16_world_killers-第16部分
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〃Halt！ Identify yours…〃 was all he got out before Vince waxed him with a sustained burst from the rifle。 Guards were just being aware of the danger when Vince and Wolff went charging at them assault…style； firing on every other footfall as they fast…walked。 Rick dashed for the fallen officer； to relieve it of its sidearm。
Karen rushed forward to help Vince and Wolff； laying down rounds with the pistol。 The guard station had been stripped of all but three soldiers in the emergency； and they only lasted a few quickened heartbeats once the shooting started。
But at least they left behind more weapons。 Everyone was armed now except for Veidt； and Cabell； whom Rem had once warned； Stay away from guns or you'll end up burning your foot off！ Even Miriya was in the fight； insisting on having a pistol。 After studying the Haydonite…installed equipment for a few moments； Veidt judged that escape from the slavepens could be cut off by Invid in the mand center； or even there at the guard station if the stations were retaken intact。
Wolff solved that with his usual panache。 Cycling the heavy security lock doors to open all through the slavepen maze with the station's controls； he then brought up the rifle's mouth and blew the controls to wreckage。
〃One problem down； but they'll be sending reinforcements here any time now；〃 Lisa said。
Wolff ran a fingertip over his superbly groomed mustache。 〃Then； dearest Captain； may I suggest that we not be here at that time？〃 He turned and set his rifle across a control console； checking fields of fire； preparing to hold the position while the others effected rescue。 At Lisa's mand； Karen stayed with him； handing her pistol to Jean and taking another rifle in its place。
Rick had readjusted his own Invid rifle's sling so that he could lug it； leveled in firing position； at waist height with the sling over his left shoulder； right hand on the grip and trigger。 It was unbelievably heavy； the sling pressing deep into his flesh。 He said； 〃Everybody ready？ No objections？〃
No objections。 The Sentinels descended into the slave…pens of Haydon IV。
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Awright； so the mecha are in dinged…up shape and the weapons barrels are shot out and the replacement parts stocks are all gone。 Boys and girls； we're all functioning beyond manufacturer's specifications。
Rick Hunter； quoted in Mizner's Rakes and Rogues： The True Story of the SDF…3 Expeditionary Mission
〃I forbid it！〃
Vowad hovered before Sarna as she sought to take control of the giant flying carpet。 Some two acres in area； it would hold all the Sentinels and all the freed slaves； too…provided that any of them survived the uprising。
And it wasn't every Haydonite who could mand and control such a carpet alone。 But she was the daughter of the greatest intellect of her species。
Nevertheless； Vowad blocked her way as she tried to take control of the carpet there on the immense landing surface at the summit of the city's tallest tower…the roof of her home。
〃I forbid you to bee involved in this bestial business！〃 Vowad ranted。 〃Let the lower orders settle their own vendettas！ Let them kill and kill one another if that's what they want so badly！ You have a far higher destiny！〃
〃Why do you always talk like a god to me；〃 Sarna asked him； 〃but bow your head like a slave to the Invid？〃
Hearing that he went rigid； the only movement being his robe's hem wafting in the breeze。 She went around him； took control of the vast carpet； and bade it rise into the air。
Moments later； she was streaking for the Central Slave…pen。
Bela stabbed her shortsword tip in the elevator floor to jam the doors open。
The Invid in the mand center were preoccupied with reports of a firefight at the arsenal； and the sudden silence from the guard station by the slavepen entrance； when Jack and his raiders opened up。
The two ranks put out the heaviest volume of fire they could； aware that the Invid would respond very quickly； and that the pneumatic reservoirs of the Karbarran long…guns would empty rapidly。 Even the submachine…gun magazines would last only three or four seconds at full auto。 The Sentinels were all； including Burak； on the firing line； Gnea and Bela had abandoned their traditional weapons in favor of automatic weapons。
Tesla； Garak； and Pye cringed in the furthest corner of the elevator； making no move to either interfere with or break past their captors。
In that first onslaught the team threw the mand center into plete chaos and irreparably cut the Invid chain of mand。 Explosive armor…piercing bullets could penetrate vulnerable spots even in Enforcer alloy at such short range； the unarmored Invid were targets assigned to Burak； the ursinoid Karbarrans； and the foxlike Garudans。
And the vital equipment that made the Invid nerve center function was everybody's bull's…eye。
ponents exploded and clear…polymer indicator faces blew apart； power connectors shorted and splintered housing became deadly shrapnel。 Invid who had been calling for mass execution of hostage…slaves only a moment before died； clutching terrible wounds。
