The water was still warm as I drank it. I still miss those days when clean, drinkable water was easy to come by. Now we had to boil the water to make sure it was safe to drink.
How many days has it been since we started sailing down the Nile?
We were on this lake, which Laureline called Kyoga. I noticed large patches of plants covering the lake. Most of our food came from hunting these animals called crocodiles, which had scales and really short legs and a long snout. We also had some fish.
I was glad the sewage smell was gone; each breath of air smelled sweet. There was this huge green patch where the Nile emptied into Kyoga, no doubt due to the raw sewage acting as fertilizer for all of the aquatic flora.
There were of course other boats on this Lake Kyoga, mostly fishermen. They all kept their distance, no doubt due to the fifty caliber machine gun on the boat.
"We will need to find the outlet for this lake if we are to continue along the Nile," said Laureline.
We kept searching for this outlet. We went to the mouths of several rivers, but the sticks we threw showed that the rivers we found flowed into the lake so far.
Itzak stood up and pointed.
"Invid!" he yelled.
"Where?" asked Gabe.
I looked in that direction.
I could see some distant explosions.
"Laureline, you and I will check it out," said Gabe.
They got on their Cyclones and rode in the direction of the battle. I hoped they would both be safe, and Itzak hoped so as well. I listened over the radio.
"We have friendlies here," I heard Laureline say. "Cyclones and Garlands."
In the distance I can see explosions. I was in my Cyclone armor, prepared for an Invid attack on our boat. I could also hear explosions over the radio.
I kept waiting and waiting, hearing the combat over the radio. I kept dreading what I might hear.
A few minutes later, I saw the Invid Regency's mecha fly away. I gripped the butt of my weapon, in case they decided to fly my way.
I breathed a sigh of relief as they flew in another direction.
Then my heart almost stopped when I heard another transmission.
"Laureline's down," said Gabe. "They're gonna take her for treatment. I'm goping with them. One of them will be heading in your direction."
"I copy," I replied, in shock over what I just heard.
Itzak looked at me.
I saw a two vehicles approach. Looking through my binoculars, they were hoverbikes of some sort. I could see the drivers on top, clad in armor.
One of the hovercycles transformed, encasing its rider in a battloid, like a hover version of the GR-002 Garland.
The driver of the other hover Garland removed his helmet, revealing a head of brown hair and his face was paler than most of the faces I saw in the Serengeti.
I introduced myself.
"Major Barnes, UNSM," he said. "I am under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley. We're taking your friends to our base."
"We have to stay with the boat," I said.
"That's okay," I heard Gabe say over the radio.
"Okay, take us to your base," I said to the major.
I transformed my Cyclone into cycle mode, and Itzak got onto his motorcycle. We followed the two Garlands. I could feel the air blow by me.
We drove for a few minutes, through this forest. We finally reached this clearing. There were some makeshift buildings, and this huge building that must have been an old Zentraedi re-entry pod. Electric wires were strung between the buildings.
"Come on in," said the major.
I went inside the main entrance. I enrtered what appeared to be a lobby, if the desks and tables and chairs were made up of scavenged materials.
"Nice place," I said.
"We try to make the best of it," replied Barnes. "There is trade along the Nile, even with the Invid opening fire on anyone who breaches the blockades."
I recalled my own experiences with that.
"There you guys are," said Gabe, emerging from a hallway."
"Is Laureline okay?" I asked.
"She just needs to heal up," replied Gabe. "Let me take you two to see her."
And so he did. Itzak and I walked through some corridors; they had metal bulkheads. People in short-sleeved shirts passed us by.
We entered this small room. There were some people in there. I saw a young man, not older than me, with hair the color of sand and pale skin. There was a dark man with tightly-curled black hair, who must have been at least a decade older than me.
And, lying down on a bed with white sheets, was Laureline.
"Hi there," she said to us.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Being shot by the Invid really hurts."
"I am glad you're okay," said Itzak.
"Our patient will recover," said the dark-skinned man, his English heavily accented.
"And you are a doctor?" I asked.
