Fam Aerial Log

Translations, scans and any other in-progress Last Exile related projects.
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Tara
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Fam Aerial Log

Post by Tara »

Image

Gallery link.

A full translation of the novel is here! It will be moved to the main site soon.

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Csilla Aria
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Post by Csilla Aria »

Yay for scans! :cry: The poor book, the sacrifice is for a good cause though.

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Tara
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Post by Tara »

Maybe one day I will be able to afford a second copy that I keep as an actual copy.

One day. Such is the life of most of the LE/RM artbooks I get though, a noble sacrifice.

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Post by Tara »

Upon uploading the Friends novel to the site, I realized I never properly translated the after-talk from the author. I summarized most of the key points, but had a hard time really properly doing anything more than that (maybe due to burn out from doing almost literally nothing but TLing the novel itself the moment I got it lel).

It's not on my immediate list of things to do, but I figured I'd upload the page scan as well as a text grab (the text grab MIGHT have a few kanji/character errors-- I miss some when I go through it making sure it grabbed everything ok from the scan) to have it available.

(I need to put time aside to scan more of the AL and also start that image gallery sob sob!)

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-TK-
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Post by -TK- »

I don't remember if I already sent this to Tara... Some time ago I tried to translate the section of the Fam Aerial Log titled "World Report" (pages 118-123). I am posting what I came up with: I hope I didn't make too many mistakes :oops:
Spoiler
The regeneration of the Home Planet

The people who escaped to the far reaches of the sky started to return to the Home Planet whose environment was recovering. But a new dispute arose.

The previous "Last Exile" story revolved around Prester (an artificial planet), where the two nations of Anatoray and Disith had taken refuge. Now it is the earth that has become the stage for a new story that is taking place two years later.
The central characters of the previous story, who have just returned to the Home Planet, are now irresistibly involved in the whirlwind of the fights. Admittedly, in the previous work the actual existence of a “return plan” was almost unknown, apart from the Guild who originally was the group of technicians selected to oversee the plan. On the other hand, on a Home Planet now recovered to the point to allow life again, the frictions between other groups of refugees already returned and the people who had remained on earth increased.

To the groups of returnees coming from the various Presters set in outer space, the situation on the Home Planet was completely unknown. Moreover, the fact that some people survived on earth during the age of the Great Calamity was totally unexpected. It was a mystery how some people had survived in a completely wasted environment. As for the Guild people who had remained on the Home Planet to run the "Regeneration Plan", apparently they are now extinct as an organization so there are no available records about them even though many traces of their past presence remain.
It can be considered a miracle the fact that a handful of people who could not escape in outer space survived in those harsh conditions and were able to originate a nation who prospered during the regeneration of the environment. In fact on the Home Planet new land that could allow life was slowly recreated.

About 100 years ago the first refugees who were notified that the Home Planet environment was almost regenerated, initiated the return sequence by activating the Exile that was sleeping on their Prester. However, although recovering, the whole surface of the Home Planet was far from being fully revived. Both topography and climate had deeply changed, moreover only a small area with an environment similar to that of the current Baltic Sea coast was the only place where humans could live.
Unfortunately, the quick consumption of natural resources started to become a real problem soon.

Amazingly, the same situation that had requested the Regeneration Plan was repeating itself again. The whole world suffered new fights, because each returning nation was setting claims according to traditions and legends as no accurate records on the rights of each nation existed.

Little by little, given the automatic activation of the Exiles that were programmed to start the return sequence as soon as the Home Planet had begun to revive, many refugees started to come back. That's because according to the Regeneration Plan at that point it was possible to cultivate large areas around the Grand Lake. The usable land was increasing although at global scale the whole environment was not yet stabilized, so fertile lands such as the grain belt, deserts and tundras were mixed. But the descendants of those people who had survived on the planet had created their own nation.

In fact, those people who had survived in that poor environment had spread all over the usable land and had begun to live in those places. However for them lots of problems arose as soon as the refugees started to come back and reclaimed their land back.
According to the returnees, even though those people settled like pioneers on "deserted" lands, they did so without permission of the nation with ancient rights on that territory. This led to confrontations and bloody clashes between old and new settlers for the control of the land.

The returnees who had lived on Presters where the Guild had preserved scientific knowledge were able to use the defensive system of the Exiles to their advantage. So they were able to quickly win the fights and gain control of their territory. The indigenous people who were defeated had no other possibility but to flee to far, less fertile areas. Whenever a new ship arrived to the Home Planet, a dispute arose and the returnees usually kept acting in this way.

