[Ranma][NGE][HPL][AMG][Fusion][Fanfic] Sic Semper Morituri Chapter 51 -
Familial Relations
I'd like to thank Pat Hennessy for her assistance in checking out standard
education of the time.
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters from Ranma 1 / 2, Neon Genesis
Evangelion, Ah My Goddess, or the Lovecraft Cycle involved in these stories.
C&C, MSTs are welcome
E-mail: dan_s.comments@worldnet.att.net
Stories are available in Rich Text Format and HTML at:
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(these are the most updated versions)
Stories are available in Plain ASCII at:
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ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Sic-Semper-Morituri/
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/ftp/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/type/Sic-Semper-Morituri
(these are the original versions)
----------------------------------------
Maya flinched at the cutting torch. Despite the welding mask and the
heavy gloves, the sparks of molten metal worried her. "Okay, the rest of
cut straight to start point, go do now," she shouted in English to the
welder, over the noise of the oxyacetylene torch. "I probably sound like an
idiot," she added quietly in Japanese.
She shifted the mask and saw the man nod. She removed her mask, walked
out of the plug, and sprinted over to the second team who'd cut the end off
the entry plug, the end that would be welded to the plug she'd just left.
All those cars with their headlights just to illuminate our work site, all I
asked for was some lights, she thought as she reached the plug end, she
checked the smoothness of the cut. For a moment, her anger nearly
overwhelmed her, Once we get a pilot, we'll sic an EVA on those things, how
will you like that? You - you . . . monsters!!
She looked over at the crews and switch engine who were already
reassembling the train, and putting cars back on the tracks.
"Okay," she stepped away from the undamaged end cap, "This part easy
put back. Here, here, here, much hard to cut, very much hard put back.
Extra metal on inside to hold, no liquid escape very much trouble avoids,"
she told them in her questionable English, "With here, here, here, not weld
together, wires and pipes all burn. Must find . . . " she fumbled for the
right word.
"Cement," one of the NERV civilian workers said in Japanese, then
babbled something quickly to the others. He glanced at Maya, held a piece
of metal near the main A10 nerve junction, where it fed into the EVA's
system.
Maya reached over and moved it down a few centimeters. "Weld, weld,"
she said in Japanese, as she pointed to several spots, then pointed to the
edge, "A coffer dam, cement plug."
"Yes." The man smiled while nodding frantically.
"Do!" Maya ordered in English, pointing to the other plug section. The
men picked up the end section and carried it over to the rest of the plug.
Maya helped them fit the braces in place while other men brought lanterns
and work lights to illuminate the inside of the plug. "Electricants!" she
called and several of the electrician mates from the Bennington and others
she didn't know arrived. She pulled the electrical blueprints of the entry
plug's cabling and wiring. Thank the gods and kamis that _these_ are
universal, she thought as she indicated the sections that would need
rewiring, before the EVA would respond to the pilot.
Sempai, I'm working as fast as I can, she prayed, Be
safe. ----------------------------------------
Ritsuko looked down at the mouldering corpse, soon only the elephantine
skull would remain. "How many is that?"
"Thirty-two, four shots in a tight pattern," Madison said, pointing to
the four holes that nearly overlapped each other, "I'd guess the bullets
diverge once they hit, probably no exit wounds, just like the others."
"Doctor! Captain!" one of the soldiers called.
Ritsuko and Madison walked across the wash to him.
"Do they bleed red?" the soldier pointed his flashlight to the bloody
spot in the earth, ants already feasting on it.
Suddenly he looks younger than any of the pilots, Ritsuko thought.
"No, only humans bleed red. Unless they caught an animal in a crossfire."
That patch is good sized, she thought, looking around, How soon would the
ants be over such a mark? "Any shell casings?"
"Beg pardon ma'am," the soldier stammered, "You're practically standing
on them."
Ritsuko looked down at the four pieces of brass, she picked them up,
sniffed them, turned them over. When were you fired? she silently asked the
casings, How close _are_ we? We've heard no gunfire for nearly an hour.
When will the sun rise? When will we get help? She handed the bullets to
Madison who played his flashlight over them.
"Primers are all punched the same way," he said quietly, "One gun fired
all these. I think this was an ambush that didn't quite work."
Ritsuko could see it clearly. Jeff waited in one arm of the wash, she
thought, Let the last one get close, he popped up to fire four shots and
turned. But another one who'd passed had doubled back to ambush him when he
took the bait. "There should be another one that way," she said and
gestured, "Have any of you heard any more gun shots since the last?"
The men all shook their heads.
We all keep hearing the sort of slithery zap of the `Brothers'`
weapons, but they keep shooting, she thought, If they got him, they'd stop.
"I think we continue on this way," Ritsuko said, she checked the map,
they'd be at the original outer perimeter in an hour or so.
"As long as his ammunition holds out," Madison said, "He should be
fine. Probably not shooting in the dark."
Except his nightvision is as good as mine, Ritsuko thought and glanced
at the man, Especially in the moonlight, but asked, "What kind of forces
were on the perimeter? The outer perimeter."
"Mixed," the radio man said, "Some infantry, some armor, some
artillery."
"Towed or self-propelled?" Ritsuko asked, she felt she was near the
solution.
"Two batteries of M7 Priests scattered about. Why?"
"Because vehicles carry submachineguns for the crews," Ritsuko said,
the light dawning on the others.
"And hundreds or _thousands_ of rounds for them," Madison said as he
saw it, "So he heads out to the borders and lets them bunch up where he's
got more ammo than he could shake a stick at." Madison smiled, chuckled.
Yes, that's what I hope too, Ritsuko thought. "How many soldiers are
there out there? Other search parties?"
Madison caught up with the radio man, then hurried forward to where
Ritsuko was walking, searching for the other corpse.
"No other infantry is this far out, but there should be an armored
troop, tanks, armored cars and artillery, they should catch up to us in less
than an hour."
"What force level?" Ritsuko asked as she stared at the moonlit,
star-filled, desert sky.
"Three M8 Greyhounds, two M5 Stuarts, 2 A1 Shermans, another M7
Priest," Madison reported.
"In short, nothing that could take these things on head-to-head,"
Ritsuko said, sighed as she considered other options. She nearly stumbled
over the dead `Brother`.
"Damned inconvenient," Madison said, "Taking four shots, full clip and
one up the pipe, you can't engage more than two without changing clips."
They stared at the skull of the enemy.
"Let's hope those tanks can catch our pilot, cuff him to something
solid, and make a run for it," Ritsuko said, momentarily furious at the pair
who'd taken such a risk. But who _else_ could have done it? Ritsuko
considered, I'd like to get my hands on one of those `Brothers` and see it
survive being torn into tiny pieces. "They'll also have additional ammo for
the .45 he's carrying, and some armor plating to hide behind." She dragged
the skull out of the sand and stared at it, burning every contour into her
mind. Let me get my hands on you and we'll see what we can see, she thought
angrily.
"They could just open the breech and let him shoot down the barrel,"
Madison offered.
She smiled at the image of Jeff firing down a 75-mm gun. But it's not
funny, she thought. "I hope they have a medic with them." She threw the
skull against the wall of the arroyo.
----------------------------------------
The group had assembled in Sammi's apartment. Asuka had assigned
Natsumi and Stooge-Aida the job of interrogating the various members, to
determine what had happened, and the time periods when it might have
happened. Asuka contented herself with watching Horseface and Hikari make
snacks. Even doing `girlie` stuff, he's got to be the best, Asuka thought,
shaking her head. I didn't _want_ this kind of job, I'm no cloak and dagger
expert, I wait until somebody _else_ locates the enemy, then I charge in and
destroy them, then harry the survivors in pursuit, she thought, I wish I had
a chalkboard and an easel, so I could block out the times and locations
myself, as the reports came in.
"What happened to you, Wondergirl!?" Asuka demanded of the slightly
disheveled robot stumbling in. "Suzuhara! Get her a chair, Horseface get a
towel and some ice!" Both hopped to their tasks. A moment later she
applied the cold pack to Wondergirl's swollen lip. "This is going to
sting," she said, Wondergirl didn't react, "I asked you a question, what
happened? You cleaned Tomoe's clock."
"It . . . was something else," Wondergirl said, staring straight ahead,
"I am not certain what it was. I did not see it clearly. It was not one of
our cataloged enemies."
"Of course you had to attack it," Asuka said disgustedly, "Who do you
think you are? Horseface?"
Wondergirl stared at her. "No. I am who I am."
Juri nudged Asuka aside so she could hold the icepack, Wondergirl
showed no inclination to hold it herself.
"We'll talk about this later," Asuka told Wondergirl, who nodded once
in response.
"It looks like they probably moved during homeroom," Sammi said as she
organized the reports, "They'd need that much time for all this to have
occurred."
"Any manpower assessments?" Asuka asked, then lowered her voice, "And
any chance of getting a guard for everybody's favorite robot?"
"Thirty plus targets, call it two entire classes, maybe three, you'd
need that many to do the jobs, provide recon, and covering forces," Sammi
explained, then lowered her voice, "Officially - no."
"That's 75 to 90 students," Asuka considered, "That's a lot. That
implies the administration either knows or turns a blind eye." She nodded
to Sammi.
"Or it wasn't that many," Wondergirl supplied, "And they were disguised
some other way."
"What - invisibility?" Asuka asked.
"Of one form or another," Wondergirl replied around the icepack.
"She's got a point," Sammi admitted, "If they have the support of
administration and the teachers don't act against them, they wouldn't need
anywhere near my projected force levels, perhaps 30 to 40 people, just one
or two people to each target. Less if they doubled up on targets. I'll
look into who has lockers and classes close to the ones that got hit. The
school _has_ volunteered to replace all the damaged possessions."
"It would break the bank if they had to replace my violin, or
Wondergirl's, let alone Spineless's cello," Asuka considered, "That may be
the warning they're trying to deliver, since Wondergirl was approached to
join the orchestra, it's to tell _her_ to keep away."
"I will not," Wondergirl said. Asuka thought she detected a trace of
anger.
