chapter 2
Lisa' s car headed toward the military quarters. The small, tin-like houses were neatly arranged along walkways carved into the ground. They had not yet been paved, and the officers and soldiers used a complex system of ropeways to reach the Command Center and the city.
The morning slipped into the afternoon: a storm was coming.
-Ma'am, may I drop you off at the cable car terminal?
said the corporal
-It doesn't matter, I can walk.
-Are you sure? It's going to rain.
Lisa snuggled into her military trench coat and shivered at every gust of wind. She would have paid for a wool scarf around her neck. Her hair swirled in the icy air.
The sight around was bleak and degraded, but in Lisa's eyes was gleaming a small light.
She pulled into a path that crossed the main road and walked briskly towards one of the newly built units. It was number 251: she pulled out a small key with a blue chain and unlocked the door. The door latch was shiny new and it clicked with a small sound. The young officer entered quietly and closed the door behind her.
The house was shrouded in darkness: all the rooms were shuttered. Lisa turned on a small lamp on the wall and the front hall filled with a warm light: she took off her coat and looked around as if to check that everything was in its place. She ran her fingertips over a yellow model plane standing on the coffee table: it was covered with a slight coat of dust: with the work on the street being done, dust was steadily creeping into every house in the military district.
Lisa huffed and went straight to the kitchen: she turned on the light and switched on all the plugs, turned on the fridge -it had been off for six months- and the micro-wave . She put on a funny apron* with a dog print and tied her hair into a ponytail: she lifted all the blinds and glanced out over the backyard. A soft blanket of green grass had started to grow on the barren ground. Lisa smiled.
He had taken her there...
-Look there's even sort of a garden!
Back in the day the ground was still parched and dry, a result of radiation.
-I don't think a single strand of grass will grow there, but ... as good as it gets!
He had run a hand on his head and let out a giggle.
-Dr. Lang says that once the soil is reclaimed the grass and flowers will regrow...
he mocked at her
-Of course Doktor Lang is always zooo right!
-Oh, you are...so stupid!
And Lisa had chuckled with him in spite of herself.
It was the day Rick Hunter had received his housing: he looked overjoyed.
-I've never had a place of my own. With the flying circus, I spent more time in a caravan or some third-rate hotel than I ever did at home!
She noticed he was really happy.
Lisa picked up the little yellow plane, wiped it carefully with a cloth.
Some other memories came to her mind. That was a gift from Commander Fokker. When she'd told him that his...his brother had died, he was holding it in his hands, in a hospital room. Lisa couldn't forget the look of pure horror and despair that had taken over Rick's whole face. She could not forget the affection she had felt for him. She had turned back and knelt on the bed: she had taken him in her arms and had cried... with him.
Rick...
-Hey Lisa, I mean... Captain Hayes...
That night, at that soba restaurant Rick had pulled a bunch of keys out of his pocket.
-Yes...?
Lisa had glanced at him quizzically
-You know... I want to... uh, well, please take a spare key to my house. I mean,well... I'm going to be gone six months and... I'd feel safer if you could just pop in once in a while and check if everything is ok. I mean there's nothing there to steal except my awesome Valkyrie model kits but...
Lisa had nodded enthusiastically
-Of course Rick! I'll keep an eye on your house, no problem.
-Oh thank you Lisa, you are a lifesaver you know that?*
Since that day, Commander Hayes had not skipped a single cleaning shift. She vacuumed, dusted the furniture. Rick had left a whole humper of dirty clothes when he left. She had laundered them and stuffed them in the closet. She had changed the sheets and made up his bed. And then, every week on her day off, she had mopped up the dust that had been accumulating on and on.
Until now.
Now there was the fridge and pantry to be filled.
That day Lisa devoted herself to minutely shopping for all of Rick Hunter's favorite foods.
She wondered for a moment whether this was too rash or too personal.
But Rick would have gotten there exhausted and nauseous from the gravity switch. He wouldn't have been unhappy to find his house warm and with some food in the fridge.
Lisa wrapped her arms around her waist and sighed.
He didn't ask me for anything, I'm doing this of my own*.
At the military warehouse she had stuffed two giant bags: in addition to the food, she had picked up some tea cups. Two to be exact.
In case Lieutenant Hunter had guests. She had no idea of why this thought disturbed her. But the guest could easily have been her.
Lisa glanced at her reflection in front of a shop and caught herself wondering if he might like her looks. She shook her head. He had told her that she was an old lady and plus that she was scary like a demon. Her face turned gloomy. But a few months ago... during her birthday party... he had complimented her, told her she looked good.
