A short word from the author:
Noooo! You can't just release a new chapter every month! That's too slow!
Me: Haha, inspiration goes brrrr
More seriously: Hey everyone, how is it going? Guess what: 3.0+1.0 has been delayed (again). A bad news for every fan, but a good news for me! At this rhytm, I'll complete my work before we see the release! Yay!
One bad thing, though, is the last trailer we got. I won't spoil anything, but I had a whole sub-plot dedicated to the Wunder, and with that Nega-Wunder out of nowhere I have to seriously rethink my entire plan. Fack!
I'll just improvise something.
As always, thanks for your support. Feel free to correct me if you spot a mistake, or if you want to give me a review, anything... I'll be here! Have a good read and see you next month!
Corbak
(July 13th 2018, 19h47; USS Over-the-Rainbow, main mess)
"Hey, you're the red pilot! Aren't you?!"
Urh... Please not this again...
A shower, clean clothes, a hot meal and a bed. That was everything she was wishing for at that moment. Asuka had inwardly prayed with all her might so that nobody would get on her way to her cabin. Worthless wishes, as she was still dressed in a clearly visible red plugsuit that didn't hide anything from her persona. She was the red pilot.
Fortunately, most of the peoples she had encounter on her way were either too scared or too admirative of her to address her.
Except this guy
"Maaaan, I'm so glad to meet you! I can't believe I'm talking to the great Asuka Shikinami Langley in person, that's crazy!"
Young, around 20 years old, the sous-chef of the mess was everything Asuka hadn't expected (or wished) meeting. Despite it's original assignment to serve hungry crew members, that young recruit was obviously more interested in chatting, and didn't had the dread or the respect of his older coworkers.
"Hey, you did such a cool job earlier this day, when you kicked the ass of that freak! I watched everything from the cams you know. We all were! It jumped out of the water, like... WOUSSSHH! And then you went, like: DODGE! And BANG! You punched it in the eye! So cool!"
At lest he's not asking questions... But if he doesn't stop talking in ten seconds, I'm gonna have to shut him up.
"...And then we saw the both of you disappear into the sea, and man we were scared for a second! But... Oh my bad, is there something I can do for you?
Lucky guy.
"...Hungry." plaided Asuka.
"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm in charge of the food, haha. I'll be back in a second!"
Just like that, the young man disappeared inside the kitchen, followed by a concerto of bumping plates.
He's not very bright but he's got the spirit. Thought Asuka with satisfaction. He kinda reminds me of that stooge that was always hanging out with the third... What was his name anyway? Oh yeah... Kensuke. Kensuke Aida.
Asuka felt sadness as she remembered the boy. She wasn't really close to him back in the days, but with that memory was the painful realization of the loss she had just suffered. Kensuke was probably dead, and so was the mongrel Touji, and Hikari Horaki her only true friend, and all her classmates... Where were they today? How many of them had perished during the aborted third impact? What was truly left of Tokyo-3 after the disaster?
"...And here you go, miss!" In a loud bang, the young chef deposed a metallic plate full of whatever-that-thing-was right in front of Asuka, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Asuka observed the content of the plate with suspicion. That was far from anything she used to eat in Shinji's bento. It looked like vomit and smelled like grease.
"Carbonara pasta!" Claimed the man with pride. "We were lucky to get our hands on a lot of just-perempted fresh cream, so we prepared this! Not too bad, huh?"
Asuka stared at the chief with disgust.
"Well, I know it doesn't look good." He admitted with compassion. "It's hard to make true carbonara without onion and bacon. But I assure you the cream is real! True fresh cream produced by true cows! Not some generic soja-based ersatz. The first dish with animal fat we served in months, we were all happy today at lunch hour. Anyway... resupply has been hard this month."
In the eyes of the chief, Asuka saw the excitement turn into tiredness. She instantly felt guilty about all the things she had said, and how she had acted. The world was facing its end, gigantic efforts had been invested into the reconstruction of her Eva. That poor meal was only the tip of the Iceberg of privations so many peoples had suffered to secure only a fragment of potential victory. She could no longer afford to act like a spoiled child, she was the last hope of that man, perhaps of the entire world. She had to act with dignity.
"That will do, I guess." Mumbled Asuka. At least it's hot... And nourishing
The chief smiled with sadness. "You'll see, the taste may surprise you." He joked.
Asuka grimaced in return.
"Oh, and take this with you" He added, while handing her a plastic bag. Asuka opened it, it contained a handful of various snacks. Chocolate sticks, gummy bears and even a small coconut ball!
"I..."
"I got them from the secret reserve of the Chef. Don't tell it to anyone, he'll kill me if he knows!" He explained with a malicious tone. "I presumed you'd be happy to have a bit of comfort after your fight, and like my mother always said: chocolate doesn't ask, he understands."
Asuka felt tears filling her eye. Overwhelmed by the mix of fatigue and emotions, she turned away from the man and hid her face with her arm.
"Thank you..." She said in a broken voice. "I'll leave now."
"You sure you have everything you need?" Asked the man. "Don't mind asking if you need something. I'll do my best to provide you anything."
"No... I'm fine, really. Thanks."
"Okay..." Said the man. "Rest well then..."
Asuka left the mess, her bag of candy held tight in her arms. Just as she was about to exit by the door, she was addressed once again.
"Hey miss, sorry before you leave... Just wanted to tell you but it's a bit weird..."
Asuka stopped halfway through the door, waiting.
"Thank you for everything you did today... That Angel you destroyed... before your deployment we were all hopeless. We knew we had no chance against it without an Eva on our side. We were all expecting to die. But then you entered the battle... gave us a chance. I can't believe I'm back in the same mess tonight, cooking dishes for everyone. I thought I was going to die today, and I'm not dead. Thanks to you...
Asuka stood silent, not knowing what to answer.
"Anyway, thank you for protecting the boat. Thank you for saving my life..."
Not knowing what to say, Asuka tightened her grip around the plastic bag, the warmth of the plate could be felt through the fabric. The smell of the food, greasy and nourishing, was entering her nostrils, descending into her stomach. She was on the verge of tears.
"...You're welcome..." She said with a broken voice.
Asuka left the mess.
Back in the hallway, Asuka began to ran to her assigned cabin. Her hot meal held against her, she was fulminating.
