Cast in Gold - Evangelion/Exalted
- Thread starter Shyft
- Start date
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Diehard fans, I salute you. You know who you are.
Man, I hate this.
I understand that those people are suffering acutely, but they turned away someone who had both influence and insight. Asuka could've been a potent spokesperson for the wyld-touched, but instead they resented her for not having it as bad as they did.
Suffering contest at its worst.
I understand that those people are suffering acutely, but they turned away someone who had both influence and insight. Asuka could've been a potent spokesperson for the wyld-touched, but instead they resented her for not having it as bad as they did.
Suffering contest at its worst.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
Wise decision, almost certainly not. But emotionally, it was a fairly likely outcome. They're ostracized for something that they aren't at fault for, and only happened to them because they were laying their lives down in defense of the people who now ostracize them in the first place. They're probably scared, confused, and ANGRY. And given the lack of other outlets, they were probably venting a lot of stress and strain on Asuka that really had nothing to do with her.
It just makes it all the more tragic that, although Asuka's condition is 'less' debilitating and obvious than basically everyone else in the ward, it doesn't change the fact that she's still probably freaking out about how she has been altered. She's very self-conscious about her image, it's a pretty clear part of her character arc in this story (I think). She want's people to think of her in a certain way, and cat-ears don't fit into what she wants to be at all.
She (probably) went to this group of outcasts looking for solidarity and support in how the changes have altered her life and self-perception. Which is, again, really tragic because "look for support" is definitely the RIGHT call, it's just that she went to the WRONG GROUP for that support. It's an understandable mistake, it passes muster pretty well when you look at it in theory, but, well...
3136 Optimistic Character Growth projections say that she'll become a spokesperson for them regardless, because lashing out in pain and fear really isn't something that you should hold a grudge over, but we'll have to wait and see how that actually turns out.
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Chapter 43: Siege Part 8
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Calls for volunteers, camp projects, work, effort. Blood, sweat and tears. When nerves were rubbed raw, a soldier's shouted request for day laborers and militia training was a short leap to refugee labor and conscription. The rational few in the seething mob of civilians and scientists knew that Japan abhorred the idea... But for many, the Geofront was an inscrutable technocratic dictatorship. Class lines were starting to form at all levels, separated by gulfs of knowledge, powerful allies or the meager, precious resources they had managed to save before retreating underground. Money had lost all value, but trade skills were in sudden demand as trees were felled and carpenters called to task.
MAGI access, can-you-drive-a-truck, your religious denomination- questions and answers drove wedges between people. The spiritually inclined- some called them occultists- were pulled into the sweeping throng of the organized thaumaturgist corps. Half-remembered lectures on the history of oppression, social stratification and socioeconomic conflict were tumbling into the front of her mind. Ayumi found herself living through history in microcosm, and she did not fucking like it.
Outside Central Dogma, the core pyramid of the complex was their compass, and most of the refugees and JSSDF spread around the ancillary structures. Tent cities were giving away to more permanent structures, but progress had ground to a halt. Getting anywhere along the main paths between facilities forced her into the press of human traffic. Thousands of people moved to and fro, desperate to get somewhere and not one trying to be that spark which set off the blaze. Tempers were high and yet still people kept their tongues and fists in check- but it wasn't going to last, not much longer.
Stuck in the press of bodies, the smell of fear and unwashed human soured the mood even further. Bile built up in Ayumi's throat, and her eyes watered as a man's sweat-soaked shirt stuck to her face. Flashes of the enemy, of their time in the school and the weeks of knife-edged terror shouted in her mind. Screwing her eyes shut, she pushed past body after body. A handful of apologies tumbled past her lips, but soon all she could think about was breathing low through her mouth and wanting to be anywhere but there. After what felt like a decade, she broke free of the press of people and into the unclaimed wild Geofront.
Finding a nearby tree to lean against, she let out her stomach until dry heaves were all that remained. Even a few dozen meters away, the heat of the camps had dropped off to a refreshing coolness, but the woods were inky, dark and dead quiet. Only a handful of cicada lived underground, chirping fitfully in the woods. Moving away from the first tree, Ayumi found another and hunkered down, arms wrapped around her shins and head on her knees. She let out a wordless, rattling groan and exhaled hard, her throat still stinging from the bile.
With time to think, she turned to face the camp and Central Dogma. It stood out as a harsh bright white beacon in the center of the dome, but the darkness swallowed that light before it barely reached past the pyramid. The rush and crush of people were muted now, but she could still hear the churning grind of tracked vehicles and heavy machinery. Her blood pounded inside her ears, slowing down as she got her breathing under control. Central Dogma almost seemed to stare at her, with lights on its higher windows despite the damaged facade. The scars from Shinji and Unit-02 were fading, smoothed over with scaffolds and the spark of welders.
Thinking about the sudden, unprovoked grudge match set her stomach rolling again, and she sucked in a breath of cold air. The suddenness hit close to home, bringing her back to the school cafeteria, the woman of hands, and Toji's bravery. She shivered under the NERV issue sweater, feeling the gooseflesh prickle across her arms. Shinji... She didn't want the problems to come back to Shinji. Or the solutions. Months of pleasant, shared memories of both him and his magic were soured, curdled after her time in the prison camp. Even so, Ayumi knew that Shinji hadn't changed- she had. It had taken her days to finally, consciously articulate something- she had been avoiding him. Ayumi was dead certain that if she wanted, she could have leaned on Shinji, emotionally or otherwise. Brought into his pilot quarters, gotten her family pulled into Central Dogma, any number of things...
If not for the irrational, consuming fear of his power. Power that he wasn't even using on her, or in her general direction. She did not fear entrapment, but Shinji had become an icon of dependency and a reminder of her half-dozen traumas. No matter how much he helped directly with his hands, or with the thaumaturgy she was sure he created for everyone else, Ayumi couldn't escape the fact that magic hurt her, and nearly every other refugee she'd met.
After a few long, steadying seconds, Ayumi heaved herself upright and slapped her cheeks with both hands. The fresh sting was just as stablizing, gave her thoughts a palpable sensation to cling too, and right now she very much needed to get a grip on her emotions. You don't get over trauma big or small by ignoring it, but she couldn't just leash herself to Shinji. Or the... everything his life entailed now.
She wouldn't.
Having given herself a mental and physical shake, Ayumi blinked and looked around the dark forest copse, frowning.... What was I doing again?
She let out an explosive sigh and started picking her way back to camp with slow, careful steps. Even man-made, the cavern forests had enough irregular growth to catch a foot unawares. When she finally cleared the treeline, she nearly stumbled into the edge of a brewing riot and its military cordon.
"Ease back, miss." The soldier was suddenly there, in front of her, with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's not safe here."
The obvious question was on her lips when Ayumi leaned to the side, glancing past his slung rifle. The shouts and scramble of men finally reached her ears, one haggard civilian had thrown a medic to the ground along with the tray of medicines. Ayumi couldn't tell from the cordon if they were mundane or not, but either way it was bad. The soldier turned, heading back in to join his fellows and control the situation. More civilians started to press in, smashing into her from behind as they followed the shrinking barrier of armed military police, and a wordless rallying cry broke out. Men and women in military olive clashed with faded civilian colors, and the meaty sound of rifle meeting flesh punctuated the rising crush of sound.
Turning and twisting, Ayumi shoved her arms and elbows through the raging crowd, finally cutting free. Adrenaline warred with another panic attack, and she forced the bile down. Looking around, she saw the same scene repeated over and over. The fuses were lit and now was the time. She cast about for an idea, an option, suddenly alone on one of the many footpaths as the refugees surged out into the fray.
"Oh fuck... Fuck me..." Ayumi hissed, wracking her mind for something to do, anything. Glass shattered nearby, and she whirled to see someone had thrown a rock at Central Dogma's lower windows.
NERV. There hadn't been any NERV colors. No tan jackets or black suits. Some small, scared part of her knew what she was considering- that Shinji could solve this problem... but no amount of rationalization could fight off the sudden recall of recent events associations, guilt and inadequacy. Shaking her head, Ayumi forced her feet to move and made for the broken window.
* * *
Fuyutsuki Kozo took a fitful sip on his cold tea, relishing the handful of seconds he spent outside his lab. His eyes burned from monitors, reports packed with tiny script, and the stranger samples Doctor Akagi could not make heads or tails of. Not that he was in much better shape. Another chunk of his time was spent consulting with Shinji regarding the dream-eaten victims, citing his decades-old research as the only basis they had towards a viable diagnosis. Major Katsuragi and the Commander had taken over most of the immediate administration of the Geofront, which was a small blessing.
And for all that, he desperately needed a break.
Shoe leather on tile floor echoed across the hallway, bringing Fuyutsuki away from his tea and back into the moment. Hurried footsteps, panting. He was old, but his hearing was sharp as ever. A young woman- a teenager, power-walked around the corner and nearly ran into him. She skid to a halt at the last second, not quite stumbling and waving her hands in unvoiced apology. He squinted in the low light, until a name came up to match the face.
The old man pushed his thinning hair back, blinking owlishly. "Miss? Saneda-kun?"
"Yes sir- that's. I am Saneda Ayumi." She huffed and puffed, face streaked with grit and sweat. "I've been trying to find- well find anyone. The phones are jammed and the JSSDF isn't talking-"
"Calmly,Saneda-kun." Fuyutsuki ducked back into his lab and poured another cup of tea, cold or not it was better than nothing. "There is a problem?"
She ignored the tea for the moment, throwing her hands up with a helpless shout. "Riots! It's like the bad old days in history books or a cyberpunk novel!"
Fuyutsuki dropped both cups, leaving the tea to spill out on the floor in a wide rushing puddle. By the time he reached his lab desk, he was the Sub-Commander. He reached for the phone, confirming the jammed lines before punching his own priority code in. A handful of curt orders got things moving- most importantly paging Major Katsuragi and telling her to stay put.
Moving, he waved the teenager along."Follow me, and explain."
She did so, with a wild-eyed look of someone who'd faced horror and come out the worse for it. Social classes, fracturing cultural identities, conflict between social groups. The people of Tokyo-3 were going to cut out their own hearts, if something was not done.
Major Katsuragi waited for them at a nearby junction, with one wall giving way to an inky black window looking out across the Geofront interior. She clipped a radio to her pocket as they approached and was already speaking before they stopped. "Section Two is on the ground trying to keep things calm, but it's a near thing. You called it in sir?"
Fuyutsuki raised a hand to introduce Ayumi, who fidgeted faintly under the woman's brief attention, even with the kind smile. "Saneda-san did. We would not have missed it for long."
"No shit, sir." Katsuragi huffed. "JSSDF command is working on getting their troops to stand down as well, but it's going to be messy no matter what we do."
"Everyone's afraid." Saneda squeaked. "I'm afraid, you're afraid- and you know what's going on, better than me... How do you think everyone outside feels?"
To that Katsuragi nodded. "Dealing with the riot is just the first step. Next is making sure it doesn't happen again." She turned to Fuyutsuki. "I'll see about getting some people together for an outreach program. We did some similar stuff back in the UN."
"They're going to be suspicious." Saneda took the words out of Fuyutsuki's mouth and carried on. "I mean, we're used to propaganda... how do you fix that?"
Fuyutsuki rubbed chin, glancing out the window to the forest outside. "With transparency."
* * *
Misato wouldn't have called the situation handled. Maybe in hand was a more appropriate phrase. She watched the Sub-Commander gently lead little Ayumi off with an almost grandfatherly air. Exhaling softly, she was glad the girl was in good company. Turning in place, she started to move towards the command center when a flash of red and black caught her eye. Asuka was there, panting slightly as she caught her breath, hands braced against her plugsuited knees.
"I heard them page you then the Sub-Commander-"
Misato jerked her thumb at one of the junction hallways. "You just missed him-"
"No, I wanted to ask you for help- Listen- I screwed up but I want to fix this." Asuka's fingers curled, looking like she wanted to grab the problem in hand. "I'm going to help them. I just... I don't know what to do."
