A Janok Production;

 

General disclaimer;

The usual... Some characters and original storyline copyright Gainax

and affiliated companies.

 

WARNING

This is a Post-Episode 26 story, if you haven't seen up to Episode 26

of NGE I advise you not to read this story. You have been warned, so

no complaints.

 

**********

 

NEON GENESIS CHAPTER 2

A Fall From Grace: Out of Eden

 

VERSE 9

 

"You liars, what will God do to you?

How will he punish you?"

Psalms 120:3

 

 

"I've just read the medical report, the seventh will be unfit for

combat duty for at least a month," the man in beige said as he looked

over at Ikari, "We only have one operational EVA, and no pilot. How do

you wish to handle the matter?"

 

Ikari glanced up from the report he was currently reading, "Assign the

ninth as the new pilot of the prototype," he responded instantaneously,

"Prepare the EVA for immediate test activation."

 

The man in beige looked at him sharply, "Ikari, I know you. You

wouldn't make such an important decision so hastily," his mouth turned

down in a scowl, "You knew this was going to happen didn't you?" he

accused.

 

Ikari went back to his report, "Pass the order."

 

**********

 

Michael waited for the door to slide back and then walked in. He

looked around the small entryway as the door closed behind him. The

walls were painted a dull grey and the floor was an uncarpeted

concrete.

He walked into the main room, the only furniture present was a metal

bed with a rather uncomfortable looking mattress. He dropped his bag

on the floor and slumped down on the bed. Yet another residence, his

third in three months.

 

He lay back on the bed and stared at the grey ceiling. He might have

to live here from now on, but he didn't think of it as a home. As he

continued to gaze at the bleak view above him, a strange phrase arose

in his mind.

 

"Unfamiliar ceiling..." he whispered.

 

**********

 

"Shut all circuits, cut the power!"

 

The umbilical cable ejected from the back of the giant, and the

Evangelion came to an abrupt halt. Less than ten seconds later the

giant humanoid started to resume its thrashing around the massive

white room in which it stood.

 

"EVA has switched to reserve power!"

"EVA is still activated!"

 

Gendo Ikari looked over to Professor Takai, "Sever the primary nerve

junction," he ordered in a cold voice.

 

Yuri looked over to him, a startled look in her eyes, "But sir, the

pilot..."

 

"... Is not our primary concern," he interrupted.

 

A massive fist smashed into the armoured glass in front of Ikari

causing it to bulge inwards alarmingly.

 

"It still has four minutes of power remaining, it must be stopped

NOW." When he received no response, his features took on a dangerous

cast, "DO IT!" ordered Ikari.

 

"Yes sir," responded Professor Takai in a sullen voice, she looked

down at Captain Ibuki who sat at the station in front of her,

"Sever the nerve junction," she ordered.

 

The giant fist smashed again into the glass, causing it to shatter

inwards over the staff in the control room. One of the technicians

shouted in pain as a shard of glass sliced a deep cut a fraction of

an inch below his eye.

 

"Yes ma'am," responded Maya as she began keying commands into the

console in front of her.

 

As she punched in the final command the EVA stopped its thrashing and

instead clutched its hands to its armoured head. A woman's screams

could be heard over the comm. channel as the EVA collapsed to the

floor and began to convulse in a fit. In a counterpoint to the woman's

screaming, the EVA began to shriek in pain as well.

 

"Professor Takai, the nerve junction is cut, but we are still

receiving mental feedback from the EVA to the pilot!" shouted one of

the operators.

 

"Eject the plug, get her out of there," ordered Professor Takai.

 

"Negative," responded another operator, "EVA is still refusing the

signal."

 

"Is there any other way to recover the pilot?" demanded Major Veitch.

 

"Not until the power runs out," responded Yuri.

 

"And when will that be?" he demanded.

 

Maya winced at a particularly blood curdling scream before turning to

him, "The EVA has three minutes and twenty six seconds of activation

time remaining."

 

Veitch looked out at the EVA, which was still shaking on the ground in

the room below him, "Hell..." he muttered.

 

The sound of the door opening caused those in the room who were not

in shock to glance around quickly.

"I have urgent business to attend to," said Ikari in his cold voice,

"Inform me when the pilot has been recovered."

 

"Yes sir," responded Professor Takai as she watched Ikari walk out of

the room.

 

As Ikari passed through the doorway a brief smile flashed across his

face then disappeared back into his stoic mask before anyone noticed.

 

**********

 

Michael walked through the empty streets of the massive fortress city.

He had been told to remain in his apartment until he received further

orders, but he couldn't stay in that bleak hovel a moment longer.

The place seemed to drain him of energy, creating a lethargic

depressing atmosphere that threatened to smother his spirit. Orders or

no orders, he refused to be a caged bird.

 

He looked up at the tall buildings beside him; they looked so

impressive from the cliff side, but up close they revealed themselves

for what they truly were, giant monoliths of concrete and metal,

designed solely for function with no thought to beauty.

 

He sighed deeply, he had chosen the perfect time to develop an

appreciation for art, he thought.

