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Episode 2: The Red Winds of Mars

Tetsuro and Maetel are in space traveling in the 3-9. Tetsuro asks Maetel where they are going next, but she is trying to sleep and tells Tetsuro to also get some sleep. Tetsuro says he is too excited to sleep and once again asks what the the 3-9's destination is. Maetel pulls out the destination booklet and tells Tetsuro that the next stop is Mars and that they will be there in six hours. Tetsuro asks if they get of of the train and Maetel says that they spend one day at each stop. The length of a day on each planet is different so you have to think of it as the time between sunrise and sunset. While on the planet you are free to do as you please.

Tetsuro asks Maetel what happens if he missed the train. Maetel tells him that he would end up dying becuase he would not be able to survive on another planet. Maetel then points out to Tetsuro that this is the last they will see of the Earth for a long time. They both take a good look and Tetsuro makes comment about how he only has sad memories of Earth. The conductor walks into the car which Tetsuro and Maetel are located and he tells them that they will arrive at Mars in one minute. The 3-9 flies down to Mars.

Mars is a red desert and we are teaken to a ghostly town. In the bar a man sits at a table. He says that the Galaxy Express has srrived and flips a coin to an old man who is the owner of the place. On his way out there is a girl sitting against the wall, they stare at each other for a moment and then he begins to walk out the door. As he is leaving he tells the girl that if he should fall and die he doesn't want a grave marker. The man begins to walk through the town and disappears into the red wind.

The 3-9 has landed and inside Tetsuro is observing Mars. Maetel tells him that it took 100 years to build up the mars atmosphere to Earth's level. Maetel says that the mars atmosphere was made by man, so people are able to live on the planet, but only mechanical people actually live there. Tetsuro wants to know the point of building up the atmosphere and Maetel tells him that it was a wasted effort.

The train lands and comes to a stop infront of the train station. Maetel asks Tetsuro if he wants to get off and he says sure. She warns him to be back by departure time. Maetel then hands Tetsuro a sack of gold coins, but he tells her that he doesn't need all of them and tries to give them back. Maetel tells him not to worry, though, because the railroad supplies the passangers with money. Maetel then makes sure that Tetsuro has his gun and also tells him not to lose his pass.

Tetusro is walking through the broken down town and wonders where everyone is. He is also wondering if this is a ghost town. At the bar the old man asks the girl if she is letting Geronimo go. SHe nods her head and the old man tells her that if he gets a pass he will go for sure. The girls says she is confident that he will come back for her, she then begins to cry.

Tetsuro is walking by the bar and the old man asks if he would like a drink. Happy that he has finally found someone, Tetsuro goes into the bar to get something to drink. Tetsuro sits down at a table and asks for a Mars soda. The old man asks Tetsuro if he has come from Earth and Tetsuro explains that he just got to Mars and that he is on a journey to the planet that gives out free mechanical parts. Tetsuro pays for the drink and the man is surprised to get a gold coin. The man sits down at the table and puts his leg on the table. He then shows Tetsuro his mechanical leg and says he only had enough money to buy the right leg. Tetsuro asks why he doesn't also go to get free parts and the old man says it's too late for him. The man tells Tetsuro not to make the same mistake that he did.

The old man tells Tetsuro that for another gold coin his daughter will take him on a tour of the town. Tetsuro is worried because he only has one day on Mars, but the old man says that the tour is only 3-4 hours long. Tetsuro then offers the man all of his coins so that he can buy more mechanical parts. The old man turns it down because Tetsuro will need it for the rest of his jouney. The old man tells Tetsuro that he will need it someday, so he better take good care of his money.

