As dawn arrives and the morning alarms sound, Asuka wnet through her quick morning routine and dressed. After that, she found herself in the kitchen, to find her guardian angrily whacking the side of her PDA and breathing a strung together series of epithets at the on-paper innocent piece of technology.
"Something w-wrong?" Asuka asks.
"Doctor Ikari wants my feedback on a report," Misato growls, "Problem is, the damn thing's on a minidisc and my p.o.s. PDA won't read it!"
Sipping her canned coffee and scowling, the tactical commander for NERV starts banging the side of the delicate piece of electronic hardware against the table.
"C-can I look?"
Sighing, shrugging, Misato tosses the PDA to her. Catching it, Asuka narrows her eyes and examines the interior, before peering in the slit on the side. A small, confident smile appears, as she gently lets it down on the table and takes out a metal double rectangle from her pocket.
"I can fix this," she says.
Snapping out the multi-tool into a screwdriver, and quickly unscrews the four major bolts on the back, laying them down before gently working off the transparent viewscreen face and easing off the white, flate white connection wires. Circuit boards are set aside and put in an order she has in mind, before the tiny optical drive is gingerly lifted from the array.
Easing the minidisc out, she gently blows on the dim laser inside, flipping the multi-tool and revealing a q-tip which she uses to probe the crevice.
The optical drive goes in first, followed by the circuit boards. Re attaching every connector, she eases the display back on before swiftly fastening the screws back into place.
Humming some tune to herself, she brings up the display, tapping at it as Misato watches in dumb shock, her coffee half forgotten in her hand.
"There," Asuka announces, "Done! I also linked the PDA's GPS feature to a map of NERV-1 you had in the trash sectors of the hard drive, so you don't get lost anymore."
Taking the PDA as offered from Asuka, she examines the map and nods. Looking up, staring at Asuka, she takes a long drag from her coffee and blinks.
"Asuka," she says, "How did you just do that?"
The girl lets off a shaky smile, sitting across from Misato.
"I'm…good with machines."
-
-
Chapter 10: The Melancholy of Ayanami Rei
-
-
Conversations at the Katsuragi apartment were awkward for the most part since Shinji made himself something of a celebrity in his chivalrous act. So, she decided to sneak out early today. She had been lagging behind on her job at NERV with Dr. Ikari, and it was Saturday, so she decided to get some extra hours in.
Sitting on the tram leading to NERV-1, she watches the plates go by to reveal the Geofront below. Sighing, Asuka stares at her bag, dressed plainly in jeans and a sweater, once more alone with her thoughts despite being surrounded by people. Well, that was the plan.
"Asuka?"
Looking up, she forces a faint smile as Maya sits next to her.
"Hi," the other assistant to the Power Trio of NERV says, "Heading in early?"
"Y-yes," Asuka says, and sighs, "It's been a-awkward lately. I d-decided to get some extra h-hours."
"Mm-hm."
Maya smirks, leaning forward with an impish smile on her face.
"Rei isn't malicious, you know."
Asuka makes a sound much like a confused pet, turning and staring at Maya. Closing her mouth, folding her hands in her lap, she rocks back and forward on the seat.
"Um…w-what do you mean?" she asks, "It…I-I don't know if I'm upset with her, b-but I'm confused…"
"Rei's confusing," Maya responds, sitting back, "I remember when I first met her, I didn't really know what to make of her."
A small, wistful smile crosses Maya's face. Turning to her, shifting her seat to meet her gaze, Asuka allows herself a small, curious smile.
"When did you meet her?"
"Eight years ago," Maya responds, "My first job for NERV was basically baby sitting Rei for the Commander and Dr. Ikari."
*
*
Eight years earlier. The doors to the mausoleum office of the Commander opens as Yui Ikari walks through. Stopping at the desk of her husband, she holds up the singed end of her labcoat and purses her lips.
"Rei has discovered fire."
Looking up from the folder and financial request forms therein, Gendo Ikari takes a moment to stare, compose his response, and find an answer that does not ensure he sleeps on the couch.
