Hyperbolic Time Chamber

I have nothing but my Eiki and I want nothing more. She has been, she still is, faithful to me.

Why should I begrudge her, since during the hours when my soul crushed the depths of my heart, she was seated there beside me?

O Eiki, I have ended, you see, by respecting you, because I am certain you will never leave me.

Ah! I realize it: your beauty lies in the force of your being. You are like those who never left the sad fireside corner of my poor black heart.

O my Eiki, you are better than a well-beloved: because I know that on the day of my final agony, you will be there, lying in my sheets, O Eiki, so that you might once again attempt to enter my heart.

開始」
"Fulfulling one of mankind's dreams, voyages to the surface of the Moon are finally possible for everyone!"
"Tours from all of Japan's travel agencies will begin next month."
行き交う人の足取りも重い、地上の私鉄の駅前に号外が飛び交った。
The sound of heavy footsteps from people coming and going past the private railway station pounded in the air, mixed with newspaper extras flying in all directions.
スポーツニュース以外では珍しい明るいニュースに、いつもならすぐ捨てられてしまう号外も、今回ばかりは皆鞄の中に仕舞っている。号外の内容に興味があってと言う事もあるが、それ以上に記事の写真に惹かれた人も少なくないだろう。
While most only had interest in the sports section, this time, the unusually good news the extras held within caused people to hold onto them for keeping in their bags. There were some that were interested in the content of the articles, but more than that, a not-insignificant number who bought copies were captivated by the pictures.
宇宙の写真は人の心を癒す。何故なら、宇宙の写真を見ると否応無しに人間の小ささに気付かされるからだ。その時直面している苦難が、広大な宇宙に比べると如何にちっぽけな物だと感じ、癒される。こんなに宇宙が広いんだから、自分一人の努力なんて大して重要ではない。上司だって政治家だって今は亡き独裁者だって小さな人間だ。自分は自分の納得のいくまで努力すればいい。宇宙の写真だけで直感的にそう感じるのだ。
Pictures of the universe soothe the soul. The reason is that that they force one to realize mankind's triviality. For all the hardships mankind faces, the feeling one gets when comparing them to the sheer vastness of space is comfort. With a universe this immense, one's own efforts are not very important. Bosses and politicians and long-dead dictators are all insignificant humans. One should work to their own satisfaction. This feeling can be imparted just by looking at pictures of the universe.
宇佐見蓮子とマエリベリー・ハーン (メリー) の二人は、大学構内のカフェテラスで興奮した様子で会話をしていた。
Renko Usami and Maribel Hearn (Merry) were excitedly discussing the situation at a sidewalk café on their university's campus.
天空のグリニッジ
#02 天空のグリニッジ Greenwich in the Sky
"Royal Greenwich Observatory"
「『なお、今回もまた有人火星探査は見送られた』だってさ」
"They say that they're sending off a manned Martian probe again this time."
「ふーん。ま、火星探査なんてどうでも良いわ。メリー、まずは号外の記事の『月旅行』の話よ」
"Hmm. But who cares about manned Martian probes right now, Merry? What I want to talk about are the 'Moon Tours' that all the extras mentioned."
「うん、月と星を見るだけで時間と場所が判る蓮子の目に、月面がどう映るのか知りたいしね」
"Yes, with those eyes that tell you the time and place just by looking at the stars and Moon, I do wonder just how exactly you'd perceive the lunar surface itself..."
「そりゃ『ここは月面です』って判るんじゃないかな」
"Well, I'd probably perceive 'This is the lunar surface.'"
「時間はどうなのよ？」
"And how about the time?"
「私の目はJST (日本標準時) しか見られないのよ。UTC (協定世界時)は能力外。
　そもそも、月面でも地球と同じ時間を使うのって変よね」
"My eyes can only see Japanese Standard Time (JST). Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) is beyond my abilities.
It'd be weird if the Earth and the Moon used the same time, anyway."
「ちょっとちょっと、能力外って...... ただの引き算じゃないの？」
"Wait, wait. 'Beyond your abilities?' It's just a matter of subtraction, isn't it?"
宇宙では今のところ協定世界時(UTC)を使っているが、この協定世界時は、グリニッジ標準時(GMT)と基本的に同じ物である。
グリニッジ天文台が建てられたのは17世紀である。宇宙を観る為の時間が、宇宙でも用いられると考えると、些か滑稽である。
They use UTC in space nowadays, but it's basically the same thing as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The Royal Greenwich Observatory was constructed in the 17th century. When you think about a time system designed to observe the cosmos to be used in those cosmos, it's somewhat funny.
東の国の眠らない夜
#03 東の国の眠らない夜 Sleepless Night of the Eastern Country
"Vampirish Nightlife"
「で、いつ行くの？　月面旅行」
"So, when are we going? On the Moon Tour."
「メリーは気が早いわね。
　まぁきっと混むだろうし、早い内に予約だけは済ましておきたいわね」
"You're pretty impatient, Merry.
Well, I'd like to get the reservations made soon as well, since I'm sure it'll be crowded."
「夏休みとかは滅茶苦茶混みそうだし、暑そうだから少しずらして秋にしない？」
"Absurdly so during summer vacation and such. Since that seems a bit warm, how about delaying it until fall?"
「月や宇宙が暑いって事は無いと思うけど、同感ね。
　秋の方が良いわ。日本的で。
　どうせなら今年の中秋の名月に行きましょうよ」
"I don't think either the Moon or space gets too hot[1], but I agree.
Fall's nice; it feels Japanese.
In that case, let's go during the Harvest Moon."
「お団子持ってね。
　そうしましょう、そうしましょう」
"And we'll bring dango!
That's the ticket, that's the ticket!"
あらゆる情報が手に入る今でも、宇宙だけは永遠のロマンであった。
そのロマンの一つにして、最も魅力的な月に降り立つ事が出来れば、誰だって行ってみたいと思うだろう。
Even with all the world's information in the palm of one's hand, the universe alone remains the eternal romance.
To write a line in that romance oneself, to be able to go down and stand on that most captivating Moon, would be something anyone would want to do.
だがこの時、二人はまだツアーに掛かる費用を知らなかったのだ。
However, at that point, the pair hadn't yet discovered the expense of such a tour.
車椅子の未来宇宙
#04 車椅子の未来宇宙 The Wheelchair's Future of the Universe[2]
"History of Time"
「でも、未だに有人火星探査は上手く行かないのよねぇ。
　ホーキングの頭の中にあった宇宙が、この目で確かめられる日なんて本当に来るのかしら？」
"But still, no Martian probe has met with any success so far.
I wonder if we can really witness the universe that lay inside of Hawking's head with our own eyes."
「結局、ホーキングを超える物理学者が出てこないのも問題よね」
"Ultimately, the problem is that there haven't been physicists that have surpassed Hawking."
「あら、蓮子が頑張れば良いんじゃない？
　稀有な能力の持ち主なんだから」
"Oh, but what about you, Renko? All you need to do is work hard at it.
You have a rare ability, after all."
「私は専門が違うわよ。ま、プランク並みに頭が良いかも知れないけどね。それにね、ホーキングの言っていたブラックホールの蒸発とかが実際に観測される事も無いと思う。
　さらに言うと、もう人類が火星に行く事すらないと思うよ」
