Galaxy Express 999 Chapter 002

## *火星の赤い風*

**The Red Winds of Mars**  (*Kasei no Akai Kaze*) is the second chapter of the manga series *Galaxy Express 999.* It was first published on **21 February 1977** in Weekly Shonen King.

## Summary

The 999 travels on in space as Tetsuro wonders where the next stop is. Maetel says their next stop is six hours away at Mars. She says they’ll be stopped at most planets for one day, but the length of one day is different depending on the planet. Tetsuro doesn’t look at Earth for too long as it disappears as it reminds him of too many painful memories. The Conductor announces the stop: Mars.

The 999 arrives to the station Syrtis Major. Maetel says humans don’t venture here too often due to it’s proximity to Earth. Tetsuro wants to explore the planet, but Maetel stays behind. She gives him coins to spend, but tells him to bring his gun and keep an eye on his Galaxy Express pass.

Tetsuro comes across a tavern and meets the owner. They discuss mechanical bodies and the old man shows Tetsuro his mechanical leg. He offers to let his daughter, Freme, show Tetsuro a tour of the planet in exchange for one of his coins. Tetsuro gives them all to him, but the old man refuses.

Freme brings Tetsuro to a graveyard and asks if he has a Galaxy Express pass. A young man comes up to Tetsuro and demands his pass. He draws his gun and Tetsuro is too late on the draw. The man, Geronimo, takes Tetsuro’s pass and tells Freme that he will work hard and will come back for her one day. She doesn’t believe him and tries to shoot him, but Geronimo again draws faster and shoots his girlfriend.

Tetsuro gets up and discovers that the bag of coins saved him from taking real damage from the blast. Tetsuro shoots Geronimo, who returns his pass before dying. He asks that Tetsuro leave his and Freme’s body here as the planet’s sandstorms will bury them. Tetsuro returns to the 999 and meets back up with Maetel.

## Stop

Stop Time: 24.37226 hours

A planet housing a large countryside where red winds blow. The closest planet to Earth, the planet now has air pressure levels similar to Earth, a process that took a century. It seemed like an ideal spot for humans, but only those with mechanical bodies live there, rendering Mars a ghost town.

## Characters

**The following characters appear and are exclusive to this episode/stop:**

Geronimo

A resident of Mars, along with his lover Freme, are seeking new life on a planet other than Mars. When he notices the Galaxy Express 999 arriving, he realizes that his opportunity has arrived. He steals Tetsuro's pass, and decides to leave without Freme, promising to come back to her. She doesn't believe him, and tries to shoot him, but Geronimo fires first. When he notices Tetsuro's wound is flesh and blood, he doesn't draw his gun and is shot, giving Tetsuro his pass back as he recalls the time that he used to have a body like Tetsuro's.

Freme

A resident of Mars, Freme, along with her lover Geronimo, are seeking new life on a planet other than Mars. When Geronimo wants to depart by himself, Freme isn't convinced that he will come back for her. She meets Tetsuro at the tavern her father owns, and shows him around the planet. She shows him the graveyard, where they are ambushed by Geronimo. He steals Tetsuro's pass, and decides to leave without Freme, promising to come back to her. She doesn't believe him, and tries to shoot him, but Geronimo fires first, destroying Freme's mechanical body.

Tavern Owner

A resident of Mars, this old man owns a tavern on the planet. His daughter, Freme, lives there as well, offering tours of the planet to any travels who may stop by. When he meets Tetsuro and discovers he's interested in a mechanical body, he reveals that his own leg is mechanical. After his daughter is killed by Geronimo, he tells Tetsuro that he believes the best way to live is to be born and die naturally.

## Collected Availability

* Hit Comics Volume 01: "Titan's Sleeping Warrior" (15 August 1977)
* Gentei Volume 1 (24 December 1978)
* Sousho Volume 01: "Formless Planet" (10 December 1988)
* Bunko Volume 01 (05 April 1995)
* Big Comic Gold Volume 01: "Departure Ballad" (01 June 1997)
* My First Big Volume 01 "Setting Off" (26 July 2002)
* My First Wide Volume 01: "The Song Of El Alamein" (01 August 2009)