The Song that You will Sing One Day
Nadesico Broadcasting proudly presents "Get to Know
the Nadesico". Set against colorful backgrounds, Yurika
Usagi and Ruri Oneisan stand before a fence, explaining
the inner-workings of the ND-001. Yurika, dressed as a giant
rabbit, poses questions to Ruri, in coveralls.
On the bridge, the crew has mixed reactions. Jun cannot
help being excited by Yurika dressed as a rabbit. Minato
can only smile, seeing Ruri so cute all dressed up. Megumi
remembers doing shows similar to this early in her career.
Mr. Hory takes off, sprinting away.
Ruri has no want of performing in such a demeaning children's
show. She soon turns away from the camera, speaking in technician
jargon.
Inez, behind a small camera, calls cut, scolding Hoshino.
She instructs her to face the camera and read from the script.
Ruri acquiesces. But, smile she will not do.
Hory enters into the room, visibly upset. The Nadesico is
barely operating. The distortion field is fluctuating, and
the engines cannot create enough thrust to leave the planet.
Inez bickers back, dismissing the ND-001 for ever coming
to Mars.
Yurika appeals to Hory. This video is to calm the crew and
explain their situation. Hory can hardly keep a straight
face, a giant rabbit talking to him.
Inez tells Yurika to stop pleading to Hory. She has nothing
to apologize for. Nergal is to blame. The doctor then goes
into her past. She doesn't remember her childhood. She was
found alone in the Martian desert at age eight. That is
why she is emotionally unattached. She does not care who
lives or dies. She has no mother. She has no father. She
has no memories.
As the battered Nadesico sputters just above the Martian
surface, Akito sleeps in his room. He dreams of Yurika,
wanting Akito to make love to her. The pilot wakes, disturbed
by his dream. He shakes his head and turns to speak with
his Gekiganger doll, one of Gai Daigoji's effects adopted
by Akito.
Yet, Little Gai, Akito's name for the solid-metal-casting-limited-collector's-edition
figure, is gone. Frantic, he screams and shouts. Barreling
out of his quarters, he smashes into Admiral Fukube.
Apologizing, Akito is invited to share the admiral's tea.
Fukube watches the pilot sip his drink, silent. Akito worries
about the reasoning behind this. Is he in trouble? What
does the admiral want? The admiral then departs, leaving
the tea with Akito.
Looking up to "Get to Know the Nadesico", Akito
finds Inez using his Gekiganger doll as a prop, demonstrating
the ND-001's gravity blast cannon. Akito screams, sprinting
off to save his little Gai.
Akito searches the ground for the toy's firing arm piece.
Yurika, too, crawls around. Standing, Inez explains the
PT engines to Ruri. Nergal didn't design them. They found
them. Prospector enters, telling Inez that they have to
stop for the day, needing to conserve electricity. He then
speaks to Hory, sporting a pair of rabbit ears.
In their room, Hikaru shakes her head, unable to understand
a word of "Get to Know the Nadesico". She tries
to talk to Izumi, but she is sleeping with her eyes open.
In the galley, Akito shares the admiral's tea. Inez inquires
about Akito's name. She is amazed that a Utopia Colony Tenkawa
would serve aboard this ship. Yurika interrupts, fearing
that Inez is getting too cozy with Akito. She tells the
two to get to the bridge.
On the bridge, the Nadesico's friend-or-foe recognition
signal has come back, detecting a ship ahead of them. It
is the Crocus, believed destroyed when the Nadesico was
still on Earth. Apparently, it has passed through a Chulip.
Yurika wants a boarding party to search for survivors, but
Prospector says they have a tight schedule. Akito arrives,
late, questioning Fukube. Admiral Jin Fukube was the commander
during the First Battle of Mars. He caused the Chulip to
fall over the Utopia Colony. Akito attacks the admiral.
Seiya and Hikaru tie to pilot up as Jun demands punishment.
Prospector brings up a map, showing the Nadesico's destination,
a Nergal facility at the North Pole. He hopes that the ND-001
will be able to pick up a spare PT engine at the complex.
It is decided to send the Aestivalis ahead to scout the
area.
Ryoko, Hikaru, and Izumi go ahead in the battle frames.
Ryoko is in a heavy weapons model. They search but find
nothing but snow. Izumi thinks it over. Could the facility
be buried under the snow? Just then, Jovians attack. Ryoko
is pinned, unable to maneuver in the heavy frame. She calls
out for Akito's help.
After disposing of the Jovian robot, the other girls begin
to taunt Ryoko, calling out for Tenkawa. Ryoko, red, agrees
to their terms for their silence.
Eventually, the Nergal facility is found, surrounded by
five Chulips. The ND-001 cannot even attempt to near it.
Fukube decides to use to Crocus. He, Inez, and Akito enter
into the old ship. This is Akito's punishment.
Exploring the ship, it appears to have been on Mars for
months. It is frozen over. Inez and Fukube debate the Chulip's
inner-workings. Akito spots a Grasshopper overhead. He pushes
the admiral out of the way and fights off the robot. Still,
it is Fukube who destroys it.
On the ship's bridge, Fukube discovers that the propulsion
nozzles have frozen over. He tells Akito and Inez to clean
them.
Outside, the two find that the nozzles are in working order.
The admiral lied. He takes off and points his guns at the
Nadesico. He orders the ND-001 to enter into the open Chulip
that the Crocus exited from.
Soon, Jovians begin to descend. The Nadesico can either
fight the Crocus and the Lizards or it can enter the Chulip.
Akito doesn't want to go. He doesn't want the admiral to
try to cover up his mistakes.
There is little choice. Distortion shields raised, the ND-001
enters into the alien vessel. The Crocus follows behind.
Yet, as the Nadesico disappears into the Chulip, the Crocus
turns around, blocking the ND-001's path. Alone, Fukube
stands against a Jovian fleet.
Akito screams, not wanting the admiral to get off this way.
The admiral appears on screen, shaking his head. He is not
trying to get off. He is sacrificing himself for the lives
of all those aboard the Nadesico.
It is their ship. It is their fight.
In the galley, Akito spits. Fukube was a coward. Miss Howmei
steps up to him, showing him the tea server the admiral
gave to Akito. Inside is a note. The admiral never planned
on leaving Mars alive. He apologized to Akito. The pilot
does not care. He only plays with his Gekiganger toy and
remembers Gai.
On Earth, inside Nergal's headquarters, the CEO speaks with
a young woman, Erina Kinjo Won. There is something kept
secret. There is something not told.