Winning Vote:
[X] Plan Defang the Conspiracy
-[X] Try to figure out NERV's finances
--[X] Mr. Prospector
-[X] Search through Pre-2nd Impact Records for clues
--[X] Samsara
-[X] Investigate the technology of the Evangelions
--[X] The Saotome Institute
-[X] Investigate what influence SEELE has in the Federation military
--[X] ECOAS
May UE 0084
Aboard the Macross Quarter, low Earth orbit
"Well, what should we start with?" You ask.
"For starters, Mr. Prospector volunteered to take a look at NERV's finances." Yurika says.
She opens a bag she brought with her and takes out several stacks of manila folders, passing them around to everyone in the meeting.
NERV's Finances
Roll 1d20 +
Auto-Success due to Mr. Prospector
You open up your folder to find the first sheet is a dizzying chart of arrows and what you realize are the names of various corporations and NGOs, many of them non-profit organizations. The NERV logo is in the center with numerous arrows converging on it.
"Hey, I remember donating to this charity during a bender after the Axis Drop!" You realize out loud in indignation.
Everyone else perks up and scrutinizes the chart more closely.
"How was Mr. Prospector able to come up with all this?" Lelouch asks.
"Well, he took a single look at the Federation's budget sheets for NERV and realized they were bogus. Apparently, the costs of labor and materials for maintenance of the Geofront alone were easily eight times what the budget on paper could provide." Yurika starts to explain.
As you all look through some of the documents, Yurika continues.
"Looking into the 'official' budget turned out to be a dead end, so Prospector turned to an unlikely starting point." She says.
"Which was...?" Bright asks.
"The food they serve in the cafeterias at NERV. He was able to find the suppliers after Goat spied on the weekly food deliveries, and used Nergal to get a copy of their financial records." Yurika says.
"Suppliers, as in, more than one?" Sumeragi asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Prospector was surprised too. Apparently, NERV buys food from a bunch of different companies under alias names for the organization, and a single 'food' company picks up all the goods and delivers it to NERV HQ. I say 'food' with air quotes because according to Prospector, that company brands itself as a food supply company but only ever seems to do transportation of bulk goods. When Prospector called the number on their website, the company rep told him they weren't capable of taking on a new client, even after he offered, like, a billion credit contract." Yurika says.
"So, Mr. Prospector investigated the transportation company disguised as a food supply company, and found that they weren't being paid by NERV. Apparently, that particular company gets all of its funding from three different financial companies he's never even heard of. Long story short, he did a lot of digging, and found a lot of shell companies and bogus NGOs that funnel money into a Federation-controlled bank account. Prospector called in a few favors with people he knows in the treasury, the revenue service, and appropriations, and apparently the amount of money in that bank account is a perfect match with something called 'Project Instrumentality'." Yurika finishes.
"Why hasn't anyone ever noticed this?" Otto asks.
"Apparently, the existence of Project Instrumentality is highly classified. To everyone not in the know, it's disguised as part of the general defense budget." Yurika explains.
You rifle through the documents and find the relevant information.
Your eyes widen.
"Wow, that's a lot of zeroes." You squeak.
"The combined wealth of Nergal, the Romefeller Foundation, Anaheim Electronics, and the Britannian Royal Family barely comes to a quarter of this budget." Treize notes.
"No wonder they're always able to bounce back from Angel attacks, they've got more money than God." Otto snarks.
"Well, at least we know about this. Surely we can do something about it?" Bright asks.
"Eh, let's put a pin in that. We can decide on a course of action after we've gone over everything else." Sumeragi suggests.
Bright nods.
"So what do we go over next?" You ask.
"I can go next." Samsara speaks up.
Search through pre-2nd Impact Records
Roll 1d20 + 2 (Samsara) + 2 (parallel knowledge)
Roll 10
10 + 2 + 2 = 14
Result: Moderate Success
Samsara puts a laptop on the table and connects it to the holographic projector for the room before reaching into her cleavage and taking out a thumb drive, slotting into her laptop.
"Based on the experiences of my creators and their allies with their dimension's versions of NERV and SEELE, I decided to start off of any obvious points which would likely remain consistent in this dimension." Samsara says.
