"I'm telling you man, these people have been planning this for centuries!" Unknown conspiracy theorist.
XI
Sitting at a conference table in the heart of a green walled room, Gendo flicked through all the relevant files he'd amassed on his built-in touch screen. He hoped it would suffice for now.
It must. Even I admit, I'm concerned by the behaviour of the enemy. He hovered over an image of the Fourth Seraph's graceful dance with Unit 01, swinging its blades of light like a champion swordsman instead of a mindless brute. Why did you act that way, spawn of Adam?
"All preparations have been made." Kozo said, ever standing at Gendo's side. "They are waiting for you."
"Is the line secure?"
"Yes. We cannot be tapped."
"Is the line secure?"
Kozo paused. "Firewalls are online and ready for malware."
Gendo sighed through his nose, then grunted his approval. Their benefactors were waiting.
He swung the files into the "send" box then hit "enter call." The green walls, holographic projection technology among the most advanced of its kind, immediately went black. One by one, monoliths of the same colour flickered into existence around the table. Lit by neon red numbers, the sigil of an apple encircled by a snake, emblazoned upon a cross flanked by seven eyes, was etched on each of them.
A show of power as ever. Needless but not incorrect.
Thirteen monoliths in total appeared. One directly faced him from the other side of the conference table. Unlike the rest it bore no number, instead bearing the title of "His Excellency."
Gendo hid a flinch.
The Archbishop? Either he's taken a greater interest in our affairs, or Penance himself is about to barge into this room.
"Glory to God in the highest, my friends." Gendo gave a bow of his head. The monoliths said nothing for a while, as they lazily considered what he'd deigned to say to them.
"Gloria in excelis Deo." They dully repeated.
At least that gets the pleasantries out of the way...Fingers laced beneath his nose, Gendo Ikari held his ground, cool as cucumber. These men, pious and proud, hated a mewling coward more than even a sinner, so he thought it best not to worsen his position.
"I have prepared documents for your observation. We were able to glean a great deal of data from the Fourth Seraph." He clicked the "send" button, followed by a quick flicker confirming it had been sent.
"We are...grateful for your efforts." One monolith, marked "04," said. Gendo wasn't sure why they hid behind them, given that, aside from their master, he knew who these Bishops of the Viaticum were thereabouts. Perhaps after centuries of secrecy, secrecy itself became a tradition?
"What of the corpse?" Another, marked "07," asked. His tone remained authoritative but lacked the disdain of the rest. Gendo flashed a microscopic glare in return.
"My scientists are quarantining the site as we speak. Preliminary investigation are promising. However, the Seraph's remains have suffered severe trauma and been scattered over a great deal of the city. It will take time to gather all specimens-"
"Irrelevant. Can it be done?" The monolith with the number "13" cut in, his accent a thick Russian.
"I believe so."
"Then that shall suffice for now."
"There is another matter." Said the monolith bearing an "02." He sat to the side of the central monolith. "Ikari, the Viaticum is not blind. You came all too close to disaster yesterday. Need I remind you that man's return to Eden rests upon victory in this war?" His tone was old and gravelly.
"I am very much aware, Chairman Lorenz." Gendo was already running through where leaks could have sprung.
"See to it things don't get that close again." The tone of Kihl Lorenz, puppet master of the United Nations, hardened. "Or else we must find someone else to lead this battle."
"Peace." Spoke the Archbishop. The rest, even Lorenz, fell silent immediately. "We cannot blame Gendo here for our failure to properly interpret the scrolls, nor Unit 00's accident. It would seem the Lord will test us harder than first thought."
Harder? Gendo faintly smiled, not enough for the rest to see. Your God is one cruel bastard. It is well the Shoguns drove him from Japan.
"Tell me, Mr Ikari." At the command of the Archbishop, Gendo immediately dismissed all other thoughts. "As near enough an eyewitness, what make you of our enemy?"
"Please, your excellency, feel free to investigate with your more experienced eyes. I am but a bureaucrat."
