The Death of Haruhi Suzumiya
Purposive Adjudication
Chapter 9
4 days ago
It took some time to convince my parents that I hadn't run away. My little sister was surprisingly crying when she first saw me, and she would let me go for a whole hour, 'in case I ran away again' according to her.
I realised then that I no longer wanted to treat her like just a kid. She was already becoming more mature in her own way, and not physically like her friend Miyokichi, but mentally. Maybe it was the influence of her school; it could even be me, or our interactions with Haruhi et al. She and Asahina-san did get on amazingly well the few times we went out together as a large group.
None the less, I slept fitfully again, the LCD clock said it was around 2am, for today was the day I had to decide the future of the world.
And it scared me.
Lunchtime
North High
I chose to come to school today, seeing as the meeting would still occur not matter how much I put it off, besides, there was something else I had to do. I ate my food fast, because I wanted to get everyone's opinion subtly, before committing to any decision.
The first person I found was Asahina-san. She was sitting outside under the tree Haruhi retreated to after being thanked for the culture festival. She brightened up at seeing me walking towards her, but I think my face scared her slightly.
"Kyon-kun, what's wrong?" Her worried tone sent daggers of guilt through my body.
"Nothing much..." I sat down next to her, clearing some wet grass first. "I just need your help on something."
"Anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to." Her smile put me at ease.
I cleared my throat; this wasn't going to be easy. "If someone had a choice to make between two options, the first option starts good, but could end horribly; the second begins terribly, but will definitely end up happy. Which one would you choose?"
Asahina-san cupped her chin cutely, pouting her lips. "Hmm, well maybe if I knew how bad the options were..."
"Really bad..." I rephrased for her.
"Hmm... Then I would go for the first choice, you said that it might not end bad. If you could ensure it to remain positive, then maybe it wouldn't be so terrible. The second one doesn't sound so appealing, since the bad event does happen, even though the ending will be good."
I sighed at hearing this answer.
"However, whatever choice Kyon-kun made, I would be happy regardless. I trust him completely."
Her honesty got to me, and I had trouble in responding, my mouth making movements with no sound coming from it. She giggled lightly.
"Thank you Asahina-san." I got up and waved to her as I went back into the school.
After finding Koizumi in his usual class, I asked the same question.
"So, who gave you these choices? Well, it doesn't matter. Naturally, the one with the better outcome would be preferable, although the first bad event might be too much for some people." His eyes were sharper here, but relaxed to his foxy state. "However, the other alternative does provide some method of salvation, seeing as the bad events wouldn't be compulsory." He shrugged. "I can't make you choose, you need to solve it yourself."
Thanks Koizumi, even though you didn't really help me much, you clarified it for me.
Tsuruya-san's laughs could be heard from across the corridor, so I heading straight for it. "Kyon-kun? How're things?"
Yes, her mood had lifted from its bad state earlier, and she was back into hyperdrive again. I stated the same question to her.
"Ohohoho, Kyon-kun has a big decision facing hims, eh?" She moved her face in really close to mine, grinning all the way. I could smell freshly mowed grass for some reason from her shampoo. "Well, I won't say or do anythings to make you decide. Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll come up with the right reason, and if nots, well, we'll work something out!"
Slapping me loudly on my back, she spoke to her other friends, guessing correctly that I wanted to leave, and I went to the last place I had to go to.
The clubroom was still, apart from a slight sound, like the humming and clicking of an air-conditioner at its lowest fan power. Moving to the source, I pulled up a chair and sat opposite it.
"Nagato..." I didn't wait for a response before speaking on. "This is not a vital request. I want to ask you something, your opinion again. If you want me to continue, please say so."
After ten seconds had passed, and another failed attempt to access the Data Sentient Entity was logged, Nagato looked up at me, her eyes peering deep into my own.
Damn, the incandescent light I could usually see in them was getting dimmer; I didn't want to think about losing her either right now.
"Speak." She stated, and I asked my question, the same way I asked the others. "What level of destruction or negative factors are the two possible effects?"
"I'd say the highest level for the first one, but the second one isn't so much as dangerous, but very painful to me and others personally."
There was little point in hiding these things from Nagato, since she never spoke of things she and I talked about to others like Koizumi. Being detached from her boss also makes this appear to be a personal opinion, just like the first time I asked her.
"Given that the first option is an optional form of total destruction, this makes that option less viable for consideration. Though you haven't stated probabilities that the secondary effect would come into being, it would be safe to assume it involves a randomising factor that is specific in being chaotic and unable to predict."
