Chapter 14: Glassesnost
Gendo Ikari
I have recused myself. The die has been cast, and it would seem the Third Child, and all of us, have been lucky indeed.
Akagi will have all the resources she needs to get Unit 01 working again.
The Evangelion is still essential to the Scenario, and the sheer power it displayed moments ago... A large part of the Geofront will need to be rebuilt, but the Third Child destroyed the Angel with a single application of brute force.
I look out the window, at the swarm of VTOLs anchoring themselves to the ravaged carcass of Unit 00, making ready to fly it to the elevators.
Unit 01 still lies in the mud, and my mind turns to Yui.
She is back. She talked, over the radio. To say that this changes a few things would be an understatement.
There's an impulse at the back of my head to simply drop all my plans and focus on getting her out of Unit 01. She's back. Here, today. This... this was completely unexpected...
However, to move rashly now would be incredibly foolish. I remember the conversation I had with the bartender in Darwin. I remember the resolution I made then. Tokyo-3 is my kingdom. NERV is my army. And we're under seige from both ADAM's rogue children and Humanity's own 'finest'.
I have what I want. Well, short of being able to hold her in my arms again. But if Akagi is able to let me talk to Yui, then... what?
I have what I want.
What else do I want? And what does Yui want?
Yui wants Shinji to be happy.
What do I want?
I...
I tent my fingers and look out at the darkness.
The key question, I suppose, is whether or not I still need NERV to work toward an Instrumentality scenario.
Fork 1: Yes, for contact with Yui cannot be reestablished. ...Still a real possibility.
Fork 2: No, and work against SEELE and the Angels.
And Fork 3: Yes, but an Instrumentality radically different from both my original plan and SEELE's deluded ambitions. This would come about through discussion with Yui and perhaps other parties.
The crux of the matter is that escalation has brought us all this far. Everything for a singular goal. Yui, myself, Soryu, Akagi, our actions caused so much destruction. The same could be said for the old men, of course...
If I were a selfless man, it'd be ridiculously simple.
Save the world, save the human race, save them all from the scary monsters and men who want to destroy humanity as it is now.
But of course, I have no problem with being an accomplice to the destruction of the human race if it means I get to be with Yui forever.
I am not so deluded as to think a picknick on the beach with my wife, with Shinji and his friends playing volleyball in the background will ever be in the cards for me.
Then again, I don't know what an Instrumentality would bring. Especially with someone other than myself in control.
I close my eyes. This is getting me nowhere, there are too many options, too many opportunities. It will remain to be seen what Yui and I decide together. What can I do now, in preparation?
Acquisition of ADAM... Beneficial to all three decision branches.
Destruction of the next few Angels... Certainly beneficial.
Writing a letter to Shinji, not the Third Child, as a father to a son... Would be a good thing to achieve on my own, before Yui's return.
Openness and honesty would involve a great deal of changes for the First Child, for the Third Child and for NERV in general. The plan to reinforce the Children's mental fortitude will have to go through soon. I will give my request to Fenton later today.
As for the Dummy Plug system... It would certainly be useful. It would keep the Children from harm, which, of course, makes literally everything else a lot easier. But the artificiality of it... I can only hope that they work. Perhaps contact with Yui will help the Dummy Plug project along.
She was a brilliant scientist in the field of biotechnology, not as brilliant in the department of interfaces as Soryu... And perhaps the means by which she manifested herself today could prove a benefit to the Dummy Plug project. Speaking of...
The phone rings, and is picked up. "Vlad Masters, owner of the Green Bay Packers and mayor of Amity Park speaking, how can I help you?" Replies SEELE 04 on the other end of the line.
Finding the young American woman working in Australia was a thread I could pull, people and places...
One call to Ryoji Kaji, and I find that Vlad Masters is a close acquaintance of the Fenton family.
"Does SEELE know you are a Ghost hybrid?" I ask dryly.
Silence on the other end of the line.
"Who is this?" Masters finally snaps back.
"Gendo Ikari. I have another question and a remark." I answer with my natural monotone. I'm not intimidated by this man. He is rich, he is powerful, he is corrupt... He's a half-ghost...
But underneath his affectation of sadistic control is the mind of a child.
Fenton has apparently dealt with SEELE 04 dozens of times, and come out unscathed if not on top most of the time, and I think I know why. Vlad Masters seems like a typical sociopath. No depth, no affect, no real fear. Fenton knows fear. And fear can empower a man.
I quirk a smile, hidden under my hands. Underneath my affectation of sadistic control lies an ocean of fear and trepedation that Vlad Masters will never be able to plumb.
I can feel my palms wet as my adrenaline pumps in the face of this... foe. Qucikened throught, heightened perception... Just one more power to harness and control.
