 |
|
| Information | |
| Season | 1 |
| Episode | 4 |
| Japanese Airdate | 8 May, 2005 |
| English Airdate | 6 May, 2006 |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← Previous | Motion Blue |
| Next → | Vivid Bit |
Overview[]
Renton has joined Gekkostate in order to be with Eureka, but what he discovers is that life on the Gekko is not much different from his previous life in Bellforest — until Gekkostate takes a certain job in order to earn some desperately-needed money. Meanwhile, the Council of Sages decides to reinstate Dewey Novak, a former military officer who has ties to Adroc Thurston and something known only as the "Ageha Plan".
Synopsis[]
News of the recent Seven Swell effect has reached the Sage Council at the Capital city. The three sages are discussing the awakening of the Nirvash, and how it relates to the Ageha Plan, which is a blueprint designed by Adroc Thurston before he died. One doesn't want to recall the past, but the third member and only woman, Coda, thinks they ought to take some sort of action. One of the men immediately figures out what she wants - to bring "that man" back into ciculation to hunt it down, and thinks its a terrible idea. She says it's the only choice they have and it is necessary to release former Commander Dewey Novak, the man who took over the Ageha Plan after Adroc died and also the man they had locked away in prison three years ago.
On the Gekkostate, a trapar report comes on as Stoner gazes out at the sky and thinks it's very serene. Hap says it's because this part of the country has unseless waves unless you go high-altitude, and then is immediately distracted by his magazine. The report starts talking about a tectonic shift, which is interesting to them. Stoner turns up the radio while Hap pours over a map, and according to the report, that means a place called Strolholm is going to do something cool with a trapar geyser. At the flight deck, Renton says that it's been a week since he arrived at the Gekko, but is disappointed that none of them have gone lifting and he has been doing odd chores around the ship. Talho yells at him, telling him he was supposed to help her out when he was done cleaning. She wants him to transfer a pair of Compac Drives that are in the fridge in the workshop and she reminds him to make sure he gets a signed receipt from Holland. Renton carries the container up to the cockpit but stops to ask Holland why they don't lift. Holland says they like to, but Hap interjects that it's just not going to happen because all the good lifting sites are near an airport. Stoner explains that you need to pay a usage fee if you wanto to use an airport, and Gekko's finances are very tight. Holland signs for the Drives, and asks Renton if he has an ideas for making some money. In the kitchen, Renton thinks about the reality of living near his idol, and while he knew it'd be different from the actual dream, he didn't think it would be like this. The kids throw an object at him and run away as he chases after them. They seek refuse behind Mischa and Gonzy, and the doctor announces that it's time for his physical examination. Stripped to his boxers, he asks why the tests, and Mischa laughs that it has to be done because the Nirvash works better around him, at least according to Eureka. Eureka pokes her head into the exam room and asks if it's ready, much to Renton's humiliation.
It's testing time for the Nirvash, and Renton rides in the side cockpit, but it all seems to stifling for some reason. Mischa calls him back the ground and tells him to keep an eye on the Amita Drive. He asks Eureka if they can crack a window due to it being stuffy, but she reads that it's fine. Renton doesn't want to see a sky through a monitor and Eureka tells him that he'll get used to it after a while. On the ship, the reading indicate the Nirvash is performing above-average, and Holland wonders if Renton really is special. Mischa grins at the fact that she left the military with Eureka for a reason, and would hate it if things were simple. Holland smiles and figures they'll keep the two of them in the Nirvash for the time being and see what happens from there. He ponders that the trapar waves speak to the human soul, and wonders if it's true a soul could speak to the waves themselves. Over the intercom, Gidget calls for a Gekkostate meeting. Renton's puttering around on the Nirvash while Eureka tells the mech it did very good today. She calms Renton down and tells him that while Nirvash is a moody sometimes, it really enjoyed itself today flying with Renton and she liked it too. Renton is thrilled in keeping Eureka smiling. At the meeting, the crew needs a budget plan fast, and Holland offers the winner to receive a kiss from Talho, much to her chargin and the disappointment of the crew. Renton is also not really interested, as he would rather have another of Eureka's smiles. Talho shocks him out of the blue and warns him that even if he wins, he owes her and gets no kiss, as the price for leaving the Compac Drives outside the fridge all this time. Sprawled on the flight deck, Renton is bothered at doing maid-like chores and why no one wants to show how they lift. He notices an issue of ray=out, which is announcing a high-dollar cash money reward fro a lifting tournament. He rushes to the crew with this idea, but Hap has come up with a job: smuggling across one of the state military's KLF testing grounds. Holland approves of the job, and Hilda asks how much will they get out of it, and Hap stammers that he had to offer the lowest bid and holds up two fingers. Some of the crew balks and Talho asks if anyone else has any better ideas. Renton offers his idea, but it is quickly rejected, and they decide to go with Hap's idea. They are, however, worried about the timing being sensitive, but Hap says they've got it covered. Their packages will receive special treatment and Hap explains to Renton that the Nirvash is the fastest LFO they've got, and he has to hang onto the package in-transpit.