"I'm in a different field, but maybe I am as smart as Planck. Besides, I don't think it's practically possible to observe the dissipation of a black hole that Hawking described.
More than that, I don't even think that mankind will make it to Mars."
「あら、悲観的ね。でも蓮子が言うと信憑性があるわ」
"Oh, how pessimistic. But since you're the one saying it, it's trustworthy."
「観測する為に必要なエネルギーが膨大に成り過ぎたのよ。
　理論上はともかく、事実上、観測物理学は終焉を迎えているわ。
　ついでに言うと、月面ツアーは高額過ぎるわね」
"The amount of energy needed in order to observe it is enormous.
Apart from theory, even observational physics is effectively coming to an end.
And while we're on the topic, the Moon Tour is too expensive."
物理学は事実上終焉を迎えている。既に物理学は、解釈と哲学の時代に突入していた。
Physics is coming to its end. The field is already rapidly plunging into an age of interpretation and philosophy.
Demystify Feast
#05 Demystify Feast Demystify Feast
"Beyond a Veil of Mystery"
「うん。ここのカフェは構内でも割とオシャレで美味しいわね。
　で、蓮子、なんで物理学は終焉を迎えているの？」
"Yes, even though it's on campus, this café is rather stylish and convenient.
So, why is physics reaching it end, Renko?"
「うん。一言で言うと観測するコストが大きすぎるからよ」
"Hmm. To put it simply, the cost of observation is too expensive."
「私達が月面ツアーに行けない理由と一緒ね」
"The same reason why we can't go on the Moon Tour, I see."
「小さい物体を分離させるのに掛かるエネルギーは、小さければ小さいほど大きいの。分子より原子、原子より核子、核子よりクオーク......。こうしてどんどんと小さくしていくと、無尽蔵にエネルギーが必要になっていくでしょ？　すると究極まで行き着くと、宇宙最大のエネルギーを使っても分離できない小さい物体に当たってしまう。この物体がこの世界の最小構成物質だって言えるじゃない。
　もう物理学はとっくに最小の世界まで辿り着いて、次を目指しているの。ここから先は観測できないから、殆ど哲学の世界ね」
"The energy needed for separating small objects becomes greater as the objects become smaller. From molecule to atom to nucleon to quark... If you keep getting smaller, you would eventually need an inexhaustible amount of energy to split them, right? And then when we finally get to the point where we find an object that cannot be separated even if we used all of energy in the universe, we could say that object was the minimum structure necessary to exist, couldn't we?
Physics reached the smallest world long ago, so it's moving on to its next phase. We can't observe any further, so it's basically just the world of philosophy."
「あ、新作のケーキ、美味しそう！
　このケーキの最小単位は合成卵と合成苺ね」
"Ah, this new cake looks delicious!
Its smallest units would be artificial egg and artificial strawberry, wouldn't they?"
エネルギーの限界量は1019GeVと言われている。このエネルギー量を超えると時空に存在し得なくなるからである。ちなみにこの1019GeVはプランクエネルギーと呼ばれ、原子力の持つエネルギーの約1021倍である。
The amount of energy is said to be limited to 1019 GeV. If an amount of energy exceeded this quantity, it couldn't exist in the space-time. Incidentally, this 1019 GeV is called Planck energy, which is about as 1021 times as great as the energy created by nuclear power[3].
衛星カフェテラス
#06 衛星カフェテラス Satellite Café Terrace
"Satellite Cafe"
「もう、蓮子に物理の話なんて振るんじゃなかったわよ。
　一人で話し続けるんだから」
"Argh, I keep forgetting not to bring up the topic of physics with you, Renko.
It always turns into a one-sided conversation."
「ごめんごめん。私の専門だからね。
　でもこのケーキ美味しいね」
"Sorry, my bad. It's just my field of study.
But this cake is pretty good."
「月面ツアー行きたかったなぁ......
　流石にこのツアー、値段が高過ぎよ」
"I wish we could go on the Moon Tour......
But of course, it costs a fortune."
「そう言えば、宇宙旅行客用に人工衛星にカフェが出来たらしいわよ？　何でも無重力で淹れた珈琲は格別だとか」
"That reminds me. Did you know they opened a café in a satellite for space travelers? They say coffee brewed in zero gravity is phenomenal."
「でもどうせ室内のカフェでしょ？
　私はオープンなカフェテラスが好きなのよ」
"But it has to be an indoor café, doesn't it?
I prefer wide open café terraces."
珈琲を一瞬だけ真空状態に晒すと、気圧の低さにより一瞬沸騰するが、気化熱を奪われた水は沸騰した瞬間に凍り付く。
この沸騰しながら凍った珈琲を入れた、サテライトアイスコーヒーが目玉メニューである。
When coffee is exposed to a vacuum even for a moment, it boils instantly because of the low pressure, but then the water freezes as soon as the heat dissipates.
This boiled yet frozen coffee, Satellite Iced Coffee, is the main attraction on the menu.
G Free
#07 G Free G Free
"Zero Gravity"
「そう言えば、珈琲の抽出って重力に頼ってるじゃない。
　重力がなかったらドリップ出来ないでしょ？
　無重力でどうやって珈琲を入れるの？」
"Now that you mention it, doesn't coffee need gravity to brew?
The drops won't fall without it.
How do they make coffee under zero gravity?"
「そこで今はほぼ死滅したサイフォン式が浮上してきたのよ。
　サイフォン式は蒸気圧でお湯が行き来するからね」
"That's why they've brought siphon coffee back from the dead.
It circulates the hot water with vapor pressure."
「サイフォンか......。
　そう言えばもうカフェのインテリアでしか見た事がなかったけど、一応アレも珈琲の抽出道具だったよね。
　でも、ドリップより味が落ちるって聞いたけど......」
"Siphon coffee...
Now that you mention it, I have seen siphon coffee makers as decorations in cafés, but I suppose they are used for making coffee, too.
Even so, I heard that drip coffee tastes better..."
「無重力用に改良されたサイフォンだと、対流が起こらないから濃厚な珈琲が作れるんだってさ」
"These are siphons modified for zero gravity. Since convection doesn't occur, they can make coffee with a richer flavor."
「ふーん。そんなの飲まなくても宇宙は目が覚めそうだけどね。興奮して」
"Huh. But even without coffee, I would be wide awake in space. With excitement."
重力から解き放たれた人間は、新しい文化を築き上げつつある。だが、それと同時に、様々な道具が重力に頼って動いていたと気付かされる。
早い段階から存在は実証されていて、物理学者の頭を最後まで悩ませつづけた重力が他の力と完全に統一されたのは、つい最近の事だった。
Humans, released from gravity, are developing a new culture. But at the same time, they found that many of their tools relied on gravity to operate.
It was just recently that gravitational force, which had been proven long ago and tormented physicists for a long time, was completely unified with the other forces.
大空魔術 ～ Magical Astronomy
#08 大空魔術 ～ Magical Astronomy Celestial Wizardry ~ Magical Astronomy
「はぁ、宇宙には魅力があるわねぇ...... 」
"Wow, space sure is fascinating..."
「どうしたの？　溜息なんて吐いちゃって。地上にはもう魅力が無いとでも言うの？」
"What's the matter with you? Sighing like that. Is there nothing fascinating on Earth?"
「16時31分、宵の明星が見えたわ。
　地上にはもう不思議が殆ど無いからね」
"At 16:31, I saw the evening star.
It's just that there are hardly any mysteries left on Earth."
「蓮子ぐらいこの世界の仕掛けが全て見えていると、もう心に虚無主義が顔を出し始めてくるのね」
"If I could see all the mechanisms of this world like you, Renko, I think I would start to become nihilistic."
「だからこそ、メリーの眼が羨ましいのよ。
　不思議な世界がいっぱい見えて。
　ついでに言うと月面の結界の切れ目も見て貰いたかったわ」
"That's why I envy your eyes, Merry.
