HERZ (Ch. 13 of 14)

[fanfic_mausoleum_n_grill]

A NEON GENESIS EVANGELION fanfic.
Rights belonging to GAINAX and AD Vision.
Used without permission.

HERZ
by E.L.Toh

Part XIII: Epilogue (AD 2047)

   "Do you see her?"

   "Errr..."

   "There! There she is!"

   "Where?"

   "There! Dummkopf!"

   "Itaaaa..." whined Shinji, rubbing his head where Asuka
had bapped him.

   "Can't you even recognize your own daughter!?"

   "But..."

   "Mama! Otousan! Stop it! You're embarrassing me again!"
Akiko huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. A few
of the other spectators in the grandstand had already 
started to stare in their direction.

   "Ha. Heh heh," laughed Shinji and Asuka nervously, 
scratching the back of their heads.

   Several contingents of young men and women, all smartly
decked out in crisp ceremonial uniforms, formed up on the
parade square. 

   "Oh yes. There she is," said Shinji, pushing his glasses
up his nose as he scrutinised one of the contingents.

   Asuka rolled her good eye and continued to fidget as the
guest-of-honour, Mr Some-Big-Wig-from-the-UN gave a long
boring speech about courage, honour, duty, discipline yadda
yadda. About how important the work of the United Nations
International Peacekeeping Force was to peace and security
for all peoples of all nations blah blah blah. She nearly
fell asleep as the priests of religions from all over the
world gave their blessings. 

   Finally, the big wig declared, on behalf of the UN 
Secretary General and Security Council, that the assembled
young men and women were commissioned as officers of the
UNIPF. That was the cue. Parents and guardians streamed
from the grandstand, onto the parade ground to place the
UNIPF officer epaulettes on the shoulders of their loved
ones.
   
   Ikari Sakiko beamed as her parents bestowed her hard-
earned epaulettes on her. Then she snapped a smart salute 
to her Mama - who was also a UNIPF Brigadier General wearing
her rank and uniform at the moment. Asuka duly returned the
salute and the Ikari family engulfed each other in a big
family hug.

***

GEIST - ISIS Section
Current Status Report

Ikari, Shinji (Dr): Lecturer in Classical Music at the 
University of Tokyo-3, specialization in solo and quartet
performance, particularly in the works of J.S.Bach.

Ikari, Asuka Langley Sohryu (Brigadier General): Assistant
Chief of General Staff, Joint Operations (J3) - United Nations 
International Peacekeeping Force. Two medals for courage 
under fire and administrative efficiency respectively.

Ikari, Akiko (Dr): Research Assistant in the Department of 
Molecular and Cellular Science, University of Kyoto. 

Ikari, Sakiko (Lieutenant): Junior Officer, United Nations
Peacekeeping Force. Currently awaiting posting. 


   Seth, a former Israeli military man, looked up from his
table-top screen. "Well, this is very interesting," he said,
"Ikari Akiko follows in the footsteps of her grandmother and
Ikari Sakiko in the steps of her mother. And do we really 
have no idea where in the UNIPF she is being assigned to?"

   The assembled group of twelve men and women began to
look at each other. Their features were only faintly 
illuminated by the light of the aforementioned table-top
screens. Brass plaques with their designations stood in front
of each. Finally, the youngish German woman designated as
Isis spoke up.

   "The information will emerge in due course. I did not 
see any pressing need to devote any resources to that. And
perhaps Thoth will be in a better position to tell us."

   "Well," shrugged the freckled Japanese woman designated as
Thoth, "it's not altogether certain yet but it seems that..."

***

   Taped onto the door of the Ikari apartment was a piece
of paper proclaiming: 'Congratulations to Lieutenant Ikari
Sakiko on her commissioning!'

   "Mama?" said Sakiko.

   "Yes, Saki-chan?" replied Asuka. The more she looked at
Sakiko, the more she saw a younger version of herself in 
her second daughter - except for Shinji's muddy blue eyes
and black hair.

   "Have you *any* idea where I'll be posted?" 

   "Well, I'm not really supposed to know..."

   "But you do."

   "Well, it seems that it's down to either the Inspectorate
or Training & Doctrine."

   "Mama! You know that I want to go to the Rapid Deployment
Corps!" pouted Sakiko.

   "Well, you'll just have to go with the system. I can't 
abuse my authority to get you where you want to go, Saki-
chan."

   "But you can! To get me where you want me to go!" Sakiko
also seemed to have inherited Asuka's temperament.

   "And how did you arrive at *that* conclusion?"

   "You're sending me to a place where someone can keep an
eye on me - either Aunt Kagero's or Uncle Aida's!"  

   "It's for your own good."

   "But Mama, I'm not a little girl anymore. I thought I've
proven that already! Doesn't completing a year of officer
training mean anything!? Mama, please!"

   "Alright, alright. We'll talk about it later. I just
thought that it'd be good to get some real experience about
the nitty gritty of the UNIPF before jumping straight into
the field." Asuka hadn't really given any ground but this
seemed to be enough to placate her daughter.

   "Okay," said Sakiko sheepishly, "sorry, I yelled at you."

   "Well, I'm sorry too but I can't help feeling protective 
about my little Saki-chan."

   "Mama! I'm not 'little'!"

***

   "...could be any of those," finished Thoth.

   "Well, we'll certainly be watching young Lieutenant Ikari's
career with greatest interest," remarked Seth.

   "We'll move to the next item now," said Ammon, "Anubis,
your report on other key former personnel of NERV and HERZ?"

***

   "Misato-san! Kaji-san! I'm so glad you could make it,"
said Shinji as he welcomed them in.

   After releasing Shinji from a bear hug, Misato ruffled
his white hair. "Oh, Shin-chan, I don't get to see you as
much as I would like these days. And your kids are all so 
grown up! I really feel like a grandma now..." moped Misato.

