Top Girls!
Chapter 21
"Miss Matsukaze, I'd like you to meet Shinji, Asuka and Rei," Gendo formally introducred them later that day.
'She LOOKS young,' Shinji noted.
"We're the same age," Nene Matsukaze added quickly, the smaller redhead clearly used to people underestimating her age.
"Sorry," Shinji apologized.
"Nice to meet you," Rei smiled faintly.
"Good race," Asuka told Nene briskly. "It's too bad you couldn't cut loose with the cars nearby," she added.
Nene made a face.
In THEORY a pilot could maka an Evangelion go super sonic... but there would be powerful shock waves, the earth would be ripped up, and it almost certainly would have seriously endangered the three drives. Hence, her holding back.
"I'll leave you to it," Gendo excused himself, heading off.
The four teens stood there somewhat awkwardly.
"NERV Nevada though... it's quite the place," Shinji changed the subject.
"Did you want a tour?" Nene offered.
"Please," Rei smiled.
"And I want to get to the simulators later," a grinning Asuka noted as they went in the facility, "you up to it, Nene?"
"Sure," Nene lied, hoping Asuka wouldn't kick her ass too bad.
Rei and Shinji gave her a sympathetic look.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Ritsuko, been awhile," Maria Vincennes told her as they exchanged a quick hug.
"You two know each other?" Misato asked.
"I started out on the lab side of NERV," Maria told her.
"Nice to meet you," Maya said nervously.
'SO CUTE,' Maria mused.
"Everyone," Gendo strode into the meeting room, "the pilots are touring the base, and Satsuki is clearing some issues alongside Kaji."
"I don't trust that weasel, Kaji," Maria noted.
"Well, as long as he's working for the UN, we're stuck with him," Misato noted.
Gendo and Maria were both well aware he was working for more than the UN, but neither brought that up.
"So, tomorrow is the salt beds race?" Maya confirmed.
Maria agreed, "Yes, and we'll have a local expert assist you three with readying your cars for the race."
"Oh?" Ritsuko wondered.
Misato noted thoughtfully, "It's a different sort of surface to drive on.. we probably need to tweak the tires at least."
Gendo cut in, "I was hoping to discuss things with Commander Vincennes."
Misato rolled her eyes, "You can't relax even one day?"
"We've got assigned quarters?" Maya jumped in.
"Yes, the information was sent to your devices," Maria said as Ritsuko led the other two off.
"Your office?" Gendo asked.
"Follow me," Maria led her to the upper section of the base, waved him in and closed the door. She then took a device from her pocket and swept the room.
'Bug zapper,' Gendo recognized it.
"We're clear," Maria waved him to a seat. Flatly she said, "Instrumentality? SERIOUSLY?!"
"You know whay SEELE plans?" Gendo asked.
Maria nodded, "The SEELE member here died in a 'accident.' I got his files."
Gendo nodded, "The old men are desperate. Even if we defeat the Angels, old age is going to catch up to them."
"So they turn us all to TANG?!" Maria growled.
"In theory, we'd live on forever as liquid," Gendo noted. Flatly he added, "It might also extract Yui from Unit-01."
Maria nodded, "I'm sorry..."
Gendo just shrugged awkwardly.
"Do your staff know...?" Maria wondered.
"Just Ritsuko. She has to know for her job," Gendo noted.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Wha HOO!" Misato cheered, her Camero racing across the salt planes not THAT far from the US NERV base.
Satsuki Oou narrated "The salt planes are used both for racing, and for vehicle testing by military asnd comercial uses."
"Like NERV using it to test run Evangelions," Asuka added, waving to where a nearby HUGE footprint was in the test track.
"Looks like Maya is going to be the top time," Rei noted as Misato finished her run.
Ritsuko's Shelby had been a bit slower, though that might also be because she generally isn't that agressive.
"Argh," Misato growled as she came to a stop.
"Looooooser," Ritsuko mocked.
"You didn't do better," Misato noted.
"It's so WEIRD running on the salt flats," Maya added, shaking her head. Running over the surface was odd, as the tires had to be partially deflated to allow traction.
"So, next up is a RALLY STAGE!" Shinji declared, dressed in the lab coat.
"And for that, we will require a tame racing driver!" Asuka added.
Misato continued, "Some say she's the child of Gendo Ikari and Unit 01!"
"And under her helmet are the secrets of Second Impact," Maya added.
"All we know is, she's called The Stig!" Ritsuko declared.
"The Stig will take a customized dune buggy over a course we';ve alaid out of the test range," Gendo said. "Then the hosts will have to try to beat that time!"
"Oh god," Ritsuko muttered.
The Stig RACED through the hilly, rough road, obsticle laiden track, then parked the buggy calmly.
"Who's first?" Maria Vincennes smirked, having helped set up the course.
"Maya," Misato nominated her, "she won the drag race, after all."
"Oh joy," Maya got behind the wheen and was off.
The mustang roared off, then almost crashed as it clunked over a semi-hidden trench.
"That pooe car," Asuka winced.
Satsuki nodded, "I don't think any of the three cars are built for this..."
"The water hazzard has already turned into a mud pit," Shinji observed.
Maya got out of the mud, barely, but she was spinning tires and was splattered with the stuff. Still, she made it to the end, with a time nearly thirty seconds longer than the Stig's.
"Who's next?" Maria asked brightly.
Misato and Ritsuko exchanged a look. "Rock Paper Sissors?" Misato suggested. They did that, and Misato won best two out of three.
"Great," Ritsuko sighed as she started her car.
The Shelby started out slow, as Ritsuko was generally a cautious driver. Alas, that meant she wasn't going fast enough, hit the ditch and got stuck.
"You've GOT to be kidding," Shinji winced.
The car rattled, but wouldn't move. "I think I'll need a tow," Ritsuko called.
"You're a disgrace to Top Gear," Misato teased.
"Shut up," Ritsuko sighed.
"Make her finish the course?" Maria asked the crew.
"Yeah, why not?" Gendo smirked.
"You're eeevil," Satsuki addressed her boss.
Gendo just shrugged.
To be continued...