Noise of the everlasting summer nights
Repeat 159
Unpredictable predictability
by Synaps
In 5.3 seconds the lights will switch to red, once more allowing cars to move. A young girl will, without paying attention to her surroundings, step out into the speeding traffic. Somehow she has survived unharmed in 67% of all repeats. A staggering amount considering how unaware she is of reality.
I think I'm starting to become like that.
-l-
The books I read are nothing like this loop. Authors know that, to keep the fans interested, they need to have an advancing plot. No authors would torture their fans like this.
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I found a knife in my kitchen. I'm not sure where it comes from, I can't even say how it got there. I immediately ran a search, to see if somebody had broken into my apartment. The results came back negative.
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In 6 minutes and 2.7 seconds Kyon will arrive. We are going to the pool.
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In 9 minutes and 3.5 seconds we will go to the pool.
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I don't like the pool.
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"If you don't like the pool, why go?"
"Who?" I looked up, trying to find the one addressing me. I was a bit worried I had been voicing my concerns aloud, the repeating nature of reality had softened my defences.
Suzumiya Haruhi was yelling at Kyon. Both other members of the SOS Brigade was watching the ordeal. No-one else was around.
"Just stay at home. Read your books. It's what you want to do, right?" the voice was feminine, and persistent.
Who are you?
"Isn't that true, Nagato-san?"
-l-
I must have been unfocused, back when I found the knife. How could I not have recognised it as the one Asakura Ryoko used when she tried to kill Kyon?
It was first when that understanding came to me that I realised that the voice in my mind belonged to her.
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In roughly 4,3 seconds Kyon will look in my direction. I've noticed every time his gaze has moved to me, even without directly looking at him. Sometimes it is the only thing I notice.
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Why would Ryoko's voice be inside my head?
There were several possible explanations:
1. The stress had taken its final toll on me and I'd gone insane.
It was the most human explanation, and therefore the most unlikely. Interfaces cannot lose their sanity.
2. I had been affected by a Asakura-type virus.
Much like infecting an earthly computer, Asakura could have infected me during our fight. It was possible, but not likely. Such a feat was beyond her abilities, even when fully focused on the task. Or at least I thought so. Her superiors could have been lying about her abilities when describing her to my own bosses. That seemed very likely. However, I had trouble accepting it. If her abilities were higher than my knowledge gave her credit for, she would have posed a greater threat while fighting me.
Unless she, much like myself, had been going easy during the mayor part of the battle in preparation for the more important programs.
-l-
[Search type: Database search]
[Search subject: Asakura Ryoko. Humanoid Interface, type 34432. Status]
[…]
[Search results: 1 result]
[Subject deleted by Nagato Yuki. Humanoid Interface, type 34433. For further information, refer to case file 390509845874385]
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[Search type: Internal data search]
[Search subject: Foreign substances, type 324543]
[…]
[Search results: 0 results]
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That left me with only one explanation. I had been imagining things. I hadn't been paying close attention to my surroundings, talked out loud and been answered by someone with a similar voice to Ryoko's.
Because I couldn't be going crazy.
Author's note: I'm back from vacation! It feels good to be writing again. Unfortunately I need some warm up before getting back to business fully, so this chapter was short.
As you might have seen on my profile, I'll be updating this every month: On the first Friday of the month, don't miss it!
Have a nice time until then / Synaps