Ice Guard(科幻战争)-第18章

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was　what　the　future　held　for　it；　must　have　seen　what　lay　at　the　end　of　its　chosen　path。
Blonsky　had　no　sympathy　for　it。　It　deserved　what　its　gods　had　done　to　it。
The　mutant　died　at　last；　as　did　one　of　its　fellows；　succumbing　to　a　second　flamer　burst。　That　left
just　two。　One　was　being　kept　occupied　by　the　nimble　Palinev；　while　the　other　had　just　lost　a　claw　to
Grayle　and　Mikhaelev’s　beams　and　had　dropped　to　its　knees。　Blonsky　set　his　sights　on　Palinev’s
opponent；　but　was　suddenly　tackled　by　Anakora。　For　a　second；　as　they　fell；　he　wondered　if　her　mind
had　snapped　as　well；　if　she　had　chosen　this　moment　to　turn　traitor　—　but　then；　a　las…beam　rent　the
air　above　his　head；　and　he　realised　that　she　had　just　saved　his　life。
A　cultist　had　attained　the　top　of　the　rise；　a　perfect　sniping　position　—　and；　had　he　fired　again；
with　both　Blonsky　and　Anakora　on　the　ground；　he　could　have　killed　one　of　them。　Instead；　he　saw
Pozhar　charging　him；　gun　blazing；　and　he　turned　his　fire　upon　the　young　trooper　—　and　Pozhar　was
hit；　a　glancing　blow　to　the　shoulder。　The　force　of　the　blast　knocked　him　head　over　heels；　and　for　the
second　time　in　as　many　minutes　he　came　rolling　back　down　the　slope。
Emboldened　by　his　success；　the　cultist　became　careless。　He　lifted　himself　up　to　get　a　better　angle
on　his　fallen　foe；　to　finish　him　off　—　and　two　las…beams　ripped　through　him。　As　the　sniper　fell；　his
killers；　Blonsky　and　Anakora；　started　forward；　joined　again　now　by　Gavotski。　The　other　cultists　had
mistimed　their　advance；　must　have　hung　back　too　long　behind　their　mutant　cannon　fodder；　because
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the　opposing　factions　met　at　the　top　of　the　rise。　The　Ice　Warriors　were　the　first　to　react；　and　three　of
their　foes　were　dead　before　they　could　return　fire。
The　cultists；　despite　their　greater　numbers；　were　outmatched。　They　were　untrained；　unarmoured
and；　in　some　cases；　even　unarmed。　The　outcome；　of　the　battle　was　already　beyond　doubt　when
Pozhar　waded　back　into　it。　He　wielded　his　lasgun　in　his　left　hand；　his　right　hanging　uselessly　by　his
side；　and　most　of　his　shots　went　wild。
A　cultist　slipped　in　beneath　the　Ice　Warriors’　beams；　and　was　suddenly　in　Blonsky’s　face；　trying
to　push　a　knife　through　the　layers　of　his　greatcoat。
“You’re　too　late；　Guardsman；”　the　foul　heretic　hissed。　“Mangellan　has　the　power　on　this　world；
and　if　you　wish　to　live　you　will　renounce　your　decadent　Emperor　and　turn　to—”
The　threat　was　never　completed。　Blonsky　seized　his　attacker’s　wrist　and　twisted　it　until　it　broke。
The　cultist　screamed；　and　the　blade　dropped　from　his　numbed　fingers。
Blonsky　raised　his　bayonet　to　the　wretch’s　throat；　but　remembered　that　Gavotski　had　wanted　a
hostage。　So；　as　much　as　it　went　against　his　instincts　to　do　so；　he　turned　his　lasgun　around　and　drove
its　butt　into　the　cultist’s　skull；　knocking　him　cold。
Barreski　skirted　the　final　mutant；　trying　to　find　an　angle　from　which　he　could　torch　it　without　setting
light　to　Palinev　too。　The　scout　was　still　keeping　clear　of　the　mutant’s　raking　talons；　ducking　and
