Among the rooms in the U.E.S. Anatole Leonard is the forward sick bay, which has plenty of medical facilities and various sorts of state-of-the-art medical equipment. The sick bay is manned by doctors and corpsmen from the United Nations Spacy Medical Corps. At the present moment, a team of doctors and corpsman work on Lieutenant Roy Hunter, who had just been brought in, to assess his situation.
And in the corridor just outside the sick bay, Hunter's classmates all wait anxiously. Two of them had already flown through the debris field, and six more had been waiting their turn, a turn which had been indefinitely suspended. All of them are dressed in flight suits made of a flexible polymer
Commander Arihiso Hamato, clads in his service khakis, approaches them. The veritech pilot trainees all stand at attention.
"At ease," says the Spacy commander. "I was with Captain Sawyer and the Leonard's command staff. I wanted to make sure; I even went out there, sitting second seat in a Beta cockpit. I can not deny it.
"Lieutenant Hyun Seuk is dead."
There is silence among the trainees. They just can not believe it. They had spoken to her on the shuttle that lifted them from the surface of Tirol.
And now this!
They all feel sadness and confusion.
"I understand that you are here awaiting news on Lieutenant Hunter," says Hamato.
"Yes, sir," says a young man with close-cropped blond hair.
"We have to trust the doctors and corpsmen here. I spoke with the captain and he arranged a shuttle to take you all to the surface. Upon landing, you will have leave for at least twelve hours. Either I or Commander Zeppel will tell you when to report to the hangar. As this is my responsibility, I will go down with Lieutenant Hunter. Now, get out of the way; the crew aboard need to work."
"Aye, aye, sir!" all of the pilots snap before dispersing.
The commander turns around. His mind is churning like the surface of a storm-tossed ocean.
Oooooo
A few hours later, a doctor contacts Hamato.
"We've made arrangements to move Lieutenant Hunter to J-FAF Tirol," says the doctor.
"How is he?" asks the veritech flight instructor.
"It doesn't look like his life's in danger, sir," he says. "He has multiple compound fractures in his femurs and tibia."
"His legs."
"Yes, Commander. We can't do an exam for his long term prognosis up here."
"Yeah, the hospital in Tiresia could do that."
"We've scheduled a shuttle to fly Lieutenant Hunter to the surface," says the first lieutenant in the Spacy Medical Corps.
"Then I will need talk to the captain about getting a shuttle down to the J-FAF."
oooooo
The moon Tirol revolves around the planet Fantoma. A shuttle descends from orbit, glowing in hot plasma as it slows down relative to the moon's mostly nitrogen atmosphere. Soon the glowing plasma disappears, as the shuttle's speed slows to five hundred knots. The two United Nations Spacy pilots maintain contact with air traffic control. Soon they are on the glidepath descending towards Joint Forces Air Field Tirol.
They speak with the tower and finally get clearance to land. Moving the control sticks and pressing the rudder pedals, they line up for the final approach to the runway.
Calm and collected the two pilots- one of who had flown combat during the Battle of Reflex Point just nine years before- lower the flaps and the landing gears. The ground gets closer and closer.
And then the rubber tires of the shuttle's landing gears making contact with the concrete surface of the runway.
Soon, it taxies to the hangar where the shuttles park. Airmen push a portable stairway to the shuttle.
A man and a woman emerge. They both step down.
A Space Marine colonel wearing a Class "A" uniform and a peaked cap salutes. "Welcome aboard, Admiral," she says.
"Thank you, Colonel," replies the man. He wears a khaki short and khaki trousers Four silver stars are pinned to his collar, and colored ribbons pinned to his chest tell the story of his forty-five year service. "You did dress up."
"I figured I ought to wear the alpha uniform when I heard you were coming, sir. I did not have time to haver a 21-gun salute with everyone in dress uniforms."
"Considering the short notice, that is excused, Colonel. I will need a car to the hospital."
Pretty soon, an olive green Toyota Avalon Hover Model staff car arrives to pick up the man and the woman. They both sit in the back seat; a Space Marine corporal sits in the driver's seat, operating the steering wheel and pedals and gear shift.
The admiral looks out at the buildings of the base. For a few seconds, memories from over twenty years surface, back when this air field was just a bunch of tents and Quonset huts serving as a forward operating base for Earth's Expeditionary Forces.
In less than five minutes, the staff car reaches United Nations Spacy Hospital- Joint Forces Air Field Tirol. The man and the woman step out. The hospital is a tall building, seven stories high, painted white. There are stains on the outer wall, some of which are being washed by hospital corpsmen.
