Hi all,
Here's part seven for your perusal.
If you want to read the previous parts, they're archived at
http://members.tripod.com/Sage_Ohlmin/evafic.htm if you just click on
the red "A".
Sparky
*********
"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."--Isaac Asimov
For Evangelion fanfiction and links visit Heaven's Gate
http://members.tripod.com/Sage_Ohlmin/evafic.htm
A Dies Irae Production
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: part07.txt
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION:
ASCENT OF THE FALLEN
By Sparky Clarkson
Part Seven:
"As one whom his mother comforted, so will I comfort you..." (Isaiah
66:13)
*******
Ritsuko missed the ashtray and stubbed her cigarette out in her coffee
cup. Wincing at the waste of caffeine, she quickly tapped another Camel
out of the pack and brought it to her mouth in a smooth motion evolved
from years of practice. As she prepared the tobacco with her left hand,
her right continued its dance over the keys of her laptop, tapping out
a rhythm that would leave a professional dancer breathless. Her eyes
never wandered from the screen except to briefly watch the blue butane
flame on its way to the end of her cigarette.
She inhaled deeply as the tip of the cigarette began to smolder,
letting the grey-white smoke flood her airways. She sighed as the wave
of nicotine hit her lungs and spread rapidly through her body, then set
down the lighter to free up both hands for her task. Ritsuko clenched
the cigarette tightly in her lips, sealing them around it and inhaling
the drug-laden haze every few minutes to help her focus.
With her left hand now helping the right, Ritsuko began to type with
blistering speed. Her awareness heightened by the caffeine and
nicotine, she produced lines and lines of the strange code that already
filled her computer screen. She knew she didn't have much time.
Already, the doctors in the NERV hospital would be turning to the
Magi's medical diagnostics programs. Shinji's injuries were far beyond
anything that had been cured in a human before, and no medic, however
experienced, would know what to do in response. Within moments, the
Magi would point them to the entry she had created less than fifteen
minutes ago. And if she did not have this program done by then, all
that work would be for nothing.
Ritsuko pushed those worries aside and continued to enter the code. She
had to stay focused on the task at hand, because she would have only
one chance. The slightest misstep, and the nanites would malfunction.
Fortunately, she had done most of the base code before she left NERV--
an instance in which her habit of always doing the most difficult part
first so that the easier parts could be sped up helped her out. She had
worked out the most difficult algorithms--those that governed edge
recognition, splint design, and most chemical syntheses--several months
ago. She only needed to put the finishing touches on the polymer
structure and limiting factors.
Ritsuko had recognized the hidden blessing of the 11th angel as soon as
Nerv's battle with it had ended. For decades people had dreamed of
using miniature machines to rebuild a damaged human body, but the
technology needed to produce nanites had always been out of reach.
Ireul, however, had provided what mankind could not attain on its own.
Ritsuko had spent many nights in the bowels of the GeoFront,
painstakingly decoding the trinary programming language on which the
nanites operated. Once she succeeded, Ritsuko realized that the same
internal chemical factories that had produced organometallic polymers
to make an interface between the nanites and the Magi could be used to
make other materials.
Ritsuko entered the last line, and compiled the program for
transmission. It wasn't perfect, and she hoped she hadn't left anything
out. But there wasn't any other way. The computer beeped at her to
indicate that it was done, and she tapped in the command that would
send the program OSTEOBLAST to the Magi, where it could be uploaded to
the nanites. She smirked as the data streamed towards NERV
Headquarters.
"Well, Misato," she whispered, gazing at the wasteland of cigarette
butts and empty packs that surrounded her, "Don't say I never did
anything for you."
*****
Makoto's hand ached. Misato had been holding it in an iron grip ever
since they had arrived in the waiting room over ten hours ago. Though
fear and worry had torn at her, she had kept her military demeanor--
only the vise-like pressure on Makoto's hand let him know of her
apprehension. Sitting together in the well-cushioned waiting room
chairs, they might have seemed any ordinary pair of worried parents, if
this had been any ordinary hospital.
Rei and Asuka sat in chairs opposite Makoto and Misato. The blue-haired
girl sat at attention--her back ramrod-straight, her hands crossed in
her lap. Her face, however, bore no expression, and her red eyes stared
blankly ahead. Asuka, on the other hand, had curled up in her chair and
fallen into a fitful sleep. Occasionally she murmured, and every once
in a while a tear would trickle down her cheek.
As the hands on the clock passed 3AM, an aging, grey-haired doctor
entered the room. The tall, slender man more resembled a grandfather
than a surgeon-- he even eschewed the customary white coat. Only the
large badge clamped onto the collar of his blue-grey sweater marked his
position in the hospital. Misato leapt to her feet when she saw the
man, and Makoto almost groaned in relief. As he began to
surreptitiously rub his aching fingers, Makoto saw Rei nudge Asuka. The
redheaded girl brushed her hair back out of her face and quickly wiped
away the tears she had quietly shed.
The doctor, his face haggard after hours of effort, rubbed his eyes and
smiled slightly. "We think they're both out of the woods for now," he
said quietly, "But it will be a few days before we're sure with Ikari.
It's sheer luck that someone had already written a program to adapt
those angel nanites for skeletal repair--otherwise, he wouldn't have
stood a chance."
Makoto smiled slightly as he saw the looks of relief on the faces of
the ladies in the room, and realized with surprise that he felt a
little lightheaded himself. He realized that his concern for Misato
must have masked his personal anxiety about the boys.
