Shinji Ikari Raising Project

[Dartz]

-------

It took a long time for the lift to reach the surface. It stopped inside a dry wooden shed, slivers of sunlight peaking through gaps in planking.

Shinji looked to Kotono for an explanation.

She just smiled at opened the door with a creak, before throttling the Yamaha out. It puttered up a gravel driveway, quietly idling along.

Shinji stared. “Bwa...?”

He sat there rigid on the saddle, still struggling to comprehend the surreality of where he was. This was real, right? He was on an asteroid, under a geodesic dome, on a gravel pathway leading across a shaggy lawn . In front of him, one of those American-style wooden houses with a green pickup truck and some sort of oversized beach-buggy parked in front of it.

A thudding lawnmower grazed on it’s own, crawling around the lawn chewing up the grass and spitting it out the back. A cool draft blew towards ventilation stacks large enough to crawl into, while a single solitary tree struggled to grow at the centre of a patch of rough ground. The sky was black above his head, sunlight hot and strong and blazing like an electric arc through the glass. It was a balmy summer’s day under the dome, all told.

“It’s... some sort of reverse Geofront?”

“If you think this is big, you should see Grovers Corners,” Kotono said. “It’s over a kilometre wide.”

Shinji did his best to imagine what could possible be bigger than this. The closest he came was the Geofront itself.... replacing the roof with a dome open to the stars... before his mind refused to believe such a thing was possible. He looked up once more, scanning for evidence of a deception.

He hoped to see something.... the edge of a screen... anything to give the illusion away. Crawling across the sky, a spark spat from the solar fires trailing thin slashes of light.

“Is that.... is that another spaceship?” he asked, his mouth tripping over itself as it struggled against his rational side to form the words.

“Umm hmm,” Kotono confirmed with a nod. “It’s a derelict moored in orbit. We call it Angie.”

They came to a stop outside the front door. The engine rattled to a halt beneath him and he immediately felt the silence closing in, chased quickly by the sweet scene of fresh cut grass.

He got off before her, and tried desperately not to snigger at his own mental pun. The boy knew enough English to make some sense of the plaque beside the front door, though he did wonder where all the books had gone if it was telling the truth about a librarian paradise.

Maybe the little floating robots hid them.

He took his helmet off, looked for somewhere to put it, before settling on holding it by the chinstrap at his side. Kotono eased the bike up onto it’s centrestand, leaving it tink-tinking away to itself.

He blinked, seeing a figure behind the tree.

“Something wrong?” Kotono asked him.

Nothing there. Must’ve been a trick of the light.

“No ma’am,” he answered. He checked one last time. One of those little floating robots scooted out from behind the tree with an electronic chirp.

“Oh them, They’re just curious about the newcomer, don’t mind them,”

For a moment, she almost sounded like Misato with that cheery skim-across-the-surface-of-life certainty to her voice.

It was chilling.

“Anti-gravity floating robots,” he muttered to his feet.

His clothes still felt too big on him. He really didn’t know Roughriders were or why their logo was on his T-shirt alongside a Blackbird jet. None of this made any sense whatseover.

It didn’t seem real. It didn’t seem possible.

In the same way a giant, techno-organic artificial humanoid had seemed impossible they day he received a letter from his father ordering him to come.

Maybe that’s why he was taking it so well, he mused privately. Reality could always outstrip expectations of what was possible. And if he waited long enough pretending to be musing on life the universe and everything, Kotono would save him the agony of knocking on the front door.

It took her a few moments to tie her helmet to the bike’s handlebars. She looked down at him. He broke her gaze and left her to knock.

The answer came after an interminable wait, wooden door creaking open like a prop a bad old horror movie.

“Hi! You must be Shinji. I’m Ford, Ford Sierra,”

Brash. Saccharine... Active. Over-enthusiastic. Definitely American. Shinji knew enough English to have understand what she was saying.

Big brown eyes. Big white-teeth grin set in a tanned face framed by chocolate bangs. His eyes fell down to a point below her neck, drawn by tank-top that conformed to her body. He noticed her arm a moment later. Metal hand, extended with an open palm.

“Oh this.... I had an accident years ago,” she patted it with her good hand, before gripping his shoulder with it, tugging him inside.

It was cold. It was metal. It was real. He could hear the actuators inside whispering as it moved.

“Sorry,” he murmured, sticking to his native tongue by reflex. He had the thought to take off his trainers, but on seeing the industrial workboots on Ford’s feet, decided not to bother.

Inside, the hallway was all wooden, but with the bare minimum of furnishing. A stairway had obviously once had a carpet, which’d been removed. He could sea where the wood had been bleached by sunlight everywhere except for a dark strip up the centre. The walls had been varnished, while the floor was acquiring a patina from a thousand booted feet. It smelled of cheese, tomato....and something that might’ve been burnt ginger.

It was lived in.

Like Misato’s apartment. There was something comforting in it at least.

There was a living room. He could see a collection of movies on shelves framing another flat-panel television. Otherwise just as sparsely furnished as the hallway with only a few mismatched chairs and a table placed for perfect use as a footstool.

“Come on in, Shinji,”

Ford’s metal arm didn’t give him a choice. He was pulled forward.

“I’ll wait for jet in the front room,”

And suddenly, by speaking in a foreign language, Kotono became completely alien.

“Sure, sure... I’ll let her know,” Ford assured her.

A face appeared at the top of the stairwell, peering down at him. A boy... a little older than him, dressed pretty much the same as he was save for the braces holding his trousers up.

“That him?” the boy called down.

Shinji gave his best 'who me?' expression.

“Mackie!” Ford snapped at him, before barking orders at him so fast Shinji couldn’t keep up.

The boy... Mackie... just shrugged at her. “Fine, fine,”

He retreated somewhere upstairs... Shinji could hear him moving about upstairs. Kotono disappeared into the front room, while he was led by Ford talking at him so fast he couldn’t understand.... but didn’t have the heart to tell her to slow down.

He followed her down a hallway, passed an image of a rusty desert under a pale green sky, to a door left ajar.

“C’mon in,” she smiled at him, holding the door open for him. “After you,”

He gave her a shamed smile. “Thank you ma’am,” he offered, coating it in keigo he knew she wouldn’t appreciate.

He stepped into a room dominated by the strangest motorcycle he’d ever seen. Long and low in a brilliant pure red, wearing what looked like years of dust on it’s bodywork. It filled the air with the sharp sweet smell of fuels and lubricants.

There were guns illuminated for display in a glass case. He thought he saw what looked like a broken sword blade, mounted above a smashed piece of machinery he couldn’t identify. Figures and models stoof proud on shelving, alongside a collection of photographs...

A few looked to be missing.

In the centre, standing there waiting for him, was an Evangelion.

That was the first word that came to mind. His jaw hung open. It was.... She looked like a woman wearing some sort of form-fitting armoured suit. It was mostly white, with blue accents. On top of it, a youthful face with a light suntan, a cheery smile and ocean-blue eyes reading him, framed by impossibly red hair.

