Part 42: Okabe Rintarou's true plan is revealed

"Well, I'm setting it up so it forwards to Okarin's phone."

Daru types my phone's mail address into the X68000's keyboard. We decided that Mayuri was going to send the D-mails, so she started typing out mails on her phone.

We set the microwave timer to "60#" and press the warm button. Even though the door is removed, the microwave begins to operate.





"This is..."

Moeka peeks at my phone screen, her breath taken away. She's always expressionless, so I don't know what she's thinking, but she actually seems surprised to see the D-mail.

"What do you think? Now you should understand that the Microwave Ophone (Temp) is an honest to goodness time machine."

Without answering, Moeka just opens her eyes.

"Hey!"

Working Warrior calls from outside the window.



I decide to ignore the outfield jeer. It would be a different story if it were Manager, but I'm not afraid of Working Warrior's objections at all.





I assemble all the lab mems, including Moeka, and solemnly begin to talk.

"Let us commence the 73rd Round Table Conference."




"Yesterday was the 66th. Where'd the other six disappear to?"

"The only ones who care about the minor details are anal retentive bastards. That's why you'll never be more than an assistant, Cristina!"

"Like I've said over and over, I'm not your assistant or Cristina!"

Let's leave Kurisu and her complaints alone for now.






The result: We confirmed the limit of 3 lines of 6 full width or 12 half width characters each.

"With today's experiment, we advance to the second stage, practical applications of D-mail."

"Practical applications, huh? I'll be sure to send one to this morning, so I can say 'Good morning, Okarin♪'."

"Like hell you will! Write that on the back of a leaflet or something."

"Ehhh? But if it’s on the back of a leaflet, it won't get to Okarin."




"What I mean by practical application is basically..."

I take a short pause to look at all four members. Then, I lower my voice.



Waves of commotion spread.




"Wait just a second. That's too dangerous! Are you trying to become a god?!"

"Huh, Assistant? What exactly is dangerous?"

"Time paradoxes. Let's say you create a time paradox, instantly blowing away the world. What do you plan to do then?"

"Both you and I would be dead then, right?"

"You're going to change the past so thoughtlessly? Are you joking? Don't tell me... You're not seriously going to bring chaos to the world or whatever, are you?"




"No, no, of course not. Makise, you can just ignore what Okarin says, OK?"

"Eh? Really?"

"It's okay! You know, Okarin's really a very nice person."




"I don't remember asking for an appraisal, but I'll answer Cristina's question: My ambition is certainly to bring chaos unto the world. However, preparations are still too incomplete to bring that ambition to fruition. If we can only send a 36 byte mail, that's not enough at all, don't you think? Therefore, I shall leave my ambition - Project Chaotic - aside for now."

"Project Chaotic...?"

"Improv?"

"Correct, Makise!"

"Yes!"






"Don't analyze me, Daru! You too, Assistant! Stop that victorious guts pose! You making fun of me?!"

"Hey, hey, so what sort of applications do you mean by practical applications?"

"More details on concrete past-changing contents, please."

"...First of all, don't forget that this is merely a verification experiment. All we need to do is check whether or not we can change the past. So it doesn't matter how trivial the change is."

"Okabe, do you know about the Butterfly Effect?"




"Of course."

"Yeah, it's that saying. When the wind blows, the bucket maker gains."

"Eh? No, it's kinda like that, but kinda not..."

"A butterfly flaps its wings in Beijing and a storm hits in New York, right?"

"Yeah, that. Part of Chaos Theory. Basically, even if it's something trivial like you say, an intentional change could have a significant influence on the future. How do you plan to take responsibility for that?"

"Titor said this: The many-worlds interpretation holds true."




"So you're saying that makes it okay to change the past? You believe in that suspicious would-be time traveler's delusion?"

"Can you prove it's a delusion?"

"I'm asking what you're going to do when your delusional foundation collapses underneath you."






For some reason, whenever I talk to this impertinent assistant, I end up emotional. That's not like you, mad scientist Hououin Kyouma. Calm down a bit.

"Cristina, you said this before, didn't you? When a theory is observed after laying down hypotheses, it becomes real. That's how modern physics comes to understand the truth of the universe. You're contradicting yourself."

"No, I'm not. The Microwave Ophone's principle is still not even constructed of hypotheses. You could say we're still fumbling around. There are too many risks to try changing the past in our current state. We should at least investigate a little more."

Hmm? So it's not like she's unconditionally against it, then?

"You're actually just itching to try it out, aren't you?"

"Th-That's..."

Kurisu quickly looks away.

"Anyway, Assistant, didn't you want to deny that the Microwave Ophone (Temp) was a time machine? If it's not a time machine, then it can't change the past. You could prove that, so why are you against it?"

"Oh, shut up."

"And if you're going to talk about time paradoxes, then what about SERN?"




"They've already sent more than 100 people into the past. It wouldn't be strange even if one or two time paradoxes happened."

"So you want to stoop to the same level as the guys that did those inhuman experiments?"

"We're not doing human testing or anything, so relax."

"Hey, hey."



"Okarin, Okarin. You know, Mayushii doesn't really get it, but by changing the past, what will you change, and how?"

Finally, some constructive conversation.

"Well then, allow me to answer. If I were to say what it is I want to do for this operation, it would be..."