Asuka was less than happy. Well, even more less than happy than usual, anyway.
Sure, she had always wanted to go to Japan, and she'd always thought that her parents would take her there someday, even before she'd passed the tests. She hadn't even minded much the constant Japanese lessons for what seemed like all of her life. After all, she was half-Japanese.
Still, she had never expected to be woken by her parents in the middle of the night and told "It is time," and that she would be taking the next flight to Tokyo-2 and no, they were not coming with her. She'd barely had enough time to stuff a book and a change of clothes into her backpack, and all they'd told her was that somebody from Gehirin would be at the airport to pick her up.
Not that she saw anybody in a Gehirin uniform waiting for her. What kind of slip-shod operation was Uncle Gendo running? She was the Third Child, damn it. Couldn't they be bothered to make sure to meet her on time?
Asuka was distracted from her internal ranting by a polite cough from in front of her. She looked up to see a girl about her age with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt, and it took Asuka a moment to translate the Japanese characters on it as "Gehirin High School Swim Team."
The girl began to bow, then stopped and thrust out her hand. "You are Soryuu Asuka." It was not a question.
It sounded odd to hear her name given in that order. She accepted the girl's hand and they shook briefly. "Ja," she said, then cursing silently at her stupidity repeated herself in Japanese. "Hai. You are?"
"I am Ikari Rei. I have been sent to escort you to headquarters."
Asuka recognized that name. "Uncle Gendo's daughter!"
Rei raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Are we related?"
Asuka shook her head. "That's just what I called him when he visited my parents when I was younger. So, you're the Second, right?"
Rei nodded. "I am." She paused, then spoke in a quieter tone of voice. "But it is best not to speak of those matters in public." She paused again, looking Asuka up and down with an oddly unsettling gaze. "Do you have baggage?"
"Just what's on me. My parents stuffed me on the plane with no warning."
"Then we must go. Come," Rei said, turning around and walking off without pausing to see if Asuka followed.
Which, of course, she did. Not like she had any other options at the moment. It was a good thing she wasn't on her own - she was completely lost long before they reached the maglev train station. Tokyo-2 International Airport seemed to have been laid out according to the principles of a decidedly non-Euclidean geometry, or at least so it seemed to Asuka. Then again, it might just have been the fact that she hadn't slept well on the plane.
Fortunately, they did not have to wait long for a train to arrive, and soon the two were seated next to each other near the front of the car. Asuka watched the scenery pass by for several minutes before deciding to break the silence. "How long is the ride?"
"Around an hour. The Gehirin campus is the last stop on this route."
"Damn. I wish I had another book to read." Asuka yawned loudly.
Rei glanced at Asuka. "You are tired?"
"Yes." Asuka yawned again.
"Then sleep. I will wake you when we arrive."
After a moment's thought, Asuka closed her eyes and tried to take Rei's advice. Knowing her luck, she wouldn't get a chance to sleep for a while after she arrived at Gehirin.
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See other episodes by Aaron Nowack
(Posted Fri, 22 Oct 2004 07:41)
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