lmb.shardsofhonor-第1节

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　A　sea　of　mist　drifted　through　the　cloud　forest：　soft；　grey；　luminescent。　On　the　high　ridges　the　fog　showed　brighter　as　the　morning　sun　began　to　warm　and　lift　the　moisture；　although　in　the　ravine　a　cool；　soundless　dimness　still　counterfeited　a　pre…dawn　twilight。
　mander　Cordelia　Naismith　glanced　at　her　team　botanist　and　adjusted　the　straps　of　her　biological　collecting　equipment　a　bit　more　fortably　before　continuing　her　breathless　climb。　She　pushed　a　long　tendril　of　fog…dampened　copper　hair　out　of　her　eyes；　clawing　it　impatiently　toward　the　clasp　at　the　nape　of　her　neck。　Their　next　survey　area　would　definitely　be　at　a　lower　altitude。　The　gravity　of　this　planet　was　slightly　lower　than　their　home　world　of　Beta　Colony；　but　it　did　not　quite　make　up　for　the　physiological　strain　imposed　by　the　thin　mountain　air。
　Denser　vegetation　marked　the　upper　boundary　of　the　forest　patch。　Following　the　splashy　path　of　the　ravine's　brook；　they　bent　and　scrambled　through　the　living　tunnel；　then　broke　into　the　open　air。
　A　morning　breeze　was　ribboning　away　the　last　of　the　fog　on　the　golden　uplands。　They　stretched　endlessly；　rise　after　rise；　culminating　at　last　in　the　great　grey　shoulders　of　a　central　peak　crowned　by　glittering　ice。　This　world's　sun　shone　in　the　deep　turquoise　sky　giving　an　overwhelming　richness　to　the　golden　grasses；　tiny　flowers；　tussocks　of　a　silvery　plant　like　powdered　lace　dotted　everywhere。　The　two　explorers　gazed　entranced　at　the　mountain　above；　enveloped　by　the　silence。
　The　botanist；　Ensign　Dubauer；　grinned　over　his　shoulder　at　Cordelia　and　fell　to　his　knees　beside　one　of　the　silvery　tussocks。　She　strolled　to　the　nearest　rise　for　a　look　at　the　panorama　behind　them。　The　patchy　forest　grew　denser　down　the　gentle　slopes。　Five　hundred　meters　below；　banks　of　clouds　stretched　like　a　white　sea　to　the　horizon。　Far　to　the　west；　their　mountain's　smaller　sister　just　broke　through　the　updraft…curdled　tops。
　Cordelia　was　just　wishing　herself　on　the　plains　below；　to　see　the　novelty　of　water　falling　from　the　sky；　when　she　was　jarred　from　her　reverie。　〃Now　what　the　devil　can　Rosemont　be　burning　to　make　a　stink　like　that？〃　she　murmured。
　An　oily　black　column　of　smoke　was　rising　beyond　the　next　spur　of　the　mountain　slope；　to　be　smudged；　thinned；　and　dissipated　by　the　upper　breezes。　It　certainly　appeared　to　be　ing　from　the　location　of　their　base　camp。　She　studied　it　intently。
　A　distant　whining；　rising　to　a　howl；　pierced　the　silence。　Their　planetary　shuttle　burst　from　behind　the　ridge　and　boomed　across　the　sky　above　them；　leaving　a　sparkling　trail　of　ionized　gases。
　〃What　a　takeoff！〃　cried　Dubauer；　his　attention　wrenched　skyward。
　Cordelia　keyed　her　short…range　wrist　municator　and　spoke　into　it。　〃Naismith　to　Base　One。　e　in；　please。〃
　A　small；　empty　hiss　was　her　sole　reply。　She　called　again；　twice；　with　the　same　result。　Ensign　Dubauer　hovered　anxiously　at　her　elbow。
　〃Try　yours；〃　she　said。　But　his　luck　was　no　better。　〃Pack　up　your　stuff；　we're　going　back　to　camp；〃　she　ordered。　〃Double　time。〃
