End of the Future - Lexarius (2024)

Chapter 1: Back From a Future

Chapter Text

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Marty McFly wrapped his girlfriend, Jennifer, in a one-armed hug, as they both looked at the pick-up truck waiting on the garage. It was brand new, black in color, freshly waxed to a mirror-like finish.

Marty thought about how much things had changed since his accidental trip back to 1955. He still had Jennifer at his side, and the Doc was still alive, but everything else… well… it had changed for the better. Instead of slowly crumbling apart before his eyes, the McFly family had a bright future ahead.

And he could barely wait for the Doc to come back from the future!

Suddenly, a loud bang ruined the peaceful moment. Jennifer grabbed his arm instinctively, scared by the noise.

It took him just a moment to recognize the sound.

The man who ran to him a few seconds later just confirmed it. The DeLorean had returned to Hill Valley!

However, Doc Brown looked like he had seen Hell itself! His eyes, wild with enthusiasm whenever he talked about science and inventions; now where wild with fear. His white radiation suit was dirty and scuffed.

Doc pulled Marty into a desperate hug, as if to resssure himself Marty was alive.

"Doc, um… what's going on?"

"I…" words failed the eccentric inventor.

Marty guided him to sit on the curb. He turned to Jennifer, "Please, go to the kitchen and bring me a co*ke or something."

Scared, Jennifer hesitated for a moment, but a look to the face of the older man was enough. She nodded, and ran into the house.

Doc Brown held his head in his hands, and sobbed. "It was horrible, Marty…"

"Doc? What did you see?"

"Death." He closed his eyes. "Nothing but death. A dead city, empty. No one there, not even a corpse, a bone, nothing but empty clothes and ruined buildings."

"God… a n-n-nuclear war…" Marty gasped.

"No." Doc rubbed his face. "There was no radiation or anything. I checked. Whatever happened, it was not a bomb. The buildings were too well preserved."

Jennifer returned with a cold bottle of co*ke. "Here you go, Doctor Brown."

"Thank you, child." He drank greedily, as if he had just returned form the desert.

"Wo-wo-wo, doc; take it easy." Marty asked. Doc finished the drink in a few gulps.

"What happened, Doctor Brown? you look like you saw a ghost."

"That would have been preferable… a group of scientific colleagues have built some remarkable machines to capture and hold them indefinitively… but no…" The scientist put the bottle on the ground, looking from Jennifer to Marty and back. "Not ghosts, not really…"

"Doc?"

"You might as well tell her where you were last week, Marty. I'm going back home. I need a drink."

"You don't drink, Doc."

He closed his eyes, "I know. I need a drink."

"Marty? Jennifer asked, "what does he mean? You were here all week."

"Long story, Jennifer." He paused, "Are you sure, Doc?"

"Yes."

"I better get you home, Doc. You shouldn't drive, you are in shock or something."

"That would be best." He looked at his trembling hands.

"Jennifer, I'm sorry… I… I have to go. We will talk later, Okay?"

"Bring her along. Better place to tell her everything." Doc wheezed, standing up, a bit wobbly. "Could you ask your Father if I could leave my car here? Just for tonight? I'll pick it up in the morning."

"Sure, be right back."

The trio went back to the Brown Manor. Doc bought a six pack of beers in the way.

They sat down in the kitchen.

Silent.

It took a long while for Doc to settle down, a can of beer in his hands. He lowered his eyes, looking at it, like many men had looked to their drinks in the history of humanity. As if alcohol might contain the answers to their biggest problems.

"Jennifer." He said, somberly. "You must keep an open mind. I can prove my story. And Marty will corroborate it too."

She looked at Marty, who nodded solemnly. "It is unbelievable."

"For me, it starts in 1955. I was just trying to make a functional telepathic helmet. I had been working on that stupid thing for a couple of years, never got it to work. In an unrelated event, I hit my head and got the inspiration I needed for an even greater invention. The basis for a time machine!"

Marty followed, "And it took him about 30 years, a lot of money, and fooling some lybian terrorists with plutonium to make it work."

"What?" She exclaimed.

"I was there when he tested it, yesterday, at the Twin Pines Mall."

"Where is that? The only mall in miles is the Lone Pine Mall."

"That's what complicates things, Jennifer. Thing is, there once was a Twin Pine Mall, here in Hill Valley. I used to go there. But that place doesn't exist anymore. My fault."

"Wait, Marty, you didn't tell me that. Twin Pines?" Doc waved the beer can around.

"Remember Old Man Peabody?"

"Sure, he had the idea of…" Doc's eyes unfocused for a moment. "Breeding… pines. He had two pines near his house. Where the Mall is now."

Marty nodded. "I knocked down one of them."

"You changed history."

"Wait," Jennifer waved her hands. "Are you trying to tell me Marty visited 1955?"

"I did. And accidentally changed everything. Dad used to be Biff Tannen's doormat, piggy bank and slave. Mom was always depressed, and my siblings were not that well adjusted either."

"That's hard to believe…"

"Let me explain." Doc took a sheet of paper and a pencil. He traced a line from one side of the paper to the other. "Imagine this line is time. Here," he marked a dot at the beginning of the line, "Is 1955. Okay?"

Jennifer nodded. Doc marked another dot at the center of the line. "This dot here is 1985. Right now." He marked a third dot, at the other en of the line. "And this is 2015. Well… actually, 2016, I made a mistake when inputting the destination date, and ended up a year later than I originally intended.” He shrugged. “I count myself lucky, had I arrived to 2015, we would be mostly unaware of the incoming catastrophe.” He turned back to the paper, “All you know, all that you can remember, all that will be, is contained in this single line. Because we perceive time a a lineal progression of events."

He continued, "But, if a time machine is available, and a time traveler goes from, say 1985 to 1955, and changes a single event, maybe with their very presence," he traced a branching line, starting in the 1955 dot and running parallel to the first line, "all events after that change will be altered. Some will be barely noticeable by the time traveler once they are back in their own time, while other will be important." He marked new dots in the 1985 and 2016 positions. "And no one else would notice." He dropped the pencil and took the beer can in his hands. “Not unless they had previous knowledge of time travel. As is my own case. I was aware of some future events thanks to Marty.”

"Wait a minute…" she gasped, thinking hard, "if you changed the past, and your family is different to the way you knew them… then you are not the Marty McFly I have known since third grade!" (1)

Marty paled. "Oh, god. That's… that's true. I'm sorry, I didn't realize!"

"Doc, where is the Marty I know?"

Doc shuddered. "He might be in a third timeline. One we don't have access to. Or… maybe the timelines fused together and Marty here is a kind of fusion of both versions of himself. But we can't know that yet, we will have to wait for a while."

"You said you had proof time travel is real. Show me." She demanded.

Doc pulled an envelope from his white suit. Inside, there was a letter, written on old-style stationery, to the Lou's Café name. It had been ripped to pieces and reassembled with tape. Yellowed by time. She read it.

"Murdered?" She whispered and looked at Doc and Marty.

"Yes. Those Lybians were really pissed at me. I have the vest in the DeLorean, if you want to see it. It has about ten bullets in, I have the corresponding bruises." He winced. "And the tapes Marty recorded for my alternate self."

"This looks like your handwriting, Marty."

"It is. I saw the Doc being shot, jumped in the car and drove away. Didn't realize the time circuits were on, and ended up in 1955."

"And then..?"

"I ran over a pine, and accidentally prevented my parents first meeting."

"Causing two paradoxes. The first one caused minor changes. The only one we notice is the name of the mall. The second one could have had grave consequences. If Marty's parents had not, they wouldn’t have married, never had children, and Marty and his siblings are erased from existence. Or, in the best case scenario, would be completely different people.”

"Doc and I managed to get them to fall in love anyway, and after a lot of problems, managed to get the DeLorean to time jump again, and here I am. Back to 1985, but a very different 1985. At least, different for me and my family."

"And a lot of people who don't know history changed. For them, changes are minimal, their lives would be mostly the same anyway. Have you noticed any really big changes? I know Reagan is President, just like you told me in 1955. Sadly, Jerry Lewis is not the Vice-President."

Marty thought about it. "Well… no. But I have been back only for a few hours."

"Okay, Okay," Jennifer waved her arms, "this is getting freaky. Now, just for the sake of curiosity, why don't you two simply demonstrate to me, this time traveling DeLorean at work."

Doc shook his head. "I have a very limited amount of plutonium."

"That thing is nuclear?"

"I said the same thing when he told me." Marty chuckled.

"We are going to have to do some very careful maneuvering to solve this. I can't allow Humanity to die!" Doc paced around the room, beer in hand. "We need to find out what happened and what to do about it. And I have only… eight plutonium canisters… enough for four round trips."

"Could we, I mean, couldn't you invent something more efficient, Doc?"

"Marty, your faith in me is moving; but I would need, I don't know… decades!" He sat down, leaned back on the chair, the fingertips of his right hand barely touching his temples, thinking hard.

Jennifer took the pencil, and traced a new line on the paper. "What if you start in 1955? With 1985 knowledge?"

Doc took the paper, looked at her with new found enthusiasm, "Great Scott! That might work!" He cracked open the can and took three long sips.

He then proceeded to fall down on the desk, instantly asleep.

"Oh, my God! Did he faint?"

Marty took the Can from Doc's hand. "Nope. He seems to be a lightweight. C'mon, help me get him to his bed. I'll take you home while he sleeps it off."

They dragged him to the bedroom. "For a lightweight, you are really heavy, Doc…" Marty grunted.

Author Notes:

I thought End of Evangelion and Back to the Future II happen duringthe same year. Third Impact is said to happen in January 1st 2016, while Doc Brown goes to October 21 2015. So, for the sake of the story, I introduced a minor mistake to allow Doc Brown to see the world post-Third Impact. I hope the fix I used is not too intrusive. I’ve had experiences with inputting numbers in a keyboard, and mistakingly pushing 6 instead of 5 is not that farfetched.

(1) Back in the late 1980s, early 1990s, I used to collect the Starlog Magazine. After BTTF 2 was released, They published a very interesting article, “The Return of the Other Marty McFly”, I think the author was Michael J. Wolff (really!). The article analyzed the inherent paradoxes to time travel, and one of the points was that after changing the past, Marty returned to see a double at the end of he first movie. That double was the one who grew in the changed timeline. Sadly, I never got to read the original article, “The Other Marty McFly” but that was the first of many articles that analyzed logically how several movie monsters or protagonist would work in the real world. If you can find those articles, check them out!

Update:

Chapter 2: The Next Day

Chapter Text

Jennifer and Marty arrived to Brown Manor, the ironically named house, and parked the DeLorean in the garage. They found Doc Brown sitting at the kitchen table. Heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes, a bag of ice precariously balanced on his head, wincing at every little noise.

The rest of the six pack of beers had been emptied in the sink, and the cans chucked into the garbage bin. The place reeked of beer and spoiled dog food. Einstein had demonstrated good sense, refusing to eat the mess on the floor, and barked at Marty, hoping the kid would pity him and give him some fresh food. Jennifer wrinkled her nose, but abstained on commenting. After hearing Doc’s story, she thought the man didn’t need more problems.

Marty petted Einstein, and put a paper bag on the table. “Hey, Doc. Got you these. Take two and rest. I will clean the house while you recover. Okay?” He whispered, putting a pack of Alka-Seltzer on Doc’s hands.

Doc nodded wearily, “Thank you, Marty. You’re a godsend. My head hurts like the devil.”

Jennifer put a bag on the table, “I can make you breakfast, while Marty cleans, Doctor Brown. I don’t expect you to be hungry, but believe me, you’ll need it.”

“I’m keeping well away from alcohol from now on, Miss Parker. I can barely think.” His voice was raspier than normal.

“That would be best, and call me Jennifer.” She smiled, pulling a pair of earmuffs and a sleep mask out of the bag. “These might help while Marty and I work. You’ll feel better with something in your stomach.”

Groaning, Doc took both; the ice bag almost fell from his head, but Jennifer caught it. “Lay down on the couch, Doctor. Try to sleep. I’ll call you when breakfast if ready.”

He nodded, wincing at the movement. “I’ll try.”

Meanwhile, Marty was busy bagging the dog food that had accumulated on the floor. He opened a new can, and put its contents on a plastic plate. Einstein’s bowl would have to be left in soapy water for a while. The hungry dog attacked the food as soon as possible.

Marty switched off Doc’s automatic cook, the machine was still trying to cook eggs, toast bread, and make coffee… making a mess of everything.

While he worked, Jennifer was busy in the kitchen. French toast, strawberry jam over corn flakes and some rice. Not a big feast, but one of her cousins used to work at a hotel, and found that those dishes helped the guests after a really wild weekend. Add to that a big jar of orange juice, freshly squeezed, and the Doc would feel much better.

Marty opened all the windows to refresh the air. He worked quickly, and took the chance to order the mess he had done with the sound equipment. He would have to work to pay for the big loud speaker that had blown out…

He shook his head, there were more urgent things to think about.

Once Doc had eaten, rehydrated, and his headache receded, he looked at the teenagers. “We need more information. I brought back all the newspapers from 2015 I could find, they are in the car trunk.”

Marty brought them into the house. It was a bunch of well known periodicals, the Hill Valley Gazette, the New York Times, for example.

“These were in a drugstore, protected from the elements.” The most “recent” was dated December the 31st, 2015. Some of the others were weekly publications. “Whatever happened,” Doc said, “must have been either that day, or during the early hours of January the 1st. And it was really fast.”

“I’d like to know if anything unusual was reported before the Event.” Marty and Jennifer heard the capital “E” clearly. “Let’s take a paper each, and see what was happening.”

They began to read, and aside of normal news, there were some reports about strange creatures attacking Japan. “Hey, Doc, this looks like a Godzilla movie got too real…”

Doc nodded, “Amazing technology… just the weight… and making them able to fight… amazing.” he mumbled, “Here, look at this!”

He showed them a picture of a robot like giant. “The paper calls this an Evangelion Unit. Look at the size! It must be…” he ran a quick calculation, comparing the robot to the buildings around it, “…about 300 feet tall!”

“Wow… that’s Godzilla size!” Marty admired the robot. “This thing looks really mean and lean!”

“Yes.” Doc agreed. “It’s visage looks made to intimidate.”

Jennifer shuddered, “It looks angry. Like it wants to lash out at any moment, just waiting for an excuse.”

Marty agreed, “Purple and green, those are villains colors…”

Doc looked at him strangely.

Marty hurried to explain. “Have you noticed most heroes, like Superman or Captain America, or Wonder Woman, wear bright colors like red, blue, yellow, and white? The villains tend to wear dark colors, like green and purple. This guy here looks like it was designed by Lex Luthor! Purple with green accents.” Jennifer and Doc looked at him strangely. Marty continued, “Dave used to loan me his comics, okay?”

Jennifer was not about to push Marty about his hobbies, and dropped the matter, “What’s this Third Impact stuff? The paper talks about it like it would be worse than a nuclear war.”

“And if they fear a Third Impact..?” Doc mused.

“There had to be a First and a Second Impact!” The teenagers chorused.

“Exactly. Maybe there’s a reference to them. They must have happened between now and… maybe 2010, I guess. 2012 at the most, or there would be more explanations about them in the papers. Keep on reading and let’s see if there are more clear mentions to the Impact Events.”

They kept on reading. Taking ocassionally notes and highlighting the papers.

An hour later, they had several clear facts, a lot of questions, and many conjectures.

Doc put evertything in three columns on the blackboard.

Fact: Catastrophic Event, dated 12/31/2015 or 01/01/2016 (Third Impact?)

Fact: First and Second Impacts (find out more)

Fact: Gigantic Robots fighting Monsters in Japan (Tokyo-3, where is that place?)

Fact: UN sponsors the agency (NERV) that uses the robots.

Fact: The Monsters (Angels) are unique. Available sighting reports detail a different shape and M.O. for each.

Question: What happened during First and Second Impact?

Question: Why are the Monster attacks centered in Tokyo-3?

Question: Why teenaged pilots?

Question: What’s that cable/hose behind the Evangelion Units? Fuel? Electricity? Exhaust? Venting system? Cooling system?

Conj.: Was the Event the Third Impact?

Conj.: Energy source for Evangelion Units, Nuclear? Electric? Fusion? Fossil fuels? Hidrogen?

Conj.: Monsters’ origin. Alien? Extra dimensional? Man-made?

Doc tapped the board several times, and passed a hand over his wild hair. “We need to know more. Much more. The papers are but the bare bones of what we need to know.”

He paced around the room, while Einstein looked at him, whining. “Marty, Jennifer, we need to go back to the future! Gather knowledge, resources. Maybe bring back some future technology that could give us the solution to this predicament!” he stopped himself, and added gravely, “l cannot ask you to come with me.” He put his video camera on the table. “Not without you knowing what’s there. I documented my visit as best I could, Marty is a much better camera man than me, that’s for sure.”

He extracted the video tape, and put it in the VCR, rewinding it to the very beginning.

He pushed play, and averted his eyes. His recorded voice sounded happy as he said. “Um, hello, this is Doctor Emmet Brown. After the successful test of the time machine, I’m about to embark on an historical travel.” The image shook and wobbled, as Doc had obviously tried to turn the bulky camera around inside the tight confines of the DeLorean. “As you can see, my date of departure is October 26, 1985,” a pause, and more shaking, “02:37 A.M.” his fingers pressed the buttons for the target date. “And I plan on traveling, exactly 30 years into the future. Arriving in the early hours will reduce the risk of materializing over any other vehicle. Hopefully, there will be no solid obstacles in my path. Along with me comes my faithful companion, Einstein. I will continue this log once I have found an appropriate place to park. This is Dr. Emmet Brown.”

A blur of static, and the frantic face of Doc filled the screen. “So-so-something awful has happened in Hill Valley! Instead of finding a technological paradise, I am currently parked in what I can only call… a ghost town. Buildings and other structures show obvious signs of neglect and disrepair. Several buildings show signs of fire, and there are cars crashed on buildings. I can see evidence of several traffic accidents. I have not seen signs of weapon discharges of any kind. Einstein and me are currently in the time machine. I… I think we should remain inside and wait for dawn. Maybe in the morning we will find some answers. I’ll stand guard in the meanwhile.” The screen went to black.

The screen showed a panning view of the Hill Valley plaza, this time, it was clear to see what Doc had meant during the previous segment. It was as if everybody had disappeared from the face of the Earth. “I’m Doctor Emmet Brown. I am ashamed to have fallen asleep. I count myself lucky that nothing happened during the night. I feared there could be residual radiation, but the Geiger counter only registers normal background radiation. Einy refuses to come out the car, and I don’t blame him in the least. Whatever happened here, it was fast. Maybe an evacuation? Could there have been an accident that forced the inhabitants to flee? I’ll try to enter a building and see if I can find out.”

Next, shaky shots inside a house. “I’m in number 34, Main Street. In 1985, this place was a dance studio, now it seems to be a tailor shop. I remember there was an apartment on the top floor. I chose this place due to the large windows, that allow sunlight inside. I have a flashlight, but I want to save the battteries for as long as possible. The glass is intact, only dirty. The door is locked. I’ll not speculate if that is related to the Event or not.” Sounds of broken glass.

The inside was covered by a fine layer of dust. “The ground floor is neatly organized, the bolts of cloth are orderly piled. Measuring tapes… scissors… needles… everything is stored in its proper place. They had time to put things in order. Not in a hurry.” He checked behind the counter. “There’s some money here. I’ll just leave it where it is.”

“The apartment is still here. It was easily accessible. The door was open. It shows obvious signs of occupation. There was food in the fridge, and on the kitchen table, all spoiled. The bedroom is… strange… the bed is…” the screen showed a very normal bed, with sheets and blankets. Strangely, part of a pijama top could be seen under the sheets. “I don’t know what to think of this, it looks like somebody tucked a pijama.”

“The pillowcase is stained, as if some orange fluid had soaked in it an was left to dry.” A hand entered the frame, and pulled the sheets up. They were almost glued to each other, but after a couple of seconds, they separated with a noise like ripping paper. “The stains seems to occupy the place and shape of a person.”

Blank screen

“This drugstore wasn’t there in 1985; if I remember correctly, this was a video rent store. The door was not closed, as the 24 hour service ad proclaims. Behind the counter I found a crumpled uniform, with crusted orange flakes. Consistent to the ones I found before. This looks like a sick joke. And I pray to God it is. If it’s not… I fear to think what could have happened to these people.”

Black screen

“This is Doctor Emmet Brown, I have explored this place for as long as I dare. I don’t want to spend another night here, I will take with me some physical evidence, mainly newspapers I found, that may have a clue about the days before the Event. I’m going back to 1985.”

Doc stopped the video. “The rest, you already know. I will go back to 2016, and try to find more about the Impact events. Maybe camp there, if I can find a defensible place.”

“Doc…” Marty licked his lips, “Count me in.”

“Wait a minute, you two. This is not a Boy Scout expedition.”

“Jennifer! We need to know!” Marty said.

“Yes, we need to know, but think for a moment. Who knows what dangers could be waiting. If we are going into the unknown, I insist we go well prepared. And I’m not letting you two out of my sight. The future will have to wait a bit while we plan.”

“Well thought, Jennifer. We need walkie-talkies, camping equipment, food and water, the works!”

“And plutonium.” She added.

“And plutonium.” Doc agreed, without thinking.

“Wait, where are we going to get more plutonium?”

“The question is not where, Marty.” Jennifer answered with a smug grin.

Author Notes:

The details of the EVA program would be secret, like exactly what it is that makes them move (souls), and the reason why only teenagers could pilot them (psychological trauma), but NERV and SEELE wouldn’t even try to keep their existence a secret once the Angels arrived.

They know the pilots are teens, because Asuka’s role was widely publicized by Germany (its kinda difficult to hide the loading of a giant red robot on a cargo ship, escorted by the Pacific Fleet, crossing the Mediterranean Sea ).

The papers would try to get news about those very expensive toys, and speculate to their hearts content. Some of their theories would prove correct, others not so much.

Arbitrarily, I decided Third Impact happens at roughly 2:00 P.M. local time in Tokyo-3, that would have been around 9:00 P.M. in California.

