(Notes to the FFML:
Here's the *late draft* version of the third chapter/episode of
Apocrypha; I believe it can use some work, but I'd like help pinpointing
the places where it does need polishing. All C&C short of flames will be
appreciated.
As usual, please let me know if you wish to post parts 1 or 2 of
Apocrypha on your web site - but the versions out there now are the
release versions.)
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD:
If you wish to contact me by e-mail, my address is:
trmiller@bcpl.net
Previous chapters of Apocrypha are available at:
http://www.bcpl.net/~trmiller/fanfics/apocrypha.html
Note: with the exception of Michael, all characters generally speak
Japanese unless otherwise noted. If somebody else has to translate between
Japanese and English (in either direction), it's noted in the text.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Apocrypha by Tim Miller
Chapter 3:
"Give Me Understanding"
"I would have expected that kind of information to be in my records
somewhere." As usual, Michael was speaking in English.
Akagi Ritsuko sighed, and explained to him, "All of your most recent
records - including synchronization test data - were lost in the incident. We
also need a fresh baseline by which to measure your progress and performance;
given this 'link' you claim to have with Unit 04, it's felt that your old
synchronization data would be misleading at best - and more probably,
completely inaccurate.
Michael nodded slowly, his gloved fingers brushing the sleeve of his
dark green plug-suit - his only possession when he arrived, and with
Evangelion Unit 04, his only links to his previous life at the Second Branch
in Nevada. "All right, then. I was just wondering." He looked over at
Katsuragi Misato. "Major," he asked in still-hesitant Japanese, "would you be
so kind as to show me the way to the testing chamber?"
Misato nodded, and finished her mug of coffee before setting it down
on a nearby table. "Right this way, Mr. Fire Hawk."
Michael hesitated for a moment, as though making sure he'd understood
correctly, then followed her out. As the door closed behind the two of them,
Ritsuko sighed and rubbed her forehead. At the console next to her, Ibuki Maya
shook her head quietly. "He doesn't know Japanese very well ... "
"He's going to have to practice it," Fuyutsuki noted dourly. Like
Ritsuko, he was standing in front of the armored window which looked out on
the testing bay. That chamber looked almost crowded now: in addition to the
three test plugs which they were all used to seeing, a fourth plug's support
pillar now stood, with its plug extended up to the boarding catwalk. Below
the hatches of the retracted plugs, the testing chamber was filled with dark
pink coolant. Fuyutsuki continued, "When he's in combat -"
"You mean *if* he's ever in combat, right?" Ritsuko interrupted
smoothly.
Fuyutsuki continued without missing a beat. "- he'll have to be able
to understand, and speak in, Japanese without any hesitation or uncertainty.
And yes, Dr. Akagi, I do mean *when.*"
Hyuga Makoto looked up from his console. "I hope he makes it. His
whole life gone, his family dead ... he deserves something good to happen to
him."
Maya looked over at her co-worker. "Are you sure becoming a full-
fledged Eva pilot would be a good thing?"
Hyuga's reply was forestalled by a beep from his console. "Pilot now
entering test plug #4," he reported. "... Hatch secure. Ready to commence
synchronization testing."
Ritsuko nodded. "Stations, everyone." The technicians turned their
full attention to their work. "Retract plug, and fix the initial depth at
.25."
"Plug retracting," Hyuga acknowledged as he worked a control, the
support pillar beginning to recede into the murky coolant.
"Depth set at .25," Maya confirmed. "MAGI ready for test sequence and
monitoring."
"Acknowledged," Ritsuko nodded. "Begin synchronization testing."
"Test sequence commencing." Maya's words were punctuated by the
*thunk* of the test plug making contact, followed by the deeper hum of the
plug's circuitry powering up. "Synch-rate at .5% ... 1.0 ... 2.3 ... steady
increase now."
"Watch for the contamination line," Ritsuko commented as she scanned
her own displays. "Bond or no bond, we can't put him on the combat roster if
he's going to be at a constantly high risk for mental contamination."
"He looks okay so far," Hyuga reported. "Steadily above the limit."
His console chirped at him. "Synchro-graph has passed 20%, and still rising."
"Increase the depth to .5," Ritsuko ordered. There was another short,
humming *thunk* as additional circuits were engaged.
