"Was any of this for good or bad?" "I really couldn't say." "But, like most people I guess I was raised in the same country I was born." "My family was middle-class, pretty ordinary." "And so, I've never known the troubles of the rich or the hardships of the poor." "To tell you the truth, I could really care less." "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Navy Pilot." "You had to join the Navy if you wanted to fly jets..." "They were so fast..." "Flew so high..." "For me, there could be nothing better than flying." "But, two months before I was to graduate from school I saw that my grades weren't going to let me do any of that." "And so..." "I ended up joining the Space Force..." "I just want to know two things." "Where have you been?" "!" "And why aren't you in dress uniform?" "!" "Might I assume the first question to be in reference to my past?" "Stop that, damn you!" "I'm asking you why you're late!" "Why do you always have to play the clown?" "You don't think this is serious?" "Coming late to a comrade's funeral!" "I was taking a nap on the roof and overslept, sir!" "A man in your own unit is dead, but you..." "You call yourself a soldier?" "!" "Forget it, just get in line." " Hey there." " Hi." "Where've you been?" "Just thinking about some stuff." "Why aren't you in dress uniform?" "Knock it off." "I can dress any way I want to." "Heh, the General's real broken up about this." ""Coming late to a comrade's funeral!" He killed the guy!" "It was a test accident, right?" "Yeah, I hear the police are coming today." "They think the urine bag ruptured during the space suit test and shorted the whole thing out." "Space suit?" "What's that?" "You don't know?" "It's something you have to wear in space." "He actually wants to launch somebody up there." "Manned artificial satellites." "It's a load of crap." "Yeah, like all of his plans." "He's not giving up, though." "The next step's gotta be..." "Space Force anthem, prepare!" "Space Force!" "Anthem!" "In unison!" ""Riding high the solar wind, soaring through the sky. "" ""In the darkness of the galaxy, we spread our wings to fly. "" ""Where our path will lead us, we have yet to see. "" ""The time of Judgement for us all is drawing ever near. "" "Majaho got some bread in the mail." "Big box of it." "Why bread?" "'Cause his family owns a bakery where he lives." "Bread, huh?" "Yeah..." "A bakery'd be nice." "You think they'd hire me?" "Count me out." "Probably couldn't get another job on the outside." "This place is great." "At least we don't have to worry about running out of food here." "We get hungry because we live." "We eat to keep on living..." "I don't wanna die here..." "OW!" "Lots of free time, eh Shiro?" "I didn't realize your job here was to take naps!" "You know what this is?" "A one deem coin." "It can buy you a loaf of bread or a bottle of oil." "But they say a Khozel bandit would kill a man for one of these." "So, if you think about it, it's worth quite a lot." "Overtime pay." "Getting an advance should make you weep with joy!" "And now from you I want 300 push-ups." "And after that I want 500 sit-ups!" "Tekatta!" "Tekatta!" "Get it while it's hot!" "Why'd you come in uniform?" "Had to." "With all that extra work, I didn't have time to change." "Disgraceful." "Keep away from me." "Any gal who sees you in that thing'lljust laugh at you." "Any lady who's heard of the Space Force would laugh." "The fliers who never leave the ground..." "Hell, I'd laugh." "To the spaceship, and our friend who died for her!" "You think the old man's really serious?" "People wouldn't be getting killed if it was just a game." "But most people think of manned space flight as something of the far future." "I don't think our Force'll last that far into the future." "I just hope it'll hold out 'til I can decide on a new job." "Ask Majaho for one." "Hit!" "Hit!" "Four, three." "Son of a...!" "Ohh, two more down." "That's a strange uniform." "It's for the Space Force." "Space Force?" "What, are we being attacked by spacemen?" "Well, Lt. Colonel?" "Knock it off!" "You're a major, for God's sake!" "Two, three, two, one, two!" "For crying out loud, Matti!" "Pick on someone else for a change!" "Oh, I give up." "Simmer down." "The night's just getting started, eh?" "Hey, gorgeous!" "Look over here!" "Hey, baby!" "Don't you hear me?" "Hey!" "Come on!" "This way." "And don't worry about the money." "My treat." "I just want to go to sleep." "You came!" "Tohn!" "Tohn!" "You're here!" "No, Matti, you mean." "Matti!" "Matti, Mattimattimatti." "I'm glad you came." "I like your perfume today." "Ummm, delicious." "C'mon, I called a friend to help out today." "C'mon, c'mon!" "Uh, hey!" "You said you'd treat..." " A friend, huh?" " Mimi!" "Tohn's here!" "Way to go, "Tohn."" "The day of judgement approaches!" "Those who live in sin will surely be cast into hell!" "The man who ignores the path of righteousness..." "Who takes no responsibility for his sins..." "Who feels no shame for his transgressions." "These are all sins in God's eyes!" "Thank you." "God is weeping for us." "The day of finaljudgement which was promised after mankind first stole the flame from heaven's ovens is drawing ever near!" "We must all be prepared for when that day arrives..." "Oh, it's you." "Where're the others?" "It's a holiday today." "You think they'd come back?" "" Please come?" What, a new whorehouse open up?" "Ooh, and there's an address, too!" "Ahh, knock it off." "Can I use your foam?" "" He who has to beg for foam is doomed to be a beggar."" "Oh, and you really shouldn't sleep in a dead man's bed." "It's bad luck." "Hello, little guy." "You live here?" "Excuse me?" "I came because I saw your pamphlet." "COME IN!" "Come in!" "Come in!" "Come in!" "Come right on in!" "You're just in time." "I was about to make some tea." "Here, please!" "Have a seat!" "I've got some terrish cooking on the stove." "You were able to find the place