Chapter 3
The next morning, a severe headache had marked Captain Hunter's first waking moments. The alarm clock attacked him with its insistent metallic noise and for a moment he did not realize where he was. In addition to the dull pain in his temples, a strange feeling of heaviness washed over his body. He squinted his eyes, his eyelashes quivered.
He realized he was no longer on Apollo... Shards of the previous day wrapped around him as he began to remember...so much had happened...
As he walked out of the house heading for the ropeways terminal and still struggling with the hangover, he was hit by a gust of icy air: the newly built district was convered in snow. Rick welcomed it as a blessing and breathed in at the top of his lungs but soon those memories he wanted to chase away came back to haunt his brain. He didn't want to but kept asking himself. When had he started thinking about it?...Maybe likely since the first few nights after the final battle with Dolza. When even though the war was over, when, even though the Earth had been destroyed... he had kept wearing his uniform every single day, taking up arms again, ready to to fight, to protect... to defend... who, what? Rick had started to question whether he still wanted to be a soldier. He was afraid to know the answer.
The first few days of patrol went by: simply the same as ever. Rick Hunter would go to the hangars, study the route with his men and enter the aerial space. The vast areas around New Macross City still looked like ominous deserts.
More and more often his radars detected the remnants of a Zentraedi ship or vessel. Of a smashed pod, of a Varitech that had burned into the atmosphere and landed on the blasted Earth. Apart from his men, Rick had only met Max in passing. And one morning Dr. Lang, on his way to his office, had stopped by the hangars to say hello.
His assistants had jammed behind his back, like train cars backing the locomotive.
-Captain Hunter! Welcome back at the base!
Lang had squared him for long moments and nodded.
-I'll be seeing you soon!
After the fiasco of that date ...-but it wasn't a date, really!- Rick never got to bump into Lisa.. He was somehow feeling nostalgic for these days when he could see her face behind the screen, on the Tacnet.
Sure, most of the time she was there to nag him or chew him out. But so many times it was a comfort to have her there to support him and help him through the battle.
What if I asked her for tea?
Sometimes the thought had flashed through his mind. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Ten days passed
That morning Lisa Hayes had been summoned to the New Macross Government center. The city looked almost fair covered in that thick blanket of snow: she had to admit, when UEG's main headquarters were to be moved to Monument, something was going to be missing. But that was the way it was set. Macross would remain for all purposes the primary military outpost of the Defense Forces, while the political nerve center would be moved to Monument city. Civilians and military would again be separate entities, as they were before the war. Sometimes Lisa felt sick of it all. Although she didn't want to admit it even to herself. Her sessions with Dr. Heichmann were up and downs sometimes she was talkative and cooperative and sometimes it was simply impossible to have a conversation. She had locked "the Rick Hunter thing" in a deep corner of her sentient brain and had no intention of bringing it up. Not after the disastrous date - but it wasn't a date really! - of one week ago.
She was more determined than ever to focus only on her work.
Sometimes she dreamed of him. She dreamed of arguing with such ferocity that at any moment they would come to blows. She felt her fingers tingle to grasp him, to feel the grip on his body, to hit him...In her dreams she smelled his unmistakable scent and could see his swaggering blue eyes sparkling with anger. Lisa never had the heart to talk to the therapist about those dreams.
-Welcome back, Captain Hayes!
A familiar, slightly mocking voice, surprised her from behind as the reception droid was detecting her face ID.
-I'm fine, thanks to Major Grant!
she replied sourly
-How grumpy we all are...maybe you haven't reached your glycemic peak yet ?
Claudia winked as she handed her a black mug with an RDF logo on it.
-Arabica with two sugar cubes.
Lisa lifted an eyebrow but picked up her coffee gratefully.
-In fact ... I was wondering why I was summoned here
Claudia rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Lisa was really being intractable lately... was it by chance due to a recently returned Varitech pilot?
Needless to ask, she would have never speak.
-Ok I see that suspense with you has a nefarious effect...
The two women stepped towards the elevators.
-Claudia just speak, damn it!
Major Grant raised her palms in surrender.
-Ok ok!
-We are scheduled to an informal meeting with Dr. Lang, Senator Russo, General Maistroff, and of course the Admiral. The VF-4 prototypes are ready...
-Oh!
Lisa let go a sound of frank surprise.
-They just can't wait to get them started.
The elevator doors swung open with a slight tinny sound.
-You'll see, this is gonna be interesting.
The meeting was quite confidential. A sort of dress rehearsal for what would be the official introduction of the new variable fighters to the Army: the VF-4 Lightning III. This upgraded VT was fully capable of flying through Earth's (and any other planet's) atmosphere and designed to operate over long distances in space.
It was really one of the projects that the scientific team and RDF valued the most.
-The real threat of further alien attacks and the need to colonize new habitable worlds made us trust in this great project. It's a challenge we've overcome by constantly investigating Robotechnology and refining it alongside our human science.
Dr. Lang ended his speech with some emphasis and a slight emotion. His subordinates Gena Barltlow and Laslo Zand, recently arrived from the Apollo base, looked at each other with a mixture of pride and clumsiness.
Admiral Gloval nodded his head in agreement. It was his turn to speak.
-... and in any case the success of the project would not be possible without the commitment of our Varitech Squadrons officers...
