Uh, well, my notes get out of date pretty quickly so if I'm ranting at the
beginning, by the time I finish the chapter it's long been over. Anyways,
onto questions. The other major countries and the UN will play a role but
only later on. And at the moment, this is a Shinji/Mana fic. Who knows
what this will be at the end?
My apologies to my prereader, Angie. I forgot to send her a copy but still she read and reviewed it. How nice of her.
Latest notes. Had to redo the entire chapter because I didn't like how it was developing before. Anyways, this chapter actually cost me about ten dollars to bring to you. Yes, ten dollars and I'm not kidding. What did that money do? Buy me a copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls and translations. Another note is that the Greek alphabet works in this order. Alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. That's the first four. Don't get confused and think that gamma should come after delta. Just a note.
Another note. I spent another 6 bucks getting a book about angels. I mean the ones in religions and it has a list of names and information about them. Very useful.
Chapter 5: Partial Retirement
"And that should do it."
With a quick glance Shinji examined the promotion papers and set them down. After their actions in the Middle East both he and Mana was promoted to the rank of Captain. The next thing he had to do was to finish the transfer papers. And with a final stroke of the pen both Captain Shinji Ikari and Mana Kirishima were transferred to the reserve.
"Thank you captains. I hope you enjoy your leave."
Shinji thanked the officer and walked with Mana out of the large bureaucratic building. Because of the political outcry from both supporters and critics of the new NERV, the Japanese government had agreed that it would be better to allow Shinji and Mana to go into the reserve forces. This was agreed upon after Shinji gave his assurance he wouldn't give any more press conferences without the approval of the government or the military.
"We finally have some time to ourselves," Mana commented.
"And how sweet that time will be," Shinji said and kissed her on the forehead.
A car was waiting and drove them to the new condo the military supplied them. Both had received positions at the JSSDF Air Force Academy in Tokyo 4 and though they weren't on active duty taking on students would still be quite a bit of work.
"I still don't understand why you're teaching a theoretical physics class," said Mana.
"Let's just say you still have quite a bit to learn about me. But then again, the same goes for me about you."
"Oh whatever. At least I'm staying in my profession."
That certainly was true. Mana would be one of the instructors for the newest generation of JSSDF pilots. Depending on how she assesses them, they might even become JA pilots.
"You know, you always loved that mall downtown. What was it called, the Mall of Asia? Why don't we swing by and start preparing for our wedding?"
"Ooo, that sounds like a brilliant idea, lieutenant."
Mana laughed and hugged Shinji gently. She almost felt the new life growing in her, warm and strong. Would it be a boy or girl?
"This is interesting indeed."
"What is?" Asuka asked, looking up.
Just as she did the upgraded cleaner moved past her. This time it was in a dog-like shape and bounded about, slurping up any chemical spills.
"Okay, either find a shape you like or don't change it every day," Asuka stated. Just the previous day it had been a snake.
"Of course," Maya replied with a smile. "I though you'd want to see this. It looks like designs for some kind of new space cruiser."
"The UN Space Force up to their old tricks again?" Asuka asked.
"Actually, no."
That caught the young woman's attention and she took the datapad. As she reviewed the information Asuka found that she was quite impressed. The new cruiser would be twice as large as that of the current UN cruiser and would utilize a powerful magnetic field to get off the surface and into space. Apparently it could fill the role as a warship, carrier, and freighter all in one. However, a few things puzzled her, including the power source.
"Who designed this?" Asuka asked.
"Shinji."
Asuka's eyes shot up. "What! But he doesn't have the technical know-how to do this!"
"Apparently he does now."
Asuka's mind went racing. She vaguely remembered something Shinji had said to her, something about having the combined knowledge of humanity in his mind. Was that it? Was that how he had designed this awesome weapons platform? That was the only explanation. She went back to the schematics and looked closer at the power generator.
"Oh my god."
"What?" asked Maya.
"The power generator. This isn't possible."
"It isn't," Maya assured her. "I contacted most of the top scientists and theorists regarding antimatter, and all of them say it would be at least five more years before they iron out the last few bugs with the system."
"But the designs are right here," said Asuka.
Maya nodded. "They actually look more advanced than what I've seen before, but believe me. It's not possible yet."
"Maybe, maybe not."
Asuka reluctantly returned the datapad and pondered Shinji's words so long ago. Had he meant it literally? That seemed impossible. The scientist in Asuka just couldn't believe it. And yet the woman in her found that the man who loved her could never lie.
"I want to get in contact with Shinji as soon as possible," Asuka stated.
"We've been trying for quite some time now," Maya replied sadly. "However, he's refusing to speak with anyone from NERV and the Japanese government doesn't feel it's proper to pressure him."
"What's the point of having all this power if the UN can't even exercise it?"
Pacing, Asuka tried to review her options. They were limited to what the Security Council could do, and then only if she could convince them to exercise their authority. Unless she went to outside sources.
"Maya, I'll be in a conference for a while. If anyone asks, I am not to be disturbed."
"Of course. Asuka? Please don't do anything rash."
Ignoring the last comment, Asuka walked back to her office and took out her phone. She hesitated for a second before entering the number.
"Central Intelligence Agency, how may I direct your call?" the voice on the other end answered.
"I need to speak with Director Finley immediately."
"I'm sorry, but Director Finley isn't available. May I take a message?"
"This is Dr. Asuka Langley Soryu of NERV. Now either connect me with Director Finely or there will be consequences!"
"One moment please," a shaky voice replied. Apparently Asuka's threat had worked.
"This is Director Finley."
"Director, this is Dr. Soryu. I have something disturbing that you must know."
"And what was so important that you threatened my secretary?"
"Simply that the Japanese might be making a power play soon."
"Oh? And what reasoning is behind this?"
"Only the fact that the Japanese military has developed a new generation of space cruisers."
Silence was her only answer for several seconds before Finley spoke. "I should have expected you to know this. But that hardly constitutes a direct threat."
"What if I told you the cruiser can be equipped with N2 warheads?"
This time the silence was longer.
"I hope to god that you're joking."
"I am not," Asuka assured him.
"Then there will be consequences. We had suspected, but how do you know?"
"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that if the Japanese are allowed to succeed in constructing a fleet of these no major power in the world will be able to match them for quite some time."
"Why tell me?" Finley asked. "Why not bring it to the Security Council?"
"Because I believe that the Council is too divided to rectify the situation quickly enough. The United States on the other hand has enough power to do so. At least it still does. What if I told you the Japanese are also preparing several other technological advances that would put them as the leading power in Asia?"
"Then we have much to discuss, Dr. Soryu."
The Tokyo Military Academy was more than a place for training officers. Here many of the scientists that worked on the various projects at the base outside of Tokyo 4 also taught a wide range of topics, attracting civilians as well as soldiers. Because of this, some courses in the Academy are available to the public at large.
