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　some　diversion。〃

Still；　the　ranks　of　huge　eggs　reminded　him　unfortably　of　an　old…time　space　flick　he　had　seen　as　a　kid；　and　he　had　no　intention　of　having　something　leap　up　and　give　him　some　interspecies　mouth…to…mouth。　He　held　Annie　back　and　kept　his　gun　level　as　he　pulled　a　coin　out　of　a　slit　pocket　over　his　midsection　and　tossed　it。

The　coin　glittered　in　the　red…orange…yellow　light　and　bounced　off　the　top　of　one　egg。　Rand　was　expecting　a　gelatinous　quiver；　but　instead　the　coin　bounced　with　a　metallic　bonk！　and　skipped；　to　land　on　the　floor　with　a　faint　chiming。　Nothing　moved；　nothing　happened。

〃My　last　quarter；〃　Rand　said　ruefully。　A　1/4…Cid　piece　from　the　city…state　of　Espana　Nueva　back　down　south。　True；　it　wouldn't　be　much　good　on　the　road　to　Reflex　Point；　but　still。。。

〃Maybe　they're　in　suspended　animation；〃　he　considered；　rubbing　his　jaw。　〃And　maybe　they　won't　wake　up　until　they're　supposed　to。〃

He　disregarded　the　idea　of　using　his　gun　to　experiment　further；　most　likely；　it　would　set　off　alarms　and　draw　the　enemy　straight　to　him。　Then　Annie　was　crooning；　〃Uhohh…hh。〃

A　saucer…shaped　air…vehicle　whose　underside　was　all　glowing　honeyb…hexagons　had　e　floating　silently　from　among　distant　dendrites。　Its　curved；　mirrorlike　upper　surface　showed　four　equidistant　projections　like　knobbed　horns。　It　came　directly　at　Rand　and　Annie。


CHAPTER　THIRTEEN

So？　I　thought　you　country　boys　could　rub　your　psoriasis　together　and　start　a　fire？　Where's　that　pioneer　spirit？
Rook；　to　Rand

The　flying　saucer　was　fifty　feet　wide。　When　it　had　covered　most　of　the　distance　separating　it　from　the　intruders；　it　halted。　It　remained　motionless；　lying　dead　still　without　sound　or　motion。

Suddenly　the　honeyb…cells　began　shedding　harsh　light；　the　saucer's　underside　solid　convex　of　brilliance。　One　of　the　embryo…mecha　began　to　glow。　Its　egg　expanded　and　rose　into　the　air　toward　the　saucer。　Rand　and　Annie　stopped　their　withdrawal　and　watched　what　was　happening。

Again　there　was　the　regal　female　voice；　reverberating　from　the　saucer；　the　cross…echoes　making　it　difficult　to　understand。　But　Rand　thought　he　heard；　〃Nine…X…Nineteen　has　been　selected　for　transmutation。　The　quickening　will　begin。　Retrieve　a　Scout　pod　and　transfer　it　to　Hive　Center。　〃

The　egg　had　disappeared　and　the　unborn　Scout　was　enclosed　in　a　larger　globe　of　light；　some　sort　of　lifting　field。　It　looked　similar　to　the　ones　Rand　and　the　team　had　fought。　It　was　slowly　unlimbering；　its　contours　still　curved　to　its　confinement；　the　way　a　baby　bird's　are　to　its　shell　for　the　first　few　moments　after　it　breaks　free。

Rand　and　Annie　watched　the　mecha　borne　away　by　the　saucer。　He's　being　promoted？　Rand　tried　to　puzzle　out。　He　didn't　know　much　about　how　Invid　society　really　functioned；　nobody　did；　or　at　least　nobody　who　was　talking。

Annie　shook　him　and　he　realized　that　time　was　wasting　away。


In　the　Hive　Center　lay　one　of　the　bio…constructs　that　was　the　Regis's　direct　contact　with　each　installation　and　every　individual　of　her　far…flung　realm。　It　was　the　center　of　the　hive's　reverence；　obedience。。。adoration。　It　spoke　to　the　hive　members；　and　with　them；　and　for　them。

It　was　situated　in　a　shallow　nutrient　pool　about　five　or　six　yards　wide；　filling　two…thirds　of　it。　A　half…dozen　mature　light…stalks　blossomed　around　it；　beaming　down　nourishing　rays…radiating　flowers　like　the　Flower　of　Life　and　yet　unlike　it。

The　darker　chocolate…orange　of　the　Hive　Center's　floor　was　broken　across　its　entire　span　by　large　and　small　dark　pink　circles。　It　looked　as　if　a　hundred　spotlights　of　various　sizes　shone　there。　But　the　only　visible　path　of　light　was　the　incandescent　beam　that　shone　down　on　the　Sensor；　the　coordinating　intellect…clearinghouse　of　the　hive。

Mecha　stood　by　as　the　Regis　spoke。　Listening　to　her　were　a　single　looming　Scout　unit　and　a　half　dozen　and　more　of　the　smaller；　more　highly　evolved；　trumpet…snouted　Controllers。

〃The　proliferation　of　the　Flower　of　Life　on　Earth　has　reached　a　critical　phase；　a　triggerpoint；〃　it　said。　〃Soon　the　mass　thriving　of　the　Flower　will　be　assured；　and　we　will　need　the　Human　race　no　more；　and　Earth　will　be　the　homeworld　that　will　replace　our　beloved　Optera。　But　we　must　pass　that　triggerpoint；　we　must　have　more　Human　slaves　to　spread　the　Flower　of　Life　to　every　corner　of　the　Earth。

