Chapter 9.: Beginning of the End 2
He didn't take part in the explaining for Misato and concentrated on himself. He, only once in a while, affirmed to points she asked him directly.
The body of Unit01 wasn't feeling that foreign. Clear the arrangements of internal organs and cybernetics felt strange and the pumping of the four heart chambers coupled to the lungs was the strangest, but he could get used to that. The cybernetics, making the Units cyborgs, on the other side were a completely another thing. The feeling of pipes and cables running through his body felt..felt...itching. It was like the constant feeling of oversensitivity that you got from a fallen asleep limb or body part. AND that was unnerving.
A thought struck him. Wait is this even 'my' body? he thought. He only resided inside the Core/S2Engine implanted into Unit01. The body technicaly belonged to the Unit itself.
Although he didn't feel anything regarding it. There was no other presence beside him here. The presence of other A.T.-Fields however was there.
It was like Rei once described it to him. The feeling that there was a kind of wall surrounding people slightly rubbing against you. It only was strong enough in humans to know it was there. It was even visible to his green giant eyes.
His attention shifted to his fully human body. He could feel everything his two bodies felt simultanously. It wasn't irritating and even moving both at the same time was possible.
He pushed the sheets away and sat up in the hospital bed.
Hearing the conservation inside the Cage between Misato, Doc. Akagi, Rei and Asuka, he stood up. His clothes luckily were inside a wardrobe and he put them on.
Leaving the room a strong noise of someone snoring came from the neighbouring room. Compared to other people a strong A.T.-Field surrounded the snoring person. It felt absolutely cold and distancing.
There was only one person who could be like that.
Opening the door a bit he could see his father sleeping sunk together on a chair. His snoring honestly could rival the howling of a Unit.
In the bed slept his mother softly packed under the sheets.
He didn't want to interact with them right now. He needed some time to think about things.
"Shinji? Is that you?" the soft voice of his mother made him stop dead upon closing the door.
He absolutely couldn't resist the pleading look in her eyes. So instead of running away he had to face this. It would save him from Asuka cheewing him out for running away as a side effect.
"Well...hi mother." using the actual designation on the actual person felt awkward as hell after this many years.
Yui Ikari sat up and looked at him from feet to head. "Look at how tall you became! In my memory you barely reached over my hip."
"That was before you vanished inside Unit01 and father send me away." he didn't want that talk right now. Even though he knew they had their reasons as they devised the initial plan his anger got the better of him.
His mother's expression got sorrowful after hearing that. "I hope you can understand that. We had no other choice and...."
"I know that! Your former sensei already explained all of it to me in detail as he turned against father! But I still ask myself how you could leave me behind?!" he wanted to be angry at her or both of them. His mother's expression made that very hard though.
Shinji sighed. Being angry would gain him nothing and keep the status quo intact. He pulled himself together and fought down his rising anger.
"Currently we are at war against Seele and with you out of Unit01 father is on our side. If you want my forgiveness then earn it! Help against Seele and we can talk once this is all over for everyone."
Yui was somewhat surprised by that calm offer. "Was that the only cause you did that to yourself? To get me out? To win your father over? Shinji that wasn't worth it!"
"It was absolutely worth it. With you outside Unit01 isn't a walking Third Impact and instead a great advantage against Seele. Zeruel's S2Engine keeps me up and active indefenitley. Even if it means that I'm bound to it like you were. It was a price and risk I was willing to take of my own volition. Nobody talked me into it and the Vice Commander even feared Unit01 and thought of it as the greatest risk."
His mother visibly went down the string of causes he presented and seemingly the result she herself got didn't please her.
"But still..to do such a thing to yourself for me or even your father..."
"He too will have too prove himself to me. If he continues what he started yesterday he will earn something from that." his father was still snoring like one hundred saws on the chair.
"Hmmm..." was the only thing his mother said to that. She looked at the man she once married. He could be a very big thick-headed idiot at times but he only did that what he thought made him worthy of her.
