End of the Future, Part 17
Baggage Overcharge
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).
Tokyo-3 Bay
The truck brakes screeched as Marty stopped where Shinji had pointed. Far in the Sea of Souls, he could see the disturbing sight of two halves of a titanic head, looking blindly to the sky, while nine white colossi crucified themselves on their own spears. But to Marty McFly, the important thing to see was much closer, right on the sand, waving enthusiastically at the group. "Marty! Come here! Hurry! You need to see this!" He waved at Ayanami, who was half submerged into the blood-smelling fluid, doing who knew what.
Marty ran to the beach, "Doc! You're okay!" Marty slowed his run, noticing the smug smile face of his friend, "Uh…Doc? You look…"
"30 years younger! Yes! Courtesy of Miss Ayanami when she made my new body." Doc tapped proudly at his chest. "I'm in perfect health now."
"Whoah…" Marty wheezed, not believing his ears. Doc simply smiled like a mischievous kid.
"She's gonna be really popular." A voice commented from the truck. It was Asuka, leaning on the very decorated door of the black vehicle. "Maybe we should add you to the decals, Wonder Girl." There was less acid in her words than before.
Rei stood up in the water, closing the container she had in her hands. She examined the surface of the truck, comparing the image at the door with Marty. There was a distant likeness, but the posture and the expression on their faces were very similar. "All three or none, Second." She answered, and managed a small, challenging smirk.
Asuka grinned back. "Well said." She nodded with some respect. "Now, I'm not sure if I really want to know, but… are those souls?"
Doc nodded. "Yes. I want to devise a way to protect the people in the bunkers from being converted, and for that, we need to know how LCL works. Miss Ayanami has collected some souls for research purposes, we will take them back to 1986."
"Anybody I know?" Asuka wondered, eyeing the containers suspiciously.
"Yes. I have collected some of NERV personnel. They are currently in Instrumentality, and separating them from the Sea of Souls won't change that."
"My mother?"
"No. Not without your permission. So far, I have collected Dr. Akagi, Lt Ibuki, Lt. Hyuga, Lt. Aoba, and Major Katsuragi. Inspector Kaji resists my efforts to collect him, should I try harder? The process could be harmful."
Asuka thought about it long and hard. She looked at the time travelers, "Would you excuse us for a few minutes? We need to discuss this among us, this is about… you know… family…"
Doc grabbed Marty's shoulders, and gently pushed the teenager towards the truck. "Of course, we will be over there."
"Ah, Doc… we left Jennifer at the apartment. I think we should check on her, she stayed behind to watch over, Uh, Lisa. She will be worried."
Shinji finally decided to ask the question that had been nagging him since they had arrived to the beach in Marty's truck. "Uh… Rei…" he hesitated.
Guessing his unspoken question, Rei answered, "No. He was not included in Instrumentality. He rejected it and I rejected him."
This seemed to ease Shinji's heart. He nodded gravely, and without a word, walked to a wooden post, and recovered the tarnished silver cross. He examined the frayed cord, and put the cross in his pocket.
Finally, Asuka sighed. "Is he… you know… happy? Kaji, I mean." Her eyes shone wetly.
"He is. That's the purpose of Instrumentality."
The German-raised pilot looked at the distance. She barely noticed Shinji returning, and putting his hand in her shoulder in a mute gesture of support. He kept silent, something she really appreciated. "Then… let him be happy, Rei."
"I will. Lilith will keep watch over him, I promise you."
"Thank you. Please see if Mama wants to come. If she is truly happy there… just… just let her be."
"I understand. I'm abandoning my efforts to bring Mr. Kaji. In a few moments I'll know about Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. I'll inform you immediately."
Asuka nodded sadly. "Good. I… thank you." With a look, Shinji asked if she wanted company. She shook her head. "Later. I need a few minutes by myself, Shinji."
"Wait, just a moment." He said softly, "I have a question."
Asuka nodded, a tinge of sadness in her blue eyes. "Ask."
"Uh, actually, it's for Rei, but I think you should be here too."
"If we take people back to the past, could they… um… return? To life, like Asuka and I did?"
Rei didn't take long to answer, "It is possible. I'd have to guide the biological part of process, as the organic matter would need to be coaxed back into shape, but there are no real obstacles if they decide to reject Instrumentality."
Asuka gasped sharply; she traded a look with Shinji, "Wonder Girl, we can't take Misato with us and leave Kaji."
"He resists actively to return. I could force the issue, but…"
"Can you… enter his Instrumentality vision? Like you did with me?" Shinji asked.
"I could, but he has no reason to trust me. As far as he knows, I was loyal to either Commander Ikari or SEELE."
Asuka bit her lip, thinking hard. "Could you connect another soul to his Instrumentality?"
Shinji looked at her with a strange look in his eyes. Rei answered the question. "Only for a very brief time. Otherwise, SEELE Instrumentality would form. Both souls would mix and blur into each other."
Shinji gasped. "I'll go."
Asuka shook her head, "No, Third. I owe it to Misato. When she and Kaji went back together, I…" she looked away, "I hated her. Because he chose her. I was so stupid. How could I compete with her? Maybe if we had been the same age, but now I realize Kaji always saw me as a child. An immature, impulsive, blind child. Grasping at adulthood. And still, he never lost his patience with me, never raised his voice. He never made me feel like a cog in machinery, like some other guardians I had in Germany did. And Misato always treated me like a friend, or like a sister."
Shinji nodded, "That's Misato, yes. Mr. Kaji never made me feel forced to pilot." He put his hands in his pockets. "I wish I had more time to talk woth him."
After a moment of silence, both spoke in perfect synch, "He was a better father…" they interrupted themselves, smirked, and finished the thought. "than my real father."
Asuka shook her head in amusement, "After all this time, it was a hell of a moment to synchronize, Third."
