OCTOBER 7TH
GENDO IKARI'S FORMER OFFICE
9:24 AM
"I'm afraid your tenure is up, Ikari."
The atmosphere was tense in the large barren office. Senior staff stood nearby, watching the transfer of power.
"Will you comply with the peaceful transfer of power?"
Jacques stood there, staring down Gendo. He knew that he was no longer a major threat to the scenario.
"I will comply…"
Gendo tried his best to hide his rage, and a small twitch of the lip was all that was shown. His one good hand shook ever so slightly, resisting the urge to clench and strike Jacques across the face.
Fuyutsuki stood nearby, wracked with nervousness and anxiety. He was asked to stay as Sub-Commander, but it didn't feel right.
"As of this moment, I, former Minister of the Armed Forces for the French Republic; Jacques LeBlanc, will step forth into the position of NERV HQ Commander."
A pause
"From this point forward Gendo Ikari, Former Commander of NERV HQ, is to be demoted back to a Japanese Citizen. If he so wishes, he may reapply for a position within NERV in his respective field of expertise."
Whatever Jacques was thinking, he clearly didn't show it. His face stayed stoic at all times.
Ritsuko, Misato, Kaji, and the bridge bunnies watched from the side as Gendo placed his ID card and other miscellaneous items on the desk.
"I'll let one of the senior staff walk you out. As a civilian, you are no longer permitted within HQ without authorization. Your activities will be monitored by Section Two, to ensure no information is leaked. Do you understand and agree to the terms?"
. . .
"I accept the terms laid out by the UN Security Council."
. . .
"Good. You are dismissed."
Gendo began his slow trek out of the office, when Ritsuko stopped him.
"Let's… Go see my mother.."
"Not interested."
"Please… Mother wants to see you…"
Sigh
"Fine."
MATERNAL PROGRAMMING
EPISODE 17
"No Masters or Kings"
AKAGI RESIDENCE
SAME DAY
10:42 AM JST
The door to the house opened, allowing the two to enter. Gendo looked around the entry hall. It looked much more lived in than his penthouse… His Government Issued Penthouse…
He took off his shoes and entered the rest of the house.
It felt… Warm and cozy…
A voice rang out from down a hall. Naoko's.
"Ritsuko? I thought you had to attend the transfer."
The sound of her wheelchair rolling could be heard, getting closer and closer, rolling on the hardwood floor.
Naoko soon came into view, just stopping short in front of Gendo.
"Oh…"
. . .
"Take a seat over by the counter. Ritsuko can get us something."
Gendo grunted and walked over to the barstool. He sat down and rested his good arm on the counter.
Naoko wheeled over and tried to get up. Struggling, Ritsuko ultimately had to help her onto the stool.
She then went to the kitchen and began making them both some coffee.
. . .
"What will you do now?..."
. . .
"I don't know."
. . .
Gendo stared down at his hand. He shaked ever so slightly, but it grew more and more. His hand gripped onto the counter tightly.
. . .
"SEELE has won. Keel's right hand man, Jacques has taken over."
Naoko sighed and turned away. She knew that Jax would order her to unlock everything on the MAGI. All those secrets would be his…
. . .
Idea.
"I know that he'll ask for our records, but what if I hid them on Balthazar? We can keep her isolated, turn her on for a day and back it up on her. Then we turn her back off."
Gendo thought to himself for a moment.
"It will appear like it's just some diagnostics… But you'll need to get approved to work again."
The clinks of mugs caused them to turn back to the counter. Ritsuko had just set down the two hot mugs of coffee.
"I suppose I could clear you, But you would need a way of moving better. Surprisingly NERV is not very handicap friendly…"
Naoko chuckled to herself.
"No it isn't…"
. . .
Silence.
. . .
"What about Tokita? He did design JA's entire AI system."
Gendo offered, mildly peaking the two women's attention. He hadn't been one to really offer suggestions before.
