A Child Out of Time A Neon Genesis Evangelion alternate universe fanfiction By Andrew Aelfwine ***** All characters and situations property of their creators and publishers. I'm only borrowing them for this non-profit work of fanfiction. ***** It was warm. That didn't make sense; after all, the Antarctic was cold, wasn't it? The exposure suit couldn't make that much difference. But none the less it was the case. She opened her eyes. She seemed to be lying in the bottom of a boat. But why? And where was everyone else, Daddy and the rest of the expedition? Katsuragi Misato sat upright. All around was calm, open water. No ice, no penguins, no great frozen continent. A gentle breeze fluttered her purple hair. The exposure suit was decidedly uncomfortable. She opened the front zipper, peeled it down to her waist. It was still kind of warm-- maybe it would be nice to take off her shirt as well. After all, there wasn't anyone around. The amplified voice caught her just as she was drawing the shirt over her head. English had never been her strong subject, and in her embarrassment she couldn't remember how to say anything but "There are grey squirrels in my bed." Redfaced, she struggled to pull her garment back into place. The ensuing hail in Japanese would have been a great relief, if she hadn't been too mortified to notice. ***** 48 hours later: "Let me get this straight, Rits-chan. You're giving me another kid to herd." "Right." "And to all appearances, she's fourteen." "Right." "Except she was born twenty-nine years ago." "Right." "And neither she nor we have any idea where she's been between the Impact and two days ago, when she was found in a boat in the middle of the Antarctic Sea." "Right." "And on top of this, she shows every sign of being one of the Children, which blows every theory we have into bloody fragments." "Right." "Very funny, Rits-chan. You almost had me believing you for a moment. Now let's knock off work, have a drink, and maybe do a little...hmmm...reminiscing, say?" "I'm not kidding you, Kaji-kun." "Dammit, Rits-chan, I've got my hands full with Shinji and Asuka as it is. Why can't she live with Rei?" "Because she needs more supervision than Rei." "Then why can't you take her in? Or Maya, or somebody?" "Because I'm terrible with kids, and Maya is a complete pushover, Kaji-kun, why else? Look, you're the only option we have. Please don't be difficult about this. I'd hate for the Commander to have to order you..." "All right, Rits-chan. But you owe me for this, ok?" ***** The next day: He reminded her of her father. She couldn't quite think why; her father had worn his hair short, not tied back in a ponytail, and his beard had been thick and neatly trimmed, not the absent- minded two day stubble that graced Ryouji-san's chin. He was more thoughtful than her father as well-- he'd brought her a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, stepped outside so she could get dressed, and sweet-talked the nurse into locating a spare office so they could sit in real chairs. He'd even brought pastries and coffee and tea. Maybe it was something about his voice. "So, kiddo, how're you feeling? A little discombobulated?" He raised one eyebrow, like the man with the pointed ears in those silly American movies.. "A bit. I still can't really believe that Tokyo's out there under the water." She pointed to the window, with its excellent view of Tokyo-3 and the harbour. The ruins were a dark mass beneath the blue water, and here and there a skyscraper stump was a steel-framed island, home to colonies of seabirds. "I've had fifteen years to get used to it, and sometimes I only half-believe it myself" he said gently. "I was your age when the Impact happened, you know." "So was I. They've been asking me all kinds of questions, what did I see, where did I go, did I meet anyone, and I just don't remember. They've had doctors and scientists and priests and sorcerers in to talk to me, and I can't tell them _anything_." She sighed. "I just feel so useless, Ryouji-san." "That's Kaji-san" he replied, with a bit of a laugh. "I'm not an old man, you know. In fact, we were only born a few months apart. "And you certainly shouldn't feel useless. We lost more than half the population only fifteen years ago--every mind and pair of hands is valuable. And some of our tests indicate that you just might have a very special ability, the one the world needs most right now. Has anyone told you about the Evangelion units?" ***** "So, Asuka, you looking forward to meeting the Fourth today?" "Why would I possibly care about meeting another amateur EVA driver, baka-Shinji? I hardly see why NERV is even bothering. I'll admit that two assistants do make