Chapter 4: Another Place, Another Heart
Of course, Shinji wasn't the only Child that had the weight of the world on his shoulders, even if he didn't know that before that first night in Tokyo-3. Halfway across the world, another Child knew what sort of responsibilities she had, or at least presumed she did. 3 years with Shinji managed to do more than I could have ever expected. Now, I needed to see if I could repeat the little miracle I'd made in Japan.
- Where I've Been, 10th Entry
NERV-2, Neue Berlin, May, 2012
Daniel Theisman stretched as the plane landed, shaking himself somewhat from the nap he'd taken on the flight. It was a fairly lonely flight, all things considered, and he retrieved his carry-on without needing to jostle with or against anyone at all.
He sharpened his senses, woke himself up enough to be alert for today, and checked his phone. He considered calling Shinji as he stepped off the plane. Already, he'd begun to miss the small things they did together, the little duet sessions between cello and guitar, the recipes that they'd swapped, and the help he had given with schoolwork in his own admittedly rather unique way. To say nothing of the preparations he'd made with the boy, known and unknown to Shinji.
But, looking at the time on his watch, it was almost midnight in Japan at this point, and as much as he was sure Shinji would love to talk, he needed to sleep as well. For now, he could wait until tonight. 3 years wasn't going to just slip by on his watch.
He stepped off the plane with a quiet sigh, looking around himself as he made his way into the airport terminal. As he grabbed the rest of his luggage, he considered the sign, in several languages, that read 'Welcome to Neue Berlin'. The name was a bit of a misnomer; they were actually on the outskirts of what remained of Bernau. There had been, he saw as he looked out the airport window, a concerted effort in a few districts to build houses, shops, and taverns in the old German style, the last grasp of what was, here at least, a dying culture in a broken new world.
But Daniel's gaze, inevitably, was drawn to perhaps one of the newest wonders of this world, the most prominent sight for kilometers around. It was a massive hexagon, about 8 kilometers long and nearly 5 tall, narrowing as it reached the top. It was steel gray in most places, though painted in bright, catching colors that grew in frequency as they got closer to the bottom of the structure. It had become the architectural pride of the European continent, and the second-ever arcology in the world, after the Japanese Geofront, of course. Nearly every travel brochure in the terminal spoke prominently of the place known as the Stahlturm. And, for the next 3 years or so, he figured, it would be his workplace and his home.
It was a sight that made Daniel smile slightly. He'd seen much in his time and his travels. But it was always the monuments to personal grit and determination, the statements that the soul could never be fully conquered, that held a special place in his heart.
But, he had someone he needed to look for here in the surprisingly bustling terminal. She should be waiting for him close to the exits…
There she was, unmistakable for her black, almost seemingly purple hair, red jacket, and black dress. She leaned against a wall, relaxed as she checked her phone. Before he'd even seen her, he knew who she was. Captain Misato Katsuragi.
She was slumped on the floor, in front of the elevator doors which had been her goal. Her blood pooled on the ground, running from far too many bullet wounds. Her dying had company, almost all the soldiers surrounding her passed on because of her skill with a gun. He needed to help her. But…
'No.' he grimaced as he tried to push the unbidden thought away. 'Not here. Not if I have anything to say about it.'
He put on his best relaxed smile as he approached, the Captain looking up from her phone as she noticed him. As they came to a stop in front of each other, both straightened to a rather close approximation of attention.
"Captain Katsuragi, I presume?" Daniel said as he extended his hand.
"The one and only." Misato smiled back as she took his hand, shaking firmly. "I'd assume you're probably our new head of engineering, then?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm Daniel Theisman."
"Pleasure to meet you, Daniel." Misato nodded towards the exit. "Now, if you'll follow me."
They made their way through the airport, out to the parking lot before Misato stopped at a sleek, black sports car that proudly displayed the Mercedes-Benz logo.
Daniel whistled appreciatively as he got in, the car barely making a sound as Misato started it. "Well now. This is quite the car you have waiting for little old me."
Misato nodded as they began to drive, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction at Daniel's judgment. "Yes, it certainly is. This is a 190E, an EVO-II. At least, the chassis and body are. It was one of the last cars that M-B produced before the aftermath of Second Impact drove them under. I found it for dirt cheap in a yard waiting to be scrapped, and I just had to save it. I even lucked out when I got it fixed up and hybridized for cheap, too."
Daniel nodded, a slight grin on his face. Just as he expected, a car aficionado. "And this is a hybrid?"
"All the independent transit in the Stahlturm has to be that at least, if not fully electric," Misato replied as they drove towards the mighty structure. "Keeps things clean. Or at least cleaner."