"Can we replace her with one of the spares?"
He fails, miserably.
Her brow rises, her arms fold, and Gendo Ikari scratches the back of his head and folds like a card table under his wife's glare. Sighing, she pulls up a chair and sits across from him, grunting slightly as seat meets seat.
"We need to find someone to help take care of her," she says, "When we both agreed to take her in, we also realized the importance of our jobs at NERV meant we couldn't spend every moment of every day with her."
"Times like this I miss Naoko," Gendo responds, signing off on a request, "We could always pass on the demeaning and messy jobs to her."
Yui groans, palming her face.
"Kozou's threatened to shoot himself in the head if we try to make him babysit again," she says, "Rei refers to him as her special friend."
"That poor bastard."
"So we need someone who is intelligent, capable…and maternal."
The door knocks. Yui turns, Gendo looking up from his reports as the brunette second head of Project E clears her throat.
"Dr. Ikari," Ritsuko says, "That morning interview for the assistant position is here."
Sighing, checking her phone list, Yui gives off another glare at her husband before crossing the office to the door.
"Very well," she says, "Ritsuko, are you doing anything tonight?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I haven't decided yet," Akagi responds, face firm and set, "But I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve baby sitting."
*
*
Maya Ibuki, recent graduate student, certified genius, and closet lesbian, looks up from a light reading of the theories of Dr. Naoko Akagi regarding sentient computer systems to glance at the clock. Choking back her nervousness regarding the five minutes until her interview, she returns to her reading.
"Heee~ey."
Looks around. Seeing that she is alone in the lobby, she chalks it up to nerves and turns back to the reading.
"What'cha doin'?"
Shrugging, she turns to her side and the cup of water on the table next to her. As she completes the turn, she locks eyes with the face now peaking out of the ventilation duct on head level.
Squeaking in surprise, she watches with wide eyes as the small girl with pale skin and blue hair drops out of the ventilation duct and flips onto the seat next to her.
"Um…hi?" Maya says.
"I'm Rei," the girl says, "What'cha doin'?"
"I'm…waiting for an interview."
"Why?"
"Because I want to work here."
"Why?"
"Because…it is interesting work?"
"Why?"
"Because I studied it in college."
"Why?"
"Because I…you're a curious little girl, aren't you?"
Eyes closed, Rei nods, rocking back and forth in the seat.
"Ms. Ibuki?"
She and the girl turn to the door at the other end of the skylight lobby as Yui and Ritsuko walk in. Rei hops off the seat and skips over to Yui, beaming a smile as Yui stares at her with a raised eyebrow.
"My apologies, Ms. Ibuki," Yui says, "I see you've met my daughter, Rei."
"Oh, no need, Dr. Ikari," Maya says, standing and bowing, "It wasn't a problem at all. She seems to be a very intelligent and curious girl."
Yui pauses. Ritsuko raises an eyebrow and turns to the girl.
"Really?" Yui asks.
*
*
"So, after they interviewed me, Doctor Ikari asked if I would be willing to act as a supervisor to Rei while I was there," Maya explains, sipping her thermos of tea as the train speeds along.
"A-and you agreed?" Asuka asks.
Maya nods, sighing wistfully.
"I have a much younger sister," she says with a smile, "So, I thought it would be easy. I have a sister who was six when I was hired by NERV. I thought there was nothing I wasn't prepared for."
She sips her tea. The smile is wistful, but for some reason her right hand is clenching.
"I thought wrong."
*
*
One week after being hired, Maya finds herself standing in the office of the Supreme Commander. Behind the desk, Doctor Ikari and Doctor Akagi discuss the photos delivered to them while the Commander stares. Hands folded in front of her, shaking in her shoes, Maya clears her throat and prepares for death.
"I decided to try something constructive," she says, "I realized that with her intelligence and abilities, keeping tools and possibly weapons out of Rei's hands was not something I could do arbitrarily. So, instead of just denying her, I gave her something to…occupy her."
