Chapter 189: "Steins;Gate" Premieres! (7)
The the film "Steins;Gate" continued to unfold.
After successfully sending an email back to the past, Rintarou Okabe and his group were unable to replicate that success again.
Moreover, Kurisu Makise seemed to have some psychological trauma regarding the concept of a time machine, as she left the lab that very day and never returned.
Following that, Okabe focused on deciphering the mysteries of the time machine while continuing to converse with those around him.
Soon after, while searching the internet for information about time machines, Okabe inadvertently came across the figure of John Titor.
Confronted with this individual who was supposed to have appeared in 2000 but had seemingly vanished without a trace, Okabe quickly sent an inquiry online:
"John Titor, I'd like to ask you, ten years ago, in 2000, did you really appear?"
"You've said something interesting, but unfortunately, I have never been to 2000 nor do I plan to."
"How is that possible…?"
"Since you managed to find me, I actually have something to tell you. You should know that I'm a time traveler, right? In fact, in my time, the organization SERN has dominated time machines, controlling everything for their own benefit and plunging the world into despair. I have returned to the past to change the despairing future."
"Change the future? How is that even possible?"
"To put it simply, it relates to the grandfather paradox. Once you interfere with the past, your future self no longer exists. In that case, the timeline will begin to shift."
"Timeline?"
"I'll explain that. First of all, time is not just a single linear flow from the past to the future. Instead, it resembles a river, with countless parallel lines diverging from a single point; these various branches together form what is called a 'world line.'"
"..."
"For example, suppose you were supposed to be attacked and killed yesterday, but for some external factor, you survived. At that point, the world line splits into two branches: one where you were killed and another where you weren't. This is the theory of world lines."
"Is that really possible? And can it be precisely controlled?"
"It seems you are constrained by a fixed way of understanding the concept of time. For instance, if I went to the past and killed person A, then the world line's alteration would occur, shifting toward a world where person A does not exist. When the world line shifts, memories of the people are reconstructed, and the world line in which person A existed would be erased and replaced with the memories of a world where person A does not exist."
"And that's how SERN has dominated the world?"
"Exactly. In fact, in today's era, SERN has created miniature black holes using colliders. By the time I reached 2036, SERN had controlled all advanced scientific technologies, and no organization or even nation could contend with them, plunging the world into despair under their rule."
"How can we change the future?"
"First, we need to find an ancient machine known as the IBN5100."
"IBN5100?"
"Yes, it's an old model, but it possesses capabilities that exceed modern machines, enabling it to shatter SERN's plans to create a realm of despair."
"I remember John Titor from 2000 mentioned something similar."
"2000? I'm sorry, but I don't recall ever being in that era. However, perhaps the person you met was another version of me from a different world line. If I get the chance, I would love to talk with you in person. By the way, here's my email. Keep it safe; if you have any questions, feel free to ask me, and I'll answer as best as I can."
"..."
The conversation with John Titor came to an end, leaving both Rintarou Okabe and all the viewers feeling enlightened, as if a great realization had struck them.
...
In many cinemas in the Southern Region, the audience erupted into a chorus of astonished gasps after watching this segment.
"World lines? A dark organization called SERN controlling the world? A time traveler returning from the future, aiming to save the world?"
"What? This setup is just too cool!"
"The real content of this story is actually so astounding?"
"Oh my God, I'm really starting to look forward to what happens next."
"Is the protagonist about to embark on a fight against the dark organization?"
"I'm just so excited!"
"..."
The audience members expressed their excitement in various ways, clearly surprised that "Steins;Gate" had taken such a remarkable turn in its narrative.
The shift was almost as if they had leaped from a lighthearted series like "KonoSuba" to something as intense as "Goblin Slayer," marking a dramatic transformation in the story's genre.
Initially, the viewers regarded this film as a mystery or suspense story, or even a horror film. Now, one by one, they realized that it was essentially a traditional heroic story about saving the world.
Of course, unlike typical heroic narratives, "Steins;Gate" featured a hard-core approach to concepts like time machines and world lines, leaving all the viewers refreshed and increasingly in awe of the unfolding plot.
At the same time, Emperor Hubbard also displayed a look of surprise upon witnessing this part of the story, evidently taken aback that it was connected to a dark organization aiming for global domination.
"Using a time machine to control the world? If such a thing really existed, it might indeed be possible."
With a sigh, Emperor Hubbard remarked, "For instance, utilizing a time machine to kill many of the great figures just as our empire was born would fundamentally destroy the soil from which the empire emerged. Such methods could effectively annihilate any dangerous opponent without a trace."
In response to Emperor Hubbard's statement, General Wilhelm furrowed his eyebrows and said, "I believe such actions would be uncontrollable. After all, history is rarely driven by just two individuals. If one wishes to significantly alter history, it would likely require traveling to a specific time and eliminating all key figures from that moment. Otherwise, the uncontrollable variables would be far too numerous, making it impossible to imagine how to use such means to dominate the world."
"Indeed, I feel the same way."
At that moment, the Orc Prophet couldn't help but chime in, "If history is altered too much, it's possible that the very existence of the time machine could also be erased. In that case, it would be a case of losing sight of the original purpose."
