Démarrer la machine
~
You know I won't say sorry.
you know I won't say sorry.
The pain has a bad reaction.
A blend of fear and passion.
You know what it's like to believe,
It makes me wanna scream.
~
Shinji was on a train, the kind used throughout Tokyo-3. Outside it was either dawn or dusk. Judging by the orange hue, he guessed it was twilight, but he honestly didn’t know. As the train rattled forward, he heard muffled voices all around him. He tried to find their source, but his only fellow passengers were nondescript shadows, murmuring amongst themselves, ignoring him. Just like everyone else. He faced forward and was met with the stoic face of a gilr his age with sky blue hair.
“Shinji Ikari.” She said his named as a fact and not a question.
“How do you know my name?” he asked.
“I have known you for a very long time, Shinji. Just as you have known me.”
“…Rei, that’s your name, isn’t it.” He was also not asking a question.
“You fought well, Shinji Ikari, against the Third Angel. For one so unacquainted with the parameters of dream sharing, you handled the situation admirably.”
“Dream sharing? You mean…”
“Yes. You fought the Angel within a human mind. You fought it with a dream construct only a handful are able to pilot. And you succeeded.”
“I didn’t succeed.” He looked away. “I only piloted it so that you wouldn’t have to, Rei.”
“I do not understand, Shinji Ikari. We have never met until this moment. If I were called upon to pilot Unit 01, then I would do so without hesitation, regardless of my physical status, although such factors would be irrelevant within the confines of a dream, as I can be anything I wish.”
“But you were there, in a gurney. You were wrapped up in bandages and you were bleeding. You fell out and I couldn’t bear to see someone in pain like that. That’s why…that’s why I couldn’t let you do it.”
Rei remained ever emotionless. “I was not present within the dream labyrinth, Shinji Ikari. I was still undergoing synchronization tests with Unit 00 when Sachiel appeared. They assured me the Third Child would be able to handle the situation alone, and so I continued.”
“Sachiel…who is that?”
Rei tilted her head slightly to one side. “That is the name of the Third Angel.”
“Angels have names?”
“All living things have names, just as you are Shinji Ikari, and I am Rei Ayanami II.”
“Was your mother’s name Rei?”
“My mother?”
“You said you were the second Rei, usually they just use Jr. at the end of their name.”
Rei hesitated. “My mother is…”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry.”
“There is nothing for you to be sorry for, Shinji Ikari.” Abruptly she shifted gears. Her voice never changed from monotone. “You must rest. Most minds would be able to handle the stress asserted on them like yours can. Sachiel was powerful, but he was not the worst.” She rose and crossed the distance.
“Wait…how do you know the Angel’s name?”
Gently, she touched her hand to his face.
~~~~~
Shinji awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. He studied it for a moment, searching for any distinguishing detail before sitting up. He was in a hospital bed, like the one he had seen Rei in. Or hadn’t. The scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils, sterile, uninviting. He hugged his knees close as memories of the battle drifted back.
In truth, he didn’t remember much of the battle, only the beginning, and the end. And the eye. The image of the enormous green eye focused on him was burned into his mind and on the back of his eyelids. Nothing would be able to remove that image form his memory, not ever.
Why do I find it so unsettling? Is it because I never expected it to have an eye? Because it shouldn’t even need an eye? Or maybe it was the way it could see me, or know that I was inside of it. No, that’s ridiculous; it’s just a…robot? It can’t think or know, or… But it did.Someone knocked at the door. “Shinji? Are you awake? It’s Ariadne.”
“I’m awake,” he said softly.
Slowly the door slid open and Ariadne walked in carrying a tray of food. You’re probably hungry after all that,” she said with grin.
“Yeah, I guess.” He took the tray and fork and picked at the food without really noticing.
Ariadne went to sit on the bed, hesitated, but ultimately sat on the corner. Shinji watched her over his food. She tugged at the kerchief around her neck, which drew his attention to her chest. He quickly averted his eyes, lest she see him.
