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〃Disturbance　in　Hive　Center！〃　thundered　the　Sensor；　in　the　voice　of　the　Regis。


CHAPTER　FOURTEEN

Plutarch　said　courage　stands　halfway　between　cowardice　and　rashness。　Shakespeare　said　it　mounteth　with　occasion。　What　we've　got　here　is　living　proof。
Scott　Bernard's　mission　notes

Rand　skidded　to　a　halt；　spun；　and　saw　what　had　happened。　〃Typical！〃

But　he　went　dashing　back；　as　Controllers　turned　to　converge　on　the　spot　where　Annie　lay。　Their　bulging　arms　were　raised　and　pointed；　and　their　built…in　weapons　were　ready　to　fire。　〃Intruders。　Two　in　number。　Neutralize　them；〃　the　Regis　exhorted　her　troops。

Annie　levered　herself　up　miserably。　〃No；　please　don't！　We　didn't　mean　anything！〃

Rand　calculated　time　and　angles。　〃Just　hang　tough；　Mint。　These　jerks　won't　know　what　hit　them　in　a　coupla'　seconds。〃

〃Surrender；　Humans；　or　be　destroyed；〃　the　Regis　demanded。　Rand　watched　the　Controllers　close　in；　his　hand　on　his　H90。　Then　he　holstered　it　and　put　both　hands　over　his　ears　and　opened　his　mouth　wide；　to　lessen　the　impact　of　the　blast。　Annie；　terrified；　did　the　same。　〃Humans；　this　is　your　final　warn…〃

Most　of　the　blast　from　the　limpets'　shaped　charges　was　directed　inward；　into　the　grotesque　coils　of　the　Sensor；　but　the　backwash　was　more　than　enough　to　knock　the　leading　three　Controllers　sideways。

The　Sensor　bore　the　brunt　of　a　stupendous　blast。


Marlene　gasped。

Scott；　too　busy　to　notice；　was　watching　through　his　binocular　as　smoke　roiled　from　one　of　the　snowpeak's　upper　openings。　〃They　did　it！　Isn't　that　a　beautiful…〃

He　lowered　the　binocular　and　turned；　hearing　Marlene　cry　out　and　then　collapse　into　racking　sobs。　Rook　and　the　others　rushed　to　her　side。　〃Is　it　the　same　thing　as　last　time？〃　Lancer　asked；　gently　trying　to　quiet　her。

〃She's　screaming　at　me！〃　Marlene　managed；　through　convulsing　shudders。

Lunk's　low　brows　met。　〃Who　is？〃

Rook　tore　her　gaze　away　from　the　smoking　fortress　and　tried　not　to　fear　that　Rand　had　been　hurt　or　killed。　〃Is　there　any　way　we　can　help；　Marlene？　Tell　us　what　to　do！〃

Marlene　was　on　her　knees；　holding　her　head　in　her　hands。　But　she　shook　it　no；　her　hair　swinging。

〃Let's　get　moving；〃　Scott　barked；　to　snap　his　team　out　of　it。　〃Rand　and　Annie　might　need　help　even　more。〃


〃I。。。don't。。。believe　it；〃　Annie　stammered；　gazing　upward。

Rand　stood　tranfixed　near　where　she　lay；　looking　up　as　well。　〃That…that　thing。。。〃

The　Controllers　were　all　down；　smoking；　either　from　the　initial　blast　or　from　secondary　explosions。　And　the　Sensor　had　vanished　from　its　nutrient　bath；　all　right。　But　now　sickly　pinkish　blobs　of　it；　in　various　sizes；　bobbed　and　drifted　around　the　Hive　Center。　They　tumbled　like　slow…moving　meteors；　drifting；　caroming　off　each　other；　spreading　like　floating　amoebas　to　fill　the　place。

My　god！　We　hit　it　with　enough　wallop　to　knock　off　a　half…dozen　Shock　Troopers；　and　yet…〃It's　dissolved　into　some　kind　of；　of　protoplasmic　flesh！〃　He　wasn't　even　sure　what　the　phrase　meant　himself。　Perhaps；　he　babbled　to　himself；　〃Protoculture　ectoplasm〃　would　be　more　the　term？

Annie　was　struggling　to　get　to　her　feet。　〃It's　ing　straight　for　us！〃　The　deploying　blobs　had　somehow　located　them；　and　were　homing　in　from　all　over　the　chamber　like　evil　clouds　of　murderous　jelly。

Annie　threw　her　arms　around　Rand's　waist。　〃It's　g…gonna　eat　me！〃

Rand　had　his　H90　out；　gripping　it　in　both　hands。　〃Eat　this；〃　he　told　the　remains　of　the　Sensor；　and　began　firing。　But　the　bolts　just　split　the　flying　lumps　into　smaller　ones；　and　the　firing　somehow　made　them　charge　at　high　speed。

The　Regis's　voice　came　from　every　doughy　lump；　down　to　the　least　globule；　as　if　from　a　vast　chorus；　〃Attack！〃

Rand　fired　hopelessly　as　Annie　screamed。


One　pilot　short；　the　team　still　got　all　VTs　into　the　air。　The　Beta　was　linked　to　Scott's　Alpha；　which　increased　its　firepower　and　speed。　The　fighters　moved　forward　on　thrusters　that　shook　the　earth　and　started　minor　avalanches　in　the　valley　behind　them。　Down　below；　Lunk's　APC；　rigged　for　cold…weather　work；　moved　cross…country　almost　as　nimbly　as　a　snow…mobile；　bound　straight　for　the　fortress's　main　portal。

