- Location
- Irradiated Wasteland
Care to elaborate? What parts of lore were you using/working with?
Advice and Trust [NGE]
Sideswipe
Hardened Veteran of the Great War
- Location
- Iacon City, Cybertron
Reddit - Dive into anything
www.reddit.com
Mari does have Poochie vibes, ngl.
Ah, one of the greatest satires of TV shows shark-jumping.Reddit - Dive into anything
Mari does have Poochie vibes, ngl.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Yes, the ending will feature a musical number of Lorenz singing 'Let It Go'.
Awww, I was hoping for him quoting the title character of Dr. Strangelove in his final scene, verbatim.
- Location
- Online
... ... ...I think i took physical damage from this.
I'll get an ice pack.
"I WAS FROZEN TODAY!"- Keel, probably
Well, he did get frozen...just not in ice, in one corner of the multiverse.
Evil Plan
Not nearly so nefarious as my name signifies
- Location
- Eastern United States
- Pronouns
- They/Them
*Waves to @StriderInCosmos * Caught up now! (Functionally.)
Almost surprised that Misato took the time to shoot at Gendo, rather than going for a double (triple?) tap on alt!Rei. She can always shoot Gendo again after, of course. But that's projecting onto the characters.
"Caught up now" -> Except for @BG_Character_592 's Laserdisc Chronicles spinoff. Been ...not exactly saving those, but ...well.
Having recently started a rewatch of Evangelion, they're a very nice companion -- providing a feeling of watching them with someone, but also a counteragent to the depressive elements at the same time. Thank you for that, BG!
GitS was already on the watch list, but what the fuck. Thank you for kicking it up the list?
There's definitely going to be an HTML 6, the question is whether we'll know when it happens and whether it happened already.
Actually, speaking of, how does Ritsuko know she's looking at HTML 5? Since HTML 5 is not inherently labeled as such. How does she know which version of HTML the document she's looking at is using, since for all she knows they could have dropped the version labels in HTML 4 or HTML 7?
Almost surprised that Misato took the time to shoot at Gendo, rather than going for a double (triple?) tap on alt!Rei. She can always shoot Gendo again after, of course. But that's projecting onto the characters.
"Caught up now" -> Except for @BG_Character_592 's Laserdisc Chronicles spinoff. Been ...not exactly saving those, but ...well.
Having recently started a rewatch of Evangelion, they're a very nice companion -- providing a feeling of watching them with someone, but also a counteragent to the depressive elements at the same time. Thank you for that, BG!
GitS was already on the watch list, but what the fuck. Thank you for kicking it up the list?
Unfortunately, it's even worse than that. See, when they released HTML5, they removed all provisions for version-of-HTML from the specification. But they didn't stop changing the spec.
There's definitely going to be an HTML 6, the question is whether we'll know when it happens and whether it happened already.
Actually, speaking of, how does Ritsuko know she's looking at HTML 5? Since HTML 5 is not inherently labeled as such. How does she know which version of HTML the document she's looking at is using, since for all she knows they could have dropped the version labels in HTML 4 or HTML 7?
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
HTML 4 was released before Second Impact.
BG_Character_592
The Fisherman
- Location
- Australia
You're welcome mate
Speaking of it's been far too long since I've posted anything for Chronicles, I'll get a chapter out this weekend! It's close to being done!
Maybe whoever wrote that webpage was a good dev and commented it was a HTML 5 page for compatibility purposes?
That and she could probably just gauge it from the changes in tags and the fact it doesn't render properly in Netscape
AustSakuraKyzor
Confused Librarian
- Location
- Bhaile
Maybe whoever wrote that webpage was a good dev and commented it was a HTML 5 page for compatibility purposes?
That and she could probably just gauge it from the changes in tags and the fact it doesn't render properly in Netscape
Well, that and also because pre-2I they had HTML 4, which was labelled as such, so she could see unlabelled HTML that's too advanced or whatever to be HTML 1, and reasonably assume that they made at least one new version of HTML - at that point it doesn't matter if it's HTML 5, 6, 9, 42, 1337, or 54545454558723465987 - no matter what version it is, there still had to be a fifth HTML.
- Location
- Canada
I have a question in regards to Evangelion as well as Advice and Trust. Would this quote from "Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation" fit Gendo or Seele?
Ethan Hunt: I know you, Lane. Somewhere along the line you had a crisis of faith. Human life didn't matter anymore, or maybe it never really did. Either way, you killed too many innocent people without ever asking who is giving the orders. Or why. You blame the system for what you are. Instead of yourself. You wanted revenge.
Ethan Hunt: I know you, Lane. Somewhere along the line you had a crisis of faith. Human life didn't matter anymore, or maybe it never really did. Either way, you killed too many innocent people without ever asking who is giving the orders. Or why. You blame the system for what you are. Instead of yourself. You wanted revenge.
I think this quote more accurately describes Gendo. SEELE doesn't really fit that description; they were sociopaths from the get-go. Given how alike Gendo and Shinji are regarding women (they'd both condemn the entire world to hell to get that woman back, as seen how Shinji did in End of Evangelion), Gendo only became a sociopath after Yui's not-so-accident.
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If anything, the more fitting movie quote for SEELE would be Harry Lime's 'defense' of his activities in The Third Man:
"You know, I never feel comfortable in these sort of things. Victims? Don't be melodramatic. Look down there. Would you really feel any pity if one of those 'dots' stopped moving forever? If I offered you 20,000 pounds for every 'dot' that stopped, would you really, old man, tell me to keep my money? Or would you calculate how many 'dots' you could afford to spare? Free of income tax, old man-free of income tax. The only way you can save money nowadays."
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
This line feels more Shinji or maybe Misato/Kaji to Gendo, or maybe Gendo to Ritsuko if she were standing there with him at gunpoint.
I could see Seele using this to Gendo, or maybe Gendo trying to use it on Shiji or Miss to, but the response would be something akin to, "And how much would you pay for me not to make you the dot that stops forever?"
Comedy Omake #198 - The Lambda Chronicles 2
BG_Character_592
The Fisherman
- Location
- Australia
Here we go! The last instalment of The Lambda Chronicles!
Kaworu drops off some mail, NT-Unit-00 comes back, Ritsuko chain smokes, Lilith takes Rei and Kaworu back to the past, and we finish off Half-Life 2 Episode 2!
No there is no Episode 3, yes Kensuke is upset about it
We also get the sequel hook for the next instalment!
And a few other little bits and pieces, because I haven't just been resting on my laurels for the past couple months!
Kaworu drops off some mail, NT-Unit-00 comes back, Ritsuko chain smokes, Lilith takes Rei and Kaworu back to the past, and we finish off Half-Life 2 Episode 2!
No there is no Episode 3, yes Kensuke is upset about it
We also get the sequel hook for the next instalment!
And a few other little bits and pieces, because I haven't just been resting on my laurels for the past couple months!
PLAYBACK FILE: REC11_MELCHIOR.5397:1972_230218
Instead of doing something like working, Mabel was instead coming up with scenarios on how to woo her platinum blonde haired goddess. "So Paz is smart, cool, and classy! Asking her out should be…" Now physically emoting it, clutching fists to her chest. "Emotional! It should be breathtaking! It shouldn't be cheesy or nerdy or anything else that'll put her off!"
A beat.
"Oh who am I kidding I'm gonna be in the ground before I find love again!" Before slapping herself. "No! Don't think that Mabel! You're gonna get your girl! Well if she wants to, that is. Does she even swing that way- I didn't even ask that! God what if she's straight?! She was with Dipper for the longest time… But Wendy's at least courting Dipper at the moment, and there's not really anyone else around…"
Blinking. "And… well, she at least likes you. Judging by the last few visits. Was she trying to flirt with me? God I've never been good at this even with Tam it was Paz who paired me with her-"
An exception has occurred in MabelOS. "Wait if she does love me why the heck would she try shipping me off with Tam?! Was Dip really that bad that she wanted to go for the other twin? But then how did he net Wendy- ah God this is all so complicated why can't love be easy for me!"
Her train of thought, well it wasn't really on rails to start with, but if it was it'd be well and truly derailed by Kaworu slamming the door open. "Can't you see I'm- Oh my God Kaworu what the fuck were you doing today?!"
"I do not want to talk about it yet."
He and his clothes were utterly drenched in rain and, more concerning to Mabel, blood.
He would drop a bag on her desk. "Any repairs to the Prudential you may garnish from my pay. I want this shipped overnight to Hakone for analysis. I will also be taking tomorrow off on rest and recovery. I deeply apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you."
With a bow in apology, he would make tracks.
All Mabel could do was blink, bewildered. "What… the fuck?"
If something could make him like that… well, it was a horrifying thought. "What the hell's in this bag then?"
It was a burlap sack with the base stained red. Someone had scrawled on an information tag attached to the bag "DEAD INCUBATOR, DO NOT EAT!"
Mabel immediately succumbed to the curiosity, only to see the loose head of something staring back at her.
She'd close the bag and give a look up, unamused. "I don't know what I expected."
Another beat.
"We can't ship this on overnighters!" In profound exclamation. "What UN number would a dead alien come under?!"
She'd quickly check the world clock, before dialling in a number on her Blackberry. "Akagi?"
A clearing of throat over the line. "Evening, I suppose it's evening over there by now?"
"Hey, quick question, what UN number do we ship alien remains on again?"
"UN 3291 Anatomical Waste, if we ship it on a bespoke number we've found people get curious and try to find out what it is."
"Cool thanks bye!" Immediately hanging up. "Oh my Go-ooood what the fuck are we gonna do with-"
The phone rang back again. "You're talking with Mabel!"
"Mabel why are we shipping alien remains?" Ritsuko would ask the obvious question. "Kaworu hasn't died has he? His girlfriend would be unfathomably pissed with you if that's happened."
"Oh God no I think he killed something though, he looked pretty bloody and ragged when he dropped this off."
"What exactly did he drop off? Describe it for me?"
"D'oh I'm gonna have to grab it…"
"Mabel."
"Fine fine gimme a sec to find some gloves and let me fish it out…" Putting her phone down, and on speaker, she'd find some black rubber gloves sat in her desk somewhere. "Ew… aww Christ on a bike he did a number on you." Fishing it out. "Okay, you're listening?"
"Yes."
"Okay so it's… almost cat like?" For lack of a better term, as she carefully examined. "It's almost an egg shaped head with a slim mouth and really large red eyes."
Quiet over the line. "Does it have some extensions coming out of its ears?"
"Yeah and has these rings that seem held in place by something invisible…" Trying to grab one. "…Huh I think it's magnetised?"
Another quiet, save for some rustling and some typing. "Mabel I've sent you an email, does the creature you have match the photo I've sent you?"
Her phone would ping, as she put the head back down in its bag and grabbed the phone again. "So glad I skipped dinner… uhh let me get it up."
One quick look at the photo was all she needed. "Oh yeah that's it. Is that from one of those Rift materials?"
Quiet. Too quiet. "…Rits?"
She could hear the ignition of a lighter on the other end of the line, and a few deep drags on what she could only presume was a cigarette. "Oh that's not good."
"Mabel, get your biotics expert and have them start an immediate autopsy, I want this thing studied like the Torah." She'd start. "Keep it in a priority one secure vault inside a biotic lockbox otherwise. I have a few things I need to hand over today and then I'll be jumping over in our evening, I should be in Massachusetts by your morning."
"…That bad, huh?"
"Oh it's really fucking bad Mabel, I can't overstate it enough." Before a sigh. "Shit like this is why I smoke. I'll see you shortly."
The line went dead.
Another slow look to the bag. "Just what the hell are you?"
~
While Massachusetts didn't really have a biotics expert, Dipper was quickly volunteered by his sister due to his prior expressions of interest into Angels and how they worked. "Well, this isn't what I meant by that!"
Its head was sat next to its body, still seemingly staring at him.
"I'm not getting used to that."
As was protocol, he had several audio and video recordings set up. "Okay… something Kaworu did resulted in this Incubator ending up on the table…" As he put on masks gloves eyewear pretty much everything short of a biohazard suit (though it might've been a good idea!). "I suppose you don't need to be an expert in aliens to realize that the head isn't meant to be detached like that."
Starting with the physical and visual inspection. "The Incubator is a quadruped. Not entirely dissimilar to a cat, although the tail's a lot thicker, and it has these strange rabbit ear like extensions…" A slight cringe. "No fur. White skinned, almost translucent. The ears have a slight red fade and some red glands of some sort, and there's a red oval shaped pattern on their back." Running a hand over its back. "Slightly different texture over the oval. Could be another gland of some sort. So far it matches the profile provided from the Madoka Rift materials we have on file."
Looking to the head. "Don't suppose I can ask you about your anatomy, eh buddy?"
It would've been very concerning if they got a reply from it.
"Eyes are static. No evidence of any eyelids." Prodding. "Eyes don't feel like I'd expect, like a gemstone almost. Despite the appearance of lips they do not open to a mouth. Unknown how they breathe, perhaps the glands on the ears have something to do with it. Obviously you can't remove the head and expect either of it to survive, so at least that's similar to most other life."
Most of the blood had drained out of it, but he was still able to collect enough to introduce to the Magi for sampling. "I'll save the destructive autopsy for when Akagi gets here. For now we'll content ourselves with X-Ray and MRI."
He'd blink. "Actually I better check those rings out before I go about putting anything in an MRI…"
Despite the thing clearly being dead, the rings would still float in place. He would hit the ring with the backside of a pen. "They are metallic? A natural form or is it jewellery of some sort? Though if it was jewellery how could they have developed that method of wearing them…"
Attempting to move a ring from its place, it simply settled back where it was. "There might be an organ within the ears generating a magnetic field, must be a passive generation…"
With a bit more effort he could get it dislodged from the ear, holding it in his hand. "Area of effect of approximately one and a half inches. Ring appears gold plated, unable to reshape it under my own power."
The next one came off with similar effort. "Will send for sample analysis. I suspect it's a plated rare earth of some sort. Interesting such thing could come about naturally."
Back to the task at hand. "Perhaps PET scanning will be better then, if there's evidence of magnetism it's not entirely out of the question there could be metals embedded within them. Will require setting up unfortunately, so will be a tomorrow thing."
The Magi would ping back, having completed its analysis of the sample.
"…Huh." Was his initial assessment. "So we know by now Angels and Nephilim are composed of Particle-Wave Matter, compared to humans who merely have particle matter, the regular stuff. The Incubator is similar in this regard, being composed of PWM. However, unlike the Angels which shared a 99.89% similarity to humans…"
Pointing towards the screen, emphasising it for the cameras. "Zero. No similarity between Incubator and humanity."
Zeroes were painted on the screen. "And no similarity between any sort of life we have on file. Including Nephilim. Including Angel."
All he could do was sigh. "If what happened to this Incubator was the result of Kaworu somehow finding it completely incompatible… well, there's your reason. This is not unlike anything we've seen."
The Incubator would be unceremoniously dumped in a biotic lockbox, and stashed in the biotic safe within the medical room. Except for one of its rings, which Mason packed into a zip lock bag. "I'll send this off for metallurgy in the morning. For now, I'll sign this off. Expect more to come."
With that he stopped the recordings.
"Ew. Ew. Ew." Starting to take all his kit off and chucking it into the incinerator, part of him was tempted to chuck himself in it as well. "Disgusting. Ew. Why do I have to do this!"
He'd repeat that word all the way home and all the way into a boiling hot shower.
~
We cut back to Japan for the time being, first to the school. "The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side." The substitute teacher would drone, drawing it out on the chalkboard.
"That's a right triangle you idiot!" Toji would shout out from the back.
"TOJI!" Immediately reprimanded class rep Hikari. "Sensei he's right."
"God where do they get these teachers from…" Muttered Asuka to Shinji. "Why do they even send us here, surely I can just homeschool you and you'd be fine!"
"Apparently that piece of paper that says we graduated from this place is important, even if we'll never work anywhere other than NERV for the rest of our lives."
A snort from Asuka. "Hey you never know, maybe I want to work at a Jollibee!"
"You don't even like Jollibee Asuka."
"I just can't get past their spaghetti." With a shudder. "Anyway yeah I literally graduated university Shinji, I'm sure you can as well if I help you along with it, might help with something within NERV if ever comes a time we're not piloting."
"When do you think that'll arrive?"
"At this rate it's either when we're dead or when we're old." Another snicker. "Maybe you just need to put a baby in me or something and we can use them as an excuse not to pilot; you better believe Misato wouldn't let us if it meant little Aki was orphaned."
"Well if that's an invitation…"
To her light shove. "When I'm older! I'm trying not to be a teenage mom like my Wolk counterpart was! Or my Pengel counterpart… or my Kimigabuchi counterpart- why am I a teen mom in so many timelines?!"
"Well with how many times…" While he was going to continue that statement (no matter how deadly it would've been for him), something distracted him. "…Hey?"
"Mhm?"
"Does Rei look… troubled?"
Asuka looked towards her, a couple rows forward.
She had a hand on her head like she was nursing a headache. "…Yeah. That's strange."
"Think she's alright?"
Rei would suddenly stand up, and bow to the substitute. "Please excuse me." Before making her leave.
"H-Hey I didn't-"
"NERV pilots have special license to leave!" Loudly clarified Hikari. "If she of all people leaves she has a good reason for it!"
"What happened to respecting the sensei?"
"Shut up Suzuhara!"
"Do you think we should go check in on her?"
There was a thud, and outside their window they'd see a tree bounce up and down.
"Yeah we really should."
They too would run out, following behind her. "Rei! What's going on?!"
"It's… Kaworu." With a sigh. "…It's heavy."
"He's not dead is he?!"
"No, Gods no." Shaking her head. "But… I believe he found what Lilith sent him for."
"Wait he was sent there on a job?"
"What did he find?" Asuka subsequently queried.
A small beat, before an equally small chuckle. "An Incubator."
That made the both of them go pale. "…shit, they exist?!"
To her nod. "And it sounds like them and the First Ancestral Race have history… something I will have to ask Lilith about."
"Is he with it right now?"
"He's…" Gauging it. "Well, it's dead. And… yeah." With his emotions on her face. "I… think he needs a moment."
Asuka and Shinji would share a look. "Will you be alright?"
A short nod. "I do not want to impose."
"Oh impose all you want Rei." Asuka would sit next to her. "That substitute sensei's an idiot anyway. Shinji, sit next to her!"
He didn't have to be told twice. "You don't have to tell us what you're talking about, but I am absolutely not leaving you to fester in mutual sadness alright?"
To her quiet.
"…I appreciate that, Asuka."
Her hands reached out for both of theirs. "…You know how I hated the Incubators in Madoka's works. To know they actually exist… well, I can understand why Kaworu was as enraged as he was."
A spark in her eyes. "I would have done the same."
~
A whistle would rhythmically pace the absolutely massive float that held the returned NT-Unit-00, as it was slowly carted into the Geofront. Misato would watch from a gantry, wearing a hard-hat. "What's our initial condition report look like?"
Makoto, also similarly in a hard-hat, glanced through the clipboard. "Our initial assessment is in. Minor shock damage to the legs but nothing terrible, should heal up once we get LCL onto it."
"What of the Lance?"
"Lance is in good condition though we have some Angelic contaminant present."
"Did we have any samples return?"
Another glance. "Approximately five hundred kilograms worth of Angelic waste."
"I want our A-B teams to go over this with a fine tooth comb. Get me genome sequences, DNA printouts, thorough comparisons to everything we have on file. I want to know just what we're facing here."
"Already underway ma'am!"
"Excellent!" With a cheer. "Clean NT-Unit-00 and the Lance of all contaminants and prepare the Evangelion for sync testing. I want to have initial sync testing at 1900 hours tonight followed by extended sync tests at 0600 hours tomorrow morning with pilots Hiro and Zero Two."
"What shall we do with the Lance ma'am? Should we get one of our pilots to replace it in Terminal Dogma?"
"We're using it more and more often, Makoto. No point wasting the effort of stashing it down there, we'll keep it in the standard armoury. Means we don't need to get an Evangelion to do it as well."
"Yes ma'am!" A salute, before he went on his way.
"That and I don't think Lilith really appreciates getting stabbed with that thing…" As she started walking towards the biotics room. "I know I wouldn't."
A chainsaw ripped through what was left of this Kurdaitcha. "Gods I wish they cut it into more usable pieces beforehand." Muttered Ritsuko, plum coloured blood sprayed onto her biohazard suit.
A knock on the window, before Misato buzzed in on an intercom. "Oi! How's the autopsy going?"
"It's very purple."
"What's wrong with that?" Bobbing her purple hair.
To Ritsuko's flat look. "None of the Angels have had purple accents. And look."
Holding a plastic wrapped terminal, equally blood soaked, focused on a core of sorts. "Looks similar, no?"
"Hmm… yeah kinda! Other than the purple accents on that one." She blinked. "Oh that's the one we saw earlier wasn't it."
"The ones the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired, yes." With a gruff huff. "Almost spitting image of the Theatrical. I'm starting to believe these Rift materials are prophetic in a few ways."
She'd become distracted. "One second." Pulling her arm out of the sleeve of the hazard suit and picking up her phone. "Evening, I suppose it's evening over there by now?"
A quick question was asked. "UN 3291 Anatomical Waste, if we ship it on a bespoke number we've found people get curious and try to find out what it is."
The phone was put away. "Sorry, where were we?"
"Who was that Rits?"
"Mabel Pines of Massachusetts."
"Why was she asking about our shipping code for Angelic waste?!"
A beat.
"Shit." Immediately taking the phone out and dialling the number again, rushing for the decontamination bulkheads. "Aoba you have command of the autopsy!"
"Yes ma'am!" Before immediately going back to chainsawing.
"Oh for the love of God, don't tell me they've found something as well!" Chasing after her.
By the time they were done with the phone call, Ritsuko was well into her cigarette. "So. Incubators."
"Do you have another one of those?"
"Yes, but I don't want you to start smoking as well."
"Fair." With a huff. "I was hoping out of all the things we've seen, they wouldn't exist."
"I mean, I could definitely think of worse." Another drag. "But there are certainly better."
"It's not Combine."
A tired laugh from Ritsuko. "It's not Combine, yes. Or Diclonii."
"Mhm, that'd be bad as well." Same with Misato. "It's nothing from the other anime as well. Not Anti-Spiral or… whatever the hell FLCL discussed."
"Heh, yeah." With a sigh. "Silver linings, huh."
"You gotta make some sorta super booze so we can deal with this kinda stuff."
"You don't know how profoundly poor an idea that is Misato."
"Heh, yeah." She too would sigh. "Well, I suppose that means you're out for the watch?"
"The flight's at 1900 hours." She'd think. "Don't suppose we can push up watching it, right?"
"Means taking the kids out of school."
"I genuinely don't think they'd mind."
"I know they wouldn't, but-"
Ritsuko was already typing on the terminal. "...I don't think they're learning much anyway."
"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side."
"That's a right triangle you idiot!"
"Ritsuko where the hell are we getting these teachers from?"
"Hey that's not my doing, the Magi do the hiring and firing. And they were selected to fill in for their regular maths teacher."
"Who is?"
"Currently on a vacation in Nagano. Had it booked for several months now, his daughter's getting married."
"Oh good for him!" Misato cheered. "Make sure he gets a gift basket from us."
Some typing. "And done. But yeah I think that substitute needs a performance review. You want to break the news to the pilots they'll have to tragically skip school?"
"Oh I'd love to!" Taking out her Blackberry.
~
The comfort session was interrupted. "D'oh what is it now…" Asuka muttered as she took out her phone. "Yes yes we're busy with Rei."
"Shouldn't you be in school?"
Passing the phone to her. "Kaworu is in strife and required assistance."
"Oh for the love of- Incubator?"
"You know?"
"Mabel let us know they found a strange biotic and yeah. He faced it?"
"Yes."
"Ahh…" In a long sigh. "Look I know he probably doesn't wanna talk about it but we really need to know more about this. I'm sure you understand."
"He will speak of it when he is ready." Affirming it. "I am sure he will be present in the Astral tonight with me, we have a lot to discuss given this new information."
"A lot to ask Lilith about as well." Asuka added on.
"Indeed. You will know in time, Misato."
"Is he well?"
"No."
"Mah… thought so." Another sigh. "Okay. When he's ready."
Clearing her throat. "Anyway, we… suddenly have a lot more on our plate compared to a few hours ago. What do you guys think about coming down here and finishing off that video game?"
"It's an excuse to get outta school at least."
"Knew you'd like that." With an amused huff. "Let Kensuke and his birds know as well, say it's NERV business."
"And what about when Hikari and Toji ask?"
"Tell them Kensuke's helping with the setup for the sync tests tomorrow."
"And what of-"
"You ask too many questions!" Misato would exclaim over the line. "Figure it out!"
Before the line dropped dead.
"Who wants to let them know?"
"I will." Asuka volunteered. "Shinji you keep Rei company."
To his nod, before she ran off.
He'd sigh. "Are you-"
She immediately leaned her head into his shoulder. "…I will be."
A small pause, before an arm wrapped around her. "You two are strong, I know that much… you'll get there."
The door to the classroom would burst back open. "Aida! There's been a few developments at NERV, they're recalling you to help set things up."
"Oh?" Standing himself up. "That's a first!"
"Can we come with?"
"Yeah this class blows!"
"Oi!" Snapped Hikari. "If you don't like it then you can just leave!"
"I should be making the-"
"Authority of NERV!" As Asuka waved her ID card. "Those two have been helping things along as well! Oh yeah Hickers we have a sync test 0500 hours tomorrow, I'll ask and see if you need to bring the lug along as well."
"I wish they'd tell me this themselves…" In a mutter. "They're testing the NACSS with us again?"
"I'm sure they'd like to do so."
"D'oh I wanted to sleep in tomorrow!"
"Bah I'm sure Hikari will make it up to you!" Waving it off. "Okay? Okay! C'mon let's go!"
Kensuke and company would immediately pick themselves up and head out.
Hikari glanced around to the rest of the class. "None of you are getting out of this that easy! PAY ATTENTION!" Rapping a ruler on her desk, the rest of the class snapped back to the sensei.
~
The first thing Asuka noticed was that the room smelt a lot more of cigarettes than usual. "What's got you stressed out Ritsuko?"
"Take a wild guess." In a sigh.
"Well, one thing we know, that's gonna make our lives more difficult." Snarked Shinji.
"As if that was possible."
"Do we know if Kaworu and Mari will be joining us?"
A brief beat by Rei, at Maya's question. "They require respite. They will not be joining us unfortunately."
"Hmpf… poor thing." Was all Ritsuko could say. "Who else do we have…"
"Misato joining us?"
"She's doing a handover with Makoto regarding NT-Unit-00, Hiro and Zero Two will join with her. Eliza's finishing off some work and will join us soon too."
"I dread to ask what exactly's going on to warrant all this." As Kyoko sat herself down. "But I know it's probably above my pay grade."
"You two don't even have a pay grade, you don't work here!" Exclaimed Asuka.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Ritsuko wryly chuckled. "At least the setup should be quick this time around, not like we have to wait for files to copy over this time around."
"Hey why are we here if we aren't employees?"
"Moral support for Kensuke."
"So cheerleaders."
"Pretty much."
"Damn you should've told me I would've dressed for it!"
"Great cheerleaders you two are, practically wishing for my demise!"
"Hey we have monetary incentive to wish for it!"
"Doesn't he give you money regularly anyway?" Maya pointed out.
"Well he's the one with the NERV job." Sayaka equally pointed out. "We ain't working yet!"
"Heck I don't even know what I wanna study after school."
"What were your plans for work?"
"Jollibee." Succinct at Shinji's query.
"I'm not having the partners of a NERV employee working in a Jollibee." Ritsuko would flatly remark. "We constantly need people I'm sure there's something for you here."
"Well shit if you're offering."
The outstanding members of the watch party would finally arrive. "Okay! Makoto's got it all on lock, he'll let us know when NT-Unit-00 is ready for initial syncs but current ETA is 1700 or 1800 hours depending on how the repairs go."
"Excellent. You two ready to go for it?"
Both Hiro and Zero Two gave a determined nod. "It's been ages since we've been in the saddle."
"Pretty sure it was last we were in there, huh?"
"It's hasn't even been two weeks." Misato would bluntly point out.
"For a couple so close even that can seem like an eternity unsynchronised."
"How'd you go with the project?"
"I gave her the rundown with our sample Kleinium, main issue now will be to manufacture more of it but she has a few ideas she wants to try out involving LCL."
"Good, good, we'll let them cook when it comes to that. See what comes of it." Determined Misato. "Well? We ready to get this going?"
"I am if you are!"
VIDEO START (00:00)
"No solitaire today Kensuke?"
"Well it's still there." In a shrug. "And given everything happening at the moment, I doubt the brass want me wasting time huh."
"Preferably not."
"Well that's all I need to know." Opening the folder and opening the game. "Let's get it going then!"
~~~
A beat.
"Oh who am I kidding I'm gonna be in the ground before I find love again!" Before slapping herself. "No! Don't think that Mabel! You're gonna get your girl! Well if she wants to, that is. Does she even swing that way- I didn't even ask that! God what if she's straight?! She was with Dipper for the longest time… But Wendy's at least courting Dipper at the moment, and there's not really anyone else around…"
Blinking. "And… well, she at least likes you. Judging by the last few visits. Was she trying to flirt with me? God I've never been good at this even with Tam it was Paz who paired me with her-"
An exception has occurred in MabelOS. "Wait if she does love me why the heck would she try shipping me off with Tam?! Was Dip really that bad that she wanted to go for the other twin? But then how did he net Wendy- ah God this is all so complicated why can't love be easy for me!"
Her train of thought, well it wasn't really on rails to start with, but if it was it'd be well and truly derailed by Kaworu slamming the door open. "Can't you see I'm- Oh my God Kaworu what the fuck were you doing today?!"
"I do not want to talk about it yet."
He and his clothes were utterly drenched in rain and, more concerning to Mabel, blood.
He would drop a bag on her desk. "Any repairs to the Prudential you may garnish from my pay. I want this shipped overnight to Hakone for analysis. I will also be taking tomorrow off on rest and recovery. I deeply apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you."
With a bow in apology, he would make tracks.
All Mabel could do was blink, bewildered. "What… the fuck?"
If something could make him like that… well, it was a horrifying thought. "What the hell's in this bag then?"
It was a burlap sack with the base stained red. Someone had scrawled on an information tag attached to the bag "DEAD INCUBATOR, DO NOT EAT!"
Mabel immediately succumbed to the curiosity, only to see the loose head of something staring back at her.
She'd close the bag and give a look up, unamused. "I don't know what I expected."
Another beat.
"We can't ship this on overnighters!" In profound exclamation. "What UN number would a dead alien come under?!"
She'd quickly check the world clock, before dialling in a number on her Blackberry. "Akagi?"
A clearing of throat over the line. "Evening, I suppose it's evening over there by now?"
"Hey, quick question, what UN number do we ship alien remains on again?"
"UN 3291 Anatomical Waste, if we ship it on a bespoke number we've found people get curious and try to find out what it is."
"Cool thanks bye!" Immediately hanging up. "Oh my Go-ooood what the fuck are we gonna do with-"
The phone rang back again. "You're talking with Mabel!"
"Mabel why are we shipping alien remains?" Ritsuko would ask the obvious question. "Kaworu hasn't died has he? His girlfriend would be unfathomably pissed with you if that's happened."
"Oh God no I think he killed something though, he looked pretty bloody and ragged when he dropped this off."
"What exactly did he drop off? Describe it for me?"
"D'oh I'm gonna have to grab it…"
"Mabel."
"Fine fine gimme a sec to find some gloves and let me fish it out…" Putting her phone down, and on speaker, she'd find some black rubber gloves sat in her desk somewhere. "Ew… aww Christ on a bike he did a number on you." Fishing it out. "Okay, you're listening?"
"Yes."
"Okay so it's… almost cat like?" For lack of a better term, as she carefully examined. "It's almost an egg shaped head with a slim mouth and really large red eyes."
Quiet over the line. "Does it have some extensions coming out of its ears?"
"Yeah and has these rings that seem held in place by something invisible…" Trying to grab one. "…Huh I think it's magnetised?"
Another quiet, save for some rustling and some typing. "Mabel I've sent you an email, does the creature you have match the photo I've sent you?"
Her phone would ping, as she put the head back down in its bag and grabbed the phone again. "So glad I skipped dinner… uhh let me get it up."
One quick look at the photo was all she needed. "Oh yeah that's it. Is that from one of those Rift materials?"
Quiet. Too quiet. "…Rits?"
She could hear the ignition of a lighter on the other end of the line, and a few deep drags on what she could only presume was a cigarette. "Oh that's not good."
"Mabel, get your biotics expert and have them start an immediate autopsy, I want this thing studied like the Torah." She'd start. "Keep it in a priority one secure vault inside a biotic lockbox otherwise. I have a few things I need to hand over today and then I'll be jumping over in our evening, I should be in Massachusetts by your morning."
"…That bad, huh?"
"Oh it's really fucking bad Mabel, I can't overstate it enough." Before a sigh. "Shit like this is why I smoke. I'll see you shortly."
The line went dead.
Another slow look to the bag. "Just what the hell are you?"
~
While Massachusetts didn't really have a biotics expert, Dipper was quickly volunteered by his sister due to his prior expressions of interest into Angels and how they worked. "Well, this isn't what I meant by that!"
Its head was sat next to its body, still seemingly staring at him.
"I'm not getting used to that."
As was protocol, he had several audio and video recordings set up. "Okay… something Kaworu did resulted in this Incubator ending up on the table…" As he put on masks gloves eyewear pretty much everything short of a biohazard suit (though it might've been a good idea!). "I suppose you don't need to be an expert in aliens to realize that the head isn't meant to be detached like that."
Starting with the physical and visual inspection. "The Incubator is a quadruped. Not entirely dissimilar to a cat, although the tail's a lot thicker, and it has these strange rabbit ear like extensions…" A slight cringe. "No fur. White skinned, almost translucent. The ears have a slight red fade and some red glands of some sort, and there's a red oval shaped pattern on their back." Running a hand over its back. "Slightly different texture over the oval. Could be another gland of some sort. So far it matches the profile provided from the Madoka Rift materials we have on file."
Looking to the head. "Don't suppose I can ask you about your anatomy, eh buddy?"
It would've been very concerning if they got a reply from it.
"Eyes are static. No evidence of any eyelids." Prodding. "Eyes don't feel like I'd expect, like a gemstone almost. Despite the appearance of lips they do not open to a mouth. Unknown how they breathe, perhaps the glands on the ears have something to do with it. Obviously you can't remove the head and expect either of it to survive, so at least that's similar to most other life."
Most of the blood had drained out of it, but he was still able to collect enough to introduce to the Magi for sampling. "I'll save the destructive autopsy for when Akagi gets here. For now we'll content ourselves with X-Ray and MRI."
He'd blink. "Actually I better check those rings out before I go about putting anything in an MRI…"
Despite the thing clearly being dead, the rings would still float in place. He would hit the ring with the backside of a pen. "They are metallic? A natural form or is it jewellery of some sort? Though if it was jewellery how could they have developed that method of wearing them…"
Attempting to move a ring from its place, it simply settled back where it was. "There might be an organ within the ears generating a magnetic field, must be a passive generation…"
With a bit more effort he could get it dislodged from the ear, holding it in his hand. "Area of effect of approximately one and a half inches. Ring appears gold plated, unable to reshape it under my own power."
The next one came off with similar effort. "Will send for sample analysis. I suspect it's a plated rare earth of some sort. Interesting such thing could come about naturally."
Back to the task at hand. "Perhaps PET scanning will be better then, if there's evidence of magnetism it's not entirely out of the question there could be metals embedded within them. Will require setting up unfortunately, so will be a tomorrow thing."
The Magi would ping back, having completed its analysis of the sample.
"…Huh." Was his initial assessment. "So we know by now Angels and Nephilim are composed of Particle-Wave Matter, compared to humans who merely have particle matter, the regular stuff. The Incubator is similar in this regard, being composed of PWM. However, unlike the Angels which shared a 99.89% similarity to humans…"
Pointing towards the screen, emphasising it for the cameras. "Zero. No similarity between Incubator and humanity."
Zeroes were painted on the screen. "And no similarity between any sort of life we have on file. Including Nephilim. Including Angel."
All he could do was sigh. "If what happened to this Incubator was the result of Kaworu somehow finding it completely incompatible… well, there's your reason. This is not unlike anything we've seen."
The Incubator would be unceremoniously dumped in a biotic lockbox, and stashed in the biotic safe within the medical room. Except for one of its rings, which Mason packed into a zip lock bag. "I'll send this off for metallurgy in the morning. For now, I'll sign this off. Expect more to come."
With that he stopped the recordings.
"Ew. Ew. Ew." Starting to take all his kit off and chucking it into the incinerator, part of him was tempted to chuck himself in it as well. "Disgusting. Ew. Why do I have to do this!"
He'd repeat that word all the way home and all the way into a boiling hot shower.
~
We cut back to Japan for the time being, first to the school. "The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side." The substitute teacher would drone, drawing it out on the chalkboard.
"That's a right triangle you idiot!" Toji would shout out from the back.
"TOJI!" Immediately reprimanded class rep Hikari. "Sensei he's right."
"God where do they get these teachers from…" Muttered Asuka to Shinji. "Why do they even send us here, surely I can just homeschool you and you'd be fine!"
"Apparently that piece of paper that says we graduated from this place is important, even if we'll never work anywhere other than NERV for the rest of our lives."
A snort from Asuka. "Hey you never know, maybe I want to work at a Jollibee!"
"You don't even like Jollibee Asuka."
"I just can't get past their spaghetti." With a shudder. "Anyway yeah I literally graduated university Shinji, I'm sure you can as well if I help you along with it, might help with something within NERV if ever comes a time we're not piloting."
"When do you think that'll arrive?"
"At this rate it's either when we're dead or when we're old." Another snicker. "Maybe you just need to put a baby in me or something and we can use them as an excuse not to pilot; you better believe Misato wouldn't let us if it meant little Aki was orphaned."
"Well if that's an invitation…"
To her light shove. "When I'm older! I'm trying not to be a teenage mom like my Wolk counterpart was! Or my Pengel counterpart… or my Kimigabuchi counterpart- why am I a teen mom in so many timelines?!"
"Well with how many times…" While he was going to continue that statement (no matter how deadly it would've been for him), something distracted him. "…Hey?"
"Mhm?"
"Does Rei look… troubled?"
Asuka looked towards her, a couple rows forward.
She had a hand on her head like she was nursing a headache. "…Yeah. That's strange."
"Think she's alright?"
Rei would suddenly stand up, and bow to the substitute. "Please excuse me." Before making her leave.
"H-Hey I didn't-"
"NERV pilots have special license to leave!" Loudly clarified Hikari. "If she of all people leaves she has a good reason for it!"
"What happened to respecting the sensei?"
"Shut up Suzuhara!"
"Do you think we should go check in on her?"
There was a thud, and outside their window they'd see a tree bounce up and down.
"Yeah we really should."
They too would run out, following behind her. "Rei! What's going on?!"
"It's… Kaworu." With a sigh. "…It's heavy."
"He's not dead is he?!"
"No, Gods no." Shaking her head. "But… I believe he found what Lilith sent him for."
"Wait he was sent there on a job?"
"What did he find?" Asuka subsequently queried.
A small beat, before an equally small chuckle. "An Incubator."
That made the both of them go pale. "…shit, they exist?!"
To her nod. "And it sounds like them and the First Ancestral Race have history… something I will have to ask Lilith about."
"Is he with it right now?"
"He's…" Gauging it. "Well, it's dead. And… yeah." With his emotions on her face. "I… think he needs a moment."
Asuka and Shinji would share a look. "Will you be alright?"
A short nod. "I do not want to impose."
"Oh impose all you want Rei." Asuka would sit next to her. "That substitute sensei's an idiot anyway. Shinji, sit next to her!"
He didn't have to be told twice. "You don't have to tell us what you're talking about, but I am absolutely not leaving you to fester in mutual sadness alright?"
To her quiet.
"…I appreciate that, Asuka."
Her hands reached out for both of theirs. "…You know how I hated the Incubators in Madoka's works. To know they actually exist… well, I can understand why Kaworu was as enraged as he was."
A spark in her eyes. "I would have done the same."
~
A whistle would rhythmically pace the absolutely massive float that held the returned NT-Unit-00, as it was slowly carted into the Geofront. Misato would watch from a gantry, wearing a hard-hat. "What's our initial condition report look like?"
Makoto, also similarly in a hard-hat, glanced through the clipboard. "Our initial assessment is in. Minor shock damage to the legs but nothing terrible, should heal up once we get LCL onto it."
"What of the Lance?"
"Lance is in good condition though we have some Angelic contaminant present."
"Did we have any samples return?"
Another glance. "Approximately five hundred kilograms worth of Angelic waste."
"I want our A-B teams to go over this with a fine tooth comb. Get me genome sequences, DNA printouts, thorough comparisons to everything we have on file. I want to know just what we're facing here."
"Already underway ma'am!"
"Excellent!" With a cheer. "Clean NT-Unit-00 and the Lance of all contaminants and prepare the Evangelion for sync testing. I want to have initial sync testing at 1900 hours tonight followed by extended sync tests at 0600 hours tomorrow morning with pilots Hiro and Zero Two."
"What shall we do with the Lance ma'am? Should we get one of our pilots to replace it in Terminal Dogma?"
"We're using it more and more often, Makoto. No point wasting the effort of stashing it down there, we'll keep it in the standard armoury. Means we don't need to get an Evangelion to do it as well."
"Yes ma'am!" A salute, before he went on his way.
"That and I don't think Lilith really appreciates getting stabbed with that thing…" As she started walking towards the biotics room. "I know I wouldn't."
A chainsaw ripped through what was left of this Kurdaitcha. "Gods I wish they cut it into more usable pieces beforehand." Muttered Ritsuko, plum coloured blood sprayed onto her biohazard suit.
A knock on the window, before Misato buzzed in on an intercom. "Oi! How's the autopsy going?"
"It's very purple."
"What's wrong with that?" Bobbing her purple hair.
To Ritsuko's flat look. "None of the Angels have had purple accents. And look."
Holding a plastic wrapped terminal, equally blood soaked, focused on a core of sorts. "Looks similar, no?"
"Hmm… yeah kinda! Other than the purple accents on that one." She blinked. "Oh that's the one we saw earlier wasn't it."
"The ones the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired, yes." With a gruff huff. "Almost spitting image of the Theatrical. I'm starting to believe these Rift materials are prophetic in a few ways."
