Federation Era, A890303
The VF376 unmanned observation satellite detected a spatial warp
in the vicinity of the asteroid belt in the Lyra constellation.
Following that, a warp of an unknown celestial body has been confirmed
In order to observe the body enveloped in Miguel Storm exceeding level 5,
an independent mining company was contracted through a dummy company.
Same day, 0321 - Excavation at the new celestial body starts.
Orichalt is removed from the rock shell.
Same day, 0322 - Planetary Federation's 8th reconnaisance-in-force fleet's ship Marito
detains the mining company's vessel.
The amount of Orichalt ore extracted was 1437 Tylers,
which is much lower than the estimated deposits.
At the same time,
to evade a group of rocks that performed a spatial warp,
the Marito executed an emergency Miguel jump.
Inside the specific topological dimension used for warping,
usually called the Miguel Line,
the mining company's vessel performed a forced Miguel Out.
Marito lost sight of the target.
At the present moment, no further info is available.
So basically,
the mining company got greedy and made off with the Orichalt, then?
While the possibility of that is high, there's something suspicious about this.
If the Orichalt Marito recovered was,
in fact, all that was inside that new object...
The mining company discovered something else than Orichalt there?
Also, the group of rocks that somehow Miguel Jumped.
It has to do something with Amatsu Mikaboshi, hasn't it?
TL note: Amatsu Mikaboshi is a Japanese deity of primordial chaos, associated with the Polar Star
Deploying shields.
Shields deployed.
Entering a meteoroid cloud.
Girlie, did you find out our current location?
Yes, I performed some analysis.
Well, go on.
Our current location is
in the N-space somewhere around here.
N-space?!
That's the undeveloped space outside the Miguel Net!
I know we performed a forced Miguel Out,
but it didn't have to throw us out in such boonies...
What a pain.
Maya, are you sure this isn't a mistake?
That's what I determined based on Vega's coordinates.
I'm surprised too, you know.
Claire, ready the Orichalt torpedo for jumping for launch.
Okay!
We can't stay in this unmapped place forever, right?
Girlie, pick us a route through the phase space.
Sorry, I've got no time for games.
I'm busy with a lot of stuff.
Wait, you understand words?
Don't cry, okay?
Orichalt torpedo, preparing for launch.
Quadrant input finished.
Spacial telemetry connected.
Alright, launch!
Okay.
Time until torpedo reaches the B point is 7 hours 27 minutes.
You hear that?
7 hours and 27 minutes until we jump.
Isn't the B point still outside the net?
It's barely been a day.
If we mess up, we'll fall right into the military's lap.
Taking a detour through some remote area and re-entering the Miguel Net would take two months at best.
Seriously?
But you can't get any info outside it!
No news! No movies! No results of asteroid speed races!
Isn't this a good opportunity to rethink your life?
No thanks, I'm good being the way I am right now.
Hey, I'm going to be hearing the soldier lady out now.
What are you guys going to do?
That hottie?
I'm going, going, I'm on my way!
I agree,
I really want to know the reason they went after us.
Yeah.
In that case, everyone except girlie gather in the expanded space in 10 minutes.
Sure!
Alright!
Got it!
I-I'm sorry.
Um...
What is it?
The captain said he wants you to come to the expanded space.
Can I refuse?
I don't think so, sorry.
You're the one who retrieved my body, right?
Yes, it was me.
Why?
What do you mean, why?
Does there need to be a reason to save someone?
But it was really fortunate, right?
The fact the MT system happened to be inside the Miguel Cube-
It got thrown into it.
By my superiors.
They probably thought it was dangerous.
I-is that so...
Maya.
Yes?
Are you really a serious criminal?
Those are false accusations!
I'm innocent!
Once you're done, I'll come and take those off.
Sure.
That'll be helpful...
In many ways...
What is this place?
Recreated data of a Neo-Baroque style room, made on Mars.
How'd you like it?
I have great taste, right?
It was pretty pricey.
Mademoiselle, please sit down right here.
Even your avatars are I-machines.
You Evertrancers really are insane.
I'd say following military orders without a single question like you do
is far more insane, really.
You sure know how to do a warm welcome, robot puppet.
Alright, let's stop here.
Soldier girl, I've got questions for you.
Go on.
First of all, let's hear your affiliation.
