Author Blurb: Okay, well it seems that this fic isn't too horrifying a
travesty, so I'm going to continue with the second chapter. This is going
to be the real test as to whether or not I continue on or just remove this
thing altogether. As I said before, please feel free to comment and
criticize. Let me know what you like, what you hate, and what you think I
could do better. And remember the more specific your criticisms are, the
more likely I'll be able to fix them. ^_~
And as before, I do not claim Neon Genesis Evangelion as my own, it still belongs to Anno and Gainax. I do not plan to sell this ever so there's no problem there.
With regards to some of the past comments I made some edits to this chapter to accompany those. I threw in a scene with some of the children, so please tell me how that worked as far as characterization and such. I'm also trying to keep my ACC as mortal as possible, so let me know how I did on that count to.
With that, please enjoy!
Chapter 2: Standing By
(Inside a NERV Lab…)
Chewing on a pen absent-mindedly, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi reviewed the test results she had conducted on the American pilot. There was nothing wrong with him, per se, aside from his poor hygiene and pallid complexion. However, it didn't take a physical examination to tell that the young man certainly wasn't at right.
Jordan Reynolds; though he had only lived on earth for 15 years, had the physical body consistent with a 25 year-old. And though he was in marginally good shape, it was a discrepancy too great to ignore.
Add to all that the fact that Mr. Reynolds had all the mental signs of severe depression and paranoia, he could be a possible psychotic in the making.
'And those eyes' Ritsuko thought, stealing a glance at the slouched figure sitting on a stool in the corner. The haunted green eyes were focused on the floor now, Ritsuko noted thankfully. Jordan had also been given an opportunity to shave, so the long streaks of hair which once covered most of his face were now replaced with a clean-shaven face, and neatly trimmed hair that was short on the sides and back, yet still somewhat long on top. However, with his face now revealed, Ritsuko noted that the American had a new degree of ugliness to him. His complexion was pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time, and his skin seemed sunken and malnourished.
Ritsuko sighed loudly. In a few hours she was due at Matsushiro for Unit- 03's activation; yet one more thing she was responsible for. The last thing she wanted to do was play therapist for the American, but Commander Ikari wanted solid answers; the kind of answers she would only get by talking to the pilot.
Pulling her chair over to where the young man sat, Ritsuko activated the translation program on her laptop. Though she couldn't speak English herself, her computer had a useful algorithm that made up for that deficiency.
"How are you feeling?" Ritsuko asked in broken English.
Jordan continued to stare at the floor. "How do you think I feel?" He asked with minimal emotion, "I feel like shit. Are you sending me back to my cubby hole now?"
Ritsuko waited for translation to come up on her laptop. "Not yet, mister Reynolds. I need you to cooperate with me and answer a few questions. Can you do that for me?"
Snorting, Jordan replied, "Yeah, whatever."
Ritsuko did not need the translation to hear the attitude dripping off that comment. 'I do not have time for this childishness!' she raged in her mind, but instead she said, "Do you want to continue to pilot Eva?"
Jordan looked up sharply. "What did you say?"
"I think you heard me very well," Ritsuko challenged, "Do you or do you not want to pilot Eva?"
Ritsuko flinched as Jordan's muscles tensed up, and his lips peeled back in a sneer. But before he confirmed the doctor's worst fear, he relaxed, and spoke in a low tone.
"To be perfectly honest, Doctor, I wish I'd never heard of NERV or the Evas or Angels and could just crawl in a corner and die…"
Ritsuko was about to comment when Jordan looked up and caught her eyes with his intense gaze.
"Let me finish Doctor! As I was about to say, I've been through too much now. I want to see this through. I want to remain an Eva pilot."
Ritsuko paused while waiting for the new translation. "Then listen carefully to me, Pilot Reynolds," Ritsuko said with equal forcefulness, "Do not think that you are at all special to us. You are expendable; that is the plain and honest truth. If you cannot cooperate like a normal human being, you will never pilot Eva again. As soon as I am finished with you here I am going to give my evaluation of you to Commander Ikari. If he does not deem you fit to pilot, you will not pilot. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes," Jordan mumbled, subdued.
"Very well," Ritsuko replied, working to take the edge out of her voice. "Now, I need to know what happened when the accident occurred at Second Branch. Please be honest and tell me everything that occurred from the incident until you were recovered again."