"I started in the pre-UE calendar, before the fall of the Holy Britannian Empire of then." Samsara displays a news article from over 200 years before the implementation of the UE calendar.
"The Dead Sea Scrolls?" You wonder out loud.
"It was one of the biggest archeological discoveries of the time. This is what caught my attention." Samsara presses a key on her laptop. A new article comes up.
"Apparently, one of the archeologists who worked the site recorded that there were two sets of scrolls. When the team was interviewed later, however, the leader of the dig team said that there were only one set discovered, and that the archeologist who made the original discovery had been mistaken. The archeologist in question later resigned his post, and a few months later, went missing at sea while on a luxury cruise. Obviously, his body was never found." Samsara says.
"And what does this have to do with SEELE?" Lady Une asks.
"In my original dimension, my creators and their allies discovered that SEELE based their plans on what they found in a set of documents they called the Dead Sea Scrolls. Seeing as the publicly displayed artifacts had already been translated and hadn't been moved in centuries at that point, we were inclined to believe they were something more exotic, but still related to what was shown to the public." Samsara explains.
"And so you decided to check on the Dead Sea Scrolls of this dimension." Jeffrey Wilder says.
"Yes. Based on that, and a passenger list from the cruise that particular archeologist disappeared on, I was able to trace some of SEELE's movements throughout the centuries, up until 2nd Impact. Things get substantially murkier after that." Samsara says.
"What did you find?" Bright asks.
"Well, it turns out SEELE used to be a public organization, if a very obscure one. They were infamous in certain academic circles for funding and backing very unethical research, and even got into the Britannian tabloids for endorsing a crackpot paper on homeopathic medicine one time. It turns out they were also the backer for GEHIRN, the closest thing there is to a predecessor to NERV." Samsara says.
"Were you able to find anything on GEHIRN?" You ask.
"Unfortunately, nothing that would really help us. Both SEELE and GEHRIN kind of just disappear from public record a few years before 2nd Impact, and the only thing that survived of GEHIRN is an archive of its website from before that. There's nothing useful on it, the archive only has the homepage and the contact info page. All of the phone numbers listed there have gone out of service, and none of the email addresses seem to exist anymore." Samsara shrugs.
"Hm. Well, at the very least, we know SEELE had their fingers in a lot of pies. They probably still do, based on the diversity of those shell companies and bogus NGOs Mr. Prospector dug up." Yurika says.
"Actually, there is ONE thing that might be useful." Samsara perks up in realization. "On the archive of that old homepage, there's a dead link to something about a proposal for an archeological expedition to Antarctica. Only thing I can tell is that SEELE was going to fund it."
"Hm." Bright strokes his chin in thought.
"Anything else?" You ask.
"No." Samsara shakes her head.
"Let's move on then." Sumeragi says.
Heero takes out a data drive and connects it to Samsara's laptop.
"The Saotome Institute sent this over." Heero says.
Samsara opens the only folder on the drive and opens up a file that says 'Play Me-FOR YOUR EYES ONLY'.
Saotome Institute Research into EVA tech
Roll 1d20 + 4 (Professor Saotome) + 1 (Hayato Jin's old terrorist contacts) + 2 (Insight granted by Getter)
Roll 16
16 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 23
Result: Great Success!
A video recording of Professor Saotome plays.
"This is Professor Saotome, and this is all of the findings the Saotome Institue's research into the technology behind Evangelions has yielded."
The video displays a video of EVA-01 in action.
"To the public, Evangelions are the Super Robots of NERV, frontline defenders against the Angels. This is, for a given definition, true. However, based on our findings, there is much more the Evangelions than it seems." Professor Saotome strokes his mustache.
"For starters, the EVA's armor. To the layman observer, it appears to be just that: armor. However, careful analysis of footage from when EVA-01 has gone berserk suggests that the armor may serve as much as a restraining mechanism of some sort as it does protection."
A video of EVA-01 first going berserk against Sachiel is played, pausing at the relevant frame with certain parts of the EVA's limbs highlighted.
Video footage of EVA-03 under control of Bardiel is played next, the same areas being highlighted after a freeze frame in the middle of Daimos throwing it.
