Yggdrasil Control
Two figures sat in the now silent and dark control room, one at SysOp control, the other at an Admin terminal. In the center, the three spindles of Yggdrasil slowly rotated.
"Anything?" asked the figure at the SysOp terminal.
"No." the other replied, "It's still disagreeing."
"Damn."
A loud thud echoed throughout the chamber.
"They're trying the doors again."
"Yeah yeah." The figure at the SysOp terminal sighed. "Let the basterds try."
A light began to flash on the SysOp terminal. The figure glanced at it.
"Someone's trying to access the system from Kami-sama's office." The figure entered several commands. The screen flashed to show a view of Kami-sama's office. Two figures, one with red hair, the other with blue, were bent over the terminal.
"The Guardians."
"What are they….." another light flashed on the terminal. "Another one?" The screen flickered to show a gray hair figure trying to access a secretary's terminal. "Arael too?"
"Apparently."
"We should greet them."
Chapter 13
Arael had left Belldandy's office and was now trying to access Yggdrasil from the secretary's terminal. It just didn't feel right to try and access Belldandy's terminal while she and Cayla were there, frozen. Unfortunately, Arael couldn't access the main system, all the firewalls had slammed shut, locking off the main from the rest.
"Damn." muttered Arael.
She was about to move on when she noticed a curious thing. A glow from below. A circle of light had appeared beneath her. Before she could do anything, she dropped through the circle. The circle then vanished, leaving the corridor dark once again.
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"So?"
"I can't access it Asuka." Rei said, sitting back from Kami-sama's terminal.
"Shiest." Asuka swore. She then stood upright. "Well, then we have to get into the main control room."
"How are we going to do that?" asked Rei, "We're twenty levels up from the control room."
A grin appeared on Asuka's face.
"We could access the top of Yggdrasil and slid down the poles, that would get us there quickly."
Rei stared wide eyed at Asuka. "Are you crazy? It's not allowed!"
"Desperate times……." Asuka started towards the door when she noticed a glow below her. Asuka stepped quickly off to the side, but the glow followed, expanding into a circle.
"Ahh!" Rei's cry echoed throughout the room before it was abruptly cut off.
"Rei!" Asuka shouted, trying to avoid the circle. The circle rapidly expanded, even as Asuka moved further backward.
"Wait…." muttered Asuka, "What am I thinking."
Asuka pushed off the ground and floated a foot in the air. She turned around to see Rei had vanished, a circle expanding by Kami-sama's desk as well.
"Shiest." muttered Asuka. Then her view of the office got hazy. The circle had compressed itself right below her, then a force field had risen up, trapping her. Unable to struggle against it, Asuka was pulled downward into the circle. Seconds later, Kami-sama's office was empty again.
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Asuka tumbled across the floor in darkness as the exit gate spat her out. She was on her feet in a second, looking around her.
"Where the hell am I?" she shouted.
"Yggdrasil Control." came a voice.
Asuka recognized it right away.
"Urd?"
Several emergency lights came on. Asuka was immediately able to see Urd, as well as Ceres, Rei, and …….Arael?
"What are you doing here?" Asuka asked the Angel.
"I came up here when we were unable to contact the heavens." Arael turned and looked at Urd. "Keima is acting unusual. But then………it seems everyone else is here as well."
"No kidding." Urd sat down at the SysOp terminal. Every couple minutes, a loud pounding echoed throughout the facility as someone or something pounded against the main door.
"What did happen?" Asuka asked, "Everyone was alright, and then they were attacking us."
"It happened when we were Archiving old files." Ceres said, "I found an old directory. As soon as it was opened, a Virus Program activated."
"Every single 4th and 3rd class god or goddess that was in here began to scream in pain," Urd said, "holding their heads in pain. We called the infirmary, but they were already overwhelmed with cases. Within hours, the 2nd class gods and goddesses fell victim, then the 1st classes." Urd shook her head. "Then they started to wake up, eyes glowing red, and attacked everything that moved. Even each other if they felt like it. Ceres and I closed off the control room and have been here ever since."
"Where's Kami-sama?" Arael asked.
"We don't know."
"Why have you and Ceres not been infected?" asked Rei.
Urd shrugged, "Don't know that either."
"There were a few others." Asuka said, "But they were killed trying to help us." Asuka then looked at Yggdrasil. "It is running right?"
"Yeah." Urd said, "For the most part."
