Episode 04: Interpreter Rendezvous

Interpreter Rendezvous (空理彷徨のランデヴー, Kūri Hōkō no Randevū, lit., "Rendezvous of Abstract Theory Fluctuations") is the fourth episode of the anime adaptation of the visual novel Steins;Gate.

 Okabe must outsmart a maid in order to learn the whereabouts of an IBN-5100, an antique computer that may hold the key to deciphering SERN's nefarious plan.

Synopsis
July 31, 2010.

'''Human is dead. Mismatch.'''

Itaru breaks the alarming news to Rintarou, who realizes that someone has been killed by an experiment by SERN. Upon further investigation by Itaru, he comes up with nothing, and decides to call it quits after a long and tiring day hacking through SERN's security systems. As Itaru digs in to a can of oden, Rintarou's mind recalls information he acquired from Suzuha about the IBN 5100 and John Titor's last message.

Rintarou decides to contact John Titor.

Later that day, Mayuri accompanies Rintarou to the laundry. It turns out that Rintarou and Itaru's clothes have been accumulating and Itaru's size makes the laundry load heavier. Soon, Suzuha arrives and greets the two before having to march into her workplace to start her part-time duty. Rintarou goes to tease Mr. Tennouji like always and starts a short conversation — or, argument.

After that, he sees Mayuri reaching out her hands into the sun... a habit Rintarou has learned to call "Stardust Shake Hand". He has known Mayuri to have this habit even when she was small, and up to now.

Meanwhile, Kurisu Makise still has her thoughts wrapped around the events that revolved around the microwave that Rintarou regarded as a time machine. Skeptic about Itaru's message traveling back in time, she tries to explain what happened using what she knows. She comes up with electromagnetic wave disruption as an explanation and accepts it as the only way to explain what has happened... although the gel banana part is still a mystery to her. Then, she suddenly realizes that she needs to go to the laundry as well.

On the laundry shop, Mayuri and Rintarou wait patiently as the latter's and Itaru's clothes undergo a spin cycle. At this time, Rintarou receives messages from Shining Finger and an unexpected response from John Titor himself.

Rintarou rushes back to Itaru's place to tell the news to Itaru, but it seems that neither Itaru — who is sleeping soundly despite Rintarou's rants — nor Mayuri — who has to go to work (and does not understand what is going on) — are able to join him to look for the IBN 5100.

As Rintarou replies to yet another of Shining Finger's messages, he unexpectedly sees Kurisu. Although Kurisu wants to walk away from him, Rintarou manages to take her elsewhere. Rintarou requests Kurisu to stop sulking and join his research team once again, but Kurisu gives no response; instead, she even blames herself for giving in to her curiosity.

After enduring a short "skit" by Rintarou about the Organization, Rintarou reminds himself of his destination: the laundry shop. Kurisu is doubtful about following Rintarou, but decides to go anyway.

When they arrive, Kurisu feels somewhat relieved, since she does not prefer to use the cleaners in the hotel where she stays in. Soon, Rintarou suddenly opens the topic about the microwave oven-turned time machine, and this causes Kurisu to be defensive about her opinion about the experiment.

In the end, Kurisu blurts out in a burst of emotion that she does not want to do the same mistake as her father.

Rintarou is shocked by the revelation, and decides to reconsider requesting Kurisu to return to the Future Gadget Lab before leaving. However, Kurisu sets things straight by saying that she is the one who should be leaving.

He then decides to ask Kurisu one last question before letting her go: whether she has any information about an IBN 5100. Kurisu's seems interested with the topic, but when Rintarou explains its implications with SERN and a certain time travel research project, she walks out, thinking it's useless listening to his story.

Soon, Rintarou helps himself into a rice meal at the usual donburi store and receives a message from Mayuri, who has been helping Feiris prepare for an event at Mayqueen Nyan-nyan. According to her, she thinks that Feiris has some information about the IBN 5100, and when he hears this, Rintarou storms out of the store (after leaving his payment for the meal, of course) and heads straight to Mayqueen Nyan-nyan.

Upon arriving, he finds himself behind a crowd of Mayqueen's most loyal patrons. It turns out that she is holding a contest for someone who would be able to defeat Feiris in a certain card game, with a special prize in store for the winner.

After the introduction of the contest, dubbed the "Feiris Cup", Rintarou is joined by Mayuri, and later, by Feiris herself. He goes straight into the topic of the IBN 5100's location, but Feiris tells him that she won't tell if he would not participate. Although Rintarou refuses to join initially, he eventually gives in to Feiris's challenge.

It turns out that many of the eager participants have been already defeated by Feiris, who is considered to be a top player in the game of Rai-Net. However, Rintarou is unfazed. He thinks that his plan, codenamed G-Back, will be enough to defeat Feiris.

Rintarou is defeated.

However, he still feels victorious, since he will now receive information from Feiris about the IBN 5100. (Itaru, who is also in the venue, and Mayuri also discover the play on words Rintarou used for G-Back; G-Back = jibaku = self-destruct.) Feiris decides to tell what she knows, and she remembers that she has seen a similar computer in a certain Akihabara shrine.

Meanwhile, it appears that Kurisu has also tried to research about the IBN 5100, and discovers that, like Rintarou explained earlier, the IBN 5100 can in fact analyze special programming languages.

Rintarou soon contacts Ruka about an old computer possibly located at the shrine where he is staying, and later receives a call from Kurisu. It turns out that Kurisu wants to meet up with Rintarou once again, and after the brief call, Rintarou is joined by Kurisu at Yanabanashi Shrine.

After a short moment of introductions, Rintarou and Kurisu are led by Ruka to the shrine's storage room.

It turns out that the computer has been donated to them by a certain someone ten years ago, and it is left with a message about a young man who would need the computer. Kurisu and Rintarou manage to see the old computer in person, and there, they start to bicker on who will be the one who will carry the thing. Ruka's father is relieved at seeing the two getting along, and tells them that they should be nice to Ruka as well.

For a moment, Kurisu praises Ruka's father, and this somewhat reminds Rintarou of the time when Kurisu talked about her father earlier.

After the visit to the shrine, Rintarou and Kurisu argue at each other, carrying the 24-kg personal computer on their way back.

It will be a long journey.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Rintaro Okabe
 * Itaru Hashida
 * Mayuri Shiina
 * Suzuha Amane
 * Mr. Tennouji
 * Kurisu Makise
 * Feiris Nyannyan
 * Ruka Urushibara
 * Ruka's Father

Locations

 * Manseibashi bridge

Cultural References

 * Black Rock Shooter : Mayuri is reading BRS doujinshi book. The main character of BRS was designed by huke (Steins;Gate character designer) and voiced by Kana Hanazawa (Mayuri's CV).

Unanswered Questions

 * What does Suzuha mean when she tells Rintarou and Mr. Tennouji that she is a soldier?
 * What is the connection between Kurisu's father and time machines?

in Steins;Gate Game...

 * If player refuses to answer Kurisu's phone call which she asks where Rintaro is, Kurisu doesn't appear at Yanabayashi Shrine, and Rintaro has to carry IBN5100 with frail Ruka, not Kurisu. The arrival time to Future Gadget Lab is much later than normal plotline.

Quotes

 * "Daru is like the universe — constantly expanding." — Rintarō Okabe
 * "Theories are nothing more than words. Accept what you've seen." — Rintarō Okabe