Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram

Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram  (STEINS;GATE 線形拘束のフェノグラム, Senkei Kousoku no Phenogram?) is a visual novel released on April 25, 2013 for the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 A port for the Playstation Vita was released on November 28, 2013, and another port was released for iOS on August 19, 2014, with a PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows version planned for release in 2018. It contains a mixture of scenarios, set during and after the original visual novel's story-line, but in different world lines.

The title is an apparent reference to the "linear bounded automaton", a limited form of the Turing Machine concept in computer science.

Story 1: Dr. Jekyll on lines (Okabe)


(Hi, Dimalungma is here. It's 2018 and this article seems a bit raw, so i'll try to do something about it. I will make short versions of each chapter's plot without spoilers, and a long one for those who can't play the game but want tp know what happened. I am just a usual fan, but will try my best. See ya!)

Short:

Takes place in α0.337199%. Depicts Okabe playing Alpacaman and trying to help people around him - by using time leaps and D-Mails to prevent future crimes. But simple task to help Nae to buy the game turn into unpredictable consequences...

Long:

The story starts with Okabe saving Faris and Mayuri from a hijacker, who was trying to steal the RaiNet-related van as an act against the new "RaiNet 3D" game release. Apparently, Okabe is using The Time Leap Machine to pervent the crimes, using his costume and special Alpacaman Tools. The only one who (probably) knows about Okabe's "sidejob" is Mayuri, as she is the one who sewed the costume.

After success, Okabe goes out with Nae to help her buy the new "RaiNet" game. But he fails due to 4oC and other resellers, who pushed into the line and bought the last copy right in front of the Okabe. To pervent Nae from being sad, Rintaro time leaps. As Alpacaman, he finds a way to distract 4oC and buys the game. Then at night, Okabe saw 4oC trying to eat and run without paying, though ended up by taking Lukako as a hostage, and unintentionally harming her... Another time leap. This time Luka was saved, and 4oC was caught. But after dialogue with Mister Braun, Rintaro figures out that it was his actions that caused 4oC go to jail, as Shido was homeless and getting money from reselling was his last chance, people never become bad by their own will.

After another Time Leap, this time Okabe decides to find the person who organized the whole reselling event and put him to an answer. With Daru's help, he finds out that all the reselling was organized by some "Rounders" organization. It rings the bell, though Okabe can't remember why. Rintaro locates one of their stocks in Radio Kaikan, and after the time leap sets the fire alarm in order for police to come and find illegal goods. After runaway with Mayuri Okabe victoriously watches? how 4oC and other people who stood in the line for money, demand payment from person, who was the organizer. After a short argue, that man ("familiar voice though?") has no choice but give up the rest of the money. Nae successfully buys the game, 4oC got his money, everyone is happy... NOT.

It's late night, and Mr. Braun still hadn't returned home. After some more time the police comes, to tell that Tennoji had committed suicide. Okabe finally remembers, where exactly he heard the reseller's voice. Mr. Braun never commited sucide, he was thrown off the roof by his Rounders friends for failing the deadline of reselling job. Okarin returns home and asks Mayuri what does justice mean, if every action he made only caused more suffering. Then he decides to time leap once more, to choose the less evil option. Rintaro decides to go with Nae earlier, so in the end they buy the game, Shido pushes some other child out of the line, and Mr. Braun pays everyone in the line for a job done. Yet, after returning home, Okabe fails to find Mayuri to tell her the story. Okarin asks Daru if he knows where Mayuri went, but Hashida is acting wierd, and finally just leaves the Lab withiout answering. Kurisu appearance in black dress finally reveals the horrible truth...

Exactly one year ago, 13 august 2010, the Rounders attacked the lab, and Mayuri was killed. Okabe was desperate, he couldn't do anything no matter how hard he tried, how many times he leaped. It broke him. Rintaro ended up imagining that Mayuri was still alive, and helped him to make an Alpacaman costume and all the tools. Right now Kurisu works at SERN, as they took her father. But Okabe denies everything. Whole day he runs around the town to find someone, who will confirm that Mayuri is still alive. He finds nobody. Even Faris, who has been with Mayuri in van, has to tell that she was just playing along all the time. Okarin ends up at the grave, with Mayuri's name on it. After another talk with Kurisu, he decides to burn the Alpacaman suit on top of infamous Radio Kaikan. He wears Alpacaman head one last time, as he only sees Mayuri while wearing it. After a talk, he sadly burns the costume down. After thinking for a while, he finally decides that it's not good like that, and right now, no matter how hard it will be, he will time leap one year back and save Mayuri. The story ends with his final talk with Alpaca Commander.

Story 2: Bird Singing in Cage (Daru)
Short:

Takes place in δ3.019430%. Depicts how Daru met his future wife, Yuki Amane on Comima by accident. Yuki was cosplaying Chopstick girl, and she was mistaken as a Moeka, and SERN gave her secret information. After realizing the mistake, Rounders decide to kidnap her. Daru has no choice but to save Yuki.

