02_battle_cry-第26部分

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〃Precisely　that；　mander。〃

As　Breetai　continued　to　observe　the　argument；　however；　he　was　overe　by　a　feeling　of　sickness；　he　felt　debilitated　and　phobic。　He　ordered　Exedore　to　deactivate　the　monitor　and　collapsed　down　into　his　chair。

〃My　head　is　spinning。　I　can　no　longer　stand　to　watch　them。〃

〃I　feel　the　same；〃　said　Exedore。　〃However；　we　must　not　allow　any　of　our　personal　reactions　to　interfere　with　the　mission　at　hand。〃

Breetai　lifted　up　his　head。　〃Well；　suppose　you　tell　me　how　I　should　proceed　with　these　creatures。〃

〃The　Micronians　should　be　brought　to　Dolza　himself。　There　they　should　be　subjected　to　the　most　rigorous　interrogation　possible。〃

〃That　will　require　a　fold　operation　and　the　expenditure　of　substantial　quantities　of　energy。〃

〃It　will　be　justified；　mander。　The　Micronians'　own　words　will　doom　them　to　defeat。〃


Lisa　couldn't　believe　her　ears：　Who　in　the　known　universe　did　Hunter　think　he　was　talking　to？

She　and　Hunter　and　dead…to…the…world　Dixon　were　on　some　sort　of　alien　grid　platform；　curtained　and　contained　by　a　nebulous　rain　of　electrical　energy　directed　from　an　overhead　generator。　But　through　this　translucent　umbrella　could　be　glimpsed　the　enormous　machines；　scopes；　scanners；　and　data　analyzers　that　constituted　the　laboratory　beyond。　One　portion　of　the　energy　canopy　afforded　them　visual　access　to　an　exterior　bay　of　the　ship。　And　somewhere　out　among　that　starfield　was　the　SDF…1　and　a　world　the　three　of　them　might　never　see　again。

Hunter；　nevertheless；　seemed　less　interested　in　establishing　where　they　were　than　in　establishing　who　was　to　blame　for　their　being　there。

〃Are　you　telling　me　that　you　wouldn't　have　been　captured　if　a　man　had　been　piloting　the　Cat's…Eye？　Because　if　you　are…〃

〃I'm　not　saying　that。　I'm　just　saying　there　are　some　jobs　that　are　better　left　to　experienced　pilots。　You　don't　find　VT　pilots　muscling　onto　the　bridge；　do　you？〃

Lisa　glared　at　him。　〃I'm　your　superior；　Lieutenant　Hunter！〃

〃Only　in　rank；　mander　Hayes。〃

〃In　rank　and　military　experience！〃

Rick　made　a　dismissive　gesture。　〃Don't　give　me　that　Robotech　Academy　superiority。　I'm　talking　about　bat　experience。〃

Lisa　crossed　her　arms　to　keep　him　from　noticing　that　she　was　shaking　with　anger。　Her　foot　tapped　reflexively。

〃Do　you　need　to　be　reminded　of　the　conversation　we　had　yesterday…the　one　where　you　plained　about　my　always　being　‘safe　and　sound　on　the　bridge'？　Now　I'm　out　here　with　you；　and　I　still　can't　do　anything　right　in　your　eyes。　It's　a　no…win　situation　with　you；　mister。〃

Rick　softened　somewhat。　〃Look；　it's　just　that　I　feel　more。。。I　don't　know；　vulnerable；　with　you　around。　You're　always　getting　yourself　in　a　fix；　just　like　on　Sara　Base…〃

〃Hunter！〃　she　screamed。　〃You're　an　idiot！　Just　who　appointed　you　my　personal　guardian？〃

〃Someone's　gotta　protect　you　from　yourself。〃

She　looked　around　for　something　to　throw　at　him；　but　Dixon　would　be　too　heavy　and　there　was　nothing　else　on　the　grid。

〃Who　had　to　be　towed　in　after　pletely　destroying　the　armored　Battloid；　Lieutenant？〃

Rick's　face　went　red　with　rage　and　embarrassment。

〃You　think　fighting　these　Zentraedi　is　some　kind　of　cakewalk？　Maybe　you　didn't　see　that　guy　tear　my　mecha　apart　with　his　bare　hands；　huh？〃

〃No；　I　didn't　see　it。　I　was　in　the　sack；　remember？〃

〃Yeah；　well。。。〃

〃Yeah；　well；〃　she　mimicked　him；　and　turned　away。

Ben　Dixon　was　ing　to；　stretching　and　yawning　as　though　he'd　just　taken　a　terrific　nap。