As　they　jumped　off　a　snowbank　and　roared　on　again；　Lunk　said　out　of　the　side　of　his　mouth；　〃I　hope　your　stomach's　stronger　than　your　head；　Marlene。〃　But　she　sat　hugging　herself；　eyes　unfocused；　shivering　in　spite　of　the　outpouring　of　the　heaters。


Rand　tried　not　to　retch；　as　wad　after　wad　of　the　stuff　that　had　been　the　Sensor　splattered　into　him；　coating　him。　The　stuff　had　the　consistency　of　runny　putty　but　was　warm　to　the　touch。　The　most　horrible　thing　about　it；　though；　was　that　it　moved　by　itself；　snaillike；　spreading　wherever　it　hit。　And　it　wouldn't　e　off。

The　Sensor　knew；　even　in　its　dispersed　state；　that　it　was　dying。　But　it　knew；　too；　who　its　enemies…its　slayers…were；　and　it　would　have　its　revenge。

Annie's　mind　was　about　to　snap。　She　closed　her　eyes　as　she　rubbed　and　brushed　at　the　stuff；　uselessly　tore　it　with　her　nails；　batted　it　and　shrilled；　〃No；　no；　no；　no；　no！〃

She　flung　herself　back　at　Rand；　who　was　trying　to　clear　the　plugged　muzzle　of　the　H90。　He　was　already　wearing　a　pink　mantle　that　was　surging　to　cover　his　head。　There　was　a　waist…high　pile　all　around　them；　making　it　impossible　to　run。

Rand　beat；　trying　to　shield　Annie　〃Annie；　listen　to　me！〃

〃Auff。　It's　getting　in　my　mouth！〃

The　amorphous　clots　of　residue　streamed　down　at　them　from　every　quarter。　He　heaved　at　her。　〃Hang　onto　me　and　try　to　keep　your　head　above　it！〃

Her　voice　was　muffled　by　a　mask　of　the　stuff。　〃I　can't　breathe！〃

His　arms　were　all　but　paralyzed。　〃Annie；　listen！　Check　the　emergency　tracking　beam！　Is　it　still　flashing？〃　The　crud　was　surging　up　around　his　face。

She　gathered　all　her　courage　and　forced　down　her　panic。　With　a　supreme　effort；　she　got　her　head　around　and　managed　to　get　a　glance　down　at　the　thing　like　a　silvery　fountain　pen　with　a　flashing　tip　that　was　clipped　to　one　of　her　pockets。

She　forced　herself　to　get　out　the　words；　〃I　think　so…yes！〃


The　Pincer　Ships　still　casting　about　for　Rook's　trail　weren't　prepared　for　the　sudden　appearance　of　a　vengeful　trio　of　Veritechs。　The　dogfight　had　barely　begun　when　four　of　the　Invid　personal…armor　mecha　were　falling　in　whirling；　flaming　fragments。　The　team　spent　its　missiles　prodigally；　their　kill　score　climbed。

Lunk's　truck；　bounding　and　slewing　across　the　open　snowfield；　attracted　other　attention。　He　saw　cannons　in　a　half…dozen　niches　in　the　cliff　face　open　fire；　and　he　began　dodging　and　juking。　Invid　annihilation　discs　began　Frisbeeing　all　around　him。　Snow　was　melted　and　earth　blown　high　in　fountains　of　flame　and　smoke。　As　was　his　habit；　Lunk　froze　from　his　thoughts　the　image　of　what　even　one　hit　would　do　to　him；　Marlene；　and　the　truck；　in　view　of　the　ordnance　and　Protoculture　they　were　hauling。

But　Scott　had　seen　what　was　happening；　and　dove　in；　loosing　more　missiles。　The　gun　emplacements　were　knocked　out　in　cascades　of　snow　and　broken　rock；　leaving　only　smoking　holes　like　horizontal　chimneys。

Rook　and　Lancer　had　vanquished　the　last　of　the　opposition；　the　VTs　made　an　attack　run　and　blew　open　the　main　gate　of　the　Invid　fortress。　The　fighters　slowed；　moving　on　hoverthrusters；　sailing　into　the　colossal　main　corridor。　Lunk's　APC　brought　up　the　rear；　his　finger　on　the　autocannon's　steering　wheel　trigger。

They　had　little　time　to　observe　the　fortress；　with　its　bizarre　and　unnerving　bination　of　alien　technology　and　XT　organics。　Following　Annie's　tracer　beam；　they　came　to　the　Hive　Center　at　last。　The　aircraft　had　been　forced　to　slow　down　in　the　maze；　so　that　Lunk　pulled　to　a　stop　just　as　they　grounded　VTOL　style。

The　VTs　knelt　in　a　Hive　Center　of　twisting；　still…burning　Controller　mecha。　The　place　was　filled　with　thick　smoke；　the　stench　of　incinerated　organic　material；　and　the　reek　of　the　disintegrating　matter　that　had　been　the　Sensor。　The　pilots　jumped　down；　as　Lunk　and　Marlene　both　coughed　from　the　foulness　around　them。

At　last　they　spotted　the　mound　of　pinkish　stuff　that　had　been　the　Sensor。　Then　they　saw　the　dim　flashing　ing　from　its　summit。　Scott　dashed　toward　it。　〃Gimme　a　hand　here！〃

The　Sensor…stuff　was　beginning　to　melt；　in　another　moment；　Scott　and　Lunk　had　pull