Evangelion - Exodus
Episode One: Murphy's Luck
By Jonathan Jordan
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Song lyrics are by Culture Club. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
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A SECRET BASE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEVADA DESERT
Hunched over their terminals, the technicians input final orders.
"Cooling cycle complete. All internal cage systems in docking position." says the young male technician, his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. His ID card says his name is Adam Turner.
Outside, the large, silver monstrosity shines in the noonday sun. Nearby, a man in a form fitting flight suit makes his way toward the cylindrical extrusion from the back of the machine's neck. He reaches the entry port into the cylinder, and pauses. The technician standing there, a good 3 inches taller than the man, gestures. The man shakes his head, placing one hand onto the cowboy hat he is wearing as he steps inside.
"Pilot has reached the cockpit position within the entry plug," states the second technician, a young girl in her early twenties. Her name is Angela Evans, according to her ID.
"Roger. Inserting entry plug." responds the first technician. Behind the two, an older man paces. His ID card identifies him as Charles Stockton, the head Technician of NERV-02.
There is a loud whoosh as the cylinder is released from the clamps holding it and inserted automatically into the machine's neck.
"Plug lock-in procedure complete. Initiating first level interface. Flooding entry plug with LCL."
"Main power connected. All circuits functional. Initiating power up sequence."
The machine's two eyes flash to life, glowing a dull red. The thing's hand twitches slightly.
"Neural synapses operating within normal limits."
"First contact all clear. Opening reciprocal circuits."
"Synch ratio is within acceptable parameters."
"Releasing primary and secondary restraints. Releasing Safety locks 1 through 15."
One by one, the mechanical locks attaching the shining humanoid to the safety cage release with a burst. The dual gates along the front of the cage open, and the machine slumps slightly. For a couple of minutes, nothing further happens. Then, the machine lifts one of its legs, taking one step then another. Snaking from the back of the unit is a large cable, tethering it to a generator. With each step it takes, the machine and pilot seem to gain in confidence.
"Internal battery fully charged. Releasing umbilical cable."
Doctor Stockton gives the final order. "Launch Eva Unit-04!"
There is a small explosion, and the cable is ejected from the machine's back. There is a momentary pause, as the power systems are shifted over. Then, with a burst of speed, the unit begins to run. Dodging between buildings, leaping small obstacle, firing on targets. The machine displays an impressive array of moves.
Suddenly, it stops moving. I shimmering aura of heat emanates from the prone figure and a section on the back begins to glow a pale white.
Inside, an alarm sounds and red lights begin to flash. "ALERT! ALERT!"
"What? Status report." Dr. Stockton says with a note of frustration in his voice.
"Synch ratio lowering. 98%. 90. 83. 70. 45. 20%!" reports Angela. "Abnormal energy fluctuations in the S2 engine. Energy levels exceeding maximum safety parameters."
With a look of fear in his eyes, Dr. Stockton grasps the cross around his neck and mutters a small prayer. "Oh my god, the S2 engine. It's...it's..."
With a bright flash of white light, Eva Unit-04 disappears without a trace, taking NERV-02 and 49km of the surrounding Nevada desert with it.
SIX MONTHS EARLIER; SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
"Now, why in the hell would I wanna quit the team? I've got a decent chance of goin' to the Olympics. What could possibly be better than that?" asked Lance, readjusting his cowboy hat and turning to face the man in black standing behind him.
The man looks down at the shorter gymnast. "For one thing, Mr. Murphy, we can insure you never make it to the Olympics if we so desire..."
"Yer threatening me now? That ain't gonna change my mind, you know."
The tall man clears his throat. "As I was saying, Mr. Murphy, we have other reasons you may wish to listen to this offer. You will be given the opportunity to show your true talents off on a much more...grand scale than something as minor as the Olympics. The project we are working on is of the highest security. Even the United States government does not have full access to the test site. You would be privy to the most sensitive information, full disclosure. I can assure you, we will pay you most generously."
Lance sighs as he turns back to watch his fellow teammates continue their practicing. "Why me though? What makes me so special?"
A second man, previously unseen, steps from the shadows to stand beside Lance. When he speaks, an accent of some sort can be discerned. "Because this project requires a person certain specific characteristics. Our optimal candidate would be a child of age 14. However, the proper child has yet to be discovered. As this project is on a tight schedule, we have had to improvise. You are the proper size. Your age is near enough to optimal. You are both physically fit, as well as possessing a high intelligence. Frankly put, Lance, you are the closest thing we can find to the perfect replacement."
"And who the hell are you?"
"Me? You can call me Gendo."
ONE WEEK LATER; NERV-02 HEADQUARTERS
The corridors of the subterranean facility are dark and quiet. There is no sign that this level has ever even been used. At the end of one of the halls, a slight humming starts to be heard. The hum grows to a whir, which builds to a louder clanging. The floor near the door from which the sounds can be heard begins to vibrate ever so slightly. As the sound reaches a crescendo, it stops just as suddenly as it began. The double doors open and two men step out of the lift and into the corridor.
As the doors slide closed behind the men, the lights flicker into being one at a time, illuminating the adjacent passages one section at a time. The shorter of the two men whistles.
"Well, I'll be. That's pretty impressive. Ya got any other tricks, Doc?"
"Mr. Murphy, Lance, please call me Charles."
The shorter man shrugs. "I ain't quite comfortable with that yet, Doc. I don't know ya that well yet."
