Another half-semester, another two weeks of holidays nearly over. But I've
digressed already.
This is Episode 5.0 of EVA 2055. Well, it will be, as soon as I finish this
sentence. And the disclaimers.
Spoiler Alert:
IF you have not watched the entire Evangelion series, including the movies
(well, at least Rebirth)
THEN you probably shouldn't read this, unless you don't mind spoilers.
ELSE go ahead and read.
I've been writing too much Visual Basic lately.
Disclaimer: If it's not mine, it's someone else's. If it's mine, you can't
have it.
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: EVA2055-5.txt
EVA 2055 Episode 5.0 Exodus 0:5 "Lowside Rising"
Tuesday September 14, 2055
"Well, since my life seems to have taken a definite turn for the
weird since yesterday, what�s supposed to be my thesis notes for my
time here in Lowside is going to have to double as my personal notes
as well."
Carrying the note-taker, Blue started to pace. The roof of the crate
wasn�t really big enough to pace properly, but this was the only
place she could get away from the crowd downstairs. And she didn�t
want to stay still.
"Yesterday morning, someone came to see me. Someone I..." She paused
for a moment, trying to think of the words she wanted to use. "Well,
I thought I didn�t want to see him. But... I don�t know. I don�t
really know what I think. And I don�t like that, because one of the
things I value most in my life is knowledge. Certainty."
She switched off the note-taker, and stood staring out across the
rooves of Lowside. "And now my life is anything but certain."
***
Sunday September 12, 2055
The TV blared in the background in Shinji�s room at the Kada
hospital.
"Shinji, I�m bored."
Shinji looked up from his book, at the red-haired girl lying on his
bed. She was watching TV. Some horrible late night re-run of an old
American cartoon.
"What, you want me to change the channel?" He asked.
On-screen, the 1st Somerset Strikers, an elite mercenary unit,
marched their giant robots into battle. He didn't know why he even
had the television on. She wasn't real. She couldn't watch it anyway.
And he wasn't really watching it.
Asuka pouted and rolled over onto her back, looking at Shinji upside
down. "Why can�t we go somewhere? We�ve been stuck here for three
days!"
"I told you, Asuka, I can�t leave the compound."
"Okay, fine. Let�s go for a walk."
They made their way down to the gardens, heading towards the avenue
of pines that led up from the front gate.
Shinji looked around the lawns, the perfectly trimmed turf softly
illuminated by spotlights, shining from the roof of the Kada's main
building. It was a bit late to be out here, really. Getting close to
midnight.
"Hey, Shinji."
"Yes, Asuka"
"What have you been doing all these years?"
"Nothing really important."
The girl sneered, in her perfect way. "What are you, stupid? You must
have done something!"
"I don�t know. I don�t feel like I�ve done much. Not anything
worthwhile, anyway."
Asuka fell silent.
They kept walking, up the driveway. As they started to walk through
the fern garden, Shinji wondered why Asuka had gone quiet. The real
Asuka would never have left him alone like that; not when there was
so much she could criticise him for. Maybe logic had finally caught
up with his imagination, and she would disappear soon. Then maybe
he'd-
"Why don�t you believe me?" Said Asuka.
"Believe what?"
"That I�m really here, you idiot!" She looked at Shinji angrily, her
fists clenched.
Shinji tried to placate her. "Asuka, it�s not like I don�t wish you
were here. I do. But I saw... I saw you die, Asuka."
He turned away, the memories threatening to overwhelm him. He hadn�t
realised he still felt so... so much sorrow. Asuka�s death had left
him paralysed, without the strength of will to resist when the
government people had put him here. It was only the influence of
another that had shaken him out of that fugue. Shinji smiled. There.
Now that was a memory he could like.
"But I�m here!" Asuka�s nagging voice pulled him from his memories.
There was something in that voice that told him there was more to
this than just him ignoring her.
He turned to face her. "It�s okay, Asuka. So long as you�re �here�,
that�s enough for me."
Asuka growled a stream of German, her brow creasing in frustration.
They started to make their way back to the building, Shinji strolling
easily, hands in his pockets; Asuka glowering beside him, but keeping
pace.
"Why is it so important that I believe in you, Asuka?" Shinji tried.
"I know you can�t be real. Why should I pretend?"
This elicited only another angry burst of German. Shinji gave up,
smiling at himself for trying to appease a figment of his
imagination.
