Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Neon Genesis Evangelion: Altered Destinies ❯ Launch Twenty ( Chapter 22 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: shanejayell 
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.20.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 947 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.20.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 947 | Status: Completed
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Altered Destinies
Launch Twenty
“I confirm it's a Iruel attack!” Ritsuko yelled as alarms wailed within NERV, the computer center busy with typing keys and screens filled with data as she, Maya, Aoba, and Motoko worked frantically, Asuka watching nearby.
“Iruel?” Shinji Ikari asked from the command center.
The black haired young woman was sitting in a monitor seat nervously, the normal bridge staff having been hauled away to assist with the emergency. The pilots had been doing synch tests when the alarm first sounded, then as Ritsuko became more aware of the situation she drafted the bridge crew and left Misato, Shinji and Rei to hold the fort.
“It's a code word we devised to discuss hacking attacks on the Magi computer system,” Misato explained to her as the black haired older woman sat in a monitor seat too, checking over the data flow in systems all through the geofront. “Rits, what's our status?” she asked.
“Our analysis of the attack is still tentative,” Ritsuko cautioned as the blond officer bent over a console studying the data then said, “but it looks like someone slipped a nanite supported infection into NERV when we lost power.”
“Nanite?” Shinji whispered the question over to Rei, gambling that the usually quiet young woman would know.
“Microscopic machines that can be programed for multiple functions,” Rei whispered back as the pale girl monitored the exterior of Tokyo-3 for possible attacks, “They are barely within our capability to create.”
“All right, is the nanite spreading?” Misato demanded, considering possible responses right up to detonating a N2 mine in the facility itself.
“We killed the nanites and vaporized the infected material,” Ritsuko said bluntly, “but the virus itself spread into the Magi. We're trying to contain and remove it, but it's rough going.”
“Move aside, baka,” the watching Asuka finally shoved Aoba aside and began to type. Studying the progression of the virus on the screens she had a basic understanding of it, soon devising counter systems to the virus on the fly. Beside her Maya Ibuki worked as well, watching Asuka's coding then supporting her with her own work.
“Holy shit,” Mokoto blinked, the long haired young man watching them in awe, the screen filling up with their work every few seconds.
“Well, she is supposed to be a genius,” Aoba admitted, the shorter man pushing his hair out of his face as he tried to keep up.
Seeing that her four assistants had the coding well in hand Ritsuko consulted the hardware issues. “Misato, can I have permission to cut the physical connections between the Magi?” she asked, knowing the operations officer had to give permission before they did so.
“If you need to, do it,” Misato gave the order calmly. “We can even deploy a Evangelion to do the chopping.”
“I think that'd be a little excessive,” Ritsuko offered dryly, already having a solution in mind. She walked over to a panel and slid aside a piece of plastic covering up a big red button.
“Why is it always a big red button?” Aoba had to ask, having seen enough science fiction to guess what it might do.
“Style?” Ritsuko answered him with a shrug as she pushed it, triggering several small explosive charges that had been built into the lines connecting the three Magi systems. Even if this had been a intelligent assault on NERV they couldn't stop the bombs, the detonators themselves were hardwired into the system.
Sitting at his desk observing the situation Gendo's face didn't echo the surprise that he felt as they heard the booms. “Did you know she put explosive charges in the Magi?” he asked mildly, looking over at his second in command
Kozo Fuyutsuki stood at attention beside him, the grey haired older man looking rather uncomfortable as he admitted, “No, I did not.” He paused before adding, “Where else do you think she might have planted...?”
Gendo Ikari sighed, his glasses gleaming as he looked off in the distance. “I believe you and your new assistant are going to need to go over Ritsuko's requisitions and expenses for at least the last several months, possibly longer. We need to know how much explosive she acquired and where they went,” he said flatly.
“Yes sir,” Kozo sighed.
