While "Walls of our own making" was the first fanfic that I released to
the scrutinizing eye of the ffml, this work was begun before walls. It
has, however, been totally rewritten. Call it my zeroth work.
This occurs in a split second during an episode.
C+C is welcome, but be warned that I probably won't be able to respond
on the weekend.
Enjoy.
Tom
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Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.1
The Impression of a Moment
Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax/Project Eva.
Parts of this work were adapted from the scripts as
translated by the "Literal Translation Series."
Caution: This contains spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion
episodes 18 and 19. (The dialog is from 19 and makes
reference to events that occur in 18.)
"The interlocking circuit has been cut," Maya reported, not
taking her eyes off her station, ignoring the looming image of Unit
One.
"What about the ejection signal?" Fuyutsuki asked.
"It's been locked out from the plug side." Maya
answered. "It's not being received."
Makoto addressed Shinji from the station where he sat. "But
Shinji, if we hadn't done that, you'd have been finished."
Quietly Shinji responded, from inside the entry plug. "That's
not my concern."
"But it's also a fact." Makoto offered.
Shinji still used the same quiet voice. "Don't make me more
angry." He checked one of the status displays. "Unit One still has one
hundred and eighty-five seconds left."
Maya stood to address Shinji. "Shinji, listen. Without
Commander Ikari's decision, everyone could have been killed.
"I'm saying that's not my concern!" Shinji shouted, his hands
shaking from rage. "My Father... That man was going to kill Touji." He
slammed his hand down on one of the handles. "...using my hands."
----------------------
Then, Shinji's voice echoed through the massive control
room. "Father, you're there, aren't you. Say something! Answer me!"
Gendou's response was not directed at Shinji, but at the NERV
crew on the platform below. "Raise the LCL pressure to the maximum."
Maya glanced over her shoulder, to look at the commander.
"I have no time to waste on an impossible child."
"No." It was Maya who said this, quickly tapping out a command
on the keyboard of her station.
Fuyutsuki looked at Maya. "Are you refusing the commander's
authority?"
"Yes... there's a limit to what... even the commander... to
his own son..." Maya was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what she
had done. She knew, vaguely, the consequences of what she had done,
but went with the guards that came for her. Just before the door, she
stopped and faced the commander. "You'll have to waste the time for
your son."
The door slid closed behind her.
------------
Shinji didn't hear this, in the entry plug of Unit One, but he
did have something to say. "I have a connection to this Evangelion!"
He paused, and continued in a softer voice. "I suggest that you make
time."
------------
Makoto, not knowing what to make of Maya's insubordination,
threw his attention onto the equally confused displays. "We've lost
all telemetry from Unit One... All command channels have been cut. The
encryption sequencer has been reset..." He turned to face his
superiors. "All we have is the audio connection that was already
open."
"I see." Fuyutsuki turned to face the image of Unit One, and
the audio channel was opened. "Shinji. Don't act too..."
Shinji's voice, coming from the speakers, interrupted
him. "No. One man is responsible... And it is him that I must speak
to." Shinji's strangely relaxed voice echoed from the walls of NERV
command.
"Unit One is starting!" Makoto shouted, in stark contrast to
Shinji's tone.
------------
The Evangelion began moving, ripping the locks holding its
arms from the wall. The hoses carrying hydraulic fluid to the various
lock bolts ruptured, spewing forth the black fluid they once held. The
bolts themselves sprang open, causing the chunks of wall clinging to
the Eva to fall to the ground.
------------
Fuyutsuki barked orders to the NERV personnel. "Seal Central
Dogma! Evacuate all personnel in corridors between here and the
cages. Evacuate the MAGI personnel! Put the geofront on maximum
alert."
Gendou remained silent.
Sirens blared as NERV went to alert. Doors slammed shut, huge
armor plates slammed into place. People ran to the shelters, ones
designed for the contingency that the geofront would be invaded, ones
that they had hoped would never be used. NERV prepared for a threat
that it was hoped it never would have had to face.
------------
The metal buckled, not due to Shinji's scream, but due to the
force of the fist of the Evangelion smashing into it. With the
horrible sound of twisting metal, the door to the Evangelion cage
fell.
Unit One stepped through the threshold, into the massive
corridor.
------------
"Eva One has left the cage." Makoto was growing increasingly
agitated. "Evacuation is complete... All armor plates are closed and
locked. Unit One is approaching... It's over the central shaft."
The screen changed to display the location of the Eva in
relation to the command center and the armor plates in between. Unit
One stood over the shaft for several long seconds. Fuyutsuki wondered
what Shinji was up to.
"AT field detected!" Shigeru shouted, giving the answer. "Unit
One has deployed its AT field! Armor plates one and two destroyed."
They watched the main screen, seeing Unit One plummet the two
levels. "AT field has collapsed."
------------
Unit one stood on the seventh armor plate. Shinji waited a
second, then deployed the AT field. As if the physical expression of
his anger, the field reached downward, smashing the armor plate.
------------
"How much longer?" Fuyutsuki had put up all the barriers he
could. From here on, it was merely a matter of times. How long it
would take the Evangelion to get here, and how much power it had left
in it's battery.
"He's reached the final armor plate! It's a matter of seconds
now!" Shigeru was handling the reporting of Unit One's progress
through the base.
"Battery Status?"
Makoto fielded this one. "Unknown... Without telemetry,
there's no way to tell how much power he used with the AT field."
"He's through the final barrier! Heading this way!" Shigeru
interjected.
The representation of Unit One on the screen moved closer to
the command center. It moved closer, until it was impossible to
distinguish it from the wall of the control center. Then the screen
exploded into a shower of glass and electronic parts. The image was
replaced by that of the Evangelion, which was using that wall to enter
the command center.
------------
Gendou stood up, as if to address the Evangelion. But, it was
his son that spoke first.
"Father.... "
"I have nothing to say to you."
This served only to anger Shinji. In one movement, Unit One
reached out and picked Gendou up, holding him in it's hand. There was
silence for several seconds, until Gendou spoke.
"Time is running short. If you're going to do it, do it now."
------------
Shinji sat in the darkened entry plug, staring at his clenched
fist.
----------------------
Then, Shinji's voice echoed through the massive control
room. "Father, you're there, aren't you. Say something! Answer me!"
Gendou's response was not directed at Shinji, but at the NERV
crew on the platform below. "Raise the LCL pressure to the maximum."
Maya glanced over her shoulder, to look at the commander.
"I have no time to waste on an impossible child."
------------
"I still have a direct connection..." Shinji's words were cut
off by the crushing increase in the LCL pressure. He slowly cursed to
himself as his thoughts faded into blackness.
1.0 29 June 1997
2.1 27-31 July 1997
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Comments are always welcome at tom-cnc@tr.ml.org