Chapter 10 - To be or not to be
Larsen´s apartment, early morning
The sound of the bell woke Larsen from his dreamless slumber.
Mechanically he swung the legs of the edge of his bed and got up, put on his trouser
before answering the door.
"Kaji, it´s a bit early, isn´t it...?" he greeted the man at the door. Then he noticed
the second man who stood behind Kaji, head slightly lowered.
"Commander Ikari..."
"May we come in?" Kaji asked. He looked tired.
"Of course."
Larsen stepped aside.
Ikari´s gaze rested on Larsen´s cybernetic arm.
"You look like you could need a strong cup of coffee - both."
"It´s been a long night."
"I will do some. Why are you here?"
Gendo answered:
"Help me to prevent Third Impact."
Larsen´s eyes tripled their size.
"We have had a very, very long talk." Kaji explained. "Commander Ikari deflected."
***
Later...
The coffee steamed within large cups.
"Well, Commander, what´s up?"
"Larsen, I´ve done lots of thing, things I was not always proud of but that seemed
necessary. But now I´ve been confronted with the fact that I´ve started with the wrong
prequisites..."
"Talk, please."
***
Even later...
The coffee-pot was empty.
Larsen drew a deep breath.
"So you want to tell me the Human Complementation Project aims at initiating a controlled
Third Impact to have all of humanity giving up physical existance and unite within one
being..."
"Yes..."
"And the necessary components are EVA and the angel in the central dogma basement. Whoever
controlls those components, controlls the Impact and the being to be created.
You wanted to play god."
Ikari was silent.
"The men behind the project, SEELE, are a group of old men who want to gain immortality
and absolute power this way. And you´ve promised them these things, so they helped you
creating NERV and the EVANGELIONs."
"That´s right."
"Well, now I only want to know the reason you did it... And the reason you are now
thinking otherwise."
"My wife... Yui... she inside of EVA-01..."
Ikari spoke slowly, not secure of himself.
"It was an accident... Unit one did absorb her, like it absorbed Shinji."
"But the boy could be freed."
"Yes. But she... it´s to late for her. She had become EVA-01 and EVA-01 has become her.
I wanted to set her free... please believe me."
"And wanted to sacrifice humanity..." Kaji whispered terrified.
"I´d have sacrificed even more... I was ready to sacrifice my own son..."
"And now?" the cyborg asked lowly. "What do you want now?"
Ikari looked into his eyes.
"SEELE must be stopped!"
"Since your scenario won´t succeed, the old men´s plan has to fail, too, right?" Kaji
asked but fell silent when Larsen raised a hand.
"Ikari, what do you want?"
"Redemption..."
For quite a long time it was silent with nobody saying a word.
Then Larsen got up and offered Ikari his hand.
"I am Lieutenant-Commander Wolf Larsen of ODIN´s Raven, western branch of UN-secret service.
I am willing to cooperate, Commander Ikari."
"So you are a spy, too."
"Yes, sent to stop you."
Gendo nodded, took the hand, made the pact.
***
That afternoon the command staff of NERV was called together by Gendo Ikari for a meeting
within one the conference chambers.
At the oval table´s head Gendo sat, Fuyutsuki stood behind him. Next to Ikari, on the right
Ritsuko Akagi and her protegé Maya Ibuki sat, on the left Misato Katsuragi, Ryoji Kaji and
Wolf Larsen.
"Nothing we will be talking about may ever be discussed outside of this room." Ikari started.
"Doctor Akagi, please report about the EVAs´ and the pilots´ states."
Ritsuko stared at him for a moment with confusion.
Please... when did he use thisa word the last time...?
She looked into her files.
"Unit one is deep frozen, as ordered by the committee. Repairs of unit zero have priority,
the spare parts will arrive tomorrow. Unit two will be recovered completly soon. Unit four..."
She cast a glance at Larsen.
"Commander, I´d like to talk to you in private."
"This won´t be necessary. - Lieutenant..."
Larsen smiled.
"I guess you´ve already discovered unit four´s secret."
"It´s a fake. It isn´t an EVA, but a highly modified mecha of the PALADIN-alpha-series."
"Exact. Updated with EVANGELION-technology and a third generation biocomputer, as well as a
redundand second system." He touched his temple. "I just gave the command to initiate the
self-repair-protocols."
"How..."
"That´s the reason for us being here." Ikari explained. "I want to introduce to you Lieutenant-
Commander Larsen of the UN-secret service." He gave a sound that reminded of a short laugh.
"Leader of the PALADIN-squad. They have sent him to stop the Human Complementation Project.
You will support him in his quest."
Fuyutsuki placed a hand on Ikari´s shoulder.
"Ikari, are you serious?"
"Yes."
"So there is no way..."
The old man´s eyes were filled with tears.
"Yes, Yui will not..."
"It´s okay."
"Thank you, Professor."
Misato cleared her throat.
"I´ve just got information that constuctions of unit five to thirteen have been started.
Because of the conversation we had last night I guess that they will not be on our side."
"This, Major, is the next topic. Three angels will still attack, afterwards the committee
will try to get its hands on EVA-01, the lance of longinus and Adam. We will have to be
prepared. How is the pilots´ state?"
Ritsukos hands are shaking while she reported on the last test results.
