Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Second Coming ❯ Introductions, Part 1 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four: Introductions, Part 1

 

It looked familiar. It smelled familiar. It even felt familiar.

But the moment I felt the entry plug corkscrew its way into the Eva's spinal column, I knew my life was changed forever.

Nervousness all but had a stranglehold on me at that moment. What if nerves was really what was Toji's undoing? No. Ignore that. Toji doesn't have Eva 03 in this timeline. You do.

What if Bardiel is already possessing Sangouki?

Then it's been fun, and I guess I'll be meeting my maker again real soon.

"Cut out the what ifs and just do what you've always done," I muttered to myself within the LCL bath.

"Say again, Pilot?" Andrews asked over the comm link.

"Nothing, Doctor," I told her. "Just trying to quell my nerves. I'm ready."

"All right. This will be only an activation test, so we're not going to release any of the locking restraints. Don't be alarmed when you feel like you're immobilized."

Tell San that, I silently shot back. After a second, as the crews continued their checklists, I realized, No. That's your job. That's the entire reason you're here, Jill.

Vaguely aware of the startup procedures taking place before me, I shut my eyes and issued a thought. I did the same as if I was thinking something to myself - I didn't know any other way how to do it. Um.. hello. I am Jill.. I am here.

I felt a presence turn its attention towards me - the eeriest thing I have ever experienced before or since, and that includes standing in ethereal space looking down at my dead body on the side of a rally stage. Rather than words or sentences, I felt expressions, or sensations. What I first felt was confusion.

Don't be alarmed. Please. I'm here to be your partner. I'm a friend.

Confusion gave way to surprise, and I was peripherally aware that the Eva's batteries and external power supplies were now connected and charged. They're not harming you.. they're helping us. You and me. They want us to communicate.

No change in the feelings I was getting came, so I went on. It's my purpose to link with you and help you function. I didn't mention Angels at that point, or what function we were intended to do. I want you to.. no.. I invite you to open to me, as I am opening to you.

The surprise and confusion were mixed together at that point, as I heard the techs talking about absolute borderline. A sensation of curiosity probed out towards me.

I sat and tried to let things happen as they would, and the curiosity was suddenly replaced with what I can only describe as reluctant acceptance. In the background, I heard someone exclaim, low and slow, "Good Lord.."

"What?" I asked, opening my eyes and speaking up, alertly. The speaker had been the tech manning the main control station.

"It's all right," Dr. Andrews said. "How do you feel?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Odd," I confessed. "Stiff."

"Likely because the Eva is still locked down," she said. "That kind of 'stiff'?"

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed.

"Well, the activation test is complete. Eva 03 is now activated. Congratulations."

"Really??" I blurted out. "Great!"

"Well done," she nodded. "Do you want some time to get your bearings before we shut down?"

"Yes please," I nodded. "Though not much time. The locked-up sensations make me feel uneasy."

Dr. Andrews nodded and turned away, letting the techs monitor me and letting me think through my experience.

Are.. are you still there? I asked, getting, after a pause, a sensation of attention in response.

Thank you, I thought into the void of my mind, smiling outwardly.

The only response I experienced was continued confusion, as it had been through the entire experiment.

 

It wasn't until I was in the shower that I realized I hadn't even thought about Bardiel or any other thing that could go wrong, throughout the entire test. And it had been pulled off without a hitch.

My status as the Fourth Child was rock solid now. My foot wasn't just in the door; I'd kicked it down and charged in, guns blazing.

To say that I was in an upbeat mood was a severe understatement. Humming tunelessly as I got dressed, I was already looking forward to the next day, when (I hoped) I would get to do another activation experiment. I wanted to sit out in the desert somewhere and do nothing but talk to my Eva. My Eva. Good God! I enthused to myself.

As I exited the change room into the corridor, intending to treat myself to a celebratory lunch, I heard Dr. Andrews speaking just down the hallway around the corner. I intended to tune her in briefly in case she was speaking to me, then head off if she wasn't, but her topic of conversation caught my ear.

 

"Hello. Andrews here. Sorry to call you so early.. I thought you'd be interested to know that the Fourth Child is now confirmed viable. Yes, the test just finished. Thirty point two. Yes, three zero. I know, we were all amazed as well, especially considering it was Unit 03's first ever activation. No, doctor, I have no problem keeping that from her, although she's always pestering me about her sync scores. I can handle that, though. All right. I'm sorry to have woken you, doctor. Good luck with your own tests next week. You're welcome. Good bye."

