Chapter 04 - "Why?"
The MAGIs´ informationsystem had led Asuka and Shinji to one of the hydroponical gardens
within the geofront. There they found Wolf Larsen sitting on a bench, eyes closed. He
made the impression to be ready for a mission, still wearing his pilotsuit, alas the
impression was disturbed by his closed eyes.
"Asuka, wait, maybe he doesn´t want to be disturbed."
"So he should have put a sign around his neck!"
Larsen opened his eyes a bit, saw the redhead stand in front of him, hands on her hips
like an ancient god of vengence.
Behind her Shinji Ikari stood whose face showed his thoughts.
I don´t think this to be a good idea.
Larsen opened his eyes, lifted the brows and smiled friendly.
"Seems like the test are over. Can I be ony any assistance?"
"You bet." Asuka slightly bowed towards him. "Why can you pilot an EVA?"
For a second the smile on his face vanished.
Behind her Shinji gestured her to calm down but of course she didn´t notice him.
Larsen sighed.
"Well, this question just had to come sooner or later."
"Exactly. And don´t tell me that you are the Fourth Children, since you are most defnitly
way too old!"
"You are right; I was born about fifteen years before Second Impact..."
"Ha!"
"... but you could also say that I was reborn at the day of Second Impact." he completed
the sentence. "You truely want to know why, don´t you?"
"Yes. Why does EVA-04 follow your orders?"
Slowly Larsen raised a hand to his head, pushed back the black hair above the left temple.
There was metal shining...
"What... is that?"
Asuka blinked, losing some of her temper.
"Sit down." He patted the plastic bench to his left and to his right.
"I was injured quite badly during Second Impact. Well, I guess I had been lucky still,
considering that about one half of humanity had been killed."
Shinji felt the urge to say sorry but swallowed his words and sat down.
Asuka sat down of the other side, still staring at the adult.
"Heavy braindamages... I had been for about four weeks in a dark room alone to my
thoughts, connected to all kinds of machinery... They did some experimental surgery,
replacing parts of my brain by artifial grown tissue, cybernetic emitters and a little
computer basing on one of the first MAGI-models. That computer transmits my brainpattern
to the EVA-controls and enables me to pilot."
He softly pointed at his skull.
"Well, and then they started to reconstruct my body."
"Reconstruct?" Shinji echoed and swallowed hard.
Without words Larsen stretched his right arm, unbuttoned the sleeve of his suit and
pushed the sleeve upwards, showing them an arm made of black metal with a red stripe
running across the lower arm.
Like his EVA... Shinji thought.
"About 60% of my body were reconstructed this way." Larsen whispered.
Asuka drew a heavy breath.
"Okay, so you are a..." She frowned, looking for the right word.
"I guess you to say ´cyborg´."
"Yes. Thanks. Now I know what I wanted to know."
With these words she got up and stormed away.
Just another mutant for the freakshow. At first baka-Shinji and Wondergirl and now the
six-million-deutschmark-man... Why can´t anyone of them be normal, only one?
***
"I´m sorry."
Larsen moved back and rebuttoned his sleeve as if he had time of the world.
"What?"
"For Asuka´s behavior."
"Ah, that´s okay, I´m used to worse. You do not need to excuse for her."
"Sorry."
"Hey, stop this." His voice still was friendly and caring, not angry. "So, how were the
tests?"
"Uhm... I wasn´t able to pilot EVA-04..."
"Did you asked him?"
"What?"
"EVA-04 has some kind of mind of it´s own, I´ve already noticed that during the first
testing runs. Probably they did install some nerve knots too much."
"Ah..." Shinji didn´t understand a word.
"And the others?"
"Asuka shouted at him... and she able to move an arm afterwards..."
Larsen grinned broadly.
"And Ayanami... Rei... was able to control unit four completly."
The grin vanished, for a moment, unnoticed by Shinji, an expression of sadness apeared
on his face.
"I nearly expected this."
"Why?"
"..."
Larsen seufzte.
"Because of her being the First Children. She has the most experiences with the EVAs,
rumors tell that she grew up inside of an entryplug."