He　looked　around　and　asked　if　he　had　missed　anything。

Rick　shot　Lisa　a　cruel　look　and　stepped　over　to　his　corporal。　〃Uh；　nothing　much；　Ben。　The　mander　and　I　were　just　discussing　an　escape　plan。〃

Lisa　smirked　and　looked　out　the　bay。

〃Great；〃　Ben　said。　〃When　do　we　get　started？〃

Rick　said　something　Lisa　didn't　catch；　she　was　too　mesmerized　by　what　was　occurring　outside　the　ship：　The　stars　were　being　tentative；　strung　out；　as　if　trailing　threads　of　light　behind　them。

My　God。　She　realized　what　she　was　seeing。　The　Zentraedi　were　beginning　a　fold　operation！


Back　onboard　the　SDF…1　the　period　of　anxious　waiting　had　ended　an　hour　ago　with　the　restoration　of　widerange　radar。　But　a　new　period　of　apprehension　had　just　begun。　The　bridge　had　lost　munication　with　the　Cat's…Eye　recon　and　the　VTs　of　the　Vermilion　Team；　and　now　there　was　evidence　of　fluctuations　in　the　timespace　continuum　of　that　area。　Most　of　the　massive　enemy　ships　had　disappeared　from　the　scanner　screen；　but　numerous　small　ships　and　battle　mecha　were　still　swirling　around　the　fortress。　Gloval　was　certain　that　half　the　fleet　had　executed　a　spacefold。

In　all　his　long　years　of　military　mand；　Gloval　had　never　faced　a　more　unpredictable　foe。　They　had　crippled　his　ship；　threatened　him　with　extinction；　demanded　surrender；　and　suddenly　disappeared　off　the　scopes。　Gloval　was　perplexed。

He　instructed　Sammie　to　try　to　raise　mander　Hayes　again。

〃Negative　response；　sir。　I　can't　raise　anyone　at　all　in　that　Veritech　group。〃

Have　we　lost　them？　Gloval　wondered。　Please；　not　Lisa！

〃Sir；　we　can't　just　give　up　on　them；〃　said　Sammie。

〃It　could　be　radio　trouble；〃　Claudia　added。

〃I'm　not　about　to　give　up　on　them；〃　Gloval　said　at　last。　〃But　we　can't　afford　to　sit　here　and　wait　for　the　enemy　to　return　and　make　good　their　threats。〃　He　hung　his　head。　〃We'll　give　them　twelve　hours。　Claudia；　if　we've　had　no　contact　with　them　by　then；　I　want　the　ship　out　of　this　quadrant　by　oh…six…hundred　hours。　Is　that　clear？〃

〃Yes；　Captain。　And　about　mander　Hayes。。。and　Lieutenant　Hunter　and　his　men？〃

〃Enter　their　names　on　the　list；〃　Gloval　responded　flatly。　〃Missing　in　action　and　presumed　dead。〃


Roy　Fokker　seldom　visited　Macross　City；　and　when　he　did　it　was　usually　at　Claudia's　insistence…dinner　somewhere；　a　movie；　or　the　Miss　Macross　pageant　a　while　back。　It　wasn't　that　he　didn't　like　the　place；　just　that　he　had　little　use　for　it。　Its　presence　onboard　the　SDF…1　had　all　but　undermined　the　ship's　original　purpose。　The　SDF…1　was　to　be　Earth's　guardian　and　defender；　not　surrogate　or　microcosm；　and　certainly　not　decoy。　As　one　of　the　men　（along　with　Dr。　Lang　and　Colonel　Edwards）　who　had　first　explored　the　ship　shortly　after　its　arrival　on　Earth；　Fokker　had　a　profound　attachment　to　her。　But　the　spacefold　accident　and　this　resulting　city　had　devitalized　that　attachment；　and　for　the　past　year　Fokker　had　e　to　feel　more　the　hopeless　prisoner　than　anything　else。

His　motivations　for　visiting　the　city　today；　however；　had　nothing　to　do　with　entertainment　or　a　lover's　obligation；　he　was　here　because　duty　demanded　it　of　him。　Rick　had　been　MIA　for　almost　two　weeks　now；　and　there　were　people　who　had　to　be　told。

