Disclaimer –
The original story Neon Genesis Evangelion, its characters and all other trademarks are used without permission. The originals are mine, and will be named in the author notes of the first chapter they appear in. I will be making no profit from this story.
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Evangelion Chronicles
by Room3
Chapter 01 – And So It Begins
"Are you certain about the timeframe?" Professor Kouzou Fuyutski, supreme commander of Nerv, asked the woman sat in front of him. He was a tall man in his fifties with short grey hair. He was sat at his desk, reading a report on his computer display. His posture made it clear he wasn't happy with what it said.
"Yes, professor," Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, his second in command, replied. The doctor was in her late-thirties, and a little shorter than he was, but the professor was taller than most of the people under his command. She had long blonde hair that she wore tied back in a ponytail. As was usual, she wore her white lab coat over her uniform. "The third Angel is expected to appear within the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours."
"And the status of the first-child?" Kouzou asked, closing the report with a few keystrokes.
"She has yet to regain consciousness," Ritsuko informed him. "It seems unlikely that she'll be able to pilot within the expected timeframe." Fuyutski sighed and stood up.
"What's the current status of Unit 02?" he enquired, wandering over to the window on his left. Through it he could see out into the cavernous interior of the Geo-front.
"It's still weeks away from activation," the doctor answered. "And we don't have time to transfer the second-child here."
"Then we'll have to use the third," Kouzou said, staring at the lake that lay beyond Nerv headquarters. The sight of water alwayed eased his troubled mind.
"The third has already been selected?" the doctor asked. The professor turned and looked at her.
"Yes. He was chosen after the accident with Unit 00," he replied, returning to his desk. Typing commands into his computer, he called up the relevant file and turned it around for her to see. She leaned forward in her chair.
"Him?" she asked, surprised. "He's the third?" She leant back in her seat and shook her head. "She would never have agreed to this," the doctor commented, looking him in the eye as he sat down.
"Perhaps. But he fulfils all the relevant criteria. He is the third-child," the professor responded, turning the computer back round and closing the file. "I want you to send Captain Katsuragi to retrieve him. I'll contact the school myself and inform them to expect her."
"Very well, professor," Ritsuko replied. "Is that all?"
"Yes, doctor," Kouzou said. She got to her feet and walked towards the door.
Katsuragi's not going to like this, the doctor thought as the door slid open in front of her.
- - -
The door to Dr. Akagi's spacious office slid open and Captain Misato Katsuragi, the director of Operations at Nerv headquarters walked in. She had very short hair, which seemed to be purple in colour; most people believed that that was a result of the incident that had killed her father. She stopped in front of Ritsuko's desk and saluted.
"You wanted to see me, commander?" the captain asked formally, standing to attention. The dull brown of her uniform seemed to be at odds with the white decor within the room when Akagi looked up from the report she was typing.
"Yes, captain," the doctor replied, passing her a file. "The third-child had been chosen. Professor Fuyutski wants you to retrieve him." Katsuragi took the file and looked through it. "Yes, captain?" Ritsuko asked, seeing the look on her face.
"Isn't this..."
"Yes, it is," Akagi replied. "He is currently attending the Fujikawa boarding school in Kyoto. You are to bring him to headquarters. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Katsuragi replied, saluting.
"Good. They'll be expecting you tomorrow morning. Dismissed," the doctor told her. The captain turned and walked out of the office, the file under her arm. As she left, she passed the doctor's assistant.
"She looks happy," Lieutenant Maya Ibuki commented cheerfully as the door closed behind her. Maya was in her late twenties and about average height. She kept her light brown hair short so it wouldn't get in the way when she was working.
"Fuyutski wants her to get the third-child," Ritsuko told her, smiling.
"Doesn't he know how she feels about children?" the lieutenant asked.
"If he doesn't," the doctor replied, "then he will after she submits her report." As she chuckled at the thought, Maya sat down at the small desk she used, which was situated behind the doctor's. "How are the repairs going on Unit 00?" Ritsuko asked.
"The damaged nerve linkages have all been replaced," Ibuki informed her, powering up the portable computer she'd brought with her. "The damage to the cranium should be repaired by Wednesday." Maya spun round on her chair and looked at the doctor. "How's the report coming?"
"Slowly," Ritsuko told her, standing up and stretching. "You know how finicky the committee is," she added, sighing. "You done with the systems check on Unit 01?"
"Yep," the lieutenant replied. "Just got to upload it to the Magi." She quickly typed commands into her computer, transferring her report to the super-computers that effectively ran headquarters. "So... Who's the third-child?" Maya asked coyly. Instead of answering, Ritsuko leant over her computer and called his picture up. "I suppose you could say he's pretty cute, but he's not my type," Ibuki commented, smiling. "He does look familiar though. What's his name?"
"I'll tell you later," the doctor told her assistant playfully, shutting down her computer. "Right now, I'm going to get something to eat."
"Tease," Maya called after her as she walked to the door. Dr. Akagi looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at her assistant.
- - -
The boy tried not to fidget as he stood outside the boarding school that had been his home for the last few years. It was early morning and there was a chill in the air that made him shiver a little. He still wasn't sure what was going on, only that a representative from Nerv, the organisation that had taken custody of him after his mother had died, was on their way to collect him. He hadn't been told why he was being removed from Fujikawa. Perhaps they had decided the fees were too high.
"Shinji Ikari?" a female voice from his left asked. He looked over and saw a woman dressed in a dark brown outfit stood next to black car. From the way her short hair caught the predawn light, it looked like it was purple.
"Yes?" he replied, uncertain of what was going to happen. She walked over to him and held out her hand.
