"It's simple, we have your little girlfriend turn it on for us." Okabe smiled, pinching his chin to give himself a cool look.
Subaru was flabbergasted, his mouth hung open, but no sound came out, until he managed to stammer, "Ho-How do you know about Rem?"
Okabe looked up to the ceiling with a thoughtful look, "So that was her name, weird. With her blue hair I would have thought she was a..." Okabe looked at Subaru, removing his hand from his chin and holding it palm up, "...a Taylor? What do you think?"
Subaru walked up to Okabe and grabbed his lab coat's collar again, "I'm thinking you're crazy and you should tell me how you know who she is!"
"Hey, hands off the coat," Tugging the collar from Subaru's grasp, Okabe began to fix it's positioning, "My lab coat is a symbol of my dedication to science! I will not let you defile it's perfect structure!"
Subaru didn't care about the coat, he wanted answers. "Well, I'm so-rry if I messed up your oh-so perfect giant white rag, but I'm kinda tensing up right now because you have information I reeeally need to know."
Okabe walked around Subaru, Subaru met his eyes, and didn't drop his gaze, watching Okabe like a hawk. Okabe grabbed a phone that was charging on a metal table, "Wouldn't the whole world like to know." Removing the cable from the phone, Okabe turned around to present it to Subaru, the tail of his coat flowing. "Behold! The Metia Communication System, Mark 2, Version 1!"
Subaru said nothing, only staring in wonder at the phone, causing Okabe to speak his thoughts out loud, "Weird, I expected applause." Subaru reached out to the phone, Okabe placed it in his hands. It was a normal flip phone, complete with a screen and a number pad.
"It-It can call Rem?" Subaru look up at Okabe, hopeful.
"Yes and no. You see, the version I am holding has the same operating system as the one you have in your very pocket. Go ahead try calling yourself."
Subaru directed the phone to the contacts list. In it he found only one contact: Natsuki Subaru. There was no number to go with it.
Pressing the call button, the screen showed that it had found Subaru's metia and was connecting.
Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz
Taking his metia out, Subaru saw that the there was no caller ID. It worked. Subaru handed the makeshift metia back to Okabe, "But this still doesn't explain how you know what Rem looks like."
"Another great example of my incredible self!" Okabe clicked a few buttons on the metia and showed the screen to Subaru, "Every metia is able to be copied onto another to switch over one's information onto a new metia during a purchase. This would include photos and contacts, but in this case I was only able to retrieve your photos and contact." On the screen was the photo gallery, showing dozens upon dozens of photos of Rem.
Blushing madly, Subaru said, "Dele-Delete those right n-now! Those are supposed to be private!"
Okabe had a smug look, "I didn't have much to work with when I came back to Japan, but I made do with what I had. I recreated my original metia hoping it would work, but there was just one problem, I had nothing to test it with. So, I created something capable of detecting the signal that comes from each metia." Okabe rushed to a collection of shelves that held all kinds of tools and weird gadgets.
"I had put it somewhere," Okabe began to shift through the objects. "I'm pretty sure I had left it right here, hmmmm how strange." Okabe scratched his head then shrugged his shoulders, "I must have put it somewhere else, I guess." Okabe froze, "No, unless..."
Subaru saw that Okabe wasn't moving, "Unless what?"
Okabe quickly turned his back to Subaru and took out his phone. Putting it to his ear, he began to speak fast and frantically, "Code red! I repeat, code red! The organization has somehow infiltrated the lab. Missing equipment has been noticed. Initiate Operation Heimda-... What do you mean nothing unusual?...Well you obviously aren't doing a very good jo-." Okabe looked at his phone in shock, "How dare he hang up on Hououin Kyouma! I'll have his head!"
Subaru just watched as Okabe placed the phone back into his pocket. "Who was that?"
Okabe ran a hand through his hair, "An elite group of assassins that protect me from a secret organization. The organization is hell bent on getting rid of me, my intellect is too much for them to accept." Okabe spread his arms out and yelled to the ceiling, "The intellect of a mad scientist! Hahahaha hahahaha!"
He's gone mad. While Okabe was laughing, Subaru showed himself to the shelves. On the shelves there was an assortment of sci-fi looking gadgets. One such gadget looked like a microwave that was beefed up with attachments.
"What's this do?" Subaru interrupted Okabe's laughter to point out the microwave.
Once again using his dramatic gestures, Okabe explained by spreading his arms towards the microwave, "That, my dear Subaru, is a TIME MACHINE! One capable of destroying our understanding of time and how it flows! Capable of changing the outcome of anything and everything. There is nothing you can't change Subaru, nothing!"
Subaru poked the microwave, "Sooooooo does it work?"
Okabe's arms dropped to his sides, "Well, no. I had to stop its completion due to some......unforeseen consequences."
Subaru opened the microwave door, "What does that mean?"
"It means don't touch it." Okabe slapped Subaru's hand away from the microwave. "We must keep our heads together if we want to return to Kararagi."