They enter the reception area, which looks like a typical hospital, with leather chairs, tables, a reception desk. Recruitment posters for the United Nations Spacy Medical Corps hang on the wall, showing pictures of doctors in their white lab coats, nurses in their white outfits, and hospital corpsmen.
He walks up to the reception desk. The orderly stands at attention.
"I'm here to see Lieutenant Roy Hunter," says the man.
"Fourth floor, sir," replies the orderly, wearing a blue short-sleeved outfit.
"Thank you, Sergeant," replies the admiral.
He and the woman walk to the elevators and the man presses the button. After maybe a minute, a speaker beeps and the shiny metal doors open. The admiral steps in and presses four. After feeling the elevator move up, the doors open and they emerge into another waiting area, essentially a smaller version of the ground floor reception area, maybe thirty square meters or so.
A woman wearing gray overalls, with a third lieutenant's brass bar sewn on her collar, stands at attention.
"Admiral," she says.
"Lieutenant," says the admiral.
"I'm Lieutenant Vang," she says. "I..we're taking turns standing watch for Lieutenant Hunter, sir. Commander Hamato suspended instruction for the time being."
A man in a white lab coat approaches them. He has eyeglasses, a big nose and a short-cropped black beard.
"I'm Dr. Rubenfeld, sir," he says. "I understand you are my patient's next of kin?"
"That's right, Doctor," answers the admiral. "Is he available?"
"Yes, sir, ma'am," replies the doctor. "I shall lead you to him."
The man and the woman follow Rubenfeld. They hear the sounds on footsteps on the tiled floor. After a few seconds, they reach an open door. They take a deep breath.
They walk inside. There are two beds. One is empty, and the other is concealed by a curtain. Dr. Rubenfeld opens the curtain.
They all see a man in his early twenties. Light brown hair extends from the white bandage covering his head. He wears a hospital gown./ Both of his legs are on stiff casts.
"Hi, Mom, Dad," he says.
"How are you feeling?" Lisa Hayes-Hunter asks her son.
"I hurt," he says. "The painkillers would make me too loopy to talk, and I guess I need to talk you."
"You know how worried we are about you," says his father.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm really messed up here."
"We could be here, Roy."
"I hope you brought a book or a pad. I mean, I can only stand the pain for so long before asking the nurse to turn the drip on again."
"I can stay here on Tirol and visit you every day."
"Thanks. I understand that Dad has a much more busy schedule. Then entire UEF would collapse if he was not there."
"They can spare me for a day, son," his dad answers.
He gets up and leaves the room. He stops and sees an amber-complected man, appearing to be in his early thirties, wearing service khakis.
"Commander Hamato, I presume" asks the admiral, looking at the latter's rank insignia and nametag.
"That's right, Admiral Hunter," he says. "Commander Arihiso Hamato, commander of the training team. Understandably, after the collision I have been very busy. If I may ask, sir, is Lieutenant Roy Hunter awake?"
"Yes, he is, Commander."
"There is some news I would like to tell him, alone, sir. I've ordered the others in his class and my training cadre to not tell him. As commanding officer, it is my duty to give him this news personally- if that's okay with you, sir."
"It is okay, Commander Hamato."
He walks inside the patient room, seeing a woman, her hair a mixture of gray and light brown.
"May I please have a word with your son alone, Mrs. Hunter?" he asks.
"Its' okay, Lisa," says her husband.
"Sure, Rick," she replies.
"Commander," says Roy. "It's good to see you, sir. I don't know what."
"I have some news, Lieutenant Hunter," says the commander. "Lieutenant Hyun Seuk is dead."
"What?" asks roy, hearing these words. It takes a full three seconds before Hamato's words are fully absorbed. "No, not Hyun."
"I asked for time to confirm, but the crew of the Leonard confirmed it."
"The others didn't look me in the eye. I guess it's good, well, sort of good that you can me to tell me yourself."
"I'm the commanding officer. It's what commanding officers have to do."
"I guess my dad had to do that a lot during the Robotech Wars."
Roy rests his head against the soft pillow underneath. He has so much confused feelings; so much had happened in less than twenty-four hours. Memories surface.
Oooooo
The mop spread the sharp-smelling ammonia solution along the tiled floors of the dining hall of the United Earth Forces Academy. Cadet Private Roy Hunter picked up the mop, twisted it so that the excess fluid went into the ditty bucket, and then he dipped the mop into the clean bucket to resume mopping.