Lisa spent the rest of the day fantasizing and then in the late evening she texted him a little message. She didn't mention that she had arranged his quarters and that she had turned on the heat and that she had bought food and cups. Just... she felt a bit embarrassed. Before sending the message -and with no second thoughts - she added two little emojis, a smiley and a little heart.
On November 30, the Skull Squadron entered the Earth's atmosphere on the NW quadrant of Alaska following the space shuttle carrying some scientists who returned to New Macross to switch with their colleagues. The expansion of the Factory Satellite and the construction of the SDF2 was proceeding unabated. Captain Hunter radioed the control tower at the Air Force base. He still couldn't distinguish the city but could see that the hills and mountains around were covered in a coat of snow. At that very moment he realised how much he had missed the Earth. His home.
Even though it was so different from how he had last seen her a year and a half earlier. His eyes darkened. He hated himself for being so sentimental at at he couldn't push those memories away. If he had never gone to Macross Island, that fateful day, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe Roy would still be alive, who knows? And he would have never met Minmay and... and Lisa.
Lisa... would she be at the Base when he arrived? Or maybe she was busy at the Command Center? He tried to remember the new city and just couldn't: after all, when he left, the Reconstruction work had just begun. Now, six months later, who knows what he would come across. On the 4th of this month he had turned 20 years old*. Yet he felt a hundred on his shoulders. The Air Base was located on the outskirts of the city. It was where Dr. Lang kept his main office and it was where the flight tests for the new Varitech Vf4 Lightning III would be starting, in a couple of months.
The hangars were brand new, the tarmac landing pad stretched for a dozen miles along the barren ground
-Skull Leader to control tower Atz Macross do you copy ?
-Roger Skull leader, this is Macross Control Tower, over.
-Requesting permission to land. Skull Squadron in formation, over
-Affirmative Skull leader, proceed and...Welcome back to New Macross, Captain Hunter!
The Skull crew were all relatively fresh except for a few space war veterans, a couple of years older than Rick. Despite this, no one had questioned Admiral Gloval's decision to give him the lead of a squadron that had been the epitome of victory against the Zentraedis.
Rick logged in with his comrades via internal comm.
-Skull 1 speaking. Guys, it's been a long trip. Head back to the base and for the rest of the day... disperse!
Some loud shouting and whistling flooded the comm channel.
-I'll be seeing you tomorrow at 7 o'clock in the hangars... and guys, REALLY... have a rest!
The Varitechs landed one by one in the massive dedicated runway. The final one was Rick's. Lights flashed in the rainy morning. When the techs beckoned him to turn off the engines, he finally pulled the visor off his helmet and flipped up the canopy. The icy air surrounded him and made him feel almost intoxicated. He felt a sort of dizziness as he breathed in the Earth's atmosphere and sensed gravity.
-Calm down Captain Hunter. Or You may experience symptoms of ground-sickness!
An familiar voice made him turn around, immediately.
He was standing on the tarmac in a casual pose and stared at him in a bright smile. Instantly he brought a hand to his temple.
-Max!
Rick climbed down with a quick leap, overlooking the ladder that was being carried to him.
-At ease Lieutenant Sterling!
-Welcome back to New Macross, Captain!
the two young aviators hugged each other on the runway and then reached the other pilots and engineers.
Rick willfully sucked in a breath of icy air. It was true, his legs were shaking and a slight queasiness had seized the pit of his stomach.
-So what!
he said, smiling. His eyes sparkled
Max led the way to the garages and passed a hand on his shoulder.
-What's been happening these past six months, huh Max?
-There's a lot of new stuff Rick, really!
Then he let out a giggle.
-You're going to say hello to the little boy, aren't you?
Claudia Grant cautiously took a sip of the hot coffee the waiter had just brought her. The coffeeshop in the Command Center was almost deserted.
-Ehr? What?
Lisa's fingers trembled a little as she clutched the hot mug in her hands.
She closed her eyelids and a slight blush spread across her cheeks and nose.
-He should have landed already...
she said casually
Lisa mumbled something.
-I guess... yeah...
The two young women remained silent, looking intently out of the wide windows overlooking Lake Gloval. They were on the top floor
-Oh Lisa! D' you see it too?
Lisa smiled spontaneously and they both got up and walked to the window.
A whirlwind of sparkling white flakes poured relentlessly from the high, dark sky. They were many, countless.
-Looks like we're going to have a white Christmas!
said Claudia with a wince.
Ten miles away, in the Macross Base mess Rick was watching intently at Max's smartphone's gallery.
Their hot coffees let a swirl of soft smoke that faded through the air.
-So Mirya finally gave in to staying home. She refused to take orders from me and it required the aid of Admiral Gloval.
