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Khyron had said and better. For the first time, she was beginning to know what her own opponents, her long list of kills, had felt. Perhaps, as the ancient wisdom goes, there is always someone better than oneself. The thought repelled her and filled her with an angry dread. She came tearing through a small white puff of cloud to see that the SDF-1 was close by. "His ship!' She made straight for it at maximum speed. Perhaps in tight quarters with his own unprotected fellow beings all around, he would know a hesitation to shoot, would lose concentration. It was a deliciously audacious, risky plan; she adored it. "I won't be able to catch him in time!" Max hollered over the command net, seeing what this brilliant, devious enemy had in mind. "They're heading this way, Captain-straight for us!" Lisa reported. "Tell the AA batteries not to fire!" Gloval barked. "Sterling is too close to the enemy! Make sure all hatches are sealed! Double-check that all civilians are in shelters!" The banshee song of sirens echoed through the stupendous hold that housed Macross City. Page 87 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Rick looked up from his peaceful contemplation of the sleeping Minmei. He got to his feet, then staggered for a moment as his bandaged head pounded like a bass drum. He had no idea what the procedure was for patients and visitors during an alert. Minmei hadn't even stirred. Rick found the corridor empty; he didn't know it, but doctors, nurses, and other staff members were busy helping priority patients-newborns, intensive care, and other nonambulatories. He could hear internal hatches booming shut. Rick looked at Minmei; for the moment she was as safe where she was as anywhere he could think of. He had to find out what was going on. Rick trotted off to find someone, his head punishing him with every step. Most of the exterior hatches on the SDF-1 were sealed, of course, the ship being at general quarters. But one wasn't: the one through which the air-sea rescue helo had just left to make the pickup on Captain Kramer. The enormous hatch couldn't be closed quickly, but it was more than half closed already. Miriya saw it and dove through it, into the dimensional fortress. "This is it!" Max steeled himself and followed grimly, his ship in Fighter mode. His rear stabilizers barely cleared the descending upper half of the hatch; the VT's gleaming belly nearly scraped the lower. He chased the giant powered armor suit through a long curve of enormous passageway usually used to shuttle large machinery, components, and vehicles to and from the fabrication complex situated near Macross City. "Run, little man, run," Miriya beckoned, watching him approaching in her rearview screen while simultaneously flying at hair-raising speed through the relatively tight passageway. "And when you catch me, you die." Rick was gazing out through a permaglass window in the solarium, watching the last few civilians scuttle into shelters, when outside debris began falling from overhead. An enormous figure dropped to the streets of Macross, making the ship tremble. Rick found himself staring at the back of the Quadrono's head. They're inside the ship! We're finished! The Quadrono's back thrusters flared, and it went racing down the street, taller than some of the buildings, its backwash nearly knocking out the solarium windows. Rick had barely regained his balance when another cyclopean form dropped from above. Rick recognized the Battloid's markings as Max Sterling's. Maybe we're not finished, after all! "Go get 'im Max! Yeah!" Standing erect like the Quadrono, the Battloid flashed off into the streets of Macross in search of its antagonist. Miriya wasn't used to such close quarters; though she handled her Quadrono mecha well, she bashed through walls and ripped out overhead signs and fixtures. None of that mattered to her, and it didn't affect the mecha at all. But Max had the advantage of knowing the streets of the city. Miriya came around a turn to see the Battloid, feet gushing thruster fire, skid to a halt before her. Several blocks separated them. Max whipped up the long, cigar-shaped gray chain-gun and opened fire from the hip. The hail of massive bullets spattered the Quadrono, holing it in places where its armor was thinnest, driving it back off balance. Do what she might, Miriya couldn't prevent her mecha from being knocked over backward. The Quadrono heaved itself to its feet again, Miriya caught in a red haze of rage. "You think to do combat with me?" she screamed, though he couldn't hear her. "You impudent fool!" No radio reply or translation from Max was needed. The Battloid said it all as it stood waiting, poised, with autocannon ready, allowing her the option. The clearest challenge imaginable. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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