"Fine...fine. Whatever makes you most comfortable. Follow me." Dr. Stockton says as he leads the way down one of the side corridors.
"I wanted to explain to you a little about where we are and what you will be expected to do here. This is NERV-02. We are the secondary headquarters of the NERV research organization, under the guidance of the UN. Our primary objective is testing and production of advanced military equipment. You are to be the test pilot for our most recent project."
"Whoa, test pilot? I think you got the wrong guy for sure now. I don't know a damned thing about pilotin' or fightin' or nothin' like that. Hell, I can hardly drive a car right."
"Oh, you need not worry about that. This isn't your standard vehicle." He stops them in front of a plain looking metal door. Pulling his ID card out and swiping it through the security lock, then entering his code, Dr. Stockton opens the door. "Come on, I'll show you what you will be working with."
Lance follows, cautiously, as they enter the dark room. The lights inside are much more dim, and far less prevalent than in the rest of the facility. The few lights that do exist throw just enough illumination to allow one to walk safely along the narrow catwalk that serves for a floor in this room. In the darkness, nothing can be made out. The ceiling and floor of the room stretch out of sight. The steady sound of footsteps echoing off the walls, and the occasional drip of water are the only sounds to be heard.
Dr. Stockton leads the way unfalteringly, obviously knowing this room intimately. He motions for Lance to stop when they reach a small control panel at one side of the walkway's railing. With the press of a few buttons, the room is flooded in light. At first, the sudden transition from darkness to light blinds lance. As his blurred vision clears, he notices that he is staring right into the face of an enormous silver face, so big he is not even as tall as the things eye. With a small scream, he scrambles back until he reaches the opposite railing.
"Wha...what the hell is that thing?"
"That, Mr. Murphy, is what you will be piloting."
*****
The NERV-02 cafeteria is buzzing with the sounds of conversations. In a facility this large, with such a the number of people working there, such buzzing can be better described as a low roar. Lieutenants Evans and Turner are sitting at their usual table.
"Have you heard? They found a test pilot for Unit-04."
"No, I didn't hear that. How did you find out Angela?"
She smirks as she responds. "I have my ways."
The young man laughs. "I don't think I will ask for more information on that subject. So, who is it? Did they find the Fifth Child or something?"
"No, nothing quite that amazing. Apparently, they found this gymnast in Texas. He's supposed to be pretty good, and he's just about the right height to fit into a plug suit and everything."
"A gymnast? Well, I guess I can see that. If you are going to pick someone to pilot an Eva for testing, you'd want someone who can put it through the paces. How's his synch ratio?"
"We don't know yet. He just arrived today. I haven't even seen him yet. Dr. Stockton is taking him around the facility now. You know, to get him familiar with everything. He's probably going to be shown Unit-04 today as well."
"Oh man, I bet that will be a shock to the kid."
"That's the other thing. I hear he's not a kid. he's supposedly 19. Not that much younger than me."
Adam smirks. "Oh, I see. You're thinking that you might bag yourself an Eva pilot, huh? Now that there's one who isn't jailbait, you can do it without any worries."
At this, Angela blushes and glares at him. "Adam, you are such an ass sometimes." She punches him in the arm as she grabs her empty tray and leaves.
Rubbing his arm, Adam watches her go. "Ouch. She hits pretty hard for a little thing."
*****
"Commander Young, Lance Murphy has arrived. Dr. Stockton I showing him around now."
"Perfect. Thank you, Anna. How are the preparations for Project 11-6357?"
"Everything is going according to schedule. The project will be completed in time."
"Wonderful. It is good to see things going smoothly."
THREE WEEKS LATER
The last three weeks have been the most grueling three weeks of Lance Murphy's life. When he agreed to pilot the Evangelion, he didn't realize the intense training he would have to undergo.
"Y'all do this to kids normally? Isn't that technically child abuse?"
"No, actually, we don't do this with the regular pilots. Because the Eva Units are attuned to their respective pilots, much of the piloting is intuitive. Since you are just a test pilot, and not the chosen pilot of Unit-04, you have to undergo physical and mental conditioning to allow you to better control your Eva." says Dr. Stockton dryly.
"Wait, you're sayin' that 'cause I ain't a kid, I gotta do all of this? That don't sound right to me. I figure I could handle that big hunk of metal just as good as anyone else."
"Well, right or wrong, this is part of the process. If you really want to pilot Unit-04, you will have to complete this training."
Lance responds with a withering look and doesn't say another word.
*****
At the end of the day, Lance is exhausted. He makes his way to the showers to wash off the combination of sweat and LCL fluid. Letting the hot water run down his body to soothe his aching muscles, he reflects on why he is there.
~Do I really want to pilot Unit-04? I mean, it would be exciting to be in control of a big robot like that. But, all of this poking and prodding and testing is makin' me crazy.~
Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice the shadowy figure walk in behind him.
*****
Adam Turner is sitting at his console. The rest of the command center is empty, everyone having gone home. He nervously looks up when the sound of one of the other terminals catches his attention. Scanning the room, he sighs with relief when he sees nobody else there.
"Whew, just a diagnostic being run. Still I better hurry before someone else comes."
He turns back to his terminal and begins pressing buttons. The screen in front of him flashes from the readout of statistics and graphs, showing the vital information for Unit-04, and to a blank screen. He types in a string of code, the lines flashing by at high speed. Pausing to with the sweat from his brow, he takes one final look around the room, and hits the ENTER key.
