Turn 21: Nemo's War

Zero's words: Today we encountered a fearsome storm. An ordinary vessel would have suffered heavy damage. Safe and serene, the Nautilus cruised beneath the tempest.

Nemo plays Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on his organ.

Ryo sneaks away from his cabin.

Zero's words: There was much to occupy me, so I left Rivalz to deal with Ryo. Although he had apparently settled down, I knew he bore constant watching.

Ryo, who is secreting jewels in a homemade guitar, is being watched secretly by Rivalz.

Nemo shows Suzaku the engine room.

Zero's words: As the voyage continued, the Nautilus and its motive power excited my utmost curiosity. At my host's invitation, I inspected the ship. He seemed determined to show me everything. We went to the very heart of the vessel, the propulsion unit.

Nemo its power station (an early type of atomic reactor which powers the sub), and the various ways the sub runs.

Zero's words: It was apparent that Captain Nemo had discovered what mankind has always sought, the veritable dynamic power of the universe. This secret alone gave him mastery of the sea.

In the salon.

Suzaku: I can hardly believe it, how one could conceive and build such a craft. And in a single stroke, harness power beyond the wildest dreams of science. Why, such a secret could revolutionise the world.

Nemo: Or destroy it.

Nemo opens the grand salon's viewing port.

Nemo: See how peaceful it is here. The sea is everything, an immense reservoir of nature where I roam at will.

Zero's words: With seeming indifference, Captain Nemo held the key to the future of the world. As I studied him, I became aware that powerful forces were at work within this strange man.

Nemo: Think of it. On the surface, there is hunger and fear. Men still exercise unjust laws. They fight, tear one another to pieces. A mere few feet beneath the waves, their reign ceases, their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only independence. Here I am free. Imagine what would happen if they controlled machines such as a submarine boat. Far better that they think there's a monster and hunt me with harpoons.

Makarska, Croatia

Zero's words: After travelling 10,000 leagues under the sea, I still had not solved the mystery of Captain Nemo. But then one day he asked me to go ashore with him. I felt at long last I was to have my answer.

Nemo shows Suzaku a secret slave camp and reveals that he was once among the men forced to mine minerals to be used for weaponry.

Nemo: The prison camp of Rorapandi, the white man's grave, Xylvanian territory.

Suzaku: I thought it had been abolished.

Nemo: Nothing is abolished that turns a profit to that hated nation. You'll see better what I mean through this.

He hands him a spyglass, Suzaku sees the prisoners as Japanese mining Sakuradite.

Nemo: Your people, I see. And the Sakuradite their loading onto that ship.

Suzaku: What is in those sacks they are carrying?

Nemo: Nitrates and phosphate for ammunition, the seeds of war. They're loading a full cargo of death, and when that ship takes it home, the world will die a little more. I was once one of those pitiful wretches you see down there. Look at it again. I don't want you to forget what you've seen here today.

Suzaku: I've seen enough.

Nemo: It's burned everlastingly in my memory.

The motorboat drives them back to the Nautilus.

Nemo: I did not escape from there alone. There were others, and most of them are still with me.

Suzaku: The crew of the Nautilus?

Nemo: They are dedicated men with a plan for living, but also a plan for dying.

On the submarine.

First mate: They're getting up steam, sir.

Nemo: Very good. That ship that flies no flag sails with the tide. But the evil in its hold will never reach its destination. - You have your orders.

First mate: Aye, sir. - Go to your stations. (to the crew)

Nemo: - Go below, Suzaku.

Suzaku: - You are going to sink that ship?

Nemo: - I said go below! Stay in your quarters!

As the sun was setting, the Nautilus waits on the surface. Nemo plays Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on his organ. The music rings out thought out the submarine. Ryo, annoyed of the music, shuts his door. Suzaku can't thinks about things with the music loud. Nunnally listened in the salon. The alarm rang out. He heads for the bridge. On the surface, the freighter sail from port. Nemo makes it to the bridge.

Nemo: Stand by engines. Half ahead.

The Nautilus moves forwards towards the ship.

Nemo: Collision speed, full!

Sailor: Collision speed, full!