However the technology of the returnees was limited, whereas the survivors not only kept to fight back, but also had somehow maintained some scientific knowledge of the Guild.
In particular the Ades Federation still possessed the shelter that allowed their people to survive in the dark ages, which had the same defensive capability of that of the returnees. So the Ades Federation became the main opponent to the returnees who had left the planet to settle in the space, and grew its military power in 100 years of battles. The Ades Federation made a point to extend their control over the surrounding nations.

The root of division between the survivors who remained on earth and the returnees was deeper than that of ethnic or religious wars. Ten years earlier, the empress of the Ades Federation was assassinated by some terrorist group just before the signature of a peace treaty between Ades and the returnees aimed to force diplomatic solutions over any military confrontation, so the possibility of a compromise vanished like mist.
Now the Ades Federation focuses only on large-scale battles against the returnees to subdue the surrounding nations by military power and aggressive foreign policy end extend its rule.
Whenever a new ship of returnees arrives and indigenous people of the Home Planet are forced to leave their land, the Ades Federation attacks with all its military power.
This continuous state of war generated a new kind of refugees, who are not tied up to any country or nation but live freely their lives and are called "sky pirates".

As for this story, when the Ades Federation and the Kingdom of Turan are ready to conclude important peace talks, the Ades Federation Fleet starts to attack the Turanian fleet with a surprise attack. But a girl, Fam, who belongs to a group of sky pirates, jumps into the battlefield and decides to rescue princess Liliana and princess Millia of Turan.


Regeneration Plan of the Home Planet

The planet, hit by the Great Calamity needed regeneration before humans could inhabit it again.
However the returnees are now facing a new problem...


Humanity, after having polluted their Home Planet, planned two projects at global level for survival. The first was an emigration plan to artificial colonies called Presters. Making use of new technologies some artificial heavenly bodies were built as a refuge to evacuate people until the return back to the Home Planet was again possible.

On Presters, the Exile ships were sleeping, waiting for the signal to return when the regeneration of the Home Planet was completed. However these Exile ships could only be operated if activated by “living keys”: special people usually born into royal families. The management of both the artificial environment and the society was entrusted to the Guild who operated behind the scenes. As soon as the signal that the Home Planet is regenerated is detected, the Exile ship is programmed to reach the royal family to begin the return procedure of the colony back to earth.

As a matter of fact the Regeneration Plan to recover the environment was put in place quickly. However, several generations passed between the age of the Great Calamity that destroyed the planet and the coming back of the first refugees, so the memory of the plan and of its actual goal was eventually lost. Only oral traditions and incomplete documents were preserved by each nation.
This created the deep divide between these returnees and the people who were not chosen for the Exiles and were left on the planet. Those who remained on earth started to consider the people who left with anger, as people who betrayed and abandoned the planet. This viewpoint spread among those who remained on earth together with the sensation that they had not been allowed to escape in space too.
The returnees could not imagine to be considered as "invaders from space" by the people remained on earth.

Although an organization equivalent to the Guild existed also for the Home Planet to manage both the technology and the society, now it has disappeared as an independent group, leaving only ruins called "ruins of white"scattered all over the place.
But, what once was this Guild kept to send the "twins" (as bodyguards) to the Augusta, the supreme leader of the nation of Ades.

It was a miracle that the people who were not chosen for the Exiles, people who refused to abandon the planet and the few chosen to manage the Regeneration plan were able to survive.
Most of them perished without being able to endure that severe environment, but the descendants of the few who survived now constitute the Federation of Ades.
In the capital of Ades there are still the remains of the shelter that constituted the last place of refuge for the survivors.
Of all the places where there are now ruins of white, this was the only place with available materials and resources.This was also the last facility operating with the technology lost in ancient times.

The regenerated environment is similar to a natural one, although traces of artificial facilities are still visible. The same ancient technology used to build the Exiles was widely used on earth, for example the Grand Exile could be made using lots of exceeding spare parts. Water and Claudia were originally produced by the Exile ships during their dormancy. So that technology was also applied at planetary level.

Even if it is clear that the regeneration of the Home Planet was not self-produced but it was obtained through technology, its product is not an artificial world.
At the moment there is limited fertile soil around the Grand Lake, an area surrounded by a stable environment that can be considered the center of the world.
Moreover, the holy place called "The Hole", a huge deep hole at the center of the Grand Lake, is said to be the water source of the huge Grand Lake. The lifespring of the whole world.
Although it is believed that life will be possible for mankind all over the world once again, at the moment it seems impossible for the little area around the Grand Lake to sustain the life of all its inhabitants in the long run.

