Chapter 14 – Ghost In The Machine Part I: System Error
Rei awoke confused. The ceiling that she awakened under was not the one she was used to. It took her a moment to remember that she'd stayed the night at Misato's home. The memory of the previous day's shopping trip and the late night conversation with Shinji came flashing back, bringing a smile to her face. It was almost as if she was starting to enjoy a... normal life. That thought was truly uplifting. She was happy, she realized, glad to be... accepted by others. Silently, as she rose from her futon, she gave a silent prayer of thanks to whatever powers there might be that allowed her to receive Yui Ikari's gift of new life.
She exited Asuka's bedroom and made a note that the redhead's bed was empty, signaling that she was already awake. This didn't surprise her considering she'd been informed of how early she liked to rise. Rei noted the time on the girl's alarm clock and was surprised to note that she'd actually slept in for once. It was nearly seven, a time she seldom if ever slept to on a school day. Perhaps the absence of construction noises had been a factor in this. It would certainly be logical to assume so...
When she entered the living room she heard the washroom water running and could only assume that Asuka was in there considering she was no where else to be seen. Upon seeing Shinji sipping coffee in the kitchen and Misato's door still closed that all but confirmed her suspicions. "Good morning," she greeted him.
He nodded and smiled. "Good morning R- Rei," he replied with a slight stammer.
She felt herself smiling involuntarily. It was... pleasant to hear him call her by her given name but it would definitely take some getting used to. It seemed he was having a hard time with it as well. She sat down opposite him at the table. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.
He nodded. "I did," he replied. "Surprisingly."
Rei's smile never wavered. "That is good to hear..." she murmured in reply.
A familiar silence fell between them but this time it was just a little bit awkward. "W- would you like some toast?" Shinji asked after a moment.
Though she had been served dinner before, courtesy of Shinji himself, it was an entirely new thing to be offered breakfast. "I... would enjoy that..." returned softly.
Shinji rose from his seat and placed two slices of bread in the toaster and returned to his place at the table opposite her. Rei had a hard time thinking of anything to make conversation over as they waited for the bread to finish toasting and yet she felt the urge to continue conversation. "So..." she spoke softly. "I understand that the class trip leaves today."
Shinji nodded. "Yeah it does," he replied. "Sucks we can't go on it, huh?"
Rei nodded. "Indeed," she replied.
After a few moments of silence the toast popped up from the toaster and Shinji slapped it on a plate before her with a piece of butter on each slice. She couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by that simple gesture of kindness... "Thank you..." she murmured.
He smiled. "You're welcome, Aya- Rei..." he returned.
The sound of the water running in the wash room ceased. Within moments Asuka emerged wearing what she'd worn to bed and a towel wrapped around her hair. "Morning," she said bitterly as she stalked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a carton of orange juice. "Who's looking forward to not getting to go to Okinawa?"
That was right, the trip would be leaving when they got to school... Rei didn't have any strong feelings about the trip, she'd made that clear but it was obvious that Asuka was still upset. "It is indeed regrettable," she replied, trying to ease her friend's displeasure.
It was then that Misato stepped into the kitchen looking rather haggard. "Good morning..." the woman grumbled. Rei found this sight just a bit strange, she would never had expected the captain to look so unkempt. She watched in puzzled fascination as Misato retrieved a can of beer from the refrigerator and cracked it open.
Misato seemed to notice how she was staring at her and grinned. "What?" she blurted out. "It's a great way to start a morning!"
Asuka huffed. "Yeah," she muttered. "Alcoholism. Yay."
Misato set her beer down on the table. "What did you say?" she returned in her usual cheerful tone but Rei could see her eyebrow starting to twitch.
Asuka crossed her arms. "You heard me," she retorted.
Misato jabbed an accusatory finger toward the redhead. "I'll have you know, just like I told Shinji-kun, that sake is part of a traditional Japanese breakfast," she replied harshly.
"Well I don't see any sake," Asuka fired back. "Just cheap beer."
"When you get older you'll understand," Misato countered.
"Oh, yeah?" Asuka glibly riposted. "Just like I'll understand why all three of us can't go on the class trip?"
The argument continued to escalate while Rei watched. There was something almost humorous about the exchange, how circular it became after a few minutes. "Ah..." Shinji sighed with a wry grin. "Here we go again... Almost like a real family..."
Family was something that Rei had never known but sitting there in that moment got her thinking about what that word meant. What was family? What was the true meaning of that word? Was it possible that it had less to do with blood relations and more with the people one chooses to let into their life, the ones they choose get close to? That notion was... pleasant. The edges of her lips twitched upward ever so slightly as she munched her toast. "Indeed..." she murmured softly.
Soon enough she finished her meal and exited the kitchen to change into her school uniform. All the while Misato and Asuka kept bickering and Shinji sipped his coffee. As she reached Asuka's room she could hear Shinji getting roped into the argument. Her smile remained, if anything it grew. If the three of them were a family then they were more like the slightly dysfunctional ones on television rather than the ideal. Still, at the end of the day, they came through for each other, or at least she would make sure that they did.
Rei just felt lucky that she was slowly becoming a small part of it.
Exhausted was an overused term, but for Ritsuko Akagi the word fit her current state to the letter. She'd only finished the source code the day before yesterday and of course she'd had to make the mistake of notifying Gendo. That meant that he'd cut his trip short and flown back and ordered her to hash out any potential bugs in the system literally overnight. Thankfully her grandmother had been kind enough to come over to her apartment and feed her cats. She'd slept in her office the last three days in a row preparing for this test and yet she still found herself rising early, not that she would have known but for the clock on her computer considering that her office had no windows... Still, her work served a purpose: to benefit humanity and impress the cold man she harbored feelings for in equal measure. She would not let simple fatigue get in the way of her job.
It was roughly half past seven in the morning. Gendo had ordered for her to get Rei in to begin the first part of the procedure as soon as possible but she felt bad in calling even though she knew the girl would most likely be awake. Misato had let her know the previous night that she was staying over in Asuka's room and from what she understood from her friend's accounts the Second Child was an even earlier riser than the First. That said, it didn't matter who was on the other end of the line, it was still a bit early to make a call, especially when the kids would be preparing to leave for school. Ritsuko couldn't help but note as she dialed Rei's number that there had been a time not that long ago where she wouldn't have cared about decorum in regards to the blue haired girl. It did certainly help her perception of the First Child that since Shinji had come to Tokyo 3 she had been acting more like a real human being and not just the lifeless automaton she'd grown used to, that she'd previously despised. The little sleepover she'd had was further proof of that.
