Episode 24

**Voices Over Infinite Distance** (声は無限の彼方へ, *Koe wa Mugen no Kanata e*) is the twenty-fourth episode of the *Dr. Stone* anime, and the final episode of the first season.

## Summary

In a flashback, Byakuya decides to leave a glass record for Senku containing a message from him. In the present, Senku and his group create a record player.

Senku unveils the record player to the village and plays it. To their amazement, Byakuya's voice is heard as he introduces himself. He then stops with the formalities as he addresses Senku, knowing full well that he is free by now and is hearing the message. Byakuya wants to voice confidence in him before stopping since he knows his son wouldn't go for sappy father-son moments. Senku laughs that Byakuya truly gets him as Kohaku notes that Senku is cold to his father while Kokuyo sadly notes she is no better.

Byakuya then has Lillian perform a song preformed with the crew helping. The villagers are in awe at the sound.

## Plot Details

    Senku has obtained a cell phone. As others wonder how the others will hear them, Senku plays dumb, pretending he forgot to mention two units were needed. Gen realizes he intentionally hid it so that the others wouldn't feel discouraged about this arduous crafting project. Senku explains that if they want a cell phone, they do need two, but if they run a cable, they can use it as a (landline) phone. They run a cable from the village to the storage shed. As they prepare to make this first telephone call, Ginro suggests Chrome that he can use this historical moment to confess his true feelings to Ruri, who is on the other end; however, Chrome just talks about how awesome science is. Magma is impressed by how such a tiny device can talk. On this remark, Ruri comments that it's almost like a speaker, then a few children cheering that the telephone receiver is a bee, which surprises Senku and Gen, since the fact they know the word is as unusual as its association with bees. Confused and asking if a speaker is not a type of bee, Ruri then explains that the 14th of the hundred tales tells about a talkative bee named Speaker, who can poke a gravestone with its needle and speak the voices of the dead. Senku wonders what's the point of this tale as it doesn't teach any valuable information, Gen then remarks that the usage of the word "speaker" obviously is meant to be interpreted by humans that were revived from petrification, and furthermore, Tale 14 can be seen as 1/4, the date of Senku's birthday, implying it may be addressed at him. Senku then has an epiphany and rushes to the village cemetery.

    Observing the grave marker that was said to be Byakuya's, and picking it up, much to the shock of Kinro, Senku admits that he's overlooked something that should have been obvious. The grave marker is no such thing; it's a time capsule made of concrete. Chrome asks if something is inside of it, and Senku explaining that he expects there to be glass, has Kohaku break the concrete apart with her speed and precision.

The marker cracks open, revealing a silvery lump inside, an object wrapped in aluminum foil as Senku explained. He dissolves the foil by washing the object in hydrochloric acid, revealing a glass disk, made from the bottom of a bottle as Gen noted. He is still confused about what this item is to which Senku refreshes his memory by asking if a disk and speaking with needles reminds him of anything. Senku confirmed the conclusion Gen suddenly arrived at, the glass disk is a record with the voices of Byakuya and the astronauts.

The concept of an object storing sound boggles the mind of the villages who inquire about it. Senku explains that making a record is very simple. By vibrating a needle with sound as it cuts a groove into the spinning record, the sound is recorded. By placing a needle in the finished record as it spins, it will vibrate and produce the same sound that cut it. The villagers are much amazed by Senku's dad but he explains that Byakuya probably didn't make it himself but rather the astronauts; however, the idea was likely his.

Back in time, Byakuya finds a glass bottle washed ashore on the beach, he takes it with him and cuts the bottom. He tells his friends that he thinks they could make a record from it. The crew agrees, noting that a glass record could last for thousands of years. Byakuya admits that he didn't think of that but people are still onboard with the idea so they start collecting electronic parts from the Soyuz and the stuff that came down with them in it such as the electric motor from a shaver.

Senku tells everyone that with all they've made so far, making a record player is pretty easy. The vacuum tube, as well as the gear made from Kohaku's shield, go into it, and for playback, a bone needle Ruri brought over. Senku notes that it's perfect for playing but for cutting a glass record, a very hard material must have been used such as diamond or corundum as Chrome suggested.