She'd become distracted. "One second." Pulling her arm out of the sleeve of the hazard suit and picking up her phone. "Evening, I suppose it's evening over there by now?"
A quick question was asked. "UN 3291 Anatomical Waste, if we ship it on a bespoke number we've found people get curious and try to find out what it is."
The phone was put away. "Sorry, where were we?"
"Who was that Rits?"
"Mabel Pines of Massachusetts."
"Why was she asking about our shipping code for Angelic waste?!"
A beat.
"Shit." Immediately taking the phone out and dialling the number again, rushing for the decontamination bulkheads. "Aoba you have command of the autopsy!"
"Yes ma'am!" Before immediately going back to chainsawing.
"Oh for the love of God, don't tell me they've found something as well!" Chasing after her.
By the time they were done with the phone call, Ritsuko was well into her cigarette. "So. Incubators."
"Do you have another one of those?"
"Yes, but I don't want you to start smoking as well."
"Fair." With a huff. "I was hoping out of all the things we've seen, they wouldn't exist."
"I mean, I could definitely think of worse." Another drag. "But there are certainly better."
"It's not Combine."
A tired laugh from Ritsuko. "It's not Combine, yes. Or Diclonii."
"Mhm, that'd be bad as well." Same with Misato. "It's nothing from the other anime as well. Not Anti-Spiral or… whatever the hell FLCL discussed."
"Heh, yeah." With a sigh. "Silver linings, huh."
"You gotta make some sorta super booze so we can deal with this kinda stuff."
"You don't know how profoundly poor an idea that is Misato."
"Heh, yeah." She too would sigh. "Well, I suppose that means you're out for the watch?"
"The flight's at 1900 hours." She'd think. "Don't suppose we can push up watching it, right?"
"Means taking the kids out of school."
"I genuinely don't think they'd mind."
"I know they wouldn't, but-"
Ritsuko was already typing on the terminal. "...I don't think they're learning much anyway."
"The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side."
"That's a right triangle you idiot!"
"Ritsuko where the hell are we getting these teachers from?"
"Hey that's not my doing, the Magi do the hiring and firing. And they were selected to fill in for their regular maths teacher."
"Who is?"
"Currently on a vacation in Nagano. Had it booked for several months now, his daughter's getting married."
"Oh good for him!" Misato cheered. "Make sure he gets a gift basket from us."
Some typing. "And done. But yeah I think that substitute needs a performance review. You want to break the news to the pilots they'll have to tragically skip school?"
"Oh I'd love to!" Taking out her Blackberry.
~
The comfort session was interrupted. "D'oh what is it now…" Asuka muttered as she took out her phone. "Yes yes we're busy with Rei."
"Shouldn't you be in school?"
Passing the phone to her. "Kaworu is in strife and required assistance."
"Oh for the love of- Incubator?"
"You know?"
"Mabel let us know they found a strange biotic and yeah. He faced it?"
"Yes."
"Ahh…" In a long sigh. "Look I know he probably doesn't wanna talk about it but we really need to know more about this. I'm sure you understand."
"He will speak of it when he is ready." Affirming it. "I am sure he will be present in the Astral tonight with me, we have a lot to discuss given this new information."
"A lot to ask Lilith about as well." Asuka added on.
"Indeed. You will know in time, Misato."
"Is he well?"
"No."
"Mah… thought so." Another sigh. "Okay. When he's ready."
Clearing her throat. "Anyway, we… suddenly have a lot more on our plate compared to a few hours ago. What do you guys think about coming down here and finishing off that video game?"
"It's an excuse to get outta school at least."
"Knew you'd like that." With an amused huff. "Let Kensuke and his birds know as well, say it's NERV business."
"And what about when Hikari and Toji ask?"
"Tell them Kensuke's helping with the setup for the sync tests tomorrow."
"And what of-"
"You ask too many questions!" Misato would exclaim over the line. "Figure it out!"
Before the line dropped dead.
"Who wants to let them know?"
"I will." Asuka volunteered. "Shinji you keep Rei company."
To his nod, before she ran off.
He'd sigh. "Are you-"
She immediately leaned her head into his shoulder. "…I will be."
A small pause, before an arm wrapped around her. "You two are strong, I know that much… you'll get there."
The door to the classroom would burst back open. "Aida! There's been a few developments at NERV, they're recalling you to help set things up."
"Oh?" Standing himself up. "That's a first!"
"Can we come with?"
"Yeah this class blows!"
"Oi!" Snapped Hikari. "If you don't like it then you can just leave!"
"I should be making the-"
"Authority of NERV!" As Asuka waved her ID card. "Those two have been helping things along as well! Oh yeah Hickers we have a sync test 0500 hours tomorrow, I'll ask and see if you need to bring the lug along as well."
"I wish they'd tell me this themselves…" In a mutter. "They're testing the NACSS with us again?"
"I'm sure they'd like to do so."
"D'oh I wanted to sleep in tomorrow!"
"Bah I'm sure Hikari will make it up to you!" Waving it off. "Okay? Okay! C'mon let's go!"
Kensuke and company would immediately pick themselves up and head out.
Hikari glanced around to the rest of the class. "None of you are getting out of this that easy! PAY ATTENTION!" Rapping a ruler on her desk, the rest of the class snapped back to the sensei.
~
The first thing Asuka noticed was that the room smelt a lot more of cigarettes than usual. "What's got you stressed out Ritsuko?"
"Take a wild guess." In a sigh.
"Well, one thing we know, that's gonna make our lives more difficult." Snarked Shinji.
"As if that was possible."
"Do we know if Kaworu and Mari will be joining us?"
A brief beat by Rei, at Maya's question. "They require respite. They will not be joining us unfortunately."
"Hmpf… poor thing." Was all Ritsuko could say. "Who else do we have…"
"Misato joining us?"
"She's doing a handover with Makoto regarding NT-Unit-00, Hiro and Zero Two will join with her. Eliza's finishing off some work and will join us soon too."
"I dread to ask what exactly's going on to warrant all this." As Kyoko sat herself down. "But I know it's probably above my pay grade."
"You two don't even have a pay grade, you don't work here!" Exclaimed Asuka.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Ritsuko wryly chuckled. "At least the setup should be quick this time around, not like we have to wait for files to copy over this time around."
"Hey why are we here if we aren't employees?"
"Moral support for Kensuke."
"So cheerleaders."
"Pretty much."
"Damn you should've told me I would've dressed for it!"
"Great cheerleaders you two are, practically wishing for my demise!"
"Hey we have monetary incentive to wish for it!"
"Doesn't he give you money regularly anyway?" Maya pointed out.
"Well he's the one with the NERV job." Sayaka equally pointed out. "We ain't working yet!"
"Heck I don't even know what I wanna study after school."
"What were your plans for work?"
"Jollibee." Succinct at Shinji's query.
"I'm not having the partners of a NERV employee working in a Jollibee." Ritsuko would flatly remark. "We constantly need people I'm sure there's something for you here."
"Well shit if you're offering."
The outstanding members of the watch party would finally arrive. "Okay! Makoto's got it all on lock, he'll let us know when NT-Unit-00 is ready for initial syncs but current ETA is 1700 or 1800 hours depending on how the repairs go."
"Excellent. You two ready to go for it?"
Both Hiro and Zero Two gave a determined nod. "It's been ages since we've been in the saddle."
"Pretty sure it was last we were in there, huh?"
"It's hasn't even been two weeks." Misato would bluntly point out.
"For a couple so close even that can seem like an eternity unsynchronised."
"How'd you go with the project?"
"I gave her the rundown with our sample Kleinium, main issue now will be to manufacture more of it but she has a few ideas she wants to try out involving LCL."
"Good, good, we'll let them cook when it comes to that. See what comes of it." Determined Misato. "Well? We ready to get this going?"
"I am if you are!"
VIDEO START (00:00)
"No solitaire today Kensuke?"
"Well it's still there." In a shrug. "And given everything happening at the moment, I doubt the brass want me wasting time huh."
"Preferably not."
"Well that's all I need to know." Opening the folder and opening the game. "Let's get it going then!"
~~~
Character Key:
Shinji (Sh) Asuka (A)
Rei (Re) Eliza (E)
Zero Two (Z) Hiro (H)
Kensuke (Ke) Sayaka (Sa) Kyoko (Ky)
Ritsuko (Ri) Maya (Ma) Misato (Mi)
Exeunt: Kaworu, Mari
PLAYBACK FILE: REC11_MELCHIOR.5397:1972_230218
Shinji (Sh) Asuka (A)
Rei (Re) Eliza (E)
Zero Two (Z) Hiro (H)
Kensuke (Ke) Sayaka (Sa) Kyoko (Ky)
Ritsuko (Ri) Maya (Ma) Misato (Mi)
Exeunt: Kaworu, Mari
PLAYBACK FILE: REC11_MELCHIOR.5397:1972_230218
Charger (00:45)
Ky: "Probably last we'll see of him for a while huh."
Sa: "Hey maybe we'll get some other Valve game!"
Mi: "Depends if it gives us more heart attacks."
E: "Maybe it'll be something more like Portal."
A: "What so it can give you a heart attack?"
The menu loaded into a facility of sorts. "I'm assuming that's White Forest?"
Re: "The flare makes me question if the facility is as contained as we think it is."
Ke: "You think they're gonna siege it or something?"
Re: "Anything to stop you from delivering the portal packet."
Ke: "Joy, I have that to look forward to!" Loading into the game. "Okay where did we leave off… portal storm's still there."
Ma: "And not getting any better if you don't get a move on!"
Ke: "Alright alright I'm on it!" Jumping into the Charger, letting the engine warm up."
Mi: "Every second you wait is another second the Combine have to completely fuck you over."
Ke: "I'm going! Sheesh can't I have a break around here?"
Ri: "It's war Kensuke, no you cannot!"
They immediately faced a roadblock. "Well no surprises there."
Z: "Ah nothing wrong with seeing a bit of the countryside!"
Ky: "What about if it's deadly?"
H: "This whole world's deadly Kyoko."
Ke: "I mean it's definitely quite scenic." Fording a river. "A shame we can't pay much attention to it!"
Mi: "You can look at the sights once the Combine are defeated!"
In the distance an illuminated radio tower. "Well that seems a bit dodgy."
A: "Yeah why is it powered? Is someone else using it?"
Sa: "Surely White Forest have some scouts that can tell them the Combine are coming, right?"
Ma: "Always good to double check, especially when they have something as sensitive as a rocket."
Kensuke made his way up to the deserted installation. "Well surely it can't have been deserted for too long, given the lights are still on."
E: "Radios like that use a ton of energy as well. Heck, I wouldn't have even run the lights, they're only needed so helicopters don't crash into you and I doubt there's very many of them that are friendly nowadays."
Sh: "So make it look like there's nothing going on there?"
A: "Most of that stuff would run on a generator nowadays anyway, it's pretty difficult to hide something like that when I'm presuming they have the ability to detect when they're running."
Mi: "Radio isn't exactly subtle as well if you're broadcasting."
Parking up, he started to poke around. "I'll check the surrounding buildings first, I'm sure it'd be in the central building but I don't wanna risk missing something."
Ri: "You also don't want a rouge bogey coming out and killing you."
Ke: "That as well."
Ky: "Oi what did those birds to do you?!" At Kensuke attempting to shoot them out of the air.
Ke: "Hey you never know if they're a Combine drone!"
Re: "The fact that is even a possibility…"
Ke: "Ahh okay there's a powerline going into this building…" Entering it. "Zombine!"
E: "So this is a Combine installation, well was a Combine installation."
Ma: "They haven't been doing too well avoiding these headcrabs, huh."
H: "The Combine haven't done too well full stop."
Kensuke once again barely avoided getting grenaded. "Well they're good for the illusion of danger I suppose!" Clearing out the house, picking up a few more drops. "Oop sorry Alyx!"
Mi: "Ooh haven't noticed that touch when you shine the torch in her eyes!"
The transmitter was found but no power was present. "Aren't the lights on the tower on though?"
A: "Maybe they're running on a battery of some sort."
Ri: "Hmm so maybe it wasn't running." The rebel corpses only added evidence for that conclusion.
Sh: "You better find it quick cause that portal's only getting bigger!"
Ke: "Jeez…" Taking a closer look at it. "Hey, all that Dirac rift stuff these things have been coming through, we aren't expecting it to become that are we?"
Ri: "Well I hope not but now you've put that possibility in my head I'm gonna be smoking about it."
A: "Rits you're already smoking about something going on."
Sh: "I get the impression it's related to Rei."
Re: "That would not surprise me."
Ri: "It may be, either way it's something we really shouldn't discuss while there's civvies here."
Mi: "Mhm, it's pretty bad."
Ky: "Aww c'mon you can trust us!"
E: "No we can't."
Ke: "I hear hunters again, I don't like this!"
Z: "You just know they're gonna attack once you get in that generator room."
Ke: "Ooh yeah, not looking forward to that." Jumping down into the building, looking around for a brief moment. "And I'm locked in here until I presume they break down the doors!" A barrel wouldn't be enough to tear down a gate.
Sa: "Well, the only way of moving forward is how they intend, huh?"
Mi: "For how open ended this game feels, they do tend to railroad you a fair bit."
Ma: "The open-endedness is pretty much an illusion though huh?"
Ke: "It's just like the first game in that regard, cause that was a hallway with extra steps."
Ri: "So was all the shooters before this game, admittedly. Wolfenstein didn't sell copies because it was a sandbox game."
A: "It sold copies because you could shoot Hitler in the face!"
Ky: "For God's sake girl you got murdered the first time because you strayed away from Gordon! Follow him!"
Kensuke dropped down into the generator room. "What the fuck is that cable?"
Ri: "That there is a male to male cable to interconnect two high voltage circuits."
E: "Who the hell came up with that?!"
A: "The Soviets, presumedly."
Connecting one end of the cable, it immediately disconnected from the mainframe, shooting sparks everywhere. "Don't get close to it damn it!"
Ke: "Gotta admire the quality of this equipment huh." Reconnecting it. "And now to hook in the elevator!"
The cable was too short. "Oh for goodness sake why isn't it hard-wired?! What's the point of using an interconnect if it's the only way out of there?!"
E: "That's what I was thinking!"
Ke: "Okay what if we do-" He'd swap the suicide leads over. "Why was that one over there in the first place- get in there damn it how is that even possible?!"
… (08:05)
Now was not the time for questions though. "HUNTER!"
A: "Aww she has PTSD! She's just like us now!"
Ky: "Well I wouldn't call that a good thing."
Re: "We were not calling it good, we were calling it relatable."
Mi: "Ah you ended up alright, right?"
The pilots would give empty stares towards the commander.
Mi: "…Okay look we're trying to get a therapist!"
Ri: "With all the difficulties it poses considering the clearance they will need."
Ma: "Are Massachusetts still looking to get a student shrink inducted into NERV?"
Ri: "I think so, they had a few candidates they were looking at but I'm not sure where that's gone off to. Especially with current events."
E: "Sounds like it'll be even more important."
Sh: "Well we survived to this point. Sure we have crippling nightmares every night and our coping mechanisms probably aren't the best-"
Ke: "The bad thing is I can't even tell if you're joking or not."
Ri: "And that's why I don't want you becoming a pilot, because we've done an infinite amount of damage to our pilots in the interests of humanity."
A: "Ahh it's not that bad, we're still functioning! Not bad for a collection of basket cases huh?"
Ke: "Well, either way, I'm sure you wouldn't just stand idly by when you need to act, and right now what I need to do is kill that freakin' hunter!"
He'd peek up from the counter and start unloading everything into it.
Re: "And witness her determination as well. A brief beat before swallowing the trauma and getting on with it."
Ma: "Unfortunately you need that sorta gumption in that world. Freezing up is the best way to die."
A: "Shit that's true for us as well. If there's an Angel marauding about you can't freeze up, you either win or you die. And I very much prefer the former."
Ke: "THERE'S ANOTHER!" Still shooting. "Go away you bastards!"
First one down. "YEAH! Now the next one- where are you… THERE!"
Right next to him, but luckily the magnum would come in clutch. "GOT IT! YEAH!"
And a third, which he was able to take down with only the magnum. "Not so tough now ain't ya?!"
Mi: "Firearms are called the great equaliser for a reason."
And they would be needed as soon as they were out in the open. "Good thing I grabbed that barrel!" As he faced two, one taken out with a barrel and an SMG, and another taken out with the last of the magnum. "There! Get some!"
E: "That was five right there."
Ky: "Not bad! Now go get that message out and get the hell outta there!"
Kensuke rather wouldn't wait and see what else would be coming, allowing Alyx to use the transmitter.
Z: "Yeah I kinda died, that tends to set back things several hours I'm sure you understand."
Sa: "And of course the message doesn't send through completely! Just their luck!"
Re: "And I'm sure the Advisors interfering didn't help."
At least now they could get back on the road again. "If we knew it was gonna be that scrambled, we should've just kept going!"
Ri: "I'm sure the chance of being able to warn them was enough of an incentive for Alyx. Also eyes on the road Kensuke."
Ke: "What do y- GHA!" Crashing into some rocks. "Duly noted!"
Re: "Have you received your driver's license yet, Kensuke?"
Ke: "No?"
Re: "Good."
Ke: "Hey!"
Sector Sweep (13:05)
No road would be found, Kensuke continuing to overland the Charger (poorly).
Ky: "Weeeee!"
Ke: "Yeah yeah this wasn't meant for off roading!"
A: "You're in Soviet country you were lucky to have roads in the first place!"
They'd first park up next to an abandoned Advisor transport. "Well, that does not bode well."
E: "We knew they were at least around, judging by the intercepted communique."
Ke: "Oh and look at that, we're in a fenced off area with a bunch of abandoned buildings! Gee, I wonder what this could mean?!"
Mi: "They haven't exactly been subtle in this sequel, huh."
Kensuke would start to look around. "Hey was that the game or something else?"
Ma: "I saw no issue in the processing side of things."
Sh: "I think we saw that in the Citadel with the Advisors there."
Sa: "Oh it just keeps going from bad to worse huh, we're gonna be facing one of those next huh?!"
Re: "This entire part has been progressively going from bad to worse, starting with Alyx dying."
Ke: "What's the bet we can find it and kill it?"
Mi: "Zero."
Ky: "They're probably in that barn over there."
Ma: "The seedy run down barn."
To Kensuke's sigh. "As per usual. And I'm a bit short on ammo from the hunters as well!"
The dead rebels in the barn really didn't help their nerves. "Imagine living life only for your fate to be an environmental storytelling corpse." Kyoko would wryly comment.
To some snickering. "Could think of worst places to be an environmental storytelling element, the antlion nest would've been bad."
Ke: "Shit I think that's it there!" Glancing through some steps. "They're still in stasis?"
Mi: "How the heck can you kill them?"
Ri: "Those rebels obviously tried, and failed, and died."
Sa: "That's gonna be you in thirty seconds Ken!"
Ke: "I hope not!"
Alyx would find the life support, pulling off the dead body slumped at the controls.
Ma: "Aren't you worried there was a reason there was a dead rebel at the controls of the life support?!"
Sh: "If Asuka is anyone to go by, maybe they don't like being woken up before they want to."
A: "Mhm, how do you think I felt today?"
Sh: "I thank the Gods everyday for alarm clocks so that I don't have to do it myself."
Perhaps Alyx should've been a bit further away from the being clearly capable of metaphysical power, as it immediately ensnared her as soon as the life support was disabled. "That's your own fault girly!"
Ky: "Hey it got Gordon as well!"
E: "I get the impression that effect's not meant to look that beta?"
Ke: "It's running on a computer decades its senior Eliza, cut it some slack."
A: "And it's doing it a lot better than the Magi have!"
Re: "The effect reminds me of the Diclonii method of metaphysical effect. The invisible arms."
Ma: "What the hell is it doing with the corpse?"
It stuck its proboscis tongue in the back of its neck, obviously it didn't find anything of note with how it was promptly disposed of. "I wonder if it has a method of scanning a brain of some sort."
Ri: "Seems destructive."
Ke: "His blood literally flew out of his head."
Gordon was next. "Lucky you it's your blood next!"
Ke: "I'd rather not thanks!"
Mi: "That's one ugly motherfucker huh."
Luckily the malfunctioning life support pod was enough to wound the Advisor enough for it to make an exit.
Ke: "Phew… living another day!"
Turns out the Advisor didn't appreciate the early wakeup call, alerting the horde to there whereabouts.
Ky: "You're being generous, another few minutes perhaps."
Ke: "Oh for goodness sake- how many more Combine could there possibly be in this world?!"
Ri: "Just enough to cause issues for you."
Ke: "Feh, always the case huh." Shooting one dead. "Maybe do some scoping next time before you just burst the freakin' door down! That's like step one of going into an unknown area!"
Sa: "Ooh crossbow!"
A shotgunner was the unfortunate victim of it. "Alright! Now let's see how far we get in the car now."
Z: "Y'know what'd be really good right about now? One of those war ute things that Swan had."
Mi: "I've heard what a ute is from Kaji but what the heck's a war ute?"
Z: "Pretty much their substitute for tanks."
Ri: "By any chance is it a LandCruiser with a gun mounted on the back of it?"
Z: "I think that's what it's called, yeah. Does that sound close darling?"
H: "Mhm, older looking vehicle."
Mi: "Oh yeah the LandCruiser is pretty much the warlord's limousine, simple rugged chassis and old but common design, utterly bulletproof diesel engine and four wheel drive, absolutely cannot be killed!"
Z: "I mean the Angel we faced screwed them up pretty badly."
Ke: "I doubt even a LandCruiser could square up against an Angel, Zero Two." Emerging from the house. "Crap another hunter!"
E: "Sounds like my kinda vehicle!" In a cheer. "Don't need any frills, as long as it works and can go anywhere."
A: "Y'know why don't the resistance use those kinda vehicles? I'm sure even the Soviets would've had something like that, or at least a ripoff they could use. Heck, diesel engines can run on just about anything you throw at it, as long as it's a combustable liquid."
Ri: "I should be concerned that a sovereign state's military is so far behind that they use technicals as part of their main… Kensuke what would you even call it?"
Ke: "They're generally called cavalry, like the old horseback regiments. Similar concept, something fast moving but relatively fragile skirmish force. And yeah, get a LandCruiser for like five million Yen, mount a decent gun in the tray, and you have yourself a simple yet surprisingly effective fighting machine for pennies compared to most other military hardware- fuck it get in the car Alyx!" Just outright running the hunter over. "Wait you can do that?!"
Mi: "There's a reason I called it the warlord's limousine, pretty sure there was an African war that was actually called the Toyota War for that reason."
Sh: "Oh I'm sure Toyota are pleased about that."
Ke: "Gooooo!" As he floored it. "Didn't Toyota really up the manufacturing of the LandCruiser with Second Impact?"
Ri: "Being one of the vehicles old enough to still have parts available to them in the immediate aftermath, you know what the Corolla turned into."
Re: "It would not surprise me if they did end up used in war."
Mi: "Well they don't actually sell them directly to the war machine, but y'know if the JSSDF makes a bulk order for say 300 of them for "company cars", well y'know what they say, it is what it is."
Ke: "Crap I hear a chopper somewhere!" Looking behind. "C'mon! Cut me some slack!"
The mines wouldn't help, forcing Kensuke to double back. "Why didn't they armour this somehow?!"
Mi: "Kensuke have you heard the story of Helge Meyer?"
Ke: "Oh my- who hasn't?!" He'd start cheering.
Z: "Well I haven't."
H: "We weren't around that long ago Zero Two."
Z: "We weren't around until a few months ago darling!"
Ke: "I'd love to tell you but I'm a bit busy trying not to die here!" Eventually making it into a tunnel.
… (19:45)
Kensuke thought what he was going on was a ramp, but it wasn't. "Oh come on!"
E: "Well now you're in a tenuous situation."
Ky: "It was right in front of you Ken!"
Ke: "I thought that was just the train car!" He'd have to get out and use the gravity gun to correct it.
Mi: "Probably would've gotten out before that if I were you, Alyx."
Sh: "I'm sure she's just glad there wasn't a train coming through that tunnel."
Ke: "I'm glad of that as well- OH GODS!" A zombie had fallen onto the car, Alyx promptly kicking it off.
Ma: "I thought I saw something!"
Ke: "Okay so we're dealing with the zombies now, great, wonderful, absolutely brilliant!" As Alyx started blasting.
Z: "Hey if only you had a gun or something like that mounted in the back."
A: "A gun might be handy against that helicopter as well."
Speaking of which. "You jinxed that!"
A: "It was coming back around anyway!"
Kensuke would eventually crash it through the gate of a rebel base. "Ah crap!"
E: "I'm sure if Mari were here, she'd make a comment on how it's a stupid Dodge or something of the sort."
Re: "I am sure she will enjoy us telling her the car caught alight."
Mi: "You gonna tell her it was during sustained enemy gunfire?"
Re: "It would be more amusing if I omit that detail."
Ke: "Well, on the bright side, we get a chance to take down that son of a bitch!"
Sa: "If you don't get blown up in the process."
He almost did, luckily the one he held broke apart like wet sand.
Ma: "I think their QC is starting to slack."
Ky: "Was their QC ever there?"
E: "At the very least their bombs didn't just disintegrate."
Ke: "I'm kinda hoping they don't cause their our ticket in killing them!" Throwing one up to it. "Come get some!"
Sh: "They aren't really dropping it in good spots."
A: "Maybe they know Kensuke's trying to do that."
Z: "Well he already hit them once with it so I hope they realise that at that point."
Even a desperation attack by it wasn't enough to knock Kensuke out, and soon enough the heli came crashing down. "YEAH! Get fucked!"
H: "You're still down a vehicle."
Mi: "Maybe they have a workshop?"
Ky: "Have these guys ever seen a working car?"
Today was their lucky day. "Oh wow they do!"
Mi: "Hell yeah! Never doubt our ingenuity!"
E: "I'm sure since it's a Dodge it'll need all the ingenuity humanity can muster."
Re: "I am glad you took the mantle for trashing American cars."
E: "Well someone has to."
A: "Everyone trashes them, even Americans!"
Ke: "Honestly even now that Charger probably works better than it did stock."
~
Ky: "Probably last we'll see of him for a while huh."
Sa: "Hey maybe we'll get some other Valve game!"
Mi: "Depends if it gives us more heart attacks."
E: "Maybe it'll be something more like Portal."
A: "What so it can give you a heart attack?"
The menu loaded into a facility of sorts. "I'm assuming that's White Forest?"
Re: "The flare makes me question if the facility is as contained as we think it is."
Ke: "You think they're gonna siege it or something?"
Re: "Anything to stop you from delivering the portal packet."
Ke: "Joy, I have that to look forward to!" Loading into the game. "Okay where did we leave off… portal storm's still there."
Ma: "And not getting any better if you don't get a move on!"
Ke: "Alright alright I'm on it!" Jumping into the Charger, letting the engine warm up."
Mi: "Every second you wait is another second the Combine have to completely fuck you over."
Ke: "I'm going! Sheesh can't I have a break around here?"
Ri: "It's war Kensuke, no you cannot!"
They immediately faced a roadblock. "Well no surprises there."
Z: "Ah nothing wrong with seeing a bit of the countryside!"
Ky: "What about if it's deadly?"
H: "This whole world's deadly Kyoko."
Ke: "I mean it's definitely quite scenic." Fording a river. "A shame we can't pay much attention to it!"
Mi: "You can look at the sights once the Combine are defeated!"
In the distance an illuminated radio tower. "Well that seems a bit dodgy."
A: "Yeah why is it powered? Is someone else using it?"
Sa: "Surely White Forest have some scouts that can tell them the Combine are coming, right?"
Ma: "Always good to double check, especially when they have something as sensitive as a rocket."
Kensuke made his way up to the deserted installation. "Well surely it can't have been deserted for too long, given the lights are still on."
E: "Radios like that use a ton of energy as well. Heck, I wouldn't have even run the lights, they're only needed so helicopters don't crash into you and I doubt there's very many of them that are friendly nowadays."
Sh: "So make it look like there's nothing going on there?"
A: "Most of that stuff would run on a generator nowadays anyway, it's pretty difficult to hide something like that when I'm presuming they have the ability to detect when they're running."
Mi: "Radio isn't exactly subtle as well if you're broadcasting."
Parking up, he started to poke around. "I'll check the surrounding buildings first, I'm sure it'd be in the central building but I don't wanna risk missing something."
Ri: "You also don't want a rouge bogey coming out and killing you."
Ke: "That as well."
Ky: "Oi what did those birds to do you?!" At Kensuke attempting to shoot them out of the air.
Ke: "Hey you never know if they're a Combine drone!"
Re: "The fact that is even a possibility…"
Ke: "Ahh okay there's a powerline going into this building…" Entering it. "Zombine!"
E: "So this is a Combine installation, well was a Combine installation."
Ma: "They haven't been doing too well avoiding these headcrabs, huh."
H: "The Combine haven't done too well full stop."
Kensuke once again barely avoided getting grenaded. "Well they're good for the illusion of danger I suppose!" Clearing out the house, picking up a few more drops. "Oop sorry Alyx!"
Mi: "Ooh haven't noticed that touch when you shine the torch in her eyes!"
The transmitter was found but no power was present. "Aren't the lights on the tower on though?"
A: "Maybe they're running on a battery of some sort."
Ri: "Hmm so maybe it wasn't running." The rebel corpses only added evidence for that conclusion.
Sh: "You better find it quick cause that portal's only getting bigger!"
Ke: "Jeez…" Taking a closer look at it. "Hey, all that Dirac rift stuff these things have been coming through, we aren't expecting it to become that are we?"
Ri: "Well I hope not but now you've put that possibility in my head I'm gonna be smoking about it."
A: "Rits you're already smoking about something going on."
Sh: "I get the impression it's related to Rei."
Re: "That would not surprise me."
Ri: "It may be, either way it's something we really shouldn't discuss while there's civvies here."
Mi: "Mhm, it's pretty bad."
Ky: "Aww c'mon you can trust us!"
E: "No we can't."
Ke: "I hear hunters again, I don't like this!"
Z: "You just know they're gonna attack once you get in that generator room."
Ke: "Ooh yeah, not looking forward to that." Jumping down into the building, looking around for a brief moment. "And I'm locked in here until I presume they break down the doors!" A barrel wouldn't be enough to tear down a gate.
Sa: "Well, the only way of moving forward is how they intend, huh?"
Mi: "For how open ended this game feels, they do tend to railroad you a fair bit."
Ma: "The open-endedness is pretty much an illusion though huh?"
Ke: "It's just like the first game in that regard, cause that was a hallway with extra steps."
Ri: "So was all the shooters before this game, admittedly. Wolfenstein didn't sell copies because it was a sandbox game."
A: "It sold copies because you could shoot Hitler in the face!"
Ky: "For God's sake girl you got murdered the first time because you strayed away from Gordon! Follow him!"
Kensuke dropped down into the generator room. "What the fuck is that cable?"
Ri: "That there is a male to male cable to interconnect two high voltage circuits."
E: "Who the hell came up with that?!"
A: "The Soviets, presumedly."
Connecting one end of the cable, it immediately disconnected from the mainframe, shooting sparks everywhere. "Don't get close to it damn it!"
Ke: "Gotta admire the quality of this equipment huh." Reconnecting it. "And now to hook in the elevator!"
The cable was too short. "Oh for goodness sake why isn't it hard-wired?! What's the point of using an interconnect if it's the only way out of there?!"
E: "That's what I was thinking!"
Ke: "Okay what if we do-" He'd swap the suicide leads over. "Why was that one over there in the first place- get in there damn it how is that even possible?!"
… (08:05)
Now was not the time for questions though. "HUNTER!"
A: "Aww she has PTSD! She's just like us now!"
Ky: "Well I wouldn't call that a good thing."
Re: "We were not calling it good, we were calling it relatable."
Mi: "Ah you ended up alright, right?"
The pilots would give empty stares towards the commander.
Mi: "…Okay look we're trying to get a therapist!"
Ri: "With all the difficulties it poses considering the clearance they will need."
Ma: "Are Massachusetts still looking to get a student shrink inducted into NERV?"
Ri: "I think so, they had a few candidates they were looking at but I'm not sure where that's gone off to. Especially with current events."
E: "Sounds like it'll be even more important."
Sh: "Well we survived to this point. Sure we have crippling nightmares every night and our coping mechanisms probably aren't the best-"
Ke: "The bad thing is I can't even tell if you're joking or not."
Ri: "And that's why I don't want you becoming a pilot, because we've done an infinite amount of damage to our pilots in the interests of humanity."
A: "Ahh it's not that bad, we're still functioning! Not bad for a collection of basket cases huh?"
Ke: "Well, either way, I'm sure you wouldn't just stand idly by when you need to act, and right now what I need to do is kill that freakin' hunter!"
He'd peek up from the counter and start unloading everything into it.
Re: "And witness her determination as well. A brief beat before swallowing the trauma and getting on with it."
Ma: "Unfortunately you need that sorta gumption in that world. Freezing up is the best way to die."
A: "Shit that's true for us as well. If there's an Angel marauding about you can't freeze up, you either win or you die. And I very much prefer the former."
Ke: "THERE'S ANOTHER!" Still shooting. "Go away you bastards!"
First one down. "YEAH! Now the next one- where are you… THERE!"
Right next to him, but luckily the magnum would come in clutch. "GOT IT! YEAH!"
And a third, which he was able to take down with only the magnum. "Not so tough now ain't ya?!"
Mi: "Firearms are called the great equaliser for a reason."
And they would be needed as soon as they were out in the open. "Good thing I grabbed that barrel!" As he faced two, one taken out with a barrel and an SMG, and another taken out with the last of the magnum. "There! Get some!"
E: "That was five right there."
Ky: "Not bad! Now go get that message out and get the hell outta there!"
Kensuke rather wouldn't wait and see what else would be coming, allowing Alyx to use the transmitter.
Z: "Yeah I kinda died, that tends to set back things several hours I'm sure you understand."
Sa: "And of course the message doesn't send through completely! Just their luck!"
Re: "And I'm sure the Advisors interfering didn't help."
At least now they could get back on the road again. "If we knew it was gonna be that scrambled, we should've just kept going!"
Ri: "I'm sure the chance of being able to warn them was enough of an incentive for Alyx. Also eyes on the road Kensuke."
Ke: "What do y- GHA!" Crashing into some rocks. "Duly noted!"
Re: "Have you received your driver's license yet, Kensuke?"
Ke: "No?"
Re: "Good."
Ke: "Hey!"
Sector Sweep (13:05)
No road would be found, Kensuke continuing to overland the Charger (poorly).
Ky: "Weeeee!"
Ke: "Yeah yeah this wasn't meant for off roading!"
A: "You're in Soviet country you were lucky to have roads in the first place!"
They'd first park up next to an abandoned Advisor transport. "Well, that does not bode well."
E: "We knew they were at least around, judging by the intercepted communique."
Ke: "Oh and look at that, we're in a fenced off area with a bunch of abandoned buildings! Gee, I wonder what this could mean?!"
Mi: "They haven't exactly been subtle in this sequel, huh."
Kensuke would start to look around. "Hey was that the game or something else?"
Ma: "I saw no issue in the processing side of things."
Sh: "I think we saw that in the Citadel with the Advisors there."
Sa: "Oh it just keeps going from bad to worse huh, we're gonna be facing one of those next huh?!"
Re: "This entire part has been progressively going from bad to worse, starting with Alyx dying."
Ke: "What's the bet we can find it and kill it?"
Mi: "Zero."
Ky: "They're probably in that barn over there."
Ma: "The seedy run down barn."
To Kensuke's sigh. "As per usual. And I'm a bit short on ammo from the hunters as well!"
The dead rebels in the barn really didn't help their nerves. "Imagine living life only for your fate to be an environmental storytelling corpse." Kyoko would wryly comment.
To some snickering. "Could think of worst places to be an environmental storytelling element, the antlion nest would've been bad."
Ke: "Shit I think that's it there!" Glancing through some steps. "They're still in stasis?"
Mi: "How the heck can you kill them?"
Ri: "Those rebels obviously tried, and failed, and died."
Sa: "That's gonna be you in thirty seconds Ken!"
Ke: "I hope not!"
Alyx would find the life support, pulling off the dead body slumped at the controls.
Ma: "Aren't you worried there was a reason there was a dead rebel at the controls of the life support?!"
Sh: "If Asuka is anyone to go by, maybe they don't like being woken up before they want to."
A: "Mhm, how do you think I felt today?"
Sh: "I thank the Gods everyday for alarm clocks so that I don't have to do it myself."
Perhaps Alyx should've been a bit further away from the being clearly capable of metaphysical power, as it immediately ensnared her as soon as the life support was disabled. "That's your own fault girly!"
Ky: "Hey it got Gordon as well!"
E: "I get the impression that effect's not meant to look that beta?"
Ke: "It's running on a computer decades its senior Eliza, cut it some slack."
A: "And it's doing it a lot better than the Magi have!"
Re: "The effect reminds me of the Diclonii method of metaphysical effect. The invisible arms."
Ma: "What the hell is it doing with the corpse?"
It stuck its proboscis tongue in the back of its neck, obviously it didn't find anything of note with how it was promptly disposed of. "I wonder if it has a method of scanning a brain of some sort."
Ri: "Seems destructive."
Ke: "His blood literally flew out of his head."
Gordon was next. "Lucky you it's your blood next!"
Ke: "I'd rather not thanks!"
Mi: "That's one ugly motherfucker huh."
Luckily the malfunctioning life support pod was enough to wound the Advisor enough for it to make an exit.
Ke: "Phew… living another day!"
Turns out the Advisor didn't appreciate the early wakeup call, alerting the horde to there whereabouts.
Ky: "You're being generous, another few minutes perhaps."
Ke: "Oh for goodness sake- how many more Combine could there possibly be in this world?!"
Ri: "Just enough to cause issues for you."
Ke: "Feh, always the case huh." Shooting one dead. "Maybe do some scoping next time before you just burst the freakin' door down! That's like step one of going into an unknown area!"
Sa: "Ooh crossbow!"
A shotgunner was the unfortunate victim of it. "Alright! Now let's see how far we get in the car now."
Z: "Y'know what'd be really good right about now? One of those war ute things that Swan had."
Mi: "I've heard what a ute is from Kaji but what the heck's a war ute?"
Z: "Pretty much their substitute for tanks."
Ri: "By any chance is it a LandCruiser with a gun mounted on the back of it?"
Z: "I think that's what it's called, yeah. Does that sound close darling?"
H: "Mhm, older looking vehicle."
Mi: "Oh yeah the LandCruiser is pretty much the warlord's limousine, simple rugged chassis and old but common design, utterly bulletproof diesel engine and four wheel drive, absolutely cannot be killed!"
Z: "I mean the Angel we faced screwed them up pretty badly."
Ke: "I doubt even a LandCruiser could square up against an Angel, Zero Two." Emerging from the house. "Crap another hunter!"
E: "Sounds like my kinda vehicle!" In a cheer. "Don't need any frills, as long as it works and can go anywhere."
A: "Y'know why don't the resistance use those kinda vehicles? I'm sure even the Soviets would've had something like that, or at least a ripoff they could use. Heck, diesel engines can run on just about anything you throw at it, as long as it's a combustable liquid."
Ri: "I should be concerned that a sovereign state's military is so far behind that they use technicals as part of their main… Kensuke what would you even call it?"
Ke: "They're generally called cavalry, like the old horseback regiments. Similar concept, something fast moving but relatively fragile skirmish force. And yeah, get a LandCruiser for like five million Yen, mount a decent gun in the tray, and you have yourself a simple yet surprisingly effective fighting machine for pennies compared to most other military hardware- fuck it get in the car Alyx!" Just outright running the hunter over. "Wait you can do that?!"
Mi: "There's a reason I called it the warlord's limousine, pretty sure there was an African war that was actually called the Toyota War for that reason."
Sh: "Oh I'm sure Toyota are pleased about that."
Ke: "Gooooo!" As he floored it. "Didn't Toyota really up the manufacturing of the LandCruiser with Second Impact?"
Ri: "Being one of the vehicles old enough to still have parts available to them in the immediate aftermath, you know what the Corolla turned into."
Re: "It would not surprise me if they did end up used in war."
Mi: "Well they don't actually sell them directly to the war machine, but y'know if the JSSDF makes a bulk order for say 300 of them for "company cars", well y'know what they say, it is what it is."
Ke: "Crap I hear a chopper somewhere!" Looking behind. "C'mon! Cut me some slack!"
The mines wouldn't help, forcing Kensuke to double back. "Why didn't they armour this somehow?!"
Mi: "Kensuke have you heard the story of Helge Meyer?"
Ke: "Oh my- who hasn't?!" He'd start cheering.
Z: "Well I haven't."
H: "We weren't around that long ago Zero Two."
Z: "We weren't around until a few months ago darling!"
Ke: "I'd love to tell you but I'm a bit busy trying not to die here!" Eventually making it into a tunnel.
… (19:45)
Kensuke thought what he was going on was a ramp, but it wasn't. "Oh come on!"
E: "Well now you're in a tenuous situation."
Ky: "It was right in front of you Ken!"
Ke: "I thought that was just the train car!" He'd have to get out and use the gravity gun to correct it.
Mi: "Probably would've gotten out before that if I were you, Alyx."
Sh: "I'm sure she's just glad there wasn't a train coming through that tunnel."
Ke: "I'm glad of that as well- OH GODS!" A zombie had fallen onto the car, Alyx promptly kicking it off.
Ma: "I thought I saw something!"
Ke: "Okay so we're dealing with the zombies now, great, wonderful, absolutely brilliant!" As Alyx started blasting.
Z: "Hey if only you had a gun or something like that mounted in the back."
A: "A gun might be handy against that helicopter as well."
Speaking of which. "You jinxed that!"
A: "It was coming back around anyway!"
Kensuke would eventually crash it through the gate of a rebel base. "Ah crap!"
E: "I'm sure if Mari were here, she'd make a comment on how it's a stupid Dodge or something of the sort."
Re: "I am sure she will enjoy us telling her the car caught alight."
Mi: "You gonna tell her it was during sustained enemy gunfire?"
Re: "It would be more amusing if I omit that detail."
Ke: "Well, on the bright side, we get a chance to take down that son of a bitch!"
Sa: "If you don't get blown up in the process."
He almost did, luckily the one he held broke apart like wet sand.
Ma: "I think their QC is starting to slack."
Ky: "Was their QC ever there?"
E: "At the very least their bombs didn't just disintegrate."
Ke: "I'm kinda hoping they don't cause their our ticket in killing them!" Throwing one up to it. "Come get some!"