You're welcome... You're welcome... Like hell! What was I playing at?! Am I stupid?
Exhausted and angry, she began climbing the stairs leading to her floor.
Is that what you really think, little cook? Is that what everyone thinks on that boat? That I'm a cool warrior? That I saved you all? That I'm your new hero?!
What bullshit!
She kicked the wall of the corridor, out of rage.
I failed all of you! All of you! From the day I let that Angel enter my Eva, to the moment I emerged from comatose. All this time spent as a vegetable...
She reached her floor and started counting the numbers on the doors, searching for her assigned cabin.
If I had ejected my plug in time, I would have been here! I would have protected the Geofront, I would have destroyed that Angel, I would have stopped Shinji from triggering that Impact. Tokyo-3 would be still intact, everyone would be still alive. Everything would be better... But I was too weak!
Finally, she was in front of her door. Putting a hand in her assigned bag, she searched her assigned key.
I'm not the hero of that story. I didn't save anyone. I acted like a little princess, and everyone paid the price for my hubris. I'm a freaking impostor!
She grabbed the key, turned it into the lock and opened the door violently.
"A hero, what a joke... They are all nuts in this boat!"
"I couldn't agree more, Nya!"
"WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU AGAIN?! HOW DID YOU ENTER THIS ROOM?!"
Once again completely taken by surprise, Asuka switched on the light to find a very annoying brunette laying on her bed in a suggestive pose. Same outfit, same pink glasses, there was no doubt about her identity. Mari Makinami, the infamous mocking bird, had invaded her private space once again!
" 'Suuuuup your highness! How's your fist? Not too scratched?"
"You'd better be more careful on your words, four-eyes!" Returned Asuka. "I'm ready for the next round, and I promise you I won't miss this time!"
"Bad idea, if you want my opinion." Provoked the girl. "You'll only end up hurting yourself. Again."
Stay calm... Fulminated Asuka. Stay calm. She is only provoking you. Don't enter her game. Breathe...
"... I don't have the time to play with you, Makinami." Returned Asuka sharply. "Since you are here, do what you want. Stay in my bed, leave, draw on the floor... I don't care. I'm taking a shower and then I go to sleep. Nothing more."
This seemed to calm the brunette a bit, as she simply sat on the bed with the smile of a well-behaved kid.
"Ok, princess. Sorry for intruding in your room... I promise I won't eat your meal while you take your shower."
"Hu uh..." Grumbled Asuka while removing her clothes and entering the rudimentary shower stall.
"Wow, nice boobs! A bit small to my taste, but perfectly shaped!"
"Will you stop behave like a child?..." Said Asuka in a tired voice. Seriously... She was the great Asuka Langley Soryu. Why would she feel embarrassed by something as childish as the size of her chest?...
Sighing for the hundredth time this day, Asuka opened the valve of the shower, and let the flow of hot water run through her hairs. She washed the LCL out of her face, and felt with pleasure her muscles relaxing everywhere on her back and around her shoulders. Finally a bit of relaxation. She felt all the tension contained inside her body evacuating with the flow, being flushed down the evacuation pipe. This felt good...
"So..." Asked Asuka. "Why are you here, this time? You wanted to see me taking a shower? Or is there something else you want from me?"
Mari grinned, feeling the change of balance in the discussion. Asuka had regained enough self-control to be the one asking the questions, she could no longer destabilize her.
"Actually I came to chat a little."
"Oh yeah? And what do you want to chat about? I'm telling you, I'm not much of a talker when it comes down to girly things..."
Mari laughed, an honest laugh. "I'm not much into these things too... No, I wanted to talk about other things. Things you may know, things you don't know, and maybe... Things you'd like to know?"
Asuka stopped the water, all her attention now focused on the brunette.
" ...what kind of things?" She asked.
Mari grinned wider, feeling the growing interest on her interlocutor.
"Let's say our beloved commander didn't told you everything about your actual situation. She forgot to mention a bunch of things regarding your accident, and also an other bunch of things regarding a certain young boy I'm sure you are interested in... Am I wrong?
Asuka sweared internally. That four-eyed girl was way too clever to be underestimated. She was reading her like an open book.
"... Go on."
"...Where should I start?" Asked Mari playfully.
"Don't anger me, four-eyes." Warned Asuka.
"Sorry, sorry." Apologised Mari, obviously not sorry at all. "I'll try to bring everything in order. So... Oh yeah, first thing first: What happened during Third-Impact."
"I already know about it." Said Asuka while grabbing a towel. "An Angel attacked, he was no match for our Evas. Rei was defeated in Unit-00, you were defeated in... MY unit. Then, Shinji went for an emergency launch aboard Unit-01, he fucked up something and triggered the impact..." Or he triggered it intentionally and doomed us all She thought with bitterness.
"Almost entirely correct." Approved Mari. " That Angel attacked and, indeed, we were no match for it. I was still changing in the storage area when it destroyed all of our defenses in the surface and pierced its way down to Central Dogma. When I joined the battle I thought I had a chance, but it was way too powerful, even for my piloting skills. I tried raising the bar and used the backdoor code to trigger a "Beast Mode"..."
"You did that?" Shouted Asuka with a mix of surprise and admiration. "The beast mode is only experimental. I always thought it would kill any pilot if it was used in a real fight."
"Well it almost killed me" She admitted in a laugh. "It was extremely painful to bear... And it wasn't even worth it. That thing kicked my ass in a minute. Then that blue-haired girl joined the battle in her unit. I think her name was Rei, is that it? Poor girl... She was carrying a N2 missile and tried to blow herself up with the Angel. She almost succeeded, though I gave her a bit of help. We destroyed everything inside that cave. But it wasn't enough. After the blast, both of us were grilled like chicken wings. But that thing didn't take a scratch. I retreated and the Angel ate the poor girl inside her unit. Then it muted into something worst and I knew we had lost."
"And Shinji?" Asked Asuka. "Where was he during the battle?"
"The puppy?" She smiled. "He wasn't allowed inside his Eva. Poor boy... Do you know he hijacked his unit in protest after being forced to destroy your infected unit? I'm not kidding! He was so mad he made a rampage all the way through the Geofront and attempted to crush his dad under his Eva's boots! He was stopped of course, and expelled the next day. Insubordination, murder attempt and destruction of property... He probably felt bad about being forced to crush your plug, I suppose. I can understand why he tried to run away."
