Evangelion - Exodus
Episode Four: Not So Warm Welcome
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. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
A/N #1: I'm sure those of you who have been reading this story so far have been wondering some things. Like what happened to the original pilots? Why isn't Gendo Ikari the head of NERV anymore? What about Instrumentality? Where are the technicians, and the classmates, and the rest of the characters from the show? Most importantly...What happened to Pen-Pen?!? Well, fear not faithful reader(s) (in case there is more than one of you out there), this chapter will answer some of those questions and open the way for future revelations. Some of this information will be recap from End of Evangelion, and some will be all mine. Most of you should be able to tell the difference. Don't say I never did anything for you, now.
A/N #2: Looks like I am starting to lose my momentum a little bit here. I'm not sure if I will be able to keep up the pace I have had so far. If people ask real nice, I might be able to keep up the writing for a while longer. Otherwise, I may have to take a break for a little while. No matter what, I do want to finish this (if only so I can say I did). On another note, this chapter is one that I think a few of you will be interested in. Revelations of what happened to the characters from the anime, as well as the proper introduction of a character I personally know I will love writing. I just hope everyone enjoys. R&R please. I need the ego boost.
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NERV CENTRAL; MARCH 22; 1415 HOURS
Commander Fuyutski steps forward to greet the team from NERV-02. "On behalf of the people of Tokyo-3, I welcome you to NERV Central."
He is taken aback by the solemn looks he receives in return. There is not a single face inside the transport smiling, or even looking half way happy about anything at the moment. He scans the cargo bay for some sign of someone in charge. A young black woman steps forward. And salutes him.
"Commander Fuyutski, I am Sub-commander Oliver from NERV-02. You will excuse our lack of enthusiasm at the moment. We have just suffered a tragic loss."
The Japanese man looks surprised. "What happened?"
There was an attack. All readings indicate it was an Angel. We were forced to engage with Unit-04. The Angel was vanquished, but in the battle one of our technicians was injured. She...did not survive."
"Oh my. I am saddened at your loss. If there is anything we can do to help with this loss, you have but only to ask."
"Thank you Commander. I think we will be fine. We just need some time to let the fact sink in. We will be ready for work first thing in the morning, sir."
The Commander nods and motions to the two children standing with him. "Nicholas, Yumiko, help with the unloading. Ms. Oliver, if you will come with me, there are some things we need to discuss."
The woman nods and follows him, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of activity created by the unloading. Meanwhile, Lance has stayed off to himself. He watches as some physicians carry Angela's body off the transport and to parts unknown.
~Something isn't right. I know I should feel more upset than I do. Why can't I cry? What is wrong with me? Why isn't this hurting more than it does?~
He punches a wall in frustration. ~I loved her, and yet her death doesn't mean anything to me. Why?~
*****
Sub-commander of NERV-02, Annabelle Oliver, sits at a desk, staring at the screen in front of her in horror. She is being shown video captures of the events since the time of the accident at NERV-02, leading up to the present. Almost 7 months worth of footage.
There is still been no explanation for the missing time. She remembers the experiment starting, the accident, and the anti-climactic end to it all.
For her, it was only a few minutes. For the rest of the world around them, 7 long months had passed. The Eva project had come to fruition. The last Angel had been discovered, and defeated. Gendo Ikari's secret project to create the Third Impact had happened. SEELE had attacked NERV. And things had gone horribly wrong.
The first video clip shows the events that unfolded in Terminal Dogma, where Gendo Ikari took Rei Ayanami. The camera focuses in on Dr. Akagi holing a gun on Commander Ikari, then a flash as Gendo fires on her. He walks toward the spot where Rei stands nude, and pauses in front of her. There is no sound, so Sub-commander Oliver is unable to figure out what he says to the young girl. She does, however, see him reach one hand out to seemingly grope the girl. Then, Annabelle gasps as the Commander's hand passes through Ayanami's skin. His expression changes from the characteristic smirk of one who knows everything, to one of shock as his hand is severed from his body. The young albino says something to him as he falls to his knees, then turns and floats into the air.
The camera cuts to another shot, focusing in on the body of Lillith as Rei floats before it, and then is absorbed within. All is still on the screen for a minute, then the gargantuan form of the Second Angel comes to life and falls from the cross it was nailed to. LCL to rains down on Gendo Ikari, now on his knees in front of the Rei/Lillith hybrid before him. Then, the camera shorts out.
The next clip is one of a hospital ward. Lying in the only bed in the room is a young boy with short, slightly spiky brown hair. There are a number of machines hooked up to him. The shot remains this way until the next clip plays.
Fuyutski explains as the next clip loads. "That was Toji Suzuhara, the Fourth Child. The one who piloted the Eva that was possessed by an Angel. He has been comatose since that incident. It is amazing that he managed to survive all that has happened since then. The Angel attacks, and SEELE, and now the rebuilding process. There is little hope of recovery, however."
The third clip begins to play. The camera is inside one of the halls of NERV, but it is difficult to make out much at first due to the lack of lighting. The darkness is broken by a door sliding open, revealing the Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi standing before the mesh gate blocking the passage into the lift behind the door. There seems to be a bit of an argument, then the mesh gate flies open and Shinji stumbles back into the lift. As the door closes, Misato collapses to the floor in a puddle of her own blood.
The screen cuts to an external view. The quick change from such a dark scene to one so well lit causes Anna to squint at first. once her vision clears, she can see Unit-02 emerge from a lake and take on the SEELE forces attacking NERV. Her Umbilical cable is severed, but the Eva continues to fight as if Asuka does not notice or care. A shadow passes over the Eva as the battle winds down. The source of the shadow soon becomes obvious as nine winged Evangelion Units, all identical, land around the red Unit. Asuka springs into action, taking out all nine opposing Units in 3.5 minutes.
"Impressive moves" says Annabelle "I think that it would do us well to have her work with lance on his training"
Fuyutski shakes his head sadly. "That is not an option, I'm afraid. Watch on."
