Part 172: Okabe Rintarou mobilizes to seize the IBN 5100
I reorganize my muddled mind. That's... Tennouji Yuugo of the Braun Tube Workshop. Mister Braun.
Why...?
Why is he...?
Does this mean he's involved with FB, and the Rounders? You mean he's been doing shady business in addition to running the completely unprofitable Braun Tube Workshop...? I don't understand... I lost all understanding in one go.
The man who set up shop downstairs from the lab. If he's got connections with the enemy... I shiver at the thought. No, wait, I'm still not sure he has connections. Manager might just be a mere courier.
Still watching from a distance, we see Manager take the carry-on cart from the crew cut man, and load it into the back seat. Then, he gets into the car alone, taking off towards Showa Dori. I can't do anything but stare dumbfounded.
The suited man hasn't appeared yet. I explain the current situation to Moeka, and go on ahead. After wasting some time at Starbecks, I rent a car at a nearby rental shop.
Or so I say, but I don't have a license. Moeka's driving.
"Nervous?"
"...""You're straining your shoulder too much. How much have you driven before?"
"...license.""License? You mean you have nothing but a license? Oh come on... just don't crash."
I was surprised Moeka had a license in the first place, but it seems like FB persuaded her to get one by telling her it's necessary for Rounder work. Moeka's on standby in the car while I watch the roundabout up close. The white station wagon's already stopped there. Peeking inside from far away, I can definitely see Manager in the driver's seat. Nobody else is riding.
The crew cut guy should come out right about after 5PM.
He walks up to the Manager's white station wagon. It feels kind of weird seeing the exact same scene from a different perspective. I hurry back into the car where Moeka waits.
"He's coming!"
The IBN 5100's pickup station wagon zooms past us. It takes a left turn at the Showa Dori intersection, towards Okachimachi. Moeka smoothly sets the car in motion.
An old one-story house in Okachimachi. The house where Hachida Suzu... where Suzuha lived. In front of the house is her od rusty MTB, as usual.
Manager brings the IBN 5100 into his house. Stopping a little further down the road, we watch.
"What... does this mean?"
"Where is FB...?""The question is why did he bring it into that house. Is it for temporary storage, or could it be..."
Manager, or someone Manager knows, might be FB... But FB should be a woman. Meaning Manager's wife - Tennouji Nae's mother, whom I've never met before, could possibly be FB.
As a test, I have Moeka show me one of FB's mails:
FB posted:
Subject: Re: Sorry for not being useful
M4, you really don't seem good at social interaction. But that's just your personality. Besides, you're talking with me perfectly fine, aren't you? Honestly speaking, M4, there's nobody else who works quite as hard as you do. I'm very thankful for that. I'm glad you joined the Rounders. Even if nobody else values you, I'll always look out for you. Feel free to casually mail me like this.
Oh yes, since you're finally in Nagoya, you should at least try some of the local specialties. It's not good for your health to keep eating convenience store onigiri. Or are you not good with Nagoya's miso culture, M4? Even though, you should at least eat something at your age. I guess I'd recommend the firm miso stew.
Your next mission is to go to Akihabara, Tokyo, so look for an apartment to live in by next week. 'Cause we're giving you a special bonus payment, okay?
Well, see you.
From your mother, FB
She kept a lot of mails like this one.
"M4 is my codename... FB... came up with that for me, too."Moeka's a mailing machine, sending FB nearly 10 mails a day, yet FB wrote replies to each one. Normally, that would piss people off. With this in consideration, I can understand why Moeka would grow dependent on FB.
"This time we're on lookout here, huh..."
I had Daru prepare an infrared CCD, and set it up wirelessly on the telephone pole in front of the Manager's house. We observe the car parked a little away.
We never saw his daughter, Nae, nor his wife I've never seen, take one step outside the house. It was the dawning of Sunday before movement began.
I can't quite count since it's dark, but it's around six people.
"That's...!"
I recognize those guys.
Moeka doesn't show much of a reaction. They should be acquaintances, so why...? I try asking, but she says she hasn't seen them. In this world line, Moeka has been completely removed from the Rounders. Are they done with her since they got their IBN 5100?
Manager comes out of his house. He loads the IBN 5100 into the usual station wagon. The six men also get into the car, but Manager just sees them off.
"Where to now..."I'm interested in Manager's story, but we're chasing the IBN 5100 now. These guys will lead us to FB. That's why we chase the station wagon.
The men go through boarding procedures, bringing the IBN 5100 aboard an airplane headed to France.
France.
In other words, the country where SERN is.
Meaning... what?
"Tennouji's wife might be FB."
The person I still haven't seen. I've yet to meet her, so that means she's just that cautious of contact with others. When I think about the α World Line, Moeka's gang attacked on the night the Time Leap Machine was completed, as if they had timed it. It's no mystery when you consider that FB had a strong connection with Manager, whose shop is directly below. Since he was feeding her all of our information, it was almost like we were dancing in the palms of FB's hands.
Returning to Akiba from Narita, I walk over towards Manager's house. But on the way, I get an angry call from Kurisu saying "Tell me what's happening", so I reluctantly have to meet up with her.
Mayuri posted:
Subject: Orion
Yesterday, I saw Orion. It was really pretty. If Okarin also looked up at the same time, I'd be happy. Because then, it would seem like we're close by, even if we're far away and can't talk to each other. Stars are romantic if you think like that, huh.
Rintarou posted:
Subject: Re: Orion
Yeah, I saw it. Since I've got too much free time at night. But I don't think that was Orion. That's a winter constellation.
"Why didn't you at least contact me a little?""I've been busy."
"You've been busy, huh."Kurisu glances at Moeka.
"Were you worried, by any chance?"
"But Mayuri was really worried. It was pitiful watching her. Just contact her, at the very least."Now that she mentions it, it feels like I haven't talked to Mayuri in forever.
"Everything I'm doing is to save Mayuri. I'm about to find out the enemy's true identity."
"Anyway, the enemy..."Kurisu glances at Moeka again. Moeka is completely expressionless, tiptoeing and kicking the dirt in boredom. Moeka hasn't held her phone ever since we started the lookout.
"Isn't she the enemy?""She is an enemy, but we're cooperating in order to seek the truth."
"She's the one... who killed Mayuri, isn't she?""...yeah."
But Moeka is only a pawn who is no longer a threat. That's how I judge her. What's necessary to save Mayuri is to get the king. The king's cellphone.
"Whatever. So, you're going somewhere now, right? Take me with you."You serious, my Assistant?"
"But I'm not your assistant.""It might be dangerous."
"Eh..."
"Do I end up dying today?"Having experienced the future, I should know who dies today.
"No. You don't die."
"Then there's no problem. The world guarantees that I won't die today, after all."Right, Kurisu won't die today. Mayuri won't die, either. The one to die is...
This afternoon, she commits suicide. I've told that truth to Moeka herself. Nevertheless, Moeka isn't upset - at least on the surface - and is expressionless as always. The only thing different is that she isn't looking at her phone.
But Moeka isn't a strong woman. Underneath her expressionless face, she might be frantically fighting the dread of death...