Shinji finished looking over his notes and prepared for the first day of class. Despite his age, he would not be a student here. In fact, he was the new professor of theoretical physics. Since Shinji would only be teaching one class, competition had been fierce to get into that one section. He had spent the previous two weeks reading through the hundreds of papers submitted by all the hopefuls. Some of the things he'd looked for was creativity, intelligence, thoroughness, and most of all tone. A few of the papers had been exceptional while others had flopped. The one that caught his attention the most was by a young cadet by the name of Mari Suzuhara. Shinji smiled. He had only met Mari twice and it would be nice to see how she'd grown.
"Here're the papers you wanted," one of the secretaries said as Shinji entered the main office.
"Thanks."
The papers in his hands were a copy of one of the latest physics theories, the Unified Forces Theory. According to the Theory, all energy was recycled from one form to the next, no matter what its starting state was. While the laws of thermodynamics stated that all energy goes from a useful form to a less useful form, this law may very well prove the key to changing that belief.
Energy is the building blocks of the universe. Matter is a form of trapped energy and photons are also forms of energy. The only way scientists had to completely transfer matter to energy was in a matter/antimatter annihilation. However, that energy did result in heat, and it was considered impossible to transfer waste heat into usable energy. Another notion that the Unified Forces Theory worked to disprove. If it succeeded, it would be the greatest advancement of physics, ranking with Isaac Newton's Laws of Gravity and Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and e=mc². This would later prove very useful in his own projects.
"Mr. Ikari, the class is waiting."
"Ah yes. I'll be right there."
Shinji closed the packet and proceeded to the large auditorium-like chamber. Before him were fifty of the best and brightest and he would enjoy picking their brains. Who knows? Maybe one of them would surpass him one day.
At another part of the academy Mana was also meeting her first class. As one of only two JA pilots that actually saw combat, she would be the instructor for the latest generation of pilots for the Jet Alone. Her class was even smaller than Shinji's as the JA was still extremely expensive to mass-produce so only fifteen more units would be built. There were also rumors of a JA-Epsilon being designed, though it would be years before a prototype was completed.
One of the new pilots was someone Mana recognized, though he no longer had an arm.
"It's good to see you again, Toji. And I never did get a chance to thank you."
Toji waved it off with his good hand. "Don't worry too much about it. I was just helping a friend."
Mana smiled. "So I was a friend?"
Toji laughed and shook his head. "Shinji was a friend. You are a friend."
"What does that mean?"
"I haven't really seen him in a long time," Toji answered. "After all that he's gone through, well, I'm not sure if I really know him."
"And you know me?"
"Ha. You're my instructor. If I can't get alone with you, then there're going to be problems."
True enough, Mana realized. "Maybe you and Hikari can come over sometime. Shinji and I have a flat in the city and I'm sure he'd love to see you again."
Toji nodded. "Yeah. Actually, maybe you and Shinji can come over to our place. Hikari runs a little café downtown and we live right above it. There's plenty of room and her cooking has improved a lot."
"Shinji can help too. He usually gets home before I do and gets dinner started up. That or he runs home because he doesn't like American food."
"That's right. You spent some time in the US before you were selected to be a JA pilot. I hear it's the grease."
"And the salt," Mana added.
"I think you should start class now. The other trainees are getting rather impatient."
Toji moved back with the other pilots and took a seat. As Mana walked forward she noticed that all of them were at least lieutenants. That was a good sign, as she doubted new cadets would be able to handle the JA as well as their more experienced comrades.
"I am Lieutenant Mana Kirishima and I will be your instructor. As many of you know the Jet Alone program was started during the Angel Wars as an alternative to the Evangelion project, something that was seriously draining the resources of our world despite it being the only thing capable of standing against the Angels. Even though the first attempt was sabotaged by a shadow organization, the Japanese government went ahead with development. The JA-Alpha prototype was scrapped and the JA-Beta was developed, the one I piloted when I was still a teen."
With a press of a button pictures of the JA-Beta appeared. It was a remarkable machine, with two legs and two tiny arms and looking like a tailless dinosaur. However, unlike the JA-Delta, it had none of the grace or smoothness.
"When matched against the Angels, these were insufficient and would have never survived a series battle. However, they laid the foundation for the JA-Delta."
"What of the Gamma?" a pilot asked.
"We'll get to that," said Mana. "The new JA-Delta is equipped with two railguns, one on each arm. Missile launchers are on its back and a large- scale positron artillery mounted in between. Another smaller positron cannon is in it's mouth. If you want to pilot these machines, you must learn how to use these weapons properly and don't overkill something by slagging it with the positron cannons. Now, as for the JA-Gamma, that was a scaled down version of the JA-Alpha. Like the JA-Delta, it is equipped with a N2 reactor. The prototype was not ready for the demonstration of the Alpha, giving the shadow organization a perfect opportunity for their actions. The N2 reactor is stable, clean, and allows long, drawn out battles.
"Let's move onto the control systems. Obviously such a sophisticated piece of equipment needs to have a powerful computer system in order for it to work. The Delta has the latest AI assistance computer that handles a lot of the calculations for weapons and engines. The new Zero fighter has a similar system so it won't be too difficult to adapt. The controls of the Delta are also extremely sensitive so one must be careful when pulling turns and such. The inertia dampeners will help but only to a degree. There are two joysticks, one for general movement and the other for secondary weapons aiming. It has other uses but we'll get to that later. The first thing you must do is realize that the Delta is not like a fighter and does not maneuver like one. Despite its many maneuvering jets, it cannot pull too quick of a turn or you might lose control of the unit. You'll have to learn to fly a bit more conservatively."
"Then what keeps other fighters from flying circles around it?" Toji asked.
"Though it cannot keep up with enemy fighters, its weapons can," Mana answered. "The computer will automatically lock onto incoming enemy units and you can use your secondary joystick to switch between targets. You have a 360º view so don't worry too much about it."
"Cool."
Mana smiled. That certainly was a fair assessment of the JA and she was positive the trainees would learn to appreciate it even more once they took one for a spin.
"What kind of engines does it have?" Toji asked.
"The current ones have jet engines, all of them Boeing military models. However, soon we'll be installing pulse-detonation engines on them, which will increase speed and acceleration. At the moment the JA has banks of maneuvering engines designed to help it turn, but those are not capable of shooting the JA onto a new course very quickly. Let's take a hypothetical situation as an example. Say you're cruising over the land and a missile is fired at no. Do not try to outturn or outmaneuver it. It is simply impossible for the JA to take such tight rolls. The best thing to do is accelerate and let your point defense systems try to take it down. The JA is capable of achieving mach 7 for short bursts so you should be able to outrun it."
A few low whistles came from the class. Despite its shape, the JA was certainly a fast weapon. After going through more of the control systems and programming for the JA, class was dismissed and Toji followed Mana as she looked for her husband. They found him folding up papers and talking with one of his students.
"Well squirt, it looks like you got into his class."
Mari looked over and smiled at her big brother. "Hey bro. I was just talking with Captain Ikari."
"Just call him Shinji," said Mana. "He doesn't need all that attention."
Shinji gave Mana a quick kiss and turned to Toji.
