Disclaimer: See the Prologue
Epilogue – Closing the Files
By the time Shinji Ikari and Gordon Freeman read through File #12, their mouths were practically left gaping, their eyes widened and their egos all but shattered. They couldn't believe what they just read here.
Black Mesa, 2nd Impact, Xen, NERV, the Aliens, the Human Instrumentality Project, Freeman, the Evangelions and possibly everyone was connected to each other in more ways than one. And the G-Man had orchestrated everyone's preparations for these trials.
Especially Gordon and Shinji's; with Gordon's survival during the Valentine Conflict, to Shinji's arrival in Tokyo-03 and his battles with the Angels.
"I…I don't get it," Gordon begun, a bit shaken with learning all this information, "How come you kept all this from us until now?"
"Your lack of knowledge on this subject was one of the reason you have survived and gotten this far," the G-Man explained, "Your curiosity has led you to find out many truths about Black Mesa and NERV. My employers believe that now was the time to find out everything that needs to be known."
Shinji and Gordon weren't convinced. Sure they had found out many things on their pasts and how all this revolved around them. But…
"But why the Black Op missions?" Shinji asked, hesistantly as always, "Why Gordon's childhood?"
His face was sullen now.
"And why my mother?"
"Those files were necessary to document," the G-Man replied, "They are all connected and bound together by one purpose."
"Which is?" Gordon asked.
The G-Man frowned, "The preservation of your species, of course."
"Our species?" Shinji said, "What about you?"
The G-Man smiled, "I'm not human, if you must know. Well, at least not entirely human,"
A moment of silence overtook the trio, who was just standing there in the darkness while the world was being slowly picked to pieces by the ones behind everything that has happened to Earth: The Universal Union.
"Now," the G-Man started, smiling, "About your new assignments. My employers have instructed me to give you separate ones, both of which are of the highest importance."
Shinji and Gordon's eyes widened. They were going to be separated.
"What?" Gordon begun.
"Mr. Ikari," the G-Man said, turning to Shinji, "You are your 'troop' will be sent to one particular location; while you Mr. Freeman."
The G-Man was still smiling.
"You will be sent to another."
Gordon saw wrong in this decision.
"I was hoping to stay with Shinji and the others," Gordon said, "We're a team."
"Oh, don't worry," the G-Man said reassuringly, "You will be seeing each other again really soon. After you've completed your respected assignments."
He looked Gordon in the eyes.
"You most of all, Mr. Freeman."
Fatigue slowly overtook both Shinji and Gordon as the both begun to drift. They felt coldness enveloping them, their muscles relax and their minds slowly turn off.
"Gordon…" Shinji said weakly, growing lax and were about to collapse on the 'floor', but something kept him up. He fell asleep against his will.
That was the last thing Gordon heard before he fell asleep as well.
'I'm sorry, Shinji,' Gordon last thought.
And the G-Man smiled as they floated back up to join Yui, Rei, Misato and Asuka in sleep.
"With the files now opened, and you have more knowledge on your world's trial and tribulations, I must take my leave now," he said to the unconscious 'employee' above him.
A doorway leading into bright white appeared behind him.
"By the grace of God, go I."
He stepped through, leaving them all to sleep for another year.
And which their rest will surely be needed. As when the next time they wake up, their trials truly begin.