"Asuka´s synch rate has decreased again, she´s just able to pilot. Rei´s synch rate got a bit
better, Shinji hasn´t been tested since his return. If Asuka´s state worsens we´ll lose her
as pilot."
"I see. The Second Child has mental problems, our experts will see to this."
"Commander, your own orders were to..."
"I know my orders, forget them. Situation has changed. I wish Asuka Langley to get all available
help. We will need stable pilots. - Yes, Larsen?"
"It might sound cruel, but I want to suggest recruting two other pilots, since we might need
replacements."
He spoke calmly and full of control but his voice betrayed a bit of self-hate.
"Two?" Akagi repeated.
"Yes, two. I´ve set some things into motion. If we are lucky we will have an other EVA
unit within a few days."
"Another fake?"
"No, the original unit four. At the moment it is still hidden under some nets somewhere
in the middle of the Gobi-desert. ODIN will have it brought to us in secret. And they are
preparing a strike against SEELE, we only need to know where the groups is. Until this
moment we will have to keep them believing to have the upperhand.
"I see."
Akagi looked at Ikari.
"So we have a little conspiracy of our own."
"Yes. We must talk, doctor."
She blinked.
What has happened to you, Gendo... One could believe that heavy burden had been removed
from your shoulders... and the vice-commander´s reaction... Is Yui...
Ikari´s phone buzzed.
"Yes?"
He turned on the speakers.
"Angel sighted. Blut pattern confirmed. Angel is within satellite orbit above Tokio-3."
"Wait." Gendo straightened. "The meeting´s over. I trust you to keep the secret. Get to
your positions."
No one talked, when they left the room.
***
Akagi and Ikari used the elevator to reach command control.
They weren´t talking.
Ritsuko´s gaze tried to find Ikari´s but failed at the dark tinted glasses.
Two floors left...
Ikari raised a hand, placed it softly on her arm.
"I am sorry."
***
"Report!" Gendo Ikari demanded when he entered the control center.
"Angel´s not moving. It either waits for the right moment to descend or it can attack
from above." Misato reported. "We are unable to act as long as it stays out of weapon
reach."
"Ready units zero and two."
"Both still haven´t regenerated completly."
"It´s enough for a far-reaching attack, but if it comes to close quarter combat, we´ll
another plan."
"Yes, Commander. - Rei?"
"Yes, Major?" it came from the speaker.
"You will take the sniping rifle and fire at the angel. - Unit two, Asuka, you will watch
her back."
"Watching her back? Me? Unit zero?"
"Exact. Watch her back."
"You must be joking!"
Misato turned towards Ikari.
"Well, if she insists on leading the attack..."
The commander nodded.
"If she fails she won´t pilot ever again", Ritsuko whispered.
"So it´s her last chance?"
"Yes, Maya... We should prepare to get a replacement..."
***
EVA-02
Asuka clenched her fists.
If I fail they won´t let me piot unit two anymore. I mustn´t fail... I have nothing else...
"Target´s still out of reach!"
"Ah, come on, you lame angel! You suck!"
As if it had heard her the angel reacted. Its gaze fell unto unit two and bathed it
within bright light, that filled the entryplug up to the last corner, that reached right
into Asuka´s soul.
Asuka started screaming...
Within her mind a choir started singing Hallelujah...
***
NERV-control center
"What kind of weapon is this?" Misato asked the next operator when EVA-02 was bathed in
bright light.
"Unknown."
"Major, the psychograph shows an abnormal pattern! Mind contamination will start soon."
"A psycho-attack? Can they understand our mind?" Ritsuko whispered.
Unit two fired the rifle.
The positroncharge didn´t reach the angel but diminished on half way.
Asuka fired again and a third time without the charges harming the angel.
"Target´s out of reach!"
Asuka moaned when the singing voices increased their volume.
Her arms went numb, the fingers started twiching.
As result unit two fired uncontrolled until the clip was empty, laying waste to entire
streets.
***
NERV-control center:
Gendo clenched his fists.
"Unit two out of ammo."
"How is the ray analysis result?"
"Energy wave of the visible wave length. It's similar to the AT-field, but the details are
still unknown, Major."
"How's Asuka?"
Akagi stepped up to Misato´s side.
"Dangerous situation. The mind-contamination broke into the borderline."
Asuka´s screams came out of the speaker.
"No... Nein! Don´t enter me! Ah... Ah... Nein! Don´t look into my mind! Please, don´t
enter my mind!"
Misato screamed the pilot´s name.
"Her psychograph is at the critical point. Her mental circuit is now getting terrible damage,
further overload will be too dangerous."
Ritsuko looked at Misato.
"Asuka, retreat!"
"No...!"
"Asuka, that´s an order! I order you to retreat!"
"No, Definitely, No! If I must retreat, I'd rather die here!"
"Unit zero in position!" Hyuka shouted.
"Rei, fire!"
Unit zero aimed, fired, hit.
"Oh." was Rei´s only commentary.
"No effect. Energy´s too weak to pierce the AT-field at this distance!"
"Damned... that´s maximum charge! We have nothing else left", the Major cursed.
"Life-support has priority!" Akagi ordered her charges.
The angel´s ray seems to scan Asuka's mental wave length pattern. Oh, no, does this mean
the angels are trying to research the human mind? Is it trying to access her memories?
