Author's note -
This is the sequel my first fan-fiction. If you haven't read it, it might be a good idea to do so first. This story takes place during episodes thirteen and fourteen. A big thank you to all those who reviewed my first work. Please do so for this one as well. All reviews will be greatly appreciated, even negative ones! (They all help with the writing process.)
For those of you who are wondering why I have written a sequel instead of another chapter, allow me to explain. "A Question Of..." was always meant to be a short, single part story. This tale will continue the story through the series and into the movies. The choice of name will make sense later on, I assure you.
Disclaimer -
All the characters contained in this story are copyright GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the translated version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. All characters are used WITHOUT the permission of the aforementioned institutions.
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IMPACT
A sequel to "A Question Of..."
By Room3
Chapter 01 - "Intrusions"
"You wanted to see me sir?" Dr. Akagi asked as she entered the commander's office. As usual, very little light was present. Commander Gendo Ikari, head of Nerv, was sat at his desk. His elbows were on his desk and his interlocked fingers supported his chin. He didn't change his expression in the slightest as she walked across the room and stood before him.
"Indeed," he said, calmly. "I want an update on the situation involving the second- and third-child." Ritsuko barely managed to control her grimace. As she'd suspected, somehow he'd learned of their falling test scores. After a few moments silence, he spoke again. "Why have you not informed me of the situation?" he inquired.
"I didn't wish to disturb you without first having conducted a thorough analysis," she answered, truthfully. I also didn't want to be the one to tell you, she thought.
"You should have informed me. Sooner," Ikari reprimanded her. "A loss of sixteen points within two weeks is not a minor matter." She silently excepted his admonishment.
"I agree," she started, realising that he was going to be unhappy with anything she had to say. "However, I believed that the situation would resolve itself before now."
"I see," the commander responded. As usual, his voice reflected none of his emotions. Many lower level members of staff had said that he didn't have any. "What was the result of today's harmonics test?"
"Rei's synchronisation ratio has stabilised. I believe that it will increase after she's had more combat experience," Dr. Akagi told her superior.
"And the second- and third-child?" he prompted her.
"Both Asuka and Shinji has successfully managed to raise their scores," the doctor replied, "by nine and seven points respectively."
"And how do you account for this?" Ikari asked.
"Major Katsuragi believes that there were some problems between the two of them. Thus, she decided to leave the two of them alone together over the weekend to allow them time to sort them out," Ritsuko informed him.
"Interesting," the commander said. He adjusted the position of his fingers slightly, causing his glasses to reflect the dim light more. "Do you believe she is correct?"
"From a purely scientific standpoint, it's too early to tell," the doctor replied. "But personally, I believe she is," she continued.
"And you feel that there will be no further problems?" Ikari queried. His mind was reviewing the personality reports on the two children in question.
"Correct sir."
"Very well then. Provided this incident does not reoccur, I have no problems with their current living situation remaining unchanged," he informed his sub-ordinate. "Understood?"
"Yes commander."
"What is the status of the repairs to Unit 01?" he asked, surprising her with the sudden change of subject.
"The repairs are completed," she informed him, recovering quickly. "Unit 01 is now fully operational."
"Very well. You are dismissed doctor." Commander Ikari lowered his head slightly, mulling over what he had learned.
"Yes sir," Ritsuko said. She turned and walked out of his office. Despite all the time she'd been here, she still found the commander intimidating at times. Misato Katsuragi was leant against the wall outside, waiting for her.
"Well?" the major asked as the door closed behind the doctor.
"He knew," Ritsuko informed her friend, and began walking towards her office. Misato followed her.
"And?" she prompted after a minute of silence.
"As long as their scores don't drop again, he's willing to let them both stay with you," Akagi told her. Misato sighed heavily.
"Thank heavens for that," the major responded, relieved.
"I thought you'd be happy," Dr. Akagi informed her. "What's the matter? Worried you're going to lose you're precious charges?"
"Yes," Katsuragi told her, "I was."
"Oh." Ritsuko hadn't realised just how much Misato had become attached to Shinji and Asuka.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" the major asked.
"I have to run a maintenance check on the Magi," Ritsuko told her friend.
"Again?" Misato asked, exasperated. "You only did that last week!"
"It has to be done again," the doctor told her. "Don't worry. I'll be done in time for the experiment tomorrow."
"I'd almost forgotten about that," Katsuragi said, rubbing her forehead.
"Hadn't you better tell your roommates the good news," Ritsuko reminded her, changing the subject. She didn't want to go into too much detail about the experiment she had planned for the following day.
"Yeah. They're probably waiting for me already," she said, stopping at the intersection they had just reached. "See you later!" she called as she walked away.
--------------
"How much longer she gonna be?" Asuka asked impatiently, as she paced the floor of the conference room in her now dry plug-suit. She and Shinji had been waiting almost twenty minutes for Misato. They didn't know that Dr. Akagi had been called to see the commander. "I wanna wash this stuff outta my hair," she added, referring to the LCL, which had dried whilst she'd been waiting, causing her hair to become a tangled mess.
"We should have showered and changed first," Shinji told her, sighing. He too wanted to get the dried residue out of his hair; the smell from it was beginning to bother him. He was watching her pace from his seat by the wall.
"I guess so," the German responded, sighing. She stopped and looked at him "But I didn't wanna wait!"
"I know how you feel Asuka," the third-child told the redhead, getting up and walking over to her. "I'm dying to find out how we did as well," he informed her, stopping in front of her. She smiled at him, and he returned her smile, a feeling of great joy welling up from deep inside him. The second-child reached out with her left hand and placed it, timidly, on his shoulder.
"Just remember third-child," she reminded him, "we're keeping this a secret." He looked deeply in to her pale blue eyes.
"I won't," he assured her. Feeling something bothering him, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"What's the matter?" Asuka asked, genuinely concerned, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"I...I dunno," he stuttered softly. "It's just..." he trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
"Just what?" the redhead asked.
"I'm not sure," he sighed. "Asuka, promise me one thing?" he asked, looking back at her. Her smile faded as he met her gaze.
"What?" the girl asked, perplexed.
"Promise you won't keep any secrets from me," he answered. "Promise me you'll talk about anything with me."
"I will," she agreed softly, smiling again. She was about to say something else when she heard footsteps outside the room. She quickly dropped her hand from Shinji's shoulder at backed a few steps away. He'd obviously also heard, as he turned his head to look at the door. Asuka looked over at the door as she heard it being opened.
"Well it's about time!" she said as Misato entered.
"Sorry I took so long," the major said, apologising. She walked over to the two of them, stopping a short distance away. "Dr. Akagi was called to see Commander Ikari."
"Wha...what did my father want?" Shinji asked, worried.
"Somehow he'd learned about your falling test-scores," the major told him. Shinji's heart sank and his shoulders slumped. A quick glance at Asuka from the corner of his eye showed her reaction was the same.
"What about today's test," Asuka asked, feeling she had to know.
"You guys did good. You were up by seven pints Shinji, and you were up by nine Asuka," Katsuragi told her charges. Asuka snorted.
"A lot of good that does," the German complained. "I'm sure the commander wants one of us to leave," she added.
"Actually, Ritsuko managed to convince him to let both of you stay. On the condition that you keep your scores up."
"She...she did?" the third-child asked, almost in disbelief.
"Yes," Misato assured him. "So good work you two. Especially you Asuka."
"Well, what did you expect of the great Asuka Langley Sohryu?" she replied, trying as hard as she could to act normal. She could feel Shinji looking at her, but despite wanting to, she didn't return his glance. "Looks like you've got you're work cut for you third-child. That is, if you want to catch up with me!" she added. I'll apologise for that later, she thought, worried she'd hurt the boy's feelings.
"Are you okay Misato?" Shinji asked, ignoring the girl's comment and looking at their guardian closely. Asuka turned her attention to Katsuragi.
"Yeah. You do look kinda tired," the German informed the major. Misato sighed.
"I am," she informed her charges. "I didn't get much sleep over the last few days. Ritsuko's a real night-owl." She wandered over to one of the chairs and collapsed into it. She sighed heavily. "You two had better go get changed and head home," she told them.
"What about you?" Shinji asked, concerned for her. "Aren't you coming?"
"I'd like to," she assured him. "But I've got a load of reports to finish up. I'll be home as soon I can." Mainly to get some sleep, she thought to herself. She forced herself to get up and headed for the door. "Don't worry about making anything for me," she said as she opened the door. "I'll get something on my way home." With that, she walked out the door and left the two pilots alone again.
"Sorry about what I just said," Asuka said, turning to Shinji. He smiled at her.
"That's okay," he replied. "I knew you didn't actually mean it. You were just keeping up appearances." Although it still hurt, he thought.
"I didn't," she assured the boy. "But I knew that was how I'd've reacted a few days ago, so I had to say it."
"It's fine Asuka, really," the Japanese boy told her. He closed the distance between them. "Besides, it was my idea to keep it a secret," he reminded her. "We'd better shower and change."
"You're right," she responded, turning towards the door. Before she headed to the door, she reached out and wrapped her right hand around his left. He glanced at the redhead as he felt her gloved hand grasp his. They walked to the door holding hands, but released each other as they left the conference room. In silence, they walked to the locker rooms.
--------------
The next afternoon, the command centre was filled with technicians, all busy with the Magi maintenance. The area was filled with notes and portable consoles. Maya sat at her station, typing away while Ritsuko made notes in the maintenance log.
"Apotheosis for the three Eva's will be performed as scheduled as soon as the Magi system is reactivated," headquarters automated voice, a female one, announced over the intercom. Maya only half listened, concentrating on what she was doing.
"Operation confirmed," a male voice added. "Steps 450 through 670 are omitted."
"Command post has granted approval," a second male voice informed the technicians. Ritsuko looked up and watched the lieutenant for a few seconds
"You're getting pretty quick at that, aren't you Maya?" she asked.
"Of course!" Lieutenant Ibuki replied. "Did I have any choice with you as my boss?"
"Ah, wait a second," Dr. Akagi said, noticing something in the code scrolling on Maya's screen.
"Huh!"
"I think A-8 would be faster there," Ritsuko told her. "Let me do that." She turned to her own console and began typing away.
"Wow. She is the master," she muttered. Despite all the time they'd spent working together, Maya was still amazed by the doctor's speed on the keyboard. Finished adjusting the code, Ritsuko returned to the log
"Hello!" Misato called, as the lift carrying her neared the level where the two were working. "Are you done with the Magi's check up yet?"
"Almost finished," Dr. Akagi informed her. "Didn't I promise you I'd be done by today's experiment?" Misato stepped off the lift and walked towards her friend.
"You're something else Ritsuko," she commented, picking up a mug from where it was sat on a pile of notes. She wore her usual red jacket over a black dress that stopped mid-thigh. As usual the metal cross hung around her neck. "Three impossible things to do and you still beat the schedule."
"That coffee's cold," the blonde said as the major lifted the mug to her mouth and took a gulp. She almost gagged at the taste.
"All three Magi systems have entered self-diagnostic mode," the first of the two male voices announced over the intercom.
"The 127th routine maintenance has been completed," the automated voice added. Ritsuko activated the intercom.
"Confirmed," she said. "Well done guys. Go ahead and take a break until the test begins." She turned off the intercom and closed the maintenance log. She looked at Misato, who still had the taste of cold coffee in her mouth. "How are the two children? Any fights?" she asked, taking off her glasses.
"No," Misato told her. "They seem to be getting along." She sighed "For the time being at least," she added. "If you need me, I'll be in my office," the major continued, walking away. Dr. Akagi got to her feet and began tidying away the notes that were strewn around.
"I'll do that doctor," Maya told her. Ritsuko looked over at her assistant and smiled.
"Thanks Maya. Once you've done that, get some fresh air and stretch your legs," the doctor ordered her.
"Yes doctor," Ibuki responded. As the lieutenant began tidying the command area, Ritsuko walked left and headed to the nearest ladies restroom. Once inside, she washed her face, trying to rid of herself of her tiredness.
Everything checked out. As usual, mother's in good shape, but... she thought as she dried her face. She looked into the mirror. Is it just me getting older? she wondered, puzzled by the nagging doubt at the back of her mind.
--------------
"What?!" Asuka whined over the intercom, the pitch of her voice raised by her mood. "You want me to take my clothes off again?"
"The next chamber is an ultra-clean room environment. Just taking a shower and changing your undergarments is insufficient," Ritsuko explained to the pilots from her position in the Pribnow box.
"Why do I have to go through all this for a dumb auto-pilot test? Asuka enquired. Misato couldn't help but feel sorry for the doctor. She knew getting the pilots, especially Asuka, to do this would not be easy.
"With the advance of time comes the need for Eva technology to advance as well. To do so, we need a constant influx of new data," Dr. Akagi told her calmly. "Now get undressed," she instructed. Both Shinji's and Asuka's sounds of complaint could be heard clearly by all present. Maya watched as her display showed all three pilots progress through the decontamination sequence.
--------------
The door in front of Shinji split in half horizontally. One half slid upwards, the other down, to reveal a large, white corridor. The walls had what appeared jets of some kind scattered along the walls. There was a single camera in the far, uppermost left-hand corner. In front of him was a translucent screen that went from shoulder level down to mid thigh. The screen was also present on both sides, allowing him to see the other two pilots, not that he was looking. He had his head down and was doing his best to cover himself. On his left, Rei was stood as she always did, unfazed by being naked. On his right, Asuka was stood defiantly, with her hands on her hips.
"All right, I'm here," she said loudly, "just the way you wanted. Butt-naked and run through the wash cycle seventeen times."
"Very good," Dr. Akagi said over the intercom. "And I want all three of you to stay that way as you walk through the room and board the entry plug." Rei didn't react to this request. Shinji, on the other hand, gasped.
"What?!" the German demanded, blushing slightly.
"Don't worry. The video recorders have been shut off," the doctor assured her. "We do respect your privacy."
"Oh sure you do! And that's not the point," the redhead replied, crossing her arms. "This is a personal thing!"
"The purpose of this experiment is to monitor the harmonics directly from your bodies, without the interference of your plug-suits," Ritsuko patiently explained.
"Asuka, this is an order!" Misato told her.
"All right!" the second-child conceded. "But I don't want anybody peaking, okay?" Wisely, Dr. Akagi chose not to respond. Shinji saw the light on the camera go out, indicating it was now dormant.
--------------
Inside the Pribnow box Ritsuko was stood by the observation window. On the main display, the interior of the entry plugs is visible as usual, with one exception. The images of the pilots were obscured, replaced by images generated from their harmonic data.
"All pilots are ready for entry," a male technician announced. The doctor wasn't really listening. Her attention was on the water filled chamber beyond the glass. In it were the three simulation Eva bodies.
"Start the test sequence," she said, keeping her eyes on the test bodies.
"Beginning the test," the technician responded. "Initiate auto-pilot recording. Inserting simulation plug." Ritsuko could just make out the entry plugs that were being inserted and the docking systems retracting.
"Connecting the systems with the simulation bodies," another technician announced, this one female.
"The simulation plugs are now under the Magi's control," Maya informed the room. Misato looked impressed.
"Man, that was fast!" the major said. "The Magi are magnificent! It's hard to believe that the first test took a whole week."
"Test duration will be three hours," the first technician informed his colleagues. Ritsuko motioned for the intercom to be reactivated.
"How do you feel?" she asked the three pilots. Ayanami was the first to respond.
"It feels quite odd," Rei said, as calmly as she always spoke.
"Yeah," Shinji agreed. "It's a little different from the other times."
Inside her plug, Asuka was holding up her right arm, staring at it. "Something's wrong with my senses," she said, quietly. "My right arm's clear, everything else feels fuzzy."
"Rei, focus on moving the right hand," Ritsuko instructed the first-child.
"Right," she replied. She took hold of the control and attempted to do as ordered. The simulation body's fingers on the right hand move slightly.
"Data collection is proceeding nicely," one of the male technicians commented.
"Everything's looking good," Ritsuko replied. "Return the Magi to normal," she instructed. The display next to Misato suddenly changed from lines of code, to a tactical display of the Magi. Each one flashing as they deliberated on something. Misato looked at the image.
"Huh? A dilemma...." Dr. Akagi said, noticing the change. "You can sure feel their creators personality can't you!" Misato turned to her.
"What are you talking about?" the major asked. "Aren't you the one who created them?" The blonde doctor looked over her shoulder at the major.
"You don't know anything, do you?" she queried.
"That's because, unlike me, you never talk about yourself Ritsuko," Misato snorted. Ritsuko returned her gaze to the observation window.
"No, I don't. I only created the system up-links. The basic theorems and the main frames were my mothers," she informed her friend.
--------------
"Are you double checking this?" Professor Fuyutski asked Shigeru Aoba as he leant over the technician's workstation in the command centre.
"Yes sir. These are the parts that were installed three days ago. The parts that are showing signs of deterioration," he informed his superior.
"The 87th protein wall," Kouzou muttered thoughtfully.
"With magnification you can see some discoloration," Aoba added, magnifying the image displayed before them. "But I can't identify it."
"It's gotta be corrosion," Makato Hyugo commented from his station, having been listening. "There are slight variations in the temperature and conduction rates of the spots. The clean rooms have been deteriorating a lot lately."
"The construction schedule was cut by sixty days, so it's possible some air bubbles might have gotten inside," Shigeru added, turning to look at his superior over his shoulder. "The B wing's construction is rather substandard"
"Well this building was thrown up after the Angels appeared," Fuyutski reminded them as he straightened up, feeling his back twinge. Hyugo looked over his shoulder at the older man.
"It's nobody's fault," the bespectacled technician said. "Everybody was so exhausted back then." Fuyutski looked over at Makato's station.
"Well, just fix it by tomorrow," he said, "or Ikari will chew our asses off."
"Understood." The two technicians said in unison.
--------------
Elsewhere in HQ, a purple discoloration was clearly visible on the seams of an otherwise green wall. However, there was no one around to notice it.
--------------
Back in the Pribnow box, Ritsuko was looking over her shoulder at the Maya, having heard snippets of the lieutenant's conversation over the phone.
"Another leak?" the doctor asked her.
"No," Ibuki replied, putting down the phone. "It's some kind of corrosion, in the protein wall above this floor."
"Just great," Ritsuko commented, sarcastically. "Could it effect this test?"
"No, not at the moment ma'am," Maya informed her superior.
"Then let's continue," Dr. Akagi said. "We can't abort complex experiments because of minor technical problems." She turned back to the observation window before adding, "Ikari would chew my ass off."
"Understood," Maya replied. "Synchronisation position is correct"
"Connecting simulation entry plugs to Eva via the simulation bodies," another technician announced.
"Contact with Eva zero has been confirmed," a second informed those present in the Pribnow box.
--------------
"AT Field will generate on two," a female voice announced over the intercom in the cage containing Evangelion Unit 00. There was a strange sound audible as the Eva's AT Field activated. However, there was no one present to hear it; the cage had been evacuated for the duration of the test. Elsewhere, red spots of light begin to flicker on the discoloured wall.
--------------
All present were startled when the red alert siren began sounding inside the Pribnow box. It took a moment for the personnel to overcome their shock.