"I am not a doctor, technically speaking," he replied. "I am Alazar Aboudi. I was a sergeant and combat medic in the Air Force Medical Corps. I had been attached to the 3rd Special Forces group of the Southern Cross."
I introduced myself.
"Nice to meet you, Doc," said Gabe. "They call Air Force medics Doc, right? I know that Spacy corpsmen are called 'Doc'."
"Yes, I was called Doc."
"Anyway, I am Third Lieutenant Gabriel Gashtar, United Nations Space Marines. I was a VFA-6 veritech pilot with Titan Squadron."
"We heard about the battle above," said Doc. "Laureline did tell me your story."
"I do want to meet Colonel Wheatley," said Gabe. "If I am to fight the Invid Regency, I will need to work with a larger group."
"How about we talk?"
I looked and saw a blond-haired man in a short sleeve shirt and slacks, appearing to be in his forties- about ten or so years younger than my dad.
"and you are?" I asked.
"Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley, U.N. Space Marines," he replied. "I was XO of the 25th Regiment. My regiment was with the Expeditionary Forces, then we were reassigned here under the Robotech Defense Forces in fighting the Masters. I was stranded here, in eastern Africa, after the Evacuation of Earth."
"It's good to meet you, sir," said Gabe.
"I heard who you said you are, Lieutenant Gashtar," replied Wheatley.
"Doc has taken good care of Laureline."
"And your friends here?"
I introduced myself. "I was a, engineering officer on the Golden Eagle, a privateering ship for Trans Galactic; the company has a letter of marque and reprisal from the Plenipotentiary Council against the Invid Regency."
"Invid Regency? So that's what they're called now. Why don't I take you all for a drink?"
"As in alcohol?" I asked.
"Why, yes," replied the colonel.
We left the main building going into the hot, humid air; I could smell the moisture. We wenr into this little building with corrugated steel walls. I could hear an air conditioner humming.
"Ouir air conditioning technicians are indispensable," said Wheatley.
I looked around. The place was dimly lit, with two pool tables and a jukebox. There was a bar, and a man with an olive complexion stood behind the bar, wearing a short sleeve white shirt with a black bowtie.
"Que pasa?" he asked.
"Hola," replied Gabe.
"Get our guests a drink," said Colonel Wheatley.
"Yes, sir."
It was not long before I tasted that sweet taste of alcohol. It had been too long since I have had a proper drink. Apparently, since Aresburg.
Aresburg felt so far away.
Gabe started talking about himself, about how he crashed to Earth and met up with me and Itzak and Laureline.
"What have you heard about the Invid?" asked the colonel. "I haven't received a transmission from off planet in twelve years.:"
"Well, sir, basically, we've been fighting them for well over a decade," said Gabe. "They were one of the enemies of the Robotech Masters, who sent the Zentraedi to destroy their homeworld and the Flowers of Life that grew there. The Invids' current ruler is the Regent. He came to power after the Zentraedi attack; I don't know if he was the legitimate heir, or just planted his ass on the throne in the chaotic aftermath. They were hiding out in space until the Masters grew weak when the protoculture started to run out. Our expeditionary forces were caught in the crossfire."
"Makes sense," said the colonel. "The Masters sure kept the rest of the galaxy in the dark. None of the intel from the Zentraedi indicated that protoculture came from the Invid home world."
"If you do not mind answering, sir, have you heard from other units that are fighting the Regency?"
"We've had sporadic communications," replied Wheatley. "The Invid have been jamming long range radio communications, and even when we make radio contact, our ability to verify what was said over the air is rather limited. There are others out there, that much I know. "
"Any examples, sir?" asked Gabe, sipping a red drink.
"Jonathan," answered the colonel. "Colonel Jonathan Wolff."
"You mean the leader of the Wolf Pack?" asked Gabe, standing up. "My dad served in the Wolf Pack."
"What is your father's name?"
"Walera. Walera Gashtar. He was one of the original Zentraedi defectors; I can't believe that was over thirty years ago! After defecting, he enlisted in the Space Marines as a corporal. He actually served under Colonel Wolff during the Evacuation of Earth. I know Colonel Wolff was listed missing. But he's still alive on Earth?"
