Part 93: Mission 53 - Soul's Refrain - Part 1
The Fifth Fleet’s just reported the Gulfer’s defeat to Misumaru’s group, Prospector sighing that we made it by the skin of our teeth. Had the response been a little bit later, we’d be seeing way more than just some unrest. No damage to the Martian or Jupiter Spheres, either, Genpachirou reports.
As for the Magnate Ten, we’re currently headed back to Earth – expected to arrive tomorrow. The Nadesico’s transposition engine was damaged during the Gulfer battle, so there’s no Boson Jump available at the moment.
With that done, all of our space-based problems have been settled – barring a few remaining pockets of enemies and the post-war efforts to be dealt with, things are finally quiet up here. The only threat left is the MU and, on that note, Misumaru asks how TERRA’s plan is coming along.
Proceeding apace, Genpachirou says, though the odds of successfully restoring the barrier haven’t improved in any way. We only have three days left until the world comes to an end and Prospector’s having a hard time making peace with how abruptly we’ve gotten to this point. Genpachirou concurs, adding that this feels like something out of a manga.
Still, this is our reality and the populace is already starting to see the writing on the wall. Despite the space ports being closed, Genpachirou’s receiving intel that they’re still overflowing with folks. Confusion continues in the urban areas and Earth’s armies and police forces are having a hard time dealing with everything.
One thing worries Genpachirou, however: it seems that there’s been a major change of staff in the Federation’s Far East Command. Misumaru hadn’t heard of anything like that but it was all kept very hush-hush. From what Genpachirou’s heard, the local commander was replaced just yesterday for one MajGen. Keiichi Morito.
Misumaru doesn’t know the name and a small investigation Genpachirou’s done hasn’t turned up anything at all; the guy has yet to even show his face around the place, even. Everyone here smells fish. It might just be the case of someone with the right connections getting boosted but it’s very unlikely that a guy with apparently no history would be given a position of command.
Prospector posits that it could be a civilian that was scouted or a soldier that’s being given a temporary assignment as sort of a trial run… but that doesn’t explain the guy’s non-existent records.
All signs point to the officer’s name being an alias – someone whom the powers that be don’t want Misumaru’s crew to know about. And given the timing of it all, he figures the Bähbem Foundation or SEELE is behind this.
Prospector’ll do a little digging on this subject and Genpachirou suggests he let Genichirou be the one to get hands-on with it – nothing about this looks right. As Prospector leaves, Genpachirou reports Akito’s rendezvous with the Magnate Ten.
He hopes to have a chance to try some of Akito and Yurika’s co-created ramen, a sentiment Misumaru echoes.
Rikudou is visiting Hibiki, the two men having last seen each other at a scientific convention a long time ago. He apologizes for bugging the Mutropolis folk but Haruka was adamant that he relocated here. Higashiyama understands: Mutropolis is quite the safe location when its Big Shell is closed. The girl is just worried about her uncle.
Megumi runs in right then, having also been assigned here to help with TERRA’s upcoming operation – same as Ayato, Haruka and Itsuki. Rikudou inwardly wonders if they’re having Ayato and the RahXephon act as a guard to the Star of La Mu, or maybe… Regardless, Rikudou also expects Bähbem to come here in person eventually.
Meg then relates an incoming transmission from the Lydia Litvyak, so Rikudou excuses himself to take in the sights.
It’s Souichi, having been assigned TERRA’s commander, and he asks Meg for an update on the current situation. Same as everywhere else: the people in the coastal towns are very afraid and many are seeking refuge in Mutropolis. Souichi isn’t too surprised, having known that keeping the truth hidden wouldn’t have stemmed this tide in the long run.
But the reason he called was to inform Hibiki of the operation’s progress, which TERRA finally has a time for when they’ll enter the final stage: noon of May 29th – in two days. The official name is now Operation Doolittle.
The Federation’s forces are on high alert in anticipation of a MU attack but Souichi wants the Mutropolis folks to be careful nonetheless. The RahXephon will stay where it is, as the T-J Busters and neighboring urban areas are being watched over by platoons of Dragoons and Vermilions.
Megumi’s clearly worried but Souichi tells her not to – they will make Operation Doolittle a success and save this world. Still, the absence of the Magnate Ten is leaving her ill at ease.
Souichi says everything’ll be fine. All non-MU enemy groups have been dealt with thanks to ours and the Federation’s efforts, and while he readily admits that there’re scant few squadrons that have even close to our firepower, they are all doing everything they can to make this work.
