Darker Than Black > 03. A New Star Shines in the Dawn Sky... (Part 1)

Man:
This is command one. What happened? What's the situation?
Do you copy? Tahara?

Tahara:
I don't know. I can't explain it...

Man:
Say again! Was there an accident? Where are the other investigators?

Tahara:
I told you! I don't know what happened! I don't know!

Man:
We've lost the feed on your in-suit monitors. Can you give us a fix on your position?

Tahara:
I'm heading for the Fukukawa approach point.
Now crossing Kiyosubashi bridge.

Man:
We're sending retrieval team now. Stay where you are.

Tahara:
No! No, don't! Don't come in here!
Humans don't belong in this place. We never should have come here.

Man:
Say again, Tahara! You're breaking up! What happened?
Tahara! Come in!



Hei:
Good morning.
Strange guy...

Hei:
Hi. Good morning.

Resident:
Yeah, morning.

Misuzu:
Oh, Li! Good boy. Why don't you put your trash out till the morning?
I keep telling everyone not to let it set out all night, but do they listen?

Hei:
Is that your cat?

Misuzu:
No, just some stray. I caught hanging around lately.
He's a bad one. Been getting into the garbage every night and making a mess.

Hei:
Oh... Yeah, that is bad, isn't it?

Misuzu:
Chubby little guy.
I'm guessing someone around here has been feeding him.
It's not you, is it? You know, we have a no pets policy.

Hei:
I know.

Misuzu:
Off to school?

Hei:
No, I've gotta job.

Misuzu:
Really? You're not one of them damn telemarketers, are you?

Hei:
No. Of course, not.
So, um... What are you going to do with the cat?

Misuzu:
I'm not sure yet.
But I've heard there're places that caught this little bugger up and make him into a stew. That'd teach him a lesson, wouldn't it?

Hei:
It's not something I wanna try myself. But who knows? Might taste good.
I'll see you later.

Misuzu:
All right. Bye, now!
Damn cat!

Hei:
Pack of lights.

Yin:
140, please.



Worker:
Ah! Li! Good. Perfect timing.

Hei:
Yeah?

Worker:
Here. I need you to deliver this before you start your shift.

Hei:
Where to?

Worker:
The building outside the main office. Where the consultant works. Tahara.

Hei:
Consultant. A consultant for what?

Worker:
That's a good question.
Guy just stays holed up in a shed.
As far as I know, he doesn't even go home at night.
No clue what he actually does, but the story is, he used to be some big time scientist.
They say he ended up here after he got busted doing some kinda shady research overseas.
Oh, ya, remember the first research team that went into Hell's Gate?
I heard he was the only one to make it out of there alive.

Hei:
He's been inside the Gate?

Worker:
That's what they say.
They say it's sucked his soul right out of him.
Of [cause/course], those are all just stories. I doubt single one of them is true.

Hei:
Excuse me. I have a delivery for you.
Ah, Mr. Tahara?

Tahara:
It's open.

Hei:
The... um... the factory manager wanna me to give this to you.
Sorry about that.

Tahara:
Aren't you paid by the hour?

Hei:
Oh, ah, yeah.

Tahara:
If you're done here, get back to work.

Hei:
Yes, sir.



Front desk woman:
Here you are. Room 802.

Kenneth:
Thank you.

Luco:
I don't get it.
The company is going bankrupt and you need this man's research to bail you out, right?
So, what are we waiting for? We should just go take it.
That is why you brought me along, isn't it?

Kenneth:
It's called doing business. We make him an offer first, see what happens.

Luco:
I'm just saying, and be quick in my work.

Kenneth:
You know what? Every time you open your mouth, that makes me sick to my stomach.
But the company wants things done a certain way. They say I need a contractor.
So I've got no choice but to sit here breathing your filthy contaminated air.
It's business.
What's that? No come back? Nothing to say? Good!
[That/Then] at least we've established you know your place.
You're a contractor, a scum of the earth.
One word for me in this company kicks you back to whatever gotta you crawled out of.
You remember that next time you wanna give me your opinion.
Where the hell is a damn opener?

Luco:
Allow me.
I suppose I've gotta do something to earn my keep.

Kenneth:
If he says no, then we move on to the next step.
And we don't let up until he says yes. Whatever it takes.
Because that's the way I do business.



Mai:
No! Go out!

Man:
Hey, what are you doing?



Tahara:
Yes?

Woman:
Mr. Tahara? There's a call for you.
He says he is the principal at Nishitoyotama middle school.



Tahara:
Wait, you there! Do you have a license?
Do you have a driver's license? Can you drive a car?

Hei:
Yeah?



Mao:
Might taste good. That was cold even for you.
Just a heads up, Huang says the Meyer & Hilton people checked into their hotel 30 minutes ago.
Anything on Tahara yet?

Mai:
Why is that man here? Tell him to go away.

Female teacher:
I understand that you're upset, Mai, and I know how hard it must be on you having lost your mother so recently.
But I assume you've gone back to living with your father now, is that right?
And as a parent, he has a right to be...

Mai:
How can you call him a parent? He doesn't care about me.
He only comes home one night a month.

Vice-principal:
Now, look here, young lady. You should consider yourself fortunate that your father is the one we contacted rather than the police.

Mai:
Why would you call anybody!? I told you I didn't start that fire!

Vice-principal:
No? So the man who claims he caught you burning garbage in an [ally/alley] is lying to us, is that it?

Mai:
No, listen! When I got there, the fire just started burning all by itself!
It's the truth. Why wouldn't anyone believe me?

Tahara:
I think it's time I took my daughter home.
Now, we're leaving!