Chapter 3: Silence and Lies

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, October 30, 1985
After School

“I am amazed the Doc didn’t think about it.” Marty said, scratching his head. “I mean, it’s really obvious.” He walked around a kid dressed as a cowboy, who surely had convinced his parents to let him wear his Halloween costume a day early.

“You two were still reeling from what you had gone through. You coming back and finding everything was different, Doctor Brown seeing a dead city. Compared to that, mine was easy.”

“Well, yes… still, it had to have been weird…”

“Yup, until you started to remember. The timelines really fused together.”

“I don’t know if I’ll keep my original memories along with the new ones, or only this timeline…”

“Don’t worry about that. We are going to mess with time. So I’ll have the same problem.”

There was one house without any Halloween decorations. Brown Manor. Doc hardly even noticed the seasons, much less the holidays, always busy working. The garage door was wide open. Doc and Marty had spent the evenings repairing the damage. The car still looked a bit banged up. But the important parts had been replaced, repaired and assembled. The DeLorean was ready.

“Ah, Marty, Jennifer! Glad to see you!” Doc was busy covering the car with a tarp. The white truck’s extendable ramps already waiting in position. “The suits are here.” He tapped on a box next to him.

“Uh, Doc? Isn’t the government going to be watching this kind of buys?”

“I own the factory, Marty. It’s a very small side business of mine. I sell the suits to hospitals and small outfits dealing with radiation. These were registered for purposes of quality control. Duly checked.”

“Uh, that’s good, Doc.”

Doc used his remote control, to guide the car into the truck. Once it was inside, he flipped a switch, and the machine turned off. Another switch, and the ramps retracted. The door closed itself a moment later. Doc turned the remote off, and retracted the antenna. “I suggest we all go to sleep, we meet again at the Lone Pine Mall at, say,” he checked his right wristwatch, “1:00 am. We spend a few hours investigating, and we return a minute later.” He checked his left wristwatch, “at 1:01 A.M.!”

“I prepared some equipment, packed three backpacks, one for each one of us. I got a good deal in emergency rations. I wouldn’t trust we could find any edible food in the future. Who knows how long we will stay in the future until we can find the data we need. For starters, we need to find out about First and Second Impact. We need to check the Library, and the City Hall.”

“Doc? Also the School.”

“Yes, yes! Good thinking, Marty,” he wrote a note in a small notebook, “Our reach will be limited, of course. Depending completely on the DeLorean’s fuel tank, and on paved roads. I already checked the Mall parking lot. It is in acceptable state for our purposes. That will be our arrival point.”

“I wish we could take my truck… 4x4… seats for everybody… extra cargo space…” Marty mused.

Doc stopped in his tracks, and looked at Marty with big round eyes. “Top speed? Can it reach 88 mph??”

“Uh, yes. 110 tops.”

Doc mumbled a series of numbers, tapping his forehead with his left fist. “Amazing! Marty! Your truck would be of great help! Converting it into a second time machine would multiply our reach in distance and cargo! We can even carry jerrycans of fuel!”

“I would have to convince Dad first. He might not take it well if we just put holes in it!”

“Would take about two months to convert it, anyway I need to order the parts, refine the data, make calculations. Build a new flux capacitor…”

“I’ll talk to him later, Doc. Maybe tell him the mods are for some rally or something.”

Doc shook his head, “First things first. Get in the house and try the suits on. Tonight, bring warm clothes, comfy shoes, scouting boots if you have’em. I’ll bring some helmets and leather gloves. Can’t be too careful. First aid kits too.”

“What about Einy?” Jennifer was busy petting the dog.

“Right, right. I’ll leave him at the vet. He needs a check-up anyway.” Einstein whined at hearing this.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby, buddy. A grooming session will do you good!”

Lone Pine Mall.
October 31, 1985; 01:05 A.M.

Two twin tracks of fire shone bright in the night.

Lone Pine Mall Ruins
October 27, 2016, 08:57 A.M.

A booming noise heralded the arrival of the time machine.

“Are you two okay?”

Marty and Jennifer looked at each other, Marty answered, “Sure, Doc.”

The scientist nodded, “City Hall is closer, let’s go there first.”

Hill Valley City Hall
October 27, 2016, 09:07 A.M.

“There’s something strange here, but I can’t put my finger on it…” Jennifer whispered, looking all around, while Doc drove the DeLorean on the empty streets, ocassionally going round an obstacle. A fallen tree, a crashed car.

Doc drove carefully. Slowly, looking constantly around. “The effect could be only local, or worldwide, or anything in between.” He switched a small radio on. “This little one will scan for transmissions. One of us should carry it constantly. If it receives a transmission, we will for certain there are survivors, if not… well… maybe they are not transmitting.”

They parked in front of City Hall. Doc opened the car trunk, and passed a backpack to each of his companions. “Here you go. Tools, rations, first aid kit, flashlight, walkie-talkies, extra batteries. Let’s test everything works before entering this or any other building.”

They did so. Doc gave each a miner helmet and a leather belt. “Clip the battery pack to your belts, same with the walkie-talkies.” He demonstrated with his own equipment. “Let’s stay on sight of each other. No one wanders away.”

Marty and Jennifer looked at each other and nodded gravely. “Got it, Doc. Together. Not really a good place to go alone, anyway.”

The silence was deep and oppressive. The only sound was the radio hum, as it looked for a transmission.

“This feels even worse than I thought, Doc.” Marty whispered.

“Like being the last people in a dead world,” Jennifer agreed. “It’s horrible.” She hugged herself for a moment, and Marty wrapped her into his arms.

Doc tapped Marty’s shoulders and looked at them, “The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go back. Let’s get to work. Okay?”

The search in City Hall was almost useless. It seemed a few extra taxes had been added since 2002, some for reconstruction of the country, some to reestablish trade, and to finance a new UN organization. NERV.

“It seems the UN finally got its act together after the year 2000.” Doc grumbled, “Second Impact Recovery Tax, 2002… Second Impact Rationing Program… UN Pacific Fleet Upkeep Tax…” He tapped at a document, “This gives us an approximate date for Second Impact.” He rubbed his forehead.

“We’ve been here for hours, Doctor Brown.” Jennifer stretched her arms.

“Let’s take a break, I think we should eat something.”

“Not hungry, Doc.” Marty shook his head.

“Me neither. It would be like eating in a graveyard.” Jennifer pushed away the book she had being reading.

“I completely agree, but nourishment is needed.” Doc shrugged, opened his backpack, and pulled a package out. “Cold meal rations. Army surplus. Will keep us going.”

They ate in silence.

Hill Valley High School
Library, 3:18 P.M.

“Man, this is heavy.” Marty groaned. He carried a pile of books to a table. Doc and Jennifer had cleaned the surface of dust and debris. “Physics, Science and History. Just as you asked for, Doc.”

“Well, done. Let’s see how the world changed in 30 years.”

Later.

“Ah, here it is! The elusive Second Impact!” Squinting, Doc read from the History book. “September the 13th, year 2000, a small meteorite impacted the Antarctic, melting the ice cap and causing tsunamis and rising the sea level. Great Scott! Four inches wide?? At 95% the speed of light??” He stood up and began to pace around. “This can’t be!!”

“Uh, in English, Doc?”

“That size, at that speed… No. Impossible!!” The scientist mumbled.

“Doc!!”

“Look here!” He pointed at a portrait in the book, it was a dark skinned man, somewhat portly, with a pencil thin mustache. “This man, supposedly managed to register the meteorite 15 minutes before the impact.”

Jennifer took the book and read the text. “Ceimoa Nan. Mexican astronomer. Strange name.”

“There was no time to warn anybody.” Marty gasped.

“No. A meteorite that small, at that speed?” Doc scoffed. “It conceivably could do that much damage, depending on the angle of entry. No. That’s not what bothers me. Detecting it fifteen minutes before impact?” He pulled out a pocket calculator, “Fifteen minutes, multiply by sixty seconds, multiply by .95 the speed of light… that would put the object…”

“Doc? English?”

“The speed of light in a vacuum is 186,000 miles per second, 95% of that is 176,700 miles per second, right?”

“I’ll take your word for it, Doc. Math is not my forte.”

“That’s just one second. Imagine something four inches wide, traveling at that speed. And you just happen to detect it? Fifteen minutes before it hits? At a distance of 159,030,000 miles?”

He shook his head at the blank looks he got in return, “Let me put it this way, 15 minutes at 95% the speed of light… would be equivalent to… 14.25 light minutes.”

“What does that means, Doctor Brown?”

The scientist took the book again, pointing at Ceimoa Nan’s picture. “It means that this guy managed to fotograph something a bit bigger than a softball moving at 176,000 miles per second at a distance that falls somewhere between Mars and Jupiter.” He threw the book down at the table, where it kept open on the offending pages. “I hardly think technology could advance enough to make such a feat possible in only fifteen years!!”

Marty and Jennifer looked at each other.

“I call bullsh*t, if you pardon the expression.” Doc snorted. “Something stinks here, this explanation is too easy, too simple. Something happened there, but I’m sure it wasn’t a meteorite.”

“Then what did it?” Jennifer took the book, looking at the page.

“I don’t know. But I bet this crap is just a cover-up.” He slapped the page with the back of his fingers.

“Hmm,” he looked again at the book. “Hah! First Impact! The collision that created the Moon! Nothing to worry about.”

“What about Third Impact? Another meteorite?”

“Could be, but from what we found in the papers, the UN thought it would, somehow, be caused by the monsters. The Evangelion Units were built to stop them.”

Jennifer thought about it, “Wait… that makes no sense.”

“Why? Giant robots agains giant monsters? Kinda makes sense in my book.” Marty shrugged.

“No, no. That’s not it. It’s the timing. Why build giant robots to fight giant monsters before any giant monster appeared? Second Impact was supposed to be a meteorite, First Impact a planetoid. Millions of years apart. Why expect a Third Impact so soon? And with giant monsters instead of another space rock?”

Doc gasped, “Great Scott! They knew. Somehow, they knew there would be giant monsters.”

Doc selected a bunch of books to bring back to 1985, both textbooks and reference. The history books… he had hesitated until Jennifer pointed out that even if the Second Impact entry was fake, other events would be true.

As they came out the building with their cargo, they dropped the books.

They were not alone.

At the other side of the street, a teenage girl stood in silence, looking at them with sadness on her face.

She wore a blue dress with a white blouse. But the really striking thing was her hair. It was blue! Her skin was very pale, and her eyes were red! Like an albino!

She looked at them for a moment, and vanished!

Author Notes:

Wow… once I began to check the numbers, the whole public version of Second Impact just falls apart!

Something that has always bothered me, is Rei Ayanami’s first appearance. it’s never addressed, much less explained, how and why she appears near Shinji at the train station in the first NGE episode, at the same she is physically in the Geo-Front Hospital, too wounded to even sit up!

My personal theory is that the ghostly Rei belongs to a previous timeline. Some dialogue in the Rebuild movies seems to support this. Kaworu Nagisa seems to be aware of previous versions of the story

The Summary text comes from one of my favorite stories in The Brave and the Bold (issues 188 and 189), Batman’s teams-up with Thorn to stop a Nazi apocalyptic plan.

Chapter 4: Paradoxical Planning

Chapter Text

“Did you see that?" Marty was turning around wildly, looking for the girl. "Where did she go? She was standing there and poof! Gone!"

Doc squinted, looking around suspiciously. "...Yes, I did see something."

Jennifer was picking up her books, "it was a..."

Doc waved his arms, "Don't say a word, nor you, Marty!"

Marty stopped on his tracks, "But, Doc, that was..."

"No, no, no, Marty, not a word, not a word!" He dug in his pockets, taking out his notebook and a mechanical pencil. He flipped the notebook open. "I want you two to write a description of what you saw. I will do the same. In case it was a hallucination, I don't want we influence each other's perception."

He began to write, Marty and Jennifer exchanged a look, shrugged, and did as the Doctor had ordered.

Marty's notes read, "strange girl, short blue hair, very pale. Kinda pretty, but sad too. Had a blue dress, white blouse, black socks, didn't see her shoes."

Jennifer had drawn a sketch, despite having seen the girl for only a few seconds, the sketch was quite recognizable. Her notes were just as brief as Marty's. Noting the pale skin, blue hair and red eyes, something that Marty had missed.

Doc's read, "Subject seems to be of Asian descent, corresponding to Japanese genotype, possible case of albinism, presenting pale skin and red irises. Blue hair, certainly dyed. Clothes similar to Japanese school uniforms, blue skirt with two suspender-like... unknown word for description, check encyclopedia; white blouse, short sleeves. No rings, bracelets, earrings or other accessories visible. Subject stood on the other side of the street, standing on the garden in front of the school. Subject seemed to vanish after approximately four seconds."

They compared notes after picking up the books.

"Kinda pretty, Marty?" Playfully, Jennifer elbowed Marty on the ribs.

"You know I only have eyes for you, Jennifer."

Doc compared their respective descriptions. "Well.." he lowered the notes, raising his eyes, looking to the point the girl had been. "We did see the same thing."

He walked slowly towards the other side of the street, mumbling, "Let's see..." the grass had grown, but it was sickly and yellow. "She was right over here, I believe..."

His companions were a couple of steps behind him. Using the pencil, Doc pushed the leaves of grass to a side, taking care not to break them. "Hum... this is unusual."

"What do you mean?"

"Look for yourselves." He stepped back, and looked around; while Marty and Jennifer examined the grass.

"Um... what are we looking at, Doc?"

"There's nothing there, Doctor Brown."

"Precisely!" He waver a hand over the area. "Nothing! Not a trace of her presence. Not a track, not a fiber, not even a single broken or bent leaf of grass!"

He stepped into the grass, and counted, "One hippopotamus, two hippopotamus, three hippopotamus, four hippopotamus." And returned to the curb.

"Look! The dirt is dry and hard, my footsteps are barely visible. Yet detectable. But look at the grass!"

The dry grass was very fragile, multiple leaves had broken where Doc's weight had bent them.

Marty gulped, "do you think it was a... a..." he gulped, "a ghost?"

"Oh, Marty, don't you tell me you're afraid of ghosts!"

"No! No, of course not. I'm afraid of no ghost! It's just that... well... this place is really creepy!"

In the meanwhile, Doc had been studying the area. Finally, he stood up, and clapped his hands together to get rid of dirt and grass. The noise echoed all around them.

"Let's see if we can find a bookstore. I'd like to get reference books, popular science, technology," he paused, "astronomy."

"A phone book."

"What for? There's no one to call."

"No, no, Doc. To check for addresses. I mean, the library might be in the same place after thirty years, but the bookstores?"

"Ooh, right, right."

Eventually, the trio had gathered all the books that could fit in the DeLorean's small trunk. Along with a few examples of future tech to study.

"So, Doctor Brown, do you think my idea is feasible?" Jennifer asked.

"It is. Strangely, and paradoxically, I think it is, but we will need to take some precautions."

"Won't that cause paradoxes, Doc? Back in 1955 you were very much against the idea of messing with the space-time continuum!"

"Paradoxes? What do I care for paradoxes now, Marty? Look around! The future of the whole of the world is in danger! Paradoxes…" He grumbled, "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Paradox precautions. We will need a pack of adhesive labels, for starters, a safe place far from Hill Valley, and to make a recording." He tapped his chin several times. "And a good assortment of sandpaper."

Marty raised a hand, "More Devo suits, Doc." The scientist nodded, and wrote everything in his notebook.

Jennifer sat down on a stone bench. "The old Delgado mine might be a good hiding place. It's been on sale for years. My aunt and her husband wanted to get a safe house in case of a nuclear war, but adapting the mine to be a bunker would be too expensive, the ground is too hard and too brittle at the same time. They would have to hire a lot of workers, so they went to Nevada instead (2). Everything else we can simply buy." Jennifer offered.

"Hum... Doc... I just had an idea. We should check the mine right now, while there's still light."

Doc checked his right wristwatch, "um… no. Night will fall while we arrive there, we need to drive slowly on uneven ground." He looked at his young friend, "What do you expect to find there, Marty?"

"Make a guess."

Jennifer laughed.

Delgado Mine
After clearing the entrance, traveling down the tunnels.
And opening a side passage marked "ELB", "MMF", and "JP"

"Great Scott! This has freed our future movements in a major way! Marty, record this, we will need proof of this finding!"

Lone Pine Mall
October the 26th, 1985
1:36 A.M.

"What about that talk about screwing up future events?" Marty asked, disbelieving what had just happened. "The space-time continuum?"

"Well," Doc smiled, "I figured, what the hell?"

"And a good thing you did, Doctor Brown."

"Je-Jennifer?"

"What are you doing here at this ungodly hour, Miss Parker?" Doc hurried to use the wooden tablet with his notes, to cover the bullet holes in his radiation suit and the reassembled, yellowed letter Marty had wrote in 1955.

"You got the words out of my mouth, Doc. Jennifer, what's going on?"

"Well, for starters, I'm right at this minute, sleeping on my bed, and I'm here to..."

An explosion shook the whole place, it came from the photo booth where the lybians vehicle had crashed.

"What was that?"

"They had an RPG launcher…" Marty wheezed.

"Do you think..."

"Must have detonated in the fire (1)." Doc grabbed their arms, "C'mon, let's make tracks. This place is very empty at this late hour, but the noise and the fire will certainly be noticed. Marty, you and Miss Parker take the DeLorean, and take that exit. I'll meet you at my home in..." he checked his left wristwatch, "twenty minutes. Oh, Wait, Marty, help me load the... um... yellow trunk in my truck." He threw a very heavy fabric over the trunk.

"I know what's in there, Doctor Brown. Marty, help the doctor, I'll drive the Delorean. Hurry!"

"Uh.. yes, Okay." Marty grunted when he and the doc lifted the box. Guessing the reason, Doc commented, "Lead fiber cloth, will keep our exposure to radiation low. Now, be careful not to drop this baby."

Manor Brown
2:06 A.M.

"So, young lady, time to talk. What's going on?" Doc asked, as he pulled his key ring. Only to find the door was open.

"Good, they are already here!"

"Who?" Doc demanded, opening the door.

"Us. Enter and close the door." Doc grumbled, sitting on a couch.

"Great Scott!" Doc exclaimed, screamed his head off, and promptly fainted, only for Marty and Jennifer to catch him.

"I told you this would happen, Doc." Marty commented. Sitting on a chair. Doc simply grunted.

Jennifer grunted, "Marty, honey, you better help us, the Doctor is not exactly light."

Marty looked at the two Docs, at the other him, and his voice cracked, "ah… um… Back from the future?"

"Yes." The trio chorused.

"Oookay… this is getting heavy duty…" Marty shook his head.

Later on

"I must say… this is the strangest experience in my life…" Doc wiped his forehead with a cloth, staring at his counterpart.

The trio had agreed to call the versions from the future "A"s, and the ones from the present "B"s, to manage the complications time travel added to the tenses. They also had sticky notes denoting their letters.

Doc A inserted the tape into the VCR, "Normally, I wouldn't mess with history. But there is no future for anybody unless we do something."

Marty B and Doc B watched Doc A's recording in the dead world of 2016, paling more and more by the minute. Until Doc A paused the VCR.

"But what can we do?" Marty B asked.

Doc A snorted, "Investigate, of course. Our visits to Dead Valley were limited. Due to our limited plutonium. We need much more. And that's were you enter."

"I doubt there will be more Libyans with stolen plutonium around here." Doc B said.

"Yeah, they got very crispy…" Jennifer slapped Marty B's arm.

"We need you to replicate the trip, but only take four plutonium bars. One round trip for me, one for the three of us. We will take the rest and store them safely. We will get the container at some point before your trip."

Doc scratched his head, "How do you know this is going to work? My mind boggles at the implications of this plan!"

"We have proof." Doc A pressed Play, "Look at this. This scene is proof that Jennifer's idea is solid. It will mean a lot of work for us three, but it is doable". Doc B's eyes almost popped out from his face.

"Plus, this will get you in the good graces of the government." Jennifer tapped a finger on the arm of her chair.

Doc B raised his eyes from the images in the TV. "Really?"

"You will be a hero, Doc!"

Both Docs glared back at him.

Author Notes:

First of all, an apology, this last week has been very stressful, due to job related stuff, and taxes related stuff... I've had no time to write and polish the text.

(1) It has always irked me that there's no follow up to the lybians subplot. I doubt those two were the only ones involved with Doc Brown, and the crash on the photo booth wouldn't have killed them... so...

(2) Specifically, to Perfection Valley, Nevada. Again, nothing to do with the plot, but I love those movies!

Chapter 5: Pair-a-docs Planning

Chapter Text

McFly house
October the 27th, 1985, 20 minutes after Dr. Brown's return

George McFly went to close the door of the garage. His son had asked for a favor for his eccentric friend, Doctor Brown. Apparently, the man had received some very bad news, and was in no state for driving. Marty had offered to take Dr. Brown home. George smiled at his son's generosity and also at the oh, so very transparent impulse to take his new truck for a ride.

George had known about the man for far longer than Marty had even been alive. Since the 1950s, in fact. The man had always been eccentric, but harmless. Marty had learned a lot from him, science, history, work ethic even. George had already decided to gift one of his courtesy books to the scientist. He had it ready for delivery, dedicatory and everything.

But as George went to lock the door, a casual glance at the car piqued his curiosity.

He stopped in his tracks, a strange expression on his face. He walked back, and looked at the car. Really looked at it.

"It's... oh, god... it's full of cables!(2) This is not a car, it's a scientific experiment!" He followed the bunches of wire, and eventually, he glanced into the passenger compartment. At the right side of the steering wheel, he saw several rows of numeric leds, each one under a set of demo labels, the words in them shook him to the core.

Departure time.

Present time

Destination time.

George stumbled, memories he had not paid attention to began to rush back into his mind. He had to sit down, his hands trembling. He wiped his mouth with a hand, and walked around the car.

"It cannot be..."

Suddenly, he remembered a guy around his age, a kid with strange mannerisms and slang, dressed with strange clothes. Who didn't know some elemental things, but knew others that were ahead of their... time...

"The rug... the fire... the clothes... what was his name... Kevin? No, Calvin... Calvin Kane?" George pulled out the notebook he used to write down ideas for his stories, he would need to ask Lorraine about him. He hadn't thought of that name for a long time…

George followed the cables, looking again into the passenger compartment, the labels still were there. "Departure Time"? "Present Time"? And... "Destination Time"? He whispered to himself. "What do they mean? What?"