"Can't disappoint all your loyal fans?" Asuka asked, raised her
eyebrows.
"Nor could you, Mein Grossfeldmarschall," Wondergirl replied levelly.
"She's right Horseface," Asuka said, "In insults, you really can't
compete."
"You remind me of the worst parts of Yuki and your favorite officer!"
Horseface shot back, "OW! I was just practicing!" Horseface protested to
Hikari, who put down the spoon she'd bopped Horseface with and instead
picked up a skillet menacingly.
"Don't kill her," Asuka warned, "And don't bend the skillet."
Hikari frowned but replaced the frying pan on the stove, much to
Horseface's relief as she rubbed her head.
"Ranko-chan!"
Asuka winced as Mirei arrived, Erin let in the girl and her `pet
gorilla`, a behemoth of a man who gave Sammi a nod and surveyed everything,
while staying clear of the pilots.
Professionals, Asuka thought, I wonder how many we could `borrow` on
short notice.
"What happened! It's terrible!" Mirei gushed at Horseface as she took
her hands and then hugged her, "I've heard some cruel things, but nothing
like _that_._"
Horseface looked terribly nervous, but relaxed as no death descended on
her.
Of course not, Asuka thought, Hikari thinks it's cute, so does Natsumi,
the guys could care less. She-Horseface is off limits, and neither I nor
Wondergirl care.
"They did some dumb stuff," Horseface replied soothingly, "We really
don't have to worry."
"Yes . . . you do," Mirei said quietly, her gaze swept the room, "I
heard some girls on the softball team talking about 'putting them in their
place', I thought - it was about teasing us newcomers, then I heard what
happened."
Erin pulled up a chair to Horseface and his fanclub. "Mirei dear, what
exactly did you hear?"
Mirei bowed to the guard. "Usagi-san, the team captain was talking to
Tomoe-san. Tomoe-san was saying that people need to know their proper
place. I thought they were being snooty like always. Then Usagi-san said
'They can hardly be held to account for that, if no one has told them their
place.' Then, I thought they were talking about softball positions, I
didn't think. Some of the teams are just awful, no team work, just a bunch
of prima donnas and - "
"Mirei dear," Erin said sweetly, "Why do you think that applies to what
happened?"
"We - I - they've joked about Hikari-san and the others running the
school, some of the things they said about Tendo Nabiki were just
_terrible_!" She glanced at Horseface, dropped her eyes and blushed. "I'd
rather not repeat them."
Asuka nodded, this was all circumstantial, nothing you could hang your
hat on, but it did firm up Asuka's resolve to confront this Usagi again,
directly, whatever anyone, including Erin or Wondergirl said.
----------------------------------------
Sammi looked over the notes the kids had assembled, the kids were
downstairs eating and looking over something with the other guards. Sammi
had already made her decision, she prepared the notes for a report to the
Navy, if it was just youthful high spirits/bad judgment, then putting a
little scare into them would be useful. If it was 'enemy action', And that
is looking more and more likely, Sammi admitted to herself, Then there will
have to be some knife work. Sammi wasn't eager to do the latter. Killing
kids is a taboo to me, she thought, But the pilots are more important than a
few high-spirited kids. I'm just glad it isn't my decision, or my
responsibility.
She glanced up at Mirei's `gorilla` escorting her upstairs to get more
snacks. The huge man paused at the table where Sammi was working, where he
could watch Mirei in the kitchen and the rest of the kids downstairs. "They
aren't what I expected," he said in low tones, "While the elites at the
school . . . this isn't the first time . . . watch _your_ back," he added
quietly as he escorted Mirei back to the get together down stairs.
Now, wasn't _that_ ominous? Sammi thought, before returning to her
analysis.
It amazed her that the pilots and their coterie had assembled
information of this depth and thoroughness. It exceeded what NERV Security
seemed able to put together. The laxity of security, she thought, Nothing
seems to get them off their butts for long. She hadn't figured out why
Gendo defended them and why he tolerated Kaji taking off for long periods.
She quietly suspected, One more serious failure, and the FUBENS will be
eliminated as an organization, if not as individuals.
I won't shed any tears, she thought, their animosity towards the
'close-in' guards was growing, It is unfortunate but it is also unavoidable,
the FUBENS are acting like they are an end to themselves, rather than as a
resource for the pilots. She wondered, Was Ritsuko thinking of this when
she made me? I know I could no more be disloyal to the pilots than I could
live on the surface of the sun.
The others have the same feelings, these are good kids, she thought,
Juri hated being left behind when Nabiki left. But I have plenty of work
for the woman to do. But it _is_ an odd connection to a kid, one you were
sworn to protect. Our mandate is to die before letting harm befall them.
All of us can imagine the trouble all of us might actually get into, if we
guards have to get the kids, especially Ranma and Asuka, out of the danger
zone. The kids would probably want to stay and help, she thought, Neither
is comfortable with the idea that their life is more important than someone
elses'.
Asuka might talk a good game, but she lived by the axiom that 'Danger
invites rescue', and Asuka believes that nobody could be a better Rescuer
than Asuka Soryu Langley. I'm glad they haven't gotten that deep into
trouble yet, Sammi considered Nabiki's reaction to the death of Hiroko, Then
the other kids' reaction to the `loss` of Nabiki. I know Rei and Raccoon
had been badly hurt by those events. Not that either would ever admit it,
without resorting to thumbscrews or an order from Commander Ikari. And my
job is to prevent that from happening again. But it might come at the cost
of a guard's life, even my own, although . . . She had a hard time
imagining anything that could permanently harm her. But there are things,
that's what the EVAs are for, she thought confidently.
----------------------------------------
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Nabiki felt the hearse slow, then stop, only when they had completely
stopped did their escorting police car shut off its siren. Nabiki Tendo,
she thought, Police escort, and not to prison. She chuckled at that as she
listened for anything going on outside. The Nerimaniacs would _never_
believe that, she silently added as the rear door opened and air force
troops removed her stretcher from the hearse. The injured leg, the
painkillers and monotony had allowed her to ignore, now again made its
presence felt. She hissed at the sudden stabbing pain, and twisted,
instantly reigniting all the other aches and pains chemicals and lying very
still had damped down.
"Sorry, they can't give you another shot just yet," the general she'd
seen at her first visit stepped into view.
" 'S okay, reminds me I'm alive and want to get back in the fight," she
said with a bravado she didn't feel. She felt sweat beading her brow, as
she struggled not to scream. Enough others doing that, she thought of the
background noise around her, Orders and pain, not a good mix.
"I always seem to see you when you're wounded. Of course the way you
pilots heal, you'll be up and around in a day, or less," the general said.
"Just get me well enough to get in the EVA, that's what _I_ really
want," Nabiki said as the airmen carried her towards the medical center, the
general walking beside.
Respect for a lady, a pilot, or a casualty? she wondered as she noted
the man's bare head, 'Uncovered' so nobody has to salute.
"You're probably impatient, but rest, they have to fix it first," the
general told her, then lowered his voice, "At night, we can't really help,
we lost two nightfighters for no return, and we can't find infantry on rough
terrain, so I ordered them back. But when the sun comes up . . . what are
we dealing with? We've had entire armored platoons call a warning, then go
silent. What are these things?"
Nabiki sighed. I remember the battle through the train cars as we
tried to reach the EVAs, she thought, Raccoon called them 'the Brothers of
Chaugnar Faugn', but that won't help. "No conventional weapon had any
affect, even with the special ammunition, even heavy artillery," she told
the general softly, "A hit by an artillery shell just drove them back. A
bomber or a strafer won't fare any better. You'd be better off using them
as observers."
"Aerial command post," the General said, frowned, "We'll give you
something more effective for the pain and get you patched up, you'll be
fixed up and ready to go before the EVA is I'll bet. In the meantime rest,
you've earned it."
"Thanks," Nabiki said as the General moved off and the airmen carried
her inside to get treatment. A corpsman injected her with more morphine.
Nerima stamina has a down side, she thought as the increased dose
barely took the edge off the pain from her leg. "You want me out cold,
either give me more of that stuff, or wiggle my leg around," she told the
corpsman, "The first way's quieter." She chuckled at her hilarious joke.
"That's the max safe dose for someone of your body weight," the
corpsman said in confusion, he glanced at the bottle.
"It's morphine, just roll me into the fender and body shop," she said
firmly, "Can't be seen by my admiring public looking anything except
perfect," she confided in him, "Bad for morale."
"Yes ma'am." He shook his head, then gestured to the airmen to carry
her to an alcove that could be closed off for privacy.
What are you doing? she asked her fellow pilot, once she was alone
again, What am _I_ doing? I know what's going to happen when I pilot . . .
I'll eventually turn into something like you. And I might not be able to
play the role as well as you do. I bet you're just getting clear of the
press so you can use what you used on Saffron. Nuke the bastards? Are the
rest of us just in your way? Rei acts like that, especially with Ranma.
Will I act like Rei, or will I act like you? she asked herself as a pair of
female nurses entered and began cutting away her torn and bloody clothing.
She glanced down at her broken body. Worse hurt than I thought, she thought
as she surveyed the injuries, Nobody's telling me that the broken bone's
just an accident, that she didn't mean it. "Have her stripped, washed and
brought to my tent," she murmured.
"Something funny dear?" one nurse asked her.
"Yeah, me, I'm ridiculous," she said as she stared at the ceiling
chuckling.
----------------------------------------
Maya watched the crews holding the two sections of the damaged entry
plugs together. Dozens of men strained to hold the heavy parts against each
other. I want to start the diagnostics, but walking around in there would
just disrupt things, she thought impatiently, I don't even know enough about
welding to supervise. She looked at the men who were following _her_
orders, through the filter of Navy Chiefs and Marine Sergeants. All it
takes for us to work in harmony, to ignore race, color and creed, is a Great
Old One breathing down our neck, she thought despondently.
Master Chief Cole approached, "Any reinforcing has to go on the inside,
right?"
Maya mentally translated the statement from English to Japanese. "Yes,
extra strength go on inside, but away from places of careful cutting,
welders know this. Must slide easily, the plug, tight fit."
