Planetes
Okay, Hachi, get started on the sorting work.
I'll come right down to help out once I'm done with the paperwork.
I copy.
Damn it, they put us to work right after we got back...
Come on, you got plenty of rest.
In a hospital bed.
It wasn't all bad, though, right?
I don't wanna play tag with ninjas ever again.
No, not that. I meant the girl in the hospital.
Yo.
Hey, Technora guys. Vacation's over?
Yep, and they didn't waste any time in working us like dogs again.
Still, you guys came back with a huge haul. That's Toy Box for ya.
She's Fee's ship, right?
Right.
She's the best there is when it comes to piloting. Giving retrieval instructions, too.
I hear she even turned down Vega when they tried to scout her.
Yeah, I heard, I heard.
I didn't know Fee was such a celebrity.
Yeah. In this biz, nobody can even come close to Fee.
Of course, it doesn't look like the top brass have caught on to that little fact.
Soshite hito wa toki wo koeta yume wo miru, And people dream dreams that transcend time,
...seijyaku no umi ni idakarete. ...held in the arms of a still sea.
Tori ya kumo wo miagete wa... As they looked up at the birds and clouds,
...hakanai inochi moyashita... ...it set their ephemeral souls on fire...
...ikusen no asa ni. ...on a thousand mornings.
Hikari ga mukau basho e... I bet they're taking flight...
...habataku darou. ...to where the light is headed.
Negai wo hanatsu toki wa ima. Now is the time to launch your dreams.
Hatenaki yume wo noseta... Off into the frontier that is carrying...
...frontier e, ...boundless dreams, .
...tooku tooku dive in the sky. ...farther and farther, dive in the sky.
Planetes
Phase 8: A Place to Cling to
Surely neither Vega or Ogorico are quite that hard pressed for human resources...
Phase 8: A Place to Cling to
Mind if I sit here?
Long time, no see.
Who's the woman?
She's with Half Section, isn't she?
I bet she's trying to suck up to the division manager.
I ran into Chad on the moon.
He'd been assigned to Accounting Section.
He asked me to keep this for him. He said he found it when he moved.
Really takes you back, doesn't it?
But it looked like Chad wasn't getting along as well as he did back then.
That's right. Things aren't the same now.
Actually, you came at a good time. There's something I want to discuss with you.
All right, we'll leave the arrangements for the welcome reception to you, Lavie.
Yes, sir! Leave everything to me, sir!
We're only bringing you in to make sure the guest is kept happy,
...so we don't want to see any slip-ups.
Of course not!
Ouch!
What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?!
What're you saying? What a load of crap.
Don't go around spreading rumors.
It's the truth, I swear! Fee and the division manager were sitting all alone!
You sure they weren't talking over downsizing plans or something?
Downsizing would be Personnel Section, right?
Why would the division manager himself talk to a Half Section team leader about that?
Don't call us Half Section! Where's your pride?
I couldn't hear what they were saying, but she handed him a thin piece of paper.
Paper? Like a letter?
In this day and age? A disk, maybe?
A picture!
-A ticket to something! -Money?
Money? Separation money?!
Those two were seeing each other?!
Of course not! Fee is married and even has a son!
So she's having an affair? This isn't...
You've got it all wrong!
What kind of relationship do they have, then?!
I'm sorry!
It's quitting time, so I'm going to call it a day, if you don't mind.
Okay...
Now, if you'll excuse me.
Good work today...
I must admit, it does seem odd.
Yeah, people our age spying like this.
It's got to be a separation payment.
It is not! Fee is married and even has a...
Stuff like that doesn't have anything to do with it.
Excuse me?
When you're in love, stuff like kids or husbands are the last thing on your mind, right?
Are you speaking from experience?
I'm just speaking in general.
Then are you saying that Fee is having an affair, Sempai?
What are you so mad about?! These things happen.
I've had enough!
I'm gonna go prove Fee's innocence! By myself if I have to!
Hey! Where are you going?! Tanabe!
What should we do, Lavie?
Leave it to me, Chief. Now is the time to put my networking skills to use.
Hey, wait up, damn it!
Why should I? Won't asking the division manager directly be the fastest way to find out?
