Disclaimer: See the Prologue

- Sorry for taking so long. Blame school and final exams!


File #5 – Search for Yui


The Black Mesa Research Facility; located in Black Mesa, New Mexico; was established 5 years before Second Impact. Then known as Station Zeta, it was working on prototype teleportation displacement technology. But during the Valentine's Conflict, it primary use by the United States government was to develop weaponry for the military as well as a missile complex to launch extremely long range nuclear missiles, which were put to use during the conflict. This put the displacement projects on hold.

After the war ended, the missile silos were decommissioned, as well as it's other military facilities including it's garrison. But research into weaponry and other scientific endeavours continued. By 2004, Station Zeta was made public and renamed Black Mesa Research Facility.

At this time, the facility had developed technology that would be put to use towards the construction of the Evangelion Units in order to fight the impending Angel attacks. Technology it developed included the Dummy Plugs, the D-Type equipment and weaponry including the Positron Cannon, which was given to the Japanese Strategic Self-Defence Force.

It had especially focused on Unit-01, secretly installing prototype displacement technology parts into the EVA, hoping it would activate with the lifeforce of a human being and to become able to cross into parallel worlds.

That human being was Yui Ikari, wife of Gendo Ikari, who in turn was a close friend of Dr. Wallace Breen, Administrator of Black Mesa. In the meantime, plans were made to land on and explore the borderworld, which would come to be known as Xen. The finest scientists would be selected for this historic expedition. Among those who would venture into the unknown were Doctors Rosenberg and Eli Vance.

They would use the top secret teleporation labs built that would eventually be abandoned to make way for the Lambda Complex, which would have finished construction by 2007.


Xen; also known as the borderworld Xen. It was once an intact world, where the Angels roamed freely upon it's surface, alongside other species of weird and fascinating wildlife. Now, it is mere fragments of scattered islands that used to be a planet.

Floating above some of the islands was a large plateau, and a wide spacious area near the mouth of a cave. Suddenly, there was the sounds of buzzing electricity, before one flash of green later, there were 8 men clad in Hazardous Environment Suits, and teleportation transmitter equipment here.

"Is everyone accounted for?" one of the scientists asked.

"Walter here. Life-signs normal."

"Simmons accounted for."

"Vance."

"Peters here."

"Lombardi here."

"Kennedy ready and waiting."

"Simpson. Reporting for duty!"

"And I'm here," the lead scientist said, almost out of humour, "Rosenberg!"

A brief silence overtook the members of the expeditionary team as they looked around at where they were. They had finally ventured into the unknown, after all these years of work, they had finally arrived on possibly another plane of existence.

'This place really exists,' Rosenberg thought, staring in awe at the place.

Eli Vance was the first to break the silence.

"So this is the borderworld?" Eli queried.

"What a desolate place this is," Kennedy said, sounding young.

Walter was holding an Oxygen Meter, which he observed carefully.

"I'm detecting a concentration of o2 in the atmosphere," Walter said, "In other words, there is oxygen here."

They all took off their helmets, revealing themselves. Rosenberg took a deep breathing, inhaling 'fresh' air.

"We'll begin operations here immediately," Rosenberg begun, "Once me and Vance have scouted out the surrounding area, we'll beam the rest of the team and the equipment here."

He looked over the other scientists.

"Any questions?" Rosenberg asked.

They shook their heads.

"We will do so, right away," Birdwell said, a white-haired moustached scientist.

The scientists got to work, setting up the equipment they had brought with them, which consisted of a generator and the displacement triangulator transmitter. As the rest of the scientists worked setting the place, Rosenberg and Eli climbed a rock face towards the cave that led out of the area.

Helping Rosenberg up, Eli said, "A desolate but fascinating place."

He smiled at the lead scientist.

"Isn't it?"

"It sure is, Dr. Vance," Rosenberg said.

They stared down at the cave, which was slightly dark. They turned on their flashlights and stepped in. They saw first hand the type of fauna that grazed the sides of the cave and couldn't help but marvel…

"The plant life is unbelievable," Eli said, "I wouldn't mind looking at this under a microscope."

"I'm more interested at what's at the other end of this of this cavern," Rosenberg said, "I am expecting a brave new world to explore."

"Don't we all," Eli agreed.