my life slightly easier, but any more would simply get in the way." She stalked off toward the other end of the schoolyard. "Hey, Shinji, what's up? Did I just hear you say something about a Fourth pilot?" Shinji sighed. "Yes, Kensuke, Kaji-san told us this morning that they'd found the Fourth Child and we'd be meeting this afternoon." Kensuke's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Do you know who it is? There's a rumour that they'll pick the next one from our school! Do you think they'd tell him ahead of time?" "I really have no idea. But Kaji-san said we'd be 'meeting _her_ at four.'" Kensuke's face fell momentarily, then brightened. "Hey, maybe she'll be a babe. Promise you'll introduce us?" "Sure thing." ***** "So we're being attacked by aliens, and you want me to get into a giant robot and fight them?" "Well, it's not really a robot, and we're not sure if they're really aliens, but yes, essentially that's right." "You sure you can't just find me a job on the SDF-1? I'm kind of a klutz." He laughed. "You know, I hadn't thought of Macross in years. I guess you used to watch reruns, too." "When I was little, my babysitter was a bit of an otaku. She was into Star Trek, as well, so I know where you stole that eyebrow thing, Kaji-san." He sighed dramatically. "Caught at last! I didn't think anyone in Japan still remembered that show." "I always preferred the movies, myself. The show was just a little bit too cheesy." "Ah, but where would the world be without foam rocks and papier-mache trees? The old show was one of the triumphs of American art." "Let me guess, you like Gojiro movies." ***** "They tell you anything about the Fourth, Ayanami?" "We will meet her today. Her name is Katsuragi Misato." "That's more than Kaji-san told us, right, Asuka?" Asuka's eyes lit up momentarily. "Interesting! At university I read articles by an archaeologist named Katsuragi. Very cutting-edge, revolutionary kind of stuff; neither of you will have heard of him, of course." Shinji cleared his throat. "Actually, my uncle had a few of his books. He said he read them for entertainment, that the man was a maniac, but wrote up his manias in a very amusing manner. Apparently he thought there was a lost civilisation in Antarctica. There'd been ice there for millions of years, so it was completely ridiculous, of course..." "Don't tell me you actually believe that stuff, Shinji. It's another set of lies for public consumption, just like that ridiculous story about the Impact having been a stray comet. Really, I don't understand how you buy all this disinformation..." She rambled off into another conspiracy theory, and Shinji tuned her out as always. ***** "So, Kaji-kun, what do you think?" "Well, you're looking ravishing today..." "About Miss Katsuragi." He grinned. "You always were a stick-in-the-mud, Rits- chan. But as you insist... "Get on with it, Kaji-kun." "She's a good kid. She's holding up remarkably well, given everything that's happened to her. I'm a bit concerned about what's going to happen when she has a chance to sit down and think-- " "I don't think we'll be giving her that chance for a while, will we?" "As you say. Other than that, my only worry is how well she's going to get along with the other Children." "They don't have to be best friends." "But they have to at least function together. And I think Misato-chan is more fragile than she comes off. Too much-- " He broke off as he heard a hand on the doorknob. ***** "...and then the secret laser cannon shot down the Martian probe, and it crashed in Australia, but the Americans claimed it was their Skylab, and they recovered it and used its technology to build the Apple II..." "Ayanami, do you understand what she's talking about at all?" "Does it matter, Ikari?" "You've got a point." ***** was Misato's first thought. She managed to stifle a laugh; it wouldn't do to make any of the three think she was laughing at _them_. The girl with the blue hair and red eyes would probably take it personally, and the redhead would step in to defend her friend, and kami alone knew how the boy would react. She was so busy controlling herself that she barely caught their names. "Doctor Akagi and I have some business to deal with. Why don't you stay here, have a snack, and get to know each other a bit?" There was a long silence after they left. "So, uh, hi." she said at last, hoping she wasn't too obviously blushing. "How d'you do?" The redhead-- Asuka-- smiled, broad and insincere. "Nice to meet you." Rei's expression didn't change. "Hello." She instantly liked Shinji. It was ridiculous, of course; he was born nine months after she'd... whatever it was. She couldn't quite decide what to think