Sh: "They aren't really dropping it in good spots."
A: "Maybe they know Kensuke's trying to do that."
Z: "Well he already hit them once with it so I hope they realise that at that point."
Even a desperation attack by it wasn't enough to knock Kensuke out, and soon enough the heli came crashing down. "YEAH! Get fucked!"
H: "You're still down a vehicle."
Mi: "Maybe they have a workshop?"
Ky: "Have these guys ever seen a working car?"
Today was their lucky day. "Oh wow they do!"
Mi: "Hell yeah! Never doubt our ingenuity!"
E: "I'm sure since it's a Dodge it'll need all the ingenuity humanity can muster."
Re: "I am glad you took the mantle for trashing American cars."
E: "Well someone has to."
A: "Everyone trashes them, even Americans!"
Ke: "Honestly even now that Charger probably works better than it did stock."
~
Autogun (24:50)
Kensuke had a look around the workshop. "Wow they can weld and everything!"
Mi: "What the hell are those pipes on that engine?!"
A: "They must be looking to Mad Maxify the apocalypse."
Ri: "Kensuke why are you staring into the arc flash?"
Ke: "Eh Gordon will be fine."
Of course, there's always a catch. "That gun will be a problem."
Ke: "Heh, never easy is it?"
Sa: "Wouldn't be a good game if it was, Kensuke!"
Sh: "Still wonder if Gordon's actually up for it or if he just can't say anything to deny it."
Ke: "Well either way, if I don't do it we ain't getting outta here, so… here I go doing shit again!" Dropping down the trapdoor.
E: "And immediately that guy starts coming onto Alyx."
A: "I hope she kicks him in the gonads for that."
The myriad zombies outside the door were easy enough to deal with, with fire and blade. "Surprised even the zombies fled City 17 in the wake of its destruction."
Ky: "Suppose it was too much to ask for less zombies in this game huh."
Sh: "At least the zombies are kinda easy to deal with."
Ke: "I don't like the Zombine though."
H: "Just because they killed you."
Z: "Quite easily might I add."
Ke: "Yeah yeah whatever." Continuing to use the sawblade and a metal barrel to clear out the remainder. "Okay finally in a half decent position! Relatively speaking."
Sa: "Just you wait until you see that gun."
Ke: "That I'm not looking forward to."
Luckily he'd get a preview of the autogun. "There's three?!"
Mi: "And I'm guessing it's instant in comparison to the sniper."
Ri: "Instant both in firing at you and killing you I'm sure."
Ke: "So avoid it and try not to die, got it."
E: "You can boil down a majority of the game to those two keynotes."
A crow was unlucky enough to demonstrate the efficacy of the guns to Kensuke. "And stay low, I'll add that on as well." Crawling in a sewer. "Go away you stupid headcrab!"
It would be slow, and arduous. "You know as soon as you un-crouch your head will be blown off."
Ke: "And I quite like my head to stay intact, thank you Rei!"
Ky: "As do most people!"
Re: "Some unfortunately do not get that luxury."
Ke: "Crud there's a turret over there too!" As he attempted to knock it over while not trying to get his head erased. "Okay good enough."
Ma: "I'm surprised they didn't think something was up with those barrels and crates flying."
E: "We know how basic Combine AI appears to be."
Speaking of basic and Combine, a few soldiers would show up. "Ah crap I got them to deal with too…"
Z: "I'd say get as close as you can to the window, and then get in as quick as you can!"
A: "Lucky you got that truck providing cover."
Ke: "That, or I can use a grenade."
Z: "Oh yeah that'd work!"
Smashing the window in, the soldier threw a grenade out (which promptly bounced back inside), along with Kensuke's two additional grenades this would paint the walls with the soldier. "Okay going in!" And taking care of the rest. "And I still have my head!"
Ri: "Still got the turret to deal with."
Ke: "I know, let me have this moment." The moment was soon done. "Okay I think I need to go through that van now…"
More crawling. And shooting the occasional headcrab that the autoguns missed.
Mi: "Sheesh they're just flying everywhere!"
Ke: "It'd be nice if these guns were dumb enough to shoot the soldiers!"
Sh: "Just your luck they decide to code something competently for once, huh?"
He'd make it to the shed where the autogun was in. "Alright that's the hard part! I think."
Ky: "You hope."
Ke: "Yeah I hope." Killing a Zombine. "Well the door's locked."
E: "That truck's parked in a suspiciously helpful way."
Ke: "Oh yeah I get what you- Nooo-" At a poison headcrab sat in the tray. "Die monster!"
Ky: "At least you get free grenades for this area."
Ke: "Good for clearing the room!" Doing just that, jumping down. "Think that's it- no it ain't!" Using the SMG grenade. "That was stupid!"
Mi: "You ain't dead."
A: "Always a good day when you come out it alive, huh."
Disabling the autogun was obvious, a single grenade doing the job. "Okay now how am I getting outta here, all the doors are locked."
Z: "Are they gonna raid ya?"
Luckily the grenade also blasted a hole in the wall, that Kensuke could crawl through. "Oh thank the Gods for that!"
But now the zombies were out in force. "Screw you Gods!"
Ky: "Gee Kensuke it's almost like that autogun was set up to deal with those things!"
E: "Good thing you have grenades."
Ke: "Oh yeah!" Ducking back into the shed and using them to his full advantage. "May as well use them when I have the supply."
One grenade was enough, Kensuke quickly making it back.
Re: "Huh, did not take that long at all to fix up the car."
A: "Wonder if they put that sick-as engine in it."
No One Rides For Free (36:55)
They didn't put a new engine in, but they did fit it with a sick-as navigation unit. "That's better than my car!"
Ri: "I thought you had a map unit in yours?"
Mi: "I did but it stopped working a year ago."
E: "You could have told us that when we were fixing your car."
Mi: "Eh it's no big deal." Shrugging it off.
Ma: "You still thinking of ditching it for something else?"
Mi: "When Kaji gets back from assignment I'm gonna see if he can use his connections in Bendigo to get me an import."
A: "You're not gonna get one of those utes are you?"
Mi: "Well I still need to cart you lot around sometimes, unless you wanna ride in the tray."
Sh: "Not particularly."
Mi: "Thought so." With a snicker. "I like coupes, so maybe they have something like that."
With that, Kensuke was on the road again. "Ooh there's already something!"
Ky: "You're gonna stop and look every time ain't ya?"
Ke: "Well why shouldn't I? It could be something important!" Getting out to look. "Where could it- oh in the van!"
He promptly blew it up.
Ma: "Well the doors were already all off it so I can't really make that joke."
A: "Wonder if the beacon still shows up when it's all collected."
Ke: "Ahh- nope on that front, Asuka." Dragging it to the car to check. "Ah well distraction over!"
Sa: "Try running as many zombies over as you can!"
Mi: "Really trying to make the Mad Max ain't ya?"
E: "Not like that's the worst thing, could think of worse apocalypses."
A: "At least you don't have to deal with a genocidal alien police state in Mad Max! It's pretty cushy in comparison!"
Another on the radar. "Well time for another distraction!" Exiting to check, and to dispatch the zombies. "Bet it's in that building there."
It was. Only it was a puzzle.
Mi: "…Oh my God I think I know what you have to do."
Ke: "I'm gonna have to throw myself up with a grenade ain't I." In the flattest mutter he could muster. "I'm so gonna plaster on the wall!"
Looking at the cache. "Ohhh but there's a rocket launcher! I really want that dang it!"
Sa: "Worth blowing yourself up for?"
Ke: "Oh one hundred percent." Knocking the platform down. "So is there a way I can do it without blowing myself up first of all…" Trying to use the gravity gun. "…No, no dice."
Ky: "Well you can't deny you tried." With a chuckle. "Now go blow yourself up like the devs intended."
Ke: "Oh fine…" Throwing a grenade down, Kensuke soaring like an eagle piloting a blimp to the control panel. "That was a lot less violent than I thought it'd be!"
~E "A lot easier as well…"
Ri: "They obviously thought you'd take a lot more damage."
Ke: "Well I'm not complaining!" Picking up the rocket launcher and some more crossbow bolts. "Score!"
Alyx definitely thought so as well, when he made it back to the car. "Oh and look there's a few more in that area off the right path!"
Re: "All the while the Combine continue to march ever closer to White Forest."
Ke: "Ah they can wait, let's do some more scavenger hunting!"
Mi: "Remind me not to put you in charge of saving the world."
Ri: "Already ahead of you Misato."
Ke: "They'll be fine! They've handled themselves so far!"
A: "You're gonna have zero preparation for when they eventually do come crashing down on White Forest y'know."
Sh: "Somehow I get the impression that's what Valve wanted."
Ke: "Mah fine I'll be quick about it!"
Luckily it was relatively easy to find the hidden stash. "That's kinda smart!"
Z: "Well judging by the tons of dead bodies around it, perhaps too smart for some."
Ma: "The zombies probably didn't help."
Speaking of. "Maybe those dead bodies were who placed the stash."
Ke: "Their sacrifice will not be in vain!" Shooting them dead. "C'mon I'm trying to be quick here!"
The rest of the crates were claimed (and blown up) in quick order. "Okay we good? We good! Let's bounce!"
Eon Trap (44:20)
Through the tunnel, and into a Combine looking wall. "I think I heard radio chatter as well."
Ke: "I do not like where this is going but I get the feeling we have no choice."
Re: "Like most things with this game."
Z: "Guess we're going to White Forest Inn then!"
Ky: "Going in but probably not going out." With a scoff. "Hopefully whatever that stash is will help in the inevitable siege they have set up."
Ke: "It's… around here?" Checking some rocks. "No not there…"
Ma: "The Combine are gonna get bored waiting for you two at this rate."
Ke: "Well they can wait! My brain is wired to check this stuff!"
Re: "I think there's a condition with that description."
Soon enough he'd find a cave. "A-ha!"
H: "Let me guess, the skeleton was the one who placed that there."
A: "What's with these rebels placing these stashes and then promptly dying?!"
Mi: "It's like their only purpose in life was to be an environmental storytelling skeleton."
Ma: "Y'know I do wonder sometimes in video games how all the decorative skeletons and corpses what lives they must've lead to lead to that point."
Sa: "Probably nothing too important considering they were relegated to decoration."
Ke: "Like it doesn't even look like they died to anything traumatic! Did they just run out of provisions or something?"
Sh: "Does look pretty sparse in the footlockers."
Ri: "And all for a single energy ball. I don't think that's an equivalent exchange of two lives."
E: "Well it's less of a needless death than most things in that world."
Ke: "And that's all we can really say on the matter huh." Getting back to the car, and getting on with things while they were still living.
And making it up to the White Forest hamlet. "Hmm, vehicle roadblock, large bloodstain going to the garage over there, strange looking power lines strewn from building to building… large rebel bloodstain, to clarify…"
Re: "There are so many suspect things going on that it should be plainly obvious this is a trap. All we are missing are the force field generators."
Mi: "Bet that's what the power lines are for."
Ke: "Well, traps are meant to be sprung, although in this case it's less a trap and more a pit with a sign pointing to it that says please jump in me."
Ky: "Well are you gonna jump in the pit?"
Ke: "Do I have a choice?"
A: "It's Half Life, of course you don't have a choice!"
He'd go further into the town. "There's the power line again…" Slowing to a stop. "And there we go, look at that."
Re: "There's the force field generator."
Ke: "Guess I'm jumping into this pit!"
He'd have some awareness of it at least, getting out of the car and arming himself appropriately before setting it off. "This house is gonna get freakin' trashed by the time we're done with it!"
Ky: "Wanna bet how many times he dies, Sa?"
Sa: "He's already giving us money for each death!"
Ke: "That's why I'm keeping deaths to a minimum this time around! Haven't died yet today, I'll let you know!"
E: "There's always the chance to turn that around."
Ke: "I'd rather not!" Shooting some Combine through the windows. "Ah crap we're completely surrounded!"
Z: "Suppose if you wanted a challenge, well, here you go!"
Ke: "I didn't ask for a challenge!" Throwing a grenade. "I just wanna make it to White Forest!"
E: "Technically this is the township of White Forest."
A: "So he has made it! Now he can die happy!"
Ke: "No I can't! Shit hunters!"
It was chaos. "Jesus Christ what the hell is happening?!"
Sa: "Kensuke's sucking at this, that's what's happening."
Ke: "I ain't dead yet!" More grenades. "Even if I can barely keep track of what's happening."
Re: "I wonder if this is what it would feel like to be on the other side of a raid."
Ma: "Seems like you're getting somewhere at least."
Ri: "That hunter is gonna cause issues if you leave it alive."
Ke: "I'm miles away from it to really effectively shoot it!" Turning around. "Ah shit they've started breaching!" The shotgun would come out. "Come up and get me ya bastards!"
… (51:25)
The Overwatch voice would call the current status. "No quarter, huh?"
A: "So Kensuke shouldn't give any quarter to them either!"
Six of them entered the house at once. "Shit!" Forcing them into the basement. "And I still hear that damn hunter snooping around!"
He'd survive that, scavenging for supplies until the hunter came to play. "Damn it Alyx get out of the way!"
One fell to the magnum. "There's more."
Ke: "No!" It breached into the basement. "Gods damn it!" As he was being beaten up by it. "I don't have much magnum left!"
Ky: "Two of them!"
Ke: "Two of them?!" As he stated fleeing.
Unfortunately he ended up tripping over dead. "FUCK!"
Sa: "Yes!" As her and Kyoko shared a high five.
Ke: "Mmmmmmgh…" Reloading. "I was so close to that health pickup!" And switching to the crossbow. "Okay no more mister nice guy! Come here and die!"
H: "I dunno, they haven't been the ones dying recently."
Indeed, Kensuke died again. "You jinxed it!"
A: "Hey about not dying yet."
Ke: "You don't have to remind me!" Reloading. "Okay different tact, let's just get everything we can before facing them."
Which he would. "Good strategy using Alyx to block the hunter from killing you."
Ke: "I'm not intending that!"
It worked though. "Well can't deny the result." Mused Misato.
Sh: "For the sake of your wallet I wouldn't stick around to find out if there's more, Kensuke."
Ke: "Duly noted!" Looking for a way to deactivate that force field. "There's a health charger out here…"
Z: "Sure could've used that the first time!"
E: "You'll probably have to follow that power line."
Mi: "Why can't he just take down the power line somehow?"
Ke: "And die to an electric shock?!"
Mi: "Oh it's just electricity you'll be fine!"
Kensuke didn't want to tempt fate further, slowly following the power line back through the township. "Oh for goodness sake!"
Re: "Really they should know better by now."
They didn't, but didn't matter Kensuke as they were soon dead. "That's whatcha get! Now… forcefield."
It wouldn't be that easy unfortunately. "Turret!"
Sh: "Grenade."
That would do it. "Okay! What now?"
Ky: "Deactivate the power source silly!"
E: "I hear a poison headcrab."
Ke: "Never freakin' easy is it?!"
That would be the common thread, the terminal frying itself trapping Gordon inside. "Oh for the love of-"
A: "Heh, yeah we have tons of shit go wrong while piloting, huh?"
Sh: "Mhm, some days it just doesn't go your way. Like that fight against the Rouge Evangelion? Absolutely was not my day."
Re: "Or the fight against Ramiel way back when."
Mi: "Those earlier fights could have gone better, yes, but any fight you can come back from alive is a good fight I say! And we don't have the advantage of respawning!"
Re: "Well you say that."
Mi: "Okay technically you theoretically can but it'd be very complicated to set up and will raise a lot of questions. So you're still not allowed to die! As your Commander I forbid it!"
A: "I don't remember, did the previous Commander ever disallow it?"
Sh: "Sometimes I get the feeling he wanted us dead to make things easier."
Re: "That would not be an inaccurate assessment."
Ke: "Okay so there's obviously ceiling access up here…" Inside a crawlspace now. "There's that bastard!"
Ri: "Doubt it'd be the only one."
Ke: "It's fine if they come one at a time!" Now past the other forcefield. "It's probably gonna be in there ain't it?"
It wasn't. "Okay, so I think I need to keep that door open so the ball gets shot out… let's see…"
Kensuke somehow managed to lock himself out of it. "GOD DAMN IT FUCKING SON OF A- i'm fine." With a sharp inhale and exhale. "I'm fine, THIS IS FINE!"
The audience seemed to enjoy the comedy of errors at least. "You dolt!"
Ke: "Mmmmgh FINE I'll do it again…" Killing that other headcrab as a form of anger release. "Damn it!"
Sa: "That was totally your own fault though."
Ke: "I know and I hate it!"
Luckily, failing something makes you better at it, with Kensuke disabling the power source first try. "There you go! Now let's get the hell out of here!"
E: "That took longer than it should've."
Ke: "Ya don't have to rub it in okay?! I'd like to see you try!"
E: "Wanna bet?"
Ri: "I'll just disclaim that you know she's a computer, right Kensuke?"
Ke: "I know! I'll still bet!"
Sa: "I still don't know how that works…"
Ri: "And you don't have to it's classified."
Ky: "Damn near everything is classified here!"
A: "No shit Sherlock!"
Ke: "Oh for Pete's sake is she running around?!" Luckily for him she found a spot to jump down on. "Oh thank you finally something's gone right!"
Sh: "Watch as the car breaks down again."
A: "It is a Dodge!"
Ke: "Mah! It's survived this long! I'll make it survive to White Forest if I have to!" Jumping off a convenient ramp. "Hell yeah let's go! No more detours!"
The satnav pinged. "Oh for the love of-"
E: "Do we really want to go looking for care packages when the Combine are literally sending hardware to White Forest?"
Kensuke stared at the strider transporter for a bit. "Yes. Wait what were those explosions?"
Z: "I think White Forest are perfectly capable of holding strong at the moment."
Ky: "You better hope so, cause Ken's gonna spend ages looking for these drops!"
Ke: "Nuh uh!" Finding it. "Oh how did they get that up there?!"
A large rock or something was able to get it down. "All this for a pack of magnum ammo?!"
H: "Don't have to rock the car around buddy."
Ke: "Fine let's get going… what does that sign say?"
Sa: "Just get to White Forest already!"
Ke: "Fine fine I'll get going! Sheesh not like they're waiting on us or anything!"
Ky: "They literally are Kensuke."
Welcome Party (1:03:35)
They would be greeted with an industrial kind of noise, deep in green forest. "Yeah second on that front Alyx, out of place sounds like that mean there's definitely something's up."
E: "Gee I wonder if it's that strider we saw earlier?!"
Ke: "Well until I see it, it doesn't exist."
A: "Love the optimism Kensuke."
Lacking any other way to White Forest, he'd exit the car to open the gate manually. "Now where's a crank wheel… hang on, what's that?"
It was the aircraft. "Hey! They did shoot it down! Hell yeah!"
Sh: "Did that kill the strider though?"
Ke: "What do you mean- it was shot out of the sky Shinji! Of course it would-"
The strider would proceed to stand up. "I deserve that."
Sh: "Mhm, you do."
Ma: "Good thing you got those rockets earlier huh?"
He only got one rocket off before a welcome face made their presence known. "Dog! Hell yeah buddy kick its ass!"
They were promptly thrown off. "Shit where's my rockets?!"
Ri: "Shit they did decently in making it bleed."
Dog wasn't out for the count, managing to avoid the strider's legs and clambering onto its head once more. "Come on!"
They would literally tear its brain out of its skull, the strider toppling over dead.
Ky: "Okay that was pretty sick, why can't Gordon do that?!"
Ri: "That's something Doomguy would've done."
Ke: "If there's one guy Gordon ain't."
E: "Is Dog still alive?"
That robot was difficult to kill, picking himself back up, much to Alyx's relief. "Oh good, worried for a second…"
Ke: "Get me out of your servos dude!" As Dog picked himself up right on Gordon. "Where's your safety stickers?!"
Mi: "I'm pretty sure safety departments don't exist in an apocalypse."
A: "Eh they make things uncool anyway!"
Mi: "They also keep you alive."
Dog would allow them to access the car, on the premise that they challenge them to a race.
Sa: "Part of me wonders if the Charger has the guts to do that."
Ky: "Well you have a car from the eighties or a robot from the modern day."
H: "I know where I got my money on."
Ke: "I believe in this old rustheap! I'll beat Dog!" Punching the gas through the floor. "C'mon you bastard- FUCK!" Hitting hard on a barricade.
Re: "They did not have much in the way of crash protection did they?"
Mi: "You are the crash protection."
And eventually crashing into the gate. "Okay we did it!"
Sa: "Dog was on your ass that entire time."
Ke: "I beat him though!" Bouncing out of the car. "Take that!"
E: "Don't be mean to him what did he do to you?!"
A: "So how safe will this place end up being?"
Z: "Not very once the Combine start coming down on it."
Mi: "Well they obviously know where it is, so probably not too long now."
Ke: "Cor that looks pretty at least."
Ky: "Dare you to jump."
Ke: "Wha- no! I'm not giving you free money!"
Ri: "You already gave them enough."
Ke: "I don't even know how much I owe them at this point, might have to check with Eliza after this."
E: "Well not if you keep dissing Dog like that! Maybe I'll say you owe them a million Yen!"
Ke: "May as well feel like that at this point… Dang they got a decent bunker set up here don't they?"
~
Kensuke had a look around the workshop. "Wow they can weld and everything!"
Mi: "What the hell are those pipes on that engine?!"
A: "They must be looking to Mad Maxify the apocalypse."
Ri: "Kensuke why are you staring into the arc flash?"
Ke: "Eh Gordon will be fine."
Of course, there's always a catch. "That gun will be a problem."
Ke: "Heh, never easy is it?"
Sa: "Wouldn't be a good game if it was, Kensuke!"
Sh: "Still wonder if Gordon's actually up for it or if he just can't say anything to deny it."
Ke: "Well either way, if I don't do it we ain't getting outta here, so… here I go doing shit again!" Dropping down the trapdoor.
E: "And immediately that guy starts coming onto Alyx."
A: "I hope she kicks him in the gonads for that."
The myriad zombies outside the door were easy enough to deal with, with fire and blade. "Surprised even the zombies fled City 17 in the wake of its destruction."
Ky: "Suppose it was too much to ask for less zombies in this game huh."
Sh: "At least the zombies are kinda easy to deal with."
Ke: "I don't like the Zombine though."
H: "Just because they killed you."
Z: "Quite easily might I add."
Ke: "Yeah yeah whatever." Continuing to use the sawblade and a metal barrel to clear out the remainder. "Okay finally in a half decent position! Relatively speaking."
Sa: "Just you wait until you see that gun."
Ke: "That I'm not looking forward to."
Luckily he'd get a preview of the autogun. "There's three?!"
Mi: "And I'm guessing it's instant in comparison to the sniper."
Ri: "Instant both in firing at you and killing you I'm sure."
Ke: "So avoid it and try not to die, got it."
E: "You can boil down a majority of the game to those two keynotes."
A crow was unlucky enough to demonstrate the efficacy of the guns to Kensuke. "And stay low, I'll add that on as well." Crawling in a sewer. "Go away you stupid headcrab!"
It would be slow, and arduous. "You know as soon as you un-crouch your head will be blown off."
Ke: "And I quite like my head to stay intact, thank you Rei!"
Ky: "As do most people!"
Re: "Some unfortunately do not get that luxury."
Ke: "Crud there's a turret over there too!" As he attempted to knock it over while not trying to get his head erased. "Okay good enough."
Ma: "I'm surprised they didn't think something was up with those barrels and crates flying."
E: "We know how basic Combine AI appears to be."
Speaking of basic and Combine, a few soldiers would show up. "Ah crap I got them to deal with too…"
Z: "I'd say get as close as you can to the window, and then get in as quick as you can!"
A: "Lucky you got that truck providing cover."
Ke: "That, or I can use a grenade."
Z: "Oh yeah that'd work!"
Smashing the window in, the soldier threw a grenade out (which promptly bounced back inside), along with Kensuke's two additional grenades this would paint the walls with the soldier. "Okay going in!" And taking care of the rest. "And I still have my head!"
Ri: "Still got the turret to deal with."
Ke: "I know, let me have this moment." The moment was soon done. "Okay I think I need to go through that van now…"
More crawling. And shooting the occasional headcrab that the autoguns missed.
Mi: "Sheesh they're just flying everywhere!"
Ke: "It'd be nice if these guns were dumb enough to shoot the soldiers!"
Sh: "Just your luck they decide to code something competently for once, huh?"
He'd make it to the shed where the autogun was in. "Alright that's the hard part! I think."
Ky: "You hope."
Ke: "Yeah I hope." Killing a Zombine. "Well the door's locked."
E: "That truck's parked in a suspiciously helpful way."
Ke: "Oh yeah I get what you- Nooo-" At a poison headcrab sat in the tray. "Die monster!"
Ky: "At least you get free grenades for this area."
Ke: "Good for clearing the room!" Doing just that, jumping down. "Think that's it- no it ain't!" Using the SMG grenade. "That was stupid!"
Mi: "You ain't dead."
A: "Always a good day when you come out it alive, huh."
Disabling the autogun was obvious, a single grenade doing the job. "Okay now how am I getting outta here, all the doors are locked."
Z: "Are they gonna raid ya?"
Luckily the grenade also blasted a hole in the wall, that Kensuke could crawl through. "Oh thank the Gods for that!"
But now the zombies were out in force. "Screw you Gods!"
Ky: "Gee Kensuke it's almost like that autogun was set up to deal with those things!"
E: "Good thing you have grenades."
Ke: "Oh yeah!" Ducking back into the shed and using them to his full advantage. "May as well use them when I have the supply."
One grenade was enough, Kensuke quickly making it back.
Re: "Huh, did not take that long at all to fix up the car."
A: "Wonder if they put that sick-as engine in it."
No One Rides For Free (36:55)
They didn't put a new engine in, but they did fit it with a sick-as navigation unit. "That's better than my car!"
Ri: "I thought you had a map unit in yours?"
Mi: "I did but it stopped working a year ago."
E: "You could have told us that when we were fixing your car."
Mi: "Eh it's no big deal." Shrugging it off.
Ma: "You still thinking of ditching it for something else?"
Mi: "When Kaji gets back from assignment I'm gonna see if he can use his connections in Bendigo to get me an import."
A: "You're not gonna get one of those utes are you?"
Mi: "Well I still need to cart you lot around sometimes, unless you wanna ride in the tray."
Sh: "Not particularly."
Mi: "Thought so." With a snicker. "I like coupes, so maybe they have something like that."
With that, Kensuke was on the road again. "Ooh there's already something!"
Ky: "You're gonna stop and look every time ain't ya?"
Ke: "Well why shouldn't I? It could be something important!" Getting out to look. "Where could it- oh in the van!"
He promptly blew it up.
Ma: "Well the doors were already all off it so I can't really make that joke."
A: "Wonder if the beacon still shows up when it's all collected."
Ke: "Ahh- nope on that front, Asuka." Dragging it to the car to check. "Ah well distraction over!"
Sa: "Try running as many zombies over as you can!"
Mi: "Really trying to make the Mad Max ain't ya?"
E: "Not like that's the worst thing, could think of worse apocalypses."
A: "At least you don't have to deal with a genocidal alien police state in Mad Max! It's pretty cushy in comparison!"
Another on the radar. "Well time for another distraction!" Exiting to check, and to dispatch the zombies. "Bet it's in that building there."
It was. Only it was a puzzle.
Mi: "…Oh my God I think I know what you have to do."
Ke: "I'm gonna have to throw myself up with a grenade ain't I." In the flattest mutter he could muster. "I'm so gonna plaster on the wall!"
Looking at the cache. "Ohhh but there's a rocket launcher! I really want that dang it!"
Sa: "Worth blowing yourself up for?"
Ke: "Oh one hundred percent." Knocking the platform down. "So is there a way I can do it without blowing myself up first of all…" Trying to use the gravity gun. "…No, no dice."
Ky: "Well you can't deny you tried." With a chuckle. "Now go blow yourself up like the devs intended."
Ke: "Oh fine…" Throwing a grenade down, Kensuke soaring like an eagle piloting a blimp to the control panel. "That was a lot less violent than I thought it'd be!"
~E "A lot easier as well…"
Ri: "They obviously thought you'd take a lot more damage."
Ke: "Well I'm not complaining!" Picking up the rocket launcher and some more crossbow bolts. "Score!"
Alyx definitely thought so as well, when he made it back to the car. "Oh and look there's a few more in that area off the right path!"
Re: "All the while the Combine continue to march ever closer to White Forest."
Ke: "Ah they can wait, let's do some more scavenger hunting!"
Mi: "Remind me not to put you in charge of saving the world."
Ri: "Already ahead of you Misato."
Ke: "They'll be fine! They've handled themselves so far!"
A: "You're gonna have zero preparation for when they eventually do come crashing down on White Forest y'know."
Sh: "Somehow I get the impression that's what Valve wanted."
Ke: "Mah fine I'll be quick about it!"
Luckily it was relatively easy to find the hidden stash. "That's kinda smart!"
Z: "Well judging by the tons of dead bodies around it, perhaps too smart for some."
Ma: "The zombies probably didn't help."
Speaking of. "Maybe those dead bodies were who placed the stash."
Ke: "Their sacrifice will not be in vain!" Shooting them dead. "C'mon I'm trying to be quick here!"
The rest of the crates were claimed (and blown up) in quick order. "Okay we good? We good! Let's bounce!"
Eon Trap (44:20)
Through the tunnel, and into a Combine looking wall. "I think I heard radio chatter as well."
Ke: "I do not like where this is going but I get the feeling we have no choice."
Re: "Like most things with this game."
Z: "Guess we're going to White Forest Inn then!"
Ky: "Going in but probably not going out." With a scoff. "Hopefully whatever that stash is will help in the inevitable siege they have set up."
Ke: "It's… around here?" Checking some rocks. "No not there…"
Ma: "The Combine are gonna get bored waiting for you two at this rate."
Ke: "Well they can wait! My brain is wired to check this stuff!"
Re: "I think there's a condition with that description."
Soon enough he'd find a cave. "A-ha!"
H: "Let me guess, the skeleton was the one who placed that there."
A: "What's with these rebels placing these stashes and then promptly dying?!"
Mi: "It's like their only purpose in life was to be an environmental storytelling skeleton."
Ma: "Y'know I do wonder sometimes in video games how all the decorative skeletons and corpses what lives they must've lead to lead to that point."
Sa: "Probably nothing too important considering they were relegated to decoration."
Ke: "Like it doesn't even look like they died to anything traumatic! Did they just run out of provisions or something?"
Sh: "Does look pretty sparse in the footlockers."
Ri: "And all for a single energy ball. I don't think that's an equivalent exchange of two lives."
E: "Well it's less of a needless death than most things in that world."
Ke: "And that's all we can really say on the matter huh." Getting back to the car, and getting on with things while they were still living.
And making it up to the White Forest hamlet. "Hmm, vehicle roadblock, large bloodstain going to the garage over there, strange looking power lines strewn from building to building… large rebel bloodstain, to clarify…"
Re: "There are so many suspect things going on that it should be plainly obvious this is a trap. All we are missing are the force field generators."
Mi: "Bet that's what the power lines are for."
Ke: "Well, traps are meant to be sprung, although in this case it's less a trap and more a pit with a sign pointing to it that says please jump in me."
Ky: "Well are you gonna jump in the pit?"
Ke: "Do I have a choice?"
A: "It's Half Life, of course you don't have a choice!"
He'd go further into the town. "There's the power line again…" Slowing to a stop. "And there we go, look at that."
Re: "There's the force field generator."
Ke: "Guess I'm jumping into this pit!"
He'd have some awareness of it at least, getting out of the car and arming himself appropriately before setting it off. "This house is gonna get freakin' trashed by the time we're done with it!"
Ky: "Wanna bet how many times he dies, Sa?"
Sa: "He's already giving us money for each death!"
Ke: "That's why I'm keeping deaths to a minimum this time around! Haven't died yet today, I'll let you know!"
E: "There's always the chance to turn that around."
Ke: "I'd rather not!" Shooting some Combine through the windows. "Ah crap we're completely surrounded!"
Z: "Suppose if you wanted a challenge, well, here you go!"
Ke: "I didn't ask for a challenge!" Throwing a grenade. "I just wanna make it to White Forest!"
E: "Technically this is the township of White Forest."
A: "So he has made it! Now he can die happy!"
Ke: "No I can't! Shit hunters!"
It was chaos. "Jesus Christ what the hell is happening?!"
Sa: "Kensuke's sucking at this, that's what's happening."
Ke: "I ain't dead yet!" More grenades. "Even if I can barely keep track of what's happening."
Re: "I wonder if this is what it would feel like to be on the other side of a raid."
Ma: "Seems like you're getting somewhere at least."
Ri: "That hunter is gonna cause issues if you leave it alive."
Ke: "I'm miles away from it to really effectively shoot it!" Turning around. "Ah shit they've started breaching!" The shotgun would come out. "Come up and get me ya bastards!"
… (51:25)
The Overwatch voice would call the current status. "No quarter, huh?"
A: "So Kensuke shouldn't give any quarter to them either!"
Six of them entered the house at once. "Shit!" Forcing them into the basement. "And I still hear that damn hunter snooping around!"
He'd survive that, scavenging for supplies until the hunter came to play. "Damn it Alyx get out of the way!"
One fell to the magnum. "There's more."
Ke: "No!" It breached into the basement. "Gods damn it!" As he was being beaten up by it. "I don't have much magnum left!"
Ky: "Two of them!"
Ke: "Two of them?!" As he stated fleeing.
Unfortunately he ended up tripping over dead. "FUCK!"
Sa: "Yes!" As her and Kyoko shared a high five.
Ke: "Mmmmmmgh…" Reloading. "I was so close to that health pickup!" And switching to the crossbow. "Okay no more mister nice guy! Come here and die!"
H: "I dunno, they haven't been the ones dying recently."
Indeed, Kensuke died again. "You jinxed it!"
A: "Hey about not dying yet."
Ke: "You don't have to remind me!" Reloading. "Okay different tact, let's just get everything we can before facing them."
Which he would. "Good strategy using Alyx to block the hunter from killing you."
Ke: "I'm not intending that!"
It worked though. "Well can't deny the result." Mused Misato.
Sh: "For the sake of your wallet I wouldn't stick around to find out if there's more, Kensuke."
Ke: "Duly noted!" Looking for a way to deactivate that force field. "There's a health charger out here…"
Z: "Sure could've used that the first time!"
E: "You'll probably have to follow that power line."
Mi: "Why can't he just take down the power line somehow?"
Ke: "And die to an electric shock?!"
Mi: "Oh it's just electricity you'll be fine!"
Kensuke didn't want to tempt fate further, slowly following the power line back through the township. "Oh for goodness sake!"
Re: "Really they should know better by now."
They didn't, but didn't matter Kensuke as they were soon dead. "That's whatcha get! Now… forcefield."
It wouldn't be that easy unfortunately. "Turret!"
Sh: "Grenade."
That would do it. "Okay! What now?"
Ky: "Deactivate the power source silly!"
E: "I hear a poison headcrab."
Ke: "Never freakin' easy is it?!"
That would be the common thread, the terminal frying itself trapping Gordon inside. "Oh for the love of-"
A: "Heh, yeah we have tons of shit go wrong while piloting, huh?"
Sh: "Mhm, some days it just doesn't go your way. Like that fight against the Rouge Evangelion? Absolutely was not my day."
Re: "Or the fight against Ramiel way back when."
Mi: "Those earlier fights could have gone better, yes, but any fight you can come back from alive is a good fight I say! And we don't have the advantage of respawning!"
Re: "Well you say that."
Mi: "Okay technically you theoretically can but it'd be very complicated to set up and will raise a lot of questions. So you're still not allowed to die! As your Commander I forbid it!"
A: "I don't remember, did the previous Commander ever disallow it?"
Sh: "Sometimes I get the feeling he wanted us dead to make things easier."
Re: "That would not be an inaccurate assessment."
Ke: "Okay so there's obviously ceiling access up here…" Inside a crawlspace now. "There's that bastard!"
Ri: "Doubt it'd be the only one."
Ke: "It's fine if they come one at a time!" Now past the other forcefield. "It's probably gonna be in there ain't it?"
It wasn't. "Okay, so I think I need to keep that door open so the ball gets shot out… let's see…"
Kensuke somehow managed to lock himself out of it. "GOD DAMN IT FUCKING SON OF A- i'm fine." With a sharp inhale and exhale. "I'm fine, THIS IS FINE!"
The audience seemed to enjoy the comedy of errors at least. "You dolt!"
Ke: "Mmmmgh FINE I'll do it again…" Killing that other headcrab as a form of anger release. "Damn it!"
Sa: "That was totally your own fault though."
Ke: "I know and I hate it!"
Luckily, failing something makes you better at it, with Kensuke disabling the power source first try. "There you go! Now let's get the hell out of here!"
E: "That took longer than it should've."
Ke: "Ya don't have to rub it in okay?! I'd like to see you try!"
E: "Wanna bet?"
Ri: "I'll just disclaim that you know she's a computer, right Kensuke?"
Ke: "I know! I'll still bet!"
Sa: "I still don't know how that works…"
Ri: "And you don't have to it's classified."
Ky: "Damn near everything is classified here!"
A: "No shit Sherlock!"
Ke: "Oh for Pete's sake is she running around?!" Luckily for him she found a spot to jump down on. "Oh thank you finally something's gone right!"
Sh: "Watch as the car breaks down again."
A: "It is a Dodge!"
Ke: "Mah! It's survived this long! I'll make it survive to White Forest if I have to!" Jumping off a convenient ramp. "Hell yeah let's go! No more detours!"
The satnav pinged. "Oh for the love of-"
E: "Do we really want to go looking for care packages when the Combine are literally sending hardware to White Forest?"
Kensuke stared at the strider transporter for a bit. "Yes. Wait what were those explosions?"
Z: "I think White Forest are perfectly capable of holding strong at the moment."
Ky: "You better hope so, cause Ken's gonna spend ages looking for these drops!"
Ke: "Nuh uh!" Finding it. "Oh how did they get that up there?!"
A large rock or something was able to get it down. "All this for a pack of magnum ammo?!"
H: "Don't have to rock the car around buddy."
Ke: "Fine let's get going… what does that sign say?"
Sa: "Just get to White Forest already!"
Ke: "Fine fine I'll get going! Sheesh not like they're waiting on us or anything!"
Ky: "They literally are Kensuke."
Welcome Party (1:03:35)
They would be greeted with an industrial kind of noise, deep in green forest. "Yeah second on that front Alyx, out of place sounds like that mean there's definitely something's up."
E: "Gee I wonder if it's that strider we saw earlier?!"
Ke: "Well until I see it, it doesn't exist."
A: "Love the optimism Kensuke."
Lacking any other way to White Forest, he'd exit the car to open the gate manually. "Now where's a crank wheel… hang on, what's that?"
It was the aircraft. "Hey! They did shoot it down! Hell yeah!"
Sh: "Did that kill the strider though?"
Ke: "What do you mean- it was shot out of the sky Shinji! Of course it would-"
The strider would proceed to stand up. "I deserve that."
Sh: "Mhm, you do."
Ma: "Good thing you got those rockets earlier huh?"
He only got one rocket off before a welcome face made their presence known. "Dog! Hell yeah buddy kick its ass!"
They were promptly thrown off. "Shit where's my rockets?!"
Ri: "Shit they did decently in making it bleed."
Dog wasn't out for the count, managing to avoid the strider's legs and clambering onto its head once more. "Come on!"
They would literally tear its brain out of its skull, the strider toppling over dead.
Ky: "Okay that was pretty sick, why can't Gordon do that?!"
Ri: "That's something Doomguy would've done."
Ke: "If there's one guy Gordon ain't."
E: "Is Dog still alive?"
That robot was difficult to kill, picking himself back up, much to Alyx's relief. "Oh good, worried for a second…"
Ke: "Get me out of your servos dude!" As Dog picked himself up right on Gordon. "Where's your safety stickers?!"
Mi: "I'm pretty sure safety departments don't exist in an apocalypse."
A: "Eh they make things uncool anyway!"
Mi: "They also keep you alive."
Dog would allow them to access the car, on the premise that they challenge them to a race.
Sa: "Part of me wonders if the Charger has the guts to do that."
Ky: "Well you have a car from the eighties or a robot from the modern day."
H: "I know where I got my money on."
Ke: "I believe in this old rustheap! I'll beat Dog!" Punching the gas through the floor. "C'mon you bastard- FUCK!" Hitting hard on a barricade.
Re: "They did not have much in the way of crash protection did they?"
Mi: "You are the crash protection."
And eventually crashing into the gate. "Okay we did it!"
Sa: "Dog was on your ass that entire time."
Ke: "I beat him though!" Bouncing out of the car. "Take that!"
E: "Don't be mean to him what did he do to you?!"
A: "So how safe will this place end up being?"
Z: "Not very once the Combine start coming down on it."
Mi: "Well they obviously know where it is, so probably not too long now."
Ke: "Cor that looks pretty at least."
Ky: "Dare you to jump."
Ke: "Wha- no! I'm not giving you free money!"
Ri: "You already gave them enough."
Ke: "I don't even know how much I owe them at this point, might have to check with Eliza after this."
E: "Well not if you keep dissing Dog like that! Maybe I'll say you owe them a million Yen!"
Ke: "May as well feel like that at this point… Dang they got a decent bunker set up here don't they?"
~
Reunion (1:08:45)
Ke: "Ahh, to be in a friendly place after so long!"
Ky: "He says after bringing the Combine over."
Z: "Hey they aren't there yet!"
Ke: "Now that's the positivity I wanna see!"
Ri: "Do we even pay you to be positive?"
Mi: "Do we pay anyone for that?"
A: "I hope you pay Maya for that, she's the sunshine in this damn place."
Ma: "Ahh I'm not that great…"
E: "Wonder what they're building there…"
Re: "You are still looking into the arc flash Kensuke."
Ke: "Eh I'm a bit away from it."
Dog was kept outside on patrol. "Aww c'mon let him in!"
Sh: "He could protect you when the Combine come knocking."
H: "Kinda sounds like they were trying before that strider came knocking."
Z: "Do you think they'll learn their lesson darling?"
H: "Not a chance."
The alarms went off, and then were promptly called off as a false alarm.
Mi: "See even if it were a false alarm we would have completely mobilised at that."
Ri: "It's this lazy American attitude that caused the Resonance Cascade in the first place!"
Ke: "That's gonna go off so many times today huh."
Ky: "And then when it actually goes off for a proper reason, no one will give a shit!"
Mi: "That's why we mobilise even on a false alarm!"