Asuka was a redhead, but this was an unnatural red. It was almost the same shade as the motorcycle’s paint.

“I’m Jet Jaguar. You’re Shinji, right?”

The tokusatsu robot? Why did she speak with such gruff, plain Japanese? With what sounded like an urban Tokyo accident, flushed through a pronunciation sewer and stripped of any respect. She even sounded like a bully.... husky on the verge of being hoarse like someone he spent a lot of time shouting. It was a stark contrast to the chirpy Kotono, or the American drawl of Ford.

He stepped back.

“Yes ma’am,” he offered a bow “Shinji Ikari. It’s a pleasure to meet you,”

“Likewise,”

She towered over him. Big and bulky in that armour. She looked down on him. She spoke down to him...

“Kotono’s in the front room, Jet,” Ford interrupted his thoughts. She was still standing in the door, leant against the frame.

“Gimme a minute,”

That’s what Shinji thought Jet’s answer was. He glanced between them.... feeling pinned in place by both.

Ford disappeared after a short acknowledgement, and Shinji found himself staring at the door, considering escape.

“So, I assume Kotono told you where you are,” Jet began.

“Yes ma’am,” he answered. He felt the back of his neck bristle. What had he done to deserve this? A terrible dread crawled into the pit of his stomach.

Maybe she knew about what he’d done to Asuka? Had she been told. Had she met Asuka?

“She also told you about handwavium.”

“Yes ma’am,” he confirmed.... trying hard not to stare at her.

She was standing rigid... inflexible. Her whole body could’ve been a mannequin.

“I’m a biomod. That’s what happens when handwavium meets biological stuff” she explained, placing one of those metal hands of hers on her chest. “I built this armour out of handwavium, and it bonded to my body,”

“Like Iron Man?”

That was his first thought.

She smiled at him. “Yes. But more than that. I’m cyborg.” That was the exact word she used. “My armour’s a part of me. It means I’m stronger than you, faster. I’ve got computer hardware in my head,” she parted the hair at the side of her head to reveal plastic coverings where there should’ve been ears. “I’ve life support for vacuum and I can fly,”

A smirk spread across her lips. A pair of wings snapped out from behind her back with a hard metal sound that reminded him of a pistol’s slide being pulled and released. He swallowed a little...

“It’s powerful stuff. I’m not the craziest or most extreme thing handwavium has ever done to a person. ”

But that wasn’t stopping her from bragging, was it? Shinji stiffened his lips.... he couldn’t say that out loud.

“Kotono told me about it,” he said, tentatively. “She told me it was what made technology up here work, but that it would be dangerous. But how come I’ve never heard of it before?”

“There’re plenty of governments who’d prefer if people didn’t know about it,” Jet answered.

More doubletalk. It was the truth. It was a complete non-answer. Did these people work for NERV PR?

“Why?” he pushed.

“Because they don’t like people having power,” she answered. There was a hardening in her expression and he knew she meant that to her core.

It might even be a valid explanation. Imagine a substance that gave the ordinary person the power to create starships, or cyborgs.... or weapons. If the UN could suppress knowledge of the Evangelion....

“I’m normally a martial artist, I run a school here,” Jet continued. Her voice was this ambivalant mix of a deliberate soft tone and gruff language that had Shinji’s mind going through loops trying to figure out if she was mocking him, talking down to him, or even doing it on purpose. “If you want to come along later, you’re welcome to watch and I can teach you some meditation techniques that’ll help you sleep,”

He knew for certain that he didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

“If it’s okay, I’d rather not,”

For a moment, she seemed almost surprised by him refusing. A glimmer of strength caught inside him.

“Well, what do you want to do?”

His mind came up blank.

“I want to see Asuka again,” his mouth decided, independently.

“That’s not possible,” the cyborg answered, quick as a flash.

“Why?” Shinji pushed.

“She isn’t here,”

“Then where is she?”

Jet stared down at him.

“I don’t know,”

She knew more than she let on, however. That much was obvious. They all did.

“Tell you what,” she forced a cheerful smile. “My brother’s upstairs. We have a transport coming in and it needs an escort. How would you like to go out into space with him?”

A small part of Shinji’s mind actually thrilled at the idea. The rest of him noted that he was probably going whether he wanted to or not. It was best not to make a fuss.

“I’ll go,”

Jet speaks like you'd imagine someone brought up on the streets of Megatokyo might..... she has Priss' voice and 'elocution'. And ability to sing....

And, as Mackie soon tells Shinji:

“Look...um... what I meant was. They all mean well and they’re trying to do their best for you, they just don’t know what that is. I don’t want you to mistake mistakes for them being evil,”
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Dartz]

Some more plot that got done today. Including a section provided by Henning

EDIT: Sod.... cut the first sector out by mistake.

"Are we there yet?"

Arelia rolled her eyes as Niaka repeated the question.

"Just another ten minutes, I told you two minutes ago!"

"But I want to stretch a little bit! We’ve been in here for hours!"

Arelia engaged the cruise control with a huff and turned to face the four catgirls and the two Exocomps crowded into the backseat of the Stargazer.

"I told you we should have waited for two days. We could have taken the Serenity Valley. But no, you all said it would be okay to use the Stargazer. You even had to take two of your racing Exocomps with you into the car, instead of throwing them with the cargo!"

One of the Exocomps in the back made snickered to itself.

"But... but... but my little friend doesn't like to travel without me!" Arelia stroked it’s chassis.

"So it was your own choice... now keep quiet and let me drive the car, unless you want me to turn right around and go home to Jenga."

A sullen quiet descended up the car once more. Arelia punched open a comm channel

"Frigga 77, this is Stargazer.”

The radio stayed silent. She tried again.

"Uhh... Frigga, this is the Stargazer, is someone at home?"

Two minutes went by. The Catgirls exchanged murmured thoughts.

“Frigga Control, this is Stargazer,” Arelia tried for what she hoped would be the final time.

“Yes!” someone’s voice gasped. “This is Frigga,” Whoever she was, she was panting hard. “We see you on our scanners. Escort should meet you soon enough,”

“Copy Frigga. We’ll see you soon,”

Arelia smiled and floored the accelerator.

----
----

Shinji was trying to lose himself in the effortless thrumm of the V8 engine powering the buggy. ‘Warthog’ according to a nameplate on the glovebox. Of all the things on Frigga, it seemed the most ‘normal’.

It wasn’t that different from the open-topped off-roaders NERV used to get around the Geofront. In the driver’s seat to his left, Mackie was telling a story he was only half paying attention to.

“So, we limp back to Frigga on three engines hoping nobody saw it... and for a few days all is well until we see on a news feed. “Space Patrol still searching for origin of mystery failed nuclear test,”

The boy had a grin on his face spread from ear to ear.

“That’s nothing to be proud of,” Shinji said, giving him a sour look. He’d still already decided he liked him. He seemed real somehow. Brown eyes, dark hair, slightly european complexion. An ordinary human being like Kotono.

Mackie shrugged. “Not proud of it. I just think it’s funny is all, We have an engine accident and the Patrol thinks somebody’s trying to set off a nuclear bomb,”

Shinji found himself chuckling.

