I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.
Chapter IV:
Maya and I arrived just in time to see four doctors wheel something away on a gurney. It took a moment or two before I recognized the boy with dark brown hair lying unconscious on the wheeled frame, an intravenous drip running to his left arm. It wasn't until I made it down half the length of the catwalk when I could see it all in it's massive, haunting splendor. Unit-01, the purple armored beast, stood over us in Cage Seven, the wounds from it's prior battle healed. I guessed it was natural to repair the Evangelion while Shinji was still absorbed, but the fact there was nothing better to do than repair a mothballed artificial construct like this did not reassure me.
My thoughts returned to how the timeline had shifted while I studied the creature in detail. In the anime, while there is no actual measure of time between events, two primary characters were about to suffer. If Shinji's recovery had been accelerated due to my arrival, it is possible more variations would appear. I would just have to be careful.
"I thought you said it would be another eleven days?" Doctor Akagi asked suddenly, startling me. Turning around, I noticed the woman glare, her eyes focusing on mine. "If we hadn't chosen to monitor Unit-01 continuously until Shinji's... arrival, he could have easily died!" This was going to be a long day.
"I thought it would be eleven more days," I answered, trying my best to defend myself. "That's what my... sources indicated. But obviously my sources are no longer accurate, as the timeline has diverged." I watched Ritsuko's face twitch for a moment. Whether she was pleased or upset by that news, I didn't know. Half serious, I decided the best response would be a line from The Abyss. "We need to take steps," I stated vaguely.
Then I noticed the purple-haired major storm towards me, her fists balled up, ready to strike. Just before she closed the distance, Ritsuko turned and blocked her. "Major, like I told Doctor Akagi," I began, "I really did believe it would be another eleven days." Somehow, this didn't seem to stop the crying, growling mass of rage clawing for my throat. Ritsuko struggled against her as best she could, but she wasn't going to last for long. "Don't protect me, Doctor. If the Major insists on this foolishness, just let her."
"You asshole!" she screamed. I nodded in agreement, which seemed to throw Katsuragi for a loop, but only for a moment. There's only so much of your reputation you can protect. When you're thrown into a world when you know what's going to happen, but you're proven wrong, there's not much you can do except say you thought you were right, and just walk away. It's great in theory, but human nature and science clash too much for a rational approach to life to offer any kind of pleasure.
Misato finally shoved Ritsuko away, the doctor rebounding off the catwalk railing. Akagi winced in pain, crumpling to the ground. I couldn't tell if I gave any outward signs of fear, but I wasn't really that afraid. There was a slight trembling in my palms and jaw, the adrenaline starting to kick in, but those are more signs of being physiologically ready to deal with a threat. Fear and readiness are often confused, their symptoms strikingly similar.
I watched as Katsuragi grabbed the collar of my shirt, jerking me upward. That was another thing I hated about my new form. Other than the female issues I would run into sooner or later, I was now five foot, two inches tall, and a healthy but slim 122 pounds. If I were in my old body, it wouldn't have been so easy for Misato to manhandle me like she did, threatening me with her right hand balled into a fist. "I want answers!" she bellowed.
Facing the possible bludgeoning, I examined my options with cold efficiency. Then, in my typical style, I made the wrong choice. "Doctor Akagi," I said, ignoring the major. "With Unit-01 too unstable for combat, and Asuka's synch ratio slipping, you need another pilot, don't you?" The doctor nodded, but I noticed Misato grind her teeth in my peripheral vision. "I suppose you have already analyzed my likelihood of being a Marduke Qualifier. What are the results?"
This conversation, or the fact she was being ignored, seemed to shut Misato up, finally. "You are... indeed a Marduke Qualifier," Ritsuko answered, stunned. While the Angels often stumped mankind's collective efforts, I highly doubt the doctor was ever used to someone other than Gendo Ikari winning intellectual sparring matches. I had to admit, all my hate for the woman was now gone, and I reconsidered my judgments from before.
"If Unit-02's core, or should I say, the former Mrs. Soryu's soul, will accept me, will you allow me to pilot?"
