Chapter 29

Chapter 29 is the twenty-ninth chapter of the Astra Lost in Space manga. It is the third chapter of the Icriss arc and, in the compiled volumes, the first chapter of the fourth volume.

Synopsis
The crew of the Astra stare at the new ship under the cliff overhang, baffled by its presence. For a moment, Quitterie convinces herself that the other group has simply moved their ship under the overhang, but Zack assures her that this ship is damaged in different places than their own. Deciding to investigate the ship's interior, Kanata asks Ulgar and Zack to follow him in; armed with Ulgar's gun, the three walk to the ship, ascend its gangway, and enter its interior.

In the locker room, a flipped switch activates the lights, indicating that the ship's power unit is still working. A quick scan of several rooms, broken and abandoned as they appear, reveals a layout identical to that of the Astra as well. The walls of the bridge bear deep gashes that let in air and light from the outside; while Ulgar checks the crew quarters and finds them deserted, Zack sits at the console and tries to bring the ship's main system online. Kanata remarks that the ship's situation seems similar to their own; after Zack brings the system online, he admits it will not work properly, surmising that a survey party probably arrived on Icriss in the ship, only to damage the ship beyond the point of it being able to return home.

As Ulgar rejoins them and Kanata remarks that the crew may have been rescued and left the ship behind, Zack is shocked to find a message left on the computer: "Help me." This shatters Kanata's theory that the crew was rescued and alerts Zack to check the ship's onboard cryo-stasis pods. They enter the stasis pod chamber to find a single unit in use; Ulgar checks its display and reports it was activated in July of 2051, meaning its occupant has been in stasis for twelve years. Kanata orders him to open the pod; it rotates from horizontal to vertical and its door swings up and away, revealing a woman in a sheer bodysuit. Stasis liquid pours from her open mouth as she collapses and falls forward into Kanata, who catches her and yells for Zack to bring Quitterie to help them and some towels to clean up the liquid. As he likewise orders Ulgar to find a hoversled to transport her to the Astra, the woman begins to return to consciousness; amidst her cloudy thoughts, Kanata's face is the first thing she sees. He tells her she was asleep in the pod and commends her for waiting for rescue, at which point she breaks down into tears and screams, overcome by emotion and the realization that she will be able to return to Earth.

Later, as snow falls on the Astra, the woman awakens to find Aries bringing her a cup of water. She tells the woman she is in the Astra 's infirmary, the crew having taken the liberty of moving her to their own ship, and offers to help her to the lounge, where the crew is waiting to talk with her. Aries wheels her into the lounge on the hoversled, wrapped in a sheet and wearing one of Aries' T-shirts underneath, where she is helped onto a reclining lounge seat at the head of the table. Though still weak, she tells them all she has many questions for them, and is still trying to process the reality of her rescue. Kanata urges her not to rush if she does not feel well.

Quitterie tells her that she wants to test her memory, wishing to make sure the cryo-stasis has not damaged it. The woman responds that she remembers exactly who she is, and tells them as much: she is Polina Livinskaya, astronaut and member of the crew of the Ark VI.