Here we have the first chapter of 'EVA 2055'.
This story is set in a divergent continuity, which, I must admit, does
diverge pretty radically from the EVA story. But only *after* things start
to get messy anyway.
So, enjoy. All comments very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: What I own, I own. What I don't own, I don't own.
Spoiler Warning: This story contains spoilers for the EVA movies 'Death &
Rebirth' and 'End of Evangelion'. If you haven't seen these, and don't want
them spoiled...
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: EVA2055-1.txt
EVA 2055, Episode 1.0, Exodus 0:1 "Objects At Rest"
"This is the start that I know I'll believe in;
So I'm leaving everything behind;
Keeping the parts that I know I'll be needing;
And I breed to be a better kind;
And I'm leaving everyone behind"
-Starter,
The Cardigans
"Forty years ago the organisation known as NERV was decommissioned,
its Commander, Gendo Ikari, was arrested, along with his
second-in-command Kozue Fuyutsuki and others in the organisation's
ranks. This followed a raid on NERV's Tokyo-3 headquarters (see
A-801) and the failure of a sequence of events known collectively
as 'Third Impact' to occur.
"The raid on NERV's headquarters, codenamed 'Operation Totenherz',
was only necessitated by the refusal of NERV's Commander to comply
with UN directives to close down the agency, now that the threat of
the Angels had been dealt with. All indications from NERV suggested
that Ikari intended a siege, which the UN considered an
unacceptable situation, because of the alarming military resources
possessed by NERV. During and after the raid, it was discovered
that Ikari had decided to 'scuttle his ship' as it were, soon after
the raid commenced, ordering the NERV security forces to murder all
non-combatant personnel, and then turn on each other. The devotion
to their Commander shown by the security forces in carrying out
these orders is truly frightening. The JSSDF managed to arrest
Ikari and Fuyutsuki, along with the two remaining EVA pilots, but
not before Ikari's brutality resulted in the deaths of all other
NERV staff.
"Following the arrests, Shinji Ikari and Touji Suzuhara, two of the
children involved with the organisation were granted immunity from
prosecution in exchange for their evidence in the upcoming trials.
However, soon afterwards, Ikari was committed to a state facility,
and deemed mentally unfit to give evidence. Fortunately for the
prosecutors, Fuyutsuki also agreed to give evidence, in exchange
for immunity and placement in a witness security program, including
self-imposed exile from Japan for the duration of the trials.
"On the basis of statements made by Fuyutsuki, several members of
an organisation known as 'SEELE' were arrested, including the
group's alleged leader, a man named Keel Lorenz. The other members
of the group were later found to have committed suicide in a ritual
manner, soon after the initiation of the so-called 'Third Impact'.
Questioning of these individuals revealed a political conspiracy of
global proportions, intended to result in the military overthrow of
all national governments, and the establishment of a world-wide
one-party government, founded on the principles of fascism. UN
investigators were horrified at the group's intent to install
themselves as the rulers of this government, and their adherence to
doctrines not unlike those of the National Socialist party of Adolf
Hitler.
"Lengthy trials followed, and all those arrested and charged were
convicted. Keel Lorenz was sentenced to death and five consecutive
life terms, for numerous crimes, treason and conspiracy charges
among them. Gendo Ikari received three life terms without
possibility of parole, also charged with treason and conspiracy, as
well as the murder of Dr. Akagi. He died in 2037 in a prison
hospital, voluntarily euthanased after a seven-year battle with
cancer.
"The body of Major Misato Katsuragi was found on one of the lower
levels of the NERV complex, just outside one of the auxiliary
elevators. Post mortem examination concluded that she died from a
gunshot wound to the upper back, piercing a lung.
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi's body was recovered from the main storage
facility in the Central Dogma section of the headquarters complex.
Records show that this storage facility was the one used to house
the alien entity Lilith/Adam. Cause of death was determined to
be a gunshot wound to the upper chest. The bullet recovered from
the body matched those taken from the gun confiscated from Gendo
Ikari during his arrest.
"The individual known as Rei Ayanami disappeared during the JSSDF's
raid on NERV's headquarters. Speculation as to this individual's
true nature and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance has
always been rife. The last reliable surveillance records show her
entering the main storage facility in Central Dogma, accompanied by
Commander Ikari. No traces of her existence after this have been
discovered.
