[EVA] [FANFIC REPOST] Daughter of Elysium Ep 22' [seg. A]

Sat Sep 25 19:23:32 EDT 1999

Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction
Daughter of Elysium: Episode 22'
by Oska Archer
archer at senet.com.au
composed with msdos Editor

This fanfic I write out of my fondness for the Second Children. It
is an alternate-course-of-events story, with the point of divergence
being, I believe, entirely justified and not Out of Character for
anyone involved. That is, it must have been a very hard choice for
the one who had to choose between action and inaction. In any case,
I reckon the end is gonna justify the means.
It is important to realise that it begins just prior to the second
half of the episode, following the English subtitle (formerly "Don't
Be", but here-in, "Catalyst"). However, I need to borrow stuff from
the start to adequately set the scene.
For the movie continuity, may she and Shinji indeed try to live and
find heaven. For the TV series, may Souryuu Asuka Langley be happy
in her Instrumentality.

 *

The full moon shone through a wide gap in the clouds and the breeze
was gentle. It smelled of the sea. But then, the deck, the rooms,
the food and even luggage smelled of the sea by these closing stages
of the UN Fleet's voyage, and it was no longer a conscious factor.

  Asuka and Kaji lay on a wide blanket out in a clear area of the
aircraft launch deck of the _Over the Rainbow_. It was a relatively
relaxed atmosphere after a small midnight picnic.

  "A-a-ah," sighed Asuka, to break the silence. "Tomorrow we reach
Japan." Her tone was somewhat less than enthusiastic. "In the morning,
Misato is also coming... You know Misato from before she came to
Germany, right, Kaji-san?" she asked, having received no response.
"I don't really like her," she confessed, "I have to force my
happiness."

  Kaji lounged back with his head on his arms, gazing impassively
upwards. Asuka could be a cute kid, but when she decided it was time
for this small talk, he found it simpler to just let her go.

  "Che," she harumphed. "I've also been away from you for a while.
It's boring." She made a grumpy sound, then looked askance at him.

  This time he offered an answer. "In Japan, you can find a new boy-
friend. The Third Children is a boy, I was told."

  "Hmmph. I'm not interested in someone who might be a dork!" Asuka
definitely did not like when Kaji suggested such things. She looked
at him again, then, in one motion, rolled across the blanket and
stopped atop his chest.

  "I only love Kaji-san." She hoped it sounded sensual enough, as
she embraced his torso.

  His expression did not shift. "It's a privelige." He kept his
eyes off of her.

  Asuka was hurt. And angry. "Mo-o-ou! When will it be okay with you,
Kaji-sempai?" she almost shouted at his impassivity, looking up from
his chest. "To kiss? Or even do _that_?"

  "You're still a child. For such a thing, you need to become a
little more adult."

  "E-e-eh? That's so boring!" She was now feeling so frustrated and
upset, she felt strangely ill in her belly. But she pressed on,
sitting up and grasping the collar of her tight blue dress with both
hands. "I'm already adult enough!" And she tore it open, leaning
forward over him and exposing down to the edges of her bra in a
desperate attempt for his attention.

  "Already an adult!"

  She stretched the fabric wider apart. He wouldn't look.

  "An adult, an adult!!

  "So LOOK AT ME!"

 *

  Oh God.

  ...Kaji-san?.. Mama?..

  They won't look at me.

  Don't they think I'm good enough? I _am_ good enough! I'll be
better than everyone else! I'll show them, everyone who wouldn't look
at me - I'll make them see how much better I am! I'll work hard,
harder and better than everyone!

  ...Mama's dead now. She isn't here to see me.

  She's dead.

  The entry plug hummed constantly while Asuka sat the harmonics
test out. The ambient sound was abruptly interupted by Ritsuko's
voice.

  "Can you hear me, Asuka? Your synchro rate has dropped a further
eight points."

  Her eyes were closed, but Asuka's jaw clenched as the doctor spoke.

  "Don't think about anything else, just concentrate the way you used
to."

  "I'm doing that!" Asuka lied.

