December 9th, 2015
Rei walked down the sidewalk on her way to school. She passed several deserted office buildings before reaching where she usually crossed the street. She glanced both ways before starting across. Cars didn't come too often anymore, but it didn't hurt to check. Shinji had helped her learn to be more aware of her surroundings.
Shinji.
It had been two months since Shinji's Eva had merged with Godzilla, and the young boy was still trapped inside his Entry Plug, which was buried somewhere inside the mass of flesh and metal that was both Godzilla and Eva-01. Rei ignored any thoughts of Shinji. He was still technically alive, but in a state of perpetual hibernation, along with both the Eva and Godzilla.
Following the disaster that was Godzilla's second attack on Tokyo-3, the UN finally stepped in. Command of Nerv had been stripped from Gendo and handed over to Misato, while Makoto had been promoted to Ritsuko's position. Before they could be questioned, however, Gendo, Ritsuko, and Ryoji had all vanished. Gone into hiding most likely. Ever since then, Misato and Makoto had been trying to figure out everything that they had done, but were nowhere closer to answers then they had been two months ago.
Drops of rain started to fall from the sky. Rei hurried her pace, not wanting to be caught in the torrential downpours brought on by year-round tropical storms in the post-Second Impact climate.
One of the downsides to being more self-aware. I notice when I am physically uncomfortable now. Before I would not have minded getting caught in the rain. Now I do.
Left to rot, the entire central part of Tokyo-3 in a two-mile radius had been shut down and restricted. Containing most of the damage from the battle with Godzilla, those who remained in Tokyo-3 lived in the outskirts of the city now. Mostly they worked for either for Nerv or had been given exorbitant monetary incentives to stay behind to support the workers of Nerv. Or they were too poor to move. Rei had spent much of her time sitting in her apartment with Mari, who had become much less expressive in Shinji's absence.
It is so quiet.
Even Asuka had been relatively subdued for the past two months. The shock and horror of what had happened to Shinji had driven much of the hunger from the ferocious girl away. Eva piloting wasn't as fun without someone with whom she could regularly claim to be better than. She would only ever show her growing internal fury during the Eva simulations, where her rage would result in unsteady, bloody battles.
Makoto had appeared quite lonely the past couple of months, what with his friends Maya and Shigeru being long gone. Rei had no clue why the nerdy technician had chosen to continue working for Nerv, but he was still reporting for work every day, working under Misato to run simulation tests for Asuka and Rei, alongside two new technicians that had taken Maya and Shigeru's places.
Both Rei and Asuka's Evas were fully repaired due to activating Orga's regenerative DNA, which Ritsuko had incorporated into all three Evas. Despite leaving no apparent records of how this new ability functioned, with the help of the new staff members, the ability was now able to be somewhat controlled manually.
Despite there being no monster attacks for the past two months, Misato insisted that Rei and Asuka still train, just in case another monster attacked.
She will not say the real reason. We all know what it is.
We train in case Godzilla wakes up.
For the eventuality that Godzilla will wake up.
Or worse, that what Ritsuko and Gendo claimed is true.
Rei shivered at the thought of Gendo. How he had leered at her for years, telling her that she was 'replaceable' and 'worth nothing.' How Misato had told her that Gendo claimed that Shinji's mother's consciousness was still inside Eva-01, and now Godzilla, to this day.
It was a terrifying prospect for Rei. If Shinji's father was Gendo, what could his mother be like? And worse, did that mean that every Eva had a soul inside of it that allowed it to function?
Could there actually be someone inside my Eva? It sometimes felt like there was a malicious presence sharing my mind whenever I piloted the Eva. I could not recognize it at the time, but looking back, it is certainly a possibility.
Finally, there was the talk of an 'extraterrestrial being' that Gendo believed was coming for Earth. There was no possible scenario in which his crazy theory could be correct. Or at least that was what Rei would tell herself.
If it is true, then please wake up Shinji. The world will need you more than ever.
As Rei reached the school and hurried inside, shaking drops of water from her hair, she allowed herself a brief moment to feel again.
Please wake up Shinji. I need you.
Makoto yawned as he made his way onto the bridge of Central Dogma. Misato shot him a withering stare and he quickly straightened his posture before walking to his seat.
She's been extraordinarily tense ever since the battle with Godzilla. One would almost think she had lost her own child in the battle. Well, in a way, she kind of did.