At that moment, one of the strange blades the SEELE controlled Evas were using flies toward Unit-02. An AT Field flies up to deflect it, until it alters shape on to a pronged lance of some sort. The AT Field falters, and the lance pierces the head of the red Eva. Then, to the surprise of Annabelle, the other disabled Units slowly begin to move again. They drag themselves together, unfurling their wings and taking to the air. They then descend on the immobilized Unit-02 like a pack of vultures.
Sub-commander Oliver places her hand to her mouth, gagging, and looks away from the screen. Commander Fuyutski reaches over her shoulder to run the video past this scene and to the next, pausing it for her. He places a hand on her shoulder "It's so awful. The pilot, did she..."
He shakes his head. "No, we were unable to cut the connection in time. She died of shock from the ordeal."
Oliver shudders slightly, the color having drained from her face. She steels herself, and turns on the last video feed.
Amidst a cloud of dust and debris, she can make out the purple form of Unit-01. Spreading behind it is an oddly shaped energy field, almost like an AT Field, yet more wing shaped. She notices that it resembles the same wing-like patterns the First Angel had in the few photos to survive Second Impact. The Eva strides slowly toward the carnage that remains of Unit-02. The other nine Evas turn to engage. Unit-01 pauses, facing the remains of Unit-02 completely, and is mobbed by the winged Evangelions surrounding it. They tear through the armored plating, to the interior of the Unit. One can be seen to rip the Entry plug from the back of Unit-01 and bite it in half. The attack goes on like this for another few minutes, then there is a flash of white and the video feed ends.
"Once the Third Child was killed in the fight, we had no more reason to hold back. That flash was an N2 Mine. Unit-01 survived the explosion, but damaged beyond repair. The SEELE created Units were obliterated. Apparently, S2 Engines, when no properly shielded, do not mix well with nuclear armaments." Fuyutski explains.
He continues. "With the destruction of the last functioning Evangelion Unit, the Human Instrumentality project was ruined. SEELE pulled back what troops they had. We began the process of recovering the Evas and rebuilding the base."
"What of the First Child and Commander Ikari?"
"Ayanami and Lillith disappeared during the attack. We have been unable to find any sign of either. As for Ikari, the loss of everything he had worked his entire life for drove him over the edge. He was found wandering around Terminal Dogma, babbling nonsense. He has been committed to a medical facility for the insane under NERV control."
"That is it then? There was one final attack, then nothing until we showed back up?"
"That's the gist of it. We have spent the last few months rebuilding and developing new Eva models to protect against further attack by SEELE."
You think that SEELE will attack again?"
"There is no doubt about it. We still have something they want. We still have the remains of Unit-01."
*****
The unloading of the equipment from the American base is nearly complete. Nicholas Dalton looks around the nearly empty transport, trying to decide if he's done enough work to get away with sneaking off. His eyes run from person to person, noting how nobody seems to be paying him any attention. Just as he is about to leave, he sees the lone figure sitting in a corner in the back.
~Oh, look, that boy must be the pilot of Unit-04. He's kind of a shrimp, isn't he?~
The young American boy puts on his best fake smile and strides confidently toward the person sitting alone. The solitary figure has his head down, hiding his face. Nicholas notices that the person is wearing a plugsuit as he stops in front of the stranger.
"Hey, I'm Nicholas. I'm the 6th Child. Which one are you?"
Lance looks up blankly. "'Scuse me?"
"Whoa, holy shit. You're not a kid!"
"No, that I ain't. What were you askin' me, though?"
"Huh?...Oh, right. I was asking which Child you are. But, you're too old to be one of us, so...uh...nevermind about that."
With a half grin Lance stands to show his full height, nearly a full head shorter than Nicholas. "I ain't that much older'n you, and you don't look like a child to me."
Nicholas shakes his head, laughing. "No, no, no. Not child like a kid. Child like an Eva pilot. I'm the sixth one to be found by the Marduk Agency. I saw you sitting over here in that plugsuit and thought your were the pilot of this Eva."
"I am the pilot of the Eva."
"Now way! Dude, that totally rocks!"
Lance scratches the back of his neck, turning a slight shade of red. "Ain't nothin' special. I only get to pilot her until they find the right kid...er, Child to do it."
"Still, man, it's pretty cool. Yumiko and I are the only other people in the world allowed inside of an Evangelion. At least, until the next Child is found." He pauses for a second, a large smile crossing his face. "Hey, you want me to give you a tour of the place? I figure that, since I'm the only American who knows this place at all, you're better off with me than someone else."
Lance smiles back. "Yeah. I still don't speak much Japanese. I know a word or two, but not enough."
"Great! Let's get started with the cafeteria. I think they made hamburgers to welcome you guys to th3e base."
Not even waiting for a response, he grabs Lance by the wrist and drags him toward the buildings at the other end of the tarmac.
NERV-02; NEVADA DESERT
The once abandoned sub-level is now crawling with activity. Dr. Stockton wanders the level, checking in with the investigators occasionally. Nearly half of the security forces for the base are here investigating the death of Lt. Greer.
"What have you found?" the head technician asks a nearby medical officer.
"It was definitely murder. You can see here, by how the skull fractured, that it was caused by a repeated trauma. Basically, his head was bashed in. You will also notice the bloody smears on the clothes right here. The splatter pattern from the wounds, as well as the appearance of the smears themselves, leads me to believe they were from the killer wiping his hand, and possibly whatever he used to kill the victim. Of course, that is all from a preliminary investigation. I'm sure that, given time, I will be able to tell you more."
"Ok, keep me informed. I want to know everything you know, as soon as you know it."
The medic nods and returns to his work. Dr. Stockton looks on sadly for a moment, before turning and taking a lift back to the surface levels.
*****
Lt. Turner stands outside of the office of Commander Young with trepidation in his eyes. He looks down the hall either direction. There are armed guards at all of the exits from the floor. At each intersection of corridors, there is a video camera watching all directions. He wipes the sweat from his brow and swallows his fear.
~He doesn't know He can't know. There is no way I could have been caught.~
He looks over the security on this level again. ~Even if he does know, I can't get away. At least, not alive.~
Once more swallowing hard, he slowly reaches for the doorknob and enters the office.