That about sums Haruhi up, yep.
"The second option involves a negative personal effect on you, and persons unspecified. However, it does finalise on a positive effect for all. While personal sadness does not compare to a global or universal scale of destruction, it can however affect you and said persons for the rest of their lives."
I waited for Nagato to give me her final impression.
"However, this requires no more thought from me. Both options are equal in positive and negative effects, as human emotions cannot be quantified like those of death statistics or financial losses from corruption of peace. Given the current status of Haruhi Suzumiya, I can assume that this relates to her in some form."
I dared not move a muscle to confirm her suspicions, but something must've given me away because she continued.
"All evidence considering, I will not give my personal analysis, beyond that of what I have spoken."
Her eyes conveyed something I hadn't seen before, although to all other observers, there was no outward difference in her manner.
"All major decisions that have been made by your person have always led to a positive outcome, regardless of the temporary detrimental side-effects that were incurred in the meantime. Therefore, I place my full trust in you, and I am betting on you once more. I believe that, again, this choice will not turn into something less beneficial, as it has never happened before in my lifetime of associating with your person."
Yes, those eyes showed something I had been waiting for in a long time now.
The look of complete trust in someone, me in particular. The sign that she considers me a true friend of hers, and vice versa, which only firmed my deep-set admiration for the petite girl opposite me. No matter what I chose, even if it was to erase all existence, she would still believe in me to the end, something even I couldn't guarantee about myself. Her opinion I discovered at that moment, was the one I cared for the most out of the rest of the Brigade members.
I had never felt closer to Nagato than I had in these scant moments.
The urge to embrace her, or even to touch her arm or hand was so overwhelming, but I felt that any contact with her would ruin the seriousness of this conversation, and that she would retreat into herself again, piling on the infinite layers of data over her fluctuating, yet burgeoning, emotions.
So instead, I chose to smile in response.
"Thanks Nagato... You've really simplified things for me." She nodded briefly, her soft hair floating with the movement. "Before I leave for now, how are things going?" I didn't need to say about what I was talking about.
"I have been granted Priority One access to attempt access to the Data Integrated Thought Entity. All other Human Interface Terminals have been granting me access to their bandwidth pipelines, so I have sole security clearance for maximum speed upload and download."
"Any luck?"
"None. Data and Matter collisions are severely hampering all my requests for re-initialisation. The Entity is using its full power to prevent dissemination into nothingness from the encroachment of Matter. This is what I have concluded, as it is impossible to maintain connection with the Entity for a lengthened duration."
I didn't want to pry any further, about if she would succeed.
Nevertheless, it seemed that she had something to say on the subject.
"If access has still been denied and my termination deadline has passed, you will receive a list of instructions to follow. You will be allowed to involve other members if you so wish. These will detail specific methods and requirements that must be fulfilled in order to dispose of me, and other persons who will be identified, along with their home addresses. I entrust this to you as well."
I sat back, my mood lowering to below what I thought the minimum could be.
Nagato was telling me of her funeral arrangements.
Would she want to be buried with her books, or maybe have me carry an urn about for all my life? The other people must be those like Kimidori-san. I shudder to think of how many others are out there that I need to help.
All I could do was bow.
"I'll do my best Nagato." I stood up and shrunk back my earlier regrets and held her shoulder. "Call me when you get access."
Her eyes met mine, a little spark lighting up briefly again. "This was already confirmed at the hospital, but I will do so immediately."
Nodding once, I left the room, already hearing her attempts beginning again.
4pm
The hospital
Two whole days had passed while I was in our city over 300 years ago with Tsuruya-san. I still can't believe it was true, that the timer had been recycled and was reburied there... I mean, how many times has it regenerated? Have we been living this world dozens of times before? Time-loops and self-fulfilling prophecies is one thing, that endless summer came to me in a rush, but what about the original creation of an item? Where did the first ever occurrence of that titanium-caesium alloy come from? Tsuruya-san certainly didn't remember anything like this before, so it couldn't have been her...
Argh, all this is giving me a headache.
The timer that could only send us to parallel worlds took us back in time, and back here again, with a small delay in arrival. But, Asahina-san and Asahina-san (Big) said that no one from their time could go back longer than four years ago... Did that technology circumvent this somehow, breaking the barrier, even if it was only once?
