Galaxy Express 999 36

GE999 #36


p79
Tetsurou hates snow more than anything in the world. Each time cold embraces him, sad memories surface in his mind. He will never forget this fateful night when his mother got killed in the snow...
3rd stop: Kishibojin and the snow city


p80-81
This planet is really beautiful, it's surrounded by a Van Allen belt.
It's snow! Thanks to its magnetism, it takes this shape while falling down...


p82
Space is full of humidity in this area... The water steam freezes and becomes snow flakes.

I didn't know that it snows even in space.

In some parts of the universe, the planets attraction balances and the atmosphere is similar to the Earth's.
Really? You mean that behind this window, there's air?!


p83
Next stop: The snow city... It will last 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Which makes 3 days on this planet.

Days are short!
Of course, since the planet spins really fast!

It's part of a group of five planets that drag each other mutually. If the spinning was too slow, they would collide themselves.

Snow...

I hate snow!

Does it remind you of your mother?
Yes...

And of all the nights I have spent in the cold too!


p84
[nada]


p85
It falls for so long that there is a thick coat of snow on the floor...
Brrr! I get the goosebumps just by looking at this landscape!!


p86
Waaah, a snow tunnel!

But I don't feel like getting off this time!

...

We've stopped!!!

But Maetel, we can't get out, there's a snow wall!!


p87
...
A tunnel has been digged in the snow to grant access to the station.

I'm frozen, I'm frozen...

This ice palace is going to turn me into an Eskimo.


p88
The town has been built under the snow...
But why people don't live on the surface instead?

Because, even if you build a building on the outside, it will eventually be covered in snow.

Winter is the only season this planet will ever know... Forever...


p89
I can't stand it anymore...

An udon restaurant!!!
panel: Snow udons
Let's get in!!!

Here's your udon!
Hmmm...

?!!

But these udons are frozen!!!
That's the local speciality.

Bwaaaah!!


Now, even my stomach is frozen. I feel like I'm dying!

Waah!


p90
Tetsurou!

Luckily, the snow has softened my fall...


p91
!!


p92
Ack!

It's mine, give it back!!
No, I've seen it first!!!

They took everything I had...


p93
What a weird place!!!

Waaah!
Even my belt!!!

Err...
Huh?

I didn't see your bottom!!!
Doesn't matter, it doesn't change anything!

Give me something...

I'm so hungry!
But I haven't anything anymore!

Oh, a piece of biscuit...
Give it to me!!!

Here too, there are poor people? Is it the government's fault?


p94
Ah! Damn... How am I going to get out of here?

If you accept to follow me to my place, I'll show you how to get to the surface.
Ok, if you show me how to get out.

Come, follow me!
Coming. After all, you're not gonna eat me!

What is this place? A tunnel under another one?
It's a ghost town trapped by snow. Underneath, there's another town, and another one underneath, and so on...
panel: Yamamoto shop


p95
I've never seen planets with several layers. It's like a millefeuille!!!

We can see light. I can finally get out of here.

Huh? But we're at the surface! It's too cold, I'm gonna die!


p96
The cold is only an impression. If you lived in town, you'll find this climate mild.
I suppose that the fact I'm turning into an iceman is also an impression... Brrr...


p97
I feel like dying!!!
That's nothing!


p98-99
Here's my house, Tetsurou. You don't have to worry anymore.
My nose is so frozen I can't breathe anymore...


p100
Mom, open up, I'mback.
Oh, it's you, Yuki?

Ugh!!!

...


p101
Drink!

Who are you? Where am I?


p102
You're at my place. I'm Bojin, Yuki's mother.

Drink it!

Oof!

Ah, but it's frozen!!

I thought you would like it...

Yuki will soon be done with her bath, you can take one too.
A bath!!!

I hate that, but at least, it will warm me up!
You don't seem used to cold, mister traveller!

It's available!!!


p103
Oh!

Let's goooo!

The hell?! The water is freezing cold!!!

I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...
You really felt the water was cold?


p104
You're really strange, Tetsurou...

I'll take care of the rest, go sleep.
Ok!!!

I hope mom is going to make a nice dinner.
Don't worry, I'm good at cooking!

They're talking about food. She will probably bake a cake.
I'll leave once I'll be reheated.

I knew right I shouldn't have gotten off the train. I hate cold!!

I need to go back to the station, no matter what.


p105
[nada]


p106
What's this noise?
The furnace doesn't work well...

Anyway, Tetsurou should be baked in 20 or 30 minutes, right?
Don't worry, I won't serve him raw.

Good. I hate rare meat...
And, we'll have to bake him well, he's so ugly!
??

We'll sell his bones the day after tomorrow to the skeleton merchant.
But his legs are so short, we won't get much!
What?!


p107
I won't let them eat me so easily!!

Ugh!!!

You won't get away, mister traveller.

Sorry, but you're our only way of survival, Tetsurou!

Your wish is finally coming true, mister traveller. You'll have all the heat you wanted.

But I'm in a furnace!


p108
...
It's a nice temperature now.

Ah! Just what I needed!
I feel like living again suddenly!

Well... It's getting a little too hot now!!

Ouch! It burns! I'll end up chared!!
Lemme out!!!


p109
The baking is way better when the temperature rise suddently.
You're right!!!

Yuki... Come here!
What?

Have you eaten anything?
No, why?

Oh, right!
Tetsurou gave me a piece of biscuit...

A piece of biscuit, you say?

Why didn't you tell me earlier? It's really important!!!
I... I forgot...


p110
I'm going to burn alive!! Help!!

Who's there?

!!


p111
I want to get out!!

Too late, I'm baked...


p112
...

!!

Don't worry, Tetsurou. You're not a roasted chicken.
Maetel!!!

Ah!


p113
What happened to the girl and her mother?
They let me bring you back without saying anything.

It's probably your piece of biscuit that saved you.
What do you mean?

The people of this planet don't have a lot of way to survive.

Maybe we would have done the same, my mom and I, if we were even poorer...
It's hard to survive in snow!!!

Once, I could really have become a more dreadful woman than this mother...

...


p114
Men call "home planet" the place where they were raised, even if the only memories there are sad and harsh. Thus, everytime he finds himself in a cold, snowy place, Tetsurou remember about his home planet too...