Jordan let his head droop down towards the floor. "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Looking at her watch, Ritsuko replied, "I'll let you know when to stop. Is that all?"
Sighing deeply, Jordan leaned back to let his head touch the wall. Then in a low monotone he began his story.
***
(At the Children's school in Tokyo-3…)
Lunchtime at school found Shinji Ikari sitting at one of the outside benches, quietly eating the sandwich he had made earlier that morning. Deep in thought, he didn't see the other figure approach until the other child was right in front of him, slamming himself down across from Shinji with youthful exuberance.
"Hey, Shinji!" Kensuke chimed with a grin, "Forget I was here? I thought you were going to wait for me?"
"Oh, sorry," Shinji apologized, "I just had a lot on my mind."
"Ah, gotcha," Kensuke replied, the offense already forgotten. The unruly haired youth wasted no time in voicing the real issue on his mind, "Say, you know why Toji never came to class today?"
"No, I thought you might've known why," Shinji replied shaking his head sadly, "That was one of the things I was thinking about."
Kensuke shrugged as he started to dig into his lunch. "I dunno, maybe he was visiting his sister at the hospital, like he does sometimes."
"Maybe," Shinji agreed, trying to put the matter out of mind. However, the small peace of mind he attained was quickly shattered as a familiar voice split the afternoon air.
"Well, well. I see two of the infamous stooges…but where is their third partner in crime," chided the voice of Asuka Langley Soryu. The red-haired girl stood in an imperious manner with her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Kensuke's mood immediately darkened while Shinji tensed up. "I take it back," Kensuke murmured, "I think Toji must've been eaten on the way to school by the She-Demon."
"Shut up, baka!" Asuka bit out, "Besides I'm here to talk to Shinji…privately. About pilot stuff."
"If you're talking about the new Eva, I already know. I overheard my dad talking about it last night," Kensuke said waving Asuka off, then turning back to Shinji he said with renewed intensity, "That reminds me, Shinji, can you do a favor for me?"
"What?" Shinji asked.
"Hey!" Asuka shouted, upset that the two had ignored her, "I thought I was the one doing the talking here?!"
Kensuke ignored her, making his plea to Shinji, "Can you please, please, please, ask your guardian, Major Katsuragi, if I can be the new pilot? Please, Shinji, it's what I always dreamed of doing!"
"What!? You? An Eva pilot?" Asuka asked hardly believing her ears. This was just too good. "What makes you think they'll ever make a stupid baka like you a Pilot?"
Shinji watched as his friend's face went a bright red. Hoping to change the subject, he asked, "W-what was it you wanted to talk about Asuka?"
"Well, though nerd-boy here was right about the Eva, I wanted to talk more about reality than fantasy," Asuka said leaning one hand on the table top.
"What d'you mean?" Shinji asked trying to ignore Kensuke's discomfort.
"Well for one thing, there's two new Evas, not just one. So that means there's gonna be two new pilots."
"Two!?" Kensuke exploded, "How do you know that? I never heard anything about two!"
Asuka put on a confident and self-assured grin. "It's not easy being so intelligent and perceptive as I, but I have my way of knowing these things…"
"She probably overheard Misato say something about it last night," Shinji mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say!?!" Asuka snarled, grabbing Shinji by the collar of his shirt. Shinji quailed under the redhead's fiery ire.
"N-n-n-n-nothing!" Shinji stammered, "I said nothing!"
"Dummkopf!" shouted Asuka as she released him roughly, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if two new Evas are here, then they probably already have pilots assigned to them. Sorry Kensuke, it looks like your dreams of being a Pilot will have to wait." Asuka snickered at the last comment.
"What's your point?" Kensuke growled in response.
"My point," Asuka said as she whirled around to face Shinji, "is that you and I need to make sure to keep these rookie pilots in their place. Being new they'll probably think they're hot shit. Therefore, as veteran pilots, it'll be our responsibility to keep them in line. I have to count on you, 'cause God knows that doll, Rei, won't be of any help."
Shinji cringed at Asuka's implications. As Shinji's memory served, it had been Asuka who had tried to put him in his place when she had first arrived. The boy could only imagine what the second child had in store for the two new pilots.
"Where do you think they are from?" Shinji asked once more trying to change the subject.
