0342 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Cafeteria, NERV Headquarters
The twelve of the members of N-FOG are sitting at a table together, eating and joking, when Lampright looks up.
"Hey, it's that pilot Ikari over there by himself?" he asks in a quiet voice.
"I think so.....yeah. Looks like he's in a mood too." Cooper said from where he was sitting across from Lampright.
Lampright speaks in a voice just loud enough for everyone at the table to hear him, but no one else, "Everyone, follow my lead."
Everyone does as Lampright does. First loading all their food on their trays, then standing straight up, and walking to Shinji's table, squaring their corners as they walk, before sitting down at the table, completely surrounding him.
"What's up?" Lampright says.
Shinji looks away. Lampright nudges Maloy.
"Have you ever watched midget porn, I mean it's-" he says.
Lampright elbows him harder.
"OW! Alright, alright. You like clowns?"
Lampright chambers his elbow.
"Jez man, I was just kidding."
Maloy suddenly turns his attention to Shinji.
"What's wrong dude? You look like someone pissed in your Cheerios™."
"I just.....I don't want to talk about."
"Ok, whatever. HEY! Is it true that you bunk with Soryu AND that hottie CO, the captain?" asked Maloy.
"'Cuse me?" Captain Lampright said.
"I didn't mean you. You're not a hottie. I meant the other captain. Uhhh, Katsuragi." Maloy said.
"Yeah, I share a room with Misato and Asuka." Shinji said.
"Has Asuka shut-up yet?" Smith asked.
"Yeah, I heard about that. I also heard about Lampright's bell-hop service." Cooper said.
"Yeah. I'm gonna hurt you." Lampright said.
"So seriously, has she stopped talking yet?" Smith asked.
"No." Shinji said.
"HAHA! I was right! Gimme my money Herford!" Smith yelled.
"Damnit!" Herford said from the end of the table, digging through his wallet.
Larson, the missing member, finally shows up and walks over to the table with his food. Lampright suddenly notices something on his cheek. Lampright stands-up, and gets in front of him, and comes to attention in his path as soon as he recognizes it. Larson comes to a modified attention, holding his tray with his left hand.
"Larson, what the hell is that on your face?" Lampright asked.
"It's a uh, an umm,....." Larson starts to mutter. "It's a penis sir."
"I can't hear you, Larson!"
"SIR, IT'S A PENIS, SIR!" Larson sounds off.
Everyone cracks up at this, several people fall out of their chairs, and the other NERV personnel just stare, having only heard the word 'penis' yelled loudly.
"Take a seat, Larson." Lampright said with a grin.
Larson sits down next to Lampright.
"A word of advice, pilot. Don't ever fall asleep in the break room if Maloy's around."
"Prove I did it." Maloy said.
"Just wait." Larson said before turning his attention to Shinji.
"Ain't he the one who bunks with the cap's CO and the other pilot who won't shut-up?" Larson asks.
"Yep." replied Howard.
"Then what's he so down about?! He's got two hot chicks in his quarters! I'd be the happiest 14 year-old around!"
"No you wouldn't." Smith says.
"Yeah, we all know you don't swing that way, Larson." added Maloy.
"Hey! I am NOT gay!" Larson replied.
"Says the man with the dick on his face." Maloy says.
Larson and several of the others spend several minutes going back and forth.
"Ignore the peanut gallery. So seriously, what's the problem? Come on, tell I'd rather not....."
"Well, alright. But if you change your mind, remember, I'm right next door. Just knock, and I'll hook you up, you got me?"
"Yeah, alright."
"Don't forget. And I don't just mean for personal probs. You need help with anything, you know, like school work or anything, I'll help. Or if you just wanna talk. It'd give me a chance to have an intelligent conversation for a change." the last part of Lampright's speech directed as much at the other twelve as it was at Shinji.
"Ok, sir."
"Your not in uniform, you don't have to call me sir. Call me Eric."
