Reika : Convergence of Duality
Chapter 3 : [Yet to be titled]
Written by DJ Lesser
Draft started : December 26th 2000
Standard Disclaimer : Neon Genesis Evangelion / Shin Seiki
Evangelion belongs to Gainax and other miscellaneous companies.
Characters used without permission.
--------------------------
Sohryu Asuka Langley.
I am the best! I am number one!
Ayanami Rei.
I am nothing. I am zero.
I am replaceable.
I don't want to die.
Are you living?
What is a life?
Living?
Breathing?
Eating?
Reproducing?
What is a body?
A body is a physical matter.
Made from flesh and blood.
It shapes us.
Differentiates us.
Allows us contact with the physical world.
What is a mind?
It is what makes us aware of ourselves.
It is what makes us what we are.
A body without a mind is only an empty vessel.
What is a soul?
It is what makes us who we are.
A personification.
It is something that we share.
No, my soul is mine.
A body without a soul is also an empty vessel.
Can a soul exist without a mind?
What is real?
Why are you here?
It is you who is inside me.
That is not true.
I have memories I do not recognize.
Who are these people?
I remember this place.
I do not recall this.
I do not understand.
Who are you?
Who am I?
Reika.
Subzero.
Below zero.
Negative.
Nothing can come from nothing.
I am beyond nothing.
"Her," Ikari Gendo said, looking directly at the subject
through the layer of glass. He stood straight with his gloved
hands behind him, the soft light emitted from the chamber enough
to cast a glint on his glasses.
Dr. Akagi Ritsuko made a sound between a sigh and a scoff.
"That's the fourth, Commander. It's not going to wor-"
"Do it." His voice was detached and calculating, with only
the barest hint of impatience in it.
He watched as the subject was suctioned into the central
tubing, her eyes closed and her hair free flowing in the orange
LCL.
"Soul Echo transfer initiated."
A hush blanketed the darkened room. Long minutes passed by,
accentuated only by the humming machinery and the occasional
computing tinkles.
"Soul Echo transfer : FAILED."
"FAILED."
"FAILED."
The Commander took carefully measured steps to the central
tube and glared at the subject inside. Her bare chest rose and
fell rhythmically, and her red eyes were wide open.
But they held no recognition in them.
No life.
No soul.
Clenching his jaw, he slid open the panel on the counter
and hit the red button with a little more force than necessary.
A sound akin to drowning laughter bubbled in the liquid as
the body disintegrated, painting the LCL red with its blood.
He watched impassively as the abominable concoction was
drained away.
Shimmering water and light.
Rivulets of bloody cellular residue etching their path on
the glass.
Etching their pattern in his memory.
"The Room of Gauf is now truly empty," said Vice Commander
Fuyutsuki Kozo.
"Now, she is the only one."
Without a word, Commander Ikari left the room, the clicks
of his heels echoing down the darkened passage.
"Inchou!"
"Aida-kun?" Hikari asked, stepping in the classroom. "What
are you doing here so early?" She glanced at her watch. Kensuke
was definitely ahead of time, much earlier than he had ever been
on his own accord. Putting her bag on the table, she called up
the day's schedule on her laptop.
"You're not on duty today," she noted.
"I need to talk to you, alone," Kensuke waved her over to
his place. True enough, no one else had arrived yet, and they had
the classroom all to themselves for now.
"Alright, but only until five minutes before the school
bell rings," she said, putting on her best authority air. Then,
worry took over and she pulled up a chair to face Kensuke on his
desk.
"What is it?" she asked, the memory of the butterflies was
still fresh in her mind.
"I've received rumours that Nerv's Headquarter was
assaulted last night," he whispered.
"What?!" Hikari gasped. "But, there was no sirens!"
"Shush, keep your voice down. No, why would there be? It
was safer up in Tokyo 3 than it was down in Nerv last night. They
probably didn't want to alarm the citizens," Kensuke explained.
"I think we won't be seeing any of the pilots at school today."
And that meant, he thought to himself, no black suit
professionals. Perfect for his plan.
"Another Angel?" Hikari asked.
