15_death_dance-第4部分

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ution。　Praxis　apparently　played　host　to　the　largest　of　these；　and　Lang；　to　name　one；　has　speculated　that　the　Pits　not　only　gave　rise　to　extinct　creatures；　but　succeeded　in　regressing　the　entire　planet　to　a　formative　stage　of　destructive　vulcanism。
Zeus　Bellow；　The　Road　to　Reflex　Point

If　Burak　and　Tesla　had　bee　the　Sentinels'　silent　partnership；　then　Jack　Baker　and　Karen　Penn　were　certainly　the　group's　inseparable　pair。　But　that；　each　liked　to　believe；　was　merely　a　result　of　duty　assignments。　And　even　four　months　on　Praxis　hadn't　provided　them　with　enough　time　to　work　through　the　petitive　trifles　that　fueled　their　relationship。　They　were　not　only　marooned；　but　marooned　together；　and　Praxis　had　bee　the　proverbial　town　that　just　wasn't　big　enough　for　the　two　of　them。　Bela；　Praxis's　wasp…waisted　local　sheriff；　was　only　one　of　the　contributing　factors；　but　Karen　nevertheless　took　every　opportunity　to　keep　Jack　as　far　from　Bela　as　she　could；　often　encouraging　the　Hovercycle　recons　that　had　bee　something　of　Jack's　stock…in…trade。

A　joyride　disguised　as　a　scouting　mission　had　brought　Jack　and　Karen　to　a　series　of　caves　two　hours　out　from　the　GMU。　Lron　and　Kami　had　ridden　with　them。　Four　months　had　given　the　Sentinels　plenty　of　time　to　grieve　for　those　who　had　gone　down　with　the　Farrago；　but　Karen　often　wondered　just　how　long　it　was　going　to　take　for　her　to　grow　accustomed　to　her　XT　rades。　She　wasn't　a　bit　xenophobic…a　fact　that　had　won　her　a　place　with　the　Sentinels　to　begin　with…and　in　actuality　it　wasn't　so　much　the　strangeness　of　Lron　or　Kami　that　overwhelmed　her；　but　the　similarities。　If　only　Karbarrans　didn't　so　resemble　Kodiak　bears；　she　would　tell　herself。　And　if　only　Kami　didn't　look　like　upright　versions　of　the　foxes　she　used　to　see　near　the　cabin　her　father　had　once　owned。。。She　had　much　less　trouble　with　Baldan　and　Teal；　with　their　bodies　of　living　crystal。　Or　Tesla；　for　that　matter…now　there　was　an　alien　you　could　believe　in！

But　wolves　and　bears　and　snail…headed　things。。。Karen　was　in　the　midst　of　wishing　that　Bela　had　had　a　more　alien　form…even　a　more　rotund　form…when　without　warning；　Jack　hissed：　〃Cut　it　out！〃

The　four　Sentinels　were　well　into　the　central　cave　now；　inside　a　huge　vaulted　corridor　that　was　as　hot　as　blazes　and　reeking　of　sulphur。　Curiosity　had　drawn　them　in；　but　Jack；　never　one　to　do　things　halfway；　had　insisted　they　go　〃just　a　little　further；〃　and　here　they　were　a　good　half　a　click　along。　There　were　primitive　sketches　on　the　walls　of　the　caverns　they　had　passed　through…depictions　of　hideous　spiderlike　creatures　Jack　claimed　were　〃symbols〃…and　Karen　was　in　no　mood　for　fun　house　games　or　laugh…in…the…dark　surprises。

〃Huh？〃　she　said；　gulping　and　finding　her　voice。

〃I　said　cut　it　out。〃

〃I　know　what　you　said；　Jack。。。〃

She　threw　him　an　angry　look　in　the　darkness；　wondering　suddenly　if　she　had　actually　voiced　some　of　her　private　musings　about　Bela。　Then　all　at　once　something　hit　her　on　the　top　of　the　head。　XTs　or　not；　she　decided；　someone　was　trying　to　be　funny。　Karen　whirled　around；　hoping　to　catch　Kami　in　the　act；　but　he　was　way　off　to　her　left　inspecting　a　chunk　of　rock　near　the　cave　wall。　Lron；　too；　seemed　to　be　preoccupied　with　other　things。　So；　wiping　sweat　from　her　face；　she　turned　back　to　Jack；　and　said；　〃Not　funny。〃

〃What？〃

She　put　a　hand　up　to　shield　her　eyes　from　his　miner's　light。　〃Throwing　things。　I'm　not　real　thrilled　about　being　in　here　to　start　with。〃

〃I　didn't　throw　anything；〃　he　started　to　say；　when　Lron's　gurgling　snarl　interrupted　him。

〃Who　hit　me？〃　the　Karbarran　growled。

Jack　felt　a　tap　on　his　shoulder；　swung　to　it；　then　instinctively　looked　up。　His　light　illuminated　what　looked　like　an　assemblage　of　globular…shaped　deposits　on　the　cave's　ceiling。　Suddenly　he　saw　one　of　the　things　move；　and　realized　that　it　was　some　sort　of　free…floating；　translucent　sphere。　Kami　switched　on　the　light　strapped　above　his　muzzlemask　and　shined　it　on　another　portion　of　the　ceiling；　here　were　more　spheres；　ranging　from　baseball　size　to　almost　four　feet　in　diameter；　all　bobbing　against　the　rock　like　helium　balloons。