   "But you look wonderful, Misato-san. I really hope that
Asuka and I can keep in shape like you in the future. Kaji-
san, you're a very lucky man."

   "Don't I know it," grinned Kaji as he smoothly slid an
arm around Misato's waist.

   "And no wedding bells yet? I do love a good wedding,"
teased Shinji.

   "Pleeease. Who'd want to marry him? He's just someone
who lives in the house. Well, he is good for doing the
chores, cooking..."

   "...among other things," Kaji interjected, smiling in his
classically roguish manner.

   "Hello," said Akiko who appeared with a tray, "that's 
coffee with two sugars and milk for Misato-san and plain 
black for Kaji-san, right?"

   "Thanks, Aki-chan. My my, Shinji-kun," said Kaji, "you've
got a really dutiful daughter. And so beautiful too. So when
can we expect Misato-chan to be promoted to adoptive great-
grandmother status?"

   Misato mock-scowled as she elbowed Kaji while Akiko 
blushed.

   "I think that the guys are afraid of Asuka," whispered
Shinji conspiratorially.

   "I HEARD THAT, BAKA-SHINJI!"
  
***

GEIST - ANUBIS Section
Current Status Report

Katsuragi, Misato (General [Retired]): Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary General in Military Affairs. 

Kaji, Ryouji: No official position or employment.

Hyuuga, Makoto (Colonel [Retired]): Director in Prometheus,
a business intelligence-gathering firm.

Aoba, Shigeru (Lieutenant Colonel [Retired]): Rock group
manager.

Ibuki, Maya (Professor): Director, MIMIR Institute

Aida, Kensuke (Colonel): Deputy Director, Training and
Doctrine Directorate, United Nations International Peace-
keeping Force.

Akagi, Ritsuko (Professor Emeritus): Senior Advisor,
MIMIR Institute.

Fuyutsuki, Kouzo (Professor Emeritus): University of Kyoto.


   "On the whole, none of them seems to have done too badly
from HERZ's dissolution. Without the Evangelions, there was
really no justification for remaining as a separate autonomous
organization," reported Anubis, an elderly Ghanaian man.

   "But their infrastructure and personnel were almost 
completely absorbed by UNIPF. Other than the Rapid Deployment
Corps, no one else had as much field and planning experience
of UN intervention. Their research and development resources
were also either taken up by GEHIRN or MIMIR. Too many top
quality people to be allowed to languish," remarked Seth.

***

   "Uncle Suzuhara! Uncle and Aunt Aida! Welcome!" greeted
Sakiko.

   "Hiya Touji! Kensuke, Kaori! Great to see you guys!" said
Shinji.

   "Oh, Aunt Aida, will you be singing tonight?" asked Sakiko
eagerly as she led the couple towards the food and drink.

   "Saki-chan, I'm not an idol singer anymore but I guess I
can make an exception in your case..." said Kaori.

   "YAAAY!!! You're the greatest, Aunt Aida! All my friends 
in school nearly died from jealousy cos I had an autographed
poster of you and the band!"  


   "Hikari's really sorry that she can't make it. If it's not
one academic conference, then it's another. Had some important
stuff in school so I couldn't join her this time," said Touji.

   "I can still remember Sensei droning on and on about the
Second Impact. You don't do that by any chance, do you?"

   "Naaah. But I still have some classes in our old classroom."

   "So you tell your students stories about how that was the
place you met your future wife?" asked Shinji.

   "Something like that..."

   "And did you tell them how Hikari would always pick on you
and boss you around, with ear-tugging and all?"

   "Nope. But I do tell them about a certain pair of world
saviours. One of whom was a wimp who loved being tortured by
a German witch."

   "Ack."

***

   "That seems to account for all of them," said Isis.

   "Of course, no data on Ayanami Rei has been available
since she disappeared in 2027 during our moment of triumph
against SEELE," said Ammon.

   "And when we got that extra moon," added Hathor, her
distinctly Californian accent reveberating through the
chamber. "Any developments on that?"

   "We've managed to stop any UN-sponsored efforts to try
and explore the Second Moon," reported Ra, "a few of the
Great Powers have tried to penetrate the A.T.Field that
isolates it from us though. With the predictable consequence
of their launch site or heavy energy weapon site being 
flattened by a massive projected A.T.Field."

   "Interestingly enough, it's remained in a geo-synchronous
orbit over Tokyo-3 for the past twenty years," said Thoth,
"quite a tourist attraction for the Lake Ashino resort."

   "I see we have detained every one for long enough already,"
announced Ammon, "I think we've covered the security aspects
thoroughly enough. We will reconvene via communication
monolith in two weeks time to discuss the current state of
international relations. That will be mainly Thoth's report."

***      

   The party had been over for some time. Shinji and Asuka
strolled hand in hand on the edge of the lake. Its waters
glimmered in the silvery light of both moons.

   "That's where they found us," said Asuka as she pointed
at a spot on the beach.

   Shinji nodded and gave his wife's hand a gentle squeeze.

   They walked into the night. The only traces that they 
had been there were footprints on the sand.


   "It changed the future and it changed us.

    It taught us that we had to create the future
    or others would do it for us;

    that we had to care for each other
    because if we didn't, who would?

    that true strength comes from the most unlikely places;
    
    but most of all, I think it gave us hope,
    hope, that there can be new beginnings -
    even for people like us."   

    Voiced by Susan Ivanona, 'Sleeping in Light',
    Finale and epilogue of the Babylon 5 series.


END OF PART XIII
THE END

Version 1.0 - 04 Nov 1999

contact: toheel@singnet.com.sg or teloong@cwcom.net
archive: http://www.teloong.mcmail.com/HERZ.htm