Commander Gendo Ikari pushes the glasses up his nose and holds up the offending object. A small, pink and white double headed mallet.
"A squeaky mallet," he says.
Shoulders slumping, Maya nods.
"I have no idea how she destroyed Sub Commander Fuyutsuki's car with it."
Behind Ikari, Yui snatches a photo out of Akagi's hand and stares at it.
"How do you bend steel with a squeaky hammer?"
Gendo leans back, looking at the photo.
"From a 45 degree angle, apparently."
Yui palms her face as Ritsuko shrugs, looking towards the heavens. Muted discussions of 'energetic destruction' and 'Kozou was reduced to tears' are bandied about. During the week, the situation dawned on her that she was not the first sitter for this girl.
"Still," Yui sighs, "It's less than last week."
"True," Ritsuko whispers, "Last week she tried to switch the recipes for Sloppy Joe and Bakelite. That's not even mentioning what she did when she tried bobsledding on Unit 01's jet strips."
They stare at each other. Yui grabs the back of her husband's chair and spins him to face her. They talk amongst themselves, Maya swaying back and forth on her feet as she looks down and finds Rei standing next to her. A ventilation shaft has a grate hanging at an angle, and Maya sighs.
"Miss Ibuki," Yui says, "What is your opinion of Rei?"
"I…I think she's a very bright child," Maya says, "She's inventive, intelligent, and imaginative. She's very precocious and enjoys being stimulated, and has seriously impressed me with what she is capable of."
Yui's eyes go from Maya to Rei, who is smiling brightly.
"You're hired."
*
*
"So I started working at NERV," Maya says, rubbing Asuka's shoulder and finding the girl not flinching, "As it turned out, this was basically Rei's plan to get someone to praise her in front of Dr. Ikari. She started spending more time with Rei, I ended up in Project E."
"A-and she was eight?"
Maya nods, smiling.
"She's a smart girl," she says, "Very smart and very eager. And also more than willing to use people to get what she wants if she thinks it will help. You're not the first, but I honestly don't think she'd hurt you. It's not in her nature. She's just not very good at…"
Asuka turns to her, face expressive and curious.
"At what?"
"Being normal."
The train pulls in to the station at the base of the NERV pyramid. Sighing, Maya slaps her knees and stands.
"I need to check in with Sempai Akagi, first," Maya says, "Maybe you could meet me for lunch?"
Asuka nods, a shaky smile on her face. Waiting, watching her leave, Asuka gets her own bag and walks out with the crowd. As she joins the masses of humanity, uncomfortable and hiding her discomfort, she allows herself a smile. People change, after all. Maybe she will, to.
After all, Rei was an absolute terror when she was younger. She must have grown out of those little stunts she pulled.
*
*
Clicking on the lights in his office, Kozou Fuyutsuki, Sub Commander and in reality third in command of NERV, looks up from his newspaper and takes a sip from his coffee. Sighing, he places the newspaper down, takes the flash from the inside of his jacket, and pours a generous helping of whiskey into his morning caffeine.
"So this is why I never had children."
And so he gets to work, pulling at the layers of saran wrap covering the entirety of his office.
*
*
Swiping the keycard through the reader, Shinji sighs as he enters NERV-1. He honestly has better things to do on a Saturday, but there is not a single man in his family who can say no to his mother. Walking through the turnstyle and security detectors, he takes the elevator down to the locker room level, if only so he can get the synch test done early and maybe, just maybe, have some daylight left on Saturday.
The door opens. He looks up.
Red eyes.
"Hi, Rei," Shinji growls.
He slides past her, walking to the locker rooms down the hall.
"Are you angry with me?" she asks, pouting.
"Yes," he seethes.
"Why?"
"Because you tricked me! You tricked me and Asuka!"
She nods, smiling. Slapping his palm over his face, he groans. No use trying to make her feel guilty if she doesn't believe she did anything wrong. Dropping the subject, he walks past her and into the locker room, glancing at the doorway and thanking providence she does not follow him.
