September 20
“You are holding back information,” Rei said to me after I explained to Asuka about the internet and the default search engine that was google. “Why are you doing that?”
I sighed, ”Leave it to Rei to notice what four adults, one of whom is supposed to be an intelligence agent, failed to.” I couldn’t leave the question unanswered though so after a moment of thought on how to phrase it, I answered her with a question. “Ayanami-san, how much of third impact do you remember?”
“All of it,” she answered, “I hurt Ikari-kun by making him decide, I gave each individual exactly what they wanted in their existence. I destroyed the entirety of humanity and pooled it into one entity that had no sense of individuality.”
“I guess that sums it up nicely,” I deadpanned. “The thing is Ayanami-san, they don’t necessarily remember any of that. More importantly they don’t want to remember it because it’s painful. Humans want to remember the good times and try to forget the horrible things in their lives. There are several names for the situation, but the kindest and most accurate in my mind is Selective Amnesia. They won’t remember what happened during third impact, or probably the last few hours leading up to it. I know it because I’ve watched it from an outsider’s perspective and I have to admit, it even gives me nightmares.”
“That still does not explain why you have not informed them of all the pertinent facts of the situation,” the bluenette commented. “Would it not be wise to do so?”
“Small steps Ayanami-san,” I said to her. “You all just stepped out of a serious combat situation where your lives were in constant peril and everyone needs to decompress, otherwise everyone will overstress. Let me carry this burden of knowledge until you have all had a week to relax and integrate into local society. This world is fairly different than yours and getting to know it will have its own stresses.” Rei looked at me closely and then nodded slightly so I continued. “We leave in ten minutes so you will want to get ready.”
“This conversation is not finished,” Rei said staring at me. “One week to inform them, or else I will tell the you are holding back on them.
“Can I have a week to get it through to the adults and let them decide how much to tell the other kids,” I asked her.
“That will be sufficient,” she replied before turning and leaving me to my preparations.
Off to one side Rio, my elder bull mastiff looked at me with a doggie grin and chuffed. “Oh, like you know better how to handle it huh?” I asked the canine. Her response was to roll over on my bed and show her belly for rubbing. “No,” I replied to her supplication. “Giving in is not really an option, we’ll survive though, we always do.”
***
“This isn’t a mall,” Asuka commented as her, Hikari and Rei came through the central thoroughfare of the mall again. “It’s so small it would barely register as a shopping arcade in Tokyo-3.”
“Soryu-san,” Rei said softly, “I have looked at the maps of this region, this is not a large city and is obviously very spread out. This is likely all the local population needs.”
Asuka snorted and Hikari shook her head, “Rei is right Asuka,” the class representative added. “These people don’t exactly seem to be,” at that point Hikari struggled for the words to describe the situation. “They don’t seem to be pretentious about how things are set up, very relaxed and relaxing.”
“I am sure there is a logical reason for the way things are,” Rei commented causing Hikari to nod. “I wonder what Lt. Ibuki is doing.” Rei’s apparent non-sequitur caused the other two girls to look the same direction Rei was facing only to see the back of Maya Ibuki going into a store across from FYE.
“Asuka, your English is better than mine,” Hikari commented with a grimace at the admission. “What store is that?” Turning to look at her friend Hikari could see the beat redness of the redhead’s face.
"Oh, that would-be Fredrick's of Hollywood," said Asuka with a slightly sharkish grin. "It's not a place for good little girls like you, Hikari. Unless you're not as much of a good little girl as you pretend to be~. Although I must admit - I never figured Maya to be the type."
***
“James,” Kaji said pushing his plate away, “You know some good people around here.” The spy had just finished eating a large lunch of sushi and ramen from one of the mall restaurants and was pleasantly stuffed. “How do you know so many people around here?”
“Well it helps that I grew up here,” I answered. “Also, since there are so very few things to do to pass one’s dead time, you tend to talk and get to know people instead of just pass them by on the streets. That said while I know a number of people in the area, I don’t know everyone and the strength of who I know is in each individual’s strategic locations.”
“So,” Misato said, “what you’re saying is it’s not so much how many people you know but who you know that can help us.”
“Somewhat,” I answered. “Lunch while the kids looked for things they needed was easy, Chuck is the best sushi chef in town and I’ve been eating at his place no matter where it has been for years. That said there are some things, documents mostly that we’re going to need, so that we can help you guys blend in. It’s going to be difficult enough since most people are going to figure you and the kids for major geeks.”
“Why do you say that James,” Ritsuko asked. She had left the lab coat at home and was wearing a pair of men’s shorts and an oversized t-shirt, but I could see the desire to get into the pantsuit that resided in her shopping bags. “Is there something else we should know?”
“Oh tons,” I replied, “and I’ll tell you all of it over the course of the next few weeks simply because all at once would be way too much for me to explain, let alone you all to digest. That said, let’s collect the kids and get the groceries so we can go back to the beach, I think we’ve inflicted enough damage on your benefactor’s bank accounts for one day.” The others nodded and I paid for the meal as they collected their bags and other purchases. One of the reasons I was always enjoyed by the owner was that I always tipped well and was willing to help him or his waitresses out in any way they needed. Enlightened self-interest that, and it never seemed to hurt my standings with those watching either.
***
Dinner that night was fried potatoes and onions, a staple of mine, along with the Conecuh sausage it was something quick and easy to make and allowed me to suggest the itinerary for the next day be a meeting of the adults while the kids went across the street to the public beach and enjoy the sun and waves while the warm weather lasted. This idea of course was met by cheers from the children and groans from the adults who wanted to enjoy their time here as well. “The morning meeting won’t take but a few hours and then you can join the children after lunch,” I told them.