"Ok, Eric."
Lampright gives a half-smile.
Suddenly the alarms go off.
"Red alert!" Lampright yells, as the baker's dozen of soldiers drop their utensils and trays and run for the door.
"See ya, Shinji!" Lampright yells on his way out.
As soon as the troops exit the cafeteria, they separate. Lampright heads for the command center, while everyone else reports to the armoury.
0346 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Command Center, NERV Headquarters
"What's the situation, ma'am?" Lampright asked
"An angel has appeared." Katsuragi replied.
"So we are to prep for site security and pilot recovery?" Lampright asked, slightly disheartened at the prospect of no action.
"Yes. Carry on."
Lampright heads to the armoury.
"What's the mission?" Jackson asked.
"Security and recovery." Lampright replied as he turned to Smith.
"Bring a litter."
"Roger, sir." Smith replied.
Lampright draws his weapons and they head to their office, where they wait.
0354 hrs. Undisclosed Date
N-FOG Offices, NERV Headquarters
Howard is kneeling next to a TV pulled over next to a wiring box, pulling through the bundles with one hand, a pair of issue wire cutters in the other. The other dozen troops gathered around watching him intently.
"There you are." he muttered as he stripped the wires in the bundle one by one, splicing in a take-off as not to interrupt the normal workings of the system.
"You SURE you know what you're doin'?" Lampright asked.
"Don't worry, I used to do this all the time with the security cameras in the girl's locker room in high school." he replied.
After finishing with the wires, he spliced his take-offs into the end of a piece of severed coax cable. He unhooked the normal cable from the TV and hooked his doctored cable in it's place.
Howard motioned to Smith who held the remote.
"If you'd be so kind."
The TV comes to life, showing the Evas battling almost a hundred meters above them.
"SCORE!" Howard said as he high-fived Lampright, Maloy, Cooper and Montgomery.
"Bad-ass." Carey said.
"Howard, you are the man." Lampright said taking a seat.
"Now just sit back, relax, and watch the show." Howard said. "Anyone bring popcorn?"
"Speaking of which, I AM frickin' hungry." Lampright said.
"Same here." Cooper added.
"You think we can find a place that'll deliver?" Maloy asked.
"You mean deliver here, into a classified base, and now, while we are under attack by angel?" Lampright asked.
"Yeah." Maloy replied.
"Probably. But'll they'll charge us out the ass for it." Lampright said.
"It's cool. We can charge it to NERV, it's an expense. Everyone like Chinese?" Smith asked.
0358 hrs. Undisclosed Date
N-FOG Office, NERV Headquarters
Lampright yelled as the troops jumped at the sight of Unit-02 being tossed through the air like a leaf, right into Unit-01.
"Evas are down! Move to assigned elevator!"
Lampright assigned sectors as they moved to the elevators.
"Lampright, you are ordered to delay your recovery operation until further notice." Gendo's voice came over the radio.
"Roger."
"Alright, return to barracks."
0405 hrs. Undisclosed Date
N-FOG Office, NERV Headquarters
"So then she said 'No you idiot, that's my belly button!'" Maloy said.
Everyone cracked up.
"Oh my god, is that old." Lampright said with a smirk.
Suddenly, the room shook and the lights flickered.
"Holy shit! What the hell was that?!" Montgomery yelled.
"Somethin' big, maybe nuclear." Jackson said as he picked himself up.
"Lampright to command! What in God's name was that?!" Lampright yelled into his radio.
Gendo's voice came over the radio. "Calm down, captain. That was an N2 bomb."
"An N2 bomb? Damn." Howard said.
"You now have permission to deploy for recovery."
Lampright and his troops double-timed it to the elevator.
"Sonoda, take sectors between bearings 61 to 180. Carey, take 181-300. Command, we've got 301-60. Smith, be ready to move with me for pilot recovery."
"Roger that, sir." Smith responded.