The topography around the Grand Lake has deeply changed but it is unknown whether it is a by-product of the Regeneration Plan or of the crustal movements. For example the heights that are now used as headquarters by the Sky Pirates did not require too much large-scale work, but they are clearly too steep to be natural mountains.
Each place is built above the height of 5,000 meters, far beyond the limit of 3,000 meters of the aerial battleships.
Also, it is hard to believe that the slits that constitute the crevasse of the Boreas fortress are natural. Since their depth exceeds the flight limit, it is an area where cracks extend for more than 3,000 meters into the ground.
It may be the by-product of the Regeneration Plan, which needed to cause large-scale change to the earth crust.

The Anatoray-Disith Union, which started to return to earth two years ago, was lucky to easily settle in a fertile area similar to the Ukrainian Grain Belt without finding any problem.
Since the Exile is used to transfer supplies and people from Prester, they are still able to use the ancient technology to manage their environment.
Unlike other Exiles that are no more in use, this is also considered as a deterrent to other nations.

When an Exile has terminated its duty it is placed into orbit in a dormant state, as the six "crescent moons" testify, however it is possible to reactivate it by reciting the appropriate mysterion.
Then, if something tries to approach it or if an enemy even attacks it, although it is an impossible move, a matchless protective mechanism will destroy it. When this is used in a battle, it has a high cost in human lives, given the extraordinary destructive power of the automatic defense system - as shown in the previous work - but Luskinia is able to use it without hesitation and without any feelings.
The armed forces of the Ades Federation led by Luskinia are by far the best in the world, probably the strongest tactically. But they were not superior strategically. However in the armed forces there is no system for shared decisions, but everything is under Luskinia's control, who decides on his own as Commander in Chief.
So the world has begun to walk towards its end for the obstinacy of Luskinia.


The independent Sky Pirates' strongholds

In the world there are people who do not belong to any nation or race. They are called Sky Pirates: do they, who fly freely in the sky and are not limited by borders, hold the key to a new world?

The Sky Pirates, who possess a deep knowledge of the ships of the surrounding nations, originated as refugees from the increase of the returnees. The Sky Pirates do not belong to a state or a nation but are proud to live according to their belief alone.

On Presters usually the interchanges between common people and the Guild were limited, but on earth the Guild became extinct, and part of their technology spread out. In fact by living together under the shelters, the Guild was slowly assimilated into the people left on earth. Although a secret organization that provides bodyguards to the emperor of Ades still survives, the actual situation is a mystery. Everything about the Guild is wrapped in mystery..

The current technology developed along different paths in each nation. But the technical knowledge of Sky Pirates knows no borders.
The main occupation of the Sky Pirates groups, where gathered those refugees who hated a foreign rule, is the capture of the aerial battleships of the Ades Federation, indeed the largest world power, which continues to expand itself by the annexation of the surrounding countries.
The Ades Federation are the descendants of those people who chose to live on earth instead of abandoning it with the Exile ships and survived during the Regeneration Plan.
Eventually it became a state with a strong military, having built several battleships in recent years.
Moreover new-model battleships conceived using diverted guild technology were also built.

The Sky Pirates built their bases in places above the battleship limit of 3,000 meters and could freely move from one place to another. They developed trades using these aerial routes and developed Vespas, small-size vanship using technologies both from the other nations and from earth. The different models of vanship developed on each Prester were subject to technological limitations by the Guild. On the contrary the Sky Pirates were able to use even the technology of the Guild. They abandoned the steam engines and used Claudia-circulating-batteries like those used for the Guild starfish fighters, so it was easy to down-size their machines.

Collecting technologies and scientific knowledge all over the world, the Sky Pirates could develop the small flying machines called Vespa. Compared to normal vanship, they were superior in agility but they had shorter flying range and could carry only limited payload. Therefore the Sky Pirates developed the Floating Docks to carry heavier loads such as the captured battleships, and to operate as vanship carriers.

Since the Floating Docks were built using the technologies developed by the Sky Pirates, manoeuvrability and altitude limits are superior than ordinary ships. The design solutions for the units used as power sources were more flexible than those used in other countries and with better operating performances, allowing the transportation of payloads and even vanship.