Meg doesn’t sound too convinced but mumbles an “OK”…
Mutropolis is bigger than Rikudou expected and he’s gotten himself lost. But he stops short when he runs into Maya: “Thank you, father… and farewell,” she says before vanishing. Rikudou realizes that it’s finally starting.
Meanwhile, Itsuki is talking with Haruka about him and Ayato being brothers – something he figures she already knew. They both bear the same mark on their bodies… though he was always intended to only be a replacement for Ayato. Not to mention that he’s long since passed the essential age of seventeen-years-old.
Haruka, slowly, reveals that she knows something else about Itsuki: how he works for Bähbem and had been given the mission of stealing the Star of La Mu. When he asks why she doesn't report on him, she says that she doesn’t sell out her friends.
Itsuki seems glad to hear that and, as friends, offers to tell her something: he and Ayato were created by the Bähbem Foundation as twin Ollins. Many years ago, the MU send twin girls – also Ollins – into our world and Bähbem got his hands on them as they emerged at a hidden shrine in Nirai-Kanai.
One of the girls was put into suspended animation, never aging, and her DNA was used to create Itsuki and Ayato. The girl, the MU Ollin, in question is someone Haruka knows well: Quon. Itsuki sighs, saying he wished she could have gone on living as a human.
Speaking of the twin girls, we cut back to Maya and Quon at the Tokyo Hilanipla. Quon breaks her silence to suddenly address Mamoru – whom she calls by the Mulian name of Shinon Mer Baram. He, in turn, calls her Quon Al Padis.
She can feel Mamoru’s “indigo blue tune” slowly becoming muddled and warns that hatred beckons distortion. Mamoru slowly mumbles an affirmative. Quon feels that Bähbem, the brother of Naacal, is starting to act – he who created God and was driven into this world by said God. The descendants of the Black Moon are also setting their plans in motion once again.
Quon carries on: “The sorrow of destruction and the joy of rebirth… those melodies will now intertwine and unite as one. In wishes and prayer, a gospel delivered to all of the worlds… It is the song that guides all towards the same death… it is the end and the beginning… the door that leads to the Tuning…”
Over by NERV, all staffers are sitting around on level one alert: all entry or exit HQ has been prohibited. Maya doesn’t understand why, considering the last Angel is gone – while some of them didn’t actually show up, Shigeru figures all the ones who did have been dealt with.
And excluding the MU, all of Earth’s enemies are gone. This begs the question from Maya: what’ll happen to NERV and the EVAs? Ritsuko hasn’t been seen nowadays, either. Shigeru figures NERV will likely be shut down and, Makoto adds, the staff will likely be sent to TERRA. If Operation Doolittle succeeds, it’ll only further extend our battle with the MU and TERRA will need new people.
Of course, if the operation fails, that’ll be the end for everything. Makoto isn’t too sure, quietly mumbling that that Instrumentality Project was supposedly devised to keep that from happening.
: (…Having reached its limit as a colony of individual, flawed beings, humanity will be artificially evolved into a single, perfect being… That is the Instrumentality Project.): (By doing so, the Committee hopes to overcome the destruction of both worlds… or, rather, to overcome the Tuning. And to make this happen, they’ll use not Adam or NERV, but those EVAs…): (If I’m going to look for the truth, I better do it right now.)
: Blah… it’s almost time for the grand finale and we can’t even take the time to watch the show.
: Well, that’s what happens when you’re the men working backstage. Still, it at least lets us see all the gadgetry at work. Isn’t that right, Mr. Jumonji?: Ohoho… you’ve got me. NERV, the Federation, the Bähbem Foundation… you went and played three roles at once. Why, how can a third-rate actor like me compete?
: You gotta be a good actor to get a look at the whole script.: Then, what, did you call me out here, at this particular moment, to say what you couldn’t say before? Surely not!: …As you pointed out, the finale is very near. So I figured we ought to both show our cards if we want to be around to see the credits roll.: … But you’ll want something first, no?: Just that you relay everything I know to a certain person.: Your old flame, hm…? How loyal of you.: I ask that because my act may be up soon.: Hmm, I can’t well make any demands of you after hearing that. Alright, where do we start?