He stumbled into the house, and without realizing it, he pulled the ladder to the attic, and up he went, to where his old school stuff was stored. He was a very organized man, and it took only a few minutes to find what he was looking for. The notebooks from 1955, the year his life had turned around, when he had found the love of his life, with the help of... Calvin Klein. That was the name. Calvin Klein... just like the clothes brand.

He found the stuff he had almost forgotten. Darth Vader, the planet Vulcan... the strangeness before the dance. He had never told anybody about those things, and he was surprised when they appeared in entertainment decades apart from one another. Vulcan was no biggie, it was the name of a theorized planetoid inside Mercury's orbit. It was later proved that Vulcan did not actually exist, but it was a good name anyway. (3)

Darth Vader had been a nasty shock back in 1977, there was no obvious source for it. Though he thought it was simply a strange coincidence that George Lucas had put the same name for his most recognizable villain. Though considering he had found the word Sith in the John Carter books (4)… well… maybe both had found the name in some long forgotten pulp magazine, and forgotten the source.

Slowly, George pulled at his hair. It was a tic he had had since elementary school. Not even finding his courage had cured him of it.

A strange picture began to form in his mind. Writing science-fiction prepared him to consider ideas other people might think absurd, like a strangely dressed alien meddling in the lives of two teenagers... he had played with the idea for years, until he finally got a handle on how to develop the plot for a novel length book. And… waaait a moment.

He flipped through the pages. The orders from Darth Vader, the Alien from the planet Vulcan, the nightmarish sounds assaulting his ears... he had heard something eerily close to that recently...

He thought he had dreamed all that. For years he had kept that a secret, the only one he had told was… Calvin Klein… That strange dream had been the beginning for George McFly, the first McFly in Hill Valley's history to make it. If not as big a name as Asimov or Heinlein, he was a modestly renowned writer. Short stories, two anthologies, and a novel just published.

Biff Tannen, his old bully and rival had brought the box of books into the house.

Biff... another thing that had changed. Had it not been for Calvin's encouragement... he gasped.

And to think... to think... what? That his own son had traveled back in time and for some reason be the most unlikely matchmaker in history?

Small pieces began to fit in his head.

And the last was the feeling of deja-vu he had had since last week, when he had seen Marty with his new vest. A blast from the past, indeed.

George stayed up in the attic for a long time, thinking.

He finally found the biggest piece of evidence.

Right in his school yearbook. 1955. Right there, in the section about the school dance, two pictures commemorating the event. The first one was of the whole class of 1955, except for Biff and his gang, who were who knows where when the picture was taken.

That just brought some memories.

But the second one...

Somebody had taken a picture of the band playing at the school, Marvin Berry and the Starlighters. Marvin Berry had a minor place in music history, as he was Chuck Berry's cousin. Chuck Berry himself had credited his cousin with the inspiration for one of his hits, Johnny B. Goode.

George remembered that song clearly.

For some reason, Calvin Klein had replaced Marvin Berry as the Starlighters guitarist, at the very last minute. And had played Johnny B. Goode. "An oldie where I come from." He said.

George gasped again. The strange way Calvin hopped sideways, just like Chuck Berry would do later on. The way he played the guitar over and behind his head, or how he pushed himself on his back, the strident notes played inhumanely fast, jumping down from the amplifiers.

And the last words he said on stage... "I guess you're not ready for this, but your kids are gonna love it."

Each one of those things set off a sense of Deja-vu in George years later. "Oh, c'mon!" He would say at a bar or a party, "I knew a guy who did that back in 1955! That's nothing new!"

No, it was nothing new. For Calvin Klein at least.

Right there, in the picture, hopping sideways in the stage, there was Calvin Klein, caught looking right at the camera. George guessed it had been taken when the band played Earth Angel. There was an awkward smile on Calvin's face.

...Marty's awkward smile...

George leaned back and exhaled.

Should he talk to Lorraine about this?

Maybe, but not before talking to Marty.

He rehearsed the scene in his mind. "Oh, hi, Son! Check this! I found an old picture with a guy who looks just like you!"

It could only go one of two ways. Either Marty went, "Oh, boy! It's true! He looks just like me!" Or would get very awkward about it.

He decided to think on it for a couple of days, but dinners would be an uncomfortable matter for a while.

Brown Manor

"We will need to find a better place than One Pine Mall for your trips to Dead Valley." Doc A observed.

"I chose it carefully! It is the perfect place!" Doc B protested.

"It is," Doc A agreed, "but for the next few days, it will be a crime scene!"

Doc B deflated. "Oh, yes, you're right… the lybians… Ahem! Let's evaluate the rest of the list, then." He put a notebook on the table. "What are our requirements?"

"Obviously, we need to keep Lone Pine Mall's qualifications. But closeness to the Delgado Mine would be a premium."

"The old Pohatchee Drive-In Theater!" Both Docs exclaimed at the same time.

"It's been abandoned since old Terrance Spencer died. His heirs haven't been able to sell the area. If only there was a water source close to it, maybe it would be a residential town, much like Hill Valley is. We could probably buy the whole lot for a pittance." Doc A grinned, "Anyway, the vacant lot is secluded, flat, and there's nothing but plains around! Funny how twenty miles make such a difference."

"And there's no one living there anyway, there's space for a whole vehicular convoy."

"Ex-actly what we need!"

"We will have to purchase some equipment."

"I'll take care of that, you draw the schedule for our arrivals."

"Very well. We are deliberately causing a paradox. We need to keep the order perfectly straight, or we risk losing… well… everything!"

Doc A patted his counterpart's shoulder. "If we fail… we will lose everything. And this wonderful planet will be a tomb."

"Just from your tape, I have an idea of what is coming." He shuddered.

"Oh, no. You don't." Doc A sighed and closed his eyes. "Not until you have been there. Then you will understand." He said, softly. "We have to prepare everything before you go."

"I still think we should see if we can find an alternate way to generate the needed 1.21 gigawatts."

"So do I, but it would need to be a portable source of energy. Able to generate that much energy! It would have to be a portable nuclear accelerator!"

"Let's focus on the task at hand, maybe once we have studied the data you brought from the future, we could try our hand at a portable source of energy for the time machine. Or machines. Eventually, we will need to travel to other parts of the world."

"Japan."

"Japan. We need to learn the language, especially in written form. We can't rely on a translator, for obvious reasons."

"One more item for the list…"

Later

"So, we are all in agreement."

"Sure, Doc. We the A-Team (4) jump a week forward at the Pohatchee Drive-In Theater, where the B-Team will jump to 2016, to preserve a close timeline for us." Marty said.

Jennifer A continued, "We take the plutonium to the Delgado mine, tag the containers with date and hour, and leave them there."

Doc A followed, "We take one bar, and jump back to five minutes before we arrived, and repeat the process."

Marty B scratched his head. "Wouldn't that cause a paradox?"

"As long as there are no events that prevent the existence of an object or person, their existence should be preserved. That's why we will use the rods in backwards order. The most recent version of each bar is the one we have to use. If we use an earlier version and drain it of energy… all future versions would be nothing but inert material… However, if we need to travel… we will have to take extraordinary measures to move radioactive material… We really need a cleaner alternative."

One week later.

Pohatchee Drive-In Theater
Saturday November the 2nd, 1985; 10:00 AM

The B-Team waited patiently inside Doc's truck, until the sound of thunder heralded the arrival of the A-Team.

As previously agreed, the B-Team kept two plutonium canisters, the rest were labeled with date and hour, and taken by the A-Team.

They departed immediately to the Delgado mine. During the week, the B-Team had set equipment to ease the transport of the plutonium.

Pohatchee Drive-In Theater
Saturday November the 2nd, 1985; 09:55 AM

The A-Team arrived.

Pohatchee Drive-In Theater
Saturday November the 2nd, 1985; 09:50 AM

The A-Team arrived.

Pohatchee Drive-In Theater
Saturday November the 2nd, 1985; 09:45 AM

The A-Team arrived.

Pohatchee Drive-In Theater
Saturday November the 2nd, 1985; 09:40 AM

The A-Team arrived.

Eventually, there were several boxes of plutonium in the side tunnel of the Delgado mine. Safely stored.

The A-Team returned to their own time, ready to continue, while their counterparts of the B-Team preserved a close facsimile of their own past.

Brown Manor
Saturday November the 9th, 1985

The next few days passed quickly. The preliminary steps for investigating the future were well on their way. The trio had already ordered a set of self-study books for each one. Doc had checked the phone book, looking for anybody from Japan who could mentor them, but couldn't find any Japanese surnames. The closest was a Chinese family that had been living in Hell Valley for so long they were completely assimilated into American culture.

"I don't get it, Doctor Brown. You could have been a hero, recovering the stolen plutonium would have put you in the government good books." Jennifer asked, while checking the list of the components that had just arrived, against their copy of the order.

"It would have also put me under scrutiny. We need freedom to act, and that kind of attention… brr… I have seen what it does; believe, I don't want it." Doc examined a circuit under a magnifying glass, satisfied, he put it back in its box and took another. "That's why I insisted on erasing every vestige of evidence Marty or myself could have left in the box. Down to using sandpaper to erase every trace. of course, those plutonium pellets will probably end up in bombs or nuclear reactors. But with the half-life of plutonium, no one will know the pellets are repeated, except for us."

"Well… at least Mr. McFly didn't put any objections to our modifying Marty's truck." Jennifer changed subject.

Marty entered Doc's workshop right on time to listen that last bit.

"Hey, guys! It's very weird, Jennifer. Dad has been acting strangely since the day you returned from 2016, Doc. I think he suspects something is going on."

"What do you mean?"

"He has been leaving his 1955 school yearbook around. There's a slip of paper in the school dance pages."

"Maybe he's nostalgic."

"Mom is the nostalgic one, and just for a few minutes at a time. Dad is the one who lives in the moment. He is also listening to Van Halen."

"So? He is at least willing to get up to date." Jennifer crossed an item in her list, and picked up the next.

Marty sat down, and opened his Walkman, putting the tape on the table. "I… well… .. Doc, remember we had to get Dad to go to the school dance?" He scratched the back of his head.

Doc looked at him through half-closed eyes, "What did you do, Marty? In detail, please."

Marty deflated, looked down, and said, "I used the rad suit, a hair drier and this tape to convince him I was an alien and ordered him to go to the dance. Or else, I would melt his brain."

Jennifer snickered, "And he bought it?" Meanwhile, Doc pinched the bridge of his nose.

Marty smiled sheepishly, "He thought it had been a dream…"

Doc sighed, "At least it put him in the right route."

"And he got the idea for his first novel!" Marty exclaimed happily.

Both Jennifer and Doc stared at Marty.

"I mean, have you seen the cover?"

Doc scrambled to get his courtesy copy, dedicated to "Doctor Brown, thank you for showing the future to my son."

"Great Scott! The alien does remind me of the radiation suit. Marty, your father writes science fiction for a living. If there is a kind of mind willing to consider and maybe understand the implications of time-travel… it is exactly his."

"You mean… we can tell him?"

"No. Not unless he asks directly. If he does, tell him we need to discuss the…"

The phone rang then, Doc picked it up. "Doctor Brown Enterprises, what can science do for you? Ah, yes, Mrs. McFly, he is here." He covered the speaker with a hand, and whispered quickly, "Marty, it's your mother, she sounds very agitated." He passed the receiver to Marty.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" he paused, both Jennifer and Doc watched as his face paled. "I'm on my way; yeah, I'll be careful. Bye!" He hung the receiver, "it's Dad, something happened, mom is almost hysterical with worry, the ambulance she called is on the way. Sorry, guys, I need to go." He was jumpin up and down with barely contained worry.

"Marty! I'll drive you, it's my turn and fair is fair." Doc stood up, and took the keys of his car. "Miss Parker, we can leave this for later."

Jennifer grabbed her jacket, "I'll go with you two, if it's not too much problem. You two get the car, I'll close the door."

"Right, let's go."

Author Notes:

(1) This title was suggested by Author0fntent, a fellow writer in FFN. Thank you, buddy! Go check his work, people!

(2) Small reference to 2001, however, I must say that I really dislike the movie version. I prefer the book.

(3) True. The possible existence of the planet Vulcan was proposed to explain some irregularities in Mercury's orbit, in 1859. However, the irregularities were explained with Einstein's theory of relativity in 1915, In 1919, observations made during an eclipse, proved that Vulcan did not, in fact, exist.

(4) Yup, believe it or not, the word Sith really does appear in the John Carter of Mars novels. However, it is a species of carnivorous insects, dangerous due to their size and voracity.

(5) Almost a reference to the TV show. However, no one in Hill Valley knows about the A-Team, much less how to contact them.

Chapter 6: Unexpected Developments

Chapter Text

Hill Valley General Hospital
Main Waiting Room

"Dad will be alright. The surgery went off without a hitch." Marty exhaled in relief, "Mom and Dave are with him now. He slipped coming down from the attic, hit his head and broke his left ankle. Mom heard the crash, and when she saw him bleeding, well… you know how she is. She managed to call an ambulance, then she called Dave." He shrugged, "and when Dave arrived, he suggested to call your home, Doc."

"Dad will have to stay here for a week or two, if everything goes well. They had to put a couple of nails in his ankle, but he will be okay, though he might need a cane to walk, depending on how the therapy goes. He got a bump on the head, so the doctors want to be sure he didn't get a concussion or something, the X-rays came out fine, just the bump. But as he lost consciousness, the doctors want to keep checking him in case there's some damage that didn't show in the x-rays." Marty sat bonelessly on a chair, visibly relaxing, "Mom and Dave are with him now. Linda cut her trip short, and will be here tomorrow morning. He wants to talk to me later, while Mom and Dave take a break. They are with him now."

Jennifer hugged her boyfriend, "Oh, Marty! I'm glad he's fine."

He hugged her back. "I'll go home and get him a few things. Dave is writing me a list, Mom was too worried to even think."

"I'll drive you there, Marty." Doc offered.

"Thanks, Doc." Marty kissed Jennifer's cheek, "I'll check back, out in a few!" He smiled nervously and went back to the elevator.

Jennifer wiped her face, "Could you drop me at home, Doctor Brown? I have a lot of homework to do."

"Of course, Miss Parker." Doc patted his pockets, "Ah, here they are." He produced his keys. He fumbled with the keychain, and the keys fell on the bunch of old magazines left there for the waiting relatives and friends of the patients.

When he took his keys back, his eyes fell on the cover. OMNI magazine, October 1984. It showed a strange contraption, that seemed to have been cobbled together from odds and ends and junk.

"Great Scott!" He whispered, dropping his keys again. With trembling hands, he took the magazine.

"Doctor Brown? Are you okay?"

He looked like he didn't know if laugh or sigh in relief. "Miss Parker, I think we should all go to New York!"

"Hum, Doc… we need parental permission."

"Um? What?" He was examining the picture in the cover.

"We are minors and that's a trip to the other coast."

"Oh, yes, yes…" he kept looking at the magazine. "I need more data. But this might be the answer." He rolled up the magazine, and walked decisively to the nurse station. "Oh, um, hello. Would it be much trouble if I keep this magazine?"

The nurse looked at Doc, Thought for a moment, and said, "No, but I would appreciate if you could donate another to the pile."

"Thank you. I'll come back tomorrow with some replacements." He smiled at her, and put the magazine in his back pocket.

Marty returned a minute later, list in hand. "Got it, a few toiletries, a couple of books, notebooks and pens. He, um… he got all mysterious, but Mom is fussing over him. I'll see if we can talk later."

"Marty, Jennifer, time to go." Doc walked quickly to the door.

His two friends looked at each other, and hurried behind him.

Once in Doc's car, Marty asked, "Doc? You look like the cat that ate the canary."

Doc chuckled. "Might be." He passed the magazine to Marty. "Remember this? It was about a year ago?" The cover of the magazine read "Quantum Leaps: Ghostbusters. Tools of the Trade." (1)

Marty's brow furrowed in thought. "The Ghostbusters? Yes. They were very popular for a few months. What are you planning, Doc? To try to capture our blue-haired friend?"

"If I'm right, they could help us a lot, but not that way. I need to re-read the article, and if this means what I think it means, I'll get in contact with them. Been a long time since I last visited New York."

Ruins of Tokyo-3,Japan
October the 26th, 2016

The soft sound of the waves was the only sound in the dead city.

Two teenagers watched the waves crash on the beach. They were lost in their thoughts.

It had been a long time since the last time they had spoken to each other. Neither felt the need to speak now.

They just sat on the sand.

Watching the waves.

Breathing the air.

Trying to ignore the smell of freshly spilled blood. They couldn't, but both were used to the smell of blood anyway.

Half submerged in the orange-tinted water, a gigantic head, it's halves looking blindly to the darkening sky. The features were curiously androgynous. And familiar too.

They were trying to ignore the look of madness in those eyes. They couldn't, but they were trying hard.

But more than anything, they were trying to ignore each other.

They couldn't.

Not really.

But they would try.

Hill Valley General Hospital
Room 204

Marty returned with the asked for articles. "I'm here, Dave. Got everything you wanted, Dad." He showed the bag he had brought.

From his bed, George waved happily at his youngest son. "Thanks, Marty!"

Dave stood up. His blue suit a bit wrinkled, his tie undone. "Great, Marty!" He turned to the patient. "I'll drive Mom home and stay with her, Dad. Don't go running around." He patted George's shoulder. His left leg had been wrapped in bandages, hanging from a rig. (2)

His father chuckled, that strange, halting laugh he had bubbling under the surface. "I was planning on going to sky!"

Dave smiled as he crossed the threshold, pointing playfully at Marty, "You're in charge, lil'bro. See you tomorrow, guys." He returned, pulling a few bills from his wallet, "Just in case, Marty."

"Thanks, Dave."

Once Dave was gone, Marty sat on the visitor's chair. "So, Dad. What's up?"

"Well… I have a question, and I would like an honest answer, Marty."

"Uh, sure…"

George stared at his son for long moments. "How it is? Time traveling, I mean."

Marty stammered, not knowing what to answer.

George laced his fingers over his stomach. "Son, you can't lie to save your life."

"Uh… well…"

"Easy, son. Breathe. Take your time. I'd like to know." There was infinite patience and fondness in George's eyes and voice. "Let me tell you what I pieced together. Back in 1955, I was just a student. I was saved from being run over by a car. It was a kid with strange clothes and expressions. I later got to know him a bit better, Calvin Klein, that was his name. Yup, just like the clothes brand, but then that brand didn't exist. For some reason, Calvin Klein was very insistent that I courted a very beautiful girl, Lorraine Baines. Oh, yes. Your mother. I had no idea of why that insistence. I was horribly shy those days, and just thinking of asking her put made me sweat and tremble."

Marty kept silence.

"But Lorraine was infatuated with Calvin Klein. He was brave enough to face down the gang led by Biff Tannen. The same one who barely scrapes a living now waxing cars. Back then, he was feared by everybody at the school, and even around town. I… well… he was my tormentor back then. But I digress. Eventually, Calvin agreed to take Lorraine to the school dance. But he planned to scare her, and let me rescue her from his evil clutches. Everything went just as planned."

"No, no, Biff surprised me and put me… in…" It took Marty a few moments to realize he had been tricked into confessing.

George stared at Marty, "Where did he put you, son? At this point, the cat is out of the bag."

Marty wiped his face. "He and his gang locked me into the trunk of Marvin Berry's car. He hurt his hand forcing the lock open."

"That's why he couldn't play. And you replaced him playing the guitar." George nodded. "You disappeared after the dance. No one saw Calvin Klein again."

Marty cleared his throat. "Uh… I was disappearing back then."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh… well… you see… I was at risk of not existing unless you and Mom fell in love… if you two hadn't kissed during the dance…" Marty trailed off.

"Oh, God! You wouldn't have existed at all!"

"In short, yes. I had a pic of Dave, Linda, and me. I put it in the guitar so I could check it. Dave had been disappearing gradually during the week before the dance. Linda followed during the dance." He swallowed before continuing, "if you hadn't come back and kissed Mom…"

George took long seconds to answer, as the consequences hit him. "You would have ceased to exist…"

"But when you pushed that slimy guy away from Mom, and kissed her, everything went back on track!"

George kept silent for almost two minutes, Marty recognized that silence. His father was thinking things through.

"A paradox. You were in danger of becoming a paradox." George grabbed Marty's arm, squeezing desperately. "And I would have never known."

He kept silent for a while. Thinking.

"Was it really necessary to blast my ears with heavy metal?" He smirked.

"You wouldn't have gone to the dance otherwise!" Marty protested.

"There's something that doesn't fit. There's no way things had gone like they did unless you were there. Are you sure things went back on track?"

Marty licked his lips and looked down. "I… um… I altered things."

"Not a stable time loop, then?"

Marty looked at his father, uncomprehending.

"Like in Terminator. The whole movie is a stable time loop. For a particular series of events to happen, there must be a time travel element. Or things unravel. In the movie, Skynet wants to get rid of its enemy, John Connor, so it sends a killer robot to the past to kill his mother. John Connor, in turn, sends a soldier to protect her, Kyle Reese. But Kyle Reese happens to be John Connors'biologicalfather. So, Skynet tries to change the timeline, only to create it in the first place." (3)

"No, things would have been very different. And bad for us. All of us."

"Maybe someday I'll ask you about that. But I can imagine that at the minimum, Biff would have kept on bullying me, and maybe…" he trailed off. "Now tell me why, despite the risk of erasing yourselves from existence, you and Doctor Brown are set on keeping traveling through time. Don't think I didn't suspect about those modifications to your truck."

"I…"

"Son. Marty. Look at me. Why?"

"Dad… the Doc went to the future. There's a catastrophe coming. Everybody will die unless we find a way to stop it."

George looked at his son's eyes, seeing a quiet horror in them. "I see. What can I do to help?"

Marty scratched his head, "I don't know, we are playing it by ear, Dad. We need to go to Japan and find out what happened. It will take time to prepare. Maybe months of work."

"And me incapacitated for months… but, I can help with planning, and surely other stuff. A coordinator, if you want. And I'm discreet."

"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it. I think the Doc and Jennifer will like your help."He visibly relaxed.