...Shinji did... all of this? He is the one that crushed me into bits? He tried to kill the commander? He was expelled from his Eva... because of me?
"He ran away from the battlefield... I'm not surprised." Attacked Asuka as a barrier for her thoughts. "In the end, he is just a coward that hides from everything!"
"He wasn't that much of a coward in the end." Defended Mari. "I found him inside a crushed bunker in the margins of the battle. I tried to evacuate him, but I think he lost it when he saw her blue friend being eaten by the Angel. He returned to the Eva cage. He probably wanted to save the girl. That's the state of mind he had when he entered the battlefield. I think this is where the wires started connecting with each other in a bad way."
"He destroyed that Angel?'
"Oh yes, he can be quite capable when he really wants to! That boy has a thing with Evas. He, like... He can fuse with them. Reach levels of synchronization that shouldn't be possible. At a point in the fight, he was on the ground with an arm missing. We were all like: "that was our last card, now we are screwed." But then he did something and his Eva went all shiny, like a Christmas tree. He destroyed the Angel and the whole time he was screaming in the comlink, stuff like "I'll get her back! I'll get her back!" Then he did a thing to the Angel's core, and everything started spinning around us. No gravity, there was light emanating from the Eva. I believe this is where he triggered the impact."
That damn brat...
"After that I kinda lost it. We saw a red flash falling from the sky, and everything went back to normal. A few minutes later, helicopters from the JSSDF stormed the base and evacuated everyone, including me."
He destroyed the entire world to get his precious little miss-perfect-doll back. He sacrificed everything I had... Everything I wanted for that little blue-haired bitch! He betrayed my feelings. He nearly killed me!
"They were all really surprised when they learned I was the pilot. And a bit angry to know I had infiltrated the base and hijacked their unit. I don't want to give myself flowers, but it was a piece of cake! The security system was so old a child could have done the same thing without any trouble."
I'll kill him someday for this. I swear I'll kill him.
"Then they sent us to a nearby shelter, and took over the place. One week later we were assigned to the Pacific fleet and the entire team moved to the Rainbow. You know the rest."
"Where is he?"
Mari frowned. "You mean the puppy?"
"Yes. Where is he?"
"If only I knew" She sighed with disappointment, and threw herself on the bed with frustration. "I don't know princess, I really honestly don't know. Maybe he's dead. Maybe he was destroyed during the impact, maybe he ejected in time and was captured by the JSSDF. Maybe he's a prisoner, or maybe they eliminated him with a bullet in the head. Maybe he's hiding somewhere in the ruins of Tokyo-3. Or maybe he is still inside his plug, maybe his consciousness fused entirely with the Eva and he's living in a world of permanent dreams. I don't know. I really don't know."
"I see..." Said Asuka with disappointment. "Thank you anyway."
"No problem princess." Smiled Mari with compassion. "I wish I could tell you more about what happened to him. Since you are so interested on him..."
"I... It's not like that!" Protested Asuka with her cheeks turning red. "I just want to... I... Anyway! What did you meant by "my condition?" earlier on? I... I want to go to sleep so let's get this discussion over with!"
"Hooooh?!" Said Mari with a mocking tone. "Could it be that I touched something sensitive?"
"Dammit four-eyes!" Shouted Asuka. "Speak now or leave!"
"Alright alright, sorry!" Said Mari, once again sounding not sorry at all. "Don't worry too much about what I intended. I'm not 100% sure, so for now I prefer keeping it for myself, okay? Just you know that there is a chance you will spend the years to come in a much better shape you imagined."
Asuka looked at the girl in confusion.
"Er... Okay I guess?"
After that Mari stopped speaking and Asuka finished drying herslef. She hung the towel on the wall and proceeded to dress in a large shirt and some panties to spend the night comfortably. Mari watched her with amusement, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. But she was too tired to complaint about it, if it would even change something.
"Say, one last thing." Asked Mari after Asuka slipped her panties completely. "Would you team up with me?"
"What?"Asked Asuka, puzzled.
"I'm on a difficult situation myself" Said Mari. "Too complex to explain, but to resume it; I'm now jobless and I lost my protector. I don't really know what will happens to me in the following days. But if something happens, will you lend me a hand?"
"Er..." Asuka tried to think about what potential danger the young girl could be facing, and the kind of stress she could put herself into by helping her. Being too tired to think, she simply responded: "O... Okay, I'll do my best. Sure."
"Thank you" said Mari with relief. Then, in an evil grin, she added: "I promise you won't regret it."
Asuka felt a drop of sweat running down her back. What did she just promised? Nothing too engaging she hoped.
"In return I will pursue my investigations regarding your precious... friend. Don't take it as something personal, I'm interested myself on what he has become. But I promise I will tell you everything I know regarding his fate. You have my word. Is that good enough?"
"I'm... I'm really not that much interested on him!" Complained Asuka.
"Like hell you are!" Mocked Mari. "Look at yourself in the mirror, you're bright red! And you pretend to be heartless?"
"I'm not... Hey, fuck you four-eyes! This is none of your business!"
"I get why you like him so much!" She teased. "He's such a pure heart. And he's kinda cute too with his white shirt. You must dream of removing it to see what's under it, don't you? I wonder if he would be good in bed..."
"Aarh! Get out of here already!" Shouted Asuka while grabbing the girl by her shirt. Mari fought back and soon the both of us were struggling against each other on the bed, one clearly laughing and the other trying really hard not to follow her lead. In an attempt to get the brunette out of her bed, Asuka grabbed her arm and twisted it backwards, when suddenly:
A loud bang rang out in the hallway.
Asuka froze, focusing her attention on the outside of the room. Inadvertently she released Mari who stood up, leaving the bed with an expression of resignation on her face.
"Well I guess this is where our paths separate. They finally found my trail."
"What?" Asked Asuka, but she was quickly cut off.
"We ran out of time, but it's fine, I said everything I wanted to say and you know everything you needed to know. Starting from now, the ball is on your side."
Asuka heard numerous footsteps emerging at the other side of her door. Confused, she questioned Mari in the eye, and found an expression she had never imagined finding on the girl's face. Was it fear? Sadness? Apprehension? The girl seemed so calm, but yet so vulnerable! She opened her mouth once again, as if she was about to say something.
