Galaxy Express 999 38

GE999#38


p149
People call star clouds which fleet in space, "space archipelagoes". For a man, seeing its mother space archipelago is like staring at the face of their own mother. Our galaxy and Andromeda are huge archipelagoes in space that, seen together, seem like an image and its reflection...
38th stop: A crunched planet in the frozen space


p150-151
The galaxy is on the left and Andromeda on the right. Right now, we're exactly between those two space archipelagoes...
They're as alike as two peas in a pod... Just like you and mom!!


p152
Please excuse me... Was the observation of the two archipelagoes to your liking?

Next stop: "Imbecile"...
The stop will last 45 minutes.

Im... Imbecile?!

Let's get back to our seats!

This is one of the most dangerous planets!!!

Why? What's so dangerous about it?

It's hard to explain because this is a planet quite complex...


p153
[nada]


p154
Eh? The space has become strange all of a sudden.
It's normal in such a place.

The train is shaking!!!


p155
[nada]


p156-157
[nada]


p158
Wow! The distance between these planets is strange: it exceeds the rock consistency and yet, these stars doesn't collide each other!
*Note: Rock Consistency is the minimum distance that can exist between two stars so that their mutual gravity doesn't provoke a collision between them. [couldn't confirm if it really exists or not]

It's strange indeed!

Mister inspector!!!
It's awful, the locomotive lost its way!!

The space rails have disappeared and it seems like we're derailling even if we're still moving forward...
Where are we heading then?

Without rails, the locomotive itself doesn't know our destination.

Everything seems normal outside though!
Where could the train be heading?

Well...

???


p159
[nada]


p160-161
Oh... What a weird planet!


p162
Indeed, it's really bizarre. I've never seen any before...

Even if we have left the rails, we should still be able to locate this planet on a space map...
It looks like it has been crunched like an apple!


p163
Here's my mother planet!

Who are you?

Just a mere passenger... Well, I hope you'll forgive me, my friends, for making this train take a little detour!!!

That's impossible!!!


p164
[nada]


p165
The crunched planet from another dimension is, according space observation reports, a planet similar to Cipango, the land of gold.


p166-167
It's nice here! Furthermore, a nice smell floats in the air!!
panel: Crunched station
Since we had an emergency landing here and that we don't know how long we are going to stay, we shouldn't go to far from the station...


p168
!!

What's wrong?
Look! Look!

What do you want to show me?
I'm talking about that!

panel: 10 yen ramens

panel: 10 yen ramens

There's a ramen shop!!
Those are genuine, do you want to eat?

I'm hungry!!!

These ramens are premium quality.
There isn't any as good on any other planet!

I'd like my glasses friend who lives in a room to try them.
We can find ramen lovers everywhere!

Everywhere else, they're generally synthetic ones...
And yet, it's natural to eat real ones here.

Ugh!!!


p170
Damn, damn, daaaamn!!

What's going on?

This kind of things happens often, no need to panic!
Easy to say, but it's a real earthquake!

It will end soon...

I sure hope so...!
It's too late for my ramens and your shop.


p171
Ugh...

It's over, but the town and your shop are in bad shape.
Oh, don't worry, I'll fix it, just like usual!

It happens a lot, I'm used to it...
There's nothing to do against it?

It's some kind of divine retribution. What should we do about it?
!!

Another earthquake?
Ah, no, not at all!


p172-173
Wah!!!


p174
[nada]


p175
It was a ship carrying soil from this planet.
Soil?

People come here to dig out soil from this planet to sell it somewhere else.

People from other planets are selling the soil?

That's why from space, it looks like a crunched apple...

Yes! The soil here is good to eat!
No other planet can produce such a delicious food.
What?

The soil is edible!!!
Here's some mud.

That's right!! Even if nor sweet nor salty, it's really good!


p176
[nada]


p177
But at this rate, the planet will disappear!!!!
Why do they let them do that?!

Ah, here you are, miss Maetel, let's go back to the train quick!!!
Ah?

The locomotive has gotten back all its functions. It has computed the way out of this dimension, so we're leaving immediately!
Is it fixed then?

Yes, the failure was due to someone who suddenly left it alone.


p178
That was really a strange planet...

Damn!!!

How sad... Dammit!!!

You there, kid... Don't laugh at me, I just wanted to hijack the train to go back to my home planet. If only I knew!
It was my beautiful home planet... I was proud of it... It brought peace to my heart during my fights and my travels through space...

And to say now it's gradually disappearing, gnawn by men...
The next time I'll go home will be when I'll be dead.

My true home planet is shining in my heart, this isn't those disfigured landscapes where I won't ever go back...!!


p179
...

I didn't see his face, but he seemed to have muscled arms.
I've never seen such tough warrior crying like that...!
I know right!!

It's hard to see that your home planet has changed so much...

After a detour in another dimension, we are going to our right next stop: "Imbecile"...


p180
According space observations, if the crunched planet doesn't exist anymore, it isn't the fault of foreigners who came digging the soil... but rather, it is its inhabitant's one. Yet, there's no written trace of the moment it disappeared...