Back to Sasse.co.uk

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7 - Episode 8 - Image Gallery

Episode 5: Moonlight Rambler

It is the year 2033. Floating in the sky 320km above MegaTokyo is Genaros, an artificial space island. Four young women steal a patrol car, and, chased by station security, race down one of Genaros's linear highways to the spaceport the fifth has secured for their use. They plan to steal a shuttle and flee to the Earth, where freedom awaits.

Although they manage to evade security, the five are attacked in the shuttle bay by "Dobermans", Boomers designed for space combat. Three of the women sacrifice their lives so that the remaining two, Sylvie and Anri, who has been badly injured, can launch the shuttle. The shuttle is damaged by a pursuing Doberman during the launch, and it crash lands near MegaTokyo.

Leon McNichol and Daley Wong are dispatched by the AD Police to investigate the crash scene. It is determined that the shuttle belongs to the SDPC (the Space Development Corporation), owner of Genaros. There is no sign of the pilot, and SDPC refuses to comment on the occupants.

SDPC later announces that it is launching an inquiry into the situation at Genaros Station. Orchestrating the situation behind the scenes is Flint, head of GPCC (the Genom Corporate Research Center), and Largo, his right-hand man. Using their influence over Kaufman, the head of the SDPC, they have been using the space islands to build high-tech weapons for sale to the Eastern Bloc. Flint informs Kaufman that he expects him to take care of this latest fiasco.

Flint is also concerned about the whereabouts of the prototype "DD" Airborne Battlemover, which was stowed aboard the crashed shuttle. Largo suggests that Flint has bitten off more than he can chew, and if the ADP or Genom Tower find out what he's been doing, Flint might just vanish. Flint, however, is sure that he knows what the escapees are after.

Daley is sent to ask questions at Genaros, but the Chief makes it clear that this is just a formality. The Chief doesn't want to stir things up because the SDPC is Government controlled. Daley has heard rumors that illegal weapons are being sold on Genaros. He tells Leon he plans to investigate a possible connection between the weapons traffic and the crash, regardless of what the Chief wants.

That night, while waiting for Priss after her last set at Hot Legs, Nene and Linna discuss Priss's new best friend, a girl whom everyone seems to instantly like. Priss joins them, and, later, another young woman approaches the trio and asks to join them. Priss quickly introduces Nene and Linna to her new biking buddy, Sylvie.

In a local pool hall, Sylia meets with Fargo, the Knight Sabers go-between. He asks if she has read the report he sent her. It seems that Kaufman is offering a contract for the recovery or destruction of the stolen DD, and for the location of his girlfriend, who stole it. Sylia asks if Genom Tower is behind the theft, but Fargo assures her that the Genom head office knows nothing about it. Sylia remains reluctant until Fargo tells her that half of the fee has already been deposited, at which point she agrees to take the job.

Meanwhile, reports of a "Vampire Killer" attacking people and draining their blood has become the hot topic of conversation in MegaTokyo. After listening to the coroner's report, Leon suspects that these killings might be the work of a 33-S Boomer. A currently prohibited older type, the 33-S required a supply of human blood to operate. He guesses that the 33-S's circulation system may have broken down.

Nene dutifully reports Leon's suspicions to Sylia, and asks why the 33-S series was banned. Sylia tells her that the 33-S, or "Sexaroid", used components that made it easy for it to synchronize with superweapons. Nene wants to hear more about Sexaroids, but Sylia says she thought Nene wasn't interested in "perverted things like that". Undaunted, Nene wonders aloud if Sexaroids are as beautiful as the girl she met the day before. She then proceeds to tell Sylia all about Sylvie and how well she and Priss get along. Sylia dryly replies that she sounds like someone she'd like to meet, asks Nene to keep her informed, and disconnects the call. Having already made the connection between the missing DD and the 33-S, Sylia wonders what Kaufman's girlfriend is after.

While touring with Priss, Sylvie spots the GPCC Building. Priss explains that the building is the Genom Research Center, where Boomers are developed. In a hurry because she has a rehearsal, Priss tells Sylvie that they should leave. Sylvie says she's going to stay a little longer -- because she's free now. Confused by Sylvie's statement, Priss goes on her way alone.

That evening, Flint and Largo discuss recent events. It is obvious to both of them that since the 33-S is an older model, it will be after the 33-S datadisk sooner or later. Flint decides he can't trust Kaufman to handle the situation any longer. He directs Largo to recover the DD by any means, and to eliminate the 33-S.