all right?" "Uh, yeah." "I took the trolley out here." "My name's Riqunni Nonderaiko." "Shirotsugh Lhadatt." "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Lhadatt." "Please, just call me Shirotsugh." "Okay, Shirotsugh." "This is wonderful." "Someone actually came!" "How do you take your muuk?" "Strong please." "Nothing in it." "So, how old are you, boy?" "Oh, Manna's a little girl." "Manna, bring the nice man a plate." "Thanks..." "I've never seen Manna take to a stranger so quickly before." "Here we are." "Kids just like me, I guess." "There you go." "Sorry if it's overdone." "No, no." "Terrish tastes better when it's a little overcooked." "Really, it looks delicious." "Let's eat!" "The tea smells really good, too..." "That was good tea." "But you're right, times really are terrible nowadays." "Adults can no longer judge what's right and wrong." "Exactly!" "And they aren't bringing kids up right, either." "The whole world's just screwed up." "God's hand foretold all of this..." "Oh, by the way!" "Yes?" "You haven't said what's bothering you." "Yeah, well..." "There was an accident where I work." "I see..." "And a good friend of mine died because of it." "That's terrible." "You must be really upset." "Yeah, and now I can't seem to eat or drink or do my job or any..." "So, what sort of job do you have?" "Uh, well..." "Have you ever heard of the Space Force?" "I'm sorry, but..." "You've never heard of it." "I'm not surprised." " You're a soldier, then?" " Well, we don't fight or anything." "We're just training to go into space." "Oh, space?" "You mean to the stars?" "Well, not quite that far." "What a wonderful job you have!" "Huh?" "You think so?" "Yes, I think it's great!" "To be free of the troubles of this world..." "To go to the unspoiled world of the stars..." "Don't you think that's wonderful?" "Yeah..." "And we're the only Space Force in the world, too." "I've never had such a wonderful holiday." "To think such a marvelous person would come and visit me." "Do you think you can tell me about the stars sometime?" "Sure." "It'd be a pleasure." "Our children will one day live among the stars, in peace." "Yeah, and space is so vast..." "Borders'll be meaningless!" "It's fantastic!" "Soldiers who don't make war!" "Well, we've got a different purpose than the guys I used to see fooling around on the lake." "A higher purpose." "We're the ones who have to clear the way to peace for all mankind." "This world's too small for the humanity." "From here on, it'll be the age of space!" "The chief causes of launch failure may be divided into two categories:" "Human error and mechanical failure." "Morning!" "Oh, the morning test films." "These are the only funny movies we ever get to see around here." "Hey, you borrowed my bike last night, didn't you?" "Yep, sure did." "Night air felt really good." "Would it have killed you to put some gas back in?" "Honestly, you worry about such little things." "We are the proud officers of the Space Force." "Trifles he worries about!" "We're doing big, important stuff here!" "Think he cracked his head last night?" "Dunno." "Gentlemen, you are the proud members of the Space Force!" "It was 30 years ago that Khi Lei Kerass first published "The Possibility of Galactic Travel"." "20 years before the creation of the Space Force." "The near past!" "A great deal has become possible in those 20 years." "It was really just a drain dish off of some flowerpot." "Our first "satellite!"" "Guess they just didn't have anything else handy." "Since last year's failed launch of our fifth satellite, Ghida the scope of the program has been drastically reduced." "Many voices in the House of Nobles call for our abolition." "We've already lost half our year's budget!" "I heard we lost our facilities and our appropriation." "That's it, then." "We might as well start looking for new jobs." "However..." "However, gentlemen!" "Now is the time to show them all!" "To show them we possess the means to allow mankind to set sail into the vastness of space!" "How is it a space warship if it'll only be carrying people?" "That's what the General's calling it." "Space is vast!" "It is out there that our future lies!" "A peaceful world we must open to our posterity." "People?" "How're they gonna launch off something that heavy?" "It's impossible." "If we don't want to spoil the place, we shouldn't fly out there at all." "I have just put in motion the human race's first manned space program." "We all gotta die sometime." "Yes, there have been martyrs to our cause." "However, we must carry on past that sorrow!" "Carry on towards the future!" "I'm here to ask for a volunteer to be our nation's first Space Pilot." "I won't force anyone." "But is there not one brave man among you who would challenge the world of the stars?" "!" "I volunteer, sir!" "Are you nuts!" "?" "Uh, ahh..." "And you are...?" "Shirotsugh, sir!" "Shirotsugh Lhadatt, sir!" "Ah yes, I remember now." "Uh, anybody else?" "Very well then." "I'm pleased you've volunteered." "Come to the conference room later on." "Anybody...?" "Never mind." "Dismissed!" "What did you do that for?" "!" " Can you believe this guy?" " Don't get involved!" "Don't do this, please!" "Think of your family!" "You're gonna die, man!" "You're just gonna die!" "Think about it!" "How many guys from when we joined up were left to reenlist?" "Just you and me, right?" "Matti, we're being asked to give our lives for science." "We're making history here!" "Shouldn't we do the best we can?" "To be honest, I really wasn't expecting too much from you but you are doing much better than I thought you would." "That's not to say you've been doing well." "Oh well, it really doesn't matter." "At this rate, the project should really start moving in earnest." "I'll be leaving for the capital soon." "To face the lions in their den, so to speak." "I'll be busy but our Force'll finally have its space warship!" "Oh?" "So it'll