Sasuke Sanada\u2019s state was particularly grim since all his firm opinions had unfortunately backfired. There was certainly a difference in weight between Okita\u2019s life as an individual and the fate of all life on Earth. That was true in theory, but the reality of it pressed down on even the cool-headed Sanada.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis pulse rate began dropping as soon as he was moved to Yamato<\/em>,\u201d Hiroshi Sado explained with a sad look. \u201cIn his current state, he\u2019s being kept barely alive with the support of breathing equipment. When the time comes, we\u2019ll have to consider cryo-preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n Susumu looked down at Okita\u2019s pale face and cried out with frustration.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t identify this bacteria at all!?\u201d<\/p>\n Hiroshi Sado seemed completely defeated.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. I don\u2019t. It\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen this strain. It doesn\u2019t budge no matter what treatment I apply. In fact, it seems to have become more virulent since it was transferred to Yamato<\/em>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my fault,\u201d Sanada groaned. \u201cAfter all, everyone else said we shouldn\u2019t remove him from planet Bolzon\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n Hikozaemon Tokugawa gently placed his hand on Sanada\u2019s shoulder. Suddenly, Susumu\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor Sado! Isn\u2019t it strange that the bacteria became more active after being moved to Yamato<\/em>? Doesn\u2019t that mean something? For example, could there be something here on Yamato<\/em> that makes it easier for the bacteria to thrive\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh\u2026!?\u201d Hiroshi Sado\u2019s expression also changed. \u201cWell, that\u2019s an interesting idea! How does the environment of Bolzon differ from Yamato<\/em>\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gravity, doctor!\u201d Yuki Mori shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, it is gravity! Yamato<\/em>\u2019s gravity is 1G, whereas Bolzon\u2019s is 1.5 G. All right, let\u2019s test it at once.\u201d<\/p>\n The room was filled with energy. Hiroshi Sado placed a bacterial cell in a small airtight box and set the projection system to show a magnified view. Before long, an image of the mysterious, wriggling bacteria appeared on the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, I\u2019ll increase the gravity!\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Sado\u2019s finger moved to the gravity switch and the gravity in the airtight box increased slightly.<\/p>\n 1.5 G\u2026the bacteria\u2019s movement changed strangely.<\/p>\n 1.8 G\u2026now it looked as if it was in pain.<\/p>\n 2 G\u2026its movement stopped and it undulated gently.<\/p>\n 2.5 G\u2026its movement stopped and froze completely.<\/p>\n \u201cSuccess!\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n Dr. Sado\u2019s hand dove into his pocket and pulled out a silver whiskey container and drank from it with relish as if playing a trumpet.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the bacteria remained in a place where less than 1G was applied,\u201d he said with a big sigh, \u201cthe captain\u2019s life probably wouldn\u2019t last one day. It was planet Bolzon itself that kept him alive this long.\u201d<\/p>\n Sasuke Sanada stood before Susumu with a joyful expression.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Kodai. If you hadn\u2019t thought of that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSanada, it\u2019s as Dr. Sado said. Planet Bolzon saved the captain. If you want to thank someone, thank Bolzon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. You\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n The room filled with relieved smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, place the captain in an airtight chamber immediately and increase the gravity to 2G!\u201d<\/p>\n At Dr. Sado\u2019s instructions, the process got underway at once.<\/p>\n One week later, Juuzo Okita was completely recovered.<\/p>\n Yamato<\/em> rushed forward. The long rest at planet Bolzon had almost consumed the navigation schedule\u2019s safety margin. Now they were driven to a state in which just one day of delay would lead to the extinction of life on Earth.<\/p>\n As could be expected, Juuzo Okita\u2019s recent recovery left him not looking well. Seated in his control box, he busily conducted this forced march.<\/p>\n \u201cVerify start time for the warp engine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger! Warp engine startup in one hour, twenty minutes!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight. Then continue light-speed sailing and reconfirm measurement of the warp path.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger!\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, the voice of the radar officer shook the bridge.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain! There\u2019s a reaction on the main radar! Directly on Yamato<\/em>\u2019s course, approximately 15 million km.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you estimate the object to be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems to be floating. A space craft, apparently adrift.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight, we\u2019ll investigate. Confirm the floating object ahead and check for a point where we can stop!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger!