Astro Boy #3: The Secret of Astro

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Fauna
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Postby Fauna » 9 years ago

Yeah, I'm really excited to see where Legardinier goes with the book series! With this current chapter, things have gotten pretty wild. Tenma is super evil in this version, something I haven't seen since the NOW! Comics series.

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CHAPTER 6



Tenma's voice leads Astro through the enormous underground complex up to a huge set of doors, which open "majestically" to a huge room with a walkway leading up to an enormous observation tank. In this tank are two glass cages with Zoran and O'Shay inside.

Astro tries to fly over and break them out, but his jets can't start somehow. He tries again, but to no avail. Tenma mentions over the radio that he's configured the room to keep Astro from utilizing his powers in any wya. Tenma in person steps into the observation tank, and assures O'Shay and Zoran are alive, and that Astro ought to have a word with O'Shay.

"Professor, are you okay?"

"All right, my boy. And you? "

"I feel better since I've found you two. Nobody's hurt you?"

"It's not that he wants to hurt us..." O'Shay said in a sad voice.

Tenma raised an eyebrow threateningly. O'Shay looked down and said: "So he told you?"

"Dr. Tenma claims that it was he who created me, and you had me taken away and reprogrammed. Tell me this is not true!"

"My poor little...sooner or later, you would have known, but I wish that you could've learned a better way..."

Astro was petrified. He felt his mind go to pieces, collapsing under the weight of this terrible confirmation.

"Why didn't you ever say anything to me?" he pleaded weakly.

"You are young, I didn't want to disturb you. I always knew I had to say it; I waited for the right moment...and now we're here. I'm sorry... "


Tenma gloats about this, declaring O'Shay a thief, but:

"That's wrong!" protested the old professor. "I protected him from your influence. I haven't stolen him like you claim. You wanted a weapon, a robot serving your sinister ambitions. When the authorities seized him, I didn't want him to be destroyed! I felt that this boy was better than what you had planned for him!"

Tenma is annoyed and sends an electric shock into O'Shay's chest. He turns to Astro and tries to talk him into joining him, insisting, "No more homework, tests, obligations." He even offers to reconfigure Zoran to keep her with them, and Astro is absolutely disgusted at the idea of someone manhandling her. But he tries to keep calm, knowing it'll be the only way to get out of this.

"I need a little time to think," he cried to the doctor. "Everything I learn disturbs me..."

"I understand, Astro. Think of all the benefits I offer you, and choose your destiny... "
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Fauna
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Postby Fauna » 9 years ago

CHAPTER 7



Astro is given some time to think alone, and he can't let go of the image of O'Shay and Zoran huddled in their glass chambers. He manages to step back from the situation and consider the facts...

"After all," he said to himself, "Regardless of my origin, Tenma never did anything for me. Only Professor O'Shay raised me like I was his son. Who has devoted his time and energy? Who has always looked after me?"

The answer was clear. Having been constructed by another made no difference. Astro imagined what the Prrofessor O'Shay had suffered, wearing this secret as a burden. He must have feared that Astro would learn, and come to hate him and run away. Astro was eager to tell him that it did not matter. The robot child even managed to smile on remembering his emotions the day when the professor introduced him to his sister. The scientist had always worked for the good of humanity, but also for the happiness of those to whom he had given so much. Astro stood up straight. He knew now what he should do.


Astro takes a moment to analyse what's keeping him from using his powers in the underground base, using his inner diagnostics to detect a strange wave being broadcast through the entire base. It takes him twenty minutes, but he manages to engineer an anti-wave point inside himself. Tenma comes to his cell in person, certain that he's convinced Astro now.

Astro plays along and agrees to join him. Tenma's ego goes through the roof and tells the boy that he must tell O'Shay his decision himself, and then he'll release O'Shay and Zoran back into the city. He calls Astro "my boy", and Astro fights back disgust.

"Without you, he can't do anything and his reputation will be destroyed. The whole world will know that he stole from you from me! Then I will give you a tour of my base and you will discover all my secrets..."

Astro agrees.
Last edited by Fauna on Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Accidentally had "teacher" instead of "professor".
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Postby Earthshine » 9 years ago

I really like how this is tackling Oshay's involvement in Astro's life as his father and not necessarily as a mentor (which is how many incarnations of him he is depicted). I like how this openly portrays him as his father even though Dr. Tenma created him, and I also like how Astro did not immediately doubt his relationship with him because of the secret which O'Shay kept from him.

I really like that.

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Postby Fauna » 9 years ago

Finally...

