Chapter 1: Who's for the Game?
Chiba,
Chiba Prefecture,
Empire of Japan,
Thursday,
July 18, 1968
"…with control of Germany restored to the Kaiser many believed that the war was finally turning against the Soviet Union. As American and Allied forces began to make a final push towards the Soviet Union all eyes had turned towards Europe. Perhaps we would have done better to have watched the sky. For it was at this critical juncture, 14 years ago that the unthinkable happened, a massive meteor previously unobserved by earth's astronomers smashed into Antarctica melting the frozen continent's ice caps in a global catastrophe we now refer to as the Impact. The scale of this calamity cannot be understated, within days the Southern Hemisphere was devastated by previously unimaginable tidal waves, some islands ceased to exist entirely. In light of the danger the event posed to their colonial possessions, the Allied Nations decided to offer a temporary cease fire to the Soviet Union. Much to the surprise of the international community the Premier of the Soviet Union agreed to the proposal and to this day the world remains in an uneasy balance between the Allied Nations and the Communist Coalition." the history instructor wrapped up noting the time. Gathering his notes and placing them in his briefcase he continued as the school bell began to sound "I shall see all of you again tomorrow for the test. Class dismissed."
Shinji Ikari sighed as he continued to scribble down the notes while the rest of his classmate's rose and filed out. 'The second to last day of class' Shinji mused silently 'and then Summer break starts.'
Summer break for Shinji Ikari was never really much different from the rest of his life. Just like the rest of the year he would wake up, eat breakfast, then begin his regime of supplemental studies ranging from practice with the Cello to more detailed examination of the previous semester's course materials. Shinji welcomed the activity. He had nothing better to do after all.
When school let out Shinji never spent much time with his peers, not that he spent much time with them during the school year either. Most of the friendships in the school had been formed around the clubs, but Shinji had yet to join one, he had considered joining the music club one time but they already had a cellist and she was really good. Maybe the Shogi club but he honestly wasn't sure. That aside Shinji wasn't exactly the greatest at talking to people. He had always been on his own, ever since… ever since he was little. He'd spend the summer like he spent every other day; doing what was required of him then with that accomplished perhaps read and wait for another day to begin, not inspiring and certainly not exciting but that was what passed for his life.
"No use grumbling about it though" Shinji mumbled to himself as he headed for the door… "Whuaa?!" only to bump straight into class representative Jun Tomino who stood firm while Shinji cascaded to the ground. Shinji looked up and took in the taller boy who stood above him in his uniform, perfectly immaculate even compared to Shinji, his hair a bit thicker than Shinji's as well as few shades darker and swept to the side without so much as a stray lock to it. His face bore an expression of wry amusement.
"As aware of your environment as ever I see Ikari-san" Jun gave out a long-suffering sigh. "The intercom is on the fritz again so you probably didn't hear it yet but the principal wants to talk with you."
"Wh-what does he want to talk about?" Shinji stammered out in response, to that Jun shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't tell me, but you had best be quick and meet with him, Ichijo-sensei values punctuality above all other virtues."
"R-right!" Shinji acknowledged speeding off. 'What did I do?' the boy wondered as he hurried down the hallways. 'Is it about that time I left my shower in the gym running after PE? No that was a week ago. Maybe he finally found out I'm the one who lost the school's copy "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" I didn't mean to leave it in the rain! I was just running late for class and forgot it! Or maybe it's...' Shinji's line of thought was cut off when he realized that he was at the Principal's office already. Shinji's fist clenched and released repeatedly as he readied to enter the office.
"Ah there you are Ikari-san please take a seat." Principal Ichijo spoke up. Once Shinji was seated he continued. "I received these forms requesting your transfer from Chiba High School to Tokyo 3 First Public High School."
Shinji started at that. Who would request his transfer? He lived with his teacher, and the man had made no mention of intending to transfer him which only left…
Noting Shinji's train of thought the graying principal continued on "Along with the request I also this envelope addressed to you." The Principal finished as he handed over the envelope to Shinji.
Shinji scanned the envelope briefly before opening it and momentarily froze when he saw who it was marked as being from. Gendo Ikari. That one name froze the blood in Shinji's veins. "Father" he almost whispered.
Gendo Ikari, Shinji's father, hadn't been a part of Shinji's life since his mother's death 10 years ago now. From that time up until the present Shinji had lived with his personal instructor, 'father paid him to look after me. Not that's a lie, he paid him to keep me out of his hair, he couldn't be bothered to raise me himself.'
Shinji didn't remember the time before the accident terribly well. In truth he couldn't even recall his mother's face at all. His one clear memory of his father dated back to four years ago on the anniversary of her death, they had met at her grave site but his father hadn't said much his face a cold mask that Shinji couldn't bear to look into for very long. And when he had haltingly tried to ask if he was going to take him home, the man's only reply was that he had important work to do and as such had delegated that responsibility to someone with more time on his hands.
'He didn't want me then, what does he want with me now?' Shinji asked himself. It was that somewhat morbid curiosity that motivated Shinji to finally open the folder. It didn't contain much. A sheet of paper identifying him as having been cleared positive as a level 3 candidate for "special activities" according to the annual report by the I.A.A.E.E., stapled to said report was an invitation to join the international research organization NERV with a small note from his father scribbled on the bottom I expect you to arrive in Tokyo 3 on July 21st. Your guide will meet you at the train terminal at 8:00 AM do not be late. 'My guide?' Shinji flipped the bundle over and noticedthat clipped to the back of said bundle was a photograph of a woman, probably in her mid-twenties in a full length black dress uniform marked by its double breasted front, full-length skirt, peaked cap, along with red shoulder pads and cufflinks. Her hair so black it almost looked blue in the photo, hung down about shoulder length, her expression however in stark contrast to her uniform bore a cheerful grin that was reflected by the subtle sparkle of mischief in her eyes. Scribbled on the photo in messy handwriting was the message I'll be your guide so wait up for me okay? Can't wait to meet you! followed by a small heart and signed Misato Katsuragi.