***
Asuka looked at her own image, but she was very younger. Her image was crying.
Why am I crying? I never wanted to cry again...
Next to the little Asuka laid a teddybear.
From within the darkness came her father´s voice.
"Asuka, what´s up, it´s a present from your new mother, don´t you like it?"
"No."
"So, what else do you want?"
"I´m no small child anymore, I´ll be grown up soon, I don´t need teddybears!"
The scene changed.
Asuka recognized the place at once, wanted to close her eyes, couldn´t.
She could only watch...
The little Asuka stood with reddened eyes at the door of a hospital´s room.
"Mama, please, look at me, don´t stop being my mother..."
"Come with me to heaven." the woman on the bed whispered monotonous.
"Mama, Mama, please... no... I´m not Mama´s doll... I will think and live on my own!
I need neither mother nor father, I will live on my own..."
"No..." Asuka whispered. "I don´t want to remember... I wanted to forget... don´t touch
my momories... I don´t want to see this! Stop! Stop! My soul was defiled... What shall
I only do?"
***
NERV-control center
"The pilot enters the dangerous zone." - "Target, no change. Relative distance shows still
no change." - "The possibility that target will move into the firing range of Unit-0 is 0.02 %."
Misato supported herself on the operator´s chairback.
Transport Unit-0 by air? Shoot the target from the sky? No, we can't do that, if the Angel
shoots at Unit-0 during the approaching, we can't protect it."
A small window on the main screen showed Shinji within unit one´s entryplug.
"I will take the field with unit one!"
Misato looked up to the older Ikari.
Fuyutsuki answered: "No. This target invades the pilot´s mind."
"We must avoid the situation that unit one is invaded, too." Gendo added with slightly
shaking voice.
"So you mean it's OK if I am not defeated."
"That is not guaranteed."
I can lose you, too.
"But, in this situation, Asuka..."
Gendo activated a channel to unit zero.
"Rei, descent into Terminal Dogma and get the lance."
"The Lance of Longinus? Ikari, that is..."
"We have no other choice to destroy the target on the satellite orbit when we cannot reach
its AT-field from here. Rei, hurry!"
"Unit zero´s passing No.6."
"Ikari, it´s too early!" Fuyutsuki whispered.
"You´ve heard it yourself, the committee started building the mass production unit of
series 5. It´s a good opportunity, professor."
"The old men won´t allow..."
"We have to act before SEELE can, it´s no a good idea to lose unit two right now... and
the pilot. Without the Lance we can at least slow down SEELE´s plans."
"But they will get suspicious if you use the Lance without permission!"
"We only need a sufficient reason - that´s one."
Ikari pointed at the screen the showed the unmoving EVA.
"Father, let me go to the surface!"
"Shinji, I..."
A lamp lightened up on Ikari´s terminal, somebody tried to call him on a private communication
channel.
"Yes?"
"Commander, trust him."
"Larsen... But he might die..."
"I will watch out for him."
The comlink was canceled.
Gendo swallowed. Then he got up.
"Defreeze unit one as fast as possible!"
Misato and Ritsuko stared at him, then Akagi turned towards her instuments and gave the
necessary orders herself.
***
EVA-hangar:
"Boy, are you ready?"
"Yes, Wolf." Shinji only needed to turn his head to see the other one.
Larsen cowered on unit one´s shoulder, talking with pilot via his headset.
"It might be a ride right into hell itself."
"I can´t abandon Asuka!"
"Defreezing process initiated!"
"Wolf, I can feel EVA-01´s legs again. I can move!"
"Good. Look, I will anchor myself now, it might hurt a bit."
"Yes."
The next moment Shinji thought needles to be digging into his flesh.
"Au."
"Sorry."
"It´s okay."
He looked aside.
Larsen had... grown claws from the backs of his hands, that had dug into the EVA´s shoulder
armor.
"We can launch."
He grinned.
***
NERV-control center
"Lifesupport critical!" - "Unit zero´s arrived at Terminal Dogma!" - "Unit one ready to
launch!"
"Send them up to unit two directly!" Ikari ordered.
"Directly? But then the beam will also hit them!"
"Trust, Fuyutsuki, trust..."
***
EVA-01 lauched, raced towards the surface.
"Asuka, I am coming!"
Shinji brought unit one between unit two and the angel, raised the hand like he wanted
to defend against the light.
The Hallelujah made the LCL within the entryplug shivvering.
It got bright...
***
Shinji:
He saw himself, younger, much younger, standing in front of a window, looking at the
purple-green giant on the other side.
His father stood behind him smiling, a hand on Shinji´s shoulder.
On the other side his mother appeared, in his eyes a great hero, wearing a suit like the
people in the science fiction movies he loved to watch.
His mother, the mecha pilot.
He waved.
She saw him, waved back.
"Now, Shinji!" his father whispered excited.
Her mother entered the plug that was lifted into the air and injected into the back of the
giant´s neck.
"No! Don´t! Mother, don´t! Father, stop her...!" Shinji screamed, but was unable to break down
the barriere between himself and his memories of the past.
"I don´t want to remember, not again..."
The robot went berserk.
"Synchrate at 400%" a woman shouted. "We are losing her!"
Shinji´s younger image didn´t understand what was happening, felt only fear for his mother.
His father´s grip grew painful.
"No, Mother!"