"Asuka Langley Sohryu was killed while piloting EVA-02 against the
EVA Units 05-13. Her remains were returned to her native Germany in
accordance with her will.
"Shinji Ikari survives to this day, aged 54, in a state facility
outside Tokyo. He has recovered from his illness sufficiently to be
interviewed, and a recent broadcast of TVTokyo's interview with him
topped the ratings under the title 'The Boy They Made EVA'.
"Touji Suzuhara was killed in a car crash in 2038, along with his
wife and young daughter.
"After the JSSDF raid, no traces were found of the supposed alien
entity known as Lilith/Adam, however enough evidence exists to
confirm this being's existence. On the evidence since revealed, it,
and the beings known as the 'Angels', were deemed to have been
Extra-terrestrial Biological Entities (EBEs). Recent events seem to
have confirmed this view.
"Of those involved in this affair, only Fuyutsuki and Ikari remain
alive today. Fuyutsuki has returned to Japan and is currently in a
rest home in the north of Hokkaido. He has been diagnosed with
terminal cancer of the liver, and is extremely ill. He is therefore
unable to be interviewed, and is not likely to live much longer.
"Consequently, it appears we must rely on Shinji Ikari to fill the
gaps in the documentation of NERV and its affairs. Our inquiries
have revealed that he has spent his time gathering information on
these matters, and has amassed a large collection of information
that could well be useful to us. It is vital to the success of our
present task that we gather all the data we possibly can from him."
-From the preliminary report of Kia Hamato,
Adviser to the UN Global Emergency Committee,
2054.
***
Out of nowhere, one of the Mass Production EVAs' giant blades
ripped through the air towards Asuka. She spun around, extending
her AT field to block it. Stupid EVAs! They couldn't stop her now!
There was no way-
Asuka's pride turned to horror, as the blade twisted in the air,
the metal seeming to peel away, revealing the twisted form she
recognised as... the Lance!
Spiralled steel and titanium pierced her field like a mere
spider-web, and she screamed in pain as it hit her in the face,
knocking her back.
The pain! She could feel it, right through her eye! And through
her head!
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL
KILL YOU!"
Around her Asuka heard the EVAs getting up, the ones she had
killed! The ones she had killed! Maya's horrified voice screamed in
her ear, adding her voice to the maelstrom of terror in Asuka's
head.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL
KILL YOU!"
She felt more of the deadly barbs pierce her skin, the pain nearly
overwhelming. I don't want to die! NO!
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL
KILL YOU!"
A haze of pain and fear obscured her view of the EVAs as they
circled above her, carrion vultures ready to destroy her utterly.
The vultures descended...
Asuka ran down the corridor, bursting with pride and hope. Mama
would be proud! Mama would tell her what a good, brave girl she
was!
"Mama! Mama! Mama, they said I can be a pilot! We're going to save
the world! It's a secret, but I can tell you!"
She pushed the door of her mother's room, ready to leap joyfully
into the embrace she hoped would greet her...
Feet dangled in the air in front of her face. Her mother's limp
body hung, swaying gently in the rush of air she had caused when
she opened the door. Next to the body, another cord swung, the
noose on its end circling the throat of a red-haired doll.
Mama? Mama? Mama, what...
Static blurred the scene in front of her eyes. Her mother's feet in
front of her were replaced by the face of a bespectacled man,
leaning over her, taking something away from behind her ear. She
seemed to be lying down, but the surface she was on was at a
strange angle, tilted up, like an architect's desk.
The man stood up, placing the thing on a bench next to him and
brushing his other hand through thinning blond hair. He looked
towards the darkness that Asuka could see behind him.
"And that, gentlemen," He said. "Is the process of restoring the
memories of a mnemonic clone through trauma simulation."
Clapping greeted this statement from the darkness. The man smiled
graciously.
Asuka tried to speak, but found her mouth full of something, a
rubbery gag of some kind. She tried to move her arms and legs, but
found them restrained, strapped to whatever it was she was lying
on. Her head seemed to be similarly held in place, as she found she
couldn't turn to look around.
"Mmmm! Mmm mmm mmm!" Was all she managed.
A soft male voice came from somewhere behind her. "Shhh, child. Be
still."
