Chapter 1 - Emergency Situation
As Kohaku made her way to the lab, she could faintly hear the sound of a dull roar coming from that direction. It had to be something incredibly loud for her to hear it before she could even see it. Something about it gave her a really bad feeling.
She took off at top speed so she could get to the bottom of this. The closer she got, the louder the sound became. What started out as a muffled roar grew into human voices shouting something she couldn't quite make out.
Pretty soon the sound was all but deafening... and when Kohaku got a look at the crowd surrounding the lab, she immediately understood why.
There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of people surrounding the base of the plateau. Kohaku couldn't even see a way for her to get to the lab without suddenly learning how to fly... either that or just climbing over people.
And even though she could've easily leapt her way to the front with some well timed jumps off a few human springboards, Ruri told her that she and the other villagers should respect the ways of the people from the modern era. But while jumping on people was out of the question, the thought of climbing gave her an idea.
Kohaku scanned the base of the plateau and found that the crowd was the least dense at the end furthest from the lab. She immediately headed that way and started free climbing up the rockface. Thanks to the daily training she's been sticking to all these years, it was a piece of cake.
At the summit, she found a few familiar faces.
"Ukyo! Ryusui!"
"Kohaku... you made it. How did you get past the mob?" Ukyo was the first to acknowledge her.
"I climbed up the cliff. What other choice did I have?"
"I see. That was good thinking."
"It's good that you're here, Kohaku. They could use your help with crowd control." Ryusui noted.
"Of course I'll help. But first, can you tell me what's going on here? Who are all those people and what do they want?"
"Protestors." Ryusui answered simply, crossing his arms in contempt.
"Protestors? What does that mean?"
"Simply put, they're people who gather together to fight for a cause they believe in. But instead of fighting with weapons, they fight with their words and their numbers," Ukyo explained.
"So then, what are they after? Can you hear what they're saying, Ukyo? 'Cause it all just sounds like noise to me."
"I can. It sounds like they're divided. Half of them want to put a stop to the construction of the time machine, while the other half is not only in favor of the time machine, but want to use it for themselves."
"The time machine? But the science team's been working on it for over five years now, and nothing like this has ever happened before. So, why now?"
"Apparently word's gotten out that the time machine is pretty much ready for its trial phase, and a bunch of those fanatics and whack-jobs down there want a shot to be the first person to travel through time. BUT THAT HONOR BELONGS TO ME! HA, HA!"
"This is hardly the time for jokes, Ryusui," Ukyo chastised.
"Who's joking?" Ryusui was a little insulted that his ambition was being called into question.
"Wait, you mean the only reason half of those people down there are being supportive is because they're just like Ryusui and wanna fulfill some greedy desire?"
"And what about the other half? What do they have against the time machine? Senku always said it was a way to save all seven billion humans from petrification. Isn't that a good thing?"
"It's because they're afraid of the unknown."
"Ryusui's right. Time travel has always been considered a thing of science fiction, but now that we've gotten this close to making it a reality, there's no telling what might come out of it."
"What do you mean? Wasn't the goal always to save humanity? That's what'll come out of it... That's what Senku's been fighting for all this time... That's what we've all been fighting for!"
Instead of backing up her claim like she had expected, both of their gazes turned downcast, as if there was something that neither of them wanted to say.
"What? Why aren't any of you saying anything? Don't you agree with me?"
"The thing is..." Ryusui began to say, as he scratched the back of his head. "...Ukyo, can explain it better."
Ukyo simply shook his head at Ryusui's cowardly tactic, but complied nonetheless.
"Maybe a scientist could explain the odds better, but if their efforts are successful, there's a very real possibility that everything will go back to how it was three thousand seven hundred years ago. And that would mean you, Ruri, Chrome and all the other Ishigami villagers...all of you would cease to exist."
His words hit her like an iron truck. Was that really Senku's plan all along? To save seven billion human beings by sacrificing her and all of her people? There's no way. She knew Senku could be cold and insensitive sometimes, but he wasn't heartless. She refused to believe it.
"Does Senku know about all this? About the protestors, I mean."
The duo looked at her rather perplexed. They thought for sure that she'd have an extreme reaction to that revelation.
"Gen and Minami are in the lab, filling him in on all the..."
Before Ukyo could finish his sentence, Kohaku bolted for the lab entrance. She needed to hear the truth. And she needed to hear it directly from Senku himself. Just to be on the safe side, Ukyo and Ryusui both followed after her.
...
