Here's the second part of my SI.

Again, let me say this about "Songs" (and it applies *only* to this fic,
not to any other):  it's more a fantasy than a story.  My Avatar more or
less hangs around in the background, filling in some of the details
glossed over in the cartoon, adding or altering bits of the plot here
and there.  Those of you who have seen Robotech might become quite
bored; fair warning.

-Richard


---

Richard looked at Jetfire and pressed his lips in a hard, thin line.
Jetfire had been raised on a hoist - he could see it nearby - and its
landing gear lowered manually.  He wasn't terribly happy that this had
been done without him; it sickened him to think of the inadvertent
damage they could have done.  Still, he supposed it was convenient.

He walked to the rear of the plane where several mechanics were staring
into his propulsion system.  Richard smiled slightly, knowing that they
were looking for evidence of some kind of outflow or exhaust.  They
wouldn't find any.

"Hi!"  He smiled at them as they turned to consider him.  "One rule
only: don't do nothing unless you have my express permission.  I've
agreed to give you unrestricted access, but we'll do this a step at a
time, and under my supervision to begin with."

One, a tall, heavy-set man with a great black beard, stepped forward.
"Well, we got lots of questions for you, but first I reckon we need to
restore some power.  Any idea how we could do that?"

"Sure."  Richard walked over, vaulted onto the wing, nodded at another
man peering into the cockpit, reached inside, and pulled out his
toolkit.  He jumped back down, pulled out one of the tools, and opened
up a panel on one side of Jetfire.  A shallow square hollow space was
revealed, with various leads and connectors around the rim.

Richard looked back at the tall man.  "Okay, I need a power source of
some sort.  Electrical if you got it."

"You store electricity in there?"  He frowned.  "Must take a mighty
large capacitor to store it all."

Richard smiled.  "Sort of a capacitor.  By the way, I'm Richard."

"Call me Randy.  How much energy can this capacitor of yours store?"

"Quite a bit.  Enough to run that city out there, and a hundred more
just like it.  And more."

"Hoo-wee."  Randy wiped his brow theatrically.  "Must've been somethin'
to drain all your reserves like that?"

Richard laughed.  "Oh yeah.  Took a big hit."

"I reckon."  Randy looked around.  "Williams, hand me that cell."

Richard watched as a three-foot cube was picked up and transferred to
Randy.  "What's that?"

"It's our own kind of capacitor."  Randy smiled.  "Engine produces these
for us.  Gotta kick of her own, she does."

Richard examined the cube.  A steel cage surrounding a luminescent cube.
The cube seemed almost to pulsate.  "How do you connect it?"

Randy set it on the ground and pointed out two contacts.  "Hooks to our
Veritechs there."

Richard studied it for a second, then reached up and pulled out two
leads from the panel.  "Let's see what this does."  He pulled out enough
slack to reach the cube, then reached down and pressed the leads on the
contact.

The energy absorption technology he'd acquired did a wonderful job at
adapting itself to any energy whatsoever and converting it into
something useful.  He'd never had to do a completely cold start before,
and he was worried that the adaptive part of the technology would not be
functioning.

Not to worry.  The cube immediately began to dim.  At the same time,
noise came from Jetfire as systems began to come to life.  Richard held
the leads until the battery was dark, then turned to consider Jetfire.
It seemed a lot more vital to his eyes, despite the lack of obvious
changes in its appearance.

Randy was scratching his sparse black hair.  "You drained it!  In about
twenty seconds, I gather."

"About that."  Richard vaulted back onto the wing.  "Got any more?"

"More?  How many do you need, son?"

"Let me check."  Richard leaned over the cockpit.  "Computer."

"Working."

Good.  "Energy reserve."

"Energy reserve at one hundred percent."

"No, I didn't mean the emergency reserve."

"Emergency reserve at one hundred percent."

Richard sighed.  He should have just called up the information by hand.
"List energy status of all systems."

"Emergency reserve at one hundred percent.  Energy reserve at one
hundred percent.  Available shield status is one hundred percent.
Available weapon power is one hundred percent.  Available-"

"Cancel."  Richard looked around the cockpit.  All the status indicators
he could see supported the computer's claim.  "Are there any energy
indicators that are not at one hundred percent?"

"Negative."

"Wow."  Richard straightened.  Whatever that power source had been, it
had done in twenty seconds what close exposure to a star would take
fifteen minutes or more to accomplish.  Whatever these people had, it
was powerful stuff.  No wonder the giants wanted it so badly.

