REACH FOR THE STARS.
The Sylphamon instructress crossed the class with a sedateness not mirrored in the churning stomachs of most of her students. "I have the results of your tests in the flight simulator. Those who've passed will be able to enter the mission training programme for pilots."
She paused, a rare smile flicking across her face. "I must say, I was for the most part very pleased with the results. A 15% pass rate is unusual for a class this varied in make up."
"Why do I feel like everyone is looking at us?" Izzy complained in a whisper to his companion. Tai shrugged.
"Because they are."
"Hey human!" the Bakemon behind Tai nudged him. "A couple of us are having a get together tonight for those who pass. You two of course are not invited."
"Hey! We might have passed—" Tai protested.
Izzy agreed. "Just because no other human has does not rule out the possibility that we might have been the first—"
"Please remain seated while I hand out the results."
Izzy gulped, clenching his fingers around his desk. If they failed, it would all be for nothing—
Tai placed a hand over his. "Izzy, relax. Remember how much study we put into this? All those long nights you spent making sure we knew the basics, such as putting on our seat belt first?"
"Yeah—If it was all for nothing—"
"It wasn't for nothing. If we don't pass this time, we'll try again."
"Yeah," Izzy took comfort from Tai's determination.
"Besides, you said you thought your practical went well. After all, you got 15 of your targets, didn't you?"
"Yes." Izzy was reminded of something. "Taichi, you never told me how your test went."
"Ah, yeah."
"So?"
"Well, its kind of like this Izzy. I can remember getting into the simulator and putting my seat belt on. Sylphie said to relax and just do what comes naturally . . . and then next thing I knew she was saying that the test was over and I could leave."
"That was it?"
"I can't remember anything else—"
"You must have done something—"
"I can't remember!"
"Oh." Izzy looked at his lap. "I'm sure that's not as bad as it sounds. And if it is . . . I'll repeat the pilot tests with you."
"No Izzy," Tai said. "If you have a chance at getting into the mission pilot programme you should go for it."
"Izumi Koushiro. Yagami Taichi," Their teacher stood in front of them. "I must say I was impressed. You two are a credit to your species."
They gaped at her, staring as she left two evaluation forms on their desks and passed onto the next row.
"So, what did you get?" The Bakemon hung over the desk to talk to them.
Izzy permitted himself a smirk.
"85."
A pass was 80.
"Hey, no way! I only got 82."
"Tai? What was your result," Izzy asked, turning to his friend. "Tai?"
Tai was still staring at his paper. "Izzy, can you tell me if I'm reading this right?"
Izzy took the paper, scanning it with first trepidition, then disbelief. Finally he put it down, and looked at his friend.
"I think there is only one way you can read a 100% mark, Tai."
The Bakemon fell off his desk.
"No way! A human can't get a perfect score! That's impossible!"
"Apparently not," the Sylphamon instructress purred. "Congratulations Taichi. The last recruit to get a perfect score in the flight test went onto become a great pilot—I'm sure you'll do just as well."
Thank-you!" Taichi beamed. It was just starting to sink in.
Izzy looked at his score again then put the paper down. "I think from now on, you should be coaching me."
--oOo--
I sit in my quarters tuning my guitar absently.
It's one of my moments of free time. I got the last of the files written up and made the proper report of last nights bridge duty. However, playing my guitar is not as soothing as it usually is.
I place it to one side, sighing lightly.
I wish I could place this feeling of discontent. Whatever it is, it got worse, or stronger when I was working on writing up the discovery of the shuttle and the one pod—
I flick through the papers but the source of this worrying disquiet is not in them. I have a performed my usual thorough task and I can't think of any way to improve them.
The problem is not with the report, but the subject matter—
I put the papers down with a sigh.
It's impractical I know. Unnecessary, perhaps even degrading for a pilot of my rank to feel this bad over an everyday decision like this. And yet . . .
I disagree with the Captain—Sora's—decision. Why is it so hard for me to think of her by her name?
When we get back to planet, it'll be different. We'll be Yamato and Sora, not the first pilot and the Captain.
And what will that make the pilot we picked from the wreckage?