"Firstly, do you want to tell me where you got the technology to rebuild Evangelion Unit 01's hardware in this way?" I try and sound as bored as I actually am in asking this question. The odds he'll actually give me an answer are long indeed, but they're not zero, especially when dealing with a self-styled 'bond villain' type like 04, so I ask anyway.
A frustrated grunt from the other end of the line. "I... eh, I have reasons not to tell you." Hesitant but sincere.
"Important reasons you'll find out in a few months." Revoltingly smug, but... still sincere.
"And yes, SEELE knows what I am, I made sure of that long ago." The man adds. I'd expected him to sound jubilant about throwing my blackmail material in his face. Instead he sounds like he's resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to keep his secret to SEELE.
Interesting. Perhaps 04 isn't as childish as I'd thought. Though the transparant pouting says otherwise.
Very well then. "You realize, by interfering with my plans directly, you have endangered both Unit 01 and its Pilot." I decide to add on a little extra, not sure if I mean it yet... "He is my son. In any other situation I would have you killed. But seeing as you are SEELE 04, the single biggest supporter of the Evangelion project on the Instrumentality Council, all I can do today is warn you that your actions have been noticed."
I'm honestly not sure what I should do about SEELE 04 endangering both my son and my wife.
My opinion is somewhere on the spectrum between 'can't be helped' and 'will cause me to break into a rage and hunt him down', and yes, I know that's a large gulf of different emotions.
But I don't know yet. I'll have to see how the next few days go, and how I feel afterward.
But if I don't know how these developments have affected me yet, then SEELE 04 can't either.
So all he can do is take the warning seriously and perhaps reconsider his actions.
And so he does.
"Noted, Ikari." Vlad Masters chuckles darkly. "Nevertheless, our goals are very similar, so I would suggest we keep this... event, and this conversation, from the Council. Sound good?"
Sounds too good to be true. SEELE 04 being a very willful and hands-on member of the Instrumentality Committe was always a given, but this... he is going behind the committee's back?
I suppose in that way our goals are similair. This is... unexpected. I will need more data. I might need to show my hand to Fenton, perhaps even insight into Instrumentality...
Lose control to SEELE 04 or partially lose control to the Fenton family. Or do neither and go it alone.
And that is when I have one of those rare confluences of thought known as an Eureka moment. Danny shouldn't be the Fenton I reveal my Scenario to.
Samantha Fenton, psychiatrist, will need to come to Tokyo-3.
One week later, Rei & Misato
Deep within Tokyo-3's underbelly, NERV's nameless maintainance crews are operating on Unit 00.
The scorched and half-incinerated Evangelion has been laid down onto a gargantuan stretcher.
Several huge spotlights have been ignited above the prone giant, bathing it in cold light.
Biologists and engineers work cranes, drills, LCL hoses and enormous rolls of bandages, all trying to pry off the Eva's slagged armor and bind its wounds.
Bound in carefully wrapped bandages and sitting in a wheelchair, Rei silently watches the scientists from above.
Expert hands carefully remove the scorched and warped armor plates that cover her Evangelion one by one.
While her own wounds have yet to heal, recent events have given Rei a freshness of spirit she wouldn't exchange for anything.
Shinji Ikari is someone she loves. After some contemplation, it has become obvious.
When it was revealed that Unit 01 contained Yui Ikari, Rei expected Shinji to lose his mind. And for a moment, he did...
And then he saved her. Saved everyone.
Distantly, Rei feels someone approach. A woman. Either Captain Katsuragi or doctor Akagi.
She doesn't turn her head to look, instead choosing to visualise her Evangelion in new armor.
Blue armor.
"Hey Rei." Misato says gently. "You okay?"
Rei gives Misato a sidelong glance, before daring to express the spark of energy inside herself by letting her lips bend into a slight smile.
A human feels. A human shows other humans that he feels. Or pretends to.
Over the last week, as she was recovering from the worst of her burns, Rei had decided to try and connect to the strength of her own humanity, and when she can, express it.
She wonders if Misato Katsuragi pretends to show emotion as much as Ritsuko Akagi seems to.
Rei sees her expression of happiness register in Misato's brain. The blank look of astonishment is quickly replaced by a cheerful, almost cartoonish grin.
"I'm glad to see you alright." She steps behind Rei's wheelchair and leans down to whisper in her ear.
"I'm a Major now."
Rei turns to her recently appointed guardian and continues to smile. "Congratulations."
Misato nods appreciatively.
"Thanks. If there's anything you want, maybe a reward for your incredible bravery last week, tell me, and you'll have it."
She sounds nonchelant, but Rei can hear the admiration in Misato's voice. A reward? Perhaps...
Yes!
Rei gives Misato a subdued nod, she directs one last glance at her magnificent Evangelion, before Misato starts rolling Rei's wheelchair away.
"My Eva..." She sighs while winches start carefully prying the giant biomechanoid's chestplate off its torso.
"Hmh?" Misato queries.
