How... What in the... all traces of Moé Culture are vanished from the streets of Akihabara!

Please, Okarin! Wait for us!

What the hell!? Dude... I'm a hacker not a hiker.

Where'd Toranoana and Animate go? Huh?

uhh...

Where are Mandarake and Gamers?

Now, you're just being silly.

You know, we don't have any of those around here.

That's why I gotta go all the way to Nakano, for my doujin...shi.

Wait a second... You still work part-time at Queen Mays? Don't you?

Huh? What's Queen Mays?

Our favorite Maid Café!

Impossible!

It's quite alright, actually. Moé Culture thrives here mostly because of my influence. So, it's a compliment.

Did she send a D-Mail back in time to undo that?

An entire city!... Re-written by a mere text message.

Episode 10: Chaos Theory Homeostasis III [Title Page]

Hard to believe, May Queen Nyan-nyan is no more.

May Queen's a type of potato, dude.

Not feeling it as the name of a Maid Café.

What are you? ...some [Tuber Savant?]... uhuh..

Wait... if Queen Mays never existed then, how did we first meet Faris?

You can mock my random bits of trivia all you want...

...but we wouldn't be friends with Faris, right now, if it weren't for the Spuds! [Spud = The archetype of eccentricity (He is referring to himself)]

Dare I even ask?

How'd you forget?

I was gonna kick some ass in the Rai-Net Tourney, in Ikebukuro.

But some bad potato Ramen was all "No, not yours" and I had to skip it.

Go on...

So you and Mayuri filled in for me against Faris.

Got both of your asses kicked, in case you forgot that!

But the girls have been friends ever since, so good times.

Hell... a little food poisoning was worth the scenery... heha.

Interesting...

Check it out, Ruka! It's a photo book full of professional cos-player, I bought in Nakano.

Oh Wow! They're so adorable.

So even though the past has been substantially altered.

Which ones you like best on this page?

Our relationships are essentially the same.

This one.

Yeah! Me too!

If only I could get you to coo over schematics the way you do over cos-play.

Oh... afternoon, Okabe.

It's super cute! Don't you think?

Whoa! Sedona....

So much detail... and there's a swimsuit version too!

I wish I could wear that, but I'm so not curvy enough to pull-it-off.

Don't you worry, small boobies will have their day!

*cough* *cough* *cough*

Hey! We should all take a field trip to the beach some weekend.

You gotta come, Kurisu.

School swimsuits for the win!

I don't know... us and the Perv-Brigade.

Aww...

uh... Hey! I'm not saying we can't go if we make it a girls only trip then I'm totally down for some beach side fun in the sun.

Hahaha... abandon the charade Christina. [Charade = Empty or deceptive act.]

In truth! You don't want us along, because we might see the unfortunate birth mark marring your hind quarters... right?

What!? I don't have a birth mark!

Besides, if this outing to the beach were really girls-only that would leave poor Rukako; High and Dry.

Huh? How so?

As I pointed out to you, the other day... Ruka is, shall we say, of the masculine persuasion.

Huh!

uhh!

Haah!

huh!

What the hell is wrong with you?

Calling her a boy is a pretty shitty thing to do.

It makes me sad when you say mean stuff like that.

Dude! Not cool...

*crying* heh heh heh heh...

Wait, why you crying!? Oh, honestly!

You troglodyte! Apologize to Ruka, right now!

Why should I apologize for saying what is clearly the truth!?

No! It's fine...

You shouldn't have to apologize, if that's the way that you think of me, so be it.

Well naturally it is, what else am I supposed to think?

Put a sock in it. You Jackass!!

I should go, I'm sorry!

No, you don't! This' gone on long enough.

Ruka's really the girl you say she is? Then why does she have a...

uhhhah.... hhaah...

uhhh... What the hell!?

Oh stop, please! Okabe!

mmm..mmm...mm...mm...mm

Rukako... you're... a Female!

That's what we've... been saying... this whole damn time!!

huh...

You look thrashed. Everything okay?

Just a little torture. Nothing a new pair of legs won't fix.