CHAPTER 8



Tenma insists that Astro go out to tell O'Shay his decision while wearing a child-sized version of Tenma's own cloak. I don't know if this is super cute or creepy. Tenma declares himself the victor of Astro's decision, and O'Shay is distraught, tears even coming to his eyes when he sees Astro joining Tenma's side. But Zoran...

Zoran knew her brother too well. She truly trusted him, and she was certain he would never abandon them. She, better than anyone, knew how he was kind, honest, and willing to do anything for those he loved. In the eyes of her big brother, she saw the light of a rapid reaction, a spectacular action of which he had the secret.

Tenma talks big some more, claiming O'Shay's career is next to destroyed and he can never fight back against Tenma...or is it, Tenma and Astro? He asks Astro to back him up, but Astro just starts up his anti-wave transmitter, flies up into the air, and rips off his cloak.

Astro begins to fly again and breaks O'Shay and Zoran out of their jails, and Tenma furiously calls out his Robot Destructors, an army of twelve beetle-like robots with arm cannons that begin to open fire on the three as they begin to escape the room.

"My boy," groaned the old man, "I was so afraid of losing you!"

"Don't worry, Professor, I know who I am. For me, there will never be any doubt about who my family is. And now, let's escape this awful place."


Astro has the two hold on around his neck as he tries to fight back with a laser blast, managing to blow up one Destructor, but just like Dr. Shimo said in chapter one, exerting his new fuel cell can cause Astro to lose power. He chooses rapid flight over shooting and begins to leave the way he came.

Suspended from his neck, Professor O'Shay and Zoran and clung with all their might. Zoran was laughing. Despite the danger, she was not afraid because she was with her big brother. As for the professor, he closed his eyes to not see the perils that they narrowly escaped.

When they finally fly out of the building, they discover it's now sunrise, and the police, Colonel Misha, and the Ministry's security force have surrounded the area. They shoot down the Destructors, and Misha rushes over to make sure the group is all right while his officers storm the base.

Dr. O'Shay was exhausted, but so happy to be close to Astro and little Zoran.

"My children," he said as he gave them a big hug. "I was so scared for you. I couldn't bear to see you two hurt."

Astro smiled.

"Do not worry, professor. And next time, if you ever have a problem, don't wait for a nasty doctor to act before you tell me!"



THE END



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Considering this was just a kid's novella, this was really great! It was such a pleasant surprise to discover an entirely new Astro Boy canon, and Giles Legardinier is a fantastic writer for this series! Translating this was really fun, and I definitely want to see more.

Speaking of which, I've found a listing for book #2 - the one about Zoran and Astro exploring a giant toy store that's part of an evil plan - for about $7, and I'm going to snag that as soon as I can. I hope you guys enjoyed this installment as much as I did!

I'm also planning to post some art inspired by this book in this thread, too!
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Some fan art based on this book...

Postby Fauna » 9 years ago

First, here's what I imagine Colonel Misha looks like:

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Secondly, here's a comic I couldn't resist making after reading the part in chapter 8 when Astro has to wear a matching cloak:

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Postby Earthshine » 9 years ago

Ha, that's great Fauna. Tenma in all reality is just a big dork no matter what series he appears in.

Thank you so much for translating and posting this, I'm really looking forward to whatever else you put up. This series is really refreshing to see and offers a whole new universe to explore, I am really liking this and the focus on Atom's family which has always been my main draw when it comes to character interactions in this series.

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Postby Reid958 » 9 years ago

"Fauna" wrote:First, here's what I imagine Colonel Misha looks like:

Image

Secondly, here's a comic I couldn't resist making after reading the part in chapter 8 when Astro has to wear a matching cloak:

Image


Actually there's a good drawing of Astro boy in tenma's coat. Btw I like your drawing style, very good. http://hirpina81.deviantart.com/art/Like-father-486791260

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Postby Uran-chama » 9 years ago

Just read through this all today and I really enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for sharing!

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Fauna
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Postby Fauna » 9 years ago

Thank you, everyone! I'm so glad everyone's been reading and enjoying these chapters! I had a lot of fun translating them, and if you want the English document with the complete by-chapter translations, just message me!

As well, I ordered book #2 today for $6.47, so I'll be making a new thread for those translations when it arrives...

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Postby Windswept Cloak » 9 years ago

Who wrote / drew those?
I joined this forum in late 2013 when I was 15 going on 16. Ignore my oldest posts, they embarrass me so much that I've considered permanantly leaving the forum more than once. I've grown out of my fangirling phase over Black Jack, Atom and Uran ages ago but the memories still embarrass me at times... :unsure: Though, I try to be more open-minded about it and accept it as an "interesting stage of my life". :tezuka:


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