NEON BABYLON EVANGELION.
By Andres D. Lapadula V.
Chapter V: The face of Darkness
Peter Schmichaell tapped the small ear piece he had connected to the control room. All the communications would come to him here. He was in a Type D entry plug. A dual systems interface, one main, one back up. It was rather different than a regular plug. This one had two seats instead of one, this made it easier for switching the connections on the Eva in case the pilot's brain signal was lost. The system could be reset to the back up pilot. In this case him.
"Ready when you are." Said Dr. Ritsuko Akagi
He nodded to himself. Then closed his mind and concentrated on finding the mind of the girl situated on the pilot seat in the front part of the plug. The Eva itself would act as some sort of mental superconductor, so there shouldn't be a problem with mental contact.
"Soryu, can you hear me?"
Asuka Langley Soryu heard the words in some hidden corner of her brain. Her mind began automatically drawing a picture of the light brown haired boy in his weird teal and orange suit.
"Yes"
"Open your mind to the Eva or it won't work. Got it? Do what I tell you. You can do this, all you need is faith, come on."
He tapped the ear piece again.
"We are as ready as we are gonna get. Prepare to start connections."
In the control room, Ritsuko nodded to the single operator on the consoles. Maya Ibuki. The young officer in training gave a thumbs up signaling that the consoles had been set as well.
"We have green across the board. Start first group. Connections 1 to 65, adjust for synch ratio at Zero. External power supply on line. Internal batteries at 1:00 minutes. Begin connections." Maya said, in her somewhat soft voice.
The big screens in front of them showed dozens of small rectangles, each one with a number, which began turning green from their neutral grey. They were displayed in three groups consisting of two columns each. Six in total. After the first set of two turned green they merged into to one, to make a larger rectangle. The first to columns became one, and a message read.
FIRST SET COMPLETE.
Maya passed on the information to her boss.
"Go with second set." Replied Ritsuko.
Again the second set of two rectangles became one.
"Second set, 66 to 112 complete. Ready with final set. Synch ratio remains at Zero. Safety line will be cleared at 175."
The blond Doctor took the last words in as she turned to face the hideously shaped Evangelion. On the huge pit below the keblar windows. Unlike Units 01 to 05 which closely resembled human anatomy , 06 looked like some sort of demon . With it's shark like head and teeth, no eyes and sense of savage brutality that was the characteristic of the Mass Productions, and the odd paint job did little to diminish that fact.
"Approaching Safety line. 167, 170, 173, 175..."
The rectangles below the one marked 175 had just lid up when all hell broke loss. The entire sets of connections jumped from green to red and began separating, Alarms sounded in the room.
Unit 06 went berserk, it pushed forward with its immense body until it broke the straps that kept it tied in it's vertical position. It broke the binders on it's arm and took it's head with a hand, shaking it's hole body as if wanting to get something out of it's head.
"Purge external power source." Shouted Ritsuko.
The big power cable attached to the battery pack on the back of Unit 06 was detached with a small detonation.
"External out, 60 seconds of internal battery." Maya shouted back at the top of her lungs.
Unit 06 continued to shake from side to side and smashed an elbow on the glass, cracking it, but it did not break. A slight sense of horror gripped Ritsuko's brain as she realized that another hit would get through the glass and to them.
"Time?!"
"46 seconds."
"Prepare to terminate all the connections. We can't wait that long."
"But it might hurt the pilot!!!"
Maya's horrified eyes shot through the room right into the Doctors soul.
"Shit, I know. Do it!!!"
"NO, WAIT..." came Peter Schmichaell's words. "...Change them, Don't terminate. Give it to me."
They had forgotten all about the back up system. The Sixth Child was back-up, it was his Eva. But this has never been tested.?
"DO IT NOW!!!"
Ritsuko nodded to Maya. Then out of nowhere Unit 06 smashed it's fist against the glass, breaking it to pieces, sending glass all over the place. Ritsuko dropped to the floor covering her head with her hands as the glass rained over her. Maya barely made to the connections buttons, she pressed it and ducked her head.
At once all the rectangles on the board went green. Unit 06 stopped.
Inside the entry plug, which turned transparent, as the connections were made, Peter could see the control room. There was debris everywhere, he saw the Doctor picking herself up, brushing glass from the lab coat.
"Is everybody OK?" he asked, not really concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. Maya, status."
The girl checked her screens.
"All connections nominal. Synch ratio 81.34. Seven seconds to cease power supply. Six, five, four."
Unit 06 raised hand and tilting it's head to one side gave a shrug.
"Thank you Doctor." Said Peter.
"Don't. I'll be sending you the bill for the damage."
Peter waited for the Eva to power down before removing the ear piece.
He spoke with his mind now.
"Soryu, are you Ok?"
No answer.
"Soryu?"
Sitting on front, Asuka leaded forward, crying and covered her face with her hands. She shook her head in despair. No, she was not OK. NO.
"Get the hell out of my mind." She said from behind her hands.
"Soryu?!"
"I SAID GET OUT. GET THE FUCK OUT!!! OUT!!!" She screamed, tears flowing. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
Peter could always tell when he had been beaten. He did the only thing he could do, smash the first thing he found with a fist. Actually he felt guilty, he could have broken into her mind, but that would cause her too much pain. He had led the Eva go and try to find a signal to connect to , it didn't worked.
And he almost got two more people killed too. Not a bad day in the Corps.
"Shit. Lost round one. This will be harder than I expected."
************
James Sisko shrugged.
"All right, which part you don't understand?"
Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes.
"The moment you started with: 'we call them Shadows because', I lost you. What is going on? What does Misato has to do with it and why her?"
"I am trying to explain it. She is the key and I have no idea."
They were on a small control room, like the ones you could find in a Los Angeles-class submarine. Most of all the space was filled by computers and screens and consoles. There were people walking around tending to the computers, printing information, talking, shouting. He felt odd here. Not in a bad way. It was relaxing, calm. A tremendous sense of safety. He recalled the last time he had felt this good, when he was inside his Unit 01 it always felt this way.
"I'll tell you one more time. Let me know if I'm going to fast." Sisko's voice brought him out of his reverie. The man was a tall African-American, with a blue and brown uniform and a symbol with the initials EA on his arm.
"Before most of the universe evolved into what it is today, even before most actual races even achieved space capabilities there were those who walked among the stars like giants. Two of the these ancient races are the Vorlons and the Shadows. We call them Shadows because we have no better name for them. You got that so far?"
"Look, I can understand the fact that there are many races out there. Humankind is not alone. I'd kinda suspected that after we killed all the Angels. It's almost impossible not to question your own place in the universe after you've fought some creatures from God knows where. What I want to know is, what do these things are doing here?"
"The same thing they do everywhere, looking for trouble."
"How? If they are so advanced why don't they simply take over the world. It would be much easier." Shinji said, rubbing his head. He would definitely get a headache later.
"It doesn't work that way. You see they, the Shadows, don't conquer like most beings. We must pick a side."
"So who picks the side? Do they make like a really big election day?"
"Actually, there's were your friend comes in."
"She's even more lost than I am!!"
"That's the problem. When it comes to choosing an ally, it is rather simple. If we side with the Vorlons the Shadows kill us. If we pick the Shadows the Vorlons kill us."
An assistant came over to the man and something on his ear. Sisko nodded.
"Transfer it here." He said to the assistant, who went to do his job.
Sisko picked up a small black phone he had on the console in front of him. A light flashed on the receiver.
"Won't be a minute." He told to Shinji. Then spoke into the phone.
"Yes. No. I Don't care if Earth Force components don't match the Minbari's, I want the Jump Engine set to be loaded with Vorlon Tech. Got it. The Stars can compensate for anything. No. I know those are not Mimbari compatible. The Stars are not entirely Mimbari you know. The Bio Technology will adapt. Don't worry. Yes. ASAP."
He replaced the phone on the receiver and turned again to Shinji. The brown haired boy just smiled.
"Technical problems?"
"That's an understatement. You try to load a Earth JE on a Star."
Shinji raised an eyebrow.
"You lost me again."
*******
Sinclair brought his Raptor into the line that marked his approximation vector. The numbers on the bottom of the screen changed to letters , they read. FLY-BY-WIRE disengaged.
Now all he had to do was bring the plane on the right speed and bearing. Over the earphones he heard Chevchenko giving the landing direction to the
White Star in front of them.
"Change for heading Six-one-zero. Over."
Sheridan answered back.
"Got it. Adjusting computers to new set."
"They'll take you to the landing sight. Good luck. Flanker One out."
Sinclair changed his communication system so he would have private access to One's fighter.
"Good job, One. Now lets prepare to land."
