Proof of Concept 3

It's finally complete...

The Prophecy Protocol, based on President Himari's design!

It's actually finished!

It took a lot longer than I thought it would to complete it though.

Engineering a device capable of processing our entire lived reality and outputting probable futures based on that data seemed straightforward enough initially...

Well, if not for your help, I don't think we would have finished it, let alone even began the project. Thanks, Noa.

My pleasure.

It seemed like it would be entertaining...

Oh, I mean...

As a member of Seminar, it is only natural to participate in advancing Millennium's potential.

Noa... Sometimes, you're a bit too formal.

Anyway, shall we turn it on?

Thank you for activating the large-scale environmental variable collection and analysis device, also known as the Prophecy Protocol.

The Prophecy Protocol collects, collates, and processes data to produce predictive analysis of reality, also known as the future.

Please, take a peek into the future!

It works... President Himari's Prophecy Protocol really works!

It's even inviting us... What should we ask first?

According to what we know of quantum mechanics, observation in and of itself could change the future, so we need to ask wisely.

I already have thirty-four questions in mind, but...

Are all of them about your relationship with Sensei?

I-I'm not going to ask anything personal like that!!

Just think of everything we put into this thing... We have to ask something that's important to everyone.

...You didn't deny that you had questions about your relationship with Sensei. Heehee.

Listen here...

Anyway, we still can't use this machine selfishly... So let's ask it something that will make us money.

Hey, how will the price of rare metals change over the next month?

Query received.

Before analysis can begin, please enter your date of birth.

Huh? Why would a machine that collects all data in existence need me to enter my date of birth?

Well, I guess it's no big deal. March 14th...

Calculating the future. Please hold...

Calculation complete.

Congratulations! You're a Pisces! This month will be very lucky for you!

Your ruling planet has good vibes, so everything you do will go as planned, even if you didn't expect it to. You'll receive many rewards. Maybe. Also, yes!

This month's lucky rare mineral is durable titanium! Carry it around and something good might happen!

...What.

Oh, dear...

...Again, what?

Is that really it?!

Hey... Did you see the book that was here?

You mean that giant astrology book in front of the monitor?

It was sitting there for a whole week. It was nearing the due date, so I returned it to the library. Why?

...This is bad.

Oh no. Was the book important?

Well...

I put the design for the Prophecy Protocol, my advanced data-processing device, in that book.

It was just a test design, so it's not a big deal if I lose it. But...

It's a dangerous invention that lets you see into the future itself! Who knows what would happen if it ended up in the wrong hands...

Prophecy Protocol...

You mean your horoscope generator?

It's not a horoscope generator! The Prophecy Protocol is world-changing technology that has captured the fundamental nature of the future itself using scientific data!

Please don't give the product of my genius such a tacky name.

Believing people share the same fate just because they were born when the stars were in certain positions...

That's not very sciencey of you, is it? I mean, the universe doesn't even have fixed locations...

You shouldn't look down on astrology, Chi.

Astrology is based on data stretching back to ancient astrologists who observed the twelve zodiac signs and the flow of human life over many generations...

It may not have a logical explanation behind it, but you can't ignore its prominence in human history!

...Besides, my ruling planet, Ophiuchus, told me so!

Um... Himari?

Ophiuchus isn't one of the zodiac signs.

...Whaaat?! When did that change?!

So the Prophecy Protocol isn't a hyper-advanced data-processing device that has solved the fourth dimension...

It's just a horoscope generator?!

No... No, there's no way! President Himari wouldn't waste her time on such a useless invention...

Did we mess something up while building it?

I don't think we did... If you compare it with the blueprint...

And you know, if you look at the library's records, it looks like President Himari checked out a whole bunch of astrology books recently...

Maybe she was just fooling around with this design for fun?

For fun... We spent all this money on something...that was just for fun... What have I done...

Wait, but... You...

Noa, did you already know the Prophecy Protocol might just be a horoscope generator?!

Well, I couldn't be sure... After all, I can't predict the future...

Why didn't you say anything?!

This is on both of us. After all, I never said anything...

...But you never asked.

Noa! You little...!!!