Chapter 6: Centering Souls
Tests on Rei continue to prove… somewhat frustrating. Even with Shinji Ikari's readings as a baseline for what changes are made to the human body after long-term internment in a core, she still proves… mysterious.
Even with what little I knew about her mission from Commander Ikari, and what I know about what she is made of, as it were, so much could have changed with her contact with both the 10th Angel and with the awakened Unit-01 and Shinji Ikari. Perhaps there are other tests I need to be running. Or I need to expand the parameters of my previous ones. But by how much?
- From the personal journal of XO Ritsuko Akagi
Bunk Block 261, AAA Wunder, February 12th, 2028
"We spared them the assured death of the Reapers, Daniel. And the strongest of them now have had the chance to build a better, more unified galaxy. That is enough. The weak who would hold them back will build the foundation of a people ready to become all they truly can be. Together. That is Unity. That is what will make Reality pure."
Those words echoed in Daniel's mind as he opened his eyes and rubbed them. He'd returned last night. Eleanor could do nothing but watch, not interfering as Hamar'ramah had a long talk with him about the galaxy that said Reapers came from.
Memories of Mashor Vinis flashed through his mind as he sat up in his bunk and sighed heavily, reaching for his neck almost without thinking. 'He didn't quite get the memo, did he, Hamar?' he mused before he stood, drawing the curtain between him and Eleanor and Shinji and Asuka closed.
As Eleanor got out of her bunk and began to get dressed for the day, he could see her shudder.
As they finished dressing, Daniel walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. It was silent for a moment between them as they heard the others getting ready.
"It…" Eleanor said silently. "It was like…"
She took a deep breath as Daniel pulled her into a hug. "I know," he said quietly.
They stood there for a moment, both remembering the last moments of the Hollow Saint of War, in the ruins of the world of Tel. How lucky they were to be together as they were now.
Then, Daniel took a deep breath as he stepped back from the embrace. "Thank you," he said quietly. "And… I'm sorry."
Eleanor shook her head slightly. "Daniel… it was what it was."
Daniel nodded slightly. "That it is."
As they prepared for the day, his phone buzzed, and he took it out of his pocket to see that Shinji had texted him. 'I don't really feel like doing anything today. Training's left me exhausted, and I'd rather be by myself today.'
Daniel nodded as he tapped out a reply. 'No worries. We can just talk over this today if you want to. I'll swing by tomorrow and see if there's something different we can do.'
It was a moment more before he received another text. 'Thank you.'
In time, Daniel stepped out the door, turning right as the others turned left. He was back on bridge rotation, Ymris trading the engineering bay with him. It was an arrangement that they'd settled upon, if only… somewhat tensely.
He shook his head as he recalled the emotion of the moment, how close ready the both of them had seemed to be to drawing blades. He didn't know why she'd been so… on edge that day.
'I'm sure us being here isn't helping matters.' he mused as he found himself among Koji, Sumire, Midori, and Hideki as they stepped onto the bridge, relieving the night crew of their duty stations.
As he stepped onto the command platform with Aoba, Hyuga, and Hideki, he looked over at Captain Katsuragi standing there stoically, Doctor Akagi standing by her side. From when he'd last left the bridge, it seemed like she hadn't moved. As he stood waiting for his station to come to them, he looked over and noted her expression, the glasses in front of Katsuragi's eyes making little difference with how close they were to each other.
She was nearly exhausted. He didn't even need his Interfacing to see the bags under her eyes. How she picked herself back up from slouching with a twitch of her back every minute or so.
"Captain?" he said quietly, watching Katsuragi twitch as she looked over at him, silent as she expected a continuation.
"I'm not one to presume what's been keeping you up at night, and I'm sure you're as competent a commanding officer as they come…" Daniel began, concern evident in his tone as his station docked with the main platform.
"But speaking frankly, ma'am," he continued, "I like to know that my commanding officers are well-rested. It keeps the ones I like serving under alive, I find. I hope that whatever else, you find the opportunity to rest soon."
Katsuragi narrowed her eyes, then nodded slightly after a moment. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Mr. Theisman."
Daniel smiled slightly as he stepped onto the platform for his station which slowly extended back out as he took a seat.
Koji looked over at Daniel and shook his head as they came to their final positions, hanging in the air. "You know, I almost envy you over there in the Eva diagnostics chair." he chuckled. "Kicking back and relaxing while the rest of us do the heavy lifting of actually piloting the ship."
Daniel shrugged. "It's a nice place for a crotchety old man like myself, kid, making sure everyone knows if the Evas suddenly blow up. I'll try not to have a heart attack whenever general quarters sounds."
Koji rolled his eyes. "Says you," he grumbled in good nature.
With that, Daniel settled into his post, looking out one of the several eye-like windows on the bridge to watch the blue sky and the red sea pass by. Out of one corner of the windows, he saw the moon, large and crisscrossed with deep crimson lines.
As time passed, Daniel glanced over to see Koji looking down at his phone, Midori folding up a piece of origami from what looked like scrap paper, and Hideki reading a small book. 'Civilian volunteers indeed.' he mused. 'Not even Koji's fully immune.'
His pocket buzzed, and he pulled out his phone, smiling slightly. 'Not that I'm proving to be much better, am I?'
It was Shinji again. 'So, do you know what those Eva lookalikes were?'
He could sense the hesitation in the description. A part of him wanted to tell the truth now. Get this over with. This cloak and dagger stuff always grated at him in time, now. But there was a better than good chance that revealing himself and the others now would result in chaos. Chaos that would not only be able to consume them, but consume those that surrounded them as well.
So, as Daniel sighed quietly, he penned up what he knew everyone else knew. 'That's as good a question as any. If Doctor Akagi wasn't so busy making sure Rei was safe to be around, she'd probably be on trying to make heads or tails of what little we got on those lookalikes.'