The capturing of battleships is known as "skyfish hunting" among Sky Pirates. They know quite well every Claudia engine model and can develop specific strategies for the captures, making good use of the agility of their vespa.
Since the target can easily learn their strategies, although there are some basic tactics such as the use of specific weather conditions or geographical features, they usually don't play the same strategy twice. So in a sense it is correct for their targets to speak of surprise attacks from the Sky Pirates.

The groups of Vespas that attack a battleship are similar to hunters who attack a whale. The Sky Pirates make a living by dismantling the captured ships, keeping the state-of-the-art components and selling the other spare parts collected in this way. Main battleship engines can be used to generate electricity for a village while the weaponry can be used to fight against the Ades Federation.

Even if the captured ships are old models, the Claudia Units can be sold at high price, but also the other parts can be re-used as spares. As nothing of a whale is trown away, so nothing remains of a ship: even the armor can be melted in a furnace and used to produce raw material.

The Sky Pirates live in high places where the battleships cannot fly to avoid the retaliation of the nations that suffer their attacks. This is why cereals are usually obtained by trade and bread is not a common food. On the other hand fresh vegetables need abundant water to grow. Potatoes are a perfect cultivation for these high places, so the Sky Pirates put a big effort in growing them and are used to make potato pancakes.
Among the Sky Pirates a small Claudia unit called Melitta was developed, which is widely used.

Melittas are used to move between the lower and higher parts of a Pirates' hideout. It is used in the same way as an elevator or a bicycle. These mini Claudia units are common among the Sky Pirates to cover short distances at low speed in the everyday life but they do not exist in other nations.
Given the dimension of this Claudia engine, the maximum speed is not high. But this constitutes an example of the ability of the Sky Pirates in mixing the technology of different nations with that of the Guild in the everyday life.

The Sky Pirates can fly up to an altitude of 5,000 meters with their vespas without any fears, having learnt how to fly since their childhood using melittas. To compare this situation with our world, it is like those people who are used to live in the Andes and learnt to use tricycles in their villages, so that later they are able to use other machines to reach the mountain top without any difficulty.

On one hand we have nations that emigrated on Presters supported by the Guild, people who remained on earth but whose Guild has disappeared. This brought them to hate each other eventually. On the other hand we have the Sky Pirates who abandoned their original nations to become a nation without a country These Sky Pirates symbolize the new generations of earth.
Looking at way of life of Atamora, the head of the Sky Pirates who grew up Fam, the baby who survived in a vanship crash, together with his daughter Giselle like siblings, maybe the Sky Pirates will play a pivotal role to build the world peace.
Below the Japanese text from the Fam Aerial Log
Spoiler
再生しつつある母星

環境を取り戻しつつある母星に、宇宙へ避難していた人々が帰還を開始した。
だがそこには、新たな紛争が芽生えていくのだった。



前作『LASTEXILE』では、アナトレーとデュシスの両国家が避難していたプレステール(人工惑星)の 話が中心であった。今作ではそれから2年後の世界が、物語の舞台となっている。母星に帰還した前作の主要人物たちも、いやおうなく争いの渦に巻き込まれていく。前作では、管理者の技術集団であるギルド以外は、帰還計画の全容を知らなかった。一方で類が住める状態になりつつあった母星では、帰還民と母なる星に残った人々との軋轢が増大していた。

閉鎖空間であるプレステールの帰還民によって、母星の状況把握をするだけでも大変なことである。さらに大災厄にさらされた母なる星に生存していた民族がいたことは、想定外の事態でもあった。劣悪な環境の中、母星に残った人々がどのように生活していたのかは、謎に包まれている。母星再生計画の為に残ったギルド系の人々は、遺跡を残してはいるものの組織や国家としては消滅し、記録が存在しないからである。宇宙に逃げ延びることができなかった人々が、過酷な状況で一握りとはいえ生存し、環境復活に伴い子孫を繁栄させたのは奇跡的な出来事であった。そして母星もまた、人の住む土地として再生しつつあった。

およそ100年ほど前から、母星環境の復活を知った帰還民が、伝承に基づいて順次プレステールで眠りについていた連絡宇宙船であるエグザイルシップにより母星への帰還を開始した。ただし惑星環境が復活しつつあるとはいえ、母星の全域が居住可能になったわけではない。地形も気候も異なっているが、現在の地球にたとえるならば、バルト海沿岸というイメージの範囲だけが、人類の生活可能な場所であった。問題になったのは、その豊かな大地はいったい誰のものかということに尽きるだろう。

