"Roger, hard to port" "Hard to port" " I need navigational information" " OK" "It all began one day, without warning," "like this..." "still no answer at Taguchi's?" "No" "It's been a week, he must have his reasons" "It shouldn't take a whole week to work on that disk" "No..." "Something's wrong" "Maybe I should see if he's OK" "I just got the creeps" "What?" "I don't know, I just feel like something's wrong" "Like something's horribly wrong" "What's up with Taguchi?" "I don't know" "If we don't get that disk now, we're in real trouble" "The deadline's tomorrow" "I know that" "What am I supposed to do?" "We haven't heard a thing" "I think I'd better go see how he's doing" "Taguchi?" "KAIRO" "Hey, you are here" "Hey, Michi..." "I was worried about you, you haven't called" "Right, sorry" "Did you finish working on that disk?" "Yeah, it's somewhere in that pile" "You OK?" "Are you sick?" "No..." "What have you been up to, all on your lonesome?" "We're friends" "Yeah..." "Stuff..." "help yourself to the disk" "You ought to label your disks" "This is it?" "The one marked Work file?" "Taguchi?" "Michi" "Oh, Junco" "You OK?" "Was it awful?" "I'm fine" "I'd say it's break time" "Oh, I forgot, here" "Thanks" "It's so upsetting" "I don't know what he was so depressed about" "He never said anything, so what could we have done?" "Maybe," "he suddenly just wanted to die" "I get that way sometimes" "It's so easy to hang yourself" "Hey!" "Why so gloomy?" "Oh, sorry" "About Taguchi?" "It's just..." "If only I'd..." "He seemed like the Taguchi I know" "I never imagined he'd do something like that" "Time to put it behind us Besides, it wasn't your fault" "Yeah..." "Say..." "would you take a look?" "At what?" "Taguchi's disk" "What is it?" "It's Taguchi's place" "Is that Taguchi?" "Yeah, I think so" "Look" "What's going on?" "Isn't that the same scene?" "I can't tell" "Hey, look" "That's a face..." "A reflection" "You're right" "Can you blow it up?" "Let me see..." "That was Taguchi, wasn't it?" "Sure seems like it" "What's going on?" "Maybe something strange is going on" "Strange?" "I don't know" "I don't even care anymore" "Something's definitely not right" "A message in a bottle launched 10 years ago by a boy on Tanegashima island, was recently discovered on a beach in malaysia some 4,000km away" "Hikono Koichi was a 4th grader when he sent off his message" "Members of a local group, cleaning up the beach, a sea turtle habitat, discovered the bottle by accident" "I never imagined it wouId find its way to some foreign country" "I was shocked to get an answer after 10 years" "The group located Hikono through his former elementary school" "Next, the national Weather Service forecasts another unseasonably hot summer, it's the 3rd for eastern Japan..." "for western Japan..." "Northern Japan...will..." ""welcome to the Internet"" "No, this way." "Here, OK" "Next, OK" ""Have Fun"..." "OK, I'II have fun" "Done "OK"" "What's this crap?" "Yes, I agree" "Next..." "What?" "I guess that's OK" "Next again, huh" "What?" "What the..." "Oh well..." "What the hell..." "Hey...this..." "Who's...what's..." "would you Iike to meet a ghost?" "Stupid crap!" "What the..." "Maybe you should change the size on this batch file" "Using the variable?" "Yeah" "So you'II find its property, right?" "On, conventional memory" "Right" "See" "So that's how you do it" "Say..." "Can the internet dial you up itself?" "You in computer science?" "No, economics, no relation" "Huh..." "Sounds like a hacker" "A hacker..." "Huh..." "It said "Do you want to meet a ghost?"" "Some website like that" "A ghost, huh..." "Which website was that?" "What?" "Something about meeting ghosts?" "I don't really know It just appeared last night" "Know the address?" "What?" "Um...address?" "I see..." "Windows?" "Yeah" "Open the explorer log..." "Oh, no, no, I really don't know anything about computers" "The next time the site shows up, click on it to bookmark it" "Not so fast" "click..." "Can you repeat that?" "click on it" "click on it to bookmark it" "If that doesn't work," "You know the print screen key?" "Yeah, this one?" "Try pressing it" "If it doesn't work..." "Print screen key" "Got it" "Let me know?" "Sure" "See you" "Don't bother with that Mom" "What?" "Sure" "Are you eating this junk again?" "It's not good for you" "I'm going now" "Have you called your father?" "Nope" "I see..." "but what if you get in trouble?" "I can' t rush over" "It's