Rick slapped a hand on his thigh and burst out laughing.
-I can just imagine the scene!
-She definitely didn't want to buy the story that a little micronian now lives in her belly. It hasn't been easy to make her understand that she can't pilot a Varitech... at least for the next months.
- And when, he...she... will be born?... I mean the baby...
Max smiled in delight, his cheecks turning red.
-In March. Dr. Lang is confident.
-This is really amazing Max! And you... How you feeling?
-I...I don't know but...
Rick gazed at him intently: he was radiant.
-I'm happy, you know. After everything that we' ve been through, the war... the peace with the Zentraedis and... you, just... you know. I think it's a good omen!
Rick ran a hand through his hair, a couple of times, and remained silent. There were so many things to say and yet he could not formulate a single line. He had so many questions, it was as if for six months he had lived another life. He wanted to know about the atmosphere recovery. About the Zentraedis and how they had been living on Earth, he wanted to know ... He wanted to know about Minmay.
-And you Rick? Have you already talked to Commander Hayes?
The young captain gasped
-Lisa? Well, I haven't... why? Should I have called her?
-Don't you want to say hello?
Max was honestly puzzled. Then he looked out the window. Snowflakes were starting to fall from the sky, swirling around.
-I think you should.
he said casually as he stood up.
-I'm on patrol at 12:00. Stay safe Rick! Take advantage of your rest, cause it's pretty busy down here!
Rick stared at him as he stepped away toward the elevators.
He instinctively grabbed his phone and tried to turn it on. Obviously it was dead after the space flight.
He stood motionless for a while, staring at the snowflakes covering the tarmac.
Maybe I should go to the Command Center...
Suddenly he blushed. His gaze was at once that of a lost little boy and of a stone-cold, distant man.
He lifted himself up, scraping the chair on the floor.
I wonder if she... if she'll be happy to see me...
Lisa had almost done her night shift. The coffee with Claudia was just a clumsy attempt to extend her stay at the Center. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to leave or... anything.
She knew that the crew returning from Apollo would land approximately between 10 and 10:30 am. What was Rick Hunter going to do? He would surely get "airsickness" as the pilots called it. Lisa smiled shyly as she thought about how he would find his quarters clean, cozy and warm. With all the good bits she had left for him in the fridge. The thought of him saying "thank you" warmed her heart. To imagine him happy for her attentions... it was enough to chase away all the tiredness. Lisa rose from her chair in the empty mess and wrapped her arms around her waist. She squinted her eyes smiling and then walked toward the door.
I wonder if he will be... happy to see me...
She could have called him, of course, but some sort of new shyness had seized her. Maybe it would have been better to go home and get some sleep. She would get a chance to see Rick Hunter in the next few days. No she couldn't kid herself. She would have wanted to see him now, immediately.
He might be home already...
"Why didn't you go straight to the hangars?! Your shift is over...and I know very well that you worked the rosters so you could be free this morning!"
Claudia's voice rumbled in her ears.
I might drop by his house...
Lisa Hayes walked out into the freezing winter morning and walked briskly to the terminal of the ropeway.
As soon as she turned the corner, a military jeep parked in front of the entrance of the Macross Center, right where Lisa had just left.
-No, don't wait for me, thank you!
he got out of the car: then he cast a glance at the grand staircase that led to the Command Center.
-Captain Hayes has already left?
Vanessa looked at him, somewhat perplexed.
-Yes... her night shift ended up at least an hour ago, Captain Hunter...And... how was it on Apollo?
At that moment the hall's automated doors opened wide and Kim and Sammie with a young, clumsy man* rushed inside.
-Captain Hunter!
-Welcome back!
Rick glanced at them the way you look at a wild animal not knowing if it might attack or not.
The young officers stare back at him with interest.
-Don't you want to tell us something?
-Yeah, aren't you going to tell us anything?
-How is the new fortress being built?
-Why don't you sit down? You want some coffee?
-Commander Hayes would not be pleased to know we left our stations ...
said the young male officer, hesitantly.
The three women glared at him.
-Oh shut up!
at that very moment Rick took care of the situation
-You know, I think your colleague is right. Lis... Captain Hayes would be terribly angry to find you all making conversation. Well...if you'll excuse me...
In a flash he spun on his heels and headed for the door.
-See ya!
the four young officers automatically raised a hand to their foreheads.
-Aye Sir!
Rick Hunter had already gone down the hall, mocked by the gesturing of the three bridge bunnies
-He's such a jerk!
said Kim, annoyed
-Hateful! he could have just stayed and talked a bit!
replied Sammie
- I wanted to ask him about my relatives!*
-Oh, really.. I don't know what Commander Hayes is seeing in that guy...
continued Vanessa
-But... What do you mean? Commander Hayes is committed to... to that pilot?
said Makizaki showing deep disappointment.