Planetary Federation's 12th dispatched fleet's space regiment,
8th reconnaisance-in-force company commander,
first lieutenant Amanza Volchkova.
Such a pretty lady, and a company commander?
Really, seriously.
Looks have nothing to do with being a soldier.
No, it's a great thing you're so lovely!
Rick, sit down.
Eh?
Take your seat.
Ah, okay, okay.
Lt. Amanza, why was our ship captured?
To retrieve the illegally extracted Orichalt.
Now look here, Lieutenant.
I've been in the military myself.
That couldn't have been an official military operation.
Where did the orders come from?
Do you think I know?
Karla, what do you say?
Body scan shows that her pupils are not contracted
and there are no obvious changes in muscular action potential.
I don't think she's lying.
So we won't get anywhere by talking to her then.
Just a waste of time.
I have a question too.
I'm sorry, but do you understand your position?
I know what you want to find out.
My name is Rick Ayer.
With three consecutive victories at Asteroid Speed, Prince of Speed-
Were you the ones who unleashed those meteoroids on our ship?
Of course not.
That couldn't have been a natural phenomenon.
Obviously.
It had pin-point precision, and besides, meteoroids don't Miguel Jump!
I don't get it either!
But it was obviously done on purpose.
And nobody but you people could've caused that.
What does she mean?
She means there's a chance they could come flying again.
Wait, why?
We didn't do any-
Wait, could it be?
Rick!
Hey, look.
Eh?
Is the data correct?
That bitch!
If it's a mining ship, there should be cargo transport systems somewhere.
Lieutenant Amanza Volchkova!
Let me tell you one interesting thing!
Hey, you listening?
This ship is outside the Miguel Net right now!
You won't be able to just jump out and merrily be on your way!
Don't go away on your own.
You came at a good time.
I don't like this kind of stuff, really.
Is that info about one of the new planet's satellites warping true?
Yes, it's truth.
We just got an image from the probe.
What could it mean?
Looks like we were mistaken.
The true form of Amatsu Mikaboshi might've been this satellite.
We should consider there being multiple of them too.
Did we collect too much Orichalt, I wonder.
The space sure is vast.
Let's assume the satellite is heading towards the mining company's ship.
I'll inform the celestial body observation and defence force HQ.
The lovely lieutenant took little lady and the kid hostages and locked herself up?
What are we gonna do, Pops?
We do what we have to do.
And what is that exactly?
Um, I think you should really stop this.
Don't worry, if you stay quiet I won't harm you.
I'm not talking about that...
Bridge, I'll tell you my demands.
Demands?!
Once the ship gets into an area where a Miguel Jump is possible, set the course to Sevens.
We will also require food-
Nah.
No?
What are you saying?
The hostages-
Boil them, fry them, I don't care.
This ship isn't going to Sevens and you're not getting any provisions either.
If you don't want to die, surrender peacefully.
Over.
Knew it...
Pops, that's pretty crazy!
That woman won't kill the hostages.
I'd like to think so too, but how are you so sure?
That woman has never killed anyone without being ordered to.
An imminent gravity wave!
Something's going to Miguel Out.
Again?
What are these numbers...
This is strange, what's going on?
It's coming out!
Doesn't look like the military, or a civilian ship either.
Who is it then?
Who'd even warp into this place that's not on the maps out of curiosity?
Gravity wave numbers rising! They keep going up!
Papa!
Just how heavy is this thing going to be?
Is the thing that the lovely lieutenant said going to happen?
In the worst case, probably.
Clair, send this image to the lieutenant as well.
Okay.
This is...
An M-1 scale Miguel Jump?
Wait, I think I've seen this before...
This is one of the two satellites from that new planet!
What?
Why would it be here?
Papa, something just gushed out from the object!
There's a huge amount of it!
This spectrum, iron and nickel?
Just rocks?
This dispersion speed...
We won't be able to evade!
Is the torpedo we launched out of the rocks' course?
It will be out of it in three minutes!
Alright, connect the Orichalt torpedo through telemetry and perform an emergency jump!
We can't, they'll reach us before the jump!
Shit!
Move out, all of you!
Clear away the asteroids on collision course!
Minimise the damage to Stulti!
Making it sound so easy!
Preparing to release Orichalt from the containment device!
Entering the telemetry connection sequence!
