Chapter 14

Breetai did not look back as the security doors shut behind him. His mechanical eye analyzed the instrumentation that adorned the walls around him. Officers working at computer terminals looked up and quickly saluted him. They were silent, and Breetai did not address them. His thoughts were on more pressing matters.

One of the officers punched in a security code, and Breetai was allowed into the central chamber of Eo Prime. The complex machinery that filled the space was alive and active. Wires and cables tangled around the floor in a mess. RDF scientists ran through it as quickly as they could, going from device to device and taking complicated notes.

Eo Prime lay on his gourney, locked where he was by clasps around his legs and waist. Cables ran from the sockets of his eyes to nearby machines, as they had before. But his rubber flight suit was peeled back from his head. His skull was made up of steel plates, covered with points of insertion for more interface cables. Most of these hardpoints were filled, and scientists checked their connection as Breetai approached.

Doctor Lang was among the crowd of men inside the chamber. "We are almost ready," he said, too deep in his work to bother with a salute.

"I still question this method's practicality," said Breetai. "But we have exhausted every other option."

Lang stepped away from Eo Prime's body. "I assure you, sir, there is minimal risk involved. Eo uses a sort of telepathic interface with his fighter, so it makes sense to use a similar method to gain information ourselves. Eo won't feel a thing."

"I am concerned with the safety of these men," replied Breetai, waving his arm around the chamber. "We know too little of this soldier to experiment in such a manner. The mind is a powerful thing, Doctor."

"It might seem risky," said Lang. "But we have everything under control."

The voice of Eo Prime suddenly boomed throughout the chamber. "Have no fear, Admiral," it said.

Breetai looked down at the soldier's body. It had not moved.

"I am connected to the neural-net of this complex," said Prime's voice. "Just as I connect with Brother. Doctor Lang is correct."

Lang stepped confidently away, and pulled another scientist aside. "This isn't supposed to be happening," Breetai heard him say.

"Were you expecting different results?" asked Eo's voice.

The doctor shot a surprised glance at Breetai. "Um...all right, we're beginning the neural transcription now. This shouldn't take long, Eo. Please cooperate to the fullest."

The scientists activated a series of machines, and the wires attached to Eo Prime's head began to glow. Breetai approached the doctor carefully. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"As I said before, sir," replied Lang. "We're requesting information via neural net. The computers will sort through each random thought that crosses Eo's mind, and hopefully piece together a logical..."

Eo's arms suddenly broke free. His robotic hands slid away, and swarms of cables reached out for nearby machines. Lang's co-workers dodged away from them, as they attached and overtook the machines.

"Everyone out!" shouted Breetai. "Now!"

The scientists quickly obliged, but Lang stayed where he was. "Wait," he said. "There must be an explanation for this..."

"You wish to see my home," said Eo Prime's voice.

The machines surrounding Eo's body glowed with eerie translucence. Beams of light seared into the air, and crossed in the center of the chamber. Within the bright flash, an image was displayed. A dark hallway, lined with decaying metal pipes and doorways long rusted shut.

The image began to distort, and it slowly dissipated into glowing haze. But another one quickly flashed in its place. A depiction of giant video screens, their surfaces shattered and clouded by dust. Glass littering the floor around a long command desk. And a small, circular computer system, covered in dry blood, with a cracked orb in its center.

"My God," Lang whispered. "It can't be!"

Breetai glanced at Lang. "Doctor?"

"I know that place...it's my pinpoint barrier."

Another vision appeared. An old metal doorway, just smaller than average, rusted to its frame. A skeletal hand, Eo Prime's hand, scratched at the rust, and it flaked away. A faded inscription appeared under the discolored surface.

MAIN BRIDGE
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

"I don't believe it!" cried the doctor. Breetai thinned his eyes intently.

Eo Prime's hand smashed through the weak old door, and ripped it off the hinges. The walls inside were black as night. They shined like glass, melted by some intense heat. Streaks of once-liquified metal ran down the walls, and formed cave-like stalactites from the ceiling. The remains of command terminals were now unrecognizable heaps of metal fused to the floor.

A gaping hole was ripped into the far wall. A city lay below, perhaps hundreds of feet, obscured by clouds that whisped about. In the center of the room, gleaming brightly from the sunlight, was a small plaque of gold and marble. Eo's hand grasped the plaque, tore the top half off, and turned it around.

