Synchronization peaked at 31% today. On the way back from testing Shinji asked me to accompany him to his quarters. I agreed.
Once we arrived Shinji asked me if it was all true. I asked for clarification. He spoke about the following subjects as relayed by Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki:
- My status as a clone of his mother Yui Ikari
- The current location and operational status of Unit 01
- The role of Unit 13 in securing the Spear of Cassius
- Commander Ikari's role in the Human Instrumentality Project
While I was able to confirm that Unit 01 was still located in Tokyo-3, I denied any knowledge of all else. Shinji said that he understood. I excused myself.
It did not seem proper to claim ignorance on the orders of Commander Ikari when I in fact have much knowledge on the other topics.
This is a strange feeling. I do not like it.
A deep indigo sky spread above them, devoid of stars. The feeble light of these far-off bodies snuffed out by the immense silver disc slowly arcing from east to west. Its craters and valleys, both ancient and new, plainly visible. The shadows of Tokyo-3 cast by this heavenly sphere drifted along the shattered landscape. Obtuse angles and twisted lines growing long, then short, then long again.
The clear night had sapped away any trace of warmth, leaving behind a cold that bit down to the bone. Hikari tried to politely reject the wool gloves and extra blanket Mari offered, but the allure of warmth was too strong. She had promised to wake up in a few hours to change watch, but they both knew this was a lie.
The electric tingle that had first manifested before entering the forest had returned. Stronger now. A constant buzz felt from head to toe. Full hazmat gear had always been required on previous expeditions this close to ground zero, whether with NERV or WILLE. Full-body suits lined with an array of sensors measuring AT field saturation, ambient LCL, solar particles, and electromagnetic radiation. All of which was packed neatly away in their EON units.
So they sat, huddled in the corner of what was once a parking garage. Hikari's slow, measured breathing the only sound for miles.
The first hints of morning appeared. A pale pink strip just above the horizon, fighting to push the darkness away. But what caught Mari's exhausted eyes was the flashing red dot that had suddenly appeared, hanging motionless above them. Her instincts told her this was either very good or very bad. She ripped the comm link from her rucksack and wrapped the receiver around her neck.
"Hikari! Hey, wake up!"
She fumbled with a small digital readout that hung inches from her nose. Her eyes straining to focus on the blurry jumble of numbers and letters.
"Can't...see a damn thing. Hikari! How...how do you run a frequency scan on here?"
Still half-asleep, Hikari sat up and reached out. With a few taps the earpiece clicked to life with a rapid static pulse. The sound oscillating high and low as it searched for a signal. It abruptly clicked to a stop.
"-tude GZ plus 52, longitude GZ minus 13.5...target plus five heading due south...3 by 4 on foot, armored support confirmed…"
It was the voice of Lieutenant Ibuki, the only technical officer who had refused to defect to WILLE. Though she had made it more than abundantly clear that her loyalties lay with Dr. Akagi, not NERV itself.
"Transition to narrow or spread-type pattern ready, sir."
"Spread-type, maximum coverage."
Commander Ikari's deep, forceful voice gave the order. And with that the light sprang to life. Six smaller points blossoming out from the center, forming a wide circle, and beginning a slow orbit.
"Formation achieved...impact in t-minus five minutes."
"Good. Have ground forces attack on sight."
"Roger. Alpha and Bravo teams, engage."
Mari jumped to her feet, dumping the contents of her rucksack onto the concrete floor.
"Grab the flashlight and the canteen."
She fumbled through the rest of the gear, looking for...
...for…
Her thoughts were beginning to slow. The sleepless night and bitter cold catching up fast. Her eyelids grew as heavy as anchors, the blurred motion of her hands almost hypnotizing. A voice called out, the words slurring together. She glanced up.
"Mari! We gotta go."
"Gotta...go?"
Before Hikari could respond, the remains of a near-by building erupted, casting a shower of dust and debris over them. A formation of shadowy figures emerged. The low, guttural rumble of tank engines accompanying them. She grabbed Mari by the collar and broke into a sprint.
Dawn continued to grow as colors stretched further above the horizon. Purple atop red atop orange atop yellow. The first rays of the sun flaring up from behind the buildings. The sun would soon rise, leaving no place to hide.
They dodged cracks in the demolished street as bullets tore past. The high-pitched whine of jacketed rounds meant to make quick work of even the strongest armor. Adrenaline poured into Hikari's veins, silencing the screams of muscles still weary from her earlier brush with death. The condensation of her breath pouring out like a kettle set to boil.
"Come on Mari, we gotta pick it up."
"But look...look…"
Mari's wavering hand pointed towards a bombed-out apartment complex just ahead of them. There, on the second floor, stood a blue-haired figure in a black plugsuit. A rocket launcher clasped across her chest. She flung the mammoth tube over her shoulder and fired. They dove to the ground.
The shock was felt more than heard. Their teeth, their bones, their very existence trembling from the explosion. But the rocket was not meant for them. Hikari glanced back. The advancing forces had disappeared, replaced with a plume of smoke and the jagged edges of upturned concrete.
A figure rushed past them towards the impact site. The same pale blue hair, the same raven black outfit. Then another. And another. They moved without fear or hesitation, only a single-minded dedication to fulfilling their orders. Destroy all that is SEELE.
The soft pat of approaching footsteps.
"Bystander, the orbital array will make contact with this position in three minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Please continue east to the train tracks and follow them south. There is an intact emergency shelter nearby that will shield you from harm."
Rapid bursts of gunfire began to echo against the buildings. Emotionless, the figure turned and continued forward into the fray. An exact copy of the others.
Troparion - Tone 1
Longinus, you beheld the King of Glory
who was nailed to the Cross, yet shone on those in darkness.
You were enlightened by His rays and became a martyr
and save those who cry:
Glory to Him who gave you strength!
Glory to Him who granted you a crown!
Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!
- Martyr Longinus the Centurion, who stood at the Cross of the Lord -