"What kind of synchronization rate can we expect from him?" Fuyutsuki
asked, looking over the displays that he could see.
Ritsuko shrugged. "It depends ... I doubt he'll go much past -" She
was interrupted by a high-pitched alarm tone from one of the consoles. "Maya,
report."
"He just brushed the projected contamination line. Duration was .01
seconds, then he stabilized. Current synchronization rate is 45.2% ...
beginning to rise again."
"Synch-rate is definitely climbing faster," Hyuga reported, as Misato
re-entered the room.
"Good," Ritsuko nodded, adding (I think.) within the privacy of her
own thoughts. "Increase depth again, to .75 this time."
Another humming *thump* came from the test plug. "Depth is fixed at
.75," Maya confirmed. "Synch-rate -" There was another high-pitched tone from
her console. "Contamination line again -" The tone repeated, sounding even
more urgent this time. "Sempai, I think he may be *trying* to pass the
contamination mark for some reason."
"Why would he do something like that?" Misato muttered.
"The bond," Ritsuko determined. "He's trying to reach the point at
which he bonded with Eva-04 ..." She turned on the intercom, and spoke into
the pickup in English. "Michael, ease back. If you were in an Eva right now,
you'd be risking mental contamination."
Michael didn't respond, at least not out loud - but it only took a
couple of seconds before Hyuga reported, "He's stable again. Holding just
above the contamination line."
"Current synchronization rate?" Fuyutsuki inquired.
Maya double-checked her readouts. "76.3%, and stable."
Misato whistled softly. "None of the others are anywhere near that
good yet ..."
"This shouldn't be possible," Ritsuko said flatly. "Not with the plug
depth at only .75 ..."
Fuyutsuki sighed. "That kind of synchronization rate ... if he can
avoid mental contamination while in the entry plug, we can't pass up a synch-
rate like that. All right - bring him out of it, and get the simulator ready
to start his combat training."
"Is it safe to move Eva-04 to the simulation chamber?" Misato asked.
"It should be," Ritsuko told her as the test plug was shut down. "It
didn't react when we brought it down from the surface, at any rate."
"You *will* be monitoring him in the entry plug while he's training,
of course," Fuyutsuki inquired.
"Of course - just like we would if he was in combat, the same as any
other Eva pilot." Ritsuko double-checked her readouts, confirming that the
test plug was deactivated, then keyed the hatch open. "Very good, Michael,"
she told him via intercom in English. "We'll do another test tomorrow morning
with the other three pilots, but now, it's time for your training to begin."
"I understand," Michael replied in Japanese, then switched back to
English to ask, "How did I do?"
"Your basic synchronization rate is better than that of the other
pilots," Ritsuko answered, "but you crossed into the contaminagion zone a few
times. Weren't you warned about that at the Second Branch?"
Fuyutsuki winced slightly, remembering how the subject of the Second
Branch was still a delicate one for the American boy. For NERV's Tokyo-3
staff, it had been over a month since the disaster that had wiped out one of
NERV's two American bases, and none of them had been in close contact with
anyone at the Second Branch ... but that was where Michael had been selected
and trained as an Eva test pilot, and potential combat pilot - and his
memories of the people there were still fresh. "Dr. Akagi ..." he started to
warn her.
A dry laugh sounded from the speaker. "I guess I must be a little out
of practice," Michael commented. "I guess a month alone in synchronization,
without monitoring, can do that."
Misato's eyes widened. "Did he say a *month*??"
Ritsuko stared out the window for a split second, just long enough to
recover her composure. "This is nothing to joke about, Michael. Just be more
careful when you synchronize with Eva-04 for training."
Michael promised, "My readings won't go near the contamination zone
when I'm in the real entry plug."
A few of the people in the control room exchanged skeptical looks.
Ritsuko and Fuyutsuki weren't among them; they just watched as the test plug
rose back to the catwalk.
Fifteen minutes later, technical staff and officers alike were
studying displays - actually, staring at them - which showed Michael's real
synchronization data.
"Over 80%?" Misato shook her head. "And there's no sign of
contamination?"
"He is close to the borderline," Maya nodded, "but he's safe."
