19_the_zendtradei_rebellion-第1章

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Robotech：　The　Zendtraedi　Rebellion
Book　19　of　the　Robotech　series
Copyright　1994　by　Jack　McKinney

arranged　by　dayuan　＇　robotech　zone　＇



Chapter　One

2015　began　much　as　any　other　year　in　recent　memory：　a　Zentraedi　attack　left　yet　a　third　version　of　Macross　in　ruins；　friends　died　and　were　buried；　and　Rick　Hunter　found　himself　hopelessly　conflicted；　if　not　by　love　this　time；　then　by　rumors　of　promotion　and　his　dark　imaginings　of　things　to　e。
Altaira　Heimel；　Butterflies　in　Winter：
Human　Relations　and　the　Robotech　War
Spring's　first　sunrise　brightened　a　bleak　landscape；　pockmarked　withcraters　and　crazed　with　fissures　opened　by　weapons　of　destruction。　Inthe　Northwest　Territory；　where　a　rain　of　Zentraedi　annihilation　boltshad　incinerated　countless　acres　of　fir　forest　and　hardened　vast　expansesof　sand　to　glass；　stood　thrice…born　Macross　City；　Earth's　burgeoningcapital　only　three　months　earlier　and　now　its　most　recent　casualty　ofwar。　Hurricane…force　winter　storms　had　been　no　kinder　to　the　place　thanKhyron　had；　and　with　the　early　thaw　had　e　an　understanding　of　justhow　much　damage　the　city　had　sustained　in　the　moments　before　its　frigidburial。
From　a　rostrum　that　once　had　been　a　segment　of　elevated　highway；　amiddle…aged　man　with　a　noticeable　Germanic　accent　was　addressing　asizable　crowd　of　Robotech　Defense　Force　personnel　and　civilians。　Theonly　way　to　tell　one　from　the　other　was　by　the　RDF　unit　patches　adorningthe　sleeves　of　the　soldiers'　antihazard　suits。

〃The　sudden　deaths　of　friends　and　loved　ones　affect　us　moreprofoundly　than　the　near　death　of　an　entire　world；〃　the　speaker　wassaying。　〃And　it　is　those　loved　onesthose　teammates；　techmates；　andradesthat　we　seek　to　honor　today；　on　the　occasion　of　this　sadassembly。〃

His　name　was　Emil　Lang；　and　he　was　Earth's　preeminent　mathematicianand　physicist。　Robotechnology's　chief　proponent　for　more　than　a　decade；he　was　seldom　at　a　loss　for　words；　but　much　of　his　address　that　day　hadbeen　written　for　him　by　Lisa　Hayes。　She　was　Admiral　Hayes　now；　in　thewake　of　the　destruction　of　Macross　City　and　the　SuperdimensionalFortresses　1　and　2；　and　the　deaths　of　Admiral　Henry　Gloval　and　dozens　ofthe　RDF's　highest…ranking　officers。

Few　among　a　crowd　estimated　to　number　ten　thousand　were　aware　thatLang's　were　borrowed　words；　though　Rick　Hunter　knew　as　much；　because　hehad　been　with　Lisa　when　she　posed　them　two　months　earlier。

〃Lang　wants　to　know　what　I　would　say　if　I'd　been　chosen　todeliver　the　memorial；〃　Lisa　had　explained　at　the　time。

Rick　understood　how　Lang　might　be　nonplussed　by　the　assignment；mo　of　the　nontechnical　sort　didn't　e　easily　to　the　Wizard　ofRobotechnology。　And　yet　who　better　to　memorialize　Gloval；　ClaudiaGrant；　and　the　rest　than　the　man　most　responsible　for　the　reconstructionof　the　SDF…1？　The　Earthman　most　responsible；　that　was。　To　another　wentcredit　for　the　ship's　original　design　and　engineering：　the　Tiresian　Zor；in　whom　Robotechnology　itself　had　its　beginnings。