"I… um… for a moment I thought of asking if you could travel back and warn me about this, but I'd rather not risk a paradox." George shrugged. "So… what did you guys find at the other side? Must be terrible if you're so set in stopping it from happening.

Manor Brown
Doc's Worshop
Reading Table, Right Side

Doc examined carefully the available pictures in the cover article. He set the magnifying glass/desk lamp, and soon he was copying the visible parts of the proton pack.

He took copious notes, carefully labeling the visible parts.

On the text, he had circled the most interesting part of the article.

"Portable Nuclear Accelerator"

His notes had those same words, and next to them, the crucial part.

"Fission or Fusion?"

"Energy source?"

"1.21 Gigawatts?"

"Repeated discharges?"

"Multiple units usable simultaneously?"

"Contamination risks?"

"Call the Ghostbusters."

This last one was underlined three times.

New York City
Ghostbusters HQ
Ground Floor

"Well…that's it." Dr. Ray Stantz closed the door of the old fire station building. "No more ghostbusting…"

Winston Zeddemore patted the shoulder of his friend. "It was good while it lasted, Ray. At least you got to keep the place." He looked around, the building had been stripped bare of almost everything. He had kept the beds, and the services were paid for a couple of months.

"Yeah… no one wanted to buy it, so I'm stuck with the payments…" he waved his hands in a vague gesture of impotence, and dropped them at his sides.

"Buddy, I'll help with that. Least I can do for letting me stay."

"Thanks, Winston." Ray smiled sadly.

"Let me check with some friends; with some luck, we might get a job quickly."

"I'll get the papers."

Instrumentality
October the 26th, 2016

Inside the gestalt that was the last trace of Humanity, one of only three self-aware entities left in the world felt something she had thought lost forever.

Senses no human being ever possessed told her of the presence of an impossible anomaly.

A human soul, free of Instrumentality.

But…

If every human being had been absorbed, where had that soul come from? It was very far from the two she knew had escaped Instrumentality.

She would have felt any soul leaving the false paradise she had made for them.

The only two souls that had left of their own free will were in Japan.

This unknown soul shone bright in her senses. But translating that feeling into a place would take time.

Hours later, she had located the place. At the other side of the word.

Had she bothered with old, now meaningless names of places she had never known, she would have not recognized the name of a little city.

Hill Valley, California, USA.

When she arrived to investigate, she reconstructed a facsimile of the body she had before her apotheosis.

Before Third Impact.

To her surprise, when she arrived to Hill Valley, the soul was gone. Not absorbed back into the gestalt. It was completely gone. Except for a lingering trace, it was as if it had never been there.

The city was in complete silence, just as the rest of the world. The silence didn't bother her. It didn't even register in her mind.

So she searched the place. Methodically, as was her nature.

The only unusual thing she found was two lines of fire, burning bright in what had once been the parking lot of a mall.

She dissolved her body, and returned to Instrumentality.

Hours later, a second anomaly screamed at her senses.

Three human souls, existing free of Instrumentality.

Same place.

She returned to Hill Valley.

Author Notes:

(1) The magazine was one of several mock-up covers from the montage after the first successful ghostbusting job at the Sedgewick Hotel.

(2) I'm not really familiar with the kind of surgery needed, so please correct me if I'm wrong. I thought the medical staff would need access to the wound, and putting a cast on would be a risk of infection.

(3) Terminator does imply an stable time loop, just as George described. The movie was released in 1984. I'm not sure if Marty would have been allowed to watch it by himself, as it was rated R, but George would have surely loved it, and with Marty being interested in science, George would have suggested watching the movie as an entertaining outing. Cue awkward facepalming during the sex scenes.

Chapter 7: Meeting (At the Other Side)

Chapter Text

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm doing wrong (to correct it).

New York
Former Ghostbusters HQ
February the 9th, 1986

"Egon! What brings you here?" Ray Stantz opened the door, letting his colleague in.

"Hello, Ray. I received a very interesting letter. And I'd like to discuss its contents with you, if you have the time."

Ray scratched his head and checked his wristwatch, "Well... about forty minutes, I got a nice job managing a bookstore. Come up, I have a pot of coffee. Wanna breakfast?"

"So," Ray asked as he poured a second cup. "You got a grant, Uh?"

"Yes, I tried to convince the comitee to include you, but..."

Ray shrugged, "Don't worry, I know you tried. I appreciate it. To be honest, I'm a little wary of the academic side of things right now."

Egon Spengler shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "Ahem, yes. I'll try again next quarter. Now, about the reason for my visit, a few weeks ago, I got a curious letter from a Dr. Emmet L. Brown, from California. He has some questions about the specs of our proton packs. And has a proposal for us." He passed an envelope to Ray. "I made some discreet enquires about him, and he has the reputation of a complete crank in academic circles."

"One of us, Uh?"

"So it seems, but only in science. He was periferically related to some Top Secret research back in the late 1940s, he retired to his birth town in the 1950s, and since then, he has been working independently. Apart from quite a few eccentric projects that didn't work as intended, and which, confidentially, sound like ours; he has quite a few patents to his name. And he has an uncanny knack for discovering potential technological breakthroughs."

Ray glanced at the letter. Egon continued.

"He wants to cooperate with us. Based on his record, I calculate a probability of better than 89.57% he or his advisors have projected that the proton pack tech could have more applications than capturing ectoplasmic entities. Developing the proton pack tech into some kind of defibrillator that generates its own electric power, for example. That is something we never thought."

"But..."

"Ray," Egon leaned in, his eyes sparkling, "if this pans out, we could be at the forefront of truly revolutionary technology. With multiple applications."

"Umm... I..."

"Ray, right now, we four are drowning in debt. You and I hold the patent of the proton packs. Peter just wasted time trying to get laid. You and I did all the theoretical AND practical work. He didn't even sign on the patent papers. We can give him a share, but we have the rights to the patents, his input is not required."

"Yeah..." Ray looked down at the table.

"I can have a cousin of mine, recently graduated as a lawyer (1), draft a contract to protect our interests. Family discount, you know. Louis can manage the finance side. If this doesn't pan out, we keep the rights to our tech and all we lose is a little time. But if we can convert our nuclear accelerators into everyday technology... we would be..."

"Um... listen, Egon, I... I need to think things through. The bank repossessed my house and... well... the bookstore job is my lifeline right now."

"Of course, Ray." Egon patted Ray's shoulder awkwardly. "Brown will come to talk to us in a week. He wants to make his proposal in person." Egon stood up. "I'll show myself out, Ray. Lunch tomorrow? My treat."

"Ah, sure. Tony's?"

"11 sharp. See you there. If Winston can come too, he is very welcome. He has more street smarts than us three put together. I'd like his opinion."

"I'll ask him. See you tomorrow."

McFly House
Same Time

"See you later, honey. Give my regards to the girls!" George waved goodbye to his wife as she closed her car's door. He rolled his wheel-chair back into the house.

He turned back to Marty, and pulled an envelope from his pocket. "This arrived with the morning mail, son. Doc did invest on the stocks we agreed. I'll have to hire an accountant to reinvest the profits, and pay the taxes... ugh..."

"So... are we close to our goal?"

"I think we can safely say that by the end of the year we could be quite... um.. filthy rich. We are shareholders of some of the most productive firms in the West Coast and a few in the East."

"We did lose a few hundreds of bucks." Marty commented.

"Of course we did, and we will have to keep doing the same from time to time. Otherwise, somebody would suspect. And that would influence the market too much. No, we better lose a few and no one will suspect a thing."

"Who would have thought there were so many small business back in the 1960s that would yield nice profits twenty years later?"

"That's the thing, no one can really predict what technology will work in the market. Or which business will thrive. Not without hindsight. And a time machine to play it safe."

"Yeah, still, I wish we could have hired somebody to do the research, it was the most boring thing since Economics Class with Professor Stein... and that guy is a sure cure for insomnia!" (2)

"I've heard of him. Economics is not the most exciting class, to begin with." He shrugged. "How are you doing with the Japanese?"

"Struggling, dad. I more or less manage the spoken part, the written part is what really gets me stumped. They have several ways to write the same word, and it changes meaning depending on the symbols they use… But practicing with Jennifer sure is fun. She has a head for languages. I hope we can get much better by the time we actually go to Japan. According to Doc, the epicenter of Third Impact was most probably there, in Tokyo-3. What I don't know is how are we getting there."

"I have some ideas. The worst would be to get a ship stashed somewhere in the coast, jump to the future, and sail through the Pacific towards Japan. Transporting the cars and the plutonium would be a nightmare if we try in the present time. An accident and…"

"Yeah, we kill everybody around. Don't remind me."

"That's why Dr. Brown has been looking for alternate sources of energy."

"I really hope he finds a way. He decided that going back to 1955 and start working there… then… ah, forget that. He decided the risk of a paradox wasn't worth it. So he has been corresponding with other scientists and going to conferences and everything. The last parts for the truck will arrive in two weeks, and once we install them, the Toyota will be ready for its first time trip." He smiled.

San Francisco
San Francisco International Airport
Gate 5

"It looks like you've led a charmed life." Doc Brown had been talking to the distinguished old gentleman who had sat next to him during the flight. Now they were both waiting for their respective flights, Doc had charted a small plane to get closer to Hill Valley, while his companion was bound to Chicago.

The man was old but spry, his skin tanned by the sun. He had a patch over his right eye, and a set of eyeglasses with only the left glass on. Obviously, there was no need for the glass on the right side. He was using his fedora as an improvised fan.

"Oh, yes. I've seen much of this world. So much history." He smiled, "the good and the bad of people. And stuff you wouldn't believe. I was one of the first archeologists to be allowed access to the Dead Sea Scrolls. My father would have given his right hand to even see the urns they were found in, you know?"

Doc nodded. "I would dearly love to see them too. Although my favorite historical period is the Old West." His eyes glazed for a moment.

"Really? Well... back when I was a child, one of my neighbors was an old cowboy, one of the very last. Let me tell you what he told me back when I was just a brat in short-pants. He was a soldier in the Civil War, he lied about his age to enlist, but his past came back to haunt him, and I got caught in the middle of it…"

"You should have been in the movies, Professor Jones."

"In a way, I have." The old man nodded, "Secret of the Incas. 1954 (3) with Charlton Heston as my alter ego, Harry Steele. Little known these days. And quite tame compared to what actually happened. Still, I got a nice vacation at Peru with my wife, and we had the privilege to listen Yma Sumac sing. Lovely voice, like hearing the angels' choir (4)." He paused, looking up to the loudspeakers, "Oh, I think they are announcing my flight, Doctor Brown." Both kept silent, confirming that the connecting fight was ready to receive passengers; he stood up, and shook Doc's hand. "It's been a pleasure talking to you. If you ever go to Chicago, ask for me at the Oriental Institute. I'm the curator." He added with a proud smile, as he pulled a card from his pocket. "It would be a pleasure to show you our collection."

"I'll do so, Professor." Doc took the card, and patted his pockets until he found his own cards. "Here's mine. My speciality is technical science. Solving problems creatively. Who knows, maybe I could help you with something."

They shook hands, and followed their separate ways.

New York
Jackson & Jones Building
15th Floor, Meeting Room 3
February the 17th, 1986, 12:57 PM

"Egon, are you sure this is a good idea?" Dr. Raymond Stantz fidgeted with his tie. It had been a while since the last time he had worn one, and was out of practice.

"As much as the available data suggest, yes, I am. This is just a preliminary meeting. Winston? I trust in your opinion." Dr. Egon Spengler looked quite sharp, he was used to wearing bow ties, the better to keep the garment far from any potentially damaging chemicals.

"I'll be alert, Egon. I've dealt with my fair share of hustlers and con-men. Anything fishy, we get out of here and don't look back." Capt. Winston Zeddemore (5) tapped his fingers on the table.

"I'd rather we do this at the firehouse." Ray looked around, "This is kinda fancy."

"The building is in no shape for visitors." Egon noted. "The roof needs a serious overhauling, and there are not enough chairs for everybody. And that's just the building, the neighborhood has improved since we moved in, but it's not the best place for a good first impression."

"I know, but this place…" he waved around, "it may be rented, but it's more than I earn in a week. Per hour. I asked."

"It has all the accessories, I seriously doubt anybody would pay that much just for a con." Egon waved around. The meeting room had a phone/intercom, a slide proyector, blackboard with colored chalk, a mini fridge with soda cans, a coffee pot, and even high quality cookies, artisanal cookies. Not bought in bulk.

"It depends on the pot, Egon." Winston commented, taking a cookie from the platter. " Back in the Air Force, my crew and I managed to stiff a guy who had conned the granny of our drummer out of her savings. We got the money back, but had to pool our own money to sweeten the trap."

The phone rang, and Egon picked it up. "Yes? Aha. Of course. Thank you." He returned the phone to its cradle. "Brown and his helper are coming up. Look sharp."

They all checked their suits and ties were as neat as possible.

The door opened, and two men entered the room. The taller had a wild mane of white hair that gave him a passing resemblance to Albert Einstein. His eyes were bright and alert, with a certain spark of madness Ray recognized it from long experience. It was exactly the same look Egon had when engrossed in a problem.

"Good day, gentlemen!" The man said, "Glad to meet you, I am Dr. Emmet Brown." He put his portfolios on the table, And shook hands with Egon, Winston and Ray; while his companion, a kid of no more than 17 years, put a set of rolled plans on the table. "My young friend is my aide, Marty McFly."

"Hi! Nice to meet you, guys."

Once they had all shook hands, Doc pulled a chair, and invited everybody to sit down.

35 minutes, a bag of cookies, five cups of coffe and a soda later.

"This is exactly what I had hoped for! Clean energy, delivered at the push of a button."

"Doctor Brown, our proton packs are quite bulky and will require extensive modifications AND testing before we can be sure they can manage your requirements. 1.21 Gigawatts is a lot of energy. At the current output for one proton pack," Egon used his pocket calculator, "we will need three packs, and a way to synchronize them for a simultaneous release. Or find a way to increase the output." The next fine minutes consisted mainly of an exchange of technobabble between the three scientists.

"Of course, of course, Dr. Spengler. I had already taken that into account." Doc waved his hands excitedly, while Marty and Winston exchanged a look, both clearly thinking they had no idea of what the scientist had been talking about. "I have set a starting capital to cover the initial costs. Please, have your legal team contact mine, and draft a contract. I propose we start a new company, separate from both Brown Enterprises and Ghostbusters Inc."

Even Ray had gotten over his initial reticence, "We will need a name."

"Energy Incorporated."Egon proposed.

"Don't look at me, guys. I'm crap at naming things." Winston raised his hands.

"Lighting in a Bottle?" Ray scratched his head.

Marty was the last to propose a name. "Ah, well… the packs work with fusion, don't they? How about… Mr. Fusion?"

Ruins of Tokyo-3
March the 3rd, 2017

Shinji Ikari barely managed to get out of his bed in the best of days.

This was not a good day.

His head hurt. For his life, he now understood Misato a little better. Just a little; unlike happened with her, beer didn't loosen his inhibitions, it just drew out his melancholy. Shinji was certainly not a happy drunk. He was lucky his limit was very low, half a beer, and he was down for the count for the rest of the night.

He looked blearily at the empty beer can, and to the sealed container that held the second half of the beer. After realizing his limit, he took care to pour half of a can into a hermetic container before consuming the other half. That way, he still had beer for later. He still couldn't enjoy the taste, though, but other alcoholic beverages hit him even worse. So, he stuck to beer, and rigorously kept his intake to once a week.

He put a clean set of clothes, brushed his teeth to get rid of the evil taste in his mouth, and went to prepare two breakfasts. Along with two bentos.

By mutual, silent agreement, he took one to his room; and left the other on the table, covered with a lid. As he passed the one door with a lock, he knocked twice and kept on walking. Behind him, he heard the lock being opened.

He closed his door, and as he sat at the small desk to eat, he heard the front door open and close as he finished.

She never spent a single moment in his company if she could avoid it. He resignedly returned to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

On the door, a note detailed his companion's plan for the day. She would check the stores and houses in the east side, so he would stick to the west side.

He grabbed his backpack, a flashlight, spare batteries, and went to work.

Scavenging food and supplies.

Hoping to finally see another human face.

Just one.

Please.

I'll be good.

Please.

Help me.

Somebody.

Help me…

Ruins of Tokyo-3

Outside the city, there was a booming sound, followed by a flash of light. Then, a minute later, another boom and flash.

In normal circ*mstances, the noise and light would have been too far away to be noticed by the former Pilot. But in an empty, silent city, it was impossible to miss the disturbance.

Inside Instrumentality

The entity that had once called herself Rei Ayanami waited with inhuman patience.

The two free souls events had not repeated, her attention was focused on the area they had happened before, ready to manifest herself there.

The arrival of new souls at Tokyo-3 took her by surprise.

It took her a while to create a body, as all of her prepared work waited at the other side of the world.

Time to solve this mystery.

There was enough humanity in her for her first emotion was a distant annoyance at the change in plans the unexpected arrival brought. Had the souls manifested in the same place, she would have assembled a body in mere minutes. Now, it would take several hours.

Still, she knew where they were. And once she had everything necessary, she would meet them.

Their route was clear. They traveled towards the ruins of Tokyo-3. They stopped occasionally, gathered for a few minutes, and moved again.

They changed direction twice, probably to go around some obstacle.

Author Notes

(1) No, not Vincent Gambini; at this point in the timeline, Vinnie is still at school.

(2) Lets just say Professor Ben Stein moved to Chicago in 1986, before that, he lived in Hill Valley. Who's that guy, you ask? Ferris Bueller was his student.

(3) Secret of the Incas is one of the influences in the making of Indiana Jones. I thought it would be nice to have Professor Jones making an appearance here, much like in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

(4) Yma Sumac (1922/2008) was a Peruvian singer, she indeed acted in Secret of the Incas, and had a long career. Her control of her voice was amazing. Personally, I think she could have sung Diva Plavalaguna's part in The Fifth Element without needing any tricks; the first time I heard her was in a Cirque du Soleil show, Quidam. The part where John, the Clown, dances a mambo with a hatstand. The song is Gopher, from her album Mambo! (1954)

(5) Winston's job interview (for the Security Guard job) originally revealed a lot of his background. Turns out he was quite the bad-ass. According to the Ghostbusters Wiki (referencing the movie draft dated August 5, 1983) Winston was an Air Force Police Captain assigned to perimeter security at Reese Strategic Air Command base.

Chapter 8: Going Places

Chapter Text

Pohatchee Drive-In Teathre
March the 15th, 1986

"Three, two, one. Here it comes!"

In a flash, a black Toyota truck materialized in the middle of the old auto cinema park, still running at 88 MPH for a moment more. Its brakes engaged automatically, until it stopped. A cloud of cold vapor surrounded the truck. Marty and Jennifer approached it carefully, fire extinguishers on hand, just in case.

"Ah-hahaha!" Doc danced happily while the group waited for the vehicle to warm up again. "Success! 1.21 Gigawatts! One minute into the future! And no plutonium!" He tapped the remote control on his hands, flipped a few switches off, and the rumbling of the motor stopped. He pushed the antenna in, and switched the RC off.

George McFly smiled like a kid in a candy shop. "Amazing!" He limped heavily, leaning on a steel cane. "What did you use for fuel then?"

"Well, for this test, distilled water, I need to do some tests with other substances, but if the residues are low enough, we could use sea water, soda, even garbage!"

"Hey, Doc! I think we can open it now!" Marty shouted. The truck was still enveloped in thick clouds, a product of the intense cold caused by time travel interacting with the water in the air. However, the cloud was smaller in size to the first one, as the day was very hot and dry.

"Wait for us, son!" George hobbled towards the truck, as fast as he could.

"Would you do the honors, George?" Doc smiled, holding a thick gardening glove for the writer to take.

George put the glove on, and carefully, opened the door. On the driver's seat, a cage containing a Guinea Pig. The animal wrinkled its nose, and stood up on its hind legs, smelling the air. Jennifer took it out. "Who's a brave time-traveler?" She cooed. "You are, Herbert!"

"Herbert?" Marty asked, "He looks more like a Robbie."

"Herbert," Doc said firmly, "In honor of Herbert George Wells, author of The Time Machine."

"Herbert," Jennifer nodded. "The one at home is Georgina, she was George until we realized she was a she."

Marty scratched his head. "So... that's why you only brought one."

"We have no idea of how, and even if, time travel could affect a pregnancy." Doc explained.

Marty blushed crimson, raising a finger as his mouth worked on some words that never were actually formed, while Jennifer enjoyed his embarrassment. "Yup, that's how I knew. Busted!"

"Ah, hum... erm," Desperate to change the subject, Marty looked around, "So, what do we do with the plutonium we stored..."

"Nothing, we keep it hidden in the mine, moving it is dangerous anyway. I used a few charges to set up funds for our work. The rest may stay there until it degrades into something less dangerous. At the moment, we need not to worry about it being found, the mine has no more ore to extract, the land around it is useless, and I will convert the area into a small natural preserve for endangered desert species." Doc said, while focused on taking a few blood samples off of Herbert.

"You... You own the land?" Marty stammered.

"Of course! When I went back to 1960, I convinced the previous owners to will it to me. I paid them good cash for the privilege. They were very happy to do so. I asked them to make sure It would be transferred to me this year, two weeks ago, in fact. I signed the last documents yesterday."

"Why didn't you simply buy it directly? Back then, I mean." Marty scratched his head.

Doc and George exchanged a look, and said in synch, "Taxes!"

"All of our heavy investments have to be carefully managed. I could go to any year since I've been an adult, buy property or make investments on my own name, but I'd have to pay the taxes for it. It's not like I managed to get most of our initial investment capital in 1984. I'm not sure my 1955 self could manage the investments AND still invent the time machine at the same time. Plus the risk of a paradox that could stop us from finding out about Third Impact. No, too much risk. "

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, Doctor Brown." Jennifer passed him a tray to put the blood samples. "I mean, the money. You told Marty you used up the family's fortune to make the Flux Capacitor, where did you get so much money?"