Shinji was pulled out of his reverie by a polite cough bringing him back to reality. Shinji looked up at Principal Ichijo slightly abashed.
In response the man gave a polite smile "I understand that such a move would be a big change for you Ikari-san and I fully encourage you to talk this over with your teacher before making your decision. Do let him know I'll file the transfer paperwork if you decide to leave, although in that case I shall miss you, but then I suppose top students are always bound for bigger things." The man's tone became distant as he reached for another sheet of paperwork and began reading "farewell Ikari-san".
"Ah, goodbye Ichijo-sensei" Shinji said as he took the refilled folder and shuffled it into his backpack before heading off the bus station that lead back to his teacher's house.
Shinji arrived at his teacher's house and wearily noted that yes, he was indeed at home. Shinji knew the man worked for his father, well at least as far as looking after him was a job. His day job was work as a professor at the university Shinji's father had attended. 'What will he think of father's message? Does he already know? Will he be glad to have me out of his hair?' Shinji continued to muse as he entered the house.
He found his teacher by a table with an array of examinations in front of him, his glasses, used primarily for distance vision, lying beside him. Apparently he had been grading for some time. Shinji had been about to turn and leave his teacher to his thoughts when the man spoke up. "I presume you received your father's message?'
"Yes sir" Shinji responded his voice showing little of the surprise that briefly jumped across his face at his teacher's sudden response.
"And what is your decision?" The man looked directly at Shinji as he returned his glasses to his face.
"I don't know." Shinji groaned out, clenching and unclenching his fist. "Father never wanted me around before. What does he want me for now?"
Shinji's teacher gave no facial cue as to what he thought of Shinji's outburst. Instead he sat where he was and locked eyes with Shinji as he responded "Do you still have the packet that you received at school?"
Shinji nodded numbly as he removed his book bag from his back and set about removing the aforementioned packet and handing it to his teacher.
"You noted the report?"
Shinji had. "What did they mean by "level 3 special activities" What exactly does it have to do with NERV or my father's… invitation?"
"The IAAEE is a well-respected research institution that every year reviews the medical reports and academic progress of children born after the Impact in interest of discovering how environmental changes wreaked by the event have effected human development." The man paused and regarded Shinji briefly, before continuing "level 3 special activities refers to the levels of parapsychological research performed on people deemed to have psychic potential. You are familiar with the field of parapsychology I presume."
It had been intended as a rhetorical question, they had discussed in depth how since the dawn of the 20th century research into the hidden potential of the human mind had become increasingly mainstream. In 1935, if Shinji remembered a stage magician had demonstrated under empirical testing minor extra-sensory perception abilities, namely the apparent ability to see the visual perceptions of others. The find had been revolutionary for the field but the experiment was not successfully duplicated with another man until 1959, the ability itself apparently was quite rare. "Wait a minute are you saying I'm some sort of psychic?"
The teacher nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Come to think of it he had been off hand asked to perform a couple of similar tests during his last annual physical, particularly guessing the back of cards, and he had guessed right several times but it hadn't been like he was reading minds or anything he just got lucky. But still as far as Shinji was concerned… "That's nuts!"
"Think for a moment," Professor Tokugawa interrupted his tone was forceful but not judgmental "The test to discover psychic potential was not the first clue to your abilities. All your life you have had incredible instincts. Your reflexes have always been beyond impeccable on your first day of self-defense training you reacted to blows before they were even struck. In our discussions you've always quickly deduced what my opinions before I gave adequate evidence to reveal them, and let us not forget" at that the man's serious expression softened slightly "The way you always clean me out in Poker."
Shinji almost laughed at the mention of the last one. 'All this time? I've had abilities like this?' Shinji wondered internally before vocalizing "So you're saying.."
Professor Tokugawa smiled at his pupil finally making the connection but said smile looked a touch grim "All your life you've had this ability. What you passed off for instinct was actually your ability to perceive beyond the five senses, a rare gift Shinji-san."
Shinji was in awe for a moment before the realization hit him. "But that doesn't explain why father wants it? What does it have to do with NERV?"
"Well, NERV is an advanced research organization involved in defense contracting under the jurisdiction of the allied forces." The man said stoking his chin apparently pondering the possibilities, "So very likely they would want you to participate in experiments on the military applications of Psychic Powers for the defense of the free nations. From what I understand most of their research thus far has been largely theoretical."
He wasn't sure why but Shinji felt that Tokugawa-sensei was holding something back something important. Swallowing the lump in his throat Shinji decided to voice his uncertainty "What else? Teacher what else aren't you telling me?"
The man sighed deflating slightly and looking his 54 years more than he had in a while "Your father never told me in any detail what the exact nature of NERV's research was. I never asked. Apparently the matters in which they dabble are highly classified; the kind of information a simple academic like myself has no business knowing about. What he did tell me is that they were working to ensure the future and freedom of mankind and for whatever it is worth I believe him."
Shinji's expression soured at his teacher's statement of confidence in Gendo. 'I'm sure. If he's so great why..'
"Shinji," the man was standing over him now. Shinji looked up trembling slightly "I know you resent your father for abandoning you, and I do not blame you for that. But if NERV is as key to the survival of Japan and the Allies as I believe it is, then don't you think it might be worth investigating? I cannot make your decision for you, and I will not force you to go. But know well that you have the potential for greatness in you, to reject that, to step back from your chance to make history, that would be a waste wouldn't you say? At the very least I would think it worth the while to find out for yourself, the truth about your father and his research."
Shinji did not respond immediately, instead he turned his head down as he thought through what his teacher had just said. A few days ago he probably wouldn't have even wanted to talk about his father much less see him, but the possibility now intrigued him. The idea that he could find out what his father had abandoned him for, that he could finally get some answers, and even the curiosity as to what his apparent "abilities" could do. Would he really be helping protect Japan by participating in NERV? And wouldn't that be better than what his life consisted of now? Shinji returned his attention to Takhashi-sensei on the edge of decision, 'Do I really want to do this? Uproot my life here to come crawling to father? But, then what am I even doing here? Just getting by from day to day, sliding through life without making an impact? Do I want to live like that? NO!'
