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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。　〃Annie！　Behind　you！〃　Scott　shouted；　his　voice　sounding　a　bit　strange　and　processed　over　his　suit's　external　speaker。

Both　men　were　off　their　cycles；　groping　for　their　sidearms。　Annie　stood　rooted　as　a　plated　head　the　size　of　a　small　fishing　coracle　reared；　shedding　water　in　all　directions。　It　opened　its　mouth　and　revealed　rows　of　teeth　like　thick　pegs。　Rand's　mind　threw　up　a　strange　word；　Eogyrinus？

Pieces　of　torn　flesh　still　clung　to　the　teeth；　and　it　reeked　of　death　and　the　marshes　it　hunted。　Annie　knew　that　through　their　helmets　Scott　and　Rand　couldn't　even　smell　it。

Scott　and　Rand　were　jockeying　for　a　clear　line　of　fire。　It　was　seemingly　hopeless　with　Annie　standing　frozen　right　in　front　of　the　thing；　hypnotized　like　a　mouse　before　a　rattlesnake。　They　were　both　armed　with　MARS…Gallant　Type…H90s…the　latest　word　in　hip…howitzers；　but　that　firepower　was　of　little　use　with　Annie　in　the　crosshairs。

The　thing　had　gotten　very　close。　Rand　saw　that　it　was　wide　and　flat；　like　a　big　croc　with　a　bobbed；　broad　snout…no　doubt　an　experienced　shore　hunter；　just　like　the　books　said。

Scott　hollered　at　Annie　to　get　out　of　the　way。　She　backpedaled　and　fell　on　her　rump　in　the　wet　sandy　shore。　She　stared　into　hungry；　merciless　eyes　that；　she　could　see；　saw　her　as　nothing　more　than　another　morsel　of　food。　She　threw　herself　flat　on　the　ground　just　as　the　creature　reared　up　to　lunge　for　her。　Then　the　neon…blue　blasterbolts　flew；　making　a　mewing　sound。

As　the　H90s　spat；　the　torrid　air　got　even　hotter。　Rand　fired　with　the　modified　two…hand　stance　that　Scott　had　taught　him。　The　thing　heaved　up　as　the　dazzling　hyphens　of　energy　hit　it。　Pieces　exploded　from　it　as　the　furious　heat　of　the　shots　turned　the　moisture　in　its　cells　into　superheated　steam；　blowing　it　apart。　There　was　no　blood　from　those　wounds；　instead；　the　gaping　holes　in　the　thing　had　the　look　of　broiled　meat。　The　stench　of　it　made　the　atmosphere　that　much　more　repugnant。

The　monster　thrashed　and　twisted。　Roaring　and　bellowing；　it　swiped　at　the　air　with　thick