He sent the response, then considered it further, and began to type another. 'Whatever they are, though… they're powerful. I really hope they're on our side when all is said and done.'
It was silent again for a moment, and Daniel considered the screens at his station. Two screens to his left and right showed the status of Unit-02 and Unit-08, both at the tail end of undergoing extensive armor refits, while the center screen fed him idle data as the Evas slept in their gantries. In Unit-02's case, such upgrades included a brand new mechanical arm, fitted with an AT Field-enhanced flechette launcher. So far as Daniel could tell, both of the Evas would then be in the Gamma configuration.
The phone buzzed again. 'What about Ayanami?' Shinji was found to ask.
Daniel again sighed quietly as he tapped out a reply. 'I'm going to visit her today. My visits have been too sparse. I'd like to get her at least acclimated to… whatever kind of life she's going to have away from your father and NERV. I'll try and set something up so you can see her soon. A visit. A video call. Something.'
It was a long moment as he considered the phone, waiting for a reply.
'Thank you, Daniel.'
'Of course, Shinji.'
With that, Daniel pocketed the phone again, leaning back in his chair.
"Talking to someone?"
He looked over at Midori, who had finished folding a paper tiger, and smiled slightly. "Just having a brief conversation with one of my kids who has some free time, is all."
He nodded at the tiger that she had set down on her station. "Nice art."
Midori smiled. "Thanks. It's…" her face fell slightly as she paused. "Well, it's for-"
Before she could continue, an alarm sounded on her console, snapping the rest of the bridge back into focus as she faced her screen. "I'm reading a line of 10 contacts 3 kilometers out, 15 degrees off the port bow heading southwest, ranging from plus and minus 5 degrees on our plane. Sensors are still processing ID, but I have a definite Pattern Blue."
"ID process complete," Hyuga said behind him. "They're all Mark.04As."
"Sound general quarters." Captain Katsuragi said from behind them, alarms beginning to go off in short order. "Take us to Battle Stations level 3. Prepare the Evangelions for sortie."
She looked down at Midori and Daniel as she continued. "Have they given any indication that they've noticed us, either through strengthening their AT Fields or heading towards us?"
"Not as of yet, ma'am," Midori replied. "They are maintaining their current course."
"And I'm reading no apparent changes to their AT Fields," Daniel interjected.
"Very well, then," Katsuragi said. "We'll keep our distance for now. Nagara, get us about 4 more kilometers away from them. We're only going to engage if we have to this time."
"4 kilometers away, aye ma'am," Sumire replied as the view of the world outside began to pan to the right.
Daniel looked intently down at his screens, watching the two Evangelions go through pre-activation checks as he noted Asuka and Mari hurrying towards the gantries.
The bridge, beyond its alarms, had now gone silent, a tense atmosphere building in the room as they watched as best they could and waited.
In time, even the alarms shut off, and Daniel resorted to looking out one of the larger windows, however useful it might have been.
He looked back at his station as he got a notification of the Entry Plugs for the Evas locking in. "Evangelions are ready to scramble," he said, looking back to see the silent nod that Katsuragi gave him.
The silence returned, stretching into long minutes. Daniel soon found himself sweating. He wouldn't have been surprised if everyone else was, too.
He could almost hear a clock ticking in his head, the seconds passing by more and more slowly.
As he scanned the screens yet again, looking at the display of Unit-08 on his right, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. As he turned his head to look, there was nothing on the floor below him. And certainly nothing on the gantry surrounding him. Odd.
He looked back at his screen, pondering on what he caught sight of. It looked like… a person. A slightly glowing person.
He shuddered slightly as he tamped down the memories of Instrumentality as best he could. 'We'll deal with it later. Besides, it didn't look like Rei.'
'Then again, if that's the case, what is it doing here?'
Before he could ruminate further, Midori sighed quietly. "The last of the contacts just fell off of the ship's long-range radar."
A sigh of relief quietly gusted through the bridge. "Stand down from Battle Stations," Katsuragi said from behind them. "Inform the pilots to remain ready for the next half hour or so until we can confirm they won't swing back around."
As the bridge crew finished complying with her orders, Daniel sat back in his chair. "Is that really the first time we've seen any of those since Operation US?"
"I guess so," Koji replied. "We cleared a lot of them out when we were setting up KREDIT. I guess they've finally started to build them back up again."
"Let's hope we don't see more of them soon," Hideki said quietly. "That already seems like a handful just for the ship and the Evas."
"Let's hope indeed, Mr. Tama," Katsuragi said.
. . .
Though they spent the rest of the shift keeping a close eye on the skies around them, the rest of the duty shift passed in relative peace.
As the oncoming duty shift relieved the current bridge staff, Daniel looked over as Midori walked over to his side. "So, I mentioned that this paper tiger was for someone," she said, raising the origami piece up to emphasize her point.
Daniel nodded. "Well, no need to keep us in suspense. Who's it for?"
"Well… It's for Shinji." Midori said quietly. "I figured, being where he is in the brig, he could use something to lighten things up."
"So… if you could give it to him when you next see him…" she placed the tiger in his hand. "I'd appreciate it."
Daniel slowed to a stop, Midori stopping with him as he looked at her with new eyes. Eyes that remembered seeing this self-same woman on a screen, her eyes full of fear and hate for the boy she now gave a gift to.
Daniel smiled slightly. "You know what? I'll swing by the brig right now, and drop it off for him. I'm sure he'll appreciate the gesture."
Midori nodded slightly. "I hope you'll be able to get him out of there soon. Staying in there for any length of time… doesn't sound great."
Daniel nodded. "I'll let you in on a little secret."
He looked around to ensure that the hallway was empty before he continued. "Chief Beifong and I actually go back a way. I wouldn't be surprised if I could start bending her ear to bend the Captain's."
Midori nodded. "I hope you're able to do so soon."