The phone rang twice and then Rei picked up. "Yes?" she answered.
"Hi Rei," Ritsuko replied. "Sorry to bother you but you're needed here at NERV today."
There was a pause. "May I ask the reason?" Rei replied.
She sounded uneasy, an uncommon mood for the blue haired girl the faux blonde would note. "We'll be running some preliminary tests for a new project, nothing special." Ritsuko returned warmly.
"I see..." Rei replied. "When am I required to be there?"
"As soon as possible," Ritsuko stated. "Don't worry about missing school. Meet me in the lower level labs."
There was yet another short pause. "Alright..." she replied before hanging up. It might have been just in Ritsuko's mind but she could have sworn that she detected a hint of disappointment in the girl's voice.
The good doctor leaned back in her seat at her desk and lit a cigarette, pushing whatever concern or sympathy she'd developed for Rei out of her mind... Hopefully the test of the memory decryption and implementation software she'd completed would be a resounding success...
Otherwise winning Gendo over might slip completely out of her reach...
The three pilots had readied themselves to go to school and were finishing their final preparations to depart in the front hallway. Even if he couldn't go on the class trip he would certainly still enjoy the morning walk. It was odd, ever since Asuka had moved in the trip to school between himself, Rei, and Asuka had been different, awkward even. Even though they'd only walked to school as a group once before now, for whatever reason Shinji couldn't help but miss when the trip was just him and Rei.
Rei... It was still just a bit strange calling her that. It almost felt like they were... too close now, but he liked it. It just felt... strange and would require some getting used to.
He heard a ringing and watched as Rei pulled her cell phone out of her bag. The call was rather terse and short. Even though she was facing away from him he could tell that his friend was a little bit displeased or perhaps upset about whatever had been said to her in those few seconds. "What was that?" he asked as soon as Rei hung up the call.
She turned to him with a slight frown on her lips. "I have been summoned to NERV," she replied. "Therefore I will not be attending school today."
Asuka scoffed. "Not like you'll miss much," she commented.
Rei had no response and just dipped her head slightly. Shinji couldn't help but be a bit concerned for her. She seemed just a little worried. "How come you're needed at NERV?" he asked.
She met his gaze, a clear worry hidden in those crimson eyes of hers. "I don't know," she replied softly.
What could she be summoned to NERV for without the rest of them? Usually if they had tests they were notified far in advance. Perhaps his father had just flown back in and he wanted to see her to check up on her? He was her guardian so that would make sense... If so, why couldn't he come with her? He frowned as the feelings of jealousy and longing that he'd been able to push from his mind for some time came creeping back. Even though she had told him that being his father's ward was purely contractual, the idea that she was closer to him than he was remained painful... "I see.." he murmured, unable to pose the burning question.
"Come on," Asuka interjected. "We're gonna be late if we keep dawdling."
Asuka had a point, he had to admit. He nodded. "Yeah," he replied softly. "Let's get going..."
The group set out together but Rei parted ways with them after a few blocks. Shinji as he continued his trek beside Asuka he couldn't get the thoughts of his father out of his mind. He stared down at his steps, watching the lines of the sidewalk scrolling by as he stewed in those envious thoughts.
"Hey, Shinji, you look mopier than usual," Asuka shook him from his haze, nudging him in the side with her elbow hard enough to make him wince. "What's on your mind?"
Shinji's frown deepened. "It's nothing," he replied. Hopefully she would leave him be.
"Cut the crap, it's obviously something," Asuka snorted. "You've looked depressed ever since Rei said she had to go to NERV."
Shinji glanced over at the redhead who despite her expression he could see in her eyes some semblance of genuine concern. He didn't know if Rei had told her about her odd living situation or the strange relationship she had with his father but he knew that if she hadn't it wasn't really his place to tell her... "It's complicated..." he muttered.
"How so?" Asuka pressed, losing some of the aggression in her voice.
He glanced over at her and when their eyes met her expression softened. "I'd rather not talk about it," he replied softly before looking forward once more. "It's got nothing to do with Rei and more to do with NERV..."
Asuka snickered. "Never heard you call her that before," she teased. "It was always Ayanami this, Ayanami that... what changed?"
Shinji felt his heart skip a beat and a lump form in his throat. Why did he suddenly feel so awkward and anxious? Oh well... at the very least they were off of the slightly more unpleasant previous topic of discussion... "S- she asked me to," he stammered.
Asuka's eyes narrowed. "Uh... did something happen last night between you two?" she inquired, her voice oozing with suspicion and insinuation of... horrible things. "Don't tell me the two of you-"
"N- no!" he shouted, cutting her off utterly shocked. "N- nothing like that! I- I would never do something like that! We just talked last night! I couldn't sleep and she came out in the living room and we watched TV, that's all..."
Asuka seemed incredulous. "Really now?" she returned with a sneer. "So she gets up in the middle of the night and you watched TV together? That's it?"
"Yes!" he spat, growing frustrated and increasingly defensive. Still, despite this, the... thought of what Asuka was implying caused his ears and cheeks to burn... "I don't think about her like that..." he added in a whisper.
That caused an immediate shift Asuka. "Really?" she asked, her voice taking on an air of pure curiosity rather than one of disgust and contempt. "You don't?"
It wasn't a lie but it wasn't entirely the truth either... She was attractive after all... There might have been some moments where he'd... wondered if something more could come of their friendship but he'd always tried to shove those thoughts away. He didn't want to ruin what it was that they had, like how he seemed to screw up everything else just by existing. Besides, Rei wasn't the kind of person who would want someone like him in that kind of way. "I don't," he replied softly. "We're just friends, nothing more... It's all we'll ever be..."
Asuka sighed. "You are so pathetic," she grumbled.
Shinji's eyebrows furrowed. Why was she always like this? One minute she was accusing him of doing something perverted to Rei and now she was criticizing him for not making a pass at her? Still, regardless of the reason, the statement had some truth to it... "How so?" he protested meekly.
Asuka snickered. "If you can't figure that out then you really are hopeless, Shinji," she retorted.
Shinji didn't reply and returned to staring vacantly at the lines of the sidewalk scrolling by, all the while contemplating the meaning behind her last statement. For some reason her words stirred anxiety in him the source of which was a mystery. Though part of him wished to understand that mysterious feeling another part of him desired to run away like he always had...
