It was a dark and stormy night when it happened. Well, dark and stormy is a relative term. It was a summer evening and the wind was blowing dryly, but as far as Hououin Kyouma was concerned, it was close enough to count. He exited his car, somewhat recently purchased and a real junker. It was a frugal purchase, however, and the mad scientist took pride in saving money for the real fun: his lab.

Kyouma took pride in that idea. The Future Gadget Lab, once a small club that lived in a dull apartment, less of a scientific center of progress and more of a place he could actually meet other people. Now it was a real lab, with private funding and a building. By all accounts it was a small building, and their funding wasn't exactly stellar, but he was the Head Scientist of a real laboratory. What made that even better was that all of his previous members were now actual employees.

He pulled his keyring out of the white labcoat's expansive pocket, unlocked the front door, and strode in, laughing inwardly at the way his coat billowed behind him dramatically. Kyouma walked through the halls, his head turning to and fro trying to catch a sight or sound of his minions. His friends didn't really like that term, but seemed to take it in stride as one of Kyouma's many oddities. He just liked the sound of the word.

As he walked past what he liked to call, "Yggdrasil's Room of Infinte Paths", or as the other Future Gadget Lab's employees called it, "the workroom", Kyouma finally heard the angelic evidence of another human being. He pushed open the door, and was happy to see his girlfriend, Makise Kurisu, bolting pieces of metal frame together. Kyouma threw on a mad grin and strode into the room.

"Why, if it isn't my dear cactus Christina!" Kyouma said, belting out his words into the tiny room.

Makise didn't look up from her work, but she did blush. "Cactus? Really? I didn't realize you were into hanakotoba, Okarin." Now it was Kyouma's turn to blush, but before he could let out a witty retort she preemptively interrupted him. "Enough flirting, you check this out."

As much as Kyouma wanted to fire back at his girlfriend, her tone suggested this was something serious. "This has something to do with that mind transferal idea you had, right?" Ever since his disastrous experience with time travel a few years ago, the Future Gadget Lab's secret rule #2 was to never touch the stuff again. However, unable to stop thinking about the possibilities, Makise had the idea to use what Kyouma remembered of the time leaping device the alternate worldline Makise had invented to make something that would allow people's memories to be stored, saved, and transferred. The principals were the same, and she'd spent the last month puzzling out the specifics of it.

It was now that Makise looked up at him and smiled in satisfaction. "We need to run a few tests on it to make sure, but I think I just finished it. This might be the ticket we need for the big time!" They'd privately funded their lab through several sources, but most of their money was Makise's savings. Having some real dough wouldn't hurt.

Before she could react, Kyouma leaned down and kissed Makise on the lips. When he withdrew, he looked her in the eyes and said, "Mikise, mark my words carefully: This is the day when the Future Gadget Lab steps into the shining spot of nobility! Through your Vimana Device we shall achieve true greatness!"

Makise smiled satisfactorily at him. "I have to give it to you, you've stumped me with that name. How about you explain it to me over a drink? We haven't let loose in a while, and it's a good time to celebrate."

"Let the inebriation of geniuses commence!" he shouted.




In was a long time after that when Kyouma woke up, his head pounding. The night had been a blur, only a few scattered memories remaining. He heard a baritone groan from next to him, and turned to see...himself. A lock of deep red hair fell into view, and it started to come back to him. His body was waking up as well, and when it looked at him in surprise, Kyouma said, "Oh, hello Makise. I fear that last night...we may have tested your device on ourselves."




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