Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 4 – History Just Repeated
Gordon headed for the locker room, where his trunk was kept. Misato had showed him where it is, he didn't actually step into the room. Which may be the reason why Gordon was surprised his 'trunk' was 8-foot metal casket.
'It's official,' Gordon thought, 'This definitely has my HEV suit.'
He checked the side of the casket, there was a yellow button which Gordon assumed right away it would open the casket. He pressed it.
Suddenly the 'button' analysed his fingerprint.
Identification: Gordon Freeman, a computerised voice beeped, Good afternoon Dr. Freeman. Have a safe and productive day.
Gordon could hear the machinations within the casket as it opened like a fridge, revealing in all its glory: The Hazard Suit.
But that wasn't what Gordon was focused on. Stashed behind the casket door were enough weapons to take on an army.
Gordon looked upon his arsenal, which consisted of a 9mm Pistol, an Assault Shotgun, M4 Assault Rifle with attached Grenade Launcher, a Gauss Cannon and what was really considered his most powerful weapon: A Crowbar. Beside each gun were plenty of clips, shells, grenades and cells.
Gordon's eyes went wide. He had smuggled a whole armoury into the most secured facility in the world. And with that, he smiled.
Misato had decided to wait for Gordon before going to the EVA Cages. She stood outside the locker room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. She could picture Freeman and his nerdy equipment; probably some beakers and a checklist. She was getting tired of babysitting a scientist
The door opened.
"Well that really took your…" Misato begun, but was cut off when she glimpsed at Gordon in his HEV suit.
He looked a lot bigger and tougher in that Hazardous Environment Suit, like if he was a superhero.
Gordon looked at her, puzzled as to why Misato was cut off. He was just in his protective suit.
"Shall we head for the cages, then?" Gordon said.
Misato nodded, "Lets go."
Gordon had stashed his crowbar in one of the weapon compartments in his suit. He kept his other guns back in the casket, but as for the crowbar, he goes nowhere without it.
Meanwhile in control, Maya Ibuki, possibly the world's cutest computer technician, was at her post typing away at her terminal. She yawned.
'God, this is so degrading,' she thought, blinking back tired tears, 'I must have typed a third of my life away.'
"Hey Maya, Makato," Maya's friend and colleague Shigeru Aoba called out from his terminal, "Check this out on security."
Maya and Makato Hyuga walked up to Shigeru and peered close to him.
"Whats up?" Makato asked.
They saw Gordon and Misato walking down a hallway towards the cages. They specially focused on Gordon.
"Wow," Maya gasped, "Check out Dr. Freeman. He's wearing one of those HEV suits."
"Is it true what they say about those suits?" Makato added, "Fully charged, those suits are as thick as a EVAs armour."
"And another thing," Shigeru said, smiling up at Makato, "Dr. Freeman looks like you. That'll create some problems between you two and Misato…if you know what I mean."
Makato turned red, before frowning.
"Real mature," Makato growled, "Get back to work. See if the engine has reached the cages yet."
"Aye, aye sir," Shigeru muttered sarcastically.
Control looked over the Evangelion cages and Unit-01, standing there as if with pride.
Misato and Gordon stepped onto the balcony above the cages, they looked down over it.
'I still can't believe it exists,' Gordon thought, still unsure if what he his seeing is real.
Misato looked over at Gordon. There was definitely something strange with Dr. Freeman, besides him being mesmerised, and fearful, of Unit-01's presence.
"So what am I doing again?" Gordon asked.
"We are going to install the new engine into Unit-01, Dr. Freeman," Gendo spoke from control, "If you would be so good as to take the lift down towards the chest level on Unit-01, we can begin the experiment."
That sounded familiar to Gordon. He turned to Misato, who smiled.
"Good luck, Dr. Freeman, " she said.
She left the balcony.
Gordon stepped onto the lift and headed down. He closed his eyes and prayed silently that this experiment goes better than the last time, and that there was something meaningful about doing this.
'Instrumentality is in a few hours,' he thought, 'How am I going to stop it by doing errands for NERV?'
Back in control, Misato and Kouzou joined Gendo. Misato sat down while Kouzou stood alongside Gendo, who turned to Misato.
"I trust Freeman has settled in, Major?" Gendo asked.
"Yes sir," Misato replied.
Kouzou had that same time thought, 'Maybe we should have told Freeman about where we got the engine. But he wouldn't have liked it.'
Back in the cages, Gordon stood around in front of Unit-01. Gordon felt its eyes upon him, and staring into his soul. Gordon could only look back, and glare.
'Why do I feel so edgy around Unit-01?' he thought.
His thoughts were interrupted as Gendo's cold voice echoed in the cages.
"The engine has arrived, Dr. Freeman," Gendo said, "It is right behind you."
He turned around and saw it, something that looked like a heart. It was an S2 Organ, or what appeared to be an S2 Organ.
'If these things are found in Angels,' Gordon thought, 'They must have gone through hell to get it,' he then blinked uncomfortably, 'How did they get it anyway?'
Back in control…
"Status? Gendo ordered.
"The engine is emitting AT energy at reasonable levels," Makato replied from is terminal.
"That energy could still fry Freeman," Misato said, "Thank God for that suit."
"Open the core," Gendo ordered.
Immediately, Unit-01's chest plating begun to open slowly before Gordon, who was using the remote control provided to move the robotic handler, which that had the engine in it's hold.
Once again, this looked familiar.
The chest opened to reveal the core of Unit-01. Gordon couldn't help but stare in awe.
"Now Freeman," Gendo said, "Insert the organ into the chest."
Gordon directed the robot towards the core.
History has once again repeated itself.
"What the hell?" Makato cried.
"What?" Misato asked.
"I'm picking up abnormal readings here," Makato typing at his terminal; his eyes widened, "THIS IS BAD!"
"What?" Misato cried.
"The engine…IT'S ACTIVATED!" Maya cried, "AT reading have just jumped!"
Misato ran to the intercom.
"GORDON, GET OUT OF THERE!" she yelled.
The core of Unit-01 began to glow brightly, as if reacting to the S2 Organ.
"What the…"
All hell broke loose. The core begun to erupt with uncontrollable energy, while at the same time the S2 Organ opened up a massive field.
"F$#$!" Gordon cried as the field blew him back a few metres from the EVA. He landed on his back.
The control room was in chaos…
"Shut it down!" Misato ordered, "Cut the power!"
"I can't!" Shigeru exclaimed, "Something's taking control of the system. The MAGI's corrupted!"
Maya's eyes widened as green lightning erupted from Unit-01.
"LOOK OUT!" she screamed as a bolt tore through the control room. Everyone got on the ground, except this one poor guy who instantly turned to ash.
Gendo still stood where he his, as if totally unaffected by this.
And he was smiling.
Back in the cages, green lightning continued to erupt from the core of Unit-01. It was activated and roared in pained, shaking the entire complex. Gordon lifted his head of the metal floor to stare at the engine near the core, which begun to break apart.
Gordon's eyes widened in terror.
"It can't be," he said softly.
The organ shattered, revealing a Yellow Crystal, like what was part of that experiment back at Black Mesa.
"Oh God," he moaned, "What have I done?"
A bolt of lightning struck him. He was soon back in the blackness of unconsciousness.
Ground Zero has returned. History just repeated.
