Lucky Dog 1 translations 04 Ivan Route 01
Part 2: Escape
Chapter 4
Getaway Ride
Our Alfa Romeo makes a mad dash over the small country roads away from the prison like the hounds of hell are nipping on its back bumper.
Gradually, we catch sight of more and more people on the roadside. Dawn is about over, and the town is starting to wake up, too.
Bernardo skillfully handles the wheel and avoids any faraway speck of human activity by swerving down a different road again and again.
We’ve got to get out of this town without being spotted, if possible.
Ivan: We’re heading west, right? We’ll get there in a snap if we pull onto the highway.
Bernardo: Here it comes!
Bernardo pulls hard on the wheel and the car peels straight around.
 |
Bernardo: Don’t get thrown out! |
Clinging to the front seat, I keep my mouth shut tight so I don’t accidentally bite my tongue.
The driver of the car we’d hastily hijacked is Bernardo. Ivan’s shotgun. Luchino, Giulio and I fill up the backseat.
It’s pretty tight in the back with three guys crammed in. Luchino should’ve gone into the passenger seat, but that’s a thought for another day.
Giulio: …Ah…!
A sudden G-force swipes across us, leaving Giulio’s weight on me.
I muster a bit of force and push him away. Giulio pulls back, as though flinching away.
 |
Giulio: Excuse me… |
 |
Gian: Scrunch into your end a bit more, would you? |
 |
Bernardo: Hm, was there someone by the roadside just now? |
 |
Gian: Should someone keep an eye out back? |
Bernardo: If possible. But we should be fine. Even with five passengers, the horsepower of this car should allow us to outrun almost anything.
That’s awesome. You’ve got my thanks, Chief.
I’d originally imagined us split between two slightly less conspicuous Fords…
I mean, don’t you think a carmine red Alfa Romeo’s just a tad too flashy for a getaway ride? It is fucking cool, though!
About as cool as having a Lincoln, one of those with a roof (Those’re the standard for capos being discharged from prison!), coming to pick us up, perhaps?
 |
Gian: What kind of ride’d you prepare for us anyways, Bernardo? |
 |
Bernardo: Two veeeery plain and subdued Fords. |
Just as I thought.
 |
Luchino: What a shabby getaway that would be. |
 |
Bernardo: I’d made arrangements for us to transfer in Suncreek, on the way to Daivan, to a Lincoln limousine more suitable for our triumphant return. |
 |
Ivan: We’ll just need to get to Suncreek then? |
Bang!
The sudden thunder of gunshot causes us to swivel around in panic.
What was that?
 |
Giulio: Ahead. |
A Ford Model T-touring appears in front of us. The slightly nostalgic model of a car is barreling towards us.
There’s a middle-aged man in the driver’s seat, suspender belts over his shirt and a badge pinned to his chest. The hand not gripping the steering wheel’s gripping a revolver with its muzzle pointing skyward.
That’s the sheriff of the town … which makes the gunshot just now his warning shot!
 |
Ivan: He’s coming this way! You planning on ramming him?! |
 |
Bernardo: I can dodge him, no problem! |
Bernardo, instead of hitting the brakes, slams the gas instead. There’s no time for words.
We charge headlong towards each other before, at the very last second, Bernardo spins the wheel.
The cars’ bodies pass each other, one moment heading for a head-on collision, the next slipping by with a paper-thin margin.
In that instant, I catch a clear glimpse of the sheriff’s face, drawn tight in fear.
|
Ivan: Uwaaagh!! |
 |
Luchino: Bravo! |
An unpleasant sound catches my ears from behind.
I turn and see the Model T smashed into a roadside building.
Teetering, the sheriff climbs out of the car… It’s probably impossible for him to chase us any further. Take care! Relieved, I turn forward again.
 |
Gian: …Man, that was really pushing it. |
 |
Bernardo: But we got through, right? |
He’s pushing it a bit too much, though. Bernardo’s already the very image of calm again (though that stunt’s probably stressed his receding hairline quite a bit)… This isn’t like him.
Could he be high off the thrill of escape…? I study Bernardo sitting in the driver’s seat.
