Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider
Chapter Three Red Magic
It stinks.
Of course it does.
It smells like something rotten.
Hey, it's pitch-black.
Is the power out?
Yuminaga-sensei, get over here!
Look at this!
What is this?
What in the...
She's dead.
That's definitely Dr. Magata.
She's been placed on a P1.
Is it suicide?
Like she put on that dress and programmed the robot?
Reset successfully completed.
We have to call the police now!
No... It wasn't suicide.
She was murdered.
Close that door now.
Sensei, what are you talking about?
She was murdered?
Her arms and legs are missing.
They've been amputated.
Who would do that?
The killer.
And they're inside that room.
Wait, no one's in that room except Dr. Magata!
Someone might be in there.
Otherwise, who could have cut off her limbs after she died?
You're right.
You're joking...
Just call the police.
Do it now.
Right.
Are you okay, miss?
Excuse me. Can I smoke in here?
Sure, if you like.
What's going on here?
The phones aren't working?
I can't access e-mail, either.
The entire lab's network has been cut off.
We can't call the cops like this!
It's a software issue.
A problem with Deborah?
I'm not seeing any problems with the system.
Part of Deborah must be out of control...
I refuse to believe she'd randomly go out of control now!
But there's no way for a virus to enter the system.
That's the only thing I can think of!
Just keep working!
Are you okay?
Nishinosono-kun? Are you okay?
Now what?
I may be mistaken,
but did you just ask me two or three times if I was okay?
Not three times.
Then you were worried about me.
Thank you very much.
I was sure you said it three times, though...
I did not, and you shouldn't act so happy.
Whether I'm happy or not is a secret.
He told you to meet with me, right?
"He"?
Saikawa-sensei.
No... I came here on my own.
I came because I'm interested in you.
I lied about wanting to hear about my father.
You are a very honest girl, aren't you?
You were raised in a wealthy family.
Was your father very strict?
And... Hmm...
You are attracted to Saikawa-sensei, aren't you?
Saikawa-sensei was my father's last student.
A brilliant man, with a very innovative method of thinking.
He is worthy of respect—
That is not an answer.
The answer is yes.
What made you like him so much?
It was because...
Why?
It's been several days since her death.
Several days?
We won't know the details until we investigate,
but should we tell everyone?
No need.
It isn't like telling them will change anything.
And if we stay here and keep an eye out, the killer can't escape.
That won't work.
No one's in that room.
We guarantee it.
If no one's there, then how did she end up like that?
Absolutely no one's there.
Then has the killer already escaped?
No one went in or out.
We've been here the whole time,
and we checked the video logs, too.
Video logs?
Then who killed her?
You tell me.
And don't say it was a ghost.
Hey, look at me and say that again!
Okay, just calm down.
Um...
Couldn't we find out instantly by looking inside?
It's too dangerous.
There's a murderer inside.
I told you there isn't!
If you want, I'll go in there alone!
Let's just leave him locked in, and wait for the cops.
There are no other entrances or exits, right?
No, there's no other way in and or out.
Only one entrance?
Once the cops get here,
they'll suspect all of us, right?
That's right.
That's right!
First, we should wait for the director.
The director, huh?
He's coming here by helicopter.
Once he returns, we can use the helicopter's radio to contact the outside.
Right now, it's our only choice!
When is he coming back?
The plan was that he'd be back in about thirty minutes...
Dr. Magata's younger sister is with him.
Her sister will be very sad when she hears what happened.
Saikawa-sensei...
I'm sorry.
You got caught up in this because of me.
It's because you're a rain girl.
What do you mean?
It's a joke...
No meaning.
Which means you're a clear-skies man, doesn't it?
And I'm a rain girl.
That's why I always have an umbrella.
No umbrella can ward off murder.
Is there an umbrella that can keep away death?
I wonder how I can laugh right now.
You seem to be laughing at me.
I most certainly am not.
It's strange.
Indeed, it is.
After what happened to Dr. Magata, I can't believe I can laugh.
I may have reached an emotional peak and shut down.
If nothing else, I did manage to meet Dr. Magata in person.
Did you see where the body was amputated?
I wish I hadn't.
Wow.
It doesn't bother you, does it?
My blood pressure's low to begin with, so it balanced out.
Her arms and legs are inside that room, if the killer didn't take them.
And why did he amputate them?
To put that bridal gown on her.
It can't be.
What's this "Red Magic" thing I keep seeing?
This isn't UNIX?
That's what we call our custom, in-house system.
It's currently on version four,
and the development environment is extremely feature-rich.
Once you experience it, you'll never be able to work anywhere else.
Is it that amazing?
It's that amazing.
But the network was still cut off?
You don't mind hitting where it hurts, do you?
It's so strange.
Like Deborah says, there was an unexpected error.
With Red Magic.
Red Magic...
Red refers to a color.
Communism.
And blood.
Dr. Magata Shiki's room
has only one entrance.
Saikawa-sensei!
How can you look so excited?
Because you've figured something out, haven't you?
I know you have.
That's what my face says to you?
I don't think that expression is in my repertoire, though.
Not your face. Your cigarette.
