Disclaimer: See Part II.
Deus Ex Machina
Chapter 10
The Casper's command deck was bathed in the light of the holoprojector, casting an eerie glow over the crew. Misato frowned as the techs fired off status reports.
"Synapse feedback in 00," Shigeru called. "Sync could destabilize at any moment."
"01's mobility is reduced by 30%," Makoto added. "02's left arm is not functional."
"The Angel has regenerated!" Maya said.
Misato crossed her arms, quickly analyzing the battlefield. The three Evangelions had roughly surrounded the green Angel. The monstrosity had regenerated the arm Asuka had cut off, and was now facing her Eva, correctly seeing it as the most dangerous threat. While one arm dangled limply, the other still held a glowing progressive knife.
"Misato..." Ritsuko whispered urgently.
"Shinji!" Misato called. "On my order, I want you to charge the Angel. Just keep it occupied for a moment. Rei, once the Angel has him, move in and grab it, and neutralize its AT Field. Asuka, you'll have to destroy its core."
"Copy," the three pilots chorused.
Unit 01 shifted its feet as Shinji prepared to charge, causing the Angel to turn in its direction.
"NOW!"
The purple Eva lumbered ahead, hindered by damage to its legs. The Angel reached out and grabbed the Eva's right shoulder and left arm, pulling them in opposite directions.
"Rei, go," Misato ordered, ignoring Shinji's screams. Unit 00 lunged forward, slamming into the Angel's back and wrapping its orange arms around the creature. Rei pivoted her Eva, tearing the Angel away from 01 and turning it to face 02.
Asuka was already charging into the fray, seeing her chance before Misato's order came. She drove the knife into the Angel's glowing red core. Sparks flew as the knife sank deeper into the sphere. The Angel thrashed violently against the two Evas until the core went dark. The creature slumped to the ground.
"Status?" Ritsuko asked.
"The Angel is dead," Makoto said. "Its core has been destroyed. Unit 01 is disabled."
"00 has overloaded and gone into emergency shutdown," Shigeru said. "No feedback to the pilot reported."
"Rei and Asuka are okay," Maya added. "No information on Shinji's status."
"The computer reports a thirty-two percent chance that he did not survive the final attack," Commander Fuyutsuki reported from the observation room over the command deck. "70% chance that he suffered physical injuries or nervous system damage."
Misato glared at the hologram. "That's too high."
"This is a dangerous task, Misato," Ritsuko said. "We have to be prepared for the worst."
Misato shook her head. "I won't let that happen."
The command crew filed off the Casper and crossed the dock. By the time they reached the Project facilities, the pilots had showered and changed clothes.
They were waiting in the briefing room as the others arrived. "How did we do?" Asuka asked cheerfully after Misato entered.
"Better than you have done," she replied. Misato walked to the center of the room, while the others took their seats at the surrounding table. "But it still could have been better. Shinji may not have survived this one."
Both teens looked slightly shocked. In all the simulations they had run over the past three weeks, none of them had ever "died", at least not during a victory.
"You're teamwork still needs to improve," Misato continued. "The initial attack was uncoordinated. Asuka, you went in too fast, and left Shinji exposed to the counterattack."
"That Angel didn't rely on its energy blast so much when Shinji really fought it," the girl complained.
"But a future Angel might," Misato replied. "We don't know what to expect from these things."
"The Angels Shinji defeated were significantly different from each other," Ritsuko added, walking to the front of the room. "And neither seems to resemble the one the machines destroyed fifteen years ago.
"There is one similarity we've found between the two that we have destroyed," she continued. "The Angels give off a bio-electromagnetic signature that is different from terrestrial organisms. We've dubbed this a blue pattern."
"We've already provided this information to the fleet," Misato added. "And it's even been sent to the machines. If an Angel is anywhere on the Earth, we'll know about it quickly."
"I hate running this shallow," Melkor said, for the eighth time.
"So do I, sir," Andre replied. "There's no squiddies on the scopes though."
"We'll be okay," Melkor said to himself. "Where's the signal?"
"Practically on top of us, captain," Kerrigan replied. She brought the map up on the hologram, showing the Xerxes' location, and the object they were tracking.