Ritsuko sat waiting in a swivel chair within one of the many medical examination rooms in the lower levels of NERV. She was skimming over some reports she had fallen behind on while she waited for Rei. Thanks to her accelerated development of the dummy system she'd fallen behind with numerous other Eva subsystem updates that she needed to sign off on. Thankfully most of these things required a simple signature and nothing more but it still was annoying beyond reason. She snubbed probably her third cigarette of the day so far and shook her head as she snapped the manila folder shut, chuckling to herself. No matter how far ahead she got in some things it would seem she'd always have more to do in others... She glanced over at the clock on the wall and noticed it was about quarter past eight. The First Child was usually rather punctual so she probably wouldn't be waiting much longer.
It was no more than a handful of minutes later that Rei arrived. For some reason she looked paler than usual, Ritsuko noted, if that was even possible for her. "I am here, Dr. Akagi..." she announced her presence reservedly as she shut the door behind her.
Ritsuko nodded. "Hello Rei," she greeted. "Have you been well?"
The blue haired teen shuffled her feet before nodding softly. "I have," she replied softly.
Ritsuko's lips tightened. Rei looked nervous for whatever reason but she pushed it out of her mind. It was probably something to do with the sleepover that she'd had the previous night. Her pursed lips shifted into a soft grin at the thought. The thought of Commander Ikari finding out about that was probably the source of her uneasiness. No doubt if Gendo were to find out about that he would be quite upset but the blue haired girl had nothing to worry about. That secret would remain safe with her... at least unless she needed to use it to maintain her status in Gendo's court. She gestured for Rei to sit down on the examination table in the room. "Please take a seat," she replied warmly.
Rei did as instructed and sat down on the examination table, placing her hands in her lap. Ritsuko stood from her chair, stethoscope in hand and retrieved the blood pressure pump off the wall before stepping up to her teenage patient. "Lift your sleeve," she bade her.
Rei obeyed and lifted her sleeve. Ritsuko attached the inflatable cuff to her arm and began to take her readings. "I was not scheduled for a checkup," Rei stated quietly. "May I ask the purpose of this exam?"
Ritsuko understood the girl's curiosity. It was understandable that she be puzzled by the whole thing, she had been given zero notice on what was going on and zero information about the nature of why she was at NERV instead of school. "We'll be running a few tests on you for a new system we hope to implement in all the operational Evangelion units," Ritsuko replied.
Rei's heartbeat seemed to speed up for a moment and her eyes widened for a fraction of a second but the former could very well have been due to the pressure sleeve. "A new system?" she asked.
Ritsuko checked the reading on the meter on Rei's arm and found it very much normal. "Yes," she replied as she took off the inflatable apparatus. "We've been developing an auto pilot system of sorts. Today we'll be doing a series of scans of your brain patterns to calibrate it. Please unbutton your blouse so I can check your lungs."
The First Child did as instructed. Ritsuko checked her breathing and other vitals. The pale girl remained silent. After finishing her routine tests, Ritsuko instructed Rei to change out of her uniform and into a medical gown behind a curtain while she logged the results of the routine physical exam. In moments Rei emerged wearing the medical gown and they were clear to proceed...
"Follow me," Ritsuko instructed, and once more Rei did as she was told.
Asuka stalked through the second floor hallway of the school with a scowl. The day had been as dismal as it possibly could have been and she'd only been there for around an hour...
Immediately after the start of the day the class had gotten their things in order to board buses for the airport. Hikari had expressed her sympathies when Asuka had revealed that she hadn't been able to go on the trip which was still a sore subject for her. After a short conversation, Hikari had promised to bring her back some novelties from the southern island of Okinawa. They'd said a kind farewell but it still did nothing to lift Asuka's sour mood. Soon after almost all of the class had left, leaving her behind in the nearly empty school building.
She burst through to the top of the building to the roof. She had hoped that she'd be able to spend some time alone up there but unfortunately for her she had company. Shinji was here, leaning against the railing and staring at the clouds. Asuka stood in place and scowled, staring at his back as she tried to shove down all the unpleasant feelings she was experiencing but seeing him there brought a whole different unpleasantness to the forefront of her mind...
The conversation they'd had on the way to school was still fresh in her mind. It was so incredibly, blatantly, ridiculously obvious that Wonder-girl had a crush on the idiot but said idiot seemingly had no concept of that. It was infuriating to be quite fair, especially considering her own relationship woes. It reminded her very much of her unrequited affections for Kaji... The most infuriating thing was that he seemed completely ignorant of Rei's feelings whereas Kaji was unwilling to accept hers... Asuka couldn't help but wonder what was worse.
She stepped over to the railing a few feet away from where that moron Shinji stood. "So... here we are," she grumbled. "Left behind..."
"It's not so bad," he replied. "Even though we have to stay here we don't have to attend classes."
Asuka crossed her arms and turned around to rest her back on the rail. "You have a point..." she muttered. "Still sucks and don't tell me otherwise..."
He sighed. "Yeah, you're right..." he replied in almost a whisper, resting his head on his crossed forearms.
Silence fell over the rooftop and Auska's frown deepened. She disliked prolonged silences, they often led her to think about unpleasant things... At least school was out of session. That certainly posed an interesting thought. Without any more classes they probably didn't have to stay at the school. Maybe she could do some of those fun activities she'd wanted to do on vacation anyway. From what she understood there was a pretty large pool at NERV and diving equipment...
She turned to the gloomy boy beside her. "Hey Shinji," she spoke. "You want to get out of here?"
He met her gaze with a puzzled look. "Leave school?" he replied.
"Yeah," she returned. "Why the hell not? We don't have classes until the trip is over. Honestly the fact that we even came in at all when we couldn't go seems kinda stupid."
He nodded. "Sure," he responded. "I guess we could leave."
Asuka smirked. "Cool," she stated. "Let's go to NERV."
Shinji's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would we do that?" he inquired.
Asuka placed her hands on her hips. "Home is boring, there's nothing to do here, and there's a really big pool," she stated assertively.
Shinji nodded after a moment's pause. "Okay..." he murmured. "But isn't that still truancy?
For the life of her she would never get used to him being so goddamn passive. How could someone who was decently competent in combat be such a chickenshit outside of the cockpit? Who the hell cared about them playing hooky if that was what they were doing? "Who cares," she huffed, turning for the exit from the rooftop. "Just be a man and come along!"
She didn't wait for him, just started going for the door. After a few paces she could hear his footsteps following behind her. Asuka smirked. Maybe with the right motivation he'd toughen up with time...