"The reports I've... accessed didn't specify," Kensuke
said, his head lowered at his own ineptness. Hikari held her
tongue and fought the urge to reprimand him for engaging such
dangerous, not to mention illegal, activities.
"Were there any casualties?"
"I'm not sure, but there was a huge explosion inside Nerv.
Casualty count shouldn't be too high, considering it was the
night shift," Kensuke said, keeping his voice low, looking
around. The school was still quite deserted.
"Suzuhara-kun is there..." Hikari trailed off.
"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Huh?" Hikari looked at him in puzzlement. "Is he alright?"
"I am going to visit him," Kensuke whispered.
"Really?" Hikari squealed. Then she sobered quickly. "The
last time they only allowed me to go was because I'm the class
monitor, and that was only once. How can you possibly be allowed
to visit him?"
Kensuke grinned.
"Here's my idea..."
A knock on the door drew Commander Ikari to the present
time.
It was unsolicited, but not unexpected.
"Enter," he said, his voice only loud enough to carry the
syllables across the room.
There was no need for him to waste his energy in trivial
matters.
Unfortunately, the matter at hand was hardly trivial.
A shaft of light cut through the darkness of the room, and
Special Agent Kaji Ryouji sauntered in. The door closed with a
faint click behind him.
"Why are you here?"
Kaji leaned on the table with his back to Gendo as he
reached into his coat pocket.
"The old men are planning to kidnap Fuyutsuki," Kaji said,
getting down to business without his usual evasive wordplay. He
turned around to place a disk on the desk. "They have heard about
the latest attack. The sharks are frenzied at the smell of
blood," he said cryptically.
"Indeed. News travel much too fast," the Commander said,
emphasising on the last three words. Kaji seemed to smile faintly
at his comment.
"Dismissed."
Kaji made no move to leave. Instead, he leaned closer until
the slightest tilt of his head could brush his lips against
Gendo's ear.
It would probably result in his own death, Kaji mused.
Kaji Ryouji was a realistic man. He held no illusions to
his mortality. He knew he was hanging on to his life by a very,
very thin line.
And he was teasing the man who held the scissors.
But, a puppet is only useful when it has its strings. He
would live to see another day. Yet.
"It would be wise not to accept any gifts from the
Committee at this moment," Kaji cautioned, his voice so faint
that a man in another other position would have missed it. He
stood up and offered the Commander an affable smile, then turned
to leave.
When the door closed, the room was once again plunged into
monotony.
'Kaji Ryouji...'
'What a dangerous game you play.'
Ikari Gendo, who kept his expressions hidden behind his
gloves hands, smiled at the thought.
Major Katsuragi stood on the catwalk, and watched as
technicians hurried about her. Directly in front of her was Unit
01, the curse that had caused so much suffering, yet ironically,
the blessing that had saved them from destruction time and time
again. Technicians were currently working to restore the burns on
the bindings, the drone of machinery and flame cutters pervading
the cage.
She may not truly understand what the Evangelions are, but
she doubted anyone else did.
Not even Ritsuko.
Not even their creators.
Who had created Evangelions?
Misato realised she didn't know.
They called it ... God's technology.
Blasphemy.
Was this their punishment? For assuming that they could
control something they do not understand?
For being so arrogant as to create a god in His own image?
"Katsuragi?"
Misato turned her head. "Kaji-kun? What are you doing
here?"
Kaji reached her side, and gave her a comforting look.
"I just returned from my previous assignment. I heard what
happened. I'm sorry."
Misato stiffened, and turned her view back to Unit 01.
'God of what?'
"It was my fault."
"No, it wasn't," came his quick reply.
"How can you be sure of that? Look at what happened to Rei.
Asuka." The last word came out more like a croak than a name.
"You performed your duties as the Director of Operations to
your full ability. All war has casualties. You can't blame
yourself for everything that goes wrong," Kaji said, keeping his
hands in his pockets.
Misato was silent for a few minutes. Kaji followed her
gaze, and realised she was looking at the coolant that flooded
the cage.
'It looks like blood,' Kaji thought.