Daniel nodded, watching intently as they entered what was apparently Entrance/Exit 1-4. They entered, and his breath was taken away by the sight that awaited him.
All around them, the inhabited parts of the arcology angled away from the center, solid layers about half a kilometer between each other dividing the levels as they rose. Orderly plazas gave space between the homes, shops, and factories that no doubt were slotted in here, looking modular in design as the space they occupied narrowed the closer to the top it got. At the arcology's center, a massive park, fed by what was likely outside water and with a massive latticework of windows overhead, stretched for at least a kilometer, maybe even half that again.
"Wow…" Daniel said with an overawed smile, and he heard Misato chuckle.
"Doesn't matter who it is," she said, Daniel hearing her smile. "It always gets you when you first see it."
"How are there windows up there?" he asked quietly. "They can't be glass, it'd be too fragile and likely to break under its own weight."
"From what I recall," Misato replied, "it's transparent aluminum. Or ALON, as the builders like to call it. Pretty fascinating stuff, and it got developed for wide-scale manufacture because of this project."
Daniel nodded. "Amazing. The inner Trekkie in me is over the moon."
Misato chuckled again. "Why am I not surprised?"
"How long have you been here?" Daniel asked as they began to drive past the park, the sight passing by to their right.
"Going on four years now, since I transferred from the JSSDF to NERV." Misato pointed to a section on their right. "We're headed there, to Side 5. We have that all to ourselves. I figured we'd take the scenic route for you before you get packed in as tightly as the rest of us. The commander won't be too concerned."
It was silent for a few moments as Daniel simply drank in the craftsmanship around him. Then, Daniel tore his gaze away from the sight, looking over at Misato. "So," he began, "having read what files I could on the person who'd be showing me around, you're also the caretaker of the pilot whose vehicle I'll be maintaining?"
"Yep," Misato said with a slight nod. "That would be Asuka. She's over at Side 2, at the University campus. You'll meet her soon enough. In the meantime, let's get you over to your flat."
They parked in a massive parking garage, walking past a NERV logo that, instead of the customary red fig leaf design, showed a navy blue cornflower, a phrase at the bottom in German. After boarding a tube train, they emerged at a residential plaza, making their way to an apartment complex labeled 'Block B, Section 1'.
They entered the building, and it struck Daniel how quiet, nearly silent it suddenly became. The housing here must have had some killer noise-canceling materials.
They came to a stop in front of a door, the placard on it reading 'Room B-1-00006'. "Being head of Engineering has its perks," Misato said with a sly grin as she handed him his key card, which he used to promptly enter his apartment.
It was a decently sized space, with an open living room, and a kitchen, both furnished, with a door to a master bedroom near the living room, a hallway with two bedrooms and a bathroom across from it. All of Daniel's belongings sat in the center of the living room, his punching bag and a guitar case most prominent among them.
"I see you at least practice some kind of fighting," Misato said. "Rough and tumble where you were?"
"Well, when one's an Army boy…" Daniel said with a shrug.
Misato nodded, looking at the case. "Fair enough. You play as well as you fight, then?"
Daniel chuckled. "Well, where your passion is in cars, mine is in music. This is my baby."
He tapped his case appreciatively. "This in here is my first guitar; a Fender Stratocaster. I got it cheap years and years ago and have been upgrading it since. Now, it sounds like a Strat 3 times its price before I even get to the pedals."
Misato nodded slowly. "I see. Well, I trust you know your way around it, then." she paused for a moment. "As much as I'm sure you want to unpack, we probably shouldn't keep the commander waiting much longer. Follow me."
Daniel dutifully tagged along, following Misato through elevators, stairs, and motorized walkways. "These are the ultimate convenience," Misato said with a cheery smile as they were carried by one such walkway. "You can get to the ground floor where the main base is in under 10 minutes from where we are, and if you want to go anywhere beyond here, there are interactive maps almost everywhere!"
"Now," she said as she began to dig around a small bag she'd had stashed inside her jacket, "here's your ID, your Stahlcard for buying anything around here, and a packet from the commander to get you up to speed."
She gave Daniel a somewhat impish grin as they entered NERV-2's main base proper. "I hope you're a quick reader."
Daniel gave her a wry grin in return as he leafed through the top-secret folio in his hands. It described the Evangelion project, the possibility of the Angels as the reason for their construction, and NERV's general mission to protect Earth. All things he'd heard before.
Still, he made a show of reading it for a moment before he and Misato stopped in front of what was likely the commander's office. "Well, this is where I leave you," Misato said. "I've got a test to run with Asuka. If you need anything, I'm in Block E about 10 minutes away from you. Well, Daniel, welcome to NERV-2."