The terminal whirs into activity and a new window pops up on his screen.
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
He types a word and hits ENTER.
##ENTER PASSWORD: PASSWORD##
##INVALID PASSWORD. SECOND ATTEMPT. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Shit. What would he use for this? How about..."
##ENTER PASSWORD: YOUNG##
##INVALID PASSWORD. THIRD ATTEMPT. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO ENTER CORRECT PASSWORD. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Dammit. Think man, think. What would it be?"
##YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Come on. Calm down and think rationally. No pressure...just the looming threat of security being called down on you, that all."
##YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Adam lets out a string of obscenities, pacing in front of the terminal and hitting his head. "You can do this. Come on."
##5 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Adam begins to look desperate.
##4 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Fear in his eyes, the young man begins to sweat profusely. "Arg. How could you be so stupid as to think you could..."
##3 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
He pauses, a look of hope in his eyes. "Of course!" He sits in his chair and quickly types in the word.
##2 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: PATRIOT##
##...##
##PASSWORD ACCEPTED. GREETINGS COMMANDER.##
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: ...##
Lt. Turner slumps back in his chair, the tension of the moment slowly running out of his body. "That was too close. now, let's see if we can't find what we were looking for."
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: PROJECT 11-6357##
##SEARCHING.##
##SEARCH HAS RECOVERED 6 FILES.##
Adam types in another command and inserts a disk into the terminal.
##DOWNLOADING FILE 1 OF 6. 02% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 2 OF 6. 23% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 3 OF 6. 35% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 4 OF 6. 49% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 5 OF 6. 70% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 6 OF 6. 98% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.##
He removes the disk from the machine, slipping it into his pocket and logging out of the system. With a slight smile, lt. Adam Turner stands and makes his way out of the Command Room. "Now, we can see just with this little project of yours really is Commander, and how much it is worth to other interested parties."
*****
In the shower, Lance is finally beginning to feel better. The hot water has done wonders for reducing his stress and tension. He grabs his bottle of shampoo and begins to wash himself properly, now that his aches are subsiding. Behind him, the shadowy figure begins to approach. Lance, unaware that he is not alone, begins to sing.
"GIVE ME TIME. TO REALISE MY CRIME. LET ME LOVE AND STEAL. I HAVE DANCED. INSIDE YOUR EYES. HOW CAN I BE REAL. ... DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. PRECIOUS KISSES, WORDS THAT BURN ME. LOVERS NEVER ASK YOU WHY. IN MY HEART THE FIRE'S BURNING. CHOOSE MY COLOUR, FIND A STAR. PRECIOUS PEOPLE ALWAYS TELL ME. THAT'S A STEP A STEP TOO FAR?"
The figure pauses for a moment, then begins to approach again. lance has become caught up in his singing, and has begun to add some movement that may be considered dancing to some, but looks more like a seizure in actuality.
"DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE...ME..CRY!"
Just as the figure is within arms reach of him, lance opens his eyes. A sudden look of fear crosses his face and he jumps back, falling to the floor.
"What are you doin' in here? You ain't supposed to be here." He stammers as he fumbles for a towel to cover himself.
Lt. Evans simple flashes a wicked smile. "Everyone else has gone home. It's just you and me now. I don't think anyone will mind if I am here."
"But...it ain't fitting for a lady to be in the men's shower like this Angela."
"Well, lucky for both of us, I'm no lady." she says as she reaches him. She slides to her knees next to him and, wrapping her arms around his neck, kisses him deeply. "And, please, call me Angel."
All Lance can do it blush.
TWO MONTHS LATER
"Synch ratio at 60% and rising, Doctor." the junior technician reports.
"Excellent." Dr. Stockton gets on the radio. "Good work Lance. Don't forget your training, though. Stay focused."
"I'm tryin', Doc. You keep blabbin' at me like that, and I won't be able to concentrate on much of anything."
The testing center is alive with activity. Various technicians run from terminal to terminal, frantically tying to keep everything running smoothly. Dr. Stockton and Sub-Commander Annabelle Oliver are sitting next to the LCL tank. Inside the tank is a single entry plug, and inside that is Lance.
Sub-Commander Oliver looks at her watch. "Doctor, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Everything looks to be moving according to schedule here."
Dr. Stockton doesn't look up from his terminal screen, simple nodding to indicate he heard what she said. Sub-Commander Oliver turns and walks out of the room, down the hall, and toward the lift.
"Sub-Commander Oliver. Sub-Commander Oliver. Please, Sub-Commander, I have to speak with you."
Turning, Anna can see one of the technicians running up. "What is it..."
"Oh, Lt. 2nd Class Greer, ma'am." The young man salutes.
"...Lt. Greer. You said you had to speak with me. It had better be important. There are many things I have to do."
"Yes ma'am." He fumbles with his clipboard, loaded with papers. "Let me see. I know I had it here somewhere. Statistical analysis. Synch ratio graphs. Oh, my shopping list. I was wondering where that went. Ah, here it is." he holds out a computer printout.
She extends her a hand to take the sheet of paper. "And what is this?"
"That's a printout of the last three months worth of security data. We had a small computer error last week, and I was assigned to look through all of the data to see if I could find the glitch. I came across this." he points to a section, circled in red pen. "That says that a couple months ago, Commander Young accessed the system. But, if you look here, you will see that he nearly had security called on him for not knowing the correct password."