"Captain Misato Katsuragi, director of Operations at Nerv headquarters," the woman said formally, introducing herself. "I've been sent to collect you."
"It's nice to meet you," the boy replied, shaking her hand.
"Come with me," Misato said, walking back over to the car. The boy picked up the duffel bag beside him and followed her.
"Captain, do you know why I'm being removed from school?" he asked.
"Everything will be explained at headquarters," she informed him, trying not to sound annoyed by his question. She stopped by the boot and opened it. The captain held out her hand and Shinji passed the duffel bag to her.
"What about the rest of my stuff?" he asked as his bag was placed into the boot of the car. As Katsuragi moved to one of the back doors, she took her first good look at the boy. He was about the same height as Lieutenant Ibuki. His hair was jet black and was just long enough to brush the collar of the white shirt he wore. Unusually for someone of Japanese descent, his eyes were of a dark green in colour.
"It will be transferred when it's been packed," Katsuragi replied, opening the rear passenger-side door. She gestured for him to get in. Glad I didn't bring a driver with me, she thought as the boy climbed into the vehicle. She closed the door and got into the driver's seat.
As she drove off, she saw the boy looking out the rear windscreen in the rear-view mirror. When he looked forward again, he had an almost mournful expression on his face.
- - -
"Enter," Kouzou said in response to the knock on his office door. He had a pretty good idea who it was. Security had reported that Captain Katsuragi and a young boy had entered the facility a short while ago. He turned his back on the view of the lake, and returned to his desk as the door slid open. As he expected, the Director of Operations walked in, with the third-child in tow. The captain stopped in front of his desk and saluted.
"Commander, may I introduce Shinji Ikari," she said, gesturing to the boy who was standing a few steps behind her. "Shinji, Commander Fuyutski, the head of Nerv," she added to the boy. Shinji smiled and walked up to the desk.
"Pleased to meet you, commander," he said, holding out his hand.
"Likewise, Mr. Ikari," Kouzou replied, grasping the outstretched hand firmly. "That will be all, captain," he added, releasing the boy's hand. Katsuragi saluted again and marched out of the office. "Please, sit."
"Thank you, sir," Shinji said, doing so.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Shinji."
"I do, commander."
"Forget that 'commander' nonsense," the head of Nerv told him. "Only Katsuragi calls me that."
"Then what should I call you?" Shinji asked, uncertain.
"If you feel you must use a title, then use 'professor'," Kouzou informed him, leaning back in his chair. Shinji nodded. "It's good to see you again," the professor added, "although I doubt you remember me. You were only four or five the last time we met."
"To be honest sir, I don't really remember much about anything before my mother died," the third-child informed him sadly.
"I understand," Fuyutski replied softly, sitting upright and laying his hands on his desk. "Do you know much about what she was doing here?"
"No, I'm afraid I don't, sir," Shinji told him quietly. "I know she felt it was important, but..."
"That's okay," Kouzou assured him as he trailed off. "Her work was, and still is, very important to everyone. Not just here either."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Come with me," the professor said, getting to his feet, "and I'll show you."
- - -
"Ah, doctor, meet Shinji Ikari. Shinji, this is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi," Fuyutski said, introducing the boy to the blonde doctor. Kouzou and Shinji had just exited an elevator to find Ritsuko a short distance down the hall. "She's the second in command around here, and also the head of the technical division."
"It's nice to meet you, Shinji," the doctor replied, smiling down at the boy. "Unit 01's ready to go, professor," she continued, turning her attention to her superior.
"What's 'Unit 01'?" the third-child asked. Akagi smiled at his question.
"He doesn't know then," she stated to Fuyutski.
"I thought it would be easier to show him," he replied. He turned to the boy. "Unit 01 is the reason I had you brought here."
"If you'll come this way," Ritsuko said, gesturing for Shinji to follow her. She led them to a door with 'Cage 01' stencilled on it. To the left was a slot, into which she inserted a card from the pocket of her lab coat.
Through the door was darkness, the only light coming from the open doorway. The doctor found the switch to activate the lights and flicked it.
"What the...?!" Shinji gasped as a giant head came into view, a head that was taller than he was. Its face seemed to be covered by a helmet, which had a large horn on the forehead. It was mostly purple in colour, with green sections that appeared to be almost highlights. The eye slots in the helmet seemed to hold nothing. Looking down from the head, Shinji could see and neck and the beginnings of shoulders. Below that was covered by an opaque red liquid.
"This is why you are here, Shinji," Fuyutski told the boy, standing next to him. "This is Evangelion Unit 01."
"Wha-what's this g-got to do with me?" the boy stammered.
"You are the third-child," Kouzou informed him. "You'll be piloting it."
"You want me to pilot that thing?!" Ikari asked, shocked. The professor nodded. Shinji looked to Ritsuko, who was also smiling. "Wait a minute, what do you mean I'm the 'third-child'?" he asked frowning.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Akagi explained. "You're the third child we've found who can pilot an Evangelion."
"If I'm the third, what about the other two?" the boy asked her
"The second-child is in Germany," the doctor replied. "And the first..."
"Was injured in an accident last week," Fuyutski interjected. "She won't be able to pilot for at least a fortnight, and we don't have that kind of time."
"What do you mean?"
"Before the weekend is over, we will have to use Unit 01 to defeat the enemy it was built to face," Ritsuko informed him.
"We call them the 'Angels'," the professor told the boy before he could speak, leaning on the guard-rail of the catwalk and staring at the head in front of him. "We don't know much about them; who they are, or where they come from. But we do know that they are aggressive, and view us as their enemies." Kouzou stopped for a few moments to allow the boy to assimilate what he'd just learnt.
