Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0 The Impression of a Moment Neon Genesis Evangelion is copyright Gainax/Project Eva. Parts of this work were adapted from the scripts as translated by the "Literal Translation Series." Caution: This contains spoilers for Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes 18 and 19. (The dialog is from 19 and makes reference to events that occur in 18.) "The interlocking circuit has been cut," Maya reported, not taking her eyes off her station, ignoring the looming image of Unit One. "What about the ejection signal?" Fuyutsuki asked. "It's been locked out from the plug side." Maya answered. "It's not being received." Makoto addressed Shinji from the station where he sat. "But Shinji, if we hadn't done that, you'd have been finished." Quietly Shinji responded, from inside the entry plug. "That's not my concern." "But it's also a fact." Makoto offered. Shinji still used the same quiet voice. "Don't make me more angry." He checked one of the status displays. "Unit One still has one hundred and eighty-five seconds left." Maya stood to address Shinji. "Shinji, listen. Without Commander Ikari's decision, everyone could have been killed. "I'm saying that's not my concern!" Shinji shouted, his hands shaking from rage. "My Father... That man was going to kill Touji." He slammed his hand down on one of the handles. "...using my hands." ---------------------- Then, Shinji's voice echoed through the massive control room. "Father, you're there, aren't you. Say something! Answer me!" Gendou's response was not directed at Shinji, but at the NERV crew on the platform below. "Raise the LCL pressure to the maximum." Maya glanced over her shoulder, to look at the commander. "I have no time to waste on an impossible child." "No." It was Maya who said this, quickly tapping out a command on the keyboard of her station. Fuyutsuki looked at Maya. "Are you refusing the commander's authority?" "Yes... there's a limit to what... even the commander... to his own son..." Maya was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what she had done. She knew, vaguely, the consequences of what she had done, but went with the guards that came for her. Just before the door, she stopped and faced the commander. "You'll have to waste the time for your son." The door slid closed behind her. ------------ Shinji didn't hear this, in the entry plug of Unit One, but he did have something to say. "I have a connection to this Evangelion!" He paused, and continued in a softer voice. "I suggest that you make time." ------------ Makoto, not knowing what to make of Maya's insubordination, threw his attention onto the equally confused displays. "We've lost all telemetry from Unit One... All command channels have been cut. The encryption sequencer has been reset..." He turned to face his superiors. "All we have is the audio connection that was already open." "I see." Fuyutsuki turned to face the image of Unit One, and the audio channel was opened. "Shinji. Don't act too..." Shinji's voice, coming from the speakers, interrupted him. "No. One man is responsible... And it is him that I must speak to." Shinji's strangely relaxed voice echoed from the walls of NERV command. "Unit One is starting!" Makoto shouted, in stark contrast to Shinji's tone. ------------ The Evangelion began moving, ripping the locks holding its arms from the wall. The hoses carrying hydraulic fluid to the various lock bolts ruptured, spewing forth the black fluid they once held. The bolts themselves sprang open, causing the chunks of wall clinging to the eva to fall to the ground. ------------ Fuyutsuki barked orders to the NERV personnel. "Seal Central Dogma! Evacuate all personnel in corridors between here and the cages. Evacuate the MAGI personnel! Put the geofront on maximum alert." Gendou remained silent. Sirens blared as NERV went to alert. Doors slammed shut, huge armor plates slammed into place. People ran to the shelters, ones designed for the contingency that the geofront would be invaded, ones that they had hoped would never be used. NERV prepared for a threat that it was hoped it never would have had to face. ------------ The metal buckled, not due to Shinji's scream, but due to the force of the fist of the Evangelion smashing into it. With the horrible sound of twisting metal, the door to the Evangelion cage fell. Unit One stepped through the threshold, into the massive corridor. ------------ "Eva One has left the cage." Makoto was growing increasingly agitated. "Evacuation is complete... All armor plates are closed and locked. Unit One is approaching... It's over the central shaft." The screen changed to display the location of the eva in relation to the command center and the armor plates in between. Unit One stood over the shaft for several long seconds. Fuyutsuki wondered what Shinji was up to. "AT field detected!" Shigeru shouted, giving the answer. "Unit One has deployed its AT field! Armor plates one and two destroyed." They watched the main screen, seeing Unit One plummet the two levels. "AT field has collapsed." ------------ Unit one stood on the seventh armor plate. Shinji waited a second, then deployed the AT field. As if the physical expression of his anger, the field reached downward, smashing the armor plate. ------------ "How much longer?" Fuyutsuki had put up all the barriers he could. From here on, it was merely a matter of times. How long it would take the Evangelion to get here, and how much power it had left in it's battery. "He's reached the final armor plate! It's a matter of seconds now!" Shigeru was handling the reporting of Unit One's progress through the base. "Battery Status?" Makoto fielded this one. "Unknown... Without telemetry, there's no way to tell how much power he used with the AT field." "He's through the final barrier! Heading this way!" Shigeru interjected. The representation of Unit One on the screen moved closer to the command center. It moved closer, until it was impossible to distinguish it from the wall of the control center. Then the screen exploded into a shower of glass and electronic parts. The image was replaced by that of the Evangelion, which was using that wall to enter the command center. ------------ Gendou stood up, as if to address the Evangelion. But, it was his son that spoke first. "Father.... " "I have nothing to say to you." This served only to anger Shinji. In one movement, Unit One reached out and picked Gendou up, holding him in it's hand. There was silence for several seconds, until Gendou spoke. "Time is running short. If you're going to do it, do it now." ------------ Shinji sat in the darkened entry plug, staring at his clenched fist. ---------------------- Then, Shinji's voice echoed through the massive control room. "Father, you're there, aren't you. Say something! Answer me!" Gendou's response was not directed at Shinji, but at the NERV crew on the platform below. "Raise the LCL pressure to the maximum." Maya glanced over her shoulder, to look at the commander. "I have no time to waste on an impossible child." ------------ "I still have a direct connection..." Shinji's words were cut off by the crushing increase in the LCL pressure. He slowly cursed to himself as his thoughts faded into blackness. 1.0 29 June 1997 2.0 27 July 1997 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments are always welcome at 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. 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