Neon Genesis Evangelion: Altered Destinies
Launch Forty-Two
Hilde was on staff with the US branches of NERV, her primary job supervising the pilots there. It was an unexpectedly weird job, it turned out. "Kaworu, stop being creepy with the vending machines," she ordered.
"You're no fun," Kaworu stopped it spitting out juice cans. It had accepted payment, then decided not to dispense. So he made it do so.
Mayumi Yamagishi got her drink, the glasses wearing young woman sighing. "How did you...?" she asked.
"You really do not want to know," Hilde said to her. Learning your fellow pilot was an Angel/Human hybrid was disturbing. "Anyway... back to the simulators."
Both Mayumi and Kaworu groaned.
"I mean, we don't even HAVE a Evangelion," Mayumi sighed.
"We have two Mass Production units nearly completed," Kaworu noted, "they're being retrofitted for pilots."
"Oh," Mayumi blinked.
"Anyway, it's all above our pay grade. Back to work," Hilde encouraged them.
"Yes ma'am," Mayumi pouted.
"Try not to mercilessly kill us this time," Kaworu added, knowing Hilde was also running the various simulation.
"No promises," Hilde laughed.
As Mayumi and Kaworu walked back to the simulator hangar she noted, "You and Miss Hilde get along well."
It took Kaworu a moment to realize what she meant. "Oh, we're friends," he said, "she's not really my type."
"Oh?" Mayumi looked faintly hopeful.
Kaworu thought about various explainations, then decided to keep it simple. "I'm gay," he said bluntly.
"Oh," she slumped a bit.
Then Kaworu stopped, his eyes widening as he picked up a signal no human could here. "Arael," he blinked, "what have you done."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"There's WHAT at NERV Tokyo?" Maria Vincennes blinked.
"A young woman identifying herself as Arael," Sumire Nagara replied.
Maria still looked mildly stunned. "How did you find out...?" she asked.
"Emergency alert sent to all NERV facilities, by Ritsuko Akagi," Sumire noted flatly.
"Huh," Maria grunted.
"I think she's hoping some or all of us might have additional information," Sumire guessed.
Maria thought about various things for a moment. "Should we send Kaworu to Tokyo-3?" she wondered aloud.
"They have Rei," Sumire noted. "I'm not sure how having Kaworu would change the situation."
"Point," Maria conceded. "But let Ritsuko know we'll send him if asked. We all need to cooperate if things go pear0shapped."
"Will do," Sumire agreed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
At NERV facilities around the world, there was a mix of panic and awe. This was very possibly the first contact between humanity and intelligent aliens. That didn't involve massive, MASSIVE explosions, at least.
Also assuming Arael didn't try to kill everyone.
Which was a very real possibility.
In China, a NERV staffer attempted to authorize a nuclear missile launch against Japan. Multiple strikes on Tokyo-3 and the surrounding area. There was an 'accident' with a gun, and said staffer stopped.
(There was some question if a nuclear device would even work on an Angel. An N2 (Near Nuclear) mine had been tried, and while it hurt the two Angels it was used on, that was about it. And so far, no one had authorized a AT Field vs Nuke test/...)
North Korea DID in fact attempt a launch, but the Soviet era surplus rocket exploded in it's missile silo. Thankfully the warhead itself did NOT go off, but the facility itself was a write off. Worse, there was likely to be radioactive materials spilled...
Around the world, people watched, wondering what would happen. What dangerous, frightening things were happening in Tokyo-3?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Gendo Ikari studied the teen. She was, interestingly, apparently the same age of the 'Children' Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Mana...
They were meeting in a NERV building on the surface. No one was crazy enough to bring a (probable) Angel into the Geofront. They also were only lightly guarding the girl... though Misato was also carrying a concealed gun, and Ritsuko a modified taser.
"You don't KNOW where (ALIEN SCRIPT) is?" the girl demanded.
"Whatever that word is, it gives me a headache," Misato muttered.
"I think she means Adam," Maya mused.
"ADAM! Yes!" Arael agreed, nodding vigorously. "HOW can you not know where he/they/it is?" she demanded.
Gendo exchanged glances with Ritsuko and Misato, wondering how to explain convoluted SEELE & NERV politics.
"It's complicated." Misato replied.
Arael pouted.
"What do you want to DO with Adam?" Ritsuko had to ask.
Arael looked at her like she was stupid. "I will (ALIEN SCRIPT) then (ALIEN SCRIPT) and after that we will (ALIEN SCRIPT) to completion."
"Oooh, my ears are bleeding," Ritsuko winced.
"It does make sense if the Angels have a language it wouldn't be understandable to humans," Maya added with a sigh.
"How did you learn Japanese?" Gendo had to ask.
"I passed through your data networks," Arael shrugged. "Some of it I still don't understand... like 4chan. And reddit."
Everyone stopped as they considered what the poor thing might have picked up from 4chan...
Watching remotely, the Committee was quietly (and not so quietly) freaking out too.
"We should kill it immediately!"
"How?" Tanya challenged. She continued, "Sensors at Tokyo-3 have determined it has a fully active AT Field."
"So it's invulnerable?"
"Functionally, short of using the Evangelions," Tanya replied.
"I thought ADAM was vaporized in Second Impact. Is there some alive?"
Keel took that question, "There are small, biological samples. It appears to be non-sentient."
"Could we just... GIVE it the ADAM bits?"
"We have no idea what would happen if we did," Keel admitted.
"Could we... ask it? Arael, I mean."
"Good question," Visha murmured. She was sitting with Tanya, listening in. Technically she shouldn't be, but Tanya liked having her insights.
"Yes," Tanya agreed, "but I'm not sure we'd understand the answer. In talking to her, there's concepts she finds untranslatable."
"I heard. Whatever she said gave me a headache..," Visha nodded.
Back at the virtual meeting, things were grinding on.
"We will return to the discussion once any new information comes available," Keel finally shut them all down.
'Makes sense,' Tanya mused.
"General," he addressed Tanya, "I want a plan ready in twenty four hours, in case we need to sanction that... thing. Understood?"
"Of course," Tanya conceded.
"Good luck," Keel added then disconnected.
To be continued...
Notes: I don't remember if, in canon, we hear about how China or the Koreas managed through the Impact Wars etc etc. I'm basically assuming they're still somewhat functional.
Arael learned human languages off the internet. God help us all. If anyone had suggestions for amusing internet slang she could use, let me know. I might work it in. Or not.