You can see plenty of mysterious worlds.
Incidentally, I wanted you to see the gap in the barrier on the Moon's surface."
「ツアーが安かったらね」
"I would if the tour was cheaper."
結界は地上の産物ではなく、ただの境界だから当然月面にも存在する。
月面の結界は、煌びやかな月の都と、荒涼とした無生物の星を分けた結界である。この結界が存在している限り、月面に行ったとしても月の兎が搗いている餅も薬も手に入らないだろう。せいぜい、月の石位である。
Barriers are not products of Earth; they're just boundaries, so it is only natural for the Moon to have one as well.
The barrier of the Moon is one which separates the dazzling Lunar Capital from the desolate, lifeless satellite. As long as that barrier exists, even if you went to the surface of the Moon, you couldn't get any of the mochi or medicine the Moon rabbits are making. At best, you'd get a moon rock.
「月にも忘れられた世界が隠されているはずよ。高度な文明を持ち、高貴な人が住む月の都。
　兎が不老不死の薬を搗き、太陽に棲む三本足の鳥を眺めながら、月面ツアーで騒ぐ人間を憂えているのよ。
その世界を見られるのはメリー、貴方しか居ないわ」
"The Moon may be hiding a forgotten world; a lunar capital with advanced civilization where high and noble people live.
Rabbits would pound the medicine of immortality while gazing at the three-legged crow living in the sun and worrying about mankind, making a racket on their Moon Tours.
You are the only one who can see that world, Merry."
「確かにね。人間が集まって開拓進みきる前に行ってみたいわ」
"You're right. I want to go before humans start gathering there and developing it all."
「そうと決まれば、準備しないとね」
"If it's decided then, let's start preparing."
「月の都を見たければ、まず月の都についてもっと勉強すればいいのかなぁ。
　大昔から忘れ去られている太古の月を。
　物語の中の煌びやかな月の都を。
　狂気の象徴である月を。
　そう、知識が境界の切れ目を明確にするからね」
"If we want to see the Lunar Capital, maybe we should learn more about it.
About the ancient Moon that has been forgotten since the distant past.
About the dazzling Moon capital of legend.
About the Moon, symbol of insanity.
Yes, information will help in clarifying the rift in the boundary."
「いやどちらかというと、まずはバイトから始めないと。ツアー代を稼ぐ為に」
"Wait, if anything, what we have to take care of first is getting a part-time job, so we can make enough money to go there."
ネクロファンタジア
#09 ネクロファンタジア Necrofantasia
"Necrophantasia"
日も暮れて夕食の時間も近いというのに、新作のケーキを平らげた二人はようやくカフェテリアを後にした。
この大学では、構内の店なら全て学生カードで清算が出来る。
毎月纏めて学費として払うのである。お金を管理するコストが減り、レジも混雑せず、さらに学生も手軽に買い物が出来て（親が学費を払うから）売り上げも伸びている。そのお陰で、予想以上に出費が嵩む事も少なくないが。
Even though the sun has set and dinner time was approaching, they had only just left the café after finishing the new cake.
In this university, students can pay with a student card in any of the shops on campus. The price is collected along with the tuition monthly.
It reduces the need for managing money, avoids crowded registers, and lets students shop easily (because their parents pay for the tuition), increasing sales as a result. But thanks to that, some students now find their expenses piling up much more than they expect.
「月には不老不死の薬があるらしいのよ」
"There's supposed to be an elixir of immortality on the Moon, apparently."
「不老不死ねぇ。
　物理の終焉を迎えて虚無に支配されている蓮子には不要でしょ？」
"Immortality, huh?
Someone like you wouldn't need it though, would you, Renko? What with the end of physics fast approaching and nihilism taking hold of you."
「誰が虚無主義よ。
　私は生きる力でいっぱいよ。
　今は宇宙の事で興奮して夜もグッスリなんだから」
"Who are you calling a nihilist?
I'm practically bursting with life.
I'm sleeping soundly at night even now because I'm so excited about what the universe holds."
「じゃ、不老不死の薬が手に入ったら、蓮子は使うの？」
"Then, would you take it if you happened to get your hands on it, Renko?"
世界は急速に発展して、何処の国もある程度豊かになったが、人類は次のステージへと進んでいた。紀元前の頃から右肩上がりで増え続けた人口が緩やかに減少に転化したのだ。
資本主義は、ノアの方舟の如く経済による格差社会を増進させた。それにより何処の国も軒並み出生率が低下したが、これは全て資本主義の最終ステップである『人口調整』段階に入っただけである。
いち早く少子化が進み人口が減少に転じた日本は、人口減少によるデメリットを上手く回避し、選ばれた人間による勤勉で精神的に豊かな国民性を取り戻す事に成功した。
Although the world had developed rapidly, with just about every country enjoying prosperity to some degree, mankind itself had merely moved on to its next stage. The human population, which had continued to grow exponentially since before the Common Era, had shifted into a phase of gradual decline.
Like Noah's Ark, capitalism had exacerbated society's inequalities through economics. As a result, nations across the board had shown a decline in birth rates, though this was all merely a sign that they had entered capitalism's final stage: population control.
As one of the first nations to have had to turn its attention to the issues brought on by rapidly declining birth rates and population collapse, Japan was able to skillfully avoid the downsides brought about by this depopulation. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of its chosen people, it was able to successfully revitalize its national character, rich in industriousness and spirituality.
「不老不死の薬？
　勿論、使うわよ。
　物語なんかでは不老不死は辛い物だとされているのは何故だか判る？　アレはみんな欲深さへの戒めと権力者への反抗を謳っているだけよ。でもそれが反対に、不老不死の薬の実存性の裏付けの証拠になっているわ。
　不老不死は、死が無くなるんじゃなくて、生と死の境界が無くなって生きても死んでも居ない状態になるだけよ。
　まさに顕界でも冥界でもある世界ネクロファンタジアの実現だわ」
"The elixir of immortality?
Of course I'd take it.
You know why immortality is portrayed as a terrible thing to have to bear in stories and such? Those were all meant to serve as cautionary tales against greed and to celebrate rebellion against figures of authority. But on the flip side, the fact that those stories even exist serves as evidence in support of the idea that that the elixir of immortality is a real thing.
Immortality doesn't imply the absence of death. Rather, it just implies a state of existence in which the boundary between life and death disappears, and you exist as neither alive nor dead.
It'd be like a bona fide Necrofantasia—a practical realization of being in a world somewhere in between the world of the living and the Netherworld at the same time."
向こう側の月
#10 向こう側の月 The Moon of the Other Side
"Megalopolis of Moon"
二人は大学の設備である噴水のある池の辺に腰掛けた。
The two of them sat by the pond that had been equipped with a fountain by the university.
既に月が顔を出しており、湖にはクレーターの無い平らな月が浮かんでいる。
The Moon was already out, and a flat Moon with no craters could be seen floating on the lake.
魔術師メリーには見えていた。