"What's the status of the pilots?" Misato asked, after she took a
moment to swallow her relief and return to an officer's demeanor.
The doctor nodded curtly and pulled some wire-rimmed glasses out of a
pocket on his vest. Settling them on his nose, he looked down to the
palmtop computer he was holding. "Pilot Nagisa suffered several broken
ribs, a few flooded bronchial passages, and minor vascular and muscular
tears in the chest area, as well as a partially fractured vertebra. His
lungs have been cleared, and all fractures have been taken care of with
nanites. He should be free to go within a few days."
"And Shinji?" all three women asked simultaneously. In a less dire
situation, Makoto would have been tempted to laugh.
The doctor returned his gaze to the palmtop. He cleared his throat and
reported, "Pilot Ikari suffered an undetermined number of fractures and
vascular tears. His lungs flooded completely within moments of his
removal from the plug, but are now mostly clear of blood. In surgery,
most vascular damage was repaired and all gross misalignments of bones
were corrected. Pilot Ikari was suspended in LCL to maintain bone
position and then treated with nanites. The nanosplints are now in
place and he has been removed from the tank, although he is presently
on a hyperoxygenated, high-pressure LCL breathing system to prevent his
lungs from flooding. We expect to be able to remove him from the LCL
system within two days, and he should be conscious again within a
week."
Misato nodded. "Can I see him?" she asked.
The doctor shook his head. "Not for a couple of days," he replied, "The
LCL rebreather we're using is experimental, and we believe that it may
make the patient very susceptible to infection. When he's off the
system, you can see him."
Misato nodded, but she and the two girls shared a dark and unhappy
expression. The doctor apparently noticed this, because he said, "The
best thing for all of you to do right now is to get some sleep. You've
all had a long night, and there's nothing to be gained by making it any
longer." Seeing that nobody moved, he added, "I promise he'll still be
here in the morning. We care too much about that boy to let anything
happen to him."
Apparently satisfied, Misato allowed her face to slacken and her
shoulders to slump. Makoto realized that the tension of the last
several hours had completely exhausted her. He stood and put an arm
around her, almost staggering as she practically collapsed against him.
Makoto saw similar fatigue showing the girl's faces, even in Rei's.
"Come on," he said to the three women, "I'll get you home." He waved
the girls towards the door and started to leave, but turned back and
said, "Thanks, Doctor..?"
"Watanabe," the surgeon replied with a smile. "You guys can call me
Toshio."
Makoto nodded, and then followed the girls out of the room, Misato
leaning heavily on his arm. As he stepped out into the hallway, he
noticed a thin, gangly boy sitting on one of the benches left there for
visitors who overflowed the waiting room. His unruly, light brown hair
framed a freckled face partially obscured by glasses. He appeared
worried, and almost frightened, his brown eyes darting this way and
that as he watched the group leave the waiting room. Makoto thought the
boy looked familiar, but Misato's insistent weight on his arm kept him
from devoting too much thought to the subject.
As he reached the elevator where the girls waited, though, Makoto
realized he'd seen the boy several weeks earlier, at Misato's little
homecoming party. He still couldn't recall the kid's name, but he did
remember that the boy had asked questions about NERV all evening long.
_I wonder what he's doing here,_ Makoto mused, but any further thoughts
were cut short as the elevator arrived. Makoto had more important
things to worry about.
***
"I must protest, sir. The risk of infection..."
"...is insubstantial," Gendo coldly replied. "I have worked with the
LCL far longer than you, Dr. Watanabe, and I know that it has the
effect of suppressing the very infections you fear. You *will* allow me
into the booth."
Toshio, looking uncomfortable in his white coat, frowned. "Sir, at
least... at least wear a mask," the tall doctor protested.
"Very well," Gendo said, grudgingly. Internally, though, he smiled.
He'd been hoping that the doctor would request just that. This would be
much easier if he did not have to show anyone his face. Gendo sneaked a
glance at Maya as Toshio went over to a cabinet to retrieve a filtered
mask. She had already checked out the monitors and was now gazing
through the thick glass surrounding Shinji's observation chamber.
The boy himself lay limp and unconscious on a thin bed in the center of
the observation room. Most of Shinji's face was covered by a
transparent mask that sealed his nose and mouth into the LCL
rebreathing system. A thin sheet had been pulled over him up to his
chest, out of respect for the boy's dignity--the temperature in the
room was set for perfect comfort.
"Here you are," Toshio said, handing the mask to Gendo. The Commander
took off his glasses and slipped it on--a simple organic filter
designed to block exhaled particles. He pressed it down for a moment,
and its edges adhered themselves to the contours of his face. Gendo
inhaled deeply a few times to be certain nothing was wrong, then said,
"Let me in."
Toshio opened the door to the observation chamber. Gendo felt the
slight rush of air as the positive pressure in the chamber pushed any
potentially dangerous particles away from the door. Gendo stepped
through, then quickly walked to his son's bedside as the doctor closed
the door.
Gendo stood over his comatose son for a moment, his back to the
observation window. He allowed his gaze to travel over his son's body--
the thin arms, the narrow shoulders, the underdeveloped muscles of his
chest. And he glanced for a moment at the face that reminded him so
painfully of Yui.