They walked in a strange, awkward silence the rest of the way back.
When they reached the steps, Asuka stopped.
"If you won�t believe me," She said indignantly, "Then I�ll have to
prove it!"
Shinji smiled. That was just like Asuka. He almost could believe it,
just for a second.
"Asuka, I'll believe you. I'll believe you as much as I can. I'll
believe you�re real, because I'd like it better that way. Isn�t that
enough?"
This seemed to cheer her up. She climbed the steps, and followed him
inside.
As the elevator doors opened on his floor, Shinji was surprised to
see two men standing about halfway down the hall. As he and Asuka got
closer, the two men looked up. They were dressed in smart black
business suits, which struck Shinji as a strange thing to wear to a
mental hospital at one o�clock in the morning. One had a black tie
with a purple paisley design, and a small, sword tiepin, while the
other had only an undone bow tie. They looked like they�d just come
from a late dinner function.
"Mr. Ikari?" Said the one with the paisley.
"Yes?"
"And this must be Miss Sohryu." Said bow tie.
Shinji stopped dead.
"What did you say?" He asked, stunned.
Bow tie looked at him, his face blank. "This is Asuka Langley
Sohryu."
Shinji almost staggered backwards, and only grabbing onto Asuka�s
suddenly very *real* shoulder stopped him.
"Y-you can see her?!"
"Of course." Said paisley. "Now please, come with us."
"No, wait..." Shinji�s head spun. She was real! She was real! She.
Was. Real!
"Mr Ikari, please. Now." Paisley insisted.
"Wait, just, please, give me a moment here..." He looked at Asuka.
Oh, of all the stupid things! Why?! Why had he wasted so much time?!
Of course she was real! How could she not be?!
"We need to leave now, Mr. Ikari." Paisley, getting more impatient,
put his hand on Shinji�s shoulder.
Bow tie grabbed Asuka by the hand. She struggled, and said something
Shinji didn�t catch. But she was real! Never before in his life had
Shinji been so grateful for the truth! Ignoring everything else,
Shinji beamed, so happy now that he knew she was real!
He was jolted back to a more immediate reality by a hard object
pressing into his side.
"Move." Said Paisley, jabbing him again with a gun that Shinji only
now realised he had seen the man draw a few seconds ago.
Shinji�s eyes flew to Asuka, seeing the girl struggling to wrench her
hand from bow tie�s grip.
He looked at Paisley, who was shoving him forward, gently but firmly.
"What are you doing?!"
"Please, Mr. Ikari, we don�t want any trouble."
Asuka finally slipped her hand away from bow tie, immediately
springing away.
"Come on Shinji!" She yelled, as she started to run back towards the
lift.
Shinji pushed Paisley aside, and followed, breaking into a run. The
doors of the lift opened just as he reached them, and already the two
men were running towards him.
Slamming the button furiously, Asuka managed to get the door closed
just before they arrived.
"Third floor!" Said Shinji.
Asuka pressed the button. "What are we doing now?!"
"We have to run! Get out of here!" He had been sure that the two men
would shoot at them. Why hadn�t they shot at them?
The lift opened on the third floor. "Follow me!"
Asuka followed as Shinji ran down the hall, towards the fire escape
at the other end. The door to the fire escape opened in front of
them, disgorging the two suits from upstairs.
Paisley yelled out. "Mr. Ikari!"
Shinji and Asuka turned and ran. Back towards the elevator, ducking
into another fire escape.
"Come on, Asuka! Run!"
They started pounding down the concrete steps. Above them they heard
the door open again, and the heavy footfalls of their pursuit. They
ran full pelt, breath coming hard and fast. Asuka pushed open the
door as they reached the bottom and burst into the foyer, racing past
the stunned night receptionist and out the big front doors.
Another suit started to run towards them up the gravel drive, feet
crunching the surface, and Shinji wrenched Asuka off into the
carpark. They dodged between the coloured metal and plastic shapes,
across the yard into the Kada's lush gardens.
They pounded down one path, then doubled back, pursued by a fourth
suit. They reached one of the high, brick walls of the compound and
Shinji knelt to boost Asuka on to the edge. Then he pulled himself
up.
And then they were over, sliding down the hillside on which the Kada
stood, and into the sprawling suburb below.
***
"Come on! Faster!"
Asuka was breathing hard already, but she wasn�t about to let Shinji
run faster, even now. She put on an extra turn of speed.