have guns on it?" "Well, I suppose it could carry stuff like that." "More importantly, it'll be full of clever gadgets designed to keep you alive." "Although we may have to skimp on a few of those..." "What else was I going to tell you...?" "Oh, I've forgotten what I was going to say!" "Dismissed!" "Dismissing, sir..." "Ah, wait!" "Waitwaitwait!" "I just remembered." "Oh, what was it...?" "Of course!" "Fly!" "G force training in an airplane." "You've never flown, have you?" "Where do I get an airplane?" "Borrow one." "From where?" "You moron..." "From the Air Force, where else?" "!" "Ooh, check out the fancy suit." "My legs feel like they're in a vice!" " Is this the parachute?" " What's this thing do?" "Quit messing with it!" " Whoops." "Came off." " Now hold on here...!" "Hey!" "Yeah, yeah..." "Not there." "Front!" "Oh." "Of course." "Greto 32, clear for takeoff!" "y ou are clear for takeoff!" "They're back." "You okay?" " You don't look so hot." " I think I'm gonna throw up." "What's wrong?" "Did he eat something bad?" "And after he came so far to play, too." "Hey, wait." "Matti!" "Hey..." "Did you say play?" "What about it?" "It's work!" "So, there's someone up in space for you guys to fight?" "Well, just tell us if you find any enemy space guys out there." "So we can shoot 'em down!" "Hey, hey." "Let's have a little respect here." "Those two assholes happen to be a lt. colonel and a major, you know." "OH?" "!" "You guys are soldiers?" "How terribly rude of me!" "I thought they were some kids here to play with our toys!" "Why, you little..." "Guys, I can't..." "I really don't think I can handle this..." "Wait a minute..." "Wait...please..." "You'll be sorry...!" "Bad mood, Matti?" "It's all over town, practically." "How you got your ass royally kicked by some sergeant." "If you're gonna fight anyone, make sure it's an officer!" "He didn't beat me!" "Did you get him good?" "I took it easy on him." " It was all your fault!" " Ow!" "Okay you two." "This here's the Space Force's secret factory." "You're gonna love this, I promise." "Oh, this is great!" "This is incredible!" "Those air force guys would shit themselves if they saw this!" "Right, that's it then." "We'll send you up in this monster." "Go and die!" "Go and die with a BANG!" "This is the Space Travel Society...?" "Yeah, they've been at this for a while now." "What?" "!" "You're telling me those old farts did all this?" "Old farts?" "Old farts, huh?" "Well what does that make you, you little shit?" "!" "This is Dr. Gnomm." "He's just returned from the North Pole." "I was flying rockets before you were even an itch in your daddy's crotch!" "The Doc's a pioneer in engine nozzle design." "Would all personnel assemble, please?" "I've found a problem." "A serious flaw in these plans." "Well?" "!" "Let's have it!" "It's the third stage." "I hear you're putting a hydrogen engine in there." "Since when do we actually have a working model?" "Well, we don't, yet." "But there's a first time for everything." "You can't run an engine test using that plan!" "We feel a hydrogen engine would work best for the third stage's acceleration." "It's rash!" "Quiet!" "You don't know what you're talking about!" "Quit complaining!" "He's the one who's gonna fly it." "He should decide." "Oh, and what does he know about it?" "Just that I'm for the safest way." "I don't wanna die this young." "Ah, youth!" "Youth is overrated!" "It shouldn't be underrated!" "What, then?" "We can't redesign anything below the third stage." "Everything from here to the head of section four is outmoded design." "I can show you how to reduce construction weight and improve the engines' combustion efficiency." "When could you have it all ready?" "Next month." "When next month?" "The fourth of Poh." "Fine, we'll wait 'til then." "All right, that's that." "That's it!" "Everyone back to work!" "You throw a rock, it falls to the ground." "That's common sense." "Now throw that rock really hard, towards the horizon and it falls to the ground really far away." "Keep throwing your rock harder and harder and it'll eventually reach a speed where it falls towards the horizon without ever landing." "What you have then is an artificial satellite." "Instead of continuing to rise it falls along the curve of the planet." "Since the atmosphere would keep you from maintaining this speed you have to fly way up high and actually get out of it." "When it's time to land, you simply skim the atmosphere and slow down." "Just a moment's deceleration and back you fall to the ground." "In short, we're working day and night to build the first machine designed to go up just so it can come down again." "The description makes it sound ridiculously simple but I think I like its basic simplicity." "These old guys and their "Space Travel Society"..." "They can't talk straight about anything." "Doc Gnomm though..." "He's different." "Of all these old men, he's the only one you can talk to." "I don't know what we'd do without him." "Torom, Marhida, Gana, Moraa..." "My mighty adventurers." " They're machines." " Oh, now what?" "!" "Making light of manufacture?" "It brought equality to the masses by increasing the distribution of property!" "Where are the names from?" "Torom's a fish which lives in the Eska sea, just below the equator." "Marhida is a man-eating whale from the North Sea." "Gana is a poisonous snake from the Yvsak River." "Ready!" "Right!" "All of them were once deadly enemies." "But now they're my sons." "Oh." "I thought they were girls' names." "There're a few of those, too." "And now Dhotonridl is born." "Since I'm in charge of the parts, I named them all." "Looks like the only part around here I didn't name is you." "Who..." "Who's there?" ""The Prince of Space has come to pay a call."" "Shirotsugh..." "Good evening!" "Good evening, Shirotsugh." "Hey, what gives?" "Why's it so dark in there?" "They've turned my power off." "What?" "!" "That's