SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT
Ritsuko eyed the six monoliths whose yellow symbols glowed in the darkness which represents the three men and three women who made up the UN council as she spoke. “This is what I said was going to happen!” She raised her hand. “I said bringing back the destroyer of world was bad and you all ignored me, now look what’s just happened!” Seele one spoke his dark tone hitting the air. “It was dead our tests said it was stone we believed it had no power!”
Gendo looked up. “It would appear that it is still alive it was trying to reach out to its forma master.” Seele two spoke though her voice was deadpan. “That is incorrect it was reaching to links in its past and the German girl was not its only master.” She paused. “We thought with the creation of the Spears Of Destiny the Lances of Longinus would lose there hold over forma owners, because that is what is written in the dead sea scrolls.”
Seele three spoke his tone filled with concern. “But there is the fact that the second Lance is still lost we have no idea where the German girl tossed it in the last cycle and it’s been out of our sight for a long time one lance cannot bring about our doom only two can.”
Seele four spoke though her voice was as cold as ice. “We knew that we might have these issues though so we prepared well ahead.” Gendo turned as the floor opposite rose and he caught sight of the six devices coming in to view all round in shape flashing in colours of yellow and white under them was a thick black collar which wasn’t turned on. “What are these?” Seele five spoke his tone filled with distain. “Insurance if you will, these devices need to put in side all of the entry plugs there technology is far from your understanding but they will disrupt the signals from the Lances.”
Seele six spoke her voice unlike the others was calm and collected. “They will stop the disruption the Evangelion experienced, that disruption means the cores souls are no longer in culmination with the pilots its why none of them could reach out to their children.” Gendo looked up. “But the British, Chinese and Ukraine pilot were not affected.” Seele six spoke again. “Yes they were but for people who have never grasped a lance the effects are different and we won’t risk their units behaving the same way.”
Seele three spoke his tone still uncertain. “We always believed Keel would try this because Ouroboros has more resources yet we are now facing Ankh who we have underestimated and we know little about them apart from there leader who is a woman who calls herself pharaoh our spies speak of them owning a form of air ship powered by a type of AT field but we have yet to see it in the flesh.”
Seele one spoke his tone still just as dark. “They clearly stole the DNA from Bardiel’s tongue to build there hybrid that is both angel and Evangelion we’ve now updated the Magi system personally so it can read their signature though your workers could have done it, it would have taken too long. It’s also clear that, the hybrid unit is in primal form which is unnatural as transcendence from one form to another should be natural this means they must have a very mental disciplined pilot to handle the mental stain, as it will great. This means that whoever built that foundation has links with the Evangelion program and we believed all loose ends had been tied up regarding this which means one escaped our notice.”
Ritsuko eyed the black collar moving her hand towards it. “What’s this for?” Seele three spoke up his sharp tone hitting the air. “Do not touch that!” Ritsuko pulled away. “You said everything here was to help us.” She watched as another floor section rose up showing a strange filming device which looked like a tripod standing old nineties style professional video camera though its lenses was a gleaming silver colour and it had coloured veins of gold running through it.
It had no film reel instead it had twenty different coloured filters made of glass which could pushed in, in a line on top of the camera. Another section of the floor rose up which was a tall shelf which had open medical cases on each section which had every odd looking medical devices in them and syringes but they looked other worldly.
Seele six spoke again her voice still just as calm. “These medical items and the collar are both items that you should pray to your gods we never have to use, they are last resorts after we returned from instrumentality in our last cycle we had these made as soon as your technology was good enough this why they look outdated to you a decade before would not have done the job it had to be as soon as you reached your technological age, but this deceive is one we don’t like to use as there things humans are not meant to see, we are your protectors we keep some things from you for a very good reason as we have all experienced horrors beyond your wildest dreams.”
Inside the Vatican’s secret library Vienna
When you’re a god you can bypass the laws of time as morals pass you by you can move so fast that they are out of your line of sight yet you can slow the world to a crawl and see things going on in different times and places. Though nothing really changes for me I still enjoy reading books I’ve read in Library’s on every continent from the British Library to the still standing library of Alexandra which they stopped from burning in this cycle and forced the Christians back after the death of Hypatia who they used as a martyr to gain revenge and a keep their foot hold.