“You’re probably a bit confused, huh?” she began slowly. “I mean, we kind of threw you in there without much of a warning. They made you pilot that…thing without any training. You’re probably not sure if you’re dreaming or not right now.” She made it an observation, not a question.
Shinji moved his eyes back, careful to keep them on hers. Ever so slightly, he nodded. “Yes, that’s right. When I was fighting the Angel, I thought it was real, but now that I look back on it, I can’t remember how we got to the city in the first place. I guess it was a dream, but how do I know I’m not dreaming right now?”
Ariadne frowned. “Dammit, I wish they’d have given you more information before dropping you and hoping you don’t drown. Luckily you can swim, huh?” She smiled but it vanished upon seeing his distraught face. “I’m going to tell you the truth, Shinji: you are awake. This hospital is real. I am real and so are you. We are in Tokyo-3. More specifically, the hospital ward of Central Dogma, inside the Geofront.”
“I thought the Geofront was part of the dream…or did the dream start after we got here?” He was trying so hard to find a grasp on reality, but in this world of dreams, and dreams within dreams, and Angels…it was almost impossible. He couldn’t imagine doing this on a regular basis like Cobb and Arthur.
She must have recognized his frustration because she spoke soothingly, but not condescendingly. “The Geofront is part of the real world. You were brought down here before being put under. Within the dream, NERV headquarters is replicated because it had to power the Evas down there.”
He finished his food – still unsure of what exactly he ate – Shinji set the tray aside. “But how do you know I’m not dreaming?”
“Because if you are dreaming, then so am I. I’m not here to confuse you, Shinji, I’m trying to help. Like I said before, I’m going to tell you the truth.”
Shinji believed her. She seemed sincere and was the first person to come to see him. Cobb has just pulled him in and thrown everything at him at once. Arthur and Yusuf and Eames hadn’t helped, either. Whatever their mission was, they were going to carry it out, regardless of Shinji’s understanding.
“So, how do you know we aren’t dreaming? Cobb said dreams feels real while we’re in them, and that we can’t remember the beginning of them, that we always start right in the middle. So, how can you tell?”
Ariadne stood and reached into her pocket. “You create a totem, a link to reality.” She revealed a chess piece, either a king or a queen, Shinji couldn’t remember. “Something small that you can carry with you at all times. Something that only you know the exact dimensions of. Something unique.” She turned away from him and placed the piece on the table. Hidden from him, she knocked it over with one finger, testing the weight. It fell exactly as she expected.
“Only you can know your totem. No one else can know or they can recreate it within a dream and fool you. With a totem, you can test whether you are in reality,” she slipped the chess piece away, “or a dream.”
It all made Shinji’s head hurt, so he simply nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll get a totem.”
Ariadne twisted her mouth, shifted on her feet and looked at the door. “Look, Shinji, I have to go. Cobb needs the team and I’m running a little late. Are you going to be okay?”
He smiled. “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest is all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, go. Don’t let me hold you up.”
She hesitated a moment longer. “Okay. I’ll check on you later, okay?” She waved as she left the room. Shinji waved back but let his hand droop as soon as the door slid shut. The image of the eye found him again, and he hugged his knees close.
~~~~~
“What is it you wanted to show me, Yusuf?” Gendo Ikari demanded as soon as he stepped in the room. Fuyutsuki followed close behind, the commander’s stalwart shadow. He adjusted his glasses and waited impatiently to be answered.
Doctors Yusuf and Agaki were huddled close to a computer screen. Ritsuko stood up first. “Commander Ikari,” she greeted formally. He simply nodded.
“Oh, Commander Ikari,” Yusuf said excitedly. “I have some interesting footage from the security cameras.” He didn’t turn around or look away from the screen, which prompted a sideways glance at Ritsuko from Gendo. She nodded and he joined them at the monitor.
“What is it?’ he demanded.
“As you know, it is my job to monitor the NERV staff while they are engaged in the Angel combat missions.” Of course he knew that; he was the one who assigned the job to Yusuf. But Gendo let him continue. “During my monitoring, something extraordinary happened. Shinji…he…its better if I show you. Watch.”