"This changes nothing between us," Gendo whispered. "I have not come
here because your plight concerns me. I have come because appearing to
have fatherly concern suits my purpose. As long as we are both clear on
that, there should be no problem." Gendo began to circle the bed,
carefully inspecting his son's surroundings. _Still,_ he thought, _It
might have been otherwise._
<--
"Words cannot express how proud of him I am," Gendo said, then turned
and gently embraced his son. As he expected, Shinji no longer had the
strength to pull away. Indeed, the boy was so weak he leaned into his
father for a moment, supporting himself against the older man.
-->
_One moment, to know what it might have been like to be your strength,
instead of your enemy,_ Gendo thought. _I wanted more, for some
reason... Perhaps you are not as worthless as I believed._ He reached
down and gently, tentatively brushed his fingers against the back of
Shinji's hand.
Gendo realized he had made his way completely around the bed, and now
once again stood over his son with his back to the observation window.
"Perhaps when I have Yui back I can find out what it is to be a
father," he muttered. Then he hissed, "But I *will* have her back. If
you stand in my way ever again, I will not hesitate to kill you.
Remember that."
He turned around, knowing that the anger of his last words was still
flaring in his eyes. He hoped Maya would notice.
*****
Only the tiny red LED's and screens of the hospital equipment showed in
the hospital room. Everything else was swathed in a blanket of darkness
that also seemed to muffle sound. Only the rhythmic noise of slow,
steady breathing and the occasional whir of a dosing motor fought the
silence, and these were so quiet that they may as well have not been
there.
The room had been this way for hours: dark and quiet.
Suddenly, the blackness was split by a line of yellow light as the door
to the hallway opened. Misato entered the room, and carefully turned up
the lights a notch--just enough so that she could dimly see the small
shape on the hospital bed.
Misato smiled sadly and crossed the room with soft, slow steps. She
gently, quietly slid a chair up next to the bed and sat down in it,
tenderly grasping Shinji's hand. Misato reached out and gently stroked
Shinji's cheek, tenderly trailing her fingers along the unbroken skin.
Asleep like this, he seemed perfectly healthy--all the wounds were
hidden on the inside. The same incredible technology that had
miraculously saved Shinji's life also kept his wounds hidden from the
world.
Despite the best technology, however, Shinji's face wore a haunting
expression of pain.
Misato shook her head and brushed a few hairs back from Shinji's
forehead, noticing that his face was relaxing into a look of peace as
she touched him. "I haven't forgotten my promise, Shinji," she
whispered. "You'll have a chance to get away from all of this, to have
a normal life. I'll do whatever it takes."
She fell silent for a few moments, moving her hand back to caress
Shinji's cheek again. Then she leaned forward and kissed Shinji on the
forehead. The boy sighed softly, but did not awaken. "Good night, Shin-
chan," Misato whispered, then stood and turned to leave. Her hand was
on the door when she heard a rustling sound to her right.
She turned to see Kaoru sprawled uncomfortably in a chair in the corner
of the room. The fallen angel was twisting around now, his sleeping
face contorted in discomfort. Apparently Kaoru was not having pleasant
dreams. Misato wondered how she hadn't noticed him earlier.
She took a tentative step towards the fifth qualifier, stopped for a
moment, then reached a decision and proceeded forward. She softly laid
a hand on the boy's shoulder, and gently shook it. Kaoru's eyes
fluttered open and he stared at her in confusion.
"Weren't you released yesterday?" she asked. Kaoru nodded, but waved in
Shinji's direction.
Misato shook her head. "I'm sure he would prefer that you slept
somewhere more comfortable. Come on," she said and gently pulled Kaoru
forward. The boy resisted at first, but then accepted the wisdom of
Misato's advice and stiffly stood up.
"I really should try and avoid sleeping in such places," Kaoru
whispered as he awkwardly stumbled out of the room, half-leaning on the
Major. He flipped the lights all the way off as they left, then leaned
up against the wall as Misato pulled the door closed. He started to
shuffle down the hall, but stumbled and nearly fell after only a few
steps. Misato caught him, then looped an arm around him for support.
"Uh-uh, Kaoru," she said, "You're in no shape to take care of yourself
right now."
"I..." Kaoru started to protest, but Misato cut him off.
"You'll come home with me tonight," she said, making clear by the tone
of her voice that this was an order, not a suggestion. "You can sleep
in Shinji's room," she continued in a gentler voice, "since he's here
and Asuka's spending the night at Hikari's." Kaoru froze for a moment,
then nodded his head. Despite his reluctance, he looked somewhat
relieved.
Misato helped the grey-haired boy to the elevators, and supported them
as they waited for one to arrive. After a moment of silence, Kaoru
said, "Thank you, Major. I... I probably would not have made it home."
"Well, I have to look after you," Misato said, smiling. "It's my job,
after all."
***
The figure leaned up against the tree, its features indistinguishable
in the darkness. It surveyed the city of Tokyo-3 calmly, coolly--noting
the sectors where repairs continued to be made, and those where no
repair would be adequate. With the figure's relaxed posture, it might
have seemed almost casual, except for the black trench coat and
battered hat. It stiffened, however, when it heard a quiet voice speak
from the cover of the denser forest.
"I'm sorry, I don't have much time," Ritsuko whispered from the
darkness. The figure half-turned toward her voice, but stopped when the
scientist admonished, "Don't. I seem to have overzealous keepers."
