99 Luftballons


A lovely morning in 2034
Yohko and her mom just left the store
she spoils her daughter, but that's OK
after all, it's little Yohko's 9th birthday

Mother watches on -- she's the apple of her eye --
as her daughter pretends to touch the sky
it's amazing, mom ponders, she'll be a woman soon
but for now Yokho is happy with her 99 red balloons

Hand in hand the pair walks along
in the back of mom's mind plays an old song
she doesn't know the reason behind Yohko's birthday wish
but she remembers the lyrics more or less like this:

   Hast du etwas Zeit fu:r mich
   Dann singe ich ein Lied fu:r dich
   Von 99 Luftballons
   Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
   Denkst du vielleicht g'rad an mich
   Dann singe ich ein Lied fu:r dich
   Von 99 Luftballons
   Und dass sowas von sowas kommt

A battle suddenly explodes, the ADP is on retreat
and the Knight Sabers once again set out to defeat
a team of boomers which has just attacked the former
the moment Yohko and her mom turn around the corner

Bullets fly, mother and daughter are caught in the crossfire
She uses her body as a shield -- maternal instinct is hardwired
A feeble protection is all she can offer but she's not to blame
as the projectiles easily rip through her delicate frame

   99 Luftballons
   Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
   Hielt man fu:r Ufos aus dem All
   Darum schickte ein General
   'nN Fliegerstaffel hinterher
   Alarm zu geben, wenn's so wa:r
   Dabei war'n da am Horizont
   Nur 99 Luftballons

Mom died instantly, but it was for the best
she never noticed the bullet which pierced Yohko's chest
life abandons her daughter's body, the little girl swoons
letting go slowly of her 99 red balloons

Nene cries out in despair at the sight
of mother and daughter killed in their fight
little does Nene imagine, as towards them she staggers
the imminent strike of a far deadlier dagger

   99 Du:senja:ger
   Jeder war ein grosser Krieger
   Hielten sich fu:r Captain Kirk
   Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk
   Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
   Und fu:hlten sich gleich angemacht
   Dabei schoss man am Horizont
   Auf 99 Luftballons

High above the chaos, in geostationary flight
something triggers the sensors of a laser satellite
it wasn't meant to be, but the system assumes
that it must fire, full power, at the 99 balloons

A targeting computer comes to life, capacitors spark
a spinning gyroscope helps pinpoint a mark
within an etalon the massive energy soars
until a beam of light pierces the sky like a sword

All these machinations take place undetected
no one realizes how their lives will soon be impacted
yet Priss suddenly feels impending doom
when high above she sees the 99 balloons

   99 Kriegsminister
   Streichholz und Benzinkanister
   Hielten sich fu:r schlaue Leute
   Witterten schon fette Beute
   Riefen: Kring und wollten Macht
   Mann, wer hatte das gedacht
   Dass es einmal soweit kommt
   Wegen 99 Luftballons

An entire city was instantly laid to waste
including those responsible of such a state
everything was destroyed, all burned to the ground
no one in the once great city was left around

Boomers, Sabers, millions of people young and old
their destinies all entwined in a final blow
Megatokyo is now a sea of tombs
all because of a little girl's 99 balloons...

   99 Jahre Krieg
   Liessen keine Platz fu:r Sieger
   Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr
   Und auch keine Du:senflieger
   Heute zieh ich meine Runden
   Seh' die Welt in Tru:mmern liegen
   Hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden
   Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen


:)

_________________________________
marco@chinook.physics.utoronto.ca
Gunnm: Broken Angel
http://128.100.80.13/marco/alita.html