Disclaimer: Welcome to Insanity. Please leave all personal memoirs and proof of sanity into the padded room.
The world was resettled with a massive flood. It wasn't global warming, but a meteor that struck the Antarctic pole. Does it mean the whole ozone propaganda was useless, and only a meteor can melt the caps? Or the Earth is just unlucky for such a cataclysm? Mankind hasn't changed much after such a wipe-out. There's still corruption, greed, and a continued resource problem. Except with less people. We're just that stubborn.
Did all that explain why I'm in the middle of an empty street in Tokyo? Probably not, but a little back story doesn't hurt. I'm just a normal 14 year old boy in a white button shirt and black pants, with a photo of a skimpy woman posed in a seductive manner. Don't ask why.
Where is everyone, anyway? For the most populous city in the nation, there sure is a lot of nothing here. Streets are empty, there's no noise, and cars are parked with dust starting to collect.
Is anyone actually here? Somebody alive, preferably? No zombies please.
I felt a slight breeze on my neck. I looked behind me, noticing a girl in some sort of grayish uniform. It was only for a second before a pay phone started ringing. Although I took quick glance to the machine, the girl instantly disappeared without a trace. What did I say about zombies? That applies to ghosts, too!
The phone kept ringing, so out of annoyance I walked over and picked up the receiver. I did wonder who would call a pay phone in the first place.
Hello? This is…uh, someone. Who's on this line?
"Shinji, is that you? Great! You're still alive!"
A female voice was on the other line, how does she know my name? Wait, why wouldn't I still be alive?
Suddenly, there were large aircraft hover copters circling around a massive creature. The hunched-back black and gray monster briefly stopped to observe its surroundings, but then continued following the hovercrafts
"Hey, Shinji you there? Hello?
That's great…an alien. Of all the things to threaten my life. Couldn't be an assassin, a hit man, or some sort of motor traffic. It's an alien.
Yes, I'm still here. Can I ask who is calling?
"This is Misato Katsuragi! I'm the one that sent you my photo!"
I peeked at the revealing photo in my hand that contained the woman's figure along with bright red lipstick marks. Her long lilac hair and dark eyes would probably intrigue most males. However, my uncle has taught me to stay focus on more important matters. An example of such is that alien I just saw. Why is there an alien here of all places? I hope this Misato person will explain it to me.
Then again, who sends revealing pictures as a reference photo?!
Hello, Miss Katsuragi. Am I going to get some sort of explanation? Just saw the alien.
"Ah that. Don't' worry, I'll be there soon. Give me about 4 more seconds."
She must be on a cell phone. I wonder if she uses an armored car to safely take me to my father. After years of dead contact with him, I spent my life in the household with my uncle Kyon. At least until I got a call from father one day about an offer to work under him in the city. I politely declined the offer, satisfied with the life I had now.
Then he mentioned the paycheck of 100,000 yen a month. What's a young man to do? I packed my bags and left for Tokyo, searching for my escort which gave me her very tempting photo. That would be Misato Katsuragi, I have found out. And it's been 4 seconds.
On the 5th second, I heard a loud screech equivalent to that of pulling the fur off a cat down the street. My eyes went wide as I witnessed a blue sports car drifting from the sharp corner of the street and headed right for me. Motor accident, here it comes!
I ended up hearing a series of honks followed by a 'Get in!' shout. My eyes were shut closed at this point.
"Shinji, let's go! The UN forces are about to use an N2 mine on the Angel!"
My eyes opened again. An N2 mine? Isn't that a nuclear explosive? And that huge alien is called an Angel? I see no wings or a halo, and that's definitely not a pretty face that says 'servant of God!'
All right, where to then?
I put my bag in the back seat of the car, and strapped myself in. We went a distance away from the city, somewhere around a desert area. Yeah, there are lots of deserts nowadays in this world.
"Duck!"
She covered my head just as the far hovercrafts dropped a small container on the Angel's head. A massive explosion followed suite, rumbling the ground and shaking the foundation of the buildings around us. I have to wonder that if she knew a nuclear device was going to be used, a sports car probably wasn't the best choice.
"You all right, Shinji?"
Oh sure. I'm perfectly fine. Surviving a nuclear blast that impacted on a giant alien after almost getting struck down by an insane lingerie model. This happens everyday back in my town.
What is an Angel anyway?
"Just your everyday Earth invaders to threaten humanity."