Lisa Hayes, who had been oddly pensive throughout the entire presentation, lifted her eyelids from the monitor placed on the desk.
Admiral Gloval was outlining the team of pilots who would honorably attend the VF-4 test flights.
-Captain Richard Hunter will be in charge of the testing. He will select three of his subordinates from the Skull Squadron.
Lisa's heart started to beat unsteadily, even though her face didnt show anything.
-What about the Sterling-Parino pair of aces?
said Maistroff : his voice was almost mocking.
Gloval rolled an eye in his direction and frowned imperceptibly.
-Lieutenant Sterling is going on a mission to South America as soon as his girl is born.
A slight buzz arose among the audience.
-There are still a number of Zentraedi malcontents in the Amazon, as you well know General... and in any case we are here to talk about the new VF-4 flight tests. As for Lt. Parino, I hope the malcontents will be quelled and the new Varitechs will be operational by the time she'll get back on duty!
Lang nodded and coughed slightly for attention
-There is one more thing... we know your dedication to the Macross Command Center is onerous, but... uhm... but we are demanding your presence on the control tower...
-At least for the first couple of weeks...
-You have to train the new bridge officers that have recently joined us from the Apollo base...
-They already are familiar with the new Varitechs but only on the simulators...Captain Hayes...did you hear me?
-Lisa...?
Claudia's voice, calling her name, made her wince
-What... I...
A drop of cold sweat crossed the base of her neck. She lifted her stunned eyes to the Admiral and then glanced in amazement at Dr. Lang. They both looked at her encouragingly.
-Am I supposed to run the flight tests?
She said hesitantly
For a moment a faint smile played on Gloval's lips.
-Just like in the Space War
he said wryly
-Something similar...
Lang hurried to clarify.
-With the exception that our only enemy, this time, will be gravity and the pilots' inexperience! Hehe!
Then a timid laughter spread around the table.
Lisa was speechless but forced herself to smile. There was no way to refuse, of course. She was going to run the new prototype tests. That meant hard study of the new Varitechs and their special features... and it also meant that she would be back working with Rick Hunter, like in the SDF1 days.. her heart was beating fast behind the serious face she wore.
The cold was incredibly biting early in the morning. The almost perpetual light of Alaskan sun scarcely tempered the wastelands. Cold chills enveloped Captain Hunter's young body despite the fur-lined trench coat he was wearing: he was driving a jeep quite recklessly, heading out of the military district straight towards the newly built highway to the base. The meet-up was for 7 o'clock. A small smile had cracked his lips, red from the cold. He felt the tips of his eyelashes freezing on his lids. He was thrilled about a number of things...
First of all, he would be flying one of the new VF-4 Lightning III. He had already had the opportunity to see some of them, still incomplete, when he was on Apollo. He knew they were very powerful. The most powerful that RDF had had ever engineered. His fingers tingled, his legs quivered in expectation: in some way, he was still that young boy who used to perform incredible and dangerous air stunts, back in the days of the flying circus. But there were a few other things that made him feel optimistic. One was that Dr. Lang had notified him that he would have an office to himself in the hangar bay. An office. In so many ways, he was still that boy from before, and he never expected to deserve an office of his own. A desk to yell orders behind... just like Commander Hayes at the Command Center.
Lisa - that was another reason he was feeling particularly jolly. He was getting back to work with her. He smiled slyly as he thought about how he would upset her on the Comm just like back in the Space War days. Her face, red with rage, flashed before him as if he were seeing it at that very moment. Her eyebrows furrowing, her green eyes narrowing like those of a wild cat ready to attack. A small vein crossing her forehead...
Rick let go a giggle...his breath crystallized into a white cloud that melted in the wind.
He started to recall...
"-What does it mean you're leaving for Earth?
He stormed into her office, rattling the door on its hinges.
The room was strangely dark, only lit by a small blue lamp: it took him a few moments to spot her, sitting at the desk. The shape of her shoulders was highlighted by the faint light from deep space that flashed in through the window. Everything was blue, even her face had an ethereal hue: Rick felt like he was floating in an aquarium.
She was bent over her laptop, furiously typing.
-What you want Lieutenant Hunter?
she said dryly, not even looking up from her desk.
Rick tightened his jaw, clenched his fists, took a few steps in her direnction, feeling like exploding.
-What ...what I want? I just learned from Max that tomorrow ...
Lisa lifted her face and at that moment he saw her eyes... as cold as ice.
Rick shuddered and for a short time lost his thread. But then he clenched his knuckles even tighter in his fists.
-I just heard that Max will escort your shuttle back to Earth! Are you leaving the SDF1...? Lisa!
His voice got cracked as he uttered her name
She let go a long, painful sigh. Her throat was dry. She tried to say something but then seemed to give up.
Rick was fuming.
-So, is it true? You didn't tell me anything? You have nothing to say about this?! Lisa!
He reached out to the desk and placed both palms on the cold metal.
At that very moment he could see her eyes, so clear in the starlight: he had never seen such sad eyes before.
Commander Hayes jerked out of her chair, crawling it on the floor. Then she turned around sharply. Her hair swirled for a moment and flowed around her shoulders.
She looked out the huge window, the deep and quiet space. Rick just couldn't understand why she hadn't told him anything. She had decided to leave for Earth, without even telling him:
Commander Hayes... I am so... little to you?
the first thought he had had was this.