“What happens if they find out it was you?”

“They probably won’t believe we managed to blow one up. It’s supposed to be impossible,”

He even spoke Japanese properly. Almost properly. He had the same strange almost-urban Tokyo accent as his sister... but without the hard bullying edge. He was far more normal. If he was Osakan, he might’ve been Touji.

“We used to have a saying. The impossible is just something you haven’t done yet,”

“Huh?” Mackie blinked at him. “Who said that?”

“Misato did,” Shinji answered. “She was my guardian in Tokyo-3.”

The cheer drained from him once more. He slunk down into his seat, focusing on the tunnel illuminated by the warthog’s spotlights.

“You miss her?” Mackie enquired.

Shinji gave a sullen nod.

“Well trust me, anything’s possible up here,”

Shinji didn’t answer.

“Hey, you want to know a cool secret?” Mackie pressed.

“Hey Mackie!” the centre console yelled. Another woman’s voice. Even in English she sounded chirpy and sweet. Shinji thought of cupcakes for some reason.

Mackie grabbed a mic from the rollbar, pinning it between his shoulder and ear like a mobile phone, while driving one handed.

“That’s dangerous,” Shinji said, meekly.

“Yeah, what?” Mackie answered, switching languages.

“Daryl’s waiting for you in the main bay. Stargazer’s coming in,”

“Right, right... I’ll be there in a few seconds,” Mackie responded.

A moment later, the engine roared as his foot hit the floor. It lugged, propelling the warthog forward. Shinji braced himself a moment before the automatic transmission caught up and kickdown. The roar became a bellow, resonating off rock walls and ringing in Shinji’s ears.

He learned the true meaning of torque, pressed hard into his seat, supporting himself with a pair of handrails trying to cling on.

His eyes went wide as his body thrilled. Mackie wore a demented grin as the gearbox shifted. It powered forward once more, lunging into the darkness trying to catch the pool of light cast by the headlights. The engine banged off it’s rev-limiter in top gear, crackling and popping through it’s exhausts. It’s roar softened back to high warble as Mackie eased off on the throttle.

“Fast, isn’t it?” he grinned.

Shinji nodded limply. “Safe?”

“Safe enough,” the teenaged boy shrugged. “Anyway, you want to know my cool secret?”

“What?” You’re a robot, the back of his mind quipped.

Mackie tapped on the side of his head. “I’m an AI Shinji. Artificial Intelligence,”

Shinji’s mouth engaged before his brain did. “Bullshit,”

“It’s true. I’m an android Shinji. I awakened four years ago in the computer systems of a spacecraft. I lived inside a computer for two years before my sister bought me this body so I could have a normal life,”

His expression was flat, cool and totally serious.

Shinji laughed. “That’s not funny. I mean, if Jet’s your sister....”

Mackie seemed to glance away from him “It’s.... complicated. She was hooked up to the computer at the time I awakened, so I’m sort of based on her and it munged both our memories so we’d think we were family, but....” and he stopped, spinning it over in his mind. Shinji gave him a skeptical look “It’s really complicated,”

Neither of them spoke

“If handwavium can turn ordinary human beings into my sister, or ordinary cars into interplanetary spaceships, don’t you think it could also turn ordinary computers into full-blown artificial intelligence?”

Shinji thought about it. He glanced at the boy beside him... who seemed to be two years or more older than him. He seemed so real.... his complexion was a little too neat to be natural maybe but still, he was a far cry from an obvious puppet. He seemed more human than his own sister...

Who technically probably wasn’t really

“So... you aren’t a real person?” he tried.

“Oh I’m a real person alright. I just amn’t human. Being an AI doesn’t mean I amn’t a person.”

Rei was a person too, Shinji reminded himself. And wasn’t she just as artificial? Bitter memories kept him quiet for the rest of the journey.

------

Most of the above emails are probably happening concurrently to this......
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[ECSNorway]

(Is he seriously using "amn't"? I've never heard of a modern dialect of English that uses that...
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Dartz]

It's pretty common in this neck of the woods. It's so much more common that the usual alternative actually sounds a little awkward to my ears.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Bob Schroeck]

("I'm not" sounds awkward compared to "I amn't"? Wow.)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

("I'm not" sounds awkward compared to "I amn't"? Wow.)

(That, or "I ain't" sounds awkward compared to "I amn't"... to some ears, I'd assume.)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dartz]

It's an Irish thing. We do weird things to the English language daily. 'I'm not' on it's own, less so.... but 'I'm not doing that' or the like sounds odd.

Though... you've just given me a wonderful little plotbunny to store away for later use.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Black Aeronaut]

If you want weird things done with the English language you should see Jeff Foxworthy's segments on Redneck words. It's so funny because it's so true.

[Dartz]

“He kept me awake last night,” Kotono said, nursing a steaming cup of tea.

She didn’t need to explain how.

Jet creaked back against the wall, crossing her legs where she stood. “We expected that,”

Kotono looked down at her tea. She was worried as hell.

“You think we’re in over our heads here?” Ford asked from the doorway.

Both women looked at her for moment.

“I’ve been exchanging mails all night,” Jet answered. “Noah offered to send Yayoi to help, since she has experience,”

Ford folded her arms, “You know how I feel about them,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “But I won’t let others suffer for my personal feelings. I won’t object.”

Kotono put her finger to her lips, “I think I met her once,” Her eyes scanned between Jet and Ford before she took another gulp from her mug. “When’s she coming?”

“It’s only an offer so far,”

“I see. Since I’m doing nothing for the next few hours I’ll get one of the empty apartments ready for her,” Her eyes expected help. She switched her gaze between Jet and Ford. “It’ll save time if we have to move quickly,”

“You don’t sound too thrilled about that,” said Ford. She didn’t mean for it to sound like an accusation.

“He might feel like I’m kicking him out.” Kotono said, tentatively. Her lips curled up slightly. “That’s why we’re keeping him here, isn’t it?”

Jet’s eyes narrowed. “Alright,” she forced an exasperated sigh. ”You were right. I was wrong,”

Kotono answered with a crystal grin of satisfaction. “Thank you,”

------

Shinji’s first thought on meeting Daryl Haur was that she looked like a strange crossover between Appleseed and Sailor Moon. She had the full Sailor Moon uniform, with the leotard, thigh-high heeled boots and pleated skirt. She also had the cropped hair and hard green eyes of Deunan Knute.

“You sure took your time,”

And the attitude.

“Sorry, I was talking with Shinji here”

Mackie foisted all the blame on him with a simple point of a finger.

“Hello.” He concentrated hard not to sound like a stereotype “I am Shinji Ikari,”

That was.... easier than he expected. Clear, crisp and well enunciated. The shocked expression on Mackie’s face brought a satisfied smile to his lips. Apparently, his schooling had sunk in better than he thought.

“Well, nice to meet you Shinji,” she answered with a cheerful smile. “I’m Cosmic Senshi Daryl Haur. Now get aboard the chopper, we’re behind schedule.”