of Asuka. And Rei was a complete cipher. Of course, the fact that all of them were simultaneously her age and fifteen years younger was just too confusing for words, so she decided to ignore it. "What's good to eat here?" "Nothing." "It is all sufficiently nutritious." "The pizza's pretty ghastly, and I wouldn't touch the curry. The sushi isn't completely awful, and the pie is actually decent." He flashed her a quick, shy smile. "You're Japanese, you don't have any idea what pie is supposed to be like. In America, now..." "I thought you were supposed to be a Kraut." "I have American citizenship." "But I thought you'd never even lived there." "I didn't have to. It's just something you know. If you're capable of it..." "Those two engaged or something?" Misato asked Rei. "No. Ikari-kun's father would not make such an arrangement." "I was only kidding. They just kind of argue like they have something for each other, you know?" "No." "Oh. Well, what do you do around here?" "I pilot Eva. I attend school." "I mean for fun." A blank look. Misato sighed inwardly. "I'm going for something to eat." Minding Shinji's advice, she took a piece of apple pie and turned to the coolers of soda. "Hey, isn't there any Pepsi?" "I'm sorry?" Shinji asked. "Pepsi. It's the second-most popular cola in the world. My favourite." "I've never heard of it." "_I_ have." Asuka had a superior grin on her face. "The company was wiped out by the Impact. They used it as an example in one of my economics courses at university." "Oh _shite_." Somehow this was worse than all the rest, worse than seeing ruins and being told they were the Tokyo she'd known, worse than knowing her father had been killed along with everyone else. Those were intellectual experiences and concepts. But this, this was here and now, concrete, real, proof that her world was irrevocably lost. Somewhere in the distance she heard a mewling sound, like some small hurt animal. She vaguely realised it came from her own throat. Shinji was within reach. Unthinking, she flung herself against him. He put his arms about her, not nearly tight enough. "Oh for gods' sake, it's just a soda. Have a Coke, why don't you?" "Shut up, Asuka." "Fine, baka-Shinji. Baby her. Maybe you'll get lucky." "Shut up, Asuka." "I'm sorry, it's stupid, I know, I just can't stop..." "It's all right. Little things set you off sometimes. I... can't deal with red roses. White is fine, so's pink, but red... I can't stand the things." His hands made clumsy patting motions against her back. Somehow they'd pulled each other a little closer. "Why?" She straightened, embarrassed at her outburst. That put her nose to nose with Shinji. There was a moment's awkwardness while they figured out how to let go of each other. She caught a glimpse of Asuka's face; why did she stare so fixedly at them? And why did she tremble ever so slightly? "Tea?" Shinji held out a mug already filled from the urn. She took it, and they sat down at the nearest table. "Would you tell me?" "Hnh?" "About the roses? If you don't mind?" "Oh. I just, well, I remember my mother putting some in a vase. Before she died, you know? I think my father gave them to her. I was maybe four years old; it's the last clear memory I have of her. Silly, isn't it?" "No." There was a long silence. "My last memory of my mother is her waving from the quay as our ship pulled away. She didn't like my going off on Daddy's expedition, but she tried very hard not to spoil it for me. "We all thought I'd be back in five weeks. Instead it's fifteen years, and the place where I lived is under the harbour." His eyes widened. "Nobody told you?" she continued. "I was born in 1986. They found me floating in a lifeboat three days ago, off what used to be Antarctica. I know, you probably don't believe me..." "No, actually, I do." "Why? I hardly believe it myself." "Because you've no reason to lie to me." Asuka loomed over them. "Asuka, if you're going to say something nasty, you can just shut up, okay?" "What's got into you, baka-Shinji? For what it's worth, I believe your new girlfriend's telling the truth. I just have better reasons than yours." "And those are?" "Your father was Dr. Katsuragi, right? World-famous archaeologist, widely respected for his work on the early peopling of Japan and the Americas? So well respected that when he broke loose from contemporary thought and proposed an ancient human presence in Antarctica, his carefully marshaled evidence was actually looked at instead of being swept into the rubbish bin along with Atlantis and the ancient astronauts. So well respected that he was able to secure UN funding for his expedition. An expedition which never returned, whose disappearance