Part 86: The lifter substitute is correctly identified

SERN is our enemy. SERN probably recognizes us as an enemy, too. That's only if Daru's hacking was found out, though. Kurisu's connected to SERN, you say?

"So basically, you're calling her a spy?"

Suzuha clearly nods.

"That woman also took the merit of time machine development."

More out of place words, but I don't quite know exactly what is out of place.

"So you can't let your guard down."

I can't believe it. When Kurisu found out about the evil of SERN, she was seriously mad. She said their acts are treachery to scientists everywhere. She believes in pure research that much. So Kurisu can't be connected to SERN...

But, if what Suzuha says is true, then...



As for me, I looked down on Moeka as suspicious, but...

"Kyah..."





Kurisu started the experiment! But I haven't started talking to Manager yet!

"Gh, earlier than expected...!"

"Hey, Okabe!"

Sure enough, veins on Manager's forehead swelled in response to the shaking.

"How many times do I have to say not to shake the building? You might have young ladies, but I won't go easy on you. Your rent is 10,000 yen up!"

"Please wait, Mister Braun, this isn't our lab's doing, it's an earthquake! My demon eye, Reading Steiner, predicted so--"

"An earthquake?! You think I'll fall for that?!"

The shaking gets more intense, knocking down a Braun tube from its pile.



Crap. I can't talk my way out of this.

"Okabe, you bastard...!"

Manager switches off the 42" Braun tube with the remote to protect it while trembling with rage. Its projected image disappears. He clings to the huge Braun tube to protect it from the objects falling from the ceiling--





"Looks like it..."

It calmed down?

I carefully step to through the rubble spread by the tremors and dumbfoundedly take the remote from Manager. I press the red Power button. Once again, the guy in shades appears on the screen of the huge Braun tube TV Manager's clinging to.

"H... Hehehe..."

"...What's wrong?"

"Fuhaha, fuhahahaha! Fuuuhahahaha! I found it! I finally found it! No doubt about it! This is what substitutes the lifter...! It's so obvious, so why didn't I notice it before?! No, for me to notice it at this very instant is Steins;Gate's choice!"



"A little silence please, Mister Braun. For, from this very moment, I have been chosen as the ruler of space-time!"

A fist drives into the top of my head. My skull reverberates from the impact, shaking my brains. Countless stars fly through my vision.

"Y-y-y-you dare exert violence upon me..."

"Whaaat?"

"Hm, hmhm, Mister Braun, for now, just put the Braun tube compensation on my bill!"

With that said, I fly out of the workshop.





Maybe I should report him for assault. Furthermore, I'm compelled to perform a strategic withdrawal. No, this is still part of the strategy. A 10,000 yen rent increase is tough, but in exchange, I've obtained important information in a form I'd never expect.

"It's awwright in the end! Fuuhahaha!"



Mayuri and Kurisu appear from the second story window.

"You really do revive like an undying phoenix."

"Hehehe, Cristina. Allow me to make a prediction. In three minutes, you will recognize my greatness and embrace feelings of respect!"

"I don't think so."

I run up the stairs.





There’s a possibility that the 42" Braun tube TV downstairs is the lifter's replacement - after I told that to Kurisu, this was her first response.

"Why are you blaming me?"

"I'm not blaming you. I'm just disappointed at the stupidity that nobody noticed, including me."

"We missed the forest for the trees."

"In summary: Just now, when the Microwave Ophone (Temp) on the second floor shook the building, the 42" Braun tube TV was on. But when the TV was turned off, the shaking stopped at the same time."

"The discharge phenomenon was forcefully interrupted. Just to make sure, I put a banana in, but it didn't turn into a Jellyman."

"I think that's a good thing! It's not good to waste food."

Nobody answers Mayuri's missing-the-point statement.

When we look up the structure of a Braun tube on the net, we find out something interesting. Braun tubes use an inner component called an electron gun to superheat electrons, or emite them through a high electric field, accelerate them, and converge them into a beam. Those electrons scan onto the display's phosphor layer to emit light. That's how they're structured. Thus, it seems appropriate as the replacement for the lifter.

"We've found the answer, huh."



"The discharge phenomenon is an effect of that."

"The reason we couldn't use the Microwave Ophone at night was because that's when the Braun Tube Workshop's closed, then?"

The Braun Tube workshop doesn't have especially strict business hours, but it's usually open from around 11AM to 7PM. The Microwave Ophone (Temp) time rule I came up with - we can use it about noon to six - matches up perfectly. Whenever we abruptly couldn't use it during those times can simply be explained with the fact that the 42" Braun tube TV wasn't on.

"But I don't think a Braun tube emits electrons that strong."

"It's not like the strength of the electrons is all that matters. If it were that simple, SERN would've solved this problem long ago."

I see. So it can't be too much or too little either, huh. The strict value was unknown until now, and just by chance, it happened to match the 42" Braun tube's electron emission ratio... its reasonable to think of it like that.

"They coincidentally match perfectly. The conditions here were miraculously perfect to create a time machine."

"No, that's not it, Cristina!"



Kurisu gives an unusual wry smile at my words.

"It doesn't really matter what it is, though."

"Umm, so basically, what do we have to do to complete Super Microwave Ophone?"

"Since we've found the cause, we have nothing left to fear. We've come to the conclusion that time leaping is possible whenever that large Braun tube TV is on... I think."

"Since that final adjustment got interrupted, don't we need to do another experiment?"

"That's right. Okabe."

"What?"