A: "Well unless you're trying to hide something from the UN of course."
Mi: "That was the old administration! Just because we might do something like that again to save face…"
Re: "Just do not let an Angel or enemy breach into the Geofront."
Ma: "Well we already failed that haven't we…"
Ri: "Stop looking into the arc flash Kensuke!"
Ke: "But it's so bright!"
Sa: "That's what blinds you dummy! What are you a moth?!"
They would soon be distracted by a bit of yarn spinning between rebels. "Why is that weapon called the AR2 anyway?"
Ke: "I'm assuming assault rifle two? Obviously there's no AR three in this world."
Mi: "Don't we have AR-15?"
Ke: "The AR in AR-15 doesn't even stand for assault rifle, the original company that developed the weapon was called Armalite. That's what the AR stands for."
E: "Part of me doesn't think they're still around in this world."
Ke: "They aren't even around in our world, I think they got rolled into one of the big American companies."
Mi: "Either way, the man's talking out of his arse."
Ke: "Ooh yeah, doesn't know the difference between butt and barrel I bet."
A: "What do you mean the bit where he wrestled twenty hunters by hand is made up?! Noooo I couldn't possibly think that was made up!"
Ri: "Ah but his job makes sense, it's a navigator's job to make things up for entertainment."
Mi: "God some of the shit you hear on the wave, you'd think it was made up."
Sh: "What was the worst thing one of the presenters did?"
Mi: "They microwaved a salad sandwich and tried to justify it on the radio station, apparently their entire station crashed under the pressure of angry phone callers trying to determine why on God's earth you'd microwave a salad sandwich!"
A: "Why the fuck would you microwave a salad sandwich?!"
Mi: "That's what I was trying to ask myself but then the station crashed!"
Re: "I do recall you muttering into your phone while you were driving us a few weeks ago."
Ri: "Have you been using your phone while driving Misato?"
Mi: "Look the hands free radio set hasn't worked since last July and I haven't been bothered to fix it."
E: "We could've tried fixing it earlier!"
… (1:11:00)
Either way, the man was too stubborn to leave, resulting in Alyx and Gordon going on their own way.
Eli would be found in short order. "And now for a reunion."
Alyx practically slammed into her father. "Always wonderful to see." Rei giving a soft smile at the show.
Z: "Even better for her, cause last time they were together was in the Citadel. And they were in no position for anything really."
E: "Well deserved in this case then!"
A: "See I want to be happy about this kinda thing, but I've seen enough of these works that my alarm bells are starting to ring."
Mi: "Just because this is a fucked up death world like all the other works we've seen, it doesn't mean Eli will die horribly in the next thirty minutes!"
Ky: "Next fifteen perhaps."
Sa: "If any of your other works are anything like the Madoka's, I really have no hope for any happy ending of this game."
Ke: "Look I'll take closing that portal as a victory at this point, cause once that's one we're in a pretty good position."
Sh: "Do you think they'll get there?"
Ke: "I mean it's gonna be pretty freakin' difficult."
Mi: "No one said saving the world was easy, Kensuke."
Re: "If it was we would be out of a job."
Ke: "Oh Gods are these systems running Windows Three… we're screwed."
E: "I was wondering what that interface was, thought it looked very… ancient."
A: "Oh for goodness sake- is Eli seriously suggesting you pump a kid into her?!"
Mi: "Hey it's every parent's duty to bug their children about having children of their own! You bet I'm gonna start doing that with you lot once I think you're old enough!"
A: "D'oooooh!" Pretty much emulating Alyx's embarrassment at the question. "At least give us a few years of not being burdened by something! I already have enough works where I end up a teenage mom!"
Ky: "I can't believe that's been common enough you actually have to say that."
A: "I have three works out of the however many we've seen so far where it's a thing! Like, Aki's cute and all but did I really have to be fourteen years old having her?!"
Sa: "That's a freaking adorable name for her, her?"
A: "Oh yeah Misato do we have any photos of her?"
Mi: "I think we have the doujin you read through on file, let me see…" Typing into her terminal
Ri: "We're just showing them classified materials now."
Mi: "It's her child Ritsuko cut her some slack!" Passing the terminal over. "Here you go some selections of her."
Sayaka squeed. "Oh she has your eyes! Kyo look at her!"
Ky: "She's pretty cute, yeah." Trying not to act as cutesy about it. "Why are you dressed as a bird in that one?"
A: "Rosenmontag."
Ky: "Do you know how little that explains it to me?"
Much to Asuka's giggle. "It's actually part of the pre-Lent celebrations traditionally: you dress up in costume, there's parades and celebration in the streets where they throw bundles of sweets to the kiddies, it's a good time for all involved!"
Sa: "She looks like she's having fun at least!" With a cheer.
A: "I gotta see if I have some photos from back then, I don't know if any of them were kept."
Mi: "If they were, they would've been archived when you were taken into NERV custody. I can see if Germany has them?"
A: "That'd be nice… I don't really have too much from before mama's sync test."
Kensuke didn't exactly feel it was his business to pry, continuing to lead Gordon into silo 1 as Eli discussed about the competitiveness between Magnusson and Kleiner. "Were they like that here as well, Sempai?"
Ri: "Can't say I know for sure with Magnusson, but given what I knew from my mother, it wouldn't surprise me if he was. Meanwhile Kleiner wouldn't know he was in a competition if he had a scoreboard in front of him."
E: "So he was more in for the science then?"
Ri: "I think he was just an airhead. If not intellectually than socially."
Ma: "Do you think that's why he ended up taking the credit for that project?"
Ri: "Wouldn't even surprise me, but I still hold it against him!"
Mi: "Ain't he dead?"
Ri: "You can still hold gripes against dead men."
A: "That we all know of."
… (1:12:45)
The blast doors would open. "Oh wow it's actually a pretty decent rocket huh?"
Ri: "Oh for fuck's sake they're arguing like school children…"
Mi: "If this is what he's like to work with no wonder your mom didn't like him."
Z: "He still has Lamarr as well?!"
Ke: "That's someone I could've skipped seeing." In a small sigh. "I'm surprised we even have the fuel for this rocket."
H: "What fuel would it even use?"
Ke: "Easiest would be kerosene of some sort, though I could go on for hours about what fuel it could use honestly."
~E "Why would it even have a hatch like that?"
Ma: "Payload maybe?"
Ke: "I would've thought it needed a fairing, it was a satellite they were putting up right?"
A: "Could be a micro-satellite going in that?"
He'd have a look inside it. "Well it's definitely jam packed full of hardware…"
Ky: "Hey that looks like a conveniently shaped hole for a gnome of some sorts!"
Ke: "Oh for goodness sa- are you still holding onto that?!"
Ky: "I knew that gnome was there for a reason!"
Ke: "I wasn't gonna carry a gnome throughout the game just to chuck in a rocket Kyoko!"
Re: "Sounds like a fun challenge at least."
Ma: "Hey look! Lamarr crawled in there!"
Ke: "Oh, wonderful!"
Kensuke closed that hatch on it. "Why did you do that?! Meanie!"
Ke: "It's a headcrab!"
Maya simply pouted. "Sempai can I dock Kensuke's pay for that?"
Ri: "No Maya."
Ma: "Hmpf!"
A: "God Magnusson sounds insufferable, he's only saying hi to them you bastard!"
Mi: "Sounds like him Ritsky?"
Ri: "Unfortunately."
And after a game and three quarters worth, the data packet was finally in doctor Kleiner's hands.
Sh: "I hope they appreciate that data, she only died for it."
Ke: "I died several times for that data packet!"
Sa: "It's cheating if you have the ability to respawn."
Re: "Duly noted." With a snicker.
… (1:14:25)
Another alarm sounded. "Ooh I gotta remember that line."
Ri: "Story of our lives huh."
A: "Just wait until it turns out to be genuine."
Ma: "We have had problems with random animals getting into the systems though."
Sa: "I thought there weren't any animals down here?"
Mi: "Oh you'd be surprised, quite a few birds and that have made a home for themselves here."
Sh: "I've seen a few wild cats prowling around."
Ri: "They may not even be wild, some of the staff that lodge within the Geofront brought their pets with them. Hell, I let Randall roam around the Geofront, probably safer than him being out on the surface."
Ma: "Is there still that cat murderer roaming around up top?"
Ri: "Nah I think the police caught them."
E: "No wonder you didn't want him roaming up top."
Kensuke would report to Magnusson. "What d'ya want me to do boss?"
Pretty much just check out what was causing all those false alarms. "It's probably just shitty wiring y'know."
Ke: "It's always bad wiring." He'd huff, navigating the long way around. "What was that issue I found with the Internet at my place?"
Sa: "Apparently whoever built Kensuke's place was a bit dodgy and they wired all the telephone line wrong."
Ky: "According to Ken, at least."
Ke: "Oh it was obviously wrong, lines leading to blatantly unterminated points, exposed copper, corroded copper. I actually spent most of my first paycheque from here and pooled with my old man to get it fixed."
Z: "Heh, already pulling weight around the home?"
Ke: "Well he's done so much for me, especially without mom around, so shit spending my money is the least I can do for him!" Before snickering at Magnusson's impatience. "Y'know, I think at this point, Freeman is damn well entitled to a hug!"
Re: "He has received one his entire life so far."
Sh: "And you are eagerly awaiting the next time she hugs him."
Re: "Yes." With small smirk.
Ky: "I actually found it depressing how little physical affection guys usually get when Kensuke told me about that."
Ke: "Oh before I met you guys I was lucky to be hugged once a year!" With a chortle. "Shit, last time a girl hugged me was two years before you guys did, and I was thinking about that for months afterwards!"
A: "Why do you think I'm always snuggling up with Shinji now, I had a pretty fucking bad life but at least as a woman it's more socially acceptable to hug those your gender."
Mi: "Or to hug boys as well." Snickering. "I do recall you were crawling all over Kaji."
A: "Well yeah but we all know why I was." In a huff. "Needless to say I'm at least a bit more well adjusted since those days."
Sh: "Only a bit?" With a nudge.
A: "Ehehe, well we're still Evangelion pilots after all."
Ri: "I told you guys we're trying to work on getting a shrink with full induction."
E: "What has been the hold up with that anyway?"
Ri: "Honestly there's both a shortage of therapists and psychologists and a lack of them willing to go through the full security training and clearance required to access everything they need to know when it comes to NERV. That's the main issue, and honestly I'd rather get an apprentice psych that we can then mould to the NERV way of thinking, instead of anyone who we don't have any idea what they are of who they could be selling secrets to."
Ky: "And the threat of execution isn't enough to scare them."
Ke: "If enough money is offered to them I'm sure the threat of that wouldn't. Drug smuggling is a death sentence and you still see coke and weed being sold on the streets."
Ri: "So you see the conundrum." Her face revulsed as Magnusson announced his distain over the PA system. "Gods I wouldn't have wanted to work for him."
Mi: "Sounds like someone your mom would've gotten along with."
Ri: "Like oxidiser to rocket fuel." In a snark.
A: "What was this student shrink you mentioned?"
Ri: "Well I won't divulge any names until we know for certain they're the one, but we're eying a few prospects from your high school and from the high school Massachusetts is sending their pilot candidates to. One of them's looking pretty promising, sounds like she's been through a ringer of a life but at least that means she can relate to some of the things you're going through."
Mi: "Funnily enough the best psychs are the ones who have been through that kinda thing, and they want to use their experience to better someone else's life. I'm sure you guys know, it's a lot better having someone who knows than someone who doesn't."
A: "Why do you think we pretty much latched together?" Arm around Shinji's. "What was it we said to each other when we realised, Shin-chan?"
Sh: "'You're just like me'."
A: "Mhm, exactly. And it's so good having someone who just knows; none of the other students know. They just see me as a trophy even though I have made it perfectly clear I'm Shinji's. And I know you guys can sympathise and have been through shit yourselves but… it's not the same."
Re: "I can relate, in the exact same way with Kaworu. The differences between us and the rest of humanity are great, and yet here we are sharing similar experiences. It's… nice. Once I got over wanting to murder him."
Ky: "Have you really gotten over that girl?"
Re: "In the serious manner yes, but we can joke about it now."
… (1:16:00)
Ke: "Ooh that's cool!" At the rocket engines. "What is that… Atlas based?"
Ri: "An oddly American design for being ostensibly in eastern Europe."
A: "Oh if it was a Soviet rocket we would've had no hope."
Mi: "Even any rocket is a gamble, there's so much going on you can never really know for sure. All you can do is build it to absolute perfection and see how it goes."
H: "I looked into how you guys get to space, it's pretty cool actually."
Ri: "And rockets are still a good way of doing it. All the commercial jumpjets run the CR-7's, and that's pretty much as new a rocket as you're gonna get."
Ma: "What were the rockets Hawthorne used, I thought they were an in house design?"
Ri: "They got it started in 2006? But have been iterating it yearly ever since. Those are interesting, and one of the reasons we went for the Hawthorne rockets is they can use methane. We can easily make methane; take carbon dioxide from the air and some water, mush it all together with a bunch of S2 power, and you get liquid methane with oxygen as a byproduct, which you can also use to create the oxidiser if you wanted to."
E: "We make all of the fuel we need for them in house as far as I'm aware."
Mi: "That and the rockets are literally the only rockets in production that can carry an Evangelion. How are C Team going with the S-Spec equipment?"
Ri: "They're still refining the carbon fibre manufacturing angle of it."
Sh: "New toys for us to play with?"
Ri: "In development, yes. You saw how useful the Evangelion rocket has been so far, and it'd be good if we could have a kit that while still providing adequate armour, was also lightweight enough so that we may be able to reuse some of these five hundred million Yen six month lead time rockets."
Re: "Did we not reuse the one that Hiro and Zero Two were sent on?"
Ri: "We were able to land the one you used to get to space because NT-Unit-00 was half complete and was going to be used in an environment where it didn't need to be spry. We were able to cut a lot of weight off it as a result. Whereas when Hiro and Zero Two sortied to Swan, they needed the full ability of the Evangelion. Even then we had to omit some armour."
Z: "We were more relying on the Lance doing the dirty work anyway. I would have not wanted to face it if that failed."
Mi: "Oh God he's a note writer as well…" Apparently folks had been using the emergency override for the door instead of the actual door switch.
Ky: "Does the door actually work otherwise?"
Kensuke tried out the keypad. "Hah, nope."
Ky: "Well what the fuck does he expect then?!"
The glass was smashed and the door opened. "…And it's still broken!"
Mi: "Rather amazing what humanity can put up with when it's our lives on the line. This makes the Geofront look like a day spa!"
H: "I've had doors fritz out like that for me on occasion."
Ri: "Have you reported it to Maintenance?"
H: "I have no idea where they are or how to do such thing."
Ri: "Do any of you?"
Maya was the only one to put up her hand. "Misato!"
Mi: "I thought you were the head of Maintenance!"
Ri: "No that's-" A muffled sigh, as Uriah the Vortigaunt opened the door for Kensuke. "I'll tell you later."
Sa: "Y'know they look kinda cute with a lab coat."
A: "They still got their dick out though."
Z: "You don't know it's a dick!"
A: "Well until one of them comes out to teach me all about Vortigese biology that's what I'm assuming!"
Sa: "Dare I ask why you got dicks on your mind?"
A: "Shinji doesn't go about waving his dick everywhere!"
Sh: "As much as you'd prefer that."
Asuka spluttered a giggle. "Hehe shuddup!" And nudging him with her elbow.
Abandoned In Place (1:17:35)
Ke: "Why do I get the feeling something bad's about to happen?"
Ky: "There was a loading screen, that's never a good sign."
As soon as Kensuke stepped a foot forward, the alarm sounded again. "…Ah fuck there's ammo crates!"
Z: "You're about to get your ass handed to!"
The person that was going to help Freeman was immediately murdered by a hunter. "Unlucky bastard."
Ke: "Can't help if the story says you die huh."
Magnusson meanwhile was panicking. "Don't think I'd want him at the helm of a red alert."
Mi: "Yeah he's not really holding it together, but at least he's still functioning."
Ke: "Uhh I can go through here…" Down a service tunnel. "Gah!"
More hunters. "God damn it stop killing them!"
Re: "Perhaps those alarms weren't false alarms after all."
Ke: "Shit I'm gonna have to get closer to it…"
He'd emerge from the tunnel, laying down the fire on them, as the manhacks buzzed above. "Back to the tunnel!" At least it served to draw them closer to his cover, made it a little bit easier to take shots at them. "Okay where to from here…"
One dropped dead from the magnum. "Nice!"
E: "Watch the health buddy."
Ke: "I'm trying but it's a bit hard to move under here!"
Mi: "Well get out into the open!"
Ke: "Might have to." In a sigh. "Going for it!"
He ran out, and fought, and promptly died. "Well that went well!" Kyoko lied.
Ke: "Mmmngh…" As he reloaded. "We try again!"
Sa: "I think you just need to get outta there as fast as you can."
Ke: "Yeah I think so as well, I should be able to do laps of this place to keep them off my ass at least."
The gas bottles around also helped out. Until one blew up in his face. "No! I don't wanna die again!" Luckily a health pickup came in clutch. "Avoided it!"
Z: "For a few more minutes."
He'd get another one, but now he was in a bit of a precarious situation health wise. "Okay I know this doesn't look great but I can get over it!"
Ri: "You're burning through all your health."
Ke: "I'm working on it!" Back in the tunnel. "Gods I hate how they can shoot through that!"
Finding some more health only for one to get the jump on him. "No please!"
He was dead. "Bastard!"
Much to the amusement of his partners. "Cash moves everything around us, Sa!"
Kensuke would be a lot more aggressive this time around, killing one dead immediately. "I hate them! Where are they?!"
A: "Now that's the aggression we wanna see!"
Another was blown up. "Hah! Give me another to kill!"
One would drop down from a gantry. "There you are!" Throwing a bomb in its face. "Hah!"
And a few shots from the magnum would end it. "There! Happy?!"
Mi: "Maybe you would make a good Eva pilot."
Ri: "You're not having one of my students pilot when you have other perfectly messed up pilots already."
A: "Yeah! Hey wait-"
Kensuke found his way up to a walkway, flares thrown down. "Oh you wanna come play now too, eh?!" With a wide and somewhat crazed smile. "Oooh well then buddy, let's fucking dance!"
Blasting one dead, he fumbled a barrel. "Oh c'mon turrets are cheating!"
Mi: "You had ample opportunity."
He was down to fourteen health. "Maybe I'm just making this a challenge!"
Sa: "You of all people don't need more challenge!"
He was dead in ten seconds flat.
An unamused look towards Sayaka.
Sa: "Told ya so." Poking her tongue out.
Hand slammed on the keyboard to try again. "Now I know though."
The turret was sorted out quick this time around. So he thought. "Oh come on!"
Ri: "This is what happens when you don't verify something's dead, now you're in a tough situation!"
It was instead a soldier spawned behind him. "How'd he get there?! Oh whatever he's dead now."
More were gunned down, Kensuke throwing down a few grenades to flush some out. "So new goal is closing the silo?"
Ky: "What's stopping them from sending a strider to torch the place? Only takes a good shot to end the resistance."
Ke: "Crud there's a turret there as well…" And soldiers, who sent down flaming barrels in attempt to kill Freeman. "We're playing that game huh?"
Kensuke sent a barrel flying towards the guilty party, them becoming nothing but smear on a wall. "Bastard!"
He'd run straight into a hunter. "Oh fuck off!" Using a whole heap of shotgun and a gas bottle to end it. "You're a bastard too!"
Re: "At least he is a dead bastard now."
Kensuke eventually found somewhere to swim in, navigating into the silo proper.
A: "Why the hell was this silo open anyway?"
H: "Are we sure they hadn't breached through? Can you even close it?"
Ke: "Knowing Magnusson he'd be very angry if I didn't, and I'm not sure I wanna deal with that right now."
Z: "So you'd rather deal with the Combine than his cranky self."
Ke: "Yeah." Killing some Combine. "At least the Combine don't try to talk down to you- I swear that one just fell to his death."
Mi: "Doesn't surprise me considering their training."
Ke: "Shit an autogun!" Running head first into it, the manhacks not helping his case. "A-ha!"
The rocket launcher was used. "Would say that was overkill, but there's no such thing!" Cheered Misato.
It didn't even kill everyone there, Kensuke down to critical health. "Oh for fuck's sake!" A grenade didn't get it either. "It didn't even underkill it!" As he had to start doing it the hard way.
Z: "How long have they been in the facility anyway! To have the time to set up emplacements like that!"
Kensuke managed to make it through, closing the launch bay doors. "And you can go fuck yourself!" Shooting the advisor, it not appearing to appreciate it.
Re: "Are we sure it is wise to shoot the being that could kill you with a thought?"
Sa: "If he wanted Kensuke dead he should've just done it!"
Ky: "You should've used that freakin' autogun."
Ke: "Damn it I could've!"
Crisis was averted, Magnusson commanding everyone back to work.
Mi: "Damn at least we have a briefing afterwards…"
A: "Surely that's deserving of at least a smoke break!"
Ri: "I think everyone there's gonna need a cigarette after that."
Aurora Borealis (1:33:40)
Alyx could definitely breathe a sigh of relief, Gordon having saved the day for the 1200th time this week. "Alright, now what?"
Ma: "Well I doubt the Combine will go quietly after that."
E: "I don't think they've left at all, they're probably still trying to get in through the launch doors."
H: "I thought they would've just blasted their way in."
Ri: "Turns out the poor planning goes all the way up the chain."
Ky: "How did we lose to these bastards in seven hours again?"
Sh: "Earth made them lazy, they got used to abusing humanity and got comfortable."
Uriah beckoned the Freeman follow. "I'm always following something why can't I lead something for once…" Kensuke would complain in Gordon's stead. "Will he ever get to do something for himself?!"
A: "Y'know the answer is probably not."
Mi: "Shit even from a meta standpoint, as long as he's a player character, he'll never have full control over himself."
Sa: "I think you just broke my brain with that."
Re: "At least Gordon never acknowledges he is a slave to the whims of the player. I have seen a few games that made comment on that."
Ky: "There's some whack dating sim that does that, what's the one with that crazy pink haired chick Ken?"
Ke: "Gonna have to narrow it down Kyo."
Ky: "Seifuku that barely went below the panty line?"
Ke: "…Yeah that still doesn't narrow it down much."
Sa: "Is that the one with the weird ribbons?"
Ke: "Weird ribbons… Tiffany?"
Ky: "Yeah that chick! It's like she didn't try to speak with the player, she always tried speaking with you."
Sa: "Don't think you even liked that one that much, eh Ken?"
Ke: "Yeah yanderes make me uncomfortable, I preferred the previous instalments of that series."
A: "There's more of them?"
Ky: "There's like twelve Romance Academy's, Asuka."
Ke: "All from different studios." In a huff. "Despite its popularity it can't seem to stick with a single dev, so each game may as well be different both in scope and quality."
Ri: "Who else here has heard of that game series?"
Crickets.
Ky: "Eh I think it's more popular in America anyway." Kyoko shrugged.
Ke: "It's made in Japan so I'm surprised it's not talked about more."
A: "Aren't dating sims for losers anyway?"
Ke: "Why do you think I was playing it."
That got a splutter from Asuka. "Own goal right there."
Ky: "Oh I had that lined up as well."
Ke: "Yeah thought I'd get that in before Kyo or Sa could."
E: "Smart."
They made way into a loading zone. "So she went north, and they're somewhere eastern Europe area. There's not too many places north goes to from there."
Sh: "Well you either end up in Scandinavia or the Arctic Circle, right?"
Judith's transmission was playing out on the big screen (well it was nine smaller CRT screens (well eight actually, one wasn't working)). "God even that would use a ton of power."
Ri: "Did you know we saved billions of Yen in our power bill when we switched from using CRT screens to LCDs in the Geofront?"
Ky: "How much of a drop in the ocean is that?"
Mi: "We don't even have a bill, we're the ones making the power for Tokyo-3!"
Ri "Well it's still good to save power for other purposes."
There was something else there.
Ri: "…No fucking way."
Ke: "What did I say when I found reference to the Borealis in Portal 2? A dry dock buried kilometres underground, how else could it have come out!"
A: "Wait Aperture are in this universe?! Like I know they mentioned Black Mesa in the first game but I thought that was just a joke!"
Mi: "So wait what, they just teleported this boat to nowhere?"
Ma: "And they just had this tech laying about. Kensuke when did they have this tech?"
Ke: "The seventies."
Z: "They've had this tech which the Combine and Resistance have been scrambling to make and they've just kept it to themselves huh."
Ri: "Shit even we could use that, do you know how much easier it could make things if we could just scramble your particles and transmit them like data?"
Re: "The soul would still be an issue."
A: "Maybe you could tunnel it somehow. Actually it might just be easier to make a Dirac portal between points instead of damn near killing you and putting you back together soul and all somewhere else."
Mi: "Eh, a teleporter by any other name."
Ke: "We are so tearing this game apart for those documents huh."
Ri: "Oh I've already got the Magi on it."
H: "Are they seriously arguing over the vessel? Would it even have anything?" In thought. "All the teleportation hardware would've been outside of the vessel?"
E: "Not unless the Borealis had a jump drive of some sort, somewhere within the vessel. Activate it and it teleports the vessel to a specific point."
Ri: "Y'know, that's kinda unlike Eli to fret about that kinda power. He would've been all over wanting that."
Re: "Perhaps this is his added experience being leader of the Resistance."
Mi: "And part of me thinks if God is merciful and he survived being ripped into the Dirac, he'd probably be exactly the same."
Ri: "But you can't push forward science by being conservative. You need to manage the risks, sure, but you can't just stop because you're worried about the power you may be unleashing. Oppenheimer thought the first nuke could set the atmosphere alight but he still went ahead with it. We know the Evangelion can end the world but we still use them and develop them."
Ke: "So this means Mossman is still alive then?"
Ky: "Might be getting another episode out of this."
Ritsuko had an averse look, that wouldn't be caught on by the player.
Sa: "Man he's really not liking that thing huh?!"
E: "He's afraid it could fall into the Combine's hands. Which, if anything Aperture would fall into the Combine… y'know what, it'd probably just kill them."
Re: "Part of me can't imagine GLaDOS would appreciate the Combine trying to pass influence on her."
Ma: "I wonder if they even know a crazed computer is running the joint."
Z: "Y'know since they're now both confirmed to be in the same universe, they very well could've tried running a resistance of their own."
A: "Ah yes, GLaDOS, hater of humanity, leading the resistance. She'd probably align with the Combine!"
Ky: "Nah I think Rei has it, she'd absolutely not align with anyone. Everyone gets the neurotoxin!"
… (1:37:45)
On Magnusson's request, Kleiner went back to the code.
Mi: "Man that serious to him eh?"
Re: "We know the gravity of Black Mesa at this point. The technology must be Xen based in that instant."
Ri: "Or he at least thinks it's Xen based."
A: "At least our weird slip dimension is relatively relaxed in comparison… I mean, there's nothing in comparison, more like. It's literally nothing."
Mi: "Makes it less dangerous at least, as long as you don't get trapped there."
The G-Man's message would be forwarded, Eli's shock so great he literally collapsed. "Uh oh…"
E: "I get the impression we're well beyond whatever they had scripted."
Ky: "He better not die at the end of this!"
Sa: "Congrats Kyoko you just freakin' murdered him."
Z: "They still have tea?"
Sh: "Look it's a few decades old but it's better than nothing at this point."
Ma: "Bet they wouldn't have any milk with it…"
Mi: "I'm not gonna say anything."
Ri: "I was praying to the Gods you wouldn't."
Alyx made her leave, Kensuke settling on the couch next to Eli to hear his story.
Re: "Just don't think about the fact he's crouching at him."
Ke: "Hey from my perspective it kinda looks like sitting!"
He would mention their mutual friend. "Ah, he has had dealings with them too."
Mi: "Remember Ritsuko, if you see a weird looking dude in a suit, don't talk to them."
Ri: "I tend not to anyway but thanks for the reminder."
Sh: "What if we do see them?"
Mi: "I hope you don't cause then we're gonna have a problem."
Z: "He sees himself as responsible for all that?"
E: "I mean he was overseeing the experiment, and obviously made the decision to run the test despite the concerns. Hell, maybe that's why he's so concerned about the Borealis."
A: "What would you have done in his shoes, Ritsuko?"
Ri: "Well I'd want a more reliable way of shutting down the anti-mass spectrometer, even a destructive shutdown could've been enough to stop it in its tracks. Like, if things started going haywire, just blow it up. Monitor for weird anomalies and halt it as soon as something weird's picked up. I definitely wouldn't be running it at 100% power, shit apparently it was a pure sample so I would've started at even less power."
Mi: "And he accepted a sample from a strange man in a suit, surely the G-Man wasn't even employed by Black Mesa at that point in time!"
Ke: "I dunno he was in and around the joint, he very well could've played the long game on that front."
Alyx would come back with the tea. Well, it was an empty cup, which made sense considering the world. "H-Hey I'm sitting here girl!"
Mi: "Oh get a room you two!"
Sa: "Right in front of your father as well!"
A: "Damn you're really getting inside her right there!"
It was nowhere near as sexual as they were making it out to be, turns out Alyx was scripted to sit right where Kensuke was currently. "eGAH! THIS IS WEIRD!"
E: "I thought she had a lot more going on in that skull of hers."
Even worse, Magnusson waltzed right in. "Oh my fucking God imagine if you were like that and he walked in!" Kyoko would paint the picture.
Sh: "I don't think I want to imagine that, thank you."
Z: "How many times has Misato caught you two like that?"
A: "Oh whenever we do it on the couch we're always aware of if the door opens, we're pretty good at scrambling to the bedroom."
Mi: "Y'know what I think I will pay for cleaners to come through tomorrow…"
Re: "How disappointing, I am sure Alyx would have appreciated some of that time by now."
Ke: "Yeah well we all know how Magnusson is like…" As Kensuke followed him out.
Ma: "They… aren't gonna talk later are they?"
Ke: "No probably not, that was a nail in the coffin right there."
War of the Worlds (1:40:20)
The striders were coming! "Yeah well what the hell do you want me to do about it?"
Ky: "Be Gordon Freeman?"
Sa: "So same as the whole game… well, three games prior at this point."
The whiteboard explained it a million times better than Magnusson could ever hope to. "Ohh that's cool!"
Ri: "Shit that might even be okay for us to build… I'm guessing it's just a sticky bomb of some sort, though not sure why it doesn't have a radio trigger or timer instead of relying on a bullet… tie it to a button in the Evangelion and detonate it remotely, and use shooting it as a last resort. Crap that's actually a good idea!" She'd exclaim. "Finally something easy to build from this game!"
Mi: "Well you say that."
Ri: "It's a sticky bomb, how hard can it be?"
E: "We are not calling it the Magnusson Device."
Ri: "Oh yeah, no chance we're calling it that. What should we call it then…"
Sh: "Could just call it a sticky bomb."
Mi: "Nah, everything NERV needs to have a complicated acronym. How about 'Magnetic Ordinance, Remote Operated Munition'?"
A: "Oh so MORON?!"
Mi: "Yeah, name it after Magnusson!"
That got some laughs. "While that's funny I don't think we should be naming any weapon MORON."
Mi: "Aww c'mon! You know I have the final say when it comes to weapon names!"
Ri: "If I don't come up with a better name."
Re: "Part of me does not believe he didn't chose the label."
Ke: "Wonder how they feel on having their name on a device like that, Nobel hated being known for dynamite."
H: "Are they sitting on the high explosive?"
Z: "Surely that isn't comfortable."
A: "Maybe he's into that kinda thing!"
E: "And… is that a teleporter for that thing?'
Sh: "They've already developed it! Just increase the size of it!"
Ri: "If only it were that easy."
A: "Well obviously it is, teleporters already exist in that world, albeit they require a lot more power and planning. That looks like you could just plug in a wall socket!"
Ke: "Is that his Black Mesa ID badge?" Zooming in on it, not listening to a word of his conversation.
Mi: "He's really holding onto that isn't he."
Luckily for Freeman, he'd be able to demo using the Magnusson Device before the real thing. "Man imagine the effort they had to put in to get that up."
Sh: "Hundreds died to get that up there, you better appreciate it!"
It was very easy to handle. "Y'know the pistol might even be okay for this one…" In his idle thought, as the challenge increased. "Okay… shouldn't be more difficult at this range."
The first throw went over. "You were saying?"
Ke: "Damn it I didn't want him to be smug about it…" Grabbing another one. "How about- there we go!"
Shooting it. "There!"
His next few attempts went better. "Oh yeah pistol works magic for that!"
Ri: "Well, at the very least, we can see how well you go under the pressure of imminent destruction."
Ke: "Mah I'll be fine!"
Z: "Ohhh he was the person who put that casserole in the microwave! I was wondering who that was!"
Mi: "What happened with his casserole?"
Z: "Blew up in the microwave."
Mi: "Well why the hell was he not supervising it!"
Z: "Beats me, I call that just desserts for not being aware of your own food!"
Ma: "They were a leading research facility and still had to bring their own food in?"
Ke: "Well I suppose if you have leftovers you may as well, beats paying for food when you have plenty to spare."
Ma: "I just have any leftovers for dinner the next night." In a shrug. "Like it's free to employees why wouldn't you go for it?"
Ri: "It doesn't even cost that much for us to provide, keeps morale up when they know they don't have to worry about food if they don't want to. Sure it's probably not the greatest in quality but you're gonna get that with mass produced buffet food anyway."
Mi: "I think it's pretty good actually! That lunch ramen they make is nice, even if I can't exactly describe the taste."
… (1:44:30)
The Charger was all gassed up and ready to go, a Magnusson Device holder mounted on back. "Now these weapons are gonna come in handy!"
Mi: "The mods to the car seem pretty neat as well. Nav upgrades!"
A: "Your car could use that."
Mi: "My car could use any upgrade."
Ke: "Okay north to the sawmill…"
Ky: "Though I suppose the plan is 'kill all sons of bitches'."
Ke: "Well yeah but that's the fallback plan ain't it? If I could have a cohesive plan that might be better."
Sa: "It's gonna be 'kill all sons of bitches' Ken."
Ke: "Yeah probably, why should I even bother going to the meeting."
E: "What if you want to see their faces before they horribly perish?"
Z: "They're all the same few faces anyway Eliza!"
And so Kensuke would enter the car. "Well, old American iron don't fail me now!"
The perimeter was still clear at least. "Is that the sawmill? No…"
He'd find it following the railroad tracks. "There we go, now, what's the plan peeps?"
Sh: "'Don't die', for one."
A: "Well they're gonna fuck that up."
H: "Gotta have some confidence in them, surely!"
Mi: "Nah they may as well be cannon fodder at this point."
Ke: "A dozen striders- do you know how many that is?!"
Re: "Twelve."
Ke: "Okay I know how many that is, but those big Angel thingies, that's a lot!"
A: "How many of those MPs did we face the first time?"
Sh: "I think we faced twelve, I can't really remember for sure… they all just blended in with each other after a while."
Ri: "An oddity with the Rift material the Magi noticed is only nine MPs were deployed during the prelude to Third Impact."
A: "Huh, wonder if that means they couldn't get the others built in time. I mean not that it mattered; I still got my ass murdered by them and they still started Third Impact!"
Ke: "Wait they can start Third Impact?!"
Mi: "Any Evangelion can start Third Impact Kensuke. Remember girls!"
Ky: "Death penalty for snitching…"
Mi: "Yep!" In a cheer.
Re: "At least the hunters can be wiped out with your vehicle."
An alert would ring out. "Oop, here we go!" Immediately jumping into the Charger and, well, charging the first strider. "Okay, twelve all up."
A hunter became roadkill, Kensuke jumping from the car and throwing the device onto the strider, blowing it up in short order.
A: "Erste!"
Ri: "Eleven more to go Kensuke."
Ke: "I know." Making way to another device. And lucky he picked it up, because the sawmill was blown up. "Oh I'm gutting you for that!"
The hunter blew up his Magnusson Device. "Damn it!"
Re: "Got out too early."
Z: "They're all gonna have them, won't they?"
Ke: "Gah fine I'll work with this!" Another hunter was run over, Kensuke on the hunt for another device and picking up some health along the way. "Okay, bit of a setback but we got it!"
E: "Man I would not wanna be relying on some old iron like that."
Ke: "Yeah well I kinda have to at this point."
He would come up behind it, practically ditching his car into the wall, and within five seconds another strider was in pieces. "Zweite!"
Another one was picked up. "So pick off the hunters first, easy enough." As another appeared. "Ten more it should be."
Ma: "And that was just the ones they counted as well. Could very well be more."
Ke: "Okay water tower is there…" Handbrake turning. "Let's get the hunters first this time…"
He got one, but despite landing the device on the strider, another hunter knocked it off. "Oh fuck you!" Now he was in a precarious situation, between a log and a hunter. "I'm stuck!"
A: "Makes you appreciate the mobility of an Evangelion, huh Shinji?'
Sh: "Ooh yeah, wouldn't wanna be stuck behind a wheel in that high stress situation."
Ke: "Come on man!"
Another strider would appear. "Damn it!"
Z: "It's snowballing!"
Trying again but the hunter was relentless in removing them. "Okay fuck you then!" Dispatching it with a flurry of crossbow bolts. "Now you fucker!"
The Magnussons weren't working for this one, Kensuke switching to the rocket launcher upon seeing some of White Forest use them.
Which didn't work, the alarms sounding as the strider grew close. "FUCK!"
Ky: "I think the game wants you to use those Magnusson Devices, Ken."
Ke: "Damn it it's so far away now! GET OUT OF THE WAY-" At a medic blocking the door.
Mi: "And whose fault was that?!"
Kensuke barely got there in time, blowing up the strider as it honed in on the silo. "Oh my fucking- the next one's that close!" This time immediately dispatching the hunters, taking care of another strider in short order. "Four!"
Sa: "Gods I'm stressed just watching you Ken…"
Ke: "How do you think it feels doing it!"
Sh: "You should try Misato's job sometime."
E: "At least you know where the sawmill is."
Kensuke attempted to hit and run the hunters, to limited success. "I'm stuck!" Desperately using the gravity gun to unlodge his car.
Much to everyones amusement. "And this is the dude saving the world?"
Ke: "Yeah yeah I like to see you try!"
Z: "Oh we have in fact."
H: "Several times actually."
Re: "They have a whole show about it, you should watch it sometime."
Ke: "Alright I get it!"
E: "Oh wow they've actually learned to dodge you!"
Ke: "That's why I'm not hitting them like I used to!"
Ma: "I think it's a little bit more than that…"
Ke: "Well fuck you then!" Blasting its face in with rockets. "Shit it got the Magnusson!"
Ma: "That's for being mean!"
The fifth strider was got. "Hah!"
Ri: "There's still the water tower."
Ke: "Let me have this!"
Ri: "Not until you're done with it!"
As soon as he got in the vehicle another strider was spotted. "Oh for goodness sake!"
Making it to a strider he immediately botched the throw. "FUCK!" And the next one hit a tree. "Damn it!"
Sa: "Just be glad the Combine can't get their act together for anything Kensuke."
The alarms sounded again. "Shit!"
Mi: "I gotta save that alarm somewhere, it's perfect for inducing stress!"
Ke: "IT BOUNCED OFF THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Luckily there was one nearby. "Fucking six, and more to go!"
Sh: "That's generally how it goes, yeah."
Last Legs (1:56:25)
Another Magnusson was picked up, Kensuke gunning it to the next strider.
Not quick enough for the game, obviously, another precious cache being blown up. "Bastard!" Immediately getting the car stuck again. "Damn it!"
Mi: "While this definitely could be going better, you haven't outright failed it yet."
Ke: "I will never hear the end of it if I fail this late into the game."
Ky: "You're God damn right!"
More hunters were roadkill. "Hah! Anticipated that this time!"
Seven were down. "Okay moment to breathe, need a Magnusson…"
E: "I would recommend being more out in the field as well for when they appear."
Ke: "Mhm, we have a good break here, good chance to get ahead of the curve."
As Kensuke was driving to the water tower, a strider would be spotted by it. "Good idea Eliza!"
E: "I try!"
With the hunters quickly dispatched, the eighth strider fell quickly (but not before taking out another cache). "Screw you too man!"
Good news! There was another break!
Bad news, they were dropping even more striders nearby. "Oh for goodness sake…"
Ri: "Well, you've done alright so far. Let's see how you go here."
Ke: "I'll get it, don't you worry a minute."
Ma: "Dunno about the rest of you but I've been worrying."
A: "Can we see the dropship?"
Ke: "Uhh there!" Following it by vehicle. "One, two…"
Following one to the cranes, it would pop up on radar. "Time's up, let's do this!"
Three striders would spawn in, Kensuke cool in dispatching the hunters by the cranes. "Nine."
No point going for the others until he had a Magnusson, he figured by now. "Man this is gonna be cutting it close now our distant caches are gone."
Re: "That turbo is going to get some use."
Sh: "And I hear another dropship!"
Ke: "Oh yeah like we need more!"
Sneaking up behind one. "No hunters!" Cheered Kyoko. "Murder his ass!"
He would. "Ten."
The other strider would pop up by the sawmill. "Still only two, we've managed that."
Oops there was a third. "I should just stop talking…"
Z: "At this point they should really allow you to run while carrying something."
Ke: "Man I know right?!"
Another strider was dispatched despite the efforts of a hunter."Okay that was close, eleven- GET OUT OF THE WAY-" As he kept colliding with a strider's legs. "Shit that one's a lot closer!"
The alarms would sound out again. "Okay okay I get it!"
Re: "The trees are once again proving to be an enemy."
They could only stop him for so long. "Twelve, one more to go hopefully."
The thirteenth would fall in an unremarkable fashion. "Alright!" Cheered Sayaka.
Kensuke was still tense. "Is… that it?" And breathing heavy. "Is that all of them?"
Mi: "I think it is, and one more than we thought it'd be at that!"
A beat.
Before a relieved sigh. "Hell yeah!" Now widely smiling, taking the Charger for a 'oh my God we're all alive' joyride. "Wooooo!"
A: "Heh, nothing like risking your own skin to make you feel alive!"
Sh: "Oh it's a rush like no other!"
Re: "A shame it requires near death to obtain."
A: "Eh sex gets you close."
Ky: "Well that's a lot easier to do at least."
Sa: "And you don't have to risk your life!"
Ky: "Depending on what gets your socks off that is."
E: "You don't have anything like that right?"
Ky: "Well no but it's a hypothetical y'know!"
Mi: "I damn well hope it's a hypothetical!" Half in jest. "What did I say to you two?"