In a loud bang, the lock behind her shattered into pieces. A group of men wearing the uniform of the security team entered the room and grabbed the girl with violence, pushing her against the wall! Handcuffs were passed on her wrists and a black bag was slipped on her head. In a fraction of second, the girl was restrained and taken out of the room, escorted by four heavily-armed guards.
Too surprised to act, Asuka finally came back to her senses and jumped out of the bed. "Hey! Where are you taking her?!..." But she was immediately pushed back by two other men that blocked the door to prevent her from following the rest of the group. She attempted to resist the intruders, but they were too strong and she was too exhausted to put up a good fight. They tackled her on the bed without compassion, and the only thing she was able to do was scream and kick everything she could, hoping to hit something.
"Let go! Let go off of me, you idiots! Why did you take her away?! WHY?! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"That would be enough, release her."
Misato?
Instantly Asuka felt the weight of her opponents disappear and she was freed of all restraints.
"You old bitch! You again?! This time you kidnap peoples in my room?!"
She felt the hartred flow back in her veins. Despite her fatigue, she felt a murderous desire rise in her heart. She looked everywhere around her, searching for a weapon, knife, shard of glass, anything she could shove into the throat of the purple-haired commander. This time I'll kill you for sure!
"Asuka, please calm down." Said Misato with calm. "I'm not the enemy here. I came here to rescue you."
"Rescue me?!" She screamed. "RESCUE ME?! You enter my room at night with a dozens of men to kidnap a girl the same age as me, and you call that a rescue?!"
"I came to protect you from a potentially dangerous intruder that entered your private quarters by breaking-in, using techniques we haven't figured out yet." She stated with the speed of a machine gun. "AND your precious little friend is a prisoner of war convicted of identity thief, illegal piloting, hijacking of an Eva, spying and trespassing into a highly-secured top-secret facility and high betrayal against the Japanese Government! She escaped her cell this morning, god knows how, and we searched the ship non-stop since then to get our hands on her. We got her now, and I couldn't be more relieved because until now, I was almost certain that her objective was to assassinate you!"
"She's just a teenager! And she was friendly!"
"She is a spy and a traitor to Nerv! She will stay in her cell with additional security!"
"You can't do that!"
"GOD DAMMIT ASUKA DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT PERSON?!"
Misato had shrieked, and Asuka felt silent. Shocked.
"Do you realize how worried I've been?! Do you realize what would have happened if that girl had attempted to kill you?! Or manipulated you to take control of your Eva? What would have happened then? Can you tell me?
Asuka lowered her head in shame, feeling treated like a child at fault.
"You know nothing about her. I know nothing about her. Nobody knows who she is or what her mission is. We know NOTHING!
Asuka tried formulating something to debiase those arguments. She tried, and failed miserably. Misato was right, she knew nothing of Mari. A couple of hours ago she didn't even knew her existence, and she had naively accorded some trust on her. If she had attempted to assassinate her, Asuka would have been unable to defend herself. She was butt-naked under the shower minutes ago after all.
"Don't worry, we'll figure everything about her one way or another." Reassured Misato "...and then we will decide if we want to keep her alive or not. But until then, she will stay in her cell. And I don't want you to talk to her ever again, understood?!"
Asuka nodded, too shaken to resist.
"Good." Cooled Misato. "I'm leaving now. You can go to sleep. It's too late for a proper interrogation. But tomorrow I want you in my office and you will make a report of everything that girl told you. Everything. Understood?
Asuka stayed silent.
"You will understand, I hope, the stakes of your report."
"...understood." she whispered.
Despite her tiredness, Asuka slept really bad that night.
Trqpped in her dreams, she encountered many horrors out of the deepest parts of her mind. Creatures from the deep sea, unspeakable horrors made of tentacles and mouths full of teeth. Kidnappings, tortures, executions, the death of a young boy with the face of a mocking girl... and a red monster lost in the heart of darkness, fighting recklessly against an ocean of flesh. And losing...
(July 13th 2018, 19h39; USS Over-the-Rainbow, Citadel's meeting room)
The Rainbow truly was a marvel of modularity.
At that point of the story, you are probably well aware, but still... I want to make a point on this.
Never in the history of mankind had a ship been renovated so fast. From an old rusty aircraft carrier to a floating command center, equipped to fit the needs of the very best of humanity. Armed to the teeth, modernized to the bolts, it was a ship meant to be the last line of defense against the Angels. A vessel of wonder of which even the Yamato would have been jealous. (except it sank a century ago).
And, as you may have guessed, the meeting room of the Citadel was no exception to the rule.
Gone were the old rusty metal table and the old rusty metal chairs. Instead, a large circular table made of stainless steel and coated with a black mat finish had been screwed into the ground. Movable monitors had been installed to allow distant interlocutors to participate in meetings. The chairs were covered by a comfortable thickness of shape memory foam, ensuring that every person who laid their ass on it were at their best cognitive capacity.
That particular feature was the one that Aoba enjoyed the most. Being a technical operator was no way easy since it required to sit in front of a screen most of the time, and having a comfortable chair helped.
Speaking of operators, there were a lot of them in the room. Maya Ibuki was here of course, always sitting next to her mentor, the commander-in-second Ritsuko Akagi. And two chairs away on her right was Makoto Hyuga, a young and talented man known for his self-control and his passion for magical girls.
Four freshly-recruited engineers were also present in the room. Koji Takao, a strong and intimidating man with a bald head. Sumire Nagara, a beautiful indian woman with a serious character. Hideki Tama, a young and studious man. And Midori Kitakami, a young woman with pink hair. Those were the members of the old navigation team. When Nerv had taken over the ship, they had been naturally integrated into the operators team to provide their experience regarding everything about navigation. Communication had been rough at first between the sailors and the operators, but in the end it had turned out for the best and the team had only grew stronger under the leadership of Katsuragi.
An unusual thing inside the meeting room were the four chairs pushed against the wall and replaced by four monitors equipped with microphones and webcams. The special guests of this meeting were located far away from the dangers of the sea, comfortably resting inside their bunkers or palaces. Those were the heads of the last superpowers on Earth. Some of them were rumored to be the ones behind the supreme commandment of Nerv. They were known as "The Big Fours" and were the following persons:
-Naoto Nura; prime minister and representative of the Japanese government.