"Nice to see you," said another cadet.
Hunter looked at her. She was an amber-complected young woman, not even in her twenties, with jet-black hair tied in a bun, like the other female cadets in this Academy located on Tirol, not far from the once and present capital of Tiresia.
"Hi," he said. "Cadet Hunter, Roy Hunter."
"Right here, right now, all your name means is the name of the poor sap who has to mop that section of the floor," she said. "I am Cadet Private Hyun Seuk."
"Okay," he said.
"I'm sure you'll learn how to pronounce my name correctly."
Hunter brushed the wet mop against a not yet wetted part of the dining hall's floor. "I did hear construction of the new campus on Earth is almost complete. It's possible that we'll be having classes and eating our meals there next year."
"And we'll be babysitting the plebes who have to mop the dining hall."
"And you two better make sure to do your chores and hit those books," said an upperclassman cadet supervising this policing detail. "Otherwise, you two'll get to mop the new dining hall on Earth."
"We'll do our best, ma'am," replied Roy Hunter.
"Don't just say it, Hunter; show it."
The cadet private continued mopping the floor.
"You missed a spot," said Cadet Seuk. "We plebes need to make a good impression."
ooooo
Among the buildings in Joint Forces Air Field Tirol are some guest lodges where servicemen can stay if for some reason they have to stay at the base on a temporary basis. The guest lodges are small, if comfortable dwellings, with bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen.
Rick Hunter sits on the bed inside the bedroom. He holds a handset to a telephone.
"Yes, sir, Roy will live," he says.
"I understand this is a trying situation for you and Lisa," says Secretary General Agrama. "I do trust the Medical Corps will give your son the care he needs."
"Yes, sir."
"There is still the matter of the accident. I believe an inquiry is needed, right?"
"Yes, your Excellency. A joint commission of inquiry for veritech training accidents. It's been years since the last one."
"during the war we needed quantity more than quality. You will, of course, personally recuse yourself from any matters involving this commission."
"Of course, sir."
"One more thing. Due to your family emergency, Admiral Hunter, I order you to take paid leave for one week, effectively immediately. I will meet with the Joint Chiefs start of the next business day. Goodbye, and you all take care."
"Thank you, your Excellency," replies the admiral.
"What was that?" asks Lisa.
"The Secretary's put me on leave for a week. I'd better make arrangements for a place for us to stay on Tirol for a whole week.
Rick and Lisa both lay down on the bed, and memories surface. Memories of their son being born, near the tail-end of Lisa's childbearing years. Memories of him getting bigger, starting to develop.
And there are memories of having to be away due to both of them being officers during the Robotech Wars.
And now this had happened, with Roy's future uncertain.
ooo
The administrative offices for the J-School training squadrons are located in a two-story building just a short walk away from the hangars where the veritechs are stored. While paperwork is not as glorious as flying the Stonewell Bellcom VFA-6 Alpha, let alone blowing up enemies in combat, the paperwork is what allows the training squadron to run.
One of the offices is a large private office, with a desk. In an alcove is a sink and a refrigerator and a coffee maker. A door on the right side leads to a dressing room and a bathroom. On the desk is a nameplate reading CDR A. HAMATO, UNS.
The commander stands behind his desk, and two other people- Lieutenant Commander Zeppel and Space Sergeant Haller stand at attention.
"You two should know this already," says Hamato, "Supreme Command will convene a commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances of Lieutenant Seuk's death."
"Hard to believe, sir," says Zeppel. He can still recall the sadness he felt when he had learned that Seuk had perished in a training accident in orbit around Fantoma. He had been focusing on preparing the training schedule for the next week when he got that call and spoke to Commander Hamato who was still aboard the Leonard. "I mean, I've spoken with the other services' training squadrons for a memorial service for the lieutenant."
"Lieutenant Hunter must be able to attend the service," says Hamato. "I would ask this be delayed until he can be wheeled out of the hospital. And then of course is Lieutenant Seuk's funeral on Earth. I have spoken to her family and my chain of command; I will be taking a flight to Earth. Hopefully, we could at least resume sim training for the other students."
"Yes, sir," says Commander Zeppel.
"And there is one thing more. This commission will be asking for documentation and records. I will- indeed, as commanding officer, I must- personally handle all requests the commission sends to us. We have our game plan. Dismissed."
"Aye aye, sir," say Lieutenant Commander Zeppel and Space Sergeant Haller.