"What the Hell kind of question is that?" Asuka asked, "Who cares where they're from?" Then after a moment of reflection she added, "Though I hope they've sent female pilots. I think I'm living proof that girls make the best pilots. Well so long, stooges, I grow tired of your presence. And remember what I said, Shinji!"
The two boys watched as the second child flounced off. Shinji looked as startled and confused as ever, while Kensuke simmered angrily. Finally the two put the strange confrontation out of their minds and focused on eating again.
"Man, I wish Toji was here. He would have given the She-Demon something to think about," Kensuke murmured between mouthfuls.
Shinji stared at his food while his internal thoughts raged inside him. Sighing he simply said, "Yeah."
***
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)
Later, Dr. Akagi stood in front of the NERV commander, who was seated behind his desk in his customary pose of speculation and contemplation.
"What have you learned Doctor," Gendo said with slight impatience, "What is the American's status?"
"Pilot Reynolds…is a bizarre case to be certain," Ritsuko began, "Though he was a normal fifteen year-old before the Second Branch incident, he is -- for all intents and purposes – now a twenty-five year old adult."
"My theory," she continued, "is that somehow, when Unit-04 was activated with the S2 engine, it created something similar to the Dirac Sea that was created by the Twelfth Angel. At the time of the incident, both Unit-04 and Second Branch were absorbed into this alternate dimension. By Pilot Reynolds' account, he spent approximately ten years in this alternate dimension before, by luck, he managed to escape back here."
"But how is this possible?" Fuyutsuki asked suddenly, "Pilot Ikari was trapped in the Sea of Dirac with no adverse effects such as these."
Ritsuko nodded patiently, "I know Sub-commander, but I said that this was only like a Dirac sea. It is only a theory, but I believe that time passed differently in this dimension, than in our own."
Commander Ikari raised a hand to silence them both. "I did not ask for theories, Dr. Akagi. I wanted to know if the American was fit to pilot Eva."
Taking a breath, Ritsuko continued, "It is my opinion that Pilot Reynolds is in no way fit to pilot an Eva. The mental problems caused by the Second Branch incident aside, his past records show much against his favor. According to the files the American government sent over, Reynolds was selected to be an Eva pilot only because he performed well at a military school for juvenile delinquents. The boy tried to strangle his mother to death. The only reason he wasn't put on trial for attempted murder was because the American authorities believed that child abuse was involved. Commander, I know none of our pilots have exactly sterling records, but this American is…"
"I asked…" Commander Ikari said in slow measured tones, "Can he physically pilot an Eva?"
Sighing in frustration, Ritsuko answered, "There's no reason to believe he cannot. According to his testimony he has been able to pilot during all of his past ten years."
Gendo nodded, and appeared to think over the information. Then, standing up he clasped his hands behind his back and began to stare out the windows behind his desk. "Thank you for your effort and time, Doctor. Before you head over to Third Branch for Unit-03's activation, you are to inform Pilot Reynolds that that his status has been upgraded to temporary active duty. He is to be placed on stand-by, until I have decided whether or not to grant him full-privileges."
Ritsuko blinked in surprise. Though it wasn't a drastic change to the American's situation; he was still a virtual prisoner to be confined within the Geofront, Ritsuko could hardly believe that the Commander wanted this pilot on stand-by to pilot an Eva! "Commander Ikari, I thought I made it clear that the pilot is in no mental condition to…"
"That will be all Dr. Akagi," Gendo said dismissively, "I do believe you have an activation test to carry out, don't you?"
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Ritsuko nodded once, and stalked out of the office, leaving the two NERV commanders alone. After several moments of silence, Fuyutsuki cleared his throat and spoke to his superior.
"Dr. Akagi does make an excellent point," Kouzou noted in a quiet voice, "Do you think it is wise to put a young man such as this Reynolds at the controls of an Eva? The records given from the Americans indicated that his synch ratio wasn't all that impressive."
Gendo continued to gaze out the window towards infinity as he answered. "I am aware of the risks. But at times like these it cannot hurt to be prepared."
Fuyutsuki nodded knowingly, "You think an Angel will try to attack during Unit-03's activation? Like when the sixth attacked the convoy carrying the Second Child and her Eva?"
Gendo nodded once.