He reached out for help...
***
Larsen:
A blurred white ceiling...
The eternal humming of instruments...
A cover laying on his chest like a weight...
Arms existing only in his memories...
Emptyness...
A mouth unable to speak due to several tubes...
Lips forming words...
"Ich will sterben... Laßt mich endlich sterben..."
(trans.: I want to die... Let me die..."
"Really? Do you really want to die?"
It was his own voice whispering these words from the darkness.
A meadow.
A small bluehaired girl running towards him laughing.
"Papa!"
A dam, the concrete wall showing first tears, water pushing through those tears...
Twelve giant of steel following his orders, placing reinforcing metal plates on the wall...
A large room...
An officer handing him a medal...
"For exceptional bravery..."
Happyness...
Pride...
Triumph...
A scream:
"I want to live!"
Darkness...
"Robot..." - "Cyborg..." - "Machine..." - "Monster..." - "Spare parts..." - "No human..."
"This old man consists of more plastic than my old teddybear!"
Asuka? Where are you?
A smacking sound...
"This old man, as you call him, is ready to sacrifice the last bit of life he has for us..."
Major Katsuragi...
"Is this the only reason you called me? To pilot this... thing?"
Shinji...
"I need your help!"
Ikari...
"We meet at the strangest places..."
Kaji...
His gaze fixed a point within the darkness.
"I don´t fear you. My memories are what makes me, they are all I´ve left, all I am!"
And it brightened.
The light shone into his mind, tried to swallow his soul, tried to suffocate its light...
... found only emptyness...
***
NERV-control center
"Unit zero returns to surface with the Lance!"
Ikari was breathing faster.
"Engel invades the Third Child´s mind!" - "Mind-contamination at Larsen!"
"Maya, look at this!" Ritsuko pointed at the readings of the synchrates.
"But... that´s..."
"Shinji and Asuka are synching with each other - like during the fight against the fish-
angel. They can make it!"
"Angel ceases to attack the pilots!"
The beam of light tightened, got even brighter. Within its center was Wolf Larsen who
had straightened.
"Trust..." Fuyutsuki repeated Ikari´s words.
"What is he saying?" Ikari asked when Larsen´s lips started moving.
"Interpretation initiated... Amplifier..."
"I don´t fear you!"
***
Asuka:
She looked up to the ceiling.
"No... Mama!"
The woman in the white nightgown was slowing circling around at the rope. Her eyes were
without life.
"Mama..."
She reached out for help...
and found someone...
***
Asuka/Shinji:
Shinji´s mother was entering the entryplug...
Asuka´s mother was hanging from the ceiling...
Shinji´s mother dissolved...
Dead eyes...
"I hate you..."
"I mustn´t run away... I mustn´t run away..."
The touch of a hand...
The presence of another human...
And the singing stopped...
***
EVA-02:
Asuka opened the eyes panting.
In front of her, in front of EVA-02, unit one stood, Shinji stood, with arms spread,
hands clenched to fists, standing between herself and the angels, protecting her.
He did come...
On unit one´s shoulder the small human figure stood, bathed in light that bright that it
hurt even with eyes closed.
"Shinji..."
"Asuka..."
It wasn´t Shinji who answered but a calm and controlled voice, a voice she had learned to
hate. But the sound of Rei´s voice gave back to her a feeling for reality.
Unit zero appeared next to her, a long spear in hand.
"Unit zero, get ready to throw!"
EVA-00 didn´t move.
"Unit zero, Rei, answer!"
EVA-00 turned towards unit two, handing it the lance.
"Finish it!"
Asuka grabbed the lance automatically.
"Rei, what are you doing?"
"I´ve brought her the lance, Major."
"Unit two, get ready!"
Asuka looked at her tactical screen, followed the instructions.
"Confirm the target. Correct the error, OK. Start the countdown. 10 seconds before zero.
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
EVA-02 threw the lance with all its might.
Asuka gave a long angry shout.
"Eat this, bastard!"
***
NERV-control center
"Lance approaching target. Contact. AT-field pierced! Target deceased!"
"Psycho-ray´s off."
"The Lance?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Moving to the lunar orbit."
"Then it is lost for us..."
"Good." Ikari mumbled. "State of the pilots?"
"Mind contamination´s over. Parameters acceptable!"
***
EVA-hangar:
"Asuka, I am so happy that you are okay!"
Shinji ran towards Asuka who was just leaving EVA-02´s entryplug.
She looked at him silently.
He is like myself... and he knows it...
He stopped in front of her.
"What is..."
She embraced him, pulled him up to her.
"You´ve been there..."
Shinji´s urge to run away vanished as fast as it had appeared.
A bit farther away Larsen jumped from EVA-01´s shoulder onto the catwalk, landed next
to Rei.
"Ah, that was some kind of ride..."
She didn´t react, was just looking at Shinji and Asuka who were still embracing. On her
face was an expression of... jealousy...
Gendo Ikari entered the catwalk, followed by Ritsuko, Maya and Misato. For a moment he
stopped by Shinji and Asuka.
"Asuka, are you okay?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Go and have Akagi medically check you. Good work."
Then he turned towards Shinji.
"I´m proud of you."
Shinji´s eyes lightened up.
"Father..."
But he had already walked away, nodded at Larsen and said to Rei:
"We have to talk."
next: all for one...
