Junichi
The floor on my back is hard and cold. The ceiling above me is stark white and looks just as cold. ‘This isn’t my room,’ is the first thing I thought. My arms and legs wouldn’t move, like they had had all the power sapped from them. I tried looking around, but I could not do that either. It was like my whole body had been drained of everything except the ability to look straight and left and right as far as my eyes would go. “Help”, I could only whisper the words that I wanted to scream. “Somebody, help.” But no one came to my aid. No one came to me to reassure me that everything would be alright, that I was going to get out of wherever I was. There was nothing I could do but lay here on the cold, hard floor and stare straight at the ceiling, whispering, “Help me.” I felt that now, my only choices were to lie here awake, whispering for a help that would never come, or fall asleep and let myself drift away to a place better than this. So I slept. I slept for an indeterminate amount of time. I dreamt that I was back at school with my friends, back where I belonged, learning some ridiculous mathematical function or formula that I would never use outside of school. While I slept, I wasn’t where I really was. I was happy. It was like I never woke up in that room. It was like I was back in the world I belonged. But, when I awoke from that, I had to face the harsh reality that I was still here. Still trapped in this room. Alone. Only able to whisper for a help that would never come. Then I heard the sound of a door opening.
Misaka
“Someone get me out of here!” I yelled as loud as I could. Pounding on the white steel door, I tried my damndest to get out of the small room I was in. It was white. Plain white. There were no creases in the paint, no lines where the walls joined the ceiling, just white. It’s not like I’m scared or anything, I’m sure I know what’s happening. After all, I am sort of famous. My dad owns one of the largest electronics companies in Japan, so naturally, someone might want to kidnap me and extort money from my father. Right? I continued banging on the door yelling for someone to let me out. “I can give you money if that’s what you want! I mean, of course that’s what you want, why else would you have taken me!?” Nobody came to the door to answer my calls. ‘They couldn’t have just left me here alone. Probably just ignoring me. How dare they ignore me! Don’t they know who I am!?’ I thought to myself. “Please! Let me out, please!” I yelled louder than I had been. To my luck, the door opened! “Took you fuckers long enough! Wait till my father hears about what you did! You’ll be staring at the walls of a jail cell for the rest of your-“ But there wasn’t anyone there. It was just another room. Another white room. “Shit.”
Yuki
Alone. Dead. Alive. Together. My thoughts are spinning and I think I’m going crazy. Am I dead? Am I alive? Am I with others or am I alone? I can’t tell. There is no light here. No signs of life as far as I can tell. I’m afraid to speak up. I fear that maybe I might get a response. I fear that I might not. How did I get here? Where is here? What is here? Is here even Earth? Of course it is stupid, where else would it be? There I go again, putting myself down. Crazy, crazy, crazy, they always called me crazy. I’m not crazy, just misunderstood. YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS! Crying. I’m crying now. My hands covering my face, hiding the tears from whoever could be watching. You big pussy, what are you afraid of? Everyone already knows how much of a scaredy-cat you are. SAY SOMETHING. No. SAY SOMETHING. No! SAY SOMETHING! “NO!” I jerked up, waiting for a response. What was only seconds seemed like an eternity. Then I heard the sound of a door opening. No one entered and no one left. The room, now partially illuminated by the light coming in from the open door, was empty. I truly was all alone. But what about outside the door? Am I still alone? I don’t know. I want to know. I don’t want to know. Go. Go. Get up and go. “I’m going, shut up.” I walked outside of the lonely room and found-
Mizuki
The door opened. “Who’s that!?” I yelled across the room. In the doorway was a figure. A girl, I think, from the look of the silhouette. “Who are you?!” I yelled again. “I’m not moving one step closer until you say something!” Clearly, shouting demands and bargaining probably wouldn’t get me anywhere, but this is what I was taught to do in school. If the kids did not obey, you shouted at them and told them that if they didn’t follow orders, they’d be punished. Sigh, such is the life of a teacher, even outside of school I can’t shake the role. I love my students and I never yell at them. Yelling is so unproductive and only serves to start more trouble. Who has ever solved anything in history of any importance by yelling? I can’t think of a single soul of the top of my head. “Look, I’m sorry for yelling. But please, I’m not moving until you say something!” I shouted. The figure still said nothing. I couldn’t move towards it without knowing who or what it was. That would be foolish. I’m a teacher, I know when to do things and when not to do things. If I didn’t, then what good would I be? A teacher that lacks knowledge, very wrong. I continued to sit there, in the corner farthest away from the door on the other side of the white room, unmoving. However, something inside me told me that I had to be the one to make the first move. I had to be the one to move towards the door, or else I was never getting out of here alive. That’s what I thought to myself. ‘Alright,’ I told myself. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and brushed my skirt flat against my waist and began to walk towards the figure in the door.