 *

  SHIN SEIKI EVANGELION: Tochter aus Elysium

 *

  "No problems with Eva Unit 02's signals."

  "Connection and fusion of VAs are within normal limits. The field
of proliferation is within the expected range."

  Souryuu Asuka Langley, the Second Children and veteran pilot of
Evangelion Unit 02 stood upon the umbilical bridge and met the
stare of her alter ego. Nigouki rested neck-deep in the puce coolant.

  To herself, Asuka mused aloud, "Despite such a defeat, it's finally
back." Then, "You're my puppet, so move how I tell you to and don't
argue," she commanded. She gazed fiercely up, but no response,
however unexpected, was forthcoming.

  "Why would a _weapon_ have a mind? It would only be trouble..."
she said, more to herself. Ayanami Rei had never made any sense
before. Asuka wondered why the girl's last offering still troubled
her as it did.

  Unit 02 persisted in its silence.

  "Anyway," she continued with finality, "you will obey my orders."
With that, the girl realised the futility of her monologue, her
expression drooping. Though unwilling to concede the staring match,
after a moment she mumbled, "...I look stupid."

  Presently, the klaxon sounded. Asuka looked to the side, in the
direction of the command centre, as the announcement came: "Assume
level one alert! Prepare for aerial assault!"

  Asuka felt an unpleasant sensation in her throat as she realised
the gravity of her situation in light of what must be coming. She
wasn't stupid. Her synchro rate had been declining steadily - now
it was less than First's! - so what good was an Eva Unit to NERV
if it had an incapable pilot? It wasn't something she would even
let herself consider. Focussed on the danger at hand, she said,
alarmed, "An Angel? They're still coming?"

 *

Neon Genesis
Evangelion
episode 22':      Catalyst

 *

  "The Angel is visually confirmed. This is maximum magnification,"
Shigeru reported. The long range veiw switched to a close up:
whatever the new invader was, it was big and it glowed. Kind of like
a post-modern design for a chandelier.

  Makoto said, "It's not moving from its orbit."

  "It's maintaining a constant distance from our position."

  "Does that mean it's looking for a place to land?" Misato wondered.
"Or that it's going to destroy us from up there?"

  "We can't attack easily from this position," Makoto offered.

  She replied, "Unless it comes into range, there's nothing we can
do. The Evas can't destroy an enemy which is in orbit." The bright
object hung on the main screen. "Rei?" Misato inqired.

  "She and Unit 00 are both in good condition," sids Maya. "They can
go."

  "Right. Sortie Unit 00. Prepare for extreme long range firing."
Misato looked up at the status display for the other Eva. "Asuka in
Unit 02, be ready to sortie as back up."

 *

  "Back up? Me? For Unit 00?"

  Asuka did not like the way this was going. First had never out-
performed her before. She didn't want tht girl to get the chance.

  "That's right," Misato replied patiently. "Take the rear guard
position."

  "This is a joke." None of them knew what this Angel could do. Why
would First be any more capable than Asuka? In any case, it was time
to make them all swallow their words and quit doubting her. "Eva
Nigouki, launch!"

  The acceleration hit.

 *

  "Asuka!" Ritsuko blurted. She was concerned for the success of the
battle, and the Second Children's lowered synchro-rate was not
encouraging.

  "It's okay," Misato said cooly, as the elevator powered upwards.
"Let her take point - if it's what she wants."

  Makoto was alarmed. "Katsuragi-sansa!"

  "If she fails this time," said Ritsuko, "Asuka will not be allowed
to pilot anymore."

  Maya looked back over her shoulder at her mentor. "The Last Chance?"

  The doctor leaned closer, examining the synchronisation data. "We
had better begin preparations to replace Unit 02's pilot, just in
case."

  Poor Asuka, Maya thought. "Yes Ma'am."

  Makoto ventured, "Excuse me, but can't Unit 01 go out?"

  "It will remain frozen," answered Misato. She did not dare to
glance back up at the Commander's dias. "Ikari-shirei's strict
orders." After such a thing, she thought, it's a good idea.

  The Commander, with his vice at his side, watched silently.