Vice-principal:
But... just a moment, sir! We still have several matters to discuss. Sir! Please!



Tahara:
Were you telling the truth? The fire started spontaneously as you were walking by.
Has that ever happened before? Have you experienced anything else unusual lately?

Mai:
What? You mean more unusual than you actually talking to me?

Tahara:
Be serious. I mean, things like an upheaval, lost time.

Mai:
So, what if I have? What difference does it make?
You can't just show up and start pretending like you care.
Don't touch me!

Yuka:
Hold on. Mai!

Yuka's friend:
Wow, you have your own driver? That's big time!

Mai:
What are you guys up to?

Yuka:
Oh, you know, just hangin' out.

Hei:
That's not safe.

Yuka:
Is this okay?

Mai:
Yeah, sure. No problem.
Come on!

Yuka:
All right.

Hei:
Should I get her?

Tahara:
You mind your own business. Just take us back to the factory.

Yuka's friend:
You okay, Mai? Seems like you've really been zoning out a lot lately.

Mai:
Yeah, I'm just a little out of it. Sorry.

Yuka:
It's hard without your mom, huh.
I can't imagine. It must get so lonely.

Mai:
Yeah.

Yuka's friend:
But you still got your dad, don't you?

Mai:
It's complicated.

Yuka's friend:
What do you mean?

Yuka:
You mean, because he still works all the time, right?

Mai:
All the time. It's just me and an empty apartment every night.

Yuka:
What? Your dad doesn't ever come home? Why not?

Mai:
Who knows?

Yuka:
That's it. You're coming to my house for dinner tonight, and that's final.
My brother and sister are gonna be there, too.
But they're all right. As long as you don't mind a little noise.
I think you'll have fun. Dinners always better with a lot people around.
And I know my mom and dad'll be thrilled to have you!

Yuka's friend:
Hold on. How about me?

Yuka:
Only if you promise not to clean out our whole refrigerator this time.

Yuka's friend:
When did I do that!?

Mai:
Actually, I'm gonna pass.

Yuka:
For real?

Mai:
Well, I'm sort of in trouble. So my dad's probably waiting to give me a lecture.

Yuka:
He's coming home?

Mai:
Sure! Maybe. He's pretty mad. I'm gonna get it.

Yuka:
I gotcha. We'll do it some other time, then.

Mai:
Yeah. Um... thanks.



Tahara:
For the last time! I'm not coming back to work for you.
I want nothing to do with you people!

Kenneth:
So, that's how it is.
I can see I'll have to find some way to be more persuasive.
Give you one last chance.

Tahara:
Go to hell!!



Kenneth:
Yeah, it's me. We're moving on to the next step.
Right. The daughter.



Clerk:
Excuse me, miss?

Hei:
Good. You found it.
Oh, hi. Can you ring these up for us?

Clerk:
Ah, sure.



Curfew officer:
What are you doing wondering around at this hour, young lady?
It's after curfew. Are you here with your mother or father?

Mai:
What do you care? It's none of your business.

Curfew officer:
Now, listen.

Hei:
There you are.
My sister.



Mai:
Get lost. Why are you following me?
What? He said you, didn't he? He told you to spy on me!
Well, you can tell him this. "Stay away!"
Tell him to leave me alone! I don't ever wanna see him!
I don't care if he comes home! Tell him I hate him!
You got that?

Hei:
So, do you feel better now?
C'mon, it's late. Why don't [you] let me walk you back home.

Mai:
I don't wanna go home.
There's nothing there. Just a dark, empty apartment.
I can't go back.

Hei:
All right.
Then I guess we'll just have to hang out till morning.



Mai:
Wow, this place is creepy at night.

Hei:
Here, tell you what? Just close your eyes for a sec, okay?
How's this?

Mai:
Greats!

Guard:
You! Stop right there!



Hei:
Guess that means I'm hungry!



Man:
Here you go, miss!
One jumbo parfait with fresh fruit, chocolate with cream and almonds!
Oh yeah, and extra splits. Enjoy!



Mai:
Really? So, you just moved to the city, huh?
Guess that explains weird dress.
That's okay. I mean I haven't always lived here either, you know?
We actually lived in Africa for a while, if you can believe that.
Here. I'll show you something. But you gotta keep it a secret, okay, Li?
Look close. See ya? You used to [be] able to see it a lot better.
It was really bright when I was a kid. I guess it's getting pretty dim now.
There're some days I can't even see it at all. But neat, huh?
Back when I was younger my dad used to say it was my good luck charm.
He said it would always keep me safe.

Hei:
How do you know it's not something bad?
Is your father a doctor?

Mai:
Mm-mm.

Hei:
So, what kind of work does he do?

Mai:
Research.

Hei:
Like he's a scientist? That's interesting. What kinda things does he study?

Mai:
I don't know. So, why did you come to the city, Li?

Hei:
I'm here for school.

Mai:
Any family?

Hei:
No, none.

Mai:
You're all alone. Just like me.
I think it's about time for the first train.



Yin:
They're moving. But... they're not alone.



Mai:
You know what this feels like?
It's like... you're my brother.

Hei:
Turn right to the next [ally/alley].

Mai:
Why?

Hei:
Mai, run! Don't think, just go!

Worker:
Hey, what are you doing? You can't be here!



Kirihara:
This is Kirihara.

Mayu:
Chief, a new star!
A new star has been born!



Moratorium. A contract deferred. Power without price. But this reprieve is only temporary. The true cost becomes clear in time. Loss of self. Loss of control. The last proof of her father's love withers and faints. The final connections to normal life are gone. The daughter's screaming ignites a spark. The spark ignites a flame. And in the end, everything burns.