Neon Genesis Evangelion
High Endurance
"Fire!" yelled the camp sergeant. CLACK, CLACK, CLACK, came the sound of firing a 9mm pistol into a wooden target. I and nine other students were practicing our aim on moving targets. Honestly I didn't find it that challenging, but then again I've been doing thing for years now. And I almost always hit, it's because I put my entire hatred for life into it. That hate was caused by my father. Bastard, I thought as I envisioned his face on the target and I emptied another round into his face and chest. I quickly popped the clip out and slapped another one in. I got another clip in before the buzzard rang and the drill was over.
"Alright, you sissies, get your sorry hides over to the arms-master and turn in you fire arms and return here in 10 minutes." Drill Sergeant Kilmer yelled.
Grumbling, we trotted all the way towards the shack that held the firearms and turned our pistols in. I really hated Kilmer more than anything in the world, but I respected him like no one else. He has a sort an air around in that radiated confidence and ease. He always had this smirk on his face and he looked completely at peace with himself and the world. He was almost like a robot, just got a 5 thousand mile check up and you dust him off and he was ready to go again.
"Hey, Shinji, ready to go and do more crap for sergeant dip-shit?" asked on of my better friends, Chris.
"Oh yeah, lets go should be fun." I answered with sarcasm.
After a short jog, the team finally arrived to a strange looking obstacle course with more mud than anything. Kilmer was standing there with his arms smugly crossed, "Alright women, its time for some live fire exercises. The last team scored 350 points, I expect better." He took a deep breath.
"Alright, the simulation will activate as soon as you step on the ground. Ikari, you have command."
"Alright, squad, move out, formation theta." I barked out. I hated live fire simulations they always made me nervous. I never use full automatic, I don't like the fact it's very hard to handle, and we were using the old m5's, they actually kind of new but military scientists pumped out new weapons every few months. The m5 was nick-named the duster, it used titanium shard pulses, when reloading it lets loose a cloud of dust. I normally use the three round pulses, I prefer accuracy.
"Sir," I heard, I turned around to see a cadet trotting towards me, "My helmet is malfunctioning, the readouts are fuzzed."
"Hum," I was deep in thought, "It could have been the E.M. Pulse that just knocked out the rockets, did you try to reset?"
"Yes, sir," the cadet said, "I tried to restart, it hasn't done anything sir."
Suddenly and explosion rocked the area where the exercise was taking place. I was trying to restart his helmet again when the shockwave hit causing his helmet to go flying, someone also had lost their balance, and due to the surprise started firing in the air, hitting the young cadet splattering blood all over me and the immediate vicinity. I was in complete shock that was the first time someone died near me. "Medic!" I began to yell, I was numb to the world, and I heard a buzzard and someone yelling about relief from squad command. I was then escorted to the officer's tent by the MP's. It all happened so fast, I could barely keep up. I remember bits and pieces of what happened next, I remember the director of the camp being very mad. He ended up insulting very part of me you could ever imagine, my genetic makeup, my parents, everything; and he did it without using any sort of curse. Next thing I know I was slumped up next to a post, I was flogged, or whipped, 20 lashes, after 13 I was out, the pain was too much, even if I stopped feeling it after 5. The most painful part is the waiting in between the hits.
Shortly afterwards I was back in the mess hall, it was chow time but I wasn't really that hungry. I just couldn't stomach the food at the moment. A few months passed by and I received a letter from my father. I knew he was a military scientist, so he and I never had much of a relationship. He was always on some stupid experiment that required for him to be at the base all the time. Six years before he was sent to the building site of Neo Tokyo 3, and ground zero for the geo-front. This was where my father would soon take a lead role in a new division for the United Nations science department in bio weaponry. It wasn't until 2015 did I find out what he was doing and how biological his weapons really were,
As I said, my father sent for me, I normally don't visit him, since most the stuff where he worked/lived was considered top-secret and very sensitive for non-military personal to even see it. So when I got the invitation, which I knew wasn't my father's own writing, I was very apprehensive in the meaning behind this letter. Could he possibly want me to come and live with him? That I highly doubted I needed to clear my mind. So during the hour we got to ourselves, I decided to go for a run. The others did the normal, play cards, or look at dirty magazines of women they managed to sneak in. I came back from my run and took a hot shower, that really cleared my head, I knew I had to speak with my commanding officer, if I was going to leave he would need to know.
I knocked on the door that led to the commander's office, hopefully he was there.
A gruff "Come in." told me to open the door; I stepped in just inside the door.
"What do you need son?" the man asked, looking at me intently.