The three women looked at him: first puzzled then disgusted
-Look at you!
-You certainly are a busybody, aren't you?!
-It's none of your damn business!
And the young guy blushed up to the tips of his hair.
Rick was disappointed too, but he was confident that his countenance had remained impassive. It wasn't. With his wingmen probably already in their barracks fast asleep and Max on patrol it had come naturally to him to run to Lisa. Was that fair? Still, she was the first person he thought of... So why lie...
The snow had begun to fall again, thick and silent. He cursed himself for having sent away the car. Now he would have to take the ropeway home. The prospect of returning to his house did not really appeal to him. He wasn't attracted to that dark, cold cubbyhole, now even colder cause his six-month absence.
I wonder if Lisa stopped by to check my place?
In her emails she had told him she had.
Rick ran a hand through his hair and tightened into his trench coat. The cold was biting.
Lisa reached 251, block 2 : soon she sighed... From the large central window she saw that the lights were out and the house was silent. There was no need to open and check.
She smiled bitterly.
Why should he be here? He'll be off somewhere celebrating with his fellow men... after all they need a well-deserved leisure time.
Surely they'll be at the Nyan Nyan... it's true Minmay is no longer working there but all the waitresses are kinda cute... I've heard that all over the base.
Lisa frowned and her mouth curved into a grimace. Her reflection in the window showed her the picture she had of herself. A sullen woman, devoid of charm and sleep deprived. Dark circles under her eyes and overall a bad look.
There was no one good at bringing her down as she did. She slammed a heel down on the ice blanket that was forming on the lobby landing, then turned around and left.
Rick climbed down from the ropeway cabin at block 2. He was the only passenger. He quickly searched for the key in his backpack; it had ended up at the bottom of a mass of dirty laundry... If he had been paying attention - he hadn't - he would have noticed the fresh footprints on the path. But, deep in thought, he only stared at the door.
Before he turned on the light, he did not even realize that a nice warmth had flooded his cold limbs.
He flicked the fingerprint switch, and the metallic voice replied:
-Captain Richard A. Hunter. Welcome back. It's exactly six months two days and one hour since you left the house!
-Thank you...
he muttered
It took him a while to realize that the house was heated, lit by a series of small lamps that glowed softly, one after the other. A subtle floral scent wafted through the air. The curtains were stretched and the atmosphere in general was cozy and welcoming. Rick Hunter let his backpack slide to the floor and took a few steps forward. He instinctively stroked the back of the couch and ran a finger over the top of the coffee table. Everything was sparkling clean.
A small smile flickered across his lips... He took off his trench coat and flew his boots through the room. His frozen feet clashed with the warmth of the heated floor.
Could it be?
He rushed to open the pantry and found all sorts of canned foods: It was still difficult to grow vegetables in a glasshouses, and expensive. Yet a box of potato salad was popping up in his fridge. Rick held it in his hands like it was a bar of gold. He looked at it from all sides, his stomach starting to rumble.
-A real salad?
His eyes sparkled and Rick smiled showing all his teeth. A small dimple had appeared on his cheek.
Lisa...it was you, wasn't it?
Suddenly he blushed
I have to call her... I have to call her to thank her and ...
Rick took a few casual steps, still holding the Macross Farm branded salad package in his hands. His heart was pumping rhythmically in his veins.
He realized he had been longing to see her. It had been so long.
Commander Hayes...
Lisa slipped into an old wool pajamas and curled up in a fetal position under the quilt. Once she had turned off all the lights and pulled the curtains, there was not much left for her to do but go to sleep. She had been fiddling with the pills the doctor had prescribed her before dropping them down the sink drain.
For some unknown reason she wanted to overcome her fears on her own, with no help from medication. In some distant corner of her mind she knew she was doing it wrong.
I need to sleep...I just need to sleep.
She scrolled through the photo gallery on her phone: she kept a picture of the two of them: they were standing at the podium in full uniform... the day the new United Nations Government was established, nine months earlier. Both in full uniform with the heavy burden of valor medals pinned to their chests. Their gazes cold, impassible. Lisa swept a fingertip over Rick's face, she could see him looking so young in that overly demanding uniform, his blue eyes sparkling under the hat with the Space forces insignia.
-Oh Rick...
she whispered.
Then she turned off the phone, closed her eyes, and tried to find sleep.
Rick had tried calling Commander Hayes on her mobile several times. He had also tried on his landline but it had gone straight to voice mail.
