Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Practice ❯ Imaginary ( Chapter 17 )

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

The question is on everyone's mind, but I am the only one to voice it. I'm probably the only one with the ability to get away with voicing it.

“Yes, Maya, I am.” Sempai replies. “Asuka's not brain-dead. If we can get EVA-02 to synch with Asuka, there's still a chance she could be able to pilot in some capacity.”

I nod. Having only two pilots, and an inexperienced third, with the very real possibility of an angel attack just around the corner, isn't the most desirable of choices. I watch on the viewscreen as Asuka is loaded into the entry plug, various apparatuses and the like still attached to her. When she is secure, the technicians remove the various tubes from her body as quickly as possible and close the door to the entry plug. “Load the plug.” Sempai commands, and I quickly type in the command.

When the plug is fully loaded, I go through the steps to prepare the plug and the pilot for synch. “Flooding the plug now.” I announce, keying in that command as well.

“How's the pilot's respiration?” Sempai asks.

“Seems normal.” Hyuga replies. “She's able to use the LCL in her current state.”

“Good.” Sempai says with a small sigh of relief. “See if the EVA will sync with the pilot.”

I run through the commands needed to activate EVA, now second nature with twelve Angel attacks and countless drills. “Initiating sync test with pilot.”

I begin walking around. What injuries I seemed to have when I got here have healed, to the point that I can walk around normally, anyway.

I'm no closer to figuring out what this place is — I haven't even really gotten used to how alien it looks. And the grass still makes me think I'm walking around on Wondergirl's head.

I wonder why I don't get hungry or thirsty in this place. I never feel full, but I do feel fed and nourished. In fact, I feel slightly better than I did in the real world.

The backlit sky never darkens, from what I can see. the rainbow-coloured drizzle never stops either. No wind, no change, no nothing. Someone who enjoys peace would love it here.

I can't wait to leave. It's too boring! Nothing ever happens. Just one boring little place. I sigh heavily as I sit and stare out into space, leaning back against the tree.

Suddenly, I get up without thinking about it. “Huh?” I say out loud.

It's not that I meant to get up, and just did -- it was more that I got forced into getting up. Just like my arms are being forced to their sides now. I try to break free, and whatever is holding me is giving slightly. I try with all my strength to free my arms, and slowly they begin to budge.

“EVA-02 is going berserk!” I exclaim, watching the readings pour in. “...Or is it?”

“Sure looks like it.” Misato comments.

“Well, yes, but these readings suggest a perfect synch with the pilot.” I clarify.

“What? That's impossible, why would Asuka want to break out of the bonds?” Sempai asks.

“Ritsuko?” Misato says suddenly. “Can you free Unit-02 easily from those bonds?”

“Yes, but why? If Unit-02 IS going berserk, it's not the time to give it free rein.”

“What if Asuka doesn't realize she's in her Eva?”

I thought about that for a second. “It would explain why she's panicking.” I add.

Sempai seems to fight an internal battle for a few moments. “Sever the ties.”

I'm already keying it in.

All at once, whatever was keeping me immobilized was released. I stumble forward for a second, my arms coming forward to stabilize me... until I hit something on the other side.

Another barrier? I think, running my hand along what feels like some sort of wall.

I meet the edge of the wall. It makes a box that surrounds me on at at least three sides. I continue to feel my way around, turning to my left.

Everyone is holding their collective breath to see if Unit-02 will do anything more than simply act like it's blind. As soon as the bonds were removed, it stumbled forward, hit the opposite wall, then started to feel around.

Unit-02's finger finds the ridge of the window, and it acts surprised. Then, it begins to tap on the glass in some kind of pattern.

The MAGI whir to life suddenly. A viewscreen switches to the MAGI's output. A series of dots and dashes appear... “Wait a second, isn't that morse code?”

The translation of the tapping seems to support it. It... Asuka is spelling out Romaji. “Watashi... no... namae... wa... Asuka... desu...”

My name is Asuka. I think, tapping out the sequence of morse code on what feels like some sort of window. I wait for some response, anything, but nothing seems to come.

I continue moving around, trying to see if I can recognize where I am. I can't remember being in a room this small...

Wait a second.

I walk back to where I was first immobilized. I can feel some sort of restraint where my arms should be. My eyes widen. I seem to be in the Evangelion Sync Room!

I find my way to the window and begin tapping again. “Asuka... is... in...”

“...Unit...02?” Misato reads from the panel.

“She understands where she is.” I comment. “We need to find a way to communicate with her.”

“She appears to only have one sense available to her, touch.” Ritsuko thinks aloud. “Can you send a false signal to her nerves?”

I blink, then run through most of the mental manual I have for this control panel. “I think so. You want to send morse code back?”

“Yes. Translate the following message into Morse Code and send it... `Yes... you...”

“...are... in... Unit... 02... stop... you... are... in... coma... stop...” I say aloud, translating what the person at the other end of this conversation is tapping onto my right palm somehow. Coma? How? I continue to look at my right palm as I tap with my left hand. “Who... is... speaking... to... me?”

The tapping resumes. “Ritsuko... with... Misato... and... crew... stop... you... are... in... EVA... for... synch... test... stop.”

Makes sense. I guess my brain waves are still being picked up. I think about what to say next, but before I do the tapping begins once more. “Are... we... correct... in... assuming... you... only... have... touch... sense?”

I sigh, as I know this'll be a long response. “No... I... have... all... five... senses... only... touch... connects... to... real... world...” Yeah, like they're going to understand that.

“Clarify.” They ask.

“I... am... in...” I pause. Where am I? “Location... unknown... stop... purple sky... blue grass...”

I can just imagine the entire room blinking at what I just told them.

I blink seemingly in unison to everyone else. “Purple sky? Blue grass?” I ask, not really expecting a response.

“...Maybe it's some sort of dream world, a little microcosm Asuka has created for her own mind.” Sempai suggests.

I look back at Unit 02, seeming to stare at its right palm while resting its left hand on the window. “So that's why her brain activity seems normal.” Sempai says suddenly.

“What?” I ask.

“Asuka's brain activity readings give the impression that she's awake, even though she's clearly in a coma. I guess it's just that her consciousness is... elsewhere at the moment.”

“Like an out-of-body experience?” I ask.

“Sort of, but the out-of-body part is removed from that.”

“How do we get her back, then?”

“If we can't get Asuka to retreat out of her own mind, then we can't. The only good thing is, we now have a way of communicating with her, so if we can think of a way to help Asuka, we can tell it to her directly.”

I nod. “We need some time to think. Send this message...”

“Thinking... of... way... to... help... you... get... out... of... Imaginary... world... stop... Until... then... return... you... to... other... world... stop.” Return me... I'm already here!

Oh... she means she's going to take me out of my Eva again. “Yokai.” I tap out.

I stand up straight and wait for Ritsuko to unsynch me. When she does, it doesn't feel much different, except for the fact that I don't feel that I'm walking around in shoes.

“Great, so I'm still stuck here for the moment.” I say to myself, looking around the landscape for the ten millionth time. “Guess there's nothing to do but climb that blasted tree again...”

---

Now, I'm not even sure I'm going to do anything with Asuka, but if I do at least I have some backup to how it's all possible. I'll return you to your regularly scheduled Ambivalence next chapter. Oh, and the reason it's all one scene here is because I didn't want to have to fill up this chapter with a page worth of line breaks.

Onwards to chapter 18!