awkward for me to see him, but you should" "Forget it." "He's out of the picture" "He lives here in Tokyo" "But Tokyo's huge" "I know, but..." "I'm fine." "I've got my friends" "You sure?" "I guess you'II be alright then" "You're so trusting and get carried away..." "hello" "hello" "help..." "help..." "help..." "Who's this?" "help..." "What is this..." "The Forbidden Room" "Taguchi?" "What happened, Taguchi...?" "What?" "What am I saying?" "What happened to Yabe?" "Try his house" "No answer" "Huh..." "I hope nothing's wrong" "Oh no, what's he up to?" "I've got to go see him" "No!" "Don't go!" "He'II turn up He'II come if we wait!" "Nothing strange has happened yet" "Yeah..." "Let's just act normal" "Yeah, at Ieast for today" "Sorry, I'm late" "Sure, sure" "Where were you?" "Why didn't you call?" "Hey!" "Can you believe?" "He's ignoring us!" "What's going on?" "Who cares..." "What do I do now?" "click it" "And bookmark it" "Doesn't work" "If that doesn't work, press the print screen key" "There" "Hi" "You're the one..." "Um..." "Kawashima" "Kawashima" "Yeah, Kawashima" "I'm Karasawa Harue" "Harue san, Harue san" "How'd it go?" "well, it came back again" "really?" "Yeah" "And," "I pressed that print screen key..." "Right" "Can I come over and check it out?" "Yeah, sure, absolutely fine" "I just need a minute" "Um..." "What's this?" "That?" "Something we programmed here" "If two dots get too close, they die, but if they get too far apart, they're drawn closer" "Huh...what's it for?" "A miniature model of our world..." "But only the grad student who designed it understands it" "I wouldn't..." "Suggest staring at it too long" "Sorry, it's a mess" "Thank you" "There you go" " Have a drink" " Thank you" "Getting the data?" "Yeah, almost set" "What got you started on the internet?" "Nothing in particular..." "You don't like computers, right?" "No" "Wanted to connect with other people?" "Maybe..." "I don't really khow" "Everbody else is into it" "people don't really connect, you know" "What?" "Like those dots simulating humans" "We all live totally separately" "That's how it seems to me" "Oh..." "Huh..." "I wonder..." "Yabe..." "Kudo san" "Yes" "Can you move these orchids into the greenhouse?" "Yes" "Um, boss..." "Yes?" "Isn't Yabe acting strange?" "You think so?" "Can I go check on him?" "Fine, but..." "It might be a waste of time" "Words said in friendship with the best of intentions always winding up hurting your friends deeply" "And then you wind up getting hurt" "Is friendship always that way?" "If that's so, what's left?" "If I were you..." "Who needs friends like that?" "A courageous choice in itself" "Are you OK?" "Did something happen?" "If something happened, Iet's talk about it" "Both Junco and I, are really worried" "I saw..." "A face..." "What?" "A horrible face..." "I've never seen anything like it..." "What are you saying?" "What did you see?" "The Forbidden Room" "Forbidden Room?" "What's that?" "Is that..." "The room with the red tape?" "Don't dare go in there!" "please, tell me" "What happened?" "I'm cold" "Yabe..." "Are you OK?" ""Exit"" "Harue" "Hi" "I don't really use the library much" "CouIdn't find the way out" "Phantoms" "You're reading this?" "Yeah" "Is it related to your work in the lab?" "Yeah" "Huh..." "Do you have a minute?" "What?" "Sure" "Come" "Isn't it strange?" "Yeah...sort of..." "almost like ghosts, right?" "You're right, they're like ghosts" "Sometimes, these turn up" "At first, they look like the other dots" "What are they?" "I don't know" "A bug?" "No" "That website..." "What?" "Oh, what happened with that?" "Nothing...yet..." "Huh..." "But I think they're related..." "I'm sure they're related" "You think?" "Let me know if anything happens" "Yeah, sure" "Karasawa san" "I need you to check this" "Yes" "And you are?" "My friend, Kawashima" "Huh..." "The grad student, Yoshizaki san" "hello" "I forgot to give you my number" "Oh, right" "call me, OK?" "Right" "Anytime, OK?" "Yeah" "Thank you" ""Everyone dies, therefore there's no logical reason for ghosts not to exist" ""How many ghosts have... existed since prehistoric times?"" "Do you see it too?" "Sure you do, because it's really there" "Who is that?" "You'II have to catch him to find out" "Start right now, and you might succeed" "Have a go?" "What?" "Why don't you, right now?" "He disappeared" "I see" "He must be a student..." "I don't know him" "Maybe you're right." "Sorry I encouraged