Heya guys ^^. Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been caught up with a
lotta stuff at home at the moment. Thanks to my editor Ray, and all my
prereaders, u're all stars ^^.
Rnr please (
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Chapter Two Nameless
Ami Ried sat quietly outside one of the offices at Nerv. Her long brown hair surrounded a calm face, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. The calmness was only superficial, however, as the sounds of raised voices reached her from beyond the closed door. She felt sick, worried that this was turning out to be exactly what she had been dreading - and exactly what her superiors had hoped it would not. It was obvious, to her at least, that the argument was about her. This was only an assumption though, the voices were muffled behind the door and her actual name wasn't mentioned to her hearing. She thought it was most likely that not quite everyone agreed with her sudden arrival. It did mean she had had little or no chance to meet the people she would be working so closely with. And it also meant there was only a small chance they had been fully informed of the... details.
She hadn't been at Nerv long, and had never seen the inside of the Japanese branch of the base. It seemed more up to date than the German one, more sterile somehow. After her arrival she had been escorted straight here, to sit outside this room. It might be that its occupants did not know that she was even out here. Her bag was set at her feet; the rest of her things had been boxed and already sent to her new apartment. Wherever that might be.
After a moment, she got up and paced a little way to sooth the growing numbness in her legs; her long coat obscured her slight figure, and her jeans dragged along the floor. She didn't seem any older than 15.
Just as she started to walk back up the corridor, the voices died down and she paused a little way up the walkway, the bottom of her coat swirling around her ankles. She took a step forward as the door opened. The figure that stepped out stood for a moment contemplating her presence. "I'm sorry for the wait," the blonde figure started, after a brief pause, "we've not had all too long to prepare for your arrival." Ami nodded absently. The figure moved out of the doorway and stood to one side, revealing another person stood behind her. "I'm Doctor Akagi, and this," She gestured to the figure glowering next to her, "This is Major Katsuragi." This woman was slightly taller, with dark hair and a face like thunder.
Ami stepped back across to shake the hand that was offered to her. "I'm sorry that my superiors did not inform you of my arrival earlier," She told Akagi quietly, "I myself was not told very long ago. It is a big shock; it's so different here."
"Yes, I suppose it is... Well, your Eva hasn't arrived yet, so I can't see why there's any reason to keep you here. Major Katsuragi will drive you to your apartment, and we'll call if we need you."
***
Misato Katsuragi shut the door of her car and began to make her way back to Nerv HQ. Her driving reflected on her mood, she was angry and it showed. It had not been a good day. The command at Nerv had only seen fit to tell her they were receiving a new pilot this morning, when her shift first started. They had told her that the arrival had been on short notice anyway, but she was of the belief the whole thing had been kept a secret from her from the very start. But even this morning not all of the vital information had been disclosed; Ritsuko had only just told her on a split second decision from command. Even now Misato wondered if they were still holding something back, and considering her now direct involvement with the girl, she worried that this was not a good thing.
The stupidity of those commanding her seemed to be growing, in her estimation. They did not seem to be learning from their mistakes... once again they were accepting a pilot from Seele. She doubted anyone would ever forget the consequences that had come about last time they had gambled that risk. And this time the old men had already admitted that her genetic structure, as Ritsuko had put it, could be a real threat to Nerv. There had been rumours today, once the arrival had been publicly announced; someone who knew someone who knew someone that said they'd seen this that or the other, but Misato had listened and dismissed them off as gossip. Her dismissal seemed a little premature now though, Ritsuko had just confirmed most of these rumours in one fell swoop. Misato wondered how many more of them were true.
When she stopped as the lights turned red, she looked across at the people walking up and down the street and wondered what their reactions would have been if they had just received the same kind of news she had. The respite was brief, however, and as soon as the lights changed she was roaring up the road again.
It turned out this new pilot was a genetic experiment - part human and part Angel. Supposedly this would increase the synch ratio and reduce the risk to the pilot herself whilst she was inside the Eva. Ritsuko had been quick to list the good points of this system. But an Angel was still an Angel, whether wrapped in human clothing or not. The fact that it was Seele who sent the girl did little to calm her fears; another pilot meant they could exert a little more control over Nerv's operations, and would probably mean they would have to be careful of having a spy in their midst. She was assured that the girl was totally safe, and a whole list of reasons why were hiding somewhere in the system for her too, but still, this girl would have a lot to prove before Misato was entirely pleased with her presence at Nerv.