What are you, an idiot?! As if he'd tell you the truth!
Would you mind stepping aside?
Um, you're...
It's Claire Rondo of Control Section, Ai Tanabe of Half Section.
It's Debris Section!
This is Control Section. If you don't have any business here, go back to Half Section.
We have business here, all right! We're here to ask the division manager something!
H-Hey!
Ask him if he's been having an affair?
You were speaking rather loudly.
You really shouldn't stick your nose into the private matters of strangers.
Understand, Miss Tanabe the rookie?
We're not strangers.
What are you, then? Don't try to tell me you're friends.
What's wrong with that?
Come on, cut it out.
You stay out of this, Sempai!
"Sempai"?
It sounds like you think you're still a student in an after-school club.
A company isn't a family.
There's no love in coldly dividing people up like that!
You know, it's not too late. Why don't you try to become a nun or something?
That's one interesting girl. She actually held her own against Claire?
She doesn't have the brains for that.
All she's got in her head is that idiotic, superficial notion of love.
Afterwards, she said she'd try to keep it under control.
Crap, I lost again!
So, did you talk to Claire about anything?
You've got a surprising mean streak in you, you know that?
Breaking up because with her just because of your father isn't good.
Even breakups need a good, solid reason.
I've heard that from you a million times...
Then let's talk about something new.
About Miss Tanabe...Does she have her eye on anyone in particular?
"Keep working hard," huh?
I'm going to transfer you to Control Section. As the manager.
Control Section? You must be joking.
Plus, you'd make me manager, skipping over being an assistant manager first?
I belong out in the field.
I want someone who knows what it's like out there.
There's a limit to what you can do out there.
That's why we're in Technora, isn't it?
The reason we're in Technora, huh... What is it again? I forget.
Excuse me...
Don't sneak up on me like that!
Um...I was hoping you could tell me something.
Oh. I guess there are some things you can't ask Hachi.
Actually...
Who is having an affair with whom?!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
I hear you've been asking around about me. They said you were calling it networking.
In every way, shape, and form, what I did was wrong!
Geez, it's a sad story when the people you work with don't trust you.
-I didn't do anything. -Spare me the excuses!
Damn it, Tanabe!
Well, you guys were going around with the wrong impression.
That doesn't mean you should go squeal on us!
"Squeal" on you?
So anyway, what was it that you were talking about with the division manager?
We were talking about the old days, that's all. We were coworkers back in our old company.
Old company?
Oh! Traum Space Development!
What's that?
A venture company the division manager founded.
As I recall, it was acquired and absorbed into Technora about 10 years ago...
We all founded it together. Dolf brought the four of us together.
We were small, but it was a great company that pulled together like a family.
Wow, I'm so relieved that it wasn't an affair.
I can only hope that you refrain from having any affairs, too, Ai.
Sempai is the one you should be saying that to, sir.
Oh, he won't be a problem. Women don't go for his type at all.
Actually, it looks like he has a girlfriend.
Is that true, Hachi?!
Hachi, who is she? I won't stand for any affairs, got it?
I don't have a girlfriend.
Then what do you call that girl you were playing cards with in the hospital?
What are you, nuts? That girl's only 12 years old.
But she was taller than you!
Some 12 year olds are like that.
Oh, she isn't a Lunarian, is she?
Lunarian?
It means humans who were born on the moon.
They grow extremely tall as a result of the low gravity.
But she has the body of an adult, right?
Stop talking like a pervert, old man!
Don't get so worked up.
Why, hello there, Chief Gehrhart.
Has there been a change in plans for the welcome reception?
Don't try to pull any political maneuvering with me.
Sir?
You came to me yesterday to ask about the division manager.
Oh, that! That's all been sorted...
You wanted to show off that you have a pipeline to the division manager, didn't you?
Um...The thought never crossed my mind.
You don't know?
Sir?
The division manager wants to assign Half Section's Fee Carmichael to Control Section.
I'm Section Chief there, and he didn't even consult me.
And he's going to make her Assistant Chief, too!
Dbr-068-2114. AKA "Ghost."
The debris is a special material with stealth properties...
...that was expelled from an INTO lab module.
It doesn't show up on radar. Which means that we only have a rough idea of its position, right?
