Part 63: Mission 35 - Hemisphere - Part 1
Unlimited power!
Maxing out a unit, as usual, allows you to choose one of several bonuses. Top to bottom:
- Max HP+20%
- Max EN+20%
- Mobility +10%
- Armor+10%
- Movement range +1
- Unit’s terrain ranks are all S, with an A in the movement rank (doesn’t affect weapon ratings, mind).
Getting S terrains means he’d be dodging everything but since I’ve already maxed out his mobility and gave him a Haro, Rom already has equivalent evasion to a top tier Real. I can make do with him dodging ALMOST everything.
Isshiki relates to Itsuki how control of the “original M-Type sample” is being passed to the Bähbem Foundation – another step forward in Bähbem’s plan, Helena adds, though Itsuki doesn’t seem happy.
Itsuki asks what’ll happen to Ayato and Isshiki simply says the “imitation” can simply be stuffed in some random internment camp if he doesn’t work out as a good “match”. After all, they’ve the original in their hands.
That seems to be Quon and she asks if she’s going anywhere. Indeed, Helena says, to her real home. Itsuki frowns again.
Location: NERV HQ
Fuyutsuki’s just received some worrying news: NERV's second branch has just disappeared. The operators are ordered to find clues but they’ve only satellite surveillance to study. Misato had JUST been called over with the EVA kids and this is what happens. Crazy.
From what Shigeru sees, the entire research facility – including the EVA-04 within – and everything within a forty-nine kilometer radius has vanished. Based on the timetable they’d received, he posits it all went down while the experiment with a restored S² Engine was being done. Possibilities about the cause of it all run from a planning mistake and faulty materials all the way to external sabotage.
The problem is, Makoto points out, this wasn’t an explosion – everything simply disappeared. That’s what they get for toying with stuff they don’t understand, Misato sighs, and now the S² Engine they worked so hard to fix is gone. So much for that dream.
What about the EVA-03? Ritsuko says it’s being sent over from the first branch, out of fear that they’d disappear as well. Misato huffs that it was they who insisted on the rights to build the #03 and #04 in the first place, though Ritsuko notes that anyone would get cold feet after an incident like this.
Misato asks if Ritsuko is planning on using her Dummy contraption to test-boot EVA-03, and if that's why Rei has been summoned back as well. Ritsuko says that’ll all be decided after she’s consulted with Gendou.
And that’s what she does soon after, showing him the prototype Dummy Plug (the picture to the right). It’s implanted with a digital copy of Rei's personality, though since you can't digitize a soul as well it's just a fake: a machine made to emulate a person.
That’s fine with the Gendou, only caring if it can fool an EVA into thinking a person is aboard and syncing with it. He tells Ritsuko to install the data into the #01 and #02, though she cautions that it's still got some bugs to be worked out. Again, it’s no problem if it can get the EVAs moving.
Moreover, the Federation is taking care of bringing the #03 over here – it should arrive by the weekend, whereupon he’ll trust her to handle the rest. The rest being its tune-up and boot test, which Ritsuko will execute at the town of Matsushiro.
It’d be too dangerous to do all that with the Dummy Plug, so a fourth pilot is necessary and Ritsuko already has someone in mind.
With that done, Gendou tells Rei to step out the tube at the base of the Dummy Plug system's massive brain-thing and invites her to have something to eat.
Ritsuko frowns.
Back to Misato, Ritsuko has just informed her of what’ll happen. She’s surprised they IDed the Fourth Children but, in truth, it was a recent discovery. But Misato hasn’t heard anything from the Marduk Institute. The paperwork will arrive tomorrow. Is Ritsuko hiding stuff from her again? Perish the thought.
Fine… and who is the chosen kid? Ritsuko opens a video and shows it to her: someone who Misato recognizes as one of Shinji’s friends. That’s to be expected, of course, considering they’ve gathered potential candidates into that class.
It’ll be tough for Misato to tell him… Asuka’s no problem as piloting an EVA’s a matter of pride for her and Rei’s a wholly unique case, but Shinji is neither. He knows better than anyone the inherent difficulties of piloting an EVA and Misato HAD hoped to spare him any further hardships.