"What's happening?" Dr. Akagi demanded, spinning around to look at the technicians behind her.
"Contamination alert," one of the female technicians reported. "It's in Sigma Unit on the A floor."
"The 87th protein wall is corroding and releasing heat," one of her male colleagues announced.
"Abnormality in sixth pipe detected," another informed the doctor, eyes glued to his station.
"Corrosion of the protein wall is increasing at an incredible rate!" Maya cried, looking at her console and struggling to control her apprehension. "It's spreading everywhere!"
"Abort the test!" Ritsuko ordered. "Shut off all flows of the sixth pipe system."
"Right!" Maya replied, reaching for the emergency shut off. With the push of a button, the pipe system in question severed all links, sealing itself off.
"Numbers 60, 38 and 39 are all hermetically sealed," a technician announced, feeling slightly relieved.
"Corrosion present in 6 through 42" his colleague informed the room.
"It's no good!" Maya said. "The corrosion effect is spreading along the walls."
"Deploy polysomes," the doctor ordered. A number of robotic, under-water craft are released into the water filled chamber beyond the Pribnow box. "Set laser power to maximum," she continued. "Zap every invasive particle."
"Corrosion has reached 6 through 58. It's here!" Maya cried, looking up from her console. The polysome's approached a pipe at the edge of the chamber, labelled "No.6". For a few moments, all was silent in the Pribnow box. Rei's scream of pain startled everyone, searing through the silence. Ritsuko looked at Ayanami's simulation body.
"Rei!" she called. Outside the box, the simulation body containing Rei Ayanami began to shudder. It's hand slammed against the wall of the chamber
"Rei's simulation body is moving," Ibuki commented.
"Impossible!" Akagi said, running over to Maya's console. In the water filled chamber, the simulation body moved as if struggling to free itself from some kind of restraint
"The corrosion is still spreading," the lieutenant informed her superior. Discoloration had become visible on the pipe in front of the polysomes. "It's invading the simulation bodies' active water system," Ibuki said. The discoloration was visible on the simulation body, mainly on the shoulders. Misato looked on, horrified, as the body nearest the window, the one housing the first-child's entry plug, began to reach toward her. Ritsuko smashed the safety shield on the emergency control and activated the 'forced shutdown'. The arm was blown off and flew toward the observation window. Katsuragi recoiled as it hit.
"How's Rei?" Misato called, turning to Maya.
"She's all right," the lieutenant assured the major.
"Eject the entry plugs immediately," Ritsuko ordered, stood behind Maya. She turned to another technician. "Use the lasers!"
The emergency ejection system activated and all three entry-plugs shot out of the simulation bodies. They continued to fly upward, propelled by the jets fitted for emergencies, and a door sealed behind them. The polysomes began to fire at the corrosion on the pipes and bodies, the water boiling where the beam makes contact. Suddenly, the lasers were reflected away from the corrosion by an all too familiar field.
"That's an AT Field!?" Misato gasped, back at the window. Terror gripped her as the reality of the situation they now faced it home.
"It can't be!" Ritsuko cried, looking out the window. She forced herself to remain calm. In the water filled chamber, sections of the severed arm begin to glow red, as do the corroded sections of the simulation bodies.
"Is th...that...an..." Katsuragi stuttered, her voice failing her.
"Pattern analysis is blue," the doctor informed her, the words almost catching in her throat. "ID confirmed. An Angel."
--------------
Emergency sirens began blaring in central command, startling everyone. Professor Fuyutski was stood behind Makato Hyugo when they sounded. He snatched up the phone next to the technician as soon as it began to ring.
"An Angel?!" he demanded. "You let an Angel get inside these facilities." Behind him, Commander Ikari's station rose up. He was also speaking to someone on a phone.
"I'm sorry sir," Misato apologised over the link to command.
"No time for excuses," the professor told her. He lowered the handset. "Right. Let's cut off Central Dogma," he instructed looking and pointing to his left. "Isolate it from the Sigma Unit."
"Initiating physical lock down of Central Dogma," Shigeru stated, typing commands in as fast as he could. "Isolate from Sigma Unit."
--------------
Misato was stood by the window, which was now covered by the glowing Angel, holding a phone to her ear. She lowered it, turning to the technicians present.
"Evacuate immediately!" the major ordered. "Abandon the box." The technicians began running out, some grabbing notes, dropping some in the process, a couple cried out in fear. Ritsuko didn't move from her position next to Maya's station. The observation window began to crack. Misato ran over to her friend and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her with her.
"What the hell you doing?!" Misato asked. "C'mon." The window broke and the Pribnow box began to flood as the doors closed behind the two of them. They sprinted of the command centre.
"Isolating Sigma Unit from B floor," the bases automated voice announced over the intercom. "Closing all partitions. All personnel in the area must evacuate." Throughout the Sigma Unit, pipes severed themselves and doors slammed shut.
--------------
"I know that. Take care of it," Ikari said, still speaking on the phone, apparently paying no attention to the panic surrounding him. He put the phone in the open drawer to his right and slid it shut. "Cancel the red alert," he ordered.
"Cancelling the alert, sir," Makato complied, uncertain. The commander took up his usual posture. Fuyutski walked over and took up his usual post behind Ikari.
"Very good," he said. "Call the committee. Tell them there was an error in our alarm system."
"Y...yes, sir," Aoba replied, doing as told. Hyugo's display showed the progress of the infiltration.
"The contaminated area is still descending, sir," Makato Hyugo informed the head of Nerv. "It's spreading all over Sigma Unit from the Pribnow box!"
"It's too close," the professor whispered to Gendo, behind over.
"Yes, much too close to Adam," he agreed. "We must stop the Angel inside the Sigma Unit. If necessary, sacrifice the Geo Front. Eva status?" he continued, aloud. Fuyutski straightened up as the technicians began their reports.
"They're standing by in the seventh cage," Makato informed the commander. "We can launch them as soon as the pilots are recovered."
"There's no need to wait for the pilots. Launch them immediately," Ikari ordered. Shigeru and Makato look up from their stations, gasping. "You will launch Unit 01 first. If necessary, the other two Evangelions are to be abandoned." The two technicians turned to look up at the commander.
"Unit 01 has priority?" Makato asked, confused.
"But sir, how can we possibly destroy this Angel without the Eva's?" Shigeru Aoba enquired.
"If the Eva's are contaminated first we'll be finished," the commander informed them. "Get moving!" Shigeru and Makato turned back to their stations.
"Roger," Makato replied, the exact same moment Shigeru said, "Yes, sir." They quickly entered the necessary commands, and Evangelion Unit 01 was launched to safety.
--------------
In a lift shaft, Kaji began to climb out of the elevator that had been carrying him. He didn't really pay any attention to the system's voice speaking over the intercom.
"Central Dogma and Sigma Unit will be locked down in sixty seconds," it informed him, not that he was listening. His attention was on the shaft above him. The walls were flickering with red lights. Any further announcements were disguised by the sound of emergency bulkheads sliding closed.
"So that's the new Angel," he said to himself. "Time to take a break I think." He leapt off the roof of the elevator towards an open door on his left. The sign above it informing him it was level 28, part of Central Dogma
--------------
Back in command, the automated voice continued to inform those present of the situation.
"Central Dogma has been sealed," it said. "Mega-depth facilities are all occupied by the intruder."
"So, how do we fight the Angel without the Eva's?" Fuyutski asked of no one in particular.
--------------
Back in the Sigma Unit, the simulation bodies continued to glow red with the light emanating from the intruding Angel, which now covered the majority of their surface.
--------------
Having reached the command deck, Ritsuko was looking at a display, which showed the progress of the Angel. The infested areas appeared as red spots.
"Look at this," she said, noticing something. "The border between the normal and heavy water." There were very few red markers below the boundary of the two types of water. "There's a higher oxygen content."
"Yeah. Their preference is pretty obvious," Lieutenant Ibuki commented. Shigeru Aoba was sat at his station, with Misato is stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at the screen before him.
"It looks like the place where ozone it vented in to maintain asecptic conditions isn't contaminated," he said, wondering what that particular fact meant. Misato turned to Dr. Akagi, who was stood behind Maya, her right hand on the headrest of the technician's seat.
"Does that mean that its weakness is ozone?" the major asked her friend. Ritsuko looked over at Misato.
"It would seem so," she said, a little uncertain.
--------------
Bubbles flowed out of a vent into the water filled chamber containing the simulation bodies in the Sigma Unit. The glow from the bodies started to decrease.
--------------
"Injecting ozone," Makato informed his superiors as he increased the flow into the chamber. "Ozone concentration increasing."
"It's working alright," Shigeru said, trying to reassure himself.
"Will this work?" Fuyutski mused, aloud.
"Zero A and Zero B seem to be recovering," Ibuki announced, referring to the simulation bodies. They were clearly visible on the main display. As she looked on, Major Katsuragi noticed a visible decrease in the glow.
"The area around the pipes is getting back to normal," Aoba said, his relief clearly visible.
"True, but the central mass is proving more resistant," Makato Hyugo added.
"Alright. Inject more ozone," Kouzou Fuyutski ordered from his position behind the commander. Ritsuko looked at something.
"Hmm," she said to herself, totally immersed in her musings. She blinked in disbelief. "Huh! What the..."
"Uh oh. It's not shrinking," Shigeru cried, starring at his display in disbelief.
"Something is wrong!" Makato told the room. "Heat levels are rising dramatically. The contaminated area, it's spreading again." On his display, the red area began to increase in size.
"It's not working," Maya said. "The ozone's not working anymore."
"I don't believe it! It's absorbing the ozone," the bespectacled technician announced. Ritsuko looked over at Misato, who was stood, starring at the main display.
"Stop the ozone," Dr. Akagi ordered. She and Maya studied the technician's display. The image representing the structure of the Angel was changing constantly.
It's almost beautiful, Maya thought, looking at the patterns appearing and disappearing before her.
"Amazing..." the blonde doctor said quietly. "It's actually evolving." Suddenly Maya screen was filled with static and the alarms began to sound once more.
"What's going on?" the major asked, looking up at the main display.
"We've got an unidentified intruder," Shigeru informed her. His display showed the intruder's progress through the partitions of the computer system. "Someone's hacking into the sub-computer"
"Ah, not now!" Makato cried. "They're coming in C-mode. We can't stop them."
"We've got to unfreeze the barrier," Shigeru announced. "Open a decoy entry."
"Decoy entry has been avoided," one of the other technicians informed him.
"T-minus eighteen seconds until the trace is completed," Makato said, typing away furiously at his station.
"Spreading barrier," the technician added. "Barrier has been penetrated."
"Open a second false entry," Shigeru ordered.
"Opening another false entry," another technician confirmed. For his seat, Commander Ikari looked on, pensive.
"No human's capable of this!" Makato commented, continuing to work as fast as he could to counteract the intruder.
"Trace completed," Shigeru announced. "The hacker's inside this building. It's under B-wing! In the Pribnow box!" he added, stunned by what he read off his display. On the main display, the glow from the Angel changed from red to gold.
"The optical pattern is changing," Ibuki said, noticing the difference.
"Those glowing lines are electronic circuits," Shigeru informed the others. "It's an organic computer."
"I'm opening a new decoy entry," Hyugo advised his colleagues. "Negative. Too much interference." Misato Katsuragi stood behind the two technicians with her arms crossed, a stern look on her face, as they worked as quickly as they could.
"Cut off the main cable," she ordered.
"Negative," one of the other technicians told her, attempting to obey. "It refuses to accept the command."
"Utilise the lasers," the major told him.
"It's generating an AT Field," Maya told Katsuragi. "No effect." Misato frowned.
"It's accessing the main security banks. It's cracking the pass code," Shigeru informed his superiors, watching the intruder's progress on his screen, helpless to prevent it. "Twelfth digit... Sixteenth digit... It's in."
"It's broken into the main banks, it's reading all the files," Makato yelled, looking over his shoulder at Ikari. "We can't stop it. It's got all our codes."
"What in the hell is it looking for?" Fuyutski asked. Ikari continued to watch, an idea forming in his mind.
"It's scanning the main directories," Aoba said. "Accessing codes for... Oh my god! It's going after the Magi system."
"Shut down the I/O system," Gendo Ikari ordered. Shigeru and Makato removed the keys they wore under their uniforms and inserted them into the locks that were situated beneath their consoles.
"Systems shut down," Shigeru said.
"Three... Two... One!" Makato continued. On one, they both turned their keys. Finding on response, they both uttered sounds of surprise. "We can't shut it down!" Hyugo yelled at the commander. At her station, Lieutenant Maya Ibuki was sweating as she tried to keep up with the intruder.
"The Angel is entering the computers. It's made contact with Melchior," she announced. "The Angel is taking over Melchior. Melchior is been reprogrammed by the Angel."
"Melchior self-destruct has been initiated," the automated voice announced over the intercom. Both Katsuragi and Akagi gasped in shock. A tactical display of the three Magi flashed on a display to the doctor's left. "Over ruled. Over ruled. Over ruled. Over ruled."
"No! It's taken over Melchior and it's hacking into Balthasar!" Shigeru cried.
"Fast," Makato commented, trying to keep up. "Too fast."
"Calculation speed is incredible," Shigeru muttered to himself. An idea suddenly came to Ritsuko.
"Change the login mode," she ordered. "Change the synchronisation code to every fifteen seconds."
"Roger," Shigeru replied.
"Yes ma'am," Makato responded. Both started typing away, attempting to follow the doctor's orders. The Angel's progress through Balthasar is slowed to a complete crawl. Fuyutski sighed deeply, relieved.
"How much time did we buy?" he asked.
"At least two hours... I think..." Makato told him, exhausted from trying to keep up with the Angel
"The Magi have become are enemy," Ikari said in his usual, calm voice.
--------------
Sometime later, in one of the many briefing rooms, the command staff were stood around a table, which was displaying a number of images from inside the Sigma Unit. Commander Ikari and Professor Fuyutski stood on one side; Misato, Makato, Maya and Ritsuko stood on the opposite side to them. Shigeru stood along one of the shorter edges, with two lower ranking technicians stood opposite him
"This Angel must be composed of a group of nano-machines, each the size of a virus," Dr. Akagi informed those present. "These nano-machines then group together to form colonies and in a very short period of time they mutate in a focused, exponential series to form a sophisticated intelligence circuit."
"Evolution," Fuyutski commented, his arms crossed, absorbing what she'd just told them.
"Yes. They're continually changing and adapting themselves to attain the best system to cope to any environment that they may encounter," she added.
"I understand," he said. "It's this Angel's survival mechanism. Total adaptability."
"The only effective counter-measure for an enemy that continuously evolves to overcome it's own weakness it to eliminate the host," Major Katsuragi commented. "If the Magi die, the parasites die too." She looked over at Commander Ikari. "Therefore commander, I propose the physical destruction of the Magi."
"Impossible," Ritsuko said, looking at the major, annoyed. "Destroying the Magi means destroying headquarters itself." Katsuragi turned to look at the doctor.
"That's my recommendation as Head of Operations," she said calmly.
"You're out of line!" Akagi responded "This situation is the responsibility of my department."
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Misato asked, annoyed. Ritsuko turned away and closed her eyes before answering.
"This whole thing is the result of my carelessness," she said.
"Why do you have to be like this?" the major inquired, sighing. "You never share the responsibility. Why won't you trust someone else?"
"As long as this Angel keeps evolving, we still have a chance," Dr. Akagi said, looking up.
"By controlling its evolution," Ikari said.
"Yes sir," Ritsuko agreed.
"We must structure an evolution that leads to self-destruction," the commander said. "Death itself."
"We'll set it up so that absorbing of the Magi will lead to an evolutionary dead-end," Fuyutski said, realising what Gendo was thinking.
"If the Angel's believe it be their only practical means of survival, they may choose to co-exist with the Magi system," Ritsuko informed her superiors.
"But how?" Makato asked. "What's your plan?"
"Since this Angel is like a computer, we can hack into it by connecting it to Casper," Akagi told him. "Once we've done that, we can upload some kind of auto self-destruct program."
"But, in order to do that, we'll have to remove the barriers that are protecting the last Magi," Maya said, concerned.
"But, if Casper is faster than Angel, we'll succeed," Ikari stated, thinking carefully about something.
"Yes," the doctor agreed.
"This program...can it be ready in time?" Misato asked. "If Casper's taken over first, it'll be all over."
"I keep my promises," Ritsuko told her friend.
--------------
A short time later, back in command, Ritsuko was knelt next to the large unit marked Casper-3, activating a control. Maya and Misato were stood about a foot away, watching with interest.
"Red alert! Red alert! An emergency has occurred in Nerv headquarters," the automated voice announced. "All D-class personnel must evacuate."
The unit rose up, revealing the inner-workings of the computer system called Casper. The line that indicated where floor level was usually was clearly visible, as the area below it was a different shade to the rest of the unit. The metallic parts appeared rusted and old. Maya and Misato watched in disbelief, as it grew to twice its previous size. Ritsuko opened a hatch and all three looked inside. The walls within were covered with paper notes.
"What are those paper things, ma'am?" Maya asked, curious. Dr. Akagi got on to her hands and knees and climbed inside.
"These are the developers personal notes," she informed her assistant. Maya reached in and pulled one out.
"My god! They're access codes," she cried, reading it. "They're the Magi's secret codes."
"It's like having a map to all of the Magi's back-doors," the major commented.
"Am I allowed to see these?" the lieutenant asked, as giddy as a schoolgirl. "I can't believe it. This is all INT-C! Schematics. Everything." Ritsuko smiled to herself. "With these notes we can program much faster than we thought, right ma'am?" Ritsuko looked back at them and nodded. Then she looked ahead once more.
"Thanks mom," she whispered softly. "With your help we can make it."
--------------
About an hour later, the area around Casper had been filled with bits and pieces of technical equipment and the computer. Maya was perched on a large block, typing away at a portable console, which was connected to various others by a number of cables. A number of books and notes littered the area. Thick bundles of cables ran out of the open hatch, diverging and going all over the place. The term 'organised chaos' could definitely have been applied. The sound of an electric tool was audible to Maya over the sound of her typing, coming from inside the computer. She ignored it and kept on working.
Inside Casper, Misato was sat beside Ritsuko, her legs beneath her chin and arms wrapped around her legs. Akagi was led on her back, working on something overhead. Ritsuko put down the tool she was using and Misato moved it aside. Akagi then began hammering at something, out of Misato's field of view. The doctor grunted as she worked. She put her hand out in front of Misato.
"Wrench please?" she asked. Misato looked around her for the tool in question, then passed it to her.
"Hey," Misato said, smiling, "doesn't this remind you of our college days?" The blonde doctor didn't appear to have heard her and kept on working.
"Board number twenty-five please?" she asked, holding out her hand once more. Misato searched all around for it. She found a portable console with a note saying '25' on it and passed it to the doctor. Ritsuko started tapping away.
"So... Why don't you tell me all about the Magi?" Misato asked, smiling.
"It's a long story," Akagi told her, reluctantly. She continued typing for a few moments, then reached up and pulls out a piece of equipment that looked to the major like an old VR headset, and sat it on the floor beside her. "Do you know about the personality transplant OS?" she asked.
