Chapter 48
"COMMANDER!" Lt. Fuki yelled out. "LOOK!"
Sawyer's eyes went wide as he looked at the display. When he looked at the relay, Hope's vitals were increasing. Everything was nominal and the wounds on the bio display seemed to be decreasing in size.
"What the hell?" Sawyer asked. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
"Commander!" Dr. Ibuki said. "Its' Major Ikari! Her vitals….I can't explain it….they are back online…."
"How the hell is that possible?" Sawyer asked.
"It could be," Dr. Ibuki explained. ", when Unit 1 went offline, the power went offline….in that instance….the vitals would read zero….I'm showing she's still wounded but the wounds are not that severe."
"Are you sure?" Sawyer asked.
"No." Dr. Ibuki said. "Not really…there's a strange shift in the harmonics…. they're nominal but…there's an odd flux there….I don't know…I'm going to check it and get back to you."
"Commander, we have a visual from Unit 1." Lt. Fuki said.
"On screen!" Sawyer said.
The screen flickered and Sawyer smiled widely as he saw Unit 01 engaging in battle with Angel 20. He watched as Unit 01 exuded an AT field at the angel and then fired its rifles directly into it.
"Unit 1 is up!" Sawyer exclaimed happily, feeling his heart beat widely.
"Sir! We have communications with Unit 1!" Fuki called out.
"NERV COMMAND TO UNIT 01!" Sawyer said over the headset. "MAJOR IKARI, RESPOND!"
"Major Ikari, I copy." Hope's face appeared on the monitor. She had no wounds on her.
She looked strong, determined and not in any way the way Sawyer had seen on the monitor previously where it looked like any second she would die.
Sawyer sighed out of relief with a large smile as he said. "Status of target, Major?"
"Not much longer." Hope said. "Unit 1 is primed and ready! Angel 20 will be eliminated."
Sawyer turned to Lt. Fuki and asked. "Lance, how long to track SEELE's signal."
"One minute, sir." Lance said. "I just need a minute."
"Hope, can you hold that thing at bay for one minute?"
"One minute?" Hope asked.
"Yes, one minute."
"Piece of Cake, Commander." Hope said happily. "My father is on my side."
"What?" Sawyer asked as he looked at her strangely..
"Uh…. nothing! Just, I'll do what I need to. Major Ikari out." She said as the image disappeared.
"Good work, Major." Sawyer said with a smirk. "NERV TO SQUADRON COMMAND, CALL OFF THE FIGHTERS IMMEDIATELY!"
Two seconds later, the angry face of General Ikari appeared on the monitor yelling out. "SAWYER! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
"Its Major Ikari, General! She's back!" Sawyer said with a smile. "Check your relay."
"What?" General Ikari asked, as she looked at her relay and could see all of Hope's vitals were nominal. "How could…Oh my god! She is back!" General Ikari said happily. "Commander, she's okay! How though she was near death!"
"I don't know how! I don' care how!" Sawyer said happily. "She's back that's all I care about. She's giving us one minute to track the signal. Once, we've got it. We've got SEELE."
"Good work, Commander." Asuka said. "For an American, you're not too bad but then again, that is MY daughter piloting that thing."
"You couldn't be more right, General. Get ready to commence operation in one minute thirty seconds."
"Roger." Asuka said.
"Uh, Commander Dell?" Dr. Ibuki asked as she appeared on the screen in front of him.
"Yes, Dr. Ibuki?" Sawyer answered.
"You better take a look at your relay and look at the harmonics sync ratio."
"What?" Sawyer asked.
"Just….check it."
Sawyer went to the display and there his eyes widened. "Umm…. are there supposed to be…. two sets of harmonic responses and two sets of vocal patterns?"
"No." Dr. Ibuki said. "Further more, this set of harmonic responses and vocal pattern outputs to a signature that shouldn't be there."
"What kind of signature is it?" Sawyer asked.
"We checked it three times to be sure it's accurate. It's confirmed. It's the signature of….and I can't believe I'm saying this but, it's the signature of Shinji Ikari." Dr. Ibuki stated.
"WHAT WAS THAT?" came General Ikari's shocked face over the monitor. "DID YOU JUST…SAY…. WHAT I THINK YOU SAID?"
"Yes, Asuka." Dr. Ibuki said firmly. "Its confirmed. It's Shinji's signature."
"How…can that be, Maya?" Asuka asked in shock with her eyes wide.
"Lt. Fuki, replay Major Ikari's last transmission." Sawyer said.
"Acknowledged." Fuki said. "Here, sir."
"Nothing. Just, I'll do what I need to."
"Before that!" Sawyer boomed.
Fuki went through the time index and then played back another segment.
"Piece of Cake, Commander. My father is on my side"
"Freeze!" Sawyer said. "Replay the last part of that."