But, Ritsuko says, the point is they need this kid – this is necessary for everyone to survive. Is that her way of telling her to shut up with the platitudes, Misato asks. Ritsuko doesn't answer directly, but says that Shinji and co. will be kept here until the test is complete.
Location: TERRA HQ
Souichi comes to the hangar looking for Ayato but Elvy says there’s no one here but her. Has he checked his room? He’s usually there, painting. Souichi did and, no, he wasn’t – maybe at Rikudou’s place? Hmm…
Still, Elvy’s glad she has a chance to speak with Souichi alone and asks if it’d be possible to get Ayato off the team. He’s not exactly a soldier… but, then again, many of the Magnate Ten’s folks aren’t either. Still, Elvy thinks they needn’t rely on the RahXephon any longer to fight the MU now that they’ve the Vermillion. Her mech can even break through Tokyo Jupiter’s barrier.
Souichi frowns and tells her that TERRA has no need for something like the Vermillion… and to say Elvy doesn’t appreciate hearing that would be an understatement. Moreover, he points out that TERRA is not a military organization. Nonsense, Elvy thinks, considering Souichi himself goes by the title of Major!
Regardless, TERRA’s mission is purely of self-defense and therein lies the problem with the Vermillion: it’s clearly a weapon built for aggressive purposes. Elvy tells him to drop that nonsense and take a look out the window: what Earth needs right now is crushing might with which to destroy their enemies!
He counters that what Earth needs is the strength to protect its people but, in that case, what was Operation Overlord? Was that not an act of attack? Souichi says that the Federation was behind that, though Elvy roars back that it was TERRA who first drafted it.
Souichi argues he spoke against its execution but that’s hardly enough for her – he might well have given his implied consent to the operation that cost the lives of all of Elvy’s team. Know what that makes him? A hypocrite!
She yells so much about her comrades’ death but what about the missiles she shot at Tokyo Jupiter? Does she even think about the number of people that died to those? “People? Those were Mulians!” Elvy argues.
And what difference is there between Mulians and people on this side? Elvy sniffs that the difference is obvious… and then Souichi lets his anger get the better of him: “Is there any difference between you and Ayato, then?!”
Frig. Souichi freezes and so does Elvy, though she quickly gets back in his face. Have Ayato’s MU Phase results come in? Is he a Mulian? Did they call him back here to check up on that? Elvy demands answers but he only slowly tells her to forget they ever had this talk.
Or not, as Ayato walks right in and he’s heard everything. He runs off, with Souichi in hot pursuit, leaving Elvy to stew in this new information.
Souichi eventually finds him, and Ayato asks if what they were talking was true. What does that make him, then? Souichi says that he is still him, and only a handful of people in TERRA know about this. Ayato figures they’ve been laughing behind his back: he’s the Mulian – not a human. Let’s put the freak to use since he can control the RahXephon.
Souichi sighs and calls himself pathetic, seeing he can’t even muster the strength to slap some sense into him. Ayato figures it’s fine – he IS a Mulian, after all. Souichi says that’s not a problem as, again, Ayato is still himself.
Ayato isn’t interested in hearing that but, after a few moments of silence, Souichi keeps at it: all people are linked to one another and that applies to the two of them. Ayato has as much right to be – to be himself – as Souichi does and, if anything, he wants Ayato to remember he still considers him as a comrade. With that, he walks off.
Soon, Haruka comes over and catches him staring out into the sea. He mostly ignores her and doesn’t answer when she asks if he can’t bring himself to trust her either. Ayato simply muses on about the ocean’s vastness – its waves always coming and going, and will continue to do so even after he’s gone.
At length he asks if she knew and, indeed, she did. Still, he’s him. Ayato sniff that Souichi said the same thing but Haruka says it’s the truth: it makes no difference whether he’s a MU or human.
Ayato starts changing the subject back to the ocean but Haruka pulls him back – why can’t things just go on as they have? Haven’t they been doing so well together all this time? Ayato snaps at her to stop, saying the only thing that’s been going well has been their deception.
She brought him out of Tokyo with a promise to tell him the truth but all she did was keep it hidden from him. And if this is how things would turn out, he would’ve been better off simply staying in Tokyo.