I hustled out of there before Andrews had the chance to come around the corner and spot me. It was almost noon.. where would she have woken someone to discuss the test with, except in Japan, where it was 3am 'tomorrow'? And which doctors in Japan would understand all the Fourth Child terminology and even care? I shuddered as everything pointed towards me having suddenly become the center of attention for Ritsuko Akagi, if only for the few moments before her head hit the pillow again.

Never thought about that end of things, didja Jill? I chastised myself as I kept hurrying on my way. Slowly I realized I was running and sneaking about for no good reason, at least, not to the folk I was sneaking past, so I tried to resume a calmer walk and demeanor.

In hours, my mind, rationally or otherwise, decided, I'll be front page news on Gendo Ikari's morning brief. All at once all the 'bad things' about Evangelion - the double-crossing, the spying, the politics, SEELE, and so on, flooded my mind.

Too late to worry about that now, kid, I told myself. You wanted in on this mess.

Finally one of the last things Andrews had said on the phone caught up with my brain.

'Good luck with your own tests next week', she said, I realized.

Holy crap. Does that mean Rei's activation test with Zerogouki is next week?

I stopped and rested my head against the wall, sighing. If it was true, things were going to get very busy very soon.

 

I just want to take a moment for a brief intermission of sorts here, a quick bashing down of the fourth wall.

Some of you are probably wondering where the love interest is - the other pilot who steals away Jill's heart and makes her so conflicted about her feelings and existence.

I told you already that I was the lone child at the base. (And if you thought I was going to get involved with someone twice my age or more, you're a sick puppy. Even if my mind and soul are that of an adult, I'm still living the life of a 14-year-old girl.)

Besides, this story isn't about that kind of thing, and it's not like the situation lent itself towards anything like that anyway. I was working day in and day out on Eva related skills and practice, not to mention the classroom studies. I was especially uptight about completing the latter because, as I mentioned, I had the sinking feeling that the commencement of events, as I called them, was imminent, and weeks would go by like hours from that point on - whether I stayed in Nevada or went elsewhere.

So hopefully that's out of the way now. Don't be expecting any more strangers or new elements to the series to pop in. My focus was 100% on Eva and its associated tasks. Even if I'd had the inclination (which I didn't), I had no time to pursue personal, recreational, or romantic interests.

 

I gave pause when I entered the plug the next day; the first time, I'd been too amped up to even notice the inscription on the top of the control console.

 

EVANGELION

A.D. 2015

03

PRODUCTION TYPE

 

It reminded me of the name plaque on a ship's bridge. Running a gloved hand across it, I then sat down and got started with my pre-start checklist.

"Will we be free to move about today?" I asked, once the LCL was in and charged.

"Afraid not," Andrews said, shaking her head in response. "Yesterday was indeed a success, but let's get a few more successes under our belt before we take that kind of leap. Okay?"

"All right," I said, trying not to sound too dejected. Then, I figured, it was time to get down to what was soon to be my favorite part. Um.. hello, it's me again. Jill.

I was elated when I felt a sense of recognition come immediately after the attentiveness this time. I could sense the confusion still lingering in the background, though, and wasn't sure what to do with that yet.

Today is going to be much like yesterday, I think, I tried to explain. Are you all right with that?

There was no response. I paused to answer a question posed to me from the control center as they continued the startup sequence, then turned my attention back to the Eva. I would be grateful if we could connect again today.

Again, initially, there was nothing feeding back at me from the Eva. Ultimately, though, I felt myself being given control, synchronizing, feeling similar sensations as I had with the sim body for weeks.

Thank you, I smiled. Please don't be alarmed by the restraints still being in place. Soon we'll be free to roam and chase butterflies or 747s or whatever you wish.

My attempt at humor fell flat on its face. I suppose I should have expected that; it was almost ludicrous for me to be making this kind of contact to begin with.

I sat there and let myself feel the Eva's limbs at rest, still encased in giant steel enclosures. In the back of my mind, I had a strange feeling of disappointment.. or perhaps betrayal. No, that was too strong a word for it. And disappointment didn't quite reach it either. It was almost a feeling of being hurt.. as in distrusted.

