Star Blazers Lambda Chapter 20

Story and art by Ryuko Azuma

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Narrative reads right to left

Mikhail Letvizan, Topness pilot of the Mark 8 battleship in the NerfThis fleet, introduces himself to his new coworkers. “I’ll do my best not to drag down my seniors. Thank you for your support.”

Right side: title – Fighting Piece

Left side: Everyone is amazed when Mikhail defeats Abbey in chess, winning with a very rare queen sacrifice. Marina says she wants to see a game between Mikhail and his older brother Alexei, but Alexei refuses.

Right side: Mikhail explains that Alexei taught him to play, but they haven’t played each in three years because they both hate to lose. Marina chides Alexei, asking if he lost to his 9-year old brother. As everyone leaves to turn in for the night, Aisha declares Mikhail a future grand master, but he says he’d rather be a Topness.

Left side: Linne Aegis sits alone in her quarters, pondering the last time she saw Maya Yamamoto, dead in her lap after being assassinated. The door chimes and Linne opens it to find…

Right side: …a very cold stare from Yu Yamato. She says it’s time for good boys to go to bed, but he marches in and takes a seat.

Left side: Linne stares aghast at Yu’s phone playing back a video clip of her (much younger) with his mother Maya. Linne is looking at a photo of Yu as a baby. Maya says, “It’s unusual for you to be interested in people, Linne.”

Yu stares at her hard. “Linne…why were you with Mama?”

As workers go about their duties late at night on the moonbase, we find Mikhail alone in the server farm. He hears a noise and abruptly whips out a gun.

Right side: It’s just Alexei, surprised to find Mikhail here AND armed with a pistol. He orders his little brother to hand it over.

“You know what Nirvana is, don’t you?” (Mikhail refers to the super-secret organization pulling their strings.)

“That’s not something a kid should have,” Alexei responds. “If you won’t give it to me, I’ll tell everyone you didn’t stop wetting the bed until you were nine.”

Left side: Mikhail complies and Alexei asks what he’s doing here.

“You didn’t forget Dad’s will, did you? I’m looking for the original space-time crystal…”

“Mikhail…that message was left for me.”

“You don’t think it’s any of my business?”

“I didn’t say that, but it’s too dangerous. You’re not ready.”

Right side: Mikhail demands that Alexei stop treating him like a child, reminding him that he abandoned his mother and little brother after their father died. “I’m not a child any more. I can change the future into what father wanted.”

Left side: Mikhail explains that he’s downloading a copy of the NerfThis activation program.

“Each ship is tuned to its own Topness. Dad wrote in his journal that Nirvana couldn’t delete it. He wrote that the original Space-Time Crystal contains a kind of consciousness. That’s why I thought there was a difference between the original and a copy program.”

Right side: “Topness creates a feedback loop between the space-time object and that consciousness.” The diagram indicates that a feedback loop between the pilot of the Space-Time Crystals generates energy that powers a ship.

“But if there is consciousness inside the Space-Time Crystal, a feedback loop wouldn’t occur. That’s why there’s a special program to prevent the Topness from tapping into the consciousness. That’s what I think.”

Left side: Alexei doesn’t think Nirvana would risk using the original Space-Time Crystal in combat.

“If it were me, I’d use it as the core of the Mark X, which is being kept secret.”

“But the king is a fighting piece, Mikhail answers. “It’s strongest when there’s no queen or rook. I’d laugh if my Mark 8’s core was original. It’s good to know there’s no original here. If the Mark X is king, we only have to destroy the Mark X. Then we’ll destroy the original Space-Time Crystal that will lead to humanity’s destruction.”

Right side: Alexei is shocked that Mikhail would fight the as-yet-unseen Mark X. Mikhail believes it to be no match for his Mark 8. Alexei insists that Nirvana is much more thorough than Mikhail assumes, manipulating everyone and everything around them.

“The Mark 6 Topness’ mother was killed,” Mikhail replies, speaking of Yu. “We haven’t even gotten to that yet. The longer we wait, the worse it’s going to get.”

Left side: “I’m the son of Yuri Letvizan. The strongest Topness, Mikhail Letvizan. I will carry out my father’s dying wish.”

The program copy finishes downloading into Mikhail’s laptop and he walks away breezily. “Thanks for teaching me about chess. I’ve learned so much from it. More than you.”

Right side: Mikhail calls after him, but they both walk away from each other in silence.

Left side: Yu plays the rest of the video clip showing young Linne with his mother Maya.

“Maya… don’t you miss your son?”

“Of course I miss him. But this research is just as important to me as Yu…”

“Then you should go see him right now…”

“Why?”

“I… I don’t know. But if I don’t go see him now…I don’t think you’ll ever see him again…”

Right side: Linne tries to explain.

“Yu… I’m sorry I’ve kept silent until now. But if I tell you the truth, your life will be in danger. And the fate we’re carrying is too heavy. That’s why I couldn’t tell you. Up until six years ago, I was involved in an experiment at Deus to replicate Space-Time Crystals. Maya woke me up from a long sleep.”

“Huh!? Why did Mama have to wake you up? What the hell are you saying!?”

Left side: a flashback – Maya and her staff stare in amazement at the body of young Linne, suspended in midair.

“I’m…I’m the original Space-Time Crystal…

Right side: “I’ve told you before…your dreams are memories of a previous universe…that this universe is a cycle of death and rebirth…”

“Linne…?”

“Oh… okay. Maybe I didn’t say it in this universe.”

Left side (flashback panels): “I was a sacrifice for the rebirth of the universe…a universe where Seireness can once again exist and operate. A body of information for fine tuning. My information, scattered throughout the universe, was re-crystallized. I fell to Earth and destroyed the dinosaurs. And Maya brought me into the universe in human form.” (An avatar.)

Right side: “The cores in the battleships are copies of me. Empty coffins to hold the soul of Topness. My poor sisters…”

Left side: Yu suddenly drops into a dreamscape we’ve seen before. Linne stands before a huge, coiled effigy of herself.

Right side: “Soon the queen diva will be here. She’s coming after me. Yu, you’re such an idiot. In a universe where Seireness can exist, humans will always be born. You and I have fought Seireness over and over again in this universe of death and rebirth. We’ve fought Seireness again and again…”

Left side: Yu shifts back into reality. Linne gazes directly at him. “Seireness is coming.”

Right side: in a secret location, Carlos Jones addresses his fellow members of Nirvana.

“It’s not long since the retreat from Jupiter. We can expect the frequency of attacks to increase in the future.

Someone else says, “The cocoon of intelligence is spinning faster and increasing its charge. The singularity will be exposed, and a stable orbit will no longer exist.”

Another member continues: “A cocoon of intelligence devouring the surrounding stars, destined to destroy itself eventually. Seireness can’t be confined to the cocoon of intelligence forever.”

Left side: “NerfThis is our sword to cut off the reincarnation of the universe and free us from the universe of Seireness. Topness, Children of Reincarnation granting our wishes…

Another says, “Hunger is the worst disease. Destitution the worst suffering.”

A final voice answers, “For those who know this for what it is, Nirvana is the greatest happiness.”

The leader concludes: “For the 49th time in this universe…salvation for all souls…”

To be continued

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