"We may have to consider the possible benefits of a bond like this,"
Ritsuko admitted, taking a sip of coffee. "I'll admit it's a risky proposal,
just on the face of it - but if it lets all of the Children achieve these
kinds of results, it may be worth the risk."
"I'll bring it to the Commander's attention," Fuyutsuki said. "And
speaking of the Children ... Dr. Akagi, have we received the Marduk Report
yet?"
(Marduk report, my ass,) Misato simmered silently as she glanced
between Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko. (He just asked if we're going to make him a
regular pilot or not.)
"I haven't received a formal response from the Institute yet,"
answered Ritsuko. "But if the decision were up to me, I'd definitely classify
him as the Fifth Child."
(Bingo,) Misato thought. "When can we expect to hear from them?" she
asked aloud.
"I'll go see if the report is ready yet," Fuyutsuki told her. "If
you'll excuse me?"
As Fuyutsuki left, Michael finished his second set of basic maneuvers
in Eva-04, inside the simulation chamber. As the silver Evangelion resumed a
basic standing position, Michael asked, "Am I doing well?"
"So far, very well," Ritsuko answered. Then she paused, blinking, as
she realized that Michael had been speaking Japanese. "Michael, did you reset
the language interface?" she asked, still in Japanese.
There was a lengthy pause before Michael reluctantly asked her to
repeat the question in English. After he'd heard the translation, he answered
her, "No. I'm still thinking in English, but I'm trying to work more in
Japanese."
"Good," Misato told him - again in Japanese. "Keep trying."
Michael chuckled, and replied, "Thank you, Katsuragi," in Japanese.
That much, at least, he understood and could answer.
"You can call me Misato," she told him before stepping back from the
intercom pickup. "What's next for him, Ritsuko?"
"He's got the basic movements down reliably," Ritsuko answered, then
switched to English and spoke into the intercom again. "Michael? We're going
to start your weapons training now. Deploy your progressive knife; it should
be stored in your Eva's left shoulder pod."
There was another brief pause before the shoulder pod opened. "It's
not there," Michael reported, after another brief pause to recall the words
that he needed.
Misato sighed quietly. "It doesn't even have the prog-knife
installed?"
"We'll use the one that was shipped for Unit 03," Ritsuko ordered.
"You can relax for a moment while it's sent, Michael."
"Understood," Michael replied ... but his synchrograph hardly even
flickered. "By the way - you can call me Mike if you think that would be more
convenient."
"We'll keep that in mind," Ritsuko answered dryly.
By the time they broke for lunch, Michael had demonstrated a modest
degree of skill with both the progressive knife and the palette rifle, the
main weapons used by the Evangelions. As Misato put it, "He can hit what he
aims at, but he's not going to win any marksmanship awards past that."
"He'll improve in time," Ritsuko commented as she opened her bento.
"To be honest, I'm a little surprised at how quickly he's progressing. Shinji
picked most of these skills up pretty quickly, but it took him a few days of
training before he got as far as Michael already has."
Misato shrugged gamely, swallowing a bite of rice. "I know Shinji
didn't have any fighting experience at all before he got here. Mike might; I
don't know."
"One more thing to ask him," Ritsuko replied.
" ... Or maybe Eva-04 is helping him."
Misato's offhand comment brought all conversation to a halt for
several uncomfortable seconds; the silence was broken only by the ringing of
one of the console phones. Maya, who was sitting next to that console to eat,
put down her chopsticks and picked up the handset. "Simulator control, Ibuki
... hai." She looked up. "Katsuragi-san, the Vice-Commander needs to speak
with you about something."
Misato stood up, put her bento down carefully, and relieved Maya of
the handset. "This is Major Katsuragi."
"The Marduk Institute has sent its report," Fuyutsuki told her from
the other end of the line. "Can you bring Mr. Fire Hawk to the command center
at 1300 hours?"
"Yes," Misato answered as she quickly glanced around the room. "What
about the senior technical staff?"
She could hear Fuyutsuki conferring with someone in the background -
probably Ikari, Misato thought - before he answered, "They may be present as
well."
"We'll be there as scheduled," Misato told him. "See you at 1300."
Fuyutsuki acknowledged, and hung up. As Misato replaced the handset,
Ritsuko asked, "What was that about?"