you" "See you" "Wait a minute" "Just what was that?" "I'm cold..." "The spirit..." "Or consciousness, the soul, whatever you want to call it, it turns out the realm they inhabit has a finite capacity" "Whether that capacity accommodates billions or trillions, eventually, it will run out of space" "Once it's filled to the brim, it's got to overflow somehow, somewhere" "But where?" "The souls have no choice but to ooze into another realm, that is to say, our world" "Maybe, at first... it started with something really simple" "Once that realm reached critical mass, any device would have sufficed" "Thrown it together with the means and materials at hand" "That's how I see it" "Excuse me, do you have any tape?" "Anything'II do, some tape" "How's this?" "Thank you" "After many hours or days, or many weeks, it finally happens" "Through that process, it spreads around the world" "But now they're no Ionger the faint presence they began as" "You saw one yourself" "I don't believe your stories" "Right, sorry, it's all hypothetical" "Thanks for the tea" "Are you OK?" "Just fine" "But if this really happened, there's no turning back" "No matter how simple the device, once the system's complete, it'II function on its own, and become permanent" "In other words, the passage is now open..." "that's how it looks" "hello" "Oh, I see, our boss isn't there?" "Yes, I understand" "If he does stop by," "will you please ask him to call us?" "Yes, thank you very much" "Michi, what do you think is going on?" "Why's everyone disappearing?" "Oh, hello, this is Sunny plant sales calling" "Thank you for your business" "Is our boss there with you by any chance?" "Oh, I see..." "Thank you, and excuse me" "I'II go look for him" "Wait, Junco, wait" "Yes, hello..." "Boss?" "help" "Yabe!" "Are you Yabe?" "Yabe!" "help me..." "help me..." "help..." "help..." "Junco..." "Junco!" "Junco, no!" "Junco!" "Are you OK?" "Are you OK?" "help me..." "help me..." "help me..." "Junco!" "Look, I'm right here" "I'm right here, it's OK" "Excuse me" "Karasawa Harue tel: 090-4079-2677" "What are you doing, Harue?" "You're dripping wet!" "They went away..." "They've all disappeared..." "They always do..." "I have to run away..." "Run away somewhere..." "Harue!" "Hey, Harue!" "Listen, Harue!" "Harue!" "calm down!" "Harue!" "Thank you..." "I always wondered what it's like to die..." "From when I was really little..." "I was always alone" "Any parents or family?" "Sure, but they're irrelevant" "Right..." "That after death, you live happily with everyone over there" "Can we stop talking about this?" "But it may be true" "Sure, but..." "Then in high school it dawned on me you might be all alone after death, too" "There's no way to know" "How could you?" "The idea was so terrifying" "I couldn't even bear it" "That nothing changes with death, just right now, forever" "Is that what becoming a ghost is about?" "You can't mess with that It's really bad" "What have ghosts got to do with us?" "Besides, we're alive" "Then, who are they?" "Are they really alive?" "How are they different from ghosts?" "In fact, ghosts and people are the same," "whether they're dead or alive" "It's not right." "It's wrong" "They're all crazy" "Nobody knows what happens when you die" "AII this about ghosts, but I won't believe in them, even if I see one" "But I do know that I'm definitely alive and so are you, Harue" "That's for sure, right?" "So I don't want to think about the fact we'II die someday" "Just maybe..." "In 10 years, or at Ieast while we're still alive, they'II invent a drug that prevents death" "Then, we could live forever and ever" "Of course you might think I'm crazy to say that, but..." "I'd rather bet on that" "You want to live forever?" "Yeah" "That sounds like fun?" "Yeah..." "That's what I think" "Huh..." "Maybe I've got it all wrong" "No..." "It'II turn out just like you say" "I'm sure" "What?" "Ghosts won't kill people" "Because that would just make more ghosts" "Isn't that right?" "Instead, they'II try to make people immortal" "By quietly... trapping them in their own loneliness" "help..." "help..." "Junco, It'II be OK" "It'II be OK" "OK..." "I fell asleep..." "How do you feel?" "Yeah" "Something to drink?" "How about some coffee?" "Michi..." "What?" "Am I just going to die like this?" "Of course not" "That's right..." "I'II just keep on living, all alone..." "What?" "No" "Junco!" "Junco!" "Junco!" "Junco!" "Why!" "Why!" "Junco, don't