"Yeah," Misato told her. "It's a system of implanting personality onto a seventh generation systematic computer to allow the system to think for it self." Katsuragi seemed pleased with herself, for remembering the technical details. "The same technology is used for operating the Eva's," she added a moment later. As Misato had spoken, Ritsuko had repositioned herself in an upright posture, sitting on something and reached upward to continue towards her goal, using an electric screwdriver.
"The Magi's programming used one of the first test subjects," Ritsuko told her friend. She put down the screwdriver and removed a plate from overhead. Behind it was a curved bulkhead with the words 'CASPER 3 MAGI' written on it. "So...since my mother was the one who developed the technology..."
"You mean it was her personality that was transplanted?" Misato asked, surprised. Dr. Akagi put the plate to one side and picked up a small circular saw.
"That's right," she said, and began cutting into the curved bulkhead. "In a very real sense, the Magi's brains are my mother." After she'd finished cutting, she put down the saw and removed a section of the bulkhead, sighing. Behind the piece of bulkhead was something that resembled a human brain. In it there were a number of sockets.
"Is that why you want to protect the Magi?" Misato asked.
"I don't think so," Ritsuko told her, sorting through a number of jacks. "Actually, to be quite honest, I never really liked my mother," she added, inserting the jacks into the 'brain'.
"Oh!" was all the major could think of to say.
"My decision was that of a scientist," Dr. Akagi explained.
Makato Hyugo was watching the tactical display of the Magi closely, watching for when Balthasar would be completely taken over by the invading Angel.
"It's happening," he yelled, as the last part of Balthasar became red. He looked over his shoulder. "Balthasar is being taken over!" The main display flashed, with one line on it, repeated many times - 'COMPUTERS HAVE OPTED FOR SELF DESTRUCTION'
"Magi auto self destruction sequence has been determined," the base's automated voice informed the personnel present. Misato stuck her head out of Casper and looked up at the main screen. Maya had stopped her typing and was also looking at the screen.
"Huh?! It's started?" Misato asked, not really believing what was happening. Maya quickly returned to her work, typing faster than before.
"Self destruction will occur twenty seconds after all three AI consent," the automated voice continued. "Area of destruction will include Geoid depth minus two hundred eighty, minus one forty and floor zero. Under Special Command five-eight-two..."
"Balthasar is now invading Casper!" Shigeru cried, drowning out the system voice.
"They're faster than us," Fuyutski commented, from his position behind him.
"They're faster all right," Shigeru agreed.
"But..." Misato started. Ritsuko didn't appear to be taking any notice of what was going on. She was typing away furiously, apparently lost in her own thoughts.
"T minus twenty seconds to self-destruct," the automated voice said, interrupting the major.
"My God!" Professor Fuyutski exclaimed, leaning forward.
"Casper will be taken over in eighteen seconds," the longhaired technician announced.
"T minus fifteen seconds to self-destruct," the base's voice over the intercom announced a few seconds later. On the tactical display in front of Shigeru, over half of Casper was now red.
"Ritsuko hurry!" Misato urged, crawling towards her friend.
"Don't worry," the blonde doctor told her. "I've got one whole second to spare."
"T minus ten seconds to self-destruct," the automated voice announced
"Only one second?!" Katsuragi exclaimed, concerned.
"Nine..." the automated voice toned, begin to countdown the final seconds.
"That's not a zero or a minus," Akagi informed the major.
"Eight... Seven..." the system voice continued.
"Maya!" Ritsuko called to her assistant.
"Six..." the automated voice added, continuing the countdown.
"We can do it," Lieutenant Ibuki told her superior without stopping.
"Five... Four... Three..." the computer generated voice continued, as the two ladies continued to type away.
"Hit it!" Ritsuko ordered. Both she and Maya hit the 'enter' key on the portable consoles they were working on. The program they'd been working on instantly sprang to life.
"Two... One... Zero..." the automated voice finished, unaware of the drama in the room. For a few seconds, all was silent. No one dared to breathe and everyone kept absolutely still. Then, suddenly, the red areas on the tactical display began to disappear. First from Casper, then Balthasar and finally Melchior, as the Angel's control of the Magi system disappeared.
"Autonomous self-destruct has been cancelled," the computer voice announced. Fuyutski was so relieved he almost collapsed. Makato and Shigeru shouted and pumped the air in celebration. Misato crawled out of Casper and looked at Maya, who smiled tiredly at the Major. "Special Command five-eight-two has been cancelled. Magi system returning to normal mode." Inside Casper, Dr. Akagi sighed heavily, throwing her head back. "Red alert has been cancelled."
--------------
Down in the water filled chamber inside the Sigma Unit, the glow faded from the simulation bodies.
--------------
In the lake outside Nerv headquarters, three long, cylindrical metal objects floated in close formation. The occupants were unaware of the events that had transpired within headquarters and do not hear the computer generated female voice making an announcement through the base's external speakers.
"Red alert has been cancelled. Red alert has been cancelled. All hands return to first stage alert," it said. Within her entry plug, Rei Ayanami quietly slept.
"Ooh, what's going on out there?" Shinji Ikari, the third child, asked himself. He was worried about what was occurring, his mind racing with hundreds of possibilities.
"Aaahh! How am I gonna get outta here naked?" Asuka Langley Sohryu whined. She was sat in the control seat of her entry plug, with her arms and legs crossed, covering herself. She closed her eyes and threw her head back. "Somebody help me!" she cried. "Hello?!"
--------------
Doctor Ritsuko Akagi was sat in a chair next to the still raised Casper in the command centre. She felt totally exhausted, and was resting her arms on her crossed legs, her head sagging.
"Sigma Unit has been released. T minus zero three until Magi reactivation," the automated voice announced. Ritsuko didn't pay it any attention. Hearing footsteps, she looked up as Major Katsuragi approached.
"I must be getting old," the doctor told her friend, with a tired smile. "These all-nighters are really rough." The major stopped in front of her. She carried a steaming mug in each hand.
"Yeah, but at least you kept your promise again," Misato said, smiling. "You did good," she added, passing one mug to Ritsuko. Akagi took it with both hands, not wanting to drop it.
"Thank you," she said quietly before taking a sip. She sighed as she felt the hot liquid run down her throat. "You know, this is the first time I've ever really appreciated this paint thinner you call coffee." Misato laughed weakly at her comment.
"The night before she died, my mother told me that the Magi were the three aspects of her life," Ritsuko said, not looking up. "Herself as a scientist. Herself as a mother. And herself as a woman. Those three aspects of her struggling for dominance inside the Magi. She intentionally implanted the dilemmas of the human experience into them. Actually, each of the three programs are slightly different as well." Misato looked at Ritsuko, uncertain how to react to her friend's words.
"You know, I don't think I'm the kind of woman who will ever have children of my own," the doctor continued. "So I don't really understand her as a mother. But I respected her as a scientist. However, when it came to her as a woman, I hated her." She paused to take another drink.
"W...well, you're rather talkative today," Misato commented, feeling a little nervous and uncomfortable.
"About somethings," the doctor agreed, looking up. Just then, Casper began to lower itself back down. Ritsuko watched its descent and Misato watched her. Ritsuko sighed, dropping her head again.
"The program that was installed in Casper was the one of my mother as a woman," Akagi continued with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and looked up. "And she stayed a woman until the very last second. How totally like my mother." With that final comment, the blonde-haired doctor stood up and began to walk away.
--------------
Meanwhile, Shinji was now not only nervous about what was happening inside headquarters, but he was also concerned for Asuka. He had been surprised when he'd realised that he didn't care what happened to him, but he was worried about what could be happening to the German. Going against standing orders, he activated a voice link between his and Asuka's entry plugs.
"Asuka, are you okay?" he asked, his concern plainly was plainly audible. The second-child was a little surprised to hear his voice coming through the plug's intercom.
"What are you doing Dummkopf?" she asked, feeling a little peeved for some reason. "You shouldn't be wasting energy like this."
"Relax Asuka. This is a direct link between us," he told her. "Besides, Rei's probably asleep." She relaxed a little when she realised that no one could hear them. "I was worried about you. That's all."
"You were?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course," he replied. "I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Asuka felt a little thrill when she heard this. "We've got no way of knowing what's going on in headquarters. We're running on emergency life support..."
"Which you shouldn't be wasting talking to me," she informed him, interrupting whatever he was going to say next. Although, I'm glad you are, she thought. Indeed, she had felt like she was going to go crazy, stuck in the entry plug with nothing to do.
"Don't worry," he responded, "I'm sure they'll come and get us before our power gets low." Asuka sighed as she realised he was right. "Are you cold?" he asked.
"Well I was," the girl answered, "before I turned the heating up." She shivered as she recalled how low the temperature had been. "Who set the thermal controls anyway?" she asked.
"It was probably set from Ayanami's system," Shinji told her. "And you know she'd never complain about something like being cold."
"That's true," the redhead snorted, thinking unkind thoughts to the first-child. "What about you Shinji? How are you holding up?"
"I'm a little worried, but I'll be okay" he told her truthfully. "I guess I just needed to talk to you," he added.
He needed to talk to me?! Asuka thought, surprised by his words. There was silence over the link for a few moments, during which time Asuka could hear his breathing. It was slow and regular, completely relaxed. With a start, she realised her own breathing had relaxed since she'd started talking with him.
"How long have we been here?" she eventually asked.
"A little over three hours," he informed her. "I don't know about you, but I was starting to get a little stir-crazy," he told her. In her mind, she could see him smiling as he spoke. At least, she thought he was; his voice definitely sounded cheerful anyway.
"Yeah, I was too," Asuka replied. "You know, they should do something about that."
"About what?" the third-child asked, puzzled.
"They need to find something for us to do if we get stuck like this," she answered. "It's not good for us to be sat around for hours with nothing to do while we wait to get rescued."
"I guess so," Shinji responded, sighing. At least she's feeling okay, he thought, reassured by her tone. The German sounded just like she always did. Just then Shinji Ikari would have given anything to be able to take her hand in his, to feel the warmth of her hand against his. He was lost in his thoughts when a sudden bang on the side of the plug brought him back to reality.
"What was that?" Asuka asked, having heard the noise over their link.
"I dunno," he replied. "It sounded like something hitting the outside of the plug," he added. A voice link to the outside then activated, overriding the one he'd set up.
"This is recovery team B at all pilots," a familiar male voice said. "Sorry it's taken so long guys," it added apologetically, "but things have been a little hectic the last couple of hours."
"What happened?" Shinji asked a little timidly, fearing the worst.
"Don't really know," the voiced said, "but don't worry. Everyone's okay. Major Katsuragi and Doctor Akagi are waiting for you guys, and they'll explain everything."
"You're not gonna open the door are you?" Asuka inquired, nervous. The voice laughed, but it was a kind laugh.
"Don't worry," it assured them. "I've been informed of the situation. Those plugs are staying sealed until you guys are back in headquarters." The second-child relaxed a little. "Hey Ayanami. You okay in there?" the voice asked.
"I am fine," she said softly. "Why would I not be?"
"Hell, no reason," the voice told her. "It's just you haven't spoken yet, that's all."
"I had nothing to say," Rei calmly informed him.
"Sounds like Wonder-girl's alright," Asuka said, teasing. The only reply she got was the sound of laughter coming over the intercom.
--------------
"Hmm, that's odd," Ritsuko muttered to herself as she read the report on the recovered entry plugs. She and Lieutenant Ibuki were in her office, going over the reports that had been flowing in over the last day and a half.
"What is it doctor?" Maya asked, looking up from the pile of papers she had been reviewing.
"The internal batteries in Asuka and Shinji's entry plugs were drained more than Rei's," Dr. Akagi informed her assistant. Ibuki put down the report she was reading and walked over to the blonde doctor. Looking over her shoulder, she read the section of report Ritsuko indicated.
"Well it does say their heating system had been set higher," Maya pointed out. Dr. Akagi considered this for a few seconds.
"Maybe, but there's too much power missing to be just that," the doctor said, after mentally calculating the amount of power the temperature control system would have used. With the lieutenant still looking over her shoulder, she began to scan through the remainder of the document. After a couple of pages, something caught her eye. "Huh? What's this?" she asked, reading the section more closely.
"What is it?" Maya enquired.
"According to the communications log, a voice link was activated between Shinji and Asuka," Ritsuko replied, still not really believing what she was reading.
"But doesn't that go against procedure, ma'am?" Ibuki asked.
"Yes it does," Ritsuko replied, frowning. "They should have been conserving power, not wasting it talking to each other."
"Well it does say that the link was opened after almost three hours," Maya pointed out to her superior. "They were probably bored and needed something to do."
"That's no excuse," Ritsuko told her forcefully. "Procedures are in place for a reason."
"I know that ma'am," Ibuki replied defensively, "but they are just kids. Who opened the link? Asuka?" Ritsuko scanned through the paragraph until she found the answer.
"No," she answered a moment later, "according to this, it was Shinji."
"But that's not like him," Maya told her. "He always follows orders."
"I know," Ritsuko responded absently, putting the report on her desk and crossing her arms. "Hmm, I wonder..." she started, then trailed off.
"Wonder what?" the young lieutenant asked after a moment.
"Misato told me she'd encouraged them to talk to each other more," Ritsuko said thoughtfully. "Maybe that's what they were doing, discussing something."
"It's possible," Ibuki commented, mulling it over. She wandered back to her seat, thoughts running through her head.
"Well, I'm still gonna have to have a word with them," Ritsuko said after a while. "Orders are orders," stated glibly, before turning her attention to the rest of the report.
--------------
Later that day, Shinji and Asuka had taken a detour on their way home. On a whim, they'd gone to the hillside were weeks earlier, all three of the pilots had sat and watched the lights come back on in the city of Tokyo-3 after the defeat of the ninth Angel. The two sat side by side, looking out over the city they protected.
"What time's Misato gonna be home?" the pilot of Unit 02 asked, knowing full well her companion would remember. She didn't turn her head to look at him; she was too busy looking at the city skyline.
"She said she'd be back around eight," Shinji answered softly, his voice clearly demonstrating how calm he felt. He looked over at her, watching the gentle breeze play with her hair. When a strand fell across her face, she absent-mindedly reached up and flicked it back into place. As she did, she noticed his gaze and turned her head to return it. He blushed and looked away as she smiled at him.
Things had been very busy over the last couple of days, and they hadn't been able to find the privacy they needed to enjoy each other's company properly. A large team of technicians was busy replacing the sixth pipe system and repairing the simulation Eva bodies. Another team was replacing the observation window in the Pribnow box, as well as checking the consoles there for any damage from the flood it had experienced. There was talk of completely refurbishing the box to insure there was no vestiges of the Angel left.
The three pilots had been kept busy running errands and going through test sequences in their Evangelions to make sure that the machines had not been contaminated. This, combined with their homework, had kept the two adolescent housemates exhausted at the end of the day. They'd had only enough strength left to eat, wash and go to bed.
This morning, when Misato had told them they would not be needed today, the two had been very relieved. On their way to school, they'd had to exercise a large amount of restraint to keep from holding each other's hand. It had also taken a great deal of effort to react normally to each other and not give away their secret. Shinji knew he'd come close to letting the cat out of the bag a couple of times, and thought that Asuka probably had too.
Asuka Langley Sohryu reached over and gently pulled his head back, so she could look in his eyes. It was one of the things she enjoyed most. His eyes were so open, so honest that she often could tell what Shinji was thinking by looking into them. A little hesitantly, he returned her smile, feeling the heat in his face die down. She shook her head and sighed softly.
"Why'd it have to be you?" she asked quietly, turning back to look at the sun lowering itself behind the city. Unable to think of a reply, Shinji kept his silence. Feeling bold, he reached over and took her hand in his. She returned the grip and her smile seemed to increase. Contentment welled up within him and the third-child looked out over Tokyo-3.
"We'd better get going," the boy said softly after a few more minutes. The German looked over at him and nodded.
"I guess so," she replied, noticing how close to the horizon the sun had got. Reluctantly, she got to her feet, releasing Shinji's hand as she did. Once he was up, she took his hand and began leading the way home, holding firmly to the hand of the boy she felt she was falling for. As they entered the city, they let go of each other's hand and continued on, making idle conversation.
--------------
Two days later, Gendo Ikari, the commander of Nerv, was called to a special conference of the Human Instrumentality Project. As usual, there were six present, including himself. Sat opposite him was the chairman of the project, and Seele, Lorentz Keele. Ikari knew the other four members only by the colours illuminating them at the table. Nearest Keele were the yellow and green officials, sat opposite each other. At his end of the table, the blue and red members sat, also opposite each other. He had been called to these meetings with increasing regularity in recent months.
"This event did not occur in accordance with our scenario Ikari," the chairman said, making his displeasure at the sequence of events reported clear to all present. The conference was reviewing the records of the battles with the Angel's thus far. They had just reached the encounter with the sixth Angel. His posture was an aggressive one. He had his left fist resting on the table in front of him, with his right resting on the edge.
"Nevertheless, the result was within the projected parameters," Ikari responded. "We can make the necessary adjustments." He was sat in his usual pose, appearing outwardly thoughtful.
"The United Nations combined navy lost one third of it's entire fleet in this encounter," the blue lit member informed him. He had both hands resting on the table in front of him and was opening and closing his fists.
"At least the lost ships belonged to your country," Red added, his head slightly inclined to towards the commander. "The damage is negligible."
"Quite true," Yellow agreed. "It was fortunate that so much of the damage was inconsequential." He was looking at Gendo; his head angled slightly downward, the light reflecting off his glasses, making it impossible to see his eyes. His hands appeared to be in his lap.
"Hmm. This isn't good," Green commented a few minutes later. The review of reports had just finished. The final one, the one that the commander was not happy existed, dealt with the Angel invasion of Nerv headquarters less than a week ago. He'd thought he'd destroyed all the records. "It's happening to early," he continued, unaware of Ikari's displeasure.
"Yes," Yellow agreed. "This did not occur in accordance with our predictions of when an Angel would invade Nerv."
"And to make matters worse," Red added, "you let it intrude into Central Dogma itself."
"If contacted had occurred then our entire project could have ended in disaster, Ikari," Blue told him, most displeased.
"The report to this committee was an error," Gendo informed them, having already prepared for this outcome. "There is no fact behind this tale of an Angel invasion."
"Ikari, are you saying that the eleventh Angel's intrusion never occurred?" Green enquired.
"Correct," the commander informed him, carefully keeping his voice even.
"Watch your words carefully Ikari," Yellow told him. "Lying to this committee is punishable by death!"
"If you wish confirmation, check the Magi's data recorders," Ikari told those present. "No such incident was very recorded."
"This is absurd!" Blue commented. "We all know that burying the truth is your speciality."
"The time schedule is being carried out in accordance with the descriptions of the Dead Sea Scrolls," Gendo assured them. Blue turned his head away from the commander with a look of disdain on his face. Yellow had now turned his head, and was looking directly at Green, who was watching Ikari carefully, his chin resting on the back of his right hand. Red had crossed his arms and was now deep in thought, head down and eyes closed. The tension in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife.
