Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Evangelion: OMEGA ❯ The Eighth Child! ( Chapter 8 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: 18th Angel 
The Eighth Child has been found. But who is she?
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Post-apocalyptic / Mecha / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.16.2001 | Updated On: 10.24.2001 | Pages: 11 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 381 | Status: Completed
The Eighth Child has been found. But who is she?
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Post-apocalyptic / Mecha / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.16.2001 | Updated On: 10.24.2001 | Pages: 11 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 381 | Status: Completed
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Legal Stuff: As I have said *countless* times before, I did not create Neon Genesis Evangelion. That means that Misato, Toji, Kensuke, the Skipper, and everyone else who appeared in the TV Series aren't mine. I did create a lot of new stuff for this story. That means that Michiru, Tai, the new EVAs, and everyone else who *didn't* appear in the series belongs to me.
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Dedication: Once again, to those of you who have stuck with this story despite the occasional patch of bad grammar and intolerable delays. You know who you are, and I thank you both. ;)
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* * * * *
Neon Genesis Evangelion: OMEGA
Chapter 0:8- The Eighth Child!
* * * * *
A soft alarm buzzed. The two test plugs opened simultaneously.
"Good job you two." Maya said. In the test chamber, Tai nodded and Michiru gave her a 'thumbs-up'. "Okay, you guys can go now."
"Is it just me, or did both their scores make a big jump since the last test?" Minako asked.
"Hmm..." Maya said, examining the readouts from the Synch test. "You're right. I wonder what that's all about."
"I've got a pretty good idea." Misato said, smiling. Actually, she'd had a pretty good idea for almost a week. Ever since the night after the Twenty-second Angel was killed, the night Michiru drove Tai home...and never made it back to the apartment.
"You do?"
"I seem to recall the same thing happening to Shinji's Synch Ratio...a few months after he and Asuka got together."
Maya caught on a second later. "You think they're...?" She asked in a shocked voice.
"You think they're not?" Misato asked.
"I...never really thought about it." Maya admitted.
Misato shrugged. "They're in love." She said. "It's perfectly natural."
"Well, yeah but...do you think it's a good idea? I mean, under these circumstances?"
"It's not my decision." Misato said. "They're both adults. They're entitled to make their own choices." But secretly, she hoped that this choice wouldn't prove to be a bad one. For Michiru's sake, she hoped Tai was all that he seemed to be, and nothing that he didn't.
* * * * *
Later that night, Maya Ibuki sat in her office, typing furiously at her computer. She had added Tai to the list of pilots, but every query to the Magi still turned up nothing. She had tried everything she could think of. When she first began looking for pilots, she had still thought that age was a factor; that only fourteen-year-old children could synchronize. That theory had been shot out of the water by Michiru, and later by Tai. Since then she had been desperately searching for any connection between the pilots, no matter how insignificant.
It had long been the belief of everyone at NERV that some sort of genetic mutation was responsible for the ability to pilot the Evangelions. Maya was currently testing that theory, running DNA profiles of all the pilots.
"Working late?" Maya spun around to see Misato standing in the doorway.
"Oh, Commander. You startled me." She said.
"Sorry." Misato apologized. "What are you doing here so late?"
"I'm just trying to work out this pilot thing. I'm starting to think we may never find the answer."
Misato came further into the room and stood over her. "No luck, huh?"
"There are just too many factors to consider." Maya said. "I can't even begin to find a base group for testing."
Misato sighed. "I have an idea." She finally said. "I didn't want to bring it up except as a last resort..."
"We're there." Maya said. "I've tried everything I can think of."
Misato let out another deep sigh. "Try 707."
"707?" Maya asked. The number sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Magi Code 707." Misato said. "You might find an answer there." She turned and walked out the door, leaving Maya alone in the office.
Maya turned back to her computer and called up a connection with the Magi. She entered Code 707 and was presented with a list of names.
Aida, Kensuke
Asotsu, Hayao
Ayanami, Rei *1*
Daibo, Ryoko
Ebihara, Masanori
Horaki, Hikari
Ikari, Shinji *3*
Ishikawa, Hanako
Isomi, Akito
Kadokawa, Hotaru
Osaka, Megumi
Soryu, Asuka Langley *2*
Suzahara, Toji *4*
Tanaka, Shiroh
Yamada, Mamoru
Yuy, Heero
She stared at the list for a minute. All four original pilots were on it, but who were the others? The numbers by some of the names caught her eye. Rei was the First Child. On the list, her name was marked with the number '1'. Shinji was the Third Child. His name bore a '3'. Maya began typing quickly.
--Source?--
TOKYO 3 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS LIST, CLASS 2-A, 2015
Why did a Junior High class in 2015 have a file in the Magi system?
--Trace File-- She typed, hoping to find which section of NERV had used the file.
SPECIAL PROJECTS, FURTHER ACCESS REQUIRES LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE
Maya's eyes widened. Level 4 was the highest security clearance one could have. She smiled. In 2015, when this information was new, she couldn't have gotten near it. That was not the case any more.
--Authorization: Ibuki-22A56-- She typed.
FILE SOURCE: MARDUK INSTITUTE
That was it! This wasn't just a class list. It was a list of potential EVA pilots. And with a list this long, she was sure the Magi could find something to test for.
"Almost there." She whispered.
* * * * *
"Are you sure?" Misato asked.
"I ran the sequence six times." Maya said. "This is what it gave me."
They were standing alone in the conference room, waiting for Toji and Kensuke to arrive. Maya had showed Misato what she had found last night. Neither woman was looking forward to sharing the results
Misato sighed heavily. "This isn't going to be pretty."
Maya nodded her agreement. This wasn't going to be pretty at all.
As if on cue, the doors to the conference room opened. Toji and Kensuke came in and took their seats. Misato sat down as well, leaving Maya alone at the front of the table.
"Go ahead, Doctor." Misato said.
"Well." Maya began. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I found the criteria to search for the Eighth Child." She turned on the small projector, displaying the Marduk Institute's list.
"This is a list of current and prospective EVA Pilots, circa 2015. I ran these names through the Magi looking for similarities. It turns out all of these pilots share a unique chromosomal mutation assumed to be a result of radiation from Second Impact. It is partially due to this mutation that they were able to pilot the EVAs."
"Partially?" Kensuke asked.
"Yes." Maya said. "There was another factor that had to be present for a person to be put on the 707 list...They couldn't have mothers. Every single pilot and potential pilot lost their mother early in life *and* bore this unique chromosomal defect. Our current pilots follow the pattern, having inherited this mutation from people on the list."
"Wait a minute." Toji said. "I follow you up to a point. Michiru got this...mutation from Shinji and Asuka. But Tai doesn't have it, does he?"
"Actually he does." Maya said. "Inherited from his mother, Hanako Matsumoto." She pointed out a name on the list. "Maiden name: Hanako Ishikawa."
"Hanako!" Kensuke exclaimed. "She had the desk next to mine. I...I didn't know she had died." He finished quietly.
Silence hung over the conference table.
"What's the bad news?" Toji asked.
* * * * *
"You know, I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this English stuff." Akira said as the four of them packed up their books and left the lecture hall.
"It's really not that hard." Michiru said. "It's just got some messed up rules."
"What? No snide remark? No suggestion that I have a mental deficiency?" Akira placed a hand on his heart, a pained look on his face. "Michiru, don't you *care* anymore?"
"I care." Michiru assured him. "Just thought I'd give you a day off."
"How generous of you. Isn't that nice, Claire?" Claire didn't seem to hear him. "Claire?"
"Huh?" She turned. "Sorry. What was the question?"
"You okay?" Tai asked. "You've been a little out of it lately."
"I'm fine." Claire assured them, putting on a big smile. "I just..." She was interrupted when the cell phone in her purse began to ring. She took out the phone and checked to see who was calling. "Shit."
Michiru's eyebrows rose slightly at her best friend's English swearing. The guys were oblivious; they only knew textbook English.
"I have to take this." Claire said. "I'll see you guys later, okay."
"All right." Michiru said.
"Yeah." Akira reluctantly agreed. "Hey, call me tonight."
Claire nodded and blew him a kiss before she passed out of sight around a corner.
"Is there something going on with her?" Tai asked.
Akira shook his head. "Nothing she's told me about. Michiru?"
"Not a clue." Michiru said. She was a little worried about her friend. But she wasn't going to pry into Claire's private life. If Claire wanted to talk to her, she would listen. Otherwise, she was staying out of it.
* * * * *
Misato found Toji in a small bar across the street from the main entrance to the Geofront. The bar was frequented almost exclusively by NERV personnel. At 11:00 A.M. on a Monday, it was practically deserted. Misato pulled up a stool and sat down at the bar next to Toji.
"I suppose leaving work early and drinking on duty constitutes at least a demotion doesn't it?" Toji asked as she sat down.
"Given the circumstances, we'll say I gave you the day off." Misato replied.
"Very generous of you."
"Toji...I know this is hard for you, but..."
Toji made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a derisive snort. "You do, huh?"
"You're right." She said. "I can't know how hard this is. But I do know that it's hard. And I understand that. But we..."
"...Have no choice." Toji finished for her. "Isn't that always the way?"
"Toji, I need you to be okay with this." Misato said frankly. "I'm not asking you to like it. But you've got to accept it as something that has to be done."
"How can I?" He whispered. "I've been in an EVA." His gaze drifted down to the artificial limbs on his left side. "I know what they can do." He looked back up at Misato.
"You know...When Hikari and I were married, we wanted kids right away. It took us three years, three years, Misato. Do you know how much that hurt? We were becoming convinced that, we would never have children. That maybe...maybe EVA had taken that from me too. When Machiko was born...it was like a miracle for us. Well you know that, you were there. And then, when Hikari...died, I promised that I would always take care of her."