Lisa's　contribution　notwithstanding；　Lang's　sentiment　was　genuine；and　it　spoke　to　everyone　in　the　crowd。　Several　of　Rick's　closestfriends　had　died　in　Earth's　protracted　war　with　the　Zentraedisome　indeep　space；　some　in　Earth's　wild　blue　yonderand　each　of　those　deathshad　touched　him　more　than　the　devastation　visited　on　the　planet　as　theculmination　of　that　conflict。　Rick　was　willing　to　accept　that　he；　likeso　many　of　Earth's　survivors；　had　been　living　in　staunch　denial　of　thecataclysm。　But　if　that　were　true；　then　Khyron's　surprise　attack　on　thedimensional　fortresses　and　the　city　that　had　grown　up　around　them　hadconstituted　a　long…overdue　wakeup　call。

Those　sections　of　Macross　that　hadn't　been　atomized　during　theattack　had　been　rendered　uninhabitable　by　radiation；　thwarting　earlyplans　for　salvage　operations　and　memorial　services。　Readings　hadn'tsubsided　to　safe　levels　until　late　February；　and　then　there　was　the　snowto　contend　withsnow　that　had　menced　on　the　night　of　the　attack　andcontinued　unabated　for　two　months；　almost　as　if　nature　had　fashioned　amicroclimate　to　hasten　the　cooling。　March's　sudden　melt　loosedavalanches　that　had　blocked　the　pass　between　Macross　and　Monument　Cityand　had　turned　the　valley　floors　to　sludge。　Even　now；　Rick's　Veritecha　VT…1S　configured　in　Battloid　modestood　to　its　ankles　in　thick　mud。

Rick　thought　the　de　rigueur　antihazard　suits　a　touch　belated；　giventhat　one…quarter　the　city's　population　had　been　dosed　with　radiation　onemerging　from　the　sheltersRick；　Lisa；　and　Minmei　more　than　most。　Inaddition　to　the　sixty…six　hundred　dead　who　had　been　aboard　thefortresses　or　providing　mecha　support；　over　five　thousand　civiliansresidents　had　died；　most　within　days；　some　as　recently　as　that　morning。Bodies　had　been　retrieved　by　the　planeload；　but　it　had　been　decided　thatthere　would　be　no　coffins。　General　staff's　plan　called　for　Lake　Glovalto　be　filled　in　and　made　a　mon　grave　sitea　shrine。　Though　a　shrinenone　would　dare　visit　for　at　least　ten　years　to　e。

Macrossers；　however；　were　nothing　if　not　war…hardened；　and　mostwould　have　braved　the　residual　fallout　suitless　to　honor　those　who　hadflown　endless　against…all…odds　missions　in　their　behalf。　Rick　wouldhave　numbered　himself　among　that　noble　group；　but　as　an　RDF　captain；mander　of　celebrated　Skull　Team；　he　was　obliged　to　attend　as　both　manand　mecha〃crafted；〃　as　the　Veritech　pilots　put　it。

Skullthe　lot　of　them　in　Battloid　modewas　deployed　along　whatremained　of　the　concourse　linking　the　downtown　mall　to　the　flight　deckof　the　SDF…1's　Daedalus　forearm。　Ghost；　Vermillion；　and　Indigo　teamswere　similarly　arrayed　along　the　parallel　concourse　that　fed　thePrometheus。　Both　appendages　were　actually　Thor…class　supercarriers　thathad　been　grafted　onto　the　fortress　some　five　years　earlier；　at　the　startof　the　war　against　the　race　of　giant　warriors　known　as　the　Zentraedi。Rick；　seated　NBC…suited　and　neural…capped　inside　Skull　One's　ultratechcockpit；　was　ten　city　blocks　west　of　the　slagged　half…mile…high　hulks　ofthe　SDFs　1　and　2；　the　former；　dismembered　and　decapitated；　was　up　to　itschest　in　the　mud…filled　crater　that　had　been　the　lake；　the　twin　booms　ofits　truncated　main　gun　raised　in　a　attitude　of　humble　entreaty。