The troops step on the elevator and ride to the surface. On the way up, Lampright pulls out a pair of thick leather work gloves from a pocket.
"What's with the gloves?" Cooper asked.
"The entry plugs. If I have to pull someone out, they'll be damn hot. It's to save my hands, dude."
The elevator opens, revealing several buildings crushed under the two tangled Evas, their entry plugs already ejected. The troops rapidly move off the elevator.
"Spread out and secure a perimeter! Smith with me!"
Pilot Soryu's sitting by her entry plug, dazed.
"Soryu." Lampright says.
She looks up, shocked.
"Is Ikari still in his plug?"
She nodded.
"Smith, how is she?"
"Shock. She'll fine in a while." he said.
"Good. We're goin' to get Ikari. Cooper! Get over here and monitor the pilot."
"Roger, sir." Cooper said over the mic and moved to their position.
Lampright and Smith moved over to the unopened plug, the heat radiating off it making the air above it shimmer. Lampright ran up to it and grabbed the release handles and pulled. Lampright could feel the heat from the handles seeping through his gloves as he strained against the handle. His hands began to burn.
"Fuck, ow."
The door handle suddenly gave way, and the door clattered to the ground. Lampright pulled off the smoking gloves and looked inside.
"Ikari?"
Moaning came from the interior of the plug.
"Smith! Get in here!" Lampright yelled.
Smith jumped inside of the plug and started examining the pilot while Lampright took up a position guarding the plug.
"How is he Smith?"
"He's fine. Come on, Shinji, up and at'em." Smith said from inside the plug.
"Alright. Get him over to Soryu."
By this time, Soryu had started ranting at Cooper.
Lampright moved over to Howard's side and took the handset.
"Lampright to Katsuragi. Perimeter secured. Pilots recovered. Requesting security detail to escort pilots back. Will stay on station until Evas are recovered. Out."
0523 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Outside of Dr. Ikagi's Office, NERV Headquarters
Lampright is leaning against a wall as Kaji exits the office.
"I hear NERV has a 'little problem.'" Lampright said.
"What do you want, captain?"
"Kaji, you seem like a nice guy, I mean, you put up with Soryu for a whole voyage, so I'm gonna help you out. I just want a favor in return." Lampright said.
"Ok, I'm game."
"Now, I'll give the best solution I've got for your 'little' problem, and in return, I want take-out for 26 people."
"You planning a party?"
"No, but about two people's worth of food each should take care of my people. Now then, for my part of the bargain. We once had to take two objectives simultaneously, I mean within seconds. So the two assault teams just spent the two previous weeks living together. We ate together, slept together, pissed together. It got to the point where we knew what someone was about to say, almost what they were thinking. We wanted to kill each other by the end, but we got the job done. You need to get the two pilots to the point where they can anticipate each other's movements."
"How do I do that in 5 days?" Kaji asked.
"Not a clue. I told you I had a solution, not an execution."
"What the hell?"
"I expect the food to be delivered to our office at 1200 hrs. on the dot. Make it Chinese. Thanks!" Lampright said as he turned and walked away.
1206 hrs. Undisclosed Date
N-FOG Office, NERV Headquarters
"I still can't believe you got all this food for us!" Cooper yelled between mouthfuls.
"It's a talent." Lampright responded between bites.
A voice came over the radio. "Katsuragi to Lampright, respond."
"Busteeed." Larson said from his chair.
"Lampright here. What do you need?"
"Report to my quarters ASAP."
"On my way." Lampright responded, looking longingly at the food he was leaving behind.
'I know better than to ask THEM to save me some food. ' He thought.
"Report to her quarters? Whew! Way to go Lampright!" Cooper yelled.
"I hate you." Lampright said in joking voice.
1209 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Capt. Katsuragi's Quarters, NERV Headquarters
Lampright comes to attention and knocks on the door, which opens after about ten seconds.
"Captain Lampright reporting as ordered, ma'am."