terrible!" "It's all right, though." "Candlelight's prettier, anyway." "And Manna's making all sorts of interestingly shaped candles, too." "Say, can you come out?" "The sky's full of stars tonight." "I can tell you about the stars, like you asked me to." "Just a sec." "Come on, Manna." "Let's go out and look at the stars!" "Now then, you see the Prow star up there?" "It's 70 years away at the speed of light." "The light we're seeing now left that star 70 years ago." "So if I was 70 years old, then the light produced on my birthday would just be getting here now." "Stars!" "Uh, yeah." "That's right." "I wonder what our world must look like, from out among the stars..." "Oh yeah!" "I've got something to show you." "It's a satellite photo of our world." "It's black..." "No, no." "The white part's the ground." "It's a radar image, so the picture's not very clear." "Still, from that far away our city lights would probably look like stars." "The fires of our wars, as well." "So many of our sinful lights mixing among the pure light of the stars..." "Salute!" "A Holy Book?" "But, I..." "I know." "But I still want you to have it." "Something to read if you ever feel troubled by anything." "Well, I'd rather you were with me when I read it." "Let's make some tea." "Manna." "You don't let yourself have any fun, do you?" "Can't you and God work out some sort of a compromise?" "Compromise?" "!" "I mean, be reasonable." "I think I'm quite "reasonable!"" "And that, that "compromise" you're talking about is what's made the world what it is today!" "A lot easier to live in." "Manna!" "I said we were making tea now!" "Oh, what's wrong?" "We weren't fighting." "Forgive me." "See, we've made up already." "Voila!" "A little present from Papa." "A real, live training simulator." "Me first!" "Wow, this thing's cool." "85 million radeks, man." "85 million!" "That's a lot of money, so don't break it." "Truth is, we really don't have the money." "Gonna be fun getting the Assembly to approve this appropriation." "Huh?" "They still haven't approved it?" "So where're we getting our money from?" "Oh, here and there." "Here and there?" "You really don't know?" "Well, being part of the nobility the General's got a lot of pull with the royal family." "So there's this slightly illegal business he has on the side." " With just his one telephone?" " One phone's all he needs." "No one's there to take calls." "You see, from this year on the royal family buys its business cars from Miguren Motors." "The same Miguren Motors that's paying for our rocket." "That's how it all works." "Oh, sure." "That's how it all works." "You're totally lost, aren't you?" "Idiot!" "I'm here today to announce the Space Force High Command's plans for the construction of our nation's first space warship!" "That was all of the statement the Space Force's commander made." "Also present at the ceremony was his Royal Highness Prince Toness who briefly addressed the crowd." "As the protector of the citizenry of the Honneamano-Jikein- Minadhan federated kingdom..." "Don't stand there!" "There, it's back." "You're such a hick!" "The most important equipment in that spacecraft is you." "Air, water, heat..." "It will provide you with conditions which differ not in the slightest from the room you sleep in at night." "In return, you give it the proper instructions." "That's your relationship with it in a nutshell." "Trying to muscle it around won't do you any good." "Move calmly, as a part of the machine." "As delicately as possible, as intimately as possible... 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500." "Stage two ignition." "Nominal!" "8000, 8500." "9000, 9500!" "Space Force headquarters..." "Yeah." "Phone call." "It's a girl." "Yes, yes." "Hello?" "Shirotsugh?" "For God's sake, get out here fast!" "Help me!" "Hey, what do you think?" "I just finished." "Pretty slick, huh?" "Wanna take her for a spin?" "Great, you're gonna try it!" "I changed the ignition switch." "What do you think?" "Runs pretty good, huh?" "Space Rider!" "Cool!" "The men from the power company kept coming, day after day..." "The house belonged to my aunt, so I thought everything was okay." "But the men..." "My aunt owed people money." "So?" "So?" "!" "That doesn't make what she did RIGHT!" "Power plant...?" "Right, we'll take 'em to court!" "The state'll pay for the lawsuit." "Or I will, if you want." "If you need a lawyer..." "No, it's all right." "Really, it's all right." "I don't want her to see any more fighting." "Her parents were like that." "Just fighting, day after day..." "Stop it!" "Stop it, please!" "I'm sorry I called you out here for something like this." "Something like this?" "But it's..." "It's..." "There's a church not far from here." "There are people there who will help." "I think I can stay with them for a little while." "And Manna can make some friends there, too..." "All right..." "Come on, let's dig your stuff out." "...splendor is most evident in the famous Nedens castle." "This beauty..." "Today will be fine, fair this afternoon with clouds moving in later tonight..." "The Age of Fire." "When God created man man was like the animals and did not possess fire." "It is with fire that God lives forever." "Dao stole a burning branch and ran off as fast as he could." "But the Protector of the Ovens had foreseen this and had cursed the fire." "Dao carried the fire home, and tried to use it like God himself." "And Dao's seven sons were killed." "These were mankind's first deaths." "And God appeared before Dao and gave a prophecy." "" Man," he said, "you have been cursed."" ""Your children shall struggle and quarrel and live in sorrow."" ""Their misfortune shall spread to the ends of the land."" ""They shall murder one another until the end of time."" "You're sure it's safe standing this close?" "Ah, we're fine, we're fine." "The old engines would blow every time we throttled up!" "They did that for 20 years." "Sorta