Still, I had some time to go before I had to go to my appointment. I went inside the pristine hospital, and wondered what the two days had done to Haruhi, made her calm, or increase her fury?
"Kyon-san, it is good to see you." Mori-san welcomed me at the entrance. "Suzumiya-san is awake if you wish to see her."
"And...?"
I cast a hopeful eye on her, and she nodded quietly, her smile losing the professional look and becoming more of a personal one.
"Yes, she was just in shock at her location, however I would advise you not make any sudden movements yet." She glanced around quickly before speaking to me again. "The Celestials were highly offensive for two hours after that event, threatening us observers."
I gulped. "Sorry about that..."
Her professionalism returned. "No need to apologise, no one was injured." She held out a hand to the corridor I already knew about. "You may see her now."
Saying my thanks, I walked to the room and stared at the room number, gathering my wits, before knocking.
"Come in!"
Doing so, I peeked my head around the corner and saw her sitting up, watching TV fairly avidly, though she didn't look too impressed with what she saw.
"There should be more to do if you're stuck in hospital, Mori-san, I -"
Seeing it was me, she thinned her lips, and that familiar angry stare was back. To prevent any likelihood of death, I bowed to her.
"I'm sorry Haruhi. What I did back then was a mistake, I hope you realise it."
There was silence, before her 'hmph' came loudly. Looking up, I saw she had her arms folded.
"Of course I knew! Touching the leader of the SOS Brigade, without her permission, is tantamount to treason, punishable by death, or lots of pain!"
Does that mean the leader is always going to be female? So much for getting promoted...
"So, ignoring what you just said, you're going to have to do your punishment!"
"What?" I wasn't expecting this.
"That's right, get down and give me fifty push ups!"
"Fifty?!"
Her look stated in no uncertain terms that disobeying would be a worse choice at this time.
"Fine!" I said tiredly.
Dropping my schoolbag to one side I landed on the floor with my bare hands, my shoes groaning at the unnecessary folding under my body weight. It smelled of chemical cleanser, with some perfume in it. I doubted it would be disgusting, but I was at least glad it was tidy enough.
After about forty push ups, I was getting sweaty, all this excitement was not doing much for me, and my stamina had been decreasing rapidly this past week.
"That's enough." She said.
I looked up; craning my neck painfully to see her expression of, guilt was it? Nah, it looked like she knew she was being too much of a bully to me. After hearing no more from her, I got up and clapped my hands to get rid of the stinging sensation of the pins and needles running through my skin.
She looked a bit moody and was looking away from me as I went to sit in the chair next to her. It wasn't until she made a sound that I did anything else.
She was wincing, and the gasp was from pain. Moving further down the bed, she laid down properly, her head settling in the fluffy pillow. This time her eyes made their way to me, but she flicked them away immediately.
I sighed and got up. Seeing her angry was okay, but not talking to me because of that temper went a little too far.
I got to the exit when she called out to me, her voice sounding a little strange. "Kyon..." My hand was on the doorknob. "Wait... Just for a minute..."
That was what I needed to hear. Letting go, I went to my usual chair and looked at her, relief must have shown on my face since she frowned then smiled.
"Sorry..." She said, pulling up the quilt over her mouth, maybe to hide a blush? "I'm just not happy at this..." Her eyes looked downwards for a second, indicating her body.
"I know, Haruhi... None of us are."
"To be honest, I've thought about it recently, what must it be to die young? Before you have a chance to change the world for the better?"
The irony in that statement is rightfully disconcerting. Her dying is doing the opposite technically, though that Sneering Bastard said it would work out fine afterwards.
"No one expects to die, Haruhi, not even if doctors told us." I leaned on my hand. "That's what makes us human."
Her smile was rosy, and I thought I saw her eyes become shinier. "Really? So it's not just me then?"
Shaking my head, I placed my hand on her bed, not near her body yet.
"We'll all be here for you, Haruhi, we'll do anything we can to help you."
"Mori-san told me so. Can you believe she's a qualified nurse also? She said that I won't have long to live, but as long as I don't sit up or move much, I won't feel any pain."
That sounds like a blessed way to go, but it must be even more depressing to not feel sick, but to know that your end is near.
"Mikuru-chan, Koizumi-kun, and Yuki-chan visited me soon after I got up; even Tsuruya-san came to see me this morning... Where were you?"
"I..." My throat seized up. However could I explain that I was in a different time for those two days? "I wasn't sure... If you..." I looked away, the guilt was real, but the reason wasn't entirely the truth.
