Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Underground Down Under ❯ Silent Dread ( Chapter 5 )
The "Good Day" of chapter 3 has soured...Because in all truth, something is eating away at all those in this generation of slaves and insurrectionists.
Anime/Manga: Macross Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Psychological / Post-apocalyptic / Mecha / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.05.2002 | Pages: 1 | Words: 544 | Visits: 457 | Status: Work In Progress
Robotech: Underground Down Under
Chapter V: Silent Dread
"Who was that?" Sabol asked Owens as they walked back to the ACIF's Control Center. He was still wondering how the woman who summoned them had vacated the corridor so quickly.
"Oh, her? Name's Jen Radice. She's really nimble on her feet. Barker uses her as a courier when we're doing a mission on foot," Owens explained. "Almost never talks to anyone though. Unless it's relaying an order, that is."
"And why is that?"
"Eh, there's the usual rumors about trauma at the hands at the Invid."
"I've heard that one before," Sabol replied disdainfully. "We've all suffered at their hands."
"That's true," Owens said thoughtfully. "There's a camaraderie here, as you've probably noticed. I suppose some people will never fit in."
"I can understand that," Sabol responded softly.
Owens sensed there was something stronger left unspoken behind those words. He was surprised that he hadn't caught any sign of before of a past eating away at Sabol. But young as he was, Owen was savvy enough in the emotional realm of post-apocalyptic Earth to know when to let a comment like that go without inquiry. And enough to be ready to listen quietly when people like Sabol finally needed to let their burdens down.
"Mr. Sabol," Commander Barker was saying even before he'd finished walking through the doorway to the Control Room, "I've decided your mission is worth the danger involved."
Well that was easy, Sabol's finicky mind said.
"You'll brief the group on the situation and parameters at 1400 hrs this afternoon in the hanger. I'll ask for volunteers at that time. With any luck, we'll depart early tomorrow morning."
"How do you plan to travel?" Sabol asked.
"We have a pair of trucks available to carry supplies," Barker answered. "Our defensive perimeter outside can spare a two or three Veritech Hovertanks to escort it. The rest of our mecha can fly top cover. The Invid patrol the Outback irregularly, so we might well be able to slip through unopposed.
"I've heard that one before," Sabol's brain quoted silently in his head.
"There's one other thing, Mr. Sabol," Barker told him with slight unease in his voice. "New Perth is quite possibly our eventual destination. When we liberated the slaves at the other hive, we found that quite a few of our families had already been relocated to the New Perth hive. When we staged that first rescue operation…The Invid guards started executing prisoners."
Sabol looked at him with a look of horror.
"The…what did your REF report call them? Protectors," Barker laughed bitterly. "They were the ones who did it. Apparently they're some of the only Invid with reasoning skills. Sabol, if they detect our presence at the bunker and believe we're on a mission to try to free the prisoners-"
"I understand," Sabol replied, taking a deep breath. "We assault the hive and free them first."
And how the hell are we going to do that with less than a squadron of fighters? Sabol wondered, his mind racing.
"Damn it," he added for good measure.
"Yes," Barker agreed.
They stood in the dim Control Room for a long time in silence.