The figure nodded, then turned back to face the city. The hat came off
for a moment, revealing Kouzou's face. He wiped his brow and put the
hat back on, muttering, "Too hot out for hats." Louder, he said, "They
worked. You should be proud."
"Relieved is more like it," Ritsuko replied. She paused, then added,
"Much as I try to avoid it, I always find myself worrying about the
children, even Rei. I suppose that's as close as I'll ever come to
motherhood."
"You never know. You probably still have time."
"Yes, but I make bad choices with men. *Him* you know about. The
others... Kaji... well, you know how poorly that turned out."
"All too well," Kouzou replied, shaking his head.
"Speaking of which..."
"He took Maya with him to see Shinji. She seemed impressed by his
reaction."
"Do you think..?"
"I cannot tell. You must not interfere until we know for certain. Maya
does not know how to keep this kind of secret. If he discovers..."
"I know."
Kouzou cleared his throat. "Any progress on your front?" he asked.
"Not much. I'll tell you what I know when I know it. That little
emergency took up a great deal of my time, and I've had to lay low
because of the security sweeps this week."
"We must begin to move more quickly," Kouzou said. "From what little
Gendo has told me, there may only be two more angel attacks before
matters come to a head. We *must* know what he is planning, or else
everything might be lost."
A breeze rustled the leaves of the forest for a moment, setting off a
round of birdcalls. Ritsuko said, "Take care, Kouzou."
"I will," he answered. He waited for a moment for a response, but
sensed that the other party to the conversation had departed. He took
off the battered black fedora and mopped his brow again. "Definitely
too warm for hats."
*****
Kaoru stretched and yawned, cutting the exhalation short as the stress
it put on his diaphragm caused a sharp pain in his abdomen. "Urrgh," he
grunted, rubbing his eyes, "Human bodies are so frail. I should have
fallen as an animal--a goldfish, perhaps. That would have been
peaceful." He opened his eyes, and was momentarily bewildered by the
fact that he was not in his own room.
He fought through the momentary disorientation to remember what was
going on. "Oh," he thought aloud, "This is Shinji's room. Misato
brought me here last night." Kaoru sat up slowly, wincing at a twinge
that shot up his spine--punishment, no doubt, for the time he had spent
curled up in the chair at the hospital. He felt somewhat lightheaded
and weak. Rather unsteadily, he staggered to his feet, then walked out
into the apartment.
Misato was relaxing on the couch, lazily flipping through the channels.
Kaoru, still wearing boxers and a T-shirt, sat down on the other end of
the couch, sighing as the cushions yielded to his form. Misato looked
at him and said, "Good morning, sleepyhead."
"What time is it?" Kaoru asked groggily.
"Almost noon. I have to go to headquarters for the evening shift in
about an hour. I was debating whether I should wake you up or not," she
replied.
"I slept... I slept 15 hours?"
"Well, that's not counting the time you were asleep in Shinji's
hospital room. Of course, sleeping there probably didn't help you
much," Misato commented.
Kaoru blinked his eyes and said, "Do you have any coffee?"
"Yes... though I warn you I brew a terrible cup of joe."
"Who could have imagined that?"
"Hey, you... that's no way to treat a gracious host!" Misato exclaimed
in mock indignation.
Kaoru smiled as he stood and walked to the kitchen. "I apologize," he
called as he grabbed a mug and poured some of the black liquid into it.
He nearly gagged on his first sip, but the need for caffeine caused him
to choke down the entire cup in only a few swallows. He quickly poured
himself another. He turned to walk back to the living room, but thought
better of it and dumped several spoonfuls of sugar in before he left
the kitchen.
"I see you've already picked up Shinji's bad habit," Misato remarked as
the fallen angel sat down on the couch again.
"Well, we always take on some aspect of the ones we love," Kaoru said.
Misato sat silently for a moment, then said, "Kaoru, I've been meaning
to ask you about that."
"About what?"
"I think... as Shinji's guardian, I have an interest in knowing... just
what the nature of your relationship is," Misato replied.
"Are you certain that it is not just curiosity?" Kaoru asked, sipping
his coffee. The sugar blocked out the excessive bitterness of Misato's
coffee, but it left the dark beverage almost sickeningly sweet.
Misato thought for a moment. "I suppose it might be," she admitted. "I
probably don't need to know *everything* about you two in order to do
my job effectively. I guess I've gotten to be protective of Shinji.
After what happened last time..."
Kaoru grimaced and turned his face away for a moment. He felt moisture
gathering in his eyes as the memory of the betrayal he had been forced
to make flooded his mind. After a moment, Misato gently grasped his
shoulder. "I didn't mean it that way," she said quietly.
Kaoru took a deep breath, blinked the incipient tears away, and faced
her again. "Your reasons for wanting to know are perfectly valid," he
said. "I understand your fears."
"So..."
"We love each other," Kaoru said, sipping at his coffee again.
"And..?"
Kaoru closed his eyes and tried to collect his thoughts. He had known
someone would ask him this question eventually, and had attempted to
prepare for it, but he had always run into a brick wall. After a
moment, he said, "I understand that humans have many kinds of love--
love among family, love between friends, love between mates... This
concept is strange to me. In Paradise, all love is one love. We have
none of these divisions. So to my mind, there is nothing further to
say, except that I love Shinji."
He took another sip of the coffee, wincing at the saccharine taste.