Long:

It is the first day of ComiMa, and Moeka for some reason decides to cosplay. Daru dreams of seeing her in a black bodysuit, and so he is looking for her. But instead he meets Amane Yuki, his future wife, cosplaying a Chopstick girl (from RaiNet). After short conversation Daru lives - he doesn't know anything about future in this wordline, and thinks that he has no chance with this girl. But at evening, someone with nickname Chopstick_Girl writes on @channel that some weird black cloaked person gave her a strange code - {code here please}. Daru thinks that it may be Amane and tries to show his super hacker skills by cracking the code. But after a few hours, Chopstick Girl writes that she solved the puzzle, and that there is a bomb! Just second later, the same user writes that this all was a joke and nothing happened. Though Hashida seems not to believe that this was a trolling. He decides to crack the code with a help of Kurisu, who accidentally revealed herself as @channeler. After long day with know clues, Daru notices the manhole with symbols almost the same as the code. He gather everyone he can, even Suzuha, and asks to find the hatch. At some point

Story 3: Vermilion Sooteer (Kurisu)
Takes place in α0.328403%. Though written drawn out as "Sooteer" (ソーテール), the title is likely supposed to mean the Greek epithet "Soter".

Depicts Kurisu time leaping to Aug 13th to motivate Okabe so that he time leaps again into the past and seek help from her.

After numerous failed time-leap attempts, Okabe tried to destroy the time-leap machine but stopped by Kurisu, he then ran to the front of UPX complex and sat there, giving up on saving Mayuri. Faris found him and brought him back to the lab, where Daru and Mayuri were nowhere to be seen.There were blood stains on the flood with no one in the lab, Kuroki suggested them to go to Faris's place for safety. Faris and Kurisu seek help from Akiha Yukitaka. In the process of explaining the situation to Yukitaka, Kurisu learnt that he and her father, Prof Nakabachi were friends

Story 4:  Ghosting Rendezvous (Suzuha)
Takes place in α0.337337%. Depicts how Suzuha in the alpha world line gets support from two other Suzuhas from a different attractor field world line. The background of the story is very similar to the α0.337187% world line of the original story which takes place after Okabe stops Suzuha from leaving. After discovering the time machine had broken, Suzuha hesitates over her priorities between her mission and friendship resulting in seeing two ghosting figments of herself from the Beta attractor field world line and an unknown peaceful world line. Later they refer to each other as Alpha, Beta and Omega. Despite their presence, only Alpha Suzuha can prove Beta's and Omega's existence. To other people, they are unable to be seen nor heard, but can see their interaction with the environment. They are treated as ghosts by people around Alpha.

The Beta Suzuha from the Beta attractor field wears a military outfit and feels crisp and serious from Alpha Suzuha's perspective. The Omega version of Suzuha, who wears a maid outfit, is a spoiled kid living a peaceful life with no knowledge of time travel. The world line where Omega Suzuha comes from isn't mentioned in the story.

Suzuha learns early on from Omega that Daru is her father. Since Beta has more experience in fixing the time machine, she was in charge of fixing it. When she finds out that Alpha Suzuha's Time Machine can only travel back to the past, Beta tells Alpha that she should go spend more time with dad instead of fixing the time machine. She sends Alpha to shop for replacement parts with Daru. Later, Daru helps Beta with the repairing, although they are unable to speak to communicate directly, so Beta and Daru exchange Mails.

While Daru is helping Beta fix the time machine Alpha Suzuha goes back to her part-time job. When Alpha Suzuha talks to Yuugo, she is accidentally told about the fate of her future and that Suzu Hashida (Alpha Suzuha) had already passed away. She decides not to ask about how she dies. After she finishes her part-time job she meets Kurisu. During their conversation, she finds out that Kurisu isn't the evil person she imagined before travelling to 2010. They also discover their similarity in the sense that both of their fathers had devoted most of their life to time machines/travel.The next morning, Alpha Suzuha comes to check the time machine repairing progress. Beta apologizes to Alpha Suzuha for Daru accidentally finding out that that time machine can only travel back to the past. Alpha Suzuha then asks Daru to show her around the city. While Daru is resting in the laboratory, Omega tells Alpha that it is like a date in some way, and suggests she should change her outfit to something cuter for this special occasion. Alpha Suzuha and Daru have a great time while they spend their afternoon together. At the end of their "date" Daru reminds himself of the time machine, and the fact that Suzuha will never be able to come back if she travels back to 1975. This leads to an emotional conversation. Alpha Suzuha finally understands her father isn't the emotionless and rational person she had always imagined him to be, but someone with human emotions just like herself. The reason why her dad locked himself up and didn't meet with Suzuha in the future, is not only because it's the only way he can finish the time machine without being discovered by SERN and fail to give humanity its last hope, but also because he already knows that his daughter will meet with him again in the year 2010. Alpha Suzuha then lies to Daru, and tells him that the grown-up version of her might be still alive, and this is merely a small departure, but Daru doesn't look convinced.