In another scene from the past, Darya and Yakov offer a stylus to cut the record: Darya's wedding ring, specifically its diamond. With this, they finish a record cutting lathe. A shot of them experimenting with it fades into a shot of the Kingdom of Science building the record player so many thousands of years later.

    The machine is finished and Senku signals Ginro to start spinning the disk. The needle is placed on the record and a few moments later, Byakuya's voice emanates from the speaker. He introduced himself but then quickly starts talking casually as he is sure Senku is the one listening. After a short monologue, Byakuya tells him that if he still hasn't won over the hearts of the villagers, they should listen to what he's now providing. Lillian then starts singing, amazing everyone with her voice.

While Lillian's song "One Small Step" is playing, a final scene from the past shows Byakuya explaining his motives to Lillian herself—a desire not only to keep the knowledge and fun things humanity created, but also to leave something that Senku would be excited to have someday. This is followed by a montage showing Senku's progress from being depetrified bare naked to where he is now.

The villagers can barely contain the emotion brought by hearing music like they've never heard. Chrome wonders if there is other amazing music like that and Senku explains that due to science, there is much more modern entertainment such as games, TV, comics and movies. Senku will let them see all of it once they beat Tsukasa and revive the rest of the statues where all those things remain despite being lost for thousands of years. There and then, the entire village gets excited and motivated to win the war and experience all those things.

Gen posthumously congratulates Senku's dad on his skill, managing to bring the entire village together on one cause while also inquiring whether Senku feels any remorse from plunging the villagers into a war, an idea he calmly dismisses. Kohaku then joins Senku apart from the crowd and notes on how he realized the promise he made on the day they met, the whole village was turned into a nation of science; they are finally ready to fight the Tsukasa Empire. They are joined by Chrome and Gen; the former is excited to have the second phone built while Gen notes that it's finally time to reconnect with the kingdom's final two isolated members. Senku agrees on that it's time to bring the entire kingdom together as one.

     Elsewhere, Taiju and Yuzuriha are quietly standing near a wooden cross driven into the soil. She notes how long it's been, almost a year and they are excited to meet Senku again. Tsukasa and Hyoga comment that the winter is almost over and the final battle with Senku will soon start.

## Characters

KINGDOM OF SCIENCE:

* Gen Asagiri
* Chrome
* Ginro
* Senku Ishigami
* Kaseki
* Kinro
* Kohaku
* Magma
* Yuzuriha Ogawa
* Taiju Oki
* Suika

VILLAGERS:

* Kokuyo
* Ruri

ASTRONAUTS:

* Byakuya Ishigami
* Connie Lee
* Yakov Nikitin
* Darya Nikitina
* Shamil Volkov
* Lillian Weinberg

ANTAGONISTS:

* Homura Momiji
* Hyoga

MENTIONED:

* Tsukasa Shishio

CAMEO:

* Ukyo Saionji
* Yo Uei

## Locations

* Ishigami Village
* Tsukasa Empire

## Anime to Manga Differences

* Some scenes and dialogs were introduced:
	+ Ruri bringing the bone needle which she says she used while knitting.
	+ Senku explaining that a harder material would be needed to cut the record.
	+ Lillian and Byakuya's scene where he explained his motive to make the record; the manga simply had a recounting of the scene from Chapter 44 where Lillian was saddened by the extinction of music which was animated in Episode 17.
	+ Kohaku and Senku's scene after the record was played.
* Ginro being told to expand his vocabulary by Kohaku was changed to be said by Kinro.
	+ Chrome asking if much more music like what they are hearing existed back in the day was originally Ginro's.
* The announcement of the Stone Wars Saga was officialized in the second season as previewed in the sketchy visual.
* Due to the conclusion of the first season, the adaptation halts to where Gen's pseudo-Lillian strategy continues in the next season.
* One Small Step is vocalized as the song Lillian performs in the record.