"However...." Shinji began to leave the room. "You should talk to Rei as soon as possible. After three years in one apartment with her I still don't know how she will react to her halfmother running around."
He looked once again at his sleeping father. A funny idea came to his mind.
Concentrating, his A.T.-Field expanded under the chair and lifted it up about 20cm above ground.
Gendo Ikari abruptly woke up, as he together with the chair, slammed back onto the floor.
He only could see the door falling shut and turned towards his wife. She laughed, but her face grew more and more serious.
Gendo Ikari had yet to face his share of it all and the slap was hearable down the whole corridor.
The reaction of the others as he showed up at the Cages was something else. Him standing inside the Cage and running around in his human body spiked up questions about the
how from Ritzuko.
She wanted to make tests with him about
everything. To his luck Misato intervened and prevented his end on Ritsuko's dissecting table.
The four of them returned to Misato's apartment. In the time he was unconcious Asuka and Rei already had moved their stuff out of the apartment.
To tired to do anything they simply went to bed. The day had changed many things and these things needed some thought-crunching.
Asuka stared at the roof. She had been delighted back then to know that her mother was still alive in Unit02. She wanted to get her out, but that dream vanished after hearing that it was completely impossible.
She definitely would try it when all of this had ended.
That idiot could realy ghave told her something. Making her worry like that about him.
Rei's thoughts wandered forth and back. She didn't knew what she should make of Yui Ikari. Was she her sort of mother? She and Shinji had a sibling like connection, but what was with the Commander who brought her up and his wife's the genes making up half her genetic material? Rei longed for something like a mother as she never had one.
Misato had drunk two beer to somewhat dampen the day. Three years ago she had accepted what the Units were with kind of a shrug. But now she had to get along with the actual consequences their true being entitled.
Speaking to Asuka about her mother was on her list too. As much as Asuka wanted her mother back as likely it was that she would try something like Shinji did.
She knew one thing. She wanted to get back at Seele for everything they had done. She would have to arrange herself with the rest over time.
Shinji was currently driven by a more frivolous thing. He had achieved his currrent goal and the conflict against Seele only was at it's beginning.
Getting to sleep however was incredibly hard. With the S
2Engine providing power he shouldn't have any need for physical rest. His mind on the other side needed it direly.
After two hours he finally could keep his eyes closed. Only to open them a second later to a red sky.
"Well there you are
again!"
Shinji hoped he wouldn't go insane.
Central Dogma was almost empty at the moment. The Commander had ordered minimal rotating crew on every post.
This morning every news outlet said that Nerv had turned against humanity. The personnel was uncertain what would happen or what had happened.
One hour later every employee got an e-mail granting access to every top secret file regarding the Units and Nerv on the Magi. Gendo had personaly pushed the sending button. Without the people on his side to run the organisation Nerv was as dangerous as a paralytic elephant.
So he made steps to ensure they would work on for Nerv without pay and the risk of being shot on sight should they ever by attacked by Seele or the UN.
The two of them walked down the Cages. They had seen the gigantic sillouettes of Unit00 and 02 in their Cages. A strong airflow out of the next Cage made them curious though.
They weren't prepared for the lidless Unit01 breathing inside Cage15.
Fear and surprise grew as the eyes focused on them and a voice out of the speaker said. "Oh hello who are..."
Shinji stopped for a moment cheewing. His gaze got hollow and Misato, Asuka and Rei wondered what had happened.
The problem of the terrified Pilots of Unit07 and 08 unknown to them.
Around noon the whole 'core' of Nerv met up in the Commander's office. The whole upper command structure of Nerv with the Pilots and bridge bunnies was there.
He had ordered them here for kind of a status overview.
Surprisingly the room was unusualy lit so that you were actualy able too see who you were speaking to.
"For the people wanting a explanation of the current situation you should read the files made available to you regarding the true purpose of Nerv and the nature of the Units." it was directed at the new Pilots and the bridge bunnies specifically.