like real sons." "Insolent, and a real pain in the ass sometimes!" "You can tell kids are in a bad mood when they don't eat breakfast!" "Yeah!" "Even when they turn on their old man they don't do it immediately." "They'll give some warning first." "One, four, five." "One...four...five..." "So, you weren't hit by any fragments?" "Not a one." "Oh sure, you get away safe and sound and the Docwinds up in the hospital." "Serves him right, leaving me there like that." "Next one's five, six." "Five, six." "Well, thanks to this getting in and out of the factory's gotten complicated." "One, three, four." "Why's that?" "Because they think the radicals may have done it." "Radicals?" "The guys who oppose the King's decisions." "There've been a lot of protest letters lately." "News to me." "It's smoldering, day after day." "And now some idiots are actually yelling for random bombings." "Next." "Uhh..." "Three, four, five." "What?" "Gimme that..." "Hey, that's the second row!" "For crying out loud..." "Sorry." "Better get with it, or else it won't work..." "Hey, someone get the cat and his keeper off the electronic brain!" "Don't you have a job?" "Pulled an all-nighter last night." "The old guys were at it again..." "Quit shaking' it!" "The Doc, he's..." "He's dead!" "When?" "!" "A little while ago, at the hospital." "The Space Force's gala promotional reception welcomed a royal guest from the capital." "Also appearing tonight was the world's first astronaut Lt. Colonel Shirotsugh Lhadatt." "That dress uniform he's wearing really suits him." "When Prince Toness asked "Doesn't going into space frighten you?" he lightheartedly replied "It really hasn't bothered me. "" "You in there!" "Have you ever had to worry about money?" "Do you know what it's like to be pissed on by the world?" "!" "It's getting colder and colder for us." "As winter comes, we'll tighten the blankets around our bodies and shiver in the cold." "Nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat!" "Outta the way!" "Lemme through!" "Who's this project helping?" "!" "We should see more bridges being built!" "At least building those'll give jobs to our old men and women!" "What's with these guys out front?" "Protest." "It was hell this morning what with all that fighting and begging going on outside." "So what's the unemployment movement want with us?" "No, no." "It's the anti-war movement." "They're saying we should be building bridges and not rockets." "Like I said, the unemployment movement!" "Spend all our money for a bunch of bridges we don't need, huh?" "Out in the country, we still use ferries, for God's sake!" "I'd take the bridges over a space warship." "At least those wouldn't kill anyone..." "Hey, hey, hey, don't let 'em get to you." "They're just saying all that because they want jobs." "This rocket will be used for war." "You can use bridges for war." "You're the one who started all this!" "Me?" "I doubt that." "Then who started it?" "Hey!" "Lt. Colonel Lhadatt's morning begins with a glass of fruit Juice." "After light training, he eats a hearty breakfast of soft bread and broiled kress fruit." "Right, because they're good for you." "Shirotsugh Lhadatt, ladies and gentlemen." "ASSHOLE!" "Hey!" "What's...?" "!" "Matti!" "You...!" "Good, there you are." "I was just reading the paper..." "Ew, you're wet." "We've got trouble!" "It says here that the launch'll be from Kanea." "When was the launch site moved so far south?" "Oh, didn't you know?" "We can't use the army's launch site after all." "600 ren west of Kanea?" "!" "That's over the border!" "No, it's all right." "Ah, there's a map..." "It's right on the demilitarized zone!" "No, no." "This way it's 3000 ren closer to the equator." "It'll be easier to make it to orbit, you see..." "Yeah, I know!" "My God, how could they?" "They're sending us to a powder-keg to launch off the world's biggest firecracker!" "Didn't anyone try to stop them?" "!" "It wasn't our decision." "It was the ministry's." "Ministry?" "What minis...?" "The Defense Ministry?" "!" "...norinosska, zuiben mattoishi suru rekujishieto." "Uh, kurufateeji onia laku..." "lakure..." "Lakuretoria!" "Just speak in the vernacular." "Be yourself." "Thanks, I appreciate it." "But really, there's nothing more for me to say." "You're finished?" "Then let me speak." "As we've said, we just don't see the appeal of your rocket." "Space travel?" "We're concerned with the military here." "Who would invest in something that just flies into space?" "It serves no military purpose at all." "There's something wrong with the very existence of the Space Force!" "Well...but...then why let the project get this far...?" "We needed to find a way to properly end the program." "The royal family, the Transportation Ministry..." "The roots of your Space Force reach into many areas." "Any regrets they had are ten years forgotten." "But also forgotten was any concept of where to go with it." "It never established a purpose for itself, and so now we must end it." "But, this project is attracting the attention of every nation." "Even the Republicwants our rocket information." "So, to launch it right on the border of enemy occupied Rimada..." "So go ahead!" "Launch it, or whatever you please." "We just want for it to be seen by the Republic's forces in Rimada." "And what will they do with a lovely rocket right before their eyes?" "Steal it!" "Steal it." "So it will have a purpose, after all." "A border violation via military force." "Outright theft of property..." "It'll be quite a loss." "Reparations will have to come from somewhere, of course." "The only real question is whether or not they'll actually attack." "Don't worry." "They've quite an investment in your rocket over there as well, eh?" " Ready?" " Aye, sir!" "We begin. y ou're cruising along, about to take a well deserved shit." "y our altitude is 3000, speed of 200 ren per second and the next contact zone is far over the