"Why is any of this important? Mistakes typing in passwords are not unheard of, even for the Commander."
"Exactly. Except, if you look at this," he produces another sheet of paper, "you will see that, according to the time logs, Commander Young had left three hours prior to this. He wasn't even here when he supposedly accessed the system."
Sub-commander Oliver's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Now, that is interesting. I want you to investigate this. Find out what happened and report directly to me with your findings. I would recommend you keep this investigation hush-hush."
The technician nods and runs off. Around the corner, Lt. Adam Turner stops listening to the conversation and makes his way toward one of the labs.
*****
Later that night, in the spartan living space provided by NERV-02, Lance is making the finishing touches on his dinner. He grins and sets the food aside and move off to set the table. After straightening and re-straightening the silverware. he glances around the room.
~Nothing out of place. All tidied up and clean. Everything looks good.~
His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door buzzer. He runs to the door, checking himself in the mirror along the way. He is clean-shaven, as usual, and wearing his nicest pair of jeans with a new shirt he bought just for tonight. His hair is immaculate. He stops in front of the door and composes himself. With the press of a button, the automatic door opens, revealing the silhouette of Angel. she is likewise dressed in her finest clothes.
"Hi. I'm not late, am I?" she asks coyly.
"Naw. Yer here just in time. I just finished preparin' dinner."
"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"
He blushes. "Oh, right. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."
She steps through the open doorway, the door closing with a mechanical sound behind her. She looks around his apartment. "You cleaned up, for me? That's so sweet of you."
She turns toward him and gives him a hug and peck on the cheek, to which he simply blushes. As she pulls away, she looks him over and confusion passes over her face.
"Lance, you aren't wearing your hat. Did you lose it or something?"
"Lose ol' Betsy? Heck, no. I just thought that this is sort of a special dinner and all, I should try to look presentable. So, I ain't gonna wear her tonight."
Angel smiles brightly. "You don't know how much that means to me. I know how you are about your hat. That you would actually choose not to wear it tonight..." Her eyes begin to tear up. "It's just so...romantic."
"Aw, it wasn't nothing special. Just good manners. Now, c'mon, you sit down and let me get dinner served up."
He pulls a chair out from the table for her, pushing it in once she is seated. He moves into the small kitchenette area. After a few moments, punctuated with the occasional crash or muttered curse, he emerges with two plates. He places one in front of Angel, and the other opposite her, where he takes his seat.
"I hope you like it. It's an old Murphy family recipe. Steak and potatoes."
"It sounds delicious."
With that, they begin eating. The food is as good as it looks, and the dinner conversation flows smoothly.
The rest of the night goes similarly well.
THREE MONTHS LATER
The harsh desert sun is shining down on the test field. Across the long expanse of concrete, Lance can see the large, silver monstrosity that is he Eva Unit. He strides with confidence toward the restraining cage. ~I never did understand why they call it that. What's to be restrained? Damned thing don't move without me inside~ he thinks.
At the base of the structure, he mounts the electric lift and ascends toward the entry plug. At the entrance to the plug, a young technician, one he has never seen before, stops him.
"You...you can't wear that inside the plug." he says, pointing toward lance's hat.
Lance simply shakes his head. "Ain't no way I'm going nowhere without this. It's my lucky hat you know." With that, he slips past the taller young man and into the plug, smiling as he closes the hatch. When he reaches the familiar seat at the front, he radios back to headquarters. "All set. Let's test this baby out."
He can feel the tube move a bit, indicating the insertion into his Eva. His console lights up, and the controls hum to life. A few moments later, the LCL ports open and begin to fill the tube with the familiar coppery smelling fluid.
The voice of Angel can be heard over his radio. "Ok Lance, we're releasing the restraints."
There is a slight jolt as the final locks are released and the Eva lands upon its feet, no longer supported by anything save its own power. Lance cracks his knuckles and orders the Eva to take a step forward.
Nothing happens.
He tries again, and still there is no response.
"Come on you piece of junk." he screams as he kicks the controls.
The Eva takes a step.
"That's more like it, girl."
Now that he has managed to get the thing moving, Lance has no trouble controlling it. He warily takes a few more steps to get used to the way the Unit moves before really taking full control of it.
Over the radio comes another message. "Releasing umbilical cable. This is where the real testing comes in, Lance."
Almost immediately after receiving the message, he can feel the sensation of something detaching from his back. For a moment, everything flickers red and the timer for his battery reserve begins to flash. Seconds later, however, the warning lights turn off and everything returns to normal.
"Well, I'll be damned...it's working. Let's show them what we can do now Unit-04."
He breaks into a run, sprinting around the test site. Dodging around buildings and hurtling the smaller obstacles presented, he can feel every movement. It is almost as if he WAS the Eva, or the Eva was him. He pulls the rifle from his Eva Unit's shoulder and begins dashing around the site, shooting the targets that are presented.
Then the warning lights come back on and the Eva stops moving. Lance looks around the cockpit. "Funny, the timer ain't runnin'. What's goin' on?"
The temperature inside the entry plug is becoming noticeably warmer. This doesn't initially bother him; until the LCL begins to bubble, then boil.
He only has enough time to let out one brief scream of pain before there is a bright flash of white light.