weaving；　twisting　and　turning　—　but　the　mutant　was　relentless；　starting　to　wear　him　down。
Barreski　ventured　a　little　closer　to　it。　He　thought　it　was　too　busy　with　Palinev　to　notice　him。　He
was　wrong。　The　mutant　swung　around；　and　suddenly　he　was　the　focus　of　all　its　attention。　With　a
powerful　swipe；　it　knocked　the　flamer　from　his　hands。　Barreski　recovered　his　wits　only　just　in　time
to　avoid　a　second　talon；　which　would　have　ripped　out　his　throat。　He　had　no　way　of　fighting　back；
didn’t　have　time　to　draw　his　lasgun　—　and　he　knew　that　he　was　far　less　agile　than　Palinev；　and
couldn’t　evade　many　more　attacks　like　that　one。
Mikhaelev　and　Grayle　came　to　his　assistance。　They　had　finished　with　their　opponent；　and　turned
their　las…fire　upon　his。　The　mutant　shuddered　with　the　impacts　of　the　beams　to　its　back　—　but；　to
Barreski’s　horror；　its　red　eyes　never　flickered　from　him。　Somewhere　in　its　disturbed　little　mind；　the
mutant　must　have　known　it　was　finished；　and　it　was　determined　not　to　be　distracted　from　its　prey；
determined　to　take　at　least　one　of　its　foes　down　with　it。
Palinev　saw　what　was　happening　and　flung　himself　at　the　mutant；　heedless　of　the　danger　of
incoming　las…beams。　He　bought　Barreski　a　second；　but　no　more　than　that；　before　the　mutant　flung
him　aside　with　an　almost　casual　shrug。
And　then　it　pounced　on　Barreski；　and　although　he　was　prepared　for　its　weight　he　was　still　driven
down　onto　one　knee；　struggling　to　push　the　rancid　creature　away　from　him。　It　raised　its　talon　and　he
knew　that　this　would　be　the　killing　blow。
And　then　the　air　itself　exploded。　The　mutant　stiffened　and　crumpled　and　Barreski　was　left
gaping　at　its　blackened　corpse；　wondering　what　had　just　happened。
His　nostrils　were　filled　with　the　stink　of　burnt　ozone；　and　he　glanced　to　the　sky　and　wondered　if
somehow；　through　some　incredible　twist　of　fate　or　perhaps　even　through　divine　intervention；　he　had
been　saved　by　a　thunderbolt　from　on　high。
Then　he　saw　Steele；　standing　unaided；　looking　down　at　the　dead　mutant　with　an　expression　of
grim　satisfaction　—　and　Barreski　saw　that　the　colonel’s　right　eye　was　black；　smouldering　a　little。
“A　small　enhancement　I　had　made　on　Pyrites　a　few　years　back；”　explained　Steele　gruffly；　seeing
that　Barreski；　Mikhaelev　and　Grayle　were　all　staring　at　him。　“A　one…shot　electrical　weapon　of　last
resort。　It　will　take　about　twenty　hours　to　recharge　now；　and　my　right　eye　will　be　useless　until　it
does。”
He　looked　down　at　the　mutant　again；　and　smiled。　“Still；　some　things　are　worth　a　little
inconvenience。”
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CHAPTER　NINE
Time　to　Destruction　of　Cressida：　33。16。04
Borscz　was　dead。
It　wasn’t　easy　to　tell；　at　first。　He　was　covered　in　blood；　but　much　of　it　was　from　the　mutant　that
he　and　Pozhar　had　slain。　The　Ice　Warriors　had　to　shift　its　carcass　before　they　could　get　close　to　him；
close　enough　to　tell　that　he　was　no　longer　breathing。
Anakora　wanted　to　bury　him；　but　Gavotski　pointed　out　that　they　lacked　the　tools　to　dig　in　the
frozen　ground。　They　could　do　it；　but　it　would　take　them　most　of　the　night。