"Help?" Misato let the request echo, somewhat nonplussed at the request. Asuka asking for help. A part of her just wanted to pull the girl into a hug and squeal. The more mature, professional side won out, simply letting Asuka speak for herself.
"The casualties from the last big battle." Asuka flushed a mottled red that reached to her ears. Shame and self-recrimination, if Misato had to guess. "The ones who got all mutated."
Misato blinked at that, and her eyes flicked up to Asuka's borrowed hat. The redhead pulled it off with a weak, watery grin and let her extra ears stand free. "Yeah, like me but not."
"I tried to... show solidarity, to tell them that we're all in this. I thought me being changed like them was common ground."
People with crippling injuries tended not to appreciate sympathy, especially when it could be misinterpreted as pity. Misato sucked on her teeth and nodded. "So clearly your plan didn't work. What else seems to be the problem?"
"Their morale is about as low as it can go- half of them can't move without complicated harnesses, some are put under so they can't hurt themselves or someone else...." Asuka sighed and fisted the hat up in her hands. She looked up at Misato and shrugged. "I do have a question. Did Shinji not allow visitors?"
Tapping her foot, Misato frowned, thinking back herself. "I don't think it occurred to him to offer, We've all had a lot on our plate. The Commander hasn't issued a gag order, but nobody's talking."
She turned then to the nearby window. "If you haven't heard, there's a riot outside."
ASuka blinked once, jerking in a way that suggested she wanted to move, do something. But Misato's calm kept her standing put. "You're... Oddly calm about that?"
Misato pulled the radio from her hip and waggled it for emphasis, smiling faintly. "I'm sure if anyone needs me I'll be right there."
The riots were urgent in their own way, but her orders were already given, and micromanaging things would likely just slow the resolution down. She would have to take over directly soon though. She raised a hand and asked Asuka to follow, heading for the command center like she originally intended. Now walking and talking, Asuka seemed to be thinking more than venting.
Raking a hand through her hair, Asuka's lips pressed down to a grim line. "What authority do I actually have here? I'm a pilot attached to Project E- I'm technically a civilian consultant."
Misato winced as they reached an elevator. She punched a key while biting her lip. "Right, that was NERV's original bureaucratic dodge against national labor laws and child soldiers, not that anyone could stop us inside Tokyo-3. So to answer your question, pretty much none."
A hurried apologetic wave kept Asuka from going off long enough for Misato to continue, grinning broadly. "I can do whatever I want within the operations arm of NERV, and I think I can lean on the JSSDF to have them honor any rank I give you. I'll talk to Ritsuko about your place in Project E. Do you have an idea?"
"Yeah... It's going to either blow up in my face or succeed beyond my wildest expectations, but I did it once by accident already." The doors pulled open and they both filed in, and Asuka nodded to herself. "If I need something that being a pilot won't get me, what should I do?
"Right now, before I get any paperwork together?" Misato folded her arms over her chest and hummed. "My advice is to act as if you have all the pull you need and go from there."
Asuka's grin was tight, hot and full of fire. "I intend to."
* * *
The recovery ward was quiet, save for the persistent hum of life support machines, altered breathing and the rustle of air conditioning over unhuman anatomy. It was calm, almost peaceful, and stifling in how the dozens of casualties drained the very air of hope with every breath. Despondency and depression were held at bay only by military discipline and the resolute belief that by surviving, they were jabbing their enemy in the face with an offensively sharp stick. It was the kind of spite Asuka could appreciate.... save for the rising ennui.
A great sharp bang sent the soldiers jumping, hissing the most vulgar of curses only sailors could surpass. Asuka lowered her foot and strode in through the double doors, kicked open and still swinging. "Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am your problem solver!"
She'd left her hat off on purpose, head held high and cat ears swivelling independently for every sound and muted profanity. She caught Kentaro's eye and nodded, before planting her hands on her hips and letting her voice rise high. "Firstly- Your families are outside the ward right now. I don't mean to alarm you, but there's something of a riot going on and I made the decision to bring them all into Central Dogma for the time being. Once we've taken care of a few things, we'll get everyone moving. They're cleared for everything as well, and I briefed them personally on what to expect. You can tell them whatever you want."
The soldiers all seemed to share the same owlish, uncertain look. It wasn't disbelief, so much as a nonplussed desire for clarification. Asuka lifted her chin and offered them a proud smirk in answer. "Major Katsuragi is handling the riot, and I think that matter is well in hand. Today we're focusing on what you need. I know some of you aren't ready for company, but I've brought in radios as well if you want to talk. If that isn't what you want, I'll hand-deliver a note for you."
Orderlies followed her, pushing the doors open much more sedately. As they entered, standing privacy screens rolled in alongside carts holding the aforementioned radios on charging racks. Asuka waved at them with one grand gesture. "For those of you who are bedridden, we'll have screened off areas for you and your visitors. Otherwise we have wheelchairs, crutches. I'll help anyone who wants me. Except you sergeant."
She pointed at Kentaro and smiled. "You're a bit too heavy for me."
Clapping her gloved hands, she rubbed them together and urged them all to stand. "Let's get moving people, we've got a lot of people outside worried about you- but I have something to say first."
She stood up straighter then, like how she'd seen Misato when dealing with other soldiers, both active and former military. Posture was important, as was sincerity. She had plenty of the latter, but it had taken her a few hours to figure out how to convey it. She turned and locked eyes with everyone she could see, Kentaro's golden stare was laser-focused.
"Here's how it's going to work. If it's not something Shinji can help you with, you call me. I don't care when. Short of combat, I am on on your schedule." She started ticking points off on her fingers. "Asleep, at meals, bathroom, doesn't matter. I may be too cute for this ward, but I am going to work for you, work with you. I am your liason, gofer and councilor."
"And as of today-" She let the tension rise for just that one sweet second of expectation. "I am now your commanding officer."
* * *
As far as riots went, Shinji was sure Misato had seen worse. He'd taken the time to look up what she did in the UN before joining NERV proper. It had not been a great time for the human race. The violence had been quelled, but not the raw emotions and stress. Their little plan was somewhat impromptu, thrown together out of a few coincidences and happy accidents. Standing on an earthmover, Shinji was able to look out across the crowd of over sixty thousand soldiers, civilians, refugees.
Survivors.
He reached out for the microphone and gave it an experimental tap, pleased to note the hum of active speakers seeded throughout the refugee camps. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was nearby, holding the rough-drafted script for the effort. Shinji had already committed it to memory and worked it into his own plan. Funny- how he had his own plans now. His audience extended into the trees, pressed up against the edge of the reflecting pool next to Dogma's central pyramid, and crammed into every free standing and sitting space they could make in the camps. Fire pits carved out tiny pools of light in the gloom, while huge floodlights cut bright bluish-white slashes into the grounds around the main structure.
Microphone in hand, Shinji let out a low, quiet breath and brought his eyes up to examine the crowd. He picked out some of the Shrine Kids, soldiers from the JSSDF and some of the NHIS group technicians. NERV uniforms and Section-2 suits. Most of the command staff didn't need to hear this, and he knew Misato and his father were leaning hard on the JSSDF general staff to reorganize the refugee camps to make sure what happened today would not ever again.
"I'm not going to tell you 'be not afraid." Shinji's voice echoed across the campgrounds, loud and ringing clear. His voice was finally beginning to change, and he'd so far dodged the hassles of cracking notes. "You can be as scared as you want- I've been scared since this whole thing started. But you go through it, one day at a time."
The crowd was far from silent, an inesecapable consequence of so many people packed into one area. He continued, bracing himself as thoughts of distant, awkward classroom presentations sprang to mind. "None of you know me, but you've seen me at work and know why I am here. You've seen me heal, you've seen me fight and stand with you. Hopefully that's enough to help understand what I'm about to tell you."
You fought fear with knowledge. Understanding created confidence, and from confidence grew progress. It was a simple lesson, but one Shinji was ready to teach. "My name is Ikari Shinji. For me, this goes all the way back to my first day in Tokyo-3."
He jumped up from the cab of the vehicle to the raised arm and bucket, standing on the platform as if it were solid ground. The leap itself was nearly six meters from standing. The crowd nearby shivered, suddenly wary. "A year and a half- make that two years now, almost- I arrived in an empty city. I saw an Angel for the first time, and an Evangelion. Major Katsuragi introduced me to NERV and the Geofront. I was pushed out into combat that same evening."
As his words washed over the crowd, he could tell they weren't sure what to make of it, where he was going, what was his game. Fuyutsuki made it clear- you fought the suspicion with transparency.
"About twenty minutes after I got in the giant robot-" He waved at his forehead with one hand, then two, four, five, with his remaining flesh and blood limb holding the microphone. As his anima lit the Geofront, Shinji smiled. "I Exalted."
MAGI access, can-you-drive-a-truck, your religious denomination- questions and answers drove wedges between people. The spiritually inclined- some called them occultists- were pulled into the sweeping throng of the organized thaumaturgist corps. Half-remembered lectures on the history of oppression, social stratification and socioeconomic conflict were tumbling into the front of her mind. Ayumi found herself living through history in microcosm, and she did not fucking like it.
Outside Central Dogma, the core pyramid of the complex was their compass, and most of the refugees and JSSDF spread around the ancillary structures. Tent cities were giving away to more permanent structures, but progress had ground to a halt. Getting anywhere along the main paths between facilities forced her into the press of human traffic. Thousands of people moved to and fro, desperate to get somewhere and not one trying to be that spark which set off the blaze. Tempers were high and yet still people kept their tongues and fists in check- but it wasn't going to last, not much longer.
Stuck in the press of bodies, the smell of fear and unwashed human soured the mood even further. Bile built up in Ayumi's throat, and her eyes watered as a man's sweat-soaked shirt stuck to her face. Flashes of the enemy, of their time in the school and the weeks of knife-edged terror shouted in her mind. Screwing her eyes shut, she pushed past body after body. A handful of apologies tumbled past her lips, but soon all she could think about was breathing low through her mouth and wanting to be anywhere but there. After what felt like a decade, she broke free of the press of people and into the unclaimed wild Geofront.
Finding a nearby tree to lean against, she let out her stomach until dry heaves were all that remained. Even a few dozen meters away, the heat of the camps had dropped off to a refreshing coolness, but the woods were inky, dark and dead quiet. Only a handful of cicada lived underground, chirping fitfully in the woods. Moving away from the first tree, Ayumi found another and hunkered down, arms wrapped around her shins and head on her knees. She let out a wordless, rattling groan and exhaled hard, her throat still stinging from the bile.
With time to think, she turned to face the camp and Central Dogma. It stood out as a harsh bright white beacon in the center of the dome, but the darkness swallowed that light before it barely reached past the pyramid. The rush and crush of people were muted now, but she could still hear the churning grind of tracked vehicles and heavy machinery. Her blood pounded inside her ears, slowing down as she got her breathing under control. Central Dogma almost seemed to stare at her, with lights on its higher windows despite the damaged facade. The scars from Shinji and Unit-02 were fading, smoothed over with scaffolds and the spark of welders.
Thinking about the sudden, unprovoked grudge match set her stomach rolling again, and she sucked in a breath of cold air. The suddenness hit close to home, bringing her back to the school cafeteria, the woman of hands, and Toji's bravery. She shivered under the NERV issue sweater, feeling the gooseflesh prickle across her arms. Shinji... She didn't want the problems to come back to Shinji. Or the solutions. Months of pleasant, shared memories of both him and his magic were soured, curdled after her time in the prison camp. Even so, Ayumi knew that Shinji hadn't changed- she had. It had taken her days to finally, consciously articulate something- she had been avoiding him. Ayumi was dead certain that if she wanted, she could have leaned on Shinji, emotionally or otherwise. Brought into his pilot quarters, gotten her family pulled into Central Dogma, any number of things...
If not for the irrational, consuming fear of his power. Power that he wasn't even using on her, or in her general direction. She did not fear entrapment, but Shinji had become an icon of dependency and a reminder of her half-dozen traumas. No matter how much he helped directly with his hands, or with the thaumaturgy she was sure he created for everyone else, Ayumi couldn't escape the fact that magic hurt her, and nearly every other refugee she'd met.
