From: sephirius@iname.com (James Grabowski) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable __________________________________________________________________________ SHATTERED SUBSISTENCE Written By: James Grabowski Revision: 1.00 - Official Release Type: Fan Fiction - Angst / Darkness / Drama Source: Neon Genesis Evangelion Date: May 15, 1999 Time: 11:54:00 PM - EDT [Started: April 15, 1999 / 6:30:00 PM - EDT] __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ LEGAL INFORMATION: Characters contained in this script are copyright GAINAX, Project EVA, Movic, and any other company and/or division associated with the creation and/or production of Neon Genesis Evangelion. A.D.Vision holds the copyrights to the translated version of Neon Genesis Evangelion. At this time, they are used WITHOUT the permission of the aforementioned institutions. This literary work is a production of James Grabowski, and may not be used in any way, shape, or form without prior permission of the author. Distribution is subject to prior approval by the author. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ CONTENT WARNING The following fiction contains content which some readers may view as offensive. This includes: + Overt darkness and angst + Graphic portrayal and description of violence, murder, and destruction + Spoilers: Episode 18 The aforementioned author does not care one iota about the reader's age; said author is 16 years of age at time of publication. All judgement is made by the reader whether or not to examine the contents of this document. In other words, reader discretion is advised, just as viewer discretion is with Evangelion in general. __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ AUTHOR'S NOTES: I was in a generally bad mood when I first started writing this piece. Something had happened about half an hour prior which hadn't done much for my feelings of confidence and respect, so I felt like channelling my anger into something of a darker nature. Ironically enough, I was fine after about half an hour. Nonetheless, I pursued my goal, made modifications to it, and I believe I accomplished it. I had read the synopses for all the Evangelion episodes long before I saw them. Nonetheless, the second half of Episode 18 had a very strong impact on my state of being. I cried in fact. This is because I chose to take on the role of Shinji Ikari as I analyzed the situation at hand; in other words, I put myself in his position, and allowed myself to react as he would, to a reasonable extent. The second purpose of this fiction is to, hopefully, open the eyes of people who have seen the episode, and come to terms with the horror that the young Ikari had to sit through during that time. Thus, I give you a recreation of the angst that is Episode 18 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Please be forewarned that this piece, though not excessively long, is very graphic in its descriptions. If you have an easily weakened stomach (like myself), or do not wish to put yourself through what I hope will be a traumatic experience to some degree or another (not that that's good, just that it's the intention), then please do not continue. I am known to become faint at the mention of blood, and there's enough of it in this document to handle the transfusions required at all the hospitals in Queebec. If you live in Quebec, and even more so if you're on one of the hospital waiting lists, you know what I'm referring to. Comments and criticisms are warmly welcomed, while flames will be put out with the electronic equivalent of water. Read with great care, and with an open heart and mind. Until the next time, ja na. - James Grabowski __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Shattered Subsistence ------------------------------------ Unit Three advanced slowly through the field, giant lumbering steps its walking method of choice. The Eva was no longer its own being; the Thirteenth Angel had assumed control of its functions, its intent unknown. Three Evangelion Units were stationed nearby. Or rather, one was stationed nearby. The other two were currently out of action due to being damaged beyond acceptable parameters. Pilot Ayanami and Pilot Sohryuu no longer inhabited their Evangelion Units; they had been relocated by rescue crews to a nearby monitoring station. The sole Pilot who remained was none other than Shinji Ikari, the Pilot who was 'famous in the defense business', as one Ryouji Kaji had once put it so delicately. Unit One and its Pilot stood tall and glorious, a beacon of hope in an otherwise desperate situation, humanity's God of Hope and Saviour of Mankind. The two watched in silence (aside from the soft humming of the Evangelion's internal power system) the lumbering form of Unit Three. The black Evangelion was progressively making its way across the landscape, a setting sun the touching panorama, as if a symbol of the ending of lives the Unit was liable to cause. It looked human. A human was inside. 