Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neon Genesis Evangelion 1.0 A Time for Reflection, a Time for Action. Spoilers for episode 21, although you probably guessed them much earlier. Continuity isn't respected. Evangelion is copyright GAINAX/Project Eva. You can find all my stuff archived at http://www.tr.ml.org/~tom/fanfics. Send your comments to tom-cnc@tr.ml.org. Gendou stepped into a control room filled with havoc. Klaxons wailed, people shouted, many of the computer screens were filled with red. The huge screen at the other end of the control room showed Unit One, as it strained at its bindings. "Shinji?" Gendou asked, wondering if his son would betray him again. Ritsuko was the most senior person in the command center, save for Gendou. "The Entry plug hasn't been inserted." "AT Field detected!" The shout rang out, even over the mass of voices in the control room. "Type.... Blue!" "Arm safeguards. Prepare to destroy the core." "Do no such thing." The force in Gendou's voice forced Ritsuko to turn around. "You may stop it by any other means, provided the core remains intact." "Sir?" "You have your orders, Doctor." She turned from him to issue orders to the NERV staff, but he hardly noticed. His gaze was fixed on the image of Unit One, as it tore away the bindings. He didn't see the savage robot, though. Instead, he saw the face of his wife. It had been years since he saw her face. After her death, he had destroyed all of the pictures he had of her. He sometimes regretted that, even if he would hardly admit it to himself. If he had known what his wife would do, that day, he would never have allowed her to go near the Evangelion. But yet, would he have been able to stop her? He had spent the past decade attempting to undo the events of that day, and it seemed that the results of his work would soon be at hand. But now, it seemed that that moment would never be. He had a choice to make. The soul of his wife, or the destruction of humanity. He had made his decision long ago. And since then, he had devoted his every moment to that end. But would Yui have wanted it? He watched with a dispassionate eye the events unfolding. He wanted to think that she thought that their love was more important than the fate of mankind. But, from somewhere, he realized that it was false. When she had entered the Evangelion, aware of the risks, it was because she valued him, and more so the fate of man. He had managed to keep some part of her alive for all these years. But then her existence didn't have such a terrible price. Gendou would question his decision for the rest of his life. But he made a decision, and then he acted. "Destroy the core." In the flurry of action caused by those words, nobody noticed the whisper that followed. "I'm sorry." 1.0 19 Oct 1997 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Send comments to tom-cnc@tr.ml.org. Tom's STANDARD FANFIC COPYING POLICY (tm). Version 1.1 Want to repost or archive this? Just follow these rules: 1) Don't change the content, although formatting is ok. You can translate it into html, just don't go inserting your own paragraphs, or changing words (even spell-checking). If you want to translate this, you have far too much free time on your hands. Mail me. 2) Bill me as "Tom ", despite what email address you see this coming from. 3) Leave these disclaimer intact. This applies to all my fics that have been released (either posted to to a mailing list other than FFML, or to rec.arts.anime.creative). You don't need to send me mail to ask permission to archive this, but it might be a nice gesture to let me know you did it. You may use this version of the Copying Policy, or any later version.