"They won't let me see him," Misato whispered at last.
"They won't let me see him."
Carefully, Kaji put his arm around her shoulder and lead
her away. He would not let the subordinates watch her in her
vulnerability.
"Let me buy you a drink," he offered. "You can tell me more
after that."
She was unresisting.
A sudden thought crossed her mind.
She would never see Asuka again.
Never hear her voice.
Never see her grow up.
Never...
Too many nevers.
Misato started to sob, clinging on to Kaji.
"I'll never see Asuka again. I'll never see her again.
Asuka..." she cried.
[Kaji's heart broke at the sight of a strong woman like
Major Katsuragi, so broken.
And Asuka...
Sweet Asuka.
He would miss her soon enough.
There were many times he wished there was more he could do.
Now was one of them.]
Ritsuko rehearsed her answers as she stepped in the door.
Striding the length to his table, she found Vice Commander
Fuyutsuki by his side. Before she could start, he interjected.
"Kill her."
"Ikari!" Fuyutsuki protested.
She had expected it. "No. Her soul is permanently bound to
Asuka's now. Even if we had killed her the moment we retrieved
her, it would still be too late. There will not be another Rei."
Fuyutsuki seemed to relax a little.
"Her genetic charts?"
"A blood sample was obtained. Magi confirms at least 13% of
the subject's DNA as those belonging to Lillith."
"And the rest of them?"
"They seem to be equally divided between Asuka's and Rei's.
Compared to their original codes, it appears that Mendel's First
and Second Law have occurred. Since they were fully grown
individuals, it is my speculation that some genes have been
recessed while the others were absorbed into the LCL and Unit
00."
"Unit 00?" Fuyutsuki wondered. "That means-"
"Yes. Unit 00 may have retained a part of their soul, or
their memories from RNA particles."
"What about the RNA memory in the subject?" Ikari asked.
"Unknown. We will only find out when the subject wakes up."
"Status of the pilot of Unit 01?"
"Examinations are still being done. Initial assessment
shows a clean slate. No mental or physical contamination noted."
"Run harmonics and synchronization tests as soon as both
subjects are able."
"Yes sir."
"That will be all. You are dismissed."
Ritsuko nodded slightly, and left.
A few minutes passed before Ikari Gendo spoke again.
"The project will proceed as usual."
Fuyutsuki looked like he was troubled by it, but he did not
voice his protests.
"It will not matter. This incident is still within the
projected range of the Scrolls. We just need to make a few
adjustments."
"Humans survive by learning to adapt," Fuyutsuki mused. He
had taught that to Gendo, what seemed to be a long time ago.
"Tell the committee that we decline their offer. I will not
accept any gifts at the moment."
"It is strange that they have a candidate ready for us so
soon after the accident," Fuyutsuki commented somewhat casually.
"We will choose our own Children."
Shinji tensed as the needle pierced his arm. A sharp pain,
then, the tingling coolness of alcohol. The nurse worked quickly
and quietly, not touching him directly at all. It was as if he
had some sort of disease that she was afraid to catch.
Perhaps that disease had a name.
Pain.
"Excuse me?" Shinji asked meekly.
No answer.
"I was wondering, when can I leave?"
Again, he was pointedly ignored.
Shinji gave up trying. Why had he bothered in the first
place? No one cared about him. They only wanted to use him for
one thing or another.
Fighting.
Destroying.
Killing.
With a sigh, he slid back down the bed and pulled the
covers over his head. The sun was getting too bright to his
liking. At least, here he had quiet, he couldn't hear the ever
chirping cicadas from his room.
If only he had peace to go along with it.
A whirr of the electronic door, and he was once again left
alone.
Alone.
Confined.
Isolated.
Abandoned.
'You abandoned me, Father.'
The door slid open again, cutting off Shinji's thoughts.
Perhaps the nurse forgot something. Shinji listened
carefully while remaining still, hoping to fool her that he was
asleep.
He didn't hear any footsteps.
Shinji started to count.
'Leave me alone.'
Twelve... thirteen...
'Go away.'
Twenty six... twenty seven...