兎が薬を搗き

煌びやかな衣装を身に纏い

優雅に空を舞う天女
Merry the magician saw them:

Rabbits pounding medicine;

Celestial maidens wearing dazzling dresses,

dancing gracefully in the sky.
水に映った月には結界の向こう側の姿が見えていた。
その月を見てメリーに名案が浮かんだ。
She saw the other side of the barrier through the Moon reflected in the water.
Like the moon floating on the surface of the lake, an excellent idea floated to the top of Merry's mind.
「ねえ蓮子。
　月面ツアーが高くて無理ならば、何か別の方法で月に行けないか考えてみない？」
"Hey, Renko.
If the Moon Tour is too expensive, why don't we try thinking of another way to get there?"

I’m just moving the wealth upwards lmao
My economy has stopped growing

童祭　～ Innocent Treasures
#01 童祭　～ Innocent Treasures Kid's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures
夢違え、幻の朝靄の世界の記憶を
現し世は、崩れゆく砂の上に
空夢の、古の幽玄の世界の歴史を
白日は、沈みゆく街に
Dream changing, the memory of a world of illusionary morning mist.
This present world, sitting atop a crumbling foundation of sand.
A fabricated dream's history, telling of an ancient profound world.
In bright sunshine, a city sinks.
（夜が明ける。幻の朝靄の中で夜が明ける。
私は幻想の世界で子供達と一緒に遊んでいたわ。
子供達はみんな楽しそうだった。みんな笑っていた）
(Dawn is breaking. Within the illusionary morning mist, dawn is breaking.
I played with the children in the phantasmal world.
The children were all having fun. They were all smiling.)
幻か、砂上の楼閣なのか
夜明け迄、この夢、胡蝶の夢
Is it an illusion, or a tower built on sand?
This dream, till daybreak, is a butterfly dream.
（――こんなに笑っている子供を最後に見たのは一体いつだろう。
聴いた事もない不思議な唄、不思議な踊り。どうやら今日は祭らしい。
私も、いつかはこんな子供達の笑顔がある国に住みたいと思ったわ）
(...When was the last time I had seen children smiling so?
Mysterious songs that I had never listened to; mysterious dances that I had never seen. It seems like there's a festival today.
I wished that I, too, could someday live in a land where children smiled like this.)
夢違え、幻の紅の屋敷の異彩を
現し世は、血の気無い石の上に
空夢の、古の美しき都のお伽を
白日は、穢れゆく街に
Dream changing, the conspicuous color of an illusory scarlet mansion.
This present world, sitting atop a heartless foundation of stone.
A fabricated dream's fairy tale, telling of an ancient beautiful capital.
In bright sunshine, a city is defiled.
華胥の夢
#02 華胥の夢 Dream of Huaxu
"Paradisaical Daydream"
「――そうそう、それでね。昨日はこんな夢を見たのよ」
「――って、また夢の話なのぉ？」
「だって、今日は夢の話をする為に貴方を呼んだのよ」
"...And that's what happened. I had a dream like that yesterday."
"...so you're going on about your dreams again?"
"Naturally. I invited you here because I wanted to talk to you about them."
私の名前はマエリベリー・ハーン。この冥い街でオカルトサークルをやっているわ。普通のオカルトサークルとは違って、私達のサークルはまともな霊能活動を行っていない。所謂不良サークルなんだけど――。それにサークルって言っても、サークルメンバーは二人だけだけどね。
My name is Maribel Hearn. I'm part of an occult club in this gloomy city. Though, unlike a usual occult club, we don't carry out any of the sensible spiritual activities one might expect. It's what you might call a defective club... even before you add that this "club" has only two members.
「ねぇ、他人の夢の話ほど、話されて迷惑な物はないわよ？」
"Hey, is the stuff that happens in your dreams really something you should be pestering other people with?"
そんな事はどうでも良いけど、実は私には凄い能力があるのよ。うちの家系は昔から霊感はある方だったみたいだけど――。

私は、世界中の結界、つまり境目が見えてしまうの。サークルは結界の切れ目を探しては、別の世界に飛び込んでみるのよ。神隠しって奴かしら？
But putting that aside, I have an incredible power. Since ancient times, members of my family lineage have had a sort of spiritual sensitivity...