Larsen´s apartment, early morning
The sound of the bell woke Larsen from his dreamless slumber.
Mechanically he swung the legs of the edge of his bed and got up, put on his trouser
before answering the door.
"Kaji, it´s a bit early, isn´t it...?" he greeted the man at the door. Then he noticed
the second man who stood behind Kaji, head slightly lowered.
"Commander Ikari..."
"May we come in?" Kaji asked. He looked tired.
"Of course."
Larsen stepped aside.
Ikari´s gaze rested on Larsen´s cybernetic arm.
"You look like you could need a strong cup of coffee - both."
"It´s been a long night."
"I will do some. Why are you here?"
Gendo answered:
"Help me to prevent Third Impact."
Larsen´s eyes tripled their size.
"We have had a very, very long talk." Kaji explained. "Commander Ikari deflected."
***
Later...
The coffee steamed within large cups.
"Well, Commander, what´s up?"
"Larsen, I´ve done lots of thing, things I was not always proud of but that seemed
necessary. But now I´ve been confronted with the fact that I´ve started with the wrong
prequisites..."
"Talk, please."
***
Even later...
The coffee-pot was empty.
Larsen drew a deep breath.
"So you want to tell me the Human Complementation Project aims at initiating a controlled
Third Impact to have all of humanity giving up physical existance and unite within one
being..."
"Yes..."
"And the necessary components are EVA and the angel in the central dogma basement. Whoever
controlls those components, controlls the Impact and the being to be created.
You wanted to play god."
Ikari was silent.
"The men behind the project, SEELE, are a group of old men who want to gain immortality
and absolute power this way. And you´ve promised them these things, so they helped you
creating NERV and the EVANGELIONs."
"That´s right."
"Well, now I only want to know the reason you did it... And the reason you are now
thinking otherwise."
"My wife... Yui... she inside of EVA-01..."
Ikari spoke slowly, not secure of himself.
"It was an accident... Unit one did absorb her, like it absorbed Shinji."
"But the boy could be freed."
"Yes. But she... it´s to late for her. She had become EVA-01 and EVA-01 has become her.
I wanted to set her free... please believe me."
"And wanted to sacrifice humanity..." Kaji whispered terrified.
"I´d have sacrificed even more... I was ready to sacrifice my own son..."
"And now?" the cyborg asked lowly. "What do you want now?"
Ikari looked into his eyes.
"SEELE must be stopped!"
"Since your scenario won´t succeed, the old men´s plan has to fail, too, right?" Kaji
asked but fell silent when Larsen raised a hand.
"Ikari, what do you want?"
"Redemption..."
For quite a long time it was silent with nobody saying a word.
Then Larsen got up and offered Ikari his hand.
"I am Lieutenant-Commander Wolf Larsen of ODIN´s Raven, western branch of UN-secret service.
I am willing to cooperate, Commander Ikari."
"So you are a spy, too."
"Yes, sent to stop you."
Gendo nodded, took the hand, made the pact.
***
That afternoon the command staff of NERV was called together by Gendo Ikari for a meeting
within one the conference chambers.
At the oval table´s head Gendo sat, Fuyutsuki stood behind him. Next to Ikari, on the right
Ritsuko Akagi and her protegé Maya Ibuki sat, on the left Misato Katsuragi, Ryoji Kaji and
Wolf Larsen.
"Nothing we will be talking about may ever be discussed outside of this room." Ikari started.
"Doctor Akagi, please report about the EVAs´ and the pilots´ states."
Ritsuko stared at him for a moment with confusion.
Please... when did he use thisa word the last time...?
She looked into her files.
"Unit one is deep frozen, as ordered by the committee. Repairs of unit zero have priority,
the spare parts will arrive tomorrow. Unit two will be recovered completly soon. Unit four..."
She cast a glance at Larsen.
"Commander, I´d like to talk to you in private."
"This won´t be necessary. - Lieutenant..."
Larsen smiled.
"I guess you´ve already discovered unit four´s secret."
"It´s a fake. It isn´t an EVA, but a highly modified mecha of the PALADIN-alpha-series."
"Exact. Updated with EVANGELION-technology and a third generation biocomputer, as well as a
redundand second system." He touched his temple. "I just gave the command to initiate the
self-repair-protocols."
"How..."
"That´s the reason for us being here." Ikari explained. "I want to introduce to you Lieutenant-
Commander Larsen of the UN-secret service." He gave a sound that reminded of a short laugh.
"Leader of the PALADIN-squad. They have sent him to stop the Human Complementation Project.
You will support him in his quest."
Fuyutsuki placed a hand on Ikari´s shoulder.
"Ikari, are you serious?"
"Yes."
"So there is no way..."
The old man´s eyes were filled with tears.
"Yes, Yui will not..."
"It´s okay."
"Thank you, Professor."
Misato cleared her throat.
"I´ve just got information that constuctions of unit five to thirteen have been started.
Because of the conversation we had last night I guess that they will not be on our side."
"This, Major, is the next topic. Three angels will still attack, afterwards the committee
will try to get its hands on EVA-01, the lance of longinus and Adam. We will have to be
prepared. How is the pilots´ state?"
Ritsukos hands are shaking while she reported on the last test results.
