05_force_of_arms- 第5部分

CHAPTER　THREE

That　undisciplined　showoff？　That　wet…nosed　civilian　joystick　pilot？　What　a　waste　of　time　and　effort！
Remark　attributed　to　Lisa　Hayes　upon　being　informed　that　trainee　Rick　Hunter　had　qualified　as　a　VT　pilot　2009　A。D。

The　pods　fired　away　with　the　primary　and　secondary　guns　that　protruded　from　their　armored　plastrons；　but　the　blue　bolts　converged　on　utter　vacuum。　Max's　Battloid　wasn't　where　it　had　been　a　split　second　before。

The　Battloid　had　its　autocannon　in　its　metal　fists；　riding　its　backpack　thrusters　with　the　agility　of　a　gymnast；　darting　like　a　dragonfly。　It　whirled　on　one　pod；　opening　up。

The　chain…gun　was　loaded　with　depleted　transuranic　rounds；　big　as　candlepins　and　much　heavier…high…powered；　extremely　dense　projectiles　that　delivered　terrific　amounts　of　kinetic　energy。　The　pod's　armor　flew　like　shredded　paper；　it　exploded　in　an　outlashing　of　energy　and　debris。

Max　was　still　dodging　with　blinding　speed；　turning　his　sights　on　the　second　pod。　He　riddled　it　before　the　enemy　pilot　could　draw　a　bead　on　him；　putting　a　tight　shot　group　of　holes　in　the　center　of　the　egglike　alien　mecha。　The　pod　became　a　brief　fireball。

No　system　of　manual　or　puter　controls　could　have　e　up　with　such　astounding　maneuverability；　such　instantaneous　responses　and　deadly　shooting。　Only　the　〃thinking　cap；〃　the　interface　of　mind　and　mecha；　could　work　the　seeming　magic　of　the　RDF。

Other　VTs　had　already　paired　off　against　the　foe。　The　mecha　swirled　and　pounced；　their　missiles　corkscrewed　and　sizzled　while　energy　bolts　and　powered　gatling　rounds　lit　the　darkness。　But　the　pods　had　the　advantage　of　numbers　by　more　than　two　to　one；　enough　to　occupy　every　Veritech　and　leave　more　pods　to　go　after　the　shuttle。

The　shuttle　pilot　was　taking　evasive　action　and　running　for　safety　at　full　emergency　power。　But　there　was　no　safety；　the　shuttle　was　no　match　for　the　pods'　speed；　and　the　Zentraedi　closed　in；　firing。　The　shuttle's　light　armaments　and　lack　of　maneuvering　ability　made　it　easy　prey；　but　the　shuttle　skipper　did　his　best；　trying　to　evade。　He　was　hoping　he　could　eventually　make　a　dash　for　the　tantalizingly　nearby　Earth；　knowing　that　the　UEDC　would　never　allow　any　of　its　forces　to　intervene　or　otherwise　risk　turning　the　Zentraedi　wrath　on　Earth　itself。　He　could　hope　for　no　help　from　that　quarter。

A　Zentraedi　cannon　burst　stitched　holes　in　the　shuttle's　port　wing　in　a　line　of　three；　ringed　by　molten　metal。　Lisa　felt　the　ship　rock　in　her　armored　cocoon；　and　gripped　the　padded　armrests；　waiting　to　see　what　the　oute　of　the　battle　would　be。

The　attacking　pod　was　a　modified　standard　type；　carrying　augmentative　particle…beam　cannon　for　added　firepower。　It　turned　to　e　back　for　the　kill；　but　just　then　Max　arrived；　his　Battloid　diving　headlong　into　the　fight。　The　Battloid　knocked　the　pod　aside　like　a　football　player；　driving　a　huge；　armored　shoulder　into　it。

Then　the　Battloid　that　was　Max　Sterling　flipped　neatly　on　foot　thrusters　and　fired。　The　rain　of　armor…piercing　slugs　punched　a　dozen　holes　in　the　enemy；　and　it　was　driven　back　like　some　wounded　living　thing。　There　was　no　secondary　explosion…very　unusual；　since　the　enemy　mecha's　power　systems　usually　turned　them　into　firecrackers　once　their　armor　had　been　pierced。