 *

  In the auditing department, at the end of the launch center, 
the Second Children sat in the cold, inoperative entry plug of
his own Evangelion. The hum of the exterior life-support power
feeds was the only accompaniment to his muddled thoughts.

  If I can't fight in this Eva, what am I doing here?.. Tousan.

 *

  The dim red lights blinked in a futile effort to pierce the gloom
which had befallen the wet city, but Unit 02 provided the natural
contrast as it stood poised. As a warning sound buzzed, a positron
rifle grew rapidly from an access hole before the Eva. It grasped
the barrel with one hand, while the other released and removed the
tall right shoulder fin.

  When the weapon was appropriately mounted, Asuka said to herself,
"If I have trouble with this, they probably won't let me pilot Unit
02 anymore.

  "You can't allow more mistakes, Asuka."

  Presently, the gun was positioned and steadied atop a building,
and Asuka was looking down the sight. The cross-hairs converged,
then fell apart, as the computer sought ineffectually to gain a lock
on its target.

  "Mo-o-ou! Come this way!" the girl growled impatiently. "Talk about
lazy!"

  Something happened, something she was utterly unprepared for. She
gasped even before the alert sounded.

 *

  Upon the screen, Unit 02 was bathed in radiance.

  "An enemy particle beam weapon!?" Misato was alarmed.

  "No," Shigeru quickly corrects, "there are no detected thermal
emmisions."

  Then Maya reported nervously, "There's abnormal readings in the
psycho-graph. Mental contamination is beginning."

  "The Angel's making a psychic attack?" voiced Ritsuko. "Impossible
- Angels aren't able to--"

  "GOD DAMN IT!" cried Asuka. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Her body
shivered. Something _powerful_ was forcing its way into her, trying
to reach her mind.

  In reflexive self-defence, she brought the rifle to bear. The first
shot sailed into orbit, passing mockingly close to the target. But
the girl could not concentrate, and her indiscriminate fire blasted
holes in the city skyline and surrounding hills.

  Her finger spasmed upon the trigger. Must kill invader!

  "Positrons dissipated," a technician from the ground crew called.

  "It's no use," said Shigeru. "It's too far out of range!"

  An audible, anguished scream came from the entry plug.

  "Unit 02's rifle is out!" he announced.

  "Beam analysis?" demanded Misato.

  "It's an energy oscillation pattern in a visible wavelength,"
Makoto said, frowning at Caspar's preliminary report:

      REPORT ON ENERGY DISCHARGE
    FIRED BY 15th ANGEL ON EVA-02:
                UNKNOWN
  POSSIBLE SIMILARITY WITH A.T. FIELD
             RECALCULATING

  "It's close to an AT Field, but we don't know much more."

  "How's Asuka?" asked Ritsuko.

  "Critical," Maya said, facing around. "The mental contamination
is crossing her ego border."

  "Iya-a-a!" Asuka immediately cried. She was trying to squeeze
herself together, close herself up, fight somehow the pain which
now ebbed but returned like an ice-pick to her heart before she had
the chance to recover.

  "My - don't come into me!!"

  'Strangled.'

  She cried out at the invasive thrust into her mind. Her Eva, in
reverse sympathetic response, seemed to be going through some kind
of seizure.

  'Hatred.' Not a voice in her head. It was like the single concept
seizing her mind and monopolising her conscious thought. It was
getting stronger.

  'Menstruation.' Unit 02's limbs and fingers were stuck out at
unnatural angles.

  'Shame.' She whimpered, trying to offer feeble defence: It's not
my fault I'm a girl--

  'Double Suicide.' The idea, the reality: it was all her mind was
allowed to see. "Iya!!" With its torso arching upwards, the segments
of Unit 02's helmet seperated, the slitted eyes glowing.

  'Invader.'

  "Iya!" The head tilted sideways, the Eva losing strength against
its foe. The eyes flickered.

  '...Comfortable.'

  "Don't rape my mind!" she cried desperately, unable to resist this 
invasive _thing_. "I'm begging, so don't enter and rape my mind!!"