They traversed to the other end, where they couldn't believe their eyes.

"Oh, my God!" Rosenberg said softly.

They saw a series of smaller islands floating in the distance, and they were above a bottomless void. Rosenberg blinked and adjusted his glasses, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Is this really for real?" Rosenberg queried.

Eli smiled, seeing strange creatures flying in the distance, as well as other forms of life grazing on the islands.

"It is," Eli said.

Meanwhile back at the base camp, the other scientists finished setting up the equipment. Birdwell was behind the controls of the transmitter.

"Now," he begun, "Let's see if we can pin point our way back home."

He turned the dials until the machine buzzed. They all smiled; not realising that someone was watching them from the rocky hedges…someone that was human.

Suddenly, rocks fell from where this humanoid was watching them. All eyes turned towards the source.

"What?" Birdwell cried.

They didn't see anything.

"It's probably whatever wildlife grazes this godless place," Lombardi muttered, "We've already been here a quarter of an hour and I already hate it."

All eyes suddenly turned towards him.

"What?" he asked, scratching his forehead.

Eli and Rosenberg stepped out of the cave, seeing the progress below.

"Now we are in business," Rosenberg said, smiling.


The first teams were sent into the borderworld, mainly to study the plant life that grew on the floating islands. They met with little or no hostility from the wildlife there, as they started out to be rather docile, except for the headcrabs which lunged at them on sight, but were quickly terminated with the team's superior firepower. Samples of flora were kept away in the top-secret hydro labs where they continued to be studied.

Rosenberg was still a part of this early exploration project, which would end as quickly as it begun; after the results of Project E that commenced in NERV Japan.


In the cave near the campsite, Eli hummed to himself as he peered through his microscope at a sample of moss found from the bottom of a pond. Those waters can sure keep one going through the rest of day, if you drink or you bathe in it.

'That reminds me,' he thought, 'I've got to get a bottle back through the portal to the hydro-labs.'

Rosenberg stepped into the cavern. Eli looked up from what he was doing.

"Rosenberg," Eli begun smiling, "Back so soon?"

He took his helmet off, revealing a dead serious look.

"Vance," he begun, "Project E has succeeded!"

Eli quickly turned towards him, "It has?"

Rosenberg nodded, "The test volunteer has been blasted somewhere on this plane. The Administrator wants us to find her immediately and bring her back to the real world."

Eli nodded, "It was bound to happen. I'll get a team ready."

"You do that."

Half an hour later, Eli and Rosenberg, accompanied by five other heavily armed scientists were standing in the middle of the camp.

"Weapons?" Rosenberg begun.

"Check!" the others said.

"Suits charged?" Eli said.

"Check!"

"Communications?"

"Check?"

"Objective?"

"Check!" the other confirmed.

'We've got the wife of Gendo Ikari himself out there,' Eli thought, 'I sure hope nothing goes wrong.'

They then walked out of the campsite and through the cave. The 5 scientists accompanying Eli and Rosenberg were armed with MP5 submachine-guns with attached grenade-launchers.

As the scientists traversed through the cavern, Rosenberg was deep in thought.

'Considering how big the borderworld is,' he thought, 'It may take a while in finding her.'

Eli, on the other hand, thought, 'I can't believe Project E was a success. But at the expense of a human life.'

They emerged out of the cave to the area with those little floating platforms of land. Eli sighed.

"Is everyone equipped with Long-Jump Modules?" he asked.

"Check!" the other scientists exclaimed.

Rosenberg leapt first, bounding off the islands to the other side, glad for his in the Hazard Course. Eli followed suit, before the other scientists followed.

Except for one. A young man new to the profession, who clutched his MP5.

'Godd#$#mit,' he thought, 'Should've stayed with mall security.'

"Ginnane!" another scientist yelled out to him, "We're waiting for ya'!"

The HEV Suit clad Security Guard nodded before taking a step back and jumping for the nearest island.

Suddenly, green lightning struck him…

"ARGHHH!" he screamed.

"GINNANE!" Rosenberg cried.

His body landed against the side of the island, before falling into the abyss below. The other scientists' eyes widened in horror.

"Look!" a scientist exclaimed, pointing up at the sky.

6 big-headed creatures floated in the air, as if meditating. They then fired energy projectiles from their foreheads down at them.

