rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第26节

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is　belt…pouch　for　transport；　eventually；　to　the　surface。
　Chen　had　his　explosive　star…dart　out　and　was　poised　with　it。　Detroit　scanned　the　darkness　above　with　the　electron　night…binoculars。　This　was　done　while　the　Freefighters　and　Danik　rolled　some　rocks　atop　the　body。　Then　Rockson　recited　a　brief　Indian　prayer：
　〃Great　Spirit；　you　are　everything；　the　first　and　the　always。　Through　you　your　children　have　strong　hearts　and　they　walk　in　the　straight　path　in　a　sacred　manner。
　〃This　fallen　chief　has　walked　the　sacred　path　of　beauty。　His　heart　was　continually　yours。　Take　him　to　your　sky　dwelling；　for　there　this　beautiful　man　belongs。　I　will　do　my　part　to　let　his　eyes　see　your　light。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　20
　
　Rockson　ordered　that　only　one　flashlight　be　aimed　forward；　the　rest　were　swept　above　them；　to　at　least　give　some　warning　should　another　of　the　bats　e　to　snatch　another　of　their　pany　away。　None　came。　Class　Act　was　hunkered　down　on　her　haunches；　as　if　ashamed　that　she　hadn't　caught　the　scent　of　the　thing　that　swooped　to　kill。　Rock　said；　〃It's　okay；　dog。　We　didn't　notice　either。　If　anything；〃　he　said；　stopping　to　pet　the　dog；　〃it　was　my　fault。　I　didn't　heed　the　warning　of　the　Whisperers。　Whoever　they　are；　they　tried　to　warn　us　about　the　bat。〃
　Chen　overheard；　and　said；　〃Rock；　you　saved　Smokestone　from　the　jaws　of　that　thing　…　and　yet　you　blame　yourself　for　his　death。　Don't　do　that。　It　happens。　Evidently　the　Whisperers　aren't　our　enemy。　They　thought　we　were　someone　else。　We　all　heard　their　warnings；　and　yet　we　didn't　do　anything。　Blame　all　of　us。〃
　Rock　stood　up　and　continued　walking。　〃I'm　in　charge。　It　was　my　responsibility　he　died。〃
　The　gloomy　self…reproach　was　broken　by　events。　They　came　to　a　second　artificial　wall　of　stone；　this　one　of　gray　granite；　and　cruder　than　the　first。　It　ran　for　about　ten　meters；　and　was　so　low　you　could　step　over　it。　Why　was　this　one　built？　What　could　be　held　back　by　such　a　wall？
　Perhaps　it　was　built　only　to　draw　attention　to　the　message　it　held；　Rockson　concluded。　This　wall　had　an　inscription　also。　This　time　it　was　in　English。　Rock　did　the　honors：
　〃It　says；　'Ahead　are　the　Eight　Legs　of　Death。'　That's　all　it　says。〃
　No　one　hazarded　a　guess　as　to　what　that　meant。
　The　cavern　ceiling　became　lower　as　they　proceeded。　They　were　all　glad　of　that　and　of　the　long　sharp　stalactites　that　hung　down；　practically　joining　their　like　formations　that　jutted　from　the　floor　of　the　lower　cavern。
　〃The　bat　can't　fly　in　here；〃　Rock　said　happily。　〃We've　entered　a　smaller　cavern。〃
　And　more　surprising；　they　soon　entered　a　wide　ten…foot…high　corridor　hewn　out　of　the　rock　of　the　mountain；　leaving　the　cavern　and　heading　upward　at　a　steep　angle。　〃The　path　to　Eden；　finally；〃　the　much…shook…up　Danik　said。
　〃I　think；〃　observed　Rockson；　sweeping　his　beam　about；　〃that　this　area　has　been　fortified；　perhaps　to　be　earthquake　proof。　There's　very　little　fallen　debris　on　the　floor。　Someone　wanted　this　area　to　be　safe　…　perhaps　there　was　something　here　they　wanted　to　protect。〃