We gather in the command center in - " Misato paused, looking up at
the clock. "About twenty minutes. Where's Michael?"
"Right here," Michael answered as he stepped into the room. "What's
going on?"
Ritsuko explained what had just happened, in English; Michael's
expression remained neutral. "Does this mean I'm going to be a pilot?" he
asked her, again speaking in English.
"We don't know yet," Ritsuko told him. "But in the meantime, you
should have something to eat. Here." She handed him an unopened bento.
Michael bowed politely. "Arigato," he thanked her, then found a place
to sit down and started eating.
About twenty minutes later, Michael was still in his plug-suit, but
now he was facing the massive, raised desk behind which Ikari sat and
Fuyutsuki stood in their usual positions. Misato and Ritsuko were standing on
either side of Michael, a little bit behind him; Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba were
all seated in front of their stations, turned to face the command desk as
well.
Without preamble, Ikari announced, "The Marduk Institute's report has
classified you, Michael Theseus Fire Hawk, as one of the Children. As of this
moment, you are in NERV's records as the Fifth Child and the designated pilot
of Evangelion Unit 04." He paused, looking at the new Fifth Child.
Michael hesitated; Ikari's Japanese had been too rapid for him to
follow. After a long moment, he gave Ritsuko a somewhat awkward look. "In
English ...?"
Ritsuko translated for him: "You're officially an Eva pilot now, the
Fifth Child. And you've been assigned to pilot Eva-04 in combat ... at least,
you will be once your training is complete. Maybe sooner than that."
"All he needs now," Kaji said aloud as he walked in, "is to learn how
to understand and speak in Japanese. Sorry I'm late." He took a position
behind Misato, and off to her side.
Ikari favored Kaji with a brief withering look, then turned his
attention back to Michael. "Dr. Akagi, please continue to translate ... Like
the other Children, you are officially NERV military personnel, and will be
treated as such while on duty. You are fully subject to the chain of command;
you will be expected to keep secret any classified information which is given
to you in the course of your duties, including anything which you may learn
about the Angels. Any information which you acquire about the Angels while in
combat is to be relayed to your commanding officer, Major Katsuragi, with all
due speed. You will be expected to obey all orders given to you immediately
and without hesitation...."
(Criminy,) Michael thought as Ikari continued speaking. (The people
back at the Second Branch were friendlier - ) He immediately cut off that
train of thought, locking it away from his emotions, and turned his full
attention back to Ikari's words - at least, as they were being translated by
Ritsuko.
"Since you presently have no legal guardian -"
(You mean since I legally don't exist right now, right? Aren't I
presumed dead?) Michael thought acerbically.
"- you will be allowed to continue living at NERV HQ, until you've
arranged for another place to live. At present, you are to continue your
training and your study of Japanese; if necessary, someone will be located to
tutor you in the language, but it is critical that you be able to communicate
fluently in Japanese, without hesitation or uncertainty, before you are
assigned to the combat duty roster." Ikari paused, pushing his glasses up the
bridge of his nose, and looked at Michael. "You've already begun studying
Japanese, as part of your training at the Second Branch. Is that correct?"
After Ritsuko finished translating, Michael nodded. "Yes, it is," he
answered directly in Japanese.
Ikari nodded curtly. "Do you have any questions before you are
dismissed to resume your training?"
Michael glanced at Ritsuko briefly, then asked, "Do I have any
official rank?"
"Like the other Eva pilots," Ikari answered, "you will formally hold
the rank of corporal - but you will be required to accept orders from any
adult officer of NERV."
(Why am I not surprised,) Michael thought. "What about pay, and
schooling besides my study of Japanese?"
Misato fielded that question, after Ritsuko had finished translating
it. "NERV will pay a reasonable housing stipend," she told Michael, "when you
find an apartment at a fair rate; you'll receive an additional stipend to buy
things of your own, necessities and leisure items. As far as school is
concerned - once you're fluent enough in Japanese to keep up with your
classmates, you'll be enrolled at the local junior high school, in the same
class with the other Eva pilots."
"I see," Michael answered, then paused to think for another moment or
two. He had to restrain himself from deliberately asking any of the questions
he already had a lead on the answers to - or any of the myriads more which he
knew that *nobody* would be able to answer for him. "I guess that's it."
