Geofront, AEL Headquarters
October 21, 2041
0856 hours
"Good morning, Nagisa. How are you feeling?" – Sanada said as he walked into the infirmary, the automatic door closing behind him with a quiet hiss.
Kaworu sat up on the bed. – "Good, I think."
"Any headache?"
"None."
"That's good. I've been looking at your most recent MRI scans and I have to say, I'm impressed." – The man sat onto the edge of the bed before turning his attention to his tablet, bringing up a medical readout he showed to the teen. – "The burst veins in your brain have almost completely healed, with no signs of lasting damage."
Kaworu shrugged at that. – "Well, I've always healed quickly. I mean, you know how you scratch yourself and it stays for a few days? For me, it disappears before the end of the day. I never really understood why."
"Everyone heals at a different rate and being malnourished affects it negatively, even in completely healthy individuals." – Sanada explained. – "I've seen some signs of long-term malnourishment in your body, but you seem to have recovered recently. Still, your rate of regeneration is truly remarkable. Speaking of which, can I take a look at that?" – he said, pointing at a white patch peeking out from behind Kaworu's neck.
"Sure." – The teen turned to the side and tilted his head forward to expose the bandage on the edge of his hairline. Sanada carefully separated the medical tape from Kaworu's skin and peeled back the tissue to expose a small, red line on the teen's pale skin, the telltale twin lines of dots indicative of a recently removed suture barely visible.
"Looks good here too." – the doctor said before reapplying the medical tape.
"How did I get injured back there, anyway?" – Kaworu asked as he settled back onto the bed. – "Did I hit my head while I was out?"
"No. It's not a well-known fact but in an aneurysm, it's not the bleeding that does most of the damage. That blood doesn't just magically vanish but stays in the skull, increasing intracranial pressure. The pressure is what kills the nerve cells." – the man explained.
"I see, but... how does this come into it?"
"We had to perform an emergency craniectomy on you."
"...which is?"
"Essentially, we drilled a hole through your skull to relieve the pressure."
Kaworu winced. – "Ouch. That doesn't sound very good."
Sanada motioned across the room. – "We have the best medical equipment outside the city's hospital; if it wasn't for that, you wouldn't have made it. Even so, there was no time to call in a neurosurgeon so I made the incision and brought the drill to bear myself." – He smirked. – "Good thing I have steady hands, isn't it?"
"Well... yeah. Thanks."
The doctor made a dismissive gesture. – "Saving your life is what I'm here for. If you really want to thank someone, it's doctor Ikari. It was her idea to be prepared for anything that might happen – and seeing as you're sitting here alive and well instead of lying dead in a coroner's freezer, I'd say it paid off. Make no mistake, though; the only reason why I haven't sent you to a proper hospital is because it would've been hard to explain what happened to you without blowing our cover. If I wouldn't have been sure of what I was doing, I wouldn't have taken any chances."
Inwardly, Sanada added 'Even though I was sweating there for a while... I knew his bone tissue is dense but I had no idea it would be as hard as quartz; must be the androgens from puberty. Good thing we had that diamond drill Yui ordered for Rei a few years ago.' He didn't say it out loud, though; he knew that doing so would raise more questions in the teen's mind. Questions he didn't want to – and hoped he'd never have to – answer.
"Thanks anyway. Why did you drill the hole back there, though?"
"Every minute counts during a decompressive craniectomy. I didn't want to waste time shaving your head to make room elsewhere, and I don't think you would have appreciated me going in through your forehead where everybody can see the scar." – He emphasized his point by lightly poking the teen's forehead. – "I know emergency surgery isn't about aesthetics, but I had the option and decided to take it."
Kaworu nodded. – "Okay, I get it now." – Then something else occurred to him. – "What about the blood in my head? Did you wash by brain down or something to get it out?"
"I had to make a tiny hole in your dura mater but once it had a hole to leave through, whatever wanted to came out came out on its own until the pressure equalized. The rest either belongs in there or will be absorbed, and MRI says the hole already knitted itself back together. Don't you worry about it." – the doctor assured him.
"What about the hole in my skull?"
"It's a very small hole; the bone will grow back in time. I know it sounds bad but don't worry. You're in the clear now and I say that as the doctor in charge. In fact..." – He picked up his tablet again. – "I think it's time we established your proper medical record. Normally, it would've been done when you joined the company but I was attending a medical conference in White Forest at the time."
"Okay..." – Kaworu said slowly. – "What exactly do you want?"
"Just a few questions, nothing serious. Aside from your quick healing, have you noticed any unusual medical matters involving yourself?"
Kaworu drummed his fingers on his knee while considering the question. – "Does not being the sickly type count?" – he asked uncertainly. – "I mean, I only remember one, maybe two times I ever got sick."