"That… Sounds like an… Idea…"
. . .
"It's an idea of all time…"
Neither woman felt thrilled to trust him with such sensitive data. In Fact they felt the exact opposite, especially when the MAGI is involved.
"Ritsuko, All you have to do is feed him the instructions on how you operate and transfer the data. You can watch over him and make sure he doesn't get in trouble."
Ritsuko stood in silence for a moment, staring down at her feet with her arms crossed.
"I guess so. I'll talk to him. He should be in the JA cage. I'll give him a call in a bit."
She tried to hurriedly walk away.
"Now Ritsuko."
. . .
"Fine…"
Ritsuko sighes and leaves to go make the call, leaving the two elders by themselves.
Gendo takes the mug and sips from it.
"It's good… Better than what I have at home…"
Naoko smirked.
"It is, Shinji recently taught Ritsuko how to make the coffee his way. Wait until you try his.."
She smiles as she takes small sips, making sure not to burn herself. She was extremely proud of Shinji, already so independent, but at the same time he is also too dependent, even by a 14 year old's standards. She quickly changed her thinking for a moment.
"So, How much do you want to bet on her going on a date with him?"
. . .
". . .I'll bet 2000 Yen that she chickens out."
Naoko chuckles.
"I'll bet 4000 that she doesn't."
"Deal."
OCTOBER 8TH
12:42 PM JST
NERV HQ
JET ALONE CAGE CONTROL ROOM
"So.. Let me get this straight incase I misheard you yesterday… You want me.. To help work on the MAGI?..."
"That is correct. Mo- Dr Naoko Akagi had asked me to ask you. Until she can get better she cannot come here."
Shiro leaned on a console, thinking to himself for a moment. This was a huge opportunity to impress NERV and the world with his talents. He'd be one of the few selected to personally work on the MAGI Original, the most advanced SuperComputer trio in the world!
"What will I be doing?"
He asked, a bit wary of what the offer will truly entail.
Ritsuko sighed and turned to the crew inside.
"I'm going to need all of you to step out for a moment, this is sensitive information. Anyone caught listening in will be terminated and detained."
Those words alone made everyone quickly leave the control room. As soon as the door closed, Ritsuko spoke again, but to a PDA she pulled out.
"MAGI Casper, Turn off all cameras to this room and any microphone devices."
. . .
" Acknowledged. Command carried out. "
Although it looks like nothing had changed, they were now in total privacy.
"We need to transfer some sensitive information onto Balthazar. This is the highest level of security here, And… This is not to be repeated to anyone besides me, My Mother, Gendo Ikari or Sub Commander Fuyutsuki. Commander LeBlanc does not need to know anything."
This sounded very suspicious to Shiro. Why would he not tell the commander? Are they planning a coup or something bad?
"W-Why not?..."
. . .
"I can't tell you at the moment, But I'll be guiding you on how we can do this. This will all look like we are trying to fix Balthazar. Do you understand?"
. . .
"Yes…"
. . .
"Good."
Ritsuko saw the uncertain look on his face. He seemed so nervous. So she took a step that she is afraid of.
"Do you want to go and grab a drink after work?..."
. . .
"Sure."
He seemed to relax, causing Ritsuko to also relax.
She spoke into the PDA again.
"Resume Normal Activity, and delete logs of this event."
" Acknowledged, Command carried out. "
. . .
"Meet me near entrance 13E at 7 PM."
. . .
"I'll see you there."
SAME DAY
3:21 PM JST
AKAGI RESIDENCE
Shinji entered the house with a sigh. He hadn't been able to go to Okinawa and was mainly strolling around Tokyo-III to find something interesting to do. He took off his shoes and stepped in.
"I'm home!"
"Welcome home." Naoko's voice replied back, but she immediately went back to talking to someone.
"Who's here?"
He asked, stepping into the living room until he saw who.