On their way back, Kurisu shows up. Alpha Suzuha thanks Kurisu for her effort to make sure nothing inappropriate happens between her and Daru. Kurisu then figures out that Suzuha leaves that night and that she won't be able to come back afterwards. Suzuha is surprised that Kurisu truly cares about her. She regrets both, not having noticed that earlier and her original impression of Kurisu. She then repeated the same lie to Kurisu that this is just a small departure.

When the night falls, Alpha Suzuha comes to the time machine with the other two versions of herself. After finishing the final checkup of the time machine, Beta Suzuha suddenly suggests maybe she can go to the past instead, so Alpha Suzuha can stay here with dad. Alpha Suzuha feels happy for Beta Suzuha to make such a gesture, but she declines, saying that she is going to the past for herself. When the two ghosting figments become increasingly unstable she finds out that both Beta and Omega are worrying about her. She realized even though these three versions of herself look and act different from the outside, deep inside their hearts they are all still Amane Suzuha. When the two ghosting figures begin fading, Alpha Suzuha thanks Omega for her suggestion for the outfit, so she could hear dad say she was cute. She also says to Omega that both she and Beta are trying hard so we can reach you. (which strongly implied that Omega is from "The Steins Gate" world line where the True End of the main plot occurs.) She realized the existence of Omega mean there is a peaceful world line out there thus their goal actually exists, and she is their hope. For her final request, Alpha Suzuha asks Omega, "Don't trouble Mom and Dad too much OK?", and tells her she is counting on her. After both of the figures fade and Suzuha thanks the Beta for fixing the time machine, She goes inside the time machine and activates it.Suzuha finds herself in bed, and hears her mother telling her to wake up. Usually, she would try to stay in bed for as long as possible, but this time she doesn't feel like it. The words "Don't trouble Mom and Dad too much OK?" were still in her mind. Thus she decides to get out of bed. Her mother is surprised and happy that Suzuha woke up by herself. Suzuha decides for the first time to offer washing the dishes after she finished breakfast to the delight of her mother.

Story 5: A Strange Building Filled of Love (Tennouji Yuugo)
Takes place in δ3.386019%. Tennouji Yuugo won a lottery and decided to use the prize money to repair or rebuild the Building where there exists the CRT workshop and the Future Gadget Lab, to make Nae happier. Lately, Nae seemed lonely so Yuugo tries to cheer her up with the money he got. He asks the 2nd-floor Labmems for an opinion about rebuilding or not, but in the end, he decided to rebuild it by himself.

It took a year for the building to be done, but somehow later the lab messed up in some way. And Nae still couldn't clearly tell her father what is missing. All she remembered there was a Mountain Bike in front of the building. Indirectly mentioned, Nae's loneliness is due too Suzuha left the workshop. And with the mess spent all the lottery prize, it was fixed with a D-Mails. And the last D-Mail sent tells Yuugo that time will cure that loneliness within Nae. So, in the end, he rebuilds it but it stood with the same look as before. And turns the vacant 3rd floor as a Cat themed Playground.

Another time skip, a decade and a few years later. Nae befriended a little girl and usually plays in the 3rd floor. The little girl apparently keeps coming there by bike. Nae braids the little girl's hair and Yuugo takes a photo of them.

Story 6: Super hero Chat-noir (Faris Nyannyan)
Takes place in δ3.030493%.

Ferris and Suzuha form a pair of superheroes.

Story 7: Hermaphroditus in Labyrinth (Ruka)
Takes place in α0.456923 and β1.049326

Okabe gives up on saving Mayuri but Ruka won't abandon Mayuri after performing time jump himself.

Story 8: Eternal Polaris (Mayuri)
Takes place in α0.571046% and Ω-0.195284%.

Mayuri makes Okabe her hostage in order to save both of them from their fate.

Eventually, they arrived at the Ω timeline where nobody knows each other and the lab isn't founded, similar to what happened in the original game's Faris ending. However, when Mayuri met Okabe again, she felt a strange sense of familiarity...

Story 9: Quantum excited in Coma (Moeka)
Takes place in α0.509736%.

Moeka confronts the rounders in order to save the Labmems.

Story 10: Three Contrapasso About The Abduction (Okabe)
Takes place in ε4.456441, 4.456442, 4.493624, 4.493623, 4.530805, 4.530806%.

Okabe runs against the clock trying to keep Mayuri from being kidnapped while suffering from amnesia right after doing a time leap.

Story 11: Lunar Halo Bifröst (Tennouji Nae)
Takes place in α0.337161.

Two years later Nae hasn't forgotten the Labmems and while wondering if she'll meet them again she runs into Daru and then they try to build another time machine and change the past.

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