Torture! I bet it was that Makise chick!

Yeah... but I... got it all cleared up... I think...

What did she do to your legs?

Haahha! Sweet Heavens, no, don't touch them!

She compelled me to sit stock-still on my hunches for a full hour.

Lesser men would've broken, but not me.

Hah! I don't know, that seems pretty darn low on the torture-o-meter.

Is that so? You sound alarmingly like a woman who knows what she's talking about.

Let's just say that I've done my time.

This is absolutely perfect weather to go biking.

I suppose...

Hey... you feel like going for a ride?

hm?

Hah... Hah... I did assume that you had a second bike.

So... I didn't come to Tokyo to work in a TV shop.

I'm looking for my dad.

Why is that? ...he run off or something?

It's been years... I don't even remember what he looks like.

He's somewhere in the city, but that's all I really have to go on.

It's not much of a smoking gun, but I have an old pin of his.

You might wanna think about dropping the part-time job and focusing all on this...

Look I... can't tell you why exactly, but I'm only gonna have one last chance to see him.

Huh?

Short version... I think my dad's gonna be somewhere tomorrow...

...but if I show up and he doesn't, that's it. I gotta move on either way.

There's a place I gotta be gettin' to pretty soon.

'Cause you know, I'm a busy girl.

Hell! If I don't find him in Tokyo, I might as well quit looking.

*sigh*... hmph...

You are ill-at-ease... and I... find I can relate. \n[ill-at-ease = Uncomfortable or embarrassed.]

However...

You just made the serendipitous error of disclosing your tale of paternal woe to a mad scientist...um hm.

*inhale*... Henceforth you are lab member 008.

Resign yourself to being our newest guinea pig!

What are you gonna do to me?

Alter your past! Of course!

It's all part of my master plan.

Helping you is just a side effect.

You will send a D-Mail to your father, understood?

In it, you will tell him not to leave... and presto! Home, he shall remain.

mm... mhm.... hahahahaha!... what!?

You're a nice guy, you know that?

Either way... I feel a little bit better about this, than I did earlier.

Guess, I should get back to work. Thanks for being a pal, Okabe.

Hey listen, I want you to promise me you'll come to the lab tomorrow, whether you meet your father or not.

If he's not there, we'll help you... for science! Of course.

Hahahaha...

For your all world-dom talk, you're just a big 'ol softy... hahaha... [World-Dom = World Domination]

Alright! I will now summarize the basics of Operation Eldhrimnir in layman's terms.

What's with the Norse Methology?

If Suzuha locates her father, we'll have a farewell banquet.

We'll have dinner, if she doesn't find her father, as well.

But, we'll present it as a consolation send-off.

If so... the D-Mail will be dessert.

Uh oh!... who's gonna tell Daru the plan?

He's off meeting his online friends, or some such nonsense.

But, never fear... I've got his number.

This is how you hook a Daru.

I took the liberty of sending him a little white lie.

Wait, are you bribing him with Food or Faris? Either way, that'll probably work.

Ahh... but Faris told me, she couldn't be here tonight.

Which I'm willing to look beyond, since she's never actually met Suzuha.

...but our resident Hack's attendance is decidedly mandatory.

Umm... Actually, I've never met her either.

Is it ok, that I'm coming?

But, of course! You ladies can do the shopping for our little soirée.

While you...

While I... tale this crappy part-timer to see if her errant parent pops-up.

Oh, come on! Don't go spying on their father daughter bonding time.

Yeah, Okarin, why don't you just come on our shopping trip with us?

Following Suzuha, is my...

It's not gonna happen so drop it!

Where does my assistant get off telling me what to do? ...uh

You remember earlier, right? How about 3 hours?

Alright! Shopping it is! Oh, shall we be off?

Huh?

Ugh!...

hah hah... heh hah...

Is something the matter, Okarin?

It's nothing.

What in the...

mmm... Do you think we should go with the mild curry?

Oh, but hot is so good!

Which do you think she'll like?

Whatever is fine... let's go with the hot one.

hmm... good idea.

