Doctor Who: The Evangelion Error (Book One)

E7 Part 4: Emotions Get the Better of Him

Terminal Dogma. Solitary Track.

Shinji raced after the Doctor as the door closed behind them. "Wait -- Doctor -- the sentry guns, remember --"

Without stopping, the Doctor held out the screwdriver. The electronics in the maintenance vent sparked and exploded.

Well, okay, then. Shinji glanced back to make sure Rei and Asuka were behind them. "So where are we going?"

"Elevator," the Doctor said.

"Didn't that -- um -- break?"

"Different elevator." The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at the ceiling. "Once we find it, I'll reroute power from security."

"Did -- do you really know what that thing was?"

"I think I can guess." The Doctor turned past a corner. "Tell you what. Let's go find someone to ask."

***

Over Tokyo-3

Lieutenant Ward suppressed a yawn as his helicopter rushed towards the approaching cityscape. It'd been a while since he'd had to pull multiple flights in a row like this. They'd practically thrown them back off the carrier as soon as they'd arrived with their report, too. Didn't even get the chance to use the can, he thought.

Oh, well. Like the JSSDF attaché back on the carrier was fond of saying -- usually when he lost at poker -- it couldn't be helped. He glanced over at the ramshackle squadron of museum pieces he was flying in rough formation with, consisting of everything the JSSDF and UN had been collectively able to get in the air: another pair of Sea Kings, a Bell Twin Huey, and even what looked like an old World War II-era barnstormer. He cut the thrust and swung down low over the city.

At least they'd tossed in a pair of new helmets with working noise filters. He toggled the radio. "Ready, Ensign?"

"Whenever you are, sir."

"Go for it."

Uhura -- which is just what he'd started calling her in his head, since he still hadn't gotten a chance to ask her name -- switched on the helicopter's loudspeakers. "Choo-yoo-moku! Your attention, please!" she read phonetically off the paper in her hands. "Hijo jitai ga sengen sar-rettay emassu..."

***

Lateral Column Elevator

Okay, Shinji thought as the elevator began to climb upwards. This was officially freaking him out. The giant was one thing, sure... but the Doctor wasn't saying a word. He just stared out into space, brooding.

This was bad, Shinji thought. There was, in fact, only one thing he could think of that would make it even worse. "Uh -- Doctor?" he asked. "You're -- um -- you're not mad at me, right?"

"What?" The Doctor gave him a confused glance. "No, of course not."

"Okay, good." Shinji let out a deep breath. "Just checking."

The Doctor suddenly looked up. "What the hell --?"

Shinji turned.

They were in a glass elevator this time, and something had just come into view through the windows. Below them stretched an enormous underground chamber, vast even by NERV standards. Giant skulls the size of houses hung by chains from the ceiling, spines dangling down from them nearly to the chamber's floor. Shinji could furthermore glimpse in the dim light wide pits in the ground full of massive bones, heaped together in disorganized piles.

"The Prototype Graveyard," Rei said quietly.

"How do you know?" Asuka asked.

"I've seen it before." Rei averted her eyes from the windows. "There have been many failed attempts to make Evas. Unit Zero was the first stable model. All the rest died soon after their creation. This is what remains of them."