Behind them, a big black car swung sideways into the street.
"Quick! That way!"
They ducked into an alleyway, dodging garbage bags.
The car followed, picking up speed as it entered the alley.
"Schiese!" Asuka swore.
Now the car was gaining on them, revving hard.
"There!" Shinji pointed to a smaller side-street. Too small for the
car to follow.
They made it just as the car roared past.
"Keep going!"
The alley deposited them out onto the street, just as a green car
braked in front of them. The driver�s window came down.
"Get in!" The bald man screamed.
Shinji looked around, up and down the street. He leaned in towards
the man. "Who are you?"
"No time! Get in!" The man opened the back door, then checked his
rear-view.
"But..."
Up the street, the black car skidded around the corner.
The driver of the green car brought up a black Tomoi machine-pistol.
"Get in! Now!"
Asuka and Shinji scrambled in, and the car pulled away, fast.
"Shut that door!" The man yelled.
Asuka closed the door, then leaned forward. "Who�s chasing us?!"
The driver didn�t turn around. "They�re from Paladin Security.
Private security company."
"And what do they want?" Shinji asked.
"Her." Said the driver. "The girl. Paladin Security is part of the
Ohrmazd Mercantile Group."
"So? What�s that supposed to mean?!"
The car swung up onto a freeway onramp, knocking over traffic cones
and a plastic barrier.
Shinji leaned forward. "What are you doing?! This part of the
freeway�s closed!"
"I know that!"
The car came up onto the big empty highway, and picked up speed.
Asuka looked behind them, just as the black car swung out of the
onramp. "They�re still following us!"
"Damn!" The driver slapped the steering wheel.
Shinji leaned forward in his seat again. "Why are they chasing us?!"
"There�s a war going on."
"A war? What war?"
"Are they still following us?" Asked the driver, ignoring Shinji.
He tried again. "What�s this about a war?"
"Shut up! Are they still following us?!"
Asuka looked back. "Yeah. No, wait..." The black car slowed, then
suddenly pulled to a stop. "No... No, they�ve stopped." She turned
back and sat down again, rather confused.
The driver slowed down a little. "Good."
"Who are you?" Asked Shinji.
"I work for the Ahriman Financial Combine. Like I said, there�s a war
going on. Between the Ahriman Combine and the Ohrmazd Mercantile
Group."
"About what? Why do they want Asuka?"
Asuka detected a low thunking sound coming from somewhere behind her.
Was something wrong with the car?
The driver changed gears, and sped up again. "The war is about her.
At least in part."
"What?!"
"Shut up! Listen! The Ahriman Combine owns a company called the
Daedalus Institute. The Daedalus Institute created her."
"Created? What do you mean?"
Asuka punched Shinji�s shoulder. "I was trying to tell you! The man
who woke me up said something about a ghola."
"That�s right." Said the driver. "Daedalus made the ghola, sort of a
clone. Then they restored its memories. Her memories. She must
survive if the Ahriman Combine is to succeed. But they�re fighting
over more than that. She�s a part of the plan, but not all of it."
"I don't understand." Said Shinji.
Asuka noticed that the noise was getting louder. "Hey, what�s that
noise?!"
Shinji turned to face her. "You can hear that too?"
Suddenly, the noise grew, massively, becoming a loud -thwock-thwock-
thwock.
Asuka whirled to look out the back window.
"Scheise!!"
The hawk-like shape of a jet-black combat helicopter screamed towards
them up the freeway. A figure leaned out of the side of the craft,
and pointed an assault rifle at them.
"Get down!" The driver screamed.
Asuka ducked down into the footwell, just as a thundering roar burst
over her head. A scream came from somewhere, and it took her a second
to realise that it had come from her own mouth.
The car swerved sharply, and the roar stopped. The car kept moving,
but it was pitching from side-to-side now.
Asuka turned her head to look up, and saw the headrest of the front
passenger seat, now just a chewed stump. There was blood, and small
pieces of white bone, all over the one above Shinji�s side. The
driver�s side.
Asuka was thrown forward as the car crashed to a halt, and the
helicopter�s thwocking passed over them.
"Get out of the car!" Shinji screamed.
She was already scrabbling at the door-handle.
"Quick!"
She got the door open and tumbled out, Shinji close behind.
"Run! It�s coming back!"
