winced slightly at the stiffness in my back before turning to look at the section two agent
standing in the entrance to my darkened cell.
"Commander Ikari wishes to speak to you," the man said after a moment's hesitation,
before stepping out of the doorway, and motioning for me to precede him.
"How long was I...?" I asked hesitantly, not really sure I wanted to know the answer.
"Only two hours, sir." The agent responded, as we slowly made our way through the
labyrinth of halls towards the Commander's office.
"Are you all going to throw me back in there after this?" I asked with a scowl.
"No sir, you've been cleared of all suspicions, and I was told to notify you that your status
has been updated accordingly."
I sighed with relief at that, the knowledge that I could get a shower and head home after
this meeting giving me the strength not to berate Section Two to the Commander. Then
again, what grounds did I have to stand on, officially? As much as I disliked what had
happened, I knew that technically, the fault had been mine.
After a few more halls, elevators, and even an escalator ride, we arrived at the large
double doorway to the office, and the Section Two agent there turned and disappeared
into an unmarked door down the hall.
Again, the door swung wide at my knock, the well-oiled hinges and darkened interior
making it seem as if the door itself melted away. Ignoring that, I stepped into the room.
"Reporting as ordered, sir," I stated as I paused before his desk. His gaze never wavered
from me, and I found myself glad that, at the moment, I was supposed to be staring
ahead, not into his eyes. Even avoiding them, I could feel them examining me,
evaluating... it was distinctively unnerving, and made only more so by the pause he
seemed always to fit in between my initial statement and his first response.
"Very good, Lieutenant. Your lack of forethought this afternoon aside, you've once again
managed to show your dedication to NERV, this time operating under pressure and
adapting to a situation your training had not covered. As such, you are to be rewarded."
"Sir?" I asked, surprised, and curious. NERV, unlike most military organizations, did not
use ribbons and medals to distinguish outstanding behavior.
"The suggestion came from the Director of Operations, Lieutenant, not this office. You
are to be given paid leave for 10 days, effective immediately."
"Sir, we've just been... attacked by enemy forces; I don't want to be abse-"
"Your wants are irrelevant, the position you took today is already filled, a repeat is
unlikely."
"I... Yes sir," I replied, humbled.
"We have, Lieutenant, reason to believe the Angels will not attack again for some time,"
Ikari said. Before I could ask how, he continued, essentially cutting off my response,
"that is privileged information, Lieutenant."
I nodded silently, understanding. Apparently NERV had some sort of insight into the
enemy's abilities. However that information came to NERV, it was good to know that my
new break would be uninterrupted by another giant... thing. Then I remembered my
primary job at NERV.
"Sir, what about Rei?"
"What about Rei?" He replied after a moment.
"When she's well enough to leave the hospital here-" I paused, suddenly realizing what
continuing would sound like. Fortunately, before I could try to dig myself out of the hole
I'd just placed myself in, or the Commander could finish my sentence, Sub Commander
Fuyutsuki spoke, "-she will be transferred into your care."
"Of course, sir," I said, immediately. It was fairly obvious what I'd just avoided, and I
know both the Commanders knew it, just as well as I did, but when Commander Ikari
spoke again, it was apparent he was willing to drop it.
"If you are recalled to Service, any and all unused days will be added to your vacation
pool. However, your life is now committed to protecting Rei's. If you are to vacation, the
First Children is to accompany you, along with whatever extra security precautions I
deem necessary. Because of this, any and all requests are to be verbally delivered directly
to me, is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
"The change in your clearance level has, by now been implemented in all systems. All
Section Two Agents within a kilometer of Rei's proximity while on NERV grounds, and
within five kilometers outside are to defer to you at all times. Do not abuse this power, or
I will know."
"Understood, sir. Will Captain Katsuragi's orders override mine if we both give orders?" I
asked, considering Shinji would be her charge, as well.
"Only if those orders conflict. Your service piece and phone will be delivered to your
residence shortly. Dismissed, Lieutenant."
I saluted and made my way out quickly. Ten days to myself. Well, theoretically ten days
to myself, if not, at least a few. Making my way down to the locker rooms, I took the
time to shower away the sweat this morning's battle had helped build up, before pulling
on the clothes I usually wore in, a pair of slacks and a short-sleeved dress shirt. The
bridge crew and some of the other's at NERV wore their uniforms to and from work, but
after training, I was glad to be able to leave wearing something that could breathe.
