Part 61: Faris NyanNyan gets philosophical about time

"I guess you could say that."

"It's pawesome that you could make a time machine nya! Faris is about to hnng over Dary-nyan's smartness nyan."

"Seriously? Th-That's embarrassing, uheuhe."

Dumbass. What's with that smile...

"Faris always dreamed of riding a time machine on a journey across timeow."

"Someday, I'll bring you."

"Daru, don't make promises you can't keep."



"What?"

"Time is often compared to a river, flowing from past to future, right nya? But is it really nya?"





"Now that you mention it, I do have a vague image of it, but I never gave it any serious thought."

"The present is a leaf floating on the top of the river. It moves along with the flow from past to future."

"So then, is it pawppropriate to consider that all people ride on that leaf? When you die, do you fall off that leaf nyan?"

"That's probably right. All points upstream from that leaf are the past. Downstream, the future."

"Hmmnya, but... To humans, is that leaf the same as the present nya?"

"Meaning?"

"I understand that humans observe time with units they defined, so the leaf is the present. But let's say that every living being in the universe goes extinct, which I think would mean nothing would exist to observe the present nya. In that case, where does the present go nya?"

"Wouldn't something like a god or the will of the universe observe it?"

"Then, if we consider that god as a 4th dimensional being, can he freely move through the past and present nya?"

(This whole conversation is starting to sound vaguely familiar...)

"O-Ohh?"

"If that god's present becomes the standard, then wouldn't it be weird unless our present either goes to the past or goes to the future nya?"

"Mmmmmmmm..."

"So basically, you want to say that the 'present' depends on the observer's subjectivity, right?"

"In that case, the past and the future also depend on the observer nyan. If Faris were to use a time machine to travel one week back, then Kyoum and Daru-nyan's present will differ from Faris's present by a week nya."

"Yeah, now that you mention it..."

"Then how's that difference represented by the leaf nya?"



That might be something nobody can answer, just like the collapse of causality thing that Kurisu mentioned. Does that mean that time machines and time travel are impossible after all? But SERN's Jellymanned subjects physically transferred way back to 1921...

"In the first place, if things depend on the observer's subjectivity, then clocks become irrelevant, nyan. Fun times fly, and painful times feel slow. So basically, the flow of time changes depending on subjectivity, nyan."

"Speaking of which, as you grow older, it feels like time starts to flow faster, huh."

"Janet's law, huh..."

(Google brings up nothing for Janet's Law. )

"So, Faris thinks about this sorta thing sometimes nya. That's why she thinks that time might not be something as simple as the flow of a river, nyan."

"Yean, the more you think about it, the deeper you get ensnared in the trap."



With that said...





"Nyanya?"

"Fret not. Such philosophical and physical considerations are irrelevant to the time machine we're developing, making space-time jumping possible! Am I correct, Daru?!"

"Yeah, yeah! That's right!"

"Nyaa... it's gotten serious nya."
"But Faris wants to try using the time machine you guys made nya. Can I nya?"

"Well, I don't have any objections ot letting Faris use it."

"Really nya? It's a promise, nya!"

"Daru, don't just decide things on your own!"



It's enough to make Daru look like he ascended.

After tediously wasting some time at MayQueen, I leave Daru and head back to the lab, where...





"Heh, Mayuri, you look like you're working a midnight shift."

"Ehh? A midnight snack? Do I look like I'm eating?"

Haah, this is why Mayuri worries me.

"By the way, Mayushii doesn't charge for her costumes on principle."

Seems like she doesn't know what a midnight shift is. Well, it was just an expression, anyway.

"Hobbies should just be hobbies, you know. It makes me happy just for someone to wear a costume I made♪"

"Do you think you could be a future designer?"

Now that I think about it, Mayuri hasn't said anything like that before.

"I can't."

"Then what's your dream for the future? By the way, mine is to destroy the world's ruling structure."

"Mm... Mayushii wants to relax in the lab for now."



"Hey, hey, Okarin, now we have six lab mems, huh♪"

That's a sudden change in topic. And for some reason, she's puffing out her chest in pride.

"Maybe it was effective to use Mayushii as a hostage."

"No. Absolutely not. Every last member assembled in our lab is no more than a fortunate person lucky enough to be transformed into a lab mem by my scheme! Fuhahaha!"

"I don't think it's good to say that. And besides, Mayushii wasn't transformed."

"That's true. You came here of your own volition."

She came here even though I didn't call her, but back then, Mayuri seemed like a goddess to me. Seriously.

"Hey, Okarin."



Is that a serious question of a joke? I can't tell.

"Do you want to stay a hostage?"

"Welllll..."

Mayuri drops the costume in her hand, and then gets shy.



"Such a masochistic girl! I didn't think you were such a filthy woman!"

"???"
"But I mean, if I stay as a hostage, Mayushii won't be lonely, and neither will Okarin. Ehehehe..."

"I, I see..."

Sometimes Mayuri throws things off with her pace. But if she's staying at the lab with that line of thought, then it makes me happy.

"Ah, Mayushii's going home soon."



"Mayuri."

"Hmm?"

"Want to go eat something on the way back? My treat."

"Really? Why?"

"Heheheh, I'm in a good mood today!"

"Then, hmm, how about Kitchen Jiro? You know, their minced cutlet is god tier."

This. A thousand times this.

"Alright."



She's really easy to please, huh.

So with that said, I'm going to see Mayuri off at the station and stop by Kitchen Jiro on the way.