She started up the car again (after 'borrowing' some batteries) and drove straight past the smoking pillar that the alien once stood in. The wind blew the cover away, showing that the Angel was still intact with little harm. A flash of an orange barrier elapsed around it as the UN crafts retreated.
Uh, Misato. Where are we going?
"Just great, I only had 33 more payments to go on the car…and the repair costs. My only good clothes are ruined, too."
Uh, Misato?
"Eh, what?"
Is it okay that you stole those packs of batteries?
"Ah, it's okay, no problem. It's an emergency. We can't do anything if the car doesn't run. In addition, even if I don't look like it, I'm an international officer. So it's okay."
And what deranged drunk hired you as an international officer?
That doesn't seem like a very good excuse.
"Boring boy! You look so calm, despite your pretty face."
It's just a personal belief that one of us should be the designated sane person. I'm sorry if my morals in thievery clash with yours.
"Hmm, are you angry?"
I gave a look of distrust.
"Sorry, sorry, It's natural because you're a boy."
What are you, 9? Please act your age already!
I should've shut my mouth. She swerved the car side to side across the tunnel path, succeeding in making me extremely dizzy. Her small revenge stopped when we arrived at a gateway with the letters NERV covered by crimson half-leaf. The doorway opened, we entered, and closed behind us. It was some sort of car elevator to lead us to this organization's headquarters.
So what is this NERV place?
"It's a special organization directly attached to the United Nations."
And my father runs this big place, right?
"Well, yeah…do you know what he does?"
Something about protecting the human race. My uncle told me that much. Are we going to my father's location?
"Well yeah…we are."
She closed her cell phone, and stared at the passing levels of metal and ground the elevator passed us through. NERV has a lot of free time to dig up this much dirt.
"By the way, were you given an I.D. by your father?"
Hmm? Oh yeah, I got it.
I searched through my bag for my I.D. along with a scratched out map. She took the map and handed me a NERV manual. Her instructions were to read this book in preparation for NERV.
"Do you know…anything about your father?"
Can't say I do. He never writes me, unless he wants me to do something. His nomination for 'Father of the Year' has been absent these past few years.
"I see. You consider him a tough customer. I feel the same."
Then the last of the metals passed us and an upside down city was revealed. These were one of those Geo-Fronts that are used as some sort of bomb-shelter city in case of catastrophic emergency. A glistening orange sea greeted us.
"That's right, This is NERV's secret headquarters. It's also the foundation for rebuilding the world for the human race."
The city seemed beautiful as the constellation of Ursa Major. Our platform zipped through the unique structures to another underground level of this complex. With a quick vacuum seal noise, our ride stopped. I followed Misato out of the car to a walking floor. She activated the contraption and we started moving through the various paths and routes of NERV headquarters.
"That's strange. I'm sure this was the right way…."
Please don't tell me we're lost. Don't you work here?
"I'd rather not wear a skirt in this place!"
I highly doubt people will take an up-skirt peek during an Angel attack.
"Anyway, where has Ritsuko gone? Sorry, but I'm not familiar with this place. But it'll be okay! All systems exist to be used."
That attitude is begging for us to get even more lost. We just past this place a while ago!
-20 Minutes Later-
The numbers on the elevator clicked down like a countdown to some doom. A high-pitch ring and the doors opened, with a blonde bonneted woman waiting for us. She was wearing a blue one-piece bathing suit with a lab coat over it. Is anyone sane here? Honestly? Misato had a shocking expression to her appearance.
"Uh, hey! Ritsuko…I…hey!"
"What are you doing, Captain Katsuragi? We're short of hands and time!"
Misato apologized immediately, although I felt little regret from the tone. This Ritsuko person sighed deeply, and then took a look at me.
"Is he the one?"
"Yes, according to Marduk's report, he's the 'Third Child.'"
Third Child? Does that mean two other people are already getting that 100,000 yen?
"Nice to meet you."
Ah, yeah. Same to you.
"He's very much like his father…neither one is lovable."
I'll remember to add that to my huggy bear card, Misato.
We continued on to yet another platform. If NERV was NERP, then it would be called the Never-Ending Routes of Platforms. The announcements of "All hands to battle stations" kept repeating over as we made our way to…I don't know.
"Here that? That's serious. By the way, how is Unit 1?"
"It's configured with Type-B equipment. It's being cooled."
"Does it really work? I heard that it hasn't worked yet."
"The possibility of it working is 0.000000001 percent. 09-system seems like a good name for it."
"You mean it won't work, don't you?"
"How rude! It isn't zero!"
