"Is everyone all right?" I heard over the radio.
I felt a little sore. Looking around, I could see the air filled with pink, from the petals of those flowers inside the burial grounds of the SDF-1. Looking towards the burial ground itself, it was a smoking ruin, with the twisted pieces of that ship scattered around the ground. Some of the VHT-1 Spartas veritech hovertanks had been flipped over when the shockwave from that crash reached us.
I noticed several Humvees with red crosses approaching our position, probably to evacuate the wounded.
"All right, people," said Lieutenant Colonel Lupon Kravshera. "We will head back to the fallback position."
And so we did.
Ooooooooo
The primary fallback point was this little temporary fortification, just outside Monument City, surrounded by a sandbag wall and guarded by an infantry company. Along the sandbag wall were towers with machine guns. Inside the base was several helipads for helicopters, Quonset huts for everything from emergency medical care to food service, and even some anti-aircraft missile launchers. Soldiers walked about, doing all sorts of duties from maintenance to watch to just polishing the vehicles.
Among those of us who were injured was Major Jack Emerson. I went to visit him inside the Quonset that served as a mobile emergency room.
"How are you doing?" I asked him.
He lay on this bed, wearing the top of his MARPAT camouflage, his head resting on a pillow. On his right foot was this cast reaching up halfway up his right shin. The bed was not partitioned from the others, and I could see people in the other beds, some of them with many more casts and bandages than Jack had.
"I could walk with crutches," said the major. "I'm just glad that all I broke was my foot."
"At least you'll have some medical leave," I said.
"And then after I get fit for duty, the colonel will have me work extra shifts to make up for it."
"Jack," I heard a female voice say. I looked and saw a blond-haired young woman in a hovertank outfit.
"Dana," said Jack. "Glad you made it."
"At least I didn't lose you," replied Dana.
I recalled having met Dana before; Jack mentioned she lived with him and his dad when her parents were deployed on a deep space mission.
"I guess we're lucky," said Jack, glancing towards some of the wounded laying in the other beds.
"Listen, Jack, there's something I have to tell you," said Dana. "I…your…I…."
For a moment I wondered what Dana had to say to Jack.
A nurse in a blue outfit approached us. "The patient needs his rest."
"Okay," I said, leaving the Quonset hut.
Oooooooo
Not much happened the next few days, although we were constantly on alert for another enemy offensive. I gave the flowers I had retrieved to this colonel from military intelligence. We, including I, had to do patrols of Monument City. It looked like the pictures of bombed-out cities that I had seen in history books, with pieces of buildings littering the streets. I once saw an apartment building with the front wall collapsed, and I noticed a child's bedroom, with a rocking horse and typical children's furniture, apparently in perfect order.
The flag at the forward operating base was at half-mast. An officer had announced that Secretary General Wyatt Moran was killed in the Robotech Masters' attack. Those of us not on watch at the time of the announcement, including I, had to stand at attention as taps was played for the fallen United Nations leader. It was a global day of mourning. I also remembered that many other people fell that day. They all gave their lives to protect Earth from the Robotech Masters- I briefly remembered Master Sergeant Tomas Cabon, First Lieutenant Isamu Shirogane, and Private First Class Glenn La Belle.
Finally, our battalion was ordered back home to Morocco.
Ooooooo
We did the usual routine upon heading back to Gibraltar Base in Morocco, unpacking our supplies, equipment, ammunition, and armaments, taking inventory, doing roll call, settling back into our usual routines.
But there was one break from our usual routine.
Some of us took a flight to this place called Oklahoma in America over the weekend. We had landed at an airport known as Brad Henry International Airport. The surrounding countryside was flat, with all these farms lining the roads. It must have looked like a checkerboard from high in the sky.
I stood on this flat field covered with shortly-clipped grass. I was clad in Class "B" formal dress uniform, which had pants with a yellow stripe, a light blue collared shirt with tie, and a braid around my shoulder. The warm humid air made me sweat a little. Other people were here, some civilian, others UEF personnel clad in their service's Class "B" formal dress uniforms. Photographers took pictures; I could hear the distinct click of cameras.
And this was indeed a formal and somber occasion. For it was the funeral of General Rolf Emerson, United Nations Army, commander of the Robotech Defense Forces Command, who was killed in action in the last battle. I saw Jack, clad in his formal uniform and using crutches, salute (with Mike supporting him) as his father's casket was lowered into the ground. A bugler played taps. I could only imagine how Jack was feeling.