 

The rest of the week continued on in much the same way. Each day I hoped to be able to actually control my Eva - as in, gross movement - for the first time, and each day it was put off until "later". Finally, it was decided - the Tuesday next would be my day. I still wouldn't venture outside the Cage, but the ability to stand on my own two feet (or San's own two feet, as the case may be) was something to look forward to.

Unfortunately, fate had different plans. When I was approaching the Cage corridor on Tuesday morning, I was stopped by a pair of armed guards.

"Sorry, miss," one said. "No one passes."

"I'm the pilot," I protested. "This is where I go--"

"Not today, Pilot," he insisted, enforcing the barricade. "Dr. Sarrazin's orders."

"But I have an important test--"

Dr. Andrews heard my protest and stuck her head out the door of the lab/control center. "Jill!" she called down the hallway. "I'm sorry, but today's test has been postponed. Something's come up. Don't worry, it's not your problem, but we just need to do some checks and exams before we can let you perform the test. Take a day off, all right?"

"Um.. okay, doctor," I said. "If you say so."

"Sorry," she said briefly, before disappearing into the room again. The two soldiers stepped closer together, as if impeding my view of the empty hallway would prompt me to turn tail and flee.

I didn't run, but I did turn away and head back to my room. While I was changing to head out to town for the day, I wondered what was going on, and then it hit me.

Zerogouki must have gone berserk last night, I said silently and wide-eyed to my reflection. And Akagi or Ikari have communicated it to everyone all over the globe to have them stop production and testing, to avoid a similar situation elsewhere.

And if that happened today, that means by the time night falls here, Sachiel will be in Tokyo-3.

Somehow I doubted I'd enjoy myself much in town.

 

Sitting in a McDonald's in a little town called Ely, I munched on a Quarter Pounder while I mulled over the events so far and the ramifications thereof.

I don't know why I keep assuming I'm going to Japan, I told myself. I could just as easily be left here in Nevada as a backup, and either blown up or worse.

I smiled as I changed subjects on myself. I bet once I actually get to test outdoors, I'll be a trivia item on Coast to Coast AM.

Looking at the other people in the restaurant, I began to wonder about them. What are they like? Do any of them work at NERV, or some other secret base nearby? How will they react to Instrumentality?

How will I react to Instrumentality?

That part kicked my brain out of gear for a second and I paused to collect myself, gathering up a few french fries in the process. It's simply introspection into your life. And the blending of all minds and souls into one, can't forget that. How will I present to the rest of the world if they look into my mind? Am I just Jill to them, or are all my gory secrets and my past life open for discussion? I had to tell myself to be reasonable at that point. There's no sense in worrying about that. Besides the fact that what's done is done and I can't change what I am, who's to say that there aren't others like me who've been 'reincarnated' as well?

I blinked and jerked my head up as I realized someone was speaking to me. "Uh wha?" I blurted out.

"Sorry," a wandering staffer apologized. "Did you want a refill on that?"

"Oh.. um, no thanks," I said, smiling and lifting the paper cup, shaking it to prove it was still partly full.

The lady nodded and headed off, and I watched her go, my mind shifting gears yet again. She treated you just like anyone else. Just as everyone else does. That must mean you're doing something right.

That was one way to make myself feel pretty good - to reaffirm that I was doing the right things to function properly in my new life. Did I like how it was going - my life, I mean? In some ways, sure. As you all know, I was excited to be part of the Eva program, and accomplishing things with my life. I'd not felt the same pride and contentment since the first time I helped save someone from a car crash, or helped put out a house fire. I was doing something that made a difference again.

Was I uptight about being Jill - being a girl, or being 14 again? Not really. Being 14 was no big deal. Being a girl? Now that I'd been 'doing it' for a while, so to speak, I couldn't help but admit that it was a hell of an experience. Maybe this is what the guy in the afterlife dream meant.

Or maybe everything in this world is completely screwed up, like it was in the TV show, I mused. Maybe everything is totally out to lunch, and I just need to go with the flow, however it goes - even if it goes completely sideways.

As my sipping turned to slurping, I realized my drink now really was empty.

 

My next scheduled training day was two days after the test which had been canceled, so I was in my room studying on the off day.

"Watashi no namae Jill Thomson. Watashi Sangouki no dai 4 kodomo soshite soujuusha," I murmured at the computer's prompting.

"Awanaikotae," the machine intoned in response, telling me I was wrong in my pronunciation or verbiage or something.

