Chapter 20David pulled himself out of the cockpit, vainly trying to ignore the jackhammer in his head. He still suffered from the pounding headache that had been bothering his since early morning. It was shaping up to be a wonderful day. <At least the aliens didn't decide to attack during my patrol again.> David mused. The other three members of his Wing walked up. Tony was grinning from ear to ear. "You look like crap, boss." "Thanks a lot, Tony." David stretched and scratched his head. "I had a rough night, so be nice to me." "Aw, poor baby. Did that Lieutenant wear you out?" Tony laughed. David shifted uncomfortably under the piercing gaze that Lauren was directing at him. <What's she mad about? Aw hell, I'mm find out sooner or later, I guess.> "To answer your question, Tony, no she didn't. We had a nice time, that's all. Just lasted a bit longer than I expected." "That's all? Aw, c'mon David..." Tony pleaded. David frowned, his headache increasing in intensity. "Tony, I have a massive headache right now, and don't feel like talking about things that didn't happen, okay?" "Sure boss." Tony relented. "I guess I can wait."
"So, David. What was she like?" David regarded Tony with a neutral gaze. "You sure didn't wait long. The aspirin hasn't even taken hold yet." Tony continued to stare, and David added, "I'm not going to tell you, no matter how many times you ask." "Aw, c'mon! I fixed you two up!" Tony threw his hands up in frustration. "The least you could do is give me a few juicy details or something." David thought for a moment, allowing his gaze to wander around the massive lounge they were in. All the pilots from the 0600 patrol rotation were in the lounge, standing by in case there was trouble. David fervently hoped that there wouldn't be. Clearing away such thoughts, he leaned forward. "You want details, Tony? Okay, try this." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We met. We went out. We had fun. We went home. End of story." Tony snorted. "Some details." "Use your imagination." David fired back, smiling. "Besides, would you want me asking for intimate details about you and Chris?" Tony blanched, and Charles, who was busy studying a technical manual, said, "Those two were out all last night, too. Went to Canberra's, from what I hear." David whistled. Canberra's was one of the most elegant and expensive restaraunts in Macross City. "God, Tony, dinner at that place costs more than you make in a month! Just how serious are you two?" Tony shrugged. "She likes me." "Now who's not giving the juicy details?" Lauren interjected from her seat near the center of the room. Tony rolled his eyes. "How long do I have to put up with this abuse?" he asked sarcastically. David glanced at his watch. "Only another hour 'til Theta Flight finishes it's patrol and takes over for us." He chuckled. "Then you can see Chris again, you horny devil you." Tony groaned. "Wonderful. Everyone's a comedian!" One of the pilots from Orange Squadron called out, "Vid call for David Marshall!" "Don't say a word." David commented, directing a warning glare at Tony. He stepped up to the vid phone and keyed in his ID number. The screen flashed and Vanessa's face appeared. She was in uniform, and David could tell that she was on the bridge. "Well, hello Vanessa." "Hi, David. I have a question for you." She glanced over her shoulder. "I'm on duty, so I'll have to make this quick." "Shoot." She hesitated a moment before asking, "Would you like to go out tonight?" David could discern giggles in the background, and figured that Kim and Sammy where somewhere near. "I'd love to. When and where?" "Let's meet by the fountain at 1900 hours. Okay?" David thought for a moment. "You're on. See you there." She smiled at him, but something caught her eye, and she paled. "Oh, no!" She looked into the video pick-up. "David, I have to go! You'd better get yourself to the flight deck!" Before he could say anything, she cut the connection. David regarded the blank screen for a moment, wondering what it was that had shaken Vanessa up so much. He had a bad feeling and hurried over to the rest of his Wing. "Guys, get your stuff together. I think we go trouble coming." "What makes you say that?" Lauren asked, standing up and stretching. Without warning, the alarm klaxon began shrieking it's warbling cry. David sighed. "Just a hunch. Let's go!"
