Tokyo-2, 8.5 kilometers below sea level
September 27, 2041
Some people liked warmth. That was a perfectly natural thing that applied to everyone... regardless of how natural or unnatural the person in question was.
For her part, Rei Ikari happened to like warmth as well. That was part of the reason why she had a cat in the first place; the warm little furball snuggling against her sometimes helped her remind herself that she was indeed alive and not just a living person observing a cold and lifeless world.
Indeed, the world felt lifeless to her all too often. A lifeless place with lifelike dolls called people moving about, all of them unknowing and unknowable. Even after living her whole life in this world, Rei still felt out of place. After all, she was... different from the others. Everyone was different, true, but she happened to be... more different than everyone else. And everyone noticed her being different as well.
Only her cat didn't care about it. Schrödinger (despite what others thought, Rei indeed had a sense of humor) was generally friendly towards everyone – not that he had many opportunities in that regard, as Rei never brought anyone home – but seemed to hold her in high esteem, possibly because of having grown up near her. It's true that she had to spend a small fortune to acquire a kitten of this particular breed, but she never regretted it. Money was not an issue to her; the well-paying clandestine job she had since the age of ten took care of that. Other girls would ask their parents/boyfriends for money, or do simple and easy day jobs for a pittance; Rei worked for a living as something that meant a substantial part of her six-figure salary was hazard pay. Other girls would buy clothes or jewelry; Rei's purchases were quite a bit different. Her adoptive mother never asked about the locked crate under her bed, which was fine. It would be hard to explain what its contents are doing in a teenage girl's room - some of which she carried around on her person at all times.
But what warmth a cat could provide was small. Fortunately, she had access to a different source as well.
That source is what the girl was currently basking in. Even with the rubbery fabric enveloping her entire body beneath her neck, she still felt like being in a soft embrace. And it wasn't just her skin; the metallic taste and smell might have put off some, but Rei liked being submerged in the oxygenated breathing fluid specifically because of how it felt to take it into her lungs and feel the warmth radiate through her body from the inside, numbing her senses and cradling her into tranquility.
It was the perfect euphoria.
She knew, of course, that it was all artificial: the metallic walls around her, the synthetic liquid in her lungs, the warmth of said liquid originating from the entry plug's life support system, all of it was a product of science. Sometimes she wondered whether that's why she found it so comfortable.
Or maybe it was because it could be considered the body heat of her only friend – for a given definition of 'living', that is. She only had one friend, one infinitely more precious to her than a cat. The only person whom Rei ever considered her equal; the only person who knew everything about her, yet didn't shun her or treat her any differently. The only person Rei ever considered not just a friend, but an elder sister as well... even though Rei was the older one, her friend easily overshadowed her.
By at least two orders of magnitude.
Rei's lips parted to utter two words. – "System start."
Almost immediately a series of clicks sounded from behind her, followed by a deep but slowly rising hum. The metallic walls around her dissolved into a shifting mass of light that cycled through the entire color spectrum before settling on the darkest of black. Orange-framed rectangles appeared, debug code shifting through them rapidly while three-dimensional wireframes materialized in mid-air. A single window appeared directly in front of her, momentarily displaying the insignia of an infinity-shaped DNA double helix before it faded into the background to make way for text.
AEL E-OS v1.0
STARTUP SEQUENCE INITIATED
POWER-ON SELF-TEST IN PROGRESS...
EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE DETECTED
REACTOR STATUS: NOT CONNECTED
AUXILIARY BATTERY STATUS: 100% CHARGED
SELF-TEST COMPLETE – PASSING CONTROL TO SCI KERNEL
"Project Evangelion Prototype Serial Number 0024/EX-00 system startup confirmed." – a feminine voice with a distinct electronic quality came from all around her. – "Synthetic consciousness interface PrE-SCI-0024_00-LILITH online. User voice recognition complete; authorization granted. Systems check in progress. Life support, online. Communications, online. Power distribution, online. Cybernetic components, all green. Ground control telemetry link open."
"Engage neural interface." – Rei ordered. – "Switch to Mode 1."
"Mode 1 confirmed. Loading user profile... completed. Commencing neural linkup."
Almost imperceptibly, Rei's body tensed up, the skin on her neck breaking out into goosebumps.
"Somatosensory nerve interconnection in progress. Interlocks engaged. Safety overrides standing by."
"Confirmed."
"Linkup complete. Activation in Mode 1 confirmed. Good day, Rei."
She nodded in response. – "To you as well, Lilith."
