Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider
Chapter Two Azure Encounter
Hot... So hot.
Saying that it's hot will not,
in fact, make it cooler.
Nishinosono-san, we're going camping, right?
Yes, I can't wait.
Is this your car?
Yes.
Wow...
Wait, where's your luggage?
It'll be here in a second.
Hello.
I am Suwano, the lady's butler.
Please take good care of her.
He said he was a butler.
What's a butler?
I'll explain later, Wu-san.
I'll take a picture...
Fuchida-san!
Everyone.
Yes?
Could you help me unload my luggage?
Sure.
Thank you very much.
Sensei?
Please take good care of the lady.
All right.
It'll be fine. Leave her to me.
She was so looking forward to this.
Even I can tell she's happy.
Even more because you'll be accompanying her.
To put it in terms she might use,
her happiness has increased exponentially.
Nishinosono-san, this is too heavy!
What are you bringing?
Ice cream.
Ice cream? On a camping trip?
Everything you do is like something out of a fairytale...
What's a fairytale?
I'll tell you later.
Thank you so much, everyone—
You help, too!
And since her parents are no longer with us,
she gets few opportunities like this.
Here.
I brought a dessert just for you!
Is that supposed to be a joke?
Um, you're Saikawa-sensei, yes?
Yes.
Vice Director Yamane Yukihiro
My name is Yamane Yukihiro. I'm with the Magata Laboratory.
The director has asked me
to show you around.
I see.
You're dressed rather casually.
Basically, the only rule around here is that there are no rules.
School of Engineering, Architectural Department Assistant Professor Saikawa Sohei
I'm Saikawa. Thank you for having us.
I hope this camping trip isn't causing trouble for you.
Not at all.
We've never had so many guests before.
Thank you.
Nishinosono-kun,
this is Yamane-san, the facility's vice director.
Nice to meet you. I'm Nishinosono.
I've never met you in person,
but I did watch the recording of your meeting with Dr. Magata.
That was being recorded?
I thought it was private...
It was quite an interesting conversation.
Excuse me.
As a matter of course, meetings with Dr. Magata are made public.
I will say that everyone was extremely jealous.
I've been at the lab for fifteen years,
and I've never had the chance to speak with her about anything but work.
And all those discussions occurred with a mike and camera.
Does the doctor never meet with anyone?
No.
After what happened,
it would be more accurate to say that she's kept isolated.
For the past fifteen years, Dr. Magata hasn't
taken a single step outside.
Well, she's been conducting a lot of interviews via computer lately.
But her conversation with you was the first of its kind.
You're a lucky girl, aren't you, Nishinosono-kun?
You look jealous, Sensei.
Saikawa-sensei is a huge, huge, huge fan of Dr. Magata's!
Yamane-san,
how many times per day does this boat arrive at the island?
Oh, it doesn't make regular trips.
Normally, this ship doesn't go to Himaka Island.
It goes to Shino Island, which is past Himaka.
During that trip, we simply have it stop
at our island.
And we have to call for it to come.
Then how does the lab's network function?
It's protected.
It's completely isolated from the outside world,
and it's impossible to privately communicate with Dr. Magata.
You're trying to keep your secrets from leaking?
Of course that's part of it.
But the most important thing is that
Dr. Magata can only be contacted
if the conversation is recorded and monitored by multiple people.
Magata Shiki's talent is
our lab's most important asset.
So she herself is the main system, yes?
Exactly.
No Signal
And naturally, there are no cell towers, since they're unnecessary...
Truly an ideal environment.
Doctor,
you've been in that room for fifteen years, haven't you?
In an environment with no seasons, day, or night.
What has changed?
I shall start by saying that
I did not come here of my own free will.
But many things inside me have taken on lives of their own.
You could say, in a sense, that has stabilized me,
anchoring me in reality.
Do you not need any type of physical access?
Reality affects us all, regardless of our wishes.
From an energy standpoint, it's more efficient
to limit physical access to the maximum degree possible.
In the future, physically meeting someone, in the real world,
will become a luxury, like jewelry.
Even shaking another's hand will come to constitute a special occasion.
Which means
you won't be able to kill another person.
A brilliant insight.
Here, Nishinosono-san.
Hamanaka...
Don't spoil her.
She hasn't done a thing!
Sorry, I've never held a knife in my life,
so I don't know how to use one.
You don't know how to use a knife?
This is delicious!
Who did the flavoring?
I just put some yakiniku sauce on it.
Who made that sauce?
Listen... I bought it in a store.
Is that yakisoba?
I've always wanted to try that!
You've never had yakisoba?
Kawabata...
Later.
Is that the helicopter that was at the lab?
Wow, look at all the stars!
I can't believe she's lived the last fifteen years
without seeing a beautiful sky like this!
But that way of life is beautiful, as well.
Seeing nature and thinking it's beautiful is what's unnatural.
That means the life you lead is an unclean one.
You think so?
If you can cut yourself off from Mother Nature and still survive,
doesn't it mean you have enough inner beauty to allow you to do that?
You're thinking about Dr. Magata, aren't you?
Sensei, can I have a smoke?
You're still a minor, right?
I'm almost twenty.
I'm going to the lab now.
Right now? Alone?
Actually, I've already scheduled it with someone from the lab.
Wait, why didn't you tell me something so important?
This is more important to you than our camping trip, isn't it?
No, that isn't what I meant.
Then what did you mean?
Anyway, it's dark and dangerous.
If you're going, I'll go with you.
Okay.
But in exchange, when we get back, you're going on a date with me.
