[191] The Grand Appeal of 'Science Fiction' Works!

Chapter 191: The Grand Appeal of 'Science Fiction' Works!

In the movie, once Rintarou Okabe resolves to create a time machine, he immediately sets his plan into action.

First, he intends to replicate the previous experiment using the microwave that resulted in a time travel incident and send a message to the past.

The only issue is that several earlier attempts at the experiment were unsuccessful, with only the very first banana experiment and one instance of sending a message to the past being successful.

This indicates that the Future Technology Research Institute has yet to master the stable manipulation of time travel.

To address this, the emails sent to the past are referred to as "D-mails," and Rintarou Okabe presents his hypothesis regarding the experiments.

"The repeated failures indicate that we've overlooked the simplest yet most crucial condition—time of occurrence!"

"The initial D-mail was sent between 12:00 and 13:00, while the second was around 18:00. This implies that if we conduct the experiment during these two time periods, we might replicate the successes!"

"It's worth a try!"

Although Okabe's reasoning might seem overly simplistic, the others decide to attempt the experiment.

Soon, as the preparations are complete, the microwave begins to emit tremendous energy once more. Before long, the banana placed inside the microwave vanishes again, leaving only a piece of green gel banana on the table.

As a result, Okabe's hypothesis is effectively confirmed.

"Though the conditions are simpler than expected, it actually worked..."

Thus, the group immediately begins researching the patterns of the time machine's occurrences.

After about half a day of experimentation, Kurisu Makise finally summarizes the basic rules of time travel, specifically how to control the approximate time point for the travel, noting that the maximum number of characters that can be sent is only 36 letters.

After this, the group discusses the time machine matter briefly before dispersing.

During his break, Rintarou Okabe suddenly receives an email from Moeka Kiryuu, who has been searching for an old computer. Upon learning that Okabe has acquired the IBN5100, she comes to find him.

Moeka Kiryuu expresses her wish to borrow the IBN5100, but Okabe coldly refuses her request.

As she continues to pester him, she accidentally discovers information about D-mail and the time machine from Okabe.

Immediately, Moeka Kiryuu sends a strange message, asking Rintarou Okabe if he is FB.

In response to this peculiar question, Okabe assumes that she, like him, is also a bit eccentric, and without hesitation, invites her to join the research institute.

Due to a series of misunderstandings, Moeka Kiryuu became the fifth member of the research institute.

Afterward, the group resumed their experiments, and everyone, including Moeka, began to ponder what to do with the D-mail. The idea of changing the past to reshape the future was thrilling to think about.

In the end, Rintarou Okabe decided to use this ability to buy lottery tickets and make himself rich in one fell swoop.

Though it seemed rather crass, the others did not stop him and allowed him to go through with the experiment.

"Click!"

In an instant, as the message was sent, an indescribable feeling of unreality washed over Rintarou Okabe.

Suddenly, the screen went black, and a long string of numbers began to spin rapidly before finally stopping at the number 0.571015.

...

Watching the scene on the screen, all the spectators felt a tense pang in their hearts.

Whether ordinary people or those with special powers, everyone was compelled to know if Okabe truly succeeded in changing the past.

"Could a single email really change the past? That seems unlikely."

"By the way, if my past self suddenly received a strange email, would I really believe it?"

"What would people's memories look like after the world line shifts?"

"What if we can't remember the actions that changed the world? Wouldn't that be futile?"

"By the way, isn't this lottery just a form of gambling? A bunch of people betting on the same thing, and the winner takes all while the house gains everything. It's really the same thing..."

"..."

All sorts of voices arose; there was no pause in the tension as everyone focused intently on the screen, eager to see the outcome of this D-mail.

...

When Rintarou Okabe regained his senses, he found himself still in the research institute, and nothing around him had changed.

Just as he thought the experiment had failed and that the world hadn't shifted at all, Kurisu Makise suddenly spoke up:

"What's wrong? Okabe, weren't we just discussing what content to send back to the past?"

"What are you talking about? Didn't we just conduct the experiment?"

"No, we were clearly just in discussion; we hadn't sent any emails yet."

"How could that be..."

Faced with this clash of reality and his memories, Okabe quickly opened his emails and successfully located the one he had sent to himself a week earlier.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from outside the room as Ruka entered, panting heavily.

"Mr. Okabe, I'm sorry!"

Ruka bowed immediately and handed him a lottery ticket, adding, "I'm really sorry! You told me to buy this ticket because it might win, but I mistakenly got one of the numbers wrong…"

"This…"

Seeing this turn of events and noticing that the others were still in shock, Kurisu couldn't help but mutter, "Okabe, don't tell me you already used the microwave to…"

"…"

Rintarou Okabe stood frozen, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

.....

The exhilarating scenes in the movie caused all the viewers to gasp in amazement.

At this moment, even those who were not paying close attention to the plot couldn't help but realize the protagonist possessed an incredibly extraordinary ability.

The capacity to freely alter the past and adjust the current world line evoked a sense of excitement among the audience, but it also instilled an inexplicable fear, as if they were confronted with a divine power.

"Why does the protagonist still retain memories after the world line change?"

"I don't know, but there's no doubt that with such a power, he possesses unimaginable advantages. If he can use the time machine without limits to alter the world line, he might even be considered a god."

