第21話: 冬が近づくなか、ラナと他の者たちが遺跡を調査する一方で、ベルは洞窟の準備を進める

21

As the weather continues to become colder and more overcast, Luna, Shingo and Chako return to the ruins to investigate it as a warmer place to live, but are unable to find a way in. Chako takes a sample of the substance being emitted from the top, and the three return to Everyone's House. Menori and Howard scavenge the upholstery from the shuttle's seats to make cloaks. Bell, foreseeing colder weather to come, wants everyone to move to a cave. However, despite Bell's enthusiasm for its shape and location, the cave's rocky floor and dank atmosphere don't endear it to any of the other children, who are reluctant to leave the house they worked so hard to build. Bell decides to work on his own. After a week, food supplies at the house are getting low. Bell works on making the cave livable by himself, but Kaoru secretly gives him half the fish he caught. Luna goes to see how Bell is doing, and is surprised by the amount of work he's done. Bell, however, collapses from exhaustion. While resting, he recounts a story from when he was growing up on a developing planet - his father predicted a cold snap coming, but worked on his own to shore up their habitat's safety systems, and because of that, the habitat survived. First Luna, then the others, resolve to help Bell as well, and Bell is soon proven right when Chako determines the substance coming from the ruins is an infrared reflector, which is blocking the heat from the sun, meaning it can only get colder. The cave is soon finished - just in time, as it starts to snow. (Source: Wikipedia)