The interior of the room looks much like it always does. There are the maps of the United States and the World, predating the changes wrought by the Second Impact. There is a more contemporary globe, slightly out of date thanks to the angel attacks on Tokyo-3. The American flag is on a pole behind the Commander's desk, beside a shelf of trophies. Emblazoned on the floor is the familiar leaf symbol NERV. The hardwood desk, behind which Commander Young is seated, is covered in the usual assortment of paperwork.
Upon hearing the door open, the Commander raises his head. "Ah, Lt. Turner. Please, have a seat. I think it is time we have a little talk."
Those ten simple word are enough to frighten Adam more than anything has before. The color drains from his face as he breaks out into a cold sweat. "W-w-what do we need to talk about, sir?"
"I have been watching you very closely, Adam."
Adam nods slowly, looking like he is about to die.
"Over the last few months, I have kept a watchful eye on your activities. I must say, I am impressed. You have done an outstanding job, especially in the weeks since the...accident."
The expression on Adam's face changes from a look of terror to a look of surprise. "Th-thank you, sir."
Commander Young continues. "I would like to reward you for your hard work and dedication. With Unit-04 having been shipped to Japan, your current job has been rendered somewhat obsolete. Under normal circumstances, your employment would be terminated or you would be transferred to NERV-05."
Adam nods, indicating he was aware of this.
"How would you like to remain here, and be transferred to another assignment?"
"Sir? I wasn't aware of any other projects going on here." Adam says, fighting hard to keep a straight face.
"You don't really expect a branch of NERV to not have a secret project, do you?" the Commander smirks. He opens up a drawer in his desk and pulls out a small, sealed file. He hands it to the young Lieutenant. "Here, this will tell you everything you will need to know for your new assignment."
Adam salutes. "Thank you, sir."
The commander salutes back before returning to his work. Lt. Turner turns and exits the room. He glances at the file in his hands and allows a smile to creep across his face. The label on the file reads PROJECT 11-6357.
*****
In the NERV-02 cafeteria, Adam Turner is sitting alone reading the file of his new assignment. Not that he would need to, considering the information contained within the folder is only a small portion of the full information on the project. Information he has already seen, and sold. But, he continues to read the folder. Partially to keep up the impression of ignorance about the project, partially to make sure he knows what portions of his total knowledge to pretend to be unaware of.
A shadow falls over the table, and he looks up into the eyes of Charles Stockton. "Good afternoon, Adam. Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all, Doctor. Let me just clear some of this away." he replies as he gathers up the contents of the folder, placing it into a backpack he has nearby.
Dr. Stockton smiles. "I see the Commander has assigned you to the new project as well. Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir"
"Oh, come on Adam, no need to rely on formalities like rank when were aren't working. Call me Charles."
Adam nods with a smile. "I guess I can do that." He pauses, a look of concern crossing his face. "You look tired. Is everything ok?"
Dr. Stockton shakes his head, removing his glasses with a sigh. "No, I'm afraid it isn't. Do you know Lt. 2nd Class Greer?"
"Not well. I think I talked to him once or twice. He had me look over a report he did once. I never really have gotten to know him, though."
"Yeah, most of us are like that. He was a pretty solitary guy."
"Was? Did something happen to him?"
"He disappeared a few days ago. Since he was so solitary, nobody noticed. I found a message from him, which led me to an abandoned sub-level. That's where I found..."
Dr. Stockton's internal defenses break down and he begins to cry. Adam looks both confused and uncomfortable at the same time.
"What did you find?"
Through the sobs, Dr. Stockton manages to respond. "I...found....h-h-his...b-body. He...he...he was murdered."
"MURDERED?" Adam cries out, a bit louder than he intended to. He looks around to make sure nobody was actually paying attention to what he said and continues. "Murdered? How? Who would have been able to get on base to do it?"
The doctor shrugs. "I don't think it was someone from off base. The work tat he was doing, and the area he was found in, lead me to believe it was an internal job. Someone who works here did it."
"Why would someone do something like that?"
Composing himself, still sniffling, Dr. Stockton looks Adam straight in the eyes. "I don't know. But, from the way this person left the body, we had better find out fast. Whoever this is, is a monster."
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3
The view of Tokyo-3's geofront is awe inspiring. Lance gazes in wonder at the sky far above through the partially rebuilt hole in the ceiling of the once subterranean dome. Far below him is the lush green of the geofront floor, broken only by the building housing Central NERV.
~Looks like some sort of strange pyramid~ he thinks.
"Earth to Lance. C'mon Lance, this place isn't THAT interesting."
Lance starts as the voice of Nicholas Dalton breaks his reverie. "Sorry 'bout that. I just ain't seen nothing like this before. It blows the mind, thinkin' that men built this." He gestures to encompass the view before them.
Nicholas just looks around, mindlessly chewing on the hamburger he brought with him. With a shrug he turns back to Lance, talking around the food in his mouth. "Hmmm, yeah I shupposhe thatsh true. I guessh I'm jusht ushed to it by now."
Lance suppresses a shudder as he sees a piece of partially chewed food rocket out of the young pilot's mouth and fly toward him. He takes a bite of his own burger. He can't help buy focus on the fact that it just doesn't taste right. He can't place what it is, but there is something just...off about the way they make burgers in Japan.
Nicholas grins at him. "It's the burger, isn't it? I don't know what the hell they put in them, but the damned things never taste like they did at home. Even the McDonald's doesn't taste right."
This gets a grin out of Lance. "Damn, how do you mess up McDonald's?"
The boy only shrugs and laughs. "Leave it to some foreigners to fuck up what Americans have made"
A shadow grows over the two of them from behind. "Foreigners? You call the Japanese foreigners in their own country? Where do you get off saying anything about us, when you are the foreigner here?"
Both boys jump and turn around. Nicholas looks embarrassed, and a little angry. Lance simply looks confused. Standing behind them is a short, Japanese girl. She's dressed in a purple sweatshirt and jeans, hand on her hips and glaring at the two boys.
"What did she just say?" Lance asks, his Japanese still too rusty to fully grasp why she is angry.
The girl whirls and looks at him. In a heavily accented English, she responds. "Stupid American. I said, you are both...how do you say it? Jerks."
Nicholas now looks to be fuming. "What were you doing listening in to our conversation, Yumiko? It's none of your business what we are saying to each other."