I sigh. I can't imagine that—
Twenty years gone like that. The technology changes since then—he may be forced to start his career over from scratch. It's almost a certainty he won't be allowed to fly again—
Not to mention that his family and friends will be twenty years older.
It wouldn't matter so much if that had happened to me. I mean, the only one I would care about is Takeru. I bet my father wouldn't even notice if I vanished for that long.
It's the other pilot I feel worse about though. Just leaving him there—
It would be different if there was more urgency to our return to planet. Yet, we discovered nothing worth reporting. The only reason to return is Sora's sense of duty and my father's strict schedule.
Wait a minute—I agree with their way of thinking. A soldier should follow his instructions to the letter. After all, if an emergency happens, we need everyone exactly where we can find them.
Efficiency, is good sure. But . . . I'm starting to think a line should be drawn somewhere—
My room is too confining. I walk down the corridors aimlessly, before finding myself heading towards the mechs floor. I hesitate then decide that if my feet led me here, there's probably good cause. If I find Motomiya, I'll probably find the pilot . . . and with any luck, there'll be something I can do—
"You're looking for Dai?" His sister is suitably surprised.
"Yes."
"Is he in trouble?"
I blink. "No."
"Oh. Are you sure you're looking for my brother?"
"I'm sure."
"Well, he's off duty, so he took Tai to wherever they put what was left of his ship. I don't think they were planning on going anywhere else, so they're probably still there."
I thanked her and left.
The mechs quarters made me uncomfortable. It was always so loud and unordered . . .
True to form I heard Daisuke before I found him.
"--take the world in a love embrace. Fire all of my guns at once and explode into space--"
"Like a true nature's child. We were born born to be wild--"
"We can fly so high--never going to die. This is so cool! I can't believe you like the same songs as me."
"You kidding? We named our first shuttle after a Beatles song--"
"Cool! So does this have a name?"
"Nah. We were undercover for this, so we got given a smuggling vessel Mission had picked up west of Alpha Centauri. Although I believe Izzy referred to it more than once as the tin can."
I leaned back against the door to the hangar, smiling as I watched them. The two of them had a couple of repair robots and were apparently fixing the external thrusters. Daisuke was running scans on the outside of the ship while the pilot did the actual repairs.
"I think I've fixed it. Got anything I could use to attach the plate?"
"Dude. Leave soldering to me!" Daisuke beamed. "My implants have to be good for something!"
The pilot laughs. "You're a very useful person to have around Dai. These repairs would take me twice as long without you--"
"I do my best," my partner said none too modestly.
"You know, when all this is over, do you think anyone would mind if I kidnapped you? Izzy and me could do with more crew if we're going to adapt to modern life--"
"I know Jun wouldn't mind. As for my officers--hell, Ishida wouldn't even notice."
"What's with that? I mean, you're his partner and yet the two of you don't seem at all close."
"I'm not important enough to be worth his attention."
"That's insane. Your partner should be like your best friend."
"Please. Ishida hasn't had a friend in his life--"
I cleared my throat. "Ahem."
"Waaargh!" That was followed by a crash. Daisuke hastily scrambled to his feet. "Ah--sorry didn't see you there."
"Obviously," I sniffed. I actually wasn't mad--the sight of Motomiya falling off the service bench had taken care of the irratation his remark had caused. "I expect you to use proper form at all times, Motomiya. Never had a friend in his life-sir."
Daisuke gaped at me.
There was a chuckle from the pilot. "Killing sense of humour--how did you miss that, Dai?"
I feel a pang of what could only be envy. They've known each other less then 24 hours and they're on nick-name terms? I never thought I'd be jealous of a mech and yet--
"Maybe because its usually killing me," my partner replied ruefully. "Um, am I late for duty or--"
"Oh no, nothing like that," I shake my head.
"Oh? So to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" the pilot said, grinning at me cheekily.
"Well," I started pausing as Daisuke coughed.
"Excuse me," he said, thumping his chest. "Had to sneeze."
I frowned at him. His cough had sounded suspiciously like 'what pleasure?' "As it happened, I had free time and I wondered how you were getting on and whether I could be of assistance," I told the pilot.
