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Their armor flared anyway； to cushion the fall； and then somehow Rand heard a small； plaintive cry and realized that not everybody was protected。
〃Hold still； Annie！〃
It was a precision catch； possible only through Robotechnology。 They were falling very fast； and simply rocketing armored arms under her would have only served to break the sweet； loudmouthed； red…haired soul of the team into three or…more likely…more pieces。
But as it was； Rand matched velocities and made the save。
He opened his helmet； careless of what might happen to him； holding Annie close…her pale face against his so that she could breathe the air his suit was pumping up in an effort to keep positive pressure。
Her small fingers moved； clasping the lip of his helmet's chinguard。。。then she was still； though she kept breathing。 Rand hugged her to him； shielding her as much as he could。 Neither Rand's armor's thrusters nor Scott's could stop their fall； whatever was pulling them down； it was more than just gravity and air currents。 Scott wasn't even sure they were being drawn straight downward。
Rand； who was falling head first； was first to see it。 〃Scott！ Look down there at that red glow ing right at us！ Maybe there's a bottom floor after all！〃
A lighted area on the shaft's floor？ A lava pool？ The light down there seemed to shift and waver； but it had the glow of extreme heat。
〃A lot of good that'll do us if we go splat！ Hit your burners！〃
Rand and Scott simultaneously hit their burners； while Annie moaned and cried。 But the retrothrusters did no good； and in another moment they plunged into the hellish fire。
CHAPTER THREE
Kraneberg； an oldtime historian of （North） American technology； once said…in the form of a First Law…〃Technology is neither positive； negative； nor neutral。〃
Indeed。 It is all three。
And omnipresent。
Scott Bernard's notes
〃Huh？〃
Scott was amazed that he wasn't being boiled alive。 Instead； orange…yellow light played all around him； Annie； and Rand； reflecting off their armor and helmet facebowls。
The light seemed alive； moving like writhing eels。 It seemed to knot together in places with its ends exposed； like twists in snarled barbed wire。 Elsewhere it had settled into layers； like the colors in a sunset。 The radiance brightened； enveloping them。
Their facebowls polarized to shield them； while poor little Annie squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head against Rand's armored chest。 Scott checked his instruments； but the sensors were not working。 〃I； I think we're in some kind of energy field。〃
〃Unbelievable；〃 Rand breathed。 Then all at once the light was above them； and they were plummeting through utter blackness…or so it seemed； their facebowls still darkened。 〃We went straight through it！ Are we near the bottom？〃
〃Y'got me；〃 Scott said； straining to see as his facebowl slowly depolarized。 The place looked pitch black。 The idea of a jagged rock floor racing up at them filled him with a cold despair。
〃Emergency power to retros…〃 he was saying； just as the Cyclone warriors hit the water with a tremendous 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。 〃An