"It's good to see you again, my old friend."
"Same here bud." Toji pulled his friend into a bear hug, squeezing Shinji till he couldn't breathe. He dropped the man a few seconds later.
"Still full of muscle I see," Shinji muttered as he caught his breath.
"Hey, it's all thanks to Hikari's cooking," Toji replied and posed a bit.
Mari laughed at her brother's antics and knocked him on the head to stop.
"C'mon, we have to go. Hikari doesn't like it when we're late."
"You all live together?" Mana asked.
Mari nodded. "Ever since I turned 18, I've stayed with Toji and Hikari. But that's because I wanted to study here. Dad was against me joining the JSSDF but he finally came about."
"Not without quite a bit of yelling," Toji recalled. "So, Shin-man. You up for some time with your old friends?"
"I'd be delighted. When?"
"How about tonight at, oh, around five?"
"We have no conflicting arrangements."
"Good. See you then. Let's go Mari."
Mari started after her brother but turned and saluted Shinji. She smiled at him and went out.
"It's surprising we've never run into Toji that much before today," said Mana. "We're all in the JSSDF."
"Different posting," said Shinji. "He's inside Tokyo 4 while we spend more of our time at the base or at some test site."
A ringing interrupted the two and Shinji pulled out his cell phone.
"Yeah? Okay. I'll be there in a sec. Gotta go take care of something dear. I'll get home at about three."
"Fine, but don't be too late about it."
With a kiss Shinji walked away as Mana headed home. The phone call he had received could be problematic, but not overly so as long as he controlled the variables. A car was waiting for him inside and took him outside of the city. After about thirty minutes Shinji found himself inside of an elevator going deep underground. Buried beneath the massive military base outside of Tokyo 4 was perhaps one of the most advanced biotechnology labs ever built. One of several classified research facilities, this one held the most dangerous specimen at the moment.
When he stepped out three guards came to attention. All of them watched carefully as Shinji ran his security pass through the reader. It clicked green and one of the guards examined his photo ID with his face. After a few seconds he handed it back and saluted. Past the huge blast doors was another corridor filled with a good deal of sensor equipment. At the end sat another guard, this time a woman, who politely waited for Shinji to give her his sidearm. He laid the pistol on her desk and she handed him another one. While it looked like a normal pistol, it had a lock on it designed to prevent it being fired on anyone with the proper security tag inside the facility. A decent measure, but like all things flawed.
"Thank you."
After tucking away his gun Shinji placed his hand on a palm reader and his eye level with a retina scanner. It was quite a lot of security, but necessary. Once through there was a final elevator he had to take down. When the doors opened this time it was inside of a massive lab. A scientist immediately ran up to him.
"This is far too soon. We had not expected the progress to be this quick."
"Don't worry about it," Shinji assured him. "No matter its progress, it will be years before consciousness reaches it."
"Well yes, but even so. It is of concern."
"We'll see."
They went deeper into the labs and through several more security checkpoints before entering a massive circular chamber. A hemisphere was present and a massive door in the ceiling was quite evident. However, it was what was inside the hemisphere that was of the greatest interest. Shinji walked over to a panel and tapped several keys. A DNA strand appeared but more and more was being written, adding on and editing the strand.
"Impressive," Shinji noted. "However, it will still take years before we see anything with our eyes."
"Yes, but we hadn't expected the DNA to be able to self-replicate until at least a year later. This is quite amazing."
"Then what is the concern?"
"The concern is one of control," the scientist explained. "We do not know if we have any way of stopping the DNA from continuing to grow and mutate if necessary."
"The best way would be to destroy the sample if something goes wrong," said Shinji. "It is currently our only possibility. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and look for others."
"Of course."
Shinji looked into the sphere once again and couldn't help but smile. What was growing inside was as much part of his legacy as God's. But this time, the glory would be his. Metatron would awaken.
The entire project had started quite some time ago, before he had even turned sixteen. It had taken a year just to get down the complete genetic sequence and even longer to even begin constructing it using free amino acids. Now it looked like it was constructing itself with the resources provided and it wouldn't be long before cells appeared. Everything was proceeding accordingly.
A glance at his watch told him he'd better get going so Shinji nodded to the scientist and walked out. He got his gun back and went home. Mana was waiting for him and almost jumped him.
"Wow. What's the emergency?"
"Nothing. Just glad to see you."
Shinji chuckled and kissed his fiancée again. In another month, they would be husband and wife.
"You sure this is necessary?" Shinji asked as they walked into the small café.
"Yes it is and stand up straight and get that tie straight."
With a sigh Shinji did as he was told and hoped that married life wouldn't be like this all the time. But then again, it probably would be like how he'd been with Mana for the past year. To his surprise Toji appeared, also in a shirt with a tie.
"I see Mana got you too," he joked.
"Toji, behave yourself!" a voice shouted from the kitchen.
"Yes dear," he answered with a grin. "C'mon in you two. We're closing up anyways."
"Nice place Hikari set up," Shinji commented. "Very homey. I assume you didn't have a hand in it?"
"At least you have a sense of humor now," Toji replied dryly. "We'll be eating in the back area. Wouldn't do to have people see us in here while we have the closed sign up."
Upon saying that Hikari appeared and greeted Shinji and Mana with hugs.
"It's so good to see all of you again. We need to get together more often."
"Very true," said Mana. "So Hikari, did Toji make you an honest woman?"
A blush said it all and as Hikari held up her hand it was clear.
"How long ago?" Shinji asked.
"Actually just last year," Toji informed them. "We still haven't managed to go out on a honeymoon."
Within seconds they were all seated though Hikari rushed back into the kitchen to start serving food. Mari appeared minutes later and took a seat next to Shinji as they waited. After that they prepared to enjoy a dinner among friends.
"So how is life teaching classes?" Hikari asked. "It must be nice to settle down a bit."
"So-so," Mana answered. "I do miss piloting, but I probably won't be doing much of that in a few months."
"Pass the bread please," Mari suddenly said.
"Don't eat them all," Shinji replied as he handed the basket over. The food really was good. He'd have to figure out some way to steal Hikari's recipes.
The conversation drifted from work to leisure and back to work again, each time new things popping up. Finally it drifted to a conversation about physics between Mana, Shinji, Mari, and Hikari. Toji just looked at all of them as if they were insane.
"But that is impossible," Mari insisted. "The Law of Thermodynamics states that energy goes from a form more useful to a less useful form. You can't reverse the process."
"Stars do it all the time," said Shinji. "Within a star, heavier elements are made from lighter elements. Heavier elements have more potential energy than lighter ones. We're perfectly capable of creating the same reaction, and thus we've just broken the law."
"I hate to interrupt, but we should get dessert served," Toji suddenly said.
Hikari nearly jumped up and ran into the kitchen. A sigh of relief was heard moments later.
"I guess she didn't burn them this time," Toji commented.
That was seen to be true as Hikari came out with a pan of brownies.
"When was the last time you've had these?" Hikari asked Mana.
The only answer was Mana chowing down on them as fast as she could.
