Genesis ; Battle Cry ; Homecoming by Jack McKinney

Author:Jack McKinney
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, High Tech, Adventure, General
ISBN: 9780345389008
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1994-04-02T07:25:04.643876+00:00

Warning lights were flashing on the bridge of the SDF-1. Sensors were picking up energy readings of an extraordinary type. Astrogational and engineering were reporting dangerous fluctuations in the drive systems; it was as if all control had been lost.

Meanwhile, on the skin of the ship, Khyron was taking aim at Rick’s Battloid.

The Zentraedi commander felt the pod suddenly surrender itself to a higher power and knew at once what had happened: Breetai was recalling them. On the very brink of victory, and the fool was recalling them! He could do nothing; the nebulizer had even neutralized the weapon system of the pod. This fortunate Micronian pilot would live to fight another day, Khyron said to himself as the Officer’s Pod rose involuntarily from the skin of Zor’s ship. He could see the Battloid lift its head in some gesture of wonder or amazement and could only guess how the pilot inside was reacting.

Rick would recall his feelings later, too stunned at the moment to analyze his reactions.

In the aftermission debriefing room they would all report the same thing: that the pods had suddenly abandoned their attack and lifted off, as though they had been given some sort of recall signal.

While Dr. Lang tried to postulate the cause of the strange readings he had received and Gloval asked himself why the enemy had called off its attack, Lieutenant Hunter had a private session with his two new charges in the mess hall of the Prometheus.

Ben’s head was bandaged. On the positive side, it seemed that one of those blasts had finally gotten it through the corporal’s thick skull that discretion was the better part of valor. Max, on the other hand, credited with at least nine kills, was basking in self-adulation, wondering only half in jest whether the brass might not end up promoting him from corporal to general overnight.

Still amazed by what he had seen Max accomplish during the battle, Rick found that his respect for his fellow pilot was marred by feelings of jealousy. But he was too exhausted to dwell on it; he had just enough residual energy to carry him to his quarters. He was already thinking about crawling into his bunk and courting sleep.

An hour later he was standing in the doorway to his room, reaching in to hit the light switch. One step inside and his eyes fixed on the bed and the invitation laying there, paste-on red heart seal still unbroken. He groaned: Minmei’s birthday present! It was like a bad dream, like being up in your Veritech and suddenly realizing you’d forgotten to ammo up.

Rick started pacing the room, trying to recall the mental list of gift possibilities he’d composed earlier. What was it—shoes, jewelry, clothes? He checked his watch: twenty-two thirty. He knew he didn’t stand a chance, but he had to give it a go.

He rode an empty tube into Macross City and ran up and down the streets searching for an open store, cursing EVE with every step, because before these artificial sunrises and sunsets the city had rocked twenty-four hours a day.

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