Original subtitles

One step at a time, with stupid diligence, we worked our way

from a primitive world all the way to the surface of the moon.

We still don't know who or what Why-Man is.

We have little in the way of weaponry against him.

You mean that kablooey net launcher thing, right?

The netgun grenade.

Yes, and one more.

The capsule Medusa.

Oh, dang! Of course!

They're on the surface of the moon, which means they can't even talk!

The Medusa wouldn't even work without the capsule!

What do you mean?

The petrification beam can be both a weapon and a healing item.

The capsule is filled with air

so that we can issue voice commands to it over the radio.

If it ever comes to it, I could throw this at the enemy and, for example,

say, "Ten meters, one se—"

Oh, that's right! I was about to set it off!

I've got nothing but concern for Kohaku-chan.

We can save the chit-chat for later.

Yeah, we're wasting oxygen.

Let's head out now!

So fast.

Forget any sentimental moon landing stuff, huh?

A military man, an optimization nerd, and a girl on a hair trigger.

They're the fastest-moving trio around.

Our destination is...

the Taurus-Littrow valley!

Taurus-Littrow is...

Right around the neck of the moon bunny.

That's where we found the suspicious black spot using our satellites.

Any enemies on the moon are going to spot us instantly,

driving around in this shiny-ass thing.

Better than landing right at the destination.

Look...

There's a flag!

The Stars and Stripes that the US planted.

Although it's been completely bleached by

all the cosmic rays hitting it directly.

So Why-Man happens to be right where humanity planted a flag.

A bit suspicious, don't you think?

The moon's freaking huge.

There's always a logical reason behind every coincidence.

Don't try to imagine what the enemy's like.

Making assumptions will be the end of you.

We'll just have to go and see for ourselves.

Kohaku.

Please release the capsule Medusa.

What's with you, Senku?

You're being mighty formal all of a sudden.

Do I open it now?

Correct. Quickly.

Kohaku...

What are you talking about?

Senku didn't say anything just now.

It's using Senku's mic frequency and voice.

It's forging comms!

Thanks for opening it!

Throw it, Kohaku!

Kohaku's perfect martial arts throw ought to do it.

The gravity on the moon is a sixth of that on Earth.

That thing will go six times as far.

Nice.

And we finally meet.

So this is the true form of the sinister black spot writhing on the moon.

Well, shit.

Finally.

All the mysteries are finally coming together.

That light thousands of years ago...

The very mastermind behind the petrification of humanity.

It was all you!

You're Why-Man!

What happened?

What did you find there on the moon?!

To my eyes,

it appears to be changing shape ever so slightly over time.

It's the Medusa I threw. The one we brought from Earth.

The whole capsule is floating.

You're the only ones who could have faked my voice to send forged comms.

You can speak through the radio, can't you?

Go ahead. English or Japanese.

Yes.

All this time...

All this time, you were here.

Right nearby.

Medusa, you...

Your very existence...

is the machine lifeform, Why-Man.

Do you wanna die?

"Do you wanna die?"

It's asking if we want to perish.

It's the same message Why-Man-chan sent us last time.

Right after Senku-chan's team dodged the petrification beam?

Dude, you know what?

You think maybe Medusa—I mean, Why-Man—isn't trying to kill us,

but trying to petrify us so we don't die?

Senku-chan, I don't know if there's any point in trying to talk to it...

But either way, the custom all across the world and across history

when you make first contact

with another nation is to bear a gift.

But we don't have anything.

What would it even regard as a gift, anyway?

I don't even know if it's a living thing.

Search. What rules do they operate under?

If it follows rules, it's science.

Well, one thing's for certain.

It did us the courtesy of asking if we want to die.

In other words, continuing to live is important for these guys, too.

Why-Man.

Eh, I doubt that's even your name, but that's what I'm calling you.

Sadly, our science isn't good enough to replicate your kind.

Still, we can reload those diamond batteries you need to energize yourselves.

One step at a time, we managed to bring human science that far, at least.

That's our gift to you.

In exchange, our demands are...

Politely, Senku-chan.

You gotta be super polite when you negotiate.

Cut that shit out with the freaking petrification beams!

Aiee! Way too blunt!

Why?

Stop it.

Silence is implored.

There's more than one Why-Man.

Looks like they aren't a monolith.

We don't have any intel.

I'm just guessing here, but point is, you want us to maintain y'all, yeah?

That's what the petrification beam is for.

Of course!

What an elegant creature!

The Medusa, or Why-Man...

Its MO is, in fact,

to promise eternal life to intelligent beings through petrification

in exchange for having its own kind raised.

It's a mechanical parasite!

It needs a host species!

Yes. This is known true.

All information will be imparted.