"All right. We won't discuss any possible guilt or punishment this time," Keele said after a few moments silence. "However, let me remind you that you won't rewrite our scenario."
"I understand," Ikari assured him. "Everything is proceeding according to Seele's plan."
--------------
"You wanted to see me doctor?" Shinji asked as he entered Dr. Akagi's office the next day. She looked up from her console and gestured for him to come and sit in the empty chair opposite her.
"I'll be with you in a moment," she replied, finishing a report for the commander. Shinji felt a little self-conscious sat there, and he was worrying over the reason she had asked to see him. "There," she said to herself as she saved and closed the report. She looked him in the eye, making him squirm a little. After a few moments of indecision and silence, she decided that the direct route was the best one to take.
"The reason I asked you to come see me," she said, taking off her glasses, "goes back to the incident involving the last Angel." She waited for a moment, to see if he would realise what she meant. Seeing that he didn't, she tried different approach.
"You do know the procedure you are to follow when your entry plug is ejected during an unknown situation, don't you?" she enquired.
"Y...yes ma'am," the third-child confirmed.
"Refresh my memory," she instructed.
"During such a situation," he said, taking a deep breath, "pilots are to stay within their entry plug and await further instructions."
"If you know the correct procedure, then why didn't you follow it?" she asked, staring at him. He felt as if she was staring directly into his soul. He swallowed hard, realising what she meant. He sat there silent for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. "Well? I'm waiting."
"Well...I, er, I had to talk to Asuka about something," he said, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. "Misato said that we should talk to each other more, and I, er, thought of something I needed to say to her."
"I'm well aware of the situation," she informed Shinji. "You should have waited." He dropped his head, accepting her reprimand.
"If I'd waited, then I'd probably have forgotten it," the pilot told her. "Either that or I'd have chickened out," he added, quietly. The blonde doctor heard what he said and had to agree with him on that point. "Have you spoken to Asuka yet?"
"Not yet," she informed him. "As you opened the link, it seemed only logical to speak to you first." She pushed her chair back from the desk a little, and began to massage her shoulders. "Then I've got to tell Misato and the commander."
"Do you have to?" Ikari asked. To Ritsuko, it almost sounded as if he was pleading with her. She thought about it for a moment, dropping her arms and letting her head hang backwards.
"Well...I suppose there's no need to tell Misato. After all, I have dealt with the problem, and there won't be a reoccurrence. Will there Shinji?" Dr. Akagi asked, looking directly at him. The third-child quickly shook his head. "And as for the commander...well...if I include a note in the report saying that the situation has been dealt with, I'm sure he won't pursue the matter."
"Thank you doctor," the boy said, smiling. His smile quickly faded. "Do you have to speak to Asuka?" he asked.
"I'm afraid so," Ritsuko told him.
"She did tell me I shouldn't be wasting energy talking to her," Shinji replied.
"Perhaps," Dr. Akagi responded thoughtfully, "but she could have severed the link from her end, but she didn't."
"Oh."
"Don't worry Shinji," the doctor said. "She's not going to get into any trouble," she assured him. "I'm just going to have a quiet word with her, like you and I are having now." The boy relaxed as he realised that the second-child was not going to be reprimanded. "I'll have a word with her after today's experiment," Dr. Akagi said. She looked at him again. "You'd better go get changed."
--------------
Mountains. Heavy are the mountains...but that changes...with the passage of time.
Sky... Blue is sky.
What your eyes can't see. What you eyes can see.
The sun. One, only one.
Water...it is agreeable.
Commander Ikari?
Flowers. So many the same, so many without purpose.
Sky, sky of red. Red the colour...the colour I hate.
The liquid flows, it drips, ripples and pours.
Blood.
Scent of blood, woman who does not bleed.
From the red soil the humans come. Humans made by man and woman.
City...a human creation.
Eva...A human creation as well.
What are humans? Are they creations of God?
Humans...and that which is created by humans.
This is that which is mine. My life, my heart. I am a vessel for my thoughts.
The entry plug, the throne of the soul.
Who is this? This is me. Who am I? What am I? What am I? What am I?
I am I. This object that is, is myself. That which form suits me. This is the self that can be seen, and yet this is not like that which is myself.
A strange feeling.
My body feels as if it is melting. I can no longer see myself, my form, my shape, fades from view.
Awareness dawns of someone who is not me. Who is here, there, beyond me, here?
Shinji. This person I know, Major Katsuragi. Dr. Akagi. People...my classmates. The pilot of Unit 02.
Commander Ikari...who are you? Who are you? Who are you?
--------------
The first-child gasped as she awoke from her musings. She breathed heavily for a few seconds as she struggled to clear her mind of the images that had just moments ago filled it. As she became aware of her surroundings, she realised she was within the entry plug for Evangelion Unit 01. The plug had been inserted into the Eva, which was active. Looking at the external display, she saw that the Eva was in a large white room, which had no discernible features. Although she could not see them, she remembered that there were restraints connected to the Eva's shoulders and forearms.
"So Rei, how does it feel to be piloting Unit 01 for the first time?" Dr. Akagi asked the young girl, her voice coming over the intercom. Ayanami thought for a few moments before speaking.
"It smells like Ikari," she said softly. Ritsuko didn't respond as she absorbed that fact as she stood in the control booth. She had been expecting something, but she had not expected that. A part of her wondered if this compatibility experiment was worth the risk, but she suppressed that thought quickly. She was stood behind the station being used by Maya. Misato Katsuragi was stood about a metre and a half to her left. The major had her arms crossed.
"The synch-ratio is almost the same as with Unit 00," the doctor commented, looking at the data on the lieutenant's display.
"Unit 00 and Unit 01's personal data patterns are almost identical," Maya told her, accessing the relevant files.
"That's what makes this synch experiment possible," Akagi informed her assistant. Misato looked at the two from the corner of her eye, wondering just what her friend was up to.
"Error margin is zero point zero three," Maya said. "Harmonics are normal."
"No detectable problems found for compatibility between Rei and Unit 01," Ritsuko responded having run a quick mental analysis of the data that had been collected. She reached for the intercom. "Okay, the test is over Rei," she told the first-child. "You can get out now."
"Yes," the girl replied, quieter than usual. Being in Unit 01 was different than being in Unit 00. It would take her time, she realised, to figure out just how it was different. The Evangelion shut down, and the entry plug descended into darkness. A few moments later she felt the plug exiting the robot. As soon as she got out of it, Rei went to the control booth to watch.
Meanwhile, Asuka was undergoing a synchronisation test in Unit 02. It was in the same chamber as Unit 01. She did her best to stop fidgeting, but she was bored. She also wanted to know what Shinji wanted to talk to her about. She knew Dr. Akagi had called him in before these tests, but all he'd had time to say was that he had to speak to her.
"Unit 02 data bank completed," a male voice said over the intercom, interrupting her musing.
"Harmonics are all normal," a female voice added.
"Pilot status is normal," the male voice continued.
"Of course I'm normal!" Asuka muttered, slightly peeved, but not really understanding why. As her test was not yet complete, she stayed in her Evangelion, and her thoughts returned to Shinji Ikari.
The boy in question was sat in Unit 00's entry plug. As it had not been inserted in the Eva, the lights were down low to conserve power. Shinji had his head down, trying to compose himself for the compatibility experiment. Unit 00 was in the same chamber as the other two Eva's.
In the control booth, Major Katsuragi was now stood by the observation window, looking at the Eva. She still had her arms crossed. Rei was stood to her left, slightly behind her.
"What about Unit 00's personal data?" Ritsuko asked Maya.
"Already reconfigured," Ibuki replied. "Reconfirming data now."
"Subject status?" the doctor asked. Makato Hyugo was looking at the internal feed form the entry plug. The third-child's head was still lowered, and his hands were resting on his thighs.
"A bit jittery," the bespectacled technician told her, "but no problems found in the nerve patterns."
"This is his first time in Unit 00, his first time piloting another Eva," Misato reminded them. "It's only natural."
"That's stupid!" Asuka commented. The intercom was active and she'd heard every word spoken. "Why should he care which Eva he's in anyway?" A small video window appeared to her left, at shoulder height. Misato's face filled it.
"It makes a difference to Shinji, that's how he is," the major told the second-child. Asuka looked at her image, and then looked away and frowned.
"I know that!" she spat. "He's such a dork!" Misato tried to smile at this, but it looked more like a cheerful cringe. Asuka looked back at the vid. window. "So why aren't you running these compatibility tests on me?" the German asked, a little unhappy. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"Well..." she said, trying to quickly think of something to say to appease the fiery redhead. "We didn't think you'd want to pilot any other Eva except yours.
"Yeah. That's true, isn't it," Asuka replied cheerfully, tipping her head back. Misato shut the video link.
I don't know if Unit 02 would even be compatible, the major thought.
"Beginning entry", the female technician announced, bring Misato back to the matter at hand. "LCL electrolysed." Inside the entry plug, the lights came on. They flash green, then blue, red and finally change to white. Shinji felt a slight tingle on his face where it made contact with the liquid that filled the plug. Without opening his eyes, he raised his head. "Commence first connection."
"Shinji, how do you feel in Unit 00 entry plug?" Ritsuko asked the boy. He opened his eyes.
"Ah, it feels kinda...weird," he responded.
"Like...incompatibility?" Maya asked, concerned.
"No, not like that," the third-child informed her. "This thing smells like Rei."
"It smells like what?!" Asuka demanded. She'd been listening in, curious to know how Shinji would react. "Perverse Mensch," she muttered. She was about to continue, but stopped herself. Why'd I say that? she wondered. It'll only hurt him. She thought about it for a few moments. Am I...am I jealous?
"Data received. Reconfirming. Pattern green," the female technician continued, unaware of the second-child's quandary.
"All restraints are nominal," the male technician announced, checking his readout.
"Acknowledged," Ritsuko said, checking everything off against a mental checklist. "Now let's shift the mutual compatibility tests to the second stage."
"Unit 00, entering second contact," Lieutenant Ibuki announced. Katsuragi looked over at the doctor and lieutenant from the corner of her eye.
"How's it look?" she asked.
"As I thought," Ritsuko told her, "the synch-ration is lower than that of Unit 01."
"Hmm. Harmonics are all normal," Maya commented, looking at a display giving a tactical analysis of the Eva's status.
"But these are still good readings," Akagi informed her assistant. "These numbers mean that we can implement our current plan."
"You mean the dummy system?" Ibuki asked her superior. She leant back in her chair and looked at the doctor. "Ma'am...I'm really not sure that we should proceed," she said, her concern obvious.
"I understand your feelings on this, but we always have to be prepared for all options," the blonde doctor responded. Maya looked even more disturbed by her words. "It's our guarantee of survival," Ritsuko added, not noticing Maya's expression.
"You know that I've always respected you, ma'am," the lieutenant told her forcefully, "and I still believe in our work. But I'm afraid I'm really not convinced."
"People who develop too many scruples will always have difficulty working amongst others," Dr. Akagi told her, vehemently. "You'll learn once you've gotten your hands dirty. You'll see." The lieutenant did not look convinced, and looked away.
"Initiating third connection," the female technician said from her station, unaware of the discussion that had been going on. In the chamber, the entry plug was inserted and the armour cover slid into place. Eva 00 raised its head.
"Self state of mind graph is stable," the male technician informed the doctor. Asuka opened a video link to Unit 00.
"So how does it feel third-child?" she enquired, genuinely interested. "What's it like in her Eva?"
"Asuka, stop interrupting," Ritsuko told her. "You're distracting him." The German was a little put out by her words.
"Yeah, yeah," she said. Asuka was looking at the video link to Unit 00. "I don't get it," she muttered, turning away from the link. "Why does everyone around here always pamper him."
"Commence A-10 nerve connection," Akagi ordered.
"Harmonics level plus twenty," the female technician informed her. Inside Unit 00, Shinji seemed to become distracted and grabbed his forehead with his left hand, as if in pain.
"What the hell?" he managed to say, having to force the words out. "Some...something's try...trying to get into my brain." A kaleidoscope of images of Rei flashed through his mind. R...Rei. Rei Ayanami, he thought. This feeling, impression. Rei. It's hers. Suddenly, Unit 00 began to struggle against the restraints, trying to pull itself free.
"What's happening?" Misato yelled.
"There's a problem in the pilot's nerve pulse," the male technician informed the major.
"Mental contamination starting" Lieutenant Ibuki announced, looking flustered by what was happening.
"Impossible!" Dr. Akagi responded. "This can't happen at this plug depth."
"It's not from the plug," Maya told her. "The intrusion is coming from the Eva!" In the chamber, the Eva broke the restraints free of the wall. "Unit 00 is out of control!" It grabbed its head, copying Shinji's earlier movements.
"Shut all circuits," Ritsuko ordered. "Cut the power." The umbilical cable was shoot out of the back of the Eva by the emergency charges and dropped to the floor. Unit 00 begins to stagger forward. The right arm reached outward, the left grasped its head. The chamber was filled by the unearthly growls coming from it.
"Eva has switched to reserve power," Maya informed the doctor. Misato stood over the bespectacled technician, reading the data on his screen. Rei continued to stand by the observation window.
"Eva is still activated," the male technician announced.
"Shinji's status?" Misato asked.
"The circuit's closed," Makato told her. "We can't monitor him." On his display is a representation of the connections to the Eva, each numbered. One by one they severed themselves.
"Unit 00 is rejecting Shinji," Ritsuko said.
"Negative!" Maya yelled over her shoulder, mishearing the doctor's comment "The auto ejection, it doesn't work!"
"The same error!" Akagi said, in a daze. "The same one. Is it trying to absorb Shinji?" Having reached the observation window, Unit 00 smashed its fist into it. The window cracked and the frame buckled. Rei didn't so much as flinch. The Eva threw another punch, and then another, and another. The wall around the window was dented by the force of the impacts. Suddenly, the window shattered, sending shards of glass into the control booth.
"Rei, get back here!" Misato yelled at the first-child. The girl ignored the order and just stood there, starring at the Eva gone berserk.
"Activation will terminate in seven seconds," Maya announced. The robot stopped punching the wall and put both hands flat against it. It then began to slam its head against the wall repeatedly, faster and faster. ""Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Zero!" When the lieutenant reached zero, the Eva sagged, its head dragging against the surface of the wall. "Unit 00, activation terminated," Maya announced, calmly.
"Hurry up and get the pilot out of there!" Misato yelled, looking to her right. I can't believe it. the major thought, a stern look on her face. Did Unit 00 just try to kill Rei?
--------------
Sometime later, Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi were stood in one of the briefing rooms, discussing the incident. Misato was stood several feet from Ritsuko; they were facing each other. Ritsuko had her hands in her pockets and Misato had her arms crossed.
"Do you think this could be related to the incident that occurred when Rei was the pilot?" Misato asked her friend.
"I can't tell you much right now," Ritsuko replied. "The only thing I'm sure of is that we must reconfigure Unit 00 for Rei's personal data, and run a new synchronisation test between Rei and the 00 as soon as possible."
"As the Director of Operations, I request that it be done as soon as possible," the major said, aggressively. "Before there are further problems."
"I understand that, Major Katsuragi," Dr. Akagi said.
"Hmm. Right!" Misato snorted and walked away, her angry footsteps echoing through the room.
Unit 00 wanted to attack me, the blonde doctor thought. That's got to be it.
--------------
Early the next morning, Shinji awoke with a start. He was in the same infirmary room he generally occupies when injured. In another room, a television was blaring away. The sound was up high enough for Shinji to hear every word, but he ignored it. He sat up and tried to remember how he ended up there, but nothing came. The last thing he did recall was the entry plug being inserted into Unit 00. He led back down and sighed, starring at the ceiling.
"Again..." he muttered. "I hate this ceiling."
--------------
A short time later, one of the nurses called the command centre. Makato answered the call and listened carefully to what she said. He put the phone down and looked over his shoulder at Major Katsuragi.
"The hospital says Shinji has regained consciousness," he told her. "No signs of mental contamination." Misato looked at him. "But...he doesn't remember what happened."
"Right," Misato replied, her mind racing.
--------------
Meanwhile, at Misato's apartment, the second-child was lying on her bed. Pen-Pen was watching the television in the living room, but the German was too caught up in her own thoughts to listen in. She was led on her back, with her arms under her head. For some reason, she'd neglected to turn the light on.
Misato and Kaji won't tell me anything about her, she thought. Even Shinji doesn't know anything.
"Just what is the first-child?" she wondered aloud. Finding no comfort in her thoughts, she rolled onto her side and starred at her desk. She spotted the picture of Kaji. I hope Shinji's okay, she thought. I'll have to go see him as soon as I can think of a good enough excuse.
--------------
Several hours, in Commander Ikari's office, Fuyutski and the commander were discussing the latter's latest encounter with the committee. Fuyutski was reading a book, while placing Mah-jong tiles on a board. The commander had adopted his usual position.
"The Angel's invasion of headquarters was a deviation from our scheduled scenario," Fuyutski commented. "The committee's found out about it and are applying pressure. They're buzzing around our heads like a swarm of hornets, looking for things to complain about." He put down another tile.
"We hold all the tiles. All the winds and dragons," Gendo told him. "There is nothing they can do."
"That doesn't mean we won't to keep tipping our hand," the professor related, putting down yet another tile. "If Seele starts to interfere, there could be trouble."
"Everything is going according to the scenario. No problems exist," the commander of Nerv informed his sub-ordinate. The professor placed another tile on the board.
"Hmm. What about the Unit 00 incident?" he asked. "That was not in our scenario." Another tile is put in place.
"It will have no effect," Ikari responded. "Rei's resynchronisation test was successful." Fuyutski stopped reading and looked over at his colleague.
You're too concerned about protecting Rei, Ikari the professor thought. "What's the status of the Adam Project?" he asked.
"Proceeding. It's less than two percent behind schedule."
"Then, the Lance Of Longinus is..."
"Is going according to plan," Ikari said, interrupting him. "Rei is handling the operation."
--------------
In the depths of Nerv headquarters, Unit 00 walked along a long dark corridor. Rei was sat in the cockpit, eyes fixed firmly ahead. What little illumination there was, came from a number of dim orange lights, which are situated half way up the dark walls, and spread out at equal distances along the walls.
In the Eva's right hand it carried a metallic object, almost as tall as it is. The item was a dull red in colour and appeared to be made from two pieces of the metal, twisted tightly around each other. Near the top, the twists become looser, until, at the head, the two pieces separated and straightened up into prongs. Each prong was at least two metres long.
The first-child carried her burden with no thought as to its origin or purpose. She knew only what the commander has ordered her to do. And she would do as he instructed.
To be continued...
Next Chapter -
A wedding, a Dirac sea, despair and a special moment for the young couple.
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Well, what do you think? Please contact me with your comments. I'll try to answer any questions in the author notes for the next chapter.
If you want to discuss something with me, please send me an e-mail. My address is CEO_Room3@Hotmail.com. I'll do my best to respond to all correspondence.
I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but it could take awhile. Please be patient.
