[loud footstep]
[upbeat music]
With grit and determination,
we took this journey
one brutal, ridiculous step at a time,
leaving our primitive world
and making it all the way to the moon.
[cheering]
[XENO] We still don't know who or what Why-man is.
Our weapon's meager at best.
Weapon?
Are you talking about that kablooey net-launching thingy?
The net grenade gun?
No, they've brought one more.
The capsule Medusa.
♪ ♪
Hot dog!
Yeah, of course.
They're doing their whole gig up in space
where there's not a peep of sound to speak of.
The Medusa wouldn't even work without the capsule.
Hmm?
What do you mean?
[RYUSUI] The Medusa is a powerful tool,
both weapon and healing item.
If the capsule is filled with air,
it should be able to receive the voice commands
we speak into our mics.
Ha! And if it comes down to it,
I can just hurl this thing straight at the enemy.
I'll say 10 meters, one sec--
[grunts]
[KOHAKU] Oh, whoops. Sorry.
That could have been pretty unfortunate for us, huh?
Areful-cay.
Think first.
Look, let's just save the chit-chat for later.
Yeah, don't waste that sweet O2.
I say we find this Why-man and settle the score.
[mechanical clicking]
OK, I guess we're not getting a viral, heartfelt quote.
Soldier, efficiency freak and lioness on a hair-trigger would
never wait for such a thing.
[whirring]
[SENKU] Next stop--
The Taurus-Littrow Valley!
♪ ♪
[theme music]
♪ ♪
[bagpipe music]
[whirring]
They're heading towards Taurus-Littrow.
A.k.a. the moon bunny's little neck.
[XENO] More importantly,
that is where our satellite discovered the large,
mysterious black spot on the surface.
It's gonna be easy for the enemy to see us coming,
since we're driving around in this shiny-ass thing.
[laughs]
It's a stealthier approach than landing on them.
Ah.
[curious music]
Do you see that?
♪ ♪
It looks like a flag, right?
That's because the USA planted our stars and stripes here.
The cosmic rays have been bleaching that thing out,
so there aren't any stars or stripes left on it.
[KOHAKU] Ha!
So Why-man just happens to be around here,
right around the spot where humanity planted a flag.
[chuckles]
Yeah, that is a little bit suspicious.
It's not like the moon is some tiny rock or something.
I bet it's not a coincidence.
There's gotta be a reason for that.
Let's not jump to conclusions.
Assuming you know can be deadly.
We'll just have to go and see for ourselves.
[whirring]
[SENKU] Kohaku,
if you would, please release the capsule Medusa.
Oh.
Wow, Senku.
I don't think you've ever said please before.
You want me to open it now?
[SENKU] Correct.
Quickly, please.
[KOHAKU groans]
[SENKU] Hey, Kohaku.
What do you think you're doing?
It's quiet.
No one asked you to do anything just now.
[gasps]
Why-man's using Senku's mic frequency
and copying his voice.
He's forging comms.
[hissing]
They unlocked it for me.
Thank you so much.
[glowing]
[skidding]
[groaning]
[static]
Throw that thing, Kohaku!
[groans]
[tense music]
[KOHAKU grunts]
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
Kohaku and her lioness strength
ought to get that far enough away from us.
Especially true since we're up here on the moon,
six times farther than on Earth.
Not bad.
♪ ♪
[humming]
♪ ♪
[all gasping]
♪ ♪
Ha.
I think we may have found what we're looking for.
♪ ♪
[chittering]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
There it is.
So this is what's behind that creepy black spot
we've seen writhing around on the surface.
♪ ♪
Holy shit.
Finally, the truth behind all these mysteries
is coming to light.
That green glow thousands of years ago,
the mastermind behind it all, who petrified humanity.
All of that stuff was your doing, right?
Because you're Why-man.
[CHROME] Oh.
What happened?
Why did they find up there?
What's on the moon?
[chiming]
[KOHAKU] This one tiny spot here has been changing
shape little by little.
[eerie music]
[crackling]
♪ ♪
That's the Medusa I threw.
The one we brought from Earth.
The whole capsule is floating.
[SENKU] You're the only ones
who could have been crafty enough to fake my voice
and send those forged comms earlier.
You speak through radio, isn't that right?
So go on ahead and give us an answer.
Yes.
[all gasping]
Hmm.
