(Chapter 5; Godrays: on)
The morning still was graced by relatively cool, damp air. There would be no hum of cicadas, or chatter of birds as the exclusion zone around the NERV Nevada branch was barren and lifeless for the most part, an achievement of the lilum's efforts. Whatever little staffing slept in the women's housing block had left at the break of dawn, as military protocol would dictate, or were technicians who never settled in at night. For now, she was alone.
Her eyes opened slowly to the new world, for no though the ceiling was the same as before, there might have well been a different person sleeping there the night previous. Without rolling under the sheets, Rei scoped the room, noticing immediately that things were moved. Rather, things had been replaced. Where her only possession, a once solid white plugsuit, recently stained off yellow and rust, now lay 4 plastic bags sitting on chair nearest the door. A door that someone had closed.
Surely a change of clothes, she thought as she inspected the white and green packages on her approach. Picking up the largest first, a green package covered in yellow stickers and a distinct '00'. The package was dropped in favor for the 3 white bags as she already knew of what the latter contained. The american entrysuits were worlds apart from the restrictive, tactless plugsuits before. Rather than being airtight and vacuuming to fit the body, each light grey suit was breathable and pulled on, the material however was revealing such as that a army green poncho was worn overtop, covering the user and the advanced life support onboard. The Americans prioritize the pilot's life over the potential sync discrepancies. Rei mused.
The following packages contained several changes of underwear, and some joggers and shirts to wear about the base. This was unusual, especially to Rei. Normally NERV and it's employees arrived in the morning, and returned at night, as did she outside her pedantic activities. Though she would be here for the long haul, Rei mulled over what to wear, having worn a plugsuit the entire previous day (and for three days before), she was overjoyed with not having to climb back into the rank plugsuit again. Whether it was specifically comfort she desired, as well as social meshing with those around her, she was genuinely interested in trying on the grey entrysuit.
It looks like I have time to choose she pondered, I have no further orders for today.
"I don't like this. Why the sudden change in plans?" The scientist asked the man wearing glasses.
"It doesn't matter what we believe to be best, they pay the bills, they make the schedule" He replies flatly.
An older man, tired and thin stood beside him, interjected. "You were sloppy, they've seen though us and now they wish to set things back on track. This is punishment."
The woman was typing furiously at the console, despite knowing the argument was fruitless. "The s2 experiments have all checked out stateside up until now, why transfer the materials here. They're putting the whole geofront at risk."
"Regardless, we will heed their orders." The man stated with bravado, turning into the light as such his expression was not visible. "We will play along and prepare to receive the organ"
The tired man added bemusedly "These don't come in foamy tubs, we need to prep an eva now for the grafting." He chocked a little. "And.. I presume we will use the- the prototype?" He looked to his commander, face still obscured by the light.
"No, we will use Unit one. She was built to handle a s2 organ, there's no reason to risk failure when we don't know the committee's intentions." He tented his hands in front of him. The scientist continued her keyboard assault.
"This is about her, not compatibility. I've read the scrolls, I know our chances." He responded snarkily. "Why endanger any of the children, just destroy the organ and blame the thirteenth."
"Don't tell me the odds, Fuyutsuki, this is all for the future"
She walked out of her room sporting the somewhat oversized joggers, making her way distinctly to the mess hall.
Upon arrival to the cafeteria, it was clear there would be no peace this morning for Rei. Though only two tables were occupied, she immediately made eye contact with unfortunate fourth and fifth children. They wore joggers identical to hers, though it was clear they had been running earlier as both were drenched in sweat, gulping down a translucent orange liquid that reminded Rei of lcl.
"Hey Ayanamee. Ovah' ere." Gabe hailed her down across the room, pulling the attention of the other cafeteria patrons who stared at the new arrival. Between the blue hair, red eyes, and her gaunt, hollow cheeks, she got quite a lot of attention overseas. Though, that would be true anywhere outside Tokyo 3. She walked over to the two seated opposite the room.
However, both were surprised when she ignored them completely and continued to stride to the food counter. Looking through the plexiglass panels, Rei was visibly disheartened by what she saw. Sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and oats. That was all there was, and there certainly wasn't much left. It was a bit late in the morning for breakfast, though she had received no orders for the day and there was no school to attend. Going to breakfast was merely an attempt to look more normal. I will return to my room and wait for orders then. She didn't like wasting time, although that's all the americans seemed to do. Everyone idles, there is no urgency or dutifulness in their actions. They don't see the purpose of NERV, just as a means to pay one's bills. The entire time, she had been staring intently at the cafeteria worker behind the glass, who was beginning to be disturbed by the blood-eyed waif giving her the 'look'.
The trance was only broken by a tap on the shoulder. "Hey, if it's food you're after, you can just wait till the second batch." Tad huffed, annoyed at her previous dismissal of his friend's invite.
She turned to face the face the well framed teenager, clad in an identical jogger to hers. "I was just leaving- " She stepped to left, intending to leave the way she had come, but was blocked by as Tad mirrored her movement.