Daniel sighed quietly. "I hope so, too."
. . .
Unit-02 Gantry
Ymris wiped her hands on a rag she stuffed into a pocket before wiping a brow nearly dripping with sweat, looking around for a moment to ensure that nothing on Unit-02, especially its new mechanical arm, hadn't exploded as Asuka exited the Entry Plug at last.
As she found herself satisfied that, indeed, nothing had been blown up, her gaze skated past someone on the arm of the Eva.
'Wait a minute. No one's supposed to be up there.'
Her eyes darted back to see the… well, it was a person, if nothing else. Slightly glowing, the person looked to be a man in a gray business suit and a blue necktie, looking down at a watch with harried gray eyes and running a hand through thinning black hair.
She blinked… and he was gone.
She shook her head slightly, blinking again as if the act would summon the apparition again. When such attempts failed, she looked around her. Everyone else was distracted, either looking down at devices or consoles or heading out the door as a new duty shift opened up.
Everyone except First Lieutenant Ibuki.
Ymris walked over towards the woman, who was still looking up at where the apparition had been, others beginning to look at her and follow her gaze. "You saw it too?" she asked quietly.
Ibuki looked down at her, her eyes still wide. "You mean…"
Then, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Yeah. I did too. And…" she looked around for a moment at the others, who turned away and continued their work before she continued. "This isn't the first time, either."
"When was the first?" Ymris asked as they began to walk together out of the gantry, people getting off their duty shift passing them by with barely a glance.
Ibuki shook her head as she furrowed her brow slightly. "Weeks ago. At least before we got into the air."
"Is it just us, or has anyone else seen him?"
"I'm not sure. If anyone else has, they haven't told me yet." Ibuki said. She rolled her eyes. "It makes working with these young men a pain sometimes. Always wanting to appear strong in front of everyone. Especially me."
Ymris arched an eyebrow. "I can't imagine why they'd want to impress you," she said with a slight, knowing smile.
Ibuki opened her mouth for a moment, then shut it silently as she blushed slightly. "I expect them to act professionally. Just as I expected you to."
"Come on, Ibuki," Ymris said with a quiet chuckle. "We've been working together for over a decade and a half. I know you and the XO have a thing for each other."
Ibuki shook her head slightly. "Maybe." she finally sighed after a moment. "But we both know what we're in the middle of. Trying to keep the world from ending completely. There just… isn't really time for something like that right now. Not here, at least."
Ibuki then shook her head, a little more vigorously this time. "Anyway, that's beside the point. They aren't telling me. Are your engineers and technicians telling you if they see anything?"
Ymris shook her head in turn, her jaw clenching slightly. "No, not as of yet."
She pondered for a moment on who she could talk to who might know. Aaminata, for all her wisdom, when it came to the topic of Spirits, would have been helpful… if she wasn't all the way across the Pacific Ocean right now. That left the only other people who might be knowledgeable about such things here on the ship.
"Let's see…" she said as she cupped her chin. "Maybe we should ask Eleanor and her crew, too. She seems… forthright about things."
She pulled out her phone as she said this, dialing the number that Daniel had given her and waiting as the tone sounded.
"Yes, Chief?" the voice on the other end said as Eleanor picked up.
"Seen any ghosts lately, Mrs. Theisman?" Ymris asked rather flippantly.
The line was silent for a moment. "Yes. Out in a few of the corridors on our way towards the engineering bay." Eleanor said slowly. "Have you?"
"Yes. And First Lieutenant Ibuki as well. Here in the gantry for Unit-02."
Eleanor hummed on the other end of the line. "That's quite a ways from where I was. Were you planning on asking anyone else?"
"Well, with the three of us…" Ymris paused. "Perhaps we need to paint a picture of where, exactly, in the ship people have been seeing things. And trying to find out where they come from."
"Do you think they might show up on any sort of sensor?"
Ymris looked over at Ibuki. "Reckon they might show up if you studied them hard enough?"
"It certainly doesn't hurt to try."
"Should we inform the XO about this?"
Ibuki cupped her chin in thought. "As crazy as this sounds, I want solid proof before we take anything to the higher-ups. Even to Senpai."
Ymris nodded. "Well, then, let's gather our forces and go… bust some ghosts, I guess."
Ibuki arched an eyebrow. "Is that…"
Ymris shrugged. "Just something I heard from one of the crew members a while ago. Must have been about a movie or something."
. . .
Outer Hull
Daniel opened the hatch and stepped out onto the mahogany and gray-blue hull, taking a deep breath of the crisp, somewhat chill air as he took a few steps forward and let his hair down, the wind running invisible fingers through his hair.
He turned to regard the hatch after a moment, seeing Asuka and Mari stepping out behind him, looking around themselves. One's eye held a quiet appreciation of her surroundings even as it was disguised by a carefully neutral expression, while the other's eyes were wide, glittering with wonder and excitement as she hungrily took in all within her sight.
Her eyes focused with laser-like precision on one of the massive radar dishes that flanked them. "Oooh. I want to roller skate in one of those," she said, a grin on her face.
Asuka rolled her eye as she sighed quietly. "Oh, please, Specs. I don't think the Captain would want to risk us breaking our necks just to get a thrill that doesn't even compare to the stuff we can do in the Eva."
Mari began to pout as she looked back at Asuka, hands on her hips. "Aw come on, princess, it's the principle of the thing."
"Wow. That does look kind of fun, doesn't it?"
Daniel looked down at the hatch as the last person to accompany them emerged, running a hand through short black hair as he looked up at the radar dish with glittering gray eyes. "We're already getting enough air being up here as is. Imagine gaining more." he continued with a sly smile.
Asuka rolled her eye, groaning as she planted a palm in her face, Daniel chuckling as he shook his head.
Mari, on the other hand, gestured towards the man with both arms. "See? He gets it! You get it…"
She trailed off as she looked at the man, her eyes narrowing as he waited patiently for her to finish. "Alan. Right?" she said slowly.