was coincident with the so-called Second Impact. "The expedition you were on, yes, Misato?" She nodded. Asuka's blue eyes were bright. "So, what happened? What did you see? Angels?" "I have no idea. The last thing I remember is going to bed. I think the Impact or whatever must have happened that night. Somebody must have put me in the lifeboat-- I hope it was my father. Whoever it was, I didn't wake up until just before the patrol cruiser found me." "Jesus, is that all? You must remember _something_." "Leave her alone, Asuka." "Calm down, Shinji. I'm just making conversation." "Hey, kids!" "Kaji-san!" Asuka cried happily, and ran over to him. He ruffled her hair. "How're you getting along?" "Oh, just fine, Kaji-san. I'm sure Misato and Rei are going to love living together." Asuka burbled. "Actually, she's moving in with us." "What? We don't have enough room! Is Shinji going to sleep on the couch?" "Well, since you two like each other so much, I figured sure you'd want him in with you." "What?!" "Just kidding. NERV is getting us a bigger apartment. Until then, I figure you and Misato can share a room, ne?" "Ja, sure, we'll be fine." Her tone was insincere at best. Misato thought to herself. At least Kaji-san and Shinji were nice. And Rei wasn't bad, either, in her own way. "Misato?" Kaji was talking. Apparently she'd zoned out. "Sorry. What was that, again?" "I said we need to get you some new clothes. I figure Asuka and Rei can help with that, won't you?" "I'm sure Rei would love to..." "You can all go together. My sisters always used to insist that shopping was a bonding experience." "But Kaji-san, I have to do my homework." "You'll have time later. After all, you are a genius." Asuka preened slightly. Kaji turned away from her and winked. ***** She'd sort of hoped cars in the future would be more interesting; Kaji's boxy blue compact wouldn't have looked out of place in 1999. The number plate bore the same half-leaf symbol she'd seen on so many things in the past three days, from the cruiser that had rescued her to the shirt she was wearing. Asuka immediately seized the front seat. The other three crammed into the back, Shinji in the middle. He sat with his hands on his knees, seemingly trying to give Misato and Rei as much space as possible. Rei sat calmly, staring out the window. Asuka turned on the radio. The music that issued forth was hauntingly familiar. Misato thought. "Eeeew, oldies," the redhead whined. "Misato might want to hear that, Asuka." "Not if you don't." "Are you sure?" "Yes." The station changed. "My Goddess, enka?" "Good, isn't it?" Asuka said happily. Shinji was smiling. Even Rei appeared pleased. Kaji laughed. "I guess I should have told you, Misato. Enka became very popular a few years after the Impact. I'd almost forgotten that I didn't like it very much when I was a kid." She was grateful when the station cut to a beer commercial. Asuka turned the dial. This time the music was foreign-sounding, wailing nasal vocals over rhythmically complex percussion and plucked strings. It took her a minute to realise that the lyrics were in Japanese. "North Africa's big in music these days," Kaji commented. "Sort of like how America used to be." Shopping malls also didn't look to have changed very much. Kaji gave her a NERV credit card. "Don't go _too_ wild, but don't short yourself, either." he said. "You'll need school supplies, and some clothes besides uniforms, and if you want a DAT player and some books or something go right ahead." "Meet me back here in two hours. I'll take you all out for dinner, okay?" "Sure thing, Kaji-san. Bai-bai!" Asuka waved cutely. Misato managed to restrain the impulse to hit her. "Thanks very much, Kaji-san," she said. "And thank you, Shinji-kun. See you in two hours." "Why don't you go with them, Shinji?" His eyes widened. "Isn't this a girls' thing?" "Just furthering your education, Shinji-kun. Shopping with women is part of being a man." He got back in the car and left. "Probably wants to go drink and flirt with barmaids." Shinji said. Asuka immediately smacked him on the head. "Don't insult Kaji-san, baka-Shinji! I'm sure he has important business." The air-conditioned mall was a relief after the heat outdoors. Misato was surprised at the thinness of the crowd. Asuka immediately gravitated towards a jeweler's, leaving the other three standing by the doorway. Rei clasped her hands behind her back and leaned against a pillar, while Shinji turned to Misato and raised an eyebrow. He'd obviously copied the gesture from Kaji; it was all she could do not to laugh. "Ah, where would I find uniforms?" she asked at last. "Girls' uniforms? I've no idea." "There is a store at the other end of