"I'm not very good at baking," Shinji explained. "So the oven rarely gets touched."
"And homemade is always better than store-bought," Mana added.
"That's why Mana bought like a hundred from the bakery," Shinji whispered to Toji. The two old friends chuckled, hoping the girls wouldn't hear them.
"Have the two of you set a date?" Hikari asked.
"One month. Still have to find a best man," Shinji said, not at all subtle.
Toji laughed at his friend. "Man, you don't even have to ask. Just drop me in a tux and we'll be ready to go."
"My Dad is so going to cry when he finds out I'm getting married," said Mana.
"That's the way dads are," Hikari assured her. "Have the two of you done any planning?"
"We found a church for the ceremony," said Shinji. "Besides that, things are a bit hazy."
"Leave it to me," said Hikari, almost jumping out of her seat. "I'll make your wedding as grand as Toji's and mine. I'll make sure to book a good band and I'll supply the food. Oh! The cake will be wonderful too!"
"Thanks Hikari," said Mana. "I doubt Shinji would know even where to start if he was doing it by himself."
"Hey, at least I found a church. Surprised there even was one in Tokyo 4."
"Are you Christian?" Toji asked.
Shinji shrugged. "You could say I am, but I'm not baptized or anything."
And then it was over. That little moment with friends that so many people take granted was over. Dessert was over now and the two families bade farewell. However, a wedding still had to be planned.
"I'm not sure I understand this genetic makeup," said Maya.
Truth be told, Asuka had to admit to herself that she herself barely understood it. However, thanks to the Human Genome Project, they had a reference. Still, at times it wasn't perfect.
"What's the problem?"
"This string of genes again," Maya replied.
It was indeed the same group of genes that had been giving them problems for the entire week. Despite their best attempts to crack the code, they still couldn't figure out what this series was for.
"We'll splice it into a bacterium or something," said Asuka, "and watch what happens. But make sure that the specimen is under heavy lock and key. If it gets loose, we're in serious trouble."
"Yes ma'am."
After that Asuka filed away the report. She was in a rather messy situation and if a disaster took place, NERV would be dead. There was also the fact that protests were being held almost daily across the world, the majority of them anti-NERV. It had been expected but the political fallout was greater than what the Security Council or any of the involved governments expected.
"How behind are we?" Asuka asked.
"Two weeks. It isn't that much of a problem but if it keeps building up," Maya let it hang.
If it kept building up we'd be months behind, Asuka finished the thought.
"Once we wrap up this stage we'll go through all of the data to try to find where we slowed down," Asuka said. "From there we'll strengthen our weak spots."
"Dr. Soryu, phone call."
Asuka picked up the phone and dialed in her code. It connected a millisecond later.
"This is Dr. Soryu."
"Dr. Soryu, this is Minister Shroder. I know this comes at a bad time but several member nations of the Security Council are demanding that inspections be made of the NERV installation. They want to be able to start looking through NERV in a week."
"Great," Asuka muttered. "It's not like I don't have enough to deal with already."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Soryu. However, it was unavoidable. Try to put up a good image for the inspectors. We do need their support if NERV is to survive."
"Thanks for the warning."
Asuka hung up and slumped down. "You know, it was never this hard in the old NERV."
"It was because NERV was considered the last line of defense for humanity," said Maya. "Now, people see us as the greatest threat to humanity."
"When I get my hands on Shinji. He made this go down to hell for us, especially with that speech."
Maya shrugged. "Everyone must do what they feel is right. Shinji's probably thinking the same about you."
"Yeah well. I just hoped he would trust me a bit more."
As the now catlike cleaner moved past them Asuka picked it up and petted it. It reacted surprisingly well and almost seemed to purr.
"How advanced is its programming?" Asuka asked.
"Advanced enough."
And that was all Maya was willing to say. Asuka let the thing go and tried to focus on her work again. She really didn't want to go back to her office and face the huge amount of paperwork stacked there. Thus, Asuka decided it was time to go out a bit.
"I'm going to get some fresh air."
Before she was even in the elevator Asuka knew that Section 2 would have half a dozen agents outside and ready to follow her. Another security measure that would probably be needed. Because it was so industrialized, Germany had had little trouble rebuilding. It was now one of the greatest powers in the world and a center of scientific development. And yet, Germany was still remembered as the nation that had caused two world wars. Many nations viewed it with suspicion, especially several eastern European nations. And yet, right now Japan and Germany were almost like brothers. It had been Japan that housed the original NERV headquarters and produced Gendo Ikari. Now Germany had resurrected it. No wonder people were so distrustful. Old hatreds died hard.
With a smile Asuka stepped out of the underground facility. Natural sunlight was much better than the artificial lights she was so used to. And the air? There was no comparison. The air around here was surprisingly clean and much fresher than the filtered air inside.
The Ruhr Valley was once the heartland of German industry, but now much of it was occupied by the new government research facility. Originally part of the German NERV branch, it was now NERV headquarters. Tress grew all over the valley, reminding Asuka that the world was still recovering. It was amazing how much had survived Third Impact, but a good deal was also lost. A few more species were wiped out and now all that was left was protected. Scientists claimed it would take decades for the environment to recover. Maybe even centuries.
At the moment the young woman didn't consider any of that. What she did consider was the shining city around her. The German NERV Headquarters was patterned a bit like the old one, but it didn't go as deep. That meant a city sat on top of the facility.
As she looked up Asuka noticed the faint outline of the black moon. Entombed there were the many NERV technicians that had stayed behind during the lockdown, all of them slaughtered by the JSSDF. Misato was also up there. It had been decided that no one would touch the black moon and the UN kept two satellites on watch to make sure no one tried to get close. But since only the UN and the US had space flight capability, it wasn't too much of a worry right now. Still, Japan's new space cruiser could be a problem.
It wasn't her problem right now so Asuka dismissed the thoughts. She was considering going to some shop or another and stood there for a bit. With a turn she tried to decide which store to go to. It probably wasn't a good idea to go shopping while on the job. But she could go grab a bite to eat. Suddenly there was a crack and Asuka felt an impact on her right shoulder. Pain surged through her and she screamed out. Blood erupted from the wound, splashing over her and the ground as she fell. Somehow it felt like a dozen things continued to hit her, cutting her in a dozen places. Asuka landed on her back and the wind was knocked out of her. As she tried to get a grasp of the situation, she saw several Section 2 agents rush out. They had guns drawn and surrounded her. One knelt down and pressed something against her wound. Asuka felt like screaming out in pain but bit down on her lip. It was so painful; the wound was bleeding freely and she couldn't concentrate. It felt like her body was on fire and Asuka didn't dare look down.
"The director is hit, I repeat, the director is hit."
Someone was talking but Asuka couldn't figure out who it was. What was going on? Had she been shot? Slowly her eyes started to glass over and she started going into shock. She felt a slap and it returned her to realty for a few seconds. Asuka felt herself lifted up and carried off. She couldn't feel the pain anymore. It was numb. Finally, with all the loss of blood, she lost consciousness.