"I-I'll do it!" Shinji stuttered out a bit too loudly and then flushed slightly upon realizing it.
Tokugawa nodded approvingly "Then I shall make the necessary preparations…" he glanced down at his still unfinished grading "as soon as I wrap up here that is and you had best get to work yourself, after all the transfer will not take effect until next semester and you still have exams coming up before your trip."
Shinji's eyes widened he'd practically forgotten in the emotional rush about his more immediate concerns. "Yes, thank you sensei!" Shinji yelled before running out.
Tokyo 3
Kanagawa Prefecture
Empire of Japan
Saturday
July 20th 1968
Shinji boarded the first train at 6:00 AM with a small duffle bag containing his essentials, a few changes of clothes, toiletries, and a couple books. The trip was long, too long as far as Shinji was concerned. He had little to do except listen to his Walkman and think. Shinji really hadn't wanted to think, especially not that early in a morning when he hadn't had time to cook as proper breakfast but he thought nonetheless. He considered his father, what it would be like to see him after four years. It would be gut-wrenching to be sure but more than ever he wanted to know what it was his father was working on that had kept him away, and what part he now wanted Shinji to play in it. Not that Shinji doubted Tokugawai-sensei per se, but his speculation had been so vague that it left a lot to the imagination. What did they want? A spy? An Interrogator? A guinea pig? Shinji felt more than a little squeamish at that last thought in particular but dismissed it, even his father wouldn't do that… probably. Of course that just brought Shinji back to the big question regarding his father, would he be living with him if he joined the project? The thought both intrigued and terrified Shinji, thoughts of reconnecting with his father more than overwhelmed by images of being cast aside again. Shinji seriously doubted his father would "have the time" to look after him even now if he signed up. So did that mean living alone? Living with a new guardian perhaps?
Shinji readjusted his pack as he disembarked in the Tokyo 3 train terminal. His relationship with his teacher had been cordial but they had never become all that close. The man was a stoic and a philosopher more prone to discussions on the nature of duty and reality than more personal topics, not to mention the man wasn't much of a cook, it was after all one of the reasons Shinji picked up the skill in the first place and while quite intelligent he had a tendency to be absentminded. Checking his watch Shinji noted the time to be 7:58, then he pulled out the photo of his guide, 'I wonder where Miss Katsuragi is?'
Yawning loudly as she sat up in bed Misato Katsuragi could not for the life of her figure out why she felt like she was forgetting something. Looking at her digital clock it read 7:57, normal time for her to get up. Shrugging the NERV director of operations sauntered over to the fridge to retrieve her morning beer. Just as she reached for the door something caught her eye, the rather innocuous piece of paper on which she had her necessary "to-do" list as suggested by Ritsuko to keep her from losing track of important details, 'hah!' like she'd forget anything. After retrieving her beer Misato eyed the list casually… 7:30 leave to pick up Third Child at main train terminal. Spewing her initial gulp of beer over her kitchen table Misato blanched.
'Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn,' Misato cursed herself ditching her pajamas for the first set of daytime apparel she could find, which in this case amounted to her cut-off Jean shorts and yellow tank-top 'How could I sleep through my alarm. Especially at a time like this?' Ok so she did know how she could have done it. A late night of filling out overdue paperwork for her position as operations manager had left her exhausted more emotionally than physically so she decided to pop in a couple of movies, and crack a beer to unwind. And now here she was scrambling to make sure one of mankind's potential saviors didn't wander off because of her own tardiness.
She was still putting on her shoes when she left the front door with her keys in hand. By the time she stumbled into her car Misato was determined to make up for lost time. The moment she shifted her car into gear Misato Katsuragi's foot slammed onto the gas and off she went.
8:18 was displayed across the screen of his watch which he had probably checked for the 20th time that hour. Shinji was beginning to get antsy. 'Where is she? She should be here by now! What if she forgot?'
Shinji decided to try the payphone in the station. Walking over he deposited a few coins into the phone before picking it up. 'Dead. Well that's just great! Now what am I…' Shinji's attention was then diverted by sound of a car screeching to a halt in the parking lot across the way. When the door to the Corolla opened Shinji was slightly taken aback by what he saw. It was Misato Katsuragi, at least this woman matched the appearance of her but it was her attire that really though him for a loop. In contrast to the crisp military uniform she wore in her photo instead she had a tank top with thankfully enough fairly thick straps and a pair of jean-shorts that Shinji was fairly sure were just a little too short to count as decent. She apparently noticed his gaze and waved cheerfully.
XXXXX
Misato maintained her cheerful façade as she continued to wave the third child over to her position but inwardly she cringed 'First I'm late and now I show up like this? He must think I'm a total slob!'
Finally Shinji made his way over to where she was standing. The boy whose head only came up to her shoulder bowed awkwardly "I-it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Katsuragi." He stuttered out blushing.
"The pleasure's all mine Shinji Ikari!" Misato let out enthusiastically "And please just call me Misato. Now how about we continue this conversation in the car, we're really behind schedule and I don't want to get either of us into any more trouble okay? Okay." Misato watched anxiously as Shinji hustled into her car's passenger side. "Oh yeah, I suggest you buckle up." Misato spoke up observing him briefly to note he followed her advice. "Alright! Here. We. Go!" Once more shifting her car into gear Misato pulled out of her parking space and slammed on the gas. With her car moving at over 120 MPH Misato once again blessed the fact that for all it's supposed size Tokyo 3 was just another small company town with few inhabitants outside of NERV employees, their families and a few local businesses, meaning that at this time of day almost no one was on the roads.