A: "'No sexual activity that may result in our hospitalisation'." Like she were reading it off the rule board of the Thug Tug.
Re: "You do know that could just be any sexual activity."
Mi: "Yes I heard the story of that French president having a cardiac arrest while getting blown, no I don't think that'll happen to young spry individuals like you two."
A: "Oh good so I can still suck Shinji's dick then, I had that booked in my calendar for tonight."
Sh: "Asuka!"
Kensuke was good at tuning out such talk at this point, eventually making his way back to White Forest, to the rapture of the rebels within. "Hehe hell yeah! Got it done!"
Z: "None of the Swanians were as cheerful when they saw us come out of the Evangelion."
H: "To be fair they did have their whole army wiped off the face of the Earth."
Mi: "Their army consisted of LandCruisers and fifty year old fighter jets. If even the modern army of the UN stood no chance against the Angels, they stood even less of a chance."
Ke: "Well, I'm guessing we're getting close to the end of the game." Looking around the Charger one more time (and knocking it around a fair bit). "This wasn't so bad honestly."
Re: "Could have been more reliable, but you would be hard pressed to find a vehicle that consistently holds up against energy weaponry with so little armament."
Ke: "Yeah not a bad little rig huh." Entering into White Forest. "Gives the Cruiser a run for its money!"
Mi: "Well I wouldn't put it on that high a pedestal."
E: "I dunno it's holding up to quite a few energy blasts."
Ma: "Man they're exhausted… Reminds me of how we end up."
Mi: "Even just the mental exhaustion can get to you."
Alyx was showing Gordon in the complements. "Heh, figures she's impressed."
Sh: "I mean you did just save them, so that helps."
Ke: "And holy crap I didn't even die during that!" He'd beam. "Not so bad!"
Re: "Perhaps we can finalise the death counter here then."
E: "That will make it fifty six deaths all up."
Ke: "Fifty six?! FIFTY SIX?!"
Ky: "Hell yeah! Fifty six thousand Yen to us Sa!"
A: "How circular of an economy is that anyway?"
Sa: "Oh we spoil Kensuke with his own money, believe us!"
H: "Well someone's gotta spend it."
Mi: "Damn did she just tap him or something?"
Re: "She wants him."
Ma: "Tell us something that isn't new."
T-Minus One (2:06:45)
The launch was in its final stages. "That's some balls to keep the launch process going despite the attack."
Ri: "Time is of the essence, Kyoko. You can't let a basic thing like thirteen striders get in the way of that."
Mi: "This launch needs to be perfect, doesn't it?"
A: "And they're running on ancient tech that's been rotting for God knows how long."
Sh: "Do we think they'll get it?"
Re: "I think they will. But the G-Man's unforeseen consequences may rear its head."
Ke: "Honestly after going to all this effort to get here with the codes and get rid of those striders, I'm gonna be fucking pissed if that rocket fails… man is he still sweeping floors?"
E: "The difference is they're doing it willingly." At the Vortigaunt.
Ky: "Of fucking course he complements the device he created before he complements you!"
Ri: "No one said he was a pleasant person to work with."
H: "You can tell how absolutely pained he was to say that 'thank you' right there."
Mi: "I can bet a million Yen that's the most he's ever complemented someone in his life right there though."
Ma: "No flight termination?"
Ke: "I mean he's right, there's no point in flight termination considering the sheer lack of friendly territory."
Ri: "Not like they have the capacity to make another rocket anyway."
A: "I can only assume that helicopter is what we'll be using to get to the north next episode, huh?"
Ke: "Well yeah can only assume that. I'm guessing Mossman used one to get up there, heck that might've been the same helicopter."
Ma: "Do we want to trust a presumedly Soviet helicopter that's been aging for decades?"
A: "Look on the bright side, it'd be just as reliable as the day it came off the factory floor!"
E: "So not reliable?"
A: "Yeah!"
Ke: "Boy am I glad this rocket looks like an American design… somehow."
Sa: "Pfft, wonder what that payload anomaly is."
Z: "Hopefully that damn headcrab!"
Ky: "Wonder if they say nine and a half pounds if you put the gnome in it."
Ke: "Are you still going on about that gnome?!" Entering the launch nexus. "Ooh they have the hula lady!"
Mi: "God damn it Magnusson stop fucking your own ass for a second!"
Ri: "You can't have that sort of narcissism nowadays."
Mi: "Well we all know about Breen and what happened to Quebec, and Magnusson was at least significant in Nevada and look what happened there."
Ky: "You guys had a Quebec branch?"
Mi: "Death penalty!"
Ky: "Fine I won't ask any questions…" In a harrumph.
Ke: "I'm guessing all these screens are the telemetry printouts huh…"
E: "And there's still at least one computer with a bluescreen on it!"
Ri: "The thing is that style bluescreen hasn't even been used in ages. That looks like an NT bluescreen."
A: "How do you know that?"
Ri: "Because my mother had to deal with Windows NT when I was a child?"
The launch button was prepared. "Heh, lunch button!"
A: "Well once we're done we can all go to lunch!"
Z: "Dinner in this case!"
H: "Well it'd have to be a quick dinner."
Ritsuko quickly looked at the time before relaxing. "Oh phew we still have a few hours before it's due."
Z: "Thought you were running low on time chief?"
Ri: "Well we always are so I always assume the worst."
The button was pressed. "Okay let's see how we go!"
White Forest would shake as the thrusters activated. "C'mon…"
The rocket would take off, ascending at rapid pace up and out. "HOLY SHIT IT'S WORKING!" Kensuke was very excited at the prospect. "Look at it! Awesome!"
Magnusson was enjoying the prospect as well. "It's moving faster than I would've thought."
Ri: "Speed is of the essence at least, don't want anything to destroy it at this point- oh wow they even got the banking towards the orbit!"
Ke: "DAMN IT I'M STUCK AGAIN!"
Ky: "Oh you don't mind being stuck to Alyx."
Ke: "It's Eli I'm more worried about!"
E: "Watch as this is the last time we see either of them." As Alyx, Eli, and Gordon went to see the fireworks.
Before they would though, Eli pulled Gordon for an aside. "Oh do we have a choice in destroying the Borealis?! Or are we gonna get forced to!"
Sa: "Dang you're really feeling for Gordon's plight eh?"
Ke: "Can the man just have an inch of independence for once in his dang life?!"
Mi: "Oh my God he's calling you his son. He's so going to fucking die in the next five minutes isn't he."
A: "Ooh yeah he's a dead man walking at this point."
Ke: "If he dies I swear to anything out there I'm not gonna be happy."
E: "There was word of unforeseen consequences. Nothing's guaranteed at this point."
Even Dog was out there to watch the event.
The Xenian resonator was activated.
And the portal closed. "Hell fucking yes!" As Kensuke slammed the keyboard. "Hell yeah let's fucking go!"
Re: "There you go. The Combine are stranded on Earth. Unless they can figure out a way of triggering another resonance cascade."
Ri: "In that universe it seems more likely than would be considered normal."
Mi: "I have never heard of a resonance cascade happening."
Ri: "It's a theoretical worse case scenario when dealing with anti-mass spectrometry, it's not something you have to deal with normally."
Mi: "Do I have to veto any anti-mass spectrometry done by NERV?"
Ri: "Oh I never done it anyway, even then we don't have the resources to do such thing. And it's not worth the investment for what may be only a few times we have to use it."
Mi: "What would we even use it for?"
E: "Might be good to figure out what element the Kleinium stuff is."
A: "God I can't stand Magnusson, it's always about him and his rocket!"
H: "Well at the very least we won't have to deal with him for much longer. Sounds like you're just gonna get in that helicopter and just get going, right?"
Sh: "Well that's the dream, but what better time for a curveball!"
Dog seemed to be hyperaware of something going on, going off into the wilderness.
Mi: "You know what they say about dogs knowing stuff before humans do, earthquakes health issues all that."
They would enter the hanger. "Oh Gods what the hell is that…" Kensuke tried to identify it. "MI-8? No the tail rotor's on the wrong way for that- that'd make it an MI-17!"
A: "Another Soviet era design?!"
Ri: "We use MI-17s, cheap and surprisingly reliable."
A: "Remind me to not step foot in a NERV helicopter."
Ke: "You'd be surprised how much Russian hardware has made it to Japanese shores, especially with Second Impact and our re-militarisation. Thing to know about Russia: they are incredibly corrupt and would sell anything for a quick buck, including their military hardware. And Japan still had a load of money from our boom in the 90s, so it was an easy way of re-militarising."
Ri: "Didn't turn out well for them in the mid 2000s when they tried flexing their might. I mean for crying out loud how do you get defeated by Estonia of all states…"
Mi: "Didn't we actually defeat them in naval combat as well?"
Ke: "Are you talking about 1905 or 2005?"
Mi: "Wait we did it twice?!"
Ke: "Oh it was a source of great interest when it happened: one century out, using mostly Russian hardware, the depleted Japanese once more defeated Russian forces in the sea of Japan! Shit, reading that story was what got me big into military things!"
Ky: "I mean it's great hearing about how we absolutely fucked a world power like that!"
Sh: "I'm surprised they didn't use their nukes on us…"
Ri: "Rumour is they tried to launch them but one of two things happened: the generals all rebelled and it had to be hushed up, or every one of them failed due to aforementioned corruption."
Ke: "And it had to be hushed up." Snickering. "Yeah I never said the Russians were competent with their hardware. Even if you make the best hammer in the world, if people think it's a screwdriver and try to use it as such, it's gonna be shit."
Speaking of shit, "Oh shit!"
(2:13:05)
An Advisor burst through the windows. "And here is the unforeseen consequence." Quietly mused Rei.
"Who are they going for then?"
"Who has the most info on the Resistance?"
"I fucking knew it!" Asuka exclaimed. "I saw the death flags from miles away!"
Eli outright threw Alyx and Gordon away from it, attempting to take it on himself. "I still wish the hands or whatever they are looked a bit better, but we are running it on an old Windows machine so, y'know."
"It runs it better than the Magi and that's all that matters."
A grumble by Ritsuko at Sayaka's comment.
"Oh shit he actually got a hit on it!" Cheered Zero Two. "Shame he's gonna die like in the next few seconds."
Another Advisor would come in, handling the dirty work with Eli. "And looks like we're next!" Cheered Shinji. "At least it'll be quick!"
"If things end like that I swear on everything-"
Dog had his concerns regarding their treatment of Alyx and Gordon, bodying and injuring one of the Advisors, prompting them both to flee.
"Well not that it matters to Eli anymore." Cooly assessed Ritsuko. "So if what they are doing is scanning the brain destructively, they now have everything on the Resistance. They know where the Borealis is, they know where the major bases of operation are, they know the command structure and who to go for next. The Resistance may have won the battle today but they have just had a really bad setback."
And with the destroyed Alyx crying over her father's body, the credits rolled.
"Oh Gods and that's how they end it!" Kensuke exclaimed. "Holy crap… what the hell can we even do in this situation?"
"All we can do is play the next episode." Thought Shinji. "Whenever we may have time for that."
Kensuke sighed. "Hate it when they leave it on a cliffhanger."
"Yeah about that Kensuke." Ritsuko hated to break the news considering how it all ended. "There's no third episode. Or third Half-Life."
A quiet moment for thought. "…What?"
"Mhm."
"That's stupid!" Asuka was angry at that. "Who the hell is sending us this shit, why couldn't they give us the third one! We're just gonna be left on this cliffhanger for the rest of our lives?!"
"I thought there was another archive!"
"There's no indication it has the third game in this episodic series. In fact it only seems to consist of a software tool called Hammer, haven't had a good look at it yet."
She'd stand up. "And I won't be able to have a good look at it for a while." Sighing, lighting up a cigarette. "I've had something urgent come up. I'll be in Boston over the weekend. Kensuke, I've entrusted Maya with my responsibilities, you'll be reporting to her throughout."
"Yes Sempai!"
"Man I'm kinda glad we had this weekend booked already." Sayaka snickered. "Speaking of, Kyo I don't think we've got much time before our train."
Looking at the clock. "Crap, yeah we need to shoot."
"Is Kensuke coming with?"
"I wanted him to stick around for the sync tests, teach him how we run them."
"Would've loved to be with Sayaka for her birthday, but hey, can't help it."
"Well you didn't mention it was her birthday…" Now Ritsuko felt bad. "You two going to Tokyo-2?"
"Yeah, Mami's getting out of hospital tomorrow and we wanted to spend some time with her for my birthday."
"Oh great now I feel worse…" Ritsuko sighed.
"Ah you're all good, NERV is important and all that hoohah!" Shrugged off Kyoko. "Ken's looking on the bright side of it at least."
"Gives them a bit of time to be proper lesbians with each other at least." In a snicker.
"Mhm and I'm sure he'll be thinking fondly of that." Kyoko flicked his ear. "That and he barely knows our girls, can't imagine how bored he'll be with all the girly shit we plan on doing!"
"Is that with Madoka and all that?"
"Mhm, you know them?"
"Her mother." Misato huffed. "I was invited to one of the Friday Conferences of the Mitsubishi group, MHI's one of our largest private bankrollers. She has opinions about NERV let me tell you!" Chuckling. "Very outspoken and was adamant on not involving MELCO with our operations."
"Wait I thought we use Mitsubishi air conditioners!"
"Yeah both MHI and MELCO make air conditioners for whatever reason."
"Wait hold the phone you're telling me Madoka's mother is an executive of one of the largest companies in Japan?!" Asuka was surprised to hear that.
"Oh no no no she's not just an executive of MELCO." Misato would clarify. "She's the chairwoman."
"She's one of the most powerful women in Japan and you felt that wasn't necessary to bring up?"
"You never asked!" Giggled Kyoko. "Anyway we really need to shoot, later Ken!" Giving him a kiss. "Sa?"
"Later Ken!" Also giving him a kiss. "We'll see ya on Monday!" And they were off.
"Tell Junko I said hi!" Waved Misato. "Okay now business time!" Cheering with clapped hands. "Asuka, Shinji, Rei, sync tests 0500 tomorrow, be there or I'll be very disappointed in you."
"Yes Misato…" Asuka would bemoan.
"Is she gonna sync with herself or am I involved in that as well?"
"And Eliza, sync tests 0500 tomorrow."
"Yes Misato!" She would cheer. "C'mon be excited!"
"Just cause you look for any excuse to sync with Rei."
"Well I am excited at the prospect at least." Rei could smile. "It has been a while."
"That's what I'm thinking!"
Turning to the other NACSS pair. "Zero Two, Hiro, sync tests…" Looking at the clock. "Immediately at this point, we'll check if NT-Unit-00 is ready to go but yeah will be almost immediately."
"Yes Ma'am!" Both synchronised.
"Ritsuko!"
"Already gone ma'am!" Maya would announce.
"Did she at least kiss you on the way out?"
To her nod.
"Good, Maya!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"You and Kensuke are looking after the sync tests over the weekend."
Looking over to Kensuke, who had his face flat on the keyboard. "Hopefully it'd at least distract him from how that ended."
He could only sigh. "Yeah, it might."
"Ah c'mon kiddo!" Maya would lightly tap his back. "It's something Evangelion related, oh do we have Hikari and Toji coming in tomorrow morning as well?"
"I asked them in so yeah."
"Good, would be nice to get a bit of a baseline with the NACSS for both of them."
"She still has a core system, right?"
"Mhm, Unit-02 has the Horaki core within it, would be good to get baselines on that as well. Don't think we've had a proper run up since Sovereign's Incursion… and I don't think we've even had that run up since Rogue-00 came through!"
"Well, good chance for that at least!" Misato cheered. "Now we have a bit of a break in these Rift materials!"
"That just means the next one's gonna come through soon."
"D'oh I know but I can dream they may stop." Misato would sigh. "Okay everyone knows what they're doing!"
"Yep!"
"Yes Ma'am."
Kensuke only sighed.
"Great! Now get to it!" She'd command, dismissing the group. "Zero Two, Hiro, with me."
They would follow her out.
"Well, looks like we're all having an early night." Mused Maya. "We'll see you all bright and early tomorrow!"
Understandably, most of the pilots were not keen on that.
Well, barring one. "Yes Ma!"
STOP 2:17:24
~~~
Ke: "Ahh, to be in a friendly place after so long!"
Ky: "He says after bringing the Combine over."
Z: "Hey they aren't there yet!"
Ke: "Now that's the positivity I wanna see!"
Ri: "Do we even pay you to be positive?"
Mi: "Do we pay anyone for that?"
A: "I hope you pay Maya for that, she's the sunshine in this damn place."
Ma: "Ahh I'm not that great…"
E: "Wonder what they're building there…"
Re: "You are still looking into the arc flash Kensuke."
Ke: "Eh I'm a bit away from it."
Dog was kept outside on patrol. "Aww c'mon let him in!"
Sh: "He could protect you when the Combine come knocking."
H: "Kinda sounds like they were trying before that strider came knocking."
Z: "Do you think they'll learn their lesson darling?"
H: "Not a chance."
The alarms went off, and then were promptly called off as a false alarm.
Mi: "See even if it were a false alarm we would have completely mobilised at that."
Ri: "It's this lazy American attitude that caused the Resonance Cascade in the first place!"
Ke: "That's gonna go off so many times today huh."
Ky: "And then when it actually goes off for a proper reason, no one will give a shit!"
Mi: "That's why we mobilise even on a false alarm!"
A: "Well unless you're trying to hide something from the UN of course."
Mi: "That was the old administration! Just because we might do something like that again to save face…"
Re: "Just do not let an Angel or enemy breach into the Geofront."
Ma: "Well we already failed that haven't we…"
Ri: "Stop looking into the arc flash Kensuke!"
Ke: "But it's so bright!"
Sa: "That's what blinds you dummy! What are you a moth?!"
They would soon be distracted by a bit of yarn spinning between rebels. "Why is that weapon called the AR2 anyway?"
Ke: "I'm assuming assault rifle two? Obviously there's no AR three in this world."
Mi: "Don't we have AR-15?"
Ke: "The AR in AR-15 doesn't even stand for assault rifle, the original company that developed the weapon was called Armalite. That's what the AR stands for."
E: "Part of me doesn't think they're still around in this world."
Ke: "They aren't even around in our world, I think they got rolled into one of the big American companies."
Mi: "Either way, the man's talking out of his arse."
Ke: "Ooh yeah, doesn't know the difference between butt and barrel I bet."
A: "What do you mean the bit where he wrestled twenty hunters by hand is made up?! Noooo I couldn't possibly think that was made up!"
Ri: "Ah but his job makes sense, it's a navigator's job to make things up for entertainment."
Mi: "God some of the shit you hear on the wave, you'd think it was made up."
Sh: "What was the worst thing one of the presenters did?"
Mi: "They microwaved a salad sandwich and tried to justify it on the radio station, apparently their entire station crashed under the pressure of angry phone callers trying to determine why on God's earth you'd microwave a salad sandwich!"
A: "Why the fuck would you microwave a salad sandwich?!"
Mi: "That's what I was trying to ask myself but then the station crashed!"
Re: "I do recall you muttering into your phone while you were driving us a few weeks ago."
Ri: "Have you been using your phone while driving Misato?"
Mi: "Look the hands free radio set hasn't worked since last July and I haven't been bothered to fix it."
E: "We could've tried fixing it earlier!"
… (1:11:00)
Either way, the man was too stubborn to leave, resulting in Alyx and Gordon going on their own way.
Eli would be found in short order. "And now for a reunion."
Alyx practically slammed into her father. "Always wonderful to see." Rei giving a soft smile at the show.
Z: "Even better for her, cause last time they were together was in the Citadel. And they were in no position for anything really."
E: "Well deserved in this case then!"
A: "See I want to be happy about this kinda thing, but I've seen enough of these works that my alarm bells are starting to ring."
Mi: "Just because this is a fucked up death world like all the other works we've seen, it doesn't mean Eli will die horribly in the next thirty minutes!"
Ky: "Next fifteen perhaps."
Sa: "If any of your other works are anything like the Madoka's, I really have no hope for any happy ending of this game."
Ke: "Look I'll take closing that portal as a victory at this point, cause once that's one we're in a pretty good position."
Sh: "Do you think they'll get there?"
Ke: "I mean it's gonna be pretty freakin' difficult."
Mi: "No one said saving the world was easy, Kensuke."
Re: "If it was we would be out of a job."
Ke: "Oh Gods are these systems running Windows Three… we're screwed."
E: "I was wondering what that interface was, thought it looked very… ancient."
A: "Oh for goodness sake- is Eli seriously suggesting you pump a kid into her?!"
Mi: "Hey it's every parent's duty to bug their children about having children of their own! You bet I'm gonna start doing that with you lot once I think you're old enough!"
A: "D'oooooh!" Pretty much emulating Alyx's embarrassment at the question. "At least give us a few years of not being burdened by something! I already have enough works where I end up a teenage mom!"
Ky: "I can't believe that's been common enough you actually have to say that."
A: "I have three works out of the however many we've seen so far where it's a thing! Like, Aki's cute and all but did I really have to be fourteen years old having her?!"
Sa: "That's a freaking adorable name for her, her?"
A: "Oh yeah Misato do we have any photos of her?"
Mi: "I think we have the doujin you read through on file, let me see…" Typing into her terminal
Ri: "We're just showing them classified materials now."
Mi: "It's her child Ritsuko cut her some slack!" Passing the terminal over. "Here you go some selections of her."
Sayaka squeed. "Oh she has your eyes! Kyo look at her!"
Ky: "She's pretty cute, yeah." Trying not to act as cutesy about it. "Why are you dressed as a bird in that one?"
A: "Rosenmontag."
Ky: "Do you know how little that explains it to me?"
Much to Asuka's giggle. "It's actually part of the pre-Lent celebrations traditionally: you dress up in costume, there's parades and celebration in the streets where they throw bundles of sweets to the kiddies, it's a good time for all involved!"
Sa: "She looks like she's having fun at least!" With a cheer.
A: "I gotta see if I have some photos from back then, I don't know if any of them were kept."
Mi: "If they were, they would've been archived when you were taken into NERV custody. I can see if Germany has them?"
A: "That'd be nice… I don't really have too much from before mama's sync test."
Kensuke didn't exactly feel it was his business to pry, continuing to lead Gordon into silo 1 as Eli discussed about the competitiveness between Magnusson and Kleiner. "Were they like that here as well, Sempai?"
Ri: "Can't say I know for sure with Magnusson, but given what I knew from my mother, it wouldn't surprise me if he was. Meanwhile Kleiner wouldn't know he was in a competition if he had a scoreboard in front of him."
E: "So he was more in for the science then?"
Ri: "I think he was just an airhead. If not intellectually than socially."
Ma: "Do you think that's why he ended up taking the credit for that project?"
Ri: "Wouldn't even surprise me, but I still hold it against him!"
Mi: "Ain't he dead?"
Ri: "You can still hold gripes against dead men."
A: "That we all know of."
… (1:12:45)
The blast doors would open. "Oh wow it's actually a pretty decent rocket huh?"
Ri: "Oh for fuck's sake they're arguing like school children…"
Mi: "If this is what he's like to work with no wonder your mom didn't like him."
Z: "He still has Lamarr as well?!"
Ke: "That's someone I could've skipped seeing." In a small sigh. "I'm surprised we even have the fuel for this rocket."
H: "What fuel would it even use?"
Ke: "Easiest would be kerosene of some sort, though I could go on for hours about what fuel it could use honestly."
~E "Why would it even have a hatch like that?"
Ma: "Payload maybe?"
Ke: "I would've thought it needed a fairing, it was a satellite they were putting up right?"
A: "Could be a micro-satellite going in that?"
He'd have a look inside it. "Well it's definitely jam packed full of hardware…"
Ky: "Hey that looks like a conveniently shaped hole for a gnome of some sorts!"
Ke: "Oh for goodness sa- are you still holding onto that?!"
Ky: "I knew that gnome was there for a reason!"
Ke: "I wasn't gonna carry a gnome throughout the game just to chuck in a rocket Kyoko!"
Re: "Sounds like a fun challenge at least."
Ma: "Hey look! Lamarr crawled in there!"
Ke: "Oh, wonderful!"
Kensuke closed that hatch on it. "Why did you do that?! Meanie!"
Ke: "It's a headcrab!"
Maya simply pouted. "Sempai can I dock Kensuke's pay for that?"
Ri: "No Maya."
Ma: "Hmpf!"
A: "God Magnusson sounds insufferable, he's only saying hi to them you bastard!"
Mi: "Sounds like him Ritsky?"
Ri: "Unfortunately."
And after a game and three quarters worth, the data packet was finally in doctor Kleiner's hands.
Sh: "I hope they appreciate that data, she only died for it."
Ke: "I died several times for that data packet!"
Sa: "It's cheating if you have the ability to respawn."
Re: "Duly noted." With a snicker.
… (1:14:25)
Another alarm sounded. "Ooh I gotta remember that line."
Ri: "Story of our lives huh."
A: "Just wait until it turns out to be genuine."
Ma: "We have had problems with random animals getting into the systems though."
Sa: "I thought there weren't any animals down here?"
Mi: "Oh you'd be surprised, quite a few birds and that have made a home for themselves here."
Sh: "I've seen a few wild cats prowling around."
Ri: "They may not even be wild, some of the staff that lodge within the Geofront brought their pets with them. Hell, I let Randall roam around the Geofront, probably safer than him being out on the surface."
Ma: "Is there still that cat murderer roaming around up top?"
Ri: "Nah I think the police caught them."
E: "No wonder you didn't want him roaming up top."
Kensuke would report to Magnusson. "What d'ya want me to do boss?"
Pretty much just check out what was causing all those false alarms. "It's probably just shitty wiring y'know."
Ke: "It's always bad wiring." He'd huff, navigating the long way around. "What was that issue I found with the Internet at my place?"
Sa: "Apparently whoever built Kensuke's place was a bit dodgy and they wired all the telephone line wrong."
Ky: "According to Ken, at least."
Ke: "Oh it was obviously wrong, lines leading to blatantly unterminated points, exposed copper, corroded copper. I actually spent most of my first paycheque from here and pooled with my old man to get it fixed."
Z: "Heh, already pulling weight around the home?"
Ke: "Well he's done so much for me, especially without mom around, so shit spending my money is the least I can do for him!" Before snickering at Magnusson's impatience. "Y'know, I think at this point, Freeman is damn well entitled to a hug!"
Re: "He has received one his entire life so far."
Sh: "And you are eagerly awaiting the next time she hugs him."
Re: "Yes." With small smirk.
Ky: "I actually found it depressing how little physical affection guys usually get when Kensuke told me about that."
Ke: "Oh before I met you guys I was lucky to be hugged once a year!" With a chortle. "Shit, last time a girl hugged me was two years before you guys did, and I was thinking about that for months afterwards!"
A: "Why do you think I'm always snuggling up with Shinji now, I had a pretty fucking bad life but at least as a woman it's more socially acceptable to hug those your gender."
Mi: "Or to hug boys as well." Snickering. "I do recall you were crawling all over Kaji."
A: "Well yeah but we all know why I was." In a huff. "Needless to say I'm at least a bit more well adjusted since those days."
Sh: "Only a bit?" With a nudge.
A: "Ehehe, well we're still Evangelion pilots after all."
Ri: "I told you guys we're trying to work on getting a shrink with full induction."
E: "What has been the hold up with that anyway?"
Ri: "Honestly there's both a shortage of therapists and psychologists and a lack of them willing to go through the full security training and clearance required to access everything they need to know when it comes to NERV. That's the main issue, and honestly I'd rather get an apprentice psych that we can then mould to the NERV way of thinking, instead of anyone who we don't have any idea what they are of who they could be selling secrets to."
Ky: "And the threat of execution isn't enough to scare them."
Ke: "If enough money is offered to them I'm sure the threat of that wouldn't. Drug smuggling is a death sentence and you still see coke and weed being sold on the streets."
Ri: "So you see the conundrum." Her face revulsed as Magnusson announced his distain over the PA system. "Gods I wouldn't have wanted to work for him."
Mi: "Sounds like someone your mom would've gotten along with."
Ri: "Like oxidiser to rocket fuel." In a snark.
A: "What was this student shrink you mentioned?"
Ri: "Well I won't divulge any names until we know for certain they're the one, but we're eying a few prospects from your high school and from the high school Massachusetts is sending their pilot candidates to. One of them's looking pretty promising, sounds like she's been through a ringer of a life but at least that means she can relate to some of the things you're going through."
Mi: "Funnily enough the best psychs are the ones who have been through that kinda thing, and they want to use their experience to better someone else's life. I'm sure you guys know, it's a lot better having someone who knows than someone who doesn't."
A: "Why do you think we pretty much latched together?" Arm around Shinji's. "What was it we said to each other when we realised, Shin-chan?"
Sh: "'You're just like me'."
A: "Mhm, exactly. And it's so good having someone who just knows; none of the other students know. They just see me as a trophy even though I have made it perfectly clear I'm Shinji's. And I know you guys can sympathise and have been through shit yourselves but… it's not the same."
Re: "I can relate, in the exact same way with Kaworu. The differences between us and the rest of humanity are great, and yet here we are sharing similar experiences. It's… nice. Once I got over wanting to murder him."
Ky: "Have you really gotten over that girl?"
Re: "In the serious manner yes, but we can joke about it now."
… (1:16:00)
Ke: "Ooh that's cool!" At the rocket engines. "What is that… Atlas based?"
Ri: "An oddly American design for being ostensibly in eastern Europe."
A: "Oh if it was a Soviet rocket we would've had no hope."
Mi: "Even any rocket is a gamble, there's so much going on you can never really know for sure. All you can do is build it to absolute perfection and see how it goes."
H: "I looked into how you guys get to space, it's pretty cool actually."
Ri: "And rockets are still a good way of doing it. All the commercial jumpjets run the CR-7's, and that's pretty much as new a rocket as you're gonna get."
Ma: "What were the rockets Hawthorne used, I thought they were an in house design?"
Ri: "They got it started in 2006? But have been iterating it yearly ever since. Those are interesting, and one of the reasons we went for the Hawthorne rockets is they can use methane. We can easily make methane; take carbon dioxide from the air and some water, mush it all together with a bunch of S2 power, and you get liquid methane with oxygen as a byproduct, which you can also use to create the oxidiser if you wanted to."
E: "We make all of the fuel we need for them in house as far as I'm aware."
Mi: "That and the rockets are literally the only rockets in production that can carry an Evangelion. How are C Team going with the S-Spec equipment?"
Ri: "They're still refining the carbon fibre manufacturing angle of it."
Sh: "New toys for us to play with?"
Ri: "In development, yes. You saw how useful the Evangelion rocket has been so far, and it'd be good if we could have a kit that while still providing adequate armour, was also lightweight enough so that we may be able to reuse some of these five hundred million Yen six month lead time rockets."
Re: "Did we not reuse the one that Hiro and Zero Two were sent on?"
Ri: "We were able to land the one you used to get to space because NT-Unit-00 was half complete and was going to be used in an environment where it didn't need to be spry. We were able to cut a lot of weight off it as a result. Whereas when Hiro and Zero Two sortied to Swan, they needed the full ability of the Evangelion. Even then we had to omit some armour."
Z: "We were more relying on the Lance doing the dirty work anyway. I would have not wanted to face it if that failed."
Mi: "Oh God he's a note writer as well…" Apparently folks had been using the emergency override for the door instead of the actual door switch.
Ky: "Does the door actually work otherwise?"
Kensuke tried out the keypad. "Hah, nope."
Ky: "Well what the fuck does he expect then?!"
The glass was smashed and the door opened. "…And it's still broken!"
Mi: "Rather amazing what humanity can put up with when it's our lives on the line. This makes the Geofront look like a day spa!"
H: "I've had doors fritz out like that for me on occasion."
Ri: "Have you reported it to Maintenance?"
H: "I have no idea where they are or how to do such thing."
Ri: "Do any of you?"
Maya was the only one to put up her hand. "Misato!"
Mi: "I thought you were the head of Maintenance!"
Ri: "No that's-" A muffled sigh, as Uriah the Vortigaunt opened the door for Kensuke. "I'll tell you later."
Sa: "Y'know they look kinda cute with a lab coat."
A: "They still got their dick out though."
Z: "You don't know it's a dick!"
A: "Well until one of them comes out to teach me all about Vortigese biology that's what I'm assuming!"
Sa: "Dare I ask why you got dicks on your mind?"
A: "Shinji doesn't go about waving his dick everywhere!"
Sh: "As much as you'd prefer that."
Asuka spluttered a giggle. "Hehe shuddup!" And nudging him with her elbow.
Abandoned In Place (1:17:35)
Ke: "Why do I get the feeling something bad's about to happen?"
Ky: "There was a loading screen, that's never a good sign."
As soon as Kensuke stepped a foot forward, the alarm sounded again. "…Ah fuck there's ammo crates!"
Z: "You're about to get your ass handed to!"
The person that was going to help Freeman was immediately murdered by a hunter. "Unlucky bastard."
Ke: "Can't help if the story says you die huh."
Magnusson meanwhile was panicking. "Don't think I'd want him at the helm of a red alert."
Mi: "Yeah he's not really holding it together, but at least he's still functioning."
Ke: "Uhh I can go through here…" Down a service tunnel. "Gah!"
More hunters. "God damn it stop killing them!"
Re: "Perhaps those alarms weren't false alarms after all."
Ke: "Shit I'm gonna have to get closer to it…"
He'd emerge from the tunnel, laying down the fire on them, as the manhacks buzzed above. "Back to the tunnel!" At least it served to draw them closer to his cover, made it a little bit easier to take shots at them. "Okay where to from here…"
One dropped dead from the magnum. "Nice!"
E: "Watch the health buddy."
Ke: "I'm trying but it's a bit hard to move under here!"
Mi: "Well get out into the open!"
Ke: "Might have to." In a sigh. "Going for it!"
He ran out, and fought, and promptly died. "Well that went well!" Kyoko lied.
Ke: "Mmmngh…" As he reloaded. "We try again!"
Sa: "I think you just need to get outta there as fast as you can."
Ke: "Yeah I think so as well, I should be able to do laps of this place to keep them off my ass at least."
The gas bottles around also helped out. Until one blew up in his face. "No! I don't wanna die again!" Luckily a health pickup came in clutch. "Avoided it!"
Z: "For a few more minutes."
He'd get another one, but now he was in a bit of a precarious situation health wise. "Okay I know this doesn't look great but I can get over it!"
Ri: "You're burning through all your health."
Ke: "I'm working on it!" Back in the tunnel. "Gods I hate how they can shoot through that!"
Finding some more health only for one to get the jump on him. "No please!"
He was dead. "Bastard!"
Much to the amusement of his partners. "Cash moves everything around us, Sa!"
Kensuke would be a lot more aggressive this time around, killing one dead immediately. "I hate them! Where are they?!"
A: "Now that's the aggression we wanna see!"
Another was blown up. "Hah! Give me another to kill!"
One would drop down from a gantry. "There you are!" Throwing a bomb in its face. "Hah!"
And a few shots from the magnum would end it. "There! Happy?!"
Mi: "Maybe you would make a good Eva pilot."
Ri: "You're not having one of my students pilot when you have other perfectly messed up pilots already."
A: "Yeah! Hey wait-"
Kensuke found his way up to a walkway, flares thrown down. "Oh you wanna come play now too, eh?!" With a wide and somewhat crazed smile. "Oooh well then buddy, let's fucking dance!"
Blasting one dead, he fumbled a barrel. "Oh c'mon turrets are cheating!"
Mi: "You had ample opportunity."
He was down to fourteen health. "Maybe I'm just making this a challenge!"
Sa: "You of all people don't need more challenge!"
He was dead in ten seconds flat.
An unamused look towards Sayaka.
Sa: "Told ya so." Poking her tongue out.
Hand slammed on the keyboard to try again. "Now I know though."
The turret was sorted out quick this time around. So he thought. "Oh come on!"
Ri: "This is what happens when you don't verify something's dead, now you're in a tough situation!"
It was instead a soldier spawned behind him. "How'd he get there?! Oh whatever he's dead now."
More were gunned down, Kensuke throwing down a few grenades to flush some out. "So new goal is closing the silo?"
Ky: "What's stopping them from sending a strider to torch the place? Only takes a good shot to end the resistance."
Ke: "Crud there's a turret there as well…" And soldiers, who sent down flaming barrels in attempt to kill Freeman. "We're playing that game huh?"
Kensuke sent a barrel flying towards the guilty party, them becoming nothing but smear on a wall. "Bastard!"
He'd run straight into a hunter. "Oh fuck off!" Using a whole heap of shotgun and a gas bottle to end it. "You're a bastard too!"
Re: "At least he is a dead bastard now."
Kensuke eventually found somewhere to swim in, navigating into the silo proper.
A: "Why the hell was this silo open anyway?"
H: "Are we sure they hadn't breached through? Can you even close it?"
Ke: "Knowing Magnusson he'd be very angry if I didn't, and I'm not sure I wanna deal with that right now."
Z: "So you'd rather deal with the Combine than his cranky self."
Ke: "Yeah." Killing some Combine. "At least the Combine don't try to talk down to you- I swear that one just fell to his death."
Mi: "Doesn't surprise me considering their training."
Ke: "Shit an autogun!" Running head first into it, the manhacks not helping his case. "A-ha!"
The rocket launcher was used. "Would say that was overkill, but there's no such thing!" Cheered Misato.
It didn't even kill everyone there, Kensuke down to critical health. "Oh for fuck's sake!" A grenade didn't get it either. "It didn't even underkill it!" As he had to start doing it the hard way.
Z: "How long have they been in the facility anyway! To have the time to set up emplacements like that!"
Kensuke managed to make it through, closing the launch bay doors. "And you can go fuck yourself!" Shooting the advisor, it not appearing to appreciate it.
Re: "Are we sure it is wise to shoot the being that could kill you with a thought?"
Sa: "If he wanted Kensuke dead he should've just done it!"
Ky: "You should've used that freakin' autogun."
Ke: "Damn it I could've!"
Crisis was averted, Magnusson commanding everyone back to work.
Mi: "Damn at least we have a briefing afterwards…"
A: "Surely that's deserving of at least a smoke break!"
Ri: "I think everyone there's gonna need a cigarette after that."
Aurora Borealis (1:33:40)
Alyx could definitely breathe a sigh of relief, Gordon having saved the day for the 1200th time this week. "Alright, now what?"
Ma: "Well I doubt the Combine will go quietly after that."
E: "I don't think they've left at all, they're probably still trying to get in through the launch doors."
H: "I thought they would've just blasted their way in."
Ri: "Turns out the poor planning goes all the way up the chain."
Ky: "How did we lose to these bastards in seven hours again?"
Sh: "Earth made them lazy, they got used to abusing humanity and got comfortable."
Uriah beckoned the Freeman follow. "I'm always following something why can't I lead something for once…" Kensuke would complain in Gordon's stead. "Will he ever get to do something for himself?!"
A: "Y'know the answer is probably not."
Mi: "Shit even from a meta standpoint, as long as he's a player character, he'll never have full control over himself."
Sa: "I think you just broke my brain with that."
Re: "At least Gordon never acknowledges he is a slave to the whims of the player. I have seen a few games that made comment on that."
Ky: "There's some whack dating sim that does that, what's the one with that crazy pink haired chick Ken?"
Ke: "Gonna have to narrow it down Kyo."
Ky: "Seifuku that barely went below the panty line?"
Ke: "…Yeah that still doesn't narrow it down much."
Sa: "Is that the one with the weird ribbons?"
Ke: "Weird ribbons… Tiffany?"
Ky: "Yeah that chick! It's like she didn't try to speak with the player, she always tried speaking with you."
Sa: "Don't think you even liked that one that much, eh Ken?"
Ke: "Yeah yanderes make me uncomfortable, I preferred the previous instalments of that series."
A: "There's more of them?"
Ky: "There's like twelve Romance Academy's, Asuka."
Ke: "All from different studios." In a huff. "Despite its popularity it can't seem to stick with a single dev, so each game may as well be different both in scope and quality."
Ri: "Who else here has heard of that game series?"
Crickets.
Ky: "Eh I think it's more popular in America anyway." Kyoko shrugged.
Ke: "It's made in Japan so I'm surprised it's not talked about more."
A: "Aren't dating sims for losers anyway?"
Ke: "Why do you think I was playing it."
That got a splutter from Asuka. "Own goal right there."
Ky: "Oh I had that lined up as well."
Ke: "Yeah thought I'd get that in before Kyo or Sa could."
E: "Smart."
They made way into a loading zone. "So she went north, and they're somewhere eastern Europe area. There's not too many places north goes to from there."
Sh: "Well you either end up in Scandinavia or the Arctic Circle, right?"
Judith's transmission was playing out on the big screen (well it was nine smaller CRT screens (well eight actually, one wasn't working)). "God even that would use a ton of power."
Ri: "Did you know we saved billions of Yen in our power bill when we switched from using CRT screens to LCDs in the Geofront?"
Ky: "How much of a drop in the ocean is that?"
Mi: "We don't even have a bill, we're the ones making the power for Tokyo-3!"
Ri "Well it's still good to save power for other purposes."
There was something else there.
Ri: "…No fucking way."
Ke: "What did I say when I found reference to the Borealis in Portal 2? A dry dock buried kilometres underground, how else could it have come out!"
A: "Wait Aperture are in this universe?! Like I know they mentioned Black Mesa in the first game but I thought that was just a joke!"
Mi: "So wait what, they just teleported this boat to nowhere?"
Ma: "And they just had this tech laying about. Kensuke when did they have this tech?"
Ke: "The seventies."
Z: "They've had this tech which the Combine and Resistance have been scrambling to make and they've just kept it to themselves huh."
Ri: "Shit even we could use that, do you know how much easier it could make things if we could just scramble your particles and transmit them like data?"
Re: "The soul would still be an issue."
A: "Maybe you could tunnel it somehow. Actually it might just be easier to make a Dirac portal between points instead of damn near killing you and putting you back together soul and all somewhere else."
Mi: "Eh, a teleporter by any other name."
Ke: "We are so tearing this game apart for those documents huh."
Ri: "Oh I've already got the Magi on it."
H: "Are they seriously arguing over the vessel? Would it even have anything?" In thought. "All the teleportation hardware would've been outside of the vessel?"
E: "Not unless the Borealis had a jump drive of some sort, somewhere within the vessel. Activate it and it teleports the vessel to a specific point."
Ri: "Y'know, that's kinda unlike Eli to fret about that kinda power. He would've been all over wanting that."
Re: "Perhaps this is his added experience being leader of the Resistance."