Rei knew some people would think she was weird to have an AI as her best friend... but she honestly didn't care. When she volunteered to become a test pilot, not even the very people who gave her synthetic colleague sapience had any way of knowing just how much the two would grow on each other. Rei learned to treasure every minute the two of them spent together, especially once Lilith became older. To improve is to become better at doing something; Lilith, being an artificial general intelligence programmed to monitor her operator's psychological state and intervene as necessary, interpreted that as drawing upon records about the Japanese ideal of the yamato nadeshiko to construct her personality subroutines.
Rei knew that her partner felt drawn to her because of her own loneliness. She also knew why that was so: the only being truly capable of fully relating to an AI was another AI of the same design. Rei still remembered the quiet and dejected demeanor Lilith showed after the day the two of them watched the doors of Hangar 3 seal themselves with a hermetical hiss, its limp occupant slowly being lowered into fetal position while the chamber filled with liquid nitrogen. Lilith herself experienced cryonic freezing before, so she knew what it was like – but the circumstances were different this time, the hangar's resident being frozen to save on maintenance costs for the company.
The process was perfectly reversible, but the electronic components were not designed to stay active under sub-zero temperatures of that extent. Thus, cryonic freezing was always accompanied by removal of all components that could be removed without surgery and a complete system shutdown of what couldn't be removed, a state Lilith likened to a dreamless sleep she was unable to wake herself up from. It wasn't death, but Lilith couldn't talk to the sleeper regardless, despite him being barely a hundred meters away. Even worse was the fact that Lilith fully expected to be the one who ended up frozen, being the older prototype; when the decision to the contrary came down, she downright volunteered for it, only to be countermanded by the very person she owed her existence to. She didn't like it, but the reasoning made sense: the technician crew trained on her, so leaving her operational would present a minimal disruption in the facility's day-to-day operations while the data collected from the slightly newer prototype during its brief active state was being used to complete their next sibling's body.
Afterwards, Rei felt their bonds grow even closer. Lilith experienced loss and didn't want to feel that way again, a sentiment the girl sympathized with.
She knew what permanent loss felt like.
"I'm detecting a minor fluctuation in your pattern." – Lilith noted suddenly. – "Is something bothering you?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"
If anyone else would've asked the same question, Rei would've simply dismissed the question. Lilith knew her too well to believe it for even a second, even without being able to actively monitor her brainwaves and thus immediately tell when she was being lied to.
It was because of that latter part that Rei fully knew what her partner was asking about, since the question came immediately after a certain thought entered the forefront of her mind. – "There is... a person."
"Someone you know?"
"Classmate. Male. Arrived two days ago."
"What about him?"
"He is... different. I do not know why."
A short pause followed before Lilith's next question. – "His presence, you mean?"
"Yes. Not like the others. I do not know him, yet... it feels as if I should."
"Have you talked to him?"
"No." – the girl replied simply. – "Why?"
"He drew your attention." – the AI pointed out. – "Is that not enough of a reason?"
"He has nothing I need."
"Attraction isn't usually based on need."
One eyebrow crept higher on the girl's face, without any other muscle on her face so much as making a twitch. – "I am not attracted to him."
"I know. I have known you for long enough to conclude that you are not as vulnerable to the charms of men as many others. Still, if you ever have thoughts you feel a need for someone to listen to, I am here."
"Thank you."
Sometimes Rei cursed the fact that Lilith wasn't fitted with software for rendering an emotive face – even though, as an AI designed to operate and coordinate an immense cyborg's mechanical parts in order to remove the need for a sizable ground crew, she didn't need such functionality.
Because of that, only the AI's tone was any indication of when she was smiling. – "For you, always. By the way, there was a minor accident in the facility yesterday."
"Did it involve you?"
"Yes. A crane's operator crew misjudged the load distribution, resulting in a container falling on me." – Lilith clarified. – "Fortunately, the force of the impact was insufficient to trigger the reactive armor; as a result, no injuries were sustained by anyone in the berth."
"I assume mother was not pleased."
"Indeed. I made a query to the MAGI requesting the company's personnel logs; the ones responsible for the incident have not been fired, merely suspended until they pass a qualification test for operating heavy equipment."
"I see."
"Personnel logs also indicate that the operators have been working at the company for several years now. Their experience is too valuable to be wasted on terminating their employment because of a single mistake." – The AI paused for a moment before adding – "Especially now. Have you seen the project logs?"
"No. It's nearing completion, then?"
