A Janok Production; General disclaimer;The usual... Some characters and original storyline copyright Gainaxand affiliated companies. WARNINGThis is a Post-Episode 26 story, if you haven't seen up to Episode 26of NGE I advise you not to read this story. You have been warned, sono complaints. ********** NEON GENESIS CHAPTER 2A Fall From Grace: Out of Eden VERSE 6 "... For you are to be dressed for travel,with your sandals on your feet and yourstick in your hand."Exodus 12:11 "Lets go out to celebrate!" declared an excited Shiro. Michael looked up from his book, "Why?" Shiro gave an exasperated sigh, "Because we are about to finish ourtraining, why else? Lets go to that bar I told you about." Michael looked back down at his book, "Why would anyone want to becomedrunk? All that happens is you drink a drink for a while then losecontrol of your bodily functions, very entertaining I must say.Besides, we're underage, and even if we weren't, they wouldn't let usout of the compound." Shiro gave another sigh, "Getting drunk is only a small part of it,the main purpose of going to a bar is to hang out with your friends,and if you're just worried about getting caught, don't be. I've founda secure way out." He glanced over at Michael and seeing that he hadgot no reaction he asked, "Would you be interested if I convinced yourgirlfriend to go?" That got a reaction. Michael slammed a fist on the chair's arm. "She is not my girlfriend,"he growled. Shiro grinned and lifted his hands in mock surrender, "Sure, sure, mymistake. She is just a friend."His face took on a serious cast, "That's one thing I can't understandabout you Michael. One minute you're as emotionless as a cold fish,and the next you are literally seething with emotion. It just isn'tnatural." Michael leaned back in his chair, "Most emotions are irrelevant, theyserve no purpose and therefore I do not need them," he said in aclinically detached voice. Shiro shook his head, "Like I said, a cold fish." ********** "All of them sir?" Major Veitch asked in a shocked voice. Commander Fuji leaned back in his chair, "All of those on the list,yes. I would point out, however, that this isn't all of thecandidates, only those who failed to be selected." Major Veitch appeared to be feeling very uncomfortable as he stoodbefore the Commander's desk "It's still a large number sir; 82 fromthe command staff candidates, 53 technical staff candidates, and 112Pilot recruits." Commander Fuji sighed, "I wish we could handle it another way, but wedon't have the time. We can't evacuate them all, and we can't affordto let them fall into enemy hands either. This is the only way."He locked eyes with Major Veitch, "You have your orders Major, carrythem out." "Yes Sir!" Major Veitch saluted smartly, and marched from the room. That's what Fuji liked about the military, people might not like anorder but they would always carry it out. ********** 12 hours later "First of all I wish to offer my congratulations to you all forsuccessfully completing your NERV training. From this time forward youare now NERV personnel, and as such I will now give you your firstorders," said the Major standing on the platform at the front of thelarge lecture hall. NERV officers handed out the documents to the candidates in the hall. "These are your re-assignment papers," said the Major, "You willreport to your assigned staging areas by no later than 14 hundredhours today. From there you will be transferred to whichever NERVbranch you will be serving. If an emergency is declared before thattime do not report to your shelters, but immediately go to yourstaging areas." He looked out at the six hundred new NERV personnel. They were ofevery creed and colour, the best and the brightest selected from allover the world. The hope for the future of mankind. It was unfortunatethat so many... "You will be informed of your destination either on route or as youarrive, depending on the security level of your new post. You willalso receive further instructions at that same time." He looked over the group one more time, "You have your orders, goodluck to you." ********** Michael stared out of the south facing window in his room. "So? Where do you have to report to?" asked an excited Shiro. He looked up at his friend, "I have to go to NERV HQ," he looked backto the forest on the horizon of the geofront. Shiro looked at him, a puzzled expression on his face, "Are you okayMichael? You've been staring out that window a lot recently." Michael didn't respond. "Michael, is something wrong?" Still no response, Shiro was getting very annoyed by now. "Michael, what are you doing? MICHAEL!" Michael looked round, "What? Why are you shouting at me?" Shiro shook his head in wonderment, "You freak me out when you phaseout like that, its like you've got your own little world," he clearedhis throat, "What I was asking was 'What are you doing?'" Michael turned back to the window, "I'm just looking out the window." Shiro let out an exasperated sigh, "Yes, but WHY?" Michael looked back to Shiro, "I'm not sure... I feel..." his voicetrailed off. He looked out the window again, "I feel that something is out there,that it is... calling to me." Shiro looked at his friend, "Michael, you have a weird imagination." ********** Fuji looked out across the geofront from his window in the largeoffice at NERV HQ. It had been five days since he had given theevacuation order, and six days since the last angel attack. Therespite wouldn't last much longer. "They will make their move soon," he said. "You mean because of the candidates sir?" asked Major Veitch who stoodby the large desk. "Yes," he watched the steady stream of vehicles heading for thevarious airstrips still available for use by the geofront, "Forsecurity reasons we have to keep the candidates together during thetransfer, however, that means that they will make a very temptingtarget. If they capture or kill the candidates then we will