A Hekatoncheires!
Briareos!
Briareos...
Is this really our paradise?
All right! The forecast was all wrong!
This is perfect vacation weather!
Hey, Deunan. You ready yet?
No, not yet...
All set!
What do you think?
Oh, it's good, I guess.
- Let's go. - What?! That's all?!
It's just an overnight trip. Why are you so excited?
We hardly ever get time off. We should enjoy it to the fullest!
As soon as we get there, I'm gonna change clothes, hit the beach,
and order me a ton of tropical fruit...
Something the matter?
No. Let's go.
Come in, Poseidon Air M727 in Sector Charlie-Two-Three.
This is OAS Control. You are deviating from your flight plan.
Correct your course immediately.
M727, respond.
What's the matter?
Poseidon Air Flight M727 is veering further and further from its flight plan.
Try raising them again.
This is OAS Control.
What are you doing up there, M727? Course-correct immediately!
I repeat, this is OAS Control!
It's me, Lance.
Your request for leave time is hereby rescinded.
Huh?! What for?!
Return to HQ at once and prepare for an assault.
- It's a classified P4 operation. - This sucks!
M727, an ultra-high capacity plane chartered to fly from Poseidon to Paris,
has been hijacked.
Approximately 13 minutes ago, the plane in question altered its course
and is now headed straight for Olympus.
Who's behind it?
A faction of Human Liberation Front followers has claimed responsibility.
They demand the release of all imprisoned compatriots within three hours.
That's crazy.
Are they gonna seek asylum in Switzerland or something?
The crew and passengers are being held hostage... 3000 in all.
We lack intel, so I need a Hekatoncheires to lead the assault.
You and Deunan will handle this mission. That is all.
I could've had a nice break, if only he wasn't a Hekaton.
This is no time for nonsense. Get your asses back here!
Remind me, the Human Liberation Front is a group of human supremacists
who oppose not just robots, but cyborgs and bioroids too, right?
They're hard-line reactionary conservatives.
I doubt bioroids' lives mean anything to them.
That's horrible.
They're just genetically engineered people
who've been given thought control and lifespan modification.
They're basically no different from humans...
It's true that bioroids and humans are made of the same stuff.
But there are always people who'll notice the slightest of differences
and get it into their heads that they're superior to the rest.
It's so stupid...
That's how rare pureblooded humans have become.
They're so vocal about preservation because there are so few left.
Not everyone can be a she-devil with no need for an escort.
It's ironic...
For the humans who agreed to relocate to Olympus, their new lives here
have left most of them with diminished crisis-management capabilities
and more uniformity than ever.
Yes, it's just as the Legislative Bureau pointed out.
The fact that some fundamentalists have banded together
to demand the reinstitution of an autonomous human society
can be seen as a natural response.
Even if their methods are sickeningly simpleminded and extreme?
"Simpleminded and extreme" makes it all the more captivating for people.
Perhaps this city has become too utopian for them.
Denying humans such factors as distress and anxiety
will only cause them to lose self-control.
No doubt.
However, this is actually the end result
of human hopes and endeavors for such a world.
And we bioroids have had a helping hand in those endeavors.
Indeed, as bioroids, what must we do to help humans live the most like humans?
I have no doubt they're fully aware that their demand
for the release of all their compatriots is infeasible.
That, or their demand could simply be a bluff meant to confuse us
while they actually use the passenger plane for a terrorist act.
After consulting the passenger list, it appears everyone on board is a bioroid.
There's not a single human.
I wouldn't put it past them, then. I take it their target is Tartaros?
Yes, Sir.
The genes used to produce bioroids are cryogenically preserved there.
They may see special significance
in using the lives of the bioroids aboard to strike Tartaros.
Just to be safe, we'll deploy our intercept system as well.
Understood, Sir.
What's the matter? Don't tell me you're nervous?
Maybe I am...
Hey, Briareos.
When this is over, take me to get something tasty.
I dunno if this is our paradise or not,
but we can at least eat something nice on occasion, right?
Do you have a place in mind?
A restaurant Hitomi mentioned the other day!
She said it has a fantastic night view!
That's fine with me, but...
I'm not sure a place like that can satisfy your voracious appetite.
Your vocal filters have no tact at all!
There. Now that's the Deunan I know.
It's time.
Now let's get this over with and enjoy the rest of our break!
Right on!
We'll attach from below.
There should be emergency exits under the wings.