“You… you are a liar,” he says before running off, leaving Haruka to whimper at the harsh note that set in his voice.
Ayato then returns to Rikudou's house, surprised to find Quon there as well. Rikudou doesn’t explain why she’s there but says he’s leaving for a bit to see an old friend – Ayato’s to lock he place up if he also leaves.
Quon smiles at Ayato and, when he asks why, says it’s because she found him. Ayato wonders if she’s laughing because she knows he’s a Mulian – his blood is blue. In that case, then, Quon says she’s a Mulian as well because her blood is also like that.
Ayato is shocked, demanding to know why Itsuki treats her like his little sister and how everyone treats her like any regular person. Quon isn’t listening, though, mumbling that she’s being called to Tokyo – she wants Ayato to take her there.
But that’s impossible, what with that impassable barrier… the one he previously exited? If he could traverse it into the outside, why can’t he make it back? Ayato can’t well argue against that, laughing faintly that the barrier may just be inside him.
Regardless, Ayato also wants to see Tokyo again, to see who he really is. Quon warns that he might not find any answers but that’s fine with him.
: …
: …
: You’re going already?: I’m being called.
: I see…
: Itsuki, what’s going on?!: You’ll let him go, won’t you?: Thank you, brother.: …: But, Ayato… why?!: …Sorry.: Don’t apologize to me!: Sorry.
: It’s what you want, right? 
: Huh…?: To see, and ascertain, it all with your own two eyes.: …
: …: I don’t know what I’ll find on the other side. But I will accept it and, then, decide whether to live as a MU or come back as a human.*Slap!*
: You have to come back to us! Not as a human or as a MU but just as yourself!: You really are different from Souichi.: You’re still going, aren’t you…?: Sorry.: Fine… I trust you.: I might turn traitor…: And I would still trust you. Is there a problem with that?: …: …Itsuki.: What is it?: I promise I’ll watch over your sister. So, please, take care of Haruka.: Take care of my sister.: Let’s go, Ollin.: Hm.
: …: Thank you… I’m off.: I’ll see you later…
*Alarm!*
: What’s going on?!
: I-It’s the RahXephon! It’s launched from the Shrine!: It can’t be! No such orders were given!
: Check the brain waves of whoever’s piloting it – quickly!: We’ve a match: it’s Ayato… wait, there’s someone else in there!: What…?!
: Is that… Quon?!
: Quon?! Why…?!
: What are you going to do, commander?!
: … Souichi, what would you do?: …!: I believe we should follow emergency procedure B-3.
: A wise decision.: I’m asking you, commander!: Let’s go, Quon.: Yes…*The Rahxephon leaves.*
: The RahXephon’s fled the area!
: Switch to B-3 status immediately! …Is that alright with you, commander?: …: As a representative of the Foundation, I request urgent measures be made to solve this situation – send the Vermillion in pursuit right away, please.: …: Commander…!: As of right now, the Vermillion and the Magnate Ten are the only ones capable of immobilizing the RahXephon.: They are not a means with which to strike at one of our own.
: “One of our own”? It seems you haven’t yet grasped what just happened. : The Mulian, Ayato Kamina, has just committed high treason. I presume you’ve no objections to that, right, commander?: …
: Are you alright with this, Shirou? You’ll let him go without telling him anything?
: I don’t know…: …He’s already a grown man.: But I, at the very least, have no right to tell him about that…
Bright is unenthused when Isshiki tells him that we’re to launch and capture the RahXephon and Quon. Elvy wants to know why Isshiki is giving the orders, and he claims to have been given special authority under these circumstances.
Bright informs Isshiki that the Magnate Ten are not under TERRA’s control and, thus, cannot comply with that request. Isshiki claims that he's already taken the matter up with the Federation and that the orders should arrive shortly. Or is it the case that Bright cannot strike at an enemy?
Bright hadn’t heard anything of the sort and asks what proof there is that Ayato is the enemy and Isshiki sneers that, oh yes, we weren’t in on the take. Megumi knows what’s coming but can’t stop it: Isshiki tells everyone of Ayato and his Mulian blood. He’s an enemy of all of humanity.