"Roger. How's your passenger doing?"
"I'm as fine as the next guy."
Misato Katsuragi's voice came groggily through the communicator. She sound as if talking on her sleep.
"Didn't you said you would sleep until we landed." Said Sinclair.
"My brain is awake, all the rest of me remains asleep."
"Nice to see you made it, for someone who's never had any experience on supersonic combat, I mean." Chevchenko said trying not to start laughing.
"From where I'm from women don't fly, you know. My comrades have a thing about females and fighters."
"No shit. So tell me, ah One, is that your real name?"
"No."
"Well if you come from a place were women don't fly might as well come from a place where parents name their kids with numbers."
"No. My name is Nicolai Chevchenko, His Royal Majesty's Secret Service and Russia's number one pilot. See , One!"
Misato laughed at the last statement.
"British, a Russian working for the British!!!"
"What's so funny? The UN has dome a great job at opening working markets for the international men of mystery."
"I met a Secret Agent once, what was his name? James Brown, no that's not right, Ah, Baker, Ball, something with a B in it."
"Sorry to interrupt the chitchat. One, I need to know the pilots status."
" Well...the ones that made it want everything they were promised, promotion, medals, bonds..."
"Bond, that's it!!! James Bond!!!"
"Major please, we're trying to get some work done." Sinclair siad annoyed.
"Oh yeah, you and russki, ..."
Sinclair shut her transmitter off.
"Where were we?" he said to Chevchenko.
"Five minutes to landing. And, huh, Is it just me or, she is the least qualified person for this job...'"
"Stupid Shadows couldn't have picked some one else."
.
"She sound kinda cute, you think she and me, maybe, I don't know..."
Sinclair shut off his transmitter too
(There's gotta be some weird fever on these planes. I just hope Sheridan hasn't lost his sanity as well. )
********
"Yes commander. Yes. Very well." Ritsuko Akagi turned off the video phone and commander Ikari's face disappeared from the screen. She turned to the boy standing behind her.
" You are very lucking. Had you not been a Psi Corps the Commander would provably had your head on a plate for dinner."
"And you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Said Peter rubbing his sore ribs.
"I would pay for the rights to televise it. In fact I'll see if I can find the security video of the Eva gates."
Peter growled, if he had been unrestricted with his abilities he would have messed up her brain until it looked like mash potatoes. What had happened was not what he had expected. After he got out of the plug he went to check on Asuka, who received him a get-away-from-me- kick to the chest and damn nearly choked him to death with a strangle hold . It took three security guards to her off him.
(Man that girl's got some strength)
"Why do I have the feeling you don't like me.?"
"Maybe because I don't. I hate Telepaths."
At that point Peter had to work hard to keep his anger from flaring in his words. He would have given anything just to squeeze her throat.
"So where is Soryu. Anyway?"
Ritsuko shook her head.
"don't know. You know, why don't you leave her alone for a while."
"No can do. I have a job to do remember."
"Try not to let her kill you, but if you do, tape it for me will ya' "
Peter grinned his teeth.
(The only thing I'll tape is the day the Corps come looking for you.)
*********
The White Star settled nicely on the helipad marked with an H. Engines wailed and complained. It was in itself amazing how much licking a Star could take and keep on ticking. The engine sound diminished as the gravity drives and nav computers were all shut off. Them followed the life supports and all of the equipment.
"All right here's the plan. Lennier, Zack, you come with me. We'll meet our new 21st century friends. The rest of you if anything goes wrong you have the code for our nukes." Sheridan let his words sink in. For some reason he had a feeling that they were about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, again.
Zack picked up a PPG and hung a rifle to his shoulder. Lennier just carried his stick. Anla'shok wouldn't fight with anything else. They walked to the exit of the ship. Sheridan entered the code on the lock and it slide upward. Outside it was warm and moist and rain feel mercilessly on their shoulder. They were on some sort of military base. Buildings and bunckers and a city loomed on the horizon. Several men approached them. Sheridan slightly eyed both his companions. A look that said a lot, Be ready for anything.
One of the men saluted him.
"Lieutenant Nicolai Chevchenko, Secret Service. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mr. President "
Sheridan cocked his head in surprise.
"You know who I am."
"Yes of course I do. You are President John Sheridan."
"You are right. These are may companions, Anla'shok Lennier and my Chief of Security Zack Allan."
Both Human and Mimbari nodded.
"Good, my boss will be glad to see you all here." Said Nicolai. "Please follow me. This way."
"They haven't tried to kill us, that's a good sign." Zack whispered on Sheridan's hear.
********
There are certain moments in a humans life when you could see someone's soul by looking into their eyes. This was one such time. Asuka stared at the reflection of herself on the mirror, and she saw some sort of primordial emptiness on her eyes. They were blue, which contrasted against the red of her hair. The same eyes that had been able to convey a sense of coldness and warmth that made her personality and that now where only the sad reflection of her empty soul.
She had just stepped out of the shower, one of the very few things she still liked doing. It was not nice to be alone, but at same time to know that there was no one around to hurt you. She had a towel wrapped around her chest. She glance hatefully at the discarded red plug suit lying on the floor. Normally she would have folded it or place it on a hanger. Not now. It made no difference now. Who cared.
She was an attractive young girl, extremely well developed for her age. A slender figure accented by long shapely legs and firm breasts. That too had fueled her pride once, now, it was , in her mind a shame that been pretty could not help her solve her problems. She had lost a couple of pound seen she last remembered. That was normal considering she couldn't sleep and wasn't eating very well. Most of the nutrition she had been given was I. V. so she missed actual good food too.
She found a bench near by and sat down, brushing her hair, wondering why she even bothered anymore.
"You shouldn't just leave this lying around. They are really expensive."
She turned her head to see the light brown haired boy standing with her plug suit in his hand.
"Nah, what the heck let them pay for them ha?"
Asuka just ignored him. She couldn't even remember the boy's name.
Peter pulled a chair and sat besides her.
"You know, this is the worlds most advance installation and they didn't thought of the irony of having mixed showers."
She turned away from him. Not saying a word.
"I know how you feel. I really do." His whole manner change. His voice became serious now. "I used to feel the exact same way. As if the whole world did not mattered anymore, you feel that life is not worth living. But live goes on, you can not wait for life to end. It is an universal thing. Some one once said you only live twice, once when you are born and once when you stare death in the face. It is true. It is not important that you feel as if you want to end your life. Death is easy to find, it's everywhere, but life. Life is the true gift of God."
"Why are you saying this to me?" finally answered the girl, still not looking at him.
"Because I know you are thinking of how easy it would be to stop your suffering. I know, I've been there."
"No you don't!" She stood up. Peter did the same thing to remain looking at her evenly.
"Soryu?"
Surprisingly she turned around and grabed his collar with her hands. Pulling his face mere inches away from hers, she spoke. Between grinned teeth.
"Do you?!! Tell me do you know how it feels to loose the only thing that had meaning in your life. What am I good for now? I'm worthless, can't you get that through your head. No one needs me. I don't want to life to be piece of garbage. My whole life was my ability to pilot Eva. Had I not had that, I would have killed myself along with my mother. I'd be in Heaven, not in this living hell!!! You can't know how I feel. You Can't"
Peter raised his hand in surrender.
"Then tell me. Let me know. I can help you."
She pushed him violently.
" I don't want your sympathy. "
" It's not sympathy, I want to help."
"You can't" She said.
"Yes I can, but I need your cooperation. You told me before you wanted to pilot Eva more than life itself. I can promise you that if you let me try one more time I can make it happen." He was going out on a limp here. He was not sure it could be done, but lies keep the world going, right.?
His eyes held hers for a second. He fished a card from his pocket and tried to give it to Asuka, she did not take so he placed it down in the chair.
"Here's my cell phone number. OK, If you want someone to talk to , just call. Anytime. I have to take care of something , official business. I have to go."
He turned to leave, but before he made it to the door she called up to him.
"Wait. Do you really mean what you said.?"
"Every word of it. Every single one."
As he left. She picked up the small card. It carried the greek letter Y. Asuka stared firmly at the card. Almost piercing it with her eyes. It had number and words which read 'The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father, we are the children of the Corps'. The word had something to them. The way the sounded in her mind. They were soothing words, gentle, like the words of a mother towards her scared child after a nightmare. For a while, they sounded like her own mother. She felt a tear of her cheek as she remembered her mother. Yes it was definitely her voice.
(Mama .I wish you were here. I miss you).
*********
The room to which they were taken was a large circle with computers and round table in the middle. It looked pretty much like their conn on Babylon 5. It was well lighted and there were holoscreens around the table. Something that amazed Sheridan considering that holotechnology would not exist for another 200 years.
