Chapter 3

They say that time stands still in moments of insurmountable stress. They also say that your whole life flashes before your eyes. Thallin certainly was not seeing his whole life, but there were momentary highlights. 

Waking up early in the morning, the grey light of pre-dawn casting its shadowy brilliance across the bed, and turning towards the form of his girlfriend. It had been the first time for both of them. He would later find out the reason for her not waking up as he left her room was that she had died of a brain-embolism during her sleep. 

Standing over his father's grave during the Global Civil War, cursing the Eastern Alliance for the bombing that had destroyed his parent's home. His mother was visiting him at the time and had been spared. She would be run over by a run-away military truck the following week. 

Joining the Armed Forces and being told he was unfit for active duty. The military had not yet gotten to the point were they would grab anybody off the streets, even those with prescription glasses, and press them into service. 

Being admitted into the Air-Force's Research facilities at Kangaroo Point in Australia. The desolation brought on by the bio-warfare of the early days of the war still evident outside the city as most of the trees struggled not to calcify. 

Looking up at the sky as the Visitor ripped through the atmosphere on its descent towards South Atalia Island. The explosion and tremors were felt all the way clear to the Kangaroo Point facilities, causing buildings to crack and some water-towers to collapse. 

Being told by Dr. Lang to gather a team of scientist, the top of each field. The pride that swelled in his chest as he realised he had been chosen as the best in the Aero-BioElectronics department. 

The size of the ASS-1 as the chopper dipped in towards the camp set beside it. People standing around the ship, measuring the rapidly diminishing space-time distortion effect in the ship. 

The simple mistake as he made his way back from a long day of exploration of the ship, opening doors at random and suddenly finding himself in a small closet somewhere on the ship. The door closing and the closet suddenly filling with a salty, brackish liquid, causing him to pass out. 

The rescue team dragging him away from the open closet some time later, smoke emanating from the doorway, the smell of burning electronics strong in the air. The questioning, the voices asking him questions he could not understand. 

The realisation, five years later, that he had not physically aged a single day. The rounds of secret physical examinations order by Dr. Lang and the military brass. 

The lack of ammo that would cost him the Veritech he had worked so hard to build. 

Before Thallin could brace himself against the feedback that would occur when the Valkyrie was destroyed a Battloid flew past over his left shoulder, gun pod firing shells after shells, strafing the room from left to right. The first giant folded and crumpled to the ground almost instantly, but the second one had time to raise the organic-looking gun-pod and fire at the newly-arrived Veritech, causing the paint on its right forearm to bubble and burn as the energy-beam lanced past. 

The Veritech ducked, twisted and skidded along the floor of the gigantic room, turning for a better shot, firing a short burst into the chest of the remaining protagonist. The giant fell, blood spraying through its clenched fingers. 

"Thallin," warned Eve, "I have just intercepted calls from SDF Control to the ships in orbit. The ARMD platforms have been prevented from making contact and coupling with the Macross. The ship is preparing for Fold manoeuvres and is rapidly dropping towards the Island to escape orbital bombardment." 

"Thanks Eve." Thallin looked around at the other Veritech who was approaching his Valkyrie and giving him the once-over. 

"Are you all right, buddy?" The voice was female, stressed somehow, but a welcomed sound after the incessant explosions and weapon-fire. "What's going on?" asked the pilot. 

Thallin was about to open his tacnet to answer when he spied the first giant moving and raising a rifle towards the back of the other Veritech. 

He saw the trigger-finger tighten. "Oh boy." 

Forward to Chapter 4.
Back to Chapter 2. 

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