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and the others。
Ambush！ Scott had no doubt。 He revved his superbike； giving Rand a hand signal so that the Invid could not intercept a transmission。 The sand felt a little treacherous； but that didn't matter under the circumstances； the two Cycs were fully armed； and for once； it seemed； the team had caught the Invid mecha with their iron trousers at half…mast。
He was about to order Rand to drop Annie off where she could take cover； then follow him on a stealthy approach…for…attack。 But just then the ground opened up。
All Scott could see was that a flap of thick； brown…mauve stuff…like a flap of canvas twenty yards wide and seven yards thick…had been drawn back。 It was thickly edged with long purple hairs； or perhaps they were feelers because in that horrible instant Scott could see that they were moving in different directions。
It seemed as though a monster's mouth had opened up in the Earth； ready to swallow them。 But although Rand was extremely frightened and disgusted； he knew what this was。 A pit！ Oldest trap of 'em all！
The Entrapment's mouth was gruesome； bending inward at all four midspans rather than from the corners。
All thoughts of proper mo procedure faded like dew in the sunshine； and all Scott and Rand could hear over the tac net were one another's terrified howls； all they could hear over their external pickups was Annie's scream。
We're not fated to win after all； it occurred to Scott； as the Cyclones spun down into a deep； dark shaft that gleamed wetly like a gullet。 The Cyc riders kept their seats by sheer instinct； Annie clutched Rand's waist。 They； fell into blackness； and what little light they had was cut off as the quadripartite Entrapment flaps above them closed serenely。
〃Switch to Battle Armor！〃 Scott hollered； too loudly； over the tac net。 He operated the gross hand controls on the Cyc； but more importantly； imaged the transition through the receptors in his helmet。 He knew Rand would be doing the same。 But just then Rand felt Annie lose her grip and drift free in the powerful air currents of the pit。
Mechamorphosis。 That was the name Dr。 Emil Lang had given these transitions so long ago； even before the start of the First War…that techno…origami shifting of shape。
One moment； there were two young men in armor tumbling through the moaning air currents of the Entrapment； and the next； there was something going on。
An onlooker might have thought that the Cycs were leukocytes destroying their riders； sliding up around them； Cyclone ponents meshing with armor ponents。 The machines broke down into subunits to slide into their appointed places around the armor； as certain microorganisms might whip some critical hurt on certain other microorganisms。
The Cycs' tires were up high and out of the way on the Cycloners' backs； allowing them free play and unlimited fields of fire with their Robotech weapons。 But even the thrusters in their suits didn't help them against the enormous vacuum that drew them down。 There was no way back up。
Their armor flared anyway； to cushion the fall； and then somehow Rand heard a small； plaintive cry and realized that not everybody was protected。
〃Hold still； Annie！〃
It was a precision catch； possible only through Robotechnology。 They were falling very fast； and simply rocketing armored arms under her would have only served to break the sweet； loudmouthed； red…haired soul of the team into three or…more likely…more pieces。
But as it was； Rand matched velocities and made the save。
He opened his helmet； careless of what might happen to him； holding Annie close…her pale face against his so that she could breathe the air his suit was pumping up in an effort to keep positive pressure。
Her small fingers moved； clasping the lip of his helmet's chinguard。。。then she was still； though she kept breathing。 Rand hugged her to him； shielding her as much as he could。 Neither Rand's armor's thrusters nor Scott's could stop their fall； whatever was pulling them down； it was more than just gravity and air currents。 Scott wasn't even sure they were being drawn straight downward。
Rand； who was falling head first； was first to see it。 〃Scott！ Look down there at that red glow ing right at us！ Maybe there's a bottom floor after all！〃
A lighted area on the shaft's floor？ A lava pool？ The light down there seemed to shift and waver； but it had the glow of extreme heat。
〃A lot of good that'll do us if we go splat！ Hit your burners！〃
Rand and Scott simultaneously hit their burners； while Annie moaned and cried。 But the retrothrusters did no good； and in another moment they plunged into the hellish fire。
CHAPTER THREE
Kraneberg； an oldtime historian of （North） American technology； once said…in the form of a First Law…〃Technology is neither positive； negative； nor neutral。〃
Indeed。 It is all three。
And omnipresent。
Scott Bernard's notes
〃Huh？〃
Scott was amazed that he wasn't being boiled alive。 Instead； orange…yellow light played all around him； Annie； and Rand； reflecting off their armor and helmet facebowls。
The light seemed alive； moving like writhing eels。 It seemed to knot together in places with its ends exposed； like twists in snarled barbed wire。 Elsewhere it had settled into layers； like the colors in a sunset。 The radiance brightened； enveloping them。
Their facebowls polarized to shield them； while poor little Annie squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head against Rand's armored chest。 Scott checked his instruments； but the sensors were not working。 〃I； I think we're in some kind of energy field。〃
〃Unbelievable；〃 Rand breathed。 Then all at once the light was above them； and they were plummeting through utter blackness…or so it seemed； their facebowls still darkened。 〃We went straight through it！ Are we near the bottom？〃
〃Y'got me；〃 Scott said； straining to see as his facebowl slowly depolarized。 The place looked pitch black。 The idea of a jagged rock floor racing up at them filled him with a cold despair。
〃Emergency power to retros…〃 he was saying； just as the Cyclone warriors hit the water with a tremendous splash。
The first thing that Scott knew when he came to was that he had a monstrous headache。 The next thing was that his eyes wouldn't focus properly； even taking into account the fact that he was trying to see through a helmet facebowl。 He realized that he was sprawled out on his stomach。 Before him； he saw his Cyclone armor's gauntlet…hand。
He groaned； trying to flex his fingers。 They barely moved。 He saw that he was lying on。。。on soil。 Dirt。
He tried to see beyond the hand； his head trembling as he tried to lift it。 His eyes were responding a little better； but what he saw made no sense。
Those giant fern things we saw on Praxis？ No； wait a second。。。'S not it。。。This's a diffr'nt planet。。。Earth。。。
It didn't look like any place he had ever seen or heard about on Earth。 It looked。。。primeval。 Where are we； a swamp？ What happened？
Scott saw Rand sprawled out a few feet away； along the little stretch of sandy bank where they had landed。
Scott crawled over to him； groaning and hoping the pain he felt in his side wasn't a cracked rib。 〃Rand！ Rand； are you okay？〃 He shook the Forager's sh