"What do you mean?"
"We still have most of the system under our control. But this virus, it's made Yggdrasil think that it's a part of the main system." Urd typed away at the terminal. "No matter how many times we tell it that the program is a virus, Yggdrasil disagrees."
"So what do we do?" asked Rei.
Urd tapped at the terminal with her hand.
"We have to eliminate the virus."
"We've been trying that though." Ceres said, "And we've failed at it."
"We try a different approach." Urd stood up. "We have to take a closer look at this virus."
"But Yggdrasil won't let us."
"So we find a different computer." Urd said.
"There is no way Hell is going to let you use their computer." Asuka said, "They wouldn't risk their system."
"So we use a mortal one." Urd said. She looked over at Asuka and Rei. "Lorelei Maimya deals with computer systems doesn't she?"
"Yeah." Asuka asked.
"So we go to her for help."
"But can we leave?" Ceres asked, "Who's going to watch Yggdrasil? What if someone breaks in after we're gone?"
Urd hit a button on the SysOp terminal.
"Yggdrasil Identify, Urd, Goddess First Class, Unlimited, Norn of the Past."
"Identity Confirmed." came the computerized reply.
"Yggdrasil," Urd continued, "Lock out all Users and Operators. Lock out Skuld, Goddess First Class Unlimited, Norn of Future, and Belldandy, Goddess Class 0, Norn of present. Authorization Urd, Norn of past."
"Lock outs confirmed. All access denied until further notice."
Urd turned and looked at the others.
"No one will be able to access Yggdrasil now." Urd said, "Not till I give the code to unlock it."
"I thought Lady Belldandy and Skuld could….." began Ceres.
"Normally yes. Another Norn could." Urd smiled, "Hence the lock out on them as well."
"Belldandy is a block of Ice in her office." Arael said, "Along with her assistant. What could she do?"
Asuka looked at Urd curiously. "Who could freeze Belldandy? And what happened to Skuld?"
Urd sighed. "The Computer Genius hacked into the security programs. Skuld sent the other Guardians, the white angel like ones, after Belldandy." Noticing the alarm on the others faces, Urd continued. "I shut down that program. But because of the situation, I couldn't unfreeze them."
"Why not?" Rei said, "They could help."
"Because this……virus didn't stop with the First Classes. It also hit the council. Belldandy is one of the more powerful Class 0s. I'm not going to risk it." Urd looked around. "So what are we waiting around for? There's a virus to eliminate."
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Terra 2
Late afternoon
"RELEASE ME!"
Yui, Cherry, Bloodberry, Lime the Marionette, and Lorelei all looked up towards the ceiling.
"Can't you knock him out again?" asked Bloodberry.
"I could try, but it might weaken the binding spell." Yui replied, "And we do not want to weaken that binding spell."
"RELEASE ME!" came the shout again.
"Can you at least do something to quiet him down?" Bloodberry asked.
Yui shrugged and waved her hand. Almost immediately, Keima's yells quieted down.
Bloodberry sighed. "Much better."
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Keima hissed as he struggled to free himself.
'How dare they!' he thought, 'I am a god of the first rank!'
He flexed his muscles again. The straps that bound him creaked slightly, but did not break. His body sagged and he let out a sigh.
'There must be someway to get……..'
Soft footsteps broke him from his thoughts. He glanced over to see Lime (the mortal) standing in the doorway. Her eyes, red from crying, stared at him. He stared back with his own eyes, now red. A thought passed through his mind. He looked at her, staring deep into her eyes.
"Hello Lime." He said.
"Keima." She replied softly, "What's wrong with you?"
Keima gave her a soft smile.
"My headache was pretty bad. I guess the pain caused me to say some really nasty things."
Lime took a few steps forward.
"So you're better?"
Keima nodded. "Yes my love."
Lime stood up.
"I'll go get Yui to release you then."
"NO!" Keima shouted. He then calmed down before he continued, still staring into her eyes. "You don't need to get Yui. You can free me."
Lime looked at Keima curiously.
"How?"
"Come closer."
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Yui frowned.
"Something's not right."
Everyone looked at Yui.
"What do you mean?" asked Cherry.
"Something doesn't feel right." Yui said.
"Nothing has been right all day." muttered Bloodberry.
Lorelei frowned. Now that Yui had said something, she also felt something was wrong. Suddenly it hit her.