Mi: "And part of me thinks if God is merciful and he survived being ripped into the Dirac, he'd probably be exactly the same."
Ri: "But you can't push forward science by being conservative. You need to manage the risks, sure, but you can't just stop because you're worried about the power you may be unleashing. Oppenheimer thought the first nuke could set the atmosphere alight but he still went ahead with it. We know the Evangelion can end the world but we still use them and develop them."
Ke: "So this means Mossman is still alive then?"
Ky: "Might be getting another episode out of this."
Ritsuko had an averse look, that wouldn't be caught on by the player.
Sa: "Man he's really not liking that thing huh?!"
E: "He's afraid it could fall into the Combine's hands. Which, if anything Aperture would fall into the Combine… y'know what, it'd probably just kill them."
Re: "Part of me can't imagine GLaDOS would appreciate the Combine trying to pass influence on her."
Ma: "I wonder if they even know a crazed computer is running the joint."
Z: "Y'know since they're now both confirmed to be in the same universe, they very well could've tried running a resistance of their own."
A: "Ah yes, GLaDOS, hater of humanity, leading the resistance. She'd probably align with the Combine!"
Ky: "Nah I think Rei has it, she'd absolutely not align with anyone. Everyone gets the neurotoxin!"
… (1:37:45)
On Magnusson's request, Kleiner went back to the code.
Mi: "Man that serious to him eh?"
Re: "We know the gravity of Black Mesa at this point. The technology must be Xen based in that instant."
Ri: "Or he at least thinks it's Xen based."
A: "At least our weird slip dimension is relatively relaxed in comparison… I mean, there's nothing in comparison, more like. It's literally nothing."
Mi: "Makes it less dangerous at least, as long as you don't get trapped there."
The G-Man's message would be forwarded, Eli's shock so great he literally collapsed. "Uh oh…"
E: "I get the impression we're well beyond whatever they had scripted."
Ky: "He better not die at the end of this!"
Sa: "Congrats Kyoko you just freakin' murdered him."
Z: "They still have tea?"
Sh: "Look it's a few decades old but it's better than nothing at this point."
Ma: "Bet they wouldn't have any milk with it…"
Mi: "I'm not gonna say anything."
Ri: "I was praying to the Gods you wouldn't."
Alyx made her leave, Kensuke settling on the couch next to Eli to hear his story.
Re: "Just don't think about the fact he's crouching at him."
Ke: "Hey from my perspective it kinda looks like sitting!"
He would mention their mutual friend. "Ah, he has had dealings with them too."
Mi: "Remember Ritsuko, if you see a weird looking dude in a suit, don't talk to them."
Ri: "I tend not to anyway but thanks for the reminder."
Sh: "What if we do see them?"
Mi: "I hope you don't cause then we're gonna have a problem."
Z: "He sees himself as responsible for all that?"
E: "I mean he was overseeing the experiment, and obviously made the decision to run the test despite the concerns. Hell, maybe that's why he's so concerned about the Borealis."
A: "What would you have done in his shoes, Ritsuko?"
Ri: "Well I'd want a more reliable way of shutting down the anti-mass spectrometer, even a destructive shutdown could've been enough to stop it in its tracks. Like, if things started going haywire, just blow it up. Monitor for weird anomalies and halt it as soon as something weird's picked up. I definitely wouldn't be running it at 100% power, shit apparently it was a pure sample so I would've started at even less power."
Mi: "And he accepted a sample from a strange man in a suit, surely the G-Man wasn't even employed by Black Mesa at that point in time!"
Ke: "I dunno he was in and around the joint, he very well could've played the long game on that front."
Alyx would come back with the tea. Well, it was an empty cup, which made sense considering the world. "H-Hey I'm sitting here girl!"
Mi: "Oh get a room you two!"
Sa: "Right in front of your father as well!"
A: "Damn you're really getting inside her right there!"
It was nowhere near as sexual as they were making it out to be, turns out Alyx was scripted to sit right where Kensuke was currently. "eGAH! THIS IS WEIRD!"
E: "I thought she had a lot more going on in that skull of hers."
Even worse, Magnusson waltzed right in. "Oh my fucking God imagine if you were like that and he walked in!" Kyoko would paint the picture.
Sh: "I don't think I want to imagine that, thank you."
Z: "How many times has Misato caught you two like that?"
A: "Oh whenever we do it on the couch we're always aware of if the door opens, we're pretty good at scrambling to the bedroom."
Mi: "Y'know what I think I will pay for cleaners to come through tomorrow…"
Re: "How disappointing, I am sure Alyx would have appreciated some of that time by now."
Ke: "Yeah well we all know how Magnusson is like…" As Kensuke followed him out.
Ma: "They… aren't gonna talk later are they?"
Ke: "No probably not, that was a nail in the coffin right there."
War of the Worlds (1:40:20)
The striders were coming! "Yeah well what the hell do you want me to do about it?"
Ky: "Be Gordon Freeman?"
Sa: "So same as the whole game… well, three games prior at this point."
The whiteboard explained it a million times better than Magnusson could ever hope to. "Ohh that's cool!"
Ri: "Shit that might even be okay for us to build… I'm guessing it's just a sticky bomb of some sort, though not sure why it doesn't have a radio trigger or timer instead of relying on a bullet… tie it to a button in the Evangelion and detonate it remotely, and use shooting it as a last resort. Crap that's actually a good idea!" She'd exclaim. "Finally something easy to build from this game!"
Mi: "Well you say that."
Ri: "It's a sticky bomb, how hard can it be?"
E: "We are not calling it the Magnusson Device."
Ri: "Oh yeah, no chance we're calling it that. What should we call it then…"
Sh: "Could just call it a sticky bomb."
Mi: "Nah, everything NERV needs to have a complicated acronym. How about 'Magnetic Ordinance, Remote Operated Munition'?"
A: "Oh so MORON?!"
Mi: "Yeah, name it after Magnusson!"
That got some laughs. "While that's funny I don't think we should be naming any weapon MORON."
Mi: "Aww c'mon! You know I have the final say when it comes to weapon names!"
Ri: "If I don't come up with a better name."
Re: "Part of me does not believe he didn't chose the label."
Ke: "Wonder how they feel on having their name on a device like that, Nobel hated being known for dynamite."
H: "Are they sitting on the high explosive?"
Z: "Surely that isn't comfortable."
A: "Maybe he's into that kinda thing!"
E: "And… is that a teleporter for that thing?'
Sh: "They've already developed it! Just increase the size of it!"
Ri: "If only it were that easy."
A: "Well obviously it is, teleporters already exist in that world, albeit they require a lot more power and planning. That looks like you could just plug in a wall socket!"
Ke: "Is that his Black Mesa ID badge?" Zooming in on it, not listening to a word of his conversation.
Mi: "He's really holding onto that isn't he."
Luckily for Freeman, he'd be able to demo using the Magnusson Device before the real thing. "Man imagine the effort they had to put in to get that up."
Sh: "Hundreds died to get that up there, you better appreciate it!"
It was very easy to handle. "Y'know the pistol might even be okay for this one…" In his idle thought, as the challenge increased. "Okay… shouldn't be more difficult at this range."
The first throw went over. "You were saying?"
Ke: "Damn it I didn't want him to be smug about it…" Grabbing another one. "How about- there we go!"
Shooting it. "There!"
His next few attempts went better. "Oh yeah pistol works magic for that!"
Ri: "Well, at the very least, we can see how well you go under the pressure of imminent destruction."
Ke: "Mah I'll be fine!"
Z: "Ohhh he was the person who put that casserole in the microwave! I was wondering who that was!"
Mi: "What happened with his casserole?"
Z: "Blew up in the microwave."
Mi: "Well why the hell was he not supervising it!"
Z: "Beats me, I call that just desserts for not being aware of your own food!"
Ma: "They were a leading research facility and still had to bring their own food in?"
Ke: "Well I suppose if you have leftovers you may as well, beats paying for food when you have plenty to spare."
Ma: "I just have any leftovers for dinner the next night." In a shrug. "Like it's free to employees why wouldn't you go for it?"
Ri: "It doesn't even cost that much for us to provide, keeps morale up when they know they don't have to worry about food if they don't want to. Sure it's probably not the greatest in quality but you're gonna get that with mass produced buffet food anyway."
Mi: "I think it's pretty good actually! That lunch ramen they make is nice, even if I can't exactly describe the taste."
… (1:44:30)
The Charger was all gassed up and ready to go, a Magnusson Device holder mounted on back. "Now these weapons are gonna come in handy!"
Mi: "The mods to the car seem pretty neat as well. Nav upgrades!"
A: "Your car could use that."
Mi: "My car could use any upgrade."
Ke: "Okay north to the sawmill…"
Ky: "Though I suppose the plan is 'kill all sons of bitches'."
Ke: "Well yeah but that's the fallback plan ain't it? If I could have a cohesive plan that might be better."
Sa: "It's gonna be 'kill all sons of bitches' Ken."
Ke: "Yeah probably, why should I even bother going to the meeting."
E: "What if you want to see their faces before they horribly perish?"
Z: "They're all the same few faces anyway Eliza!"
And so Kensuke would enter the car. "Well, old American iron don't fail me now!"
The perimeter was still clear at least. "Is that the sawmill? No…"
He'd find it following the railroad tracks. "There we go, now, what's the plan peeps?"
Sh: "'Don't die', for one."
A: "Well they're gonna fuck that up."
H: "Gotta have some confidence in them, surely!"
Mi: "Nah they may as well be cannon fodder at this point."
Ke: "A dozen striders- do you know how many that is?!"
Re: "Twelve."
Ke: "Okay I know how many that is, but those big Angel thingies, that's a lot!"
A: "How many of those MPs did we face the first time?"
Sh: "I think we faced twelve, I can't really remember for sure… they all just blended in with each other after a while."
Ri: "An oddity with the Rift material the Magi noticed is only nine MPs were deployed during the prelude to Third Impact."
A: "Huh, wonder if that means they couldn't get the others built in time. I mean not that it mattered; I still got my ass murdered by them and they still started Third Impact!"
Ke: "Wait they can start Third Impact?!"
Mi: "Any Evangelion can start Third Impact Kensuke. Remember girls!"
Ky: "Death penalty for snitching…"
Mi: "Yep!" In a cheer.
Re: "At least the hunters can be wiped out with your vehicle."
An alert would ring out. "Oop, here we go!" Immediately jumping into the Charger and, well, charging the first strider. "Okay, twelve all up."
A hunter became roadkill, Kensuke jumping from the car and throwing the device onto the strider, blowing it up in short order.
A: "Erste!"
Ri: "Eleven more to go Kensuke."
Ke: "I know." Making way to another device. And lucky he picked it up, because the sawmill was blown up. "Oh I'm gutting you for that!"
The hunter blew up his Magnusson Device. "Damn it!"
Re: "Got out too early."
Z: "They're all gonna have them, won't they?"
Ke: "Gah fine I'll work with this!" Another hunter was run over, Kensuke on the hunt for another device and picking up some health along the way. "Okay, bit of a setback but we got it!"
E: "Man I would not wanna be relying on some old iron like that."
Ke: "Yeah well I kinda have to at this point."
He would come up behind it, practically ditching his car into the wall, and within five seconds another strider was in pieces. "Zweite!"
Another one was picked up. "So pick off the hunters first, easy enough." As another appeared. "Ten more it should be."
Ma: "And that was just the ones they counted as well. Could very well be more."
Ke: "Okay water tower is there…" Handbrake turning. "Let's get the hunters first this time…"
He got one, but despite landing the device on the strider, another hunter knocked it off. "Oh fuck you!" Now he was in a precarious situation, between a log and a hunter. "I'm stuck!"
A: "Makes you appreciate the mobility of an Evangelion, huh Shinji?'
Sh: "Ooh yeah, wouldn't wanna be stuck behind a wheel in that high stress situation."
Ke: "Come on man!"
Another strider would appear. "Damn it!"
Z: "It's snowballing!"
Trying again but the hunter was relentless in removing them. "Okay fuck you then!" Dispatching it with a flurry of crossbow bolts. "Now you fucker!"
The Magnussons weren't working for this one, Kensuke switching to the rocket launcher upon seeing some of White Forest use them.
Which didn't work, the alarms sounding as the strider grew close. "FUCK!"
Ky: "I think the game wants you to use those Magnusson Devices, Ken."
Ke: "Damn it it's so far away now! GET OUT OF THE WAY-" At a medic blocking the door.
Mi: "And whose fault was that?!"
Kensuke barely got there in time, blowing up the strider as it honed in on the silo. "Oh my fucking- the next one's that close!" This time immediately dispatching the hunters, taking care of another strider in short order. "Four!"
Sa: "Gods I'm stressed just watching you Ken…"
Ke: "How do you think it feels doing it!"
Sh: "You should try Misato's job sometime."
E: "At least you know where the sawmill is."
Kensuke attempted to hit and run the hunters, to limited success. "I'm stuck!" Desperately using the gravity gun to unlodge his car.
Much to everyones amusement. "And this is the dude saving the world?"
Ke: "Yeah yeah I like to see you try!"
Z: "Oh we have in fact."
H: "Several times actually."
Re: "They have a whole show about it, you should watch it sometime."
Ke: "Alright I get it!"
E: "Oh wow they've actually learned to dodge you!"
Ke: "That's why I'm not hitting them like I used to!"
Ma: "I think it's a little bit more than that…"
Ke: "Well fuck you then!" Blasting its face in with rockets. "Shit it got the Magnusson!"
Ma: "That's for being mean!"
The fifth strider was got. "Hah!"
Ri: "There's still the water tower."
Ke: "Let me have this!"
Ri: "Not until you're done with it!"
As soon as he got in the vehicle another strider was spotted. "Oh for goodness sake!"
Making it to a strider he immediately botched the throw. "FUCK!" And the next one hit a tree. "Damn it!"
Sa: "Just be glad the Combine can't get their act together for anything Kensuke."
The alarms sounded again. "Shit!"
Mi: "I gotta save that alarm somewhere, it's perfect for inducing stress!"
Ke: "IT BOUNCED OFF THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Luckily there was one nearby. "Fucking six, and more to go!"
Sh: "That's generally how it goes, yeah."
Last Legs (1:56:25)
Another Magnusson was picked up, Kensuke gunning it to the next strider.
Not quick enough for the game, obviously, another precious cache being blown up. "Bastard!" Immediately getting the car stuck again. "Damn it!"
Mi: "While this definitely could be going better, you haven't outright failed it yet."
Ke: "I will never hear the end of it if I fail this late into the game."
Ky: "You're God damn right!"
More hunters were roadkill. "Hah! Anticipated that this time!"
Seven were down. "Okay moment to breathe, need a Magnusson…"
E: "I would recommend being more out in the field as well for when they appear."
Ke: "Mhm, we have a good break here, good chance to get ahead of the curve."
As Kensuke was driving to the water tower, a strider would be spotted by it. "Good idea Eliza!"
E: "I try!"
With the hunters quickly dispatched, the eighth strider fell quickly (but not before taking out another cache). "Screw you too man!"
Good news! There was another break!
Bad news, they were dropping even more striders nearby. "Oh for goodness sake…"
Ri: "Well, you've done alright so far. Let's see how you go here."
Ke: "I'll get it, don't you worry a minute."
Ma: "Dunno about the rest of you but I've been worrying."
A: "Can we see the dropship?"
Ke: "Uhh there!" Following it by vehicle. "One, two…"
Following one to the cranes, it would pop up on radar. "Time's up, let's do this!"
Three striders would spawn in, Kensuke cool in dispatching the hunters by the cranes. "Nine."
No point going for the others until he had a Magnusson, he figured by now. "Man this is gonna be cutting it close now our distant caches are gone."
Re: "That turbo is going to get some use."
Sh: "And I hear another dropship!"
Ke: "Oh yeah like we need more!"
Sneaking up behind one. "No hunters!" Cheered Kyoko. "Murder his ass!"
He would. "Ten."
The other strider would pop up by the sawmill. "Still only two, we've managed that."
Oops there was a third. "I should just stop talking…"
Z: "At this point they should really allow you to run while carrying something."
Ke: "Man I know right?!"
Another strider was dispatched despite the efforts of a hunter."Okay that was close, eleven- GET OUT OF THE WAY-" As he kept colliding with a strider's legs. "Shit that one's a lot closer!"
The alarms would sound out again. "Okay okay I get it!"
Re: "The trees are once again proving to be an enemy."
They could only stop him for so long. "Twelve, one more to go hopefully."
The thirteenth would fall in an unremarkable fashion. "Alright!" Cheered Sayaka.
Kensuke was still tense. "Is… that it?" And breathing heavy. "Is that all of them?"
Mi: "I think it is, and one more than we thought it'd be at that!"
A beat.
Before a relieved sigh. "Hell yeah!" Now widely smiling, taking the Charger for a 'oh my God we're all alive' joyride. "Wooooo!"
A: "Heh, nothing like risking your own skin to make you feel alive!"
Sh: "Oh it's a rush like no other!"
Re: "A shame it requires near death to obtain."
A: "Eh sex gets you close."
Ky: "Well that's a lot easier to do at least."
Sa: "And you don't have to risk your life!"
Ky: "Depending on what gets your socks off that is."
E: "You don't have anything like that right?"
Ky: "Well no but it's a hypothetical y'know!"
Mi: "I damn well hope it's a hypothetical!" Half in jest. "What did I say to you two?"
A: "'No sexual activity that may result in our hospitalisation'." Like she were reading it off the rule board of the Thug Tug.
Re: "You do know that could just be any sexual activity."
Mi: "Yes I heard the story of that French president having a cardiac arrest while getting blown, no I don't think that'll happen to young spry individuals like you two."
A: "Oh good so I can still suck Shinji's dick then, I had that booked in my calendar for tonight."
Sh: "Asuka!"
Kensuke was good at tuning out such talk at this point, eventually making his way back to White Forest, to the rapture of the rebels within. "Hehe hell yeah! Got it done!"
Z: "None of the Swanians were as cheerful when they saw us come out of the Evangelion."
H: "To be fair they did have their whole army wiped off the face of the Earth."
Mi: "Their army consisted of LandCruisers and fifty year old fighter jets. If even the modern army of the UN stood no chance against the Angels, they stood even less of a chance."
Ke: "Well, I'm guessing we're getting close to the end of the game." Looking around the Charger one more time (and knocking it around a fair bit). "This wasn't so bad honestly."
Re: "Could have been more reliable, but you would be hard pressed to find a vehicle that consistently holds up against energy weaponry with so little armament."
Ke: "Yeah not a bad little rig huh." Entering into White Forest. "Gives the Cruiser a run for its money!"
Mi: "Well I wouldn't put it on that high a pedestal."
E: "I dunno it's holding up to quite a few energy blasts."
Ma: "Man they're exhausted… Reminds me of how we end up."
Mi: "Even just the mental exhaustion can get to you."
Alyx was showing Gordon in the complements. "Heh, figures she's impressed."
Sh: "I mean you did just save them, so that helps."
Ke: "And holy crap I didn't even die during that!" He'd beam. "Not so bad!"
Re: "Perhaps we can finalise the death counter here then."
E: "That will make it fifty six deaths all up."
Ke: "Fifty six?! FIFTY SIX?!"
Ky: "Hell yeah! Fifty six thousand Yen to us Sa!"
A: "How circular of an economy is that anyway?"
Sa: "Oh we spoil Kensuke with his own money, believe us!"
H: "Well someone's gotta spend it."
Mi: "Damn did she just tap him or something?"
Re: "She wants him."
Ma: "Tell us something that isn't new."
T-Minus One (2:06:45)
The launch was in its final stages. "That's some balls to keep the launch process going despite the attack."
Ri: "Time is of the essence, Kyoko. You can't let a basic thing like thirteen striders get in the way of that."
Mi: "This launch needs to be perfect, doesn't it?"
A: "And they're running on ancient tech that's been rotting for God knows how long."
Sh: "Do we think they'll get it?"
Re: "I think they will. But the G-Man's unforeseen consequences may rear its head."
Ke: "Honestly after going to all this effort to get here with the codes and get rid of those striders, I'm gonna be fucking pissed if that rocket fails… man is he still sweeping floors?"
E: "The difference is they're doing it willingly." At the Vortigaunt.
Ky: "Of fucking course he complements the device he created before he complements you!"
Ri: "No one said he was a pleasant person to work with."
H: "You can tell how absolutely pained he was to say that 'thank you' right there."
Mi: "I can bet a million Yen that's the most he's ever complemented someone in his life right there though."
Ma: "No flight termination?"
Ke: "I mean he's right, there's no point in flight termination considering the sheer lack of friendly territory."
Ri: "Not like they have the capacity to make another rocket anyway."
A: "I can only assume that helicopter is what we'll be using to get to the north next episode, huh?"
Ke: "Well yeah can only assume that. I'm guessing Mossman used one to get up there, heck that might've been the same helicopter."
Ma: "Do we want to trust a presumedly Soviet helicopter that's been aging for decades?"
A: "Look on the bright side, it'd be just as reliable as the day it came off the factory floor!"
E: "So not reliable?"
A: "Yeah!"
Ke: "Boy am I glad this rocket looks like an American design… somehow."
Sa: "Pfft, wonder what that payload anomaly is."
Z: "Hopefully that damn headcrab!"
Ky: "Wonder if they say nine and a half pounds if you put the gnome in it."
Ke: "Are you still going on about that gnome?!" Entering the launch nexus. "Ooh they have the hula lady!"
Mi: "God damn it Magnusson stop fucking your own ass for a second!"
Ri: "You can't have that sort of narcissism nowadays."
Mi: "Well we all know about Breen and what happened to Quebec, and Magnusson was at least significant in Nevada and look what happened there."
Ky: "You guys had a Quebec branch?"
Mi: "Death penalty!"
Ky: "Fine I won't ask any questions…" In a harrumph.
Ke: "I'm guessing all these screens are the telemetry printouts huh…"
E: "And there's still at least one computer with a bluescreen on it!"
Ri: "The thing is that style bluescreen hasn't even been used in ages. That looks like an NT bluescreen."
A: "How do you know that?"
Ri: "Because my mother had to deal with Windows NT when I was a child?"
The launch button was prepared. "Heh, lunch button!"
A: "Well once we're done we can all go to lunch!"
Z: "Dinner in this case!"
H: "Well it'd have to be a quick dinner."
Ritsuko quickly looked at the time before relaxing. "Oh phew we still have a few hours before it's due."
Z: "Thought you were running low on time chief?"
Ri: "Well we always are so I always assume the worst."
The button was pressed. "Okay let's see how we go!"
White Forest would shake as the thrusters activated. "C'mon…"
The rocket would take off, ascending at rapid pace up and out. "HOLY SHIT IT'S WORKING!" Kensuke was very excited at the prospect. "Look at it! Awesome!"
Magnusson was enjoying the prospect as well. "It's moving faster than I would've thought."
Ri: "Speed is of the essence at least, don't want anything to destroy it at this point- oh wow they even got the banking towards the orbit!"
Ke: "DAMN IT I'M STUCK AGAIN!"
Ky: "Oh you don't mind being stuck to Alyx."
Ke: "It's Eli I'm more worried about!"
E: "Watch as this is the last time we see either of them." As Alyx, Eli, and Gordon went to see the fireworks.
Before they would though, Eli pulled Gordon for an aside. "Oh do we have a choice in destroying the Borealis?! Or are we gonna get forced to!"
Sa: "Dang you're really feeling for Gordon's plight eh?"
Ke: "Can the man just have an inch of independence for once in his dang life?!"
Mi: "Oh my God he's calling you his son. He's so going to fucking die in the next five minutes isn't he."
A: "Ooh yeah he's a dead man walking at this point."
Ke: "If he dies I swear to anything out there I'm not gonna be happy."
E: "There was word of unforeseen consequences. Nothing's guaranteed at this point."
Even Dog was out there to watch the event.
The Xenian resonator was activated.
And the portal closed. "Hell fucking yes!" As Kensuke slammed the keyboard. "Hell yeah let's fucking go!"
Re: "There you go. The Combine are stranded on Earth. Unless they can figure out a way of triggering another resonance cascade."
Ri: "In that universe it seems more likely than would be considered normal."
Mi: "I have never heard of a resonance cascade happening."
Ri: "It's a theoretical worse case scenario when dealing with anti-mass spectrometry, it's not something you have to deal with normally."
Mi: "Do I have to veto any anti-mass spectrometry done by NERV?"
Ri: "Oh I never done it anyway, even then we don't have the resources to do such thing. And it's not worth the investment for what may be only a few times we have to use it."
Mi: "What would we even use it for?"
E: "Might be good to figure out what element the Kleinium stuff is."
A: "God I can't stand Magnusson, it's always about him and his rocket!"
H: "Well at the very least we won't have to deal with him for much longer. Sounds like you're just gonna get in that helicopter and just get going, right?"
Sh: "Well that's the dream, but what better time for a curveball!"
Dog seemed to be hyperaware of something going on, going off into the wilderness.
Mi: "You know what they say about dogs knowing stuff before humans do, earthquakes health issues all that."
They would enter the hanger. "Oh Gods what the hell is that…" Kensuke tried to identify it. "MI-8? No the tail rotor's on the wrong way for that- that'd make it an MI-17!"
A: "Another Soviet era design?!"
Ri: "We use MI-17s, cheap and surprisingly reliable."
A: "Remind me to not step foot in a NERV helicopter."
Ke: "You'd be surprised how much Russian hardware has made it to Japanese shores, especially with Second Impact and our re-militarisation. Thing to know about Russia: they are incredibly corrupt and would sell anything for a quick buck, including their military hardware. And Japan still had a load of money from our boom in the 90s, so it was an easy way of re-militarising."
Ri: "Didn't turn out well for them in the mid 2000s when they tried flexing their might. I mean for crying out loud how do you get defeated by Estonia of all states…"
Mi: "Didn't we actually defeat them in naval combat as well?"
Ke: "Are you talking about 1905 or 2005?"
Mi: "Wait we did it twice?!"
Ke: "Oh it was a source of great interest when it happened: one century out, using mostly Russian hardware, the depleted Japanese once more defeated Russian forces in the sea of Japan! Shit, reading that story was what got me big into military things!"
Ky: "I mean it's great hearing about how we absolutely fucked a world power like that!"
Sh: "I'm surprised they didn't use their nukes on us…"
Ri: "Rumour is they tried to launch them but one of two things happened: the generals all rebelled and it had to be hushed up, or every one of them failed due to aforementioned corruption."
Ke: "And it had to be hushed up." Snickering. "Yeah I never said the Russians were competent with their hardware. Even if you make the best hammer in the world, if people think it's a screwdriver and try to use it as such, it's gonna be shit."
Speaking of shit, "Oh shit!"
(2:13:05)
An Advisor burst through the windows. "And here is the unforeseen consequence." Quietly mused Rei.
"Who are they going for then?"
"Who has the most info on the Resistance?"
"I fucking knew it!" Asuka exclaimed. "I saw the death flags from miles away!"
Eli outright threw Alyx and Gordon away from it, attempting to take it on himself. "I still wish the hands or whatever they are looked a bit better, but we are running it on an old Windows machine so, y'know."
"It runs it better than the Magi and that's all that matters."
A grumble by Ritsuko at Sayaka's comment.
"Oh shit he actually got a hit on it!" Cheered Zero Two. "Shame he's gonna die like in the next few seconds."
Another Advisor would come in, handling the dirty work with Eli. "And looks like we're next!" Cheered Shinji. "At least it'll be quick!"
"If things end like that I swear on everything-"
Dog had his concerns regarding their treatment of Alyx and Gordon, bodying and injuring one of the Advisors, prompting them both to flee.
"Well not that it matters to Eli anymore." Cooly assessed Ritsuko. "So if what they are doing is scanning the brain destructively, they now have everything on the Resistance. They know where the Borealis is, they know where the major bases of operation are, they know the command structure and who to go for next. The Resistance may have won the battle today but they have just had a really bad setback."
And with the destroyed Alyx crying over her father's body, the credits rolled.
"Oh Gods and that's how they end it!" Kensuke exclaimed. "Holy crap… what the hell can we even do in this situation?"
"All we can do is play the next episode." Thought Shinji. "Whenever we may have time for that."
Kensuke sighed. "Hate it when they leave it on a cliffhanger."
"Yeah about that Kensuke." Ritsuko hated to break the news considering how it all ended. "There's no third episode. Or third Half-Life."
A quiet moment for thought. "…What?"
"Mhm."
"That's stupid!" Asuka was angry at that. "Who the hell is sending us this shit, why couldn't they give us the third one! We're just gonna be left on this cliffhanger for the rest of our lives?!"
"I thought there was another archive!"
"There's no indication it has the third game in this episodic series. In fact it only seems to consist of a software tool called Hammer, haven't had a good look at it yet."
She'd stand up. "And I won't be able to have a good look at it for a while." Sighing, lighting up a cigarette. "I've had something urgent come up. I'll be in Boston over the weekend. Kensuke, I've entrusted Maya with my responsibilities, you'll be reporting to her throughout."
"Yes Sempai!"
"Man I'm kinda glad we had this weekend booked already." Sayaka snickered. "Speaking of, Kyo I don't think we've got much time before our train."
Looking at the clock. "Crap, yeah we need to shoot."
"Is Kensuke coming with?"
"I wanted him to stick around for the sync tests, teach him how we run them."
"Would've loved to be with Sayaka for her birthday, but hey, can't help it."
"Well you didn't mention it was her birthday…" Now Ritsuko felt bad. "You two going to Tokyo-2?"
"Yeah, Mami's getting out of hospital tomorrow and we wanted to spend some time with her for my birthday."
"Oh great now I feel worse…" Ritsuko sighed.
"Ah you're all good, NERV is important and all that hoohah!" Shrugged off Kyoko. "Ken's looking on the bright side of it at least."
"Gives them a bit of time to be proper lesbians with each other at least." In a snicker.
"Mhm and I'm sure he'll be thinking fondly of that." Kyoko flicked his ear. "That and he barely knows our girls, can't imagine how bored he'll be with all the girly shit we plan on doing!"
"Is that with Madoka and all that?"
"Mhm, you know them?"
"Her mother." Misato huffed. "I was invited to one of the Friday Conferences of the Mitsubishi group, MHI's one of our largest private bankrollers. She has opinions about NERV let me tell you!" Chuckling. "Very outspoken and was adamant on not involving MELCO with our operations."
"Wait I thought we use Mitsubishi air conditioners!"
"Yeah both MHI and MELCO make air conditioners for whatever reason."
"Wait hold the phone you're telling me Madoka's mother is an executive of one of the largest companies in Japan?!" Asuka was surprised to hear that.
"Oh no no no she's not just an executive of MELCO." Misato would clarify. "She's the chairwoman."
"She's one of the most powerful women in Japan and you felt that wasn't necessary to bring up?"
"You never asked!" Giggled Kyoko. "Anyway we really need to shoot, later Ken!" Giving him a kiss. "Sa?"
"Later Ken!" Also giving him a kiss. "We'll see ya on Monday!" And they were off.
"Tell Junko I said hi!" Waved Misato. "Okay now business time!" Cheering with clapped hands. "Asuka, Shinji, Rei, sync tests 0500 tomorrow, be there or I'll be very disappointed in you."
"Yes Misato…" Asuka would bemoan.
"Is she gonna sync with herself or am I involved in that as well?"
"And Eliza, sync tests 0500 tomorrow."
"Yes Misato!" She would cheer. "C'mon be excited!"
"Just cause you look for any excuse to sync with Rei."
"Well I am excited at the prospect at least." Rei could smile. "It has been a while."
"That's what I'm thinking!"
Turning to the other NACSS pair. "Zero Two, Hiro, sync tests…" Looking at the clock. "Immediately at this point, we'll check if NT-Unit-00 is ready to go but yeah will be almost immediately."
"Yes Ma'am!" Both synchronised.
"Ritsuko!"
"Already gone ma'am!" Maya would announce.
"Did she at least kiss you on the way out?"
To her nod.
"Good, Maya!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"You and Kensuke are looking after the sync tests over the weekend."
Looking over to Kensuke, who had his face flat on the keyboard. "Hopefully it'd at least distract him from how that ended."
He could only sigh. "Yeah, it might."
"Ah c'mon kiddo!" Maya would lightly tap his back. "It's something Evangelion related, oh do we have Hikari and Toji coming in tomorrow morning as well?"
"I asked them in so yeah."
"Good, would be nice to get a bit of a baseline with the NACSS for both of them."
"She still has a core system, right?"
"Mhm, Unit-02 has the Horaki core within it, would be good to get baselines on that as well. Don't think we've had a proper run up since Sovereign's Incursion… and I don't think we've even had that run up since Rogue-00 came through!"
"Well, good chance for that at least!" Misato cheered. "Now we have a bit of a break in these Rift materials!"
"That just means the next one's gonna come through soon."
"D'oh I know but I can dream they may stop." Misato would sigh. "Okay everyone knows what they're doing!"
"Yep!"
"Yes Ma'am."
Kensuke only sighed.
"Great! Now get to it!" She'd command, dismissing the group. "Zero Two, Hiro, with me."
They would follow her out.
"Well, looks like we're all having an early night." Mused Maya. "We'll see you all bright and early tomorrow!"
Understandably, most of the pilots were not keen on that.
Well, barring one. "Yes Ma!"
STOP 2:17:24
~~~
The loose fitting suit would quickly conform to her figure. "Feh, several decades in the past and the suits still fit better than in our world…" Clipping a couple of interface clips to her horns. "Y'know we should ask Misato to make us custom headbands that fit our horns darling." Prodding at them. "I mean it just looks awkward!"
"Eh, I've had luck using the regular headband."
He was wearing them like headphones.
"Well, if it works."
They were both soon in the entry plug, NT-Unit-00 set up in the test chamber.
Maya was overseeing the printouts. "All nominal so far boss!"
"Mhm, very good." Misato remarked. "Makoto, how are our pilots looking?"
"Hiro and Zero Two are settled and ready to go!"
"Good. Induce the core."
"Yes Ma'am!" Maya cheered, before going to her protege. "Okay so the way the NACSS works, it's similar in concept to the regular Evangelion design we went over earlier, only the core is substituted for a person. So first step in the NACSS synchronisation process is to induce the core position into the Evangelion."
"How does that work?"
"The core position is sedated and then their soul is tunnelled into the Evangelion, from there they are essentially a core for synchronisation purposes and we can treat it like a standard sync."
"Oh yeah, makes sense." As Kensuke input the commands. "Inducing core position…"
From the walkways above, the elders Yui and Kyoko would watch on. "Amazing how far we've come when it comes to this… I would have been terrified if you told me you essentially ensoul it every time."
"Didn't exactly end up well for both of us, huh."
"Core is induced, vitals are nominal."
"You should be able to take it from here Kensuke. Remember for a NACSS we have three sync ratios to remember, core to pilot, pilot to core, and combined. Since the ratio is combined we may regularly have a value over 100%, this is acceptable. Due to their experience values between the 200 and 220 percentiles are also expected good, though I wouldn't expect to see this in a sync test."
"More for in the heat of battle?"
"Mhm, and if you have a lopsided ratio that could be an indicator of some sort of tension somewhere. Ideally, the ratios going both ways are within a percentile of each other, between five and ten percentiles of difference is acceptable as well."
"So probably they just need to talk something out."
"Pretty much, but we still don't have a therapist on file so all we can do is recommend them talk whatever issue they have out."
"Alright." Typing into his terminal. "All connections prepared, begin first stage contacts."
"First stage!" Called out Makoto.
The first wisps of intra-pilot communication would indicate on the terminal screen. "Connections are open, waiting on first contact before releasing to stage two!"
"Aye!"
"Not sure how I should feel about teaching the new generation all this." Sighed Yui.
("Not that the Angels care.") Zeppelin would mutter. "The Evangelion will be kept for as long as we determine it necessary. And humanity will have to learn to maintain it without us, Yui."
"Prepare for secondary contact!" Makoto would call out. "Initiate the main power connection!"
The lights would dip slightly as the power draw of the Evangelion increased. "Initiated!" Kensuke called out, the secondary contacts proceeding. "A-10 nominal!"
"How long do you think it'll be necessary for?"
A long look at the Evangelion, slowly looking towards her other. "Depends how long our enemies deign to attack us."
"Thought pattern set to Japanese! Confirmation on all contacts?"
"All contacts confirmed!" Called out Kensuke. "Ready for sync!"
"Open the bi-directional circuits." Commanded Misato.
A large breaker was flipped. "Bi-directional flow confirmed, hold for sync ratio…" As it normalised. "Core to pilot 87.4 and rising, pilot to core 87.3. Combined ratio of 174.7."
"Not bad for not syncing in a while." Chuckled Misato, as she went for the PA. "Good work you two. How's Zero Two going?"
"Like a fish to water, Misato!" Cheering over the line. "Legs are feeling pretty numb though."
"Legs contacts are disconnected for this sync, we'll have full connection tomorrow." Giving a nod. "For now see how you go moving your arms."
"Yes Ma'am!"
With careful and calibrated movement, both arms would stretch out, twisting around, flexing hands up and down and all around.
"Sync is holding steady." Kensuke reading the graph. "Initially dipped to 170 upon beginning movement but has now re-stabilised at 172.6."
"That's okay." Maya would affirm. "Usually there's a dip when they move around the Evangelion. Like when you add load to a circuit and the voltage drops down."
"Oh yeah, that makes sense!" As Kensuke kept an eye on the graphs. "So when they actually start moving that gives a more accurate indicator of their sync?"
"Mhm, pretty much!" In a cheer. "Usually you'd see a dip of up to ten points when they start moving and actively using the Evangelion."
"Wonder if he'd be more enthusiastic about it if he knew the damage it causes."
"Yui I've heard of Kensuke from Asuka." In a mutter. "He's obsessed with the Evangelion. This doesn't surprise me."
"At least someone enjoys it…"
"I'm sure the pilots don't mind it either." Kyoko would nudge.
"How's it going down there you two?"
"We're going good!" He beamed. "You know she loves it!"
The twin links would reflect this, closely synchronised.
"Very good you two." Misato was rather satisfied with the result. "Prep for shutdown you two."
Maya gave an aside to Kensuke. "When you cut the power it forcefully unsynchronises, it's good practice to give them a minute or two in order to minimise the link with each other because we've found it causes issues when they're actively communicating during the disconnect."
"Is there an e-stop somewhere?"
"The red pull lever right there-" Pointing to it. "Shatter the glass and pull hard on it, it'll forcefully disconnect the sync and eject the entry plug, though only use it if it's clear the Evangelion has gone berserk."
"What are the indicators of a berserk?"
"Loss of sync and bi-directional movement, alongside a spike in core activity."
"Also the fact things tend to go visibly haywire when it goes wrong." Muttered Misato. "You'll know when it goes berserk."
"Yeah I figured that." Thought Kensuke. "Evac protocol?"
"Ditch everything and run."
"Love it when it's simple." He snickered. "Looks like their sync is dropping."
"That's good, that makes it easier on them when we go to disconnect." Maya would note. "Usually we aim for a sync under 60 percent for a safe disconnect."
"They're 68 and dropping."
"Give them another minute I say. Don't have to completely conform to the timescales specified."
"Though of course if they're really pushing it, we usually just force the case." Thought Misato. "At this point they know they need to reduce their sync before shutdown to reduce the after effect."
Luckily for them they'd drop below the acceptable shutdown ratio. "Pull the plug."
"For shutdowns you need to turn this key and then pull this lever down, the key is your verification and the shutdown is your manual sync control."
"You can manually control sync?"
"Mhm, for sync tests we have it unlimited so we can get an accurate gauge, but in sortie we can limit the sync of the pilots depending on what we think is safe. When they're in training we limit it to approximately seventy percent."
"Of course if a pilot is determined, no soft control can affect it." Makoto would input.
"Well yeah, but pilots tend to do their own thing." Snickered Maya. "Sync looks good, we should be able to shutdown now."
Key turned, and lever dropped down.
The sync would drop down in kind, all the way to zero.
The eyes of the Evangelion would go dark. "Shutdown successful."
Maya would pat Kensuke's shoulder. "Good work kiddo. First of many!"
All Kensuke gave was a bashful head scratch.
Yui would sigh. "…We'll just have to let them do their own thing. And hope they do it right."
"Well…" Kyoko would look out. ("I think they're doing better than we did.")
~
A train pulled into Mitakihara station.
Madoka was practically bouncing in her shoes in excitement. "Gosh… it's been so long since we've seen them!"
"It's only been a few months." Mused Homura.
The doors would open. "Sayaka! Kyoko!"
"Ah!" Cheered Sayaka. "Mado-"
She collided with them, almost knocking them to the ground. Wrapping them in a tight hug. "…I missed you guys."
"Heh…" Kyoko would reciprocate. "We know."
Glancing up to Homura. "C'mere you nerd!"
She'd approach up in her own pace, cozying up to them. "Thatta girl…" Kyoko would settle into them.
"How's Mami been?"
"She's… been okay." Sighed Madoka, at the query. "You know she's been struggling with the whole thing."
"Mhm… I know."
A small look. "Will we be seeing her tonight?"
"Yeah." With melancholic smile. "I think she'll appreciate it."
~
She just wanted to see her sister again.
Ever since the accident… her sister may as well have been dead to her. "I'm sorry, Tomoe-chan, we don't hav her name on our files."
Another cold case. "Thank you for your time."
She'd set the phone back down in it cradle. "Where… where did she go?"
She didn't think she was dead. She could hear her voice calling for her mother… though who knows if that was just in her mind at this point.
No… she can't think that… Nagisa, surely she must be alive at this point. "…Will I ever see you again?"
A jingle bell rang out, her snapping to its direction.
Nothing out the window… "…You're going crazy, Mami." A sharp sigh. "You'll see her again… believe it."
The nurse would come in. "You have visitors, Tomoe-chan."
Madoka would peek her head in. "Mami!"
That would bring her some comfort at least. "Ah… Madoka!"
She'd come up to her and hug her tightly. "I missed you guys…"
"Oh we know…" In a small chuckle. "But hey, you're getting out tomorrow!" Trying to cheer her up. "Mom set you up a room at our place… we'll look after you."
A beat, and a sigh, settling into Madoka. "…I appreciate it, Mado…"
Sayaka and Kyoko would come up to her bed. "How are you going with Nagi?" Was Kyoko's concern. "Any… any luck?"
"Nah…" With aside glance. "It's… like she dropped off the face of the Earth. I don't know where she went off to."
A moment.
Before Kyoko held her hand. "Hey… our partner knows a few people. Maybe they can help you."
Mami didn't want to hold hope. "…I'm sure they can."