"This machine is the only thing that can stand against them," the doctor added. "This is what your mother was working on."
"Defeating the Angels is the reason Nerv exists," Kouzou informed the boy, standing up straight, "and it's why you're here."
- - -
"I'm still not comfortable about using the boy in Unit 01, Kouzou," an elderly voice said over the speaker. "There are too many unknowns."
"We've already discussed this, Lorentz," the professor said into the phone. "There is no other option at this point. He's the only available pilot, and Unit 02 hasn't be activated yet."
"What about Unit 00?" the chairman of the Instrumentality Committee asked. "I thought you were almost finished refitting it for combat."
"We are," Fuyutski answered. He sighed. "But with the incident last week, we've had to go back and re-evaluate the added systems." The commander of Nerv reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I see," Lorentz commented. "Where's the boy now?"
"He's being fitted for a plug-suit," Kouzou replied. "Once that's done, we'll try a synch-test." He leaned back in his chair, his free hand playing with the cord on the phone.
"Very well, just keep me informed of his progress."
"I will," the professor agreed. The line went dead and he put the receiver down, sighing. He's still worried about the choice for the third-child, he thought, standing up and walking over to the window. Not that I blame him, after what happened with Yui. He shook his head to clear it as he stared at the lake beside headquarters.
"I take it Chairman Keele isn't too happy," Ritsuko's voice said, jolting him out of his meditative state. He'd been so lost in his contemplation he hadn't heard the door open.
"Not really," Kouzou responded absently. "How'd it go?"
"Fine," the doctor answered. "His suit should be ready by tomorrow morning." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Are you sure you want to try a synch-test without it?"
"We can't waste any time," Fuyutski reminded her, turning away from the tranquil view of the water. "We don't even know if he'll be able to synchronise with Unit 01 yet." He returned to his seat.
"True," Akagi stated, sitting in the chair opposite him. "Rei did take several attempts with Unit 00." She looked at him, evaluating his expression. "You don't think he will though, do you?"
"No, I don't," the commander told her.
"Why?" the blonde asked.
"His mother," her superior replied, a sad smile on his lips.
"Ah! I see."
- - -
"…and that should do it," the bespectacled man said as he finished locking the white clips in place on Shinji's head. He stepped back and Ikari looked up. The man before him was dressed in what the boy took to be the standard Nerv uniform. The overhead lights were reflected in his glasses.
"Thank you, Mr. Hyuga," the boy said, bowing to him.
"Just call me Makoto," the technician informed him, smiling. Shinji nodded and took a better look at his surroundings. To his right was a white cylinder, attached to a mechanism that allowed to be lowered into the yellowish liquid below the catwalk he was on. Makoto wandered over to a panel on the wall, the sound his footsteps on the metal surface echoing through the chamber.
"The neural-clips are in place and ready," he said, pressing a button and activating the com system.
"Good," the director of Operation's voice replied. "Get him into the test-plug lieutenant," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," Makoto responded, turning the com panel off. He looked back at the boy and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. I'll have to get it cut soon, he thought absently. "You ready?" he asked the boy.
"As I'll ever be," Shinji muttered, sighing. He fidgeted in the loose black top he'd changed into. Why the heck did they ask me to change? he wondered.
"Great," Hyuga replied cheerfully, feeling sorry for the poor boy. You've got no idea what you're in for, he thought sadly. He guided the boy over to the cylinder and helped him into it.
"Good luck kid," Makoto said as he slid the top into place.
- - -
For a moment, the boy was in total darkness, and he had to force himself to breath normally. Then a light came on. Softly at first, then with more intensity. The seat he was in looked like something from an old science fiction movie. In front of him were two controllers with several buttons on each.
"Can you hear me, Shinji?" he heard Dr. Akagi's voice ask.
"Yes," he replied, hesitantly, focusing on her voice. I hate enclosed spaces.
"Good," she replied, trying her best to reassure the worried youth. "The test-pug you're in is a replica of the entry-plug of the Eva."
"Eva?"
"That's short for Evangelion," she explained. "Begin filling the plug," she could be heard to say.
Filling the plug? the boy wondered. What does she- His ruminations were cut off by the sound of liquid pouring into the enclosed space. It reached his waist before he could react. "What the hell's going on?!" he demanded, panicking as the liquid reached his chest.
"It's all right, Shinji," Ritsuko said, trying to soothe him. "It's not water and you're not going to drown." The boy held his breath as the strange smelling liquid reached his neck.
"That liquid is called LCL, it helps with the synchronisation process," the doctor explained. "Once it fills you lungs, it will oxygenate your blood directly." Bubbles burst from the boy's lungs as the burning in his chest became unbearable. He almost choked as he felt the liquid enter his lungs.
"Just relax and breathe deeply," Akagi instructed. Ikari did his best to follow her instructions and was surprised to find that he could breathe normally. "Let's proceed to the next stage," the doctor said a few moments later. The boy nodded.
"Electrolyse the LCL," she ordered. Shinji felt a strange tingling sensation on his skin, which seemed to fade after a few moments. Not that it was unsettling, in fact, it felt oddly soothing. "Activate the neural interface."
"Interface online," another female voice responded, one Shinji didn't know. "Receiving feed. All readings within expected parameters."
- - -
"That's good," Ritsuko commented as she lent over her assistant's shoulder to check the data it displayed. She returned her gaze on the large viewing window in front of her, which allowed her to see into the test-chamber. "Activate the A-10 nerve connections," she instructed.
"Nerve connections active," Maya reported a few moments later.