the mall." "Could you show me?" "Yes." "So, I'll see you in a little while." She wasn't sure where the impulse came from. She'd heard people joke about their "evil twins"; maybe it was hers that overtook her body, made her reach out and grab Shinji's wrist and say "Not so fast, Shinji-kun." "What?" "Remember what Kaji-san said? Besides, we'll need someone to help carry our stuff." ***** The shop clerks were giggling. Shinji couldn't hear what they were saying, but he had an unfortunate feeling it was something to do with himself and Misato and Rei. The latter were currently in the changing room; Misato had dragged Rei in with her much as she'd dragged Shinji here. He had been left sitting on an uncomfortable metal chair, wishing he'd brought a book, or his DAT player, or something. "So, how do I look?" Shinji swallowed. "Good." Stunning was actually more like it. The blue-gray of the standard jumper set off her purple hair quite as nicely as it did Asuka's red, and she'd selected a neck-ribbon to match. She turned slowly in place. "Your dress meets our school's requirements." Misato went to change back to her street clothes. Rei sat beside Shinji. "Why did Katsuragi ask for our approval of her uniform, Ikari-kun?" "I don't know." He would have added something, he wasn't sure quite what, but Misato was back, with an armful of jumpers and shirts. They followed her to the counter. As they left, the clerk called out "You two keep him in line, okay?" Shinji blushed furiously. "Here, let's sit down for a minute." Misato said, parking herself on a bench. "I guess the next thing is to get some non- school clothes, yes? Where would you recommend, Rei?" "Our plug suits are provided by NERV." "Plug suits?" She looked at Shinji. "They're a sort of jump suit. We wear them when we're piloting the Eva." "Oh. I was actually talking about regular clothes. You know, the things you wear when you're just hanging around." Rei looked even more blank than usual. ***** "Here, Shinji, would you take these, please?" Misato said, handing him the bag of blouses and skirts she'd just bought. He held it gingerly, as if it were a half-tamed animal that might suddenly choose to bite. They walked out of the store and past the tattoo and piercing parlour. She couldn't help but look out of the corner of her eye in fascinated horror. Neither Shinji nor Rei gave it a second glance. She glanced at a clock. Still an hour to go. "So, where's a good place to buy CDs?" Shinji looked as if there was something he didn't quite want to tell her. "Oh, right, Kaji-san told me people mostly use DATs today. So, where would I find a player and something to put in it?" "There's a pretty good shop on the next level." It looked so homelike she could almost cry. There were the same sort of plain white walls festooned with faded posters, the same sort of ugly metal racks with misspelt labels at the top of them, the same sort of bored twenty-something clerk. It was only the contents of the racks that didn't make sense. She'd expected she wouldn't recognise the latest bands, and she'd expected that every singer she knew would be filed under oldies, and she'd even reluctantly accepted that there would be a huge selection of enka. "Northumbria? Nouvelle Acadie? Nunavut? Where are these places?" "Honestly, didn't they teach geography back in the nineties?" Asuka had slipped up behind her. "A lot of big countries fell apart after the Impact," Shinji interjected. "Christ, baka-Shinji, I was _joking_." "You should be nicer to Misato. How would you feel if we'd started picking on _you_ when you first showed up? 'Honestly, Asuka, what's so hard about looking the right way when you cross the street?' 'Don't Germans know how to use security cards?'" "Someone spike your LCL with testosterone, Shinji? Why don't you let your girlfriend defend herself?" Misato was glad when he didn't say anything. Asuka seemed to back off as well, and they spent the next several minutes peaceably browsing. Eventually they wandered off to the bookshop. "I didn't know people in India drew manga. And there's an entire section of them?" Shinji paused for a moment, as if surprised. "Yeah. Some of them are pretty good. I've got _Lion of the Punjab_ up through volume ten, if you'd like to borrow it." ***** Misato thought to herself, sitting outside, waiting for Kaji-san. Shinji sat next to her on the bench. She examined him out of the corner of her eye. Asuka sat beyond him, on the same bench but pushed as far to the end as possible. Rei stood. She was just debating the merits of trying to start a conversation versus taking out something to read when Kaji pulled up. "We're meeting Ritsuko-- Dr. Akagi-- and Lieutenant Ibuki