Zegapain > 21.The Soldiers

Shima: Not a single human remains on that blue planet.
Shima: How unnatural that is, I thought.
Shima: Everything began from there.
Shima: That's correct.
Shima: G-Phaetus!
Shima: There.
Shima: Within accelerated time,
Shima: the meta-bodies continue their grim, unending evolution,
Shima: an evolution without goal
Shima: or purpose.
Shima: The obsession to evolve is all they have left.
Shima: Just what is "life", anyway?
Shima: Aren't "people" simply vessels for the transport of genetic material?
Shima: Go now.
Shima: You must follow the path you believe in.
Shima: However,
Shima: time waits for no man, Shima.
Shima: I've been dreaming
Shima: more frequently as of late.
Shizuno: I envy you, Commander.
Shizuno: Because I've never even had a dream.
Shima: The two of us,
Shima: we live with such sad destinies.
Minato: Commander Shima.
Shima: It looks like you're all here.
Kyo: How can you drag us all out of bed so early in the morning?
Kyo: We better not be going jogging.
Minato: Shortly after dawn,
Minato: we finally finished analyzing the data collected from the Anti-Zega during its attack on the fake server.
Minato: With it, we've confirmed everything we need to know about the Gardsorm's Arctic core server.
Minato: Although it's currently in idle mode,
Minato: we can hypothesize from its huge energy reserves,
Minato: that it may be a powerful enough server to affect every deutera zone on Earth.
Minato: Based on all the available facts,
Minato: Commander Shima
Minato: has a vital announcement to make.
Shima: We'll start with my conclusion.
Shima: Armed with what we know, humanity's day of reckoning has come.
Kyo: Day of reckoning?
Shima: Our final operation:
Shima: consolidate all military might and hit the Arctic core server.
Shima: Once the threat has been eliminated,
Shima: we use their quantum portal against them.
Shima: We're taking this war to the moon.
Lu-Shen: Wait, to the moon?!
Chris: But why?
Chris: What brought this on?!
Shima: This is the chance we've been waiting for.
Shima: If we go to the moon,
Shima: our long-standing dream can be realized.
Shima: On the moon,
Shima: mankind can be made flesh again
Shima: and reborn into the physical world!
Kyo: We can go back to... the real world?!
Shima: Yes.
Shima: It's in preparation for this day that we've been working
Shima: by preserving meta-bodies.
May-Yu: At last!
May-Yu: At last, this day has finally come!
May-Yen: Oh, May-Yu!
May-Yu: May-yen!
Kyo: It's amazing!
Kyo: I can't believe it!
Kyo: Think of it, Shizuno! We can live as actual human beings again!
Shizuno: Yeah.
Kyo: C’mon! What kind of reaction is that?
Kyo: You must still be half-asleep.
Kaminagi: Be reborn...
Kaminagi: into the real world...
Kuroshio: I think...
Kuroshio: I'd rather
Kuroshio: stay the way I am.
Minato: What did you
Minato: just say?
Kuroshio: I mean,
Kuroshio: what's the point of having physical bodies now?
Kuroshio: We're fine without them.
Kuroshio: That's why I want to stay like I am.
Kyo: Come on, Kuroshio!
Kyo: What the hell are you saying?
Chris: Quiet.
Chris: Let him say his piece, Kyo.
Kuroshio: Commander Shima,
Kuroshio: you have no right to decide humanity's fate
Kuroshio: based solely on what you want.
Shima: We lack the luxury of time.
Kuroshio: We have all the time in the world.
Kuroshio: We're meta-bodies,
Kuroshio: we never grow old or die.
Kuroshio: I am so sick of this.
Kuroshio: I've had enough of feeling like you're manipulating me, Shima!
Minato: But, Kuroshio...
Shima: We must all be of one mind on this.
Kyo: Still, I was really surprised.
Kyo: Kuroshio getting all pissed like that...
Kyo: What's up his butt?
Kaminagi: He did have a point.