"Alright Senku, I demand an explanation. How is it that the time machine is ready for its "maiden voyage" and some other news outlet gets the scoop first? My producer's been hounding me about it non-stop!"
"Tch, how is that my fault? And 'maiden voyage'? Seriously? The time machine is stationary and only sends..."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. The point is, if anyone was gonna break that story, it should've been me! I've been documenting humanities restoration from the very beginning, and this is probably the greatest folly of my career. So what do you have to say for yourself?
"Two words. Big. Whoop."
"Ugh... you're impossible!"
"Now, now, sweet Minami, this is hardly something to get so worked up about. Hearsay is hardly news worthy." Gen tried his best to reassure the disgruntled reporter.
"You're right! It's just meaningless gossip if it's not true. So, make my day and tell me it's not true."
"But it is true," Chrome blurted out without thinking.
"Waaaah! My career is over. I've failed as a reporter." Minami was inconsolable at this point.
"For what purpose does the female human produce such sounds of unpleasantry? Is she perhaps, as a form of torture, inflicting punishment to all those throughout the vicinity?" asked Why-Man, out of the blue from his usual position at Senku's hip.
"You shut your mouth... or face... or whatever you have, you little wretch. My crying is not a form of torture. But the fact that my career is over, is. Waaaah!"
"I'm sorry, Minami. I would've told you right away if I knew this would happen."
"It's not your fault Suika. But my reporter's intuition smells a rat."
"Yes, this dilemma is quite oubling-tray. Clearly..."
"SENKU!" Kohaku barged into Senku's personal workshop before Gen could finish his sentence.
"Kohaku!" Suika ran to give her best friend a hug. "How did you get in? Those angry people outside didn't hurt you, did they?"
"No, why? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm okay. Chrome protected me."
"Protected you from what?" Kohaku gave Senku an intense look.
"Everything's fine. It was just some pissy protestors throwing garbage and other junk."
"Junk? I think you mean rocks," Chrome corrected.
"Suika, someone threw rocks at you? And why didn't you tell me about this before?" Kohaku directed an accusatory glare at Ukyo and Ryusui.
"Because I told them not to say anything," Senku answered. "No one got hurt and Tsukasa has the situation under control. It's a non-issue."
"Speak for yourself. I'm gonna have one bad bruise on my back for weeks," Chrome mumbled under his breath.
"Not an issue?! Senku, those people out there are angry enough to use violence against you and the other scientists. Isn't that illegal in your era?"
"It is. Which is exactly why the offenders were apprehended immediately. Like I said, Tsukasa's on top of it."
"But why would they do something like that in the first place? And all to stop you guys from finishing the time machine."
"The short-sighted will always look for any excuse to reject change," Dr. Xeno declared as he too joined the scene. "They fear that which they don't understand and would choose to live in ignorant bliss with their heads buried in the sand. It's all so disgustingly inelegant."
"Is that not true of all human-kind? As emotional beings, would it not be best practice, in order to achieve happiness, to avoid that which elicits the most pain?" inquired Why-Man.
"Yeah, in all honesty, humans almost always shy away from things that evoke fear. Us scientists included," confessed Senku. "But overcoming that fear is what helps us grow as a species. Without the courage to try new and innovative things, we'd still be living in the Stone Age."
"Which is why we scientists, as the select few—the true visionaries—will take on the monumental task of unraveling the mysteries of our universe and advocate for change, which is essential for progress and ultimately benefits the feeble minded masses."
"So, there you go..." Senku was in full agreement with Xeno's perspective. "They're just scared and acting out. But humanity didn't get this far without taking some necessary risks."
"Yeah... I'm all in favor of scientific progress and the restoration of civilization and all that, but we can't just leave things this way. It can get disastrous and spell all kinds of ouble-tray if we don't give the people some answers, and ick-quay"
"Gen's right, Senku," agreed Ukyo. "It's probably a good a idea to hold a press conference to address the people's concerns."
"Yes! A press conference. I'll gather intel on what the people wanna know and then conduct an interview on a live broadcast. That's how I'll save my career. You're a genius, Ukyo. You just saved my life."
"Fine, do whatever you want," Senku agreed, happy to put an end to all this drama as quickly as possible. "Reporter, you can prepare the questions in advance, and I'll script out the responses. Then Gen, you use whatever mentalist manipulation you can come up with to convince those zealots why they're wrong."
"Ha, Ha! Excellent! This press conference will create the perfect opportunity for me to put all those opportunists in their place and let them know that I'll be the first one to use the time machine and gain the honor of becoming the first time traveler."