Junichi
The sound of a door opening. It was like music to my ears. It came from my left side. But it wasn’t the only sound I heard. Footsteps. Running. Someone was here! “Help me!” I whispered as loud as I could. “Junichi! Impossible. Are you okay?!” It was the voice of a girl. I knew that voice. “Tomari?” I whispered. “Junichi! What happened? How are you here?!” I could see her next to me on my left side, kneeling. “Tomari…help me…” I whispered to her. My voice was getting weaker. Was I getting weaker? “Okay, just hold on,” she said softly as she slid her arms under my back. “Ergh!” A sharp pain ran down my spine. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” Tomari panicked. “No, no, it’s okay.” It wasn’t okay. I knew now exactly what was wrong. My spine. It was broken. That’s why I couldn’t move my legs. “Come on. Sit up Junichi.” This time, a new voice spoke. It was not Tomari, nor was it a girl. It sounded like a machine almost. “Who is that!?” Tomari growled to the empty room. “I am the one who put you in this place. Now, would you kindly sit him up against the wall?” The voice asked. “This might hurt. I’m sorry if it does.” Tomari apologized. “It’s okay,” I reassured her, “Just hurry.” The pain of having my back curved was immense. I can’t even begin to describe it. So I won’t. As she moved me to the wall, I wished I wasn’t in the position. This isn’t the place for a guy. It’s almost embarrassing. “There you go,” she said to me as she leaned me against the wall. At that instant, I felt an even greater, sharp pain run through my whole body. “Ow!” I yelled long and loud. I yelled? I did. My voice was back. What about the rest of me? Was it normal. I tried moving my arms. Yes! “Hahahahaha!” I started laughing like a madman. “Junichi? What’s wrong?” Tomari looked frightened of me. “Oh…it’s nothing. I can move again!” I was overjoyed. But that joy quickly faded away when I saw what was in each corner of the room.
Misaka
“You want me to do what?!” I yelled at the electronic voice. “You need to navigate your way to the room shown on the monitor on the wall in front of you. It isn’t hard, there are no traps or tricky puzzles to solve. You just need to run. And fast. You only have a limited amount of time.” This voice was really starting to piss me off. “Look, do you want money? If you do, I can give it to you!” I yelled. “Misaka, I don’t want your money. I want you to run to the room on the monitor. Look, your friends Junichi and Tomari are already there. And please, you must hurry.” Wait, what? “And why the hell should I listen to you?!” I was frustrated. This bastard, giving me orders! “Because, Misaka, if you do not get there in 20 minutes. You will die.”
Mizuki
A doll. The figure in the door was nothing more than a doll that looked remotely human. Angry, I grabbed the doll and threw it across the room. “What is going on!?” I begged for an answer. Though, in this situation, shouldn’t I know the answer? I am the teacher after all…right? “Mizuki-sensei, you need to remain calm.” Out of nowhere, a voice spoke to me. It was…electronic, like a computer-synthesized voice. “W-who are you?” I asked. “That is not important. Please, look at the screen on the wall in front of you.” The voice kindly asked of me. On the wall in front of me was a screen. It was small, about the size of an American textbook (Those things are much too big). On the screen was a young boy laying down in the middle of a room. “You know this boy, Mizuki-sensei.” The voice said to me. Did I? He was wearing my schools uniform, so at the very least, I MAY have taught him before. “Still don’t recognize him? Here,” as the voice said this, the camera zoomed in closer on the boy, “How about now?” I gasped. It was Junichi Sukenobu, one of my students. “What have you done with him!?” I went crazy. The life of one of my own students could be at stake here! “Mizuki-sensei, you must calm down. If you continue to lose focus, you will not be able to save him.” “What?! Save him? Save him from what?!” Panic spread over me. “There is a poison slowly making its way through his body. You must get to where he is and give him the antidote.” “What? This can’t be happening!” Yet, here I was. And here IT was, happening right before my eyes. Right, I can do this! I’m a teacher, protecting the students is part of my job. “You must hurry. You only have 20 minutes.” I ran.
Tomari
“Uhn…where am I?” I asked the bright light shining in my face. “Get the light out of my face, it’s hurting my eyes.” The light remained where it was, shining directly into my eyes. I swung my arms out at the light but couldn’t reach it. I tried blocking out some of it to see where it was coming from, but the light was much too powerful. “Hey!” I yelled, “Turn down the light!” The light began to fade to a more livable level of strength. I was in a hallway, pure white and very long. “Hello!?” I called out. “Anyone there?” No response. I was hesitant to walk down the long hallway, but with the adequate lighting, I could see that there was nothing to be afraid of. So I walked. I had taken only a few steps when a voice came from above me. It was a mechanical, no…electronic in sound. “You’ve run out of time.” It said. “Huh? Run out of time for what?” I asked back. I noticed that there was a small screen on the wall to my right. “You’ve run out of time.” The voice said again, as I moved closer towards the screen. Ignoring it, I stepped right up It to the screen. “W-what is this…” I could barely get the words out of my mouth. “N-no, that can’t be true!” What I saw on the screen was something I never wanted to see. Blood everywhere, bruised, beaten. “Junichi…” Again, the voice said “You’ve run out of time.” But I couldn’t believe that.
Yuki
4 Buttons. There were four buttons on a pedestal in the middle of the room. The room was white from floor to ceilings. WHY ARE THERE BUTTONS HERE!? Am I supposed to push them? What do I do? Tell me what to do. Confused, angry, sad, scared. Help me. What do I do? What do I d-“Yuki.” “Heh!?” “Yuki, I need you to take a deep breath.” I know that voice. I know that voice. It’s you isn’t it. You’re here? “You’re here with me!? Where!? I want to see you!” “I am not in the same room with you. Please calm down and take some deep breaths. What I’m about to have you do is something…important.” “I’ll do anything for you! Tell me!” “Yes, but first you NEED to calm down. This is something that could very well change the course of everything that is going to happen from now on.” JUST TELL ME! TELL TELL TELL TELL! “Take some deep breaths and then I will tell you.” “Fine fine, Yuki is taking some deep breaths.” I took them. Long and full and deep. Air. My thoughts begin to collect. My mind begins to calm. Tranquility flows throughout body and I am normal again. “Thank you, Yuki. Now, what I’m about to have you do requires you to think very hard.” “So you’ve said, now what is it you want me to do?” I asked.