"THEY'RE ATTACKING US!" a scientist cried, "FIRE!"

The group except Eli and Rosenberg fired up at the creatures, managing to down on as they slowly descended.

"Move!" Eli cried.

They then turned around to find 4 gorilla-like creatures standing behind them.

Rosenberg's throat closed up in fear, not seeing these species before.

"Sweet J…"

Suddenly, the creatures struck him, sending him flying and landing on the ground near the edge, unconscious. He descended into darkness, somehow he could hear the sounds of machine-gun fire, screams, cries for help and growls, then complete silence.

His eyes opened slight to see he was being dragged by his feet alongside Eli, whose helmet had came off. He heard alien speech, which was a mix of soft and loud grunts.

'Why have they attacked us?' Rosenberg thought, 'We've haven't done anything hostile to them.'

Suddenly, they let go of them and raised their Hive-Hands, firing out of the corner of Rosenberg's eye. Rosenberg blacked out again, hearing the sounds of electricity, growls…and a young woman's voice.

Rosenberg came to a while later. His head felt 2 sizes too big and he felt like he was lying on moss, despite being clad in a Hazard Suit.

"You're awake," he heard a feminine voice say from the shadows.

"Wha…?"

He looked alongside him to find Eli, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Ms. Ikari?" Eli begun, "Is that you?"

A young Japanese woman, somewhere of about 27, stepped out of the shadows. She was dressed in what appeared to be a plugsuit.

"Yes it is, Eli," Yui said, smiling, "It's been a very long time."

Eli smiled, "It has."

Rosenberg rubbed his eyes, "You two know each other?"

Eli turned to him; "I studied alongside her at the Kyoto University in Japan. Our favourite subject was metaphysical biology and that contributed to the Evangelion projects."

Yui nodded, "And I can only assume that Station Zeta has finally got their displacement toys working."

Rosenberg nodded, "That is true. We've been sent to find you and bring you back to Earth."

Yui face looked glum, "That is going to be a problem."

Eli looked at her strange, "Why is that?"

"I'm needed here by it's populace."

Eli and Rosenberg looked at one another, then said as one…

"What?"

"This world has been enslaved and it's native species has been subjected to it's rule," Yui explained, "They need me to help them survive and to eventually escape to Earth in their whole numbers."

"What are you talking about, Yui?" Eli asked.

Yui turned to the entrance to cavern, and there was a reptilian looking bipedal creature holding a stick looking at them.

Rosenberg's eyes widened.

"Don't be afraid," Yui said, smiling softly, "He's a friend. He's their leader."

"The leader of who?" Rosenberg asked, almost alarmed.

The creature stepped out into the light, projected by the crystals embedded into the walls of the cave.

"The rest of your party has been slain by the slaves here on what's left of our once beautiful world," the creature said, "Most of us now belong to them. Us, Vortigaunts."

"Vortigaunts?" Rosenberg queried, "Is that what you are referred to?"

"Only this species," Yui said, "The chief here and his clan are the only ones free from the invaders. We're reduced to hiding now, while we are secretly building our own displacement field to escape to Earth."

"You're building your own teleporter?" Eli asked, eyes crossed.

The Chief Vortigaunt nodded, "We cannot continue working on it until the time when the enemy's presence from Xen is completely eradicated. Which I am distressed to say…"

He sighed.

"May take years."

Rosenberg nodded, "Anyway, we're here to escort Ms. Ikari back to the camp and to Earth."

Yui crossed her head, "I can't leave. These people need me here and besides, it's you that needs to leave Xen right away."

"Why is that?" Eli asked.

"The enemy knows you are here now," she explained, "And they will want to wipe out all human presence here, to safeguard their plans and ambitions for the future."

"You mean…?" Rosenberg begun.

Yui nodded.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, "We have to get everyone out of here now and warn the Administrator immediately."

"That sounds like a plan," Eli said.

Yui sighed, "I'm sorry you had to come out all this way for nothing."

Eli smiled, "That's alright. Anything to see you again as well as explore this fascinating place."

Yui returned his smile and nodded.

The Chief stepped forward, "I must advise you to make haste. The enemy's own breed of super-soldiers is scouring the world for you."

"Right," Rosenberg acknowledged.