ところが悠久の歳月が、本来の計画を正確に状況を生み出していた。正確な記録ではなく伝承と伝説が主体になったことにより、それぞれの民族が己の主張をぶつけ合う混沌とした世界情勢が生まれ定着しつつあった。

とはいえ『母星が復活し始めたら、帰還作業シークェンスが発動する』エグザイルの導きにより、帰還民は増大の一途をたどった。事実、母星環境の復興に従いグラン・レイクを中心にした広大な大地が、耕作可能な状態になっていた。居住可能な土地が増えていたとはいえ、まだ生活環境は惑星規模で安定しておらず、肥沃な穀倉地帯も砂漠もツンドラ地帯も混在し、母星で生き残った民の子孫は、その領土により特色もつ民族となり、独自の国家を形成していた。

その結果、母星の劣悪な環境を生き延びた民族は、居可能な土地に拡散し、開拓段階の困難を乗り越え、それぞれが独自の生活を営み始めていた。母星の人間だけでならば、何の問題もない行為であったが、ここに帰還民が順次宇宙から戻って来たのである。その土地の開拓者であり居住者であっても、帰還民からすれば約束の大地に勝手に住み付いた他民族でしかない。さらに、両方の民族が安定して住むだけの国土は確保されていない状態で、双方が血で血を洗う紛争を起こすのは、歴史の必然でもあった。

プレステールに住んでいた帰還民は、ギルドの管理のもと一定の科学力を保持し、稼働中のエグザイルシップの防御能力も利用することが可能であった。初期の戦いに勝利した帰還民は、新たな国土を自分たちの領土とし、敗れた先住民は劣悪な辺境の土地に難民として逃げる以外の手だてはなかった。こうして、帰還船が母星に到着するたびに紛争が起き、難民も増えていったのである。

ただ、帰還民の技術力が一定の範囲に制限されていたのに対して、母星の人々は国家間の戦いをしていなかっただけで、ギルド系の科学力を保持していた。暗黒時代を生き延びた人々の砦であったシェルターを首都に持つアデス連邦は、帰還民に対応した防衛力を蓄えていく。母星を去り、宇宙に避難していた帰還民との抗争の中核となったアデスは、最初の戦闘から百年を経て、強大な軍事国家に成長。アデス連邦と名乗り、周辺諸国へ勢力を拡大していた。

母星に残留した人々と、帰還民との争いは、民族紛争や宗教戦争よりも根が深かった。10年前には、武力制圧と強行な外交によりアデス連邦と帰還民の和平条約が結ばれる寸前までになったが、テロ行為によりアデス連邦の皇帝が暗殺された事で、すべてが雲散霧消してしまった。今では、帰還民との大規模戦闘に耐えるだけの軍事国家となったアデス連邦が、武力と強引な外交政策により、周辺諸国を同盟という名で併合を繰り返し、勢力を拡大しつつあった。帰還船が到着するたびに、自分の住む土地を追われる母星の人々。そして帰還民族の国土を統併合しようと、武力で攻め立てるアデス連邦。だが戦火と難民が溢れ変える状況のなか、国土や国家に縛られず自由に生きる、「空族」と呼ばれる集団も生まれ独自の生活を営んでいた。

この物語は、アデス連邦が隣接国家トゥラン王国との和平会談を結ぶ当日、アデス連邦艦隊が一方的にトゥラン王国艦隊に攻撃をしかけたのを目撃した空族の少女ファムが、トゥランの王女リリアーナとミリアを救おうと戦場に飛び込んだことから動き出す。


母なる星の復興計画

大災厄に見舞われた母星は、人類が住めるまでに復活を果たしていた。
しかし帰還民たちは、新たな問題に直面することに・・・・・・。




かつて大地を汚染し尽くした人類は、生き残りをかけて二つのプロジェクトを母星規模で発動していた。そのひとつが人工天体プレステールへの移住計画である。オーバーテクノロジーを駆使して人工天体を建造し、母星に帰還できる日まで何世代、何十世代にも渡ってそこへ人類を避難させるものだ。

プレステールには、母星に再生の兆しが見えたら難民を帰還させる連絡船エグザイルシップが眠っていた。ただしエグザイルシップは、王家の血族のみに受け継がれた生体キーがなければ稼動しなかった。それらの環境と文明レベルを維持するための管理者は、ギルドと呼ばれプレステールを影から支えていた。遠い未来、母星が再生した暁には、王家に伝わる伝承のようにエグザイルシップが飛翔し、プレステールの人々は母星に帰還することになるのだ。