It proves you were thinking about something.
Very logical.
Come on, tell me!
When Dr. Magata Shiki's body appeared,
that door was open.
It was very noisy,
and we all focused on the doctor's body.
During that time, it would've been possible
to escape the room and board the elevator.
Too bad, Sensei.
Is that all you've got?
Your expression says you disagree with something I said.
Sensei, it would have been impossible.
May we come bother you again?
Sure, as often as you want.
This is the room where they monitor Dr. Magata.
Yeah, but it's not that big a deal.
We just check what goes into her room.
Big things go through that yellow door.
And small things go through the mail slot.
Oh, I forgot to ask.
How big an object can fit through there?
250 mm x 250 mm x 350 mm.
21,875 cc, huh?
A person couldn't fit through that.
Did you just do the math?
Did you bring any large objects through that door?
Big enough for a person to fit inside?
A little while ago, she got a new microwave.
Naturally, we looked inside.
What's amazing is that
they have complete video records for the past fifteen years.
Video records for fifteen years?
This video shows that
Dr. Magata hasn't left her room in fifteen years.
Of course, that isn't restricted to her.
No one else entered.
For fifteen years, huh?
Ah, wait!
I've been wondering...
What's this? Do you play music?
A marimba.
Wow!
Want to try it?
No, thanks.
Sensei, wait!
I think it has something to do with what happened fifteen years ago.
I mean, now three people from the Magata family have died.
Further,
remember who Director Shindo's bringing back?
Dr. Magata Shiki's younger sister.
Yes, that's right.
Now, of all times,
the Magata family's surviving member shows up.
A little too perfect, don't you think?
I'm afraid I don't know
the definition of "a little too perfect."
Let's forget about definitions here.
You're trying to say the killer's after the Magata fortune or something?
That's what it means.
Then I don't think it would be necessary
to amputate her limbs and put her in a wedding dress.
That's true.
That's true, isn't it?
For fifteen years, no one went into the room.
The only person inside was Dr. Magata.
How did the killer get inside?
You don't need to say what you're thinking aloud.
They do it all the time in mysteries.
I've always wanted to try it.
Expository dialogue, right?
I don't like it.
Next is the wedding dress.
I'm sure there must be some meaning to it.
I'm sure of it.
Is my definition of the word "sure" all right?
The director is arriving.
Yamane Yukihiro.
Director!
Use your radio to contact the police!
Dr. Magata's been killed!
We don't know who did it.
The doctor's room was locked.
The killer may still be inside.
We can't use e-mail.
Contact the police now!
Let's go.
Director, it's Nishinosono.
Please tell them I'm in the lab.
Use my name, and they'll know who I am!
My uncle is the head of the prefectural police!
Come here, Nishinosono-san!
Ma'am...
Where's my husband?
He's still on the roof.
This is Magata Miki-san. Could you look after her?
I'll give you the details later.
What's happened with Shiki-san is simply unbelievable...
That's her younger sister?
Miki-san.
She looks more grown-up than Dr. Magata, doesn't she?
But Dr. Magata stayed in her room for fifteen years.
She may have looked younger than she really was.
But they really do look alike...
I said that, after meeting Dr. Magata in person, I'd reached an emotional peak, but...
A dead body isn't enough for you, after all?
You wanted to talk to her.
Yes.
I'm glad you're being honest.
What made you like him so much?
It was because...
Why?
When was the first time you met him?
Do you remember?
When I was a fifth grader.
I was surprised to find an adult smarter than I was.
I'd never met any adult like that, including my father.
You are very fortunate.
I never got that chance.
So when you were in fifth grade, you met Saikawa-sensei.
And then what happened?
I did a magic trick with cards.
I was very good with magic tricks.
Everyone who saw it said I was good, and no one could ever figure them out.
But Saikawa-sensei wasn't surprised.
He knew the trick I had in mind.
And what did you think then?
I was so upset.
I hated him.
You hated him immediately after meeting him.
Yes.
But now you like him, correct?
Where did things change? When was it?
Why are you asking these questions?
I can't remember.
Nishinosono-kun. Nishinosono-kun.
I'll ask a different question then.
You lost your parents, didn't you?
Do you remember that day?
Nishinosono-kun.
Yes?
What's wrong?
It's nothing.
I just asked Shimada-san for the details on this system.
The more I hear, the more I realize that Red Magic is a perfect security system.
So that system error was impossible.
It really was an impossible error.
I thought about it being a virus.
But I was wrong.
The only thing I can think of is that the system was programmed
for an error from the very start.
Currently, my guess is
is that the killer began all this a very long time ago.
The murder plot was—
Sensei...
My parents...
Director Shindo's a little late, isn't he?
Do you think he was able to contact the police?
Hey, come quick! The director...
It could be that creating your descendants is akin to imagining your own death.
That was what she thought.
She had only been alive for thirteen years.
But they were a long thirteen years.
She'd absorbed everything she could,
and lost none of it.
What she needed now was to lose something she owned.
To cut off something, to rid herself of it.
That was what she thought.
But she didn't yet know how that was possible.
In that moment,
that thirteen-year-old girl was still...