"I... I know nothing about that."
"Is that the reason for Asuka´s anger? - Rei being better than her?"
"Uhm, yes."
"And is that the reason she is piloting EVA-02 - to prove herself?"
"She wants to be the best."
"The generation that was born after Second Impact is quite strange... sorry, boy, no offense,
yes?"
"I... I am not offended, Larsen-san."
"Ah, come... We all sit in the same boat - or EVA - you can call me Wolf, Mr. Larsen is
my father."
"Yes... I´m Shinji."
"A pleasure." He smiled again.
"So, you are a soldier?"
"It´s a family tradion, for the last seven generations Larsens have served their land."
"Oh."
"And what´s the reason for you to pilot? Do you want to show everyone what kind of great
guy you are?"
"No... I just can do it..."
"Nearly like me."
"Why do you pilot an EVA? - I mean, I was inside of the entryplug of EVA-04 and it was
terrible narrow."
"The engineers thought that one shouldn´t feel comfortable within, but you are right,
it´s like a damned submarine - sorry, I wanted to stopped cursing."
"I´ve heard worse from Asuka."
"Oh, the youth of today..."
Shinji saw the grin on Larsen´s face and smiled a bit.
"But this didn´t answer your question - I am piloting EVA-04 so nobody else has to.
And I do it to protect those close to my heart."
"... so nobody else has to..."
"Exact. I watched the records of our fight with the angel again. I have to tell you, that
I do admire you a bit."
"Me?" Shinji looked around to made sure that Larsen hadn´t talked to someone else.
"Of course. You are a very good pilot - and that without any additional help, like I have."
"But I missed..."
"I missed, too. The only important thing is that the angel had been stopped - and that
you managed to do very well."
"Thanks." His eyes brightend.
"Maybe Miss Langley will one day recognize that she was born with the abilities I am
only able to express with artificial helpings. And that the only competion she has to
fear is the one she creates within her head... That a group of fourteen-year olds has to
carry that kind of weight upon it´s shoulders... When I was your age, I would not have
been able to do something like that - lets forget that I was bandaged up like a mummy
that time. As just thinking about my daughter sitting inside of such a machine one day
makes me sick."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yes, is this such a strange thing? Hey, they only replaced exactly 59,2% of my body!"
Shinji blushed.
"Sorry."
"I´ve already told you - stop telling that you are sorry, my state of being is not your
fault, neither was the Second Impact."
If one denies the theory of inheritent sin...
"Yes... Where is your daughter?"
"Germany. I couldn´t have her come with me, it´s way too dangerous here."
"So you do not see her very often."
"No, but she knows that I love her with all my heart. She´s seven years old and the
light of my life. She´s the reason I pilot EVA-04, so she can grow up without fear."
"But without a face..."
"Yes... hey, don´t look at me that way!"
"What?"
"My daughter always looks the same way when she has something on her heart."
"It´s only..."
"What? - But maybe it´s not my business."
"I feel sorry for your daughter. My father abandoned me, too..."
"Commander Ikari? He is your father, isn´t he?"
"Yes, at least in the name. He had me come to Tokio-3 and NERV to pilot unit one, but
otherwise he completly ignores me."
"That doesn´t seem to be easy. Your father shoulders much responsibility, he has to
protect the whole world from the angels, maybe that´s the reason he locked his heart.
But I am sure that you have a place within."
"You wouldn´t talk that way if you knew him."
"Maybe."
"Do you have a picture of your daughter?"
"No, only within my heart. My orders to start came a bit by surprise. But I promised her
to call her next week at Christmas. If everything goes as planned, I will have visual
by satellite link. Until then I am counting the hours."
His eyes were shimmering wet.
"But that´s the way I decided to walk down. And I keep telling myself that it is also
in her interest..."
***
Somewhere
"Agent Seraph has managed to infiltrate target destination. He has already won the trust
of the Third Children." a voice came out of invisible speakers.
"Understood. Thanks, go on as planned."
"Roger."
The radio-connection was interrupted.