He frowned suddenly, wondering where the excess power had gone.  He put
his hand into the cockpit and out of anyone's immediate sight.  He tried
to summon his gun and got a ghostly outline before he dispersed it.

Wow again.  He was more tightly tied into Jetfire than he knew.

He turned and sat on the wing.  "Guess I won't need any more.  That
stuff *does* have some kick."

"That it do.  No one's quite sure what it is, except maybe that Lang
fellow.  All I know is that we put these cubes into a Veritech and
they'll run like a bat outta hell."

Richard grinned.  "No doubt."  He slid off the wing and landed himself
at Randy's feet.  "Okay, let's get started.  What do you want to know?"

Randy smiled back.  "How do you get your computer to talk all pretty to
you?"

Richard laughed.  "It's not so pretty, trust me.  Come on up and I'll
show you how the interface works."

---

"Reactionless?"  Randy shook his head.  "Know a feller name o' Isaac
says that's not right."

Richard chuckled.  He'd quickly discovered that beyond Randy's drawl was
an intelligent and educated mind.  A mind Richard very much liked
communicating with.  "Well, it's not truly reactionless.  I only call it
that because that's how it feels to the occupant when it's active.  It's
these inertial dampeners that do the trick."

Randy's eyes lit up.  "Dampening inertia, eh?  I've done a coupla
eight-gee dives, and I can tell ya, they ain't fun.  Reckon that's
something we can adapt?"

Richard shrugged.  "Same answer.  I don't think it will work for you.
The specs are in the schematics.  Give them a look over and see what you
think."

The large man picked up a sheaf of diagrams he'd printed out earlier and
leafed through them.  "Man alive, ain't a lot about this ship that makes
sense.  I'd love to see it in action."

"Well, how about a test spin?"  Richard waved at the cockpit.  "Once
around the block, as it were."

Randy chewed his lip for a few seconds.  "Well, reckon I shouldn't be
tempted now, not before Dr. Lang 'n I have had a face-to-face.  And
likewise, that lady friend of yours might object."

Richard looked past Randy to where Vanessa was sitting on the deck
typing into her hand-held computer.  She looked up at him, a little
startled, but said nothing.

"And it's late anyway."  Randy made a show of stretching his arms.
"Been a long day around here.  I'm for ten or twenty winks, then maybe
we can pick it up again in the morning and see how fast she can go zero
to sixty."

"Okay.  See you in the morning, Randy.  Enjoyed the time."

"Pleasure all mine, Richard."

Richard walked over to Vanessa, smiling.  "Done for the day.  I'd like
to call Roy if I may."

"Certainly."  Richard offered her a hand and helped her to her feet.
"This way."

The communications device was a combination of a twentieth-century
telephone and a video screen.  Vanessa showed him how to operate it, and
he picked up on it quickly.  Soon a voice was speaking from the phone
next to Richard's ear.  "Fokker."

"Roy, this is Richard.  I'm done for the day, and wanted to know if
you'd like that drink now."

"Hell, yeah.  I'm ready for it now.  Do you know where the White Dragon
is?"

"I can find it."

"Great.  Meet you there."

Richard hung up the phone.  "I'm to meet him at the White Dragon.  Care
to join us?"

Vanessa clutched her computer to her chest like a pillow.  "S-sure."

Richard grinned and gestured towards a jeep.  "Good, because I don't
know how to get there."

"I see."  They clambered into the jeep together.  Richard watched
Vanessa closely, peering down at her feet as she drove off.

She glanced at him quickly.  "What are you doing?"

"Learning how to operate this vehicle.  I used to drive something a lot
like this back in my universe.  I was part of an archaeological dig on
an undeveloped planet, and the best way to get back and forth from the
site was to use vehicles similar to these."  Richard sat back in his
seat, watching as the city appeared as the exited the tunnel.  "Had a
lot of fun driving it around.  Roy does, too."

"Please don't use Commander Fokker as your frame of reference."  Vanessa
sounded almost like she was pleading.

Richard chuckled.  "Not to worry."

The restaurant came into view.  It appeared to be mostly undamaged, and
indeed quite busy.  Vanessa parked the jeep a couple blocks away and
walked up to it.  Richard looked it up and down.  "Chinese food, I take
it?"

"Yes.  The best restaurant in Macross City."

"So you have a real, thriving economy here?"

"Within limits.  Most things, like food, are rationed.  Many people just
choose to acquire their rations here or at other places."

"Huh."  Richard said no more as the entered into the foyer, filled with
standing people.