Then, there is only darkness.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Episode One: Murphy's Luck
By Jonathan Jordan
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Song lyrics are by Culture Club. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
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A SECRET BASE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEVADA DESERT
Hunched over their terminals, the technicians input final orders.
"Cooling cycle complete. All internal cage systems in docking position." says the young male technician, his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. His ID card says his name is Adam Turner.
Outside, the large, silver monstrosity shines in the noonday sun. Nearby, a man in a form fitting flight suit makes his way toward the cylindrical extrusion from the back of the machine's neck. He reaches the entry port into the cylinder, and pauses. The technician standing there, a good 3 inches taller than the man, gestures. The man shakes his head, placing one hand onto the cowboy hat he is wearing as he steps inside.
"Pilot has reached the cockpit position within the entry plug," states the second technician, a young girl in her early twenties. Her name is Angela Evans, according to her ID.
"Roger. Inserting entry plug." responds the first technician. Behind the two, an older man paces. His ID card identifies him as Charles Stockton, the head Technician of NERV-02.
There is a loud whoosh as the cylinder is released from the clamps holding it and inserted automatically into the machine's neck.
"Plug lock-in procedure complete. Initiating first level interface. Flooding entry plug with LCL."
"Main power connected. All circuits functional. Initiating power up sequence."
The machine's two eyes flash to life, glowing a dull red. The thing's hand twitches slightly.
"Neural synapses operating within normal limits."
"First contact all clear. Opening reciprocal circuits."
"Synch ratio is within acceptable parameters."
"Releasing primary and secondary restraints. Releasing Safety locks 1 through 15."
One by one, the mechanical locks attaching the shining humanoid to the safety cage release with a burst. The dual gates along the front of the cage open, and the machine slumps slightly. For a couple of minutes, nothing further happens. Then, the machine lifts one of its legs, taking one step then another. Snaking from the back of the unit is a large cable, tethering it to a generator. With each step it takes, the machine and pilot seem to gain in confidence.
"Internal battery fully charged. Releasing umbilical cable."
Doctor Stockton gives the final order. "Launch Eva Unit-04!"
There is a small explosion, and the cable is ejected from the machine's back. There is a momentary pause, as the power systems are shifted over. Then, with a burst of speed, the unit begins to run. Dodging between buildings, leaping small obstacle, firing on targets. The machine displays an impressive array of moves.
Suddenly, it stops moving. I shimmering aura of heat emanates from the prone figure and a section on the back begins to glow a pale white.
Inside, an alarm sounds and red lights begin to flash. "ALERT! ALERT!"
"What? Status report." Dr. Stockton says with a note of frustration in his voice.
"Synch ratio lowering. 98%. 90. 83. 70. 45. 20%!" reports Angela. "Abnormal energy fluctuations in the S2 engine. Energy levels exceeding maximum safety parameters."
With a look of fear in his eyes, Dr. Stockton grasps the cross around his neck and mutters a small prayer. "Oh my god, the S2 engine. It's...it's..."
With a bright flash of white light, Eva Unit-04 disappears without a trace, taking NERV-02 and 49km of the surrounding Nevada desert with it.
SIX MONTHS EARLIER; SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
"Now, why in the hell would I wanna quit the team? I've got a decent chance of goin' to the Olympics. What could possibly be better than that?" asked Lance, readjusting his cowboy hat and turning to face the man in black standing behind him.
The man looks down at the shorter gymnast. "For one thing, Mr. Murphy, we can insure you never make it to the Olympics if we so desire..."
"Yer threatening me now? That ain't gonna change my mind, you know."
The tall man clears his throat. "As I was saying, Mr. Murphy, we have other reasons you may wish to listen to this offer. You will be given the opportunity to show your true talents off on a much more...grand scale than something as minor as the Olympics. The project we are working on is of the highest security. Even the United States government does not have full access to the test site. You would be privy to the most sensitive information, full disclosure. I can assure you, we will pay you most generously."
Lance sighs as he turns back to watch his fellow teammates continue their practicing. "Why me though? What makes me so special?"
A second man, previously unseen, steps from the shadows to stand beside Lance. When he speaks, an accent of some sort can be discerned. "Because this project requires a person certain specific characteristics. Our optimal candidate would be a child of age 14. However, the proper child has yet to be discovered. As this project is on a tight schedule, we have had to improvise. You are the proper size. Your age is near enough to optimal. You are both physically fit, as well as possessing a high intelligence. Frankly put, Lance, you are the closest thing we can find to the perfect replacement."
"And who the hell are you?"
"Me? You can call me Gendo."
ONE WEEK LATER; NERV-02 HEADQUARTERS
The corridors of the subterranean facility are dark and quiet. There is no sign that this level has ever even been used. At the end of one of the halls, a slight humming starts to be heard. The hum grows to a whir, which builds to a louder clanging. The floor near the door from which the sounds can be heard begins to vibrate ever so slightly. As the sound reaches a crescendo, it stops just as suddenly as it began. The double doors open and two men step out of the lift and into the corridor.
As the doors slide closed behind the men, the lights flicker into being one at a time, illuminating the adjacent passages one section at a time. The shorter of the two men whistles.
"Well, I'll be. That's pretty impressive. Ya got any other tricks, Doc?"
"Mr. Murphy, Lance, please call me Charles."
The shorter man shrugs. "I ain't quite comfortable with that yet, Doc. I don't know ya that well yet."