The helicopter wheeled around, coming back for another pass. As it
approached, something shot from its belly, a white streak.
"Get down!"
Asuka dived to the ground, skinning her palms, and rolled over.
Behind them, the car they�d been in scant seconds before exploded in
a yellow and orange fireball.
She looked up as the helicopter passed over them again.
Shinji pulled her to her feet. "Up! Now!"
They started to run towards a nearby ramp. Asuka looked back to see a
white line climb up from the ground, towards the helicopter.
"Come on!"
She wrenched her hand from Shinji�s grip.
"No!"
The white line met the helicopter, just as it was turning back
towards them. Asuka�s ears rang with the noise, and she fell to the
ground again as the craft erupted in a blaze of white fire. She hid
her face as wreckage tumbled towards them. The last thing she
remembered was a pain in her arm, and then everything went black.
***
Monday September 13, 2055
Anniversary of Second Impact
Ruri walked out into the cage. She was surprised to see Yuko and
Shiroh there already, standing in front of the EVA. Unit 15�s giant
black head, its surface gleaming like wet paint, stared back at the
boy and girl in their plug-suits. Ruri stood back, watching them.
They kept staring up at the EVA�s face, like they were looking into
its eyes or something. Neither of them seemed to have noticed Ruri
yet. Eventually Yuko nodded at the EVA. Ruri half-expected it to nod
back. Which was stupid, really. They were just machines. Like any car
or toaster. But they looked so human...
Ruri cleared her throat. "Lieutenant Tagami?"
The girl started.
"I�m looking for Hitomi. Do you know where she is?"
"No."
"What about you, Shiroh? Have you seen her?"
"No ma�am." Shiroh made to leave, and Ruri let him pass.
She waited until he had left the cage before turning back to Yuko.
"Lieutenant? What... what were you doing?" Ruri asked, more curious
than anything else.
"Nothing. It�s none of your business."
"You looked like... I don�t know."
The girl�s face twisted in a snarl. "Like what?!"
Ruri was taken aback. "I... You looked like you were... talking to
it."
Yuko glared at her. "Why would we do that?" She asked flatly.
Ruri moved to let her pass, watching her stalk out of the cage. When
the girl was gone, she turned back to look at the EVA.
She could almost imagine that it would have moved while her back was
turned.
It hadn�t.
The glossy black head was still in exactly the same position.
Ruri shook her head and left the cage.
Eventually she found Hitomi, down in the Environmental Simulation
Unit. She let herself into the control suite and flicked her hand
through the ESU�s activation control-space. The screens lit up,
showing Hitomi firing at an advancing Sachiel, from a dozen different
camera angles. Ruri glanced at the EVA�s combat status. 67 percent
synch ratio, S^2 operating at secondary efficiency level, AT field
still inactive.
She waited while Hitomi tried to flank the Angel, then charged in,
slicing at it with the progressive knife. The Angel and Hitomi
wrestled on the ground.
Ruri flicked at another control-space. �Let�s see how she handles
this.�
In the simulation, one of the buildings nearby unfolded, revealing
another EVA, a horned purple fiend trailing a bulky power cable. The
new EVA roared, and started to charge towards where Hitomi was still
wrestling with the Angel. Hitomi was beating the Angel with the blunt
end of the progressive knife. She looked up as the new EVA
approached, and the Angel took the opportunity to grab her knife
hand. It threw her off, Hitomi stumbling backwards.
The purple EVA leapt to attack, but it went for Hitomi rather than
the Angel, which obviously surprised her. The EVA�s first blow
slammed her backwards through a building. The purple EVA moved in and
knocked her down again, then started to punch at Unit 14�s chest.
Ruri removed the Angel as the purple EVA straddled Unit 14, keeping
up a steady rain of blows. Hitomi wasn�t doing so well, she didn't
even seem to be fighting back.
Lacking any real opposition, the purple EVA�s frenzy seemed to
intensify, and it punched the girl harder and harder.
Ruri winced and reduced Hitomi�s synch ratio as the purple EVA
wrenched off one of Unit 14�s arms, and the girl let out a whimper of
pain.
"Okay, Hitomi. That�s enough." A brush through another control-space
de-activated the purple EVA.
"Ruri?" The girl�s breathing sounded heavy.
"Yeah. What happened there, Hitomi? Why didn't you fight back?"
The comm-link was silent for a moment, but for the laboured
breathing.