"Yes, ma'am." He saluted and marched away before Maya could return it.
She stared at the other teams. They collected the wounded, now they're
collecting our baggage to load it on other rail cars, she thought, shivered,
I'm not sure I like sailors and Marines packing my and Sempai's clothes.
Get _OVER_ it! she chided herself, You are doing the most important job you
can. Let them do what they were ordered to do. She looked at the sky. The
moon had set, she tried to guess when it would be light enough to get the
Air Force up to help. I'm nervous for the pilots, and Sempai . . . and me.
If those things come back, we're all dead. The beauty of the clear, starlit
sky was lost on her. How long until help arrives? she silently asked while
she waited, and tried to look as calm and in control as her Sempai always
did.
----------------------------------------
Ranma was out riding. He enjoyed the bike. Now that I know how to use
it, he thought as he raced along, faster than he'd ever run before, and
powered by his own muscles. The jeep following him labored hard to keep up
through the NERV campus. The long concrete road Ranma rode on was normally
only used to deploy the EVAs. No chance of getting stepped on, Ranma
thought as he raced along, his red hair streaming behind, I'd be doing the
stepping. He considered that, and the other half-formed thoughts in his
mind. He needed this aloneness, with the wind on his skin and his muscles
moving fully, to think clearly. Easy enough in a fight, he thought, Not so
easy in `polite` company. I don't know . . . I don't _understand_ all of
what's happening, he thought, Asuka-chan and Rei-chan seem to be fitting in,
I . . . _Ranko_ is fitting in. The girls in class are nicer to me, to her,
than they ever were before, even if half the questions are 'When is Ranma
going to come back?' Hikari and her little group aren't looking at me as
stir-fry ingredients anymore, who'da thought girls would talk about _that_
stuff, they're worse than the guys. 'Cept they don't believe me when I tell
'em stuff. 'What is Toji-san thinking about?' At 11:55? 'Lunch, you want
his attention right now, give'em somethin' ta eat!' Nothin' hard to
guessin' that! Course, why they're nicer to me than they ever were to
Ranma - he considered, Yet those girls . . . they seem to hate anyone being
nice, to anyone they don't approve of. Even th' others weren't so mean to
me as those girls are. Mirei doesn't have to tell me they're giving her a
hard time, I can tell by the way she walks. And I can't just beat them up,
it wouldn't fix anything. That Tomoe girl didn't get in trouble for her
fight with Rei, I _know_ Rei didn't get in trouble, though she talked to the
Admiral and ole' Stoneface for a couple hours.
He rode on for several minutes, letting his mind wander while his body
went through its disciplined motions, testing how tightly he could turn,
slowing down, speeding up, leaning the bike down to make turns easier. When
he did come back to the real world, he ran through an imaginary slalom
course, then another tighter one, practicing, mastering this new set of
skills, thinking how to mesh them with his existing skills.
Yuki is the danger, she hates anyone getting more or better `admirers`
than her, Tomoe hates anyone better at violence, Usagi hates anyone who can
outsmart her or shows her up with brains, Ranma considered what irritated
the `queen bees of the class`, But there's something else. Something that
goes . . . beyond. Ranma raced in a straight line for a while, to assist
his thinking, I wonder if they realize how - silly - Ranma stopped, set
the bike down and walked a short distance away from it.
"They are afraid of someone better than they are, someone making them .
. . unspecial. But the _pilots_ are afraid of what _they_ might do.
Because we _do_ pick up things so fast, all of us. They get mad at _me_
because I do things . . . that _they_ do, and they don't like doin'em. They
don't want me picking up _their_ bad habits," Ranma said, then laughed out
loud. "_DO_AS_I_SAY_NOT_AS_I_DO_!_" he shouted at the top of his lungs and
laughed again, ignoring Sammi's worried look. He waved to her that he was
okay. After a while he felt the grip of this farce slacken and he could
slow his laughter. "Sorry," he told Sammi as he regained control, his face
and his ribs ached worse than they had from any fight he could remember.
"Would you care to share?" Sammi asked cautiously, "You stood there
laughing for almost ten minutes. I thought you were having an attack. I
could use a good laugh myself."
"An attack of clarity," Ranma admitted as he sobered. They don't yell
at me, or complain about me or think badly of me because they hate me, but
they like, maybe even love me, he thought and then laughed about that, Maybe
it doesn't feel so bad, but boy does it feel _weird_!_ "Sorry, can't really
explain," he said. Too embarrassing for all involved, he silently added as
he picked up the bicycle and started riding again. I wonder how 'Mein
Grossfeldmarschall' would react if the next time she `attacks` me, I start
smiling? he thought, The bruises would be worth it. He circled the jeep and
Sammi as fast as he could, before tearing off in a straight line at flank
speed.
Got it . . . he thought delightedly, I think I understand that they're
trying to protect me, not well, but that's what they're trying to do. From
the mistakes _they_ have made, of course they don't realize they're doin' it
wrong, he laughed at that, That 'Horseface' figured it out, and they
haven't!
Suddenly he slammed on the brakes, front to start, release, then full
rear. As he sat there balancing on the immobile bike, he stared at the
woods that hid the road from the perimeter wall.
"Trouble?" Sammi asked worriedly as she parked the jeep next to him,
placing it and her between him and whatever he was staring at.
"I don't know . . . " Ranma said distractedly, "Have you ever heard
your name, but there's no one around?"
"Not really, my name's kind of long for that," she replied, slipping
out of the jeep and pulling her heavy rifle out.
Ranma stared at the woods that separated sections of the NERV campus
from each other and from the outside world. Ranma peered, willing his eyes
to invent a new technique that would reveal the enemy or what was bothering
him. I'm not going to stop, just because I look `silly`, he thought, There
_is_ an enemy out there. I know it. If I could just _see_ it!
"Something is out there," Ranma said distantly, "It's trying to hide."
It's succeeding too, he silently added.
"Can you give me an approximate vector . . . point the direction?"
Sammi asked, fitting a rifle grenade to the end of the rifle.
Ranma wanted to shout his frustration. If I could _see_ it - I'd be
going after it _myself_!_ he thought, then reined himself in, That's what
the _others_ would do, get hung up on details. I can't see it, but I know
it's there. Relax, where is it? He closed his eyes and raised a hand, let
his instincts point to where the impression was the strongest. It's vague,
he thought, surrendering to instinct. "There," he said.
There was the sound of a rifle grenade, and a distant explosion. Ranma
opened his eyes, as he felt the hunch fading. "You didn't get it, but it
ran away," Ranma said, brushing a strand of red hair out of his face.
Sammi loaded another rifle grenade and called in on the radio for
reinforcements.
"I'm going in," Ranma said.
"Not yet you aren't," Sammi warned. A moment later an M8 Greyhound,
with a flamegun replacing the main gun, trundled into the woods. "No, let
them go first, if I say 'run', get back to the jeep."
With you under my arm, Ranma didn't say. "Agreed."
----------------------------------------
Nabiki winced as the female medic cleaned the wounds on her arms and
legs. The nurses had cut away her pants and shirt, so she was wearing an
odd cross between her usual `Nerima-casual` clothes and Ukyo's attire: short
shorts and well-bandaged ribs. Then another doctor had bandaged her
sprained wrists. Her entire body ached. More for a desire to _do_
something than any real pain _OWWW_!_, she thought, Liar.
They come in, do one thing, then leave, she thought wearily, Are they
slipping me in between more serious cases? Do I want to know?
"General," she hailed the man as he entered. She smirked as he averted
his eyes.
"Good to see you're feeling better again, Miss Tendo," the man
approached, shook her hand carefully, "The observation planes are up - "
"Any luck with the air search?" she sat up and asked urgently, the
medic made her lie back down, the sudden stabs of pain over her body gave
the medic an effective ally.
"Always to business?"
"Takes my mind off being half naked and all bloody," she said, trying
not to show the pain, "Better than a lot of the poor men who tried to stop
those things, I'm betting."
"Well, we're giving our B-32's a real workout," the general said, "They
were supposed to be testing equipment for the B-36's. Now they are our new
support aircraft, some 16 20mm cannons, in automatic turrets. No bombs,
just plenty of ammunition."
"Have you ever considered electrically-driven Gatling guns?" Nabiki
asked, "That would have a rate of fire of two to six thousand rounds a
minute."
"Where do you come up with this stuff?" the general chuckled while
smiling.
Nabiki looked around, then bent her finger in the American-style
beckoning.
The general leaned over her.
"I've spent a lot of time in the 1990's," Nabiki said confidently,
nodding as the general and the medic started chuckling.
"I think you've had _enough_ morphine for a while," the general said,
"Once the moon went down, we lost any real chance of seeing anything.
Except when they shoot at us, of course we shoot back. Once the sun comes
up, we'll start up again. After what you and Doctor Akagi told me, I've
been tempted to start para-dropping containers of .45 ammo."
"Not a bad idea," Nabiki agreed, nodding.
"We'll get you ready as soon as possible," the general said, "Don't go
running off anywhere." He left.
"Great, everybody thinks they're a comedian," Nabiki complained.
"No comment," the medic said with a straight face.
----------------------------------------
"Commander?" Rei called softly as she entered his office.
"I'm afraid he's not here," Admiral Simson said as he walked up behind
her, "He's in a conference. You wanted to tell him about the people who
attacked you, or the sabotage to your's and the other pilots' possessions?
How is your bruise, does it still hurt?"
"Yes, healing, 'my pride is worse hurt'," Rei said, nervous in the
Admiral's presence, "How did you know?"
"I have my ways," the Admiral told her.
"I . . . " she began, "I do need to speak with him."
"Would you feel better writing a report rather than giving a spoken
report to me?"
"Yes," Rei nodded, "It will also be good practice for my written
English."
"The girl you hit," Admiral said, "Did you get the data you were
after?"
"Yes," Rei told him.
"I'll let you set up in an office," the Admiral said, "Please follow
me."
Rei fell in behind him.
