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Maybe the tire tracks had been obliterated by someone？ That would be easy enough to do in this kind of soil。
Lancer yelled out； 〃They know better than to do this to us。 〃 Rand might be a bit impetuous； and Annie was flighty to say the least； but Scott； a trained officer and team leader； would never simply ignore his responsibilities。
There was only one explanation that might make some sense of the situation； and that was the appearance of Invid。
〃Shouldn't one of us scout ahead？〃 Rand asked as the two Cyclones sped through the eerie landscape of the subterranean world。 〃I've had enough surprises for one day。〃
〃We'll stick together for now；〃 Scott ordered。
〃Well； do you have any idea where we're headed？〃 The instruments were all useless。
〃No； Rand。 But anywhere away from those reptiles will be fine with me…hey； power down！ There's something up ahead…the end of the trail； maybe。
They stopped in an open part of the water course。 What they saw ahead of them was a rampart of stone some hundreds of yards high； running away to the left and right with no breaks。
〃A dead end！〃 Annie wailed。 〃And the cliffs and ceiling e together。〃
It was true。 The overhead haze was broken by the downward sweep of the gigantic cavern's stone ceiling； which met the walls of the place in a tight seal。 〃No exit here；〃 Scott observed。
〃Maybe； maybe not；〃 Rand corrected。 〃See up there？〃
It was an opening of some kind； the mouth of a tunnel or cave； set high above the floor of the cavern。 〃That could be our rabbit…hole；〃 Rand declared。 〃It's worth a look。〃
Scott couldn't argue with that。 Their engines howled。
Elsewhere； the Regis noticed that something was amiss in one of her Genesis Pits。 From Reflex Point； her consciousness reached out to join with the evolved mind of a Shock Trooper who was following the movements of the three Humans。
The Trooper's single； cyclopean optic sensor flashed red as she mindspoke。 /Contaminants in the pit！/ her angry thought reverberated through that trooper and the others assigned to the place。 /Unless these intruders are contained ant neutralized； the experiment will be ruined！/
But she paused； seeing the reasoning of her guards。 Certainly these were Earthly biota； and under the Regis's broad guidelines they were valid candidates for inclusion in the pits。 But these were Human； and they were armed with weapons and mounted on vehicles。 A counterproductive anachronism here in the cavern of monsters！
Still； the introduction of machines and weapons might provide some instructive insights about the capabilities of the creatures she had bred here beneath the Earth。 Their worth as contributors to the Invid's final； Evolved Form would be tested。
Yes； let it continue for now； at least until more observations had been made。 The creatures of the cavern would probably cleanse the place of outsiders by themselves； and that would be most informative； too。 Or if not。。。
There were other ways。
CHAPTER FOUR
Fay Wray can have it！
Remark attributed to Annie LaBelle
There are important insights to the story in Rand's recounting of it in his voluminous Notes on the Run：
〃I got even more worried when I saw that that tunnel through the bedrock was artificial。 It had a low arc of roof； but the flat； level floor made it easy for us to go to cycle mode and race along。〃
〃The obvious fact that someone had drilled the tunnel made me nervous； but let's face it： everything about that underground Lizard Lounge had me nervous by then。 Scott had noticed it； too； I assumed； but we didn't mention it because we didn't want Annie hysterical。〃
〃So we barreled down the tunnel。 The Cycs' headlights cut the darkness； but only showed us the rock walls； the rock ceiling； and the rock floor。 I would even have weled some motel art by that time。 I had long since outgrown my graffiti stage； but I was tempted。〃
〃I fibbed to Annie。 ‘Hang on tight！ I've got a real strong feeling about this tunnel； in fact I'm sure it's gonna be our way out of this place！' If she knew I was bulling her； she was kind enough not to say so。〃
〃But she did point to a bright light that was ing up before us。 ‘Hey； look at that！'〃
〃Scott's voice sounded real relieved over the tat net； ‘We made it！' That sort of surprised me； I figured a guy raised in starships most of his life wouldn't feel the claustrophobia as badly as I was feeling it； but I guess the weight of all those strata above us had been working at him。〃
〃So I said； tempting fate a little； ‘I knew it！ Our troubles are over now！'〃
〃All of a sudden the floor of the tunnel seemed to slope down。 The next thing we knew； the Cycs were out in the open air and falling toward the lush vegetation down below。〃
〃But we were pretty used to our mecha by then； although it had taken me some time to learn the ropes on a Cyc and Scott hadn't had much practice operating in an environment like Earth until he had crash…landed； a coupla weeks before。 Mox nix； we hit our burners。 I did my best to see that I didn't lose Mint； and somehow I made that landing on sky…blue； umbrella…shaped thruster flames。〃
〃The terrain we landed on seemed okay at first； with boulders and some kind of fanlike growths ing from the ground。 It was a little precarious but nothing those amazing Robotech scoots couldn't handle。 If I had had my helmet open； maybe I would have noticed the smell； Annie was； I suppose； too strung out to。〃
〃We were congratulating ourselves on making it When the ground beneath us began to move。 We had landed in the middle of a bunch of big sail…backed things！ Just before we thruster…jumped the hell out of there； I got a look down the maw of one of the things and saw it had two quite large front choppers。 I guess it was a Dimetrodon； but I wasn't doing much note…taking and really couldn't tell you for sure if you asked me。〃
〃Scott was howling something about ‘more dinosaurs' but we were safe。 The herd had re…settled for the night。〃
〃We were all watching them to make sure that they weren't thinking about a bedtime snack； but I just happened to be looking off to one side when I caught the flash of movement。 ‘Hey； Invid！' I blurted out。 But whatever it was had already ducked。〃
〃Scott thought I was crazy； and we got a little sore at each other。 Being that far underground and in a situation so insane had him kind of frayed。 But then he backed off a bit； looking around thoughtfully。 ‘Maybe they are involved in all this。 I suppose…'〃
〃Scott interrupted his thought when he noticed that Annie was off an another caper； waving to us from a few yards away。 She was balancing； with a lot of windmilling of her hat and shuffling of shoes； on a big； mottled； offwhite ovoid thing that rolled under her。 She was giggling and yelling； ‘Watch me！'〃
〃It was a typical Mint reaction to what we had just been through； driving it from her mind by clowning around。 When I saw what she was doing； I could only think； Oh； my god！ and I started to reach for my '90。 Scott was yelling at her to get down off of there。〃
〃Annie laughed right up until the second she realized that something big was ing up behind her…fast！ I got my gun out。 Maybe that Daspletosaurus actually wasn't the size