I don't know if you should be involving others in these negotiations.
Sensei, are you just keeping me around, even though you don't like me?
Is it because I'm Nishinosono Kyosuke's daughter?
Listen, Nishinosono-kun.
Outside of work hours, I never do anything I don't want to.
And right now, we're outside of work hours.
Dr. Magata really is on this island, isn't she?
That's right. I met her.
What should I do?
Should I get her autograph?
I'm sorry, Uncle.
Wanting to leave so suddenly this way is selfish.
No, I don't mind.
I want to see the ocean.
You've seen the ocean.
I've never seen it at night.
All right.
We'll go to the yacht harbor nearby.
There's also a bowling alley and an arcade, too.
You think of me as a child, don't you?
Yes, you're still a child, you know.
Sensei...
Oh, sorry.
I want to see the ocean!
You can see it... It's right over—
Come on!
When we get there, I want to see a lighthouse.
And a tunnel, too. And limestone caves.
And I want to look at a railway bridge from below.
And then...
We don't have time for all of those.
No, I want to see all of them.
I want to go into the sea at night.
And then I want to drink with you, Sensei.
But you're still a minor—
Be quiet, please!
And then I want to try alcohol.
Shiki, you're still thirteen.
Then I can't?
Of course not.
This is the worst.
Instead of going camping,
I really want to go on a trip, just you and me.
Nishinosono-kun...
Back there, were you drinking beer?
This is the worst!
Enough of this!
It's dangerous to walk that fast.
What did you tell your wife about tonight?
That a friend's father died, and I was attending the memorial service.
Liar.
I don't exactly have a choice, do I?
And what did your wife say?
She won't be home tonight.
She's staying over somewhere.
Then I don't have to go back...
What you're doing is dangerous.
I know.
Are you part of the staff?
No.
Please wait a moment.
Yes, who's there?
Hello, I'm Nishinosono, from Nagono University.
I'd like to speak to Yamane-san.
What's wrong?
I have a terrible headache...
I was hoping I could get some medicine.
All right, just a moment.
Are you okay, Nishinosono-san?
It gets really bad sometimes...
If I can get some medicine, I think it'll get better.
For now, just come inside.
Thank you...
Yamane Yukihiro.
Put your right hand here, and say your name.
All right.
Saikawa Sohei.
Nishinosono Moe.
Two persons registered as guests.
Deborah, send a message to any staff still awake,
asking anyone with headache medicine to bring it to the lobby.
Understood.
Um, who is Deborah?
The name of one of the subsystems.
Deborah does that, as well.
Can I smoke in here?
Yeah, you can smoke almost anywhere in the lab.
These days, that's rare.
Aren't you happy, Sensei?
Oh, Yamane-san, a while ago, didn't I hear a helicopter?
Yes. That was the director leaving.
Where's he going at this hour?
Oh, well...
Huh? Nishinosono-san, are you feeling better?
Yes...
A little bit, but I'd still like some medicine...
Deborah, send P1 back.
Wow, that's amazing!
What's P1?
The name of this cart.
Would you like to rest in my room a while?
Yes!
Please...
Hot!
Nishinosono-san, you came to see Dr. Magata, didn't you?
O-Oh, no...
I'm sorry we tried to trick you.
No, I tricked Sensei and brought him here.
I'm sorry.
Well, I was getting a little bored,
so it's no bother.
Thank you.
And so, the doctor...
Well...
We keep calling her, without response.
Could she have collapsed inside her room?
It's possible,
but with the director gone, we can't just barge in there—
No! We should go inside!
Her life might be in danger!
But... The door to the doctor's room is locked.
What do you mean?
My guess is that it's software trouble.
In the worst case, we can break down the door...
But I don't think we can do that without the director here.
Where did the director go?
He went to get Dr. Magata's younger sister.
Dr. Magata has a younger sister?
Yes, though that's not public knowledge...
Just a moment.
What is it?
Yamane-san, we're back on-line.
What was the cause?
No clue. It just suddenly came back.
Got it. I'll head straight over.
The door might open.
Will you come with me?
Yes, I'd like to.
Yamane Yukihiro.
This is Saikawa-sensei and Nishinosono-san, from Nagono University.
This is Mizutani-kun and Shimada-san. They work here.
That's the door.
You're really opening it?
For fifteen years, no one's opened it without the doctor's permission.
Make the call, Yamane-san.
You're in charge right now, aren't you?
Let's open it.
Are you sure? She's a murderer.
She's fine now.
Don't make assumptions!
We, the security personnel, will take the fall if something happens!
What happened?
What's going on here?
Mochizuki-san, the door is opening!
Deborah, check the lights.
Irregularity detected.
Did someone open the door?
I didn't do it! It opened on its own!
Who's there?
A doll?
P1?
That isn't a doll! It's Dr. Magata!
Someone, stop it!
Deborah, shut down all P1's!
That command cannot be executed now.
Reset!
A normal reset cannot be executed now.
Will you execute an emergency reset?
Reset!
Command recognized.
All functions will shut down for one minute.
There were too many people
around her who treated her like a genius.
But to me, she was just a thirteen-year-old girl.
No, I had thought of her as a girl, but...
Whenever I was alone with her,
there was always a slight sense of terror.
She ruled my life.
She toyed with it.
Or perhaps, I wanted her to rule it
and to toy with it.
I wanted to touch her, and my hands moved slightly.
She always anticipated this moment's hesitation.
Part of me realized that
this terror was an expression of
another, different feeling.
Or so I'd thought...