With that, Misato walked away, leaving Daniel to knock on the door to the office.
"Come in." a weathered, yet strong voice said.
Daniel opened the door and stepped into the office of Commander Karl Löwenherz. It was a decidedly spartan affair, largely bare save for the NERV-2 logo and a scattering of military accouterments; medals, some pictures of what looked like deployments, and a single uniform of the now hollow Bundeswehr, an Army uniform if he recalled correctly.
Besides the chair in front of it, the only pieces of furniture in the space were a somewhat large wooden desk and a chair, in which sat Commander Löwenherz for a moment before he stood. He was clearly still a military man, well-toned even as his age showed in his mostly silver hair. A well-trimmed beard framed an angled face that held a sharp nose and discerning gray eyes. He studied Daniel intently as he came to a stop in front of the desk and came to attention.
"Mr. Theisman," he said with a surprisingly warm, mellow voice, extending a hand that Daniel shook. "I've been expecting your arrival."
"I'm glad to be expected, sir."
The commander nodded. "Please, sit. With Mr. Carlson's retirement having loomed over us, we've been anxious for some fresh blood. Let's go over your record, shall we?"
Daniel nodded as the commander took what was likely a printed packet out of his desk. It was amazing how easy it was to craft a digital persona, wasn't it? Unlike most, however, he could easily back up what he put in there.
The commander reached for a pair of handy reading glasses and leafed through the record to what was likely a relevant page. "So, you were military. U.S. Army Motor Sergeant. Served in South America during the Impact Wars period?"
Daniel nodded. "Yes sir. It was an honor to be part of the 2nd Armored Division. For the 2 years I was there, I'd like to think we were the best damned tanks in Brazil during the Nuevo Gran Colombia Wars."
Löwenherz nodded slightly. "And I imagine as a field maintenance commander, you made sure that your words had some merit."
Daniel smiled somewhat ruefully. "Well, I did my best, sir. As much as I love the Abrams platform, it was a chore to maintain sometimes, and that was before the conditions we were in."
Löwenherz chuckled softly. "Well, I don't doubt it. That sort of terrain is hell for an infantryman to fight in, let alone a tank."
"Well," Löwenherz said after a pause, "I don't think it's too unwise to mention that you are our only candidate, seeing as your experience in engineering is as well represented as I can see."
He stood from his desk, motioning for Daniel to follow him. "Come with me. I get tired of sitting in my office all day, and I'd like to show you what we intend for you to take charge of, along with introducing you to the team you'll be over."
Daniel stood, following him out. As they walked, Löwenherz continued. "You're familiar with the concept of giving your all to fix what is broken, knowing of its potential to save lives. You'd be surprised sometimes how far-reaching such a concept is, whether you're working on the chassis of a vehicle or laboring to put a nation together."
'Oh, I have a pretty good idea about all of those. And more.' Daniel mused as they weaved their way through the open plaza, one of many interconnected ones that led to various buildings. Their main target, Daniel surmised, was the building labeled 'Ordinance Bay E'.
"Here at NERV," Löwenherz continued as they entered, "regardless of where you once were, you enter an agency dedicated to fixing what was broken. NERV exists now because the Second Impact broke this world, and the Impact Wars did their best to scatter the pieces."
He paused for a moment, the pair walking into an elevator that rose quickly and smoothly. "And now…" he said somewhat dramatically as the elevator's doors opened with a chime and he and Daniel stepped out into a room that looked over a massive gantry.
The room below was filled with a red-orange liquid, stretching nearly to the ceiling. Held within its grasp was what could only fully be described as a giant. Locked in place by the walls that enclosed its shoulders, the portion he could see was encased in armor, a fair portion of it still a steel-gray, though men worked hard to paint it over. The head, encased in a helmet with a crest upon its brow like short, stubby horns, wore a vibrant combination of scarlet red, orange, and white accents.
Daniel couldn't help but stare, Löwenherz allowing him to do so for a moment before he spoke. "This is what you will be overseeing and maintaining," he said quietly. "What you're here to do is to ensure the reliability of the greatest tool in our arsenal to put the world back together again. In time, she will be Unit-02, the Production Model Evangelion. Our world's best hope for salvation."
A far bleaker image, on a screen stained with blood, like so many he'd passed before, showing Unit-02, showing Asuka, a mangled, gory plant bed for a grove of false Lances, the Mass-Production Evas descending like vultures ready to feast…
As Daniel grappled with the memory, Commander Löwenherz spoke again. "It's quite a sight, I know. Even being here at its conception, I'm still swept up in its… presence, from time to time."