The man in front of her started to speak again. "This 'ghola' as
mnemonic clones are called colloquially, now has all the memories
of the original Asuka Langley Sohryu. Unfortunately, all her
memories of the persona that preceded her restoration, the girl you
all knew as Karen Liebewitz, are lost. But nothing comes without
sacrifice."
Asuka struggled against the bonds on her limbs, and struggled
similarly in her mind to comprehend what this man was saying.
"Please, Asuka." Said the voice behind her again. "Don't struggle
so."
The man in the spectacles turned back towards her. "Mr. Brown,
please take our subject to the recovery room."
"Yes, Mr. Black." The voice behind Asuka answered.
She started as the bed tipped backwards and started to move.
As ceilings passed above her, she tried to think clearly. Where was
she? The last thing she remembered was seeing her mother... and
before that she remembered being in her EVA, those white EVAs
hurting her...
But that couldn't be right! No! It didn't happen like that! That
wasn't the right order! She felt like her head had been
re-arranged, memory sequences disordered and patched back together
clumsily. How old was she? Fourteen, of course! Well, almost
fourteen... But her mother... She had been younger then, hadn't
she? Of course she had! So when did that happen...?
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the voice of the man behind
her again. "You must be very confused."
"MMM! MMM MMM mmm MMM!"
She was fourteen. The white EVAs, they had hurt her, that had been
years after her mother... She was a pilot... She could pilot again!
She could pilot again! The memory filled her with hope.
Above her, she saw a door-frame pass, then the noise from the
corridor was shut off by the sound of a door closing. The bed moved
a little further, then stopped.
The man moved to beside her, and now she could see his face,
youngish, dark hair brushed to one side. "I'm going to tilt your
bed up, okay? So you can sit up."
"MMM! MMM MMM!!!"
The bed moved under her, and now she could see the room around her,
small, white walls, no furniture she could see.
"If you don't scream, I can take the gag out of your mouth, okay?"
"MMM!!!!!! MMM!"
The man reached over and pulled the gag away from her mouth.
"AAAAAAAARRGGG-mmmmffff!!!!!!!" The gag snapped back into place.
"I told you, don't scream!" The man sighed. "Look, I need to talk
to you. It'll be easier if you can talk back, but if you're going
to scream, I can't let you."
"MMM!!!"
He pulled the gag out again.
"Du hentai scheisskopf fu-mmmmfff!!!"
Another sigh. The man seemed to Asuka to be genuinely disappointed,
hard as she found it to be believe. "I'm sorry, Asuka. I can only
try this once more. Please, Asuka."
"mmm-...the hell do you want?! Untie me you baka-hentai!!!!"
"I can't release you yet, Asuka." Once again, Asuka found it harder
to convince herself that the weariness in his voice was an act. "I
can only talk to you. And I don't have long."
"Fine! Talk! What do you want?!"
"I just have to tell you a few things you need to know. What year
is it?"
"WHAT?! It's twenty-fifteen, of course!"
"No. It's not twenty-fifteen. It's twenty-fifty-five."
"What? How...?"
"It's hard to explain. You're..." He paused. "How much of what Dr.
Kla... I mean, Mr. Black... How much of what Mr. Black said did you
understand?"
"It didn't make any sense to me! All I heard was something about
clones and 'gholas', whatever a 'ghola' is."
"You. That's what a ghola is. You're a ghola."
"*I'm* a ghola???"
"Yes. You're a mnemonic clone. People call them gholas. You
were... well, I suppose you could say you were made. You were made
from cells taken from the body of Asuka Langley Sohryu."
"I *am* Asuka Langley Sohryu!!!"
"Well...yes. Sort of. Your body is an exact copy of hers... I mean
yours... it's complicated. But you are her. I mean you. You have
all your original memories. So effectively you *are* her. You, that
is."
"I don't understand... I'm not me, but I am me???"
"That's the best I can explain it. You... you died in
twenty-fifteen. In 2041 we 'made' you from biological samples taken
in 2015. For the last fourteen years, we had a girl who thought her
name was Karen Liebewitz. We waited until now to restore your
memories. Karen Liebewitz is gone. You are Asuka Langley Sohryu."
"Who...? How...?"
Noises started from beyond the door of the room. The man looked
around nervously. "Shh. I can't tell you any more than that." He
produced a small black cube of what looked like plastic, and
pressed it to her arm.