: With the two scripts for this play. They were, originally, one and the same…
: Right, both built around an ancient, ancient myth. Though no one knows who the author of that myth was anymore.: It’s been theorized that that was the creators of the Martian Ruins… But we don’t have the time or means to prove that. : Well, from our POV, it might as well have been something akin to God… Problem is, some folks got the bright idea to play out this incredible script that was left behind.: Hm, all so the theater stays a theater… But, of course, a play loses all meaning if it doesn't have an audience.: So there was a big production to draw in the audience. But, woe of woes, there were multiple troupes, each raising the curtain on their own different productions... : At the same time and at the same stage. : …: Unsurprisingly, the show was a trainwreck. So two Deus Ex Machinas got thrown in at the last minute.: Deux Ex Machinas… Mechanical gods that show up in ancient Greek plays. Beings meant to put an end to plays that'd gotten out of hand.: Rushing to the denouement ended up costing them dearly, though. One of the mechanical gods, far from ending the play, went and vanished from the whole theater, taking the leader of one of the troupes with it. : The remaining actors, left with no recourse, were pulled into the backstage called “the Chamber of Guf”.: This left the theater management in the lurch, so they tried to get the actors out.: But the actors had grown so crazed and desperate that they went on a rampage… : Worse, they even proclaimed themselves owners of the theater. : And, so, the managers were left with no choice but to shut down the whole theater. They pulled that off with the power of a new Deus Ex Machina, created from the blood of God…: And the account of all this was written in the “Hidden Dead Sea Scrolls”, I take it?: Yeah… and there are multiple copies of those.: Hm. At least one in this world and one in the MU’s… which is why Bähbem and the Mulians know SEELE’s production schedule and vice-versa. Basically, the previous play was performed in both worlds at the same time, incredibly enough.: And because of that, the Deux Ex Machina that should have been fully gone ages ago is now back in this world.: Right. Bähbem’s Black Egg was thrown into this world from the MU’s… Thus, the Mulians, in danger of losing their own stage, set their eyes upon our world. : And, then, once again we see three troupes starting their own big productions, vying for ownership of the theater. Those three troupes being SEELE, the MU and the Bähbem Foundation…: Actually, there’s a fourth troupe.: Oh, right… I forgot about Gendou Ikari’s NERV. : …But the script for this current play was incomplete. : Well, that’s the problem with the classics – and this one’s apocryphal even. There are a lot of parts in this world’s Hidden Dead Sea Scrolls that are too damaged to read and you can’t really fix that.: Plus, there are folks running with their own arbitrary interpretations or those who’ve decided to start ad libbing, so the thing’s coming all out of whack. : That’s made the play even more confused than the previous one: whole scenes were dropped and we even had actors taking up roles that weren't even theirs.: You’re talking about the Angels tagged as “Lost Numbers”…: And, once again, we’ve Deus Ex Machinas being thrown into the stage as a way to consolidate all the plays. That’d be the EVA-01, Raideen… and the Magnate Ten.: …Sounds like we’re on the same page for this, then.: Guess so.: And what SEELE, Bähbem and the MU are after…: Is to rebuild the theater that’s reaching its final curtain, and moving on to the next stage… That’s the gist of the “Pluridimensional Instrumentality Project”. : But there are two ways that it can be carried out: via Instrumentality or via Tuning…: It’ll be up to the Deus Ex Machina to decide which one happens… Of course, the spotlight – the Star of La Mu – isn’t up yet.: …: Or maybe… are you poking around for a third option?: I’ll leave that to your imagination.: Really? Then I’ve got one juicy scoop for you.: What is it?: The Far East’s 1st Division has just been given the order to deploy.: …!: And it’s looking like the new commander is leading the whole thing in person. They’re headed for Hakone.: (So, our final enemy really will be…): The Magnate Ten’ll only be back on Earth tomorrow, right? You should hurry.: Then here’s a scoop of my own as a “thank you’. HE will likely pick Mutropolis as the place to watch it all go down. : Really, now? I might show up around there later, in that case.: I’m taking off, then.: …Don’t bite off more than you can chew, alright?: …: While we are men working backstage, we still have a duty to see how the play ends. : Plus… even a hound might, occasionally, have to take out the bird himself, you know?: Yeah… we both might.
SEELE’s gotten in touch with Gendou: the promised time has arrived and the MU will start acting before long. SEELE expects even Lilith to feel the effects. Bähbem’s already planned for all that, so they can’t use Lilith to trigger Instrumentality – rather, SEELE wants to use the EVA-01, as it is a replica of Lilith.
Gendou observes that that is not what’s written in SEELE’s script but Keel maintains that the Pluridimensional Instrumentality Project is their main objective. Fuyutsuki muses how man existed to create EVA; comparatively, Gendou says the EVA Series exists to help man reach a new world.
SEELE, however, aren’t willing to give up the human form in order to board the ark called EVA. This whole thing is meant purely as a rite of passage – a way to breathe new life into the bound humanity.
The fated destruction also brings the joy of rebirth, as man and God – all life – will be joined as one through death. All so they can overcome the collapse of all worlds and carry on existing. Gendou counters that death brings about nothing and, in that case, SEELE proclaims they’ll simply kill Gendou and his peers.