"Lawson!"  Richard saw an arm waving from somewhere on the far side of
the building.  He weaved his way through the crowd and saw Roy sitting
in a booth, his arm around a tall, familiar-looking woman.  Richard
wracked his brain and came up with the name: Claudia.  He had to admit
that she and Roy made a handsome couple.

"Roy."  Richard reached across the table; Roy disengaged his arm from
Claudia and took his hand again.

Richard offered his hand to Claudia, who gave him a firm handshake and a
warm smile.

Richard half-turned.  "I assume you know Vanessa."

"Yes, we work on the bridge together," Claudia said with a touch of
reproof.  "Sit down, please."

They sat.  Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out a few
featureless gold disks.  "I don't know how the economy works here.  In
most universes, gold is worth something."

"It's worth something here, too," Roy said, eyeing the disks.  "As it
is, the only way you'll be able to buy me drinks at present is to use
your food ration to do it with."

Richard frowned and turned to Vanessa.  "Do I have a food ration yet?"

She nodded.  "Yes.  Commander Fokker is correct, right now we have no
means to allow for... imported goods.  Put those away until we reach
Earth; I'll see that you're paid a pilot's wages for use within Macross
City."

"Why, Vanessa."  Claudia's eyes twinkled.  "You appear to be enjoying
yourself a lot.  I've never seen you so... committed to a new duty."

Vanessa flushed slightly.  "I'm only doing what Lisa ordered me to do."

"And she's doing a great job of it, too."  Richard frowned at Claudia,
wondering what she was up to.

"I imagine."  Claudia looked at him, amusement still dancing in her
eyes.  "So tell us about yourself, Richard."

With a mental shrug, Richard settled back and launched into the
abbreviated version of his life story.  Drinks were ordered and
consumed, along with a wonderful lo mein dish.  Richard found himself
growing more and more relaxed as he spoke and answered questions, very
much enjoying the company of the three people.  Roy had a slightly rough
mannerism, but was easy-going and friendly.  Richard sensed a deep
commitment inside of him, and was interested to learn that he had been
with Captain Gloval during the first foray into what would become the
SDF-1.  Claudia was every bit as friendly and mature as she seemed to be
on the surface, occasionally displaying a spit-fire temper when Roy beca
me too boisterous.

Vanessa, for her part, seemed to withdraw in on herself.  Richard and
Claudia would occasionally draw her out, and she'd respond, only to clam
up again a minute later.  Richard decided to stop torturing her and let
her come out of her shell as she chose.

After a few hours, Claudia looked pointedly at her watch.  "We need to
get to bed.  We have duty tomorrow, and there's a lot of work ahead of
us."

Roy made a face while Vanessa merely nodded.  They all stood together,
Roy putting his arm around Claudia's shoulders.  "Tomorrow, Richard,
I'll introduce you to Captain Kramer.  He was in the other Veritech, but
he had to remain on standby alert tonight."

Richard frowned slightly.  "Captain?"

"The RDF has its basis in several other armed forces," Claudia
interjected.  "It leads to some confusion in ranks.  Captain Kramer is
the equivalent of a lieutenant in the RDF, but he is still called by the
rank he had when he joined up."

"Oh."  More homework he needed to do.  "Okay, then.  Tomorrow."

Roy nodded, Claudia waved, and they strode off.

Richard walked with Vanessa out of the restaurant.  He looked up at the
simulation of a night sky, rather enjoying it.  "Off to bed, Vanessa?"

"Yes."  She looked up at him.  "You should go, too."

"In a bit.  I want to look around."

Vanessa's brow furrowed slightly.

Richard grinned at her reassuredly.  "I'm sure Colonel Maistroff's
shadows will keep a good eye on me.  And I won't try to evade them."

"I didn't mean to imply-"  Vanessa cut herself off.  "Good night,
Richard."

"'Night."  Richard looked back up at the sky, trying to make out the
faux constellations.  He heard Vanessa walk off as he did.

Richard's smile widened at the sheer beauty of it.  A city in a fortress
in space, struggling to get home against overwhelming odds.  The people
so far seemed uniformly friendly and accepting, to the point where he
almost didn't feel like an outsider.  It was nice here so far.  He liked
it.  While the war outside promised to get ugly very quickly, right here
and right now the city was beautiful.

He hadn't felt that way in a long time.

The thought made him chuckle.  He hummed slightly, then broke out into a
soft song, his gaze still fixed skyward.

   If you said good-bye to me tonight,
   There would still be music left to write.
   What else could I do?  I'm so inspired by you.
   That hasn't happened for the longest time.