go!" "Junco!" "Mother?" "Mother?" "Mother!" "I'II be right there" "Harue..." "Harue!" "Hey..." "Kawashima...take me with you" "I'm scared to be alone" "Take me somewhere" "OK, sure" "Where to?" "Somewhere far away" "Out of Order" "Shit, Iet's just go!" "There's no one..." "No..." "Where did everyone go?" "I'm here" "I'm here beside you" "Even if, there's no one else, it doesn't matter" "We are both definitely here" "Guess that's true..." "What happened?" "I've got to go back!" "What?" "No!" "We've come this far!" "But this is the end of the line" "That's not true." "It'II start moving" "I'II go check with the driver." "Come with me" "OK, but promise you'II wait right here" "I'II be right back." "Promise" "Harue!" "The Forbidden Room" "Construction materials - red tape" "I'm..." "Not alone..." "Harue, it's me, Kawashima" "Harue!" "Listen!" "Listen, what do you say to this?" "The two of us live together" "That way, we can always be together" "If we keep living alone, we'II just get worse and worse because we're weak" "We'II balance each other out" "How about living that way?" "would you try it with me?" "What do you think, Harue?" "!" "Harue!" "Harue!" "Harue!" "Tokyo:" "Missing Sakai Mitsuo, age 35" "Tokyo:" "Missing Yamazaki Naoko, age 6" "Kanagawa:" "Missing Hirayama Michio, age 80" "Kanagawa:" "Missing Kawahara Takumi, age 25" "Saitama:" "Missing Tomioka Shigeki, age 8" "Tokyo:" "Missing Yoshida Tomoko, age 21" "Tokyo:" "Missing Nakajima Kumi, age 5" "Kanagawa:" "Missing Kitaoka Eri, age 3" "Tokyo:" "Missing Fukuda Tatsuya, age 57" "Um...are you OK?" "Breakdown?" "Yeah" "Want some?" "You are?" "Oh, me?" "Um..." "What are you doing here?" "What am I doing here...?" "You?" "So neither your dad nor your mom made it through..." "No..." "So many things happened at once, it's impossible to sort them all out" "Yeah" "Me too." "My head's all messed up" "So you're a student, Kawashima?" "Yeah" "Lucky you" "I don't think so" "Here" "Oh, thanks..." "And you?" "I had a job" "Wow, amazing" "Nothing amazing" "Did you have any friends?" "Friends?" "Maybe one, I guess" "What was she like?" "What?" "I don't really know..." "I never really found out..." "Where is she?" "Somewhere..." "OK, try starting it" "OK, good" "Why don't you look for her?" "What?" "She's still somewhere, right?" "You've got to help her then" "But..." "Let's go find her." "I'II help you" "This is the Iast stop..." "After that we go as far as we can" "I can sort of see..." "The future..." ""help"" "Look over there" "An abandoned factory?" "I wonder..." "shall we try it?" "Listen, even if you see a door sealed with red tape, don't go near it, OK?" "I know" "You OK?" "Look...at this" "Look...over there" "Kawashima" "Harue!" "Watch out!" "What happened, Harue!" "What are you doing with that?" "Let's get out of this place together" "Together?" "Yeah" "C'mon, hand it over" "Harue!" "Harue!" "Oh, no, a hospital..." "Harue!" "Don't die!" "C'mon!" "please!" "help me!" "Harue!" "We couldn't save her..." "No..." "We're out of gas..." "I'II get some, there was gas back there" "You'II be OK?" "Wait for me." "I'II be OK" "Forever... death was... eternal loneliness..." "help..." "Don't ask me!" "What's that got to do with me!" "Forever... death was... eternal loneliness..." "You're not real" "I refuse to acknowledge..." "Never..." "I refuse to acknowledge death!" "I know" "I'II catch you" "Then you'II disappear" "That's it, right?" "Right?" "You can't beat me!" "I am... real..." "Kawashima!" "What is it?" "Forget it..." "Let's go..." "It's too much..." "What...are you doing?" "You went in there..." "Me?" "Yeah, I did, but I'm fine" "Don't cry" "You want to go back?" "To what's left of Harue?" "That makes you feel better?" "If that's what you want, I'II go with you" "No..." "Let's go..." "As far as we can go" "Are you sure about that?" "Yeah" "Can you get out?" "You OK?" "Be careful" "Wait here, OK?" "Death comes to us all..." "If so, maybe we would have been happier, had we gone with the rest" "But we chose to keep going into the future..." "We'II head for Latin America" "We're still getting signals there" "Though they're pretty weak" "We've got to give it a try, no matter what we find" "If anyone's survived, we can head out again and go... as far as we can" "C'mon, be strong" "Have I done the right thing?" "Yes" "Are you sure?" "Yes" "You're doing the right thing" "Now, alone with my last friend in the world," "I have found happiness"