-Judith Hammerson: secretary of Defense and representative of the U.S. government.
-Zhang Huan: CEO of the largest weapon manufacturing company of Asia, main investor of Nerv-Japan and representative of the Chinese government.
-Ekaterina Laslava: minister of defense and representative of the Russian government.
Stuck at the other side of the table, Ritsuko shivered while fixing the monitors. All the big players were now reunited in the same room. Getting them all together hadn't been easy, keeping them together would be even harder.
The reason for their presence was linked to the critical shortage the fleet was facing after the battle. While losing their headquarters, Nerv had also lost any official support and survived only thanks to the will of some rich and powerful investors. Ritsuko feared the inevitable division among those wolf fed with power, but she knew she had to cooperate with them no matter what. The situation was too bad to risk a diplomatic incident. Everything needed to be perfect for that meeting, or they would lose the last of their support as well as a precious time they critically needed.
One thing that didn't ease her nervousness was the empty seat next to her.
As the new commander of Nerv, Misato was highly required to be present. She was the key for the success, the only negotiator able to stand against the representatives and save the organization from destruction. So Why wasn't she here?!
In front of her, she assisted with angst as the peoples on the screen fidgeted with discomfort and annoyance. Some were watching their phones, others were clearing their throat while trying to maintain their composure. They were visibly bored.
"Hem Hem.." hesitated Ritsuko. All eyes immediately turned towards her.
God I'm not brave enough for politics. Swore the scientist internally.
"I.. Thank you all for your patience." She started. "Our group is almost complete, the commander Katsuragi should arrive any minute now..."
Every person on the monitors returned their phones.
Ritsuko fidgeted on her chair, more uncomfortable than ever. Misato...She pledged. It's now or never, please...
Finally the door slid open and a purple-haired woman entered the room. Oh thank god...
"I apologize for being late" Said Misato Katsuragi.
She immediately went to her chair and sat next to her friend, facing the monitors. Straightening herself up, she adopted her usual figure of command and mentally prepared for the confrontation to come.
"Commander Katsuragi..." Said the Japanese prime minister. "We had almost given up on you. What took you so long?"
"Internal affair." She eluded. "It's settled now. We can move on to today's subjects."
Ritsuko discretely peeked an eye at her purple-haired friend. Misato looked more tired than ever, but someway satisfied. In a whisper, she addressed the commander. "Did you finally get her?"
Misato nodded and articulated with her mouth: "I'll tell you later."
Ritsuko sighed with relief. Finally the free electron had been put back under control.
"I don't want to interrupt any affair" Quipped the Russian minister. "But I hope you have something truly important to tell us if you went through all the trouble of gathering us here. In your own interest, needless to say..."
"The stakes are high, indeed" returned Misato while disregarding the threat. "Me and my crew are in need of a lot of resources that I hope you will be willing to provide.'
Ritsuko saw as the faces on the monitors turned from repressed mockery to visible disapproval.
"...But before engaging further into the negotiations, I thought I'd share some good news directly to you."
The faces turned once again into a visible attention. She grinned. Reading them was so easy...
"Today, 13th July 2018, our forces successfully engaged and destroyed a new Angel. A new step towards mankind's victory has been achieved!"
Well done, Appreciated Ritsuko. With that kind of news they'll soften a bit and gives us what we want.
Indeed the tension in the room briefly went loose. A wave of relief and excitation spread among the big four. This is what Misato had expected: the announcement of a victory was a huge benefit for the leaders of this world. Peoples needed good news after all. Announcing the death of an Angel only made Nerv more credible, and helped justifying the sum that had to be paid for a working Evangelion.
"... such success wouldn't have been possible without the use of our ultimate weapon, the Evangelion unit code named as "02", and the skills of our elite pilot, Asuka Shikinami from the German branch of Nerv. Consequently, I want to thank you all for the common efforts we put through the restoration of our damaged unit, as well as your trust towards my decisions regarding the choice of our pilot. This victory is the fruit of our cooperation, and we shall be proud. All of us."
A rumble of approbation resonated thorough the room. The big fours were completely captivated now.
Now for the bad news... Thought Misato.
"... that victory came at a cost." Said Misato. "A heavy one... Maya?"
In her left, the young operator nodded and grabbed one of the documents that were laying on the table. She began enumerating nervously.
"...so, to begin we lost around 67% of our offensive capacity. The damage taken by our fleet is high, with six of our larger escort ships destroyed, out of the thirteen deployed. Three of the surviving ones are too damaged to be of any use, which results in a total of four ships still in service. However, with time and proper equipment, we may be able to repurpose one or two of them, and are hoping to bring the number up to six ships operational in total."
Misato cringed as she saw the eyebrows frown on the screens in front of her.
"...Regarding the smaller ships, the loss is lighter. Out of the fourteen destroyers deployed, only three sank. The eleven left have suffered little to no damage, but their current firepower is low. Especially with the lack of ammunition we are suffering. They represent 56% of our actual firepower."
The faces of the Big Four grew more and more concerning.
"...The rest of the fleet, which is composed of six light recon ships, three supply carriers and five tanker, is perfectly operational. They evacuated the area before the battle and didn't suffer any attack. However, their current firepower is close to 0%."
"...so we shouldn't count on them if another Angel attack occurred." Concluded Ritsuko to support Maya.
She nodded, and went on.
"...another one of our problems is the lack of ammo. We fired 87% of our stock during the battle, and we lack all the basics. eight out of ten of our N2 mines have been detonated during the preparation phase, and the rest was fired during the battle. We need everything; explosive shells, cruise missiles, torpedoes, underwater mine, bombs for our bombers and bullets for our light machine guns. Also we need fuel. 76% of our air strike capacity is currently paralyzed due to the shortage, and we only have enough left to bring the fleet near the japan coast. If we stay here any longer, we will be stuck in deep sea territories. At the exception of course of our nuclear-powered command center, the totality of our fleet runs on fuel. And last but not least, we need a food supply. 91% of our stock has already been consumed, and we are facing a famine. This has no connection with the battle, but rather a consequence of our current isolation, and the restrictions we received..."