Slumping down onto one of the benches in front of his locket, he folds his hands in his lap and sighs. He has to find Asuka at some point and they need to talk. He can't just let things stay awkward, and…
"Ikari!"
Looking up, he snorts, nostrils flaring as he locks eyes with Uriel.
"We need to talk."
Shinji sighs, closes his eyes and slumps his shoulders.
"Swell."
*
*
"Asuka, please take these memos down to Dr. Akagi. She'll be in Central Dogma."
Nodding, forcing a smile, Asuka takes the folder and walks down the hall. The NERV uniform is functional, if a little stiff around the edge of the dress, but she doesn't mind. If anything, it is also fully concealing, and she can work with that. One step in front of the other, one foot first, she walks down the hall, the sensible black shoes clicking along metal.
It is good to be useful to someone, she considers. Doctor Ikari always smiles and is considerate and loves to have her around while making sure she is not having problems at home. Still, though. She needs to talk to Shinji. Maybe keep from stuttering when talking to him, keep her from embarrassing herself.
Maybe she needs to talk to Dollie before she does.
Clicking the button for the elevator, he thoughts swim. She really does need to talk to him. Maybe talk to Rei, to, but Rei does unnerve her. It was easier when she could talk with her over email, when the personality didn't come out and smother her or pull her along or make her freeze up with how open it is. And she needs to talk with Misato, to. She needs to find something to do, and hopes the thing with Misato's PDA this morning didn't freak her out, because it does when she does it with Uri or people Mother works with at NERV-Germany and especially with Papa-
The door opens. Asuka stares, eyes meeting green eyes and the blank, stoic face of the sole occupant of the elevator.
"What are you waiting for?" she asks, "Get in."
"Yes, Mother."
Obediently as always, Asuka takes the position next to Kyoko, and the elevator doors close for their long descent.
*
*
"We need to talk," Uri says, arms folded as Shinji opens his locker, "About my sister."
"Sounds great," Shinji deadpans, "What about? We can choose issues, you know. Maybe make something up as we go along. How's about that?"
A hand slams the locker shut. Shinji steps back, whirls on Uri and stands on his tip toes to get to eye level as the other pilot glares at him.
"Fine," Shinji says, "What do you want to talk about? The fact that your sister is a nervous wreck half the time? How she apparently cuts her palms with her nails? Wait, wait."
Shrugging, hands out and smiling, Shinji pats Uri on the shoulder.
"Let's start with why Asuka thought it was a good idea to throw herself at me. How about that?"
*
*
She goes silent. It is never a good idea to speak directly to Mother, after all. She does not respond well to questions, and especially in this environment she is likely to lash out as to keep cool and quiet as she always does. Silent, waiting, Asuka folds her hands at her waist, holding the folder under her arm as she watches floors tick by too slowly just go faster please
"Asuka?"
"Yes, Mother?"
Kyoko regards her with a cool gaze, clicking on her PDA.
"Uri has been curious how you have been doing in school."
"I have been doing fine, Mother," Asuka responds, eyes closed, "It has not been a problem."
The floor jerks. The elevator lurches, Asuka biting back a cry as Kyoko stumbles and slams against the wall. A littany of teutonic swears followed by her climbing back to her feet, slamming the emergency button for the elevator and getting statis.
"Now what?"
*
*
The central screen of Dogma flickers and blinks out, the bridge falling into darkness. First to respond, Misato stands up from her seat and puts the general feeling of the skeleton crew bridge into words.
"What the Hell just happened?!"
"Power's out," Ritsuko says, flicking on her PDA, "Same for the rest of the base. Emergency power's offline, to."
"That's not possible," Misato growls, folding her arms, "Alright. Someone get the Commander and Doctor Ikari! Are all the pilots in the base?"
"Can't confirm or deny either way," Makato responds, whacking the side of his screen, "We need to do this on foot."