Jack did not join us on the flight back to Morocco. He had medical leave, and he decided to recuperate in Monument City.
Oooooo
"Here is my report, sir," said Executive Sergeant Wing, handing me a report printed on a few pages of paper as I sat in the office.
It had been a few weeks and Jack was still recuperating both physically and emotionally. It may seem paradoxical that recovering from a broken foot takes more time than recovering from an arm injury, like I had, but the foot was a complicated piece of biological machinery.
Life on base returned to a somewhat normal routine, which was basically conducting drills and keeping track of our supplies. But the shadow of war loomed over us. While the Robotech Masters had not recently launched offensives from space, we all knew that they still had ships out there. And we also knew they had ground positions on Earth, and we could be ordered to attack them at any time.
And while I normally did not keep myself preoccupied with United Nations politics, I did hear that the President of the World Bank was now the acting Secretary General of the United Nations, serving until the General Assembly can be convened. General Tom Washington, the Air Force Chief of Staff, was acting Supreme Commander, having served in that capacity since Supreme Commander Leonard was killed in an enemy attack.
"Anything new happening?" asked Mike.
I looked at a form at my desk. "I'm filling out a form for paid leave," I said.
"We're still at war. And besides, we already have people laid up, like Jack."
"Yeah, but other units can take up the slack. Besides, if I send in this request, the worst the colonel's staff can do is throw it in the trash."
"That makes sense," said Mike.
"Are you going to request leave?" I asked. "Pay a visit to that planet of yours?"
"I don't know," said Mike, adjusting his glasses. "I've read letters from my family."
"Maybe you should go see them. Who knows if you'll get another chance to be with them?"
"See you at the BOQ," he said, leaving the office.
I went to the battalion headquarters and dropped off my leave request at the personnel office. For a while I wondered if my request simply ended up in the trash.
And then, two weeks later, I received word from the battalion headquarters that my request was granted.
Ooooooooo
"Thanks," I said to Mom, after finishing my spicy serving of jerk chicken, my tongue remembering the familiar spiciness of jerk sauce.
I had arrived in Kingston this afternoon, flying in from Casablanca via London's Gatwick Airport. Everything, from the airport to the neighborhood to my family home, looked pretty much the same, except that there were no Christmas decorations, unlike the last time that I had visited Jamaica.
I talked about my life on Gibraltar Base; I had made it clear that I did not want to talk about my battles with the enemy. It was something that I could only share with people who were on the front lines. Mom and Dad could detect the changes in me ever since the war started.
"So you went to the moon," said Dad.
"Yeah."
"It must have been exciting," said Trina. Her husband, my brother Paul was working this evening.
"Well, the ride was exciting," I said, not going into any details.
"And how was the moon like?" asked Mom.
"Not much, I'm afraid," I said. "Just a military base and the city there. Plus the scenery is so bland outside. Just bare rock."
"Still, when I was your age I never imagined any of my kids would be going to the moon," said Dad.
I understood. It was hard to imagine that there was an age before robotechnology, which had allowed people from Earth to travel freely within the solar system and beyond.
Ooooooo
I took another sip of cold beer, feeling the absorption of heat from my mouth. Reggae music played over the speakers. The orange glow of sunset is visible through the glass windows. On the TV, I could see images, including a recap of a rugby game and a news report about some strange plant growing in this place called Pennsylvania.
I was sitting at a wooden table in the Cantina Loco with friends for a little get-together now that I was back in Jamaica. I was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. I was just glad to be here with my friends, putting the war behind me for now. It was not a very busy night, as it was a Wednesday evening; there were only two waitresses in the place. The place looked pretty much the same as before. I talked about what I did off duty; I did not discuss my battles.
"So I went on a skiing trip to the Argentinan Andes two weeks ago," said Hermes, sipping a beer.
"It's summer," said Fred.
"Not in Argentina. It sure felt different there, with all the cold weather and the snow."
I had usually associated summer with the middle of the year; it seemed alien to me to imagine winter weather in June. Then again, I did spend some brief time in Australia, though not for pleasure.
"Argentina?" I asked. "Must have been pretty expensive."
"I work security for a major pharmaceutical exporter," said Hermes. "I get paid well."
I knew what he meant by that.
"And I took a trip to New York last month," said Barbara, who was wearing an orange dress.