After a few long, steadying seconds, Ayumi heaved herself upright and slapped her cheeks with both hands. The fresh sting was just as stablizing, gave her thoughts a palpable sensation to cling too, and right now she very much needed to get a grip on her emotions. You don't get over trauma big or small by ignoring it, but she couldn't just leash herself to Shinji. Or the... everything his life entailed now.
She wouldn't.
Having given herself a mental and physical shake, Ayumi blinked and looked around the dark forest copse, frowning.... What was I doing again?
She let out an explosive sigh and started picking her way back to camp with slow, careful steps. Even man-made, the cavern forests had enough irregular growth to catch a foot unawares. When she finally cleared the treeline, she nearly stumbled into the edge of a brewing riot and its military cordon.
"Ease back, miss." The soldier was suddenly there, in front of her, with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's not safe here."
The obvious question was on her lips when Ayumi leaned to the side, glancing past his slung rifle. The shouts and scramble of men finally reached her ears, one haggard civilian had thrown a medic to the ground along with the tray of medicines. Ayumi couldn't tell from the cordon if they were mundane or not, but either way it was bad. The soldier turned, heading back in to join his fellows and control the situation. More civilians started to press in, smashing into her from behind as they followed the shrinking barrier of armed military police, and a wordless rallying cry broke out. Men and women in military olive clashed with faded civilian colors, and the meaty sound of rifle meeting flesh punctuated the rising crush of sound.
Turning and twisting, Ayumi shoved her arms and elbows through the raging crowd, finally cutting free. Adrenaline warred with another panic attack, and she forced the bile down. Looking around, she saw the same scene repeated over and over. The fuses were lit and now was the time. She cast about for an idea, an option, suddenly alone on one of the many footpaths as the refugees surged out into the fray.
"Oh fuck... Fuck me..." Ayumi hissed, wracking her mind for something to do, anything. Glass shattered nearby, and she whirled to see someone had thrown a rock at Central Dogma's lower windows.
NERV. There hadn't been any NERV colors. No tan jackets or black suits. Some small, scared part of her knew what she was considering- that Shinji could solve this problem... but no amount of rationalization could fight off the sudden recall of recent events associations, guilt and inadequacy. Shaking her head, Ayumi forced her feet to move and made for the broken window.
* * *
Fuyutsuki Kozo took a fitful sip on his cold tea, relishing the handful of seconds he spent outside his lab. His eyes burned from monitors, reports packed with tiny script, and the stranger samples Doctor Akagi could not make heads or tails of. Not that he was in much better shape. Another chunk of his time was spent consulting with Shinji regarding the dream-eaten victims, citing his decades-old research as the only basis they had towards a viable diagnosis. Major Katsuragi and the Commander had taken over most of the immediate administration of the Geofront, which was a small blessing.
And for all that, he desperately needed a break.
Shoe leather on tile floor echoed across the hallway, bringing Fuyutsuki away from his tea and back into the moment. Hurried footsteps, panting. He was old, but his hearing was sharp as ever. A young woman- a teenager, power-walked around the corner and nearly ran into him. She skid to a halt at the last second, not quite stumbling and waving her hands in unvoiced apology. He squinted in the low light, until a name came up to match the face.
The old man pushed his thinning hair back, blinking owlishly. "Miss? Saneda-kun?"
"Yes sir- that's. I am Saneda Ayumi." She huffed and puffed, face streaked with grit and sweat. "I've been trying to find- well find anyone. The phones are jammed and the JSSDF isn't talking-"
"Calmly,Saneda-kun." Fuyutsuki ducked back into his lab and poured another cup of tea, cold or not it was better than nothing. "There is a problem?"
She ignored the tea for the moment, throwing her hands up with a helpless shout. "Riots! It's like the bad old days in history books or a cyberpunk novel!"
Fuyutsuki dropped both cups, leaving the tea to spill out on the floor in a wide rushing puddle. By the time he reached his lab desk, he was the Sub-Commander. He reached for the phone, confirming the jammed lines before punching his own priority code in. A handful of curt orders got things moving- most importantly paging Major Katsuragi and telling her to stay put.
Moving, he waved the teenager along."Follow me, and explain."
She did so, with a wild-eyed look of someone who'd faced horror and come out the worse for it. Social classes, fracturing cultural identities, conflict between social groups. The people of Tokyo-3 were going to cut out their own hearts, if something was not done.
Major Katsuragi waited for them at a nearby junction, with one wall giving way to an inky black window looking out across the Geofront interior. She clipped a radio to her pocket as they approached and was already speaking before they stopped. "Section Two is on the ground trying to keep things calm, but it's a near thing. You called it in sir?"
Fuyutsuki raised a hand to introduce Ayumi, who fidgeted faintly under the woman's brief attention, even with the kind smile. "Saneda-san did. We would not have missed it for long."
"No shit, sir." Katsuragi huffed. "JSSDF command is working on getting their troops to stand down as well, but it's going to be messy no matter what we do."
"Everyone's afraid." Saneda squeaked. "I'm afraid, you're afraid- and you know what's going on, better than me... How do you think everyone outside feels?"
To that Katsuragi nodded. "Dealing with the riot is just the first step. Next is making sure it doesn't happen again." She turned to Fuyutsuki. "I'll see about getting some people together for an outreach program. We did some similar stuff back in the UN."
"They're going to be suspicious." Saneda took the words out of Fuyutsuki's mouth and carried on. "I mean, we're used to propaganda... how do you fix that?"
Fuyutsuki rubbed chin, glancing out the window to the forest outside. "With transparency."
* * *
Misato wouldn't have called the situation handled. Maybe in hand was a more appropriate phrase. She watched the Sub-Commander gently lead little Ayumi off with an almost grandfatherly air. Exhaling softly, she was glad the girl was in good company. Turning in place, she started to move towards the command center when a flash of red and black caught her eye. Asuka was there, panting slightly as she caught her breath, hands braced against her plugsuited knees.
"I heard them page you then the Sub-Commander-"
Misato jerked her thumb at one of the junction hallways. "You just missed him-"
"No, I wanted to ask you for help- Listen- I screwed up but I want to fix this." Asuka's fingers curled, looking like she wanted to grab the problem in hand. "I'm going to help them. I just... I don't know what to do."
"Help?" Misato let the request echo, somewhat nonplussed at the request. Asuka asking for help. A part of her just wanted to pull the girl into a hug and squeal. The more mature, professional side won out, simply letting Asuka speak for herself.
"The casualties from the last big battle." Asuka flushed a mottled red that reached to her ears. Shame and self-recrimination, if Misato had to guess. "The ones who got all mutated."
Misato blinked at that, and her eyes flicked up to Asuka's borrowed hat. The redhead pulled it off with a weak, watery grin and let her extra ears stand free. "Yeah, like me but not."
"I tried to... show solidarity, to tell them that we're all in this. I thought me being changed like them was common ground."
People with crippling injuries tended not to appreciate sympathy, especially when it could be misinterpreted as pity. Misato sucked on her teeth and nodded. "So clearly your plan didn't work. What else seems to be the problem?"
"Their morale is about as low as it can go- half of them can't move without complicated harnesses, some are put under so they can't hurt themselves or someone else...." Asuka sighed and fisted the hat up in her hands. She looked up at Misato and shrugged. "I do have a question. Did Shinji not allow visitors?"
Tapping her foot, Misato frowned, thinking back herself. "I don't think it occurred to him to offer, We've all had a lot on our plate. The Commander hasn't issued a gag order, but nobody's talking."
She turned then to the nearby window. "If you haven't heard, there's a riot outside."
ASuka blinked once, jerking in a way that suggested she wanted to move, do something. But Misato's calm kept her standing put. "You're... Oddly calm about that?"
Misato pulled the radio from her hip and waggled it for emphasis, smiling faintly. "I'm sure if anyone needs me I'll be right there."
The riots were urgent in their own way, but her orders were already given, and micromanaging things would likely just slow the resolution down. She would have to take over directly soon though. She raised a hand and asked Asuka to follow, heading for the command center like she originally intended. Now walking and talking, Asuka seemed to be thinking more than venting.
Raking a hand through her hair, Asuka's lips pressed down to a grim line. "What authority do I actually have here? I'm a pilot attached to Project E- I'm technically a civilian consultant."
Misato winced as they reached an elevator. She punched a key while biting her lip. "Right, that was NERV's original bureaucratic dodge against national labor laws and child soldiers, not that anyone could stop us inside Tokyo-3. So to answer your question, pretty much none."
A hurried apologetic wave kept Asuka from going off long enough for Misato to continue, grinning broadly. "I can do whatever I want within the operations arm of NERV, and I think I can lean on the JSSDF to have them honor any rank I give you. I'll talk to Ritsuko about your place in Project E. Do you have an idea?"
"Yeah... It's going to either blow up in my face or succeed beyond my wildest expectations, but I did it once by accident already." The doors pulled open and they both filed in, and Asuka nodded to herself. "If I need something that being a pilot won't get me, what should I do?
"Right now, before I get any paperwork together?" Misato folded her arms over her chest and hummed. "My advice is to act as if you have all the pull you need and go from there."
Asuka's grin was tight, hot and full of fire. "I intend to."
* * *
The recovery ward was quiet, save for the persistent hum of life support machines, altered breathing and the rustle of air conditioning over unhuman anatomy. It was calm, almost peaceful, and stifling in how the dozens of casualties drained the very air of hope with every breath. Despondency and depression were held at bay only by military discipline and the resolute belief that by surviving, they were jabbing their enemy in the face with an offensively sharp stick. It was the kind of spite Asuka could appreciate.... save for the rising ennui.
A great sharp bang sent the soldiers jumping, hissing the most vulgar of curses only sailors could surpass. Asuka lowered her foot and strode in through the double doors, kicked open and still swinging. "Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am your problem solver!"
She'd left her hat off on purpose, head held high and cat ears swivelling independently for every sound and muted profanity. She caught Kentaro's eye and nodded, before planting her hands on her hips and letting her voice rise high. "Firstly- Your families are outside the ward right now. I don't mean to alarm you, but there's something of a riot going on and I made the decision to bring them all into Central Dogma for the time being. Once we've taken care of a few things, we'll get everyone moving. They're cleared for everything as well, and I briefed them personally on what to expect. You can tell them whatever you want."
The soldiers all seemed to share the same owlish, uncertain look. It wasn't disbelief, so much as a nonplussed desire for clarification. Asuka lifted her chin and offered them a proud smirk in answer. "Major Katsuragi is handling the riot, and I think that matter is well in hand. Today we're focusing on what you need. I know some of you aren't ready for company, but I've brought in radios as well if you want to talk. If that isn't what you want, I'll hand-deliver a note for you."
Orderlies followed her, pushing the doors open much more sedately. As they entered, standing privacy screens rolled in alongside carts holding the aforementioned radios on charging racks. Asuka waved at them with one grand gesture. "For those of you who are bedridden, we'll have screened off areas for you and your visitors. Otherwise we have wheelchairs, crutches. I'll help anyone who wants me. Except you sergeant."
She pointed at Kentaro and smiled. "You're a bit too heavy for me."
Clapping her gloved hands, she rubbed them together and urged them all to stand. "Let's get moving people, we've got a lot of people outside worried about you- but I have something to say first."
She stood up straighter then, like how she'd seen Misato when dealing with other soldiers, both active and former military. Posture was important, as was sincerity. She had plenty of the latter, but it had taken her a few hours to figure out how to convey it. She turned and locked eyes with everyone she could see, Kentaro's golden stare was laser-focused.
"Here's how it's going to work. If it's not something Shinji can help you with, you call me. I don't care when. Short of combat, I am on on your schedule." She started ticking points off on her fingers. "Asleep, at meals, bathroom, doesn't matter. I may be too cute for this ward, but I am going to work for you, work with you. I am your liason, gofer and councilor."
