Chapters (12)
“In absence of recognition code, your transmission disregarded,” I send. And now the walls loom high above me. There are many lights, but I see them only vaguely. I am nearly blind now.
“Lenny—less’n two hundred feet to go. Listen, Lenny. I’m climbing down. I’m going to jump down, Lenny, and get around under your fore scanner pickup. You’ll see me, Lenny. You’ll know me then.”
The false transmission ceases. I sense a body moving across my side. The gap closes. I detect movement before me, and in automatic reflex fire anti-P charges before I recall that I am unarmed.
A small object has moved out before me, and taken up a position between me and the wall behind which the Enemy conceal themselves. It is dim, but appears to have the shape of a man.…
I am uncertain. My alert center attempts to engage inhibitory circuitry which will force me to halt, but it lacks power. I can override it. But still I am unsure. Now I must take a last risk; I must shunt power to my forward scanner to examine this obstacle more closely. I do so, and it leaps into greater clarity. It is indeed a man—and it is enclothed in regulation blues of the Volunteers. Now, closer, I see the face and through the pain of my great effort, I study it.…
14
“He’s backed against the wall,” Reynolds said hoarsely. “It’s still coming. A hundred feet to go—”
“You were a fool, Reynolds!” the mayor barked. “A fool to stake everything on that old dotard’s crazy ideas!”
“Hold it!” As Reynolds watched, the mighty machine slowed, halted, ten feet from the sheer wall before it. For a moment, it sat, as though puzzled. Then it backed, halted again, pivoted ponderously to the left, and came about.
On its side, a small figure crept up, fell across the lower gun deck. The Bolo surged into motion, retracing its route across the artillery-scarred gardens.
“He’s turned it.” Reynolds let his breath out with a shuddering sigh. “It’s headed out for open desert. It might get twenty miles before it finally runs out of steam.”
The strange voice that was the Bolo’s came from the big panel before Mayfield:
“Command.… Unit LNE reports main power cells drained, secondary cells drained; now operating at 0.037 per cent efficiency, using Final Emergency Power. Request advice as to range to be covered before relief maintenance available.”
“It’s a long way, Lenny…” Sanders’ voice was a bare whisper. “But I’m coming with you.…”
Then there was only the crackle of static. Ponderously, like a great mortally stricken animal, the Bolo moved through the ruins of the fallen roadway, heading for the open desert.
“That damned machine,” the mayor said in a hoarse voice. “You’d almost think it was alive.”
“You would at that,” Pete Reynolds said.