　They　headed　onward；　feeling　somehow　more　secure　to　have　entered　an　man…made　area。　Surely　Eden　couldn't　be　far　away　now。
　Chen　put　down　his　explosive　shuriken　and　Rona　lowered　her　Liberator　rifle。　The　giant　bat　was　behind　them。
　〃Sure　a　relief；〃　Rock　said；　lowering　his　shotpistol。　〃I　was　sure　we　would　be　attacked　again　by　the　bat　if　we　stayed　in　the　cavern。〃
　The　minute　he　said　that；　however；　Rockson's　mutant　sense　of　danger　sent　a　shot　of　adrenaline　through　his　body。
　On　a　hunch；　he　played　his　flashbeam　to　the　right。　There　was　something　square　standing　in　the　darkness。　Several　crates。　Each　about　five　feet　wide。
　Detroit　had　caught　them　in　his　light　too。　He　cautiously　walked　over　to　one；　shotpistol　at　the　ready。　He　announced　that　the　crates　were　broken　open；　and　that　there　were　scrape　marks　on　the　ground　around　them；　as　if　something　had　been　dragged　off。
　Rockson　came　over　and　stood　by　Detroit。　He　examined　the　ordinary…looking　wooden　crates。　They　were　made　of　brittle　boards。　Cheap　wood；　and　easy　to　break。　But　they　were　covered　with　fine　dust。　Perhaps　they　were　a　hundred　or　so　years　old。　Some　abandoned　supplies　from　Eden；　he　ventured。
　Rock　noticed　that　most　of　the　crates　were　overturned；　and　further　inspection　proved　all　were　empty；　their　plastic…bubble…foam　insulation　scattered　about　like　they　had　been　unpacked　with　a　frenzy。
　〃Hey；　Rock；〃　said　McCaughlin。　〃What's　Scabies？〃
　〃Scabies？　They're　little　mites　…　microscopic　actually。　A　parasite　like　fleas　or　lice。　Sometimes　they　get　into　your　skin　if　you　don't　bathe　…　cause　a　whole　lot　of　itching。　Only　way　to　kill　them　is　with　a　special　soap。　Lots　of　the　underclass　in　the　Soviet　fortress…cities　are　crawling　with　the　nasty　little　buggers。　Why？〃
　〃These　packing　crates　are　marked　S。C。A。　…　B。I。E。S。　…　must　be　some　acronym。〃
　Rockson　played　his　light　up　and　down　the　crates。　〃In　the　twentieth　century　the　military　was　crazy　about　acronyms。　They　called　Browning　Automatic　Rifles　B。A。R。S。；　they　called　the　Strategic　Air　mand　S。A。C。；　and　so　on。〃
　〃Yeah；〃　said　Detroit；　〃but　what's　S。C。A。　…　B。I。E。S。？〃
　〃Here　it　is；〃　said　Rona。　〃One　of　the　packages　has　a　lot　of　small　stencil　writing　on　it　…　and　the　answer：　Special　puterized　Ambulatory　Bombs　Intended　for　Enemy　Systems。　So　that's　what　were　in　here　…　some　sort　of　war　supplies。〃
　〃Probably　left　here　by　some　of　the　founders　of　Eden　…　hmm。。。〃　Rockson　said；　lost　in　thought。　〃Something　about　scabies。。。
　〃Of　course；〃　Rockson　yelled。　〃Scabies　are　tiny　spiders。　'Beware　of　the　eight…legged　ones。'　That　means　beware　of　the　spiders　…　or　scabies。　They　have　eight　legs；　too。〃
　Detroit　took　out　his　shotpistol　and　looked　around；　expecting　something。　He　didn't　know　what　to　expect；　but　something　was　going　to　happen。
　〃Hey；　Rock；〃　Rona　said；　from　further　up　the　corridor。　〃e　look　at　this。〃
　She　had　called　them　over　to　see　the　deep　gouges　in　the　floor　of　the　corridor。
　〃Craters；　each　a　foot　wide；　and　as　deep。　Old　also。〃
　〃What　made　them？　There's　a　half…dozen。〃
　〃The　result　of　some　sort　of　artillery　shell　explosions；　I　guess。〃　Detroit　said。