'I don't want to see anybody.'
Fifty one... fifty two...
A hum signified the closing of the door.
Shinji felt a wash of relief flow over him. It was a small
victory, but a victory nonetheless.
"Ma... Ma..."
'Mother?'
Shinji stiffened. There was someone in his room. She hadn't
left. Damn. He was positive he didn't hear any footsteps.
But that voice...
Why?
Trying to calm himself, he debated whether he should lift
the cover and look, or pretend to be asleep.
Maybe it was his imagination.
Maybe the drug the nurse had given him was hallucinogenic.
No, he was hearing things, not seeing things.
Well, maybe he needed to sleep.
Or, maybe he fell asleep and hear that in his dream and
woke up.
Maybe it was-
"Mama..."
Now he was scared. Shinji felt flustered. What should he
do? That voice... almost seemed to be...
Calling him.
Before he could think any further he threw over the covers
and turned to voice's direction.
Shinji's eyes widened and he recoiled to the very end of
the bed, his back ramrod straight against the wall.
*She* was standing there.
*She* was calling him.
They looked at each other, unblinking.
She was just as he remembered her. Red eyes. Long blue
hair. Except that now, she was wearing a hospital gown, similar
to his.
She wasn't wearing any slippers.
No wonder he didn't hear her come in.
Her lips were twitching, as if she was nervous or
struggling to say something.
"Uhh.."
Very slowly, she lifted her right leg, and placed it
forward unsteadily.
"Yuu.."
Closer.
"Yyu..."
Closer.
"You."
At the foot of his bed.
"You..."
Oh God, she was climbing on to his bed.
"You..."
On her hands and knees, she crawled.
"You..."
Closer.
"You..."
If he had looked down, he would've seen that she was
wearing nothing beneath the gown.
"You..."
If only he wasn't so riveted to her eyes...
"You..."
Her lips...
"You..."
She stopped exactly six inches from his face, her hands and
knees locking his legs with the blanket. He could not run now.
Shinji drew in a ragged breath, and found his voice
lacking.
She was staring at him with a childlike curiosity, tilting
her head oh-so-slightly to left, then to the right, as if she had
never seen him before.
As if she had never seen a person before.
"Hell..."
Hell?
"Hel- Help... me..." she strained to make the words.
"H- He- Help... you?" Shinji whispered, bewildered.
"Y-yes," she said, and started to cry.
Not strong, silent tears.
Heart wrenching, anguished tears.
"Wha-? Wait! Don't, don't cry!"
Shinji was at a complete loss. A multitude of emotions ran
through him. Fear. Confusion. Anger. Sympathy.
Kinship?
She collapsed on top of him, and his hand started to reach
for her.
Timidly, he touched the top of the sobbing girl and stroked
her hair.
It felt soft. She seemed to relax, her bawls receding.
Encouraged, he repeated the motion, and no longer felt any
fear of her.
"Uhh... Ahh... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she threw her head back
and screamed, an unearthly, ear-splitting wail. At once Shinji
shrunk back in horror, his hand hurriedly withdrawn.
She clasped hers on her temples and shook her head
violently, twisting and contorting her body.
Then...
She stared straight ahead to Shinji.
He found himself not breathing.
Fixated upon the windows of his soul. The darkest blue
clashing with fiery red.
"You..." she hissed with malice.
Before Shinji could think of replying, she scrambled off
the bed and ran for the door.
Leaving him.
Alone.
Long after he last saw her retreating form, he dared
himself to move. The experience felt so surreal, he wondered if
he didn't imagined it all.
A strand of blue hair proved that she did came.
And how could he ever forget that voice? He fought not to
panic just remembering it. Cold and ominous.
"You..."
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Author's Notes
At last! Writing seems to be getting harder and harder for each
chapter ^^
Only notes for now is, I'm sure you would ask : Isn't Reika bound
to the bed? Well, let's just say it's one of those things that
can only be explained by the Anime Law of Physics ^_^ Perhaps
I'll expand on her Houdini escape later on.
(
geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/2236) (
geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse) (
geocities.com/Tokyo)