02_battle_cry-第2部分

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not　to　reveal　the　size　of　their　fleet。　Sometimes　it　appeared　that　Battlepods　made　up　the　bulk　of　their　offensive　strength…those　oddly　shaped；　one…pilot　mecha　the　VT　teams　called　〃headless　ostriches。〃　At　other　times　there　was　evidence　of　scout　ships　and　recon　vessels；　cruisers　and　destroyers。　But　if　the　enemy's　numbers　were　a　source　for　speculation；　their　motives　seemed　to　be　clear：　They　had　e　for　their　ship；　the　SDF…1。

Gloval　was　not　about　to　let　them　have　it　without　a　fight。　Perhaps　if　they'd　e　calling　and　asked　for　the　ship；　something　could　have　been　arranged。　But　that；　too；　was　history。

There　was　only　one　way　to　guarantee　a　safe　return　to　Earth：　They　had　to　either　shake　the　enemy　from　their　tail　or　destroy　them。　Gloval　had　been　leaning　toward　the　former　approach　until　Dr。　Lang　had　surprised　him　with　the　latest　of　his　daily　discoveries。

Lang　was　Gloval's　interface　with　the　SDF…1；　more　than　anyone　else　onboard；　the　German　scientist　had　retuned　his　thinking　to　that　of　the　technicians　who　had　originally　built　the　ship。　He　had　acplished　on　a　grand　scale　what　the　Veritech　fighter　pilots　were　expected　to　do　on　each　mission：　meld　their　minds　to　the　mecha　controls。　There　was　suspicion　among　the　crew　that　Lang　had　plugged　himself　into　one　of　the　SDF…1's　stock　puters　and　taken　some　sort　of　mind　boost　which　had　put　him　in　touch　with　the　ship's　builders；　leaving　him　a　stranger　to　those　who　hadn't。　Gloval　often　felt　like　he　was　dealing　with　an　alien　entity　when　speaking　to　Lang…he　couldn't　bring　himself　to　make　contact　with　those　marblelike　eyes。　It　was　as　if　the　passionate　side　of　the　man's　nature　had　been　drained　away　and　replaced　with　some　of　the　strange　fluids　that　coursed　through　many　of　the　ship's　living　systems。　You　didn't　exchange　pleasantries　with　a　man　like　Lang；　you　went　directly　to　the　point　and　linked　memory　banks　with　him。　So　when　Lang　told　him　that　it　might　be　possible　to　create　a　protective　envelope　for　the　SDF…1；　Gloval　merely　asked　how　long　it　would　take　to　develop。

The　two　men　met　in　the　chamber　that　until　recently　had　housed　the　spacefold　generators。　Lang　wanted　Gloval　to　see　for　himself　the　free…floating　mesmerizing　energy　that　had　spontaneously　appeared　there　with　the　disappearance　of　the　generators。　Later　they　moved　to　Lang's　quarters；　the　only　section　of　the　unreconstructed　fortress　sized　to　human　proportions。　There　the　scientist　explained　that　the　energy　had　something　to　do　with　a　local　distortion　in　the　spacetime　continuum。　Gloval　couldn't　follow　all　the　details　of　the　theories　involved；　but　he　stayed　with　it　long　enough　to　understand　that　this　same　energy　could　be　utilized　in　the　fabrication　of　a　shield　system　for　the　SDF…1。

Since　his　conversation　with　Dr。　Lang；　Gloval　had　bee　preoccupied　with　the　idea　of　taking　the　enemy　by　surprise　with　an　offensive　maneuver。　With　the　main　guns　now　operational　and　the　potential　of　a　protective　barrier；　Gloval　and　the　SDF…1　would　be　able　to　secure　an　unobstructed　route　back　to　Earth。　And　Saturn；　with　its　many　moons　and　rings；　was　ideally　suited　to　such　a　purpose。


Rick　Hunter；　Veritech　cadet；　admired　his　reflection　in　the　shop　windows　along　Macross　City's　main　street。　He　stopped　once　or　twice　to　straighten　the　pleats　in　his　trousers；　adjust　the　belt　that　cinched　his　colorful　jacket；　or　give　his　long　black　hair　just　the　right　look　of　stylish　disarray。　It　was　his　first　day　of　leave　after　eight　weeks　of　rigorous　training；　and　he　had　never　felt　better。　Or　looked　better；　to　judge　from　the　attention　he　was　getting　from　passersby；　especially　the　young　women　of　the　transplanted　city。

