I don't own anything in here.
"Commander Takihiro, please contact Dr. Evans. Commander Takihiro, please contact Dr. Evans. Commander Takihiro."
"Now what?" He muttered as he picked up the nearest extension and dialed Daniella's code number. "Yes? What is it?"
Takihiro, Kadena and Tenku were sitting on a table discussing strategic placement of the new mech before they were interrupted by the call. So far, as far as they could think, the only military use for the new mech was close combat. Since it contained no criticals, then it was useless in long range, but due to its speed and agility, noted in its shape and silhouette, it could prove more than efficient in running circles around the slower and more cumbersome mechs.
"Right now I'm in Conference Room B-7. No, I'm with Kadena and Tenku. Why?"
Kadena and Tenku turned to Takihiro once they heard their names being called.
"Me? Why? What is he saying?"
A long pause as Takihiro began to pace back and forth listening to the other end of the line.
"And it has to be now? I'm trying to get the Commander's approval for new equip."
Another long pause.
"I understand. Then bring him here now. I won't be any less busier later on."
He hanged up, and turned to his two officers. By the look in his face, both Kadena and Tenku, could see more pressure building up.
"The boy is completely awake and is requested to see me."
"Any reason why?" Tenku asked.
"Dr. Evans says is because I remind him of someone. Or rather he mistook me for someone else. And since we have to get the boy ready, then Dr. Evans is ready to try anything."
"Seems like she's running out of ideas," Kadena commented.
"Actually," Takihiro responded. "I think she might be getting new ones."
=====
"Does anything look familiar?" Dr. Evans asked as she put away her extension.
Both Shinji and her were walking across a dark corridor, but as they turned a corner one of the walls was replaced by a large window. As Shinji looked out the window, he paused.
"This was were we had our synch ratio performance tests." He sighed and continued speaking softly to himself. "How long has it been?"
"Quite a long time," responded Dr. Evans, thinking that Shinji had addressed her. "This was all recreated to give you, Shinji, a place where you may feel comfortable."
"And I'm the only one left? Except for Kaji and my father?" He whispered.
She did not hear him and began walking, signaling to him to follow her.
"Come on Shinji. We must continue."
=====
The door opened and Shinji stepped in first. He looked at the man standing in the middle of the room and the at the other two, but his gaze returned to the man in the middle. He looked long and hard, but after a couple of seconds, he turned away in shame. First, he could not stare eye to eye with a man with so much confidence, and second, this was not Kaji. This was not the Kaji he was looking for.
Dr. Evans stepped inside and signaled to Takihiro to begin talking to the Shinji. He in return gave an exasperated expression, as in what he should say to the boy. Dr. Evans quietly mouthed "anything." With that, he turned to Shinji.
"Pilot Ikari, my name is Commander Takihiro. I believe you requested to see me."
Shinji did not respond, but turned his head to the side as he began to blush in embarrassment. Dr. Evans looked at Takihiro in anger, and quickly turned to Shinji.
"Shinji, this is Commander Takihiro. I believe he was the one you mistook for Kaji. Perhaps if you told me more, I could run through the list of the original Nerv crew. There might be some more information as to what happened to him."
He did not reply. Takihiro, who was used to getting results, began to find the boy annoying and petty. He had to get something out of the boy, especially if they were going to live together.
"Shinji," Takihiro said. "You and I will be living together as soon as tomorrow. But if you are going to live with me, then I am going to let you know that your attitude will not be allowed in my home, nor in my command. When you are spoken to by an officer of Nerv, you will respond appropriately. I will not take any of this sentimental, 'I am shy, please forgive me if I'm the new guy', crap. You are not here as a visitor, you are here as a member of an elite team of mech pilots and fighters. So none of that 'I can not answer you because I might get emotionally hurt'. Is that understood, Ikari?"
Shinji looked up in surprise. He had not been talked to that way since Misato.
"Ikari, do you understand?" Takihiro repeated.
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Then tomorrow morning you will present yourself for briefings, reviews, and training. The rest of the day, today, you will use it to recuperate as best as possible. There will be no more additional delays. Ikari, you are dismissed."
Takihiro turned to the table and began to work, with Kadena and Tenku immediately following. Dr. Evans led Shinji out of the room, who did not say anything, but simply walked straight thinking about what had just happened, and about what would happen tomorrow.
=====
"Crude," Commander Evans said. "But it seemed to work. But if that is what it takes to get that boy back into piloting, then there will be no other recourse."