Two　more　pods　came　in　at　him；　one　with　extra　missile　racks　and　another　with　the　strange　rabbit　ears　of　a　Zentraedi　signal…warfare　ship。　Max　went　at　them；　juking　and　evading　to　stay　out　of　their　cross　hairs；　his　Battloid　firing　short　bursts　from　the　autocannon。

One　of　the　escort　VTs　had　been　lost；　another　damaged　by　the　first　onslaught。　Several　more　were　still　engaged　in　bat；　but　the　rest；　like　Max；　had　e　through　their　first　duel　and　were　taking　on　new　opponents。　Some　help　arrived；　and　Max　began　to　feel　confident　that　he　could　keep　the　pods　away　from　the　damaged　shuttle。

But　just　then；　Elkins　yelled　over　the　tac　net；　〃More　pods！　We've　got　more　pods　ing　at　us…half　a　dozen！〃

Max's　mouth　became　a　thin　line　as　he　drove　in　to　deal　with　his　current　opponents　as　quickly　as　he　could。　He　thought　back　with　a　certain　pilot's　superstition　on　what　he　had　said　to　the　men　in　the　alley。　Perhaps　the　taboos　were　right　and　it　was　lethal　bad　luck　to　talk　about　not　ing　back。

〃The　escorts　are　outnumbered；〃　Kim　called　over　her　shoulder　without　taking　her　eyes　from　her　instruments。


〃More　pods　closing　in　on　them！〃　Vanessa　added。　〃Cutting　off　the　shuttle's　escape。〃

Gloval　sat　slumped　in　his　mand　chair　with　his　cap　visor　pulled　down　low　over　his　eyes。　A　Veritech　flight　couldn't　possibly　get　there　in　time；　and　he　didn't　have　them　to　spare。　But。。。

〃How　long　would　it　take　the　armored　Veritech　prototype　to　make　it　there？〃

Sammie　already　had　the　figures。　〃Approximately　four　minutes　from　launch　at　max　boost。〃

Claudia　bit　her　lower　lip；　watching　Gloval。　The　captain's　head　came　up。　〃Prepare　it　for　launch！〃

Claudia　relayed　the　order；　sending　up　a　silent　prayer；　while　Sammie　asked；　〃Who'll　be　flying　it；　sir？〃

〃Get　Lieutenant　Hunter　to　the　hangar　deck　at　once。　Tell　him　we　don't　know　how　much　longer　Sterling　can　hold　out。〃


The　ship's　PA　and　a　few　seconds　on　a　circuit　had　Rick　on　his　way；　anxious　and　very　intense；　in　a　mandeered　jeep　he　flagged　down　in　the　middle　of　a　Macross　boulevard。　The　enlisted　driver　was　a　capable　man　who　liked　having　an　excuse　to　break　all　traffic　laws。

Rick　suited　up　virtually　on　the　run；　and　minutes　later　the　aircraft　elevator　was　lifting　the　humpbacked…looking　armored　VT　to　the　flight　deck。

〃Lieutenant；　your　destination　is　Lambda　thirty…four；〃　Sammie　told　him　over　the　mand　net。

〃Lambda　thirty…four？　What're　you　talking　about？〃

On　the　bridge；　Claudia　turned　to　Sammie。　〃Didn't　you　see　to　it　that　all　pilots　had　the　new　map…reference　codes？〃

Sammie　looked　devastated。　〃I　was　so　swamped…I　didn't　think　he'd　need　one　until　he　went　on　duty　later。〃

Aircraft　status　was　relayed；　the　armored　VT　was　boxed　and　ready　for　launch。　Sammie　gritted　her　teeth；　ignoring　the　silent　stares　of　the　rest　of　the　bridge　watch；　especially　the　ominous　quiet　from　Gloval。　She　couldn't　let　her　mistake　spell　Lisa's　death！