Alan chuckled as he nodded. "Yes. Mr. Aanderson works too, but I do prefer Alan."
Mari shrugged. "Well, alright then." she paused for a moment as she blinked. "Wait. Aanderson? As in Chief Medical Officer Aanderson?"
Alan nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes. She's my wife, after all."
Mari nodded slowly, a smile on her face. "I see, I see."
She looked away, her gaze sweeping across the ship as she walked toward the back of the ship. "Well, I'm going to go exploring now," she called back. "I'll try not to hurt myself too badly."
Daniel sighed quietly, rolling his eyes as a slight smile tugged at a corner of his mouth. "I'll go after her, make sure she sticks to what she said."
He looked over at Alan and Asuka. "Do either of you want to come along?"
Asuka shook her head. "I'll take whatever time I can get away from her. You're on your own, Daniel."
Daniel shrugged. "Ah, well. Alan, do you mind staying here then?"
Alan shook his head. "Not at all. I'll take whatever chance to be in the open air I get."
Daniel nodded. "Alright then. See you all in a little while."
. . .
Asuka watched Daniel walk away, then turned to look towards the bow of the ship, closing her eye and taking a deep breath of the open air.
It smelled… clean. A world apart from the cloying smell of drying blood or the slightly biting scent of the air conditioners in her quarters. It reminded her of Village-3. Of the home that Kensuke had provided her. A part of her wanted to simply… fly away into this air. Be a part of the open sky like she'd thought about so many years ago in Germany.
She took another deep breath, almost like she was getting ready to dive back into the depths.
"Are you okay?"
She opened her eye, looking around for a moment before she looked to her left, finding Alan sitting cross-legged and looking up at her with no small amount of concern in his eyes.
"Yeah," she replied. "I just… don't get much in the way of fresh air. Or sunlight."
"Based on what I've seen of where you stay…" Alan shuddered slightly. "I think you need a lot more, frankly."
Asuka snorted softly. "Yeah, you and me both."
They regarded each other for a moment more in silence. "So what are you doing?" Asuka finally asked.
"I'm meditating, or at least planning on it. Care to join me?"
Asuka tilted her head. "Meditating…" her eye narrowed slightly.
"Have you never done it before?" Alan asked. "Come and join me, and I'll start walking you through a somewhat basic one I learned a while ago."
Asuka hesitated for a moment, then decided to sit down next to him, her Plugsuit squeaking slightly as she crossed her legs. 'It's not like I have much else to do, anyway.'
"Okay… what next?" she said, looking over at Alan with an unsure, somewhat guarded look.
"Close your eye." he began as he looked towards the bow and closed his eyes. "Feel the wind on your face, in your hair. Imagine it suffusing your whole body."
Asuka nodded silently as she did so, breathing in again, slowly, deeply. As ridiculous as this felt to her… it felt good to breathe deeply like this.
"Now, imagine flying through the open sky. Every doubt, every fear, every evil thought or memory, it's all beneath you. You are above it all at the moment."
"Sounds like a great way to run away from something. Not my style."
She could hear him smile slightly as he replied. "No one said that it was going to stay that way. Now, much of my training was centered around the wind. How it relates to us and our lives. Like the wind, our lives can follow the same path for ages before they blow us away, onto a path that we may have never expected."
"That's kind of sucked so far," Asuka said, rolling her eye behind her eyelid. "I was actually starting to enjoy the path my life was on."
"That's one of the funny things about life. Every path we leave, we take a part of it with us, laying it onto the new path we tread. Memories, habits, and people, all can join us on the path we follow. For good or ill."
Asuka sighed quietly. "Is there a point to all this near-mystical mumbo jumbo?"
"Yes," Alan said patiently. "Now, pick out something negative that rests within you. Something that has joined you on your path that might hold you back from getting to the one you wish to take. An emotion. A memory. An idea of a person. Envision it in your hands, what you feel it would look like."
It was silent for a moment as Asuka pondered what she would pick. It wasn't like there was a lack of things to pick up, as it were. She could almost envision flying over a vast, black sea, writhing and twisting, a hand or an Evangelion-like face reaching out to just miss her.
'Maybe that's what he looks like.' she mused as she willed her mental image to dip a hand into the inky depths, considering what she might try to retrieve.
What came to the surface most easily… was Shinji Ikari. Or, at least, what she felt about the guy. It was a similarly inky mass in her imagination, hate, confusion, and even a little guilt writhing and twitching in her hands.
"Do you have something in mind?" Alan asked.
"Yeah. I do." Asuka replied almost hesitantly.
"Are you prepared to let it go?"
It was silent for what seemed like ages as Asuka pondered the question. 'Am I?'
Now that she was considering it, figuratively holding her emotions in her hands… it felt… right to feel them. To continue holding on.
Beyond all that he had done to make the world into what it was, he'd hurt her. Torn her apart and crushed her in his Evangelion's teeth. The darker part of her screamed to hold on. Let that hate focus her so that she could make…
She nearly opened her eye as she tamped down that darker part as best she could. It hadn't been that outspoken for… years now.
"Not really." she finally answered.
"Perhaps you aren't ready to fully let go," Alan said. "But you can always begin the process. Consider why you hold on, then let go of as much as you can bear right now."
Asuka focused on her imagination again, seeing the feelings that she felt for Shinji in her hands.
She still hadn't gotten the courage to ask him the question. She'd heard his excuse when she'd punched the glass that separated them. And since then… she'd had time to think about it. Query what few records they still had from NERV's database. The camera footage didn't lie. And, so it seemed, neither did idiot Shinji. At least, to some extent.
She imagined the feelings in her hands beginning to stiffen, to dry up and start blowing away in that wind that Alan mentioned. And letting go, even a little, felt…
"No. NO!"