"Then you may return to your training," Ikari told him as he rose to
his feet. "That will be all; you are dismissed."
As Ikari and Fuyutsuki left, Kaji walked over to Michael with a
friendly grin. "Congratulations, Michael," he said in English. "Welcome to
NERV."
"What are you doing here, Kaji?" Misato asked in patient Japanese.
"Well, I met Michael in the cafeteria the other night," Kaji
explained. "I figured I might as well come join in the fun, and find out what
would be happening to him."
Misato frowned for a moment, then turned to face Michael again.
"Mike," she asked him in Japanese, "would you like to come to a party this
evening?" Behind Misato, Kaji translated quietly for Michael.
Michael shook his head. "To celebrate what?" he asked. "I don't have
anything to party about right now -"
Kaji raised his hand, cutting Michael off, and stopping in mid-
translation. Misato was already opening her mouth to say something; Kaji beat
her to it. "You're alive, for a start," Kaji told the American boy. "You've
been accepted as an Eva pilot, you're already making friends here, and from
what I understand, your training is going very well. Besides, you should know
your fellow pilots ... and Misato lives with two of them."
"I understood that much already, Mr. Kaji," Michael told him with a
quiet sigh. "I know you and Misato mean well, but ... I'm really *not* in a
partying mood right now."
"And if someone ordered you to attend the party?" Ritsuko asked.
"Then I'd obey the order," Michael answered, looking away from all of
the adults. "Even as much as I'd want to do otherwise."
Ritsuko explained the exchange quickly to Misato, then looked at
Michael. "May I remind you that you'll be seeing all three of your fellow
pilots tomorrow morning? Maybe you'd be willing to go to a party with them
that afternoon ..."
Michael rubbed his forehead. "We'll see, okay?" he asked weakly. "I
might not want to party with them ... or they might not want to be around me.
I don't know any of them well enough yet -"
Kaji cut Michael off with a small gesture. "Excuse us a moment,
please." He led Misato and Ritsuko aside, then whispered to them, "I think
Michael *needs* to befriend the other pilots, no matter what it takes - all
four of them need each other, no matter what they may think individually, and
they'll get along with each other better than they would with adults."
"Rei might take orders to be friends with someone," Misato whispered
back, "but I know Asuka wouldn't; I can't be certain about Shinji."
"How well do you think they'll get along on their own, if we don't
tell them to befriend each other?" Ritsuko asked quietly, aware that the
senior technicians were holding their own whispered conversation by their
consoles.
Misato sighed. "Again, I don't know about Shinji ... but Asuka'll
probably get along with Michael about as well as oil and water mix; she was
her usual scornful self last night, when we were talking about him. As for
Rei, I don't know about her either. Probably as well as she gets along with
the other two."
Kaji nodded. "Let's see how the four of them get along without
prodding at the next regular synch-test, then ... that's when, tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," Ritsuko confirmed. "First thing in the morning, before
they go to school." She gave Misato a rather pointed look. "That does mean an
early start for you, remember ..."
Misato rolled her eyes, and walked back over to Michael. "Never mind
about the party, at least for now," she told him in Japanese. "Sorry about
that."
"It's okay," Michael responded, recognizing her apology despite his
relative lack of familiarity with the language. "Anyway, I could only talk to
them a little right now." He mustered a faint grin. "Maybe in a few weeks."
Misato nodded. "Maybe ..."
Unfortunately, the following morning got off to a poor start by any
standards. To begin with, Misato overslept - even compared to her usual slow-
starting morning; in this case, it meant that her housemates would have been
late for school with or without the synchronization test (for which they were
also going to be late).
The delay in starting had its benefits: Michael was pleasantly
surprised to learn that Ayanami Rei had a passable grasp of English, and was
able to answer a number of his questions about how NERV operated.
Unfortunately, Mike also found out that Rei wasn't much of for conversation
beyond direct questions.
When Misato, Shinji, and Asuka finally got to Central Dogma, their
appearance was heralded by the sound of Asuka swearing at both Misato and
Shinji for making her so late; the red-haired girl was exercising choice
invective in Japanese, German, and English at volumes which could probably
have been heard clearly in Germany and England - if not in America as well.