"I'm all ears, Okabe."
Okabe grimaced, "It's Hououin Kyouma, but no matter." He rose a fist into the air, "Back onto my explanation of my triumph! When I had recreated the metia in this world, I had made my original design. This took me years to do! I stayed in solitude, building my portal, waiting for my detector to give word of another metia's arrival within Japan." Okabe went up to a metal table and put his hands on it. "After a year, you showed up, a tiny blip in the detector indicated you were nearby. It took me several days to be able to contact you, however."
Subaru spoke up, "Yeah, I was kinda in a coma."
Okabe cracked a smile, "Ha, heart attack I presume? I had one too when I first came back." Okabe stepped away from the table. "When I finally contacted you, it was blocked by an interference, the static. Of course, using my incredible mind, I hypothesized that during my absence it was likely that a new version of the metia was created. This would result in the need of a new operating system."
"Kinda losing me here." Subaru was starting to feel bored. He felt like he was wasting time listening to this weirdo, but Okabe pressed on, facing Subaru with a mad look in his eyes.
"But how was I to know the new operating system of the metia you had?"
"To be honest I kinda don't ca-."
"Well, I'll tell you! I adjusted the system of my metia to work as a gps. I tracked down your metia. I didn't go to you of course, I just read the signal patterns YOUR metia was giving off and matched them to MY metia. It was so simple I laughed." Okabe bent back his head to laugh to add to his words.
Subaru crossed his arms with a doubtful look, "If it was so easy why did it take you a week to finally call me after the hospital?"
Okabe stopped laughing, a frown on his face, "OK, let's just say it was a bit hard." Subaru nodded. "But not hard enough for Hououin Kyouma!"
Subaru continued to give Okabe a bored look, saying to himself, "I don't think I'm gonna like it here." I've gotta get back to Rem as soon as possible, this guy freaks me out.
Okabe looked a bit hurt, "Well, frankly I don't care what you think because if all goes according to plan we will be back in Kararagi in two months....give or take a few days."
A glint of happiness appeared in Subaru's eyes. For the third time, Subaru grabbed Okabe by the collar of his coat, "So soon? Wh-What do we have to do?"
"Again with the grabbing! Stop it!" Okabe removed Subaru's hands and took a deep breath, "My goodness, is that what you, do in my kingdom as well? As soon as I'm back I'm making a no-grabbing-my-lab-coat law."
Subaru was starting to get pissed off, saying each word with a slight pause, "What...do...we...have...to...do?"
"Well, my plan is to have Taylor-."
"Rem."
"Yes, Rem, that's what I said. We instruct Rem to go to the other portal's opening in Kararagi and turn it on." Okabe walked out of the room, Subaru followed. "This of course will prove to be hard for I have never been able to try it. Although, your metia was just what I needed. This is why I wanted to find another."
"How long will this explanation be?" Subaru sat down on a box labeled: Dangerous Chemicals.
"If my talks bore you then I shall keep them short and at a minimum. You see, Subaru, while my portal openings are not cooperating they are in fact connected. They both share a unique signal that connects them together, also they both run on mana. I would explain more, but that's something that doesn't matter to you, I imagine. While the one in Kararagi is able to take in as much mana as it must, the one in the other room cannot." Okabe spread out his arms. "The amount of mana in our world is tiny, compared to that of the other world. It does what it can to collect the mana from the air." Okabe made grabbing motions, "That means this portal only has a limited amount of run time. As of now it's still not strong enough to support an opening, but it should withstand a metia call if I accelerate its mana process. The only problem with that is that the acceleration process increases the chance of the portal shutting down, destroying all my work."
Excited and giddy at the thought of seeing Rem's beautiful face again, Subaru felt like he was going to explode from happiness. "Can-Can we do it now?"
Okabe leaned on a table, "If you're willing to take the chance of having the portal be destroyed."
"Well we'll have to tell her about the portal opening somehow right!?"
Okabe nodded, an excited smile was plastered on his thin face, "Then let's go over the plan."
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After discussing the plan, Subaru understood what he had to do.
Okabe would stay in the control center of the portal, the first room, and monitor the condition of the portal. When things begin to get dangerous, Okabe would use a walkie talkie to signal Subaru that he had to sever the connection.
Subaru's part was to call Rem and tell her what she had to do. Hopefully she doesn't still hate me. Her part would be to go to Kararagi and locate the portal opening in a clock tower.
...
"It was something I had constructed while I was king. This time telling system confused my people so I scrapped the idea of putting them in every city. Only one resides in the Graden Forest."
"Question: Why the hell would you have people build a clock tower in the middle of a forest?"
"Must you really ask?"
"Right, right, mad scientist and all."
...
"Subaru, are you ready?" Okabe's voice came from the walkie talkie. Subaru held down the reply button.
"I'm ready, just tell me when."
"I'm sure you'll know when even without me telling you."
Subaru raised an eyebrow, "I don't like the sound of that."