This is the sequel my first fan-fiction. If you haven't read it, it might be a good idea to do so first. This story takes place during episodes thirteen and fourteen. A big thank you to all those who reviewed my first work. Please do so for this one as well. All reviews will be greatly appreciated, even negative ones! (They all help with the writing process.)
For those of you who are wondering why I have written a sequel instead of another chapter, allow me to explain. "A Question Of..." was always meant to be a short, single part story. This tale will continue the story through the series and into the movies. The choice of name will make sense later on, I assure you.
Disclaimer -
All the characters contained in this story are copyright GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the translated version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. All characters are used WITHOUT the permission of the aforementioned institutions.
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IMPACT
A sequel to "A Question Of..."
By Room3
Chapter 01 - "Intrusions"
"You wanted to see me sir?" Dr. Akagi asked as she entered the commander's office. As usual, very little light was present. Commander Gendo Ikari, head of Nerv, was sat at his desk. His elbows were on his desk and his interlocked fingers supported his chin. He didn't change his expression in the slightest as she walked across the room and stood before him.
"Indeed," he said, calmly. "I want an update on the situation involving the second- and third-child." Ritsuko barely managed to control her grimace. As she'd suspected, somehow he'd learned of their falling test scores. After a few moments silence, he spoke again. "Why have you not informed me of the situation?" he inquired.
"I didn't wish to disturb you without first having conducted a thorough analysis," she answered, truthfully. I also didn't want to be the one to tell you, she thought.
"You should have informed me. Sooner," Ikari reprimanded her. "A loss of sixteen points within two weeks is not a minor matter." She silently excepted his admonishment.
"I agree," she started, realising that he was going to be unhappy with anything she had to say. "However, I believed that the situation would resolve itself before now."
"I see," the commander responded. As usual, his voice reflected none of his emotions. Many lower level members of staff had said that he didn't have any. "What was the result of today's harmonics test?"
"Rei's synchronisation ratio has stabilised. I believe that it will increase after she's had more combat experience," Dr. Akagi told her superior.
"And the second- and third-child?" he prompted her.
"Both Asuka and Shinji has successfully managed to raise their scores," the doctor replied, "by nine and seven points respectively."
"And how do you account for this?" Ikari asked.
"Major Katsuragi believes that there were some problems between the two of them. Thus, she decided to leave the two of them alone together over the weekend to allow them time to sort them out," Ritsuko informed him.
"Interesting," the commander said. He adjusted the position of his fingers slightly, causing his glasses to reflect the dim light more. "Do you believe she is correct?"
"From a purely scientific standpoint, it's too early to tell," the doctor replied. "But personally, I believe she is," she continued.
"And you feel that there will be no further problems?" Ikari queried. His mind was reviewing the personality reports on the two children in question.
"Correct sir."
"Very well then. Provided this incident does not reoccur, I have no problems with their current living situation remaining unchanged," he informed his sub-ordinate. "Understood?"
"Yes commander."
"What is the status of the repairs to Unit 01?" he asked, surprising her with the sudden change of subject.
"The repairs are completed," she informed him, recovering quickly. "Unit 01 is now fully operational."
"Very well. You are dismissed doctor." Commander Ikari lowered his head slightly, mulling over what he had learned.
"Yes sir," Ritsuko said. She turned and walked out of his office. Despite all the time she'd been here, she still found the commander intimidating at times. Misato Katsuragi was leant against the wall outside, waiting for her.
"Well?" the major asked as the door closed behind the doctor.
"He knew," Ritsuko informed her friend, and began walking towards her office. Misato followed her.
"And?" she prompted after a minute of silence.
"As long as their scores don't drop again, he's willing to let them both stay with you," Akagi told her. Misato sighed heavily.
"Thank heavens for that," the major responded, relieved.
"I thought you'd be happy," Dr. Akagi informed her. "What's the matter? Worried you're going to lose you're precious charges?"
"Yes," Katsuragi told her, "I was."
"Oh." Ritsuko hadn't realised just how much Misato had become attached to Shinji and Asuka.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" the major asked.
"I have to run a maintenance check on the Magi," Ritsuko told her friend.
"Again?" Misato asked, exasperated. "You only did that last week!"
"It has to be done again," the doctor told her. "Don't worry. I'll be done in time for the experiment tomorrow."
"I'd almost forgotten about that," Katsuragi said, rubbing her forehead.
"Hadn't you better tell your roommates the good news," Ritsuko reminded her, changing the subject. She didn't want to go into too much detail about the experiment she had planned for the following day.
"Yeah. They're probably waiting for me already," she said, stopping at the intersection they had just reached. "See you later!" she called as she walked away.
--------------
"How much longer she gonna be?" Asuka asked impatiently, as she paced the floor of the conference room in her now dry plug-suit. She and Shinji had been waiting almost twenty minutes for Misato. They didn't know that Dr. Akagi had been called to see the commander. "I wanna wash this stuff outta my hair," she added, referring to the LCL, which had dried whilst she'd been waiting, causing her hair to become a tangled mess.
"We should have showered and changed first," Shinji told her, sighing. He too wanted to get the dried residue out of his hair; the smell from it was beginning to bother him. He was watching her pace from his seat by the wall.
"I guess so," the German responded, sighing. She stopped and looked at him "But I didn't wanna wait!"
"I know how you feel Asuka," the third-child told the redhead, getting up and walking over to her. "I'm dying to find out how we did as well," he informed her, stopping in front of her. She smiled at him, and he returned her smile, a feeling of great joy welling up from deep inside him. The second-child reached out with her left hand and placed it, timidly, on his shoulder.
"Just remember third-child," she reminded him, "we're keeping this a secret." He looked deeply in to her pale blue eyes.
"I won't," he assured her. Feeling something bothering him, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"What's the matter?" Asuka asked, genuinely concerned, giving his shoulder a squeeze.
"I...I dunno," he stuttered softly. "It's just..." he trailed off, lost in his thoughts.
"Just what?" the redhead asked.
"I'm not sure," he sighed. "Asuka, promise me one thing?" he asked, looking back at her. Her smile faded as he met her gaze.
"What?" the girl asked, perplexed.
"Promise you won't keep any secrets from me," he answered. "Promise me you'll talk about anything with me."
"I will," she agreed softly, smiling again. She was about to say something else when she heard footsteps outside the room. She quickly dropped her hand from Shinji's shoulder at backed a few steps away. He'd obviously also heard, as he turned his head to look at the door. Asuka looked over at the door as she heard it being opened.
"Well it's about time!" she said as Misato entered.
"Sorry I took so long," the major said, apologising. She walked over to the two of them, stopping a short distance away. "Dr. Akagi was called to see Commander Ikari."
"Wha...what did my father want?" Shinji asked, worried.
"Somehow he'd learned about your falling test-scores," the major told him. Shinji's heart sank and his shoulders slumped. A quick glance at Asuka from the corner of his eye showed her reaction was the same.
"What about today's test," Asuka asked, feeling she had to know.
"You guys did good. You were up by seven pints Shinji, and you were up by nine Asuka," Katsuragi told her charges. Asuka snorted.
"A lot of good that does," the German complained. "I'm sure the commander wants one of us to leave," she added.
"Actually, Ritsuko managed to convince him to let both of you stay. On the condition that you keep your scores up."
"She...she did?" the third-child asked, almost in disbelief.
"Yes," Misato assured him. "So good work you two. Especially you Asuka."
"Well, what did you expect of the great Asuka Langley Sohryu?" she replied, trying as hard as she could to act normal. She could feel Shinji looking at her, but despite wanting to, she didn't return his glance. "Looks like you've got you're work cut for you third-child. That is, if you want to catch up with me!" she added. I'll apologise for that later, she thought, worried she'd hurt the boy's feelings.
"Are you okay Misato?" Shinji asked, ignoring the girl's comment and looking at their guardian closely. Asuka turned her attention to Katsuragi.
"Yeah. You do look kinda tired," the German informed the major. Misato sighed.
"I am," she informed her charges. "I didn't get much sleep over the last few days. Ritsuko's a real night-owl." She wandered over to one of the chairs and collapsed into it. She sighed heavily. "You two had better go get changed and head home," she told them.
"What about you?" Shinji asked, concerned for her. "Aren't you coming?"
"I'd like to," she assured him. "But I've got a load of reports to finish up. I'll be home as soon I can." Mainly to get some sleep, she thought to herself. She forced herself to get up and headed for the door. "Don't worry about making anything for me," she said as she opened the door. "I'll get something on my way home." With that, she walked out the door and left the two pilots alone again.
"Sorry about what I just said," Asuka said, turning to Shinji. He smiled at her.
"That's okay," he replied. "I knew you didn't actually mean it. You were just keeping up appearances." Although it still hurt, he thought.
"I didn't," she assured the boy. "But I knew that was how I'd've reacted a few days ago, so I had to say it."
"It's fine Asuka, really," the Japanese boy told her. He closed the distance between them. "Besides, it was my idea to keep it a secret," he reminded her. "We'd better shower and change."
"You're right," she responded, turning towards the door. Before she headed to the door, she reached out and wrapped her right hand around his left. He glanced at the redhead as he felt her gloved hand grasp his. They walked to the door holding hands, but released each other as they left the conference room. In silence, they walked to the locker rooms.
--------------
The next afternoon, the command centre was filled with technicians, all busy with the Magi maintenance. The area was filled with notes and portable consoles. Maya sat at her station, typing away while Ritsuko made notes in the maintenance log.
"Apotheosis for the three Eva's will be performed as scheduled as soon as the Magi system is reactivated," headquarters automated voice, a female one, announced over the intercom. Maya only half listened, concentrating on what she was doing.
"Operation confirmed," a male voice added. "Steps 450 through 670 are omitted."
"Command post has granted approval," a second male voice informed the technicians. Ritsuko looked up and watched the lieutenant for a few seconds
"You're getting pretty quick at that, aren't you Maya?" she asked.
"Of course!" Lieutenant Ibuki replied. "Did I have any choice with you as my boss?"
"Ah, wait a second," Dr. Akagi said, noticing something in the code scrolling on Maya's screen.
"Huh!"
"I think A-8 would be faster there," Ritsuko told her. "Let me do that." She turned to her own console and began typing away.
"Wow. She is the master," she muttered. Despite all the time they'd spent working together, Maya was still amazed by the doctor's speed on the keyboard. Finished adjusting the code, Ritsuko returned to the log
"Hello!" Misato called, as the lift carrying her neared the level where the two were working. "Are you done with the Magi's check up yet?"
"Almost finished," Dr. Akagi informed her. "Didn't I promise you I'd be done by today's experiment?" Misato stepped off the lift and walked towards her friend.
"You're something else Ritsuko," she commented, picking up a mug from where it was sat on a pile of notes. She wore her usual red jacket over a black dress that stopped mid-thigh. As usual the metal cross hung around her neck. "Three impossible things to do and you still beat the schedule."
"That coffee's cold," the blonde said as the major lifted the mug to her mouth and took a gulp. She almost gagged at the taste.
"All three Magi systems have entered self-diagnostic mode," the first of the two male voices announced over the intercom.
"The 127th routine maintenance has been completed," the automated voice added. Ritsuko activated the intercom.
"Confirmed," she said. "Well done guys. Go ahead and take a break until the test begins." She turned off the intercom and closed the maintenance log. She looked at Misato, who still had the taste of cold coffee in her mouth. "How are the two children? Any fights?" she asked, taking off her glasses.
"No," Misato told her. "They seem to be getting along." She sighed "For the time being at least," she added. "If you need me, I'll be in my office," the major continued, walking away. Dr. Akagi got to her feet and began tidying away the notes that were strewn around.
"I'll do that doctor," Maya told her. Ritsuko looked over at her assistant and smiled.
"Thanks Maya. Once you've done that, get some fresh air and stretch your legs," the doctor ordered her.
"Yes doctor," Ibuki responded. As the lieutenant began tidying the command area, Ritsuko walked left and headed to the nearest ladies restroom. Once inside, she washed her face, trying to rid of herself of her tiredness.
Everything checked out. As usual, mother's in good shape, but... she thought as she dried her face. She looked into the mirror. Is it just me getting older? she wondered, puzzled by the nagging doubt at the back of her mind.
--------------
"What?!" Asuka whined over the intercom, the pitch of her voice raised by her mood. "You want me to take my clothes off again?"
"The next chamber is an ultra-clean room environment. Just taking a shower and changing your undergarments is insufficient," Ritsuko explained to the pilots from her position in the Pribnow box.
"Why do I have to go through all this for a dumb auto-pilot test? Asuka enquired. Misato couldn't help but feel sorry for the doctor. She knew getting the pilots, especially Asuka, to do this would not be easy.
"With the advance of time comes the need for Eva technology to advance as well. To do so, we need a constant influx of new data," Dr. Akagi told her calmly. "Now get undressed," she instructed. Both Shinji's and Asuka's sounds of complaint could be heard clearly by all present. Maya watched as her display showed all three pilots progress through the decontamination sequence.
--------------
The door in front of Shinji split in half horizontally. One half slid upwards, the other down, to reveal a large, white corridor. The walls had what appeared jets of some kind scattered along the walls. There was a single camera in the far, uppermost left-hand corner. In front of him was a translucent screen that went from shoulder level down to mid thigh. The screen was also present on both sides, allowing him to see the other two pilots, not that he was looking. He had his head down and was doing his best to cover himself. On his left, Rei was stood as she always did, unfazed by being naked. On his right, Asuka was stood defiantly, with her hands on her hips.
"All right, I'm here," she said loudly, "just the way you wanted. Butt-naked and run through the wash cycle seventeen times."
"Very good," Dr. Akagi said over the intercom. "And I want all three of you to stay that way as you walk through the room and board the entry plug." Rei didn't react to this request. Shinji, on the other hand, gasped.
"What?!" the German demanded, blushing slightly.
"Don't worry. The video recorders have been shut off," the doctor assured her. "We do respect your privacy."
"Oh sure you do! And that's not the point," the redhead replied, crossing her arms. "This is a personal thing!"
"The purpose of this experiment is to monitor the harmonics directly from your bodies, without the interference of your plug-suits," Ritsuko patiently explained.
"Asuka, this is an order!" Misato told her.
"All right!" the second-child conceded. "But I don't want anybody peaking, okay?" Wisely, Dr. Akagi chose not to respond. Shinji saw the light on the camera go out, indicating it was now dormant.
--------------
Inside the Pribnow box Ritsuko was stood by the observation window. On the main display, the interior of the entry plugs is visible as usual, with one exception. The images of the pilots were obscured, replaced by images generated from their harmonic data.
"All pilots are ready for entry," a male technician announced. The doctor wasn't really listening. Her attention was on the water filled chamber beyond the glass. In it were the three simulation Eva bodies.
"Start the test sequence," she said, keeping her eyes on the test bodies.
"Beginning the test," the technician responded. "Initiate auto-pilot recording. Inserting simulation plug." Ritsuko could just make out the entry plugs that were being inserted and the docking systems retracting.
"Connecting the systems with the simulation bodies," another technician announced, this one female.
"The simulation plugs are now under the Magi's control," Maya informed the room. Misato looked impressed.
"Man, that was fast!" the major said. "The Magi are magnificent! It's hard to believe that the first test took a whole week."
"Test duration will be three hours," the first technician informed his colleagues. Ritsuko motioned for the intercom to be reactivated.
"How do you feel?" she asked the three pilots. Ayanami was the first to respond.
"It feels quite odd," Rei said, as calmly as she always spoke.
"Yeah," Shinji agreed. "It's a little different from the other times."
Inside her plug, Asuka was holding up her right arm, staring at it. "Something's wrong with my senses," she said, quietly. "My right arm's clear, everything else feels fuzzy."
"Rei, focus on moving the right hand," Ritsuko instructed the first-child.
"Right," she replied. She took hold of the control and attempted to do as ordered. The simulation body's fingers on the right hand move slightly.
"Data collection is proceeding nicely," one of the male technicians commented.
"Everything's looking good," Ritsuko replied. "Return the Magi to normal," she instructed. The display next to Misato suddenly changed from lines of code, to a tactical display of the Magi. Each one flashing as they deliberated on something. Misato looked at the image.
"Huh? A dilemma...." Dr. Akagi said, noticing the change. "You can sure feel their creators personality can't you!" Misato turned to her.
"What are you talking about?" the major asked. "Aren't you the one who created them?" The blonde doctor looked over her shoulder at the major.
"You don't know anything, do you?" she queried.
"That's because, unlike me, you never talk about yourself Ritsuko," Misato snorted. Ritsuko returned her gaze to the observation window.
"No, I don't. I only created the system up-links. The basic theorems and the main frames were my mothers," she informed her friend.
--------------
"Are you double checking this?" Professor Fuyutski asked Shigeru Aoba as he leant over the technician's workstation in the command centre.
"Yes sir. These are the parts that were installed three days ago. The parts that are showing signs of deterioration," he informed his superior.
"The 87th protein wall," Kouzou muttered thoughtfully.
"With magnification you can see some discoloration," Aoba added, magnifying the image displayed before them. "But I can't identify it."
"It's gotta be corrosion," Makato Hyugo commented from his station, having been listening. "There are slight variations in the temperature and conduction rates of the spots. The clean rooms have been deteriorating a lot lately."
"The construction schedule was cut by sixty days, so it's possible some air bubbles might have gotten inside," Shigeru added, turning to look at his superior over his shoulder. "The B wing's construction is rather substandard"
"Well this building was thrown up after the Angels appeared," Fuyutski reminded them as he straightened up, feeling his back twinge. Hyugo looked over his shoulder at the older man.
"It's nobody's fault," the bespectacled technician said. "Everybody was so exhausted back then." Fuyutski looked over at Makato's station.
"Well, just fix it by tomorrow," he said, "or Ikari will chew our asses off."
"Understood." The two technicians said in unison.
--------------
Elsewhere in HQ, a purple discoloration was clearly visible on the seams of an otherwise green wall. However, there was no one around to notice it.
--------------
Back in the Pribnow box, Ritsuko was looking over her shoulder at the Maya, having heard snippets of the lieutenant's conversation over the phone.
"Another leak?" the doctor asked her.
"No," Ibuki replied, putting down the phone. "It's some kind of corrosion, in the protein wall above this floor."
"Just great," Ritsuko commented, sarcastically. "Could it effect this test?"
"No, not at the moment ma'am," Maya informed her superior.
"Then let's continue," Dr. Akagi said. "We can't abort complex experiments because of minor technical problems." She turned back to the observation window before adding, "Ikari would chew my ass off."
"Understood," Maya replied. "Synchronisation position is correct"
"Connecting simulation entry plugs to Eva via the simulation bodies," another technician announced.
"Contact with Eva zero has been confirmed," a second informed those present in the Pribnow box.
--------------
"AT Field will generate on two," a female voice announced over the intercom in the cage containing Evangelion Unit 00. There was a strange sound audible as the Eva's AT Field activated. However, there was no one present to hear it; the cage had been evacuated for the duration of the test. Elsewhere, red spots of light begin to flicker on the discoloured wall.
--------------
All present were startled when the red alert siren began sounding inside the Pribnow box. It took a moment for the personnel to overcome their shock.