I was about half way out when I realized I'd still not seen Rei yet, and while I could come
back at any time during my leave to visit, now would probably be easiest, and not require
a trip halfway across town.
Catching an Elevator descending towards the Medical Center, I fished out my ID Badge,
and kept it in my hand, so I could give it to anyone who asked with a minimum of
searching.
Arriving, I found the entrance to the area remarkably calmed, the few people still sitting
around waiting apparently waiting on others or asleep. Handing my ID to the guard, I was
quickly waved in, and this time made it to the room unmolested, uncontested, and with a
single elevator ride.
"God," I mumbled as the door opened. The oxygen tent had been removed, and some of
the larger wrappings and casts removed and replaced with smaller bandages, she was still
quite a ways from being fully healed. Her arm was in an almost comically-oversized
cast, and half her face was wrapped in gauze, both of which were glowing in the
fluorescent lights, obviously newly added. There were still bandages covering most
exposed areas of skin, smaller wounds that didn't need to be held shut, and from the way
one side of her hospital gown looked pressed into her side, her ribs were still wrapped up.
"The EKG Machine beside her beeped steadily, the IV Rack above standing like a silent
sentinel in the room. There was a soft flutter from the EKG, and I suddenly found myself
being observed by the one I had just been observing.
"I'm sorry, Rei, I didn't mean to wake you," I apologized. She didn't answer, or make any
sort of response, and I fumbled for words, before deciding on an introduction.
"I'm..." the words died as she turned her head away from me. This was not how I had
hoped this meeting would go.
"Rei? If you're not feeling well, I can come back," I said, moving towards the door.
Again, there was no response, and I sighed, "I'm sorry I disturbed you. I should have
thought... well... never mind. I'll come back some other time."
I turned to leave, but before I could make it through the door, I heard a very weak, quiet
voice ask, "did the Commander send you?"
"Commander Ikari? He didn't send-send me, but I'd like to think this is what he would
prefer. You know, getting to know you and all. Your file was pretty short, and all, so
there's not much to go by."
She turned her head again, her brow twitching in pain briefly before fixing me with her
red, emotionless gaze. I returned it for a moment, then looked around for a chair,
grabbing one and pulling it towards her bed and asking if she minded if I sat. When she
didn't answer, I assumed she didn't and sat, looking around the room and spotting the card
I'd brought for her my last visit. The vase of flowers was gone, but the card, which didn't
require upkeep and maintenance, now occupied the table, the only apparent gift or
memento to the wounded girl in the bed beside me.
Turning back to her with a frown, I wondered why nobody else had visited... surely I
wasn't the only one who cared about her well being. Realizing her stare hadn't left me, I
gave her a weak smile, then realized she probably had no clue what was going on.
"Has anyone," I asked, "told you what's been going on?"
"The Third battled an Angel and succeeded," she said, her voice still weak. I would have
celebrated getting an answer out of her, but it wasn't exactly the one I'd wanted.
"No, I mean about you... the move and everything?"
Her blank stare was all the answer I needed. Rolling my eyes and fixing the ceiling tiles
with my gaze as I organized my thoughts, I started to explain. "The UN has kind of
ordered NERV to give its Pilots guardians. Shi- Pilot Ikari was originally going to be my
charge, but Captain Katsuragi... was chosen instead. So the Commander has decided to
place you in my care."
She blinked at that. "I'm being discarded?" She asked after a moment, her voice even
quieter. That made ME blink; where had that come from?
"No, no, you're just being moved into my new apartment with me, so you have some
adult supervision, and... Rei?" as I was speaking, she had turned to look away from me
again. Sighing, I stood up and put the chair back.
"I was hoping we could talk some, get to know each other... maybe even be friends, but if
you dislike the idea-"
"Did the Commander order it?" she suddenly said, her voice a little louder.
"Yes. But if you don't like me, I'm sure that someone else…" I trailed off. 'Someone else-'
what? Would take my place? If that happened, where would I be? Where would they
come from? It was apparent, suddenly, that I was the only readily available person who
could take this job with a minimum of personnel shuffling.
"I will obey my orders, Lieutenant Kerrigan," Rei said, not turning to face me. I stared at
the back of her head, wondering again how blue hair was possible, before shaking the
thought out of my head, and thanking her softly, before turning to go.
Before I did, however, I glanced at the card on the table, and sighed. She obviously
trusted in Commander Ikari's decisions, despite the fact that one had probably gotten her
in here, and I decided to alter the truth in hopes of breaking through to her.