Terror, sheer terror... that was an apt description of her emotional state as she followed behind Dr. Akagi into the bowels of NERV, descending toward Terminal Dogma. With every step she took she was heading closer to the place where she'd been created, the place that held her... spare parts. Rei remembered these tests from the prior timeline, being immersed in LCL and focusing on clearing her mind while her... essence was copied into computer hard drives, reducing her very psyche into a sequence of numbers. This was not the reason for her terror however, as uncomfortable as the memories were, no... she was afraid because the development of the Dummy Plug System was far, far ahead of schedule.
She wracked her brain for any rhyme or reason as to why this was. It didn't make any sense at that terrified her. Was it because of the... incident with Unit 00 when it had been reactivated? No... that wasn't a plausible reason. Was it because she'd been spending so much time with Shinji? That made less logical sense! Was it because she'd met Asuka with the Pacific Fleet and been on board Unit 02 during the fight with the Sixth Angel? That had to be it! She stared down at the floor as she trudged behind Dr. Akagi toward the testing chamber, inwardly chastising herself. It drove home to her the bitter truth that all actions have unintended consequences...
Even if the Dummy System were to have come about later like how she remembered her anxiety surrounding it was still high. They were going to take stock of her memories and perhaps decipher them. That idea, that the commander might somehow... figure out that she was not the Rei Ayanami she was supposed to be, was a horrid thought. What would happen to her if they discovered that she had been sent back in time or had come from a parallel world? Would she be replaced? If she was replaced she doubted she would live again and death was now something she respected, that she feared... The most fearful thought of all was that she had no exit from any of it. She had to take part in the tests and her fate was out of her hands... That thought was horrifying.
Soon enough she was in the awful room. It was just as she remembered it being: dark, foreboding, and oh so open... The mass of tubes and wires that looked like a giant, twisted human brain on the ceiling was exactly as she remembered it. Beneath it was the tube that she would have to enter. She felt her body beginning to shake and she tried as hard as she could to steel herself to the task at hand. Then she noticed beside the control console stood the commander staring at her stoically from behind his tinted glasses.
Rei continued into the room beside Dr. Akagi until they were a few feet away from Commander Ikari. His gaze bore down on her, making her increasingly uncomfortable. She stared up at him and forced a stoic face for him despite the growing urge to run...
"Good morning, Rei," the commander spoke. "I assume that Dr. Akagi has informed you of the tests and their nature?"
Rei nodded, swallowing the growing lump in her throat. "I have been informed," she replied.
Commander Ikari nodded to her sternly before turning to Dr. Akagi. "Proceed, doctor," he ordered in that cold tone of his.
Dr. Akagi nodded to the commander and then turned back to her. "Please disrobe and step into the test chamber," she said in a clinical voice.
Rei hesitated for a moment but ultimately did as she was told, shedding the medical gown that covered her. It felt... wrong. It felt uncomfortable to be nude in front of them. No, that wasn't quite right, it was being nude in front of the commander that was what was uncomfortable. It felt sickening be in such a state. It was sickening that he could see her, bare and naked in every possible way. Though there was a time when him seeing her bare flesh had not bothered her now it churned her stomach... It disgusted her that he had power over her.
She stepped into the glass cylinder and in moments it was flooded with breathable LCL. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. In all of her lives she had never felt such fear and apprehension and all she could do was bear it with grim resolve...
Ritsuko stood at the console in the newly finished Dummy Plug plant and began initiating the primary connections to the system. She fought back a yawn as she did so. The sleep deprivation that she'd endured to get this damned thing up and running so far ahead of schedule was taking it's toll. Gendo stood next to her with his arms crossed. She could tell he anxiously awaited the results of the preliminary test. So much pressure to gain a little favor with the man she wished would one day see her as a lover... What a life she led...
"Are we ready to proceed, Dr. Akagi?" Gendo asked.
"Yes sir," she replied as she booted up the primary data collection system. "The system is ready to begin the test."
"Good," Gendo returned. "Commence primary connection."
With a few precise keystrokes Ritsuko activated the data collection system's drive. She was elated when the system began collecting data on Rei's psychological profile as expected and couldn't help but grin. All those sleepless nights coding seemed to be paying off.
She watched as the readings kept flowing in. The neural connections were good. The mental contamination was within the acceptable range. After about five minutes they were ready to start uploading Rei's memories...
The reason for logging Rei's memories was a simple one. It would give NERV the ability to iron out any instability in the finished system and help program in real world combat experience from her two successful deployments. Overall it would make the mental profile of her that was intended to be implemented much more detailed. Ritsuko had no worry about that aspect of the system, it was very similar to the system that her mother had used to create the MAGI system that ran the whole of NERV.
And then it happened...
The screen in front of her began to flash an error message. A programmed, mechanical voice began to speak in a robotic pattern repeating the same phrase over and over: system error. Ritsuko frantically inputted key commands to access the source code. This was impossible, her code was perfect! There was no possibility of a system error! This had to be some sort of interference! She frantically tried to analyze the cause but the system seemed unable to process it.
"What's happening?" Gendo asked. "What seems to be the problem?"
He sounded as perplexed as she was. "I do not know sir," she replied as she watched the lines of code generating on the screen. "The system is reporting an unknown error."
"Can it be overridden?" he asked.
Ritsuko hated to admit defeat but no matter what inputs she made the system still registered glitches. She looked over at Gendo who was staring at the pale girl in the tank. "No sir..." she replied softly.
Gendo scowled. "You were certain the code was adequate," he growled. "Pray tell, what is the cause of this?"
She looked away from him, hiding her shame behind her blonde bangs. "I don't know sir..." she murmured softly.
There was a moment of intense silence before Gendo spoke again. "Abort the test," he commanded. "Notify me when you've sorted the error data and send Rei to my office as soon as possible."
Ritsuko's heartbeat accelerated and she grit her teeth. She couldn't turn to face him, knowing that he would be wearing that look of stern disappointment that she hated to see from him. "Yes sir..." she choked out, still a bit unwilling to acknowledge that what was happening was truly occurring, that her code had malfunctioned...
She heard the sound of Gendo's footsteps echoing in the room as he strode toward the exit. As soon as he'd left she keyed the intercom to the inside of the tube Rei was floating in. "That's enough for today, Rei. The test is over," she stated.