End of Chapter 5
Yes that was an assassination attempt. I'll work on getting chapter 6 out faster.
Z98
My apologies to my prereader, Angie. I forgot to send her a copy but still she read and reviewed it. How nice of her.
Latest notes. Had to redo the entire chapter because I didn't like how it was developing before. Anyways, this chapter actually cost me about ten dollars to bring to you. Yes, ten dollars and I'm not kidding. What did that money do? Buy me a copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls and translations. Another note is that the Greek alphabet works in this order. Alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. That's the first four. Don't get confused and think that gamma should come after delta. Just a note.
Another note. I spent another 6 bucks getting a book about angels. I mean the ones in religions and it has a list of names and information about them. Very useful.
Chapter 5: Partial Retirement
"And that should do it."
With a quick glance Shinji examined the promotion papers and set them down. After their actions in the Middle East both he and Mana was promoted to the rank of Captain. The next thing he had to do was to finish the transfer papers. And with a final stroke of the pen both Captain Shinji Ikari and Mana Kirishima were transferred to the reserve.
"Thank you captains. I hope you enjoy your leave."
Shinji thanked the officer and walked with Mana out of the large bureaucratic building. Because of the political outcry from both supporters and critics of the new NERV, the Japanese government had agreed that it would be better to allow Shinji and Mana to go into the reserve forces. This was agreed upon after Shinji gave his assurance he wouldn't give any more press conferences without the approval of the government or the military.
"We finally have some time to ourselves," Mana commented.
"And how sweet that time will be," Shinji said and kissed her on the forehead.
A car was waiting and drove them to the new condo the military supplied them. Both had received positions at the JSSDF Air Force Academy in Tokyo 4 and though they weren't on active duty taking on students would still be quite a bit of work.
"I still don't understand why you're teaching a theoretical physics class," said Mana.
"Let's just say you still have quite a bit to learn about me. But then again, the same goes for me about you."
"Oh whatever. At least I'm staying in my profession."
That certainly was true. Mana would be one of the instructors for the newest generation of JSSDF pilots. Depending on how she assesses them, they might even become JA pilots.
"You know, you always loved that mall downtown. What was it called, the Mall of Asia? Why don't we swing by and start preparing for our wedding?"
"Ooo, that sounds like a brilliant idea, lieutenant."
Mana laughed and hugged Shinji gently. She almost felt the new life growing in her, warm and strong. Would it be a boy or girl?
"This is interesting indeed."
"What is?" Asuka asked, looking up.
Just as she did the upgraded cleaner moved past her. This time it was in a dog-like shape and bounded about, slurping up any chemical spills.
"Okay, either find a shape you like or don't change it every day," Asuka stated. Just the previous day it had been a snake.
"Of course," Maya replied with a smile. "I though you'd want to see this. It looks like designs for some kind of new space cruiser."
"The UN Space Force up to their old tricks again?" Asuka asked.
"Actually, no."
That caught the young woman's attention and she took the datapad. As she reviewed the information Asuka found that she was quite impressed. The new cruiser would be twice as large as that of the current UN cruiser and would utilize a powerful magnetic field to get off the surface and into space. Apparently it could fill the role as a warship, carrier, and freighter all in one. However, a few things puzzled her, including the power source.
"Who designed this?" Asuka asked.
"Shinji."
Asuka's eyes shot up. "What! But he doesn't have the technical know-how to do this!"
"Apparently he does now."
Asuka's mind went racing. She vaguely remembered something Shinji had said to her, something about having the combined knowledge of humanity in his mind. Was that it? Was that how he had designed this awesome weapons platform? That was the only explanation. She went back to the schematics and looked closer at the power generator.
"Oh my god."
"What?" asked Maya.
"The power generator. This isn't possible."
"It isn't," Maya assured her. "I contacted most of the top scientists and theorists regarding antimatter, and all of them say it would be at least five more years before they iron out the last few bugs with the system."
"But the designs are right here," said Asuka.
Maya nodded. "They actually look more advanced than what I've seen before, but believe me. It's not possible yet."
"Maybe, maybe not."
Asuka reluctantly returned the datapad and pondered Shinji's words so long ago. Had he meant it literally? That seemed impossible. The scientist in Asuka just couldn't believe it. And yet the woman in her found that the man who loved her could never lie.
"I want to get in contact with Shinji as soon as possible," Asuka stated.
"We've been trying for quite some time now," Maya replied sadly. "However, he's refusing to speak with anyone from NERV and the Japanese government doesn't feel it's proper to pressure him."
"What's the point of having all this power if the UN can't even exercise it?"
Pacing, Asuka tried to review her options. They were limited to what the Security Council could do, and then only if she could convince them to exercise their authority. Unless she went to outside sources.
"Maya, I'll be in a conference for a while. If anyone asks, I am not to be disturbed."
"Of course. Asuka? Please don't do anything rash."
Ignoring the last comment, Asuka walked back to her office and took out her phone. She hesitated for a second before entering the number.
"Central Intelligence Agency, how may I direct your call?" the voice on the other end answered.
"I need to speak with Director Finley immediately."
"I'm sorry, but Director Finley isn't available. May I take a message?"
"This is Dr. Asuka Langley Soryu of NERV. Now either connect me with Director Finely or there will be consequences!"
"One moment please," a shaky voice replied. Apparently Asuka's threat had worked.
"This is Director Finley."
"Director, this is Dr. Soryu. I have something disturbing that you must know."
"And what was so important that you threatened my secretary?"
"Simply that the Japanese might be making a power play soon."
"Oh? And what reasoning is behind this?"
"Only the fact that the Japanese military has developed a new generation of space cruisers."
Silence was her only answer for several seconds before Finley spoke. "I should have expected you to know this. But that hardly constitutes a direct threat."
"What if I told you the cruiser can be equipped with N2 warheads?"
This time the silence was longer.
"I hope to god that you're joking."
"I am not," Asuka assured him.
"Then there will be consequences. We had suspected, but how do you know?"
"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that if the Japanese are allowed to succeed in constructing a fleet of these no major power in the world will be able to match them for quite some time."
"Why tell me?" Finley asked. "Why not bring it to the Security Council?"
"Because I believe that the Council is too divided to rectify the situation quickly enough. The United States on the other hand has enough power to do so. At least it still does. What if I told you the Japanese are also preparing several other technological advances that would put them as the leading power in Asia?"
"Then we have much to discuss, Dr. Soryu."
The Tokyo Military Academy was more than a place for training officers. Here many of the scientists that worked on the various projects at the base outside of Tokyo 4 also taught a wide range of topics, attracting civilians as well as soldiers. Because of this, some courses in the Academy are available to the public at large.
Shinji finished looking over his notes and prepared for the first day of class. Despite his age, he would not be a student here. In fact, he was the new professor of theoretical physics. Since Shinji would only be teaching one class, competition had been fierce to get into that one section. He had spent the previous two weeks reading through the hundreds of papers submitted by all the hopefuls. Some of the things he'd looked for was creativity, intelligence, thoroughness, and most of all tone. A few of the papers had been exceptional while others had flopped. The one that caught his attention the most was by a young cadet by the name of Mari Suzuhara. Shinji smiled. He had only met Mari twice and it would be nice to see how she'd grown.