Makoto sat down and booted up his computers. Systems came online indicating that both Rei and Asuka's Evas were functioning normally.
At least now I actually understand what most of these readings physically mean.
With Ritsuko gone, it had fallen to Makoto to take over as head technician for the Evas. With no clear way to gather information, he had been forced to figure it out by trial-and-error. Eventually, it had become too much, and after clearing it with Misato, he had brought on two new crew members for Central Dogma.
Miki Saegusa. An ecological neurologist. Cheery and studious, she had been working to re-establish contact with Shinji inside of Godzilla, possibly with supersonic frequencies. Her theory was that Gendo had been attracting monsters to Tokyo-3 with the use of a bioacoustic device, and she was working on a prototype capable of communicating with monsters. She was constantly claiming that 'Godzilla isn't a monster, in fact, he's innocent!'
Daisuke Serizawa. Expert in biomechanics. Cynical and serious, he had been examining the inner workings of the Evas in an attempt to understand more about how they functioned. He was at the center of trying to figure out the puzzle that was the fusion of Godzilla and Eva-01. As for the mental aspects of the incident however….
Miki's our only hope for figuring that out without having access to Terminal Dogma.
Terminal Dogma sat beneath Nerv and was home to Ritsuko's many experimental chambers. While Misato had tried to get down there as soon as she had command of Nerv, Ritsuko had managed to install multiple security codes and firewalls making it nearly impossible for anyone else to access it. It was clear that she didn't want anyone knowing what sort of things she was hiding down there.
Misato had tried petitioning the UN to override the security measures to allow access, but the UN had stated in response that the best course of action was to 'forget about the crimes of the past and move on.' Misato had been furious, but there was nothing she could do. She directly reported to the UN now, and if she wanted to keep command of Nerv, she had to fall in line.
"Morning Makoto!" Miki waved cheerily at Makoto as she walked in. "Morning Miki," Makoto responded, shaking himself out of his thoughts. "Any luck?"
Miki sighed. "Nope. I tried scanning from the edge of the restricted zone, but I still wasn't able to pick up any readings to prove my theory. I'm not giving up though. I know that Godzilla is warm-blooded! He has to be!"
Daisuke rolled his eyes as he entered. "It's unscientific to refer to Godzilla as a male. We have no idea if it even has a gender, and it'll just get you more attached to it, which is absurd anyway. Our role as scientists is to be as unbiased as possible, how many times have I reminded you of that?"
Miki narrowed her eyes at the stiff scientist. "Just about every single day since we started working here. It would do you good to lighten up a bit Daisuke!"
"I told you, call me Dr. Serizawa! I spent years achieving that title and you refuse to give me the proper respect!"
Miki scoffed. "I'm a doctor as well, but you don't see me demanding Misato call me Dr. Saegusa!"
Makoto chuckled. "She'd probably rip your head off if you did."
"That's enough everyone, let's get to work!" Misato's firm voice silenced the bickering scientists, who quickly took to their seats, not about to invite the wrath of Misato.
I still can't believe I didn't leave with Maya and Shigeru. Now all I do is listen to Miki and Daisuke bicker all day, while Misato occasionally yells at them to be quiet. She was a lot more enjoyable to be around before all that stuff happened. Before she became so...angry.
Asuka lashed out at Godzilla with her twin Prog Knives drawn, slashing across the reptilian monster's stomach, spilling blood all over her Eva. She yelled as she plunged her fist into the bloody flesh, reaching for Godzilla's internal organs.
"Asuka. That is a waste of time," Rei quietly reminded the fiery girl.
"Shut up! I won't lose again!" Asuka screamed as she blindly tore into the monster.
Rei shook her head and backed up. She knew what was coming.
Godzilla's flesh began to regenerate, trapping Asuka's Eva's hand inside its torso. Godzilla stared down at the Eva with a ferocious look in its eyes before releasing a blast of its purple beam, which had by now been termed 'atomic breath' by Miki. The Eva was struck directly and blew up upon impact.
SIMULATION FAILED
SIMULATION FAILED
"Damn it! Somebody shut that stupid alarm off!" Asuka yelled in anger as Misato watched disapprovingly. "Why the hell won't anything work?! These sims are rigged! It's utter bullshit!"
Rei quietly exited her simulation Entry Plug and went to go shower while Asuka stumbled out of her own, still dripping in smelly LCL. She found Misato waiting for her. "Don't. I don't want to hear it," Asuka groaned.