"And as of today-" She let the tension rise for just that one sweet second of expectation. "I am now your commanding officer."
* * *
As far as riots went, Shinji was sure Misato had seen worse. He'd taken the time to look up what she did in the UN before joining NERV proper. It had not been a great time for the human race. The violence had been quelled, but not the raw emotions and stress. Their little plan was somewhat impromptu, thrown together out of a few coincidences and happy accidents. Standing on an earthmover, Shinji was able to look out across the crowd of over sixty thousand soldiers, civilians, refugees.
Survivors.
He reached out for the microphone and gave it an experimental tap, pleased to note the hum of active speakers seeded throughout the refugee camps. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was nearby, holding the rough-drafted script for the effort. Shinji had already committed it to memory and worked it into his own plan. Funny- how he had his own plans now. His audience extended into the trees, pressed up against the edge of the reflecting pool next to Dogma's central pyramid, and crammed into every free standing and sitting space they could make in the camps. Fire pits carved out tiny pools of light in the gloom, while huge floodlights cut bright bluish-white slashes into the grounds around the main structure.
Microphone in hand, Shinji let out a low, quiet breath and brought his eyes up to examine the crowd. He picked out some of the Shrine Kids, soldiers from the JSSDF and some of the NHIS group technicians. NERV uniforms and Section-2 suits. Most of the command staff didn't need to hear this, and he knew Misato and his father were leaning hard on the JSSDF general staff to reorganize the refugee camps to make sure what happened today would not ever again.
"I'm not going to tell you 'be not afraid." Shinji's voice echoed across the campgrounds, loud and ringing clear. His voice was finally beginning to change, and he'd so far dodged the hassles of cracking notes. "You can be as scared as you want- I've been scared since this whole thing started. But you go through it, one day at a time."
The crowd was far from silent, an inesecapable consequence of so many people packed into one area. He continued, bracing himself as thoughts of distant, awkward classroom presentations sprang to mind. "None of you know me, but you've seen me at work and know why I am here. You've seen me heal, you've seen me fight and stand with you. Hopefully that's enough to help understand what I'm about to tell you."
You fought fear with knowledge. Understanding created confidence, and from confidence grew progress. It was a simple lesson, but one Shinji was ready to teach. "My name is Ikari Shinji. For me, this goes all the way back to my first day in Tokyo-3."
He jumped up from the cab of the vehicle to the raised arm and bucket, standing on the platform as if it were solid ground. The leap itself was nearly six meters from standing. The crowd nearby shivered, suddenly wary. "A year and a half- make that two years now, almost- I arrived in an empty city. I saw an Angel for the first time, and an Evangelion. Major Katsuragi introduced me to NERV and the Geofront. I was pushed out into combat that same evening."
As his words washed over the crowd, he could tell they weren't sure what to make of it, where he was going, what was his game. Fuyutsuki made it clear- you fought the suspicion with transparency.
"About twenty minutes after I got in the giant robot-" He waved at his forehead with one hand, then two, four, five, with his remaining flesh and blood limb holding the microphone. As his anima lit the Geofront, Shinji smiled. "I Exalted."
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Well, that's one way to stop a riot... The Geofront population at large really needs a long breather. They've been under continuous siege for how many months now?
Dakkan Sall
Random Encounter
- Location
- On the world map
Well, I am half-expecting his cult membership to jump again after all this (the speech, not the invasion. Well, that too). Fun times ahead with that.
Though I'm also wondering if we'll end up getting any lowercase-'g' gods awakening or such as people start/continue praying to them. Creation's underlying metaphysics vs that of Eva-verse aside, there's been enough bleeding through with everything since Shinji's Exaltation that I really wouldn't be surprised what with how much Essence is now flowing around.
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska
You know, I wasn't expecting to be proven right so soon? Just saying.
3154
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
I admit when you posted your prediction I was about to do a 'get out of my head charles' joke, but that goes against my policy.
- Location
- Caracas
Huh, so this is still alive? All right, time book it for a full read.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
I would tell people if I had to stop writing- I just am really tired and want to focus on getting an art job.
- Location
- Caracas
I follow you on FF.net and I didn't recall you posted on SB or SV. So, yeah. I assumed te fic had quietly died like 99.9999999999999,99% of FF.net fanfiction.
- Location
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Pronouns
- He/Him
That place is just such an impossible cluster-fuck, but people can be strong and it's good to watch them starting to do their best to try and pull things together and keep it from totally collapsing.
It's weird to think though of some of the side effects of just the environment though, the constant looming darkness, the horrors they have been through and knowing that it's all still waiting for them out there. Shinji will need to be on form for this talk ... he's good at that though these days.
I'll admit, I have no idea where this plot is going, but I expect it to be glorious.
It's weird to think though of some of the side effects of just the environment though, the constant looming darkness, the horrors they have been through and knowing that it's all still waiting for them out there. Shinji will need to be on form for this talk ... he's good at that though these days.
I'll admit, I have no idea where this plot is going, but I expect it to be glorious.
Chapter 43: Siege Part 9
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
What ho, an update? Yes friends it is! It may not be the scene you've wanted, but it's the scene I have written! More seriously, I want to see if i can get back into the habit of writing at least a little every night. Time management is tough. Overall I'm pretty happy with the scene though, and am looking forward to writing more.
It was a dull, stabbing pain. Pins and needles but many many times worse. His nervous system was working as expected, trying to tell him something was wrong and that he should move, adjust his position, anything. If Gendo had the muscles to do so, he would have. He glanced at the half-empty bottle of painkillers, in easy reach. No, he would take some later. There was work to be done. Having retreated to a temporary office in Central Dogma, he surrendered to the necessity of a less richly appointed desk and more heavily armed security. No holograms and burn-after-reading incinerators. The wheelchair was at least comfortable, though he felt disconnected, legs shorn off at the knees and unable to reach the floor.
His hands were numb as well, seared to the point of being almost useless for sensing pressure. Despite that, he tapped keys and wrote orders with a practiced efficiency. The boy had not rallied the Geofront to his banner with a single speech over a brief evening. Instead he had spent days, gradually revealing his story and the population's role in it. A part of Gendo applauded the theatricality of it, but it was another proof of the Exaltation's intuitive nature. The more amusing fact was that for all the talking and demonstration, the real work fell to the Commander of NERV. And to a lesser extend the JSSDF. The boy's actions had bought time and goodwill for the command staff to address the issue and work on implementation.
More space was made available in Central Dogma, labs cleared out and improvised dorms and suites installed. Organized around other core facilities like public washrooms, cafeterias and more. With the riots quelled, the general staff and JSSDF had the opportunity to lay their weapons aside and turn towards military engineering. The forest surrounding Central Dogma was felled and harvested, with sawmills springing up to utilize the fresh lumber. In all those same cases, the boy's hand made itself known. Better designs, layouts and more supplemented the high-level command and control.
Outside, the two armed guards quietly checked an incoming visitor, before the door slid open and revealed Fuyutsuki. The old man looked tired, though largely unburdened by logistical challenges, though he did carry a thin folder under his arm. Gendo raised his head a fraction of an inch in greeting.
"Ikari-kun." The Sub-Commander exhaled softly. "Where do we stand?"
Gendo considered the situation for a moment with a noncommittal grunt, before answering properly. "The boy's efforts are showing results. Morale is climbing. Akagi is working on getting NHIS and their Jet Alone settled in. I am considering their role in the scenario."
Fuyutsuki did not scoff or gape in disbelief, but he was silent for a long, careful moment. "We are staying on course, through this Raksha invasion, our new guest?"
Spreading his papers across the desk, Gendo leaned back in his wheelchair. "What has actually changed about our situation? We still have Unit-01, and now ADAM. Aside from specific timing and certain conditions, we are in no better or worse position than we were before."
"So we shall carry on then, as you planned?" Fuyutsuki stopped in front of the desk, standing but not straight.
"The specifics have changed. The boy for example is no longer suitable." There were no windows, but Gendo still looked to the side as if there was one. "He has become too willful to be controlled, and attempting to build new levers requires time and effort I cannot spare."
The old man's lips compressed down to a thin line, and his eyes squeezed shut. It was a sign of the ages-old argument, and one Gendo was not interested in re-hashing. "Extending a hand to the boy this late in the game is also unfeasible. If he were still the same child seeking approval, I might have considered it. Now, his own morality and ethics would look at the costs involved and turn him firmly against us."
"Then I will leave that matter for another time." Fuyutsuki allowed. He opened his own folder of papers. "Assuming SEELE still exists, we can assume they will pursue Third Impact and their own apotheosis. Do we have reason to be so confident?"
It was a reasonable question, though not one Gendo liked. Belief drove him, and even recognizing the possibility of final, absolute failure sent his stomach churning. To Fuyutsuki though, he was implacable granite. "Our goal remains unchanged and so far all assets we require remain in play. Third Impact may be rendered impossible by the invasion, but I will not assume so."
With that up-front statement of intent, Fuyutsuki accepted the matter and tabled it for the moment. Resolving the last few particulars of that topic took only a few minutes, marking each item off on their shared mental checklist. Their primary goal was distant, so far on the horizon that it may have well been invisible. Dozens of immediate, pressing and practical problems demanded their attention.
"Our guests are a more immediate and relevant concern." Gendo reached for a thin dossier on the NHIS team and their prototype. "The first Jet Alone fell victim to industrial sabotage, correct?"
"That seems to be the official story." Fuyutsuki agreed, checking his own files for anything else of note. "Likely an adjustment of some sort, either with the Japanese government or SEELE itself. The latter seems more reasonable to me, what with Jet Alone's AT-field equipment."
Gendo paged through the reports, handwritten and light on confirmation. "Do you have a working theory?"
Fuyutsuki offered him a wry, self-effacing little shrug. It made him look twenty years younger. "Several. And I asked their lead engineer, Tokita."
Gendo let that pronouncement hang in the air for along second, and Fuyutsuki carried on, undaunted. "A number of heads rolled on the original project and in a scramble to salvage what they could, the Jet Alone team hired whole classes of engineering hopefuls on a last-chance gambit. I'm sure many of them were brilliant. Just as many were SEELE plants, seeding the technical know-how."
"Hence augmented pilot, with technology developed wholly independent of NERV, who was undoubtedly not part of the initial proposal." Gendo glanced at a page of covert and overt intelligent photos- in the latter, the girl posed for the camera. A handful of sketched diagrams suggested the layout and design of her cybernetics. He recognized Akagi's handwriting immediately, but it took him a long few seconds to place the Third Child's hand.
"We aren't the only cybernetics and prosthetics developer in the world, though, and there were other MAGI." Fuyutsuki pointed out, before agreeing. "That seems to be the case, these sorts of projects tend to evolve over time without direct oversight, permission or otherwise."
Setting the report aside, Gendo did not quite frown. "Noted. Is this machine a competitor with the Evangelion?"
"Only in... practical matters. Shinji is working on an assessment alongside Major Katsuragi." Fuyutsuki offered a small, bemused and proud smile.
Pretensions of division leadership aside, Gendo's eyes narrowed behind is glasses. "Who instructed the Third to do that?"
To that Fuyutsuki shrugged. "No one- he's largely self-directed, and he's been cutting down on sleep as much as his endurance can stand."
Gendo refused to acknowledge the explanation directly, turning inward for a moment. Fuyutsuki did not intrude upon the silence, long used to the younger man's moodiness and general pattern. In the midst of his contemplating, Gendo allowed himself the small pleasure of the teacher's company. Fuyutsuki was an asset, first and foremost, but Gendo could consider him his singular living friend. The silence gave way to work, carefully pursuing reports and signing off on orders that needed to be filed rather than spoken.
An initial investment on the Third's public's relation coup tied into NERV's ongoing objective of managing the refugee population. Space was not the concern, and even Central Dogma's outlying labs could house most of the civilians and soldiers. Gendo instead preferred that his domain remain unspoiled by outsiders as much as possible, in addition to matters of security clearance and safety. Building on previous actions, Gendo drafted an order to organize forestry operations- specifically planting saplings. The Geofront had sufficient stockpiles of plant and animal life, the latter as genetic materials, to manage the issue for the moment. Writing one note after another, he laid out an abstract plan for sustainability one year out, five, ten, fifty, a hundred.
