A-A dolphin?
Excuse me... Do you understand?
Er, no...
I believe that the meeting will be starting soon.
Um... We apparently have to decide who the Gnosia is.
Who are you?
Oh, yes. My name is Otome.
Is something the matter?
An intellectualized dolphin?
- I must seem strange, right? - Huh?
I don't understand humans very well, so I always worry I'll say something weird.
You didn't...
Really?
It's honestly amazing.
Depending on the world line, even a person like this can end up on the ship.
Wait... Should I even be calling her a person?
So these are the crew members this time.
Setsu, Shigemichi,
Stella, Jonas, Jina, and...
Who's that?
And who might you be, lad?
Huh? M-Me?
Remnan has been on board for some time now.
I see.
Um... I'm not very good at talking.
Right. Well, let us begin without further ado.
This time, there are apparently two Gnosia amongst us...
Excuse me.
Um, I was wondering if I'd be considered a human in this case.
Yeah, your appearance doesn't really scream "human" to me.
That doesn't sound very convincing coming from you, Shigemichi.
Oh, yeah?
I told you, this is all artificial skin. I wasn't born this way, bud.
In any case, it's very likely that Otome can be infected by the Gnosia as well.
She's intelligent and can converse with us just like this.
I agree.
I think that Otome is human.
Jina!
All right, let's get the meeting started.
Before that...
What?
It appears as though one of the crew members is still absent.
You mean Sha-ming?
I have made multiple attempts to summon him.
Sha-ming... That's another new name.
Yuri...
Huh?
Could you come with me for a bit?
Sorry.
I just have a really hard time dealing with him one-on-one.
I see.
The others say he's not a bad guy, and while I understand that,
the fact that he refuses to help in this emergency situation is just...
Is this it?
Yeah.
Sha-ming. Sha-ming!
Heh, thought I'd be seein' you again. Come on in, Setsu.
Like I said, you wanna ask me for somethin', you gotta treat me to a hot kiss first.
Wha—
Sha-ming. How many times must I tell you that I'm asexual?
Hey, long as it's you, I'd still hit it.
So, who's the other one?
I've never seen 'em before.
I'm Yuri. The meeting's about to start.
Could you please come out?
I told you already. Just do your thing without me.
And I told you that we all need to have a meeting
to decide on one person to send into cold sleep.
That's our agreement with LeVi.
Like I care.
If I just waltz out there and some Gnosia sets their eye on me, I could get eliminated.
I don't wanna stand out. Understand?
Ooh, nice. I like that angry face of yours, too.
Listen!
It's no use. This door's sealed by an unbreakable magic spell.
If you don't come out,
you'll be causing trouble for everyone. You understand that, right?
Yuri, was it?
You seem like a self-serving hypocrite who's obsessed with logic and debate.
The type I hate the most.
If you got a problem with me,
just do your precious vote and send me to the fridge already.
I'm sorry. I got too emotional.
Let's head back to the meeting for now.
I see...
Then we already have our answer.
We can simply vote for Sha-ming and call it a day.
LeVi, is that all right?
I mean, he said it himself, so I don't see why not.
Affirmative.
There is no issue as long as everyone is satisfied with the voting results.
But is he really going to respect that?
You weren't able to open the door, right?
If a day passes without sending someone into cold sleep,
it will be considered a breach of contract, and I will prepare the ship to self-destruct.
Self-destruct...
Our only choice is to vote for Sha-ming and drag his ass outta that room!
I-I can't do that. I'm not good at fighting...
and Sha-ming seems scary.
Jonas, isn't there any way to open his door?
Hm...
I assume that Sha-ming has cut the door's control circuit.
And if that's the case...
We'll need a physical key.
Physical key?
As you can see, there is a hole in the door for inserting something.
If you insert a matching key, you can unlock the door.
The technology is quite dated,
but this ship was retrofitted from an older model.
So where is this key?
It should be somewhere in storage.
Stella.
As you wish.
I believe... it should be around here somewhere.
There seem to be a lot of rare items laying around.
Yes. It is Jonas's hobby to collect antiques.
I wonder what's in here.
All right. I'll help out, too.
- Oh, please do not touch those! - Huh?