Misato gritted her teeth to this information. The shortage of food wasn't due to some logistic mistakes, or even a lack of production. Nerv had stocks, they had prepared for every possible case of crisis, even a global famine. During their forced relocation, they had been provided with everything they needed, ranging from weapons to technological equipment. But the lack of food had been present from the start. The stocks were low on purpose, it was a way to control them, to keep them obedient.
One of these four bastards had decided to keep them at the verge of starvation. She knew it, she could even grasp the smiles on their faces as Maya spoke. Those assholes...
"... Anyway, we took on our reserves until now, but the situation will be critical if no supply arrives in the next week." Concluded Maya.
The silence fell back, Misato waited for the inevitable admonition.
The Japanese representative spoke first.
"...So, what you are telling us, commander Akagi, is that you need us to provide you once again with food, fuel, weapons, ammunition, spare parts and Eva equipment in order to rebuild your fleet. Is that correct?"
"Yes." Acquiesced Misato.
"...Despite all our previous, and generous, investments we already provided. You are once again asking us for help." said the Chinese representative
"The costs are high, I'm aware." Conceded Misato. "But if you refuses us this help, they will be even higher."
"Do you have any idea, Miss Katsuragi, of the cost of this operation? Do you have any idea of the money we had to invest in your project, while the rest of our world is falling into misery?" said the U.S representative.
"Your investment is a success, we proved once again the efficiency of our method today." She reminded. "Without our action, the world would be destroyed."
"The results are here, but I question your so-called efficiency." said the Russian representative. "A fleet incapacitated at 67% is a poor result, considering the amount of firepower you had at your disposition."
"Only an Eva can destroy an Angel." Defended Misato. "Our losses were to be expected, the weapons we have are not meant to fight them."
"And this is why I question the necessity of sending you more of these weapons." said the Russian representative with a cynic smile.
Trapped Thought Misato.
"This operation already costs too much" accused the U.S representative. "My country can't afford to buy more toys for Nerv. We have to relocate resources towards humanitarian aid. The failure of our Unit-03 program has already demonstrated the unreliability of your Evangelions."
"And don't forget the crisis of the aborted third impact!" Pushed the Japanese representative. "Nerv already demonstrated its inability to protect its own base of operations. I doubt we can trust them any further in the future."
"We demand more time!" Concluded the Russian representative. "We need to recover from our losses, and we need to protect our populations. The rebuilding of your fleet is the last of our priority."
"We don't have that time!" Protested Misato. "Angels can attack anywhere, at any times. They don't care about your population, they don't care about if we are ready to fight or not. But they WILL come back, and we MUST be prepared to receive them. Or everyone of us will see the apocalypse from its bare eyes."
"Bold words coming from an organization that almost caused the end of the world, while stabbing our trust on the back!" Said the Russian representative.
"Don't forget, former captain Katsuragi, that you and your entire team are still on a list of accusation, and that, if we were to decide it, you could be charged of high treason and sentenced to death according to Japanese law. Your conviction lacks credibility to the rest of the World!" Said the U.S representative.
Misato felt the anger rise on her voice and her fists clenching. No. she thought. I mustn't anger myself. We need their help, no matter the cost.
"I conceive..." She said in repressed anger "That some mistakes were made. And some representatives of our organization will have to respond for their acts in court."
Ritsuko watched with anxiety as her friend displayed a growing face of aggressiveness.
"However!" She shouted. "I will not tolerate such allegations directed towards my team! We are Nerv, an organization created to protect humanity from its end. Every efforts we made was directed towards this mission! As for myself, my only objective is, and always has been, to destroy every Angels! And I will fulfill my task no matter what, for the safety of our population and for the sake of our future!"
Misato... Pleaded ritsuko with her eyes. This is a negotiation we can't afford to lose. Please, stop...
"Then you will have to find new ways to fulfill it." Said the Japanese representative. "We can no longer provide you the resources you are demanding. The negotiations are over."
Huh?
Misato watched in disbelief as everyone looked away from her. Without realizing it, she had stood up from her chair. And the volume of her voice had been way too high.
"I apologize. " She said, as she sat back on her chair.
She understood she had made a mistake. Due to her lack of experience as a commander, she had overlooked the reality of the negociation. Misato used to be a major to the roots, giving orders was her credo. But negotiation was a different game, where her will could be discussed and refused.
She lowered her head with guilt. The fleet was doomed by her fault.
"If you excuse me, I beg to differ." attempted Ritsuko in an effort to save the mistake of her friend. "There is still a lot of things we need to discuss."
"...What kind of things, Miss Akagi?" Asked the Russian representative.
"Well, to begin, I'd wish to obtain some news on the situation at Tokyo-3. More precisely on what's happening inside the Geofront."
"Why would you need that information?" Asked the japanese representative with suspicion.
"It's simple," explained Ritsuko. "Before we left, I witnessed as the Evangelion unit-01 broke free of its restraints and triggered the impact. I also witnessed the spectacular intervention of one of those so-called "secret units" of Nerv, and I'd also be willing to know more about it. But I don't want to expand over it too much, as it's not my major point of concern yet. My point would rather be: what happened to Unit-01?"
Ritsuko watched as the uneasiness spread among the big fours. If her theory was correct, she had a chance to take the lead. She felt the opening and spoke.
"Unit-01 is still out there, isn't it?"
"The current state of Unit-01 is none of your concern." menaced the Japanese representative. "It's a case of national security that falls out of your jurisdiction."
"Mr Prime Minister, I received some information from a reliable source." She bluffed.
Misato watched with incredulity as Ritsuko slowly adopted the posture of a mastermind, taking the lead of the negotiation.
"I won't question your projects any further, prime minister. But I'll ask anyway: considering the fact that an Angel attacked our forces today, to target our Evangelion, and considering the presence of this unit inside the city of Tokyo-3. How are you planning to protect your nation in the case of a scenario similar to today's attack?"
Ritsuko watched with satisfaction as the built up confidence of the Japanese representative crumbled under her gaze.
"I conceive the city is still well-protected, thanks to the presence of the JSSDF. And a good part of our old defense system should be operational. But none of these weapons will be effective against that kind opponent, isn't it? You said it yourself: we don't need cannons and missiles to destroy an Angel."
"What are you suggesting?" Asked the U.S representative.
