Chapter 17

David crawled his way back to consciousness from the lightless depths of sleep. As his senses began feeding information to his lethargic mind, he became aware that he was being jostled around. There was an annoying buzzing sound, and someone was mumbling angrily nearby. <Whoever you are, quit rocking the boat!> he screamed silently, his mouth not quite functioning yet. <Some of us are trying to sleep here.> 

Memories of the previous day began seeping into his mind like briefly illuminated photographs. The awards ceremony. The Distinguished Flying Cross. Izabelle with brown hair. Vanessa, crying after seeing Izabelle. Commander Landers at the White Dragon. Carrying the Commander back to her barracks...<Her barracks? Aw, hell!> 

David's eyes snapped open and he quickly surveyed the room. The Commander was shuffling sleepily towards the closet, rubbing her face. She was still wearing the tee shirt and sweat pants David had managed to get her into the night before. She stepped up to the closet, then slowly glanced around the room through half-closed eyes. David held his breath, but she turned back to the closet without saying a word. <She must really be out of it, she doesn't know I'm here!> David pulled the covers up to his chin slowly, so as not to attract attention. <I wonder if I can hide until she leaves?> 

The Commander reached out and started pulling open the closet door, then froze with a start. David pulled the covers up a little more as she slowly turned to face him, her eyes wider than he had ever seen them before. She stood there for several moments, blinking, before speaking. "David?" Her voice wavered slightly. "What are you doing in my bed?" She glanced down at her mismatched clothing. "And how did I get into these clothes?" 

<She'll never believe it.> He threw the covers off and swung his feet to the floor. He smiled up at her sheepishly. "Uh, well.... uh.... do you want the long version or the short version?" 

"Give me the short one for now." She leaned against the closet door and closed her eyes. <The lady wants short, she gets short.> David thought for a moment. <Probably be a bad idea to lie to her.> "Well, to be blunt, _I_ got you into those clothes last night because the ones you were wearing were soaked with beer and stuff." He took a deep breath. "And I'm in your bed 'cause that's where you pulled me." 

Her eyes snapped open and she shouted "What?", then put a hand to her head. "Oh my God." 

<Better explain while I still can.> "You see, I found you wandering around in the park last night, dead drunk. You passed out, so I carried you back here, changed your clothes, and put you in bed." He shrugged. "I wasn't planning on staying the night, but you reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let go." 

He could tell that she was deep in thought, her eyes squeezed shut. "I pulled you into bed with me?" 

"Yes you did, Sir." He glanced down at his hands, which were clenched together in his lap. "I mean, you were still out of it, and didn't know what you were doing." 

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "Well, at least you're still fully dressed. That's good, I think." 

"Yes, Sir." 

She was shaking her head. "David, now that we've spend the night together I think you can call me Kay, alright?" There was a brief flash of a smile. 

"Alright....Kay." He stood up and brushed at his clothes, which were now a wrinkled mess. "God, I just can't win, you know?" He looked up and saw her giving him a curious look. <Strike two. Maybe it'd be better if I kept my mouth shut?> "My clothes, I mean." He added quickly. "If they ever invent a wrinkle-free fabric, I'm going to buy stock in the company." 

Kay was shaking her head, muttering to herself. Then, loud enough for him to hear, "David, I don't want to be rude, but would you mind getting the hell outta my room?" Her tone was light, and there was a smile on her face. "I've got to get ready for patrol duty." 

David threw her an intentionally sloppy salute and smiled back. "And you were yelling at the others about having hangovers in the morning." He turned and headed for the door. 

"David?" he heard her call, and looked back at her. "Did I say anything to you last night? Anything...well, anything personal?" 

<Personal? She must mean about her brother. Well, it's nothing I would gossip about, so...> "No, not that I remember." 

She nodded. "Okay. Well, you'd better get going." 

"You bet, si...Kay." He flashed her a quick smile and walked out of the room. Once out in the corridor he leaned back against the wall and thumped his head against it several times. <Never again!> he chanted with each impact. <How do I get myself into these situations? I don't need this sort of excitement!> He straightened and began walking back to the barracks. <I'd better change out of this uniform and put on some clean clothes.> 

After a quick shower and shave, David put on a fresh uniform and spent most of the morning roaming through the streets of downtown Macross. He window shopped and took in the varied sights and sounds and scents, still amazed at the resiliency displayed by the civilian populace. It wasn't every day one found oneself stranded inside a warship in deep space, but the people of Macross had adapted - indeed, had flourished - despite dire predictions at the start. 