'In... there's still someone inside,' Shinji thought to himself. The last memory in Shinji's mind was Rei's scream of pain when her Unit's arm had been severed. Before that, the last memory in Shinji's mind had been Asuka's sudden disappearance from his communication console when her Unit had been immobilized by the Thirteenth Angel. Now, the last remaining Evangelion Pilot had no choice but to come to terms with the situation at hand. Away from Matsushiro, deep within the recesses of Tokyo-3's Geo-Front, Commander Gendou Ikari lived up to his title, in command of the situation. With Doctor Ritsuko Akagi and Major Misato Katsuragi currently registered as missing in the line of duty, Commander Ikari had opted to direct the situation personally. All attempts to eject the occupied entry plug from the black Unit had been a total failure. It was disheartening, to say the least. The eldest of the Ikari clan continued to monitor the situation which had spiraled out of control; the Matsushiro Experimental Station lay in ruins, and two Evangelion Units lay in the wake of destruction. There was no time left. "The target is approaching," Gendou stated, his demeanor rather straight-forward, tone colder than usual in relation to the circumstances. "Contact will be made in 20 seconds. Take care of it." Shinji blinked. He had not expected to hear something so... inconsiderate. "You say it's the target, but isn't there a person in there? Someone the same age as us." The memory of his comrades in arms falling in battle resounded in his mind's eye. "A---" He cut himself off as the black Unit rushed him. Without thinking, Shinji held out his arms to block it, succeeding in knocking it back and tripping up its movement. The stealthy Unit fell over, sprawled on the ground, but only for an instant as it flipped backward and landed on all four appendages, whipping its arms out. The massive live-wires stretched a gap of 100 metres, hands forming a tight seal around Unit One's neck. The purple Evangelion was drawn quickly toward the black Unit. Within Unit One's entry plug, Shinji's breathing was being horribly hindered. The skin of his throat was turned a quarter of the way around his neck as his constrained vocal chords emitted various chokes and gasps. It didn't really affect him. His eyes remained occupied, focussed on the back of Unit Three which had come into view. A white entry plug was visible behind its neck, sealed by a web of blue gelatinous mucus. "There's a person inside of it..." Shinji reaffirmed. "Errrk..." The boy continued to choke. "Trouble in life support," reported First Lieutenant Makoto Hyuuga from within the Command Centre. "The Pilot is in danger," First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki supplemented quickly. "No good," Sub-Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki stated. "Cut the synchronization to sixty percent." "Wait." Half the eyes in the Control Centre directed themselves with a touch of mild shock at Gendou Ikari. "But if you maintain the current synchronization status, the Pilot will die," the Sub-Commander explained. "Shinji, why don't you fight?" Gendou questioned, ignorning his compatriot's plea. "But--- there is a person inside, father," Shinji managed through choked gasps. "It doesn't matter," Gendou countered. "It is an Angel. Our enemy." "But I can't do that," Shinji replied, voice becoming distinguishably more resolute. "I have to save th--- person." He gasped loudly. "I can't kill a human." "You will die," Gendou observed, rather uninterested in his son's heroism. "I don't care," Shinji nearly shouted, and would have had it not been for the restriction of his vocal chords. "It's much better than killing someone!" Useless Children. Useless children. "Cut the synchronization of the Pilot and Unit One," Gendou ordered to the First Lieutenants. "Completely." "Cut it off, sir?" Maya asked, somewhat confused and surprised "Yes. Switch the connection to the Dummy plug." "But sir!" Maya exclaimed. "The Dummy System is too unstable unable to keep it under control if something goes wrong!" "It still works better than the Pilot," Gendou declared. "Do it." "...Yes, sir," Maya replied quietly, proceeding to tap upon her keyboard. Within the entry plug of Unit One, Shinji Ikari was dying. Then everything went black. Except for Shinji's sight. All synchronization with Unit One had been cut off. Humanity's God of Hope and Saviour of Mankind were no longer one. Shinji keeled over, panting for breath after having been constricted for so long. It was a momentary relief. Outside the Unit, Unit Three, the Thirteenth Angel, continued to crush Unit One's neck. An odd beeping sound filled Shinji's ears. The boy was startled as red light suddenly flooded the interior of the entry plug. An odd whirring sound filled the air, much like the turning of a turbine engine. Shinji's head swung around at the sound of a computer terminal switching on. A group of words had lit up on the side of Shinji's chair unit. DUMMY SYSTEM REI-00 Shinji's head swung around again, glaring straight ahead at the massive visage of Unit