Doctor Who: The Evangelion Error (Book One)

E6 Part 8: All In The Balance

"They're not going to make it," Ritsuko croaked, her eyes wide.

***

Unit Two

Come on, faster! Asuka thought as the buildings blurred past her. Go faster!

***

Unit One

"Okay, okay --" Shinji really didn't like how desperate the Doctor sounded. "If I open myself up -- synchronize to the telepathic field in here -- I could..."

He caught a glimpse of motion on the viewscreen. Shinji willed his eyes all the way open. "Um. Doctor?..."

There was... something descending towards them from the Angel. A skeletal figure, growing out from the surface of the pupil. Bone mask. Black as night. Impossibly long arms. It pressed its spindly fingers down through the AT field, the barrier slowly giving way...

***

NERV Headquarters - Central Dogma

"Captain!" Maya shouted. "Reading a massive temperature increase within the Angel! Some kind of energy buildup!"

***

Unit One

The Doctor groaned. "Awwww, no... can you feel that?"

"What now?" Shinji could see the Angel's core. The red sphere hung from the edge of the Angel's iris, just past the descending figure. Maybe if -- if he could get ahold of his knife somehow...

"It's pulling in more power through the vortex transformer. It's trying to overload itself!"

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning boom. Very big boom!"

The fingers were almost past his AT field. No time... no time for the knife...

He had to... he had to...

Please, Shinji thought desperately. He imagined words flowing out of him and into the Eva's brain. Please, if there's really anyone in there... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. They didn't tell me, I didn't think -- I'll do whatever you want. Just please. Please help me. I don't want to die. I'm scared. I don't want --

The figure pressed its arms down on the Eva's hands. Shinji felt his fingers break --

***

Outside Unit One

Unseen to anyone, out of the view of its own cameras, Unit One's eyes -- for the briefest of moments -- glowed red.

***

Tokyo-3 City Limits

Unit Two skidded to a halt.

Asuka's jaw dropped, her eyes wide in disbelief. "N-no way..."

***

NERV Headquarters - Central Dogma

The room fell silent. Everyone stared at the main display.

"Can they --" Misato edged towards Ritsuko. "Can they actually do that?"

"I --" Ritsuko moved her mouth wordlessly for a moment. "I... guess so."

***

Unit One

"Well. Um." The Doctor swallowed. "That was... um... direct..."

"Uh." Shinji stared up at the Angel, frozen in place. Almost shocked enough to forget the pain in his hands. (Almost. Oh God ow ow aaagh it hurt why did it have to hurt so much ow they weren't even his fingers...)