Nicolai signaled for them sit. They did still not taking their eyes from the man. Who was he? What was his agenda.?
Then he spoke.
"I believe you owe us an explanation." Said Sheridan.
"Yes, indeed. But I wont be the one answering you questions."
There was a low hiss, like that of a door behind them. Sheridan and his companions turned slowly, and gasped.
A woman stood there, in a G suit, she tall and slender with dark blue hair. Besides her an man in his early sixtyes stood. Sheridan had to dig deep in his memory, and he found a match.
Before he could speak, Lennier said out of pure surprise.
"Entilza?!"
"Commander Sinclair?!" Sheridan said. He found himslef staring pretty hard, and with good reason. A thousand question raced in his mind, all at once like a giant wave of information he wanted to know at the same time.
"Yes, Nice to see you again, John, eh... Mr. President Lennier, Mr. Allan. How's my station doing. I hope it hasn't fell apart." Sinclair said, nodding in turn to each one of them.
Zack nodded
"Parts of it are still together."
Sheridan found it hard to come with any , yet he tried.
"You were, ah...dead."
"I'll get to that in a moment. First I want you to met someone." He waved a Misato then at each one of the men in front of him.
"This is Major Misato Katsuragi, Tactical Officer for NERV. Major meet President John J. Sheridan, Interstellar Alliance, Anla'shok Lennier, a Mimbari., and Chief of Security for Babylon 5, Zach Allan."
Misato eyed carefully each of them as Sinclair introduced them. The first one, Sheridan, was a tall, well build man with a goatee. The second, the Mimbari, looked strange with the bone crest sticking out of his head. The third one, Allan was fairly shorter than Sheridan but still well built. She also eyed the blond man standing on the side of one of the consoles. She simply assumed he was this Nicolai Chevchenko.
Sinclair waited for the surprise to settle, and for all of them to sit back down. Misato took a chair besides Sheridan. Sinclair went to stand with Nicolai.
"Now, Sinclair, do you mind telling us what the hell is going on and why are you not dead? You went to the past on Babylon 4 remember." Sheridan said, in a steady voice.
Misato tapped her fingers on the desk.
"I've been trying to find out some stuff to, so I guess you'd better come out of the closet."
"As you know, John. Back in 2260 we became involved on a little, shall I say time warping experience. Now before I and B4 ended up a thousand years in the past me made a scale. At this point I was sure you would win the Shadow War, but it would not end there. A small contingent of Vorlon forces found us and told us that, the Shadows were going to strike back. In the past."
Sheridan raised a eyebrow.
"We banished them both from the galaxy in Coreana 6, how can they be back?"
"You banished them in 2261, which means that from that point on there will be no more Shadows. But in the 2015 they are still alive and kicking. Ever since the dawn of mankind there have been Shadows. From Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Clinton, Stalin, Arafat. All Shadows. They have guided the world in the direction most convenient to their plans. But never took an extremely aggressive approach. That was about to end. The Vorlons gathered a small force containing Earth Force elements, and we decided to stop the Shadows, we arrive here late in 1998, and became busy making preparations, waiting for the moment. Which came June 6th 2000."
"Second Impact." Misato spoke up. Eyes going wide.
"Yes. Second Impact. On June 6th, 2000, the Shadows discovered something unknown to them beneath the ice on Antartica. A being who's DNA matched that of humans, but was completely alien. They named it Adam. However they were wrong. They discovered something else. Another being. This one was different. It had unique ability to communicate with the human mind in a way far deeper that on a telepath. Then a third being appeared and came into contact with Adam. The resulting explotion melted the polar ice and the water, weather changes and massive extinction of animals, killed 2.8 billion people and left the rest of the world either starving or struggling for it's survival. The Shadow controlled UN said it had been a meteor. Soon they found out all the information they needed on these new being and descided to destroy them. They used their own technology added to what they found to created a weapon, the Evangelion. The strange creatures were duped Angels and for a reason. They also created the organization known as NERV, using funds of the most poor countries."
"NERV saved humanity, you know." Said Misato a flare of anger showing in her voice. "While you were doing God knows what, we were fighting the Angels with every last resort available and many gave their lives, so I wont let you say that NERV is the one to blame."
"No. I wont say that. You did a good job. While you were dealing with the Angels we were making sure that the Shadows would find a fight of their own come the time. When we first arrived on this time we too created an organization. SEELE. Instead of killing the Angels we established contact, and began developing our Evas, but there is a difference in technology, the Evangelions which the Shadows built had to be piloted only by humans born at same time second impact occurred. Fifteen years ago, so everyone qualified to pilot is a kid fifteen years old. Also they had to find a away to make certain Eva work with a certain kid, which they resolved easily. They killed someone dear to these children. Downloaded their minds, their souls into the Eva, like a computer and they became part human. Our Evas thanks to the Angels only run with a casual pilot and a operative independent system known as the Dummy. And ours are mass production and far more brutal, since they lack humanity."
"What is our business here ? Get to the point." Said Sheridan " By the way, that Eva thing you mentioned, is it just me or it works to some point the same way the Shadow Ships do."
"Right, Shadow interface with a pilot is not restricted by age or anything for that matter, their processors just use the mind as a central information unit After Second Impact, and war against the Angels the Shadows have attained a level of power unheard of in the world. They control everything and everyone. So it's time to make their pick as the chosen one."
"Let me guess..." Sheridan pointed a thumb at the girl "...her."
"Is it that obvious." Said Misato now sounding embarrassed.
"Tell me it's a joke... or a bad dream."
"What's so bad with me being the chosen one?"
Sheridan shook his head.
"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, girl."
"Don't call me girl!"
Sheridan turned his chair so that he was now facing Misato.
"These thing, they don't eat, they don't sleep, they don't stop, ever. All they do is destroy. You are the one who will decide if humanity, or the galaxy lives or dies at the hands of the Shadows. I would hate to be you. Because I was the One and it cost me my life."
"That is what we are trying to avoid." Came the voice of Nicolai Chevchenko. "We have a plan."
Sinclair nodded.
"Tell me this is not like one of your famous 'Oh lets get Garibaldi drunk so we can poke into his files' plan." Said Zack.
"This is not going to be that easy. We are going to take the lead and break this cold war, by taking NERV."
Misato practically jumped from seat to her feet.
"ARE YOU NUTS?! You want to take NERV, the Geo-front, Central Dogma!!!"
"Yes."
"It's impossible, There are 22 levels in the geo-front alone. One train to Central Dogma. Half a kilometer into the Earth and the hundreds of levels beneath that."
"Nicolai if you please." Sinclair motioned to his Russian companion, who pressed a series of key on his console. The holoprojectors came to live with 3-D view of NERV HQ. This time it was Sheridan's turn to jump from the chair.
"Z'ha'dum!" was all he said.
"They built it, just like their home." Said Sinclair.
Sheridan a flashback, of the city inside Z'ha'dum, the city of darkness. The piramid -like building and countless lights, just before the White Star came crashing through the dome above with 1,000 megatons worth of nuclear weapons. The new Z'ha'dum was different, it had forest all around, and a lake. It looked like a fine fusion between technology and nature, and yet it had the Shadows name all over it.
"What's so special about this Za-ha-doom place.?" Asked a confused Misato.
"Nothing. I just died there." Said Sheridan. Then to Sinclair "How can you take something like this?"
"The same way you did on Z'ha'dum"
"Good, let me nuke it."
Sinclair shook his head, and Misato had started to reach for her gun. A look from Sinclair told her not to even think about it.
"We need it." He said to Sheridan. "It is the staging point for the future. And the strongest of the Shadow influences. Besides our plan is so simple it can't fail. The Shadows made a mistake by not telling none of their personnel any of the truth, now we can clear security, with a little trickery. Kill everyone who knows who we are and take Central Dogma."
"You are forgetting ..." said Misato "...you need a security card. Or will never get pass the first gate."
"We can do better than a security card."
A door opened to Sinclair's right, and from it two shapes emerged. One was a Vorlon, the other one was a tall bearded man who Misato recognized instantly.
"I present..." Sinclair announced "Commander Gendo Ikari, CO and first in command of NERV."
Misato shook of the surprise, how much more surprises she could take in one day she did not now. She saluted her CO. Ikari returned the gesture briefly and sat down on one of the spare chairs.
"Now, we will proceed to repair your White Star, and we'll leave at sunrise. You have..." Sinclair checked his watch "...12 hours. I suggest you find something to do. Nicolai here will take you to a room so you can sleep. We'll meet back here at 0500."
