Part 80: Mission 22 (Moon Route) - Prologue

Before we get this prologue started, it’s been requested in the thread that I show off the MAP and Dynamic Kills of Mike’s Disc X. I plan on showing the MAP version later on but, for now...




With that out of the way, off we go with the prologue of the Moon route:



Ruri takes her turn at the ship's log thing.
The Nadesico's crew has been subject to three days' worth of tests at Erina's direction, with special emphasis on Akito and Yurika. Akito has been anything but thrilled about this.
More ominous is the information they’ve received from Taiga that the Jovian Lizards are in fact human: once the word finally gets around, there's sure to be a large amount of confusion among the general populace.
This is just the calm before the storm, she thinks.



The other bridge crewmembers wonder what Ruri's up to, and she explains that Kazuma and Mihiro told her a Trailer saying: "Memories are precious, so convert them to money".
This fits Bless' talented son, Minato thinks, and Megumi also thinks that Kazuma’s log could become a bestseller once this conflict is over.
Minato gets called aside by Gort, which isn't much of a problem since the Nadesico is itself offline.
Meg is starting to wonder if the two of them have a thing going, but Ruri begs out of the conjecture on the theory that she's still a kid.



Besides, she gets called aside by Ines to help with something.



Nadesico Broadcasting.









KA-BOOM!



Wooooooooooow!



NAZE NANI NADESICO (NADESICO Q & A)!





Our people are quickly startled at the sudden appearance of Ruri and Yurika, wondering what’s going on with that; Yurika quickly introduces herself as “Bunny Yurika” and “Big Sister Ruri”.
Jun is star-struck by Yurika’s “cuteness” and, while Kurz and Akatsuki can appreciate a GOOD bunny suit, this is hardly what they would consider cute.
This is the weirdest meeting Sousuke has ever taken part of and Bless certainly didn’t expect this when Ines called them all over – regardless, Shihomi says it’s pretty amusing and after three days being stuck on the Moon, it helps ease the tedium.
On to the first topic of the show: Boson Jump, a type of warp or teleportation powered somehow by the Tulips.



Though a Tulip got the Nadesico from Mars to the Earth, it now seems that some of the Jovian Lizards can Boson Jump without it.
Ruri explains that it turns out not to be the Tulip that matters, but its ability to breach the dimensional walls - and that ability isn't unique, as we’ve seen with the Primeval ES Windows.
Objects called Tulip Crystals can also produce the effect and Bless is very surprised to hear that; Mihiro and Akane both have seen those crystals before since the Valstork cargo bay is loaded with them.
Kazuma tries to ask Bless why he’s carrying things like that around but he is rather evasive with his answer; Erina tells them all to shut up, as they’re getting to the important part.



The most immediate concern for researchers is how the stones can open the passage across dimensions: Akito's memento pendant from his parents contained a Tulip Crystal, allowing him to escape the destruction of his colony and arrive on Earth.
Along with the revelation about the Jovians use of Boson Jump, this proved that it's possible for living beings to survive the process.
The question of what else might be required is what's under investigation now, and Ruri asks all the good little boys and girls to help out.



As the show ends, Ines is questioned by Megumi as to why she did all that: her answer is that she needed to give us an explanation on Boson Jump but also needed a kid-friendly format to make it simple to understand.
Sousuke and Heero are their usual selves but Trowa says he actually enjoyed it; he doesn’t LOOK like he’s enjoying it but, as Quatre explains, Trowa never actually laughs out loud.
Ines also admits that there's still a lot we don't know about Boson Jumping, including why timeslips seem possible or how the Tulip/Tulip Crystals work.
Kazuma once again turns to Bless demanding he explain what he’s doing with all those crystals but…



Bless, using one of his two thousand special techniques ("Hiding in the Clouds"), has left before anyone noticed.
In any case, Erina is sure that we'll be able to counter the Jovians' live Boson Jumping as long as we've got Akito on your side.
Unfortunately for her, Akito is now sick of playing guinea pig.
He suspects Nergal means to use the knowledge to fight the Jovians, and has no wish to assist humans killing other humans.