"It is my business if you are insulting my culture. Calling us foreigners in our own country is just rude, even for you."
"Yeah? Well, it's not like we really mean that shit. We're just joking around. You know, the only two sane people here trying to bond. You're just being a bitch."
"Bitch? Bitch?!? I'll show you bitch!" She balls up her fist, swings, and punches him right in the stomach. Nicholas doubles over, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. The girl glares down at him, turning the evil look on Lance. "All you Americans are the same."
As she storms off, lance moves to help Nicholas to sit up. "Who in the hall was that? She's a feisty little thing, ain't she?"
Nicholas nods. "That would be the 7th Child. Yumiko Aiharu. Don't mind her. She's not as bad as she seems. Just a little...touchy at times."
Lance looks the direction she left, watching her small form seem to shrink as she walks away. "Touchy seems to be an understatement. I don't look forward to working with her."
Nicholas laughs, still coughing a bit from the hit. "Think of it this way, if you ever need help in a fight...she's got one hell of a solid punch. Now, come on, we have to get back to the base."
*****
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Commander Fuyutski proclaims as the small car moves along the cable it is hanging from. In the dimly lit, cavernous room outside the windows of the vehicle, six giant forms can be seen. This is the hangar where the Evangelions are kept.
They past the first three Units, blue, purple, and red in color (respectively). Each shows the signs of serious battle damage. The red and purple Units look particularly bad, torn to pieces and one step from not even being allowed to be called Evangelions anymore.
Beyond this morbid scene stands the shining silver form of Unit-04. The other occupant of the car, Sub-commander Oliver, looks out on the Eva with pride.
The following two Eva Units are very different from the others. One, a bright, almost blinding, yellow, is built much like Unit-02, though larger and with an odd lump on the back. The other, a subdued tan color, is sleek and almost catlike in appearance.
Fuyutski gestures toward the yellow Eva. "That is Unit-14, piloted by the Sixth Child. It is a variation on the standard production model. The protrusion from the back stores a pair of wings for use in aerial combat. Until an internal power source can be found, however, they serve as nothing more than an extended shield."
Annabelle points to the other Unit. "So, that would be Unit-15? Piloted by the Japanese girl, right?"
Fuyutski nods. "Yes. It is a special skirmisher model. Smaller and faster than the other Evangelions. It is too light to effectively use the guns designed for the other Evangelions, so is designed to close on the enemy rapidly and engage in close combat."
Annabelle looks at Fuyutski in confusion. "Why did you continue to build Eva Units? I thought you all assumed the Angel threat was over"
"We did. But, the threat of attack from other sources was still high. After the losses incurred during the attack by SEELE, we felt it was in our best interests to continue with the Evan Project."
"And, you want to use Unit-04 to find an internal power source?"
"Precisely. SEELE perfected the S2 Engine, to an extent. They found a way to use the technology, but only with Dummy Plugs. For human pilots, it proved fatal. The SEELE manufactured Units were effective in combat, but erratic in behavior due to the dummy plugs. If we can get the S2 Engine perfected for use with human pilots, we can improve our defensive capabilities dramatically."
Annabelle nods, and the conversation continues on to other topic as the car makes its way out of the hangar and on to other locations.
*****
Much later in the day, Lance finds himself alone and wandering the halls of NERV. His tour of the base, by way of Nicholas, having been ct short by a call for the Eva pilots to report to the labs for some last minute synch testing. He looks around at the numerous doors, realizing that this base looks almost identical to the one he left in Nevada.
Same shape. Same layout. Same color scheme. Same uniforms. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the people he passes in the hall were the same people he used to pass at NERV-02. The only real difference is the occasional doorway that has been blown down, or rubble lining an as yet unrepaired hall, or a scorch mark or bullet hole along the wall. The reminders of the attack by SEELE.
In reality, he knows that the only reason he allowed Nicholas to drag him all over the base was because he was lonely.
~It was bad enough coming here when I still had Angel to keep me company. Now that she's...gone, I'm all alone. Nick's ok and all, but he's just a kid still. There's nobody here closer to my age that I can talk to. Just me, some kid, and a bunch of Asians.~
He is so caught up in his thoughts, he doesn't see the technician turning a corner in front of him. With a jolt, they bump into each other in an explosion of paper. The young woman frantically drops to her knees, trying to gather them up as quickly as she can.
Lance kneels in front of her, helping to gather the errant papers. His tongue stumbles over the words as he tries to apologize in Japanese. "I'm...sorry. I was not....watching where I was..." ~Dammit, what was the word again?~
She looks up, a small smile and the beginnings of a blush apparent on her face. "No. The fault was mine. I shouldn't have been reading this while I walked."
She looks at him, her blush deepening. With the same amount of difficulty as Lance was having with Japanese, she speaks in English to him. "Oh...you are...an American. From NERV-02?"
He nods. "Yeah, my name's Lance. I guess you could say that I pilot Unit-04."
She accepts the handful of papers he offers, clasping the entire stack to her chest as she stands. "I am Makoto. It is...nice to meet you."
Lance stands as well, waving as she walks off. "Yeah, nice meetin' you."
*****
"I don't like him."
"Yumi, you don't like anyone." Nicholas responds with a smile.
"Well, I really don't like him. He's loud and obnoxious."
"How can you know that? You haven't spend more than a couple minutes with him, most of which was you screaming at or hitting me."
"I can just tell. He seems like the type."
Nicholas rolls his eyes and sighs deeply. "Ms. Aiharu, you are just an antisocial little brat."
The shorter girl just glares at him and storms away to the sound of his laughter.
*****
On the northern end of the island of Japan, something large stirs beneath the earth. With a deep rumbling, the ground cracks and splits, allowing the beast beneath to rise. The alternating pattern of black and white intermingling across its skin in a fluid pattern, with a red spherical gem on it's underbelly, causes it to shine almost hypnotically in the afternoon sun.
The creature takes a moment to take in its surroundings, then lifts one of its three legs and heads toward its destination. Each step of the large tripod shaped entity shakes the earth beneath it.
