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The snakes had gotten through on the decking now； swarming at them； while more rained down from every cranny in the ceiling like some bizarre neon version of an Old Testament plague。 〃All right； everybody： hit it！〃 Jack barked。 〃And once you touch down； keep moving and don't look back！〃
Janice had already punched out； pieces of her Battloid blown free by explosive bolts so that her cockpit could be fired clear on blue eruptions of Protoculture power。 Kami and Learna went at almost exactly the same moment； lofted through the air along with their passengers。
Jack hesitated until he saw that Lron was away； and then reached for his eject switch。 He hit it； then reached up； crossing his arms during the fuse…delay to grab his seat harness； hands to opposite shoulders。
He gripped with everything he had and held his elbows tightly to him so that his arms would not flap around and get broken when the charges went off。
He almost didn't make it； the snakes had gotten through his mecha's shin armor and attacked the systemry there。
A power flux sent the metal goliath reeling； and for a moment Jack thought he and Bela were going to be fired straight into a metal rampart of Haydonite apparatus。 But at the last split second； the Battloid responded to his frantic imaging and straightened。 The jolt of the ejection felt like it was going to push his head down into his chest cavity。
Bela let out a lusty battle cry； mixed with her deep laughter。 Jack was not nearly so boisterous。
Lron and the rest were already scrambling free of their cockpit/escape capsules。 Crysta and her Invid passenger came trotting toward the grounded capsules from the spot where her cockpit had stopped after Jack bowled it into the clear。
Even the Invid captives…Tesla and the two scientists…were stepping lively。 Jack was fumbling to hit the releases on his safety harness before his capsule smacked the decking； partially crumpling its skin。
He heard Jan's voice over his helmet phones。 〃Get clear of your capsules！ Hurry！ The snakes have sensed them somehow！〃
Jack blew the canopy and scrambled out to stand on his seat； grasping the windshield frame。 Jan was right： most of the snakes were still massing to smother the now…motionless Battloids； but some had turned toward them and were slithering in the direction of the ejection capsules。
〃Bela； e on！〃 He was popping emergency panels； grabbing out gear and weapons from the drop…lockers。
But she was already on her feet； gathering up her Praxian weapons and the REF gear she had brought along。 〃Right behind you； laddy…buck。〃
Janice Em had laid down fire with her Wolverine assault rifle； but powerful as it was； it wasn't very effective。 The shots seemed to make the snakes take notice of her and move to converge on her。 On sudden impulse； she took the weapon and hurled it as far from her as she could。 Snakes were on it even as it clattered to the decking； striking at it as if the rifle were a living enemy。
〃Get rid of your Protoculture weapons！〃 she yelled over the net。 〃That's how they're sensing us！〃
Jack had gathered up his own gear； but now he threw aside his Wolverine and his Shiva energy handgun as well。 All around him； the others were doing the same。 As each discarded weapon landed； snakes piled onto it； striking at it with bites that sent up fireworks and scoria。
The party moved away from the capsules carefully； picking their way among snakes that only seemed interested in getting at the ejection modules。 There were detonations from the besieged Battloids as they toppled or erupted from the effect of the snakebites。
Jack's little mand took shelter behind a bank of cognizance relays； ducking away from the final； bright explosions that obliterated the mecha。 At Jack's mand； those who weren't wearing flight helmets kept their hands over their ears and their mouths wide open； so that they wouldn't be deafened。 Wreckage whirled and debris ricocheted off the walls of the machine…cavern。
Jack was already taking stock of his situation； and there was nothing about it that made him want to do victory rolls。 True； they still had conventional firearms and the Praxian； Garudan； and Karbarran weapons。 And the handheld inertial trackers would give them a direction of sorts。 But there were only the limited emergency rations of food and water in the ejection packs； and no viable hope of raising Vince Grant or the others up on the surface with the flight…helmet municators。
Most of the equipment the team had brought along had been destroyed with the VTs。 They were more like a bunch of marooned survivors than a raiding party。
But there was one critical thing in their favor： the snakes were ignoring them。 Now that the Battloids were smoking wreckage； the snakes seemed to be dissolving away； perhaps returning to whatever fabrication matrices had given them form。 Powerful blasts of fire…fighting gas belched from fixtures all around the remains of the Battloids； extinguishing the fires； and tremendous ventilators created a minor windstorm； drawing away the fumes。
〃Walking is good healthy exercise anyway； so my mom used to tell me；〃 Bela said cheerfully； getting to her feet。 She was checking over her crossbow and resettling the two…handed shortsword she carried。 Clearly； her skintight REF flightsuit was less fortable to her than the rather daring fighting costume she usually wore。
Gnea； looking like a giant； lissome seventeen…year…old； went to join her friend and mentor。 Gnea held one of the naginatalike Praxian halberds； a polearm with a curved； glittering head and a wicked spike set at the opposite end。 Jack had seen the two use their weapons in bat； and had learned the foolishness of underestimating primitive arms。
He checked his inertial locator； there was no use going back； and so Glike was their only hope now。 But then he noticed Janice； standing to one side； distracted。 She looked as if she were listening to some distant siren song to which the rest of them were deaf。
〃It's near；〃 she whispered。 〃Somewhere close； and it's aware of us。〃 Burak； horned like an auroch； who had ridden with her； looked at her strangely。
〃What is？〃 Crysta asked。 She was pumping up the globlar r