"Jack McKinney - Robotech Sentientals 4 - World Killers" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinney Jack)

directions like an outlashing nova. The VT had become a Battloid, Humaniform,
like a knight in armor, fists cocked, riding ribbons of thruster fire.
Jack gasped, trying to catch his breath. He checked around and saw
Kami's Beta, and Janice's Alpha, with Lron's Beta close-by. All were in
Battloid, shimmering with heat waves but still intact and under control.
Jack spotted Learna-a little rocky but apparently getting things under
control. But...
"Crysta!"
He heard the ursine growling of the female Karbarran, more angry than
afraid, as her Beta whirled and tumbled groundward. It was still in fighter
mode, its power failing. Jack imaged his systemry and went after her like a
high-diver.
Something came into his field of vision and he realized that Janice Em
was nearby, her Alpha in Battloid, too, plummeting alongside him for the
seemingly doomed effort to save the falling Beta.
"Don't touch it unless your shields are up!" Jack yelled; Crysta's mecha
was still aglow with the energy "antibodies." He took a deep breath, and
imaged his command to his Battloid. It reached out and seized the Beta.
It was like trying to bulldog a whirlwind. The heavier Beta spun and
tumbled, nearly shaking the Alpha loose, the Alpha's amazing Robotech strength
notwithstanding.
But Jack clung and, bracing his feet against the fuselage, began prying
at the wings, straining to help it go into mechamorphosis. At least, to his
relief, the Haydon antibodies that were infused with the Beta's protective
mantle didn't attack him or slide from Crysta's shields over to his own.
Then Janice grabbed the Beta from the other side, and together they
fought to save their companions. "Crysta, try for Guardian, do you copy?" Jack
had to strain to get out his words as he was thrown around against his
harness. "Guardian!"
Jack figured that the Beta might be able to achieve the intermediate
mode between Fighter and Battloid, and perhaps it would be enough to save
those within. Crysta had only recently completed her pilot training, but she
kept her cool with bearish Karbarran fatalism, and did her best to obey.
The attempt to mechamorphose didn't appear to be having any effect,
though the Beta's components were straining against one another and seemed
ready to fly apart. The efforts of the two Battloids had slowed its fall,
though, and Crysta had a bit more control.
Lron, who had been pacing the others in a steep dive, along with Kami
and Learna, called out, "Jack, I see water, a large body of it!" There was
panic in his voice, but he was calming himself because that was the only
possible way to help his mate.
There might be hope yet. "Where?" Jack barked.
"Over in the opening in the terrain, where those energy things came
from."
Jack swore: salvation in the lion's den? Not likely. "Crysta, you're
gonna have to try to eject. Right now!"
She growled, "I cannot, Jack; ejection mechanism won't respond." There
was a kind of abject keening noise in the background of her transmission-the
Invid scientist she was carrying, no doubt.
 Though the two Battloids had slowed the Beta's fall, they couldn't stop