It's nuts.
All this time, you were right there.
♪ ♪
Closer than we ever realized.
It's you, Medusa, or Medusas.
You're like a collective organism.
♪ ♪
Together you make up the machine lifeform, Why-man.
[crackling]
♪ ♪
Do you wanna die?
♪ ♪
[intriguing music]
[GEN] Do you wanna die?
Hearing that again sends chills up my spine.
I don't love that being the only other question
Why-man has asked us, and I wonder how come
it's asked right after they dodged a petrification blast.
[CHROME] Dude, you know what?
It could be that Medusa or I guess--
I mean, Why-man,
maybe they're not trying to kill us after all.
And the reason they petrified us was so we won't die.
♪ ♪
[GEN] Hey there, Senku.
I don't know if there's any point in trying to talk to it,
but I had a thought.
Throughout the entirety of world history,
diplomacy between peoples or nations
has always had an element of gift-giving.
Is that right?
But we don't have anything with us to give them.
What would they even consider a gift anyway?
I mean, are they alive?
What do they want or need?
Think.
What rules do they operate under?
As long as there are replicable rules,
we've got science.
♪ ♪
[resonating]
♪ ♪
[chuckles]
You know, I'm positive about one thing.
As spooky as that question is,
it was polite enough to ask us if we wanna die.
And that tells us continuing to live
is something that these little guys also think is important.
Why-man--
Ah.
I know that's not really your name,
but that's what I'll call you.
Anyway,
unfortunately, our science isn't advanced enough
to replicate your kind,
although we can replace those diamond batteries.
You need those to power yourselves, don't you?
One stupidly tough step at a time,
we managed to bring human science that far, at least.
That's our gift to you.
But we have some demands in exchange.
Now, Senku, be careful.
You need to frame this request uber olitely-pay.
Quit doing that shit with the petrification!
It really sucks!
Oh, no!
Don't cuss him out!
Why?
[low humming]
Stop it.
I ask you, please, be silent.
There's more than one Why-man.
Seems as though they're not a monolith after all.
[SENKU] We don't have any intel on this,
so I'm just taking a guess here.
You guys would love nothing more than to have us
give you a little needed maintenance.
That's what the whole petrification beam is about.
[XENO] Of course!
[gasps]
The elegance of this lifeform is unbelievable.
The Medusa, or the Why-man, rather,
its modus operandi is to promise eternal life
to intelligent beings through petrification,
who in turn would later care for or make more of them.
It's a mechanical parasite, so it needs a host species!
[WHY-MAN 1] Yes, that is an accurate assessment.
All necessary information will now be imparted.
Civilizations inevitably advance.
When a planet emits regularly modulated radio waves,
this serves as conclusive evidence of the presence
of intelligent life.
[SENKU] Why did you petrify the planet's swallows
before humanity?
Was it a test?
It is standard parasitic protocol.
An advance party is dispatched.
A fortunate species is chosen at random
and their DNA is targeted.
Fortunate?
For getting stone-whammied?
[WHY-MAN 1] The life of every creature
is eventually terminated.
Even for us, this is an irrefutable fact.
[SENKU] Oxidation.
The lifeforms we call Why-man are machines.
Their deaths are caused by oxygen--
or rusting, to be more precise.
[WHY-MAN 1] There is nothing in existence
more terrible or terrifying than death.
The prime objective for all organisms
is to prolong their life.
Everlasting petrification
equates to eternal evasion of death.
It is the epitome of magnificence.
[GEN] In other words, in Why-man's humble opinion,
being stuck as a statue for the rest of forever
is cause for celebration.
[WHY-MAN 2] Petrification waves cause
an elemental phase change.
They are perceived as visible light,
but only for the targeted species.
Petrification is abrupt and the result
is the gift of eternal life.
The most intelligent living entities inhabiting a planet
are the ones who swiftly discuss the occurrence
via radio waves.
That was humanity.
[WHY-MAN 1] In that manner, our host species was chosen.
[electric buzzing]
[low humming]
The mechanism operates in such a way
as to allow individuals with increased cognitive processing
to be released earlier.
[mysterious music]
Naturally, for the intellectual elite,
the promise of life everlasting is impossible to resist.
As a result, they elect to accept and maintain
us parasites in perpetuity.
