End of the Future, Part 18

7 Time Travelers and 6 Souls, Plus 1 Uninvited Passenger

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

About 40 minutes later, the two pilots returned, Asuka noticeably calmer once she had had the chance to sort her feelings.

"My Mother?" She asked without preamble.

Rei looked down. "Both halves resist. Forcing them to reintegrate would destroy them."

"I… I understand. Stop. If we manage to change history she will be whole anyway." Shinji squeezed her shoulder in support. Both knew the price they would have to pay.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Marty piped in. "We should go back. Unless you'd like to collect more souls."

Sadly, Doc shook his head, "No, I think we have enough. I don't plan on any destructive experiments on them, just analysis."

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2

"Wow… you are filling up the computers memory, Lisa!"

"I th/th/think we nee/need more hard drives. Or discard a lot of stuf/st/stuff."

Ruins of NERV HQ

Something insinuated itself into the living brains that were the basis of the MAGI. With inhuman senses, it followed the route of the data. The information traveled through several servers all over the ruined city.

It decided to follow the route.

At each server, the awareness stopped, exploring ahead. When it determined that there was only one more section to travel, it stopped, abandoned the system, and located the place.

It decided to watch from a distance before acting.

Later, a black Toyota truck, with strange modifications parked in front of the building.

Its occupants entered the building. The watcher recognized three of them.

The ex-pilots.

The watcher recoiled at the sight of the blue-haired former pilot. It wouldn't do to be found out by her.

There were two unknown men with them, both were clearly Gaijin.

What was going on? The watcher decided to study the group from afar before acting.

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2

"Well, I think there's not much more we can do here." Doc said, "Miss LeBrook, your efforts in collecting the data are much appreciated. You have given us a big advantage."

The CGI generated face actually blushed! "I had t/t/to condense things. Most of the data/data/data is redundant, but even so, I maxed out/t/out the computers' capabilities/ies/ies, and I'm not even/even c/c/close to copying all the files."

"Even so!" Marty commented. "I mean, science is not my thing, really, but even I know that must be a lot of stuff!"

Shinji barely managed to stifle a yawn. "Uh, sorry, it's getting kinda late. We got used to go to sleep as night falls."

Doc checked his right wristwatch, "You're right. Even with the generators, it's prudent to keep our energy consumption down."

Rei added, "I'll need a couple of hours to create the modified LCL gel for Lisa. We will need power for that."

Jennifer looked out the window. "By then, it will be really dark."

Doc shrugged, "Driving in the dark would be somewhat dangerous, so I think we should spend the night here and go back to 1986 tomorrow morning."

"And we have to pack a few things anyway." Asuka added. "Just things we can't replace, Third."

Shinji nodded. "The only thing I want to take with me is my cello, but I'll understand if we have to leave it behind."

"We have to do a couple of trips anyway." Doc commented. "I'm not leaving all these computers behind, we will need them!"

"Ah, then we should get a few laptops too." Asuka tapped her finger on the table. "They are kinda heavy, but they can take a beating if necessary."

Marty rubbed his head, "Uh, Doc? I just realized there's a problem…"

"Well, speak up and let's see what can we do about it."

"How are we gonna take the computers, the gel, and the pilots out of Japan?" He tilted his head towards the pilots, "The computers are too advanced, the gel is an unknown substance, and their documents wouldn't be valid thirty years ago, they haven't even been born!"

The others gasped.

Lisa laughed. "Leave th/th/that to me! I just need to get back/k/k about a month/th before everybo/bo/body else."

"Ah!" Doc smiled. "I see! Then, the first trip will be with the DeLorean, Miss Ayanami, Miss LeBroock, and… one laptop?"

"Exac/c/ctly!" Lisa would have loved to clap her hands, but as her image only contained her armless torso, she had to content herself with a series of spins.

Next Day
Early Morning

"Something wrong, Rei?" Jennifer asked, as the group gathered around the DeLorean. Shinji and Asuka had stayed behind to pack all the computers and laptops they had gathered. And to put the soul containers into bigger containers, just in case there was an unforeseen shock.

The blue-haired girl looked around. "I'm not sure. I thought I sensed something. A presence I've not felt since..." (1) She shook her head.

Marty smiled at her, "Quoting Darth Vader?"

"What's a Darth Vader?" Rei asked, blinking twice, feeling somewhat distracted.

Marty shook his head, "Man, we have to get you guys up to date on a lot of things. It's a character in a movie, I guess you never heard of Star Wars."

Rei shook her head.

While Marty explained the basics of Star Wars, somewhere far from the group, the watcher in the distance receded into the ground, hiding.

Rei looked around again, "I must have been mistaken, separating a fragment of my psyche into a newly made human body and preparing the LCL for Lisa took a lot from me."

Doc returned from the abandoned office, "Are we ready?"

"Ah, yes, Doc!" Marty said, showing Doc the checklist they had prepared. "The tank is full, Mr. Fusion is loaded with water, Lisa is packed in an hermetic container, though I'm sure she will complaint about traveling in a Sailor Moon bottle. (I know I would). Tires air pressure checked, oil tank at 95%, brakes' fluid full. And the laptop is packed safely in the trunk." He patted the door of the DeLorean. "The car is ready! As soon as Jennifer finishes with the track check, we'll be ready to go!"