Junichi
“Where are we?” Tomari asked me. “Trust me, If I knew, I would tell you.” In each corner of the white room was a capsule. “What do you think those are for?” Tomari asked me. “I don’t know that either…wait, what is that inside that one over there?” I walked over to it and peered inside. “No way.” “Hmm, what is it Junichi?” Tomari walked up behind me. I saw her eyes widen when she saw what was inside. “Mizuki-sensei!?” Inside the capsule was our teacher, frozen in time.
Misaka
“Die…?” “Yes. You see, I’ve brought you here because the world is ending. I have chosen a select few of you to survive it. However, to do so, you must pass a test. It’s a stupid, simple test that will take something you care about and put it in harm’s way. You have 18 minutes left.” The voice told me. “A-alright! I’m going! Geez!” I left the room and headed down the long corridor. The end of the world? But what about my father and my money!? Am I going to end up…poor!? Back at school, I was always the most popular girl because I had all the money and because I’m the most beautiful girl In the school. It’s only natural that I was popular. Though I guess my prudish behavior did cost me many things…like friends. I don’t have many friends. I show off at school that I can buy anything with money, even people to follow me around and talk to me! However, money can’t buy you everything. Especially friends. And anyway, why should I even care about Junichi and Tomari!? Those two are just normal students! Why were THEY chosen to be saved from the end of the world too!? Shouldn’t it be left to those with the most money?! Where’s the reasoning behind all this!? What did THEY do to deserve this!? All of this went through my mind as I came to the end of the corridor and stepped into the next room. “Alright Misaka. It’s time for your test.” The voice said. “In the middle of the room are two buttons. Do you see the wall? Pay attention to the wall.” After this, the wall flickered and then showed two items hanging above the flicker of fire. “What in the hell is going on!?”
Mizuki
“I’m…I’m here!” I gasped for each breath. ‘I’m way too out of shape,’ I told myself. But then again, I’m an English teacher, not a Gym coach. “Did…you hear me! I said I’m…I’m here!” I yelled at the ceiling, I could have yelled anywhere. The ceiling just seemed like a better area to yell towards. “Mizuki-sensei, you care for your students, do you not?” The voice said. “Yes, of course. More than anything!” I really did. They were all I had left to live for after all. I had no kids, no boyfriend or husband. All I had were those kids. They were, sadly, my main source of happiness. “Would you risk your like for a student?” The voice asked me. “Of course! I’d do anything for a student of mine!” I would. These students…they all have so much potential for this life. It is my job to help them know and show that potential, lest I be reincarnated as a bug. “Then you have to choose. Do you save yourself, or do you save a dying student?” What kind of question is that!? It’s obvious isn’t it? Save the dying student! “But you said I could save him! The stud-“ But the voice cut me off, “Before you answer, let me explain something to you. Junichi is dying. By that I mean, no matter what, you cannot save him. If you save him, he will die. And…so will you. You will die knowing that you could do nothing for your precious student. That everything up until now has been meaningless. You will die…and no one will ever know what you did or how much you cared for your class.” The voice paused. What in the world is going on? “Your other choice is simple. Go on living. Save yourself, let the world know that you tried to save Junich but you couldn’t. Yes, you may be scorned by some, but others will see you for who you truly are. You will be able to bring the rest of your class to its full potential. And, yes, you may live with a feeling of guilt that you could do nothing, and you may think it all your fault. However, you are still alive. Which one do you choose to do?” The voice got quiet. I was all alone now. Alone to think for myself what to do. I don’t want to live with any more guilt than I already have. Either way, I end up feeling horrible. On the one hand, I end up feeling horrible and dying, but isn’t that better than living with the guilt? Isn’t that one better than having people hate you for something you couldn’t have prevented? Isn’t dying the best choice? I couldn’t live with myself…I just couldn’t. “Mizuki-sensei…I need your answer.” But I just couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to answering such a question where neither answer seemed to be the correct one. Do I take the selfish one? But then again…they’re both selfish in their own way, aren’t they? Which one do I choose? I quickly let myself think for myself, release all thoughts of anything and let myself choose. “Myself…” I mumbled. “You’re going to have to speak louder.” The voice crackled through the unseeable speakers. “Myself!” I yelled. There were tears in my eyes. It’s not the choice I wanted to make…but it’s the choice I had to make. “Mizuki-sensei, please walk into the next room and step into one of the open capsules.” The voice kindly commanded me. I made my way into the next room. In it were four capsules and a body. “Heh!?” That body…I knew who it belonged to. “Sukenobu-san!” I ran over to him and kneeled down beside him, ready to pick him up. “Mizuki-sensei, he is already almost dead. Touching him will only bring him more pain.” The voice said this right as I was about to slide my arms under him. I wanted to hold him and tell him that everything would be alright. Tell him…tell him that he couldn’t die. “Sensei…please, get into one of the capsules.” The voice asked me again. Tears were streaming down my face. I didn’t like the position I was in. One where I could do nothing. I felt betrayed and lied to. The voice told me that by getting here, I could save him. But now that I’m here, I can do nothing. “Please…sensei, get in the pod. You are running out of time.” The voice said I was running out of time. “I don’t care! Please, just let me be with him for a little while longer!” I begged. The voice did not respond. I felt like killing myself at that moment. What good is a teacher who cannot protect her own student…? But then, I realized something. What the voice had said was right. Even though I couldn’t do anything for this one student, for Sukenobu-san, I could still tell the world about him and have him live on in the other students. I could be the one to raise those students and have them live the best lives they could. I could be that person. Even if I am scorned or cast aside like a dirty rag, I will be the best person I can be. I wiped the tears from my eyes and face and stood up. “I’m sorry, Sukenobu-san.” I said before turning to one of the capsules. As I was about to get in, the voice returned, “Mizuki-sensei. Can you tell me why you chose to save yourself, even if it means suffering for the rest of your life?” That was an easy question. “Because no matter how harsh life is…there is still so much beauty and potential left in the world.” Silence. “That sounded kind of cool, didn’t it?” I didn’t expect an answer. “Yes, it really did.” The voice agreed. I stepped into the capsule and took a deep breath of relief. I didn’t know what would happen to me next, but I wasn’t afraid of whatever would come. I had finally come to terms with my life, whatever happens, happens. After I had stepped into the capsule, the voice came back on once more. “And Sensei? Thanks for being such a great teacher.” That was the last thing I heard before the capsule closed on me, a small smile on my face.