The thrill of her newfound speed however only temporarily distracted Misato from the eminent fact that she would have to explain herself not only for showing up late but for her… unprofessional state of dress. With that in mind she glanced over to consider what the third child must be thinking about her wardrobe.
XXXXX
In truth Shinji Ikari barely even noticed Misato's outfit or anything else for that matter, he was too busy clinging to the dashboard for dear life.
'I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to throw up. I'm going to die.' Shinji had never been particularly prone to car sickness and while he had never been on a roller coaster he would like to think that he'd be able to handle one pretty well. But this was on an entirely different level. As far as he could tell Misato had not removed her foot from the gas once since he had climbed into her car and was currently violating at least a dozen traffic regulations. What kind of maniac drives like that? Once again Shinji nearly puked only barely holding in his light breakfast. His desire to avoid excavating the contents of his stomach overcoming his hesitance to back-talk an authority figure, Shinji attempted to voice his concern "M-Miss Kat-Katsuragi." he almost squeaked "S-slow down!"
XXXXX
"Don't worry Shinji we're almost there!" Misato responded in a tone that bordered between tense and excited. Misato then proceeded to dial her phone single handed before placing it on speaker. "come on Aoba pick up…"
"This is NERV taxi company what can we do for you today Major Katsuragi." Aoba's voice piped in cheerfully over the speakers
"Just the usual Lieutenant." Misato responded in a mildly amused tone "I'll be using gate 5."
"Roger that major, we'll have the car train ready for you. See you when you come down." The operator replied.
Noting her chosen entrance fast approaching Misato eased up slightly on the gas. Then with precision she imagined most race car drivers would envy, Misato swerved the car, placing it onto the waiting car train in a single smooth motion. Smiling triumphantly Misato returned her attention back to her passenger. "10 minutes, I think that's a new record, we're not so late after all." Only then did Misato note the slightly green tinge that had overcome the third child. "Oh… er sorry Shinji. Heh-heh. You okay?"
Shinji for his part managed a courteous if feeble nod "I-I'm f-f-fine Miss Katsuragi. Just *gulp* a little car sick."
Misato felt a wave of terror wash over her at the possible demise of her car's interior but covered it with a reassuring laugh "I understand." 'Please don't throw up, tell me you're not going to throw up!' "By the way" Misato filled in switching topics "We didn't get much of a chance to get introduced back at the train station so how about we start again?"
"Ok." Shinji answered quietly seemingly recovered from the stress of the drive with most of the color returned to his face. "Shinji Ikari, mam."
"Misato Katsuragi" Misato returned "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"It's nice to meet you too Miss Katsuragi." Shinji smiled almost shyly.
"Please, call me Misato" Misato responded. Just then the car train passed out of the darkness of the tunnel broke to reveal the cavernous entrance to NERV HQ. The lighting of the area maintained for the purpose of maintenance cast imposing shadows over the labyrinthine pathways stretching up and down connecting the base to the surface.
"Woah!" Shinji exclaimed clearly impressed "NERV built all this!?"
Misato had to smile at such youthful enthusiasm. It proved more than anything that this kid was nothing like his father… who probably wouldn't be too pleased if she showed up to work dressed in a tank top. 'Ughhhh! Not only that but Ritsuko is gonna chew my $$ off when she finds out and that's on top of me already being late!'
"Misato?" Shinji asked his voice slightly raised and Misato felt the sudden realization that he had probably been asking her the same question for at least a couple minutes and she had been tuning him out.
"I'm sorry what was that?" she asked keeping her slight embarrassment out of her voice while keeping it conciliatory.
"I was asking if we were going to see my father" Shinji repeated sounding ever so slightly perturbed.
"Of course, of course we are" she replied once more distracted by thoughts of acquiring a new wardrobe. At that moment the car train docked and like the jolt of the car's sudden stop an epiphany struck Misato. 'Of course! That's how I'll do it.'
As they climbed out of the car Shinji once again took notice of his guide's rather, um, interesting outfit. 'Is it really okay for her to go out in public like that? I mean she's gotta be violating at least a couple public decency laws and even if she isn't, NERV's a military research organization, they must have a dress code.' Shinji's musings were broken by Misato who until that point had been standing a few feet away seemingly contemplating a piece of paper in her hand, turned to meet his stare. Shinji flushed and turned away upon realizing she probably realized he'd been staring.
"Alright Shinji. Let's get going." Misato declared apparently oblivious to his previous gaze. "NERV waits for no man!" She continued before promptly taking off down the nearest hallway.
Startled by her sudden motion Shinji stared for a moment before realizing that his guide was quickly disappearing into the twisting hallways of a base that he had never seen before. He began running after her "Miss Misato! Wait up!" he called out.
She turned around and stuck out her tongue 'Oh yeah that's mature.' Shinji huffed to himself as he followed Misato around a corner. 'Sure we're late but is it really necessary to turn it into a chase? I mean' he poured on more speed 'if I lose her I'll get lost and won't be able to make it to father.' Another corner 'and won't that kind of defeat the whole purpose of running in the first place?'
Finally he saw Misato stop in front of an elevator. "Well Shinji that was some pretty good running. I didn't know you were so good at chasing girls." Misato said with a rather devilish smirk.
Shinji lacking a witty response settled for shooting a withering glare his guide's way. The run hadn't honestly been that hard, he may have had to sprint to keep up with her but the exercise regime he kept under Tokugawai-sensei ensured that it honestly wasn't too straining, that wasn't what annoyed him.
Misato giggled "Oh don't be like that. Honestly Shinji you make it too easy." She teased as they entered the lift.
Shinji just groaned in exasperation as the door closed behind them. Misato herself seemed to have lost interest in teasing him for the moment and was leaning against the wall humming a tune that he couldn't quite place.[1]
The doors opened and they stepped out. "Alright Shinji just a little further and we'll be ready to meet with your Dad."
"Yeah, great." Shinji muttered unenthusiastically.