"Do you think that pilots Davis and Tendo would serve as effective
bridge officers?"
"I believe they would serve diligently in any capacity," she relaxed,
being asked for facts, rather than analysis.
"I was also considering rotating the pilots, keeping four active and
allowing the other two to take up temporary status, as bridge officers,
researching the EVA and syncing with it, and so on."
"There will be resistance," Rei told him quietly. I would rather be in
my EVA, so would Mein Grossfeldmarschall, the Fourth would take convincing,
Shinji-kun might welcome it, Rei thought.
"Are you saying it would be a bad idea generally, or that the pilots
would prefer retaining their combat status, or that some would be the first
option, others would be the second, or fourthly some other option?"
"The third, some would, some would not," Rei said, "We cannot implement
it now, we lack one of the four we have EVA's for."
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me about that?"
"I am confused by it," Rei admitted, "There is no reason for it."
"I heard that Pilot Davis also could not be awakened. Perhaps they are
off fighting some enemy in dreams, or the spirit world. That is not an
unreasonable assumption, is it?"
"No, it is not," Rei said as they entered the office.
"If you encounter a word or concept you can't express properly in
English, go ahead and write it in Japanese, we can have people translate it
when it is typed up."
"I cannot type," Rei admitted.
"You won't be expected to," the Admiral reassured her. "I do think you
might try out for the orchestra, if it interests you, it will let people see
that NERV isn't all about war machines. I'm sure the Commander would agree
that NERV needs a good reputation. It will also allow you to express
yourself without words."
"Thank you," Rei sat at the desk and began writing.
"The Commander was very pleased by your diligence, if he forgets to
tell you. He did mention that to me," the Admiral said.
Rei felt for a moment she could fly. The Commander approved, she
thought happily. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He closed the door behind him.
Rei had to calm herself for several moments before she could write.
The Commander approved. I was afraid I had `exceeded my mandate`, she
thought, But he approved. I am so glad.
----------------------------------------
Ikari faced the monoliths. Finally got your little rebellion under
control, eh Kehl? Gendo thought as he sat at the desk, Or are you concerned
that I've coopted your spy?
"There has been a problem," the monolith labeled '01' said.
Kehl, Gendo thought. "Not that I am aware of. Or that the recent
incursion constituted a disruption," Gendo said, "It was only cultists,
testing our defenses for a greater assault later."
"The trouble occurred in Europe," monolith '04' whom Gendo did not
recognize, spoke, "There was a report by U.S. Army Intelligence of an
EVA-sized creature on the Franco-German-Swiss border."
I can practically hear Kehl's teeth grinding, Gendo thought. "Perhaps
the French have repaired their Unit," Gendo threw them a bone.
"We've been convincing the government to seek U.S. funding and
technical support," monolith 05 said.
SEELE France, or I should say SEELE Paris, Gendo thought dismissively.
"They aren't interested. They've made no attempt to activate Unit 03, and
instead are building new Units themselves," Gendo said, "Admiral Simson
intends to deploy at least two as soon as possible, for the pilots currently
in reserve, that will allow him to deploy four EVAs overseas, and keep two
to defend Japan. With additional Units for other secondary pilot
candidates." How many of our secondaries will we need to completely match
your hidden EVA force? Gendo considered.
"That is not as grave a concern, as the possibility that some EVA-class
threat is loose in our backyard," '01' said.
Let slip where you actually are? So they don't know you're building
your own EVAs! Gendo realized, but kept his expression intent on the
monoliths, giving nothing away. "Does this have any connection to the
Severn Valley conditions?" he asked.
"How do you know of that?!" monolith '07' demanded.
"I _have_ access to much of the American Intelligence on such things."
Gendo frowned, and hid it a little too slowly, so they could see it.
"Why has this not been forwarded to us?" Kehl demanded.
"Because I cannot remove or duplicate the files from where I view
them." Because they don't exist, Gendo thought, The Admiral briefed me on
it, Gendo thought, And we have developed several contingency plans. "To
transmit the information, I would need a secure communication system,
independent of the mail or Navy communications." Which you'll never allow,
for fear of what I'd do with it outside your control, Gendo thought.
"We do not squander such resources," '07' replied.
"Of course," Gendo said deferentially. Now you _know_ I can't give you
the information, he thought, So I don't even have to _try_._
"The situation in the United States concerns me," Gendo said, "If the
Americans killed off their other pilot candidate, we have only Anna Alise
and some much less acceptable candidates. No other Allied pilots have been
made available to NERV, it is worrying that only Germany, Japan and the U.S.
have pilots serving."
"That isn't your concern," '05' told him, "The project is your primary
concern."
"Keeping it out of our enemies' hands is also my concern," Gendo
replied calmly, "Despite it not being part of my charge. If the enemy waits
for our perfection, only to sweep in and snatch victory from our grasp at
our moment of triumph, it would undo all of our work. There also is still
the question of the sacrifices that would allow us to _get_ the treasure in
the first place."
"We have no need of a lecture about the goal from you, Ikari," '04'
told him.
"I have to provide the proper sacrifices, I have to advance the
project, yet I am kept in the dark about any possible reinforcements.
Perhaps the committee needs to remember that I cannot simply drag vagabonds
off the street, the toll requires certain characteristics, they must be
fostered, which is delicate work."
"All that is required is the blood," '05' insisted.
Except it cannot be taken, it must be _given_ and there are limits to
what orders can achieve, Gendo thought, Idiots, you are too used to
spineless fools who bow when you snap your fingers. Saotome, Davis, Tendo
and Langley would never bend as you would need, they will only bend so far.
But they _could_ be led to solving the problems themselves. He kept himself
from laughing. Simson's lesson was correct, if I play by _any_ rules - even
my own - I become too predictable, as predictable as you fools. But I can
provide some data and let them draw themselves to my desired conclusions,
and neither I nor you will know _how_ they will arrive at the solution, at
spilling each other's blood to save the human race. More importantly,
neither will our enemies.
"We will have to consider the English ineptitude in containing the
Severn Valley situations," '05' announced.
Not that you'd understand that the Navy is the one who decides what
will be done with the EVAs, Gendo thought. "The French Foreign Legion is
available," Gendo said, "Perhaps the Church has some additional resources."
He ignored the cacophony as the monoliths reacted to the mention of the
'religious extremists', 'going beyond the defunct God', and so on. He
waited unsmilingly, until Kehl managed to get them all calmed down.
"They will be allowed to deal with the problem on their own," Kehl
announced.
Read, that you want them to expend their own national resources, he
thought, If they make a successful plea to the Admiral, I won't fight it
effectually. "Might they request deployment of Unit 03?" Gendo asked,
setting off another useless argument. He assisted Kehl with a promise to
help take Unit 03 out of British hands. That will also take one old unit
out of your hands, he thought, It would be useful to me, if you would only
use it to destroy whatever pilots you do have.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki stared at the ceiling, waiting for the plaster to dry so they
could waterproof her cast. Stupid. Stupid! _Stupid_!_ she thought,
sighed, Me, him or both? That's the real question. She was frowning as the
general arrived.
"They are expecting to have the EVA repaired within an hour, so they
are going to send you out to pilot it. We'll have some of the aircraft up,
so you won't be going in blind."
"Thanks, I prefer knowing what's happening," she replied crisply.
Pain's mostly gone, she thought, If I don't move.
"Trouble?" he asked, taking a fatherly, rather than a military tone, "I
won't repeat anything, security you understand?"
Nabiki smirked. "Let's just say that Pilot Davis and I were having a
rather . . . heated discussion at the time of the attack. We did not part
amicably, and the method of our parting would have become yet _another_
piece of evidence in my case."
"Quite the politician, you should run for the Diet, that's what they're
calling your Congress, right?" the general asked, and waited for Nabiki to
nod before continuing, " 'Sent him off with a curse not a kiss?' My
grandmother said that was the surest way to get a man to stray, but I'm
betting it is something a lot more."
Nabiki frowned. I've got to remember these people aren't as stupid as
the idiots in Nerima, she reminded herself.
"You told him you never wanted to see him again, or that you didn't
care if he came back, or some combination, and you feel responsible for him
being out there on his own."
"Something like that," Nabiki admitted angrily, then muttered in
Japanese, "Stubborn idiot."
"Poppycock. Those things took off after you pilots, they practically
ignored the defenders once the embarking plugs and the ammo car went up."
"Entry plugs."
"Thanks, then they went after him in preference. I know, because
they've ignored both infantry and light vehicles, even ground attack planes,
that have been pursuing some of them. They are doggedly pursuing something,
guess what."
Nabiki didn't have to. "So it's not my fault."
"I didn't say _that_, but it isn't entirely or even mostly your fault.
Get over it. Young men do all kinds of stupid things to impress pretty
girls, and there are several to choose from traveling with him."
Nabiki considered. "I think it's more like he wanted to keep us safe,"
she said, "As if we couldn't fight for ourselves."
"I think you're expecting that there's no bullet out there with your
name on it," the general said, "Typically it's one of the million bullets
addressed 'To Whom It May Concern' that gets you. He thinks you and the
others are more valuable than he is. That's not something you can change."
"Thanks," Nabiki replied, as she flopped down on the bed, reigniting
the aches she'd been ignoring, "That _really_ helps."
"You'll get the answers," the general told her, "Once you start asking
the right questions." The general left. Nabiki briefly considered throwing
her pillow at him.
The right questions? What the Hell are the _right_questions_?_ she
wanted to scream in frustration, Ranma can't see in front of his face that
he's in danger. Raccoon sees it and doesn't care. And where Shinji charges
in, even Angels fear to tread. They're all a pack of
_complete_and_total_idiots_!_ That's the answer. Why should _I_ care?
That's the question.