Commander Ikari did not answer, but simply watched another playback between the Tactical Commander and the pilot. After it was done playing, he turned it off.
"You know," Evan said, "the return of Unit 01 has began its own ripple effect."
"Yes. Soon they will try to take it, or take it back."
=====
"I know why you are here."
He did not raise to welcome him, but rather signaled for him to sit.
"How long have you know about this?" He asked as he took a sit.
"As early as you did."
Vlad moved aside his cloak, revealing his full military regalia, labeling him Khan. But Bjorn was little impressed by this. He had grown tired of the Wolf's display of aggressiveness and their attempts at making themselves look more powerful than what they really were.
"Tell me this, Khan. What does your IlKhan Kerensky say about this?"
As Khan Jorgensson spoke the name 'Kerensky', he spoke with respect. No Clan member would dare utter the name of their most precious father without respect or humility. Only freebirths would dare speak the name as if it were one of their common, badly-spoken, words.
"He agrees that we try to bring it where it belongs, with us."
"We cannot simply enter the Inner Sphere with trinaries and reclaim something lost for centuries. I believe something a little more discreet can be used."
"I grow tired of discretion. I cannot wait until the Wolf Clan is ready to bring down House Steiner once this truce is over. My people salivate with the idea of annihilating such corruption. And this item will help us get there."
Khan Jorgensson listened quietly, for in his heart too, beat the heart of a predator. Inside, beat the heart of a Ghost Bear.
=====
"Where was it heading?"
"In its trajectory, it was Terra."
"Then it is true."
She took a long breath, taking the news that for so long they had all been waiting for. If it was true, then perhaps their oldest writings would finally come to pass. And they would be the ones to accomplish them. Not being able to contain herself, she got off her seat and walked to one of the view ports. The emptiness of space was breathtaking, but the addition of their Battlecruiser made the painting indescribable. The excitement turned her cold, so she went back to her seat, and got her coat. But before she put it on, she looked at the patches. For long those two patches had represented everything she had dreamt of and become. In her lifetime, perhaps, she could finally make a change for them all. She lovingly looked at them once more.
Minnesota 331
And on the other side.
A Terran Wolverine.
=====
It knew the time to wake up was soon, but it had to wait. If it meant to bring it back, it would need its full strength. Meanwhile, it slept.
"Commander Takihiro, please contact Dr. Evans. Commander Takihiro, please contact Dr. Evans. Commander Takihiro."
"Now what?" He muttered as he picked up the nearest extension and dialed Daniella's code number. "Yes? What is it?"
Takihiro, Kadena and Tenku were sitting on a table discussing strategic placement of the new mech before they were interrupted by the call. So far, as far as they could think, the only military use for the new mech was close combat. Since it contained no criticals, then it was useless in long range, but due to its speed and agility, noted in its shape and silhouette, it could prove more than efficient in running circles around the slower and more cumbersome mechs.
"Right now I'm in Conference Room B-7. No, I'm with Kadena and Tenku. Why?"
Kadena and Tenku turned to Takihiro once they heard their names being called.
"Me? Why? What is he saying?"
A long pause as Takihiro began to pace back and forth listening to the other end of the line.
"And it has to be now? I'm trying to get the Commander's approval for new equip."
Another long pause.
"I understand. Then bring him here now. I won't be any less busier later on."
He hanged up, and turned to his two officers. By the look in his face, both Kadena and Tenku, could see more pressure building up.
"The boy is completely awake and is requested to see me."
"Any reason why?" Tenku asked.
"Dr. Evans says is because I remind him of someone. Or rather he mistook me for someone else. And since we have to get the boy ready, then Dr. Evans is ready to try anything."
"Seems like she's running out of ideas," Kadena commented.
"Actually," Takihiro responded. "I think she might be getting new ones."
=====
"Does anything look familiar?" Dr. Evans asked as she put away her extension.
Both Shinji and her were walking across a dark corridor, but as they turned a corner one of the walls was replaced by a large window. As Shinji looked out the window, he paused.
"This was were we had our synch ratio performance tests." He sighed and continued speaking softly to himself. "How long has it been?"
"Quite a long time," responded Dr. Evans, thinking that Shinji had addressed her. "This was all recreated to give you, Shinji, a place where you may feel comfortable."
"And I'm the only one left? Except for Kaji and my father?" He whispered.
She did not hear him and began walking, signaling to him to follow her.
"Come on Shinji. We must continue."
