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But that chance is predetermined by the will of the world.
I'm not losing it. I'm perfectly fine. What I speak now is the absolute truth, not some pretentious delusion.
No matter how trivial something may seem, it may change the tide in the great stream of time. Do you know what the "Butterfly Effect" is? If not, look it up.
Just try to understand how much care that takes.
Unfortunately, I didn't give a care.
The future wouldn't have turned out like this.
But how could I have realized that? How could I have realized that I held in my own hands the switch, the turning point that could determine the fate of all mankind?
Just think about it. The average human's perception is cut off by about 99%. People are stupid animals that can only think about themselves. They live every average day of their average lives, not noticing anything that happens around them. Do they percieve something and forget it, or do their brains not even process it?
I want to tell the me back then:
Don't do anything careless!
Don't do anything rash!
Don't pretend you didn't see that!
Pay more attention!
Conspiracy's evil hand was always closer than you had thought, always ready to trick you!
Stars too have a beginning, but are by their own power destroyed. Finite.
He who holds wisdom can recognize extreme foolishness in history.
The fish in the sea knows not the land ashore.
If they too hold wisdom, they too be destroyed.
It is more ridiculous for man to exceed light speed than for fish to live ashore.
This may also be called God's final warning to those who rebel...
Prologue
No sound is coming from the phone I'm holding against my ear. A perfect silence.
There's a girl here, trying to get my attention. She doesn't seem to understand that were wading deep into enemy territory. I gesture for silence.
"Are you on the phone with someone?"
The phone is probably silent because our conversation is something that shouldn't be spread lightly.
"...No, ignore what you heard. Everything's fine. Well infiltrate the assembly grounds now.
Yes, Dr. Nakabachi went off by himself. I'm planning on having him tell us plenty on the subject.
...What?! The Organization has already begun its operations?!
I see, so that's the choice of Steins;Gate. El Psy Congroo."
Steins;Gate.
One could call it 'the will of the gods', or perhaps even 'fate'.
Anyway, let's go ahead and start the infiltration.
I take the stairs towards the 8th floor. However, I used up all my strength upon reaching the 7th. I think this was a mistake.
"Who were you talking with on the phone back there?"
"Don't ask. It's for your sake as well."
"Really? Thank you, Okarin."
What a perceptive girl.
This is Mayuri, by the way. A 16 year old high school student, younger than me by 2 years. She's more like a little sister to me than a friend.
I want her to always be by my side. Thats a modest wish that I just had.
The sigh says 'Doctor Nakabachi's Time Machine Invention Press Conference.'
"Anyway, Okarin, Okarin!"
"Mayuri, I keep telling you. Don't call me Okarin."
"Why not? Ive been calling you that since a long time ago.
"That's all a thing of the past. I am now Hououin Kyouma, an insane mad scientist, targeted by secret agents from all over the world! Fwahahahaha!"
"But I can't remember such a difficult name."
"Besides, it doesn't resemble 'Okabe Rintarou' at all. What a weird name."
This is also why I dislike the nickname 'Okarin,' which was taken from my real name.
"So, Okarin. Uhmm, can you tell me..."
She's been calling me that for 5 years now, so I'm halfway towards giving up.
"What's gonna happen here?"
"You accompanied me without even knowing that?"
"Yup."
"What will begin here is Doctor Nakabachi's press conference."
"A press conference? But I don't see any reporters..."
She has a point. There are only about ten people here, myself included. You'd think there would be more people here, considering that this event's topic is the successful development of a time machine.
This is probably a disturbance caused by The Organization.
Right when I say that, a bizarre buzzing sound fills the room. What is this sound? An electromagnetic wave attack? The entire room is shaking.
The source of the sound is somewhere above us...
"An earthquake? Shindo scale 2? Magnitude 2? What was the difference between Shindo and magnitudes, again?"
Feeling somewhat bad for abandoning her, I leave the troubled girl and rush out of the assembly hall. Disregarding the sign that says 'no entry', I run to the staircase which leads to the rooftop.
There's smoke rising. Also, some kind of rainbow-colored phosphorescent light is dancing in the air.
Holy hell, did something explode out here? Is this a terrorist act?
No, I don't think so. Theres a strange object placed in the very middle of the empty space of the rooftop.
It's some kind of machine, about three meters high. What is this, a space satellite?
Maybe it has something to do with Nakabachi's presentation. But even if that's true, then how would he get this thing up here?
One of the staff waves her hands, urging us not to come any closer. Is she trying to hide something?
The situation is dealt with quickly, and I'm kept away from the object that looks like a satellite. What are they trying to hide? What was the explosion about? What is this thing?
One short search later, I find Mayuri on the 7th floor, in front of a line of Capsule Toy machines.
"Yes, I understand. I won't do anything irrational. I, too, value my own life. El Psy Congroo."
Mayuri doesn't seem to be bothered by the explosion at all. Is she amazing, or idiotic?
"Mayuri, what are you up to?"
Of course.
There isn't a person alive who doesn't know the anime 'RaiNet Kakeru'. The card game based on it, RaiNet Access Battlers, even gained popularity overseas.
Oopa is the series mascott. It looks like a cross between a dog and an egg. Exactly the kind of thing that gains popularity among high school girls.
"Go ahead and try it, but it's not guaranteed that you'll get an Oopa."
Yes, Mayuri calls herself 'Mayushii' for some reason. Also, she wants me to fund her Oopa addiction.
"Don't act like a spoiled brat, Mayuri. I won't lend you money. Right now I'll teach you how harsh life can be."
Ah, it's an Oopa. And it's metal. A Metal Oopa!"
"Is it rare?"
"Very!"