We'll give you an estimated position based on the orbital data...
...we collected while it was on dayside.
But you expect us to eyeball it when we're making the retrieval itself, right?
In addition, as you can see here, it expands and becomes unstable at high temperatures.
So please carry out the retrieval on nightside, where the temperatures are low.
It doesn't show up on radar, and you can only catch it at night...
It's just like a ghost, all right.
Debris teams at other companies have made several attempts to retrieve it,
...but they all ended in failure.
So if we can snag it, we'll be heroes.
Provides a good excuse for a promotion, too.
Fee's gonna be a Manager... And here I am, still only an Assistant Manager.
That's hardly surprising, though.
What's strange is that Fee has been with the company for ten years,
...and is still only a crew leader.
But why didn't she say anything to us? A promotion is a big deal.
Maybe she hates the thought of moving to Control Section.
Those guys are really tense over there, you know?
Oh! Maybe you're right!
You don't want to go there, either, right Hachi? Even if it means being able to climb the ranks.
I've never given much thought to promotions and stuff.
It'd be okay if it meant getting your own spaceship, though, right?
Are you making fun of me?
Well, we all have our own dreams.
We all have dreams, huh?
Right! Yuri, will you act as pilot on this new mission?
Sure.
Tanabe, we're going out on our own today. Give it everything you've got.
Um, okay.
Fee's thinking ahead for the times when she won't be around.
She wants to know if we can retrieve debris by ourselves.
We'd certainly be in a bind without Fee...
That's why we're going to do this by ourselves.
We're gonna prove that we can still get the job done even if she goes to Control Section!
Sempai!
If that's the case, I suppose we have no choice.
Manager, we'll leave the arm control to you.
You're qualified to run an arm, aren't you?
Yes, on paper!
Let's do it! This is a time for every Debris Section worker to pull together!
Right, Chief?!
Me, too?
I'll let you get to it, then. The division manager has a lot riding on this, too.
Yeah, yeah...
What's going on here? Our great division manager has left?
Does he think he's on the Board of Directors already, and he's too good for us?
He has a visitor. That one from INTO.
Oh, they must be forcing him to find a post for that inspector who's retiring.
The managing director himself is arranging it,
...so the division manager will have no choice but to accept.
He's an outsider to begin with, so we get saddled with baggage...
...because he stands out from the crowd.
Baggage like Half Section.
Dolf, you dumb jerk...
If you don't like something, speak up, damn it!
Planetes
We'll make our move in the 45 minute period of the Ghost's orbit while it's on nightside.
During that time, we'll need to detect the target visually and retrieve it.
At that time, we...
There sure are a lot of people at the briefing today...
Well, I'm technically a backup crew member, so...
Um, I have to understand the work that my subordinates do.
Well, um, I'm management, right? I need to act like I'm one of you.
D-Don't you worry about me. Please continue.
Right! In this world, it's "You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours."
O-Oh, I guess we have a phone call.
Hello, this is Debris Section.
Yes, sir. I understand. I'll pass that along.
Fee, it's Control Section. They've pushed back the mission by six hours.
Six hours, huh? Okay, understood.
Why don't you use the time to get a little sleep?
Everyone should take a nap!
I think that's a good suggestion. Concentration will be vital for this mission.
I agree.
Well, if you insist...
This is an official announcement.
I'm glad we were able to have such a productive discussion today.
All supervisors of 7th and 9th bay operations, please report to the Bay Office.
I'm glad we were able to have such a productive discussion today.
All supervisors of 7th and 9th bay operations, please report to the Bay Office.
Well, I'll leave the matter in your hands, Dolf.
All supervisors of 7th and 9th bay operations, please report to the Bay Office.
I'll take care of everything, Managing Director.
I repeat...
I'll take care of everything, Managing Director.
I repeat...
Right.
All supervisors of 7th and 9th bay operations, please report...
You damn parasite...
Anyway, we need to get this finished while Fee is still asleep!
We've been looking, but there's no sign of it...
Are you sure the orbit calculations aren't wrong?
It doesn't show up on our monitors, though, right?
No. It's nearly invisible on radar, but it can be seen with the naked eye.
Maybe, but it's too dark out there!