He smiled readily. "Thanks."
Daisuke just stared at me. I glared at him. Was it really so unthinkable that I would help a . . . well, I wasn't sure exactly what he was . . . of anything about him, really.
"AS you can see, Daisuke is looking after me fine. He's even helping me with repairs . . . "
"How is that going?" I asked.
The pilot sighed. "Not as well as we'd hoped. We can fix the external damage easy but a lot of the parts will need to be replaced. Added to that the computer is completely addled . . . it's going to be hard to access the records and find out when Izzy's pod was launched so we can calculate the trajectory."
"I see."
"We're going to have to make planet fall to get the parts you need," Daisuke said. "Luckily I know the right mon for the job! He makes it a matter of pride to stock spare parts for everything, from capuchino makers to engine parts for craft that went out of date fifty years ago--"
"Mon?" the pilot grinned. "You wouldn't be talking about Andromon by any chance?"
"Yeah--hey, you know him?"
"I'm one of his best customers! Or I was--bet he'll be surprised to see me." The pilot smile widened even further, then he noticed me watching silently. "You ever been to his store, Yamato?"
I shake my head. "I don't associate with mechs."
"You're associating with us aren't you?" The pilot says, a hint of argument in his voice. I blink, realising I may have insulted him. Daisuke is not looking happy either.
"Yes."
"And is it killing you?"
I open my mouth to reply to that but come up with an absolute mental block.
"Ishida's not going to change," Daisuke says quietly. "That's just how things are in this time, Tai."
"Yeah, well it's stupid. Discrimination on the basis of occupation--that's just the most bizarre thing I've ever heard! All pilots should know how to jumpstart an engine--"
I lean back and observe. When he gets focused on something he really get all into it . . . his brown eyes flash with energy. It's hypnotic.
"In fact, I don't know how many battles were won by mission just by having crew who knew how to do more than one thing. I mean, if your pilot or your navigator gets taken out, you need to have someone there to fill the gaps. Anything else is just absurd."
"Mission centre wouldn't have adopted it as standard operating procedure if it didn't have some advantage," I replied.
"Yeah?" Tai smirked at me. "You offered to help before. What can you do?"
"Well I--" I hadn't really thought this far. I wouldn't have the faintest idea what to do repair wise. And the computer--if Daisuke wasn't able to get anything out of it, what chance did I have?
However--being the son of a general and the first pilot of the ship did have some advantages. "Come with me," I said, grabbing his wrist so he didn't have a chance to argue. "And I'll show you."
Daisuke opened his mouth. "Can--"
"Restricted area," I told him flatly.
"Oh."
"I'll tell you about it--" was all the promise Taichi managed to make before we left the hangar.
"Not so tight!" he complained as I pulled him through a myriad of passages.
"Sorry," I said, loosening my grasp a little.
My companion sniffed. "Not too well trained in manners, are you? Or do you figure you're too good looking to need them?"
"Actually I was very well trained in manners and--" I paused as what he said caught up with me. "Wait a minute--are you telling me off or flirting with me?"
"Oh, you noticed?" He grinned at me again. "Both, Ishida Yamato."
"Yamato," I said, without really knowing why. "And you can't be flirting with me--"
"Why not?" he was unrepentant. "I think someone has to. I don't think I've met anyone so cold--you need something to make you smile."
I couldn't come up with an answer to that. Instead I grabbed his hand again and resumed pulling him down the corridor. "You shouldn't flirt with me. I'm the first pilot."
"Flirting with a superior officer, you mean? But Yamato--" he paused and I could just imagine the grin that accompanied the next words. "You're not my superior officer."
Why did he have to be right? I gritted my teeth. "Furthermore I am engaged to be married shortly."
"All the more reason for me to flirt with you now!" the pilot was not daunted in the least.
Luckily we were almost at our destination. A sealed off door was at the end of a corridor. I keyed in a special access code at the panel beside the door.
"Ken? Are you there? It's Ishida Yamato."
There was a short pause before a reply issued from the intercom. "I'm here, Ishida-san. Is there something you require?"
