Conflict: 04/20/2028, 13:27 Ukita had gotten special permission to enter Area N with Dr. Tenkawa that day.  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 1 ♫ Ukita was overwhelmed by the six towers standing in the giant hall.  Well? What are your impressions of the genuine article? I've heard about it before, but... it's incredible what LABO was able to create by mustering all of its efforts. Indeed. But there's still a long way to go before it's completely stable. That's why you'll mainly be in charge of operating the WX particle amplifier. Most of that is conducted in the system control room though, so you likely won't get another chance to come back here. I see... Incidentally, what is that transparent tube in the middle of the room? I'm sorry. But that information is only to be divulged to 'Senior Fellows'. So it's top secret information... I take it? Yes. But leave your inquiries at that.The look in Dr. Tenkawa's eyes became slightly pointed when she said that. 'Curiosity killed the cat'. It would be best for Junior Fellows to remember that phrase. I don't want to intimidate you, but it'd be safer for you not to take a government managed facility lightly. I take it you'd rather avoid any unnecessary trouble, yes? U-understood. I'll keep that in mind. Well, that matter aside... There's actually one more job I would like to entrust to you, Mr. Ukita. Are there some data you'd like me to examine? No. It's not related to your duties as a researcher. I'd like you to be my son's 'observer'. What do you mean... by observer? You see, my son Natsuhiko actually has an IGF2R Gene Abnormality of Type S. Type S!? That's--! Yes. An extremely rare occurrence. They say it occurs in only one out of every 30 million births. But Natsuhiko hasn't manifested his BC abilities once. However, LABO still cannot ignore his case. Thus they've made him an observation target. His former observer lived in the house across from ours, but he retired the other day. And you live next door to us, so-- --Please wait a moment. I live right next door to you? Oh? Were you not aware of that? Not at all. We haven't seen each other once in our neighborhood, so... True, perhaps we never did have any opportunities for that. I practically live here in LABO now, after all. Anyway... could you please be his observer? All you have to do is watch to see if his BC abilities ever manifest and report at least a little bit about his day to day life.Dr. Tenkawa was always extraordinarily busy. There was no doubt that she had very few opportunities to see her son. Understood. I'll accept your request. Natsuhiko had been given the rather pretentious designation of ''Special Observation Target Na2''.   A thought suddenly crossed Ukita's mind as he wrote his report on Natsuhiko's day to day life.  (Could that mean that Mashiro has feelings for Natsuhiko...?)A smile crossed Ukita's face as that guess filled his mind. However, his emotions soon changed when reality hit him. He'd already heard from Dr. Tenkawa that Mashiro Toba had an IGF2R Gene Abnormality of Type B. Those with IGF2R genetic mutations were doomed with short lifespans. According to statistics, the life expectancy of Communicators who were Type B and higher was roughly 33 years. Ukita himself had just turned 33. The thought that Natsuhiko and Mashiro might not even make it to his age was heartwrenching. (... I want to protect their futures.) And it was extremely likely that the fact she had a Type S son had only strengthened her desire to save Communicators. (But... what does Dr. Tenkawa plan on doing if her son, a special observation target, manifests his BC abilities? No, now that I think about it, I've never been told why special observation targets exist to begin with. Natsuhiko has been designated as ''Na2'', which means there was likely a ''Na'' that came before him...)Ukita accessed the network using his Observer authority and typed ''Target Na'' in the search engine on that hunch. But he found nothing relevant. All records had probably been deleted for some reason. He then just tried searching ''Special Observation Target''-- (What's this... ''How to deal with special observation targets''?)Ukita opened the file under that name.     ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (...!? ''They will be imprisoned in Area Zero as a test subject''!? What... what does this mean!? What in the world is Area Zero...!?)As soon as he thought that-- he suddenly remembered what he'd seen in Area N.  (... What if that was actually an elevator leading underground...!?)It wouldn't be all that odd for there to be a place under Area N that normal researchers didn't know about. (S-so what does that mean...? Does this document suggest that special observation targets whose abilities manifest are imprisoned under Area N!?)Special Observation Target Na2-- Natsuhiko-- still hadn't manifested his BC abilities. That was probably why he'd been able to live a normal life ever since surveillance on him began in 2021, but-- (... Will Natsuhiko be confined if his abilities manifest? What's more, this proposal mentioned ''a currently confined test subject''... Meaning that they have at least one test subject confined in Area Zero at this very moment!?)Ukita tried typing ''Area Zero'' into the search engine with shaky fingers. But when he did, the only thing his monitor displayed was-- ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ (Confidentiality Level 5...!)It appeared Ukita could not access the information with his ID and password. But on the other hand, if there were people out there with Level 5 clearance and up...  (So that means only a select few researchers know about the existence of any ''test subjects''. But... what are the Senior Fellows hiding from us Junior Fellows? Test subjects for what!?)In the first place, ''test subject'' was a word that was used to talk about mice and such used for experiments. But if that word was being used to talk about a human, then that meant-- (It can't be... Is LABO performing human experimentation...!? ... N-no! I won't believe it! There's no way that LABO-- that Dr. Tenkawa would ever partake in such barbarity!)But the seed of doubt in Ukita kept on growing day by day-- And before he knew it, one day he started searching for information on any test subjects.  