Part 20: Origins

Update 20: Origins





Ethan: !? Wait a minute, now! I tried to save her--it's just that...
Kori: Don't lie. If you tried to save her, why are the pictures always the same?
Ethan: I don't know why. She should have been rescued...
Kori: ... Is that...the truth?
Ethan: I don't know how to save her...
Ashley: Ethaaan! G'morning...
Emily: ...Oh...
Kori: ...School's starting. Let's continue this conversation after class.
Ethan: Y-yeah, sure.
Ashley: Hey, wait a second! Ethaaaaan!



Ashley: Ack! Emily, what are you crying for!?
Ethan: (...Sorry, girls. When I get a spare moment, I'll listen to what you have to say.)



: ............ ............
: If what you say is true... ...why don't you give my way of doing things a try?
: What's your way?
: I pull people through the Hole, from their time into ours.
: Are you serious?
: It's not without its problems... but it's better than not saving them at all.
: What kind of problems?
: ...Those who travel through the Hole are left out of the flow of time.
: Left out, eh...
: (So that means... Someone must have pulled Kori through, way back when. And now she's "out of time"...?)
: Say, Kori...do you know a man named Irving?
: What...?
: Now, wait a minute... The one who pulled you through--it couldn't have been...
: Irving? No, it wasn't him.
: (It wasn't?)
: No, it was actually... ...!

Halfway through her line, the world-shifting sound starts.

: !!

===



===





: Is this...my house? But what happened to it? (What happened...? No--I'm so confused.)
: (I've got to think...figure out exactly what happened...)
: (Oh, yeah--that flashback I had a while back...)



: Did...did he disappear, too...? .........



: ...Think--I've got to think. Got to get my head straight... (Did Irving do this? But why...? For what purpose?)

Let's take a look at our three new flashbacks.




So off to Chronos we go.





Kori: Ethan...save him. Save your uncle... Please...! I think I know who changed this past...
Ethan: You do? Really? Can't you tell me?
Kori: !...I, uh...not right now... Just, please--save your uncle...
Ethan: (She knows something...) I was about to talk to the owner here. Want to come with me?
Kori: Okay...if you don't mind.
Ethan: (Maybe I can ask her a couple questions, too...)







: (Ben and the rest of the gang are nowhere to be found...)
: Here you are! Two coffees.
: Oh, thank you.
: Thank you very much.

*Examine: Aaron*
: (Huh? Have I seen him somewhere before...?)

*Examine: Eva*
: (Eva still looks awfully busy.)

*Conversation: Kori*
: (Kori's sitting here. I feel kinda anxious for some reason.)



Ethan: Oh, um...no, I'm fine. (No Olivia, no Ben, no Vin... no one's here.)
Kori: I guess you guys don't have a place to hang out in this world, huh.

: Enjoy.
: Um, Excuse me...?

Not my typo.

: Yes? Can I help you?
: Can I ask you something?
: (Does she know my uncle?)
: Do you know a Derek Kairos?
: How...how do you know that name?
: (Jackpot.)
: What do you know about him? Tell me something, anything--please!





: ...I got this cafe pretty cheap through an acquaintance. But there's more to the story, right? I mean, since Derek was murdered and all.
: Why was he murdered?
: ...How do you figure into this, if I may ask?
: Oh--I'm sorry. I'm Ethan Kairos. Derek was my uncle.
: (Eva doesn't remember me. I guess I've never been here.)
: Ah, so you're family! And who's this young lady?
: Oh, I'm--
: Do you mind if she sits in on our conversation?

Nice job blowing a chance at some answers, Ethan.

: I can tell you what I've heard...
: I hope it won't upset you.
: No, not at all.



*Question: Do you know a Derek Kairos?*
: Derek's the one that started this place up. It opened 14 years ago... Yep, on 5/1.
: After it opened, though, it just never took off. Some people even say the grand opening was sabotaged. I heard no one came on that first day, and Derek had a lot on his mind that night...
: Apparently that's what got him involved with loansharks...
: R-really? (This is all news to me...)
: But somehow he managed to pay all that money back. He sold this cafe and did who knows what else to come up with the cash. I think it was around that time that Derek became a writer.
: Yes, that's right.

*Question: Ask about Uncle Derek's death*
: Derek was killed--let's see. It would have been about two years after he sold this place.
: ...!!
: S-seriously...? By whom?
: I don't know. I did hear it had nothing to do with the cafe. So I heard, anyway...but Derek had racked up a lot of debt.
: I was so afraid the debt collectors would come here, too.
: Oh...I see...

*Question: Do you know a Derek Kairos?, reprise*
: The fellow who built this place, right? I've never met him, though.

*Question: Ask about Uncle Derek's death, reprise*
: I heard he was murdered some 12 years ago...

Converge.

: (So Uncle Derek started this cafe. First I'd heard of it.)
: (And then someone killed him...)
: ...Thank you very much.
: I'm sorry it was such a strange story, in the end.
: No, I'm glad we talked.
: Could I ask you one more question?
: Sure--what is it?
: Why is this place named "Chronos"?
: Ah, yes...that's been its name since the very beginning.
: In Greek mythology, Chronos was the personification of time.
: Well, aren't you clever! That's exactly right.
: It was Derek's idea. I liked the name, so I never changed it.
: Oh, okay...I see. Thank you.
: (I never knew that. Uncle Derek must have been a pretty smart cookie.)
: That's about all I know...
: Sorry it's nothing too interesting.
: No, it's fine. Thank you very much.
: Come by for coffee again sometime.
: I will.



: Yeah?
: Help your uncle...okay?

And she's gone.

: Hey, wait...
: (There she goes.)
: (This is terrible... How could Uncle Derek have been murdered...? This past--it's horrible...!)
: (I've got to get more information on poor Uncle Derek...)

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Updated our flashback with the new information.