My understanding of the subject you're on is. After the platform, we went on a speedboat for a change. The liquid we floated on was a strange shade of red, almost like blood. We climbed up the stairs and arrived in a pitch-black room. My mention of this instantly turned on the lights and a giant head was my first sights.
A giant robot. Of course…what else could defeat an alien…er, Angel? I checked the manual for a clue on this detail. A secret organization would surely mention this little information in their brochure.
"You won't find this in the manual. This is humanity's multi-purpose humanoid fighting machine, Evangelion. This is Unit 1. It was built in secrecy. This is mankind's last chance."
So my father spent all these years making a giant robot? Well if he said that, it would've been easier to forgive him.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
I looked up and saw a hanged control room. In the middle of the window was my father…Gendo Ikari. He smirked for some reason just then.
"Move out."
Misato questioned this. I would, too if I knew what was going on.
"Move out?! Unit 0 is frozen. Wait a minute…you don't mean that you're activating Unit 1?"
"We have no choice."
"Hey, Ritsuko! We can't have Rei pilot it! We have no pilots!"
Who is Ray? Is he another Child like me? Hey, I have a bad feeling about this.
"One has just arrived."
"Are you serious?"
Ritsuko glanced at me with a serious look. Please be wrong, bad feeling, Please be wrong.
"Shinji Ikari…you will pilot it."
Son of a- why is my bad feeling always right?
"But it took Rei Ayanami seven months to synchronize with Eva! He just arrived. It's impossible!"
"We just him to want to take a seat. We don't expect him to do any more than that. At present, intercepting the Angel's attack is our top priority. Even if there is little potential of synchronizing with Eva. We have no choice. Do you understand, Captain Katsuragi?"
Misato didn't answer, but she had the look of reluctant understanding. Yeah, I'm not going to be a pilot without a few more questions answered.
Father, is this the 100,000 yen job?
"You are correct on your assumption."
Does that mean I have to pilot this robot and fight against that…Angel?
"Of course."
What are you, insane? I had an easy going life in the town and you suddenly brought me here! I'm not exactly a destined pilot here or anything!
"I only called you because I need you now."
Jeez, this is annoying. Why me?
"Because others can't."
I can't pilot robots. I've never seen nor heard of such things until now. How am I going to use this?
"Listen to her explanation."
Uh, no. If I'm the Third Child, then get the Second Child in here and make him face the Angel. I'm out.
"If you're getting in, stop wasting time. Otherwise, go home!"
Right before I could curse his being, a large shake-up occurred around the hanger bay. Ritsuko calmly asked me again.
"Shinji, there's no time."
I looked at Misato for support.
"Please get in."
Great…I'm surrounded. After the dozen platforms, I'm suddenly forced to risk my life against an Angel I never heard of and a father whom I haven't seen years tells me I have to.
"Shinji…why did you come here? Don't run away from your father, or above that, from yourself."
I'm not running from him. I'm running away from the giant Angel that can survive nuclear attacks! How do I kill such a thing?!
"Fuyutski. Bring out Rei."
Ray…is he another Child? I wonder what he has to prevent him from piloting the robot. Ritsuko called out to the engineers around us.
"Reconfigure Unit 1's systems for Rei! Restart!"
Well, that wasn't too bad. It was just a bluff my father made. There is another pilot available, and I'm free from the hassle. I just have to wait for Rei and thank him for tagging in the job.
Then the medic team brought in a same girl I saw, wrapped in bandages all over with an IV on her arm. That is a good reason not to pilot. Damn it. She was gasping for breath as she got up, her pale skin and blue hair shivering from exhaustion.
Another explosion shook up the hanger, this time large enough to dismantle the lights above. Specifically one was heading right for me! I braced for impact, ignoring the shouting I heard for the death to come.
Apparently it's good luck to shut my eyes before aspiring death.
"Impossible! The entry plug hasn't even been inserted yet! It can't move!"
I peeked through my arms to see a giant purple hand hovering over me. I looked behind me and saw the robot in the exact same pose I was in right now. All right, maybe there are some spooky stuff going on.
Oh right, Rei! I glanced on my left and sprinted towards her lying body. She fell off the bed, her IV detached and dripping on the floor. I held her struggling body up as she gritted her teeth in pain. I looked behind and saw the robot's dark sockets glow yellow now. Then my hand started to feel wet and sticky. I raised my right hand and saw large blood spots. Damn it, she's losing blood fast!
Screw it; my morals as a man outweigh my own life. I'll do it! I'll pilot the Evangelion!