Rick　was　always　reasonably　fit…years　of　stunt　flying　had　necessitated　that…but　the　drill　sergeants　had　turned　his　thin　frame　wiry　and　tough。　〃Nothing　extraneous；　in　mind　or　body。〃　Rick　had　adopted　their　motto　as　his　own。　He　had　even　learned　a　few　new　flying　tricks　（and　taught　the　instructors　a　few　himself）。　Planes　had　been　his　life　for　nineteen　years；　and　even　the　weightlessness　of　deep　space　felt　like　his　element。　He　wasn't　as　fortable　with　weapons；　though；　and　the　idea　of　killing　a　living　creature　was　still　as　alien　to　him　as　it　had　been　two　months　ago。　But　Roy　Fokker；　Rick's　〃older　brother；〃　was　helping　him　through　this　rough　period。　Roy　had　talked　about　his　own　early　misgivings；　about　how　you　had　to　think　of　the　Battlepods　as　mecha；　about　how　real　the　enemy　threat　was　to　all　of　them　inboard　the　SDF…1。　〃　‘The　price　of　liberty　is　eternal　vigilance'；〃　Roy　said；　quoting　an　American　president。　〃There's　no　more　flying　for　fun。　This　time　you'll　be　flying　for　your　home　and　the　safety　of　your　loved　ones。〃　Of　course　Roy　had　been　through　the　Global　Civil　War；　he　had　experience　in　death　and　destruction。　He'd　even　e　through　it　a　decorated　soldier。　Although　why　anyone　would　have　sought　that　out　remained　a　mystery　to　Rick。　Roy　had　left　Pop　Hunter's　flying　circus　for　that　circus　of　global　madness；　and　it　wasn't　something　Rick　liked　to　think　about。　Besides；　as　true　as　it　might　be　that　the　war　was　right　outside　any　hatch　of　the　ship；　it　was　surely　a　long　way　off　for　a　cadet　whose　battle　experience　thus　far　had　been　purely　accidental。

Rick　was　strolling　down　Macross　Boulevard　at　a　leisurely　pace；　he　still　had　a　few　minutes　to　kill　before　meeting　Minmei　at　the　market。　The　city　had　managed　to　pletely　rebuild　what　the　modular　transformation　had　left　in　ruins。　Taking　into　account　the　SDF…1's　ability　to　mechamorphose；　the　revised　city　plan　relied　on　a　vertical　axis　of　orientation。　The　attempt　to　recreate　the　horizontal　openness　of　Macross　Island　was　abandoned。　The　new　city　rose　in　three　tiers　toward　the　ceiling　of　the　massive　hold。　Ornate　bridges　spanned　structural　troughs；　environmental　control　units　and　the　vast　recycling　system　had　been　integrated　into　the　high…tech　design　of　the　buildings；　EVE　engineers…specialists　in　enhanced　video　emulation…were　experimenting　with　sky　and　horizon　effects；　hydroponics　had　supplied　trees　and　shrubs；　and　a　monorail　was　under　construction。　The　city　planners　had　also　worked　out　many　of　the　problems　that　had　plagued　the　city　early　on。　Shelters　and　yellow　and　black　safety　areas　were　well　marked　in　the　event　of　modular　transformation。　Each　resident　now　had　a　bed　to　sleep　in；　a　job　to　perform。　Food　and　water　rationing　was　accepted　as　part　of　the　routine。　The　system　of　waivers；　ration　coupons；　and　military　scrip　had　proved　manageable。　Most　people　had　navigated　the　psychological　crossings　successfully。　There　would　soon　be　a　television　station；　and　a　lottery　was　in　the　works。　In　general　the　city　was　not　unlike　a　turn…of…the…century　shopping　mall；　except　in　size　and　population。　Remarkably；　the　residents　of　Macross　had　made　the　adjustment…they　were　a　special　lot　from　the　start…and　the　general　feeling　there　was　a　cross　between　that　found　in　an　experimental　prototype　munity　and　that　found　in　any　of　the　wartime　cities　of　the　last　era。