"What's happening?" Dr. Akagi demanded, spinning around to look at the technicians behind her.
"Contamination alert," one of the female technicians reported. "It's in Sigma Unit on the A floor."
"The 87th protein wall is corroding and releasing heat," one of her male colleagues announced.
"Abnormality in sixth pipe detected," another informed the doctor, eyes glued to his station.
"Corrosion of the protein wall is increasing at an incredible rate!" Maya cried, looking at her console and struggling to control her apprehension. "It's spreading everywhere!"
"Abort the test!" Ritsuko ordered. "Shut off all flows of the sixth pipe system."
"Right!" Maya replied, reaching for the emergency shut off. With the push of a button, the pipe system in question severed all links, sealing itself off.
"Numbers 60, 38 and 39 are all hermetically sealed," a technician announced, feeling slightly relieved.
"Corrosion present in 6 through 42" his colleague informed the room.
"It's no good!" Maya said. "The corrosion effect is spreading along the walls."
"Deploy polysomes," the doctor ordered. A number of robotic, under-water craft are released into the water filled chamber beyond the Pribnow box. "Set laser power to maximum," she continued. "Zap every invasive particle."
"Corrosion has reached 6 through 58. It's here!" Maya cried, looking up from her console. The polysome's approached a pipe at the edge of the chamber, labelled "No.6". For a few moments, all was silent in the Pribnow box. Rei's scream of pain startled everyone, searing through the silence. Ritsuko looked at Ayanami's simulation body.
"Rei!" she called. Outside the box, the simulation body containing Rei Ayanami began to shudder. It's hand slammed against the wall of the chamber
"Rei's simulation body is moving," Ibuki commented.
"Impossible!" Akagi said, running over to Maya's console. In the water filled chamber, the simulation body moved as if struggling to free itself from some kind of restraint
"The corrosion is still spreading," the lieutenant informed her superior. Discoloration had become visible on the pipe in front of the polysomes. "It's invading the simulation bodies' active water system," Ibuki said. The discoloration was visible on the simulation body, mainly on the shoulders. Misato looked on, horrified, as the body nearest the window, the one housing the first-child's entry plug, began to reach toward her. Ritsuko smashed the safety shield on the emergency control and activated the 'forced shutdown'. The arm was blown off and flew toward the observation window. Katsuragi recoiled as it hit.
"How's Rei?" Misato called, turning to Maya.
"She's all right," the lieutenant assured the major.
"Eject the entry plugs immediately," Ritsuko ordered, stood behind Maya. She turned to another technician. "Use the lasers!"
The emergency ejection system activated and all three entry-plugs shot out of the simulation bodies. They continued to fly upward, propelled by the jets fitted for emergencies, and a door sealed behind them. The polysomes began to fire at the corrosion on the pipes and bodies, the water boiling where the beam makes contact. Suddenly, the lasers were reflected away from the corrosion by an all too familiar field.
"That's an AT Field!?" Misato gasped, back at the window. Terror gripped her as the reality of the situation they now faced it home.
"It can't be!" Ritsuko cried, looking out the window. She forced herself to remain calm. In the water filled chamber, sections of the severed arm begin to glow red, as do the corroded sections of the simulation bodies.
"Is th...that...an..." Katsuragi stuttered, her voice failing her.
"Pattern analysis is blue," the doctor informed her, the words almost catching in her throat. "ID confirmed. An Angel."
--------------
Emergency sirens began blaring in central command, startling everyone. Professor Fuyutski was stood behind Makato Hyugo when they sounded. He snatched up the phone next to the technician as soon as it began to ring.
"An Angel?!" he demanded. "You let an Angel get inside these facilities." Behind him, Commander Ikari's station rose up. He was also speaking to someone on a phone.
"I'm sorry sir," Misato apologised over the link to command.
"No time for excuses," the professor told her. He lowered the handset. "Right. Let's cut off Central Dogma," he instructed looking and pointing to his left. "Isolate it from the Sigma Unit."
"Initiating physical lock down of Central Dogma," Shigeru stated, typing commands in as fast as he could. "Isolate from Sigma Unit."
--------------
Misato was stood by the window, which was now covered by the glowing Angel, holding a phone to her ear. She lowered it, turning to the technicians present.
"Evacuate immediately!" the major ordered. "Abandon the box." The technicians began running out, some grabbing notes, dropping some in the process, a couple cried out in fear. Ritsuko didn't move from her position next to Maya's station. The observation window began to crack. Misato ran over to her friend and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her with her.
"What the hell you doing?!" Misato asked. "C'mon." The window broke and the Pribnow box began to flood as the doors closed behind the two of them. They sprinted of the command centre.
"Isolating Sigma Unit from B floor," the bases automated voice announced over the intercom. "Closing all partitions. All personnel in the area must evacuate." Throughout the Sigma Unit, pipes severed themselves and doors slammed shut.
--------------
"I know that. Take care of it," Ikari said, still speaking on the phone, apparently paying no attention to the panic surrounding him. He put the phone in the open drawer to his right and slid it shut. "Cancel the red alert," he ordered.
"Cancelling the alert, sir," Makato complied, uncertain. The commander took up his usual posture. Fuyutski walked over and took up his usual post behind Ikari.
"Very good," he said. "Call the committee. Tell them there was an error in our alarm system."
"Y...yes, sir," Aoba replied, doing as told. Hyugo's display showed the progress of the infiltration.
"The contaminated area is still descending, sir," Makato Hyugo informed the head of Nerv. "It's spreading all over Sigma Unit from the Pribnow box!"
"It's too close," the professor whispered to Gendo, behind over.
"Yes, much too close to Adam," he agreed. "We must stop the Angel inside the Sigma Unit. If necessary, sacrifice the Geo Front. Eva status?" he continued, aloud. Fuyutski straightened up as the technicians began their reports.
"They're standing by in the seventh cage," Makato informed the commander. "We can launch them as soon as the pilots are recovered."
"There's no need to wait for the pilots. Launch them immediately," Ikari ordered. Shigeru and Makato look up from their stations, gasping. "You will launch Unit 01 first. If necessary, the other two Evangelions are to be abandoned." The two technicians turned to look up at the commander.
"Unit 01 has priority?" Makato asked, confused.
"But sir, how can we possibly destroy this Angel without the Eva's?" Shigeru Aoba enquired.
"If the Eva's are contaminated first we'll be finished," the commander informed them. "Get moving!" Shigeru and Makato turned back to their stations.
"Roger," Makato replied, the exact same moment Shigeru said, "Yes, sir." They quickly entered the necessary commands, and Evangelion Unit 01 was launched to safety.
--------------
In a lift shaft, Kaji began to climb out of the elevator that had been carrying him. He didn't really pay any attention to the system's voice speaking over the intercom.
"Central Dogma and Sigma Unit will be locked down in sixty seconds," it informed him, not that he was listening. His attention was on the shaft above him. The walls were flickering with red lights. Any further announcements were disguised by the sound of emergency bulkheads sliding closed.
"So that's the new Angel," he said to himself. "Time to take a break I think." He leapt off the roof of the elevator towards an open door on his left. The sign above it informing him it was level 28, part of Central Dogma
--------------
Back in command, the automated voice continued to inform those present of the situation.
"Central Dogma has been sealed," it said. "Mega-depth facilities are all occupied by the intruder."
"So, how do we fight the Angel without the Eva's?" Fuyutski asked of no one in particular.
--------------
Back in the Sigma Unit, the simulation bodies continued to glow red with the light emanating from the intruding Angel, which now covered the majority of their surface.
--------------
Having reached the command deck, Ritsuko was looking at a display, which showed the progress of the Angel. The infested areas appeared as red spots.
"Look at this," she said, noticing something. "The border between the normal and heavy water." There were very few red markers below the boundary of the two types of water. "There's a higher oxygen content."
"Yeah. Their preference is pretty obvious," Lieutenant Ibuki commented. Shigeru Aoba was sat at his station, with Misato is stood behind him, looking over his shoulder at the screen before him.
"It looks like the place where ozone it vented in to maintain asecptic conditions isn't contaminated," he said, wondering what that particular fact meant. Misato turned to Dr. Akagi, who was stood behind Maya, her right hand on the headrest of the technician's seat.
"Does that mean that its weakness is ozone?" the major asked her friend. Ritsuko looked over at Misato.
"It would seem so," she said, a little uncertain.
--------------
Bubbles flowed out of a vent into the water filled chamber containing the simulation bodies in the Sigma Unit. The glow from the bodies started to decrease.
--------------
"Injecting ozone," Makato informed his superiors as he increased the flow into the chamber. "Ozone concentration increasing."
"It's working alright," Shigeru said, trying to reassure himself.
"Will this work?" Fuyutski mused, aloud.
"Zero A and Zero B seem to be recovering," Ibuki announced, referring to the simulation bodies. They were clearly visible on the main display. As she looked on, Major Katsuragi noticed a visible decrease in the glow.
"The area around the pipes is getting back to normal," Aoba said, his relief clearly visible.
"True, but the central mass is proving more resistant," Makato Hyugo added.
"Alright. Inject more ozone," Kouzou Fuyutski ordered from his position behind the commander. Ritsuko looked at something.
"Hmm," she said to herself, totally immersed in her musings. She blinked in disbelief. "Huh! What the..."
"Uh oh. It's not shrinking," Shigeru cried, starring at his display in disbelief.
"Something is wrong!" Makato told the room. "Heat levels are rising dramatically. The contaminated area, it's spreading again." On his display, the red area began to increase in size.
"It's not working," Maya said. "The ozone's not working anymore."
"I don't believe it! It's absorbing the ozone," the bespectacled technician announced. Ritsuko looked over at Misato, who was stood, starring at the main display.
"Stop the ozone," Dr. Akagi ordered. She and Maya studied the technician's display. The image representing the structure of the Angel was changing constantly.
It's almost beautiful, Maya thought, looking at the patterns appearing and disappearing before her.
"Amazing..." the blonde doctor said quietly. "It's actually evolving." Suddenly Maya screen was filled with static and the alarms began to sound once more.
"What's going on?" the major asked, looking up at the main display.
"We've got an unidentified intruder," Shigeru informed her. His display showed the intruder's progress through the partitions of the computer system. "Someone's hacking into the sub-computer"
"Ah, not now!" Makato cried. "They're coming in C-mode. We can't stop them."
"We've got to unfreeze the barrier," Shigeru announced. "Open a decoy entry."
"Decoy entry has been avoided," one of the other technicians informed him.
"T-minus eighteen seconds until the trace is completed," Makato said, typing away furiously at his station.
"Spreading barrier," the technician added. "Barrier has been penetrated."
"Open a second false entry," Shigeru ordered.
"Opening another false entry," another technician confirmed. For his seat, Commander Ikari looked on, pensive.
"No human's capable of this!" Makato commented, continuing to work as fast as he could to counteract the intruder.
"Trace completed," Shigeru announced. "The hacker's inside this building. It's under B-wing! In the Pribnow box!" he added, stunned by what he read off his display. On the main display, the glow from the Angel changed from red to gold.
"The optical pattern is changing," Ibuki said, noticing the difference.
"Those glowing lines are electronic circuits," Shigeru informed the others. "It's an organic computer."
"I'm opening a new decoy entry," Hyugo advised his colleagues. "Negative. Too much interference." Misato Katsuragi stood behind the two technicians with her arms crossed, a stern look on her face, as they worked as quickly as they could.
"Cut off the main cable," she ordered.
"Negative," one of the other technicians told her, attempting to obey. "It refuses to accept the command."
"Utilise the lasers," the major told him.
"It's generating an AT Field," Maya told Katsuragi. "No effect." Misato frowned.
"It's accessing the main security banks. It's cracking the pass code," Shigeru informed his superiors, watching the intruder's progress on his screen, helpless to prevent it. "Twelfth digit... Sixteenth digit... It's in."
"It's broken into the main banks, it's reading all the files," Makato yelled, looking over his shoulder at Ikari. "We can't stop it. It's got all our codes."
"What in the hell is it looking for?" Fuyutski asked. Ikari continued to watch, an idea forming in his mind.
"It's scanning the main directories," Aoba said. "Accessing codes for... Oh my god! It's going after the Magi system."
"Shut down the I/O system," Gendo Ikari ordered. Shigeru and Makato removed the keys they wore under their uniforms and inserted them into the locks that were situated beneath their consoles.
"Systems shut down," Shigeru said.
"Three... Two... One!" Makato continued. On one, they both turned their keys. Finding on response, they both uttered sounds of surprise. "We can't shut it down!" Hyugo yelled at the commander. At her station, Lieutenant Maya Ibuki was sweating as she tried to keep up with the intruder.
"The Angel is entering the computers. It's made contact with Melchior," she announced. "The Angel is taking over Melchior. Melchior is been reprogrammed by the Angel."
"Melchior self-destruct has been initiated," the automated voice announced over the intercom. Both Katsuragi and Akagi gasped in shock. A tactical display of the three Magi flashed on a display to the doctor's left. "Over ruled. Over ruled. Over ruled. Over ruled."
"No! It's taken over Melchior and it's hacking into Balthasar!" Shigeru cried.
"Fast," Makato commented, trying to keep up. "Too fast."
"Calculation speed is incredible," Shigeru muttered to himself. An idea suddenly came to Ritsuko.
"Change the login mode," she ordered. "Change the synchronisation code to every fifteen seconds."
"Roger," Shigeru replied.
"Yes ma'am," Makato responded. Both started typing away, attempting to follow the doctor's orders. The Angel's progress through Balthasar is slowed to a complete crawl. Fuyutski sighed deeply, relieved.
"How much time did we buy?" he asked.
"At least two hours... I think..." Makato told him, exhausted from trying to keep up with the Angel
"The Magi have become are enemy," Ikari said in his usual, calm voice.
--------------
Sometime later, in one of the many briefing rooms, the command staff were stood around a table, which was displaying a number of images from inside the Sigma Unit. Commander Ikari and Professor Fuyutski stood on one side; Misato, Makato, Maya and Ritsuko stood on the opposite side to them. Shigeru stood along one of the shorter edges, with two lower ranking technicians stood opposite him
"This Angel must be composed of a group of nano-machines, each the size of a virus," Dr. Akagi informed those present. "These nano-machines then group together to form colonies and in a very short period of time they mutate in a focused, exponential series to form a sophisticated intelligence circuit."
"Evolution," Fuyutski commented, his arms crossed, absorbing what she'd just told them.
"Yes. They're continually changing and adapting themselves to attain the best system to cope to any environment that they may encounter," she added.
"I understand," he said. "It's this Angel's survival mechanism. Total adaptability."
"The only effective counter-measure for an enemy that continuously evolves to overcome it's own weakness it to eliminate the host," Major Katsuragi commented. "If the Magi die, the parasites die too." She looked over at Commander Ikari. "Therefore commander, I propose the physical destruction of the Magi."
"Impossible," Ritsuko said, looking at the major, annoyed. "Destroying the Magi means destroying headquarters itself." Katsuragi turned to look at the doctor.
"That's my recommendation as Head of Operations," she said calmly.
"You're out of line!" Akagi responded "This situation is the responsibility of my department."
"Why are you being so stubborn?" Misato asked, annoyed. Ritsuko turned away and closed her eyes before answering.
"This whole thing is the result of my carelessness," she said.
"Why do you have to be like this?" the major inquired, sighing. "You never share the responsibility. Why won't you trust someone else?"
"As long as this Angel keeps evolving, we still have a chance," Dr. Akagi said, looking up.
"By controlling its evolution," Ikari said.
"Yes sir," Ritsuko agreed.
"We must structure an evolution that leads to self-destruction," the commander said. "Death itself."
"We'll set it up so that absorbing of the Magi will lead to an evolutionary dead-end," Fuyutski said, realising what Gendo was thinking.
"If the Angel's believe it be their only practical means of survival, they may choose to co-exist with the Magi system," Ritsuko informed her superiors.
"But how?" Makato asked. "What's your plan?"
"Since this Angel is like a computer, we can hack into it by connecting it to Casper," Akagi told him. "Once we've done that, we can upload some kind of auto self-destruct program."
"But, in order to do that, we'll have to remove the barriers that are protecting the last Magi," Maya said, concerned.
"But, if Casper is faster than Angel, we'll succeed," Ikari stated, thinking carefully about something.
"Yes," the doctor agreed.
"This program...can it be ready in time?" Misato asked. "If Casper's taken over first, it'll be all over."
"I keep my promises," Ritsuko told her friend.
--------------
A short time later, back in command, Ritsuko was knelt next to the large unit marked Casper-3, activating a control. Maya and Misato were stood about a foot away, watching with interest.
"Red alert! Red alert! An emergency has occurred in Nerv headquarters," the automated voice announced. "All D-class personnel must evacuate."
The unit rose up, revealing the inner-workings of the computer system called Casper. The line that indicated where floor level was usually was clearly visible, as the area below it was a different shade to the rest of the unit. The metallic parts appeared rusted and old. Maya and Misato watched in disbelief, as it grew to twice its previous size. Ritsuko opened a hatch and all three looked inside. The walls within were covered with paper notes.
"What are those paper things, ma'am?" Maya asked, curious. Dr. Akagi got on to her hands and knees and climbed inside.
"These are the developers personal notes," she informed her assistant. Maya reached in and pulled one out.
"My god! They're access codes," she cried, reading it. "They're the Magi's secret codes."
"It's like having a map to all of the Magi's back-doors," the major commented.
"Am I allowed to see these?" the lieutenant asked, as giddy as a schoolgirl. "I can't believe it. This is all INT-C! Schematics. Everything." Ritsuko smiled to herself. "With these notes we can program much faster than we thought, right ma'am?" Ritsuko looked back at them and nodded. Then she looked ahead once more.
"Thanks mom," she whispered softly. "With your help we can make it."
--------------
About an hour later, the area around Casper had been filled with bits and pieces of technical equipment and the computer. Maya was perched on a large block, typing away at a portable console, which was connected to various others by a number of cables. A number of books and notes littered the area. Thick bundles of cables ran out of the open hatch, diverging and going all over the place. The term 'organised chaos' could definitely have been applied. The sound of an electric tool was audible to Maya over the sound of her typing, coming from inside the computer. She ignored it and kept on working.
Inside Casper, Misato was sat beside Ritsuko, her legs beneath her chin and arms wrapped around her legs. Akagi was led on her back, working on something overhead. Ritsuko put down the tool she was using and Misato moved it aside. Akagi then began hammering at something, out of Misato's field of view. The doctor grunted as she worked. She put her hand out in front of Misato.
"Wrench please?" she asked. Misato looked around her for the tool in question, then passed it to her.
"Hey," Misato said, smiling, "doesn't this remind you of our college days?" The blonde doctor didn't appear to have heard her and kept on working.
"Board number twenty-five please?" she asked, holding out her hand once more. Misato searched all around for it. She found a portable console with a note saying '25' on it and passed it to the doctor. Ritsuko started tapping away.
"So... Why don't you tell me all about the Magi?" Misato asked, smiling.