"There's a shaft about two miles ahead," Andre said. "We could go up and take a look."
"We can contact Zion while we're up there, if this really is an Angel," Kerrigan added.
"The Project," Melkor grumbled. "Maybe they'll thank us for reporting this one in."
"If it's an Angel," Kerrigan said.
"If it's an Angel." Melkor slapped the top of Andre's seat. "Take us up," he ordered the operator. With Kerrigan's guidance, Andre turned the hovercraft toward the great vertical shaft.
Melkor climbed down to the main deck, trusting his pilots to get the ship up to the surface. One of his crew was already seated at the operator's console. "Get ready to broadcast to Zion," he ordered.
The ship reached the surface a few minutes later. "We're in range of the surface relays, sir," the crewman said.
"Captain, you have to see this," Andre said, by way of the speakers.
Melkor typed a command onto the keyboard, bringing external views up on the secondary screens. "How far away is that?"
"Several miles," Andre answered.
"Pattern blue is confirmed," Kerrigan said.
"That's a living thing?" Melkor wondered. The Angel was a massive octahedron, perfectly symmetrical and smooth. It's upper third was obscured in the clouds. Lightning flashed constantly from the bottom point down to the ground.
"Start broadcasting," the captain ordered.
The post-training session was nearing its end when Dozer walked in. He quickly activated the room's main projector, assuring Commander Fuyutsuki that he would want to see it.
The projector flickered for a moment and came to life, catching the speaker in mid sentence. "...detected it forty minutes ago. Blue pattern is confirmed."
"It's the Xerxes," Dozer explained. "They were running in a mid level tunnel when they detected that thing."
"It's more than a quarter-mile wide," Melkor continued. "And almost as tall, according to our sensors. It's heading directly for the Geofront."
There was a collective gasp in the briefing room. Commander Fuyutsuki turned to Dozer. "Does Lock know about his?"
Dozer nodded. "He had the transmission forwarded to us."
"Prep the transports," Fuyutsuki ordered.
Dozer nodded again and left the room.
The holographic projection of the Angel was beginning to grow larger. "We're closing in to get a better scan," Melkor said. "The density of the Angel is very low, as if it were hollow...hold on. We're detecting some kind of energy increase in-"
There was a brilliant flash, and the image disappeared.
"What happened?" Misato asked.
"The Xerxes has been lost," Ritsuko said.
"How can you know that?" Misato demanded.
Ritsuko tapped several commands on a panel set in the conference table. The image replayed itself, with several graphs floating to next to the recording.
"Captain Melkor sent everything his sensors were recording," the blond said. "This EM spike is similar to one we've seen before."
"The first battle?" Misato asked.
"Correct, though this is far more powerful."
Fuyutsuki stood and turned to the door. "We'll leave as soon as the Evangelions are loaded into their transports." He glanced at the teenage pilots, his expression unreadable. "It will take a few hours to load the ships. You should rest while you can."
Two hours later, they were back in the briefing room. None of the Children had left the Project Center, choosing instead to find a quiet place to rest, though sleep wouldn't come to any of them.
Again, several Council members and fleet officers had joined the Project's staff for the briefing.
Commander Fuyutsuki stood in the center, before an image of the Angel. "The target has been designated the Fifth Angel. It is moving toward a position over Zion, and has begun slowing down. It appears that it will stop over the exact center of the Geofront.
"Commander Lock," Fuyutsuki continued, nodding toward the other man, "has already called in ships that were in the vicinity of the Geofront. The remainder of the fleet here in Zion will launch with us.
"Their scans indicate that the Angel has a very low mass; its interior is primarily empty. At its center is a core, which provides power and generates an AT Field, which holds it in the air. We believe that compromising the Field will cause it to fall to the ground, collapsing its structure."
"What about its energy weapon?" Asuka asked.
"Your AT Fields should be able to protect you," Ritsuko answered. "And it appears to take the Angel fifteen to twenty seconds to charge a shot."