"What of Unit-04; is it ready?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Yes, and don't worry. I have already received word that the S2 engine has been removed," Commander Ikari said, placating his advisor's fears. "I am not eager to repeat the Second Branch accident. Until we can make sure that the S2 engine is reliable, Unit-04 will run on conventional power like the other Evas."
"Though surely the three children we have right now can handle any Angel threat that might appear?"
"Of course they can, "Gendo acknowledged, "But I always prepare for the unexpected, just in case. On top of that you must also take into account that if Dr. Akagi is correct, then this American is the most experienced Eva pilot we have. Though this alters the scenario, as a foreigner he can be easily eliminated if he proves a nuisance."
"You think he can be controlled that easily?" Kouzou asked skeptically.
Commander was silent for a handful of seconds before replying, "I do not claim to know fate, but so far I have been successful at guiding it to our needs."
"Our needs, Gendo?" Fuyutsuki asked, "Or your needs?"
To this, commander Ikari made no comment.
***************************************************
If I may be so bold as to predict some comments, I'd like to just try and explain myself.
Two things struck me that might be a problem for some of you; the most notable being the fact that Jordan was in an alternate dimension for ten years. First of all, from an author's prospective, I needed something to make Jordan unique and special. I don't know how the rest of you feel about this, but a character that can't do anything or offer anything to the plot comes close to being as boring and annoying as an Uber-God character. I know ten years may seem like a long time, but like I had Gendo point out, having that kind of experience may be useful even if he doesn't have an incredible synch ratio. (Note: for the time being I'm given him a ratio of about 35%). Also, by making his age different from the other pilots, I hoped to avoid that whole problem with "relationships with original female characters (Asuka/Rei)" thing.
From the story's perspective…I reasoned that Unit-04 had the S2 engine, so technically it should be able to run almost indefinitely. But if a lot of you out there think it's too incredible I'll edit it.
The second problem may have been with Ritsuko's translating program. Well to that I can only say that I really didn't have much of a choice. To be more realistic, I have made it so that Jordan does not know Japanese. So that means I needed a way for Ritsuko to communicate with him, because I assumed she doesn't know English. If any of you have any suggestions as to how to do this better, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Let's see, next chapter is going to have the battle with the Thirteenth Angel. So those of you who are waiting for the action, don't worry it's on its way. Thanks again for the feedback!
And as before, I do not claim Neon Genesis Evangelion as my own, it still belongs to Anno and Gainax. I do not plan to sell this ever so there's no problem there.
With regards to some of the past comments I made some edits to this chapter to accompany those. I threw in a scene with some of the children, so please tell me how that worked as far as characterization and such. I'm also trying to keep my ACC as mortal as possible, so let me know how I did on that count to.
With that, please enjoy!
Chapter 2: Standing By
(Inside a NERV Lab…)
Chewing on a pen absent-mindedly, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi reviewed the test results she had conducted on the American pilot. There was nothing wrong with him, per se, aside from his poor hygiene and pallid complexion. However, it didn't take a physical examination to tell that the young man certainly wasn't at right.
Jordan Reynolds; though he had only lived on earth for 15 years, had the physical body consistent with a 25 year-old. And though he was in marginally good shape, it was a discrepancy too great to ignore.
Add to all that the fact that Mr. Reynolds had all the mental signs of severe depression and paranoia, he could be a possible psychotic in the making.
'And those eyes' Ritsuko thought, stealing a glance at the slouched figure sitting on a stool in the corner. The haunted green eyes were focused on the floor now, Ritsuko noted thankfully. Jordan had also been given an opportunity to shave, so the long streaks of hair which once covered most of his face were now replaced with a clean-shaven face, and neatly trimmed hair that was short on the sides and back, yet still somewhat long on top. However, with his face now revealed, Ritsuko noted that the American had a new degree of ugliness to him. His complexion was pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time, and his skin seemed sunken and malnourished.
Ritsuko sighed loudly. In a few hours she was due at Matsushiro for Unit- 03's activation; yet one more thing she was responsible for. The last thing she wanted to do was play therapist for the American, but Commander Ikari wanted solid answers; the kind of answers she would only get by talking to the pilot.
Pulling her chair over to where the young man sat, Ritsuko activated the translation program on her laptop. Though she couldn't speak English herself, her computer had a useful algorithm that made up for that deficiency.