"I simply stating the fact." Said Ritsuko with a mischievous smile. "Your forces are no match against the Angels. You need our Eva, our pilot and our expertise in order to defeat them."
"Don't underestimate our forces, sub-commander Akagi! Our means of action are larger than you expect, soon we will stand completely independent from Nerv!" responded the Chinese representative.
Misato and Ritsuko both exchanged a surprised look. That part wasn't expected.
"...The new generation of anti-Angel weapons is already in development, it's only a matter of months before our defensive capacity exceeds yours!" Pursued the Chinese Representative.
"So your resources must be far higher than ours, Mr Huan." Said Ritsuko.
The Chinese representative bit her tongue, realizing he spoke too much.
Does that mean they decided to relaunch the production of Evangelions? Impossible... Thought Misato.
"How much is the cost of this new technology?" Asked Ritsuko. "Surely your peoples must have gotten way better for you to afford an entire generation of anti-Angel weapons. The cost of our maintenance, in comparison, should be meaningful."
Misato felt with dread as the tone of the negotiation changed to match a new level of suspicion. What intrigued her the most was the reaction of the big fours. For the first time, they looked like they were trying to cover something bigger that was standing behind them. The term "conspiracy" wasn't a term she liked, but she had to acknowledge the fact that things had been ordered on her back. Things Ritsuko had pointed by luck, and she was exploiting the breach to get what she needed, but the hidden reality behind that breach seemed more frightening than an Angel attack. How could there be a new Evangelion production program? The world was at the verge of collapsing, why would they decide to build new units, and how did they get the resources to build them?
"My colleague Mr Huan got a little too carried away." Said the Russian representative. "To answer your question, I will repeat the words of Mr Nura: the situation on Tokyo-3 is none of your concern. Our forces are already preparing the defense of the area."
"And what if it's too late?" Asked Ritsuko. "What if an Angel attacks that very night? How will you deal with it? We won't be able to assist you from our current location. You will be entirely alone..."
The big four stood silent, emanating a feeling of uneasiness.
Something was wrong with these four men and women. They were supposed to be the top of the command chain, the ones that stand above everything and decides for everyone. But in that instant, the only thing they expressed was the fear of disobeying a strict command. They were apparently torn apart between the decision to keep Nerv away from the Geofront and the necessity to protect the site.
In short words, they were trapped.
Misato watched the four persons on the monitors. She switched from screen to screen, trying to guess the mysterious presence behind the group. Something was linking them... But what? And how? Why? In what purpose would someone attempt to keep them away from the location of the third impact? Were they covering something? Or maybe... Covering someone?
A phone rang.
Everybody turned their attention to the Japanese representative, which was confusedly grabbing a vibrating Keitai out of his pocket. He mumbled an annoyed "sorry..." and prepared to hang up the disruptive element. Then... he froze.
Misato couldn't see the number that had appeared on the screen. She could only guess, but she knew it had to be someone way more important than the prime minister, and more important than any of the big four, whether they were secretary of Defense, minister or CEO, because she saw the dread appear in every face on the monitors. Whiter than chalk, the Japanese prime minister picked up the call, and exchanged a few words in silence with his mysterious interlocutor.
"Yes... Yes, Mister. No, we didn't... we... I... I understand. My apologies..."
The three others started sweating nervously, as if they were being held at gunpoint. The whole crew watched in silence.
"...Yes... It will be done this way... Unlimited resources? Alright... We will follow your lead. Thank you..."
Shacking and sweating, the Japanese representative ended the call. He then proceeded to text a message, and a few seconds later the four others had their phones ringing. They read the message and exchanged a few looks of approval. This silent exchange went on for a minute, until finally, the Japanese representative spoke:
"Commander Katsuragi... An unknown object has been detected that night, at 19h47, Japanese time. It emerged from the Sea of Laptev at the Siberian coast, four-thousand-fifty-eight kilometers from Tokyo-3. It's now traveling the land at a speed of approximately forty-five kilometers per hour, and is following a trajectory that leads to the city."
Another Angel? Thought Misato with dread. They never attacked so fast one after the other!
"...The last analysis confirms the blue pattern; Following our last estimations, this new Angel will reach its objective in one-hundred hours if nothing is attempted to stop it. An evacuation of the major populated areas is currently being launched everywhere on its path. Air strikes are being discussed."
"In the name of the popular committee for the preservation of Earth, and in the name of Mankind, we give new directives, Commander Katsuragi." Said the U.S representative. "You and your troops are ordered to regroup and take the direction of Tokyo-3 to intercept the threat."
"You and your troops are not authorized anywhere within a circle of fifty-kilometers surrounding the city. The interception will take place outside of Tokyo-3." Added the Chinese representative.
"If such transgression were to be observed, you and your entire crew will be charged of treason and executed." Concluded the Russian representative.
Misato watched, stunned. The big four had spoken like one man, in a perfectly coordinated speech.
She shook her head.
"That won't be possible." She said.
Everybody turned silent, she felt the look of the big four turned on her.
"We have only four days to back-up the fleet and prepare our interception. And we are four thousands kilometers away from the Japanese coast. It's barely enough time for our fleet to reach any position, and even less time to prepare an optimal counter-attack."
She grinned. So much time wasted for politics...
"Moreover, as we previously stated, we are currently lacking all the resources required for an operation of that size. We need fuel, ammo, spare parts, fuel..."
"What are you insinuating, Katsuragi?" Said the Japanese representative with anger.
"I'm not insinuating anything, Sir..." She calmly responded. "But to refer the previous phase of our negotiation..."
"To hell with the negotiation!" Said the Russian representative. "This is a direct order emanating from the highest committee on Earth! If you refuse that order, you will be destroyed! You and your whole fleet!"
"Then I guess nobody will be able to stop that Angel."
The Russian representative fell silent. Misato watched with satisfaction her opponent crumble on her seat.
"The clock is ticking, and the ball is on your side." Concluded Ritsuko to support her friend's words.
A few minutes passed, and the tension grew stronger, but Misato wasn't afraid, because she knew she had them in the palm of her hand. Time was on her side.
Finally one of the Big Four spoke. He was Zhang Huan, the Chinese representative.
"So..." He hesitated. "What would you need, exactly?"
They all smiled.
Maya grabbed once again her report and turned a page. She cleared her throat.
