Translation by Kunio Muto Editted by John Yung with corrections from Chuck Douglas Key: Text - text within balloons [Text] - text not within balloons (Text) - additional text not within balloons #text - translator's comments ============================================== MOBILE POLICE PATLABOR vol.1 By Masami Yuuki Prologue P.5 [14th Landfill site/Babylon Project/Section 3 Construction site/ construction period: 20th January - 25th April] Radio : It's starting to snow heavily in Tokyo; for those who are driving and working outside in the afternoon, please be careful of accidents. [Greater Tokyo(*)/New Tokyo Development Corporation] #(*) (Tokyo-to, in Japanese. It's the district that refers to the 23 #wards, as well as the 30 or so cities, towns, and one village. Just #like the "Greater London" we have in Britain. Normally when we talk #about Tokyo, it is referring to the 23 ward-district.) Radio : And I'm Rei Hayasaka. See you next week! Construction workers : Man, it's starting to snow hard. Let's get outta here quick and go out for a drink. Nagumo : Which one? Goto : Not out yet. P.6 Goto : Oh.. There you are.. Nagumo : Him...? Nagumo : He's pretty small. Goto : Jockeys ... Goto : ... and Labor riders.. They gotta be small. Worker : Hey kid, make sure you take good care of this place. Nagumo : Well, you're right, but... p.7 Goto : By the way, Lieutenant Nagumo, you made one mistake. Nagumo : A mistake? Goto : Look carefully. (on arm band) [Security] Worker : Hey, kid why don't you come over with us for a drink? [gaku gaku] (stroking helmet) Noa : Don't press minors to drink alcohol! (*) #(*) (Drinking under age in Japan (Drinking age in Japan is 20) isn't #that much of an offense, like in the U.S. You don't need an ID... ) Noa : And I told you before, will you stop calling me "kid" ? (on helmet) [Chuukoku Security Services] P.8 Noa : I have a proper name, Noa Izumi! P.9 Prologue Goto : She's not a "he". Nagumo : A female officer candidate!? P.10 Nagumo : Are you going to drag in a girl to the Special Mobile Force? Goto : I don't see anything wrong with it. Goto : You're a female and in the position of Commanding Officer of the Special Mobile Force. Nagumo : But she's still a kid. Goto : Does it make it better if you're in middle-age? Noa : Hey! P.11 Noa : Please don't smoke so carelessly at a place like this! Goto : .....? Noa : Do you know what you have behind you? Goto : Are they... Water pipes? Noa : Gas pipes! [kachi] (clicking lighter) Goto : I suppose you don't have gas leaking, though. p.12 [gaaan] (explosion) p.13 [gooooo] (smoke & fire) Noa : Wh.... Noa : What on earth is this? Goto : It's not this, right? [fan fan fan] (siren) Nagumo : Mr. Goto! [fan fan fan fan] (siren) p.14 [zusha sha sha] (brakes in snow) Nagumo : What? Goto: They're pretty quick. Detective : Damn! We're too late! Please shut out this section! Detective : But it's ten minutes earlier than they told us. [bisha basha] (running in watery snow) Detective : They probably used a fishy time device. p.15 Goto : What happened? Detective : It's a time bomb! Goto : Oh. Nagumo : I'm returning. There might be a scramble. Goto : Ms. Nagumo! Goto : Can you... leave me the umbrella? [basha basha] (running in watery snow) Noa : Oh! p.16 [doon] (explosion) Noa : Hey mister, mister! Are you all right? Worker : You're that kid.. Worker : Agagh! [pa] (taking hands off the man) Noa : Waah! Worker : My...my legs are stuck... Noa : Aaaaagh. p.17 Man on labor : ...... Noa : Hey, you there, don't just stand there; you can help us. Please rip off the ceiling of this labor! Man on labor : Ye...yeah.. Noa : Chief Matsumoto, please respond. [gacchi] (labor grabbing) p.18 Detective : Hey! Wait! [mishi] (squeaking) Detective : Don't mess around in here! Noa : We have to rescue the injured first, right? [beri beri beri] (ripping off the ceiling) p.19 [beri] (ripping off) Detective : You're from the security company? Noa : Today, I am. Detective : Do you know who was working last night? Noa : We might be able to get that information if we ask. Detective : Where should we make contact with? Noa : Damn, can't you help saving the injured!? Detective : Y..yeah... You're right. I'm sorry I didn't realize. p.20 [pii poo pii poo pii poo] (siren) Detective : So... a time bomb was planted last night... Detective : We'll soon know because the bombed