[186] "Steins;Gate" Premieres! (4)

Chapter 186: "Steins;Gate" Premieres! (4)

On an empty street, the protagonist of "Steins;Gate" was running desperately, but no matter where he went, there was no sign of a single person.

"What is going on?"

He kept running and running, completely unaware that he was actually treading in place on the same street.

Then, a familiar girl appeared before him—Mayuri. She was holding out a bottle of drink.

"Doo doo doo, here you go, Okarin."

"What's going on here? Where is everyone? Why has everyone disappeared?"

"Disappeared?"

"They've all vanished! Just now, the people who were here disappeared in an instant, right in front of my eyes…"

"That… I'm not sure…"

"How can you not know? Didn't you see it?"

"I… I didn't see anything…"

"What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, when the protagonist turned around, the once-empty street was now crowded with people. Along with an eerie sound, he slowly looked up.

An ominous machine was perched on the edge of a building above, causing the bricks around it to crack. A crowd had gathered, discussing it animatedly.

"What is that thing?"

Faced with the protagonist's surprised murmuring, Mayuri responded in confusion:

"Did you forget, Okarin? We saw it on the news this morning. You said that the organization had finally begun to act, which is why we came to see this strange machine."

"Why? Weren't we here to attend Professor Nakabachi's presentation?"

"Huh? Didn't you know? Because of this strange machine's appearance, Professor Nakabachi's presentation was never held."

"It wasn't held?"

"Yeah, you were so angry and said, 'that professor fled from the stage last minute!'"

"Didn't we attend the presentation?"

"Of course not, this building has been sealed off since this morning."

"How could that be…"

There was a disconnect between memory and reality. As Rintarou Okabe struggled with confusion, the screen suddenly went black, signaling that the storyline of "Steins;Gate" was about to officially begin.

After the blackout, the movie flashed the title "Steins;Gate: Part 1 - The Flutter of Fate's Butterfly".

Then, the scene transitioned to a small room.

"Hey, you over there! Can you see us?"

At this moment, the protagonist, with an odd perspective, was peering into the camera, muttering to himself in cryptic phrases that were hard to decipher.

During this time, the audience learned from him that he was at a place called the Future Gadget Laboratory. Additionally, they also discovered the real name of the film's protagonist, Rintarou Okabe, beyond his chuunibyou persona.

Besides Okabe, the members of the Future Gadget Laboratory included Mayuri, a girl who had appeared earlier, and an overweight man called "Daru," whose real name is Itaru Hashida. He sat at a computer bearing signs of alchemical modifications.

As the three chatted about various unrelated topics, they reinforced the audience's impression of Okabe as someone afflicted by chuunibyou. Meanwhile, the television screen in the background displayed news about the mysterious object Okabe had seen earlier on top of a building.

Seeing this, Rintarou Okabe instinctively recalled everything that happened since the morning, which felt like entering a mysterious realm. At that time, he hurriedly tried to communicate with Mayuri, only to find many inconsistencies in their exchange.

There was a significant gap between his memories from the previous day to now and the reality, or rather, they were completely different. This deepened Okabe's confusion even further.

However, this bizarre chaos, after prolonged pressure, was eventually covered by his chuunibyou flights of fancy.

"This must be the plan of a dark organization, no doubt they've manipulated my memories! Damn it... But precisely because of this, it's the only way to reach the unknown realm—it's the choice of Steins;Gate! Hahaha!"

Okabe's chuunibyou laughter dispelled the film's suspenseful atmosphere, but the audience certainly wouldn't just forget the many incredible details that had appeared in the movie moments before.

....

"This movie is so strange, what's really going on?"

"Yeah, I totally don't understand it anymore."

"Could the protagonist's fantasies be real? Is he actually connected to some dark organization?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the film's world-building is fascinating—a world without magic, yet filled with magical traces. It's more magical than our own world."

"Definitely, the protagonist's TV is amazing. It shows so many interesting visuals. It would be great if future TVs had that many channels."

"Exactly, having programs 24/7 would be perfect. It's so dull to have nothing to watch."

"It'd be great if every household had that kind of TV."

"…"

Such discussions echoed among the audience. Most people couldn't grasp the many mysteries of the plot. After brief exchanges, they set aside their confusion and focused on the film's various details.

After all, to make the filming of "Steins;Gate" appear more realistic, Durin invested considerable effort.

He not only constructed a set from scratch on the abandoned grounds of the Imperial Mage Academy but also crafted various props and environments to almost realistic levels.

From the small trash cans on the roadside to the massive projections on the buildings, and even the architectural designs lining the streets, everything was entirely different from the native designs of this world.

All these elements were crafted to create a sense of a futuristic world.

In a certain sense, for the people of this era, this could already be considered a 'sci-fi' blockbuster.

As expected, the audience was completely captivated by the strong 'sci-fi' atmosphere within the film.

Everyone began to discuss whether such a world could possibly exist and if their own world might eventually transform into something similar in the future.