As the comm is cut, Fuyutsuki says humans exist because they’ve the will to live – that’s what she wanted for humanity and why she remained within the EVA. Gendou agrees, noting that it won’t be long.
Things are going down right now, actually, Kim detecting D1s and D2s appearing around Tokyo. Actually, it’s not just there: the things are coming out of the woodwork, showing up around all Hilaniplas and even at the T-J Busters. Souichi realizes that the MU have started their attack.
The Lydia Litvyak isn’t safe, either, as a crapload of Dolems and Dotems starting rushing in – TERRA’s other sections are already under attack. Souichi sounds the alert and orders all troops scrambled, with others to defend the T-J Busters at all costs.
Elvy’s pissed at the MU offensive but Souichi tell her to leave here and head to Mutropolis ASAP. The MU are certain to target the Star of La Mu and Ayato, so he wants her to run defense. Elvy starts to protest but Souichi stomps that that was a direct order – without a choice, Elvy confirms and runs off.
Furthermore, he also tells Kim to join the RMU System engineers as they evacuate the Lydia; Kim’s startled by that and asks
The folks at Mutropolis have already gotten the news of the MU attack but Meg’s interrupted when a transport plane is detected heading our way. When Higashiyama asks, Itsuki hazards a guess that it belongs to the Bähbem Foundation.
He also figures Bähbem’s chosen Mutropolis as where he’ll watch everything as it happens. Regardless, Higashiyama sends everyone to battle stations and orders the RahXephon prepared to launch.
*Alarm!*
: The alarm… The MU have started their attack?!
: …
: Reika Mishima…
: …Ollin…
: I… guess the time’s come, huh?: Yes… The descendants of the people of the Black Moon have also set their plans in motion…: …Are you afraid of something? You look like it.
: I am.: That’s a bit strange… almost like you’re human.: Strange… I suppose so. Still, I… I am afraid…
: …Me too.
: !: You’ve always been close by, watching over me, right…? And, now, I also have people I want to be safe… It took me a long time to realize that.
: …Ollin…: My name’s Ayato, alright?: …: You and me… we’ll be together. And, together, we’ll protect her – that’s what I want.: Thank you…Ayato. Yours is… such a warm soul…: You are not a weapon… and neither am I.: I am music… an instrument that produces a melody.: An instrument that echoes throughout time, filling the world with its sound…*Reika vanishes.*
: …
: …Did you have an epiphany or something?: Haruka…: Ayatoooooo!!: Megumi…?
: What’s she doing…?
: Ayatoo! I, Megumi Shitou, had a tiny crush on you for a bit!: !!: But not anymore…! It’s all gone, for good!: …: Good luck, Harukaaaa!: …Thanks…
: Meg…
: Aah, feels good to get that off my chest…: …
: *sniffles* Hrm… uuh…!: You’re too young to force yourself to act tough…: …: …Heh, you overtook me.: Huh?: I mean your height. : O-Oh, I guess so…: I… I’ve never stopped loving you.: …: When I was fourteen and still lived in Tokyo… I was always glued to your side. But you don’t remember, right? They messed with your memories…: …: It’s alright – I just wanted to say it… Since you were my very first love…: I might not remember that time, but I know how I feel in the present. And I love you.: Ah…?
: Sorry for all I’ve put you through…: Oh—…
: …: … 
: I… I’ve always loved you, Ayato…!*Alarm!*
: You should get going…: …!: I promise I’ll come back, so please…: And I… I’ll be waiting. I’ll wait for as long as I have to…!: …: Hurry, please.: OK…!*Haruka leaves.*
: This time, I swear I…!
: …
: Your Xephon is incomplete…: !: You were born into this world to bring forth the true RahXephon – the one that’ll Tune the world…: You’re Bähbem’s…!: From this moment onwards, you’ll treading ground that humans are incapable of reaching…: Are you saying I’ll stop being one?: The flesh is merely a vessel… it is one’s will and consciousness that live forever.: And I can’t avoid this anymore, can I?
: Right. It is your destiny.: Destiny… my destiny, huh? Even if it is, I…
*Alarm!*
: Detecting D1s and D2s on radar!
: They really are coming here as well…!
: (And, still, the Star of La Mu does not shine… Does this mean Princess Lemuria intends to just watch it all in silence…?): Higashiyama, how are the refugees?
: They’ve all already been brought into Mutropolis. The rest is all up to Ayato.*Alarm!*
: The enemies are entering our airspace!
: Ayato… the promised time has finally arrived.: Mamoru…!