He watched her walk towards her own aircraft.... one of the shining new dual rotor machines. The heels on her boots clacked as she walked across the steel floor.

Or maybe she was more like Ritsuko Akagi, if she’d gone military.

“Nice legs, huh,” said Mackie into his ear.

Shinji nodded.

“I heard that!”

Both boys winced.

“Is she?” he whispered into Mackie’s ear.

An artificial intelligence like you. Shinji still couldn’t make himself say it. It seemed so impossible when every instinct told him he was looking at a flesh and blood human being.

“She’s an ordinary human.” Mackie answered. “And so’s Kotono. Ford’s technically just a minor biomod too.” He grinned. “Ford doesn’t look over thirty years old, but she is.”

Shinji would’ve pegged her somewhere around nineteen. Everyone seemed young.

“Handwavium keeps people from getting older?”

Mackie shrugged. “Sometimes. It’s powerful stuff. And inconsistent.”

Shinji was being led towards one of the older single-rotor choppers, fully loaded with missiles, and a gun turret under the chin. They wouldn’t arm it if they didn’t think they could be attacked, would they?

“Take the front seat Shinji,” Mackie directed with a wave of his hand

“I don’t want to fight,” Shinji murmured. He stood still, planting himself where he stood. Mackie stopped, turning to face. His expression was somewhere between irritation and understanding. Shinji quailed inside, regretting it immediately.The AI glanced over at Daryl who was clambering in through the cockpit hatch of her chosen machine.

“We’re not going to fight.” Mackie kept his voice mild. “We’re just going out to escort some friends in for the last few million kilometres,”

Million?

In that.

Mackie read his expression. “Space is big, Shinji.”

----------

----------

Space didn’t feel big.

It was a black backdrop, speckled with white bits. The only obvious hint that this wasn’t just a room with projections was the other chopper hanging in mid air, a kilometre away. It’s navigation lights strobed.

Shinji pulled his attention back inside the cockpit, puzzling out a dizzying array of lights and gaues cocooning him in the gunner’s seat. He guessed the screen in front of him displayed the surrounding space. Fiddling with the buttons a little highlighted a blue icon that seemed to be aimed right at them.

It was quiet, with only the hum of the electronics and the distant whine of the engines for company. Seatbelts were tight on his shoulders, and uncomfortable between his legs. Pinned in place in a cockpit closing in around him.

The taste of blood welled up inside his mouth.

He could feel a panic building deep in the pit of his stomach. The locking handle on the cockpit door beckoned. Painted red, with TURN TO OPEN printed on it in soothing white letters. Dry air clogged his throat. His helmet crushed down onto his head.

He didn’t doubt he’d die quickly if he pulled it. He desperately wanted to onetheless. He had to get out. He had to move. He had to stratch his hands. He couldn’t breath. He tried to gasp, he tried to pant but the belt straps squeezed down on his chest.

His hands gripped at the buckle release, cool,metallic and hard.

He closed his eyes. And forced himself to speak. Anything to give his mind something else to focus on.

“Mackie,” he forced out. “How.....” he took a few moments to gather his thoughts.

“Yeah,” the boy behind him answered. The voice crackled and fizzed in Shinji’s ears.

“You..... um...... You don’t seem four years old.”

He could hear chuckling through the mic.

“Well yeah.... Most of my memories were created when I was, to give me a personality. I remember growing up with my Sister,”

“But you didn’t?”

“No. But I remember growing up with her,”

“So they aren’t real?”

“... it’s complicated. Shinji, You’d probably be better of asking my Sister about it,”

Shini felt himself cringe inside.

“I’d rather not,” he said, meekly.

“Why?” Mackie asked him calmly.

“I don’t like her,” he offered, tenatively. “She such a bully,”

“Huh?”

“The way she speaks. And,” he felt himself gather momentum, “She’s keeping a secret from me. Everyone is. But she was so blatant about it,”

She was mocking me.

Mackie was quiet behind him.

One thought rooted itself in Shinji’s mind; I just insulted his Sister.

“Okay Shinji.... I’m not supposed to tell you and you can’t tell anyone I told you or they’ll give me hell for it this but there really is a secret they’re keeping from you, and they think they’re doing it for your own good.” A beat. “They don’t want to hurt you. Shinji”

“Typical,” Shinji snorted, feeling a hot pulse of anger rush through him. “Everyone’s keeping secrets from me. It’s just like before. They’re no better...”

“Well.....” Mackie interrupted. “I think they’re kinda right to keep it, to be honest but....” Shinji could hear his mind churning it over. “Look...um... what I meant was. They all mean well and they’re trying to do their best for you, they just don’t know what that is. I just don’t want you to mistake mistakes for them evil,”

“I...” Shinji started. “Do you know what the secret is?”

“Yeah,”

“And you won’t tell me,”

“No,”

“So you’re no better,” Shinji snarled.

“Well, I did admit that there was a secret,” Mackie pointed out. “But, they think it’s best if you work it out for yourself and come to your own conclusions. I don’t know if that’s the right or wrong choice or plan but....” he sighed. “It’s what everyone decided on.”

That's why you hurt others. Deep down you know you suffer more when you cause someone else pain... than if you just let yourself get hurt.

“Misato...” he mumbled. “What am I supposed to do?”

Silence answered. He slumped forward against his harnesses.

Mackie broke into his thoughts. “I know since we first realised who you are my sister hasn’t slept.... everyone cares about you.”

“If they cared, why would they lie?”

“Because they care,”

They’re trying to do their best for you, they just don’t know what that is. They don’t want to hurt you. What truth could be so horrible, that they would be terrified of telling.

“Are Asuka and Misato dead?”

As soon as he asked, he knew he didn’t want to know the answer.

“It’s not that,” Mackie shot the question down. “Look. I’ll give you one hint; They’re arranging for you to get some animé to watch tonight. If you really want to know the truth, pay close attention. Then add up everything that you’ve seen today.”

“Huh?”

“It’s complicated.”

That’s what they all say, Shinji didn’t say.

“Stargazer, Stargazer this is Guardian 01. We’re here to escort you,”

Daryl’s voice hissed and crackled over the radio.

“Guardian 01 This is Stargazer, We have you on sensors. Thanks for the escort,”

A girlish voice. Sharper and more high pitched. She sounded younger than Asuka ever did.

“This is Guardian 02, Why don’t we switch to video?” Mackie suggested.

There was a grin on his face, Shinji could hear it and it worried him. An image came up on the monitor a moment later. Grey fur. That’s the first thing he saw.

“Y.... you’re a..... you’re a.... Catgirl,” he stuttered out.

Mackie started to laugh.

“And you’re rude.” she hissed at him. Her ears twitched.

“Handwavium,” Mackie offered a one word explanation. “Anyway, let’s get going together shall we?”

“Of course,” the catgirl answered, the edges of her lips curling up, baring brilliant white fangs “And who are you acting like you’ve never seen a catgirl before?”

He yellow slit-eyes stared right through him across the comm-link. Shinji couldn’t speak. His mouth goldfished, no data coming from his brain to form proper words.