She felt a slight pricking sensation. Like a needle! "Hey! What are
you-"
"You have to rest now. In less than a minute, you'll be asleep.
When you wake up, you won't be here any more. Find the people you
knew before! You have to! Remember that!"
Black spots started to appear in front of Asuka's eyes. "Wait! What
do I..."
"Do what you have to!"
The black spots grew to engulf the universe.
***
One week earlier, Tuesday, August 31, 2055
Hitomi Miyamura looked out from the tower of scaffolding, across
the semi-slum Tokyo-4 district of Lowside, towards the more modern
Tokyo-5, where the monolithic nano-tech buildings dominated the
skyline.
"They are like Giger's paintings of New York." Said her friend
Blue, beside her.
Hitomi turned to face her friend, looking up at the older girl.
"Giger?"
Blue stood at least a head taller than Hitomi, her brown, almost
doe-like eyes framed by short brown hair. She grinned. "That was a
quote from an old book. Giger was a surrealist artist. Late last
century and early this century."
"And he painted buildings as beautiful as that?" She waved a hand
towards her favourite building, the immense cube of the New Chiba
Science Corporation.
"Yeah. Pretty close, actually. Some of his stuff was way weirder
though."
"Cool. I like them. Some people in Tokyo-5 hate them, but I like
them."
"I know. Largest inhabited structures ever constructed. Even the
skyscrapers built for Tokyo-3 would only come up to about *there*
on the Kurusai building." Blue pointed, and Hitomi followed the
line of her finger to a point about two-thirds of the way up the
building.
She scowled at her friend. "You shouldn't compare that place to
this."
"Hmmph."
"Well, it's true! That place was... It wasn't right. I've seen
pictures. It should never have been built!"
"You sound like our brilliant Fuhrer, Herr Schultz!" Blue imitated
the UN Secretary General's broad-shouldered pose, legs spread apart
in a fighting stance. " 'Tokyo-3 was a manifestation of the sick
state of the world!' "
"You shouldn't call him that! The UNAERG swears obedience to the
Secretary General of the United Nations. They wouldn't let a Nazi
get the position."
"Hmmph. Well, I'll lay off the 'Fuhrer' jokes, just for you."
"Good."
Hitomi continued to admire the buildings.
"So when do you have to join up." Asked Blue.
"I don't have to. I want to. It's my choice."
"Whatever. I didn't think they'd extended the draft to
fourteen-year-olds yet anyway." Blue teased.
Hitomi smiled at that. Blue always teased her about how she was
going to be the youngest officer in the world. Blue was twenty-one,
meaning she could be drafted into the UNAERG at any time. Hitomi
doubted she'd present for service if her name ever came up. "I'm
willing to be sworn in to the world's military, okay? It was
voluntary."
"Hmm. So how's your training been? Have they made EVA pilots of
you three raw recruits yet?"
"Well, it's been a lot less difficult recently. I think we've
learnt the harder stuff, and now we just have to keep it up."
"Does Major Matsushira still do everything with you?"
"Yeah. Ruri says she'd never ask anyone under her command to do
anything she wouldn't do. She's even been training in the
simulators with us. I think it's harder for her though, since she
can't pilot the EVAs."
"I still don't understand that bit. I mean, the original pilots,
back in 2015, that was because they were born after Second Impact,
wasn't it? So why do they still need fourteen-year-old pilots?"
"I told you, it's complicated and secret. They won't even tell us!"
"And you're not even a little bit curious?"
"Of course I am. But if they won't tell us, they must have a reason
not to."
"Hmmph. Faith in the almighty oxymoron of 'military intelligence'."
"Stop it!" Hitomi chided. "It's Major Ruri who says she can't tell
us. If she won't tell us she must have a reason. I can trust her
enough for that. Besides, if the pilots don't need to be fourteen,
why wouldn't they use older pilots, with more training? They must
have a reason, and it'd have to be good."
"Hmmph. It had better be."
***
Tuesday, September 7, 2055
"Those who have served under you in your previous assignments give
you a good report, Major." Major-General Satoshi Yokugawa finished
pouring the Brazilian scotch, and handed the glass to Ruri. "Your
reputation for decisiveness in combat precedes you."
Ruri nodded as she took the glass. "I do my best, sir."
Yokugawa poured his own glass, and re-stoppered the crystal flask.