Rick was disappointed, angry: but then he noticed that her shoulders were shaking. She had wrapped her arms around her waist and seemed to be sobbing in silence. Rick crossed the desk in between them and in a flash was standing behind her back: he was right, she was crying.
Her scent, so familiar, enveloped him; Rick carefully placed a hand on her shoulder to make her turn around.
And she turned around.
He was no longer angry now, but a nameless sadness had seized him. He looked straight into her eyes, those green eyes shining like gemstones in the dark.
-Why you didn't tell me anything, Lisa, why?
His voice was like a whisper
Rick raised the hand that was holding her shoulder, all the way up her neck, and rested it on her damp cheek
-I...
Lisa sniffed.
-I was going to tell you but...then, I decided to call you tomorrow... as soon as the shuttle had left the battleship.
Rick opened his eyes wide. A wave of sickness made him lose his balance for a moment: for a moment he could not think.
He still held that pale, damp cheek in his palm
-... don't go
he stammered
-I mean I ... you can't leave your station on the bridge, what are the pilots going to do? What are they going to do on the Deadalus?
And... what about me? What am I going to do?
He thought
Lisa had looked away. Somewhere far away in the darkness, outside the window.
-Sammie is ready to replace me and...
-What does this mean?
Rick had cut her off
-What does it mean, Lisa? When will you be back?
-I... don't kid myself... it is possible that I may not be allowed to return. I've come to know too much about the Zentraedis and...
Then she had lifted her face, at him.
They both blushed as they realized they were standing so close. Their noses were almost touching.
I' ll come with you...
Rick thought.
I'll come down to Earth with you...
but as he was about to say it the door swung open...
-Commander Hayes...
it was the the voice of the Sergeant in charge.
-Captain Gloval is waiting for you to...
then he suddenly stopped
In the half-light he had seen their shapes against the window. So close they seemed to be holding each other. Lieutenant Hunter was stroking Commander Hayes' face.
-Oh I'm sorry I...
he murmured
Lisa took the chance to slip away from Rick.
-I'll be right there.
she said with her usual dry and impersonal voice
-... Lieutenant Hunter, talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye.
Rick gripped the wheel as he recalled how she had left her office, that night. Then, they'd only spoken via tacnet on their way to Earth. And then he'd sent her that morse code to tell her that he was going to miss her."*.
-Welcome to New Macross Air Base, Captain Hayes!
She was arriving from the Command Center. The ever-efficient Lisa Hayes had dropped by her office to gather anything she thought she might need for her new assignment.
She had momentarily left her station to Sammie, but she was confident she could keep up with both of her work on the control tower would take a lot of time, but only for the first stint.
In addition, new air traffic officers had been hired directly from the Apollo base.
Lisa got out of the car carrying her laptop, phone and clipboard in her arms. She wore a white fur hat that made her green eyes stand out and her cheeks were slightly flushed by the cold. When she reached the entrance she spotted a bunch of people gathered in the lobby. She realized she was not the only early riser. Then she saw him. He was standing by a pillar carefully scrolling through his tablet. His gaze was intently on the screen, and his dark hair hung over his forehead.
-Can' t believe it ...
she muttered
As she walked into the hall all the officers snapped to attention.
-Captain Hayes! Welcome to Macross Air Base.
said the desk clerk.
Then he lifted his head and their eyes met.
Lisa returned the salute but did not stop looking at his face.
-Lisa Hayes...
he whispered
-I mean, now you are Captain... Hayes!
Lisa smiled shyly, gripping her devices even tighter in her hands
-Alex Louan...*
her cheeks, if possible, turned even redder.
He walked on and stopped a few inches from her. He peered at her carefully.
-You... haven't changed
he said warmly
-Neither have you...
Lisa took an emphatic breath
-I'm so glad you're alive!
The young officer ran a hand over his head. That statement implied so many things. Then he smiled again.
-Actually, well uh... can I hug you?
Lisa nodded her head brightly
-Yes! I mean, You must do it!
Then held each other, with affection.
Rick Hunter, followed by Ransom and two other pilots walked into the lobby at that moment. They all wore their regular uniforms and their Defense Air Force hats.
While submitting to facial recognition, Rick's gaze fell on a pair of officers hugging each other. At first he smiled: it was rare to see such a scene in at Macross base.
-Captain Hunter, good morning!
said the receptionist.
At that exact moment Lisa and Alex Louan both turned in his direction and
Rick could clearly see that the woman in the eskimo-type fur coat was no other than Captain Hayes.
His eyes darkened, his eyebrows furrowed. He hastily saluted back, without stopping.
That scene had annoyed him immensely. Unable to figure out why, he walked stiffly towards his new office. Lisa glanced at him and her heart skipped a beat. But he hadn't even paused to salute the Apollo base's new officers. His attitude towards them, and especially towards her, had annoyed her enormously.
What a rude jerk. He thinks he is the owner of the base? But from today on, everything is gonna change!
She nibbled her lower lip in frustration.
-Lisa...are you okay?
Alex was still in front of her.
-Yes...yes Lieutenant Louan. Im okay.
Lang had welcomed the air traffic control officers directly into the hangars. To show them the majesty of the new VF-4.
