Operation: Skuld

By: Lightning Blaze

"I will now explain the objectives of the final mission, Operation Skuld; Change the past without changing the future. The past consists of Makise Kurisu lying in a pool of blood, and Okabe Rintarou seeing her there. Change the past without changing the future. The entire future relies on you. Good luck, El Psy Congroo."

"Dad, pass me the screwdriver please."

"Why do you call me Dad?"

"Just give it please..."

I could hear Daru and the part time soldier arguing in the time machine, they seem to be fixing the machine again, for what reason I could only guess. I really don't care much about how they do it; I just hope that they can fix the machine.

"As I feared... We only have fuel for one more trip."

I looked at the machine, at Suzuha's voice.

"So you won't be able to return to the future?" I blurted out.

"I never planned to."

"By changing the past, there is no need to return to the future."

"But... if I fail to change it, then I'm stuck here..."

"Regretting it, Forever."

Trying to lighten the mood, I spoke. "Don't be stupid." The memories of the alpha world line flood back to me. Suzuha's bike, her trip to here, her time with us... She has nothing to regret.

"I am Hououin Kyouma, Mad Scientist, and the man who will destroy the world's ruling structure." I said.

"Failure is not an option." I reassured her.

But I was feeling uneasy...

One more trip... This is it. No more re-dos... I thought. Great. How am I going to do this impossible task?

I quickly erased that thought from my mind. Nothing is impossible to the great Hououin Kyouma! There is no time to waste!

"Operation Skuld will commence. The time is now!" I yelled into the air, perfectly eclipsing the sun.

"I lol'd when he said that the time is now, but then he had to run back 'cause he forgot something" I heard Daru say in the background. No matter. I'm looking for something important.

Since blood is red, I figured that the Cyalume Sabre would be useful for this task. The liquid core of the sabre is coloured red; therefore, if I use the liquid as a substitute for Kurisu's blood, possibly it would work... If only I could find it.

CLANG.

Aha. There it is. Picking up the sabre, grinning, I show it to the lab members, who were quietly chatting.

"The Cyalume Sabre? What are you going to do with it?" Daru questioned.

"The sticky red liquid at its core is the key." I explained.

"Huh? I didn't know it was even there!" Mayuri exclaimed.

"I understand. You plan to use the liquid to substitute for Makise Kurisu's blood." Suzuha said, understanding my motives.

"Exactly." I said.

"If I see on July 28, an unconscious Christina lying in a pool of blood, the past won't change. That's the idea behind Operation Skuld." I explained to the entire group.

"I guess I understand, but..." Suzuha began.

"Doesn't it seem a little too easy?" Daru finished. "After all, Future Okabe sounded like there was some other, hidden secret at work there." Daru said.

I snickered, stepping over to Daru and Mayuri, "Hououin Kyouma speaks ever more dramatically when the plan is simple. That idiot... I see right through his schemes!" I said, erupting into a mad scientist laugh.

"I don't know if I should be impressed or not..." Suzuha said, slightly disappointed at me.

"Mad scientist fail." Daru exclaimed, smirking.

"Hey, Okarin... Didn't that Kurisu-san person sit here?" Mayuri said, breaking me out of my trance.

I turned, stunned slightly by her comment. How did she...

"And then she'll turn to Daru, and get very excited, and while Mayushii doesn't understand, but they were having lots of fun."
She remembers everything... I thought. What if she remembers her deaths? What would happen...?

"And you two fought constantly, but I knew that you were always friends."

"Mayushii what are you talking about? Makise Kurisu is a scientific genius, she'll never visit a lab like this." Daru cut in.

"I know... Was it all a dream? Or did it really happen?" Mayuri pondered, looking slightly sad.

"Is it possible that she has the Reading Steiner as well?" Suzuha asked me.

I shook my head. "No, she doesn't. But somewhere, she remembers what happened in the other world lines. Somewhere deep inside their hearts, everyone remembers." I said.

"Kurisu did everything to save Mayuri... If it wasn't for her, Mayuri, she... No. Everyone won't be here right now." I said, as the memories of the alpha world line flooding back like a rewound cassette tape.

"Hey Okarin... Did you like Kurisu-san?"

I was surprised at Mayuri's question, but I figured that she would eventually ask.

I smiled. "Christina is my dear friend, my assistant and very special to me."

"I understand." Mayuri said.

"And she is also deeply in love with me." I finished.

"No way! Okarin get's a real girlfriend!" Daru exclaimed, slightly jealous that I get a real girlfriend.

I can't really say why he's jealous, but I guess he gets bored after playing through all those dating sims.

We eventually made our way back to the time machine on top of Akihabara Radio Hall. Strangely enough, it's still there.

I thought that by then, someone would have noticed the machine sitting on top of the Radio Hall, but I guess no one really cared about a satellite on top of a tower.

I waved goodbye to Mayuri, and promised her to be back soon.

Suzuha entered in the destination time, and I felt the odd, nauseous feeling again.
"Hey... why does the time machine give off gravitational forces?" I asked Suzuha, hoping that she knew the answer and I could fix this infernal machine...

"No idea, you just have to deal with it." Suzuha said with a hint of concern in her voice.

I groaned.

This is going to be a long trip...