"Aah, bite me."

"Awanaikotae."

The phone rang, and I gladly snatched up the receiver, pausing the lesson. "Moshi moshi, Thomson residence."

"Oh, I gather you're practicing," Dr. Andrews said bemusedly.

"Good afternoon," I answered. "I'm in the process of confirming with the computer that it knows more than I do."

"Would you like to take a break?"

"How so?" I asked.

"We need to get that next test out of the way - the one that was postponed yesterday. I'd like to do it today."

"You bet!" I said enthusiastically, hopping out of my chair. "I'll be there in 10 minutes."

"Take your time," she laughed. "We'll be here."

I finished the conversation with her, closed the lesson on the computer screen, and dashed for the door, barely remembering to grab my ID card on the way out. In seven minutes and fifty-four seconds, I was at the Cage change rooms. Less than three minutes later, I was ready to board the entry plug.

I hadn't expected the dozens of technicians that were surrounding the Eva, in all sorts of roles and capabilities; divers were in the coolant pool, rope-slung climbers on the primary and secondary restraints. There were easily 80 or more men (and women) over and above the normal dozen or so in the command center, all waiting specifically for me.

I couldn't help but give a polite little wave to no one in particular as I climbed into my office and settled into the control seat.

After the LCL filled and I was switched over to fluidic breathing, I asked, "What happened yesterday?"

"Dr. Sarrazin would like to discuss that," Dr. Andrews said, while supervising the startup procedure, "in a meeting after the test."

"Oh," I said, trying not to sound as if that made sense to me. Here it comes.

I diverted my attention to synchronizing with the Eva again. Once again, she recognized me, and gave in somewhat reluctantly to my control. I thought I understood; if I'd had my spine removed, was encased in metal, and had someone remote-controlling me, I'd probably be a little miffed too.

The whole procedure of controlling the Eva, and synchronizing with it, was still surreal beyond belief. It was even so much different than syncing up with a sim body. Unlike the sim body, the Eva had a presence within that actually reacted to my actions and inputs. As I said before, it was eerie and yet the biggest thrill I've ever experienced, all rolled into one.

The restraints were gradually removed, piece by piece, until I/we were standing there in the drained Cage, erect, without any support whatsoever. It was going to be like taking my first steps in a phone booth, but it was about to happen nonetheless.

Here goes nothin', eh San? I thought. Let's go. The first couple attempts were sluggish, but I walked the Eva in a tight little circle with eight footsteps, returning to the position I started from.

Way to go! Great, I beamed proudly for both of us, as similar words of encouragement erupted from the control center. The next hour or so was filled with me learning how to walk (sort of - the sim body controls were similar in that regard, and that was their purpose) and exploring the Eva's range of motion and capabilities.

I remembered to thank her as we were shutting down, re-Caged and once again flooding the underground hangar with billions of liters of coolant.

After I purged myself of the LCL, Dr. Andrews said over the intercom, "After you have your shower and change, please come to the conference room on level 4 straight away. All right?"

"Yes, doctor," I acknowledged.

"Well done today. Congratulations." The speaker shut down with an audible click.

I went to the showers and rinsed myself free of the stinky gooey mess. Dumping the plugsuit into the ever-present cleaning/recycling receptacle, from which it would get plucked and cleaned/repaired/replaced and re-sealed in another silly plastic baggie for the next day, I got into my 'street clothes' and made the quick trek down to the 4th level conference room.

"Come in," came Dr. Sarrazin's voice after I knocked.

I bowed slightly upon entering, my Japanese language/custom lessons surfacing again. "Pilot Thomson reporting, sir."

"Please sit," he said, gesturing to a seat at the head of the table, at the end opposite a large projection screen. He, Dr. Andrews, and another lab employee I didn't recognize, were all on one side; three men in military uniforms - including one from the UN, one from the US Navy, and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff - sat across from them. I was filling the last remaining spot, in the dead center.

Smoothing out the skirt I'd dared to wear (for the first time since that aborted attempt in early June), I looked a little nervously at the gathered officialdom. Inside, I was pretty sure I knew what was going to transpire, but the presence of such figures was enough to inspire a little trepidation in anyone.

"Pilot," Dr. Sarrazin said, "I understand you are, according to Dr. Andrews, fit for piloting as of this past week. Congratulations."