"My father is on my side."
"Did you all just hear what she said?" Sawyer asked. "I am not imagining that, am I?"
Asuka breathed in as she heard her daughter's words.
"There could be another explanation. Commander Dell, do you remember when I explained to you about the harmonics echo?" Dr. Ibuki asked.
"I think so." Sawyer responded.
"Within Unit 01 are the harmonic echoes of its former pilot." Dr. Ibuki said.
"What do you mean?" Asuka asked.
"Each time a pilot syncs with the Unit it leaves an echo of itself. The Unit uses that echo to distinguish its pilot."
"So, Shinji's echo could be in Unit 1 still?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes, furthermore Hope's vocal pattern is being answered by a second vocal pattern….it could be the echo is bouncing back from Hope…EVA is making Hope believe that Shinji is with her." Dr. Ibuki said as she breathed in. "But, these patterns….are not indicative of a harmonic echo….these are real-time patterns. However, we've never had more then one pilot in Unit 1 before." Dr. Ibuki stated. "Hope, having been the second pilot, is possibly feeling her father's echo and her mind may be believing that he's there with her, guiding her."
"Could that actually happen?" Sawyer asked.
"Now, Maya, " Asuka took a deep breath as she said. ", are you telling me that…Hope thinks Shinji is in there…. with her?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"So," Sawyer said as he crossed his arms. ", what you're saying is the Evangelion uses the harmonic echo to stabilize itself?"
"Sort of." Maya said. "In Shinji's case, the sync level between him and Unit 01 was amazing. He was the only pilot ever to berserk his EVA. Shinji has bought the ratio past 400 percent. That was never accomplished by any of the pilots, not even by Asuka."
"Ahem…" Asuka coughed as she raised an eyebrow.
"It could be that Unit 01's closeness to Shinji is so much that it needs the harmonic echo."
"So, with Hope in the pilot's seat…in trouble…"
"The harmonic echo, if the EVA has activated it, would act as a shield for the pilot. The pilot would think they are seeing a ghost and their minds would determine how that ghost reacted to them. The EVA would have the echo of its former pilot and use it as a stabilization feature."
"Hope's memories of Shinji have always been pleasant even when he died." Sawyer said.
"That's right. Hope only knows a good and kind Shinji so that is the image that it would project."
"Well, let's hope that Hope doesn't remember how Shinji was he caught her at sixteen sneaking back into the house after being out all night. I'm sure she doesn't want to remember that side of him." Asuka joked.
Maya chuckled. "Well, she could remember him that way but, her mind would be in control of how the echo reacted to her."
"But," Asuka said. ", What if it isn't a harmonic echo at all?".
"Whatever it is, let her believe it." Sawyer said. "If she wants to believe that's her father in there with her, then let her. If it gets her back home safely, I don't care what it is that she saw…I just want her back."
Asuka thought back to long ago when she was at the bottom of a lake, in her Unit 02, when SEELE invaded the NERV Complex at Tokoyo-3.
Shinji had told her later that Misato had taken Asuka out of the hospital, while still in a coma, and placed her in Unit 2 at the bottom of the lake so she would be safe.
Asuka had awakened from her coma, frightened, alone, not knowing where she was or what was happening. She found herself dressed in her red plugsuit, wishing and hoping to be safe but feeling so terrified of danger.
She heard explosions as depth charges were sent down to destroy her. It caused her to quake in fear and she kept saying to herself over and over again. I don't want to die. I don't' want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.
She was crying her eyes out and then her thoughts became words, like a mantra, as she repeated through frightened cries. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die." And then with a thunderous roar from deep within her. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
Suddenly, she had thought she had seen her mother's spirit in front of her, guiding her, helping her, making her finally understand that the reason why she was a good pilot was because of her mother's spirit.
It was then Unit 2 rose from the lake and attacked the SEELE forces with everything she had. She felt rejuvenated, invigorated, happy and full of power. She understood the meaning behind the AT field and the reason why she wasn't syncing with her EVA. She was pushing away feelings. The anger of her mother's suicide, her growing feelings for Shinji and the fact she always boasted to hide what she really felt.
Could Hope be feeling the same thing? She thought. Could it be that Shinji is really there with her? Could he be able to do that? At one time he stopped instrumentality and prevented all of humanity from being exterminated. Could he have the power to control the fate of his spirit? Or, was it what Maya said…. what is it just his harmonic echo left behind in Unit 1? Was Hope's brain fooling her into believing he was really there with her or is he there with her? Did she see Shinji and did he give the strength to pull back from death? Is that what happened? Is he there? I've asked him time and time again to protect her. Is that what he's doing now? Is he protecting his little girl? Isn't that what he's always done?
Then a thought popped into her mind from very long ago.
"Okay, hang on tight!"
"Okay, Daddy!"
