Episode 07: Divergence Singularity

Divergence Singularity (断層のダイバージェンス, Dansō no Daibājensu, lit., "Divergence of Discrepancies") is the seventh episode of the anime adaptation of the visual novel Steins;Gate.

The Phone Microwave undergoes another update, and experiments with the Future Gadget continue; this time, it involves correctly "predicting" the outcome of a lottery in the past by using results from the present. However, in what seems to be a simple profittering experiment, Rintarou Okabe discovers his ability of retaining his memories after being exposed into diverging world lines.

Synopsis
August 3rd, 2010; 1:25 PM  At the expense of Mayuri’s microwave oven, the Phone Microwave enters version 1.03. Unlike the previous version, the Phone Microwave can now send messages to any phone. Mayuri tests the latest version for the first time and its successful result excites Okarin even more, although he is still cautious about Moeka taking pictures of the achievement. Soon, Rintarou realizes that his Future Device might have taken the attention of his landlord and rushes down to check things with Suzuha. Fortunately, Mr. Braun is out doing repairs somewhere, much to Rintarou’s relief.

Later that day, Kurisu joins Mayuri in a quick trip at the convenience store, and Rintarou is shocked to find out that they returned with no Dr. Pepper in their shopping bag. Kurisu insists that Rintarou should drink vegetable juice instead. Although disappointed, Rintarou decides to hold a “round table” meeting… a meeting regarding the second phase of Operation Urd, which involves changing the past itself.

Kurisu warns him that he might create a time paradox by trying to change the past, but Rintarou pushes on. And his first plan in changing the past is… winning the lottery.

Mayuri is clearly disappointed that Rintarou opted for a “selfish” use for the Phone Microwave, but Daru doesn’t complain about it as he can use the results of the experiment to buy some computer parts for himself. Meanwhile, Kurisu thinks that his plan is lame, and this angers Rintarou, as he heard such a comment from a girl who lives like a celebrity.

Daru soon tells Rintarou that there are many kinds of lottery tickets, and he has to pick one to use on the experiment. Okarin’s attention suddenly shifts to Moeka, who suddenly disappeared and wandered off to the IBN 5100. She pleaded through e-mail that she wanted to borrow the machine, but Rintarou refuses; in addition to that, he asks Mayuri and Kurisu to watch over Moeka for the meantime, which somewhat irritated Kurisu.

Afterwards, Daru takes Rintarou to several lottery websites, and Rintarou picks the Loto 6 for his experiment. Rintarou pushes on, but he suddenly becomes hesitant to pick the numbers for the first prize when he heard that the prize is 200,000,000 yen. He instead tries for the third prize, worth only 700,000 yen. Meanwhile, Moeka is taken on a short tour around the Future Gadget Lab by Mayuri. Of course, she uses her phone to take pictures of the sights around the Lab, and the tour ends with Moeka being given the chance to write the message that includes the winning numbers to be sent back in time.

At the start of the experiment, Rintarou appears to be having fun with Kurisu. However, as sparks fly on the Phone Microwave, he appears hesitant to push the SEND key, as if scared about creating a time paradox. Rintarou soon presses the SEND key, and in an instant, he feels something unusual…

Then, he finds himself at the moment when he stated that he plans to push through an experiment that will change the past. He soon discovers that he received the lottery ticket numbers, and Kurisu never remembered being called Celeb-17 — which would have happened several minutes ahead — nor has anyone remembered any detail regarding the experiment. What adds to Rintarou’s confusion is that Ruka arrives with a lottery ticket and apologized, saying he ended up getting one number wrong among the numbers Okarin gave to him one week ago.

As Kurisu realizes that Rintarou might have used the Phone Microwave the week before, he sees a bottle of Dr. Pepper on the table… which was not there before the experiment. August 3rd, 2010; 3:11 PM 

After Rintarou recollects on the same feeling he felt during the day Kurisu Makise was killed, he went to confirm about the presence of his time machine to Suzuha. It turns out that it is easy to listen to their conversations from the open window on the Future Gadget Lab, but she promises to not tell anyone about it; she even suggests contacting John Titor about his invention.

Rintarou soon remembers about what John Titor tells about the creation of time paradoxes. According to him, changing the past shifts the world line’s divergence number, altering the memories of a person as if a certain event never happened and another event happened in its place. In this case, the world line that includes Ruka not buying the ticket is replaced with the world line that includes him buying the ticket. However, what baffles him is how he manages to retain the memories of both world lines.

That afternoon, Okarin contacts John Titor while Kurisu quietly reads a magazine on the sofa behind him. Soon, he would receive an onslaught of messages from Ruka (who still apologizes for his mistake), Moeka (who asks for another tour on the Future Gadget Lab) and Daru (who called because he cannot enter May Queen NyanNyan without a wallet). Soon, Rintarou receives a call from Mayuri, who is with Daru and Ruka in the playground. It seems that she is worried about him and she calls to cheer him up. Rintarou, for the first time since experiencing a time paradox that morning, smiles.

Soon, the tension rises once again as Rintarou receives a reply from John Titor regarding the message he sent earlier. Just like Rintarou himself, John Titor is puzzled as to why he managed to retain the memories of the past that was supposed to be overwritten by the time paradox. He also tells Rintarou that changing the past through e-mail is a method that was not discovered even in the year 2036, and with this new way of traveling back in time, John Titor believes that Rintarou might have the power to shift the world beyond Divergence 1%. Titor has been trying to cross this 1% barrier to save the world from becoming a dystopia, and he believes that Rintarou might be his only chance to succeed.

As Rintarou drowns in the pressure of carrying the world’s fate in his hands, John Titor declares that he wants Rintarou to be the messiah.