Macross 30: Voices Across The Galaxy

Chapter 4: The Girl in the Ruins

Rion's quarters on the Gefion were smaller than what he was used to on the planet of Sepheela, but he could deal with it. It was kind of bare, seeing as how the only personal items of his that had survived the crash were his locket and his holo-picture.

After showering and going through his morning routine, he made his way up to the bridge of the Gefion where he found Aisha perusing a number of displays on the large tactical hologram station. Most of them seemed to have to do with what Rion guessed were the Protoculture ruins.

"Morning Aisha, what's up?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, good morning Rion," she said distractedly. Rion had learned even in the short time he'd been with her that Aisha got very involved with her work.

"Hmm, as I thought... these markings translations were right..." she mumbled.

"Are those from the ruins I've heard so much?" supplied Rion.

"Yes, they are. I have a theory about what happened to our zentran friend in there, but we're going to have to travel deep into the ruins and hope that what I think is there, is there."

"Which is?"

Aisha turned in her seat to face Rion and grinned.

"Answers."

She bounded up out of the chair and headed to the door, winking at Rion as she went.

"Better saddle up flyboy, we're going on another flight date."

Rion just smiled and shook his head slightly at Aisha's phraseology and followed her to the hangar.

In the hangar Gerrol was in a much more animated mood than before and he happily pulled Rion aside as soon as he came out of the locker room to show him his latest work.

"I know I'm good but that Aisha can simultaneously work on her ruins stuff and help us put together Valkyries. Plus it's good of her to let us work on, ah, 'pet projects' like this," he said, dragging Rion to a pair of VF-0 fighters that were now parked next to the blue and white VF-0D he'd been flying.

"We finished these last night thanks to parts purchased from the rewards we've gotten from working with the Hunter Guild. One's a VF-0A," he said, pointing to an all-gray Phoenix that differed from the –D in that it was a single-seater and had swing wings instead of delta wings, "And this VF-0S," he said, pointing to a white VF-0 with black and yellow stripes.

"Unlike the D, which is a vintage Phoenix complete with the over-tuned turbofan jet engines, these two are replicas and we've outfitted them with some old VF-1 FF-2001 reaction turbine engines. It'll be a lot different than the VF-0D, so try not to sneeze and end up in the ocean, eh?"

"Sure thing!" Rion said enthusiastically, "But when are you going to be done with those VF-1s over there?" he said, pointing to some fighter hulls on the other side of the hangar that were covered in scaffolding and conduits.

"Soon enough. Maybe do some more odd jobs for the Guild and get some money, that could possibly speed things up," Gerrol said, grinning slyly at Rion.

"Gotcha! Now, which one should I take?" said Rion, looking back and forth between the VF-0A and the VF-0S.

---

A few minutes later, Rion was strapped into the modified VF-0S and he and Aisha were about to take off. The holographic runway indicators flashed STANDBY. Rion pushed the throttle lever forward, hearing the familiar roaring whine of thermonuclear reaction turbines coming to power.

"Siegfried-1, launching!" he cried and the electromagnetic locks were released and his fighter was catapulted forward along the launch ramp. The acceleration slammed Rion back into his seat but he was long used to it by now.