Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Chapter 16 – Truths
In the fallen NERV facility, nothing but death and decay lined the walls, corridors, passageways and rooms of the once secretive and heavily defended fortress.
Deep below in the facility, Kouzou was glued to the wall with some greenish substance, unconscious. He came to with a start.
"OF GOD…"
He looked around frantically. Wherever he was, it was transformed into an alien habitat, with Xenian soil, light plants and greenish spores. He looked over the ground and realised his worst nightmare had come true. The place was littered with bodies: NERV personnel and JSSDF soldiers alike. Most were being taken over by headcrabs.
He tried struggling against his holds. He got an arm free and reached for the other, tearing off the other. He then pulled off the slime covering his legs.
He fell on the ground, on top of a JSSDF corpse. He quickly picked himself off and grabbed the Grunt's M4.
Headcrabs made their way towards him. He begun firing, taking them out one by one, not noticing just once he was missing an ear. Suddenly, a blue bolt of energy hit him in the chest, stunning him.
"ARGH!"
He fell to the ground, dropping his M4. Another bolt hit him.
Kouzou knew his time was up. He saw a one-eyed greenish bug-like creature step out of the darkness, holding a blue roach. It croaked at him and pointed it's shock roach at him.
Kouzou smiled painfully.
'At least Instrumentality is no longer humanity's fate,' he thought.
One blast later, he was no more.
Gordon and the others left the grounds of NERV and were en-route to Misato's apartment in the city. Nobody they passed seemed to notice them driving around in a jeep, and some guy in a Hazard Suit.
"It's wonderful to be back to civilisation," Asuka said, smiling.
"Amen to that," Misato laughed.
Gordon wasn't actually thinking like that. He knew the creatures were still in NERV and it would only be a matter of time before they would get out.
Gordon was about to point that out to the guys when they pulled up in front of an apartment block.
"We're here," Misato said.
Once they entered Misato's apartment, Asuka flocked to her room, slamming the door. Shinji walked into his room, collapsing on his bed and sighing, trying not to think about what has happened today. But he couldn't help but drift back to when he was before those Vortiguants.
'I saw her,' he thought, 'I swear, I thought I saw her.'
Asuka's relief to be back home quickly faded. She sat on her bed, arms folded around her legs as she had a look of stress on her face. The fact that she was almost killed today didn't help.
'Mama,' she thought.
Meanwhile Gordon, Rei and Misato were seated at the table. Misato, with a can of beer in her hand, was the first to speak.
"So Gordon," she begun, "You mind telling us what's going on here?"
"Huh?" Gordon said. He didn't think Misato would ask that question.
"These current events happened when you arrived here in Tokyo-03," Rei said, "Do you know why?"
Gordon sighed, "It's a very long story. A long, disturbing story.
Misato smiled, "We've got time to here."
Gordon took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes, before explaining everything.
He explained how he used to work at the Black Mesa Research Facility, that he and his colleagues were performing experiments on hazardous material of unknown matter; and that one day the Resonance Cascade happened, and that the same situation in NERV happened there. He explained how he managed to escape, despite a massive military clean-up and an alien invasion.
He also mentioned his trip to the border-world Xen, and that he slew the biggest alien, which he assumed was the alien's leader. Lastly, he mentioned how he now works for some Man in a Suit who arranged for him to come here.
Misato and Rei took it very well.
"I'm think I'm gonna throw up," Misato moaned, holding her head in her hand, before looking up at Gordon again, "You're telling us, that this happened before where you came from? That Third Impact should have happened by now, but your sponsor reversed it?"
"I know," Gordon said, "How the can shit happened to the same planet three times? First Second Impact, then the Resonance Cascade, and now this? There is got to be some kind of connection."
"Between the Angels and Xen?" Rei asked.
Gordon nodded, then he remembered those papers he snagged from Gendo's office. He took them out of his suit.
"I 'burrowed' these from Gendo," Gordon said, "He won't mind."
