"When you are but slightly involved in the world, the effect the world has on you is also slight. When you are deeply enmeshed in affairs, your machinations also deepen. So for enlightened people simplicity is better than refinement, and freedom is better than punctiliousness."
Back to Beginnings, Reflections on the Tao by Huanchu Daoren

Free Will
A Neon Genesis: Evangelion Story.

Chapter 4: Sweet sea and blooded shore.

Tokyo-3, Japan

Maya Ibuki had a problem. Stationed at the Japanese branch headquarters of NERV, she was in charge of the data gathering division. Her department would go out into the field, taking samples and surveys, and organize it to be reviewed. She would personally go over each report, and then present it to her superior in the data processing center, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Dr. Akagi would then analyze the information using the powerful MAGI computer system and work with Maya on implementing an appropriate solution. They would often go together to report their findings to the National Environmental Restoration Venture's project director, Gendo Ikari. Normally, everything went smoothly and they solved each problem as it came up. Ikari would give his terse, almost callous approval and then after work she and Ritsuko would hit up a local bar and chat the night away. They used to go with a group of friends and coworkers, but lately it seemed like they were spending more and more time alone. That was the way things went when everything was normal. However, the latest batch of data was anything but the usual. The samples of pollutants from the waters covering Old Tokyo often showed oil or other harmful chemicals, but never anything too toxic. This time, though, there was one thing in great concentration, above and beyond all else. This foreign element could not be explained, and she'd triple-checked the analysis on what it was. Just an hour ago the dive teams had brought in a dozen secondary samples from all over the bay, and the data had been confirmed. Now, as she walked the long, clinical white hallway with its tinted windows which led between the tower of the Peripheral NERV System to the Central NERV System, she found herself wondering... how in the world could she possibly explain to Ritsuko that a pollutant was filling the waters as thick as an oil spill? That they had no idea where it was coming from? Most of all, how was she supposed to explain that it appeared to be -- each and every test had confirmed it as -- human blood.

San Francisco, USA

It was by all accounting impossible, Shinji reflected, for him to be sitting on the back deck of his townhouse and smelling the rich scent of the ocean. Not a single day since he moved in had he ever been able to smell anything other than the coffee house next door. And yet, as sure as ever, he could smell it. He sat on a folding chair cradling a cup of still-hot coffee in his lap as he watched the Saturday morning unfold. As the mist burned away and the city set about its business, he felt oddly conflicted. This was contentment, happiness; peace. And yet, he could not help a nagging sense of concern. Perhaps he was simply afraid that things were going to well. Good never came without bad nor happiness without sorrow. His life had taught him that, if nothing else. The trick of it was to continue living, despite the bad. Here, though, he felt that everything was settling perfectly into place. Surely that was itself a problem? Still, it seemed almost that there was something more... but these thoughts were driven from his head when the door to his room slid open.

The previous night, Kaworu had (in an almost comical reversal of that night Shinji had stayed over at his apartment in Tokyo-3, years earlier) insisted on sleeping on the floor. "It is, after all, your place," the pale young man had noted with a sly grin. Now he appeared in the doorway, still wearing the borrowed set of too-big purple silk pajamas that Misato had given Shinji as a housewarming gift. "In case you meet any sexy strangers who want to have a sleepover," she'd joked. He couldn't keep a broad grin from creeping across his face as he watched the would-be angel step gingerly onto the wooden deck. Kaworu's hair was all fluffed out as though flustered after being so rudely taken from its pillow and one thin hand shielded his crimson eyes from the sunlight. He looked tired, but still he offered Shinji a warm smile.

"Good morning," Shinji said brightly, leaning back in his chair.

"It is," agreed the other, carefully making his way to sit down across the small patio table from his host. "Coffee... it smells good. I never knew you could make it."

Laughing, Shinji noted, "That happens when you work in a coffee house... but the place downstairs is better than the one where I work. People come there for the atmosphere, but here, they just want their fix." He offered the cup across the table, noting, "It's a bit of Sumatra with some vanilla... not as sweet as chocolate, but good to wake up to."

"Mmm," Kaworu said as he tipped the mug to his lips. The hot, bittersweet liquid scalded his tongue just slightly as it slid past, the warmth seeping throughout his body. Almost immediately he seemed more awake, more himself. He kept the mug, wrapping his long, pale fingers around it and smiling through the steam at Shinji. "It tastes even better."

"You think that's good," Shinji grinned, "then let me make you breakfast."

"I would like that very much," came the reply, nearly a purr.

