Chapter 10

It was early evening and my shift just ended. I have been working at Yoshino's for three days now and i felt better and more confident when working there. I worked efficiently, joked with customer's and made new friends with my colleagues. I Never would have thought that i would have more social interactions with others in 1975 than 2010, Now that i think about it the changed circumstances may simply have caused me to leave my comfort zone.

I had taken off my waiter's uniform and went to the small table by the window where Yukitaka was waiting for me. It was a busy evening and people around us were talking animatedly over a nice cup of coffee. We greeted each other and i sat down at the table. He had courteously ordered me a creamed coffee that gave off aromatic threads of steam in the air which smelled tempting.

"Kyouma, nice to see you, have you settled well im Akihabara?"

I had told him that i moved to the electronics district with a friend a week ago.

"We had some problems in the beginning, but everything is going well now." I answered Yukitaka's question. "The job in this cafe is really suited for me."

"You indeed looked more relaxed working here now than a few days ago." laughed the young man, "you seem to be enjoying yourself, chikane is out with friends today, so i thought I'd just come and visit you for a chat."

We talked about our everyday life for a while and I learned that the person i was talking to came from a wealthy family that have a lot of influence in Akihabara, This information is nothing new to me, but it was still interesting to interact with Faris' father as a young man. I told him about Suzu's job in the bike shop and our small apartment on the edge of the neighborhood and invited him to come see us when he have the time. Apparently Yukitaka is also a sporty man, he asked me if i was interested in jogging with him on the weekend because he was looking for a partner. I agreed somewhat hesitantly because i had stopped tiring physical activities after highschool and had been out of shape since. Then we talked about the highly anticipated topic, the IBN 5100.

"Why are you interested with the IBN computer, Kyouma san?"

I paused for a moment because i couldn't just tell him the truth. "Well, my father has an electronics store outside of Tokyo and his knack for technology has rubbed off on me a little. I want to be one of the first to own this revolutionary computer."

"That is a good attitude to have my friend! I think so too. In Akihabara it is important to always be up to date with technology. On September 9th there will be a fair at the ATF where IBN will present their new model's and i would like you to come with me."

"Thank you for the invitation, Yukitaka san i will definitely go!" I replied enthusiastically.

"Also you can bring your friend Suzu with you." added the other person with a wink.

"I might buy one of those revolutionary PC's at the fair although they might be expensive, so i would also like to here your advice there, Kyouma." said yukitaka.

Our conversation went on for a while and we exchanged views on the advantages of the IBN 5100. I got along easily with Yukitaka and i felt like we could become good friends.

"See you on Saturday!" The young man called to me. "We'd better meet for a run at Akihabara main station, bring a bottle of water with you around 11 am."

"Until then!" i smiled and said goodbye.

I strolled down the street and enjoyed the afternoon view of the electronics district as people passed me by. I wandered aimlessly through the city lost in thought, because i needed time to think. A lot has happened recently. As if by chance, i came across a small patch of green that seemed familiar to me. It was the playground where i always liked to sit with Mayuri or Daru to drink an ice cold can of Dr. Pepper enjoying and staring at the sunset over the city. It looked different, somehow it looked newer and not as worn as in my time. I went down the steps and entered the deserted place to sit on one of the empty bench.

What was our mission? To secure the IBN 5100 and hand it over to my future self at the right time? During the time that Suzuha revealed herself as John Titor to the future gadget laboratory she told us that the retro computer was needed to hack into SERN's database and delete my first email before the organization notice it. This would bring us back to the beginning and with the knowledge of its possible dangers, we would scrap the phone microwave, hopefully this will allow us to live a peaceful life and Mayuri would not have to die. SERN would not be able to get their hands on our prototype time machine and will eventually stop doing research on this area. There would be no dystopian future.

But what would happen to Suzuha and me? If we wiped out this world line, it will be as if we never existed. The life we built would be destroyed with the click of a button. But that's the sacrifice we have to take for the good of the world.

Suzuha's death in 2000 could be a point of convergence, similar to Mayuri's, An inevitable event that could happen in anyway to enforce itself. I had to live with that thought in my mind.