"Shinji, be careful!" Asuka said as she sat in her lawn chair with then two year old Reina in her arms and watched while Shinji was holding onto to the back of a red bicycle.
Hope, at age, seven, was seated on the bike, pedaling slowly with a helmet on. "Daddy, I'm okay! I got it!"
"I'm gonna hang on! Daddy's gonna hang on to you to keep you safe." He told her.
Little by little, he let go and watched as she pedaled down the driveway solo. "YOU DID IT, HOPE!1 YOU'RE RIDING A BIKE ALL BY YOURSELF!" He was happy and proud as he watched her on the bike. "You see here, Asuka?" Shinji asked happily. "Hey, Souke, you see? Your big sister is riding a bike all by herself. She's natural."
"Of course," Asuka said smugly. ", that is my daughter you're talking about."
"Our daughter." Shinji said with a smirk.
"Dad, look!" Souke called out as he ran out to him.
"I did it, Daddy! I did it!" Hope exclaimed happily then she suddenly lost balance…."Daddy!" She screamed.
Asuka's eyes widened as she began to get up and within a split second, Shinji had ran right beside Hope to catch her as she fell off the bike.
"Uh oh." Hope said as her father fell back on his back and grimaced from pain but held the little girl safely in his arms. "Daddy, you ok?"
Asuka ran over with her eyes wide holding the baby in her arms.. "Honey, are you all right?"
"Is Dad okay?" Souke asked as he watched him.
Looking up at her from the ground, he smiled as he looked up at Asuka with three-year-old Souke standing beside her.
"Yeah. Just protecting my baby." He said with a smile.
"You always do." Asuka said with a smile.
"Let's do it again, Dad. Let me try agan." Hope said.
"Okay, Princess." He told her as she got off of him and he stood up.
"Me next, Dad!" Souke said happily.
"Okay, okay!" Shinji said as he stretched and then smiled. "Get on the bike. Let's do it again. Souke, you'll be next in a little while."
"Okay, Dad." Souke told him.
Asuka smiled as she remembered that day. It was such a small thing but it proved one thing that he had shown time and time again. He would be always there for the kids. He was always protecting them. Always keeping them safe. He loved being a father. Why should this be any surprise? He's protecting his baby….just like he's always done.
"Asuka? Asuka, did you hear me?" Dr. Ibuki asked.
"Huh?" Asuka asked. "Oh sorry, Maya….I just…I thought that maybe…."
"…. Asuka…to say that Shinji is really there with her…."
"I know." Asuka said. "But, Maya…you said you had two patterns both harmonic and vocal! You picked up on actual communication…real-time communications with two sets of voice patterns…. did you not?"
"Uh well…."
"Is that true, Dr. Ibuki?" Sawyer asked.
"Sort of." Dr. Ibuki said.
"Explain." Asuka said.
"The echo could possibly have caught traces of Shinji's voice from over the years. So Hope could think she is hearing his voice when actually it's the echo and her brain is allowing her to believe that Shinji is talking to her. We would see two voice patterns. Hope's and then Shinji's echo left behind. The echo would bounce off of her vocal pattern from the one that's stored in the EVA's memory."
"Even if it is a harmonic echo, so what?" Asuka said. "She believes it. I don't need any other explanation."
"I agree." Sawyer said.
"You know something?" Maya asked. "I hope its true too. Believe me, I hope Shinji is in there with her."
"I GOT THEM, COMMANDER!" Lance said happily. "WE'VE GOT THEM."
"Sir!" Lt. Fuki said. "We've got SEELE!"
"On screen!" Sawyer demanded.
The screen showed a visual of a building in the desert and then Sawyer's eyes expanded with amazement. "Is that…. correct? Are you sure that is where the signal is coming from? Are you positive that it's coming from…there?"
"Confirmed." Lance said. "That's where it's coming from."
"General Ikari, are you watching this?" Sawyer asked.
"Yes." Asuka growled. "That fat pompous son of a bitch!" She said angrily. "He did it right under our noses. He knew that would be the last place anyone would ever look. He's doing it right from the Surveillance Post. He's using our own technology! That son of a bitch!"
"You were right, General." Sawyer said.
"Commander Dell!" Asuka said firmly. "Apprehend General Harris immediately."
"With pleasure, General." Sawyer said as his fist tightened.
"I'm coming with you!" Asuka said firmly.
"General, I'm going to advise you not to. Let me handle this."
"The hell you will!" Asuka growled. "I am going! I'll meet you there! Ikari, out!"
Sawyer tapped his headset as he said.. "MAJOR IKARI, THIS IS NERV COMMAND! BREAK OFF WITH HOSTILE AND RETURN TO BASE."
"Yes, sir." Hope said firmly.
"Commander Dell, report to the detachment crew."