************
"We found what you asked for, Mr. Kiel." Alfred Bester's word seemed to cut through the cryptic silence which enveloped the room. It was not much to look at, except for the symbol with the inverted triangle and the seven eyes of SEELE, and the man standing near the windows it was empty.
"Is it what we feared?" Lorenz Kiel spoke. Not turning around.
"Afraid so." Said a not so convinced Bester.
"How, I want to know, can someone break the security code for our mainframe."
"My guess is the Shadows knew exactly what to look for,"
"So they have the files on the Instrumentality Project?" Said Kiel in his most deep and serious voice.
"Yes."
The was a long silence.
"I think we are gonna have to speed our plans in view of this." Said Bester finally.
"No."
"It is important that the Shadows don't use the Instrumentality Project."
Kiel turned around so he could fix his eyes directly on Bester.
"Are you familiar with the book of genesis. Mr. Bester"
"Somewhat."
"God created Adam to his own image. But Adam wanted a companion, so God created Lilith. Lilith left, she ran away from the paradise that had been given to them and had the sons from a demon. Adam wanted Lilith back so he asked The Lord, who send Seventeen angels, to touch Lilith so she could be purified, and her sons brought to be judged for their sins. We have killed those Seventeen, we defied Him, because of the technology given to us by the Shadows."
"The Angels chose not to destroy us. Mr. Kaoru made that choice, he could have done it, but he understood that humanity is so capable of being true to it's Lord, he decided to spare us."
"Mr. Kaoru, the Seventeen met the Messiah, the boy they call the Third Child, so he felt that someone with such pure heart would be worth saving, not humanity. Now we will regret the mistake. If the Shadows have chosen their on Messiah, against the will of The Lord, and they take advantage of the Instrumentality Project, they can rip the collective soul of humanity, the will control the dreams and wishes of the world. Most important will rid the human kind of it's one last chance at salvation." Kiels eyes narrowed "I can only hope that NERV can fight without the need for SEELE to enter the conflict."
"We have already sent one of our own."
"The Angel of Salvation?"
"Yes. 'When the Defender that I shall sent you comes, and that shall sent the Lord, he will give you prove in my favor. He is the Spirit of Truth that comes from the Lord.'" Bester clasped his hand in the small of his back. The beginning of the end then, or the end of the beginning.
Kiel nodded his agreement
"There is always Hope, then."
********
Sheridan grabbed one of the info crystals from the small box and inserted it into the White Star audio system. Within seconds the notes from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons poured from the speaker system. He kicked back on Lennier's chair and placed his feet on the console. He had always enjoyed classic music, specially in tense moments. It helped him relax and for some time forget about every problem. He closed his eyes and in the darkness of his mind a figure appeared. Delenn was smiling at him. Thinking of her always made him feel better.
He took his mind from Delenn and focused on the problem at hand, this was no ordinary foe they were facing. They were the Shadows. No other race, of being in the galaxy, not even EA, would make him so uneasy. There were very few things John Sheridan was afraid of, and the Shadows were one of them.
"Catching a break, ha?" the voice bothered him, yet he did not open his eyes.
Misato pulled a chair from the bridge and moved it so that she could seat near to Sheridan.
"I thought you were going to sleep?" Said the president.
" Can't. There is something about all these Vorlons running around that gives me insomnia. So you like music."
"Yeah." Answered Sheridan not listening to the question, wanting only to be left alone.
Misato tapped him on the shoulders, so he opened his eyes
" What ?" complained an annoyed Sheridan.
The girl took something from her pocket and showed it to Sheridan. The Anla'shok pin gleamed in the dim light.
The brown haired man leaned forward and took the pin with his hand, he stared at it and noticed the inscription 'We live for the one, we die for the one' under it a name: Marcus Cole.
"What the f...?!"
**********
2262 A. D.
Sector 34x23x15
Near Sigma 234
Space is filled with weird things. Things which extend beyond one's own imagination. Who knows what lurks in the darkness of space. What unknown wonders await the voyager who dares venture into the cold of space. It is the most hostile habitat man has ever encountered. And yet here they were.
"The patrols are coming back, Commander." Announced the young officer in charge of the detection scopes.
Commander Susan Ivanova, former CO of the space station Babylon 5 raised her head from the stack of reports formatted by Earth force, none of which answered her questions. She was in her new Warlock-class Destroyer, the E.A.S. Spartac Moscow , accompanied by the E.A.S. Juventus, one of the newer Omega-class Destroyers. Both vessels hanging in space as if suspended by invisible forces, side by side. Surrounded by squadrons of Starfuries swarming around like bees.
"What do you have?" She asked her DSO. She already knew the answer.
"Same thing as before. We have some sort of magnetic anomaly, in much grander scale than anything in the books."
Ivanova glanced out the window at strange 'anomaly', come to think of it, it kinda looks like the time distortion in Sector 14 of Epsilon 3.
"Commander, I have Captain Vieri on the line." Came the voice of the Communication Officer.
"Put him through."
The screen in front of Ivanova flicked to life, God she missed the holoscreen on the White Stars.
"Susan, We have the information our prove transmitted back. You might want to take a look at this." Captain Christian Vieri, stopped as someone handed him a datapad. "We have direct up link with the prove, yet it doesn't show on any of the scanners or scopes, we can pin-point it's location, but no one of the Starfuries can. It's almost as if it weren't there."
Ivanova pondered that in her mind for a while, then she thought of something. She remembered that things in Sector 14 back on B5 do not show on scanners, yet it's possible to establish contact if you have a direct frequency. Then thought of the crazy thing a Ship's Captain could think of.
"Engines, give me full speed ahead."
Vieri spoke one the screen
"I strongly suggest against that course of action."
"I have a theory." She said, looking around the room as if wanting to see the same reaction from one of the crew, a reaction that never came. They were all to professional to know that the Captains orders are not opened to debate.
"If you don't hear from us in twelve hours, go to Babylon 5, talk to Delenn and have the Rangers come check this out." With that she cut the up link with Juventus.
The behemoth Moscow advanced through space, picking up speed as she went. Towards the unknown. Space gleamed with blue light, and Ivanova though of something she told Marcus once.
"Let's go. Who wants to live forever.?"
"I do, but what the hell!!" Marcus had said back, good old Marcus. Hell maybe his in heaven saying
"Go ahead, Susan, we are running low on recently diseased."
**********
Jeffrey Sinclair looked at is watch, 4:30 A.M.
"Soon the real hell will begin, Soon you will be one with the universe, and they will be alone."
"I know, Kosh. They must find the truth inside the darkness."
"She must not be corrupted by the face of darkness, by the evil one."
"She wont, I have a feeling she wont."
"Remember Valen, you will fight to the end at their side."
"So will you, my friend."
***********
Without the heavy jump engines the White Star was more agile and fast than before, something in itself impressive.
Sheridan looked around the bridge as the crew effectively ran about their business. He felt a slight sense of pride from the well trained crew, they all knew exactly what was going on now. Sheridan himself had briefed them on the task at hand. They all took it really well.
Zack was standing near the back of the bridge, trading words with the engineering officers. Lennier as always sat behind the main console, and the female Major was sitting next to Sinclair. Sheridan thought it was odd the way this Major kept talking to Sinclair even thought he was yet to answer.
(Come to think of it he hasn't said anything at all since we left.)
He had to admit something, this Katsuragi girl, was a nice woman after all, she seemed to know what she was doing. She had told him about Marcus, and she really appeared to care. There was a certain spark in her eyes he had once seen on himself. Right before Z'ha'dum took that spark and burned it.
He also had to admit she was attractive.
Maybe there is something between the two of them.
"Sir..." said one of the crew. "...we have picked our escorts."
Sheridan acknowledged.
"Tell, Mr. Chevchenko to get his Thunderbolts behind us and not in front, and to try and keep up with us."
Zack walked up to Sheridan, with a clipboard in his hand. He waited for the Mimbari crew man to leave and spoke.
"Sir, We have 150% on the engines and still out the red line. It's amazing."
"And if it weren't for the Vorlon technology, we'd be flying with one big hole on our ass." Sheridan said, running a hand through his hair.
"Here, here."
"Can we put more power on the engines."
"Affirmative"
"Go for it."
Zack signaled to Lennier and then tapped his link.
"Engines, Conn, go to 175%. Over."
"Aye, Conn."
The White Star gave a low pitched sound as it picked up more speed. Followed by the gravity generators incrementing to keep everybody from feeling the G forces.
For dome reason Sheridan thought that by going faster they were only hurrying their own deadly confrontation against the Shadows. He was not looking forward to it. The last time, millions of lives were lost. This time around, with no large force against the Shadows, who knows.
"ETA to Tokyo-3, one hour 15 minutes."