"I am asking you."
Gendo chose his words carefully, knowing that a false move warranted more suspicion. These men distrusted him enough as it was. "As strong as the scrolls indicated, but more cunning. It behaved with a precision and malice I did not expect of it."
"Malice? The power of Adam's spawn is overwhelming to be sure, but we cannot know their true thoughts. They are probably above such mortal debasement as cruelty."
"Of course, your excellency. I must be mistaken." He feigned naivety, as if this were out of his element.
Perhaps enough to throw off the rest, but you… Gendo felt the gaze of whoever was behind that monolith bore into him. I doubt you're fooled, are you?
That was what chilled him to the bone. This man knew him and could likely make a good guess as to his intentions. Gendo meanwhile didn't have a clue who the Archbishop of the Viaticum was. Years of subterfuge and espionage had only ended up with some of his best operatives' corpses being dumped on trash heaps as warnings. It didn't matter wherever they were in the world, all of them were neutralised on the exact same day.
The Archbishop could reach out and strike down anyone within reason. He was a variable far beyond Gendo's control, and he couldn't stand it.
"Nevertheless, this precision is of concern." The Archbishop paused to think.
"How so, your excellency?" Another monolith, younger sounding, said. "The beast was still vanquished."
"As the scrolls ordained, yes, but not easily. Not against a foe that swings with grace unbefitting."
"Grace, your excellency?" Said another. "It is as you said, they are above such mortal matters-"
"My arm is still strong." The Archbishop of the Viaticum interrupted. "I know what swordsmanship looks like and the Fourth Seraph appears to have had something akin to it."
"Ikari." Lorenz directed at Gendo sternly. "Can you account for these variables?"
"Of course." Gendo said. "Nerv has some of the most high-tech weaponry on the planet. We will attempt to engage at range in future, to nullify Seraphim close quarter abilities. Perhaps, if you were willing to lend me your reproductions-"
"No. Those are sacred items for the ritual of the third and final sacrament. They are not to be desecrated." The Archbishop immediately shot him down.
"I understand, your excellency. But if need be..." Gendo knew the answer before he even asked the question, but he had to try. Reproduction lances would be a boon beyond reckoning for us.
"No, Gendo." The Archbishop said, almost fatherly. "I understand your position, but these tools of God's will cannot be tainted."
"Amen." The rest said in unison.
Those glorified skewers will never get the chance to slaughter that poor girl if the Seraphim kill us all long before then. Gendo let his thumb move, as if channelling his frustration into it. Men of God. Men of blind faith.
"Your next challenge will come swiftly, Ikari." Lorenz said. "The scrolls are adamant about this. We'd best leave you to prepare. It has been a...pleasure, as always."
"Then depart. I will have words with the CEO alone." The Archbishop said. There was a long pause, before the other monoliths said, "Gloria in excelis Deo" and vanished.
Now there was only three of them in the room. In particular, only two who truly mattered. Deep down, Gendo was vaguely bemused at how Kozo was treated as a nonentity in these meetings. Yet the man still stood faithfully at his side, despite their differences, and for that Gendo was grateful.
"I understand..." The Archbishop said, tone relaxing as if he were with an equal. "The Deliverer suffered injury last night."
"Your reports would be correct. "The injury was minor, however." Gendo answered. "Our medical staff have taken care of the matter."
"As I expected. He is protected by God." The Archbishop mused. "And Evangelium Unit 01?"
"Massive damage to upper chest armour, although the flesh is regenerating swiftly. Overall, project Eva has proved more durable than hoped."
"Yes...yes..."
Gendo said nothing, and simply let a man who was abjectly his superior, especially in experience, muse. It was not a courtesy he afforded anyone else.
"The Deliverer. What do you make of him?" The Archbishop asked.
It was Gendo's turn to think for a moment. "He is as the scrolls say, although perhaps a little angrier."
"Anger. Wrath. Sins that the trials ahead will sort out."