Two mecha were on the ceiling hanging from the canopy and two were on the outside ramp, ready to take off. The wind whistled through the huge runway, and Lang had to shout to be heard by the audience.
-...and Captain Hunter will lead the 4-men formation...
He was saying:
Then Rick, already dressed in his pressurized flight suit, stepped forward and stood pompously to his left.
He had combed his hair all the way back, but the wind immediately messed it up, bringing it to his usual style. He had a very serious look on his face.
-Thank you Dr. Lang
he said, purposely avoiding to salute.
For a second, he met Lisa's gaze and his eyes darkened, then he quickly focused his stare on a distant spot.
-As you can see, the VF-4 has a peculiar three-hulled-type airframe structure remarkably different from the VF-1 design.
The three-hulled style of the VF-4 increases fuselage volume, propellant capacity and armament load capability, that all resulted in a 40% improved combat ability over the VF-1...
continued Lang
-The craft is capable of carrying a GU-11 gun pod in Guardian and Battroid modes. In addition to the powerful primary beam guns, the Lightning III also features twelve semi-recessed long-range missiles as well as under wing pylons for additional missiles...
Lang grinned as he noticed stunned looks on everyone's faces.
-In addition , and Captain Hunter can confirm this - this is the first variable fighter to utilize a HOTAS system (Hands On Throttle And Stick) and the HMI, Human-Machine Interface. The VF-4's cockpit was also built as a single hexagonal MFD (Multi-Function Display)*.
Rick nodded cockily.
-I got a chance to test VF-4 in simulator during my stay at Apollo. So did my Skull Squadron crew. That's why I decided to bring three of them for those flight tests. I can assure that the pilot's body fits perfectly into the HMI. It's quite impressive.
The team that would be directing air traffic from the control tower was to be presented by Lisa. She approached Lang and as she walked forward sparks of fire flashed in her eyes.
The electricity between herself and Commander Hunter was palpable. Lisa felt she hated his guts. Not only had he not properly saluted her and the officers arriving from Apollo, but he had deliberately taken the floor first.
Rick for his part glanced at her with contempt: a small grimace crossed his lips.
He had never thought that Commander Hayes could throw herself at a man in such official circumstances.
She would have sent him to seclusion if he would have done something like that. But, yeah, she was Admiral Hayes' daughter, she was entitled to anything.
Lang couldn't help but notice their scornful glances. Gena Bartlow and Zand exchanged a puzzled look, and Alex Louan furrowed his brows as well. All of a sudden Lisa seemed to be in a terrible mood.
-Delta 1 to Skull 1 - Skull 1 do you copy me?
At exactly 10 o'clock, the first post-war flight test had officially started.
Lang was standing next to Lisa's workstation, after several months she had gone back to headphones: these, however, were of the new kind made of transparent silicone. The little microphone was no bigger than a coffee bean.
In front of them, miles high below, the freshly greased track where technicians and chiefs were scrambling fast in and out of the hangars.
-Here we go ...
muttered Lang
Lisa turned three-quarters and their eyes met.
-Admiral Hayes would be very proud of that.
Lisa nodded but could not speak, her gaze lost behind the snowy mountains.
-Skull 1 roger Delta 1! Delta 1? Captain Hayes? You there?
Rick Hunter's cheeky voice pulled her out of her musings.
-So what? Captain Hayes? You already take a break before we started?
Lisa clenched her jaw and switched to the video channel
-Captain Hunter
she said coldly
Many feet down from the watchtower, Rick, aboard his Varitech, did the same. Lisa's face appeared on his monitor, incredibly clear. He could see her as if she were just an inch away.
-Wow! That's just... amazing!
-What d' you say Captain Hunter? I don't think I understand.
Lisa stared at him suspiciously. A small line crossed her forehead. Rick could clearly see her green eyes sparkling , as golden specks floated in her irises.
-I was saying that the new Comm... is just fantastic. I mean, the image quality is so sharp...
Lang nodded in agreement
-The resolution is great Captain Hayes. I mean... uh... I can actually see every single wrinkle on your face!
Lisa couldn't believe her ears...she instinctively ran a hand over her face in disbelief, then blushed visibly, her eyes narrowed into a slit. Lang watched her in alarm: he knew she could explode at any moment.
-Captain Hunter!
Her voice was shaking with anger
-I don't think I understand!
Rick for his part was having a hard time holding back a laugh. It was just like the old days. On the SDF1. When he had called her an old lady.
How dumb he had been. But fortunately now he felt like grown up... and he felt confident: nevertheless he couldn't help but tease her, he just loved to piss her off.
-Commander Hayes... I can see you very well, but I can't really hear you.
he lied
-Starting takeoff operations. It's so noisy down here...
Lisa sighed heavily.
On one side she was furious but on the other she felt an incredible connection with him: it was like " to be at home"... whatever that meant.
Lang was delighted. The first test day had simply gone smoothly. Of course, there hadn't been an atmospher breach. They'd wait a few more weeks for that.
But the new VF-4 was remarkably fast in switching to Guardian and Battroid mode, and back again. Exactly a lightning bolt. Needless to say, Captain Hunter had improved and refined his flying technique. And the new HMI system seemed to had been patterned on him. Well, it sort of, was. But that was something Lang kept to himself.
-He's the successor of Roy Fokker.
he said in a proud voice.
