Maetel Legend
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Maetel Legend was written by Leiji Matsumoto and produced by Vega Entertainment. It is an OVA released in 2000 as a prequel to Galaxy Express 999 on how planet La Maetelle became the planet Andromeda, and the events that started the whole meachanization process. It is divided into two parts called the "First Movement" and "Second Movement" like a symphony.
Plot
La Maetalle was a propserous planet, but suddenly its orbit was disrupted and it spiraled away from the sun plunging the planet into an eternal winter. It only grew colder and colder. Some of the inhabitants thought this was devine retribution for their sins, because as they passed the earth, as they do once every thousand years they did so in an attempt to take over the planet.
The Queen La Andromeda Promethium has twin daughters, Maetel and Emeraldas. The story opens with Jam rushing in with dinner for the princesses. They try the food and almost gag, Jam cries about how serving such terrible food to royalty and the girls are just thankful they have anything to eat at all. Food has been scarce and there isn't much left on the planet.
Queen La Andromeda Promethium decides the only way to survive is for everyone on the planet to submit themselves to mechanization and get machine bodies, she volunteers herself to be the first. Hardgear, the best engineer on the planet, facilitates the mechanization that he himself has been apart of. Hardgear is a machine himself. After the queen is done with the implimentation of the machine core, Cast, Hardgears assistant, offers Maetel and Emeraldas to be next. Both girls adamently refuse to undergo the process, Cast becomes aggressive, and Hardgear steps in to smooth over the situation.
Later Dagar presents a rapier to Emeraldas, who asks him if it could kill a man covered in steel. She fires the weapon pierceing many metallic targets. Dagar tells her that it could, but be accurate, its not a rapid fire weapon. Emeraldas says she'll adjust it later and Dagar gives her the blueprints to the gun. Dagar then prsents Maetel with a smaller pistol.
While sitting at the dinner table Dagar, Emeraldas and Maetel discuss Queen La Andromeda Promethium's decision to get a machine body. They wonder what it will do to the human heart. Jam, Dagars son, enters and Dagar comments on his weight. Jams stomach grumbles and he goes to run off and make dinner for the princesses. They both decline, stating they are not hungry, and say instead of wasting it, Jam and Dagar should eat it.
Queen La Andromeda Promethium appears before her subjects and orders them all to mechanization surgery, without exceptions. Hardgear tells them that a machine body is the only way to survive, a machine body can withstand the cold as it gets colder and colder, and it doesn't need food as the food is becoming more and more scarce. Queen La Andromeda Promethium orders her daughters to be meachanized. They refuse, they care more for having a human heart and soul. They talk to the queen about what it is like to be human. The queen grabs her shoulder revealing that her mechanization has started, parts are beginning to break through her skin. At dinner that night Jam proudly informs Emeraldas and Maetel tht he is going for his mechanization surgery. Emeraldas says that she will never let anyone mechanize her.
Brant tells Hardgear that Maetel and Emeraldas, though refusing to be mechanized, have been "taken care of". The door to Maetel's room opens and Cast attackes a sleeping Maetel to inject her with something from a syringe. Maetel struggles for a bit then passes out. In Emeraldas's room a man enters and attempts to kill her in her sleep. Emeraldas is able to jump out of bed and kill the man first. Sensing her twin is in trouble she takes off down the hall to find Maetel. Finding Cast carrying Maetel she attacks. She fires on Cast only managing to destroy her arm. Cast then turns on Emeraldas landing on top of her. Cast begins to strangle Emeraldas. Maetel shoots with the pistol that Dagar gave her and kills Cast. The gun turns out to be an EMP gun. The two of them decide that they will fight against the mechanoids together. They approach their mother to see her gaining more and more machine parts. After speaking they come to the conclusion that Hardgear was responsible for the accident that cause their father's mind to be sealed away in a pendent.
Hardgear plans to take over La Metalle through mechanization of the people. Brant tells him that they have about exhausted the resources on La Metalle, Hardgear plans to attack ships from earth and take the supplies from them, and make the humans into mechanized parts to run La Metalle. Parts with living wills.
The artificial sun that was built to help La Metalle survive finally gives out. Emeraldas and Maetel raid the mechanoids core. Dagar shows up to help them and brings a drill ship to drill straight to Hardgears Layer. Hardgear orders them to kill Emeraldas and bring Maetel to him alive, because of her beauty. Maetel will live so that she will age and her beauty will fade to dispair and he lives on in immortality.
As Dagar, Emeraldas, and Maetel arrive at the core they are met by guards led by Jam. He lies to convince Maetel to come to Hardgear. They all question Jam's loyalty and Jam fires on Emeraldas, but Dagar jumps infront of the beam saving her. Jam grabs Maetel and runs as Emeraldas pursues them. Maetel tries to talk sense into Jam, that he doesn't have to do this, and that he is still human yet. Realizing that he cannot resist the mechanization he grabs Maetels pistol and commits suicide, saying that at least he can die while he's still human. Maetel and Emeraldas continue on to Hardgear. Emeraldas takes aim at Hardgear but the ship they're on tips causing her to lose aim and miss. The crash into the ground and Maetel supports Emeraldas as she takes aim again and kills Hardgear. They take the chip that emerges from Hardgear and smash it. After they both leave another chip emerges and Brant takes it, inserts it into himself and becomes Hardgear.