"Major Katsuragi, I'd like to take you op on your offer." Rei says with a hint of resolve.
"I would like to request that my Evangelion's armor be tinted blue. Preferably the same color as my hair."
Due to Misato pushing her wheelchair, Rei misses the Major's puzzled stare at the back of Rei's head.
"Uh... sure, you got it." Misato chuckles. "Can I know why?"
Rei's smile fades. Though relieved that her request has gone over well, Misato's question is not an enjoyable one to answer.
"The presence within Unit 00 does not synchronize very well with me, even though it should. I intend to mark Unit 00's body as my own."
Both the Major and the First Child briefly pause their discussion while they pass a Section 2 agent and an engineer in a scuba suit.
When they turn a corner, Rei sees fit to futher clarify her choice.
"In addition, blue is an elegant color and better camouflage then yellowish orange."
Misato murmurs her agreement. "Heh, Good point. Yeah, alright, I'll get it done."
She files away Rei's comment about Unit 00's disagreeable nature as something to be discussed later.
They arrive at Misato's car. She gently lifts Rei out of her wheelchair and places her in the passenger seat.
"We're all meeting up at my apartment tonight, which is why I'm picking you up." Misato clarifies to Rei.
"Ritsuko and Shinji will be joining us in a few minutes."
Rei nods carefully, both out of inherent restraint and a desire not to let the loose bandages around her burns slip.
"I understand. Thank you for informing me."
Misato smiles, before stepping away from the passenger seat. She considers lighting up a smoke while she waits.
She decides against it, instead popping open the driver's side door and getting in to keep the First Child company.
Ritsuko and Shinji
Ritsuko Akagi is standing outside the plugsuit changing rooms, waiting for the Third Child to get dressed.
The Child had spent the whole day in his Eva, helping repair the cataclysmic damage Ramiel had caused.
It was Misato's idea that Ritsuko spent some time with young Ikari.
Akagi's experiences in dealing with the First Child and Commander Ikari had given her an unfair bias against Shinji, so she avoided the Third Child whenever she could.
But Ritsuko Akagi was not blind to her own insanities... unlike her mother, Naoko Akagi... And so she took Misato up on the offer.
Worst case scenario, talking to Gendo's scion would dispel her baseless frustrations and fears and replace them with shiny new, real ones.
"So, um, I..." The bottle-blond scientists starts while she stares at the steel-plated wall.
From behind the silhouette-revealing changing booth's door, Shinji is seen to pause pauses, but doesn't reply.
Then he sighs. "It's okay. Of all the people who kept..." He swallows, trying to clear his dry throat. "...My mother's fate from me, you're not..."
Ritsuko resists the urge to sigh herself. "Yeah... I'm not someone you trusted to tell you all the horrible things going on here in the first place."
She paws for the tablet computer in her labcoat. "You'd be right not to. There's one other secret in this hell your father built for us that even Misato's keeping from you."
...Momentarily, she wonders whether or not she should've said that.
She's thinking, of course, of Rei's nature: a line of clones constructed from Yui Ikari and Lilith's DNA.
But yes, Shinji or that stupid prodding bastard Danny Fenton will find out about it at some point.
Better she prepares Shinji for the fact that there's one more mindshattering revelation ahead.
Though Shinji doesn't seem to feel like talking at all.
Ritsuko throws a glance at the boy's silhouette. Nope, he's not hanging himself at the moment. That's good.
He puts on the last of his clothes and pulls open the curtain-door.
"I'm ready." He says hollowly.
They walk down the corridors toward the parking lot, Ritsuko's heels clacking with every step, echoing through the hallway.
The scientist within Ritsuko can't resist opening her mouth and making things worse on the kid though.
"When you saved Rei, you briefly exceeded the 400% synch ratio boundary. You were absorbed into the Evangelion, just like-"
She stops herself, almost biting her tongue. Considering the Child's mood, perhaps now is not the best time to bring up his mother.
Perhaps the next billion years won't be the best time to do so.
Shinji, for his part, is giving Ritsuko an unfocused stare. "I... I saved Rei." That's right...
Akagi's brief confusion and curiosity, expressed in a spock-style raised eyebrow, is answered by Shinji flashing her a goofy grin.
"...Guess I did something right after all."
Ritsuko can't help but grin back at him while they walk. "Yeah. We're the ones who messed up today, not you, Shinji. You did nothing wrong."
All of a sudden, Ritsuko stops in her tracks.
Shinji turns on his heel and looks at Ritsuko, who seems to be staring right back into his eyes, his soul.
"I..." Shinji flinches, takes a step back, and finally looks away from the scientist's scrutinizing stare.
Ritsuko's mouth moves, as if to speak, as if to find the words. And then she does. Kind of.
"I... I really suck at... therapy stuff, Shinji. These last few years, I dealt with Rei and I can honestly say, I didn't fix her one bit, not that I intended to... But..."