"Our plan is two fold," Misato said. "Units 00 and 01 will charge the Angel. Just one Eva should be able to weaken its AT Field. Once the Field is disrupted, the Balthasar will use the MP Cannon to destroy the Angel's core. Unit 02 will remain with the Balthasar, to protect it with its AT Field."
"Guard duty?" Asuka grumbled.
"Will it not fire as soon as we arrive?" Rei asked.
Commander Lock answered this time. "The Angel has ignored our ships as long as they maintain their distance from it. It only attacks when they close within two miles. We know now that the Xerxes was lost. Another ship, the Longinus, has been damaged. One other ship was able to evade the Angel's attack. When it retreated beyond two miles, the Angel ignored it again."
A map of the surface above the Geofront was projected into the room. Misato stepped forward again, narrating as colored dots representing ships moved through the projection. "When we reach the surface, our ships will loop around the Angel and take up position at this hill. The Evas will be dropped and move into position. On my signal, we will proceed with the attack."
Misato looked around the room, quickly making eye contact with the pilots and ship crewmembers, gauging attitudes. "We launch in twenty minutes."
Asuka leaned against the wall outside the briefing room, arms folded. A frown crossed her face as she watched fleet and Project officers leaving the room.
Finally, Misato emerged, and Asuka stepped into her path. "Why am I stuck with the ships?" she demanded.
Misato glanced at her, one eyebrow raised, and stepped around Asuka. She motioned for the girl to follow. "You mean, why aren't you going straight at the Angel?"
Asuka nodded sharply.
"You've got the highest sync level," Misato explained, "and have displayed the strongest AT Field. If the Angel fires on the Balthasar, you have to keep it safe. Do you understand?"
Still frowning, Asuka nodded.
"Good," Misato continued. "Remember this: when I give you an order, it's because I believe you can fulfill it." She turned to the girl and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Asuka, I don't want to see you hurt."
Asuka sighed. "I don't need people protecting me. That's my job."
Misato grinned at the girl's confidence. They walked down the corridor together. As they turned the corner, they saw the elevator doors ahead of them start to close. "Hold the lift!" Misato called.
The two ran forward as the door opened again, quickly squeezing into the elevator. They glanced around the crowded elevator. Several technicians and operators were riding the lift.
Asuka glanced around, noticing a woman leaning against the wall, eyes closed and seemingly asleep on her feet. "Niobe?"
Niobe's eyes shot open, darting around to find the speaker. "Oh, hey Asuka, hey Misato."
"What are you doing here?" Misato asked.
Niobe stood up straight and rubbed her eyes. "We returned from patrol during the night. I had barely made it to my apartment when Commander Lock called for all ships to prepare for operations."
"You're coming with us?" Asuka asked.
Niobe nodded. "The Logos will be going out with the transports. Though I might let Sparks fly her. He slept for the entire flight last night."
Misato and Asuka laughed at that idea. Nobody, ever, touched the controls of Niobe's ship.
Shinji watched as the Melchior rose over the Eva bay, pulling unit 01 high into the air. The ship turned and slowly flew to its dock as the Eva was retracted and the huge bay doors closed.
As the noise from its hover pads diminished, Shinji noticed Rei standing next to him, staring at the transports. She stood with her left arm at her side and the right across her body, hand clasping her left elbow. Her eyes were distant, and a slight frown crossed her lips and. The light from the passing transport's pads gave her pale skin an ethereal glow.
She glanced at Shinji, making him to he had been staring. "Sorry," he mumbled, turned away and slightly blushing. "Are, uh, are you ready for this, Rei?"
He looked back to see her nod. "Yes," she signed. "I have been training for this since I was freed."
Shinji looked at the Melchior, which was now landing next to the other transports. "I hope we can come through this unhurt," he muttered.
"You scared, Third?" another voice said. Shinji turned to see Asuka striding confidently forward.
"You're not?" Shinji asked.
"Of course not," Asuka retorted, walking past him. She spun around to face him, long red hair flowing behind her as she turned. "I was born for this!" she declared. She grinned brightly and spun on her heel, marching toward the dock with long, confident strides. Rei followed, leaving Shinji to watch them walk away.