Kyo: Huh?
Kaminagi: Listen, even if we do become real humans again,
Kaminagi: we'll live another 70 years at most.
Kaminagi: Will people be happy about that
Kaminagi: after this?
Kyo: Kaminagi...
Shizuno: We rushed into this, didn't we?
Shizuno: You know, Kuroshio was right.
Shima: I'm the one with no time.
Shizuno: If we still had the Mihama server's regulation system,
Shizuno: we'd be able to handle this.
Shima: Too bad there's nothing left of it now.
Lu-Shen: Oh, here you are.
Lu-Shen: You know, I've been wondering where you both kept disappearing to.
Shizuno: Well, what are all of you doing here?
Minato: I'm so sorry, Commander.
Minato: But this time…
Minato: I’m plagued with just as many doubts as the rest of them.
Shima: I see.
Lu-Shen: What's this "regulation system" you mentioned?
Shima: I don't suppose I can say it's my family doctor and we leave it at that?
Lu-Shen: I'm afraid not, Shima.
Chris: I've thought it was kinda screwy for a while now.
Shima: The design and construction of the Zegapains
Chris: and our carriers,
Chris: hell, even the establishment of the Cerebrants' current battle plans.
Chris: Folks say it's all your doing.
Shima: And what of it?
Chris: And let's not forget swapping the Maihama server to the moon.
Chris: I don't buy that a normal Cerebrant could pull all that off!
Chris: I sure couldn't.
Chris: So fess up.
Chris: Who the hell are you guys?
Shima: The success of the operation doesn't hinge on you knowing.
Minato: Yes, it does.
Minato: Sir, without our trust,
Minato: you won't have anyone willing to carry out the operation!
Lu-Shen: So, what's it going to be?
Lu-Shen: Will you explain yourself
Lu-Shen: and earn back our trust,
Lu-Shen: well, Shima?
Shima: So be it.
Shima: We postpone the operation.
Minato: Commander!
A.I.: Q.L. Consumption level is critical.
Sarah: Toga!
Sarah: Quit wasting your shots!
Sarah: We're burning through our Q.L.!
Toga: Quit bitching!
Toga: We'll get recharged.
Sarah: Fosetta!
Fosetta: Running on empty again, are we?
Fosetta: Here comes your Q.L.!
Fosetta: Put it to good use!
A.I.: Q.L. charging, complete!
Sarah: We’re back up to full now, Toga!
Toga: Don't gotta tell me twice.
Dita: Predicted course of the Viagems leads to the enemy Arctic core server!
Isola: Toga! Shoot down one of them.
Toga: Only one of them?
Toga: Where's the fun in that?
Toga: Holo-Bolt Pressure!
Dita: Caladrius, provide cover fire!
Fosetta: Roger that.
Fosetta: Data, Q.L. Load.
Fosetta: Phalanx shot, physicalizing!
Toga: EAT THIS!!!
A.I.: Viagems have exploded.
Toga: Well, so much for that.
A.I.: Combat completed.
Isola: Good job.
Isola: Sarah, Toga,
Isola: you’ve earned yourselves a nice long breather.
Sarah: We wouldn’t know a nice long breather if it bit us in the ass!
Isola: Hehe, fair enough.
Toga: Hey, Isola.
Toga: Would you remind me again why exactly we're fighting like this?
Toga: I mean, it's never gonna end, is it?
Isola: We fight on behalf of a better future.
Toga: And you really think we have one?
Isola: I know we do.
Isola: Isn't that right, Shima?
Kaminagi: Maybe...
Kyo: Hmm?
Kaminagi: Maybe it's a matter of perspective.
Kaminagi: To Kuroshio,
Kaminagi: you're the odd one.
Kaminagi: Being real,
Kaminagi: he can't figure out why we would want that.
Kyo: Hmm?
Kyo: Well,
Kyo: because...
Kaminagi: The real world is full of hardships, Kyo.