It was slightly after noon when he returned to his room, his arms laden with bags full of knick-knacks and various decorative necessities. He emptied out the contents onto his desk and began sorting through the various items. There was a knock at the door. "It's open." he called, holding up a beautiful painting of an eagle in flight. <Where should I hang this one?> 

The door opened and Tony stuck his head into the room. "Out shopping, huh? Never figured you for the domestic type." 

David shrugged and sat the painting on the bed. "I figured the place could use some decoration. Military drab is so....boring." He leaned against the desk. "So what's up?" 

"Well, I've been thinking." 

David rolled his eyes. "Oh, no." 

"Funny guy." Tony leaned against the door. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could schedule a session in the simulators for us, before we go out on patrol tomorrow." 

"I could probably do that." David rubbed his chin. "Yeah, I should be able to do that. Why?" 

"I figured that we could run through some tactics and stuff with Lauren and Charles, before we go out together." 

David slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that? Damn, Tony, that's a great idea." He pushed off from the desk. "Let's head down to the front desk and place a few calls, okay?" 

Arranging time in the simulators wasn't difficult, since patrol strengths had been doubled in the aftermath of the Saturn's Rings battle. The brass was extremely concerned that the enemy might launch a surprise attack of their own, and was taking every possible precaution. David was surprised that anyone had been given time off, with such concerns running rampant. 

After confirming their reservations, David left messages for both Lauren and Charles, informing them of the scheduled training, as well as extending a dinner invitation, to be served at a little Italian restaurant near the compound. <Hope they like Italian.> David mused as he headed back to his room, Tony in tow. 

"So what you got going this afternoon, boss?" Tony inquired as they headed back to David's room. 

"I think I'm gonna lounge around and read some books." David shook his head disgustedly. "Military manuals. On how to be a good leader." 

"Sounds like great stuff." Tony drawled. "Better you than me." David chuckled. "Don't count your chickens, Tony. You'd better read some of them, too. You're next in line of command." He laughed at the look on Tony's face. "You can have them while I'm down in maintenance." 

"Maintenance? You too?" Tony laughed. "I've got an appointment down there at 1330." 

"1420 for me. They're got my VT back together, and I want to go through the systems personally." David sighed. "Just to be sure." 

"Don't trust them techies, 'eh?" Tony smiled a knowing smile. "Me either." He glanced at his watch. "Well, I hate to run off on you, but I'm going to head into Macross." 

"Going shopping, Tony?" David asked sarcastically. "Nah, Chris asked me out to lunch." He shrugged. "I guess she likes me." 

"You said that last night, too, Tony." David tapped his temple. "Methinks I sense a pattern here." 

"Sure you do, boss. She likes me." 

David grinned. "Well, haul your ass then, boy. Don't keep the lady waiting." 

"I'm gonna find you a woman, boss." Tony joked as he headed for the door. "A real good one." 

"No thanks, Tony. I can get myself into trouble all by myself." Tony laughed out loud. 

"I know, I saw you and that woman last night at the White Dragon." He pursed his lips. "My boss, the womanizer." 

David grabbed a towel out of one of the shopping bags and threw it at Tony's retreating form. 

[] 

David glanced at his watch as he hurried down the corridor. <1415. Damn. I'd better hustle if I'm gonna get to the repair hangar on time.> He quickened his pace a little more, ignoring the pain of his bruised muscles, his thoughts drifting. Orders had come down - Delta Flight was assigned to patrol duty in the morning, and since Gamma Wing was now part of Delta Flight, that meant that his Wing was on patrol duty, too. <My Wing. God, I don't think I'll ever get used to that.> He was glad that Tony had prompted him to schedule a simulator session for them. They would need all the help they could get, especially if the enemy decided to attack. 