He rubbed the back of his head, that clumsy awkward smile on his face. Asuka had never said so, but she actually liked that smile. Maybe soon she would tell him.
Instrumentality
A group of kids hid inside an abandoned building, all of them dirty, hungry, and wearing mismatched clothes.
Suddenly, the missing member of the gang fell through the hole in the wall they used to come and go, he was short of breath and his face swollen like he had been repeatedly punched.
"We must go!" He hissed, "The soldiers are coming!"
His brother jumped into action, efficiently organizing the escape. Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.
Little Ryoji breather easier now. He still hurt everywhere, but his friends, his brother, all were safe.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Instrumentality
Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.
Little Ryoji breather easier now. He still hurt everywhere, but his friends, his brother, all were safe.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Instrumentality
Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.
Little Ryoji closed his eyes for a moment.
Instrumentality
Ryoji Kaji felt somebody sit heavily next to him. He opened his eyes, to find a red-haired girl looking intently at him. Her short hair seemed to have been badly hacked with scissors, just like his friends had to do when it got in the way.
"I must say, this is not what I thought you'd be doing in Instrumentality." She said.
"What? Who the hell are you?"
She sighed, no wonder Kaji resisted to come out the raise paradise. "I'm Asuka. Asuka Langley Soryu. I used to be your ward, believe it or not."
The girl told him an incredible tale, little Ryoji tried to dismiss it as mere fancy or folly, but…
"That's the truth. Those bas…those bad guys caused Second Impact, and used us to cause the Third one."
Instrumentality
Suddenly, the girl disappeared, and:
Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.
Little Ryoji closed his eyes for a moment.
Tokyo-3 Bay
Asuka opened her eyes, above her, the sky was a beautiful blue color, and a cloud drifted in the soft wind. Above her, several faces looked worried at her.
"Are you okay, Miss Soryu? What you did was terribly dangerous" Doc's raspy voice was full of worry.
She sat up on the soft sand. "So is piloting an Evangelion, Doctor Brown." She stood up, looking at Rei. "I got pulled out before convincing him."
The bluenette nodded, "I couldn't keep your connection for any longer. Keeping you in would have resulted in a total breakdown of your ego barriers." She paused, "However, Inspector Kaji is not resisting the process anymore. I can collect his soul now."
"Good." Asuka nodded, "What about Mama?"
"Her soul is still fragmented, both halves resist fiercely."
Asuka stood up, and ran away before anybody could stop her. Marty made to follow, but Shinji stopped him. "Don't. She needs a bit of time to calm down."
"But…" the boy stammered, "she could…"
"I know where she ran to. She needs a bit of time for herself. I'll make sure she's okay." Decidedly, Shinji walked away.
Doc hurried up to him. "If you need any help, call us."
Shinji patted the walkie-talkie in his belt. "I will."
Tokyo-3 Ruins
Asuka set herself in her hideout. A small, secluded park that used to be close to the bay. There had been a kindergarten close by, and there were swings, a sandbox and other playground stuff there.
By sheer miracle, it had survived Third Impact more or less intact, though in the time since, it had fallen to some disrepair. The sandbox was full of weeds, and the jungle gym was falling to pieces. For some reason, both had felt compelled to go there when they needed to think, especially Shinji.
He had repaired what he could, even repainted the swings, mostly to have something to do outside the apartment.
Just as he knew, he saw Asuka sitting on a swing. Just grabbing the chains, immobile.
He walked in her direction, making sure he did enough noise to announce his presence. Once she looked at him for a moment, he stopped, and sat on a bench, deliberately chosen so he wouldn't look at her directly.
Asuka returned to her thoughts.
Shinji waited patiently.
Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2
"Well/ell, they are tak/k/king their time." Lisa observed.
"Yeah, maybe I should…" the crackle of the walkie-talkie startled her.
Later
"Sure, Doctor Brown. Let me know. Over and out."
Lisa had a smug smile on her face, "Wanna see/ee what I found while we were/were wait/t/ting? Turns out/out/out the MAGI are st/st/still on!"
NERV HQ
Central Dogma (Secondary)
Inside the ruins of NERV HQ, three biological computers still worked. They had been deteriorating for months, deprived of maintenance.
Still, they kept on working, they still ran the surviving automated systems of the city, though their reach was very limited.
They received an ingress request from outside the GeoFront.
No clearance.
DENIED. DENIED. DENIED.
A few minutes later, a second request, this time it was an old password. Almost expired.
DENIED. DENIED. GRANTED.
Outvoted.
A third request, this time, it was a new password.
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Public Data
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Scarlet Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED
Sending
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Amber Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED
Sending
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Gold Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED
Sending
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Emerald Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED
Sending
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Azure Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, BIOMETRIC ID REQUESTED
Sending
GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.
File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Indigo Level.
SECONDARY PASSWORD, BIOMETRIC ID REQUESTED
Sending
One by one, the deepest secrets of NERV were exposed, studied, analyzed and copied.
A treasure trove for a group of concerned citizens to dissect at their leisure.
Terminal Dogma
"LCL production plant"
The sudden activity in the computers caught the attention of…
Something.
A fine layer of dust rested on the floor of the chamber. Over the dried flakes of LCL, the dust floating in the colossal chamber had settled on the ground. It had laid undisturbed for long months.
Until today.
Something stirred in the chamber.
A cold anger.
Betrayal. Betrayed and betrayer.
It followed the trail to the upper levels.
Right into the computer room.
Author's Notes:
Originally, Kaji was to be left in 2016, but after a PM exchange with tomdj1701, I decided to add him to the souls to go back to 1985. I'm not promising he will actually reincarnate (I do have somebody in the list who will definitively come back from Instrumentality), but I feel it would be a step in the right direction for Asuka.