“I was also unaware Asuka was that skilled,” Gendo added thoughtfully, planning to take another, much more deeper look at her school records. A pilot with tactical skills was good, but a pilot who knew too much... might be trouble.
Meanwhile, back in the computer lab Ritsuko frowned as she studied the infected Magi computer via a closed link to a isolated terminal. Even if the infection tried to spread once more, it would only get to this terminal, not the rest of the system.
“The virus mutates and evolves at a incredible rate,” Ritsuko noted with a frown, “I would almost think it's alive.”
“Depends on your definition of alive,” Asuka sat back from her coding with a tired sigh, “the way it reproduces and grows, it could be said to be alive.” She smiled wryly as she added, “I'm just glad it doesn't seem intelligent.”
“Commander Ikari,” Ritsuko contacted him formally, “we are going to completely shut down the infected Magi then remove the unit. I intend to do a forensic examination of it, but what do you want done with it afterwards?”
“Destroy it,” Gendo ordered her flatly, “we do not want to risk a renewed infection.”
“Understood,” Ritsuko agreed.
“I've taken a few courses,” Asuka said modestly, “I was glad to help.” Honesty also compelled her to add, “Maya was quite helpful too.”
“Yes, she was,” Ritsuko mused thoughtfully.
Misato gave her lover a look, but decided not to ask just yet. She smiled at Asuka, “Would you like to join us for dinner? There's a new restaurant I was thinking of trying out....”
Asuka had to resist a laugh at that. Both Ritsuko and Misato either didn't have time to cook or couldn't, and nearly lived off of take out or store bought meals. “No thanks,” she refused politely, “I need to get my stuff unpacked in my new apartment.”
“You moved out of NERV housing?” Shinji asked, feeling faintly surprised that she hadn't heard about it yet.
“She put in her request for a housing stipend a few days ago,” Misato told her with a smile, having been the one the request had gone to. “We granted it, of course.”
“And it's less than the rent of that shoebox Gendo stuck her in,” Shinji noted with a frown, knowing that the reduced funds were another way of making Asuka stay put.
“It's not a shoebox,” Rei noted mildly. A slight smile appeared as she added, “A shoebox would have been cleaner.”
Ritsuko snickered, “Good one.”
“Anyway,” Asuka said as they neared the building, “my money plus that of a certain friend was enough to rent a decent two bedroom apartment.” She sighed as she added, “It's in a kind of bad neighborhood, though.”
“How so?” Misato asked.
As they drew nearer they saw a pile of boxes just up the row of apartments from the one they lived in. Suddenly Mana Kirishima stepped out from behind a stack of boxes as she complained, “Asuka, you said you'd help me unpack! Where were you?”
“Something came up at work,” Asuka apologized as she picked up a box.
“You're living together?” Ritsuko blurted.
“We're a bad neighborhood?” Misato yelped before chasing Asuka, “Get back here!”
“Interesting,” Rei noted while Mana just shook her head and laughed, leaning up against the boxes for support.
“Are you all right?” Shinji asked her softly, knowing how battered Mana had been just a few days ago. But she also respected the other girl's independence, and wouldn't call undue attention to her temporary weakness.
“Just stiff,” Mana reassured her, “I'll be fine.”
Shinji looked over at the piles of boxes thoughtfully, “Why don't we lend you a hand? That way you'll both be done faster.”
“Thanks,” Asuka smiled as she came back, a panting Misato following after her.
“Isn't Gendo going to object?” Ritsuko asked both girls curiously.
“Probably,” Shinji mused with a smile, “but what can he do, officially? Jet Alone and NERV are both allies in defending the Earth, at least that's what they both say..”
To be continued....
Notes: Another stab at making Asuka more badass. It's canon she's at least a college graduate, so why wouldn't she have computer skills? I'm also changing canon and making the viral assault man-made, rather than a angel. It always seemed like a kinda lame episode and oddly weak for a angel, in my humble opinion.
