Supervisor: Silpelit7
Final Genesis Evangelion Committee
An alternate universe / self-insert fan fiction
The once frozen tundra of what used to be the American state of Alaska was now a kind of "refugee's heaven". The whole area had been heavily bombed in the war which followed the Second Impact. After numerous border skirmishes between the United States and Russia, it was now considered by the world's governments to be an autonomous group. People of all nations who were left discouraged and homeless by that senseless war gathered in Alaska and formed a society which was a throwback from what was considered "modern." Bartering was the most common form of exchange, rather than a commerce system which used placeholders as money.
Kumoharu Maxwell was a second-generation refugee, one could say. Born shortly after the Second Impact, his mother was killed during the wars while defending her home country of Japan. His father, a Japanese-American, had moved himself and his newborn son to the Alaskan frontier, as many people did in those days. That man died in 2010 from natural causes, leaving his son in the care of his good friends the Earharts. The year was now 2015. Kumoharu, called Kumo or Cloud by his close friends, had just returned from America. No one knew why he had been called to visit a series of army bases in the American southwest, save for Maxwell and his surrogate family. The Earharts had been expecting such a letter in their mail ever since their young charge had turned 14 on the first of October, 2014.
As Kumo continued the walk from the nearest airport, more than five miles away from his hometown of Anchorage, a sudden voice behind him prompted an inward smile. "Hey, Cloud!" He stopped walking and turned to his left. Sure enough, the daughter of his caretakers and his closest friend, Tifa Earhart, was calling his name. "What's wrong?" she asked as she reached his location. He slowly turned and began walking again towards his destination.
"Oh, nothing," he stated, trying to make his voice sound light. He noticed the unsure glare she was giving him and sighed. He silently reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to her without a word. He continued to walk, enjoying the crisp clean air of his home after being in the sweltering heat of Nevada for four months.
"This says you're to be moved to Japan, to Neo Tokyo-3, until further notice... upon your arrival back here! You've barely been back in town five minutes and you're already leaving again?" she asked. Maxwell could not look at her directly, but rather looked at the sun which hung in the background. He nodded slowly. "Are you excited? This is what you've been waiting for, right?" He made no response. "I talked to my parents. They told me everything," she continued with a guilty voice. His face hardened suddenly, for he had hoped they wouldn't tell Tifa.
"So then you know what I've been doing there," he finally responded, his tone flat.
"Not exactly, but I know its important for the safety of everyone. But hey, at least all these years you've been studying Japanese will come in handy, right?" she said in an attempt to cheer her friend up. She put a hand on his shoulder and pushed gently. "Well, let's go home. I'm sure you'd like a nice long shower, and I can get your things prepared."
--
Subcaption 1 Arrival
--
Kumoharu Maxwell, or rather Maxwell Kumoharu, was escorted from the military plane to a black executive-style sedan which was waiting near the runway. Three large men in black suits and dark sunglasses, looking like secret service agents, also waited near the car. Kumoharu's faded black T-shirt and baggy blue jeans didn't quite match those men. He was forced to sit between two of the men in the car's back seat on an uncomfortably long ride from the airport to Tokyo-3. They spoke into their small microphones on occasion, but nothing Kumo could make much sense of. After nearly an hour, the car finally stopped. Kumo shook his mind back into motion as he recognized the car's transmission shifting into "Park." The two men which had been the source of his discomfort got out of the vehicle simultaneously, prompting him to do the same. Of course he silently complied and watched as they took his suitcases and boxed items out of the car's trunk, placing them on the sidewalk next to him.
Maxwell was uncomfortable again, but in a different way, as crowds of people walked by the scene. Many of them said nothing, but some of the younger generations made vocal note of their observations. "Oh, look at him, he must be the son of some dignitary," they said. Some people were not so kind, shouting things like "rich bastard!" When the two men were done, one approached him with a small piece of paper and a keycard. Kumo took them and looked at the paper, which turned out to be a picture of some attractive older woman in a revealing t-shirt and cut-off shorts.
