05_force_of_arms-第39章

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We　won？　When　you　hear　some　military　moron　say　that　to　you；　spit　on　him！　Point　out　the　graveyard　that　is　Earth！　When　he　tells　you　how　the　military's　going　to　make　all　that　well　again　too；　hold　up　the　ash　that　used　to　be　your　home。
They　won；　all　right；　and　they'd　just　love　to　win　again。　And　every　time；　it's　you　and　I　who　lose。
From　Lynn…Kyle's　tract；　Mark　of　Cain

Rick　Hunter　sat　in　the　cockpit　of　the　grounded　Guardian　and　watched　white　spores　take　to　the　wind　like　miniature　parasols。　Meanwhile；　he　wrestled　with　his　thoughts。

The　truth　was　that　Earth　was　a　dead　end　for　a　pilot。　Oh；　there　was　the　problem　of　the　rebellious　Zentraedi；　to　be　sure；　and　the　various　fractious　human　munities。　But　the　war　was　over；　and　there　were　no　flying　circuses。　Maybe　it　would　be　easier　to　put　up　with　the　growing　boredom　of　peacetime　life　if　bigger　things　weren't　brewing　out　beyond　Earth's　atmosphere。

Breetai　and　Exedore　seemed　to　be　at　the　source　of　it；　and　Gloval；　Dr。　Lang；　and　Dr。　Zand。　Only　everything　was　so　secret　that　a　mere　squadron　mander　couldn't　find　out　a　thing。　Even　Lisa　professed　not　to　know　anything。　But　scuttlebutt　and　the　few　hints　Rick　could　get　from　his　intel　debriefings　made　him　believe　that　the　SDF…2　was　slated　for　a　big；　big　mission。

He　was　pretty　sure　that　the　SDF…2；　and　such　Zentraedi　warships　as　Breetai　could　get　fully　functional　again；　were　going　to　carry　the　war　to　the　Robotech　Masters。　Humans　and　Zentraedi　would　go　out　and　end　the　threat　forever　or　die　trying。

How　could　he　not　go？　Only。。。that　was　a　voyage　and　a　military　operation　that　might　make　their　previous　campaign　look　like　a　weekend　vacation　by　parison。　It　would　probably　mean　he　would　never　see　Earth　and　Minmei　again。

Not　that　he'd　seen　much　of　Minmei　in　the　last　two　years；　but　signing　on　for　a　trip　to　far…off　star　systems　would　strip　away　any　hope。

But　what　else　was　there　for　him　except　flying？　He　wished　and　prayed　that　there　could　be　Minmei；　but　Minmei　was　so　bound　up　in　her　glittering　career　that　he　rarely　saw　or　heard　from　her。　On　the　SDF…2　mission；　at　least　he　would　be　with　Lisa；　and　he　was　being　more　and　more　convinced　that　that　was　where　he　belonged。

Of　course；　the　odds　against　surviving　would　be　very　high；　but　that　was　a　bat　pilot's　lot。　And　what　better　cause　was　there　to　serve；　and　die　for；　if　it　came　to　that？　He　had　a　sudden　vivid　recollection　of　something　Roy　Fokker　had　told　him。

An　American　president　once　said　that　the　price　of　liberty　is　eternal　vigilance；　Rick。

It　was　on　a　〃day〃　in　SDF…1；　out　someplace　by　Pluto's　orbit；　when　Rick　joined　the　RDF　There's　no　more　flying　for　fun；　Roy　told　him；　stern　and　grave。　From　now　on　you　fly　for　the　sake　of　your　home　and　loved　ones；　Rick。

〃My　home　and　loved　ones；　huh？〃　Rick　muttered　to　himself。　He　flicked　a　switch；　and　the　canopy　descended　on　whining　servos。

〃All　right；　time　to　go　flying；　then。〃　He　eased　the　throttle　forward。　The　Guardian's　foot　thrusters　blew　soil　away　and　lifted　it。　Rick　was　careful　to　skirt　the　patch　of　dandelions　as　he　rose。　But　the　backwash　sent　hundreds　of　thousands　of　spores　wafting　into　the　air　in　hopes　of　finding　some　other　kind　plot　of　ground。

Rick　tucked　a　single　dandelion　blossom　into　a　seam　of　his　instrument　panel；　mechamorphosed　his　ship　to　Fighter　mode；　and　went　ballistic；　climbing　toward　the　sun。　He　set　the　mo　rig　to　search　for　local　traffic；　part　of　the　recon　mission。　The　equipment　scanned　the　band　and　stopped　at　a　transmission　that　carried　a　female　human　voice。

…here　by　my　side；
Here　by　my　side。


He　jolted　against　his　safety　harness；　reaching　to　get　a　stronger　signal。　〃Minmei！〃

There　was　applause　in　the　background。　Another　voice　he　knew　well　came　up。　〃You're　listening　to　the　beautiful　Lynn…Minmei；　broadcasting　live　and　direct　from　Granite　City！　This　area　is　slowly　rebuilding　through　the　bined　efforts　of　many　wonderful　people　who　are　ceaselessly　devoting　their　time　and　labor　to　a　project　that　many　considered　hopeless。〃

Lynn…Kyle。　He　sounded　more　like　a　pitchman　than　a　costar　now；　but　he　still　had　that　same　hostility　in　his　tone。

