05_force_of_arms- 第3节

〃Yeah；　I　guess；〃　Lisa　said；　as　the　doors　opened　and　the　noise　and　heat　of　the　hangar　deck　flooded　in。

The　two　women　stepped　out　into　a　world　of　harsh　worklights。　bat　and　other　craft　were　parked　everywhere；　crammed　in　tightly　with　wings　and　ailerons　folded　for　more　efficient　storage。

Maintenance　crews　were　swarming　over　Veritechs　damaged　in　the　most　recent　fighting；　while　ordnance　people　readied　ships　slated　for　the　next　round　of　patrols　and　surveillance　flights。　The　SDF…1's　survival　depended　in　large　part　on　the　Veritechs；　but　they　would　have　been　useless　if　not　for　the　unflagging；　often　round…the…clock　work　of　the　men　and　women　who　repaired　and　serviced　and　rearmed　them　and　the　others　who　risked　their　lives　as　part　of　the　flight　deck　catapult　crews。

Welding　sparks　flew；　ordnance　loader　servos　whined；　lifting　missiles　and　ammunition　into　place。　Claudia　had　to　raise　her　voice　to　be　heard。　〃Have　you　told　Rick　about　the　trip；　or　have　you　been　too　busy　to　see　him？〃

Busy　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　and　they　both　knew　that。　Lisa　had　concluded　that　her　love　for　Rick　Hunter；　leader　of　the　Veritech　Skull　Team；　was　one…sided。　By　leaving　the　SDF…1　on　a　vital　mission；　she　was　also　almost　certainly　giving　up　any　chance　of　ever　changing　that。

〃I　thought　I'd　call　him　from　the　shuttle；〃　she　said。

Claudia　exercised　admirable　restraint　and　did　not　blurt　out；　Lisa；　stop　being　such　a　coward！　Because　Lisa　wasn't…she　had　the　bat　decorations　to　prove　it；　medals　and　fruit　cocktail　that　any　line　officer　would　respect。　But　where　emotions　were　concerned；　the　SDF…1's　petent　and　capable　First　always　seemed　to　prefer　hiding　under　a　rock　someplace。

The　shuttle　was　near　the　aircraft　elevator…air　lock　that　would　lift　it　to　the　flight　deck。　Lisa's　gear　and　the　evidence　she　hoped　would　sway　Admiral　Hayes　and　the　others　at　the　UEDC　were　already　aboard。　The　crew　chief　was　running　a　final　prelaunch　check。


〃The　shuttle　is　nearly　ready　for　launch；　Captain；〃　a　female　enlisted…rating　tech　reported。　〃Launch　in　ten　minutes。〃

Captain　Henry　Gloval　crossed　the　bridge　to　glance　at　several　other　displays；　stroking　his　thick　mustache。　〃Any　signs　of　Zentraedi　activity　in　our　area？〃　His　voice　still　carried　the　burred　r's　and　other　giveaways　of　his　Russian　mother　tongue。

Vanessa　answered　promptly；　〃There's　been　absolutely　no　contact；　no　activity　at　all。〃

The　stupendous　Zentraedi　armada　still　shadowed　and　prowled　around　the　wandering　battle　fortress。　Time　and　again　the　aliens　had　attacked；　but　in　paratively　insignificant　numbers。　The　defectors'　information　was　only　now　beginning　to　shed　light　on　the　reasons　behind　that。

〃There's　been　nothing　at　all？〃　Gloval　asked　again；　eyes　flicking　across　the　readouts　and　displays。　〃Mm。　I　hope　this　doesn't　mean　they're　planning　an　attack。〃　He　turned　and　paced　back　toward　the　mand　chair；　a　tall；　erect　figure　in　the　high…rolled　collar　of　his　uniform　jacket；　hat　pulled　low　over　his　eyes。　He　clenched　his　cold；　empty　briar　in　his　teeth。　〃I　don't　like　it；　not　a　bit。。。〃

Lisa　was　his　highly　valued　First　Officer；　but　she　was　also　much　like　a　daughter　to　him。　It　had　taken　every　bit　of　his　reason　and　sense　of　duty　to　convince　himself　she　was　the　logical　one　for　this　mission。

The　first　enlisted　tech　turned　to　Kim　Young；　who　was　manning　a　position　nearby。　She　knew　Kim　and　the　two　other　enlisted　regulars　on　the　bridge　watch；　Sammie　and　Vanessa；　were　known　as　the　Terrible　Trio；　part　of　what　amounted　to　a　family　with　Gloval；　Lisa　Hayes；　and　Claudia　Grant。

〃Kim；　does　the　skipper　always　get　this。。ncerned？〃

Elfin…faced　Kim；　a　young　woman　who　wore　her　black　hair　in　a　short　cut；　showed　a　secret　grin。　She　whispered；　〃Most　of　the　time　he's　a　rock。　But　he's　worried　about　Lisa；　and；　well；　there's　Sammie。〃

Sammie　Porter；　youngest　of　the　Terrible　Trio；　was　a　high…energy　twenty…year…old　with　a　thick　mane　of　dark　blond　hair。　She　usually　didn't　know　the　meaning　of　fear。。。but　she　usually　didn't　know　the　meaning　of　tact；　either。　She　was　conscientious　and　bright　but　sometimes　excitable。