The battle lasted the better part of an hour, the alien forces coming in wave after wave of pods. There weren't as many as the previous day, however, and David got the eerie feeling that the enemy was feeling out the SDF-1's defenses, probing for a weakness of some sort. Casualties among the defense forces were light this time, and once again the NightHawks emerged unscathed. David wondered how long the luck would hold out. He had spent nearly the entire day in his room, sleeping soundly until around 1500 hours. He showered, shaved, and dressed in his best civilian clothes. He still had three hours to kill after all that, and decided to spend it in Macross City's central park, admiring the scenery. A while later he was wandering through a tree-lined grove when a mobile vid-phone came careening down the path, it's mechnical voice crying out, "Call for David Marshall! David Marshall, you have a call!" David chuckled as it drew closer. "Over here! I'm David Marshall." The mobile phone scampered over to him, adjusting itself so that the screen was at eye level. He keyed in his ID code, wondering who was calling him at this hour. <I hope Vanessa isn't cancelling our date.> The screen flickered and a very familiar face appeared. David hissed her name out through clenched teeth. "Izabelle..." Something about her was different, however, and it took David a moment to figure out what it was. Her hair was back to it's original color, and it was shorter than before. She was smiling humorlessly into the video pick-up. "What do you want, Lieutenant Fate?" he growled. She shook her head. "David, this is Christina. Christina Leeds." Davids thought processes came to an immediate stop, and time seemed to slow. "I just wanted to say that I forgive you for stealing my Veritech. Did you have to wreck it, though? Oh well. However, I can't really forgive you for killing me. That was a bit over the top, don't you think?" David struggled to find his voice, but it was lodged inside his chest. He could feel it there, growing hotter each passing second. All he could do was glare at Izabelle as she continued to speak. "Still, at least you brought me back. Thanks a lot." She smiled innocently. "I just wanted to tell you all this. Hope it helps to salve your conscience. Bye!" The connection terminated. The heat in David's chest burst into a raging inferno, and he growled unintelligibly, reaching out and seizing the mobile unit by the console, lifting it completely off the ground. It squealed in protest, but he kept it up in the air, tempted to throw it as far away as he could, his body quaking violently as he fought to control his rage. Through his anger-clouded mind a thought burst forth, and he dropped the mobile until back to the ground. He pulled a coin from his pocket and shoved it into the slot, punching up the number for the operator. After a moment, a plain-looking woman's face appeared. "Macross operator. May I help you?" David struggled to keep his voice steady. "Yes, you can. A call was just made to this unit, to me, and I need to know where it came from." The woman raised her eyebrows at this. "I'm sorry sir, but that information is not normally given to civilians." David fought down the urge to shout at the woman, keeping his voice calm and even. "I'm not a civilian, ma'am. I'm a pilot, and it's vitally important that I find out where that call came from." David thought quickly. "You see, my...ah....my girlfriend and I just had a nasty fight, and she ran off. She just called and said she wanted to apologize, but I can't remember where she said she was." He tried to look as sheepish as possible. "I.... well, if you could help me, I would appreciate it a lot." The operator gave him a questioning look. "Trouble with your girlfriend, eh?" She smiled at him. "Well, it's highly irregular, but I suppose I could do it just this once." David sighed with authentic relief. "Thank you!" The woman simply nodded as she began typing commands into her console. After a moment she read off the information that appeared there. "The call originated from the Requisitions Warehouse. Quad 3, Sector 7, Bay 4." She smiled. "Your lady sure picked an out of the way place to meet you." "She doesn't like being around crowds." he replied, shrugging. "Thank you very much." He cut the connection and began sprinting towards the warehouse.