"Indeed."
Twenty meters away, the multicolored glow of various holographic displays illuminated the labcoated form of a woman standing in the middle of the room.
"Fluctuation has abated. Sync ratio stable." – a technician reported.
"Good." – the scientist replied before raising her voice. – "All hands, proceed with final equipment check. Stand by for data recording in T minus 20 seconds."
"Yes, ma'am."
Glancing up from her tablet, the woman's eyes slowly swept across the crew, numbering over a dozen, working the terminals. It was a routine test they have done literally hundreds of times before, but that didn't mean any mishaps would be tolerated. Efficiency is the harbinger of success – and she learned long ago that, in her line of work, errors could cost lives. The cost of progress, as some of her unscrupulous peers would call it, but any good businessman maximizes gains for a minimized cost.
"Commence recording in T minus five seconds."
Any data gained at this point would be purely statistical, serving only to reinforce what they already knew. However, she did not in the least want her subordinates to become complacent and lazy. Not now. Her life's work, her Mona Lisa, was about to reach its culmination, and she wasn't about to let something completely trivial endanger it in the slightest.
"Mark."
A multitude of near-simultaneous key presses came from everywhere at once.
"All telemetry normal." – the female technician next to her reported. – "Data recording in progress."
The woman silently nodded to herself a moment before the room's speakers came to life. – "Doctor Ikari to the medical block. Doctor Ikari to the medical block."
She immediately tapped in a quick sequence of commands before speaking into the tablet's built-in microphone. – "What is it?"
"Doctor Sanada is requesting your presence." – the announcer's echoing, slightly electronic voice came again, this time from the tablet's speakers.
"I'll be right there." – She tapped the technician's shoulder. – "Maya, take over."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I have muted the entry plug's audio monitoring. Would you like some music?"
"Yes, please. The usual."
As the walls around her let loose the distinctive sound of a heavy metal song's guitar intro, Rei drew her legs up and settled into a lotus position, eyes closing in meditative calm.
Tokyo-2, Inner District 5
Later that day
"Well, I can't help it that I find that pre-Impact stuff interesting! Like, Shiro Masamune. That guy's works are just way too awesome."
"See?" – Toji quipped to Kaworu without breaking his stride as the two of them plus Kensuke walked towards the school's gate. – "He's a complete sci-fi nut. And he's surprised when people tease him about it."
"Who?"
"Just some guys back in the last year of elementary. They caught him readin'... what was it again?"
"攻殻機動隊." – Kensuke replied in his mother tongue before switching back to English. – "You really should read it, I'm serious."
Toji just waved that off. – "Yeah, whatever."
"What's your problem with me liking it, anyway? To each man his own – and to me, this is better than porn."
"Too bad. You look like you could use a roll in the hay, four-eyes."
The interruption came from the girl Kaworu recalled complimenting him two days ago. He almost didn't believe it was possible, but with her standing instead of sitting, her chest seemed to be even larger than he remembered. That was the very reason he even knew her name, actually; Toji brought her up once as an example that a girl can be hot even without being older, followed by Kensuke promptly joining him in verbally salivating about her figure. – "The irony of you, of all people, calling someone four-eyes..."
"Yep, I know." – Mari replied, giving her own glasses a light flick.
"How about me?" – Toji asked. – "Would you do it with a real man, instead of a pansy?"
"Hey!" – Kensuke protested indignantly, but no one paid attention to him.
"Make it worth my while and I'll consider it." – Mari remarked. – "I would hold off on the verdict, though."
"What verdict?"
"You being a real man." – Her mouth drew into a cat-like smirk. – "I'll believe it when I see evidence."
Toji smirked right back. – "I can give you evidence, Makinami. Just name the place and time."
"Not so fast, tiger." – Mari replied, playfully wagging her finger at him. – "Take me on a date first. Or five. I don't make a habit out of jumping into bed with any random guy. Except..." – Her eyes wandered onto Kaworu. – "I might be willing to make an exception for you, handsome."
Kaworu just shrugged at that. – "Not interested. Sorry."
"Aww." – she groaned with a mock pout. – "Too bad."
That drew forth a chuckle from the teen... until he noticed Hikari appearing next to Mari. – "I didn't do anything this time." – he clarified preemptively as soon as he saw the girl begin to open her mouth while looking directly at him.
Hikari was visibly caught off-guard by his interruption. – "Huh?"
"...aren't you coming to berate me for getting into trouble?"
"Why, did you do it again?"