He lifted his head, looking straight into Misato's eyes. "Now you tell me how putting her in one of those...things and sending her off to fight qualifies as 'taking care of her'!"
* * * * *
The bell had just rung for lunch when the announcement came over the intercom.
-Machiko Suzahara. Machiko Suzahara. Please report to the office immediately.-
*So much for lunch.* Machiko thought. She wondered what they wanted her in the office for. Well, there was only one way to find out.
She was more than a little surprised to find her father waiting in the office. Now Machiko was worried. She didn't remember doing anything wrong, but she must have done something *really* bad if it had gotten her dad out of work and down to the school.
"Uh...hi Dad." She said. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."
"You're not in trouble." Her father said very quietly.
"Hi Machiko." For the first time, Machiko noticed a woman sitting next to her father. She wore a lab coat and had a NERV ID just like her father's. Machiko recognized the woman; she had met her once or twice before.
"Uh...hi...Dr. Ibuki." She said.
"Why don't you sit down, Machiko?" Dr. Ibuki said gently.
* * * * *
Tai and Michiru never got a chance to catch up with Claire again that day. An hour after she ran off, Misato called, asking them to report back immediately. They said goodbye to Akira and left for headquarters.
"What do you think it is?" Michiru asked as Tai drove. "An Angel?"
"I don't think so." Tai said. "I mean, the alarms didn't go off, and Misato didn't sound upset did she?"
Michiru shook her head. "No."
"Then I doubt it's an emergency." Tai said. "Probably just an announcement or something."
"I guess."
* * * * *
"Hi." Misato greeted them as they entered her office.
"Hi, Misato." Michiru replied cheerfully.
"I just brought you two in for a bit of rumor control." Misato said, gesturing for them to sit down. "Tomorrow morning, the new EVA pilot will arrive at headquarters."
"A new pilot?" They both asked in unison.
Misato nodded. "The Eighth Child. She's coming here tomorrow. Her first activation test is on Wednesday."
"Who is it?" Tai asked.
Misato hesitated and a horrible thought struck Michiru. "Is it...Claire?" She asked.
"Claire?" Misato asked, surprised. "Your friend?" Michiru only nodded silently.
"She's been acting...odd lately." Tai explained.
"No." Misato assured them. "It's not Claire."
"Thank God." Michiru whispered.
Misato drew in a sharp breath and held it for a second. She obviously didn't like what she was about to say.
"It's Machiko."
* * * * *
Machiko was lying in bed, the covers drawn up to her chin, when she saw her father walk past her room.
"Dad." She called out softly. He stopped. "Can you come here for a second?"
He smiled slightly and came into the darkened room, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "It's been a while since you asked me to come tuck you in." He said.
"Dad, what's going to happen tomorrow?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from quavering.
His smile fell instantly. "Well...they're going to give you a few tests, get you fitted for...some clothes; just little things like that, nothing to worry about."
"And...the day after that?"
"They're going to...put you in the EVA and turn it on...to see if you can control it."
"I...I don't know what to feel, Dad." She said. "I don't know if I should be excited...or terrified."
"Come here." Her father took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry." He whispered. "I'm going to be right there with you. I won't let anything happen to you."
* * * * *
"I don't get it." Michiru said. "How can Machiko be a pilot?"
"Toji was a pilot." Misato answered. "He was the Fourth Child. And Hikari could have been one. Machiko inherited the ability from them, just like you got it from your parents."
"Toji...was an EVA pilot?" Misato nodded. Suddenly, Michiru was given a much clearer understanding of Toji Suzahara. His missing limbs. His scars. His hatred of Angel and Evangelion alike. No wonder he was so upset about Machiko's selection.
"But...she's just a kid." Michiru said. "How can we...? You can't ask a child to do this."
"I wish I didn't have to." Misato said. "I also wish I didn't have to ask you to do it. And I wish I didn't have to ask Tai. But wishing doesn't make it so. We need Machiko. She's the only one who has a chance at piloting Unit 15."
"It just doesn't seem right, making someone her age fight." Michiru said.
"I know." Misato said.
* * * * *
Machiko glanced around nervously as her father led her through NERV Headquarters. She had never actually been in the compound before. Her nervousness gave way to excitement as they moved deeper into the underground facility. Soon she would get to see her Evangelion.
The only time Machiko had ever seen an EVA was when the evening news had somehow snuck a reporter out of his or her shelter. They had captured a few minutes of one of the battles. The EVA had been a giant, purple robot. Her dad had freaked out when he saw it, the big robots were supposed to be top secret. She had never seen an EVA again. Machiko wondered what her Evangelion would look like.
The huge, armored door in front of them slid open, sending a blast of cold air into their faces. Beyond the door, a long, low bridge spanned a pool of some red liquid. On the left side of the bridge, standing like a sentry, was Unit 15.
The EVA was entirely silver. Like the purple EVA Machiko had seen on TV, Unit 15 had two large armor plates over its shoulders. But the head was completely different. Unit 15's helmet was entirely featureless; it had neither the toothy mouth nor the protruding horn of the other EVAs. The only features on the giant head were three eyes, arranged in an inverted pyramid on the front of the face.
"Wow!" Machiko whispered in awe. She had never imagined the Evangelion would be so...cool.
"I see you two have met." Machiko turned to see her dad's friend Kensuke walking toward them from the opposite side of the bridge. Surprisingly, walking behind him were two other people Machiko knew.
"Michiru? ...Tai?" She asked. "What are you two doing here?"
Tai smiled. "We just came to say hi." He said. "It's not every day we get a new pilot around here."
"Wait. You guys are pilots?"
"That's right." Michiru nodded.
"Ready for transport?" Her father asked Kensuke.
"All set." Kensuke replied. "We're sending it to the surface in one hour, then a train will take it to the test site."
"Good. I don't want the EVA left unattended for even a second during transport."
"Already taken care of." Kensuke assured him. "I understand you want to be in the control room the whole time."
"That's right." Her father said. "Just in case." He turned to Tai and Michiru. "Would you guys mind giving Machiko a ride home."
"No problem." Tai said.
"You okay with that?" He asked her.
"Sure I guess." Machiko replied.
Her father then mercilessly embarrassed her by hugging her. The *last* thing she needed was hugs from daddy. And in front of Tai, no less!
"I'll be home in a few hours."
"Okay." Machiko said, pulling out of his arms. "See you then."
* * * * *
"So...what's it like?" Machiko asked. She was seated in the back of Tai's car. Michiru got to ride shotgun. "Piloting EVA, I mean." She continued. "What's it like?"
Michiru turned around in her seat to face Machiko. "Well...you feel a lot taller."
"What?" Machiko laughed.
Michiru smiled. "Well it's...it's hard to explain until you've actually done it, but it's like the EVA's body becomes yours. So you don't feel like you're sitting inside it, so much as you feel like you *are* it."
"Weird." Machiko said.
"Yeah." Tai agreed. "It really is."
"And we just go out and...kill these Angels?"
"Well it sounds a lot simpler than it actually is." Michiru said.
* * * * *
"Unit 15 is locked in place." Kensuke said.
"Good." Toji told his friend's holographic image. "Have them run a full diagnostic on the EVA. And I mean full! I want guys in there with microscopes checking individual cells."
"I might not be able to pull that one off." Kensuke said with a slight laugh. "But we'll give it a thorough checkup, don't worry."
"Kensuke."
"Yes?"
"My little girl is going to be piloting that thing. *Don't* tell me not to worry!"
"Point taken."
* * * * *
Machiko fell asleep before her father got home that night. He woke her up early the next morning. Machiko couldn't be sure, but it looked as if her father hadn't even bothered to go to bed.
They drove to the train station in silence and passed most of the train ride the same way. Machiko was desperate to break the silence, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Butterflies, composed in equal parts of excitement and fear, were beating against the walls of her stomach.
The train ride lasted about an hour. A NERV car took them to the test facility. Machiko was surprised to see two Evangelions standing on opposite sides of the underground bunker where the test was to take place. One of them she recognized as the purple one she had seen on TV, but the larger, black one was new. She wondered briefly if Michiru and Tai were already inside the giant mechs.
"What are they here for?" She asked.
"Guard duty." Her father said grimly. He forced a smile. "Just a precaution."
* * * * *
"Corporal, run a full diagnostic on Unit 15." Toji said as he stalked into the control room.
"Sir, I just ran..." Corporal Tanaka began.
"WELL RUN IT AGAIN!"
The young woman shrank slightly from his sharp rebuke and quickly began typing commands into her console, blinking rapidly.
"You okay?" Lieutenant Kusanagi asked quietly.
"I'm fine." Kaori said, rubbing her eyes self-consciously. "Just an eyelash."
"Major." Misato called softly. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"
Out in the hall, Misato turned to face him. "Toji." She said. "I know this isn't exactly your best day ever. But you are making *everyone* insane."
"Look I..."
"Don't talk." She cut him off. "Just listen. No one here wants anything bad to happen to Machiko. But they can't do their jobs if they constantly have to walk on eggshells around you. And if they can't do their jobs, then they can't be any help to Machiko. Okay?"
Toji sighed. Finally he nodded.
"You look like hell." Misato said. "How much have you slept?"
"Slept?"
"Yeah, sleep. You know, that thing where you lie down and lose consciousness for a while."
"There'll be time for that later."
"Okay. There are a couple cots in one of the spare rooms. There's four hours until we need you in the control room. I expect you to spend those four hours asleep on one of those cots."
"Misato..."
"That's an order, Major."
* * * * *
"So what do you think?" Tai asked.
"What do I think about what?" Michiru asked.
"You think everything's going to go okay?"
"I'm not letting myself think anything else." She replied.
"Good plan. So have you seen Machiko?"
"I showed her how the plug suit works." Michiru said. "She's changing now. I haven't had a chance to talk to her though."