Daniel blinked, grateful to the unknowing Löwenherz for pulling him from his memories. "Yes. Yes. It's… a bit larger than what I'm usually used to overseeing, but I think I'll appreciate the challenge."
Löwenherz chuckled. "Well, I commend you for your willingness to take on the challenge. If there's anything I've learned during my years here, it's that a willing heart makes the effort all the easier. Follow me. Your team is waiting for you. And welcome to NERV, Captain Theisman."
Daniel blinked, turning his gaze away from the slumbering Unit-02. That was… quite the start that he'd been given. It would serve him well, he thought, as he hurried after Löwenherz.
They walked out of the Ordinance Bay, over to another building, and into a large room. This one had a far less grand view to present to Daniel, the center of it dominated by a large device that had a grey and white tube, familiar in its shape, sticking out at an angle. Surrounding the machine were several banks of computers and monitors, all displaying different kinds of data that Daniel was sure he had no time to parse at the moment.
The pair came to a stop beside Misato, who watched the largest screen of one of the main islands of monitors. She nodded to them in turn, saluting the commander. "Commander. Daniel. Good to see you both."
"Captain." Löwenherz saluted back. "How is our star pilot today?"
"Still not as perfect as she wishes she could be." Misato sighed. "It's something of a miracle she agreed to do only this much time in the simulator Plug. It's only been about a year and a half since she started training proper, but with how much effort she's putting in… I'm kind of worried about her burning out."
"So she's in usual form today," Löwenherz said, his voice laced with an old amusement. "We'll step in long before then, and even if she does plateau in the next year, odds are she's still going to be the best-trained pilot NERV has."
Daniel looked over at what he assumed was a feed of the simulation that was being run, watching one polygonal humanoid figure deftly maneuvering between two others, seemingly beating them to a pulp. "Is your pilot going up against humanoid targets? Is Unit-02 intended to fight other Evas?"
Löwenherz shook his head. "Not at all, if we can help it. NERV is the only organization in the world that possesses Evangelions."
Daniel's jaw tightened slightly as he watched what he assumed was the pilot destroy the humanoid outline before her, leaving one left. "Somehow, sir," he said quietly, "I don't know if that makes me feel any better."
It was silent between the three of them for a moment before Misato's focus returned to the simulation. "Well, looks like it's about to be another victory in the bag," she said, a slight smile on her face.
True to her word, the last opponent fell, and a list of data and percentages began to scroll across the screens in front of them. Misato leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied the figures. "Not bad. Her estimated synch score is up by 2 percent, and her harmonics aren't far behind."
Löwenherz nodded. "As one should likely expect. Well, come along, Captain Theisman. We'll introduce you to your team while the simulation Plug decants."
Daniel glanced over at Misato, smiling slightly at the look of surprise on her face before following Löwenherz as he led him around the room, introducing him to a dozen faces with a dozen names, all of them surely experts in their fields. Krasinski in data analytics, Levinson in metallurgy, Son-Hoon in biotech, Pranashta in neurobiology, and so on and so forth.
Daniel politely introduced himself and did his best to converse with them about their fields with what knowledge he could muster, talking with some at more length than others. Then, finally, as Daniel made it full circle around the room, it seemed that the Plug was finished draining, a hatch in the tube sliding open as a set of steps extended from the machine.
From within it nearly bounded a young girl with fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes that darted over to focus on Misato, the girl grabbing a towel hanging on the machine and vigorously scrubbing her hair and the skintight crimson bodysuit that she wore. She strode over to where Misato, Daniel, and Löwenherz were, putting her hands on her hips. "So, did I do alright?" she asked archly.
Misato nodded. "We think you did pretty good, Asuka. But how do you think you did?" she asked patiently.
Asuka looked over at the screen. "Well," she said quietly as she studied the results with narrowed eyes, "if you guys piped the results into the Plug like I've recommended, no one would have to put up with the burden of me asking every time."
Asuka was silent for a moment before humming. "Well. Not as good as I was expecting." she glanced over at Misato again. "And you're absolutely sure that the sensors are calibrated correctly this time? I'd hate to have a repeat of that time everyone thought my synch score dropped."
"I'm sure that the technicians checked the sensors thoroughly," Misato replied. "As far as I can tell, these results are accurate."
"Well, good," Asuka said, folding her arms. "At least I'm improving."
"That you are, young lady," Löwenherz said, drawing the group's attention to him, a slight smile on his face.
To Daniel's slight surprise, Asuka turned and stood at attention. "Apologies, sir," she said only somewhat stiffly. "I should have noticed you."