"I don't know." She answered finally.
"You have to fight back when you're attacked, Hitomi. You can't just
let it happen to you."
Hitomi didn't respond to that, and eventually the silence made Ruri
feel awkward.
"Never mind. Maybe you're just having an off day."
"That..." Hitomi gasped, forcing air into her battered lungs, and
Ruri could hear that she seemed to be straining for air. "That
EVA..."
"Yes?"
"Was that..." She drew another panting breath "Was that one of the
old EVAs?"
"Yes. Unit 01. The test model."
"Were they really..." Another breath. "...really like that?"
Ruri smiled. "How old do you think I am? They were buried in the
quake long before I was born."
"But were they really that... that out of control?"
"Unfortunately, yes. NERV lacked the technology and expertise we have
today. For Unit 01 alone, there were no less than three occasions
when the EVA became uncontrollable."
"But could that kind of thing happen..."
"Not a chance. We have far superior resources today than they had
back then. Our EVAs are safe."
"Are you sure?" The girl sounded nervous.
"I�m as sure as I can be." Ruri decided to change the subject. "I
noticed you didn�t use your AT Field then. Anything I can help with?"
There was a short silence. Then Hitomi replied in a soft voice: "No.
It�s... it�s okay."
"Alright." Obviously a touchy subject. Have to dig into that. "That�s
enough simulator time anyway, really. How about we get you out of
there."
***
Blue opened he door, then almost shut it again immediately. Shinji�s
foot held the door open.
"Blue, please." He said. "I need your help."
Blue glared at him. "I don�t know how you got here, but you can go
away again now."
"Look, Miyuki-"
"Don�t call me that." She cut him off, riled by his use of her real
name, in flagrant disregard for the nickname he himself had given
her. "What do you want?"
"It�s..." He seemed to struggle for the right word. "It�s difficult
to explain."
She folded her arms. "You�ve got about five seconds."
Shinji looked very agitated, like had a million places he�d rather
be. "It�s Asuka, she�s hurt."
"Who?" Blue's eyes widened. She knew she had to have misheard him.
"Asuka. She's alive. That is, she's sort of alive, but it's not her,
except that it is, but not really." He started to babble. "And I
didn't think she was real, but she was, and now she's hurt. She got
hit on the head and... Blue, please, I don't know where else to go."
His pained expression weakened something inside Blue. She still
didn't believe what she was hearing. Asuka, alive? The girl... no,
she'd be as old as Shinji by now... the one she'd been told so much
about it had made her sick. How could she be alive? It didn't make
any sense. But she knew she had to help him.
"Where is she?" Blue asked, her voice softer now.
"I had to leave her." Said Shinji, getting jumpy. "Come on, I'll show
you."
Blue shut the door, and followed him as he led her down the street.
They went to a church, one of the older buildings in Lowside. Blue
knew this place, knew it had originally been on the edge of Tokyo-3,
one of the first Christian churches in a wave that had risen after
the events of 2015. She followed Shinji inside, immediately
recognising the sombre atmosphere that pervaded the place. It had
always been like this when she'd been here before, just to see what
it was like.
Blue was stunned to see not the middle-aged woman she had expected,
but a young girl, lying on one of the pews near the back. The girl
had a short, nasty-looking cut on her forehead, but looked otherwise
unharmed, though she was unconscious.
"Who the hell is this?" She hissed at Shinji, keeping her voice low.
He looked at her incredulously. "It's Asuka, of course. Don't you
remember the photos I showed you?"
"Of course, but... How... Why is she so young?"
Shinji realised her confusion. "It's a long story."
"I'd better hear it then."
He looked around. "We have to get her out of here first. We need to
take her to your place."
"Why my place?!" Blue half-whispered. "Can't you just take her to a
hospital?"
"We can't!" Shinji also spoke in a low half-whisper. "It'd be too
dangerous. There are people after us."
"What people?"
"I'll explain later. Can we just get her out of here now?"
She frowned. "Alright. But I want to know what's going on!"
***
Tuesday September 14, 2055
"It's still really strange." Blue spoke into the note-taker, and
leaned back against the railing. "I've heard of this ghola process
before, at least in a theoretical sense. You clone someone from cells
taken from their body soon after death. Using this experimental
process, the clone retains the memories of the deceased,
subconsciously. The memories can be restored by induced trauma, and
then you basically have a copy of the deceased person."
