Chapter 32

Chapter 32 is the thirty-second chapter of the Astra Lost in Space manga. It is the sixth chapter of the Icriss arc and, in the compiled volumes, the fourth chapter of the fourth volume.

Synopsis
A blizzard descends on the Astra, covering it and its surroundings in a thin layer of snow. On board, Aries remarks that the blizzard seems to have come out of nowhere, with Charce adding that the volatility of the region's atmosphere makes such snowstorms normal. As they wonder if the members still foraging outside are okay, Quitterie and Zack return to the ship. Luca asks Quitterie if they're okay, and she responds shyly that they are. Her uncharacteristic behavior tells Luca that something happened between them while foraging, though he has no idea what.

They soon realize that Kanata and Funicia are still out foraging and try to contact the pair on their comms, but find the blizzard is interfering with the signal. Worried about Funicia, Quitterie moves as if to go look for them, but Aries assures her that she is fine so long as she is with Kanata.

Outside in the storm, Kanata has lost sight of Funicia. After struggling momentarily to find her in the blinding snow, he discovers her lying on the ground, half-frozen and semiconscious. He realizes that a tiny, vine-like animal has bored into her crust suit's power pack, breaking it and lowering her helmet. As a result, the body heat her suit was retaining has vented into the blizzard, putting her on the verge of hypothermia. As he pulls the animal out of her pack and lifts her over his shoulder to carry her back to the Astra, another animal bores into his own pack and lowers his own helmet. Some time later, with the crew wondering if they should plan a rescue mission, Kanata stumbles back into the lounge with Funicia, their bodies half-frozen and their appearances ghastly.

The crew jumps into action to treat Funicia's low-grade hypothermia, while Kanata takes a hot bath to warm up. After recovering and regaining consiousness while lying on the infirmary bed, she recounts to Quitterie that Kanata maintained his composure during their ordeal; she remarks that being his bride someday would be nice, drawing a chuckle from Quitterie. Polina, who gave up her bed for Funicia, remarks that everyone seems to be exceptional people.

Quitterie asks about Paulina's own crew, and she reminiscences about the four other members of the Ark VI and the mission they risked their lives to conduct. Funicia tells Paulina that she looks like her late mother, and Quitterie mentions that she has never before heard Funicia talk about her mother. The comparison confuses Paulina, who learns for the first time that the two are adopted sisters. She tells them she was certain they were related, pointing out that they look nearly identical.

Later, Quitterie tells Zack and Kanata that she does look very similar to Funicia. Kanata and Zack reason that genetics might be responsible for the coincidence, but she wonders if they look a little too alike, offering the theory that their mother may have had both of them with different fathers. Zack offers to run a DNA test with specialized lab equipment onboard the ship to determine if the two are in fact biological sisters.

Quitterie agrees, and Zack runs the test, the results of which render him both horrified and confused. He chooses to share his findings with Kanata in secret, informing the equally-stunned Kanata that the two girls have perfectly identical DNA: biologically, they are the same exact person.