"Hey, what are you staring at?" a voice asked.
Shinji started and turned to see Tank stepping next to him. "Nothing?"
Tank slapped a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Suuuure. Let's get going. I'm in charge of the Melchior, and I'd hate to leave my Eva pilot behind."
Shinji nodded, and followed Tank to the dock.
"Status?" Misato asked.
"The transports are ready to go," Makoto said.
"Pilots are in their entry plugs," Shigeru reported. "Ready to initialize the connections."
"Fleet control indicates that all present ships are launched," Maya added.
Misato nodded to the three technicians and turned around to face the commander, who was in the observation room overlooking the command deck. "We are ready to launch, sir."
Fuyutsuki nodded. "Lift off. Contact fleet control and have them open the doors."
Misato turned back and relayed the orders. Seconds later, the transport rose into the air and turned for the wall of the Geofront.
"Twelve minutes until we reach the surface," Makoto said.
Misato nodded, and visibly relaxed. "So it begins," she muttered to herself. She stepped forward and tapped Maya on the shoulder. "Can you get me a connection to the pilots?"
Maya nodded, and quickly brought images of the three Children up on a secondary screen. "How are you kids doing?" she asked.
Asuka grinned. "Ready to kill an Angel, captain!"
"Okay," Shinji said.
Unsynched, Rei did not have an artificial voice available to answer with. But the calm confidence that radiated from her eyes was all Misato needed to see.
"Any questions before we start this?" Misato asked.
There was a moment of silence, before Shinji cleared his throat. "Um, I was wondering...why is this called the Fifth Angel?"
Misato glanced over her shoulder at Ritsuko, who gave her a brief nod. "The first Angel was the one the machines destroyed in Siberia," Misato said. "Since then, we've learned that there was another Angel on the Earth some time in the past. That's what we classified the Second."
"I see," Shinji said.
"We'll be on the surface soon," Misato said. "We're going to begin synchronization."
LCL was immediately pumped into the entry plugs. As the liquid filled the pilots' lungs, they felt the first connections to the greater system of the Evangelion.
The transports reached the surface and circled around the Angel, staying well beyond its attack range. The four fleet ships that had flown from Zion with the transports flew their own routes, joining the half-dozen ships already on station around the Angel.
The Angel floated over the gray plain, no longer moving. Lightning discharged from its bottom as electrical charge from the clouds moved through it.
The three Evas were dropped near the peak of the hill. The Casper and Melchior backed away behind the hill, while the Balthasar remained over it.
Dozer sat in the cockpit, watching the Evas move into position. Asuka's Unit 02 stood at the hill's peak, before the transport, while Units 00 and 01 moved to the foot of the hill. Dozer pressed the button his radio. "Captain, we are in position and ready to charge the positron cannon."
"Roger, Balthasar," Misato replied. "All units, stand by." Misato folded her arms and took a moment to examine the holographic display of the battlefield. Certain that everything was in place, she turned to the displays of the pilots.
"Rei, Shinji, move in!"
Units 00 and 01 launched forward, quickly closing the gap to the Angel.
"There's an energy buildup in the Angel," Makoto said.
"Raise your AT Fields!" Misato ordered.
The pilots complied, desperately raising their defense. The Angel fired, its powerful beam striking the glowing orange field projected by Unit 01. Shinji grit his and concentrated, trying to maintain his defense.
"I can't hold this," Shinji gasped.
"Balthasar, fire!" Misato shouted into the radio.
Everything happened at once.
As the positron cannon charged for firing, a second energy buildup began in the Angel.
The Angel broke through Unit 01's AT Field. The energy beam scorched across the Eva's torso, cutting through the ventral armor.
"Rei, help him," Misato ordered. "Dozer, fire now!"
"Roger," both replied.
The Angel's attack on the Eva ceased. For one brief second, everything was still.
And then it fired.
The three pilots had a moment of heightened awareness, as time slowed or their senses accelerated. The Fifth Angel and the Balthasar fired at the same instant. The beams of charged particles lanced out, coming within a dozen feet of each other. At that close point, some form of attraction between the beams bent them, causing them to curve around each other. The Angel's beam struck the foot of the hill that the Balthasar hovered over, while the ship's attack disappeared into the clouds.
