Super Dimensions Century Orguss Story

Kei and Mimsy with child

The anime TV show storyline: Kei Katsuragi and Olson are close friends and pilots in the same squadron during a war between the Earth’s two superpowers. Their nation is fighting to gain control of the orbital elevator that is now in the possession of the enemy but was originally constructed by both nations in cooperation. The two pilots are assigned to place an experimental new bomb that uses dimensional technology near the base of the orbital elevator and protect the technicians as they arm the device. The plan is to blast the orbital elevator into another dimension and end the current conflict. When the operation is dubbed a failure and abandoned the dimensional bomb is set to self destruct. Kei decides they’ve been through too much to let the dimensional bomb just destroy itself and reativates it. Before he and Olson can escape the bomb goes off.

Kei wakes up in the Glomar’s infirmary. The Glomar is a scavenger ship that travels from place to place finding wreckage and repairing it to sell at markets. The crew of the Glomar are Emaan, creatures who look like humans except for thin tentacles that come from their necks.

Kei learns twenty years have passed although he hasn’t aged a day. The Earth has been radically transformed as a result of the dimensional bomb forcing parts of more than a hundred worlds to merge together. The Emaan, the advanced robots of the Mu Nation and countless others have been forced to live on Earth. New dimensional gates open and close unexpectedly causing the landscape to constantly change. The bomb also created an impenetrable barrier that hangs in the sky blocking anyone from reaching space. The barrier hangs so low in parts that it touches the tops of hills or mountains forcing people to drill their way through if they want to reach the other side. All of these changes in Earth’s environment have created a situation where natural disasters occur at a rate that increases over time and the temperature continually climbs. It is clear that the catastrophe has to be somehow corrected or life on Earth will become impossible.

Kei wrecks his Bronco II fighter when he crashes into the sky barrier. The Glomar pick him up and promise to not only repair but upgrade his fighter with Emaan technology if he agrees to join their crew. The Emaan call him a "tokuiten" and plan to take him back to the Emaan capital. The Chiram army, made up entirely of humans, have advanced sensors that allow them to detect the location of tokuiten and when they learn a new one has arrived they dispatch their forces to try to capture Kei. The Chiram continually attack the Glomar as it travels hoping to catch Kei but he and the other crew members somehow manage to beat back the attackers or escape.

After a few episodes we learn Olson was also catapulted into the future by the dimensional bomb. When Kei arrives Olson has been with the Chiram army for 5 years and has risen to the rank of captain. When he learns the tokuiten they’re pursuing is Kei he resolves to make sure his friend comes to no harm. When he manages to make contact with Kei he explains that the Chiram represent the humans, Earth’s original inhabitants, and that he too is a tokuiten. He tries to persuade Kei to join the Chiram and help them repair the Earth. Kei refuses and Olson, knowing his duty as a tokuiten to repair the Earth is greater than his duty to the Chiram, starts acting on his own. It isn’t long before the Chiram consider him a traitor.

The Glomar finally succeeds in reaching the Emaan capital. The ruling clans that make up the Emaan disagree about what to do with Kei. The Tobu clan wants to use him to make sure the Chiram don’t somehow repair the Earth in a way that erases the Emaan (the Emaan know of the Chiram’s knowledge of dimensional science). While the other clans debate the matter Tobu soldiers kidnap Kei and attempt to brainwash him. Shaia, captain of the Glomar, rescues Kei but in doing so brings the wrath of the Tobu clan (Shaia’s own clan) down on the Glomar. As the Glomar flees the capital Maneesha, Shaia’s sister and leader of the Tobu, leads a fleet to pursue them.

Shaia decides the only way to restore the Earth is to take Kei to the orbital elevator – the site of the original disturbance. However, the orbital elevator is located deep within Mu territory and the Mu have committed themselves to destroying all non-robotic life. Mu technology is advanced beyond all other factions in the world of Orguss so the Glomar’s crew know their plan has only a small chance of success. A group of ships from the Raas clan of the Emaan join the Glomar and agree to help them, raising their spirits.

About this time the Chiram complete a machine called the D System that allows them to travel between time and dimensions. They decide to use it to accomplish their goal of dominance by restoring the Earth in a manner that eliminates the Mu and Emaan completely. No longer needing the two tokuitens, they order their forces to find and kill them before the other factions can use them.

The Chiram’s plan is ruined when the Mu attack their base and force them to detonate the D System. The Mu’s technology allow them to detect machines that effect dimensional gates. The Mu leader, not understanding Earth’s fragile condition, orders its troops to stop all Chiram and Emaan attempts to restore the Earth. With the D System gone the Chiram command orders its forces to stop trying to kill the tokuitens and instead capture them.

Reeg, the Glomar’s head technician, is also hard at work making a dimensional device of his own but when the Mu attack and destroy it he focuses his attention on a capsule that will transport Kei and Olson up the orbital shaft to the top where the original dimensional bomb is located.

After several fights with the Tobu clan Shaia talks with her sister Maneesha and they make amends. Soon after Maneesha gives control of the Tobu forces to Shaia. On the way to the orbital elevator Shaia’s group is surrounded by a superior Chiram force and agrees to ally with them against the Mu. By this time the Mu have increased their attacks on the Emaan and the Chiram so much that everyone is in crisis. The Chiram command is aware of the rising devastation from Earth’s instability and agrees to help Shaia take Kei and Olson to the orbital elevator. With the knowledge of a common enemy and little time left to restore the Earth the combined force sets off together.

When they reach their objective the Mu resistance is fierce and a battle ensues. The crew of the Glomar, which now includes Olson, battle their way to the base of the orbital elevator and send the two tokuitens on their way to the top. Once there they realize a bubble of time surrounds the dimensional bomb and their former selves are locked in it. The two Keis and two Olsons draw their weapons and fire. All four die and the time bubble disperses. The Earth is restored at last.

NOTES

Although Kei and Olson die in the final episode of the anime, the audience is shown images of other possible outcomes. It’s possible that when the dimensions and times were restored to their rightful places Kei and Olson were able to continue their lives. Perhaps the past Kei had a happy life with Tina and the future Kei started a family with Mimsy. Perhaps Olson started a new life with Athena. When different realities collide and are then restored, it’s difficult to say exactly how things turn out.