Then, he was there. And her mind felt like it was caught in a vice. "You will not deprive me of my last satisfaction! Feed me your misery!"
Control left her, and though she could feel her back hitting the hull, she knew that she could do nothing. It seemed her time had come at last. Would the Choker activate?
'I hope so. If nothing else… at least I'll go out without hurting anyone else much.'
Then… something. Someone. Beyond Bardiel and her, looming like a sun appearing in the oncoming void.
. . .
Daniel walked towards where Mari had decided to sit and look out across the ocean, the woman looking over at him and smiling. "Nice view, I've got to say."
Daniel nodded as he took a seat next to her, looking out with her. "I'd normally agree… except I remember when this ocean was blue. Full of life. Now… it's as dead as the bloody color suggests."
"Yep."
They sat there silently for a while, simply taking in the view.
"So," Mari finally said as she looked over at Daniel, "are you gonna ask me the questions?"
Daniel looked over at her, eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh, boo. Asuka spoiled them for you. I'd hoped to keep the surprise for our first outing."
Mari gave him a smug grin. "Asuka lives with me, papa bear. It was only a rather short matter of time."
"So," Mari continued as she crossed her legs, resting an elbow on a knee and her chin in one hand as she regarded him, "ask away."
Daniel sighed quietly even as he smiled. "Who are you?"
Mari looked up and away as she hummed quietly. "Well… I'm a woman out of time, as it were. Not exactly in her proper place, really. Kind of like you, I suppose, if what I've heard about is correct."
Daniel arched his brow. "And why is that?"
Mari opened her mouth, then closed it. "Well… you probably wouldn't quite believe it. You know how we read some pretty fantastical stories together, after all."
"Mari, we live in a world ripped straight out of some of those books. I'm willing to believe just about anything at this point."
It was silent again as Mari's expression became thoughtful. "I… remember. This isn't the first time this has happened."
"This? Like…"
"I've got these… memories. From the past. From the last first time I got into an Evangelion all the way up to… some point or another. Then it all begins again."
Daniel regarded her silently for a moment, then Mari shook her head and looked away. "I mean, it really does sound like something that shouldn't actually happen, doesn't it? Even with the Evas and the Angels and all this… actual time shenanigans?"
She shook her head slightly. "It's a little much. Even for me."
"When did the memories come to you?"
Mari looked back over at Daniel, her eyes widening at the utterly serious look in his. "It… well, it started when we were stealing this ship from its construction berth. They needed an Eva to get it off the ground. So I did it."
She shook her head slightly as she looked back out across the open sky. "It was a hell of a job. Like… trying to lift the solar system off your chest in order to keep it flying, right?"
Daniel nodded slightly, remembering a remarkably similar feeling from long ago as she continued. "I pushed and pushed, and there was this barrier that I… well, I didn't really see it. But I got past it. Now…"
She spread her arms. "The girl who knows how the world seems to work, at least somewhat, stands before you."
Daniel was silent for a moment, brow furrowed slightly in thought. "What do you want?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Mari sighed quietly. "I want to find a way to stop this. Find a way to move on with things when the time is right. I've lived the same life over and over and over, and… All these people I know…"
She looked back towards the ship, seeming to stare past the hull plating. "Like Puppy-boy Shinji…" she shook her head. "I know his parents. I held him in my arms when he was born. At least, this time. To see him, to see them, suffer like this… it isn't right."
Daniel nodded slowly as he deliberated on what he now knew. There was a possibility now, dangerous though it might be, that she could be told at least some of the truth. 'I really wish that I could tell her, tell them all, everything. But then that tips our hand and Tavis and company come after us. What happens to everyone around us then…'
He shook his head. 'I shouldn't say much. Not before I can vet that she won't tell anyone. But… just enough to tip her off. Make her curious. Shouldn't be too hard to do, after all.'
"I see." he finally said aloud. "I wondered if someone else knew."
Mari's head whipped over to look at him, a wide look in her eyes. "What?" she said. "You… do you…"
"It's… going to take some explaining." Daniel began before pausing.
"Basically-"
"Daniel! Daniel!"
They both looked over at Alan, racing towards them, and Daniel's heart stopped as he saw the limp form of Asuka in the man's arms.
In a moment, they were at his side, Daniel laying the back of his hand on her forehead, and finding her shuddering slightly. "What happened?"
"I don't know. We were meditating where you left us when she suddenly fell back onto the deck. She hasn't responded."
Daniel's jaw clenched as he looked at Mari. "Do you know the way to the medical bay?"
Mari nodded, a concerned look in her eyes. "Yeah," she said shakily.
"Go there now. We'll call ahead and make sure Doctor Aanderson is ready for when we arrive."
"But I don't-"
"Go!"
Mari, somewhat taken aback, nodded choppily and raced toward the hatch that they'd climbed out of.
As soon as Daniel was sure that Mari was no longer able to hear them, he looked, once again, at his friend. "Aang, what's going on?"
"I used my energy bending to try and connect myself to her and figure out what was going on. There's… there's something in there with her. Something that's… consuming her." Aang's breath shuddered as he said the last words.
Daniel nodded slowly. "Indeed. Were you able to do anything?"
"Well, I… pushed it off of her soul, for lack of a better term. It's still in there, but…"
Aang shook his head. "Whatever it is, it's malicious. Evil, almost."
Daniel nodded again as he put a hand on Aang's shoulder and began to guide him toward the hatch. "It seems there's more than just Angelic corruption within her body. I'll explain when I'm sure we won't be monitored."
. . .
Ymris hummed as she looked down over Ibuki's shoulder at the screen, observing the, frankly, eldritch readings that were scrawled on the screen of the tablet, outfitted with a case that held what she thought were cameras.