"See anything interesting?" I asked.
"Visited a few places, like Carnegie Hall and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and the Nova Complex," she replied. "I got some pictures on my phone."
She showed me pictures on her Blackberry. I saw an image of the New York skyline, the familiar image of the Statue of Liberty, the interior of a concert hall and the main hallway of a huge shopping center with brightly-lit stores on the sides.
"And your career?" I asked.
"I'm going to be a nurse by the end of the year," she said.
"That's great," I said. "Pretty lucrative. Pays more than a second lieutenant in the U.N. Army, even with a hovertank driver's bonus."
As we continued having more drinks, I realized how different my life's path is from these childhood friends of mine. The war had not hit Jamaica.
And then I started thinking about how civilians in other places like Casablanca and Monument City were not so lucky. Some of them may even still be prisoners on the Robotech Masters' ships.
I got up and used the men's room. As I got out, a lady said to me, "Must be great relaxing."
I looked at her. She wore a dress and had greenish blue hair. Either she dyed her hair, or she was a micronized Zentraedi- a few of them had settled in Jamaica.
"Yeah," I said.
"It's such a shame about this war. So much was wrecked. So much was wasted. And all for this."
She held up a triple flower with pink petals. I recognized it as the type of flower that I saw in the grave of the SDF-1 Macross.
"Where did you get this?" I asked.
"This is the Flower of Life, the raw material for protoculture," she said.
"So you're of the Robotech Masters," I said, gripping her wrist. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn you in."
"We know about you," she said. "We kept track of the prisoners that escaped when our brother Lonarco defected, and we have our eye on you. You have fought well for us."
"I didn't fight. You hooked my brain to one of those bioroid things."
"And yet you fought well."
"I am going to turn you in."
"For what? There is no more reason for our peoples to fight. What our leaders were after was destroyed. But there is a new threat."
"A new threat?" I asked.
"Now that we have been defeated, others will fight to take the place of the Robotech Masters. Moons and planets will be stained with blood. And war may come to Earth soon. Our peoples may have to join forces to fight against common enemies."
She then walked away.
"What was that about?" asked Barbara.
"About the war," I said.
Oooooooooo
I had reported my encounter with the Jamaican authorities, who had grilled me about my conversation. After that, I spent the rest of my leave relaxing, and even spending some time with my brother Paul and my nephew Larry.
Then there were the goodbyes as I flew out of Norman Manley in Kingston, going back to Casablanca via London. Soon, I was back at the 18th troop's office, reporting back to duty.
Colonel Kravshera and Major Emerson were in the office to greet me. I noticed that Jack was back on his feet.
"Good to see you back on your feet, sir," I said.
"I hope you enjoyed your vacation, Second Lieutenant," he replied.
"The O-2 selection board's selection was ratified," said Kravshera. "You are now a regular second lieutenant."
"I am honored, sir," I said.
"You've done well as the XO here, so we recommended you for a permanent promotion," said Jack. "This means the colonel and I or even General Washington and the Secretary General can't demote you on our own; only a special or general court-martial can do that."
"So don't do anything stupid beyond stupid, Micronian," said the colonel.
"Yes, sir," I replied. "By the way, during my visit to Jamaica, I had an encounter with someone whom I think was a spy for the Robotech Masters. She was holding a flower very much like the one we saw at the ruins."
"Really?" asked Jack.
"You can debrief me on this later," said Kravshera. "In the meantime, prepare a written summary of your encounter with the spy and continue with your duties. And tell no one else about this, not even Lieutenant Meyers or Major Emerson."
"Yes, sir," I replied.
Later that day, just before supper break, I met with the colonel in his office. Notably, he kept Jack out of the loop. After that short debriefing, he dismissed me.
I continued assisting Mike in running the 18th. I was expecting the Global Military Police or U.N. intelligence to interrogate me about my encounter with the spy, but it did not happen.
And then, about two weeks after my return from Jamaica, Kravshera summoned me to his office.
"You have a special assignment, Lieutenant," he said, handing me a folder with a stamp marked "Confidential". "One of the factions of the Robotech Masters want peace and you will be part of the Earth delegation."
"Why me, sir?" I asked, though I knew it had something to do with that spy's encounter with me.
"I do not know. The order comes from General Washington himself. You will be on the next flight to Moon Base ALuCE to meet with the others at HQREFCOM."