we'll make it happen, we'll turn it around

[quadruples]

[ Well, that... certainly was a thing that happened. Viktor wishes he could unsee what he witnessed in the library, but it seems like it has etched into his memory forever. Thinking about it makes him sick to his stomach, and eventually he decides that he needs something to keep his mind off it, at least for a little while.

So around noon, a note goes up on the fridge: ]

If you need a distraction after what happened today, come to the dining room at 6 pm.
There will be food and we'll be playing truth or dare!
♥ Viktor Nikiforov ♥

[ There's also a cute doodle of himself underneath his signature. Later in the day, he writes copies of said note and slides them under everyone's doors. ]

[ Those who come to the dining room at will find that Viktor has made plenty of borscht, pancakes and open-faced sandwiches for them. He isn't the best chef ever, but it tastes pretty good and will fill you up! There's also juice, water, and a few bottles of alcohol for those who are old enough to drink; try to be responsible, okay.

And for the truth and dare, he's prepared shots of hot sauce as punishment for those who refuse a dare. ]

Comments

[tsugomori]

[ Usually. Any change or diversion in history is unforgivable.

Yet... what if the whole of humanity was at stake? Was that what she was implying?

If he willingly took part in such things, he would be corrupted. That being the reason he couldn't condone or partake in it, but ... if he agreed with what Phi said, then the issue with Alani ... no, it wasn't the same. Or was it? ]

Explain to me, then, your situation, if you would. Is something threatening the lives of all on Earth? And this SHIFT, if you can, a little more.

[plentyfriendly]

There is, and most people don't even know. I'll get to what SHIFT is later. First, what humanity might be dealing with.

[This could take some time.]

I infiltrated Dcom because there's a virus. Over the next few months, it spreads rapidly, bringing death and panic... and in a last-ditch effort to stop the pandemic, some people set the world's antimatter reactors to explode.

[tsugomori]

[ Mikazuki currently has time, and he decides that Alani's situation was decidedly different. ANYWAY... ]

My, how terrible. What is an "antimatter reactor" by the way?

[plentyfriendly]

That might be difficult to explain... first, antimatter.

[Lecture go!]

Antimatter is... as one might expect, the opposite of regular matter. However, if antimatter interacts with regular matter, both the matter and the antimatter disappear, and it releases a very large amount of energy.

An animatter reactor uses these interactions in a controlled manner to produce electricity.

[tsugomori]

So it all makes a big explosion that can destroy Earth?

[ ... Mikazuki's mind is trying to wrap around it but that's the conclusion he's come to and it makes sense, right? He thinks so. ]

[plentyfriendly]

It's close enough.

[tsugomori]

I see, I see...now where does SHIFT come into play to fight against this outcome?

[plentyfriendly]

It's an ability that allows me to send my consciousness to other timelines.

[It won't erase what would happen, but it can open new opportunities.]

The problem is that it's... difficult to control. It's easier to do when I'm in extreme danger.

[tsugomori]

[ He's very much listening intently, at any rate. ]

So it's like a backup when things go bad. Hmm, alright then.

Thank you for telling me about this. It was very interesting and good to know.

[plentyfriendly]

Something like that. You could say it only allows me to change something I was already there for.

[So, no going back to kill Hitler or Nobunaga or something like that.]

So if sometime down the line, someone dies, we have a trial, and I blurt out "Wait! We've got it all wrong, it was actually..." you'll believe me then?

[She had more than one reason to reveal this!]

[tsugomori]

[ ...Hearing that clarification specifically is a relief, but he doesn't say that. He was still rather concerned it could be used to change long-standing history that she had no part in, which was admittedly his main concern. ]

Hahaha... hmm...

Well, there's a higher chance that I would believe you over some other people if you were to say something like that.

[ In the event someone is trying to lead them intentionally to the wrong answer (which he'll notice if it seems blatant honestly), and somehow has power to even mess with what power she has, it could spell trouble...so he's just a bit cautious about that! ]

[plentyfriendly]

Good to hear. If it just came out of nowhere I'd imagine everyone would be surprised.

[That's ridiculous. Mind hacking? That could never happen.]