~
Rei would sit on the shore of the Astral. Staring into space.
She knew the entity she saw was called an Advisor.
Once more it would appear to her, seeing it through the veil.
It would look towards her.
She would stare in defiance back at it.
…an interloper would appear between.
All it would gesture was a movement of the pointer. They obviously did not recommend whatever course of action it had been thinking of.
The Advisor would casually turn away, and drift off into the ether.
The interloper turned to Rei. "It is with… great jouissance, that we meet. Daughter… of Lilith."
Appearing to her as they were portrayed in the game. Simple work spec suit and tie, military grade haircut. And vivid emerald eyes, that seemed to flurry like aurora.
They would step through the threshold, into Rei's universe. "Forgive my… directness. They and I had a rather… close, working relationship… This was all… a long time ago, at this point, as you may have assumed already."
Rei kept her cool at the remark. "You are the G-Man."
"I am… known by many names." Adjusting their tie. "If this G-Man is your title… well, that is what I am called." Almost amused in the thought. "I am sure Lilith had her own… titles, for me."
"You are first name basis with her." Rei would note. "You must be close."
"Your ancestors… and we… operated on a principle of equivalent exchange." Looking back. "One piece of information from our home realm, for one piece of information from theirs. This was… acceptable for our kind. And in her time, she served as… an emissary, of sorts. Bridging our world and this own."
A look aside, and a wry smile. "Though… I am sure she can explain better than I can."
Lilith was there. With a flat glare. "How long has it been since we have last interacted, " Their name would be garbled to Rei.
"Hmpf. You are losing your sense of time, " Wry, their own name for Lilith also garbled. "In… Earth time, it would be almost two billion years. At this point. Ever since the… incident." They would give an aside glance.
"And yet, you have decided to come though."
"Our… clients have started showing an… interest, in your universe." In cool analysis. "I… have reminded them of your ability. Whether or now you are… capable of doing such thing in your modern time… it does not matter. The risk is still there."
The way they worded it, it was apparent they still saw a risk to themselves too. "Out… of respect for you and your kind, and whatever successor your kind has… and the risk you pose to them… I will prevent them from interfacing with this universe." A glare back to their own home realm. "The tides will shift eventually."
"Tell them we can still destroy them."
"They… have already gauged that." Once more adjusting their tie. "They are not interested in architecting their own genocide."
"I'm sure you wouldn't be interested as well."
They would take that as a threat. "It… has been a pleasure reacquainting with you again, "
"I wish I could say the same." She would cooly stare.
The expectation from her was clear. Interlopers would not be tolerated any further.
A quiet cost/risk analysis, before they would cross back over into their own realm.
"Do you wish to explain their relationship with you?" Confronted Rei.
"They… were an an diplomat from their own realm. They were truthful in our relationship, the concept of equivalent exchange."
"I can assume what this incident refers to."
Lilith and Rei would turn around.
Kaworu was stood there, staring almost defiantly up to the mother of humanity.
"I take the Incubator had a lot to say to you."
"That is an understatement."
Lilith would grunt. "Their assessment, while inaccurate, was seeded in truth."
Approaching him, hand on his shoulder. "Do you wish to know, son of Adam?"
A beat.
"Yes."
"Well." The landscape would shift under her feet. "Allow me to elaborate."
~~
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Zqy4nsYRk
Down they fell like the Children of Eden…
A red sun blazed as it sat low in the horizon, virtually unmoving. The light had scattered to deep reds and pinks.
They were sat on the bank of a lake, on green grass.
"Where… are we?"
"Home." Lilith seemed to look around, sadness on her face. "Our world was like Earth in very few ways. It was smaller, around the size of Mars. It sat close to what you'd term a red dwarf."
Even Mari had come out to see for herself. "It's… beautiful."
A roaring from across the bay, as something rocketed out. "This was the dawn of our space age… five billion of your years ago."
They too would rocket up, soon standing on the outer deck of a sprawling spaceship, almost like a cathedral in its elegance and makeup.
Other ships of that ilk would surround, the red sun now behind them. "Our long lives allowed us great allowance in exploring space without any requirement for faster than light travel. With that… we broached to the stars."
Moving forward, the stars bending around them.
The ships were now facing other ships. Spartan, chrome and metallic.
"It was five hundred million years into our pursuits when we first encountered what would be termed the Incubator."
A wry smile. "And it was exciting for us. We weren't alone in the universe."
"How was your first contact?"
"None of our comms were compatible, so we set down on a nearby planet and they followed."
Down they fell like the Tower…
Now on this world.
The Incubators sat, staring with curiosity at the FAR envoy, as they wordlessly conveyed some simple mathematic principles in the dirt in front of them. Prime numbers, the ratio of a circle, Pythagorean theorem.
"They're… larger?"
Lilith would nod. "This was their original form."
While they were larger, their profile remained the same. Cat-like, ears and protrusions. Large, gem like red eyes.
The Incubators would look between each other.
One stepped forward, and below the FAR theorem, they would input their own implementation of the theorem.
The FAR envoy could not help a small smile at the gesture.
Numbers were next. The FAR, having ten fingers, naturally used a base-10 system.
The Incubators, having paws instead, had gravitated towards a sixteen base system. There was initial confusion in the numbers until they figured how to state how the system worked to the FAR envoy.
The interlopers were watching this play out with great curiosity. "I… always wondered how this might have played out between friendly entities."
"The lack of a common protocol makes it difficult. But they did excellently."
"Was… this when the trouble started?"
Lilith shook her head. "In a cosmic sense, yes. But… at this point in time…"
Time would speed up, the FAR envoy and the Incubators wordlessly exchanging information about themselves and their society.
The envoy held up a hand, crouched down to their level. Inviting an Incubator towards them.
It carefully approached, examining the odd appendage.
…It would rest their head in the hand. Eyes closing, relaxing.
A universal symbol of trust.
Lilith could only mourn. "Such an eminent start to our relationship…"
Heed the sirens, take shelter my lover…
Still on the same world, time jumping forward a significant amount.
FAR and Incubator alike were watching on with vigour and fervour.
"When we codified our relationship. This is thousands of years later, by that time we have worked out communications and… we had gotten so close with each other... the decision was made to merge our two societies together. The bonds that both our societies had created with one another were… wonderful."
It was a symbolic wedding of sorts. The same FAR envoy with the same Incubator, dressed in fine threads.
Words were spoken between them, sounding like scratching to the humans. "'With these acts we bind our fates together'." Lilith would translate. "And the Incubator: 'May we face the darkness together as one'."
Their foreheads would touch. Eyes closing.
"'May we prosper together'." Translating the leaders of the events. The cheering from the gathered crowd didn't need translating, nor did the fireworks in the background.
The envoy and the Incubator didn't seem to pay mind to this. Sharing this intimate moment together.
"This started a golden age for both our societies. Five hundred million of your years we would spend in this union."
"You treated them as your equal."
"In every single way."
A few scenes would play though.
FAR children and young Incubators playing together, without a care in the world, as their parents discussed in the background.
An Incubator, wearing a lab coat and holding a laser pointer in their mouth, pointing to something on a whiteboard for their FAR offsider to note.
An unguarded moment, a FAR and their Incubator partner sound asleep in a bed. The Incubator had nestled into their neck, the FAR's arms wrapped around them tight.
"Our spirits were the same. Not like the encapsulated soul, more like raw fibre of life. We… as FAR, required this exchange of love to live. And to our knowledge, so did the Incubators."
The Incubator would gently stir, slightly adjusting their head to face their partner, nudging them and wordlessly whispering. "Calling their name…"
The partner would kiss the Incubator.
Mari would avert her eyes at the show of love. "Jeez give them some p-privacy…"
To Lilith's amusement. "This is all in the past, Mari." But she would concede the point, the reality shifting around them. "But… near the end, something changed."
But their translucent skin made me shiver deep within my bones…
News reports. Articles. Messages.
Missing FAR. Gone without a trace.
"We could not explain this." Lilith's attitude was starting to cool off. "But the common thread was the Incubator. They were partners of Incubators. But we didn't suspect a thing; the Incubators seemed devastated that their partners had gone missing, why would we have reason to accuse them?"
"What… was going on?"
A bursting behind them forced their attention.
It was a [Pale White Horse]…
The Incubator stared empty into space, no emotion at all.
LCL had pooled around them.
A vivid red thread would absorb into them, their body glowing.
With a crooked smile…
Lilith would stare… it still invoked fury, even to this day. "…This was their nature. Whether the love we could offer them became too little or… we were groomed from the start to be like livestock to them. The end result was the same. They… would take our spirit, our very being, the chain link that connects us to our ancestors… and they would break it for themselves."
It was a cardinal sin of the highest order to her, and to the children of the FAR. "Oh my God…"
And I knew it was my time…
"We refused to believe it. They were so good to us, they were our friends companions lovers… we would bear children with them…"
Her fists were clenched. "We… made a grave error of judgement with that thought."
It was the raging storm of a foreign war…
And a face they had seen before. "They had never admitted it, but we did not require their admission in the end."
The tension would rise and well, as they stood watch over a planet. "What… what happened next?"
Lilith turned to stare at Rei. "War was declared."
The world was bathed in orange, a red glow enveloping. "It was the Incubator that made the first move. Out of the estimated three billion FAR that existed at this time, one hundred million were wiped off the face of the universe in this first strike against us."
Mari's shock was palpable, holding her hands to her mouth. "Jesus Christ."
"We had never fought war before. In the desperation to regroup and mount a defensive campaign, another hundred million were taken. Even to this day, I still hold limited record of who these people were, the chain so thoroughly broken we could only work on empirical proof of their existence."
Eyes would shut. "It was in this war I entered my adolescent years. Our determination to live was palpable, and after hundreds of thousands of years we would reach the point of stalemate against them. An endless war of attrition, equal in casualty on both sides, with no hope of an end."
"…unless either you or them ceased to be."
A nod from Lilith. "…Indeed."
Down to another world, completely lacking the networks of man made light that they would expect from a civilised inhabited planet. "But we would find out, that war makes for rapid development. We had to work quickly, or we would not have survived."
Another cathedral would emerge, rising from the planet through a hidden bay door. With no visible engine, it appeared to warp from existence. "Warships. Dirac. Rubrics. C-Pillars. Some known to you, some unknown. Humanity will discover them in their own time."
They would dive through the ground, snaking through a network of hallways.
A harshly illuminated hidden laboratory. Akin to NERV. "It was here we made a breakthrough."
Once more they were wordlessly speaking, Lilith opting to translate their words into something more interpretable for the offspring.
A blast door would open.
"…No way."
It was a large red crystal. A core that wouldn't look out of place on an Evangelion… or perhaps more accurately an Angel.
"That's… a Solenoid."
Lilith would nod. "The first Solenoid."
The experiment would proceed, the individuals in the room turning their individual keys, and flipping a large breaker.
A computer screen flickered in the power changeover, before it started indicating in an indescribable manner.
Whatever this manner was, though, it resulted in great excitement from the group, smiles and cheers echoing out.
Lilith would smile at the joy. Joy that was once hers. "The holy grail, to use human parlance. Transferring the boundless energy from the Metaphysical realm to that of the physical."
"Infinite power."
"Virtually. And now we had it on tap."
A brief snap back to space, new energy weapons and shielding present on the cathedrals of the FAR. And being used to critical effect. "This was what we needed. One Solenoid on a ship gave it near indestructible effect. We started reclaiming what we had once lost. But… this was still too little."
Back to the lab. "We knew that the Incubator would not give up. They were never going to surrender, and believe me we had tried. Our… society made a grim decision, that the only way we could win the war was by ending them."
"Genocide." Rei did not mince her words.
"…Yes." Ashamed to admit it. "It is not a topic we broached afterwards. Even if they were the instigators... no life deserves death."
An Incubator was restrained within it. Several more in a cage beside it. "The Incubator operates on a hive mind. They are networked. Even if they appear to be operating autonomously, they are always communicating."
Lilith would coldly watch on, as soldiers forced probes into the Incubator's skull. "We were able to use this to our advantage."
A switch was flipped, shocks applied to the Incubator.
The other caged Incubator would experience this pain too, until it disabled them, a dial increasing.
All of a sudden the power was cut.
The head of the Incubator would explode with a violent bang, alongside those of the caged. "JESUS CHRIST!" Mari screeched. "What the fuck?!"
To Lilith's small sigh. "I think you can assume what was done from here."
Willing them up, in the daylight they would see a network of Solenoids. Stretching on far into the horizon in both directions. "If we could put enough energy into that hive mind… we would wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
It would become night. "We would win the war… but at what cost to our spirits…"
Staring up into the night sky.
There would be a streak of red through it.
"…One billion FAR were killed in this war. Consumed for energy, or otherwise deceased in the fighting… Every Incubator within the galaxy were destroyed in an instant. Five billion, by our estimates. Even ones outside of the galaxy, of which there were known to be a few, would have been killed or crippled by the shock to their hive."
The group would spend a silent moment, contemplating.
"We never recovered. We became paranoid of being hurt. The Solenoid was seen as salvation, encapsulating our spirits within a soul to live forever, with no risk of being hurt… but in doing so we lost a key part of what made us FAR." Bowing her head. "It only ended up hurting us more… and we collapsed. Billions of years of civilisation gone in what felt like an instant to us."
She looked to the children. "You know the story from here. The Moons. The segmentation of Life and Knowledge. The Seeding. And ultimately… you. All spurred on from this desperate and heinous action."
It was harrowing, learning such knowledge. "I… feel sick…"
Kaworu would hold Mari's hand. "Rest up. It's… a lot. I know. Take as much time as you need."
A small nod, as she dissipated back into him, falling dormant.
"I… understand the thinking." Rei would begin. "You admit it's heinous. But I also struggle to see an alternative that could work."
"We have tried everything. Short of accepting defeat, or becoming their cattle. Believe me… this was the last resort."
"And yet… here they stand."
"Yet here they stand…"
It was meant to end them... and yet here they were. Did that make their actions worth it, in the end?
She would cool once more. Those questions were for herself.
She turned to Kaworu. "If I may be allowed to interface with your memories of the Incubator?"
"I allow it."
There'd be a brief wince from the boy, Lilith learning what she needed to learn and nothing more. "I cannot do much without having access to a physical entity, but… I can speculate."
The old style was compared to the new. "Their smaller size is most likely due to a bottleneck in their genetics. That or they had to evolve to meet a lower energy profile. Either way… they are still as capable as their ancestral counterpart."
"That… feeling you had." Rei would start. "When you turned your physical self towards it."
"Knowing now that they are walking among us, I believe that was an Incubator taking a soul for itself." In cold speculation. "I do not know when they settled; they could have been here for thousands of years or thousands of hours. I think they understand that there is FAR presence on this planet, if they didn't then they would now you have encountered one, Kaworu. I suspect they will be more subtle with their presence, now."
"It would be in their best interests to not be so bold as they were."
"Is there a way to interface with their hive after they have died?"
Lilith shook her head. "It disconnects upon the cessation of life. Even if they were restarted by some external process, it will not form the connection to the hive again."
"Is anything cached? Like a computer system?"
Another shake of her head. "To further the computer analogy, imagine a single Incubator as a lightweight client. It has enough capability to maintain itself, bodily functions and instinctual actions, but it relies on a master controller to provide it further function. And this is what their hive mind does, it is essentially a singular mind. An individual Incubator at this level could be likened to a singular neurone, to use a more accurate analogy. So no, it does not retain anything on itself."
"…That was why it was so unafraid of death."
"It is not death. To them is it the equivalent of cell apoptosis. The hive will remain, no matter how many of its extraneous elements are debrided."
A brief beat.
"…What if we can do what you did?"
"Judging by their reaction, I do not think that would work. We can try, but as the saying goes… once bitten, twice shy. And they have remembered what we did to them."
A huff from Kaworu. "No easy way then."
"Unfortunately not." Hands on both of their shoulders. "I will trust you to keep them under control. You have done well, Kaworu, to defeat this one."
An aside glance. "…Thank you."
"I hope you can forgive me for any previous reservations I held. You are as much the future of humanity… the future of us, as any one else."
A beat, and a nod. "I won't let you down."
"Rei…" Turning towards her. "You who I gladly call daughter." With a small smile. "I wish to teach you. Everything I know, the history and knowledge of who you call the First Ancestral Race… I want to pass it down to you. Keep our memory alive, and allow it to be communicated."
She would look up to her, in a mixture of admiration and hesitancy. "I wish to become more involved in human affairs. To that end… you will be my emissary. If you so wish." In a small chuckle. "About time I try to teach my children some of the values we hold."
"I accept." The hesitation was gone. "I… accept, Lilith… mother."
Approaching her. "…Teach me." And settling into her chest. "I… want to know."
Lilith would return the gesture, holding her daughter close. "…Your first lesson."
She would speak a word that warmed Rei's heart. "W… what does that mean?"
"That is your name." Softly smiling, gently running a hand through her hair. "The name I hold for you, in my own language."
A small gasp… the tears would well, at the sheer gesture. "Mother…" Settling further into her.
"Your name is [Rei]." Another bolt of warmth shooting through her. "And you will understand the meaning of this word in time. Trust me."
"I do. I… trust you."
Kaworu could feel her joy at the gesture. Softly smiling.
"Now, as your mother, it is my duty to ask you when will you be having children with Kaworu."
That got Rei beet red. "M-Mom!" Still, she couldn't help but snicker. "When we're ready!"
"Mhm, it's been months since I've given him the ability to do so and he still hasn't made good on it!"
"Not through lack of trying, believe me." Jabbed Kaworu.
"KAWORU!" As Lilith cackled to herself. "Mmmgh…"
"Ahh you're so getting thrown into a tree when she sees you next."
"You say that but we're still in your… what is this, memories of yours?"
"Close, I will teach you in ti-"
That was enough Rei needed to know, throwing Kaworu into a nearby tree (or at least the FAR equivalent of a tree).
Mari would spring out. "Yeah you deserve that."
"Mmmgh…"
"Sorry for roughing up your house Mari!"
"D'oh and I just got done setting up all the c-china on the mantlepiece!" Helping Kaworu up. "I spent five minutes thinking about t-that!"
"Apologies." Flatly muttered Kaworu.
"You can be involved in the teachings as well, Mari. Least I can do considering your… unfortunate history."
"Hmpf. Reckon you could get my mom back or s-something, Jehovah?"
"I have not seen her soul since it had been encapsulated into a core. Make of that what you will."
An aside glance. "Do… you sense souls no matter how far a-away they are?"
"If they are of me, yes. I have a link to each and every one. When they enter a core, they are pulled out of my purview. Of course, this also applies for if a soul fades, which can happen if they were left wandering for too long."
"What if a core is damaged?"
"The trauma from a shattered core damages the soul within. If her core was damaged, it would not be good."
Another thought from Rei. "Those… cores, that were dumped in the LCL sea."
"They were close enough to me that I was able to recover them. They… required treatment, but they did not fade. They may not become the persons they once were, but I will make sure they persist in new life, [Rei]."
"That's… acceptable." She sighed. The name did help soothe her mind, at least. "I… have a lot to learn."
"You're my daughter. You have the promise of eternal life with that Solenoid of yours." Finger on her chest, pointing towards her heart. "We have the time."
Turning to Kaworu. "Though speaking of time… I believe the sun is rising over in the East."
"Indeed." Kaworu would bow. "I will leave you to discuss."
"Will you be okay, Kaworu?"
He'd nod. "You have soothed my mind today, Lilith."
"I am yours to read as I am [Rei]'s, Kaworu. If… [Adam] were here, he'd be proud of the person you have become."
He couldn't help but wince, hearing his name like that. "…My apologies if that is still a sensitive subject."
"I've… accepted it."
"He was not a bad person, Kaworu. But he had Life and we had Knowledge, and… that couldn't be allowed. If I could have helped it, I would not have given you the Solenoid… but once Pandora's box has opened you cannot close it. All I can do is manage your use of it, and… prevent the mistakes we made."
A beat, and a nod from the boy. "I will keep that in mind, Lilith."
He would dissipate into light, returning to the physical realm.
"We are still in your past."
"Mhm… I hope you don't mind if we stay here for a bit." Hand on her shoulder. "I have so much I wish to teach you, [Rei]."
"No time like the present." With a small smile.
~
The jump jet was flying towards the sun, Ritsuko absolutely not using this time as a break. In fact, she had been on her terminal for this entire flight so far.
The sync test looked like it went well at least, judging by the print outs. But the Incubator… that was going to be a major thorn in her side, she just knew.
"Feh…" Taking out another nicotine patch and applying it onto her arm. "I hope you got some answers from Lilith, Kaworu. Best believe I have a few…"
Her terminal would ping. The third encrypted archive file from that iPod.
"Do I dare look into that…"
She would.
But what she was was absolutely not what she was expecting.
It was naught but a single audio file. Just over five minutes in length. 'COMEDOWN.MP3'
"…Okay?" Plugging a headphone into the terminal and holding it up, she would play it out.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCyzTKoHLsE
The brow would only furrow further, as it turned out to be some sort of… psych rock? About how wasted the singer was from the night before.
"All the effort in the world for this…" Ritsuko would huff.
Still, could be worse. At least it sounded good. "…Wonder who this band is… is that an Australian accent? They're not gonna have another attack are they?"
It was something Misato would have to look into, she'd conclude. She had way too much on her plate already, sending her through a quick email.
~
"What the hell is this shit?!" As she listened to it over her Powermac's speakers. "Guys?! You know this band?!"
Shinji stepped out from the bathroom, toothbrush still in hand. "Nah, sounds a bit alternative."
Asuka would pull Shinji down so that she was overhead. "Is that psych rock? What is this, Woodstock?!"
"Apparently it was on that iPod, but it just sounds like this dude's nursing a killer hangover."
"Hey it's your song Misato!" Cheered Asuka. "I'm soooooo I'm so faded!"
"Oh for-" Throwing a beer coaster in their general direction, Misato slightly cringing at herself upon the realisation that would not help her case. "Get to bed you two! You're getting up at four!"
"Oh if you insist Misato!"
"Can I at least rinse my mouth out?"
"Oh I'm not kissing you with toothpaste still in that gob Shin-chan!" Pulling him up by the collar and shoving him back in the bathroom.
"And try not to spend too long up to funny business!"
"As vain a request that may be we'll try." Shinji mused. "What say you Asuka?"
"Oh I'm getting up to funny business!" Gargling, and spitting into the basin. "There, all ready for you Shinji!"
"Why would you be-" A blink, and an immediate furrow of her brow as she realised why she may want her mouth to be freshened up for her partner, especially given discussions earlier today. "Oh for goodness sake…"
"You'd do it if Kaji was here too Misato!" Shoving her fiancee into their lovely suite. "Don't think you're the highest in the room!"
"G'night Misato!" Shinji was able to get out before the door closed and locked.
A sigh from their guardian, as she sipped a beer. "Pen-Pen if they're not up by four you have permission to put on that weird loud music you like as an alarm."
"Wark!" In mock salute, before he sat down on the couch to sip his own beer out of a straw. "Wark!?"
"No I don't know when Kaji's getting back from Massachusetts, and with everything going on there it's probably gonna be ages."
"Wark?"
"I mean the car is one thing of course… feh, maybe I should make an excuse to get over to Massachusetts when Ritsuko gets back."
"Wark!"
"What do you mean be careful what you wished for?!"
Meanwhile in the bedroom, the two lovebirds were snickering to themselves as they gradually reduced each other down to the minimum. "Oh you're so gonna show Misato up ain't ya?"
Drawing him in, close. "You know me, Shin-chan!" With a wide smirk. "I always take a chance to show her up!"
And they would collide, arms wrapping around him as their lips settled into a comfortable rhythm… it wasn't going to be the only thing she used her lips for tonight. "Mhm, you even shaved down there this time! Good boy!"
"Well you did say you'd only do that if it's clean down there."
"And that's why I do that too! Don't want to grind myself on a washboard, same as I don't want your face grinding on a washboard!" In a snicker, as she started the trip down under. "Now… where were- ow!" As something hit her head. "Hey I thought we weren't being rough tonight!"
"Oi that wasn't me!"
"Oh yeah and who could it be?!"
"You were literally going down on me why would I hit you on the head?!" In exasperation. "Ohh you're moving too slow hyah!" As he actually playfully tapped her head this time.
That did get some giggling out of her. "If you actually did that for real I'd be very tempted to bite it!"
She'd slink off the bed, hitting the light switch. "Well, the ceiling didn't fall in."
"That's a good start." Was Shinji's wry remark. "So what else could it-"
A beat, as they both seemed to realise just what else it could be. "Awwoh no not again!" Asuka stamping a foot in frustration. "And we were just about to get started with something too!"
"The universe is cruel to us…" In a blink. "Where is it then?"
"Did it fall off the bed…" Pulling some of the sheets off from the floor. "Ah!"
It was a small leather bound book, with some sort of heraldry embossed on the cover. "Hmm…" Examining the author and the title. "Strypgia- is that stripe gear or strip gear you think?"
Shinji gave a shrug. "You know my English isn't that great, didn't even think a Y went there…" Shaking it off. "What's the title?"
"Evangelion: The Hangover."
"Well that's promising…" In a mutter. "Any blurb or something?"
Looking around front and back. "Uhh, nope!"
"Well just open up to a random page and see what it says!"
"Oh fine…"
She would end up at page fifteen. "Ahem. 'The argument had escalated to…' W-wait-"
Eyes darting around as she read on ahead. "O-oh!" A blush that only increased as she read further. "O…okay!"
"What? What's going-"
She was suddenly upon Shinji. "Read baka read!"
"Uhh, okay?" Looking through it.
And almost immediately blushing. "W-well, h-he never said to me he was good at that…"
"We are not letting Misato know about this until we have all gone through it."
"W… with Rei and Kaworu?"
"Well it involves them!"
"And… you're not concerned with the fact we're all banging?"
"We ain't dying. So Stryp's already treating us better than some."
Before furrowing her brow in disgust with herself. "I can't believe I've reached the point I'm saying that, I literally prefer a porno of us over the other ones just because we aren't suffering in it! Shit, because it's porno, objectively speaking we're having a great time!"
"Well we don't know for sure, could be like the one from Kimigabuchi where there's porn and suffering!"
"And if there is I'm burning this book without Misato ever knowing about it. And probably writing their name in a black book somewhere." In a snicker. "But yeah. I'm gonna tell Rei about it tomorrow before our sync, and she can tell Kaworu. And… well, we can figure out a time to go through it then."
"Means Mari will see it too."
"Mari's just as involved in our activities as any one of us at this point, or have you forgotten Germany already?"
"That book's not trying to serve as a reminder to start banging them or something?"
"Well you know I'd be fine with that if you wanted to." Snickering. "Kaworu loves you, Rei loves both of us. We've all kissed each other and cuddled each other and seen each other naked, even if we didn't go much further."
"You kissed Kaworu?"
"Well duh what do you think we did when we were sharing rooms during our German trip? Playing Monopoly?" With a barked laugh. "Bet you weren't with Rei!"
To his bashful aside glance.
"Ahh, it's all good, Shinji." With a defusing kiss on his lips. "I know some folks aren't too keen on it, but all we should care about is ourselves, y'know? And if you want to be with them like you are with me, I'll be fine with that."
Snickering, close to him. "God just hear what I'm saying, the Asuka of a few years ago would absolutely refuse to even consider sharing you!"
"Mhm…" Shinji still wasn't sure. "We'll… see."
Asuka would sigh, slightly smiling. "Well, maybe whatever this is will make up your mind for you."
It would be safely stashed under their mattress. "Now, until then, if it comes, technically you are still mine and I am still yours." Showing off her ring, the only thing she had on her person at the moment. "So, Shin-chan, since it's clear the universe does not want me sticking things in my mouth, how about we flip a coin and let God decide for us?"
He'd pick the coin up from the bedside table, and flip it. "Tails."
"Hehe…" She'd clamber onto him, chest to chest, face to face. "Tails it is."
So they would spend their time together… in scenes that for the sake of the rating of this story are best left to the imagination.
Still, at the end of their *ahem* session, the reservations would remain within Asuka, as she rested on her lover. "…These works make me anxious, Shinji."
"They haven't exactly made the greatest impression on us." Hand running down her back, to her gentle cooing. "It's worse when it's about us, of course."
"Well, yeah, it's us. Even if it's obviously different, they still have our names and faces at the end of the day. And… well… seeing what happens in some of them. To you, to me, to everyone else we love…"
Nestling herself further into him. "You understand why I'm… worried. I mean shit… I still have that picture of Rei jarred in my mind, Shinji. From… Kimigabuchi's work." Wincing in her frank discomfort… no one deserved to go through that. "I'm sure that picture of Kaworu would be there too, if he hadn't spared us from it."
A sigh. "I… know it's an okay first impression, but… I'm still scared, Shinji. I… don't want to see you guys suffer more; we've already suffered enough in this short life we've had so far… I… hate seeing you guys like that."
A beat.
Shinji didn't really have much else he could add that might soothe her… but he had something.
Leaning down, he'd kiss her forehead. His hand started drifting through her hair, as her eyes moved to look into his. "What did I say when we were in this room… after that first Laserdisc?"
She thought back. "That… you're going to be with me, no matter what."
"Mhm. I will be there to support you. Even if it's complete shit for us." A small smile. "You're one of the strongest people I know… We'll get through it together, Asuka."
His ringed hand would intertwine with hers. "Trust me."
A moment, and a small sigh, as she settled for the night. Finding comfort in his warmth. "Mhm… okay, Shinji."
Her hand would still hold Shinji's. "…love you, Shin-chan."
One more kiss on her head. "I love you too, Asuka."
With that, they would let the night take them.
…They wouldn't hear the jingle bell outside of their window, as something else too slinked away into the night.
~~~
"Eh, I've had luck using the regular headband."
He was wearing them like headphones.
"Well, if it works."
They were both soon in the entry plug, NT-Unit-00 set up in the test chamber.
Maya was overseeing the printouts. "All nominal so far boss!"
"Mhm, very good." Misato remarked. "Makoto, how are our pilots looking?"
"Hiro and Zero Two are settled and ready to go!"
"Good. Induce the core."
"Yes Ma'am!" Maya cheered, before going to her protege. "Okay so the way the NACSS works, it's similar in concept to the regular Evangelion design we went over earlier, only the core is substituted for a person. So first step in the NACSS synchronisation process is to induce the core position into the Evangelion."
"How does that work?"
"The core position is sedated and then their soul is tunnelled into the Evangelion, from there they are essentially a core for synchronisation purposes and we can treat it like a standard sync."
"Oh yeah, makes sense." As Kensuke input the commands. "Inducing core position…"
From the walkways above, the elders Yui and Kyoko would watch on. "Amazing how far we've come when it comes to this… I would have been terrified if you told me you essentially ensoul it every time."
"Didn't exactly end up well for both of us, huh."
"Core is induced, vitals are nominal."
"You should be able to take it from here Kensuke. Remember for a NACSS we have three sync ratios to remember, core to pilot, pilot to core, and combined. Since the ratio is combined we may regularly have a value over 100%, this is acceptable. Due to their experience values between the 200 and 220 percentiles are also expected good, though I wouldn't expect to see this in a sync test."
"More for in the heat of battle?"
"Mhm, and if you have a lopsided ratio that could be an indicator of some sort of tension somewhere. Ideally, the ratios going both ways are within a percentile of each other, between five and ten percentiles of difference is acceptable as well."
"So probably they just need to talk something out."
"Pretty much, but we still don't have a therapist on file so all we can do is recommend them talk whatever issue they have out."
"Alright." Typing into his terminal. "All connections prepared, begin first stage contacts."
"First stage!" Called out Makoto.
The first wisps of intra-pilot communication would indicate on the terminal screen. "Connections are open, waiting on first contact before releasing to stage two!"
"Aye!"
"Not sure how I should feel about teaching the new generation all this." Sighed Yui.
("Not that the Angels care.") Zeppelin would mutter. "The Evangelion will be kept for as long as we determine it necessary. And humanity will have to learn to maintain it without us, Yui."
"Prepare for secondary contact!" Makoto would call out. "Initiate the main power connection!"
The lights would dip slightly as the power draw of the Evangelion increased. "Initiated!" Kensuke called out, the secondary contacts proceeding. "A-10 nominal!"
"How long do you think it'll be necessary for?"
A long look at the Evangelion, slowly looking towards her other. "Depends how long our enemies deign to attack us."
"Thought pattern set to Japanese! Confirmation on all contacts?"
"All contacts confirmed!" Called out Kensuke. "Ready for sync!"
"Open the bi-directional circuits." Commanded Misato.
A large breaker was flipped. "Bi-directional flow confirmed, hold for sync ratio…" As it normalised. "Core to pilot 87.4 and rising, pilot to core 87.3. Combined ratio of 174.7."
"Not bad for not syncing in a while." Chuckled Misato, as she went for the PA. "Good work you two. How's Zero Two going?"
"Like a fish to water, Misato!" Cheering over the line. "Legs are feeling pretty numb though."
"Legs contacts are disconnected for this sync, we'll have full connection tomorrow." Giving a nod. "For now see how you go moving your arms."
"Yes Ma'am!"
With careful and calibrated movement, both arms would stretch out, twisting around, flexing hands up and down and all around.
"Sync is holding steady." Kensuke reading the graph. "Initially dipped to 170 upon beginning movement but has now re-stabilised at 172.6."
"That's okay." Maya would affirm. "Usually there's a dip when they move around the Evangelion. Like when you add load to a circuit and the voltage drops down."
"Oh yeah, that makes sense!" As Kensuke kept an eye on the graphs. "So when they actually start moving that gives a more accurate indicator of their sync?"
"Mhm, pretty much!" In a cheer. "Usually you'd see a dip of up to ten points when they start moving and actively using the Evangelion."
"Wonder if he'd be more enthusiastic about it if he knew the damage it causes."
"Yui I've heard of Kensuke from Asuka." In a mutter. "He's obsessed with the Evangelion. This doesn't surprise me."
"At least someone enjoys it…"
"I'm sure the pilots don't mind it either." Kyoko would nudge.
"How's it going down there you two?"
"We're going good!" He beamed. "You know she loves it!"
The twin links would reflect this, closely synchronised.
"Very good you two." Misato was rather satisfied with the result. "Prep for shutdown you two."
Maya gave an aside to Kensuke. "When you cut the power it forcefully unsynchronises, it's good practice to give them a minute or two in order to minimise the link with each other because we've found it causes issues when they're actively communicating during the disconnect."
"Is there an e-stop somewhere?"
"The red pull lever right there-" Pointing to it. "Shatter the glass and pull hard on it, it'll forcefully disconnect the sync and eject the entry plug, though only use it if it's clear the Evangelion has gone berserk."
"What are the indicators of a berserk?"
"Loss of sync and bi-directional movement, alongside a spike in core activity."
"Also the fact things tend to go visibly haywire when it goes wrong." Muttered Misato. "You'll know when it goes berserk."
"Yeah I figured that." Thought Kensuke. "Evac protocol?"
"Ditch everything and run."
"Love it when it's simple." He snickered. "Looks like their sync is dropping."
"That's good, that makes it easier on them when we go to disconnect." Maya would note. "Usually we aim for a sync under 60 percent for a safe disconnect."
"They're 68 and dropping."
"Give them another minute I say. Don't have to completely conform to the timescales specified."
"Though of course if they're really pushing it, we usually just force the case." Thought Misato. "At this point they know they need to reduce their sync before shutdown to reduce the after effect."
Luckily for them they'd drop below the acceptable shutdown ratio. "Pull the plug."
"For shutdowns you need to turn this key and then pull this lever down, the key is your verification and the shutdown is your manual sync control."
"You can manually control sync?"
"Mhm, for sync tests we have it unlimited so we can get an accurate gauge, but in sortie we can limit the sync of the pilots depending on what we think is safe. When they're in training we limit it to approximately seventy percent."
"Of course if a pilot is determined, no soft control can affect it." Makoto would input.
"Well yeah, but pilots tend to do their own thing." Snickered Maya. "Sync looks good, we should be able to shutdown now."
Key turned, and lever dropped down.
The sync would drop down in kind, all the way to zero.
The eyes of the Evangelion would go dark. "Shutdown successful."
Maya would pat Kensuke's shoulder. "Good work kiddo. First of many!"
All Kensuke gave was a bashful head scratch.
Yui would sigh. "…We'll just have to let them do their own thing. And hope they do it right."
"Well…" Kyoko would look out. ("I think they're doing better than we did.")
~
A train pulled into Mitakihara station.
Madoka was practically bouncing in her shoes in excitement. "Gosh… it's been so long since we've seen them!"
"It's only been a few months." Mused Homura.
The doors would open. "Sayaka! Kyoko!"
"Ah!" Cheered Sayaka. "Mado-"
She collided with them, almost knocking them to the ground. Wrapping them in a tight hug. "…I missed you guys."
"Heh…" Kyoko would reciprocate. "We know."
Glancing up to Homura. "C'mere you nerd!"
She'd approach up in her own pace, cozying up to them. "Thatta girl…" Kyoko would settle into them.
"How's Mami been?"
"She's… been okay." Sighed Madoka, at the query. "You know she's been struggling with the whole thing."
"Mhm… I know."
A small look. "Will we be seeing her tonight?"
"Yeah." With melancholic smile. "I think she'll appreciate it."
~
She just wanted to see her sister again.
Ever since the accident… her sister may as well have been dead to her. "I'm sorry, Tomoe-chan, we don't hav her name on our files."
Another cold case. "Thank you for your time."
She'd set the phone back down in it cradle. "Where… where did she go?"
She didn't think she was dead. She could hear her voice calling for her mother… though who knows if that was just in her mind at this point.
No… she can't think that… Nagisa, surely she must be alive at this point. "…Will I ever see you again?"
A jingle bell rang out, her snapping to its direction.
Nothing out the window… "…You're going crazy, Mami." A sharp sigh. "You'll see her again… believe it."
The nurse would come in. "You have visitors, Tomoe-chan."
Madoka would peek her head in. "Mami!"
That would bring her some comfort at least. "Ah… Madoka!"
She'd come up to her and hug her tightly. "I missed you guys…"
"Oh we know…" In a small chuckle. "But hey, you're getting out tomorrow!" Trying to cheer her up. "Mom set you up a room at our place… we'll look after you."
A beat, and a sigh, settling into Madoka. "…I appreciate it, Mado…"
Sayaka and Kyoko would come up to her bed. "How are you going with Nagi?" Was Kyoko's concern. "Any… any luck?"
"Nah…" With aside glance. "It's… like she dropped off the face of the Earth. I don't know where she went off to."
A moment.
Before Kyoko held her hand. "Hey… our partner knows a few people. Maybe they can help you."
Mami didn't want to hold hope. "…I'm sure they can."
~
Rei would sit on the shore of the Astral. Staring into space.
She knew the entity she saw was called an Advisor.
Once more it would appear to her, seeing it through the veil.
It would look towards her.
She would stare in defiance back at it.
…an interloper would appear between.
All it would gesture was a movement of the pointer. They obviously did not recommend whatever course of action it had been thinking of.
The Advisor would casually turn away, and drift off into the ether.
The interloper turned to Rei. "It is with… great jouissance, that we meet. Daughter… of Lilith."
Appearing to her as they were portrayed in the game. Simple work spec suit and tie, military grade haircut. And vivid emerald eyes, that seemed to flurry like aurora.
They would step through the threshold, into Rei's universe. "Forgive my… directness. They and I had a rather… close, working relationship… This was all… a long time ago, at this point, as you may have assumed already."
Rei kept her cool at the remark. "You are the G-Man."
"I am… known by many names." Adjusting their tie. "If this G-Man is your title… well, that is what I am called." Almost amused in the thought. "I am sure Lilith had her own… titles, for me."
"You are first name basis with her." Rei would note. "You must be close."
"Your ancestors… and we… operated on a principle of equivalent exchange." Looking back. "One piece of information from our home realm, for one piece of information from theirs. This was… acceptable for our kind. And in her time, she served as… an emissary, of sorts. Bridging our world and this own."
A look aside, and a wry smile. "Though… I am sure she can explain better than I can."
Lilith was there. With a flat glare. "How long has it been since we have last interacted, " Their name would be garbled to Rei.
"Hmpf. You are losing your sense of time, " Wry, their own name for Lilith also garbled. "In… Earth time, it would be almost two billion years. At this point. Ever since the… incident." They would give an aside glance.
"And yet, you have decided to come though."
"Our… clients have started showing an… interest, in your universe." In cool analysis. "I… have reminded them of your ability. Whether or now you are… capable of doing such thing in your modern time… it does not matter. The risk is still there."
The way they worded it, it was apparent they still saw a risk to themselves too. "Out… of respect for you and your kind, and whatever successor your kind has… and the risk you pose to them… I will prevent them from interfacing with this universe." A glare back to their own home realm. "The tides will shift eventually."
"Tell them we can still destroy them."
"They… have already gauged that." Once more adjusting their tie. "They are not interested in architecting their own genocide."
"I'm sure you wouldn't be interested as well."
They would take that as a threat. "It… has been a pleasure reacquainting with you again, "
"I wish I could say the same." She would cooly stare.
The expectation from her was clear. Interlopers would not be tolerated any further.
A quiet cost/risk analysis, before they would cross back over into their own realm.
"Do you wish to explain their relationship with you?" Confronted Rei.
"They… were an an diplomat from their own realm. They were truthful in our relationship, the concept of equivalent exchange."
"I can assume what this incident refers to."
Lilith and Rei would turn around.
Kaworu was stood there, staring almost defiantly up to the mother of humanity.
"I take the Incubator had a lot to say to you."
"That is an understatement."
Lilith would grunt. "Their assessment, while inaccurate, was seeded in truth."
Approaching him, hand on his shoulder. "Do you wish to know, son of Adam?"
A beat.
"Yes."
"Well." The landscape would shift under her feet. "Allow me to elaborate."
~~
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Zqy4nsYRk
Down they fell like the Children of Eden…
A red sun blazed as it sat low in the horizon, virtually unmoving. The light had scattered to deep reds and pinks.
They were sat on the bank of a lake, on green grass.
"Where… are we?"
"Home." Lilith seemed to look around, sadness on her face. "Our world was like Earth in very few ways. It was smaller, around the size of Mars. It sat close to what you'd term a red dwarf."
Even Mari had come out to see for herself. "It's… beautiful."
A roaring from across the bay, as something rocketed out. "This was the dawn of our space age… five billion of your years ago."
They too would rocket up, soon standing on the outer deck of a sprawling spaceship, almost like a cathedral in its elegance and makeup.
