Neon Genesis Evangelion: NERV Hong Kong

[Duality]

It was early morning. The skies were completely gray, the atmosphere choked in a grip, shrouded ina thick blanket of what appeared to be smog, though it could have simply been marine layer. Although it was the beginning of spring, there seemed as though there was no life, nor has there been for a while. Down the road, leading into thruins of a once successful, bustling city, a single tree barely clinging to life. It bears neither fruit nor flowers. A family of vines simply deviated from the thin trunk, leaves with just the barest hint of green on them.

Breaking the silence was the blaring of alarms set off. Something was fast approaching. Off in the distance, the silhouette of something which appeared vaguely humanoid. From the city, it looked like a tall, lanky man, simply striding in, though out in the distance, there was a different story. Even people were in the city, grew fearful with uncertainty.

The city quickly dropped into the water below, making its entire perimeter a chorus of humming and plopping. Off in the distance was a blood curdling roar.

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15 years ago, an asteroid had unpredictably crashed into the Earth, setting off an explosion in Antarctica. The event, known as Second Impact was one of the most devastating happenings in human history, pushing the Earth off its axis, melting the polar ice caps, flooding the coastal regions of every planet, causing global climate change, and devastating crops around the world. Billions of people died of the after math, leaving only a hand full of survivors to try to pick up the pieces, returning to a world which lay almost barren. Those who did not die from the initial explosion died from drowning or starvation. Still, in the darkest hours, mankind has always pulled together and survived.

Even so, riots, wars, and civil unrest became common. Governments collapsed trying to feed the hungry masses as they swarmed over buildings and desperately tried to get their claws on whatever they could. The UN was left to struggle with trying to pull people and their governments back together.

Years passed until the world governments had finally returned to a state of 'stability', and the UN was able to investigate ground zero of the Impact. They found that the cause was an approximately eight centimeter asteroid, theorized to have been traveling at 95% the speed of light. At least this is what most people believe.

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15 years ago, the Angel, now labeled 'Adam' had awakened in the Earth's South Pole. This awakening had become recognized as Second Impact, and would be covered up by the world governments, the Organization NERV, Gehirn; and at the very top, a mysterious and shadowy cabal recognized as Seele. Their ultimate goal is human instrumentality. There is not a clear definition of such a term; the word instrumentality is very lucid, and the word human even more so. Adam is the first angel, and as predicted by the Dead Sea Scrolls, he will not be the last. More will come, trying to reap the remaining human souls. In these dark hours, will humanity pull together and survive?

Civil unrest, riots, wars, famine, and major change in climate have ravaged the planet and its ecosystems. The remaining humans on Earth had been reduced to a mere fraction of its former size. The only hope for the last stand of humanity is NERV, Gehirn, and the mechas that have been labeled as the "Evas".

Proceeding Second Impact, Hong Kong had flooded at least five time over. It was one of the first places the UN had decided to protect. Taking advantage of the tall buildings, NERV took advantage, designing the city as the last bastion of mankind to fight the angels. In order to do so, however, they need Eva pilots, which you happen to be one of. Be prepared, for what you will witness will be beyond belief.

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If seasons still mattered after Second impact, the time would be considered Spring, the very season which represented life, and birth. Even so, something was off and the air had an eeriness to it. The day was March 28th, the very day the NERV facility of Hong Kong received new pilots to be their guardian angels. So far, nothing has happened, and man kind had slowly been rebuilding itself. But how long will it last?

Off in the horizon came four different helicopters, all flying in from different directions straight into a launch pad on the outskirts of Hong Kong. There, awaited them a chaufer who promised to take them across the river, and escort them into the Geo-Front.

BEGIN MISSION I: YOU CAN (NOT) UNSEE!

[Myviewing]