Yusuf sped the recording forward for a minute before resuming normal speed. “Watch. There.” He pointed at Shinji. The boy convulsed in his seat and grasped at his left arm. “He does it again here.” Shinji grasped at his eye and screamed.
“Is there audio?” Gendo demanded.
“Yes, um. Here.” Yusuf had the sound muted because hearing Shinji scream so many times began to irritate him. He rewound it back to the first movement. The first scream was just a cry of pain. The second was a louder version of the first, but the third…the audio filters nearly shorted out from the intensity.
“SACHIEL!”
Yusuf stopped the recording. “People are not supposed to be able to have that range of motion while drugged and in an active dream. It is impossible for people to speak out loud while drugged. Somehow, your son, Commander, managed to do both in a very short time.”
“What does this mean, Yusuf?”
The Indian Chemist didn’t falter under Gendo’s glare; Cobb had a similar one that he used quite often. “I don’t know right now. By all accounts, this shouldn’t have happened. But then…I’ve never studied one of the Children while they were under. Perhaps as more Angels appear, I’ll obtain more data.”
“Let’s hope you do. Is there anything else?”
“No. Sir.”
“Very well. If something else arises let me know immediately.” Without another word, he turned and left, Fuyutsuki close behind.
When they were safely out of earshot, Fuyutsuki spoke. “Did you notice, Gendo? A number of times during the recording, Shinji’s eyes blinked. And when he shouted the name, they were fully open.”
“Yes, I saw that. It seems we are even less knowledgeable about the Children than we had anticipated.”
“Should we check him for mental contamination?”
“No. Not yet. If it occurs a second time…” he let the answer hang, but Fuyutsuki understood.
“I wonder what it means? In one fell swoop, your son destroyed every notion concerning dreamers.” He smiled. “But then, he is your son, Ikari.”
Yes, he certainly is. Unfortunately.~~~~~
The next person to come to Shinji was Misato Katsuragi. It was an order handed down from Commander Ikari himself. She was to escort Shinji to the Tokyo-3 Housing Agency so that he would be assigned a place of residence while he was employed by NERV. Of course, the Agency was actually staffed by members of the Marduk Institute, which owned, controlled, and staffed various agencies throughout Japan. Ultimately, the Marduk Institute answered to NERV, which meant that NERV effectively controlled a sizeable portion of Japanese business and government. Officially, NERV didn’t exist, and the Marduk Institute was a small psychological foundation.
Shinji would be assigned to one of the numerous apartment blocks scattered across the city. Most likely he would be paired with a NERV agent who would keep watch over the Child like a hawk. It was a terrible way to live but he would get used to it. Once you were part of a secret organization tasked with preserving the future of humanity, there were quite a few restrictions placed on you. Housing was just the least.
To her surprise, Shinji was awake when she came to get him. Awake and rather cheerful. He smiled and talked to her as if everything was ok. He dressed and she led him to the Agent who would assign him residence. She measured him up as they walked, remembering her first encounter with an Angel – on the Antarctic expedition fifteen years ago: the explosion, the years of silence, finally awaking to the smiling face of Professor Miles…how could this kid walk away from full combat with an Angel, when she had suffered for so long?
She wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that, but settled on feeling glad that he wouldn’t have to suffer as she had. Maybe there was a hint of jealousy buried in there, but in truth, she was just glad he was okay.
The Tokyo-3 Housing Agency was located on the ground floor of a skyscraper constructed above the Geofront. The glass floor looked down on Central Dogma, giving the impression that you were hanging suspended in the air. Misato roller her eyes; for a secret organization, NERV sure did like to show off. Although, now that she thought about it, this entire building was owned and operated by NERV staff, so there really wasn’t any chance of a random citizen accidentally spotting the giant underground cavern.
The Agent announced that Shinji would be rooming alone. Halfway across the city. The Child accepted the assignment with a muttered “Thank you”.
“Alone? Are you serious?” Misato challenged. The kid was fourteen and new to the city. How could anyone expect him to live on his own, especially after the fight?