"We have also determined that the power cable that EVAs rely on doesn't feed power to the EVA itself-all the power goes into the armor system. Given our theory that the armor also serves as some kind of restraint mechanism, we assume that in the absence of power to the armor system, the EVA receives some kind of command to automatically shut down."
Professor Saotome sighs at this point before continuing.
"Our next findings may be somewhat disturbing, so please ensure you are not holding anything fragile. After exhaustively analyzing all existing video footage and sensor data, we were at a loss as to how to proceed next. Then, Hayato Jin suggested we try to either find leaked documentation from NERV, or, failing that, steal some ourselves. After scouring the internet and finding nothing helpful, Hayato got into contact with some of his former terrorist colleagues. They agreed to infiltrate NERV as a deniable asset, and were able to steal scientific records pertaining to EVAs and Angels, along with a sample of LCL, the fluid that fills the interior of EVA cockpits when they are in operation."
A picture of a vial of LCL appears in frame, along with a double helix.
"LCL has no similarities to any breathable liquid known to modern science. For starters, molecular analysis has determined that it is filled with genetic material of various kinds, akin to the primordial ooze all life is theorized to originate from. If the documentation stolen from NERV is to be trusted, it is similar to that of the Evangelion's own tissue and also that of the ANGELs. What this implies, I do not know, and dare not speculate upon."
"Far more relevant, and disturbing, is a key process in the manufacturing of an Evangelion."
Professor Saotome brings up a video within video, which opens on a title: 'Evangelion Unit-01 Activation'.
Most curious is the year listed-UE 0073.
The video cuts to what appears to be the viewpoint of a security camera overlooking EVA-01's storage area. Saotome skips ahead a few minutes in the video.
Now, there are several people on the catwalk in front of EVA-01. You recognize Gendo Ikari, a younger Shinji Ikari, Gendo's right hand man Kozo Fuyutsuki, and someone you at first think is Ritsuko Akagi, but after a second you realize she's too old, and her hair isn't dyed blonde. Ritsuko's mother, perhaps? There's also another young woman that you realize must be Shinji Ikari's mother after noting the family resemblance.
Fuyutsuki turns to Gendo.
"Ikari, this is not a nursery school! Today is a crucial day!" Fuyutsuki admonishes Gendo.
"I'm sorry, Professor Fuyutsuki, I'm the one who brought him here today." Shinji's mother says apologetically.
Fuyutsuki seems to recoil in shock.
"...Yui, this is your experiment today." He says after a few seconds.
"I know. That's why I want to show my child how bright the future can be." Yui Ikari smiles.
The next minute or so of audio seems to have been muted by NERV, sound only returning after Yui leans down and kisses Shinji on the forehead.
"Mama, don't go!" The young Shinji pleads as Yui walks up to EVA-01, which is now glowing brightly.
There's a bright flash which obscures the screen for a few seconds. When it fades, Yui Ikari is nowhere to be seen. The video ends after that.
It takes almost a full minute for all of you to process what you just saw. It takes only seconds to realize the implications after that.
You suddenly feel ill, and it takes all of your effort to not vomit. You still end up covering your mouth with your hand and have to suppress a retch.
Yurika appears much the same, hand held to her mouth in horror.
Professor Saotome reappears in the video.
"As I'm sure all of you have realized, a key component of an Evangelion appears to be a living human. More specifically, the biological mother of the designated pilot. Given the implications of the similarities between Angel and EVA 'biology' and genetic material, the implications are...disturbing, to say the least."
Professor Saotome sighs.
"During a fit of exhaustion, an idea formed in my head: does an Evangelion require the 'soul' of a living human to function? Given the rumors I heard of GEHIRN's research into the existence and manipulation of such, I can only speculate. As it is, this is all we were able to glean about the workings of Evangelions. If you wish to discuss the matter further, I can meet any representative of the Solar Vanguard or N.U.N.S. in the Saotome Institute or Photon Power Labs. Both institutions, as far as I know, are free of SEELE's influence."
Saotome's video ends.
You all stew in silence for a few minutes, even Heero being perturbed by what Professor Saotome revealed.
"Saotome wasn't kidding when he said this stuff was disturbing." Sumeragi notes quietly.