“And　it’s　not　as　if　a　normal…sized　hole　would　do；”　Grayle　muttered。
Anyway；　they　all　agreed　that　it　would　make　little　difference　at　this　point。　Below　ground　or　above
it；　Borscz’s　body　inent　virus　bombs；　reduced　to　a　protoplasmic　slime。
And　after　all；　the　last　thing　any　Guardsman　expected　when　he　went　to　war　was　a　decent　burial；　his
remains；　he　knew；　were　far　more　likely　to　be　trampled　into　the　mud　of　the　battlefield。
So；　in　the　end；　they　gathered　around　their　fallen　comrade　and　Gavotski　said　a　short　prayer　for　his
soul；　and　that　was　that　—　although　Anakora　still　insisted　they　take　Borscz　onto　the　Aquila　with
them；　and　seal　him　into　its　hold；　sparing　him　at　least　the　attention　of　passing　predators。
“If　only　he’d　been　a　better　shot；”　said　Barreski　with　a　shake　of　the　head。　“If　he　hadn’t　been　so
keen　to　go　toe　to　toe　with　that　thing…”
“Then　it　would　have　been　Pozhar　lying　there　instead　of　him；”　Anakora　pointed　out　crisply。　“You
saw　how　resistant　the　mutants　were　to　our　las…fire。”
Apart　from　the　loss　of　Borscz；　casualties　were　mercifully　light。　Palinev　had　a　mild　concussion
from　where　the　last　mutant　had　backhanded　him；　and　Gavotski　had　a　couple　of　second…degree　burns；
which　he　had　dressed。　And　Pozhar’s　firing　arm　was　in　a　sling；　which　aggrieved　the　young　trooper　no
end。
Steele　was　back　on　his　feet；　but　he　seemed　deeply　tired　—　and；　although　no　one　would　have　said
it　to　his　face；　even　a　little　shell…shocked。　Gavotski　covered　for　him　by　taking　charge　again。　He　sent
Anakora；　Barreski　and　Grayle　onto　the　lander　to　ensure　that　no　one　was　hiding　inside。　Grayle　was
also　to　report　back　on　the　state　of　the　engines。　Two　cultists　remained　alive；　and　so　Blonsky　and
Mikhaelev　were　detailed　to　bind　them　with　tent　ropes　from　their　rucksacks。
Steele　examined　one　of　the　mutants’　corpses。
“It　looked　like　this；”　he　said　to　Gavotski。　When　the　sergeant　looked　puzzled；　Steele　expounded；
“The　creature　I　saw　in　the　forest。　It　had　grey　fur；　like　this　one　does。　Some　sort　of　adaptation　to　the
cold；　I　expect。　But　if　it　was　a　mutant　I　saw；　then　where　did　it　go？　The　cultists　didn’t　know　we　were
coming　until　I…　until　they　heard　us。”
“So；　who　did　it　report　to？”　Gavotski　concluded　the　thought。　“Who　knows　we’re　here？　And　how
many　more　mutants　like　this　one　are　still　out　there？”
Steele　didn’t　need　to　ask　what　had　happened　while　he　had　been　unconscious；　since　he　had　plunged
into　the　lake。　His　bionic　eye　had　recorded　all　the　details　—　every　visual　detail；　at　least　—　and　stored
them　for　his　later　inspection。
The　whole　episode　had　left　him　feeling　deeply　uneasy。　The　organic　parts　—　the　real　parts　—　of
his　brain　had　shut　down　in　the　water；　but　the　mechanical　parts　had　kept　him　going。　He　was　grateful
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to　be　alive；　of　course　—　but　the　thought　that　his　augmetics　could　function　without　him；　even　in　a
limited　capacity；　chilled　him　to　the　marrow。
The　two　prisoners　had　started　to　come　round。　Mikhaelev　and　Blonsky　had　carried　them　to　the
camp…fire；　and　were　standing　guard　over　them。　Despite　his　weariness；　Steele　had　chosen　to　conduct
the　interrogation。　He　deliberately　started　with　the　to