05_force_of_arms-第43部分

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failed　him　yet。　With　replacement　parts　and　maintenance　time　in　such　woefully　short　supply；　the　Skull　Leader's　craft　wasn't　in　the　shape　it　had　been　in　during　the　war；　but　he　trusted　it。

The　Guardian　jetted　in　low　over　the　rust…red；　pitted　countryside　and　foot…thrustered　to　a　deft　landing。　It　bowed；　nose　nearly　touching　the　ground；　he　jumped　from　the　cockpit　eagerly；　hardly　able　to　credit　what　was　happening　to　him。

〃I　don't　believe　it！　It's　impossible！〃

He　ran　across　the　gritty；　fallow　soil；　back　toward　what　he　had　spotted。　All　around　were　gigantic；　jagged　shreds　and　peels　of　Zentraedi　armorplate；　twisted　and　mangled；　slowly　turning　to　rust　and　dust。　Off　to　one　side　was　an　overturned　Guardian　wreck　that　looked　like　it　had　been　put　through　a　meat　grinder。　Its　rusting　legs　stuck　straight　up　into　the　air　like　a　dead　hawk's。

Rick　skidded　to　a　halt；　the　wind　moaning　around　him。　He　looked　down　and　was　astounded。

At　his　feet；　springing　from　a　moist　plot　of　earth　somehow　enriched　enough　to　sustain　it；　was　a　field　of　dandelions。　The　irregularly　shaped；　few…square…yards　patch　of　them　was　sheltered　from　the　wind　by　the　wreckage　and　yet；　by　chance；　had　good　exposure　to　sunlight。

For　a　moment　he　couldn't　find　words。　〃Absolutely　incredible；〃　he　murmured；　but　that　was　insufficient。　Here；　near　yet　another　Zentraedi　wreck；　the　soil　had　been　fortified　with　something　that　would　support　life。　He　suspected　that　he　knew　what　that　something　had　been；　and　it　suddenly　made　him　feel　very　mortal　and　humble。

〃Real　flowers！〃　He　knelt；　handling　them　as　gently　as　a　lover；　inhaling。

Certainly　there　were　flowers　in　the　greenhouses　and　protected　fields　of　the　reclamation　projects；　but　this！　It　was　a　thing　as　wonderful　as　flight…no；　more　wonderful！　Life　itself！

He　couldn't　recall　how　many　times；　as　a　child；　he'd　raced　across　a　field　of　these　unglamorous　flowers；　eyes　fixed　on　the　blue　sky；　wishing　only　to　fly。　And　now　things　had　e　full　circle；　he　flew　the　most　advanced　aircraft　ever　known　with　his　eyes　trained　on　the　ground；　waiting　and　hoping　for　just　such　a　sight　as。。。dandelions。

I　hope　this　means　the　Earth　is　forgiving　us；　he　meditated。

It　was　a　good　and　precious　thing　to　know　that　at　least　one　positive　sign；　however　small；　had　shown　itself。　There　were　other　omens　that　were　not　so　good。　Rick　was　privy　to　a　lot　of　high…level　information　thanks　to　his　experiences　among　the　Zentraedi　and　his　value　as　an　intelligence　source。

There　were　things　he　tried　not　to　think　about；　and　three　of　them　had　disturbing　names：　Protoculture。　Robotech　Masters。　Invid。


Three　VTs　swooped　in　low　over　the　desolate　land；　forming　up　again　after　pleting　their　aerial　recons　of　assigned　sectors。　They　were　newer　ships　than　Rick's；　but　they　looked　somehow　less　sleek　and　finished。　There　were　those　who　said　the　true　high…water　mark　of　Robotech　workmanship　had　passed。

〃mander　Hunter；　e　in；　please；〃　said　Rick's　new　second　in　mand；　Lieutenant　Ransom。　〃This　is　Skull　Four　calling　Skull　Six。〃

No　answer；　after　five　minutes'　trying。　Ransom　thought　for　a　moment。　〃Bobby？〃

Sergeant　Bobby　Bell；　youngest　of　the　remanned　Skull　Team；　appeared　on　Ransom's　display　screen。　〃Yo？〃

〃I　can't　raise　the　boss；　kid。〃

Bobby's　round　face　looked　pained。　〃What　d'　you　think？　Renegades？〃

That　was　one　of　the　big　reasons　for　the　patrols。　Of　the　many　Zentraedi　who　had　gone　forth　among　the　humans　to　try　a　more　peaceful　way　of　life　and　a　chance　to　open　up　the　more　feeling　and　passionate　side　of　their　nature；　some　had　found　that　it　simply　wouldn't　work。