Gena Bartlow sighed
-I remember very well Lieutenant Commander Fokker ... he was simply an ace of the skies!
Lisa turned around in annoyance. She took off her headset and passed her hair behind her shoulders, making it swirl in the air.
-Definitely his brazenness and lack of discipline are a legacy of his, even if never as in this case is true the adage "the student has become the master."!
Lang and his assistants chuckled nervously and got ready to leave the watchtower.
-See you in the morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Alex Louan hurried to salute them formally and Lisa grinned at him.
-It worked out well...
-It has been incredible, Commander. Those Varitechs are simply futuristic!
For a moment Lisa frowned and looked lost in thought.
The unexpected arrival of Alex Louan had brought back a lot of memories: but she had managed to set them aside in a corner of her heart for the whole duration of the testing. Now, these memories were coming back.
-Do you want to walk around? I'll show you the base.
He nodded and put his hand to his temple.
-My pleasure, Captain Hayes.
After changing into their heavy coats and regular hats, the two young officers walked out into the frosty air, to the main track.
-Can't believe this huge building was constructed in less than a year.
Lisa passed a strand of hair behind her shoulder.
-When everything is broken, when you hit the bottom... you can only go up...the Admiral used to say it a lot... I mean... my father...
Alex smiled.
-He would be proud of you. Of everything you've achieved.
Lisa shook her head
-No...I don't really think...
-Lisa...
Alex Louan's voice got grave
-The rest of us, on Apollo, had to watch the destruction of the Earth, hiding helplessly inside our bunkers... had to watch our home planet being annihilated, while the SDF1 and the terrest forces went on fighting relentlessly until...until the very end...
Lisa nodded
-Thank god you are all safe and well, that's the most important thing.
-Yes... and so are you. But surely not because of me..
Lisa suddenly stopped
-What you mean?
She looked at him, puzzled
Alex pointed his hand up, towards the sky
-When Karl left for Mars... he made me promise to take care of you. And to give you support until his return...
Lisa's heart skipped a beat
-...But things didn't work out that way...Sarah Base was destroyed and he ...
he paused and sighed
-I was assigned to Apollo and you to the SDF 1, and then the Zentraedis attacked and...
Alex took a few steps and pointed to the hangars: the pilots were taking off from their shifts.
-It's all him
Lisa frowned
-What... what do you mean?
-Everyone knows the story, Captain Hunter... he...he rescued you from the Alaska base during the Rain of Death!
Lisa's eyes went wide and for a moment she stopped breathing.
-I can't thank him enough for that. I'm sure Karl... wherever he is...he feels...he feels the same.
Lisa was thoughtful, that unexpected meet had messed her up and she hadn't given Rick Hunter's arrogant behavior that much consideration. This had ended heating him up even more.
-Commander Hayes!
Lisa gasped as she saw he himself coming straight towards them. He had already changed into his regular uniform
-Well done!
he said scornfully, perhaps deliberately forgetting to salute them.
Lisa instantly blushed but kept her cold and stiff attitude.
-I could say the same about you, Captain Hunter. But don't take it too easy, this is just the day one.
-Taking it easy on that damn plane is the last thing on my mind, ma'am. It's pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever flown.
-You'd better, Captain. And mind your language.
Rick cracked a dismissive smile.
He had been purposefully ignoring Alex Louan all along. But now he suddenly gave him a long, head-to-toe look.
-You were on Apollo... Lieutenant?
Louan immediately placed a hand up to his forehead.
-Yes sir! First Lieutenant Alex Louan ... nice to meet you Captain Hunter.
he said in a crisp voice
Rick stared at him again and nodded, then he turned to Lisa: he lifted his face close to hers and she blushed again, heavily.
-I'm on my way to the military district, do you want a ride... Captain Hayes?
Lisa's eyes opened wide: she could feel his warmth despite the freezing weather.
How dare he act like this? Just... what is he trying to prove?
In the sunlight Rick's eyes sparkled like the deepest, stormy ocean.
'What the hell of attitude is that? He really is a jerk!
Alex Louan came to her aid
-Go on Lisa.
She suddenly turned to him
-Eh?
Their bond is much deeper than a simple working relationship
he thought
-It has been a busy day... for everyone. I'm going to catch up with my fellows from Apollo. We should have been assigned a temporary quarter and...
-But Alex...
Alex searched for Hunter's gaze but his eyes were cold and distant.
-Remember... you owe me a tour of New Macross!
-Alex but... really, you don't have to...
-See ya Commander Hayes... Goodbye Captain Hunter!
Alex waved at him again, and Rick merely nodded.
Lisa was fuming.
As soon as Louan was out of their line of sight, she turned to Rick. Her eyes cast burning flames.
-How the hell dare you? What you think you were proving?
she hissed
Her voice was so shrill that Rick retreated a few steps. He was actually starting to realize that maybe he had gone too far.
Why had he acted this way? He had no idea. Was he jealous or what? No... it was simply... no way. But he didn't manage to apologize to Lisa. The whole thing was simply not an option.
He turned around completely to face the tarmac and realized that Lang and his assistants, along with some techs, were staring at them.
He felt himself blushing.
-Uh well... so... do you want this ride or not!?
Lisa glanced at him intensely, with deep contempt. It was stupid and she knew it, but she could not control her anger.
-It's the last thing in the world I would do! Get in your damn car!