As he runs off, Izumi suspects (correctly) that the news of humans inside the Jovian Lizards gave Akito a major shock.
Given his background, it's no real surprise he's a pacifist.
Duo also doubts Erina's altruism - Nergal stands to make a pile of money from monopolizing the Boson Jump technology.
Erina isn't even shy about being loyal to the Nergal first and mankind second, but a word from Akatsuki silences her and Shihomi, inwardly, wonders why.
In any case, since we're dismissed for today, Minato suggests a shopping trip to the other girls, though she won't say what's gotten her so eager to leave the ship (Gort grimaces).



Sousuke meanwhile passes along a message from Tessa to Uribatake - something about improving the gravity wave return from the ship's generator.
Uribatake and the SRT members go to see what Tessa has in mind, but Akatsuki has other plans already.
To Kazuma's vast relief, so does Noin: her first date with Zechs in who knows how long.
Thus ends any hope Kazuma might have had for some "special" reward from Noin for clearing his training...(Ruri: Idiot…)



On the moon, Kaname has been busy guiding an old lady around town, not letting on that she herself is lost.
Nearby, Minato poses a hypothetical question to the other girls: what if someone you care about, someone nearby, selfishly asked you to quit your job.
Our people see right through the hypothetical right away, and after a bit of fidgeting Minato explains that she's not planning to leave the Nadesico, though she is conflicted.
Between protecting and being protected, she prefers the former.



She gets a chance abruptly, when a passing girl named Yukina face plants into her ample cleavage.
Minato extends her hand but Yukina pushes it away, calling it atrocious – she quickly runs off, leaving Minato to wonder what was up with that kid.s



Nearby, Kaname and the woman have accosted a man called Tsukumo, who turns out to be a little lost and headed the same place the old woman is: the Lunar War Memorial.
Since Kaname doesn't know what that is, the woman explains that the Civil War, some hundred years ago, included a battle between the Colonies and Earth fought on the Moon.
Though the Earth eventually won the battle, the scars still linger - even to this very day.
Kaname jokes that the old lady must have been a little kid during the war (the lady protests she's not that old).
The rest of our team soon finds them and, after a bit of explanation as to what we’re doing here, they all decide to tag along to wherever this Memorial is.



Tsukumo is amazed to realize that a good half of the crew of the Earth's only Transposition Engine vessel is before him,] his attention quickly turns to Minato as she “recognizes” him.
Megumi realizes that she actually mistakes him for Yamada Jirou/Gai Daigouji as they both have an appearance mirroring the main pilot of Gekiganger; either way, Minato apologizes to the startled Tsukumo and they both exchange introductions.
Minato takes Tsukumo’s rattled tone of voice to mean that he’s shy, which she finds cute, but to quickly change the subject, Tsukumo agrees to lead everyone to the Memorial.



Yukina, his sister, watches this in bemusement: she thinks all Earthlings are archvillains, but isn't prepared for Sousuke to stick her up, at gunpoint, for spying on Kaname.
Kazuma interferes, insisting that no girl this young and cute could be a terrorist spy.
He thinks lady spies have to be stacked like Minato, but in the process of demonstrating , Yurika escapes while yelling at him to stop talking about that atrocious woman.
He compounds the error by dissuading Sousuke from pursuing, querying him instead on why he doesn't go say hi to Kaname.
Sousuke says that someone else from Mithril is guarding her, and is so taken with Kaname that he doesn't want to risk her displeasure by intruding on her.
Instead, Kazuma has them hurry off to buy the items Uribatake sent them for, only to be interrupted by a call from Heero.



Some terrorists have infiltrated the Lunar city, and they're packing some hefty explosives.
While Heero and Duo pursue the explosives, he wants Sousuke to follow his orders.
Sousuke tells Kazuma to hurry back and get a bomb dispersal machine ready.