Junichi
She was just…stuck there. I could only guess this was a cryogenic chamber of some sort. I’d seen Alien, after all. Even then, I didn’t understand any of this. This was all made worse by the painful headache that was starting in the front on my head. “What is going on!?” Tomari began to panic. “Tomari, you need to calm down! You need t-“ But I couldn’t say what I wanted to say when I realized…each of the capsules was filled with a body. But what startled me the most, was that I knew very, very well, the person that lay in one of them.
Yuki
“So, what is it you need me to do?” I asked. “You have a choice to make, Yuki. Either kill or be killed.” It was abrubt and cold. As if I TRULY had a choice. I knew what I would have to do. Choose to kill, lest I be killed myself. I’d seen it all before in film and literature. “Come on. That’s not original at all.” I said. “You have to make a choice between killing the boy you so dearly love…or killing the boy you so dearly love.” Silence. No more speaking from the voice or myself. I was too dumbfounded. What kind of a choice is that? Kill the boy I love or kill the boy I love? Isn’t that kind of…crazy? I’m one to know, I AM crazy! “You can’t expect me to do that! How could you expect me to kill you!?” Silence, he didn’t respond. “How can you expect me to hurt you!? Answer me!” Yes. I’d know that voice no matter how much masking you add. Junichi.
Misaka
Each side was something I could never let go. How could this fucker expect me to let go of either thing? It’s like this guy expects me to…REASON! With him!? No way! “Misaka, you have a choice. On one hand, you can take all your money, all you most valuable assets, and watch them melt away. On the other hand, you can kill the only true friend you’ve ever had.” The voice gave me two choices. Neither of which I could make. This isn’t fair! This shouldn’t be happening to me! “You piece of shit. When I get out of here…I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!” Anger shot through me. I let go of everything that makes me who I am!? I kill…my only friend. My best friend. Man’s best friend, as they say. My baby. My pet. My true friend. My dog. “You can’t make me choose! You can’t! I won’t do it!” I yelled. “Fine, then I will choose for you.” With that, I saw a light blink on above one of the items. “Liam! No! No! I’ll choose! I’ll do it! Just don’t hurt Liam!” I begged and begged. Something I’ve never had to do. Something others did to me! “Just…just don’t hurt him!” I cried. “I take it this means the money. Everything that makes you rich and popular. Am I correct?” “Yes.” “I am currently emptying all your accounts into various other accounts throughout the world. You will still have enough money to get by at school, but you will not be able to spend as you please.” I didn’t care. I didn’t…because I still had my friend. However, it didn’t take me long to realize how ridiculous this was becoming. For one reason. My father. “When I get out of here, my father will find you. We will get my money back. You will be brought to justice.” Haha, I win. “Misaka, please. Who do you think agreed to this?” The voice said. That caught me by surprise. He couldn’t be serious.
Tomari
“No. No. No. No.” I continued to repeat this, praying that it was all a lie, as I ran through more and more hallways and corridors. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. I ran and I ran and I ran, I kept running. I didn’t know where I was going or what I would find, but still I ran. I ran through at least 5 long hallways, each one seeming longer than the last. I ran. Running had never felt this horrible. It felt like running towards a nightmare instead of away from it. Every breath hurt more than the one before it. Every step was more cumbersome, heavier than the last. Everything was worse than everything before it. But I tried to force that all into the deepest parts of my mind just so I could go one more step. And finally, I found myself at the end of a hallway, with no open door. A dead end. “No! Nooooooooooo!” I cried, wept, screaming at the wall. I beat the wall with my fists, thinking that it might change something, that a secret door might open somewhere. “Why is this happening!?” I yelled to the ceiling. “What did Junichi do to deserve this!?” “Deserve this? You’ve got it all wrong. This was his doing.” The voice said. “Are you saying this is all his fault?!” I screamed, furious, unable to believe that. “Well, not everything. But he is the reason why you are here, and not someone completely different.” The voice said.
Yuki
“So you figured that out, huh?” He said. “Of course. I knew from the moment you first spoke.” I answered. I was hopelessly in love with him, how could I not know? “But, asking me to kill you…that’s just not going to be possible.” “I’m sorry Yuki, but you have to. If I don’t die, then-“ “Then what,” I interrupted, “What could possibly be worse than YOU dying?!” “Yuki. Don’t you get it? If you don’t make a choice, then you yourself will die.”