"You, however," he continued, "need more than that. I do not understand
all these categories, though, so all I can do is tell you how I feel.
When I am near Shinji, I feel like my soul has been completed, as if a
piece of me, long missing, has fallen into place. When we hold each
other, I feel warm and protected. When we are together, I feel whole.
That is why I surrendered when I saw Lilith. I knew that if Shinji
died, I would live forever in body... but I would be dead in spirit."
Misato reached down and grasped Kaoru's hand. "And is there...
something more?"
Kaoru shook his head, replying, "Lust? No. Neither of us has felt the
urge. We are content to be together as we are."
Misato nodded solemnly and squeezed Kaoru's hand. After a few silent
moments, she said, "I'm sure you know, but I think he feels the same
way."
Kaoru nodded slightly and swallowed the last of his coffee. He set the
cup on the floor and stretched again. He attempted to stand, but
stopped as Misato put an arm around him. She pulled the fallen angel
into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. Still holding him, she moved
her mouth next to his ear. "Thank you," she whispered, "For everything
you've done for Shinji. Since you returned... I've never seen him
happier."
Kaoru hugged Misato back, and said, "It isn't all me, Misato. You...
you're an important part of him, too."
Misato's only reply was to hug him more tightly for a second. She let
go after a moment and said, "Now go take a shower and get dressed. We
don't want to be late."
***
"What was that about?" Hikari asked as Asuka hung up the phone.
"Oh, Misato just called to tell me she was going in to work," the
redhead replied, standing up and stretching. "I guess I should go in,
too."
Hikari rolled over on the bed, resting her chin on her hands and
crossing her ankles in the air. "Oh, and why is that?" she asked with a
sly grin, "Want to go in and see if you can wake Shinji up with a
kiss?"
"No way!" Asuka shouted, and threw a pillow at her friend.
Hikari deftly dodged it and responded, "Come on! You can't hide it from
me! You must like him at least a little bit!" Her sly grin grew even
wider as she added, "...or do you like Kaoru now, instead?"
"Ooh, you evil woman!" Asuka shrieked and pounced on Hikari, tickling
her mercilessly. After a few moments of laughing helplessly, the class
representative mustered up enough defense to tickle Asuka back. Within
minutes, they had reached a stalemate. They rolled apart, still
giggling.
When they had calmed down a bit, Hikari asked, "Seriously though,
what's up with you and them?"
Asuka sighed. "I'm not sure," she replied. "I mean, I like both of
them, but I can't sort out how I feel. I don't know if I just like them
as friends, or if there's something more there. I know I care about
them both, though--when they got hurt so badly in the last fight, I
literally got sick with worry. That's why I was out of school those two
days--I felt too nauseous even to walk."
"Sounds like a problem," Hikari agreed, nodding. "I'm sure you'll sort
it out, though. One day, it'll just hit you. That's what happened to
me--one day I realized I'd been flirting with Touji without even
noticing it, so I decided I'd try dating him."
Asuka sat up and scratched her chin. "It's a little uneven, though,"
she said, "I know a lot more about Shinji than I do about Kaoru."
"Really? Like what?"
"Well..." Asuka paused, wondering whether she should tell Hikari. She
knew Shinji hadn't told anyone. Still, Hikari was her best friend, and
could be trusted. She leaned over and whispered, "Shinji's a good
kisser."
Hikari blushed beet red for a moment, then almost leaped off of the
bed, incredulously shouting, "You... you..!" Asuka lifted a finger to
her lips, and Hikari took a deep breath before continuing more quietly,
"You kissed him? And you weren't even dating? Why?"
Asuka shrugged. "I was bored," she said.
Hikari rolled her eyes and faked a swoon. "I can't believe it!" she
said, "Come on, Asuka--*nobody* kisses just because they're bored."
Asuka shook her head, stood up, and grabbed her bag. "Well, I've got to
go in and check up on Shinji," she said. "Plus, Kaoru's gonna be
there."
"That's great!" Hikari said sarcastically. "So if you get bored, you
can kiss him, too!"
Without warning, Asuka pounced again, and for several minutes the room
was once more filled with the sound of giggling girls.
***
The blue sports car pulled into the parking space at a fast clip, its
brakes squealing as they struggled to stop the coupe before it crashed
into the concrete wall of the parking deck. The seatbelt kept Kaoru
from flying through the windshield, but threw him forcefully back into
his seat. He grunted as he undid it and stepped out of the car.
"What? Don't like my driving?" Misato asked, laughing.
"Something else I have picked up from Shinji, no doubt," Kaoru
muttered, wondering if he'd broken something. The quick stop certainly
hadn't helped his aching ribs. He tentatively stretched, but didn't
feel the now all-too-familiar sensation of broken bones grating on one
another.
Satisfied that he didn't need any further medical attention, Kaoru
turned to follow Misato into NERV Headquarters. As they got into the
elevator, he turned to her and asked, "Do I have any tests today?"
"Nope," Misato replied. "Although Maya told me that she wanted to do a
quick harmonics test tomorrow--nothing too involved, though. You should
have some free time for the next few days."
"That is good," Kaoru replied, "I wanted to get some rest, and..."
"And..?"
"Well, Shinji seems to still feel a lot of pain from his mother's
death. I just wanted to take some time to look through some files in
the Magi to see what she was like," Kaoru said. Misato seemed slightly
surprised, but she said nothing. He continued, "I do not know the
interface very well, though, so it will probably take some time for me
to figure out how to get the information I want."