"Poor kid." He said. "She must be so scared."
Michiru nodded. "She's hiding it pretty well, but yeah, she's scared. Can you really blame her?"
"No." Tai said. "No, I can't."
Michiru knew what was on Tai's mind, because she was having the same thought. For her and Tai, the first time piloting an EVA had been terrifying. But it had been sudden terror. They hadn't had to live in fear, anticipating the event, like Machiko did.
"At least she won't have to fight today." Michiru said.
"Check me out!" Michiru and Tai turned to see Machiko exiting the locker room. She wore a pale gray plug suit with darker gray highlights along the arms and legs. The young girl was puffed up with pride, displaying the '15' in the center of her chest like a badge of honor. She spun around quickly, making sure they saw all sides of the suit. "Don't I look cute?"
Michiru couldn't help smiling.
"Well?" Machiko demanded.
"Adorable." Tai said.
Machiko looked away, trying to hide the traces of red that were spreading across her cheeks. "Thanks." She said. "I...have to go."
"Yeah." Michiru said. "So do we." She reached over and placed a hand on Machiko's shoulder. "Don't worry. You're going to do fine."
Machiko smiled, clearly still afraid, but not wanting to let Michiru and Tai see it. "Thanks." She whispered.
* * * * *
Toji was asleep on an uncomfortable cot. But in his mind, he was somewhere else entirely.
He was back in 2015. Fourteen years old again and back in the entry plug. This was why he had been avoiding sleep lately. He hadn't had this dream in almost twenty years, until Machiko was chosen as a pilot. Now, whenever he slept, Toji found himself back in that steel tube. Years ago, he had tried to alter his actions in the dream. But it was no use; no matter what he did, the Angel always took control of the Evangelion. He couldn't stop it from hurting his friends. He couldn't fight back when Unit 01 attacked him. The dream always ended the same, just as it had in reality, with the entry plug collapsing around him, crushed in a giant fist.
"Major?"
Toji sat up. Shaking off sleep like it was an unclean thing. Lieutenant Kusanagi stood over his cot.
"I'm awake, Lieutenant." Toji groaned. "What is it?"
"Well...we're ready to start, sir." The young officer said.
"Fine." Toji acknowledged.
"Sir, are you all right?" Kusanagi asked.
"I haven't been having a great week, Lieutenant."
* * * * *
Everything was in place. They were ready to start.
Toji sighed heavily. He turned to Maya. "Okay." He said. "Let's get started."
"Charge LCL." Maya ordered.
"LCL charged." Lieutenant Tanaka replied.
"Commence neural connection."
On the main screen, a series of gray bars began popping up, representing connected nerves.
"Neural connections stable." Minako reported.
"Well, so far, so good." Maya said. "Begin activation."
On the screen, the gray bars were replaced by another set of bars. These bars started off bright red on the bottom-left of the screen and wove their way up and down the board, fading into green as they approached the upper-left corner.
Starting in the first red bar, the chart began to light up, the bars moving slowly toward a line drawn near the middle. The line was situated at the border between the red and green bars. As the lighted bars approached the barrier, Corporal Tanaka began calling off numbers.
"Approaching absolute borderline. Borderline minus 1.9...minus 1.0."
"It looks good so far." Misato said.
"Yeah." Toji agreed, his eyes fixed on the screen. "So far."
"Minus 0.8...0.6..." The bars began to light up more slowly. The line seemed to be struggling toward the borderline.
"Come on." Toji whispered.
"Absolute borderline minus 0.3..." Kaori called. "0.2......0.1..." The first green bar above the border lit up. Slowly, the green bars began to light. "Borderline cleared. Borderline plus 0.5 and rising."
A sigh of relief went through the control room. But Maya frowned slightly.
"Something's wrong." She said. "It should be climbing faster."
"What?"
Before Maya could answer, the bars on the screen began to waver. The entire crew was rooted in place, watching as the bars dipped, rose, and dipped again, before plunging backwards into the red.
"Backflow!" Minako yelled. "The neural connections are breaking off!"
"What's going on?" Toji demanded.
"We're losing control!"
* * * * *
In the test chamber, Unit 15 stirred. Its three eyes flared to life, casting an eerie green glow over the darkened bunker. The EVA strained against its restraints. The sound of twisting metal filled the chamber as the restraining locks began to tear.
The restraints on Unit 15's left arm gave way. The EVA lifted its free arm and grabbed its head, as if fighting a migraine. It balled up the giant hand into a fist and slammed it into the nearest wall, sending huge cracks across the smooth concrete.
The Evangelion shook in its restraints, pounding on the wall of the test chamber with its one free fist. It struggled with all of its considerable strength, trying to break free.
* * * * *
"Cut the power!" Toji yelled. "Eject the entry plug!"
"No good!" Lieutenant Kusanagi replied. "The signals aren't being received."
"Daddy?" Machiko's face appeared on the video link. Her voice was filled with fear. "What's happening?"
"Oh, God...GET HER OUT OF THERE!" Toji yelled.
"Machiko." Maya said. "There's a switch underneath the main control handle. It's an emergency eject system. You see it?"
"Uh huh." Machiko nodded.
"Pull the lever."
Machiko pulled and waited. "Nothing happened!" She cried.
"Pulses are still flowing backwards!" Hisashi said.
"We can't eject." Misato said. "We have to bring it back under control."
* * * * *
"Bring it back?" Minako asked. "Can that be done?"
Maya looked into Misato's eyes. She looked at Toji, trying so valiantly to maintain self-control. And she looked at Machiko, no longer able to put on a facade of bravery, utterly terrified. She knew her answer.
"We have to try." She grabbed two laptop computers and headed for the hallway. "I need Kusanagi and both Tanakas with me. We're going to the test chamber."
The elevator ride down to the chamber was interminable. As they neared the bottom, Maya became aware of a slow, rhythmic pounding. She realized what it was a moment later. The sound came from Unit 15 slamming it's fist into the walls of the test chamber. She turned to her three companions.
"Okay." She said. "We have one chance at this and one chance only. It's dangerous, it's never been attempted before, and it probably won't work. If any of you don't feel up to it, just stay on the elevator."
The elevator hit the bottom floor. Maya stepped out and turned. All three technicians had followed her off the lift. She smiled.
"Here's how it's going to work. Kaori." She handed the young woman one of the laptops. "Through that door you will find a control panel. Hook this into the panel and wait for my instructions. Minako. Go with Kaori, there's a stairway that leads up to a catwalk near the EVA's knees. Activate one of the emergency neural stimulators and hook it into the nerve plexus at the back of the left knee. Hisashi, you're with me."
She led Kusanagi to a smaller lift. "This goes up to the Entry Plug." She said.
"Is it safe up there?"
"Let's see, the building is shaking itself apart, the supports for the catwalk we'll be on are damaged, and, oh yeah, we'll be uncomfortably close to the business end of a berserk EVA. That sound safe to you?"
"Right, dumb question." He said.
Maya smiled. "Look on the bright side." She said. "At least your job isn't boring."
* * * * *
Inside the test chamber, the pounding was so loud that the floor seemed to vibrate with each strike. The Evangelion's feet covered most of the floor of the test chamber. This far down, Unit 15 was still immobilized, though from the look of things, it would not remain that way for much longer. Kaori ran to the control panel as her sister sprinted for the metal staircase that spiraled up toward the EVA's knees.
"Be careful Mina!" Kaori called after her.
"You, too." Minako replied.
Kaori pulled open the access panel and plugged in her laptop. The screen lit up with a diagram of the EVA's control circuits. The entire diagram was flashing wildly, showing all the neural connections between Machiko and Unit 15 as 'disconnected'.
With everything in place, Kaori craned her neck, looking up. Far above her, hundreds of feet up, Unit 15 was still slamming its fist into the wall next to it. Closer to her, Minako was making her way toward the EVA's knee joint.
* * * * *
"What's going on, Misato?" Michiru asked.
"Unit 15 is...out of control." Misato said.
"Oh, no." Tai whispered.
"Machiko?"
"She's fine for now." Misato said. Michiru let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. "We're trying to regain control. But if we don't..."
"Don't say it, Misato." Michiru said. "There's no way."
"I had a feeling you'd say that." Misato said. "But Michiru...it may be the only way to save Machiko."
"You don't mean...?" Tai asked.
"I won't do it." Michiru said firmly.
"Yes you will, damn it!" Michiru's eyes widened. She had never seen Misato like this. The older woman seemed to calm down a little. "Michiru. Tai." She said quietly. "If Unit 15 manages to break free, then the only way to save Machiko's life...may be to destroy the EVA."
"She'll feel it, Misato!" Michiru said. "Anything we do to the EVA...It'll feel like it's happening to her."
"I know." Misato said. "But at least she'll be alive."
* * * * *
Minako took the metal stairs two at a time. She was out of breath by the time she reached Unit 15's left knee. Casting a glance around, Minako found the panel behind which the emergency neural stimulators for the lower body were kept. Minako pried the panel open and found the right cable. With the free end of the cable, she ran around to the back of the EVA's knee, where a thick sheet of rubber covered the joint in its armor. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small multi-tool, unfolding the knife blade.
Minako hastily unbuckled her belt and unzipped her khaki uniform dress. She slipped out of the dress, leaving it on the floor as far from the EVA as she could. Most of her uniform was inexpensive, but a replacement for the Khaki dress would cost more than she was willing to pay. Clad only in a white tank top and tights, Minako stepped up to the EVA and began a bit of impromptu surgery. She cut a large hole in the rubber joint cover, revealing disturbingly human skin underneath.
"Sorry about this, kid." She said. She shoved the blade of her knife into the pale skin, dragging it across to make a long, deep incision. Blood spilled from the cut. Minako felt her stomach turn at the sight, but she pushed on. This particular job was only going to get nastier.