On the third attempt he gave up. He debated whether he should text her on her phone...
Or is that too private?
All of a sudden he felt shy and awed. The thought that she had better things to do than talk to him had started to haunt him. But if she didn't care about him, why would she always text him during his mission on Apollo? And why would she come in and clean his room and even waste time shopping for groceries?
And even buy veggies...
Rick Hunter laid on the couch, with an arm behind his head as a pillow, for an endless time: every now and then he ate a cookie and took a sip of Petit Cola.
I'll leave her a message.
He started fiddling with his smartphone.
As he scrolled through the contacts he noticed that he had listed her "Commander Hayes". Rick made a face. He deleted the rank and changed it to "Lisa Hayes" He chewed his lip for a few seconds. He deleted "Hayes." "Lisa".
...just Lisa.
Then he pushed the green button and started to speak.
At six pm Lisa Hayes woke up with a jolt: her heart was pounding and her whole chest and neck were drenched in sweat. She raised up on the bed, running a hand over her face, her long hair got entangled on her fingers. A nightmare, another awful nightmare. The winter darkness had wrapped the military district and only a small glimmer of light seeped through the pulled curtains. She sighed. In a flash she stripped off the heavy quilt and rested her feet on the heated floor, shreds of dream still surrounding her. She grabbed the phone and turned it on quietly. The sharp sound of a message broke the silence and made her gasp.
Suddenly her features twisted into a smile. Lisa Hayes brought a hand to her throat, as if to calm her pulse.
It was him.
"Hey Lisa it' Rick...I'm back uh...back on Earth... well I, I wanted to thank you for taking a look at the house and I mean... It' all great...really...So... Unless you're busy/on duty ... Call me okay?"
For a moment she felt her heart race out of her chest.
So pure, so direct. That was Rick.
A rush of happiness washed over her and swept away the last relics of her nightmares.
Lisa walked out into the chilly evening. The dusk was already fading on the horizon. She wrapped herself in a very large woolen scarf and shivered in the freezing air. Her nose turned immediately red. The clouds had almost completely disappeared and the sky was blessed with the appearing stars, millions of billions of light years away.
Sometimes it all felt like a dream. Yet the SFD1 had crossed the edge of the solar system, had almost touched those stars. Lisa missed space, like a matter of the heart.
She wondered if Rick was feeling the same. Would she have been able to talk to him about her feelings, her worries? The doctor had encouraged her to do so, but Lisa was so reluctant to apply good advices. Whether it came from the doctor, the Admiral, or her close friend Claudia.
Lisa reached his house: she held her breath, then pressed the doorbell with a fingertip... the light on the landing turned on.
After a few moments the door opened and a trail of warm light washed over her. He stood before her, in his usual ever-so-slightly leisurely posture.
-Captain Hayes!
Lisa stayed still for a long moment. Her heartbeat stopped: she was looking at him as one would look at an apparition, something unreal. And Rick stayed unmoving with a hand on his forehead, staring at her.
-Captain Hayes...
he said again
and Lisa came to her senses
-Yes I...at ease... Captain Hunter.
Rick relaxed his shoulders and parted his legs, flexing his knees, slightly. He bent toward her with interest.
-Are you alright Commander?
His scent flooded her nostrils and Lisa felt her cheeks get hot. She looked into his eyes, he was smiling but seemed somehow a little impatient. She stammered something, maybe a " Yes" and realized that he was different. He had grown. Even his shoulders seemed broader and his hair was longer... and his eyes were always challenging and bright in a precious shade of blue. He was wearing a basic t-shirt and some faded jeans. He clumsily passed a hand over his nape: and then stepped aside to let her in.
-Please come in.
Lisa walked into that house again. The house she had been devoutly visiting whenever she could for the past six months. The house she had learned to cherish as her secret treasure.
Somehow she couldn't look into his eyes. She felt uneasy. She didn't know whether to take off her coat and scarf and he didn't say anything, so she just stood in the doorway not moving a muscle, awaiting.
-I'd like to take a walk outside. You mind?
-Oh, I... Yeah, okay...
He was nervous, too. Earlier he had thought of drinking a cup of tea with her on the sofa, in the cosy warmth of home, but when he had faced her all his confidence had wavered. It was just as if shyness had gripped him. She looked so different...and yet it was still she... his Commander Hayes.
She was bundled up in a green shaggy wool scarf that covered her shoulders, her neck and part of her long hair. Her nose and cheeks were flushed from the cold, her green eyes... if possible...her eyes were even sadder and more wistful than he remembered. Rick winced, what was he going to say now? Suddenly the bare thought of drinking tea on that couch had become a titanic task.
