Darkness, cold and foreboding...
Twelve monoliths, blacker than the deepest night, forming a circle. Blood red numbers, designated each from 01 to 12. A legend in the same color, repeated under each of these numbers, proclaiming 'SOUND ONLY'.
Behind these strange floating objects, twelve men who ruled the world from behind the scenes, using influence, money, manipulation, force and secrets better left alone. This was SEELE, the real power behind the UN committee and the Evangelion project.
Their goal: Instrumentality through Mankind's Complementarity Plan. Using what they had learned from the predictions of the Dead Sea Scrolls, these men intended to become the new God of a reborn and united humanity.
Their plans were extremely precise and followed a scenario written millenia ago. Never had the scrolls been proved wrong since their discovery. They weren't telling everything, however, so a margin of error still existed. Unknown variables could derail the plan and if not caught and corrected in time, all their efforts would be for naught.
Unit 01 was the key. The only EVA cloned from Lillith would be the main component of the Ceremony of Red Earth, the final stage of the Complementarity Plan.
To have it piloted by Ikari's own son was tolerable, they knew about the soul residing in Unit 01. In fact, he was the more successful and experienced pilot NERV had. A tool they could use and discard when it would no longer be useful...
Having Shinji Ikari transformed like this in a freak accident? Not only this hadn't been in the Scrolls but made him more dangerous to their cause. Teenagers were easily controled, mentally and physically. An adult would pose more problems. Ikari had assured them his son remained as pliable and obedient as before but no one could be sure.
The members of SEELE had not reached such positions of power by tolerating potential risks to their precious scenario. Something had to be done.
"We could eliminate the Third Child before he becomes a problem. Soon the Dummy Plug system will render pilots obsolete if everything goes as planned"
"They aren't and won't be ready for months. We still need him to pilot until the time comes"
"How about kidnapping and brainwashing him, making him our loyal puppet?"
"Out of the question. Any tampering with his mind could make him unable to synchronize with EVA. Ikari would find out our involvement with such a ploy and get rid of him anyway"
"What to do then? Our hands seem tied"
"The NERV reports we received show no indication of angel contamination in the Third Child. We double-checked the data with our agent on site but everything is genuine. Apparently, it is a random mutation caused by a massive exposition to radiations and the proprieties of the Link Connect Liquid"
"Random, you say? Then Shinji Ikari has the luck of the gods. To come out of this incident unscathed and with only positive side effects? The probabilities are astronomically small..."
"You are telling us his transformation has not been the product of chance? What then?"
"If this is the case and the process is repeatable... Do you know what this mean?"
"Adult pilots with the mind of children. A perfect army if someone molds them right"
"We must do something. Verify that hypothesis at the very least. Imagine what we could do with that knowledge in our hands!"
"Agreed. We must order agent Kaji to investigate this matter"
"And what of the Third Child?"
"I have an idea. Now that he has become an adult, he has become more vulnerable to certain forms of 'persuasion', if you know what I mean..."
"Interesting... Do you have someone in mind for a job of this nature?"
"Of course... She would watch over him for any signs of abnormal behaviour. And extract information from him at the same time. Should the Third Child prove too dangerous for the Scenario, his termination would be made easy with her already in place"
"Excellent. Do we concur on this course of action?" No one spoke, the silent consent of all the members of SEELE unanimous "Very well, 04, I leave this to you. Do not fail us. This meeting has ended"
One by one, the monoliths disappeared, leaving only chairman Keel Lohrenz sitting in the dark room "Ikari, what are you planning? Is your son's change part of your plans?"
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See other episodes by Jamil Nate
(Posted Fri, 19 Dec 2003 23:38)
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