Taking a deep breath, Minako shoved her hand into the open wound. Her arm sank into the EVA all the way to her elbow. The inside of the Evangelion was incredibly hot, as was the blood that poured out around her arm. She fought another wave of nausea and groped blindly around the interior of the knee until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the bundle of fiber-optic cables and pulled it out, wiping as much blood off of the wires as she could. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the neural stimulator. The two wires fit together perfectly. Minako lay back on the catwalk, away from the flow of blood. After a moment, she got up and headed back to the bottom of the test chamber to help Kaori.
The fiber-optic cables were hooked into the EVA's central nervous system. By plugging the stimulator into the nerve plexus, she made it possible to stimulate the EVA's nerves directly. She didn't know what Dr. Ibuki was planning, but she hoped it would work. And she hoped Hisashi and Dr. Ibuki would be safe, so near the EVA's free arm.
* * * * *
"My God!" Kaori said as her sister descended the stairs, covered in blood. "What happened to you?"
"I had to operate." Minako replied.
"I've got the computer set up." Kaori said. "What now?"
"Now we wait."
* * * * *
The elevator ride to the top of the test chamber took less than a minute. The doors opened and Hisashi saw the EVA. Unit 15 was still rocking back and forth, straining against its restraints, still beating on the wall. The armor and skin over the EVA's knuckles had been sheared away, exposing dull white bone underneath. Blood flowed freely from the wound, dripping down the wall.
"We've got to work fast." Dr. Ibuki said, yelling to be heard over the pounding. "I need you to remove the armor over the entry plug manually."
"Do you think it'll try to attack us?" Hisashi asked.
"I'm counting on the remaining restraints to prevent it from reaching back this far." Dr. Ibuki replied. "But keep an eye on it. Just in case." She added.
A small hatch on the EVA's back hid a large, flat hand crank. He grabbed the handle, made sure there were no giant hands reaching for him, and put all his strength into turning it. After a minute or so of cranking, the hatch on top of the EVA's back swung open. The plug stayed lodged inside the Evangelion, but it's top was exposed.
"Got it!"
* * * * *
Maya nodded and pulled up a videoconference window on her laptop.
"Kaori, can you hear me."
"Loud and clear." Kaori replied.
"Did Minako get that stimulator plugged in?"
"I got it." Minako said from somewhere off screen.
"Okay." Maya said. "I'm going to connect another stimulator to the Entry Plug. Then the two of us need to coordinate to stabilize the nerve pulses. Understand?"
"Got it."
"Good." She changed to a video link to the entry plug. "Machiko?"
"I'm here." The girl said in a quiet, scared voice.
"I'm right above you, okay."
"Open this thing up then!" Machiko screamed. "I want out!"
"Machiko, calm down." Maya said. "We're going to have you out of there in no time. But I need you to help me, can you do that?"
Machiko nodded. "Yeah." She said. "Yeah I think so."
Maya smiled. "All you have to do is concentrate when I tell you to. Imagine yourself completely still and don't think about anything else, understand?"
"Okay." Machiko nodded. "I'll try."
"All right Kaori." Maya said. "I'm attaching the neural stimulator to the Entry Plug now. Get ready."
* * * * *
Kaori knew the second the neural stimulator was connected. The labels on her screen began fluctuating wildly between 'Connected', 'Interrupted', and 'Disconnected'.
"Kaori." Dr. Ibuki said. "We're going to reroute the nerve pulses for the main areas, starting in the head and working our way down."
"Understood."
One by one, Dr. Ibuki used the neural stimulators to run nerve pulses through the various parts of the EVA by way of the entry plug. Each time a new area lit up, Kaori typed furiously at her keyboard, aligning the electrical impulses until they stayed in a fixed pattern. At the same time, Dr. Ibuki worked to keep connected areas from slipping out of alignment.
"Um...Kaori?" Her sister said.
"Little busy!"
"Almost done?" Minako asked.
"You want this done quick or you want it done right?" Kaori replied. Her answer didn't come from Minako. It was the screeching sound of metal being ripped apart. The restraints were giving way. The EVA was almost free.
"I'll take quick." Minako said.
Kaori nodded and launched into another flurry of typing. "Quick it is."
* * * * *
Hisashi grabbed the nearest handrail to avoid falling. The catwalk shook and twisted underneath his feet. Looking down, he saw that the EVA was nearly free.
"Whatever you're doing, do it fast!" He yelled.
"Almost there!" Dr. Ibuki called back. Looking up to where the doctor sat perched on top of the entry plug, Hisashi saw that almost all of the nerve connections had been stabilized. The catwalk shuddered again. Even if the EVA couldn't reach them, it was becoming dangerous to stay up here.
"Machiko!" Dr. Ibuki called. "Concentrate! Focus on staying in control!"
Maya's hands flew across the keyboard. The labels on the screen flashed with blinding speed. A few seconds later, the laptop beeped, all the nerve centers were marked 'Connected'. Unit 15 was back under control. There was no time to celebrate. With a final, tortured groan, the catwalk collapsed.
Hisashi tried to grab on to the Evangelion as he fell. Maya reached out, trying to grab him. Their fingers touched but found no purchase. Maya screamed, but Hisashi made no sound. Even as his body plunged to the bottom of the chamber he was silent. There was no fear in his eyes; only a look of surprise, as if he didn't really believe what was happening. As if he didn't really accept that he was going to die.
* * * * *
"We got Machiko out of the entry plug." Kensuke said. "She's fine, just shaken up. The EVA suffered minor damage. It'll heal on its own."
"Fine." Misato said absently. "And...Kusanagi?"
Kensuke was silent. "He wasn't in any pain." He finally said. "Death was...instantaneous."
* * * * *
Minako sat in silence. She still wore only her bloodstained tights and undershirt. Her uniform dress lay forgotten in the test chamber. The sun was setting and the night was turning cold. She barely noticed when someone pressed a cup of something hot into her hands. Her eyes saw the sun sinking behind the mountains, but in her mind, she just kept seeing Hisashi fall, over and over again.
She looked up when someone draped a thin blanket around her shoulders.
"Commander?" She asked.
Commander Katsuragi sat down next to her. Like everyone else who had spoken to Minako in the past few hours, her eyes were filled with sympathy and pity.
"You looked cold."
Minako nodded and pulled the blanket around her.
"I should...call his mother." She said.
"Lieutenant..."
"We were supposed to have dinner with her tonight. She'll need to know..."
"Minako." The older woman cut her off. "I've already called her."
"I just...I can't believe he's gone."
"The two of you were dating, weren't you?" Minako nodded silently. "Was it...serious?"
"Serious?" Minako let out a short, choked sob. "We were engaged. I mean, not officially. We were waiting until one of us got promoted. But...as soon as we were...secure enough to...start a family..." She broke down, weeping. "Oh God! He's gone! He's really gone!"
Kaori showed up a few minutes later to take Minako home. Reluctantly Minako let go of her commander and allowed her little sister to lead her to the car. Exhausted, both from the day's events and from her grief, she fell asleep before they even made it home.
* * * * *
Late that night, Michiru lay awake next to Tai. Lately, She had been spending more nights in Tai's bed than in her own. Michiru was not usually one to suffer from insomnia, but tonight sleep eluded her.
"Hey? You all right?" Tai asked.
Michiru shook her head "He's dead." She whispered. "We barely knew him but...He was such a nice guy. And now...he's just gone."
"I know." Tai said. "It's not right."
"It's because of the EVA." Michiru said bitterly. "There's nothing good about them! All they do is cause death." She buried her face in Tai's neck, sobbing. "I want this to be over, Tai! I don't want to be a part of this any more!"
Tai put his arms around Michiru, hugging her tightly. "I know." He said. "And it will be. We're going to make it through this, together."
"And Machiko?" Michiru asked. "What about her?"
"Her too." Tai smiled. "We'll keep her safe."
"You're right." Michiru said, laying her head on Tai's shoulder. Her sadness wasn't gone, but she knew it would heal in time. There was something about Tai. Whenever she was with him, she just knew that everything would be all right. Maybe that was just part of being in love with someone. Whatever the reason, it was a feeling she cherished, a refuge from the fear and confusion that had filled her life recently.
* * * * *
Machiko lay in bed crying. She tried to keep her sobs quiet, but she knew she was failing. Sure enough, she heard her father in the doorway a few minutes later.
"Machiko?"
"Go away." She begged him. "I want to be alone." Actually she didn't want to be alone, and she was grateful when her father called her bluff, coming into her room and sitting on the edge of her bed.
"It's okay to cry, you know." He said. "This has been...a hard day."
"It's my fault." She whispered. "That man is dead because of me."
"No." Her dad said. "That's not true, Machiko."
"It is." She insisted. "If I hadn't lost control, they wouldn't have been in there in the first place. He would still be alive."
Her father pulled her into a sitting position and put his arms around her. There was something about the way her father hugged her, the warm skin of his right arm contrasting with the cool metal of his left. It might have disturbed others, but Machiko always associated the sensation with the unique feeling of love and security that only a father could provide.
"Sweetie. You can't blame yourself. It was an accident. It's nobody's fault." He said.
Machiko returned the hug, weeping on her father's shoulder. "I'm scared Daddy!" She cried. "I don't want to pilot the EVA anymore! I'm scared of what might happen!"
"So am I." He said. "So am I."
* * * * *
Somewhere far from Minako's grief, from Michiru and Tai's love, from Machiko's worries about her future, far away, hidden deep in the earth, something stirred. This creature was unlike those that had come before it. It was aware of its surroundings. It understood the true reason for its existence. Slowly, purposefully, a new messenger awoke from its slumber.
The Twenty-third Angel was born.
* * * * *
To Be Continued....