Lisa's　departure　had　meant　a　reshuffling　of　jobs　on　her　watch；　and　Sammie　had　ended　up　with　a　lot　of　the　coordinating　duties　Claudia　and　Lisa　would　have　ordinarily　handled。

〃Yellow　squad；　please　go　to　preassigned　coordinates　before　requesting　puter　readout；〃　she　ordered　a　unit　of　attack　mecha　over　the　circuit。　The　mammoth　Robotech　war　machines　were　part　of　the　ship's　defensive　force。　Excaliburs　and　Spartans　and　Raidar　Xs；　they　were　like　some　hybrid　of　armored　knight　and　walking　battleship。　They　were　among　the　units　that　guarded　the　ship　itself；　while　the　Veritechs　sortied　out　into　space。

Gloval　bent　close　to　check　on　what　she　was　doing。　〃Everything　all　right？　No　trouble；　I　hope。〃

Sammie　whirled　and　snapped；　〃Captain；　please！　I　have　to　concentrate　on　these　transmissions　before　they　pile　up！〃　Then　she　went　back　to　ordering　the　lumbering　mecha　around；　making　sure　that　the　gun　turrets　and　missile　batteries　were　alert　and　that　all　intel　data　and　situation　reports　were　up　to　date。

Gloval　straightened；　clamping　his　pipe　in　his　teeth　again。　〃Sorry。　I　didn't　mean　to　interrupt。〃　Kim　and　Vanessa　gave　him　subtle　looks；　barely　perceptible　nods；　to　let　him　know　that　Sammie　was　on　top　of　things。

Gloval　had　e　to　accept　Sammie's　occasional　lack　of　diplomacy　as　a　ponent　of　her　fierce　dedication　to　duty。　Sometimes　she　reminded　him　of　a　small；　not…to…be…trifled…with　sheep　dog。

Gloval　considered　the　Terrible　Trio　for　a　moment。　Through　some　joke　of　the　gods；　it　had　been　these　three　whom　the　original　Zentraedi　spies…Bron；　Konda；　and　Rico…had　met　and；　not　to　put　too　fine　a　point　on　it；　begun　dating　and　formed　attachments　to。

The　normally　clear　lines　between　personal　life　and　matters　of　concern　to　the　service　were　being　quite　muddied。　The　Zentraedi　seemed　decent　enough；　but　there　were　already　reports　of　ugly　incidents　between　the　defectors　and　some　of　the　SDF…1's　inhabitants。　Gloval　worried　about　the　Terrible　Trio；　worried　about　the　Zentraedi…was　apprehensive　that；　after　all；　the　two　races　could　never　coexist。

On　top　of　that；　he　couldn't　shake　the　feeling　that　he　ought　to　be　setting　curfews；　or　providing　chaperones；　or　doing　something　paternal。　These　things　troubled　him　in　the　brief　moments　when　he　wasn't　doing　his　best　to　see　that　his　entire　mand　wasn't　obliterated。

〃Shuttle　escort　flight；　prepare　for　launch；　five　minutes；〃　Sammie　said；　bent　over　her　console。　She　turned　to　Gloval。

〃Shuttle's　ready；　sir。　Lisa　will　be　leaving　in　four　minutes；　fifty　seconds。〃


CHAPTER　TWO

Of　course；　idle　hands　are　not　the　devil's　workshop；　that　is　a　base　canard。
Rather；　it　is　the　sort　of　hand　that　is　always　driven　to　be　busy；　turning　itself　to　new　machinations；　keeping　the　brew　boiling；　that　causes　the　most　trouble。　Those　who　wish　to　dispute　this　might　do　well　to　consider　what　happened　whenever　Khyron　grew　restive。
Rawlins；　Zentraedi　Triumvirate：　Dolza；　Breetai；　Khyron

Max　Sterling；　flight　helmet　cradled　in　his　left　arm；　strode　through　the　frenetic　activity　of　the　hangar　deck　and　heard　Sammie's　voice　echo　over　the　PA。　〃Sammie's　substituting　for　the　mander；〃　he　said。

At　his　side　was　a　Skull　Team　replacement；　Corporal　Elkins；　who　had　been　transferred　in　from　Wolf　Team　to　help　fill　the　gaps　in　Skull's　ranks　after　the　last　pitched　battle　with　the　Zentraedi。　Elkins　remarked；　〃I　hope　she　stays　calm。　Last　time　she　had　me　flying　figure　eights　around　a　radar　mast。〃

Max　chuckled；　then　forgot　the　joke；　distracted。　〃Hey。〃

Elkins　saw　what　Max　meant。　The　techs　had　rolled　out　a　prototype　ship；　something　everybody　in　the　Veritech　squadrons　had　heard　about。　It　was　like　the　conventional　VT；　a　sleek　ultra…fighter；　but　two　augmentation　pods　were　mounted　above　its　wing　pivots。。

The　conventional　VTs　were　a　kind　of　miracle　in　themselves；　the　most　advanced　use　of　the　Robotechnology　that　humans　had　learned　from　the　wreckage　of　the　SDF…1　when　the　alien…built　battle　fortress　had　originally　crashed　on　Earth　twelve　years　before。　The　SDF…1　had　murderous　teeth　in　the　form　of　its　mecha；　its　primary　and　secondary　batteries；　and　its　astoundingly　powerful　main　gun；　but　the　VTs　were　the　ship's　claws。　And　this　new；　retrofitted　model　was　the　first　of　a　more　powerful　generat