Okay!
No signs of any passengers. It's almost like a ghost plane...
It's strange that there's not even a single person...
Could they have all been moved to a single location?
Any bio-readings?
Yes. I'm still picking up 3000 life forms as we speak.
That's a relief. At least we know all the hostages are alive.
For now, anyway.
What's the plan? Securing the cockpit first is one option...
I'm concerned about the hostages. Let's check all the floors for now.
Just...
Don't start a gun battle alone, right?
Right!
Who the hell...?!
This is a Human Liberation Front office, you know!
Of course we know. We also know it's a low-level one.
Wh-Who are you guys?!
A rowdy hooligan and a combat cyborg from ES.W.A.T.
But what does it matter to you?
ES.W.A. T?!
I-I'll do anything! Just don't kill me!
Sheesh. I just wanted to ask a few questions.
You're an enhanced cyborg too, you know. Although a petty one.
You get anything?
A winning ticket.
Lucky boy! What's on it?
Gina was griping earlier while hitting up the Poseidon branch offices.
She says they're hiding behind the privacy protection laws
to keep a lid on the detailed passenger manifest.
She always has to play by the rules...
- Is the manifest on there? - Yeah.
The question is why does the HLF have information
that Poseidon is in charge of?
Easy. There's a third party secretly involved.
I think so too.
The HLF got ahold of that classified info through this third party
and then used it to concoct a hijacking incident.
It's empty everywhere I checked.
Likewise. But I'm still picking up bio-readings.
This is getting creepy. It's an honest-to-goodness ghost plane, all right...
- Only one place left to check... - The cockpit.
Auto-pilot...
Lance was right. The destination's been changed to Tartaros in Olympus.
Unluckily for us, they also kindly locked the program
to prevent anyone else from overriding it.
What is this?
Wait!
A bomb?!
Yeah. An old type that's set off by vibration.
Although rudimentary, they're tough to disarm...
What do we do?
Whoever's behind this is most likely in nearby airspace,
watching how things unfold.
So, what should we do?
Repay the favor twofold for snaring us in this trap.
Deunan. Go get your Guges and settle the score.
Huh? By myself?
I still don't know how they're hiding the hostages,
but none of this'll matter if the plane gets blown up from the outside
when we catch who's responsible.
I always prefer to have added insurance.
I'll stay here and work on disarming this.
Get going!
Briareos!
Don't worry. I just succeeded in disarming the bomb in the cockpit.
But it might've been set to automatically send out a call when disarmed.
These guys are meticulous.
Be careful. They're nearby.
I know. Just leave it to me.
A floating pillbox?!
Camouflage won't help you!
I found 'em, Briareos!
The plan's off! Things are starting to get ugly here!
Briareos!
How dare you!
Relax, Deunan! Have you forgotten?!
A Hekatoncheires can operate an entire aircraft carrier single-handedly.
Even with engines out, I can handle a simple passenger plane, no problem.
But!
The people's lives take top priority.
Just focus on the task in front of you!
- It's charging right for us! - Calm down!
That Landmate's speed comes at the expense of its armor!
One hit and we win!
Why would you throw your weapon away? You don't stand a chance now!
That's checkmate.
I demand a lawyer and a lawful interrogation!
Criminals have human rights too, you know!
Save the song and dance for after you're on the ground.
But I'll be honest, all the other guys on my team
are a lot meaner looking than me!
It's a miracle!
He landed it with no trouble at all, even with three engines gone!
That's a Hekatoncheires for you.
If you'll excuse me.
Briareos!
You're okay! What a relief!
Fortunately, all the hostages appear to be safe as well.
Deia? What are you doing here?
On behalf of the Tartaros Center, I offer you my gratitude.
This is Mr. Eurys. He's in charge of the next-gen bioroid project.
Thank you for taking back the 3000 frozen embryos.
Wait, the hostages... were these?!
Once an ovum has been fertilized, it's seen as a living organism,
whether it appears human or not.
Sounds kinda complicated...
We'll put them to good use for the development of next-gen bioroids
who will help foster a more secure and perfect paradise...
Paradise, huh...
Okay! It's vacation do-over time!
The beach is a lost cause, but we can still check out
that restaurant with the great night view!
Sheesh...
It's really coming down.
Huh. Only now is the forecast actually right...
Wha? Huh? What?!
There goes your night view. Guess it's canned food at home for us.
This sucks!