Next Chapter:
NERV is in mourning, but they still have a job to do. Machiko has become a pilot, but is she ready to fight? She thinks so, and disobeys her father's orders, launching into battle against the deadliest Angel yet! It's in the next part, Chapter 0:9- The Children's Crusade!
* * * * *
Legal Stuff: As I have said *countless* times before, I did not create Neon Genesis Evangelion. That means that Misato, Toji, Kensuke, the Skipper, and everyone else who appeared in the TV Series aren't mine. I did create a lot of new stuff for this story. That means that Michiru, Tai, the new EVAs, and everyone else who *didn't* appear in the series belongs to me.
* * * * *
Dedication: Once again, to those of you who have stuck with this story despite the occasional patch of bad grammar and intolerable delays. You know who you are, and I thank you both. ;)
* * * * *
* * * * *
Neon Genesis Evangelion: OMEGA
Chapter 0:8- The Eighth Child!
* * * * *
A soft alarm buzzed. The two test plugs opened simultaneously.
"Good job you two." Maya said. In the test chamber, Tai nodded and Michiru gave her a 'thumbs-up'. "Okay, you guys can go now."
"Is it just me, or did both their scores make a big jump since the last test?" Minako asked.
"Hmm..." Maya said, examining the readouts from the Synch test. "You're right. I wonder what that's all about."
"I've got a pretty good idea." Misato said, smiling. Actually, she'd had a pretty good idea for almost a week. Ever since the night after the Twenty-second Angel was killed, the night Michiru drove Tai home...and never made it back to the apartment.
"You do?"
"I seem to recall the same thing happening to Shinji's Synch Ratio...a few months after he and Asuka got together."
Maya caught on a second later. "You think they're...?" She asked in a shocked voice.
"You think they're not?" Misato asked.
"I...never really thought about it." Maya admitted.
Misato shrugged. "They're in love." She said. "It's perfectly natural."
"Well, yeah but...do you think it's a good idea? I mean, under these circumstances?"
"It's not my decision." Misato said. "They're both adults. They're entitled to make their own choices." But secretly, she hoped that this choice wouldn't prove to be a bad one. For Michiru's sake, she hoped Tai was all that he seemed to be, and nothing that he didn't.
* * * * *
Later that night, Maya Ibuki sat in her office, typing furiously at her computer. She had added Tai to the list of pilots, but every query to the Magi still turned up nothing. She had tried everything she could think of. When she first began looking for pilots, she had still thought that age was a factor; that only fourteen-year-old children could synchronize. That theory had been shot out of the water by Michiru, and later by Tai. Since then she had been desperately searching for any connection between the pilots, no matter how insignificant.
It had long been the belief of everyone at NERV that some sort of genetic mutation was responsible for the ability to pilot the Evangelions. Maya was currently testing that theory, running DNA profiles of all the pilots.
"Working late?" Maya spun around to see Misato standing in the doorway.
"Oh, Commander. You startled me." She said.
"Sorry." Misato apologized. "What are you doing here so late?"
"I'm just trying to work out this pilot thing. I'm starting to think we may never find the answer."
Misato came further into the room and stood over her. "No luck, huh?"
"There are just too many factors to consider." Maya said. "I can't even begin to find a base group for testing."
Misato sighed. "I have an idea." She finally said. "I didn't want to bring it up except as a last resort..."
"We're there." Maya said. "I've tried everything I can think of."
Misato let out another deep sigh. "Try 707."
"707?" Maya asked. The number sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Magi Code 707." Misato said. "You might find an answer there." She turned and walked out the door, leaving Maya alone in the office.
Maya turned back to her computer and called up a connection with the Magi. She entered Code 707 and was presented with a list of names.
Aida, Kensuke
Asotsu, Hayao
Ayanami, Rei *1*
Daibo, Ryoko
Ebihara, Masanori
Horaki, Hikari
Ikari, Shinji *3*
Ishikawa, Hanako
Isomi, Akito
Kadokawa, Hotaru
Osaka, Megumi
Soryu, Asuka Langley *2*
Suzahara, Toji *4*
Tanaka, Shiroh
Yamada, Mamoru
Yuy, Heero
She stared at the list for a minute. All four original pilots were on it, but who were the others? The numbers by some of the names caught her eye. Rei was the First Child. On the list, her name was marked with the number '1'. Shinji was the Third Child. His name bore a '3'. Maya began typing quickly.
--Source?--
TOKYO 3 JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS LIST, CLASS 2-A, 2015
Why did a Junior High class in 2015 have a file in the Magi system?
--Trace File-- She typed, hoping to find which section of NERV had used the file.
SPECIAL PROJECTS, FURTHER ACCESS REQUIRES LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE
Maya's eyes widened. Level 4 was the highest security clearance one could have. She smiled. In 2015, when this information was new, she couldn't have gotten near it. That was not the case any more.
--Authorization: Ibuki-22A56-- She typed.
FILE SOURCE: MARDUK INSTITUTE
That was it! This wasn't just a class list. It was a list of potential EVA pilots. And with a list this long, she was sure the Magi could find something to test for.
"Almost there." She whispered.
* * * * *
"Are you sure?" Misato asked.
"I ran the sequence six times." Maya said. "This is what it gave me."
They were standing alone in the conference room, waiting for Toji and Kensuke to arrive. Maya had showed Misato what she had found last night. Neither woman was looking forward to sharing the results
Misato sighed heavily. "This isn't going to be pretty."
Maya nodded her agreement. This wasn't going to be pretty at all.
As if on cue, the doors to the conference room opened. Toji and Kensuke came in and took their seats. Misato sat down as well, leaving Maya alone at the front of the table.
"Go ahead, Doctor." Misato said.
"Well." Maya began. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I found the criteria to search for the Eighth Child." She turned on the small projector, displaying the Marduk Institute's list.
"This is a list of current and prospective EVA Pilots, circa 2015. I ran these names through the Magi looking for similarities. It turns out all of these pilots share a unique chromosomal mutation assumed to be a result of radiation from Second Impact. It is partially due to this mutation that they were able to pilot the EVAs."
"Partially?" Kensuke asked.
"Yes." Maya said. "There was another factor that had to be present for a person to be put on the 707 list...They couldn't have mothers. Every single pilot and potential pilot lost their mother early in life *and* bore this unique chromosomal defect. Our current pilots follow the pattern, having inherited this mutation from people on the list."
"Wait a minute." Toji said. "I follow you up to a point. Michiru got this...mutation from Shinji and Asuka. But Tai doesn't have it, does he?"
"Actually he does." Maya said. "Inherited from his mother, Hanako Matsumoto." She pointed out a name on the list. "Maiden name: Hanako Ishikawa."
"Hanako!" Kensuke exclaimed. "She had the desk next to mine. I...I didn't know she had died." He finished quietly.
Silence hung over the conference table.
"What's the bad news?" Toji asked.
* * * * *
"You know, I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this English stuff." Akira said as the four of them packed up their books and left the lecture hall.
"It's really not that hard." Michiru said. "It's just got some messed up rules."
"What? No snide remark? No suggestion that I have a mental deficiency?" Akira placed a hand on his heart, a pained look on his face. "Michiru, don't you *care* anymore?"
"I care." Michiru assured him. "Just thought I'd give you a day off."
"How generous of you. Isn't that nice, Claire?" Claire didn't seem to hear him. "Claire?"
"Huh?" She turned. "Sorry. What was the question?"
"You okay?" Tai asked. "You've been a little out of it lately."
"I'm fine." Claire assured them, putting on a big smile. "I just..." She was interrupted when the cell phone in her purse began to ring. She took out the phone and checked to see who was calling. "Shit."
Michiru's eyebrows rose slightly at her best friend's English swearing. The guys were oblivious; they only knew textbook English.
"I have to take this." Claire said. "I'll see you guys later, okay."
"All right." Michiru said.
"Yeah." Akira reluctantly agreed. "Hey, call me tonight."
Claire nodded and blew him a kiss before she passed out of sight around a corner.
"Is there something going on with her?" Tai asked.
Akira shook his head. "Nothing she's told me about. Michiru?"
"Not a clue." Michiru said. She was a little worried about her friend. But she wasn't going to pry into Claire's private life. If Claire wanted to talk to her, she would listen. Otherwise, she was staying out of it.
* * * * *
Misato found Toji in a small bar across the street from the main entrance to the Geofront. The bar was frequented almost exclusively by NERV personnel. At 11:00 A.M. on a Monday, it was practically deserted. Misato pulled up a stool and sat down at the bar next to Toji.
"I suppose leaving work early and drinking on duty constitutes at least a demotion doesn't it?" Toji asked as she sat down.
"Given the circumstances, we'll say I gave you the day off." Misato replied.
"Very generous of you."
"Toji...I know this is hard for you, but..."
Toji made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a derisive snort. "You do, huh?"
"You're right." She said. "I can't know how hard this is. But I do know that it's hard. And I understand that. But we..."
"...Have no choice." Toji finished for her. "Isn't that always the way?"
"Toji, I need you to be okay with this." Misato said frankly. "I'm not asking you to like it. But you've got to accept it as something that has to be done."
"How can I?" He whispered. "I've been in an EVA." His gaze drifted down to the artificial limbs on his left side. "I know what they can do." He looked back up at Misato.
"You know...When Hikari and I were married, we wanted kids right away. It took us three years, three years, Misato. Do you know how much that hurt? We were becoming convinced that, we would never have children. That maybe...maybe EVA had taken that from me too. When Machiko was born...it was like a miracle for us. Well you know that, you were there. And then, when Hikari...died, I promised that I would always take care of her."
He lifted his head, looking straight into Misato's eyes. "Now you tell me how putting her in one of those...things and sending her off to fight qualifies as 'taking care of her'!"
* * * * *
The bell had just rung for lunch when the announcement came over the intercom.