Its why in this cycle the one god religions are not as powerful and they are now even more at the mercy of falling out of favour with humanity. Because the angels landed and one followed another proving that walking gods are not single but are plural, thus the multiple god religions have gained a huge popularity all a new they were always popular before though they had remained and modernized themselves but now they sit like a gold pillar commanding the world.
Christianity and Roman gothic has suffered and the Vatican hates the Evangelion program the y believe it rid them of followers and they always refuse help to Nerv they keep their secret documents stashed away. They shouldn’t stash such secrets of importance I move my finger seeing thousands of books and scrolls open at once as there pages flip at lightning speed as I read them all at once.
I can see thousands of words written fleeting in front of my eyes as I open more scrolls and books replacing others it’s not as interesting as Alexandra but it is fascinating. Human history in the blink of an eye different perspectives, different truths, miss truths and outright lies. I recall in my beginnings always enjoying reading and my desire to read and explore has only become more as time has gone on I crave to understand and to know more god hood did not diminish this for me when I returned to this world.
I thought it would be maybe the truth is as I travelled through galaxies and universes I realized that though reading these stories and histories was fascinating it wasn’t the same as being back in my own universe reading books. Maybe it’s the smell of them even the feel I know my human counterpart in this world who is the reincarnation of the first Rei who created me in the first cycle and gave me all her godly power in the last cycle.
Twenty cycles have passed now but my counterpart still read books like me it seems like no matter how many times, time resets in human instrumentality and history repeats some things remain the same while others become different and though we very different in appearance. It fascinates me how another version of me is the same be they clone or human. It proves that there is endless wonder in the tones and shifting of the cycle and they create very different combinations, she is Rei and I am Rei but we could not be more different and that’s the beauty of creation.
I find my hand moving as I stop reading all off the books suddenly bringing a single scroll floating down as I eye it feeling my stomach turn, as I flick my finger sending it flying across the room. As much as I like the norm I really dislike that scroll it turns up in every universe, it gets to me how this writer keeps showing up over and over and there are times when I wonder if galaxy is more alive than I am and likes its irritating and debasing jokes on immortality.
8
Misato let her gaze shift over her holographic screen she had been waiting her for Ritsuko to return from Seele and she was starting to get bored. No matter how much data she looked over from the specialists and Maya nothing made any sense the figures just didn’t add up it was so fucking frustrating. Not to mention that Asuka had been scanned because her brain waves had for a second gone so strange it made no sense to anyone in the command desk something about the fact that the 02 was getting the error code for the wrong pilot but not rejecting her.
The Lance was meant to dead that was what she had been told so why now was this shit happening? Asuka was the forma destroyer of worlds she could understand her unit getting affected by not 00 and 01 what was it about them that had caused them to be affected as well? Oh there were so many questions none of which she had any answers to.
She’d been told that all of the pilots had been sent home hours ago and all would need downtime tomorrow to recover while the units were checked over and their guns reloaded. She looked up watching as Kaji appeared he gave her a wave before opening the door and stepping in to her office. Kaji walked up to her taking a seat opposite as his smile widen as he looked at her holographic screen. “Still crunching the numbers I see?”
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Misato eyed him taking in a deep breath. “Nothing makes sense Kaji I feel like I’m reading some other language.” Kaji brought his tablet flicking the two images on it on to her desk before putting the tablet down. “Then you’re going to like this even less.” Misato watched as two brain scans appeared. “Maya asked me to bring this to you the right one is Asuka’s from her current scan.” Misato eyed the other scan. “What’s this one then?” Kaji pointed to the scan. “That’s Asuka but it’s not our Asuka.”
Misato eyed the scan. “That makes no sense Kaji…” Kaji leaned closer. “The Magi formed this scan based on those readings the Evangelion wasn’t going berserk because it was still Asuka in there but one the unit couldn’t recognise and I can tell you now this brain is very different it’s firing differently and it doesn’t match our Asuka’s.”