You see how it is, lieutenant.
We need the girlie's astrogeology expertise, hurry and let her out!
We need all of the help we can get here.
I'll allow you to use your I-machine.
Guide me to the MT room.
Okay.
I'll be controlling the guns.
Clair, focus on the jump sequence!
I got it!
Pops, how long do we have to hold out?
8 minutes.
Buy us at least 8 minutes.
"At least" 8 minutes?
That's rough.
MT system launching.
So, where's the large-scale drilling rig?
Oh, the Mattsun?
In the 2nd hangar, I think.
Deploy shields and brace for meteoroids!
Don't slack off!
This is outside the Miguel Net!
If we mess this up and get blown off, we're never going to return!
Got it?
Yes!
Karla, how many are on the collision course?
There are 48 of those that exceed our shield's durability.
Fourty eight?
We've got 6 I-Machines here so that makes...
8 per person?
That's not happening!
We just need to take out three!
No, just two, actually.
What do you mean?
Like in billiards.
It's just physics.
Elaborate, please.
There's no need to break all of them.
Yeah, we just need them not to hit the Stulti.
So if we make them collide with each other in a chain reaction
and change the trajectory of the rocks in our way, there's no problem!
Orichalt torpedo, ready for release!
FA-Loser, follow Maya.
I'll go with miss lieutenant here.
Should we entrust this to a prisoner? Maybe I should-
My machine is more capable than yours.
Leave it to me.
Don't worry, pretty girls can't be bad!
Target approaching!
Explosion depth, 80 metres!
Mineshaft angle, 40 degrees!
Here we go.
Explosion timing, 300 seconds!
Start excavation!
Leave the defence to me!
Explosion depth, reached!
FA-Loser, please.
FA-Loser, let's escape.
Eh? Mr. Ido's team is stuck in the bedrock?
Neither the drill nor Ido's kunai can make a dent, they're saying.
Looks like the hardness is over 20000.
There's not enough output.
Lend me your energy pipe.
At maximum output I should be able to break the bedrock.
Even if you break it, there's not going to be enough energy to escape.
We'll get drawn into the explosion.
Just Trance Out and leave your machine here.
Look at the Evertrancer saying that.
Did you lose the worth of life along with your body?
Shut up and hand it over.
That way the possibility that everybody will be safe is the highest.
Okay.
What's your name?
Ido, I thought I said it already.
That's got to be an alias.
Tell me your real name.
I don't know it.
Don't know?
I have no memories of it.
When I came to my senses,
inside the memory the thing called "myself",
my ID
was 0.
ID-0.
That's why Ido, then.
Yeah.
Grayman thought that up.
I like it, though.
Ido's team resumed the mining!
Are they going to make it in time?
Ours will start in two seconds!
Ido's isn't moving yet!
What do we do?
Mr. Ido, the detonation needs to be readjusted!
There needs to be a precise angle correction.
How about making the propulsion come 90 seconds afterwards?
We won't know until we try.
Mr. Rick! Ms. Karla! I need to ask something.
Huh?
Us?
What are you doing?
Still haven't done a Mind Out?
What are you going to do?
Struggle for my life, obviously.
I'll see your way of life until the end.
You're an evil person.
This might be bad.
They might not have enough time to escape.
Mr. Ido!
Where are you grabbing?!
Alright, Clair!
As soon as Ido and the others are in the field, jump!
Got it!
Why did you rescue me?
Because I was sure I would be able to.
Launching the collision chain and picking the shortest route.
Only this girl could've done those calculations.
That girl, then.
Now I'm certain of it.
You're a bona fide idiot.
Help me instead...
If you've got time to say that...
Stop this rotation please!
You really are terrible at handling I-machines.
Don't laugh, stop me...!
I'm going to throw up!
I really will...
These guys really are strange.
Being alive really is great!
Just wonderful!
Retrieving Orichalt used for the jump.
Move the I-Machines to the third hangar.
We're back!
You've been here all this time?
You weren't afraid?
Um...
What?
Weren't we your hostages?
Who cares at this point.
For the ID data to not be anywhere...
Is that even possible?
Unless someone erased that existence on purpose...
Mikuri Maya.
Incomplete abilities should be compensated by experience or resolve.
The fangs only she can find, where are they now?
The answer is in the undulation of metal flickering in dim candlelight.