Michael tried to ask what was wrong, but was openly ignored by Asuka; Misato
could only give him an apologetic look, and said something in Japanese which
Michael couldn't understand. Rei translated it, loosely, as "PMS" - and very
nearly had her head ripped off by another verbal explosion from Asuka.
After such a chaotic start to the morning, it seemed like there was
nothing else that could possibly go wrong - but in fact, the synch-tests
almost went in even worse. Michael and Rei began synchronizing the moment the
test plugs were activated, ignoring Asuka's angry muttering from plug #2;
Shinji got a somewhat slower start, and Asuka was the last to even begin
synchronizing ... still muttering angrily, mostly in Japanese.
In the control room, Misato sipped coffee as she watched the displays
gradually change, marking the pilots' progress. "Plug depth at .6 now," Maya
reported.
"Another .1," Ritsuko ordered, "and watch out for the contamination
line." She glanced at the newest arrival. "What brings you here, Kaji?"
Kaji chuckled quietly. "Just keeping an eye on things here," he told
her.
"For whom?" Misato murmured quietly. Kaji, for his part, very
carefully failed to react as though he'd heard the quiet comment.
"Synchronization rates levelling off," Hyuga reported them. "Highest
to lowest: Mike, Rei, Shinji, then Asuka."
Ritsuko nodded, marking something off on a clipboard, then looked at
the bar graphs. "It looks like Michael's holding back today."
"Maybe he's just being careful," Hyuga guessed. "Do you think the
warnings he got about mental contamination are making a difference?"
"Either that," Misato speculated, "or he can't concentrate so well
with Asuka's chattering."
Maya noted, "He *is* well above the contamination line - much further
than he was at any point yesterday.
Ritsuko hesitated briefly, considering, then ordered, "Increase plug
depth to .8."
Kaji raised an eyebrow. "Isn't .8 awfully high?"
"They can handle it," Misato told him confidently. "Besides, the test
plugs don't pose any real threat of mental contamination, so even if one or
more of the pilots cross the line -" She paused, looking at the graphs as the
values shifted, all four of them indicating deeper synchronizations. Asuka's
synchrograph stabilized first; it was followed - and exceeded - by Rei's, and
Shinji's, and finally Michael's.
"Michael's synch-rate is unstable now," Ritsuko muttered as she
studied his graph. "Hyuga, raise the contamination limit for plug #4 - let's
see if we can force him to stabilize."
Maya gave Ritsuko a worried look as Hyuga followed the instructions
he'd been given. "Test plug #4 contamination line rising," he reported. "No
effect so far."
"Keep going," Ritsuko ordered. "If he *is* deliberately avoiding the
contamination line, he should be able to notice -"
She was interrupted, not by a console's warning signal or by one of
the other people in the room, but by Asuka's voice over the intercom. "Hey,
Michael?" she asked in English.
Misato sighed heavily, and spoke into the intercom in Japanese.
"Asuka, just concentrate on the test, okay? You can ask Mike whatever it is
afterwards."
The red-head ignored her. "Michael, what was it like when you
destroyed the Second Branch?" she continued in English. "I'm just wondering -"
"ASUKA!!" Misato yelled into the intercom. "What did I tell you about
that? *DON'T* ask!!"
Ritsuko looked askance at Misato as communications between the test
plugs briefly went silent. When Michael finally responded, his tone was
surprisingly quiet - and his words even more surprising in their content.
"Asuka," he asked in Japanese, "which unit do you pilot again?"
Asuka blinked. "Unit 02, the red one ... why?"
Misato let out a sigh. "Ignore it, Michael ..." She turned to look at
Ritsuko. "I think -"
She was interrupted as well, this time by Aoba's voice coming from the
intercom. "AT Field detected in the Eva cage area!!"
Fuyutsuki, who'd been observing quietly this whole time, slammed his
hand down on the intercom switch. "Locate the source, Aoba - now!!"
"Checking," Aoba acknowledged, and briefly fell silent while he
worked.
Ritsuko was already speaking to Michael, in English, via the intercom
to the test plugs. "Mike, whatever you're doing, stop immediately."