“I haven’t” he just about managed to say.

“Well, we’ll have to meet in person on Frigga then, won’t we?”

He nodded gormlessly. Why did that sound like a threat?

Out the window, he saw a car approach. An apparently standard European estate car towing a trailer.... hanging in open space.

A flying car towing a trailer.

This world was insane. This world.... this can’t be real, can it?

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

This was tough and still feels a bit clunky.

And yes... Shinji hasn't realised he was speaking English almost the whole time.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Dartz]

With Hrogge's input. Because Catgirls are funny.

The car settled to the ground beside Shinji, it’s suspension crouching down as it took the full weight. Inside, he could see six catgirls. Living, breathing catgirls.

He was beyond quailing inside. His mind was stuck somewhere struggling to grasp the concept of handwavium and biomodding when the doors opened. One flopped out, followed by another, then two carrying the same sort of small, hovering robots that seemed omnipresent on Frigga.

Only these painted in lurid, eye-scorching colours.

Another pair followed, clambering nimbly out over the back seats. All six stretched, displaying figures that would make Asuka jealous, and made Shinji start to feel very warm inside.

It didn’t help that they dressed very lightly.

A tabby walked around the trailer, opened it and stuck her head inside. “Come out you little scoundrels, we’re there!”

Shinji thought he could hear yawning or hissing from the inside, and worried what those ‘scoundrels’ might be.

A moment later, a swarm of more flying robots rushed out to meet her,flitting and circling around, hissing and beeping. One of them was being carried by two others, apparently inert.

A catgirl grabbed the ‘sleeping’ robot and began to stroke it lovingly, like a favourite puppy. Shinji recognised her immediately as the one from the comm-link. She glared back at him and grinned like a hungry tiger. Her fangs gleamed white and sharp.

“So you’re the rude one are you?”

“Yes ma’am. I’m Shinji,”

She was a living, breathing catgirl. Her ears twitched, scanning the bay. Her eyes lasered in on him. Her tail seemed to drift in a non-existant breeze, swaying in a way a costume would never be able to emulate.

“I’m Arelia, nice to meet you Shinji.” she smirked. Her teeth were so sharp. Somehow she managed not to speak with a lisp, despite the fangs. “It’s unusual to meet someone who’s never seen a catgirl before. Especially on Frigga.”

Catgirls are common?

“I’m new,” he managed to say.

“Hey, don’t worry...” she smiled lazily, her tail drooping “I don’t bite unless someone steps on my tail. It’s always good to see a new face.”

Shinji made a mental note to avoid walking behind them if at all possible.

A second catgirl was approaching from behind, followed by another one of the luridly painted robots.

“Arelia, your racer doesn’t want to wake up... little bit lazy today?”

Racing? Shinji pondered.

Arelia looked a bit annoyed and continued to pet the machine in her arms.

“Come on my little friend, time to wake up” she cooed over it. “Unless you want that the others get a head start!”

The robot began to purr. Shinji stared opened mouth as it light up, beeping and chirping before zipping off to join it’s friends circling above.

“Racing?” he managed to ask.

Arelia nodded with a big smile, Shinji could see that he had hit an area of interest of the catgirl.

“Yes, Exocomp racing. We mount a small saddle on our little friends here and race through some prepared shafts in the mines. Its really fun, you should try it yourself one day!”

One of the ‘normal colored’ robot of the catgirls raced towards both of them and began jumping up and down.

“Maybe another time,” Shinji answered carefully.

In other words, no chance in hell!

The movement of the new robot froze in mid air, Shinji had the feeling he was stared at by the small machine. It began to whine at him. He scanned around, searching for Mackie. Daryl was striding towards him.

“Hey!” she called out. “You weren’t due for another two days!”

The catgirls winced. “We were hoping to get to work on the race track,” Arelia answered her. “So we came early. We brought the new Exocomps for you too in the trailer.”

Daryl was visibly mulling it over. “Alright.... but we’re kind of busy so stay out of our way,”

The catgirls shared a communal giggle. “Yes ma’am,”

“Shinji!” she called out. “Mackie’s busy. Go fetch the Warthog.... please.”

The please was an afterthought. He stood there, staring back at her. “Me?”

“You’re the only Shinji I know,” she answered him. “If you’re going to live here, you’re going to have to pull your weight,”

“But I don’t know how to drive,”

“Well,. you’ve plenty of space here to figure it out,” she assured him with a sinister smile. “It’s an automatic. Right pedal makes it go faster. Left pedal slows it down. Try not to mix them up, okay?”

The catgirls giggled at him.

He shrunk down into his own boots. “Yes ma’am,”

Arelia looked at him, still smiling warmly. “Take your time to think about the racing. We’ll be here for a whole week. A little bit fun cannot be that bad.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said.

No, he meant. Arelia smiled anyway.

The little Exocomp in front of him brushed itself against his leg an purred. He started. It raced off to the rest of the group.

“They like you,” Arelia giggled. “You must be special “

Shinji offered nothing but a frown.

Arelia turned to face the other catgirls.. “And now lets get our stuff out of the trailer and moving, the racing track will not build itself magically!”

Shinji traipsed across the floor making a show of being puzzled by the massive off-road vehicle. It towered over him. His body bristled as he slipped into the drivers seat, taking a few moments to figure out how to adjust everything.

Push the button to start.

The engine coughed and roared.

In it’s own way it was far more intimidating that the EVA. There was no centimetres thick wall of armour between him and trouble. It demanded he put his foot on the brake before allowing him to put it into Drive.

It clicked into the gear, the engine note dipped and snarled as it strained to push forward. He released the brake. The hog snorted and began to crawl forwards. Gripping the steering wheel, he smiled in satisfaction

“Hurry up!” Daryl beckoned, waving her arm at him.

He tickled the throttle with his foot. The engine burbled, effortlessly picking up speed to a steady thirty kph. He was driving!

A giddy thrill shot through his body. He was actually driving a big, fat rumbling V8 monster truck. Approaching the parked car, he eased of the throttle. It kept rumbling on, not slowing down. Alarmed, he jammed hard on the brake, lurching to a squealing halt some distance from where he’d planned to stop.

Everyone looked at him.

He hid behind the dashboard.

He crept it forward again, stopping a little more gracefully beside the open trailer. He left it in drive with the handbrake on.... just like he’d seen Misato do hundreds of time.

With the catgirls help, loading the warthog didn’t take too long. Ten more of the little Exocomps. Painted a dull grey and coated in plastic wrap. Inert and apparently dead. They must’ve been brand new.

The racing ones swarmed around, watching on curiously. Some of Frigga’s native ones hid in the corner, watching on covertly. Mackie didn’t reappear until the last one had been loaded into the Warthog.

“Look who finally decided to show up when the work is all done.” Daryl groused.

“I had to tie both choppers down and a strap broke,” Mackie offered.

“Well, Shinji here was far more useful,”

Daryl threw him a savage looking smirk. He gave Mackie a nervous glance. “I was only following orders,”

“That’s no excuse,” she chided him. “As punishment, you have to drive the Warthog all the way back up to the accommodation block.”