horizon." "Internal pressure abnormality in oxygen tank one!" "Primary lines, closed." "Activating auxiliary power." "Three!" "Suspending nitrogen supply!" "Inertial systems reading abnormal acceleration." "Resetting multifunction systems." "Capsule pressure, unchanged!" "Good, you've earned your paycheck." "Next, crisis situation #5-7-5." "The City of Fire." "My son, soon you must depart the marketplace." "Here, even good things are stained with blood." "God will be silent no longer." "This city of filth was created by fire." "By fire it shall be destroyed." "Because evil exists, no living thing can ever be made pure." "And so, my son, even you must be prepared..." "Stop!" "Calm down, dammit!" "You little...!" "Because evil exists, no living thing can ever be made pure." "And so, my son, even you must be prepared... Stop! Calm down, dammit!" "You little...! Yes, that's perfect." "Okay, let's have you lean to the left this time." "Smile now..." "A little more... That's it! That's the way, nice and cheerful." "A real hero for all the kiddies." "Shirotsugh!" "Shirotsugh!" "Shirotsugh! You're kidding! To everyone in the kingdom, good morning! I'm coming to you from the Space Force headquarters in Naghatsumih." "An area which has known its share of history." "This port city is famous for being the core city for Umon." "It was here that his Highness the King lived as a child... ...and this neighborhood is famous for its ties to the royal family." "The Space Force headquarters are... Welcome back, General." "When did you get in? Last night's train." "I see." "And the administration's decision? No comment! You call it a space "warship." Will it actually carry weaponry? No comment!" "I can only say that... ...it will be capable of carrying such devices." "Can't you look happier?" "Like a professional astronaut? Lt. Colonel!" "Lt. Colonel! He's been promoted." "It's colonel, now." "Colonel then." "Smile a bit...smile... Got it." "Thank you." "We're about ready to go." "Cheer up." "See you." "Now Colonel, be sure to stress your purpose as a space hero." "Purpose? Well, you know." "The whole meaning of the space program." "Why so many people have died for it so far... ...and why we have to go on despite all that." "Just think of something, okay? Look over here, Mr. Hero." "Hey, you! Have you heard? They say 30,000 people could have a warm place to live in... ...if the Space Force's budget were cut by half." "Well now, any thoughts on the arms race? How about on war? You deny the corruption problems within the Miguren corporation? You don't know anything, do you? Uh, we're about to start!" "Hey! Vice-Minister Nerredon of the Republic today harshly criticized... ...the space warship program of the kingdom of Honneamise... ...calling the entire project "a threat to world peace. " Ah, good work this morning." "The new photographs have arrived, sir." "The space hero? He must be broiling in that outfit." "It's almost winter there." "The northern hemisphere's seasons are reversed." "Ah, I see... Lt. Colonel Lhadatt Shirotsugh." "Doesn't look too bright." "Weapons division is urging we seize the spaceship." "An absurd request." "Incompetents... They'll have to wait." "Stealing a distant nation's rocket... It isn't that simple." "These things take time to set up." "The Office of Security is taking steps to obstruct their progress." "Assasination... not terribly subtle, is it? But terribly effective, sir. "Sin is everywhere." God said this, looking down at the world." "The sins of man will immerse the world." "We... Shirotsugh! Bring in the wash before it gets dark." "Okay?" "I'll see you later." "Nice outfit." "Somebody buy it for you? Where's the toilet? Manna, bring us some towels, would you? Thank you." "Thanks." "Manna, did you bring the wash in like I asked you to? No one came while I was out, did they? Oh, and if you see Uncle Dori... ...be sure and thank him for the winter clothes." "Even besides that, he's done so much for us already. "You cannot live without your daily bread." "Truth changes to lies when it leaves your lips." "Virtue changes to evil when it leaves your hands." "What you see as good may not be good as God sees it." "What can any of you do but pray?" " Prayer is a small thing, but it is everything." "There is nothing more noble than prayer." "There is nothing more humble..." Oh, good morning, Shirotsugh." "It looks like nice weather today." "About last night... Forgive me." "I couldn't..." "I was..." "Please forgive me." "You didn't do anything." "Because I couldn't! Forgive me." "I don't know what came over me." "Hitting a wonderful person like you... I didn't mean to." "You aren't hurt, are you? What?" "NO!" "That's not... No, I know you'll forgive me... ...but I'll never be able to forgive myself." "Believe me, I'm sorry." "Hey, isn't that Shirotsugh over there? That idiot." "And wearing the peacock suit, too! Yo! Hi! Ohh...you idiot!" "Why'd you have to wear that thing? Don't you know you're a celebrity around here? Dress uniform's the thing to wear for sending you off to your posts." "So where'd you disappear to for three whole days? Were you with a girl or something? Well... Why, you little...! Tchallichammi!" "Majaho! You are hereby dispatched to the Guria Observatory." "Move out! Salute! Drop us a line when you get into space." "We'll be easy to find." "And don't make any more work for us." "At ease! It's gonna be lonely around here with all you guys leaving." "Well, Darigan's in charge of launch control training." "He and I'll be leaving for the launch site the day after tomorrow." "Nekkerout might still be around." "Hell, Kharock's already gone to the launch site with the old men." "You got some mail." "Think you'll ever get a chance to read it? Dunno." "Ol' Baldy just won't give me a break." "Looks like I keep training right up 'til the end." " How much?" " Three gaku." "Say, Matti..." "Suppose that life was a story." "Come