[commercial break]

The old man calls for his daughter Flemme. After calling her name many times she finally arrives in a horse drawn carriage. Her dad says to show Tetsuro around, she nods her head and Tetsuro hops up onto the carriage. As they ride through the town, Flemme says that the town is a desolate place, all the rich people have traveled onto new planets. The two come upon a large hill that's covered in crosses, Tetsuro asks where they are and Flemme tells him it's a graveyard. The two get out of tthe carriage and Flemme explains that these are the graves of the Earthlings who dies. They worked a century to build up the planet so that humans could live there, but no one wants to live there because it's so close to Earth. Flemme says no one wants to live there, even she wants to leave and forget about this planet. Flemme then asks Tetsuro if he has a pass and Tetsuro asks if she means a pass for the 3-9? Geronimo has arrived and tells Tetsuro to give him the pass. Tetsuro looks all around for Geronimo and begins to draw his gun. Geronimo warns Tetsuro not to draw, though, because Geronimo is faster than he is. As Geronimo approaches Tetsuro figures out that Flemme lured him to this spot. Tetsuro has a flashback of Maetel warning him to not lose his pass. Geronmio tells Tetsuro to had over the pass, but Tetusro tells him that there's no way he will do so. Tetsuro tries to turn around and shoot Geronimo, but before he can Geronimo shoots him. Tetsuro falls down to the ground and Geronimo walks towards him and says that only the strong can survive. Tetsuro is lying there on ther ground and Geronimo takes Tetsuro's pass to board the 3-9.

Geronimo thanks Flemme for helping him to get off of the planet. Geronimo then runs to Flemme and tells her that he will return for her and for her to wait until he gets back. Flemme tells Geronimo to go off and forget about her, she is very upset, her and Geronimo begin to argue over whether or not he is going. Geronimo begins to walk away and says he needs to go catch the 3-9. As he walks away, Flemme tells him that he can not go, he turns around to see why he can't go and he sees that Flemme has pulled a gun on him. Flemme thinks that if he loved her then he would stay until they could get another pass, but Geronimo doesn't agree with her. Flemme says she doesn't was him to go and she shoots her gun at him, he dives out of the way, however, and on his way down he fires his gun at her and hits her in the chest. Geronimo runs to Flemme and grabs her. She tells him that it's alright if he goes, she will stay and wait with her father, she then dies. Geronimo hears something and when he turns around he sees that Tetsuro is still alive. Tetsuro says that he doesn't see a ghost, but that the bullet was stopped by his bag of gold coins. He then says that he sure is happy he kept the coins. Geronimo then speaks up.

Geronimo: "Shall we fight?"
Tetsuro: "I just want my pass back."
Geronimo: "I can't give it up. I need to find a better place to live."

Tetsuro fulls out his gun and tells Geronimo to do the same. As Geronimo is about to draw his gun, he sees that blood is dripping from Tetsuro's hand and is shocked to find out that Tetsuro is a human. Tetsuro then fires and hits Geronimo in the chest. Tetsuro runs towards Geronimo and wants to know why he didn't draw. When Tetsuro gets to Geronimo, Geronimo is holding Tetsuro's train pass. Geronimo tells Tetsuro to take it, Geronimo tells Tetsuro that he saw his blodd and realized he was a real human and that he used to be like that. He goes on to say that before he came to Mars he had hope, he envies Tetsuro because of this. Geronimo tells Tetsuro that he doesn't have much time and that he better take good care of his body, Geronimo then dies. When Geronimo's hand falls from the gunshot wound, Tetsuro sees that Geronimo is a mechanical person and then Tetsuro looks at Flemme and realizes she is also mechanical. Tetsuro is in shock and bows his head is respect for a moment. Tetsuro doesn't understand why they would want to leave if they ahd eternal life. The sand quickly covers the bodies of Flemme and Geronimo and just like that they are forgotten. The spirits of Geronimo and Flemme can be sees skipping and playing together, they are happy.

It is time for the 3-9 to depart and Maetel slowly makes her way across the boarding platform. She seems sad, but then she looks up and a smile is put on her face, that is because Tetsuro has arrived safely. The two then board the train together and after getting in there seats, the train departs. Once they are settled, Maetel asks Tetsuro how the town was.

Back in the town, the old man is sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the bar. The man speaks of how he is aging and that his leg is the only healthy body part he has left. Soon he will be buried on Mars also. the old man stops his rocking and looks up into the sky to watch the 3-9 fly off into space.

Old Man: "Everybody thinks that living forever is best. Maybe it's better to age and die naturally. It's not good to live forever."

Back on the train Tetsuro tells Maetel that Mars isn't a good place. Even for mechanical people. He then tells Maetel that he plans on living for a long time.

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This summary is the copyright of Andy Diehl, August 2001.

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