Kaminagi: There are no cities,
Kaminagi: no convenience stores, or cell phones...
Kyo: What are you getting at?
Kyo: Are you saying that
Kyo: there’s something we should do while we still can?
Kyo: This isn’t exactly what I had in my mind.
Kyo: Well, as long as we're here,
Kyo: we might as well fill up on the good stuff.
Kyo: Right, Kamingagi?
Irie: I envy you.
Irie: You're so sincere.
Kyo: Huh?
Kyo: Oh, Kuroshio
Kyo: and Irie, too.
Kyo: You guys want me to recommend some fake food to ya?
Kuroshio: Hardly.
Kuroshio: Irie and I are regulars here.
Kuroshio: You think I'm a fool for saying what I said?
Kyo: Huh?
Kuroshio: I don't care what you think.
Kuroshio: I have no intention of leaving the server.
Kuroshio: Maybe things do get a little stale here.
Kuroshio: The same choices keep looping around.
Kuroshio: But…
Kuroshio: rather be bored than dead.
Kyo: Except...
Kyo: this place won't keep you young and bored forever.
Kyo: This server can only run for so long.
Kuroshio: Before it'll need repairs,
Kuroshio: we can do the external maintenance with Zegas,
Kyo: thus a longer lifespan.
Kyo: I suppose so, but...
Kyo: I mean, can you really call this living?
Kyo: Seriously?
Kuroshio: Huh,
Kuroshio: you're lucky, you know that?
Kuroshio: You forgot.
Kuroshio: You forget all about how utterly crappy things can be for us.
Kuroshio: Who knows?
Kuroshio: Maybe a guy like you can make things work with Kaminagi after all.
Kyo: What?
Irie: That's enough.
Kuroshio: We’re not so lucky, we remember it all.
Kuroshio: And that's why I don't want to die.
Kuroshio: Why throw our lives away
Kuroshio: in a worthless battle
Kuroshio: on a kind of Shima's obsession?
Kuroshio: I'm not that big a fool.
Kuroshio: That's it, damn it!
Kyo: It's a worthless battle, huh?
Kyo: What the hell would you even know about it?!
Kyo: We're the ones doing all the fighting, okay?
Kyo: You're just a console jockey.
Kyo: I don't want to hear any of your shit!
Irie: Leave him alone, Kyo.
Irie: We're sorry, okay?
Kuroshio: You really have forgotten the way things are, haven't you?
Kuroshio: I got way more kills out there than you, ace.
Irie: We were both pilots, originally.
Kyo: Wha...?
Irie: Like the two of you.
Abyss: I pose the question to you, who has diffused into us all.
Abyss: Naga, what is life?
Irie: We originally came from the Shizuoka server.
Irie: We fought the Gardsorms the world over,
Irie: finally ending up under Shima's command.
Kuroshio: Day after day we fought them,
Kuroshio: ferociously,
Kuroshio: desperately.
Kuroshio: We cheated death countless times,
Kuroshio: and were reborn
Kuroshio: again
Kuroshio: and again.
Kyo: Wait.
Kyo: You guys were reborn, too?
Kuroshio: It's not as uncommon as you might think.
Irie: The stress is too much for us.
Irie: Our bodies can only endure Zega combat for so long.
Kuroshio: I prefer living
Kuroshio: even if it's like this.
Kuroshio: All the Cerebrants from the Shizuoka server were...
Kuroshio: This is much better.
Kuroshio: I forgot about what happened to your server.
Kuroshio: You really trust those two,
Kuroshio: don't you, Sogoru?
Kyo: Huh?
Kuroshio: Don't you find them,
Kyo: well, the least bit strange?
Kyo: Er...
Kyo: Well, yeah, I guess Commander Shima is kinda shady, but with Shizuno, I...
Kyo: I just kinda feel like I can trust her, that's all.
Kuroshio: I suppose it would be odd if you didn't.
Kuroshio: After all,
Kuroshio: the old version of you was Shizuno's lover.