She started flicking distractedly at a few stones on the roof of the
crate. "But I didn't think it would be so... weird. Weird to have the
person there, I mean. I don't know if it's just what I know about
her, how much I've been told, or if it's the idea of her being dead
really, but it's... it's a little uncomfortable. Whatever it is."
***
Monday September 13, 2055
"I see," Said Rommel. "And why did you bring this to me?"
Ruri paused, choosing her words carefully. "History has
remembered..." She corrected herself. "Will remember you as an
intuitive person."
Silent for a moment, Rommel continued to walk. "I'll take that as a
compliment. But what reason do you have to believe the child acted on
her own initiative?"
"Like I said, it's just a hunch. An intuition."
"Even though, from what you've told me, these machines have a history
of acting without direction?"
"Yes."
"In that case, I concur on your conclusion." Said Rommel.
Ruri was surprised at such a verdict from the general. "Really?"
"Of course. If you are confident in your appraisal of the situation,
then I trust in that confidence."
That was exactly what she wanted to hear. She smiled. "Thanks."
Yasuaki met her outside, complaining that she was late for a meeting.
Bringing up the topic again with him didn't go down nearly so
smoothly as her discussion with Rommel had.
"We've talked about this." Her adjutant replied, sounding slightly
annoyed.
"But think about it Yasuaki. You'll see it."
"With all due respect, ma'am, I think you're letting your personal
involvement with these children interfere with your judgment." He
said, his tone as disapproving as the uncharacteristically formal
mode of address.
Ruri frowned. "I told you, it has nothing to do with that. I don't
even think I know Yuko that well."
A slight sneer came to his lips. "You seem to know Hitomi pretty
well."
"I think she knows there's something weird about Yuko too."
"Weird?"
"Yeah. When they finished the simulation this afternoon, Yuko patted
Hitomi on the back, and she sort of, you know, shied away."
The sneer turned to a sympathetic but slightly patronising smile. "I
think you're reading to much into that. Think about it. Isn't there a
possibility that it's just, well, for want of a better word, a
symptom of Hitomi's abuse?"
Ruri stopped. She felt a little embarrassed. "Oh. Yeah. Yes, I see
what you mean."
Yasuaki nodded. "I know, it's not really the first conclusion I'd
reach, but... it's probably the more likely explanation."
Berating herself internally, Ruri conceded. "Yeah, you're probably
right."
'Why didn't I see that?' She thought.
***
Something wet. On her head. That was what it was. Asuka opened her
eyes, to see Shinji sitting beside her. She was lying on a bed, and
Shinji was putting something wet on her head.
Shinji noticed the movement of her eyes, and removed the wet towel
from her forehead. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine."
"You were out for a few hours." He said. "I had to bring you here."
Asuka half sat up, but the movement hurt, and she had to lower
herself back down quickly.
"Easy," Said Shinji, putting a hand on her arm. "Just rest for now."
She sighed. "So where's here then?"
Just then, the door behind Shinji opened, and a brown-haired girl
came in.
The girl moved up to stand beside the bed. "I see she's awake then."
She turned back to Shinji. "Whenever you're ready, you promised to
tell me what's going on here."
Shinji looked up at the girl, and Asuka could see the definite and
sincere affection in his eyes. "I will."
Then the girl left.
"Who was that?" Asuka asked, as soon as the door closed.
Shinji smiled. "Her name's Blue. This is her place."
A teasing smile crossed the red-head's face. "Is she your girlfriend,
Shinji? You're old enough to be her father."
The smile grew wider. "I am."
Asuka was taken aback "You're what?!"
"She's my daughter."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. It's a long story."
Asuka crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged. "I didn't think it was important. We... well, we haven't
really been all that close recently."
"You should have told me!"
"I thought I was just imagining you! I thought you'd already know!"
She glowered at him. "That's no excuse."
Shinji shrugged again. "Well, you know now."
"Were you married?"
"What?"
Asuka rolled her eyes. "Did you get married? To her mother?"
"Yeah." He looked uncomfortable.
"And what happened?"
"She..." Shinji grew a little more upset. "She died. A few years ago.
Shortly after Blue moved away."
"What was her name?"
"Her name was Kotono." He said. He seemed distracted, like he had
something else to do.
Asuka was a little excited. This was an aspect of Shinji she'd never
have guessed at. "And why doesn't Blue like you?"