----------------------------------------
Jeff heard the small plane. He then watched it get shot out of the
sky. The fire is from some distance away. So I'm `safe`, he thought, For
the moment. He slipped across the desert. I would have thought I would
have cut the perimeter and found the armor that was supposed to be out here,
he thought as he glanced at his empty pistol and the lightening sky, I
should carry more ammo next time, and a lot more water, he reminded himself,
Once that sun is up, this place is going to be like walking through a frying
pan, and I'll bet those things can take the heat better than I can. The
cold hasn't been a problem, so far. He winced at the twinge of his leg, and
his other injuries that resisted both his spells and his natural abilities
to heal. Sun stroke and blood loss, not the best way to go, he thought as
he pressed on to where the armor should have been. If I can cut their
trail, he thought, I can back track.
----------------------------------------
Asuka sat on her bed and stared at the ceiling, she'd become the
leader, again. Damn you Raccoon, she thought, Running out on me when you're
most needed! She didn't want to coordinate things, to wait while others
brought her reports, rumors, and no action. The Meliorist always tried to
let the Scholarly Dragon take care of the paperwork, now she had no other
choice. Ice Princess will have a fit when I turn it all over to her without
a fight, Asuka thought happily. She enjoyed frustrating Ice Princess's
efforts to understand Asuka Soryu Langley. She wasn't sure what she was
going to do. The first impulse is to smash Usagi and her group, do to them
what Ice Princess did to the student mafia at the other school. But Raccoon
arranged that, she considered how she would duplicate that, or if she would
need to, How do I arrange an invite into the spiders' community web? Asuka
asked herself, So I can kill them all where they feel all safe, and
superior, and overconfident. Pay no attention to the red circles and dot,
it's not where the bombs are aimed. Really. She wished she could take
someone along, aside from Erin and Sammi. There are no civilized people
_to_ take along. Even Ice Princess would be a welcome support, she sighed
as she ruminated, I'll take Erin and meet with the girl privately again, and
again I'll go armed.
Not the sabre-halberd! she reminded herself, Killjoy!
I've already decided _not_ to take my violin, even if I can get the
instrument its own guard, she thought, However, I convinced Wondergirl to do
the opposite. "So much for me trying out for the school orchestra," she
lamented, "I can get Wondergirl in at least, something to interest her
besides NERV, EVAs and Spineless." I resent someone messing up my plans.
The `pranks` had been destructive, meanspirited and petty, she wondered, Why
did they bother with the `demonstration`? Most of the newcomers had been
shunned by the bulk of the school population. I'll never figure it out, she
thought, It would be easier to accept Wondergirl's belief that they are just
wrong. Terrific a pack of psychopaths.
----------------------------------------
"Crap!" Captain Ramsey shouted as he stood and began pacing. Admiral
Simson let the outburst go, even if it was his office.
"Sir, I'm just reporting my suspicions," Erin repeated, glancing at the
floor. Simson knew Juri Kun was watching Asuka, Erin felt she had to report
what she had seen and heard.
"We covered this up once, it isn't going to work again," Ramsey said as
he paced furiously.
"I'm more concerned about how we separate the pilots from this,"
Admiral Simson said calmly, nodding to Erin, "For the moment both young Mr.
Ikari and Saotome, both parts, have escaped their interest."
"For how long?" Ramsey wondered aloud.
"My consideration is my principle," Erin said carefully, glancing from
the Admiral to the Captain, "What am I supposed to do? She is very
determined, and she is very clever."
"We could always leak her a copy of the KJ-1 plans. Let her help the
Army," Simson suggested, eliciting a quick smile from Ramsey.
"I know, except it wouldn't work, but I suspect it would take something
like that," Ramsey said, "Besides, she'd probably figure out all the bugs
and have them ironed out in less than a week."
"That still doesn't address the problems, sirs," Erin reminded them
quietly.
"I can't give you any special advice," Simson said, "If you have to,
take her out of the city, out beyond the NERV base. Go `look` for
something, admit it's probably a wild goose chase, but get her out of the
line of fire."
"That may not be an optimum solution, unless you can sterilize the area
while we're gone."
"No, I'm not sure we can cover this up as we did the first."
"Kids playing with that stuff . . . what are they thinking?" Erin asked
while she shook her head.
"When you were that age, wouldn't you have given _anything_ to avoid
being picked on?" Simson asked.
"No, I picked the worst bully and put him in the hospital. Nobody knew
it was me, but word got around, bullies are cowards," Erin said fiercely,
"Hitler and Tojo proved that, sending kids to get killed instead of them . .
. sorry, sir."
"If one of these kids ever invites me along on a mission, it'll take a
battalion of SP's to keep me out of that cockpit," Simson explained, smiling
to Erin.
"And don't think I wouldn't send them, sir," Ramsey added, "The days of
commanding from the up-front front are over."
The Admiral turned to stare at the Captain in amazement. "Are you
telling me you don't want to at least try it out, Captain?" Simson said. He
was aghast. Why not? It's like being at the Right hand of God, or being
His Angel of War, Simson remembered, Nothing can harm you, and nothing can
stop you. For all their other troubles, none of the kids has tried to take
advantage of that. God help us all if they do.
"Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full, sir."
"You've been hanging around the Marines too long, Captain," Simson
joked, "Miss Carter, that might be your answer. Take her on a tour of the
emplacements. Where the weapons are, what they are, that kind of thing.
Take some officers from `Festung` Command. Tell her it's a test."
Erin nodded. "That might work," Erin admitted, "Thank you, sir." She
stood. "I'll have to consider the details of transport and who will
accompany us as guides and security," she said as she left.
Once she was gone, Ramsey and Simson exchanged glances. "So, another
scorched earth?" Ramsey asked, "Wipe them all out?"
"No, we had an ongoing investigation to cover it last time. Not this
time," Simson answered, paused and considered his options. "This time we'll
have to be far more surgical. I doubt we'll be able to get all of them at
once. That was too much arrogance and a bit of luck, we won't get that
again."
"Use Langley as a way in?" Ramsey offered, then frowned and shook his
head.
"No chance. The pilots are dangerous enough as it is," Simson said,
"Add to it, increase their instability, no. There's also what hit Ayanami,
and I haven't forgotten somebody dropped a mortar attack on the pilots a few
weeks back. We haven't caught _them_ either. I think you have resources to
deploy, it's time we quit treating this as a big war, and start treating
this as a guerrilla war."
Simson and Ramsey sat down to consider their options.
----------------------------------------
What a Marvelous Place To Drop Ones Mother-In-Law
"Dr. Akagi," the radioman called to her.
She took the offered handset. "Akagi here, over."
"Doctor," the air controller told her, "One of the spotters saw
something unusual, before he got shot down. Grid reference
two-seven-November-Juliet-fifer, can you say again, over."
"Two-seven-November-Juliet-fifer, got it, over." Ritsuko pulled out
the maps. "Figures, we're ahead of him," she said disgustedly, then over
the radio, "We'll check it out, over and out." She handed the handset back.
"Sorry troops, we did a little _too_ well. We'll have to back track to
catch him and the armor reinforcements are ahead of _us_. So they'll be
even slower closing in."
"I thought joining the Navy meant I didn't have to _walk_ everywhere,"
a sailor complained as he shouldered his rifle and followed the Marines and
soldiers, Japanese and American.
Ritsuko fell in with them, sharing the map coordinates with Captain
Madison.
"The coordinates are where he's headed, they aren't where they're
supposed to be," Madison said, "I have an awful feeling that our enemies had
a deeper plan than I thought."
"What are you thinking?" Ritsuko asked.
"If only his pistol and Miss Tendo's would affect them, I'd draw them
out, use up their ammunition, dangle a resupply in front of them to draw
them into a killing zone."
"Those creatures are long-lived, they wouldn't sacrifice themselves
that way," Ritsuko said. I know of what I speak, she thought.
"Assuming that there isn't a deeper plan," Madison said, "The EVAs
absorb bits of their enemies, the pilot absorbs the rest."
"Who told you that?" Ritsuko exclaimed.
"I have _eyes_, Doctor. I watched Miss Tendo leap 30 yards out and 10
down, and not smash herself to pieces. I walked through that crater in
Boston, and Davis only had a few scratches on him. The _buildings_ nearby
were in worse shape than he was. So I, and every one of these men, know
that the pilots aren't Government Issue. So, my point is, maybe these
things are getting stronger as their numbers decrease, and pilot Davis is
the last. Then we have to deal with Chaugnar Faugn reborn. I hope we'll
have the EVA before then, because I doubt even these pistols and shotguns
will have much effect."
"We better hurry, because Unit 04 was the one that killed the big guy,"
she said as they headed off at a jog.
----------------------------------------
Toji hadn't expected the odd situation he'd encountered when he went to
sleep. Shinji had been waiting for him, urging him to hurry. They had
rushed through a `landscape`, like clouds strung with pearls that glowed
with every color of the rainbow. He had thought each one was a world all of
its own. He'd thought that was ridiculous, then they'd entered one and
found a huge plain with a single old-style building. They hadn't landed,
they just stood still while the plain building rushed towards them. Then
they were standing on the ground.
Weird, Toji thought. "Where are we?" Toji asked.
"Protecting Ranko," Shinji said in a forbidding tone.
Toji thought that he'd never seen Shinji so grim, he also knew from his
friend's tone that there would be no further discussion. So he waited
dismally. I don't really understand where we are, how we got here, he
thought, Or why Shinji has changed so much. Even in the EVA in that other
place he hadn't been this stern. I don't know why we have to defend Ranko,
but I am willing.
The shadow overhead, and gentle thump behind them, made Toji turn
around. There's nothing there, he thought as he searched the terrain, Dojo,
rocks, nothing! I can't imagine how something so big could just disappear.
The appearance of the hooded figures was as surprising, but suddenly
they were there, and they were solid. Everybody can do that except me and
Shinji, he thought, glanced at the dour warrior who'd replaced his shy
friend, Okay, maybe just me.
"Begone boy!" the voice said, a girl trying to sound like a man by
making her voice deeper.
"No," Shinji said quietly, acting as he only acted in the EVA.
One of the twenty brown-robed figures extended her hand. Toji stepped
in front of Shinji as the ball raced from her hand towards Shinji. Toji
swung the bat he'd desperately wanted, but hadn't had a second ago. He
fired a line drive back at the `pitcher`. Okay, I can do it too, Toji
thought as he smiled as the pitcher leapt out of the way, as did the others.