"When I first asked for you to be assigned to this operation, I was
most impressed with your achievements in Chile. In fact, they might
almost have been the deciding factor. Your handling of that
situation was what earned you your present rank, was it not?"
"Yes, sir. But I only did what any officer in that position would
have done." Ruri was still not used to the rank, and the new
attention from higher up that came with it.
Idly flicking the rim of the fine German crystal glass, Yokugawa
smiled. "A clich�d answer. But one I sincerely wish was true. The
Chilean premier was very impressed with his rescuers, especially
the way you handled the guerrillas you took prisoner. Even those
prisoners spoke of you with respect."
"Thank you, sir." She took a sip from the glass, letting the scotch
flow over her tongue, savouring the taste of her favourite drink.
Brazilian scotch was always the best. That was another thing she'd
learned in Chile.
"And in the three months since you took this command you have
particularly made your mark on the three pilots. They look up to
you, you know. We took a risk with these pilots. And the EVAs. This
whole operation even. After today, the pilots will no longer be
civilians. Our decision to give them officer rank as Lieutenants
gives them responsibility, even though the rank is honorary. That
decision was chiefly influenced by the way you have overseen their
training."
Ruri studied her commander, the cast of his face and his overly
polite manner reminding her of the daimyo of ancient Japan. Domain
lords equally skilled in both diplomacy and warfare. Superiors
don't usually pull you in just to praise you, she reminded herself.
Dammit, he's leading up to something, I know it! "Yes, sir."
"However, my regard for your abilities is not completely shared by
certain of my colleagues."
Uh-huh, thought so! "Sir?"
"Yes, Major. You will be under considerable... considerable
observation, shall we say. There are many who question your
methods. Some of your techniques are considered... inflexible in
certain situations."
Hmm. This better be good. "I think I know what you mean, sir."
"Good, Major. Let me come right out and say this. My superiors are
incredibly anxious that this operation be successful. It is vital
that it is carried out with utmost precision, and attention to
detail. If things go wrong, the weakest link in the organisation
will be blamed. Some would see you as that link, Major. Don't give
them any more leverage than they already have."
"I'll try, sir."
"Good." Yokugawa looked out the one-way glass they sat in front of.
"Ah. I see they're beginning."
Ruri looked out over the crowded auditorium to the massive UN Armed
Emergency Response Group shield on the screen above the podium.
Below that she saw the three pilots, seated on chairs to the left
of the platform, a speaker at the lectern to the right. Now the
house lights dimmed in the auditorium, and Yokugawa switched off
the lights in his office to let them see better. Ruri focused her
attention on the screen.
"Please rise for the Oath of Obedience." The speaker said, his
voice carried to them in the office by a link to the auditorium's
system.
Ruri stood, placing her hand over the copy of that shield on the
left breast of her black uniform. Next to her, she saw Yokugawa do
likewise, as did the rest of the auditorium. The pilots, however,
quite probably the only civilians in the room, stayed seated. Their
Oath, Ruri thought, would come later, the far more formal
initiate's Oath taken when an officer first received commission.
Ruri remembered her own initiatory Oath...
The speaker cleared his throat, and the screen changed to the words
of the Oath. But Ruri spoke the Oath from memory, as most of those
in the auditorium did.
"I swear by all I believe in this binding oath that I will render
to Miles Schultz, Secretary General of the United Nations, Supreme
Commander of the armed forces, unconditional obedience, and that I
am ready, as a brave soldier, to risk my life at any time for this
oath."
Ruri sat, as the screen returned to the familiar UNAERG shield.
Nothing much would happen for a while now. The speeches would go on
for a good half an hour at least. She leaned back in her chair,
taking another sip from her glass.
Ignoring the scene in front of her, she let her mind drift.
Tomorrow would be the first day of full operational status at
headquarters. Even though she'd been back in Japan for four months,
most of that time had been taken up with the pilots' training, with
very little time for anything else. Most days she had just gone
home and collapsed. The days she went home, that is. She hated to
think how exhausting it must have been for the children. Three
months. Three months, in which to compress two years of cadet
training, and the additional training with the EVAs. It would have
been stressful enough with recruits of the official age, let alone
with fourteen year-old children. And now these children were about
to be sworn in, as the youngest officers in the UNAERG's history,
even if it was a mostly honorary rank. At twenty-three, Ruri was
the youngest female Major in the organisation's history. But
Lieutenants at fourteen? Why?