The pregnant pause drifts through the coldly lit corridor. This time it's Shinji's turn to look at Akagi and raise a curious eyebrow.
"But..." Ritsuko makes her decision. Fuck Gendo. Shinji saved all our asses, and he did it despite of, not because of his father's machinations.
She stands up straight, looking stern but strangely serene, and steps toward Shinji with a single, lound clack of her heels.
Then she kneels and takes him by the shoulders. "Shinji Ikari, I believe you have PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."
A confused Shini screws his face into a scowl. His desire to run away from the quirky scientist's almost-hug and piercing eyes puts some steel into his reply.
"PTSD? That's what soldiers have when they..." He sighs. "That's not me."
Ritsuko chuckles darkly. "What are you if not a soldier?" She briefly glances down the corridor, then continues.
"Your mind... This is not my area of expertise, Shinji. But I'm going to suggest to Misato that you see a psychiatrist.
I'm doing this against standing orders by the Commander. We have reason to believe mental distress enhances your connection with the Eva..."
A radiant, and yet somehow sharklike smile graces the beautiful Akagi's features. "But after seeing your protection of Rei, I have come to a different conclusion."
It was indeed the brain's stress response that triggered Shinji's Superman moment, Ritsuko posits.
But it was not the panic of a rabbit watching for foxes. It was the wrath of a mother bear.
And that wrath is what Ritsuko Akagi will be betting her chips on.
Push comes to shove, she can beg Misato and Danny to protect her from Commander Ikari.
And it might come to that. But she's done feeling like shit when it's clear as day that feeling bad is not the only way to a better world.
Ritsuko lets go of Shinji's shoulders and stands back up. The young pilot relaxes a little, but still looks up into Ritsuko's eyes.
"So Danny was right. My father intended... intends to pretty much torture me."
He shrugs, a mimic of indifference. "At least now I know why."
Even Ritsuko spotted the discrepancy. Callous shrug. But fists that are are turning white from being squeezed as hard as they can be squeezed.
Not knowing what else to do, Ritsuko just returns to walking and changes the subject. "I worked with your mom for a few years."
Then Ritsuko remembers: She even saw Shinji once, back in GEHRIN's Unit 01 test site.
On the day Yui Ikari had her contact experiment. She frowns confusedly at Shinji. Did he witness his mother getting sucked into Unit 01?
Did Yui... Oh fuck... Goddamn Ikari family. Insane, the lot of them.
Turning away from Shinji, she tries to find her footing, mentally as well as physically.
Yeah, plan 'tick off Gendo by handing his son over to a psychoterapist' is definitely a go.
Ritsuko is determined not to walk the same path path as Naoko Akagi. And if she can help it, Shinji Ikari would be spared the fate of his Ikari parents.
Also, far more importantly, any alternative to SEELE or Gendo Ikari will be a great thing to invest in come Third Impact.
...Not that even Misato knows what's coming up. But Ritsuko plans to tell her. She of all people would have the willpower to try and stop Ikari's insanity.
Seeing Ritsuko's mind run around in circles at the mention of his mother, Shinji decides to try and distract Ritsuko.
"Is Rei my sister?" He asks simply, as innocently as he can.
Ritsuko's foot comes down wrong, her ankle buckles, and she falls forward. Five years of judo taught her how to fall right, so she catches herself and quickly scrabbles back up.
Briefly she realizes that she'd essentially done an 'anime facetake'. Well, there's the reason for the trope, she muses...
She looks into a concerned Shinji's eyes, and smiles reassuringly. "I'm fine, I'm fine... Just... This is the kind of question you ask people to sit down for!" She exclaims playfully.
Shinji manages to take the comment in the spirit that it was intended and scratches the back of his head. "Sorry... I'll try and remember that..."
Akagi pouts. "See that you do." She opens her mouth, but no words come out.
Do I lie?
Sick to the stomach... Fuck Gendo.
The Third Child and NERV head scientist turn a corner and see the end of the tunnel. Ritsuko turns her head to Shinji. "Off the record, she's related to your mother."
Shinji nods. "My mother and Lilith. She's my half-sister, and she's also made from the Angel beneath the Geofront."
HOW DID... HOW DID HE KNOW THAT?! ...And then the answer comes to Akagi. Yui. Yui accessing the NERV database from her mainframe in Unit 01, and probably Shinji's memories too.
Ritsuko can't help but chuckle at that... "So Yui Ikari really is back among the living?" She asks, and Shinji nods meekly.
"Good. Like I said, I worked with her for a while... She was nice, and very, very clever... Still is, it seems." The last minute of their walk is spent in companionable silence.
The Pilot and the scientist emerge onto Parking Lot 3 and immedeately spot Misato's sports car among the sensible models driven by everybody else in NERV.