Misato turned upon his response and her gaze softened into a somewhat somber, sympathetic expression. She almost looked to Shinji as if she was about to say something, but instead she chose to remain silent as they continued down the twisting corridors of NERV HQ.
Shinji passed the time by noting the number of elevators they passed each marked with a letter successively lower on the Latin Alphabet.
"Aha found it!" Misato announced triumphantly as she stopped in the middle of the hallway.
At first Shinji didn't know what she was referring to then he noted the sign over the nearest doorway. "The Women's Locker Room?" Shinji asked quizzically.
"Hey I gotta change before we meet with the commander." Misato answered as she entered the door way and closing it behind her "Can't have the commander thinking I don't take my job seriously can I?"
"No I guess not," Shinji responded "but didn't you say we were already kind of late?"
"All the more reason to dress for success," Misato concluded amidst indistinct shuffling. The door slid open to reveal Misato in her full black uniform sans the peaked cap. "So," She called over "How do I look?"
"Um... you look" Shinji's mind searched for an answer that would be polite without opening himself up for any more teasing. "Very, professional Miss Katsuragi" Shinji managed.
Misato for her part rolled her eyes "Didn't I tell you to call me Misato?" she inquired "Ah well guess it can't be helped. Come on Shinji let's get a move on." She continued.
"Yes mam" Shinji replied following her down towards another elevator.
"…chairwoman of Research and Development, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi please escort Major Misato Katsuragi to Primary Cage B." Ritsuko huffed as she put the finishing touches on NERV Japan's monthly progress report. She really could have used a few more minutes' time but it seemed now that on top of being late Misato had now managed to get herself lost, again. Muttering under her breath Ritsuko saved and pressed print. Upon gathering her report, Ritsuko donned her tinted glasses and Lab Technician's coat.
After leaving her office she once again internally cursed her friend's embarrassing lack of discipline 'Seriously, what kind of chief of tactical operations gets lost in her own base!' OK that wasn't completely fair of Ritsuko. After all she had spent the last four years of her life working here. She'd even had the privilege of seeing the HQ while it was still under construction so she had a bit of a head start. And besides that the place literally was built like a maze. Certain levels were linked through one particular means of access and others through alternatives. It was no wonder most NERV personnel relied upon handheld electronic maps to navigate the place. Misato had been issued one but given today's events Ritsuko could only deduce that her friend had either lost it or forgotten to bring it with her.
A quick call to security confirmed Misato was down by the currently unused Cage C which meant she probably took a detour through the lockers. Ritsuko grimaced, she did not want to know why Misato would need to change, especially when she was this late but Ristuko figured she'd find out anyway. Hopefully whatever the excuse was the Commander would buy it, saving Misato from his ire would be no doubt as unpleasant an operation as it would be delicate. Bracing herself she entered lift D down towards the cage, it was really going to be one of those days.
The door to the lift opened and Ritsuko proceeded directly down the hallway to the secure door which provided entry to the as yet unused observational deck for cage C, the launching pad for NERV Japan's 3rd eva should it ever acquire one. Ritsuko almost scoffed, that was unlikely. The E-project, NERV's entire reason for being, had long been a subject of ridicule among allied governments. The Evangelions were big, expensive, and as yet impractical for offensive combat and if that wasn't bad enough they could only piloted by certain psychically gifted children born exclusively after the Impact, anyone else… well to put it politely, they wouldn't suffice. Ritsuko grimaced as she recalled the results of the last attempt.
They had honestly been fortunate to get the project off the ground in the first place and further fortunate to have discovered not one but two children with the capabilities necessary to pilot an Eva, honestly they had been a veritable godsend. The Second Child in particular had shown prodigious ability in the cockpit, her demonstration of Unit 02's capabilities at age 8 had been enough to convince the top brass of the Allied Nations that their investments had not been a waste and redoubled their support for the program: Germany started work on another Evangelion, as did Britain, and the Americans not to be outdone set out to build two, the only matter that remained was locating pilots, a task relegated to a series of private organizations already conducting studies on the psychic potential of children, they were given access to school medical records across various nations and each year delivered their compiled findings in the "Alkonost report". Four years of searching had yielded no further candidates however and Ritsuko was beginning to believe that NERV would either be shut down for lack of funding or destroyed when the Erinyes returned. That was why the Third Child was such an important find, it meant that Asuka Langley had not been a unique case and it allowed NERV to finally start working with Unit 01. Ensuring that he signed on to NERV was essential.
'Alright Misato' Ritsuko hummed to herself 'Let's see where you and humanity's last great hope are hiding.' A flick of a switch changed the lights across the subsection from minimum safety to full activity brightness. She smiled amusedly when she heard a pair of voices shout at the sudden brightness. Another switch turned on the intercom "Alright you two," she directed over the loudspeaker "There's an elevator over to your left that will get you up to the catwalk, from there make it over here to the observation deck." She observed with satisfaction that Misato had immediately followed her instructions and that the Third Child had done the same trailing behind the major dutifully.
"Hey Ritsuko" Misato greeted in her usual cheerful manner although the underlying nervousness was clearly evident to Ritsuko both in the slight strain in her voice and in the subtle twitch of her facial expression. "I'd like to present Shinji Ikari, the Third Child just as ordered."
"And why exactly is he here again major? As I understand it you were supposed to meet with the Commander in cage B twenty minutes ago!" Ritsuko's tone was harsh and she knew it, she may not have been yelling but she might as well have been, especially considering the matching looks of concern on Misato and Shinji's faces. Realizing that she took a steadying breath before continuing "You know the guys in charge don't appreciate delays Misato."
"Sorry," Misato replied seemingly genuinely embarrassed.
"It's fine," Ritsuko sighed before turning and waving the two to follow her as she went to once more board the lift from the cage to command level. As they entered the lift she finally turned her attention to Shinji who had meekly buried himself in the NERV employee booklet. The boy's stance was practiced and straight but his body language exuded a certain nervousness, the contrast with his father was oddly humorous and yet she could still see the family resemblance, especially around the ears and eyes.