"Asuka´s synch rate has decreased again, she´s just able to pilot. Rei´s synch rate got a bit
better, Shinji hasn´t been tested since his return. If Asuka´s state worsens we´ll lose her
as pilot."
"I see. The Second Child has mental problems, our experts will see to this."
"Commander, your own orders were to..."
"I know my orders, forget them. Situation has changed. I wish Asuka Langley to get all available
help. We will need stable pilots. - Yes, Larsen?"
"It might sound cruel, but I want to suggest recruting two other pilots, since we might need
replacements."
He spoke calmly and full of control but his voice betrayed a bit of self-hate.
"Two?" Akagi repeated.
"Yes, two. I´ve set some things into motion. If we are lucky we will have an other EVA
unit within a few days."
"Another fake?"
"No, the original unit four. At the moment it is still hidden under some nets somewhere
in the middle of the Gobi-desert. ODIN will have it brought to us in secret. And they are
preparing a strike against SEELE, we only need to know where the groups is. Until this
moment we will have to keep them believing to have the upperhand.
"I see."
Akagi looked at Ikari.
"So we have a little conspiracy of our own."
"Yes. We must talk, doctor."
She blinked.
What has happened to you, Gendo... One could believe that heavy burden had been removed
from your shoulders... and the vice-commander´s reaction... Is Yui...
Ikari´s phone buzzed.
"Yes?"
He turned on the speakers.
"Angel sighted. Blut pattern confirmed. Angel is within satellite orbit above Tokio-3."
"Wait." Gendo straightened. "The meeting´s over. I trust you to keep the secret. Get to
your positions."
No one talked, when they left the room.
***
Akagi and Ikari used the elevator to reach command control.
They weren´t talking.
Ritsuko´s gaze tried to find Ikari´s but failed at the dark tinted glasses.
Two floors left...
Ikari raised a hand, placed it softly on her arm.
"I am sorry."
***
"Report!" Gendo Ikari demanded when he entered the control center.
"Angel´s not moving. It either waits for the right moment to descend or it can attack
from above." Misato reported. "We are unable to act as long as it stays out of weapon
reach."
"Ready units zero and two."
"Both still haven´t regenerated completly."
"It´s enough for a far-reaching attack, but if it comes to close quarter combat, we´ll
another plan."
"Yes, Commander. - Rei?"
"Yes, Major?" it came from the speaker.
"You will take the sniping rifle and fire at the angel. - Unit two, Asuka, you will watch
her back."
"Watching her back? Me? Unit zero?"
"Exact. Watch her back."
"You must be joking!"
Misato turned towards Ikari.
"Well, if she insists on leading the attack..."
The commander nodded.
"If she fails she won´t pilot ever again", Ritsuko whispered.
"So it´s her last chance?"
"Yes, Maya... We should prepare to get a replacement..."
***
EVA-02
Asuka clenched her fists.
If I fail they won´t let me piot unit two anymore. I mustn´t fail... I have nothing else...
"Target´s still out of reach!"
"Ah, come on, you lame angel! You suck!"
As if it had heard her the angel reacted. Its gaze fell unto unit two and bathed it
within bright light, that filled the entryplug up to the last corner, that reached right
into Asuka´s soul.
Asuka started screaming...
Within her mind a choir started singing Hallelujah...
***
NERV-control center
"What kind of weapon is this?" Misato asked the next operator when EVA-02 was bathed in
bright light.
"Unknown."
"Major, the psychograph shows an abnormal pattern! Mind contamination will start soon."
"A psycho-attack? Can they understand our mind?" Ritsuko whispered.
Unit two fired the rifle.
The positroncharge didn´t reach the angel but diminished on half way.
Asuka fired again and a third time without the charges harming the angel.
"Target´s out of reach!"
Asuka moaned when the singing voices increased their volume.
Her arms went numb, the fingers started twiching.
As result unit two fired uncontrolled until the clip was empty, laying waste to entire
streets.
***
NERV-control center:
Gendo clenched his fists.
"Unit two out of ammo."
"How is the ray analysis result?"
"Energy wave of the visible wave length. It's similar to the AT-field, but the details are
still unknown, Major."
"How's Asuka?"
Akagi stepped up to Misato´s side.
"Dangerous situation. The mind-contamination broke into the borderline."
Asuka´s screams came out of the speaker.
"No... Nein! Don´t enter me! Ah... Ah... Nein! Don´t look into my mind! Please, don´t
enter my mind!"
Misato screamed the pilot´s name.
"Her psychograph is at the critical point. Her mental circuit is now getting terrible damage,
further overload will be too dangerous."
Ritsuko looked at Misato.
"Asuka, retreat!"
"No...!"
"Asuka, that´s an order! I order you to retreat!"
"No, Definitely, No! If I must retreat, I'd rather die here!"
"Unit zero in position!" Hyuka shouted.
"Rei, fire!"
Unit zero aimed, fired, hit.
"Oh." was Rei´s only commentary.
"No effect. Energy´s too weak to pierce the AT-field at this distance!"
"Damned... that´s maximum charge! We have nothing else left", the Major cursed.
"Life-support has priority!" Akagi ordered her charges.
The angel´s ray seems to scan Asuka's mental wave length pattern. Oh, no, does this mean
the angels are trying to research the human mind? Is it trying to access her memories?
***
Asuka looked at her own image, but she was very younger. Her image was crying.