The ball exploded in the distance. The leader raised her hand, summoning a
horde of small, eye-watering, clouds of teeth and claws and screams. The
things chittered excitedly. Toji wanted to run. He glanced at Shinji who
merely looked intently at the creatures. An anvil dropped from the sky,
flattening one creature. A rain of more anvils pulverized the region the
creatures occupied. The booming laughter that echoed off the distant rocks
ran an icy finger up and down Toji's spine. Toji turned to glance at the
huge, black creature he'd seen once before, when it faced the planet Ghroth.
Up close, it seemed too frightening to be real. Jet black, except for twin
yellow eyes that seemed to penetrate everything. The laughter seemed both
mirthful and cruel, laughing at the foolishness of humans and their
absurdity.
"Fool girl, I would not be you for all the worlds!" the huge creature's
voice boomed without mirth, filled with derision.
Toji only wanted to cower under that voice, as the gaze changed from
penetrating to wrathful, "You have done what others could never accomplish,
and summoned your own doom!"
Toji cowered as the creature surveyed the landscape. I'm not going to
break down, he promised himself, I'm not going to cry, or fall down and beg
for mercy. 'Cause I _know_ it wouldn't work, pride be damned.
The creature spread his wings, seemingly to the edges of the horizon.
Then one flap launched it into the air, creating a brief hurricane that
swirled Toji's hair and seemed not to touch Shinji at all. Shinji stood
glaring at their foes, who shrieked and flapped in all directions, dodging
the rain of anvils and the dust and debris that swirled up. The dust devils
pursued the girls, cutting at their clothes and any exposed skin until they
were moved out of range and vanished.
"Is it over?" Toji asked as he nervously looked around.
Shinji turned back to him, his shy friend was back. Shinji laughed
nervously, "I guess I went a little too far. They just made me mad."
The field pockmarked with anvil craters seemed to make his comment the
model understatement.
"Do we stay or go?" Toji asked, there was a brief flash of the other
Shinji, the EVA's Shinji.
"And when Raccoon figures out you were peeping on Ranko?"
Toji backed up worriedly, "Sour Kraut said that was a skit!"
"Have you seen them since?" Shinji smiled, enjoying teasing his
friend.
Toji realized his friend was setting him up. "Why you!" Toji growled
as he tried to grapple his smaller friend. Shinji laughingly parried and
avoided Toji's attempts. Toji stopped, "You have been studying with Ranma,"
Toji realized as he stepped back to consider.
"I've been learning a lot of things," Shinji admitted, then he stopped
laughing, "A lot of it wasn't nice. You're lucky, you'll live your life and
never have to pilot. There are . . . things you don't want to know, things
I _have_ to know." Shinji hung his head, looked ready to cry.
Toji paused, then acted as if he hadn't heard, "What does she see in
him?" he complained.
Shinji stared at him, then understood. "He expects more of her, and
demands to get it," Shinji said.
Toji frowned, the idea that Ranko would choose that . . . it irritated
and disillusioned him. "I'm a much better catch than he is," Toji said
proudly.
"But you aren't a catch," Shinji told him. Toji deflated as his cruel
friend continued, "She could practically trip over you. She wants to chase
something that at least _tries_ to get away. What's the fun of chasing, if
it isn't a chase?"
"You know how to hurt a guy."
Shinji suddenly sobered. "Yes, I know . . . I know." He turned away
from Toji.
----------------------------------------
Jeff found what he had been looking for, an M7 Priest and the rest of
the outer perimeter armor. Most of the vehicles were collections of burn
marks and shrapnel, the mobile howitzer lay on its side, the blackened area
around the top of the piece indicated the vehicle had been tipped over and
then the rounds had cooked off. Jeff looked across the open ground from
where he had concealed himself. I can dig through that ground to find what
survived . . . he thought as he looked around at the open spaces he'd have
to cross and considered all the snipers that could be concealed, Or . . .
accept that whatever cooked off the ammo was thorough enough to get the .45
ammo, the 105mm, and all the powder. All the other heavy vehicles too, same
treatment, same fate, same lure. He looked at a Sherman with its turret
sitting a short distance away from the hull.
"Quit thinking predictably," he told himself as he scanned the carnage
for something he could actually use, his eyes fell on a jeep, Crew must have
dismounted or been dragged out and killed, but it appears undamaged. Okay,
time to move more efficiently, he thought as he slipped towards it, found
one man lying dead next to it, most of his head gone. Jeff rifled through
the man's belt and pockets. "Ah, ammunition," he said as he reloaded his
pistol and one extra clip. Some instinct made him turn. Three of the
Brothers had appeared. Jeff took cover behind the jeep, using its hood to
assist his aim, he dispatched the first two, changed clips and fired four
shots. The Brother staggered and fell, then slowly pulled himself up. Jeff
emptied the clip into it before it was fully upright. Not cricket, he
thought as it fell and lay still, But they did set the rules as 'ambush and
kill'.
He started the jeep and drove over to the corpses of the Brothers.
"Now that I've got a jeep . . . " he grunted as he lifted the oversized
`pistol` into the jeep, "With work I could mount this on the jeep's tripod,"
he added as he hoisted the second weapon into the jeep. Once he had the
third he went tearing away from the scene. "Too heavy to carry, but not too
heavy to drive," he said, "Now if I were the rest of the reserve armor,
where would I be." He frowned. "Now's the time I wish I had a radio.
Idiot mage! Invent a radio spell!"
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko watched the jeep roar off. I don't believe this! she thought
as she shouted 'Jeffrey!' after the fleeing vehicle, and Captain Madison
tried to get him on the radio. The rooster tail from the jeep continued to
shrink in the distance.
"Somebody has to be plotting against us," Madison said, "He's got no
radio."
"You think?" Ritsuko snapped, "At least now we know he can outrun them.
And he can carry some of _their_ weapons."
"You don't think _he's_ going after _them_ do you?"
"Now that you mention it," Ritsuko said disgustedly, "Come on." She
started marching after the jeep.
----------------------------------------
As the sun began lightening the sky to the east, Maya watched the men
swinging the entry plug into position. More than a hundred men were on the
lines supporting the A-frames that held the plug in the awkward position
that the odd hunched-over posture of the tumbled EVA required. Only a dozen
men were required to keep the plug moving in the right direction.
"I prefer the heavy equipment at home," Maya murmured in Japanese as
she directed them with English cries of 'left', 'right', 'up', and 'down'.
The bulldozer was an attractive option. Except it would damage the surface
and impair the interface, so a poorer sync rate, she admitted to herself in
frustration.
Finally, they had enough of the plug inside the entry port so it could
be slid the rest of the way in, without the A-frames. As the plug stopped
after it slid home, a thunderous cheer erupted from the men.
"Well done," Maya called, remembering the Navy's usual congratulations,
"Very well done." The sound of a police siren announced Nabiki's return.
Maya rushed over to the military command car carrying the pilot.
"You arrived just in time," Maya told Nabiki in Japanese, glad she
could speak and be understood in her own language. Nabiki looked terrible,
the cast and the bandages, and the wrung out expression.
"You aren't kidding," Nabiki said, pointing to the horizon where a
mushroom cloud appeared, "You're coming with," she told Maya tiredly.
"_What_?_!_" Maya yelped at the idea of getting in the L.C.L. again.
"It's the most protected place," Nabiki told her, "Besides, I can't
really move with this cast on my leg." Nabiki waved several airmen forward,
one helped Nabiki limp onto the stretcher they were carrying, then a pair
carried her towards the EVA, another `escorted` Maya after her. "You can
coordinate with the air and ground forces," Nabiki added, "They'll be up in
force with the sun."
Maya felt her stomach churning at the thought of the L.C.L., the taste,
the smell and the slimy, alive feeling of the liquid. "It makes me feel
like I'm being eaten," Maya complained.
"How do you think _we_ feel?" Nabiki asked.
Maya merely followed. Follow, or be dragged or carried, she thought
sourly, Politely of course. She smiled at the airmen and walked to her doom.
----------------------------------------
Ritsuko heard the sound of normal gunfire and the odd sounds of the
Brothers' return fire, as her force approached the ridgeline. She threw
herself down, and crawled to the ridge top to peer at the battle. Figures
he'd drive into the middle of a firefight, she thought as another explosion
and fireball raced into the sky.
"I think he found the reserve armor," Madison called from further down
the ridge, "And they aren't doing well."
"I think so." Did he go that way because he's riding to the rescue, or
because he wanted to be rescued? she wondered, With any of the pilots, it's
a tossup. Even with her insights into Jeff, she wasn't sure. She glanced
at `her` troops, and knew they were at the end of their endurance, running
around all night had taken it out of them. She returned her gaze to the
battle. It's spread out. Blue lightning marks the Brothers' weapons.
Answered by the 75's and 76's of the Shermans and Wolverines, she thought,
trying her new skills on the scene before her, As well as rifles,
machineguns and rifle grenades. There! She spotted a blue flash going
towards the Brothers, focused in on Jeff down behind an overturned 6x6
truck, firing his captured weapon back at its owners.
Seems almost as ineffective as anything else, she thought, then looked
more closely, Almost being the critical word, it seems a dozen shots and six
becomes five. She watched the Brother fall and begin mouldering away. She
figured the troops, her troops, had had an adequate breather. And we've got
the only weapons that will work, she thought as she crawled backward to
where they waited, I hate getting filthy like this. "Come on," she ordered
as she advanced at a trot towards the pilot, as the reserve armor tried to
flank the remaining Brothers. Who were only too happy to let them. The
Brothers seemed more concerned with encircling the only one who was more
than a mere nuisance.
Ritsuko dropped to one knee, took aim, and fired four times. The
Brother kept moving, now angling towards Ritsuko's group. Ritsuko took aim
and hit the monster twice more. It fell and remained down. "They _are_
getting tougher," she called.
Madison had recovered one of the weapons from the Jeep Jeff had used.