They wouldn't even tell her that. But she'd seen the EVAs. She'd
piloted them in the simulator, for hours, putting in more simulator
time than the pilots themselves. And she was proud of them. If only
children could control the EVAs, she was glad these three had been
chosen.
'I won't let you down.' She promised them, taking another sip of
the Brazilian scotch. 'I will lead from the front, from the point
of the spear. We will succeed.'
Major-General Yokugawa nudged her shoulder, bringing her attention
back to the present. In front of her, the screen now showed the
three new EVAs, jet black shapes, standing to attention in the
cages.
"And now," The speaker at the lectern said. "These three brave
pilots will receive their badges of rank, and become the newest
and youngest members of the UNAERG's officer staff. Hitomi
Miyamura, please step forward."
Ruri watched Hitomi cross the stage, taking the small case
containing her new rank insignia, saluting smartly and standing in
the centre of the stage. They had practiced the ceremony, just the
two of them, several times. Ruri knew Hitomi was nervous. But she
also knew how much she wanted the rank. Hitomi had been the most
willing recruit of the three. She was a quiet girl, but sometimes
her actions suggested that there was far more going on under that
short black hair than anyone realised.
The speaker continued. "Yuko Tagami, please step forward."
'Ah.' Thought Ruri. 'From our most enthusiastic pilot to our most
obstinate.'
Yuko was a strange case. From the start, she had hated taking
orders. But she performed excellently, even under stress, and
especially when she knew she was being watched. She did what was
expected, and did it well. She just didn't like being told to do
it. Ruri knew her father was someone with great influence in Japan.
All the UNAERG's offers to the family to provide security for her
had been rejected, the family insisting 'we have our own
arrangements'. Ruri had been told by superiors not to push the
matter. But she had her suspicions.
As Yuko joined Hitomi in the centre of the stage, the speaker took
his lectern again. "Shiroh Kawase, please step forward."
Kawase had been a late recruit to the program. The UNAERG had
wanted *him* though, above any of the other potential pilots. He
wasn't particularly keen on being a member of the UNAERG. But he
loved piloting. He was a different person inside the EVA, happier
somehow. More complete. More real, even. Some of his behaviour was
just downright confusing. He'd be leading the charge one minute,
only to take cover the next. That would need some work. As would
that hair. The fact that the media's cameras seemed to love the
face that that bleached white hair framed had probably been the
only thing that had saved it thus far. Outside the spotlight, he
wasn't the same vibrant character.
Ruri stood, as the rest of the auditorium did, clapping as the
pilots left the stage. She excused herself and left Yokugawa's
office, making her way down to the room where she would guide the
pilots in the UNAERG initiatory oath.
***
Episode 1.1, Exodus 0:1
"Disarm you with a smile;
And leave you like they left me here;
To wither in denial;
The bitterness of one who's left alone"
-Disarm,
The Smashing Pumpkins
Tuesday, September 7, 2055
Shinji shut the door behind him, and looked around his room. The
Kada hospital was comfortable enough. And they'd had several rounds
of renovations since 2015. But this couldn't even hope to give
Shinji solace. He slumped dejectedly into the room's single chair.
Forty years. It had been forty years, and what had he accomplished.
No-one he knew from those days was still alive. The only people he
knew now didn't want to see him. They'd contact him if they did.
Only the damn UN was still interested in him. And then only as a
living library, a resource to be mined and thrown away. He
half-suspected that even they had finished with him already. But
he was being kept around. Not useful enough to use, but not useless
enough to throw away. Yet. It was only a matter of time.
He'd done things to be proud of in his life, yes. His research into
what was actually going on back then had been fruitful. And
worthwhile. What he'd found out went above and beyond the little
Misato had been able to tell him on that November morning. But he'd
even been cheated in that. People didn't care. They just wanted to
believe what they were told and forget. He looked over at the white
cross that hung off the corner of the room's mirror. She would have
hated this.
And now there was nothing. He was a relic, a reminder of a past
people wanted forgotten. They'd tried to get him to pilot these new
EVAs, as a last resort. But he couldn't. They were... different.
They weren't like the old ones. His synch ratio didn't even
register. He was useless for that as well.