Rei opened her eyes and nodded. Ritsuko silently flipped the valve to drain the LCL from the chamber and in a few seconds the tube was empty. She walked over to the glass cylinder and opened the hatch so the First Child could exit and Rei did so without a word. The pale girl retrieved her medical gown, put it on, and stood at attention. "Is everything alright?" Rei asked, her voice sounding a bit nervous and her eyebrows slightly knit.
Ritsuko regarded her with a mild astonishment. Was Rei actually showing... concern for her? Slowly she nodded. "Yes Rei," she replied. "The test hit a snag. We'll pick it up another time. The commander would like to speak with you in his office once you've changed."
Rei's eyes widened for a moment before she dipped her head. "I see..." she murmured softly. "Understood..."
She watched as the blue haired girl left the room. Though Ritsuko couldn't help but allow a ghost of a smile to emerge on her face. There had been a time when Rei had been so robotic and soulless like the... shells kept in the very room she stood in. She couldn't help but be glad that she was behaving increasingly... human. It certainly made her easier to deal with. She was still a roadblock in claiming Gendo but she kept reassuring herself that she was lessening in that aspect.
As soon as Rei exited the room she returned her attention to the computers. The glitch in the system was unexpected and baffling. There was no logical reason why the code shouldn't have functioned as intended. Ritsuko pulled out a cigarette and placed it in her mouth, lighting it with narrowed eyes as she began combing through the raw data. One way or another she was going to figure out what caused the error and fix it, even if it was the last thing she would ever do...
"Gendo, if only you knew how hard I work for you..." she grumbled under her breath, her cigarette bouncing between her lips.
Gendo sat at his desk, his hands clasped in front of his mouth as he usually did. Even though the preliminary data integration for the Dummy Plug System suffered a setback it was nothing insurmountable. He was certain that Dr. Akagi would be able to sort whatever glitch in the software that there was. The events that had transpired in Terminal Dogma were of little lasting concern. He smiled behind his gloves. It was good to be back at his desk where he belonged. He grew increasingly tired of making trips to secure funding or rub shoulders with bureaucrats. The petty squabbles of governments and banks didn't matter in the grand scheme whether that scheme be SEELE's or his...
The door to his office opened and in stepped his young ward. Having been away from Tokyo 3 for over a week and having last really spoken to her some time before that he felt it necessary to check up on her well being, hence why he had summoned her after the test. He unclasped his hands and rested them on his desk as she walked closer. When she stopped a few feet from his desk he spoke. "How have you been, Rei?" he asked. "Are all things well?"
She nodded. "Yes sir," she replied softly.
Gendo observed her for a moment before continuing. He had viewed the various reports surrounding the deployment against the Seventh Angel and while he was pleased with the outcome he was curious to hear her description of it. From what he understood she had been an integral part in motivating his son and the Second Child to get themselves in order for the second deployment. That aspect was simultaneously puzzling, reassuring, and alarming all in one stroke... The prospect of his ward's growing agency and influence among her peers was a... difficult thing to come to terms with. "I have read the report regarding the deployments against the Seventh Angel," he spoke, his voice remaining level and stern. "I understand that you observed a great deal of the operation's development, correct?"
Rei once again nodded. "Yes sir," she returned.
"What would you make of the Second and Third Child's ability to cooperate in combat?" he asked. "I understand that the first half of the training was a failure until The Second stormed out whereupon you followed her and had a private discussion with her. Their ability to cooperate improved after that, correct?"
"That is correct, sir..." Rei replied, shuffling her feet slightly. "Though the Second is hot headed at times I believe that the two of them will have no future trouble coordinating in battle."
He continued staring her down from his position behind his desk. "I see..." he returned. "And have you spoken to the Third to assess his opinion?"
Rei stared back at him, the look in her eyes changing ever so slightly. "I have not directly addressed the subject with him but he seems confident," she replied.
Gendo nodded, a hint of a smirk forming on his lips. That was good to hear. Despite the need to develop the Dummy System, it was no substitute for the decision making, coordination, and reasoning skills of a real pilot. SEELE was determined to have the Mass Production Series operated entirely by the autopilot but that was reasonable considering their final intended use. Against the Angels where critical thinking would be necessary to fight such otherworldly enemies the system would be best put to use as an augmentation rather than a replacement. With that in context, he was quite satisfied that his son had been doing so well as a pilot and was even more pleased that, according to Rei at least, an event along the lines of the first engagement with the Seventh Angel was unlikely to repeat itself. "Excellent," he replied. "You are dismissed."
Rei nodded but she did not turn to leave. "Sir... may I ask... a question?" she murmured softly.
Gendo was puzzled by this request but he would oblige her. "Go ahead," he replied flatly.
Rei tilted her head downward ever so slightly, a small frown taking shape on her features. "Why... do you not speak to Pilot Ikari?" she asked. "Why do you not speak to... your son?"
Behind his glasses, Gendo's eyes widened. Of all things that Rei could have asked him about he had not expected that. It stirred... uncomfortable thoughts and bitter emotion. He brought his hands up from the desk and back in front of his mouth. "Why do you ask this?" he countered coldly.
Rei's frown didn't waver. "He has... expressed a desire to speak with you," she replied. "He wishes to know you."
"That is of no concern..." Gendo returned, his own voice becoming softer and more subdued. "His role is to pilot the Eva and mine is oversee that, everything else can come second."
"I do not understand," Rei continued, once again lowering her gaze. "Aren't parents supposed to be close with their children?"
Gendo felt something tightening in his chest, an unpleasant pang of emotion that throbbed there. Though he would never show it, he did feel guilty for abandoning Shinji even if it was ultimately for the best considering he would have only let him down... He was certain that Shinji would forgive him once he'd defeated SEELE at their own game but... seeing Rei there asking him these questions made him begin to doubt that. Worse still was the other invasive thoughts that were flooding in. Why did I have go give her Yui's face? he thought to himself. Looking at Rei's melancholy expression... it was almost as if Yui was there, shaming him for the things he'd done to Shinji...
He stared out at the blue haired girl before him, the key to his plans, and scowled from behind his gloves. It was so hard to think of her just as a tool when she expressed such... humanity. But a tool she was... except she wasn't. She was almost like a daughter to him in some ways. Yui had wanted a girl if they'd had another child...
No! He would not entertain these thoughts any further, they were a liability, a weakness, and would only get in the way of his aims. "You are dismissed, Pilot Ayanami..." he growled harshly.
Rei seemed to flinch where she stood and Gendo instantly regretted the tone he had taken with her. "Yes sir..." she murmured softly and turned to leave.