-Machiko Suzahara. Machiko Suzahara. Please report to the office immediately.-
*So much for lunch.* Machiko thought. She wondered what they wanted her in the office for. Well, there was only one way to find out.
She was more than a little surprised to find her father waiting in the office. Now Machiko was worried. She didn't remember doing anything wrong, but she must have done something *really* bad if it had gotten her dad out of work and down to the school.
"Uh...hi Dad." She said. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it."
"You're not in trouble." Her father said very quietly.
"Hi Machiko." For the first time, Machiko noticed a woman sitting next to her father. She wore a lab coat and had a NERV ID just like her father's. Machiko recognized the woman; she had met her once or twice before.
"Uh...hi...Dr. Ibuki." She said.
"Why don't you sit down, Machiko?" Dr. Ibuki said gently.
* * * * *
Tai and Michiru never got a chance to catch up with Claire again that day. An hour after she ran off, Misato called, asking them to report back immediately. They said goodbye to Akira and left for headquarters.
"What do you think it is?" Michiru asked as Tai drove. "An Angel?"
"I don't think so." Tai said. "I mean, the alarms didn't go off, and Misato didn't sound upset did she?"
Michiru shook her head. "No."
"Then I doubt it's an emergency." Tai said. "Probably just an announcement or something."
"I guess."
* * * * *
"Hi." Misato greeted them as they entered her office.
"Hi, Misato." Michiru replied cheerfully.
"I just brought you two in for a bit of rumor control." Misato said, gesturing for them to sit down. "Tomorrow morning, the new EVA pilot will arrive at headquarters."
"A new pilot?" They both asked in unison.
Misato nodded. "The Eighth Child. She's coming here tomorrow. Her first activation test is on Wednesday."
"Who is it?" Tai asked.
Misato hesitated and a horrible thought struck Michiru. "Is it...Claire?" She asked.
"Claire?" Misato asked, surprised. "Your friend?" Michiru only nodded silently.
"She's been acting...odd lately." Tai explained.
"No." Misato assured them. "It's not Claire."
"Thank God." Michiru whispered.
Misato drew in a sharp breath and held it for a second. She obviously didn't like what she was about to say.
"It's Machiko."
* * * * *
Machiko was lying in bed, the covers drawn up to her chin, when she saw her father walk past her room.
"Dad." She called out softly. He stopped. "Can you come here for a second?"
He smiled slightly and came into the darkened room, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "It's been a while since you asked me to come tuck you in." He said.
"Dad, what's going to happen tomorrow?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from quavering.
His smile fell instantly. "Well...they're going to give you a few tests, get you fitted for...some clothes; just little things like that, nothing to worry about."
"And...the day after that?"
"They're going to...put you in the EVA and turn it on...to see if you can control it."
"I...I don't know what to feel, Dad." She said. "I don't know if I should be excited...or terrified."
"Come here." Her father took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry." He whispered. "I'm going to be right there with you. I won't let anything happen to you."
* * * * *
"I don't get it." Michiru said. "How can Machiko be a pilot?"
"Toji was a pilot." Misato answered. "He was the Fourth Child. And Hikari could have been one. Machiko inherited the ability from them, just like you got it from your parents."
"Toji...was an EVA pilot?" Misato nodded. Suddenly, Michiru was given a much clearer understanding of Toji Suzahara. His missing limbs. His scars. His hatred of Angel and Evangelion alike. No wonder he was so upset about Machiko's selection.
"But...she's just a kid." Michiru said. "How can we...? You can't ask a child to do this."
"I wish I didn't have to." Misato said. "I also wish I didn't have to ask you to do it. And I wish I didn't have to ask Tai. But wishing doesn't make it so. We need Machiko. She's the only one who has a chance at piloting Unit 15."
"It just doesn't seem right, making someone her age fight." Michiru said.
"I know." Misato said.
* * * * *
Machiko glanced around nervously as her father led her through NERV Headquarters. She had never actually been in the compound before. Her nervousness gave way to excitement as they moved deeper into the underground facility. Soon she would get to see her Evangelion.
The only time Machiko had ever seen an EVA was when the evening news had somehow snuck a reporter out of his or her shelter. They had captured a few minutes of one of the battles. The EVA had been a giant, purple robot. Her dad had freaked out when he saw it, the big robots were supposed to be top secret. She had never seen an EVA again. Machiko wondered what her Evangelion would look like.
The huge, armored door in front of them slid open, sending a blast of cold air into their faces. Beyond the door, a long, low bridge spanned a pool of some red liquid. On the left side of the bridge, standing like a sentry, was Unit 15.
The EVA was entirely silver. Like the purple EVA Machiko had seen on TV, Unit 15 had two large armor plates over its shoulders. But the head was completely different. Unit 15's helmet was entirely featureless; it had neither the toothy mouth nor the protruding horn of the other EVAs. The only features on the giant head were three eyes, arranged in an inverted pyramid on the front of the face.
"Wow!" Machiko whispered in awe. She had never imagined the Evangelion would be so...cool.
"I see you two have met." Machiko turned to see her dad's friend Kensuke walking toward them from the opposite side of the bridge. Surprisingly, walking behind him were two other people Machiko knew.
"Michiru? ...Tai?" She asked. "What are you two doing here?"
Tai smiled. "We just came to say hi." He said. "It's not every day we get a new pilot around here."
"Wait. You guys are pilots?"
"That's right." Michiru nodded.
"Ready for transport?" Her father asked Kensuke.
"All set." Kensuke replied. "We're sending it to the surface in one hour, then a train will take it to the test site."
"Good. I don't want the EVA left unattended for even a second during transport."
"Already taken care of." Kensuke assured him. "I understand you want to be in the control room the whole time."
"That's right." Her father said. "Just in case." He turned to Tai and Michiru. "Would you guys mind giving Machiko a ride home."
"No problem." Tai said.
"You okay with that?" He asked her.
"Sure I guess." Machiko replied.
Her father then mercilessly embarrassed her by hugging her. The *last* thing she needed was hugs from daddy. And in front of Tai, no less!
"I'll be home in a few hours."
"Okay." Machiko said, pulling out of his arms. "See you then."
* * * * *
"So...what's it like?" Machiko asked. She was seated in the back of Tai's car. Michiru got to ride shotgun. "Piloting EVA, I mean." She continued. "What's it like?"
Michiru turned around in her seat to face Machiko. "Well...you feel a lot taller."
"What?" Machiko laughed.
Michiru smiled. "Well it's...it's hard to explain until you've actually done it, but it's like the EVA's body becomes yours. So you don't feel like you're sitting inside it, so much as you feel like you *are* it."
"Weird." Machiko said.
"Yeah." Tai agreed. "It really is."
"And we just go out and...kill these Angels?"
"Well it sounds a lot simpler than it actually is." Michiru said.
* * * * *
"Unit 15 is locked in place." Kensuke said.
"Good." Toji told his friend's holographic image. "Have them run a full diagnostic on the EVA. And I mean full! I want guys in there with microscopes checking individual cells."
"I might not be able to pull that one off." Kensuke said with a slight laugh. "But we'll give it a thorough checkup, don't worry."
"Kensuke."
"Yes?"
"My little girl is going to be piloting that thing. *Don't* tell me not to worry!"
"Point taken."
* * * * *
Machiko fell asleep before her father got home that night. He woke her up early the next morning. Machiko couldn't be sure, but it looked as if her father hadn't even bothered to go to bed.
They drove to the train station in silence and passed most of the train ride the same way. Machiko was desperate to break the silence, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Butterflies, composed in equal parts of excitement and fear, were beating against the walls of her stomach.
The train ride lasted about an hour. A NERV car took them to the test facility. Machiko was surprised to see two Evangelions standing on opposite sides of the underground bunker where the test was to take place. One of them she recognized as the purple one she had seen on TV, but the larger, black one was new. She wondered briefly if Michiru and Tai were already inside the giant mechs.
"What are they here for?" She asked.
"Guard duty." Her father said grimly. He forced a smile. "Just a precaution."
* * * * *
"Corporal, run a full diagnostic on Unit 15." Toji said as he stalked into the control room.
"Sir, I just ran..." Corporal Tanaka began.
"WELL RUN IT AGAIN!"
The young woman shrank slightly from his sharp rebuke and quickly began typing commands into her console, blinking rapidly.
"You okay?" Lieutenant Kusanagi asked quietly.
"I'm fine." Kaori said, rubbing her eyes self-consciously. "Just an eyelash."
"Major." Misato called softly. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"
Out in the hall, Misato turned to face him. "Toji." She said. "I know this isn't exactly your best day ever. But you are making *everyone* insane."
"Look I..."
"Don't talk." She cut him off. "Just listen. No one here wants anything bad to happen to Machiko. But they can't do their jobs if they constantly have to walk on eggshells around you. And if they can't do their jobs, then they can't be any help to Machiko. Okay?"
Toji sighed. Finally he nodded.
"You look like hell." Misato said. "How much have you slept?"
"Slept?"
"Yeah, sleep. You know, that thing where you lie down and lose consciousness for a while."
"There'll be time for that later."
"Okay. There are a couple cots in one of the spare rooms. There's four hours until we need you in the control room. I expect you to spend those four hours asleep on one of those cots."
"Misato..."
"That's an order, Major."
* * * * *
"So what do you think?" Tai asked.
"What do I think about what?" Michiru asked.
"You think everything's going to go okay?"
"I'm not letting myself think anything else." She replied.
"Good plan. So have you seen Machiko?"
"I showed her how the plug suit works." Michiru said. "She's changing now. I haven't had a chance to talk to her though."
"Poor kid." He said. "She must be so scared."
Michiru nodded. "She's hiding it pretty well, but yeah, she's scared. Can you really blame her?"
"No." Tai said. "No, I can't."