The　renegades　had　begun　slipping　away　into　the　wastelands　more　than　a　year　before。　There　was　an　entire　world　of　salvage　for　them　out　there：　mecha；　weapons；　rations；　and　anything　else　they　might　need；　provided　they　could　find　the　right　wreck。　More　importantly；　there　was　the　freedom　to　act　as　Zentraedi　warriors　once　again；　to　follow　their　own　brutal；　merciless　code。

〃I　think　his　last　transmission　came　from　his　search　quadrant；〃　Bobby　said　worriedly。

〃I　know；〃　Ransom　said。　〃I　got　a　DF　fix　on　it。　Let's　go。

The　VTs　formed　up；　and　their　engines　made　the　ground　tremble。　They　shot　away　to　the　northwest。


The　SDF…1　stood　like　a　knight　in　a　bath　up　to　his　waist。　The　two　supercarriers　floated　at　anchor；　giving　the　corroding　derelict　added　buoyancy。

Refilling　the　lake　had　been　a　major　priority；　since　not　even　the　fortress's　colossal　strength　could　support　itself　and　the　two　giant　warships　for　long。　At　the　same　time　that　RDF　fliers　were　seeding　clouds　and　Dr。　Lang's　mysterious　machines　were　working　day　and　night　to　head　off　the　nuclear　winter；　bat　engineers　and　anybody　else　who　could　be　found　to　lend　a　hand　worked　feverishly　to　make　sure　the　drainage　would　be　ready。

And　just　over　forty…eight　hours　after　the　ship's　landing；　the　rains　had　begun。　They　gave　back　some　of　the　moisture　boiled　away　by　the　Zentraedi　attack；　but　Lang's　calculations；　supported　by　subsequent　data；　showed　that　much　of　it　was　gone　forever。　Short　of　importing　many　cubic　miles　of　water　across　space　from　some　as　yet　unknown　source；　the　Earth　would　never　again　be　the　three…quarters…ocean　world　she　had　been　when　she　brought　forth　life。

In　time；　the　rains　stopped；　and　the　generations…long　job　of　replanting　and　refoliating　the　planet　began。

Around　the　lake　the　new　Macross　rose；　the　stubborn　refugees　rebuilding　their　lives　yet　again。　It　was　the　only　new　population　center　on　the　planet　so　far；　the　only　place　where　the　concrete　was　uncracked　and　the　buildings　tall　and　straight。　There　was　fresh　paint；　and　there　were　trees　transplanted　from　the　starship。　There　were　lawns　and　flower　beds　seeded　from　plants　that　had　survived　the　billions　of　miles　of　the　SDF…1's　odyssey。

It　was　a　city　where　energy　and　resources　were　used　with　utmost　efficiency；　a　town　of　solar　heaters　and　photovoltaic　panels；　with　a　recycling　system　tied　to　every　phase　of　life。　The　Macross　residents　and　SDF…1　personnel　had　learned　the　tough　lessons　of　ecological　necessity　during　years　in　space；　and　nothing　at　all　was　wasted。　That　was　the　sort　of　world　it　was　going　to　have　to　be　from　now　on。


In　a　neat；　quiet　suburb　of　the　city　served　by　an　overhead　rapid…transit　system　sat　a　modest　little　prefab　cottage；　its　solar　panels；　guided　by　microprocessors；　swinging　slowly　to　follow　the　sun。　As　a　senior　flight　officer；　Rick　Hunter　rated　off　base　housing　even　though　he　was　single；　and　liked　the　idea　of　getting　away　from　the　military　when　he　could；　even　if　his　home　looked　like　modular　luggage。　As　Skull　Leader；　he　seldom　got　a　chance　to　be　there。

So　Lisa　Hayes　took　it　upon　herself　to　tidy　up　the　place　when　he　was　away。　Her　own　rather　more　spacious　quarters　were　nearby。

Neither　of　them　was　quite　sure　what　the　bond　between　them　meant　or　where　their　panionship　was　going；　but　she　had　a　key　to　his　place；　and　he　to　hers。

Now　she　hummed　happily　to　herself　as　she　put　away　the　last　of　the　just…washed　dishes。　Maybe　I　ought　to　bill　him　for　maid　services；　she　thought　wryly。

But　she　knew　better；　she　enjoyed　being　in　his　place；　touching　the　things　he　touched；　seeing　reminders　of　him　all　around。　She　hoped　that　the　extended　patrol　up　north　didn't　last　too　much　longer…that　he　would　be　home　soon　so　that