Eleanor was on Ibuki's other side, looking at the space, a long expanse of a well-trafficked hallway on the starboard beam of the ship, where they had found another 'ghost', a little girl from what seemed, at least to their brief visual observation, to have been from some part of Africa, dark-skinned and wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
"What did you get now?" Ymris asked, hopeful that their third ghost of the day would yield something more of note.
"I think I'm starting to see a trail, a disturbance of the space they pass through. It's like they're… radiating something from their souls." Ibuki replied almost absentmindedly. "If I calibrate the scanners just a little more…"
She tapped on the screen a few more times, then smiled slightly as an image of the hallway in a muted shade of gray appeared, a muted, shifting trail of dark colors like a wafting tendril of mist twisting through the hallway before reaching a stopping point where they'd seen the girl disappear.
"Aha!" Ibuki said, clearly satisfied. "Now, we can see where this ghost, and subsequently any others we might come across, seem to come from."
"Well then, lead on, Lieutenant." Eleanor urged. "I hope that whatever this is, we can at least attempt to fix it."
They marched forward, losing the trail through the walls or even sometimes the ceiling before picking up at least another one, the trails, the paths seemingly uncaring of the paths already laid out by the ship. All paths that they ranged the ship to find, regardless of where they seemed to go, seemed to be leading towards the center of the ship.
"I wonder…" Ibuki said, her brow furrowing in slowly dawning realization as they began to approach the engineering bay, the trail they were following being joined by more and more as they came to a stop in front of the doors.
They paused in front of them, Ibuki's tablet tilting up to see a massive, swirling cloud of what she now guessed was likely Flux, evident even behind the doors. On the screen, it showed what were likely massive tendrils being drawn away towards what Ymris assumed was the S2 Engines.
"Moment of truth," Eleanor said as she opened the door. "Let's see if we can contain… whatever this is."
They walked in, the people of the current duty shift sparing them only a glance as they got back to work.
They continued to walk toward the center of the bay, towards that dark, looming thunderhead, then they slowly came to a stop, Ibuki lowering the tablet as they all looked up at the still, imprisoned form of Unit-01.
"Well, then," Ibuki said as she handed the tablet to Ymris, "I don't exactly know if there's a mechanical solution to… whatever problem we're facing. But do you think you two could check it out quickly?"
Ymris looked back up at the silent purple titan. "We'll see what we can do."
The two women, so utterly small compared to the giant that they wished to keep in good repair, climbed up the gantry that surrounded the Evangelion, a gantry that was empty for now.
As they reached Unit-01's chest, Ymris looked over at Eleanor. "I'll fully admit," she said, "I'm not exactly sure what to do in this situation, either from a technical perspective or an Interfacing one. Would you know something we could try?"
Eleanor looked up at the Unit, then sighed quietly. "Frankly, I wouldn't fully know where to start. I've worked on Unit-01 before, enough to nearly know it inside-out. But…"
She shook her head slightly. "Take a look at it with the Sight."
Ymris blinked on the Sight, seeing Eleanor's Frames before she looked up at the core of Unit-01. It was awash with light, a far cry from the pinprick she had seen working up close and personal working with the other Evas.
She blinked it off, rubbing her eyes as she looked back at Eleanor. "That's a lot of people," she said quietly.
Eleanor nodded. "And we also have to consider the Pattern Blue detectors that are trained on this thing. Even the slightest Expression from either of us is going to get noticed. Then…"
"We'll have some explaining to do." Ymris grimaced at the prospect.
"With both our sides as dependent on discretion for the moment… it would make things very difficult for all involved."
Ymris clenched her jaw slightly. They were still on different sides of this, weren't they? And Tavis would make sure nothing would get in his way now. He even had the firepower to do it.
She sighed quietly. "Yeah. It would, wouldn't it?"
It was silent between them for a few moments.
"It's a rough position you're in."
Ymris looked over at Eleanor, her eyes narrowing at the sympathetic look in her eyes. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Caring for people on both sides," Eleanor replied quietly. "Were you ever a part of the Unity War?"
Ymris shook her head. "I saw pieces of the aftermath. Jameson saw to that. I never saw any action."
Eleanor nodded slowly. "I see. During the war, it wasn't just my fellow Worldstriders that I was worried about. Daniel and I both had plenty of friends that were Unitists, whether they became part of the crusade or were trying not to be torn apart by it. And with Daniel as the Hollow Saint…"
Eleanor paused as she looked down, sighing quietly. "It made the war so much more… personal. Knowing every report you could look at could have the name of a friend, or someone more deeply connected than that."
She looked back up at Ymris. "And now you're of two worlds as well. It can't last forever. Something has to give. I almost had to give up saving my husband to ensure that the rest of Reality could be saved. I got unusually lucky to be able to even find him again."
"So, when the time comes, I want you to think of what you want to give up. We'll be there if you need help."
"Aren't I one of your enemies?"
"Maybe. But everyone needs help making choices at some point."
Ymris stared at Eleanor for a moment before shaking her head. "What is it with you Theisman's and your odd wisdom?"
Eleanor smiled sadly. "It comes from learning it from hard experience."
Eleanor sighed quietly as she looked back up at Unit-01. "Well, we should probably tell Lieutenant Ibuki we can't puzzle something out."
Ymris nodded, rather grateful that the topic had been changed to something more… present. "Let's."
They made their way down in short order, Ibuki turning to regard them from the computer terminal she stood over. "We're looking at something far beyond any mechanical help." Eleanor led out with a shrug. "Whatever it is, we can't just slap another armor plate over the core."
"We could possibly try some sort of ACC system as a jury-rig," Ymris interjected, "but that's spit-balling a possible solution. I can only guess at how well that would work."
Ibuki nodded. "I appreciate that you tried if nothing else. But we're going to need to come up with some sort of solution soon. Having done a diagnostic, there's a slight, but noticeable decrease in power. If this continues, there's a better than good possibility that we'll see a real impact on ship's systems."