The man could barely stagger under the weight. He aimed at another, after
bracing it on a truck. When he pulled the odd trigger, he was knocked flat
by the recoil, as was the Brother who'd been standing only a foot away.
"Okay, that's why he was bracing it _inside_ the wheel well," Madison
moaned, as the Brother struggled to its feet, "He's bracing it _against_ the
truck's mass."
"Let's get out there where we can help," Ritsuko said as she exchanged
weapons with the Captain, and gunned down the recovering Brother, "That will
give us a little more firepower, and a chance to pull our lost lamb back."
"Ma'am, EVA's on the way," the radioman reported, and ducked an
answering shot from one of the Brothers.
"Better and better," Ritsuko said grimly, "Smoke!" She pointed towards
Jeff.
The soldiers laid down a smokescreen as the force leapfrogged forward.
They reached Jeff's position.
"Davis we need - !" Madison accepted Jeff's .45, passing back the fully
loaded Le Mat, another soldier took the Brother's weapon from Jeff, braced
it and aimed. Madison loaded a fresh clip.
"There." Jeff pointed into the smookescreen. "They'll come from
there."
"Stay down until they show themselves," Ritsuko ordered as the other
soldiers took cover where they could, and took aim with the shotguns and the
last of the two Brothers' weapons. "Prepare to fire, pistols only. Hold
the shotguns until you have a clear target," she ordered.
She glanced down, a soldier had taken the Le Mat from Jeff. The pilot
offered no protest, and a medic was tending the pilot's wounds. Jeff didn't
protest that either. It wooried Ritsuko.
Two Brothers walked side-by-side out of the fading smoke. Ritsuko
fired as did the two Marines who'd braced their weapons against the jeep
they had taken cover behind. The pair of monsters each took four or five
shots from each of the hand cannons and almost a dozen shots from the
pistols before they fell and stayed down. Ritsuko looked around for the
last two through the fading smokescreen. She saw the last one, it had
eviscerated its brother and now walked towards a damaged M20 scout car.
"Scatter!" Ritsuko shouted as she realized what would happen next. The
armored car sailed through the air and smashed into the truck many had been
hiding behind. The medic and the radio man had grabbed Jeff and carried him
away at a run. Ritsuko saw the last Brother standing amid a fusillade of
fire. She knelt and added her pistol's fire to the deluge of metal and
explosives striking the creature, seemingly to no effect. Even the
handcannons they'd scavenged had little effect.
The last Brother advanced straight towards the fleeing medic/radio
man/pilot trio. One shotgunner slipped in behind the creature and fired
both barrels into it, before rolling away to avoid the counterstrike. The
Brother continued to march, the other shotgunner fired straight into its
face. The Brother ignored both men, it's only target was in front of it.
Damn! Ritsuko realized, It's gotten all the others, it's only missing
one. A Wolverine hit it with a round, then the tank destroyer charged and
crashed into the creature as it stood up from where the impact had thrown
it. The Wolverine's engine raced and its treads sprayed dirt and rocks, but
it still moved backward.
"Set up here!" Ritsuko ordered as the Wolverine rolled over on one
side. The Brother surveyed them all as it walked patiently after its prey.
Ritsuko fired as it approached. The soldiers, from the pistoleers, to
shotgunners, to hand cannoneers, all fired as fast as they could. The blast
of a bazooka sounded, and the explosion of the round dropped the creature to
its knees, then it fell onto its face.
Ritsuko saw Jeff kneeling next to the bazooka team. He held up a
bottle. "It works!" he called.
Damn showboating, she thought.
They turned as Unit 04 appeared.
"It's over there! Cover it!" Ritsuko ordered as she headed towards
Jeff.
"Is . . . is it dead?" he asked tiredly as she knelt next to him.
"Yeah," she told him, sitting down next to him. The bazooka team moved
off. The pulverizing sound, as Unit 04 ground the creature under its foot,
confirmed it. "Yeah, it's dead," Ritsuko gulped and said as Unit 04
examined its handiwork. She looked closely as he seemed to sag and draw in
on himself. "Are you all right?"
"Just give me a moment," he replied, he looked at her and smiled wanly,
"At least something worked, right?"
She shifted next to him, putting her arm around his shoulder and
pulling him against her. "Take whatever time you need."
He seemed to relax as he leaned against her. The soldiers moved
around, searching for any other targets. A few glanced at the immense
warmachine that stood in their midst. They are realizing the war is right
here, Ritsuko thought, On their home soil. Other soldiers maintained a
perimeter around Ritsuko and Jeff.
She felt the young man breathing slowly, relaxing as he accepted that
he was safe, so were those he cared about.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki looked over the scene and felt a stab of jealousy that hurt
worse than all her physical injuries combined. I know it's unworthy . . .
but that should be me down there, she thought as Jeff huddled in Ritsuko's
arms, But I didn't want anything to do with him. Because I was repelled by
the things he's willing to do to defend the people he loves. I got what I
wanted, he sent me off. Because that's what I said I wanted, and he
believed me.
Nabiki clenched her fist, and released it as pain shot through her
wrist, then she realized she was unconsciously causing Unit 04 to exhibit
her emotional turmoil. Great, she thought, Let the machine show you're
having a temper tantrum in here. Be happy for him, he's with a woman who
loves him. But . . . would Ranma ever accept being vulnerable and cuddling
. . . that closeness I want. She sighed.
"Any sign of the others?" Maya asked.
"None that I can see," she replied, glancing around the battlefield,
but her eyes kept returning to the scene of a man and a woman in each
others' arms. Not kissing, no `romance`, she thought hungrily, But
comfortable with and trusting each other. Congratulations, you won what you
said you wanted, you lose.
----------------------------------------
Nabiki looked down out of her wheelchair at the body of her fellow
pilot, as he lay in his bunk. She tapped her cast. "Quite a pair, more
weight in bandages and plaster than in the bodies inside." She waited for
him to react, when he just lay unmoving, she continued, "You know, for
someone so certain I was going to die," she said tightly, "You sure look
awfully like a blood sacrifice practice dummy."
"Dummy's right. I _never_ ran out of ammunition before," Jeff replied
as he opened his eyes and looked at her, "I guess that's why normal people
are always so nervous."
"You gave me a third of your supply," she told him as she drew herself
up as haughtily as she could, and tried to hide her wince, "You didn't have
to do that. You _knew_ they'd be after you, not me." Her leg ached, and
other stirrings were bothering her, the smell of his blood and hers not the
least of them.
"No, I knew they'd be after me in preference to you, but I didn't
expect near exclusivity. That's why I gave you one box, not two."
"You could have let me die," she told him, struggling to keep her voice
from breaking. Dammit, she thought, Stay in control, we're just _talking_!_
"I'm not them, I have no right to do that," he said tiredly and covered
his face with his arms, "I am sick to death of watching people die, of
losing people. I've seen too many go, always questions in their eyes, of
'why?', 'why me?', 'what's next?' as if I were some oracle, as if I had some
idea besides what every religion has already written on the subject. So, I
decided to be an idiot again. Fine, I don't care anymore. Better me than
you." He turned and lowered his arms to stare at her. "I don't care what
you or anyone else thinks. I'm tired of it all. I can't go home, I can't
return to the past. And I can't just let it all go."
Nabiki nodded. Why can't I tell him what I feel? He _knew_ they were
after him, and he intentionally drew them off, off the soldiers, away from
me, _purposefully_. I should be angry at his chivalric chauvinism, or all
melty that 'my knight sacrificed himself', but that's not what I feel, it
isn't even close. I fought them as long and hard as I could, and it wasn't
enough. That seems to be the mantra around here: 'Your best isn't good
enough', she considered. "So what about the lessons?" she asked. Just to
have something to say, she thought disgustedly of her inability to say what
she wanted to say, to act on any of the conflicting impulses that were
plaguing her.
"Tomorrow, in the meantime, I'd like to rest," he said, "My magic can't
fix these injuries and letting them heal naturally is taking a toll on me."
"Okay," Nabiki said and rolled out. The Marine guards braced as she
rolled past. "As you were," she said almost without thinking, so they
wouldn't offer to push her. I don't know where I want to go, she thought,
No, I know exactly where I want to go, I just don't know what I should do
when I get there. She sighed and dreaded the `walk` through the barracks
car. Brown Bess will roll through the barracks car, I think I left Nabiki
Tendo, the Ice Queen of Furiken, somewhere in Panama. I had to get out of
there. Watching him lie there nearly helpless, smelling his blood, and mine
. . . part of me wanted to tear his chest open and feast on his beating
heart, part of me wanted to . . . show my subservience in some unmistakable
way. The human parts of me couldn't decide if I should be furious because
he `saved` me, or overjoyed he'd recover and teach me magic. She sighed and
rolled into the barracks car, it was a makeshift infirmary for the injured
NERV personnel. I'm hurt worse than some of these people in here. But I'm
too stubborn to just lie in bed. I can feel the looks, the keen interest,
she thought, Not in a pretty girl, but in `Brown Bess`, warrior, planner and
killer of foes. The flint arrowhead at her breast seemed to weigh her down
as she nodded to a technician here, a word to a soldier there. Each happy
that `Bess` knows their names, a little about them, she considered, Same
tricks I used in Nerima, yet to such a different effect here. I have
changed. More than I had ever thought possible, more than I wanted to. I
can't go home either, I know that, I'd never stand for all the nonsense that
made me so much money. I'd hate it. Nabiki, like `Bess` is just an
identity, but like the people I helped rescue and locate, I was to 'hold
until relieved', except I was that relief. I was hope, and the certain
knowledge that help was following right behind. I never thought anything of
my actions, I just took them. Despite a compound fracture of the leg, two
sprained wrists, popped ribs and a dozen other injuries, I just couldn't
turn away. The others, kids not much older than me, they were ready to
stand until dead, I couldn't do any different. I couldn't let so many be
`better`, braver, than me.