She took a few steps towards him
Rick could clearly see fire burning in her green eyes.
-Let me through, Commander Hunter
Rick was stunned, stepped back again, then frowned: he felt a sudden rage mounting.
He couldn't understand why she was so upset with him. The flight test had turned out great ... was it because of that Lieutenant Louan?
Lisa walked past him and started heading towards the hangars, her auburn hair combed in long strands swirled in the frosty air.
He just couldn't reply.
Small snowflakes began to flutter down the sky. Rick gave a weak kick to a pile of ice on the path, then he stuffed his hands into his pockets and started walking in the same direction.
-Uh, the H2 fighting is starting over again...
mumbled Dr. Lang as he turned to leave.
-The fighting what?
Gena Bartlow looked at him curiously.
Lang chuckled to himself
-Nothing... oh well, you'll probably find out soon enough...
At the Command Center, the mood was extremely relaxed.
The bridge girls- the terrible trio- were enjoying gossiping while the newbie Makizaki was working on his station. Vanessa had temporarily left her seat and was dallying with the latest rumors from the base.
-...And have you seen those officers who came in from Apollo for the flight tests?
Sammie brought both hands to her chest, dreamily
-Oh my gosh, they are so handsome! Specially that dark-haired first Lieutenant!
Kim looked at her suspiciously.
-Lieutenant Alex Louan. He served on the Kern base a good ten years ago! How do you know him?
Sammie showed her teeth.
-I don't know him yet but I plan to soon, so what?
-Ssssh girls...
Vanessa suddenly brought her forefinger to her mouth and pointed upstairs. The menacing presence of Lisa Hayes had showed up on the balcony. Her eyes were distilling hatred. It was apparently one of "those days".
-Lieutenant Leeds!
She hissed without a glance down
-I... I told you that...
whispered Makizaki in a trembling voice.
-Now Captain Hayes is gonna punish us! All!
The three girls glared at him.
-Captain Hayes!
Vanessa welcomed her ceremoniously
-We didn't think we'd see you at the Center today, how was the flight test?
Lisa gave her a stern look
-I've noticed that!
Then she sat down at her station.
-Do we have any news about the squadrons on patrol? What about the Destroids deployed at the outskirts of New Macross?
Vanessa rushed to her monitor
-I'm turning the details over ... but Commander Hayes ... are you planning to work also at the Command Center during the VF-4 testing?
Lisa turned around and glowered at her.
-Why not? The whole day is 24 hours!
Vanessa frowned and slightly shook her head.
After the full eight hours of flight testing, Rick Hunter was off for the rest of the day. He couldn't say he was tired, not like when he was on patrols with uncertain outcomes in the middle of the desert, or when he had to mediate some Zentraedi malcontents with his still-poor diplomacy.
He was finally doing what he loved most: flying through the Earth's sky. At incredible heights and speeds. He felt so free and revived as if a new awareness had flooded his body. He felt full of strength, of life. His blood was beating fiercely in his veins.
He already worshipped those VTs. He knew he could do great things with them. He was so excited and eager to externalize his excitement and yet he realized he had no one to talk to.
As he sat in the beaming chair of his brand new office he fiddled with his smartphone flipping through the short phone book. His wingmen had already left for their quarters. And Max? Max was on patrol by then. Mirya was pregnant... she might have gone berserk just at the mention of a VT. Bobby Bell and the guys were on patrol, too...
Rick banged a fist on his pristine white desk.
-Ugh!
His voice rang out in the quiet room
Why the hell does she have to be so rude? I would have invited her for tea and.. we could have shared our impressions of this first day... After all, I'm the test pilot... and she's... she' s the first officer. Ah... definitely she had to meet with that idiot. "You owe me a tour of New Macross"... argh...
Rick ran a hand through his hair nervously, trying to picture Lieutenant Louan's face, but he failed.
These Apollo a*holes didn't even join the war. They hid in their fucking bunkers for the whole length of the conflict... and now they are showing up here to run on veterans like us...
Rick was brooding in his usual childish way. In any case, he couldn't figure out why Lisa had been so distant with him lately. Maybe because of the previous week's issue?
Lisa could be very touchy. But in the end she had been the one to tell me to go to the Nyan Nyan.
He kept scrolling through the phone book until he came across her name
"Lynn Minmay"
Was it still the same number? He had tried. But the call had sent him straight to voicemail. Rick huffed in annoyance, then he made up his mind to leave the office. He locked the door and headed out to the car. The snow was still slowly falling down.
By 3 pm Lisa had not even allowed herself a lunch break. She was still tracking the squadrons on patrol: she had been working for countless hours by now and she didn't even know why she'd dogged it that way. Maybe she wanted to escape her own thoughts. She wasn't ready to talk to Alex Louan, and as for Rick... she had been waiting so long to meet him again and he just treated her with no respect, as always. He showed her no regard and mocked her in front of everyone.
Lisa clenched her knuckles on the keypad until they whitened.
How could she still think that...?
Think what? He sees me as a boring old bag. I don't think he would even consider me his friend.
Her face was looking very sad.
"I'm sure Karl -whoever he is- feels the same"
Alex's voice boomed back in her head. Lisa sighed
If Karl was alive...
but then she shook her head
Nothing about this is real.
-Vanessa! I'm off on a break!