By Andres D. Lapadula V.
Chapter V: The face of Darkness
Peter Schmichaell tapped the small ear piece he had connected to the control room. All the communications would come to him here. He was in a Type D entry plug. A dual systems interface, one main, one back up. It was rather different than a regular plug. This one had two seats instead of one, this made it easier for switching the connections on the Eva in case the pilot's brain signal was lost. The system could be reset to the back up pilot. In this case him.
"Ready when you are." Said Dr. Ritsuko Akagi
He nodded to himself. Then closed his mind and concentrated on finding the mind of the girl situated on the pilot seat in the front part of the plug. The Eva itself would act as some sort of mental superconductor, so there shouldn't be a problem with mental contact.
"Soryu, can you hear me?"
Asuka Langley Soryu heard the words in some hidden corner of her brain. Her mind began automatically drawing a picture of the light brown haired boy in his weird teal and orange suit.
"Yes"
"Open your mind to the Eva or it won't work. Got it? Do what I tell you. You can do this, all you need is faith, come on."
He tapped the ear piece again.
"We are as ready as we are gonna get. Prepare to start connections."
In the control room, Ritsuko nodded to the single operator on the consoles. Maya Ibuki. The young officer in training gave a thumbs up signaling that the consoles had been set as well.
"We have green across the board. Start first group. Connections 1 to 65, adjust for synch ratio at Zero. External power supply on line. Internal batteries at 1:00 minutes. Begin connections." Maya said, in her somewhat soft voice.
The big screens in front of them showed dozens of small rectangles, each one with a number, which began turning green from their neutral grey. They were displayed in three groups consisting of two columns each. Six in total. After the first set of two turned green they merged into to one, to make a larger rectangle. The first to columns became one, and a message read.
FIRST SET COMPLETE.
Maya passed on the information to her boss.
"Go with second set." Replied Ritsuko.
Again the second set of two rectangles became one.
"Second set, 66 to 112 complete. Ready with final set. Synch ratio remains at Zero. Safety line will be cleared at 175."
The blond Doctor took the last words in as she turned to face the hideously shaped Evangelion. On the huge pit below the keblar windows. Unlike Units 01 to 05 which closely resembled human anatomy , 06 looked like some sort of demon . With it's shark like head and teeth, no eyes and sense of savage brutality that was the characteristic of the Mass Productions, and the odd paint job did little to diminish that fact.
"Approaching Safety line. 167, 170, 173, 175..."
The rectangles below the one marked 175 had just lid up when all hell broke loss. The entire sets of connections jumped from green to red and began separating, Alarms sounded in the room.
Unit 06 went berserk, it pushed forward with its immense body until it broke the straps that kept it tied in it's vertical position. It broke the binders on it's arm and took it's head with a hand, shaking it's hole body as if wanting to get something out of it's head.
"Purge external power source." Shouted Ritsuko.
The big power cable attached to the battery pack on the back of Unit 06 was detached with a small detonation.
"External out, 60 seconds of internal battery." Maya shouted back at the top of her lungs.
Unit 06 continued to shake from side to side and smashed an elbow on the glass, cracking it, but it did not break. A slight sense of horror gripped Ritsuko's brain as she realized that another hit would get through the glass and to them.
"Time?!"
"46 seconds."
"Prepare to terminate all the connections. We can't wait that long."
"But it might hurt the pilot!!!"
Maya's horrified eyes shot through the room right into the Doctors soul.
"Shit, I know. Do it!!!"
"NO, WAIT..." came Peter Schmichaell's words. "...Change them, Don't terminate. Give it to me."
They had forgotten all about the back up system. The Sixth Child was back-up, it was his Eva. But this has never been tested.?
"DO IT NOW!!!"
Ritsuko nodded to Maya. Then out of nowhere Unit 06 smashed it's fist against the glass, breaking it to pieces, sending glass all over the place. Ritsuko dropped to the floor covering her head with her hands as the glass rained over her. Maya barely made to the connections buttons, she pressed it and ducked her head.
At once all the rectangles on the board went green. Unit 06 stopped.
Inside the entry plug, which turned transparent, as the connections were made, Peter could see the control room. There was debris everywhere, he saw the Doctor picking herself up, brushing glass from the lab coat.
"Is everybody OK?" he asked, not really concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. Maya, status."
The girl checked her screens.
"All connections nominal. Synch ratio 81.34. Seven seconds to cease power supply. Six, five, four."
Unit 06 raised hand and tilting it's head to one side gave a shrug.
"Thank you Doctor." Said Peter.
"Don't. I'll be sending you the bill for the damage."
Peter waited for the Eva to power down before removing the ear piece.
He spoke with his mind now.
"Soryu, are you Ok?"
No answer.
"Soryu?"
Sitting on front, Asuka leaded forward, crying and covered her face with her hands. She shook her head in despair. No, she was not OK. NO.
"Get the hell out of my mind." She said from behind her hands.
"Soryu?!"
"I SAID GET OUT. GET THE FUCK OUT!!! OUT!!!" She screamed, tears flowing. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
Peter could always tell when he had been beaten. He did the only thing he could do, smash the first thing he found with a fist. Actually he felt guilty, he could have broken into her mind, but that would cause her too much pain. He had led the Eva go and try to find a signal to connect to , it didn't worked.
And he almost got two more people killed too. Not a bad day in the Corps.
"Shit. Lost round one. This will be harder than I expected."
************
James Sisko shrugged.
"All right, which part you don't understand?"
Shinji Ikari narrowed his eyes.
"The moment you started with: 'we call them Shadows because', I lost you. What is going on? What does Misato has to do with it and why her?"
"I am trying to explain it. She is the key and I have no idea."
They were on a small control room, like the ones you could find in a Los Angeles-class submarine. Most of all the space was filled by computers and screens and consoles. There were people walking around tending to the computers, printing information, talking, shouting. He felt odd here. Not in a bad way. It was relaxing, calm. A tremendous sense of safety. He recalled the last time he had felt this good, when he was inside his Unit 01 it always felt this way.
"I'll tell you one more time. Let me know if I'm going to fast." Sisko's voice brought him out of his reverie. The man was a tall African-American, with a blue and brown uniform and a symbol with the initials EA on his arm.
"Before most of the universe evolved into what it is today, even before most actual races even achieved space capabilities there were those who walked among the stars like giants. Two of the these ancient races are the Vorlons and the Shadows. We call them Shadows because we have no better name for them. You got that so far?"
"Look, I can understand the fact that there are many races out there. Humankind is not alone. I'd kinda suspected that after we killed all the Angels. It's almost impossible not to question your own place in the universe after you've fought some creatures from God knows where. What I want to know is, what do these things are doing here?"
"The same thing they do everywhere, looking for trouble."
"How? If they are so advanced why don't they simply take over the world. It would be much easier." Shinji said, rubbing his head. He would definitely get a headache later.
"It doesn't work that way. You see they, the Shadows, don't conquer like most beings. We must pick a side."
"So who picks the side? Do they make like a really big election day?"
"Actually, there's were your friend comes in."
"She's even more lost than I am!!"
"That's the problem. When it comes to choosing an ally, it is rather simple. If we side with the Vorlons the Shadows kill us. If we pick the Shadows the Vorlons kill us."
An assistant came over to the man and something on his ear. Sisko nodded.
"Transfer it here." He said to the assistant, who went to do his job.
Sisko picked up a small black phone he had on the console in front of him. A light flashed on the receiver.
"Won't be a minute." He told to Shinji. Then spoke into the phone.
"Yes. No. I Don't care if Earth Force components don't match the Minbari's, I want the Jump Engine set to be loaded with Vorlon Tech. Got it. The Stars can compensate for anything. No. I know those are not Mimbari compatible. The Stars are not entirely Mimbari you know. The Bio Technology will adapt. Don't worry. Yes. ASAP."
He replaced the phone on the receiver and turned again to Shinji. The brown haired boy just smiled.
"Technical problems?"
"That's an understatement. You try to load a Earth JE on a Star."
Shinji raised an eyebrow.
"You lost me again."
*******
Sinclair brought his Raptor into the line that marked his approximation vector. The numbers on the bottom of the screen changed to letters , they read. FLY-BY-WIRE disengaged.
Now all he had to do was bring the plane on the right speed and bearing. Over the earphones he heard Chevchenko giving the landing direction to the
White Star in front of them.
"Change for heading Six-one-zero. Over."
Sheridan answered back.
"Got it. Adjusting computers to new set."
"They'll take you to the landing sight. Good luck. Flanker One out."
Sinclair changed his communication system so he would have private access to One's fighter.
"Good job, One. Now lets prepare to land."
"Roger. How's your passenger doing?"