He watched her walk further and further away from where he sat at the big black desk of his. Despite his... need to crush those errant thoughts he could not. There was truth in those words and they stirred a question that he dreaded the answer to, that he'd not considered despite all the schemes and machinations he'd set in motion. Though he was confident Shinji would understand and forgive him in the end there was another person to consider...
What if Yui didn't forgive him for what he'd done to their son?
"Wait," he ordered just as Rei reached the exit, except it wasn't really an order. It sounded more like a request with how it rolled off his tongue...
Rei paused with a visible flinch. She turned around slowly and looked at him with a somewhat nervous expression. "Yes?" she asked.
"I will take your words... into consideration," he spoke softly.
Rei nodded. "Thank you," she replied before exiting the office
Gendo leaned back in his chair and stared up at the tree of life that adorned the ceiling with a heavy sigh. Perhaps... if he worked at it, he could improve the relationship with his son, as difficult and painful as that would be. No that would be impossible... Maybe he could at the very least help him understand why things had to be the way they were before the inevitable came to pass...
Rei shambled through the halls of NERV reflecting on the events that had just transpired. Every step that she took was a chore. She'd managed to keep herself from shaking uncontrollably up until now but after leaving Commander Ikari's office she could not retain that hard fought composure. Her hands shook at her side and her knees felt weak. She felt grateful that it was over but the nauseating feeling of dread still remained despite the elation she now felt. It puzzled her that one could be joyful and feeling sick at the same time. In truth, she'd never really felt this way before in any of her lives. The developments of the day had come as a complete shock that she was still processing them. The future was as uncertain as ever...
When Dr. Ikari had told her that what she had been summoned for was preliminary Dummy Plug experiments she had been utterly terrified. The entire time that she'd been in that tube she'd been fearful that her past experiences might be uncovered via the memory scan. The relief she'd felt when that had not occurred had been immense. Her body had almost given out upon exiting the chamber... then she'd been summoned to Commander Ikari's office and she'd been certain she'd been found out. The entire trip up to his office the fear that she was about to be replaced permeated her very being.
What a relief it had been when the commander had not even mentioned the experiment. He'd only asked her about the events surrounding the last Angel. He'd told her what he wanted to know in succinct summation... but then she'd had to open her mouth afterwards.
Something about how Commander Ikari had referred to Shinji had... gotten to her. The coldness of how he'd referred to him had upset her. Maybe it had been the emotional state she'd been in because of the Dummy Plug experiment she'd been a part of but she couldn't keep her mouth shut. She'd remembered all the moments in her lives where Shinji had expressed or wanted to express that desired to be closer to his father...
She'd seen an opportunity and she'd acted on it despite the obvious risk. Perhaps it was due to a feeling of urgency that she'd spoken up or perhaps just her level of stress that prompted it but she could not halt the words from spilling forth. The... coldness of the commander had pushed her to speak. Even though what she said was about Shinji it was also about her. She was tired of the commander's distance and coldness and cruelty, the fear she felt because of him and the humiliation she suffered for him. So... she'd levied her line of inquiry before she could stop herself despite the risk to herself.
He could have killed her then and there but he didn't. What a relief that was... Instead he reacted in a way that she hadn't expected. Initially he'd dismissed her and was noticeably upset with her line of inquiry but then he'd told her that her words would be taken into consideration. Hearing that stirred feelings of pure joy. It was a victory, a small victory, but a victory none the less. She had deduced correctly that the commander still cared for his son and now perhaps, if he was being sincere, they might mend their bond. If Shinji could bring down the walls of his father's heart as he had done for her then perhaps Third Impact might be averted...
Rei paused and leaned her shoulder against the wall of the hallways she was walking in as her knees threatened to give out. The whole experience had been overwhelming. She steadied her feet, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths to calm herself... No matter what way she looked at it, she was running out of time to become an agent of change... Though things had worked out today for her, the future still looked bleak unless something, anything, changed drastically...
She started off down the hall once again determined to leave the NERV facility. Even if all she could do was wander around Tokyo 3 it would certainly be better than being where she was. But then yet another thing outside of her expectations occurred. When she rounded a corner she came face to face with both Shinji and Asuka. Her eyes widened and she blinked several times. Even though the class had left for Okinawa, shouldn't they still be at school?
"Oh hey, Wonder-girl," Asuka spoke with a grin and a chipper tone. "Surprised to see us?"
"I am," she replied. "Isn't it still school hours?"
"We decided to leave early," Asuka declared. "Figured we'd spend some time here at the staff pool."
"I just got dragged along..." Shinji muttered.
Indeed NERV did possess a sizable swimming facility. "I see," Rei replied.
"You should join us," Asuka said, her smile widening. "What do you think?"
It certainly would be better than wandering around the city or staring at the walls of her barren and miserable apartment... She nodded. "I would like that," she replied.
Asuka laughed gleefully. "Cool," she returned, stepping past her down the corridor and leaving her beside Shinji. "Let's keep moving then."
"Are you sure you know where it is?" Shinji asked meekly. "I'm sure we've passed this hallway before..."
"I do know where it is, Shinji!" Asuka scoffed, never breaking stride. "This time I'm sure!"
Shinji sighed. "That's the third time she's said that..." he grumbled as he started walking after her.
Rei fell in step beside him as her anxieties began fading to the back of her mind. For whatever reason, his presence never failed to sooth her... "It's understandable," she replied. "Asuka isn't as familiar with the layout of NERV as we are."
Shinji chortled softly. "Very true..." he said. Then his smile melted and he spoke again, sounding just a bit nervous. "May I ask... what it was you were summoned here for?"
Rei felt her heart skip a beat. The memory and fear was still too fresh, too raw. Besides, she couldn't explain it to him, he wouldn't understand... "I... was called in for a routine medical check," she lied. "Nothing more."
"Oh, so... nothing serious?" Shinji asked.
"No," she returned.
Ritsuko was frustrated and completely drained. She'd retreated to her office after the tests in Terminal Dogma to further analyze the data the experiment had collected and sifted through it as long as her patience would allow. It had infuriated her when she'd been unable to use any of the memory data they'd collected. Every time that she tried to integrate the data into the system mainframe the program would crash. She hated to admit it but there was something wrong with her source code that she would have to fix before the next test. Rei's psychological profile data was intact but all of the memory data was unusable...