But it turns all gooey in daylight...
What's going on here, Dolf?!
Join Technora?! Are you kidding me?!
Is it true, Dolf?!
-Dolf! -Dolf!
I'm sorry, everyone...
I'm sorry.
Crap...Why did I have to go dredge up that memory?
Damn it, how can they expect me to sleep at a time like this?!
I see it!
I keep telling you, that's Seven.
It's over there!
That's the D4 experiment module.
What about that, then?!
Pointing at every little thing you see isn't helping!
-No, actually, that's it. -You're kidding!
Wow, he's right!
It isn't showing up on radar, just like the file says, so this is it.
I was the one who found it? Really?!
That's our Chief! Nicely done!
Okay, Tanabe, let's get to it! We have less than 30 minutes.
Right.
Hold it, Hachi!
Don't forget that you're a company man. It's your superiors who give the orders!
Give the word, Chief.
Right! Launch the Fishbone!
Stop wasting our time, damn it!
Dolf...Being by yourself is tough, isn't it?
What in the world?
What, did you come by to drop off your ferret again?
Um, yes, but...
Is everybody still out napping?
Um, I thought you were sick, Fee...
Damn.
You have your lenses set on optical detection, right?
Yes.
But I didn't expect that making a naked-eye approach would be this hard.
We're drifting again. Pitch up 2 degrees Yaw right 5 degrees.
Once we get those beacons attached, it'll be as good as ours.
You have less than 20 minutes until nightside exit.
DS-12, report your situation.
Toy Box has left the station?!
T-They said that you came down with something!
Gosh, that's a fine Nora pendant that you have there, Edel.
Thank you.
Sempai! I'm all done over here!
Same here. Yuri, patch the signal through to Control Section!
We have a lock on the Ghost!
Orbital deviation detected. Nightside exit in 15 minutes, 24 seconds.
How long?! You were off by more than two minutes?!
Manager, please pull it inside the cargo container with the manipulator arm.
Manager?
I know, I know! Don't rush me!
Keep your balance. Use a scooping motion...
That's the way! Go!
You overshot it, damn it!
Huh? Oh, dear...
Come back!
What the...?
We just generated some secondary debris.
What do we do now?
They said they were going to do it without you.
Isn't this good news?
Control Section is more secure than retrieving debris, and you get a pay bump, too.
Those little twerps...
No good, huh?
Yes.
This is Seven. We'll let another company deal with the secondary debris.
I recommend that you make another try for the Ghost once your captain is back at 100%.
Uh, about that...
No, we'll do it!
We still have a signal lock, right?! We know where it is!
Lavie! I'm gonna push it to where you can reach it easier!
Do it right this time!
I keep trying to tell you that I'm only qualified on paper!
Of course I can't do this!
What's with that talk?! If we give up, we won't be able to look Fee in the eye when she leaves!
We're gonna get the job done by ourselves this time!
You did it! You lucked out!
Okay, Manager, now bring it...
Oh, no!
Oh, crap!
What the hell were those morons thinking?!
The beacons are breaking loose! It's the same mistake the other teams made!
DS-12! Report your situation!
We can't get a clear read on the Ghost from here!
Come in, Seven. This is DS-12.
The Ghost has liquefied, swallowing up two of our EVA crew along with their work craft.
It's no use! I can't get a grip on this goop!
Hey! What's it...
Tanabe! Don't make any careless movements!
Remember your underwater training!
At this rate, it's going to drift farther and farther off its estimated orbit...
Can't we rescue them? Hey, can't we rescue them?!
Yuri!
I'm going outside. You have control of Toy Box.
W-Wait, I can't do that! My wife doesn't even let me get behind the wheel of a car!
She doesn't even let me drive used cars!
But if we don't do something, they'll...
Yuri, get back in your seat!
Is that Fee?
I thought you were sick!
Move slowly ahead along your trajectory. Accelerate 12 meters per second.
Move ahead of the Ghost and use Toy Box to cast a shadow.
Right! An old ship like Toy Box is huge!
It should be plenty big enough to cover the Ghost.
But it'll shrink when you do that, won't it?!
Don't worry, those are debris recovery suits. The specs say we'll be able to handle it.