Both Ritsuko and Misato just stared, both sets of eyes going wide in shock. Obviously, Misato did not know about the true nature of the Eva, even after Shinji's ordeal. Ritsuko knew about it, but after all of my confessions, she still doubted how much I knew. The doctor nodded dumbly in response. "We were... looking-"
"Yes, yes, you were looking for a replacement because Asuka has lost the latest battles against the 13th, 14th, and will most likely be defeated by the 15th Angel, if it's form is the same as I remember," I interrupted, again causing gasps and wide eyes to stare back at me. This sounds incredibly arrogant, but I had to admit, terrifying the personnel of a classified military organization such as NERV with how much you know about their personal lives, things even their dossiers don't contain, never loses it's appeal. There's something childish about it, yes, but it gives a pleasure unlike any other.
"Then, are you-?" Ritsuko began, before I interrupted with a quick nod. "Yes, I am willing to pilot," I answered. "However, I need a couple weeks to practice breathing and opening my eyes in L.C.L., and I would prefer to have Asuka as a tutor." Quickly, I turned to finally acknowledge Misato's presence. "Now that I will be working for you, I'll let you know what you want." However, I didn't get the opportunity.
The rest of the night consisted of holding an ice pack to my jaw, and having the doctors of the private hospital straighten my broken nose.
•••••••••••••
I grumbled, stirring from my sleep. More nightmares, just like I had experienced before. I'm not saying this because I am some kind of "sensitive", emo-guy. My nightmares have nothing to do with "traumatic events" in my life, repressed memories, or anything close to reality. The best way to describe my nightmares is a good, healthy scare every once in a while to get the blood pumping. Their content also suggests I really watch too many action and vigilante films. I suppose even the human psyche has a limit to how much Charles Bronson a man can take.
There are, of course, those nightmares which come along and do involve a legitimate fear, but they're often the mundane scenarios of filing income tax returns, having to pay excessive bills for dental work, or falling off a ladder while replacing the roofing on a shed. This was one of those nightmares, and it involved a certain sexually abusive NERV commander drooling all over me under the illusion I was his wife, and the nine millimeter I had couldn't get through his body armor.
Well, technically I was more of a niece or illegitimate child to Gendo, and perhaps that was enough to just get stuck with abandonment. That was at least the lesser of two evils, and the one I was rooting for. The less Commander Ikari saw of me, the better. As I forced myself to open my eyes, the left being rather stubborn as the skin around it was swollen, I groaned, sitting up in the hospital bed. Ritsuko and Maya had arranged more suitable living conditions than the examination room, where I had slept for the last couple days.
Without having to look, I already knew someone else was in the room with me. I could hear the person breathing somewhere near the opposite wall, my bed tucked right against the left wall of the room. Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I crawled out, and rubbed the swollen cheek with my hand. I reminded myself to be just a little slow during the next couple of Angel attacks, letting the creature possibly cause some structural failure, possibly injuring a certain operations director. Seele couldn't possibly claim a hesitant response was a deliberate act of homicide on one's commanding officer.
The form in the bed against the right wall of the room was familiar enough. Shinji Ikari was awake, staring up at the ceiling, mumbling something in Japanese. Then, hearing me stir under the covers, he glanced in my direction. Fortunately, I wasn't injured enough to require a hospital gown, and still lacking any form of pajamas, just slept in my t-shirt and jeans. I ran my right hand down my face, trying to brush the sleep and stray hairs from my eyes. "Shinji Ikari?" I asked.
The boy nodded.
"Do you speak English?"
This time, there was a sad, apologetic shake of his head, indicating "no." At least he knew enough English to answer that he couldn't speak it. Standing up, I decided I had slept long enough, and walked over to Ikari. The minute I got within about five feet, he began to twitch. I didn't understand why, until I heard the door open, and a pale, albino girl walked in, dressed in the schoolgirl uniform I had seen so many times in the series.
Rei's immediate reaction was to halt suddenly, then tilt her head to the side just a degree or two. "Rei Ayanami?" I asked, slightly stunned. I remembered what my new body looked like, and Rei was an incredibly close match. It wasn't the same as staring in the mirror, but close enough to remind me of the similarities between my real sister and I. Ayanami blinked, then nodded. "Do you speak English?" I asked. This time, I was awarded with a slight nod, and immediately she started asking questions.