"How's the signal?" the doctor asked her assistant, her hand on the head rest of the petite brunette's chair.
"It's fluctuating a bit," Ibuki replied, checking the data on her console, "but that's to be expected." She typed in a few commands. "Bi-directional circuits are now open."
"What about the synch-ratio?" Captain Katsuragi asked from her position in the centre of the room.
"Synchronisation ratio is at forty point seven nine percent," Ibuki informed her. The purple-haired woman looked at her and frowned.
"That's just an approximation," Ritsuko interjected, noticing the captain's expression. "We won't be sure about it until he's actually in Unit 01." She looked at her assistant's console. "But at least we know he can synchronise with it."
"Good," Katsuragi responded, eyes glued to the observation window.
"Have Makoto run a diagnostic on the system after the test," Akagi whispered to Maya, leaning forward. Ibuki nodded her head slightly. "These harmonics are just incredible," the doctor muttered. "It's amazing."
"Sure is," Maya replied, smiling reassuringly at the doctor. The blonde caught the grin and returned it, giving the lieutenant's shoulder a quick squeeze.
"Lower the test-plug to point zero seven," Ritsuko ordered aloud, standing upright. Commands were entered into consoles and the white tube containing Shinji began sinking into the liquid in the test chamber.
"Um, excuse me, Dr. Akagi?" the child's voice said over the link to the plug, his tone uncertain.
"Yes, Shinji? What is it?" the doctor asked, looking at the video link on the observation window. It was a one-way link, so as to avoid distracting the boy.
"What exactly am I meant to be doing?" he asked.
"No one told you?" Ritsuko enquired, arching an eyebrow.
"I know why we're doing this test," Shinji told her. "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Akagi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Of course no one thought to tell him, she thought. Rei already knows what to do. They just assumed he did too! She took a moment to mentally review what she'd read in his records from the boarding school before speaking. "Just close your eye and empty your mind," she told him. "As if you were meditating."
"Okay," Ikari responded, visibly relaxing. His eyes closed and his breathing slowed.
"Wow," Lieutenant Ibuki muttered a few moments later.
"What is it?" Ritsuko whispered as she leant forward, not wanting Katsuragi to hear.
"His synch-ratio just jumped more than nine percent," Maya told her superior. "It's holding steady at forty-nine point eight four percent."
"Have the Magi checked the figures?" Akagi asked, frowning as she considered the implications.
"Yes, ma'am," her assistant informed her. "They report an error ratio of only point zero zero two percent."
What the heck is going on? the blonde doctor wondered as she straightened up and stared at the boy's image. "Lower the test-plug to point zero nine," she ordered.
"Ma'am? Isn't that a bit much?" Ibuki asked, concerned.
"If he can't take it, bring it back up," Ritsuko replied. She looked at her assistant and smiled. "Just trust me on this, Maya. I think he can take it."
"Okay," Maya agreed, entering the relevant commands. In the test chamber, the cylinder was slowly lowered further into the yellow liquid.
- - -
"Where are we going, sir?" Shinji asked the bespectacled technician as he was guided along a gravel path outside the main headquarters building. The path, although well maintained, was not that well used and the boy couldn't help but wonder where he was being taken. He'd been let out of the test-plug about half an hour ago and had spent most of the intervening time in the shower, washing away the LCL. Now he once again clad in his old school's uniform.
"I've told you Shinji, just call me Makoto, okay?" Hyuga replied, looking at the third-child, who nodded. "And as for where we're going, I thought you might like rest up for a while."
"I am little tired," Ikari admitted, his feet dragging as they walked. The two of them rounded a corner and a two-storey building came into view.
"That's where we're going kid," Makoto informed him. "The pilot dorm."
"Pilot dorm?" Shinji asked, frowning.
"Sure. Didn't you wonder where you'd be staying?"
"Not really," the boy replied. "To be honest, I haven't had a chance to think about it." He stopped and his shoulders slumped.
"Hey, don't worry about it," the technician told him, laying a hand on the boy's left shoulder. "You've had so much thrown at you today; it's not surprising you haven't had time to process it all." He walked up to the door and pulled a key out of his pocket. "After you," he said putting it in the lock and turning it.
- - -
"Captain, I just received word from meteorology; there's an extremely large cyclonic formation headed this way," Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba reported. As usual, he had his long, light brown hair tied back. Katsuragi walked over to his console.
"How far is it?" she enquired, eyes glued to the main screen.
"Approximately one hundred miles from the south coast," the long-haired technician replied. "It'll make landfall in about two hours."
"Have the Matsushiro radar station run a complete break down on it as soon as it's in range," the major ordered, folding her arms. "How long until it reaches our position?"
"Given its current speed, I'd say about seven hours, possibly eight," Aoba informed her. "You don't think it's just a storm, do you, captain?"
"No, I don't. Inform Commander Fuyutski at once."
- - -
"Welcome to your new home," Makoto said, closing the door behind himself. The boy stood dumbstruck a short distance from the door.
"Oh wow," Shinji exclaimed, looking around the large room. There were a number of comfortable looking seats scattered around the area, with a dining room to the left and a wide-screen television further back. "This place is huge!" He took a few steps forward. "Much bigger than the dorm back at Fujikawa."
"Yeah, well, Professor Fuyutski wanted to make sure you pilots had the best," the technician explained. "On your right you've got the kitchen and laundry room," he continued, slipping into his role as the pilot rep. "On the left are the changing rooms; one male and one female." He walked to the about two-thirds of the way to the back wall. "In here is a study," he said, pointing to a door on the left. "It's been sound-proofed so you won't be disturbed.