The MAGIs´ informationsystem had led Asuka and Shinji to one of the hydroponical gardens
within the geofront. There they found Wolf Larsen sitting on a bench, eyes closed. He
made the impression to be ready for a mission, still wearing his pilotsuit, alas the
impression was disturbed by his closed eyes.
"Asuka, wait, maybe he doesn´t want to be disturbed."
"So he should have put a sign around his neck!"
Larsen opened his eyes a bit, saw the redhead stand in front of him, hands on her hips
like an ancient god of vengence.
Behind her Shinji Ikari stood whose face showed his thoughts.
I don´t think this to be a good idea.
Larsen opened his eyes, lifted the brows and smiled friendly.
"Seems like the test are over. Can I be ony any assistance?"
"You bet." Asuka slightly bowed towards him. "Why can you pilot an EVA?"
For a second the smile on his face vanished.
Behind her Shinji gestured her to calm down but of course she didn´t notice him.
Larsen sighed.
"Well, this question just had to come sooner or later."
"Exactly. And don´t tell me that you are the Fourth Children, since you are most defnitly
way too old!"
"You are right; I was born about fifteen years before Second Impact..."
"Ha!"
"... but you could also say that I was reborn at the day of Second Impact." he completed
the sentence. "You truely want to know why, don´t you?"
"Yes. Why does EVA-04 follow your orders?"
Slowly Larsen raised a hand to his head, pushed back the black hair above the left temple.
There was metal shining...
"What... is that?"
Asuka blinked, losing some of her temper.
"Sit down." He patted the plastic bench to his left and to his right.
"I was injured quite badly during Second Impact. Well, I guess I had been lucky still,
considering that about one half of humanity had been killed."
Shinji felt the urge to say sorry but swallowed his words and sat down.
Asuka sat down of the other side, still staring at the adult.
"Heavy braindamages... I had been for about four weeks in a dark room alone to my
thoughts, connected to all kinds of machinery... They did some experimental surgery,
replacing parts of my brain by artifial grown tissue, cybernetic emitters and a little
computer basing on one of the first MAGI-models. That computer transmits my brainpattern
to the EVA-controls and enables me to pilot."
He softly pointed at his skull.
"Well, and then they started to reconstruct my body."
"Reconstruct?" Shinji echoed and swallowed hard.
Without words Larsen stretched his right arm, unbuttoned the sleeve of his suit and
pushed the sleeve upwards, showing them an arm made of black metal with a red stripe
running across the lower arm.
Like his EVA... Shinji thought.
"About 60% of my body were reconstructed this way." Larsen whispered.
Asuka drew a heavy breath.
"Okay, so you are a..." She frowned, looking for the right word.
"I guess you to say ´cyborg´."
"Yes. Thanks. Now I know what I wanted to know."
With these words she got up and stormed away.
Just another mutant for the freakshow. At first baka-Shinji and Wondergirl and now the
six-million-deutschmark-man... Why can´t anyone of them be normal, only one?
***
"I´m sorry."
Larsen moved back and rebuttoned his sleeve as if he had time of the world.
"What?"
"For Asuka´s behavior."
"Ah, that´s okay, I´m used to worse. You do not need to excuse for her."
"Sorry."
"Hey, stop this." His voice still was friendly and caring, not angry. "So, how were the
tests?"
"Uhm... I wasn´t able to pilot EVA-04..."
"Did you asked him?"
"What?"
"EVA-04 has some kind of mind of it´s own, I´ve already noticed that during the first
testing runs. Probably they did install some nerve knots too much."
"Ah..." Shinji didn´t understand a word.
"And the others?"
"Asuka shouted at him... and she able to move an arm afterwards..."
Larsen grinned broadly.
"And Ayanami... Rei... was able to control unit four completly."
The grin vanished, for a moment, unnoticed by Shinji, an expression of sadness apeared
on his face.
"I nearly expected this."
"Why?"
"..."
Larsen seufzte.
"Because of her being the First Children. She has the most experiences with the EVAs,
rumors tell that she grew up inside of an entryplug."