'Apartment 312, here is a keycard. Captain Katsuragi Misato. Meet me tomorrow at this address at 10 a.m., OK?'
Below was a local address and something else scribbled near the bottom. 'P.S., look at these curves!' it read, which arrows pointing to her legs and cleavage. Maxwell, eyebrows raised, looked up from the picture at the imposing man. The man nodded stiffly before returning to the vehicle, which promptly sped off into the distance. The younger man watched as it disappeared, his hand which carried his keycard and the provocative photo falling limply to his side. "Thanks for the help," he said sarcastically as his eyes fell to the pile of his belongings around him, "with my stuff."
--
Kumo suddenly sat straight up, an awkward scream creeping out of his mouth before he realized it and cut off his voice. He found himself breathing quite heavily, and he was covered in cold sweat. He looked to the small digital clock next to his bed.
3:29 in the morning.
Kumo immediately started blaming jet lag or the change of surroundings on the nightmare from which he had just awakened, but he knew the truth. Ever since he had been brought to Nevada, he had nightmares all the time. None of the military psychologists could explain or cure them. He knew he would not be able to fall back asleep, so instead of laying in bed until sunrise as he normally did, he got out of bed and began unpacking.
By the time eight o'clock rolled around, he was totally unpacked and arranged. He found the apartment was completely stocked with furniture and food, and he was grateful for both. After a quick shower, he caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom's large mirror. At just about two meters tall, his thin body looked like a poorly fleshed-out skeleton. He wasn't muscular or physically fit, but he simply had a very fast metabolism which had always caused him to look unhealthily thin. He kept his black hair short all the time, simply because he didn't like the idea of having to comb or style his hair every day. His wire-framed glasses did little to hide the bags under his eyes. They had been there for several months and showed no sign of retreating, no matter how much he slept. His round black eyes, something he had always hated in the predominantly Caucasian Alaska, could now be considered an asset. After all, now he would look like everyone else.
The young man changed out of his pajamas and took a hot shower, trying to rid himself of the images from his nightmares. After finding a semi-casual buttoned shirt and khaki pants, he decided he should probably eat before leaving. After all, he had no idea how much of his day would be absorbed by this meeting. The refrigerator was stocked will all sorts of sausage and egg, among other things, which did little good since Kumoharu was not a very good cook. Thankfully, a single box of cereal and a bag of bagels were also in stock.
He arrived at the proposed meeting location a half hour early. It turned out the address was a small park just a few blocks from the apartment complex where he was residing. Kumo took little note of the scenery as he tried to listen in on others' conversations in an attempt to brush up on his Japanese. After all, he had never been around more than three or four people who spoke the language. He found a bench and took a seat, trying to read a newspaper he had picked up on the way. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" a voice asked. Maxwell shook his head without a second thought and felt the person sit down. He immediately felt uncomfortable, as if the person was looking at him. "This is nice weather we've been having."
Kumoharu slowly turned and looked, confirming his suspicion. It was the woman from the provocative photo. Thankfully she was wearing something more appropriate on this meeting. She wore a moderately short-cut black dress and red flight jacket. "Captain... Katsuragi?" he asked slowly, not wanting to accidentally mispronouce her name.
"Call me Misato, Kumo-kun." Kumo turned the rest of his body so he wasn't looking at her over his shoulder and nodded. "Nice to meet you, too," she said a little sarcastically. "So, trouble sleeping?" He nodded again, his eyes straying to his feet. "Yea, I understand. I just came back today from Germany, so I didn't sleep much on the plane last night either."
"Am I... to be your subordinate?" he asked, again speaking slowly. She put a finger to he chin and seemed to be thinking.
"Kind of. You understand what's going on here, correct? You know why you're here?" He nodded. "Well, as far as I know, I'm set to be the tactical commander in charge of attack and defense. That's what they told me. Actually, I have only been here a week or so." The pair sat in silence for nearly ten minutes before Misato spoke again. "Hey, do you want to see something cool?" she asked, her voice enthusiastic again.
