Part 50: The Microwave Ophone (Temp) remains stubborn

But...

"Why do I remember that?"

This afternoon, when I sent a D-mail, none of the other members recognized the fact that I had sent a D-mail to change the past. If Daru's mail changed the past, then the present should've changed, too, and Daru should be the only one to remember the fact that he had sent a D-mail.

"Did the past change?"

"Wait a sec. Daru, you remember too?"

"Huh? Remember what?"








"That you just sent a D-mail!"

Daru nods. I look to Kurisu. She answers before I ask.

"Of course I remember. What foolishness are you... Ah, I see. If what you said before were true, then you and I shouldn't have memories of the past changing."

"Daru, did you win against Faris in the Faris Cup?"

"...I dunno."

"You said the winner gets Faris's home cooking or something. Did you eat it? What about that home cooking?"

"I don't know... sadfrog."



On the other hand, sure enough, the D-mail was still in the received history. The reception time was two days ago, just like we wanted. Just like what happened with me.

"...Maybe the past did change after all?"

"I'll try calling Mayushii."

He's the one who changed the past, yet he doesn't remember what happened after the change? That's just weird.



"Then there's something I wanna ask her, so, did I win against Faris in the last Faris Cup? Or did I lose?"
"Eh, lost? Who did? Faris did? ...I did? ...Ah, I see. Insta-killed? Oh... I see..."

Daru's shoulders drop as he hangs up the phone.

"I guess that means the past didn't change, huh."

"Why?! Okarin changed it, right?!"

"Couldn't it be because the way to win you sent wasn't surefire? Like, maybe it only gave an advantage."

That's what I thought, too. I've heard that Faris has considerable skill. Daru's underhanded trick through time may not have been enough.

"Since Faris won against Hashida in the end, the past didn't change."

"Yeah, but I mean, the game's process changed."

"That may not be enough to sway divergence."

"Like Okabe said, you need to make a change to the past more easy to understand, or there's no point in this experiment."
"...Ah, no, it's not like I approve of this experiment or anything."

"No, it's not over yet. I can still go on."

Daru starts typing another mail.



"You really want to win that badly?"

"No, it's more like he really wants to eat Faris's home cooking that badly."

"Okarin's answer is my Final Answer."



At any rate, I don't understand the mail's contents, so I can't verify. We operate the Microwave Ophone (Temp) though the same process.

"Oh...?"

We all have our guard up, but the discharge phenomenon doesn't occur, even though it normally happens about 10 to 20 seconds after pushing the warm button. In the end, the timer runs out uneventfully.



"Looks like it."

"What? And I even wrote out such glorious advice..."

"It's unavoidable. We'll defer the experiment to tomorrow."

When I check the clock, it's past 7 PM. Looks like 7's the reference time.

"Yesterday, I was thinking ever since I got back to the hotel. Just what mechanism does this Microwave Ophone use to make time displacement possible?"

"It works similar to the LHC. Didn't you say the LHC was a giant microwave?"

"If a microwave had the same functions as the LHC, then Japan would become a black hole for every household."

"Th-That's on Japan sinking level, isn't it?"

"It looks like SERN creates Kerr black holes all too easily, so it's just mind-numbing, but black holes aren't something that can be artificially created in the first place, and they've got outrageous risks. How can you even think a household microwave could create black holes?"

Titor's time machine is small enough to fit in a car, and it makes black holes. He said that, but now that I'm a little skeptical of Titor, I don't say anything in the end.

"A simple microwave can't create black holes. I'm certain that some source of interference is injecting electrons into this microwave."

Some source injecting electrons... Just what could that be...?



"See you tomorrow. Put that report together, okay?"

Kurisu flings off the lab coat as she hurries out of the lab. She was serious about that report?

"Hmm... Makise's lab coat, huh... Lemme see..."



"'Lemme see' my ass, stupid! If you have enough time to waste, then go think about how to change the past for tomorrow's experiment!"



I tried to operate the Microwave Ophone (Temp) until I went to sleep late at night, but the discharge phenomenon wouldn't occur after all. Now I sit still on the bench in front of the Braun Tube Workshop. It's only morning, yet it's already blazing hot. It's as if I'm baking in the sun. Sweat begins to drip off my chin.

Nevertheless, yesterday we said we'd experiment, but none of the lab mems have come yet. After waiting impatiently, the first person I see is...