Misato smiled. "Don't worry about it," she said. "For once, I'm
completely caught up with my paperwork. I think I could spare the time
to look up some files with you."
"I would like that very much."
*****
Shinji slowly opened his eyes and tried to focus them on the world
around him. It took him several seconds before he managed to get a
clear look at the face right in front of him, but that really didn't
help. The man he saw seemed familiar, but for some reason Shinji
couldn't place him. He felt strangely disconnected from the world
around him.
"Good to see you awake and well, Shinji," the man said, smiling. "You
certainly gave us a scare when you first came out of it."
Shinji stared blankly as someone from elsewhere in the room asked, "Is
he okay, Dr. Watanabe?" After a moment, Shinji placed the voice as
Asuka's. He wondered why he was having such a hard time thinking.
Dr. Watanabe turned away briefly and said, "Yes. The drugs seem to have
worked." Then he turned back to Shinji, and explained, "You're probably
feeling a little woozy and disoriented right now, so I want to ask you
some questions." He paused, then added, "and I'll give you a little
explanation, too."
Shinji tried to respond, but his mouth was dry and cottony, and his
tongue felt like lead. Dr. Watanabe seemed to realize this and lifted a
small squeeze bottle to Shinji's lips. After swirling the water in his
mouth and swallowing, Shinji said, "Okay."
Dr. Watanabe smiled comfortingly as he asked, "Do you remember why
you're here?"
Shinji thought for a moment, and then remembered, "There was an
angel... it hurt Kaoru... Kaoru! Oh my god! Is he all right?" Shinji
would have leapt out of the bed if he could, but his arms and legs
didn't seem to be doing what he wanted.
"I am fine, Shinji," Kaoru said from a position near Shinji's head. "Do
not worry about me right now."
Shinji's heart calmed down and he took a deep breath. His mind was
becoming less clouded by the moment--helped, no doubt, by the surge of
adrenaline that had pulsed through him when he remembered Kaoru's
injuries. "So what happened?" he asked.
Dr. Watanabe's smile faded a bit. "The angel's sonic blast broke a lot
of your bones, and cut open some blood vessels. Under ordinary
circumstances, you would have died, but we had some experimental
technology available that saved your life," he explained. Shinji
blinked, processing the information as the doctor continued, "We
injected some nanites developed from the remains of the 11th angel into
your blood stream, and they created some polymeric splints around your
bones."
"So that's why I'm not wearing any casts," Shinji murmured.
"Yes, that's right. Unfortunately, what we didn't discover until you
woke up was that you had a mild allergy to the polymer," Dr. Watanabe
responded.
"I'd hardly call it mild," Asuka snorted. Her voice had a strongly
accusatory tone.
Dr. Watanabe rolled his eyes. "Under ordinary circumstances," he
explained, "Dealing with the polymer wouldn't have caused a problem for
you. In this case however, you have the polymer wrapped around almost
70% of your skeletal structure, directly exposed to your immune system.
There was a lot of inflammation and pain, but we didn't know that until
you woke up and suddenly couldn't breathe. Because of your position as
a pilot, we're somewhat limited as to what drugs we can use, but we
seem to have hit a combination that keeps it mostly under control."
"Is that why I feel so woozy?" Shinji asked. When Dr. Watanabe nodded,
Shinji closed his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, he tried to
turn his head towards the spot where Kaoru's voice had been. "It's hard
to move," he complained.
Dr. Watanabe nodded his head again. "That's partially because of the
drugs, and partially because you've been in bed almost a week and a
half. You're going to feel weak for some time," he said.
Shinji groaned and said, "Physical therapy?"
Dr. Watanabe leaned back, saying, "Sorry Shinji, you'll have to do it.
Work hard and it shouldn't take too long." Shinji heard footsteps
leading away from his bed, and Dr. Watanabe said, "I have to go finish
my rounds. I'll be back to see you once more before I go off duty."
Then the door opened and closed.
After a few moments passed in silence, Shinji distantly felt a pressure
on his hand. The disorientation from the drugs almost made it seem like
it was someone else's hand at the end of his arm. He shifted his head
and tried to focus on the spot where whomever was holding his hand
should be. After a few moments he saw Kaoru standing there, with Asuka
right next to him.
Shinji smiled weakly, "I'm glad... you're both okay."
"What are you, stupid?" Asuka asked in mock annoyance. "Worried about
us? You scared us to death, idiot!"
"Sorry," Shinji replied. Asuka snorted and glared at him, but her
expression quickly softened and she reached down to brush some hair
away from Shinji's forehead.
"I'll let you off the hook this time, Third Child," she replied,
smiling gently at him. "But only because you're in such a pathetic
state."
Shinji let his eyes close. In his weakened condition, even the simple
act of breathing wore him out. He relaxed as Asuka's hand moved from
his forehead to his cheek. After a moment, she pulled back and Kaoru
removed his hand. Almost involuntarily, Shinji whispered, "No... please
stay."
"Do not worry, Shinji," Kaoru replied, "We will stay as long as we
can."
"After all," Asuka added, "Somebody has to make sure you don't hurt
yourself."
*****
"Well, here we are," Misato said as she and Kaoru entered the chamber.
The circular room was about 10 meters across and 15 meters tall, with
walkways around the walls every 3 meters up. The walls were covered
with wires, circuitry, processors, and coolant units. There were
several terminals on the floor level, though none of them were
presently in use.
