Аннотация: Going to the gym and returning home. Making a legend of the NERVE insertion. The memory of Yu's death.
Boom! I fell like a mowed-down tree onto the sofa in the living room.
"Oh, how wonderful..." I said blissfully. "I'm not going anywhere from you anymore... My sweetness..."
"Shinji, what are you mumbling to yourself, huh?" Misato asked cheerfully as she entered the room. "Hey! And why are we sprawled out here? Get off the couch now!"
"Deportation..." I mumbled, hugging the pillow. "It's illegal..."
"What is it? What other laws are there? I don't know anything! We have martial law, so... Let's bet I'll get you out of here faster than you can say "Evangelion"?"
"Commander, that's not fair! You're taking advantage of the fact that I'm helpless!" from following the letter of the law, I moved on to pressure for pity. I really didn't want to get up - it was too painful to lie down and do no-thi-ing...
"Honestly-honestly," Katsuragi said with a grin, having already managed to change into an obscene household. "Come on, move it, Pilot Ikari!"
I reluctantly slid off the couch and wandered into my room, muttering softly to myself:
"The fiend... Sadyuga... Bullying a child like that... And also an officer... You'll go without dinner tonight!" and here's the last one out loud.
"I don't care! I've already missed my usual food!" I heard it coming after me. "I'll arrange a fasting day today... Anyway, you're going to your place today... Good, good!.. Did you invite us, or have you already forgotten?"
Oh, meinGott! Donnerwetter! Smart people told me that initiative is punishable, but no! Viktor Severov is the smartest, most energetic and generally the most-the most!.. I've taken on all sorts of things, but how do I deal with it now, huh? War, even on two fronts at the same time, never ended well - verified by Deutschland...
Wearily, I plopped down on a chair in front of the computer, turned on the system unit, and, waiting for the download to finish, put my head on the table. No, of course, I knew that the first time I would be driven mercilessly to understand my limit, but to do so...
The "live" workout lasted for more than four hours, and during that time I did all sorts of physical exercises, probably for ten years ahead. A phlegmatic-looking Chinese instructor with the size of a bun and the inclinations of an inquisitor methodically and thoroughly ran me through a bunch of various simulators. And then on a small obstacle course, a little bit - just once, but considering that it was designed for an adult fighter...
Then he gave me first a knife, then a wooden sword (damn, whatever it was called had already slipped my mind) and arranged a kind of sparring. Of course, I couldn't even touch the instructor - where would I go with my bookish theoretical knowledge against a real pro. Well, we also got into a fight "on our fists", of course, with about the same result, except that this time they beat me (even if only lightly) not with all kinds of imitators of weapons, but in a simple way - with their hands and feet. It's no better, I'll tell you - I'm a dozen bruises richer today, that's for sure.
Misato, having collected half a dozen cans from the nearest Coca-Cola vending machine and stuffed herself with a couple of huge sandwiches, watched the process of my executions with great pleasure. Well, yes, panting, with my tongue on my side and lying on the ground, I no longer gave the impression of a skillful and cunning know-it-all pilot...
But a couple of times, when I was thrown onto the mats in the training room, I still managed to notice how Katsuragi was beginning to worry. In my opinion, this is a good sign, a smart commander always takes care of his soldiers and tries to act with them at the same time...
Unless, of course, he wants to get shot in the back in the next attack.
Naturally, I understood that all these workouts were vital for me if I was really going to make a serious change. With an abundance of diverse knowledge and a huge fee, but in the absence of real and useful skills, I will not stay here for long. Moreover, as I understand it, in reality (hmm?) there were a lot of nuances that combined to change the situation incredibly. So there is no guarantee that everything here will be absolutely identical to what I saw in the series - in fact, both the series itself and the comic book that was released on it were seriously different. But there is also a semi-alternative sequel, an ending decoding, and a complete reworking of the series...
And it is likely that very soon my knowledge of the surrounding reality will rapidly disappear, and I will be left like that old woman, with a lot of thoughts and missed opportunities in a broken trough. Yeah... The more I change the surrounding reality, the stronger the disturbances can be - as they say, circles go from a stone thrown into the water, and the further away, the more. And I'm not throwing rocks here anymore, but rather with hundred-kiloton warheads... So, of course, I'm sorry, Second Lieutenant Ikari-Severov, but in the near future you will have to live literally on your own, entering into a completely alien and unusual rhythm. On the other hand, what should I do? No, of course, you can just fold your hands and do nothing, like the Younger One in the original...