Each step takes it one step closer to Tokyo-3, and NERV.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Episode Four: Not So Warm Welcome
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. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
A/N #1: I'm sure those of you who have been reading this story so far have been wondering some things. Like what happened to the original pilots? Why isn't Gendo Ikari the head of NERV anymore? What about Instrumentality? Where are the technicians, and the classmates, and the rest of the characters from the show? Most importantly...What happened to Pen-Pen?!? Well, fear not faithful reader(s) (in case there is more than one of you out there), this chapter will answer some of those questions and open the way for future revelations. Some of this information will be recap from End of Evangelion, and some will be all mine. Most of you should be able to tell the difference. Don't say I never did anything for you, now.
A/N #2: Looks like I am starting to lose my momentum a little bit here. I'm not sure if I will be able to keep up the pace I have had so far. If people ask real nice, I might be able to keep up the writing for a while longer. Otherwise, I may have to take a break for a little while. No matter what, I do want to finish this (if only so I can say I did). On another note, this chapter is one that I think a few of you will be interested in. Revelations of what happened to the characters from the anime, as well as the proper introduction of a character I personally know I will love writing. I just hope everyone enjoys. R&R please. I need the ego boost.
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NERV CENTRAL; MARCH 22; 1415 HOURS
Commander Fuyutski steps forward to greet the team from NERV-02. "On behalf of the people of Tokyo-3, I welcome you to NERV Central."
He is taken aback by the solemn looks he receives in return. There is not a single face inside the transport smiling, or even looking half way happy about anything at the moment. He scans the cargo bay for some sign of someone in charge. A young black woman steps forward. And salutes him.
"Commander Fuyutski, I am Sub-commander Oliver from NERV-02. You will excuse our lack of enthusiasm at the moment. We have just suffered a tragic loss."
The Japanese man looks surprised. "What happened?"
There was an attack. All readings indicate it was an Angel. We were forced to engage with Unit-04. The Angel was vanquished, but in the battle one of our technicians was injured. She...did not survive."
"Oh my. I am saddened at your loss. If there is anything we can do to help with this loss, you have but only to ask."
"Thank you Commander. I think we will be fine. We just need some time to let the fact sink in. We will be ready for work first thing in the morning, sir."
The Commander nods and motions to the two children standing with him. "Nicholas, Yumiko, help with the unloading. Ms. Oliver, if you will come with me, there are some things we need to discuss."
The woman nods and follows him, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of activity created by the unloading. Meanwhile, Lance has stayed off to himself. He watches as some physicians carry Angela's body off the transport and to parts unknown.
~Something isn't right. I know I should feel more upset than I do. Why can't I cry? What is wrong with me? Why isn't this hurting more than it does?~
He punches a wall in frustration. ~I loved her, and yet her death doesn't mean anything to me. Why?~
*****
Sub-commander of NERV-02, Annabelle Oliver, sits at a desk, staring at the screen in front of her in horror. She is being shown video captures of the events since the time of the accident at NERV-02, leading up to the present. Almost 7 months worth of footage.
There is still been no explanation for the missing time. She remembers the experiment starting, the accident, and the anti-climactic end to it all.
For her, it was only a few minutes. For the rest of the world around them, 7 long months had passed. The Eva project had come to fruition. The last Angel had been discovered, and defeated. Gendo Ikari's secret project to create the Third Impact had happened. SEELE had attacked NERV. And things had gone horribly wrong.
The first video clip shows the events that unfolded in Terminal Dogma, where Gendo Ikari took Rei Ayanami. The camera focuses in on Dr. Akagi holing a gun on Commander Ikari, then a flash as Gendo fires on her. He walks toward the spot where Rei stands nude, and pauses in front of her. There is no sound, so Sub-commander Oliver is unable to figure out what he says to the young girl. She does, however, see him reach one hand out to seemingly grope the girl. Then, Annabelle gasps as the Commander's hand passes through Ayanami's skin. His expression changes from the characteristic smirk of one who knows everything, to one of shock as his hand is severed from his body. The young albino says something to him as he falls to his knees, then turns and floats into the air.
The camera cuts to another shot, focusing in on the body of Lillith as Rei floats before it, and then is absorbed within. All is still on the screen for a minute, then the gargantuan form of the Second Angel comes to life and falls from the cross it was nailed to. LCL to rains down on Gendo Ikari, now on his knees in front of the Rei/Lillith hybrid before him. Then, the camera shorts out.
The next clip is one of a hospital ward. Lying in the only bed in the room is a young boy with short, slightly spiky brown hair. There are a number of machines hooked up to him. The shot remains this way until the next clip plays.
Fuyutski explains as the next clip loads. "That was Toji Suzuhara, the Fourth Child. The one who piloted the Eva that was possessed by an Angel. He has been comatose since that incident. It is amazing that he managed to survive all that has happened since then. The Angel attacks, and SEELE, and now the rebuilding process. There is little hope of recovery, however."
The third clip begins to play. The camera is inside one of the halls of NERV, but it is difficult to make out much at first due to the lack of lighting. The darkness is broken by a door sliding open, revealing the Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi standing before the mesh gate blocking the passage into the lift behind the door. There seems to be a bit of an argument, then the mesh gate flies open and Shinji stumbles back into the lift. As the door closes, Misato collapses to the floor in a puddle of her own blood.
The screen cuts to an external view. The quick change from such a dark scene to one so well lit causes Anna to squint at first. once her vision clears, she can see Unit-02 emerge from a lake and take on the SEELE forces attacking NERV. Her Umbilical cable is severed, but the Eva continues to fight as if Asuka does not notice or care. A shadow passes over the Eva as the battle winds down. The source of the shadow soon becomes obvious as nine winged Evangelion Units, all identical, land around the red Unit. Asuka springs into action, taking out all nine opposing Units in 3.5 minutes.
"Impressive moves" says Annabelle "I think that it would do us well to have her work with lance on his training"
Fuyutski shakes his head sadly. "That is not an option, I'm afraid. Watch on."
At that moment, one of the strange blades the SEELE controlled Evas were using flies toward Unit-02. An AT Field flies up to deflect it, until it alters shape on to a pronged lance of some sort. The AT Field falters, and the lance pierces the head of the red Eva. Then, to the surprise of Annabelle, the other disabled Units slowly begin to move again. They drag themselves together, unfurling their wings and taking to the air. They then descend on the immobilized Unit-02 like a pack of vultures.