Misato growls, palming her face. Just perfect, she thinks. Just f___ing perfect. Now she just needs to find out what exactly is going on and then figure out if there's an Angel breathing down their neck.
"Riiiight," she breathes, taking out her PDA, "Okay, all the trackers we have are battery powered, and…"
Tapping buttons on the PDA, a map of the base appears, followed by three blinking lights.
"Got them!"
*
*
The card swipes. The turnstyle does not respond.
"Well, that's not good."
Staring at the card, Mana grimaces, swiping it again. If it was the wrong card, she muses, at least it would give some sort of negative beep or red x. This just means the entire thing's down. Backing out of the turnstyle, she walks over to the next one to her right and swipes the card again.
Once more, nothing.
The textbook definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. And Mana Kirishima is not insane. Most definitely not.
"Trying to get in?"
Turning, she comes face to face with a glasses wearing redheaded girl with little definition of personal space. Instincts take over, there is a blur of motion, and the girl is face down on the turnstyle with her arm locked behind her.
"Could you please let go of my daughter?"
Mana looks up. Eyes go wide, and she lets go, the girl dropping to the floor as Mana clicks her heels and salutes. Walking up to them is a man with short, graying brown hair, turtleshell eyeglasses and a crisp, black NERV uniform.
"Subdirector S-"
"No need to get formal, Captain," the man says, lazily saluting back, "Mari, I know you're eager to get inside, but let's not overdo it."
"Well, that's the problem," Mana says, shifting back and forth in her stance, "The automatic systems aren't working. We're going to have to go by manual entrance."
The older man sighs, folding his arms as his daughter dusts off her plaid skirt and glares at Mana, who glares back. Behind them, the massive doors remain silent and dead. Checking his watch, he takes out his PDA and clicks a display.
"Well, if my schematics are accurate, the best manual access port I can fit in is this way…"
*
*
"We still need to talk, Ikari."
"We can do that after the power comes back on and we're safe. So kindly try not to trip over your own feet, okay?"
A snort in the darkness as Shinji shines the PDA's display light down the corridor as the two walk. Sighing, Shinji cracks the knuckles on his free hand before turning back to his display.
"I'm guessing the adults are all in Dogma," he says, "We should try to find my parents, to. If anyone knows what's going on, it's Mom."
"I will reluctantly agree upon that with you."
Two lights in the darkness this time, which is fortunate that neither of them had time to change to their plug suits before the lights went out. For some reason the only things he sees Uri in are NERV uniforms and skin tight piloting outfits.
"Why aren't you in school?"
"Mother insists I get home schooled," Uri responds, "And schooled at NERV. Although, unlike Asuka, I do not have a degree."
"Degree? As in college degree?"
Uri nods, unseen in the darkness. Noticing that, he sighs.
"She graduated three years ago. I was at the graduation, and Mother was quite sore with both of us because I was supposed to be testing that day."
Shaking his head, he continues on. Either not noticing or not caring about the silence, Uri sighs and continues.
"I love my sister, Ikari," he says, "Whatever you may think, I do. I do not want to see her hurt."
"Any more than she already is."
Hand grabs his shoulder and spins him around, and in the near darkness with the light reflecting off his features, he can see them twisting in anger. Eyes narrowed, lips twisted, teeth showing.
"Don't mock me," he snarls, "Do you think I don't know? Do you think I don't care?"
"Yes and no," Shinji calmly responds, prying off his hand, "My parents don't win awards either, but I do know that my mother, at least, made sure I could stand up on my own two feet if I had to. I'm seeing a lot less of that in your family."
Uri's knuckles crack. Any motion to punch him, however, falls short when a hand grabs his wrist and he turns to stare into red eyes.
"Oh, this is goooooood," the voice drawls, "We're all friendly, aren't we? 'Cause if we're not, I might have to make someone my special friend."
"Rei! Is that them?"
Flashlight in one hand, PDA in the other, Misato gives off a relieved breath when the light hits Uri and Shinji.
"Misato?"