 *

  Oh my God! "Asuka!" Misato called with worry.

  "Psycho-graph at maximum!" Maya yelled.

  "Yes," added Ritsuko, "her mental circuits are being destroyed. It
is too dangerous for her."

  Misato shouted, "Asuka, get back!"

  "No!"

  What? "Its an order! Asuka, retreat!"

  "No! Never!" she cried. She had her hands over her face. Her
clipped-back hair fell forward. "I'd rather die than retreat now!"

  "Asuka!" Misato gasped.

 *

  Meanwhile, something _was_ being done about the Angel. Within
minutes of Unit 02's apparent failure, the JSSDF's yet-to-be-returned
positron howitzer had been unpacked and transported to the surface,
and every volt of available electricity had been commandeered. Rei
in Unit 00 now carefully aimed the huge gun.

  "Accelerator synchronisation initiated."

  "Voltage increasing. Approaching pressure zone."

  "Compulsory focus convergence activated. Correction for the Earth's
rotation and gravity, 0.03."

  Rei stared determinedly down the sight.

  "Pressure in chamber has reached maximum."

  "Release final safety. All personel, prepare for firing."

  With a grunt, Rei pulled the trigger. Though it was a weapon of
pure directed energy, the recoil was hideous.

  The bright beam sailed up through the clouds, arcing towards the
Angel. A kilometre or two before it, the AT Field rang into
visibility. With a flash, the positron beam splayed and seperated up
the six vertices of the hexagonal manifestation, spraying over
seperately at an ineffectual distance.

  "No use!" said Shigeru. "There wasn't enough energy to penetrate
the AT Field from this distance."

  Makoto added, "But that is the maximum power output. We can't get
anymore!"

  "Unit 02's psycho-graph is weakening!" Maya reminded everyone.

  "What about the LCL mind barrier?" Ritsuko dared to hope.

  "Negative," the tech replied. "We cannot even hope for a buffering
effect!"

  The doctor said clearly, "Switch top priority to life support.
Don't allow the Eva to feedback."

  "Yes Ma'am."

  As she watched Unit 02 in its unnatural hunched posture, she mused,
Somehow, that light scanned Asuka's mind's wavelength and adapted to
it. Her brow narrowed: Impossible. The human mind - the Angel intends
to...

 *

  A little child, a girl. The child Asuka, crying, clutching a new
doll.

  Why am I crying? I swore to never cry again.

  She had ripped the head off that toy.

  "What's wrong, Asuka?" The little girl's father asked her. It's a
present from your new Mama. Don't you like it?

  "No!"

  "Why not?" he asked patiently.

  And she trod forcefully on the doll with a plug suited foot. "I'm
not a child! I'll grow up faster, I don't need stuffed toys!"

  'PAIN STEPMOTHER PAIN INSANITY PAIN.' It was digging up those
memories!

  "So look at me!" the little girl implored. "Mama! I beg you, don't
stop being my Mama!"

  'Nein       Todd.' The door opened.
        Sex

  "We'll accept death together!"

      Sex      Todd.' The door opened.
  'Nein

  "Mama! Mama! Please don't kill me! No!"

  'Nein   Sex  
                  Todd.' The door opened to the light.

  But then, "I'm not your doll! I'll think for myself, I'll live by
myself."

  I don't need Papa or Mama, the little girl thought. I'll live by
myself.

  "No!" screamed Asuka, trying to hold in the tears. "Don't make me
remember things like that! I want to forget those things! Don't dig
them up from my mind! I don't need such terrible things anymore!
Stop it already! Stop!..

  Silence.

  Then-

  Small stuffed feet, dangling and slowly turning. A doll, hanged.

  "Please, Asuka-chan," came Mama's voice. It was scary. It was
insane. "We'll accept death together!"

  "Un," her little voice agreed, "we die together. So don't stop 
being my Mama. Hey, Mama..."

  "...Mama?.. I don't know her." The woman's voice was cold,
disinterested. And the doll swung around, and grinned, and its
button eyes were evil. "_Who_ are you?"