"Do any of you hear anything?" Lorelei asked.
There was a chorus of "No"s around the room.
"Exactly."
Cherry shrugged.
"Maybe he went to sleep."
"Where's Lime?" Lorelei asked.
Yui's eyes suddenly went wide.
"Keima!"
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"Yes……that's it…….release my bonds." Keima said as Lime moved closer. "Free me."
Lime moved towards Keima as if possessed.
"Now release me." Keima said.
"Lime." Keima turned and looked towards the doorway. Yui stood there.
"Move away from him Lime." Yui said softly.
"Ignore her Lime." Keima said, his eyes meeting Lime's once again. "Release me."
Lime's hand reached out towards the straps that bound Keima.
"LIME NO!" shouted Yui. She lunged at Lime. Just as Yui slammed into her, Lime's hand touched the bonds. Keima was on his feet in an instant.
"Thank you my Love." He said. He then formed a force bolt and sent it hurtling at Yui and Lime.
Yui grabbed Lime and vanished, the force bolt ripping through the space that they had just vacated. They reappeared just outside the room.
"What happened?" Cherry asked, "What is it?"
"Round two." Lime (the marionette) said as she spotted Keima stepping out of his room. She immediately assumed a fighting stance.
"You could not defeat me before." Keima said, facing off against the marionette. "What make you think you can win now?" He smiled at Yui. "And where is your precious Angel friend? Powerful you may be, but you still have limits."
"That's where we come in." came a new voice. A force bolt slammed into Keima's stomach.
Keima found himself flying through the air, crashing hard into the wall. Lime (the mortal) blinked and looked around.
"Wha…..what happened?" Lime's eyes widened as she spotted Arael as well a 4 additional people now in the room.
"MOM!" shouted Yui. "Did you have to hit him that hard?!"
"What!? He's got a thick head." Asuka pointed at Keima who was rising to his feet. "See!"
"Enough of this." muttered Urd. She pulled out her staff and leveled it at Keima. "Sorry kid."
Keima started to charge. Lightning from Urd's staff slammed into Keima, who was rapidly covered in ice. Soon Keima was frozen. Lime walked up and looked in, seeing Keima's red eyes peering back at her.
"Is he……?"
"He's fine." Urd said, "We'll thaw him out after we figure this all out."
"Figure out what?" Cherry asked, "Why he went nuts?"
"No it's not his fault." Asuka said.
"Who's fault is it then?"
"This." Urd held up an object.
"A disk?" asked Lorelei.
"Well no. It's what on the disk." Urd replied. "There's a virus that has infected everyone in heaven, excluding a few people."
"Wait." Yui said, "If you're here, who's running Yggdrasil?"
"I have it locked down. Only a Norn can access it and I've locked out Skuld and Belldandy." Urd then looked at Lorelei. "We need access to the most powerful computer on this planet."
"How powerful do you need?" Lorelei asked.
Urd thought a moment.
"Something on par with the Old Magi will do."
Lorelei winced. "Then we have a problem. All the computers on the planet are below the Magi."
"What?!"
"You have to remember," Lorelei said, "the original six people on this planet were stuck here because of an advance computer. The Mesopotamia had the most advance computer around here until it finally burned up in the atmosphere. Then came the Gartlant City computer, but that was destroyed during the war."
Urd moaned. "Oh man…….."
"The closest thing we have to a Magi would probably be a Marionette. But even then, the Magi would be more powerful."
Urd sighed. "So we're screwed."
"Hey wait a second." Everyone looked at Asuka. "You need a Magi like computer right?"
"Yeah."
"So lets go to Earth!"
"But I haven't been to Earth in centuries!" Urd said, "I don't know where to look now."
"I have a few ideas." Lorelei said, "Though I am 300 years out of date."
"Alright then. You, me, Asuka, and Arael will go. Rei, Ceres, and Yui will stay here to make sure Keima behaves."
"Ummm." Lorelei looked over at Lime (the marionette). "She'll have to come too."
"Why?"
"Because she promised Otaru she'd protect me."
Urd threw her hands up in the air. "Alright!! Lime came come too. Now can we go?!"
"Wait." Rei spoke up, "Sayoko visited Earth regularly and Celes lived there."
Urd's eyes widened.
"Oh shit." She muttered. "Sayoko."
Everyone looked at her confused. Urd ignored them and looked at Ceres.