Sitting on the couch next to Naoko was none other than his father, who was drinking some coffee out of one of his favorite mugs.
"Oh… It's just you."
Somehow that made Gendo's eye twitch.
"Yes, It's me…"
The two had somewhat of a staring standoff until Shinji noticed something about him.
"What happened to your jacket?..."
. . .
"I am no longer the commander."
. .
"Oh."
. . .
Naoko chimed in for a moment to break the tension.
"Gendo will be here for a few days in the guest room until he can find a new place that isn't owned by NERV."
. . .
"I see…"
But before Naoko could talk to him again, Shinji rushed upstairs. His footsteps banging against the floor as he ran into his room and slammed the door shut.
"Shinji!"
Naoko called out, in a fruitless attempt to bring him back.
Gendo sighed and sat his coffee down on the table.
"It's my fault. Thank you for your generous offer, but It appears I must find another place to stay."
Just as Gendo began to stand up, Naoko grabbed him by his good arm.
"Please… Stay… I'll calm him down and we can all talk…"
Gendo stared at her, her face painted with a desperate look.
"We can all talk like a real family…"
SAME DAY
7:03 PM JST
GEOFRONT ENTRANCE 13E NEAR SURFACE CHECKPOINT
Ritsuko leaned on a concrete pillar. She had left her lab coat back at her lab, so she was wearing her blue blouse and black skirt. She hadn't gone home to change…
The tapping of shoes alerted her to the other side of the entrance. It was Shiro, dressed in some nightly casual clothing.
"I forgot you left earlier…"
"And I forgot you didn't. Where is this bar at?"
Ritsuko pointed down a windowed hall that overlooked the GeoFront.
"It's this way. Follow me."
Shiro shrugged and followed the women.
He watched her pull out a packet of gum, take a piece and popped one in her mouth.
"It helps me to not smoke. Need one?"
She offered him a piece, but he shook his head, declining her offer.
"I never smoked. But thank you."
She nodded and kept walking, her strides just short enough for him to keep up.
The setting sun above the city shone its way through the many mirrors that let the light into the GeoFront. An orange hue covers the gardens below.
Shiro looked out the window, he had seen the GeoFront gardens many times from the tram, but not like this. It was beautiful. He could stare at it for hours…
"Right over here. The best bar in the whole GeoFront… Well the only bar in the GeoFront heh."
She said, pointing to a door and a bouncer next to it. A neon sign above the door read:
"Rosie's Bar"
A guard at the front immediately let her and Shiro in, knowing not to incur the wrath of the Project E Director.
The bar had a purple-red hue to it, and its ambient music was almost drowned out by its patrons. NERV staff frequent this bar, as it's more or less exclusive and more calmer than the ones on the surface.
Few people took notice of the doctor and the engineer taking their seats, but none of them said anything, already preoccupied with their own matters.
"What can I get you two?"
The bartender asked, waiting patiently with a smile.
Ritsuko was the first to order.
"I'll take an Eva-Coolant"
Shiro looked confused at the odd choice.
"It's all NERV themed, Eva-Coolant is some tequila mixed with some grape juice."
"Ah. Well, I'll just get something not too strong, and with some sweetness."
The bartender nodded.
"One Eva-Coolant and an LCL Cocktail coming right up!"
As the bartender began to make their drinks, Ritsuko tried to strike up a conversation with Shiro.
"So, how is JA coming along?..."
. . .
"It's going well… Its harness is finally complete and is fully compatible with its cage and the Eva Lifts…"
. . .
There is an awkward silence.
"How is your mother doing?..."
. . .
"She is doing well. She has to stay at home until we can figure out a way for her to navigate HQ better. We are thinking about fitting her with a prosthetic, But she'll need more time off for physical therapy…"
"I see."
. . .
This was a rather awkward situation for the both of them.
While they have gone out for drinks with friends, they haven't had a " Date" in a long while.