Th-this is...!Ukita was shocked at what was written there.     --If he hadn't had any context about the document, Ukita probably wouldn't have paid all that much attention about it. But when he put together all the information he'd gathered so far, a doubt rose to his mind. (It says here that this Senior Fellow S... was in charge of Area Zero-- What if he did all that to try to get the ''test subject'' out of LABO!? Could the ''research results designated as 'N''' be a secret code name for the test subject!?)It was nothing more than a guess, but Ukita felt he was on the right track.  (...S probably took advantage of the fire to try to get the test subject out of the facility. But LABO found out about what he did...) He remembered what Dr. Tenkawa had once told him.  The words once spoken by the woman he respected so much now sounded horribly cruel. (I knew it... LABO really is secretly conducting human experimentation...!)Ukita's body started trembling the moment that suspicion turned into conviction. He alone was being tormented by the fear of having looked into the abyss. --Three days later. Ukita decided to question Dr. Tenkawa as a scientist.  My sincerest apologies. There's something that I simply must ask you about. I am certain every scientist has thought of this at least once... But do you believe that robbing the happiness of one to develop the technology to save a million is forgivable? ...The professor answered Ukita's question honestly as if she'd realized how serious he was. Ethically speaking, no. However... It's something we must do even if it's not forgivable. Huh? What we're dealing with is a 'power' that is very high-risk in human hands. If humanity can choose whether or not to use BC, then I don't think they should use it. But regardless of our wishes, more and more new Communicators are being born. So there's no chance that we can stop researching it. We can't leave a power that mindbogglingly strong unchecked. Just like you say, maybe it is necessary to continue with BC research. But shouldn't we think more carefully about the methods involved in that? We have our ethics as scientists and our ethics as humans. I believe it is when we forget those things that technology goes down the wrong path. What are your thoughts on that? Huh...? Hold on, what sort of question is this? Please just answer the question. I need to hear it. ...Perhaps you're right. However... At the end of the day, all we can do is pursue the truth and solve the problems before us. Whether that's good or evil is not for us to decide. It is history's job to vindicate or vilify us. That is the way science has always continued to progress. So likewise, I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goal as nothing more than one of those scientists.With those words, something precious in Ukita crumbled apart with a roar. In that case... please let me ask you one more question. What do you plan on doing with Natsuhiko if his BC abilities manifest? !? ...Mr. Ukita... don't tell me you...? ...Ukita didn't answer her question. Finally, she sighed and spoke. ...Mr. Ukita. As of today, you are hereby relieved of your duty of observing Na2. And as of tomorrow, you will be transferred to another research team. ...Is that your answer, Dr. Tenkawa?But Dr. Tenkawa didn't answer and simply walked away from Ukita.  ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫ The sky was filled with heavy clouds that threatened to start raining at any moment. ...Hahah...He'd started laughing to himself without even noticing it. Ha, hahah, hahahah... I worked myself to the bone all this time because I wanted to save Communicators... I finally grew a desire to do something for other's sakes... Yet I never would have guessed that LABO of all places was using those very same Communicators for their own experiments... Hahah, what a sick joke...He couldn't stop the dry laughter coming from his throat. Suddenly, he noticed that there were tears running down his cheeks. (... Must I find a clear solution to this? As a scientist, must I write off this sacrifice as insignificant in the grand scheme of things...?)Indeed. If he had just committed himself to that mindset, he could've continued living his life as he had up until this point. He could've lived as a highly paid LABO scientist with no inconveniences in his life. Whatever happened to that test subject he'd never even seen before would've had no bearing on him. He should have had no issues with any of that. Yet-- ...Preposterous... There is no way in hell I can accept that...!He couldn't bear to live in such complacency. Scientists and test subjects are both humans! No just cause in the world is worth sacrificing them!An emotion welled up from his heart when he shouted that. (I have to put a stop to it...!)It was a rage that smashed his devotion to his job to pieces. There was also the pure disgust of participating in such wrongdoings. But by no means was that all. Oddly enough, it was what Dr. Tenkawa had shown him that gave him this conviction. Her good heart that lived for others. ...I'll do it... I'll saved that trapped test subject...!He was probably the only one in the city who knew of the test subject and wanted to free them. If he were the only one who could act, then inaction was a sin. (... Perhaps my motivation is but a fragile, powerless sense of justice. Perhaps I'll be erased just like Senior Fellow S was...!)Regardless, Ukita turned around and glared at LABO's gargantuan shadow. Cold rain suddenly poured down and crashed upon him. But the flame that had been lit in the depths of his heart would never go out. Tips posted:TIP: Conflict
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