Chapter 41: The Egg of Time
Chapter 41:
The Egg of Time
The Egg of Time
T
O JUSTIFY THEIR INTRUSION
into the caldera, the JSSDF cited an agreement that allowed them to take preventative measures whenever they forecast that a large-scale threat would cross the outer ring of mountains.
“Does anyone buy that?” Hyuga asked. “I think they wanted to test whether their imitation heartbeat could attract the Angel Carriers.”
The Akashima’s pilot spoke over the radio.
<<
Is the person in charge around?
>>
“You’re looking at him.” Toji said.
The Akashima’s transmission switched to an encrypted video signal. The pilot wore a soldier’s uniform and was strapped into all sorts of harnesses. He removed his head visor, introduced himself as Warrant Officer Endo of the Anti-Angel Rapid Response Unit, and requested to speak with Commander Katsuragi Misato.
“I’m Acting Deputy Commander Suzuhara,” Toji replied. “The commander is busy attending to another matter. If you have anything to say to Nerv Japan, well, this kid right here will hear you.” When no response came, Toji said, “Well, if that’s all...” and started hanging up.
<<
Wait, Acting Deputy Commander Suzuhara.
>>
Endo broke into a grin.
<<
Sorry to drop in on you like this. My squad was transferred to Tokyo-2 for a while, and we were just redeployed outside the caldera, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello. You’ll be hearing from the Japanese government or your parent organization soon. The government is in talks with the UN to temporarily relocate a portion of their functions to Tokyo-3.
>>
“They’re what?” said Aoba on the middle deck. He shook his head as if to say,
I hadn’t heard about this
.
The UN held the Hakone caldera under a treaty. This story seemed strange.
“JSSDF forces are gathering,” Hyuga quietly informed Fuyutsuki, “Not in large numbers, but they’re gathering. In Yumoto, to the east, and on the far side of Otome Pass, to the west.”
“And that mech team is holding the south,” Fuyutsuki said, then thought,
They’re holding their knife to our artery of electricity and goods, and seeing if we flinch. We can cover our electricity needs on our own for a little while, but we can’t afford to let our food supplies be cut off.
“But why here?” Toji asked.
The pilot chuckled.
<<
You might think you’re the experts at dealing with all this calamity, but sometimes it’s hard to notice what’s right at your feet. This land is the most seismically stable place in all of Japan. Strange, I know, considering the nearby fault lines. But for whatever reason, the tremors are being suppressed here. Our science advisors have a theory—the cause has something to do with the Chronostatic Sphere.
>>
“Hey, that’s not true,” Toji said. “We get plenty of tremors here.”
But even as he said it, Toji considered that the scenario Endo described was plausible.
That perfectly dark egg had swallowed up the former HQ and Central Dogma. A great many things were unknown about the sphere, as it permitted no reflections of any kind. But Lilith
was
inside. Assuming that Lilith had frozen time and gone to sleep, it might be waiting for the next world’s Instrumentality Project, as Armaros proclaimed.