If you can even call this a date…
The bartender sets down two drinks on the counter.
"Enjoy you two."
"Thanks."
. . .
Ritsuko took her glass and took a sip from it. A nice fruity taste.
Shiro then took a sip from his, It was orange juice and… Gin? He couldn't tell.
Despite the chatter and music around them, it felt like complete silence between the two. Neither one of them knew what to say.
"So, How does the rest of NERV feel about JHCI working with them?..."
. . .
"They are wary of outsiders, but are ok with your crew…"
. . .
"I see."
. . .
"I'd rather not talk about work right now, If that's ok. "
Shiro nodded.
"That's fine... I just didn't know what else to talk about… But I do have one last question…"
. . .
"Sure, go ahead."
. . .
"Did you just do this for me to calm down, or is there another reason?"
. . .
Sigh
"A bit of that, But I also needed to… Actually talk to people…"
. . .
"I see."
He took another sip of his drink, his nerves slightly on edge. Ritsuko took notice and tried to talk about something else.
"So tell me about yourself Shiro."
He perked up for a moment, before giving a slight smile.
"Well… I'm 32 and I was born on the 5th of May 1983 in Tokyo. I used to play a lot of games on the Super Famicom, especially RPGs. And I enjoy some American Rock bands, even if I don't understand them sometimes."
Ritsuko chuckled, prompting him to chuckle as well.
"What? It's all true!"
He had a smile on his face.
"I'm not doubting it, It's just that you don't look thirty-two!"
Both of them shared a quick laugh.
"My turn… I'm 30, born on November the 21st in 85'. My mom had me In college when she was getting her Degree in Mathematics and Engineering. I have a cat at home named Mamo, and I enjoy older sitcoms from around the world."
"Nice. I got my degree in Computer Science and Engineering, I'm guessing they didn't have CS when she was in college…"
Ritsuko shook her head.
"Nope, The Microprocessor was still in its infancy and it was a very niche thing even in that time. I also remember your speech and you had all these computer legends there, but you didn't have Faggin, what happened to him?"
Shiro's face faltered a bit.
"Well, I don't know if you heard as well, but Federico died in his sleep in 08'. Intel, Zilog, and Synaptics held a join funeral for him."
Ritsuko's face also dropped a bit.
"Oh, I didn't know that. Well that sucks…"
. .
"Lets change the subject again. What shows do you watch?"
"Its a long list…"
"We've got plenty of time."
OCTOBER 9TH
12:42 AM
AKAGI RESIDENCE
A car parked infront of the house and two people stepped out.
Shiro guided the drunken Ritsuko to the door. He was about to knock on the door, but it opened to reveal Shinji.
"Oh, Shinji. What are you doing up so late?"
Shinji had a tired expression.
"Just waiting for sis to come home…"
He then narrowed his eyes.
"You didn't try anything with her, did you?"
Shiro raised his one free hand in defense.
"N-No! I would never!"
. . .
"Come in and set her down on the couch. I never expected her to come home like this…"
Shiro led the women to the living room couch where he laid her down.
"Thank you."
Shinji said, not facing him.
"For what?"
. . .
"Getting her to open up."
NAOKO'S ROOM
"You now owe me 4000 Yen."
. . .
"Damnit… I.. Left my wallet in my car…"
. . .
"Liar."
After thinking for a long while, and sorting out some stuff, I figured out that writing keeps me happy, its enjoyable and calming. While I might not post stuff more often now, I will try and take my time and not rush. I want this to be enjoyable for both me and you, the readers. I am currently trying to get better. And to those who know me… I promise you…
I will try to get better, And If allowed, I'll try and make it up to you, if ok…
This is DerpymanMT, and I'll see you in the next chapter.
Deus
Also Federico Faggin is a real person, and that is his real name. In real life he is not dead. And he considered the Father of the Microprocessor. Search him up if you dont believe me.
EDIT: Fixed Ritsuko's birthday