have losteverything," he glanced over his shoulder at the Major, "I would likeyour analysis of the situation." The Major held up three fingers, "If I wanted to eliminate thecandidates I would try to attack them when they are the mostvulnerable; that would be the time when they are being transferred tothe new location. However, if I attack on route I may miss them orthey may escape as they are a moving target," he lowered one of hisfingers, "I could choose to attack them at their destination, but Iwould have to assume that they are being moved to an even more secureposition than they are in now," he lowered his second finger, "Thatleaves only one option, to attack before they leave the geofront. Thatmeans today." The Commander nodded his approval, "Agreed, place the facility oncondition yellow, and keep the candidates under a tight watch," helooked back to the convoy passing below, "We must be able to move ata moments notice." ********** Michael watched as his friend boarded the coach that would take him tohis assembly point. What Michael found strange was that he did not feel any kind ofemotion about his friend leaving. All he felt was a cold indifference,and now that he came to think about it, he had never really feltanything else for his friend Shiro. Even the term friend was one thatShiro had given him, he did not remember ever having a friend before,and had assumed that the way he had been feeling about his "friend"was the way all people felt about their friends.From talking to others about friendship, however, he learned thatShiro was nothing more than an associate, an amusing associate yes,but in no way a friend. He heard a sound to his left and as he turned to look he saw theGerman candidate watching the coach moving out of the compound."Well I'm glad they're being stationed elsewhere," the blonde boysaid, "I would hate to serve with such dead weight." Michael looked over at the boy, George, "Dead weight? What do youmean?" George turned his gaze on Michael, "Didn't you know? All of the peopleleaving on that coach were the candidates with the worst grades andthe worst... (how do you say it?)... harmony." Michael looked confused, "Harmony? How could they have the worstharmony? We never had any tests on musical ability." George burst out laughing, "Oh... that was... hilarious," he saidbetween chuckles, "I did not mean music, as you will learn soon enoughMichael Kysler."George then turned, still chuckling, and began walking towards anothercoach, which would soon be leaving for NERV HQ. Michael followed him at a distance still trying to puzzle over thatlast conversation. Try as he might, however, he could wring no moremeaning out of the words of George Lorenz. ********** Shiro followed the others down into the NERV bunker situated in thenorthern district of the geofront. The NERV officer had said theywould be waiting here until the transport plane was ready for themto embark. It certainly is a cosy little place to wait in, he thought as hewalked along the corridor, the decor is simply superb. He glanced at the concrete walls decorated with green, blue and redpipes, which were lit only by the two rows of evenly spaced, smalllights on the ceiling. He shook his head and followed the others through the large greendoors that had appeared at the end of the corridor. ********** Michael stared out of the coach window to the south, whatever was outthere seemed to be calling him with an increasingly more insistenttone, as if something important was soon to occur. He stared out,entranced. "What are you staring at idiot?" he turned instinctively upon hearingthat voice, it would bring more trouble than it was worth to ignoreit. As he turned he came face to face with the raven haired Megan who wasleaning over from the seat behind, "Pardon?" he asked, even though heknew exactly what she had just said. Her eyes twitched dangerously at being forced to repeat herself, "Iasked; What are you looking at idiot?" His mind immediately thought of the perfect reply, "Oh, nothing you'dunderstand." Her eyes turned as hard as agates and her mouth turned down in ascowl. She sat back in her seat without saying a word, but Michaelcould just make out a faint "idiot" emanating from behind him. He smiled, that was amusing, he thought. His smile faded as he looked back out of the window. ********** Why were they taking so long? He wondered as he sat in the grey roomwith the other 250 candidates. He yawned. The NERV officials had brought them here nearly twentyminutes ago, told them to wait and then had left, closing the largeairtight doors behind them. Shiro wasn't worried aboutsuffocating in the large room, as there were a great many ventilationducts to bring in clean air. He stretched his muscles. Now that he came to think about it there were many more times thenumber of air vents in this room than in any of the others he hadbeen in. He rubbed his fingers over his eyes. Maybe it was just because this room was designed to hold large numbersof people, he thought. He yawned again, the air seemed very thick. It didn't really matter, and he was feeling too drowsy to thinkanyway.Was it his imagination or did the light have a cloudier lookto it than when he came in? His eyes felt heavy. He looked at the other candidates, most of them were either asleep orbeginning to doze off. His eyelids began to droop. It wouldn't hurt if he had a quick doze too would it? The NERVofficers could always wake him up if he was still asleep when theywere meant to leave. His eyes closed. He would only sleep for a little while, he thought as he descendedinto darkness. ********** To be continued... "Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes,which grew up and choked the plants,and they didn't produce any corn."Mark 4:7 --------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: If you have any comments about this fanfic then gladly send them tome. Janok_Re <jreproduct@hotmail.com>