"Sure."
--
Gospel of the New Century EVANGELION: Abberance
Chapter 01: The Beginning
--
Maxwell did not have much experience in the passenger seats of cars, but from what he could gather,... Captain Katsuragi was either a very poor driver or a very good one. In any case the pair soon arrived at a small rest area on one of the mountain roads which surrounded Tokyo-3. The sun was high in the azure afternoon sky, reflecting off the windows of the high-rise buildings at the center of the city.
"A friend of mine suggested that I check this place out. It's really something... The city, I mean. Built into a naturally defensive valley, this city is the most technologically advanced of its kind," the older woman stated quietly before continuing in a serious tone. "I asked you before if you knew why you had been brought here. You know what this city really is, then?"
Maxwell nodded slowly, still looking out over the city. "I know about some things, like the Geofront which is located beneath the city. The important buildings can be lowered by elevator into the Geofront, affording some level of safety for the civilians in the city. I guess that there is a military base on the floor of the Geofront as well. That's where you are stationed at, right?" He made no eye contact with his companion, trying to give off a sense of unattachment. He focused on nothing in particular off in the distance.
"Well, its not really a military base. It's the headquarters of the special organization called NERV. We are backed by the government and military of the countries where we have bases, but we operate outside of their constraints in order to defend ourselves. The Americans are very closely involved with our branch in Nevada, so I can understand why you thought we were a military organization."
"Hm." The boy took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling the weight of the sleep he had been missing.
"Oh, tired already?" He shook his head and finally turned to face Misato as he placed the glasses back on his face. "Well, I guess my next obvious question is... You've already had some experience with the simulation and synchronization testing, correct?"
"Yes. And to answer your next 'obvious' question, I know about the Evangelion weapons, but that's about the extent of my knowledge."
"Well, at least we're both on the same page. You're a smart kid, you know?" Kumoharu suddenly scowled just a little and turned his back on the city and Misato.
"I guess I should say 'thank you,'" he said after a while.
"What's the matter? Do you think I'm just saying that, or what? I read what's in your file. You were ranked in the top two percent of all school children in the Alaskan area, isn't that correct? Or was that a typo?" Misato was intentionally trying to press this kid's buttons in order to get some real information out of him. However, from his hardened face to his crossed arms, it didn't seem to be working. "Well, what is it? Was there some kind of mistake on your grade?"
"Probably," he sighed.
"Modesty doesn't suit you, ya know!" Misato teased.
"Both of my parents were intelligent people. My mother was a military strategist, like you, and my father was an engineer. I was also raised by people who expected a lot of me. But of course, you already know all of this from my file, so I don't know why I'm telling you," Maxwell explained with a little resentment creeping into his words.
"That can be hard, to grow up surrounded with such high hopes and always be pushed further." The young man finally turned and opened his eyes, smiling just enough to be noticeabe.
"Nah, that's OK. Otherwise I'd get bored." The pair left in a mutual silence, sharing just a little more respect for each other. "Oh, by the way, do make a living trying to seduce young men with provocative pictures, or is that just some weird fetish?"
"Oh, you jerk!" the Captain yelled cheerfully.
--
Through luck or lack of caffeine, Maxwell Kumoharu managed to sleep until ten A.M. the next morning. It was the first good night's sleep he had experienced in several long weeks. There were no nightmares that night. As he ventured outside, he noticed the nameplate beside the apartment's door. His surname was spelled out in the English script, with his first name in kanji. A small smile crossed his face as he thought of his mother for just a moment. She would have been happy for him to be living in her homeland.
Today he was scheduled to meet Captain Katsuragi once again. This time he would be introduced to the Geofront, NERV headquarters, and its staff. Unbeknownst to Maxwell, the EVA-00 and EVA-01 were being prepared for him. Although those units both had designated pilots already, knowledge of the pilot's eligibility could be important.