So drafted, the stage one plan would occupy the hands and minds of the civilian population, and work to supplement the complex's oxygen reclaimation systems. He made a point to expand the order to engineers and scientists, so they would develop individuals among the refugees into assistants and so on. Eventually, NERV would have to break the seal on certain technologies such as cloning and genetic manipulation, but they had the foundation GEHRIN built to stand on. He finalized the strategy with a confidentiality note and succinct cover story. Even hinting that they could risk choking to death in the dark would help no one. With that done, Gendo paused and examined the remaining reports. Nothing jumped out as worthy of discussion until a marked folder caught his eye.
"There is another matter at hand." Adding the reforestry plan to his outbox, he reached for another folder, full of handwritten notes, a soul-spectrographic image, and Dogma interior camera images. The dark-haired man seemed to smile at every lens shutter that caught him. Knew it was there, watching him.
Fuyutsuki's smile was knowing and amused. "Ahh. I was wondering when you'd ask about him. Vand, 'Carries-The-Storm'."
"Your impression?"
The older man shrugged. "I've barely exchanged a handful of words with the man, but he seems... Boisterous, and grandly so. Like Major Katsuragi, in fact."
Gendo let his silence speak for him, eyes falling on two photos- Vand in one of Central Dogma's corridors, and the lustrous, haloed weasel that had intervened on the Second Child's behalf.
Fuyutsuki continued, knowing the cue when he didn't hear one. "So far I believe he's on our side- he has no reason to lie and many things to gain by being truthful."
"A reasonable assumption." Gendo allowed, then he frowned. The likelihood of anything truly untoward happening to the scenario was unmistakably increasing, but immediate, rash action would do no good. He laid his elbows on the desk and laced his fingertips together, leaning forward. "Consider one of our more severe scenarios. A sufficiently motivated and Exalted Third Child, one who is willing to take decisive action for good or ill with no lever or means of control."
"Assumption noted." Fuyutsuki sat up straighter in his chair.
"Now, consider this 'Carries-The-Storm'." Gendo exhaled softly behind his hands. "A mature adult, nearly as far removed from our culture as could possibly be, and has likely been Exalted for five years or more, likely a decade. The specifics of his powers and their exact nature are largely irrelevant. This is a man who may equal or exceed the Third in raw capability and miracle-working, and there is may be no power inside this Geofront that can stop him."
* * *
It was a dull, stabbing pain. Pins and needles but many many times worse. His nervous system was working as expected, trying to tell him something was wrong and that he should move, adjust his position, anything. If Gendo had the muscles to do so, he would have. He glanced at the half-empty bottle of painkillers, in easy reach. No, he would take some later. There was work to be done. Having retreated to a temporary office in Central Dogma, he surrendered to the necessity of a less richly appointed desk and more heavily armed security. No holograms and burn-after-reading incinerators. The wheelchair was at least comfortable, though he felt disconnected, legs shorn off at the knees and unable to reach the floor.
His hands were numb as well, seared to the point of being almost useless for sensing pressure. Despite that, he tapped keys and wrote orders with a practiced efficiency. The boy had not rallied the Geofront to his banner with a single speech over a brief evening. Instead he had spent days, gradually revealing his story and the population's role in it. A part of Gendo applauded the theatricality of it, but it was another proof of the Exaltation's intuitive nature. The more amusing fact was that for all the talking and demonstration, the real work fell to the Commander of NERV. And to a lesser extend the JSSDF. The boy's actions had bought time and goodwill for the command staff to address the issue and work on implementation.
More space was made available in Central Dogma, labs cleared out and improvised dorms and suites installed. Organized around other core facilities like public washrooms, cafeterias and more. With the riots quelled, the general staff and JSSDF had the opportunity to lay their weapons aside and turn towards military engineering. The forest surrounding Central Dogma was felled and harvested, with sawmills springing up to utilize the fresh lumber. In all those same cases, the boy's hand made itself known. Better designs, layouts and more supplemented the high-level command and control.
Outside, the two armed guards quietly checked an incoming visitor, before the door slid open and revealed Fuyutsuki. The old man looked tired, though largely unburdened by logistical challenges, though he did carry a thin folder under his arm. Gendo raised his head a fraction of an inch in greeting.
"Ikari-kun." The Sub-Commander exhaled softly. "Where do we stand?"
Gendo considered the situation for a moment with a noncommittal grunt, before answering properly. "The boy's efforts are showing results. Morale is climbing. Akagi is working on getting NHIS and their Jet Alone settled in. I am considering their role in the scenario."
Fuyutsuki did not scoff or gape in disbelief, but he was silent for a long, careful moment. "We are staying on course, through this Raksha invasion, our new guest?"
Spreading his papers across the desk, Gendo leaned back in his wheelchair. "What has actually changed about our situation? We still have Unit-01, and now ADAM. Aside from specific timing and certain conditions, we are in no better or worse position than we were before."
"So we shall carry on then, as you planned?" Fuyutsuki stopped in front of the desk, standing but not straight.
"The specifics have changed. The boy for example is no longer suitable." There were no windows, but Gendo still looked to the side as if there was one. "He has become too willful to be controlled, and attempting to build new levers requires time and effort I cannot spare."
The old man's lips compressed down to a thin line, and his eyes squeezed shut. It was a sign of the ages-old argument, and one Gendo was not interested in re-hashing. "Extending a hand to the boy this late in the game is also unfeasible. If he were still the same child seeking approval, I might have considered it. Now, his own morality and ethics would look at the costs involved and turn him firmly against us."
"Then I will leave that matter for another time." Fuyutsuki allowed. He opened his own folder of papers. "Assuming SEELE still exists, we can assume they will pursue Third Impact and their own apotheosis. Do we have reason to be so confident?"
It was a reasonable question, though not one Gendo liked. Belief drove him, and even recognizing the possibility of final, absolute failure sent his stomach churning. To Fuyutsuki though, he was implacable granite. "Our goal remains unchanged and so far all assets we require remain in play. Third Impact may be rendered impossible by the invasion, but I will not assume so."
With that up-front statement of intent, Fuyutsuki accepted the matter and tabled it for the moment. Resolving the last few particulars of that topic took only a few minutes, marking each item off on their shared mental checklist. Their primary goal was distant, so far on the horizon that it may have well been invisible. Dozens of immediate, pressing and practical problems demanded their attention.
"Our guests are a more immediate and relevant concern." Gendo reached for a thin dossier on the NHIS team and their prototype. "The first Jet Alone fell victim to industrial sabotage, correct?"
"That seems to be the official story." Fuyutsuki agreed, checking his own files for anything else of note. "Likely an adjustment of some sort, either with the Japanese government or SEELE itself. The latter seems more reasonable to me, what with Jet Alone's AT-field equipment."
Gendo paged through the reports, handwritten and light on confirmation. "Do you have a working theory?"
Fuyutsuki offered him a wry, self-effacing little shrug. It made him look twenty years younger. "Several. And I asked their lead engineer, Tokita."
Gendo let that pronouncement hang in the air for along second, and Fuyutsuki carried on, undaunted. "A number of heads rolled on the original project and in a scramble to salvage what they could, the Jet Alone team hired whole classes of engineering hopefuls on a last-chance gambit. I'm sure many of them were brilliant. Just as many were SEELE plants, seeding the technical know-how."
"Hence augmented pilot, with technology developed wholly independent of NERV, who was undoubtedly not part of the initial proposal." Gendo glanced at a page of covert and overt intelligent photos- in the latter, the girl posed for the camera. A handful of sketched diagrams suggested the layout and design of her cybernetics. He recognized Akagi's handwriting immediately, but it took him a long few seconds to place the Third Child's hand.
"We aren't the only cybernetics and prosthetics developer in the world, though, and there were other MAGI." Fuyutsuki pointed out, before agreeing. "That seems to be the case, these sorts of projects tend to evolve over time without direct oversight, permission or otherwise."
Setting the report aside, Gendo did not quite frown. "Noted. Is this machine a competitor with the Evangelion?"
"Only in... practical matters. Shinji is working on an assessment alongside Major Katsuragi." Fuyutsuki offered a small, bemused and proud smile.
Pretensions of division leadership aside, Gendo's eyes narrowed behind is glasses. "Who instructed the Third to do that?"
To that Fuyutsuki shrugged. "No one- he's largely self-directed, and he's been cutting down on sleep as much as his endurance can stand."
Gendo refused to acknowledge the explanation directly, turning inward for a moment. Fuyutsuki did not intrude upon the silence, long used to the younger man's moodiness and general pattern. In the midst of his contemplating, Gendo allowed himself the small pleasure of the teacher's company. Fuyutsuki was an asset, first and foremost, but Gendo could consider him his singular living friend. The silence gave way to work, carefully pursuing reports and signing off on orders that needed to be filed rather than spoken.
An initial investment on the Third's public's relation coup tied into NERV's ongoing objective of managing the refugee population. Space was not the concern, and even Central Dogma's outlying labs could house most of the civilians and soldiers. Gendo instead preferred that his domain remain unspoiled by outsiders as much as possible, in addition to matters of security clearance and safety. Building on previous actions, Gendo drafted an order to organize forestry operations- specifically planting saplings. The Geofront had sufficient stockpiles of plant and animal life, the latter as genetic materials, to manage the issue for the moment. Writing one note after another, he laid out an abstract plan for sustainability one year out, five, ten, fifty, a hundred.
So drafted, the stage one plan would occupy the hands and minds of the civilian population, and work to supplement the complex's oxygen reclaimation systems. He made a point to expand the order to engineers and scientists, so they would develop individuals among the refugees into assistants and so on. Eventually, NERV would have to break the seal on certain technologies such as cloning and genetic manipulation, but they had the foundation GEHRIN built to stand on. He finalized the strategy with a confidentiality note and succinct cover story. Even hinting that they could risk choking to death in the dark would help no one. With that done, Gendo paused and examined the remaining reports. Nothing jumped out as worthy of discussion until a marked folder caught his eye.
"There is another matter at hand." Adding the reforestry plan to his outbox, he reached for another folder, full of handwritten notes, a soul-spectrographic image, and Dogma interior camera images. The dark-haired man seemed to smile at every lens shutter that caught him. Knew it was there, watching him.
Fuyutsuki's smile was knowing and amused. "Ahh. I was wondering when you'd ask about him. Vand, 'Carries-The-Storm'."
"Your impression?"
The older man shrugged. "I've barely exchanged a handful of words with the man, but he seems... Boisterous, and grandly so. Like Major Katsuragi, in fact."
Gendo let his silence speak for him, eyes falling on two photos- Vand in one of Central Dogma's corridors, and the lustrous, haloed weasel that had intervened on the Second Child's behalf.
Fuyutsuki continued, knowing the cue when he didn't hear one. "So far I believe he's on our side- he has no reason to lie and many things to gain by being truthful."
"A reasonable assumption." Gendo allowed, then he frowned. The likelihood of anything truly untoward happening to the scenario was unmistakably increasing, but immediate, rash action would do no good. He laid his elbows on the desk and laced his fingertips together, leaning forward. "Consider one of our more severe scenarios. A sufficiently motivated and Exalted Third Child, one who is willing to take decisive action for good or ill with no lever or means of control."
"Assumption noted." Fuyutsuki sat up straighter in his chair.
"Now, consider this 'Carries-The-Storm'." Gendo exhaled softly behind his hands. "A mature adult, nearly as far removed from our culture as could possibly be, and has likely been Exalted for five years or more, likely a decade. The specifics of his powers and their exact nature are largely irrelevant. This is a man who may equal or exceed the Third in raw capability and miracle-working, and there is may be no power inside this Geofront that can stop him."
* * *
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
And he's back.