Bernardo’s steering the wheel, looking straight ahead and nowhere else.
 |
Gian: Bernardo. |
He doesn’t answer.
 |
Gian: Hey, Bernardo! Cool down! |
|
Bernardo: Hmm? |
 |
Gian: You’re on a bit of a high. You pull off any more stunts like that, and I’ll have to take you off the wheel. |
 |
Bernardo: … |
Bernardo punches the steering wheel with a thwump.
 |
Bernardo: …You’re right. Sorry, I’ll be more careful. |
His reply is a little cold. The engine gives a wild roar. He probably stepped down hard on the gas.
When the engine falls quiet, everything around us follows suit, too. The other three’re observing our exchange with deep interest. Bernardo’s the top capo and I’d just thrown my thoughts in his face.
…We’re almost out of the town.
The sight of countless dirt roads branching through excessively sprawling fields into the horizon greets my eyes.
There’s nothing jutting out of the landscape, so I can see pretty far into the distance.
 |
Ivan: The view’s pretty good here… |
Beyond the far edge of the farmlands, a village, larger than the one we’d just passed, stretches just barely into view. To the right are some foothills covered in green.
 |
Ivan: If we don’t find some cover, we’ll be sitting ducks. |
 |
Gian: Anyone would think we’d be heading to that town over there, so that’s out. We’re gonna head for the hills and pull through the forest there. |
 |
Gian: It’ll be a roundabout drive to Suncreek, but whatever. Let’s just head west. We’ll get to Suncreek if we just head north somewhere along the way. |
|
Giulio: Is there … a path … through this forest? |
|
Gian: There should be. ‘sides, it’s the only place we can lay low around here. |
The car’s tires finally leave the town borders behind, violently kicking up dirt behind us as it does so.
|
Luchino: This is going to wear the tires down for sure. |
|
Bernardo: We picked this up for free anyways. …Fortunately, the tank’s still three-quarters full. |
Ivan turns back to the village, as though reluctant to leave it behind. The only thing we can see of the prison now is the tip of its walls.
 |
Ivan: We won’t be able to fill up on gas for a while. No phone, either … which means no way to contact Daivan. |
Ivan glares at me. I get the feeling he’s maliciously criticizing me.
Just when I’m about to say something back, Luchino cuts in.
 |
Luchino: If we make a call nearby, the guards will catch up to us in no time. We’ll find another chance to contact them. Let’s just let the Lucky Dog call the shots for now … right, Gian? |
I keep quiet. With Luchino’s sound logic I also feel the responsibility of the whole affair hanging over my head.
Luchino’s eyes bore into me as I ignore him. After a long while, Luchino snorts and turns his head towards the passing scenery.
Ivan shifts his gaze between me and Luchino, but finally ends up silently turning forward.
O the tales we tell 
Jan 16, 2012 @ 16:09:26
I have a question: what’ll you do with the other choices seen on this page? Will they get their own page? Basically they aren’t that different from each other an will give only short scenes.
LikeLike
Jan 16, 2012 @ 16:12:10
With Homer’s scenes, no other routes explored that scene.
In this case, the choices appear in other routes, and (in the game) making the other choice actually takes you down the other route. I kept the choice markers here as a formality and as a … semi-substitute for a walkthrough.
Short answer: No, I won’t be translating them, but they WILL appear in other routes.
LikeLike
Jan 16, 2012 @ 16:22:42
I see. I didn’t know that yet. Guess I’ll just wait until they pop up on one of the other routes then. Speaking of which, will you be translating Ivan’s route all the way to the end(ings) before moving on to any of the other routes? it seems that in my mind the thought has somehow stuck that you would be translating by stage, rather than by route. Well, I’m not complaining, I was only a bit surprised. My bad.
LikeLike
Jan 16, 2012 @ 16:23:53
No, all the way to the end. I’m following a walkthrough (provided in a Lucky Dog fanbook), so I’ll be playing and making choices based off that. It gives me an easy way to get 100% completion for a route.
Speaking of, the routes are going to be done in this order: Ivan, Giulio, Bernardo, Luchino.
LikeLike
Jan 16, 2012 @ 17:15:16
Well, I don’t have any preference for a particular character, so I won’t be bothered no matter what order you choose. If I really had to name my favorite character, I think Gian would win the price. And he’s found in every route, obviously.
I’ve started wondering if I should try my hand at translating something too. Maybe if I can pick up a SS from somewhere I could find out…
Should I, or should I not?