　They　struggled　toward　the　next　ridge　at　a　gasping　jog；　and　plunged　back　into　the　forest。　The　spindly　bearded　trees　at　this　altitude　were　often　fallen；　tangled。　They　had　seemed　artistically　wild　on　the　way　up；　on　the　way　down　they　made　a　menacing　obstacle　course。　Cordelia's　mind　ratcheted　over　a　dozen　possible　disasters；　each　more　bizarre　than　the　last。　So　the　unknown　breeds　dragons　in　map　margins；　she　reflected；　and　suppressed　her　panic。
　They　slid　down　through　the　last　patch　of　woods　for　their　first　clear　view　of　the　large　glade　selected　for　their　primary　base　camp。　Cordelia　gaped；　shocked。　Reality　had　surpassed　imagination。
　Smoke　was　rising　from　five　slagged　and　lumpy　black　mounds；　formerly　a　neat　ring　of　tents。　A　smouldering　scar　was　burned　in　the　grasses　where　the　shuttle　had　been　parked；　opposite　the　camp　from　the　ravine。　Smashed　equipment　was　scattered　everywhere。　Their　bacteriologically　sealed　sanitary　facilities　had　been　just　downslope；　yes；　she　saw；　even　the　privy　had　been　torched。
　〃My　God；〃　breathed　Ensign　Dubauer；　and　started　forward　like　a　sleepwalker。　Cordelia　collared　him。
　〃Get　down　and　cover　me；〃　she　ordered；　then　walked　cautiously　toward　the　silent　ruins。
　The　grass　all　around　the　camp　was　trampled　and　churned。　Her　stunned　mind　struggled　to　account　for　the　carnage。　Previously　undetected　aborigines？　No；　nothing　short　of　a　plasma　arc　could　have　melted　the　fabric　of　their　tents。　The　long…looked…for　but　still　undiscovered　advanced　aliens？　Perhaps　some　unexpected　disease　outbreak；　not　forestalled　by　their　month…long　robotic　microbiological　survey　and　immunizations…could　it　have　been　an　attempt　at　sterilization？　An　attack　by　some　other　planetary　government？　Their　attackers　could　scarcely　have　e　through　the　same　wormhole　exit　they　had　discovered；　still；　they　had　only　mapped　about　ten　percent　of　the　volume　of　space　within　a　light…month　of　this　system。　Aliens？
　She　was　miserably　conscious　of　her　mind　ing　full　circle；　like　one　of　her　team　zoologist's　captive　animals　racing　frantically　in　an　exercise　wheel。　She　poked　grimly　through　the　rubbish　for　some　clue。
　She　found　it　in　the　high　grass　halfway　to　the　ravine。
　The　long　body　in　the　baggy　tan　fatigues　of　the　Betan　Astronomical　Survey　was　stretched　out　full　length；　arms　and　legs　askew；　as　though　hit　while　running　for　the　shelter　of　the　forest。　Her　breath　drew　inward　in　pain　of　recognition。　She　turned　him　over　gently。
　It　was　the　conscientious　Lieutenant　Rosemont。　His　eyes　were　glazed　and　fixed　and　somehow　worried；　as　though　they　still　held　a　mirror　to　his　spirit。　She　closed　them　for　him。
　She　searched　him　for　the　cause　of　his　death。　No　blood；　no　burns；　no　broken　bones…her　long　white　fingers　probed　his　scalp。　The　skin　beneath　his　blond　hair　was　blistered；　the　telltale　signature　of　a　nerve　disruptor。　That　let　out　aliens。　She　cradled　his　head　in　her　lap　a　moment；　stroking　his　familiar　features　helplessly；　like　a　blind　woman。　No　time　now　for　mourning。
