| Phase 11 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Volume: | 2 |
| Chapter | 11 |
| Japanese title | それでも |
| Romanized title | Soredemo |
| English title | Even So... |
| Total pages | 33 |
| Released | 2001 |
| Story Arc | Tiphares Arc |
| Chapter Navigation | |
| previous Phase 10 |
next Phase 12 |
Even So... is the eleventh chapter of Battle Angel Alita: Last Order.
Cover[]
A standing nude Alita.
Summary[]
Alita dreams that she is still a member of the TUNED and being awakened by her operator, Lou Collins, but it turns out to be Pam Mahan and Alita recalls that she is inside the Medical Inspection Bureau Core on Tiphares. Some Tiphareans at work inside the core reveal that they have not found anything about Lou. In response to Pam's question as to who Lou was, Alita responds that she reminds her of Lou, especially being slow and inept, which upsets Pam.
Marge Mahan suggests that Lou and Pam may have come from the same genetic stock, a common occurrence on Tiphares. It is revealed that Tiphareans lose their ability to reproduce at birth, but enjoying sex is optional. This sparks a debate as to whether or not natural childbirth should be allowed as well as making males capable of bearing children. Alita gets out of giving her opinion by attempting to play the DNA organ, but is held back by Marge and Nola Lafargue. Deckman 100 then relays a message from Nova II that he has found Lou.
Inside the Disposal Division Alita is greeted by Elf and Zwölf, who claim to have repaired Sechs' body. However it turns out to be the interactive interface with Sechs' brain bio-chip inserted. Sechs is skeptical of the interface's utility until Alita claims to have used it to train to fight giants like Den.
Alita then finds Lou as part of a square block of countless other bodies that are clumped together. While eating flan Nova II reveals that he was not looking for Lou, but came across the block, which has been lifted out of a reservoir, while examining the bio-chip production line. Hover Lou's bio-chip is missing. Nova II then explains that the M.I.B. takes a eugenics view of crime, dividing it into three categories which are then dealt with accordingly. Ideological criminals are studied before being disposed of, their bodies broken down and their DNA recycled. However the process was halted at the freezing stage, as it was most likely disrupted by his hacking into the M.I.B. When Alita begs Nova to resurrect Lou, he asks what is in for him, prompting her to offer to do anything he asks. When he says that his price is that she kill all the Tipharean survivors, Alita demands that he vow to bring back Lou, but he backs off from his offer, laughing it off as a joke. He explains that with Lou's brain gone she cannot be revived, even with the usage of Karmatron Dynamics. In response to Alita's despair Nova II discusses why cloning Lou would be pointless, as well as what it means to be human.
At night Alita, who has retreated to a quiet corner of Tiphares, reflects on her weakness and is ashamed of agreeing to sacrifice the survivors for Lou. When Nova II contacts her via Deckman 100, he reveals that he will be going to Ketheres via the orbital elevator the next day, inviting her along. To entice her he suggests that there may be one final option, based on what he has discovered about the relationship between Tiphares and Ketheres. Following the Tipharean initiation, the brains that are extracted are sent to Ketheres via the orbital elevator, where they become part of a neural network composed of multiple brains. This suggests that Melchizedek is part of a giant network that includes the brains. Even if Lou's brain is recovered, her memories will have stopped when she turned 19 and she will not recall Alita or her time in the G.I.B., but Alita agrees to try.
The next morning, while standing on a spire looking towards the sky, Alita silently apologizes to Figure Four, who will have to wait for her. Making a paper airplane that she throws to the sky, she thinks that Tiphares will need Kaos one day, as she will go into space.
Debut appearances[]
Locations[]
- Disposal Division
Objects[]
- Alita's paper airplane
Trivia[]
- This is the first hint of the Brain Incubator that is part of Melchizedek.
References[]
[]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||