Shinji grumbled somewhere inside me.
What? You say you didn't sit idly by, but acted? Ooo... Well, you've bent it, my dear... No, Junior, have you reviewed the pictures of your possible life in my head or something? Let's be honest, okay?
And throughout the entire series, you gave the impression of a slob, a rag, and, if you'll excuse the expression, an outright schmuck. Constant avoidance of problems, indecision, an attempt to get away from the assigned mission, which eventually led to extremely disastrous results...
Fear, guilt, remorse, confusion in thoughts and emotions... Okay, calm down. I'm not accusing you (although there is a reason), but I'm just stating the facts. And now you and I won't make such mistakes, right? The main thing is not to make others. Well, that's fine, that's great... Let's get back to our mouflons- what's on the agenda? No, I understand that it's just bullshit, but still...
So, first of all, Rei will come today to taste some military wisdom from the "great" expert in this matter, Ikari Shinji. It would be nice to cook something for Misato and me, and Rei at the same time, because I'm afraid to even think about what she's eating there...
Although I'm frankly too lazy to cook, but there are also lessons ... Wow!!! What is it, anyway? No, why the hell would I want to go to school? It would be better to focus on my combat training and not mess around with nonsense, but no! I feel right in my gut that if I mention that I want to pass everything externally and no longer mess around with nonsense in order to devote more time to more necessary things, then I will be culturally and politely asked to go on a walking sexual route. There was a time when even Asuka was sent to school after graduating from college, so to speak about me, with all my knowledge.
Stop.
It was like being doused with icy water.
That's what I got into... Where are all my random words and knowledge coming from? They followed me anyway, until I arrived at the Troika, they made up a psychological portrait, they followed my interests...
And then, all of a sudden, I begin to demonstrate the baggage of knowledge of the highest level, which a simple schoolboy simply cannot take on - at least, I have never met such maniacs. But you also know for sure that I have never been interested in military subjects and other things...
My thoughts raced in panic inside my head.
"Stirlitz has never been so close to failure."
What's to be done, eh? There's no way I'm going to be able to explain it if I'm pushed to the wall. A little interrogation with a high negative effect on the body, and I will naturally sing like a nightingale, and then there will be tougher interrogations, experiments and suspension from piloting.
That's if they don't want to quietly and peacefully "remove" me at all.
"Which intelligence agency has been turned over - MI6, the CIA, the Mossad (approx. British, American and Israeli intelligence services, respectively)? What kind of sabotage mission do you have?!"
Damn it!..
I slammed my fist on the table in desperation.
What should I do? What the fuck should I do? Cover, I urgently need cover at the highest level...
And I also need a normal legend, not "guys, you all live in a fictional world, and I watched a cartoon with your participation, hence all my knowledge."..
My fatigue was gone, and my brain, spurred on by the sudden stress, began to work at a furious pace.
So, in accordance with the best traditions of NERV, I need an official version of my origin, as well as knowledge of the surrounding reality. We will proceed in order.
Who am I?
Mmm... Viktor Alekseevich Severov, Russian, born in 1988, was not, did not participate, was not involved...
How did I end up in Shinji Ikari's body?
My thoughts quickly dried up.
And if I'm telling the half-truth? I... uh... Well, let's say a participant in an experiment on transferring consciousness from another person's body... In!
And who conducted this experiment, who has such opportunities? NERV, Russian department, secret developments? After all, the souls of Shinji and Asuka's mothers were able to get into the Evangelions, so why shouldn't someone go further?
No, it won't work - Dad is probably aware of all the developments, since he communicates directly with ZIELE, and it's not so difficult to raise the lists of employees.
So then, I am an employee of the special department of the FSB, which oversees the work of the NERV branch in an attempt to control and obtain new technologies. And what? It's probably easier to build a mind transfer facility than to build the same Evangelion from scratch...
Aren't you too young for a counterintelligence officer, lad?
Em... And not everyone is suitable for transfer either! Oh, right! We had a selection process like yours for pilots, so I was selected, but actually I'm just a student, not a secret agent or a special forces soldier...
How do you know so much? Is Russian intelligence really working so well that it could be more informed than some senior NERVE officers? Where does all this knowledge come from, huh?
Knowledge... Knowledge... After-knowledge...
Stop. That's it!
Where did I get all this knowledge, including, for example, about future Facilities and the possible development of the situation? It's very simple! It's only in the future for you, but for me it's already in the past...