He arrived shortly thereafter, slightly winded, anger-fueled adrenaline giving him added strength and stamina. A large sign out front of the building read "Requisitions and Supply Storage Facility. Quadrant 3, Sector 7. Authorized personnel only." David walked up to the man-sized door and tried to open it. It was locked. <Damn! Now what?> He glanced around and noticed that there was a key-card reader next to the door. <Hmmmm.... what clearance level do you have to have to get in here, I wonder?> He pulled out his ID card and swiped it past the magnetic reader, punching in his personal ID code. The door remained locked. <Damn.> He thought for a moment then kicked the door once, hard. It remained closed. "Damn! Now what do I do?" He almost screamed in shock as the door swung open, a wrinkled face peering out. David quickly recovered and saw that the face belonged to an old man, who appeared to be in his late sixties or early seventies. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice gruff. David thought quickly. "I was supposed to meet a friend here." "I'm the only one here, boy." the man replied. "And I ain't your friend." <Ooooookay.> "Ah, she said to meet her at the warehouse at Quad 3, Sector 7." He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Bay 4, to be exact." "Bay 4? There's nothing in there except spare parts from a wrecked Valkyrie." The man hawked, spat, and shook his head. "Your friend's not in here, so get lost!" David held up a hand. "But she said she was calling from here, honest! Couldn't she have made the call and then left or something?" The man stepped outside. "Listen, the only way to get into this building is to have the proper pass-card. Unless your friend works in either supply or requisitions, she couldn't get in here. Period." David's body began shaking as the adrenaline rush began to fade. "I see.... then I guess she must've been lying to me." "Looks like, son." The man stepped back into the doorway. His expression softened for a moment. "Sorry I couldn't be of any help." "No problem." David replied softly, turning back towards Macross City. He paused, then turned to face the man again. "Ah, could I ask a favor?" The man looked at him suspiciously. "Like what sort of favor?" David tried to look as innocent as possible. "My friend may have left a message or note or something for me. Could I possibly come inside and look?" "You've got to be kidding! I could lose my job if I did that! I worked hard to get this position, and I'm not going to lose it now." "Please, it'll only take a few minutes." David pleaded. "I'll look around and leave, honest. You can search me if you're afraid that I'll try and steal something." He held his hands out from his sides. "I only want to make sure she didn't leave me a message, that's all." The man frowned. "What's your name?" "Me? David Marshall. Why?" The man smirked. "In case I get in trouble for this, you're gonna hear it too." "Fair enough. Can I come inside now?" "I suppose." The man stepped aside. "Just make sure you don't take anything that doesn't belong to you."
Bay 4 was crammed from wall to wall with huge stacks of cardboard boxes, all cryptically labelled and numbered. David looked around, trying to figure out exactly what he was looking for. <This must be the proverbial haystack, I do believe.> He spotted a vid phone terminal mounted on a wall, and headed for it. A quick examination revealed it to be fully functional. "Okay, now what?" he wondered aloud, glancing around. He walked over to a small table and picked up a clipboard and began thumbing through the papers it held. <Hmmmm.... parts inventory list. Looks like parts for a mecha of some sort. What was it that guy said? A wrecked Valkyrie? Wonder who's it was.> He flipped back to the front page. <Aw, shit. "Salvageable materials list, VT-133." Christina's Valkyrie. Wonderful.> David dropped the clipboard with a groan. <This is getting really strange.> He looked over the other items on the table. Several technical orders detailing maintenance proceedures, some miscellaneous tools, and a small box. He picked the box up and looked at the label. "Unclassifiable items." he murmured. "Well, let's see what they consider to be unclassifiable." He popped open the box and rummaged through its contents, mumbling to himself as he did so. "Hmmm... yep, I guess that would be unclassifiable. I can't tell what the hell that is. Or that. Or that. Wait a minute, what's this?" He pulled out a small, badly charred piece of paper. He sat the box down and examined the paper. It wasn't a scrab of paper at all, but a blackened photograph. It showed a man and woman standing close together, with the SDF-1 in the background. <Must be an old picture....the SDF-1 doesn't look finished yet.> He looked closer at the couple. The woman he recognized immediately - it was Christina Leeds. The man, however, he didn't recognize. He stood roughly six feet tall, David assumed, and had chin-length blonde hair. <Cute couple. Wonder who he is?> He turned the photo over. There was part of a word visible. "Jalli... Jalli? What kind of word is Jalli?" Realization dawned. David remembered the obituary Tony and the rest of his Wing has been puzzling over the previous morning. Tamara's friend, the one who killed himself. David harumphed and tucked the photo into a pocket. <Not like I'm stealing a MEMIC or something like that.> He quickly glanced around the room. "Man, this was a waste of time. Nothing here." he said loudly, for the old man's benefit. He walked out of the bay and saw the mystery man standing there. "I'm done." The man walked up and looked David over. "You take anything out of there?" "No." David held his arms out. "Want to search me and make sure?" The man motioned towards the door. "No thanks. Just haul you ass out of here before someone finds you in here." David turned and headed for the door. "Thanks a lot!" The man smirked at him. "Uh-huh."
