Bab 40: Chapter 40
Russian Foreign Minister Boris Alexandrovich Vassiliesky was used to being respected by anyone he came in contact with—it came from representing the second most powerful nation on Earth—and was extremely annoyed when Gendo Ikari refused to meet him on the time set by the Minister's office and instead arranged his own meeting. To top it off, Ikari appeared pleased at the Russian's willingness to get on his good side; he knew very well that when people want something they are likely to be unusually accommodating.
"Despite what the UN says, the Russian Federation, as you know, is very interested in what NERV has to offer," the Foreign Minister said, setting down his tea cup on the little plate that had been provided.
"I am doubtful of your motives," Gendo Ikari said. "The Evangelion technology is not just for showing off. I must have strict assurances that you will use this gift judiciously."
They were sitting across from each other on one of NERV's most private conference lounges, with several of Ikari's Section 2 people and Vassiliesky's own SPETSNAZ-trained security guards acting as sentries. The only ones that were allowed to move back and forth were the waiters that brought dinner, and the Minister's personal aide.
"Your point is well taken, but I assure you, your fears are unjustified," Vassiliesky said. "My government handled thousands of nuclear weapon for fifty years. Never in that time did we adopt the cavalier attitude of our enemies. We are cautions to the extreme. The same could be said for whatever technology we borrow from you."
Ikari nodded. "Yes, you sound a lot like America when it asked us to grant them this same technology," he said, lacing his fingers in front of his face. "We foolishly did, thinking that the Americans could be trusted. But now you see what's happened. The Americans are trying to push us out of their country. They don't believe they need us anymore."
"Russia is not America," Vassiliesky said slowly, making emphasis on every word. "We remember those who help us, and never forget an affront. Go ask the Germans."
"I am well aware of that," Ikari replied. "Russia is even more dangerous than America. Still, danger is a matter of perspective. On that account alone is that I am willing to offer you a deal."
Vassiliesky leaned forward on his chair, decidedly interested. "I'm listening."
"I will allow your country access to what you want but I will require something of the utmost importance to NERV," Ikari began. "If you refuse then I will have no other option but to ask you to leave immediately."
"You don't leave me many options open, Ikari," Vassiliesky said. "We are not the sort to make decisions on the spot."
"Who needs options?" Ikari said matter-of-factly. "This is my offer, do you take it?"
"And what is it that you want in return?"
"A spare."
Vassiliesky thought about that, judging how much information to reveal. "So you know about that?"
"Unfortunately," Ikari said. "I don't know whether I should be offended that you have begun to move ahead with the next stage of your plan before being granted what you need to complete phase one. It presents me with more arrogance I feel comfortable dealing with."
"A weapon is useless if it can not be deployed on the battlefield," Vassiliesky said. "Even one as powerful as the Evangelion. I'm sure a man like you understands perfectly. I would not be asking for technical data and making deals unless I knew it was workable. But I find it strange that you would require this from us."
"My organization has been infiltrated, so I must outsource." Ikari looked at him evenly, his gaze robotic. His face did not betray the slightest hint of emotion. "You are doubtful, which is permissible given the nature of my request. What do your instincts tell you?"
"My instincts tell me that you are a snake in the grass," Vassiliesky began and then he broke into a smile. "That you are dangerous in the extreme. And that the devil would be foolish to make a deal with you." He paused, grinned. "Are you sure you do not have Russian blood?"
"I am afraid not," Ikari said.
"A pity, really," Vassiliesky said. "Anyway, put your offer in writing and I'll pass it along to my government as the best course of action. Then it'll be up to the boss. He will most likely approve it if I recommend it. Of course, this is all providing that NERV keeps its end of the bargain."
"Nothing in writing," Ikari countered. "I would not be so careless as to sign my name to a piece of paper. You pass along my message, personally if you must."
Vassiliesky paused, considering. A trip to Moscow didn't trouble him—he'd be there tonight should he required it. What bothered him was the Comrade President wanting to know why he'd made the trip at Ikari's behest. Russians ministers were nobody's couriers. On the other hand, the potential behind this proposition was simply staggering. "Very well," he concluded. "I shall do as you request, as a personal favor."
"We must see results before you are allowed access to the requested information. But NERV will keep its word," Ikari said. "Otherwise, I much appreciate your sincerity."
Vassiliesky nodded his agreement. He was not entirely convinced of the other's motives, and the reverse was probably true. However, trust and respect were not mutually exclusive in these sort of dealings. At least as long as one had something the other wanted. "You drive a hard bargain, Ikari."
"I wouldn't have lasted very long in this position if I didn't."
The main control room inside Central Dogma was built in tiers that reflected the command of the organization itself inside a cavernous space. The main deck was essentially the ground floor, although it was built roughly halfway up on the superstructure that took up the room's near wall. The Commander's deck was perched highest on the structure that made up the top tier. The floor plan was geometric, resembling a triangle with a MAGI computer located at each point and stations laid out around the perimeter. It was a modern castle, humanity's last bastion against the Angels.
The front of the room contained the huge tactical display, the world's biggest holographic layout. The hum of machinery was constant but little more than pleasant white noise. Due to the need to control light intensity for the holograms, most of the room was plunged in darkness, making the tiny lights in the further parts twinkle like stars in the night.
Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki watched the nearest computer screen as the information was transferred from the Test Facility to the separate consoles and then to the MAGI's main database for analysis. Although it wasn't his custom, he was presently standing on the main deck watching the technicians in front perform their assigned duties.
They were all young men and women. Being among them make Fuyutsuki feel as though he was back in Kyoto, teaching the future generations. Each of these of these youngsters was an Einstein in potentia, a Heisenberg.
A Yui Ikari.
