Someone

From the beginning of Chapter 3, Remnants of Pain. The very first scene actually occurs during the chapter's story, but eh. It's a talk between Mikiya and one of Touko's old teachers, who is apparently researching psychics.

-----



"That's a funny letter of recommendation you bring."

A university laboratory. 40-something professor, with a white coat which complements him, makes a reptilian smile and asks for a handshake.

"Heh... Psychic powers. Are you interested in such things?"

"No, I just wanted to know what they are."

"We call that interest here, kid. Well, no matter. Anyways, a namecard as a letter of recommendation, that's just so like her. I still remember her, she was the most eccentric student that I have ever had. We are losing assistants here. Not enough human resource. It's getting troublesome."

"Erm... about psychic powers, sir."

"Ah, yes, yes. Psychic powers. Speaking of which, there are many kind of psychic powers. Well, we don't categorize them here, so I wonder if it'll be useful for you. This field of science is rather unpopular in Japan so there are only a few labs dedicated to this. Data often get thrown into black boxes so I miss out a lot of research results. Well, during the last three years, it's gotten more attention though. You need very special minds for these kinds of things."

"You don't have to bother with categorization, doctor. We believe it's a psychokinetic. What I want to ask is... How does one become a psychic? Or something along that line."

"Channels. Hey, do you watch the TV?"

"Heh, of course... Is that related to anything?"

"It's like a TV. A television. Think of human brain as a channel. Hey, what channel do you usually watch?"

"...well, I think it's Channel 8."

"That's it. That would mean that Channel 8 is the most watched channel, right? Let's suppose that the brain of a human being has 12 channels. Mine and yours, they are set to Channel 8. The most popular one. There are other channels out there, but those are not for us. The channel that everyone watches, or in other words, common sense. We live in the bounds of common sense, and since we live in the bounds of common sense, we are watching Channel 8. Make sense to you?"

"...so, you mean we should watch the clearest channel?"

"No, that's not what I mean. The most popular is the best. That's so 19th century. Because we are watching Channel 8, Channel 8 appears the most normal. We live in the bounds of common sense and protected by absolute parameters, which is why we can even communicate."

"I see. Could you be saying that other channels are not so peaceful?"

"Well, I can't tell.

"Let's say, for example, Channel 3 receives the language of vegetables instead of humans. And Channel 4 transmits brainwaves not to your own body but to things outside your body. Such channels would be awesome, wouldn't they? But they don't play the common sense Channel 8 does, because they are playing their own "broadcast schedule", or rules. And since everyone in this world uses Channel 8's common sense, someone watching Channel 4 can't integrate in the society/Channel 8. He lacks the common sense Channel 8 supplies."

"...so, those who do not watch Channel 8 become crazy?"

"Yeah. Say there's someone who can only access Channel 3. He can talk to plants, but he can't talk to other humans. Ultimately, the society labels him retarded and sends him off to a mental hospital.

"Psychics are like that. People attuned to different, unpopular channels from birth. But most psychics can access Channel 8 as well, and they switch channels according to their situation. When you watch Channel 8, you can't watch Channel 4, and vice versa. So psychics in society manage their gifts like that. That's why it's so hard for us to notice them."

"I see... So, common sense does not work for someone attunted to Channel 4 alone. No, they had no common sense to begin with."

"Yes. Such people get labeled killers and madmen, but here, we call them "existence misfits." There are a lot of social misfits lying around, but these people cannot even exist normally. They can't exist in this world. No, they -shouldn't-.

"Let's suppose that someone had access to both Channel 4 and Channel 8. However an accident happens and he cannot access Channel 8 anymore. It's game over for him. Even though he has the memory of common sense, he can't watch Channel 8. We operate in different frequencies."

"...is there a way to turn an "existence misfit" into a normal being?"

"Well, death is one. Or more accurately, you only have to kill that abnormal channel. But that means smashing the brain, so I guess he dies in the end. We don't have a nifty enough skill to do that kind of thing yet. Heh, that would be a psychic power in itself. Maybe that's what Channel 12 is. Channel 12 can do anything anyways."

The professor, as if he found this sincerely humourous, laughed heartily.

"It was a great help, professor. But... doctor, the most famous example of psychokinesis is bending a spoon, right?"

"What, another spoon bender?"

"I don't know about spoons, but she bends an adult's arm."

"An arm of someone the size of you? Well, -that- is impressive. But to "warp", the object's size matters more than its hardness. Warping someone's arm should take a week... But, hey, which direction? To the right or to the left?"

"...does that mean anything?"

"Yeah. The starting point. The earth spins, you know. Erm, and it's uneven... Hmph, is this person real? I shouldn't talk about this person too much then. Well, so they possess more than two channels, this existence misfit. Perhaps they use both left and right turn. You see, I have never heard about someone possessing two channels and using them at once. Perhaps the combination of 001 and 002 could defeat 009?"

"....um, sir, the time is running out, so I must excuse myself. I have to head to Nagano now. I appreciate for hearing me out today."

"Oh, it's all fine. I don't mind anyone she would recommend.

"Anyways, kid. How is Aozaki doing?"