'Cause Suzuha is a pretty spicy girl.

I bet you, she can't even taste the mild stuff.

Oki-doki, next stop... the meat aisle.

Wow! Look at these prices... they're sure proud of their stuff.

Hey Okarin, you've been so quiet all night.

Yeah?...

I keep waiting for you to say something like... looks like the organization's been messing around with the price of local meat!

Launching Operation Half-Off sales event, or something like that.

hmph...

hmmph... Operation Half-Off sales event lacks a Nordic Flare.

It's me... they've sabotaged the beef supply.

Operation Audumbla is still viable. [Audumbla = A primeval cow appearing in Norse mythology]

Albeit at a greater cost.

Unlock additional culinary funding on the double!

uh... look! ...First star of the night.

Oh, that's Venus, actually.

Hey, Okarin?

hm?

Remember, back when we were little kids... and you had that really bad fever?

Yeah... right when everyone was losing their head over the whole Y2K thing.

I was scared. You looked so sick and frail, I thought you were gonna just fade away.

I didn't want you to die.

So, I looked up at the stars and said a prayer.

And right then, one went shooting passed right above me.

So, as it went I said, "Don't take my Okarin". I said it 3 times in a row.

And the very next morning, your fever had broke, and you said you were feeling better.

I don't mean to brag, but I kinda saved your life, you know... hehe.

Sorry but, you didn't...

My surviving that fever was the decision of Stein's Gate!

Yeah!? ...aww... that's no fun.

I'm afraid so...

Okay...

Hey... remember when you first got sick? How you fell down?

Remember what you said?

Hm?

You said you were dizzy, and that the world felt all wiggly.

...like you've been zapped by lightning, you told me.

Like, things didn't make sense anymore.

When we were back at Faris'? Your face reminded me of then.

Sick in bed with that fever. I'd forgotten how that felt.

It's the same way I feel when I shift world-lines.

I wonder, was that 'bout of illness' the emergence of my Reading-Steiner ability?

Hey... hehe...

Hey, you two!

Huh? What is that odor assailing my nose?

Oh, that?

Kurisu decided to make an apple pie for us.

Ugh... that stench is dessert?

I'd love to help, you have a job for me?

Sure! Why don't you boil some eggs for me.

Okay! Let's see...

Ooh! I'll just pop 'em in the Phone-Wave.

No, Mayuri don't! They'll explode in there.

I can take care of it.

Aww...

You can chop-up the mushrooms instead. Yeah?

Yay!

Wait a second, what manner of, stenchy a dessert, are you trying to foist upon us?

They're for the salad... genius!

I defy you, to find me a single world-line in which, egg and mushroom salad goes with apple pie!

Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop,...

Calling a moratorium on the: Chop chop chop!

Out of the way!

ugh... awrgh...

Woe betide me, all the women have turned into evil kitchen ghouls!

If I don't call you back in an hour's time, please, tell my parents that I love them.

...right up until the bitter... end!

Excuse me, Okabe. Is there a rice cooker in here?

Here's Daru! Wait a sec, where's Faris!?

Sorry, she can't make it to our dinner, tonight.

Looks like someone 'pulled a fast one' on you... guess who? [Pull a fast one = To succeed in an act of deception]

What!? Son of a... man, you suck!

You know, truth is a very subjective phenomenon.

That load of good that does me, I skipped my time-travel 'meet up' for this.

Time travel 'meet up'?

Don't judge! It's just a bunch of posters from a sci-fi forum I moderate sometimes.

We had a writer coming as a guest tonight too!

This little kit is so cute, what do you keep in here?

I wouldn't go touching that, Ruka! It's future gadget numero 4... Moad Snake!

Let me see... how do we get you open?

Is that a claymore!?

No, no... it's merely a 'mock up'. In actuality, it's a humidifier.

Aha! Here we go!

Ugh! Don't... don't pull that!

uhhhh...

I'm so sorry, you guys!

What's done, is done.

Just watch what you touch from now on, alright?

Hey! This might help with the cleanup.

A... a vacuum? Yeah, good thinking.