The important thing is for you and Hachi to move to the Ghost's edge.
Stick as much as you can outside the Ghost while it's liquefied, even if it's just your left arms.
Right. Can you do that, Tanabe?
Yes.
Lavie, put the arm in a horizontal position. Increase the shadow area as much as possible.
Understood!
And last comes you, Chief.
Yes?
Don't do anything.
I copy!
The man at the helm is just a stand-in! Do you really think he can do this?
Even if you're in Control Section, you're still part of the debris recovery team.
If you don't believe in your teammates, you'll never get anywhere.
Wow, that was close!
What about you, Tanabe?!
I'm sorry, I wasn't able to make it out!
Hachi! Fire a ten-second thrust along your center of gravity!
You got it!
Lavie, try pushing it in with the arm!
Y-Yes, ma'am!
Switch channel G8 back to auto.
Yes, ma'am!
Okay, keep pulling it towards you.
Yuri! Close the cargo container!
Understood.
And...okay! Retrieval complete!
We did it!
Did we do it? Did we do it?
We caught that boogie man! We caught it!
Thank goodness...
Hey!
Raise the temperature in the cargo container! I can't move!
It's too early to start celebrating just yet, people.
A debris hauler's job isn't done until it's hauled back to base.
You copy?
We copy!
Hey, Tanabe, you okay?
Yes, I think.
Look sharp!
We grabbed the Ghost, a piece of debris that no other debris section could catch.
Yes, but...
This means that Fee's gonna leave, isn't it?
Yeah, I guess it does.
DBR-068-2114 is extremely...
So, I hear you had to hire a retired INTO bureaucrat, huh?
If you consider the big picture, it ends up as a plus for us.
You're not happy with it?
I guess not.
That's why you turned down the promotion?
No, it's not. I want to stay out in the field, that's all.
There's no turning back from humanity's new way of life.
And we have to rely on space for the energy to support that way of life.
Space development requires that you work on a large scale.
Funding. Organization. Political clout.
Without those, you get swallowed up by another entity.
Just like our company did?
That is why we have to change.
You. And me.
Dolf, you haven't changed one bit.
Yes, I have.
You only look like you've changed.
Spend some time in the sun, and you'll turn back into your old self.
I like to think that you and I are still on the same team.
Claw your way back up into the light. Back to where you can be yourself again.
Do that, and I'll be able to do my job with some peace of mind.
Right?
You copy?
Gutto mizu wo nomihoshi, We gulp down some water...
...yuuyakegumo miageru no sa. ...and look up at the evening clouds.
Kyou mo ichinichi ga owatte, Let's wind our way home...
...gairoju no shita wo kaerou. ...under the roadside trees as another day ends.
Yaru koto darake de tenpatte, Even if life's so hectic that our tempers flare,
...muri wo shite, tsumazuite mo, ...we push ourselves too hard, and we stumble,
...nani ka kanarazu tsukanderu sa. ...I know there'll be something to grab hold of.
Kiraku ni ikou ze. Let's move on without a care in our hearts.
Subarashii jinsei dakara, It's a wonderful life,
...jibun wo aisuru yuuki wo motou. ...so let's have the courage to love ourselves.
Atarashii doa tataite... Let's take it one step at a time,
...hitotsu hitotsu aruite yukou. ...knocking on new doors on the way.
Subarashii jinsei na no sa. It's a wonderful life.
Kimi mo boku mo subete no hito mo... You and I and everyone else...
...yorokobi to kanashimi no imi... ...keep on searching for the meaning...
...sagashitsuzukete, so just on my way. ...of joy and sadness, so just on my way.
Next Time: Regrets
Gigalt Gungulgash of the Orbital Security Agency.
Next Time: Regrets
Why, you!
Next Time: Regrets
Tanabe!
Next Time: Regrets
I have plans that day.
Next Time: Regrets
Oh, I see.
Next Time: Regrets
How many times do I have to tell you to eat your veggies?!
Next Time: Regrets
What's with you? You got a problem with it?
Next Time: Regrets
You think I'm wrong?
Next Time: Regrets
It doesn't matter either way, right?
Next Time: Regrets
Hachimaki!
Next Time: Regrets
Take a look...at these!
Planetes