"I'd like you to meet an . . . acquaintance of mine," I said.
The pilot grinned. "For someone who says he doesn't associate with mechs--"
"You're a pilot," I snapped, almost missing Ken's quiet response.
"You know I don't like visitors, Ishida-san."
"I didn't forget. However, he is in dire need of your skills."
"I do not offer assistance to everyone who needs my aid--"
"You'll want to help Tai," I said firmly. "You have a common loss."
I took the silence from the intercom as invitation to continue. "Taichi's been seperated from his home and family. His shuttle was wrecked twenty years ago, we picked him up yesterday. However his other crew member is still missing--"
The door quietly folded inward.
"Be polite," I whispered as we entered. "Ken was something like a prince on his home planet."
The pilot nodded, serious for once.
The air was think with strange smelling air. I noticed Tai wrinkle his nose at it. "Ken has his quarters filled wit the air of his home planet," I explained. "Arcon has a much higher density of--"
"There is no need for a geography lesson, Ishida. My former home is not of interest to your companion." Ken emerged from the shadows. Rather than being dressed in his customary uniform, he wore an ankle length robe, stiff with heavy embroidery, a pattern of vines and leaves. The unfamiliar garb accentuated the pale blue tinge of his skin, and the darker blue of his hair, falling like silk over his pointed ears, the tips of which were just visible.
I indicated Taichi. "Ichijoji Ken, this is . . . I've forgotten your name."
"Yagami, Taichi."
Had I heard his full name before? For some reason it stirred memories--
"Greetings," Ken said, looking at my companion. It was hard to tell what emotion glittered in his dark eyes. "I will be pleased to assist you."
"Thank-you," Taichi sounded faintly bemused, looking at me.
"Ken is the navigator of this ship," I explained. "No one can calculate star patterns or ship trajectories like he can. If anyone can find Izzy . . . "
Ken nods. "I'll need to know exactly where you were picked up, and the route of your ship."
Taichi nods, and, as Ken draws up a star chart, recites the ship's settings. I'm happily surprised to discover that although he dresses like an idiot, his grasp of the numerical course setting data is keen.
"That should be more than enough to work with," Ken nods approvingly. "I work best alone. Bring him back in a couple of days Ishida-san."
I nod and stand up, ready to leave. Ken forestalls me however. "How are you finding the latest piece?"
I grimace. "The fingering is a bit tricky when you don't belong to a race that is naturally ambidextrous. If I rewrite some of the chords, I should be fine."
"Bring it with you next time. I might be able to help," the solitary navigator nods, then melts back into the shadows. I motion Taichi towards the door.
"What was that about?" he asked as we headed back to the hanger.
"Ken's homesick. I happen to play a guitar and be extremely bored. He's been writing the songs of his planet into a form I can play and I've been playing them," I explain shortly.
"Sense of humour. A hint of compassion--maybe there is hope for you after all." My companion commented.
"Motomiya doesn't like me, does he?" I asked wryly.
"What do you expect? We treated captured enemy soldiers better than you treat Daisuke--"
"You've got no right to--" I was interrupted.
"Yamato! I thought I heard your voice," Sora trilled happily. I blinked at my fiance.
"Sora."
"I was just going to look for you. My mother has sent us such a lovely video transmission--you have to see it."
"I was just--" I started.
"And I know you're not on duty now so you've got no excuse not to!"
"I was taking Taichi back to the hangar--"
Sora noticed Taichi for the first time. The officers quarters are a restricted area," she said coolly.
"I have to get back to the hangar anyway. Thanks Yamato." The pilot grinned at the two of us. "I can find my way back--after all, I'd not want to interrupt you two making out in front of the video--"
"What?" Sora sounded affronted.
"Well, isn't that what couples do?" He winked at me. "See you later Yamato. Don't miss bridge duty."
My face was the reddest it had been in my life. Sora frowned at his back. "If all pilots were like that 20 years ago, I don't see how Mission could have functioned. Well, don't just stand there like someone slapped you, Yamato. Come and watch the video."
We watched the video. We did not make out.