   Once I thought my innocence was gone.
   Now I know that happiness goes on.
   That's where you found me,
   When you put your arms around me.
   I haven't been there for the longest time.

As he sang, he realized he had accompaniment for the last four words.

Richard turned his head to see a girl standing in the doorway behind
him.  She didn't look very old, perhaps seventeen at best.  She
obviously worked at the restaurant; she was dressed in a traditional
Chinese gown, her jet-black hair elaborately curled around her ears and
hanging down her sides.  She had about the most beautiful face he had
ever seen, with large bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile.

That smile was directed at him.  "Hi!  That was a neat song you were
singing."

Richard felt his cheeks getting warm.  "Er, well, I wasn't singing it
very well.  I, uh, didn't know I had an audience."

She beamed at him.  "My singing coach always told me that you always
sing like you would sing to one person.  It doesn't matter if there's no
one or everyone, just sing from your heart as if to the one you love and
it will all sound great!"

The girl fairly radiated youthful energy.  "So you're taking singing
lessons?"

"And dance lessons and acting lessons and all sorts of lessons.  I'm
going to be in the Miss Macross pageant."  She stood a little
straighter, tossing her head.

Richard chuckled.  "Miss Macross?  I can't imagine anyone else winning
but you."

"You're just saying that!"  Her voice contained no hint of the
self-deprecation her words suggested.  "But I am going to do my best, I
hope you'll be there to watch!"

"I'll try."  He kept himself from shaking his head.  He felt like he was
getting swept away by the tidal wave that was this girl's personality.
"When is it?"

"I don't know, they haven't said yet, what with the city being destroyed
and all."  She said that as if commenting on a rainstorm that had
postponed a sporting event.  Yet somehow Richard found himself mentally
forgiving her for her youthful self-centerdness.  "Probably not until
after my sixteenth birthday, that'll be in two months.  Maybe I'll throw
a party!"  Her eyes, if possible got brighter.  "How about that!  I'll
invite you and Rick and everyone, it'll be *so* much fun!"

"I'm sure it will be."  Did this girl know anything about failure?  She
seemed so utterly confident that she could accomplish whatever she
wanted to.  Probably because she'd done exactly that so far.  Richard
felt a touch of melancholy, wondering how long it would be until she was
honestly hurt, and what would happen to her sparkling personality then.

Richard drew a deep, silent breath.  "Okay.  Tell me when it is and I'll
buy you a present."

"Okay!"  She rose briefly on her toes before settling back down.  "I'll
send you an invitation.  Er, what's your name?"

"Richard.  Richard Lawson.  I'm staying with the pilots, er, over that
way."

"Richard."  She grinned.  "I know a Rick, too.  Isn't that funny?  By
the way, my name's Minmei.  Lynn Minmei, I'm Chinese so I say my name
that way but you can call me Minmei."

"Minmei it is, then."  Wow.  Too bad she was fifteen; that was just a
little too young for his tastes.  Still, would there be any harm in
cultivating her friendship.  "Maybe you can teach me to sing sometime."

"Sure!  Except I'm awfully busy with helping Auntie and Uncle run the
restaurant and all my lessons and getting ready for my party and the
pageant and taking care of my cousin Jason, he's nice but he can be a
brat sometimes.  Stop by the restaurant any time, though, I'll make a
special dish for you!"

He honestly wasn't sure whether he was being given the brush-off or not,
but found that he didn't much care.  "I'll do that."

She rose on her toes again.  "Anyway, it was sure nice meeting you,
Richard, I should go back in, but I liked hearing you sing, I hope
you'll come hear me sing too sometime, I'm going to sing in the pageant!
Bye!"  She whirled and walked in a manner that was halfway tripping,
halfway dancing, back into the White Dragon.

Richard looked after her for two minutes, his mind a whirl.  Damn.  All
that energy, all that ambition, all that beauty in body and spirit.  And
fifteen.  Soon to be sixteen.  He was only over twice her age; that
wasn't so bad, was it?  Maybe this place had different taboos.

He shook his head violently to clear it of such thoughts.  He had to
remember that he wasn't planning to stay.  That eventually he'd move on
and leave these people behind until he found home.  The more he allowed
himself to become intertwined in their affairs, the more painful the
separation would be.

Still, he found himself singing softly as he turned and made his way to
his room.

   Who knows how much further we'll go on?
   Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone.
   I'll take my chances.  I forgot how nice romance is.
   I haven't been there for the longest time.

Richard smiled as he ambled into the false night.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Randy is a creation of mine.  Other new characters will
make appearances here and there as the fic progresses, but mostly it
will focus on the regulars.