"In short we are now up against the Angels and UN/Seele at the same time as we have been made humanity's foe by them this morning." he let that set for a moment.
"Major Katsuragi how is your military assessment of our situation?"
Misato was honestly surprised to be asked for her military opinion. She took a second to think of it. "The Geofront is the most impenetrable fortress on the planet, even in her currently battered state. We have independent power supply and can become indepent on food by using the Geofront as a giant greenhouse. The biggest problem will be the supply of actual materials we cannot make ourself. For example we have a limited supply of replacement for our defensive capabilities and the Units. We will have to improvise when we run out of them."
"Is that all?" came the question from Gendo.
"That should be everything."
"Lieutenant Ibuki in which state are the Units?"
"The Units are in various state of damage sir. Unit03.2, 05, the sixes, 07 and 08 are all at the moment not combat-worthy. Unit04.2 will be when we have fully replaced the armour. The old Units are also ready when the checkups are complete. We can repair almost all of the new Units with the last delivery of replacement parts. Regarding Unit01... your son should be able to tell you yourself sir."
Everyones look's shifted towards Shinji, who shrunk a bit under the attention. The unbelievable thing of a living Unit pushed into everyone's attention.
Before his father could ask him he spoke. "I'm fully ready for any fight that occurrs. The missing chunks of armour don't realy bother me, but there is a couple of things I want to get done."
"That are which?" Gendo hoped it wasn't something too elaborate.
"Getting rid of the most cybernetics inside 'my' body. Yesterday made me horribly aware of me being reliant on things that won't almost immediatley regenerate. In addition they itch."
"They itch?" Hyuga thought louder than he thoought was thinking.
"Wouldn't that be very dangerous? Getting out the only things that limit you?" Ritsuko had to agree with John Hammond, pilot of Unit08.
Shinji turned towards thim. "Well I can simply rip them out. Doing that though would be very painful. Also you will wish the were out when an Angel breaks through the Geofront after I fell because of some stupid plug not sitting right in it's jack."
"We will do that." ended Gendo the discussion. "Lieutenenat Aoba what is the current status of the defences?"
"The defences are mostly operational. The problem is that the longer the conflict takes the more we will lose. Right now most of them are already in a status of dismaintenance and disrepair. We also will have to be economical with our ammunitions for them. Three more engagements against Angels and we will have used up every rocket or bullet we have." he especialy didn't like that possibility. The defensive platforms and positions were pretty much useless against the Angels, but good cannonfodder. When that cannonfodder was used up the Units won't last very long.
Gendo acknowledged Aoba's report. Getting support and supply of materials was the most urgent thing they had to accquire, which led to the next topic.
"Fuyutzuki who is that representative from the outside? You said he would be here."
"He should be here any second." said person was late to his dismay.
The door opened and a man breathing heavily came towards the group. "I am here Commander Ikari. Sleeping in a dark cell as a provisional quarter makes you oversleep."
Gendo had to thank Fuyutzuki's efforts he had carried out behind his back. Ryoji Kaji was a person perfect for the role he played.
"Irony is a sweet thing, don't you think? Now I help a organisation I was ordered to spy on, against the organisation the order once came from, with the third party I spied for." Kaji mused.
Gendo had to smirk at that. "What can our 'friends' inside the Japanese government do for us?"
"Not much honestly. Seele tightened it's grip on the government especialy. We weren't able to win much ground in Japan. Our efforts with the Chinese and Australians on the other side were much more succesfull."
"How successfull? Care to elaborate?"
"Half the current Chinese government is on our side including the prime minister. The whole Australian government is completely on our side although they will be very carefull with what they do. They do fear the possible repercussions by Seele and the UN. There is a problem with the Chinese too. Their military firmly doesn't think like the government."
"So can we exspect support from any of them?"
"Only from the Chinese, if their government bypasses their generals. With Australia being a democracy their people wouldn't aggree on helping Nerv. It would need something very exceptional to win them over. A real complete gamechanger."