Sub-commander Oliver places her hand to her mouth, gagging, and looks away from the screen. Commander Fuyutski reaches over her shoulder to run the video past this scene and to the next, pausing it for her. He places a hand on her shoulder "It's so awful. The pilot, did she..."
He shakes his head. "No, we were unable to cut the connection in time. She died of shock from the ordeal."
Oliver shudders slightly, the color having drained from her face. She steels herself, and turns on the last video feed.
Amidst a cloud of dust and debris, she can make out the purple form of Unit-01. Spreading behind it is an oddly shaped energy field, almost like an AT Field, yet more wing shaped. She notices that it resembles the same wing-like patterns the First Angel had in the few photos to survive Second Impact. The Eva strides slowly toward the carnage that remains of Unit-02. The other nine Evas turn to engage. Unit-01 pauses, facing the remains of Unit-02 completely, and is mobbed by the winged Evangelions surrounding it. They tear through the armored plating, to the interior of the Unit. One can be seen to rip the Entry plug from the back of Unit-01 and bite it in half. The attack goes on like this for another few minutes, then there is a flash of white and the video feed ends.
"Once the Third Child was killed in the fight, we had no more reason to hold back. That flash was an N2 Mine. Unit-01 survived the explosion, but damaged beyond repair. The SEELE created Units were obliterated. Apparently, S2 Engines, when no properly shielded, do not mix well with nuclear armaments." Fuyutski explains.
He continues. "With the destruction of the last functioning Evangelion Unit, the Human Instrumentality project was ruined. SEELE pulled back what troops they had. We began the process of recovering the Evas and rebuilding the base."
"What of the First Child and Commander Ikari?"
"Ayanami and Lillith disappeared during the attack. We have been unable to find any sign of either. As for Ikari, the loss of everything he had worked his entire life for drove him over the edge. He was found wandering around Terminal Dogma, babbling nonsense. He has been committed to a medical facility for the insane under NERV control."
"That is it then? There was one final attack, then nothing until we showed back up?"
"That's the gist of it. We have spent the last few months rebuilding and developing new Eva models to protect against further attack by SEELE."
You think that SEELE will attack again?"
"There is no doubt about it. We still have something they want. We still have the remains of Unit-01."
*****
The unloading of the equipment from the American base is nearly complete. Nicholas Dalton looks around the nearly empty transport, trying to decide if he's done enough work to get away with sneaking off. His eyes run from person to person, noting how nobody seems to be paying him any attention. Just as he is about to leave, he sees the lone figure sitting in a corner in the back.
~Oh, look, that boy must be the pilot of Unit-04. He's kind of a shrimp, isn't he?~
The young American boy puts on his best fake smile and strides confidently toward the person sitting alone. The solitary figure has his head down, hiding his face. Nicholas notices that the person is wearing a plugsuit as he stops in front of the stranger.
"Hey, I'm Nicholas. I'm the 6th Child. Which one are you?"
Lance looks up blankly. "'Scuse me?"
"Whoa, holy shit. You're not a kid!"
"No, that I ain't. What were you askin' me, though?"
"Huh?...Oh, right. I was asking which Child you are. But, you're too old to be one of us, so...uh...nevermind about that."
With a half grin Lance stands to show his full height, nearly a full head shorter than Nicholas. "I ain't that much older'n you, and you don't look like a child to me."
Nicholas shakes his head, laughing. "No, no, no. Not child like a kid. Child like an Eva pilot. I'm the sixth one to be found by the Marduk Agency. I saw you sitting over here in that plugsuit and thought your were the pilot of this Eva."
"I am the pilot of the Eva."
"Now way! Dude, that totally rocks!"
Lance scratches the back of his neck, turning a slight shade of red. "Ain't nothin' special. I only get to pilot her until they find the right kid...er, Child to do it."
"Still, man, it's pretty cool. Yumiko and I are the only other people in the world allowed inside of an Evangelion. At least, until the next Child is found." He pauses for a second, a large smile crossing his face. "Hey, you want me to give you a tour of the place? I figure that, since I'm the only American who knows this place at all, you're better off with me than someone else."
Lance smiles back. "Yeah. I still don't speak much Japanese. I know a word or two, but not enough."
"Great! Let's get started with the cafeteria. I think they made hamburgers to welcome you guys to th3e base."
Not even waiting for a response, he grabs Lance by the wrist and drags him toward the buildings at the other end of the tarmac.
NERV-02; NEVADA DESERT
The once abandoned sub-level is now crawling with activity. Dr. Stockton wanders the level, checking in with the investigators occasionally. Nearly half of the security forces for the base are here investigating the death of Lt. Greer.
"What have you found?" the head technician asks a nearby medical officer.
"It was definitely murder. You can see here, by how the skull fractured, that it was caused by a repeated trauma. Basically, his head was bashed in. You will also notice the bloody smears on the clothes right here. The splatter pattern from the wounds, as well as the appearance of the smears themselves, leads me to believe they were from the killer wiping his hand, and possibly whatever he used to kill the victim. Of course, that is all from a preliminary investigation. I'm sure that, given time, I will be able to tell you more."
"Ok, keep me informed. I want to know everything you know, as soon as you know it."
The medic nods and returns to his work. Dr. Stockton looks on sadly for a moment, before turning and taking a lift back to the surface levels.
*****
Lt. Turner stands outside of the office of Commander Young with trepidation in his eyes. He looks down the hall either direction. There are armed guards at all of the exits from the floor. At each intersection of corridors, there is a video camera watching all directions. He wipes the sweat from his brow and swallows his fear.
~He doesn't know He can't know. There is no way I could have been caught.~
He looks over the security on this level again. ~Even if he does know, I can't get away. At least, not alive.~
Once more swallowing hard, he slowly reaches for the doorknob and enters the office.