“Oh, its fine, Ms. Katsuragi,” Shinji assured her with a smile. “I’m used to being on my own, so it’s not a problem. I like it.”
“No. Agent, I am hereby taking this child into my custody. He will live with me in my apartment.”
“Miss…er, Captain, I don’t have the authority…” That was a flat lie. He had the complete authority to allow her to do that. Not only did she outrank him, but technically, aside from keeping tabs on the various NERV personnel across the city, the Housing Agency didn’t do anything.
The Agent sighed. “Very well, let me get the proper form.” He pulled open all of the drawers his desk had to search for the change of residence form. As he searched, he said, “You are aware then, that you are now the legal guardian of Shinji Ikari, and are thus responsible for his safety, schooling, and all the other stuff that goes with it right?”
“I understand.”
“Here we go. Sign this.” When she was finished, the Agent put the form in another drawer. No doubt it would be lost forever. “Shinji Ikari is now assigned to live with Captain Misato Katsuragi, who is hereby entrusted with his security. Congratulations, I guess.”
“Thank you. Come on, Shinji.”
Unsure of what else to do, Shinji followed her out.
~~~~~
Ariadne arrived last to the team meeting at the warehouse located on the other side of the city from NERV. Arthur, Eames, and Yusuf were all standing with their backs turned away from the door, facing Cobb who was speaking. Behind him was a large flat screen television mounted on the wall which, aside from the dream machines, was the only piece of advanced technology in the empty warehouse. All of them stopped and looked her way when she entered, making her feel just a little self-conscious.
“Sorry I’m late; I was checking on Shinji.”
“How is he?” Yusuf asked.
“Seems normal enough. But then I don’t know him that well, so I don’t know if that’s ‘normal’ or not. Why?”
“Because he went toe to toe with a bloody Angel,” Eames exclaimed. “Not only that, but he beat the damn thing to death. Hell, I don’t know if I’d be all right in the head after that.”
“Technically speaking, Eames,” Arthur challenged. “Shinji was unconscious during the majority of the fight. Not only that, but the Angel self-destructed before the Eva could destroy it.”
“Oh, bugger off.”
Ariadne hid her smiled as she stepped in place between Arthur and Yusuf. He was dressed in a suit, as were Cobb and Eames. How did they all manage to wear nothing but suits every single day? She looked down at herself: skinny jeans, t-shirt, jacket, and a kerchief. Even considering Yusuf, she still looked out of place. But since no one had said anything to her so far… Maybe they all just really liked wearing suits?
“As I was saying,” Cobb continued with a tone that stopped the bickering, “we have another assignment from our employer.”
“I thought NERV was our assignment?”Ariadne glanced at Arthur.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too, but apparently we missed something in the fine print.”
“But we didn’t sign a contract.” She narrowed her eyes.
“And she gets it!” Eames clapped sardonically. “Now you understand: the blokes signing our checks can tell us to do bloody well whatever they like.”
“So what’s the mission?” Yusuf asked impatiently.
“It seems they would rather tell us all in person,” Cobb said picking up the remote control. “Well, you know. For them.”
The television flickered to life and revealed the dour face of an Asian man in his mid to late fifties. Ariadne had always thought he was Japanese, but he could be a number of other ethnicities for all she knew.
“Mr. Saito,” Cobb greeted.
“Greetings, Cobb. Arthur Eames. Ariadne. Yusuf. I have another assignment for you all.”
“What about our assignment to NERV?” Ariadne asked, the only one of the group who dared to.
Mr. Saito smiled. “Fret not, young Ariadne, your collaboration with NERV is still of the utmost priority. However, while Ikari licks his wounds, we have need of you elsewhere. Mr. Cobb, are you familiar with a Mr. Kretzer?”
“I am,” he responded. “He was a student with me and Mal. We both learned Extraction under Miles. Why?”
“Well, as you know, after the…incident, all of the students scattered to the four winds. We’ve done a lot of cleanup since then, but despite out best efforts, Mr. Kretzer refuses to be…collected into our organization.” He paused, letting the information sink in. Ariadne suspected Cobb knew what was coming next, and perhaps Eames. “You are to track him down and find out how much he knows.”