Maybe a walk would help him? She wasn't coming to his aid in any way. She seemed almost scared. Was she scared of him? Why was she so... quiet?
Rick quickly slipped on his fur trimmed brown leather jacket with the Skull Squadron logo, and draped a simple black scarf around his neck.
Then he asked the android to turn off the lights.
-Goodbye Captain Hunter
replied the tinny voice
-Shall we go?
Rick cast a glance at her and their eyes met. A small smile flashed across her lips. He lifted an arm and lightly stroked her shoulders as they descended the front steps. They walked away, followed by the sound of their muffled footsteps in the snow.
-I couldn't wait to get out, and see New Macross... you really don't mind coming with me?
After a long walk through the streets of the still building downtown, they sat in a newly opened cafè: the Seciele Café. The whole square around it had a certain Northern European flavor, at least in the architecture.
They took a seat, facing each other at a small wooden table, in the outdoor area overlaid with a waterproof tent. The bar was nice, and Rick subconsciously compared it to the Variation café on the Space Fortress. He had seen the artificial sunset for the first time from its windows, together with Minmay*. He ran a hand through his hair as to chase that thought away.
-You sure you're not cold?
Lisa fiddled with the teaspoon and lifted her long lashes. She looked at him coyly.
-No... really. I like being outside. Since the atmospheric upgrading plan is over it really feels... it really feels like breathing again.
Rick leaned back in his chair and smiled, revealing her all his teeth.
-Breathe again! That' just the words I would use ... Lisa, I mean Commander Hayes, you don't know how much I wanted to breathe in the Earth's air again!... when I was up there...
With his eyes he pointed towards an indefinite spot in the sky. The moon was a thin sliver and it peeped through the snowy mountains. Lisa sighed in sympathy.
-I guess it was pretty bad.
-You have no idea! It was all darn awful!
Rick leaned back over the table and stretched his hands on the surface. His gaze was off, somewhere.
-More like it was awful boring. We expected at any moment that some Zentraedi vessel would materialize to revenge Dolza's fleet or whatever but ... nothing happened at all and then ...
Lisa would listen to him intently, but often got lost behind the curved shape of his lips or the way he was moving his eyebrows. A slight dimple had appeared on his glabrous cheek as he smiled. His hands were large and square, with flat, glossy nails like shells and his eyes, his eyes were magnetic, almost black in the warm light of the street lamps.
-Come on, tell me about what happened over here instead... Lisa?
She tried to pull herself out of that dizziness.
-I... yeah well...at the Command Center...it has been pretty quiet.
Suddenly she felt heated and freed herself from the grip of her scarf. Her white neck, dotted with red, popped up from the lapels of her coat and Rick catch a glimpse of a small shiny orb flashing on her skin.
He gazed at her keenly: she looked so tiny sitting down inside that big wicker chair.
-Let's just say the most striking thing was Dr. Lang's climate upgrading plan... and his animal cloning farm...
Then she had suddenly revived: she had pulled herself up on her elbows, and had leaned towards him with a conspiring look.
-Except, of course, for the most important news... one you surely already know!
Lisa's lips bent into a smile
-The baby...
she murmured
Rick smiled too, his pupils widening.
-I just learned today! it's really great news! the first Human-Zentraedi child... it is just... A miracle.
-Yes... a miracle...
she replied dreamily
-I am so happy for Max and Miryia.
They kept talking, then ordered another tea and then some undefined liquor that could have looked like sake or soju but branded Macross Farm. The only brand available, at the time.
Their cheeks turned hot and so did their hearts. Rick was feeling extremely relaxed. He couldn't believe he was back.
-I can't believe I'm back, you know?
The bar got crowded. All the tables were busy with civilians and soldiers and the other cafes across the street were also packed with people. Rick smiled finding great relief in it. Lisa passed a lock of hair behind her shoulder: she was feeling slightly tipsy, not only from the beverage but also from his presence.
-You're getting pretty perceptive, aren't you?
Rick burst into a giggle
-Me? maybe it's all the time I've spent observing the lunar changes from my cubicle on Apollo. I've started to think...
Lisa squinted her eyes
-Don't tell me! that' something I find hard to believe!
-Hey! How should I take this claim? Am I supposed to get offended?
So Rick played offended. He picked up a small spoon and tapped the knuckles of her hand. The thin bones made a dull noise.
-Ouch, that hurts!
she joked.
He smiled. He was feeling good. All the shyness of a few hours earlier had gone. He hazily realized how well the two of them were getting along, on their own. It was almost unbelievable, he and Captain Hayes. Sitting at a table like two ordinary young people. At that very moment he knew he had missed her so much.