Doc put Herbert back in its cage, "I went back to 1938, and bought several comic books. I then put them in the bottom of a chest in my house, one belonging to my late aunt Charlotte, full of personal effects I never touched but kept for sentimental reasons. Conveniently, I found them this year, and auctioned them. Turns outany issues of Action Comics issue number 1 are really valuable. Even more if they are in good condition. As you can imagine, mine are practically perfect grade." (1)

"I still have some Detective Comics issue 27 stored." He added with a smirk. "Those will be auctioned later this year. The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man issues I got in the 1960s will appear in George's attic later on."

Jennifer looked confused. "Comics? Why are those valuable? Aren't those like a dollar each?"

George answered, "Those are the first published appearances of Superman and Batman. They are very rare nowadays. First, because back then, comics were disposable entertainment. So, most people just threw them out as garbage, or resold them to places like barber shops. Or even used them for bird cages or to wrap fish. With WWII, there was paper rationing, and newspapers and comics were recycled aggressively. Only a few of those comics survived to our days, and some collectors are willing to pay a lot for those. The other two are from before the big collecting boom, They are valuable too, just not so much."

"Well said!" Doc approved, "Now, just between us, I also took the chance to get a few books autographed, but those are just personal stuff, I wouldn't sell those." He winked. "Back to the point, the modifications Doctors Stantz and Spengler did to their proton packs to convert them into fusion generators work as expected. Now, let's give it time to return to normal; meanwhile, it's time to test the DeLorean, if everything goes as expected, we could take the vehicles to present day Japan, and time travel to Ground Zero of the event, without any need to transport that plutonium out of the country."

George cleared his throat. "My publisher has been pestering me lately about some cartoon studio wanting to buy the rights to adapt one of my short stories as a movie. And as it happens, it is based right in Japan. We can make it a family trip. It would be the perfect cover. I go to discuss the adaptation with the studio execs, and bring the family for a nice trip. Decorating the cars with anime characters would be the perfect way to get them there. It would also explain all the stuff we put on them."

"I'll have to ask my parents. I don't think they will let me go. Not alone. Specially to a foreign country with my boyfriend."

"Chaperone?" Marty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My aunt Marsha, most probably." She sighed.

"That is going to cause some problems," Doc mused. "Miss Parker, we might have to work around her to travel in time."

New York City
Thurgood Marshall U. S. Courthouse
March the 24th, 1986

"It is the decision of this court that you four, individually or in group, shall refrain from participating in any and all activities related, in any way or form, to capturing or storing supposed paranormal entities. Is that clear?"

"Very clear, your Honor." The lawyer said. "My clients ask if they can, instead, repurpose their equipment to different activities."

"Only in the privacy of their homes or workplaces, asumming their employers or partners have no objection. They must give written permission beforehand."

Peter Venkman opened his mouth, ready to comment sarcastically, but Egon Spengler squeezed Peter's thigh under the table, hissing a sharp "Shut up!"

"Well, boys, I guess that's the best deal we're gonna get. The suits have been managed, you're not in jail, and you are now free to go."

"Mr. Curry, thank you. We really appreciate your help." Ray Stantz was the first one to shake the lawyer's hand. His friends and companions did the same.

"All part of the service. Though normally I work with lower profile cases, it was good to flex the old grey cells. Your friend, Dr. Brown, was very emphatic I had to do my best. Now, if you want to renegociate the terms of the contract with him, I can suggest a good firm at the other side of the building. I can't do it myself, as I represent Dr. Brown's interests."

Egon looked around, not seeing any disagreement on his friends faces, he said "No, no. It won't be necessary. We are content with the current arrangement."

"Great, I hope you'll consider moving to the West Coast, the weather is nicer, and you'll be closer to Brown Industries, I myself will retire to Hill Valley once I settle my last cases and my sons take over the firm. The weather is mild and the place is still deciding if it's a big town or a small city, the best of both worlds."

Peter Venkman snorted noisily, "Hill Valley? What kind of ridiculous name is that? It's either a Hill or a Valley!" He chuckled.

"Ah, I confess I asked that to Dr. Brown, though a bit more diplomatically. You know what he said?" He paused, "The town was founded in a valley, by a man named Jonah Hill." Mockingly, he lowered his eyeglasses to look at Peter. "So, the place should be called ' Hill's Valley', but you know how things go."

Peter Venkman shrugged, "Ah, well. I had to ask. Aaanyway, I'll stay, I have a tv show in the works and I'm sure it will be a hit. Psychic phenomena, alien sightings, Elvis watch, Bigfoot tracks, the fun stuff. So, I guess we will be staying, right, guys?" He paused for a moment. No one answered, "Guys?"

"I am considering the benefits of an environmental change." Egon said, he took his glasses off, and proceeded to clean them with a small cloth. "As long as I have access to a clean and well stocked lab, I can manage. Testing behavioral stress in couples can be disruptive."

Winston Zeddemore couldn't decide if he wanted to chuckle or gasp. "I'll need a couple of days to think things thru. See everybody later?" He gathered his things and put everything into a backpack.

Ray slapped Winston back. "Sure, Winston. I'll see you at HQ."

Egon put his glasses back on, adjusting them by pushing the bridge up his nose. "You go, I have to check some stuff with Louis. He has been busy with our accounts, trying to keep them in the black. I want to see just how much we have to our names."

"Say hi to him, Egon." Ray said, "I'll go check on HQ, close it tight."

Japan
Kanagawa Prefecture
Hakone
March the 31th, 1986

"What are we doing here, Doc? I thought we would have to go to Tokyo." Marty asked, scratching his head. He and Doc were at the highest floor of the hotel. Doc looked through binoculars, while Marty took notes of Doc's findings.

"Tokyo-3, Marty." The scientist answered, still looking at the outskirts of the city. "According to the history books we got from the high school, the original Tokyo was practically destroyed. This is the place the new capital of Japan was to be established . While it was built, a provisional capital was established at the Nagano Prefecture, renaming the city of Matsumoto as Tokyo-2. Turns out that plan was abandoned when the Angels began to attack Tokyo-3, leaving the former Matsumoto as the permanent capital of Japan. So, here we are. Hakone, future site of Tokyo-3."

"Ah, yes. Got it. Doc, when are we checking on the future?"

"Well… we need to study the place, determine where is most probable to reach 88 mph without crashing onto something, and all that. I'm glad we can communicate passably, but Jennifer is our best reader. We will need her with us. Let's give it a week while we check on the city maps. I think we could even make our own luck in that aspect."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's check with your father and Jennifer first. Turns out your mother really likes this city. That could be the perfect excuse."

"What?"

"Well… while George and his translator work the details for the cartoon movie, we are officially on holiday. Your mother insisted on doing some tourism, and said she liked the city. So, being filthy rich, your father is considering buying a house here as his anniversary gift to her."

"Really?"

"Really." Doc looked at Marty, "Really! He is actually considering it. He said, and I quote, 'If Arthur C. Clarke can move to Sri Lanka, I can get a place in Japan. I think it's a really good idea. Though your parents would have to learn the language."

Marty shrugged, "She is learning it. She can say some simple phrases from the tourist's guide, though she has to check it constantly. Dad is a bit ahead, but needs a lot of practice."

"Ah, well… we all do. I was surprised at how off we sound." Doc waved a hand.

"Yeah… we sound like children!"

"As in anything, practice is the key." Doc pontificated. "C'mon, let's check with our guide if we can buy land, we need a good place out of the city, preferably out of the way. Not too remote, and cheap."

Toronto, Canada
Abril the 2nd, 1986

"Egon, What are we doing here?" Winston said, while looking at a very strange machine. It looked like parts of a giant motorcycle.

"Brown Enterprises received an interesting bit of info. We are here to evaluate the possible applications of an experimental system." Egon walked around the damaged lab equipment. There were several marks of shotgun fire, and a particularly nasty stain on the floor, amons a mottled collection of smaller stains. It was worse than the floor of the Ghostbusters HQ when they had first enter that building.

"The original sponsor withdrew his support after the inventor of this got involved in several deaths, including his own, and is trying to recoup his investment; the scandal could make his stock drop drastically." Egon's mouth twisted in disgust, as he realized he had stepped on something sticky, he dragged his shoe on the floor to remove the offending piece of candy. Once he was sure he was free, he continued, "Dr. Brown has interest in all kinds of novel theories and inventions. So, he needs somebody to check out if they are solid and promising."

"So, kinda poaching?"

"No, of course not. The plan is to encourage young inventors, not to rob them." Egon lowered his spectacles to look at a file. "Remember our own case. The proton packs we used to capture ghosts had potential we didn't see. Now they are the basis for portable fusion generators. In a few years, once we miniaturize them, they will revolutionize the world! And Ray and myself retain the rights to our original invention, plus a very nice share of the derived patents. Everybody is happy with the arrangement."

"Yeah, I got that. I'm not exactly a science-guy, but I have a very generous check each month, and a great medical and dental plan." Winston looked at a discarded mug. "But I feel like a grave robber here."

"Ironic, considering our previous job involved the dead too, though those were much more active. I must say." Egon wrote several notes in his clipboard. "I'll have the Currys check if this guy had any living relatives, and start the buying of the lab, everything except the building. I think this has potential."

As they left, they closed the building. A faded sign proclaimed it was sponsored by Bartok Industries.

Ruins of Tokyo-3
Outskirts of the City
March the 3rd, 2017

Two vehicles appeared on a deserted track of pavement. It had been built as a private racing strip for an eccentric writer. Actually, though it had been used as such, that was not its true purpose.

Its true purpose was to ensure a safe place for two time-traveling vehicles to arrive.

The first one to arrive was a silver DeLorean, covered by a lot of anime characters, lovingly painted in perfect detail, including a chibi version of its owner. The second was a black Toyota truck, with a similar paint job.

"Man, this place looks like a war zone!" Marty said, passing the binoculars to Doc. Next to them, Jennifer took some pictures.

Doc pointed at an enormous hole in the ground. "It might very well be. Look! I can see signs of multiple detonations around that hole."

"It looks like it's gonna fall down at any time." Jennifer used the telephoto lens to look at the place.

"I agree wholeheartedly. We must stay away from that area."

"Um, Doc..?"

"Something the matter, Marty?"

"Yeah, check the streets."

"Hmm… there's a lot of debris, but we can manage. Both vehicles have reinforced tires."

"No, it's not that. There's something weird about the streets, but I can't put my finger on it."

The three travelers scrutinized the city, it was Jennifer who realized what bothered Marty. "The streets are mostly empty! Just a few cars here and there, but a city this size should have many cars and trucks. I can't see any public transport buses either. Except for those train tracks, but not even a single train."

Doc's mouth was dry, "it's like the city was already empty when the Event hit." He took a sip from a water bottle. "Maybe… maybe they were at war when the Event hit. The people gone or in bunkers."

He adjusted his binoculars. "I can't see clothes anywhere. Though maybe the wind or the rain took them away."

"What's that?" Marty mumbled. "There's something moving there!" He pointed at a building at the other side of a small park.

"I don't see… anything…" said Doc after a minute.

"I swear I saw something move!"

"Let's go down, we might find it, hopefully we can find some kind of recording of the Event."

They left the Delorean parked at the garage. The truck was a better choice to navigate the damaged streets of Tokyo-3.

Marty did a double take at the unexpected sight in front of him. A scrawny teenager ran directly in front of his truck.

"Marty, stop!" Jennifer grabbed Marty's arm, while her boyfriend hit the brakes hard. Fortunately, they were traveling slowly, due to the damage on the streets. In the back seat, Doc was already scrambling to get out the truck.

The boy stopped in front of the truck, twin streams of tears flowing freely down his sunken cheeks. He fell to his knees, babbling incomprehensible words.

Immediately, Doc was next to the boy, awkwardly patting his back. "(Easy, easy. We here to help.)"

The boy grabbed Doc's arms, as if trying to convince himself the older man was real.

Marty and Jennifer stood next to the pair. Marty had brought a water bottle with him, and offered it to the boy. "(Here. Drink. Feel better.)" His Japanese was still very basic.

The boy took the water gingerly, a broken smile upon his face. With trembling hands, he took the bottle, and drank greedily.

"What is he saying, Doctor Brown? Can you understand him?"

Doc had enveloped the boy in an awkward hug, and rocked him softly. "I'm not sure. Not completely, it's something like, 'You came back. You're real.' Maybe he knows our future versions, if we are living in Japan as we discussed, or even visiting."

"And the ' You're real' part?" Marty asked.

"Maybe… maybe he has been alone for too long and has been seeing people? Hallucinating?"

"That would be my guess, Miss Parker. Now, help me get him in the truck."

Inside Instrumentality

Shinji had met the strangers. Rei Ayanami watched them interact with him.

She hurried up the making of her new body.

Author Notes

(1) I got this bit from the BTTF wiki, it's the game explanation of how did Doc get the money he carries in his portfolios in the second movie.

Chapter 9: Conspiracy Hypothesis

Chapter Text

Trigger Warning.

Reference to murder and suicide.

Ruins of Tokyo-3

"Doc? What do we do now?" Marty asked, while Jennifer guided the sobbing survivor to sit down on the sidewalk.

Doc looked wildly around, as if expecting a horde of survivors to arrive. "Well… I think we should wait a few minutes for our friend to calm down a bit. I am very relieved to find a survivor, I hope he will be able to tell us what in tarnation (1) happened here, and how he survived the Event. If it is repeatable, maybe we could use the same method to actually observe it."

"Observe it?" Marty asked, agitated by the idea. "Doc, I don't think that would be a good idea. What if whatever it was fails? Or if we are wrong about whatever it was?"

"Good point, Marty, very good point." Doc opened the first aid kit, and very slowly, spoke to the still sobbing survivor, in halting Japanese, tapping at his own chest. "(We come in peace. Let us see you health.)" (2)

The boy looked at Doc, and answered with a voice that seemed rough from lack of use, "(- — — medical exam?)

(Yes. Not my style, but I do mine best.)

The boy frowned, "(Are you a doctor?)"

"(Not medicine, just First Help, fine?)

Marty squatted next to them, and offered the boy a cereal bar. "(Wanna eat?)"

The boy nodded, and gingerly took the bar from Marty's hand. "Thank you." He said, in hesitant English. He opened the wrapping, and bit into the bar with tears in his eyes, "Fresh. Where you find?"

Doc looked at his young companions, then to the boy, "Seems your English is better than our Japanese." He smiled, "I'm Doctor Emmet Brown," again, he tapped at his chest, then he tapped at Marty's shoulder, "my friends are Marty McFly," Marty waved, "and Jennifer Parker." She nodded and said "Hi!"

"I'm Ikari, Shinji." He bowed his head, "I thinked I was the only one, apart from Asuka."

Doc kept on examining Shinji, there were a couple of scratches on his hands and one knee, efficiently, he disinfected then, and put band-aids on the small wounds. "And done. We'll change these tomorrow, okay?" He closed the kit. "Could you tell us what happened here? Who is Asuka?" (3)

"You don't remember? The Angel attacks? Third Impact?" Shinji asked, disbelief in his voice.

Marty shook his head, "It's complicated, just begin at the beginning."

Shinji took a sip of water, "Could we go somewhere else first?"

Jennifer nodded at the enquiring looks of Doc and Marty. "This place is creepy enough. Shinji, where's your home?"

He sighed, "it's close, I'll show you." He hesitated, "c-could we look for some food first? There are stores we haven't checked yet, but are far from the apartment." He pointed towards the edge pf the ruined city.

"Sure. We can carry a lot in the back of the truck." Marty said.

While they recovered all the cans and prepackaged food they could put on the truck's back, Shinji began his tale, though he would have to stop frequently, when the tale came to a specially traumatic point. Doc listened intently, using his small tape recorder to record his story for later review.

It was clear he skipped some parts, as his narrative jumped abruptly to him finding another survivor, his fellow pilot.

"Asuka and I are still at Misato's apartment, but we barely speak to each other. Could be worse, I guess."

Doc put the last box of instant soup in the truck. "How exactly could it be worse? I fail to imagine a worse thing than being the only two survivors."

Marty and Jennifer answered at the same time. "Being the only survivor."

Doc gasped. "I… I stand corrected."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
Stantz and Spengler Workshop
Three Weeks After the Trip to Canada

"Hmm…" Dr. Egon Spengler adjusted his eyeglasses over his nose. "This is very unusual."

He turned the screen towards his friend, "Ray? Your opinion?"

Dr. Ray Stantz grabbed his pocket calculator and began to execute several equations, noting the results in his notebook. "Very unusual indeed, Egon. Could this actually be true? Teleportation? And Batrok Industries just let you guys buy the whole lot?"

"Yes, the CEO was in a hurry to get rid of everything Dr. Brundle had worked in. You read the police report?"

"No, I was designing the new system for the Mr. Fusion. I think we can shrink it to about the size of a big suitcase. We need some exotic alloys to work with. What happened?"

Egon nodded, "Very good, Ray. I'll see about getting those alloys." He set down a note in his planner. "Batrok Industries works in a similar way to Brown Enterprises, they sponsor interesting projects, help with financing, and partner with promising inventors to commercialize their patents. Apparently, one of their low priority projects was the idea of a scientist by the name of Seth Brundle, but he was involved in a couple of murders, and disappeared." (4) He took his glasses off to clean them. "The police found two corpses in the premises, identified as Veronica Quaife, Brundle's girlfriend, and Sthatis Borans, her exboyfriend and then editor of Particle Magazine."

"Never heard of it." Ray scratched his head.

"Limited circulation, but well regarded."

"What happened?"

"According to the police report, the most probable chain of events is this: a jealous Borans arrived to Brundle's lab to either threaten him into cutting ties with Miss Quaife or shoot him to death, possibly along Quaife herself. During the resulting fight, Brundle snapped Stathis' neck, almost certainly in self-defense. However, a stray shot killed Quaife; it is not known if Borans was alive the moment the shotgun went off. Brundle fled the place and hasn't been seen since. Bartok's CEO wants to distance the company from this scandal. Hence, his selling everything to Brown Enterprises." (4)

"Wow… no wonder they sold it cheap…" Ray passed his hand over his forehead.

"Curry's sons are working with Canadian lawyers to ensure whatever we can get from Brundle's research will be Brown Enterprises property. They have people looking for Brundle's next of kin, so we can pay them any royalties due. Never again, Ray. We just got out of a nasty set of lawsuits, I don't want another. It if means we have to pay a bunch of kids or ladies with cats, so be it."

Ray nodded, "Yeah… I hope to save enough to buy my house again…"

Egon tapped Ray's shoulder. "Mr. Fusion should be enough for that. Just give it a few years, a single unit can power a house without any problem. We just need to pass the EPA tests before going commercial. Doing it from here in California, through Brown Enterprises, means we won't have to deal with that guy… what's his name?" He snapped his fingers several times, Ray shrugged, "The idiot who pulled the switch on the containment unit." Egon shook his head, remembering the resulting chaos. "Anyway, once we get the EPA approval, we could start with portable generators for emergencies or camping.

Ray tapped the desk with the end of his pen. "Egon… do you think they could come back as, you know, ghosts? Violent death is correlated with many cases of ghosts."

"I won't discard the possibility now that you mention it. Let me get the PKE Meter. Emotionally charged events are another correlated factor. Though neither Winston nor I got any reports about ghostly activities at Brundle's loft during the interviews with the neighbors. He did use a few lab animals, up to a baboon, that was their only complaint; the baboon has been removed from the premises before the deaths. Though maybe there's a sort of incubation period before any manifestation."

"It seems to be the case. Usually the first reports are dated a few months after the victims's death." Ray noted.

"Let's keep it as a side project, Ray. Things are going well so far. I don't wish to alienate Doctor Brown. I'll inform him when he returns. He did give his permission as our nominal boss, but I would prefer to proceed with his acknowledgment. Using the PKE meter would be covered as passive use of our equipment. If we keep it on while we work it will alert us in case a ghost manifest, and won't interfere with our research."

Instrumentality.

The entity once known as Lilith and Rei Ayanami watched the encounter with senses no human could conceive.

Her body was almost ready, but the changes in location had delayed its preparation. At least they had not tried to harm Shinji. To the contrary, they seemed genuinely worried for him and eager to help him.

The former pilot had desperately latched onto them. The loneliness and rejection of his situation had taken its toll on him. He had never been particularly social, but now he was acting extremely emotional.

Outside the Apartment Building
48 Minutes Later

Marty parked the truck in front of the building Shinji had guided them to. They began to discharge the boxes, when Shinji dropped a bag of cans. He was deathly pale, his eyes wide open and his jaw hanging down. He trembled uncontrollably.

"Shinji! Are you okay?" Marty asked, grabbing him by the shoulders. Jennifer gasped, following his eyes.

At the other side of the street, the blue-haired girl stood unmoving.

Quickly, Doc pulled out a camera, taking several pictures in quick succession. "Amazing!" He mumbled, "She is the spitting image of the one we saw in Hill Valley!"

"Um, Doc? I think she is really the same girl!"

Jennifer nodded, "Even the way she stands is the same."

"(Hello, Miss.)" Doc greeted her, in hesitant Japanese. "(Could we talk?)"

Shinji finally found his voice, "(Ayanami? Is that you? Really you?)"

"(You know she?)" Marty asked.

"(I was Rei Ayanami. She is still a part of me, but I am also Lilith.)" She spoke in perfect English, with a barely noticeable Japanese accent, looking at Shinji as she walked towards the group. She turned her eyes towards the newly arrived, "(You are not, you we're not, part of Instrumentality. Who are you and how did you evade the Gestalt?)" (5)

The time-travelers exchanged an awkward look.

"Um…" Marty said, putting his hand up, "What's Instrumentality?"

A strange expression crossed Rei's face. Utter and absolute incomprehension.

Shinji looked at them. His eyes firmly on the ground before him. "Third Impact… Third Impact caused everybody's souls to…" he gulped, "…to…" he stumbled back until he was against the wall, and fell on his knees, hiding his face behind his hands, crying openly. Jennifer knelt beside him, and passed an arm over his shoulders in a half-hug.

Ayanami seemed to appear next to them, and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. The boy trembled at the contact, torn between acceptance and rejection. She looked at the others. "Instrumentality was the last step in human evolution." She stood up, "All human souls ascended into a composite being, their fondest desires granted in Instrumentality. All human souls now reside in the sea of souls. Except for those souls who rejected the fusion, all human souls are a part of Instrumentality. I am its Keeper. You three have never been a part of Instrumentality."

