[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

honor and increase of our Regent!"
The garrison commander hesitated, surprised, conversing with the Living
Computer for a moment before saying, "Well done. To serve the Regent is the
only reason for living."
The first of the Destroids had reached the landing-zone surface, and
began forming up in single ranks. Still more emerged from the flagship. "But,
perhaps these examples will suffice for now," the commander added.
"They are all completely under my sway," Tesla vouched, voice cracking a
bit, as he edged toward the hatch.
"That may be," the commander replied, "but such creatures are lower
life-forms, wild animals, unpredictable." He turned to his Inorganics.
"Deactivate those mecha and remove their occupants from them!"
As the first ranks of Inorganics moved at once to obey, Tesla turned and
dove headlong through the hatch. Lisa, watching from the bridge, thought
Dammit! She had hoped all the Destroids could emerge and get to more
advantageous positions before the crunch came.
"Fire at will!" she yelled.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The 'Gaia' model was by then so thoroughly entombed, we had to blow the dust
off it and study up in a hurry once we met the Gerudans. The theory of a
planetary ecology as, in essence, a single interactive metaorganism? Too
absurd to accept, right?
You wouldn't last long in the Great Beyond, Citizen.
Jack Baker, Upwardly Mobile
Living well isn't the best revenge. General T.R. Edwards thought, lounging in
his luxurious chair. Revenge is the best revenge!
But better yet to have both: comfort, and the blood of an enemy flowing.
And surely the blood of his enemies was flowing even now. Despite the
spottiness of interstellar communications, the Farrago had gotten through a
message that the Sentinels had suffered casualties in one battle and were now
launching themselves against an Invid stronghold in another. There were those
on the Plenipotentiary Council who had talked vaguely of sending
reinforcements, but Edwards had managed to nip that one right away.
Now he gazed out over Tiresia with vast satisfaction. For the most part,
the city had been cleared of rubble, its unsalvageable debris and structures
removed, and was quickly being rebuilt. Not much of a miracle, really, given
Robotechnology. And REF Base Tirol was well on its way to completion; in fact,
Edwards was looking down from his office on the top floor of the headquarters
building.
It stood like the lower half of some early ICBM missile, a vaned
cylinder at the center of great ribbon loops of elevated roadway. There had
been some nonsense about putting the council up here, but with pressure
tactics and backstage maneuvering, Edwards had gotten his way. That was
becoming more and more the case.
Edwards wasn't altogether satisfied that some resources were being
diverted into urban renewal, rather than into building the fleet of starships
he meant to commandeer for his own designs, but some things couldn't be
helped. At least it was making the Tiresians more tractable and grateful, and
they, too, would have their uses, not far down the line.
Of course, Lang, and the sprawling research complex he was setting up
with Exedore, were necessary inconveniences. He had to be kept pacified and
working on the SDF-3 and the fleet above all.
A buzz from his aide announced that Lynn-Minmei was waiting to see
General Edwards. He acknowledged, then flicked the control in his chair's arm,
spinning back to look across a gleaming, polished desk as big as a landing
field.
Lynn-Minmei? Now what in-
Page 70
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
It was a bit of a shock when she stepped through the door in a cadet
uniform, halted before his desk, and saluted smartly. He still didn't think of
her as military. "Cadet Lynn, requesting permission to speak to the general,
sir."
He returned the salute slowly. "Permission granted. Stand at ease."
She only relaxed a little. "General, I know something about people, and
while everybody's been working like dogs to accomplish our mission here,
time's been passing and, well..."
"I haven't got all day, Cadet," Edwards grated. "Spit it out!"
He was pleased to see he had made her flinch. "People need something to
keep them going," she burst out. "I know! I saw it in SDF-1! They're sort of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]