In Memory
of the Men and Women
Whose Lives Were Sacrificed
For the Survival
of This World

The plaque exploded into pieces. In the huge opening of the far wall, a military helicopter was hovering with its nose facing inside. A chaingun was spinning, belching fire and throwing empty shell casings. A storm of bullets rained in. The vision began to shake.

Eo Prime's body thrusted forward. The clasps broke off and he rolled onto his feet, still attached to the machines. His hands slid back into place and the wires in his eyes began to retract. A furious roar came from deep within his throat, distorted and computerized. The vision above him imploded away.

He reached in blind fury and smashed through the nearby machinery. The ends of the interface cables slid into his empty eye sockets, and two dilated pupils rolled into place. They focused immediately upon Doctor Lang.

The skeletal hand clawed out for the doctor. But the hand of Breetai caught it and threw it aside. The giant Zentraedi stepped into the way, and bore down with a threatening stare. Eo's arms broke apart and began conversions into some horrible weapon.

Breetai grabbed the soldier by the face. He pulled a sharp Zentraedi battle knife from his shining armor, and cut off the wires that ran to Eo Prime's skull. The monstrous hybrid soldier fell silent, and his arms fell to their sides, as contortions of metal and flesh caught between forms.

Carefully letting go of Eo's face, Breetai stepped back. Eo Prime stared without expression at the men before him, and then at the twisted steel of his arms.

Breetai turned back to the stunned doctor."You have your answer," he said coldly. "But from now on, we are changing our approach to this matter."

It was a quiet drive through the Macross International Airport. Michael Joons and Dan Martinez sat in the back of a small electric car that scooted them along the airstrip. Signs of the RDF were present everywhere; the airport was like a fortress. Fully armed soldiers rolled from hangar to hangar, on humvees with anti-mecha cannons. Rows of tanks lay dormant, guarded by Tomahawk destroids.

Lynn Kyle may have been right, thought Michael. In part, at least. There's enough firepower here to bring down a city.

Martinez turned and poked Michael in the side. "We shouldn't fight, Joons," he smirked. "It's not good for the kids."

"Whatever," said Joons.

"Come on, man!" Martinez said. "Cheer up a little! This city worships us! Why not have a little fun with it?"

Michael folded his hands. "I have a job to do. I'll relax when it's done."

"Aw, quit with that soldier's duty crap! We've done our job, and now we get a break! Just chill out a little."

"Whatever," repeated Joons.

They rolled into an open hangar, guarded by two destroids. Inside, standing floodlamps cast light on a pair of VF-1J Veritechs. Both craft were bright white, with blue stripes on their wings and fuselage. Every inch of them shined. The access panels on their engines, and the backs and bellies of the craft were open. Mechanics surrounded the Veritechs while supervisors looked on.

The car's driver rolled up to the fighters. "This is it, guys!" he said. "Last stop."

"Whoa!" Martinez laughed. "We get these? It looks like they've never left this hangar!"

"That's not a good thing," said Michael. He looked to the driver. "Where'd these Valks come from?"

"They were brought in from Bravo Base," he replied. "The city has them on loan and we gave them a fresh coat of paint."

Michael stepped up to the shining Robotech fighter, unimpressed. "Have you flown them yet?" he asked.

The driver shook his head. "Well...no, we were waiting for you guys to arrive."

He shook his head. "I hope this is a good idea."

Rick stood quietly before a closed airplane hangar. Military jeeps and small tanks were parked all around it. Manned Destroid robots stood beside the doors, their torsos waving back and forth as they scanned the air for intruders.

Mayor Saul stood proudly beside him. "Thanks for coming on such short notice," he said. "We weren't sure if we'd be able to pull this off. It's an exciting discovery, to say the least."

"I do have a schedule for the day," said Rick, trying to hide his agitation. And that's putting it lightly, he thought. Lisa's got a whole apartment's worth of stuff to move into her new place! She's gotta get everything moved, or that jerk of a landlord is throwing it all out. I hope I can wrap this up and help her out.

"We'll try to make it quick," the Mayor said. "But I have a feeling you'll want a closer look."

The bay doors slowly opened. Soldiers of the RDF formed a blockade line as the hangar was filled with light. Floodlamps burst on, and armed troopers ran from the stairways inside to guarding positions.

In the center of the hangar lay a VF-1S Veritech fighter. Its fuselage was worn and dented from many battles. The bone-white paint and black striping that ran across its surface was beginning to peel. But the emblem on its flat-black tailfins was still visible: an ominous skull and crossbones.

"I take it you two have met!" the mayor beamed. Rick was speechless.