Chapter 37: Ogasawara Islands

Chapter 37:
Ogasawara Islands

 

THE JSSDF AKASHIMA had built a frontline base camp facing Yomotsu Hirasaka on Chichijima, an island in the Ogasawara Islands that could withstand the abnormal tides caused by the Earth’s shrinking diameter and reduced gravity. Nerv Japan had had the same idea, but their organization was far too small, no matter how many Evangelions they possessed. They couldn’t afford to split their resources like the JSSDF.

Lieutenant Colonel Kasuga leaped onto the scaffolding of the observation deck in the armored prefab building.

“Where is it?!”

“It’s close, sir. Right on top of Anijima next door.”

He peered through his binoculars into the raging wind. “A Torwächter window! Any news from Endo at Tsukino Yami?!”

“They’re in the middle of a rescue operation on the other side of the operation. North American Alliance—”

Something winged shot out of the window over Anijima’s mountain peak.

“IFF belongs to Nerv Japan’s Eva-01 Final Model.”

 

Shinji felt like he was being dragged away.

“Gah!”

He crashed into the woods below. The shock brought him back to his senses. His vision was red and hazy. Was he surrounded by the ocean?

“This isn’t Yomotsu Hirasaka…”

The Powered 8 railgun had unlatched itself from his back and bounced away. Final Model scrambled for the rifle, but twenty hands appeared over the muzzle.

“Wh-what?!”

He fired, blowing the head off the lead Carrier, sending it crashing to the ground.

Behind him, the white wings of the Angels spread over the blindingly blue sky. In their center was the tip of the Lance of Longinus, suspended twenty thousand kilometers in orbit with its coiling tail.

It made an L-shaped turn and sped toward him. He knew what it was after. The lance had halted over the Yomotsu Hirasaka, the umbilical cord that connected the new world of the moon to the Earth. Now it was intent on skewering Shinji. The helical prongs had unraveled themselves, looking like piano wire. The weapon accelerated, anxious to fall upon its target.

“Shinji?”

Unit Two looked south from Yomotsu Hirasaka, noticing this sudden acceleration.

“Hakone command, Shinji’s in trouble!”

<<Ikari-kun…broke the sky lens.>> Hikari/Armaros said. <<That’s why I must take his heart…and crush it.>>

“Don’t you dare taint Hikari’s voice with your arrogance!”

Shinji!

 

Meanwhile, Hakone had come to the same conclusion.

“We’ve calculated its trajectory! It’s heading for Chichijima on the Ogasawara Islands!”

“Commander, Final Model’s IFF signal is relocated to Anijima in Chichijima!”

“What?!”

It was just as Asuka had predicted.

“Put Eva-01 Final Model on the line!”

Misato was still negotiating with Kaji in the cafeteria. Fuyutsuki and the strategic team in the command center were still in their stations. But they all heard Shinji’s scream as he was held down by six Carriers.

<<Uwaaaaaah!>>

The sound sliced the very air they breathed.

 

The Lance of Longinus gained speed and light as it accelerated. Shinji could do nothing but brace himself. Then he heard a distant thud, as if something had landed nearby. A huge shadow fell across the restrained Final Model.

 

What was that noise?

Misato had felt it, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Longinus’s descent on the terminal. Suddenly, something that looked like the roots of a plant blocked the distant view of the screen.

<<Take control of the camera! You people need to maintain the observation equipment better.>> Fuyutsuki shouted over the comms.

“Command, what’s happening?!”

“Commander!” The security staff in the cafeteria were growing restless. Not exactly nerves, but their voices were a mixture of terror and confusion.

The roots weren’t covering the camera lens.

 

Black roots covered the sky over Hakone, weaving together. Misato went out onto the terrace and looked up “What is this?”

“Impossible!” Even Seele/Kaji was surprised. “How did it manifest itself in the third dimension?!”