Silently she mulled over what to say first to the boy but before she could speak up Misato dove into action "By the way Shinji, this is Dr. Ritsuko Akagi our top scientist at NERV Japan." Misato announced apparently quite proud of her introduction.
"It's uh…" Shinji stuttered clearly startled by the suddenness of Misato's outburst "It's very nice to meet you Dr. Akagi." The boy finished abashed.
Ritsuko smirked in a way she hoped was more reassuring than sarcastic "It's a pleasure," She responded extending her hand. Shinji shook it firmly for a moment then released, quickly, almost suddenly as if afraid to prolong contact.
A slight bump signaled the lift reaching its top; the doors opened allowing the trio to exit before closing behind them. Ritsuko led the way now moving at a brisk pace down the hall which she noted her companions quickly matched. A couple of left turns later the group reached a secure door requiring an ID card.
"Dr. Akagi do you know what my father called me here for?" Shinji asked apparently having been wanting to ask for some time but previously unable to work up the nerve.
"Yes." She replied succinctly before swiping her card unlocking the door. "And here it is."
XXXXX
As the doors opened Shinji stepped into an observation deck much like the one he, Major Katsuragi and the doctor lady had passed through in the abandoned part of the base. He was about to ask the doctor what she had meant when he saw it. It appeared to be some manner of metallic behemoth, it's purple head gleaming under the lights placed in the sealing, it's mouth locked into a malevolent cold hearted grin. Shinji gulped and took a half-step back before approaching the deck to gaze down at the massive metal humanoid. "A giant robot?" he all but whispered. Was that even possible? He didn't recall that in the employee's handbook Miss Katsuragi had given him.
"Close," came Dr. Akagi's reply "This is the biomechanical weapons platform known as Evangelion Unit 01."
"This is what father's been working on?" Shinji asked in wonder.
"Correct." A voice came in from behind Shinji. A voice he recognized, one he hadn't heard in 4 years but still sent chills down his spine.
Steeling himself Shinji turned around to face the voice's owner despite the fact that all he wanted to do at that moment was run away, "Father," he replied quietly. His father was much as he had remembered him, stoic and foreboding without the slightest hint of emotion on his face beyond a slight quirk of the lips that probably would have resembled a smile on anyone else's face.
"It's been a while," the man observed almost casually.
Shinji felt a mixture of until then restrained emotions wash over him: anger at his father for neglecting him so long, resentment at him for greeting his own son as if there was nothing abnormal about that, hope small as it was that they could reconnect as father and son, and to top it all off confusion. So NERV built a robot or "weapons platform" what did that have to do with him? "Why did you call me here?" Shinji asked in a tremulous voice.
Gendo arched an eyebrow ever so slightly "I should think it would be obvious." He replied gesturing towards the towering construct below them. "You were called here to serve as the pilot of the Evangelion."
Even though somewhere within the swirling mass of genuine suspicions and wild guesses within Shinji's mind the thought had occurred to Shinji that he might be here to pilot the thing the idea still seemed ridiculous. "What? Why me?"
"All in good time" Gendo replied before turning away from Shinji and towards the hall.
Shinji couldn't help it. It was just too much. After everything, after abandoning him then calling him back so suddenly his father just expected him to play this game? "Father!" he called out at the man's retreating back "I want answers!"
"And you shall receive your answers once we arrive in the briefing room." He replied neutrally over his shoulder before continuing down the hallway.
Shinji looked back helplessly at the two women who had escorted him thus far. Misato, for her part, seemed to reflect his confusion, directing a meaningful look over to the doctor who gave a knowing, yet sympathetic smile before shaking her head and mouthing "let's go".
To his surprise Shinji actually felt a bit of comfort after that silent exchange; it was good to know he wasn't the only one confused by this situation. Keeping himself a couple of steps behind Misato, Shinji continued towards what felt increasingly like impending doom.
After a few minutes of walking they reached a door that Shinji noted was labeled Conference Room B. The room was dimly lit, fitted with a few rows of chairs on an elevated platform opposite these chairs was a large projection screen flanked by a dignified older man in a crisp NERV command uniform who nodded respectfully as they entered. Noting that the rest of his party was sitting down Shinji took a seat next to Misato who shot him a reassuring smile before directing his attention forward.
From his seat alone in the front row Gendo finally spoke up "Commander Fuyutsuki you may proceed".
"Very well sir," Fuyutsuki responded as he retrieved a small remote from his pocket and shutting down the remaining lights in the room and turned on the projector.
The first image displayed in large bold lettering Allied Intelligence Report 083054: Confidential as Fuyutsuki began "Fourteen years ago on August 7, 1954 the Antarctic Ice Cap was obliterated in a cataclysm now known as the Impact" The slide changed this time to an aerial photograph of the devastated Antarctic continent. "The sudden influx of new water into the oceans devastated the ecological balance of the oceans and lead to intense changes in weather patterns. The reverberations of the event were vast and engendered a massive loss of human life and yet the cause of the event behind all this destruction remained a mystery, until…" the slide changed to an image of a warship, a US destroyer if Shinji had to guess, coming up alongside a much smaller vessel "a month later. The USS Laffey discovered a small Soviet craft making its way for Chile. The ship held some survivors of a Soviet expedition to the Antarctic that had been launched only a month prior to the impact. Most of the survivors were military personnel with little knowledge of what the expedition set out to do, but we did retrieve two important assets from their capture: the surviving research notes, and this video recording."