Tomari
“What do you mean?” I asked. “I mean, that if not for Junichi, you would not be here. You would not be around to survive what has happened outside.” The voice said. “What? Outside? What happened outside?” “The end of the world. You are all that’s left. You are one of the few survivors.” That was yet another shock to my system. Junichi is dead and now the world has ended? This is all too surreal. “I know how hard this is for you to understand, trust me, but you need to do as I say.” I wanted to cry, but there were no tears left. I had spent them all on crying for Junichi. “Tomari. Please step into the next room and into one of the pods.” “Pods? Why? What for!? What does any of this matter!?” I give up. The world is gone, Junichi is gone, what’s the point? “This is what Junichi wanted. He wanted you to keep on living, to keep going once the world had been rebuilt.” “But the world is gone, destroyed. You said so yourself. How can I live in a rebuilt world if the world was just destroyed?” I asked. None of this was making sense. “The pods are…” The voice grew silent. I could’ve sworn I heard it going on in the background, with another person. But I wasn’t trusting any of my senses anymore. I had no way of knowing anything anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing. “Alright, I’m going to tell you everything I can about the pods and what they are for. Nothing more, nothing less. About the pods and the pods only.” “I get it. No need for the specifics.” The voice was acting strange…as if on orders not to say anything more than wat needed to be said. “The pods are cryostasis chambers. Once you are inside, you will be kept there until the world is rebuilt back to a close enough vision of how it was.” “But how do you know that will happen? How do you know the world won’t just fall apart!?” It would be impossible to know. The only way to know would be if this person had come from the future, however time travel is impossible and only in books and tv shows. I’m not all that great at science, but even I know that much. “I can’t tell you how I know…I just do.” “Alright fine…I believe you.” As I said this, the wall opened up. So the wall was a door. “Now please, enter the open pod.” As I went through the door, I saw the impossible.
Yuki
“But I don’t want to die. If I die, then I can’t be with you!” This was ridiculous, how could he put himself in this kind of situation!? And I thought I was the crazy one! ‘You are the crazy one,’ I said to me. SO WHAT? SO WHAT IF I’M CRAZY!? No, you need to calm down. Calm, take deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. “But I don’t want to die.” I said again, calmly. “It’s not my decision, Yuki, it’s yours. Do you want to be with me for one last moment, or do you want to die?” “One last moment…that’s all I’ll get?” “Yes. Nothing more, nothing less.” “You know, no matter how screwed up I am, I still love you.” I said. “Yeah, I know. I’ve known for a while. I like to think that it may have worked out between us. Somehow.” Junichi said. “Junichi?” “What is it?” “I’m sorry,” I apologized as I pressed the button to kill him. I’m sure there were tears in my eyes at this point. “Okay, go ahead and move into the next room.” He told me. The door opened and I ran into the next room, unsure of what I would find. What I did find was Junichi lying on the floor, alive. “WHAT IS GOING ON?!”
Misaka
“You mean…my father put me here!?” “To be more precise, I chose you and he funded the whole thing.” The voice said. “What do you mean, ‘funded’? And why!? Why do this to his ONLY DAUGHTER!?” Daddy would NEVER do this! It has to be a lie, it has to! And then the voice changed. “Misaka, are you so blind to your own faults that you still will not realize what is going on? You have no human friends, all you have is a dog. You constantly flaunt our wealth when it doesn’t need to be flaunted. Everyone knows who you are, so I do not understand why you must constantly remind them by showing off. Even I, as your FATHER, get tired of it. Frankly, you have become a bother. The reason you are here is because you need to see that, even though you have these faults, you can still fix them and make real friends. You can still live a life that is not based solely on the need for material things. Misaka, I need you to be a better person.” It took a few seconds for me to soak in everything that my father had just told me. And when it hit me, my legs went weak and I fell to my knees.
Tomari
“Junichi! Impossible. Are you okay?!” I ran over to Junichi, who was laying on the floor, alive and unhurt. The voice lied to me. Why? “Junichi, what happened!? How are you here?” I said as I ran over to him.
.
.
.
Yuki
“You said you were dead!” Junichi lied to me! He tricked me! But maybe he did it because he loved me. Or maybe he didn’t. Confused. I’m confused. Nothing makes sense. This place. Why I’m here. How I’m here. I walked over to the Junichi on the floor and knelt down, he was asleep. I shook him again and again but he wouldn’t wake up. “WHY WON’T YOU WAKE UP?!” I yelled at both Junichis. “He won’t wake up because it is not time for him to wake up. Now stop shaking him, you’re only hurting him.” “And besides that, explain to me this! You can’t be here if you’re up there,” I pointed to the ceiling, “How can you be here and there at the same time?” “Yuki, get into one of the open pods.” The ceiling Junichi said. “But you said I could have a moment with you!” “When did I ever say that, Yuki. I think you are mistaken, as I cannot recall saying anything remotely like that.” Is he mocking me? I felt for sure that I remember him saying something like that. Now that I think about it…this all feels like deja-vu. “Junichi. I’ll get in the pod. But before I do, I need you to tell me something.” I said calmly. “If I can, I will answer you.” “How many times have I done this?” The Junichi in the ceiling said nothing for a while, then, “In this universe? This is the first time for you.” Hahahahahahaha, what!? IN THIS UNIVERSE!? WHAT THE HELL!? IS HE SAYING THAT THERE ARE OTHER MES!? “You’re kidding, right!? Other universes!? That’s only science fiction! Right!?” I was becoming hysterical. I was facing something that my mind could not believe nor comprehend. MORE THAN ONE ME!? HAHAHAHA DON’T BE RIDICULOUS!! “That’s all I can tell you, Yuki, now get in the pod.” “No!” I yelled defiantly. “I won’t get in!” “Haha, ok ok. If you really want to go that route. And I really hated having to do this to you, Yuki…how many times did I do it out of the hundreds of times I’ve done this?” I heard a click inside my brain. All at once, I saw and heard memories from another me. Running through this experiment time and time again. Feeling the pain of having to choose between killing him or killing him time and time again. Each time, I felt the sadness that the other me felt. The pain the other me felt. The terror, sadness, everything. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!” I begged to know. “I chose you Yuki! I chose you, out of plenty of other people to survive in this world, I chose you! Now please, get in the pod!” “Am I going to have to go through this stupid experiment again!? Like the other me, who has done this hundreds of times! Am I?” “Yuki, you don’t get it do you? Each you has only done it once. There are more than two of you. All those memories you just received? Those are from multiple yous. There is not just one YOU. Now get in the pod!” Junichi was angry at me. Was it because I was acting selfish and not doing as he asked? Was it my fault? “I don’t want to get in the pod, Junichi. I want to be with you!” I said pointing at the Junichi on the floor. “You can be with me. After everyone has made it to their pods, you can be with me.” “Everyone? You mean I’m not the only person here?” “I can’t tell you anything more. Get in the pod, dammit!” He yelled at me. I surrendered at that moment. Did as he said and made my way to the open pod. Before the pod closed on me, Junichi said: “It would never have worked out between us Yuki. You’re just too messed up in the head.” It must have been at that point that I knew I would never see him again.