Perhaps it was infectious, as Haruhi also shared the expression, and her hand reached out for mine. "Alright, it was my fault, I'll accept that. It wouldn't hurt though to know you were okay. Koizumi-kun only told me that you went on a journey somewhere."
Yeah, he probably knew exactly how I got to that place, but not all the information.
"I already told my parents, and everyone else, that when the end comes..." She composed herself for a few seconds. "I want you, and you alone, to be with me." Her grip tightened. "It's important to me."
"I... Okay then..." I suppose it should be an honour if a God wants only you by her side when she dies.
"Until then, don't be a stranger." Her smile transformed into her hungry grin. "Besides, that was only Part One of your punishment."
"Yare, yare..."
It seems like ages since I said that, guess it must be because I'm talking to Haruhi that it came out automatically.
"Well, I'd better be going now... I have to meet some people before I go home."
"Good, good Kyon, try not to be late to your appointment. There may be a penalty!"
She winked and stuck her tongue out at me. Her uplifted mood also brought mine to a higher level, as I steeled myself for the upcoming test.
5pm
'That' place
Here I was, at the location determined by that group, to choose what to do with the world.
I recalled the steps I had to take in order to enter their hideout.
I threw a strange red stone from the side of the path into the dustbin opposite, and waited for the sound of it settling into the base of it. The duration was longer than it should have been for a bin as small as that.
Moving off the path, I saw a section of recently dug up dirt. Feeling about inside for something, I pulled out the key ring of a miniature globe of the Earth. Taking it from there, I placed it in a neat hole in the tree nearby.
I found the place to sit, and I pulled out my watch. It was one of those combined analogue and digital ones my parents bought for me on my last birthday. Checking the time, it was now 5:04pm and 45 seconds. My digital alarm went off at 5:05pm. At exactly 5:05:05 I shut off the alarm.
The final part was now required. I took out my old primary school solar calculator, with the four basic functions, a memory function and the square root key. There were only eight digits on the screen, excluding the decimal point, which was a separate circuit. Typing in 5, followed by the square root button, I added 1, and then divided the lot by 2. Saving it to memory, I then inputted 1.2513875, finally dividing it by the recalled memory. I received a small decimal number. Turning the calculator upside down. I read the word out loud.
I neglected to mention. The place where their secret base was, where I was sitting right now, was the park. I was sitting on 'that' bench', one of the most important seats in my life. Come to think of it, most of the strange events surrounding Haruhi always occurred around here, confessions, time travel, sakura blooming in autumn, kidnappings, throwing turtles into a stream, and microscopic data bacteria making dogs depressed.
The sickening thought was that all this time the RIP Cartel were waiting here in silence, and that none of us could detect them before now.
A second had passed since I spoke. That was when I noticed that the sound had stopped around me completely; in fact I could categorically say that nothing moved, as a leaf was stuck in midair in front of my eyes. The stream of water across from me was not moving, the current wasn't running.
Time was frozen.
However, there were other curiosities too.
The sky was a grey ceiling. I had entered Closed Space somehow, but I could still see a person in mid stride far across the stream coming out of the trees. He didn't notice me or the environment, but then again he was paused too. This Closed Space was different, maybe a miniature version just for this place.
Bursting from the ground three metres around me were several walls, or should I say barriers. I was now in an enclosed room of around six metres by six, the height around three metres. The translucent but morphing qualities of the images behind the electrical interference reminded me of the data locked classroom a year ago. The images were even more confusing than that time. The few leaves and organic material, apart from me, still in there were removed, so even the grass vanished. I stood up as I felt the bench going too.
Finally, a portal opened at the far end. I instantly took a dislike to it for several reasons. The edges of it were sharp, and looked like claws scraping away at the reality around it. The red and black colours weren't exactly appealing, but it could also have to do with the yellow iris in the centre of it, staring right into my eyes, as if it was searching my soul.
Loosening my top button even more I grit my teeth and clenched my fists. This was the moment I had been dreading, but I have to go through it, otherwise who knows what will happen?
The portal was similar to a door, and reached the artificial floor, so I chose to calmly enter instead of jumping like we always did in the past.
I walked into the portal, and was met with darkness...
---
Author's Notes
Ooh, cliffhanger or what?
What will Kyon decide to do? What awaits him on the other side?
Or, more to the point, who?
Hope you enjoyed it!
- J