"I don't think you should be skipping meals." Though he was smiling, the edge in his voice was evident. Enough as to perturb the socially oblivious albino. "Come sit with us, it shouldn't be long"
Rei nodded, before sitting down at the edge of the table, furthest from the aged Tad and diagonal to Gabe, who had been watching her intently since she arrived and seemed to be saddened by her previous disregard for his query. Tad gave both tablemates a sidewise look before wolfing down a plate of eggs. They were desperate to have me sit, and now both sit silently. She thought. Why such commitment, neither know me. The tro sat in silence for minutes.
"Why are you here?" Rei, surprisingly, broke the silence. Though her tone was conformally vacant, Gabe looked away, having taken the query accusatively.
"If you mean why we're not out hunting angels, it's cause' the evas had to be repainted. No idea why they always gotta be in pristine condition though." Tad gave the blue haired girl a sidewise glance, taking his eyes off the unfinished meal for but a moment. "They said we'd be sortied sometime today, don't know when." He added, shoveling another forkload into his open mouth.
"You'll probably come too" Gabe struggled to say. "I mean, we don't know for sure but the president probably has little to do with NERV, and he's gotta get back to runnin' the country."
Hearing this, Tad pulled out his mobile. Both watched him as he tapped about, before settling on some page, before giving an ear to ear grin. "Yeah, keepin' busy as always." Tad mumbled.
Looks were exchanged. Rei stared blankly at the duo.
"Rei, you should come running with us after breaky." Gabe queried cheerfully, seemingly having overcome his rejection blues.
She met his eyes, and momentarily responded. "No, I do not think I'd do that." Though unintentional, the defeat in Gabe's eyes was palpable. "Well then what'l you do for the rest of the day?"
"Wait for orders" came immediately, followed by the sighs of both boys.
"They'll tell us when they need us, kay." Tad rolled his head to face the albino. "Loosen up, and for god's sake eat somefin', you look like death."
"Too far" Gabe snapped back. "But really, you need- should go for a checkup. The docs always around, and hardly ever seems to be working…"
"So then, what should I do" Though without emphasis, both boys could hear the tinge of impatience in Rei's voice. Their puzzled looks only compounded with the unblinking crimson eyes that seemed to look through them rather than at them.
"Just get out I guess, explore, join us for training or something. Staying in is not gonna help with that complexion." The older one was audibly 'done' with the debate and begun to ready himself to leave. " I'll be weight room, catch you later." Gabe seemed to flush at the remark, though Rei didn't notice.
"So, uhh… what are you wanting for breakfast?" Gabe looked down.
"Soup would be nice"
"Soup? That's not really a morning food, they don't even serve it at lunch."
"What will you have then?" Rei asked, shrugging to reset the oversized shirt on her thin shoulders.
"Beans, sausage, and toast." He said, smiling slightly at her struggle with the garment.
"I will have some bread then." Giving up on the shirt and letting the sleeves overtake her forearms. Both were quiet as the room started to fill up with the graveyard workers, waiting for the hot coffee and late morning breakfast.
"What were the angels like?" Gabe finally asked, immediately noticing the usually stoic expression change slightly, shocked, but smiling.
The commander beamed from up high, or really only two meters above everyone else. Only someone with no knowledge of architecture would make a single purpose room 13 stories tall to fit under 30 people. "How long till we can resume the search?" The commander asked to the tech command center. "They say eva 00 has been fitted with a progressive knife and upgraded batteries, but compatibility with any powerplant is unlikely."
"I know that." Holston tiredly paced, asking another tech the same question.
"The duster had little more than cosmetic damage to evas 03. The paint should be dry by 1400 hours. Eva 04 had minor lacerations in the left shin coating, so that'll be done around the same time." The tech didn't look away from her monitors. Holston walked away, moving to the data crunchers table.
"Anything to report?" He was rubbing his eyes, and clearly didn't care to hear any answer other than a positive one. No one in particular answered. "Just more branch one data, units 00 and 01, etcetera." This was going to be a slow day, but compared to the nightmare of yesterday's unit 00 sortie and subsequent presidential interference, any day without him would be quiet. Despite the quiet atmosphere of the bridge, the commander's mind was turbulent. He had picked up on some news, overheard really, in a place where open eyes and ears were not welcome.
Project E supervisors had always operated independently of Holston, only needing him to sign off on budget changes. But recently things were getting more secretive. First the unit 05 acquisition, the first child's arrival, now they plan to refit the unit 05 core data behind my back. He could always intervene, but they were still acting on orders, Orders from the committee.He commander came full circle, settling at his desk and typing in todays operation schedule. 1540 hours, children at cage. Resume operation at 1600; units 00, 03, 04. He tapped his pen feverishly, before entering one further line. Keep Trump of the bridge, AAC.