You all either literally or figuratively shake your heads to clear your thoughts before moving on to the last topic of the meeting.
"So, was ECOAS able to determine the influence SEELE has in the Federation military?" Lelouch asks.
"ECOAS sent me their report." Otto pulls out a briefcase, opening it and fanning out a set of documents.
"I'll start with some good news: SEELE has no influence whatsoever in the colonies. The One Year War, Operation Stardust, Gryps Conflict, and both Neo Zeon Wars seem to have killed all of their existing agents there AND made it impossible to embed new ones. So we won't have to worry about someone trying to assassinate Mineva Lao Zabi and turning Zeon against us, for starters."
"I assume there's bad news?" Treize prompts.
Otto winces slightly.
"Well, SEELE does seem to have some pull within the EFF, but it's mostly through misinformation. All of SEELE's designs within the EFF seem to be centered around storming NERV HQ in Japan, and to that end, Plan A seems to be to convince the JSDF that NERV is going to instigate some kind of apocalypse. However, ECOAS did find references to military units that never seemed to exist. They start in the One Year War, and continue up until the end of the Gryps Conflict."
"What do you mean by that?" Lady Une asks.
Otto pulls out a sheet of paper.
"For example, during the One Year War, SEELE records state that there was a squad of GMs that participated in the Battle of Miami against stranded Zeon ground forces alongside four other squads and went missing after the battle concluded. However, all surviving members of those squads say that only those four squads participated in the battle, there was no fifth squad." He explains.
"You mean to say that SEELE has been siphoning military hardware since the One Year War up to the end of the Gryps Conflict, and passing them off as missing in action or combat losses?" Lelouch realizes.
"That seems to be the general idea. ECOAS was also able to determine that there is a battalion sized element completely under SEELE's control, true believers and all, ready to go into action whenever the call is given." Otto says.
"How do we know that ECOAS hasn't been infiltrated by SEELE?" You ask.
"Its formation was too spontaneous." Bright answers. "ECOAS was formed in response to the fact that Londo Bell wasn't numerous enough to deal with the amount of Zeon remnants at the time. I looked over the proposal myself."
You nod in understanding, having once been part of Londo Bell yourself.
"Okay, so, we know a lot more about SEELE now. What do we do about it?" You ask.
What should be done to reduce SEELE's influence?
Only ONE option from the below may be selected. Doing too much at once will make them force the Solar Vanguard into a fight it's not ready for yet.
[ ] Tax Audits
-Have the Federation's Revenue Service audit the taxes of all of the shell companies and bogus NGOs providing NERV's funding. Given that they're most certainly cooking the books, the FRS will have legitimate reasons to cause trouble. SEELE will be tied up in bureaucratic hell in relation to NERV's finances for the foreseeable future, and they'll move heaven and earth to sweep it under the rug.
-Will reduce SEELE's influence on NERV, but also weaken NERV in the short term.
-VERY transparent-SEELE will know someone knows about them, and take appropriate action.
[ ] We're spending HOW MUCH?
-Leak the existence of the 'Project Instrumentality' budget item to a member of the Federation Senate's Appropriations Committee known for being obnoxious about such things. Given how fond this particular senator is about holding press conferences, SEELE will not be able to cause the senator to 'disappear' without drawing unwanted attention to itself.
-Will reduce SEELE's overall influence and ability to act, but also weaken NERV in the short term.
-Confusing-SEELE will be unsure if the senator is acting on his own or if the Solar Vanguard is behind it.
[ ] Court Martial
-Arrest the leaders of SEELE's battalion on trumped-up charges and subject them to court martial.
-Will remove one of SEELE's concrete military assets not reliant on feeding misinformation to patsies.
-VERY obvious intent-SEELE will know someone knows about them, and take appropriate action.
[ ] Nothing
-Perhaps letting SEELE carry on as usual will lull them into a false sense of security.
Unlocked option for the future-protect and exfiltrate Ryoji Kaji.
A/N: A somewhat important choice. Also, reminder that Hayao Jin used to be terrorist before Professor Saotome forced him into the cockpit of Getter Robo at gunpoint. Please vote, discuss, and critique!
