Neon Genesis Evangelion Devine Fear By Aaron Kasmov "Saying it's your job, sure don't make it right. But if you want me to, I'll say a prayer for your poor soul tonight." John Melencamp, (Blood on the Scarecrow) Thunder. The sound of rain. Natural. Normal. Nothing to worry about. Not thunder. An explosion. Not rain. Debris. Not natural. Not normal. Worry? No time. Run. Hide. Take cover. Light. God's hand. Heaven's coming. Heaven's coming. . .for me? "What's the situation?" said Misato, stepping out of the elevator into NERV's command station. "Not good." Responded Dr. Ritsko, showing the familiar signs of extensive fatigue. "We have two cameras, but they are not showing us much." "Not showing us much of what?" pressed Misato, not understanding the importance of what was going on. "You mean you don't know?" said Ritsko, turning around, a look of shock on her face. "Someone is holding Shinji, Rei, and Asuka hostage." Asuka was leaning against a pole, her head drooping from the sleeping gas. Shinji was pressed against her, with Rei collapsed against him. In the other corner of the small room, a man squatted, holding a pistol. By his feet, a shotgun and a machine gun. His hair was matted from sweat and he had discarded his NERV jacket. He eyed the three kids with a mad anger. "Why?" he whispered. "Oh, . . ." ". . .God." said Misato, leaning against one of the command consoles. "Has he made any demands? Has he made contact at all?" "No, sir." Said one of the techs. "He incapacitated them in the elevator down here, took them to that room and now the whole section's moving." "What do you mean moving?" asked Misato, think it was some kind of joke. "I don't know if you were aware, but most of this base is modular." Said Ritsko, in a condescending tone that made Misato grit her teeth. "It's designed to move. And this small section is." Ritsko pointed up to the display, showing a wire-frame layout of the room in question. There were actually several rooms, joined together, but a theremographic image showed that the kidnapper and the other three were in the same room. "Do we know where it's heading?" asked Misato, trying to stay objective. "No, sir. It's directions have been changed and the path is not on a track for that section." "Damn." Misato thought for a moment. "Do we know who it is that's in there?" "My name is Thomas. Not that it should mean anything to you." The man in the corner stood over Rei, looking down at her. She was the first to wake up. The other two were still out. "What is happening?" she whispered. "I'm taking you three somewhere." He said, trying to sound calm. "Where are you taking us?" He suddenly scoffed harshly. "To hell." "That's Thomas Crown. He's from our American counterpart in Nevada, America. He was brought here to help program many of the base's functions." Said the female tech, observing the screen display his bio. "That would explain how he knows how to engage the security movement and then to change it." said Ritsko. "Can we get a pipeline in there? Try and talk him out." Asked Misato. "Negative, sir. All lines are disconnected until the unit stops moving." "Damn." "Why are you doing this?" asked Rei, standing by, as Thomas tied Asuka and Shinji to the pole they were leaning against. "This. So they don't move." "Why are you kidnapping us?" whispered Rei, her voice peircing his mind. "Third Impact." Was all he said. "Thomas was in Argentina when Second Impact occurred. He was practically in the blast radius. He was not the first choice for his post, either. He was diagnosed with depression and insomnia. At his last psychological exam, he tested slightly unstable." Ritsko folded the file in her hands, discarding it to the table. "Who let him stay here then?" demanded Misato, her fists shaking with fury. Ritsko motioned up with her eyes, directing to the ever-silent Dr. Ikari. "I was at Second Impact. I was there." Said Thomas, sweating just from the thought. "You don't know what it's like. You have no idea. You can't even conceive of it. The horror. God, the horror." He gripped his forehead, trying to focus, the sweat running off onto his hand. "My family died in Second Impact." He closed his eyes trying breathe straight. He leaned against the metal walls of the room, trying to regain his composure. "I should have died there with them." "So why involve us?" asked Rei, quietly. "Because I'm not going to let Third Impact happen." He said, shaking all over. "I know how to stop it and I'm going to." "And you're going to kill us to do it?" asked Rei. "That's part of the plan." Thomas let out a little laugh. "Are you afraid of dying, Ayanami?" "No." Thomas leapted forward at her, hs hand gripping the gun at her forehead. "WHY THE FUCK NOT? Everyone's afraid of dying! Everyone. If you've got a pulse, if you're alive you are afraid of it ending." Thomas stood up straight, considering Rei for a moment. "You've never been alive. You're a fucking robot. You have no idea what I'm talking about. You're not afraid of dying because you've never been alive." "I'm not a robot." Said Rei, her voice still a soft whisper. "Bull shit. I've seen the dummy plugs. I helped make them. I know what you are. Flesh and blood, maybe, but you're not alive." "He's heading for Central Dogma." Said Dr. Ikari's aid. "He's heading for Adam." Dr. Ikari sat motionless. "By killing us, you are going to stop Third Impact. Why is that?" "Not just you, Rei. Adam, too." Thomas heard Rei inhale at that comment. Thomas smiled to himself. He got some kind of a response out of her. That was more than just about anyone. There was a sudden jolt. The slight noise and feeling of movement had stopped. "We're here." "That entire area's been closed off by some kind of virus. It'll take us at least an hour to get there, through any route." Said the tech, reporting the grim status. Misato rubbed her temples, once again trying to take an objective look at the situation. She glanced up at the command station high up. Ikari was gone. Rei looked up at the giant suspened high in the air. Adam. 'Not yet' she thought. She turned back to Thomas. Asuka and Shinji were still unconscious, tied together, laying on the floor. Thomas was programing a few last minute commands into the bomb in the bag he had brought. Rei started to walk towards him, but thought better of it. She didn't know what to do. Which way did she want the world to go? "Done." Said Thomas, standing up. "Third Impact can never happen. Six minutes." He laughed, his smile bringing tears to his own eyes. "My family. Everyone. I couldn't help. Maybe this will rectify it all." "Why are you afraid of dying?" asked Rei. Thomas felt like shooting her. How could she ask a question like that. But a look in her eyes showed him that she was genuinely curious. He was right. She had no idea what it was like to be afraid of dying. "I saw my family killed by Second Impact. I remember them screaming." He said, gripping his head. "Screaming. Screaming. They were screaming when they were suppose to be going to heaven. What kind of a god is so horrible that you scream when you go to him?" Thomas stopped for a moment, trying to regather himself, but seemed to fail. "I guess I'm afraid of god, then. Damn! I don't know! I'm just afraid to die. I don't want to. Not like that. Not in Third impact. I guess any other way, but not like that." "You're afraid of going to heaven. I've never heard anyone say that." Wondered Rei, considering that. "Rei." Said Thomas, dropping to his knees in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "If I . . . if I . . if I let you . . . if I let you . . ." He stopped, regather his thoughts. Then, he let it all out. "If I let you go, . . ." He looked into her eyes, seeing everything she had ever known and had ever seen. ". . . can I go to hell?" The door opened. Gendo Ikarai. A gun. Thunder. The sound of rain. Natural. Normal. Nothing to worry about. Not thunder. An explosion. Not rain. Debris. Not natural. Not normal. Worry? No time. Run. Hide. Take cover. Light. God's hand. Heaven's coming. Heaven's coming. . .for me? Rei looked down at her hands. Her entire body. Blood. Thomas's blood. All over.