-Hey!
-Captain! Commander Hunter!
-Is that you?
-Of course it's him, I tell you!
Rick had heard himself called, and before he could turn around, he had recognized the voices of Ransom and Bobby Bell* and a pair of other Skull Squadron guys. A drop of cold sweat slid down his spine.
He instinctively slumped, burying his neck in his shoulders..
-But ...
Lisa was puzzled and glanced around.
The loud pack of pilots was heading quickly toward their table: she looked at Rick, and he seemed uneasy as well.
-Captain Hunter!
-So that' s why you don't answer our calls!
said Ransom as he placed a half-full bottle of beer on the table, without much pleasantry.
Rick widened his eyes, more surprised than angry. But immediately his brows furrowed... He looked at the pilot straight in the face
-But... !? what you think you doing?
Soon he noticed that he was quite drunk... in fact they were all pretty high. Their vacant stares and those irritating chuckles were telling.
For some reason no one had recognized Commander Hayes: she kept her head tilted to one side, nervously passing a hand on her neck and hair.
-Oh sorry boss! Really sorry! But we've been trying to reach you all the evening...
-Well I was busy as you see-
Rick cut off
At that moment Bobby Bell leaned to the left to peek over
-We did see that!
he shouted
-Hello Miss!
-Good evening, miss!
-Yes, good night lady!
the other guys echoed him, with faintness.
Lisa was speechless. She lifted her eyelids to meet the slapping faces of those cheeky pilots. Her green eyes burned. If those eyes could have fired, there would be soon nothing but Skull Squadron full dust.
-Oh... oh my god
-Captain Hayes!
-I'm sorry ma'am!
In a rush, and one behind the other, they brought their hands to their foreheads waiting to be punished for outraging a superior officer.
-It's just that...
Bobby Bell dared to add
-I... really, I didn't recognize you, Commander Hayes!
-I SWEAR!
he said to an upset Rick
-Yes, we got it...
he spat
-Now will you plaese explain me... what the hell are you still doing here?!
Lisa gasped at Rick's commanding stance: he was relentless, and stern. She was pleased to see how he had become a consummate leader. A small smile appeared on her lips, but it was quickly quashed by Ransom's final comment
-It's just that... we... we were going to the Nyan Nyan... there's a rumor that Minmay is going to be there tonight and we thought that, you know...
-We were gonna ask you if you wanted to have dinner with us...like in the old SDF1 days... spring rolls! Udons! Pretty girls!...
-Exactly!
All the pilots burst into laughter and shouting of appreciation .
Lisa noticed with dismay that Rick was petrified, as if struck by an electric shock. Motionless, his mouth hanging open. A few moments passed before he could articulate any words.
-Well ... I ...
His eyes wandered around the venue, all the way down the street. He looked one by one at the faces of his companions as if seeing them anew, then his gaze landed on Lisa: her face was grave, composed in an inscrutable sadness.
-I...
-Come on, boss...
-Come with us!
-With all due regard to Commander Hayes...
hurried to add a pilot.
This ended up irritating Lisa, who jumped out of her chair. She grabbed her purse, undecided whether to fake her way to the toielette or send them all to jail for the night.
-If you will excuse me...
-No, wait.
Lisa cast a glance at Rick's hand that was gripping her wrist.
-Stay, please.
Rick's gaze was heartening, and Lisa faintly went back to her seat.
Then Rick dismissed his wingmen with a wave.
-Thanks for your concern. Now you're all sacked! Get the fuck out!
-But Captain!
-Captain Hunter...
Rick pretended not to hear their poorly hidden complaints. It wasn't until Bobby was at least three feet away that Rick let go a sigh.
-I'm sorry... that was embarrassing.
But Lisa realized that his mood had completely changed.
-Go...
she said softly
Rick winced
-It's not every day that the whole Skull Squadron gets a night off...
She uttered these words cheerfully, but inside her heart she felt a hole widening, and it hurted.
Rick looked at her with gratitude
-Really... you don't mind?
Lisa would have wanted to scream or burst into tears, but she kept that glacial composure
- And then...
she fiddled with the empty glass
-And then, it seems, there will be Minmay...
she said masochistically.
Upon hearing her name Rick Hunter's eyes had sparkled, with excitement, with hope.
But... perhaps she didn't know? So... why did it hurt so much? All of a sudden Lisa Hayes felt useless, invisible. The most worthless, unwanted person on Earth. She was almost humiliated at being there.
-Oh Lisa ... you... you know...
Rick scratched his nape feverishly...
-It's just that... I haven't seen her in nearly 9 months and I...