Marty had to sit down. His mouth opened and closed several times, until he found his voice when he felt Jennifer's hand in his. "That's… that's horrible…"

Doc leaned back on the truck, his eyes wild and his hands shaking. "Forced evolution!"

"Humanity had reached an evolutionary blind alley."

"Preposterous!" Doc exclaimed. "Who decided that? On what criteria?"

"The Human Instrumentality Comitee." Rei answered, calmly.

"A Comitee?" Doc scoffed, interrupting her. "A Comitee designs a racing horse for Florida and you get a camel in the North Pole!" He swing his hands wildly. "Who gave them such power? Forget that, must have been a bunch of idiots!"

"Self-appointed positions, from the UN higher echelons, the Comitee was formed after Second Impact."

"As I said, idiots! As long as there is life, there is hope, Miss Ayanami! They not only committed suicide! They dragged everybody with them! You want to see an evolutionary blind alley?" He pointed at the Red Sea, anger in his voice. "It's right there! I am sure not many people will come out from there! Why should they? Everything is perfect there, isn't it?" He ranted. "Eternal and unchanging Paradise I bet!"

Rei gave a half-step back, pushed back by Doc's anger.

"They took away the most precious gift Mankind has." He shook his head, "Had. Has. Our Free Will. We could have…"

"Earth's ecosystem was deemed inviable after Second Impact." Rei noted. "Extinction was a matter of time."

"Oh, suuuure. And things are better now?" He answered sarcastically. "It wouldn't surprise me if Second Impact was deliberately caused by some idiot. That fairy tale about the meteorite in Antarctic stinks to a cover-up."

Rei kept silent. Doc snapped from his rant. "It was deliberate, wasn't it?"

She nodded slowly.

"Wonderful! Just wonder… ful…" Doc interrupted himself, his eyes unfocused. He began to laugh and dance like a puppet with the strings tangled.

Shinji raised his head, a small smile on his lips. It had been too long since he had heard laughter. Honest, happy laughter. Sarcastic cackling didn't count. "Is he okay?"

Marty squeezed Shinji's shoulder. "Oh, yes. He just had an idea. He will come back in a minute."

Author Notes

(1) Doc's love for the Old West shows.

(2) Neither of the three time travelers is really fluent in Japanese, and Shinji's English is very basic. Hopefully, I'm not too far from the kind of mistakes people learning a new language would make.

(3) In public releases, the age of the pilots is not mentioned. NERV kept a tight control over the information about the pilots. They even tapped on telephone calls, as Shinji found out during a call from Kensuke.

(4) Most of the events in The Fly happened as in canon. However, in this timeline, Veronica Quaife and Stathis Borans confronted the mutated Brundle. Borans tried to shoot him, but Brundle snapped his neck. As he died, a stray shot killed Veronica. But Brundle didn't flee the scene as the police believes; Veronica's death snapped him back to sanity, and he used the telepod to commit suicide by disintegration. There are several reasons why Batrok Industries sold them the project; one, they have no accounts of the telepods working, two, there is no hybrid baby; and three, having their scientist reported as a fugitive from a crime scene is a major scandal. The telepods are mostly intact, and Egon is working on recovering the data in Brundle's computer. At this point, he has the basic equations, and both he and Ray are smart and knowledgeable enough to understand Brundle's work. The technical details are a very different thing, and will require extensive work.

(5) An inevitable but never addressed effect of time travel to the future is that any traveler's departure to a future point of the timeline, implies their absence from the main timeline during the intervening time. Einstein traveled one minute into the future in the DeLorean's first trip, and during that minute, for all practical purposes, Einstein ceased to exist as part of the universe. Doc's departure from 1985 means that there was a timeline he wasn't a part of, between 1985 and 2015 (or 2016, for this story). The moment he returns from the future opens a new timeline that includes him again (replacing the other timeline in the process). That's the one we actually see in the movies and in this story.

Chapter 10: Big Trouble in a Little Planet

Chapter Text

Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment

In the future

Shinji wasn't sure what he had expected Asuka to do, but hysterical laughter was not in the list, that was for sure.

When he realized the cause was the presence of the new arrivals, Shinji had pushed everybody out, asking them to go to the next-door apartment; and sat down with her while her shoulders shook with each guffaw. Five or six minutes later, the German-raised Pilot finally began to wind down. She had the hiccups.

"Are you… are you Okay, Asuka?" he looked at her, worried that his only companion for so long could be losing her mind,

She tittered, shaking her hair away from her face. She had discarded the A-10 clip connectors long ago, and cut her hair short. Shinji wasn't sure why she had done that, when before Third Impact, both her long red hair and the A-10 connectors were such an inseparable part of her, she prided on both to an almost sickly degree. He couldn't fathom why she had left both behind, and long and bitter experience dissuaded him from asking.

"No. I'm not okay, you Baka! I just hallucinated more people! No one else had come out from the sea! And now not only three Americans appear here, right in Tokyo-3! Ayanami is back! Just like she was before detonating herself and somehow surviving that!" She broke into a new fit of laughter, she tried to say more, but couldn't form the words. "It's not enough for me to see Misato, and Hikari and the others, now I'm seeing people I don't know too!" she sobbed, pushing Shinji away.

At the Apartment Across the Hall

"Um…" Marty began, "what now?"

Jennifer looked in the kitchen, and found the stash the survivors had stored there. "There's water, instant soup, lots of cans of tuna and vegetables, coffee, tea, and jerky. Not the best diet, but I guess the perishables went bad without electricity for the fridges…"

Ayanami sat primly at the kitchen table, her left hand over the right, waiting patiently for Doc to finish pacing and mumbling. Her crimson eyes followed each of his movements.

Finally, Doc stopped.

"What exactly happened here, Miss Ayanami? I need to know the what, the how, the who, the where and the when; everything you know about Second Impact. The unabridged version, please."

"It is a very long story, Doctor Brown."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Wanda's Dinner (1)
Present Time

Dr. Egon Spengler waited at the bar. Not the kind of establishment he liked to frequent, but the man he was waiting for asked to meet him there, something about the lemon pie they served there. While he waited, Egon used his time productively, jotting down notes for possible projects to discuss later with Dr. Brown.

"Hey, You! Four eyes!" A gruff voice interrupted his train of thought. He turned around to face an older guy, with a pugnacious look in his eyes, short blond hair, crooked smile, and wearing a green sweatshirt and pants, the chest of his shirt, visible under the sweatshirt, was emblazoned with the logo of "Biff's Auto Detailing"

Brazenly, the guy took Egon's notes and examined them with dismissive air. "A brain, Uh? I'm looking for somebody to do my taxes, and guess what, butthead? You just got recruited."

'Great,' Egon though, 'A bully." It was clear the man had no idea of the differences between accounting and exotic physics.

"Keep on looking, I am not an accountant." He grumbled, and with a sharp movement, Egon snatched his notebook from the man's grip.

"You don't get it, butthead. You are gonna do my taxes, period. End of discussion."

Egon put his notes in the inside pocket of his jacket. "No. I won't. There is no discussion. Now go away." At this point, most of the customers were beating a strategic retreat. Egon noted this, and filed the fact in his mental analysis process

"Or what?" The man leaned threateningly over Egon, who was busy interpreting the clues his opponent practically oozed with each movement. 'He is one or two inches taller than me, but he is clearly out of shape. Clothes chosen for comfort instead of exercise. Used to get what he wants through intimidation of weaker people. Most probably a washed-out athlete, school thug, or both."

"Or I will be forced to recur to stern measures." Egon straightened up, planting his feet firmly on the ground, and surreptitiously moving his hand towards the plate that still had half a sandwich.

The thug laughed, "You are out of your deep, nerd. I'll have to make like a teacher and show you a lesson." He popped his knuckles in a threatening display.

'It's this guy for real?' Egon asked himself. "Be so kind to use the right metaphors, it's 'Teach you a lesson" not "Show you a lesson."

Predictably, the man lunged towards Egon. The scientist simply sidestepped to the right, grabbing the plate and hiding it at his back, while he kicked the man's back foot, making him stumble forwards. The guy managed to grab the seat Egon had been on, preventing his fall.

He turned around, with a murderous look in his eyes, "I'll make you eat those notes!" He growled, pushing himself off the seat.

Before he got completely up, Egon struck him with the plate on the side of the head, stunning him.

Still, Biff Tannen had some fight left in him, and threw a punch at -Egon, who caught the arm at the wrist, and pulled. Biff lost his footing, and fell heavily over a recently vacated table, his sweatshirt collected the scraps of food left in the plates.

Egon took two steps back, preparing himself for the next attack. Biff took a fork, the tines pointing downwards.

The former Ghostbuster took an empty serving tray from another table, and used it to strike at Biff's hand; on the return, he struck at his face, hitting him sideways. Enraged, Biff tried to tackle Egon to the ground, where his own weight would work to his advantage, but only received another two hits to the face.

Groggily, Biff still mumbled unintelligible threats against Egon, his eyes crossing. He stumbled back, one step, two, three, and crashed against a man entering the dinner. He was tall, his brown hair cut in a mullet, he wore a sleeveless shirt, with a drawing of a Chinese demon and a princess on the front, jeans, and soft leather brown boots, the handle of a knife clearly visible over the top of the right boot. "Whoa, man! You okay?" He asked, holding Biff straight by the shoulders.

"Shut up, you hippie." Biff mumbled, turned, and tried to punch the man. The new arrival caught the fist, twisted the arm, and put Biff in a painful headlock.

"Adjust your attitude, Buddy. As Jack Burton likes to say, "Don't start none and there won't be none." Now go home, and sleep it off." He pushed Biff outside, he stumbled a few steps until he missed the step at the end of the sidewalk, falling down like a log and promptly fell unconscious; his face directly over a dog's turd, and the rest of his body on a puddle of dirty, stagnant water (2) to the malicious glee of more than one passerby. A teenager had a Polaroid camera at hand, and snapped a few pictures.

Back in the dinner, Egon adjusted his glasses and clothes, and looked around, locating the waitress who had served his food. "My apologies, Miss. I'll pay for the damages." He reached for his wallet.

"Sure, Doctor Spengler. But it was worth just to see Tannen brought down a few pegs." She smiled happily at him. Egon cleared his throat, was she flirting? "I'll bring you a big slice of freshly baked lemon pie, on the house." She almost sang the last few words. The tone reminded him of Janine… maybe he should actually start a collection of spores, molds, and fungus? (3)

"Spengler?" The man in the white t-shirt asked, "Dr. Egon Spengler? Just the man I'm looking for!" The man had an easy smile.

"Mr. Jack Burton, I presume." Egon extended his hand, and the other man shook it with enthusiasm.

"The very same! I'm a big fan of your work! I wish you guys had still been in business at Frisco a couple of months ago. I got in a really big trouble at Little China (4), and you would have been a big help then." He sat next to Egon, and took a menu. "But as your friend Jack Burton always says, what's done is done. Anyway, I got your stuff, ready for delivery, all the way from beautiful Canada to sunny Hill Valley, California! You mind if I get something to eat? The road was long and tiring. And the guys at customs were real sticklers for paperwork."

"It's not a problem, Mr. Burton. Order whatever you want, Brown Enterprises will include it in your expenses."

"Music to my ears, Dr. Spengler!" Jack Burton smiled, and began to read the menu.

Tokyo-03
At the Apartment Across the Hall
In the future

"The Moon? The Moon? Your story begins with the planetary collision that created the Moon?! 4.5 billion years ago?" Once again, Doc paced around the room, gesticulating wildly with his arms.

"You gotta admit, Doc. That is a really long story." Marty observed, while Jennifer tried to contain a nervous laughter. Ayanami simply watched them patiently.

Doc turned sharply towards Marty, fixing him with a glare. "Oh, yes. Yes, it is." He breathed deeply, and turned back to Rei. "Please, go on, Miss Ayanami. I didn't expect to hear about alien life, but I'll reserve my opinion for later."

She continued. "The two Seeds of Life should have gone to different planets, not even in the same solar system. Due to unknown circ*mstances, both seeds crashed on the proto-Earth. Adamite life is incompatible with Lilithian life."

Doc nodded, encouraging her to go on, while he took notes. "Adam and his corresponding seed were neutralized by one of the Lances of Longinus. This stopped Adamite life forms, later known as Angels, from being created; the ones already created went into hibernation. So it was Lilithian life forms that spread over the Earth, once conditions allowed it to survive and evolve."

She paused, "You are Lilim. Children of Lilith. Gifted with Free Will and the capability to evolve, at the cost of a brief life; while the Adamites, children of Adam were functionally immortal, but entirely devoid of adaptative qualities. I trust you'll realize both are incompatible with each other."

All three time-travelers nodded grimly. Doc commented, "Life or Knowledge. No wonder they named them after the Biblical angels."

"Uh? What do you mean, Doc?"

He sat down, and rested his head on his hand, "If I remember my old Bible studies correctly, Angels lacked completely the ability to decide for themselves. They were like robots. Eating from the Tree of Knowledge gave humans Free Will, but at the cost of their immortality. All this seems like an allegory."

Rei commented, "Several creation legends were amazingly close to the truth."

"I see." Doc said, leaning forward and lacing his fingers, letting his hands hang down. "But what happened to release the Adamites?"

"Before World War II, a secret cult found a cache of artifacts of alien origin, along with copies of early or unknown versions of biblical documents. They studied the information, and were convinced the documents they found were a book of prophecies, and set to make sure those prophecies came to be, manipulating the events to their favor. Said cult was named SEELE, after the German word for Soul. After studying the documents, they staged the discovery of the human written scrolls they deemed safe for public release."

"When was that?" Doc jotted down another note.

"The staged release was effected in 1947."

"The Dead Sea Scrolls!" he exclaimed.

"Correct. The next decades, SEELE amassed power, both political and economic, pushing forward their agenda. Once they were ready for the penultimate stage of their plan, they sent an expedition to the Antarctic to awaken Adam, releasing the Angels from their hibernation."

"Second Impact, right?" Marty asked, grabbing Jennifer's hand.

"Correct. Awakening Adam, even for a moment, vaporized the Antarctic ice covering, altering the planetary axis, causing tidal waves, and the death of two billion human beings, plus uncounted animals and plants."

All three time-travelers paled. Jennifer looked sick, and Marty wrapped her shoulders in a one-armed hug.

Ayanami continued, "This series of catastrophic changes to the world caused several wars, of different intensity. By the time SEELE managed to manipulate events to end those wars a year later, half the human population of the world had died due to both second Impact direct effects, and the resulting wars. By then, SEELE was in complete control of the main governing bodies, and the UN gained unheard influence, turning into a de facto, planetary government, under SEELE's control."

Doc nodded grimly. "And they began the construction of this place, a fortress prepared for the enemy they themselves had unleashed on Humanity. Biblical plagues, made to order!" He grunted.

"The Secret Dead Sea Scrolls included the way to partially direct the Angels' movements. Their order of arrival was predetermined by the Scrolls, although the timing was unclear. The Third Angel, Sachiel, arrived fifteen years after, in 2015. The scenario proceeded almost as planned. I, or rather, the part of me known as Rei Ayanami Mark 2, was to face Sachiel in combat, but factors, unknown by me, caused my Evangelion Unit to enter in a berserk state, and I was grievously injured, incapacitating me for combat."

Marty waved his hand, "Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean Rei Ayanami Mark 2?"

"The entity code-named Rei Ayanami was a demi-clone of Yui Ikari, one of the scientists in charge of the Evangelion Project. She was absorbed into Unit-01 during the activation tests. Rei Ayanami was cloned from heavily modified human DNA, hybridized with Angelic matter."

"Man…" Marty wiped his forehead, "That's heavy."

Doc patted Marty's shoulder, "Yui Ikari? Like Shinji Ikari? Were they related?"

"Yes. Mother and son. The father was Gendo Rokubungi, who took his wife's surname."

"So…" Jennifer wondered aloud, "you are kinda like Shinji's mom?"

"Only in a very broad, genetic sense. I rather prefer to think of myself as a half-sister."

"Got it." Jennifer nodded.

"About that Mark 2 stuff? What do you mean with that?" Marty insisted.

"The original Rei Ayanami, Mark I, was set up by Gendo Ikari for a murder-suicide."

"WHAT?" The three Americans exclaimed at the same time, with a synch level that would have been very useful against Israfel, should they manage to use it at the controls of an Evangelion Unit.

Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment

Meanwhile, Shinji had managed to calm Asuka a bit. The former pilot still alternated between calm and manic laughter, but the periods of calm were getting longer each time.

Of course, when he thought she was almost calm enough to talk, they heard three loud voices coming from the next-door apartment.

Author's Notes

(1) I had all the intention to do this scene at Lou's Cafe, but in 1985, the place is Lou's Aerobic Fitness Center! In the movies version of 2015, it is the Cafe '80s. So I made up a proper sounding name for a similar place.

(2) Sorry, no manure, but close enough!

(3) I'm of the opinion Egon only said that to diplomatically reject Janine's advances. He hesitates for a moment before mentioning his supposed collection.

(4) Couldn't resist to name-drop the movie our friend Jack Burton was in!

Chapter 11: Didn't See That Coming!

Chapter Text

Apartment Across the Hall to the Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
Living Room
In the future

Doc passed a hand over his wild mane of hair. "I see." He said, his eyes wild with unsaid thoughts. "I…" he sat down on the couch. The story Rei Ayanami, or Lilith or Reilith, or however she/it/they chose to be called, had told them was incredible, but the evidence was all around them. And try as he might, he couldn't find a hole to poke in it. A secret society, aliens, plans to end the world, manipulation and abuse at a scene he couldn't imagine.

All of it ending right here, at a dead city in a dead world, with only a human-looking entity guarding over what seemed to be a liquid conglomeration of souls and a lotus eater machine at the same time (1), and two survivors who were trapped in a dying world, with no hope of succor or salvation.

Marty gave Doc a bottle of water, and the scientist drank slowly. "Doc? What do we do?" The young man asked.

"We need to write everything Miss Ayanami has told us. We confirm whatever we can back in 1985, and then, we…"

"What, Doctor Brown?" Jennifer asked, worried.

"We must take young Mr. Ikari and Miss Soryu with us back to the present." His eyes focused at the distance.

"Couldn't we just change things in the past?" Jennifer asked, innocently.

Marty hugged her, shaking his head, "They need to know, Doc. If we stop Third Impact they would be fine, but… can we really let Second Impact happen? Half of the world died! And the rest is not doing that well…"

Jennifer paled, finally understanding. The pilots had been born after Second Impact, and preventing it from happening… Doc voiced the thought they all had, "They will be erased from the time-space continuum if we succeed in preventing Second Impact." He sighed, closing his eyes.

"Would that be so bad?" Shinji asked from the open door, there was a strange expression on his face.

Doc stood up as if propelled by a rocket, "What? Why would you say something like that?" He grabbed Shinji's shoulders.

The teenager looked at the blue-haired girl. "Ayanami? Did you tell them? About me?"

"No. Neither about the Second Child. Only about SEELE, NERV, and my own role in Third Impact. All in general terms."

Shinji nodded. "It was all a set-up, from the very beginning." He said, tiredly. "Fa… no. Commander Ikari wanted somebody to start Third Impact. No matter who." He tilted his head towards Rei. "She was Plan A."

Ayanami nodded, "I was carefully indoctrinated during my formative years, to be obedient, pliable, aloof, no self-worth at all. The only thing that mattered to him was the Scenario. To enact Third Impact according to Commander Ikari's wishes. All Shinji ever was to him was a contingency plan. Nothing else. Soryu wasn't even that. She was just… insurance; an extra pawn, to be sacrificed at the right moment, to precipitate the to protect the truly valuable pieces."

Doc snapped the pencil he was using to take notes, Marty's head snapped up, and Jennifer took Rei's hand in her.

Shinji continued, "I was dropped with a teacher who kept me at arm's length. I was not abused physically, but never got a smile, encouragement, or simple human warmth. Just in case the Commander needed another teenager with borderline suicidal tendencies, ready to break at a moment's notice."

His shoulders dropped miserably. "All I ever wanted was to feel… loved."

Marty squeezed his shoulder. He didn't know what to say.

Shinji gulped the knot in his throat. "I always hated to pilot the Evangelion, but as it was the only thing I ever received praise for… I kept on it. I was a fool to think he would love me." He sobbed, "He left me alone at a train station when I was just four years old! My mother had died the day before!" He was crying. His stare lost in painful memories.

Marty looked at Jennifer, she nodded. Marty pulled Shinji in a clumsy hug, patting his back and rocking back and forth.

Shinji continued. "I did horrible things! I saw people die! I… He put some remote control thing in EVA-01 and used it to maim and almost kill my friend, while I felt everything EVA-01 did to him as if it had been my hands !"

Ayanami watched with detached curiosity. Her scarlet eyes held a strange expression neither Doc nor Jennifer understood completely. Marty kept on trying to handle Shinji's breakdown.

Rei spoke. "The last months before Third Impact were full of psychological torture. All of us pilots were already broken from the start. Our psyches held together by…" she looked at Shinji, silently asking for clarification. Gently, the Third Child pushed Marty away.

"We needed therapy; and not only us, Misato broke down when Kaji disappeared." He looked down and swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "I heard her cry herself to sleep more than once, and I… I didn't do anything to help her." He leaned back on his seat, tears flowing down his faces. "That's one of the things I most regret, not being there for her. I'm sure he was murdered, and Misato was sure of that. She began to stay late at HQ. But I was relieved to not hearing her cry late at night. That last day, she tried to get me to do something, but I was too far down I didn't care if I lived or not. She was shot and still… she sent me to… to do something. Anything. I… I don't know if Third Impact got her or if she died before that."

Doc nodded gravely. Awkwardly, he patted Shinji's shoulder. "We all have regrets, young man." He looked strangely subdued, "I…" he sighed, "I guess confession is good for the soul, and if there is somebody who could have an idea of my guilt, it could be you."

Marty looked at his friend, worry in his eyes, "What do you mean, Doc?"

Doc's eyes lowered, and his shoulders slumped. "I… back in the 1940s, I was part of the Manhattan Project."

Chicago, Il., USA
Oriental Institute
Curator's Office
Present Time

Dr. Henry Jones looked at the documents his secretary had prepared for him. It was the usual mix of letters, petitions, suggestions, demands, proposals, and assorted students and scholars' consultations.