I'm from the future.
I'm from a future where everything happened the way I'm telling it. And the whole experiment of transferring my consciousness is aimed at preventing a Third Blow.
Then why don't you have enough preparation? Why do you have a lot of information, but what about your combat skills?
And they didn't have time to prepare me - the Third Blow happened, and that's it! And I stayed in a special shielded bunker next to the casting facility, but unfortunately only one escaped... No, I don't understand anything about consciousness transference at all - I'm not a scientist. I just started the installation in automatic mode, having previously read all the available information that I was able to collect about the activities of NERV and ZIEL: data on Object A, the pilots and other main defendants in the "Doomsday Case"... And then he climbed into the capsule and flew into the past, into a pre-selected recipient... No, no one was suitable here. For example, I would not be able to move into the commander - it requires a still fragile psyche, a teenage one, and of a suitable psychotype. To put it simply, I could only move into an outright slob like Shinji, and a stronger personality would just reject me...
Ugh...
Wearily, I leaned back in my chair, massaging my temples - my head ached from all this. It seems like a good idea... Now it remains to stick to my second legend and not gush with such knowledge that I could not get in principle. So, it means that with all this, it would be desirable to go out... And for whom? If there was Kaji, I would have established contact with him, he is a well-known fighter for the truth, Mulder horseradish, but it's still a long time before his arrival... Then who is it? Misato? Hm... In principle, it's not a bad option - maybe it will pass, she would also like to get to the bottom of the truth, Scully, damn it... Hey! Did I end up in Evangelion or The X-Files?
I chuckled softly and rubbed my hands together. Yeah... Carefully approach her with invaluable information, establish contact and start cooperation. And you can even make mistakes with her, as long as they fit into the legend - she'll start suspecting me sooner, it'll be easier to cooperate with her...
But that's if the local special department or the Rector himself comes to me earlier... No, bad thoughts aside, it's better to move on to the next item in the program.
Ray's training.
As long as she's safely in a cast, she won't get combat training, and she won't understand much in tactical classes. So, we will start from the basics - the history of wars from ancient times to the present, theoretical training, weapons and military equipment...
So, listen to you, Teacher horseradish, have you forgotten anything else? You have another inconsistency - you officially introduced Ayanami as your stepsister, and what grounds do you have for thinking so?
I drummed my fingers on the tabletop nervously. S! That's how you blurt out something in a fit of inspiration, and then you sit and sort it out...
What did I do there? Let me think about it...
So, we have the same mother, but different fathers... "And who's our husband?" Hmm... of all the obvious sympathy for Yu, which could be interpreted in two ways, was shown only by Castle Fuyutsky, but to think that they had something...
On the other hand, why not? Someone will have to sacrifice their good name, someone will have to openly defame, someone will have to be drowned in mud - all means are good in this war...
So, the office romance of Yu and Kozo, and as a result, my stepsister. Why didn't they tell me anything about her? Let's say Gendo was just ashamed. This, by the way, can also explain the fact that although formally he is her guardian, the Rector cares about her quite a bit - on the one hand, the memory of his wife, especially since she looks very much like her, and on the other...
Wait, car, how do I know that Rey looks like my mother? Come on, Junior, give me a hand...
Shinji opened his entire memory in front of me with disarmingly honest honesty, and I was overwhelmed by a kaleidoscope of other people's memories.
...The black abyss into which I am rapidly falling.
A swirl of small bright lights of memories, whirling in a crazy dance around me.
Grab one, pull it in...
...The uncle and aunt who raised Shinji, but who didn't give a damn about him...
No, the next one.
...The school where the Youngest studied is a quiet, inconspicuous and unsociable student...
Next.
...Classes in the music room - cello, singing...
No, that's not it, that's not it!..
Suddenly, I noticed some faint, pale memory flash past me. To catch up, to cling tightly... ...In front of me is a huge armored glass, behind which I can see a huge hangar, and in it is my Unit-01, all entangled with wires.
I'm standing in some kind of command center or control room - it's hard for me to understand, everything is too fuzzy and blurry. With some sixth sense, I understand that this is because I am still very young and my mind cannot capture and remember everything around me.
"What is a child doing here?" A soft and velvety male voice is somewhere behind me.
Who is it? I want to turn around and look! Is it not working? But why? Is it because it's already happened?..
"This is Shinji, the son of Commander Ikari," A female voice is also behind me, somewhat reminiscent of Dr. Akagi's voice.
