“Unit-02 and Unit-05 report as
ready for sortie!” Maya announces, as the lights chime on next to
the Big Screen, rotating out into diagnostic charts for Zwei and
Go-kun, “Reego reported in PROBE mainframes! Cherubim on approach
to Tokyo-3...reading smaller Pattern Blues disengaging!”
“So we only have two Evas,”
Pieter growls, rubbing his chin, standing behind the bridge bunnies
as Ikari's station rises up behind them, “Can we unfreeze the
Mark-01?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Gendo
announces, “Not in time to combat the Cherubim, and we still
haven't found the Third Child. What is the condition of Unit-00?”
Maya pauses, punches in commands
on her station, and a third screen pops up to show Unit-00, with the
red x over its head.
“Still being fixed,” she
says, “Armor and dermal regeneration for the head. Section 1 is
heading to the infirmary to check on Mari.”
“And what about Unit-07?”
Pieter asks, “Can we deploy Mana as is in it...”
“Dr. Akagi's heading to the
infirmary to run a remote synch test to check on Mana,” Makoto
reports, “Unit-07 is reported as prepped and awaiting pilot-”
“And pilot is present.
I've contacted Akagi and she has agreed to cede the Unit-07 to me for
this sortie.”
A new screen flips open, showing
a familiar, absent figure for the past few days, clad in a dark red,
green piped and highlighted plugsuit. As Maya's jaw drops and Gendo
pushes his glasses up his nose, Pieter stares at the floating image
of the woman he loves, and is in that moment convinced of one, true
thing.
She is completely insane.
“Kyoko,” he says, “What
are you doing in the entry plug?”
“Well, as it is, I was
planning to fight the Angel. I designed Unit-07's AI, so I should be
able to synchronize with it to a degree enough to provide covering
fire for Zwei and Unit-05.”
“But-”
“We can argue all day, or
we can deploy Unit-07. Kirishima is in no condition to pilot, Ikari
is MIA, and the more Evangelions we deploy against the Cherubim, the
better our odds. If you argue that I need more bedrest for a minor
incident, I will cut open my own head to show you my brain is
undamaged. Ibuki, what's my synchronization score?”
Maya pauses, turns from the Big
Screen, and taps up a command.
“Synch holding...at 17%.”
On the screen, Kyoko's face
drops. Pieter sighs, hands on his hips, shaking his head.
“Kyoko, for crying out loud-”
“Pieter. It's me or the
Ree.”
Central Dogma goes silent.
Nana's rampage in Go-kun comes into fresh focus.
“F___ it,” Pieter growls,
“Evas launch!”
ready for sortie!” Maya announces, as the lights chime on next to
the Big Screen, rotating out into diagnostic charts for Zwei and
Go-kun, “Reego reported in PROBE mainframes! Cherubim on approach
to Tokyo-3...reading smaller Pattern Blues disengaging!”
“So we only have two Evas,”
Pieter growls, rubbing his chin, standing behind the bridge bunnies
as Ikari's station rises up behind them, “Can we unfreeze the
Mark-01?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Gendo
announces, “Not in time to combat the Cherubim, and we still
haven't found the Third Child. What is the condition of Unit-00?”
Maya pauses, punches in commands
on her station, and a third screen pops up to show Unit-00, with the
red x over its head.
“Still being fixed,” she
says, “Armor and dermal regeneration for the head. Section 1 is
heading to the infirmary to check on Mari.”
“And what about Unit-07?”
Pieter asks, “Can we deploy Mana as is in it...”
“Dr. Akagi's heading to the
infirmary to run a remote synch test to check on Mana,” Makoto
reports, “Unit-07 is reported as prepped and awaiting pilot-”
“And pilot is present.
I've contacted Akagi and she has agreed to cede the Unit-07 to me for
this sortie.”
A new screen flips open, showing
a familiar, absent figure for the past few days, clad in a dark red,
green piped and highlighted plugsuit. As Maya's jaw drops and Gendo
pushes his glasses up his nose, Pieter stares at the floating image
of the woman he loves, and is in that moment convinced of one, true
thing.
She is completely insane.
“Kyoko,” he says, “What
are you doing in the entry plug?”
“Well, as it is, I was
planning to fight the Angel. I designed Unit-07's AI, so I should be
able to synchronize with it to a degree enough to provide covering
fire for Zwei and Unit-05.”
“But-”
“We can argue all day, or
we can deploy Unit-07. Kirishima is in no condition to pilot, Ikari
is MIA, and the more Evangelions we deploy against the Cherubim, the
better our odds. If you argue that I need more bedrest for a minor
incident, I will cut open my own head to show you my brain is
undamaged. Ibuki, what's my synchronization score?”
Maya pauses, turns from the Big
Screen, and taps up a command.
“Synch holding...at 17%.”
On the screen, Kyoko's face
drops. Pieter sighs, hands on his hips, shaking his head.
“Kyoko, for crying out loud-”
“Pieter. It's me or the
Ree.”
Central Dogma goes silent.
Nana's rampage in Go-kun comes into fresh focus.
“F___ it,” Pieter growls,
“Evas launch!”