I can see borders - in other words, boundaries - throughout the world. The objective of our club is to seek out rifts in those boundaries, places where one can dive into another world. One might call it something like "spiriting away"?
――禁止されてるんだけどね。

ただ最近私は、色んな世界の夢を見るようになってきて――。
...However, that sort of thing is forbidden.

But recently, I've started to see all sorts of other worlds in my dreams...
「お願い、貴方に夢の事を話してカウンセリングして貰わないと、どれが現の私なのか判らなくなってしまいそうなのよ」
"Please, if I don't talk to you about the things in these dreams and get your advice, I'm not sure I'll be able to tell which me is real."
上海紅茶館 ～ Chinese Tea
#03 上海紅茶館 ～ Chinese Tea Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea
深い緑の向こうにあった物、それは真っ赤なお屋敷だったわ。
お屋敷の周りは、深い緑色と、白く輝く湖――。
なんて素敵な景観なのかしら？
こんなに赤いのに、何故か自然にとけ込んでいるわね。
この思い切った色彩は、どこか子供っぽい感じがして――私は大好きよ。
Beyond the walls of green was a great mansion in deep red.
Around the mansion were a deep green forest and a sparkling white lake...
Such a lovely view, isn't it?
For something so red, it manages to blend with its surroundings perfectly.
The bold color does look childish in a way, but... I love it.
ちょっと寄っていってみようかしら？
突然訪れても失礼じゃないかしら？
それに目の前のお屋敷は私を受け入れてくれるかしら？
って、何、夢の中で怖じ気付いているのよ。私ったら。
Could I perhaps take a look inside, just for a minute or two?
But wouldn't it be rude to just show up unannounced?
Moreover, would a mansion like this even allow me in?
Wait, losing my nerve in a dream, of all things? Gracious me.
――あら、お手伝いさんが出てきたわ。
あの人に訊いてみようかしら？
こんな素敵なお屋敷のご主人様に、挨拶がしたいって。
...Oh my, a maid came out.
Perhaps I should ask her?
I'd like to greet the owner of such a lovely mansion.
ヴォヤージュ1969
#04 ヴォヤージュ1969 Voyage 1969
"1969, from Cape Canaveral"
どこまで行っても同じ風景だったわ。
陽も落ちてしまって、足下もよく見えない――
The scenery was the same no matter how far I walked.
The sun had already set, and I couldn't even see the ground beneath my own feet...
夜の竹林ってこんなに迷う物だったのね。
時折遠くで聞こえる不思議な泣き声。獣なのか、それとも――。
どうしましょう？　困ったわ。
このまま竹林で彷徨い続けて飢え死にしちゃうのかしら？
それとも、妖怪に喰べられちゃうのかしら？　まだやり残した事色々あったんだけどなぁ。
At night, a bamboo forest is terribly easy to lose one's way in.
From time to time, I heard strange cries in the distance. Were they coming from animals, or maybe...
What to do now? This was hopeless.
Was I going to walk in circles in this bamboo grove until I starved to death?
Or perhaps would I be eaten by a youkai? Ah, but there were so many things I had left to do...
私は、当てもなく彷徨っていたわ。
お腹がすいたら筍でも食べれば良いかなーなんて軽く思っていたし。
――そもそも夢の中だけどね。
でもね私、その時気が付いたの。天然の筍って、どういう物なのか知らなかったのよ。
合成の物しか見た事ないもの。筍は味しか知らなかったの――
I wandered around aimlessly.
A voice in the back of my mind said that I probably wouldn't starve, because I could survive by eating bamboo shoots.
...But in the first place, this was a dream, wasn't it?
But then I realized that I had no idea what sort of thing natural bamboo shoots even were.
I'd only seen synthetic ones. All I knew about them was the taste...
途方に暮れて空を見上げたわ。
満天の星空だった。
初めて貴方の眼が羨ましく思えたわ。
貴方だったら、ここがどこだかすぐに判ったでしょうね。迷わなかったでしょうね。
At a loss for anything else, I looked up at the sky.
The whole of it was filled with stars.
For the first time, I envied your eyes.
If it were you, you'd know exactly where you were in no time; you'd never get lost, would you?
そう思った直後だったのよ、すぐ後ろで不気味な笑い声がしたのは！
As soon as I thought that, I heard an uncanny laugh from right behind me!
科学世紀の少年少女
#05 科学世紀の少年少女 Boys and Girls of the Age of Science
"21st Century Boy and Girl"
「これが、紅いお屋敷で頂いたクッキーと、竹林で拾ってきた天然の筍よ」
「うん？　夢の話じゃなかったの？　メリー」
さっきから私の夢の話を聴いて貰っているのは、宇佐見蓮子。二人しかいないサークルメンバーのもう一人よ。サークル活動の殆どは彼女の行動力から生み出されるわ。蓮子は、空を見るといま立っている場所と時間が判るんだってさ。気持ち悪い。
"Here are the cookies I got at the scarlet mansion, and the natural bamboo shoots from the bamboo forest."
"Huh? I thought you were talking about a dream, Merry?"
The girl listening to me talk about my dreams is Renko Usami: the other member of our little club of two, and the one who comes up with most of our activities. Renko can tell where she is and what time of day it is just by looking at the sky. Creepy.
ちなみに蓮子は私の事をメリーと呼ぶの。この国の人には私の名前は発音しにくいらしいわ。もう私の本名も忘れてるんじゃないかしら？
Also, Renko calls me Merry. People in this country seem to have trouble pronouncing my name, to the point where I wonder if anyone even remembers it anymore.
「夢の話よ。さっきからそういってるじゃないの」
「――夢の話なのに、何でその夢の中の物が現実に出てくるの？」
「だから、貴方に相談してるのよ」
"I am talking about my dreams. I told you that from the start, didn't I?"
"...But if those were dreams, then how do you have those things here in reality?"
"That's precisely why I wanted to consult you."
私には、何が現で何が夢なのか判らなくなってきたの。いつも見る夢は大抵妖怪に追われたりして終わるわ。悪夢と言えば悪夢なんだけど――。
でも夢の中の物をいつの間にか持ってたりして、もしかしたら今こうやって話している事が夢なのかもしれない――。
It's becoming hard for me to tell what's a dream and what's reality. The dreams usually end when I'm being chased by a youkai. They're nightmares worthy of being called nightmares, but...
If I keep bringing things along from my dreams without realizing it, then maybe even the conversation I'm having now is just a dream...
「教えてあげるよメリー。それはすでに筍じゃないわ。そこまで成長したらもう堅くて食べられやしない」
でも、悪夢を吉夢に変えられるとしたら、今の現実より――。
「天然の筍はね、美味しい時は土の下に隠れて身を守っているのよ」
"Alright, here's my first piece of advice for you, Merry. These aren't bamboo shoots anymore. By the time they get to this size they're too tough to eat."
But if I could change them from nightmares to good dreams, I might prefer them to my present reality...
"Natural bamboo shoots hide underground, to protect themselves while they're soft and tasty."
永夜の報い　～ Imperishable Night
#06 永夜の報い　～ Imperishable Night Retribution for the Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night
私は本気で走ったわ。夢の中なのにね。
何だか判らないけど、さっきの笑い声が明らかに人間じゃない気配だったんだもん。
本能が『逃げろ！』って言っていたわ。
I ran for dear life, even though I was in a dream.
I didn't know why it was, but the laughter that I heard sounded like something that clearly wasn't human.
My instincts were telling me "Run for it!"
でも、竹林は微妙に傾斜が付いていて、私の平衡感覚を狂わせるの。

