　down　at　the　embryonic　mecha。　〃Y'think　they're　all　asleep；　or　something？〃

Rand　shrugged。　〃Y'got　me；　but　if　they　are；　maybe　we　can　wake　'em　up。〃　His　patented　grin　showed　itself。　〃A　riot　in　the　Invid　Incubator　Room！　That's　gotta　be　some　diversion。〃

Still；　the　ranks　of　huge　eggs　reminded　him　unfortably　of　an　old…time　space　flick　he　had　seen　as　a　kid；　and　he　had　no　intention　of　having　something　leap　up　and　give　him　some　interspecies　mouth…to…mouth。　He　held　Annie　back　and　kept　his　gun　level　as　he　pulled　a　coin　out　of　a　slit　pocket　over　his　midsection　and　tossed　it。

The　coin　glittered　in　the　red…orange…yellow　light　and　bounced　off　the　top　of　one　egg。　Rand　was　expecting　a　gelatinous　quiver；　but　instead　the　coin　bounced　with　a　metallic　bonk！　and　skipped；　to　land　on　the　floor　with　a　faint　chiming。　Nothing　moved；　nothing　happened。

〃My　last　quarter；〃　Rand　said　ruefully。　A　1/4…Cid　piece　from　the　city…state　of　Espana　Nueva　back　down　south。　True；　it　wouldn't　be　much　good　on　the　road　to　Reflex　Point；　but　still。。。

〃Maybe　they're　in　suspended　animation；〃　he　considered；　rubbing　his　jaw。　〃And　maybe　they　won't　wake　up　until　they're　supposed　to。〃

He　disregarded　the　idea　of　using　his　gun　to　experiment　further；　most　likely；　it　would　set　off　alarms　and　draw　the　enemy　straight　to　him。　Then　Annie　was　crooning；　〃Uhohh…hh。〃

A　saucer…shaped　air…vehicle　whose　underside　was　all　glowing　honeyb…hexagons　had　e　floating　silently　from　among　distant　dendrites。　Its　curved；　mirrorlike　upper　surface　showed　four　equidistant　projections　like　knobbed　horns。　It　came　directly　at　Rand　and　Annie。


CHAPTER　THIRTEEN

So？　I　thought　you　country　boys　could　rub　your　psoriasis　together　and　start　a　fire？　Where's　that　pioneer　spirit？
Rook；　to　Rand

The　flying　saucer　was　fifty　feet　wide。　When　it　had　covered　most　of　the　distance　separating　it　from　the　intruders；　it　halted。　It　remained　motionless；　lying　dead　still　without　sound　or　motion。

Suddenly　the　honeyb…cells　began　shedding　harsh　light；　the　saucer's　underside　solid　convex　of　brilliance。　One　of　the　embryo…mecha　began　to　glow。　Its　egg　expanded　and　rose　into　the　air　toward　the　saucer。　Rand　and　Annie　stopped　their　withdrawal　and　watched　what　was　happening。

Again　there　was　the　regal　female　voice；　reverberating　from　the　saucer；　the　cross…echoes　making　it　difficult　to　understand。　But　Rand　thought　he　heard；　〃Nine…X…Nineteen　has　been　selected　for　transmutation。　The　quickening　will　begin。　Retrieve　a　Scout　pod　and　transfer　it　to　Hive　Center。　〃

The　egg　had　disappeared　and　the　unborn　Scout　was　enclosed　in　a　larger　globe　of　light；　some　sort　of　lifting　field。　It　looked　similar　to　the　ones　Rand　and　the　team　had　fought。　It　was　slowly　unlimbering；　its　contours　still　curved　to　its　confinement；　the　way　a　baby　bird's　are　to　its　shell　for　the　first　few　moments　after　it　breaks　free。

Rand　and　Annie　watched　the　mecha　borne　away　by　the　saucer。　He's　being　promoted？　Rand　tried　to　puzzle　out。　He　didn't　know　much　about　how　Invid　society　really　functioned；　nobody　did；　or　at　least　nobody　who　was　talking。

Annie　shook　him　and　he　realized　that　time　was　wasting　away。


In　the　Hive　Center　lay　one　of　the　bio…constructs　that　was　the　Regis's　direct　contact　with　each　installation　and　every　individual　of　her　far…flung　realm。　It　was　the　center　of　the　hive's　reverence；　obedience。。。adoration。　It　spoke　to　the　hive　members；　and　with　them；　and　for　them。

It　was　situated　in　a　shallow　nutrient　pool　about　five　or　six　yards　wide；　filling　two…thirds　of　it。　A　half…dozen　mature　light…stalks　blossomed　around　it；　beaming　down　nourishing　rays…radiating　flowers　like　the　Flower　of　Life　and　yet　unlike　it。

The　darker　chocolate…orange　of　the　Hive　Center's　floor　was　broken　across　its　entire　span　by　large　and　small　dark　pink　circles。　It　looked　as　if　a　hundred　spotlights　of　various　sizes　shone　there。　But　the　only　visible　path　of　light　was　the　incandescent　beam　that　shone　down　on　the　Sensor；　the　coordinating　intellect…clearinghouse　of　the　hive。

Mecha　stood　by　as　the　Regis　spoke。　Listening　to　her　were　a　single　looming　Scout　unit　and　a　half　dozen　and　more　of　the　smaller；　more　highly　evolved；　trumpet…snouted　Controllers。

〃The　proliferation　of　the　Flower　of　Life　on　Earth　has　reached　a　critical　phase；　a　triggerpoint；〃　it　said。　〃Soon　the　mass　thriving　of　the　Flower　will　be　assured；　and　we　will　need　the　Human　race　no　more；　and　Earth　will　be