The interior of the room looks much like it always does. There are the maps of the United States and the World, predating the changes wrought by the Second Impact. There is a more contemporary globe, slightly out of date thanks to the angel attacks on Tokyo-3. The American flag is on a pole behind the Commander's desk, beside a shelf of trophies. Emblazoned on the floor is the familiar leaf symbol NERV. The hardwood desk, behind which Commander Young is seated, is covered in the usual assortment of paperwork.
Upon hearing the door open, the Commander raises his head. "Ah, Lt. Turner. Please, have a seat. I think it is time we have a little talk."
Those ten simple word are enough to frighten Adam more than anything has before. The color drains from his face as he breaks out into a cold sweat. "W-w-what do we need to talk about, sir?"
"I have been watching you very closely, Adam."
Adam nods slowly, looking like he is about to die.
"Over the last few months, I have kept a watchful eye on your activities. I must say, I am impressed. You have done an outstanding job, especially in the weeks since the...accident."
The expression on Adam's face changes from a look of terror to a look of surprise. "Th-thank you, sir."
Commander Young continues. "I would like to reward you for your hard work and dedication. With Unit-04 having been shipped to Japan, your current job has been rendered somewhat obsolete. Under normal circumstances, your employment would be terminated or you would be transferred to NERV-05."
Adam nods, indicating he was aware of this.
"How would you like to remain here, and be transferred to another assignment?"
"Sir? I wasn't aware of any other projects going on here." Adam says, fighting hard to keep a straight face.
"You don't really expect a branch of NERV to not have a secret project, do you?" the Commander smirks. He opens up a drawer in his desk and pulls out a small, sealed file. He hands it to the young Lieutenant. "Here, this will tell you everything you will need to know for your new assignment."
Adam salutes. "Thank you, sir."
The commander salutes back before returning to his work. Lt. Turner turns and exits the room. He glances at the file in his hands and allows a smile to creep across his face. The label on the file reads PROJECT 11-6357.
*****
In the NERV-02 cafeteria, Adam Turner is sitting alone reading the file of his new assignment. Not that he would need to, considering the information contained within the folder is only a small portion of the full information on the project. Information he has already seen, and sold. But, he continues to read the folder. Partially to keep up the impression of ignorance about the project, partially to make sure he knows what portions of his total knowledge to pretend to be unaware of.
A shadow falls over the table, and he looks up into the eyes of Charles Stockton. "Good afternoon, Adam. Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all, Doctor. Let me just clear some of this away." he replies as he gathers up the contents of the folder, placing it into a backpack he has nearby.
Dr. Stockton smiles. "I see the Commander has assigned you to the new project as well. Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir"
"Oh, come on Adam, no need to rely on formalities like rank when were aren't working. Call me Charles."
Adam nods with a smile. "I guess I can do that." He pauses, a look of concern crossing his face. "You look tired. Is everything ok?"
Dr. Stockton shakes his head, removing his glasses with a sigh. "No, I'm afraid it isn't. Do you know Lt. 2nd Class Greer?"
"Not well. I think I talked to him once or twice. He had me look over a report he did once. I never really have gotten to know him, though."
"Yeah, most of us are like that. He was a pretty solitary guy."
"Was? Did something happen to him?"
"He disappeared a few days ago. Since he was so solitary, nobody noticed. I found a message from him, which led me to an abandoned sub-level. That's where I found..."
Dr. Stockton's internal defenses break down and he begins to cry. Adam looks both confused and uncomfortable at the same time.
"What did you find?"
Through the sobs, Dr. Stockton manages to respond. "I...found....h-h-his...b-body. He...he...he was murdered."
"MURDERED?" Adam cries out, a bit louder than he intended to. He looks around to make sure nobody was actually paying attention to what he said and continues. "Murdered? How? Who would have been able to get on base to do it?"
The doctor shrugs. "I don't think it was someone from off base. The work tat he was doing, and the area he was found in, lead me to believe it was an internal job. Someone who works here did it."
"Why would someone do something like that?"
Composing himself, still sniffling, Dr. Stockton looks Adam straight in the eyes. "I don't know. But, from the way this person left the body, we had better find out fast. Whoever this is, is a monster."
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3
The view of Tokyo-3's geofront is awe inspiring. Lance gazes in wonder at the sky far above through the partially rebuilt hole in the ceiling of the once subterranean dome. Far below him is the lush green of the geofront floor, broken only by the building housing Central NERV.
~Looks like some sort of strange pyramid~ he thinks.
"Earth to Lance. C'mon Lance, this place isn't THAT interesting."
Lance starts as the voice of Nicholas Dalton breaks his reverie. "Sorry 'bout that. I just ain't seen nothing like this before. It blows the mind, thinkin' that men built this." He gestures to encompass the view before them.
Nicholas just looks around, mindlessly chewing on the hamburger he brought with him. With a shrug he turns back to Lance, talking around the food in his mouth. "Hmmm, yeah I shupposhe thatsh true. I guessh I'm jusht ushed to it by now."
Lance suppresses a shudder as he sees a piece of partially chewed food rocket out of the young pilot's mouth and fly toward him. He takes a bite of his own burger. He can't help buy focus on the fact that it just doesn't taste right. He can't place what it is, but there is something just...off about the way they make burgers in Japan.
Nicholas grins at him. "It's the burger, isn't it? I don't know what the hell they put in them, but the damned things never taste like they did at home. Even the McDonald's doesn't taste right."
This gets a grin out of Lance. "Damn, how do you mess up McDonald's?"
The boy only shrugs and laughs. "Leave it to some foreigners to fuck up what Americans have made"
A shadow grows over the two of them from behind. "Foreigners? You call the Japanese foreigners in their own country? Where do you get off saying anything about us, when you are the foreigner here?"
Both boys jump and turn around. Nicholas looks embarrassed, and a little angry. Lance simply looks confused. Standing behind them is a short, Japanese girl. She's dressed in a purple sweatshirt and jeans, hand on her hips and glaring at the two boys.
"What did she just say?" Lance asks, his Japanese still too rusty to fully grasp why she is angry.
The girl whirls and looks at him. In a heavily accented English, she responds. "Stupid American. I said, you are both...how do you say it? Jerks."
Nicholas now looks to be fuming. "What were you doing listening in to our conversation, Yumiko? It's none of your business what we are saying to each other."