Why am I crying? I never wanted to cry again...
Next to the little Asuka laid a teddybear.
From within the darkness came her father´s voice.
"Asuka, what´s up, it´s a present from your new mother, don´t you like it?"
"No."
"So, what else do you want?"
"I´m no small child anymore, I´ll be grown up soon, I don´t need teddybears!"
The scene changed.
Asuka recognized the place at once, wanted to close her eyes, couldn´t.
She could only watch...
The little Asuka stood with reddened eyes at the door of a hospital´s room.
"Mama, please, look at me, don´t stop being my mother..."
"Come with me to heaven." the woman on the bed whispered monotonous.
"Mama, Mama, please... no... I´m not Mama´s doll... I will think and live on my own!
I need neither mother nor father, I will live on my own..."
"No..." Asuka whispered. "I don´t want to remember... I wanted to forget... don´t touch
my momories... I don´t want to see this! Stop! Stop! My soul was defiled... What shall
I only do?"
***
NERV-control center
"The pilot enters the dangerous zone." - "Target, no change. Relative distance shows still
no change." - "The possibility that target will move into the firing range of Unit-0 is 0.02 %."
Misato supported herself on the operator´s chairback.
Transport Unit-0 by air? Shoot the target from the sky? No, we can't do that, if the Angel
shoots at Unit-0 during the approaching, we can't protect it."
A small window on the main screen showed Shinji within unit one´s entryplug.
"I will take the field with unit one!"
Misato looked up to the older Ikari.
Fuyutsuki answered: "No. This target invades the pilot´s mind."
"We must avoid the situation that unit one is invaded, too." Gendo added with slightly
shaking voice.
"So you mean it's OK if I am not defeated."
"That is not guaranteed."
I can lose you, too.
"But, in this situation, Asuka..."
Gendo activated a channel to unit zero.
"Rei, descent into Terminal Dogma and get the lance."
"The Lance of Longinus? Ikari, that is..."
"We have no other choice to destroy the target on the satellite orbit when we cannot reach
its AT-field from here. Rei, hurry!"
"Unit zero´s passing No.6."
"Ikari, it´s too early!" Fuyutsuki whispered.
"You´ve heard it yourself, the committee started building the mass production unit of
series 5. It´s a good opportunity, professor."
"The old men won´t allow..."
"We have to act before SEELE can, it´s no a good idea to lose unit two right now... and
the pilot. Without the Lance we can at least slow down SEELE´s plans."
"But they will get suspicious if you use the Lance without permission!"
"We only need a sufficient reason - that´s one."
Ikari pointed at the screen the showed the unmoving EVA.
"Father, let me go to the surface!"
"Shinji, I..."
A lamp lightened up on Ikari´s terminal, somebody tried to call him on a private communication
channel.
"Yes?"
"Commander, trust him."
"Larsen... But he might die..."
"I will watch out for him."
The comlink was canceled.
Gendo swallowed. Then he got up.
"Defreeze unit one as fast as possible!"
Misato and Ritsuko stared at him, then Akagi turned towards her instuments and gave the
necessary orders herself.
***
EVA-hangar:
"Boy, are you ready?"
"Yes, Wolf." Shinji only needed to turn his head to see the other one.
Larsen cowered on unit one´s shoulder, talking with pilot via his headset.
"It might be a ride right into hell itself."
"I can´t abandon Asuka!"
"Defreezing process initiated!"
"Wolf, I can feel EVA-01´s legs again. I can move!"
"Good. Look, I will anchor myself now, it might hurt a bit."
"Yes."
The next moment Shinji thought needles to be digging into his flesh.
"Au."
"Sorry."
"It´s okay."
He looked aside.
Larsen had... grown claws from the backs of his hands, that had dug into the EVA´s shoulder
armor.
"We can launch."
He grinned.
***
NERV-control center
"Lifesupport critical!" - "Unit zero´s arrived at Terminal Dogma!" - "Unit one ready to
launch!"
"Send them up to unit two directly!" Ikari ordered.
"Directly? But then the beam will also hit them!"
"Trust, Fuyutsuki, trust..."
***
EVA-01 lauched, raced towards the surface.
"Asuka, I am coming!"
Shinji brought unit one between unit two and the angel, raised the hand like he wanted
to defend against the light.
The Hallelujah made the LCL within the entryplug shivvering.
It got bright...
***
Shinji:
He saw himself, younger, much younger, standing in front of a window, looking at the
purple-green giant on the other side.
His father stood behind him smiling, a hand on Shinji´s shoulder.
On the other side his mother appeared, in his eyes a great hero, wearing a suit like the
people in the science fiction movies he loved to watch.
His mother, the mecha pilot.
He waved.
She saw him, waved back.
"Now, Shinji!" his father whispered excited.
Her mother entered the plug that was lifted into the air and injected into the back of the
giant´s neck.
"No! Don´t! Mother, don´t! Father, stop her...!" Shinji screamed, but was unable to break down
the barriere between himself and his memories of the past.
"I don´t want to remember, not again..."
The robot went berserk.
"Synchrate at 400%" a woman shouted. "We are losing her!"
Shinji´s younger image didn´t understand what was happening, felt only fear for his mother.
His father´s grip grew painful.
"No, Mother!"
He reached out for help...
