按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Robotech Sentinels： World Killers
Book 16 of the Robotech Saga
Copyright 1988 by Jack McKinney
arranged by dayuan ＇ robotech zone ＇
CHAPTER ONE
They were the New Paladins； riding forth to answer the trumpet call to a nightmare war。
They were mortals caught up in events that transcended anything they had ever expected。
Many of them were career military people who had learned that wars were often won by those who made the fewest screwups。
But they also knew that everybody screws up sometime。
Le Roy la Paz； The Sentinels
〃Everybody stay sharp！ Looks like we're gonna have to go to guns！〃
Jack Baker trimmed the mated Veritechs he was flying…the sleek Alpha fighter was now joined like a vaned nose cone to the bigger； burlier Beta ship。 A quick glance over his weapons status displays revealed that the other two Alpha…Betas of his raiding party were still in tight formation behind him。
〃Jack； no！〃 yelled Janice Em。 She was in the second ship along with Burak； Lron； and Tesla。 〃You heard what Veidt and Sarna said： this world's defenses will respond to any hostile action！〃
Actually； Veidt had said the legendary protective systems of the planet responded to the mere intent of intrusion or provocative act。 And that certainly seemed to be the case today； even though the fighters had gone in with weapons and shields down。
〃I got a news flash for you： we've already got Haydon IV PO'd at us； kiddo；〃 Jack snorted。 〃Or d'you think this planet's surface usually twitches and then starts spitting sparklers at people？ Get ready； like it or not； it looks as if we're in for some turns 'n' burns。〃
One part of him registered the fact that the terrain of Haydon IV wasn't actually twitching； it was changing shape； like something from one of those old…time clay…animation flicks。 And the things shooting up at the ining Veritechs were more like swirling vortices or sheets of flame than sparklers。
Whatever they were； they were traveling at such high velocity that Jack saw the VTs had no chance of running for it。
〃Activate shields and weapons。〃 Jack tried to sound calm。 〃And stay close to me。〃 It was too late to go back； so there was nothing to do but drive on。
Only he wished there were experienced bat fliers in the other two bined VTs。 Janice had been through training； and so had Learna； but neither of them had any dogfighting experience to speak of。 He would have preferred to have Max and Miriya Sterling flying at his wingtips。
But Miriya had been stricken； like Rick Hunter and his wife Lisa； by the strange microorganisms of Garuda。 And so had another Sentinel； one whose possible death filled Jack with feelings and impulses that bewildered and shocked him。。。
He tried to put that out of his mind； what was happening to the famous Baker cool and concentration？ Damn！
From the cockpit's rear seat； where she was strapped into the copilot's station； Bela reached forward to clap him on the shoulder。 〃That's the lad！ Kick their flaming arses！ I'll loan you the boot！〃
The vortices of fire came darting and circling； changing shape and roiling…like silken scarves on the wind。 All Jack's sensors were in alarm mode； but none of them could tell him what he was facing。
Fire with fire； he told himself fatalistically； and put a burst of pumped laser into the first one to e into range。
Somehow Tesla got on the tac net。 〃No； you fool！ You're signing our death warrants！〃
〃Don't bother me； I'm workin'；〃 Jack growled。
The cannonfire seemed to have no effect； the vortice changed course a bit and came straight for him。 He shot it again。 The other VTs chose targets of opportunity and opened up； too。
The vortices flared angrily； and some were jarred； but they kept ing。 More came from what seemed to be an opening in the countryside below； like flecks of incandescent paint falling upward。
Jack was still firing when the first vortex hit him。 It flared angrily against his shields； sending the indicators toward the danger zones； and it seemed he could feel the infernal heat right through the fuselage。 More swarmed after。
The other VTs were struck； too。 The vortices spread across them； coating them in a blinding radiance。
〃Wake up！ e； e； I have no time for this nonsense！ Wake him！〃
Rem heard the thick； moist rumbling voice； loud enough to echo and shake the walls。 He associated it with the sensation he felt now： bonds still holding his raw； bleeding wrists and ankles； and the cottony blur the Invid psy…scanners had left in his brain。
At the Regent's mand； Invid officers applied brief pain to speed up the effects of the reviving injections they had given him。 Rem squirmed and moaned； shaking off part of the fog； and opened his eyes。
Rem saw the throne room that the Regent had decreed for himself high in a Haydon IV tower。 It was a minor mercy to see the light of Briz'dziki； the local sun； rather than the cold insides of the Invid's nearby hive。
Rem tried to recall what he was doing there； and it came back in a confused； horrifying rush。 Capture by the Invid on Garuda； exposure to Garudan atmosphere…why wasn't he dead； or mad？
Or； perhaps he was…perhaps he was both。
No； he wasn't dead； the pain of his shackles was a branding…hot clarity too sharp for that。 But mad。。。
As he struggled feebly； he heard a low； mosquitolike humming that quickly built until it shock…waved from one side of his skull to the other。 The shackles seemed to grow teeth and gnaw at his wrists； promising to devour their way up his arms and legs； ripping and savaging。
Rem screamed。 The Invid stench coagulated with evil glee in his chest…he was sure he would suffocate。
Not mad； then…but even more terribly； a victim of hin； the Garudan altered…reality or transcendent state。
Kami and Learna and their people thrived that way…in hin…as a matter of symbiotic course； interacting with their environment on a microorganic； even subatomic； scale。 Stranded from the synergistic biota of their planet； they would not even be sentient beings。
But to outside life…forms； exposure to the atmosphere of Garuda and to hin was a sentence of death by insanity。
Rem fought to hold onto some last shred of reality。 The seemingly en