No　more；　it　seemed　to　be　saying　to　the　early　morning　sky。　Letit　end　here。

Looking　west；　Rick　could　see　across　the　rooftops　of　block　afterblock　of　burned…out　buildings　clear　to　the　elevated　roadway　that　wasserving　as　a　stage　for　the　long…delayed　ceremony。　By　telephotoing　theVT's　exterior…mount　videocams；　he　could　bring　into　sharp　focus　nearlyevery　hooded　face　on　the　makeshift　rostrum：　Dr。　Lang；　Professors　LazloZand　and　Sheamus　Bronson；　Macross　Council　politicos　Milburn　and　Stinson；Chief　Justice　Justine　Huxley；　and　Mayor　Tommy　Luan。　Elsewhere　stoodBrigadier　General　Gunther　Reinhardt；　generals　Maistoff　and　Motokoff；full…bird　colonels　Caruthers　and　Herzog；　and　Major　Aldershot。

Rick　spent　a　moment　contemplating　his　pending　promotion　andshuddered　at　the　thought　of　being　lofted　into　the　numbing　pany　of　allthat　assorted　brass。　He　would　just　have　to　decline　any　advancement　inrank；　he　told　himself。　Appeal　to　the　aging　flyboy　in　Reinhardt　bysaying　that　while　he　was　flattered　by　mand's　confidence　in　hisleadership　abilities；　his　place　was　and　would　always　be　with　the　Skull。

He　reasoned　he　had　a　good　chance　of　pulling　it　off。　Providing　thatAdmiral　Lisa　could　keep　from　getting　involved。

〃In　conclusion；　let　us　at　least　try　to　embrace　a　constructiveperspective；〃　Lang　was　saying。　〃Let　us　try　to　view　the　ing　years　asa　bridge　to　the　future；　however　uncertain。　We　are　a　forward…lookingrace；　and　it　is　our　faith　in　the　future　that　will　guide　us　。　。　。〃

Lang　was　finally　winding　downand　just　in　time；　Rick　decided。　Forwhat　had　begun　as　a　remembrance　of　the　dead　had　deteriorated　into　aeulogy　for　Lang's　precious　dimensional　fortresses　and　his　plans　forconstructing　an　SDF…3。

And　so　when　Vince　Grant　succeeded　Lang　at　the　podiumtowering　overithe　concentrated　on　remembering　his　sister；　Claudia。　And　whenLieutenant　Mitchell　took　the　microphone　she　remembered　enlisted…ratingstechs　Sammie　Porter；　Vanessa　Leeds；　and　Kim　Young；　all　of　whom　Mitchellhad　relieved　at　one　time　or　another　on　the　fortress's　bridge。　Cat　crewofficer　Moira　Flynn　read　off　the　names　of　hundreds　of　pilots　she　hadwaved　into　battle；　and　Dr。　Hassan；　chief　surgeon　aboard　the　SDF…1；recalled　acts　of　unsurpassed　bravery。

And　when　Lisa　Hayes　spoke　。　。　。　Well；　when　Lisa　spoke　about　what　itmeant　to　have　served　under　Henry　Glovalthe　father　she　would　havepreferredand　about　Claudia　Grant；　her　closest　friend　and　sister…in…arms；　not　even　the　MBS　broadcasters　could　keep　their　deep　voices　fromfaltering。

〃Skull；〃　Rick　barked　into　his　helmet　pickup；　as　sobs　filteredthrough　the　tactical　net。　〃Present　arms！〃

The　crowds　turned　to　the　half…buried　ships。　The　technoknights　ofSkull；　Ghost；　Vermilion　and　Indigo　raised　their　autocannons　in　salute；Veritech　teams　screamed　over　the　lake；　disgorging　payloads　of　hothouseflowers；　and　the　massive　guns　of　a　dozen　MAC　II　Destroids　offeredthunderous　praise　to　the　dead。　A　reclamation　crew　positioned　on　therail…gunned　shoulders　of　the　SDF…1　unfurled　a　huge　banner　bearing　theRDF　insignia：　an　encircled；　curved…sided　diamond　suggestive　of　afighting　kite。

Sunlight　gleamed　off　the　battered　a