Four of the Gekko's LFOs launch for their mission. At the military base, word has gotten out that the Gekkostate is busting out of Bellforest and taking out a mass of KLFs. One of the officers figures they'd never come here to the sticks where the trapar is so wild. Apparently, Renton missed the memo on their route and this stunt kicks over a anthill of angry KLFs swarming around the Gekko crew. Holland tears through the KLFs while Eureka remains calm over the situation. Renton asks why they've got to take this route and the answer is simply because the Gekkostate likes to stick to the man and this is a great way to do it, but what Holland does is point out the trapar geyser right ahead of them. Renton is excited, and Stoner explains that due to the tectonic shift, every trapar in the region is about to boil out of that geyser. Then, a column of pure trapar erupts into the air, and the Gekko mecha ride those waves. Renton says that he was getting bummed out by these awesome lifters who never lift, and now when he watched Holland and the others in their natural habitat, they're more awesome the before. Then a sudden bump jars the container he's holding loose and out falls a human heart, which causes Renton to nearly have a nervous breakdown. He demands why they were smuggling organs and thinks they were on a mission of mercy. Stoner corrects this; someone sold off his organs to pay off his debts so some rich guy can get the transplant. Holland stomps down the stairs, complaining their buyer tried to weasel out of paying them, and only managed to take away seventy. Hap offers to let Talho off the hook for rewarding kisses if she'll just clean the bathroom instead. Talho, however, says it's Renton's fault for not coming up with a good idea and he is forced to clean the bathroom. Matthieu comes in to see him sweeping inside the bathroom, and Renton's frustration almost causes him to snap at Matthieu, but he drops some knowledge on Renton. The trapar waves are below, and the ones along the smuggling route, especially with the geyser. That is lifting, and more importantly, the Gekko doesn't lift for money and they aren't sell-outs. Matthieu also tells Renton that the kids aren't biologically Eureka's but were adopted by her. Renton thanks him and Matthieu shrugs it off. Talho was listening on the whole time, and asks what he would've done if the kids were really Eureka's, but he doesn't answer.
In an undisclosed prison yard, Dominic is reporting to the imprisoned Commander Dewey about the awakening of the Nirvash and all the stuff that just happened recently. He figures the Commander's a lock to be let out and be able to do what he wants to catch the Nirvash. Dewey, who's reading Frazer's The Golden Bough, says he's going to play strictly by the rules. Then Dewey goes on a minor tirade about how the king of the world is avoiding his sins, and the only punishment for him is death. With a grin on his face, he asks Dominic if the king is putting his neck on the chopping block, which startles Dominic.
Major Events[]
- Renton informally joins the Gekkostate.
- Introduction of former Lieutenant-Colonel Dewey Novak.
- Dewey is released from prison and promoted to Colonel at the command of the Sage Council.
Trivia[]
- The name of this episode is a reference to "Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock.
- Jobs, Moondoggie, and Mischa all make their debuts in this episode without any dialogue
- Compared to the previous episodes, Eureka's attitude has gradually changed in this episode, as she is smiling more often.
- This is the first episode where Renton pilots the Nirvash alongside Eureka. This excludes the previous event where the Nirvash piloted itself and caused the Seven Swell effect.
- Upon finding out that the kids are actually adopted, Renton's attitude towards them starts to change; when they first met, he was shocked and displeased when Eureka said they were her children because he thought she meant they were biologically hers. But knowing that was false, he seems more willing to get along with them, out of hope it will strengthen his friendship with Eureka.
- The sage Council was divided over releasing Dewey from prison because the two male sages were aware he was too dangerous, but Coda insisted that only Dewey could bring an end to the current chaos, which the other sages know is not true. But under pressure from Coda, Dewey is released and reinstated into the military as a colonel.
| ||||||||||||||