Launch Twenty
“I confirm it's a Iruel attack!” Ritsuko yelled as alarms wailed within NERV, the computer center busy with typing keys and screens filled with data as she, Maya, Aoba, and Motoko worked frantically, Asuka watching nearby.
“Iruel?” Shinji Ikari asked from the command center.
The black haired young woman was sitting in a monitor seat nervously, the normal bridge staff having been hauled away to assist with the emergency. The pilots had been doing synch tests when the alarm first sounded, then as Ritsuko became more aware of the situation she drafted the bridge crew and left Misato, Shinji and Rei to hold the fort.
“It's a code word we devised to discuss hacking attacks on the Magi computer system,” Misato explained to her as the black haired older woman sat in a monitor seat too, checking over the data flow in systems all through the geofront. “Rits, what's our status?” she asked.
“Our analysis of the attack is still tentative,” Ritsuko cautioned as the blond officer bent over a console studying the data then said, “but it looks like someone slipped a nanite supported infection into NERV when we lost power.”
“Nanite?” Shinji whispered the question over to Rei, gambling that the usually quiet young woman would know.
“Microscopic machines that can be programed for multiple functions,” Rei whispered back as the pale girl monitored the exterior of Tokyo-3 for possible attacks, “They are barely within our capability to create.”
“All right, is the nanite spreading?” Misato demanded, considering possible responses right up to detonating a N2 mine in the facility itself.
“We killed the nanites and vaporized the infected material,” Ritsuko said bluntly, “but the virus itself spread into the Magi. We're trying to contain and remove it, but it's rough going.”
“Move aside, baka,” the watching Asuka finally shoved Aoba aside and began to type. Studying the progression of the virus on the screens she had a basic understanding of it, soon devising counter systems to the virus on the fly. Beside her Maya Ibuki worked as well, watching Asuka's coding then supporting her with her own work.
“Holy shit,” Mokoto blinked, the long haired young man watching them in awe, the screen filling up with their work every few seconds.
“Well, she is supposed to be a genius,” Aoba admitted, the shorter man pushing his hair out of his face as he tried to keep up.
Seeing that her four assistants had the coding well in hand Ritsuko consulted the hardware issues. “Misato, can I have permission to cut the physical connections between the Magi?” she asked, knowing the operations officer had to give permission before they did so.
“If you need to, do it,” Misato gave the order calmly. “We can even deploy a Evangelion to do the chopping.”
“I think that'd be a little excessive,” Ritsuko offered dryly, already having a solution in mind. She walked over to a panel and slid aside a piece of plastic covering up a big red button.
“Why is it always a big red button?” Aoba had to ask, having seen enough science fiction to guess what it might do.
“Style?” Ritsuko answered him with a shrug as she pushed it, triggering several small explosive charges that had been built into the lines connecting the three Magi systems. Even if this had been a intelligent assault on NERV they couldn't stop the bombs, the detonators themselves were hardwired into the system.
Sitting at his desk observing the situation Gendo's face didn't echo the surprise that he felt as they heard the booms. “Did you know she put explosive charges in the Magi?” he asked mildly, looking over at his second in command
Kozo Fuyutsuki stood at attention beside him, the grey haired older man looking rather uncomfortable as he admitted, “No, I did not.” He paused before adding, “Where else do you think she might have planted...?”
Gendo Ikari sighed, his glasses gleaming as he looked off in the distance. “I believe you and your new assistant are going to need to go over Ritsuko's requisitions and expenses for at least the last several months, possibly longer. We need to know how much explosive she acquired and where they went,” he said flatly.
“Yes sir,” Kozo sighed.
“I was also unaware Asuka was that skilled,” Gendo added thoughtfully, planning to take another, much more deeper look at her school records. A pilot with tactical skills was good, but a pilot who knew too much... might be trouble.
Meanwhile, back in the computer lab Ritsuko frowned as she studied the infected Magi computer via a closed link to a isolated terminal. Even if the infection tried to spread once more, it would only get to this terminal, not the rest of the system.