Michiru knew what was on Tai's mind, because she was having the same thought. For her and Tai, the first time piloting an EVA had been terrifying. But it had been sudden terror. They hadn't had to live in fear, anticipating the event, like Machiko did.
"At least she won't have to fight today." Michiru said.
"Check me out!" Michiru and Tai turned to see Machiko exiting the locker room. She wore a pale gray plug suit with darker gray highlights along the arms and legs. The young girl was puffed up with pride, displaying the '15' in the center of her chest like a badge of honor. She spun around quickly, making sure they saw all sides of the suit. "Don't I look cute?"
Michiru couldn't help smiling.
"Well?" Machiko demanded.
"Adorable." Tai said.
Machiko looked away, trying to hide the traces of red that were spreading across her cheeks. "Thanks." She said. "I...have to go."
"Yeah." Michiru said. "So do we." She reached over and placed a hand on Machiko's shoulder. "Don't worry. You're going to do fine."
Machiko smiled, clearly still afraid, but not wanting to let Michiru and Tai see it. "Thanks." She whispered.
* * * * *
Toji was asleep on an uncomfortable cot. But in his mind, he was somewhere else entirely.
He was back in 2015. Fourteen years old again and back in the entry plug. This was why he had been avoiding sleep lately. He hadn't had this dream in almost twenty years, until Machiko was chosen as a pilot. Now, whenever he slept, Toji found himself back in that steel tube. Years ago, he had tried to alter his actions in the dream. But it was no use; no matter what he did, the Angel always took control of the Evangelion. He couldn't stop it from hurting his friends. He couldn't fight back when Unit 01 attacked him. The dream always ended the same, just as it had in reality, with the entry plug collapsing around him, crushed in a giant fist.
"Major?"
Toji sat up. Shaking off sleep like it was an unclean thing. Lieutenant Kusanagi stood over his cot.
"I'm awake, Lieutenant." Toji groaned. "What is it?"
"Well...we're ready to start, sir." The young officer said.
"Fine." Toji acknowledged.
"Sir, are you all right?" Kusanagi asked.
"I haven't been having a great week, Lieutenant."
* * * * *
Everything was in place. They were ready to start.
Toji sighed heavily. He turned to Maya. "Okay." He said. "Let's get started."
"Charge LCL." Maya ordered.
"LCL charged." Lieutenant Tanaka replied.
"Commence neural connection."
On the main screen, a series of gray bars began popping up, representing connected nerves.
"Neural connections stable." Minako reported.
"Well, so far, so good." Maya said. "Begin activation."
On the screen, the gray bars were replaced by another set of bars. These bars started off bright red on the bottom-left of the screen and wove their way up and down the board, fading into green as they approached the upper-left corner.
Starting in the first red bar, the chart began to light up, the bars moving slowly toward a line drawn near the middle. The line was situated at the border between the red and green bars. As the lighted bars approached the barrier, Corporal Tanaka began calling off numbers.
"Approaching absolute borderline. Borderline minus 1.9...minus 1.0."
"It looks good so far." Misato said.
"Yeah." Toji agreed, his eyes fixed on the screen. "So far."
"Minus 0.8...0.6..." The bars began to light up more slowly. The line seemed to be struggling toward the borderline.
"Come on." Toji whispered.
"Absolute borderline minus 0.3..." Kaori called. "0.2......0.1..." The first green bar above the border lit up. Slowly, the green bars began to light. "Borderline cleared. Borderline plus 0.5 and rising."
A sigh of relief went through the control room. But Maya frowned slightly.
"Something's wrong." She said. "It should be climbing faster."
"What?"
Before Maya could answer, the bars on the screen began to waver. The entire crew was rooted in place, watching as the bars dipped, rose, and dipped again, before plunging backwards into the red.
"Backflow!" Minako yelled. "The neural connections are breaking off!"
"What's going on?" Toji demanded.
"We're losing control!"
* * * * *
In the test chamber, Unit 15 stirred. Its three eyes flared to life, casting an eerie green glow over the darkened bunker. The EVA strained against its restraints. The sound of twisting metal filled the chamber as the restraining locks began to tear.
The restraints on Unit 15's left arm gave way. The EVA lifted its free arm and grabbed its head, as if fighting a migraine. It balled up the giant hand into a fist and slammed it into the nearest wall, sending huge cracks across the smooth concrete.
The Evangelion shook in its restraints, pounding on the wall of the test chamber with its one free fist. It struggled with all of its considerable strength, trying to break free.
* * * * *
"Cut the power!" Toji yelled. "Eject the entry plug!"
"No good!" Lieutenant Kusanagi replied. "The signals aren't being received."
"Daddy?" Machiko's face appeared on the video link. Her voice was filled with fear. "What's happening?"
"Oh, God...GET HER OUT OF THERE!" Toji yelled.
"Machiko." Maya said. "There's a switch underneath the main control handle. It's an emergency eject system. You see it?"
"Uh huh." Machiko nodded.
"Pull the lever."
Machiko pulled and waited. "Nothing happened!" She cried.
"Pulses are still flowing backwards!" Hisashi said.
"We can't eject." Misato said. "We have to bring it back under control."
* * * * *
"Bring it back?" Minako asked. "Can that be done?"
Maya looked into Misato's eyes. She looked at Toji, trying so valiantly to maintain self-control. And she looked at Machiko, no longer able to put on a facade of bravery, utterly terrified. She knew her answer.
"We have to try." She grabbed two laptop computers and headed for the hallway. "I need Kusanagi and both Tanakas with me. We're going to the test chamber."
The elevator ride down to the chamber was interminable. As they neared the bottom, Maya became aware of a slow, rhythmic pounding. She realized what it was a moment later. The sound came from Unit 15 slamming it's fist into the walls of the test chamber. She turned to her three companions.
"Okay." She said. "We have one chance at this and one chance only. It's dangerous, it's never been attempted before, and it probably won't work. If any of you don't feel up to it, just stay on the elevator."
The elevator hit the bottom floor. Maya stepped out and turned. All three technicians had followed her off the lift. She smiled.
"Here's how it's going to work. Kaori." She handed the young woman one of the laptops. "Through that door you will find a control panel. Hook this into the panel and wait for my instructions. Minako. Go with Kaori, there's a stairway that leads up to a catwalk near the EVA's knees. Activate one of the emergency neural stimulators and hook it into the nerve plexus at the back of the left knee. Hisashi, you're with me."
She led Kusanagi to a smaller lift. "This goes up to the Entry Plug." She said.
"Is it safe up there?"
"Let's see, the building is shaking itself apart, the supports for the catwalk we'll be on are damaged, and, oh yeah, we'll be uncomfortably close to the business end of a berserk EVA. That sound safe to you?"
"Right, dumb question." He said.
Maya smiled. "Look on the bright side." She said. "At least your job isn't boring."
* * * * *
Inside the test chamber, the pounding was so loud that the floor seemed to vibrate with each strike. The Evangelion's feet covered most of the floor of the test chamber. This far down, Unit 15 was still immobilized, though from the look of things, it would not remain that way for much longer. Kaori ran to the control panel as her sister sprinted for the metal staircase that spiraled up toward the EVA's knees.
"Be careful Mina!" Kaori called after her.
"You, too." Minako replied.
Kaori pulled open the access panel and plugged in her laptop. The screen lit up with a diagram of the EVA's control circuits. The entire diagram was flashing wildly, showing all the neural connections between Machiko and Unit 15 as 'disconnected'.
With everything in place, Kaori craned her neck, looking up. Far above her, hundreds of feet up, Unit 15 was still slamming its fist into the wall next to it. Closer to her, Minako was making her way toward the EVA's knee joint.
* * * * *
"What's going on, Misato?" Michiru asked.
"Unit 15 is...out of control." Misato said.
"Oh, no." Tai whispered.
"Machiko?"
"She's fine for now." Misato said. Michiru let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding. "We're trying to regain control. But if we don't..."
"Don't say it, Misato." Michiru said. "There's no way."
"I had a feeling you'd say that." Misato said. "But Michiru...it may be the only way to save Machiko."
"You don't mean...?" Tai asked.
"I won't do it." Michiru said firmly.
"Yes you will, damn it!" Michiru's eyes widened. She had never seen Misato like this. The older woman seemed to calm down a little. "Michiru. Tai." She said quietly. "If Unit 15 manages to break free, then the only way to save Machiko's life...may be to destroy the EVA."
"She'll feel it, Misato!" Michiru said. "Anything we do to the EVA...It'll feel like it's happening to her."
"I know." Misato said. "But at least she'll be alive."
* * * * *
Minako took the metal stairs two at a time. She was out of breath by the time she reached Unit 15's left knee. Casting a glance around, Minako found the panel behind which the emergency neural stimulators for the lower body were kept. Minako pried the panel open and found the right cable. With the free end of the cable, she ran around to the back of the EVA's knee, where a thick sheet of rubber covered the joint in its armor. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small multi-tool, unfolding the knife blade.
Minako hastily unbuckled her belt and unzipped her khaki uniform dress. She slipped out of the dress, leaving it on the floor as far from the EVA as she could. Most of her uniform was inexpensive, but a replacement for the Khaki dress would cost more than she was willing to pay. Clad only in a white tank top and tights, Minako stepped up to the EVA and began a bit of impromptu surgery. She cut a large hole in the rubber joint cover, revealing disturbingly human skin underneath.
"Sorry about this, kid." She said. She shoved the blade of her knife into the pale skin, dragging it across to make a long, deep incision. Blood spilled from the cut. Minako felt her stomach turn at the sight, but she pushed on. This particular job was only going to get nastier.