Her disappointment had been somewhat alleviated by going to the central command bridge. Talking to Misato was always a good distraction from her work. Besides, she was out of coffee in her office... might as well pilfer some from the machine up there. Once at the bridge she listened to Misato tell her about the newest developments in her life and the lives of the pilots. It was certainly a nice reprieve from the seriousness of her day.
"I do feel bad that they couldn't go on the class trip but they're needed for active duty," Misato voiced. "Asuka was quite upset. maybe I should try and make it up to her..."
Ristuko refilled her coffee and took a sip. So what if the pilots had to miss going to Okinawa, Misato had definitely made the correct decision in holding them in the city. "A school trip huh?" she replied. "That sounds pretty reckless at times like these."
"I guess the idea is to let all the kids have time to get out and act like kids," Misato replied. "While they can."
Ritsuko took another sip of her coffee. "I guess that makes sense," she replied.
A rhythmic beeping sound rang out on the console beside them. Misato looked puzzled. "What could that be?" she asked. "That's not the Angel alert..."
Ritsuko turned to the sound of footsteps. It was Lt. Maya Ibuki looking a tad bit nervous. "Senpai, we've been picking up some interesting readings from the seismic station at Mt. Asama," she said. "Would you be able to take a look at them?"
Excellent... more number crunching after a morning of number crunching... "What do the Magi have to say?" she asked.
"It's unclear but it could be an Angel," Maya replied. "The seismic station picked up a strange object in the throat of the volcano that does not have the consistency of the surrounding magma."
"Wait," Misato interjected with an incredulous look. "An Angel could be inside a volcano?"
"There is a distinct possibility, yes," Maya returned.
Misato nodded, her expression becoming deathly serious. "Understood," she replied. "I'll take Hyuga and go investigate. If we take a VTOL we should be in place within the hour." With that she stalked off across the bridge.
Ritsuko watched her go and sighed. "So I guess we'll prepare a briefing on this?" she asked.
Maya nodded. "Yes," she replied. "I'll notify Vice Commander Fuyutsuki."
Shinji had no intention of swimming. In fact, he had never really learned how to swim, so naturally he was sitting out the swim session. At least there was nice table to take a rest at and work on his past due class work so that was what he'd determined he'd do while Asuka and Rei enjoyed the pool. Rei was doing laps and Asuka was screwing around with what he could only assume to be expensive scuba equipment. Unfortunately for him though, his physics assignments were proving intensely difficult. It would seem that run and recreation were not in his vocabulary...
Rei emerged from the pool and dried her hair with a towel, causing his cheeks to heat up. Even though he was not a pervert he had to admit that she looked pretty good in a swimsuit... She walked gracefully along the edge of the pool and sat down opposite of him. "Why are you not joining us in the pool?" she asked with a curious expression.
He frowned. He didn't want to just admit that he couldn't swim so... better to play the role of a responsible student instead of admit something so embarrassing. "I'd rather catch up on my classwork," he replied. "My grades aren't the greatest right now like Misato said..."
Rei continued staring back at him with a kind expression. "I would not mind assisting you," she said softly.
Why did that proposition seem appealing and awkward all at once? "I- It's really no big deal," he replied meekly, looking back to his computer screen. "You don't have to..."
Rei stood up from her seat and moved to stand beside him. "What seems to be giving you a problem?" she asked, leaning in to get a closer look at his laptop screen.
Shinji fought to keep himself from staring. Her chest was uncomfortably close to his face... No, he shouldn't be thinking about such things. He looked away from Rei and back to the screen. "Uh well... there's this one about thermal expansion," he returned softly.
"Are you having difficulty understanding the principals of the equation?" Rei asked.
Shinji frowned. "More or less," he muttered.
Rei stood upright. "Thermodynamics states that when energy enters or exits a system that the object effected will change in accordance," she replied. "Often times this change in energy causes a change in volume."
Shinji read the question over once more. "So... hot things expand and cold things contract?" he asked.
Rei nodded once more and a small smile appeared "Precisely," she returned.
"Are you two really gonna sit there and talk about school?" Asuka asked as she came striding up beside Rei with folded arms. "Come on, Rei! Let's see who can do the fastest lap!"
"I was assisting Shinji," Rei replied.
Asuka grabbed at Rei's arm. "Come on, let him be responsible or whatever, let's have some fun!" she cried, pulling her backwards. Both of them splashed into the pool and Shinji shielded his laptop from the spray. Didn't Asuka have any consideration for him? Rei surfaced beside Asuka who was laughing maniacally. "That was uncalled for, Asuka," she stated flatly.
"Jesus, lighten up Wonder-girl," Asuka shot back, swimming away across the pool.
Shinji shook his head and returned to struggling through his schoolwork...
Ritsuko stood in one of the many dark briefing rooms within NERV beside Maya, Lt. Aoba, and Vice Commander Fuyutsuki. On the screen before them played a slideshow of seismic images from within the Mt. Asama volcano taken from the research site located there. The images were quite blurry, so much so that nothing could really be made of it except that it was an abnormality. She fought back a yawn. She was too tired for this shit...
"This just isn't clear enough," Fuyutsuki spoke, stating the obvious.
"But the report from the Mt. Asama Earthquake Research Lab implies we should take a closer look at this shadow," Lt. Aoba replied.
"Indeed, we can't ignore it," Fuyutsuki responded.
Ritsuko scowled. An Angel at this time would really be the icing on top of a stressful day. "What do the Magi say?" she asked.
"It's fifty-fifty odds," Maya stated flatly.
"Who's up there?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"Captain Katsuragi has already arrived at the site," Lt. Aoba stated.
"Well..." Fuyutsuki murmured. "It seems we're now playing the waiting game..."
Indeed. It was a game that Ritsuko despised greatly...
Misato stood in the central control room of the Mt. Asama Research Lab glaring at the screen before her. Asuka's words from the previous day were ringing in her ears. The redheaded teen had expressed frustration at not being able to go an find the Angels preemptively and now there was a possibility for NERV to do just that. It was certainly an exciting and advantageous possibility.
The men of the geologic station were quite surprised when she and a whole host of men from NERV unceremoniously descended on their little operation. Thankfully it didn't take much for herself and her crew to set up shop and get to business. Then again, bringing a host of men with submachine guns goes quite a ways in assuming control over any situation...
Hyuga sat in front of her tabulating the data that was flowing in from the probe they had sent down into the mouth of the volcano. She hoped that it would hold up to the immense pressure it was being subjected to. They hadn't reached the target depth yet and they were nearing the operational capabilities of the device. It didn't matter though, who would care if a multi million dollar piece of machinery was destroyed in the war to save all of humanity...