Two　weeks　missing　in　action；　Roy　told　himself。　Was　it　still　too　early　to　grieve；　or　was　it　too　late？　Wouldn't　he　be　able　to　feel　the　truth　one　way　or　another　in　his　heart？　Their　friendship　went　so　far　back。。。Pop　Hunter's　flying　circus；　the　fateful　day　Rick　had　turned　up　on　Macross　Island；　their　first　mission　together

What　was　the　use　of　tormenting　himself？　When　he　did　search　his　heart　for　feelings；　he　found　his　〃Little　Brother〃　alive…this　was　a　certainty。　And　yet；　his　mind　would　ask；　what　were　the　odds　they　would　ever　see　each　other　again？　The　SDF…1　was　a　million　miles　from　that　area　in　space　where　Rick　and　the　others　had　last　been　heard　from；　way　beyond　the　range　of　any　VT。　And　did　it　ease　the　pain　any　to　think　of　him　as　a　prisoner？　The　Zentraedi　weren't　likely　to　hold　him　hostage；　not　when　they　had　an　entire　planet　at　their　disposal。　So　maybe　it　was　better　to　believe　the　worst；　accept　his　death　and　get　the　grief　behind　him。　Then　he　could　at　least　remove　himself　from　this　timeless　agony　and　begin　to　court　the　future　once　again。

It　might　have　been　the　need　for　partnership　in　grief　that　led　Roy　to　seek　out　Minmei。　He；　too；　had　been　attracted　to　the　blue…eyed　Chinese　girl　from　the　start；　and　he　liked　to　think　that　there　was　some　special　bond　there；　even　though　Minmei　rarely　acknowledged　it　by　words　or　actions。　But　that　wasn't　her　style；　anyway。　Especially　now　that　she　was　on　the　brink　of　stardom。　In　fact；　the　〃Queen　of　Macross〃　was　going　to　be　headlining　a　concert　at　the　Star　Bowl　on　Monday　night。

Soon　she　was　ing　down　the　sidewalk　toward　him；　flanked　by　two　of　her　woman　friends　and　looking　the　starlet　part　in　some　sort　of　green　military…chic　shorts　outfit；　plete　with　epaulets　and　rank　stripes。　Roy　recognized　it　as　the　piece　she'd　worn　for　the　Defense　Force　enlistment　posters　that　had　begun　to　show　up　all　over　the　city。

Roy　had　been　waiting　for　her　outside　the　White　Dragon。　As　she　approached；　he　straightened　up　to　his　full　height；　tugged　down　on　his　belted　jacket；　and　waved　to　her。

She　came　at　him　with　a　big　smile；　increasing　her　pace　and　excusing　herself　from　her　friends。　Right　off；　she　wanted　to　know　if　Rick　was　with　him。

He　returned　the　smile；　strained　though　it　was；　and　suggested　they　take　a　walk　together。　She　looked　at　him　questioningly。

〃Why；　Roy？　What's　happened？〃

〃e　on；　walk　with　me　a　minute。〃

She　pulled　back　when　he　tried　to　take　her　arm。

〃I　don't　want　to　take　a　walk；　Roy！　What's　happened？　Where's　Rick？　Has　something　happened　to　Rick？〃

Roy　faced　her；　placing　both　hands　on　her　shoulders；　towering　over　her。　He　met　her　eyes　and　held　them　as　he　explained。

Halfway　through　his　explanation　she　was　shaking　her　head；　refusing　to　believe　him。　〃He's　dead！〃

〃Minmei；　listen；　please　don't　think　he's　dead…we　don't　know　that　for　sure。〃

Roy　was　doing　just　what　he　had　promised　himself　he　wouldn't　do。　And　she　was　inconsolable。　She　twisted　free　of　his　hold。

〃I　don't　want　to　hear　anymore！　You're　a　liar；　and　I　hate　you！〃

She　glared　at　him；　turned；　and　ran　off。

Her　friends　offered　him　sympathetic　smiles。　Roy　stood　with　them；　feeling　utterly　helpless。　He　sucked　in　breath　and　tears　and　clenched　his　teeth。


Minmei　ran　to　their　bench　in　the　park。

It　was　a　special　bench；　set　apart　from　the　others　in　Macross　Central；　tucked　away　on　a　small　subtier　of　its　own　overhung　by　the　full　branches　of　an　oak　tree　and　surrounded　by　flowering　plants　and　thick　buses。　It　was　almost　a　secret　place；　curiously　unfrequented　by　park　users；　with　an　incredible　view　of　the　city　spread　out　below　and　the　closest　view　possible　through　the　enormous　starlight