for ramen. I hope that's all right, Misato?" "That's fine. I haven't had ramen in three weeks." A cold shiver shot through her. One part of her wanted to curl up in a dark corner somewhere and hide. Another wanted to grab onto Shinji. With an effort of will she managed to control herself. Asuka fiddled with the radio until she found a song she liked-- something loud and thrashy in a language Misato assumed was German-- and started singing along, beating time on the glovebox with her fingertips. Kaji and Rei didn't seem to pay much attention, but Shinji kept stealing little glances at the front seat, trying so hard to not appear to be looking as to make it painfully obvious. Misato couldn't blame him. There were two women waiting outside the ramen shop when they pulled up. Maybe he'd invited his girlfriend to join them. The slender girl looked to be only five years older than Misato herself. an annoying little voice in the back of her head told her. "Sempai, that's fascinating." She had a high, gentle voice; for some reason Misato was reminded of a grad student who'd babysat her as a small child. That was a ridiculous thought; maybe everyone was starting to remind her of her father. "Hello," Doctor Akagi said, "how are you holding up, Misato?" She didn't appear to expect an answer. "This is Lieutenant Ibuki." "Pleased to meet you, ma'am." She giggled. "Oh, you do me too much honour. Call me Maya, please?" ***** "Stay out of my room, Shinji. I don't want a pervert like you looking round to see if I've left my underwear out." He stood uncertainly, half of Misato's shopping bags still in his arms. "Don't worry," she said, "I can get them from here." He laid them on the floor. "Thanks, Shinji-kun." He gave her another shy smile and opened the door across the hall. She caught a quick glimpse of a plain futon, a plain desk, and a cello case before he closed it behind him. A series of low, resonant notes followed shortly. "All right," Asuka was saying, "here's how it's going to be. The left side's mine, the right's yours. Please try to stick to it, although you'll have to pass through my side to leave, which you are _always_ welcome to do." With an effort of will she plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you _so_ much, Asuka-chan. You're really too kind." The German girl flinched ever so slightly. Without replying, she sprawled down across her futon, grabbing a notebook and a couple of texts, and began scrawling something. Misato pulled out a manga and settled down to read. An hour later, she pulled herself from the cold sands of tribal Mars. She wanted a glass of water. She was searching the kitchen cabinets for a glass when Shinji walked in. "They're in the upper right-hand one, second shelf." "Thanks, Shinji-kun. You're being very kind to me." He blushed. "Oh, it's nothing. I just, well, I guess I know what it's like to be stuck in the middle of a new place without any warning. "I hadn't seen my father in nearly ten years, and then one day out of the blue a letter showed up telling me to come to Tokyo- 3. I thought I'd be back in Kyoto in a day or two. Instead, here I am." "Is Kaji-san... your father?" Shinji laughed. "Don't I wish? My father's the Commander. Have you met him yet? Tall bearded guy with glasses, never smiles?" "No." "You're lucky." ***** Misato was drowsing over her reading when Asuka at last slammed her books shut, picked out a nightgown from her drawer, and left the room. she thought, and changed her clothes. She was just tying her robe shut when Asuka returned.. "Bathroom free?" She assumed the vague nod meant it was. She came back to a room illuminated only by the thin glow through the window-curtains. "Good night." There was no response from the red-haired girl already lying in her bed, face turned to the wall. It bothered her, vaguely, as she lay down and closed her eyes. "Hnh?" Someone was lifting her covers. And that same someone was slipping beneath them, snuggling up against her back, draping an arm about her. A strange thrill shot through her, half terror and half wild joy. "Shinji?" "...nacht." A girl's voice mumbled something she couldn't understand, tickling the back of her neck. She thought about rousing her, but no, it wouldn't do to wake her up and no doubt make her angry. she thought groggily, There was something not quite logical about that, but she was too tired to think it through. She let the warmth and the soft breathing carry her back to sleep. She woke alone. The shower was running on the other side of the wall, and she could hear her roommate singing through the rush and rattle of the water. She reached behind herself, felt the depression in the futon and the residual warmth.