Interludes After the 13th Angel, Part 1
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).
Note, the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English, and Interlac.
Unit-00 Plug
Deadman relaxed a bit once the biomechanoid was deactivated. He rolled his shoulders carefully. "Well… good news, I don't feel any more pain than usual. Bad news, Rei will probably ache is they reactivate this wind-up doll before it is healed in full."
Unnoticed by any living soul, Deadman emerged from the blue Evangelion as it was put on the titanic crawler that would carry it back into the GeoFront.
He looked around, until he found the two female pilots, being examined by one of the doctors in the Recovery Crews.
The man set down a few notes on his clipboard, "Okay, Pilot Ayanami. The preliminary tests are negative. I'll flag down a transport for you two. I need to take some samples and use the portable scanners to certify you are free of angelic contamination, but you'll have to stay in observation tonight."
"Do you have news of Robin? He was exposed to the Angel in Unit-03 for a long period of time." Rei asked.
"Dang it! I better hurry!" Before Asuka could say something, Deadman rose in the air, flying towards the place they had set the plug down.
He arrived right on time to see how a group of men with heavy hazmat suits sealed a clear container. Inside it, Shinji lay immobile. Grim-faced, Deadman slipped his head and shoulders inside the capsule. "He's breathing, thanks the heavens. Hang on, kid."
"Okay! He's secured! Direct to R&R, boys, Dr. Akagi will check him out!"
Deadman settled on top of the capsule, crossing his legs Indian style, and resting his chin on the palm of his right hand. "I don't know where they are taking you, but I'm going along for the ride, buddy. I'll have to check on our fedora-wearing friend after I know you're okay."
New York
USA
S.T.A.R. Labs
Dr. Victor Stone's Office
(Mental Plane)
"(I have to go, Tin. Study the data I gave you, I need you to be fluent in Japanese as soon as possible.)"
"(Sure, D-d-octor Stone. Uh, do you have a mission f-f-for us?)"
"(Yes, but I don't really know the details, just that I need to get you Metal Men up to speed, and I have a limited time to do it.)"
"(I will st-t-udy hard.)"
"(Good. I have to contact the others, once they wake up, I'll set a small network for you, so you can discuss things and practice.)"
NERV Mobile HQ
Later that day, the emergency team commented on how Toji Suzuhara did an admirable job of handling the pain. He stayed conscious and responsive for as long as the paramedics needed him to.
Dr. Akagi's main experience was very specialized, so she yielded authority to the emergency crew as soon as they arrived. After a quick recap of events and lesions, Toji was re-checked, immobilized, and put on a stretcher. Getting him out of the MHQ was a bit of a problem, but manageable. In a matter of minutes, the teenager was on the air, in one of the NERV VTOLs designated precisely as an emergency ambulance. She accompanied him.
Makor Katsuragi exhaled. Her adrenaline spent, she sagged on her seat. Lt. Mogami sat next t her, in the now empty command room. Poor Lt. Sagisa had been moved outside, and waited for a car to take him back to NERV for cryo-storage, while his family was contacted.
"So…" Lt. Mogami started, putting a mug of coffee in Misato's hands. "Kind of a bad day, uh?"
Misato nodded. "Yeah. " she took a sip of coffee. 'Damn…' she thought, 'Shinji has spoiled me…' She had grown used to the special blend Shinji had found, but she needed the perk-up, so she drank the rest of the cheap swill.
"No sense on going back to Matsushiro, I guess. So… I think you have a new helper for now, Major." Mogami shrugged and drank her own coffee.
Misato nodded. "I need to coordinate the recovery of the Evangelions, and then, go back to HQ and…" she interrupted herself. "Excuse me for a minute."
She slid her chair to the comms station, and opened a channel to Central Dogma. "Major Katsuragi here. The Angel's remains self-destructed, I need a clean-up crew equipped for analysis. Also, to check if the remaining parts are good for spares or if it would be better to destroy them."
Lt. Hyuga answered, "The crew will arrive to your position in 20 minutes, Major."
"Thank you, Hyuga," she said. "Is Shinji okay?"
"He is in his way to quarantine, Major. Commander Ikari ordered it, on account of possible contamination."
"I see. Keep me updated. Rei and Asuka are okay?"
"The preliminary reports are good, they will have to stay under medical watch tonight, but they are okay. Both report some residual pain, Rei due to the emergency amputation of Unit-00's arm, and Asuka has some sympathetic burns on her hands, but that's normal, both are being treated as we speak."
"Good, keep me updated, Makoto. Please tell them I'll go to the hospital as soon as I can leave this area."
"I will, Major."