What if we try to harm SERN and thwart their machinations? would it affect the divergence? Or was our future predetermined? When Suzuha left alone to 1975, my reading steiner didn't activate, which had to mean that her trip had already been fixed. Suzu had always been an older version of herself in the past when Mr. Braun gave us her farewell letter on the day of her departure. So was my trip just as hopeless? Was our future determined already? Or have we changed the world line and are already heading for a new future?

I took a small notepad and a pen out of my pocket, which i always carried with me, and scribbled a few lines on the paper. Alpha world line, Beta world line. An arrow from 2010 to 1975. Branch of the Alpha world line, the divergence meter did not change, which would mean that we are still on the same world line. However the rear digits were ineligible, which is why a slight deviation was possible. With every step we took against SERN there would be new branch of the line. I drew some branches on the block. Our time travel from 2010 was a predetermined event, so our younger selves would travel in whatever circumstances. Maybe SERN was vulnerable on this world line and determinism was just an illusion? however i could also be wrong.

Did we really just have to get the computer and wait for our fate? I couldn't accept it. I had jumped through time to save my childhood friend countless times. I have also recovered from my self created time loop which sparked a new will to live on me.

I sat on the bench, lost in thought. Later i looked up and saw that it's already dark. I have to go home, otherwise Suzuha will get worried about me. I got up and let my gaze wander over the playground one last time before moving back towards the city center.

When i was sitting on the Hibiya line, my thoughts and memories of the past world lines came to me again. I kept seeing Mayuri die in my mind's eye. It was unbearable to be unable to change anything. I forced my mind out of those dark memories and focused on the present. There was no point brooding over it now.

I entered the apartment and was immediately greeted by Suzu. A little depressed i shuffled into the living room and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Hey, you don't look good, Rin. what happened?"

"Suzuha..., I need to talk to you."

"Oh... what is it about? I'm all ears." said the girl worriedly as she sat down with me.

"I was thinking about the mission and... how can i say it... it seems too easy to me. We get the IBN and then? I can't just sit around the rest of my life until the year 2010 while SERN continues to expand their power."

Suzuha hesitated before saying. "Rintarou, don't worry. we can do something, the future is not written in stone, if our impact is large enough we may even stop SERN in this world line."

"And what if we fail? What if we don't even get the IBN or if it gets stolen from us a few years from now? When we left in 2010, it wasn't there either, which must mean we didn't make it. Everything is interrelated, we were already in the past at that point and should have felt the effects of our actions."

Suzuha put her arm around my shoulders and stroke my hand gently. "And what if your 50 year old self walks through the door of the future gadget laboratory with the IBN 5100 two hours after our departure?"

I looked at the girl and she gave me a striking grin, An expression that defies fate.

"Time is unstable." she continues. "You may think that everything is set in stone, but what we do here and now will have an impact on the future."

I felt my heart beat faster at her words and the dark veil of doubt began to fade away. I hugged Suzuha gratefully.

"So the two of us against SERN, sounds pretty crazy if you ask me, but that's the way it has to be for mad scientists, Muhahaha."

It has been a while since i made my mad scientist laugh, i wonder how long has it been since i last did it?

"The two of us against fate." Suzuha looked at me with a smile and a determined look in her eyes.

"You're a soldier. Teach me how to fight." I have no idea where my sudden decision came from, but the expression on Suzuha's face awakened a burning determination in me.

"Good, I will train you starting tomorrow, there's no backing out!"

There was no going back now. It was my decision do anything to turn things in our favor as much as possible.

Oh by the way, I cooked spaghetti. you can warm it up in the microwave." Suzuha said to me offhandedly.

I laughed a little at the sudden change of topic.

"Thanks Suzu, what would i do without you?" I replied. I stopped thinking for the time being and slowly got up. While i was spreading the pasta on two plates, Suzuha was heating the tomato sauce on the saucepan. Outside the crying of cicadas could be heard while the last orange rays of the sun illuminates our apartment and nearby buildings.

That night Suzuha didn't even bother to lie down on her futon, instead she crawled under my covers and gently stroked my hair. I just let it happen, even more i put my arms around her and pressed her body onto me.

"We can do it, Rintarou." she whispered to me with her eyes closed.

I briefly wondered whether what i was doing was morally wrong, to cuddle with the daughter of my best friend from the future, my thoughts revolved around such matters as i fell asleep.