A genuine smile crawled across his lips for the first time since he arrived.

“Yes ma’am!”

Mackie didn’t seem to care either way.

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

Anika was twirling her hair over in her fingers, waiting for her code to compile. The last job of the day, then she could get ready for Shinji coming over. TITANIC was idling away to itself, directing Exocomps according to the day’s maintenance lists.

Most of the monitors in the control room were online, filling it with a soft green glow. Lights winked and flickered as systems clicked on and off. Behind her, on the big board, Frigga’s power grid and networks read out their status alongside each and every node.

Messages were still coming in for Shinji. A few were routed on towards Jet’s I.P.... others crashed into the filter she’d set up. One or two which matched certain criteria bounced back to sender with an angry form letter. She scanned the list of mail being rejected or bounced for false positives, flagged two for the filter to learn from, then got back to work.

A single, staring eye appeared on the monitor in front of her. Greetings, High Programmer.

“I did it!”

A group of Paranoia LARPers wanted an authentic Alpha Complex experience and oh boy were they going to get it.

She allowed herself some victory cake to celebrate, unaware that she had a viewer. Halfway through a mouthful she turned to see a silhouette in the doorway.

“Hi,” it offered meekly. “I’m Shinji Ikari. I’m supposed to be with you tonight.”

She felt herself blush just a little, embarrassed at being caught.

“I’m Anika,” she offered, forcing herself to smile. “And you’re English is pretty good. Kotono told me you only spoke Japanese,”

The boy blinked, his jaw hanging open.

“I’ve been speaking English?”

Oh crap.

“Maybe you just got caught up?”

---------

Thoughts?
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

I think he's pretty close to realizing what he is...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Black Aeronaut]

Shinji? A motorhead? Interesting twist.

[Warringer]

Consider who woke him up...

[Dartz]

And he's a 14 year old allowed to drive a Big-block.

Now for the hard part. I hadn't actually intended to do this here.... but moved it forward.

---------

Anika’s apartment was smaller than Kotono’s.... a lot smaller. It seemed cozier, more comfortable somehow. It was full of life, as full as Anika herself with her blazing hair and bright eyes. She was, cute. She filled the air with cheer Just looking at her made him smile. They were eye to eye just standing opposite each other.

Either he was tall for his age, or she was short for hers. They were both the exact same height. There was something oddly reassuring about that, even though he knew she had to be older than him.

Shinji’d immediately pegged her as another biomod. Handwavium made her look young, that had to be it. Anika sat herself into a plush fabric sofa, nestling down into a pile of cushions. Shinji took an armchair that tried to swallow him whole.

“All the others went for the biggest apartments, but I went for one that was just right for one person!” she declared, radiating self satisfaction.

Shinji offered her a queasy smile. “It’s.... nice.”

He was still speaking English. He was still speaking English as well as any native. He had no idea how. It got added to a rapidly growing thunderhead of trouble that all seemed ready to rain on his parade.

Behind her smile, she was hiding the same secret as everyone else. She was guiding him towards it, but wouldn’t tell him.

She meant well.

He had to keep reminding himself of that. They all meant well. They were trying to help.

Driving the Warthog had been fun. A massive shit-eating grin crawled across his face. No wonder Misato drove so fast. It was fun!

“Shinji,” Anika began. “I have a little secret I have to tell you.”

Her expression was cold and grave...

It was Misato trying to tell him about Touji. It drained any glimmer of cheer from his body. She was wrangling with something, turning it over in her mind as she kneeded her hands together.

“What?” he said.

“I’m an AI, like Mackie,” she forced out. “I don’t like telling people.... but I’m really five years old.”

Shinji blinked at her. “I thought you were going to tell me what was going on,” he said, a bitter edge to his tone.

She scowled at him, her expression going black. “It’s hard for me to tell people that much,”

“Sorry,” he muttered, turning his eyes down to the floor, “I’m just feeling a little frustrated. Everyone knows the secret, and they’re purposefully keeping it from me,”

“We think it’ll be easier on you if you work it out for yourself. It’ll soften the blow,”

“So it’s about me then?”

Anika nodded. “You’re near the end of the road. Let’s watch some animé.”

This made sense. He had to discover something about himself, and then it would end. That’s how it normally went.

“And this is supposed to lead me to the right conclusion?”

“It will,” she promised him.

He gave her a dubious look as she booted up her media server with a remote control. It sat one an image of dancing penguins while she gathered up bags of snacks. plates of cakes and bottles of soda.

It was more than Shinji’d ever seen in one place outside a Lawson’s.

“Help yourself,” she offered.

He did. Greedily and shamelessly. Anika set the server playing. The screen went jet black for a moment. He stopped eating as the word’s “Youmex Presents” lit up in the centre. It faded to a shot of a city tower at sunset, explosions rippling across it’s surface.

The old collapsed to make way for a ziggurat mountain of a building, still unfinished. It loomed over an electric city by night, futurisitic mini-choppers flitting between towers.

Megatokyo 2032. The Story of the Knight Sabers.
BUBBLE
GUM
CRISIS

By day, people went about their lives in this retro-futuristic grunge of a city. Homeless crowded around a smashed tram. Crowds thronged into an underground club.

The music began. And he was enraptured.

This singer on stage with wild hair stared through the screen with her red eyes, right at him. It merged with the animation, coupling with a passion and energy that thrilled him to the core. Explosions ripped through the city in time with the music.

It was ecstatic. It was energetic. It looked ancient.

As the music died down, Shinji realised it was Jet’s voice she’d been singing with. A little softer perhaps, but still unmistakable.

He looked to Anika. She’d just finished murdering an entire plate of cupcakes.

And then Jet herself.

Or her armour. The chest was a little different. It was the same basic design. A little shorter in the leg, but still a similar proportion.

Anika just smiled at him when he looked at her for an explanation.

The animation rolled on into morning, a little fanservice courtesy of lady Stingray in semi-transparent negligé. She was reading the paper when...

“Mackie!.... that’s Mackie,”

The voice matched. The face was close. Even reduced to animation the resemblance was clear. Shinji was halfway to his feet, staring at Anika waiting for her to do more than just sit there.

“It is,” she said.

He gawked for a moment. Of course... they were showing him this on purpose. They wanted him to notice.

It didn’t stop there. He could see shades of the individual characters in the people around him. Anika was Nené.... change the hair and eye colour and she’d be dead on. Kotono had echoes of Linna. Daryl and Jet warred for the role of Priss.... which left Sylia open.

No.... Jet was Sylia. Definitely.

“Is this....” the first thought that came to his mind seemed rediculous. “Is this based on you?”

“It predates us by about thirty five years,” Anika said. “We’re based on it.”

“And Mackie. He’s....”

He couldn’t finish that.

“You saw the Outlaw. the same way some people make spaceships based on fiction....... Sometimes an AI, when they wake up, they take on the personality of a fictional character. Mackie is one of them. Jet is too.... partially.”

Another idea began to form in the back of his mind.

“And you. And everyone here...”