"Acknowledged, General. Major Ikari is returning to base now." Sawyer said as he pulled out his pistol and slid the action back, sticking it back in its holster. 'FIGHTER TEAMS, ENGAGE ANGEL 20 AS SOON AS EVA UNIT 1 IS OUT OF RANGE."
"Acknowledged." Said the Squadron Commander.
"Commander, you need to report to the detachment crew. Dr. Ibuki and Lt. Fuki will monitor Major Ikari." Asuka said.
"Yes, ma'am, General." Sawyer said, as he got ready to leave. He put his headset on with the eyepiece that came down and allowed him to monitor happenings at NERV command.
Sawyer exhaled and then spoke into his headset. "NERV COMMAND TO MAJOR IKARI."
"Major Ikari, copy."
"Hope, the strike teams are on their way. Are you at a safe distance?" Sawyer said.
"In one minute, Commander. Make them pay, Sawyer."
Then a few seconds passed and he heard Hope say. "Commander?"
"Yes." He answered.
"The fighter jets won't be able to destroy Angel 20. The only thing that can do it is an AT field from within."
"Hope, how do you know that?" He asked.
"My father told me that."
Stopping for a moment, he asked, "Hope? Is someone there with you?"
"Yes." Hope said in an almost dreamlike state.
"Who's there?" Sawyer asked.
"My Dad. My Dad is sitting right beside me and he's smiling at me. He saved me, Sawyer."
Taking a deep breath, Sawyer said. "Hope, return to base."
"But, Sawyer, Angel 20…."
"Angel 20 is not a consideration! We've got what we need! The fighter jets will take care of Angel 20."
"No…. they won't. It won't be enough. It needs to be destroyed from within, Sawyer! The fighter jets won't be successful with a direct attack."
"Hope! What are you saying? Hope, no! DO NOT MERGE WITH ANGEL 20! YOU'LL CAUSE FOURTH IMPACT!"
"Commander Dell!" Lt. Fuki called out. "EVA UNIT ONE IS ENGAGING THE TARGET!"
Sawyer's eyes widened. "Oh no! Hope, abort! Abort, Hope! HOPE, THE FIGHTER JETS ARE GOING TO BE THERE IN THIRTY SECONDS…. ABORT."
"Sawyer, believe in me." Hope said back to him over the comm. "With all my strength, Sawyer, this is for the hope of the world. I love you.".
"HOPE!" Sawyer called out.
Sawyer saw through his eyepiece Unit 1 charge at Angel 20 and then what he saw next made his heart stop.
His eyes were wide as he said angrily. "Unit 01, respond! UNIT 01 THIS IS A DIRECT ORDER, RESPOND!"
There was nothing just static.
"HOPE!" Sawyer bellowed.
"Commander Dell, report to the detachment crew. That is an order!" General Ikari said over the radio.
"General Ikari, you don't understand! Hope is now engaging Angel 20."
"She's what?" Asuka asked.
"She's engaging Angel 20!" Commander Dell said. "She just…. took it….into ANGEL 20!"
"What do you mean she took into Angel 20? What the hell is she thinking? What…. doesn't she know that, that's not right? Why in the hell did she do that for?" Asuka asked angrily.
"She said that her father told her that the fighter jets wouldn't be successful with the strike. She said Angel 20 has to be collapsed from within! I have to stay here! I can't go!"
"Sawyer…" Asuka's mind was flooded with questions then she heard from within her and she wasn't sure of whom it was exactly.
"It'll be okay, Asuka. Trust me. Trust in Hope. There is a reason. Fourth Impact will not occur. Trust in me."
Shinji… Asuka thought. Protect our baby. Please protect her, Shinji. Help her. "Sawyer, call off the fighter jets now!" Asuka said quickly.
"FIGHTER JETS CALL OFF ATTACK!" Sawyer said into his headset. "REPEAT: THIS IS NERV COMMAND TO SQUADRON COMMANDER, CALL OFF ATTACK. FRIENDLY IS ENGAGING TARGET…PULL BACK!"
"Squadron Command to NERV, Commander Dell, we cannot stay up in the air all day. We have to attack or return to base. Please acknowledge."
"Commander Dell, we have to act now!" Asuka said firmly. "I know how you feel but you have to go on the strike team now! That is a direct order!"
"General….Hope is in danger!"
"I know." Asuka said. "I see what Hope is doing but we need to do our part too. Dr. Ibuki and Lt. Fuki can monitor the situation and report any updates. If Hope believes this is the correct course of action, we have to trust in her. I have a feeling…. she knows what she's doing. Report to the detachment crew, Commander. That's an order."
"Yes, General." Sawyer said angrily as he walked out of the command hub.
"NERV Command, what are your orders?" The Squadron Commander said.
"Call off attack." Sawyer responded flatly as he exited the command center and went into a waiting jeep that drove off to meet the strike team.