その一方で、母星環境を少しでも早く復活させる母星再生計画も発動されていた。ただし母星を襲った大災厄と、帰還民の到着までには何世代、何十世代もの時が経過したため、計画の正確な記録は残されていない。それぞれの民族で伝承や言い伝え、または不完全な文書だけが伝えられるに過ぎなかった。そして長い年月が、二つの民を分断した。移民団にとって残された人々は、エグザイルに選ばれなかった捨てられた民。残留民にとり移民団は、母星を捨てて逃げた民という悪意を育んだ。母星に残った民族は、天空に住むことを許されなかった者のような蔑んだ見方が帰還民の間に広まる。母星の人々にとった帰還民は、天空からの侵略者とした思えなくなっていた。

母星にもギルドと元を同じくする組織が存在し、オーバーテクノロジーと文明管理をしていたのだが、今は各地に白の遺跡と呼ばれる遺跡が点在するのみで、集団や組織としては登場していない。だがアデスの最高権力者たるアウグスタには、ギルドと思われる組織から、ツイン(護衛役)が送られてきていた。

宇宙移民に選ばれなかった民族、ないしは母星を離れるのを拒んだ民族、そして母星管理を担当していた民族が、少数ながらも生き残ったのは奇跡的なことであった。その多くは、過酷な環境に耐え切れずに死滅していたが、最終的に生き残ったこれらの子孫が、アデスの人々である。アデス連邦の首都には、過酷な環境を生き延びた人々が最後の避難場所としていた、シェルターの遺跡が残されている。各地に残る白の遺跡の中でここだけは、まだ資材・資源として利用可能なものが残っていた。太古に失われたテクノロジーの中で、最後まで稼動していた施設なのだろう。

復活しつつある母星環境は、天然の環境に類似しているが、部分的には人為的な痕跡も多数残されている。母星精細には、エグザイルシップに代表されるオーバーテクノロジーが使用された可能性も指摘されており、その余剰パーツでグランエグザイルが作られたのかもしれない。本来プレステールの水とクラウディア鉱石は、内部で休眠しているエグザイルシップから生成されている。それらは惑星規模にも対応する技術なのだろう。

物語世界の母星再生は、自然に回復しただけではなく、これらの技術が用いられて促進されていたと考えても不自然ではない。現在、肥沃な大地と呼べる場所は限られているが、世界の中心ともいえるのはグラン・レイクであり、その周辺ほど環境は安定している。さらにグラン・レイクの中心部にある巨大な深い穴は、ザ・ホールと呼ばれる聖地であり、巨大なグラン・レイクの水源とも言われている。文字通り、この世界すべての命の源ということになる。やがては母星全体に人類が生存可能となるのだろうが、現場では、グラン・レイク周辺に広がる物語に登場した土地にしか人類は住めない状況にあるといえるだろう。

なお、地殻変動か再生計画の副産物かは謎のままだが、グラン・レイク周辺は変わった地形が多い。空族が本拠地にしている高台も、大規模な土木工事を施したものではないにも関わらず、天然の山岳にしては急峻すぎる。なにしろ空中戦艦の高度限界3000メートルを越えた5000メートル級のものが各地に点在。さらに天然であると一番考えにくいのが、ボレアース要塞のクレバスと呼ばれている大地の裂け目である。その深さは飛行限界を超えているので、平地に約3000メートル級の亀裂が露出している状態といえる。母星再生計画当初には、惑星の地殻に及ぶ大規模な変動を起こす必要が会った副産物なのかもしれない。

2年前に帰還を開始したアナトレー・デュシス連合が、地球で言えばウクライナの穀倉地帯のような肥沃な場所に、問題もなく定住が可能だったのは僥倖と言えるだろう。エグザイルシップは、現在もプレステールから物資と帰還民を移送しているのだから、これら技術を使っての環境修正ではないだろうか。ほかの休止したエグザイルシップと異なり、稼働中ということが他民族への抑止力になっている可能性も考えられる。