"Here're the papers you wanted," one of the secretaries said as Shinji entered the main office.
"Thanks."
The papers in his hands were a copy of one of the latest physics theories, the Unified Forces Theory. According to the Theory, all energy was recycled from one form to the next, no matter what its starting state was. While the laws of thermodynamics stated that all energy goes from a useful form to a less useful form, this law may very well prove the key to changing that belief.
Energy is the building blocks of the universe. Matter is a form of trapped energy and photons are also forms of energy. The only way scientists had to completely transfer matter to energy was in a matter/antimatter annihilation. However, that energy did result in heat, and it was considered impossible to transfer waste heat into usable energy. Another notion that the Unified Forces Theory worked to disprove. If it succeeded, it would be the greatest advancement of physics, ranking with Isaac Newton's Laws of Gravity and Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity and e=mc². This would later prove very useful in his own projects.
"Mr. Ikari, the class is waiting."
"Ah yes. I'll be right there."
Shinji closed the packet and proceeded to the large auditorium-like chamber. Before him were fifty of the best and brightest and he would enjoy picking their brains. Who knows? Maybe one of them would surpass him one day.
At another part of the academy Mana was also meeting her first class. As one of only two JA pilots that actually saw combat, she would be the instructor for the latest generation of pilots for the Jet Alone. Her class was even smaller than Shinji's as the JA was still extremely expensive to mass-produce so only fifteen more units would be built. There were also rumors of a JA-Epsilon being designed, though it would be years before a prototype was completed.
One of the new pilots was someone Mana recognized, though he no longer had an arm.
"It's good to see you again, Toji. And I never did get a chance to thank you."
Toji waved it off with his good hand. "Don't worry too much about it. I was just helping a friend."
Mana smiled. "So I was a friend?"
Toji laughed and shook his head. "Shinji was a friend. You are a friend."
"What does that mean?"
"I haven't really seen him in a long time," Toji answered. "After all that he's gone through, well, I'm not sure if I really know him."
"And you know me?"
"Ha. You're my instructor. If I can't get alone with you, then there're going to be problems."
True enough, Mana realized. "Maybe you and Hikari can come over sometime. Shinji and I have a flat in the city and I'm sure he'd love to see you again."
Toji nodded. "Yeah. Actually, maybe you and Shinji can come over to our place. Hikari runs a little café downtown and we live right above it. There's plenty of room and her cooking has improved a lot."
"Shinji can help too. He usually gets home before I do and gets dinner started up. That or he runs home because he doesn't like American food."
"That's right. You spent some time in the US before you were selected to be a JA pilot. I hear it's the grease."
"And the salt," Mana added.
"I think you should start class now. The other trainees are getting rather impatient."
Toji moved back with the other pilots and took a seat. As Mana walked forward she noticed that all of them were at least lieutenants. That was a good sign, as she doubted new cadets would be able to handle the JA as well as their more experienced comrades.
"I am Lieutenant Mana Kirishima and I will be your instructor. As many of you know the Jet Alone program was started during the Angel Wars as an alternative to the Evangelion project, something that was seriously draining the resources of our world despite it being the only thing capable of standing against the Angels. Even though the first attempt was sabotaged by a shadow organization, the Japanese government went ahead with development. The JA-Alpha prototype was scrapped and the JA-Beta was developed, the one I piloted when I was still a teen."
With a press of a button pictures of the JA-Beta appeared. It was a remarkable machine, with two legs and two tiny arms and looking like a tailless dinosaur. However, unlike the JA-Delta, it had none of the grace or smoothness.
"When matched against the Angels, these were insufficient and would have never survived a series battle. However, they laid the foundation for the JA-Delta."
"What of the Gamma?" a pilot asked.
"We'll get to that," said Mana. "The new JA-Delta is equipped with two railguns, one on each arm. Missile launchers are on its back and a large- scale positron artillery mounted in between. Another smaller positron cannon is in it's mouth. If you want to pilot these machines, you must learn how to use these weapons properly and don't overkill something by slagging it with the positron cannons. Now, as for the JA-Gamma, that was a scaled down version of the JA-Alpha. Like the JA-Delta, it is equipped with a N2 reactor. The prototype was not ready for the demonstration of the Alpha, giving the shadow organization a perfect opportunity for their actions. The N2 reactor is stable, clean, and allows long, drawn out battles.
"Let's move onto the control systems. Obviously such a sophisticated piece of equipment needs to have a powerful computer system in order for it to work. The Delta has the latest AI assistance computer that handles a lot of the calculations for weapons and engines. The new Zero fighter has a similar system so it won't be too difficult to adapt. The controls of the Delta are also extremely sensitive so one must be careful when pulling turns and such. The inertia dampeners will help but only to a degree. There are two joysticks, one for general movement and the other for secondary weapons aiming. It has other uses but we'll get to that later. The first thing you must do is realize that the Delta is not like a fighter and does not maneuver like one. Despite its many maneuvering jets, it cannot pull too quick of a turn or you might lose control of the unit. You'll have to learn to fly a bit more conservatively."
"Then what keeps other fighters from flying circles around it?" Toji asked.
"Though it cannot keep up with enemy fighters, its weapons can," Mana answered. "The computer will automatically lock onto incoming enemy units and you can use your secondary joystick to switch between targets. You have a 360º view so don't worry too much about it."
"Cool."
Mana smiled. That certainly was a fair assessment of the JA and she was positive the trainees would learn to appreciate it even more once they took one for a spin.
"What kind of engines does it have?" Toji asked.
"The current ones have jet engines, all of them Boeing military models. However, soon we'll be installing pulse-detonation engines on them, which will increase speed and acceleration. At the moment the JA has banks of maneuvering engines designed to help it turn, but those are not capable of shooting the JA onto a new course very quickly. Let's take a hypothetical situation as an example. Say you're cruising over the land and a missile is fired at no. Do not try to outturn or outmaneuver it. It is simply impossible for the JA to take such tight rolls. The best thing to do is accelerate and let your point defense systems try to take it down. The JA is capable of achieving mach 7 for short bursts so you should be able to outrun it."
A few low whistles came from the class. Despite its shape, the JA was certainly a fast weapon. After going through more of the control systems and programming for the JA, class was dismissed and Toji followed Mana as she looked for her husband. They found him folding up papers and talking with one of his students.
"Well squirt, it looks like you got into his class."
Mari looked over and smiled at her big brother. "Hey bro. I was just talking with Captain Ikari."
"Just call him Shinji," said Mana. "He doesn't need all that attention."
Shinji gave Mana a quick kiss and turned to Toji.
"It's good to see you again, my old friend."
"Same here bud." Toji pulled his friend into a bear hug, squeezing Shinji till he couldn't breathe. He dropped the man a few seconds later.