site wasn't touched last night.. Goto : Hmm.. I see. Detective : Waa! Detective : Who the hell are you? Goto : Let's guess. Chief : Workers who were working last night... Chief : There are so many of them... It's going to be hard to specify... Noa : Someone who can drive a labor. p.21 Chief : Hm? Noa : It's better to plant bombs here with labors rather than planting them by human hand.. Chief : I see.... I understand your point.. Noa : It's terrible... Noa : Using _these kids_ for something like this... p.22 [Metropolitan Police Dept. Waseda Police Academy, Women's Residence Hall] [305 Shinko Touma, Midori Iwashita, Keiko Sodehara, Noa Izumi] Girl 1 : That's too bad for you. Girl 1 : So the landfill section was closed and you have no work tomorrow.. Girl 2 : A civil servant shouldn't work part-time... Girl 2 : Serves you right! Noa : Part-time work at Chuukoku Security is permitted! [RRRRR] (phone ringing) Noa : Now I don't have anything to do tomorrow. [bafu] (pillow being squashed) p.23 Girl 1 : Hello, this is Room 305. Girl 1 : Yes, officer candidate Izumi will be on the phone. Girl 1 : Candidate Izumi! Girl 1 : It's a call from outside. It's from Chuukoku Security. Noa : Yes, this is Izumi on the phone. Noa : Work next morning? Where? Yes, definitely! I'll be there! Girl 1 : We'll be having another quiet day tomorrow. [Shinohara Heavy Industries] p.24 [Shinohara Heavy Industries Hachiouji(*)] [Chuukoku Security Services] (on car) #(*) (Hachiouji is a city within greater Tokyo. It's a little far from #the 23 wards of Tokyo, and the impression we get from it is that it's #a bedtown of those who work within the 23 wards.) Noa : So we'll be carrying labor options in five cargo containers. Noa : Drop off two in Tokorozawa(*), and after that, to Kawagoe (*)... #(*) (Tokorozawa is also a bedtown to those working in Tokyo, in #Saitama prefecture. Kawagoe is also a city in Saitama, a little #north of Tokorozawa.) Man : We'll be leaving at 10 o' clock. Man : But we still do have some time. p.25 [gyu gyu] (footsteps in snow) Sakaki : Yo! Sakaki : So you're the little officer-to-be who's working at Chuukoku Security. Noa : Er... yes... Sakaki : I heard you're trying out for the Mobile Police Force. Damn, I'm so happy to see eccentric people like you! Noa : ? Noa : Mister, do you belong to the Police Force or something? Sakaki : Well, something like that. p.26 Noa : How do you know me? Sakaki : We hear a lot about oddballs like you. Man : Mr. Sakaki! We're ready to start. Sakaki : Well Missy, it took you a long time to come here. Wanna see something interesting? [goon goon goon goon] (sound of machine) p.27 Sakaki : Better take a good look. If you're lucky enough, you're gonna leave your life to this sucker. Noa : ! [goon goon goon goon] (sound of machine) Noa : So... this is the... Noa : new Labor for the Police? p.28 [goon bashuu] (machine stopping) Noa : This is totally... outrageous..... Sakaki : Hey, but you seem to like it. p.29 Sakaki : 98 type AV (Advanced Vehicle) the nickname's "Ingram". Pretty handsome, don't you think, eh? Noa : I.... I, er.... p.30 [Safety first] (on wall) Noa : I applied for the Special Mobile Force because I love machines like these.... Sakaki : Oh yeah!? Noa : I used to watch these on TV animes when I was small! Sakaki : [Ahaha] (laughing) Unfortunately though, it can't fly. Noa : Awwwww! It can't!? Sakaki : Er, well... yeah, I know how you feel... Sakaki : But even though this can't fly, this is revolutionary in terms of the history of Labors! Sakaki : I'm so glad I can fool around with mean machines like this at this age... Sakaki : U.. Noa : ? p.31 [Ufufufufufu...] (giggling) Noa : ....a mad engineer... TV : ...talking about the bombing at the construction sections last night... TV : An announcement reached the Kudan Press that it was done by the enviromentalist group "Earth Defense Force". TV : The Earth Defense Force has been opposing National Projects such as the Babylon Project and others from 3 years ago.... p.32 TV : This incident is reported to be the second one after the Haneda Incident last September. Girl 1 : Environmentalists these days are vicious.. Noa : Duuuh... Noa : Wonder if they'll let me ride... Girl 1 : You're talking about that new Labor you saw again? Noa : Say, if I pass the aptitude test and get stationed to the Special Mobile Force.... Noa : Do you think they'll let a novice like me ride the new Labor? Girl 1 : That's decided by the senior officers... How should I know? Noa : Guess you're right... p.33 [a yoisho] (heave ho) TV : Tremendous power! TV : And agilty! [the burning man...] (song on TV) TV : "Heracles 21", the new Labor from Hishii Industries. Girl 1 : This one looks cool... in a different way... Noa : That one's out of question. Noa : The Ingram is nothing like this one... Woman : Candidate Izumi. P.34 Woman : There will be an aptitude test of the Special Mobile Force tomorrow. There was an order to report to the Headquarters at 8 o' clock next morning. Noa : What! But it's so sudden! Woman : Repeat! Noa : C..Candidate Izumi will report to the Headquarters next morning for the aptitude test.. Woman : Good! Woman : Oh! By the way... Woman : The test tomorrow will be held at Shinohara Heavy Industries Laboratory in Tsukuba. It'll be a long way there and I have heard that the test will be hard one. Woman : I advise you to go to sleep early. And I mean it. Noa : Tsukuba? P.35 Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture (*) #(*) (Tsukuba is about 2 hours from Tokyo. It is a city in the #countryside, designated as a research and development site by the #Japanese government. Tsukuba University here is somewhat like UC #Davis; it's a pretty boring place. [Rrrrrrrr] (van) P.36 Man : I wonder how many of them are going to survive... Goto : We don't want all of them dead..... Man : Well..... that's the same for all of us... We don't want the 98type AV to be rejected... Goto : It sucks if the sucker's gonna be replaced by a Hishii, right? (2nd Conference Room) Instructor : Talking about today's test... P.37 Instructor : First we all want you to take a physical examination. Instructor : Those of you who do not feel well today will not be able to take today's test. They will take it again next week.. [Whaaaaat!!] Asuma : Sir! One question! Asuma : I don't agree with the fact we have to take a test when we volunteered for this. I would like a plausible explanation for this. Instructor : Who are you? Asuma : Asuma Shinohara, from Mitaka. Instructor : Very well. [kyu kyu kyu] (writing on whiteboard) P.38 Instructor : Special Mobile Force of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (The Labor Unit) will change its name to "the 2nd Special Mobile Division" as of April 1st. The test to be held today are to choose those for the new 2nd Unit. Instructor : Along with that.... A new Labor will be stationed to the 2nd Unit... The test for today is to check the aptitude for this new Labor. Noa : What! Noa : Sir! Question, sir! Noa : I'm Noa Izumi from Waseda. If we pass this test, we'll be able to ride the new Labor? Instructor : ....That's what we have by default... but if there are too many of you who pass.... P.39 Instructor : candidates will be assigned to their places by lottery. [who wrote this sentence...?] [What the hell is that! Is this some TV show? Boo boo!] Instructor : After the physical examination, dress into your sportswear and wait in the next room. Asuma : I don't agree with this.... Noa : [Not gonna show you] Doctor : OK, breathe in deeply... Goto : Whether my new unit's gonna be an elite crack unit... Goto : Or a bunch of hoodlums.. [yo] (dressing) Goto : Either way, it's interesting.. P.40 Goto : So this is the gadget you use for this test... Researcher : Yes, a simulator to test the humans inside the 98 type AV. Researcher : Along with the basic movements, we add various movements under specific environments. Researcher : We can monitor the pilot inside here. P.41 Researcher : So here's our first guest. Researcher : Fufufu (laughing) I wonder how many minutes they'll last... Asuma : This is a despicable test... Noa : I can't settle down.. It's like being in the waiting room at a hospital. [gi] (door opening) Man : Next, Candidate Shinohara. [fura] (feeling dizzy) Candidate : I... I can't take that.. I'll take on my duties seriously at the police box.. .. [upu] (vomiting) P.42 Voice : Next, Officer Takeda. Candidate Suetsugu. Officer Koike. Asuma : That is defective. Is this company trying to sell something like THAT to the police! Man : Candidate Izumi. Asuma : Grab your BALLS tight when you get in there. Noa : (You think I have any!) Man : Please hold onto this. Noa : What is it? Man : Put