〃And　to　increase　our　supply　of　slaves；　we　must　have　more　mecha；　as　rapidly　as　the　Evolving　makes　that　possible。　Prepare　now　for　the　arrival　of　the　retrieval　droid；　and　the　quickening　of　a　new　Scout　ship！〃

One　of　the　Controllers　began　making　stiff…armed　gestures　to　the　others；　like　some　ancient　Roman　military　salute　sequence。　The　other　Controllers　moved　to　their　places；　and　in　moments　the　hulking　Scout　ship；　standing　immobile　on　one　of　the　lighted　circles；　began　descending　into　the　floor。　In　a　moment　it　was　gone　and　the　aperture　closed。

〃I　guess　that　thing　there　is　the　brains　of　the　outfit；〃　Rand　whispered；　where　he　and　Annie　poised　in　concealment　behind　two　fibrous　columns。

〃Yeah；　well；　it　may　have　it　in　the　brains　department；　but…〃　She　made　a　face。　〃Ugh！　It　gives　a　whole　new　meaning　to　‘ugly'！〃

The　thing　that　Rand　thought　was　a　Sensor　was　a　huge　mass　of　wetly　glistening；　sickly　pink　coils。　It　looked　like　someone　had　knotted　a　length　of　enormous　small　intestine　beyond　any　unsnarling。　Its　stench　clogged　the　warm；　humid　air　of　the　hive　center。

A　retrieval　pod　entered；　bearing　aloft　the　hatchling　it　had　fetched。　〃Scout　Trooper　ready　for　quickening；〃　the　Regis　announced。　The　saucer　set　its　burden　down　exactly　where　the　previous　one　had　stood；　the　hatchling　booming　as　it　landed。　The　lifting　field　disappeared　as　the　saucer's　underside　dimmed。　The　retrieval　pod　whisked　away。

The　hatchling's　optical　sensor　opened；　exposing　the　vertical　row　of　three　lenses。　〃Activate　canopy；〃　the　Regis　manded。　Long　segmented　metal　tentacles　extended　from　somewhere　above；　their　articulated　fingers　working　quickly。　The　Scout's　cranial　area　was　opened　and　a　broad　plate　or　hatch　swung　up。

Rand　could　see　a　softly　lighted　area　within　the　cranial　partment；　but　he　couldn't　tell　much　more　about　what　was　going　on。　〃Insert　drone　Nine…X…Nineteen；〃　the　Regis's　eldritch　voice　said。

From　a　conduit　high　in　the　wall；　there　came　another　egg；　this　one　far　smaller　than　the　mecha's。　Clusters　of　gracefully…waving　tendrils；　like　undersea　plants；　floated　at　the　top　and　bottom　of　the　embryo。

Within　the　embryo　was　something　curled　up　that　looked　shrunken　and　wizened　even　though　its　skin　had　the　moist；　hairless　look　of　the　unborn。　It　appeared　to　be　mostly　head；　its　arms　and　legs　degenerated　and　vestigial。　Its　dark　eyes　were　bottomless；　liquid　black　slits；　Annie　couldn't　decide　whether　they　were　as　unseeing　as　a　seconds…old　kitten's；　or　windows　to　some　all…observing　intellect。　Drone　Nine…X…Nineteen's　nose　was　a　bony　button。

A　crest　of　hard　plate　made　a　ridge　from　its　massive；　convoluted　brow　back　across　its　skull。　Its　skin　seemed　to　be　a　lusterless　gray…green；　its　brow　and　skull　mapped　by　a　craniological　nightmare　of　bulges　and　eminences。　It　was　all　but　chinless；　its　mouth　seemingly　a　tiny　bud。

Rand　and　Annie　looked　at　the　face　of　the　enemy。

Drone　Nine…X…Nineteen；　still　in　its　egg；　was　wafted　by　unseen　forces；　to　nestle　in　the　dimly　lit　womb　of　the　Scout's　head。

〃Drone　in　place；〃　the　Sensor　reported　to　itself。

〃Bad　place；〃　Annie　muttered。　Rand　nodded。

The　tentacles　closed　the　canopy　of　the　quickened　Scout；　the　optical　scanner　came　alight；　glowing　red。　〃Transmutation　pleted；〃　the　Regis　declared。　〃Prepare　next　Scout　Trooper　for　quickening。〃　The　Scout　that　carried…or　had　bee…Nine…X…Nineteen　sank　out　of　sight　like　its　predecessor。

〃Rand；〃　Annie　said　plaintively；　〃I'm　scared。〃

〃So'm　I；　Mint。　Let's　get　this　thing　over　with　and　get　out　of　here。〃　A　retrieval　pod　was　bringing　in　another　Scout。　〃Dammit！　We　must've　gotten　here　right　in　the　middle　of　Motherhood　Week！〃

Annie　swallowed。　〃Then　let's　blow　that　Sensor　thing　and　get　out　of　here！〃

〃Fine　with　me；　but　we　have　to　find　it　first；　remember？　And　it　could　be　anywhere　in　this　maggot　factory。〃

She　looked　at　her　watch。　〃That　means　it's　time　for　Contingency　Plan　B；　huh？〃

Rand　nodded；　checking　his　own　watch。　〃I　hope　Scott