She winced at the sound of his shrill voice
-Aye, aye Madam!
-If anything happens call me on my mobile!
She didn't know why she had left the Command Center instead of heading to the mess hall.
Maybe she just wanted to walk in the snow, sans an umbrella of course.
The city was bathed in the pale winter sun, and Christmas lights were starting to appear among the buildings and store windows.
She knew that the SDF1 would also be illuminated by Christmas lighting, Claudia had told her. In a few days that sight would have delighted the citizens of New Macross.
Lisa smiled at the idea. In less than a year, the human race had found the strength to start over again.
At the smell of the restaurants' stalls her stomach started to rumble as memories of past Christmases came to her mind like a flooding stream.
When she and Karl had met under the 70ft tree in downtown, LA. It was a very hot Christmas and he was serving at Kern Base. However, she hadn't let go of wearing a little red dress.
"You look gorgeous"
he had told her, and had kissed her on the cheek.
Then they had been joined by their friends, Alex and Serena, and together they had had lunch in a Chinese restaurant. The thousand colors of the twinkling lights spilled over the ocean at sunset. Lisa was 17 and the Global War wasn't even begun. Everything was perfect.
-A penny for your thoughts?
Lisa blinked abruptly and turned her head. A man with a blue RDF umbrella was standing in front of her, his face in the shade.
She smiled softly
-oh I...
- Don't they use umbrellas for the snow in Japan?
He slowly slid it over her head and they both were covered
Lisa let out a giggle
-No, in Japan we don't use umbrellas for the snow... and by the way, I was just thinking of a Christmas, many years ago...
He nodded
-Yeah... we had a blast... me, you, Serena and Karl...
-Yes... it was great.
Lisa huddled deeper into her fur coat: she felt her eyes burning, as if tears were pushing their way out.
-I've meant to visit the city...
he said
-Forgive me Alex! I promised to take you to New Macross and I didn't...
He shook his head
-You're here now, aren't you?
Lisa nodded and cracked a small smile
The two young officers started to walk through the city'streets downtown.
Minmay had not returned his call. Rick parked his jeep in the officers' lot at the Command Center and headed listlessly toward the downtown area.
He had not had lunch and his stomach was begging for mercy. With hands in his pockets and a rather annoyed face he watched unseeing all the Christmas lights around.
A large LED screen placed on the tallest building in town was advertising Macross Farm products and some Christmas cakes.
Rick watched but did not see, lost in gloomy and useless thoughts.
He then heard a familiar voice.
It was coming from above, from the building with the LED screen
-Yes, my Christmas album is ready. I cannot wait to share it with you!
Minmay...
She had changed her hairstyle. She was in a green-walled room, sitting on a small sofa, her legs crossed. Then the camera hovered over her tender, beautiful face: a sweet smile showed up on her mouth.
-I hope it will be a happy Christmas for all of us, humans and Zentraedis!...
Then the screen went dark and a large sign appeared in both English and Zentraedi's language.
"Minmay Christmas Songs. Coming soon."
A chill had run down Rick's spine: he couldn't tell if it was the weather or a sudden wistful longing.
He had never spent a Christmas with Minmay and had no memories to bring days at the SDF1 were so long ago.
He resolved to buy some food and go home.
-Are you sure you want to go back to the Command Center?
Alex said as he helped her put her coat back on.
In the end they had opted for a Chinese restaurant just like the good old days.
Lisa nodded as she donned her beanie.
-Yes, but just for a couple of minutes: gonna keep everything in order for the night shift.
Alex giggled
-Don't forget... tomorrow morning at 7am, we are having day 2 of the VF-4 flight tests.
-How could I ?
Rick popped out of a secondary street, at the very front of the Command Center. The elevators to the underground parking lots were located there.
As he walked down the three steps leading to the corridor he was attracted by some voices.
-...And please take a rest
a female chuckle made him turn around
-You too! Tomorrow you have to be in good shape!
-Absolutely, Captain!
Rick Hunter lifted himself over the edge of the railing and peeked his head out. Two people behind a large RDF umbrella. They were a man and a woman. The woman stepped out of his field of vision for a moment and then reappeared on the stairway up to the Command Center: she was flicking the snow flakes from her coat and from her long auburn hair.
Captain Hayes!
Rick furrowed his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose
And the one under the umbrella should be that idiot, that Louan.
Lisa was most definitely having lunch with him. The very idea bothered him immensely. And that made him pissed at himself.
What should I care about what she does or doesn't? How she is spending her lunch breaks?I just do not give a damn.
In effect, Rick was dumbfounded by his own nervousness.
The truth was that he had never seen a man beside her, and when she had mentioned someone...he couldn't remember...maybe, maybe she had told him that that someone had died? Memories of when they had gotten trapped during the transformation* came to his mind.
Yes... Lisa had told him that she had once been in love, with a guy who looked exactly like Lynn Kyle...
Rick wondered why those memories had stayed buried in his mind for so long. As he walked to the military quarters under a thick snow, his eyes grew sadder and sadder... his obsessive thoughts about Minmay had wiped out everything else...even the hardest experiences of war. But that day, during the transformation, he and Lisa... they had spoken truthfully to each other. And they were so close, so close that, he was sure, he was about to kiss her.
But then the SDF1 had been unblocked and the moment was gone.
