Hyde of the Dark Dimension

Steins;Gate Drama CD γ Hyde of the Dark Dimension Divergence ２．６１５０７４％ (STEINS;GATEドラマCD γ『暗黒次元のハイド』ダイバージェンス ２．６１５０７４％ Ankokujigen no Hyde?) was first released on June 2, 2010. Currently, it is the only title in the Steins;Gate body of works to cover the Gamma Attractor Field.

Preview
Taking place between chapters eight and nine of the VN, anime episode 18, in the gamma world line divergence 2.615074%, the drama CD follows Okabe when attempting to undo Ruka's D-Mail throws him into a far-removed world line. Okabe comes to from the effects of Reading Steiner to find himself in a dark alley and a bloodied man dead at his feet. In this world line he is a Rounder and many of his enemies and allies are seemingly reversed.

Chapters:

 * 01. Day01 17:04
 * 02. Day01 17:26
 * 03. Day01 18:13
 * 04. Day01 18:48
 * 05. Day02 12:02
 * 06. Day02 13:51
 * 07. Day02 16:32
 * 08. Day02 17:05

Main

 * Okabe Rintarou
 * Kiryuu Moeka

Supporting

 * Makise Kurisu
 * Amane Suzuha
 * Urushibara Ruka
 * Shiina Mayuri
 * Faris Nyannyan
 * Hashida Itaru
 * FB

Further Plot
Okabe discovers that here he is a Rounder, codename M3, and has long been partnered with Kiryuu Moeka. The two have just completed a mission to kill Europol agents, who had uncovered their identities. Nothing makes sense to Okabe. When he notices that Moeka is able to talk normally with him in this world line, he realizes that the world line divergence has changed drastically. He runs to the lab to send another D-Mail, but runs into Makise Kurisu and Amane Suzuha. Though shocked that Suzuha is there, things become even worse as Kurisu had witnessed the Rounder Okabe killing the Europol agent. Suzuha is clearly hostile, since her reason for time traveling in this world line is to save Japan from future Okabe's evil. Kurisu begs him to stop, "reminding" him that Mayuri does not have much time left. Things escalate when they do not believe that he just arrived from another world line and Kurisu begins to call the police. However, Moeka rescues him with a stun grenade. After running away, Okabe stunned, moves to go see Mayuri. Moeka, who had heard Okabe's conversation with Kurise and Suzuha, calls FB and tells him that the machine is confirmed to be a time machine, as M3 said so.

Entering Mayuri's hospital room, Okabe sees Urushibara Ruka is there as well. More and more things are clearly different from the Okabe of this world line being known to drink Mountain Dew to Mayuri calling Okabe "Okabe-kun". Okabe tells Mayuri that he has no memories of this world line and asks her to tell him how they know each other. Mayuri, though confused, tells him that they were childhood friends but after the Y2K crash their parents died and they were separated for seven years. Upon discovering that Mayuri is dying of cancer, Okabe leaves to clear his head on the hospital roof.

Ruka finds him there and confronts him with what he just heard from Kurisu. Moeka appears and confirms the truth saying there is not point in trying to hide it longer. Once Ruka leaves, Okabe laments that everyone is leaving him and it is his fault, since he carelessly messed with time. He is unable to accept that others are still suffering because of his mistakes. FB calls and Okabe declares he is not a Rounder, but is told to go cool his head. Moeka tells him that Rounders can pressure the police so there is no need to worry about Kurisu's reporting him. However, they need to go into hiding. Okabe tries to reject her. He blames her for killing Mayuri and betraying them, but she replies that they have done numerous missions together and he has saved her life many times. When he tells her that was a different "him", she replies in kind that the "her" he speaks of is also a different "her". She wants to help him and presses him to hide at least until tomorrow.

They arrive at her apartment. She offers him kebab that they apparently always ate together. He asks her why she is still coming near him. She acknowledges that the person he is now is different than the Okabe of this world line. However, she still feels like his true nature has not changed. In this world line, Okabe saved her when she tried to commit suicide and told her to become a Rounder. He is like family to her, and she wants to help him. Okabe still pushes her away.

The next day at 12:02PM, Faris Nyannan arrives at the lab where Hashida Itaru, Suzuha, and Kurisu are. Kurisu wonders what Okabe meant by coming from another world line. Suzuha tells them that the multiple world lines are constantly changing. However, it is impossible for a person to be aware of it. Faris thinks, however, that Okabe might have a special power that allows him to remember other world lines and wants to test him with her ability to see through people's lies. Suzuha warns her against getting close to Okabe and reveals more about the horrors of his dictatorship in 2036, as the leader of the Rounders, member of the Committee of 300, Hououin Kyouma. He killed her parents, friends, and mass-murdered many others. As a member of the resistance against him, she suffered a major wound to the back herself. Suzuha wants to destroy the Phone Microwave before Okabe can steal it. However, Kurisu is hesitating. While she always found Okabe cold, he was kind. The Okabe she saw murder a man was not the Okabe she knows. However, the Okabe right after that was completely different person. She had never seen Okabe with such a sad expression before.