“About what?”
“About everything. He refuses to cooperate with us and we are left with few options. Once we can determine just how much Kretzer knows, we can determine just how to handle the situation.”
No one spoke for almost a minute. “Where is Kretzer?” Cobb asked, breaking the silence like untempered glass.
“By a stroke of luck, he is currently in Japan. From what we can tell, he isn’t here for anything specific, simply flying under the radar, trying not to be noticed. Little does he know: we’ve been watching him this entire time.”
That sent a shiver up Ariadne’s spine.
“We have intel that suggests he will attempt to relocate within the next few days. You must intercept him before he escapes again. You leave tomorrow at dawn.” He bowed his head and the feed cut to static.
“I don’t like this,” Ariadne said as soon as the flat screen was turned off. “We’re going up against another Extractor?”
“It’s really not as difficult as it seems,” Arthur assured her. “We’ve handled neurosecurity before.”
“Not like this,” Cobb countered. “Kretzer’s good. Not great, but even a mediocre Extractor has better subconscious training than most high powered businessmen. No, we haven’t handled anyone like Kretzer before. However,” he said after a beat. “However, he’s not impossible to crack. Ariadne, I’ve got some ideas”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t see the mazes; I just am going to suggest locations.” When agreed reluctantly, he turned to Eames. “Eames. I might need you to be Miles. Can you do that?”
“I suppose. English? Old? Has a habit of telling you things about yourself that you don’t like?” He grinned that mischievous grin of his. “Not a problem.”
“Arthur?”
“Way ahead of you.” He reached in his bag and produced his laptop. “Luckily, I think the old Institute files are still on their website. Easy enough to break into.”
“And Yusuf?”
“I think I have a compound that can slow down his subconscious’ reaction.”
“Excellent.”
And just like that, the team set to work. Ariadne listened to Cobb’s ideas, but only half heartedly. As much as she enjoyed her work as an Architect, she felt a certain hesitation in building levels to trap a fellow Extractor. To her it felt like a betrayal, like she was turning on her own people. But it was not like she had much of a choice.
Still, she didn’t have to like it.
~~~~~
Less than an hour later, the two were driving along the outskirts of the city. Shinji was seated in the passenger seat with a bag of groceries in his lap. Most of it was microwaveable food. The rest was beer. For the first time, he got a good look at his new guardian. Misato Katsuragi was somewhere in her mid to late twenties, a little over five feet tall, with brown eyes, and dark purplish hair. She was, at least to Shinji, strikingly beautiful.
“Ms. Katsuragi…”
“It’s just Misato, Shinji. We’re roommates after all.” She smiled and he had to smile back.
“Right. Um, Misato. Thank you, um, for taking me in.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’ll be nice to have a real roommate for once. Plus this makes my job a whole lot easier. You see I was assigned to watch over you anyway and –not that I mean that that’s why I did it!” She fumbled over her words. “Err, you get what I’m saying right?”
“I guess.” In truth, he wasn’t sure he would ever understand Misato. “Hey, where are we? I thought you said we were going to your apartment.”
“Our apartment,” she corrected. “And we are, I just wanted to take a little detour. Here.” She turned onto the shoulder of the road a little too roughly, nearly spilling the bag of instant food. She stepped out of the car and Shinji followed at her insistence.
They were standing on the side of a road carved into a mountain that overlooked the entire city of Tokyo-3. “Look Shinji. This is your city now. All of the people living in it, whether they know it or not, owe their lives to you. This is what we at NERV are fighting to defend.”
Shinji surveyed the city. It was meticulously planned, a common element found in most new cities after Second Impact. The central bloc was curiously built in the shape of a cross. It was a massive city. It was a beautiful city and Shinji felt awed by its presence. They stayed until dark, when the lights of the city turned on and the city truly looked alive.
After a few more minutes of gawking, Misato ushered him back into the car and drove him to her apartment. Shinji hesitated when she opened the door. “Don’t worry, Shinji,” she said with a warm smile. “This is your home now.”
He stepped timidly over the threshold. “I-I’m home.”