"How are you feeling?" Ritsuko asked in broken English.
Jordan continued to stare at the floor. "How do you think I feel?" He asked with minimal emotion, "I feel like shit. Are you sending me back to my cubby hole now?"
Ritsuko waited for translation to come up on her laptop. "Not yet, mister Reynolds. I need you to cooperate with me and answer a few questions. Can you do that for me?"
Snorting, Jordan replied, "Yeah, whatever."
Ritsuko did not need the translation to hear the attitude dripping off that comment. 'I do not have time for this childishness!' she raged in her mind, but instead she said, "Do you want to continue to pilot Eva?"
Jordan looked up sharply. "What did you say?"
"I think you heard me very well," Ritsuko challenged, "Do you or do you not want to pilot Eva?"
Ritsuko flinched as Jordan's muscles tensed up, and his lips peeled back in a sneer. But before he confirmed the doctor's worst fear, he relaxed, and spoke in a low tone.
"To be perfectly honest, Doctor, I wish I'd never heard of NERV or the Evas or Angels and could just crawl in a corner and die…"
Ritsuko was about to comment when Jordan looked up and caught her eyes with his intense gaze.
"Let me finish Doctor! As I was about to say, I've been through too much now. I want to see this through. I want to remain an Eva pilot."
Ritsuko paused while waiting for the new translation. "Then listen carefully to me, Pilot Reynolds," Ritsuko said with equal forcefulness, "Do not think that you are at all special to us. You are expendable; that is the plain and honest truth. If you cannot cooperate like a normal human being, you will never pilot Eva again. As soon as I am finished with you here I am going to give my evaluation of you to Commander Ikari. If he does not deem you fit to pilot, you will not pilot. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes," Jordan mumbled, subdued.
"Very well," Ritsuko replied, working to take the edge out of her voice. "Now, I need to know what happened when the accident occurred at Second Branch. Please be honest and tell me everything that occurred from the incident until you were recovered again."
Jordan let his head droop down towards the floor. "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Looking at her watch, Ritsuko replied, "I'll let you know when to stop. Is that all?"
Sighing deeply, Jordan leaned back to let his head touch the wall. Then in a low monotone he began his story.
***
(At the Children's school in Tokyo-3…)
Lunchtime at school found Shinji Ikari sitting at one of the outside benches, quietly eating the sandwich he had made earlier that morning. Deep in thought, he didn't see the other figure approach until the other child was right in front of him, slamming himself down across from Shinji with youthful exuberance.
"Hey, Shinji!" Kensuke chimed with a grin, "Forget I was here? I thought you were going to wait for me?"
"Oh, sorry," Shinji apologized, "I just had a lot on my mind."
"Ah, gotcha," Kensuke replied, the offense already forgotten. The unruly haired youth wasted no time in voicing the real issue on his mind, "Say, you know why Toji never came to class today?"
"No, I thought you might've known why," Shinji replied shaking his head sadly, "That was one of the things I was thinking about."
Kensuke shrugged as he started to dig into his lunch. "I dunno, maybe he was visiting his sister at the hospital, like he does sometimes."
"Maybe," Shinji agreed, trying to put the matter out of mind. However, the small peace of mind he attained was quickly shattered as a familiar voice split the afternoon air.
"Well, well. I see two of the infamous stooges…but where is their third partner in crime," chided the voice of Asuka Langley Soryu. The red-haired girl stood in an imperious manner with her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Kensuke's mood immediately darkened while Shinji tensed up. "I take it back," Kensuke murmured, "I think Toji must've been eaten on the way to school by the She-Demon."
"Shut up, baka!" Asuka bit out, "Besides I'm here to talk to Shinji…privately. About pilot stuff."
"If you're talking about the new Eva, I already know. I overheard my dad talking about it last night," Kensuke said waving Asuka off, then turning back to Shinji he said with renewed intensity, "That reminds me, Shinji, can you do a favor for me?"
"What?" Shinji asked.
"Hey!" Asuka shouted, upset that the two had ignored her, "I thought I was the one doing the talking here?!"
Kensuke ignored her, making his plea to Shinji, "Can you please, please, please, ask your guardian, Major Katsuragi, if I can be the new pilot? Please, Shinji, it's what I always dreamed of doing!"