Three before him. "What?!" Shinji shouted, despite knowing that the communication signal to the Control Centre was still active. "What did you do father?!" "The Dummy plug's activation is confirmed," Makoto stated. "The control system has been switched," Maya added. "All nerve connections have been engaged with the Dummy plug," First Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba stated. "Dummy System's emotional factor remains thirty-two point eight percent unstable," he added. "We'll be unable to monitor it." "That's not a problem," Gendou confirmed. "Release the System. Commence the attack." With that, Unit One's eyes slowly 'opened'. Within the darkened portals a light emerged, bright yellow as before. No longer the flames of justice and virtue however. Now, the flames of judgement. The hands of Unit One slowly balled into fists, as if feeling its body for the first time. Its legs trembled but momentarily as its head slowly turned to face its attacker. The lanky arms of the purple biological humanoid stuttered into the air, looking ready to surrender in defeat. Until its hands latched around Unit Three's neck, and squeezed. It was more than obvious to all the onlookers in the Control Centre, as well as to the sole conscious Pilot in Unit One, that Unit Three was suddenly losing the battle. An odd cracking sound began to emanate from Unit Three's neck. It was weak at first, but the amplitude soon escalated to that of a half-dozen tree trunks snapping. Unit Three's neck snapped. The moans of its Angelic Possessor halted a moment later as its head fell limply forward. Its hands detached from Unit One's neck soon afterward, arms hanging loosely by its sides. Shinji stared in horror at the visibly dead Eva in front of him. 'Pilot's... neck...' The Control Centre was awed at the site. "Is this the power of the Dummy System?" Maya whispered, looking partially away at the murder on the main display. Judgement had been rendered. Death. "Dummy System continuing the assault!" Shigeru declared suddenly, his declaration based on the sudden increase in energy readings on his display. Gendou smirked. He'd won. Unit One's left arm fell away from Unit Three's neck, only to twist its body halfway around and hurtle Unit Three's lifeless corpse at the nearby inclination of rock. The body smashed against the mountain-side and crashed to the ground, as dead and lifeless as before. Its neck was now slashed where its thin armour-plating had been weakened from the snap, leaking a mixture of oil and... "Blood!" Shinji yelled. "It's blood!" The red heterogeneous mixture poured as a slow steady stream from its mouth as if it were a vessel of the blood of Jesus Christ being offered at mass, the jaw fixture now partially broken and exposing a nerve-ending or two. The wiring was so realistic. Because it was a real nerve. "It's real!" Shinji shouted, shaking violently. "It's real!!! It's human!" An Eva is a reflection of its Pilot. Which meant the Pilot was... "Stop!" Unit One was nowhere near finished rendering judgement. It brought its hand up in a fist, and brought it crashing down on Unit Three's head. The large appendage burst open, armour-plating and casing the equivalent of a thin sheet of paper to the attacker. It exploded violently, blood gushing forth fiercely in the release as a tidal wave to its surroundings. Unit One's chest, trees, grass, buildings; all were tinted with the permanent dye that is the essence of human life. Teeth scattered aimlessly about; those that weren't crushed under the terrificly ferocious fist. The eyes shattered; lenses cracked, veins ripped apart from each other in a tangled mass, the shells of the corneas shred neatly into glumps of white gelatin from the sheer force of impact upon the building sides they impacted upon. All that remained was the bleeding stump that was Unit Three's neck, and the remaining muscle or two which hadn't burst open. Blindness. Sightlessness. Shinji saw it all first hand. He screamed. He was witnessing a murder. No. He was committing a murder. A Pilot was still inside. An Eva is a reflection of its Pilot. "HELP!!!" Shinji screamed. "STOP! STOP!" The screams only fueled Unit One's bloody rage. With a fell swoop, the Unit plunged the same fist into Unit Three's chest cavity, crushing whatever unfortunate organ lay underneath. A sudden geyser of blood splashed Unit One's face. The left chest cavity. The rib cage, the lung, the heart. Failure to breathe. Failure to live. An Eva is a reflection of its Pilot. The other fist plunged in. More blood, more destruction. More screaming. The murderer's hands clenched inside its victim and pulled out violently, taking with it the entire front torso armour-plating, and most of what lay beneath this protective skin; the bones of its rib cage were flung about, broken into many pieces; arteries hung loosely out of Unit Three's chest, some burst, some bleeding, some leaking a river of bloody death along the plain, flooding all that lay nearby. Veins, arteries; the pathways of life. The hands went to