〃What　the。。。？〃　Jack　said；　moving　his　head　around；　the　beam　finding　more　and　more　globes。　〃Jeez；　the　place　is　crawling　with　them。〃

〃Jack！〃　Kami　shouted；　training　his　light　on　something　further　along　the　corridor。　Everyone　turned　in　time　to　see　a　medium…sized　globe　emerge　like　a　bubble　from　a　conelike　projection　in　the　cave　floor。　Jack　rushed　ahead；　watching　the　milky　thing　ascend；　and　soon　found　himself　perched　on　the　rim　of　a　large　shaft；　roughly　circular　and　belching　up　a　lot　of　heat　and　noxious　fumes。　Kami；　Lron；　and　Karen　joined　him　a　moment　later；　just　as　another　globe　was　beginning　to　make　its　way　up　and　out。

〃What　a　stink；〃　Karen　mented。

Warily；　Jack　reached　out　to　touch　the　basketball…sized　orb。　It　was　hot；　but　not　dangerously　so；　what　surprised　him　was　the　thing's　misleading　solidity。

〃Jack；　don't；〃　Karen　warned　him　when　he　tried　to　capture　it。

But　as　was　so　often　the　case　with　Jack；　the　warning　came　too　late：　no　sooner　had　he　taken　hold　of　the　sphere　than　it　shot　toward　the　ceiling；　lifting　Jack　off　the　floor。　Arms　extended　over　his　head；　he　rode　it　up　for　fifteen　feet　before　letting　go　and　landing　on　the　other　side　of　the　cavern　in　a　neat　tuck…and…roll　that　blew　out　the　miner's　light。

〃Yeah！〃　he　whooped；　as　Kami　helped　him　to　his　feet。　It　wasn't　unlike　the　spill　he　had　taken　six　months　ago　in　Tiresia；　but　this　time　he　had　landed　among　friends。

Karen　hauled　off　and　whacked　him　in　the　arm。　〃Jack；　can't　you　just…〃

〃That　thing　took　off　like　a　rocket！　Almost　pulled　my　arms　out　of　the　sockets。〃

〃Yeah；　we　noticed；　Jack；〃　Karen　said；　miffed。

They　were　all　staring　at　the　ceiling　now。

Jack　watched　the　spheres　bob　against　one　another。　〃Almost　seems　like　they're　looking　for　a　way　out　of　here；　doesn't　it？〃

〃Yeah；　just　like　we　are；〃　Karen　and　Lron　said　at　the　same　time。


In　the　mo　chamber　of　his　hivelike　domain　on　Optera；　the　Invid　Regent　received　a　transmission　from　the　simulagent　who　was　representing　him　on　Tirol。　It　seemed　that　the　so…called　Humans　now　occupying　the　Robotech　Masters'　ravaged　and　forlorn　moon　had　put　on　quite　a　show…with　the　kind　of　pomp　and　circumstance　the　Regent　strived　to　imitate。　He　was　almost　sorry　he　hadn't　gone　there　himself。　What　with　most　of　his　remaining　fleet　anchored　in　Fantomaspace；　was　there　really　anything　to　fear？　he　asked　himself。　Still；　the　fact　remained　that　there　were　too　many　unanswered　questions。　What；　after　all；　did　the　would…be　mander　of　the　Human　forces…this　Major　General　Edwards…want？　He　had　been　so　quick　to　e　to　the　Regent's　aid　in　that　matter　of　the　Sentinels'　ship。。。But　it　bothered　the　Regent　that　the　Human　had　yet　to　ask　for　anything　in　return。　Did　he　simply　wish　to　capitalize　on　the　Sentinels'　defeat　to　move　himself　higher　in　the　chain　of　mand；　or　were　these　machinations　part　of　some　larger　scheme？

In　a　certain　sense　the　answer　was　unimportant；　the　Regent　decided　at　last…providing　he　could　make　use　of　that　factionalism　that　divided　the　Human　forces。

He　regarded　the　image　in　the　munications　sphere；　catching　a　look　in　his　double's　eyes　that　troubled　him。　〃Is　there　news　of　Tesla？〃

〃There　is；〃　the　simulagent　said。　〃It　appears　the　Tesla　was　aboard　the　Farrago　when　our　forces　destroyed　it。〃

Tesla；　dead；　the　Regent　thought。　It　touched　him　in　a　way　he　would　never　have　believed　possible。　But　perhaps　it　was　not　true；　perhaps　there　were　survivors　of　that　battle？　He　had　yet　to　hear　from　the　follow…up　forces　who　had　been　sent　in　to　resecure　the　planet。　〃Who　seems　to　be　in　charge？〃　he　asked　after　a　moment。

〃As　you　surmised；〃　the　simulagent　continued；　〃there　are　signs　of　an　ongoing　power　struggle；　principally　between　Edwards　and　a　certain　Dr。　Lang…a　scientist　who　did　his　best　to　charm　me　during　the　introductory　sessions。〃

〃Is　Lang　the　weaker　one；　then？〃

〃No。。。no；　this　is　not　my　belief。　The　scientist　in　fact　seems　to　have　the　backing　of　the　Humans'　council…an　assembly　that　functions　as　a　kind　of　governing　body。〃

The　Regent　found　the　idea　odd…as　he　had　the　puzzling　gerontocracy　the　Robotech　Masters　had　favored。　He　couldn't　understand　how　twelve　minds　could　agree　on　anything；