Changes

After a scene showing a person running from a little girl, we once again see Lain in her room. She has upgraded her computer into an intricate system with multiple monitors. She receives a new message from her father. He tells her that he has asked some of his colleagues about the chip, and gives her instructions as to how to install it. Lain also investigates a game that children have been playing, and in the process is warned about the dangers of letting the Wired become mixed up with the real world.  

After a scene showing a person running from a little girl, we once again see Lain in her room. She has upgraded her computer into an intricate system with multiple monitors. She receives a new message from her father. He tells her that he has asked some of his colleagues about the chip, and gives her instructions as to how to install it. Lain also investigates a game that children have been playing, and in the process is warned about the dangers of letting the Wired become mixed up with the real world.  

We see two dots on Lain’s face. Suspicious, Lain gets up and looks out the window, seeing two people with laser pointer headsets near a car. She shouts “Go away”. Their headsets break and they are pushed away by the force, and they drive away crestfallen. Raise the plot.

 

Lain hears someone going on a monologue about how humans have ceased to evolve. When asked who he is, he replies “I am God.” Lain is stunned. Later, Lain is sitting in her room. She asks a doll opposite her to “tell me a story I don’t know.” The doll responds with “I can’t do that because something you don’t know about is something that doesn’t exist”. Lain insists, so the doll says “an event cannot happen without a prophecy.” When Lain asks who makes prophecies, the screen fades to black.  

We see two dots on Lain’s face. Suspicious, Lain gets up and looks out the window, seeing two people with laser pointer headsets near a car. She shouts “Go away”. Their headsets break and they are pushed away by the force, and they drive away crestfallen. ''Raise the plot''.

As Mika (Lain’s sister) walks down a street, she sees Lain’s face projected onto a giant video screen. Shortly after, she sees Lain standing alone in the street with cars swerving to avoid her.   The next day Lain is told of the incident by her classmates; she cannot remember it.   Perhaps here is the point where the trend towards “good fortune” reverses, so lower the plot.

 

Lain sees a boy with his arms raised toward the sky. She thinks nothing of it, but after school that day when Lain is out shopping with her friends the boys reappear. The clouds also part to reveal a naked figure of Lain. At this point, Lain ought to realize that her powers are now beyond her control, so lower the plot.  

Lain hears someone going on a monologue about how humans have ceased to evolve. When asked who he is, he replies “I am God.” Lain is stunned. Later, Lain is sitting in her room. She asks a doll opposite her to “tell me a story I don’t know.” The doll responds with “I can’t do that because something you don’t know about is something that doesn’t exist”. Lain insists, so the doll says “an event cannot happen without a prophecy.” When Lain asks who makes prophecies, the screen fades to black<ref>A series of these visions occur after that to Lain: projections of the doll, her mother and father, and a mask that uncannily resembles Darth Vader. They all present different viewpoints on the relation between the real world and the Wired.</ref>.

Lain connects to the Wired. As she is still looking for information on the kids’ game, a solitary, giggling mouth pops up next to her. Lain refers to him as “Cheshire Cat”. The Cheshire Cat tells her that the game was invented by a Professor Hodgeson, and suggests she see him. When Lain sees Professor Hodgeson, he is lying on a reclining chair in a Romanesque villa facing clouds. He is evasive at first, but when pressed admits that it was part of an experiment to harness children’s supernatural power, and he expresses indifference towards the fate of the children involved. When Lain screams “That’s enough”, he vanishes from view—both from the real world and the Wired. Lower the plot until it touches the B-E axis. Lain should realize by now that the Wired is not all pink-frosted cupcakes and unicorns.

 

As Mika (Lain’s sister) walks down a street, she sees Lain’s face projected onto a giant video screen. Shortly after, she sees Lain standing alone in the street with cars swerving to avoid her<ref>Mika sees visions that lead to her breakdown: a napkin with the words “Hell is full so the dead walk the earth” written in red, a stall door with “Fulfill the prophecy” written all over it in red, and a drink spilling forming that phrase. We are not told what “the prophecy” is, or why this is pertinent to the whole story, nor do we know who even did this to her, or whether these objectively occurred. Later she will fade away and be replaced by another version of herself.</ref>. The next day Lain is told of the incident by her classmates; she cannot remember it<ref>It should be noted that the first mention of the phrase “fulfill the prophecy” is when Alice, Reika, and Juri are sitting in a restaurant discussing spam mail. Alice mentions receiving some, suspecting it to be from the “Knights”.</ref>. Perhaps here is the point where the trend towards “good fortune” reverses, so ''lower the plot''.