まっすぐ走っているつもりだったけど、本当はどうだったのかしら？
But the bamboo forest was sloped at a slight angle, which made me lose my sense of balance.

I tried to run in a straight line, but what really happened, I wonder?
結構走っている気がするけど、何だか見たことのある景色しか出てこない。
この竹林が無限に続いてるのか、それとも私がぐるぐると回っているのか
――どっちでも同じ事ね。
Although it felt like I'd run quite a lot, there was nothing to see but the same scenery as before.
Did this forest continue on for eternity, or was I running around in circles?
...But I suppose either would have the same result.
蓮子みたいな『客観的に見て明確な真実が存在する』という考え方はいかにも前時代的だわ。
To think in such a way that "from an objective point of view, there exists a definite truth" like Renko does really is old-fashioned.
真実は主観の中にある。
見たことのある景色しか出てこないならば――ここはそういう所なのよ。
The truth exists within subjectivity.
If I can only see the same sights over and over again... then that's the kind of place this is.
だから、私は走っているの。
だって、夢というのは現の反意語なんかじゃない。
最近の常識では同意語なのよ。
夢の中だろうと、得体の知れない物からは逃げなきゃいけないの。それが真実だから。
And that's why I'm running.
Because dreams are nothing like the antonym of reality.
By today's common knowledge, the two are synonyms.
Even in dreams, one must flee from things of unknown nature. That is the truth.
そんな私の専攻は相対性精神学。
蓮子は超統一物理学だったわよね。最近はひも・・の研究、順調かしら？
My major is relativistic psychology.
Renko's is super-unified physics. I wonder if her recent study of strings is going well?
夜が降りてくる ～ Evening Star
#07 夜が降りてくる ～ Evening Star Night Falls ~ Evening Star
でも――不思議ね。
貴方みたいな前時代的な人は、夢と現を正反対な物として考える人が多いけど、もっともっと果てしなく昔の人は、夢と現を区別していなかったと言うわ。
But... it's strange.
Even though there are an awful lot of old-fashioned people like you who consider dreams and reality to be direct opposites, I heard that people much, much longer ago didn't draw a distinction between dreams and reality.
そして今は、夢と現は区別はするけど同じ物。

現の現実と夢の現実、現の私と夢の私、それぞれが存在するわ。
And now, we draw a distinction between dream and reality, but they are the same.

The truth of reality and the truth of dreams, the me of reality and the me of dreams, they each exist.
夜の胡蝶が自分か、昼間の人間が自分か――。

今の常識では、両方自分なのよ。
A butterfly of night or a human of the day...

According to current common knowledge, both are me.
随分と逃げてきた気がしたけど、全く疲れは無かったわ。

まるで空を飛んでいる様に移動していたから？　私は胡蝶になっていたのかしら？
I felt that I ran away a considerable distance, but I didn't feel fatigued at all.

Was it because I moved as if I was flying in the sky? Did I become a butterfly, I wonder?
でも、そんな夜のとびっくら・・・・・もついにゴールのテープが見えて――。
But I could see the finish line for this kind of midnight marathon...
――私は走るのをやめた。
だって、少し先の方の竹林が、紅く光っていたんだもん。
その光は禍々しい色で、現実的な光では無かったわ。
そう貴方に判りやすく言えば――。
ルビジウムの炎色反応の色が一番近いかしら？
...I stopped running.
Because a little further through the bamboo forest ahead of me, there was a scarlet red shining light.
It had an ominous glow, as if it was not real.
To compare it to something you'd understand...
Its color might have been closest to that of the flame test of rubidium, perhaps?
とてもじゃないけど、光る竹、なんていう代物じゃなかったわ。

私は後ろを気にしながら、そうっと光っている方を覗き見たの。
It was certainly nothing like a glowing bamboo stalk.