"Who are you?" the First Child asked, her voice dull but pleasant.
"I have a name," I began, "but it is not appropriate for this new... form." I gestured along my sides to indicate my body, confusing the girl even more than the normal difficulty of a foreign language. This was something I hadn't thought about before. I have an odd habit of never using names or titles when I speak to other people. Simple eye contact, and "sir", "ma'am", or "miss" work well enough. Now that I thought about it, I had not once been called by name since my arrival. At least now I would have a chance to reinvent myself. "Does Commander Ikari know about me?"
Shinji shifted again in his bed, this time recognizing the title "Commander". I imagined he was already gauging my "datable" quotient, and the first major turn-off is the mention of a closeness to his father. To my displeasure, Rei nodded, and said "He is choosing what to do with you now." Ayanami must have noticed my fists and teeth clench in anger.
"Remind me to get a restraining order," I grumbled. "I want nothing to do with him, and if you so much as tell him anything I say, you cannot possibly imagine the consequences."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening violence against me?" I don't know why she seemed hesitant in her speech. She had obviously had a lot of practice with English, and as far as I could tell, was proficient.
"Are you really willing to go ahead with Commander Ikari's plan for the Third Impact?" At this, Rei's eyes widened. It was amusing, the first hint of emotion I had seen from her so far. "He's using you, and you know it. You are either too stupid to see it, or you like the attention."
"I do not like you," she said.
I shrugged my shoulders. "A lot of people feel the same way," I answered, pointing to my face. "Major Katsuragi seems to be one of them." To recap, I now had two people I thought were unworthy of survival as my allies, and two people I thought I could trust as my enemies. I wondered how Asuka would take my arrival. "Anyway, you can hate me all you like, but unfortunately I'm stuck here, and if Commander Ikari thinks he's going to use me as he does you or Shinji, he's got another thing coming."
Rei growled, then slapped me hard, glaring. Of course, she would pick the previously injured side of my face. I contorted in pain, gripped my cheek, and clenched my fist. "If I weren't worried about your AT Field, I'd hit back." Again, Rei twitched in surprise. "Now should I call you Lillith, or Yui?"
"I am I," she answered without hesitation. "I am not just the sum of my components." Shinji, of course, reacted when he heard his mother's name mentioned. He mumbled something, and Rei simply turned and shook her head. Then she held out something in her left hand. "These are your orders."
Ayanami handed me a sealed, green envelope, the NERV logo engraved in a deep crimson red. I took it hesitantly, and efficiently tore the top of the envelope, and dumped the contents onto the nearest counter surface. Within, I found a crimson identification card, a magnetic strip on the back. There was no photo, which I supposed was meant for security purposes. While a photo identification card would make more sense, if the card were found by anti-NERV agents, it would be the perfect means to identify a target for assassination. However, I wanted to be sure. "Are these identification cards supposed to have a picture of the registered user, or are they normally left blank?" I asked. Rei glared, but was willing to answer my question, as I was now a fellow pilot.
"This is a temporary card, and offers limited access to NERV Headquarters," she explained. "Your permanent card will be issued after three to four weeks, and your photo taken. I nodded in agreement. "Thank you," I answered.
It was a rough start, but I knew somehow things would improve. Rei glared back, still annoyed, but nodded approvingly. "There are some other matters which must be handled before your meeting with Commander Ikari."
Again Ayanami surprised me, holding out a list. Gripping the paper tightly, I glanced over the contents. It was a schedule for the day with references to room numbers throughout NERV. Conveniently for me, NERV followed the same pattern of naming rooms based on their respective floor and a linear progression along the hallway.
"Do you know what time it is?" I asked.
Rei didn't even glance at the watch on her wrist. Staring straight into my eyes, she answered "It is eight-hundred and twenty hours." I nodded, then glanced over to Shinji. He hadn't eaten in almost three weeks. While all of his nutrition was handled by the Eva's own power supply, he was back in a physical form now.
"It looks like I have time before my first meeting," I said. "Would you and Shinji care to join me for breakfast?"