Wild Lands
Somewhere Between Continental USA and the Remains of Hawaii
(Former site of Project Mureau, currently abandoned by the USA Government)
Ruins of Project Mureau Lab
Dr. Canus examined the documents, his white fur rippled in worry. Slowly, so not to call any undue attention, he flipped the print-outs, and began to take notes in the blank side.
Those papers must be kept away from Nosferata's hands.
He put them back into the waterproof box.
"(What was that, Canus?)" his batman keeper asked.
"(Old accounting records, Batrok.)" he lied.
"(Important?)"
"(Only to long dead humans.)"
"(Ghosts?)" Batrok looked around. Canus thought it was a good thing that Nosferata was the only one of her race to have a developed intelligence. Though it would be even better if she didn't.
A plan began to form inside his mind. And as many answers to the big problems in life, he only had to ask himself one simple question, "(What would Superboy do in my place?)"
Sure, he had to adjust for his lack of powers, but the memory of his old friend had never steered him wrong.
"(Ghosts don't exist.)" he said, decisively.
"(How do you know it?)" Batrok asked, still looking around
"(I have never seen one.)" he looked around dramatically, "(But maybe they are invisible.)"
"(Batrok will watch you from the door.)"
Tokyo-3
Japan
GeoFront
NERV HQ
Commander's Office
Commander Ikari sat on his chair, thinking. Sitting close, Vice-Commander Fujutsuki poured a measure of sake in his glass. "So, what will you do now?"
"The Dummy Plug System tests will have to be delayed, I'll inform the old men later today."
"Aha. What about Shinji?"
"I want him isolated and exhaustively examined. If he is contaminated, in any way, I'll have him stripped of his pilot rank and sent back to his teacher. I won't risk him contaminating Unit-01."
"I see. And Suzuhara?"
"Preliminary reports indicate he has a high risk of losing sensibility and movement on his right hand. It's very possible he won't recover enough to keep on piloting. According to the contract he signed, he can be honorably discharged, and merits continued medical treatment and a small pension for life."
"Very nice. I'd say it is a generous gesture, but I know you don't plan on even preparing a budget for the year after next, am I wrong?"
"You don't need an answer for that."
"I know. I know." Fujutsuki drank his sake, and poured another glass, before changing subject. "Pity the Angel didn't leave any remains."
"It fits well with my plans. The less the old men have to work with, the better. They already have too much material."
Vega System
Truthful Justice; Almeracian Battle Ship, Krypton Class
In Route To Tamaran
"(So, young Lord. Have you learned your lesson?)" the four-armed cook asked.
Prince Jon Max-El served the last meal of the day. "(Yes, Master Kreeega.)"
"(Then you can go. Honor has been restored.)" He bowed to Jon, who bowed back. "(Prince Kal is fair and just, as always.)"
"(For Truth and Justice, Master Kreeega.)"
"(Your friends must have finished with their respective punishments, Prince Max-El.)"
"(I guess, yes. And we are to report to command as soon as we are done. No rest for the wicked, as Grampa Kent would say.)"
Kreeega laughed, whacking Jon on the shoulder with a soup ladle, "(Go already, lad. Prince Kal is a patient man, but a demanding commander.)"
Jon hurried to the Command Room, Aleea and Mar'i already waited for him.
Superman nodded at his son, and signaled him to sit. He himself sat down last.
"(First of all, I want to tell you all that I am proud of how you handled your punishments. Your officers have nothing but praise for you all. Well done.)"
The three teenagers beamed, looking at each other.
"(Thanks to you, we have pulled our troops from the Psion Homeworld, we destroyed a good chunk of their factories once we knew there were no slaves working there.)" He nodded at Mar'i.
He pushed a button, and three cylinders opened at the back of the room.
"(I have spoken to Queen Maxima, Queen Koryand'r, and Alana and Sardath, and we all agreed you have earned your colors.)"
"(Oh, boy!)" Jon exclaimed, almost teleporting to the cylinder marked with his father's symbol. It opened at his touch, and a blue and red uniform appeared. "(Great! I can't wait to show it to the others!)" he showed them the clothes, a set of tunic and pants, deep blue in color, complemented by a red cloak, gloves and boots. The S insignia proudly set at the center of the chest. Two golden roundels held the cloak at the shoulders. A set of golden bracelets would encase his forearms, a sign of the Almeracian Royal House.
Allea and Mar'i also had their own uniforms, Allea's was similar to the one her father used, but instead of red with white details, hers was a darked shade of red, with light blue accents. The helmet enclosed her head completely, with a transparent face plate. A new ray gun and jet pack completed the uniform.
Mar'i received a one piece combination of shirt and skirt (1), the sleeves were loose, and two bracelets of purple metal held them to her forearms. A small diadem and metallic boots rested under the clothes, along with a silver belt with small compartments.
