Chapter Four: And Their Paths Did Cross
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kina flopped down on her bed a few hours after getting home and switching out her work clothes for a T-shirt and jeans. She briefly considered just dozing off right there, but instead she sat up and grabbed the TV remote.

"Let's see what's on…ugh, soap opera…yuck, news…ah, Spaceballs! I love that movie!" She scooted backwards to rest her head on some propped-up pillows. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Aw, man! I'm gonna miss the Ludicrous Speed part!" She picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kina. It's Aivea. You wanted me to find out whom it was who saved you and the rest of the people on that transport, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. That was quick; how'd you get it so fast?"

"Eh, you've just got to ask the right friends of the right friends. Anyway, all I got was a name and rank. Ensign Thomas Rickenbacker. No word on anything else. I couldn't even tell you what he looks like."

"Oh, I see. Well, I appreciate it anyway. Bye!"

"Take care of yourself." Kina hung up the phone and went back to her movie.

"…Or else Pizza's going to send out for YOU."

"Ha-ha! I love this stuff!"

Outside the base, Tommy and John had gotten into their civvies and were going out to their cars

"Man, I still think you deserved something for what you did back there," said John. "A medal or…something!"

"Maybe next time. Where are you heading?"

"Eh, I dunno. Maybe I'll just go home, maybe I'll pick up some stuff at the supermarket…but I'll probably just go down to the bar and get rip-roaring drunk. What about you? You gonna go down to the recreation center like I said to?"

"Yeah. After that mission I think I could use a nice ego deflator."

"Just remember to look up. Part of that place holds stuff for Zentraedi to use, and I don't want you to get into a repeat of last night."

"Don't worry, I don't intend to get flattened out there."

"All right. Well, that'll be all, Ensign. Dismissed," said John with a silly grin.

Tommy laughed. "Yes, sir." They saluted each other, and Tommy walked off with an exaggerated stiff stride.

A while later, at her house, Kina had finished watching her movie and was now bored beyond all reason.

"Jeez, I am bored beyond all reason here. I need to do something…I know! I'll go to the rec center and get some exercise. Maybe work on my coordination and grip, too!" She grabbed herself a gym bag, threw in some spare exercise clothes, and left.

Tommy arrived at the rec center about an hour later. He immediately went into the bar.

"Hey, buddy. What'll you have?" said the bartender.

"Hmm…get me a vanilla shake."

"Coming right up. Say, did you hear about what happened a few hours back?"

Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? What happened?"

"You mean you didn't hear? The boys in here from the military haven't stopped talking about it for hours! Apparently, a transport chock full of Zentraedi was almost blown to pieces by some drones, or something like that." Tommy immediately developed a small sweatdrop behind his head. "Anyway, they say that a lone pilot kept the last one from crashing on top of it. Must've been some pilot to pull off a stunt like that, eh?"

"Uh…yeah, he must've been great…um, will you excuse me for just one second?" Tommy walked back to the lobby.

"For the love of…I ain't ready for this kind of fame yet! Okay, Tommy, just be cool, and pretend it was some other guy for now." He went back in.

Kina arrived a short time after this. Once she got into the gym clothes she packed, she went into the sport section.

"Okay, gotta find something to do…oh, volleyball!" She joined one of the volleyball games.

"Hey, you guys need another?!"

"Yeah, sure! You play a lot?"

"Not a lot, but I can try!" She went up near the net. The other team was serving.

"Okay, here it comes!" The girl with the ball served it a little short, but one of her teammates was ready for it. Kina got set for a return. The teammate suddenly jumped up and spiked the ball right towards Kina.

"I got it-GAH!!" The ball hit Kina right in the forehead, knocking her clean over.

"Oh, man! Is she all right?" cried one of the girls. Kina's eyes were spun into a whirlpool.

"Uhh…yeah, I'll be fine…I think I'll take a break now…owww…"

Meanwhile, Tommy was finishing his drink.

"Thanks, man," he said to the bartender after he was done.

"Any time." Tommy then walked around the place. He eventually walked by the Zentraedi section. Out of curiosity, he peered inside. It was about the same as the human section, just scaled-up. He then noticed one of the women standing close to the entrance, rubbing her forehead.

"Hmm…where have I seen that girl before…hey, that's…!" He looked again to be sure. "It's that girl from the loading area…the one who almost dropped half a ton of metal on my head…!" He cocked an eyebrow, then turned to leave, but stopped.

"Ouch…darn it!", grumbled Kina quietly as she leaned against the thick wall. "Why does stuff like this always have to happen…?"