"Thank you, doctors," I nodded, keeping my responses short and sweet.

"It appears that your time with us will be truncated somewhat by more pressing matters," he went on.

I blinked in surprise. Holy shit, I didn't say aloud. It really is going to happen!

"This video was taken yesterday at 5:56 PM Japan Standard Time." He clicked on the projector and, in all its glory, Sachiel loomed across the screen, thundering past a UN surveillance plane. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the animators, while splendid in their own right, couldn't hold a candle to the real thing, in living color.

"It was defeated," Dr. Sarrazin narrated, as select events from Sho and Shinji's fight played, "by Evangelion Unit 01." I noticed they didn't show Sho getting a repeat energy-blast piledriver to the head, nor any of the injuries sustained in close-up. "Piloted by Shinji Ikari, the Third Child."

I watched in silence, listening to them, still mesmerized by the sight, almost in awe of the beauty of the scene. While it's true the Angels look like monsters in some respects, there was some sort of elegance to its design; its shape, and its motions. I wondered how much of that I felt solely because I'd seen an Eva up close.

The Angel suddenly shifted and morphed, for lack of a better word, at speeds that even caught me off guard, wrapping its body around the top of Shogouki in a globular mass. The explosion took out the camera that had been tracking the scene, and while the video was stabilizing from the new feed, I realized you could hear a pin drop in the room.

The last scene or three was surely for my benefit; they could have told me that Shinji won and, as far as they were concerned, I would have believed them, especially considering Sho was beating the bloody Angel with one of its own ribs at the time. But I knew why they'd shown me the Angel's self-destruction/suicide around Sho: To demonstrate to me that the Evangelion could take a ridiculous amount of punishment and come out on top. They wanted to illustrate what kind of mess I'd gotten myself into, yet at the same time, show me just how good their 'creation' could protect me if I used it properly.

"That," Dr. Andrews said as the video ended, "was an Angel. It appeared in Tokyo-3, Hakone region, yesterday afternoon. Multiple assaults by UN forces had no eff--"

"They had some effect," one of the soldiers on the other side of the table grumbled in protest.

Andrews began again after a pointed glare at the man. "They had little effect on the Angel. It put up a defensive barrier we call an AT Field, which was all but impenetrable. Only Eva Unit 01, employing its own AT Field, was able to counteract it."

"You have the ability to project such a field as well," Dr. Sarrazin said, looking straight at me. "Our tests and practice have not progressed this far just yet, but we are confident you will be able to learn it even on your own. Your sync ratio is improving every time you board the Eva. All you need to do is keep your wits about you, and believe in yourself and your Eva. The rest will come naturally."

If I didn't already know what the truth was, I'd've thought his comments were excessively sappy and silly and pointless.

"You're awfully quiet, Jill," Andrews observed.

"Oh," I blinked. "I'm, well, just trying to take it all in. I mean, I kind of figured something like this was gonna happen, as in, there had to be a reason for all this. But this is kinda sudden."

"It is," she nodded. "But that's the nature of the job. If we weren't confident you were ready, though, we wouldn't be having this discussion."

How can I be ready? I wondered with a frown. I've been here for just a couple months. Even doing this 6 and 7 days a week and living and breathing it every waking moment and most sleeping ones too, I can't possibly be of the caliber as the other Children. I'm still learning the damn language, for Christ's sake.

"What is on your mind?" Sarrazin asked.

I looked up. "You're putting a lot of confidence in someone who's only been doing this for a few months."

"Dear child," he responded after a long moment, "in time, you will understand, perhaps; but there is a reason we place you in such high regard. As Wendy said, if we were not convinced of your abilities, we would not let you go to Germany."

I blinked, my mental train coming off the rails. "..Germany?"

"A case of efficiency," he said with one of those French smiles that almost seemed apologetic. Gesturing to the military men, he said, "The fleet which will transport you there will be picking up Unit 02 and its pilot, and transferring the lot to Japan later this summer."

"Oh," I said with a nod. Efficiency, my ass. We're almost on the west coast - it would be simple to just steam right for Japan. What the hell is this about?

"Do you have any more questions?" Andrews asked.

I turned to her. "Nothing I don't think you'll answer with 'we think you're ready' or something similar," I shrugged.

She smiled. "Well, we do," she nodded. "The opportunity is with us now to get you on your way, and nothing will be served by delaying any further at this point. You'll have plenty of time to study on the way to Germany. Promise me you will keep up with your education."