"Katsuragi-san, you're going too deep," one of the technicians warned her.
She paid him no mind. "Lower the probe another five hundred meters," she ordered.
The probe continued to descend and an alarm began to sound. "Depth 1200, pressure resistant partition is cracking," a computerized voice sounded.
That didn't matter, they hadn't reached the target depth yet... One of the station's crew members turned to her with a look of concern. "Captain Katsuragi..." he murmured.
Misato didn't miss a beat. "If it breaks we'll pay for the damage. Sixty more meters," she commanded.
The probe continued to descend. She knew the stresses were building up but she had no choice but to continue. This could be one of the only chances to attack the Angel's first...
The probe reached target depth and signaled as such with an audible beep. "We're monitoring the reaction," Hyuga declared.
"Start analysis," she ordered.
"Right," the young lieutenant replied, striking a key on the console.
Moments later the data feed from the probe went dead and a loud klaxon sounded. "The probe has imploded due to the extreme pressure," a robotic voice sounded.
Misato leaned in over Hyuga's shoulder. "Did you get it?" she asked.
"Just barely," the lieutenant replied with a very serious tone. "The pattern is blue..."
"Then there's no doubt," Misato murmured. "It's an Angel..."
Immediately she took charge. "This laboratory is now under the jurisdiction of NERV!" Misato shouted. "There will be no unauthorized phone calls. Any access to the outside world is prohibited and all records pertaining to these events will be classified top secret!"
She stalked out of the room and pulled out her cell phone. As soon as she was in an isolated area she dialed Lt. Aoba. The phone rang twice and the long haired technician picked up. "Captain? What's going on?" he asked.
"Katsuragi here," she replied. "I need an A17 from Commander Ikari, top priority!"
"Watch what you're saying, Captain," Lt. Aoba replied. "This isn't a secure line..."
"I know that!" Misato hissed. "Switch me to a secure line immediately!"
Gendo couldn't help but note how eventful a day it had been so far. He'd received the call that an Angel had been located right in the middle of his meeting with the central board of the Human Instrumentality Project of SEELE. Moreover, it was dormant, something unheard of since the discovery of Adam... It was certainly quite unexpected but none the less he would roll with it. Considering the setback with the Dummy System earlier in the day it would certainly be a boon to his cause having a chance to strike first at an Angel. As soon as he hung up the call with Captain Katsuragi, he'd presented his case to the board... At the very least it was a distraction from thinking about... the other unpleasant matters of the day.
"An A17?" one of the board members asked incredulously. "You want to make an offensive attack?"
"That is correct," he replied.
"No, it's too dangerous," Another board member spoke. "Have you forgotten what happened fifteen years ago?"
Gendo smirked behind his gloves. This was the game he was good at after all... "No but consider this..." he replied. "This is our chance to move from a state of perpetual defense to an offensive posture."
"The risk would be enormous," Keel Lorenz, the the head of SEELE himself spoke up in protestation.
"However I'm sure that you must be aware of how important it could be to obtain a living Angel as a sample," Gendo countered. "Am I correct?"
Keel scowled back at him. "We will not tolerate failure!" he growled. With that the hologram projections of the SEELE central board disappeared from the dark room.
Fuyutsuki spoke up beside him. "Failure..." he said. "If we fail it could result in the extinction of the the entire human race... are you really going to do it, Commander?"
Gendo's smirk grew behind his gloves. He lived for this kind of thing... The pilots would not fail him. His son would not fail him...
"Ah..." Masaki sighed and he leaned his head back against the edge of the bath. "This is the life... am I right, Nakajima-kun?"
Ryuji couldn't help but admit that his friend was right. Hot springs really were the shit. The furlough they'd been granted from their regiment had certainly been well spent so far. The hot springs at the foothills of Mt. Asama were positively amazing. Never before in his life had been so relaxed. He knocked back another cup of sake and reveled in the warmth flowing through him. "I'll give you this one, Masaki-kun," he replied with a sigh. "You were right about this..."
"Of course I am!" Masaki declared. "You know, my family owns these hot springs, right?"
Ryuji rolled his eyes and poured himself another cup of sake from the bottle they'd been sharing. "Yes," he replied. "You've told me about ten times about how your relatives own this place."
Masaki snickered. "Sorry," he replied. "I can't help but have a bit of pride in it, that's all."
Ryuji grinned, downing his cup. "I get it," he replied. "This is certainly more relaxing than the regimental shower rooms."
"Oh hell yeah!" Masaki returned. "You can actually relax instead of worrying about the water getting cold. Not to mention that but there's tip top service here!"
Ryuji sighed. "Look, I get it," he replied. "Your family is loaded, don't have to rub it in..."
Masaki moved closer to him and put his arm around him. "And my brother from another gets to reap the rewards of that," he stated with a smirk. "Aren't you glad you came along?"
Ryuji scowled. "yeah..." he grumbled. "I am, okay?"
It was then that a female staff member of the facility burst into the bathing area. "Masaki-san, Nakajima-san," she spoke. "I do apologize but we are required to evacuate effective immediately," she said.
Ryuji scowled. "What for?" he asked. Seriously, what could be ruining his nice vacation from his shit deployment?
"The government has issued an evacuation notice for Mt. Asama and the surrounding prefecture," the woman stated. "Something to do with NERV."
Ryuji's scowl deepened. Somehow that goddamn organization continued to ruin things for him... "Goddammit..." he hissed under his breath before downing his cup of sake and exiting the bath.
He was seriously growing to hate NERV...
Author's Notes
Well... how about that turn of events? I promised that things would get heavy didn't I? Well... this is it. Rei just got subjected to the first Dummy Plug upload tests and in short order she'll have to deal with the reality that is Saldalphon. Hopefully she can make it through without cracking...
This chapter was difficult to write, not because of it's content but because my day job keeps stealing all my time. Seriously, I've been working six day weeks for the last five weeks and it's probably not going to stop until after the holidays are over. Still, rest assured, I have a definite idea of where this story is going and how it will one day end. We've finally hit where things start getting real for our main heroine. Even though it was a difficult process due to time constraints I still had a ton of fun putting this together. Gendo's scenes are always a blast to write!
Hopefully I can get the next chapter finished in a reasonable time. Still shooting for two weeks so... fingers crossed.
Please let me know what you think! Read and review!
Regards,
A.F.