They got up and Yui led them out of the winding cave, passing other Vortigaunts, not knowing that the next time they would see any more of these creature, they would be slaves to the enemy.

They left the cave, which had been subterranean, and found several Mantis ships in the air.

"Quietly," Yui said to them.

They dived a rock, allowing a Mantis to pass over them, then they broke for the nearest hill, which they cautiously navigated it to the other side.

They continued on like this to the base camp, stepping out of the cavern after navigating the floating islands…

"Oh my lord," Eli said softly.

Everyone was dead. They're corpses strung out all over the area and their blood matting the soil.

"I'm sorry," Yui said, eyes downcast.

Patrolling the area were 3 Gorilla-like aliens, which were observing the triangulator and the beacon technology curiously; one rubbed it's skull with it's Hive-Hand.

"How are we going to get past them?" Eli queried.

Yui jerked her head up suddenly, as if alert. She then looked over the hills where she appeared to be looking for something.

"Hey," Eli said, "Are you…?"

Yui then smiled at him.

"They've come to help?" she said, smiling.

Suddenly, Vortigaunts leapt from the hills above the campsite, on top of the Vortigaunts. They then begun to claw away at them, tearing their yellowish insides out.

"Now's our chance!" Rosenberg cried, "GO!"

They then hopped down from where they were hiding and ran up to the triangulator, thankfully the Alien Grunts not noticing, who were too busy pushing the Vortigaunt off them and and stuffing their entrails back inside.

Rosenberg filled with the alignment controls, trying to get the right signal.

"Come on!" he said, gritting his teeth, "Come on!"

One PING later…

"Yes!" Rosenberg cried, smiling, "We're going on!"

Suddenly, a Vortigaunt was thrown their way, knocking them down. One Alien Grunt was still alive, surrounded by the Vortigaunts bodies. It that roared at them, Yui in turn glared at the creature, which looked back with contempt.

The Grunt walked slowly towards them, then suddenly one sound of flesh being pierced later, it toppled over forwards. The Chief Vortigant stood behind them, holding his bloodied staff.

Yui smiled.

"I am never too old to stand up to the heat of battle," the Chief said.

Rosenberg and Eli looked at one another, then back at the Chief.

"Thanks very much," Rosenberg said.

"Think nothing of it, human," the Chief said.

Some time later, a portal was opened in the middle of the campsite. Yui turned to Rosenberg and Eli…

"The displacement experiments must not continue," Yui said, "Too much damage has already been done."

"We understand," Eli said.

"We'll convince the Administrator to axe the teleportation experiments immediately," Rosenberg promised, smiling, "And…er…"

Yui looked at him.

"We'll say that we found your…lifeless corpse," Rosenberg finished hesitantly.

Yui bowed her head in respect, "Thank you, Rosenberg."

She then turned to Eli.

"It's been an honour meeting you again, Dr. Vance," Yui said, stretching her hand forward.

Eli smiled and took it, shaking it firmly, "The honour is mine."

Rosenberg and Eli ran towards the portal, before taking one last look at Yui and the Chief Vortigaunt. They then jumped through together.

Yui and the Chief stood in the middle of the devastated camp. The Chief shook his head sadly, which Yui then turned to him.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"I fear that the human race, with it's pride and greed, will continue to travel to our world and plunder our resources, which will eventually destroy all our hope of a future," the Chief explained.

Yui looked shocked, "Can nothing stop it?"

The Chief then looked at her.

"Only by a prophecy, thought long-dead, can save us now," the Chief said.

"Which prophecy?" Yui asked.

The Chief looked at her, before answering her.

"Of a Free Man who would rise to save us..."



Despite pleading to the Administrator, Dr. Breen, and having enough evidence to prove their word, Doctors Vance and Rosenberg were unsuccessful in stopping the displacement technology. Howver,the teleportation labs were decommissioned and the planned Black Mesa Research Facility railway station commenced construction on top of them.

By this time, Dr. Breen was already on the payroll of the Universal Union, alongside Gendo Ikari. He did not tell Commander Ikari of his wife's reported demise, rather telling him that is still alive and under hostage by the Union.

Vance and Rosenberg continued their work at the Black Mesa Research Facility, concentrating on projects that would eventually take them deeper into the unknown…