***
Ritsuko Akagi sighed as she watched the pair leave and rubbed the back of her neck. Her shift had ended hours ago but the new arrival had kept her busy. Ikari expected her to stay; she had to make up for earlier mistakes and someone had to take care of both the official and unofficial business that followed in the new pilot's wake.
She sighed again as she re-entered her office and slumped in her chair. She picked up one of the nearby coffee mugs automatically and took a mouthful, which she instantly regretted as she grimaced and put the mug back down.
It was obvious that convincing her friend to take a more active role in helping the girl to settle would be a lot harder than she has first suspected. Ritsuko had not calculated she would be quite so distrustful; the incident with Kouru had obviously affected her more than Ritsuko had first realised. Maybe it was true; maybe she was becoming insensitive to these things.
She surveyed her desk, slightly troubled. It was covered almost beyond recognition with sheets of printed paper and various cat related objects. The top sheet of every pile of paper would be covered in brown rosettes from where she's placed mugs of coffee, some with the half full mug still on top. It was proving quite hard to convince Ikari that he did still need her around the base, increasingly of late. She knew that soon she would run out of excuses, of petty jobs and hauling her weight on overtime, and then it would be time for his decision. If he decided that she hadn't made up for the blow she had dealt to his precious scenario then she knew he could full well make her disappear. She didn't want that.
Thinking of halfway decent reason for Nerv to be taking on such a big risk with this pilot had been hard... which on hindsight was probably why Ikari had asked her to do it in the first place. This was another use he did have for her, manipulating her friend. He was obviously incapable of doing it for himself - Misato did have a tendency to stick her nose in too far sometimes. Even now the Major was not convinced about the pilot, but then, she wasn't as stupid as was sometimes implied. Nerv was under more threat from Seele than Misato knew; they'd never survive an all out attack, especially if Seele decided to pull out all of the stops. This, she knew, was the only way the Old Men had convinced Ikari to take the pilot on.
The computer screen was flickering, but looking at it for more than a few moments to type after so long hurt her eyes. After a while she gave up and sat back.
During their very brief meeting this morning, the girl had seemed normal enough, if a little quiet. Nothing of the revelation in her genetic makeup was visibly obvious, which was something. Ritsuko wondered how many tries were needed to create something like that. In some way she pitied the girl. No wonder she was quiet, she would have to face up to the prejudice and judgment that found her here. The higher command would watch everything she did like a hawk, and the security around her would be doubled. If even a sniff of her real origin reached the general public, well it didn't bear thinking about.
Ritsuko sighed and stretched. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it, and right now she needed some coffee.
***
Ami lay sprawled on her bed in her new apartment. The light was filtering in through the window, but all it did was add a new layer of drabness, another dimension of grey. The place really was dreary, it had been abandoned by it's previous owners when the Angels had first started attacking the city, and had been looking for a new one ever since.
It consisted of one large room containing a kitchen area, a bed and a small space all on it's own, and a small room, containing a bathroom and a shower. The place really was grey though. Once it was white, but gathering dust had discoloured the walls. A pile of boxes sat the space in the corner. She hadn't unpacked yet. In fact, other than to let the rather large dog out of it's travelling cage, she hadn't touched the boxes from where they sat at all. The said dog was lying curled up at the end of the bed by her feet.
It had been a rather trying day. Moving always was, for anybody. It's always hard for a human to up and leave, not counting special circumstances such as a death in the family, etc, etc, etc. however, moving families do tend to choose where they move to, somewhere where they can enjoy the scenery, perhaps, or be nearer to other members of their family group. It's much harder to be forced to move away, to be sent away, to a place with unfamiliar surroundings and full of unfamiliar people.
The people at Nerv had hardly welcomed her with open arms either. None of them had been pleased to see her. In fact, the woman who had driven her back to this place had practically ignored her the whole time. It made her wonder just what sort of thing they'd been told about her to make them worry so much. The commander had the reputation of a formidable man, tall, dark, and gruff; whether or not this was true would have to wait for another day. He didn't have the time to meet with her. He was probably busy arranging transport for her Eva, she decided.
Kira stirred by her feet and changed position. That was another thing; the guy who delivered the boxes to her apartment hadn't had the good sense to let the dog out. He was tired and cranky, especially after being cooped up for so long. Unfortunately he was still partially sedated, and standing seemed to be somewhat of a feat, let alone managing to walk in a straight line. Not that his mistress seemed to be in any hurry to offer to take him out anytime soon. She would rather just lie there and stare at something on the ceiling. A bug perhaps? Maybe if he moved a little closer she would scratch his ears for him... no, the effort was perhaps not worth the reward at the time, and he decided against trying to move out of his lethargy. Much easier just to lie for a while...