Lisa shuddered, what was he doing now, opening up to her? Hearing from his mouth about Minmay was a torment she just could not bear...
- You ... you two have not been in touch...?
she forced herself to ask
Rick gave her a bitter smile
-No. Never... it's been 9 months, but it feels like 9 years...
Here, exactly what she expected. Lisa didn't know what was going on inside her, but a sudden urge to shake him or slap him or both was building inside her. She bit her lower lip.
She was seeing him, with that hopeless puppy dog eyes.
-It's just...
-Rick please. Go to the Chinese restaurant. Why are you still there? You might regret it if you don't go.
At his words Rick's eyes sparkled -again!-with hope
-Lisa you... I wanted to thank you for everything you did...
She let go a hand in the air, as if to sweep away his words, or her pain.
-It doesn't matter! Besides, I didn't do it to get something in return...
she said weakly
Rick grabbed both her hands and squeezed them. Lisa's knuckles were cold. She looked at him awkwardly, shivering at his warmt grip.
-Lisa you're a lifesaver! ... did I told you yet?
She nodded. She felt that if she had just spoken, the tears choking her throat would have come out like a river.
In a flash he was already away to his friends, to the Nyan Nyan...to Minmay. Lisa swallowed a very bitter bite and as she dropped a bill on the table, she realized her stupidity. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed the street. It was far from home but she wasn't going to take a cab. She chose to walk hoping that the chill of the night would dampen the fire that burned in her chest and the tears stinging her eyes.
Rick Hunter slammed the door of his quarters: number 251, dorm 2. He threw his boots across the living room and with a tug, tossed off his leather jacket. He was in a terrible mood: he clenched his jaw, wickedly cursing at himself or everything
As he entered the kitchen the android greeted him
-Good night Captain Hunter. Your shift is scheduled for tomorrow at 8:00 am. Report to the hangars of New Macross at 7:00 am. Repeat, tomorrow...
-Oh shut up you tinhead!
snarled the young pilot.
He placed both hands on the sink and stared out the window, in the clear night. Minmay had not shown up at the restaurant. To his disappointment, and of rest of the customers of course.
-Oh Rick I'm so sorry. Minmay and Kyle stopped by to say hello this morning, but you know, they're so busy...
Aunt Lena had said.
Minmay and Kyle. Always together.
I guess they won't be apart for a minute
Rick's nerves jolted at the thought of the two of them in bed. After that realization, the night with the Skull guys had passed like a faded dream.
They were drunk and partying and he was sitting mutely in the corner nursing a sad hangover. He banged a fist on the stovetop and made a couple of mugs jiggle: he looked at them quizzically he havent' seen them before.
He picked one up and brought it close to his face, examining it carefully: it was white with a red border and the New RDF logo printed on it.
-Lisa...
He closed his eyes in deep regret.
He had left her like a dumbass in that café to chase- again!- after Minmay. After all she had done for him, after she had welcomed him home so...
And not just that... they were having a good time... he was so relaxed before Bell and the others showed up. He was...he was having a wonderful time. But no, he'd had to ruin everything for the umpteenth illusion. He really had been an idiot. He wondered what Commander Hayes had thought. Certainly that he was a childish, immature idiot... Pathetic, someone to feel pity for...
He threw himself on the couch, still holding the mug in his hands.
Lisa what you doing with someone like me?
You're so smart and clever... and ... if you were always as sweet to me as you were today, I would...
Soon he was overcome with sleep, and jet lag. His last thoughts before falling asleep were muddled, but they were all for her.
to be continued.
notes:
1) Rick is wearing it in the episode 35 Seasons Greetings
2)Lines from episode 33 A Rainy Night
3)Lines from episode 28 Reconstruction Blues
4)The new staff member, Kenichi Makizaki, appears for the first time in ep 28
5)In the original Macross timeline is told that Shammy(Sammie)'s whole family lives in the Apollo colonies on the Moon.
6)It happens in episode 10 Miss Macross
7)Two Skull Squadron members who first appear in ep 28: in McKinney's novels they are named Ransom and Bobby Bell.
Hello everyone! How you doing? Here I am with chapter 2 of this new fic. Sorry for delay... I've been slacking because I had a really bad cold. It wasn't corona thankfully hehe.
Christmas is coming and even though I had intended to write a Christmas related chapter I just couldn't because I realized that I still need to focus on how Rick and Lisa are dealing with their feelings... mutual or not. ( I still have plans to write a chapter on Christmas though...)
I hope you like this one and I wish everyone happy holidays and a blissful 2022.
Thanks for reading and for your kind feedback
Merry Christmas,
Mao