　She　returned　to　the　blackened　ring　on　her　hands　and　knees；　and　began　to　search　through　the　mess　for　m　equipment。　The　attackers　had　been　quite　thorough　in　that　department；　the　twisted　lumps　of　plastic　and　metal　she　found　testified。　Much　valuable　equipment　seemed　to　be　missing　altogether。
　There　was　a　rustle　in　the　grass。　She　snapped　her　stun　gun　to　the　aim　and　froze。　The　tense　face　of　Ensign　Dubauer　pushed　through　the　straw…colored　vegetation。
　〃It's　me；　don't　shoot；〃　he　called　in　a　strangled　tone　meant　to　be　a　whisper。
　〃I　almost　did。　Why　didn't　you　stay　put？〃　she　hissed　back。　〃Never　mind；　help　me　look　for　a　m　unit　that　can　reach　the　ship。　And　stay　down；　they　could　e　back　at　any　time。〃
　〃Who　could？　Who　did　this？〃
　〃Multiple　choice；　take　your　pick…Nuovo　Brasilians；　Barrayarans；　Cetagandans；　could　be　any　of　that　crowd。　Reg　Rosemont's　dead。　Nerve　disruptor。〃
　Cordelia　crawled　over　to　the　mound　of　the　specimen　tent　and　carefully　considered　its　lumps。　〃Hand　me　that　pole　over　there；〃　she　whispered。
　She　poked　tentatively　at　the　most　probable　hump。　The　tents　had　stopped　smoking；　but　waves　of　heat　still　rose　from　them　to　beat　upon　her　face　like　the　summer　sun　of　home。　The　tortured　fabric　flaked　away　like　charred　paper。　She　hooked　the　pole　over　a　half…melted　cabinet　and　dragged　it　into　the　open。　The　bottom　drawer　was　unmelted；　but　badly　warped　and；　as　she　found　when　she　wrapped　her　shirttail　around　her　hand　and　pulled；　tightly　stuck。
　A　few　minutes　more　search　turned　up　some　dubious　substitutes　for　a　hammer　and　chisel：　a　flat　shard　of　metal　and　a　heavy　lump　she　recognized　sadly　as　having　once　been　a　delicate　and　very　expensive　meteorological　recorder。　With　these　caveman's　tools　and　some　brute　force　from　Dubauer；　they　wrenched　the　drawer　open　with　a　noise　like　a　pistol　shot　that　made　them　both　jump。
　〃Jackpot！〃　said　Dubauer。
　〃Let's　take　it　over　by　the　ravine　to　try　out；〃　said　Cordelia。　〃My　skin　is　crawling。　Anybody　upslope　could　see　us。〃
　Still　crouching；　they　made　quickly　for　cover；　past　Rosemont's　body。　Dubauer　stared　back　at　it　as　they　scuttled　by；　ill　at　ease；　angry。　〃Whoever　did　that　is　damn　well　going　to　pay　for　it。〃　Cordelia　just　shook　her　head。
　They　knelt　down　in　the　bracken…like　undergrowth　to　try　the　m　link。　The　machine　produced　some　static　and　sad　whining　hoots；　went　dead；　then　coughed　out　the　audio　half　of　its　signal　when　tapped　and　shaken。　She　found　the　right　frequency　and　began　the　blind　call。
　〃mander　Naismith　to　Survey　Ship　Rene　Magritte。　Acknowledge；　please。〃　After　an　agony　of　waiting；　the　faint；　static…scrambled　reply　wavered　in。
　〃Lieutenant　Stuben　here。　Are　you　all　right；　Captain？〃
　Cordelia　breathed　again。　〃All　right　for　now。　What's　your　status？　What　happened？〃
　Dr。　Ullery's　voice　came　on；　senior　officer　in　the　survey　party　after　Rosemont。　〃A　Barrayaran　military　patrol　surrounded　the　camp；　demanding　surrender。　Said　they　claimed　the　place　by　right　of　prior　discovery。　Then　some　trigger…happy　loon　on　their　side　fired　a　plasma　arc；　and　all　hell　broke　loose。　Reg　drew　them　off　with　his　stunner；　and　the　rest　of　us　made　it　to　the　shuttle。　There's　a　Barrayaran　ship　of　the　General　class　up　here　we're　playing　hide…and…seek　with；　if　you　know　what　I　mean…〃
　〃Remember；　you're　broadca