"Still full of muscle I see," Shinji muttered as he caught his breath.
"Hey, it's all thanks to Hikari's cooking," Toji replied and posed a bit.
Mari laughed at her brother's antics and knocked him on the head to stop.
"C'mon, we have to go. Hikari doesn't like it when we're late."
"You all live together?" Mana asked.
Mari nodded. "Ever since I turned 18, I've stayed with Toji and Hikari. But that's because I wanted to study here. Dad was against me joining the JSSDF but he finally came about."
"Not without quite a bit of yelling," Toji recalled. "So, Shin-man. You up for some time with your old friends?"
"I'd be delighted. When?"
"How about tonight at, oh, around five?"
"We have no conflicting arrangements."
"Good. See you then. Let's go Mari."
Mari started after her brother but turned and saluted Shinji. She smiled at him and went out.
"It's surprising we've never run into Toji that much before today," said Mana. "We're all in the JSSDF."
"Different posting," said Shinji. "He's inside Tokyo 4 while we spend more of our time at the base or at some test site."
A ringing interrupted the two and Shinji pulled out his cell phone.
"Yeah? Okay. I'll be there in a sec. Gotta go take care of something dear. I'll get home at about three."
"Fine, but don't be too late about it."
With a kiss Shinji walked away as Mana headed home. The phone call he had received could be problematic, but not overly so as long as he controlled the variables. A car was waiting for him inside and took him outside of the city. After about thirty minutes Shinji found himself inside of an elevator going deep underground. Buried beneath the massive military base outside of Tokyo 4 was perhaps one of the most advanced biotechnology labs ever built. One of several classified research facilities, this one held the most dangerous specimen at the moment.
When he stepped out three guards came to attention. All of them watched carefully as Shinji ran his security pass through the reader. It clicked green and one of the guards examined his photo ID with his face. After a few seconds he handed it back and saluted. Past the huge blast doors was another corridor filled with a good deal of sensor equipment. At the end sat another guard, this time a woman, who politely waited for Shinji to give her his sidearm. He laid the pistol on her desk and she handed him another one. While it looked like a normal pistol, it had a lock on it designed to prevent it being fired on anyone with the proper security tag inside the facility. A decent measure, but like all things flawed.
"Thank you."
After tucking away his gun Shinji placed his hand on a palm reader and his eye level with a retina scanner. It was quite a lot of security, but necessary. Once through there was a final elevator he had to take down. When the doors opened this time it was inside of a massive lab. A scientist immediately ran up to him.
"This is far too soon. We had not expected the progress to be this quick."
"Don't worry about it," Shinji assured him. "No matter its progress, it will be years before consciousness reaches it."
"Well yes, but even so. It is of concern."
"We'll see."
They went deeper into the labs and through several more security checkpoints before entering a massive circular chamber. A hemisphere was present and a massive door in the ceiling was quite evident. However, it was what was inside the hemisphere that was of the greatest interest. Shinji walked over to a panel and tapped several keys. A DNA strand appeared but more and more was being written, adding on and editing the strand.
"Impressive," Shinji noted. "However, it will still take years before we see anything with our eyes."
"Yes, but we hadn't expected the DNA to be able to self-replicate until at least a year later. This is quite amazing."
"Then what is the concern?"
"The concern is one of control," the scientist explained. "We do not know if we have any way of stopping the DNA from continuing to grow and mutate if necessary."
"The best way would be to destroy the sample if something goes wrong," said Shinji. "It is currently our only possibility. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and look for others."
"Of course."
Shinji looked into the sphere once again and couldn't help but smile. What was growing inside was as much part of his legacy as God's. But this time, the glory would be his. Metatron would awaken.
The entire project had started quite some time ago, before he had even turned sixteen. It had taken a year just to get down the complete genetic sequence and even longer to even begin constructing it using free amino acids. Now it looked like it was constructing itself with the resources provided and it wouldn't be long before cells appeared. Everything was proceeding accordingly.
A glance at his watch told him he'd better get going so Shinji nodded to the scientist and walked out. He got his gun back and went home. Mana was waiting for him and almost jumped him.
"Wow. What's the emergency?"
"Nothing. Just glad to see you."
Shinji chuckled and kissed his fiancée again. In another month, they would be husband and wife.
"You sure this is necessary?" Shinji asked as they walked into the small café.
"Yes it is and stand up straight and get that tie straight."
With a sigh Shinji did as he was told and hoped that married life wouldn't be like this all the time. But then again, it probably would be like how he'd been with Mana for the past year. To his surprise Toji appeared, also in a shirt with a tie.
"I see Mana got you too," he joked.
"Toji, behave yourself!" a voice shouted from the kitchen.
"Yes dear," he answered with a grin. "C'mon in you two. We're closing up anyways."
"Nice place Hikari set up," Shinji commented. "Very homey. I assume you didn't have a hand in it?"
"At least you have a sense of humor now," Toji replied dryly. "We'll be eating in the back area. Wouldn't do to have people see us in here while we have the closed sign up."
Upon saying that Hikari appeared and greeted Shinji and Mana with hugs.
"It's so good to see all of you again. We need to get together more often."
"Very true," said Mana. "So Hikari, did Toji make you an honest woman?"
A blush said it all and as Hikari held up her hand it was clear.
"How long ago?" Shinji asked.
"Actually just last year," Toji informed them. "We still haven't managed to go out on a honeymoon."
Within seconds they were all seated though Hikari rushed back into the kitchen to start serving food. Mari appeared minutes later and took a seat next to Shinji as they waited. After that they prepared to enjoy a dinner among friends.
"So how is life teaching classes?" Hikari asked. "It must be nice to settle down a bit."
"So-so," Mana answered. "I do miss piloting, but I probably won't be doing much of that in a few months."
"Pass the bread please," Mari suddenly said.
"Don't eat them all," Shinji replied as he handed the basket over. The food really was good. He'd have to figure out some way to steal Hikari's recipes.
The conversation drifted from work to leisure and back to work again, each time new things popping up. Finally it drifted to a conversation about physics between Mana, Shinji, Mari, and Hikari. Toji just looked at all of them as if they were insane.
"But that is impossible," Mari insisted. "The Law of Thermodynamics states that energy goes from a form more useful to a less useful form. You can't reverse the process."
"Stars do it all the time," said Shinji. "Within a star, heavier elements are made from lighter elements. Heavier elements have more potential energy than lighter ones. We're perfectly capable of creating the same reaction, and thus we've just broken the law."
"I hate to interrupt, but we should get dessert served," Toji suddenly said.
Hikari nearly jumped up and ran into the kitchen. A sigh of relief was heard moments later.
"I guess she didn't burn them this time," Toji commented.
That was seen to be true as Hikari came out with a pan of brownies.
"When was the last time you've had these?" Hikari asked Mana.
The only answer was Mana chowing down on them as fast as she could.
"I'm not very good at baking," Shinji explained. "So the oven rarely gets touched."
"And homemade is always better than store-bought," Mana added.