"If you'll follow me," Hyuga said, beckoning him. The boy followed the bespectacled technician as he led him into one of the changing rooms, then out a door on the far side. "This is the gym that's been set up for you guys," he said, arms spread wide and turning on the spot in the middle of the room. The boy's mouth hung open as he looked about the large, airy chamber at the equipment that filled. "Everything's brand new and top of the range," Makoto informed him. By one wall was a staircase, leading to another level which the boy guessed was fully outfitted as well.
The technician then led the boy back into the large room they'd first entered, obviously some form of lounge, and then up the stairs that were situated against the back wall.
At the top, Shinji found himself in another large room. This one had been setup like a games room. A pool table sat to one side and the boy spotted what looked like a black disc with wires and red and white sections on it against one wall. There were eight doors leading from the room, the last two almost hidden down a corridor. The bag he'd brought with him was sat on the pool table.
"The two doors furthest back lead to the two bathrooms; one for the boys, one for the girls," Makoto told him. "The other doors are the suites."
"Which one's my room?" Ikari asked, looking at the doors. None were labelled.
"Whichever you want, kid," Hyuga replied. "I know that Rei's taken that one," he added, pointing to the door at the back on their left.
"Who's Rei?" Shinji asked, curious.
"Oh, that's right, you haven't met her," Makoto reminded himself, clicking his fingers. "Rei Ayanami's the first-child."
"The one who's in hospital, right?"
"Yeah, that's her," the technician said. "So feel free to pick whichever of the others you want." Shinji walked over to the pool table, picked up him bag and headed for the door nearest the stairs. He opened it and looked inside.
"This'll do me," he announced.
"Cool," Hyuga replied. "You get settled in and I'll wait for you downstairs." He took a few steps towards the staircase then stopped. "Almost forgot," he said, walking back to the door to Shinji's room. "This is for you," he informed the boy, pulling an object from his pocket and passing it to him. It was a cellular telephone. "In case we need to contact you," the technician explained, catching the boy's expression.
Shinji watched as Lieutenant Hyuga disappeared and heard him walk down the stairs. He looked at the phone in his hand and shook his head.
They think of everything, he thought, walking over to the small table that stood beside the bed. Putting the electronic device down on the wooden piece of furniture, he picked up the key which sat there. Must be the key to the dorm. he thought, turning his attention to his bag which he'd dropped on the bed. Opening it, he pulled out the one photo he'd brought with him and sat it on the table.
"Well mom," he said to it, "I'm here."
- - -
"Have the Magi confirmed this data?" Fuyutski asked as he read the report that Katsuragi had handed to him a few moments ago. He'd been reviewing the data from the boy's harmonics test for the last hour or so. Something about the figures bothered him, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Not yet, sir," she replied, stood rigid to attention. The professor sighed, closed the file and dropped it on his desk. "Your orders, sir?"
"Forward a copy of this to the government, along with the radar data from Matsushiro," he said, interlocking his fingers on top of the file. "And have the observation booth prepared; we'll be having guests from the JSSDF shortly." The captain nodded.
"Should I order a first level alert, sir?" she asked.
"Not yet," her superior told her, getting to his feet. He smoothed the creases from the front of his black jacket. "We still have a number of hours before it arrives. Just ensure Unit 01 is ready to go."
"Yes sir," the purple-haired woman replied, saluting. Kouzou nodded to her and she left his office to carry out her orders. He wandered over to his window and stared at the lake.
And so it begins, he mused.
- - -
About fifty miles from Tokyo-3, the large tornado stopped. For the last several hours it had been passing through the Japanese countryside, uprooting trees and destroying farmland as it went. Against the laws of nature, the snaking column of spinning air became stiffly vertical.
For a few moments, a stillness filled the air, then a violent tremor caused the water in a nearby river to ripple. The howling winds began to die down, and the swirling mass of air faded away, leaving a black and white giant stood where the eye of the storm had been.
The cloud that filled the sky melted away, and as the sun began to shine on the humanoid shape, it slowly began to plod forward. Its three-pronged feet sank into the sodden earth as it lumbered towards its goal. Tokyo-3.
- - -
"Has the evacuation been completed yet?" Dr. Akagi shouted over the voices that filled the command centre. Having just arrived from her office elsewhere in the section of headquarters referred to as Central Dogma, she needed to find out exactly what had been done, and what still needed doing.
"Just getting the all-clear now," her assistant called back as the conversations faded away, the technicians present relieved by the doctor's presence. Ritsuko walked over to Maya's console, looking over at the 'observation booth' and nodding at the assembled generals. The 'booth' itself was nothing more than a raised platform on which visitors could be seated and observe events without getting in the way. Akagi frowned slightly as she spotted Captain Katsuragi leant over one of the seats, talking quietly to one of the occupants.
"How far away is it?" the blonde-haired woman asked, leaning forward to check the data on Ibuki's display.
"About fourteen miles, and closing," Makoto replied after calling up the tactical display on the main screen.
"Heading?" Akagi asked.
"We can't be sure, but it does seem to be heading this way," the bespectacled technician informed her. The second-in-command of Nerv straightened up and looked at the tactical display. The target was shown as a large red disk on a topographical map. A number of small blue triangles were approaching it.
"The JSSDF squadron is closing," Shigeru reported. "Intercept in two minutes."
"How long before the target arrives within the city?" the director of Operations asked, walking over to the doctor.
"Thanks for joining us," Ritsuko said flippantly. Misato nodded at her superior briefly. She's up to something, the doctor thought. I just hope she was trying to help convince them.
"At its current speed, the target will enter the city within the next twenty minutes," Hyuga informed her, making a few quick calculations on his console.