At least some of the NightHawks had gotten a respite from the daily grind, however brief it actually was. After the previous night's festivities, it was desperately needed. Half of the squadron hadn't shown up at the barracks, and Commander Landers was in a foul mood over that. He couldn't quite repress a smile at the thought. <Boy, was she steamed at Tamara last night. Hoo boy.> His smile grew as he remembered that morning. <And she had such a surprised expression on her face when she spotted me in her bed. Man, what a week!> 

Still, the thought of the young Sergeant from S&R brought with it a twinge of regret. David felt guilty over having gotten information out of her in the manner that he did, and wasn't sure how to deal with it. That, and her seductive posturing at the White Dragon during the after-ceremony party, had David confused - and concerned. <What am I getting myself into here? Damn, as if one woman wasn't enough to worry about.> He didn't have time to wonder about it, though, for he turned a corner and promptly ran face-first into someone, falling backwards and landing on his backside. 

He looked up from the floor, where he had come to rest after the unexpected impact, to see Tony leaning against the wall, rubbing his chin. "Damn, boss." Tony muttered. "Don't you ever watch where you're going?" 

David groaned as he climbed back to his feet. "I should ask the same of you. By the way, how can a skinny ass guy like you pack so much punch?" David rubbed his nose. "Feels like I ran into a destroid or something." 

"Vitamins, boss. You should try 'em." Laughing, Tony slapped David on the shoulder. "So where you headed in such a hurry?" 

"Mecha hangar. I've got that appointment with my poor ol' Veritech." David shrugged. "We've got patrol first thing in the morning, oh-six hundred." 

"Damn, that's early." He waved down the corridor, towards the mecha hangar. "Anyway, I hope you like being all by yourself." Tony said, grimacing. David gave him a questioning look and Tony continued. "They've rescheduled just about everybody for the next hour. Damned assholes didn't even tell anyone." 

David sighed. "Great. That means I won't be able to get in there until this evening, after our simulator training." He angrily stomped his foot on the floor. "There goes my night's sleep! Damn!" 

"Actually, you're the only one who _wasn't_ rescheduled, boss. Lucky you." 

"Really?" David asked, surprised. "That's nice to know. I wonder why?" David mused, thinking about the plans he had for later that evening. "Ah hell, as long as they don't screw up my plans for tonight." 

"Why, boss?" Tony inquired jokingly. "You got a hot date or something?" 

David hesitated a moment. "Well....I don't know if I'd call it a 'hot' date..." <I'm not sure what I'd call it.> He smiled, Vanessa's face appearing in his mind's eye. 

"Wha...?" Tony broke into a broad grin. "And here I am trying to find you a woman!" 

"I told you that I could get into trouble on my own." David smiled slightly, waggling a finger in Tony's face. "And don't you even ask me who it is because I'm not going to tell you." 

Tony feigned a hurt look, then smiled again. "Doesn't matter. I'll hear about it tomorrow morning anyways. The grapevine, you know." 

David punched him in the shoulder. "Oh, get your ass outta here! I've got work to do." 

"Yeah, sure. You certain you don't want me to come along. To...double-check your work?" Tony gave him a sly look. "After all, I know more about the systems than you." " 

I'm sure I can find a way to manage without you." David drawled. "Now get going. I'll meet you at the White Dragon for dinner tonight. Say, 1800 hours?" 

"You got it, boss." Tony gave him a sloppy salute and headed down the corridor. 

"Don't forget about simulator training at 1900 hours!" David shouted at Tony's retreating back, then turned and began walking towards the mecha hangar. He glanced at his watch again. <Damn! Better hustle!> 

[] 

David glanced at his watch as he entered corridor 12C. <Ah, good. 1420. I should be right on time.> He looked up and saw a familiar figure leaning against one wall, a welcoming smile on her face. He waved to her, and she waved back, her smile growing wider. <Well, maybe I'll have a chance to apologize to her after all.> 

David slowed slightly as he approached Sergeant Sam'di. She was still standing there, that all-too welcoming smile on her lips. The short hairs on the back of his neck twitched. <Something's strange here. I feel like I'm being watched.> His gaze flicked around the corridor, to the many small hallways branching off from it. Shadows and light playing tricks in the corners. <Must be my imagination.> 

The explosion caught him completely off guard. 