=====
The door opened and Shinji stepped in first. He looked at the man standing in the middle of the room and the at the other two, but his gaze returned to the man in the middle. He looked long and hard, but after a couple of seconds, he turned away in shame. First, he could not stare eye to eye with a man with so much confidence, and second, this was not Kaji. This was not the Kaji he was looking for.
Dr. Evans stepped inside and signaled to Takihiro to begin talking to the Shinji. He in return gave an exasperated expression, as in what he should say to the boy. Dr. Evans quietly mouthed "anything." With that, he turned to Shinji.
"Pilot Ikari, my name is Commander Takihiro. I believe you requested to see me."
Shinji did not respond, but turned his head to the side as he began to blush in embarrassment. Dr. Evans looked at Takihiro in anger, and quickly turned to Shinji.
"Shinji, this is Commander Takihiro. I believe he was the one you mistook for Kaji. Perhaps if you told me more, I could run through the list of the original Nerv crew. There might be some more information as to what happened to him."
He did not reply. Takihiro, who was used to getting results, began to find the boy annoying and petty. He had to get something out of the boy, especially if they were going to live together.
"Shinji," Takihiro said. "You and I will be living together as soon as tomorrow. But if you are going to live with me, then I am going to let you know that your attitude will not be allowed in my home, nor in my command. When you are spoken to by an officer of Nerv, you will respond appropriately. I will not take any of this sentimental, 'I am shy, please forgive me if I'm the new guy', crap. You are not here as a visitor, you are here as a member of an elite team of mech pilots and fighters. So none of that 'I can not answer you because I might get emotionally hurt'. Is that understood, Ikari?"
Shinji looked up in surprise. He had not been talked to that way since Misato.
"Ikari, do you understand?" Takihiro repeated.
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Then tomorrow morning you will present yourself for briefings, reviews, and training. The rest of the day, today, you will use it to recuperate as best as possible. There will be no more additional delays. Ikari, you are dismissed."
Takihiro turned to the table and began to work, with Kadena and Tenku immediately following. Dr. Evans led Shinji out of the room, who did not say anything, but simply walked straight thinking about what had just happened, and about what would happen tomorrow.
=====
"Crude," Commander Evans said. "But it seemed to work. But if that is what it takes to get that boy back into piloting, then there will be no other recourse."
Commander Ikari did not answer, but simply watched another playback between the Tactical Commander and the pilot. After it was done playing, he turned it off.
"You know," Evan said, "the return of Unit 01 has began its own ripple effect."
"Yes. Soon they will try to take it, or take it back."
=====
"I know why you are here."
He did not raise to welcome him, but rather signaled for him to sit.
"How long have you know about this?" He asked as he took a sit.
"As early as you did."
Vlad moved aside his cloak, revealing his full military regalia, labeling him Khan. But Bjorn was little impressed by this. He had grown tired of the Wolf's display of aggressiveness and their attempts at making themselves look more powerful than what they really were.
"Tell me this, Khan. What does your IlKhan Kerensky say about this?"
As Khan Jorgensson spoke the name 'Kerensky', he spoke with respect. No Clan member would dare utter the name of their most precious father without respect or humility. Only freebirths would dare speak the name as if it were one of their common, badly-spoken, words.
"He agrees that we try to bring it where it belongs, with us."
"We cannot simply enter the Inner Sphere with trinaries and reclaim something lost for centuries. I believe something a little more discreet can be used."
"I grow tired of discretion. I cannot wait until the Wolf Clan is ready to bring down House Steiner once this truce is over. My people salivate with the idea of annihilating such corruption. And this item will help us get there."
Khan Jorgensson listened quietly, for in his heart too, beat the heart of a predator. Inside, beat the heart of a Ghost Bear.
=====
"Where was it heading?"
"In its trajectory, it was Terra."
"Then it is true."
She took a long breath, taking the news that for so long they had all been waiting for. If it was true, then perhaps their oldest writings would finally come to pass. And they would be the ones to accomplish them. Not being able to contain herself, she got off her seat and walked to one of the view ports. The emptiness of space was breathtaking, but the addition of their Battlecruiser made the painting indescribable. The excitement turned her cold, so she went back to her seat, and got her coat. But before she put it on, she looked at the patches. For long those two patches had represented everything she had dreamt of and become. In her lifetime, perhaps, she could finally make a change for them all. She lovingly looked at them once more.
Minnesota 331
And on the other side.
A Terran Wolverine.
=====
It knew the time to wake up was soon, but it had to wait. If it meant to bring it back, it would need its full strength. Meanwhile, it slept.