Hmm…
LikeLike
Jan 16, 2012 @ 17:17:35
Completely up to you =P Translating will help your Japanese skills, that much I’ll say.
You can’t really find the SS online, though. Not that I know of, at least. If you can, then I’d love to know the site you got them from XD
LikeLike
Jan 17, 2012 @ 16:21:17
Appearantly, the SS are posted on the Tennenouji site temporarily. They are usually posted around the dates of the characters’ birthdays or that of a mayor holiday (chrismas/new year, valentine etc.) Afterwards they are collected in books and published. I checked the five main characters’ birthdates and it seems Giulio’s is coming up next (mid februari). Some SS are extras that come with ordering the game or one of the spin-off games at a particular store (each store has it own set of extras/goodies). The drama CDs are also SS, and as far as I could gather there a currently at least five of them: ‘Summer Chance’, ‘Autumn Chance’, ‘Winter Chance’ (the next one will most probably be called ‘Spring Chance’, I guess), a collection CD and an anniversary CD.
I got this info while searching around the net, so I’m not sure on how accurate it is. You probably know most of it already, but I though I’d just put down what I found so far.
I found the tracks for the Chance CDs, but I’m not too confident about translating audio tracks… Maybe I’ll give it a try, but I think I’d have a better chance doing a decent job if I start on written things first. As for where the SS can be found after they’ve been removed from Tennenouji, I have yet to find out.
When I do find out, I’ll share it with you, ok?
LikeLike
Jan 17, 2012 @ 22:07:15
…I would like to point you to my main site to (Lucky Dog translations) to see what I plan to translate sometime in the future =P
There are currently 7 drama CDs. Two collection ones and the anniversary one and one for each season of the year. Each of the latter contains two episodes. The collection is an epilogue sidestory, the anniversary is a direct epilogue. Each of the season chance CDs are epilogue sidestories.
Yes, they were on the net once. The problem is that they’re hard to find after they were taken off, unless you want to spend the money to buy the books (which I have). (All the site SS’s are collected in the anniversary books.) I don’t think there will be sites that have the raw Japanese text (I found one, but it’s semi-translated) for the official site SS’s. There are many other short stories contained in the CD booklets, the fanbooks/artbooks, and as preorder specials (there are also two included with the LD card boxes). My main question is that I can’t find the preorder specials anywhere, or are those the ones collected in the fanbooks.
Tennenouji has discontinued the short stories for LD and are currently not writing any more, as far as I know. The last one was around summer of 2011.
Either way, if this is your first time translating, I wouldn’t suggest starting with LD. It’s not the easiest to work with. Manga is always a good start.
If you’re insistent on translating LD, then I have one story I copied from the Tennenouji site that I managed to grab before they pulled it off. I can’t have you post it yet because I haven’t asked for permission to do so, but you can play around with it and I can look at it. …How I’d get it to you if you don’t have email is a problem, though.
LikeLike
Jan 22, 2012 @ 17:05:21
Thanks for the info. It really is a shame that the SS are so hard to get. On one hand, it’s a good thing that they stopped doing short stories (for now?) since that means they’ll have more time to put in Bad Egg, yet on the other hand it’s too bad for the fans that love LD1 and want something to enjoy while waiting.
I’d love to play around with that story you managed to get. I realise LD maybe isn’t the best starting point, but I’m much more motivated to try because it’s LD. There’s also a subbort part of me that absolutely likes starting things on a harder level that one would usually do. I’ve been considering to try translating for a long time, but I never got around to actually do it. Haha, I’m a troublesome person, aren’t I?
As for the e-mail, I’ve actually got one more for emergencies. We can use that one. How do we exchange adresses? I’d rather not post my mail out in the open where anyone can see. Even more since it’s my backup adress that I’d like to keep clean of spam etc.
LikeLike
Jan 22, 2012 @ 17:14:05
Haha … more time into Bad Egg… I suppose so, if you think of it as “more time to finish ‘We Will Destroy the World for Gian’ and then after they finish that, more time left over for Bad Egg.”
So you’re the kind of person that likes to jump into the deep end of the pool at once =P It’ll be a bit hard to get started, but if you need help, I’m willing.
In the “about” page on my site, it should have my email at the very bottom. You can email me from there. I look forward to hearing from you!
LikeLike