　The　black　Freefighter；　an　expert　at　such　things　as　determining　the　power　of　an　explosive　by　its　blast　effect；　examined　the　craters　more　carefully。　There　were　pieces　of　shrapnel　and　bits　of　bones　in　them　…　bones　long　calcified　by　the　damp　dankness　of　the　cavern。
　〃Whatever　blew　up　here　was　aimed　at　some　human　beings。　I'd　say　these　explosions　happened　a　long　time　ago；　though；〃　Detroit　said。
　They　had　proceeded　less　than　five　minutes　more　and　were　still　in　the　wide　low…ceilinged　corridor　when　there　was　a　whirring　sound　and　the　distinct　plip…plop　of　a　hundred　tiny　metal　feet。
　And　indeed　they　were　hearing　correctly。　Caught　in　a　half…dozen　flashbeams；　the　slowly　advancing　horde　of　three…foot…high　eight…legged　walking　bombs　from　the　twentieth　century　approached；　their　white　sensor　antennae　extended　above　their　round　headless　bodies；　tracking　their　prey。　They　were　beeping　happily；　their　atomic…cell　batteries　feeding　them　the　power　to　move　their　sharp　clawlike　legs。　They　had　found　victims　at　last。
　〃Prepare　to　fire；　Freefighters。　The　SCABIES　are　ing。〃　Rock　said；　crouching　with　his　Liberator　forward。
　〃No。　Don't　shoot。〃　implored　Detroit　in　a　hoarse　whisper。　〃I've　studied　twentieth…century　weapons　…　these　things　have　hearing　sensors　…　they　are　intended。　I　think；　for　enemy　tanks。　They　crawl　onto　them　and　blow　up。　They　probably　crawl　up　on　anything　that　makes　noises。　Like　those　people　that　they　made　into　bone　fragments　back　there。　In　the　craters。　See　how　they're　just　moving　around　at　random？　The　clunk　of　our　boots　is　what　attracted　them　to　us。　If　we　just　don't　make　any　mechanical　noises　…　or　fire　our　weapons　…　they　might　stop。〃
　〃Let's　follow　Detroit's　advice；　gang；〃　Rock　said。　〃I　have　the　feeling　they're　pretty　well　armored　anyway。　Bullets　probably　wouldn't　do　much　good。　Let's　move　on　quietly；　and　see　what　happens。〃
　Indeed　the　metal　creature…bombs　paused　in　their　tracks　once　the　Freefighters　were　silent。　Their　little　antennae　spun　this　way　and　that；　searching　for　a　noise。
　〃Who　activated　them？〃　Rona　whispered。
　〃Maybe　no　one。　My　guess　is　an　earthquake　toppled　the　crates；〃　said　Rock；　〃and　when　the　crates　fell；　some　must　have　rolled　out　and　hit　their　power…on　switches　on　something。　Let's　slowly　move　out；　keeping　our　weapons　trained　on　them　…　you　first；　Rona。〃
　But　the　instant　she　moved；　so　did　the　leader　among　the　metal　death　machines。　Rona　froze　in　her　tracks。　〃What　now？〃　she　asked。　〃They　seem　to　follow　movement　too。〃
　〃No；　the　echo　in　the　corridor　is　amplifying　our　footfalls；〃　Detroit　said。　〃They　will　follow　us；　try　to　catch　us　…　but　see　how　slow　they　move？　Like　crabs　more　than　ants。　Their　batteries　must　be　run…down。　After　a　century；　why　wouldn't　they　be？〃
　〃Yeah；　maybe　we　can　outrun　them；　or　maybe　we　should　just　shoot　'em　to　pieces；〃　McCaughlin　snarled　out。
　〃We'll　try　to　run　up　the　corridor。　They　might　not　have　the　energy　to　follow。。。　Quickly；　along　the　left　wall；　out　of　their　way。　Everyone　…　let's　go。〃
　But　such　an　easy　escape　was　not　to　be。　The　minute　they　took　off；　running　as　fast　as　they　could；　the　insidious　metal　things　took　after　them；　bleeping　and　grinding　on　ancient　gears　but　still　m