"That's why Mana bought like a hundred from the bakery," Shinji whispered to Toji. The two old friends chuckled, hoping the girls wouldn't hear them.
"Have the two of you set a date?" Hikari asked.
"One month. Still have to find a best man," Shinji said, not at all subtle.
Toji laughed at his friend. "Man, you don't even have to ask. Just drop me in a tux and we'll be ready to go."
"My Dad is so going to cry when he finds out I'm getting married," said Mana.
"That's the way dads are," Hikari assured her. "Have the two of you done any planning?"
"We found a church for the ceremony," said Shinji. "Besides that, things are a bit hazy."
"Leave it to me," said Hikari, almost jumping out of her seat. "I'll make your wedding as grand as Toji's and mine. I'll make sure to book a good band and I'll supply the food. Oh! The cake will be wonderful too!"
"Thanks Hikari," said Mana. "I doubt Shinji would know even where to start if he was doing it by himself."
"Hey, at least I found a church. Surprised there even was one in Tokyo 4."
"Are you Christian?" Toji asked.
Shinji shrugged. "You could say I am, but I'm not baptized or anything."
And then it was over. That little moment with friends that so many people take granted was over. Dessert was over now and the two families bade farewell. However, a wedding still had to be planned.
"I'm not sure I understand this genetic makeup," said Maya.
Truth be told, Asuka had to admit to herself that she herself barely understood it. However, thanks to the Human Genome Project, they had a reference. Still, at times it wasn't perfect.
"What's the problem?"
"This string of genes again," Maya replied.
It was indeed the same group of genes that had been giving them problems for the entire week. Despite their best attempts to crack the code, they still couldn't figure out what this series was for.
"We'll splice it into a bacterium or something," said Asuka, "and watch what happens. But make sure that the specimen is under heavy lock and key. If it gets loose, we're in serious trouble."
"Yes ma'am."
After that Asuka filed away the report. She was in a rather messy situation and if a disaster took place, NERV would be dead. There was also the fact that protests were being held almost daily across the world, the majority of them anti-NERV. It had been expected but the political fallout was greater than what the Security Council or any of the involved governments expected.
"How behind are we?" Asuka asked.
"Two weeks. It isn't that much of a problem but if it keeps building up," Maya let it hang.
If it kept building up we'd be months behind, Asuka finished the thought.
"Once we wrap up this stage we'll go through all of the data to try to find where we slowed down," Asuka said. "From there we'll strengthen our weak spots."
"Dr. Soryu, phone call."
Asuka picked up the phone and dialed in her code. It connected a millisecond later.
"This is Dr. Soryu."
"Dr. Soryu, this is Minister Shroder. I know this comes at a bad time but several member nations of the Security Council are demanding that inspections be made of the NERV installation. They want to be able to start looking through NERV in a week."
"Great," Asuka muttered. "It's not like I don't have enough to deal with already."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Soryu. However, it was unavoidable. Try to put up a good image for the inspectors. We do need their support if NERV is to survive."
"Thanks for the warning."
Asuka hung up and slumped down. "You know, it was never this hard in the old NERV."
"It was because NERV was considered the last line of defense for humanity," said Maya. "Now, people see us as the greatest threat to humanity."
"When I get my hands on Shinji. He made this go down to hell for us, especially with that speech."
Maya shrugged. "Everyone must do what they feel is right. Shinji's probably thinking the same about you."
"Yeah well. I just hoped he would trust me a bit more."
As the now catlike cleaner moved past them Asuka picked it up and petted it. It reacted surprisingly well and almost seemed to purr.
"How advanced is its programming?" Asuka asked.
"Advanced enough."
And that was all Maya was willing to say. Asuka let the thing go and tried to focus on her work again. She really didn't want to go back to her office and face the huge amount of paperwork stacked there. Thus, Asuka decided it was time to go out a bit.
"I'm going to get some fresh air."
Before she was even in the elevator Asuka knew that Section 2 would have half a dozen agents outside and ready to follow her. Another security measure that would probably be needed. Because it was so industrialized, Germany had had little trouble rebuilding. It was now one of the greatest powers in the world and a center of scientific development. And yet, Germany was still remembered as the nation that had caused two world wars. Many nations viewed it with suspicion, especially several eastern European nations. And yet, right now Japan and Germany were almost like brothers. It had been Japan that housed the original NERV headquarters and produced Gendo Ikari. Now Germany had resurrected it. No wonder people were so distrustful. Old hatreds died hard.
With a smile Asuka stepped out of the underground facility. Natural sunlight was much better than the artificial lights she was so used to. And the air? There was no comparison. The air around here was surprisingly clean and much fresher than the filtered air inside.
The Ruhr Valley was once the heartland of German industry, but now much of it was occupied by the new government research facility. Originally part of the German NERV branch, it was now NERV headquarters. Tress grew all over the valley, reminding Asuka that the world was still recovering. It was amazing how much had survived Third Impact, but a good deal was also lost. A few more species were wiped out and now all that was left was protected. Scientists claimed it would take decades for the environment to recover. Maybe even centuries.
At the moment the young woman didn't consider any of that. What she did consider was the shining city around her. The German NERV Headquarters was patterned a bit like the old one, but it didn't go as deep. That meant a city sat on top of the facility.
As she looked up Asuka noticed the faint outline of the black moon. Entombed there were the many NERV technicians that had stayed behind during the lockdown, all of them slaughtered by the JSSDF. Misato was also up there. It had been decided that no one would touch the black moon and the UN kept two satellites on watch to make sure no one tried to get close. But since only the UN and the US had space flight capability, it wasn't too much of a worry right now. Still, Japan's new space cruiser could be a problem.
It wasn't her problem right now so Asuka dismissed the thoughts. She was considering going to some shop or another and stood there for a bit. With a turn she tried to decide which store to go to. It probably wasn't a good idea to go shopping while on the job. But she could go grab a bite to eat. Suddenly there was a crack and Asuka felt an impact on her right shoulder. Pain surged through her and she screamed out. Blood erupted from the wound, splashing over her and the ground as she fell. Somehow it felt like a dozen things continued to hit her, cutting her in a dozen places. Asuka landed on her back and the wind was knocked out of her. As she tried to get a grasp of the situation, she saw several Section 2 agents rush out. They had guns drawn and surrounded her. One knelt down and pressed something against her wound. Asuka felt like screaming out in pain but bit down on her lip. It was so painful; the wound was bleeding freely and she couldn't concentrate. It felt like her body was on fire and Asuka didn't dare look down.
"The director is hit, I repeat, the director is hit."
Someone was talking but Asuka couldn't figure out who it was. What was going on? Had she been shot? Slowly her eyes started to glass over and she started going into shock. She felt a slap and it returned her to realty for a few seconds. Asuka felt herself lifted up and carried off. She couldn't feel the pain anymore. It was numb. Finally, with all the loss of blood, she lost consciousness.
End of Chapter 5
Yes that was an assassination attempt. I'll work on getting chapter 6 out faster.
Z98