"Acceleration in 3...2...1...NOW!" The low humming the gateway had given off before grew louder and stronger. It began to sound like an airplane was right next to him.
Subaru pressed Rem's contact icon. His heart was beating rapidly, threatening to escape from his chest.
This metia is no longer available or in service.
Subaru grinded his teeth. He felt like his one chance to talk to Rem again wasn't going to happen. Subaru had to yell over the sound of the gateway, "I-It didn't work, Okabe!"
The walkie talkie responded, "Just try again! The portal must not have had enough mana yet!"
Subaru pressed the icon again, anticipating rejection.
Calling...Rem
The metia had connected. Rem was receiving the call. It worked.
This was the happiest day of Subaru's life, surpassing the day Rem agreed to run with his to Kararagi and start a new life together. "It worked, I can't believe it worked." The signal had reached Rem and now he was going to see her angelic face again.
It took only 5 seconds for Rem's face to appear on the monitor, beautiful as ever. "Subaru-kun?!" Rem's blue eyes stared through the screen, filling Subaru with hope that he would someday hold her in his arms again.
A single tear fell down Subaru's face, connecting with the end of his smiling lips, "It's me, Rem. I never thought I'd see you again."
"Subaru-kun, where are you? Rem has been trying to find her Subaru-kun, but he disappeared." Her worried expression made Subaru even happier. It meant that she still cared about him even after what he told her about the mansion.
"I know, Rem, I'm very far away. I don't have much time to say much, but I need your help."
Rem began to cry, her cuteness was almost too much, "I don't understand, Subaru-kun. Why can't you just come back to Rem?"
"I promise to explain everything when I see you again, Rem, but right now I need you to listen to my instructions." Subaru put on a serious face as to make sure Rem knew to pay attention.
Rem nodded, "Yes, Subaru-kun! Rem wants to see you again, so Rem will listen!"
Subaru told Rem the plan; wait for two months for the gateway to collect enough mana, find the clock tower, and turn on the portal. It was simple, but it would take time.
After Subaru told Rem the plan Rem had a confused expression, "But, Subaru-kun, Rem doesn't know how to turn the thingy on."
Smiling at her cute choice of words, Subaru explained, "It's OK, Rem, Okabe said he'll have me call you again to go over the procedure after the two months."
Okabe's voice cut into their conversation, "Subaru, you might wanna wrap up your talk with Taylor! The system's getting a bit overloaded!"
Subaru looked at the walkie talkie with sadness, then he looked back at Rem's adorable face, "I'm sorry Rem, but I have to go or else I'll never see you again. There's so much more I want to tell you, but I can't right now. What's important is making sure you understand."
Rem sadly nodded, "I think Rem understands what she must do. Rem can't wait to see her hero again." Rem giggled a little and wiped the tears that began to fall down her face. "I love you, Subaru-kun."
Subaru heard those words again. The very ones he thought he'd never hear again for the rest of his life. He wanted to reach out and touch Rem's cheek. "I love you too, Re-."
Rem's face was replaced by static, soon replaced by a message.
This metia is no longer available or in service.
The noise of the gateway went back to its low humming.
The door to the other room opened and Okabe came in, sweat soaking his shirt, "That went better than expected, Subaru, but sadly I had to stop it before a complete meltdown ensued."
Subaru was still looking at the metia in his hand. The blank screen reflected his face, he saw sadness, but at the same time relief. Subaru dropped to his knees. "Thank you."
"What? I didn't hear you." Okabe moved closer to Subaru to hear him more clearly.
Without Okabe, Subaru would never have had the chance to talk to Rem again. It would also be thanks to Okabe if Subaru ever saw Rem again, something he only experienced him his dreams.
A tear fell onto the metia in Subaru's hand, "Thank you."
From behind Subaru's back, Okabe looked at him with a blank expression.
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Subaru exited Okabe's house. The rain had stopped, but now the sun was starting to set. The orange glow bathed Subaru in what little warm it gave off. Subaru started to walk back down the street, towards home.
"Come by any time. We really won't have to see each other for the two months, but if you need anything just pop by."
That was the last thing Okabe had told Subaru before he left. He may be a little off, but he's not too bad of a guy.
A few houses down, Subaru saw someone across the street smoking a cigarette. They looked like the men Subaru had seen under the tree, sunglasses that hid their eyes and a black jacket. The man noticed Subaru was looking at him as he walked by. Taking one last hit of the cigarette, the man threw the butt to the floor, crushing it beneath his foot.
Subaru felt some hostility with this man, so he decided to walk faster. Averting his gaze from the man, Subaru didn't want to start anything out here where he didn't know anyone.
Looking back over his shoulder, Subaru saw that the man had started to walk further down the street in the opposite direction of Subaru. Relieved that the man wasn't following him, Subaru slowed down his fast walk, wondering what his parents would say when he got home so late.
I hope they're not too mad.
"Distance means so little when someone means so much."
-Tom McNeal