it to your mouth when you start feeling sick. P.43 Man : OK. I'll close it. [batan] (hatch closing) [papa pa] (LCD turning on) Noa : Wow... so this is what it's like to be in an Ingram... [waku waku doki doki] (getting excited) P.44 Researcher : This girl doesn't seem to be suitable. Her heartbeat's gone up already. Goto : Well, please carry on anyway. [gakun] (simulator moving) Voice : 98 type has started to move. How is it like? Noa : It rocks a little. [guun guun] (simulator moving) Voice : OK. We'll start running. First on asphalt. Voice: Next on a random bumpy road. Now we're on rocks. Researcher : We're going downhill. Watch out! A car from a side street!! Researcher : Hey! A gust of wind to the side! Goto : Seems like they're only enjoying themselves... P.45 Asuma : Damn, she's been in there for a long time. [pashuu] (opening) Noa : Phew! The world inside's about 1 or 2 on the Richter scale. Man : How was it like inside? Noa : I don't mind the thing moving a little more stiffly... Asuma : What's your body made of? Noa : I'm pretty good with vehicles. Candidate : That's not something you call a vehicle... Goto : ....... P.46 Goto : Is it THAT bad? Man : Why not take a ride? Goto : ? Instructor : You will receive instructions for your results later.. [pa] (opening fan) [Hehee] (Yes siiir.) #Sort of messing around with Japanese history drama shows.. Noa : [This manga is almost becoming slapstick...] [pashuu] (opening) Man : How was it like? Goto : Oeeee (vomiting) Man : Waaagh! P.47 Goto : Damn... the new labor... how pleasurable it was to ride... Goto : It's so good you start puking... Woman : Is it that bad? [Waseda Police Academy] Goto : It's like going on a pleasure ride to hell... Woman : Oh... Goto : From what I think, there's something different from the core compared to what you've got there.. [rrrrrrr] (labor moving) P.48 [gyugiiiin] (labor moving) Voice : OK. Stand up. P.49 [Hyoooo] (winds) Goto : Mock fights.. Have they all reached up to this level? Woman : The instructors are good. Goto : It's tremendous they achieved this in such a short time. Instructor : Check the instrument panel. Woman : The instructors are good. Instructor : Izumi, you're gonna fight with a male student, but you're more fit for this. Show me what you've got! Noa : Yes, Instructor Sakuma! Goto : Sakuma.... #Goto is reminding himself of the soap show "Flight Attendant Story" #(Stewardess Monogatari in Japanese) in which you have a fierce #instructor called Sakuma and a dumb flight attendant candidate... #It's a story of a dumb chick becoming a flight attendant. Famous #line: "Instructor, I'm a slow, stupid, blunderous turtle. but.." etc. #etc... BTW, for some reason, flight attendants are a popular #profession among girls in Japan. At least a lot of girls wanna become #one when they're kids. P.50 Voice : Bow! [giii] (labors moving) Goto : Hey hey, they're not gonna bow to you when you're gonna fight for real. Woman : Let's get outside of the fence because it's dangerous.. Voice : Start! Noa : OK... let's kick butt! P.51 [gasshaan] (crashing) Same time, Warehouse section, Port of Tokyo. [bomu] (exploding) P.52 [doooon] (exploding) [gaka] (stepping) [gyu] (clinching) Nagumo : All aboard. Prepare to scramble! Officer : Aye! P.53 Officer : All aboard! [goooooo] (exploding) p.54 "Heracles 21", Multi-functional labor by Hishii Industry Co. Criminal : I..if you come over here.. I'm gonna burn you all down.. Officer1 : Please don't kill the guy by doing something rough, Lieutenant Nagumo. It took us so long to corner that bombing guy... Nagumo : You look at this situation and you think you've "cornered" him? P.55 Officer1 : We never thought he'd steal a new labor and confine himself here.. Nagumo : Well, too bad. Officer1 : Fierce old bitch... Voice : Hey! What are you doing? Ohta : Hey, let me do it! I'm going to scramble! Officer2 : I know how you feel, I really know how you feel. Officer1 : What is he doing... Ohta : I....I....I'm gonna.. Officer3 : Calm down, Ohta. Officer4 : Lieutenant Nagumo, the engineers from Hishii Industry has arrived. Nagumo : Please escort them here. Engineers : Er, hi. Nagumo : I'll make this brief. What is the weak point of "Heracles 21"? P.56 Engineer1 : Weak points... Is that like Spraying Specium Beam to the Heracles Bag? [Heracles Claws, Heracles Eye, Heracles Brain, Heracles