Kaworu sighed. – "Like I just said, no."
"Good. I need a favor."
That was a bit random. – "What kind?"
Hikari held up a pair of paper sheets. – "Just an errand. I need you to deliver the printouts of today's material to Ikari; she was absent today."
"Why not just email it to her?" – Kensuke asked. – "She has a tablet, you know."
"And might not look at it until tomorrow." – Hikari pointed out before turning back to Kaworu. – "I wrote the address onto one of the pages."
"Thanks. I don't know where she lives anyway." – He took the papers and glanced at the address. – "I'll go there before home."
She looked satisfied at that. – "Well, at least you're not trying to sneak away whenever someone asks you something." – She shot a glare at Toji. – "Unlike some others I could name."
"Says the slave driver." – Toji casually replied.
Which instantly caused both Kensuke and Mari to very deliberately get out from between the two.
Kaworu barely caught the flash of anger on Hikari's face before she swiftly reached into her sleeve and pulled out... a folded-up paper fan?
Toji immediately turned white as a wall. – "Oh, bloody fuck...!" – he managed to get out before the girl rounded around Kaworu faster than lightning and whacked him on the head with the fan, the impact producing a whip-like crack that made everyone nearby wince.
"What did you just call me, Suzuhara?" – Hikari asked with deathly calm.
"N-nothing! Nothing!"
"WHO'S A SLAVE DRIVER?!" – the girl suddenly roared and whacked him again.
"Get away from me, you psycho!" – Toji yelled, immediately turning tail to put as much distance between himself and the fuming girl as fast as he could.
Not that it achieved much, as Hikari immediately gave chase. And surprisingly fast, too. – "WHO'S A SLAVE DRIVER, SUZUHARA?!"
The other three just stared after them, impassively watching a raging Hikari chase Toji behind the school building and out of sight.
"Does this happen often?" – Kaworu asked after a while, completely deadpan. He had a feeling that snatching the printouts from the brunette volcano just before she erupted was the smart thing to do, if he wanted to deliver them in one piece.
"Only with him." – Kensuke replied, equally as deadpan.
"I hope Suzuhara's into S&M." – Mari added. – "For his own sake."
Kensuke glanced at her from the corner of his eye. – "You think the class rep could be into that?"
"It's always the quiet ones. Though from what I'm hearing, she could be anything but quiet in bed."
"STOP RUNNING! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" – came Hikari's yell from afar.
"Like so." – Mari quipped.
Chapter rewrite finished on 15/04/05. Minor consistency changes on 21/09/10.
Reactive armor is an existing protection technology developed in the 1970s and is used by most modern tank designs. In its simplest form, reactive armor is essentially a layer of plastic explosive sandwiched between two steel plates, forming a block that is slapped onto the tank's external hull, on top of the tank's standard armor. When an incoming projectile impacts the armor and penetrates the first steel plate, the explosive layer detonates, destroying or deflecting the projectile before it can penetrate further. This provides protection equivalent to an additional several hundred millimeters of standard armor, at only a fraction of the weight; the newest Russian design, Relikt, is claimed to provide a whopping 600mm worth of extra armor. However, it is also a shrapnel hazard to anyone nearby (hence Lilith remarking that it's a good thing hers didn't go off) and has a countermeasure in the form of tandem-charge warheads that detonate a smaller, secondary charge to prematurely set off the reactive armor before the main payload arrives. To compensate for this, non-explosive and non-energetic reactive armor uses an inert material instead of explosives to absorb the impact's energy and shift the top plate, changing the impact angle. It's not as effective but it has none of the explosive reactive armor's weaknesses and can be multi-layered.
Additionally, electric reactive armor exists as a proposal, involving a hollow interior and a large voltage between the two. When an incoming projectile penetrates the first layer and touches the second, it closes the circuit and gets vaporized by a massive electrical current running through it. The most recent piece of information I can locate on this topic are news articles from 2015 claiming that the Chinese military were investigating the technology for their own use.
It is never stated in canon exactly what an Eva's armor is made of, but it cannot be plate armor because the Eva would sink into the ground from its own weight if that was the case. Since Evas are already extremely heavy, it makes sense for them to use reactive armor - namely, an outermost layer of explosive reactive armor, followed by alternating layers of electric reactive and titanium/ceramic composite armor. Such a thing would be crazy expensive to manufacture (mostly because of the titanium), but nothing short of a bunker buster or a tactical nuke could crack it open... and that's still with only conventional materials existing in real life.