Kaoru paused at the threshold, then took a step in, fighting the slight
positive pressure that kept the room clear of dust. "Amazing," he said,
looking around at the electronics that covered the walls of the room.
After a moment of drinking in the sight, he added, "I thought the Magi
were on the lower level of the command bridge."
Misato shook her head. "Ritsuko explained it to me once," she said,
speaking loudly so that she could be heard over the air-scrubbers in
the room. "The Magi you see in Central Dogma are just the central
processors. Most of the nuts and bolts--the apparatus that interfaces
with the sensors, stores the data, and runs the automatic systems--is
in a bunch of rooms like this one. I thought it might be easier to do
our little research project down here, without the Commander breathing
down our necks."
"If you say so," Kaoru said, obviously still entranced by the grandeur
of the room. Sure he was distracted, Misato took the opportunity to
slip a tiny microchip out of her sleeve and into her fingers. She
walked over to one of the terminals and slipped the sliver of silicon
into a port. This was the true reason she came to this room--the
computers in the command center didn't have any ports to accept foreign
chips, and were too easily visible even if they did.
Kaoru at last brought his mind back to the task at hand and followed
Misato over to the computer. The screen had nothing on it--a result of
the Magi's prioritization system. Most of the sensor, diagnostic, and
scientific programs required dedicated processor use, most information
requests were handled through a passive interface. The passive
interface paid no attention to a user until a full command line was
entered. This freed up the processors to spend most of their efforts on
priority programs. Misato typed in a command, and a query line came up
on the screen. "So, what do you want to know?" she asked the fallen
angel.
"I suppose it would be best to find out her personal history, or
something like that," he said.
Misato tapped in a few parameters, limiting the search to background
files, and then typed in her query. A large batch of files appeared,
organized by creation date. Misato scrolled through them briefly,
trying to figure out what kind of file might satisfy Kaoru's curiosity
when something about the dates struck her. "That's odd," she muttered,
"There's nothing from before 1994... but SEELE's records go back to
1979."
"Could that mean something?"
"Maybe, maybe not," Misato replied. She spotted a medical file from
1994, and clicked on it. She skimmed the report briefly, but quickly
realized that it offered little information. Yui had arrived at the
hospital disoriented, and had been released the next day...
"Wait a minute," Kaoru said, "Scroll back up." Misato moved the cursor
up a bit until Kaoru said, "Stop." He pointed to a line on the screen
and asked, "Do you see that name?"
Misato looked at the line, which read:
Patient had no identification, nor were any records found in
local or national databases. On the recommendation of the local
magistrate, patient was remanded to the custody of German
national Keel Lorenz. Primary physician objected, but was
overruled.
"Keel Lorenz..." Misato murmured, "Sounds familiar, but I'm not sure
from where." She clicked out to the main screen and entered a new query
for records including Yui and Keel. A large number came up, almost all
of them formal documents. Misato began opening them, skimming quickly,
and moving on. After a moment, she said, "This is incredible! Every
single piece of documentation she needed was signed by Keel Lorenz.
Retroactive birth certificate, admissions papers, driver's license, all
of it signed by Keel Lorenz in 1994!"
Kaoru was silent for a moment, and Misato turned to see him gnawing at
his lip. "And you're sure that there is nothing from before 1994?"
"Nothing," Misato said. With Kaji's chip she should have access to
anything in the vast databanks that now included not only NERV's files,
but also the files of the committee itself.
"Tell me then: did any unusual natural events occur in 1994?" Kaoru
asked. He seemed to have moved on from wondering about Keel Lorenz for
the moment. Misato went back out to the initial database search screen
and typed in the data. After a moment, she almost slapped herself in
the forehead.
"Oh, I should have remembered that," she said, "There was a lot of fuss
about it. Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 hit Jupiter. Strange... that happened
right around the same time as the first medical record. Do you think
there's any connection?"
"I am not sure," Kaoru replied. Nonetheless, he looked concerned...
...and afraid.
***
"Oh, hi Kaoru," Asuka said. The hospital hallway smelled vaguely of
cleaning fluid--an obnoxious combination of lemon-fresh and pine-clean
scents assaulted her nostrils.
The grey-haired boy twitched, apparently startled by the arrival of the
German girl. He was just leaving Shinji's room, and his face looked
drawn and tired. Asuka frowned. "Are you feeling okay, Kaoru? You look
like you've just seen the dead," she asked.
Kaoru smiled, an obviously fake smile certainly meant to reassure her.
"I am fine," he said, then turned to walk away.
Asuka grabbed him and spun him around. "Is something wrong with
Shinji?" she asked.
Kaoru shook his head, and gave up on the fake smile. With a sigh he
responded, "He is well, Asuka. You can go in and talk to him if you
want--he should be waking up soon. It is just that I have had a bad
shock today." Once again, he turned to leave.
Once again, Asuka stopped him. This time, though, she grabbed his hand
and pulled him back towards her gently. He turned a questioning gaze on
her. In response she quietly asked, "Are you gonna be okay, Kaoru?" Her
eyes showed a glimmering of concern. "Do you need to talk about it?"
Kaoru gave her a sad smile. "No," he said, "I need to work this out on
my own." He fell silent, and several minutes passed while the two
children stood staring at each other, Asuka still holding Kaoru's hand.