She exited the barracks car and continued to her cabin/berth. And
this, it's a different car, yet I _know_ all my stuff will be laid out
exactly like it was in the other cabin, and if I can't reach something, a
soldier will get it for me. What have I done to deserve that? Acted out of
anger, stubbornness and pride? Worse than Ranma at his worst. Worse than
Ryoga or Genma or Kuno. I acted out of offended pride. I wanted to get
revenge on the ones who hurt me and my friends. So when I had the chance,
when I had my enemy at my mercy - I didn't just kill him, I ground him into
hamburger underfoot. I would have slaughtered a hundred, if there had been
a hundred. Even if . . . exactly what Raccoon did. All my accusations, and
when the tables were turned, I acted the exact same way. I'm a hypocrite,
not a hero. An angry, scared kid who wanted to hurt the ones who'd hurt me.
When did _that_ become noble?
In front of her cabin was a Marine, female and armed. She looks like
she'd be a match for anyone outside of the Nerima Wrecking Crew, Nabiki
thought as the woman saluted with her rifle.
"Thank you. ma'am," the woman with the nametag 'Smith' said as Nabiki
went into her room, "If you need anything, I'll be here."
"You're welcome, Corporal, and thank you. I'd really like a hot bath
and a good stiff drink. Neither are available to me." Nabiki replied with a
smile as she closed the door behind her.
Any vestige of `Brown Bess` fell away as Nabiki rolled to a stop,
gripping her good leg tightly against her chest, ignoring the twinges from
her ribs. She let the events of the day descend on her en masse. The Ice
Queen doesn't cry, she thought as her tears wetted her knee, At least I can
keep quiet. She let herself silently cry until she could deal with the
enormity of it all again.
Not fair, not fair. I thought I could trust . . . but who can I trust?
Ritsuko and Maya? Ranma? A boy who's sure I'm going to die? I might have
died, if not for what I was, she thought, But what I was, isn't what I've
now become. She pulled the arrowhead necklace up so she could stare at it.
"What I was, isn't what I am," she said bitterly, "My friends keep
spoon-feeding me little doses of reality, just enough for me to get used to
the taste, but not enough to qualify me as one of the `adults`."
She pressed the arrowhead's sharp edge hard into the heel of her hand.
The edge is sharp enough to cut paper in the air, she remembered that last
trick she'd tried with it.
He wasn't dead, she thought as she pressed harder, drawing the blade
over her skin, Dozens of bullets and blasts, and he was just stunned, until
I ground him under foot. Me, Nabiki Tendo, 5th Children, pilot of Unit 04.
Each one we killed, made the rest stronger, that one was the last, it had
the strength of all the rest. She looked at the flint arrowhead dimpling
her skin, leaving not a bruise or even a pale spot to mark its passage. And
no blood, not a scratch, she thought as she ran a finger over the
unblemished skin, I killed him, a helpless foe the others had nearly
dispatched, a victory handed to me on a silver platter. The accumulation of
all the Brothers of Chaugnar Faugn. A thing nearly as powerful as what
Raccoon faced on his first sortie, faced without my training, faced without
my experience, yet he defeated something as ancient and as terrible as that.
Then he had to deal with its memories, thoughts and feelings, and its
powers. I got it all too, but I didn't earn it. I only killed it after the
others had ridden it into the ground. I made a deal with Belldandy and
didn't look beyond the obvious, now it's going to hang over me, no wonder
she knew I couldn't disobey, as soon as I did, I lost her protection. Of
course, now I have my own. And all the filthy, unclean feelings and
memories crawling through my mind and soul to go with it. And Maya's the
cock-of-the-walk because she got the EVA ready and helped to lead me in,
Nabiki thought, I wonder how much of that thing _she_ got, or is it just the
Children who absorb these things?
Nabiki shifted herself into the bunk and pulled the covers over her
battered and sore body. She stared at her unmarked hand, then at the
ceiling. So now I'm one of them, she thought, But I didn't earn it. I'm
_going_ to earn my magic, and my place with the others.
----------------------------------------
Sarah looked over at her friends Arty and Morgan, the entire teaching
staff from the Primary and Grammar schools were in their full robes, the
schools' students were in their best uniforms. Shined and polished, she
thought, I just wish I could wear a robe instead of a uniform. The seams
and woolen cloth abraded and irritated her skin. You'd think with magic and
everything else they teach here, they could invent clothing that doesn't
_itch_ so much! At least with a robe I could get away with wearing the
clothes underneath inside out, put the scratchers on the outside, she
thought as she concentrated on the people around her, rather than the
constant irritation of the clothes.
The professors were all in their robes and mortarboards. The noise
dominated the room. That even the most senior teachers were adding to, it
worried her.
"The Lord High Executioner seems as lost as the rest of us," she
mentioned the Assistant Headmaster's flustered expression to Arty.
"That's not all Snow White," Arty replied, "Some of those are
ex-pupils, not regular profs."
Sarah nodded at her nickname and looked at some of the other students,
some friends, some rivals, some she didn't have contact with.
Then a silence swept through the room. Sarah was shorter than many of
the students, she couldn't see the reason for the sudden hush.
"It's the Headmistress," someone murmured in awe.
"Be seated," the woman commanded quietly. The students and teachers
sat in unison. The woman was a figure of legend at the school, often spoken
of in whispers, but rarely seen by anyone. The question of how a woman
could be Headmistress at a mixed school had been answered by those two
words.
I don't think _anyone_ could argue with her, Sarah thought, This isn't
a spell, it's just her personality.
It was always a friend of a friend who met with her or spotted her,
Sarah remembered as she looked at the woman, the aura of quiet power
radiated out and subdued the crowd, She's old, but how old is impossible to
tell. Sarah shuddered as the woman's eyes rested on her for an instant,
before traveling on. She saw several dozen others similarly affected.
Sarah noted the single blue stripe on her sleeve, from her shoulder to her
wrist, unlike any of the professors. She wore no school tie, so her alma
mater remained a mystery. The woman finished her survey of the crowd,
walked to the lectern and stood behind it. Careworn, Sarah thought, But
still able.
"Despite admonishments to pupils . . . and faculty . . . some of you
have found out, others of you may have guessed, but I'm officially
announcing . . . the Severn Valley situation is deteriorating."
Conversations erupted throughout the hall. The Headmistress allowed
the outburst.
Sarah had already suspected as much. You can't hide having two senior
teachers and twelve Fourth-form students under constant sedation for two
weeks, she thought, But we all thought they put the Severn Valley back to
sleep. Not that they failed!
"The information is of course, restricted," she began again, and the
entire assembly fell silent, "I'm afraid I have a dreadful request to make.
We have limited our . . . field trips to teachers and senior-most Grammar
forms. Now we are going to have to draw in our strongest, regardless of
school or form, I would like any volunteers . . . " She looked at the
entire student body as they stood and raised their hands, the only teachers
who hadn't also raised their hands were too infirm to make the trip.
"Thank you," the Headmistress told them, "Be seated. It is very
gratifying. Any of you who are _not_ selected, it is no reflection on your
abilities, or your bravery." There were murmurs, but no protests.
Sarah kept silent. I think I can get some _real_ help out here, she
thought, Not just stop-gaps. She wondered about getting an interview with
the Headmistress. And how do I avoid giving away _too_ much? She glanced
at her friends and forged a plan.
----------------------------------------
"Miss ggreg," the Headmistress's greeting was cool, but not unfriendly.
Sarah dug her nails into her palms, to keep from glancing around the
office while she waited for permission to speak. Sarah couldn't keep
isolated images out of her peripheral vision, just bits and pieces: a bit of
planking, a Tommy's uniform with the gas mask, a war chariot in the
background. Keep staring at the floor! Keep staring at the floor! she told
herself, she could feel the pain from her hands warring with her curiosity,
Not fair, Rei got and gets to look at and examine everything, I can't even
look at an older person without permission. No, that's not accurate, it
just _seems_ that way.
"Miss ggreg, please glance around. Before you injure yourself. You
also have not used your telepathy outside of your lessons, an admirable
self-restraint."
"Yes, Headmistress," Sarah said, utterly mortified at having been found
out, now she needed no help in keeping her head down.
"Also our conversation will be distracted, if you are attempting to
catch glimpses while we are speaking," she told Sarah in an amused tone,
"Please look around, it must be quite a problem to be 'eaten up from nose to
tail with curiosity'."
"Headmistress, I apologize, I've . . . " Sarah stammered, "I have never
been in here, I have heard all the stories." The whole collection looked
like a museum crammed into one large room. From pre-Roman times to the
Spitfire, she realized. In the middle of the Headmistress's desk was a
stand with small flags. The Union Jack at the center, the flags of the
Empire, but the United States' flag was also in the set, with its 48 stars.
"Yes, a magpie's hoard of an old woman's memories," she said and
smiled, which relaxed Sarah. "You are here to make a suggestion, I am here
to hear it. Please make it," she said with a hint of sharpness.
That snapped Sarah back. "Headmistress, I have friends among the EVA
pilots. I am certain I could convince them to take our case directly to
Admiral Simson," she said respectfully, "I believe the EVAs, or pilots for
Unit 03, would recover the Severn Valley situation. My friends are with the
mission crossing the United States right now. Perhaps they could be
diverted here."
"Perhaps you should check with your friends, Miss Tendo and Master
Davis, on their availability at the moment," the Headmistress told her.
"I . . . I do not know that for certain, Headmistress," Sarah said,
"With respect, Headmistress, they might still make the attempt to be our
advocates, if I asked them," Sarah said, still staring at the edge of the
desk.
"Very well, prepare your letter, and return here with it. Good day."
Sarah knew she'd been dismissed, she gave a bob and backed out of the
room. She closed the door behind her carefully, before she nearly
collapsed. The Headmistress has called me back, and is going to go over one
of my letters?! she thought, Trying to pilot Unit 03 myself doesn't sound so
bad.
"Wake up, Snow White, or no apples for you." Arty had found her.
"Isn't your dad flying in today?"
"You're right! I - !"
"Have to calm down, my family's car is waiting," Arty told Sarah while
smirking.
"Fine." Sarah frowned at her friend. "For the apple, I'll send the
dwarves after you. Once I've changed."
"Right-o," Arty told her.
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