"Well, at the end of the day, it's just a narrative device. We don't need to be overly concerned with the story elements; we should judge based on the logic provided by the story itself."
Many of the knights nodded in agreement with Emperor Hubbard's words.
However, the Orc Prophet's expression remained tense, clearly unable to treat the time machine as just a casual plot device.
In his view, every film is shot with a deeper meaning behind it, perhaps even as a reflection of reality.
At this moment, he was genuinely contemplating the potential devastating impact on the Orc Kingdom if the human empire truly possessed such a dangerous weapon.
...
Imperial Magic Academy.
The mages were now thoroughly excited after learning about the core concept of "Steins;Gate"—the theory of world lines.
Nobody had anticipated that the effects of temporal interference could be understood in this way!
"The theory of world lines! Indeed! If there isn't just one timeline but countless parallel worlds, then temporal interference might actually be feasible because the affected world would quickly jump to another world line. In this case, no matter what impact it has on the past or future, this theory would hold."
"However, there are still some issues. If a time traveler interferes with the past and causes their future self to cease to exist, then who exactly interfered with time?"
"Perhaps, at the very moment of interference, the action is already recorded by the world itself. While the individual may be corrected, the effects they leave on the world are undeniably real."
"The biggest question now is why the protagonist Rintarou Okabe retains his memories after the world line jump, while everyone else forgets the events of the previous world line. Why is he the only one who remembers everything?"
"Could this, in a sense, be considered a special ability or a unique constitution?"
"In any case, if what the time traveler John Titor said is true, then the future world is indeed a chaotic mess, and everyone is subject to the control of that dark organization, SERN. After all, while SERN dares not go back to the past to avoid altering the fact that they created a time machine, the history created leading up to 2036 is entirely in their hands."
"But this also means that as long as the fact of SERN creating the time machine is altered before everything happens, then everything that follows will not occur. Looking at it this way, saving the world seems quite straightforward."
"If it were that simple! If it were truly easy to accomplish, the world lines would have long since entered a utopia. But given the current situation, that time traveler John Titor clearly cannot change the history of SERN's domination, because once SERN's actions vanish, so will his existence as a time traveler."
"Exactly. Since John Titor still exists, it means that the future of the world line is destined to enter an age ruled by SERN."
"..."
The mages' thinking was evidently quite clear, as they quickly analyzed the implications of the theory of world lines and provided their judgment on how to change the future ruled by SERN.
Of course, no matter how much they speculated, they still couldn't identify a truly feasible method due to the relatively limited information presented in the film.
Meanwhile, on the platform, Scar suddenly looked over at Durin and asked, "What kind of machine is that which Rintarou Okabe used to search for information?"
"Ah, you mean the computer? Simply put, it's like a large mobile phone. Not only can it connect to the internet to access various information, but it can also connect numerous people, allowing for communication and message transmission."
"Computer?"
Upon hearing this completely new concept, Scar's eyes lit up, but he quickly realized just how difficult it would be to create such a device. He frowned slightly and said, "It sounds great, but manufacturing it must be pretty challenging, right?"
"Yeah, it's certainly difficult. The most critical issue with the computer is that I still haven't found a suitable medium for the processor. If we only rely on magic stones and imaging crystals as the core, there would be way too little information processing capability for it to be practical. So, for the time being, this device will likely remain just a fictional element from the movie."
"I see."
Nodding his head, Scar ultimately decided not to say anything more.
After all, he was well aware that they hadn't yet completed the construction of even basic televisions and mobile phones, and the training of talents in the field of magical alchemy was still in its infancy. Many things would have to be temporarily set aside for future exploration.
Of course, Scar firmly believed that while many of these concepts seemed magical and had no real-world counterpart, one day—perhaps in the not-so-distant future—the advancements brought by magical alchemy would transform these fantastical items into reality!
He believed that day would come!
...
"The theory of world lines…"
At the top of the Mage's Tower, the Archmages were struck with a sense of genuine shock and awe at the presentation of this theory in the film.
It could be said that the entire "Steins;Gate" movie elevated itself the moment it introduced this concept, shifting from an ordinary mystery film into the realm of hard-core fantasy.
After all, the world line theory proposed by the time traveler in the story was something even these Archmages had not anticipated.
This did not imply that the Archmages lacked intelligence; rather, it was the limitations of their era that prevented them from developing corresponding ideas.
As soon as the story introduced this setting, they immediately grasped the concept of world lines.
"If the world line theory truly exists, perhaps we can understand why no one has been able to explore time magic thus far."
In response to Dean Hohenheim's reflection, the Archmage Pollock from the Department of Special Elements nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed. Although we have long defined time as one of the special elements, we fundamentally treated it as just another ordinary substance. It now seems that time may be not only an element but also a cornerstone of the world's structure. Touching upon it could fundamentally alter the laws governing the entire world."
"Even so, there remains one question: the world line theory is based on countless vast parallel worlds. What form do these parallel worlds exist in? Could it be that, right now, there is another world where we, the Archmages, also exist but are doing entirely different things?"
"This…"
Upon considering this, many Archmages felt a chill run down their spines.
Even for these pinnacle intellects of humanity, the exploration of the universe's essence was not something that could be easily contemplated. After a brief period of reflection, they quickly abandoned that line of thought and returned to enjoying the film's content.
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