Bag, Heracles Bone] #This is messing with Ultraman... Ultraman's popular tech was Specium #Beam.. Nagumo : I'm being serious. [ehhen] (feeling proud) Engineer2 : There are no weak points! Engineer2 : Tremendous power, and agility - that's what Heracles 21 is about. General purpose Labor for the Burning man! [doon] (waves) #see more for the commercial on the previous pages. Engineer1 : Well, if it's one on one, Engineer2 : We'll never lose against your Labor. Nagumo : All scramble! [doryuryuryuryuryu] (Labor moving) P.57 [jacom] (labor moving) [zukyum zukyum] (labor moving) Voice : The Special Mobile Force have started to scramble. Reporter : Will the police ever be able to arrest the criminal? Reporter : Or else.. . Man : Let us see the actual site! Reporter : How long will it take the police to arrest the criminal? P.58 TV : Those who have guessed, please give us a call. We'll give you the answer in the 7 'o clock news. Let us end our report. Police officials : W...what the hell is this show..? [What a terrible age we've come into.. ] Councilor, Patrol department : We really need to reinforce the Special Mobile Force... Not just from April, we want one right now. Chief, 2nd Section, Police Affairs dep. : But we have a problem with personnel. It's too early to assign young recruits.. Chief, Equipment Section, Commanding affairs dep: The new labors will be installed from April, what are you talking about? Chief, Efficiency Control Sect, Commanding af.dep: In any case, we must do something with cost performance.. Chief, 2nd Section : Even if we're able to get enough personnel from the recruits... They're not high in quality... I wonder if they could suit themselves in the Special Mobile Force... Chief, Efficiency : I heard the 98 type AV is hard to maneuver.. Is there time to educate the personnel? Voice : I think we have to force them to, as usual... P.59 Goto : We have to throw them in the "Tiger's Pit" or something. #Goto is referring to the underworld Prowrestling Training School that #comes out in the manga "Tiger Mask." It's known for having outrageous #training methods. Woman : Mr. Goto, salute! Goto : Oh. [kiriri] (being serious) Goto : Well, well. It's been a long time since I met superiors the last time. Councilor : You seem to be slack, Lieutenant Goto. Goto : I was travelling back and forth to Tsukuba this week.. I found out that there are some gifted people... Chief, 2nd section : I saw the results of the test in Tsukuba. So you say that these people are gifted? Chief, 2nd section : I think not. Goto : You think so? P.60 Councilor : Wait. You just said something about the "Tiger's Pit". Councilor : Do you have some idea ? Goto : I can't say I don't have one. Councilor : Can you write it on the back of your name card? [pira] (showing name card) Goto : Shall I? [Metropolitan Police Dept. Waseda Police Academy, Women's Residence Hall] [Bath House] [zaa] (hot water running) P.61 Woman : Candidate Izumi. Noa : Yes. I'm here. Woman : I know you are there. After you finish bathing, come to the Instructor's room. Noa : What happened? [kyu] (stopping water) Woman : You will be transferred to a school specializing on the Special Mobile Force for training. Noa : [E] (surprise) Noa : The..n... that...means... [wana wana wana] (trembling) [pishan] (door closing) Woman : Don't forget to do the procedures. P.62 Noa : All right! Noa : After the training, I will be assigned to the 2nd Special Mobile Division! Girl : O..oh...is that so? That's good for you... [Congratulations.. you really stuck to it... Thank you... ] [ku] (crying) Girl : What's the matter, instructor? Woman : She'll never get promoted.. Although she's such a nice girl... Girl : Eh? [iiiin] (Labor moving) P.63 [kuru kasha] [rotating, opening hand] [chuiin] (moving hand) Labors. Multiple-legged walking manipulators, used in various fields under the rapid development of Hypertechnology. However, this also created a new social threat called Labor crimes. P.64 To counter against the series of Labor crimes, The Metropolitan Police created a Special Mobile Force under the Headquarters Patrol Dept. Nicknamed "Patrol Labor Troop", This is how the Patlabors came in to existence. TV : So the police took 47 minutes to arrest the criminal. The callers with the correct response are... Goto : Damn.. Forgot to give them a call.. End Prologue.