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Beyond Communication: 09/16/2030, 13:09 Oh hey, I've noticed that you're theorizing about things. Here, have some more chapters to really theorize over. These next two should be really fun.  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ Watase was now directly opposite of Area 5, where he and the others had split up. He had half expected to find Kazami's team wandering around here-- but they were nowhere to be seen.  (I sure hope they didn't get into any weird sort of trouble like we did...)If he maintained his assumption that Jun's injury had been no accident, then it was only natural for him to worry about the others. (No, it's okay. Tachibana's more than capable of dealing with whatever's thrown her way.)Watase shook his head and resumed his search. Only Kazami and Jun had searched the place the first time through. This was also where their makeshift base was set up. It had been ages since anyone had last checked the area out. (There's also more than enough room to believe that the survivors are constantly on the move...)Watase quickly carried out his search with those thoughts in mind--  But a nameplate labelling one of the rooms caught Watase's eye. ''Reference Room''. A room he'd never visited before. (Could there be a hint about an escape route in here...?)Watase headed into the room with that thought in mind.  That entire space was almost completely filled with steel bookshelf upon steel bookshelf. There was a switch attached to each shelf, meaning it was most likely a movable type of bookcase. (Yuuri's... not here, huh.)Once he'd confirmed that, Watase's eyes turned to the bookshelf. A crammed line of books and essays were sitting there. ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ An Introduction to the Informational Field Theory / Author: Miyoko Tenkawa Elementary Particles, Information, and Consciousness / Author: Miyoko Tenkawa ESP Synchronization Hypothesis / Author: Antoine Courbet, Translator: Miyoko Tenkawa Cerebrum: Labyrinth of Physiology / Author: Ryoken Kashiwagi Unbinding from Pseudoscience: The Future and Prospects of Parapsychology / Author: Koki Sumida Before Crime * After Days / Author: Chikage Sonomura Particles, the Mind, and the Brain / Author: Shuuya Eriguchi Watase looked at all of their titles. (... I don't get them.)Watase had no knowledge of science in his current state, so he hadn't the slightest clue what they contained. Now that he thought about it, the two main themes researched at the facility were ''nuclear power'' and ''biology''. Either way, all he knew was that there were a lot of biology-related books in there. But there was a familiar name amongst all the authors listed. (''Miyoko Tenkawa''...)If his memory served him right, that was the name of Natsuhiko Tenkawa's mother. And when he saw those books-— a strange anxiety welled up in Watase's chest. (!?)Watase was puzzled. Why would looking at books make him feel anxious? (I know this isn't the time to be doing this, but--)Watase couldn't go against his feelings. So he took one of the books and flipped through it.   (...???)Watase had no clue what he was reading. (Fifth fundamental force? Information? Dark energy? The hell's all that...?)Tips posted:TIP: Dark energy Tips posted:TIP: Four fundamental forces He still had no clue why he'd felt such intense anxiety from this book. (Was it just my imagination...?)Watase wondered that as he flipped through the pages and kept reading.   (... Yeah, this isn't making any sense to me. What kind of research does this Miyoko Tenkawa person do...?)She'd called herself an ''elementary particle physicist'', but he got the impression this research had more to do with biology. (But to ''create a consciousness''... Why would anyone want to do that...? What does research involving creating a consciousness have to do with nuclear power and biology...?)He wasn't sure why, but he felt a faint, ominous sensation. Despite that, he continued to read more of the book-- And then gasped.  BC...!?Come to think of it, Ena had mentioned it before. She'd said that it wasn't all that rare for there to be people who could use telepathy these days. Watase continued to read.    (Wh... what!?)The words laid out before him were almost unbelievable. He'd already heard about the ability to directly send one's voice to another's mind. The problem was the other ability. 'The ability to read another's mind'...!?He then remembered what Ena had told him earlier.  (I see, so when she said ''mutually communicate''... she didn't just mean sending your thoughts, but also reading other people's thoughts too! Then the stuff in this book isn't just some pipe dream--!)Watase looked at the bookshelf in shock to find that many of them had the phrase ''BC'' in the titles. Apparently it really was considered a completely normal thing. Though there were very few of them, there were indeed people out there who could ''read others' minds''. Just then-- Watase finally realized the truth behind his anxiety. (I see, so I... was scared of this empathy ability...!?)He didn't know exactly why. Maybe he'd had a really frightening experience with it before he'd lost his memories. But even if that weren't the case-- he didn't feel like there could possibly be anyone who was okay with having their mind read by someone else. (No, what if, at this very moment... someone is reading my mind and can hear my fear of having my mind read--!?)--Watase's body shook violently in the face of that abrupt thought.  If he were to trust what Jun said, then that probably meant none of the ''adults'' in the group were Communicators. (But what about the ''children''...?)Could Natsuhiko read minds? Mashiro? Salyu? And-- what about Yuuri? (... Teach said that Natsuhiko and his friends could use telepathy. Then isn't it naturally possible they can use empathy too...?)Now that he thought about it, several suspicious events had occured.    (If those kids can read people's minds... And when you take into account they've been running from us... then maybe one of us hates them and they know it...!)He didn't want to believe it, but it all added up. --If that were the case, then who was the one who hated them? It wasn't Watase, at the very least. He knew that better than anyone. (So it's one of the other four...?)Once he thought that, every single one of them quickly seemed suspicious in his mind. His anxiety swelled up like a balloon, and his heart started racing faster and faster. Doubt begot more doubt-- but then it soon came full circle. (No, wait... maybe it's the other way around? What if -they're- the ones who hate -us-?)Those kids who could read people's minds were filled with malice and trying to back Watase's group into a corner for some reason. Maybe that was just an absurd theory, but-- (If it's true... then can we fight off guys like that...?)As soon as he thought that,  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ !a sudden headache ripped through Watase's skull, causing him to groan. Ghh... ugh...!His consciousness started fading as he grew incredibly dizzy. (Th... this is bad...!)Watase staggered his way out of the reference room as quickly as possible.
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| ← # ? Nov 27, 2016 15:34 |
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