The young man enjoyed Tokyo-3. It was a great deal warmer here than in Alaska, but it was a welcome change to him. He enjoyed being surrounded by the clean and organized city, an ultramodern interpretation of a perfect metropolis. After an hour or so of wandering, Kumoharu found himself in sight of the local secondary school. The horror of being put on display in front of a group of unfamiliar faces was overwhelming, so he quickly decided to make a walk towards his final destination.
Meanwhile, below the surface of the city, the supreme commander of NERV conversed with its top science officer. The pair stood alone in front of the cages which held Evangelion Units 00 and 01. "I really didn't expect the Fourth Children to appear so suddenly, for some reason," Doctor Akagi Ritsuko explained softly.
"And why is that?" the cold inflection that was the natural tone of Ikari Gendo replied. "Everything is going according to plan."
"Oh yes, that reassures me. What a deep insight into the situation at hand, Commander," the blond replied, her sarcastic yet playful voice all too familiar to Ikari by now. "To answer your question, I was under the impression that the Fourth wasn't supposed to be here so soon. Unit 03 is still being constructed by the Americans, along with Unit 04."
"What led you to believe the Fourth would pilot Unit 03?" The frankness of the Commander's voice surprised Akagi. Even her face, which she had trained to hide most emotions, betrayed some of the shock she felt.
"... Well, Rei could potentially pilot any EVA which we should choose for her. Soryu Asuka Langley, the Second Children, has already been training with the simulations of Unit 02 for several months already. That EVA should be completed soon. Also, you had mentioned your own son, Shinji..." Her voice trailed off as the colder-than-usual glare of Ikari. "Anyway, we already have all three positions filled. There is no rational reason for a fourth to be here at this time."
"My dear doctor, you have never taken any sort of preventative measures? Never made a backup of any vital data? Perhaps you have not renewed your life insurance yet?" The silence of the Evangelions was immense. They seemed to emit a kind of power which wasn't exactly felt, but was still very noticeable if one only took a moment.
"So this child is... insurance? What was his name?" The doctor suddenly began flipping through the pages of the notebook in her hands.
"Maxwell Kumoharu," the Commander said confidently, a small smirk on his face. "While his early arrival is not completely in accordance with the Committee's wishes, I now can enjoy a meager degree of security because of him. He may not help any of the problems we will encounter, but his value will be evident in the near future."
"So, you're using him to shield yourself?" The doctor's voice was not judgmental, but a simple question. "One child can only do so much." Commander Ikari did not respond immediately, but instead looked up at the huge form of Unit 01.
"You would be surprised, doctor, at what children can achieve. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet with him."
--
"I didn't expect NERV's headquarters to be so large," Maxwell stated quietly. He had been following Misato around for the past half hour. The Geofront had been what he expected, although the orange 'sunlight' was strange to him. "It must have cost a lot."
"Well, the survival of humanity is a high priority on the UN's budget list, I guess," Misato stated lightly, her nose buried in a rather large map. Although Kumoharu was too polite to say so, he recognized the numbers on the bulkhead. He'd seen those exact numbers three times already since they had arrived at the base called 'Central Dogma.' He realized that Misato, who had admittedly only been in Tokyo-3 for a week, was lost.
After another half hour of walking, Misato had deviated from her meandering path enough to reach an elevator. "Is this it?" she asked no one in particular. She considered her options as Kumoharu listened to the clicking of the mechanical floor display. Suddenly, as the clicking ceased, the doors to the elevator slid open. Misato didn't seem to notice as an imposing bearded man beckoned Kumoharu into the elevator. "Misato," he said as he walked past her.
The older man pushed the 'door close' button immediately after Maxwell was inside the elevator car. The Captain lowered the map just in time to shout, "Hey!" as the elevator was sealed shut. The clicking started again as the elevator began moving downwards. The two men stood on opposite sides of the car, evaluating each other.
"You must work for NERV," Kumoharu finally stated. The man's orange-shaded glasses, which had previously hidden his eyes because of some odd kind of light reflection, now glinted in a different way to reveal his worn eyes. The man extended a white-gloved hand, which Kumoharu grasped firmly as they shook hands.