Presently he was disturbed as Ami left the bed to get something to drink. The light was fading and she realised that there was nothing to eat in the place. She sighed; it was just like everything else that day, wrong. She hoped it wouldn't last.
***
Shinji sat and watched the sunset from the very spot where Misato had first shown him the city. Truly it was a wonderful sight, as the windows from hundreds of buildings caught the light from the last rays of the sun, and sparkled red and gold. The beauty of it all, however, was almost lost on him. He hardly saw the spectacle that was taking place in front of his eyes. All he could think about was how much he wished that Asuka or Kouru were here to share it with him. The sense of loss that had filled his heart for the last weeks had hardly dimmed since the day when he lost Kouru. Earlier in the week Misato had mentioned something of a new pilot. It didn't bother him anymore. In his mind, no one could replace the old ones.
Rei was hardly to be seen these days, not that he felt he could face up to her anyway. Ritsuko had torn apart any hopes there may have been of them forming a relationship. It seemed like such a long time ago, when in reality it couldn't have been more than a couple of months. So much had happened then... and now it had stopped. Ground to a halt when things most needed to change.
The sun disappeared behind the buildings and night crept over the horizon. The first tinges of black and purple had spread across the sky. With them came a breeze, to tug at the edges of clothes and ruffle the hair. The stars were coming out, small points of brilliance across the sky. Shinji lay back to stare at them, remembering the time when all three of them had come up here to watch them. He lay there for some time, dreaming of better days.
***
The supreme commander of Nerv was not a happy man. He paced up and down a small length of his office by the window, his face set in an impenetrable mask, which showed nothing of what he was feeling. This was something that bordered on despair. Strong man that he was, today he saw Seele deal him and Nerv a harsh blow... and the events he wished to achieve on his personal agenda were slowly slipping from his grasp. The old men had managed, by form of intimidation and threats of a physical takeover of Nerv, to place what was effectively a spy in their midst. He remembered as well as any other the events that had taken place last time Nerv had made that mistake. He would have to keep a careful eye on her, but even that was treading thin ice, lest she find cause to complain about it. It was all very complicated, and it was complications that he did not need.
Rnr please (
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Chapter Two Nameless
Ami Ried sat quietly outside one of the offices at Nerv. Her long brown hair surrounded a calm face, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. The calmness was only superficial, however, as the sounds of raised voices reached her from beyond the closed door. She felt sick, worried that this was turning out to be exactly what she had been dreading - and exactly what her superiors had hoped it would not. It was obvious, to her at least, that the argument was about her. This was only an assumption though, the voices were muffled behind the door and her actual name wasn't mentioned to her hearing. She thought it was most likely that not quite everyone agreed with her sudden arrival. It did mean she had had little or no chance to meet the people she would be working so closely with. And it also meant there was only a small chance they had been fully informed of the... details.
She hadn't been at Nerv long, and had never seen the inside of the Japanese branch of the base. It seemed more up to date than the German one, more sterile somehow. After her arrival she had been escorted straight here, to sit outside this room. It might be that its occupants did not know that she was even out here. Her bag was set at her feet; the rest of her things had been boxed and already sent to her new apartment. Wherever that might be.
After a moment, she got up and paced a little way to sooth the growing numbness in her legs; her long coat obscured her slight figure, and her jeans dragged along the floor. She didn't seem any older than 15.
Just as she started to walk back up the corridor, the voices died down and she paused a little way up the walkway, the bottom of her coat swirling around her ankles. She took a step forward as the door opened. The figure that stepped out stood for a moment contemplating her presence. "I'm sorry for the wait," the blonde figure started, after a brief pause, "we've not had all too long to prepare for your arrival." Ami nodded absently. The figure moved out of the doorway and stood to one side, revealing another person stood behind her. "I'm Doctor Akagi, and this," She gestured to the figure glowering next to her, "This is Major Katsuragi." This woman was slightly taller, with dark hair and a face like thunder.
Ami stepped back across to shake the hand that was offered to her. "I'm sorry that my superiors did not inform you of my arrival earlier," She told Akagi quietly, "I myself was not told very long ago. It is a big shock; it's so different here."
"Yes, I suppose it is... Well, your Eva hasn't arrived yet, so I can't see why there's any reason to keep you here. Major Katsuragi will drive you to your apartment, and we'll call if we need you."