Nearing　the　market　now；　Rick　began　to　focus　his　thoughts　on　Minmei　and　how　the　day　as　he　imagined　it　would　unfold。　She　would　be　knocked　out　by　the　sight　of　him　in　uniform；　she　wouldn't　be　able　to　keep　her　hands　off　him；　he　would　suggest　the　park；　and　she　would　eagerly　agree…

〃Rick！〃

Minmei　was　running　toward　him；　a　full　shopping　bag　cradled　in　one　arm；　her　free　hand　waving　like　mad。　She　was　wearing　a　tight　sleeveless　sweater　over　a　white　blouse；　and　a　skirt　that　revealed　too　much。　Her　hair　was　down；　lustrous　even　in　the　city's　artificial　light；　her　blue　eyes　were　bright；　fixed　on　his　as　she　kissed　him　once　and　stepped　back　to　give　him　the　once…over。

Inside　the　cool　and　crisp　cadet　Rick　was　projecting；　his　heart　was　running　wild。　She　was　already　talking　a　blue　streak；　filling　him　in　on　her　eight　weeks；　asking　questions　about　〃spacic　training；〃　plimenting　him；　the　uniform；　the　Defense　Force；　the　mayor；　and　everyone　else　connected　with　the　war　effort。　Rick；　however；　was　so　drawn　to　her　beauty　that　he　scarcely　heard　the　news　or　pliments；　he　was　suddenly　quiet　and　worried。　Minmei　drew　stares　from　everyone　they　passed；　and　she　appeared　to　know　half　of　Macross　personally。　What　had　she　been　doing　these　past　eight　weeks…introducing　herself　on　street　corners？　And　what　was　all　this　about　singing　lessons；　dance　lessons；　and　an　uping　beauty　pageant？　Rick　wanted　to　tell　her　about　the　hardships　of　training；　the　new　friends　he'd　made；　his　unvoiced　fears；　he　wanted　to　hold　her　and　tell　her　how　much　he　had　missed　her；　tell　her　how　their　two…week　ordeal　together　had　been　one　of　the　most　precious　times　in　his　life。　But　she　wasn't　letting　him　get　a　word　in。

A　short　distance　down　the　block；　Minmei　stopped　in　midsentence　and　dragged　Rick　over　to　one　of　the　storefronts。　In　the　window　was　a　salmon…colored　belted　dress　that　had　suddenly　bee　the　most　important　thing　in　the　world　to　her。

〃e　on；　Rick；　just　for　a　minute；　okay？〃

〃Minmei；〃　he　resisted；　〃I'm　not　going　to　spend　my　leave　shopping。〃

〃I　promise　I'll　only　be　a　second。〃

〃It　always　starts　out　that　way　and；　and。。。〃

Minmei　already　had　her　hand　on　the　doorknob。　〃Just　what　else　did　you　have　in　mind　for　today；　Rick？〃

She　disappeared　into　the　woman's　shop；　leaving　him　standing　on　the　sidewalk；　feeling　somehow　guilty　for　even　thinking　about　going　to　the　park。

By　the　time　he　entered；　Minmei　had　the　hangered　dress　draped　over　one　arm　and　was　going　through　the　racks；　pulling　out　belts；　blouses；　patterned　stockings；　skirts；　sweaters；　and　lingerie。　Rick　checked　his　watch　and　calculated　that　he'd　be　AWOL　long　before　she　finished　trying　everything　on。　She　had　entered　the　dressing　room　and　was　throwing　the　curtain　closed。

〃And　no　peeking；　Rick；〃　she　called　out。

Fortunately　there　were　no　other　customers　in　the　store　at　the　time；　but　the　saleswoman　standing　silently　behind　Rick　had　found　Minmei's　warning　just　about　the　funniest　thing　she　had　heard　all　week。　Her　squeal　of　delight　took　Rick　pletely　by　surprise。　He　thought　an　early…warning　signal　had　just　gone　off…and　in　the　middle　of　squatting　down　for　cover；　he　managed　to　lose　some　of　the　items　from　the　top　of　the　shopping　bag。　In　stooping　over　to　recover　these；　he　tipped　the　bag；　spilling　half　the　contents　across　the　floor。

The　woman　was　laughing　like　a　maniac　now；　the　door　buzzer　was　signaling　the　entry　of　three　additional　shoppers；　and　Minmei　was　peeking　o