He looked out the room's small window, out over the ugly black city
he didn't like. The new pilots. They were children. God only knew
why. More fodder for the UN war machine. Nothing was sacred any
more.
And the list went on. People... People he loved. They didn't want
to know him. Didn't want to see his disgrace. Those that remained,
anyway. And they were so few, so very, very few.
Shinji passed his eye over the room's contents once more in
disgust. He picked up the small metal shape of the Tomoi 9mm, and
started to walk down to the garden, the pistol in his pocket.
Ten minutes later, he stood on the deck at the edge of the gardens.
In front of him, the colossal towers of Tokyo-5 spread out, the
immense skyscrapers obscuring the horizon. He wandered away from
them, finding his own secluded spot in the garden nearby. He pulled
out the pistol, coldly checking the firing mechanism and clip. Two
bullets. More than enough.
He looked at the gun, remembering the last time he had tried this,
nearly forty years ago. 'I couldn't do this last time.'
Shinji ran his fingers lightly along the grip. Then he closed them
firmly around it.
'Now is different.'
He slid the weapon's muzzle between his teeth, his tongue detecting
the unpleasant taste of steel.
'I want to die. There's... there's no point any more. I just can't
live with only the pain.'
He clicked the safety off with his thumb.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?!"
Shinji almost pulled the trigger in surprise, taking the gun out of
his mouth. And he was even more surprised when he looked up to see
who had spoken. Even though his memories screamed the only possible
answer. "A...Asuka?"
"Yes, Baka-Shinji! You are Shinji, aren't you?"
"Y...yes."
"Well, don't just sit there! What did you think you were doing?!
You have to help me!"
Shinji looked closer at her. "Who are you?"
"I'm me, you baka!"
"You can't be her. She died forty years ago."
He shook his head, and looked at the girl once more. "You must be a
ghost, an illusion!"
"I'm me, dammit!" The redhead shouted and grabbed one of Shinji's
hands. "I'm real, you dumkopf!"
He shook his head in disbelief. "You can't be real." He pushed the
girl away, turning from her, hiding his face. "You're dead!
Everybody's dead!"
Asuka just stared at Shinji's back, convulsing with his
overwhelming grief.
After a long silence, she found her voice once more. "How."
"They've been dead for over forty years."
"No, you coward!" Asuka gripped the whimpering man by the shoulders,
filling his face with her angry visage. "How did they die!"
"They...People die. Most of them...The army killed most of them.
I...I couldn't stop them! I couldn't even stop them killing you!"
He twisted away from Asuka. "I held your head in my own hands."
Falling to his knees, he cried. "I couldn't save you..."
Asuka shook her head and prised the gun from Shinji's grip.
"You're still so worthless Shinji." She whispered to herself. She
looked down at the gun. Then she looked back at the old man she had
once known. Perhaps he could still help her once they both had a
better bearing on what was going on.
He had to. She had no-one else, now.
***
"And thus," Said the lecturer. "Through the numerous Treaties over
the last half-century, the UN has become the global power it should
be."
Aki checked her watch. 5:27pm. She looked back at Mrs. Honoda, the
lecturer at the front of the auditorium. Come on! Hurry up!
Mrs. Honoda continued. "Today, though the UN's headquarters in this
very city is its main base of operations, every country in the
world, barring a few rogue states like South Africa and the
Phillipines, is home to a major UN centre. We have the Armed
Emergency Response group, the UNAERG, as an excellent replacement
for the individual armed forces of the nation-states. Their
headquarters is in Jerusalem, Israel."
Aki sighed again. 'I want to go home! It's a half-hour mag-lev trip
from here!'
"We have the UNKOR, to investigate any international crimes or acts
of terrorism, and to provide other services directly to the UN. The
UNKOR is based in Washington DC, in the United States."
Aki started tapping on the armrest of her chair. Tuesday afternoon,
the last class, and nothing tomorrow. She wouldn't even have to
come in to the university until Thursday.
"And we have the UNOBK to monitor domestic security within the
nation-states. They also have jurisdiction in matters such as
treason and espionage. They are based in Moscow, Russia."
Aki brushed her long black hair back over her ears. 'Geez. Get on
with it.'
"And we'll leave it there for this week." Said Mrs. Honoda. "Next
week, I expect to see first drafts for your assessments! This
Historical Perspective unit could just make up the points for your
degrees!"