For all civilizations, the production of radio waves is inevitable.

For any planet emitting regularly modulated radio waves,

this is evidence of intelligent life present here.

Why did you petrify swallows before you did humanity?

Was that a test?

For all hosts, the parasitism process is the same.

An advance party first is dispatched.

The DNA of a fortunate life entity is targeted.

Fortunate? Even though they're getting petrified?

For all creatures, life eventually is terminated.

For us, too, this is true.

Oxygen, huh?

Why-Man are machine lifeforms.

Oxidation—in other words, rusting— is what makes them stop functioning.

There exists not a thing more terrible than death

and not a thing more terrifying.

For all life, the prime objective is continued life.

Eternal petrification is eternal evasion of death.

This, truly, is magnificence!

So it's true.

If you ask the Why-Man-chans, being petrified is a super happy state to be in.

The petrification wave alters the phases of elements.

For all targets and only for all targets, the perception is of a visible light ray.

The sudden petrification is eternal life.

For any kind of living entities on a planet,

if it communicates this enthusiastically by radio,

then it is the most intelligent.

This is humanity.

This is the host we chose.

The mechanism is such that,

for the individuals whose brains process most actively,

petrification is released earliest.

For the intelligent, the promise of eternal life is irresistible.

The effect of this is their eternal nurturing of us parasites.

For all of us who descended to petrify humanity,

functioning was ceased by oxygen, a deadly toxin.

For the rest of us on this satellite, we awaited our opportunity.

Then, after roughly 3,000 orbits,

the regular signal of crystals being polished

was amplified by hair accessories inadvertently

functioning as dipole antennas.

This signal was received by us.

We decided to teach the human kind to use the petrification device.

We used the same frequency by which

the radio waves were transmitted through the dipole antenna.

I hear something.

God's voice?

One meter, one second?

We demonstrated eternal life.

For all petrified, death is deferred.

Yet...

Humanity's response to our attempt to be nurtured was dismissal.

Our desired replication was fruitless.

Even our batteries were not replaced.

Was their cognitive capacity lacking?

Was our choice of host in error?

The radio waves being emitted were sparse.

Our assessment was that you may be an inferior kind.

That was the instant when...

We're making GPS.

And we're blasting some powerful radio waves.

This kind possess the cognitive capacity to emit such powerful radio waves.

Yet, eternal life—petrification— is not desired?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

A decision was made.

Once again, we must envelop this planet in petrification waves.

There exists a need to reconvey the glory of petrification.

We use their methods.

Their frequencies, their vocal timbre.

Twelve million eight hundred thousand meters,

one second.

Your behavior, entirely, was indecipherable.

So that's why you asked

if we wanted to die.

Why the hell would we?

What was that misfire, then?

That moment, the poison—oxygen —was suddenly eliminated

from my environment.

Where am I?

I can move.

I must issue a signal using a petrification wave.

For all proximal intelligent beings, my existence must be known.

So that wasn't a misfire?

Why-Man, you did that on purpose, then.

Yes. This is correct.

There's one last thing I don't get.

One thing?!

I hardly got any of that!

Okay, well...

Long story short, they petrify smart creatures.

The creatures go, "Woohoo, eternal life!" and take good care of them.

That's what the Why-Man-chans were hoping for.

You bastards want us to use our science to swap out your batteries

and replicate you and stuff, don't you?

But you went and petrified humanity for thousands of years.

Wiping out civilization would have ruined your plan.

Why the hell would you shoot the ball in your own goal?

On arriving at this satellite,

we discovered abandoned interplanetary craft.

We assessed that this kind must be highly intelligent.

Contrarily, the time your kind took to reawaken was thousands of years.

Your value was overestimated.

There's no point in getting angry.

They're just telling the truth as they see it.

Sure.

Maybe we're way behind in our science.

We can't even begin to guess how you're floating around,

giving gravity the finger.

But we'll know soon enough.

It's only been a few thousand years since we've had

any scientific civilization to speak of.

It doesn't even matter if we die of old age.

There's seven billion of us to hand science down to,

and billions more after that.

That's how we got so far so freaking fast.

Now, then, Why-Man, I want to negotiate with you, one-on-one.

What is he...

Negotiate? One-on-one?

We, humankind, all of us, and you, machine lifeforms,

are going to duke it out to decide our fates.

Translation: Rei Miyasaka Timing: Andy Ellis Editing: Zachary Carlysle Quality Control: William Haggard Translation Check: Becky Cottrill

Ushers of an Exhilarating Future

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Ushers of an Exhilarating Future

This is a work of fiction, but the plants, animals, and production methods described are based on reality. Foraging and making things on your own accord is extremely dangerous and, in some cases, illegal. Please do not imitate without expertise.