Strange Memories With You, My Dear

A few days later, with the assistance of Associate Professor Nagasawa-senpai, Komada-senpai, and Matsumoto-senpai, I finished improving the D-F quantum computer on campus. Now I should be able to send an email to the world with which I share a border, just as myself on the other side did.

“Nakayama-kun, I have prepared a document on what we have learned so far in this world. I’m going to send this information to the other side.”

Fukuhara-sensei called me into his living room and said so.

“The email from the other side said that the timing has to be right for various conditions to be met for the communication to be successful, but is it still okay?”

“Perhaps we are already entering a period where the worlds that were approaching each other are now moving apart, and as time goes on, I think our chances of success, albeit slowly, will diminish.”

“I’d like a copy of the material, too, please. I’ll send it to myself over there, too. The more tries we make, the more likely we are to be successful in sending the information.”

“Okay. The materials are in this memory.”

From the small memory device Sensei handed me, I copied the file “To Coupledworld_1,” a compilation of materials on the spot, to my mobile device.

“Thank you for your hard work.” I told Sensei that I had finished the work I had planned for the time being.

Sensei carried on with this practice while teaching classes, attending meetings, and performing other duties. He was still napping, his hair was a jumble, and his shirt was crumpled. His normal tensile expression was missing, and he appeared exhausted.

“At this point, I don’t think we’ll be in communication with them or cooperating with them, but I’ll let them know what we’ve discovered. On the other side of the world, there are those of us who are just as concerned about Yuuko.”

“—Right. You too, Sensei, get some rest.”

“I will. Fortunately, I don’t have any more meetings or classes today.”

He then gave me a tired smile.

“Thanks for all your hard work, Nakayama-kum. That’s right, I looked over the thesis that was submitted the other day, and it was quite well done. I’m sure you’ve been busy too, with all the help you’ve given me with Yuuko and the quantum computer.”

“No, I worked out in high school, so I don’t mind pushing myself a little too hard.”

I said that half-jokingly. To be honest, there have been occasions recently when I had so much to accomplish, aside from helping Sensei, preparing to meet with Mr. Burley, and finishing up my thesis, that I had to stay in the lab at night since I didn’t have time to travel. My entire body hurt as I slept on a bed composed of six lab chairs. But now that those tasks are completed, I have a lot more time on my hands. The only thing left to do is prepare for the graduation research presentation in February.

“I see. I envy your physical strength.”

Sensei sat down on the couch and turned his shoulders lazily.

“Well, I’m going back to the lab. Thank you very much for the materials.”

I left the office, slightly bowing my head, with words, “Excuse me.” Then, using a computer in the lab that was available, I wrote the e-mail.

To: [email protected]

Subject: What we have learned in this world about what is happening to Yuuko.

I summarized the history of what had transpired in our world, what I had discovered thus far, and wrote that if there was a brain scientist identified Alan Burley in the material who espoused the “EP Organ Hypothesis,” please seek his advice. I then attached the material Sensei had prepared, connected it to a D-F quantum computer, and transmitted the identical stuff to my email address over and over again.

◇

I was in the living room of my laboratory on the first day of the new year, eating fried bread for lunch and preparing materials for my graduation research presentation. I was in the process of creating a simple illustration of the research process using illustration software.

Time: 12:15.

It had been about two hours since the nanomachines were administered to Yuuko. Mr. Burley is also said to have been there throughout Yuuko’s treatment. The nanomachines used in the treatment are supposed to function on areas of her brain to rarefy her memory before spontaneously disappearing over time. That nanomachine was injected into her body at 10 o’clock in the morning. Yuuko’s mother was there, and she used a chat app to let me know how things were going. According to her, the shots used looked no different from conventional ones. The administration of the nanomachine-containing medicine was to begin with a little quantity to minimize side effects, and if it appeared to be successful, they would monitor for a time, and if no impact was apparent at all, we would try raising the dose slightly.

“All you do is look at your watch. What’s wrong? Is there something on your mind?”

Nakajima-senpai, who sat next to me, asked. Today he ate something called “Matcha Ramen.” It wasn’t like the noodles were combined with Matcha or anything, but the soup was made using Matcha. I was curious, but I chose not to react.

“No, nothing.”