"I... I know nothing about that."
"Is that the reason for Asuka´s anger? - Rei being better than her?"
"Uhm, yes."
"And is that the reason she is piloting EVA-02 - to prove herself?"
"She wants to be the best."
"The generation that was born after Second Impact is quite strange... sorry, boy, no offense,
yes?"
"I... I am not offended, Larsen-san."
"Ah, come... We all sit in the same boat - or EVA - you can call me Wolf, Mr. Larsen is
my father."
"Yes... I´m Shinji."
"A pleasure." He smiled again.
"So, you are a soldier?"
"It´s a family tradion, for the last seven generations Larsens have served their land."
"Oh."
"And what´s the reason for you to pilot? Do you want to show everyone what kind of great
guy you are?"
"No... I just can do it..."
"Nearly like me."
"Why do you pilot an EVA? - I mean, I was inside of the entryplug of EVA-04 and it was
terrible narrow."
"The engineers thought that one shouldn´t feel comfortable within, but you are right,
it´s like a damned submarine - sorry, I wanted to stopped cursing."
"I´ve heard worse from Asuka."
"Oh, the youth of today..."
Shinji saw the grin on Larsen´s face and smiled a bit.
"But this didn´t answer your question - I am piloting EVA-04 so nobody else has to.
And I do it to protect those close to my heart."
"... so nobody else has to..."
"Exact. I watched the records of our fight with the angel again. I have to tell you, that
I do admire you a bit."
"Me?" Shinji looked around to made sure that Larsen hadn´t talked to someone else.
"Of course. You are a very good pilot - and that without any additional help, like I have."
"But I missed..."
"I missed, too. The only important thing is that the angel had been stopped - and that
you managed to do very well."
"Thanks." His eyes brightend.
"Maybe Miss Langley will one day recognize that she was born with the abilities I am
only able to express with artificial helpings. And that the only competion she has to
fear is the one she creates within her head... That a group of fourteen-year olds has to
carry that kind of weight upon it´s shoulders... When I was your age, I would not have
been able to do something like that - lets forget that I was bandaged up like a mummy
that time. As just thinking about my daughter sitting inside of such a machine one day
makes me sick."
"You have a daughter?"
"Yes, is this such a strange thing? Hey, they only replaced exactly 59,2% of my body!"
Shinji blushed.
"Sorry."
"I´ve already told you - stop telling that you are sorry, my state of being is not your
fault, neither was the Second Impact."
If one denies the theory of inheritent sin...
"Yes... Where is your daughter?"
"Germany. I couldn´t have her come with me, it´s way too dangerous here."
"So you do not see her very often."
"No, but she knows that I love her with all my heart. She´s seven years old and the
light of my life. She´s the reason I pilot EVA-04, so she can grow up without fear."
"But without a face..."
"Yes... hey, don´t look at me that way!"
"What?"
"My daughter always looks the same way when she has something on her heart."
"It´s only..."
"What? - But maybe it´s not my business."
"I feel sorry for your daughter. My father abandoned me, too..."
"Commander Ikari? He is your father, isn´t he?"
"Yes, at least in the name. He had me come to Tokio-3 and NERV to pilot unit one, but
otherwise he completly ignores me."
"That doesn´t seem to be easy. Your father shoulders much responsibility, he has to
protect the whole world from the angels, maybe that´s the reason he locked his heart.
But I am sure that you have a place within."
"You wouldn´t talk that way if you knew him."
"Maybe."
"Do you have a picture of your daughter?"
"No, only within my heart. My orders to start came a bit by surprise. But I promised her
to call her next week at Christmas. If everything goes as planned, I will have visual
by satellite link. Until then I am counting the hours."
His eyes were shimmering wet.
"But that´s the way I decided to walk down. And I keep telling myself that it is also
in her interest..."
***
Somewhere
"Agent Seraph has managed to infiltrate target destination. He has already won the trust
of the Third Children." a voice came out of invisible speakers.
"Understood. Thanks, go on as planned."
"Roger."
The radio-connection was interrupted.