Part 76: Zero
It's simple, really.
How do I know the alternate futures, then?
[Music: Who Is Zero?]
Imagine a river that splits in 2, like an upside-down Y.
That's why people at the river's source, in the past, will never know about those downstream, in the future.
Information only flows along the path of the river.
[Music: Silence]
![](10-Shock.png)
(Where did you go?!)
![](11-Surprised.png)
Santa!
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Why's Clover--)
![](10-Shock.png)
(Oh shit.)
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Guess he picked it up when we weren't watching...)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(Looks like he's turned the tables on Ace, though. Wonder how
he likes having a gun to his head.)
![](16-Angry.png)
Get up.
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Ace isn't putting up any kinda fight. I mean, I don't think I would either, but he just looks...drained.)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(I guess he's going for the door, huh... He doesn't need to verify to go through that door, but...)
![](10-Shock.png)
(He can't get through any numbered doors with just 2 people... What the hell is he thinking?)
![](19-Evil.png)
Didn't I tell you? I'm Santa Claus.
![](10-Shock.png)
(What the hell does that even mean?)
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Shit, they're out--)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(They're all looking at me...)
![](12-Surprised.png)
(At least Seven's headache is gone. He seems to be all right...)
![](24-Focus.png)
(Well, I guess there's no harm in trying. Let's see if this door still opens...)
![](26-Worried.png)
You mean we're trapped?
![](27-Thinking.png)
So it would seem...
![](28-Serious.png)
What the hell is Santa trying to do?
![](11-Surprised.png)
Oh my gosh...
![](28-Serious.png)
"Oh my gosh" what?
![](27-Thinking.png)
There can really only be 1 thing Santa would do now.
![](26-Worried.png)
N-No... No, you can't be serious!
![](10-Shock.png)
(Oh, but he is! Shit... We've gotta do something!)
![](24-Focus.png)
(There's the RED...)
![](32-SubEnd.png)
(No. It's not gonna work... There's no way. The 5 of us can't open this door!)
![](10-Shock.png)
(Is there any combination that'll work...?)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(Sure, why not. I don't think I'm going to need them. ...Ever again...)
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Well, she certainly looks purposeful... Looks like she's writing equations. A lot of 'em...)
![](10-Shock.png)
(Huh? Ah man... She doesn't look very happy.)
![](10-Shock.png)
(Geez!)
![](35-Angry.png)
What the hell are you doing, Clover?! Give me that!
![](12-Surprised.png)
(All right, at least Seven got it away from her. Maybe now I can get a look at what she was writing...)
![](24-Focus.png)
(Let's see...)
![](37-Surprised.png)
...
![](10-Shock.png)
Shit...
![](37-Surprised.png)
Then there's no other way?
![](10-Shock.png)
(Lotus...)
[Music: Imaginary]
![](10-Shock.png)
(Man, this is just too cruel...)
![](10-Shock.png)
Lotus...
![](28-Serious.png)
C'mon, you know we can't do that.
![](40-Laugh.png)
Oh, don't give me that. I'm sure you'd love to get rid of me.
![](12-Surprised.png)
(Whoa! Where the hell did that come from?!)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(Looks like she expected that about as much as I did...)
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(For a cop, he sure doesn't have much confidence.)
![](26-Worried.png)
...Bad?
![](43-Thinking.png)
Uh...yeah... I-If there weren't assholes like you around, I'd be out of a job.
![](26-Worried.png)
...Huh?
![](26-Worried.png)
Seven...
![](48-Sad.png)
Ugh... You're all idiots.
![](15-NeverMind.png)
(Act as tough as you want, Lotus. We can all see you're about to cry...)
![](27-Thinking.png)
That being said, however...
![](12-Surprised.png)
...However?
![](27-Thinking.png)
I doubt we would be able to open the door anyway, even if we were to leave Lotus behind.
![](11-Surprised.png)
Huh? Why?
![](27-Thinking.png)
I couldn't, ah,
see exactly what happened, but I was able to guess what he was attempting to do earlier, at the RED.
![](12-Surprised.png)
Oh yeah...
![](51-Surprised.png)
The digital root should be (9)! It has to be (9)! Then why...why isn't it opening?!
![](28-Serious.png)
Give it a shot..?
![](53-Serious.png)
Yes, that...
is what I said.
![](11-Surprised.png)
You were right...
![](28-Serious.png)
It ain't openin'...
![](24-Focus.png)
You think maybe they changed the settings?
![](27-Thinking.png)
Perhaps.
![](10-Shock.png)
(The walls are way too high... There's no way in hell we could get to that hole Seven popped out of 9 years ago.)
![](58-Panic.png)
(All we can do is stand here and stare at this door with a [9] on it.)
...
[Music: Silence]
...
Smell, taste, touch... I felt everything he felt.
I knew. I knew everything about him.
What he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he was sensing...
All of his feelings and worries and fears became mine...
[Music: Morphogenetic Sorrow]
A bomb had gone off on the ship we were on.