Part 30: The Future Gadget Laboratory reconvenes

Kurisu turns her remaining anger at me.

"The part-timer at the first floor's Braun Tube Workshop..."

"Why was she glaring at me?"

"I-I dunno. Did you do something to make her angry?"

"That's the first time I ever met her. How rude."

I thought about reminding Kurisu that she suddenly glared at me at our first meeting, but that was an illusion, so I didn't.





"Good work, everyone. With this, we can fight."

"Who are you fighting?"

"SERN, and the ruling structures that control the world."

"You really seem happy."

"Happy? I never asked for this. Who do you think I am? I'm an insane mad scientist, you know. What I want to obtain is chaos. The time machine is for that purpose. Fuuhahahaha!"

"I'm sorry, say that again. You really are a junkie, hypersecreting β-endorphins, aren't you?"

"Okarin, Okarin, I always say it's bad to do bad things, don't I?"

"But wow, you seriously found one. You can calmly do what none of us can. Fucking miracles--"

"--How do they work?"



"...Eh?"

"Eh...?"

For a moment, the four of us are silent.

"He was able to find it because of Mayushii's help!"

Not reading the atmosphere, Mayuri puffs her chest out in pride. I don't overlook Kurisu's gasp of surprise.

"Without Mayushii's info, Okarin would still be lost and confused on the streets of Akiba."

"Yeah, it's just as Mayuri said. She did well this time."

"Ehehehe... With that said, Mayushii has to go home soon. What about you, Cris? Wanna come with me?"

"Thanks, but I'm staying here a while longer."

Looks like Kurisu's interested in the IBN 5100 and SERN after all. Which reminds me, I haven't told her all the details yet.

"But you should go home soon so you won't be late, you know?"
"Well then, see you tomorrow! Tutturu~♪"

Mayuri waves her hand as she leaves.



"Hmm, well..."

Daru talks while plugging the IBN 5100's power adapter into the wall. The power supply makes a noisy sound when it's turned on.

"Wow, it turned on properly."
"First, I need to learn how to use this thing, right? It looks like hooking it up is going to be a pain. It might take some time. It's impossible to do it at the same time as I search for the server's root ID."

"Doesn't matter. Prioritize the ID search. If possible, I'd like you to get the IBN 5100 ready to use this month, though."

"There's still 30 days left this month. It really won't take until next month."

That's actually reassuring. As expected of the supah hakah.







"Hey, Okabe."



"Ah...?"

Kurisu glares at me as I check my mail.

"What did you say?"

"...I said Okabe."

"You said Okabe?"

I take one step towards Kurisu. Kurisu takes a step back in response.



Daru tries to stop me with his hand, but I shake it off and approach even closer. Kurisu doesn't step back any further. Without taking her eyes off me, she bites her lip hard, and curls her hands into fists.

"Did you just say Okabe?"

"I did. Problem? I certainly am younger than you, but you do rudely call me things like Cristina or Zombie, so I don't think I need to show you any respect, so--"

"That's not it! I am not Okabe! I am Hououin Kyouma! How many times do I have to tell you, Cristina?!"

"...You're too blind to your own shortcomings, you know."

"From now on, you should call me either Hououin or Kyouma."

"I refuse."

Kurisu says this bluntly as she turns away, but I can see her eyes are moist...

"You're not crying, are you?"

"I'm not crying, idiot. It's not like I experienced the fear of a man approaching with an angry face, nor did I cry in relief when you said your stupid lines after that, okay?!"

(Japanese gender roles at work, ladies and gentlemen.)

She clicks her tongue and walks to the window. She starts gazing at the scenery fading into darkness outside. I see her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.



"Uh, she said so herself just now."

"I just corrected how she got my name wrong."

"Maybe she looks strong but she's unexpectedly weak. That would be pretty moe."

Well, whatever. Back to checking mail, but I'm thirsty from this hard day's work. I take out an unopened Dr Pepper from the fridge.



I lightly toss the Dr Pepper to Kurisu once she turns around. Kurisu tries to take it, but fails magnificently. She picks up the bottle off the floor, looking at me with a suspicious face.

"Drink that, but wait a bit first."

"Thanks for your concern."




I write as concisely as possible and send it.

"Now then..."







Give it to her? What nonsense is that?


I send that.








If I lent it to her, she'd certainly just run off with it. If I give her the IBN 5100, that's the end of it. I can just smell it.



I send the mail. No more replies come.



When I look up, Kurisu's about to drink the Dr Pepper.

"Oho, so you drink Dr Pepper, Assistant?"

"I spent 7 years at its birthplace."

"I see. You'll make a great drinking buddy."

"I'm a minor."

"I meant Dr Pepper drinking buddies."

"Is that it?"

Kurisu shrugs her shoulders while drinking Dr Pepper, urging me to talk.





Also how they've already successfully operated the LHC for 9 years. How they successfully created mini-black holes. How it looks like they're researching time travel theory. How they haven't disclosed any of that to the world. Kurisu's expression grows more and more severe as she listens to the story.

"SERN certainly is strange... but how is the IBN 5100 related?"

"SERN's database uses IBN 5100s."

"So?"

"The only way to decipher information on that database is to use an IBN 5100 too."

"How do you know that?"

"Information from a certain resource."

I don't drop Titor's name. I have to doubt that this genius girl would just laugh if I did. Kurisu puts her finger to her lip, deep in thought.

"Setting the IBN 5100 and such aside... I want to see proof that SERN's really doing that sort of research."

We didn't get any definite proof of SERN's time travel theory research last time we hacked them.

"Daru. Would it take time to find the root password to SERN's server?"








"And that's how it is."

"I'll wait until then."

"You'll wait? It's already getting dark. Why not go home for tonight and come back tomorrow morning?"

"No thanks. I'll wait. I want to know as soon as possible, even just a microsecond."

"Heheheh, that's the spirit. You're already fascinated by SERN's hidden conspiracies, and you can't help but want to know, right?"

"If what you guys are saying is true... This isn't something to joke about. SERN is the world's top research institution, you know? If they're doing secret experiments without publishing their results... They're making fools of researchers the world over.
That's only if it's true, though."

Doesn't look like she believes us.

"So then, Daru, I'll leave it to you."