s splash。
The first thing that Scott knew when he came to was that he had a monstrous headache。 The next thing was that his eyes wouldn't focus properly； even taking into account the fact that he was trying to see through a helmet facebowl。 He realized that he was sprawled out on his stomach。 Before him； he saw his Cyclone armor's gauntlet…hand。
He groaned； trying to flex his fingers。 They barely moved。 He saw that he was lying on。。。on soil。 Dirt。
He tried to see beyond the hand； his head trembling as he tried to lift it。 His eyes were responding a little better； but what he saw made no sense。
Those giant fern things we saw on Praxis？ No； wait a second。。。'S not it。。。This's a diffr'nt planet。。。Earth。。。
It didn't look like any place he had ever seen or heard about on Earth。 It looked。。。primeval。 Where are we； a swamp？ What happened？
Scott saw Rand sprawled out a few feet away； along the little stretch of sandy bank where they had landed。
Scott crawled over to him； groaning and hoping the pain he felt in his side wasn't a cracked rib。 〃Rand！ Rand； are you okay？〃 He shook the Forager's shoulder pauldron。 〃e on； fella； speak to me！〃
Rand began to stir a bit。 Through the external pickups； Scott heard a tiny moan。 He looked beyond Rand and saw Annie lying a few yards away along the bank。 She was making feeble attempts to sit up。 〃Annie； are you all right？〃
She sat up suddenly； wide…eyed but apparently unafraid； blinking at the dawnworld landscape。 〃What happened to me？〃
〃We must've hit the bottom of the pit；〃 he told her。 Just then； Rand started ing around。 〃Take it easy； pal。〃
But Rand rose to his feet。 〃What； d'we miss a turn somewhere？〃
He shook his head to clear it a bit。 What he was staring at appeared to be seedferns。 Cycads； club mosses and horsetails。 Big and huge； small and almost microscopic。 Off in the distance he could see what appeared to be conifers； ginkgoes； and more。
What is this； a damn coal forest？
Annie heard something that sounded a bit like a heavy…duty dentist's drill and ducked instinctively as something flashed by her ear。 In a moment there was a cloud of them going past； though they seemed uninterested in the Humans。 Their double wingsets were making silver blurs in the strange light of the place。
〃Dragonflies！〃 Rand burst out。 But these were dragonflies the length of his forearm； with enormous wings…slower than their modern counterparts。
Annie； seeing that they wouldn't hurt her； laughed with delight and skipped after them a few steps； the water splashing around her ankles。
Scott and Ran had instinctively reconfigured their armor； the Cyclone bat bikes under them once again。 〃And this water's nice and warm！〃 Annie was saying。 She was wrinkling her nose； though； the air of the place was thick and steamy…the heaviness of rotting vegetation； of primitive life。
Annie's mood had turned to wonder； and she kicked up bright plumes of water。 〃Why don't you guys e in and give it a try？〃
She was still trying to get them to join her when the surface of the water broke behind her； and something huge began to rise。 〃Annie！ Behind you！〃 Scott shouted； his voice sounding a bit strange and processed over his suit's external speaker。
Both men were off their cycles； groping for their sidearms。 Annie stood rooted as a plated head the size of a small fishing coracle reared； shedding water in all directions。 It opened its mouth and revealed rows of teeth like thick pegs。 Rand's mind threw up a strange word； Eogyrinus？
Pieces of torn flesh still clung to the teeth； and it reeked of death and the marshes it hunted。 Annie knew that through their helmets Scott and Rand couldn't even smell it。
Scott and Rand were jockeying for a clear line of fire。 It was seemingly hopeless with Annie standing frozen right in front of the thing； hypnotized like a mouse before a rattlesnake。 They were both armed with MARS…Gallant Type…H90s…the latest word in hip…howitzers； but that firepower was of little use with Annie in the crosshairs。
The thing had gotten very close。 Rand saw that it was wide and flat； like a big croc with a bobbed； broad snout…no doubt an experienced shore hunter； just like the books said。
Scott hollered at Annie to get out of the way。 She backpedaled and fell on her rump in the wet sandy shore。 She stared into hungry； merciless eyes that； she could see； saw her as nothing more than another morsel of food。 She threw herself flat on the ground just as the creature reared up to lunge for her。 Then the neon…blue blasterbolts flew； making a mewing sound。