"My name is Ikari Gendo. I am the commander of NERV," the older man said strongly as they released each other's hands. Maxwell nodded slowly.
"I remember your name now, from the invitation I received after my birthday. Sorry I wasn't able to visit the Geofront back then; it's quite beautiful," he responded in a similar tone. "We talked back then a little about the Evangelions. I can't say I understand anything more at this point, even after the preiminary testing and synchronization training I went through at Nevada." Although he wouldn't realize it until later, Kumo was much more talkative around this relative stranger.
"If I recall correctly, our conversation was very interesting back then, and it seems as if not much has changed." Kumoharu shrugged a little and pushed his hands into his pockets.
"I was training from the time of your first request until just a couple days ago. I had barely been home for a few minutes before I got your next letter. I got in yesterday, and the Captain showed me my apartment. I guess I have you to thank for the furniture and food." The Commander snickered just a little.
"We're here." The clicking stopped and the doors slid open to reveal a new area, which Kumoharu didn't recognize. The two men stepped forward into the unknown. Maxwell quickly deduced that this large room was the command room of NERV headquarters. Ikari and Maxwell joined a man, perhaps in his early sixties, who was dressed in a uniform similar to Ikari's. "Fuyutsuki, this is the Fourth Children, Maxwell Kumoharu. Maxwell, this is my second-in-charge, Fuyutsuki Kouzou."
Kumo bowed stiffly as the older of the three men evaluated this new development. Ikari had made no mention to him of a 'Fourth' being found. Then again, Ikari held many secrets and was the most deceitful and coniving person Fuyutsuki could think of, so it wasn't a huge surprise. "I see. Well, I can tell you are taking this young man under your wing, Commander. You are in capable hands," the old man stated to Kumoharu.
"This is the Announcement Room. From here we monitor a great deal of information coming into headquarters. NERV relies heavily on the assistance of the MAGI, which are the three supercomputers housed on the lowest level of the command room. The MAGI also control Tokyo-3," Ikari said, continuing his education of Maxwell.
--
Meanwhile, Dr. Akagi Ritsuko had decided to rescue her lost friend once again. "I swear, Misato, the next time you get lost in here, I will not help you. It's ridiculous!" Misato shied away from her companion as the doctor shook a large manilla folder at her. Truthfully, Misato thought she was being misled by Ritsuko, because the corridors all looked the same to her.
"I told you I was sorry, jeez! This map you gave me isn't worth the paper it's written on. How do you expect me to escort the newly arrived Children around the base with this junk map! At least you could give me a GPS-equipped phone instead of this ancient thing which you claim is standard issue!"
"I can't help it if the budget began to run thin just before you arrived, Captain," Akagi responded, emphasizing the word 'captain.'
"Yea..." Misato sighed, dropping the issue. "So, what's up with that kid?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know. I mean, Ayanami Rei is the First Children, but this Maxwell guy is the Fourth? Aren't we missing a couple kids?" Ritsuko walked just a little faster towards the second test lab. "Is he related to the Commander or something? I mean, it seemed like Ikari came to meet that kid."
"No, they are of no relation. Haven't you read his file?" Akagi asked as the pair rounded a corner.
"I did, but weren't there some parts missing? There were parts cut out, pieces of his history gone, ya know?"
"Don't probe too deeply just yet, Misato. That's my advice as your friend and co-worker. Anyway, we're here." Misato suddenly looked up to find a door labeled "SECOND TEST BAY."
"Now wait, how the hell did we get here?" Misato wondered as she followed Ritsuko into the observation room. The Commander and Vice Commander, as well as the bridge crew, were already waiting.
"Alright. Now that everyone is here, we will begin the first activation test between Unit 00 and the Fourth Children."
End Chapter 01
AN: When I say self-insert, it's not totally me. Its the parts of my I dislike; its my self image. I don't think highly of myself, so I don't think very highly of my character.