"Of course." Gendo nodded, his icy heart bursting into flames. A sin!? He's every right to be angry after all that's happened to him. And still that isn't enough for you, is it?
"That aside, his temperament is exactly as described. Solitary and awkward." He added.
"Thus untainted by the temptations of sin. The Deliverer seems to be at the right stage of his journey, then." The Archbishop's tone was approving. "You have done well."
Gendo bowed his head in acknowledgement, suppressing white hot fury in his breast with his veneer of ice. Forgive me, Yui. I couldn't protect him.
"I know in your heart you are not unmoved. He is your son." The Archbishop said sympathetically. "Great and terrible things have been done in the name of our return to Eden, but our faith's reward is almost in sight."
"Faith may not be enough." Gendo grunted, eager to move on. "What of the other Evangeliums? How goes your efforts to get them here?."
"To be deployed shortly. We are pulling as many strings as possible to get them to Japan but we can't go any quicker. Forty days for the bulk of them at the earliest, I fear."
"Forty days..."
"Some will arrive before the others. We're having particular trouble with Britain's Eva."
"Unit 03?" Gendo frowned.
"Yes. The fools wished to use it to crush a rebellion in one of their African territories." Ice entered the Archbishop's tone. "A herald of salvation to be bloodied in such a manner. Blasphemy."
An absurd waste of time, indeed. But the nationalisation of those Evas was unavoidable. Britain, America and Russia would have taken theirs by force. And that would cause a domino effect neither of us had time for. It was miracle enough we managed to keep Units 00, 01 and 02.
"Perhaps I should also lend my weight?" Gendo offered. "Yesterday's events have proven Nerv's importance."
"If you feel your pressure can help, feel free to apply it."
The conversation should have concluded there, but the master of the Viaticum remained. He mulled over something for a while.
"You'd have something else of me, Archbishop?" Gendo masterfully hid his desire to finish this.
"I am surprised you have informed the boy as to the First Child's origins...to an extent." The Archbishop probed, likely to see his reaction.
Gendo's nose wrinkled whilst he compartmentalised his superior knowing that little fact for later. Why had he let that slip?
It almost seemed a flight of fancy, summoning Dr Tenka to his office scarcely a few days ago. Even then his motives had not been properly explained to the man who was already semi-clued in; his job demanded such knowledge. Upon further thought, Gendo realised there was no real benefit to it. A personal motivation then? Perhaps, just here, he could speak truthfully.
"He had a right to know."
"And there I took you for a heartless pragmatist." The Archbishop chuckled.
The hairs stood up on the back of Gendo's neck. He was not a good man in his own estimation, but the person he was talking to had no right to laugh like that. Not after what he'd done.
"Will that be all, your excellency?"
"Hm." From his end of the conversation, the Archbishop of the Viaticum had probably just nodded. "Salvation will be upon us in a matter of months, Ikari. Many sacrifices have been made to bring us here. More will most certainly come. Steel yourself." The connection cut, black walls immediately switching back to green.
"Give me the board any day." Gendo grunted.
Kozo laughed at that. "You don't work with them often enough then. Trust me, the Viaticum gets to the point far quicker than any of our shareholders."
The older man let a few seconds pass between that and what he would say next. "Was that the truth?"
"Hm?"
"About Rei?"
"...Yes." Gendo felt a thickness in his throat. It wasn't often he was honest. The girl's creation had been necessary, but even he couldn't help but feel conflicted. That she carried the face of the most precious thing in the world to him, drove the knife in a little deeper and no doubt did the same for his son.
Yui...
"Order Section-2 to sweep all our sites in Nakisawame. I want those bugs found, and if they turn out to be moles…" He didn't need to say the rest.
"Of course, sir." Kozo nodded.
Gendo grunted in satisfaction. "Leave me."
Kozo did as he was bid and left Nerv's CEO alone in the room. Gendo slipped off his glasses, his poise failing, and massaged his eyelids. He sighed.
"Forgive me, Shinji."