"You know I have to. This is the seventh simulated battle with Godzilla alone that you've managed to get yourself killed, not to mention all the ones with other monsters. Do you honestly have a death wish? Or are you just plain stupid?"
"Of course not! I'm not stupid! How could you even say that?!" Asuka's voice began to rise in volume as she tried to stare down Misato, who's hard gaze was piercing through Asuka's arrogant mask. "I'm the best Eva pilot there is!"
"Even in simulations against monsters other than Godzilla, you have repeatedly failed again and again. Not due to lack of proficiency in piloting skills, of course. In terms of controlling yourself and thinking before charging in, you seem to have no intention of ever doing that, despite being told to do just that several times! You're insubordination and refusal to take orders is forcing my hand! Get your act together, or you're out of the Evangelion program!"
Asuka balled her fists. "You can't do that! No one else can pilot Eva-02 besides me! That would be billions of dollars wasted!"
"I am well aware of the situation. But I'd rather it go to waste than causing even more damage to Tokyo-3, and possibly your death. Get out of my sight. This conversation is done."
Misato turned on her heel and stalked off, while Asuka sputtered in anger. Years of always getting what she wanted in Germany had come to a bitter end following the battle with Godzilla, and she wasn't taking it well.
"Oh, bullshit! You're just mad that you got stuck with me alive instead of that stupid Shinji! If you would just accept that he's dead already-"
Misato whirled around and strode towards Asuka, grabbing her by the throat. Misato's eyes blazed with untold fury as she roared into Asuka's face.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP BEFORE I KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME?!"
Misato threw Asuka against the wall and stared down at her. Blood pounded in her ears as she turned and ran, fury coursing through her veins as she tried to shove down rising feelings associated with Shinji in her mind.
Foremost being guilt.
On the outskirts of Tokyo-3, a patch of vines began to constrict and grow. Reacting with numerous chemicals that had been applied to them the previous night, a large shape began to form. The vines came together to create an independent living being made exclusively of vegetation. A large maw began to come into being filled with rows of serrated teeth while eyes sprouted and began to flit about. A monster was coming into being in a matter of minutes.
Back at Nerv, it was immediately picked up on the scanners.
"Um, is anyone else seeing this, or does there seem to be a giant plant monster rising up out of nowhere?" Miki's voice warned. Daisuke immediately verified the findings and swung on Makoto. "Sound the alarm, monster attack incoming!"
Rei pulled her new weapon, the Progressive Katana, from its large sheath on the Eva's waist. She swung it around in a wide arc before settling into a defensive stance. Nearby, Asuka already had her newly created twin Prog Knives drawn. They had both been practicing with these weapons in the simulations, but this would be the first time they would be used in battle.
It would also be the first battle since Godzilla.
"Rei, Asuka. This monster has been named Biollante. Its physical specs are as follows. 120 meters tall with limited movement, but massive power. Composed entirely of plant matter, the test bombings on it proved that it has regenerative powers. Approach with caution, as it probably has powers we can't yet detect. Remember, while we do have control of the Eva's regenerative powers now, manual activation of these powers take time, so if you get disabled out there, you're done for. Good luck."
Makoto couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at Misato's curt analysis. Miki and Daisuke were both nervous about the battle. They'd seen the footage from the previous battles, and knew that just about anything could happen. Miki was unusually focused, while Daisuke had a deadly serious expression on his face. Makoto hoped that along with Misato, they could help claim victory.
Nobody wanted a repeat of the battle with Godzilla.
"Rei, Asuka. Charge!"
WAKE UP
WAKE UP
What? Who's saying that?
IT'S ME
THE EVANGELION
Wait what? What happened?
IN ORDER TO SURVIVE
I MERGED US WITH GODZILLA
You did what?
I JUST DETECTED A NEW MONSTER
IT'S ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF YOUR PUNY CITY
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE IT
Wait, you're saying there's a new monster? How long have we been stuck in here?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE THE MONSTER
This doesn't make any sense. We merged with Godzilla?
YES
I AM NOW GODZILLA AND THE EVANGELION
That makes no sense!
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO
I ASK ONE FINAL TIME
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENGAGE THE MONSTER
If I do, can I get out of…..whatever this is?
YES
Then yes. Let's fight this monster.
Author's Note
Well, the real world certainly went crazy in the past week! Hopefully, this doesn't all end in the Third Impact lol.
Until next time!
-AlphaBeta17 (3/17/20)