"It's a long story," Akagi told her, reluctantly. She continued typing for a few moments, then reached up and pulls out a piece of equipment that looked to the major like an old VR headset, and sat it on the floor beside her. "Do you know about the personality transplant OS?" she asked.
"Yeah," Misato told her. "It's a system of implanting personality onto a seventh generation systematic computer to allow the system to think for it self." Katsuragi seemed pleased with herself, for remembering the technical details. "The same technology is used for operating the Eva's," she added a moment later. As Misato had spoken, Ritsuko had repositioned herself in an upright posture, sitting on something and reached upward to continue towards her goal, using an electric screwdriver.
"The Magi's programming used one of the first test subjects," Ritsuko told her friend. She put down the screwdriver and removed a plate from overhead. Behind it was a curved bulkhead with the words 'CASPER 3 MAGI' written on it. "So...since my mother was the one who developed the technology..."
"You mean it was her personality that was transplanted?" Misato asked, surprised. Dr. Akagi put the plate to one side and picked up a small circular saw.
"That's right," she said, and began cutting into the curved bulkhead. "In a very real sense, the Magi's brains are my mother." After she'd finished cutting, she put down the saw and removed a section of the bulkhead, sighing. Behind the piece of bulkhead was something that resembled a human brain. In it there were a number of sockets.
"Is that why you want to protect the Magi?" Misato asked.
"I don't think so," Ritsuko told her, sorting through a number of jacks. "Actually, to be quite honest, I never really liked my mother," she added, inserting the jacks into the 'brain'.
"Oh!" was all the major could think of to say.
"My decision was that of a scientist," Dr. Akagi explained.
Makato Hyugo was watching the tactical display of the Magi closely, watching for when Balthasar would be completely taken over by the invading Angel.
"It's happening," he yelled, as the last part of Balthasar became red. He looked over his shoulder. "Balthasar is being taken over!" The main display flashed, with one line on it, repeated many times - 'COMPUTERS HAVE OPTED FOR SELF DESTRUCTION'
"Magi auto self destruction sequence has been determined," the base's automated voice informed the personnel present. Misato stuck her head out of Casper and looked up at the main screen. Maya had stopped her typing and was also looking at the screen.
"Huh?! It's started?" Misato asked, not really believing what was happening. Maya quickly returned to her work, typing faster than before.
"Self destruction will occur twenty seconds after all three AI consent," the automated voice continued. "Area of destruction will include Geoid depth minus two hundred eighty, minus one forty and floor zero. Under Special Command five-eight-two..."
"Balthasar is now invading Casper!" Shigeru cried, drowning out the system voice.
"They're faster than us," Fuyutski commented, from his position behind him.
"They're faster all right," Shigeru agreed.
"But..." Misato started. Ritsuko didn't appear to be taking any notice of what was going on. She was typing away furiously, apparently lost in her own thoughts.
"T minus twenty seconds to self-destruct," the automated voice said, interrupting the major.
"My God!" Professor Fuyutski exclaimed, leaning forward.
"Casper will be taken over in eighteen seconds," the longhaired technician announced.
"T minus fifteen seconds to self-destruct," the base's voice over the intercom announced a few seconds later. On the tactical display in front of Shigeru, over half of Casper was now red.
"Ritsuko hurry!" Misato urged, crawling towards her friend.
"Don't worry," the blonde doctor told her. "I've got one whole second to spare."
"T minus ten seconds to self-destruct," the automated voice announced
"Only one second?!" Katsuragi exclaimed, concerned.
"Nine..." the automated voice toned, begin to countdown the final seconds.
"That's not a zero or a minus," Akagi informed the major.
"Eight... Seven..." the system voice continued.
"Maya!" Ritsuko called to her assistant.
"Six..." the automated voice added, continuing the countdown.
"We can do it," Lieutenant Ibuki told her superior without stopping.
"Five... Four... Three..." the computer generated voice continued, as the two ladies continued to type away.
"Hit it!" Ritsuko ordered. Both she and Maya hit the 'enter' key on the portable consoles they were working on. The program they'd been working on instantly sprang to life.
"Two... One... Zero..." the automated voice finished, unaware of the drama in the room. For a few seconds, all was silent. No one dared to breathe and everyone kept absolutely still. Then, suddenly, the red areas on the tactical display began to disappear. First from Casper, then Balthasar and finally Melchior, as the Angel's control of the Magi system disappeared.
"Autonomous self-destruct has been cancelled," the computer voice announced. Fuyutski was so relieved he almost collapsed. Makato and Shigeru shouted and pumped the air in celebration. Misato crawled out of Casper and looked at Maya, who smiled tiredly at the Major. "Special Command five-eight-two has been cancelled. Magi system returning to normal mode." Inside Casper, Dr. Akagi sighed heavily, throwing her head back. "Red alert has been cancelled."
--------------
Down in the water filled chamber inside the Sigma Unit, the glow faded from the simulation bodies.
--------------
In the lake outside Nerv headquarters, three long, cylindrical metal objects floated in close formation. The occupants were unaware of the events that had transpired within headquarters and do not hear the computer generated female voice making an announcement through the base's external speakers.
"Red alert has been cancelled. Red alert has been cancelled. All hands return to first stage alert," it said. Within her entry plug, Rei Ayanami quietly slept.
"Ooh, what's going on out there?" Shinji Ikari, the third child, asked himself. He was worried about what was occurring, his mind racing with hundreds of possibilities.
"Aaahh! How am I gonna get outta here naked?" Asuka Langley Sohryu whined. She was sat in the control seat of her entry plug, with her arms and legs crossed, covering herself. She closed her eyes and threw her head back. "Somebody help me!" she cried. "Hello?!"
--------------
Doctor Ritsuko Akagi was sat in a chair next to the still raised Casper in the command centre. She felt totally exhausted, and was resting her arms on her crossed legs, her head sagging.
"Sigma Unit has been released. T minus zero three until Magi reactivation," the automated voice announced. Ritsuko didn't pay it any attention. Hearing footsteps, she looked up as Major Katsuragi approached.
"I must be getting old," the doctor told her friend, with a tired smile. "These all-nighters are really rough." The major stopped in front of her. She carried a steaming mug in each hand.
"Yeah, but at least you kept your promise again," Misato said, smiling. "You did good," she added, passing one mug to Ritsuko. Akagi took it with both hands, not wanting to drop it.
"Thank you," she said quietly before taking a sip. She sighed as she felt the hot liquid run down her throat. "You know, this is the first time I've ever really appreciated this paint thinner you call coffee." Misato laughed weakly at her comment.
"The night before she died, my mother told me that the Magi were the three aspects of her life," Ritsuko said, not looking up. "Herself as a scientist. Herself as a mother. And herself as a woman. Those three aspects of her struggling for dominance inside the Magi. She intentionally implanted the dilemmas of the human experience into them. Actually, each of the three programs are slightly different as well." Misato looked at Ritsuko, uncertain how to react to her friend's words.
"You know, I don't think I'm the kind of woman who will ever have children of my own," the doctor continued. "So I don't really understand her as a mother. But I respected her as a scientist. However, when it came to her as a woman, I hated her." She paused to take another drink.
"W...well, you're rather talkative today," Misato commented, feeling a little nervous and uncomfortable.
"About somethings," the doctor agreed, looking up. Just then, Casper began to lower itself back down. Ritsuko watched its descent and Misato watched her. Ritsuko sighed, dropping her head again.
"The program that was installed in Casper was the one of my mother as a woman," Akagi continued with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and looked up. "And she stayed a woman until the very last second. How totally like my mother." With that final comment, the blonde-haired doctor stood up and began to walk away.
--------------
Meanwhile, Shinji was now not only nervous about what was happening inside headquarters, but he was also concerned for Asuka. He had been surprised when he'd realised that he didn't care what happened to him, but he was worried about what could be happening to the German. Going against standing orders, he activated a voice link between his and Asuka's entry plugs.
"Asuka, are you okay?" he asked, his concern plainly was plainly audible. The second-child was a little surprised to hear his voice coming through the plug's intercom.
"What are you doing Dummkopf?" she asked, feeling a little peeved for some reason. "You shouldn't be wasting energy like this."
"Relax Asuka. This is a direct link between us," he told her. "Besides, Rei's probably asleep." She relaxed a little when she realised that no one could hear them. "I was worried about you. That's all."
"You were?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course," he replied. "I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Asuka felt a little thrill when she heard this. "We've got no way of knowing what's going on in headquarters. We're running on emergency life support..."
"Which you shouldn't be wasting talking to me," she informed him, interrupting whatever he was going to say next. Although, I'm glad you are, she thought. Indeed, she had felt like she was going to go crazy, stuck in the entry plug with nothing to do.
"Don't worry," he responded, "I'm sure they'll come and get us before our power gets low." Asuka sighed as she realised he was right. "Are you cold?" he asked.
"Well I was," the girl answered, "before I turned the heating up." She shivered as she recalled how low the temperature had been. "Who set the thermal controls anyway?" she asked.
"It was probably set from Ayanami's system," Shinji told her. "And you know she'd never complain about something like being cold."
"That's true," the redhead snorted, thinking unkind thoughts to the first-child. "What about you Shinji? How are you holding up?"
"I'm a little worried, but I'll be okay" he told her truthfully. "I guess I just needed to talk to you," he added.
He needed to talk to me?! Asuka thought, surprised by his words. There was silence over the link for a few moments, during which time Asuka could hear his breathing. It was slow and regular, completely relaxed. With a start, she realised her own breathing had relaxed since she'd started talking with him.
"How long have we been here?" she eventually asked.
"A little over three hours," he informed her. "I don't know about you, but I was starting to get a little stir-crazy," he told her. In her mind, she could see him smiling as he spoke. At least, she thought he was; his voice definitely sounded cheerful anyway.
"Yeah, I was too," Asuka replied. "You know, they should do something about that."
"About what?" the third-child asked, puzzled.
"They need to find something for us to do if we get stuck like this," she answered. "It's not good for us to be sat around for hours with nothing to do while we wait to get rescued."
"I guess so," Shinji responded, sighing. At least she's feeling okay, he thought, reassured by her tone. The German sounded just like she always did. Just then Shinji Ikari would have given anything to be able to take her hand in his, to feel the warmth of her hand against his. He was lost in his thoughts when a sudden bang on the side of the plug brought him back to reality.
"What was that?" Asuka asked, having heard the noise over their link.
"I dunno," he replied. "It sounded like something hitting the outside of the plug," he added. A voice link to the outside then activated, overriding the one he'd set up.
"This is recovery team B at all pilots," a familiar male voice said. "Sorry it's taken so long guys," it added apologetically, "but things have been a little hectic the last couple of hours."
"What happened?" Shinji asked a little timidly, fearing the worst.
"Don't really know," the voiced said, "but don't worry. Everyone's okay. Major Katsuragi and Doctor Akagi are waiting for you guys, and they'll explain everything."
"You're not gonna open the door are you?" Asuka inquired, nervous. The voice laughed, but it was a kind laugh.
"Don't worry," it assured them. "I've been informed of the situation. Those plugs are staying sealed until you guys are back in headquarters." The second-child relaxed a little. "Hey Ayanami. You okay in there?" the voice asked.
"I am fine," she said softly. "Why would I not be?"
"Hell, no reason," the voice told her. "It's just you haven't spoken yet, that's all."
"I had nothing to say," Rei calmly informed him.
"Sounds like Wonder-girl's alright," Asuka said, teasing. The only reply she got was the sound of laughter coming over the intercom.
--------------
"Hmm, that's odd," Ritsuko muttered to herself as she read the report on the recovered entry plugs. She and Lieutenant Ibuki were in her office, going over the reports that had been flowing in over the last day and a half.
"What is it doctor?" Maya asked, looking up from the pile of papers she had been reviewing.
"The internal batteries in Asuka and Shinji's entry plugs were drained more than Rei's," Dr. Akagi informed her assistant. Ibuki put down the report she was reading and walked over to the blonde doctor. Looking over her shoulder, she read the section of report Ritsuko indicated.
"Well it does say their heating system had been set higher," Maya pointed out. Dr. Akagi considered this for a few seconds.
"Maybe, but there's too much power missing to be just that," the doctor said, after mentally calculating the amount of power the temperature control system would have used. With the lieutenant still looking over her shoulder, she began to scan through the remainder of the document. After a couple of pages, something caught her eye. "Huh? What's this?" she asked, reading the section more closely.
"What is it?" Maya enquired.
"According to the communications log, a voice link was activated between Shinji and Asuka," Ritsuko replied, still not really believing what she was reading.
"But doesn't that go against procedure, ma'am?" Ibuki asked.
"Yes it does," Ritsuko replied, frowning. "They should have been conserving power, not wasting it talking to each other."
"Well it does say that the link was opened after almost three hours," Maya pointed out to her superior. "They were probably bored and needed something to do."
"That's no excuse," Ritsuko told her forcefully. "Procedures are in place for a reason."
"I know that ma'am," Ibuki replied defensively, "but they are just kids. Who opened the link? Asuka?" Ritsuko scanned through the paragraph until she found the answer.
"No," she answered a moment later, "according to this, it was Shinji."
"But that's not like him," Maya told her. "He always follows orders."
"I know," Ritsuko responded absently, putting the report on her desk and crossing her arms. "Hmm, I wonder..." she started, then trailed off.
"Wonder what?" the young lieutenant asked after a moment.
"Misato told me she'd encouraged them to talk to each other more," Ritsuko said thoughtfully. "Maybe that's what they were doing, discussing something."
"It's possible," Ibuki commented, mulling it over. She wandered back to her seat, thoughts running through her head.
"Well, I'm still gonna have to have a word with them," Ritsuko said after a while. "Orders are orders," stated glibly, before turning her attention to the rest of the report.
--------------
Later that day, Shinji and Asuka had taken a detour on their way home. On a whim, they'd gone to the hillside were weeks earlier, all three of the pilots had sat and watched the lights come back on in the city of Tokyo-3 after the defeat of the ninth Angel. The two sat side by side, looking out over the city they protected.
"What time's Misato gonna be home?" the pilot of Unit 02 asked, knowing full well her companion would remember. She didn't turn her head to look at him; she was too busy looking at the city skyline.
"She said she'd be back around eight," Shinji answered softly, his voice clearly demonstrating how calm he felt. He looked over at her, watching the gentle breeze play with her hair. When a strand fell across her face, she absent-mindedly reached up and flicked it back into place. As she did, she noticed his gaze and turned her head to return it. He blushed and looked away as she smiled at him.
Things had been very busy over the last couple of days, and they hadn't been able to find the privacy they needed to enjoy each other's company properly. A large team of technicians was busy replacing the sixth pipe system and repairing the simulation Eva bodies. Another team was replacing the observation window in the Pribnow box, as well as checking the consoles there for any damage from the flood it had experienced. There was talk of completely refurbishing the box to insure there was no vestiges of the Angel left.
The three pilots had been kept busy running errands and going through test sequences in their Evangelions to make sure that the machines had not been contaminated. This, combined with their homework, had kept the two adolescent housemates exhausted at the end of the day. They'd had only enough strength left to eat, wash and go to bed.
This morning, when Misato had told them they would not be needed today, the two had been very relieved. On their way to school, they'd had to exercise a large amount of restraint to keep from holding each other's hand. It had also taken a great deal of effort to react normally to each other and not give away their secret. Shinji knew he'd come close to letting the cat out of the bag a couple of times, and thought that Asuka probably had too.
Asuka Langley Sohryu reached over and gently pulled his head back, so she could look in his eyes. It was one of the things she enjoyed most. His eyes were so open, so honest that she often could tell what Shinji was thinking by looking into them. A little hesitantly, he returned her smile, feeling the heat in his face die down. She shook her head and sighed softly.
"Why'd it have to be you?" she asked quietly, turning back to look at the sun lowering itself behind the city. Unable to think of a reply, Shinji kept his silence. Feeling bold, he reached over and took her hand in his. She returned the grip and her smile seemed to increase. Contentment welled up within him and the third-child looked out over Tokyo-3.
"We'd better get going," the boy said softly after a few more minutes. The German looked over at him and nodded.
"I guess so," she replied, noticing how close to the horizon the sun had got. Reluctantly, she got to her feet, releasing Shinji's hand as she did. Once he was up, she took his hand and began leading the way home, holding firmly to the hand of the boy she felt she was falling for. As they entered the city, they let go of each other's hand and continued on, making idle conversation.
--------------
Two days later, Gendo Ikari, the commander of Nerv, was called to a special conference of the Human Instrumentality Project. As usual, there were six present, including himself. Sat opposite him was the chairman of the project, and Seele, Lorentz Keele. Ikari knew the other four members only by the colours illuminating them at the table. Nearest Keele were the yellow and green officials, sat opposite each other. At his end of the table, the blue and red members sat, also opposite each other. He had been called to these meetings with increasing regularity in recent months.
"This event did not occur in accordance with our scenario Ikari," the chairman said, making his displeasure at the sequence of events reported clear to all present. The conference was reviewing the records of the battles with the Angel's thus far. They had just reached the encounter with the sixth Angel. His posture was an aggressive one. He had his left fist resting on the table in front of him, with his right resting on the edge.
"Nevertheless, the result was within the projected parameters," Ikari responded. "We can make the necessary adjustments." He was sat in his usual pose, appearing outwardly thoughtful.
"The United Nations combined navy lost one third of it's entire fleet in this encounter," the blue lit member informed him. He had both hands resting on the table in front of him and was opening and closing his fists.
"At least the lost ships belonged to your country," Red added, his head slightly inclined to towards the commander. "The damage is negligible."
"Quite true," Yellow agreed. "It was fortunate that so much of the damage was inconsequential." He was looking at Gendo; his head angled slightly downward, the light reflecting off his glasses, making it impossible to see his eyes. His hands appeared to be in his lap.
"Hmm. This isn't good," Green commented a few minutes later. The review of reports had just finished. The final one, the one that the commander was not happy existed, dealt with the Angel invasion of Nerv headquarters less than a week ago. He'd thought he'd destroyed all the records. "It's happening to early," he continued, unaware of Ikari's displeasure.
"Yes," Yellow agreed. "This did not occur in accordance with our predictions of when an Angel would invade Nerv."
"And to make matters worse," Red added, "you let it intrude into Central Dogma itself."
"If contacted had occurred then our entire project could have ended in disaster, Ikari," Blue told him, most displeased.
"The report to this committee was an error," Gendo informed them, having already prepared for this outcome. "There is no fact behind this tale of an Angel invasion."
"Ikari, are you saying that the eleventh Angel's intrusion never occurred?" Green enquired.
"Correct," the commander informed him, carefully keeping his voice even.
"Watch your words carefully Ikari," Yellow told him. "Lying to this committee is punishable by death!"
"If you wish confirmation, check the Magi's data recorders," Ikari told those present. "No such incident was very recorded."
"This is absurd!" Blue commented. "We all know that burying the truth is your speciality."
"The time schedule is being carried out in accordance with the descriptions of the Dead Sea Scrolls," Gendo assured them. Blue turned his head away from the commander with a look of disdain on his face. Yellow had now turned his head, and was looking directly at Green, who was watching Ikari carefully, his chin resting on the back of his right hand. Red had crossed his arms and was now deep in thought, head down and eyes closed. The tension in the room was thick enough to be cut with a knife.