Aoba came back on the intercom from the command center. "AT Field is
being generated by Unit 04! Repeat, Eva-04 is active and generating an AT
Field!"
Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko traded quick glances, just before she stepped
aside from her console to let Fuyutsuki address Michael. "Listen to me,
Michael," the vice-commander ordered in English. "Have Eva-04 power down and
return to stand-by mode *immediately!*"
There was a momentary pause before Michael replied, seemingly very
calmly, "It's backing down."
"AT Field is no longer registering on sensors," Aoba reported just
afterwards. "Eva-04 is powering down, and returning to stand-by mode."
There was a collective sigh of relief in the control room. "Misato,"
Ritsuko said as she looked over her displays again, "these test results will
have to be discarded. Can you pick up Asuka, Rei, and Shinji after school, to
bring them back for another set of tests?"
"Will do," Misato replied. "*After* I have a little talk with Asuka
about how she treats her teammates - that was utterly uncalled for, no matter
what time of month it is."
Ritsuko nodded, a ghost of a smile touching her lips, before she
reopened the audio channel to the test plugs. "We're aborting the test," she
told them in Japanese. "We'll try again this evening, after you three have
finished classes." The three pilots she was referring to acknowledged; Mike
remained silent.
Asuka muttered something in German, then switched to English. "Hey,
dummy - she said we're done!"
"Then I'll see you inside," Michael responded evenly as the plugs
began their ascent to catwalk level.
True to his word, Michael waited until all four of them were standing
in the control room before he walked over to face Asuka. "I should probably
tell you," he said in English, "I make a point of never hitting a lady."
Asuka tossed her hair back, giving him a haughty glance. "Well, of
course it's nice to know -"
She didn't see Michael's fist coming at her chin; the impact left her
sprawling on her rear, even as Misato and Fuyutsuki grabbed Michael's arms to
restrain him. Michael didn't try to resist; he just asked Asuka, "Did I make
my point clear?" as he glared down at her.
Asuka rubbed her jaw briefly, glowering up at him. "Yeah ... but I'm
not going to forget this, so don't kid yourself -"
"Both of you," Fuyutsuki snapped in English, "that is *ENOUGH!*
Michael, what were you doing in the test plug?"
"Only taking her down a step," Michael answered. "Now may I finish?
I'm not going to -"
"No," Fuyutsuki cut him off, "you may not 'finish' whatever you were
doing." He switched to German. "Asuka, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Asuka replied in rather pointed Japanese, sitting up.
"Tell him that if he tries anything like that again, I'm going to kick his -"
"That'll do, Asuka," Misato interrupted her. "Shinji, Rei, you two go
get dressed for school; I'll meet you at the elevators." She let go of
Michael's arm. Fuyutsuki followed suit, giving Michael a loose translation of
Asuka's warning.
"I won't," Michael replied. "Neither will Eva-04." He walked over to
where Asuka was sitting, and offered her a hand up. "Are you hurt?" he asked
in English.
Asuka glared at him, not accepting the hand. "Why should you care?"
"Because we're teammates," he sighed, "and we're going to have to
depend on each other when we're sent out to fight. Look, I don't know about
you, but I'd have a hard time counting on someone who treated me like dirt."
He paused briefly, but Asuka didn't answer, so he continued: "Our lives are
going to be in each other's hands, whether we like each other or not. Isn't
that what being teammates means?"
"I don't need any help!" Asuka shot back at him. "I can beat those
Angels single-handedly!"
"If that's the case, why's Eva-02 still being repaired?" Michael
smiled grimly. "Eva-04 told me that the red one was hurt, and still being
healed; don't tell me it took that kind of damage at the *end* of a fight.
Unless it was just the end of the battle for you."
Asuka looked away. "You weren't there. You don't know what happened."
Michael offered his hand again. "Whether we like it or not, we're
going to need each other's help anyway. Do you want to start now, or are we
going to have to wait until it's a life-or-death situation?"
The redhead looked back at Michael's offered hand for a moment, then
glanced up at Misato and Fuyutsuki ... and finally accepted Michael's hand,
letting him help her get back to her feet.