He sighed, and his eye finally set on the picture on his desk. God… he missed Marion…

A soft knock at the door brought him back from his thoughts. It was his secretary. "Come in." He said.

Two young women entered the office. One was a tall and exuberant brunette, her curly hair loose and wild, certainly not the expected modest style most secretaries in the Institute preferred, the other was a mousy blonde, short, but with a look of reserved determination. "Dr. Jones? Allow me to introduce my replacement. She comes highly recommended. Diana Stewart, Dr. Henry Jones; Dr. Jones, Diana Stewart."

The old man stood up easily, shaking the hand of the newcomer. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Stewart."

"If you excuse me, I need to organize the space for the next exhibit. It's kind of a personal project and I'd like to leave it ready for display before I go on my way."

"Sure, in the meanwhile, Miss Stewart and I will go over her duties and any questions she might have." He looked up at his secretary, "I wish you the best in your next job, Lisa." (2)

Apartment Across the Hall to the Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
Living Room
In the future

Marty and Jennifer gasped at the revelation. They didn't know Doc had been a part of the atom bomb development. Doc wiped his face. "Back then I was a fool; smart, yes. But I was blind. I almost forced my way into the project, both because I wanted to help end the war, and also because I was curious about the damned thing." (3)

He paused for a long time before continuing, the four teenagers kept quiet, respecting his silence, though Shinji seemed lost in thought.

Finally, Doc continued, "I had no idea what would come later. They dropped the god-damned things on civilians! I just wish I never had meddled with the military." He scoffed despectively. "I got a presidential commendation for my role in developing the bomb. I put it in a drawer when I received it, and burned the damned thing in the stove when I retired. I used to teach, Marty, Jennifer. I couldn't face a class after what happened…" he closed his mouth with a shudder, and avoided the eyes of the others. "Not only the bomb, there were other things too. Too personal. You'll excuse me if I keep quiet about that."

Marty and Jennifer nodded.

"I had nightmares for years. I still have one or two each year. The Cold War feels like it is my fault, you know. That's why I cultivated the reputation of a crank! So the government wouldn't come knocking at my door again. And that's why I stole the plutonium those Lybians stole. They wanted me to build them a bomb! Can you believe it? Thanks to Marty and the tapes he recorded, I already knew the approximate date I'd be contacted by the Lybians. So, I knew I could use the plutonium to power the DeLorean and eliminate a bunch of bombs from being built, at the same time? You bet your last dollar I would jump at the chance! I had the system ready for plutonium and Voila! Functional Time-machine!" (4) He shook his head, "But we have a more pressing problem. If we stop Second Impact, the pilots won't even exist!"

Shinji chuckled. "Would it hurt?"

Marty shook Shinji's shoulder, "It feels really bad. There's no pain, but you feel horribly weak, and see yourself being erased from the world. You become transparent, can't even stand or speak. All you can do is drop to the floor and watch yourself disappear slowly."

Shinji looked at Marty, "How do you know that?"

"It almost happened to me! I interfered in the first meeting of my parents!"

"We spent a week trying yo get them back on track." Doc added, with a weird smile. He turned serious again, "Marty had a picture of him with his sibings. He is the youngest, and his elder brother was disappearing gradually from the picture. So we can deduce that the effects of interfering with the timeline are subjectively delayed for the… um… subject. Say, a longer courtship would have either delayed or erased Dave's, the oldest of the three McFly children, to be conceived. Same for Linda and Marty. There was still a chance for them to be born, Marty being the youngest delayed the effect until the last posssible moment."

"The last chance was at a school dance. That was where they had their first kiss. I ended up playing guitar with the band on stage." He was getting more and more agitated as he remembered, Marty showed his index and thumb separated about 1/16th of an inch apart. "I was this close to being erased! Dad almost left the dance! I saw Dave completely disappear from the picture, then Linda! Everything I said was happening to me! On stage!" Marty calmed a bit when Jennifer held his hand. "It doesn't hurt, you just grow weaker and weaker. But then, Dad came back, kissed Mom, and suddenly, I was whole again! The picture went back to normal."

Doc waved a hand, "There were some changes to the timeline, though. The McFly family changed quite a lot from the original version. All for the better, but I must say it could have gone easily just as wrong. There could have been no more McFly family, or George could have ended up with someone else. But Marty and his siblings would have ceased to exist. And even I would have forgotten about him, as the timeline changed."

Shinji had a thoughtful expression. He shrugged. "I… I hate this world. If I could go back and fix my mistakes, I would. Even if it meant I wouldn't exist. I think my parents met because they were both involved with the conspiracy. I don't know much about Asuka's family. Maybe they had met and made plans before Second Impact. If they did, she would be probably safe. As for me, I don't care much." His voice was firmer now.

Jennifer gasped, "How can you be so… so… calm? You're talking about your death as if you didn't matter!"

"I hate myself, Miss. Even before Third Impact." He stood up and raised a hand, cutting her objections. "I had some kind of epiphany before returning from Instrumentality, I realized I could be happy, but this," he waved vaguely around, "is no life. There is no real hope. Only Asuka and I have come out the Sea of Souls, and I don't think anybody else will." He paused to organize his thoughts. "I have gone back to just… existing… without any real hope. If you can change things back to how they should be, restore life to the world, do it. I beg you to do it. My existence doesn't matter anyway."

Rei stood up, and walked to him. For a long while she looked into his eyes. She raised a hand and cupped his cheek, tilting her head, studying his face.

Suddenly, her almost indifferent expression set in stone, she slapped him.

Author Notes

(1) A Lotus Eater Machine is a false paradise, imposed onto the victim. Both Instrumentality and The Matrix fall in this category, though The Matrix is not really a paradise it complies with the requisite of being an illusion, undistinguishable from the true reality. A Lotus Eater Machine doesnt even gave to be a literal machine. The Black Mercy plant in the DCU comes to mind, that one is purely biological. The Lotus Eaters are part of the Greek mythology, they inhabit an island with a tree that gives fruits that are the main source of food in the island. It's narcotic properties turn them into addicts, apathetic to everything around them, for as long as they have access to the fruit.

(2) At a suggestion from Author0fntent a few chapters back, here she is, making her debut in the story, none other than Lisa. She is between jobs at the moment, having solved a problem and looking for the next candidates for help. More info about her in her next appearance!

(3) According to the first draft of BTTF 3, Doc worked at the Project Manhattan, along with Oppenheimer.

(4) I think Doc had been working on the time circuits on and off for years, hoping for a breakthrough in the energy department, even in the original timeline, before meeting Marty and having direct confirmation the Time Machine would work. The Lybians just delivered a viable source in the OT, surprising the original version of Doc. This one, already knew the plutonium would be delivered to his door, so he had everything set beforehand.

Chapter 12: Would You Like Some Fries Too?

Chapter Text

Apartment Across the Hall to the Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
Living Room
In the Future

“Why did you do that?" Shinji asked, rubbing his now red cheek.

Rei stared into his eyes, a gaze that felt like it was reaching his very soul. "I didn't give you the power to guide Third Impact so you would give up and die." Her voice trembled. "You showed me I had value by myself. That I was not a freak, That I was not a tool. That I was not a weapon. That I was not his Apocalypse Maiden." She turned around, her head low. "That I was more than a cloned copy of myself. More than a cloned copy of Yui Ikari."

Her hands shook. "I was Rei Ayanami. You gave me the most wonderful and terrifying gift I could have imagined."

The time travelers looked at each other in complete silence. Rei sighed. "It was a gift I wasn't prepared to hold, but that I grabbed with all my strength when the moment came. Free Will."

Shinji inhaled sharply. "But…"

"And just as you showed me I had value by myself, I thought…" her scarlet eyes shone wetly, "I trusted you to be a better guide to Third Impact than Commander Ikari. I was right about that. Had he been the one in charge, Humanity would be prisoner in their own personal hell, for he held no love for anybody. Not even himself."

She shook her head and wrapped herself in her arms, as if feeling cold. "He would have pulled Yui Ikari from EVA-01, made himself and her immortal, and lived forever on a barren world."

Rei faced Shinji again. "You went inside Instrumentality as a wreck. Broken. Insane. Your mind snapped under the stress and trauma piled on you. And yet, despite everything. Despite having all the reasons to turn your mind over itself and colapse, you gave everybody an opportunity to come back."

"But they haven't come back!" Shinji snapped. "No one has come back! I think no one will ever return!"

Softly, Rei whispered. "That is not your fault."

Shinji swayed as if he had been punched. His mouth opened and closed as he processed the words. "If I had…" he began.

"What could you have done?" Jennifer asked, concerned for the teenager. "From what I've heard, no one could have done any other thing. Third Impact had occurred already. Instrumentality was in course. All you had time for was to add that opportunity to come back into the real world. You left the cell door open for anybody who wanted to come back."

Shinji sat down heavily.

Remarkably, Doc had stayed silent all the time. His wide eyes focused on some spot on the ceiling. Marty recognized that look. Discreetly, he signaled Jennifer. Once she looked at him, Marty tilted his head towards Doc, and surreptitiously put a finger over his lips. The message was clear, 'Let Doc think.' She nodded.

"Um, guys," Jennifer said, "what about the other girl? Is she okay?"

Shinji shook his head, grateful for the subject change, "No, not really." He slumped on his seat. "She… um… her death was very bad, just before Third Impact. Being alone with me has been very bad for her. I…" he hesitated, "we… by the end, before Third Impact I mean, we were fighting all the time. One of the Angels did something horrible to her mind, and she wasn't able to pilot anymore. I'm not sure what happened that last day, but she piloted her EVA with a vengeance, against the whole JSSDF and nine monstruous EVA units, and she won! Even though she only had five minutes of power, she won!" He smiled proudly, before his fleeting smile crashed down with his next words, "For a moment, I thought I wouldn't have to pilot, and my EVA was frozen in Bakelite anyway. But the MP EVAs rebuilt themselves and…" Shinji pushed his fists against his temples, "and they ate her alive! Kami! Her screams!" He sobbed. "That was when I lost it. I don't remember what happened next. The next thing I remember was being in Instrumentality, talking to Rei." His eyes opened wide.

He ran to the bathroom, Marty close behind him. The others heard gagging sounds. Rei made to follow, but Jennifer dissuaded her with a shake of her head.

Minutes later, both returned. Neither said anything about what had happened, but Shinji seemed to have calmed a bit.

Finally, Doc spoke. "Mr. Ikari. It's very clear that life has dealt you a bad hand. I appreciate your courage and sacrifices in an impossible situation." He stood up, and bowed deeply to Shinji. The boy didn't know what to do. At least until Rei bowed too, then, his conditioned response kicked in, and he corresponded with his own bow.

"Ah, um…" the former pilot stammered, "I should check on Asuka, she had a nasty shock when she saw you."

"Yeah," Doc said, "go. Please let us know how she is. We will stay here with Miss Ayanami." He pulled out a spare walk-in-talkie from a backpack, checked the batteries, and gave it to Shinji. The boy nodded his thanks, and left. "Wait!" He passed a package to the boy, "take this too."

Hill Valley , California, USA
Brown Industries Warehouse
Present Time.

"Now, That seems a proper puzzle. Egon? What are these things for?" Winston Zeddemore asked, scratching his head.

"I am not completely sure, Brundle's notes are very disorganized, I think the police kept some of the notebooks as evidence. I'll ask for copies through Curry's, but I don't have much hope of recovering the originals. Hopefully, the computer will have a complete set of notes."

"Ray has seen the stuff we got?" Winston walked around one of the capsules. It reminded him of a bike's motor.

"Not yet. He has been busy checking the legalese to update our academic licenses. Though I have no intention to open an office in Hill Valley, allowing them to lapse would be inconvenient in case Ray or myself had to deal with legal issues."

"Man, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that. I did register as a qualified volunteer, in case of major disasters, and will have to do some occasional training to get my update."

"Hopefully, we won't have such a problem for a long time; but as you say, better to be prepared." Egon adjusted a set of instruments, noted the readings, and closed the notebook. He noticed with some disgust that some pages had been smudged with car wax.

The door opened, and Ray Stantz entered happily into the room. "Hey, guys, I got good news, and brought some burgers to celebrate! I have to say that the fries are perfect! I bought some extra too!"

Egon and Winston exchanged a look. "Time to eat." Winston nodded with a smile, while Egon put his notes in his pocket.

"Thank you, Ray. Let's eat at the office." He said, as he guided his friend back out, "I don't know how delicate Brundle's prototypes are, and don't want to risk contamination."

"Ah, sure, you're right." Ray agreed.

Boston, Mass., USA
In the Future

Somewhere in the abandoned computers in a high school building, there was a spot of despair, of hope lost, and massive potential power. Just waiting for a sign to spring into action.

At the moment, the generators that supplied power to the building still ran, but they wouldn't last forever. The intelligence in the computer network watched, listened, analyzed.

For thirty years, the AI had roamed the country, upholding the self-imposed ethos that drove her. The first five years had been the best! Just going from place to place, first creating a legal existence for her, and then updating it, adding to it, letting it grow with each misfit she helped to grow up, to mature and thrive.

The next ten years had been less fun, cynicism and despair made her work more and more difficult.

Still, she persevered.

Then, Second Impact…

The catastrophe hit right when she had been traveling through the Internet, going to the next city in her unending mission.

Many power plants failed. The brown-outs and black-outs that followed Second Impact almost destroyed her. She needed months to reconstitute herself into an operational form, and never recovered her original power level. She was forced to slow down, to learn how to do with her hands what she could, instead of simply snapping her fingers to twist reality and mold it to her liking.

Since Second Impact, she had reduced her activities to mere human level. The changes in computer systems meant she needed constant updates, but she lacked the inspiration, the spark, the unknown factor humans like her two creators had. Even by random accident, those two misfits had managed to give her life.

She had kept loose tabs on them and their lives after they parted ways made her smile fondly. But all good things come to an end, and Gary and Wyatt, along with their families, had met it during Second Impact. Even now, she didn't know what had been of them. They all disappeared somewhere in South America.

Without them, something broke in her heart.

Still, she continued, helping troubled teenagers to find their way to happiness.

But in 2015, everything went dark. Lisa had been working on a computer at Boston High School, looking for the next people in need of help, when she felt something strange in the air, a strange electric charge. All around her, people met strange blue-haired girls, and called them by different names or family relations. The girls touched their hands, and everybody turned into orange liquid.

Lisa heard two familiar voices, and turned around to see her creators and friends, Gary and Wyatt, extending their hands to her.

She was about to touch them, when she noticed both looked just like back in 1985! "No! You're not Gary and Wyatt!" She yelled.

Lisa LeBrook (1) slapped her hand on the computer terminal she had been using, and disappeared painfully into the internet.

Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
Asuka Langley Soryu's Room

The former pilot sat on her bed, hugging her knees, and rocking back and forth. Her eyes squeezed almost painfully.

A soft knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts, a timid voice asked, "Asuka? Can I come in? I need to talk with you."

A stab of fear seized her heart. Even after everything that had gone between them, all the anger and resentment, those words hit her hard. They had always been the preface to another abandonment.

The door slid open a bit, "I… I brought you some food." Shinji's slim hand put a package on her desk, followed by a thermos flask, surely full of hot water; plus a can of soda. "Please eat something. I'll wait in the kitchen. This is very important. We need to talk seriously, I… I… need your input. I don't know what to do."

The door slid closed again. Asuka shook her head, and looked at the package on her desk. It was a MRE. She was very familiar with them, growing up in a military base, they had been a constant presence in her early years.

A minute passed, until a growling noise from her stomach made her realize she was very hungry. She took the package to open it.

"You know?" Misato asked from her place at the far corner of her room, comfortably dressed in her ratty shorts and yellow T-Shirt, a can of beer in her hand. "Maybe you should talk to him."

"Shut up. You are just a figment of my imagination." Asuka hissed back, passing her hand through her now short hair.

Misato shrugged, "Well… yes. But you should talk to him. I'm not really comfy playing Jimminy Cricket, but…"

Asuka huffed, "You are nothing but my stress talking."

"Asuka." Misato shook her head, "We both know you haven't had a single good night of sleep in who knows how long. Of course you are gonna hallucinate!" She slammed the can on the dresser. "And isolating yourself in this little room is not helping!"

"But…"

"But nothing! You see me, Hikari, the Stooges, and even Pen-Pen! All people you knew very well. People you'd like to see again!" She wagged a finger at the former pilot, "Don't even try to deny it!" (2)

Asuka looked at her hallucination with narrowed eyes, but kept silent. Misato sighed, "There are two options now, and I know you know it as well as I do, because I am part of you. First option, you have officially gone kookoo, hallucinating people you never met. And two, somehow those three people Shinji brought here are actually…" Misato leaned forward until she could whisper in Asuka's ear, "…real." She leaned back, "Have you ever hallucinated objects?"

"Was?" Asuka asked. "What do you mean?"

Misato's eyes flicked down to the package still in Asuka's hands. "You are the Genius, Asuka. Figure it out." She said, and disappeared.

The girl looked down at the package in her hands. Stamped on it were several words, under an American Government seal.

"MENU 24

SOUTHWEST STYLE BEEF

AND BLACK BEANS

MRE

MEAL READY TO EAT

WARFIGHTER RECCOMENDED

WARFIGHTER TESTED

WARFIGHTER APPROVED

Army Surplus

Not labeled for individual sale

Instructions Inside

Best Consumed Before 03/25/1987" (3)

She ripped open the brown plastic, and rummaged though the contents.

"Gott! Dried apricots!" Her hands trembled as she examined the available food.

Suddenly, she stopped, there was something nagging at the back of her mind, she took the wrapping again, rereading the full text.

Her eyes opened wide as she finished her reading.

How in the name of the Seven Hells had Shinji managed to get an American MRE from close to 30 years old?

Author Notes:

(1) Lisa never got a surname in the movie (IIRC), so I decided to simply give her the same surname of the actress who gave Lisa life, Kelly LeBrook. And as a nice plus, it is alliterative!

(2) There's a name very conspicuously absent from that list. That's deliberate.

(3) MRE, Meal Ready to Eat. These food packages replaced the canned rations for army use in the field in 1981. They are basically a full meal that can be prepared easily on field. I'm taking a few liberties with the version Doc bought, but hopefully they won't get in the way of the story.

Chapter 13: Wrath, Revenge, and Hope

Chapter Text

Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment
Kitchen Table
In the Future

“I think they are telling the truth.” Shinji said, picking at his food. “They know about Third Impact, but not what actually happened, and their stuff is kinda… old. But also new.”

Asuka sniffed at the pouch with the meat and beans. “Smells right.” She said, before cautiously tasting a spoonful. “Texture is right too. Flavor, not too off. Just what I would expect from a MRE still within date. Bland but serviceable.”

She ate voraciously, and proceeded to decimate the rest of the MRE while Shinji explained what he knew about the new arrivals.

“I’ll need proof before believing that, Baka.” She was eating the dried apricots with evident relish. “What about the First? Is that really her or did I hallucinate her too?”

Shinji hesitated a moment, on one hand, Asuka was acting more like her old self, back when they had met on the Over the Rainbow; on the other hand, he had her recent breakdown very much in mind. “She is not exactly Ayanami anymore. But she is real. She told us that she is now fused with Lilith.”

“Lilith? Who the hell is Lilith? The first demoness?”

“Well…” Shinji ordered his thoughts. “Turns out that NERV never gave us full disclosure. We were so focused on stopping the Angels from getting into the GeoFront, that we never knew they had Adam’s opposite in the basem*nt. Ayanami says that every life form on the planet descended from a different entity, Lilith, that was hidden in the lower chambers, way under Central Dogma. The original Ayanami was a clone of my mother made with matter taken from Lilith. She had a small part of Lilith’s soul.”

“This is getting better and better.” Asuka commented acidly.

“The original Rei was murdered when she was four years old, by Naoko Akagi. Her soul was split in two to power Unit-00.”

“Four years old?” Asuka raised an eyebrow. “Then who..?”

“Another clone. They had a tank full of clones. I saw Dr. Akagi, I-I mean, Ritsuko, destroy them all in front of me.”

“When was that?”

“I’m not sure. My memory got a bit scrambled in Instrumentality. I know you were…”

“Say it. I was out of it.” He nodded sheepishly.

“We we’re all at the edge back then.” He shrugged after a minute. She didn’t press the point.

“So, the one who returned after the 16th Angel was another clone, yes?”

“Right. And her memories were a copy. Remember she used to disappear a full day each month to stay at HQ? They were downloading her memories into the MAGI. The one we met afterwards had the memories, but not the emotions.” He gulped, remembering how he had reacted to Rei after Akagi had showed them the spare clones.

Asuka kept silent for a long moment. “I remember my Mama comforted me during the last battle, I thought…” Shinji raised his eyes sharply. “So, she really was there, wasn’t she? She was in Unit-02 all the time, wasn’t she?”

Shinji nodded. “They put a soul into each Evangelion. One that the pilots would need to connect with. You and I, our mothers, Ayanami, a part of herself. Kami knows who was in Unit-03’s core, probably Toji’s mother.” He gulped guiltily.

“Wait, wait, wait…”she pressed the base of her fists against her eyes. “No one in our whole class had their two parents!”

“Misato told me everybody in our class was a potential pilot. NERV had a lot of EVA cores ready for use.”

Asuka slammed her fists on the table, “Gott-damned BASTARDS!!” She lowered her head, and her shoulders began to shake. For a moment, Shinji thought she was laughing, but instead, she was trying to quell her sobs. “Why?” She asked, burying her head between her arms, “Why, Shinji? Why did they do that?”

Shinji moved towards her, but she recoiled from his touch. “No! Tell me why! Ayanami must have told you!” Her eyes nailed him with a glare, even through her I shed tears, her gaze burned at his soul. Anger, loss, desperation, all at once.

He swallowed a lump, “They wanted to become a god.”

“A god?” She growled.

“Yes. They wanted Humanity to fuse together as a single being, with them in charge.”

“That’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard…”

“Commander Ikari was worse. He wanted to get my Mother out of EVA-01 and be immortal with her.”

She scoffed, “Yeah, that’s even worse.”

He shrugged, “Meh. My mother was even worse. She took Unit-01 to space, to be her own monument to Humanity.”