A click of a controller and the video began. The video displayed several Russian researches discussing something before attending to a series of control panels. A much louder voice apparently that of the cameraman began what Shinji presumed was a narration of the experiment, although as he couldn't understand Russian it didn't do him much good. The camera panned up to a monolithic creature. It was largely humanoid in shape although its visage was anything but humanoid with a slack jaw revealing rows of serrated teeth. From head to toe the creature was held in metallic restraints, in the center of its chest was a large red protrusion with multiple wires sticking out of it. Shinji briefly wondered why there would be wires running out of a dead creature, then it happened. The creature's three eyes, once lifeless began to glow, as did the red globe on its torso. The increasingly excited voices of the Russian Researches were drowned out by an inhuman howl as the creature ripped itself free of its restraints. Shinji watched in horror as the camera briefly panned over the creature from which huge streams of light almost resembling wings began to emerge, before the video cut to black.
"The research notes that we retrieved from the expedition reveal that the facility was in fact discovered underneath Antarctica and was linked to an ancient civilization that once dominated the continent. The nature and even the name of this civilization remain unknown although the purpose of the facility appears to have been research on that creature, which the Scientists codenamed "Rod" " The middle aged man elaborated, "When the expedition's attempts to continue that research caused it to wake up from centuries of hibernation they called an emergency evacuation of the facility before detonating the entrance to the facility. While the action did buy them time to escape with their lives, it did not stop the monster. It broke free to the surface, at which point the Soviets implemented a failsafe. We still aren't sure of the nature of it but the result was the detonation of the creature and the destruction now known as the Impact."
Shinji nodded, as incredible as it was it made sense of the greatest mystery of the 20th century. Why no one had seen the asteroid that struck Antarctica, why the impact didn't throw the Earth off its rotational axis, why nothing about the official story ever made sense despite the fact that the government of every free country on the planet agreed that was the way it happened. Although he had to admit it made even some of the more ridiculous conspiracy theories circulating the internet look tame by comparison.
Fuyutsuki however wasn't finished. "Two months after the discovery of the Soviet Expedition's survivors, a detachment of the 105th division of the Japanese Imperial Army stumbled upon a second facility nestled within the Himalaya's." The screen changed once again first to an aerial shot of the Mountains then to a shot of the interior of what appeared to be a vast facility. "This structure matched the one found in Antarctica perfectly, it was constructed in the same manner, it contained the same technology labeled in the same language referenced in the Soviet team's notes and perhaps most importantly it contained this creature which we have termed Živa" The screen shifted once again, this time displaying a picture of another enormous creature of similar build to the one Shinji had observed just moments before. Its bulbous body was a pale shade of white and while completely featureless, its form was again fairly humanoid its face bore what appeared to be a featureless stone mask with two dark eye sockets. Like its counterpart the creature was restrained by a large series of metallic bindings across its arms legs and body, unlike the other creature however it also had what appeared to be a large spear driven through its chest.
"This site, we discovered upon further investigation was in fact a research facility as was the Antarctica site the Russians had discovered. After months of research our linguists and cryptologists deciphered enough of the ancient script to determine that these two creatures were not the only members of their kind. In fact at one time numerous creatures of their kind had descended from an alternate Dimension which the writings describe as the "Endless Plains" and wreaked havoc across the world. During this time they had apparently managed to subdue at least two of the creatures and through study they discovered that the relationship between their home dimension and ours is cyclical. According to the facility's estimation the next such connection will begin within anywhere from a few months ago to a year from now. Ordinarily the allied governments would have taken this assertion with a grain of salt but research from the American organization known as H.A.A.R.P." the screen shifted to a picture of a large building which Shinji presumed to be the Headquarters of the aforementioned program "…confirmed the danger with the discovery of energy readings similar to Živa's emanating from a dimension parallel to our own. In response to this threat the governments of the Allied Nations quietly assembled a team of the world's finest minds to combat the threat that these creatures pose. This think tank, formally known as GEHIRIN, working with the completed translation of writings found carefully preserved in the facility's controlled environment, discovered that the creatures could enshroud themselves with a nigh-impenetrable energy field which they decided to call the "Absolute Territory Field". To counter this the minds at GEHIRIN developed the idea of the Evangelion, a Biomechanical weapons platform based off the genetic blueprint of the very creatures it was designed to fight." The screen shifted once again this time to display a detailed diagram of the Purple Behemoth Shinji had seen in the cages "The idea being that the Evangelion would be able to match one of the creatures because it would also be able to generate the same defensive "A.T. Field" as an Erinyes and therefore be able to neutralize it's advantage. Once project Evangelion's scope was fully realized GEHIRIN was expanded into NERV, a Special Military Research Organization under the joint auspices of the Allied Nations existent for the sole purpose of fighting this menace to mankind which the ancient writings refer to as the Erinyes.
" Within a couple of years we completed the first functional Evangelion. The complication for E-project was the fact that the only efficient interface through which an Evangelion could be piloted would require the pilot to have psychic abilities to an extent that so far has only been discovered in three people: Rei Ayanami" the screen displayed a girl about Shinji's age, with light-blue hair chopped in a short almost ragged manner and red eyes, Shinji wasn't sure what to think about either beyond the obvious fact that they were distinct "Asuka Langley" the screen displayed a picture of another girl Shinji's age this one deep blue eyes and long red hair kept organized by a pair of hair clips "…and you Shinji Ikari" the screen displayed the picture from his high school yearbook. "At this particular moment there are only three completed Evangelions and two active pilots only one of whom is stationed in Japan. Shinji Ikari we need your help for the coming battle."
Shinji gulped, it really was a lot to take in in one sitting. So Earth was going to be invaded by giant unstoppable aliens and his father's organization, NERV wanted to recruit him to pilot one of their giant robots to fight them. For lack of a better response Shinji asked the first question that popped into his mind "This battle, where is it going to happen?"
The older man nodded approvingly at the question "The exact points through which the Erinyes will enter are still being catalogued but among those currently identified there are four within a 100 mile radius of Tokyo 3. The closest of which is situated just off the coast of Jõetsu. We will run response within that radius as the Erinyes appear. That being said, it has been theorized that the presence of the Evangelions should lure the Erinyes towards Tokyo 3 in search of their own kind."