"The only opportunist around here is you, Ryusui," Chrome thought aloud.
"The greediest of the humans' assumption that use of the time machine will allow for human traversal through time is a fallacy. Should someone not correct his misconception?" asked Why-Man.
"Nah, let the moron cling to his little fantasy. Now that we have a plan, let's get back to work? The time machine isn't gonna test itself."
"Wait, Senku." Kohaku called with urgency. "There's something I need to know. And please explain it so I can understand."
Ukyo and Ryusui looked at each other guiltily. They knew exactly what Kohaku wanted to ask.
"What's your plan for the time machine? And what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
"Huh?" Senku was puzzled by her sudden questions. "Isn't it obvious by now? The same thing I've always been striving toward. Saving all seven billion humans on Earth."
"Yeah, but how? How can the time machine make that possible? What about the past are you trying to change, and how will it effect the present?"
Suddenly everyone went quiet, unwilling to speak a word. That is, except for Gen.
"Kohaku, I'm not sure that's a question you should be asking."
"Why not? Is it because you think I won't like the answer? Because, Ukyo and Ryusui already filled me in."
Senku gave them both a menacing glare.
"Wait a minute. I'm totally lost," Chrome confessed. "Filled you in on what? I thought the plan was just to send a warning to the past so that humanity could prepare for the petrification. Or better yet, stop the petrification from happening in the first place."
"Okay, so you send a message to the past and stop the petrification. Then what?"
"Well, if the petrification never happens, then everything goes back to normal. Humanity just goes on with their lives as usual." Chrome starts to deduce. "Which means..."
"CHROME, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Senku warns in a hostile tone.
"Which means we Ishigami villagers would never exist." Kohaku finished Chrome's sentence, making Suika gasp in horror. "Isn't that right, Senku?"
"Look, there's no guarantee that any changes to the past will impact this timeline in any way. A total reset of the timeline would create a time paradox. And logic dictates that if a time machine is used in a situation that changes the circumstances of it's creation, then it could never have existed to begin with. "
"Furthermore, if the many-worlds theory is to be believed..." Xeno interjects. "...then the best outcome we could hope for is the creation of a branching timeline, entirely separate from our own, where humanity was never petrified to begin with, and can proceed uninterrupted."
"That's the best case scenario?" Kohaku asked incredulously. "Saving some other version of humanity? That's what you've been striving for? And if this other timeline is separate from ours, how can you even be sure that it worked? What's the point of all this?"
"The point is to try! We've come too far to back out now. The message and target has been decided, and the trajectory for the point of contact has been calculated down to perfection. We're doing this test, regardless of anyone's disapproval."
"Huh? So when you say 'test', you mean you're sending the actual message that could change history forever? For eal-ray? I thought you guys were just gonna run some tests to prove that the time machine works. Like... I don't know... sending the petri-beam back a week to petrify some lab rats, or something."
"While that sort of experiment would be valid, it would also be a colossal waste of resources. Don't forget it takes 1.21 exawatts of power to use the time machine each time. It's more efficient to test it this way."
"So that's it? You're just going through with your plan, without any regard for the consequences?" Kohaku continued to challenge Senku.
"I told you already, it's unlikely you and the other villagers will be erased from the timeline."
"But you don't now that for sure! Or can you look me in the eye and tell me that you believe with ten billion percent certainty that we won't disappear forever?"
"Of course I can't. I can't be certain of anything. This is completely uncharted territory. There's no telling what could happen."
"And yet, you're still willing to risk so much? Or maybe this what you've wanted all along. To get back to your life in the past and pretend like none of this ever happened." she accused.
"And what about the promise you made to me? Was it all just a lie?"
"Promise? What promise?" wondered Gen aloud.
"None of your business!" Senku retorted, venomously. "And no! It wasn't a lie. But my mission comes first. You've known that from the beginning!"
"I did. And I've stood behind you, supporting you every step of the way. But if I knew that meant I could lose everything—my home... my family... my very existence... I would've thought twice about helping you."
"Kohaku, you don't mean that." Suika cried, worried that Kohaku and Senku's relationship was going down an irreparable path.
"Yes! I do. And the worst part is that you knew this was a possibility and you never said anything. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"
"I trusted you! Brought you into my village and vouched for you. I even went to war for you, time and time again. And this is how you repay me? By just putting all of that on the line like none of it ever mattered?"
"THIS ISN'T PERSONAL, LIONESS! IT'S WHAT I HAVE TO DO!"
Senku's outburst left everyone stunned. No one else dared to utter a word.
