02_battle_cry-第32章

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re　was　taking　no　chances。

Breetai；　however；　wanted　no　part　of　the　laboratory　or　the　operating　station。　Exedore　brought　him　up　to　date　on　the　findings　in　the　mand　center；　illustrating　facts　and　speculations　with　data　readouts；　x…rays；　scans　of　various　sorts；　and　relevant　historical　documents；　all　of　which　flowed　freely　across　the　center's　many　monitor　screens。

Breetai　took　particular　interest　in　the　female　of　the　group。　He　shifted　his　attention　from　one　screen's　anatomical　depictions　and　turned　to　the　specimen　table　monitor。　The　Micronian　female　appeared　to　be　unconscious　or　asleep；　the　other　two　as　well。

〃Is　it　wise　to　keep　the　female　and　males　together？〃

Exedore　had　the　camera　close　on　the　table。　〃It　is　apparently　their　practice；　mander。　It　will　certainly　benefit　us　to　observe　their　interactions。〃

A　look　of　surprise　came　over　Breetai's　face；　and　Exedore　now　turned　his　attention　to　the　monitor。　The　Micronians　were　beginning　to　stir。

The　two　Zentraedi　watched　intently。

The　black…haired　one　was　first　to　rise…the　tough　little　pilot　who　had　manned　the　mecha　Breetai　had　destroyed。　The　female　recon　pilot　was　next；　but　together　they　couldn't　seem　to　rouse　the　third　and　largest　member　of　their　party。

〃This　one　has　a　very　slow　metabolic　rate　and　is　less　intelligent　than　the　others；〃　Exedore　said　by　way　of　explanation。

Something　curious　began　to　happen　just　then：　The　female　and　the　male　were　arguing。　Breetai　signaled　his　adviser　to　activate　the　audio　monitors。　The　words　came　fast　and　furious　and　were　for　the　most　part　unfamiliar　to　Breetai；　but　he　understood　enough　to　get　the　gist：　They　were　blaming　each　other　for　the　failure　of　their　mission　and　their　eventual　capture。

Breetai　was　amused。

〃They　fight　with　words　as　aggressively　as　they　fight　with　mecha。〃

〃A　result　of　the　mingling　of　males　and　females；　sir…an　ancient　practice　long　ago　abandoned　by　the　Zentraedi。〃

〃I　see。。。anger　without　discipline。〃

〃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