Other ships of that ilk would surround, the red sun now behind them. "Our long lives allowed us great allowance in exploring space without any requirement for faster than light travel. With that… we broached to the stars."
Moving forward, the stars bending around them.
The ships were now facing other ships. Spartan, chrome and metallic.
"It was five hundred million years into our pursuits when we first encountered what would be termed the Incubator."
A wry smile. "And it was exciting for us. We weren't alone in the universe."
"How was your first contact?"
"None of our comms were compatible, so we set down on a nearby planet and they followed."
Down they fell like the Tower…
Now on this world.
The Incubators sat, staring with curiosity at the FAR envoy, as they wordlessly conveyed some simple mathematic principles in the dirt in front of them. Prime numbers, the ratio of a circle, Pythagorean theorem.
"They're… larger?"
Lilith would nod. "This was their original form."
While they were larger, their profile remained the same. Cat-like, ears and protrusions. Large, gem like red eyes.
The Incubators would look between each other.
One stepped forward, and below the FAR theorem, they would input their own implementation of the theorem.
The FAR envoy could not help a small smile at the gesture.
Numbers were next. The FAR, having ten fingers, naturally used a base-10 system.
The Incubators, having paws instead, had gravitated towards a sixteen base system. There was initial confusion in the numbers until they figured how to state how the system worked to the FAR envoy.
The interlopers were watching this play out with great curiosity. "I… always wondered how this might have played out between friendly entities."
"The lack of a common protocol makes it difficult. But they did excellently."
"Was… this when the trouble started?"
Lilith shook her head. "In a cosmic sense, yes. But… at this point in time…"
Time would speed up, the FAR envoy and the Incubators wordlessly exchanging information about themselves and their society.
The envoy held up a hand, crouched down to their level. Inviting an Incubator towards them.
It carefully approached, examining the odd appendage.
…It would rest their head in the hand. Eyes closing, relaxing.
A universal symbol of trust.
Lilith could only mourn. "Such an eminent start to our relationship…"
Heed the sirens, take shelter my lover…
Still on the same world, time jumping forward a significant amount.
FAR and Incubator alike were watching on with vigour and fervour.
"When we codified our relationship. This is thousands of years later, by that time we have worked out communications and… we had gotten so close with each other... the decision was made to merge our two societies together. The bonds that both our societies had created with one another were… wonderful."
It was a symbolic wedding of sorts. The same FAR envoy with the same Incubator, dressed in fine threads.
Words were spoken between them, sounding like scratching to the humans. "'With these acts we bind our fates together'." Lilith would translate. "And the Incubator: 'May we face the darkness together as one'."
Their foreheads would touch. Eyes closing.
"'May we prosper together'." Translating the leaders of the events. The cheering from the gathered crowd didn't need translating, nor did the fireworks in the background.
The envoy and the Incubator didn't seem to pay mind to this. Sharing this intimate moment together.
"This started a golden age for both our societies. Five hundred million of your years we would spend in this union."
"You treated them as your equal."
"In every single way."
A few scenes would play though.
FAR children and young Incubators playing together, without a care in the world, as their parents discussed in the background.
An Incubator, wearing a lab coat and holding a laser pointer in their mouth, pointing to something on a whiteboard for their FAR offsider to note.
An unguarded moment, a FAR and their Incubator partner sound asleep in a bed. The Incubator had nestled into their neck, the FAR's arms wrapped around them tight.
"Our spirits were the same. Not like the encapsulated soul, more like raw fibre of life. We… as FAR, required this exchange of love to live. And to our knowledge, so did the Incubators."
The Incubator would gently stir, slightly adjusting their head to face their partner, nudging them and wordlessly whispering. "Calling their name…"
The partner would kiss the Incubator.
Mari would avert her eyes at the show of love. "Jeez give them some p-privacy…"
To Lilith's amusement. "This is all in the past, Mari." But she would concede the point, the reality shifting around them. "But… near the end, something changed."
But their translucent skin made me shiver deep within my bones…
News reports. Articles. Messages.
Missing FAR. Gone without a trace.
"We could not explain this." Lilith's attitude was starting to cool off. "But the common thread was the Incubator. They were partners of Incubators. But we didn't suspect a thing; the Incubators seemed devastated that their partners had gone missing, why would we have reason to accuse them?"
"What… was going on?"
A bursting behind them forced their attention.
It was a [Pale White Horse]…
The Incubator stared empty into space, no emotion at all.
LCL had pooled around them.
A vivid red thread would absorb into them, their body glowing.
With a crooked smile…
Lilith would stare… it still invoked fury, even to this day. "…This was their nature. Whether the love we could offer them became too little or… we were groomed from the start to be like livestock to them. The end result was the same. They… would take our spirit, our very being, the chain link that connects us to our ancestors… and they would break it for themselves."
It was a cardinal sin of the highest order to her, and to the children of the FAR. "Oh my God…"
And I knew it was my time…
"We refused to believe it. They were so good to us, they were our friends companions lovers… we would bear children with them…"
Her fists were clenched. "We… made a grave error of judgement with that thought."
It was the raging storm of a foreign war…
And a face they had seen before. "They had never admitted it, but we did not require their admission in the end."
The tension would rise and well, as they stood watch over a planet. "What… what happened next?"
Lilith turned to stare at Rei. "War was declared."
The world was bathed in orange, a red glow enveloping. "It was the Incubator that made the first move. Out of the estimated three billion FAR that existed at this time, one hundred million were wiped off the face of the universe in this first strike against us."
Mari's shock was palpable, holding her hands to her mouth. "Jesus Christ."
"We had never fought war before. In the desperation to regroup and mount a defensive campaign, another hundred million were taken. Even to this day, I still hold limited record of who these people were, the chain so thoroughly broken we could only work on empirical proof of their existence."
Eyes would shut. "It was in this war I entered my adolescent years. Our determination to live was palpable, and after hundreds of thousands of years we would reach the point of stalemate against them. An endless war of attrition, equal in casualty on both sides, with no hope of an end."
"…unless either you or them ceased to be."
A nod from Lilith. "…Indeed."
Down to another world, completely lacking the networks of man made light that they would expect from a civilised inhabited planet. "But we would find out, that war makes for rapid development. We had to work quickly, or we would not have survived."
Another cathedral would emerge, rising from the planet through a hidden bay door. With no visible engine, it appeared to warp from existence. "Warships. Dirac. Rubrics. C-Pillars. Some known to you, some unknown. Humanity will discover them in their own time."
They would dive through the ground, snaking through a network of hallways.
A harshly illuminated hidden laboratory. Akin to NERV. "It was here we made a breakthrough."
Once more they were wordlessly speaking, Lilith opting to translate their words into something more interpretable for the offspring.
A blast door would open.
"…No way."
It was a large red crystal. A core that wouldn't look out of place on an Evangelion… or perhaps more accurately an Angel.
"That's… a Solenoid."
Lilith would nod. "The first Solenoid."
The experiment would proceed, the individuals in the room turning their individual keys, and flipping a large breaker.
A computer screen flickered in the power changeover, before it started indicating in an indescribable manner.
Whatever this manner was, though, it resulted in great excitement from the group, smiles and cheers echoing out.
Lilith would smile at the joy. Joy that was once hers. "The holy grail, to use human parlance. Transferring the boundless energy from the Metaphysical realm to that of the physical."
"Infinite power."
"Virtually. And now we had it on tap."
A brief snap back to space, new energy weapons and shielding present on the cathedrals of the FAR. And being used to critical effect. "This was what we needed. One Solenoid on a ship gave it near indestructible effect. We started reclaiming what we had once lost. But… this was still too little."
Back to the lab. "We knew that the Incubator would not give up. They were never going to surrender, and believe me we had tried. Our… society made a grim decision, that the only way we could win the war was by ending them."
"Genocide." Rei did not mince her words.
"…Yes." Ashamed to admit it. "It is not a topic we broached afterwards. Even if they were the instigators... no life deserves death."
An Incubator was restrained within it. Several more in a cage beside it. "The Incubator operates on a hive mind. They are networked. Even if they appear to be operating autonomously, they are always communicating."
Lilith would coldly watch on, as soldiers forced probes into the Incubator's skull. "We were able to use this to our advantage."
A switch was flipped, shocks applied to the Incubator.
The other caged Incubator would experience this pain too, until it disabled them, a dial increasing.
All of a sudden the power was cut.
The head of the Incubator would explode with a violent bang, alongside those of the caged. "JESUS CHRIST!" Mari screeched. "What the fuck?!"
To Lilith's small sigh. "I think you can assume what was done from here."
Willing them up, in the daylight they would see a network of Solenoids. Stretching on far into the horizon in both directions. "If we could put enough energy into that hive mind… we would wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
It would become night. "We would win the war… but at what cost to our spirits…"
Staring up into the night sky.
There would be a streak of red through it.
"…One billion FAR were killed in this war. Consumed for energy, or otherwise deceased in the fighting… Every Incubator within the galaxy were destroyed in an instant. Five billion, by our estimates. Even ones outside of the galaxy, of which there were known to be a few, would have been killed or crippled by the shock to their hive."
The group would spend a silent moment, contemplating.
"We never recovered. We became paranoid of being hurt. The Solenoid was seen as salvation, encapsulating our spirits within a soul to live forever, with no risk of being hurt… but in doing so we lost a key part of what made us FAR." Bowing her head. "It only ended up hurting us more… and we collapsed. Billions of years of civilisation gone in what felt like an instant to us."
She looked to the children. "You know the story from here. The Moons. The segmentation of Life and Knowledge. The Seeding. And ultimately… you. All spurred on from this desperate and heinous action."
It was harrowing, learning such knowledge. "I… feel sick…"
Kaworu would hold Mari's hand. "Rest up. It's… a lot. I know. Take as much time as you need."
A small nod, as she dissipated back into him, falling dormant.
"I… understand the thinking." Rei would begin. "You admit it's heinous. But I also struggle to see an alternative that could work."
"We have tried everything. Short of accepting defeat, or becoming their cattle. Believe me… this was the last resort."
"And yet… here they stand."
"Yet here they stand…"
It was meant to end them... and yet here they were. Did that make their actions worth it, in the end?
She would cool once more. Those questions were for herself.
She turned to Kaworu. "If I may be allowed to interface with your memories of the Incubator?"
"I allow it."
There'd be a brief wince from the boy, Lilith learning what she needed to learn and nothing more. "I cannot do much without having access to a physical entity, but… I can speculate."
The old style was compared to the new. "Their smaller size is most likely due to a bottleneck in their genetics. That or they had to evolve to meet a lower energy profile. Either way… they are still as capable as their ancestral counterpart."
"That… feeling you had." Rei would start. "When you turned your physical self towards it."
"Knowing now that they are walking among us, I believe that was an Incubator taking a soul for itself." In cold speculation. "I do not know when they settled; they could have been here for thousands of years or thousands of hours. I think they understand that there is FAR presence on this planet, if they didn't then they would now you have encountered one, Kaworu. I suspect they will be more subtle with their presence, now."
"It would be in their best interests to not be so bold as they were."
"Is there a way to interface with their hive after they have died?"
Lilith shook her head. "It disconnects upon the cessation of life. Even if they were restarted by some external process, it will not form the connection to the hive again."
"Is anything cached? Like a computer system?"
Another shake of her head. "To further the computer analogy, imagine a single Incubator as a lightweight client. It has enough capability to maintain itself, bodily functions and instinctual actions, but it relies on a master controller to provide it further function. And this is what their hive mind does, it is essentially a singular mind. An individual Incubator at this level could be likened to a singular neurone, to use a more accurate analogy. So no, it does not retain anything on itself."
"…That was why it was so unafraid of death."
"It is not death. To them is it the equivalent of cell apoptosis. The hive will remain, no matter how many of its extraneous elements are debrided."
A brief beat.
"…What if we can do what you did?"
"Judging by their reaction, I do not think that would work. We can try, but as the saying goes… once bitten, twice shy. And they have remembered what we did to them."
A huff from Kaworu. "No easy way then."
"Unfortunately not." Hands on both of their shoulders. "I will trust you to keep them under control. You have done well, Kaworu, to defeat this one."
An aside glance. "…Thank you."
"I hope you can forgive me for any previous reservations I held. You are as much the future of humanity… the future of us, as any one else."
A beat, and a nod. "I won't let you down."
"Rei…" Turning towards her. "You who I gladly call daughter." With a small smile. "I wish to teach you. Everything I know, the history and knowledge of who you call the First Ancestral Race… I want to pass it down to you. Keep our memory alive, and allow it to be communicated."
She would look up to her, in a mixture of admiration and hesitancy. "I wish to become more involved in human affairs. To that end… you will be my emissary. If you so wish." In a small chuckle. "About time I try to teach my children some of the values we hold."
"I accept." The hesitation was gone. "I… accept, Lilith… mother."
Approaching her. "…Teach me." And settling into her chest. "I… want to know."
Lilith would return the gesture, holding her daughter close. "…Your first lesson."
She would speak a word that warmed Rei's heart. "W… what does that mean?"
"That is your name." Softly smiling, gently running a hand through her hair. "The name I hold for you, in my own language."
A small gasp… the tears would well, at the sheer gesture. "Mother…" Settling further into her.
"Your name is [Rei]." Another bolt of warmth shooting through her. "And you will understand the meaning of this word in time. Trust me."
"I do. I… trust you."
Kaworu could feel her joy at the gesture. Softly smiling.
"Now, as your mother, it is my duty to ask you when will you be having children with Kaworu."
That got Rei beet red. "M-Mom!" Still, she couldn't help but snicker. "When we're ready!"
"Mhm, it's been months since I've given him the ability to do so and he still hasn't made good on it!"
"Not through lack of trying, believe me." Jabbed Kaworu.
"KAWORU!" As Lilith cackled to herself. "Mmmgh…"
"Ahh you're so getting thrown into a tree when she sees you next."
"You say that but we're still in your… what is this, memories of yours?"
"Close, I will teach you in ti-"
That was enough Rei needed to know, throwing Kaworu into a nearby tree (or at least the FAR equivalent of a tree).
Mari would spring out. "Yeah you deserve that."
"Mmmgh…"
"Sorry for roughing up your house Mari!"
"D'oh and I just got done setting up all the c-china on the mantlepiece!" Helping Kaworu up. "I spent five minutes thinking about t-that!"
"Apologies." Flatly muttered Kaworu.
"You can be involved in the teachings as well, Mari. Least I can do considering your… unfortunate history."
"Hmpf. Reckon you could get my mom back or s-something, Jehovah?"
"I have not seen her soul since it had been encapsulated into a core. Make of that what you will."
An aside glance. "Do… you sense souls no matter how far a-away they are?"
"If they are of me, yes. I have a link to each and every one. When they enter a core, they are pulled out of my purview. Of course, this also applies for if a soul fades, which can happen if they were left wandering for too long."
"What if a core is damaged?"
"The trauma from a shattered core damages the soul within. If her core was damaged, it would not be good."
Another thought from Rei. "Those… cores, that were dumped in the LCL sea."
"They were close enough to me that I was able to recover them. They… required treatment, but they did not fade. They may not become the persons they once were, but I will make sure they persist in new life, [Rei]."
"That's… acceptable." She sighed. The name did help soothe her mind, at least. "I… have a lot to learn."
"You're my daughter. You have the promise of eternal life with that Solenoid of yours." Finger on her chest, pointing towards her heart. "We have the time."
Turning to Kaworu. "Though speaking of time… I believe the sun is rising over in the East."
"Indeed." Kaworu would bow. "I will leave you to discuss."
"Will you be okay, Kaworu?"
He'd nod. "You have soothed my mind today, Lilith."
"I am yours to read as I am [Rei]'s, Kaworu. If… [Adam] were here, he'd be proud of the person you have become."
He couldn't help but wince, hearing his name like that. "…My apologies if that is still a sensitive subject."
"I've… accepted it."
"He was not a bad person, Kaworu. But he had Life and we had Knowledge, and… that couldn't be allowed. If I could have helped it, I would not have given you the Solenoid… but once Pandora's box has opened you cannot close it. All I can do is manage your use of it, and… prevent the mistakes we made."
A beat, and a nod from the boy. "I will keep that in mind, Lilith."
He would dissipate into light, returning to the physical realm.
"We are still in your past."
"Mhm… I hope you don't mind if we stay here for a bit." Hand on her shoulder. "I have so much I wish to teach you, [Rei]."
"No time like the present." With a small smile.
~
The jump jet was flying towards the sun, Ritsuko absolutely not using this time as a break. In fact, she had been on her terminal for this entire flight so far.
The sync test looked like it went well at least, judging by the print outs. But the Incubator… that was going to be a major thorn in her side, she just knew.
"Feh…" Taking out another nicotine patch and applying it onto her arm. "I hope you got some answers from Lilith, Kaworu. Best believe I have a few…"
Her terminal would ping. The third encrypted archive file from that iPod.
"Do I dare look into that…"
She would.
But what she was was absolutely not what she was expecting.
It was naught but a single audio file. Just over five minutes in length. 'COMEDOWN.MP3'
"…Okay?" Plugging a headphone into the terminal and holding it up, she would play it out.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCyzTKoHLsE
The brow would only furrow further, as it turned out to be some sort of… psych rock? About how wasted the singer was from the night before.
"All the effort in the world for this…" Ritsuko would huff.
Still, could be worse. At least it sounded good. "…Wonder who this band is… is that an Australian accent? They're not gonna have another attack are they?"
It was something Misato would have to look into, she'd conclude. She had way too much on her plate already, sending her through a quick email.
~
"What the hell is this shit?!" As she listened to it over her Powermac's speakers. "Guys?! You know this band?!"
Shinji stepped out from the bathroom, toothbrush still in hand. "Nah, sounds a bit alternative."
Asuka would pull Shinji down so that she was overhead. "Is that psych rock? What is this, Woodstock?!"
"Apparently it was on that iPod, but it just sounds like this dude's nursing a killer hangover."
"Hey it's your song Misato!" Cheered Asuka. "I'm soooooo I'm so faded!"
"Oh for-" Throwing a beer coaster in their general direction, Misato slightly cringing at herself upon the realisation that would not help her case. "Get to bed you two! You're getting up at four!"
"Oh if you insist Misato!"
"Can I at least rinse my mouth out?"
"Oh I'm not kissing you with toothpaste still in that gob Shin-chan!" Pulling him up by the collar and shoving him back in the bathroom.
"And try not to spend too long up to funny business!"
"As vain a request that may be we'll try." Shinji mused. "What say you Asuka?"
"Oh I'm getting up to funny business!" Gargling, and spitting into the basin. "There, all ready for you Shinji!"
"Why would you be-" A blink, and an immediate furrow of her brow as she realised why she may want her mouth to be freshened up for her partner, especially given discussions earlier today. "Oh for goodness sake…"
"You'd do it if Kaji was here too Misato!" Shoving her fiancee into their lovely suite. "Don't think you're the highest in the room!"
"G'night Misato!" Shinji was able to get out before the door closed and locked.
A sigh from their guardian, as she sipped a beer. "Pen-Pen if they're not up by four you have permission to put on that weird loud music you like as an alarm."
"Wark!" In mock salute, before he sat down on the couch to sip his own beer out of a straw. "Wark!?"
"No I don't know when Kaji's getting back from Massachusetts, and with everything going on there it's probably gonna be ages."
"Wark?"
"I mean the car is one thing of course… feh, maybe I should make an excuse to get over to Massachusetts when Ritsuko gets back."
"Wark!"
"What do you mean be careful what you wished for?!"
Meanwhile in the bedroom, the two lovebirds were snickering to themselves as they gradually reduced each other down to the minimum. "Oh you're so gonna show Misato up ain't ya?"
Drawing him in, close. "You know me, Shin-chan!" With a wide smirk. "I always take a chance to show her up!"
And they would collide, arms wrapping around him as their lips settled into a comfortable rhythm… it wasn't going to be the only thing she used her lips for tonight. "Mhm, you even shaved down there this time! Good boy!"
"Well you did say you'd only do that if it's clean down there."
"And that's why I do that too! Don't want to grind myself on a washboard, same as I don't want your face grinding on a washboard!" In a snicker, as she started the trip down under. "Now… where were- ow!" As something hit her head. "Hey I thought we weren't being rough tonight!"
"Oi that wasn't me!"
"Oh yeah and who could it be?!"
"You were literally going down on me why would I hit you on the head?!" In exasperation. "Ohh you're moving too slow hyah!" As he actually playfully tapped her head this time.
That did get some giggling out of her. "If you actually did that for real I'd be very tempted to bite it!"
She'd slink off the bed, hitting the light switch. "Well, the ceiling didn't fall in."
"That's a good start." Was Shinji's wry remark. "So what else could it-"
A beat, as they both seemed to realise just what else it could be. "Awwoh no not again!" Asuka stamping a foot in frustration. "And we were just about to get started with something too!"
"The universe is cruel to us…" In a blink. "Where is it then?"
"Did it fall off the bed…" Pulling some of the sheets off from the floor. "Ah!"
It was a small leather bound book, with some sort of heraldry embossed on the cover. "Hmm…" Examining the author and the title. "Strypgia- is that stripe gear or strip gear you think?"
Shinji gave a shrug. "You know my English isn't that great, didn't even think a Y went there…" Shaking it off. "What's the title?"
"Evangelion: The Hangover."
"Well that's promising…" In a mutter. "Any blurb or something?"
Looking around front and back. "Uhh, nope!"
"Well just open up to a random page and see what it says!"
"Oh fine…"
She would end up at page fifteen. "Ahem. 'The argument had escalated to…' W-wait-"
Eyes darting around as she read on ahead. "O-oh!" A blush that only increased as she read further. "O…okay!"
"What? What's going-"
She was suddenly upon Shinji. "Read baka read!"
"Uhh, okay?" Looking through it.
And almost immediately blushing. "W-well, h-he never said to me he was good at that…"
"We are not letting Misato know about this until we have all gone through it."
"W… with Rei and Kaworu?"
"Well it involves them!"
"And… you're not concerned with the fact we're all banging?"
"We ain't dying. So Stryp's already treating us better than some."
Before furrowing her brow in disgust with herself. "I can't believe I've reached the point I'm saying that, I literally prefer a porno of us over the other ones just because we aren't suffering in it! Shit, because it's porno, objectively speaking we're having a great time!"
"Well we don't know for sure, could be like the one from Kimigabuchi where there's porn and suffering!"
"And if there is I'm burning this book without Misato ever knowing about it. And probably writing their name in a black book somewhere." In a snicker. "But yeah. I'm gonna tell Rei about it tomorrow before our sync, and she can tell Kaworu. And… well, we can figure out a time to go through it then."
"Means Mari will see it too."
"Mari's just as involved in our activities as any one of us at this point, or have you forgotten Germany already?"
"That book's not trying to serve as a reminder to start banging them or something?"
"Well you know I'd be fine with that if you wanted to." Snickering. "Kaworu loves you, Rei loves both of us. We've all kissed each other and cuddled each other and seen each other naked, even if we didn't go much further."
"You kissed Kaworu?"
"Well duh what do you think we did when we were sharing rooms during our German trip? Playing Monopoly?" With a barked laugh. "Bet you weren't with Rei!"
To his bashful aside glance.
"Ahh, it's all good, Shinji." With a defusing kiss on his lips. "I know some folks aren't too keen on it, but all we should care about is ourselves, y'know? And if you want to be with them like you are with me, I'll be fine with that."
Snickering, close to him. "God just hear what I'm saying, the Asuka of a few years ago would absolutely refuse to even consider sharing you!"
"Mhm…" Shinji still wasn't sure. "We'll… see."
Asuka would sigh, slightly smiling. "Well, maybe whatever this is will make up your mind for you."
It would be safely stashed under their mattress. "Now, until then, if it comes, technically you are still mine and I am still yours." Showing off her ring, the only thing she had on her person at the moment. "So, Shin-chan, since it's clear the universe does not want me sticking things in my mouth, how about we flip a coin and let God decide for us?"
He'd pick the coin up from the bedside table, and flip it. "Tails."
"Hehe…" She'd clamber onto him, chest to chest, face to face. "Tails it is."
So they would spend their time together… in scenes that for the sake of the rating of this story are best left to the imagination.
Still, at the end of their *ahem* session, the reservations would remain within Asuka, as she rested on her lover. "…These works make me anxious, Shinji."
"They haven't exactly made the greatest impression on us." Hand running down her back, to her gentle cooing. "It's worse when it's about us, of course."
"Well, yeah, it's us. Even if it's obviously different, they still have our names and faces at the end of the day. And… well… seeing what happens in some of them. To you, to me, to everyone else we love…"
Nestling herself further into him. "You understand why I'm… worried. I mean shit… I still have that picture of Rei jarred in my mind, Shinji. From… Kimigabuchi's work." Wincing in her frank discomfort… no one deserved to go through that. "I'm sure that picture of Kaworu would be there too, if he hadn't spared us from it."
A sigh. "I… know it's an okay first impression, but… I'm still scared, Shinji. I… don't want to see you guys suffer more; we've already suffered enough in this short life we've had so far… I… hate seeing you guys like that."
A beat.
Shinji didn't really have much else he could add that might soothe her… but he had something.
Leaning down, he'd kiss her forehead. His hand started drifting through her hair, as her eyes moved to look into his. "What did I say when we were in this room… after that first Laserdisc?"
She thought back. "That… you're going to be with me, no matter what."
"Mhm. I will be there to support you. Even if it's complete shit for us." A small smile. "You're one of the strongest people I know… We'll get through it together, Asuka."
His ringed hand would intertwine with hers. "Trust me."
A moment, and a small sigh, as she settled for the night. Finding comfort in his warmth. "Mhm… okay, Shinji."
Her hand would still hold Shinji's. "…love you, Shin-chan."
One more kiss on her head. "I love you too, Asuka."
With that, they would let the night take them.
…They wouldn't hear the jingle bell outside of their window, as something else too slinked away into the night.
~~~
Okay so I messaged Stryp asking for permission to cover Evangelion The Hangover in June 28 2020, and it's over three years later and we're just about there! If anyone ever wonders if their request may get covered, well it may, if it gets voted in, and you're willing to wait an eternity
Speaking of eternities though, I hope what we're doing with the FAR is of interest. Believe me, Wixelt and I have been going back and forth on FAR lore for Chronicles for ages. A lot of the ideas we're starting to discuss in this chapter are two to three years old, they have been in the pipeline for a while and I hope we can implement it in a way that you guys find intriguing
Basic premise of our idea for the FAR in Chronicles is they are essentially the oldest, longest running civilisation that had ever existed. We will definitely elaborate on the FAR as we go along, but believe me, we have massive plans for them
In fact, we've mapped out billions of years of history regarding the FAR.
And the idea surrounding the Incubators is at least as old as our ideas for the FAR. The thing to know about the Incubator is, even if they outwardly show emotion, it's a lie. As Lilith said, she does not know if their attacks were always planned or if was an idea that came about, but one thing's certain, the Incubator took advantage of the FAR society and its concept of universal love. And when that was destroyed, the FAR were not far behind.
And Lilith getting involved, now that the Incubators have returned. She wants to make sure humanity do not make the same mistakes her kind had done. That was the whole point of the Moons after all, to restart life in their image, without the excess baggage or expectations their civilisation had evolved at that time.
There's definitely going to be some interest from NERV regarding these Incubators, especially when they find out how malignant they can be, and especially when they realise they were one of the instigators of the FAR's downfall. Of course... we know the Incubators are already present on Earth. They are always planning something. They'll have to be careful going forward.
Oh but who cares about that, Asuka and Shinji don't! They're just glad this new Rift material of theirs doesn't outright fuck them! (okay it does fuck them but it's in the good way!) It's gonna be interesting for them to read, that's for sure.
Might spur on a few things as well I think I do want to eventually take things in a PilOT4 direction but I want it to come about naturally. Also because it gives me an excuse to write some of their other pairings within Chronicles while still having it be okay with them C'mon they love each other your honour!
Of course I did rush it a bit during Evalied, so let's see if I can do it a bit better this time around
Kensuke's a bit down and out though. Now he gets to suffer like we do!
Well I suppose if HL Alyx gets voted in (the Magi are going to deep fry themselves if that gets voted in)
The next instalment of Chronicles (the 23rd mainline instalment) will be THE COMEDOWN CHRONICLES! Covering Strypgia's Evangelion: The Hangover!
Will be a short order work, looks like might be two chapters at most. But sheesh after Kill La Kill and Half Life 2, I need a bit of a shorter work!
And we have a lot more longer form works coming up... cries in SIRP
As a reminder on the next eight works, after Strypgia's Evangelion: The Hangover, we will be covering, in the below order:
BUT! There's more!
So, we've actually started work on a massive story set within the Chronicles world (and this was part of the reason why I've been out for a couple months as I made a start on writing it). And I'm not kidding when I say this is massive, so far we have 275k words written for this one! It is a multi-POV story that will star all of your favourite characters in a very unique setting that, well, I'll say it allows for a great story to be told So here's some random out of context lines, just to tease ya!
Thank you for all your continued support, Chronicles wouldn't exist without you and special thanks to @Wixelt for not only being a great beta reader and source of ideas, but for making all these absolutely wonderful title artwork for each of these fics! He's made a few for the upcoming stories which I absolutely adore, and I hope you can see them soon
Oh yeah and there'll be a reformat of the index as well coming up to better organise it. He's made some special logos for each Chronicles arc as well, you'll be seeing them shortly!
See you on the flip side!
Speaking of eternities though, I hope what we're doing with the FAR is of interest. Believe me, Wixelt and I have been going back and forth on FAR lore for Chronicles for ages. A lot of the ideas we're starting to discuss in this chapter are two to three years old, they have been in the pipeline for a while and I hope we can implement it in a way that you guys find intriguing
Basic premise of our idea for the FAR in Chronicles is they are essentially the oldest, longest running civilisation that had ever existed. We will definitely elaborate on the FAR as we go along, but believe me, we have massive plans for them
In fact, we've mapped out billions of years of history regarding the FAR.
And the idea surrounding the Incubators is at least as old as our ideas for the FAR. The thing to know about the Incubator is, even if they outwardly show emotion, it's a lie. As Lilith said, she does not know if their attacks were always planned or if was an idea that came about, but one thing's certain, the Incubator took advantage of the FAR society and its concept of universal love. And when that was destroyed, the FAR were not far behind.
And Lilith getting involved, now that the Incubators have returned. She wants to make sure humanity do not make the same mistakes her kind had done. That was the whole point of the Moons after all, to restart life in their image, without the excess baggage or expectations their civilisation had evolved at that time.
There's definitely going to be some interest from NERV regarding these Incubators, especially when they find out how malignant they can be, and especially when they realise they were one of the instigators of the FAR's downfall. Of course... we know the Incubators are already present on Earth. They are always planning something. They'll have to be careful going forward.
Oh but who cares about that, Asuka and Shinji don't! They're just glad this new Rift material of theirs doesn't outright fuck them! (okay it does fuck them but it's in the good way!
) It's gonna be interesting for them to read, that's for sure.Might spur on a few things as well
I think I do want to eventually take things in a PilOT4 direction but I want it to come about naturally. Also because it gives me an excuse to write some of their other pairings within Chronicles while still having it be okay with them C'mon they love each other your honour! Of course I did rush it a bit during Evalied, so let's see if I can do it a bit better this time around
Kensuke's a bit down and out though. Now he gets to suffer like we do!
Well I suppose if HL Alyx gets voted in (the Magi are going to deep fry themselves if that gets voted in
) The next instalment of Chronicles (the 23rd mainline instalment) will be THE COMEDOWN CHRONICLES! Covering Strypgia's Evangelion: The Hangover!
Will be a short order work, looks like might be two chapters at most. But sheesh after Kill La Kill and Half Life 2, I need a bit of a shorter work!
And we have a lot more longer form works coming up... cries in SIRP
As a reminder on the next eight works, after Strypgia's Evangelion: The Hangover, we will be covering, in the below order:
- The NGE Manga
- The Star Wars Series (in Machete Format)
- Gravity Falls
- The SIRP Manga
- Panty & Stocking w/ Garterbelt
- The Happy End of Evangelion Doujin
- Shinji & The Doctor* I still haven't obtained permission, if no permission is obtained this will be substituted with the first two seasons of the Doctor Who reboot
- The Matrix Trilogy (let's be honest by the time we get here there'll probably be a second trilogy to go through )
BUT! There's more!
So, we've actually started work on a massive story set within the Chronicles world (and this was part of the reason why I've been out for a couple months as I made a start on writing it
). And I'm not kidding when I say this is massive, so far we have 275k words written for this one! It is a multi-POV story that will star all of your favourite characters in a very unique setting that, well, I'll say it allows for a great story to be told So here's some random out of context lines, just to tease ya!- "What are you doing? Stealing? Murder? I can murder you guys if you want!"
- "Mah! What a rip! I came here to see an execution and this is how you repay me!"
- "Oh it was a tragedy, went up in flames trying to defend her home from an unknown arsonist. Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen who done it, right?"
- Still she stood. If this is what lingering was like, she wasn't going to go quietly. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than that!"
- "…Asuka sends her regards."
- "Sorry I thought we started!"
- "I know you wanted a great mausoleum, but… I'm sure you understand in the current situation, we cannot spare the time."
- "I'm only going o'er to Jordan… I'm only going... o'er home."
Thank you for all your continued support, Chronicles wouldn't exist without you
and special thanks to @Wixelt for not only being a great beta reader and source of ideas, but for making all these absolutely wonderful title artwork for each of these fics! He's made a few for the upcoming stories which I absolutely adore, and I hope you can see them soon Oh yeah and there'll be a reformat of the index as well coming up to better organise it. He's made some special logos for each Chronicles arc as well, you'll be seeing them shortly!
See you on the flip side!
- Location
- Canada
Finally we are done with Half Life 2. Up next is "Evangelion: The Hangover". We also see just how malevolent the incubators are. here are two questiond.
1-How would it go if Glados gets some incubators for test subjects?
2- Would how drunk they get in "Evangelion: The Hangover" be comparable to any of the examples in this clip?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z39JqjWGVPU
1-How would it go if Glados gets some incubators for test subjects?
2- Would how drunk they get in "Evangelion: The Hangover" be comparable to any of the examples in this clip?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z39JqjWGVPU
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
Oh wow, what did Glados do to piss you off? Doing that to that poor computerized consciousness/AI is just mean and asking for trouble.
for the record, my only interaction with Glados has been through the story of "When Life Gives you Lemons" as i have never played any of the Portal Games.
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
"First you will be baked and then there will be cake." (While she's trying to conveyor-belt you into an incinerator.)
"Good news. I figured what that thing you just incinerated did. It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin, to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin." (Shortly after you trick the guided missiles she's trying to kill you with into hitting her instead.)
- Location
- Canada
What I was thinking was that since the incubators are immortal, then Glados won't run out of test subjects.
Wixelt
NGE Fic plan 490 pages and counting...
- Location
- England, UK
- Pronouns
- He/They
Great as always, BG.
"Greetings."
"Gah-- Rits, what the hell?!"
"We never did catch the Angel of Pasta, did we?"
"Shit-- It's still out there?!"
Seriously, tho. Huggles the Rei. Now.
Also, dude was dead as doorknobs. Go figure there wasn't much of interest going on in there.
At the front of the rebel army, Doctor Isaac Kleiner coughed.
"So..." He muttered, "Should we keep waiting, or would you prefer to begin this without the necessary parties?"
At the front of the opposite force, the leading Advisor gave the approximation of a shrug.
Tis what you get for tempting fate, Ken.
*CRASH*
Kensuke unceremoniously faceplanted the keyboard, falling still.
"...You alright, Ken?"
No response.
"...K-Kensuke?"
"Do you really want to test that?"
Congrats, Kensuke. Now you know how we feel.
Might still get a VR game out of it eventually, though.
And now the penny drops. Another reveal I've been waiting on for a while.
Slowly, the works edge ever closer to baseline...
...There isn't a declassified version waiting in the wings for me, is there?
No, I'm not telling.
I'm more than happy to do it, and am looking forward to continuing to work together going forward.
"Ooooh. What's in hereOHGOD--"
"Greetings."
"In fact I'm already here."
"Gah-- Rits, what the hell?!"
"Not after it came to life and tried to eat me."
"We never did catch the Angel of Pasta, did we?"
"Shit-- It's still out there?!"
"Well, they did."
Seriously, tho. Huggles the Rei. Now.
I think most of us Madoka fans can relate at this point, Ayanami.
"Well shit, I didn't realise we scared it that badly!"
That is usually a pretty strong selling point for most people.
Silly Misato. Good mental health doesn't exist in NERV.
Infinite Trauma in Infinite Combinations.
Need I repeat? Rei. Hugs. Need Them. Now.
Alas, poor Lazlo...
As tends to happen when you get your brain sucked.
Also, dude was dead as doorknobs. Go figure there wasn't much of interest going on in there.
Same here, Zero Two. Tried to look it up but couldn't find any details that seemed relevant to the immediate situation.
I think that still marks it as a shit car regardless of the situation. A better car could probably have survived for longer under those circumstances.
"As it turned out," Rei narrated, "Gordon was not fine."
Outside White Forest, two armies stood opposite one another, one consisting of countless rebels and the other of an assortment of synths and soldiers.
At the front of the rebel army, Doctor Isaac Kleiner coughed.
"So..." He muttered, "Should we keep waiting, or would you prefer to begin this without the necessary parties?"
At the front of the opposite force, the leading Advisor gave the approximation of a shrug.
I think that's three deaths in that one section, then.
Tis what you get for tempting fate, Ken.
"Maya, we talked about this."
"I-- No!" Kensuke suddenly seemed rather shifty. His wings fluttered anxiously, "No i'm not. Why... Why would you insinuate something so completely impossible?"
Ya'll ain't fooling anybody, Kyoko.
He totally deserves it, though.
"Very tru--" Kensuke began, before trailing off midsentence. For a moment, a tiny stream of blood flowed from his nose, before--
*CRASH*
Kensuke unceremoniously faceplanted the keyboard, falling still.
"...You alright, Ken?"
No response.
"...K-Kensuke?"
Yep. Sounds entirely on-brand for Aperture.
Ritsuko mimicking that one meme with the monkey puppet, here.
Depends when. In Portal 1 she'd absolutely side with the Combine, but come the end of Portal 2... Well, it gets complicated then, but with where she is emotionally I think she'd side with humanity out of spite.
God good, everybody at NERV is dirty minded!
Stop it.
Nah, Valve can't count to three. It's 2.2 games, at best.
I'm sure its what he would want.
Honestly, the names people can easily remember are usually the best. The MORON joke may be just that - a joke - but I think the name should stick for that very reason.
Technology marches on. Obviously Kleiner and Eli had time and space to refine the tech once they were free of the city.
"Would she actually--?"
"Do you really want to test that?"
Mari would like to know you location.
"Or, y'know, don't. Might be better for your own sanity if you didn't."
Ritsuko still looking pretty shifty right now.
Wait for it...
And there it is. Been waiting for this for an age!
Congrats, Kensuke. Now you know how we feel.
Even cosmic beings have their limits. We cannot acquire something that does not physically exist yet, Asuka. The multiversal narrative has not yet progressed to a point where these things have happened.
Might still get a VR game out of it eventually, though.
At least you have the tools, then. You could make your own Episode Three, in theory.
Bastards.
And now the penny drops. Another reveal I've been waiting on for a while.
For as long as I've known about this detail, I've been looking forward to it turning up. It's honestly one of my favourite things to come out of planning for Chronicles.
And this is quite possibly my other favourite detail.
Ritsuko, no! Maya will be very upset if you do that!
Heraldry, eh? Sounds about right for Stryp. He's 100% earned the decoration.
Slowly, the works edge ever closer to baseline...
Good call.
...There isn't a declassified version waiting in the wings for me, is there?
Better late than never.
There's some exciting stuff in there, to be sure. Was more than happy to be a sounding board for them.Speaking of eternities though, I hope what we're doing with the FAR is of interest. Believe me, Wixelt and I have been going back and forth on FAR lore for Chronicles for ages. A lot of the ideas we're starting to discuss in this chapter are two to three years old, they have been in the pipeline for a while and I hope we can implement it in a way that you guys find intriguing
If they thought they were in deep shit before, well... Now Mama Lilith knows they're there.
I'd vote for it just to see that happen, honestly.Kensuke's a bit down and out though. Now he gets to suffer like we do!
Well I suppose if HL Alyx gets voted in (the Magi are going to deep fry themselves if that gets voted in
A lot more to come. Prolonged or not, its gonna be a blast, I imagine.The next instalment of Chronicles (the 23rd mainline instalment) will be THE COMEDOWN CHRONICLES! Covering Strypgia's Evangelion: The Hangover!
Will be a short order work, looks like might be two chapters at most. But sheesh after Kill La Kill and Half Life 2, I need a bit of a shorter work!
And we have a lot more longer form works coming up... cries in SIRP
Sucker's bet. My money's on 2042.I will be hosting a tourney to decide the next works to cover sometime after SIRP. So book that in for... I dunno, let's say 2036 just to be safe
Oh yeah, the big one! Ya'll have no idea just how sprawling this has all become.BUT! There's more!
So, we've actually started work on a massive story set within the Chronicles world (and this was part of the reason why I've been out for a couple months as I made a start on writing it
Having read almost all the drafts of this so far - and there's been a lot of them - I know the context for all of these.And I'm not kidding when I say this is massive, so far we have 275k words written for this one! It is a multi-POV story that will star all of your favourite characters in a very unique setting that, well, I'll say it allows for a great story to be told
- "What are you doing? Stealing? Murder? I can murder you guys if you want!"
- "Mah! What a rip! I came here to see an execution and this is how you repay me!"
- "Oh it was a tragedy, went up in flames trying to defend her home from an unknown arsonist. Say, you wouldn't happen to have seen who done it, right?"
- Still she stood. If this is what lingering was like, she wasn't going to go quietly. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than that!"
- "…Asuka sends her regards."
- "Sorry I thought we started!"
- "I know you wanted a great mausoleum, but… I'm sure you understand in the current situation, we cannot spare the time."
- "I'm only going o'er to Jordan… I'm only going... o'er home."
No, I'm not telling.
Betting 2045, here.Hope this excites you for when the story comes out! In... 2038 maybe
It's been a pleasure, BG!Thank you for all your continued support, Chronicles wouldn't exist without you
I'm more than happy to do it, and am looking forward to continuing to work together going forward.
At least two of my favourite logos I've made so far are yet to come. Maybe even three.He's made a few for the upcoming stories which I absolutely adore, and I hope you can see them soon
Make that four.
Ya'll maybe wanna double check your working out, there?
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