Shinji nodded in understanding as the severity of the situation finally set in on him. What he would be signing up for if he joined NERV would be a war, brutal and unrelenting with the stakes being the survival of humanity. Part of him was exhilarated at the idea, he would be a hero like General Yamashita[2], the tiger of Manchuria or Hiroyoshi Nishizawa[3] it was a chance to get in the history books. But as exciting as the ideas was it filled him with terror, he wasn't hero material, he was Shinji Ikari, a nobody that nobody wanted or needed there was no way he'd be able to fight those things, he'd be annihilated and all that would accomplish was the waste of a perfectly good weapons… whatever. Even so wasn't it his duty to at least try? Amidst this turmoil he posed his next question "What would you guys do if I said no?"
Shinji was startled to see his father gesture to the sub-commander to wait before rising from his seat and turning to fix his gaze on him "In that case this sector of attack will be handled by Rei Ayanami alone."
Shinji quieted down after that one so Japan already had a pilot and probably one better suited to this job then he was. He was about to give his answer when Gendo spoke up again.
"If you want to meet her before you make your decision, that can be arranged."
Shinji nodded slightly surprised, if nothing else the girl could tell him what to expect working at NERV in general and pilot Eva's in particular. He was so caught up in his reverie that he almost failed to pick up the way the room's atmosphere became very chilly or the way Misato and Ritsuko exchanged uncomfortable glances as they proceeded with him to follow his father to meet with this pilot. He wasn't sure what had them so uncomfortable but it did a good job of demolishing what little calm he had been trying to establish in light of the day's events. What could it be that had them so upset?
When they reached the third medical ward room Shinji understood. This pilot, this girl Rei Ayanami, was heavily injured and if the bandages covering her right eye and entire left side including her left arm were any indication quite severely.
"She was injured in a laboratory accident involving the testing of new equipment integrated into Unit 00." Dr. Akagi filled in answering his unspoken question.
Shinji cringed, 'That poor girl! Why weren't they more careful? I thought pilots were supposed to be important and they let something like this happen to her? End of the world or not they should have…' But his thought trail was cut off by a small gasp of pain which drew his attention back to the hospital bed and the girl on it whose single visible red eye now peered across the assembled group with an almost analytic regard.
"Commander Ikari, Dr. Akagi, Captain Katsuragi" she spoke acknowledging each of them in turn in a manner that was formal and yet oddly relaxed "what can I do for you?"
His father was the one that responded first "Rei, this is Shinji a potential pilot candidate, I was just showing him around the base and we stopped here to check in on your progress."
"I see." Rei responded succinctly focusing on Shinji the same critical gaze she had used moments before then nodded "So he will pilot Unit 01."
"That all depends on his decision." Gendo replied still evenly but for the first time since this odd conversation started with a hint of steel in his voice. Steel, Shinji knew was directed towards him and he almost kicked himself. How could he have even considered letting this girl go at it alone? Even if she hadn't been injured like this, what right did he have to sit on the sidelines while she got ready to risk life and limb against those monsters. Shinji clenched his fist as he remembered with shame what his teacher had once told him in one of their discussions There are those who say great men make history, that certain people have greatness ingrained in their very being. I can appreciate the theory but I feel that what greatness often really comes down to is a moment and a decision. A moment where a person can choose to take action and by virtue of doing so become great, or remain inactive and prove himself unworthy of remembrance.
"I'll do it sir. You have your pilot!"
"Very well," Gendo acknowledged returning his attention to the occupant of the hospital room who acknowledged the answer to her earlier query with a minute nod of the head.
"Will that be all commander?" she asked almost softly, the barest twinge of pain evident in her voice.
"Yes that will be all Rei." Gendo responded. Almost immediately Rei's visible eye fluttered shut. Shinji took that as his cue to leave the girl to rest along with the others who he just noticed were shuffling out into the hallway as well.
Once they were all in the hallway Gendo addressed them "I have things to attend to. Major Katsuragi please ensure that the new pilot is properly oriented. The rest of you may return to your stations."
Shinji took a moment to watch his father walk away and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked upwards to see Misato "C'mon Shinji, let's go and get this paperwork out of the way and then maybe I can treat you to breakfast."
Edited 1/13/14
Format Notes:
This story is written in limited third-person omniscient
XXXXX
indicates POV shift within a scene
Indicates scene break
Italics
Indicate read or remembered text
'text encompassed thus'
Indicates thoughts
Endnotes:
[1] Misato is humming "Akagi Lullaby" by Taro Shoji
[2] General Yamashita one of the greatest geniuses of the Japanese military in WW2, in this universe he is best known for successfully outmaneuvering and crushing the Soviet invasion of Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
[3]Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Japanese Ace of Aces, became a household name in this world by shooting down a Soviet bomber carrying a nuclear bomb bound for Tokyo.
A/N: First of all thank you for reading through the first chapter of what I hope will grow into an epic (yeah I'm being ambitious and I'm proud of it). For those of you that didn't notice in the description this is a fusion-style crossover between the Red Alert franchise and Neon Genesis Evangelion, with a few pragmatic tweaks and inferences to both to make them fit better together. The first major deviation from Red Alert I's plot as noted in the chapter was the Impact (Second Impact) which stopped the war shortly before Poland could be liberated.
Now I'm sure that at least some of the Red Alert fans among you are probably wondering if by the Empire of Japan I mean the "Empire of the Rising Sun" from Red Alert 3. I assure you that the answer is no, mostly. The Empire of Japan in this continuity is neither the rogue wanna-be superpower of RA3 nor the near-insane fascist state from history. The Empire of Japan in this continuity was a charter member of the Allies along with its long-term ally Britain (the 1902 alliance between the two nations was never eliminated). More exposition on Japan and the world at large will be provided as the story goes on so keep reading!
Oh yes, and if you have any comments, questions, constructive criticism, tips, or praise for this chapter please write a review. Reviews are after all the elixir of life and food for the plot bunny.
Well that's all for now, Merry Christmas and God bless!