As the H90s spat； the torrid air got even hotter。 Rand fired with the modified two…hand stance that Scott had taught him。 The thing heaved up as the dazzling hyphens of energy hit it。 Pieces exploded from it as the furious heat of the shots turned the moisture in its cells into superheated steam； blowing it apart。 There was no blood from those wounds； instead； the gaping holes in the thing had the look of broiled meat。 The stench of it made the atmosphere that much more repugnant。
The monster thrashed and twisted。 Roaring and bellowing； it swiped at the air with thick claws； snapping its jaws at the radiant bolts。 Unable to understand what was happening； it nevertheless knew that it was dying。 Its rage shook the air； the primeval plant…forest； and the sluggish lake waters。 It fell back with a mighty splash； still quivering and contorting。
Annie kept screaming as Scott and Rand dragged her back to shore by her jacket。 〃Mint； he didn't bite you； did he？〃 Scott asked anxiously。
That seemed to bring her around a little。 〃N…no； but almost。 And don't call me Mint； okay Scott？〃
He held out his hand to her。 〃Sure thing。 e on； up you go。〃 But even as she was scrambling to her feet； Rand yelled and pointed； sounding thoroughly rattled。
〃Here es more pany！〃
Three more of the things had surfaced and began ripping away at the first； while it spasmed。 They tore out huge gobbets of flesh； snarling and whistling。 Scott remembered hearing somewhere that real Earthly gators usually left their prey to rot； if it was too small to swallow in one gulp。 That wasn't the case with this lunch crowd。 In seconds； flesh； bones； blood； and viscera surged and rolled in the oily waters。
Rand gulped。 〃They passed on the salad course； I guess。〃
〃Just look at them；〃 Annie breathed。
Just then one of the three paused in its gorging to hiss a piercing whistle at them； giving them that same hungry； pitiless stare。
〃They're looking at us！〃 she cried。
If we shoot； these three； do nine more show up？ he wondered。 Even Robotech weapons had their limits。 He grabbed Annie's arm。 〃Let's get out of here！ Move； move！〃
In another moment the armor had mechamorphosed； and the two Cyclones leapt away； Annie clinging to Rand once more； the tires automatically adjusting to travel over the soft soil。 The Eogyrinuses came swarming up at them moments too late。
〃Guess we lost 'em；〃 Annie reported； glancing back over her shoulder to be sure。 〃I don't think they're built for long…distance events。〃
〃But where did they e from？〃 Scott murmured。
Rand gazed upward。 The sky held no sign of the energy field； instead there was a low gray haze。 They sped up another dry watercourse； past tall； odd…looking conifers and cycads and some bennettitaleans。
〃The Lost World； 〃 he said softly。
Lancer looked at Rook hopefully as he hopped down from the cockpit of Scott's abandoned Alpha fighter。 Let it be good news！ Let her have found something！
But as Rook slid her cycle to a stop； Lancer was already listening to negative results over the armored suits' tac net。 〃I followed the path north and cut a circle for a mile around。 There wasn't a trace of them。〃
As she finished her report； Lunk showed up in his olive…drab APC truck。 〃If they circled back； they weren't leaving tracks；〃 he reported。
That left another question。 Scott's Cyclone was gone； and there were no tire marks anywhere。 But why would they have gone straight to full armor and flown away； without leaving a message or trying to make mo contact with their teammates？
Maybe the tire tracks had been obliterated by someone？ That would be easy enough to do in this kind of soil。
Lancer yelled out； 〃They know better than to do this to us。 〃 Rand might be a bit impetuous； and Annie was flighty to say the least； but Scott； a trained officer and team leader； would never simply ignore his responsibilities。
There was only one explanation that might make some sense of the situation； and that was the appearance of Invid。
〃Shouldn't one of us scout ahead？〃 Rand asked as the two Cyclones sped through the eerie landscape of the subterranean world。 〃I've had enough surprises for one day。〃
〃We'll stick together for now；〃 Scott ordered。
〃Well； do you have any idea where we're headed？〃 The instruments were all useless。
〃No； Rand。 But anywhere away from those reptiles will be fine with me…hey； power down！ There's something up ahead…the end of the trail； maybe。
They stopped in an open part of the water course。 What they saw ahead of them was a rampart of stone some hundreds of yards high； running away to the left and right with no breaks。
〃A dead end！〃 Annie wailed。 〃And the