That was atleast something more than he expected for.
"That would be it then. We can't realy act without the rest of the personnel having made their choice."
After that the people scattered back to their stations or whatever they planned on doing in the meantime.
Misato stepped through the door to see Ritzuko typing values inside her computer. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes the tests I did with Shinji have brought some interesting results." "And that are?" Misato asked and sat down.
"Well do you know how powerfull the Units are compared to a human?" she turned around facing Misato.
"Very powerfull?" tried Misato the answer of a not knowing person.
"The Units have respective to their size three to four times the strenght a normal human would have at that size." she educated Misato.
"So they could lift something more than 100.000 tons??"
"Well maybe not that much because we limited their strenght, but they could. With every Unit, except Unit01, made from Adam we didn't have to do much to make them stronger and more durable. We only had to give them their human form." she took a sip of coffee.
"Aaaand Unit01 is different from that?" the exception didn't just pass by Misato.
"Yeah we had to genetically increase strenght, durability and alter the whole internal workings of the Unit. Compared to Adam Lilith is more frail, and with Unit01 created directly from her, we had to do that to get compareable perfomance." "I would say the perfomance is more than quite compareable to date.—But what has that to do with Shinji?"
"You know that after getting to 400% SyncRate his A.T.-Field collapsed and he vanished inside Unit01." after a nod from Misato she continued "So but why didn't it happen this time? Why has he two bodies?—The answer is relatively simple: The S
2Engine supplied the power to keep his A.T.-Field up as it wanted to unify itself with him. On the moment of the exchange with his mother his physical form did break apart and he was sucked into the core. And here it get's interesting. After that he reappeared inside the EntryPlugand and his plugsuit, because his A.T.-Field was still up. Currently it mostly fits the Units body and his human one."
"Okay so what does it have to do with the strenght and stuff?"
"His human body isn't as human as it appears to be. The appearance itself and the inner workings are but it still retains the physical abilities of the body of a Unit. His genetics were mixed with that of the altered genetics of Lilith we have in Unit01 while keeping his human appearance."
"So he's like Rei now? Half human half Lilith without the albino look?"
"Exactly! Everything is like Unit01 strenght, durability,unlimited live span, healing speed, but all respective to the size of the body naturally. And there's one more thing."
"Realy? What else is there he already is inhuman enough." it began to frighten Misato a bit. Unlimited life span?
"With his Soul inside the Core/S
2Engine he should have no connection to the human body. However inside his human body are similar particles we had with Ireul the 11th Angel. They are in fact kind of miniature S
2Engines connected to the engine in Unit01. They are what makes him move."
Misato didn't quite share the enthusiasm of her friend.
"Does he now this Ritzuko? How did he react?"
"He does. He even helped me with the one or another thing. He realy got into the stuff the Vice Commander taught him. Also he did react like it was nothing. I guess he exspected to not retain his human body as he got his mother out. To him it is kind of a lucky bonus."
Misato didn't like that attitude one bit.
Rei waited awkwardly infront of the door. For the last five minute she had been nervously standing there.
In the moment she wanted to push down the doorhandle, said door was opened and she looked squarely in the face of a brown haired woman.
Both of them froze in place through the shock.
"Do you want to come in? Yui finally asked.
Rei nodded stifly and followed her inside the room. Yui sat down on the bed and Rei sat down at the chair beside the bed.
Silence governed the space between them.
"Soo.. why are you here..?" Yui's try failed miserably.
Rei kept silent.
"You can realy talk to me about what you..."
"I wanted to talk to you about my 'connection' to you." interrupted Rei her.
She was visibly nervous with her fingerstips-pressing-together and her rushed speech.
"You wanted to speak about your connetion to me?"
"Yes — I wanted to know what I'm to you." Rei's fidgeting increased dreading her answer.
Yui could obviously see that this was important to Rei. She herself had no reservations against her and didn't hate her as a cheap copy of herself or anything like that.