Rick clasped his hands tightly, digging nails into his palms.
Commander Hayes...
He reached the back driveway, and when he rounded the corner to enter the house he saw that his mailbox was packed. Curious, he walked over and realized that a large carton tube had been forced into the hole. He looked for the keys and in a moment freed it. Inside the mailbox there was also a letter and a small box covered with pink material. On the back of the envelope was handwritten "Lieutenant Rick Hunter"
-Is Captain, actually
he muttered in annoyance as he walked towards the front door.
Rick tore off the piece of cellophane wrapping around the tube and slowly unrolled it on the kitchen table.
His eyes widened:
-Oh...
It was Minmay, in a new picture he hadn't seen yet. Her hairstyle was different and she was wearing a red woolen bonnet and some cute fur earmuffs. Wrapped in a sumptuous red coat, she was playing with the snowflakes swirling around her. The picture was beautiful, her smile was radiant.*
Rick stood in thought for a moment, not really realizing why that huge poster had been delivered to his house.
Then he rushed to the letter
"Dear friend... I am happy to present you my new album, it's a selection of the most beautiful Christmas songs to celebrate our first Christmas on Earth after the war (...)"
It was a pre-set letter. At the bottom was Minmay's signature. A small flickering heart graced the base of the Y.
Rick sighed...of course he couldn't expect her to send him a private letter... Yeah, why not?
And yet he really wanted to, or at least he hoped it.
When they had said goodbye before the attack, Minmay had told him that she loved him back... and they had... kissed...*
Rick Hunter clutched the candy pink paper in his hands and shook his head. He could see that such an attitude led nowhere and yet he was as if stuck in a spell, waiting, perpetually waiting for her.
The young test pilot turned to the crooked calendar hanging on his door.
In a couple of weeks it was going to be Christmas.
Lisa Hayes climbed down the ropeway that led to the military housing. The snow had not stopped for a moment, silent and tight. She was feeling extra sad and nostalgic... She looked toward the crossroad that led to the Air Force officer's quarters, which housed Rick's lodging but sonn she shook her head and walked away. When she was inside her own apartment a twinge of homesickness just seized her.
She placed a hand on her chest, panting. All of a sudden she felt like bursting into tears.
I gotta stop
she ordered herself
but she couldn't chase away that feeling.
She rushed into the bedroom and turned on the small lamp. Then she sat down on the floor, slipped her head and shoulders into the closet and started looking through the heaped boxes. A little later she came out: in her hands she held an album not much bigger than a notebook. The cover was white and wrapped in transparent cellophane.
She knew it was there, she had hidden it, a long time ago. Lisa kept sitting on the floor, carefully watching and inspecting every single picture. They were just a handful of analog photos taken with a snapshot.
She and Serena at Kern's base on VFX0's big opening day.
Her friend looked stunning, with that long wavy blonde hair and a royal poise.
Again the two girlfriends on the high school terrace and then...
Lisa squeezed her eyes shut and a small tear slipped down one of her eyes. She still couldn't believe that her beautiful friend had died... during the annihilation of the Earth. Not even a tombstone to remember her.
She turned the page and widened her eyes. A sad smile hovered on her lips.
Karl, in his RDF uniform was leaning against a tree on a sunny porch. Next to him, rather coy and awkward, was Lisa, in a white dress studded with golden shards. They were not even touching: it was their first picture together.
She carefully ran a finger over his face.
-Karl...
The other few photos still showed them together. At Manhattan beach together with Serena and Alex Louan
She, Karl and Alex, together with fellow students of the Defense Force Academy: all of them smiled at the bright future before them.
However, the upcoming tomorrow was unfairly bleak.
Lisa brought out the last photo in the album: it was also the last one she had taken with Karl. It was in the garden of her mansion, on the hills. He had come to say goodbye before leaving for Mars.
She was wearing that dress he had given her. It was blue, very chastened for an 18 year old girl, slightly childish, but she thought it fit her perfectly. That night, under the starry sky, he had pointed out a distant glow.
"That red star is Mars."
He had said.
"I'll be waiting for you there."*
Lisa realized she was crying profusely when her vision was completely blurred. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and shook her head.
It's just a moment of confusion...It was because , because of Alex... he brought back so many memories...
Still, Lisa kept the picture and placed it on the nightstand with the intention of buying a frame and having it displayed.*
As she gazed at the early twilight outside the window she realized that Christmas was only a few days left.
She checked at the calendar on her mobile
Only two weeks...
she thought.
Everything she had dreamed about that Christmas now seemed so unreachable.
To be continued
notes:
1) An alternate version of episode 24 Showdown... a little wip I wrote some time ago
2) Alex Louan together with Serena Seymour are OC by me, they were Karl and Lisa best friends. They appear in my other fic To the Stars and Beyond.
3) VF-4 lightning III data sheet is from Macross Compendium
4) From ep 21 A new Dawn
5) From ep 27 Force of Arms
6)From ep 7 Bye Bye Mars
8) This poster is first seen in ep 28, Reconstruction Blues
9) This picture is seen in ep 30, Viva Miriya
Hi everyone, here I am with the 3rd chapter of this fic. I'm really sorry for the delay in posting... January has been a hard and busy month!
Thank you for being here and for read... I hope you enjoy it and I want to thank you already for your feedback
With love, Mao