again? No, if you were to think about it like that." "Well, have you ever wondered if..." "If maybe you aren't a good guy? That you're one of the bad guys, instead? I guess..." "Only..." "Only, that applies to everyone." "The people around us now, our parents, everyone." "You see, I think I'm here only because... ...there's some sort of need for me to be here." "Take this hardware stand." "It's here only because it serves a purpose for someone." "I don't think there're any totally useless things in the world." "How could something like that exist? Someone recognizes this guy's necessity, so he's here." "If the need for him were to disappear, then so would he." "That's what I think, anyway." "Does it help? Yeah, it does." "Thanks." "Run for it! Help! What's with that old bag?" "Is she a radical? Like I know?" "! That made me hungry... Split up! Wait for me Matti!" "Wait! Get away from me, you idiot! I'm the one getting shot at! Like I said, get away from me! Dead end! What the...!" "What's going on here?" "! You two okay? Hey, look at this!" "It's that space guy, Lhadatt! Hi... We'd better not go back today." "Yeah." "If she ambushes us again, we're dead for sure." "Okay, until you hear something definite... ...just lose yourself at that girl's house." "See you! HELP! You okay?" "Are you hurt? Over here! You all right? Yeah, fine." "Civilization did not create war." "War created civilization." "Who said that? I did." "The human race broke free of the hell of primitive times... ...and marched through 100,000 years to reach this point." "And what of the present?" "Have we really advanced at all? When I was young, I wanted to be a historian." "Why didn't you? A war started, so I became a soldier instead." "I fought desperately to defend my country from that foreign invasion." "But I realized then that without... ...some higher purpose to follow, we were doomed to... ...repeat our murderous past as we have since ancient times." "It was quite a blow." "I hadn't become a soldier, you see." "I was still only studying history." "History is a game which doesn't end until you've lost everything." "Perhaps we're not as different from the monkeys as we like to think." "Will we repeat our old mistakes?" "Do we have any choice in the matter? The most important thing you can do is to be aware of your situation." "To ask yourself"What should I do?" "What shouldn't I do?" The only eyes you can trust are the ones on top of your own nose." "Look through them now!" "What do they show you? A girl's butt." "You'd miss a forest for the trees." "Hello, Manna." "You're alone? Riqunni...must be working." "Well, could you give her a message for me? I'll be going away for a while." "I won't be able to visit." "Manna, would you like me to bring something back for you? A star." "I can't." "The stars are really really far away... Tough one..." "I'm going where there's nothing at all." "Out there? Yeah, it's out there..." "Here, there, and everywhere." "Oh, Shirotsugh! I've gotta go." "Come back soon." "Magazine, sir? Uh, Colonel, sir..." "May I have your autograph? Name? Maashi Treen, sir." "Thank you, sir." "Oh, and fasten your seatbelt." "Wine tasting... very refined, sir." "The plan is finally in motion." "Really? We'll be using our forces stationed in Rimada." "Jets as well? A battlefield test for our latest weapons." "Excellent." "Rimadan military trains are moving north." "Next report'll be at noon." "So, they're moving." "They're probably flying their new jets in, too." "They are." "We aren't the only ones who want to see how well they work." "With a little luck, we might even see them do an in-air refueling." "Hello everyone." "This is astronaut Shirotsugh Lhadatt." "I am currently in orbit, flying 200 ren above our world." "Um..." "Uhh... "What I see now..." Oh, I can't do this." "Umm, "What I see now, looking down at our world is..." Tanks! Look again." "They're fakes." "Fakes? "They're fakes, they're fakes." "They're alljust fakes..." Whoa! "And here comes the biggest fake of all!" So, I'm gonna be launched in this thing, huh? You can sound a little happier about it." "Yo, Shiro! One totally safe third stage." "A real bargain if you want it! Slowly..." "Slowly..." "Okay, hold it! Like that!" "Like that!" "Got it! Good morning, sir. Hello-everyone-this-is-astronaut- Shirotsugh-Lhadatt." "I-am... Say it properly! Oh, like anyone actually listens to microwave broadcasts! Okay, push! It's finished! This is astronaut Shirotsugh Lhadatt." "I am currently in orbit, flying 200 ren above our world... Can't sleep, huh? About this time tomorrow, you'll have flown straight into history." "And the rest of the guys who helped you get there... ...will be stuck sitting in a pile of sea shells." "Oh?" "What does that mean? What do you think it means? A long time ago, a stone age tribe used to dump their garbage here." "It's funny." "This modern rocket of ours... ...is standing in a prehistoric trash heap! Well, I'll bet those stone age guys never thought... ...their garbage dump would be used to launch a spaceship." "What do you think they'll be finding here in 10,000 years? A truly historic pile of steel frames and concrete... ...mixed in with somebody else's leftovers." "Yeah, this Majaho over at Guria observatory." "Get me the General!" " What is it?" " How are things going? We're crawling with Central Intelligence guys on this end." "They keep asking if you've changed the launch time by even one maal." "Right, I understand!" "All right..." "Don't worry." "Just hang up! The red one?" "No, the yellow? That one." "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." "Launch day is finally here." "Good morning, sir! Where's the launch commander?" " In the control bunker..." " The schedule controller?" " Sleeping, sir." " Then wake him! We've been working round the clock for four days, sir." "Everyone's exhausted! I'm moving the launch time up two maal." "Impossible!" "We