David's thoughts were in turmoil as he headed back to Macross City. He hadn't found anything at the warehouse to shed light on the mysterious phone call from Izabelle, other than a burnt scrap of a photograph. What really had him confused was why she placed the call in the first place. If she was nervous about him asking questions about her, there were more subtle ways to get him off the trail. A stunt like that phone call would only serve to highten his suspicions and make him more inclined to ask more questions. He slowed his pace. <Why am I so certain that Izabelle's behind this?> he wondered. Sure, Izabelle resembled Christina Leeds, but it was possible that there was a logical explanation for that. Maybe someone else was behind the phone call. But who would have reason to pull such a stunt? David couldn't think of a single person that would have a grudge that large against him. Still, David found it hard to go against his gut feeling - that there was something odd about Izabelle, that there was more to her than met the eye. The similarities between her and Christina were just too many, and too detailed to be blithely ignored. And the fact that Vanessa had thought her to be Christina - her own sister! - the first time they met was a powerful indicator that there was something to his suspicions. There had to be a way to verify - or invalidate - his suspicions, and David wracked his brain to think of such a way. Problem was, there were no private investigators on the ship, and convincing the authorities that something was amiss, purely on the power of his hunch, would land him in a psychiatric ward, or worse. No, there had to be some other, more accessible way. David happened to catch a glimpse of himself in the window-front of a computer store, and stopped to check out his reflection. <Not bad.... not bad at all.> He smiled. <Look ma! No wrinkles, for once!> He chuckled to himself and turned away from the store. An idea struck him, and he paused. <Computers.... computer records? Maybe there's something in the ship's computer records that can help me... Now, all I need to know is how to get at that information.>
David entered the store, a smile on his face. The man behind the counter smiled up at him as he entered. "Welcome to Raul's Computers! I'm Raul McMahon. How may help you?" David glanced around as he stepped up to the counter. "I need the services of a computer expert." "You've come to the right place!" Raul boasted. "I know everything there is about computer systems. You tell me what you want, I'll put it together." David shook his head. "I must not have made myself clear enough. I need someone who can access and read data from remote computer systems." He leaned closer. "I do believe that they're called 'hackers'." Raul stepped back. "Hey, I run a legitimate business here. I don't deal with that shady stuff." David raised a hand. "I'm not saying that you do. I'm just looking for someone to point me in the right direction." He reached into his pocket and produced a small roll of cash. <Good thing I don't spend a lot of money.> "I need to get hold of some information, some information that I am unable to find by myself." "Well..." David sat the cash on the counter. <Think fast, David.> "Listen, this is important. I'm trying to track down a shady character. Been messing around with things better left alone. But he's slick - can't catch him in the act. I need someone who can get into the ship's computer systems and get me the information needed to nab this creep." "You an MP?" Raul leaned forward. David shrugged. "Something like that. I don't want to use my name, of course, but this is of vital importance." He lowered his voice, causing Raul to lean close in order to hear him. "If you can point me to the people I need, I would be forever grateful. There are many lives at stake." Raul rubbed his chin, considering the offer. "You're looking for whoever murdered those gang-bangers the other day, aren't you?" "What?" David asked, then winced. <Stupid!> Raul gestured wildly. "Not that I know anything about it, you know. I know that no one's supposed to know it was murder or anything, but people talk, you know? All that commotion couldn't be ignored, right?" David wondered what Raul was talking about. Raul leaned forward. "I head that whoever killed those guys went out of their way to mutilate the bodies, too." <Murdered gang-bangers? Hmmmm... that might be my ticket.> David nodded slowly. "Well... yes, that's exactly who I'm looking for. We need to catch the culprit before more people get hurt." He straightened. "If you help me, your secrecy is assured, Mr. McMahon." David smiled reassuringly. "I can guarantee it. No one will ever know that I talked to you." Raul though a moment more. "I don't know if I can help you or not, mister. It might take some doing to find out." David nodded reassuringly. "I completely understand, Mr. McMahon. You do what you can to find someone that can help me, and I'll check back in a day or so. That is, if it won't be a bother for you?" "No, no bother at all!" Raul straightened, smiling. "If it'll help track down that murderer, I'd be happy to help. Stop by here tomorrow... I should have some information by then. Okay?" "Okay. See you tomorrow, then."
