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Roy faced her； placing both hands on her shoulders； towering over her。 He met her eyes and held them as he explained。
Halfway through his explanation she was shaking her head； refusing to believe him。 〃He's dead！〃
〃Minmei； listen； please don't think he's dead…we don't know that for sure。〃
Roy was doing just what he had promised himself he wouldn't do。 And she was inconsolable。 She twisted free of his hold。
〃I don't want to hear anymore！ You're a liar； and I hate you！〃
She glared at him； turned； and ran off。
Her friends offered him sympathetic smiles。 Roy stood with them； feeling utterly helpless。 He sucked in breath and tears and clenched his teeth。
Minmei ran to their bench in the park。
It was a special bench； set apart from the others in Macross Central； tucked away on a small subtier of its own overhung by the full branches of an oak tree and surrounded by flowering plants and thick buses。 It was almost a secret place； curiously unfrequented by park users； with an incredible view of the city spread out below and the closest view possible through the enormous starlight in the ship's hull。 Rick used to say that it was their balcony 〃with a view of forever。〃
They spent many long hours here…after their two week ordeal together； before Rick had joined the Defense Force； and before Minmei had been crowned 〃Queen〃。。。She had listened to Rick talk about the horrors of space battle； his victories and defeats； his fears and dreams。 And he had listened to her fears； her plans for the future； her song lyrics； her dreams。
And now。。。
Why did this have to happen？ Why； when everything in her life was so wonderful； did tragedy have to visit？ Why did this collision of dream and reality always have to occur？…as if no good fortune was possible without a balancing amount of evil。 What sort of god would have set such a mechanism in motion？
Face to face with that portion of the universe revealed by the starlight； Minmei began to cry。 Later she would bang her fists against the rail of the balcony and curse those stars； then sink back against the wooden slats of the bench and surrender to her sorrow。 And ultimately she would retrieve from her handbag a penlight she carried there； and； aiming it toward the ship's bay； she would click it on and off； again and again； a light signal into 〃forever〃 of her undying affection for him。
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Spirit does not willingly abdicate its throne。 The Big Bang was Spirit's first rebellion against form…its imprisonment in matter。 Subsequently it fought humankind's acceptance of fire； it battled against steam； it contested electricity and nuclear power； it raged against Protoculture。。。War is Spirit's attempt to attain freedom from matter； its effort to remain autonomous。 Wars are waged to prevent matter from being too fortable or placent。 For it is Spirit's divine purpose to someday abandon its vehicle and transcend； to reunite with the Godhead and suck the universe back into itself。
Reverend Houston； from the foreword to Jan Morris's Solar Seeds。 Galactic Guardians
Protoculture is technology's royal jelly。
Dr。 Emil Lang
Unknown to Breetai or his crew； there was a stowaway aboard the Zentraedi flagship…a Micronian Veritech ace named Max Sterling。
Sucked into space through the hole in the hull created by Rick Hunter's self…destructed Battloid； Max had unknowingly duplicated the walk Breetai had undertaken along the outer surface of the ship sometime earlier。 Breetai； however； was familiar with the manual air lock mechanisms； so he merely had to let himself in； Max had to discover a way in。 Fortunately he had stumbled upon an unclosed breach in the hull…the fried bristle sensors surrounding the hole gave evidence of a previous explosion…flown himself into an empty bay； and； returned to Battloid mode； made his way into the ship through an unlocked hatchway。 His gatling cannon had been left in the hold； his lasers were burned out； and he had scarcely half a dozen rockets left。 Max was operating on willpower； driven by the hope of rescuing his friends。
The interior of the flagship was a labyrinth of corridors and serviceways； some well lighted and maintained； others dark； damp； and in varying states of disrepair。 But luckily； all of them had been deserted。
Until now。
Max was at the intersection of two corridors…curved ceilings； large overhead light banks…peering around the corner when he saw the alien enter。 A private； Max guessed： standard…issue drab highrise…collared uniform； a round cap with an insignia。 He moved the Battloid back a step and scanned the area。 A short distance down the corridor behind him was what appeared to be a utility closet with a curved…top hatch。 He made his way to this as quickly and quietly as he could manage； threw the bolt； and secreted the mecha inside。 Shut off from the corridor； Max had no way of knowing which route the Zentraedi had taken； so the look of surprise on the alien's face upon discovering a Battloid in the utility closet was no greater than the startled look on Max's own。
For what seemed like an eternity they both stood there marveling at each other； until Max's training brought a decisive end to it。 He executed a sidekick with the Battloid's right foot that caught the Zentraedi's midsection； instantly doubling him over。 Gathering up the unconscious private in the Battloid's right arm； Max stretched out the left； grabbed the door bolt； and slammed the hatch shut。
He was puzzling over what to do with the guy； when all at once the cockpit indicators began crying out for attention。 He checked the readouts but still couldn't make sense of anything： All systems were functioning； and there didn't seem to be any immediate threats to the mecha； environmentally or otherwise。 So what was going on？
Then Max glanced at the astrogation displays。 The temporal sensors were spinning wildly…the flagship was folding！
Max watched as hours and days began to accrue on the gauge。 He slumped into his seat and waited。。。
The emergency spacefold which had catapulted the SDF…1 and Macross City clear across the solar system had been Lisa's first； and； as such； there hadn't been time to。。。well； look around。 It had also been a relatively short jump through space and therefore a brief one through time。 But for this； her second trip through the continuum； the temporal indicator built into her suit registered the equivalent of fourteen Earth…days。 Wherever the Zentraedi were going； it was a long way from home。
Lisa had plenty of time to look around。
It was nothing like she had expected； nothing； in fact； like she had been trained to expect。 The stars did not so much disappear as e and go。 She couldn't be certain； however； that it was the same stars that were rematerializing each time。 The heavens seemed altered with each fade； as though someone had snipped frames from a strip of film； editing out the transitions from event to event。 The energy umbrella that kept her and the others confined to the grid prevented her from observing flux details in the laboratory； but when she looked at Rick or Ben； she noticed a slight shimmering effect that blurred the boundaries of objects； occasionally； this effect intensified so tha