"Oh, yes, ma'am," I said emphatically, meaning every syllable of it. I intended to greet Asuka in her native tongue.

"Good." She turned to Sarrazin, who cleared his throat and gestured again to the military men across the table. "Pilot Thomson, this is General Roberts, chief of staff for the UN forces here in North America; Admiral Pavelov, commander of the Fifth Atlantic Brigade Fleet; and Vice Admiral Burgess, of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff."

"Hello," I said, nodding to the three. "A pleasure." They all nodded and/or grunted their own greetings in response.

"General Roberts and Vice Admiral Burgess are here mainly to represent the interests of the North American contingent," Sarrazin said. "Admiral Pavelov commands the fleet which will be accompanying you to Germany."

"It'll be rather difficult to get the Eva from Nevada to an Eastern shipyard, won't it?" I couldn't help but ask.

"We'll sail through Panama Strait," Pavelov said. "The loading will take place on the west coast."

I was about to comment on the fact I thought it was a canal, not a strait, when I reminded myself that the coastlines were different now. For the port of departure, I had visions of Long Beach or San Fransisco; they were at the bottom of the harbor now, replaced by new shorelines and waterfronts. "Right," I acknowledged with a nod.

"You'll need to get packed tonight," Sarrazin said. "Someone will come for your things some time tomorrow morning. The Eva will be transferred to an ABLE during the day, and you and it will be flown to the fleet at dusk."

"ABLE?" I queried.

"Air Borne Lift Eva," Andrews contributed. "Essentially a very large aircraft that can carry the Evangelion underslung."

"Oh," I said, blinking and nodding. I'd always wanted to see one of those in better detail than in the series. "Will I be in the Eva, or..?"

"No," Sarrazin said. "There's no reason to subject you to such conditions for such a long time. Besides, the Eva will be unpowered for its journey."

"Okay," I nodded.

"Technically, there will be a power connection slaved to one of the ships in the fleet, to its reactor," Pavelov supplied. "But we have no intention of authorizing its use."

We'll see, I didn't respond. Instead, again, I nodded affirmatively.

 

That night, my brain was totally scrambled. I don't mean that literally, I mean I couldn't think straight. I packed up everything that wasn't bolted down or too big to carry, and laid out my NERV uniform on the expectation that they'd expect me to fly the official colors, so to speak. Studying was pointless; I couldn't concentrate or focus at all. I couldn't even go see the Eva and watch them begin preparations for moving - they didn't want anyone, even the pilot - especially the pilot - to be in the way.

I lay on the bed in what was soon to cease being my room, watching TV, aimlessly flipping through channels. Sometimes I'd catch a show I recognized, and hang onto it for a few moments, but my scatterbrainedness caught up at that point and demanded I look for something else, so I flipped up or down the dial again.

How can you say I'm ready? I wondered. Sure, I can sync up, and I can even control the gross arm and leg movements. But there's the little matter of being able to do that under the stress of a battle. That, and being able to understand and communicate with my colleagues would be nice. Two months of study did not make me fluent in Japanese. I could manage a number of phrases and sentences; I'd put my Japanese on par with my French from high school as it stood several years after I graduated. I could understand things, but sit me down with a native speaker who would be chattering away much quicker and using localized slang and phraseology, and I would be out of luck.

Like it or not, it's happening tomorrow, I reminded myself. You survived Nevada, Jill; now carry on with the rest of it.

 

During the next day, I mainly hung out in my room and played on the Internet. At some point I got the bright idea to head into town, to grab a few last-minute things I might want on the trip, namely a half-decent digital camera, a good pair of sunglasses, and so on. By the time I got back, just after supper time, there was furious activity around Building 49. I could see a mammoth winged craft on the tarmac beside it, and a large set of doors being opened on the back side of the building itself. Undoubtedly, the Eva was going to be somehow lifted out of the pit that was the Cage, and mounted beneath the plane.

Dr. Andrews and Dr. Sarrazin were waiting for me outside my room, which had been cleaned out. All that was left, apparently, was the pilot, and any baggage she had, physical or otherwise.

"Ready?" Dr. Andrews asked with a smile.

"I guess so," I shrugged. "I still say this is awfully abrupt."

"Do not worry," Sarrazin said, leading us outside to the tarmac. "You will do fine."