"What happened?" Misato demanded.
"It missed?" Ritsuko asked incredulously.
"The Angel is about to fire again!" Makoto shouted.
"Dozer, get out of there!" Misato yelled. "Asuka, protect the ship."
Asuka concentrated, spreading Unit 02's AT Field as far as she could. The Angel's beam struck the field, breaking through in seconds, but not before the Balthasar had moved aside. The beam disappeared into the distant clouds.
As Evangelions 00 and 01 fled beyond the Angel's attention range, it began to move, slowly repositioning itself over Zion's center far below. The lightning continued to flash from the underside of the Angel to the ground.
"What happened out there?" Misato demanded. The Balthasar and all three Evas had moved behind the hill, joining the other two transports. The Evas had powered down, conserving their energy while the command crew decided on a course of action.
Ritsuko Akagi was leaning over one of the technician's shoulders, reviewing data from the Angel's attack. "The Angel's beam is a lot more powerful than we thought," she said.
"Really?" Misato snapped.
"How bad is 01's damage?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"The frontal armor has been compromised," Shigeru replied. "Internals are okay, and the synchronization is stable."
"And the pilot?"
"He said he's fine," Maya answered.
"Can we send him back in?" Fuyutsuki mumbled aloud.
"We may have to," Ritsuko said. She turned to the commander, speaking in low tones. "We might have to send all three Evangelions in. If they all rush it, at least one should get through."
"We have some of the fleet here, too," Fuyutsuki added. "Some of the ships may be able to draw the Angel's fire and evade it."
"Should we contact Commander Lock?" Ritsuko asked, even as she turned to a panel and activated the radio.
"I don't believe this," Misato growled.
"You wish to add something, captain?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"You can't sacrifice the pilots or the ships!" she objected.
Ritsuko turned and brought up some information on a screen. "If we can get one unit close enough to the Angel, it can destabilize its AT Field. Bring down the field, and this Angel will collapse."
Misato spared a glance at the screen before fixing her glare on the scientists. "It will also die if we hit its core, right?"
"We tried your plan, Katsuragi," Fuyutsuki said. "We can't risk losing the Balthasar."
"But you can risk the Evas and the fleet?" she shot back. "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy, commander."
"She is correct." All three turned to see Lock's image on one of the screens.
"Commander, we may need your help in destroying the Angel," Ritsuko said.
"I won't needlessly endanger my ships," Lock replied.
"Um, sirs," Makoto interrupted. "There's another energy buildup in the Angel."
"What is it firing on?" Fuyutsuki demanded.
"I don't know, nothing has moved into its range," Makoto answered.
They watched the video display as the Angel began to glow along its horizontal plane. The lighting that flashed from its bottom to the ground became more intense, flashing brighter and faster. It stopped for a heartbeat, and exploded with a blinding flash. The video feeds were overwhelmed with the light, and they felt the distant, deafening thunder as it rumble through the ship.
There was a collective gasp as the video image was restored. A bright beam shot down into the ground from the Angel's bottom point.
Ritsuko was the first to speak. "It's drilling straight down to Zion."
"How fast?" Lock demanded.
"It could reach the Geofront in thirty minutes," Makoto answered.
Misato stepped forward and slapped the radio controls. "Dozer, get into a firing position.
"Copy," the technician said.
"Asuka, Rei, Shinji, you have to defend the transport. Get between it and the Angel."
"Captain?" Misato turned to the radio screen. "Use the fleet as you see fit," Lock said.
"Thank you, sir," she replied.
The three Evas quickly reached the crest of the hill, while the transport rose vertically behind them. "In position," Dozer reported. "Ready to begin firing sequence on your order."
"Stand by, Balthasar." Misato opened a second transmission, to the ships that surrounded the Angel. "I need a ship to close on the Angel, draw its attention."
There was a moment of silence, before one of the captains spoke up. "You mean draw its fire," he said.
"Yes," Misato answered. "We have to give the Balthasar a chance to fire its cannon. One shot is all we need to destroy the Angel."