"I know that," Misato said smiling lightly, before handling the papers and going through them, "I have to admit, I have heard of Black Mesa once. But I thought that it was just a myth."
"Really?" Gordon asked.
"I have heard Commander Ikari mention Black Mesa," Rei said.
Gordon nodded, before turning to Misato, "What do those papers say?"
There were three sheets of paper. One of them was a letter, a wrinkled, yellow with age letter.
"This letter is dated 2 days after Project E in 2004," she said, "To Station Zeta, Black Mesa Arizona, USA."
"The location of the Research Facility," Gordon said.
"The letter say…" Misato begun dictating it.
To Wallace BreenProject E has been successful. We have managed to displace our test subject to the borderword from Tokyo, using Unit-01.
We must now attempt to bring our subject home, she is of great importance to us. I suggest you start sending research specialists in and to find her immediately.
Yours Sincerely
Gendo Ikari
Sub-Commander NERV
"What I've heard," Misato said, "Shinji's mother was the test subject in that experiment."
"Oh," Gordon said, then rolled his eyes back, "That explains a few things. What else is there?"
"Another letter," Misato said, "Addressed to Gendo. The date is unknown as the sender's location."
Gendo Ikari of NERV.
We have your wife in our custody. If you want to see her alive, you will do exactly what we say. You work devote you time and technology to aid our cause. You will do what we say, when we say.
Dr. Breen and your 'secret' backers SEELE has already agreed to aid us, if you are smart you will join them and be part of our glorious cause.
Instructions will be forwarded to you in due time. As long as you and NERV cooperate, Yui will not be harmed.
The Union
Gordon and Misato looked at one another.
"Shit," Gordon said.
"Indeed," Rei said.
"Shinji's mother is probably dead now," he said, "No one could have survived in Xen for too long."
"But who has been controlling Unit-01 besides Shinji?" Misato queried, "They say Yui's soul is in Unit-01."
"Maybe it is," Gordon said, "Once she died in Xen, her soul went was transferred. I don't know. This is all messed up."
Unknown to them, Shinji stood near his door and overheard them.
"Anyway," Gordon said, "What's the last paper?"
Misato looked it up.
"Another letter," Misato said, "It's a new one. It was addressed to NERV yesterday."
Dear GendoI have managed to escape from Black Mesa alive. The Resonance Cascade has been triggered, Xen and Earth are now one with each other. The Union will now be able to cross into this world.
You have received new instruction: You mus now open a doorway into Xen from Japan. To do that, the S2 Organ taken from the 19th Angel Nihilanth will be delivered to you. When it comes into contact with the core of Unit-01, the portal into Xen will be opened.
On a side note, you can use this opportunity to rescue Yui as she is still alive. How she is still living is unknown to me.
Our time has come, old friend. Once Third Impact has hit and we have begunInstrumentality, our benefactors will remake this planet and the human race into perfection.
Yours Sincerely…
Wallace Breen
Administrator of Black Mesa Research Facility
Gordon and Misato were wide-eyed.
"This can't be true," Misato cried, "Gendo's responsible for this?"
"And the Administrator as well?" Gordon said, "We've all been set up! This planet has been set up."
"You don't think…" Misato begun, "That Second Impact was part of this Union's plans?"
"I don't know," Gordon said, "This Union is bound to be connected to the Angel attacks, as well as Xen and the aliens."
Misato nodded, before guzzling the rest of her beer down, before wiping her mouth.
"Now what to do we do?" Misato cried.
Asuka took this time to step in.
"Hey," she begun, "What's all this yelling?"
"This world is under threat," Rei explained.
"I didn't ask you," Asuka growled at Rei.
"She's right," Shinji said, stepping into the room.
"What?" Asuka cried.
"These things are connected to father and the NERV," Shinji explained to Asuka, "My mother was involved.
"I…see," Asuka said.
They then heard the door knock.
"I'll get it," Asuka said.
He walked up to the door and opened it. She gasped as her eyes shot open at the person standing outside the door.
"YOU?" she cried.