“Welcome home. Sorry if it’s a little messy,” she apologized offhandedly as she went off to change. “Can you put the food away please?”
Empty cans of beer and instant food containers littered every surface in the kitchen. Setting the bag of food on the table sent a wave of litter cascading onto the floor. With a sigh, he opened what he assumed was the pantry. He was met with a wall of junk food. The fridge was completely filled with beer.
Is this all she eats? Junk and beer?Misato returned a few minutes later dressed in a yellow t-shirt and short cutoff jeans. Without so much as a word, she pulled a garbage bag out of possibly the only cabinet not occupied by food and casually swept all of the trash into it, tied it up, and tossed it by the front door, promising to take it out later. Somehow, Shinji doubted that.
All of the microwave food took less than ten minutes to cook. Spread out on the kitchen table, it looked something like a poor man’s feat. Misato cracked open a beer and, to Shinji’s amazement, downed the whole thing at once.
“Ah yeah! That’s the spot!” she exclaimed. Despite repeated attempts to coerce Shinji into talking, they ate in relative silence. At one point, she reached across the table a shook his head gently, declaring that he was a man, so he should act like one. He only responded with a smile, which she considered a win.
At her insistence, Shinji went to take a bath after they ate. Misato claimed it cleansed the mind and body. Considering the circumstances, Shinji decided it was worth a shot. But when he opened the bathroom door, he was greeted by a strange penguin. Startled, he ran to tell Misato, fumbling over his words as he did.
She looked at him, confused, until the thing pushed past him. “Oh, that’s just Pen Pen,” she said. “He lives here, too.” The penguin waddled over to the second refrigerator, which Shinji had been meaning to ask about, and pressed a button with a retractable claw. A door slid open and the creature waddled inside. “Think of him as another roommate.”
“Pen Pen, right.”
“Uh, Shinji…you might want to cover up.”
“Huh?” He looked down at himself, and finally noticed that he was completely naked. Embarrassed, he slinked back to the bathroom. As he lay in the warm water, he tried to forget about the events of the day, to let them be washed away by the waters. Try as he might, the image of the hideous green eye would not leave him.
Later, as he lay in his bed, listening to his cassette player, he remembered what Ariadne had said about finding a Totem, a link to reality. He only had one tape for the device, and he knew all the songs by heart. Rolling onto his back, he held the cassette player above his head.
“Totem,” he whispered. “You will be my link to reality. Please don’t fail me.”
“Shinji?” Misato knocked on the door. “I’m coming in.” It slid open and Shinji quickly rolled onto his side, facing away from the door. He tucked the cassette player out of sight as if it were made of gold. “I just wanted to tell you: you did a really good thing today, and I proud of you.”
He watched her shadow until she left. Then he curled up tighter and tried to sleep without dreaming.
~~~~~
Ritsuko examined the body with great disinterest. It was useless to her now; there was nothing to be gained from studying an empty body. Shinji’s destruction of the Angel (rather, the Angel’s self-destruction) had completely destroyed this man’s mind, if it wasn’t already wiped clean from the start.
“Maya,” she called to her assistant. “Can you bring me this man’s file?”
Maya Ibuki quickly delivered the information on the corpse to her mentor. “What are you going to do with him?”
“Nothing, Maya. We can’t do anything more with this body. It has no mind anymore. So we’ve got to do the only thing left.” She dropped the papers onto the gurney with the body and wheeled it to the end of the hall, Maya following close behind. “Would you open that grate for me, please?”
Maya swung open the grate labeled “Incinerator” and hastily stepped aside. Ritsuko dumped the body and papers into the hellfire and slammed the grate shut. She wasn’t sure who designed the incinerator into Central Dogma, but whoever it was certainly had her tanks at that moment.
“That man never existed, Maya. Erase all personal information surrounding him.”
--------------------------
That's Chapter 3. You can take that to school, Derrick. As before, any corrections, additions, suggestions should be in by this time tomorrow.
the next chapter is going to be sharply contrasted between Shinji's adjustment to school and the Extraction mission of Cobb's team.