Please wait outside.
Otherwise, Jonas will be angry with me.
What the heck, bud? Jonas this, Jonas that.
Well, Jonas is the captain.
That's not what I'm talking about!
Eek! I'm so sorry!
This will probably take some time, so could you all head back?
I can handle this on my own.
Really? All by yourself?
I will be fine. This is my job, after all.
Man, we can't just leave her like that!
But Stella says she's fine.
There were also people who felt bad for me when I was in captivity,
but I was happy.
The researcher, Dr. Yoshikado, is a really good person.
So we're just gonna leave her like that?!
We're gonna let her spend her life slaving away for the captain of this rust bucket?
Um, well...
Here's your Space Bran.
Man, that hits the spot!
Shigemichi, you must really like Stella.
Seems like it.
'Course I do!
Because Stella said...
Cyberization?
Yeah.
When I had no choice but to go with this artificial skin after the accident,
it came up that I also had the option
to digitize my consciousness by means of cyberization.
Do you have regrets?
Well, sorta, when I think about how if I had chosen that path,
I probably wouldn't have gotten mixed up in this whole Gnosia mess.
This is just my personal opinion...
but I think it's better that you didn't.
If you had, I never would have been able to speak to you in that wonderful form of yours.
I've been called a lot of things in this skin, but wonderful?
Now you see why I've fallen for her.
Stella's such a good person.
Damn straight she is.
Then I think you should tell her.
Huh?
I don't think Stella has realized your feelings for her yet.
So...
Otome... You're right. You're exactly right!
Thanks! Here I go!
Huh? W-Wait...
Stella!
Jonas...
There you are.
We found the key, but the door just wouldn't open.
The flustered crab cannot return to its hole.
Let us see if we can come up with a new plan of action.
Stella!
I have something I need to tell you.
Please excuse me.
- I-I don't think you should lose hope. - Huh?
Because this is the part that gets all "squee!"
Hey, Jonas!
F-F-F-Face me!
Huh?
If I win, you're gonna set Stella free! Got it?
Huh? W-Wait a minute.
Aren't you skipping a few steps here?
Shigemichi... you're wonderful.
Uh...
I like your initiative.
As a gentleman, I shall accept your challenge.
So... this is how you're going to settle things?
Apparently.
You're not half bad, bud.
You're actually giving Game Captor S a run for his money.
No matter my opponent, I cannot be beaten at WTF?! Human Farm.
I have at least a century's experience, easily.
Amazing! What brilliant play from both of them!
I can't believe I get to witness such a clash of titans!
Really?
What are you talking about?!
We're witnessing a match between the legendary Game Captor S
and a crew member of the legendary exploration vessel Argo!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
I'll stop you with Satan's Naughty Satellite!
Superhuman Death Punch!
Whoa, what?! I... I los...
I lost?!
Urf.
I have no idea what's going on.
In the past, I probably would have lost under these conditions.
But now that I have awakened as a Gnosia, I am invincible!
- Uh. - Hm?
Wait. Did you just...
To think that I would be defeated...
I can't believe Jonas was a Gnosia.
Now there's only one more.
Jonas was a Gnosia...
Yeah. I challenged him and uncovered the truth!
Now you're free, Stella!
Free...
Yeah. Now you don't have to obey that mustached freak anymore.
Right...
Stella...
Um, what... are you...
Could we start off as friends?
- Friends? - Yes!
I've thought for a while now that we'd probably have a lot to talk about!
So...
I also love flowers! I want to grow some flowers with you!
Please!
I'm sorry.
Stella...
Poor Shigemichi.
I can understand turning down a romantic proposal, but not even wanting to be friends?
Shut up! Don't bring it back up!
It's on the house.
Isn't there anything we can do?
I mean...
As it stands, I feel really bad for Shigemichi.
I wish there was something I could do,
but I don't know much about humans yet.
I-Is this...
I heard... that you like fish.
I can't think of anything.
Unlike finding Gnosia, this can't be solved with logic.
Something on your mind?
Setsu...
Yeah.
I was just wondering if there was anything we could do.
But no matter how much I think about it,
relationships between men and women really are complicated.
You may be right.
Oh, sorry.