***
Larsen:
A blurred white ceiling...
The eternal humming of instruments...
A cover laying on his chest like a weight...
Arms existing only in his memories...
Emptyness...
A mouth unable to speak due to several tubes...
Lips forming words...
"Ich will sterben... Laßt mich endlich sterben..."
(trans.: I want to die... Let me die..."
"Really? Do you really want to die?"
It was his own voice whispering these words from the darkness.
A meadow.
A small bluehaired girl running towards him laughing.
"Papa!"
A dam, the concrete wall showing first tears, water pushing through those tears...
Twelve giant of steel following his orders, placing reinforcing metal plates on the wall...
A large room...
An officer handing him a medal...
"For exceptional bravery..."
Happyness...
Pride...
Triumph...
A scream:
"I want to live!"
Darkness...
"Robot..." - "Cyborg..." - "Machine..." - "Monster..." - "Spare parts..." - "No human..."
"This old man consists of more plastic than my old teddybear!"
Asuka? Where are you?
A smacking sound...
"This old man, as you call him, is ready to sacrifice the last bit of life he has for us..."
Major Katsuragi...
"Is this the only reason you called me? To pilot this... thing?"
Shinji...
"I need your help!"
Ikari...
"We meet at the strangest places..."
Kaji...
His gaze fixed a point within the darkness.
"I don´t fear you. My memories are what makes me, they are all I´ve left, all I am!"
And it brightened.
The light shone into his mind, tried to swallow his soul, tried to suffocate its light...
... found only emptyness...
***
NERV-control center
"Unit zero returns to surface with the Lance!"
Ikari was breathing faster.
"Engel invades the Third Child´s mind!" - "Mind-contamination at Larsen!"
"Maya, look at this!" Ritsuko pointed at the readings of the synchrates.
"But... that´s..."
"Shinji and Asuka are synching with each other - like during the fight against the fish-
angel. They can make it!"
"Angel ceases to attack the pilots!"
The beam of light tightened, got even brighter. Within its center was Wolf Larsen who
had straightened.
"Trust..." Fuyutsuki repeated Ikari´s words.
"What is he saying?" Ikari asked when Larsen´s lips started moving.
"Interpretation initiated... Amplifier..."
"I don´t fear you!"
***
Asuka:
She looked up to the ceiling.
"No... Mama!"
The woman in the white nightgown was slowing circling around at the rope. Her eyes were
without life.
"Mama..."
She reached out for help...
and found someone...
***
Asuka/Shinji:
Shinji´s mother was entering the entryplug...
Asuka´s mother was hanging from the ceiling...
Shinji´s mother dissolved...
Dead eyes...
"I hate you..."
"I mustn´t run away... I mustn´t run away..."
The touch of a hand...
The presence of another human...
And the singing stopped...
***
EVA-02:
Asuka opened the eyes panting.
In front of her, in front of EVA-02, unit one stood, Shinji stood, with arms spread,
hands clenched to fists, standing between herself and the angels, protecting her.
He did come...
On unit one´s shoulder the small human figure stood, bathed in light that bright that it
hurt even with eyes closed.
"Shinji..."
"Asuka..."
It wasn´t Shinji who answered but a calm and controlled voice, a voice she had learned to
hate. But the sound of Rei´s voice gave back to her a feeling for reality.
Unit zero appeared next to her, a long spear in hand.
"Unit zero, get ready to throw!"
EVA-00 didn´t move.
"Unit zero, Rei, answer!"
EVA-00 turned towards unit two, handing it the lance.
"Finish it!"
Asuka grabbed the lance automatically.
"Rei, what are you doing?"
"I´ve brought her the lance, Major."
"Unit two, get ready!"
Asuka looked at her tactical screen, followed the instructions.
"Confirm the target. Correct the error, OK. Start the countdown. 10 seconds before zero.
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
EVA-02 threw the lance with all its might.
Asuka gave a long angry shout.
"Eat this, bastard!"
***
NERV-control center
"Lance approaching target. Contact. AT-field pierced! Target deceased!"
"Psycho-ray´s off."
"The Lance?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Moving to the lunar orbit."
"Then it is lost for us..."
"Good." Ikari mumbled. "State of the pilots?"
"Mind contamination´s over. Parameters acceptable!"
***
EVA-hangar:
"Asuka, I am so happy that you are okay!"
Shinji ran towards Asuka who was just leaving EVA-02´s entryplug.
She looked at him silently.
He is like myself... and he knows it...
He stopped in front of her.
"What is..."
She embraced him, pulled him up to her.
"You´ve been there..."
Shinji´s urge to run away vanished as fast as it had appeared.
A bit farther away Larsen jumped from EVA-01´s shoulder onto the catwalk, landed next
to Rei.
"Ah, that was some kind of ride..."
She didn´t react, was just looking at Shinji and Asuka who were still embracing. On her
face was an expression of... jealousy...
Gendo Ikari entered the catwalk, followed by Ritsuko, Maya and Misato. For a moment he
stopped by Shinji and Asuka.
"Asuka, are you okay?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Go and have Akagi medically check you. Good work."
Then he turned towards Shinji.
"I´m proud of you."
Shinji´s eyes lightened up.
"Father..."
But he had already walked away, nodded at Larsen and said to Rei:
"We have to talk."
next: all for one...