Part 40: The secrets of the lab are leaked to an outsider

I take a look and see Daru, wiping the sweat off his brow with a towel as he comes in.

"...Guten Morgen."

"You sure are early."

Ever since university entered summer break, Daru has been coming to the lab in the morning less and less. But then again, he's also been staying up all night more and more.



"Hah, it's so hot... It's just unbelievable for it to be this hot in the morning, durr."
"Oh? Ohh? Okarin, that erot... sexy 3D woman over there, who might she be?"

"At, let me introduce you. She's Shining Finger Kiryuu Moeka."



"She doesn't, but she has an ability."

"Ability... no way."

"You'll get it when you see it. She unmistakably has an ability."

"Well, whatever. Welcome, Kiryuu."

Even though Daru bowed his head, Moeka doesn't so much as look at him. She's now - or rather, always - looking down at her phone. That behavior causes Daru to blush.



"Um, Moeka, this man is my dependable right arm, Supah Hakah Daru."

Moeka pulls her chin back so slightly I can't tell if she bowed her head or not. He expression didn't change at all. Everything about Daru flows cleanly through one ear and out the other. Even though she was so eager to meet the supah hakah...

"Okarin, don't tell me she's done something dangerous?"

"Dangerous as in what? She just photographed us."

"Photograph, you say...? She's going to blackmail us and then finally turn us into sex toys..."

"Stop applying your eroge brain to reality."

"My bad."

Daru just adds to the trouble, saying that sort of drivel in front of the person in question.



"Improvements? Where?"

"Look, right now we need to go through this annoying procedure to send D-mails into the past. I want to make it simpler. Ah, and also make it possible to forward from the Microwave Ophone's dedicated phone."

"Forward? What exactly do you mean?"

"Right now, you can only send a D-mail to the phone attached to the Microwave Ophone, right?"

That's right. In yesterday's experiments, my phone was attached to the Microwave Ophone (Temp)'s socket, so my inbox got flooded with D-mails.

"That's pretty inconvenient. If we give the Microwave Ophone's dedicated phone a forwarding function, then we can send D-mails to any number by means of that phone."

"How long will improvement take?"

"Two or three hours, I guess? That's if you help me, though."

"Understood. I'll help."

"OK."

Daru really is reliable. I walk near Daru, ceremoniously raising my hand for a high five, but her completely ignores it, sits on the sofa, and begins eating. Dammit! Pay attention, Daru!

I slowly lower my hand. W-Whatever. Once the improvements are complete, we'll gather the lab memes and begin discussing serious D-mail use. We did nothing but experiments yesterday, but it's time to think more about what we can do by sending mail into the past.






I have the choice to look or to not look, but the ringtone pressures me to look. It's far more irritating than normal conversation. Moeka's reticent and inconspicuous existence could, in some sense, be due to her acquired worldly wisdom, though. I ignore her and go back to the development room.

"If you want to say something, then say it verba--"

I lose my breath mid-sentence.



Usually, she'd only look at her phone display.

"...Look at the mail."

I didn't expect her to be so serious.

"Verbally--"

"'Sending mail to the past'. You guys said that just now... tell me."





I need to talk my way out of this somehow...!

It's just part time, but she works for the mass media. If she finds out that the first time machine in human history is here, it'll spread to the entire world. And then, The Organization would know. That alone must be stopped.

"You misheard us."

"I heard it clearly."

Moeka's pretty persistent. I know that because of all her mail attacks. She won't let me escape so easily. Just what should I do...!



"It's me. Things have gone bad.
...No, not that. Information on the 8th machine got leaked to a third party.
...Yeah, I know. I need to do something.
...Depending on the situation, I may need to silence her.
...Yeah, I know, we can't let The Organization know about this.
If this is Steins;Gate's choice, then it's too much, isn't it?
...Hmph, don't worry. I'll have plenty of time to go to hell after the crusade.
El Psy Congroo."

I put my phone in my pocket and turn back to Moeka.

"...Who was on the phone?"

"Doesn't concern you."

Moeka hangs her head. She starts another mail.






Since she didn't include her usual signature, does that mean she was in a hurry? Her expression didn't change at all, though.

Anyway, I disregard the mail's contents. I take one step towards Moeka. Moeka makes no attempt to escape.

"Choose. Swear to protect our secret... or death. Right now. No grace period. No alternatives. You know our lab's secret, so prepare yourself for the worst, Kiryuu Moeka."

"...You'll kill me?"

"Only if you try to publish the truth... Underestimating me, the insane mad scientist, Hououin Kyouma, is not--"

"Okarin, are you at it again?"

Before I realized it, Daru was standing behind me. I turn around in surprise.





Can't you read the atmosphere, Supah Hakah?!

"Imbecile! Because of your careless words, she found out that the Microwave Ophone (Temp) can function as a time machine!"

"...! Time machine..."

"Just now, you said some careless words, too, Okarin."

"Ugh..."

No good. Everything that could go wrong, has. How can I recover from this situation?! To silence Moeka about this secret--

"Tutturu♪ Good morning!"



Heartbroken, I genuflect. This is no good. It's impossible to talk my way out of this one.

"Kiryuu Moeka. I'll tell you everything... and I have a favor to ask."