"Fine...fine. Whatever makes you most comfortable. Follow me." Dr. Stockton says as he leads the way down one of the side corridors.
"I wanted to explain to you a little about where we are and what you will be expected to do here. This is NERV-02. We are the secondary headquarters of the NERV research organization, under the guidance of the UN. Our primary objective is testing and production of advanced military equipment. You are to be the test pilot for our most recent project."
"Whoa, test pilot? I think you got the wrong guy for sure now. I don't know a damned thing about pilotin' or fightin' or nothin' like that. Hell, I can hardly drive a car right."
"Oh, you need not worry about that. This isn't your standard vehicle." He stops them in front of a plain looking metal door. Pulling his ID card out and swiping it through the security lock, then entering his code, Dr. Stockton opens the door. "Come on, I'll show you what you will be working with."
Lance follows, cautiously, as they enter the dark room. The lights inside are much more dim, and far less prevalent than in the rest of the facility. The few lights that do exist throw just enough illumination to allow one to walk safely along the narrow catwalk that serves for a floor in this room. In the darkness, nothing can be made out. The ceiling and floor of the room stretch out of sight. The steady sound of footsteps echoing off the walls, and the occasional drip of water are the only sounds to be heard.
Dr. Stockton leads the way unfalteringly, obviously knowing this room intimately. He motions for Lance to stop when they reach a small control panel at one side of the walkway's railing. With the press of a few buttons, the room is flooded in light. At first, the sudden transition from darkness to light blinds lance. As his blurred vision clears, he notices that he is staring right into the face of an enormous silver face, so big he is not even as tall as the things eye. With a small scream, he scrambles back until he reaches the opposite railing.
"Wha...what the hell is that thing?"
"That, Mr. Murphy, is what you will be piloting."
*****
The NERV-02 cafeteria is buzzing with the sounds of conversations. In a facility this large, with such a the number of people working there, such buzzing can be better described as a low roar. Lieutenants Evans and Turner are sitting at their usual table.
"Have you heard? They found a test pilot for Unit-04."
"No, I didn't hear that. How did you find out Angela?"
She smirks as she responds. "I have my ways."
The young man laughs. "I don't think I will ask for more information on that subject. So, who is it? Did they find the Fifth Child or something?"
"No, nothing quite that amazing. Apparently, they found this gymnast in Texas. He's supposed to be pretty good, and he's just about the right height to fit into a plug suit and everything."
"A gymnast? Well, I guess I can see that. If you are going to pick someone to pilot an Eva for testing, you'd want someone who can put it through the paces. How's his synch ratio?"
"We don't know yet. He just arrived today. I haven't even seen him yet. Dr. Stockton is taking him around the facility now. You know, to get him familiar with everything. He's probably going to be shown Unit-04 today as well."
"Oh man, I bet that will be a shock to the kid."
"That's the other thing. I hear he's not a kid. he's supposedly 19. Not that much younger than me."
Adam smirks. "Oh, I see. You're thinking that you might bag yourself an Eva pilot, huh? Now that there's one who isn't jailbait, you can do it without any worries."
At this, Angela blushes and glares at him. "Adam, you are such an ass sometimes." She punches him in the arm as she grabs her empty tray and leaves.
Rubbing his arm, Adam watches her go. "Ouch. She hits pretty hard for a little thing."
*****
"Commander Young, Lance Murphy has arrived. Dr. Stockton I showing him around now."
"Perfect. Thank you, Anna. How are the preparations for Project 11-6357?"
"Everything is going according to schedule. The project will be completed in time."
"Wonderful. It is good to see things going smoothly."
THREE WEEKS LATER
The last three weeks have been the most grueling three weeks of Lance Murphy's life. When he agreed to pilot the Evangelion, he didn't realize the intense training he would have to undergo.
"Y'all do this to kids normally? Isn't that technically child abuse?"
"No, actually, we don't do this with the regular pilots. Because the Eva Units are attuned to their respective pilots, much of the piloting is intuitive. Since you are just a test pilot, and not the chosen pilot of Unit-04, you have to undergo physical and mental conditioning to allow you to better control your Eva." says Dr. Stockton dryly.
"Wait, you're sayin' that 'cause I ain't a kid, I gotta do all of this? That don't sound right to me. I figure I could handle that big hunk of metal just as good as anyone else."
"Well, right or wrong, this is part of the process. If you really want to pilot Unit-04, you will have to complete this training."
Lance responds with a withering look and doesn't say another word.
*****
At the end of the day, Lance is exhausted. He makes his way to the showers to wash off the combination of sweat and LCL fluid. Letting the hot water run down his body to soothe his aching muscles, he reflects on why he is there.
~Do I really want to pilot Unit-04? I mean, it would be exciting to be in control of a big robot like that. But, all of this poking and prodding and testing is makin' me crazy.~
Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice the shadowy figure walk in behind him.
*****
Adam Turner is sitting at his console. The rest of the command center is empty, everyone having gone home. He nervously looks up when the sound of one of the other terminals catches his attention. Scanning the room, he sighs with relief when he sees nobody else there.
"Whew, just a diagnostic being run. Still I better hurry before someone else comes."
He turns back to his terminal and begins pressing buttons. The screen in front of him flashes from the readout of statistics and graphs, showing the vital information for Unit-04, and to a blank screen. He types in a string of code, the lines flashing by at high speed. Pausing to with the sweat from his brow, he takes one final look around the room, and hits the ENTER key.