Granite！　Rick　realized。　Not　far　away！　He　was　already　checking　his　nav　puters。

〃People　Helping　People　is　the　theme　of　our　tour；〃　Kyle　went　on。　〃And　we　don't　consider　the　project　hopeless　at　all！　How　do　you　people　feel　about　it？〃

Clapclapclapclap；　from　the　audience；　and　a　few　yays。　Those　shill　questions　always　worked。　Rick's　expression　hardened；　and　he　brought　his　stick　over　for　a　bank。


Granite　City　lay　in　the　shadow　of　a　Zentraedi　flagship　rammed　like　a　Jovian　bolt　into　the　red　dirt。　The　outskirts　of　the　place　were　still　haphazard　rubble　from　the　war；　but　a　few　square　blocks　in　the　center　had　been　made　livable。

There　were　weakened　foundations　and　angled　slabs　of　paving　and　fractured　concrete　everywhere；　but　at　least　the　streets　were　clear。

This　most　recent　stop　in　what　was　to　have　been　the　triumphant　Minmei　People　Helping　People　tour　had　attracted　something　under　three　hundred　people　in　Granite；　plus　several　Zentraedi　who　loomed　over　the　crowd　even　when　sitting　and　squatting。

The　crowd　was　posed　of　sad…eyed　people　doing　their　best　to　believe　they　had　a　future。　Most　were　ragged；　all　were　thin；　and　there　were　signs　of　deficiency　diseases　and　other　medical　problems　among　them。

But　at　the　urging　of　Lynn…Kyle　and　others　in　the　loose…knit　network　of　antigovernmentalists；　Granite　persisted　in　refusing　to　drop　its　status　as　an　independent　city…state　or　allow　military　relief　teams　in。

The　Zentraedi　were　in　better　shape　than　the　humans；　the　rations　in　the　spiked　ship　could　sustain　them；　though　for　some　reason　those　seemed　to　have　no　nutritive　value　for　Homo　sapiens。　There　had　been　a　fine　cordiality　and　hopefulness　among　the　people　of　Granite　at　first；　but　now　there　was　growing　despair　in　this　dissident　model　program。　Thus；　this　morale　appearance　by　Minmei。

〃Yeah！　Let's　hear　it！〃　Lynn…Kyle　yelled；　working　the　mike　at　center　stage；　making　beckoning　motions　with　his　free　hand。　The　crowd　clapped　again；　a　little　tiredly。

〃And　Granite　doesn't　need　any　outside　interference；　either！〃　he　yelled。　He　had　spent　fewer　than　four　hours　there　in　his　entire　life。

〃The　good　people　here　will　take　care　of　themselves　and　make　Granite　the　great　metropolis　she　once　was！〃

The　applause　was　even　weaker　this　time　around；　and　the　more　theatrically　knowledgeable　in　the　front　rows　could　detect　beads　of　flop…sweat　on　Kyle's　brow。

〃But　let's　forget；　for　now；　what　the　military　warmongers　have　brought　us　to；〃　he　said；　almost　scowling；　then　catching　himself　and　flashing　a　bright　smile。　〃As　we　listen　to　the　song　stylings　of　the　marvelous；　the　inparable　Lynn…Minmei！〃

Recorded　music　came　up；　and　Minmei　hit　her　mark　right　on　cue；　mike　in　hand。　She　sang　her　latest　hit。

I've　made　the　right　move　at　the　right　time！
We're　on　our　way　to　something　new！
Just　point　the　way　and　I　will　follow！
Love　feels　so　beautiful　with　you！


Rick　followed　the　song；　entranced；　until　a　transmission　cut　through　Minmei's　singing。　〃mander　Hunter；　e　in；　please。〃

It　was　Ransom。　Rick　switched　to　the　tac　net。　〃What　is　it？〃

〃You　all　right；　skipper？　I've　been　trying　to　reach　you　for　some　time；　thought　you　might've　run　into　trouble。〃

Rick　let　a　little　impatience　slip　into　his　tone。　〃Is　anything　wrong？〃

Ransom　looked　at　him　out　of　a　display　screen　next　to　the　yellow　dandelion；　speaking　precisely。　〃Nothing　specific；　boss。　Just　wish　you'd　take　your　rover　radio　with　you　when　you　leave　your　ship　to　look　around。　I　worry；　y'　know？〃

Rick　bit　back　the　rebuke　he　had　been　putting　together。　Of　course　he　knew；　he　would　have　chewed　out　a　subordinate　for　doing　the　same。

He　sounded　contrite；　and　it　was　real。　〃Sorry；　Lieutenant。　But　I　came　across　something　miraculous　today。〃

Ransom　stared。　〃Trouble　with　renegade　Zentraedi？　Boss；　what　is　it？〃

Rick　took　the　dandelion　from　its　place　and　held　it　close　to　the　optical　pickup。　〃Look　what　I　found。　An　entire　field　of　them。〃

Ransom　considered　the　flower。　〃Wait　a　minute。　Your　zone　wasn't　inside　the　natural　recovery　planning　zone。〃

Rick　was　ecstatic。　〃That's　right！　But　lemme　tell　ya；　there　are　flowers　in　the　northwest　quadrant！〃

The　usually　morbid　Ransom　cracked　a　very　slight　smile。　〃I　supp