"Too me you are kind of the daughter Shinji could have been."
Rei's blue hair jumped as she abruptly looked up at her. Tears were dwelling up in her eyes.
Yui could absolutely tell when someone was in dire need of some cuddling. She stood up and hugged Rei, which completely collapsed inside her arms. Yui pulled them both over on the bed and softly stroke her blue hair and rocked her Rei forth and back to calm her down.
They both stayed like that for a couple of minutes till Rei was ready to loose herself from the hug.
"You know that I made Gendo personally report what he did all those years. If he wouldn't have strayed from the plan you would have never existed. He will have to earn forgiveness not only to my son but me too."
"Do you think I will be able to forgive him too?"
"That is something only you can choose. His weakness is the sole reason you even exist, so you will have to forgive him much more than me."
They stayed like that for a couple more minutes.
"Whenever you need something a can ask me." Yui said as Rei left the room with a faint smile.
Yui waited till her husband arrived in the evening to visit her. She immedeatly demanded to get out of the hospital. She wanted to do more than sit around in a hospital bed.
Gendo was naturally pleased to do that.
Some of the personnel already had made their choice and was readily working away on the damage the Units had.
Some came from time to time looking at 'him' as some kind of proof.
He didn't bother though as it was something 'he' readily would endure, if it would keep the people working for Nerv.
A standing order of his father was that everyone available should foremost work on the old Units including 'him'.
Right now 'he' was flanked by platforms as they got the cybernetics out of him. The EntryPlug laid on the walkway with thick cables connecting him to the cybernetics in the 'his' spine.
The cybernetics kept any siganl reaching into 'his' brain without it being monitored and processed by the Plug.
Right now they removed the switch for breathing.
Shinji 'took' a deep breath and the guy wedged the switch away from the nerve circuit. After ten seconds the nerve circuit filled back the missing part and he once again could breath freely through his mouth.
The intakes would have to stay regardless that they were pratically useless now. Inside them were the speakers for outside communication. He would appear mute to anyone without a radio with them.
Modifications of the EntryPlug, as a computerinterface, would follow later with Maya or Ritsuko.
The large leftover of 'his' left pylon unlocked with a loud thud and a crane hauled it away. The would recycle it as patches for the damaged amour plating.
Down to 'his' left they were putting on the last plates on Unit04.2. To 'his' right tests with Unit02 were running. Asuka was eager to once again be in the EntryPlug and had scored a SyncScore of 89.23%.
That naturally made her try to surpass him and prolonged the test an hour.
Ritsuko and Maya were surprised to see such high scores after such a long time.
The wonders a bit peace of mind could bring.
The both of them couldn't realy believe all this crap.
They both were skimming through the files on the Magi about the Units and Nerv.
The 'Progenitor of Mankind' down under the Geofront inside Terminal Dogma? Seele, an organisation of control of the UN and many governments around the world, trying to cause Third Impact?
"What do you think John? Do you buy this?" Isabella Ferreira, Pilot of Unit07, asked.
"I don't honestly know Isabella. Part of this makes actual sense and completely fits what he told us, but some of this absolutely sounds like a spiritual science-fiction thriller."
Both of them were the second oldest Pilots after Asuka, Rei, Shinji, Toji and Kensuke at the age of 15.
The were brought into the fight after one year and 5 months to support Toji and Kensuke.
Daniel, Pilot of Unit05 was 14 years old and the twins 13.
"But he could also be lying." Isabella had problems accepting what the Units realy were and their purpose was.
"Why should he lie when he's a 120 meter tall cyborg standing in one of the Cages? He is the biggest proof to all what is written here."
The both of them terrorized by 'his' sight took some time till 'he' could explain everything to them. It was their introduction to Nerv's dark side.
The door to the Pilot waiting room was opened and Toji came in with his trusted cane.
"So what did you two want to talk about? You weren't very specific why you wanted to talk to me alone."