"I didn't lock out Sayoko."
Ceres eyes widened.
"But……she and Aida are on their honeymoon. We don't know where she is!!" Ceres said, "Or if she's even infected."
"No we don't where she is." Urd said. "But Celes would."
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Minutes later, Urd, Lorelei, Lime, Asuka, and Arael appeared outside of the home of Kensuke and Sayoko Aida , and Celes Victoria. The sunlight was fading fast, the only other elimination seemed to be coming from the front of the house. As they walked closer, they could hear the faint strains of music as well as spot a figure sitting outside on the front porch. But it was not who they were expecting.
"Kensuke?" Asuka asked. "What the hell are you still doing here?"
Kensuke leaned back in his chair as he sighed.
"Thanks to certain people, who shall remain nameless," He glared at Urd who seemed to shrink down a bit. "Sayoko woke up this morning with a world class hangover and headache."
"Headache?" Lorelei, Lime, and Arael all said together.
There was a bright flash as Asuka changed into her battle outfit.
"Where is she?" Asuka said in a no nonsense tone.
Kensuke blinked at the sudden change.
"What the hell is wrong with….."
Urd silenced him with a look.
"Where is she Ken?"
"She's been in bed, trying to sleep off the hangover."
Asuka raced past Kensuke into the house. Kensuke watched, then turned back to Urd.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Well….." Urd looked over at the other three.
"It's sort of like this Mr. Aida……….." Lorelei began.
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Upon entering the house, Asuka slowed down and took a moment to look around. The music they had heard outside was much louder now, and coming from the living room. Asuka floated off the ground and moved towards the sound. Peering into the living room, she found the Vampire laying on the couch with her eyes closed. Asuka listened to the music a second.
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
Asuka let out a sigh as she recognize the familiar Evanescence song from what had become known as 'Sayoko's unhappy music CD'. Sayoko had made the CD within months of losing Kensuke, and whenever she was feeling particularly down she'd play it. It had the side-effect of depressing everyone else around her. Apparently Celes hadn't had her fill of it yet.
Asuka moved past the living room and up the stairs toward the bedrooms. She peered into the first room she came to, and from the large four poster bed coffin, determined it to be Celes' room. Asuka moved down the hall and opened the next bedroom door. Light spilled into the darkened room, revealing a figure curled up on the bed.
Asuka entered the room and pulled out her staff. She then floated over the floor, not making a sound, until she was beside the bed. She reached over and grabbed the figure, rolling it face up.
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"They're all crazy?" Kensuke asked, shocked.
"Not exactly." Urd said, "The virus is just…….. causing them act more aggressive then usual."
"And you think Sayoko's infected?" Kensuke asked.
"We don't know." Urd said softly, "But Keima is, that means it's……"
Urd was cut off by loud screams from inside the house. A second later, the house was rocked by an explosion.
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OMAKE
Asuka and Shinji sit in front of a TV smiling towards a studio audience.
Asuka puts on a huge smile. "Hi there! Asuka and Shinji here to perform a special test!"
"That's right Asuka." Shinji says, "All throughout the Eva series, I commented how much LCL tasted like blood."
"So we decided to test out Shinji's theory." The TV next to Asuka turns on to show an image of a kitchen.
"We have set up hidden camera's inside the kitchen of Kensuke and Sayoko Aida. Not for them, but for their roommate Celes Victoria."
"That's right." Asuka said, "We've replaced Celes' normal packs of blood with LCL. Of course we had to dye it red, otherwise she'd notice the LCL's usual color of orange. Let's see if she notices."
Celes Victoria walks into view humming a song. She heads straight towards the 'blood' fridge and pulls out a pack of blood and pulls the small tab from the end of the tube. She starts slurping it down. She almost halfway through the packet when Asuka shouts out.
"Hey Celes!"
Celes jumps and looks around.
"What the hell?"
"Does that blood taste any different?"
Celes, still looking around the kitchen, replies. "No. Why?"
"Because we replaced it with dyed LCL. It's tastes just as good as whole blood with half the hemoglobin. What do you think?"
Celes pales, grabs her mouth and runs off towards the bathroom. Asuka and Shinji turn back towards the audience.
"And there you have it." Shinji says, "LCL does taste like blood!"
Asuka continues to smile. "Tune in next time when we replace Misato's beer with a non-alcoholic substitute."
Sounds of gagging can be heard coming from the TV.