Anri begs Sylvie to stop killing people for their blood -- if she's caught she'll be destroyed. Sylvie tells her it is the only way she has to keep Anri's damaged systems going. But, now that she's finally located the datadisk, she says she won't have to kill anyone else. Anri is elated that soon they will be able to live completely under their own power.

That night, as Sylia correlates data, Sylvie breaks into the Genom Research Center and quickly locates the datadisk. Her escape is foiled by two Boomer guards she meets in the corridor. After fruitlessly emptying her pistol at them, she dives through a window and roars off on her motorcycle, the Boomers in hot pursuit. As they disappear into the night, Largo steps from the shadows where he has been watching.

As the Chief rails about the ADP's inability to solve the Vampire Killings, Leon gets a call from Daley on Genaros. Kaufman has spilled everything to him. He explains that the DD is not an ordinary Battlemover, but a highly intelligent superweapon. Despite Daley's warnings, Leon decides to go on patrol and capture the DD by himself.

Racing down MegaTokyo's highways, Sylvie is wounded a stray shot from the pursuing Boomers. Unable to lose them, she jumps her bike into the ravine left from the Kanto earthquake, where she has hidden the DD. Using the DD, Sylvie easily disposes the two Boomers, and then turns her attention to the just-arrived Leon.

Leon confronts the DD. In the cockpit, Sylvie, weakened by blood loss, collapses, and the DD's systems synchronize with her. Deciding that the pilot is dead, the J-1 automatic control system takes over control of the DD. The DD grows in size as it's full range of functions come on-line. It shoots down an ADP helicopter, and then begins to demolish Leon in the K-12.

Leon thinks back to Daley's information: the J-1 automatically takes control if the pilot's heart rate goes below a certain level. If the J-1 runs out of power once it activates, the DD explodes in a micro-neutron detonation. Leon decides he must fight back to save the city. The DD grabs him by the throat, but a laser shot severs the arm strangling him. The Knight Sabers have arrived, and are watching events from the edge of the chasm.

As the Knight Sabers descend to the bottom of the rift, Sylvie regains consciousness and realizes what has happened, and that she has no control over the DD. Leon warns the Knight Sabers of the self-destruct, then passes out. Nene scans the DD and confirms his information -- they have 3 minutes until the city is destroyed. Just then the cockpit of the DD opens, revealing Sylvie inside.

Priss gasps out Sylvie's name, and Sylvie recognizes her voice. She asks Priss to kill her: that should cause the DD to shut down and end the threat. If the DD explodes, Anri and Priss will die too, and Sylvie doesn't want to take them with her. Priss refuses to fire. As the DD begins to move, Sylia orders Priss to shoot Sylvie. Priss's agonized cry "No! I can't shoot her!" still echoes in the air as the DD backhands her into the wall of the chasm.

Linna begins her attack, and slices off the DD's rotary cannon, but it snatches her out of mid-air and tosses her to the ground. She lands on her head, and, dazed, slowly sits up. Sylia drops between the stunned Linna and the DD, and punches her lasersword into the cockpit. Before she can move away, the DD grabs her. As Nene stands screaming on the sidelines, and Sylvie screams in impotent protest, the DD swings it's arm to smash the trapped Sylia. A sudden blast severs that arm too, and the DD flings Sylia away as it turns to meet this new threat.

It's Priss, standing once again at the edge of the crevasse, and wearing her transformed Motoroid like armor to augment her damaged hardsuit. After a long moment, Priss launches an attack as the DD fires surface-to-air missiles at her airborne Motoroid. The resulting mid-air explosion turns the Motoroid into a fireball. Priss, though, ejected before the explosion and comes through the fireball relatively unscathed. Screaming Sylvie's name, she shoots her. The connections between Sylvie and the DD immediately disintegrate and the DD collapses. Priss lands, throws her shattered helmet to the ground, and catches Sylvie as she limply falls from the DD cockpit.

A sobbing Priss gently lays her dying friend on the ground. Cradled in Priss's arms, Sylvie gives her the datadisk and begs her to pass it on to Anri, who's waiting in their apartment. She tells Priss that if Anri doesn't get it she'll have to kill people too. Anguished, Priss asks her why she did it, and Sylvie, in her dying breath, replies, "I wanted to be free... like you...."

Surrounded by the other Knight Sabers, Priss, grief stricken, cries uncontrollably. Sylia asks her if they should give the datadisk away. Priss, holding her friend's body closer, cries "I know. But Sylvie is my friend. I won't betray my friends!" Sylia gives in, and tells Priss to go to Anri now, and the others to disperse.

As the group leaves, it begins to rain. From the darkness, Sylia hears a voice: "Sylia... Sylia Stingray...."