Conversation · Kim Kitsuragi

"I need to find a way to turn back time."

"Goddamnit..." mumbles the lieutenant. "It's becoming a thing now, huh?"

Ignore him.

"MANAGED TO LEARN THE REALITY RHIZOME -- AND NEXT UP IS RETURNING TO THE PAST?" The giant locks eyes with you. His face is serious...

"YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN YOU. BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT."

"Wait, what exactly am I lacking?"

"YOUR NEED TO STEER EVERY CONVERSATION TOWARDS YOUR OWN PERSONA IS A SIGN OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM."

"Stop boring Measurehead. He talks about big things and you only talk about yourself!"

"So it is possible to go back?"

"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. JUST NOT FOR YOU."

"I internalized your race theory and that was hard."

"YES. FOR YOU I IMAGINE IT WAS. DON'T THINK THAT I AM NOW OBLIGED TO BE PART OF YOUR LITTLE GROWING SPURT. IT IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE."

He just needs some convincing before you can talk to him mano a mano.

"Can't you just give me a straight answer for once?"

"DO NOT THINK ME INTRODUCING YOU TO RACE SCIENCE MEANS I'M NOW PART OF YOUR GROWING PROCESS -- IT DOES NOT LOOK PROMISING."

"Can't you just give me a straight answer for once?"

"YOU DID BEST ME IN A VIOLENT PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION, BUT I DON'T OWE YOU AN INTELLECTUAL ONE."

Huh, good... no more confrontations!

"I get it, you're upset because I beat you up."

"YOU BESTED ME IN A VIOLENT PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION, TRUE, BUT I DON'T OWE YOU AN INTELLECTUAL ONE."

"Can't you just give me a straight answer for once?"

"IT'S SIMPLE. I AM JUST NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR IMPOTENT OBSESSION WITH THE PAST."

"YOU WANT TO RETURN TO THE PAST?" The giant locks eyes with you. His face is serious...

"THAT SURPRISES NO ONE. AND YET YOU STILL FEEL ENTITLED TO RETURN TO THE PAST?" The giant locks eyes with you. His face is serious...

"OBSERVE," he turns to the women. "LIKE A PEASANT HOPING TO BED A NOBLEWOMAN, THE HAM SANDWICH IS REACHING STRAIGHT FOR THE ADVANCED CONCEPTS. NO HUMILITY, AWARENESS, OR RESPECT."

"Get your dirty hick-dick away from these advanced concepts, peasant!"

"TO COMPREHEND TIME YOU MUST POSSESS AT LEAST A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW REALITY WORKS, WHAT THE RULES ARE. THE LOOK OF INFINITE ASTOUNDMENT IN YOUR EYES SAYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA."

"I admit I've re-entered this reality quite recently. Things are still hazy."

"THE CONCEPTS YOU REACH FOR ARE FAR BEYOND YOU, PUPA. WITHOUT THE NECESSARY VOCABULARY YOU ARE ONLY WASTING MY TIME." He frowns. "EDUCATE YOURSELF FIRST, TALK TO PEOPLE, AND UNDERSTAND THE BASICS."

This again? But you've learned the basics... Guess we need to return to Mr. Monolith once we've figured out what else is missing from the curriculum.

A studious approach... Seems like a good direction. Turn it into science!

Just remember, minimum effort -- let things get too brainy and BANG! You're a binoclard. No one wants that.

"COME BACK TO ME WHEN YOU'VE MASTERED THE RHIZOME." He crosses his arms, towering above you with a menacing shadow.

This again? Guess we need to return to Mr. Monolith once we've gotten a better understanding of the whole 'reality thing'.

He's got a point. You're never going to turn back time if you don't understand how the pieces move. Let's find someone rich (that's how you know they've got the basics down) and pick their brain.

"Hey, I'm a police officer, I know plenty!"

"You're right -- I don't even know who I am..." (Look at your hands in bewilderment.)

"Kim, you cannot even begin to comprehend the importance of this."

"No, I cannot," he agrees. "Just make it quick, please."

"It's a harmless quirk. Can't you just roll with it?"

"Another one?" The lieutenant lets out a sigh. "Just make it quick please."

"No," the lieutenant shakes his head. "You don't. You need to help me find out who killed our hanged man."

"SO... WOMEN, HUH?" The Semenese supraman stretches on the couch like a giant tattooed cat.

His shoulders relax, tension is leaving him.

Strange, he seems different in here. Less 'monolithic' somehow.

The room feels soporific in its silence, dust particles twirling around in the air...

"I like women."

"AND? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT?"

"WHAT IS THIS REALLY ABOUT?"

"Culture-victory. The kipts and the Kojkos are showing..."

"THAT IS A LIE YOU ADMINISTER YOURSELF. LIKE HEART MEDICINE. GO WITHOUT IT ONE DAY AND YOUR HEART WILL STOP."

"MEN ONLY WANT TO REVERSE TIME FOR ONE REASON. THEY SAY IT'S ABOUT HONOUR, JUSTICE, REVENGE, REGRET, REDEMPTION, AND A PLETHORA OF FALSE REASONS, BUT FURTHER BACK -- DEEPER IN -- IT IS ALWAYS LOVE THAT DRIVES THEM."

René certainly seemed to agree with that.

This can't be true for the Racist Lorry Driver -- guy didn't have an ounce of love in his life!

No-no, Gary seems way too scientific to get involved in some messy love conundrum.

"I'M GOING TO DO YOU A KINDNESS, PUPA. I'M GOING TO SHARE A SECRET WITH YOU. HERE IS THE SECRET: THERE IS NO LOVE IN THE PAST. ONLY THE PRESENT."

"THE PAST IS MADE OF STATIC IMAGES, DISTORTED MEMORIES, DEMENTED NOSTALGIA. THIS, THE PRESENT -- WITH ALL ITS POSSIBILITIES, INNUMERABLE HITS AND MISSES -- IS FAR SUPERIOR. IT IS A LIVING ORGANISM."

Hmm... maybe if you inquire more about the present, you'll figure out the secret of returning to the past.

What about all the women that surround him -- is the love extended for them as well?

There's something else you need to clear up with him, man to man -- why you knocked him out.