Remaining cautious of what may have been behind me, I stealthily peeked in the direction of the light.
人形裁判　～ 人の形弄びし少女
#08 人形裁判　～ 人の形弄びし少女 Doll Judgement ~ The Girl who Played with People's Shapes
"Doll Master"
ああ、私はなんていう物を見てしまったのかしら！
今では絶滅してしまった山犬だって河童だって、3DCGで見られる時代なのに――。
それでも目の前にいるあんな大きな生き物は見た事がない。
But, oh, what I saw with my own eyes!
Nowadays, it is the era when you can see things like extinct Japanese wolves or kappa in 3D CG...
Even so, I had never seen such a creature as the one in front of me.
山犬より大きいのに、鼠の様な黒い生き物。眼だけが赤く光っている。
――いや、兎だったかな？　目が赤かったし。
でも、その眼の付き方がおかしいの。

こう――正面に二つ付いているのよ。そう貴方の眼の様にね。
人間は大抵みんなそうだけど。
Bigger than a Japanese wolf, it was a mouse-like black thing. Only its eyes were shining red.
...No, was it a rabbit? Its eyes were red, after all.

But the position of the eyes looked odd for a rabbit.
It had two eyes right in the front of its head, just like your own.
Although I guess most humans' eyes are like that.
顔の大きさは人間のそれと同じくらいだったわ。
というか人間の顔だったかしら？　そう言えば人間の顔だったわね。顔だったのよ。きっと。
人間の顔を持った大きな鼠、貴方、そんな獣知らない？
The size of its face was same as that of a human.
Or maybe it was a human face? Come to think of it, it was a human face. It was a face. Definitely.
Have you heard of a beast like a large mouse with a human face?
――その時、大鼠は聞き覚えのある不気味な声を発したわ。
やっぱり私を追っかけていたのはこの大鼠だったのね。
でも、今は私の方を見ていない。紅い光の方を向いている。
...At that moment, the big mouse let out a familiar, eerie voice.
Just as I thought, the big mouse was the thing that was chasing me.
But it was not looking at me anymore. Instead, it had turned to face the scarlet light.
そう――周りを紅く染めていたのはその大鼠の眼じゃ無かったのよ！
なんと、不気味な大鼠は紅い光に怯えていたわ。
私はその紅く光っている方に顔を向け――。
Indeed, it wasn't the big mouse's eyes that were bathing the area in scarlet!
To my amazement, the eerie big mouse was frightened by that scarlet light.
I turned my face towards the shining scarlet...
夢と現の境界
#09 夢と現の境界 Border Between Dreams and Reality
"Wake Up Mysterious Girl"
「でね、これがその大鼠と女の子が去った後に落ちていた紙切れよ」
「ねぇ、本当に夢の話なの～？」
"And, this is the scrap of paper that I found on the ground after the big mouse and the girl left."
"Hey, are you actually talking about a dream?"
大鼠と対峙していた紅い光の正体は、なんと女の子だったわ。その女の子が紅く光っていたの。何で紅く光っていたかと言うと、それは一目瞭然で、女の子はね――全身が火に包まれていたの。
The origin of the scarlet light that confronted the big mouse was somehow a girl. That girl was shining with a scarlet light. As for the reason why she was shining scarlet, it is very simply that the girl's body was entirely engulfed in flames.
いや、それは正確な表現じゃあないわね。全身から火を出していた、という方が的確かなぁ。女の子の体から深い紅色の炎が斜め上に広がって、まるで羽を開いた鳥の様に――。
No, that description is not entirely correct. It's more accurate to say that she was emitting flames from her body. The deep scarlet flames spread out diagonally upward, like a bird spreading its wings...
それはね。人の顔の付いた大鼠など比べものにならないほど、禍々しかったわ。大鼠は、その女の子が手を挙げただけで恐れをなしてか逃げていったの。
Yes, that was how it was. She was ominous— incomparably more so than the big mouse with the human face. The big mouse was terrified and fled as soon as the girl raised her hands.
「だぁからぁ、夢と現なんて同じ物なのよ。いっつもいっつも言ってるじゃない。
私にしてみれば、貴方と会っている今が夢の現実かもしれないし ――」
「まぁまぁ、夢の世界の話でも聴いてあげるから落ち着いて、メリー。
結局、その女の子は何者だったの？　その後どうなったの？」
「知らない。その後は、大鼠が逃げていって――女の子も去っていったわ。
私はね、ずっと大鼠にも女の子見つからないように隠れていたの。
大鼠を追っ払って貰ったのにどうして隠れてたの、だって？　まぁ――」
"I keep telling youuu... Dreams and reality are the same thing. I've told you time and time again, haven't I?
To me, talking to you now could be a dream, or it could be reality..."
"Hey, listen, Merry, I'll hear you out about the dream world, so just calm down a bit.
In the end, who was that girl? What happened afterwards?"
"I don't know. After that, the big mouse ran away... and the girl left, too.
I stayed hidden the whole time so the large mouse and the girl wouldn't see me.
Why'd I stay hidden when she'd chased that mouse away for me, you ask? Well..."
その女の子の眼をまともに見てしまったわ。大鼠にも勝るとも劣らない紅い眼――。
「――あれは人間じゃあ、ないから」
I'd gotten a look at that girl's eyes—scarlet beyond even the big mouse's...
"...Because you couldn't call that human."
幻想機械　～ Phantom Factory
#10 幻想機械　～ Phantom Factory Fantasy Machine ~ Phantom Factory
結局、メリーは夢の世界の話をするだけして、一人で満足して帰って行った。
私はメリーから手渡された幾つかの品を見つつ、頭の中を整理していた。メリーは夢と現は同じ物だと言っていたが、そんな筈がない。例え昨今の相対性精神学の常識がそうだと言っても、それはあくまでも精神の中での話であって、夢の中の物体が現実に現れてしまっては困る。質量保存の法則が成り立たない。エントロピーはどうなるのだろう。
私は確信していた。メリーは気が付かないうちに、実際に結界の向こうに飛んでいる。それを夢だと思いこんでいる。今、結界の向こうに非常に近い位置に居るのだろう。まさかメリーが見える能力から操る能力に――なんて事は無いと思うけど。最近、真面目にサークル活動し過ぎたかな。
このままでは、夢の中で妖怪に喰われてしまうかも知れない。もしくは神隠しに遭うかも知れない。メリーの想いが色んな世界に揺らいでいる。別の世界に居るときに、本人が夢ではないと気が付いてしまえば、もうこっちの世界には戻れなくなるかもしれない。こっちの世界を夢だと思いこんでしまうかもしれない。本人は気が付いていないけど、非常に危うい状態にある。
In the end, Merry talked about nothing but the world in her dreams before leaving by herself, satisfied.
I considered what she said while I was looking over the small number of objects that she left me. Merry kept saying that dreams and reality are the same thing, but that can't be so. Even utilizing the common sense of modern relativistic psychology, the field only deals in matters of the mind, and if objects from a dream were to show up in the real world, it would still be just as troubling as always. It invalidates the law of conservation of mass. What would that do to entropy?
I have a firm belief. Merry crossed a boundary without realizing it, and believed that she was dreaming. She may be in a place unusually close to a boundary right now. Did Merry's ability go from being able to see boundaries to being able to manipulate them? No, there's no way that's possible. Maybe we've been doing too many proper club activities lately.
If I let things continue like they are, she might be eaten by a youkai in a dream. Or she might even be spirited away. Her mind is wavering between many different worlds. When she is in another world, if she realizes that she's not in a dream, she might possibly not be able to return from it. She might come to think that this world is the dream. Even though she herself does not realize it, she's in grave danger.
私のカウンセリングとして考えられる手段は二つ。