"We will make it fast."
"Seven Sovremeny-Class destroyers, five Mourena-class attack submarines, six Tarentul-class corvette, fifteen Ka-50 ground-attack helicopters, six Su-47 fighter jets..."
It was with a large smile that everyone excited the meeting room that evening. A group of chatting and laughing operators poured through the ship's corridor, spreading the good news to every person they encountered. Leading the group were the three big women of Nerv: Commander Katsuragi, sub-commander Akagi and on her side the sparkling first officer Ibuki. This latter was reading the report with a hardly-contained joy.
"... Eight tankers with enough oil to refuel the entire fleet, two supercarriers filled with every type of ammunition, an entire lot of spare parts and a crew of specialized engineers to fix the damaged ships..."
Misato smiled as she saw the joy spreading among her crew. After these difficult months, and all the privations they had to endure, the news of an upcoming supply would help brighten the morale.
"...And of course the most important part: three months worth of food and commodities for the crew. Meat, soap, toilet paper, coffee, chocolate... ...Aaaaaw we will get chocolate! I can't wait ! ...And it's all thanks to you, sempai!" Said Maya with lights on her eyes.
Ritsuko smiled to her kouhai with tenderness, happy to see the young operator returning to a cheerful attitude.
These past weeks Maya had become increasingly gloomy. The tragedy of the aborted impact had shaken the foundation of her beliefs, and the quarantine of Nerv had only aggravated her disillusion. Numerous time had Ritsuko considered releasing her from her duty, but had never been able to fulfill the procedure. Against her will, she had grow more and more dependent from her help. She needed Maya, more than she could ever admit.
"You did a great job too." Smiled Ritsuko. "Your report was perfect, and your behavior flawless. You can be proud of today's success."
"Hum...You are kind as always, sempai." Said Maya with a bright-red face. "I didn't say anything during the negotiation... A... Anyway! I have to write the report for the crew... See you later, sempai!"
She waved and left the group, dancing in the metal corridors.
"Don't forget to take some rest!" Shouted Ritsko with a repressed laugh.
This little kouhai is way too cute for this battleship. I hope nothing bad will happen to her in the future.
"You're worried about her?" Asked Misato, like she had just read her mind.
"...I am." Confessed Ritsuko. "Her place isn't on the front line."
"She's a soldier, just like you." Pointed Misato.
Ritsuko sighed.
"We were at war against Angels... Now I feel like we are at war against all Humanity."
Misato frowned with concern.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" Asked Ritsuko. "These big fours... They are preparing something on our back. They don't want us back in Tokyo-3... God knows what they are doing up there."
Misato shook her head. "It's not about what they are doing. It's rather... What somebody make them do."
They kept walking silently, the rest of the crew cheering behind them.
"You think they are being manipulated?" Asked Ritsuko, anticipating the reflection of her friend.
"You saw it too, didn't you? That phone call..."
"I don't want to be paranoid." She reassured. "Maybe it was just a coincidence."
"Impossible." Rejected Misato.
"Let's be real, Misato. Do you know anyone powerful enough to call four of the most powerful persons on Earth, and orders them around? Convince them to give us all these resources for free? Assemble them? Coordinate them?"
"That doesn't seem so crazy to me... After all, when we were commanding Nerv, we had enough power to destroy the entire world, remember? Nobody suspected us, but at that time, we were the bigger fish."
"You are right," Admitted Ritsuko."but that doesn't take anything away from the main problem: if someone is acting on their back, who is it?"
"I have a few suspicions." Laughed Misato. "Maybe it's the work of Kaji, and he's hiding somewhere with a better plan than mine. Or maybe it's that son of a bitch of Gendo and he regained control of Nerv God knows how. Or maybe it's Pen-Pen, and he is furious that I left him behind during the evacuation, and now he wants to get revenge on me."
They both laughed.
"But to be fair... I don't believe any of these options. Kaji is just a spy, and Gendo can't do anything without an exterior help. I think the real puppet master come from our side, and lays on top of the command chain."
"So who?" Asked Ritsuko.
"Seele..."
Misato mumbled that word, conscious of its emptiness. Talking about Seele was like attempting to grab a shadow.
"You mean the high committee?" Said Ritsuko with widened eyes. "No one has heard of them since the third impact."
"That's the point that makes me worried." Said Misato. "Why would the supreme leaders of Nerv cut all communication with us?"
Ritsuko acquiesced. Even for her, Seele was a mystery. She had met them on few occasions, in the dark meeting room from where they used to give their orders with their harsh words. But she had never seen even the tip of the nose of one of their members. She shivered as she remembered the creepy meetings she had witnessed, with these voices coming from nowhere, charged with authority.
"These guys are a true mystery... No one ever met them in person... apart from Gendo perhaps but he won't tell the tale. Do you seriously think peoples as important as them can vanish from existence in one day? No..."
"So what happened to them?" Asked Ritsuko.
"I think they are still active, hiding somewhere, plotting something. And maybe the world crisis doesn't affect them at all. Maybe for them everything is going according to the plan. Maybe we are just a toy they use to fulfill their goals, maybe we always were."
Ritsuko felt her mood grow darker.
"If that theory proved to be true, what should we do?" She asked.
"I don't know..." confessed Misato. "I know nothing. I don't think I can do much from my position anyway..."
The two women walked side by side for a few minutes throughout the numerous corridors of the Rainbow. Ultimately, they reached the quarter of the officers.
"We are in a deep fog, Ritsu... So much things we ignore. Who sent that pilot into our headquarters? Who is responsible for our evacuation? Who gave us the fleet, and allowed us to retrieve unit-02? Who cut our food supply, and who gave it back?"
"We have to find a way out of here," Pursued Ritsuko. "If our suspicions are correct, it's only a matter of time before they get rid of us. If I believe what I heard today, they are more than ready to blow our head off."
"For now let's focus on our main task." said Misato. "We get the supply, we destroy the Angel and we protect Tokyo-3. Like the good old time."
They both smiled. Like the good old time...
"We play the loyal puppy, and we follow orders. But from now on, we will be watching our back more carefully. And we'll start gathering some info on the reason behind our containment."
In a sigh, Misato reached and opened the door of her cabin.
"I don't think we can trust the rest of Nerv anymore."