Guess again... it's future gadget number 3.

...or is it the 2nd one?

...No. 5... a.k.a I've connected yet another trifling thing, no luck, Goemon. [a.k.a = also known as]

A.k.a, a hairdryver that uses the heat output of a vacuum cleaner, here, gimme.

Hold on! You have to unplug everything else, before you use it, otherwise...

Uh, Ohh!

...breaker will trip.

Yeah...

Anybody know where the flashlight is?

Umm... is this it?

uhh... no. That's a cucumber.

Hahehaha...

So... where's the juice box?

What's with that giggle, Mayuri? You've got a dirtier mind than I give you credit for.

You're just gonna trip over something.

Huh? What are you talking about Daru?

Told'ja so...

Aoouh...

It's by the front door.

Cool... thanks.

You, okay?

heheh... hahaha... heh heh

What's so funny?

Sorry about that. It's just...

umm?

I thought of the lab, I work at, back in America.

It's top notch, you know. We're talking wall-to-wall geniuses.

But... they're all so... cold.

Scientifically, it blows this place out of the water. But...

I feel at home here.

Hmph...

Hey! Don't go thinking that was a compliment or anything.

I was just comparing and contrasting the labs... that's all.

I made this place because I couldn't invent friends.

uhh!

It worked. I mean...

I'm still here, aren't I?

And you know earlier, when you said you cherish our friendship... it... well...

...It made me happy... like a lot!

Did you fall on your head?

uh... wait, what? I try to say something nice, and that's your reply. You're such a bastard!

uhh...

*yawning*

Suzuha sure is late, huh? I hope that means she found her dad.

Sure, I bet they're catching up on father daughter stuff, and they lost track of time.

I made it very clear, she was to report to the lab, either way.

But I guess my instructions were all for nothing.

She isn't coming. Let's call it a night.

Why that little... uhh...

So, she's just gonna slink-off into the night, fatherless and alone.

Not on my watch. Hououin Kyouma cannot abide this.

Dammit, where could she be? ...uhh... Of Course!

I'll send a D-Mail instructing myself to tail Suzuha, this afternoon, at all costs!

But...

After everything that's transpired... dare I alter the past any further?

You're a nice guy, you know that?

uhh...

Either way, I feel a little bit better about this than I did earlier.

I'm no, thumb-twiddling milk-toast trembling in his labcoat. I am Hououin Kyouma!

I look into the Abyss with 'nary a fear'.

hahaha...hahahahaha...HAHAHAHAHA!!

Ignore assistant...

...tail Suzuha!

Whazzap?

hmm... it's good to see you're so hard at work. Late night, huh?

No kidding, that party really took on a life of it's own. I'm running on fumes, today.

Humor me, if you would...

We threw a consolation dinner for you last night, one at which, you served as our test subject.

Did we not?

Yeah, but we never got around to the guinea pig part, 'cause I don't have my dad's contact info.

There's a detail, I'm kinda fuzzy on.

Refresh my memory, as to how you ended up at the lab last night.

Huh! What were you drinking?

Sounds like somebody needs to lay-off the sauce.

Please, just indulge me for a moment.

Yeah, okay... I was just leaving the time-travel forum meet-up when you...

ugh! Time travel forum meet-up?

When you told me, your father might show up somewhere, is that what you meant?

Yup! On the message boards, he posts under the user ID 'Titor'.

Wait! John Titor!?

Na ah, sorry, 'Barrel'.

It's 'Barrel Titor'.

I told you at the party, remember? You recorded me saying it and everything.

*sigh*

Oh, Man! Last night was so much fun!

'Course, it would've been better without 'you know who'.

That pie of hers almost made it a farewell party for everyone.

Ruka's Curry though, now that was some tasty stuff!

I really do dig your lab. Seriously cool!

You all get along and you're always having fun.

First time in my whole life, I felt like I really fit in.

Come on up, whenever you feel like it.

Surely, I needn't remind you. You are a member of the lab, now.

Yeah... maybe I'll stick around. Look for dear old dad a little bit more.

[END]