work, ripping away all that the former Evangelion still possessed. Arms shattered and broken, twisted at odd angles and flung carelessly aside; fingers crushed and broken off, pouring forth with life's essence. A nearby commercial facility was wiped from the face of the earth by the remains of a foot. The remainder of the leg was twisted, 'skin' ripped away, cartilage partially intact as most of it remained shredded and stained red. And soon, that same leg was hacked off of its former body, and ripped in two at the knee, heaved as far as possible, destroying another building in the process. The building looked to be a school. "STOP THIS!!!" Shinji screamed shrilly from inside the Eva, eyes flowing with tears. "FATHER!!! STOP!!!!!!!!! PLEASE STOP THIS!!!!!!!!" His cries were answered. With the bloody mutilation of the other leg. Loss of limbs. An Eva is a reflection of its Pilot. Within the Control Centre, every face was locked on the main display as the delicious carnage of Unit One's ultimate judgement failed to cease. Almost all the faces looked fearful. Some were pale, some were disgusted, some were frightened beyond the worst imaginings of their own simplistic minds. One Maya Ibuki, who had assisted in the creation and initiation of this Satanic being, couldn't even look at the screen. Wallowing in self-pity and disgust, she cried with no sound, no tears; only the inward feelings of guilt and regret could exist in her being now. Which solved nothing. "STOP! NO MORE! PLEASE!!!" The screams mixed sickly with Shinji's endless supply of tears. It was to the delight of the murderer. Who plunged in again, and ripped out the spinal column. Vertebra after vertebra were shattered, dust and debris thrown in all directions. Paralysis. The hands flew in again, and began to madly tear away at whatever fell in their paths. Veins ripped. Organs shredded. Arteries burst. Bones crushed. The landscape was bathed in the stench of blood. Streetlights dripped with the grossly thick liquid. Buildings lay in ruins, and those that weren't were forever stained with the lively shade of red. Autumn had returned to the treetops. Fields looked as if they had been charred health, had been subjected to God's Tenth Plague, and was now the equal of the Egypt's Nile as it had been in the time of Moses. Shinji's throat was hoarse. The images of the commitment of death through to the sacrificial offfering committed by Satan's Follower flooded his mind. Shinji felt sick, and scared, and was horrified beyond compare. He wanted escape. He wanted release. Death was welcome. But he was not to die. Again the hand plunged in. It pulled out the main source of life for the Evangelion, the lifeless corpse, the mauled body, the dead being. The entry plug. An Eva is a reflection of its Pilot. The fist was clenched around the middle of the entry plug. It began to tremble spasmically. Shinji knew what it was going to do. It had found what it had been looking for. The true human, to receive the true judgement. The true murder. He could only scream as the hand continued its efforts, the trembling becoming more and more violent. "DAMN!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!!" And the hand clenched shut. Tainted LCL flew from the crushed metal cylinder. Traces of red, to the attentive eye, could be seen to leak with the LCL. Blood. A Pilot is a reflection of its Eva. Except for Shinji, for he was not one with his Eva. He was an individual. He hated his individuality. He screamed a piercing scream, one which flooded all of the Command Centre, echoing and reverberating in every ear. It was of no consequence. Unit One remained hunched over Unit Three, the entry plug still clasped tight in its hand. The Dummy System deactivated itself, its mission complete. Now, only red and destruction were to be seen, with a great demon overlooking it all, the fractured remains of a foolish corpse underneath its body, the source of its life crushed. The Baron of Hell had brought Hell to the Earth. No one paid attention when Shigeru announced that Unit Three, the Thirteenth Angel, had been silenced. ------------------------------------ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Design / Planning / Authoring / Writing / Editing / Revising ------------------------------------------------------------ James Grabowski - Sephirius Endymion, Rei Ikari - sephirius@iname.com __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Endymion's Portal - http://www.crosswinds.net/~sephirius (http://www.sephirius.tsx.org) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ "Man is descended from one alone. One way or another, we're all related. With this knowledge, the wall blocking the "truth" is destroyed, Leaving an opportunity that can be used to a positive advantage. One that can change man's perception forever, And consequently, prove the theorem wrong..." "And now it becomes a reality." __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 1999 - James Grabowski __________________________________________________________________________