The terminal whirs into activity and a new window pops up on his screen.
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
He types a word and hits ENTER.
##ENTER PASSWORD: PASSWORD##
##INVALID PASSWORD. SECOND ATTEMPT. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Shit. What would he use for this? How about..."
##ENTER PASSWORD: YOUNG##
##INVALID PASSWORD. THIRD ATTEMPT. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO ENTER CORRECT PASSWORD. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Dammit. Think man, think. What would it be?"
##YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
"Come on. Calm down and think rationally. No pressure...just the looming threat of security being called down on you, that all."
##YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Adam lets out a string of obscenities, pacing in front of the terminal and hitting his head. "You can do this. Come on."
##5 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Adam begins to look desperate.
##4 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
Fear in his eyes, the young man begins to sweat profusely. "Arg. How could you be so stupid as to think you could..."
##3 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##
He pauses, a look of hope in his eyes. "Of course!" He sits in his chair and quickly types in the word.
##2 SECONDS.##
##ENTER PASSWORD: PATRIOT##
##...##
##PASSWORD ACCEPTED. GREETINGS COMMANDER.##
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: ...##
Lt. Turner slumps back in his chair, the tension of the moment slowly running out of his body. "That was too close. now, let's see if we can't find what we were looking for."
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: PROJECT 11-6357##
##SEARCHING.##
##SEARCH HAS RECOVERED 6 FILES.##
Adam types in another command and inserts a disk into the terminal.
##DOWNLOADING FILE 1 OF 6. 02% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 2 OF 6. 23% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 3 OF 6. 35% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 4 OF 6. 49% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 5 OF 6. 70% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOADING FILE 6 OF 6. 98% COMPLETE##
##DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.##
He removes the disk from the machine, slipping it into his pocket and logging out of the system. With a slight smile, lt. Adam Turner stands and makes his way out of the Command Room. "Now, we can see just with this little project of yours really is Commander, and how much it is worth to other interested parties."
*****
In the shower, Lance is finally beginning to feel better. The hot water has done wonders for reducing his stress and tension. He grabs his bottle of shampoo and begins to wash himself properly, now that his aches are subsiding. Behind him, the shadowy figure begins to approach. Lance, unaware that he is not alone, begins to sing.
"GIVE ME TIME. TO REALISE MY CRIME. LET ME LOVE AND STEAL. I HAVE DANCED. INSIDE YOUR EYES. HOW CAN I BE REAL. ... DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. PRECIOUS KISSES, WORDS THAT BURN ME. LOVERS NEVER ASK YOU WHY. IN MY HEART THE FIRE'S BURNING. CHOOSE MY COLOUR, FIND A STAR. PRECIOUS PEOPLE ALWAYS TELL ME. THAT'S A STEP A STEP TOO FAR?"
The figure pauses for a moment, then begins to approach again. lance has become caught up in his singing, and has begun to add some movement that may be considered dancing to some, but looks more like a seizure in actuality.
"DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE...ME..CRY!"
Just as the figure is within arms reach of him, lance opens his eyes. A sudden look of fear crosses his face and he jumps back, falling to the floor.
"What are you doin' in here? You ain't supposed to be here." He stammers as he fumbles for a towel to cover himself.
Lt. Evans simple flashes a wicked smile. "Everyone else has gone home. It's just you and me now. I don't think anyone will mind if I am here."
"But...it ain't fitting for a lady to be in the men's shower like this Angela."
"Well, lucky for both of us, I'm no lady." she says as she reaches him. She slides to her knees next to him and, wrapping her arms around his neck, kisses him deeply. "And, please, call me Angel."
All Lance can do it blush.
TWO MONTHS LATER
"Synch ratio at 60% and rising, Doctor." the junior technician reports.
"Excellent." Dr. Stockton gets on the radio. "Good work Lance. Don't forget your training, though. Stay focused."
"I'm tryin', Doc. You keep blabbin' at me like that, and I won't be able to concentrate on much of anything."
The testing center is alive with activity. Various technicians run from terminal to terminal, frantically tying to keep everything running smoothly. Dr. Stockton and Sub-Commander Annabelle Oliver are sitting next to the LCL tank. Inside the tank is a single entry plug, and inside that is Lance.
Sub-Commander Oliver looks at her watch. "Doctor, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Everything looks to be moving according to schedule here."
Dr. Stockton doesn't look up from his terminal screen, simple nodding to indicate he heard what she said. Sub-Commander Oliver turns and walks out of the room, down the hall, and toward the lift.
"Sub-Commander Oliver. Sub-Commander Oliver. Please, Sub-Commander, I have to speak with you."
Turning, Anna can see one of the technicians running up. "What is it..."
"Oh, Lt. 2nd Class Greer, ma'am." The young man salutes.
"...Lt. Greer. You said you had to speak with me. It had better be important. There are many things I have to do."
"Yes ma'am." He fumbles with his clipboard, loaded with papers. "Let me see. I know I had it here somewhere. Statistical analysis. Synch ratio graphs. Oh, my shopping list. I was wondering where that went. Ah, here it is." he holds out a computer printout.
She extends her a hand to take the sheet of paper. "And what is this?"
"That's a printout of the last three months worth of security data. We had a small computer error last week, and I was assigned to look through all of the data to see if I could find the glitch. I came across this." he points to a section, circled in red pen. "That says that a couple months ago, Commander Young accessed the system. But, if you look here, you will see that he nearly had security called on him for not knowing the correct password."