Kaminagi: What do you think I should do?
Kyo: Uh...
Kaminagi: Should I stay in the server?
Kaminagi: Or should I go back to being a real human?
Kyo: Wha...
Kuroshio: Who knows?
Kuroshio: In a sense, it doesn't matter.
Kuroshio: You won't be living happily ever after in either world.
Kuroshio: So...
Kyo: Kuroshio!
Kyo: Kaminagi?
Kyo: Hey, where are you going?!
Kyo: Kaminagi, wait!
Kuroshio: I'm a total jackass, aren't I?
Irie: God, I can't believe you!
Isola: I see.
Isola: So, Shima has already made his decision, then?
Isola: Yes.
Kuroshio: That's why,
Kuroshio: well, I'd like your opinion on this, Commander Isola.
Isola: Why ask me of all people?
Kuroshio: I respect your opinion
Kuroshio: quite a lot.
Kuroshio: You were always a good commander to me when I served under you.
Isola: Those were the days.
Isola: I treasure them.
Isola: The Zegapain was our newest asset back then.
Isola: And you two fought as though we had them for years.
Isola: One grueling battle after another.
Isola: Come to think of it, both of us having survived--
Isola: it's almost a miracle, isn't it?
Kuroshio: Our surviving is a miracle.
Kuroshio: And I don't wanna throw it all away.
Isola: I understand your hesitation.
Isola: Though you shouldn't have told me Shima's plans before he did.
Isola: But I'll look past it.
Kuroshio: Huh?
Isola: Should we be reborn,
Isola: or remain as meta-bodies?
Isola: Which life will make us happier?
Isola: What is "life" anyway?
Isola: I don't think you'll ever get an answer to that.
Isola: You have to follow your conscience on this.
Isola: That said,
Isola: you don't have the right to interfere with those who opt for resurrection,
Isola: tempting though it may be.
Isola: Good luck to you.
Kuroshio: I'll follow my conscience
Kuroshio: in all things.
Kyo: Hey, what's wrong?
Kyo: I know something’s got you down, Kaminagi.
Kaminagi: Fess up!
Kaminagi: You still love Shizuno, well, dontcha?
Kyo: Huh? Where the hell'd that come from?
Kaminagi: Well, dontcha?
Kyo: Uh...
Kyo: Well, I don't exactly hate her...
Kaminagi: Why so bashful?
Kaminagi: It doesn't bother me.
Kaminagi: Don't worry about me so much, Kyo.
Kaminagi: Just do what you want.
Kaminagi: If you wanna be with her, go right ahead.
Kyo: Why would you say something like that?
Kyo: Listen, that was the old version of Kyo.
Kyo: And I'm not that guy anymore--he's long gone!
Kaminagi: Then why do you act like he did
Kaminagi: and bottle it up when you get hurt.
Kaminagi: That's not how I want it to be.
Kaminagi: I know it isn't fair to either of us, okay?
Kyo: Hold on!
Kyo: That's not what I meant!
Kaminagi: I don't ever want it to be my fault you aren't happy, Kyo.
Kaminagi: I can't handle that!
Kaminagi: You don't have to bear the burden all alone!
Kaminagi: There's so much sadness and pain in you.
Kaminagi: I'm so afraid you're going to destroy yourself!
Kyo: Kaminagi...
Kyo: Maybe that was how the old me acted...
Kyo: I've been thinking about it lately.
Kyo: But I don't know if I ever remember.
Kyo: It's…
Kyo: it's kind of weird everyone worries about me.
Kaminagi: I've been thinking about a lot of stuff, too.
Kyo: Maybe... you and I should try thinking together then.
Kyo: Two heads are better than one.
Kaminagi: It wouldn't help.
Kaminagi: I'll weigh you down and you'll end up destroying yourself!
Kaminagi: All I do is pull you under.
Kaminagi: Why you don't let me go?
Shizuno: Shima!
Shima: I've decided, Yehl.