One thing I've wanted to say to Gendo and SEELE about their plans for some time:
"You are trying so hard, costing so much to reach into the Outer Realms. But did you ever consider the possibility, that Heaven's Throne might not be unoccupied? Or that its denizens would not be pleased with your deeds?"
One thing I've wanted to say to Gendo and SEELE about their plans for some time:
"You are trying so hard, costing so much to reach into the Outer Realms. But did you ever consider the possibility, that Heaven's Throne might not be unoccupied? Or that its denizens would not be pleased with your deeds?"
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Extent.
And my my. Gendo is just that monomaniacially focused, that even invasions from another reality and an entire new science of souls and magic shows up... and he waves it off as irrelevant. Because only Yui matters.
I'm really starting to wonder why Shinji and company don't hard shut him down. They have to know he's up to no good and has his own plans.
- Location
- Really? This field is required?
Oh they know, but if they got rid of him THEY'D have to do all the paperwork.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Gendo occupies a very interesting position in Cast in Gold, thematically and narratively.
One of the major elements of an 'empowerment' plot is to give a character agency which is in turn enjoyed vicariously by the readers. Shinji getting the Exaltation normally leads to him having a direct and satisfying confrontation with Gendo, because the Power gives him Agency which lets him resolve his issues (or let us project a resolution of his issues) upon his problems.
Right now, Gendo is not Shinji's problem. Gendo has spent a great deal of time and effort to not be Shinji's problem. Gendo is ammoral and rutheless, but I am very much trying to write him as intelligent and rational within his personal framework.
While the number of people who are more fully 'in the know' to Gendo's plan is increasing, Shinji is not one of them and has not yet really seen fit to tackle that problem when more immediate concerns are at hand. Beyond that, his agency and character development have shored up his self worth to the point that the original character-defining motivations he had are not really applicable. A 14 year old, abused eva pilot desires his father's validation. A 15-16 year old Exalt with a strong support network of friends and allies wants to protect and empower those allies.
Thematically, narratively, Misato and Kaji were always the ones who shouldered the brunt of the conspiracy plots in NGE. The implicit demand that the magical being use his magical plot powers to up-end a canon plot is boring- but only because it's not well thought out.
One of the major elements of an 'empowerment' plot is to give a character agency which is in turn enjoyed vicariously by the readers. Shinji getting the Exaltation normally leads to him having a direct and satisfying confrontation with Gendo, because the Power gives him Agency which lets him resolve his issues (or let us project a resolution of his issues) upon his problems.
Right now, Gendo is not Shinji's problem. Gendo has spent a great deal of time and effort to not be Shinji's problem. Gendo is ammoral and rutheless, but I am very much trying to write him as intelligent and rational within his personal framework.
While the number of people who are more fully 'in the know' to Gendo's plan is increasing, Shinji is not one of them and has not yet really seen fit to tackle that problem when more immediate concerns are at hand. Beyond that, his agency and character development have shored up his self worth to the point that the original character-defining motivations he had are not really applicable. A 14 year old, abused eva pilot desires his father's validation. A 15-16 year old Exalt with a strong support network of friends and allies wants to protect and empower those allies.
Thematically, narratively, Misato and Kaji were always the ones who shouldered the brunt of the conspiracy plots in NGE. The implicit demand that the magical being use his magical plot powers to up-end a canon plot is boring- but only because it's not well thought out.
Chapter 43: Siege Part 10
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
JET ALONE was massive, in a way that the Evangelions were not. Bulky,and made of triangular and trapezoidal sections stacked into an over-engineered approximation of the human form. They had not had a chance to retrofit an Evangelion cage for it, but the machine honestly did not need one. Orange-suited NHIS technicians swarmed over it, having built temporary gantries and access ways around its kneeling bulk. The spherical pilot cradle was exposed, resting on the ground and strung up by meters of high-strength cable. The upper floors of Central Dogma's main pyramid had the best view of the Geofront interior, even if one side was still wrecked and closed to non-essential use.
From a design and execution standpoint, Shinji could not help but consider it a mess, in a way exactly like the Evangelions. A lot of the jargon and specific terminology eluded him, but he could see actuators composed of synthetic muscle paired with more conventional looking hydraulic pistons. Its arms were more ribbon-like, made of connecting segments that let it curve and curl, though larger, specialized joints at the wrist and elbow were a concession to human anatomy and range of motion. Aside from assessing the machine, Shinji watched the men and women who built it. All together, the machine was forty meters tall, same as an Evangelion, but heavier and wider all around.
He'd met JET ALONE's project leader Tokita briefly, some months ago, and Ritsuko's influence on his opinion had been apparent. Right now though, as the weeks after the rescue ticked on, Shinji could see that the engineer was a bit more than smarm and bluster. The NHIS crew had thrown everything they had behind their project, they'd survived because of it, and that changed a man. Even from a hundred yards away, Tokita was passion- he'd found his life's work, showing it with every word and gesture. Musing on that, Shinji wondered then what he'd been like before the invasion, how a man with parchment in his fields became a ladder-climber hungry for government contacts.
The energy was infectious too- of all the refugees, NHIS had the best morale by far. Beyond that, the other major factor in their collective mood was JET ALONE's pilot.
Makinami Illustrious Mari. Shinji was not entirely certain about the provenance of her middle name, but it seemed to fit her. Tokita had a quiet drive that matched well with Makinami-san's more expressive cheer. He was too far away to make out the words, but Shinji could see her charm and thank her work crews, even as they performed field maintenance on her machine and herself. He also easily recognized the fact that she was attractive- enough that a lot of the university-age engineers were flattered and enamored by her grins and energetic hugs. The figure-hugging pilot suit and long legs contributed too.
Focusing on her, he wondered what they were talking about. Makinami-san had stopped some other engineers, before pointing at an old gouge in the vehicle's side where exposed machinery glowed in fitful pulses. She spoke quickly, arms waving broadly, like she was trying to describe a sound her hands. Her audience nodded, grinning at the same time and reaching for their tools. It was a meeting of equals, almost, but from opposite ends. She's a lot like Asuka, committed to her responsibility.
But for all of the insight he could glean from just watching, there were aspects of JET ALONE and the NHIS crew that Shinji couldn't understand at a glance. Looking one way then the other, Shinji considered the empty hallway in Central Dogma and decided there were some questions he wanted to ask in person.
* * *
By sheer happenstance, Asuka had run into with him before he left the main complex, and decided to tag along on the way to the NHIS encampment. That section of the outlying grounds had been cleared of trees and their staff had been bunked in a hastily retrofit lab building. A fence bordered their domain, mostly for safety reasons, and the two guards at the gate were unarmed. Most though were dressed for the cold. Without the mirrors and fiber optics, the Geofront forest was growing colder by the day. Thaumaturgy teams were already researching ways to beat the chill alongside crash programs to repair or install new heaters where appropriate.
Shinji felt the chill as well, but less so. Asuka however was more than a little bundled up, wearing sweatpants over her plugsuit along with her leather jacket. One of Misato's berets helped keep her ears warm and concealed.
When they were a few steps past the camp entrance, Asuka grinned and nudged his side. "Checking out the competition?
Shinji offered her a little hand-waggling wave, smiling slightly as he did so. "A little. I've never been as enamored with pilot status as you are."
"I admit I never understood that." Asuka cocked her head to one side, hat firmly in place. "Being a pilot was my mark of pride. It raised me above..."
She trailed off, and Shinji guessed she'd intended to say people, if not for realizing how it made her sound. He picked up her meaning easily enough and answered as honestly as he could. "I never really wanted to be elevated though. Life was... static until I came to Tokyo-3. And now I'm almost too special."
He waved a hand at his brow to emphasize the point, while Asuka gave him a long, contemplative look. He was somewhat surprised at how easily the serious topic seemed to unfold between them. When she spoke, there was an unmistakable note of understanding. "That makes sense. We all have our own priorities... I was projecting."
She kicked a rock along the tread-mangled path, smiling at her plugsuited feet. "I wanted to be first among equals, or at least not alone. Other pilots meant rivals and friends. Then I realized Rei was a deconstructed human and you just flat out weren't interested in piloting like I was."
"Being an Evangelion pilot is a valuable talent." He reached out and poked the kill-badges on her jacket shoulder. "And I'm not going to quit watching your back. I hated the training, but you convinced me, and we're a team."
"This friendship thing is actually pretty easy." Asuka's good eye narrowed, teasing and glittering with good humor. "You sure you're not flexing some soul muscles?"
"Don't think so, no." Shinji raised his arms and let his biceps speak for him, wit on the tip of his tongue-
The whistle cut through his thought in an instant, dragging his attention to the green-clad figure vaulting down from platform to platform and then JET ALONE's kneeling leg. She slid down one knee before hitting the compacted dirt with both feet and bouncing over. "How great is this-" Makinami-san laughed, waving and carrying on in English with a hint of an accent. "I don't even need to buy tickets to your gun show!"
Asuka froze, stricken with that sudden, caught-out look. Then she let her face fall into a waiting palm. Muttering past splayed fingers, she switched to English as well. "Oh god, first Nagisa now four-eyes. Does every new pilot we meet just get stuck flirting with you?"
"When he stops being eye candy, I'll stop eating it." Makinami sang, cat-like and lilting.
Letting his arms fall to his side, Shinji mustered up his best effort at Rei's deadpan. "Oh dear, I'm being objectified. Only the great Sorhyu Asuka-Langely can save me now."
Makinami bounced to a halt and rocked back and forth on her heels while Asuka let out a mock groan of dismay. The three pilots formed a rough triangle, standing just outside the colder shadow of the giant machine. White puffs of vapor blew past their lips, fading quickly.
"So what brings you two here?" Makinami-san's voice was all unrestrained cheer and joy.
"Curiosity, mostly." Shinji admitted with an easy laugh. "Asuka decided to tag along."
"You could've made me sound more decisive." The redhead let her hands fall to her side and huffed without heat, smiling. Then she turned to Makinami. "You're new... And I had no idea there were alternatives to the Evangelion."
"Well, they're really aren't any." Makinami turned to look back up at JET ALONE, steadying her glasses along the way. "Big guy here is good to me, but you're looking at misplaced national pride and ostrich-thinking."
Blinking once, Asuka cocked her head to the side. "Ostrich-whatnot?"
"I think I get it- stick your head in the sand and ignore the reality." Shinji offered, and continued on at Makinami's encouraging nod. "Specifically that Angels can't be fought conventionally or without an AT-field."
On the subject, Shinji took the chance for a question. "That was one of the things I was curious about. How does JET ALONE have an AT-field... Or stand up, it violates the square cube law."
"I can't rattle of the exact specs, but I do know the basics." Makinami's grin was all curls and cat-like charm. She pointed up at various tanks, arranged in pairs along JET ALONE's frame, pride plain in her voice. "We've got these colonies of mono-celluar algae hooked up in a stimulation medium. Big Guy doesn't have An AT-field, but more like a few billion small ones. We figured out a capacitor and amplification method too."
"That's... More possible than I had believed." Asuka admitted. "It further proves that life has an AT-field, not just people."
"On board nuclear power like a submarine too. The turbines get pretty loud, so they reinforced my skull to protect my eardrums. Past that there are a few black box devices in there." Makinami shrugged, shivering slightly. "So maybe one of them does it- I know my machine is made of the best lightweight, superstrong materials we found. I think the armor's made of a ceramic NERV developed."
To that, Asuka fixed Shinji with a fairly knowing glare, a friendly one at least. Shinji's smile was only a tiny bit strained as he scratched the back of his head. "I thought it looked familiar..."
Makinami snapped her gloved fingers, beaming. "Oh- as far as the square-cube part, we have this contra-grav system based on a Hermes-superconducting coil."
Asuka gaped, not quite sputtering but close to it. Her hat slipped partway off her head, and one furry ear swiveled around. "Sonnovabitch- someone figured out antigravity?"
"No no" Makinami shook her head and waved her hand, twin ponytails whipping left and right. "It's a fancy way of saying magnetic levitation or suspension. Some of the black boxes have 'negative weight'. I'm sure I could get one of my crew to explain it better, but when in it doesn't cut down on base mass, it actually makes JET ALONE lighter. It makes it kinda goosey though- loose up top."