Misaka
“Daddy! I’m sorry!” I wept. “I just wanted to be loved and popular!” Even through my tears I knew that what I had just said was one of the most cliché things I COULD say. “Misaka. Do you realize what you have to do?” My father asked me. “You want me to make everything right?” I really had no idea what I could do, there were too many options. “I need you to live like a normal person. Make friends, have a fun school life. Just be a normal child for once. A child that doesn’t rely on money or popularity.” “Is that all? Is that all you want from me?” I asked father through tears. “That’s all I ever wanted from you.” “Then why couldn’t you have just said this to me!? Why did you have to put me in this place!?” “Because you never would have listened otherwise! I have told you these things but you never listened! Putting you in a place like this is the only way you would understand!” Alright. I understood now. Even though this whole situation was completely strange and off the wall, I understood. “I’ll do it. I’ll do my best to live like a normal girl. Just…just let me leave this place.” “You can’t do that quite yet,” the voice came back, “You must go into the next room and step inside the remaining pod.” “Pod? Why?” “Because, as I said, the world is ending and I need you to be here for when it is safe.” I didn’t care anymore. No matter how ridiculous this whole situation was, I was ready to do whatever I needed to make my father happy. So, as I walked into the next room, I didn’t even pay attention to Junichi lying there on the floor. I just stepped into the open pod and let whatever happened next, happen.
Tomari
“All these pods. I know these people! Yuki, sensei, Misaka…” I said to Junichi from across the room. “Yeah, but what about this fourth one?” He asked back. “I don’t know, let me see…” I walked over to Junichi and the fourth pod. “It’s hard to see inside, the inside is frosted over.” “Tomari, Junichi, you’ve done well.” The voice spoke up. “Y-you!” I yelled at the voice, wherever it was coming from. “You lied to me! You said Junichi was dead! You tricked me!” “What? What are you talking about, Tomari?” Junichi, standing beside me, asked confusedly. “You showed me a dead body and kept telling me I was all out of time! YOU SHOWED ME A DEAD BODY!” “I’m sorry that you had to see that…however, it was the only way to make you move on.” The voice said. “No it wasn’t! You could have just said that Junichi was waiting!” “Yes, but you would not have moved as fast as you did, and I really would like to get this game over with.” “Game? Tomari, what is going on?” Junichi asked. And also, what do you mean we’ve done well? I’ve done nothing except run to this godforsaken room only to find Junichi alive and paralyzed. Speaking of which, “Why couldn’t Junichi move when I got here!?” “Is that really what you should be asking right now? There are so many other questions you could ask. Like, where are you? Why are you here? Who put you here?” The voice said this in a condescending tone. It was mocking me. “Alright then, answer those questions as well!” I yelled. “I can’t. But I can tell you why Junichi could not move earlier and I can tell you how, once you set him against the wall, he could.” I waited for the voice to continue and give me an answer. “Junichi, when placed in this room, was given an injection of a paralyzing agent. It works to stop the spine, however at the same time, it increases the nervous system’s ability to feel. It’s all very technical and even if I were to explain it, you wouldn’t understand. Now, when you moved him to the wall, he was injected with an antidote of sorts. Does that cover everything?” So, the voice was mocking me. Does it think I’m an idiot? “What was the point!? Why go through all that trouble?!” This was all ridiculous, none of it made any sense and it seems as though it was just some idiotic plot device in a story. “Well, that’s simple. As Junichi lay paralyzed on the floor, he fell asleep. During that time, the people that you currently see in the pods came through. If Junichi had been awake, they may have never stepped into the pods and instead would have sat with Junichi until something changed. But nothing would have changed. No matter how long they sat with him. That is why we needed him asleep. And once everyone was in the pods, we needed you to come in. But for that, Junichi needed to be awake to convince you to step into the final pod.” “But there are no empty pods! And what are the pods even for!?” The voice continued with its rant, “You don’t need to know what the pods are for. All you need to know is that the world has ended and you 5 are among the last survivors. Now, get into the pod.” “Which pod!? I told you, there are all filled!” “Are they?” The voice said sarcastically. After it said this, one of the pods opened. It was the one that had frosted over on the window. Inside, it was empty. “Get in.” The voice demanded. “What about Junichi? What is he going to do?” I asked, looking at Junichi, who was standing beside me with a look of stupefaction on his face. “He has a part that he still has to fulfill. Now get in the pod.” “I don’t know what is going on, Tomari, but I think you should get in the pod.” Junichi said to me.