"One other thing," Michael told her while his hand was still grasping
Asuka's. "If you *ever* try suggesting that what happened in Nevada was my
fault, ever again, it won't pass unanswered. You haven't lost your home - I
have, and I don't even want to think about it. Do you understand?" He let go
of Asuka's hand.
"Yeah." Asuka stepped back. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go change
now. Vice-Commander, if you'll excuse me?" Fuyutsuki nodded, and Asuka left,
followed by Misato; the door closed behind them on the beginning of Misato's
angry scolding, in Japanese.
As the door hissed shut, Kaji gave Michael a wry grin. "I think you
might have impressed Asuka."
"Maybe," Michael answered tiredly. "I don't care about impressing
anyone; like I said, we have to look out for each other. If one of them fouls
up during a fight, it's my butt out there too - and if *I* mess up, one or
more of them could eat something because I goofed. If we don't work as a team
against the Angels, it's all of our butts out there."
Ritsuko looked at him. "Sounds like you have some experience at this,
Michael."
"No," Michael sighed, "I just know what I've gotten myself into. Now,
where do I go next? Training, or back to the test plug?"
"Take fifteen minutes to calm down," Ritsuko told him, "then report
back to the simulator area to continue training."
"Yes, ma'am." Michael gave her a reasonably decent salute, then left
the control booth.
"So, how did they really do?" Fuyutsuki asked after Michael had left.
"Asuka's synch-rate is still dropping," Ritsuko answered as Kaji
strolled over to look at the displays. "She's been declining more or less
steadily since at least the 13th Angel, maybe longer."
"She's been having a rough time of it," Kaji said sympathetically.
"And the others?"
"Rei's synch-rate is about the same as it's always been, with a
gradual increase along the way," Ritsuko answered. "Shinji's is coming back
up, recovering from the drop he suffered after the 12th Angel."
"Good," Kaji nodded. "And Michael?"
Ritsuko looked at Kaji for a moment, then said, "Maya, Makoto - the
two of you can leave; I'll finish shutting down here." She waited until they
had left before she continued, bringing up a graph of the pilots' respective
overall synchronization rates.
The bar marked "Fifth C." was longest, by a visible margin. "I don't
know how or why," Ritsuko told them, "but Michael has the single highest
synch-rate in our records, even including the 'combat spikes' - the sudden,
dramatic jumps in synch ratios which some of the pilots have experienced in
combat."
"And he can maintain that level for such an extended period?"
Fuyutsuki asked, raising his eyebrows.
Ritsuko nodded. "That's not all, either. I checked the archived
reports from the Second Branch during my lunch break - and found out that
Michael's *old* synch-rates were all somewhere in the range of 30% to 35%.
There's no more doubt about it, Vice-Commander: *something* has increased the
Fifth Child's synchronization ability; maybe it's the bond he's claimed.
Either way, though, there's no way to predict what effect this could have on
his combat performance."
Kaji studied Fuyutsuki for a moment. (I wonder,) he mused, (what will
the committee will make of this when they find out ...?)
AUTHOR'S AFTERWORD:
This chapter takes place sometime between episodes 20 and 21 of the
Evangelion TV series.
The mystery continues to deepen. The bond between Michael and Eva-04
can no longer be doubted; the question now is what NERV, and SEELE, will do
about it. What will SEELE decide to do when they learn of this new, unknown,
and practically uncontrollable factor in NERV? How will Gendou try to turn
Michael and Eva-04 to his advantage - and will he be able to succeed, when
this new Evangelion has a will of its own? Michael and Unit 04 may be bonded,
but that doesn't ensure that even Michael can control it completely ...
Acknowledgements:
This work of fiction is written for fun, not for profit, and is made
available for the sole purpose of enjoyment by fans and interested readers.
This story is not to be distributed for profit by any person or agency.
_Neon Genesis Evangelion_ and all characters, entities, monsters, and
organizations thereof are the creations and property of Gainax and Anno
Hideaki, copyright 1996 (?). As such, I have no legal right to these
characters, etc. and am required to cease writing if requested to do so by
Gainax or legal representatives thereof.
Michael Theseus Fire Hawk is an original character of my own creation;
please do not borrow, use, depict, refer to, fold, spindle, or mutilate
without the author's prior permission (i.e. mine).
Tim Miller
trmiller@bcpl.net
October 17, 1998