Unlike the general public, who were more intrigued by the sci-fi styled details, Emperor Hubbard  focused his attention primarily on the televisions featured in the movie.

After all, unlike other obviously fantastical elements, he knew that television was an already existing invention, one with the potential to significantly impact the world.

As the highest authority in the empire, Emperor Hubbard had to be acutely aware of emerging innovations, as they could influence the entire empire, including the royal family.

"The potential uses of television might far exceed my imagination."

With visions of a possible future in mind, Emperor Hubbard sighed thoughtfully. Beside him, General Wilhelm nodded in agreement and said:

"Indeed, while it's not yet apparent, if such a device can truly enter every household, allowing everyone to view the same program, its influence would be unparalleled."

"Yes, and that's not all. Currently, Baron Durin is using television merely to show films, leading us to believe it serves only for entertainment. But according to what's portrayed in this movie, the greatest significance of television is as a broad channel for disseminating messages—essentially the concept of news."

Reflecting on this, Emperor Hubbard continued:

"In the past, the public's sensitivity to various information was low. Even major events seldom reached the majority without being passed down through many levels."

"Film, as a large-scale gathering medium, largely accelerated the transmission of information, while televisions in public places made spread more precise."

"However, none of this compares to the impact of bringing televisions into each home. Once televisions are widely distributed, the speed at which the public receives information will be instantaneous. This will become a tool capable of fundamentally reshaping everyone's thoughts..."

As he mused, Emperor Hubbard couldn't bring himself to utter the final word. But General Wilhelm understood perfectly what was left unsaid.

Weapon!

If televisions reach a certain level of ubiquity, they will become an invisible weapon capable of destroying any adversary. No nation would be able to withstand such an unprecedented form of warfare.

The destructive power of television is terrifying, like a poison-laced candy. Without regulation, its impact could be astonishingly widespread.

It's evident that currently, most people haven't seen the potential destructiveness behind television. Even the orc prophet nearby only vaguely sensed the convenience of instant communication.

Only a few understood that any tool capable of changing the era typically first unleashes a destructive force powerful enough to dismantle the old age.

....

The Imperial Mage Academy.

Mages found themselves even more connected to the film's various details, as the "sci-fi" future depicted by Durin in some ways mirrored the everyday life of mages.

From various convenient facilities, instant messaging, to convenient transportation, these were all quite normal for mages.

Yet, the world of the film was clearly not a world of mages. In fact, there was no appearance of a traditional "mage" throughout the movie. However, the influence of 'magic' was omnipresent.

This paradoxical feeling seemed strange to every mage. Besides this oddity, many mages were intrigued by the film's mysteriously crafted plot.

"What exactly happened to Rintarou Okabe? Was that sudden void-like space really normal?"

"Maybe Rintarou Okabe faced a mental magic attack?"

"But there doesn't seem to be any magic in this film's world?"

"Then how do you explain that peculiar scene? And the fact that when Okabe asked others afterward, everything had changed?"

"Exactly, we clearly saw Okabe at that presentation and even witnessed Kurisu Makise's death. How did it all suddenly become nonexistent?"

"Come to think of it, Okabe did receive a strange text message at that time. Could it be related?"

"Honestly, even though this first episode seems to not cover much, the volume of information is overwhelming. I can't quite figure it out."

"Yeah, if all of this was just Okabe experiencing a mental attack causing a breakdown, and everything was just his imagination, it would be simple."

"But that would be too straightforward, wouldn't it?"

As mages continued to discuss, most were filled with interest in "Steins;Gate" and its plot so far.

Mages are, after all, the world's most adept and eager puzzle-solvers, and the enigmatic beginning of "Steins;Gate" piqued their curiosity to uncover the truth behind the complex events.

Unlike the students lost in thought, the instructors and professors took a different approach. They directly approached Durin, hoping to get answers from him.

"You all..." Durin raised an eyebrow at their eagerness for a straight answer and replied, "The story of 'Steins;Gate' is interconnected, with each early plot point laying the groundwork for later developments. If you knew the answers now, you'd lose all anticipation."

Hearing Durin's response, the instructors felt their cheeks warm with embarrassment and dispersed without further questioning.

Even though Gebrun knew the entirety of the storyline, he still expressed his confusion, saying, "Durin, the earlier parts of your plot are indeed hard to grasp. Even knowing why these elements appear, it still leaves me with more questions."

"Yes, that's perfectly natural, because all the information from the first part will be answered in the second part."

"And the second part?"

"It's in my head."

"Damn!"

Gebrun sighed helplessly, deciding to drop the conversation.

Meanwhile, Scar was utterly absorbed in the film; the scenes depicted felt like visions from his dreams—dreams he had once imagined but never realized.

"If only such a world truly existed."

As one of the two leading explorers in the field of magical alchemy, Scar was eager to see the film's visions become reality.

To this, Durin remarked thoughtfully, "It will exist. If it doesn't, we will surely create it!"

With these words, Durin felt a renewed sense of determination that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

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