"Hah! Of course it is. Because science always comes first." She conceded. "Do whatever you feel you have to, but don't expect me to stand by and watch any longer." Kohaku turned her back on Senku and made for the exit.
All of a sudden, she stopped to look over her shoulder to make one last remark. "Oh... and as for our promise... I'm going to treat it the same way you're treating me; as something disposable." And with that, Kohaku left the lab.
Senku's eyes widened in disbelief. He was utterly shaken by what just transpired. To think that Kohaku—the person who's greatest defining character trait was her loyalty—had just turned her back on him. But could he really blame her?
"KOHAKU, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Suika yelled, as she desperately chased after her.
"TO DO MY JOB! UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE, I DON'T ABANDON MY FRIENDS." She called out loudly, making sure Senku could hear her.
Her insinuation left him feeling rather irritated. Here he was trying to achieve something groundbreaking that could save all of man-kind, and he was being accused of abandonment? The irony of it all was not lost on him. And even though a small part of him felt guilty, his mind was made up. He collected himself and proceeded with the plan as scheduled.
As Senku began inputting all kinds of data and coding into the time machine, everyone just watched him with concern. The atmosphere of the lab was still laced with tension. When Senku realized how quiet everyone was and how he was the only one getting any work done, he stopped and gave everyone a stern look.
"What? If you've got something to say then just spit it out. I don't have time to coddle anyone."
"Senku... could it be that you're acting just a little too rashly? Perhaps you should take a moment to go smooth things over with Kohaku." suggested Gen.
"Tch, why should I go to her? She's the one who walked out on m... walked away from our plan. Like I said, I don't have time to coddle anyone. If after all these years she just wants to throw in the towel, then I say let her go. I have no use for quitters."
After a few more moments of fiddling with the settings and controls, Senku had made all the necessary adjustments to execute his plan. With all the commands in place, a whirring sound started gradually building as the time machine started powering up for use. This was the moment of truth. They were just one button press away from making history—or potentially, rewriting history. Senku held his finger over the activation switch and hesitated.
"SENKU! ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THIS IS HOW YOU WANT TO LEAVE THINGS?" Ukyo yelled over the loud humming generated by the time machine, trying to be the voice of reason.
"HE'S RIGHT, SENKU." Ryusui chimed in. "IF YOU GO OUT LIKE THIS AND YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT THE RESETTING OF THE TIMELINE. YOU MAY NEVER SEE KOHAKU AGAIN."
"PLEASE, SENKU...DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU'LL REGRET." Gen pleaded.
Suddenly the time machine began emitting lighting bolts, similar to a Tesla coil.
"WHOA, THIS IS TOTALLY UTS-NAY! IS THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?"
"YES. WE FULLY EXPECTED THIS TO OCCUR," affirmed Xeno who was suddenly wearing tinted safety glasses.
"HEY! NO FAIR! WE SHOULD GET SAFETY GLASSES TOO."
Just then, another lightning bolt struck at Gen's feet.
"AHHH!" Gen screamed in terror. "ON SECOND THOUGHT, I'M OUT OF HERE!"
"WHOA! THIS IS BAAAD." Despite the potential threat to his life, Chrome was downright exhilarated.
Meanwhile, Minami was in the middle of filming the whole thing.
Senku was deaf to everything going on. The only thing running through his mind was the final exchange between him and Kohaku. When he remembered what she said about their promise being disposable, he grew enraged. He cast aside all his reservations and hit the activation switch.
There was a tremendous flash of light, so incredibly blinding that everyone closed their eyes in response. With the light, came an unusual sensation of being cleansed. It was as if the slate were being wiped clean.
When the light finally dissipated, Senku was able to open his eyes once more. And when he did, he found himself in his bed. He sat upright and looked around. Even though he knew exactly where he was, for some odd reason he felt like he was in the wrong place.
He pulled his cell phone out from under his pillow and checked the date and time. It was 6:49AM on the 1st of June in the year 2019. It was also a school day. So, he pulled himself out of bed and started getting ready for school. As he began brushing his teeth, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. After a while, he just shrugged it off. If it was something important, he would probably remember it eventually.
To be continued...
A/N: Here's a brand new fanfic. :D Brought to you by the SenHaku Week theme: Memory Loss.
I have to say, this chapter was so incredibly emotional that, I kid you not, I started crying as I was re-reading this chapter for editing purposes. T-T
So, if I made you cry too, I think I'm doing something right. XD
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter. Be on the lookout for chapter 2 really soon.
Bye for now.