: Ollin… Before you abandon your humanity, I… I’ll...!: I’m not backing down, either…! I’ve got too much I want to protect…!: None of those things will matter once you attain Yolteotl…! So I’m going to kill you before you do! I’ll make you feel the pain of losing what you wanted to protect!!
It’s Ayato against a bevy of Dotems and some Metronome Dolems. Ayato’s morale is still a bit low, so keep Iron Wall running just to be safe.
Three ways for you to end this: reach turn five, kill everything except Mamoru or get him under 70% HP.
I’ll be going for the latter since the Dotems aren’t worth much and I’d rather get things moving along.
Enemy Phase!
And Ayato’s morale skyrockets as he oneshots every single one of this first pack of Dotems.
Mamoru and the more distant mooks are holding back.
Player Phase!
Elvy shows up right then, seeing that Souichi was right on the money. When Haruka asks, she says the commander and the Lydia are doing fine… though that might chance if the MU’s forces keep growing as they’ve been.
Mamoru isn’t impressed, saying that, try as we might, we cannot escape our destruction. It is the destiny of the red-blooded peoples and it’s been determined as such a LONG time ago!
Whatever destiny says is gonna happen, Elvy isn’t willing to get taken out – this, she swears as one of the many people living in this world.
I’ll have her join Ayato to work on the weakened Metronomes.
Nice. Ayato sets himself to deal with the Dotem pack to his north, taking out a Metronome along the way.
Enemy Phase!
There they go.
Mamoru gets off his ass.
Ayato’s too dodgy for him, though.
Player Phase!
Mutropolis is informed that they won’t be receiving backup from the Federation – all their troops are bogged down with all the other MU attacks.
As for Akira and the Magnate Ten, that’s still a day away. As Itsuki glares, Helena says this is the battle of the Apocalypse – no one can escape it. And, of course that also applies to those sitting at the seats of the soul.
The end and the beginning of all is converging upon this world and, with that, the time for the Instrumentalist to play the song of demise draws near. The moment she’s been waiting forever to see is finally close at hand.
Quietly, Itsuki wonders if Helena’s still in there…
Quick Valored Voice sends Mamoru past the threshold.
: It’s about time I ended this, Ayato…!
: !!
: Urk! They still had this many mooks?!
: A-Aah…!!: Death is your destiny! Accept it!: Psh, I guess these things’re really gonna be the death of me…! But I’m not done just yet! I can’t let this be the end for me!!
Right…! I have to keep going!: I have to keep on fighting if I’m going to keep Haruka and all my friends safe!
Back at NERV, things are going straight to hell as they suffer a major electronic attack. All their outgoing connections have been cutoff as someone tries to hack the MAGI. It takes a MAGI to hack another, so Fuyutsuki wonders if they’re under attack by the Matsushiro-based computers.
Shigeru says no, as they’re detecting a total of five of the things invading their network: from Germany, China and the US. Fuyutsuki sees that SEELE’s throwing everything they have at NERV and, being outgunned five-to-one, it does not look good for us.
NERV’s firewalls start breaking down and Makoto can’t cut off the connection to their main database – not good. Take the MAGI and you take the entire HQ.
Misato runs in and Makoto gives her the bad news: the Federation has just issued order A801 to NERV. That means NERV’s just lost their legal authorization to work as a paramilitary force and have been commanded to surrender to the federal government – it’s an ultimatum in all but name, with the hacking of the MAGI further pushing us against the wall.
As for countermeasures, Maya relates that Ritsuko has just went to work on the MAGI’s defenses – we should be able to cut them off in time. Misato inwardly doubts this attack will be limited to just the MAGI and Fuyutsuki feels the same way.
This hack is just an opening act, with the government’s objectives being the capture of both NERV HQ and the EVAs. Gendou agrees – after all, we have both Lilith and Adam. Fuyutsuki sighs that the MU global offensive must’ve sent the old men into overdrive.
And Ritsuko comes through, the MAGI hack being cut off. She’s put up some special firewalls which should hold for at least sixty two hours. When Fuyutsuki asks, Shigeru relates that the Federation Army is engaging the MU across the world. Strangely enough, however, no Dolems have been sighted around Hakone.
Seems to Gendou that the old men are trying to lower the curtain themselves.
At SEELE, they’ve been informed of the 666 Protection being placed on the MAGI. It’ll be hard to break through that, so they’re forced to suspend the hacking attempt. Keel wanted to end this without bloodshed but now they’ve no choice: it’s time to put “that man” and the “thunder” to use.
Member A agrees, saying the thing was created precisely for things like this. That decided, Keel orders NERV HQ to be occupied.