"At ease, Ms. Soryu-Langley." Löwenherz said gently. "I'm not here officially, really. In all honesty, I wanted to make sure that you received the news that, as of 3 days ago, Captain Carlson finally retired."
Asuka nodded as she shrugged. "That's good to know, I guess. He was starting to look pretty tired there recently."
She looked over at Daniel, a curious, cautious look in her eyes as she arched a brow slightly. "I'm guessing you're his replacement?"
"That he is," Löwenherz said as Daniel nodded. "This is Captain Theisman. Captain Theisman, this is Asuka Soryu-Langley, the Second Child and future pilot of Unit-02."
Daniel extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Asuka. I look forward to helping you get the best machine you possibly can when it's finished."
Asuka shook his hand somewhat uncertainly. "Well, thanks, but I don't think you'll be seeing me that often if you're going to be working on my Unit-02."
"On the contrary," Daniel said as he folded his arms. "I like to work closely with whoever's flying or driving what I'm working on. You're as important a part of the vehicle as the engine is. If Unit-02 isn't as tuned to you as it can be, then I've done my job wrong."
Asuka considered him for a moment, then smiled slightly. "I like your style, Captain Theisman."
She glanced over at Misato. "Do I have any more tests I should know about?"
Misato shook her head, and Asuka nodded assuredly. "Then we can meet up with Captain Theisman for… dinner now, I guess. After all, I'm sure there's a lot that Captain Carlson knew that he should be aware of."
"I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about then," Daniel said with a slight smile. "I look forward to meeting with you tonight."
Asuka grinned at him. "1930 hours at a place of my choosing. Call it a date," she said somewhat snidely.
Daniel nodded, only somewhat taken aback as Misato stifled a chuckle under a false cough. "Alright, Asuka. Let's get you cleaned up."
Asuka nodded. "See you then," she said to Daniel as she began to walk away.
Daniel watched as they went, waiting a moment before he opened a rather different set of eyes, largely unseen to others. With them, he saw laid out before him the utterly intricate latticework of Asuka Soryu-Langley's soul. As he'd expected, the stoic, sharp-tongued front she put up was just that, and he was intimately aware of the details to look for, the little scars and gnarled patches, that spoke to those who knew of prolonged sadness, of insecurity, of guilt and far, far more complex things. It was the kind of soul he was familiar with seeing, every time he decided to try and see its reflection.
"I'm guessing that Ms. Soryu-Langley was not what you expected," Löwenherz said with a slight smile, Daniel shutting the spectral eyes that made his pupils somewhat more distinct as he looked over at the man.
"Well…" Daniel paused before he shook his head, chuckling. "She seems like she can be a real firework under all that seriousness."
Löwenherz chuckled. "You should see her more… impassioned simulations. But, for now, I'll let you return home and unpack. I appreciate the time you've taken here today meeting everyone."
"Thank you, Commander," Daniel said, coming to attention before turning to make his way back to his apartment.
. . .
Several hours, and a fair few unpacked boxes, later, Daniel found himself quite grateful for the travel help that Misato had promised were scattered around, entering Side 2, home of the University of Neue Berlin, and making his way to the small local restaurant that Misato had texted him the address for.
It looked to be an Italian place, styled as best it could be in the classic, almost stereotypical, design elements of an Italian bistro. Daniel walked in, noting how quiet the place was even at this hour. Misato and Asuka, dressed as casually as he was, sat sipping drinks, Misato waving to him as he made his way over to him.
"Nice little place," Daniel said as he looked around. "Not exactly what I would have expected around here."
"The university park has the best lineup of food places." Asuka said matter of factly. "I just haven't been here in a while."
"I see." Daniel nodded. "And I understand that you're currently going through college right now?"
Asuka nodded, narrowed eyes regarding Daniel cautiously. "Yeah, I am. I'm currently on track to become valedictorian, too. Got a problem with how strange that sounds?"
Daniel shook his head. "Not at all. I've heard of far stranger things."
The caution in Asuka's eyes became a curiosity, and Daniel wondered if he'd glimpsed something else before he set his elbows on the table, taking the menu before him and glancing down at it before giving his order to the waiter that had appeared. "Alright, Ms. Soryu-Langley. Lay it on me. What should I know about Unit-02, or really anything mechanical you deal with, as your chief wrench monkey?"
Asuka smiled slightly as she leaned slightly towards Daniel, the man seeing Misato's interest piqued at Asuka's attentiveness. "Alright. There are things that Carlson left for you, I'm sure, but here are the things that only I cared to try and know."