"What!? You? An Eva pilot?" Asuka asked hardly believing her ears. This was just too good. "What makes you think they'll ever make a stupid baka like you a Pilot?"
Shinji watched as his friend's face went a bright red. Hoping to change the subject, he asked, "W-what was it you wanted to talk about Asuka?"
"Well, though nerd-boy here was right about the Eva, I wanted to talk more about reality than fantasy," Asuka said leaning one hand on the table top.
"What d'you mean?" Shinji asked trying to ignore Kensuke's discomfort.
"Well for one thing, there's two new Evas, not just one. So that means there's gonna be two new pilots."
"Two!?" Kensuke exploded, "How do you know that? I never heard anything about two!"
Asuka put on a confident and self-assured grin. "It's not easy being so intelligent and perceptive as I, but I have my way of knowing these things…"
"She probably overheard Misato say something about it last night," Shinji mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say!?!" Asuka snarled, grabbing Shinji by the collar of his shirt. Shinji quailed under the redhead's fiery ire.
"N-n-n-n-nothing!" Shinji stammered, "I said nothing!"
"Dummkopf!" shouted Asuka as she released him roughly, "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if two new Evas are here, then they probably already have pilots assigned to them. Sorry Kensuke, it looks like your dreams of being a Pilot will have to wait." Asuka snickered at the last comment.
"What's your point?" Kensuke growled in response.
"My point," Asuka said as she whirled around to face Shinji, "is that you and I need to make sure to keep these rookie pilots in their place. Being new they'll probably think they're hot shit. Therefore, as veteran pilots, it'll be our responsibility to keep them in line. I have to count on you, 'cause God knows that doll, Rei, won't be of any help."
Shinji cringed at Asuka's implications. As Shinji's memory served, it had been Asuka who had tried to put him in his place when she had first arrived. The boy could only imagine what the second child had in store for the two new pilots.
"Where do you think they are from?" Shinji asked once more trying to change the subject.
"What the Hell kind of question is that?" Asuka asked, "Who cares where they're from?" Then after a moment of reflection she added, "Though I hope they've sent female pilots. I think I'm living proof that girls make the best pilots. Well so long, stooges, I grow tired of your presence. And remember what I said, Shinji!"
The two boys watched as the second child flounced off. Shinji looked as startled and confused as ever, while Kensuke simmered angrily. Finally the two put the strange confrontation out of their minds and focused on eating again.
"Man, I wish Toji was here. He would have given the She-Demon something to think about," Kensuke murmured between mouthfuls.
Shinji stared at his food while his internal thoughts raged inside him. Sighing he simply said, "Yeah."
***
(NERV Headquarters, Commanders Office…)
Later, Dr. Akagi stood in front of the NERV commander, who was seated behind his desk in his customary pose of speculation and contemplation.
"What have you learned Doctor," Gendo said with slight impatience, "What is the American's status?"
"Pilot Reynolds…is a bizarre case to be certain," Ritsuko began, "Though he was a normal fifteen year-old before the Second Branch incident, he is -- for all intents and purposes – now a twenty-five year old adult."
"My theory," she continued, "is that somehow, when Unit-04 was activated with the S2 engine, it created something similar to the Dirac Sea that was created by the Twelfth Angel. At the time of the incident, both Unit-04 and Second Branch were absorbed into this alternate dimension. By Pilot Reynolds' account, he spent approximately ten years in this alternate dimension before, by luck, he managed to escape back here."
"But how is this possible?" Fuyutsuki asked suddenly, "Pilot Ikari was trapped in the Sea of Dirac with no adverse effects such as these."
Ritsuko nodded patiently, "I know Sub-commander, but I said that this was only like a Dirac sea. It is only a theory, but I believe that time passed differently in this dimension, than in our own."
Commander Ikari raised a hand to silence them both. "I did not ask for theories, Dr. Akagi. I wanted to know if the American was fit to pilot Eva."
Taking a breath, Ritsuko continued, "It is my opinion that Pilot Reynolds is in no way fit to pilot an Eva. The mental problems caused by the Second Branch incident aside, his past records show much against his favor. According to the files the American government sent over, Reynolds was selected to be an Eva pilot only because he performed well at a military school for juvenile delinquents. The boy tried to strangle his mother to death. The only reason he wasn't put on trial for attempted murder was because the American authorities believed that child abuse was involved. Commander, I know none of our pilots have exactly sterling records, but this American is…"
"I asked…" Commander Ikari said in slow measured tones, "Can he physically pilot an Eva?"