"Report," Fuyutski ordered as he took his seat on the level above.
"The evacuation is complete," Misato informed him, turning and saluting. "The target is closing on our position. Current distance is a little under fourteen miles. The JSSDF fighter squadron will be intercepting the target within the next ninety seconds."
"Status of Unit 01?" the professor enquired.
"Unit 01 is standing by, commander," the captain replied. Kouzou nodded to her and she returned her attention to the tactical display on the main screen. The commander leant back in his seat and began drumming his fingers on the desk before him; waiting was one of those things that he disliked.
"I can't believe that they're actually going to try to stop it," Ritsuko commented quietly as she took up a position beside the desk. Fuyutski looked over at her and smirked.
"Can't blame them," he told her softly. "They think they can do anything. Let them have their shot. We both know they have no chance."
- - -
"Wing Zero, this is Tango Niner. Requesting clearance to engage. Over," the wing leader said over the radio link to the Kyoto Air Base.
"Roger that Tango Niner," came the reply. "You have a go to engage target on vector eight four mark seven two. Over."
"Confirming vector eight four mark seven two. Over."
"Confirmed Tango Niner. Best of luck. Wing Zero out," the base responded.
"You heard the man guys," the pilot said, speaking to the rest of her squadron. "Light 'em up!" She brought her fighter down to hover in the path of the black and white giant lumbering towards Tokyo-3.
"Chew on this," she muttered, firing her machine guns at it. "What the hell?!" she cried as her bullets impacted on some kind of orange glow just before the target, which completely ignored her attack and continued on its course. "Dammit," she cursed, peeling off.
"Tango Five, Tango Four, you are clear to begin," she ordered. Behind her, the two fighter jets carrying heavy duty armour piercing bullets broke formation and began a strafing run at the giant. She quickly circled and saw their bullets suffer the same fate as her own.
No effect, she thought and sighed. "Tango Three, Tango One, give that sucker something think about."
"Roger that Tango Niner," the voice of Tango One replied. Two jets shot forward, locking their missiles on the target. The wing leader felt a great deal of satisfaction as the four laser-guided projectiles flew towards the giant. Smoke obscured her view as they exploded.
"N I," Tango Three reported. "I repeat that is an N I, a negative impact." Just as she'd expected.
"Pull back boys," she ordered. Somehow, she'd figured it'd come to this. "Viper Four-Four-One, you are green to go. Hit it hard."
"Roger that Tango Niner," the voice of the pilot of the heavy bomber responded as it descended from the cloud cover. "This is Viper Four-Four-One beginning attack run."
Tango squadron withdrew as the bomber straightened out. On its belly it carried one of the most powerful weapons in the JSSDF's arsenal, which was almost larger than the aircraft carrying it.
"Target locked," Tango Niner heard the gunner inform the bomber's pilot. "Missile away!" She watched as the missile dropped a short distance from the bomber's belly before the engine kicked in. In a few short seconds the large weapon closed the distance to the giant and exploded.
Tango Niner sighed heavily. Just before the blast, she'd caught sight of an orange glow in front of the giant.
"Sorry guys, did my best," the bomber's pilot said. "This is Viper Four-Four-One, returning to base.
"Tango Niner, this is Wing Zero, you are ordered to withdraw," the officer manning the radio at the air base informed her. "Better run, they're bringing out the heavily artillery."
Heavy artillery? she wondered. A moment later, she inhaled sharply.Oh shit! she thought, as she realised what the officer had meant. "You heard the man. Clear out!" she ordered.
- - -
"JSSDF squadrons are withdrawing from the combat zone," Shigeru announced loudly, his voice penetrating the murmur of conversations that were filling the command centre as the assembled personnel watched the battle on the main display.
"You don't think they're going to…?" Akagi asked quietly, leaning over the commander's desk to be sure he heard her.
"I do believe they are," Fuyutski replied, smiling softly.
"But that won't do anything."
"It should slow it down," Kouzou informed her, "which would be sufficient for our purposes." Noticing the doctor's look, he sighed. Before he could say anything further, the whole chamber shook and a deep rumbling filled the room. Displays turned to static and the room was filled with a red glow as the emergency lights kicked in.
"All external feeds down!" Shigeru yelled, his hands dancing across his keyboard. "Attempting to re-establish."
"I don't think we need to wait for that," General Sano said, getting to his feet. "I very much doubt that that thing is still standing."
"I concur," General Hayashibara agreed, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray next to him. "Commander Fuyutski, thank you for your time and hospitality, but I don't believe we'll be needing your services."
"Let's just wait and see shall we, gentlemen," the professor replied calmly, looking at the observation booth.
"Very well, we shall humour you a little while longer, commander," Hayashibara said, a small smirk on his face. "But honestly, do you really think that-"
"External cameras back on-line," Aoba reported, interrupting the general.
"Bring the feed up on the main display," Ritsuko ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," the long-haired technician responded, following the order. There was a collective gasp as the screen cleared. Although the ground around it was scorched and blackened, the Angel itself was slightly discoloured and portions of it appeared misshapen, but otherwise it appeared unharmed.
"Tha-that's impossible!" Sano exclaimed. "That was a direct hit. There's no way it could have survived!" As the assembled personnel watched, a tornado formed around the giant, blocking it from view.
"But it has," Hayashibara sighed. He shook his head and got to his feet. "Commander Fuyutski, it seems we will be needing you after all. Command of this operation is now in you hands. Best of luck to you." And with that, the JSSDF officers left the observation booth.
"What's the status of the target?" the professor asked. Akagi left her position and wandered down to the level below.