"All right. We won't discuss any possible guilt or punishment this time," Keele said after a few moments silence. "However, let me remind you that you won't rewrite our scenario."
"I understand," Ikari assured him. "Everything is proceeding according to Seele's plan."
--------------
"You wanted to see me doctor?" Shinji asked as he entered Dr. Akagi's office the next day. She looked up from her console and gestured for him to come and sit in the empty chair opposite her.
"I'll be with you in a moment," she replied, finishing a report for the commander. Shinji felt a little self-conscious sat there, and he was worrying over the reason she had asked to see him. "There," she said to herself as she saved and closed the report. She looked him in the eye, making him squirm a little. After a few moments of indecision and silence, she decided that the direct route was the best one to take.
"The reason I asked you to come see me," she said, taking off her glasses, "goes back to the incident involving the last Angel." She waited for a moment, to see if he would realise what she meant. Seeing that he didn't, she tried different approach.
"You do know the procedure you are to follow when your entry plug is ejected during an unknown situation, don't you?" she enquired.
"Y...yes ma'am," the third-child confirmed.
"Refresh my memory," she instructed.
"During such a situation," he said, taking a deep breath, "pilots are to stay within their entry plug and await further instructions."
"If you know the correct procedure, then why didn't you follow it?" she asked, staring at him. He felt as if she was staring directly into his soul. He swallowed hard, realising what she meant. He sat there silent for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say. "Well? I'm waiting."
"Well...I, er, I had to talk to Asuka about something," he said, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. "Misato said that we should talk to each other more, and I, er, thought of something I needed to say to her."
"I'm well aware of the situation," she informed Shinji. "You should have waited." He dropped his head, accepting her reprimand.
"If I'd waited, then I'd probably have forgotten it," the pilot told her. "Either that or I'd have chickened out," he added, quietly. The blonde doctor heard what he said and had to agree with him on that point. "Have you spoken to Asuka yet?"
"Not yet," she informed him. "As you opened the link, it seemed only logical to speak to you first." She pushed her chair back from the desk a little, and began to massage her shoulders. "Then I've got to tell Misato and the commander."
"Do you have to?" Ikari asked. To Ritsuko, it almost sounded as if he was pleading with her. She thought about it for a moment, dropping her arms and letting her head hang backwards.
"Well...I suppose there's no need to tell Misato. After all, I have dealt with the problem, and there won't be a reoccurrence. Will there Shinji?" Dr. Akagi asked, looking directly at him. The third-child quickly shook his head. "And as for the commander...well...if I include a note in the report saying that the situation has been dealt with, I'm sure he won't pursue the matter."
"Thank you doctor," the boy said, smiling. His smile quickly faded. "Do you have to speak to Asuka?" he asked.
"I'm afraid so," Ritsuko told him.
"She did tell me I shouldn't be wasting energy talking to her," Shinji replied.
"Perhaps," Dr. Akagi responded thoughtfully, "but she could have severed the link from her end, but she didn't."
"Oh."
"Don't worry Shinji," the doctor said. "She's not going to get into any trouble," she assured him. "I'm just going to have a quiet word with her, like you and I are having now." The boy relaxed as he realised that the second-child was not going to be reprimanded. "I'll have a word with her after today's experiment," Dr. Akagi said. She looked at him again. "You'd better go get changed."
--------------
Mountains. Heavy are the mountains...but that changes...with the passage of time.
Sky... Blue is sky.
What your eyes can't see. What you eyes can see.
The sun. One, only one.
Water...it is agreeable.
Commander Ikari?
Flowers. So many the same, so many without purpose.
Sky, sky of red. Red the colour...the colour I hate.
The liquid flows, it drips, ripples and pours.
Blood.
Scent of blood, woman who does not bleed.
From the red soil the humans come. Humans made by man and woman.
City...a human creation.
Eva...A human creation as well.
What are humans? Are they creations of God?
Humans...and that which is created by humans.
This is that which is mine. My life, my heart. I am a vessel for my thoughts.
The entry plug, the throne of the soul.
Who is this? This is me. Who am I? What am I? What am I? What am I?
I am I. This object that is, is myself. That which form suits me. This is the self that can be seen, and yet this is not like that which is myself.
A strange feeling.
My body feels as if it is melting. I can no longer see myself, my form, my shape, fades from view.
Awareness dawns of someone who is not me. Who is here, there, beyond me, here?
Shinji. This person I know, Major Katsuragi. Dr. Akagi. People...my classmates. The pilot of Unit 02.
Commander Ikari...who are you? Who are you? Who are you?
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The first-child gasped as she awoke from her musings. She breathed heavily for a few seconds as she struggled to clear her mind of the images that had just moments ago filled it. As she became aware of her surroundings, she realised she was within the entry plug for Evangelion Unit 01. The plug had been inserted into the Eva, which was active. Looking at the external display, she saw that the Eva was in a large white room, which had no discernible features. Although she could not see them, she remembered that there were restraints connected to the Eva's shoulders and forearms.
"So Rei, how does it feel to be piloting Unit 01 for the first time?" Dr. Akagi asked the young girl, her voice coming over the intercom. Ayanami thought for a few moments before speaking.
"It smells like Ikari," she said softly. Ritsuko didn't respond as she absorbed that fact as she stood in the control booth. She had been expecting something, but she had not expected that. A part of her wondered if this compatibility experiment was worth the risk, but she suppressed that thought quickly. She was stood behind the station being used by Maya. Misato Katsuragi was stood about a metre and a half to her left. The major had her arms crossed.
"The synch-ratio is almost the same as with Unit 00," the doctor commented, looking at the data on the lieutenant's display.
"Unit 00 and Unit 01's personal data patterns are almost identical," Maya told her, accessing the relevant files.
"That's what makes this synch experiment possible," Akagi informed her assistant. Misato looked at the two from the corner of her eye, wondering just what her friend was up to.
"Error margin is zero point zero three," Maya said. "Harmonics are normal."
"No detectable problems found for compatibility between Rei and Unit 01," Ritsuko responded having run a quick mental analysis of the data that had been collected. She reached for the intercom. "Okay, the test is over Rei," she told the first-child. "You can get out now."
"Yes," the girl replied, quieter than usual. Being in Unit 01 was different than being in Unit 00. It would take her time, she realised, to figure out just how it was different. The Evangelion shut down, and the entry plug descended into darkness. A few moments later she felt the plug exiting the robot. As soon as she got out of it, Rei went to the control booth to watch.
Meanwhile, Asuka was undergoing a synchronisation test in Unit 02. It was in the same chamber as Unit 01. She did her best to stop fidgeting, but she was bored. She also wanted to know what Shinji wanted to talk to her about. She knew Dr. Akagi had called him in before these tests, but all he'd had time to say was that he had to speak to her.
"Unit 02 data bank completed," a male voice said over the intercom, interrupting her musing.
"Harmonics are all normal," a female voice added.
"Pilot status is normal," the male voice continued.
"Of course I'm normal!" Asuka muttered, slightly peeved, but not really understanding why. As her test was not yet complete, she stayed in her Evangelion, and her thoughts returned to Shinji Ikari.
The boy in question was sat in Unit 00's entry plug. As it had not been inserted in the Eva, the lights were down low to conserve power. Shinji had his head down, trying to compose himself for the compatibility experiment. Unit 00 was in the same chamber as the other two Eva's.
In the control booth, Major Katsuragi was now stood by the observation window, looking at the Eva. She still had her arms crossed. Rei was stood to her left, slightly behind her.
"What about Unit 00's personal data?" Ritsuko asked Maya.
"Already reconfigured," Ibuki replied. "Reconfirming data now."
"Subject status?" the doctor asked. Makato Hyugo was looking at the internal feed form the entry plug. The third-child's head was still lowered, and his hands were resting on his thighs.
"A bit jittery," the bespectacled technician told her, "but no problems found in the nerve patterns."
"This is his first time in Unit 00, his first time piloting another Eva," Misato reminded them. "It's only natural."
"That's stupid!" Asuka commented. The intercom was active and she'd heard every word spoken. "Why should he care which Eva he's in anyway?" A small video window appeared to her left, at shoulder height. Misato's face filled it.
"It makes a difference to Shinji, that's how he is," the major told the second-child. Asuka looked at her image, and then looked away and frowned.
"I know that!" she spat. "He's such a dork!" Misato tried to smile at this, but it looked more like a cheerful cringe. Asuka looked back at the vid. window. "So why aren't you running these compatibility tests on me?" the German asked, a little unhappy. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"Well..." she said, trying to quickly think of something to say to appease the fiery redhead. "We didn't think you'd want to pilot any other Eva except yours.
"Yeah. That's true, isn't it," Asuka replied cheerfully, tipping her head back. Misato shut the video link.
I don't know if Unit 02 would even be compatible, the major thought.
"Beginning entry", the female technician announced, bring Misato back to the matter at hand. "LCL electrolysed." Inside the entry plug, the lights came on. They flash green, then blue, red and finally change to white. Shinji felt a slight tingle on his face where it made contact with the liquid that filled the plug. Without opening his eyes, he raised his head. "Commence first connection."
"Shinji, how do you feel in Unit 00 entry plug?" Ritsuko asked the boy. He opened his eyes.
"Ah, it feels kinda...weird," he responded.
"Like...incompatibility?" Maya asked, concerned.
"No, not like that," the third-child informed her. "This thing smells like Rei."
"It smells like what?!" Asuka demanded. She'd been listening in, curious to know how Shinji would react. "Perverse Mensch," she muttered. She was about to continue, but stopped herself. Why'd I say that? she wondered. It'll only hurt him. She thought about it for a few moments. Am I...am I jealous?
"Data received. Reconfirming. Pattern green," the female technician continued, unaware of the second-child's quandary.
"All restraints are nominal," the male technician announced, checking his readout.
"Acknowledged," Ritsuko said, checking everything off against a mental checklist. "Now let's shift the mutual compatibility tests to the second stage."
"Unit 00, entering second contact," Lieutenant Ibuki announced. Katsuragi looked over at the doctor and lieutenant from the corner of her eye.
"How's it look?" she asked.
"As I thought," Ritsuko told her, "the synch-ration is lower than that of Unit 01."
"Hmm. Harmonics are all normal," Maya commented, looking at a display giving a tactical analysis of the Eva's status.
"But these are still good readings," Akagi informed her assistant. "These numbers mean that we can implement our current plan."
"You mean the dummy system?" Ibuki asked her superior. She leant back in her chair and looked at the doctor. "Ma'am...I'm really not sure that we should proceed," she said, her concern obvious.
"I understand your feelings on this, but we always have to be prepared for all options," the blonde doctor responded. Maya looked even more disturbed by her words. "It's our guarantee of survival," Ritsuko added, not noticing Maya's expression.
"You know that I've always respected you, ma'am," the lieutenant told her forcefully, "and I still believe in our work. But I'm afraid I'm really not convinced."
"People who develop too many scruples will always have difficulty working amongst others," Dr. Akagi told her, vehemently. "You'll learn once you've gotten your hands dirty. You'll see." The lieutenant did not look convinced, and looked away.
"Initiating third connection," the female technician said from her station, unaware of the discussion that had been going on. In the chamber, the entry plug was inserted and the armour cover slid into place. Eva 00 raised its head.
"Self state of mind graph is stable," the male technician informed the doctor. Asuka opened a video link to Unit 00.
"So how does it feel third-child?" she enquired, genuinely interested. "What's it like in her Eva?"
"Asuka, stop interrupting," Ritsuko told her. "You're distracting him." The German was a little put out by her words.
"Yeah, yeah," she said. Asuka was looking at the video link to Unit 00. "I don't get it," she muttered, turning away from the link. "Why does everyone around here always pamper him."
"Commence A-10 nerve connection," Akagi ordered.
"Harmonics level plus twenty," the female technician informed her. Inside Unit 00, Shinji seemed to become distracted and grabbed his forehead with his left hand, as if in pain.
"What the hell?" he managed to say, having to force the words out. "Some...something's try...trying to get into my brain." A kaleidoscope of images of Rei flashed through his mind. R...Rei. Rei Ayanami, he thought. This feeling, impression. Rei. It's hers. Suddenly, Unit 00 began to struggle against the restraints, trying to pull itself free.
"What's happening?" Misato yelled.
"There's a problem in the pilot's nerve pulse," the male technician informed the major.
"Mental contamination starting" Lieutenant Ibuki announced, looking flustered by what was happening.
"Impossible!" Dr. Akagi responded. "This can't happen at this plug depth."
"It's not from the plug," Maya told her. "The intrusion is coming from the Eva!" In the chamber, the Eva broke the restraints free of the wall. "Unit 00 is out of control!" It grabbed its head, copying Shinji's earlier movements.
"Shut all circuits," Ritsuko ordered. "Cut the power." The umbilical cable was shoot out of the back of the Eva by the emergency charges and dropped to the floor. Unit 00 begins to stagger forward. The right arm reached outward, the left grasped its head. The chamber was filled by the unearthly growls coming from it.
"Eva has switched to reserve power," Maya informed the doctor. Misato stood over the bespectacled technician, reading the data on his screen. Rei continued to stand by the observation window.
"Eva is still activated," the male technician announced.
"Shinji's status?" Misato asked.
"The circuit's closed," Makato told her. "We can't monitor him." On his display is a representation of the connections to the Eva, each numbered. One by one they severed themselves.
"Unit 00 is rejecting Shinji," Ritsuko said.
"Negative!" Maya yelled over her shoulder, mishearing the doctor's comment "The auto ejection, it doesn't work!"
"The same error!" Akagi said, in a daze. "The same one. Is it trying to absorb Shinji?" Having reached the observation window, Unit 00 smashed its fist into it. The window cracked and the frame buckled. Rei didn't so much as flinch. The Eva threw another punch, and then another, and another. The wall around the window was dented by the force of the impacts. Suddenly, the window shattered, sending shards of glass into the control booth.
"Rei, get back here!" Misato yelled at the first-child. The girl ignored the order and just stood there, starring at the Eva gone berserk.
"Activation will terminate in seven seconds," Maya announced. The robot stopped punching the wall and put both hands flat against it. It then began to slam its head against the wall repeatedly, faster and faster. ""Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Zero!" When the lieutenant reached zero, the Eva sagged, its head dragging against the surface of the wall. "Unit 00, activation terminated," Maya announced, calmly.
"Hurry up and get the pilot out of there!" Misato yelled, looking to her right. I can't believe it. the major thought, a stern look on her face. Did Unit 00 just try to kill Rei?
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Sometime later, Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi were stood in one of the briefing rooms, discussing the incident. Misato was stood several feet from Ritsuko; they were facing each other. Ritsuko had her hands in her pockets and Misato had her arms crossed.
"Do you think this could be related to the incident that occurred when Rei was the pilot?" Misato asked her friend.
"I can't tell you much right now," Ritsuko replied. "The only thing I'm sure of is that we must reconfigure Unit 00 for Rei's personal data, and run a new synchronisation test between Rei and the 00 as soon as possible."
"As the Director of Operations, I request that it be done as soon as possible," the major said, aggressively. "Before there are further problems."
"I understand that, Major Katsuragi," Dr. Akagi said.
"Hmm. Right!" Misato snorted and walked away, her angry footsteps echoing through the room.
Unit 00 wanted to attack me, the blonde doctor thought. That's got to be it.
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Early the next morning, Shinji awoke with a start. He was in the same infirmary room he generally occupies when injured. In another room, a television was blaring away. The sound was up high enough for Shinji to hear every word, but he ignored it. He sat up and tried to remember how he ended up there, but nothing came. The last thing he did recall was the entry plug being inserted into Unit 00. He led back down and sighed, starring at the ceiling.
"Again..." he muttered. "I hate this ceiling."
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A short time later, one of the nurses called the command centre. Makato answered the call and listened carefully to what she said. He put the phone down and looked over his shoulder at Major Katsuragi.
"The hospital says Shinji has regained consciousness," he told her. "No signs of mental contamination." Misato looked at him. "But...he doesn't remember what happened."
"Right," Misato replied, her mind racing.
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Meanwhile, at Misato's apartment, the second-child was lying on her bed. Pen-Pen was watching the television in the living room, but the German was too caught up in her own thoughts to listen in. She was led on her back, with her arms under her head. For some reason, she'd neglected to turn the light on.
Misato and Kaji won't tell me anything about her, she thought. Even Shinji doesn't know anything.
"Just what is the first-child?" she wondered aloud. Finding no comfort in her thoughts, she rolled onto her side and starred at her desk. She spotted the picture of Kaji. I hope Shinji's okay, she thought. I'll have to go see him as soon as I can think of a good enough excuse.
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Several hours, in Commander Ikari's office, Fuyutski and the commander were discussing the latter's latest encounter with the committee. Fuyutski was reading a book, while placing Mah-jong tiles on a board. The commander had adopted his usual position.
"The Angel's invasion of headquarters was a deviation from our scheduled scenario," Fuyutski commented. "The committee's found out about it and are applying pressure. They're buzzing around our heads like a swarm of hornets, looking for things to complain about." He put down another tile.
"We hold all the tiles. All the winds and dragons," Gendo told him. "There is nothing they can do."
"That doesn't mean we won't to keep tipping our hand," the professor related, putting down yet another tile. "If Seele starts to interfere, there could be trouble."
"Everything is going according to the scenario. No problems exist," the commander of Nerv informed his sub-ordinate. The professor placed another tile on the board.
"Hmm. What about the Unit 00 incident?" he asked. "That was not in our scenario." Another tile is put in place.
"It will have no effect," Ikari responded. "Rei's resynchronisation test was successful." Fuyutski stopped reading and looked over at his colleague.
You're too concerned about protecting Rei, Ikari the professor thought. "What's the status of the Adam Project?" he asked.
"Proceeding. It's less than two percent behind schedule."
"Then, the Lance Of Longinus is..."
"Is going according to plan," Ikari said, interrupting him. "Rei is handling the operation."
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In the depths of Nerv headquarters, Unit 00 walked along a long dark corridor. Rei was sat in the cockpit, eyes fixed firmly ahead. What little illumination there was, came from a number of dim orange lights, which are situated half way up the dark walls, and spread out at equal distances along the walls.
In the Eva's right hand it carried a metallic object, almost as tall as it is. The item was a dull red in colour and appeared to be made from two pieces of the metal, twisted tightly around each other. Near the top, the twists become looser, until, at the head, the two pieces separated and straightened up into prongs. Each prong was at least two metres long.
The first-child carried her burden with no thought as to its origin or purpose. She knew only what the commander has ordered her to do. And she would do as he instructed.
To be continued...
Next Chapter -
A wedding, a Dirac sea, despair and a special moment for the young couple.
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Well, what do you think? Please contact me with your comments. I'll try to answer any questions in the author notes for the next chapter.
If you want to discuss something with me, please send me an e-mail. My address is CEO_Room3@Hotmail.com. I'll do my best to respond to all correspondence.
I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but it could take awhile. Please be patient.