 

Lain sees a boy with his arms raised toward the sky. She thinks nothing of it, but after school that day when Lain is out shopping with her friends the boys reappear. The clouds also part to reveal a naked figure of Lain<ref>In the Chinese (subtitled) version, the full body of Lain is shown (although without any marked sexual features to be spoken of), whereas in the American version, only Lain’s face is shown. Ironically, this is one of the only examples of things that are less censored in China than in the United States.</ref>. At this point, Lain ought to realize that her powers are now beyond her control, so ''lower the plot''<ref>Granted, for the purposes of this graphing exercise, happiness axiomatically translates to good fortune. But I also mentioned that “the converse is not necessarily true”, meaning good fortune is not only happiness. Although Lain may feel pride at seeing her figure in the air, it is painfully clear to the audience that she did not do that and that she is incapable of controlling her powers. Damocles may have wielded a lot of power; but with the sword dangling over his head, he did not have a lot of time to feel happy without his thoughts drifting to the sword again.</ref>.

 

Lain connects to the Wired. As she is still looking for information on the kids’ game, a solitary, giggling mouth pops up next to her. Lain refers to him as “Cheshire Cat”. The Cheshire Cat tells her that the game was invented by a Professor Hodgeson, and suggests she see him. When Lain sees Professor Hodgeson, he is lying on a reclining chair in a Romanesque villa facing clouds. He is evasive at first, but when pressed admits that it was part of an experiment to harness children’s supernatural power, and he expresses indifference towards the fate of the children involved. When Lain screams “That’s enough”, he vanishes from view—both from the real world and the Wired. ''Lower the plot until it touches the B-E axis''. Lain should realize by now that the Wired is not all pink-frosted cupcakes and unicorns

 

When she finally retires from the Wired into the safety of her own computer system, she sees two laser dots—the men in black are back! Determined to remove them once and for all, she goes outside, but they simply say “Get down”. After that, her computer system explodes. Before Lain can accuse them of having done it, they say “It wasn’t us. It was the Knights,” before silently driving away as always. Lower the plot below the B-E axis. Lain is now a target for the Knights, as they see her as a threat.  

When she finally retires from the Wired into the safety of her own computer system, she sees two laser dots—the men in black are back! Determined to remove them once and for all, she goes outside, but they simply say “Get down”. After that, her computer system explodes. Before Lain can accuse them of having done it, they say “It wasn’t us. It was the Knights,” before silently driving away as always. Lower the plot below the B-E axis. Lain is now a target for the Knights, as they see her as a threat.  

Lain climbs to the rooftop of her school, and is spacing out looking outside, when Alice comes to her. Alice apologizes for making her uncomfortable, and Lain thanks her for caring and says that she is not. Raise the plot, as Lain has seen that her one true friend still cares for her.

Lain climbs to the rooftop of her school, and is spacing out looking outside, when Alice comes to her. Alice apologizes for making her uncomfortable, and Lain thanks her for caring and says that she is not. Raise the plot, as Lain has seen that her one true friend still cares for her.

When Lain walks home from school that day, she is surprised to see the black car still parked in the street in front of her house. The men in black step out of the car and invite her to come with them. Although they claim that “this is a request,” their blithe tone indicates otherwise. She is taken to some sort of research laboratory, so she can help a worker fix their computer, which she does easily. They ask her a few questions about her background.  She cannot answer that, grows frustrated, and shoves her way out of the room. Raise the plot.

When Lain walks home from school that day, she is surprised to see the black car still parked in the street in front of her house. The men in black step out of the car and invite her to come with them. Although they claim that “this is a request,” their blithe tone indicates otherwise. She is taken to some sort of research laboratory, so she can help a worker fix their computer, which she does easily. They ask her a few questions about her background.  She cannot answer that, grows frustrated, and shoves her way out of the room. Raise the plot.