 

**********

 

"Dammit Ikari," said the man in beige, "You engineered this entire

situation, didn't you?"

 

Gendo Ikari glanced up at his colleague, who was leaning over his

desk, "Do you really need an answer?"

 

The man in beige straightened up and slowly walked over to the large

windows at the rear of the office. He looked out over the defences

still being constructed around the facility. "You knew that the ninth

was incompatible with the EVA, and yet you still ordered her to have

that activation test," he gave Ikari a hard look over his shoulder,

"You just wanted her out of the way so that you could justify giving

Michael the prototype to the committee. Am I wrong?"

 

Ikari remained silent.

 

The man in beige turned back to the view of the geofront outside the

windows. "If you wont tell me anything else, at least answer me

this," he watched the reflection of Ikari, who was sitting with his

back to the window, in the glass, "Why? Why him? You wouldn't be doing

all of this for a candidate who simply has good potential. Who is he?"

 

He watched the reflected Ikari swivel his chair around to face him,

"Very well, I will tell you... though I am surprised you have not

already figured it out on your own."

 

**********

 

Veitch moved from where he was leaning against the wall to the middle

of the corridor once the door began to open.

Professor Takai hesitated her departure from the room once she saw him

blocking her way.

 

"I think we need to talk," said Veitch.

 

"We have nothing to discuss Major Veitch," responded Takai in her

clinical voice.

 

"Oh no?" he said in sarcastic tones, "Then you didn't almost kill a

young woman back there?"

 

Professor Takai began walking along the corridor.

 

"What did you do to that EVA?" he demanded.

 

"That is not your concern Major," she said as she pushed past him.

 

He grabbed her wrist and spun her back round to face him, "I think it

is, this EVA has been assigned to my unit. I should know of any

factors that could effect its performance during an operation."

 

Professor Takai wrenched her arm from his grasp, and continued on her

way, "That is classified information, you are not authorised to access

it."

 

"More secrets Yuri? Tell me, how many lives have been lost for the

sake of your secrets?" she stopped dead in her tracks, "How many more

lives will you demand before you reveal the truth?"

 

She began walking away up the corridor again, "If you have a problem

with NERV policy Major," she said over her shoulder, "Talk to the

Director or, if you prefer, resign your commission. Both will give the

same result."

 

He stood there watching the corridor long after she disappeared around

a corner.

 

**********

 

"And you chose him over your own son?" he said in a shocked voice.

Ikari remained silent, his face betraying no emotion.

"You've crossed the line Ikari, SEELE won't stand for this, when they

find out that you have been sheltering him they will..."

 

"Kill him," interrupted Ikari, he cast his penetrating gaze at the

man in beige, "Is that what you want? The blood of an innocent boy on

your hands?"

 

"He is hardly innocent," protested the man in beige.

 

"Oh no? What crime has he committed? The crime of being born?" he

turned his back on his colleague, "Will that help you sleep better at

night, knowing that the boy whose death you caused was guilty of not

what he had done, but of who he once was?"

 

The man in beige shook his head, "Don't change the subject Ikari. You

know what will happen if he finds out what you have done to him."

 

Ikari smiled to himself, "He will not find out, I will not allow it."

 

"Allow?" The man questioned, "You are overconfident Ikari, need I

remind you that there are greater powers at work here?"

 

Ikari shrugged his shoulders, "They are of minor concern," he picked

up some papers on his desk, "Now, what is this about a power failure

in sector 3 this morning?"

 

**********

 

Michael turned round a corner onto a small footbridge over a major

thoroughfare through the city, and paused to take in the view. This

area seemed to be still under development, as several of the nearby

buildings on the sides of the road appeared to resemble construction

sites. Like the rest of the city, this area was also deserted. As he

had only arrived that morning, Michael didn't know if this was a

regular occurrence or if there was a specific reason for the lack of

people.

 

He leaned on the parapet at the side of the bridge and looked down at

the empty street. He gasped in surprise, and his eyes widened as he

realised that the street was in fact not empty. A girl, the first soul

he had seen in hours, stood in the middle of the road. She was a girl

of about his own age, with short blue hair and whose face seemed to be

as emotionless as the mask he strove to wear in the presence of

others. His eyes locked with hers, a startling red hue in colour, and

a strange nagging sensation pulled at the back of his mind; these

unusual eyes were familiar.

 

Just as the thought in the back of his head began to coalesce, and a

name begin to form on the tip of his tongue, a noise from behind

startled him. He turned around to see a flock of pigeons take wing

from off of a telegraph pole further down the street.

He instantly turned back from the disturbance, only to see that the

girl had vanished without a trace. Like the girl, the thought, which

had so tantalisingly almost formed in his head, was also gone.

 

**********

 

To be continued...

 

"...I will be with you and

protect you wherever you go..."

Genesis 28:15

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

 

Author's Note:

 

If you have any comments about this fanfic then gladly send them to

me. Constructive criticism on my writing structure is especially

welcome.

 

Janok_Re <jreproduct@hotmail.com>

 

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