She held it up, small tears misting her violet eyes. "(is this...?)"
"(it is, Mar'i.)" Superman nodded. (2)
"(But… how?)"
"(Your Father has not forgotten you, though he is still at Earth, he sent me the instructions to make it. He also sent a message for you.)" He gave her a data-crystal. "(Happy birthday.)"
"(I had forgotten! I forgot!)"
A Possible XXVIth Century
Ruins of Tokyo.
Three Weeks After the Silver Human Appeared
"Master Sacker! Welcome to out humble village." A wooden cart filled with straw and silk cushions wobbled along the street, pulled by six tanuki lads, all very strong and agile, ready to help the snake trader.
The tanuki elder made to kneel, but the snake stopped her. "Sss! No need for ceremony, girl. I have known you for a long time, I think your exemplary service to the Sacker Stores Emporium merits at least sparing your knees from unnecessary stress, Saori."
"Thank you, Master Sacker."
"Now, where is this mysterious silver man you mentioned in your letter?"
"He's at the back, helping my husband with the wood."
"Send for him, be so kind to leave some tea, A big pot will be best. I think he and I have a lot to talk about. And it will be best if it is just us two." He signaled to his retinue, "Set me down there, at the shade, get something to eat and drink, and rest. I'll call if I need you."
"Very well, Master Sacker." All answered in chorus.
To Captain Atom's surprise, the giant snake not only had a shaggy mane of white hair, it (he?, she?, after a moment, the time-displaced hero settled on "He", on account of the very deep voice coming from the snake), he also spoke with very accented English. "(Sit down, please.)"
"(um… Hello. I see you speak my language.)"
"(I do. Call me Sacker, that's both my name and surname when dealing with other species. I have a proper name in our language, but you cannot pronounce it, I fear you don't have the sensory organs to even hear it properly. Sacker is a convenient handle outside family.)"
Captain Atom nodded, and sat on the floor. "(So, can I help you?)"
Sacker hissed repeatedly, Captain Atom decided it was a kind of laughter when Sacker shook his head, "(Actually, I have come to help you help us. My family has been waiting for your arrival since a long time ago.)"
"(Please, don't tell me there's some kind of prophecy?)"
"(Oh, no, just an informed guess. In fact, we were informed of your quantum jump, and have been waiting for you to re-enter the time stream. As the Sacker closer to Tokyo, it fell to me to come.)"
"(What?)"
"(Let me begin at the beginning. Parts of this story are shrouded in mystery, even to us Sackers, but we have the documents that were handed down the years, and knew, not as a matter of faith, but science, that you would return.)"
Atom facepalmed. "(At your hour of greatest need?)"
"(Oh, no. That time is long past.)" Sacker used his mouth to put a drinking straw in the cup of tea, and took a long sip, almost emptying the recipient. "(You come to us when you could help to set things right. This world you are now in, this place, it is all wrong. Just a pale imitation of what could have been. Your people, the humans, are barely sentient, with very few exceptions. And even those hesitate to call themselves human. My people, not only the Sackers; but also the tanuki, the kitsune, and all the races you may think of as evolved animals, all are locked in a destructive cycle of rediscovery and savagery; They, we, find what you left behind, and use it to imitate you at the same time we despise you. All our peoples are dying. And they don't realize it, Nathaniel Adam.)"
"(You know my name? My real name?)"
"(Among many other things, yes. Though I admit some of the things I know don't mean anything to me, as I lack the context or the knowledge to really understand. I know the words, but they don't mean anything. Quantun jump? No idea what that means. I know what a jump is, but quantum is just a sound for me. So I guess this is like that old story of your time, the Canticle to Leibotizz? )"
"('A Canticle for Leibowitz'…) (3)" Atom corrected. "(I had to study it for school.)"
"(Ah, good, then you know what I mean.)"
"(Yes. Civilization falls to nuclear war, and a new one came from the ruins, but a few people keep the knowledge of the past, preserving it for future generations. Even though they themselves don't understand it anymore.)"
"(Indeed.)" Sacker gestured to the empty cup, and Nate refilled it absently.
"(Was there a nuclear war?)"
"(No. A Great Disaster, though you may know it better for a different name.)" Sacker paused, not even a giant poisonous snake was immune to the dramatic pause, "(Third Impact.)"
Author Notes
(1) As Nightstar is not yet an adult, her uniform is a combination of the Kingdom Come version, with the one from the Teen Titans Cartoon. No cleavage yet.
(2) Yup, a utility belt. After all, her father is Nightwing!
(3) A classic Science Fiction story, written by by Walter M. Miller Jr., and published in 1959. Sacker knows the gist of the story, but not the details. Highly recommended!