世界の上空に浮かぶ6つの三日月は、役目を終えて衛星軌道で休眠するエグザイルシップであり、いまだにミュステリオンを詠唱すれば、限定した動きは可能だ。意図した動きは無理でも、目標物に接近させて敵が攻撃さえしてくれれば、無敵の防御機構が相手を殲滅してくれるのだ。前作で示された自動防御機能の桁外れの破壊力を見ていれば、これを戦闘に用いるのは人道的にも問題があり、躊躇なく行えるルスキニアは、感情の一部を喪失しているのかもしれなかった。ルスキニアが指揮するアデス連邦の軍隊は非常に優秀で、戦術的にはこの世界最強といえるだろう。だが、戦略面においては必ずしも優れてはいなかった。最高司令官であるルスキニアの独断専行を、コントロールするシステムそのものが存在しない参謀部不在の軍隊といえるかもしれない。そのルスキニアの執念により世界は終末に向かって歩みはじめていく。



人里離れた空族の郷

この星にはどの家、どの民族にも所属しない自由の民がいた。
空族と呼ばれ、国境のない空を自由に飛翔する彼らが、新たな世界の鍵を握るのか?





帰還民の増加による難民の増大から発生したのが、各国家の機械に精通した空族である。空族は、定められた土地や国家に属さず、自分たちの信念だけで生きることを誇りにしていた。

プレステールでは、一般民族とギルドの交流は限定されていたが、母星ではギルドは消滅し、その技術の一部は一般的に広まっていた。ギルドは、母星に残された人々とシェルターで一緒に暮らすうちに同化していったのだろう。アデスの皇帝に護衛役を派遣する謎の組織があるが、実態は謎に包まれている。ギルドに関する情報は、全て謎である。

現在の科学技術は、国家の壁により、各国で独自の進化を見せていた。一方の空族は、技術の国境はなかった。難民や他国の支配を嫌うものが集まった空族の生業は、主に最大勢力として近隣諸国を統併合し、拡大し続けているアデス連邦の空中戦艦拿捕であった。アデス連邦は、エグザイルシップに乗らず母星での生活を選んだ人々の末裔であり、母星再生計画の中を生き残った人々らによる国家であった。しかしながら近年、軍事色の強い国家となり、空中戦艦の保有数も多かった。さらにギルドの技術を転用したような、新型戦艦も多数建造中であった。

空族は、戦艦の高度限界と言われている約3000メートルを超える場所に多くの拠点を築き、各地を自由に移動していた。貿易や通商や運搬といった空中航路を用いる商売も行っていたが、各国家の技術や母星由来の技術を組み合わせることで、独自の小型ヴァンシップであるヴェスパを運用していた。戦闘用ヴァンシップはそれぞれのプレステールで違ったタイプが発達していたが、ギルドにより技術制限を受けていた。ところが空族では、ギルドの技術も一般的に使われてた。蒸気機関を廃し、ギルドの星型機のように電池を動力としてクラウディアを循環させれば、飛行機械の小型化は難しくないのであった。

こうして世界に散らばるすべての技術と科学力を集めて、空族が開発した小型飛行機械がヴェスパである。通常のヴァンシップより小型のヴェスパは、敏捷性に優れるが、航続距離は短く、荷物などの搭載量は限られていた。そのため空族は、ヴェスパの母艦として、大型の荷物や拿捕した戦艦を運搬できる、浮きドックも常用していた。

浮きドックは、空族の技術で建造されただけあって、機動性や限界高度はなみの空中船舶よりも優れている。動力源となるユニット方式は、多彩な運用性能を誇り、浮遊甲板の一部に搭載物を載せ、ヴェスパで牽引するような、他の国では行われない柔軟な発想を持っていた。

空族による戦艦生け捕りは、『鯨獲り』と呼ばれていた。それらはクラウディア機関を熟知した空族が、ヴェスパの機動性を活かした頭脳戦を行い、戦艦を拿捕する技術であった。しかも相手は、動物ではなく学習能力のある人間なので、基本戦術はあるものの、天候や地形、相手の考えを読み、同じ作戦はまず使わない。相手にとり空族からの攻撃は、まさに奇襲といっても過言ではなかった。

大型空中艦に襲い掛かるヴェスパの群れは、鯨に襲いかかるシャチのようなものであった。空族は、回収した戦艦を浮きドックなどで解体し、最新技術を自分たちのものにしながら、ユニット単位で売り払いながら生活していた。戦艦用の主機関があれば、村ひとつの電力を賄うのは簡単なことであり、アデス連邦に敵対する勢力には、武器弾薬をえられる存在として歓迎されていた。

大型空中戦艦は、旧式であってもクラウディアユニットは高値で交易でき、分解したパーツも共通品が多いので再利用が可能だった。最後には、その装甲ですら溶鉱炉で溶かし部材として再利用できるため、鯨と同じで捨てる部分は何ひとつなかった。