"It is my business if you are insulting my culture. Calling us foreigners in our own country is just rude, even for you."
"Yeah? Well, it's not like we really mean that shit. We're just joking around. You know, the only two sane people here trying to bond. You're just being a bitch."
"Bitch? Bitch?!? I'll show you bitch!" She balls up her fist, swings, and punches him right in the stomach. Nicholas doubles over, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. The girl glares down at him, turning the evil look on Lance. "All you Americans are the same."
As she storms off, lance moves to help Nicholas to sit up. "Who in the hall was that? She's a feisty little thing, ain't she?"
Nicholas nods. "That would be the 7th Child. Yumiko Aiharu. Don't mind her. She's not as bad as she seems. Just a little...touchy at times."
Lance looks the direction she left, watching her small form seem to shrink as she walks away. "Touchy seems to be an understatement. I don't look forward to working with her."
Nicholas laughs, still coughing a bit from the hit. "Think of it this way, if you ever need help in a fight...she's got one hell of a solid punch. Now, come on, we have to get back to the base."
*****
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Commander Fuyutski proclaims as the small car moves along the cable it is hanging from. In the dimly lit, cavernous room outside the windows of the vehicle, six giant forms can be seen. This is the hangar where the Evangelions are kept.
They past the first three Units, blue, purple, and red in color (respectively). Each shows the signs of serious battle damage. The red and purple Units look particularly bad, torn to pieces and one step from not even being allowed to be called Evangelions anymore.
Beyond this morbid scene stands the shining silver form of Unit-04. The other occupant of the car, Sub-commander Oliver, looks out on the Eva with pride.
The following two Eva Units are very different from the others. One, a bright, almost blinding, yellow, is built much like Unit-02, though larger and with an odd lump on the back. The other, a subdued tan color, is sleek and almost catlike in appearance.
Fuyutski gestures toward the yellow Eva. "That is Unit-14, piloted by the Sixth Child. It is a variation on the standard production model. The protrusion from the back stores a pair of wings for use in aerial combat. Until an internal power source can be found, however, they serve as nothing more than an extended shield."
Annabelle points to the other Unit. "So, that would be Unit-15? Piloted by the Japanese girl, right?"
Fuyutski nods. "Yes. It is a special skirmisher model. Smaller and faster than the other Evangelions. It is too light to effectively use the guns designed for the other Evangelions, so is designed to close on the enemy rapidly and engage in close combat."
Annabelle looks at Fuyutski in confusion. "Why did you continue to build Eva Units? I thought you all assumed the Angel threat was over"
"We did. But, the threat of attack from other sources was still high. After the losses incurred during the attack by SEELE, we felt it was in our best interests to continue with the Evan Project."
"And, you want to use Unit-04 to find an internal power source?"
"Precisely. SEELE perfected the S2 Engine, to an extent. They found a way to use the technology, but only with Dummy Plugs. For human pilots, it proved fatal. The SEELE manufactured Units were effective in combat, but erratic in behavior due to the dummy plugs. If we can get the S2 Engine perfected for use with human pilots, we can improve our defensive capabilities dramatically."
Annabelle nods, and the conversation continues on to other topic as the car makes its way out of the hangar and on to other locations.
*****
Much later in the day, Lance finds himself alone and wandering the halls of NERV. His tour of the base, by way of Nicholas, having been ct short by a call for the Eva pilots to report to the labs for some last minute synch testing. He looks around at the numerous doors, realizing that this base looks almost identical to the one he left in Nevada.
Same shape. Same layout. Same color scheme. Same uniforms. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the people he passes in the hall were the same people he used to pass at NERV-02. The only real difference is the occasional doorway that has been blown down, or rubble lining an as yet unrepaired hall, or a scorch mark or bullet hole along the wall. The reminders of the attack by SEELE.
In reality, he knows that the only reason he allowed Nicholas to drag him all over the base was because he was lonely.
~It was bad enough coming here when I still had Angel to keep me company. Now that she's...gone, I'm all alone. Nick's ok and all, but he's just a kid still. There's nobody here closer to my age that I can talk to. Just me, some kid, and a bunch of Asians.~
He is so caught up in his thoughts, he doesn't see the technician turning a corner in front of him. With a jolt, they bump into each other in an explosion of paper. The young woman frantically drops to her knees, trying to gather them up as quickly as she can.
Lance kneels in front of her, helping to gather the errant papers. His tongue stumbles over the words as he tries to apologize in Japanese. "I'm...sorry. I was not....watching where I was..." ~Dammit, what was the word again?~
She looks up, a small smile and the beginnings of a blush apparent on her face. "No. The fault was mine. I shouldn't have been reading this while I walked."
She looks at him, her blush deepening. With the same amount of difficulty as Lance was having with Japanese, she speaks in English to him. "Oh...you are...an American. From NERV-02?"
He nods. "Yeah, my name's Lance. I guess you could say that I pilot Unit-04."
She accepts the handful of papers he offers, clasping the entire stack to her chest as she stands. "I am Makoto. It is...nice to meet you."
Lance stands as well, waving as she walks off. "Yeah, nice meetin' you."
*****
"I don't like him."
"Yumi, you don't like anyone." Nicholas responds with a smile.
"Well, I really don't like him. He's loud and obnoxious."
"How can you know that? You haven't spend more than a couple minutes with him, most of which was you screaming at or hitting me."
"I can just tell. He seems like the type."
Nicholas rolls his eyes and sighs deeply. "Ms. Aiharu, you are just an antisocial little brat."
The shorter girl just glares at him and storms away to the sound of his laughter.
*****
On the northern end of the island of Japan, something large stirs beneath the earth. With a deep rumbling, the ground cracks and splits, allowing the beast beneath to rise. The alternating pattern of black and white intermingling across its skin in a fluid pattern, with a red spherical gem on it's underbelly, causes it to shine almost hypnotically in the afternoon sun.
The creature takes a moment to take in its surroundings, then lifts one of its three legs and heads toward its destination. Each step of the large tripod shaped entity shakes the earth beneath it.
Each step takes it one step closer to Tokyo-3, and NERV.
TO BE CONTINUED...