"I'm as fine as the next guy."
Misato Katsuragi's voice came groggily through the communicator. She sound as if talking on her sleep.
"Didn't you said you would sleep until we landed." Said Sinclair.
"My brain is awake, all the rest of me remains asleep."
"Nice to see you made it, for someone who's never had any experience on supersonic combat, I mean." Chevchenko said trying not to start laughing.
"From where I'm from women don't fly, you know. My comrades have a thing about females and fighters."
"No shit. So tell me, ah One, is that your real name?"
"No."
"Well if you come from a place were women don't fly might as well come from a place where parents name their kids with numbers."
"No. My name is Nicolai Chevchenko, His Royal Majesty's Secret Service and Russia's number one pilot. See , One!"
Misato laughed at the last statement.
"British, a Russian working for the British!!!"
"What's so funny? The UN has dome a great job at opening working markets for the international men of mystery."
"I met a Secret Agent once, what was his name? James Brown, no that's not right, Ah, Baker, Ball, something with a B in it."
"Sorry to interrupt the chitchat. One, I need to know the pilots status."
" Well...the ones that made it want everything they were promised, promotion, medals, bonds..."
"Bond, that's it!!! James Bond!!!"
"Major please, we're trying to get some work done." Sinclair siad annoyed.
"Oh yeah, you and russki, ..."
Sinclair shut her transmitter off.
"Where were we?" he said to Chevchenko.
"Five minutes to landing. And, huh, Is it just me or, she is the least qualified person for this job...'"
"Stupid Shadows couldn't have picked some one else."
.
"She sound kinda cute, you think she and me, maybe, I don't know..."
Sinclair shut off his transmitter too
(There's gotta be some weird fever on these planes. I just hope Sheridan hasn't lost his sanity as well. )
********
"Yes commander. Yes. Very well." Ritsuko Akagi turned off the video phone and commander Ikari's face disappeared from the screen. She turned to the boy standing behind her.
" You are very lucking. Had you not been a Psi Corps the Commander would provably had your head on a plate for dinner."
"And you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?" Said Peter rubbing his sore ribs.
"I would pay for the rights to televise it. In fact I'll see if I can find the security video of the Eva gates."
Peter growled, if he had been unrestricted with his abilities he would have messed up her brain until it looked like mash potatoes. What had happened was not what he had expected. After he got out of the plug he went to check on Asuka, who received him a get-away-from-me- kick to the chest and damn nearly choked him to death with a strangle hold . It took three security guards to her off him.
(Man that girl's got some strength)
"Why do I have the feeling you don't like me.?"
"Maybe because I don't. I hate Telepaths."
At that point Peter had to work hard to keep his anger from flaring in his words. He would have given anything just to squeeze her throat.
"So where is Soryu. Anyway?"
Ritsuko shook her head.
"don't know. You know, why don't you leave her alone for a while."
"No can do. I have a job to do remember."
"Try not to let her kill you, but if you do, tape it for me will ya' "
Peter grinned his teeth.
(The only thing I'll tape is the day the Corps come looking for you.)
*********
The White Star settled nicely on the helipad marked with an H. Engines wailed and complained. It was in itself amazing how much licking a Star could take and keep on ticking. The engine sound diminished as the gravity drives and nav computers were all shut off. Them followed the life supports and all of the equipment.
"All right here's the plan. Lennier, Zack, you come with me. We'll meet our new 21st century friends. The rest of you if anything goes wrong you have the code for our nukes." Sheridan let his words sink in. For some reason he had a feeling that they were about to jump from the frying pan into the fire, again.
Zack picked up a PPG and hung a rifle to his shoulder. Lennier just carried his stick. Anla'shok wouldn't fight with anything else. They walked to the exit of the ship. Sheridan entered the code on the lock and it slide upward. Outside it was warm and moist and rain feel mercilessly on their shoulder. They were on some sort of military base. Buildings and bunckers and a city loomed on the horizon. Several men approached them. Sheridan slightly eyed both his companions. A look that said a lot, Be ready for anything.
One of the men saluted him.
"Lieutenant Nicolai Chevchenko, Secret Service. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Mr. President "
Sheridan cocked his head in surprise.
"You know who I am."
"Yes of course I do. You are President John Sheridan."
"You are right. These are may companions, Anla'shok Lennier and my Chief of Security Zack Allan."
Both Human and Mimbari nodded.
"Good, my boss will be glad to see you all here." Said Nicolai. "Please follow me. This way."
"They haven't tried to kill us, that's a good sign." Zack whispered on Sheridan's hear.
********
There are certain moments in a humans life when you could see someone's soul by looking into their eyes. This was one such time. Asuka stared at the reflection of herself on the mirror, and she saw some sort of primordial emptiness on her eyes. They were blue, which contrasted against the red of her hair. The same eyes that had been able to convey a sense of coldness and warmth that made her personality and that now where only the sad reflection of her empty soul.
She had just stepped out of the shower, one of the very few things she still liked doing. It was not nice to be alone, but at same time to know that there was no one around to hurt you. She had a towel wrapped around her chest. She glance hatefully at the discarded red plug suit lying on the floor. Normally she would have folded it or place it on a hanger. Not now. It made no difference now. Who cared.
She was an attractive young girl, extremely well developed for her age. A slender figure accented by long shapely legs and firm breasts. That too had fueled her pride once, now, it was , in her mind a shame that been pretty could not help her solve her problems. She had lost a couple of pound seen she last remembered. That was normal considering she couldn't sleep and wasn't eating very well. Most of the nutrition she had been given was I. V. so she missed actual good food too.
She found a bench near by and sat down, brushing her hair, wondering why she even bothered anymore.
"You shouldn't just leave this lying around. They are really expensive."
She turned her head to see the light brown haired boy standing with her plug suit in his hand.
"Nah, what the heck let them pay for them ha?"
Asuka just ignored him. She couldn't even remember the boy's name.
Peter pulled a chair and sat besides her.
"You know, this is the worlds most advance installation and they didn't thought of the irony of having mixed showers."
She turned away from him. Not saying a word.
"I know how you feel. I really do." His whole manner change. His voice became serious now. "I used to feel the exact same way. As if the whole world did not mattered anymore, you feel that life is not worth living. But live goes on, you can not wait for life to end. It is an universal thing. Some one once said you only live twice, once when you are born and once when you stare death in the face. It is true. It is not important that you feel as if you want to end your life. Death is easy to find, it's everywhere, but life. Life is the true gift of God."
"Why are you saying this to me?" finally answered the girl, still not looking at him.
"Because I know you are thinking of how easy it would be to stop your suffering. I know, I've been there."
"No you don't!" She stood up. Peter did the same thing to remain looking at her evenly.
"Soryu?"
Surprisingly she turned around and grabed his collar with her hands. Pulling his face mere inches away from hers, she spoke. Between grinned teeth.
"Do you?!! Tell me do you know how it feels to loose the only thing that had meaning in your life. What am I good for now? I'm worthless, can't you get that through your head. No one needs me. I don't want to life to be piece of garbage. My whole life was my ability to pilot Eva. Had I not had that, I would have killed myself along with my mother. I'd be in Heaven, not in this living hell!!! You can't know how I feel. You Can't"
Peter raised his hand in surrender.
"Then tell me. Let me know. I can help you."
She pushed him violently.
" I don't want your sympathy. "
" It's not sympathy, I want to help."
"You can't" She said.
"Yes I can, but I need your cooperation. You told me before you wanted to pilot Eva more than life itself. I can promise you that if you let me try one more time I can make it happen." He was going out on a limp here. He was not sure it could be done, but lies keep the world going, right.?
His eyes held hers for a second. He fished a card from his pocket and tried to give it to Asuka, she did not take so he placed it down in the chair.
"Here's my cell phone number. OK, If you want someone to talk to , just call. Anytime. I have to take care of something , official business. I have to go."
He turned to leave, but before he made it to the door she called up to him.
"Wait. Do you really mean what you said.?"
"Every word of it. Every single one."
As he left. She picked up the small card. It carried the greek letter Y. Asuka stared firmly at the card. Almost piercing it with her eyes. It had number and words which read 'The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father, we are the children of the Corps'. The word had something to them. The way the sounded in her mind. They were soothing words, gentle, like the words of a mother towards her scared child after a nightmare. For a while, they sounded like her own mother. She felt a tear of her cheek as she remembered her mother. Yes it was definitely her voice.
(Mama .I wish you were here. I miss you).
*********
The room to which they were taken was a large circle with computers and round table in the middle. It looked pretty much like their conn on Babylon 5. It was well lighted and there were holoscreens around the table. Something that amazed Sheridan considering that holotechnology would not exist for another 200 years.
