Episode 04: Solitude of the Mournful Flow: A Stray Sheep

"Solitude of the Mournful Flow: A Stray Sheep" (亡失流転のソリチュード, Bōshitsu Ruten no Sorichūdo) is the fourth episode of the anime adaptation of the Steins;Gate 0 visual novel.

Synopsis
Rintaro felt the worldline is changing because his Reading Steiner suddenly active. Meanwhile, Daru finds out that Suzuha is looking for someone, and Rintaro agrees to help. He contacted someone that Rintaro didn't expect...

Plot
Rintaro suddenly arrives in 2036, where World War III occur. He is accompanied by armed forces to keep him safe. Seeing many corpses lying lifeless on the ground makes his breath unstable. Spotted by enemy's patrol, they tell Rintaro to run as far as possible. Three of his armed man were shot and he lost conscious. After regain consciousness, he awaken in the room that looked like an office. In front of him sat a man. His mobile phone suddenly began to vibrate and he hesitates to pick it up. After getting permission from that man, then he answered the phone call and suddenly his Reading Steiner active again. He thought it was just a dream because it is impossible for Worldline to change again.

Rintaro snap back to reality and found himself on the roof of his lab. Then he ran to see Mayuri's state, leaving Maho alone. He hopes nothing had happened to Mayuri, because he remembered the incident when Mayuri die repeatedly on Alpha Worldline. He breath sigh of relief after knowing she was fine.

Rintaro already have a schedule that he will meet Alexis Leskinen and Maho to discuss the extent of his relationship with Amadeus . While waiting, he open the presents he get from the Christmas Party's present exchange and is surprises to see a dress. Amadeus  who sees Rintaro holding a dress, she intends to tease him. Afterwards, Rintaro asked why she was not angry after hanging up earlier. She said that he called her back right after it happened. He had no recollection of that.

Finally after they come, Leskinen apologized for having Rintaro to wait until late of the night. While discussing the present gave by him earlier, He asks Rintaro's present. Rintaro hesitates to tell them, Amadeus  suddenly tell him there is no reason to hide it and then he hang up. They are realize that she's now quite friendly has opened herself to Rintaro, and add they're expectations and hopes may come true. He asked what Leskinen had meant, What he meant is he putting all of his hopes that Amadeus  will develop feelings for him. But Rintaro asked she's just an AI. Then Leskinen clarifies the concept of Amadeus, and there are parts of Amadeus that look like humans. Because Amadeus is a system based on the memory of a person and the memory tries to create their own brain model. They can behave like humans because they are based on that memory, and Leskinen's hopes Amadeus be able to love.

As Rintaro and Maho are on the train, she asks how close were him and Kurisu and assume he were lovers. He denied it and said he just bumped her when there was a seminar. Maho felt had heard the answer before, and asks again is your relationship is just that. He could only clench his hand, because he knew he could not save him. She realized maybe she was asking something sensitive for him and then apologizing that because she just want to know the side she does not know about Kurisu. In the room where Maho stay while in Akihabara, on her table shown a red laptop and hard drive.

After the girls finally finished cleaning, Faris Nyannyan suggested that they should go to May Queen for some tea. Mayuri hesitated whether it should be tonight. Katsumi complained that the city is swarming with scoundrels. Yuki assure Katsumi and says nothing to stand in the way of us girls. Joined by Mayuri who said But he is a dude. Luka smiles, and says that he can not come because there are guests of his father who will stay at his shrine and his father wants him to be there. Kaede asked where Daru was, Mayuri said he was in Lab with Suzuha because he had to talk to her about something.

Suzuha was wearing the gloves she had gotten from the exchange of christmas gifts. The gloves were made of sheep's fur and did not expect that this would be so warm. Daru has 2 show tickets at Christmas and Suzuha suggests him to invite Yuki. Then he asks what he wants to say that he thinks of now and interrogates her to tell the truth. Daru asks what she's doing because she's rarely seen in Labs or in Radio buildings. First of all, Suzuha hesitates to answer it. Because after halfway discovered, Suzuha admitted she was looking for a girl who came with her from year 2036. She was separated with him in 1998 at Akihabara.

At May Queen, Daru informed Rintaro that Suzuha is looking for a girl. Rintaro assumes that if she's alive, now she's 22 years old. Daru also says when she time traveled, she will look it up again. She almost gave up when she found a photo on the internet and said she was wearing that outfit. Rintaro asks what's the girl's name and Daru hesitates to answer then he said "Kagari Shiina". Rintaro as if he did not believe what Daru said and asked who his father was and relieved to hear that she was a war orphan that Mayuri adopted in the future. He also add the peacekeeping squads in 2036 are after Mayuri and him because he trying to develop a time machine.