"The Commander... helped with this card on the table for you. He's signed it." When it
was apparent that would get no answer, I shuffled out the door, and stared at the floor,
before making my way across the hall to look out the window at the Geofront.
That night, after making my way through an obviously subdued Tokyo-3, I found
myself staring at the spare bedroom of my apartment, and wondering what, if
anything, I still needed to do to prepare. With a sigh, I realized that this
situation wasn't exactly life-or-death, and if something had been forgotten, at
the worst, I'd have to make a late-night run to the store.
Making my way back to the living room, I collapsed in front of the TV I'd
recently purchased, the couch surprisingly comfortable in my rather awkward
position. Waking up the next morning, however, reminded me that, comfortable or
not, sleeping on one arm while the other is twisted somewhat behind your head
leads to a number of cramps.
After a quick shower and breakfast, I glanced up at the clock, and then
towards the city visible through the glass door that lead to the closet-sized
balcony. It was a startlingly bright day out, not a cloud in the sky, and I decided
to go for a walk. After locking the door behind me and getting down to the
ground floor, I took off, deciding to find the little park visible from the
balcony. It was a couple blocks away, but I had all day, so I wasn't really
concerned about being exact.
Finding the park had been relatively easy, and after making it there, I
wandered around for a bit, wondering whether or not I was currently above the
pyramidal NERV Headquarters Building, the Lake, or regular land, and then glanced
at the large rectangular pond in the middle of the lake with a start. While it
was edged with packed soil and grass, the center was surprisingly blue, and I
smirked as I realized I was staring at one of the many "hidden" windows
through which natural light made its way down into the Geofront.
Openly staring at the water now, I couldn't see any real indication that
there was an open space below, and figured that the transparent material was
probably not glass, but something light-scattering, like those shower walls that
only show silhouettes. Thinking back to all my trips through town, and all the
times I'd driven past little parks like this, I began to appreciate the
planning that had gone into Tokyo-3.
When I had first arrived, I remembered the seemingly-constant alerts as
buildings were raised and lowered into the ground, to ensure that none of the
systems involved would lock up at an inopportune moment. I also recall the
occasional opening through which one could look into the workings of Tokyo-3, the
mazes of pipes, girders, and armored layers preventing access to the hidden valley
below the city.
Now, however, Tokyo-3 was complete, its inner workings hidden beneath a
well-constructed façade, and there were signs of life everywhere, now that NERV
Employees were allowed to bring in their families. Businesses had popped up
almost everywhere, the pre-fabricated buildings rapidly being surrounded by smaller
ventures, desperate to get in on an entirely new city.
Staring momentarily at a familiar pair of golden arches, I wondered if the sudden growth
of commerce was an attempt to regain some of the funds that went into the
creation of Tokyo-3, the Eva Project, and whatever else NERV spent enough money
on to warrant worldwide interest. From what I had seen on the screen, not only
was Tokyo-3 riddled with tracks to guide the catapulted Eva units to the
surface, there were entire buildings that were nothing more than hollowed out
holsters for Eva-sized weapons.
And then there were the Eva's themselves. I'd only seen one in action, but
that had been enough to garner my full attention. Dr. Akagi could probably
answer any questions I had, but since I was on vacation, I didn't want to waste her
time talking about things I'd probably have to go in to talk to her about.
Glancing at one of the many well-marked Exits for the Evas, I couldn't help
but think of one of the earlier questions I'd had. Tokyo-3 seemed designed from
the ground up as a fortress from which one would fight oncoming Angels. This
implied, then, that from the start the UN had known the Angels would be coming
here. If Central Dogma was the target, had it been built, or was it already
here, and Tokyo-3 was built over it?
Slipping into my apartment, I wondered then why NERV had branches in other
countries with staff as numerous as Tokyo-3's. Germany, The USA, and Japan both
had two NERV bases, while China, France, Russia and the UK had smaller
outposts, though reports indicated China's was at least equipped with a MAGI-type
supercomputer, one of 6 to be placed around the globe. Maya had mentioned however
that due to a lack of expertise, Both Berlin and Massachusetts' MAGI were
still a year or so away from completion.
Still, the MAGI system seemed like overkill if all the Angels would be coming
here. As far as I could tell, they crunched numbers well, but were basically
designed for Wave-Pattern Analysis. The only reason to have them spread out
around the globe (aside from the very-real possibility of "you have one why
don't we?" lobbying) was if whatever we guarded here in Tokyo-3 had duplicates in
those locations. If that were the case, was whatever we guarded fabricated?