Sammie　opened　the　mike　again；　concentrating；　eyes　shut；　matching　coordinates　and　codes　by　memory。　〃Coordinates　in　superseded　code　are　at　Weasel　twenty…one！〃

Rick　launched　without　taking　time　to　acknowledge。　The　armored　VT　poured　on　speed　like　nothing　any　other　human…produced　mecha　had　ever　demonstrated。　A　single　man　in　an　untested　ship；　flying　out　against　terrible　odds…and　if　he　lost；　the　woman　who　was　humanity's　best　hope　for　peace　would　die　too。


From　the　first；　Max　had　known　that　the　chances　of　help　arriving　from　the　SDF…1　were　slim。　Now　he　was　resigned　to　the　fact　that　there　would　be　no　help；　though　he　didn't　let　on　to　the　dwindling　survivors　of　the　escort　flight。

The　other　VT　pilots　had　flown　well　and　bravely；　their　kill　ratio　was　high；　but　still　they　went　down　to　oblivion；　one　by　one；　in　the　silent　globular　explosions　of　a　space　rat　race…a　mass　dogfight。　Max　Sterling　flew　like　no　pilot　before　him；　a　grim　reaper；　a　deadly　wraith；　an　undefeatable　mecha　demon　in　the　form　of　a　Battloid。

The　Battloid　changed　vectors　and　zoomed　out　of　a　pod's　salvo；　jamming　some　of　its　missiles　with　ECM　equipment　and　dodging　the　rest；　a　masterful　performance。　Max　turned　the　gatling　on　it　and　hosed　it　with　a　tracer…bright　stream　of　heavyweight　rounds；　blowing　it　away。

But　still　the　enemy　came；　and　more　were　arriving。　It　looked　like　a　day　for　dying。

He　turned　to　get　back　with　Elkins；　to　stick　together　and　protect　the　shuttle　to　the　last。　But　Elkins's　ship　vanished　in　an　ugly　blossom　of　fire　and　shrapnel。　The　escort　had　been　whittled　down　to　five。　Four　times　that　number　came　in　at　them　now。


Hanging　back　from　the　action　in　his　Officer's　Pod；　Khyron　watched　gleefully。　He　suspected　that　the　enemy　leader；　the　amazingly　fast　and　deadly　blue…trimmed　Veritech；　was　the　same　one　who　had　sent　so　many　Zentraedi　to　defeat　and　death…had　even　humbled　the　vaunted　Miriya；　female　ace　of　aces　of　the　Quadronos。

Khyron　was　in　no　hurry　to　lead　the　attack　and　tangle　with　the　Micronian　devil　in　person；　it　would　be　enough　to　dispose　of　the　rest　of　his　mand　by　attrition　and　pull　the　Veritech　wizard　to　bits　by　sheer　weight　of　numbers。　Then；　Khyron　would　have　a　boast　to　fling　in　Miriya's　face　and　the　faces　of　all　the　others　who　secretly　laughed　at　him！

More　pods　converged。　But　at　that　moment　a　newer　arrived。

〃Only　one；〃　a　pod　pilot　reported；　and　Khyron　dismissed　the　matter　coldly。　One　more　Veritech　wouldn't　matter　now。

His　opinion　changed　a　moment　later。　The　fighter　accelerated　to　unprecedented　speeds；　maneuvering　more　nimbly　than　any　Micronian　mecha　ever　had。　Its　humpbacked　profile　didn't　match　any　puter　ID。

Then　the　strange　new　machine　let　forth　a　storm　of　fire：　murderously　fast　and　accurate　missiles　of　some　new　type；　autocannon　rounds　with　even　greater　velocity；　delivering　far　more　kinetic　energy　on　impact；　phased…array　laser　blasts　as　powerful；　at　close　range；　as　any　plasma　bolt。

The　new　arrival；　faster　than　the　escort　leader；　was　in　and　out　among　the　pods；　striking　and　vanishing；　blowing　two　Zentraedi　mecha　to　smithereens　and　going　on　to　take　out　another　while　the　first　two　explosions　were