***
Misato Katsuragi shut the door of her car and began to make her way back to Nerv HQ. Her driving reflected on her mood, she was angry and it showed. It had not been a good day. The command at Nerv had only seen fit to tell her they were receiving a new pilot this morning, when her shift first started. They had told her that the arrival had been on short notice anyway, but she was of the belief the whole thing had been kept a secret from her from the very start. But even this morning not all of the vital information had been disclosed; Ritsuko had only just told her on a split second decision from command. Even now Misato wondered if they were still holding something back, and considering her now direct involvement with the girl, she worried that this was not a good thing.
The stupidity of those commanding her seemed to be growing, in her estimation. They did not seem to be learning from their mistakes... once again they were accepting a pilot from Seele. She doubted anyone would ever forget the consequences that had come about last time they had gambled that risk. And this time the old men had already admitted that her genetic structure, as Ritsuko had put it, could be a real threat to Nerv. There had been rumours today, once the arrival had been publicly announced; someone who knew someone who knew someone that said they'd seen this that or the other, but Misato had listened and dismissed them off as gossip. Her dismissal seemed a little premature now though, Ritsuko had just confirmed most of these rumours in one fell swoop. Misato wondered how many more of them were true.
When she stopped as the lights turned red, she looked across at the people walking up and down the street and wondered what their reactions would have been if they had just received the same kind of news she had. The respite was brief, however, and as soon as the lights changed she was roaring up the road again.
It turned out this new pilot was a genetic experiment - part human and part Angel. Supposedly this would increase the synch ratio and reduce the risk to the pilot herself whilst she was inside the Eva. Ritsuko had been quick to list the good points of this system. But an Angel was still an Angel, whether wrapped in human clothing or not. The fact that it was Seele who sent the girl did little to calm her fears; another pilot meant they could exert a little more control over Nerv's operations, and would probably mean they would have to be careful of having a spy in their midst. She was assured that the girl was totally safe, and a whole list of reasons why were hiding somewhere in the system for her too, but still, this girl would have a lot to prove before Misato was entirely pleased with her presence at Nerv.
***
Ritsuko Akagi sighed as she watched the pair leave and rubbed the back of her neck. Her shift had ended hours ago but the new arrival had kept her busy. Ikari expected her to stay; she had to make up for earlier mistakes and someone had to take care of both the official and unofficial business that followed in the new pilot's wake.
She sighed again as she re-entered her office and slumped in her chair. She picked up one of the nearby coffee mugs automatically and took a mouthful, which she instantly regretted as she grimaced and put the mug back down.
It was obvious that convincing her friend to take a more active role in helping the girl to settle would be a lot harder than she has first suspected. Ritsuko had not calculated she would be quite so distrustful; the incident with Kouru had obviously affected her more than Ritsuko had first realised. Maybe it was true; maybe she was becoming insensitive to these things.
She surveyed her desk, slightly troubled. It was covered almost beyond recognition with sheets of printed paper and various cat related objects. The top sheet of every pile of paper would be covered in brown rosettes from where she's placed mugs of coffee, some with the half full mug still on top. It was proving quite hard to convince Ikari that he did still need her around the base, increasingly of late. She knew that soon she would run out of excuses, of petty jobs and hauling her weight on overtime, and then it would be time for his decision. If he decided that she hadn't made up for the blow she had dealt to his precious scenario then she knew he could full well make her disappear. She didn't want that.
Thinking of halfway decent reason for Nerv to be taking on such a big risk with this pilot had been hard... which on hindsight was probably why Ikari had asked her to do it in the first place. This was another use he did have for her, manipulating her friend. He was obviously incapable of doing it for himself - Misato did have a tendency to stick her nose in too far sometimes. Even now the Major was not convinced about the pilot, but then, she wasn't as stupid as was sometimes implied. Nerv was under more threat from Seele than Misato knew; they'd never survive an all out attack, especially if Seele decided to pull out all of the stops. This, she knew, was the only way the Old Men had convinced Ikari to take the pilot on.
The computer screen was flickering, but looking at it for more than a few moments to type after so long hurt her eyes. After a while she gave up and sat back.
During their very brief meeting this morning, the girl had seemed normal enough, if a little quiet. Nothing of the revelation in her genetic makeup was visibly obvious, which was something. Ritsuko wondered how many tries were needed to create something like that. In some way she pitied the girl. No wonder she was quiet, she would have to face up to the prejudice and judgment that found her here. The higher command would watch everything she did like a hawk, and the security around her would be doubled. If even a sniff of her real origin reached the general public, well it didn't bear thinking about.