And could it be destroyed to prevent the Angels from getting it?
The next day, I decided to look for a few more answers, instead of generating
more questions. Starting at the Public Library, I began looking into the
history of NERV, and the War with the Angels. Unfortunately, most of what I could
read was already known, Second Impact, NERV's formation to combat the coming
of the Angels… everything that had started my line of questioning in the first
place. There was, however, one tidbit of information gleaned from an old
newspaper that I found interesting. In it, there was a little article concerning
now sub-commander Fuyutsuki and someone named Yui Ikari, and an Organization
called GEHIRN.
Looking through the paper, and once again reading between the lines, I found
little bits of information that indicated that Dr. Ikari and Professor
Fuyutsuki, her teacher, had made massive leaps into scientifically explaining and
quantifying the existence of a human soul. GEHIRN was developed and partially
funded by the UN to further their research on a full-time basis.
GEHIRN was located in Hakone, which would later be built-over into the
City-Fortress Tokyo-3. GEHIRN, I realized, was NERV's Predecessor. Something had
been done at GEHIRN that had transformed the smallish-research center into a
worldwide organization dedicated to the defense of humanity from the oncoming
Angels.
Unfortunately, this didn't do any more than raise new questions in place of
the old. Including an all-new one; who was Yui Ikari, and what, if any,
relationship did she have with Commander Ikari?
Try as I might, I could find little more information on GEHIRN, since a
majority of their accomplishments were made before Second Impact. Still, it was a
start. I decided when I got back to work next week, I could look into the
History of NERV from the inside.
Of course, there was also the matter of my primary assignment. My research
would probably be put on hold until I was sure Rei was comfortable, and even
then, I wasn't sure whether or not her security clearance was high enough for me
to leave papers concerning NERV around. How much information was released to
the pilots, anyway? I knew that at 14, most of the Children would have a good
grasp on the importance of their mission, but had NERV explained the "why's" and
"how's" of the situation. Frowning at that, I wondered myself just why the
Evangelions required 14-year olds.
For the rest of the day, I did my best to relax, watching a couple news reports, before
flipping through the channels and finally stopping on a movie. Glancing at the
entertainment center I'd acquired, I wondered if Rei would like a video game system.
Before I bought that though, I figured I should at least find out what Rei's interests were.
I'd hate to find out she preferred physical activities and would rather have a treadmill.
Sunday afternoon, my phone rang. After weeks of recuperation, Rei was being released
into my care for the foreseeable future. The overcast sky had threatened to unleash its
load of water down upon Tokyo-3, and as I made my way to the main entrance of NERV,
the water began to fall. Making my way quickly to the medical wing, I glanced at my
hastily-applied uniform, wondering if I was supposed to wear it, or if I would have been
allowed to come in the t-shirt and jeans I had been wearing. Shrugging it off as pointless,
I slipped into the Outpatient area, and stopped moments before slamming into someone.
My heart caught in my throat when I realized it was Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, and the
Section Two agents nearby looked about ready to attack me, though they restrained
themselves from doing anything after realizing I wasn't trying to attack him. The Sub-
Commander turned to look at me, then stepped out of the way to give me my first look at
a non-bed-ridden Rei since that one time, over a year ago.
In her hospital gown, she looked almost pathetic, the bandages covering one eye and the
sling for her arm doing nothing bad adding to her aura of helplessness. However, as weak
as she appeared, I knew that anyone willing to pilot an Eva was obviously in possession
of a willpower greater than her appearance suggested. The other possibility, that she was
crazy to pilot, was dismissed; NERV wouldn't take that big a risk, and even if it wanted
to, the UN would almost assuredly step in.
"Rei, Lieutenant Kerrigan is here to take you to your new home. Section two will be by
later with the few supplies left at your previous place."
"Understood," she intoned quietly, meeting my gaze fully. Her expression was decidedly
blank, portraying nothing, though I noticed her wince a little as she took a step in my
direction.
Looking at Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, I considered for a moment, before asking, "Sir,
what all is Rei… err..-" I stumbled for a moment, my brief bit of clarity disappearing as I
considered how to ask about her security clearance without potentially offending her.
After a moment, I closed my mouth, and began again, deciding to just spit it all out at
once, "what is Rei's security clearance level?"
The elder man frowned slightly at that, "planning on leaving classified paperwork lying
around, Lieutenant?"
"No, sir. I merely wish to know if any conversation topic is off limits," I responded,
feeling a little irked that he'd have so little faith in my ability to respect the rules and
regulations.