Almost two hours later, Moeka approaches Ruka at the shrine. She asks him if his mother ever received a message on her pager with a future sent date. Ruka confirms that she did receive the strange sequence 2929831831 once and then once again about a month after. Not understanding the sequence, she showed the message to a company president friend of Ruka's father. A few days later, a SERN scientist who had heard about it came. This scientist later developed the vaccine program for the Y2k crash. Moeka reflects that SERN probably caused the crash since they had an antidote ready and under their control. This is something that bears investigating. In her thoughts, however, Moeka is at a loss about what to do after investigating. Okabe wishes to make this world line into something that never happened, meaning she will no longer be by Okabe…

Ruka begs her to not get in the way of Okabe and Mayuri's remaining time. However, Moeka warns him once again that Okabe is not the kind of person Ruka thinks he is. Ruka holds his ground that though Okabe is difficult to get close to he at least is very kind to Mayuri and visits her everyday. Moeka claims that behavior is just an illusion, but Ruka says that yesterday was the first time Okabe did not drink Mountain Dew he always does and seemed so sad. Moeka thinks that is true. Okabe is normally like an emotionless machine, but yesterday he seemed about to break down and cry. She wonders if it is true that he came from a different world line and if so, what she really should do.

FB calls and orders her to work with another Rounder team to take the time machine from the lab and secure the three scientists that made it and deliver them to SERN. Since Okabe can no longer be trusted, he is to be taken as well. Moeka begs FB to do something for Okabe. FB replies that she should make up her mind now, eventually advising her that if she is not prepared, then she should choose to do something she shouldn't and follow her feelings.

Moeka returns to her apartment and tells Okabe about their next mission. Okabe wants to run to warn them, but Moeka tries to stop him. If he turns against the Rounders, his life is forfeit. Even when she finally reveals that he is to be captured too, he refuses to stop. He tells her he cannot be killed anyway, since causality will prevent his death at least until the year 2036. When she tells him to quit joking around, he turns it back on her asking why she betrayed the Rounders by telling him about the orders to capture him. Declaring that he will not stop, that he has no attachment to this world line, he leaves. After thinking, Moeka decides to follow FB's advice to do as she wishes and chooses to keep Okabe from being captured by SERN, even though according to Okabe that means that her relationship to him will disappear. She runs after him. Okabe asks her why she wants to help him even though her life will be forfeit for betraying the Rounders. She declares that she is his partner and wants to be his strength. He tells her that he is a completely different man than the Okabe Rintarou who stopped her from killing herself and partnered with her in work. He asks if she still will throw away everything to help him. She says yes. Okabe is like a different person. However, as she told him yesterday, his true nature still has not changed. Also, she tells him that him calling her by her real name and not her codename like he always had done before, made her really happy. For the first time, Okabe truly accepts what she says and asks for her help. He names their strategy "Operation Dvergr", declaring that he will negate this world by turning into an evil dvergr.

In the lab, Faris, Ruka, Suzuha, Kurisu, and Daru are there, as Kurisu tries to prep the Phone Microwave in an attempt to go against the Rounders. Okabe and Moeka are outside. It took awhile to confirm the forwarding address of the D-mail Okabe needs to send, so there is only a half hour left before the Rounders are due to strike the lab. The 42" CRT is turned on, so they only need to break in past those in the lab to send the D-mail. Moeka preps a gun, and after a bit of hesitation on both sides, Okabe accepts it, though he has no intention to kill. Moeka advises him on using the weapon, and encourages him to not worry, she will prevent him from having to shoot. He asks her to not shoot as much as she can. Okabe decides to go in first, but is clearly shaking. Moeka startles him by giving him a kiss. She tells him that even if in the world he was in before they were enemies, here and now she is his ally and will be his partner even if the whole world turns on him, so he can rely on her. Okabe acknowledges that he trusts the her of here and now. Remarking that she wishes they could eat kebabs together again, she suddenly begins the countdown for their break in.

Okabe and Moeka hold Ruka, Faris, Daru, and Kurisu at gunpoint. Though Kurisu tells Okabe she misjudged him, he steels himself to tell them all to kneel, facing the wall. Ruka tells him he looks so sad. When he says he is not, Faris can tell that he is lying. However, he assures them that he is serious. Suzuha dashes out to attack him and disarms him and threatens him to keep Moeka from shooting. Before she can have them tied up, Okabe tackles her and with the gun Moeka tosses to him he holds Ruka hostage. Kurisu and Faris plead with Okabe to stop this, but he refuses. No matter what he will send the D-mail. To Ruka, who is absolutely terrified, Okabe assures in a whisper that if he does not resist, he will not be harmed. He gives Ruka a memo and tells him to input the information on it into the X68k computer attached to the Phone Microwave. Just as Okabe is about to use his phone to send the D-mail, a sniper from the other Rounder team fires, striking Okabe. Gunfire breaks out and protecting Ruka, Okabe is hit repeatedly. Within the shelter of the development room, Okabe is heavily bleeding and barely hanging on. Ruka is flustered and Moeka runs over. Okabe begs them to send the D-mail from his phone. Moeka agrees and wishes him well. Okabe thanks Moeka just before Reading Steiner kicks in.

A dream-like sequence plays out in which all eight lab members are at the beach, when Moeka suddenly says she wants to eat kebabs. For some reason she feels like Okabe might want one.

Trivia

 * Jekyll and Hyde" is a metaphor or nickname for Okabe that appears in various Steins;Gate titles. It first appears in this drama CD where it refers to Okabe working secretly as a Rounder. The drama CD opens with a voice-over by Moeka of the 2.615074% world line, in which she muses that while others know him as Dr. Jeykyll, the Okabe she knows is Hyde. Even though the events and her of this world line might be something like a shadow to him, for her… This thought is repeated just before Moeka sends the D-mail at the end of the drama CD.


 * In the visual novel Steins;Gate: Linear Bounded Phenogram, the metaphor is reversed in the story "Dr. Jekyll on lines", in which Okabe lives a double identity life as a superhero thanks to Time Leaping.


 * In the drama CD A Posteriori Existence, Kurisu refers to Okabe affectionately as "Hyde", because he tries to hide his kindness underneath a mad scientist exterior.