"Ikari, this is not a nursery, but a scientific laboratory! Today is a very important day, so..."
"Kozo, I don't think my son can do anything to stop it", his father's slightly mocking voice. I never remembered him like this...
"I'm sorry, Professor Fuyutsuki, I brought him here," An image of a young woman in a white contact suit appeared on a large screen suspended from the ceiling. Apparently, she was inside my Eva.
I knew who it was.
"Mom!" I exclaimed joyfully, holding out my hands to her.
Yu is really incredibly similar to Rei, or rather the opposite. The same facial features, the same eyes, only not red, but dark brown... Even their haircuts were almost the same, only mom's hair was not ashen, but dark blond.
"Yu, today is such an important experiment, you can't get distracted..." Fuyutsuki drawled uncertainly.
"That's why I took him with me," Shinji's mother smiled. "I want to show him how wonderful our future can be when our work brings security to all of humanity."
"Okay, Yu," the unknown woman spoke up again. "Let's get started."
"All right, Professor Akagi."
Also Akagi. But it's definitely not Ritsuko-it's probably her mother, Naoko.
"Start the first stage of synchronization..."
"Connecting to the main power supply..."
"Apply voltage to all circuits..."
"Cancel! I'm observing signal instability!"
"It is impossible to cancel! The contact has already started!"
"LSL reverses the polarity!!! Turn off the power immediately!!! Otherwise..."
A scream full of inhuman pain and horror hit my ears from the speakers.
"Yu!!!" father's desperate cry.
With my eyes wide open, I looked at the screen and saw, saw how... Damn, I can't even begin to describe IT...
Watching a living person fall apart right in front of your eyes, like... like... How, I do not know what! I can't! Enough!!! Somebody stop this! Save her!!!
I screamed too, wildly and madly-from fear and from... pain...
The LSL became more and more saturated in color, from the blood dissolving in it. Yu's scream gradually faded away...
Why are you sitting there? Help her!!! Well, please... At least someone... At least someone... Mom... How so... Must not... Why?..
Naoko and Fuyutsuki are shouting something, and my father is howling in frustration...
Enough.
...I open my eyes. My head hurts superhumanly - I want to put a bullet in my temple just to get rid of it.
Once again, I'm not surrounded by a command center, but by my room, and I'm not four years old anymore...
Except there are still tears in my eyes. Mine, not mine, it doesn't matter...
Like a somnambulist, I got up from my chair and walked over to the pile of things that were still not disassembled. Boxes, boxes... No, not this one... And not this one... Here it is.
Open it, toss aside a pair of neatly folded white shirts and take out a small photograph in a simple wooden frame.
Yu and Shinji are in her arms, still very young. It was taken somewhere in a park, on the shore of a lake...
I carefully took the photo, got up and walked over to the table. He cleared a space near the monitor, pushing aside the naval reference book, and carefully placed the photo.
I'm sorry, Shinji. I didn't even know how much it hurt... I don't even know how you've been living all this time, with this memory...
I put my head in my hands.
At that moment, when you needed help so much, there was no one near you - Gendo just got scared and ran away from you... You are not so different, in fact, from each other - you are a worthy son of your father...
Bitterness, resentment, and dull hatred...
Do you blame him for your mother's death? Don't, don't think like that... Despite the fact that Father is a calculating and heartless bastard, it seems to me that he really loved Yu... And that's why he's now plotting his own Third Strike to get back together with her. But mom knew what she was doing - she was a scientist, and she understood all the risks, but still decided to try to synchronize with Eva. She's not really dead, after all - her soul is still trapped in Unit-01, and it would be better to direct all efforts to get her out of there, rather than arrange Armageddon...
If the Younger One could, he would probably be crying right now. But souls don't know how to cry... Or do they know how?.. Come on, brother, get ready.
We will defeat all these freaks - Objects A and the Zielevites, and Victor swore to Shinji that we will find a way to get Yu out of Evangelion. We will definitely win, we cannot help but win - there is no one else... Do you know the favorite sayings of the landing?
"No one but us" - so this is about you and me. We are now together until the end, and if one is defeated, the other will continue to complete the task. Do you understand? That's good...
Shinji gradually calms down, coming back to normal... An easy question is interest... What?
What is the second saying of the landing? Well, it's not even a saying, but rather rules or observations...
Rule number one is that the troops fight until reinforcements arrive.
Rule number two is that reinforcements never arrive...
So no one will come to us unless we make a breakthrough ourselves.