Aki was already piling her books into her bag. 'Crap. I'm going to
have to talk to her about that assessment.'
"And remember, many employers now want their tech experts to know
a bit about where their profession comes from, and so do the major
academic centres. Any of you thinking of going to USCLA or
Stockholm next year, fail this unit and you can forget about it.
Same if you're thinking of signing on with any UN branch. WHO, RCI,
UNTek, any of them. And I know from an inside source that Daedalus,
Ono-Sendai, New Chiba Science or Maas-Neotek won't even return a
phone call. Trust me on this!"
Aki made her way to the front of the lecture hall, in a sort of
'milling' fashion, trying her hardest to be the last to leave. When
the last of her class-mates had gone out the door, she walked down
the long aisle towards the podium. As she reached the front of the
room, the lecturer motioned her over.
"Have you got your proposal for this year's assessment, Aki?" Asked
Mrs. Honoda.
"Yeeeah." Aki replied, slightly timid. "But you may not like my
choice of subject."
"Well, come on, who are you doing the paper on?"
"Does the name Akagi Ritsuko mean anything to you?" Aki ventured,
dreading the response her teacher might give.
Honoda frowned. "Interesting choice. But I can't say I approve. You
realise you'll have a lot of opposition to your research."
"Yeah, but I want to do it!"
"I'm not sure how you'll handle this topic, you know." Honoda
sounded concerned.
"I've already done some preliminary research."
"Hmm."
"Come on, I thought you of all people would understand!"
"I don't think you fully understand the political history of NERV!"
Honoda hissed. "Akagi was a pawn in a horrible game. And from all
accounts, a willing pawn."
"That's not true! She..."
"You want to work for the UN, don't you?"
"Yeah. They have the technology no-one else can get because of the
Compact."
"Don't you remember why the EVA Compact was put in place?"
"Of course! To prevent-"
"It was put in place to prevent the misuse of the EVA technology by
the nation-states, but more importantly, to prevent a repeat of
what NERV was doing!"
"No! NERV never *had* any political agenda!"
Aki's lecturer sighed. "Aki, we've had this discussion before. The
proof of NERV's political aspirations, and the SEELE group's use of
the agency to further those ends is undeniable. If you won't see
that, no-one can make you."
"It's falsified evidence!"
Honoda looked hard at Aki. "Alright. I can see you're going to do
this anyway. But just remember, it was doing things best left
undone that brought NERV down."
Aki scowled. Another dupe, brain-washed by the stupid government.
Couldn't people see the truth around them?
"And I doubt this will do much for your chances of working with the
UN. This city has seen more than enough of NERV, Aki. Some wounds
are best left to heal."
Aki stormed off, frustrated by her teacher's inability to see the
truth she knew was there.
---------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
Gholas are taken directly from Frank Herbert's excellent 'Dune'
series of novels.
Many, many thanks to Sebastion Fitsroy, who pretty much re-wrote the
Shinji/Asuka scene by himself, based on his idea for how it should
be handled. I am deeply indebted to Bastion for doing something I
was way too lazy to get off my ass and do myself. ^_^
The name 'Miles Schultz', the name of the UN Secretary-General, is
taken from Miles Teg, the Bene Gesserit Bashar in 'Heretics Of
Dune' and 'Chapter House Dune', and the mayor of Seattle in FASA's
'Shadowrun', Mayor Schultz.
The names of about half the companies in this chapter are taken
from William Gibson's many novels.
Yes, the title of this episode is taken from Babylon 5.
Many thanks go to:
Sebastion 'Dammit, why do you like my music?' Fitsroy
Penny 'Please don't sing' Sullivan
Matthew 'You need help' Horgan
Seth 'Oh no! It's an N2 mine!' Kowal
Darren 'I've got a SEELE monolith' Demaine
Jitou 'What's my (last) name?'
WinAmp(TM) is now playing: Black Rain Soundtrack-Black Rain Suite
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"Gott ist in seinem Himmel, alles gut mit der Welt"
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Check out EVA 2055 at:
http://www.geocities.com/dalziel_86/index2.htm
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"Misato Katsuragi? You want to know the truth about NERV?
My name is Neo. I think I can help you. But it won't be
what you expected."
(Yes, I ripped this idea. Whoever's it was, hey, it was too
cool not too!)
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