The boy gets a regular Oopa. He eyes Mayuris Metal Oopa with resentment.
Well, I don't have any use for this thing.
"Eheheh, thank you, Okarin♪!"
Is she ignoring me on purpose?
Looks like it's getting started. I head back towards the 8th floor. Mayuri isn't following me. Hey!
She's engrossed with the Metal Oopa. Oh, well, she'll be along eventually.
Greeted by the clapping of only a few people, Doctor Nakabachi appears. He has a sour look on his face.
"To those who have gathered here, I will teach the theory behind the invention of the century that will surely stay in human history - a time machine."
"Time machine? Did he make one?
I'm starting to understand how Doctor Nakabachi is treated by society. I'm here myself because of some personal interest, but I don't expect a lot from him.
As he talks about his time machine theory, I am filled with disappointment, which quickly turns into anger.
"There's a limit to how much you can make a fool out of us!"
"Who are you?!"
"It doesn't matter who I am! The more important thing is the time machine theory you just recited! Everything you just said is copied from John Titor! How dare you call yourself an inventor?!"
"S-Somebody get rid of this man!"
"You're the one who should get out, Doctor! Have you no shame?! You don't have the right to call yourself an inventor!"
"Be silent, you annoyance! You concieted brat!"
The officials are here to take me away! I turn around forcefully and glare at the person.
Not what I was expecting. She looks about as old as I am.
I remember this face. Have I seen her somewhere before?
Wait, I remember. It's Makise Kurisu. My friend Daru showed me a magazine she was in. The article was 'Girl Genius Gives a Lecture in Akihabara'.
She even had the same sullen look on her face in the magazine article. What's a genius like her doing calling out to me?
She doesn't seem like part of the staff of the assembly hall... wait, could it be...!
"Are you a member of The Organization?!"
"Huh?"
"For them to go that far... I underestimated them."
"Stop messing around and come with me for a moment."
I drew too much attention to myself with that outburst. I am an insane mad scientist being chased by The Organizaton. This could get ugly.
"What are you talking about? Try to act civilized."
A beautiful Organization agent, unmatched in cruelty... I sense trouble, but also feel exhilarated.
"I just want to ask you something."
"I don't have to answer that. I know how you Organization people work."
"What is this 'Organizaton'?"
"It's me. An agent of The Organization has captured me...
Yeah, it's Makise Kurisu. Be wary of her...
No, I'm fine. I should be able to escape."
"Guh, what are you doing?!"
"Huh? This phone is off."
"Who were you talking to?"
Shit, she's good at this. An attack on my sense of identity? Stay cool. I won't give in to this attack.
I have such a phone to protect all my classified information. I take my phone back. Mission acomplished.
"Oh, so you were talking to yourself."
...Ordinary methods don't work on girl genius Makisu Kurisu. My mental state is in peril!
I need to wait for my chance to retreat.
I'm unexpectedly charmed by her large, fiery eyes. Could the owner of such honest and pure eyes actually be an agent of The Organization...?
"What were you trying to tell me a while ago?"
"When do you mean?"
"You tried to tell me something, right? With a look on your face that was overflowing with sorrow. You looked like you were about to break down crying, and like you were in a lot of pain."
Is this a trap of some kind? She doesn't look like she's joking. Maybe she's an Organization agent after all! I can't let my guard down!
"I can see through everything."
Because I'm a mad scientist.
"Genius girl, next time we meet we're gonna be enemies!"
"Huh?"
"Farewell, fwahahahaha!"
Makise Kurisu calls out for me to stop, but there's no way I'm listening to the words of the enemy.
What to do now? Listening to Nakabachi's conference is pointless now that I know he's a fraud. I should just go home.
...Wait.
Why did I even bring her here in the first place? I let my guard down again. Let's give her a call.
Right when I'm about to make the call, I get a new email. It's a video mail.
The video is static, and I don't recognize the email address. What is this, some kind of sonic attack from Makise Kurisu?
Wait, I never gave her my mail address. I'm probably overthinking things here. I don't have time for this.
She's not answering. Looks like I'll have to go back upstairs, somehow avoiding Makise Kurisu on the way.
Wait!
Damn you! Is this how The Organization does things?
I can't let Mayuri out of my sight. Even under normal circumstances, she's prone to wandering off. I wearily start going back up the stairs.
The impostor scientist finished his speech and left. Good. Makise Kurisu isn't here either. Good.
Mayuri is complaining about something weird, though. At least she wasn't captured.
"Ran away? Thats some real fantasy there."
I dropped it somewhere...
"If you don't see it, then give up. We'll just get another one."
"We won't get another one. You know, Metal Oopa go for 10,000 yen in internet auctions."
"What?! Mayuri, where did you drop it?!"
"I don't know, that's why I'm looking... Anyway, if we find it, we're not selling it, okay?"
"Fwahahaha, that 10,000 yen will go to my research funds!"
"I even wrote my name on it."
"Tutturu~♪ Mr. Oopa, Mr Oopa, please come out."
'Tutturu~♪' is something Mayuri likes to say. It doesn't seem to have any particular meaning.
We can't find the Metal Oopa. Maybe she dropped it back on the 7th floor...
What the hell was that?!
"A... scream?"
I can easily count the people remaining in the assembly hall. Everyone who heard that scream is cowering, myself included. It's not every day you hear such a hair-raising scream.
Leaving Mayuri behind, I start running towards the direction the scream came from.
I think it came from somewhere around here. I advance as carefully as I can.
After I turn a corner, it enters my field of vision.
In the middle of the hall.
Something is collapsed, with its face on the ground.
Someone is collapsed, with their face on the ground.
I remember that attire.
