CHAPTER 7
A few days without Ritsuko was tough, considering Gordon did not have as much access to information as she did. Finishing up a sync test, Gordon was helping Maya compile results when he spotted Asuka chatting with Shinji, and this time she wasn't belittling him, she was just having a normal conversation. But then he spotted Rei sitting on a bench staring at the two, observing them. He told Maya he'll be back and he walked out of the control room and headed down to the platform. He walked over to Rei and sat next to her, she didn't respond, but she had a look of curiosity. "You ever had someone to love Rei?" This somewhat startled Rei as she jumped a bit. She turned to Gordon with a look of Confusion. "What do you mean love?" Gordon thought for a moment before speaking. "Some one you feel you can trust, someone you are close to. Like have you had anyone Ask you out, or someone sneaking looks at you? Who are you closest to?" She gave it some thought. "I am closest to the Commander, and to Pilot Ikari, I have noticed one of his Ikari's Friends looking at me often, although he has not asked me out, like you said." The commander? God I hope I don't have to call CPS… "Rei, I think you are close enough to Shinji to call him by his first name, at least I think that's how it works here…" She nodded. "I suppose I am close enough to Ik- Shinji. Tell me, does he consider me a friend?" Gordon smiled. "Yes he does." Rei stared at the ground with the faintest blush. She then stood up and bowed at Gordon. "Thank you for your time Dr Freeman." She then walked away.
As Gordon was checking things on the Bridge, one of the Bridge bunnies called out to him. "Dr Freeman, I am reading a gradual energy surge appearing in Dr Akagi's Lab!" Gordon rushed over to Shigeru's console. "I am reading An Unknown blood type! Its fluctuating as if its trying to manifest into something!" … "Switch the cameras to the lab!"… "Sir I am picking up a sub-space transmission from your suit!"… "Patch it through to the main viewer!" The tech scramble to patch it through. "Gordon? Gordon can you hear us?" The static viewer was clearing up to reveal Kleiner and Barney on the viewer. Behind them was two large machines, one was already on with a vortiguant being what looks like teleporting. And on the other one was Alyx with a bag. "Gordon there you are! And err where are you exactly, we've been trying to contact you!" Misato came rushing In with the three pilots behind her. "Now Gordon we are sending over Arnold our Vortigaunt scientist and Alyx. We've created a smaller version of the Lambda portal and are using it. We've already tested it with an apple with a pen in it." Gordon was confused, but remembered an apple on the floor in the lab this morning with a pen stuck in it. "But you cant send them directly here! That room has classified information! And besides what makes you think they'll allow Arnold here, or even Alyx?" Just then the door opened revealing Ritsuko in a wheelchair being pushed by Kaji. "What is going on here?" She demanded. "Ah you must be Dr Akagi! Don't worry we are just sending two of our most brilliant minds over there to construct a portal!" Ritsuko was flabbergasted. "You can't come over here! We are in the middle of a war!"… "So are we lady and we need Gordon back!" For some reason the thought of Gordon leaving made her heart heavy. "You cant have Gordon!" This made everyone look at her with confusion. "I mean, We also need him, he has been a positive impact to our pilots! He has also helped us develop new weapons!" … "Why don't we give him up once the angels have been defeated? We could also lend some help to them!" Everyone thought about it for a second and all collectively agreed. Ritsuko couldn't disagree, but she also didn't want to let him go. He has been visiting me every morning, bringing me coffee… He has been… good to me… He has been better to me than Gendo… The Vortiguant then completely disappeared from the viewer. "An Entity has appeared in your lab." Kleiner let out a sigh of relief. "Okay now onto Alyx. Start up sequence is engaged, Variable Processors are active. You there in the middle console, could you give me readings on Ms Vance's status?" Makoto nodded. "We are detecting another energy spike in the lab. Pattern Red, sensors are picking up more matter being left." Then Alyx disappeared from the viewer. "A second entity has appeared in the lab. No lethal radiation residue detected." Gordon turned to the viewer and frowned. "You should've warned us. A lot of stuff here is classified." … "But we have no use for their Intel." Gordon sighed, Kleiner was right, they really had no reason to steal intelligence from NERV. Gordon sighed and left the Bridge. "Alright Gordon we'll check back in later…" The viewer then turned off.
Ritsuko told Kaji to go after Gordon to the lab. He looked stressed. "Gordon, are you alright?" Ritsuko said, worry in her voice. He sighed. "I have a feeling that them being here is going to make things very complicated." Oh Gordon, if only you knew the full truth… "Since they are not registered, we are going to have to treat them as civilians, and that means you cant tell them what most of things you do here." Gordon nodded. But as Gordon began to walk away, she grabbed his hand. "Hey… Ill talk to the commander to allow you two to leave the Geo-front, as for the "Vortigaunt" he has to stay here to avoid mass panic." Gordon sighed and nodded. The two made it to the lab, where they found Alyx and the Vortigaunt looking around. Alyx turned to the door and her eyes widened in joy. "GORDON!" She practically jumped in joy. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly. Ritsuko was somewhat jealous of this, and Kaji could tell, and he put a hand on her shoulder. She soon let go and walked over to Ritsuko. "Thank you so much for taking care of him, he is a very important person back home, and he means a lot to me!" Ritsuko put a fake smile on and nodded. "Of course. He has become quite the person here, he saved lives here, and he comes and checks on me everyday in the hospital. He is a very good man." Ritsuko wanted to get the idea, that they also need him here as well, in this girl's head. Everyone stopped talking when Arnold put his hand up. "I need to use the restroom, is there a bathroom nearby?" Ritsuko nodded and pointed to the door on the other side of the room. "Thank you, Pained One." Arnold walked off, leaving a confused Kaji and Ritsuko. "What does he mean by that?" Ritsuko asked. "Vortigaunts are able to read emotional and physical states of life, I'm guessing it means you are pain with that leg of yours." Alyx said, trying to be helpful. "Ah that's very useful." Ritsuko said, her smile faltering a bit. "So as Kleiner said, I'm here to help build the portal and to do maintenance on Gordon's stuff. I've brought a Xen Crystal to be used as the core." Kaji smiled at her. "Well that nice and all, but we cant exactly let you roam around the base, Ill talk to the commander about getting you guy's a storage space where you can build this machine." Alyx smiled and nodded.