"I see." – Sanada typed something on the tablet. – "Does that include childhood diseases, like chicken pox?"
"Actually, I never got that one."
The man looked up at that. – "Really?"
"I remember there was that one time back in elementary school; I was... eight at the time? I think so. Anyway, the school was closed for two weeks because of a chicken pox outbreak. Pretty much everybody in my class was infected; even some of the teachers called in sick leave. I, however, was completely fine: no fever, no itching, nothing."
The man hummed to himself before typing on his tablet. – "Which school was it?"
"Volksschule Inzersdorf, on the 23rd suburb district Draschestraße." – Kaworu replied, the German words flowing from his tongue with the fluency of a native speaker.
"In Vienna?"
"Yes. Why?"
Sanada shook his head dismissively. – "It's not important; I thought maybe I could find something about it in the news. I take it then that you're not prone to having the flu either?"
"No, didn't have that one either."
Sanada typed on the tablet again. – "Did you get all your inoculations?"
Kaworu hesitated at that. – "Well... you know I have a bit of a problem with my long-term memory, right?"
"I do."
"Then you understand that I can't tell what inoculations I got, if I even got any." – Kaworu pointed out.
"Of course. And this memory problem of yours... what can you tell me about it?"
The teen shrugged. – "It's just that: I can't remember anything from when I was little."
Kaworu didn't notice but Sanada's eyes narrowed a bit. – "What's the first thing you remember, then?"
"Cold." – Kaworu replied immediately. – "It was winter in '34; February, I think."
"Your file said your memory only went back to the age of seven."
"I turned 7 that September."
"Fair enough." – Sanada admitted. – "How did you get your name? Was that something you remembered?"
"Yeah, but I didn't know how to write it. One of my teachers looked it up for me." – Kaworu chuckled a bit. – "I don't suppose you find it familiar?"
"I can't help you there. Nagisa is a relatively common name in Japan – as is Kaworu, though that particular spelling was already outdated by Second Impact."
Kaworu shrugged again. – "It was worth a try, I guess."
"In any case, I think I found what kind of problem you have. So you can't recall anything that happened before that but you don't have any problems making new memories?"
"That's right." – the teen replied, now paying attention.
"That sounds like psychogenic amnesia. MRI showed no signs of physical brain damage either, so it wasn't caused by injury. Thus, the most likely candidate is dissociative amnesia."
Kaworu's eyebrows slightly raised at the unfamiliar term. – "Meaning?"
"You can't remember because something bad happened to you." – Sanada explained. – "Something so bad, your brain decided it was better off not remembering."
Kaworu sat in silence for a long while, pondering over Sanada's words.
"It... kinda makes sense." – he finally said. - "I mean... I've been living on my own, with no parents. They never looked for me, so... maybe they couldn't? Because they were dead? Maybe I saw my parents die and that's why I can't remember?"
"It's possible but there's no way to know." – the doctor replied. – "Not without your memories coming back. But then again, psychology and memory disorders aren't my field of expertise; I can look the topic up in medical archives but that's about all I can help with this."
"Is there any cure for this?"
Sanada shook his head. – "Not that current medical science knows of. It tends to go away on its own, though that can take anywhere between months and years."
"More like years in my case." – Kaworu added morosely.
"You can look at it this way." – Sanada opined, shifting on the bed's edge to resume blood circulation for his numb legs. – "Are those memories absolutely necessary for you? You began as an orphan on the streets and yet, you're already more than halfway through growing up without having had anyone to rely on. As far as I'm concerned, you have every right to feel a sense of accomplishment for yourself."
"I know. It's not that I absolutely have to know. I can live without it, but still... it'd be nice to know."
"I can imagine." – Sanada paused before quietly adding – "Should we continue with the medical record or do you want to stop?"
"I'm good." – Kaworu replied without hesitation.
The doctor nodded. – "Alright then. Do you have any allergies?"
"None that I know of."
"Any serious injuries in the past, like broken bones?"
"None, although..." – Kaworu pushed his covers aside and raised his left leg, using his finger to trace a faint scar across the bottom of his foot. – "I once stepped into broken glass when I was in a scrapyard."
Sanada winced. – "I assume it got infected?"
"That's the funny thing: it didn't." – At the man's expression, Kaworu added – "Yeah, the local doctor was just as surprised."
Same time
"So the doc says the kid is okay to go home?" – Shephard asked with undisguised skepticism.
Yui nodded. – "That's correct."
"Why so soon? Sanada told me what happened; shouldn't something like this get you hospitalized for weeks?
"Doctor Sanada is not a novice. I trust his judgment." – the scientist replied with a definitive tone of finality.