"At ease. Come in, captain."
Lampright steps inside as the captain closed the door.
"You requested my presence?"
"Yes, I've read your file, and it seems you have some experience with surveillance equipment, explain."
"Ma'am, I have a degree in computer hardware, giving me a background in how the equipment works. I worked for an electronics company installing covert cameras while in college. I have also had field experience with covert surveillance gear. May I ask what this is about?"
"This is because Kaji suggested a problem to our solution. I don't like it, but we don't have another choice. And your going to help me with it."
"I'm helping.....how?"
"The plan requires the two pilots to live with each other for five days. I want to be able to watch them with their knowledge."
"And having them live together was....Kaji's plan?"
"Yes."
'Bastard.' Lampright thought.
"Now, I want cameras in every room, will full visibility." she said.
"Every room? No way. I won't do the bathroom. I'll put in a mic, but that's it."
"Lampright-"
"No. I will not help you be a voyeur with 14 year-olds!"
"It's not like that!"
"Then a microphone should be sufficient."
"Fine. What do you need?"
"Well, first I'll need to see the apartment I'm wiring. Then I'll need a signed requisition form to withdraw the necessary equipment from NERV Intel."
1837 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Capt. Katsuragi's Quarters, NERV Headquarters
"Aren't you done yet?" Katsuragi asked impatiently.
"No. This is a science, you can't rush it. I mean, you want it done correctly, right? Besides, I haven't done this in a while. Cut me some slack." Lampright said from where was bent over a desk, connecting various wires and monitors.
Lampright had spent the last 15 minutes moving around monitors, and had removed his BDU top, leaving him to work in his undershirt.
'Hmmm. He's got a cute ass.' Captain Katsuragi thought to herself.
'Come to think of it, he is KINDA cute, in a rugged sort of way. If you like that. Why am I thinking about those things at a time like this?!' she mentally chastised herself.
"That should do it." Lampright said as he started to switch on the monitors.
Lampright plugged in the headset and pointed to a panel.
"My buddy Howard helped me set this up, I think you'll like it." Lampright said.
Katsuragi moved closer to get a better view.
"All of the mics are hooked into it. It detects which ones are getting feed, and automatically switches off the inactive ones, while piping the sounds picked-up by activated mics through the headphones, eliminating the need to manually switch mics. You can still do so of course with the controls above it."
"So you're done?"
"Think so. I just wanna test it." Lampright said as he sat in the chair pulled up to the desk.
Lampright talks into his radio mic. "Alright, start the walk through Howard."
Howard begins talking and moving from room to room at random, eventually covering all the rooms more than once.
Lampright leans back in the chair.
"Works perfectly. All yours, captain." Lampright said as he got up.
"Have fun." Lampright waved as he left her room. As he did so, she noticed the skin peeling off his fingers and palm.
"What happened do your hand, Lampright?!"
"Hmm?" Lampright looked at his hands.
"Oh, that. I burned it opening Shinji's plug. Those damn things get hot. Ruined a perfectly good pair of gloves. Which, by the way, NERV will be receiving a bill for. Any other questions?"
"C-Carry on."
0607 hrs. Undisclosed Date 5
N-FOG Office, NERV Headquarters
"So, they're supposed to be engaging today, right?" Herford asked.
"Yep. And as usual, we stand-by for recovery." Lampright replied.
The men seated themselves and watched the events unfold on their TV.
"Damn. Look at that choreography. That's good. How long did you say they had to practice?" Jackson asked.
"Five days." Lampright responded.
"OHH. Look at Jackson. Ballerina!" Carey yelled.
"No, I just have the ability to acknowledge talent." Jackson responded.
The conversation eventually quiets down, and they finish watching the engagement. The Evas finish off the Angels with a flourish. Suddenly Evas are in a heap again.
"Our time has come again!" Lampright yells.
The thirteen men double-time to the elevator.
"Is this all we're good for?" Howard asked on the way.