The corridor in front of him erupted with a deafening roar, dissolving into a roiling cloud of flame and black smoke. The corridor came completely apart, a chasm almost 6 meters wide appearing where the floor used to be. He lost sight of Tamara almost immediately, catching a fleeting glimpse of her falling backwards, away from the gaping hole, before the cloud of smoke obscured her. "Tamara!" he shouted. There was a shriek of twisting metal and David looked up as several large sheets of metal peeled away from the ceiling. David knew in his gut where they were going to land, but didn't have time to shout a warning before they slammed down where Tamara had fallen. David could hear her screaming as the sheets fell, could hear her scream stop abruptly as the sheets struck. 

<Oh, God, no.> he thought numbly. "Tamara!" he shouted, stepping up to the edge of the jagged chasm. "Tamara, answer me!" As the smoke cleared slightly he saw her, lying amid a mass of twisted metal. One leg was lying there, amputated from her body, and a jagged piece of metal was protruding from her chest. She wasn't moving. "God, _TAMARA_!" 

He glanced down again, mentally gauging the distance across the chasm, trying to determine if he could successfully leap across the gap. <There ain't no way I can leap that. SHIT!> He stood there for a moment before calling out, "Tamara! I'm going for help! Don't worry! I'll be right back!" <God, what the hell is going on here?> he cursed as he turned and began sprinting back the way he had come. He raced down the hallway, skidded around the corner, and continued down the next hallway. He had barely gone four steps when a figure appeared around the far corner, hustling towards David. "Thank God!" David gasped, recognizing the figure. "Tony!" David slid to a stop, panting. 

Tony ran up and looked around. "What the hell was that noise?" 

David's voice faltered as he gasped for air. "Explosion... 12C... someone... it's bad." 

Tony's eyes widened. "What? Shit! Lead the way!" David took a deep breath and began racing back towards corridor 12C, Tony right behind him. 

"C'mon! Hurry!" David shouted, "She's dying!" <If she's not dead already.> They turned the final corner, and slid to a stop. 

The corridor was undamaged. 

Tamara was nowhere to be seen. 

It was as if nothing had happened. 

"What the fu...What's going on here?!" David shouted, his body beginning to shake. 

Tony looked around, then laid a hand on David's shoulder. "Man, that was not funny, boss." 

David sank to his knees and took several deep breaths, fighting to control the sudden surge of adrenaline that was coursing though him. "Do I look like I'm laughing?" he rasped. The bruises he had gotten during the Battle of Saturn's Rings were begin to ache something fierce. 

Tony knelt down beside him. "No you don't. But there's nothing here. No injured people. Nothing. How do you explain it?" 

David shook his head. "I don't know. I know what I saw. Christ, the corridor blew up right in front of me. Tamara was standing right there, and metal fell from the ceiling and hit her." He shuddered as he remembered the sights and sounds. "It was so real." He glanced around the corridor again, a thought dancing at the edge of his consciousness, but he couldn't quite grasp it. 

Tony looked at David with concern in his eyes. "Boss...ah...maybe you imagined it. I mean, you've been under a lot of stress the last few days." 

"Stress?" David spat. "Seeing a corridor blow up in front of your eyes, and then find out that it didn't after all, _THAT'S_ stress!" 

"Calm down!" Tony said quickly, raising his hands defensively. "I didn't say you _did_ imagine it. I think I know you well enough...you're not the kind that imagines things. I mean, I heard something that sounded like an explosion, but there's nothing here. There were no alarms. No damage control teams. Nothing. I don't understand this." 

"Neither do I, damn it!" David cursed, leaping to his feet. "I was right here!" He stabbed a finger towards the place where Tamara had been standing. "She was right there! This whole section went up in flames! I saw it! I heard it! I felt it!" David slammed a fist against the wall. "I am _NOT_ losing my mind!" He winced as his hand began to ache. 

"That was smart. You trying to break something?" Tony inquired. 

"Of course not. But this doesn't make any sense. I was here. She was there. The explosion threw her down over there.... threw her down..." David turned, one hand rising to cover his mouth and chin. "Wait a second." he hissed through his fingers. "It threw her down, but I don't remember feeling a concussion. No shock wave from the blast." He turned and looked at the corridor. "I should've been thrown backwards from that explosion." 