Shephard shrugged. – "If you say so, doc. Not that I agree with it, but still."
"Are you concerned he might relapse?"
"Nagisa's not my kid but that doesn't mean I don't care about him." – the man said, leaning back in his chair with a groan. – "Nobody deserves to end up six feet under because of someone else's fuckup."
"Language, colonel."
Shephard rolled his eyes at her reprimand. – "Anyway. Would the kid's injury affect his ability to pilot?"
"That's something I intend to find out for myself." – she replied. – "Before he's discharged tomorrow, mister Nagisa will participate in a synchronization test."
That was something the man didn't expect. – "Oh. Okay." – After a few moments of silence, his head perked up. – "Speaking of which, how's his ride?"
Yui worked her terminal to bring up the latest maintenance reports on Unit-01 and was satisfied to see no sudden bad news. – "External damage was superficial and no internal damage was found, nor did mister Nagisa's condition affect the neural interface."
"How about the other one? You said something about its joints being defective."
"Examination on Unit-00 revealed nothing that requires our intervention at this time." – She closed the maintenance report, the holographic screen vanishing from above her desk. – "All in all, the latest engagement is far from being a colossal failure. Neither of the Evangelions have been lost or damaged sufficiently enough to overstretch our budget. The combat data from this engagement will also help speed up the project's development." – The corner of Yui's mouth curled upwards a bit. – "I'm actually considering granting a pay bonus to the pilots as compensation for their performance."
"I bet they'd like that." – Shephard quipped.
"As a matter of fact, Rei doesn't seem to be very concerned over her salary. Now mister Nagisa, on the other hand..."
"You know, it's kinda weird to see a fourteen year old make more than I do." – He sighed. – "Good thing my girl doesn't know, or I'd never hear the end of it. Nor would Nagisa."
"I take it then that she's not suspicious?"
He gave a dismissive shrug. – "Nah, the kid gave her no reason to suspect anything. Hell, I've never seen anyone so conservative with money as him, let alone a teenager with cash to spend. You know what those are usually like."
"I do." – she confirmed.
"Nagisa's nothing like that. You saw the usual getup he's in, white shirt, black pants? That's about the only kind of clothing he has, but does he go and get anything else? Nope, he only spends money on food." – After a momentary pause, he added – "Well, food and alcohol. And he doesn't even buy that much alcohol, so he has quite a bit of money left over. I have no idea why."
"That will probably serve him well in life."
Shephard smirked. – "Maybe you could hire him as a financial consultant." – he joked. His tone quickly turned serious, however. – "On that note... do you have anything with more firepower than the guns we used last time? Because if it weren't for that spear, we might have bit the dust back there. I mean, the kids did manage to hurt that thing by shooting it in the back, but I'd rather not gambit on the next one just letting us do the same."
Yui nodded at that. – "Indeed. I have already forwarded our findings to Gehirn but as you know, we can't expect a reply within the next two weeks."
"Yeah, yeah... I've been an errand boy before. Most boring job ever."
And the man wasn't exaggerating. No matter how advanced Waygates were, even humanity's best minds couldn't figure out a way to transmit information across interstellar distances; the space between dimensions commonly referred to as xenspace, while crucial for FTL travel and teleportation of all kinds, also happened to be saturated with enough diffuse electromagnetic radiation to completely whiteout any and all kinds of radio receivers, from radar to transponders to communication gear. While ships transiting in visual range of each other could still use laser transceivers, communication beyond visual range was simply impossible. Thus, the only way for the various human star systems to stay in touch with each other was to have couriers make continuous back-and-forth journeys.
Among those in the military, being designated as courier was widely regarded as the worst job a service member can get, specifically because of the sheer boredom of spending several weeks cooped up in a small spacecraft hurtling through xenspace at 99.187856 times the speed of light. Even the Proteus system, the one closest to Sol, was a week away by waygate, translating into a two-week round trip not including the time it would take the other side to formulate a reply. It was no surprise then that humanity set up its colonies specifically to be able to operate without day-to-day oversight from Earth.
"You know, doc..." – Shephard mused. – "I was wondering about one thing. How did you get Gehirn to participate in this?"
"I have connections."
"I gathered that." – he deadpanned. – "What kind?"
Yui rested her elbows on her desk, hands steepling in front of her chin. – "Do you know the CEO of Gehirn?"
"Gendo Rokubungi? He's the guy who makes our guns, of course I know him. Not personally, of course. Acquaintance of yours?"
Above her hands, the woman's mouth drew into a thin, almost cold smirk before she replied – "Ex-husband."
Shephard winced. – "Ouch. Didn't know you used to be married."
"Not anymore. We had a... falling out."