That comes as quite the shock to our crew but Isshiki notes Ayato’s bloodwork results came positive for MU Phase. It’s only a matter of time before his blood turns from red to blue. Vega, after taking a moment to recover, asks what any of that matters: Mulian or human, he's still our comrade.
Isshiki sniffs that an alien like her shouldn’t really opine on matters like this (surprise!) but, in that case, it’s Kazuya that tells him to back off: Ayato’s race, whatever it is, is not a problem for us. “So says Kazuya Ryuzaki, a toady of the Baamians,” Isshiki mugs.
Kazuya tells Isshiki to get over here and say that to his face but Kyoshiro stops him: this guy’s just like Miwa. Arguing with him would just be a waste of time.
Isshiki isn’t done, proclaiming his amazement that we’ll treat Ayato and anyone else as if they’re equals. Kaine calls out the White Snake, asking if that was a jab at Rom and the others, but Isshiki tells him to take it however he’d like it.
Our squad is quite the haven for beings of dubious origins: the spawn of alien-human miscegenation, humans born via genetic manipulation, cyborgs, androids… As Masato gapes (likely wondering if he could Meioh a single person), Isshiki proclaims how impressed he is by our “curious” tastes in people – excuse him, by the vastness of our hearts.
At length, Bright cuts his rant by acknowledging Isshiki’s request – much to Amuro’s shock – and Isshiki likes hearing that. He adds that Ayato’s life isn’t a matter of concern if he resists capture. Our priority is simply to recover the RahXephon and Quon.
Megumi doesn’t appreciate that but, again, Ayato’s not a human which means they can skip all that “court martial” and “human rights” bunk. With that, he warns Bright to do as told and then hangs up.
Vega asks if Bright’s serious about all that but Amuro slowly sees what’s up: we’ll go and tackle this in whatever way we think is best. First order of business is to go after Ayato to simply make sense of what’s going on. We owe him that much for all the times he fought at our side.
Vega worries that might get Bright in trouble but he’s not worried: taking responsibility for stunts like this is what he does. Now off we go!
Later, our people are catching up to the RahXephon and while everyone’s scrambling to get in their units, Haruka approaches Elvy: she has a favor to ask of her.
Mission 35 – Hemisphere
: …What am I doing? I know that there’ll be no way to come back from this… but if we’re not humans, then—: … We are humans…
: Huh?: …We’re humans.: Quon…
: La-la?: Does the RahXephon actually belong to you…?
: No. Mine is… different.: …: Keep flying this way, Ollin.: OK…
*Aaaaariaaaaaaaaaaaa*
: Hm?! A D1 Aria…!
: A Dolem… Is it inviting us in?: They welcome us…
: !: They’re all here…
: Captain, we’ve the RahXephon in sight!
: Deploy all troops immediately.
Since we did all those Dendoh secret steps, we get to keep the FA! Once you select the Dendoh for deployment, the game will ask which form you want him to go ask.
Note that you can always purge the FA bits to use the baseline Dendoh or Data Weapons.
And before anyone asks, no, the Ogre is not available – you can’t even upgrade it or assign a pilot.
: All troops deployed, Captain.
: Understood. All units, you’re to remain on standby.
: “Standby”? Is that the best course of action here?: It is. Lt. Hadhiyat, we’re assigning you the task of contacting Ayato.: Yes, sir…!
: (Ayato… Are you trying to go inside Tokyo Jupiter?): The divine birdman… it’s come to see us off.: The Raideen… is seeing us off?: (The Raideen isn’t displaying any reaction whatsoever… is it because it already knows what the RahXephon is going to do?): We’ve detected a D1 right in front of the RahXephon!
: It’s the same one as before…!
: Is that Dolem going to attack Ayato…?!
: No. I think it’s…: Ayato, do you hear me?
: Elvy…!: Return to base at once. This is not a warning – it is an ultimatum.: An ultimatum…? What’re you gonna do if I don’t obey, then?: …Then I’ll shoot.: !: Are you actually serious, Elvy…?!: …: It distorts Ollin’s tune… I don’t like it…: Come back, Ayato…: …!