“The virus mutates and evolves at a incredible rate,” Ritsuko noted with a frown, “I would almost think it's alive.”
“Depends on your definition of alive,” Asuka sat back from her coding with a tired sigh, “the way it reproduces and grows, it could be said to be alive.” She smiled wryly as she added, “I'm just glad it doesn't seem intelligent.”
“Commander Ikari,” Ritsuko contacted him formally, “we are going to completely shut down the infected Magi then remove the unit. I intend to do a forensic examination of it, but what do you want done with it afterwards?”
“Destroy it,” Gendo ordered her flatly, “we do not want to risk a renewed infection.”
“Understood,” Ritsuko agreed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
“Nice job,” Ritsuko congratulated Asuka as the group of women left NERV headquarters together. They had driven a NERV mini-van to a parking lot not far from the apartment four of them shared, and got out to walk. Misato and Ritsuko walked close together as usual, while Asuka, Rei and Shinji tended to bunch together. “I didn't realize you were that accomplished of a computer programmer,” Ritsuko noted.“I've taken a few courses,” Asuka said modestly, “I was glad to help.” Honesty also compelled her to add, “Maya was quite helpful too.”
“Yes, she was,” Ritsuko mused thoughtfully.
Misato gave her lover a look, but decided not to ask just yet. She smiled at Asuka, “Would you like to join us for dinner? There's a new restaurant I was thinking of trying out....”
Asuka had to resist a laugh at that. Both Ritsuko and Misato either didn't have time to cook or couldn't, and nearly lived off of take out or store bought meals. “No thanks,” she refused politely, “I need to get my stuff unpacked in my new apartment.”
“You moved out of NERV housing?” Shinji asked, feeling faintly surprised that she hadn't heard about it yet.
“She put in her request for a housing stipend a few days ago,” Misato told her with a smile, having been the one the request had gone to. “We granted it, of course.”
“And it's less than the rent of that shoebox Gendo stuck her in,” Shinji noted with a frown, knowing that the reduced funds were another way of making Asuka stay put.
“It's not a shoebox,” Rei noted mildly. A slight smile appeared as she added, “A shoebox would have been cleaner.”
Ritsuko snickered, “Good one.”
“Anyway,” Asuka said as they neared the building, “my money plus that of a certain friend was enough to rent a decent two bedroom apartment.” She sighed as she added, “It's in a kind of bad neighborhood, though.”
“How so?” Misato asked.
As they drew nearer they saw a pile of boxes just up the row of apartments from the one they lived in. Suddenly Mana Kirishima stepped out from behind a stack of boxes as she complained, “Asuka, you said you'd help me unpack! Where were you?”
“Something came up at work,” Asuka apologized as she picked up a box.
“You're living together?” Ritsuko blurted.
“We're a bad neighborhood?” Misato yelped before chasing Asuka, “Get back here!”
“Interesting,” Rei noted while Mana just shook her head and laughed, leaning up against the boxes for support.
“Are you all right?” Shinji asked her softly, knowing how battered Mana had been just a few days ago. But she also respected the other girl's independence, and wouldn't call undue attention to her temporary weakness.
“Just stiff,” Mana reassured her, “I'll be fine.”
Shinji looked over at the piles of boxes thoughtfully, “Why don't we lend you a hand? That way you'll both be done faster.”
“Thanks,” Asuka smiled as she came back, a panting Misato following after her.
“Isn't Gendo going to object?” Ritsuko asked both girls curiously.
“Probably,” Shinji mused with a smile, “but what can he do, officially? Jet Alone and NERV are both allies in defending the Earth, at least that's what they both say..”
To be continued....
Notes: Another stab at making Asuka more badass. It's canon she's at least a college graduate, so why wouldn't she have computer skills? I'm also changing canon and making the viral assault man-made, rather than a angel. It always seemed like a kinda lame episode and oddly weak for a angel, in my humble opinion.