"Sir, I wish to speak freely, sir." I said curtly.
"Cut the cay-det crap when no one else is around Shinji." The commander said.
I gave him a nod, "Well, I received a letter from my father today." I told him. He nodded, willing me to go on.
"He asked me to go to Tokyo-3 and see him. I don't know if I should go or not, and I was hoping you could give me advice."
"Well Shinji, all I can say is that if you father asked for you, I think you should go, I personally don't know that man, but I think you should find out what he has to say." The commander told me.
"Alright, do you think it would be a problem if I leave?" I asked.
"I foresee no problem in that, although your team will be not as good, I'm sure they will get along." He said smiling, "when do you leave?"
"I leave tomorrow morning. A car will come to pick me up." I said.
"Alright, good luck, and safe journey." He said. We shook hands and I left, I would need to start packing and get some sleep.
The next day I was awake and waiting for the car that was supposed to show up. My mates and I said our good byes, nothing tearful or anything, would ruin our status as men. As I sat there waiting I started to space out.
Suddenly I was jarred out of my reverie by a man in full black suit and dark shades. He was the perfect example of a military agent in black.
"Are, you Shinji Ikari?" he said in a baritone voice.
"Yes I am, are you my transport?" I asked in equal tone.
"That is correct, please come with us." He said.
Well, I thought, at the very least they have mock politeness. They loaded up my gear and most of the trip was in silence as we went to the airport. I always loved planes; I was hoping I could get a transfer into the air force division when I was old enough. The U.N. Military airliners where a not even close to the models they once were way back in the 20th century. They were sub-orbital, which means they travel just below the earth's orbit, making travel far faster than previously achieved. It also meant it could travel above the sound of speed without having to worry about repercussions. As I boarded the airplane the passengers already there looked at me strangely, I couldn't blame them, I was the only teenager there, no children, strictly adults, all quite older than me. I didn't care, I wouldn't bother them, and they wouldn't bother me.
Most of the trip was spent in me listening to my SDAT, Sequential Data Audio Tape. It was basically a retro version of the old analog tapes of the 20th century. In only a few hours I would be in Tokyo-3, and for the first time in years I would actually get to see my father once again. I wondered how I would react towards him. I wonder if he had any grey hair yet. I wonder what my home land would be bring me.
"Fire!" yelled the camp sergeant. CLACK, CLACK, CLACK, came the sound of firing a 9mm pistol into a wooden target. I and nine other students were practicing our aim on moving targets. Honestly I didn't find it that challenging, but then again I've been doing thing for years now. And I almost always hit, it's because I put my entire hatred for life into it. That hate was caused by my father. Bastard, I thought as I envisioned his face on the target and I emptied another round into his face and chest. I quickly popped the clip out and slapped another one in. I got another clip in before the buzzard rang and the drill was over.
"Alright, you sissies, get your sorry hides over to the arms-master and turn in you fire arms and return here in 10 minutes." Drill Sergeant Kilmer yelled.
Grumbling, we trotted all the way towards the shack that held the firearms and turned our pistols in. I really hated Kilmer more than anything in the world, but I respected him like no one else. He has a sort an air around in that radiated confidence and ease. He always had this smirk on his face and he looked completely at peace with himself and the world. He was almost like a robot, just got a 5 thousand mile check up and you dust him off and he was ready to go again.
"Hey, Shinji, ready to go and do more crap for sergeant dip-shit?" asked on of my better friends, Chris.
"Oh yeah, lets go should be fun." I answered with sarcasm.
After a short jog, the team finally arrived to a strange looking obstacle course with more mud than anything. Kilmer was standing there with his arms smugly crossed, "Alright women, its time for some live fire exercises. The last team scored 350 points, I expect better." He took a deep breath.
"Alright, the simulation will activate as soon as you step on the ground. Ikari, you have command."
"Alright, squad, move out, formation theta." I barked out. I hated live fire simulations they always made me nervous. I never use full automatic, I don't like the fact it's very hard to handle, and we were using the old m5's, they actually kind of new but military scientists pumped out new weapons every few months. The m5 was nick-named the duster, it used titanium shard pulses, when reloading it lets loose a cloud of dust. I normally use the three round pulses, I prefer accuracy.
"Sir," I heard, I turned around to see a cadet trotting towards me, "My helmet is malfunctioning, the readouts are fuzzed."
"Hum," I was deep in thought, "It could have been the E.M. Pulse that just knocked out the rockets, did you try to reset?"
"Yes, sir," the cadet said, "I tried to restart, it hasn't done anything sir."