He paused not liking what he was going to say next. “This brain has, had serious damage at some point there is evidence of extreme trauma but it’s not to the central lobe but it shows that she might not have been able to walk right on one leg, which we can’t say and there’s really awful damage to the brains stems cord and it hasn’t been repaired correctly it was clearly a rush job enough that she could walk but what state she was in we’ll never know.”
He eyed the scan. “I’m no doctor but I know work like this gets you jailed up for life it’s unethical even more so when you’re dealing with someone’s brain so whoever did this was never held to account but it means that she had pain for the rest of their life down her spine.” He put a hand on beard. “It gets worse this is the brain of a sixteen year old girl not a twenty three year old woman and she died at that age the Magi are deeply certain off this all four of them agreed on it without question.”
Misato eyed the scan. “So this Asuka could be the one our Asuka drew in those images of the unit ascending in the past cycle?” Kaji closed the image. “It’s very possible but from this we have no idea what her personality was like it’s impossible to tell from this and we can’t recreate her on the hologram stand life size as we have no blood or tissue samples so we have no idea what she looked like ether.”
Misato turned to look at him. “It sounds like her life was tragic and very short.” Kaji raised his hand taking hers. “Sadly it would seem so she was still a child at death she never saw adulthood like our Asuka did.” Misato looked down sadly. “Now that you know the truth about these cycles do you ever think about the versions of us that came before us, you know if they were happy or if they ever got together?”
Kaji felt a sad smile form as he shifted his chair closer. “Yes from time to time but I don’t dwell on it, things like that can screw with your mind.” He eased up a hand putting it on her face. “I just enjoy the here and now it’s just easier.” Misato looked at him for long moment she couldn’t help her next actions and she was kissing him before she could stop herself she was getting sick of hiding their romance in lifts or out of sight she just wanted to break the rules she wanted to feel that spark of youth and feel like a teenager all over again.
She wanted to play around in the way Shinji, Kaworu and Asuka and Rei were doing as that was what she was jealous off it had just taken her some time to work it out it was that care free feeling of inner carefree teenager which she’d lost due to so many bad relationships before this.
She felt him suddenly push back as the sexual game of tug of war started and Kaji clearly wanted it as he grabbed at the blind close by causing it to fall giving them much more privacy from the dock workers working on the units below. They both stood up as his knee suddenly found its way between her legs as they both stood up as his other hand found her chest as he started to move it sensually.
“You’re both meant to be doing work in here not having sex!”
Misato snapped her head around watching as Kaji face turned to pure anger as he pulled away she turned back seeing Ritsuko in the doorway. She took in a deep breath adjusting her clothing feeling all sexual feeling die in a heartbeat. She felt her teeth grind together as she spoke seeing Kaji adjust himself. “You know you’re meant to knock!” Ritsuko eyed her in disgust. “I don’t need to knock my position is higher than yours.” Kaji folded his arms. “Was there something important to your visit here or is this just a social call?”
Ritsuko closed the door behind her as she smirked speaking in a dark tone. “What’s wrong Kaji did I ruin your game of hide the sausage?” She paused ignoring his look of utter distain as she pulled out her tablet. “No I’m here because of you just hired!” Misato breathed in deeply. “You said I could hire who ever I wanted for the command post so I hired Sumire!” Ritsuko looked up slightly. “I’m not talking about her! Who you hired was your choice and you picking some reject that is your choice, no I’m talking about Chilam the fruit cake from Canada!”
Misato folded her arms leaning on her desk. “Oh please she’s a brilliant scientist she worked on the Mass Eva program till it folded, I thought she would be great to pair up with Vitor, since he’s very depressed at the moment and not working as well as he could be and trying to pair him with other scientists has been fruitless as they don’t understand the level of genetics involved in the Archangels as there so different to the Evangelions.” She turned slightly. “Chilam does and her field isn’t that different to his as she created the mass Evangelion prototypes without cores the only difference is he clones she creates from with none cloned sources.”
Ritsuko moved a step closer. “Chilam is a reckless lunatic who blows up labs and doesn’t play by the rules there’s a reason she never got hired back in to the private sector and had to work in the public it’s because she caused issues, it why we have rejected her CV countless times!” She was about to say more only for Maya to suddenly burst in through the door her voice hitting the air. “You hired Chilam are you out of your mind?!” Misato turned to her. “Not you to, you know she already said this to me!”