Describing the bluenette as 'socially unaware' was an understatement. When faced with the never ending stream of questions regarding angels, Tokyo 3, and the second child oddly enough; Rei had simply frozen up. The eager boy hadn't given up trying to coax answers or reactions out of her, though if only he knew that this wasn't a conscious decision to appear 'mysterious', he should've gotten the hint that Rei was not a conversationalist. The room had filled up as the second serving of breakfast became available. All tired, dreary techs who'd been working the night shift to repair and restate the error addled eva 00. An entire cafeteria of workers all slaving to maintain the beast, which itself would be puppeted by the smallest, quietest soul in the room.
Not to say people loathed her being there, but there was the conscious decision to face away from the slighted girl with the death stare. Gabe's stopped talking just long enough to pick up on this, before returning to his unenthused meal partner. "Do you want to go?"
It had been long enough since her last bite of the toast that it's safe to say Rei was done eating. She hadn't even finished one slice. "Why, do you have to be elsewhere?" She queried.
"Well if you're done eating then we could go meet up with Tad or…" He trailed off as he took note of how small she looked under the oversized shirt and joggers, as she had fought with keeping the grey garments on her frail shoulders.
"I do not think that is what I want to do." The words rolled softly, almost inaudibly from her small mouth fixed to a hollowed visage. Contrary to her words; she rose to leave. "Alright" Gabe mouthed, picking both trays up and setting them aside.
Gabe moved to side, taking a single look at the room of bitter technicians seeing them out as the two left the cafeteria. The two silently, shoulder to shoulder through the barren halls. A left, a right, another right, out onto a breezeway. Gabe was wore a look of confusion, and perhaps guilt but he hid that which shamed him well. "Ummm, where are you going?" The asked after passing into the further building, one that wasn't necessarily 'off-limits' to the pilots, but not where they should be spending leisure time.
"Back to my room." She deadpanned, not meeting the fifth's quizzical look.
"You're going the wrong way. It's way back at block E, this is block C. If we keep goin' well end up at the hangar or the cages eventually." The gradually increasing number of navy uniformed people were paying little attention to the duo striding through the halls, save for those who'd missed Rei's arrival a few days prior.
She stopped, nearly tripping the animated boy to had been following a bit to close. "I did not need an escort." There was no anger in her voice, put her stare had become slightly more intense.
"Clearly you did cause' you're lost-" He replied, rolling his head as he spoke, before snapping back to level as he realised what he'd done. But it was too late. "Uhn, I'm sorry I didnt mean to… I mean you need to tell if you want to be alone-"
Rei had already resumed her path, leaving Gabe stammering in some hallway somewhere in block C. She was beyond earshot when the blond boy could be heard cursing his stupidity. "Like he's any better!" he yelled. "Smooth." A passing tech mocked before disappearing in the same direction of the girl.
Back at NERV branch one, there was never a locked door for Rei. Unlike her cohords, her access card allowed for her to go wherever she pleased. She never took advantage of this however, only moving about where'd she'd been ordered to go. On her 'checkups' with Dr. Akagi or her frequenting of Gendo's office, she had never once been spotted in the labyrinthian tunnels of the geofront or terminal Dogma. At the moment however, Rei continued to make her way through the halls of block C. As per usual nobody would question this, as she acted the role of someone who knew where they were going and was required to be there.
Partitioned labs gave way to offices and storage rooms, and the frequency of people noticing her gaunt figure, topped in blue, dotted with red was increasing. The though train of those unfamiliar with Rei and her peculiarities must've gone similarly to this: Blue hair? Oh, a pilot. Why over here, I should ask if she's lost. Well it looks like she knows where to go. Damn those eyes are creepy. If it was possible, Rei was a lot paler than 5 minutes previous. Her eyes had once again widened, taking on an animalistic air of ferality. As her body carried her through room after room, her mind wandered.
Cradle of earth and fire for the mother. Images flashed through her mind, born from somewhere at the core of her being. A quarry, concrete, a 4 legged monster that never wakes. Adam's rejected duplicity, a failed birthright. Lilith on the cross, another image flashed of the quadrupedal titan, a red cylinder. She was shaking now, though the disturbed mind was nothing new, these visions were. Where am I? I can't see myself.
She arrived at the vacated aircraft hangar, now dark and empty. Echoes of the maintenance crews reverberated off the concrete walls and floor. Just yesterday, she had come here to report her failure and, she suspected, to be disciplined for it. Things had not come to pass, or they did in other forms. It was… unexpected, she would say if you asked her. Her arms hung limply by her sides, letting the oversized shirt fall past her shoulders. Her head pitched forward, staring to the ground, and she began to gently sway.
The wall has fallen. I cannot see myself… I am not...
Without a sound, she collapsed onto the floor, alone. Only distinguishable as a blue tuft on the deep grey floors, among the heap of identically patterned clothes.
(End of Chapter 5)
Warning: this chapter contains a flashback! Hopefully its easy to distinguish. Each chapter has been longer than the one before, this one was going to be much longer but I cut it in half so you guys don't expect more each time. Anyways, yes Asuka will be in this, there will also be another surprise guest. Hopefully I release the next chapter soon, cause its a busy one, on Beyond the Wall of a Heart; bad title coming soon