"So…" Eleanor cupped her chin thoughtfully. "Is there possibly a solution the Achiral System could direct us to?"
"That's actually what I was trying to make work," Ibuki said with a quiet sigh. "But with a problem as odd as this… it's making it a bit hard to define to the system what's wrong, really."
She turned back to face the console. "I keep getting mentions of a 'White Cell-type Containment System', but I'm not entirely sure what it does or even what it looks like. Senpai might know. She's rather more versed in the technical specifications of the ship, which I'll admit isn't saying much."
"Well…" Ymris said, pausing as she looked back up at Unit-01. "Whatever it is, I can only hope it solves our little ghost problem."
. . .
Daniel walked into the reinforced examination bay, taking heart as he saw Rei up and out of her gurney. She was dressed in a simple medical gown, her long blue hair nearly touching the floor.
He found himself somewhat puzzled to see Asuka in the same room, thankfully also up and about, but obviously not enjoying her time here. Unlike her usual stalking, almost tiger-like temper, however, she simply sat on a fold-out bunk, knees to her chest and staring at the wall. It worried him to no small extent.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, however, was Doctor Akagi, on his side of the glass, looking over at him from the desktop console that she sat in front of. She'd discarded the thick fur-lined jacket she'd seemed to have taken to wearing during their time in the Arctic, seeming to now don her ever-familiar white lab coat.
"Mr. Theisman," Akagi said coolly. "I can imagine why you're here."
"As a scientist of your caliber, ma'am, I would expect no less," Daniel replied. "How are Rei's examinations coming along?"
"They are…" she sighed quietly. "Coming along, at the least. Having run some synch tests on her, I'm getting the same readings as I have with Ikari. Other than that, no traces of Angelic contamination thus far."
Daniel arched an eyebrow. "Has that revised the time of Rei's release?"
"Not yet. Perhaps it might after a few more tests."
"Okay, then." Daniel sighed quietly as he stepped towards the glass, looking over at Rei.
"Hello, Rei. How are you doing?"
Rei regarded him silently for the moment, head tilted slightly. "I find my situation… somewhat satisfactory for the moment."
Daniel nodded, smiling slightly. "Good. Is there anything I might be able to get you while you're still in here?"
Rei shook her head. "I am used to a station of living equal to this. I do not require anything at the moment."
"Are you sure there isn't something you want? Because more likely than not, I can get it."
Rei blinked, and Daniel saw Asuka look up at him as she pondered. "I want… to see Shinji Ikari."
Daniel sighed quietly as he saw Asuka's reaction, fists clenching, eye flashing for the briefest of moments.
"That's out of the question, Rei."
Daniel looked over at Doctor Akagi, who now stood and looked intently at Rei. "We still have barely any idea how you two interacted at Near-Third Impact. Not knowing how you two could interact in your current state means that I would rather keep you two apart until then."
"Perhaps a video call then, Doctor?" Daniel asked. "It would allow them to converse while keeping the risk of something unexpected happening low."
It was silent for a moment as Akagi regarded him. Then, she sighed quietly. "That is an acceptable compromise. You'll have to procure a device for her, however."
"I can do that."
Daniel walked over to the door. "Can I be let in? I want to talk to the kids face to face."
Ritsuko opened her mouth to reply, but her phone buzzed, cutting her off as she pulled it out and studied the screen for a moment. Her lips pursed slightly after a moment, and a confused gleam lit up in her eyes as she looked back up at Daniel. "Have you…"
She shook her head slightly. "Have you seen any ghosts recently?"
"Ghosts?" Daniel's brow furrowed as he thought back to the last couple of days. "N- wait…"
He remembered the young woman he'd seen in an empty hallway. One that was entirely out of place in the long, white wedding dress that she wore. "Yes, actually. A woman in a wedding dress a few days ago. Is she showing up elsewhere now?"
"Not just her. First Lieutenant Ibuki, along with Ms. Tennison and your wife, has been tracking them down. Apparently, they're coming from Unit-01."
Daniel's brows rose as she continued. "Ibuki's found mention of some sort of containment system and is calling me away. So here's what I'm going to do."
She pocketed the phone as she turned to the console and began to type. "I'm going to unlock the door and leave. I trust you won't let them wander out."
As the clunk of the disengaging lock emphasized her words, Daniel smiled slightly. "Scout's honor, ma'am."
Akagi looked over at him and nodded. "I'll take you at your word this time."
With that, she left, the door out of the chamber swishing shut as Daniel opened the door to the examination room and stepped in, the door shutting behind him.
He walked over to Asuka, sitting down next to her on an empty space on the bunk. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.
"I'll be out by the beginning of next week. All my vitals are normal, the Angelic corruption is still where it was, and my synch score-"
"That's not what I meant. Are you okay?"
Asuka looked over at him somewhat incredulously before huffing quietly. "Well… I collapsed onto the deck. Lost control. You try feeling good after something like that."
"Do you know why?"
He saw Asuka's jaw clench slightly. "I… it has something to do with the Angelic corruption."
Daniel nodded. "The 9th Angel? Does it… still exist, within you?"
He saw her start to shake slightly. It was silent for moments that stretched into minutes.
Finally, Asuka seemed to get the courage to nod, a slight jerky thing that seemed entirely out of place for her.
"I see."
Daniel and Asuka both looked at Rei, who studied Asuka intently. "What do you mean, doll?" Asuka asked rather incredulously, her eye narrowed and her jaw set.
Rei's eyes narrowed slightly. "I am not a doll."
"Then who are you?"
The girls looked at Daniel, who leaned forward as he took advantage of his interjection. "I do not mean that in a harsh or demeaning manner. I am simply curious how you will answer the same question I've asked the other Children. So, who are you?"
It was silent again as Rei considered the question at length. "I am Rei Ayanami."
"That is your name, yes. But who are you?"
