Chapter 6

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I was about to hit the SDF's hull. So, with a snap decision, I changed into guardian mode while working hard to keep a grip on 001. Then, before the change was even completed, I pulled the legs forward and engaged the thrusters. Fortunately, this manuever prevented my impending impact with the fortress' hull. Unfortunately, it also pushed my mecha into an imbalanced spin. 

I yelped at this new, sickening sensation. My stomach still hadn't settled from it's previous little adventure, and this was adding insult to injury. I saw the stars, millions of them, spinning around the cockpit. Then I saw the SDF-1. And more stars. And then Macross Island. Then I saw more stars. Of course, then, briefly, a planet. I tried to double check, but all I could see now were stars and the SDF-1. 

After a few seconds of this, I was thoroughly confused, but I was getting used to it. In fact, a little part of my mind had already decided that all of this was absolutely normal and to be expected. It that part of my consciousness that moved my hand towards the comm switch and opened a random channel. It was that same part that calmly said, "This is VF-117... I have lost control of my Veritech, and I would really appreciate it if someone would come rescue me." 

One of my screens changed to an image of a male face, but I couldn't seem to focus on it. My eyes wouldn't stop spinning in their sockets. "VF-117," the man said, "this is VF-214. What is your position?" 

I had a little trouble responding to this request, because the confused part of my mind had taken over that calm little part. It was now telling my innards that it was time to spew, and my lungs that it really did want some oxygen about now. Meanwhile, I managed to squeeze out a few words: "Bay," "Five," and "Bee," before I threw up and passed out. 

A voice brought me back to consciousness. My mecha had stopped spinning, fortunately. The voice spoke again, "SHUT OFF your thrusters!" 

I said, "Ooops, sorry," as I killed the engines. "214? That you?" 

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm bringing you and your friend here back the Macross." He paused, then, "I'm not sure if he's gonna make it, though. He's torn up pretty badly, and he won't respond to any communications." 

"Right. Thanks," I replied. 

"Err... Ma'am?" 

"Yes." 

"This would be easier if you opened your eyes and helped out." 

I opened my eyes. The air was filled with floating bubbles of fluid. "214? Why isn't this stuff falling?" I asked, pointing to one of the larger bubbles. 

He looked at me strangely, and replied, "You're in space Ma'am. There's no gravity." 

"SPACE?" I bolted against my harness. "How did... Oh, yes... Right. Thank you, 214. I don't know what I was thinking... Ah... Um, my controls aren't responding entirely too well, and I don't think I'll be able to maneouver my Veritech back to the hangar." 

Still looking at me strangely, he nodded before I closed the channel. 

With a sigh, I thought: <I'm going to be in big trouble if they find out I'm a civilian. Somehow I'm going to have to convince them I'm Karl...> Looking down at my breasts, I said, "That might get a little difficult." 

[] 

Once I was back in a hangar bay, gravity was, somehow, restored. Of course, this meant all the little globules of puke fell into my lap. I changed back to fighter mode, and allowed myself to be taxied to an empty space. Unfortunately, I lost track of the VX-001. It was being moved to another bay, rather hurriedly, in fact. 

Getting out of the cockpit, I did my best to clean myself off while walking towards an exit. Before I could escape to safety, a familiar looking technician noticed me. 

"Lieutenant Landers," he yelled, jogging in my direction. I increased my pace, but he beat me to the door. He stopped in front of me, and saluted, so I saluted back. "I'm glad you made it back, Lieutenant." 

<Might as well make the best of this.> "Thanks... Ah... Could you return my Veritech to bay 5B? Also, I need to find out about where the other Veritech went... the one that was heavily damaged." 

"Certainly. If you could wait here, I'll get your Veritech taken care of, and I'll find out about that other mecha." 

"Ah... No. Could you just bring the information by my quarters? 

"Of course, Ma'am. Anything else?" he asked. He was looking at me oddly, and his eyes were glazing. 

"No... I just need to go relax a bit. This has all been a little too much for me. Thanks anyway," I said, edging my way around him. <This guy's turning weird on me.> "I'll see you later," I said, as I was backing through the exit. His expression had changed completely now, and had become the look puppies give you when you're leaving them. 

I hurried down the hallway, dodging this technician or that pilot, hoping I wouldn't catch anybody I knew. And, before I knew it, I had lost my way entirely. I wouldn't have been able to make it back to that hangar if I had tried. So, I stopped and looked around. I was standing directly in front of a doorway with a squadron insignia on it: A black, flying hawk on a starry blue background. Underneath, in stencilled characters, was: "NightHawks." My brother's squadron. 

I had gotten myself lost, and found myself in exactly the place I wanted to go. I pondered this as I opened the door, revealing a short hallway. The walls were white, but had the squadron's colour, gold, running the walls and doors in trim. There were three doors here, one on the left, the right, and at the end of the hall. I didn't want to go in the CO's quarters, as he didn't know me, but he knew... had known my brother. 

So, I opened the door on the right, which led to the squadron's primary berthing. Inside were eight bunks, in two rows of four, and all of them were empty. Most of them looked like they had been occupied when the fortress had been attacked, because they were a mess. They were unmade, with the covers thrown back, and magazines tossed aside. I walked to what looked like Karl's bunk, and opened his bunk-box. The combination was, as I had figured, our birthday. Inside were several spare uniforms, a couple books, pictures, civilian clothes, and other things, all neatly folded and stacked. I took the pictures out, closed the box, moved to the bed and sat down. Flipping through the pictures, I found one of the two of us, resting from a fight about six years ago. I couldn't remember what we had been fighting about, but we had both tired each other out so much that we had collapsed on top of each other, unable to move. I remember him saying how much fun that was, especially 

since he knew neither of us had actually been angry. He was right, too. I could never get angry with him, no matter what he did. It was the same for him... I guess we just loved each other too much. 

While these memories ran through my head, I laid back on the bunk, closed my eyes, and cried myself to sleep. 

Forward to Chapter 7.
Back to Chapter 5. 

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