Daru instruct them to speed up their movement because peacekeeper will come soon and originally he only sent Suzuha but Mayuri wants Daru also sent Kagari and asks Suzuha to take care of her. Kagari had struggling to get free and do not want to part with her mother, but Mayuri said she would be safe. Then Suzuha and Kagari first traveled to 1975, and then 1998 before coming to 2010. After some consideration, Okabe agrees to help searching for Kagari.

Okabe think of how the future will come from remembering World War III and a war orphan. Besides, he still wonders why his Reading Steiner is active again and what is the meaning behind it. If there is a shift of the world line, then there is someone who has made a Phone Microwave or something similar like that. A news emerged that Japan with Russia would hold a cabinet meeting as a result of defecting Dr. Nakabachi to Russia last summer.

At Tokyo Denki University, Rintaro asks Amadeus  to see her opinion about any good methods to locate a missing person from 12 years ago. Then, Kurisu wants the details of his problem. Her best suggestions is to ask the police and after knowing that he can not do it, she suggest him to look at newspapers or hire a detective. Rintaro added, in the United States he heard they were using dowsing and clairvoyance. But she answered if you want to get on one of those crazy TV shows, the professor might be able to help. He tell her It was just an idea to begin with. She looks happy, then he reminded by Maho that Kurisu is already dead decided to hang up.

At Akihabara in 1998, Suzuha give more explanation to Kagari on the Y2K problem. The problem never made public, but the main problem is the IBN 5100. That's why she using a patch program to make sure Y2K doesn't happen. Kagari asks but we are coming from the future, is it okay to do that and she add won't that change the future we came from. Suzuha explaining it is something we have to do to reach Steins;Gate and therefore we come to change the future. Kagari looks up at the sky and looks at someone's shadow and in his mind now tells him to take a gun and say that she should not change the future by pointing his gun at Suzuha, she said she heard someone's voice. Suzuha immediately moved quickly to stop her.

Arriving at the Lab, Suzuha asked her father how far it has progressed. He says he's been looking for the data of every person's missingl from the police, but there's no sign of her. Suzuha was surprised initially he thought this is a peaceful world, hence still many people are missing. She asks Daru already talked to Rintaro about it. Daru said he agreed to help and say he would do what he could. Suzuha was pleased with the answer by her father and later thank to him after helping to find Kagari.

After getting advice from Amadeus , he tried to go to the library to see the old newspaper. Then she called him again and he hurried to get out of the library. Her first word is ignoring me again. Rintaro stated by he was in the library. Then she apologized, he said it's not a big deal. She offers him help to find the person he wants to look for by using an Amadeus server that connects directly to Viktor chondria University research building and she free to use it. Rintaro not so sure asks but, should you be doing stuff like that. The answer from her is inconclusive and says it's fine if no one finds out, and she added besides, you're not doing anything bad right. He agreed with the words of her. Rintaro said he will think about it.

Faris and Luka spotted Rintaro at the bridge. He rarely see Faris and Luka together. Faris said Luka's father asked if we could go out and pick up a few things. Then Luka add the details, one of his guests that came over is going to be staying with us and we're stocking up. He wants to offer help because when he saw his shopping heavy, they said they'll be fine. Rintaro asks Faris and Luka to find the girls he looking for.

Faris informs Rintaro after she talked to Kuroki there is no lead, but she heard about a ghost in braids. She explain it's some sort of urban legend that popped up every few years all around Radio building, people were spooked by the ghost of a girl in braids asking if they'd seen a little girl. Then he finds out Leskinen in the walking in the hallway. After following it, he suddenly disappears.

When Rintaro came to Lab, Suzuha said she don't want to burden Daru and Rintaro anymore. She states that in the first place, Kagari is my responsibility. Daru's explains A child's responsibility is also their parent's responsibility. Suzuha was surprised by her father's answers. Then Daru mentioned how was that, just like the real father right. After being happy with his father's words, she sighed. He said when in trouble, call the experts and if we're looking for someone, we might bring a specialist. She against this because less people that know, the better. He already contacted somebody and immediately get the answer that they can come straight away.

Luka calls Rintaro because he need an advice and want to meet now, but Rintaro is busy and have to call later because 'they' in question has arrived. Luka's father guest is a glimpse of woman with long red hair and using the nearly same outfit like in the photo that Rintaro and Daru already sees. When Rintaro open the door, he was in shock after finding out that 'they' is Moeka Kiryu and bring back some horrible memory in Alpha Worldline when she kills Mayuri.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Rintaro Okabe
 * Maho Hiyajo
 * Mayuri Shiina
 * Luka Urushibara
 * Kaede Kurushima
 * Katsumi Nakase
 * Nae Tennouji
 * Yuki Amane
 * Itaru Hashida
 * Suzuha Amane
 * Faris Nyannyan
 * Alexis Leskinen
 * Amadeus
 * Kagari Shiina
 * Dr. Nakabachi
 * Kuroki
 * Moeka Kiryu

Trivia

 * This episode adapted from route A Stray Sheep in Promised Rinascimento branch.