She waved at her own shoulders, and mimed a sort of drunken, loping stance before laughing.
"Practical superconductors aren't something to ignore though." Shinji grinned, looking up at the machine with a new, approving eye. "I don't think I'd ever be an engineer, but..."
Asuka picked up for him when he trailed off. "You like reading articles and journals about new discoveries and technologies. It's... brain food?"
"Brain food. I like that." Shinji laughed, before pointing to a nearby tent, and more importantly, its attached heaters. "You're both starting to turn blue."
"Aww, so considerate of a lady's needs." Makinami sang, swaying side to side with her hands clasped. "Such a gentleman!"
"Such a mother-hen." Asuka smirked, and sauntered towards the tent. She stopped a few steps ahead and looked over her shoulder. "Well c'mon you two! I am freezing."
The tent itself was utiltarian, and not at all private. Getting in was almost like an airlock, aiming to keep the cold air out and the hot air in. Asuka was in the lead, pushing one flap aside after another, and the sudden change in air ruffled her hair on the way in. Makinami took a moment to shout at the work crew that she was taking a break before darting back in to follow. Looking more like something one would bring to a high-altitude mountaineering expedition, it was double-walled and heavily insulated. Bulky laptops competed for space with stained styrofoam coffee ups and warmer plates full of basic, hard-to-ruin staples. Technicians and repair crews streamed in and out at a constant rate, eager for food, warmth and access to vital information.
Hot dogs, rice, canned beans and veggies... Shinji hummed to himself while Asuka shrugged out of her jacket for the moment. A plugsuit plus sweatpants didn't look very trendy, but Asuka didn't seem to care. Mari's own pilot suit was no where near as sleek and 'futuristic' as NERV issue gear. Thick bulges and life support odds-and-ends bulked out what was essentially... not-plugsuit. He couldn't really think of anything to describe it other than 'tight and somewhat ugly'. Makinami wore it well, but it was an obvious work of necessity, with improvised gear and long signs of repair.
Food. Casting about for some free space, Shinji claimed a table, taking stock of well, the stock. He could improvise a soup with ease... The NHIS crew recognized him, and only mildly protested when he ripped apart two coffee machines. He'd made the cold-brew process rigs once before, and he was better, more skilled now. Liquid golden sunfire wreathed his arms, and he set his hands to task. Rebuilt coffee machines first, then carefully cooked rice cakes and spiced meats. Sliced sausages hissed and spat under his hands, cooking freely beneath his craftsmanship technique.
Makinami was staring at him, glasses sliding halfway off her nose and mouth hanging open. Cute, but not unexpected.
Asuka sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head. "You really need a hobby, Golden Boy."
Shinji just looked at her. Deadpan and still cooking.
"...This is your hobby." She had the decency to look chagrined, shooting a tiny smile his way as a peace offering. "Right."
NHIS's pilot whipped her head from Shinji to Asuka and back again, before fixing the other girl with a pointing finger. "You're ignoring this?"
"It's total bullshit and I'm done being surprised. I've been dealing with since February." "So what made you pilot your machine?"
"Honestly?" Makinami stretched, lacing her fingers together and reaching high above her head. "I'm the least valuable and most expendable. Before all this happened, I was an intern. Day of invasion, I handed Tokita his afternoon coffee."
"Most expendable?" Asuka blanched, uncovered eye wide with a sudden, empathetic gleam. She was likely thinking about Rei.
"Nothing bad- I wasn't pressed into service or anything." Makinami waved her off, still grinning. "There were just dozens, hundreds of people more qualified than I was. Engineers, soldiers, people who had a decade or more experience over me. Why take them off the lines?"
Asuka gave the other girl a slow nod, taking her time and building the question before she spoke. "So you went under, as one does, and woke up with a hardened skull and plugs in your brain. Within weeks, a months of these 'Fair Folk' showing up?"
"Something like that." Makinami waggled her hand to underline the point. The smile dropped from her face for what seemed like the first time all day. "I don't really want to get into the fight we had to make it here. Not fun to rehash."
Having secured a crock pot, Shinji stirred while he contemplated Makinami and her words. Asuka meanwhile looked torn, fingers fidgeting and a snarl crossing her lips. Makinami's glib rationality neatly pre-empted Asuka's customary indignation. Her final, frustrated pout was cute. Adding a few dashes of pepper to the stew, Shinji let it bubble, slowly filling the tent with more of a fragrant, hearty flavor. It started to beat out the sun and noonday glow of his manifest technique. A few servings would've taken less than an hour- but enough to feed the whole tent was turning out to be a bit more. A frown crossed his face, and Asuka shot him a wondering, concerned look.
"I'll tell you later." He reached for a ladle and there was already a bowl waiting.
Sliced hotdogs floated in a thick, delicious looking stew, mixed in with vegetables that denied their canned origins with every whiff. The bowl was in the hand of an engineer in dire need of a shave, but the man's eyes were thankful and heartfelt. The first bowl quickly gave way to the second, then the third, and Shinji worked hard to scrape together enough for what was likely the best meal these men and women had in weeks. Not long later, the crew figured out his hand-built coffee machine, quietly chanting 'black blood of the earth' and clasping their hands in prayer to the maker's kami. Engineers- a superstitious bunch.
Makinami and Asuka had their own bowls, and they both held them close to their noses for a deep, appreciative moment. Styrofoam cups of coffee in hand, Asuka raised hers without a word towards Makinami. Careful, respectful, and above all else, approving. Makinami grinned right back with teeth and cheeks, tapping her cup to Asuka's with a laugh.
* * *
After the stew and their see-you-laters, Shinji and Asuka walked the cold, frosted path back to Central Dogma. Asuka's hands were stuffed deep in her jacket, hoarding her warmth as best she could.
"She's going to die in that thing, isn't she?"
Shinji didn't quite stop, but his pace changed, enough that he drifted closer to her. "Knowing what I know of modern cybernetic technology, she probably won't live past twenty-two."
"Sonnova..." She pulled off her beret with a snarl and scrubbed at her scalp, ears flattened and signaling her frustration to all around. "Pilot to live, live to pilot. She's like a goddamned mirror, except literal."
Letting out a loud, rasping sigh, Asuka let herself lean into his arm, head thumping against his elbow and bicep. Still slowly walking, the position ended up being less awkward than it sounded, and she groaned. "Fuck it. Her machine may be ugly, but she's as much a pilot as we are."
From a design and execution standpoint, Shinji could not help but consider it a mess, in a way exactly like the Evangelions. A lot of the jargon and specific terminology eluded him, but he could see actuators composed of synthetic muscle paired with more conventional looking hydraulic pistons. Its arms were more ribbon-like, made of connecting segments that let it curve and curl, though larger, specialized joints at the wrist and elbow were a concession to human anatomy and range of motion. Aside from assessing the machine, Shinji watched the men and women who built it. All together, the machine was forty meters tall, same as an Evangelion, but heavier and wider all around.
He'd met JET ALONE's project leader Tokita briefly, some months ago, and Ritsuko's influence on his opinion had been apparent. Right now though, as the weeks after the rescue ticked on, Shinji could see that the engineer was a bit more than smarm and bluster. The NHIS crew had thrown everything they had behind their project, they'd survived because of it, and that changed a man. Even from a hundred yards away, Tokita was passion- he'd found his life's work, showing it with every word and gesture. Musing on that, Shinji wondered then what he'd been like before the invasion, how a man with parchment in his fields became a ladder-climber hungry for government contacts.
The energy was infectious too- of all the refugees, NHIS had the best morale by far. Beyond that, the other major factor in their collective mood was JET ALONE's pilot.
Makinami Illustrious Mari. Shinji was not entirely certain about the provenance of her middle name, but it seemed to fit her. Tokita had a quiet drive that matched well with Makinami-san's more expressive cheer. He was too far away to make out the words, but Shinji could see her charm and thank her work crews, even as they performed field maintenance on her machine and herself. He also easily recognized the fact that she was attractive- enough that a lot of the university-age engineers were flattered and enamored by her grins and energetic hugs. The figure-hugging pilot suit and long legs contributed too.
Focusing on her, he wondered what they were talking about. Makinami-san had stopped some other engineers, before pointing at an old gouge in the vehicle's side where exposed machinery glowed in fitful pulses. She spoke quickly, arms waving broadly, like she was trying to describe a sound her hands. Her audience nodded, grinning at the same time and reaching for their tools. It was a meeting of equals, almost, but from opposite ends. She's a lot like Asuka, committed to her responsibility.
But for all of the insight he could glean from just watching, there were aspects of JET ALONE and the NHIS crew that Shinji couldn't understand at a glance. Looking one way then the other, Shinji considered the empty hallway in Central Dogma and decided there were some questions he wanted to ask in person.
* * *
By sheer happenstance, Asuka had run into with him before he left the main complex, and decided to tag along on the way to the NHIS encampment. That section of the outlying grounds had been cleared of trees and their staff had been bunked in a hastily retrofit lab building. A fence bordered their domain, mostly for safety reasons, and the two guards at the gate were unarmed. Most though were dressed for the cold. Without the mirrors and fiber optics, the Geofront forest was growing colder by the day. Thaumaturgy teams were already researching ways to beat the chill alongside crash programs to repair or install new heaters where appropriate.
Shinji felt the chill as well, but less so. Asuka however was more than a little bundled up, wearing sweatpants over her plugsuit along with her leather jacket. One of Misato's berets helped keep her ears warm and concealed.
When they were a few steps past the camp entrance, Asuka grinned and nudged his side. "Checking out the competition?
Shinji offered her a little hand-waggling wave, smiling slightly as he did so. "A little. I've never been as enamored with pilot status as you are."
"I admit I never understood that." Asuka cocked her head to one side, hat firmly in place. "Being a pilot was my mark of pride. It raised me above..."
She trailed off, and Shinji guessed she'd intended to say people, if not for realizing how it made her sound. He picked up her meaning easily enough and answered as honestly as he could. "I never really wanted to be elevated though. Life was... static until I came to Tokyo-3. And now I'm almost too special."
He waved a hand at his brow to emphasize the point, while Asuka gave him a long, contemplative look. He was somewhat surprised at how easily the serious topic seemed to unfold between them. When she spoke, there was an unmistakable note of understanding. "That makes sense. We all have our own priorities... I was projecting."
She kicked a rock along the tread-mangled path, smiling at her plugsuited feet. "I wanted to be first among equals, or at least not alone. Other pilots meant rivals and friends. Then I realized Rei was a deconstructed human and you just flat out weren't interested in piloting like I was."
"Being an Evangelion pilot is a valuable talent." He reached out and poked the kill-badges on her jacket shoulder. "And I'm not going to quit watching your back. I hated the training, but you convinced me, and we're a team."
"This friendship thing is actually pretty easy." Asuka's good eye narrowed, teasing and glittering with good humor. "You sure you're not flexing some soul muscles?"
"Don't think so, no." Shinji raised his arms and let his biceps speak for him, wit on the tip of his tongue-
The whistle cut through his thought in an instant, dragging his attention to the green-clad figure vaulting down from platform to platform and then JET ALONE's kneeling leg. She slid down one knee before hitting the compacted dirt with both feet and bouncing over. "How great is this-" Makinami-san laughed, waving and carrying on in English with a hint of an accent. "I don't even need to buy tickets to your gun show!"
Asuka froze, stricken with that sudden, caught-out look. Then she let her face fall into a waiting palm. Muttering past splayed fingers, she switched to English as well. "Oh god, first Nagisa now four-eyes. Does every new pilot we meet just get stuck flirting with you?"
"When he stops being eye candy, I'll stop eating it." Makinami sang, cat-like and lilting.
Letting his arms fall to his side, Shinji mustered up his best effort at Rei's deadpan. "Oh dear, I'm being objectified. Only the great Sorhyu Asuka-Langely can save me now."
