Rebuild of Third Genesis
Chapter 22
"Hello, Mother," Asuka said dryly as she stood on a railing running roughly at head level of Unit-02. She was in her school uniform, stopping in at NERV after school for their first synch tests in the rebuilt Evangelion. On a impulse, she had headed down here to the repair bays.
Unit-02's repairs were finally completed, the red and orange armor segments having finally been added It's multiple eyes stared out at Asuka, and it was hard to guess what might be going on in the Core. They now knew for certain that Asuka's mother's consciousness dwelled within it, but except for one time in battle, she had been unresponsive.
"We're doing synchronization tests today," Asuka finally said quietly. "Will I feel you in there? Will you answer?"
Unit-02 simply stared back in silence, then Asuka turned and strode away.
A few minutes later Ritsuko emerged from the utility closet. "Well, that was awkward," she muttered.
"Yeah," a very rumpled Maya came out after her.
Ritsuko sighed, "I don't think Misato needs to know that Asuka was talking to it." Mentally she added, 'Or that we were fooling around on break.'
"Tho we probably should mention it to Doctor Kazuko," Maya said firmly.
"Yeah," Ritsuko agreed as she straightened up her uniform.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Mari Illustrious Makinami was NOT nervous as she sat in the entry plug. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.
Asuka had been the first to undergo the synch tests, and had managed a respectable score. Rei had followed, and done less well, but sufficient to still pilot. When asked about how it felt, Rei had thoughtfully answered, "Cold."
Cold. That was a comforting thought. Really...
"Opening connections," Aoi Mogami said from her position on the bridge.
Mari closed her eyes, trying to feel for the links to the Evangelion's core. She breathed deeply, taking in the oxygenated fluid, the connectors on her head warming slightly. There was... something out there, a sensation that was hard to describe but was almost maternal.
It reminded her of the time Gendo had smuggled her into Tokyo and put her in Unit-01, years ago. (No she had NOT told Misato about it. Are you nuts?) She had attempted to synch with the purple war machine, and gotten the same feeling. Almost instantly followed by blinding rage and her being manually ejected. Hell of a ride...
"We have a reading," Mari heard a bridge bunny announce.
"All right Mari, we're getting you out of there," Satsuki called.
"Aww," I was just getting into it too," Mari complained good naturedly.
Everyone pretty much ignored that. Mari was removed from the plug, and did the traditional spew of LCL onto the gantry way. A tech held her arm for balance, while Mari recovered. "GOD that is disgusting," Mari cursed.
"You okay?" the tech asked gently.
"Oh yeah, once I finish chucking up a lung," Mari coughed.
"Hey," Asuka trotted up, apparently having shaken off the effects pretty quickly. "Misato wants us all checked over by the Doc, too," she said.
"Can I shower first?" Mari complained as Asuka dragged her along.
"Nope," Asuka shrugged.
"GOD this sucks..." Mari bitched.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"So how are they?" Misato asked once the girls had all headed off to the showers.
Suema Kazuko looked at her boss with wry amusement. "Can't wait for the actual report?" she asked mildly.
"This is the first time Asuka's been in a entry plug since the Mass Production Evangelions ripped Unit-02 apart, so...," Misato shrugged.
Suema winced, "Point. Sorry."
"It's fine," Misato waved that off. "So..."
"All three girls checked out fine, allowing for individual variance," Suema noted as she checked the charts. "Both Asuka and Mari had slightly elevated blood pressure and heart rates. For Mari, I'm thinking due to her competitiveness. Asuka, I suspect was due to stress."
Misato made a face, "Understandable."
"Rei, interestingly, showed almost no increase in either reading, which in itself might be considered odd," Suema added mildly. She hesitated, flipping through pages.
"What?" Misato prompted her.
"Asuka had a fairly bad case of the shakes after her test, though she recovered fairly quickly according to the tech who helped her," Suema said.
"Damn..." Misato muttered to herself quietly. Other than Asuka having issues when she was first hospitalized, she thought the girl was coping well with everything that had happened. Possibly that wasn't the case.
"If it helps, I can suggest a good psychologist," Suema said, keeping any hint that she thought Misato should have hired one sooner out of her voice.
Misato nodded meekly. "In my defence I have been interviewing candidates... but most of them seemed more interested in writing studies on the kids rather than helping them," she sighed.
Suema nodded sympathetically. "I'll forward you the list," she said.
"Thank you," Misato moved to make her escape.
"By the way," Suema added, "could we do your check-up, while you're here?"
'Busted...,' Misato thought.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After work, the 'Bridge Bunnies' tended to go out together to a local bar and have a few drinks. It was relaxing, and it let them talk about their day away from the bosses. Along for the ride was Maya Ibuki, who was about their age and got along well with them.
Satsuki Ooi chugged her mug of beer then set the glass down. "Ahh, that's good," she declared, her long hair gleaming in the bar lights.
Aoi Mogami peered over her glasses at her rather busty friend. "Easy on the drinks, I am NOT carrying you home," she cautioned.
Kaede Agano snickered, the slightly smaller, pixyish woman noting, "You say that now, but..."
Maya looked amused as she sipped her long island iced tea. She liked it better than beer, and the bartender here tended to make them strong.
"Today was tense," Aoi noted dryly. "I kept remembering the footage of Unit-00 going nuts..."
"Oh yeah," Satsuki agreed. "I mean, we know Unit-02 has never done that, but it's never been rebuilt from that degree of damage too."
"The emergency systems would have stopped it," Kaede pointed out. "One wrong move and it's buried in foam."
"We improved the restraints too," Maya added. "It wouldn't budge."
Aoi drank her beer, a apple flavoured brew. Yes, it was a girly drink. She was a girl and she didn't care. "Mari probably would have liked it going bezerk," she pointed out dryly.
"That girl is not too tightly wound," Maya agreed wryly.
Kaede laughed. "She hit on me, you know," she told the others.
Satsuki silently raised a hand. So did Aoi. After a few seconds, a blushing Maya did too.
"That little slut!" Kaede groaned.
Everyone shared a laugh as the bartender refilled drinks. They chatted a bit, while checking out the bar crowd for anyone good looking. Well, except for the nearly married Maya.
"Did anyone notice how... hovering, Misato was? She didn't leave the bridge during the tests at all." Satsuki asked, frowning slightly. "Makes me worry that she doesn't trust my judgment," she admitted.
"After what happened with Shinji, it's understandable," Aoi pointed out wisely, "it's no reflection on you."
Maya nodded. "And she kind of looks on the pilots as her kids..." she added.
"Yeah, true," Satsuki conceded. She supposed hovering, after everything that had happened, was kind of understandable.
"Misato is WAY too young to be a Mom," Kaede pointed out. She looked thoughtful, "Would that make her a MILF, tho?"
"Kaede!" Aoi groaned.
"What? Misato is HOT. I certainly wouldn't toss her out for getting crumbs in the bed..." Kaede winked at them.
"Well...," Satsuki blushed. "Yeah, OK, she IS hot."
Maya smirked. "Well, if you girls like her you'd best get in line... I think the UN rep likes her too," she told them.
"Shinden?" Aoi blinked. "Seriously?"
"They went out to lunch recently," Maya gossiped.
As they chatted Maya made a mental note to stop at two drinks... she was probably already a bit TOO tipsy...
To be continued...
Notes: YES I mentioned getting in a psychologist earlier. Ugh. Will have to come up with a name and everything. Next chapter. Will have them taking Unit-02 out, as well as continue the SEELE is still up to something plot.