Junichi
“I don’t know what is going on, Tomari, but I think you should get in the pod.” I told Tomari. None of this was making any more sense to me than it did to Tomari, and yet…and yet it all felt very familiar. “How can you say that? You don’t even know what might happen to me?” Tomari said. She sounded very concerned, but that would be expected of anyone placed in this situation. “Junichi…I don’t want to leave you here alone.” She said. “But I’m not alone, I have 3 classmates and a teacher with me.” I said to her. She then threw her arms around me and began to cry. “I don’t want to leave you! I don’t! If I leave, I may never see you again!” “I’m sure you’ll see me again! I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but for some reason, I’m sure!” I tried to comfort her, but honestly, there wasn’t much I could do here in this place. “So you seriously think I should just –get in the pod-?” She asked me, putting an emphasis on the last bit. “Yes. Yes, I really think you should-“ And then she kissed me. It was my first one. “Why did you do that?” I asked. What a stupid question. It was obvious. She liked me. “I-I love you.” Oh, it was love, was it? Was this a confession? I think it is. It is, isn’t it. “Uh…I…I like you a lot too.” It was true, back in school, we had been great friends. She would always talk to me whenever it looked like something was wrong. She’d help me whenever I had trouble with school work. We’d walk home together and eat lunch together. Honestly, I don’t know why either of us never confessed to each other earlier. “I’ve always liked you, Junichi.” She said. “Always? Ever since we met?” “Un, ever since I first saw you, I knew that I would come to know you more than any other person in that school.” “How did you know?” “I don’t know, I just did. It was one of those feelings. I regret, more than I can ever truly admit, not telling you any of this at a more appropriate time.” Tomari…And it was at that moment that I knew I would have to let go of a friend, who, in just the past minutes, had become more than a friend. Everything I had to come know, everything I had before today was about to, or already had been, taken away. By whatever is going on, it had been taken away. I didn’t understand any of it, nor did I think it fair. “Tomari. I think you should get in the pod. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you, but I promise, I promise you, I will get you back.” I kissed her. “Come on, get in.” As she got into the pod, I saw that she was crying. “I’m coming back. I promised, didn’t I?” “Yeah, you did. I know you’ll make good on that promise. Somehow, I know!” And as the pod door closed, she smiled through her tears. I made a promise, and I was ready to keep it. Now, it was time to find out how I could make good on that promise. “Well…it took a while, but everyone is where they need to be now,” the voice spoke. “Junichi, you’ve done well.” “But I didn’t do anything.” “Yes you did. You provided the drive for people to make it here.” The voice said. “But why did they need to be here in the first place? Why these pods? Why me?” I asked. “Walk through the door.” The voice commanded. “Uh uh. First, you tell me why.” “Walk through the door and all your questions will be answered.” “Do you promise?” “I make no promises.” I sighed, figuring that in the end, what other choice did I have? I could just stay in this room until I die of starvation or dehydration. I don’t remember which one comes first. “Alright. Open it.” I said. The wall on the far side of the room from where I awoke opened up, revealing a staircase. I walked over to the doorway and looked up. It was a long staircase, and it was just as white as the rest of this godforsaken place. “Up these stairs?” I asked. But no one responded. And so, I began my walk up the long flight of stairs. All the while, I thought about how life was, only days before. I thought back long and hard about my relationship with Tomari. We really were like a couple. Always together, there for each other. But I’m just repeating what I’ve said earlier. I wondered then, what life would be like once I found whatever was at the top of the stairs. Would it be better? Worse? Would I find something to get Tomari back or would I find something that would make her lost to me forever. Just what would I find? It was at that point, I began to run. I ran and I ran up those stairs. In my head, I could hear one of my friends say to me in my head “You go get those stairs, Junichi.” And that’s what I did. I got those stairs. And as I got to the top, I came upon a wall. Just a wall. Plain. White. Flat. A wall in every aspect of the term. And I beat on that wall, I beat on it as if it were a drum that was blocking my way to freedom. Because that’s what it was. It was the one thing standing between me and freedom. I hoped, at least. “Open it!” I yelled. It opened. And beyond that wall, was a room. Inside that room were control panels, tv screens, camera controls, a microphone, a chair. In that chair was a person. “Hey! Are you the one running this!?” But the person in the chair didn’t respond. Didn’t even turn around. I walked up to the chair and spun it around to face me. To my surprise, there was not a person, but a mannequin, in the chair. “What the hell is going on.” I looked around, my eyes drawn to the control panel in front of the chair. To a screen on the control panel. To words on the screen.