Tommy looked up at her for a moment, and then sighed to himself. "Why the hell not. Might even be interesting." He took a couple of breaths, and then went in, making sure to keep against the wall. Almost every place that had facilities for both humans and Zentraedi always had a sign on the human side of the gate between them: "Enter At Own Risk". Upon reaching the woman, he called up to her.

"Um, excuse me?"

"Hmm?" She looked down, and saw Tommy. Not wanting to give off a rude image, she gave him a friendly smile. "Oh, hello there!"

"Uh, yeah…may I talk to you for a bit?"

"Talk to me? Sure, that'd be fine-uh…need a lift?"

"Uh…lift?"

"Yep. Just relax, and let me know if I'm squeezing you, okay?" She bent down, and reached for him. Tommy immediately jumped back, on total reflex. The action got a small giggle out of Kina. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you or anything," she said with a bright smile. "Don't worry!" She reached again, slowly this time, and carefully picked Tommy up.

"Whoa…! Oh, boy…!"

Kina smiled. "Never been picked up before, I take it. H-hey, wait a second…don't I know you from somewhere?"

"Uh…the loading area, one night ago…"

Kina blinked for a second, then gasped. "Oh my God…you're that poor guy I…you're not mad at me, are you?"

"Huh? No, no. That's not it at all."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm really sorry about that!"

"It's okay." She set him down on one of the unoccupied tables, and sat down.

"Whew!", said Tommy. "That was a new one on me…!" Kina just giggled. "Anyway, what happened last night wasn't any more perilous than what I do for a living."

"Oh? What's that?"

"I'm a member of the U.N. Spacy. I'm a VF pilot."

"Wow, really?", said Kina with honest-to-goodness interest. "I hear those things are pretty scary to fly in!"

"It can get that way. It's a hell of a thrill, though."

"I'll bet. I'd never have the guts to pilot something like that. Heck, I get nervous using those construction-modified powered armors we've got. I'm just glad I'll never have to pilot something like those old Queadlunn-Rau armors!"

Tommy smiled. "Hey, to each their own."

Kina smiled, and then suddenly blushed. "Uh…you know, I don't even know your name…!"

"Hey, that's right-and I don't know yours, either!"

Kina smiled. "Kina. Kina Revdirgea. And you?"

"I'm Tommy Rickenbacker." Kina suddenly gasped.

"Rickenbacker?"

"Yes, that's right…what is it?"

"Uh…your rank wouldn't happen to be Ensign, would it?"

"Yes, I'm an ensign. Wha-?" Kina suddenly put her hands together, and her eyes went all puppy-dog. They also began to water. Needless to say, this made Tommy a little uneasy to say the least.

"You…it was you…!"

"Uh…me?"

"Yes…you saved us…all of us…! You're the pilot!"

"Huh? What are you talking ab-...oh no...! You don't mean you were on the transport that…!"

"Yes! I was on it when those planes started shooting at us…and then one of them almost crashed into us…but you stopped it! Thank you so much…!"

"Uh…you're welcome…?"

Kina dried off her eyes. "How did you do it? It was…awesome! You must be a wonderful pilot…"

"Me, a wonderful pilot? Not exactly…"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Kina, but…the truth is, I'm a rookie. I got that thing out of pure luck. I'm…sorry."

Kina looked at him for a second, then smiled warmly. "Don't be sorry. Even if it was luck, you saved our lives, and I, for one, am always going to be grateful for it, Tommy. Always."

Tommy looked up at her. He couldn't help but return the smile. "Thanks, Kina. Well, I've got to get back and get a workout in."

Kina grinned. "I'll carry you." She picked him up, and set him down near the crossing gateway.

Tommy looked up at her. "Well, thanks for the time."

"You too!" Tommy turned to leave, but Kina called out again. "Wait a second, Tommy!"

"Yeah?"

"Would you…like to meet up again sometime?"

Tommy thought for a second. "Uh…sure, that'd be great!"

"Cool! Well, see you later!"

"Bye, Kina."

That night, Tommy was at home, ready to go to bed. Just as he was about to turn out the lights, his phone rang.

"For the love of…hello?!"

"Hey, Four, it's John."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Aside from in the air, you've got the worst timing of anyone I know, man!"

"Sorry. Just wanted to know if you found anyone out there."

"Actually, I was able to start SOMETHING up, but it's not quite what you expected."

"Oh, really? How so?"

"Well…let's just say that I think I'm in way, way, WAY over my head on this one…!"