"Thank you," I said, nodding. I offered my hand to them both in turn. "Thank you for all your work with me. I'll put it to good use."

Sarrazin shook my hand; Andrews did too, then drew me into a hug. "Oh, your parents would be proud."

"You knew my parents?" I asked her, caught off guard by the friendly embrace.

She drew back and regarded me with mild surprise. Sarrazin said after a moment, "Clearly, she is still having issues with that."

Andrews softened as I looked at her curiously. In my mind, I figured I'd made yet another gaffe, but the way Sarrazin was talking and Andrews was acting, I feared there was more to it.

"Yes," Andrews nodded. "I guess you don't remember it, but your father worked with us here."

I blinked. "What??" I said.

"He was my predecessor," Sarrazin said, smiling at me. "It was to come home and fetch you and your mother that he was doing when your accident happened."

My father.. Jill's father.. was director of North American operations for NERV? The thought stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm sorry, Jillian," Andrews said. "I didn't realize you were having trouble."

Trouble remembering, she surely meant. Perhaps it was best if I played that card. "I.. it's okay," I said, acting confused (and not having to feign it too much, either). "I don't remember much before the crash."

A jeep-like tug pulled up in front of the three of us. "Sir," said the driver. "We're ready."

"Proceed," he nodded, then looked to me and gestured to the tug. "Your chariot awaits, young lady."

I was still a little blindsided by the revelation about 'my' parents. "Um.. right! Right, thank you. For everything."

"Goodbye, Pilot," Andrews supplied, "and do well."

 

I was still in my uniform and rubbing my bleary eyes when the sun came up. The ships were underway, plodding their way southwards to the Panama region, where we would traverse to the Atlantic, and press onwards, supposedly to Deutschland, where we would pick up the Second Child and her Eva.

I'd been able to get a semblance of a nap on the brief plane ride to the coast, but then had to be up to supervise the transfer of Eva 03 over to the ship. Much as I recalled them doing with Asuka's Eva 02, Sangouki was laid face down and covered with a series of tarps. It looked ridiculous; they weren't even of the same color as the ship - anyone peeking down from a satellite or a spy plane would spot it in a second. It wasn't my place to argue, however.

Anyway, it took most of the night to load the Eva onto the ship and secure it for travel; the rest of the early morning darkness was taken up by getting out of port. So, as I said, I was on the bridge of the main ship, trying to keep my eyes open while the fleet captain looked me over.

The man reminded me of my father - that is, Jack's father. He was in his late fifties, with a large brush moustache, and close-cropped brown hair. I suspected he was of the same cloth as the man who commanded the fleet Asuka was with (or the man I thought would be with her). He looked down at me, and said, "Do you hold a rank?"

"No, sir," I replied.

"And don't forget that!" he thundered, all but talking over me. "You're not part of this military, and I don't consider your pet robot to be anything more than a toy."

"Yes, sir," I said, holding back the rolling of eyes - at least keeping it to myself.

"Having said that, I am finding I'm under orders to provide you with any accommodations you require. This includes a berth of your own, time in the shower and mess, and, grudgingly, free roam of the boat. This does not include secure spaces other than to your own little plaything. Understood?"

"Clearly, sir," I nodded.

"I also want to make it clear I will not tolerate any powering-up of that oversized action figure. Any combat that has to be undertaken while underway, will be handled by fine, competent Navy forces."

"Of course, sir."

"I hope you brought along everything a.. person like yourself will need." He almost sneered down at me. "There aren't any drugstores for a long stretch now."

I tried not to smirk. "I packed my toothbrush and everything, sir. I'm ready for the long haul."

He snorted derisively and looked away, out to the sea. "Whatever did I do to deserve this ridiculous task.."

"I'm sure it was conduct above and beyond, sir," I couldn't help but quip.

He snapped his glare back to me and held his tongue for a moment, then bit out: "Just because you're to be treated like a VIP doesn't mean you have the freedom to be smart-mouthed, with me or anyone else. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. My apologies," I said in the same even tone as I had the rest of my words.

"Should the general quarters alarm sound at any time, your place is in your berth. Nowhere else. I suggest you familiarize yourself with its location."

"Thank you, sir. Should I consider myself dismissed?"

"Get out of here," he grumbled, waving a hand.

I turned and left the bridge. As I stepped over the hatch rim, I muttered, "Asshole."