Tokyo-3, Japan

Ikari, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi thought to herself, is going to chew my ass off. She stood before a vast tank of crimson liquid which had been carefully filtered out of the seawater. There was now no doubt that the substance was the blood of a human being, which was disturbing enough given how many hundreds of gallons of the stuff they'd been filtering out of the water. There could be some explanation for that, certainly, but further analysis had revealed a new wrinkle to this already well-bunched fabric. Reflected on her terminal screen was the data from MAGI Caspar, which seemed so ready to disregard her sense of logic. The blood, it seemed, all perfectly matched a single DNA pattern. There wasn't even any decomposition, as if it had just been drawn in a well-run laboratory. The thought of so much blood having come from any single source was nearly unfathomable -- there would have to be almost a sea of it somewhere -- but to make matters even stranger, the DNA pattern had been instantly recognized by another of the tripartite computer system, Melchior. Ritsuko picked up the telephone received and said evenly, "Get me Ikari. It's important." As the switchboard operator politely complied, Akagi's gaze never left the screen. How would the director react when told that the blood polluting the sea somehow, inexplicably belonged to his own son?

New York City, USA

Rei Ayanami awoke with a sharp gasp and sat up in bed. A quick glance at her bedside clock informed her that it was nearly noon, and she automatically switched off the alarm before it could sound. Rising as she threw back the covers, she padded down the short hallway to the kitchen and ran a glass of water from the tap. She popped a couple of aspirin and washed them down with a sip from the cup, just as the fog over her mind parted and the pain began to recede. It wasn't a headache after all, not a real one which could be fixed by pills or caffeine. She'd been dreaming... something about a circle of dark figures and a sea of blood. A table... or was it an altar? Ikari. It had something to do with Ikari... but she felt no distress from Shinji, across the country as he was. In fact, he seemed happy. The presence of another familiar mind told her why, even as she realized... Kaworu, what are you doing? Could he be acting as a messenger once more, or was this another force she felt? She dumped the glass in the sink, then walked quickly back to her room to pull on some pants and pack a bag. Grabbing her phone and keys she slipped out of her apartment and took the stairs down to flag down a cab. As she rode to the airport, she made a call.

"Moshi... mushy..." came a groggy voice on the other end of the line. It was probably the middle of the night there.

"Forgive me, Misato, for calling at this hour," Rei said in Japanese.

"Rei?" came the surprised, somewhat clearer voice. "Is something wrong?"

"No, ma'am. Everything's fine... I just need a favor." She glanced at the cab driver, who seemed to have no interest in her conversation.

"Better be important, calling at..." Here her former guardian trailed off and then finished lamely, "Whatever time it is." Misato Katsuragi was much of a 'morning person.'

"It is. I need to talk to Kaji, please."

"Kaji? But wh--"

"So it's for me, then?" Another voice cut in; smooth, male, and completely awake.

Misato could be heard faintly, "Fine, just grab the phone... I'm going back to sleep."

"Sleep well my sweet," Kaji said playfully, and then his attention seemed to turn back to the conversation. "Rei, I'm glad to hear from you. Whatever can I do to help you at such an unusual hour?"

"I'm sorry to bother you both, but I need something and I knew you could get it for me." Rei held a hand over the receiver and hissed to the driver, "Not that airport, the private strip in -- yeah, that one." Speaking to Kaji again she said, "I need a private flight to San Francisco, please. It's very important... I need to go see my brother."

To his credit, Kaji didn't even hesitate in saying, "But of course! I'll get that set up for you right away... are you still in the Big Orange?"

"Apple. They call it the Big Apple. And yes, that's where I am."

"Yes, of course. Just go and see Enrique, he'll take good care of you. Now, I think I'd best attend to the ruffled feathers of my darling angel..."

Grimacing faintly at the thought of whatever Kaji and Misato might be about to get up to, Rei said hastily, "Thank you, Kaji. I appreciate it."

"No problem, I'm always glad to help a friend. Ciao!" He hung up. Rei settled back into her seat and let out a sigh of relief. If Kaji said he'd handle it, then it was as good as done already. Now she just had to find Shinji.

Tokyo-3, Japan

"Thank you, doctor. Please keep me advised." Gendo Ikari set down the telephone receiver and stepped away from his desk, clasping his white-gloved hands behind his back as he looked through the full-wall picture window out across the bay. Certainly her news was troubling, though not for any of the reasons he supposed one would expect. Shinji was fine, according to his sources, and apparently reunited with an old friend. Aside from that, there was quite obviously far too much blood in the water for it to have come from his son's body. Thus, it seemed more likely that someone had cloned a large amount of blood using Shinji's DNA. Ikari was unsure why anyone would do such a thing, but he suspected it had nothing to do with conventional science. As he watched the shore road he saw a pair of headlights come into view, and knew that Fuyutsuki would be arriving shortly. Together they would consult the texts and see what this particular portent might mean. When they had some idea what they were dealing with, then they would discover how Shinji was involved.

To be continued…

Author's Comments:

So, I've finally updated a bit more quickly, and things are actually starting to get moving! (It's almost shocking, really.)

I have another fic planned in the near future, for a different fandom… which should be interesting. I'll likely make Free Will somewhat shorter than I had originally expected, and more of a contained story rather than an ongoing, wandering plot. (I can always write sequels later, if the mood strikes me.) I'll continue to try to get updates out on a regular basis, particularly as long as my original fiction muse remains dormant (or oppressed, as the case may be). Reviews would be greatly appreciated, thank you!