"By the way, where did the changed world lines go? Have they disappeared, or do they still exist somewhere in time and space?"

"It's so mysterious. Although the plot doesn't have any explosive moments, the conceptual scope of 'Steins;Gate' is astonishingly vast."

"I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this..."

"…"

The audience shared these reflections; at this moment, everyone felt a soul-stirring shock.

After all, ordinary people of this era had hardly encountered common "science fiction" or fantasy works. Suddenly, a movie with such grand themes related to time and space emerged, leaving them all utterly amazed.

At that moment, everyone had their eyes wide open, eager to see the continuation of the movie and to discover what incredible actions Rintarou Okabe would take after acquiring the ability to change the world line.

...

As time passed, Rintarou Okabe stood alone on the rooftop, reflecting on the theories shared by John Titor and beginning to grasp the reality of changing world lines.

However, this realization filled him with dread, for after the change, he alone retained the memories from before.

With that in mind, Okabe couldn't help but send an email to the time traveler, John Titor, informing him about how he had altered the past using D-mail.

After a while, John Titor replied.

"Changing the past through email is something even I hadn't conceived of in 2036. Your actions have altered the past and displaced the world line, yet you maintain your memories and can observe the entire process. A being with such uniqueness has not appeared even in the future. Thus, Okabe, you might possess this ability. If it's you, perhaps you could guide the world toward a shift in the world line by 1%."

"What does a 1% shift in the world line mean?"

"When the shift exceeds 1%, this world will achieve true freedom. If we don't breach this barrier, the future will descend into despair. My mission is to alter the future, and you might just become its savior!"

"Are you kidding?!"

Even Rintarou Okabe was taken aback by this astounding revelation, angrily tossing his phone away.

However, after a moment, he picked up the phone again, and as the familiar spirit of youthful delusion took hold of him, he suddenly declared loudly, "Is that so? Am I the only one with this power? If so, the experiments will continue! Let me be the savior of this world!"

Thus, the next day, the experiments resumed.

This time, Rintarou Okabe repeated the same experiment, once again sending an email to the past with the lottery numbers.

Yet, the outcome was astonishingly similar to the last time. Ruka appeared at the door again, apologizing for making a mistake and even brought some fruit as a peace offering.

Upon hearing this, Okabe sighed, preparing to rethink the content of his next email when, unexpectedly, he noticed that Moeka Kiryuu had suddenly sent a D-mail without anyone realizing!

In an instant, the screen went dark, and a string of numbers flashed by, leaving Rintarou Okabe bewildered as he stood in the center of the research institute.

When he proceeded to ask the other members about this event, he was shocked to discover that Moeka Kiryuu had vanished from everyone's memory!

.....

The sudden twist in the plot left all the viewers in stunned silence.

Although it had long been suspected that D-mails could change the world line, when the change actually occurred and resulted in numerous details being completely different from the previous world line, the audience was still taken aback.

"I don't know why, but I find this a bit terrifying."

"Yeah, I feel a chill running down my spine."

"When I watched 'Goblin Slayer' and saw those ugly goblin monsters, I wasn't scared, but now I'm genuinely uneasy."

"Changing the past, altering the world—this seemingly beautiful concept fills me with dread when it actually happens."

"What principle is this based on? What kind of underlying program is at work in this world? What exists beyond time?"

"It's mind-boggling..."

"…"

In that moment, the audience showcased various forms of panic.

The ability to change the world, a notion that seemed almost romantic, now instilled an inexplicable fear in everyone.

This reaction is easily understandable; after all, it is the instinctive fear that small beings feel when confronted with an immense universe they have never seen before.

Compared to the vast cosmos, humanity is insignificant, akin to a speck of dust, lost in the ocean.

Whenever this thought arises, anyone would naturally feel a sense of helplessness.

Moreover, it was not just ordinary people; at this moment, knights, mages, imperial generals, kings, and even the archmages of humanity all experienced a mental turmoil.

In such an era, watching a sci-fi story like "Steins;Gate" goes far beyond the limited imagination of everyone involved.

...

The pace of the movie "Steins;Gate" began to accelerate in the next scenes.

After the world line jump initiated by Moeka Kiryuu, which nearly changed interpersonal relationships, Ruka suddenly approached Rintarou Okabe, expressing his desire to send a D-mail to the past.

Although he was male, Ruka possessed a feminine appearance and was indeed dissatisfied with his gender identity, wanting to change his sex.

Though surprised, Rintarou Okabe agreed to help.

After some preparation, the group decided to use a rumor—"eating more meat during pregnancy will result in a boy, while eating more vegetables will result in a girl"—to send a message to Ruka's mother, urging her to eat more vegetables.

In an instant, the numbers on the screen began to jump once more, finally stopping at 0.456903.

When Rintarou Okabe regained his senses, he found himself standing alone in the research institute room, while the others sat on the sofa chatting idly, including Ruka, who was dressed just like before.

Seeing Ruka's appearance and figure, nearly identical to the past, Rintarou Okabe subconsciously assumed that the experiment had failed and dismissed the matter from his mind.

However, the next day, he was stunned to discover a nearly horrifying truth.

The IBN5100 that had been stored in the box was missing.

As he considered the possibility that someone had taken it or hidden it away, he went to ask Kurisu Makise, only to be told:

"IBN5100? Don't we not even know where that thing is?"

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