02_battle_cry-第33章

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　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　in　the　ship's　hull。　Rick　used　to　say　that　it　was　their　balcony　〃with　a　view　of　forever。〃

They　spent　many　long　hours　here…after　their　two　week　ordeal　together；　before　Rick　had　joined　the　Defense　Force；　and　before　Minmei　had　been　crowned　〃Queen〃。。。She　had　listened　to　Rick　talk　about　the　horrors　of　space　battle；　his　victories　and　defeats；　his　fears　and　dreams。　And　he　had　listened　to　her　fears；　her　plans　for　the　future；　her　song　lyrics；　her　dreams。

And　now。。。

Why　did　this　have　to　happen？　Why；　when　everything　in　her　life　was　so　wonderful；　did　tragedy　have　to　visit？　Why　did　this　collision　of　dream　and　reality　always　have　to　occur？…as　if　no　good　fortune　was　possible　without　a　balancing　amount　of　evil。　What　sort　of　god　would　have　set　such　a　mechanism　in　motion？

Face　to　face　with　that　portion　of　the　universe　revealed　by　the　starlight；　Minmei　began　to　cry。　Later　she　would　bang　her　fists　against　the　rail　of　the　balcony　and　curse　those　stars；　then　sink　back　against　the　wooden　slats　of　the　bench　and　surrender　to　her　sorrow。　And　ultimately　she　would　retrieve　from　her　handbag　a　penlight　she　carried　there；　and；　aiming　it　toward　the　ship's　bay；　she　would　click　it　on　and　off；　again　and　again；　a　light　signal　into　〃forever〃　of　her　undying　affection　for　him。


CHAPTER　FIFTEEN

Spirit　does　not　willingly　abdicate　its　throne。　The　Big　Bang　was　Spirit's　first　rebellion　against　form…its　imprisonment　in　matter。　Subsequently　it　fought　humankind's　acceptance　of　fire；　it　battled　against　steam；　it　contested　electricity　and　nuclear　power；　it　raged　against　Protoculture。。。War　is　Spirit's　attempt　to　attain　freedom　from　matter；　its　effort　to　remain　autonomous。　Wars　are　waged　to　prevent　matter　from　being　too　fortable　or　placent。　For　it　is　Spirit's　divine　purpose　to　someday　abandon　its　vehicle　and　transcend；　to　reunite　with　the　Godhead　and　suck　the　universe　back　into　itself。
Reverend　Houston；　from　the　foreword　to　Jan　Morris's　Solar　Seeds。　Galactic　Guardians

Protoculture　is　technology's　royal　jelly。
Dr。　Emil　Lang

Unknown　to　Breetai　or　his　crew；　there　was　a　stowaway　aboard　the　Zentraedi　flagship…a　Micronian　Veritech　ace　named　Max　Sterling。

Sucked　into　space　through　the　hole　in　the　hull　created　by　Rick　Hunter's　self…destructed　Battloid；　Max　had　unknowingly　duplicated　the　walk　Breetai　had　undertaken　along　the　outer　surface　of　the　ship　sometime　earlier。　Breetai；　however；　was　familiar　with　the　manual　air　lock　mechanisms；　so　he　merely　had　to　let　himself　in；　Max　had　to　discover　a　way　in。　Fortunately　he　had　stumbled　upon　an　unclosed　breach　in　the　hull…the　fried　bristle　sensors　surrounding　the　hole　gave　evidence　of　a　previous　explosion…flown　himself　into　an　empty　bay；　and；　returned　to　Battloid　mode；　made　his　way　into　the　ship　through　an　unlocked　hatchway。　His　gatling　cannon　had　been　left　in　the　hold；　his　lasers　were　burned　out；　and　he　had　scarcely　half　a　dozen　rockets　left。　Max　was　operating　on　willpower；　driven　by　the　hope　of　rescuing　his　friends。

The　interior　of　the　flagship　was　a　labyrinth　of　corridors　and　serviceways；　some　well　lighted　and　maintained；　others　dark；　damp；　and　in　varying　states　of　disrepair。　But　luckily；　all　of　them　had　been　deserted。

Until　now。

Max　was　at　the　intersection　of　two　corridors…curved　ceilings；　large　overhead　light　banks…peering　around　the　corner　when　he　saw　the　alien　enter。　A　private；　Max　guessed：　standard…issue　drab　highrise…collared　uniform；　a　round　cap　with　an　insignia。　He　moved　the　Battloid　back　a　step　and　scanned　the　area。　A　short　distance　down　the　corridor　behind　him　was　what　appeared　to　be　a　utility　closet　with　a　curved…top　hatch。　He　made　his　way　to　this　as　quickly　and　quietly　as　he　could　manage；　threw　the　bolt；　and　secreted　the　mecha　inside。　Shut　off　from　the　corridor；　Max　had　no　way　of　knowing　which　route　the　Zentraedi　had　taken；　so　the　look　of　surprise　on　the　alien's　face　upon　discovering　a　Battloid　in　the　utility　closet　was　no　greater　than　the　startled　look　on　Max's　own。

For　what　seemed　like　an　eternity　they　both　stood　there　marveling　at　each　other；　until　Max's　training　brought　a　decisive　end　to　it。　He　executed　a　sidekick　with　the　Battloid's　right　foot　that　caught　the　Zent