\u201d<\/p>\n Soon, the reaction was projected onto the panel screen. The bridge crew held their breath and waited. Gamilas attacks were extremely clever. Even if this was simple flotsam, carelessness was taboo.<\/p>\n \u201cYamato<\/em>, stop! Distance, 80,000 km. Sending an image to the panel screen.\u201d<\/p>\n At that moment, the view 80,000 km ahead was enlarged and projected onto the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cL-look at that!!\u201d Susumu shouted. \u201cThat\u2019s my combat boat!\u201d <\/p>\n Indeed, projected there was the small combat boat he had once used. Okita raised his voice in surprise at the unexpected sighting.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Kodai continued. \u201cMoreover, it\u2019s the boat Daisuke took out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight, investigate it at once. But it could be a Gamilas trap, so proceed with extreme caution!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoger!\u201d<\/p>\n Susumu quickly organized a survey team with two transport boats that promptly approached the drifting combat boat with him in command.<\/p>\n \u201cChief Kodai, there are no suspicious shadows within a radius of 300 square km. Shall we radio the combat boat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, wait! I\u2019ll transfer to the combat boat and conduct my own survey. Bring us in alongside it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s dangerous,\u201d one of the Space Fighters shouted with concern.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ll do it alone,\u201d Kodai answered. \u201cIf it\u2019s an enemy trap, forget about me and turn back to Yamato<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n Nonetheless, Susumu\u2019s heart was pounding, It was possible that Daisuke Shima had given up and come back safe.<\/p>\n \u201cDaisuke\u2026please be safe somehow\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n With a life rope tied to his waist, Susumu swam through space from the transport boat to the stern of the combat boat and made his way slowly forward, step by step.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Kodai. Yamato<\/em> bridge, do you read me? I\u2019ve started my inspection of the drifting combat boat. No damage to the hull. The hatch is closed normally\u2026moving around the front to survey the state of the interior through the radar window\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Since the combat boats had been made for dual use both inside and outside of an atmosphere, the mechanical structure of the windshield was semi-circular.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing abnormal about the boat\u2026no damage to the instruments as far as I can see. WHOAH!\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly, Susumu\u2019s eyes widened within his space helmet.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on! Someone\u2019s lying under the pilot\u2019s seat! OH! Captain, it\u2019s Daisuke! Daisuke Shima is lying inside!!\u201d<\/p>\n The commotion inside Yamato<\/em> was even greater than Susumu\u2019s surprise. Daisuke Shima, thought to have died, was discovered here in the vast darkness of space. This miracle astonished the Earthlings, who were hungry for good news.<\/p>\n The combat boat that safely housed Daisuke was immediately towed inside Yamato<\/em>. He was physically weak, but had seemingly survived on willpower alone and declined medical treatment from Dr. Sado.<\/p>\n \u201cDaisuke, this is great\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Susumu hugged Daisuke\u2019s shoulder with all his strength and a tearful voice.<\/p>\n \u201cHow on Earth did you make it? We\u2019d completely given up on you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026I\u2019m sorry I worried you. I went too far into enemy territory, and I was captured along with the combat boat. But I was ready for them, and I intended to fight to the death. I managed to break free and destroy the enemy flagship with thorough sabotage. When I ran, I found the combat boat storage by pure luck. Because of my sabotage, the confused Gamilas aliens ignored me, and I was able to escape. The fuel had been drained and the communication equipment had been removed, but there was no other way but to trust my luck to heaven. So I laid down on the floor to wait and use as little physical strength as possible\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell done! Daisuke, really, it\u2019s like a dream\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Okita and Yuki Mori watched them joyfully. Crew members hung on Daisuke\u2019s every word, eager to see his miraculous return for themselves. After things calmed down, Yuki Mori shyly approached Daisuke.<\/p>\n \u201cShima\u2026it\u2019s really good that you\u2019re safe. Please forgive me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForgive you?\u201d<\/p>\n Daisuke stared at her with a puzzled look.<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026it\u2019s fine\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan we be friends from now on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Susumu watched their exchange, nodding his head repeatedly.<\/p>\n Yamato<\/em> continued on with smooth sailing. The engine ran smoothly and no movement of the enemy Gamilas was seen for over half a month. The atmosphere was more peaceful than ever.<\/p>\n But one day an accident occurred on board. Engineer\u2019s mate Sukeharu Yabu discovered an abnormality in the central panel of the radiation detection devices installed throughout the ship. In other words, the detectors weren\u2019t operating normally, and if an accident were to happen, such as a radiation leak from the reactor, it would be a very dangerous situation.