It was long after the pilots had gone home and the only people left were Ibuki and Akagi.
"I found it!"
"Found what, Maya?" Ritsuko knew Ibuki was searching and reprocessing the data for something, but she'd had other things to worry about and had just let her run with whatever it was was bothering her. Sometimes the magic words were not "Eureka" but "That's odd."
"Look at this Sempai" as she pushed layers of data at the main screen.
"I didn't see it until I layered the harmonics into the fluctuations in synchronisation rate for each pilot during the test on top of those between tests," she explained.
"So you did some fancy data manipulation to end up with something that's almost but not quite a straight line? What's this supposed to be telling me?" Ritsuko was tired, cranky, thinking about something else and technically off the clock.
"Maya, explain it like I haven't slept in over thirty six hours."
"Thirty eight," corrected Ibuki.
"I think you're looking at the pilots' ability to control the Evas converging. I know we focus on the synchronisation rates, but you know other factors are also significant."
"What on earth that means, you can explain to me after you've had some sleep Sempai.
"You're getting some rest if I have to drag you to bed myself".
Ritsuko stared at her. Maya blushed a shade of red even Shinji couldn't achieve, "And leave you there. With your cat."
Eleven and a half hours later Ritsuko was awakened by her cat, who, having exhausted all previously reliable methods, bit her nose.
She was abruptly wide awake, already late for half a dozen things and wondering if it had been a good idea to rate Ibuki highly for her persistence on her last review.