"Why is any of this important? Mistakes typing in passwords are not unheard of, even for the Commander."
"Exactly. Except, if you look at this," he produces another sheet of paper, "you will see that, according to the time logs, Commander Young had left three hours prior to this. He wasn't even here when he supposedly accessed the system."
Sub-commander Oliver's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Now, that is interesting. I want you to investigate this. Find out what happened and report directly to me with your findings. I would recommend you keep this investigation hush-hush."
The technician nods and runs off. Around the corner, Lt. Adam Turner stops listening to the conversation and makes his way toward one of the labs.
*****
Later that night, in the spartan living space provided by NERV-02, Lance is making the finishing touches on his dinner. He grins and sets the food aside and move off to set the table. After straightening and re-straightening the silverware. he glances around the room.
~Nothing out of place. All tidied up and clean. Everything looks good.~
His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door buzzer. He runs to the door, checking himself in the mirror along the way. He is clean-shaven, as usual, and wearing his nicest pair of jeans with a new shirt he bought just for tonight. His hair is immaculate. He stops in front of the door and composes himself. With the press of a button, the automatic door opens, revealing the silhouette of Angel. she is likewise dressed in her finest clothes.
"Hi. I'm not late, am I?" she asks coyly.
"Naw. Yer here just in time. I just finished preparin' dinner."
"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"
He blushes. "Oh, right. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."
She steps through the open doorway, the door closing with a mechanical sound behind her. She looks around his apartment. "You cleaned up, for me? That's so sweet of you."
She turns toward him and gives him a hug and peck on the cheek, to which he simply blushes. As she pulls away, she looks him over and confusion passes over her face.
"Lance, you aren't wearing your hat. Did you lose it or something?"
"Lose ol' Betsy? Heck, no. I just thought that this is sort of a special dinner and all, I should try to look presentable. So, I ain't gonna wear her tonight."
Angel smiles brightly. "You don't know how much that means to me. I know how you are about your hat. That you would actually choose not to wear it tonight..." Her eyes begin to tear up. "It's just so...romantic."
"Aw, it wasn't nothing special. Just good manners. Now, c'mon, you sit down and let me get dinner served up."
He pulls a chair out from the table for her, pushing it in once she is seated. He moves into the small kitchenette area. After a few moments, punctuated with the occasional crash or muttered curse, he emerges with two plates. He places one in front of Angel, and the other opposite her, where he takes his seat.
"I hope you like it. It's an old Murphy family recipe. Steak and potatoes."
"It sounds delicious."
With that, they begin eating. The food is as good as it looks, and the dinner conversation flows smoothly.
The rest of the night goes similarly well.
THREE MONTHS LATER
The harsh desert sun is shining down on the test field. Across the long expanse of concrete, Lance can see the large, silver monstrosity that is he Eva Unit. He strides with confidence toward the restraining cage. ~I never did understand why they call it that. What's to be restrained? Damned thing don't move without me inside~ he thinks.
At the base of the structure, he mounts the electric lift and ascends toward the entry plug. At the entrance to the plug, a young technician, one he has never seen before, stops him.
"You...you can't wear that inside the plug." he says, pointing toward lance's hat.
Lance simply shakes his head. "Ain't no way I'm going nowhere without this. It's my lucky hat you know." With that, he slips past the taller young man and into the plug, smiling as he closes the hatch. When he reaches the familiar seat at the front, he radios back to headquarters. "All set. Let's test this baby out."
He can feel the tube move a bit, indicating the insertion into his Eva. His console lights up, and the controls hum to life. A few moments later, the LCL ports open and begin to fill the tube with the familiar coppery smelling fluid.
The voice of Angel can be heard over his radio. "Ok Lance, we're releasing the restraints."
There is a slight jolt as the final locks are released and the Eva lands upon its feet, no longer supported by anything save its own power. Lance cracks his knuckles and orders the Eva to take a step forward.
Nothing happens.
He tries again, and still there is no response.
"Come on you piece of junk." he screams as he kicks the controls.
The Eva takes a step.
"That's more like it, girl."
Now that he has managed to get the thing moving, Lance has no trouble controlling it. He warily takes a few more steps to get used to the way the Unit moves before really taking full control of it.
Over the radio comes another message. "Releasing umbilical cable. This is where the real testing comes in, Lance."
Almost immediately after receiving the message, he can feel the sensation of something detaching from his back. For a moment, everything flickers red and the timer for his battery reserve begins to flash. Seconds later, however, the warning lights turn off and everything returns to normal.
"Well, I'll be damned...it's working. Let's show them what we can do now Unit-04."
He breaks into a run, sprinting around the test site. Dodging around buildings and hurtling the smaller obstacles presented, he can feel every movement. It is almost as if he WAS the Eva, or the Eva was him. He pulls the rifle from his Eva Unit's shoulder and begins dashing around the site, shooting the targets that are presented.
Then the warning lights come back on and the Eva stops moving. Lance looks around the cockpit. "Funny, the timer ain't runnin'. What's goin' on?"
The temperature inside the entry plug is becoming noticeably warmer. This doesn't initially bother him; until the LCL begins to bubble, then boil.
He only has enough time to let out one brief scream of pain before there is a bright flash of white light.
Then, there is only darkness.
TO BE CONTINUED...