After getting settled down, and explaining this world's problems, Alyx was sent to a temporary quarters along with Arnold. Gordon and Ritsuko stayed in her lab, working and listening to music. A ding came from her computer indicating she has an email. "Ah good, you've been approved to leave the Geo-Front, so that means you can head out into the city, and stop by Misato's as you promised." That brightened Gordon's mood. "Yeah, I've been wanting to stop by for dinner, Misato said Shinji cooks very well!" Ritsuko Chuckled and smiled. "Yeah, Shinji's cooking is great, he cooks much better than Misato that's for sure, She tries to make curry and puts on on instant ramen, but it just tastes awful." They both shared a laugh. "But if I'm going to head to the surface, I'm going to need some new clothes, I'd rather not wear my City 17 outfit everywhere, besides its rough and itchy." Ritsuko thought about it and decided on something. "How about you go out with Makoto, Shigeru, And Shinji? If they say no, I could just order them to, and Shinji would love to go with you to get some clothes. Oh and here, I've been meaning to give you this." She pulled a card out of her desk and handed it to Gordon. "Here is your NERV issued credit card. You get paid every two weeks, about 430k Yen or about 4 thousand US dollars." Gordon's eyes bulged. "Damn, that's a lot, definitely better than what I got paid at Black Mesa!" Ritsuko chuckled. "We are the saviors of the world, so its OK if we get a good amount of cash…" She then turned away. "Hey Gordon… are you going to be busy on Saturday? I mean you don't have a lot to do, but if you don't want to, I mean… I'd like to take you out to a nice restaurant in Tokyo II." She finally said it, she has been wanting to ask him for a bit and she finally said it, now for the hard part.
"Sure I'd love to! Is it like a date or?…" He asked hoping he understood what she is asking. "Uh… Yes, a date…" She said with her cheeks turning a rose pink. Gordon started to blush as well. "What time?" … "Oh uh, how about 7:30?" Gordon smiled. "Yeah sure! Ill ask the guys if they want to go clothes shopping." She also smiled. Gordon then checked the time and sighed. "Well ill end the day early, ill go check in with Alyx and Arnold, and then ill ask the guys. Ill see you Rits." She smiled a lot, the blush ever so noticeable. A few minutes after Gordon left, The room suddenly turned a shade of gray. She tried to check the MAGI if anything happened but the computer did not respond to any input. "Dr Ritsuko Akagi… Daughter Of the Famous Naoko Akagi…" She looked around frightened. "W-Who's there?!" She then turned around to see a man in a dark blue suit with sunken eyes and a briefcase. "A-Are you what Gordon calls the Business man?" The grayed man chuckled. "I suppose I am, but really I am more known as Our Mutual Friend by many…" Ritsuko was terrified, but she couldn't run as her leg as healing. "W-What do you want from me?" The Mutual Friend Smiled. "We recently have lost contact with our Asset: Dr Gordon Freeman… And have found him in good health thanks to you, and my employers feel as they should reward you with two gifts…" He raised a finger and pointed at her broken leg, now no longer in any pain. "That is gift number one. Our next gift is of knowledge. Gendo Ikari's Scenario will fail, as well as SEELE's, It in the hands of young pilot Shinji Ikari, but with Gordon's help, your world will live. My Employers are interested in this world and its problems. If you continue on this path alongside Gordon, and bring both Misato and Ryoji, and the pilots along, this world will be saved, and you'll get to have a happy ending with Gordon." She knew that she couldn't say no. She wanted to be with Gordon, she no longer wanted Gendo. No she wanted him to see Gendo burn. "I'll do it. But what about the other world, where he is from?" The man smiled. "They will be brought over here, a world free from and ready for the Combine… Defeat the seventeenth angel and stop Gendo and SEELE. And you'll see future ahead. My Employers are watching Ms Akagi." He then turned and walked out the door, as the grayed effect went away. She Slowly got up and looked out the door to see him gone. She wanted to tell someone, but they would probably think she was crazy. But she thinks that if she told Gordon, he would believe her. But now she should keep it to her self.
Now Alyx and a Vortigaunt have arrived. I don't think SEELE will like this! And Gordon and Ritsuko have a date on Saturday! Also Ritsuko has been visited by the G-Man, and he has given her some rather useful information! Stick around for more Chapters, Since I have nothing better to do, I'll Keep pumping out chapters! Please R and R and I'll see you later!
-DerpmanMt