"Toji honestly do you believe all this? A clone, Souls and the unification of humanity in one being?" Isabella simply couldn't believe most of it.
To Toji this wasn't a question. "If you were here yesterday you would believe it. Do you have any clue how frightening it was as Shinji did whatever he exactly did? The whole Cage shook as Unit01 ripped it almost apart!
And I absolutely believe them! I went to school together with the three of them and they were the most unreal thing I ever saw at that time, but I saw what Nerv does to people! And this is exactly like that."
"What do the twins think? Are they sceptical like you?" he added.
"No they aren't. They don't mind what they fight whether it may be Angels or these Mass Production Type Evangelions. It's the same to them. They get deployed and thats it." John said dryli.
The twins were marked by year long training and indoctrination into their role as Pilots and thought about things accordingly.
"I don't know what you think, but I'm going to take part against Seele. They won't force anyone to pilot so it's your choice whether or not you will contribute."
Isabella and John exchanged looks. She could see that John was inclined to fight against Seele. He only awaited her choice. She looked at the camera footage of Unit01 ripping apart the 12th Angel Leliel displayed on the laptop before her. "Fine we will get in line, but remember this: I will watch what Nerv does and does not!"
"Good then it's settled." he stood up tediously and wanted to leave.
"Any news from Kensuke?" John rashly asked before he coul vanish through the door.
"Better. He will probably awake tomorrow or the day after." John and Isabella only could watch the bend Toji leave the room with his reluctantly trusted cane.
How went the saying? Bend, but not broken.
Even after the additional hour she still wasn't able to break Shinji's first new (and last) SyncScore.
But there were no problems with Unit02. Everything was well within optimal running conditions and she and Unit02 were ready fot the next Angels.
The new PlugSuit also was a very nice thing. Some advances in isolation made them a bit warmer and more comfortable. She would realy would like to know how Nerv got her new measurements. They were realy fitting
every curve of her body. Normaly she would like to take a shower now as LCL hadn't the best smell, but Misato wanted to see her a.s.a.p in her office.
A stressed out Shinji waited, leaning against the wall, in the hallway.
"What bee did stung you? Did Misato tease you with her usual peverted mind?"
"No, but I got my mouthful from her for yesterday." he rolled his eyes at that. "I'm not 14 anymore for fucks sake!"
That did hit a spot inside Asuka. "Your punishement for not telling us a thing. So you should have expected something like this."
Shinji only could roll his eyes again at that. "You should better get inside. After me she didn't seem to have the best mood."
He didn't manage to take his eyes of her flowing back line ending in her hips and.......
No! would be better to not think about that further, as she went inside.
The need of the PlugSuit to be form fitting was just plain stupid.
"So why did you command me here? I realy want to take a shower and get the horrible smell of LCL away from me!"
Asuka's complaint went on death ears. "First sit down young lady. I have something important that I want to get across."
The military tone was hint enough for Asuka to not be too cocky at the moment.
Misato took a moment to sort some papers on her desk and folded her hands once she was ready. "I spoke with Shinji about something similar and I want you too understand this as well."
"And what is the ominous 'this'?" she hoped it was something important.
"You will not try something similar with Unit02 as Shinji did with Unit01!"
"Why would you think I would try something like that? Do you think I'm stupid?" Asuka could hardly believe that Misato realy thought she would even try something like that.
"First: I know you. I was your guardian in Berlin and here in NeoTokyo3. I know what you would and could try and not try. Second: I received and read psychic evaluations. Your dependance on your mother isn't a secret."
"So you thought I would try something similar because of some eggheads? For information: I will not try something similar as Shinji!"
"Good that's the only thing I wanted to hear." Asuka took a moment to get the 180° turn.
"Fine! now I'm going to take a well-earned shower!" she said on her way out.
"Oh and Asuka..." Misato said as she was half through the door, were she stopped. "Yes? What else?" "If you meet Shinji, I hope he can keeps his eyes off you with that tight getup."
The door closed with an audible bang on the 'close' button.