"Before I answer that, Gashtar, how is your father doing?"
"Last I spoke with him, he was a command sergeant major. Allow me."
He took out a locket and this hologram appeared of a man in his fifties, who looked a little like Gabe. He was dressed in camouflage. His hair was purple.
"Be brave, son," said the image.
"I see," said Wheatley. "As for Wolff, he is somewhere in South America, fighting the Invid. Exactly where, he did not say, for many reasons."
"South America?" asked Gabe, who was as unfamiliar with the name as I was.
"A continent across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa, far west of here."
"It will be a long time if I ever cross paths with Colonel Wolff," said Gabe. "Unless the Expeditionary Forces defeat the Invid Regency tonight."
We all had a laugh.
And yet, in the back of my mind, the possibility that our Expeditionary Fleet and our allies had been wiped out by the Regency still lurked. I might not have a home to go back to.
"Well, Gashtar," said Colonel Wheatley, "as commander of this outfit, I have many duties. I must go attend to these other duties. Still, Lieutenant, our little chat here was a welcome break from the routine we have here."
"Thank you for your time, sir," replied Gabe.
"You are welcome, Gashtar."
The colonel walked away.
"He doesn't trust us yet," said Gabe.
"I don't blame him," I said. "If he trusted everyone right away, the Invid would have destroyed this place years ago."
"I'll see if we could all spend at least a night here."
Ooooooooooo
Memories surfaced in my dreams.
I was in the halls of a school.
I heard boys in their mid teens laughing. Other than being male and in their mid teens, their features were indeterminate.
One of them made a pumping motion with his fist.
"Lovely nipples," one of them said.
"Can I go to that party up your thighs?"
"Can I kiss your lips? The ones down there, I mean."
I woke up. I could not believe those memories, even after a few years and so many light-years. Still breathing heavily from that nightmare. I drifted to sleep.
I woke up in a new place, which has been my experience for so many days now, ever since the Purifiers attacked that village I was staring at, in their major offensive to seize control of the region of the Earth called the Serengeti.
"You're awake," said Itzak as I saw him.
I looked around this room. There were some sleeping bags. Aside from that nightmare from those memories long ago, I had a good night's sleep.
"Rise and shine," said Gabe, entering the room, dressed in a sleeveless shirt and slacks. "Sweet dreams."
"Part of it, at least," I replied.
A young man entered the room, dressed similarly to Gabe, except that he had slightly paler skin and hair the color of mahogany.
"The colonel has breakfast ready for you in his private mess, sir," he said.
"Chow time," said Gabe.
And so we went there.
After walking through some hallways, we entered the colonel's private mess, which was a small dining room with a dining table. It was not as elaborate as the officers' mess on board the Golden Eagle.
Doc Alazar Aboudi wheeled Laureline in, who was sitting in a wheelchair.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"I will get better," I said.
"She was lucky she was not hurt too bad," replied Doc. "We do not have a hospital here."
"I will be with my guests, Doc," said Lieutenant Colonel Eli Wheatley, wearing a short- sleeve camouflage shirt.
"Yes, sir," replied Doc.
We all sat and had a basic breakfast of eggs and potato and bacon.
"We do have hydroponic facilities here," said the colonel.
"This food tastes good, sir," said Gabe.
"We've had over ten years to practice cooking."
We continued eating our breakfast, talking about our experience ever since I crashed landed on Earth so long ago.
"I have considered things over night," said Wheatley. "I will let you and your crew join mine."
"What convinced you, sir?" asked Gabe.
"I knew your father. Served with him in Space Station Liberty. I was a major and Walera Gashtar was a gunny back then and we both had desk jobs."
"Sounds exciting."
"Well, the Pioneer Mission needed people like us behind our desks to ensure they had enough fuel and food and medicine. Of course, I clearly was later reassigned to a combat post, and here I am."
"Thank you for this breakfast, sir."
We all nodded.
"Don't expect this to be a regular occurrence, Gashtar. There's work to be done."