: Ayato! Don’t come back! (She’s inside the Vermillion.): Haruka?!
: Haruka, what the hell are you doing?!: S-Sis, why are you aboard the Vermillion?!
: If you come back now, you’ll—…!: Stop, Haruka! If you don’t, you won’t get off with just a disciplinary action!: But I know that, someday…!: I… I want to know the truth – about me, my mom, Tokyo Jupiter… That’s all I’m doing.: And what would knowing all that help you now?!
: … I know how he feels. : What?!: I spent so much of my life without knowing who I really was. And I think me finding the truth was a good thing… it is now, at least.: So you’re telling me to just let him go?! If he gets to the other side—!
: Dolems!
: Not good – the RahXephon’s a sitting duck!: No, they’re here to escort him – just as I thought.
: Huh?!
: They’re here to bring Ayato into Tokyo Jupiter, then?!: Right. They wouldn’t have shown up there if they weren’t.
: We gotta do something about it, then, or this’ll go south big time, right?!: Yes. If Ayato heads inside, we won’t be able to follow. : Don’t worry… He’ll come back to us. I’m sure of it.
: He will? Really?: I think so too, Mari.: Akira…: Do you have any shred of proof to back that up?!: Before, Ayato came back with Shinji. So I trust him.: …!
: Nahel Argama to all units, intercept and bring down those Dolems! 
: Are we to let Ayato go, Captain?: Yes. Seems to me that it’s not us who need to ascertain the truth.: It’s still too soon to know what lies inside Pandora’s Box, hm? Very well.: They’ve started fighting… What am I supposed to do…?!: Let’s go, Ollin.: But they might…!: They’ll be fine… So let’s go?: …*The RahXephon flies atop Tokyo Jupiter.*
: Is that your answer, Ayato?!: Ayato…!: All units, we’ll halt our pursuit of the RahXephon. Move to engage the enemy forces.
A simple mission for us to unwind after the more complicated stuff in the last ones – no added surprises, just take out a bevy of Dolems and keep the Raideen, Vermillion and ships safe.
The new Metronomes have a decent amount of HP for how many of them there are but their armor is appropriately low. Still, there’s always the Zeorymer.
Do note that they have a barrier over 120 morale but I don’t think they ever activated it on this one. Attacks are nothing to write home about, either, with some abysmal accuracy modifiers. Your biggest issue here will be the water and how wide the battlefield is.
Liberal usage of Valor is recommended.
Enemy Phase!
The Metronomes aren’t moving but the Dotem are. This is the only one who gets in range of something.
These are a bit beefier now, backing a heftier punch and not being so easily oneshotted.
Player Phase!
Still gathering kills for Tetsuya. He takes a couple of Dotems after Light softens them up.
Go, Rom! By simply standing in Light’s EWAC, he’s scoring a flat 0% chance to be hit even without Focus!
39 HP short of a oneshot with his second weakest weapon. Considering the FA Dendoh did 700 less damage than that, give Rom a wee bit more morale and he’ll be carving these Dotems up.
Elvy takes one out with some help from Izumi.
Sending the Zeorymer this way to, eventually, bombard the Metronomes.
Be sure to equip him with a Screw Module, though!
Ryouma, Kazuya and Hugo take out the remaining Dotems on this side.
Take out this cheeky statue.
So there.
Enemy Phase!
Only one attacker and Rom dodges in the interest of Tetsuya’s kill count.
Player Phase!
: …
: [Sings Aria]: I’m... coming home...: ...
: Laalalaa, lalalaalala, lalalaa… Laalalalalaalalaa, laalalalalalalaa…
: The quantum corridor’s forming again…!
: …Ayato…!
: The RahXephon’s going in…!: Farewell, birdman of the blue forest… Guardian god of this side’s Mu…: !
: May the eternal light of the stars be with you…
: The RahXephon’s signal has vanished! Quantum corridor has closed!
: It’s gone to Tokyo Jupiter…: …: Megumi, contact TERRA and inform them that we’ve lost the RahXephon… We’ll continue to engage the enemy.: Y-Yes, sir!: (The die has been cast… What happens next is all up to you, Ayato.)Rest of this mission will be in a day or two.