Shima: I will continue to walk
Shima: the path I believe in.
Shizuno: Are you saying...
Shizuno: that we should tell them everything?
Shima: Maybe then
Shima: they will trust in the plan.
Kyo: With pain comes realization, huh?
Shima: As commander of the Oceanus, I order you:
Shima: We will proceed with the final operation, exactly as planned!
Minato: Commander!
Shima: There will be no change!
Shima: Resurrecting mankind is our objective.
Kyo: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!
Kyo: What about Kaminagi, huh?
Kyo: If we do this thing, can we bring her back to the way she was before?!
Shima: We'll work on it.
Kyo: You'll work on it?!
Shima: I need you to trust me!
Kyo: Wha?!
Lu-Shen: You're reckless.
Lu-Shen: So, rather than explain the merits of your plan, you’d rather force us all into it?
Chris: What does going to the moon have to do with our being reborn?!
Chris: You have to explain at least that much, "O Captain! My Captain!"
Shima: I recognize that you all have your doubts.
Shima: Once our operation has been successful,
Shima: everyone here will be given the chance to decide their own fate--
Shima: remain in the server,
Shima: or be reborn.
Shima: Well, what do you think, Kuroshio?
Shima: Will that suffice?
Kuroshio: No, Shima.
Kuroshio: You know damn well that there's a third option here.
Kuroshio: We surrender ourselves to the Gardsorm.
Kyo: Kuroshio, what are you saying?
Kuroshio: In exchange for our surrender,
Kuroshio: they promise to let us live
Kuroshio: and use their technology
Kuroshio: to bring us back into the real world as Reconstructants!
Sin: Abyss?
Sin: Why's he late?
Sin: Welcome back, Abyss!
Abyss: Sin, the decision has been made.
Abyss: The lightless ones will be forced to suffer the holy wrath of Naga.
Kyo: Become Reconstructants?!
Kyo: Are you kidding me?
Kyo: Become like Abyss and Sin?!
Kyo: That's your big idea?
Kuroshio: Exactly.
Kuroshio: Not only do they have physical bodies,
Kuroshio: but they can keep coming back,
Kuroshio: no matter how often they die.
Kuroshio: Eternal life
Kuroshio: and all the new bodies you'd ever need.
Kuroshio: Perfection,
Kuroshio: don't you think?
Kyo: YOU’RE OUTTA YOUR GODDAMN MIND!!
Kyo: We’re more human now than they'll ever be.
Kyo: And I've had enough of your surrender talk!
Kuroshio: Well, I’ve had enough
Kuroshio: of your lips on Shima's ass!
Kyo: Say that again!
Shizuno: You can't call Reconstructants human.
Shizuno: Every last one of them is a monster.
Shizuno: The products of Naga's warped obsession with evolution.
Shima: To these creatures,
Shima: the concepts of peace or surrender are utterly alien.
Kuroshio: How can you be so sure?!
Kuroshio: What do you know about the Gardsorm that the rest of us don't?!
Shima: Plenty.
Shima: We know more than you at the very least.
Shima: And as to the question of how...
Shizuno: Shima!
Kyo: Mr. President!
Minato: Commander Shima!
Abyss: With the creation of Sabato,
Abyss: the lightless ones shall be exterminated.
Abyss: And then we shall resculpt the world as we see fit--
Abyss: for that is Naga's wish!
A.I.: Mission to resurrect mankind, commencing.
Kaminagi: It's finally begun.
Kaminagi: The final operation,
Kaminagi: which has close to zero chance for success.
A.I.: It's not "close" to zero.
A.I.: It is zero.
Kaminagi: You know,
Kaminagi: I may not necessarily like it,
Kaminagi: but I kinda think Kyo should fight with Shizuno on this mission.
A.I.: Do you really think so?
Kaminagi: I said I do.
Kaminagi: But what do you want?
A.I.: Next time on Zegapain:
A.I.: G-Phaetus.
Kaminagi: My pain, never to be forgotten.