"This is the Logos. We'll do it."
"Thank you, Niobe," Misato said. "Get into position and let us know when you're ready." She stepped back from the radio and took a deep breath, willing her nerves to calm.
"Are you sure about this?" Ghost asked as the Logos came to a stop.
"We're the only ones who can pull it off," Niobe answered. "We have to succeeded."
"And what would Commander Lock say if we are killed?"
A wry smile formed on Niobe's face. "I don't know, and I won't have to hear it." She tapped a few controls, preparing her ship to move. "Should we tell Sparks what we're about to do?"
"He would only panic," Ghost answered.
"Right. Better to tell him later." Niobe keyed her radio. "Project command, this is the Logos, we are ready to go."
"Roger, stand by," Misato replied. "Take a course to the southwest of the Angel, and draw its fire that way."
"Understood," Niobe said.
The Angel's beam continued to burn a hole into the earth, drilling inexorably down to Zion. All the pieces were in place, ready to make a final assault on the Angel. The only thing that remained was an order to begin.
That came with a single word from Misato. "Go," she ordered the Logos. The ship sprang forward, accelerating rapidly toward the Angel. It dropped altitude, skimming over the surface.
"Energy build-up detected!" Makoto reported.
"Dozer, get ready," Misato said. "Evas stand by."
"Give me everything she's got," Niobe said.
Ghost tapped a display next to him, routing all available power to the hover pads. "Done," he said.
Niobe winced as the Angel fired, momentarily blinded by the intense beam. But she was ahead of it; the Angel had missed by a dozen yards. She banked the Logos toward the Angel, pushing as close to the ground as she could to stay ahead of the beam.
The Angel was still drilling into the ground as it fired a second beam at the hovercraft. As soon as it had fired, the Balthasar began charging its cannon.
The Eva pilots experienced another moment of time slowing down, as the Angel began to react. The pilots had access to all visual and technical the information that the command staff had, available to them with a thought.
Both of the Angel's energy beams stopped. Inside the being, the energy was quickly refocused and aimed. Before Makoto could report the power shift, the Angel was ready to fire.
Rei realized immediately that the Angel was about to throw everything it had at the Balthasar, the one serious threat to it on the battlefield. She did the only thing possible: she leapt forward, placing her Eva between the Angel and the Balthasar.
The Angel's energy beam struck the Eva in the chest, slicing through its armor as the Eva moved beneath the beam. Rei's mind screamed in pain as her Eva crashed to the ground.
She saw the Angel, pierced by a brilliant blue beam of light, begin to fall from the air. Darkness engulfed her before it reached the ground.
Rei woke slowly, as her senses gradually began to work. She sat up, finding herself in the Project Center's small hospital.
"You're awake?" Rei turned to see Morpheus sitting in a chair next to the bed. He immediately rose and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around the girl.
"Father?" she asked.
Morpheus had not seen what she signed to him, but he knew what she would ask. "We came when Commander Lock called for the fleet," he explained. "I saw what you did."
Morpheus was silent for a moment, simply holding his daughter. "That was very brave," he finally said, voice tinged with emotion.
Rei pushed away from Morpheus so he would be able to see her response. "I'm sorry," she signed. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Morpheus smiled sadly. "Don't be. You did what you believed was right." His expression said he knew, and feared, that she would do the same thing again. Rei nodded, the only answer she needed. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Morpheus and burying her face in his chest.
Morpheus smiled as she relaxed, and soon fell asleep. He remembered a terrified, newly freed four-year-old hiding in his arms from a strange, cold world. Ten years later,
she still found safety and comfort there.
He gently rose, laying Rei down in the bed. Morpheus covered her with the blanket, then leaned forward, lightly kissing her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."
Author's notes:
The third battle, and all three Evas got in this time. Please, review and tell me what you thought of the chapter, especially of the fight: cool/lame/confusing or whatever.
As always, this was done without a prereader. Written several weeks ago, and reviewed and tweaked several times since.
The pace of the action is going to pick up, for the next few chapters at least. Chapter 11 will be set in the Matrix. I can't wait to post it!