It's fine. I may not have a gender, but it doesn't mean I can't have feelings for others.
Really?
I decided to live like this so that I could survive the military,
but with gender no longer in the way,
it feels like I have even more freedom to follow my heart now.
We were up there until yesterday, weren't we?
Yesterday...
I see. It's only been a day since we departed, hasn't it?
Yeah... But how many departures has it been?
Setsu...
Let's hold off on exchanging information this time.
One of us may be a Gnosia, after all.
All right.
Stella...
A letter?
Yes. Shigemichi absolutely insisted that I take it.
Do you dislike Shigemichi that much?
Huh?
I can understand declining a romantic relationship,
but surely it's not asking much to be friends?
No, it's not that I dislike him.
Actually, it made me very happy to have someone feel that way toward me.
Then why...
Shigemichi hasn't realized...
Actually, you probably haven't either, Yuri.
Can you not tell?
Could it be that you're...
Yes. This body of mine is just another terminal.
In order to facilitate communication with humans,
the ship's onboard AI, LeVi, created a humanoid terminal.
That is what I am.
"AI"?
Short for "artificial intelligence."
A technology that has evolved since it was first created a thousand years ago
and is now on the same level as human intelligence.
Right?
Yes.
Perhaps this is the result of his countless times undergoing cold sleep,
but Jonas's thinking is stuck in the past, and he doesn't seem to understand AI.
So to be able to communicate with him,
we prepared the humanoid terminal "Stella."
So a part of LeVi is Stella?
Yes. That is correct.
Even then, Jonas always says nonsensical things in front of me,
thinking it's all part of some AI-assisted comedy routine.
The one thing I am certain of is that I am not human.
I am not fit to enter into relationships with others, either romantic or platonic.
Are you sure about that?
What?
I can't say where, but I have seen you infected by the Gnosia before, Stella.
Me? But... that's impossible.
And it's not just me. Setsu probably has, too.
Have you, Setsu?
Yeah, it's true.
So I feel the same way that Jina said she did about Otome.
About you, and Otome as well.
I believe you're both human.
Here.
Really, Stella?
If I would suffice...
Stella...
Stella!
I, I, I, I...!
Let us start off as friends.
I'm so happy.
I was born on an AI planet.
My friends and family were AI. So I can tell.
Those two will be just fine.
By the way, what's with this hologram?
When I asked LeVi to choose an appropriate environment for a confession of feelings,
this is what we got.
I see.
That's really lovely.
Yeah.
I'm alive.
Jina was...
Yes, I do not sense her presence.
I guess as long as there's a Gnosia present, someone's going to get attacked.
Well, yeah.
What do you wish to do?
Could you give me just ten minutes?
Sha-ming! Sha-ming!
Oh?
Well, if it ain't Setsu.
What's up? Decided to give me that kiss?
I'd like for you to come out.
I told you. Just vote me out already.
Excuse me...
Otome...
U-Um, my name is Otome.
Oh, the lab dolphin, right?
Good for ya for bein' able to escape.
Oh, no. I'm sure that everyone is worried about me,
so I'd like to return to the lab immediately.
I guess you're a research animal through and through.
I'm sure nothin' good awaits you back there.
I disagree. Dr. Yoshikado is a good person.
He always pats my head.
That's only 'cuz your intellectualization's goin' well.
If it starts failin', they'll throw your ass in the trash.
Sha-ming!
You might be right.
But you might be wrong, too.
I don't think we'll ever know the answer unless we talk.
I think that's what it means to be human.
If you still refuse,
then I want you to open the airlock and leave this ship immediately.
Setsu...
I've been thinking.
Everyone else who escaped onto this ship
has been dreaming about their futures like their lives depend on it.
They're searching for tomorrow.
We can't let all of that be lost just because you choose to be selfish.
Okay, fine. I'm done.
I surrender.
You're Sha-ming?
Yup. Pleasure meetin' ya, Yuri.
Understand?
You were using that pipe to keep the door shut?
It's the ultimate lock.
Let's go get this over with.
I'll be outta your hair before ya know it.
That's why I told you to just freeze me in the first place.
Wait... did he just do that on purpose?
Sha-ming...
I think he might be a very good person!