Chapter 2 - Absolute Zero
Divergence: 1.129848%
8/22/2010
It had happened in July. His second attempt to save Kurisu had failed yet again. But didn't have the will to try to save her once more. He had witnessed Mayuri's death way too many times. Endlessly going back in time trying to save her. He finally realized that for her to live, Kurisu had to die. But Suzuha had explained the Attractor Field, a point in time where all worldlines collide on one single worldline. Okabe knew it as Stein's Gate. When going back to the present with Suzuha, a girl from the future and had helped fight a resistance against SERN with the help of future Okabe, he had no energy. He had nothing to motivate him. He wanted it all to stop.
"They're back!" exclaimed Daru. He was Okabe's right hand man and a brilliant hacker. He even hacked into SERN's database. Next to him was Mayuri Shiina, Okabe's good childhood friend. The two watched Suzuha's time machine fade into existence. They then ran to the door of the huge satellite-shaped object as it opened, revealing Suzuha aiding Okabe out of it. His lab coat was covered in blood. The blood of Makise Kurisu. He had no emotion. His face was blank and he was extremely pale.
"Okabe, that blood.." Daru looked, shocked.
"It's all right. It isn't his." Said Suzuha, reassuring Daru.
Okabe faintly let out words using what will he had left.
"I was the one who killed Kurisu." He collapsed onto the ground between the three others. He sounded even weaker when he repeated himself. "I was the one who killed Kurisu." His eyes welled up with tears of pain and torture. He repeated himself several times. Mayuri kneeled down beside him to try to comfort him. Suzuha boldly explained that he mustn't give up.
"I know it hurts, but you can't give up yet. We have enough fuel to go bsck one more time."
"Shut up!" yelled Okabe. "Nothing will change! The Attractor Field Convergence will kill her over again!" He was still on his hands and knees speaking to the ground as anger and sadness began to boil inside him.
"All...All of it. It's my fault." He silently wept.
"5.7 billion lives hang in the balance!" Suzuha had become almost annoyed that Okabe, than man she knew in the future was fearless and had declared war on SERN, was crying on the ground before her.
"You have to save Makise Kurisu and change the World Line!"
There was a small length of silence before Okabe muttered, "It's impossible."
"Why? It's just one failure!" Suzuha was basically yelling in his ear as she crouched beside him.
"Just one? Don't give me that bullshit! Just how many times do you think I failed?! Just how many dozens of times do you think I failed?! I know how this will go! And how absurd this whole thing is! I'm well aware of the cruel ending that awaits!" After his loud rant to Suzuha, Okabe slowly stood up. He wobbled all the way to his feet.
"I knew..." He said. "I knew this would happen. I'm tired now. I'm so tired..." Okabe stumbled off but not before an angry Suzuha stopped him in his tracks.
"If that's how you want to be, I guess I'll have to slap some sense into you." Suzuha raised her hand, about to slap him when Mayuri jumped between the two while yelling for her to stop.
"Stop!" There was a long pause. Mayuri then spoke in a trembling voice. "You shouldn't force him." Okabe once again fell onto his bottom and began to cry even more. Mayuri got on her knees and wrapped Okabe in her arms. She felt him shaking.
"But there's no way he can change the future like this!" Exclaimed Suzuha yet again.
"Why? Why are you making Okabe shoulder the future by himself? That's too big a burden." Mayuri spoke in a calm and consoling voice towards Suzuha in which she replied, "Okabe is the only one who can observe the world lines."
Mayuri still had her arms grasped tightly around the weeping Okabe.
"Okabe never asked for that." She said. "And even if you try one more time, he'll just get hurt again. Thinking one person alone can change the future...that just isn't possible."
As he wept, Okabe kept muttering Kurisu's name. "Kuri...su Kurisu... Kuri..."
Mayuri then began to run her fingers through his hair to try to comfort him a little more.
"Okabe," she softly whispered into his ear. "You dont have to struggle anymore. It's ok to cry, Okabe. Mayushii is here with you."