これらの品を捨てて、完全に夢、幻だった思いこませる方法。
:そうすれば二度と現実には夢の世界にいけなくなるだろう。夢と現は別物なのだ。

:もう一つの方法は――。

夢ではなく、実際に別の世界にいる事を強く意識させて、夢から眼を覚まさせる方法。
:そうすれば、夢の世界で訳も判らないうちに死んだりしない。
:ただ――この世界に帰れなくなる可能性もある。

:メリーにはどっちが良い？　私にとってはどちらが一般解？
:――そんなの決まってるじゃない。
If she's asking for my help, then I have two options:

:The first method would be to throw the stuff away and convince her that it was all a dream — an illusion.
:By doing this, there will never be a reality within her dreams again. Dream and reality are different things.

And the other method is...

:Strongly convince her that she was not dreaming, that she actually was in another world, and awaken her from the dream.
:That way, she wouldn’t die in that dream world because she didn't understand the situation.
:But… if I did that, there is the possibility that she would not be able to return to this world.

: Which is the best for Merry? Which is the general solution for me?
:...Isn't it obvious?
幽玄の槭樹　～ Eternal Dream
#11 幽玄の槭樹　～ Eternal Dream Mystic Maple ~ Eternal Dream
「もう、いつも蓮子は呼び出しておいて時間に遅れるんだから」
「メリー、たったの3分15秒の遅刻じゃない。惜しいわね」
「惜しいって何？　というか、今日は何の用かしら？」
「勿論サークル活動よ。せっかくサークルメンバー全員揃ったんだから」
「二人しか居ないけどね――ってまた何か『入り口』らしき所を見つけたの？」
"Honestly, you're always late, Renko, even though you're the one who always invites me."
"Merry, I was just 3 minutes and 15 seconds late. Almost, right?"
"What do you mean, 'almost'? Or should I say, what did you want today?"
"Club activites, of course. Since all the members are here, we can't miss this opportunity."
"There are only the two of us, though... so, did you find some sort of entrance again?"
結論は一つしかなかった。メリーが言っていた夢の世界。
美しき自然とほんのちょっぴりのミステリアス。
There is but only one conclusion. The dream world that Merry spoke of.
Its beautiful nature and its hint of the mysterious.
人里離れた山奥の神社、
楽しそうにはしゃぐ子供達、
深い緑、白く輝く湖、
紅いお屋敷、木漏れ日の下でのティータイム、
迷わせるほどの広さの竹林、天然の筍、
人を狂わす満月、
人の顔を持った人ではない生き物、
そして禍々しい火の鳥――。
――メリーだけが見ているなんてずるい！
A shrine in the deep mountains far from human habitation.
Children frolicking and making merry.
A deep green forest, and a sparkling white lake.
A scarlet mansion, with tea time under the sunshine filtering through the trees.
A huge bamboo forest that makes you lose your way, and natural bamboo shoots.
The full moon that drives people mad.
Inhuman creatures wearing human faces.
And the ominous phoenix...
...It's not fair if Merry is the only one who gets to see them!
「勿論、別の世界の入り口だったら見つけられるわよ。
ほらこんなに手掛かりだってあるんだからね」
「手掛かりって――これは私の夢の世界の品じゃないの、蓮子」
「だから、メリーの夢の世界を探しにいくのよ。
ねぇ、何でこの国の子供達が楽しくなさそうに見えるのか――
メリーに判るかしら？」
"Of course I've found a way to get to another world.
See here? I have all these clues."
"Clues...? These are the things I got in my dream world, Renko."
"That's right, that's the world we're looking for today.
You know, doesn't it seem like the children of this country never seem happy?
Do you know why that is, Merry?"
「？」
"?"
「貴方みたいな考えの学者の所為で、
夢と現を同じ物として見るようになったからよ。
夢をただの脳が見せる虚像として、現実の一生理現象に組み込んだからよ。
主観の外に信じられる客観がある。絶対的な真実がある。
主観が真実だって？　貴方の言っている事は矛盾している。その学説は間違っている。
その証拠に貴方は主観を認めないで夢にしちゃっているじゃない。
夢と現実は違う。だから夢を現実に変えようと努力出来る。
だから――子供達は笑う事が出来たの。
さぁ、眼を覚ますのよ。夢は現実に変わるもの。
夢の世界を現実に変えるのよ！」
"They learned to think that dream and reality are the same thing,
because of the scientists who think as you do.
As mere virtual images seen within the mind, they have incorporated them into reality as a physiological phenomenon.
Outside of subjectivity, there is a believable objectivity. There is absolute truth.
You say subjectivity is the truth? Your words contradict themselves. That theory is mistaken.
As evidence, you dreamed without recognizing your experiences as subjective, didn't you?
Dreams and reality are different. That's why it's possible to make dreams into reality with hard work.
And that's why kids used to be able to smile.
Open your eyes! Dreams are things to be made into reality.
Let's make the world of dreams into reality!"

The strong are righteous, yet sinful; all beings are equal.

All beings are equal, yet sinful; seek your own fortune.

Seeking your own fortune, yet sinful; survival of the fittest.

Survival of the fittest, yet sinful; the strong are righteous.

Alas! How lamentable! Thus I sigh—

In this vast天地 (heaven and earth), only the greatest sinners, the self-proclaimed judges of right and wrong, the Yama of the four seasons, remain.

In this desolate chaos, only the innocent, the lonely, inactive birdsong and moonlit nights, remain.