Ritsuko sighed and stretched. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it, and right now she needed some coffee.
***
Ami lay sprawled on her bed in her new apartment. The light was filtering in through the window, but all it did was add a new layer of drabness, another dimension of grey. The place really was dreary, it had been abandoned by it's previous owners when the Angels had first started attacking the city, and had been looking for a new one ever since.
It consisted of one large room containing a kitchen area, a bed and a small space all on it's own, and a small room, containing a bathroom and a shower. The place really was grey though. Once it was white, but gathering dust had discoloured the walls. A pile of boxes sat the space in the corner. She hadn't unpacked yet. In fact, other than to let the rather large dog out of it's travelling cage, she hadn't touched the boxes from where they sat at all. The said dog was lying curled up at the end of the bed by her feet.
It had been a rather trying day. Moving always was, for anybody. It's always hard for a human to up and leave, not counting special circumstances such as a death in the family, etc, etc, etc. however, moving families do tend to choose where they move to, somewhere where they can enjoy the scenery, perhaps, or be nearer to other members of their family group. It's much harder to be forced to move away, to be sent away, to a place with unfamiliar surroundings and full of unfamiliar people.
The people at Nerv had hardly welcomed her with open arms either. None of them had been pleased to see her. In fact, the woman who had driven her back to this place had practically ignored her the whole time. It made her wonder just what sort of thing they'd been told about her to make them worry so much. The commander had the reputation of a formidable man, tall, dark, and gruff; whether or not this was true would have to wait for another day. He didn't have the time to meet with her. He was probably busy arranging transport for her Eva, she decided.
Kira stirred by her feet and changed position. That was another thing; the guy who delivered the boxes to her apartment hadn't had the good sense to let the dog out. He was tired and cranky, especially after being cooped up for so long. Unfortunately he was still partially sedated, and standing seemed to be somewhat of a feat, let alone managing to walk in a straight line. Not that his mistress seemed to be in any hurry to offer to take him out anytime soon. She would rather just lie there and stare at something on the ceiling. A bug perhaps? Maybe if he moved a little closer she would scratch his ears for him... no, the effort was perhaps not worth the reward at the time, and he decided against trying to move out of his lethargy. Much easier just to lie for a while...
Presently he was disturbed as Ami left the bed to get something to drink. The light was fading and she realised that there was nothing to eat in the place. She sighed; it was just like everything else that day, wrong. She hoped it wouldn't last.
***
Shinji sat and watched the sunset from the very spot where Misato had first shown him the city. Truly it was a wonderful sight, as the windows from hundreds of buildings caught the light from the last rays of the sun, and sparkled red and gold. The beauty of it all, however, was almost lost on him. He hardly saw the spectacle that was taking place in front of his eyes. All he could think about was how much he wished that Asuka or Kouru were here to share it with him. The sense of loss that had filled his heart for the last weeks had hardly dimmed since the day when he lost Kouru. Earlier in the week Misato had mentioned something of a new pilot. It didn't bother him anymore. In his mind, no one could replace the old ones.
Rei was hardly to be seen these days, not that he felt he could face up to her anyway. Ritsuko had torn apart any hopes there may have been of them forming a relationship. It seemed like such a long time ago, when in reality it couldn't have been more than a couple of months. So much had happened then... and now it had stopped. Ground to a halt when things most needed to change.
The sun disappeared behind the buildings and night crept over the horizon. The first tinges of black and purple had spread across the sky. With them came a breeze, to tug at the edges of clothes and ruffle the hair. The stars were coming out, small points of brilliance across the sky. Shinji lay back to stare at them, remembering the time when all three of them had come up here to watch them. He lay there for some time, dreaming of better days.
***
The supreme commander of Nerv was not a happy man. He paced up and down a small length of his office by the window, his face set in an impenetrable mask, which showed nothing of what he was feeling. This was something that bordered on despair. Strong man that he was, today he saw Seele deal him and Nerv a harsh blow... and the events he wished to achieve on his personal agenda were slowly slipping from his grasp. The old men had managed, by form of intimidation and threats of a physical takeover of Nerv, to place what was effectively a spy in their midst. He remembered as well as any other the events that had taken place last time Nerv had made that mistake. He would have to keep a careful eye on her, but even that was treading thin ice, lest she find cause to complain about it. It was all very complicated, and it was complications that he did not need.