“I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go!” A young girl in the corner of the seat was rocking herself. It was the one constant noise that the inside had other than the chopping of the helicopter carrying her. Within the passenger room of the helicopter two men were looking over her and showed a very clear sign of concern for her behavior, one in black robes and the other in a gray suit. The first man one of the few mortal men she considered a friend in this world, the other not quite the same. If she wanted to blame anyone for the grand punishment she was being sent to, it was him the most of all people.
The minister ordered, “Selena. You must maintain your composure.”
Her father explained to him, “It is only a matter of time. Once she is outside, she will return to normal. Or what she at least deems normal.”
Selena in the middle of the conversation asked, “Can I please get out of here? How much longer do I have to burn for my sins?” The minister was somewhat confused by the question seeing that few others would see their current state on this mortal plane as a literal living hell. Selena’s father nodded to the minister to remind that he needed to move forward with the conversation.
Her father assured, “It will be a matter of time Selena.”
She persisted, “How long?”
The minister reminded her, “You have to face the angels. They will be the ones to take you out of the hell you are in.”
Still rather afraid of the mission she was being sent to, Selena asked, “But if I fight them, isn’t that worse than sinning?”
The minister went on to explain, “Consider this. The angels you are facing are trapped down here just like you. Destroying the cages they are currently residing in will release them from their imprisonment. Do this and you may find your guardian angel that will take you into heaven.”
Selena was slightly assured of her situation and asked, “Really? Promise?”
The minister finally assured her, “Of course. There are few others you might be able to trust after all.”
Shakily nodding at the slight bit of optimism Selena had to hang onto, Selena stopped rocking for a few moments to only wait until she was sent back into the flames.
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An hour passed when the helicopter finally landed and the doors began to slightly open. Selena showed some great concern about the opening doors at first until the sunlight first touched her. When it came, she became an entirely different person. She wore an odd smile and her eyes began to search across different directions. It was only the first thing to change about her when she began to walk on her own and moved much like an unfortunate customer who had a few too many drinks. She spun around the chopper landing pad and seemed to act much more like a normal person than she ever did on her trip here.
The minister asked concerned, “Is she like this all the time?”
Her father answered, “I’m afraid so. There are some cases when a patient might utilize a different persona in order to pass the pain to someone else they have created.”
Selena giggled at the sight of the city before her. Hong Kong was just like almost every other city in the world after the Second Impact that was named. Much of it below water and with only a greater population that was trying to salvage a living somehow.
The minister walked up to the young girl and was greeted by her with, “GOD hates sin. That’s why he allowed hell to be created.”
He answered her observation, “Child, that much is true. But hell is a final fate for those who do not accept his mercy.”
Selena asked a considerable question, “Then does all of humanity hate GOD?”
Wondering what she meant by this, the minister asked, “What do you mean?”
Selena asked again, “Why do we all go to hell like this?”
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It was about an hour or so later when the other helicopters made their way to meet with Selena’s helicopter. Soon they would be sent to the Geo-Front. This would begin Selena’s desire to find her way out of this merciless fate she was given. It was all she had to hold onto now…

[VanceXentan]

Graham sat in the NERV Operations Center waiting to be tested to see if anything was wrong with his body or mind after his flight to Hong Kong. He ate a chocolate bar covered in peanut butter which he had saved up his money to buy when he was in America. Chocolate and other products were rare now of days after the impacts had happened. In truth he did not really care for being an EVA pilot but he dealt with it just like he dealt with everything else he was put through. Why should he care after all he was a tool for humanity to use as it pleased wasn't he? He did not like being a tool but that was what he was and that was how he always will be. Who needed to have complete control over things anyways? It was nothing more than a way to stress out. He was alone except for the cameras that watched him from the corner sitting in a waiting room and hoping the doctor would be a nice enough guy. His EVA was still being transported and should be here by the end of the day at the most. He felt more safe being inside of it but at the same time he was not in his country and they would not be afraid to kill him knowing the bastards the Chinese were. Was the U.N being biased towards China? it was unlikely but possible all the same...this would not be a fun little visit...especially since it was a long one.

[Hikari Sama]

Barely any light shown through the small window of the helicopter door as they headed for what would essentially be Michi's new life as an EVA pilot. The darkness made her uncomfortable but she was glad to have other people in the cabin with her. Although she was glad to be getting away from her mother, she was nervous about who her roommate might be and if they would be okay with sharing a room with her. Hundreds of questions ran through her mind. What if they don't like her? What if they are mean? What if they put her in a closet? What if they... Her train of thought was cut off by the pilot. "I'm setting her down now so try not to move around." Michi held on to her seat tight as they set down. She barely waited for the door to open when she bursted into the sunlight. One of the men who was with her came out behind her and grabbed her shirt collar. "Keep your head down Miss Sato the rotors can be dangerous." She sunk down low. "I'm sorry." It seemed as if a few other helicopters had landed probably transporting other pilots. She had heard that she was not the only pilot being sent in. She didn't want to seem rude so she didn't ask anyone about what was going on, she simply did what she was told and hoped that she didn't make anyone angry at her. After a brief communication with the helicopter pilot the man from before told her to go with another man whom he explained would take her to a place called the Geo-Front. She was escorted to another room where a boy sat who looked about her age. He was probably another EVA pilot. She practiced her introduction in her head a few times before she worked up the courage to speak to him. "Um... Hello, I'm Michi... is it... is it okay if I sit here?"

[OiHarkin]

"Achtuuuung, baby!" hollered a voice over the helicopter microphone as the delegate from Europe swooped in to the Hong Kong centre of NERV. Once the glory of military engineering had touched down, out stepped one young man in a long leather overcoat, military dress uniform and a commisar's cap. Hans Verryter smiled widely at the sight of all that gear and power and might gathered in one place. This was a glorious sight, but dormant. When it all stirred, when it all came to life - that would be glory. An officer came to escort him down to the conference room and Hans snapped him a strong, firm salute.

When he was led through the building, Hans held his chin high and his chest puffed out, feeling like this was one of the greatest places in the world. And when he came to the conference room, and saw the quiet girls and the sulking boy, he snapped another salute. "Jungmajor Hans Verryter. Mein freunden." He snapped together the heels of his polished boots before dropping the salute and smiling at them in turn.