Fuyutsuki smiled to himself at the memory. But it was also a sad one—in the end her success meant an end for the potential of youth. Yet another sacrifice for a chance at a new beginning. Things were moving along now. Evangelion Unit-00 was now working, even if only with the old programming, and Dr. Akagi had made good progress on the Dummy. Gendo Ikari was close to attaining his goal, and if NERV could survive the next few days, it would achieve a level of influence comparable only to that of SEELE itself.
Fuyutsuki was more concerned with his immediate superior than with the old men, though. He knew that Ikari was not pleased with the overall delay of his Complementation Project, and that he was even angered by having to divert his original plan to make room for all the issues that had surfaced since the last Angel, particularly Rei.
The universe worked like that; entropy and uncertainty were variables that could not be eliminated, only compensated for.
Had the UN tried to destroy them, Fuyutsuki thought, all the restriction to Complementation would have been removed and Commander Ikari would have been able to do as he wished without repercussions. But, because of Rei, they could no longer guarantee any success. Her loss was the crippling blow that compelled them to be political. Gendo Ikari could only welcome the extra time. He'd had to postpone his plans and alter them in such a way that he could secure SEELE's non-intervention. But Rei was the key.
Yui would have liked for him to wait anyway.
"Commander, I think you should see this," Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga called up to him from his station on the far left side of central computer bank. The Sub-Commander made his way to the computer console and peered intently at the screen.
"What is it?" said Fuyutsuki.
"The MAGI have detected an anomaly in the Earth's electromagnetic field," Hyuga said, pointing to a spike on his computer readout. "Strong enough to trigger our sensors."
"What does it mean?" asked Fuyutsuki.
"Well it's..."
Before Hyuga could finish that sentence all of the alarms went off at once. The control room was plunged into a chaos of sirens and claxons, which Fuyutsuki ordered be disabled immediately. The red emergency lights flashed everything in a deep crimson. The color of blood.
Operators scrambled to their consoles and began typing commands furiously.
"Lieutenant?" demanded the Sub-Commander calmly.
"The MAGI don't know," Hyua said, typing in his computer. "The magnetic anomaly has changed. It looks like an EMP shock wave."
"EMP? Location?"
Fuyutsuki waited for the answer he knew was coming. Surely, this was it.
"Eastern Asia. China. Beijing."
"The Sixth Branch," Fuyutsuki said. "Get the feed from the UN satellites. Invoke query priority Alpha."
"Satellite signal is up," Lieutenant Haruna Hiei announced, sitting in the middle of the computer bank, a worried expression on her face as she turned towards the Sub-Commander. "Sir..."
"Relay to the main display."
The immense screen in the front of the room came to life with a satellite image of Eastern China. The small letters on the bottom left corner identified it as UNS CommSat 46. The screen changed from the graphics to a very fuzzy image, what was usual for long distance transmissions. As the image began to clear, the picture of China zoomed in on the Beijing coordinates. The image was held for a few seconds, and the camera, or whatever it was up there on the satellite, started to rotate. In the time it took for the picture to clear again the sense of alarm that had gripped all those in the control room turned to horror.
A dome of light expanded rapidly across the vast landscape in front of it, consuming everything which existed in its path.
Even Fuyutsuki, who thought he knew what to expect, felt his chest tighten with dread.
Everyone in the room stood still, silent, eyes wide open. Time seemed to stop, as more and more of the Earth below was incinerated by the tidal wave of light and fire. The image was filled with the grotesque light, so vast that it disappeared into the horizon and set the sky ablaze as if it were a vision of hell itself.
Aoba, by his console, was the first to react. He said something, but no one else understood because no one was paying attention. Fuyutsuki guessed it was either a curse or a prayer. He decided on the later, for he too was willing to start asking for God's forgiveness.
"Well..." he said softly, trying hard not to let his fear show in his words. He barely succeeded at that. "It has finally happened. They seem to have activated Unit A after all."
"Oh, God..." came Haruna's shocked whisper as the image zoomed out of the picture so that the entire globe would appear on camera.
Aoba slowly removed his headset and shot a strange glance at Fuyutsuki, as if for reassurance to what his eyes were witnessing, but just one look at the Sub-Commander's grim face was enough to convince him this was for real.
The white haired Sub-Commander simply stared at the screen. Then he glanced at Hyuga, who was still very shocked.
"I think we'd better start praying for a miracle, sir," the young operator said, shaking his head.
Fuyutzuki cocked his head, as if snapping from a trance. He locked eyes with the operator, eyes that said a lot. "Pray to whom, Lieutenant?"
Far below the watchful eye of UNS CommSat 46 the city of Beijing, China, was no longer a city. It was a hellish cauldron of noise and fire, of light and death. The wave of light expanded and blasted everything in its path. The earth shook, the sky darkened and then became alive with fire. It seemed the world had come to an end.
In the center of this hell, hovering over the ruins of NERV's Sixth Branch HQ, a ghostly shape straightened itself out of the ashes of the devastated city, a creature so powerful that the whole world lay incinerated at its feet. The creature roared among the flames, its eyes alight with the fire of its own power. Its wings stretched out towards the heavens, its arms spread apart as if offering itself in sacrifice to an obscure creator.
The abominable Angel, although trapped in an Eva's body, bellowed angrily to proclaim its birth; and the entire world trembled.
"I see," Commander Ikari said as he hung up the personal phone located on his desk. He turned to face the blond doctor standing behind him. His grim expression—more grim than usual—precluded the need for any words.
"So I take it they did it, then?" Ritsuko Akagi asked. It was a rhetorical question, obviously, but she could not refrain from making it.
"Yes." Ikari replied unemotionally.
"Did we make a mistake?"
"I can't answer that. We'll know soon enough."
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