"Well..." Shinji hesitated. "I'm not sure really."
"It's because you're so blind to everything."
Shinji turned around, and Asuka now noticed the girl who had come in
before, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
Blue scowled, in a way Asuka found somehow familiar. "I want to know
what's going on. Now." Then she was gone again.
Shinji turned back to Asuka. "I'd better go. I'll be back in a little
while."
She watched him walk out. Shinji, married?! This was... this was
incredible! Asuka had never even thought of Shinji as that kind of
person. How anyone could be married to such a coward was beyond her.
She suddenly realised how tired she was. Asuka closed her eyes, and
tried to drift off.
But Shinji, married?!
***
"It is unfortunate." Said FAUST.
Aika nodded. "Yes, that's the word. But Bruznevic knew the risks.
Shirato is an asset now. Assets must be protected."
"And the subject's preparation must continue."
"So that's what this was about." She scowled at the black half-
sphere. "I told you, you're not giving me enough. I can't prepare
Shirato like this."
"All projections indicate your supply is sufficient."
"But you advanced the schedule! Your projections are wrong!"
There was silence for a few moments.
"Projections have been updated." The voice said finally. "Your supply
will be increased."
"Good. And our addition?"
"Mr. Fydell's backers have informed him that he will stay on
assignment to First EVA for a little longer."
"Excellent. I see you've taken care of just about everything."
***
Tuesday September 14, 2055
"After he explained it to me," Said Blue. "It didn't seem so weird. I
mean, it was still strange, but it was a mistake anyone could have
made, especially considering his mental state. But to bring her
here... He knows how I feel! Why couldn't he just leave me alone! I
thought I was getting along fine, I'm doing what I want to do, I'm
helping out Hitomi, and I like this place. It's not paradise, but
it's home."
She stopped talking, and looked towards the horizon, where the sun
was coming up slowly over the hills. She sighed. Downstairs, the
others would wake up soon, and then she'd have no peace. Hitomi was
spooked by Asuka's presence, more than Blue had thought she would be.
There was no doubt that she'd leave for the base as soon as possible,
not wanting to spend any more time with the redhead than necessary.
"I don't really think I want him here any longer than absolutely
necessary. It bothers Hitomi, and it bothers me. There's just no
getting around that."
***
Monday September 13, 2055
"So that's it?" Blue asked, incredulous. "You didn't believe she
existed?"
Her father frowned. "It's not as simple as all that. I was in an
institution, remember. I've had... well, you know I've had a lot of
troubles in my life."
Rolling her eyes, Blue continued to glare at him. "I don't care. I
want you out, as soon as possible. I have a friend staying with me at
the moment, and I don't want you to be here when she gets home."
"When will she get home?"
"I don't know exactly. Some time this afternoon."
"Blue, please, be reasonable. Asuka's hurt. You know we can't do
that." He sighed. "Believe me, if I could, I would. I know how you
feel about me."
"You can't possibly have any idea how I feel about you!" She snarled.
"Okay, okay. But surely you realise we can't move that soon. I told
you, there are people out there looking for us!"
"I don't really care! Whatever weird stuff you're doing, I don't want
to know about it! When Hitomi gets back here, I want you gone!"
Shinji hesitated. "Who's Hitomi?"
"She's the friend who's staying with me." Blue explained tersely.
"She's... well, she's a little sensitive at the moment. She's had
some problems with her family recently. And I don't want my family
problems cluttering up the place."
"Please, Blue, I promise we won't get in the way. We don't have
anywhere else to go, and it's not safe for us to be wandering around
with those people after us."
She scowled, not wanting to give in, but realising that Shinji was
probably right. She wasn't being entirely rational, a fact which
disturbed her slightly. She hadn't realised she still felt so
strongly about him.
"Oh alright," She said finally. "You can stay. But please, I don't
want Hitomi to see my family problems. She has enough of her own to
deal with right now."
Shinji smiled, a smile that Blue grudgingly admitted held affection.
"I'll do my best."
***
Bobby Creidann sat in the belly of the helicopter, hanging in the
night sky over Tokyo-5. He checked the time � 1:26 am � on the gold-
plated watch his father had brought back from the Second African War
when Bobby was sixteen. Now he was thirty, and Bobby Creidann was a
fanatic. He was also a devout Irish Catholic, but as he�d told the
other members of his Gottwehr cell, he�d never let that stop him
before.
