ROBOTECH
On Wings of Steel
Written by Industrialis
Characters and elements of ROBOTECH Ó Harmony Gold, Inc.
Chapter 1
Lisa Hayes felt nervous standing in the commander's position. She wondered if she might ever get over her new, nagging fear of RDF command outposts. They all looked painfully alike. The navigation monitors, communication layout; everything was derived from the same blueprints. Every tower was interconnected, and based on the same Robotechnology that birthed the original command center.
The SDF-1, she thought. I see itno matter where I go, I can't escape it.
She thought of her friends, each of their faces; she recalled the cry that each one uttered when the battered SDF-1 fell from the sky. She had only heard the cries for a moment, a split-second of her life. But she remembered that moment as if it had just occurred. It lasted forever in her mind, and the girls cried eternally. Lisa cried with them.
She remembered the captain. She did not see him; all she saw were fire, and flying shards of glass. But she felt his immediate grip, and heard him shout. A meaningless shout. She could not make out his words; his last words.
She felt the unwelcoming steel of the escape pod against her back, and the sharp stabbing of knobs and switches poking her in the ribs. She coughed and choked; smoke was quickly devouring the air around her. She heard the pod's door click shut, and squinted to watch out the window, as the pod rocketed away, and the SDF-1's command center exploded. She found enough air to scream. She could do nothing more.
"Commander Hayes, ma'am!"
Lisa snapped awake, gasping as the painful images blended back into her subconscious, for another time.
She glanced around the room, returning to her professional, emotionless demeanor. A young man behind the communications desk was requesting her attention.
"Umahem! Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?"
"Ma'am, we've received communication from Commander Hunter," replied the lieutenant. "Shall I put him onscreen?"
Rick! Lisa's heart skipped. For a moment, her burden was lifted, or at least forgotten.
"Yes," she said, controlling her excitement quite well. "By all means, proceed."
The main screen flickered to an image of Commander Rick Hunter. He was seated in a Veritech's cockpit, dressed in a heavy flight suit and helmet. A dark visor and a respirator mask covered his face.
He saluted sharply, keeping one hand on the controls. "This is Hawk Leader hailing Echo Base! Come in, Echo Base!"
Lisa gasped audibly. He's touching the stratosphere! she thought, glancing at one of her monitors. "We read you, Rick! What's your situation?"
Rick's image fuzzed and broke up, but returned immediately. "Come again?" called Rick. "I missed that, please repeat!"
"Rick, are you in combat!" Lisa shouted. "Do you need assistance!"
The static worsened. "Sorry, Comman-that outgive me a"
His signal was lost, dissipated into monitor snow. Lisa spun about, and pointed quickly to the navigations officer. "Quickly!" she ordered. "Check his current position!"
"I have his coordinates, ma'am!" returned the young lady. "He's in Sector Zulu, generally speaking, and his Veritech is operating at an altitude of"
"Send those coordinates to Air Traffic Control, and scramble a recon! I want a full squadron of VF-1J's out there now!"
"Ma'am," offered the young man beside him, shyly. "Isn'twell, isn't that a little hasty?"
The monitor flashed back to life, this time with a clear picture. Rick saluted again. "Let's try that once more," he laughed. "Am I coming through all right?"
"Rick!" Lisa sighed, still flustered from the transpiring event. She took a second to gather her thoughts. "Commander Hunter, what is going on up there?"
"Sorry, ma'am," he replied. "I was testing the VF-1X with a little high-altitude flying. Looks like there's a few bugs in the communications system."
Lisa's heart rate rose again. "Are you able to fly?"
Stifled laughter was heard all around her. Rick's tone of voice lightened. "Yes ma'am," he nodded. "I've had this before on my old VF-1A. It's not serious, I'll mess around with it when I get back."
A brash young man stepped next to the red-cheeked Lisa, and saluted at the monitor. "Sir!" he called wryly, "the Commander was just about to send a Jay squadron to go pick up your remains!"
The command center was filled with quiet giggles. Lisa shut her eyes tightly and screamed at herself inwardly.
To her surprise, Rick shouted back in a harsh growl. "Step down, Lieutenant! Back to your post!"
The young officer looked shocked, and he shrunk away to his instruments. The laughter died away instantly.
"I agree whole-heartedly with Commander Hayes!" he scolded them. "I am flying in a dangerous sector, in an experimental Veritech, and without weapons! The only reason I chose to fly alone was to keep my radar presence down. I have my neck on the line here! If the Commander senses danger, I will comply with her orders to the fullest extent, and with the respect she deserves as my commanding officer!"
He stopped to make a few adjustments, but returned his attention to the screen. "I suggest you all do the same. Am I understood?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The young officers called out.
Lisa made sure she couldn't be seen, and she smiled at Rick.
"So anyway," Rick went on. "I'm entering an enemy radar zone. Keep your eyes on the instruments, everyone. I'll be home in no time."
"We've got your back, Commander," said Lisa with a proud grin. "Try and take the safe way home, would you?"
"Roger that! Hawk Leader, over and out."
As Rick's image dissipated, Lisa turned to her team of inexperienced officers. They were silent, filled with a newfound reverence.