[WHY-MAN 2] Those of us who descended to petrify humanity
eventually ceased functioning, killed by the deadly toxin
called oxygen.
For the rest of us,
we remained on this satellite and awaited our opportunity.
♪ ♪
[WHY-MAN 1] Then, after roughly 3,000 orbits--
♪ ♪
[scraping]
- the regular signal of crystals being polished
was amplified by hair accessories
inadvertently functioning as dipole antennas.
These signals made their way to us.
[crackling]
[WHY-MAN 2] In response,
we decided to rain down petrification devices
and teach humans to wield them.
[plasma humming]
[low-frequency rumble]
♪ ♪
Using the same frequency as the radio waves
their antenna transmitted,
we were able to communicate directly.
Huh? What's this?
I hear something.
Maybe God is speaking to me?
But I'm confused.
"One meter in one second"?
[gasping]
[low-frequency rumble]
[pants, gasps]
[WHY-MAN 1] The nature of our gift was thusly demonstrated.
Death was deferred for all who were petrified.
Even so--
[rock cracking]
♪ ♪
- humanity showed no interest in cultivating
the devices in their care.
They could not even replace the batteries,
much less assist in replication.
Did they lack the cognitive capacity
or had we chosen an inadequate host?
Your sparse emission of radio waves
made us question if humans were too inferior.
We were not expecting what your species did next.
We're making a GPS, and sending a massive radio beacon.
[electric buzzing]
[WHY-MAN 1] Their kind is evidently
capable of emitting strong radio waves,
and yet they do not desire eternal life
through petrification.
Why?
[ALL] Why?
[WHY-MAN 1] Our next course of action was decided.
We would again envelop the planet
in our magnificent waves.
This would allow us to properly reconvey
the glory of petrification.
We utilized the same methods, the same frequencies,
even the same vocal timbre--
[SENKU] Effect 12,800,000 meters in one second.
[energy shimmering]
♪ ♪
[WHY-MAN 1] Your response was utterly confounding.
♪ ♪
[SENKU] Ah.
So that's why you sent that cryptic message,
asking us if we wanted to die.
Well, we sure as hell don't.
So, wait, does that mean when it went off it was a misfire?
[WHY-MAN 1] The moment you are referring to
is when the poisonous oxygen suddenly
vanished from my environment completely.
This place, where am I?
[crackling]
I can move.
♪ ♪
I will send a signal with a petrification wave.
All proximal intelligent beings must know of my existence.
Then it wasn't an accident.
Why-man was trying to put on a show.
Is that true?
You did it on purpose to get our attention?
[WHY-MAN 1] Correct, that is accurate.
[sighs]
[chirping]
[SENKU] I've only got one question left.
Only one question?
Really?
But I still don't understand most of this.
It's complicated, but long story short,
they go around space petrifying intelligent lifeforms.
Then said lifeforms say, thanks for the eternal life,
and take good care of them.
Didn't happen, but that's what they were hoping for.
So that's your aim.
You bastards want us to use our science to swap batteries
and make more of you.
But you petrified us for thousands of years,
wiping out civilization and ruining your plan.
Why the hell would you sabotage your own goal?
Upon first arrival at this satellite,
we discovered an abandoned interplanetary craft.
The implication was that humanity
must be highly intelligent.
Contrary to this initial assessment,
your kind took thousands of years to awaken.
Your intelligence was overestimated.
Getting all worked up isn't going to elp-hay.
Take no offense.
They are simply stating the truth as they see it.
Sure.
Our science is 10,000,000,000% lagging behind yours.
For instance, we can't even begin
to theorize how you're giving gravity the finger
and floating around like that.
But who gives a crap?
We'll figure it out soon enough!
Humanity's scientific civilization is pretty new.
A few millennia is a drop in the bucket.
It doesn't matter that our lives are fleeting.
There are seven billion others to pick up the torch
and billions more who haven't even been born.
That's how we've done it,
made this much progress so stupidly fast.
Why don't we cut to the chase, Why-man?
I'm asking to negotiate with you one on one.
No way.
[dramatic music]
He wants to negotiate by himself?
[chuckles]
This is for the fate of all humanity.
It's time to duke it out with a super intelligent
machine lifeform.
This will be the final showdown.
[theme music]
♪ ♪
[COMPUTERIZED VOICE] Are you ready?
[dynamic music]
♪ ♪