The Nautilus speeds up faster than before straight on at the ship, as if it was possessing Nemo's eyes and mind. At a striking moment, the Nautilus struck the ship in the middle, then it explodes, with the Nautilus sailing away from it. The group are shook by the shockwaves. They run and meet Nunnally in the salon, open the salon's viewing port, and witness the sinking ship, the see sailor bodies, including Japanese prisoners. Then the sinking ship explodes, with tremendous shockwave force. Knocking everyone off their feets. Soon it settles down now.

Rivalz: Suzaku? Nunnally? Are you all right?

Nunnally: (sobbing) All those men, they didn't even have a chance.

Suzaku sits in shock.

Ryo: They were japanese, same as us, slaughtered by that monster you're trying to make friends with.

Ryo walk behind Suzaku, but Rivalz stops him.

Rivalz: Ryo, don't.

Ryo: I don't know how you feel, Zero, but I feel like a knife that's just stabbed a friend in the back.

Nemo walks in.

Nemo: Go to your quarters.

Ryo: I've had a bellyful.

The group returns back to their quarters, except for Suzaku. The First mate comes in.

First mate: Damage report, sir. Rudder and starboard diving planes disabled.

Nemo: Muster a repair party. We'll make temporary repairs here.

First mate: Aye, sir.

He walks away.

Nemo: I asked you to leave, Zero.

Suzaku turns to Nemo.

Suzaku: You also asked me ashore, to show me man's inhumanity to man. Why? To justify this? You are not only a murderer. You are a hypocrite. The proof lies out there.

Nemo: [anguished] YOU CALL THAT MURDER? Well, I see murder, too, not written on those drowned faces out there, but on the faces of dead thousands! They are the assassins, the dealers in death; I am the avenger! Is murder a right reserved for that hated nation that has taken everything from me? Everything but my secret, the secret of my submarine boat and the energy that propels it. They tried. They cast me into prison, and when they failed... When they failed, they tortured my wife and young son to death.

Nemo lies down on his couch.

Nemo: Do you know the meaning of love, Zero?

Suzaku: I believe I do.

Nemo: What you fail to understand is the power of hate. It can fill the heart as surely as love can.

Suzaku: I'm sorry for you. It's a bitter substitute.

Feeling sorry, Suzaku returns back to his cabin. There, Rivalz is cleaning up.

Rivalz: The explosions scattered everything all over the place. I was just trying to tidy up. Suzaku, I'd like to speak to you.

Suzaku: - About what?

Rivalz: Well, I believe things have gone far enough. Murder means nothing to him. I think he enjoys it.

Suzaku: You're sure of that, are you? Quite sure?

Rivalz: I can only judge him by what I've observed.

Suzaku: It is not your place to judge. You don't know anything about the captain. He's already said that he has use for me. What's more important, the world has a use for him. And I must make him understand it. When he does, he will judge himself far more harshly than you ever can. Is that clear?

Rivalz: Whatever you say, Captain.

Suzaku: Now, please go out and leave me alone. What did you call me? "Captain?"

Rivalz: Yes, I did. And I must say, there is a certain resemblance.

Rivalz storms off to Ryo, Yukiya, and Ayano's cabin.

Ayano: Do you mind!

Yukiya: - Seen enough?

Rivalz: - I want to talk to you, guys.

Ryo: You little spying hyena. Did Zero put you up to this?

Rivalz: It's Zero I want to tell you about! You were right. Nemo's won him over completely.

Ryo: You bet I was right. And I was right about you spying on me.

Rivalz: I've known all along that you were stealing food and treasure. I didn't tell a soul. I was glad you did it. We may need it.

Ryo: We? Since when do I need you?

Rivalz: We need each other. Ryo, I want to be friends.

Ryo: "I wanna be friends." I want to escape.

Rivalz: So do I, with you. And we have to save Nunnally in spite of himself. You once said you had a plan. Well, have you?

Ryo: - Yeah, I got a plan.

Rivalz: - Well?

Ryo: Trouble is, it won't work. I can't figure how they navigate this barge. Nothing's written down. No courses, no bearings, nothing. If we could figure where we're heading, we'd have a chance.

Berlin, Germany

At a shrine, a dark green long-haired chants at a alter.

A/N: Next turn, coming soon.