Maya turned eyeing Ritsuko who gave her a dirty look. “She did?” Misato breathed in deeply. “Yes it would appear that for the first time in seven years you two agree with each other on something.” Maya put her hands in her lab coat pockets. “Well as much as I hate to say this she’s right Chilam is out of her mind, she’s a danger to everyone is the science division.”
Misato put a hand on her face. “Most of the people in the science division are eccentrics who have to be tethered down by you Maya since you liaison with them all of the time so I don’t see the problem.” Kaji turned slightly. “I don’t see the problem ether I mean we work with difficult people all the time.” Maya looked up sharply. “We are not taking about a difficult person here we are talking about a lunatic whose actions have nearly cost people their lives.”
Misato eyed her for a long moment. “Look I need her because she can do what she does and she’s the only one who can work with Vitor, she’s the only person who has that level of understanding of his Archangel work. I mean Seele is trying to find the other missing scientist’s but time is short and today’s battle was just a lucky break we all know that if we’d have had two or even three Archangels it might have been different along with the new added bonus of that new hybrid Evangelion.”
Maya breathed in deeply hating that Misato was right and even she couldn’t deny it. “Fine you’ve made your point I’ll move them both to a lab where there less likely to cause problems but you know Vitor’s going to blow up over this he likes working alone.” Misato eased up her hand. “Yes I’ll deal with him personally.” Ritsuko turned eyeing Maya. “Oh you’re just going to agree with her now…you know you never agreed with me that easy when you worked under me.”
Maya turned slightly meeting the other woman’s cold gaze. “The fact that I ever worked under you is something I prefer to forget ever happened.” She moved towards the door opening it sharply. “Now if you’ll excuse me I have things to do, like setting up a lab for them that’s so out of the way so no one will get hurt.” Ritsuko watched as she left she turned back remembering why she was actually here.
She eased up the small suit case in her hand walking up to Misato’s desk dropping it on it not caring that it sent some of her papers flying. “This is from Gendo he wants them installed tonight they go in the entry plugs that’s all of them.” Misato watched as she stepped back she eyed the case looking at the six round black glowing circular items. “What are these?”
Ritsuko smirked as she looked at her. “That’s need to know and you don’t need to know all that you need to know is that the orders are from Seele and the specialists will know where they go.” She stepped back. “So I’d get to it and not distract your selves again tonight.” Misato watched as she left closing the door behind her hard she grabbed a folder throwing it violently at the closed door watching as the papers went flying everywhere. “Fuck off bitch!” Kaji shook his head. “I hate that woman.”
Misato sat down in her office chair picking up one of the glowing objects moving it between her fingers as she felt her anger slowly fade away. “You know you should go home Kaji, I mean your shift is over.” Kaji sat down pulling up the chair. “No I’ll stay until we get this done plus I need to set up Sumire’s panel she has no holographic image during the fight it meant the pilots couldn’t see or hear her. I need to get that sorted its due to the hologram desk as it was downloaded and wiped by the Special ops division after Makoto’s arrest so it needs her personal information putting in to it.”
Misato turned to him. “How is she doing because she wasn’t doing so well when I bought her back to Nerv central?” Kaji breathed in deeply. “She very quiet, myself Maya and Shigeru were having breakfast with her to make her feel more welcome but she didn’t open up to us at all, maybe it’s because she spent so long in the down below area that being up here is jarring and surreal now.” He paused before speaking. “She’s clearly very good at her job though and you were right to pick her she knows just what she was doing.”
Misato put a hand on his. “Her wounds won’t heal overnight but I hope in time she’ll get better.” Kaji picked up one of the strange devices. “Yeah I agree she just needs more time, I think she’s been through hell this past year and it’s just gotten to her and it’s safe to say we both know what that’s like.” Misato nodded. Yeah I guess we do.” She eyed the device again. “So you want to come with me down to the docks so we can fit these, whatever they are?” Kaji felt a wide smile form. “With pleasure, with both of us working it will get done much faster.”
End of part 16
Silvermoonlight