Nicolai signaled for them sit. They did still not taking their eyes from the man. Who was he? What was his agenda.?
Then he spoke.
"I believe you owe us an explanation." Said Sheridan.
"Yes, indeed. But I wont be the one answering you questions."
There was a low hiss, like that of a door behind them. Sheridan and his companions turned slowly, and gasped.
A woman stood there, in a G suit, she tall and slender with dark blue hair. Besides her an man in his early sixtyes stood. Sheridan had to dig deep in his memory, and he found a match.
Before he could speak, Lennier said out of pure surprise.
"Entilza?!"
"Commander Sinclair?!" Sheridan said. He found himslef staring pretty hard, and with good reason. A thousand question raced in his mind, all at once like a giant wave of information he wanted to know at the same time.
"Yes, Nice to see you again, John, eh... Mr. President Lennier, Mr. Allan. How's my station doing. I hope it hasn't fell apart." Sinclair said, nodding in turn to each one of them.
Zack nodded
"Parts of it are still together."
Sheridan found it hard to come with any , yet he tried.
"You were, ah...dead."
"I'll get to that in a moment. First I want you to met someone." He waved a Misato then at each one of the men in front of him.
"This is Major Misato Katsuragi, Tactical Officer for NERV. Major meet President John J. Sheridan, Interstellar Alliance, Anla'shok Lennier, a Mimbari., and Chief of Security for Babylon 5, Zach Allan."
Misato eyed carefully each of them as Sinclair introduced them. The first one, Sheridan, was a tall, well build man with a goatee. The second, the Mimbari, looked strange with the bone crest sticking out of his head. The third one, Allan was fairly shorter than Sheridan but still well built. She also eyed the blond man standing on the side of one of the consoles. She simply assumed he was this Nicolai Chevchenko.
Sinclair waited for the surprise to settle, and for all of them to sit back down. Misato took a chair besides Sheridan. Sinclair went to stand with Nicolai.
"Now, Sinclair, do you mind telling us what the hell is going on and why are you not dead? You went to the past on Babylon 4 remember." Sheridan said, in a steady voice.
Misato tapped her fingers on the desk.
"I've been trying to find out some stuff to, so I guess you'd better come out of the closet."
"As you know, John. Back in 2260 we became involved on a little, shall I say time warping experience. Now before I and B4 ended up a thousand years in the past me made a scale. At this point I was sure you would win the Shadow War, but it would not end there. A small contingent of Vorlon forces found us and told us that, the Shadows were going to strike back. In the past."
Sheridan raised a eyebrow.
"We banished them both from the galaxy in Coreana 6, how can they be back?"
"You banished them in 2261, which means that from that point on there will be no more Shadows. But in the 2015 they are still alive and kicking. Ever since the dawn of mankind there have been Shadows. From Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Clinton, Stalin, Arafat. All Shadows. They have guided the world in the direction most convenient to their plans. But never took an extremely aggressive approach. That was about to end. The Vorlons gathered a small force containing Earth Force elements, and we decided to stop the Shadows, we arrive here late in 1998, and became busy making preparations, waiting for the moment. Which came June 6th 2000."
"Second Impact." Misato spoke up. Eyes going wide.
"Yes. Second Impact. On June 6th, 2000, the Shadows discovered something unknown to them beneath the ice on Antartica. A being who's DNA matched that of humans, but was completely alien. They named it Adam. However they were wrong. They discovered something else. Another being. This one was different. It had unique ability to communicate with the human mind in a way far deeper that on a telepath. Then a third being appeared and came into contact with Adam. The resulting explotion melted the polar ice and the water, weather changes and massive extinction of animals, killed 2.8 billion people and left the rest of the world either starving or struggling for it's survival. The Shadow controlled UN said it had been a meteor. Soon they found out all the information they needed on these new being and descided to destroy them. They used their own technology added to what they found to created a weapon, the Evangelion. The strange creatures were duped Angels and for a reason. They also created the organization known as NERV, using funds of the most poor countries."
"NERV saved humanity, you know." Said Misato a flare of anger showing in her voice. "While you were doing God knows what, we were fighting the Angels with every last resort available and many gave their lives, so I wont let you say that NERV is the one to blame."
"No. I wont say that. You did a good job. While you were dealing with the Angels we were making sure that the Shadows would find a fight of their own come the time. When we first arrived on this time we too created an organization. SEELE. Instead of killing the Angels we established contact, and began developing our Evas, but there is a difference in technology, the Evangelions which the Shadows built had to be piloted only by humans born at same time second impact occurred. Fifteen years ago, so everyone qualified to pilot is a kid fifteen years old. Also they had to find a away to make certain Eva work with a certain kid, which they resolved easily. They killed someone dear to these children. Downloaded their minds, their souls into the Eva, like a computer and they became part human. Our Evas thanks to the Angels only run with a casual pilot and a operative independent system known as the Dummy. And ours are mass production and far more brutal, since they lack humanity."
"What is our business here ? Get to the point." Said Sheridan " By the way, that Eva thing you mentioned, is it just me or it works to some point the same way the Shadow Ships do."
"Right, Shadow interface with a pilot is not restricted by age or anything for that matter, their processors just use the mind as a central information unit After Second Impact, and war against the Angels the Shadows have attained a level of power unheard of in the world. They control everything and everyone. So it's time to make their pick as the chosen one."
"Let me guess..." Sheridan pointed a thumb at the girl "...her."
"Is it that obvious." Said Misato now sounding embarrassed.
"Tell me it's a joke... or a bad dream."
"What's so bad with me being the chosen one?"
Sheridan shook his head.
"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into, girl."
"Don't call me girl!"
Sheridan turned his chair so that he was now facing Misato.
"These thing, they don't eat, they don't sleep, they don't stop, ever. All they do is destroy. You are the one who will decide if humanity, or the galaxy lives or dies at the hands of the Shadows. I would hate to be you. Because I was the One and it cost me my life."
"That is what we are trying to avoid." Came the voice of Nicolai Chevchenko. "We have a plan."
Sinclair nodded.
"Tell me this is not like one of your famous 'Oh lets get Garibaldi drunk so we can poke into his files' plan." Said Zack.
"This is not going to be that easy. We are going to take the lead and break this cold war, by taking NERV."
Misato practically jumped from seat to her feet.
"ARE YOU NUTS?! You want to take NERV, the Geo-front, Central Dogma!!!"
"Yes."
"It's impossible, There are 22 levels in the geo-front alone. One train to Central Dogma. Half a kilometer into the Earth and the hundreds of levels beneath that."
"Nicolai if you please." Sinclair motioned to his Russian companion, who pressed a series of key on his console. The holoprojectors came to live with 3-D view of NERV HQ. This time it was Sheridan's turn to jump from the chair.
"Z'ha'dum!" was all he said.
"They built it, just like their home." Said Sinclair.
Sheridan a flashback, of the city inside Z'ha'dum, the city of darkness. The piramid -like building and countless lights, just before the White Star came crashing through the dome above with 1,000 megatons worth of nuclear weapons. The new Z'ha'dum was different, it had forest all around, and a lake. It looked like a fine fusion between technology and nature, and yet it had the Shadows name all over it.
"What's so special about this Za-ha-doom place.?" Asked a confused Misato.
"Nothing. I just died there." Said Sheridan. Then to Sinclair "How can you take something like this?"
"The same way you did on Z'ha'dum"
"Good, let me nuke it."
Sinclair shook his head, and Misato had started to reach for her gun. A look from Sinclair told her not to even think about it.
"We need it." He said to Sheridan. "It is the staging point for the future. And the strongest of the Shadow influences. Besides our plan is so simple it can't fail. The Shadows made a mistake by not telling none of their personnel any of the truth, now we can clear security, with a little trickery. Kill everyone who knows who we are and take Central Dogma."
"You are forgetting ..." said Misato "...you need a security card. Or will never get pass the first gate."
"We can do better than a security card."
A door opened to Sinclair's right, and from it two shapes emerged. One was a Vorlon, the other one was a tall bearded man who Misato recognized instantly.
"I present..." Sinclair announced "Commander Gendo Ikari, CO and first in command of NERV."
Misato shook of the surprise, how much more surprises she could take in one day she did not now. She saluted her CO. Ikari returned the gesture briefly and sat down on one of the spare chairs.
"Now, we will proceed to repair your White Star, and we'll leave at sunrise. You have..." Sinclair checked his watch "...12 hours. I suggest you find something to do. Nicolai here will take you to a room so you can sleep. We'll meet back here at 0500."