Makinami bounced to a halt and rocked back and forth on her heels while Asuka let out a mock groan of dismay. The three pilots formed a rough triangle, standing just outside the colder shadow of the giant machine. White puffs of vapor blew past their lips, fading quickly.
"So what brings you two here?" Makinami-san's voice was all unrestrained cheer and joy.
"Curiosity, mostly." Shinji admitted with an easy laugh. "Asuka decided to tag along."
"You could've made me sound more decisive." The redhead let her hands fall to her side and huffed without heat, smiling. Then she turned to Makinami. "You're new... And I had no idea there were alternatives to the Evangelion."
"Well, they're really aren't any." Makinami turned to look back up at JET ALONE, steadying her glasses along the way. "Big guy here is good to me, but you're looking at misplaced national pride and ostrich-thinking."
Blinking once, Asuka cocked her head to the side. "Ostrich-whatnot?"
"I think I get it- stick your head in the sand and ignore the reality." Shinji offered, and continued on at Makinami's encouraging nod. "Specifically that Angels can't be fought conventionally or without an AT-field."
On the subject, Shinji took the chance for a question. "That was one of the things I was curious about. How does JET ALONE have an AT-field... Or stand up, it violates the square cube law."
"I can't rattle of the exact specs, but I do know the basics." Makinami's grin was all curls and cat-like charm. She pointed up at various tanks, arranged in pairs along JET ALONE's frame, pride plain in her voice. "We've got these colonies of mono-celluar algae hooked up in a stimulation medium. Big Guy doesn't have An AT-field, but more like a few billion small ones. We figured out a capacitor and amplification method too."
"That's... More possible than I had believed." Asuka admitted. "It further proves that life has an AT-field, not just people."
"On board nuclear power like a submarine too. The turbines get pretty loud, so they reinforced my skull to protect my eardrums. Past that there are a few black box devices in there." Makinami shrugged, shivering slightly. "So maybe one of them does it- I know my machine is made of the best lightweight, superstrong materials we found. I think the armor's made of a ceramic NERV developed."
To that, Asuka fixed Shinji with a fairly knowing glare, a friendly one at least. Shinji's smile was only a tiny bit strained as he scratched the back of his head. "I thought it looked familiar..."
Makinami snapped her gloved fingers, beaming. "Oh- as far as the square-cube part, we have this contra-grav system based on a Hermes-superconducting coil."
Asuka gaped, not quite sputtering but close to it. Her hat slipped partway off her head, and one furry ear swiveled around. "Sonnovabitch- someone figured out antigravity?"
"No no" Makinami shook her head and waved her hand, twin ponytails whipping left and right. "It's a fancy way of saying magnetic levitation or suspension. Some of the black boxes have 'negative weight'. I'm sure I could get one of my crew to explain it better, but when in it doesn't cut down on base mass, it actually makes JET ALONE lighter. It makes it kinda goosey though- loose up top."
She waved at her own shoulders, and mimed a sort of drunken, loping stance before laughing.
"Practical superconductors aren't something to ignore though." Shinji grinned, looking up at the machine with a new, approving eye. "I don't think I'd ever be an engineer, but..."
Asuka picked up for him when he trailed off. "You like reading articles and journals about new discoveries and technologies. It's... brain food?"
"Brain food. I like that." Shinji laughed, before pointing to a nearby tent, and more importantly, its attached heaters. "You're both starting to turn blue."
"Aww, so considerate of a lady's needs." Makinami sang, swaying side to side with her hands clasped. "Such a gentleman!"
"Such a mother-hen." Asuka smirked, and sauntered towards the tent. She stopped a few steps ahead and looked over her shoulder. "Well c'mon you two! I am freezing."
The tent itself was utiltarian, and not at all private. Getting in was almost like an airlock, aiming to keep the cold air out and the hot air in. Asuka was in the lead, pushing one flap aside after another, and the sudden change in air ruffled her hair on the way in. Makinami took a moment to shout at the work crew that she was taking a break before darting back in to follow. Looking more like something one would bring to a high-altitude mountaineering expedition, it was double-walled and heavily insulated. Bulky laptops competed for space with stained styrofoam coffee ups and warmer plates full of basic, hard-to-ruin staples. Technicians and repair crews streamed in and out at a constant rate, eager for food, warmth and access to vital information.
Hot dogs, rice, canned beans and veggies... Shinji hummed to himself while Asuka shrugged out of her jacket for the moment. A plugsuit plus sweatpants didn't look very trendy, but Asuka didn't seem to care. Mari's own pilot suit was no where near as sleek and 'futuristic' as NERV issue gear. Thick bulges and life support odds-and-ends bulked out what was essentially... not-plugsuit. He couldn't really think of anything to describe it other than 'tight and somewhat ugly'. Makinami wore it well, but it was an obvious work of necessity, with improvised gear and long signs of repair.
Food. Casting about for some free space, Shinji claimed a table, taking stock of well, the stock. He could improvise a soup with ease... The NHIS crew recognized him, and only mildly protested when he ripped apart two coffee machines. He'd made the cold-brew process rigs once before, and he was better, more skilled now. Liquid golden sunfire wreathed his arms, and he set his hands to task. Rebuilt coffee machines first, then carefully cooked rice cakes and spiced meats. Sliced sausages hissed and spat under his hands, cooking freely beneath his craftsmanship technique.
Makinami was staring at him, glasses sliding halfway off her nose and mouth hanging open. Cute, but not unexpected.
Asuka sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head. "You really need a hobby, Golden Boy."
Shinji just looked at her. Deadpan and still cooking.
"...This is your hobby." She had the decency to look chagrined, shooting a tiny smile his way as a peace offering. "Right."
NHIS's pilot whipped her head from Shinji to Asuka and back again, before fixing the other girl with a pointing finger. "You're ignoring this?"
"It's total bullshit and I'm done being surprised. I've been dealing with since February." "So what made you pilot your machine?"
"Honestly?" Makinami stretched, lacing her fingers together and reaching high above her head. "I'm the least valuable and most expendable. Before all this happened, I was an intern. Day of invasion, I handed Tokita his afternoon coffee."
"Most expendable?" Asuka blanched, uncovered eye wide with a sudden, empathetic gleam. She was likely thinking about Rei.
"Nothing bad- I wasn't pressed into service or anything." Makinami waved her off, still grinning. "There were just dozens, hundreds of people more qualified than I was. Engineers, soldiers, people who had a decade or more experience over me. Why take them off the lines?"
Asuka gave the other girl a slow nod, taking her time and building the question before she spoke. "So you went under, as one does, and woke up with a hardened skull and plugs in your brain. Within weeks, a months of these 'Fair Folk' showing up?"
"Something like that." Makinami waggled her hand to underline the point. The smile dropped from her face for what seemed like the first time all day. "I don't really want to get into the fight we had to make it here. Not fun to rehash."
Having secured a crock pot, Shinji stirred while he contemplated Makinami and her words. Asuka meanwhile looked torn, fingers fidgeting and a snarl crossing her lips. Makinami's glib rationality neatly pre-empted Asuka's customary indignation. Her final, frustrated pout was cute. Adding a few dashes of pepper to the stew, Shinji let it bubble, slowly filling the tent with more of a fragrant, hearty flavor. It started to beat out the sun and noonday glow of his manifest technique. A few servings would've taken less than an hour- but enough to feed the whole tent was turning out to be a bit more. A frown crossed his face, and Asuka shot him a wondering, concerned look.
"I'll tell you later." He reached for a ladle and there was already a bowl waiting.
Sliced hotdogs floated in a thick, delicious looking stew, mixed in with vegetables that denied their canned origins with every whiff. The bowl was in the hand of an engineer in dire need of a shave, but the man's eyes were thankful and heartfelt. The first bowl quickly gave way to the second, then the third, and Shinji worked hard to scrape together enough for what was likely the best meal these men and women had in weeks. Not long later, the crew figured out his hand-built coffee machine, quietly chanting 'black blood of the earth' and clasping their hands in prayer to the maker's kami. Engineers- a superstitious bunch.
Makinami and Asuka had their own bowls, and they both held them close to their noses for a deep, appreciative moment. Styrofoam cups of coffee in hand, Asuka raised hers without a word towards Makinami. Careful, respectful, and above all else, approving. Makinami grinned right back with teeth and cheeks, tapping her cup to Asuka's with a laugh.
* * *
After the stew and their see-you-laters, Shinji and Asuka walked the cold, frosted path back to Central Dogma. Asuka's hands were stuffed deep in her jacket, hoarding her warmth as best she could.
"She's going to die in that thing, isn't she?"
Shinji didn't quite stop, but his pace changed, enough that he drifted closer to her. "Knowing what I know of modern cybernetic technology, she probably won't live past twenty-two."
"Sonnova..." She pulled off her beret with a snarl and scrubbed at her scalp, ears flattened and signaling her frustration to all around. "Pilot to live, live to pilot. She's like a goddamned mirror, except literal."
Letting out a loud, rasping sigh, Asuka let herself lean into his arm, head thumping against his elbow and bicep. Still slowly walking, the position ended up being less awkward than it sounded, and she groaned. "Fuck it. Her machine may be ugly, but she's as much a pilot as we are."
Timerider
That guy who really should get out more.
- Location
- The End of the World.
First Rei, now Mari. Those are some rather specific death dates you've given them.
Makes me think that Shinji's gonna at least try to do something.
Nice bonding session. I really like how far Asuka has come with her issues. Even recognizing that she was projecting herself onto others. Also, no matter the universe, Mari is made of fun.
Makes me think that Shinji's gonna at least try to do something.
Nice bonding session. I really like how far Asuka has come with her issues. Even recognizing that she was projecting herself onto others. Also, no matter the universe, Mari is made of fun.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
You failed to call 'Dibs!', Asuka. You've got no one to blame but yourself, and now you're behind when you could have been in the lead.
Ok, I've gotta ask: Why is it cold?
They're underground (insulated as Hell), and unless the Geofront has a huge hole in the roof venting heat and air constantly, they should be a loooooong time in chilling at all. The temp underground should be stable as Hell.
BBotE? Oh dear. You might as well have given them a meth-machine, Shinji.
- Location
- Australia, mate
Well I guess that's one way of creating an AT-Field for something that's not an Eva.
I really hope Yogg-Saron doesn't show up.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
You failed to call 'Dibs!', Asuka. You've got no one to blame but yourself, and now you're behind when you could have been in the lead.
Ok, I've gotta ask: Why is it cold?
They're underground (insulated as Hell), and unless the Geofront has a huge hole in the roof venting heat and air constantly, they should be a loooooong time in chilling at all. The temp underground should be stable as Hell.
BBotE? Oh dear. You might as well have given them a meth-machine, Shinji.
The Geofront is big, and while you are correct in that it doesn't have a big hole venting heat outwards, it doesn't have enough anything pumping heat out into the the rest of the geofront atmosphere to warm it up faster. I'm sure that eventually, the average temperature would start to rise again for exactly the reasons you suggested, but right now, my vision of the situation is that it's getting colder before it warms up. Now if the inhabitants say, rigged up a giant heating apparatus, then yes, they could probably raise the local temperature.
I'm also explicitly not going to do this, because it sounds reactionary, but you made me consider that a possible Raksha tactic would have been something like shaped cold-fires that suck up heat, to which they're using to 'lay siege' to the Geofront from above.
Now, the Geofront does have ventilation that extends outwards a lot- the immediate ways out through the fortress city are all wrecked though thanks to the N2 mines last chapter. So the longer distance rail connections are 'open', but being heavily guarded and warded.
And yes, black blood of the earth~
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
It should still be stable as is, though, since the existing heat isn't going anywhere. Easy enough to handwave as something something side-effect all the magic being thrown around, though. Bleed through from all the holes torn in reality due to the Rakasha or something? Not that important, though.
- Location
- Australia, mate
All the magic being thrown around is slowly raising the ambient temperature. Also everyone has a slight yet constant taste of tin in their mouth, and some of them keep thinking they're seeing something greenish-yellowish-purplish out of the corner of their eye.
Wonder how many will get that...