〃Fire in the hole！〃 the amazons yelled； as per REF training。 With their teeth they had yanked out the pins of the stick grenades they held in each hand。 Now they lofted them off in assorted directions as the rest of the raiders hugged the floor。
The Praxians had been careful to angle the throws so that the pylon/elevator would shield the party from the blast and shrapnel。 The Sentinels clapped their hands to their ears and opened their mouths to reduce the effects of the explosions。
The world seemed to jump； and there was a whirlwind of shredded tissue and equipment outside the elevator doorway。 When Jack looked up； he saw the dead and dying and heard the moans of the injured…but that was mere background。 Tottering toward the elevator was an Enforcer； its armor pitted and lead…smeared by impacts。 It was lurching； and Jack could see green Invid soupy stuff leaking from its right knee joint。
〃LAW！〃 he yelled； even while he was emptying his chattergun magazine at the thing； lead…smearing it some more。 But the Enforcer was bringing its rifle sights into alignment with the elevator car。
Janice Em shouldered Jack aside； out of the doorway。 She peered through the sights of the light antitank weapon； fixed the Enforcer in the reticle； and pulled the thumb…trigger。 The Enforcer took the shaped charge in the middle of its abdomen and swelled； its armor cracking open like a hard…boiled egg with an expanding yoke。 By then Jan was on the floor with her head covered。 The blast went toward the ceiling； but left all of them partly deaf。
Jack shook his head in an effort to stop the ringing。 〃Everybody on your feet！〃 Bela was shouting。 〃Move it！〃
The raiders rushed out into the mand center to find that secondary blowups from the systemry had done even more damage than the bullets and the grenades had。 There was smoke everywhere； and the stench of the cracked…open armor； a few small fires still burned。
〃If you see any Protoculture weapons； grab 'em！〃 Jack called out。
Gnea looked around at the devastation。 〃This equipment is useless！ Janice Em； you said you would be able to find out where Arla…Non and our other sisters are being held！〃
〃And I shall。〃 Jan didn't seem to need direct physical connection to Haydon's Awareness now that she had interfaced with it once； instead； she went straight to a small terminal and punched up a schematic。
She studied the glowing displays for a moment then switched off the terminal。 〃There： that's our route。〃
She pointed toward a column on the far side of the mand center； an even bigger one than they had arrived in。
The raiders hurried over toward the column。 Lron and Crysta had Invid rifles now； and Kami and Learna pistols。 The Garudans were still keeping a wary eye on Tesla； Garak； and Pye。 Jack himself never let Burak stray from his sight。
Some unseen manipulation of Jan's caused the second column to open and reveal another elevator whose existence the Invid had never suspected。
〃Other Sentinels are already in the plex； and battle's begun；〃 she said。 〃But the Invid are rushing reinforcments here。〃
〃Everybody in；〃 Jack said； standing by the doors of the second elevator。 When the three Invid captives hesitated； Gnea and Bela prodded them with still…hot rifle muzzles。
〃Why can't you just release us？〃 Pye wailed。
〃We might still have use for you； worm；〃 Bela said； ominously guttural。 Her whole world had died； she had no forbearance with the Invid anymore and would just as soon kill them。
〃The suffering you've endured is nothing pared to the suffering you've inflicted； so do not try my patience！〃
Jack got them all boarded； even Burak； who seemed to be in another of his strange； inmunicative moods。 The elevator dropped toward the subsurface levels。
Rick led his group at a fast walk； stopping himself whenever he found that he had broken into a trot。 Stumbling into an ambush wouldn't help anything right now； even though he felt each ticking second as a possible loss of Praxian lives。
Just before they had started down； they had heard the distant firefight； realizing that Zibyl's bunch had armed themselves and were keeping the Invid busy。 But it would still only be a matter of time before the Regent arrived with fresh troops and mecha； enough to crush any resistance the escaped slaves could put up。
Lisa had yielded the point position to her husband； but continued to conduct herself as overall mander of the contingent。 Rick； Max； Vince； and Jean accepted that； as they accepted the fact that Veidt and Cabell were determined to e the whole distance despite the fact that the Haydonite couldn't…and the old sage wouldn't…use a weapon。
Their path led down through a plex refurbished in Invid style； feeling more like a walk through a living organism than a raid on a prison facility。 But on the third level below the surface； they encountered the first of the cages。
The Praxian slaves were being kept in big ironwork affairs suspended from the ceilings； more like captured birds or sideshow exhibits than prisoners of war。 When Rick spotted the first cage； the women crowded into it looked at him listlessly for a second or two； then suddenl
