第16話: ハチマキ、フォン・ブラウンで友人の助けにより宇宙トラウマを克服

16

Hachimaki is stuck adrift in space in the middle of a solar flare, yet miraculously survives. However, due to the mental trauma sustained he may be grounded for the rest of his life. He undergoes rehabilitation tests for two weeks on the Moon in order to overcome his fear of going into outer space, with Tanabe monitoring his progress. During his last of his tests, Hachimaki sees a hallucination of himself in space, who tells him to give up being an astronaut and return to Earth. Convinced he will be grounded, Hachimaki sneaks out of the hospital, planning to commit suicide like Roland. Tanabe, Yuri, and Fee find him outside the hospital, readying himself to die alone. His friends bring him to the testing site of the Jovian exploration ship Von Braun and show him the Tandem Mirror Engine, the most powerful engine ever built, which inspires him to overcome his trauma. (Source: Wikipedia)