"The target is stationary," Makoto reported. "Sensors are showing some unusual energy fluctuations." Ritsuko leaned over his console and reviewed the data.
"What's your opinion, doctor?" Kouzou enquired.
"I'd need more time to be sure, but I believe that it's regenerating," she replied. She typed a few commands into the bespectacled technician's keyboard. "Looking at these readings, I'd say we've got roughly…forty-eight minutes before it starts moving again."
"Thank you, doctor," Fuyutski replied. "Captain Katsuragi," he called. The lavender-haired woman looked up at him and nodded.
"All personnel, go to level one alert!" Misato ordered, turning back to the main display. "Finalise preparations to launch Unit 01!"
"I'll prepare the pilot," Makoto informed her, getting to his feet. He marched swiftly from the command centre and headed for the pilot dorm.
- - -
"You ready, Shinji?" Makoto asked the clearly nervous third-child as he finished positioning the neural-clips.
"I dunno," Ikari replied, "am I?" The boy noticed his hand shake as he reached up to scratch the back of his head.
"You'll be fine," the technician assured him, smiling softly. "Just relax and don't worry about it. Remember, don't try and make the Eva move. Just think about moving and it'll do the rest."
"Okay," Shinji sighed breathlessly. He looked up at the bespectacled technicians face. "Let's do it."
Poor kid, Hyuga thought sadly, careful to keep his smile in place. You've got no idea what you're in for. He helped Shinji into his entry plug, gave him a thumbs up and sealed it.
"Best of luck, kid," Makoto murmured as he watched the plug being moved into position. As soon as it began to enter the Evangelion, he turned away and headed for the command centre.
Maybe I should've warned him, the technician pondered as he strode along the maze-like corridors. If things go bad… He shook the thought from his head. Nothing was going to go wrong. Simple as that.
- - -
"How is he?" Shigeru asked as Makoto took his seat, his voice barely audible over the commands and reports flying around the command centre.
"Real nervous," Hyuga replied, his hand flying across his console as he logged on. "I just hope it doesn't affect his ability to synch with the Eva."
"I doubt it will," the long-haired technician responded.
"Oh?"
"I took a look at his pysch profile."
"You shouldn't have done that," Makoto told him, reviewing the figures that were flying across his screen.
"I know." There was silence between them for a few seconds.
"So? What did it say?" Hyuga asked, no longer able to stand the silence.
"He may be nervous now, but once he's out there, he'll be so focused on what he has to do, he won't feel it," Shigeru informed his colleague quietly.
"Target status?" Captain Katsuragi requested, halting any further discussion between the two.
"Energy readings are dissipating," Hyuga reported. "According to Doctor Akagi's analysis, the target should begin moving again in the next sixty seconds." The main screen flashed to life, showing the spinning column of air.
"Evangelion status?" the captain asked, eyes glued to the main screen. Was it just her imagination, or was it slowing down?
"The entry plug has been inserted into Unit 01," Maya informed her. "Primary and secondary restraints have been released."
"Move Unit 01 to the launch catapult," Ritsuko ordered, having returned to the command centre from her office in time to hear her assistant's reply.
"Yes ma'am," the female technician responded, relived by her superior's presence. She quickly entered the relevant commands and watched as her console displayed the robot's progress.
"Target is moving again!" Makoto called as the black and white giant, visible once more, began to move forward.
"Set the route for exit at gate seven," Akagi ordered. Her assistant nodded and her hands danced across her console, programming the launch-tunnel to deposit the Eva as near to the Angel's projected point of entry to the city as possible.
"Target has entered the city," Makoto reported, leaning back in his seat to look at Katsuragi. Misato and Ritsuko looked at each other, the doctor giving a barely perceptible nod.
"Launch Evangelion!" the captain ordered turning her attention to the main display.
- - -
Shinji gulped hard as Katsuragi's voice echoed in his ears. A few moments later he felt himself being pushed into his seat as the robot shot upwards. He concentrated on breathing as the G-forces generated by the sudden ascent crushed his chest. He blinked as the tunnel around him rushed by, the blurred motion confusing his eyes. With a sudden unexpected jolt the Evangelion stopped moving. Looking around, Shinji found himself in the city, the night sky overhead clear.
Taking a deep breath, the new pilot tightened his grasp on the control yoke. Focusing on making the robot move as he had been told to, he felt the cockpit lurch as the Evangelion took its first, unsteady step. Then again, and again, as it slowly moved forward.
- - -
At least he hasn't tripped up, Ritsuko consoled herself as she watched the purple machine stagger forward like a drunkard, its arms swinging limply backwards and forwards. "Distance to target?"
"Forty-six metres," Makoto reported, checking the figures on his console. "He should be seeing it shortly."
- - -
In the city, Shinji stopped the Eva as it reached what he believed to be one of the main roads. Looking to his left he saw a black and white figure stood there. He gulped as the realisation of what that figure was hit him. It was the Angel. He turned and faced it, forcing back the fear he felt crawling at his mind. He didn't have time to be scared now, he could do that later. For a few moments he just sat there, staring at it.
Feeling the ground shake, he blinked and realised that the Angel was moving towards him. His heart rate began to increase and sweat began to seep from his pores, his hands shaking on the controllers. Doubt began to flood his mind as the creature in front of him came closer, its black and white bulk appearing even more frightening in the combination of natural moonlight and artificial streetlight.
After a few steps, the Angel stopped. It slowly raised its right arm, its palm facing the Eva. Shinji frowned as he noticed a disc in its palm beginning to glow.