“I’m an original.” she gave him a smug smile, “We aren’t based on them, but we’ve each got similar personalities to the Knight Sabers.... Jet hired us on purpose because of our personalities.”

“She’s insane,” he stated, straight off his cuff. He was certain of that.

She’s trying to live in a fantasy. She’s trying to create this animé around herself.

Anika cringed. “She saved me life, and gave me the chance at freedom.”

“Everyone up here’s insane,” he continued.

“Partly,” she said, softly.

Shinji could feel his momentum build. “People up here base their whole lives on fictional shows. They create artificial intelligences based on fictional people. They..... they....”

A dreadful idea came to mind. One so horrible it couldn’t possibly be real.

“Because handwavium is a memetic substance,” Anika broke in, keeping her voice as mild as possible. “Powered by how people think it should work. So naturally, it creates spacecraft based on the fiction people are familiar with. AI’s are just an extension of that effect. And some people just like the escapism of it... the adrenaline rush of being a hardsuited vigilante or the optimism of Star Trek made real or the empowerment that comes with being a Senshi. We have the chance to become the hero in their own personal sci-fi series,”

He scowled at her. “I’ve done it. It’s overrated.”

“And there’re just as many here who’ll agree with you, and are up solely because they want to be out here on the final frontier pushing the boundaries and having a bloody good time doing it,”

There was one obvious flaw in that.

“But... if there’re so many people up here, then how come I never heard of any of this?”

There was fear in her eyes. A small glimmer welling up.

“You’ve all the building blocks to form the right answer. Don’t worry if it feels ridiculous, it’s probably right. And when you have it, we’ll all be here for you.”

Shinji put it all together in his mind. Handwavium. Biomods. Spacecraft and hardware from animé. Artificial intelligence. Catgirls. People living their lives according to fiction AI based on fictional characters. False memories.... he could speak English as well as Japanese.

He came to a conclusion.

Either he was a lie.

Or the world was trying to convince him he was.

Terrified, he looked at her waiting patiently for him to say something.

“I’m Shinji Ikari,” he said, his voice shrinking back down his throat.

He could feel his heart pound against his chest. He could feel himself begin to heat up inside. His mind slowed down, clouding with panic. He remembered Rei’s words.

“I need to see myself to return. It’s trying to convince me I’m not me.”

Anika’s expression grew puzzled. “What?”

“It can’t be real, can it? I’m still trapped, aren’t I? I’m still in it. I’m still in the Rei. I’m still in the Eva. I’m still trapped.” That was the only But he knew the way out. “I’m Shinji Ikari, and I want to go home!”

Nothing happened. Anika stood, gawking at him.

“Please, I want to go home,”

He lunged forward. Anika stepped back.

“Somebody take me home. I want out of here. I want to get out of this. I chose to live in the real world so why won’t you let me!”

He was sweating. He was burning up inside. He was panting... gasping for air.

“But you are in the real world Shinji,” Anika said. Her voice was shaking

“Liar!” he spat at her. She jumped. His face was burning red, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I just want to see them again. Misato! Asuka! Rei!.... help m”

Click.

Shinji hit the ground, a lifeless lump as his core systems shut down. It was a thermal trip, to protect his systems from overheating. His grey eyes stared, his body reduced to nothing more than a complex mannequin gone rigid on the carpeted floor.

Anika was left standing there, unable to do much more than stare.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.....

She ran to the comm panel.

“Mad Machine....” The television began to sing in Jet’s voice.

-------

to: "Shinjislist"
Subj: I'm an idiot.

Anika tells me he gave himself a thermal trip. From what she told me, he think's his still in instrumentality or something. Physically he won't be damaged... his memory's non-volatile.... but it's going to tough when he wakes up.

-Jet
-------

Maybe not as bad as Jet thinks it is. I ran so late on this I really should get some sleep.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

Noah looked at Jet's short note to the list. Then he picked up the phone. "Has Yayoi left yet? ... I see. Send her a priority text, telling her to check her email." Then he zipped all of the messages posted to "Shinjislist" into a single package, and forwarded that to this afternoon's leader of Grover's Corners.

It was time to call in professional help. No, he realized - it was past time to call in professional help.

(Edit: fixed - thanks, Bob!)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

OOC:

forwarded that to this afternoon's leader of Grover's Corners.

Fixed that for you.

In the mean time, I'll point Kat at this thread and see if she wants to offer any suggestions. I've already mentioned it to her, and she's tickled that her avatar has already come up in conversation.

ETA:  You're welcome, Rob.  Kat has replied that she will read the thread this weekend -- her first free time -- and respond then.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[ECSNorway]

Marsden's Yacht (a converted RV)

The voice was tense and low, disturbed. "Yayoi... get up here. You've got a red priority relay from Noah."
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[LynnInDenver]

Starbug 1, enroute to Frigga.

Geo's head rotated around as Nene's poked inside the cockpit. If Geo wasn't currently tied into the ship piloting, he might have jumped, as Nene looked as serious as Adam Savage handling a block of pure sodium.

--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[Black Aeronaut]

"Awww fuck," rasped Benjamin in a seething undertone.

Gina stood in front of him, her face unreadable. But Ben knew better. He knew just how much turmoil there was going on under that placid surface. He knew what she expected him to do, and she was no happier about it than he was.

With that, Ben punched the intercom for Jess's workstation. "Jess?"

"Yeah Boss."

"Get Mayonaka on the flight line. Tell her to get everything optimized for a rocket-ride to Frigga. And tell the boys downstairs to prep Our Veritechs for the same."

"On it, B."

[Dartz]

To: Nene@jmc.fen
From: (Anika) anika@survival-shot.fen
CC: none
Subj; Shinji.

It wasn't my fault I swear! I was only doing what Jet told me to. We only wanted to do the right thing and we tried to and now he thinks he's living in a dream or a hallucination or something. It might be my fault. He panicked and tripped out right in front of me because he overheated himself.

We just didn't want to hurt him. We thought that maybe if we got him to accept the idea that he was an android first he could handle being in a different universe because it would flow from that but it didn't work. Maybe we should've just showed him straight off and got it over with.

Kotono's supposed to be watching him with me, but she fell asleep because she's only human. Shinji's in the other room. He's online again, but he's sleeping. Jet's still trying to figure it out.

I don't want to make a bad situation worse. want to help, but it's not something I've ever had to deal with. Mackie maybe, I think Shinji liked him but... he needs help from more people who've dealt with these sort of things. A lot depends on what he's like when he comes around too and we won't know until morning.

He seemed fine until he want to pieces right in front of me. He was begging me to go home.

We're planning to have a meeting in the morning, and I know Yayoi, Marsden and Rei are due sometime late tomorrow. How long will it take you to get here? .

Anika
------
Survival Shot SysOps and occasional bounty hunter.