Rei turned to Shinji, speaking quickly in Japanese. Still confused, Shinji nodded, stretching. However, he immediately blushed, and mentioned something to Rei. "We will not be able to attend," the First Child answered. "Ikari has no clothes, and I... have no interest in attending."
"Alright," I answered. "I suppose I'll see you guys around." Rei and Shinji simply watched as I strode out of the room.
•••••••••••••
My schedule for the day consisted of the more boring yet necessary matters of logistics. First came more medical exams, this time including both dental and visual. My teeth received a perfect rating. I expected as much, seeing as I was just created not a week ago. Conveniently for my sake, all of the doctors I had seen were somewhat familiar with English, mainly because there were a number of foreign officers, technicians, and private contractors working for NERV. The optometrist, a Doctor Benjamin Reynolds, was the first who spoke fluently.
"I'm glad there's someone here who speaks American English without an accent," he smiled, shining the pen light into the eyes. "Where are you from?"
"California," I answered. This was, of course, my birthplace in my prior life, but whether he knew about my arrival, I didn't particularly care. He wasn't dealing with a 14 year old Japanese girl in my mind, but the average Aryan-looking American guy. "My family used to live around Silicon Valley about 20 years Pre-Impact, before real estate cost an arm and a leg." Now for the lie, I thought. "They moved around a bit around Washington, Oregon, and Idaho after I was born."
"No kidding?" Reynolds asked. "I had some relatives who live outside of Sacramento, up in the Sierras around a town called Placerville."
"Do you take Highway 50 East to see them, or do you take the more scenic route around 88 and 26 through Jackson?"
The doctor stared, stunned. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. "That town doesn't exist anymore. Flash flood after Second Impact washed everything away below a 2,500 foot elevation." He must have realized something was wrong. "Jackson, you say? How would you know about that if you were born Post-Impact? More importantly, how would you not know it was destroyed?"
"Umm..." I stumbled on my words, trying to think quickly. It was just one of those times to gamble on your lies by playing dumb. In my case, being an avid viewer of the old Get Smart series with Don Adams, the first three words of what I was about to say were ingrained in my head. "Would you believe I channel the spirits of the dead?"
"No... I wouldn't," the doctor grumbled.
"Would you believe I just looked over a few Pre-Impact California maps?" I replied.
"Better," Reynolds said. He knew it was a lie, but he didn't seem too terribly disturbed. "Well, after going through all the bells and whistles without much explanation, I'm confident you've worn a pair of these before." He held out a pair of the black plastic glasses, no lenses installed.
"Let me guess," I said. "Henry Ford makes all of the frames these days. I can have any color I want so long as it's black."
Reynolds couldn't help but laugh. "Witty and you know your history," he smiled. "It's not as bad as you think. NERV will cover the expenses for your glasses or contacts, as long as you get their cheap plastic military issue frames. If you want something with a higher quality, you'll have to pay for them out of your NERV account.
"I think I'll go with the latter," I answered. "I like the spring-loaded metal frames. The screws don't need to be tightened as much, and I know I'll definitely want polycarbonate lenses." I paused, thinking for a moment. "One question, though: how much of my employment are you allowed to know?"
"If you mean your pilot status," the doctor answered, "I know enough to do the job." He sighed. "Bad stuff, that L.C.L., whatever it is. It doesn't do much for the eyes. I can already see the other Children needing corrective lenses or surgery in the next few years if they keep it up.
"That's precisely what I was worried about," I answered. "Is it possible to get some corrective lenses put into diving goggles? I heard goggles like that were a growing trend for water skiing some years back. I was kind of worried about my vision affecting my pilot status, too."
Reynolds thought about it and grinned. "It would run you some more money, but I think we can handle it." I saw him scratch out some notes on a clipboard. "We'll just make NERV pay for this. It's their goo that could ruin your eyes, after all."
Handing me the printed copies of my prescription, Reynolds shook my hand firmly and guided me out of the office. "One last thing," I said. "How high of an elevation would I have to go in the Sierras if I didn't want to swim?"
"The new Pacific Coastline starts around 3,000 feet above Pre-Impact sea level," Reynolds answered. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wanted to know."
End of Chapter IV
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