"Yeah Shinji, it's me," she says, "Asuka pimped out my PDA earlier today, and I ran into Rei on the way here. Are you alright?"
Uri pulls away his hand, growling under his breath.
"We are fine, Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi," he says, "Do you know where my mother and sister are?"
*
*
The light of Kyoko's PDA is the only illumination in the elevator as the woman reads over reports and status changes relating to Unit 02. Not a word has been said between them since the elevator stopped, which more or less is par for the course between the two. Asuka has retreated to the other side of the elevator, trying to avoid even the line of sight of the woman.
"Asuka?"
"Yes, Mother?"
"I understand you are getting along with Ikari's child. Is this true?"
"Yes, Mother."
Silence, an acknowledging grunt from Kyoko for a few moments. More tapping on her PDA.
"You attempted to sleep with him?"
"Yes, Mother."
"And?"
"It didn't work, Mother. He…does not see things like that."
"Well, you'll have to eventually," Kyoko says, "For some reason, the boy has taken an interest in you, and your proximity to him helps his synch scores. As we discussed, you will do everything within your power to aid him, even if you did fail as an Eva pilot yourself. Are we understood."
"Yes, Mother."
Biting her lip, clenching her hand into a fist, Asuka closes her eyes and takes deep, soft breaths so not to disturb her. Her mother is wrong, she tells herself.
He does not see her like that. He does not behave like that. He would not do that to her, not like Mother believes he would. She is wrong, she tells herself. She is wrong. She is wrong.
If she repeats that to herself, over and over and over and over again, it may not sound hollow and empty.
Lights flicker on, and the lift jerks. Kyoko swears a thanks and clicks off her PDA as the elevator car comes to a stop. Several floors above Dogma, it stops, Asuka wiping her face on the back of her sleeve as the doors jerk, and stop.
"The doors are jammed," Mana's voice announces from past the doors, "You, girl! Grab the other end and help me pull!"
The doors jerk open. Mana peaks her head in and grins.
"Hey! Power's restored and we've been looking all over for you two! Guess who I ran into on my way here!"
Kyoko sighs, closes her PDA and pockets it. Muttering, she looks past Mana.
And goes white. Fists clench and her eyes narrow as color returns, and she mutters a swear under her breath as she moves past the bubbly, red-haired girl and to the older man who reacts as if struck to her gaze.
"Hello," she says, "Pieter."
"Hello, Kyoko," he responds, folding his arms and smirking, "Small world. Before you start your little inquisition routine, I'm here because Mari might be a potential Child and this is the best place to test her. Besides which, as Sub Director of NERV-Germany, I sort of have to check in with the Boss every now and then."
Sighing, he shakes his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose as Asuka peaks out, moving out from the corner she was standing in. Her eyes light up, avoiding Mari and Mana, gazing directly on Pieter.
Sub Director Pieter Sohryu gives off a small, albeit awkward smile. Hands folded behind him, then in his pockets, he adjusts his glasses and grins.
"Hey there," he says, "How're you doing, Asuka?"
"Oh, thank God!"
The group turns as Misato approaches, switching off her PDA before grabbing Asuka and pulling her out of the elevator.
"Young lady, your little GPS trick saved our asses," Misato says, patting her on the back, "If this was an Angel attack, you would have pretty much been responsible for saving humanity. We're going out to a steak place, on me."
Asuka smiles, shakily, as she sees Shinji, Uri, and Rei approaching. Trying to avoid laughing or hyperventilating, she can only walk as Misato begins guiding her to the exits.
"Miss Katsuragi?"
Misato turns to Pieter, narrowing her eyes and looking up, mainly because the man stands a head taller than her.
"Yes?" she asks, "And you are…?"
"Sub Director Pieter Sohryu," he responds, "I'm Asuka's father."
Misato stares at her. She stares for a long time, and then finally, laughing, pats him on the shoulder.
"Great job," she whispers.
And laughing, she leads the group out, leaving the other dumbfounded adults standing there with Misato's laughter echoing down the metal hallway.