Part 93: Steins;Gate closes

The editorial part timer.
The mail demon.
The dark woman who always glares at her phone.
Lab Member 005.



This woman... without any ambition?
This woman... who always looks down instead of directly at my face, even now?

--This is bullshit.

"Moeka? This is...?"



Hearing her usual subdued speech, which is completely unfitting, I almost feel like laughing, but I don't. My heart's bouncing too damn loudly. The inside of my mouth is dry. Even if it's bullshit, I can't laugh. I'm immobile, with my hands in the air.

"Makise Kurisu. Okabe Rintarou, Hashida Itaru. The three of you will come with us."

I don't understand. What the hell is this? Why is it Kiryuu Moeka? I don't know, so I have to ask.

"What is the meaning of this...?"

"I won't answer that."

"This is a joke... right?"

Moeka shakes her head at my question.

"There's no need to tell you all... is what I mean. No resistance permitted. Anyway, come."

"W-Where to?"

No words. Meaning, she doesn't intend to answer that, either.

Dangerous. These guys are dangerous. You can tell they're not normal by how they have guns. I know we'll get in serious trouble if we come with these guys. I try to refuse, but my voice is hoarse. I unconsciously look at these guys' guns. Those are real, aren't they... They won't suddenly start shooting, right?

"U-Unless you tell me the reason and destination, I can't come with you."

"Resistance is futile. You have nowhere to run. My comrades are already spread throughout Akihabara."

No way...



No way, it was these guys who stopped the trains with the bomb threat...? For what purpose? So we can't run away? Just for that?

"I don't want to resort to violence. The three of you, come with us."

"Why--"

Kurisu, who had kept silent until now, finally opened her mouth.

"...three?"



"I have no intention of answering any questions. All you people have to do is come with me."

The conversation's flowing in parallel lines. The standoff continues.

"O-Okarin..."

Daru whispers to me while wavering. His face is visibly pale.

"F-For now, don't you think, we should do as she says...?"

"But unless she tells me her goal..."

Honestly, I have no idea what to do. My heart's still fluttering. This seems more like a dream than reality. Reality has already left this room.

I'm not a military otaku, so I haven't seen real guns before. If I had to say, the black luster of these guys' guns feels more cheap than dignified. If you told me they were model guns, I'd agree.

"H-Hey, Moeka, you're a fellow lab mem... aren't you?"

Moeka certainly was a strange woman, but I welcomed her as a lab mem fully aware of that. What does Moeka think? Mayuri's question almost asks for me.

Moeka answers that question...



Which reminds me, today, Moeka isn't gripping that purple phone. I thought she had an unhealthy dependence on her phone and wouldn't ever let go of it, so this was unexpected. Not like noticing that matters now.

Moeka's gun hand shakes pitifully. Is she tense in this situation, too? Of course. By nature, Moeka's not good at talking with people face to face.

"The reason we're having you come with us..."



Silence us...?

"That won't change even if you refuse."

Basically, she means to kill us...? What the hell's with that...

"By whose orders...? Who are you people...?!"

"We are..."

Moeka suddenly lifts her face. That Moeka looks straight at me. Her cloudy eyes seem daunting to me. Her emotionless voice whispers...



SERN?!

"M4!"

The dark-skinned man says something ambiguous as if addressing Moeka.

"Watch your words."

Heeding him, Moeka hangs her head again, but I play back the word that woman just said.



It was SERN?
I knew it was SERN.
Why SERN? Why?

"The three of you, come with us."

Moeka raises her voice in frustration.

"If you refuse any more, we'll make you want to come with us."

Moeka slowly raises her gun hand. She points its muzzle to...



My whole body instantly goes pale.

"Shiina Mayuri is unnecessary."

"Stop!"



But as soon as I take a step, the dark-skinned crew-cut man draws close faster than me-

"Gagh!"

A strong impact to my chin. That shock spreads throughout my whole body, and carries away. My body staggers. Strength suddenly saps from my knees. Stars fall through my sight. Everything turns pitch black. My vision goes away. I don't understand what happened. Was I struck with a gun?

"Okarin!"

When I lift my face...



Then, over Mayuri's shoulder, I see Moeka ready her gun.

"Mayuri! No!"

Stop...

I try to stop it.

But my hoarse voice won't come out.

I just looked stupid, spewing out air.

Someone, stop her.

Stop Moeka...!

Moeka moves her lips.

She's mumbling something.



Her lips close tightly. I get goosebumps.

Stop--

With a dry sound.

Everything moves in slow motion. The passage of time slows down.

Moeka's gun.