Sighing in frustration, Ritsuko answered, "There's no reason to believe he cannot. According to his testimony he has been able to pilot during all of his past ten years."
Gendo nodded, and appeared to think over the information. Then, standing up he clasped his hands behind his back and began to stare out the windows behind his desk. "Thank you for your effort and time, Doctor. Before you head over to Third Branch for Unit-03's activation, you are to inform Pilot Reynolds that that his status has been upgraded to temporary active duty. He is to be placed on stand-by, until I have decided whether or not to grant him full-privileges."
Ritsuko blinked in surprise. Though it wasn't a drastic change to the American's situation; he was still a virtual prisoner to be confined within the Geofront, Ritsuko could hardly believe that the Commander wanted this pilot on stand-by to pilot an Eva! "Commander Ikari, I thought I made it clear that the pilot is in no mental condition to…"
"That will be all Dr. Akagi," Gendo said dismissively, "I do believe you have an activation test to carry out, don't you?"
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Ritsuko nodded once, and stalked out of the office, leaving the two NERV commanders alone. After several moments of silence, Fuyutsuki cleared his throat and spoke to his superior.
"Dr. Akagi does make an excellent point," Kouzou noted in a quiet voice, "Do you think it is wise to put a young man such as this Reynolds at the controls of an Eva? The records given from the Americans indicated that his synch ratio wasn't all that impressive."
Gendo continued to gaze out the window towards infinity as he answered. "I am aware of the risks. But at times like these it cannot hurt to be prepared."
Fuyutsuki nodded knowingly, "You think an Angel will try to attack during Unit-03's activation? Like when the sixth attacked the convoy carrying the Second Child and her Eva?"
Gendo nodded once.
"What of Unit-04; is it ready?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Yes, and don't worry. I have already received word that the S2 engine has been removed," Commander Ikari said, placating his advisor's fears. "I am not eager to repeat the Second Branch accident. Until we can make sure that the S2 engine is reliable, Unit-04 will run on conventional power like the other Evas."
"Though surely the three children we have right now can handle any Angel threat that might appear?"
"Of course they can, "Gendo acknowledged, "But I always prepare for the unexpected, just in case. On top of that you must also take into account that if Dr. Akagi is correct, then this American is the most experienced Eva pilot we have. Though this alters the scenario, as a foreigner he can be easily eliminated if he proves a nuisance."
"You think he can be controlled that easily?" Kouzou asked skeptically.
Commander was silent for a handful of seconds before replying, "I do not claim to know fate, but so far I have been successful at guiding it to our needs."
"Our needs, Gendo?" Fuyutsuki asked, "Or your needs?"
To this, commander Ikari made no comment.
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If I may be so bold as to predict some comments, I'd like to just try and explain myself.
Two things struck me that might be a problem for some of you; the most notable being the fact that Jordan was in an alternate dimension for ten years. First of all, from an author's prospective, I needed something to make Jordan unique and special. I don't know how the rest of you feel about this, but a character that can't do anything or offer anything to the plot comes close to being as boring and annoying as an Uber-God character. I know ten years may seem like a long time, but like I had Gendo point out, having that kind of experience may be useful even if he doesn't have an incredible synch ratio. (Note: for the time being I'm given him a ratio of about 35%). Also, by making his age different from the other pilots, I hoped to avoid that whole problem with "relationships with original female characters (Asuka/Rei)" thing.
From the story's perspective…I reasoned that Unit-04 had the S2 engine, so technically it should be able to run almost indefinitely. But if a lot of you out there think it's too incredible I'll edit it.
The second problem may have been with Ritsuko's translating program. Well to that I can only say that I really didn't have much of a choice. To be more realistic, I have made it so that Jordan does not know Japanese. So that means I needed a way for Ritsuko to communicate with him, because I assumed she doesn't know English. If any of you have any suggestions as to how to do this better, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Let's see, next chapter is going to have the battle with the Thirteenth Angel. So those of you who are waiting for the action, don't worry it's on its way. Thanks again for the feedback!