Vanessa showed up right on time, a smile on her face. She was dressed in a tan skirt, pale green blouse, and plaid jacket. David smiled as she walked up. "Well, hello there, gorgeous." She smiled. "You like?" "I like." He stood up and held out his hand. "Would madam care for a walk around town?" She took his hand. "I'd love to." "So, where's Kim and Sammy?" he asked as they walked down the path leading to the city. "They had other things to do tonight." she replied, smiling. She looked like the cat who had eaten the canary. "Ah, I see." he shook his head, chuckling. She poked him in the ribs. "What are you laughing at?" "Ouch!" He yelped, rubbing his side. "I was laughing at you, actually. Never seen you so, ah, 'bubbly.'" "Bubbly?" She poked him again. "Bubbly? Are you accusing me of being a bimbo or something?" David stepped back, trying to fend off her poking fingers. "No! No! Not that!" He began laughing. "You just seem so much more....well, alive, I guess." "It's been a good day." she answered. David walked up beside her. "Really? Why?" She opened her mouth, paused, then said simply, "I can't say." David frowned. "Can't? Why?" "Why? Why ask why?" She giggled. "I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone, that's why." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "I talked to someone a little while ago, and they gave me some really good news. But they made me promise not to tell anyone." "Good news that you can't tell anyone, eh?" David smiled. "Promotion?" She shook her head. "Ah, Re-assignment?" Another shake. "You're pregnant?" "You rat!" she blurted, smacking him. "Of course I'm not pregnant! How could I be pregnant?" David couldn't resist a lewd smile. "Well, I thought they usually taught that sort of thing in school, you know? I'd be happy to show you, though." She smacked him again. "Keep it up, mister, and I'll fix it so that _YOU_ wind up pregnant." He grabbed himself. "Ooooh! That would smart!" He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I promise to behave myself, then. Honest." She waggled a finger at him. "You'd better. Now, are you hungry?" "I could eat, yeah." he admitted. "Why? What did you have in mind?" "There's a new steakhouse that opened today. I wanted to try it out." She shrugged. "And I didn't want to go alone." David grinned. "You could've taken Kim and Sammy along if you didn't want to be alone, you know." She looked down at her feet. "I know. But you're a different matter, David. I really like you." "A different matter? Makes me sound like a criminal or something." He sniffed several times, adopting a sorrowful appearance. "She thinks I'm a 'different matter'.... oh, the agony!" She wrapped her hands around his neck and squeezed. "You want agony? I'll give you agony!" "I surrender! I surrender!" He wheezed, sticking his tongue out and making gasping noises. "Uncle! Uncle!" She let go, and he rubbed his neck. "Damn... have you been working out or something?" "Oh, shut up and get moving. I'm hungry."