Taking a deep breath, Minako shoved her hand into the open wound. Her arm sank into the EVA all the way to her elbow. The inside of the Evangelion was incredibly hot, as was the blood that poured out around her arm. She fought another wave of nausea and groped blindly around the interior of the knee until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the bundle of fiber-optic cables and pulled it out, wiping as much blood off of the wires as she could. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the neural stimulator. The two wires fit together perfectly. Minako lay back on the catwalk, away from the flow of blood. After a moment, she got up and headed back to the bottom of the test chamber to help Kaori.
The fiber-optic cables were hooked into the EVA's central nervous system. By plugging the stimulator into the nerve plexus, she made it possible to stimulate the EVA's nerves directly. She didn't know what Dr. Ibuki was planning, but she hoped it would work. And she hoped Hisashi and Dr. Ibuki would be safe, so near the EVA's free arm.
* * * * *
"My God!" Kaori said as her sister descended the stairs, covered in blood. "What happened to you?"
"I had to operate." Minako replied.
"I've got the computer set up." Kaori said. "What now?"
"Now we wait."
* * * * *
The elevator ride to the top of the test chamber took less than a minute. The doors opened and Hisashi saw the EVA. Unit 15 was still rocking back and forth, straining against its restraints, still beating on the wall. The armor and skin over the EVA's knuckles had been sheared away, exposing dull white bone underneath. Blood flowed freely from the wound, dripping down the wall.
"We've got to work fast." Dr. Ibuki said, yelling to be heard over the pounding. "I need you to remove the armor over the entry plug manually."
"Do you think it'll try to attack us?" Hisashi asked.
"I'm counting on the remaining restraints to prevent it from reaching back this far." Dr. Ibuki replied. "But keep an eye on it. Just in case." She added.
A small hatch on the EVA's back hid a large, flat hand crank. He grabbed the handle, made sure there were no giant hands reaching for him, and put all his strength into turning it. After a minute or so of cranking, the hatch on top of the EVA's back swung open. The plug stayed lodged inside the Evangelion, but it's top was exposed.
"Got it!"
* * * * *
Maya nodded and pulled up a videoconference window on her laptop.
"Kaori, can you hear me."
"Loud and clear." Kaori replied.
"Did Minako get that stimulator plugged in?"
"I got it." Minako said from somewhere off screen.
"Okay." Maya said. "I'm going to connect another stimulator to the Entry Plug. Then the two of us need to coordinate to stabilize the nerve pulses. Understand?"
"Got it."
"Good." She changed to a video link to the entry plug. "Machiko?"
"I'm here." The girl said in a quiet, scared voice.
"I'm right above you, okay."
"Open this thing up then!" Machiko screamed. "I want out!"
"Machiko, calm down." Maya said. "We're going to have you out of there in no time. But I need you to help me, can you do that?"
Machiko nodded. "Yeah." She said. "Yeah I think so."
Maya smiled. "All you have to do is concentrate when I tell you to. Imagine yourself completely still and don't think about anything else, understand?"
"Okay." Machiko nodded. "I'll try."
"All right Kaori." Maya said. "I'm attaching the neural stimulator to the Entry Plug now. Get ready."
* * * * *
Kaori knew the second the neural stimulator was connected. The labels on her screen began fluctuating wildly between 'Connected', 'Interrupted', and 'Disconnected'.
"Kaori." Dr. Ibuki said. "We're going to reroute the nerve pulses for the main areas, starting in the head and working our way down."
"Understood."
One by one, Dr. Ibuki used the neural stimulators to run nerve pulses through the various parts of the EVA by way of the entry plug. Each time a new area lit up, Kaori typed furiously at her keyboard, aligning the electrical impulses until they stayed in a fixed pattern. At the same time, Dr. Ibuki worked to keep connected areas from slipping out of alignment.
"Um...Kaori?" Her sister said.
"Little busy!"
"Almost done?" Minako asked.
"You want this done quick or you want it done right?" Kaori replied. Her answer didn't come from Minako. It was the screeching sound of metal being ripped apart. The restraints were giving way. The EVA was almost free.
"I'll take quick." Minako said.
Kaori nodded and launched into another flurry of typing. "Quick it is."
* * * * *
Hisashi grabbed the nearest handrail to avoid falling. The catwalk shook and twisted underneath his feet. Looking down, he saw that the EVA was nearly free.
"Whatever you're doing, do it fast!" He yelled.
"Almost there!" Dr. Ibuki called back. Looking up to where the doctor sat perched on top of the entry plug, Hisashi saw that almost all of the nerve connections had been stabilized. The catwalk shuddered again. Even if the EVA couldn't reach them, it was becoming dangerous to stay up here.
"Machiko!" Dr. Ibuki called. "Concentrate! Focus on staying in control!"
Maya's hands flew across the keyboard. The labels on the screen flashed with blinding speed. A few seconds later, the laptop beeped, all the nerve centers were marked 'Connected'. Unit 15 was back under control. There was no time to celebrate. With a final, tortured groan, the catwalk collapsed.
Hisashi tried to grab on to the Evangelion as he fell. Maya reached out, trying to grab him. Their fingers touched but found no purchase. Maya screamed, but Hisashi made no sound. Even as his body plunged to the bottom of the chamber he was silent. There was no fear in his eyes; only a look of surprise, as if he didn't really believe what was happening. As if he didn't really accept that he was going to die.
* * * * *
"We got Machiko out of the entry plug." Kensuke said. "She's fine, just shaken up. The EVA suffered minor damage. It'll heal on its own."
"Fine." Misato said absently. "And...Kusanagi?"
Kensuke was silent. "He wasn't in any pain." He finally said. "Death was...instantaneous."
* * * * *
Minako sat in silence. She still wore only her bloodstained tights and undershirt. Her uniform dress lay forgotten in the test chamber. The sun was setting and the night was turning cold. She barely noticed when someone pressed a cup of something hot into her hands. Her eyes saw the sun sinking behind the mountains, but in her mind, she just kept seeing Hisashi fall, over and over again.
She looked up when someone draped a thin blanket around her shoulders.
"Commander?" She asked.
Commander Katsuragi sat down next to her. Like everyone else who had spoken to Minako in the past few hours, her eyes were filled with sympathy and pity.
"You looked cold."
Minako nodded and pulled the blanket around her.
"I should...call his mother." She said.
"Lieutenant..."
"We were supposed to have dinner with her tonight. She'll need to know..."
"Minako." The older woman cut her off. "I've already called her."
"I just...I can't believe he's gone."
"The two of you were dating, weren't you?" Minako nodded silently. "Was it...serious?"
"Serious?" Minako let out a short, choked sob. "We were engaged. I mean, not officially. We were waiting until one of us got promoted. But...as soon as we were...secure enough to...start a family..." She broke down, weeping. "Oh God! He's gone! He's really gone!"
Kaori showed up a few minutes later to take Minako home. Reluctantly Minako let go of her commander and allowed her little sister to lead her to the car. Exhausted, both from the day's events and from her grief, she fell asleep before they even made it home.
* * * * *
Late that night, Michiru lay awake next to Tai. Lately, She had been spending more nights in Tai's bed than in her own. Michiru was not usually one to suffer from insomnia, but tonight sleep eluded her.
"Hey? You all right?" Tai asked.
Michiru shook her head "He's dead." She whispered. "We barely knew him but...He was such a nice guy. And now...he's just gone."
"I know." Tai said. "It's not right."
"It's because of the EVA." Michiru said bitterly. "There's nothing good about them! All they do is cause death." She buried her face in Tai's neck, sobbing. "I want this to be over, Tai! I don't want to be a part of this any more!"
Tai put his arms around Michiru, hugging her tightly. "I know." He said. "And it will be. We're going to make it through this, together."
"And Machiko?" Michiru asked. "What about her?"
"Her too." Tai smiled. "We'll keep her safe."
"You're right." Michiru said, laying her head on Tai's shoulder. Her sadness wasn't gone, but she knew it would heal in time. There was something about Tai. Whenever she was with him, she just knew that everything would be all right. Maybe that was just part of being in love with someone. Whatever the reason, it was a feeling she cherished, a refuge from the fear and confusion that had filled her life recently.
* * * * *
Machiko lay in bed crying. She tried to keep her sobs quiet, but she knew she was failing. Sure enough, she heard her father in the doorway a few minutes later.
"Machiko?"
"Go away." She begged him. "I want to be alone." Actually she didn't want to be alone, and she was grateful when her father called her bluff, coming into her room and sitting on the edge of her bed.
"It's okay to cry, you know." He said. "This has been...a hard day."
"It's my fault." She whispered. "That man is dead because of me."
"No." Her dad said. "That's not true, Machiko."
"It is." She insisted. "If I hadn't lost control, they wouldn't have been in there in the first place. He would still be alive."
Her father pulled her into a sitting position and put his arms around her. There was something about the way her father hugged her, the warm skin of his right arm contrasting with the cool metal of his left. It might have disturbed others, but Machiko always associated the sensation with the unique feeling of love and security that only a father could provide.
"Sweetie. You can't blame yourself. It was an accident. It's nobody's fault." He said.
Machiko returned the hug, weeping on her father's shoulder. "I'm scared Daddy!" She cried. "I don't want to pilot the EVA anymore! I'm scared of what might happen!"
"So am I." He said. "So am I."
* * * * *
Somewhere far from Minako's grief, from Michiru and Tai's love, from Machiko's worries about her future, far away, hidden deep in the earth, something stirred. This creature was unlike those that had come before it. It was aware of its surroundings. It understood the true reason for its existence. Slowly, purposefully, a new messenger awoke from its slumber.
The Twenty-third Angel was born.
* * * * *
To Be Continued....
Next Chapter:
NERV is in mourning, but they still have a job to do. Machiko has become a pilot, but is she ready to fight? She thinks so, and disobeys her father's orders, launching into battle against the deadliest Angel yet! It's in the next part, Chapter 0:9- The Children's Crusade!
* * * * *