"So?" 

"So either I imagined the whole thing," David answered slowly, " Or..." <Or what? Someone faked it? Can't be...but it's the only other explanation.> 

Tony waited for David to continue. When he didn't, Tony asked "Or what?" 

"Or else it was staged." David shook his head. "But how would they stage something like that? I mean, I was gone for no more that ten, twenty seconds at most. No way they could fake all that and clean it up that quick." 

Tony nodded slowly, giving David an odd look. "So that means you imagined the whole thing, doesn't it?" 

David slapped his temples. "I can't have. It's impossible. Isn't it?" 

"Maybe, but I heard something too. It might have been a muffled explosion." Tony offered, thinking. "But how could we both hear something that wasn't here? Some kind of drug? Gas?" 

"I don't do drugs." David replied. "And gas is kinda indiscriminate." 

"Delayed effects from the booze last night?" Tony asked 

"I only had three glasses of beer, you had even less than that." David shook his head. "Try again." 

Tony thought a moment. "Hell, maybe it's sunstroke." 

"Both of us? The sun's many millions of miles from here Tony." David pointed out. "Thus, no sun to speeak of." 

"Not if those EVE engineers get that holographic sky going." Tony retorted. "But that doesn't help us figure out...wait a minute!" He glanced sharply at David. 

David picked up on the hint, his eyes narrowing. "Holograph?" He turned and slowly began examining the corridor with his eyes. "Could someone have set up a holographic projector in here?" 

"I don't know much about the stuff." Tony answered, coming up to stand next to David. "I guess they could have. But why?" 

David pondered that for a moment. "Too make me look like I'm cracking up? I mean, what if I had gotten someone else to come down here? What would they think?" 

"That you were out of your mind." Tony said. "I see your point. But why? Who would want to do that?" 

<I've been asking a lot of questions about Izabelle lately. Maybe it was her, or that Braywater guy. Tamara said he was an engineer of some sort.> "I on't know... it may be that I've made some enemies." He held up a hand to cut off Tony's protests. "It's still a big 'if', Tony. Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet. For now, I want you to do me a favor." 

Tony nodded. "Anything, boss. You name it." 

"I want you to talk to those EVE engineers you mentioned and find out all you can about holographic imaging." David rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If this was a set-up, someone had to have gotten the equipment someplace. And check to see who authorized all the rescheduling today. Someone went out of their way to make sure I was the only one here." 

Tony smiled. "I can do that. What are you going to do now?" 

David sighed. "Well, I'm going to go work on my Veritech like I was supposed to, then I'm going to run down to Sick Bay." 

Tony shot him a curious glance. "Why?" 

David swallowed. "Because I want to make sure that I'm _NOT_ losing my mind." 

"Why is it that things never seem to go as I planned?" David mused as he waited for the doctor to return. Repairs to his Veritech had taken longer than expected, and the results from the medical tests that had been run on him hadn't come back yet. David glanced at his watch again and cursed. <I've only got half an hour left here guys! Let's get a move-on!> 

He sighed, climbed off the medical table, and began looking around the small room. After several minutes of looking through gauze pads, cotton swabs, and other miscellaneous medical materials, David's impatience was nearing its limits. Luckily, the door swung open and the doctor entered the room. "Ah, there you are." the young man, who looked to be no more than twenty. "Your results are back, Sergeant." 

David counted to ten, calming himself slightly. "Listen, doctor. I only came in this damned place complaining of a brief dizzy spell! I _DO_ have other appointments to keep, you know. What the hell took so long?" 

The doctor blushed. "Ah, well... our diagnostic computer kept giving improper readings. We, ah, we had to re-boot the system." 

"Improper readings? What kind of improper readings?" David's voice shook with barely contained anger. "I'd really like to know." 

"Well, first off I can tell you that we've determined that there's nothing physically wrong." The doctor paged through the papers on his clipboard. "Ah, all tests came back negative. Nothing physically wrong that we can determine." 

"What improper readings, doctor?" 

The young man's blush deepened. "Well, the computer kept telling us that you were... are... that is, the computer said that you were pregnant." 

David gaped at him for a moment, then turned on his heel and stomped out. 

Forward to Chapter 18. 
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