need at least half a day to complete preparations! There are signs that the Ministry of Intelligence... ...is going to intentionally leak the launch time early." "I'm afraid we might be attacked tonight." "But, how?" "We can't take out anything from the schedule! We'll shorten the engineering check." "Cut 124 pages from the six books." "We won't tell the observatory until the last possible moment." "Have Shirotsugh take a shower." "Just a minute, sir!" "That's going too far." "It's dangerous!" "General!" "I'm against this! It's okay." "I'll go." "It'll be a lot more dangerous if the enemy shows up here." "You're not going to let anyone stop us now, are you? This operation's objective is the capture of the launch facilities." "Do not lose sight of this in the raid." "You will be refueling once, from the air fortress, over Rimada." "Empty your pockets on this one! Luck be with us! Hurry up with the fuel! Check on the third stage and its connections! Scratch that!" "They're about to load in the fuel! Hey." "Let's go." "Begin liquid oxygen onload." "Would all stations please report in and confirm status? Message in from Rimada. "Formation has made contact with air fortress. " Yeah, I know it." "We've tangled in that sector before." "Gotcha..." "Roger." "Moving out." "Domurhot, phone call from the launch site for you." "We're launching early." "Start getting the satellite tracking systems ready." "And keep it quiet! How much more? I'm finishing up now." "Yeah, that's got it." "Good, we're on schedule." "Launch personnel report to control bunker." "All other personnel, please move to your regular positions." "Check completed." "Activating pressurization pumps." "Activated." "Tank #1 internal pressure, nominal." "Fuel, nominal." "Voltage, nominal." "Oil pressure, nominal." "Main support inclination nominal to spec." "Did we get the weather report from the airship yet? Warrant Officer Tenz Kovikh." "Frontier guard, Tayan observation company." "Please pass along withdrawal orders to all personnel." "We're evacuating this area." "What are you talking about?" "We're about to launch now." "It's too late." "I'm sorry, sir." "This place is about to become a battlefield." "The occupation forces have crossed the river." "What?" "! Our border patrols are under attack." "Damn it all! What was that?" "I couldn't hear you." "The launch is scrubbed." "They're attacking sooner than we thought." "What are you talking about?" "We're just going to run away? They WANTthis thing!" "They're not gonna shoot at it! They might if we try to launch! Enough!" "We're pulling you out of there." "We have to do this." "I hate it as much as you do." "And I really thought we could do it this time... We may as well get out while we can." "This foolish thing..." "It's not worth risking your lives for." "Just give it up! Wait a minute here." "I don't believe this! What do you mean, "foolish?" If we stop here, then what are we?" "Even bigger fools! You're just going to throw it all away? Everything we've been able to accomplish? Don't say everything we've done here is stupid." "It's wonderful! Wonderful enough to get us into the history books! I'll still do it." "Even if I die, I want to at least try to launch! Anyone who wants out can go! I WILL do this! I am god damned READY to do this! All sections, talk to me! Voltage, check." "Oil pressure, check." "Pumps, standing by." "Fuel, check! Platform is conditionally "go" for launch." "Let's give it a try." "Return to countdown! ALL RIGHT! Mount 'em up! I guess the crew will share their ship's fate." "Move out! Dispatch from Magitsu." "We are now 0 -2 from target." "Look sharp people!" "Enemy fighters right above us! Pump restart is good." "No problems." "We're in primary launch stages." "Engineer Corps ETA:" "Delay of five - two." "Stabilizing gyro." "Give me a reading." "Inertial guidance system reads as follows:" "North - 2.8 degrees, 3-6 minutes mark 3-0, 3-2 seconds." "Internal pressure, rising." "Counting four-zero-two to launch! I can see smoke from the shooting." "Spaceship systems are now running autonomous." "Counting three-seven-three to launch! Closing main oxygen escape valve." "Counting one-zero-two to launch." "Confirm power supplies are charged and ready." "Starting water flow to launch platform! Eight-zero to launch." "We're in final stages." "Everyone take your positions!" " Counting six-zero to launch!" " I know!" "I know! Engine ignition in twenty... Nineteen... Eighteen... Seventeen... Sixteen... Fifteen... Fourteen... Thirteen... Twelve... Eleven... Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... It's exploded! So far, so good." "Let's do it! 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500, 6000... First stage has successfully detached." "Third stage burn has begun. 12000, 12500, 13000, 13500..." "Burn complete! This is Guria observatory." "It's confirmed." "It's achieved orbital velocity." "He's in orbit! WE'VE DONE IT! City lights..." "I wonder where they are...? They really do look like stars... Is anybody down there listening to this broadcast? This is mankind's first astronaut." "The human race has just taken... ...its first step into the world of the stars." "Like the oceans and the mountains before... ...space too was once just God's domain." "As it becomes a familiar place for us, it'll probably end up... ...as bad as everywhere else we've meddled." "We've spoiled the land, we've fouled the air." "Yet we still seek new places to live... ...and so now we journey out to space." "There's probably no limit to how far we can spread." "Please..." "Whoever's listening to me... How you do it doesn't matter, just please... Give some thanks for mankind's arrival here." "Please, show us mercy and forgive us." "Don't let the way ahead be one of darkness." "As we stumble down the path our sinful history... ...let there always be one shining star to show the way." "Please, listen to God's teachings."