"The second iteration of the Ayanami line of clones."
Daniel tilted his head slightly. "Maybe so. But where you came from does not have to define who you are."
Rei tilted her head in turn. "I am a mix of several base genetic donors, the majority being Yui Ikari and Naoko Akagi. My soul is connected…"
She stumbled over the word for a moment. "Or, at least, it was connected to Lilith. How does that not define me?"
"It informs you, certainly, but you have perhaps one of the greatest things anyone could ever have, at least in my opinion. The chance to define yourself. So, perhaps the question is better phrased as 'who do you want to be'?"
Rei nodded slightly. "I wish to be… a friend to my fellow pilots." she nodded slightly. "That is all I wish for at the moment."
Daniel nodded slightly. "A good thing to aspire to. I hope I can give you the chance to work on that more soon enough."
"Wait a minute." Asuka said after a moment's silence. "Yui Ikari? Like idiot Shinji?"
Rei nodded slightly. "Yes. Yui Ikari is the mother of Shinji."
Asuka's eye widened, then she deflated slightly. "You're… you're his sister then."
She shook her head slightly. "I knew you were a clone, but… that's news to me." she nearly whispered.
Daniel nodded. "It's likely going to be news to a lot of people. I've got some digging to do soon, it seems."
"In the meantime," he continued as he looked back at Rei, "what else do you want?"
Rei considered the question, once again, in silence and at length. "I wish… to assist in returning the world to what it was. My time in Unit-01 has given me ample opportunity to ponder on my mission as given me by Commander Ikari. I… am not sure I wish to carry it out anymore."
Daniel nodded. "Alright. I'll see what I can do about that."
Daniel sighed as he stood. "Anything the two of you want while you're stuck in here? Asuka, any personal effects that you might want?"
Asuka shrugged. "I don't need much. Maybe my WonderSwan."
Daniel nodded. "I'll get it to you." he looked over at Rei. "Anything for you?"
Rei pondered for a moment. Then, she shook her head. "Beyond a method of communication, I require nothing in the way of personal effects."
Daniel nodded. "I hope that our time together changes that soon. I'd like to see what you become interested in."
Daniel looked at his watch and sighed quietly. "Unfortunately, that's all the time I have for a visit today. I'll swing back by first thing in the morning to drop off that WonderSwan and inform Rei about when Shinji plans to call."
He made his way to the door, opening it and pausing to look back. "I'll make sure to keep in touch with both of you. Let me know if you need me. I'll be there."
. . .
Rei Ayanami watched with a peculiar interest, at least as peculiar as her still muted feelings could allow, as Daniel walked out, the door closing behind him. She watched through the cracked glass as Daniel walked out of the room. Once again, they were alone. 'What an odd man.'
There was something… off about him. She still couldn't quite put her finger on what, but he felt… familiar, somehow. Like they had known each other for some great length of time.
"So… Rei."
Her attention was drawn back to Asuka, who looked at her with what she guessed was a guarded expression. "You never had… feelings for idiot Shinji, did you?"
Rei blinked. She recognized that Asuka was being purposefully obtuse. That she didn't know why was somewhat irksome. "I felt several emotions in the presence of Shinji Ikari. What kind of feelings would you be suggesting, pilot Langley?"
Asuka blinked, and Rei didn't quite know why she was blushing. "You know… romantic feelings."
Rei blinked as she processed what Asuka had told her, the pieces starting to come together. Then, she shook her head. "I did not, nor do I now, have any romantic feelings for Shinji Ikari. We are Evangelion pilots. Such feelings would have interfered in both our missions."
Asuka seemed… what was the emotion… relieved for a moment. Then, she tensed up again. "Wait. So what was your mission, then?"
Rei hesitated even now to speak of it. Revealing his plans, even at this late stage, felt… wrong in a way that seemed fundamental. Even still, Commander Ikari was not present. And, more than likely, Shinji's actions had upset such plans. Out-of-date plans, it seemed, were more palatable to her to reveal.
"Commander Ikari desires to be reunited with his wife, currently held within and powering the core of Unit-01. He desired to use a controlled Impact scenario to initiate Instrumentality, which would free all souls from their bodies to be reunited with Lilith, the mother of all humanity."
She paused for a moment as she observed Asuka's eye going wide, then continued without inflection. "My purpose was to act as a go-between as a daughter of Lilith, in conjunction with a son of Adam empowered by the Key of Nebuchadnezzar or a particular Evangelion, and be a tool of the will of Commander Ikari so that his desire could be fulfilled."
It was silent again as she watched Asuka presumably process the information she had presented, her opposite looking down at the ground after a moment and sighing as she closed her eye. "Well, Wondergirl… I think it's time to find a new purpose. I'd rather not have anyone ending the world after doing my damndest to save it."
Rei found the prospect… vexing. "That seems to be quite the task. After all, my entire purpose was to initiate Instrumentality."
She was quiet for a moment, and she looked down at the floor for a time before she nodded slightly and looked back up at Asuka. "Would you assist me in finding another purpose?"
She waited patiently as Asuka's eye went wide with shock, and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly once, then twice.
"Wondergirl… I don't know if I'm the best one for that. My entire existence is dedicated to piloting Unit-02."
"Then perhaps it would be wise of us to pursue such purposes together."
Asuka stared at Rei, then shook her head as she chuckled. "This is payback for when I ruined your dinner by piloting Unit-03 for you, isn't it?"
Rei shook her head slightly. "I still wish to have that dinner. It may be with fewer and different people than I first anticipated, but I still wish to bring everyone together. To be… happy."
Asuka looked back at her. "Am I… invited?"
"You always were."
Rei wondered for a moment what Asuka was thinking as she rested her head on the knuckles of her clasped hands and stared at the floor silently. Then, she returned to her bed. There was not much for her to do now. But she was used to that.
'Perhaps I shouldn't be for much longer, however.'