"I understand. As far as topics go, you're free to discuss all aspects of your job with Rei,"
he replied, eliciting some surprise. I didn't think she was that well informed, though it
would make sense. His next sentence, however, stopped me fully, "On the other hand,
Lieutenant, some topics Rei can not discuss with you, as your clearance is not high
enough. If you have detailed questions about the Evangelions, please speak with Dr.
Akagi, myself, or Commander Ikari."
I nodded, "Understood, sir." Unfortunately, I didn't, not really. Still, questioning my
superior, if nothing else, was a bad example to set for Rei, and she looked somewhat pale,
so the sooner I got her seated, and home, the better.
Turning to her, I gave her a cheerful smile, and asked her if she was ready to go home.
"Yes sir."
My smile faded at that. It wasn't exactly an unexpected answer, but it was decidedly
bland. most people would have been at least a little happy to be leaving the hospital for
home, even if it's a new one. Or maybe I expected her to be apprehensive? Either-or, her
complete lack of emotion was unsettling, and I mulled over it as I took my leave of the
Sub-Commander and directed her to the car.
Along the way, I caught myself glancing at her out of the corner of my eye as she
followed me along, wondering whether or not she was upset, or maybe even angry about
the way things were turning out.
"So, Rei, I've read about you from your file, but that never conveys much more than cold
facts… why don't you tell me about yourself?" I asked, trying to start up a conversation
as we took a personnel escalator to the garage.
"Why?"
I blinked. "Well, for one, it's a good way to begin a relationship." I said, somewhat
haltingly.
"You wish to have a relationship with me?"
Had we been walking, I'd have probably stopped so suddenly she might have crashed
into me. As it was, however, it took a second before I turned to look at her, "That's not
what I meant." After a moment, my frown dissolved, and I amended, "what I mean is, as
your guardian… no, as a friend and guardian, I'd like to get to know you."
"The information you referred to from my file should have been sufficient," she intoned
listlessly, watching the step ahead of us as it disappeared into the floor before stepping
off the escalator and heading down the hall towards the parking garage.
"I suppose, but as I said, it's easy to get a bad impression from a simple dossier."
"I don't understand," she asked, slowing down slightly.
Still somewhat unnerved by her apparent lack of emotion, and wondering if she was
suffering from some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, I opened the car door for
her, and waited for her to settle into the passenger seat before closing it. As I made my
way around the car, I made a mental note to myself to retrieve some of my college books
on psychology, and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Akagi. She and I needed to talk.
As we left, the silence still growing, I wondered if, on the other hand, she was merely a
quiet person. I had already concluded that anyone piloting the Evas had to be either
insane or mentally capable of handling the pressure of not only piloting, but the
responsibility. Was Rei just one of those strong silent types?
Deciding to test the water from that angle, I made an observation, "You don't say much,
do you?"
She turned to regard me for a moment, before replying, "I say what I need to say."
"So I'm beginning to notice. Is there anything you like talking about?"
"No."
"Have you ever tried?" I asked, frowning. Didn't she have friends to talk to at school, or
someone at work she got to talk to?
"…" She looked somewhat surprised at the question, and I would have smiled if my
unspoken question wasn't filling me with concern. The first noticeable reaction I'd been
able to get, so far.
Finally: "I speak when spoken to," she said. A moment later, "and that is enough for me."
Oh yeah, silent-type. I was definitely going to have to talk to Dr. Akagi.
-------------
Once again, I suppose I should say that this chapter was partially completed and waiting for posting, though unlike AYASIF's, This was only about half-complete. So there actually was a bit of work I needed to do, before I could post it. recently, I've come to re-evaluate Eva's characters, and come to the conclusion that a lot of character-stereotypes exist that are somewhat off... Or, in simple terms, I've come to appreciate some character's backstory more. All the "What makes them tick" kind of thing. While this was, originally, a sort of novelization of Gainax's Ayanami Raising game, I decided a while back to turn it into a re-write of Eva, which included some alterations here and there. Hopefully, however, I've kepy the characters as IC as I can... with the intent of subtly beign able to either change them or explain them in a way that the show either didn't, or merely implied. That said, however, I'm not a shrink, so don't expect every little bit of psycho-babble to be factual.
So, anyway, next up, I have... a whole lot of nothing. The next chapter I release will be 100 new, and not somethign that's been sitting aroudn for ages. I think. I'll have to check some older CDRs, but I think I've used up all my pre-written stuff. What would you, my readers, like to see more of?