It had never stopped his forefathers, either. Bobby�s great-
grandfather had been a member of the IRA in the 1970s, or so he
claimed. Helped to win the Republic of Northern Ireland its freedom.
And his grandfather had been a part of the UN�s covert terrorist
operations in the First African War. Bobby liked to think he was
carrying on a family tradition in Gottwehr. Terrorist methods in aid
of a worthy cause. In this case, freeing the EVA technology from the
tyrannical clutches of the UN. That was a cause Bobby believed in
wholeheartedly.
The helicopter pilot turned round in his seat. "Ready to go,
Creidann?"
"Whenever you are."
The pilot gave him a thumbs up, and Bobby wrenched open the door of
the cabin and dived out. At just the right height, he triggered his
chute, slowing the descent before he released the catch on his pack.
Spring-loaded gossamer glider wings flicked out, and Bobby cut the
chute loose, then circled down towards the target building. He landed
on the edge of the rooftop garden. It was a traditional Japanese
garden, this one, all stones, bonsai trees and immaculately raked
gravel. Promoted Zen harmony, or something like that, from what Bobby
could remember.
He stashed the glider wings, and pulled out his pistol, racking the
slide.
�This is it, Bobby.� He thought to himself.
He put the pistol back in its holster.
�The yakuza will hunt you for the rest of your life, Bobby. Kill the
oyabun�s daughter and you�ll never see the rising sun again.�
Then Bobby padded softly across the gravel, and let himself into the
yakuza boss� family apartments with a passkey that three Gottwehr
operatives had died to steal.
�Maybe you�ll get to Manila, Bobby.� He shut the door quietly as
possible. �Maybe they won�t find you there.�
The third door on the right, that was the girl�s room. Bobby passed a
drugged guard in front of the first door. Maybe that was the oyabun�s
own room.
�If you killed Tagami himself, Bobby, think of it. The Triads or the
Kombinat... what wouldn�t they give...� He swallowed and drew his
pistol again. �No. The girl, the pilot. She�s the target. Kill her
and you just might live.�
He moved on down the corridor to the third door, glancing nervously
at the security cameras and motion sensors he could see, and worrying
about the dozens he couldn�t see, but knew had to be there. They�d
better be shut off, like he�d been told they would be. He supposed
they must, on account of him still being alive. He pushed open the
door.
There she was. The girl, lying sound asleep in her little bed. Bobby
crept forward, standing over and fishing in his pocket for the
poison. There, got it. A quick-acting nerve agent. Kill her in under
a minute, it would. He squatted down in front of her. The girl pouted
in her sleep, breathing softly.
Bobby gritted his teeth. She had to die. It was his duty. His mission
was to kill the EVA pilot Yuko Tagami. He couldn�t fail the cause. He
reached towards her with the poison.
The girl�s eyes flew open, startling Bobby. She was out of the bed
and on her feet beside him before he could draw a breath.
He brought the gun up, and was about to hiss at her to keep quiet
when it was wrenched from his grip. Bobby�s jaw fell open as the girl
held the gun in front of him, then crushed it in her hand. She threw
the mangled remains down on the floor.
Childhood fears raced through Bobby�s mind, stories his grandmother
had told him, tales of changelings, evil faeries who took on the form
of children. He started mumbling softly to himself. The girl�s hand
flew to his throat, and she lifted him up until his feet flailed
uselessly in the air.
The last thing Bobby Creidann said, as he stared into the eyes of
Yuko Tagami, was barely above a whisper: "Sweet Mother of God!"
His last confused feelings, as he crashed through the window, flung
out to bang his head on the wall of the building across the street,
were a tempest of fear and dread, and a sudden desire to hide under
his blankets.
And his last definite thought, as he plummeted into the concrete
hundreds of feet below, was an ardent wish that he would wake up from
what could only be a nightmare.
Author's Notes
------------------------------------------------
The First Somerset Strikers were the unit featured in the
'Battletech' cartoon series that was released a few years ago. The
differences between American and Japanese mecha animation never cease
to amaze me.
Many thanks to:
Sebastion Fitsroy - Idea-giver and thing doer
Joshua Trujillo - Thing reader and commenter
Penny Sullivan - Thing reader and stuff-teller
Seth Kowal - Angel action figure operator
Matthew Horgan - Bearer of shiny things
So, how many of you got scr*wed on flood insurance this September?