The question I have to answer for myself. What's Shinji going to do when he wakes up? I suppose that depends on what happens while he's asleep.....
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Cobalt Greywalker]

To: "Jet Jaguar" (jet@survival-shot.fen)

From: "A.C. Peters" (rock_doc@prometheusforge.fen)

Subject: RE: Shinji’s status

OK Jet,

I’m a bit late responding because of some slight craziness here (Today’s Top Gear Top Tip: Jelly and whipped cream is fun, but not when mixed with a snurf round machine), but find attached the access code for the mail drone that’s probably waiting.

I spent a little time building a body to the specs you sent me, then ripped it apart and put it back together a few times to solve all the real problems.

In the drone’s compartment is a USB drive with an AR guide for doing the fix yourself. It was a little big to email. Of course, I offer reasonable rates for doing it myself, or a body swap.

(And I may as well remind you that your 20,000 AU service is due.)

Lebia put together a micro holo-projector, loaded with cello music as a gift, and the drone also has it in its message bay.

Not having fun with Jelly and whipped cream,

A.C.

P.S. Also, I’ve included Roberta’s report on non-lethal ordinance for the Castor.

P.P.S. The V.I. for the drone seems to have looked Shinji up, and since the V.I. code was written by the wizards it may attach itself to him. Also attached is the key to unlock the drone’s holographic systems. Given its avatar is a certain penguin, I figured Shinji’s had enough shocks for the moment.

[LynnInDenver]

To: anika@survival-shot.fen
From: nene@jmc.fen
Subj: RE: Shinji
Ugh, remind me to punch Anno sometime. What you were doing might have been fine otherwise, but I watched the original Evangelion a few years ago, and, well, let's be Priss blunt here... he mindfucked the poor boy, he really did. Showing him right off would have probably been for the best. This sort of thing, I feel very lucky that I was pretty well aware of my nature when I woke up.
We should be there sometime around 1am your time. We're pouring on the fuel (I can already feel my personal budget tightening) to get there even at that time.
Please... remind me why Jet likes to try to do things alone like this?
-Nene
PS: I have that special cheesecake in the fridge on board. Don't let the others know, it'll be our little secret. Besides, I think you kinda need it the way things have been sounding. ^^;;

--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[Dartz]

---------
To: Nene@jmc.fen
From: (Anika) anika@survival-shot.fen
CC: none
Subj; Shinji.

It wasn’t that anyone wanted to go alone, it started on the quiet because of the you-know-what’s..Jet built Shinji’s body as an exact replica of mine, misfeatures and all, so she’d know how to do emergency repairs if I ever got badly hurt and we were far from qualified help. That close call with those mercenaries spooked her.

Everything else. Well, I disagreed with it but the others thought it was best to keep him from being overwhelmed by fans or well-wishers. We all knew he’d be a little bit sensitive and I’ve seen some of the stuff that’s getting bounced by our mail server, so I can kind of see their point. I’d rather have bounced people from the door than the mailbox. But those three can be so..... ugggghh..... sometimes, you know?

With so many people coming, and what happened, it’s moot now.

I’m going to make sure Anno’s signed up to a few choice mailing lists when this is done > !. I want put those two in a room and see what happens. It'll be so worth the effort to get them to meet. I suppose being an original character has it’s advantages; I've never had to worry about this. Shinji was sweet, he really doesn’t deserve all this.

It’s pretty creepy how close he actually is to me when you think about it. Stand us beside each other and you’d swear we were related, human-style. And I think you just gave me an idea. ^_^

If fuel’s an issue we have a lot. We buy ours in bulk for the stellarators so we’ve tons to spare and I can siphon off a bit without anyone noticing. If it’s compatible, we can fill your tanks. Least I can do for bringing me cake. I could get through enough to fill a Roadrunner with what’s been happening here. All the humans have the excuse of needing sleep to get away from it for a few hours.

We’ll talk later.
-Anika.

It did give me a nice idea for a scene. Anika explaining her origins to Shinji.... and how technically she's his sister. And then, she leaves him with a laptop, with all 26 episodes, and everyone's contact details.

And, on second thoughts, it's probably a good thing that Shinji tripped when he did. William Flint's intentionally flawed design worked....

To: "A.C. Peters" (rock_doc@prometheusforge.fen)
From: "Jet Jaguar" (jet@survival-shot.fen)
Subject: RE: Shinji/Service/Penguins

Thanks a lot. Anika’s going to blow a gasket when she hears about this. She’s always hated that thermal issue. I took a look through it, and I can do the work myself here. I built Shinji’s body specifically to learn how Anika’s went together, so I could repair her if we got caught in an emergency.

Shinji is different. It’ll be good for him to get off Frigga at least, but it’ll have to wait though until he’s in better shape mentally. A full body swap would be his decision. Gina Rhodes just told me she’s on her way; she can talk to him about that.

Yayoi’s also coming, along with Marsden and Rei from Greenwood and two Cellos. Nené’s on her way in too. And a transport just made contact with a Steinway aboard. Along with virtual virtuoso Pen-Pen, that should make for an interesting quartet.

Send my thanks to Lebia, please. There’s nothing that can’t be improved by the addition of penguins.

I can come for servicing in two weeks, if that suits. When this is done I’m going to need a weekend away. And I’ve forwarded Roberta’s reports on to Ford; she’ll be in touch when she wakes up.

-Jet
------

Anika's more than earned enough XP to buy off the disadvantage. Shinji's player's rolling in roleplaying XP after that performance and has to spend them on something.....
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[LynnInDenver]

To: anika@survival-shot.fen
From: nene@jmc.fen
Subj: RE: Shinji
I can certainly see their point in it. One of these days, I'll have to ask Geo to forward on his little stash of fiction and images he's tracked down over the years to freak me out with. It's... some of it's sweet, some of it's creepy, and some of it's caused me to spend weeks awake and shivering. And I do get regular calls from people wondering if I'm interested in donning the hardsuit and crashing some party or another.
The fuel's only a worry because JMC's budget is still mildly tight right now from the past issues we've had. It's not that big a deal, but I'm certainly willing to cut a deal with Jet under the circumstances. Starbug can take quite a range of fuels, thankfully, due in part to (ironic in the discussion) the original template, unlike the Blue Midgets, that tend to be rather more particular because their template was somewhat more nebulous.
On the repair side, Jeph's got a nice set of spares for me... in part because I'm mildly unique among my generation, not being A.C. Peters built.
Oh, and I do indeed have plenty of that cake. In fact, it's all that's currently in the fridge on board, except for the obligatory meal of chicken vindaloo that has to be there in case we need to actually cook something in the galley. (Jeph says it's just the right level of spice. I personally think it could be used as a welding torch additive.)

--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[Dartz]

To: Nene@jmc.fen
From: (Anika) anika@survival-shot.fen
CC: none
Subj; Cake

Oh hell. You just reminded me. The first time Shinji goes online onto the naked interwave.... Though if you want my advice, showing up at parties in a hardsuit is *fun*.

And, you won't have to deal with Jet, I won't even tell her because I know she won't notice because I can tweak the data for the last few month's burn on the main reactors so it looks like we burned a few tons more than we did. I have the computer systems wrapped around my little finger. And what is Jet but another computer system.

I'm going to talk to Shinji tomorrow. Should we save him some cake?

-Anika

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