"Excelent!" Doc rubbed his hands together. He handed a pair of goggles to Rei. "Miss Ayanami, I must warn you there will be some bright lights during the time jump. I think it's best if we take some precautions, in case you are sensitive due to, um, your albinism."

"I am not exactly an albino, Doctor Brown," she said, taking the goggles, "but I appreciate your worry." She put the goggles on, adjusting them over her face.

Primly, she sat on the passenger's seat, and Marty gave her the Sailor Moon bottle, full of blue LCL gel. Very reluctantly, Lisa had entered a sort of mini-Instrumentality. It wasn't the false paradise of true Instrumentality, but it would keep her safe during the time travel. Rei held the bottle with care and respect.

Doc took his place at the wheel, checked his notes, confirmed the date, and tapped the keyboard of the time circuit to April the 6th, 1986. "At this point in the timeline," he explained, "our past selves have finished scouting the terrain in Hakone Prefecture, in what now is the Tokyo-3 area. We have located a good place to build this racetrack, bought the land, and have a construction crew flattening the land. It's a Sunday, so the place will be empty. The arrival will be a bit bumpy, I fear."

Rei nodded. "All we need is a telephone connection and electricity."

"The office has both. Let's go." He flipped down his sunglasses, and Rei adjusted her goggles.

Next to the DeLorean, Marty was listening to the walkie-talkie. He put it in his belt, and leaned down to the window. "Doc, Jennifer says the track is clear and ready. She's on the way here."

"Excelent! As soon as she's clear, we proceed."

Doc stepped on the gas pedal, "When we get up to 88 MPH, you're gonna see some serious stuff!" He said happily, Rei simply nodded her understanding.

The speed meter needle rose steadily, 79 MPH, 80, 81, 82… the flux capacitator lights ran in a quickly accelerating pattern.

87… A series of flashes burst in front of the vehicle, and the wheel shook constantly, until…

88 MPH!

A big flash of light and electricity covered the car. From the point of view of Marty and Jennifer, the car seemed to explode and implode suddenly, disappearing in a quickly collapsing ball of smoke, leaving behind two twin tracks of fire!

"I'll never stop being amazed at watching that, Marty!" Jennifer gasped. The impulse to run towards the place was almost overwhelming.

Her boyfriend passed his left arm over her shoulders in a half hug, "Neither will I!" They stayed out of the track. He looked at his watch, "We better be ready, they will return in a minute or so." Both of them grabbed a fire extinguisher.

Exactly a minute later, flashes of light began to appear over the track, accompanied by small thunders. Then, a boom heralded the reappearance of the DeLorean, no worse for wear. The ice that covered it melted quickly in the warm air.

Doc emerged from the car, a big smile on his face. "Mission accomplished!" He announced proudly.

"Uh, Doc? Where's Rei?" Marty asked, a bit worried.

"Don't worry, I left her with your parents a couple of hours after we came to 2017. Lisa has been taking care of things, and everything is almost ready! Now, lets pick up the others. It's time we leave this God forsaken place!"

"Okay, that's enough for the first trip." Doc and Marty closed down the trucks flatbed cover. It now contained six full size computers and two laptops.

Shinji and Asuka exchanged a look. He decided to speak. "Dr. Brown? About what Marty said..?"

The scientist patted Shinji's shoulder, "Don't worry, everything has been taken care of, you three have a legal identity waiting for you in 1986. Let's get you there and then first and Marty and I will get the rest of the computers. Okay?"

"Um, okay, I guess…"

Emboldened by Ayanami's absence, the ghostly presence made its move. A cloud of vapor moved by itself, entering the vehicle through the muffler. It settled in the motor, and went to sleep.

Wherever the machine went, whatever year it traveled to, the unseen presence would go. And being in a latent state, it would not be found.

Hakone Prefecture
McFly Compound
1986

George McFly stood rigidly next to the place where the track would be built, waiting with a small cargo platform.

The Toyota materialized with a bang and a cloud of condensing steam. A minute later, once the Ice had melted enough, the four passengers descended.

Marty hugged his father warmly, "Dad, these are Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu, they are the other survivors we found. Guys, this is my father, George McFly."

"Hello and welcome!" George greeted the teenagers with an awkward bow, Shinji and Asuka returned the bow. "Im very happy to meet you. Doc explained everything when he brought Rei. I bid you welcome to my home and my family. My wife doesn't know yet about the time travel, so please be careful, until we explain everything to her."

Asuka nodded brusquely, "We used to have high clearance with a world-wide paramilitary agency. We can keep a secret!"

"I know, I still have some trouble to accept the idea of giant robots fighting giant alien monsters. In this time, it sounds like some weird science fiction, you must admit.

Asuka nodded noncommittally, conceding the point. "I plan on stopping that."

"Don't we all?" George smiled, "Now, come into the cabin, you must be hungry."

"Ah, Now that you mention it…" Shinji's stomach growled.

"I got some sandwiches, fruit salad and juice, and some sweet bread. It's very basic, but it's fresh. The cargo can wait."

Asuka and Shinji exchanged another look. He took the lead, for once, and led her to the table.

Behind them, inside the truck, something slept.

It didn't dream, but had it been able to do so, its ghostly dreams would have been full of hate and loathing.

A drop of slime fell to the dirt floor, unnoticed by anybody.

Author's Notes:

(1) The actual quote is "I sensed something. A presence I've not felt since..." it's uttered by Darth Vader in Star Wars, when he detects his old Master's presence in the first Death Star.