Chapter X: The interview
Journal Entry 315July 1, 2063,
This is the stupidest thing I have ever done. Imagine, asking permission of the Mayor of City 20, former space pirate Captain Elia Aurious for seeing her daughter. I have heard of the great Captain Aurious and her deeds. And judging by Aimee's demeanor, she's one hell of a woman.
My mother told me about her but I didn't believe her. She told me that Captain Aurious was one of the best fighter pilots in this galaxy. But now, seeing her daughter, I believed her.
What she didn't tell me that she was intimidating.
I called her office for an appointment last week and I was surprised that her secretary was expecting my call.
And now I face the gates of purgatory and whether it takes me to heaven or to hell is all up to the judge of my fate.
"The Mayor will see you now."
Entry pause
Nathaniel looked at the mayor's secretary before he stood from the waiting area of City 20's city hall. He was wearing a tie under his red pilot jacket and was nervous. This was the first time in a long time that he wore something formal, or something close to it.
He wanted to impress the mayor but didn't want to show it too obviously.
With a deep breath, he opened the door and entered.
"Welcome, Nathaniel," Mayor Aurious said as she looked up from her desk but when she did, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Is there something wrong?" Nathaniel asked nervously. Was his choice of clothing that appalling?
"That jacket. Where did you get it?" she asked as she studied the jacket from where she sat. But before he could reply, she asked another question. "What's your full name?"
"Nathaniel Anghelz," he said much to Mayor Aurious's surprise.
"Really," she smiled as she offered him a seat. Looking at the chair opposite of her, he took a deep breath and sighed. "Let's get started."
"Okay, Ma'am," he merely replied and by the looks of Elia's smile, this won't be good.
"I've pulled out your file…"
"File, Ma'am?" Nathaniel knew that he did not have a file that he knew of.
"Actually, I made one," she smiled as she opened a manila folder. "I asked around your school and people who knew you. And I'll say, I'm impressed?"
"Impressed, Ma'am?"
"Is there an echo in here," she joked but continued to glance at the file. "You're a straight A student, you are liked by everyone…"
"You have the wrong file, Ma'am," Nathaniel said rather confused. Him? Well liked? He didn't even know he existed in other's eyes.
"Actually, the ladies liked your dark and silent persona," Elia said as she glanced at him. "Obviously, you're dense as well.
"Moving on. You have recently gotten your flying license but flew like a pro, why is that?"
"This is a big planet, ma'am. Patrols rarely go to the forest and desert regions of the planet. But I think because of the pirate attack they'll send out patrols often to uninhabited part of this planet," Elia was amazed by the boy's logic. Not usual for a sixteen year-old to know more than most.
"So you fly your VT in the forest, I gather," she waited for his answer.
"Yes, ma'am. Keeps me on my toes."
"How's your VT?" she asked curiously.
"Banged up, ma'am."
"And your Cutlass?"
"I do not own a Cutlass, ma'am," Nathaniel's demeanor did not change so Elia knew he was telling the truth. Or, if her suspicions were correct, twisting the truth. He didn't want her to find out something and, according to her daughter, he rarely lies.
"But you flew one?" a nod. "Recently?" another nod. Suddenly, Elia's face had a sadness in them that Nathaniel recognized pretty well. A sadness of losing a friend.
"You're mother's?" she asked. And all he could do was nod. "How is she?"
"For now, fine," Nathaniel said as he looked away.
"Can I see her?" this question surprised Nathaniel but not enough that she would not get an answer from him.
"Another time, perhaps?" he asked softly and when she nodded in understanding, he relaxed.
"Continuing on," Elia sighed as she fixed her composure. "You're a smart and talented kid. Why are you not applying for scholarships in one of the colony ships? Space travel could teach you a lot of things."
"I don't know," he said it with certainty that she believed him.
"Why?"
"I… this may be strange but I feel like there's something keeping me here," indeed, for him, it was like something in his feeling was pulling him back. And when he completed the canyon run, he knew why.
But it would be a cold day in hell before he told the mayor that.
"Like setting up your roots?" Elia asked.
"Something like that," he smiled in agreement. "But for me, my roots are already dug firm into the ground it stood. If that something that's keeping me here leaves, I would leave."
"Even if it meant losing my daughter?" Nathaniel was surprised at the question. If he stayed on the planet, he would never see Aimee again. He needed to think about that.
"I cannot answer at this time," he said almost sadly.
"That's what I'm afraid of," she smiled sullenly as she stood. She walked towards him and stood behind him. And when she placed her hand on his shoulder, he knew this interview was over. "I don't want my baby's heart broken by broken promises."
"So you're forbidding me to see your daughter?" Elia heard defiance in his tone. The same defiant tone she heard from her best friend all those years ago.
"I like you, Nathaniel. I'll tell you what, Macross 20 will be leaving in two months and in that two months you must figure out what's keeping you here and if you could bring what's been keeping you with you when and if you decide to transfer to Marcoss 20." Nathaniel looked at her in surprise. "And to make things easier, I'll get Aimee to help you." Now something was up, he could tell.
"What about your daughter's affiance? Wouldn't your friend get miffed about that?"
"You let me worry about that and it's safe to say…" she smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "That everything's what my best friend and I hoped for."