Backing away from the desk slightly, Yui turned her chair to face the window behind her desk, gazing at the green landscape of the Geofront outside.
"It's a personal matter I don't wish to discuss but he left the company at the same time and went on to found Gehirn." – she continued. – "I don't exactly know how he secured the personal backing of President Keel in the process, but he did."
"He used to work here?"
She nodded. – "He and I were among the co-founders of the company. The Evangelion was a joint proposal between the two of us, but he worked mainly at the cybernetics research division. My field is genetics – so one could say that our respective skill sets complimented each other to produce the final result you have already seen."
"And now he's the top dog of a heavy industry megacorporation making weapons for your giant cyborgs." – the man clarified in a flat tone.
"Indeed, and I'm aware of how ironic the situation is."
"Did you fire him?"
Yui made a 'not-quite' gesture with her hand. – "It was before I became CEO. I was on the executive board as a project lead, but the board found him in severe violation of the corporation's ethical codex and terminated his employment." – She finally rested her hand in front of her chin again. – "While the final word wasn't mine, you could say that I did have a hand in his departure."
"There's the problem." – Shephard pointed out. – "Aren't you worried he'll try to copy the Evangelions to undercut you?"
"If he would, I can and will take him to court for industrial espionage and he knows that." – she replied immediately. – "Be that as it may, I have been paying close attention to Gehirn's activities exactly for that reason. Their cybernetics division seems to be mostly focused on human applications of the technology, but we can never be too sure."
"I see." – As an afterthought, he added – "I know we've butted heads so far and will most likely continue to do so... but remind me not to get on your bad side in the future."
"That would be a wise decision, colonel."
Chapter rewrite finished on 15/08/20.
Kaworu is natively speaking the Viennese sub-dialect of Central Austro-Bavarian. It's pretty much the German equivalent of a Southern US accent and is one of the reasons I toned down non-English dialogue in the rewrite: I'm not a native German speaker and while I could improvise with online translator sites and/or asking Asukaner117 on Evageeks to translate for me as I have done before, regional dialects are a whole another thing. I'm more likely than not to get it wrong, hence why I decided against it.
Some readers might be aware of the real-life stipulation that information cannot be transferred faster than light. The reason why that is so is because of the implications it presents. Knowing about something allows one to act on that knowledge – but acting on it before you are physically capable of acquiring that knowledge means responding to something you don't know about and thus cannot respond to, violating causality by making effect come before cause. Therefore, the impossibility of FTL information transfer isn't a physical limitation like the speed of light, but a logical consequence of that limitation.
It is possible to bypass this limitation by introducing a physical medium capable of transmitting information faster than light without breaking the laws of physics – and indeed, many science fiction works utilize hyperspace, subspace, or the local equivalent to do it. Some harder sci-fi works (Avatar, Mass Effect) use quantum entanglement, a bizarre phenomenon where a pair of subatomic particles are in a state where they cannot be measured individually, only together; as one particle's quantum state changes, the other instantly changes in the perfectly opposite way to maintain the system's combined quantum state, no matter how far away the two are from each other. Interestingly, QE is an actual thing in real life that has been experimentally proven to be true, despite even Einstein insisting it cannot be true specifically because it breaks the lightspeed limit with the instantaneous propagation of the change in quantum state. Whether QE can be used for information transfer is currently unknown, as physical interaction with a particle causes a wave function collapse that allows it to be measured – thus, altering or even observing the quantum state of one side of the entanglement immediately breaks the entanglement.
While humanity's understanding in SCE about theoretical physics is ahead of ours – their overall tech level is roughly analogous to that of the Kushan in Homeworld –, they haven't cracked QE information transfer yet. As all currently known forms of communication rely on electromagnetic waves, transmitting through xenspace is not possible either due to interference. Nor is it possible to just print the message onto paper, then teleport the paper to the destination because teleportation over interstellar distances is too energy-intensive to be economical. Also, one shouldn't forget how large space is. The larger the distance, the larger the deviation produced by the same amount of error. Even with a supercomputer calculating the destination coordinates, that paper can arrive anywhere within several hundred astronomical units (1 AU = 149,597,870.7 km / 92,955,807 mi, as per the International Astronomical Union's 2012 definition) of the intended destination.
Waygates can cover roughly 0.8857 parsecs (1 pc = 3.2615638 light years, as per the IAU's August 2015 redefinition) per day. The closest star to the Sun is 1.3 parsecs away. The Proteus system Gehirn's headquarters is located in (mentioned by Kensuke in chapter 3) is supposed to be Gliese 581, a real red dwarf star 20 light years away from Earth. It is not an exact copy of the real star system, however, due to recent developments and discoveries regarding the real deal contradicting its portrayal in the story.