David inhaled deeply, savoring the acrid tang of grill-cooked meat, not quite willing to wonder where they had managed to procure the steaks and other cuts of meat. His curiosity had served him well often before, but there were times when ignorance was definitely bliss. This was one of those times. "So, what do you think of Lang's plan to reverse the transformation?" she asked. David thought for a moment. Doctor Lang had come to the conclusion that the entire PinPoint Barrier system needed to be re-vamped, and wanted the ship transformed back into what was being called "cruising" mode by some, in order to have more space to work. At least, that's what he had been hearing. "Well, if they reverse the modular transformation, that'll mean that we'll be unable to fire the main gun. And the Daedalus Maneuver won't be available, either." "They've been having trouble with the main guns ever since the transformation, so it's not as if we'd be able to use it anyways." She shrugged. "And the barrier will still be operational in cruiser mode, at least until they find a way to increase it's power, so we're not completely defenseless." He shook his head. "I'm just a pilot. I get in my plane, I fly, I shoot at the enemy and try not to get myself filled with holes. These life-or-death strategic decisions are way beyond me." She patted his arm. "The pure and simple life for you, huh?" "I'm not sure about the pure part..." he drawled, waggling his eyebrows at her. She giggled, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You sure do know how to make a person laugh." she commented, catching her breath. He shrugged. "It's a talent, I guess." She seemed to be focusing her thoughts. "David, you know that I like you a lot..." <Uh oh... I've heard this opening line before.> "Yeah?" She hesitated, staring at her hands, which were clenched in her lap. "I.. well... don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not ready for any sort of commitment yet." David tried his best to keep from looking hurt. <And once again he goes down in flames.> "What exactly are you saying, Vanessa?" "It's just that... that I don't think I could handle having a boyfriend or anything like that right now." She sighed. "I don't want to hurt you or anything, it's just how I feel." He nodded and extended his hand to her. "Friends, then?" Her eyes met his. "You're not upset?" "Well, I wouldn't go that far...." he smiled at her, "but I'm willing to be your friend, if you want me to." She took his hand in both of hers. "I want you to, David. I really do." He sighed. "At least there's always the possibility of something happening eventually, right?" She nodded slowly, her eyes sparkling. "You never know, David." Just then the cook came forward, carrying two plates. On each was a steaming steak, and David found his mouth watering at the sight. The cook set down their meals and quickly departed for the kitchen. David admired the enormous slab of beef that lay upon his plate. "My God, I don't think I'll be able to eat all this." He picked up a bottle of steak sauce and poured a small puddle of it on his plate. "It is a bit large, isn't it?" She grabbed a knife and fork and began cutting her steak into bite-sized pieces. "Smells wonderful." "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" David used his fork to spear a piece of steak from her plate, quickly dabbing it in the steak sauce on his plate and placing it in his mouth. "Delicious!" She threatened him with her knife. "I only forgive my friends so much, David, so keep your fork to yourself." She stabbed a piece of steak and began chewing. "Oh, this is great! Perfect end to the day. Survived the alien attack. Made it through my shift without messing up. Found out that my sister's alive. And now this. What more could anyone want?" After a moment David's head shot up. <Christina's alive? What the...> and half-inhaled his steak. He coughed violently for several moments, then took a long swallow from his glass of water. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. He pounded the counter as he fought to catch his breath. "What did you say about your sister being alive?" he wheezed. Vanessa paled and placed a hand over her mouth. "Did I say that? Oh..." "Vanessa?" he asked. She offered him a lopsided smile. "That's what I promised not to tell anyone. Christina's alive, David. She's alive!" <That's impossible. She was dead as a doornail. No one could've survived those wounds.> He didn't say as much, though, forcing a smile. "Really? That's wonderful! I'm real happy for you." Vanessa sighed, and it looked like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I've been wanting to tell someone ever since she told me. I didn't even tell Kim and Sammy." She fixed him with a intense gaze. "You can't tell anyone I told you this." <Who the heck did she talk to? Who told her that Christina was alive?> He raised his right hand. "I swear, I won't tell a soul." He forked up another piece of steak. "So, where's she been hiding?" She paused for several seconds before speaking. "David, I'd really love to tell you, honest, but I promised her I wouldn't say _ANYTHING_, and I can't very well break a promise to my sister, can I?" <Maybe she's been hiding in plain sight?> he mused. <Maybe it was Izabelle... but why would she do that?> He straightened and grinned at Vanessa. "I understand. Now, let's eat before this gets cold!" "You bet!" she bubbled, the happiness she felt painfully obvious. David sighed inwardly as he turned back to his meal. Undoubtedly Izabelle, or someone claiming to speak for her, had gotten in touch with her. He was dying to ask Venessa some important questions, the answers to which might shed some light on his current dilemna, but he knew that she had made up her mind not to say anything more, and he didn't want to risk alienating her by pushing the subject. Still, there had to be a way to find out what was going on. His thoughts turned to Izabelle and the vid-call he had received earlier. It couldn't be a coincidence. <I don't know what you're game is, Izabelle, but I'm going to find out. You can count on it!>
Forward to Chapter 21.
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