[Duality]

Four helicopters landed in the shape of a plus sign, crossed over a circular landing pad. The ground was metal, and from the feel of it, very thick. Several indents trace through the pad, suggesting that it isn't simply one large hunk, however, they don't seem to be mechanically connected, but rather melted together. The land around the helicopters were barren, and the air was uncomfortably warm. The first, second, third, and fourth children have all been gathered in mainland China. Just south of them was their final destination, the once busy streets of the once lively city of Hong Kong.

Off in the distance and through the fog, one could see nothing but water. One of the side effects of second impact was the drastic change in shore line, with so much ice having melted from the south pole. The good news is, given fifteen years, he Earth has had time to recover from the climate change, with eco systems returning to normal, at least in most places. Where the four children stood, however, there was no almost no life, and if they were not there, there would be absolutely no life at all.

Off in the distance and through the fog, were lights quickly approaching its port. One of he sailors jumped off, holding a line in one hand, swimming onto shore. He then tied the line to the port, keeping the boat from going anywhere. The boat's name was written in English, all capitalized and in Gothic font. In red letters, then name read "CHARON". This was the boat which would ferry the children into the Geo-front.

"Ni hao!" A man with a gray beard over his neck wearing a sailor's cap waved toward the helicopters.

[Myviewing]

The other three consisted of a silent boy and a girl about her age sitting next to him. She was curious about what brought them down here as well. The others she was sent to burn with would probably offer some kind of comfort. She didn’t know if they wanted to greet her, it would probably be a matter of whoever was sent to live with who.

It was a short matter of time before she met with the Chinese to be taken to the Geo front. Looking at the bright red letters, Selena saw the name of the boat. It reminded her of the perfect passage for her crossing into the Hong Kong portion of NERV. She took two quarters out of her pocket and placed them on top of her eyelids. She spoke among the other young pilot candidates with her and began to chant, “Through me you pass into the city of woe: Through me you pass into eternal pain: Through me among the people lost for aye. Justice the founder of my fabric mov’d: To rear me was the task of power divine, Supremest wisdom, and primeval love. Before me things create were none, save things Eternal, and eternal I endure. All hope abandon ye who enter here…”

Despite the quarters on her eyelids, she was able to stop right in front of the older man who was waiting for the pilot candidates. Selena began to speak in the native tongue when she was prepared for her trip to this portion of the NERV branch. The quarters were still upon her eyelids as she walked forward and was now able to begin boarding the cryptic boat awaiting her. She knelt in front of the sailor welcoming her and greeted in the Cantonese tongue, "I prepare myself for a grand punishment. My descent to hell is welcome.”

[VanceXentan]

"Go ahead and sit down if you wish I have no problems with it. I'm glad to see someone who can speak my native tongue though. It is nice to meet you though Michi. My name is Graham no use remembering it though...the Chinese are going to get us killed..." Graham said with absolute zero joy and some contempt hidden in his voice as well. He laid his back and yawned as he had been awake for most of the day and man was it taking a toll on the kid. But he wanted to make sure these damn bastards did not wreck his EVA. Then things got worse when the weird guy walked in he assumed he was talking in a European dialect. In Chinese he told the boy "Speak either Chinese or English or don't talk to me at all. I'm tired and sore and I don't have time to play ring around the language barrier." he put it bluntly and to the point as he pulled his jacket off of his seat and put it on it was getting pretty cold in here.

[Hikari Sama]

Michi was not at all comfortable around these new people, she didn't know them or how she should act so she simply kept her eyes to the ground with her hands in her lap trying to make as little presence as she could. The first boy she had spoken to seemed angry at something, she prayed that it wasn't her. When another boy walked in he introduced himself like a soldier and was quite loud when he did so. There was another girl in the room as well but she didn't seem to be paying anyone much mind as she chanted something to herself, Michi understood the words but the meaning was lost on her. A ship had apparently to take them wherever it was they were supposed to go. It almost seemed as if the ship was crossing a barrier between what she knew as her old life and what would become her new life piloting an EVA for NERV. Michi had never asked about what kind of things they expected of her, only that she would be using the EVA to fight giant angels that wanted to kill all the people in the world. She never really understood why they were called angels if they were so evil but then, she didn't understand a lot of things. She submitted to waiting patiently to be told what to do.

[OiHarkin]

Naja, it seems even the world ending cannot cause Americans to become likeable. Or perhaps the boy was just simple if he couldn't figure out that "mein freunden" meant "my friends" given how similar German and English were. "It is polite to give your name when someone gives you theirs, dumkopf." He said in English, save for that last little bit. He patted the other man on the arm affectionately before looking to the women in their group. One was being quiet and the other... Interesting. Kneeling in front of the ferryman with two coins over her eyes. A flair for the dramatic, it seemed. He stalked over to her and darted out a gloved hand, pulling the coin off her left eye and holding it up to the light, looking at it shine, before flipping it up. "Off your knees, liebling. Before you give the ferryman strange ideas, ja?"

He caught the falling coin and then looked over to the CHARON, the name written in strong Gothic letters, and the still dripping sailor who had tied the line to the port. For this, Hans switched to Chinese. <<Hello. I am officer Hans Verryter. I am ready to depart. Let's bring the children on board.>>