Suddenly and explosion rocked the area where the exercise was taking place. I was trying to restart his helmet again when the shockwave hit causing his helmet to go flying, someone also had lost their balance, and due to the surprise started firing in the air, hitting the young cadet splattering blood all over me and the immediate vicinity. I was in complete shock that was the first time someone died near me. "Medic!" I began to yell, I was numb to the world, and I heard a buzzard and someone yelling about relief from squad command. I was then escorted to the officer's tent by the MP's. It all happened so fast, I could barely keep up. I remember bits and pieces of what happened next, I remember the director of the camp being very mad. He ended up insulting very part of me you could ever imagine, my genetic makeup, my parents, everything; and he did it without using any sort of curse. Next thing I know I was slumped up next to a post, I was flogged, or whipped, 20 lashes, after 13 I was out, the pain was too much, even if I stopped feeling it after 5. The most painful part is the waiting in between the hits.
Shortly afterwards I was back in the mess hall, it was chow time but I wasn't really that hungry. I just couldn't stomach the food at the moment. A few months passed by and I received a letter from my father. I knew he was a military scientist, so he and I never had much of a relationship. He was always on some stupid experiment that required for him to be at the base all the time. Six years before he was sent to the building site of Neo Tokyo 3, and ground zero for the geo-front. This was where my father would soon take a lead role in a new division for the United Nations science department in bio weaponry. It wasn't until 2015 did I find out what he was doing and how biological his weapons really were,
As I said, my father sent for me, I normally don't visit him, since most the stuff where he worked/lived was considered top-secret and very sensitive for non-military personal to even see it. So when I got the invitation, which I knew wasn't my father's own writing, I was very apprehensive in the meaning behind this letter. Could he possibly want me to come and live with him? That I highly doubted I needed to clear my mind. So during the hour we got to ourselves, I decided to go for a run. The others did the normal, play cards, or look at dirty magazines of women they managed to sneak in. I came back from my run and took a hot shower, that really cleared my head, I knew I had to speak with my commanding officer, if I was going to leave he would need to know.
I knocked on the door that led to the commander's office, hopefully he was there.
A gruff "Come in." told me to open the door; I stepped in just inside the door.
"What do you need son?" the man asked, looking at me intently.
"Sir, I wish to speak freely, sir." I said curtly.
"Cut the cay-det crap when no one else is around Shinji." The commander said.
I gave him a nod, "Well, I received a letter from my father today." I told him. He nodded, willing me to go on.
"He asked me to go to Tokyo-3 and see him. I don't know if I should go or not, and I was hoping you could give me advice."
"Well Shinji, all I can say is that if you father asked for you, I think you should go, I personally don't know that man, but I think you should find out what he has to say." The commander told me.
"Alright, do you think it would be a problem if I leave?" I asked.
"I foresee no problem in that, although your team will be not as good, I'm sure they will get along." He said smiling, "when do you leave?"
"I leave tomorrow morning. A car will come to pick me up." I said.
"Alright, good luck, and safe journey." He said. We shook hands and I left, I would need to start packing and get some sleep.
The next day I was awake and waiting for the car that was supposed to show up. My mates and I said our good byes, nothing tearful or anything, would ruin our status as men. As I sat there waiting I started to space out.
Suddenly I was jarred out of my reverie by a man in full black suit and dark shades. He was the perfect example of a military agent in black.
"Are, you Shinji Ikari?" he said in a baritone voice.
"Yes I am, are you my transport?" I asked in equal tone.
"That is correct, please come with us." He said.
Well, I thought, at the very least they have mock politeness. They loaded up my gear and most of the trip was in silence as we went to the airport. I always loved planes; I was hoping I could get a transfer into the air force division when I was old enough. The U.N. Military airliners where a not even close to the models they once were way back in the 20th century. They were sub-orbital, which means they travel just below the earth's orbit, making travel far faster than previously achieved. It also meant it could travel above the sound of speed without having to worry about repercussions. As I boarded the airplane the passengers already there looked at me strangely, I couldn't blame them, I was the only teenager there, no children, strictly adults, all quite older than me. I didn't care, I wouldn't bother them, and they wouldn't bother me.
Most of the trip was spent in me listening to my SDAT, Sequential Data Audio Tape. It was basically a retro version of the old analog tapes of the 20th century. In only a few hours I would be in Tokyo-3, and for the first time in years I would actually get to see my father once again. I wondered how I would react towards him. I wonder if he had any grey hair yet. I wonder what my home land would be bring me.