Ep. 3

Summary

Source-backed · Version: v1 · Original

Kurisu agrees to examine the Phone Microwave only after Okabe names her a laboratory member, a designation she treats with irritation. During a new test, Mayuri opens the microwave and a burst of electricity accompanies another unexpected result. Reviewing phone records, Okabe and Daru confirm that a text message was delivered before it was written. The group realizes their improvised appliance can send limited data into the past, although they do not yet understand why or under what conditions. Kurisu initially rejects the conclusion despite observing the experiment herself. Okabe begins connecting the device to reports about microscopic black holes and asks Daru to infiltrate SERN, the international research organization operating the Large Hadron Collider. John Titor warns that SERN's secret time-travel research will eventually create a dystopian future. Daru's unauthorized search uncovers encrypted records indicating that the organization has already conducted human experiments. The subjects did not travel successfully; their bodies were discovered in grotesque, gelatinous states. What began as an eccentric household invention now appears to reproduce part of a deadly technology pursued by a powerful institution.