>For Junichi
I touched those words, and the screen changed. It now showed a video. And on that video, was a person who looked just like me. No. It wasn’t that this person looked just like me. It was me. “Hey, me. What’s going on? I suppose that now that you’ve made it this far, you’re wondering what’s going on? Well, I don’t know how to say this, but by now, I think it’s safe to say that your world has ended. How do I know this? Well, let’s just say that I’m from another Earth. That’s right buddy, I’m from an alternate universe, sent to your universe to find you and a select few people I found important enough to myself to survive what has happened to the world. Why these people? Well, that’s easy. You see, those important people like the Prime Minister or the President of the United States of America have these things called bomb shelters or fallout shelters. I’m also pretty sure that the richest and smartest people would also have access to personal or group shelters as well. So, I didn’t really need to save anyone like that. Instead, I saved you. Myself. And the people that, in my universe, I came to know as friends. Seeing as how mom and dad are already dead in both of our worlds, it seemed pretty pointless to worry about them right? Anway, I chose people that have helped me out at one time or another, people I knew I could trust and could get along with. However, I wasn’t able to do this alone. You may know Mr. Higuchi, the president and founder of Higuchi Electronics? You know what I’m talking about, the most profitable electronics company in the world. It was thanks to him that I was able to secure and afford this place. On one condition: I must include his daughter in the whole ordeal. So, I did, and here we are. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why I should have to have laid you on the floor and put your friends through tests. Well, these tests were to see if I could still trust the people in your world like I could in mine. And, as I had thought, I could. So they made it to the pod room. They are currently in a state of Cryogenic Sleep, set to wake up at a time approximate with the rebuild date of my world. So don’t worry about them, they’ll be just fine. Now you’re probably thinking ‘What about me?’. Haha, don’t worry, I have a pod for you, as well. However, to get in that pod, you must make a choice. Why? Because I need to know if I can count on you to help rebuild the world. My question to you is…Do you travel to the next universe or do you stay here and help rebuild your own? Now keep in mind, if you stay here, and help rebuild your own, you’ll be able to be with Tomari and probably do something amazing for the rest of humanity. However, if you choose to go to the next world, you will saving a few more people, possibly more via the outreach of our actions and the way that our actions affect the way the world works. However, you’d never see Tomari again. So, me, which do you choose?” Me in the video smiled and the video cut off, showing two choices: Stay and Leave. I didn’t even have to think about that one as I chose
STAY
To stay. If I leave, I’ll never see Tomari again. She’d be ruined. I’d have broken my promise. I’d probably end up wherever this Junichi is. As I pushed the screen where it said STAY, I realized that now I would forever live with the guilt that I just killed myself, and others, on another Earth. Who knows how many lives I could have saved in that world. “No. It’s for the best. Whatever happens happens and that is how the world was meant to progress.” I told myself. I had to make myself believe that I did the right thing. Besides, if it’s such a big deal, why should I be the one who has to do it. Make the other me do it. He did it with my world, he can do it with the next. He’s the one with more experience. Why should I be the one who has to go to the next world? “You’ve chosen to stay. Don’t feel bad, you’ve only doomed a few hundred people, maybe more. But that’s okay, there are other worlds that can be saved. I guess I just need to find a me that isn’t as selfish.” That was it. I never heard from me again. “Where’s my pod?!” I yelled. But my pod never arose. I was left here…
LEAVE
To leave. I’m not going to just doom another world. That’s not the kind of person I am. But…Tomari. “I see you’ve chosen to leave. I must say, I am proud of you. I was afraid you’d choose to stay, then we’d have all sorts of problems.” It was another video. “Hey, you listening?” Oh wait. It wasn’t a video. “Yeah, me, I’m talking to you.” “Will I ever be able to see Tomari?” That was the first thing that needed to be asked. “Yes. Yes, in fact, you’re not even leaving. You are going to stay here, help rebuild the world.” “But I chose to leave! I should be going to the next Earth, saving those people!” “Ah, but how would you get there? You do not have the technology my world has. Ah, that allows me to also explain how I got to your world. Trans-universal transportation. And besides, that was only a test to see if you were the right person for what’s ahead.” “What?” I didn’t understand. “Ah, you wouldn’t understand, it’s very advanced Physics and…hell, I don’t even understand it completely myself.” “So, now what?” I asked myself. “Get in the pod. Go to sleep until it is time for you to rebuild the world.” “Will I ever see you again?” “Nah. By the time you wake up, I’ll probably be dead. Even after all this technology we have over here, we still never figured out how to stop the aging process. Slow it down, sure, but not by much at all.” “I see…but what about the other Earth?” I had almost forgotten. “Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it. Trust me, I’ll find a replacement when the time is right. And if I don’t, then I guess that’s what the world saw fit. Remember this, whatever happens, happens. You can’t change that.” “So…I guess this is goodbye?” I asked. “Yep. It was nice meeting you, and seeing all of you guys again. I might never grow tired of this job.” I said to myself. “Well, I guess I’ll be going.” As I said this, a pod rose up out of the floor off to the side. “Wait a minute. Before we say goodbye. How long are these things set for?” I asked. But the other me was already gone, the screen blank. “Well, I guess it’s only fair that there are some answers I don’t know.” I said to myself as I climbed into the pod. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.
I awoke to a crashing sound. In front of me was a giant steel beam. It had crashed through the front of my pod. “What the hell happened?” I asked myself, pushing the steel beam out of the way, clearing some glass from the window, and stepping out. The facility had decayed in, for me, an instant. One moment it was brand new, white, clean. Now it lay overgrown with vines, dust on everything, the white was now brown in spots. Too my right was an open door. That wasn’t there before I woke up. “How long have I been in that pod?” Was the next question I voiced. But there was no answer. I ran down those stairs that again, for me I had run up only minutes before, to check on the other pods. I fell straight to my knees when I saw that they had been cleanly opened and were now empty. “They couldn’t have just left me here.” I told myself. They couldn’t have. Surely, they would have waited for me… I ran back up the stairs and out the open door I had seen when I came out of the pod. There was no light, so I could only go by feel. Which meant I couldn’t run unless I wanted to run into another wall. But I wanted to run so badly, I wanted to find my friends, my teacher…Tomari. I wanted to see them. But I couldn’t run. I moved as fast as I could, making multiple turns until I came to a final long hallway. I could tell it was a hallway because I could see a light at the end. Maybe it was a tunnel. But that would be too cliché! Whatever it was, I ran down it. I ran as hard as I could. And finally, I made it to the end and saw…