“You are holding back information,” Rei said to me after I explained to Asuka about the internet and the default search engine that was google. “Why are you doing that?”
I sighed, ”Leave it to Rei to notice what four adults, one of whom is supposed to be an intelligence agent, failed to.” I couldn’t leave the question unanswered though so after a moment of thought on how to phrase it, I answered her with a question. “Ayanami-san, how much of third impact do you remember?”
“All of it,” she answered, “I hurt Ikari-kun by making him decide, I gave each individual exactly what they wanted in their existence. I destroyed the entirety of humanity and pooled it into one entity that had no sense of individuality.”
“I guess that sums it up nicely,” I deadpanned. “The thing is Ayanami-san, they don’t necessarily remember any of that. More importantly they don’t want to remember it because it’s painful. Humans want to remember the good times and try to forget the horrible things in their lives. There are several names for the situation, but the kindest and most accurate in my mind is Selective Amnesia. They won’t remember what happened during third impact, or probably the last few hours leading up to it. I know it because I’ve watched it from an outsider’s perspective and I have to admit, it even gives me nightmares.”
“That still does not explain why you have not informed them of all the pertinent facts of the situation,” the bluenette commented. “Would it not be wise to do so?”
“Small steps Ayanami-san,” I said to her. “You all just stepped out of a serious combat situation where your lives were in constant peril and everyone needs to decompress, otherwise everyone will overstress. Let me carry this burden of knowledge until you have all had a week to relax and integrate into local society. This world is fairly different than yours and getting to know it will have its own stresses.” Rei looked at me closely and then nodded slightly so I continued. “We leave in ten minutes so you will want to get ready.”
“This conversation is not finished,” Rei said staring at me. “One week to inform them, or else I will tell the you are holding back on them.
“Can I have a week to get it through to the adults and let them decide how much to tell the other kids,” I asked her.
“That will be sufficient,” she replied before turning and leaving me to my preparations.
Off to one side Rio, my elder bull mastiff looked at me with a doggie grin and chuffed. “Oh, like you know better how to handle it huh?” I asked the canine. Her response was to roll over on my bed and show her belly for rubbing. “No,” I replied to her supplication. “Giving in is not really an option, we’ll survive though, we always do.”
***
“This isn’t a mall,” Asuka commented as her, Hikari and Rei came through the central thoroughfare of the mall again. “It’s so small it would barely register as a shopping arcade in Tokyo-3.”
“Soryu-san,” Rei said softly, “I have looked at the maps of this region, this is not a large city and is obviously very spread out. This is likely all the local population needs.”
Asuka snorted and Hikari shook her head, “Rei is right Asuka,” the class representative added. “These people don’t exactly seem to be,” at that point Hikari struggled for the words to describe the situation. “They don’t seem to be pretentious about how things are set up, very relaxed and relaxing.”
“I am sure there is a logical reason for the way things are,” Rei commented causing Hikari to nod. “I wonder what Lt. Ibuki is doing.” Rei’s apparent non-sequitur caused the other two girls to look the same direction Rei was facing only to see the back of Maya Ibuki going into a store across from FYE.
“Asuka, your English is better than mine,” Hikari commented with a grimace at the admission. “What store is that?” Turning to look at her friend Hikari could see the beat redness of the redhead’s face.
"Oh, that would-be Fredrick's of Hollywood," said Asuka with a slightly sharkish grin. "It's not a place for good little girls like you, Hikari. Unless you're not as much of a good little girl as you pretend to be~. Although I must admit - I never figured Maya to be the type."
***
“James,” Kaji said pushing his plate away, “You know some good people around here.” The spy had just finished eating a large lunch of sushi and ramen from one of the mall restaurants and was pleasantly stuffed. “How do you know so many people around here?”
“Well it helps that I grew up here,” I answered. “Also, since there are so very few things to do to pass one’s dead time, you tend to talk and get to know people instead of just pass them by on the streets. That said while I know a number of people in the area, I don’t know everyone and the strength of who I know is in each individual’s strategic locations.”
“So,” Misato said, “what you’re saying is it’s not so much how many people you know but who you know that can help us.”
“Somewhat,” I answered. “Lunch while the kids looked for things they needed was easy, Chuck is the best sushi chef in town and I’ve been eating at his place no matter where it has been for years. That said there are some things, documents mostly that we’re going to need, so that we can help you guys blend in. It’s going to be difficult enough since most people are going to figure you and the kids for major geeks.”
“Why do you say that James,” Ritsuko asked. She had left the lab coat at home and was wearing a pair of men’s shorts and an oversized t-shirt, but I could see the desire to get into the pantsuit that resided in her shopping bags. “Is there something else we should know?”
“Oh tons,” I replied, “and I’ll tell you all of it over the course of the next few weeks simply because all at once would be way too much for me to explain, let alone you all to digest. That said, let’s collect the kids and get the groceries so we can go back to the beach, I think we’ve inflicted enough damage on your benefactor’s bank accounts for one day.” The others nodded and I paid for the meal as they collected their bags and other purchases. One of the reasons I was always enjoyed by the owner was that I always tipped well and was willing to help him or his waitresses out in any way they needed. Enlightened self-interest that, and it never seemed to hurt my standings with those watching either.
***
Dinner that night was fried potatoes and onions, a staple of mine, along with the Conecuh sausage it was something quick and easy to make and allowed me to suggest the itinerary for the next day be a meeting of the adults while the kids went across the street to the public beach and enjoy the sun and waves while the warm weather lasted. This idea of course was met by cheers from the children and groans from the adults who wanted to enjoy their time here as well. “The morning meeting won’t take but a few hours and then you can join the children after lunch,” I told them.