Eventually, the fallen angel squeezed her hand. He smiled more broadly
and said, "Thank you for asking, though. I really... I am very glad you
offered." Another silence ensued, until Kaoru carefully removed his
hand from Asuka's. "Thanks," he said again, then turned and left.
Quietly, Asuka watched him go.
*****
The room was once again dim. The bulb over the sink in the corner of
the hospital chamber had been left on so that the nurses did not fall
over when they walked into the room, but other than that all the lights
had been extinguished so that Shinji could rest. Earlier that morning,
he had taken his first steps since the battle with Gabriel. The effort
had thoroughly exhausted him, although he had done better than Dr.
Watanabe had expected.
The drugs that kept the latent inflammation down, unfortunately, could
not cover up the pain caused by moving. Shinji had felt like the
nanosplints were ripping him apart on the inside every time he tried to
move. After almost two weeks of atrophy, motion alone had been tough
enough. With the added pain from the nanosplints, doing the exercises
had almost been impossible.
So Shinji was now completely unresponsive. He was somewhat sprawled on
the bed, and he had not even bothered to pull the sheets over himself
when he laid down--falling asleep instantly after his exhausting
experience. Now, though, he had begun to shiver in the hospital's
strong air conditioning. While it wouldn't wake him up immediately, the
cold would probably become intolerable in a few hours when his already-
depleted reserves of energy ran out.
That time, though, would not come. Rei pulled the sheets from where
they had been bunched at the foot of the bed and spread them over the
boy's body. A slight sigh escaped Shinji's lips as the blue-haired girl
carefully tucked him in. Rei smiled--not the tiny smile she had shown
before, but a broad, warm, contented smile, like that of a mother
watching her sleeping baby.
Rei gently tousled Shinji's hair, her small hand roaming through the
fine strands with a somewhat rough familiarity, but also with a
delicacy like that of a jeweler caressing a Faberge egg. Shinji sighed
again, and seemed to relax completely. The two children stayed that way
for several minutes.
At last, Rei leaned forward and whispered, "Sleep well, little Shinji,"
into the boy's ear. She gently kissed him on the cheek and left the
room, carefully making sure that no light from the hall fell across the
boy's bed to wake him.
***
Gendo switched off the screen and rubbed his eyes. His glasses were
resting on the table, the weight of their orange lenses removed from
his nose. Gendo groaned. "Have I erred?" he whispered, his breath
producing a cloud of vapor in the too-cold office. He stared at the
blank screen a moment more, wondering why the sight of Rei caring for
Shinji had moved him so deeply. Then he shook his head, and pulled
himself upright in the chair. The moment of weakness had passed. Once
again, he put on his glasses.
*****
Misato looked both ways in the hall, and then slipped back into the
computer room. Something from the "research project" she had done with
Kaoru still bothered her. She walked over to one of the terminals and
placed Kaji's chip in the appropriate slot. When the query screen came
up, she typed in:
keel lorenz
This strange man who seemed to be behind Ikari Yui was tugging at
Misato's mind. She seemed to remember hearing the name before, and
wondered why Kaoru had seemed to recognize it. A huge number of files
appeared on the screen. Misato shook her head and was about to rephrase
the query when she saw a file that caught her interest. She clicked on
and opened it. The file was a small report from two days before Second
Impact. What had caught her eye was that it was in a directory of files
about the Katsuragi expedition. She read:
REPORT TO SEELE ON PLANS FOR THE KATSURAGI EXPEDITION
PREPARED BY: Keel Lorenz, SEELE-01
_So that's it. He's the chairman,_ Misato realized, _Kaoru must have
met him before SEELE sent him here._
Our research team in Antarctica, headed by Dr. Katsuragi, has
already collected sufficient information and biological
material from the entity ADAM to fulfill the projected
requirements of Project E and the Human Instrumentality
Project. As per our previous orders, Ikari Gendo will leave
the expedition's camp tomorrow for Japan, carrying these
materials. We now have the option of removing Lancea Longini
from the ADAM chrysalis and implementing the embryonic
freezing process. This report will recap the benefits, costs,
and implementation of this course of action.
BENEFITS
--Removing the spear will awaken ADAM, causing massive
destruction that will probably involve the melting of
Antarctica and a rise in global temperatures of at least 2oC.
In the resulting world chaos, the Committee will be able to
seize complete control of all world government through
implementation of contingency plans A19683O and DSRA.
--Possession of the frozen ADAM embryo will allow the Human
Instrumentality Project to proceed.
--Removal of Lancea Longini will incite the Angel War, which
is necessary for the completion of the Human Instrumentality
Project.
COSTS
--Estimated economic loss: $578.9 trillion US.
--Estimated death count: 2.2 billion
IMPLEMENTATION CONCERNS
--Dr. Katsuragi is aware of the potential costs of this
action, and is of sufficient conscience to oppose it on those
grounds. He can, however, be manipulated by threatening his
wife and daughter.
RECOMMENDATION
--Order Dr. Katsuragi to remove the spear and begin the
embryonic freezing.
COMMITTEE ACTION: The Committee decided to order the removal of
the spear and initiation of the embryonic freezing process. They
further decided that Dr. Katsuragi would oversee the operation,
and authorized the performance of any deeds necessary to ensure
his complete compliance with orders.
Misato closed the file. "You bastards," she whispered. "You goddamn
bastards."
*******