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long will it take to repair?\u201d a perplexed Hikozaemon Tokugawa asked when he received Sukeharu Yabu\u2019s report.<\/p>\n Several accidents had happened, but this was the first time a problem had occurred in ship maintenance.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cause is completely unclear, but since most of the control panel is shorted out, it will take at least three days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThree days. We don\u2019t know when an unforeseen accident could happen. Start repair as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnderstood. We\u2019ll start right away.\u201d<\/p>\n At least it didn\u2019t seem to be a major problem this time, but it could have been a fuse that ignited a major accident that Tokugawa couldn\u2019t even imagine. <\/p>\n More accidents became apparent 24 hours later. Three small nuclear reactors were installed in Yamato<\/em>\u2019s stern underside engine block, a place that could be considered the heart of the ship. At first, eight of the personnel assigned there collapsed one by one from intense nausea and dizziness. If it continued it would threaten everyone in the area around the engine block.<\/p>\n Medical cases with unknown causes were constantly carried into Dr. Sado\u2019s hospital room, and even the dazed crew members that brought them in fainted in front of Hiroshi Sado\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no good\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n As he conducted a medical examination, Hiroshi Sado went pale and suddenly stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are symptoms of radiation poisoning! Somehow, Yamato<\/em> has a radiation leak!\u201d<\/p>\n Immediately after receiving Hiroshi Sado\u2019s report, Juuzo Okita ordered chief engineer Tokugawa to inspect the engine block with small radiation detectors. An inspection group was quickly organized and began studying the site in protective clothing. It was discovered that the area around one of the reactors was already filled with a lethal dose of radiation that was slowly spreading in all directions.<\/p>\n \u201cSeal off the engine block and the engineering crew quarters, and begin cleaning up the pollution immediately!\u201d<\/p>\n Okita\u2019s orders flew through the ship, and Yamato<\/em> was thrown into a panic in the face of this internal, unfeeling enemy.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very strange\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The section chiefs were huddled around Okita on the first bridge, having just finished discussing the ramifications of this event.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time the central control panel of the detection system fails, there\u2019s a radiation leak from a nuclear reactor. This is too coincidental to be an accident\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Okita and Susumu both had the same gut feeling about it, but if it wasn\u2019t an accident the alternative was absurd.<\/p>\n \u201cBut then, if so, it means someone on Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew did it intentionally. Do you think so too, Daisuke?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. As accidents go, it\u2019s certainly a strange one, but I can\u2019t believe such a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, of course!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain! If such a rumor flies around the ship, the crew will lose their focus. I absolutely can\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm. Maybe it\u2019s just our imagination. Let\u2019s be careful, Kodai. This voyage will fall apart if we can\u2019t trust one another.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, there would be casualties from this accident. The engine block returned to normal three days later, but ten days afterward fifteen members of the engineering crew died of radiation sickness. <\/p>\n The day after their funeral was held with burial in space, another accident occurred.<\/p>\n In the area around the combat boat launch control room, 3:00pm was rest time in the Space Fighters\u2019 quarters. One hour later, a large explosion went off. It was one of the few times all of the Space Fighter personnel could find peace, but their rest was suddenly broken by a descent into hell.<\/p>\n Most of the 35 Space Fighters were wounded, and more than half had already taken their last breath. It exactly matched a hellish depiction of shrieking agony<\/p>\n A relief squad was organized immediately, and a rescue operation of the injured was carried out together with an investigation into the cause. The loss was enormous.<\/p>\n Nineteen had been killed instantly and ten of the remaining people were injured with burns and bruises from the blast. Most of their quarters had been brutally destroyed. But the cause remained completely unknown.<\/p>\n In other words, there was nothing in the area that could have caused a huge explosion, so when all other factors were ruled out the only presumption left was that someone must have done it deliberately.<\/p>\n The prospect was demoralizing. For the last Earthlings, mutual solidarity was what gave them all the strength to continue this difficult journey, and now it was self-evident that a malicious person was in their midst who could not be trusted.<\/p>\n The crew sank into silent distrust of one another, but not a single one of them uttered a word about it.<\/p>\n And then, finally, a truly decisive incident occurred.<\/p>\nThe miraculous return of Daisuke<\/h3>\n
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<\/span><\/p>\nA spate of shipboard accidents<\/h3>\n
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