I didn’t tell Nakajima-senpai what happened to Yuuko or what was going on in this world right now. I shook my head, feeling bad for hiding things. I then went straight from the university to the hospital to check on her after working in the lab until 5:00 P.M., doing practically nothing. She was moved from a large room to a private room before and after the nanomachine administration because several sophisticated sensors would be attached to her body to monitor detailed data, and doctors would routinely visit to check on Yuuko. When I walked in, the doctors were just explaining the data on Yuuko’s brain activity to her mother near the bed, so I listened to them.

Half a day after the administration, the formerly active hippocampus gradually became less active, and sleep itself got shallower and shallower. Although they did not say everything was okay, I could tell by the way they spoke that the doctors were getting a solid grasp on the situation. She seems relieved to hear the response.

I knew that even if I went to the lab, I would be unable to concentrate on my work because of Yuuko, so I went to the hospital in the morning, had my laptop computer placed on the desk in the private room, and worked on creating slides for my graduation research presentation using my research content that I had stored in the cloud. Even though it was the coldest time of year, the hospital room was warm. The sound of my laptop keyboard typing resonated in the quiet private room.

Despite the fact that Yuuko’s doctor had told her that she was prone to arousal, she appeared much the same as before. Sleeping soundly with her eyes closed. I’ve gotten used to seeing her lying in her hospital bed. In my mind, the image of her walking around town, chatting about her impressions of movies and books, grumbling about university and preparing for exams, and confessing her shortcomings with a troubled expression appeared more transient and surreal, like an illusion.

She lost some weight during this time, but her mother and caregivers regularly took care of her hair, using shampoo and care products to keep her bed dry, so her hair, which she began growing out after high school graduation, remained beautiful. I was there once when they were washing her hair, and her mother said fondly that it reminded her of when Yuuko was still a little girl. When she tried to bathe with her and wash her hair, she laughed and said that Yuuko at that time was not good with water and was very fussy so she washed her hair for her. The caregiver who was working with her seemed to have prior childcare experience, and she shared the same expression as her, saying, “My child was the same way.”

That evening, it was dusk. Yuuko’s mother had gone home to do her chores at the moment, so I was alone inside Yuuko’s private room. When my concentration on my work was interrupted, I saw that the sun was sinking early. I’d been working hard for about an hour and hadn’t even noticed that the room was growing darker. It was when I finished working that I turned on the dim light in the room.

Suddenly, I felt a gaze.

When I looked up from my laptop, I saw Yuuko laying on the bed, her eyes partially open. For a little minute, I mistook myself for staring at the wrong person. But she was unmistakably staring at me.

“Yuuko?”

When I called out to her in disbelief, she made a faint movement of her mouth. Yuuko had clearly recognized me. I quickly shut my laptop and walked up to Yuuko’s side. When I looked at the EEG data, which I had already learned how to read, the waveforms presented were alpha waves, brain waves that emerge during arousal.

“Wait a second, I’ll call the doctor right away.”

I called the nurse’s number and informed her that Yuuko had awakened and that she should go get her doctor. I also informed Yuuko’s mother, who was scheduled to arrive later that evening, that Yuuko had awoken through the messaging app. The doctor rushed up to Yuuako and asked, “Do you understand the words?” or “Do you know where you are?”. The doctor questioned her, saw her reactions, and examined data from numerous sensors. In the midst of all of this, her mother came to the hospital and repeatedly cried her name. Yuuko extended her hand toward her mother, who took it firmly in hers.

“She certainly regained her consciousness.”

The doctor gave us a calming smile and told us so.

“The treatment seems to have been effective. We can’t let our guard down yet, but anyway, I’m glad she awakened.”

The doctor then took a few steps back from Yuuko. Instead, her mother approached her.

“You’ve been asleep for over a month.”

She who said this had tears in her eyes.

“Yukinari-kun, you did a lot of hard work for you, too.”

Yuuko made a slight tilting gesture with her head. I called Sensei and informed him that Yuuko had awakened, rather than her mother, who was crying, either from relief or happiness. Sensei was overjoyed and replied, “I’ll be there as soon as I finish my work,” before hanging up the phone.

“Yuuko, I was worried about you. Suddenly, you fell asleep.”

I said, taking her hand in mine, still dazed. They were much thinner, but they were unmistakably Yuuko’s. She shook my hand back. I felt a tug in my chest from the feeble force and the contact of her hand, and slowly, tears welled up in my eyes, which I quickly brushed away with my other hand.