空族は、戦艦を奪われた国家からの報復を避けるために、戦艦が飛行できない高所に住んでいた。それゆえに穀物類は交易で入手するのが普通であり、潤沢にパンを食べられるわけではなかった。ただし生鮮野菜は、水耕栽培などで工夫を凝らしているようだ。また高地栽培に適したジャガイモなどは、空族たちが丹精こめて育てており、ポテパンなどに調理して食している。そのような空族の生活の中に、ごく普通に存在するのがメリッタと呼ばれる小型クラウディアユニットの飛行体である。

メリッタは、空族にとって特殊な存在ではなく、高低差のある隠れ家においての昇降装置として用いられている。それこれ我々がエレベーターや自転車を使うように、意識せず気楽に使われている。空族たちは気にしていないが、超小型のクラウディアユニットを近距離低速移動用に製作した機械を、日常生活で使っている部族も国家も、他には存在していない。飛行速度にこだわらなければ、クラウディア機関を使った飛行機械は、あのサイズでも可能ということである。各国の科学技術と、残されたギルドの技をミックスした成果が、空族の日常生活で垣間見ることができるのであった。

玩具として幼少のころからメリッタで遊んでいるからこそ、空族は5000メートル級の高度を、ヴェスパで恐怖心も持たずに飛行できるのである。地球で考えれば、アンデスの高地に住む民族がふもとの村でした買物を、三輪車程度の機械に載せて山頂まで運びあげるような行為を、難なくこなしているような感覚であろう。

プレステールに移住していた民族とギルド、母星に残された民族と、今は姿を消したギルドのような組織。それらは互いに憎しみ合うことしかできなかった。各自の信念で、所属する国家を離れて集団となった空族は、領土を持たず特定の民族を憎むことをしなかった。実際に空族こそが、母星の新世代の人々たる資質を持っているのかもしれなかった。ヴェスパの事故で生き残った赤ん坊のファムを、実の娘であるジゼルと分け隔てなく育てた、空族の長であるアタモラの生き方がそうであったように、空族こそが世界の和平の要なのかもしれなかった。

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Tara
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Post by Tara »

You did send these to me! ... did I not respond to it orz I've been so absent-minded lately. BUT I DID GET IT, I forget if I actually had time to look it over in full, though.

Now once I continue and finish up with scanning Fam AL, I need to figure out how I want to go about posting the TLs to pages like this. :|a Each image uploaded to the gallery does have a description section where it could easily go, but it's also a matter of convenience and people being able to find them easily, especially when they're random parts of the book. Maybe I can add a 'translated' tag to the gallery for easy searching and note it both on the gallery's main page and on the site itself.

EITHER WAY, this is such an awesome read. Thanks so much for translating it. ♥♥!!

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Post by -TK- »

Tara wrote:You did send these to me! ... did I not respond to it orz I've been so absent-minded lately. BUT I DID GET IT, I forget if I actually had time to look it over in full, though.
XD No problem! Well, at least in this way the other members can check it and provide comments or suggestions :D
Now once I continue and finish up with scanning Fam AL, I need to figure out how I want to go about posting the TLs to pages like this. :|a Each image uploaded to the gallery does have a description section where it could easily go, but it's also a matter of convenience and people being able to find them easily, especially when they're random parts of the book. Maybe I can add a 'translated' tag to the gallery for easy searching and note it both on the gallery's main page and on the site itself.
Yeah, maybe you could add a button next to the scanned image with a link to the page of the translation. The button could be placed at this level so the reader can either click the image to get the full-size image or click the button to open the translation. Additionally, you could also have an index page that lists all the available translations.
EITHER WAY, this is such an awesome read. Thanks so much for translating it. ♥♥!!
:mrgreen:

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Post by Tara »

As per the last update: http://over-the-sky.net/main/media/gall ... erial-log/

We up! I only had a couple of small TL things that I don't even think I saved so sob...

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Post by Tara »

And hella late, but I also just added those World Report translations to the gallery in the proper places.

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Post by Tara »

Small request translation from the bottom of this page! Vasant's stuff.

... not the scribble writing stuff tho next to the images because I can't do that shit.

Vasant
CV: Fumiko Orikasa

The general of the Fifth Fleet appointed to defending the capital. A native of Chaos, which was annexed to the Ades Federation, she was given the nickname "Amethyst of Chaos." She possesses superior diplomatic skills as well.

Image caption: Vasant ten years ago

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