************
"We found what you asked for, Mr. Kiel." Alfred Bester's word seemed to cut through the cryptic silence which enveloped the room. It was not much to look at, except for the symbol with the inverted triangle and the seven eyes of SEELE, and the man standing near the windows it was empty.
"Is it what we feared?" Lorenz Kiel spoke. Not turning around.
"Afraid so." Said a not so convinced Bester.
"How, I want to know, can someone break the security code for our mainframe."
"My guess is the Shadows knew exactly what to look for,"
"So they have the files on the Instrumentality Project?" Said Kiel in his most deep and serious voice.
"Yes."
The was a long silence.
"I think we are gonna have to speed our plans in view of this." Said Bester finally.
"No."
"It is important that the Shadows don't use the Instrumentality Project."
Kiel turned around so he could fix his eyes directly on Bester.
"Are you familiar with the book of genesis. Mr. Bester"
"Somewhat."
"God created Adam to his own image. But Adam wanted a companion, so God created Lilith. Lilith left, she ran away from the paradise that had been given to them and had the sons from a demon. Adam wanted Lilith back so he asked The Lord, who send Seventeen angels, to touch Lilith so she could be purified, and her sons brought to be judged for their sins. We have killed those Seventeen, we defied Him, because of the technology given to us by the Shadows."
"The Angels chose not to destroy us. Mr. Kaoru made that choice, he could have done it, but he understood that humanity is so capable of being true to it's Lord, he decided to spare us."
"Mr. Kaoru, the Seventeen met the Messiah, the boy they call the Third Child, so he felt that someone with such pure heart would be worth saving, not humanity. Now we will regret the mistake. If the Shadows have chosen their on Messiah, against the will of The Lord, and they take advantage of the Instrumentality Project, they can rip the collective soul of humanity, the will control the dreams and wishes of the world. Most important will rid the human kind of it's one last chance at salvation." Kiels eyes narrowed "I can only hope that NERV can fight without the need for SEELE to enter the conflict."
"We have already sent one of our own."
"The Angel of Salvation?"
"Yes. 'When the Defender that I shall sent you comes, and that shall sent the Lord, he will give you prove in my favor. He is the Spirit of Truth that comes from the Lord.'" Bester clasped his hand in the small of his back. The beginning of the end then, or the end of the beginning.
Kiel nodded his agreement
"There is always Hope, then."
********
Sheridan grabbed one of the info crystals from the small box and inserted it into the White Star audio system. Within seconds the notes from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons poured from the speaker system. He kicked back on Lennier's chair and placed his feet on the console. He had always enjoyed classic music, specially in tense moments. It helped him relax and for some time forget about every problem. He closed his eyes and in the darkness of his mind a figure appeared. Delenn was smiling at him. Thinking of her always made him feel better.
He took his mind from Delenn and focused on the problem at hand, this was no ordinary foe they were facing. They were the Shadows. No other race, of being in the galaxy, not even EA, would make him so uneasy. There were very few things John Sheridan was afraid of, and the Shadows were one of them.
"Catching a break, ha?" the voice bothered him, yet he did not open his eyes.
Misato pulled a chair from the bridge and moved it so that she could seat near to Sheridan.
"I thought you were going to sleep?" Said the president.
" Can't. There is something about all these Vorlons running around that gives me insomnia. So you like music."
"Yeah." Answered Sheridan not listening to the question, wanting only to be left alone.
Misato tapped him on the shoulders, so he opened his eyes
" What ?" complained an annoyed Sheridan.
The girl took something from her pocket and showed it to Sheridan. The Anla'shok pin gleamed in the dim light.
The brown haired man leaned forward and took the pin with his hand, he stared at it and noticed the inscription 'We live for the one, we die for the one' under it a name: Marcus Cole.
"What the f...?!"
**********
2262 A. D.
Sector 34x23x15
Near Sigma 234
Space is filled with weird things. Things which extend beyond one's own imagination. Who knows what lurks in the darkness of space. What unknown wonders await the voyager who dares venture into the cold of space. It is the most hostile habitat man has ever encountered. And yet here they were.
"The patrols are coming back, Commander." Announced the young officer in charge of the detection scopes.
Commander Susan Ivanova, former CO of the space station Babylon 5 raised her head from the stack of reports formatted by Earth force, none of which answered her questions. She was in her new Warlock-class Destroyer, the E.A.S. Spartac Moscow , accompanied by the E.A.S. Juventus, one of the newer Omega-class Destroyers. Both vessels hanging in space as if suspended by invisible forces, side by side. Surrounded by squadrons of Starfuries swarming around like bees.
"What do you have?" She asked her DSO. She already knew the answer.
"Same thing as before. We have some sort of magnetic anomaly, in much grander scale than anything in the books."
Ivanova glanced out the window at strange 'anomaly', come to think of it, it kinda looks like the time distortion in Sector 14 of Epsilon 3.
"Commander, I have Captain Vieri on the line." Came the voice of the Communication Officer.
"Put him through."
The screen in front of Ivanova flicked to life, God she missed the holoscreen on the White Stars.
"Susan, We have the information our prove transmitted back. You might want to take a look at this." Captain Christian Vieri, stopped as someone handed him a datapad. "We have direct up link with the prove, yet it doesn't show on any of the scanners or scopes, we can pin-point it's location, but no one of the Starfuries can. It's almost as if it weren't there."
Ivanova pondered that in her mind for a while, then she thought of something. She remembered that things in Sector 14 back on B5 do not show on scanners, yet it's possible to establish contact if you have a direct frequency. Then thought of the crazy thing a Ship's Captain could think of.
"Engines, give me full speed ahead."
Vieri spoke one the screen
"I strongly suggest against that course of action."
"I have a theory." She said, looking around the room as if wanting to see the same reaction from one of the crew, a reaction that never came. They were all to professional to know that the Captains orders are not opened to debate.
"If you don't hear from us in twelve hours, go to Babylon 5, talk to Delenn and have the Rangers come check this out." With that she cut the up link with Juventus.
The behemoth Moscow advanced through space, picking up speed as she went. Towards the unknown. Space gleamed with blue light, and Ivanova though of something she told Marcus once.
"Let's go. Who wants to live forever.?"
"I do, but what the hell!!" Marcus had said back, good old Marcus. Hell maybe his in heaven saying
"Go ahead, Susan, we are running low on recently diseased."
**********
Jeffrey Sinclair looked at is watch, 4:30 A.M.
"Soon the real hell will begin, Soon you will be one with the universe, and they will be alone."
"I know, Kosh. They must find the truth inside the darkness."
"She must not be corrupted by the face of darkness, by the evil one."
"She wont, I have a feeling she wont."
"Remember Valen, you will fight to the end at their side."
"So will you, my friend."
***********
Without the heavy jump engines the White Star was more agile and fast than before, something in itself impressive.
Sheridan looked around the bridge as the crew effectively ran about their business. He felt a slight sense of pride from the well trained crew, they all knew exactly what was going on now. Sheridan himself had briefed them on the task at hand. They all took it really well.
Zack was standing near the back of the bridge, trading words with the engineering officers. Lennier as always sat behind the main console, and the female Major was sitting next to Sinclair. Sheridan thought it was odd the way this Major kept talking to Sinclair even thought he was yet to answer.
(Come to think of it he hasn't said anything at all since we left.)
He had to admit something, this Katsuragi girl, was a nice woman after all, she seemed to know what she was doing. She had told him about Marcus, and she really appeared to care. There was a certain spark in her eyes he had once seen on himself. Right before Z'ha'dum took that spark and burned it.
He also had to admit she was attractive.
Maybe there is something between the two of them.
"Sir..." said one of the crew. "...we have picked our escorts."
Sheridan acknowledged.
"Tell, Mr. Chevchenko to get his Thunderbolts behind us and not in front, and to try and keep up with us."
Zack walked up to Sheridan, with a clipboard in his hand. He waited for the Mimbari crew man to leave and spoke.
"Sir, We have 150% on the engines and still out the red line. It's amazing."
"And if it weren't for the Vorlon technology, we'd be flying with one big hole on our ass." Sheridan said, running a hand through his hair.
"Here, here."
"Can we put more power on the engines."
"Affirmative"
"Go for it."
Zack signaled to Lennier and then tapped his link.
"Engines, Conn, go to 175%. Over."
"Aye, Conn."
The White Star gave a low pitched sound as it picked up more speed. Followed by the gravity generators incrementing to keep everybody from feeling the G forces.
For dome reason Sheridan thought that by going faster they were only hurrying their own deadly confrontation against the Shadows. He was not looking forward to it. The last time, millions of lives were lost. This time around, with no large force against the Shadows, who knows.
"ETA to Tokyo-3, one hour 15 minutes."