"Move you idiot!" Katsuragi yelled at him over the radio. He gasped as he snapped out of his wonderment and tried to leap to one side. A sensation like a sledge-hammer smashing into his chest knocked the wind out of him. Looking at the screen in front of him, his vision blurry around the edges, the Angel appeared to be moving quickly away from him. He felt something hit his back and he realised he was the one moving.
- - -
"What the hell was that?!" the captain demanded as she watched the robot demolish the Obara building as it smashed through it.
"Some form of compressed air," Makoto reported, reading the analysis the Magi were feeding him. "It impacted with a force of three hundred metric tonnes per square centimetre!"
"Eva status?" Misato asked she watched it crash to a stop against another building. Rubble fell from the hole, obscuring the view.
"There's some buckling to the chest armour, but nothing serious," Aoba informed her, stealing a glance at the main display.
"Pilot life signs stable," Maya added.
- - -
Shinji shook his head to clear it, the sound of debris bouncing off the Eva echoing in the entry-plug. His chest burned slightly as he breathed and his vision was just starting to clear.
What the hell was that?! he thought, his breathing too ragged to speak. He rubbed his head with his right hand before grasping the control yokes once again. Gotta get this thing to its feet. He made the robot grasp the edge of the building and tried to stand.
"LOOK OUT!" Dr. Akagi's voice screamed over the radio, almost deafening him. Flinching from the volume of her shout, he looked up. A clawed hand appeared from overhead and seemed to disappear beneath Shinji's view.
Before he could wonder what was going on he felt something squeezing his throat, choking him. He clawed at his neck as the Eva was lifted clear from the partially demolished structure. He could hear voices calling him, but they seemed distant and dim. Spots began to flash before his eyes as he realised what was going on. It wasn't his throat that was being crushed, it was the robot's. He replaced his grip on the controls and willed the Eva's arms to move.
- - -
The Eva's hands juddered as they slowly rose and tried to pry free the claws holding its neck. A few moments later, it raised its dangling feet and brought them up against the Angel's chest. Stretching its legs out as far as it could, the Eva tried to break the grip. The metal structure of the robot groaned as it struggled to free itself.
In one quick movement, the Angel brought the claws of its other hand over Unit 01's abdomen and the impaled the purple machine.
- - -
Shinji's scream of agony filled the command centre as the personnel watched, stunned. For what seemed like an eternity, no one could do anything but stare at the main screen, watching as a red liquid that looked like blood flowed over the Angel's claws and on to the street below.
"Pilot status?" Misato asked, her tone professional as she forced her concern to the back of her mind. The boy's shrieks faded as he lost strength and gave into the pain.
"His life signs are erratic," Maya reported quietly, blinking the forming tears from her eyes. A small window on her console's display was open, which she had been using it to watch the third-child in action. Now it showed her the boy curled into a foetal position in the control seat, rocking backwards and forwards as he whimpered softly, a sound the technician found even more terrible than his previous screams.
- - -
The Angel pulled its hand free from Unit 01's body, the red fluid shooting from the wound. The once taut legs of the robot sagged, then dropped and hung lifeless below it. Relaxing the grip on its neck, it fired another stream of air into the Eva's neck, allowing it fly free. The purple machine hurtled backwards, its arms and legs floating limply, smashing through the middle of one building. The tower block collapsed as the robot continued to be propelled further. It hit the ground and skidded along the road, sparks flying. It came to a halt by crashing into the base of a multi-storey car-park.
- - -
"Pilot has lost consciousness!" Maya shouted over the barrage of reports flying around the command centre. She looked at the small window she had been watching. His head hung limply to one side, his mouth slightly open.
"Is he injured?" Akagi asked as she leant over and looked at her assistant's console.
"A few bumps and bruises," Ibuki replied, checking the physiological data her station was receiving. "But nothing serious."
"The Angel is closing on the Eva," Makoto said. All eyes turned to the main screen as the black and white figure approached the Evangelion as it lay part buried in the building that had stopped it. The vibrations caused by its footsteps causing the structure to shake. As it neared, it slowed and began planting its feet more firmly on the ground, almost stomping as it moved.
Shigeru was the first to spot the fractures spreading across the car-park's surface but before he could say anything, the building collapsed, burying Unit 01 under tonnes of concrete and steel. As the dust from the collapse cleared, the Angel could be seen clearly, standing a few metres form where the robot lay buried.
"We've lost the signal from the entry-plug!" Maya cried as her screens went blank.
"Which one?" the doctor enquired of her assistant.
"All of them!" the lieutenant replied, gesturing to her screen. "Life support, power consumption, thermal output, everything! It's gone completely silent! Nothing's transmitting!"
"Is he dead then?" the captain asked, turning her gaze back to the main screen.
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Author Notes –
And there you have it, the first chapter of Evangelion Chronicles. Sorry about the long wait, but it's taken longer than I would've liked to plan this out. Please remember that this is a 're-imagining' of Neon Genesis Evangelion and, as such, will probably vary greatly from the original's storyline. Hopefully this story will be entertaining and hold a few surprises. I say this now as a warning – some people may find certain aspects of some things in it disturbing. And if you think I need to increase the rating, please let me know and I will do so. It is not my intention to flout 's rules.
Any way, enough from me. Please let me know what you think of this. I intend to keep writing, mainly because I believe it's worth it. If you have any suggestions, let me know. They will all be considered. And who knows, I may even use them. My email address is I'll try to respond to all correspondence, but working fulltime means most of my downtime is consumed writing.
It may be anything up to a month before the next chapter is ready. I've got most of it planned, but those plans could (and probably will) change.
Thank you for reading. Regards, Room3
Original characters –
General Sano, JSSDF
General Hayashibara, JSSDF