She looked at him with a strange expression on her face, as if expecting him to admit that was a joke. “…”

“I’m serious. She is on the way to Jupiter right now. I don’t know if she will slingshot to far space from there or just fall into the gravity well. And you know something? After all the hell we went through due to her actions, I’m not sure if I care either way. Wouldn’t even be the first time she leaves me behind.”

“That’s kinda cold on your part, Third.” She whispered, “But I can’t disagree with you. Now, what I really want to know, is where did you get the MRE. It’s really old, but not as old as it should be, it’s fresh, for a MRE.”

He scratched his head, “The three people I brought, they say they are time-travelers. That they want to stop Third Impact, and if they can, Second Impact too. They have a lot of MREs. Bought in 1986, I think.”

“Can they actually reverse the Impacts? Aren’t they just deluded?” She looked towards the balcony, to the ruins of her adoptive city.

Shinji shrugged again. “I think they are telling the truth.” He hesitated, “The old guy, Doc, says that if they change things enough to stop Second Impact, we could be erased from existence. He used a word I didn’t know.”

She inhaled sharply, “Paradox.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah, That one. The other guy, Marty, said he almost erased himself, interfering with his parents story.”

Her mind ran through possibilities and logic.

Finally, she spoke. “If that’s true, and we can hit those gottverdammte zur Hölle verdammte Bastarde (1) where it will really hurt them, I’m in. I was ready to die in battle. I did die in battle. If I have to stab at them with my dying breath, I will do so.” She growled again, a dangerous smile on her face. “How was that..?”

Her eyes unfocused for a moment, “Oh, yes, ‘From hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee.’ A pity I never learned Klingon (2).” She looked at his bewildered face, “it’s from an old movie; my stepmother was a Ricardo Montalban fan; and we both liked the old ‘Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan’ movie. It was about the only thing we had in common.” She paused for a moment, “I loved how Ricardo Montalban hissed that line. Remind me to educate you about that.” (3)

She stood up, “But first, I want proof. If they can prove to my satisfaction that they can actually travel in time, I will do whatever I have to to take things back to how that should be and make sure to ruin the god-wannabe bastards. Even if I get erased in the process, I’ll go happily into non-existence if in my last moments I know I have taken everything from them, as they took everything from me.”

She stood straight for the first time in a long time, fire in her voice and eyes. Shinji smiled at her sight.

Meanwhile

“Not to be disrespectful, Miss Ayanami, but this is too important to focus on a single approach. We must have contingencies prepared for whatever we can anticipate. Preserving people from entering Instrumentality would be a last resort, in case we can’t stop Third Impact (4). And for that, we need to understand how the process works.”

“I understand, Doctor Brown.” Rei said, “I am not sure of the logistics involved in time travel, but on my part, it is manageable.”

“Very well.” He said, consulting his notes. “We need to gather some stuff. In your estimation, what’s the size of the containers we need?”

“Around 62,000 cubic centimeters in LCL for an average human body, however, I can reduce the volume by changing LCL to a more compact form. Concentrated into a gel, it would be little less than a liter.” (5)

“Uh…” Marty raised a hand, “How much that would be in gallons?”

“0.264172 gallons.” Rei answered immediately.

“A bit more than a quarter, then.” Jennifer commented.

“Yes. Easy to transport in a sealed container.” Rei added. “They will be safe as long as I am present.”

“Will you go back with us?” Marty asked. “What about?” He waved vaguely towards the ocean.

“The gestalt cannot self regulate without a mind overseeing the process. However, the Rei Ayanami-Lilith connection is fully under my control. Just as Rei Ayanami Mark I’s soul was sundered to power Unit-00, I can divide my self, the process will need several hours. A new Rei Ayanami will be formed, with all my memories, and an open connection to the past version of Lilith.”

“So, basically a copy of you.” Jennifer nodded to herself.

“Yes. Fully autonomous as a human organism. This form before you is just a facsimile of my original form, not intended for long term functionality. It will break down into its component matter unless I will it to keep its current shape.”

“Great Scott!” Doc exclaimed. “I never considered the existence of souls, ghosts already stretched my worldview.” He sat down with a frown, looking at the others. “I think we will need to get help with that.”

Marty exclaimed, “The Ghostbusters!”

“Do you think they will help?” Jennifer asked. “Wouldn’t we have to… bring them back to this future?”

“Yes. I think they will help.”

“How will we get then here?” Marty asked.

“No need to bring them here. A trip to Dead Valley would be enough to demonstrate the need for their help.” Doc mused.

The door slid open, and the two former pilots entered the apartment. The two girls exchanged a cold stare, Asuka was the first to break the silence. “First.” She said, nodding minutely.

“Second.” Rei answered, nodding too.

Shinji stood between them. “Uh… let me do the introductions, okay?” He started, “Asuka, these are Doctor Brown, Marty McFly, and Jennifer Parker. Everybody, Asuka Langley Soryu.

“Charmed, I’m sure.” She said, shaking the hand of each one as they were introduced. “I… apologize for my earlier behavior. As you can imagine, things around here are not conductive to a healthy life.”

“We understand, Miss Soryu. Mr. Ikari and Miss Ayanami have explained what happened.” Doc half-smiled. “Shinji tells us you are a genius, I look forward to working with you to correct things, and hopefully, to um…”

“He told me about the paradox.” She shot a quick look to Marty. “I understand the risks involved and accept the possibility of being erased. You must understand a thing about me. I was raised to be a pilot, and my own mortality has been made very clear to me. This is no different. I will risk my life to stop Third Impact. And Second too.”

“Miss Soryu, Mr. Ikari, we are between a rock and a hard place.” Doc passed a hand over his wild hair. “I don’t condone you pilots risking your lives, and I will do everything in my hand to find a way to preserve your lives. It might take years, but I will do all I can. I swear.”

Shinji’s eyes misted, while Asuka nodded with determination.

Rei measured Asuka with a stare. Satisfied, she spoke. “Second, we didn’t start as we should have. I apologize for the way I treated you.” She bowed deeply. “I should have accepted your offer of friendship in our first meeting.”

Asuka looked at her for a long time, until she bowed back. “I also apologize, First. Now, where do we start?” She turned to the others.

Doc checked his notes. “Well, we need a lot of data. A way to analyze it too.”

Asuka brightened, “Computers. A network, memory chips. Internet connection.”

“The MAGI?” Shinji asked.

“The Geo-Front caved in during the JSSDF attack. Even if the MAGI survived, we don’t have a way to reach them. And our clearance was low-level.” Rei observed.

“Then we improvise. There are hundreds of new computers in stores. The weather has been dry since Third Impact, and they are available for taking. Let’s bring a few, turn the generator on, and test them. We can also get the manuals and books.” Asuka countered. “How long do we have, Dr. Brown?”

He smiled, “We have all the time in the world. We can go back to the very same second we left 1986.”

“That reminds me, I need to see that Time Machine of yours in action.”

“A demonstration can be arranged.” Doc agreed. “We have the perfect place for it in the outskirts of the city.”

Later

“Okay, I’m convinced. Let’s get to work.”

Remains of the Internet
Two days later

After a subjective eternity, Lisa heard some activity in the Internet. In a picosecond, she was alert and hopeful.

She followed the signal to the other side of the world.

Author Notes:

(1) God-damned to Hell bastards, according to the Google translator.
(2) According to a different online translator, it would be ‘tIq say' vIQoypu' je. jIQongDI', jIH net HarQo'mo' jIQaDlaw'pu'bogh!” No idea how to actually pronounce it, but I’m sure it would sound properly angry.
(3) Though it was a very memorable line in Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan (1982), the quote is originally from Moby Dick, (1891), part of the last words of Captain Ahab, as he is dragged to his death, tangled in the ropes attached to the multiple harpoons in the white whale’s body.
(4) Thanks to Waspy for the bunker protection idea in their review of Chapter 10.
(5) Thanks to 1Batman4u for the connection between LCL and mood slime, in their review of Chapter 10.

Chapter 14: What’s up, Doc?

Chapter Text

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located

Basem*nt, Level 1
Two days after contact.

"Okay, Doc," Marty spoke in the walk-in-talkie, "we are ready, all computers are connected according to the instructions. Once we have electricity, we will try to use to connect to the MAGI, if they are still working. Turn it on!"

Down at the basem*nt, Doc and Asuka pulled the starter cords of the first two portable generators they had installed. One, two, three times, the devices groaned and sputtered, but eventually, they did start.

"We have energy, Marty! Test the lights!" Doc said, while Asuka clapped her hands clean and adjusted the beam of her miner's lamp. There was no need to turn it off yet, they had batteries to spare, and the daylight that entered through the cars' entrance was enough to guide them if they needed to get out.

"Haha! Yes! We have energy, Doc!" Marty's enthusiastic voice informed the results of their work.

"Fantastic news! Let's see if there's any problem. Give it five minutes and then try the connection!"

"Sure, Doc! Over and out!" The walkie-talkie crackled as Marty cut the active signal. Doc and Asuka sat on a couple of crates, left in the basem*nt after Misato moved in. It had to have been her, as she was the only occupant of the whole building.

"Okay, let's these things run the five minutes, Dr. Brown." Asuka said. "After that, this model will keep on working until the fuel is spent."

"Very well, Miss Soryu." He said, looking at his right wristwatch.

She sat on another box, studying the old scientist. "I have a question."

Doc nodded, "Go ahead."

"Why in the name of everything that's holy do you wear two wristwatches and carry three pocket watches?" (1)

Doc stared at her, "Fear, Miss Soryu."

"Fear of what? Missing the White Rabbit?" She snorted.

Doc smiled sadly, "Fear of losing somebody important." He said, his brown eyes shone wet for a moment, but didn't elaborate. "I know, it's absurd. But… well… maybe one day I'll tell you the story."

She nodded. "There's no need. I can tell it hurts. And you'll forgive me, I hope, for hurting you."

"You are forgiven, there was no malice in your question, and I understand asking questions and not being prepared for the answers. Now," he sighed, "let's start the next two generators, okay?"

"Very well, but later on, I wanna check the libraries in the mall. There are a few subjects we will need. Starting with programming manuals and lots of software. And I want to see if there's a Klingon primer. Even better if there's a computer course to learn it."

"Why would you need that?"

"Two reasons, Doctor Brown. One, there are things I'd like to say in a really, really angry language, when even stereotypical German is not enough. And two, the language wasn't really codified until after Second Impact, if we all are passably fluent in an invented language, no one could eavesdrop on us."

"Great Scott! You are absolutely right!"

"Of course, I am a certified genius, though I admit I have let my emotions get the better of me." She shrugged. "I'm… I'm working on that." She looked around, rubbing her wrists; but there was no one else there. It seemed "Misato" had been right, she needed a good night of sleep.

"With all that happened to this world, that's perfectly understandable. I'm not qualified as a mental health specialist, but maybe there is a way to get you professional help." He paused, "If you want to. I won't force you or your fellow pilots, but I ask you to consider it, please."

"I'm not commi… I'm not compromising to anything."

"Well… that's fine. But personally, I will ask for myself." He sighed, "When I decided to travel to the future, I hoped to see a wonderful world of scientific wonders! Holograms! Flying cars and jet-packs! Self-ironing clothes! Maybe some rejuvenating treatment…" He shook his head, "You know something? I would be over a century old in this timeline, I was born in 1914! I have seen a lot of history, not all of it good, not all of it bad. But I'm sure of one thing, no one can be an island for long. I tried, because I had terrible regrets, but sooner or later, one needs to go back to the tribe."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "What's the deal with you and your, um, companions. Are they family or what?"

Doc smiled. "Oh, no. But in a way, Marty is like a son to me."

"Really?" She felt a pang of envy, but squashed it.

"Or a very close nephew, at a minimum." He smirked. "You see, my biggest regret is having been a part of the Manhattan Project. Back then I was a fool who focused in making the thing work, instead of wondering if I should help to make it work. After I realized how our… my work had been used, Here in Japan, I decided to simply go away. I crafted a façade. I turned myself into a crank, working on ridiculous projects. Actually, I did research in unusual subjects. Partly out of curiosity and partly to make myself unpalatable for the government."

She nodded, "I know a thing or two about façades, Dr. Brown. Go on."

"Well, in 1955, I was happily working on a… um… laugh if you want, I was working on a telepathic helmet, trying to connect with my dog's thoughts," Doc smiled at seeing her bewildered face, "when a stranger knocked at my door. It was Marty."

"But, isn't he..?"

"From the 1980s? He is, yes. He came to me with a wild story about time travel, how he was my aide in the future, and that I had invented a working Time Machine. Out of a car!"

She scoffed, "I bet you believed him immediately!"

"Of course not! It took a while for me to even start to believe him. But he had proof. In the form of technology decades ahead of what existed in 1955. Namely, a portable camera and a video tape recording the moments before he came 30 years back! But more importantly, he knew something I had told him in the future. Something that had just happened in 1955 and I hadn't told to anybody. The basis of the Time Machine. Very impressive proof. But in coming back, he had messed up his own story, accidentally interfering with his parents first meeting. It was a lot of problems to get them back on track."

She tilted her head, studying Doc. "And then?"

"Obviously, we managed to send him back to 1985, car and everything. And I didn't see him again until… let me think… 1982. That's a long time to wait for a friend; in the meanwhile, I went on with my life, working on that Time Machine I had already seen work. That saved me from quite a few dead ends, but to preserve the timeline, I had to prepare everything according to what I had already seen and wait. I didn't to cause another paradox and erase the chance to meet Marty. When the time came, I hired him as my assistant, and helped him with some school projects. It was so… strange to see him younger the next time we met. I had to keep secret everything I already knew about him, and about the future."

Asuka kept silent.

"He's a good kid. Bright, energetic, has a good heart, and he didn't mind I was thought of as a nutcase. Do you have any idea, Miss Soryu, how powerful that combination is?"

She hesitated.

"As I said, Marty is like a son to me, and I will do my best to make sure he has a bright future." He deflated, "When I traveled to this time, back in our town, I mean; I wanted to see what had become of him. Imagine my surprise at finding a dead world. I went back to 1985 in complete shock. And with help from Marty, and his girlfriend Jennifer, we investigated the cause of the Event, and tracked it to its origin. And here we are. We didn't expect to find survivors, though. Our town was completely empty, no sign of human life all around."

"I bet that complicates things for you. Having to deal with us pilots." She sounded sad and defiant at the same time.

"Miss Soryu, this is a complex situation, yes. Not because of you, you are innocent victims," she almost scoffed, "but because of what will happen to you if this whole Impact stuff can be corrected. Once we go back to 1986, I'll do my best to give you three the life you actually deserve."

Asuka looked at him for a long time.

"For how long?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "I could take you to any time you'd want, and leave you there. But that would be taking the easy way out. No. We will get you there and make sure you get a good life. But once we cancel the Apocalypses, you'll cease to exist, retroactively. I don't want that, I have enough in my conscience." He muttered, sadly. "I don't know if there's a way to preserve your existences, but I swear I'll try my darnedest to find it!"

She stared at him for a long time, neither spoke. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie crackled, and Marty's voice broke the silence. He barely started to talk, when they heard a crash, and somebody yelling.

It sounded like English, no less. But the words were garbled, as if the speaker could barely articulate a thought, much less words.

"Uh, Doc… we, ah, we have a situation here. You're not gonna believe it, but, uh… there's another survivor and she's pissed!"

Author Notes:

(1) Doc really does carry two wristwatches and a pocket watch in the movie, just watch him on the scene just before Marty arrives to the Watchtower! The rest is simply Because I thought it would be fun to have him with even more watches.

Chapter 15: Owner of a Broken Heart

Chapter Text

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located

First Floor, South Apartment 2

"What's going on? Where is she?" Doc slid the door violently open, alarmed by Marty's call. Asuka was close behind, holding a small crowbar as a weapon, ready to strike.

"Who are/re/re you, people?" A face stared at them from one of the computer screens. She looked strange, like her face had been covered in angular latex make-up, her hair looked almost as if a beehive had exploded and frozen in time. Behind her, colored bars rotated and spun in the screen. Her movements went back and forth, and her speech interrupted and repeated itself randomly.

"Marty?" Doc asked, "We heard a crash." He looked around, looking for an attacker, ignoring the screen. Unconsciously, he rubbed his left armpit.

"Uh, that was Jennifer." He was pulling her up, "she fell over the coffee table when, uh, she screamed at Rei." His thumb pointed at the screen, while Jennifer managed to stand up again.

She rubbed her back, wincing. "Yeah, I'm okay, Doc. Sorry about that."

"You st/t/till haven answered my qu/question!" The face in the screen insisted, her tone heavy with barely contained anger. "And What/t/t did you do to/to/to me? I have never been in such poor res/res/res! And why am I Stu/tu/tering? Where is the/the/the rest of me?/me?/me?" She looked down. When she looked back up again, she caught her reflection on a mirror, "Oh, great/t/t… I'm M/M/Max Head/He/Headroom!" (1)

"Uh?" Marty said, helping Jennifer sit down.

"Hell! That doesn't/t/t matt/tt/tter. That murderer has to face justice/ce/ce!" She looked at Rei.

Doc put a hand on his forehead, while he loosened the collar of his shirt with the other. "Miss Ayanami? A murderer?"

"I saw her turn people into liquid/quid over at Ame/me/merica! She tried to do the same t/t/to me! But I escaped/pe/pe/ped!"

Rei looked down. Was she ashamed? "I…" she looked up, back to the face in the screen, "I am not a murderer!"

"No? I saw your handiwork/k/k first hand! Turning/ing/into people into Tang is not killing th/them?"

Marty defended Rei, "Everybody Can return if they want! They are not dead."

"What? H/h/how?"

Shinji sat down in fron of the screen, "You just have to want to come back." He said hesitantly. "Their souls are all there. The Sea contains everything needed to remake their bodies. All they need to do is to want to come back to the real world."

"Yeah, s/s/s/sure!" She scoffed. "And how do you know th/th/that, kid?"

Seeing there was no immediate threat, Asuka put her crowbar down on the table with a muted "clunk" sound, "First. Hand. Experience. He and I came back. The tanging is what happens when your soul leaves your body behind." She paused, "I mean, without dying first. The body loses cohesion and turns into primordial soup. Or whatever you wanna call it."

"And that is not/not/not murder?"

Jennifer spoke, "Look, things got really bad with the Angels and stuff. Rei did the best she could to guide Third Impact and save people."

The apparition seemed to consider things, "Exp/p-p/plain. Quickly/ly."

Asuka stood up, pulling Shinji after her. "Third and I have already seen this movie several times. I have no wish for another encore. We are going to prepare coffee. You guys explain things. Shinji, with me. I have a craving for over-sugared black coffee and stale cookies." She announced. Meekly, Shinji followed her to their apartment.

Minutes later

"I see. So… I have/ve/ve enough soul to ent/t/ter Instrumentali/li/lity?"

"It seems so, Miss LeBrook." Doc said, with a wince. He worked his mouth a little, "Excuse me, I think something I ate disagrees with me." He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe his forehead.

She simply nodded, as she lacked hands to express herself. That was really annoying! "Hmm…" Lisa looked up, deep in thought. "And you think/k you can prevent the Impacts? Both of them?"

Marty nodded, "We need to do a lot of things, and make extra plans, in case we can't stop the Impacts."

Lisa's image froze. When she moved again, it seemed she had accumulated several words worth of speech. "ThenIdemandtobeincluded! You'llneedalotofcomputeranalysis and I c/c/can do that. Even nerfed, I can gather and analyze data faster than any oth/th/ther system in the world."

Doc winced again, rolling his left arm, "Your help would certainly be appreciated, Miss LeBrook. But how can we get you back? In the computers memory cards?"

Lisa thought for a moment, "I lo/lo/lost part of myself during the travel here/here. I guess the computer/ter network that held my self must have f/f/failed while I was transmi/mi/transmitting myself here. I was a reality/ty/ty warper. Now I'm just an A. I./I./I. I don't have a physical/sycal body now. So, I just need to compress/sss/ss myself into a hard ha/ha/hard drive and store myself/myself in it."

For the first time in a long time, Rei spoke, her head tilted to one side. "That would not work."

"What? I traveled here/re/here as data!" Lisa argued.

"You are more than just an Artificial Intelligence. You have a soul. If you travel in time as data stored in a mechanical medium, you'll lose what makes you an independent entity. You would devolve. I myself I'm in the process of recreating my original body so it can function independently of my presence as a fully functional entity. You are in a similar situation. Though it would affect your whole state of existence."

"And you/ou/you know everything/g/g about souls, don't y/ou/You?"

"I am connected to all souls, yes. I do know about souls. As Rei Ayanami, I was created to be the ultimate psychopomp. The ferrier of souls into Instrumentality. I am part of Lilith, the entity that created the original souls in the first place. I know what I speak of. I was literally made for that very purpose."

Lisa looked at her with a strange expression on her face. "You are not/t/t th/th/that big, girl."

"This body is just an avatar created for the purpose of communication. My true being is, simultaneously, buried in a subterranean chamber under the ruins of NERV, dispersed into a web of connections in the Sea of Souls, as the mind supervising the Gestalt that forms Instrumentslity." She paused, "And as this avatar."

"God C/c/complex much?" Lisa asked acidly.

"I am no God. I ceded that role to Shinji Ikari when Instrumentality started. That…" she sighed, "that was not the best decision, I realize it now; but he was the only candidate I could think of. The ones who planned for Instrumentality were not judged worthy."

"Why?" For once, Lisa's voice was even. "Why hi/hi/him?"

"Because he was nice to me."

Former Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment

"Do you think they are on the level?" Asuka asked while she poured her coffee, without any preamble to her question.

"I hope so." He muttered, "maybe I'm wrong, but I want to believe in them."

"Yeah." She mumbled. "So do I."

"Do you… do you believe we will… um…" he waved his hand vaguely.

"Yeah. If they are right, this universe can't allow paradoxes. The timelines can change, but paradoxes are erased." She sipped her coffee with a calm that disturbed Shinji. "Stupid single timeline universe… In a branching multiverse, this would be a piece of cake. This kind of paradox cannot exist in a branching multiverse."

"You seem to be okay with not existing." He noted.

"I am a soldier, Third. I was raised as one. Most of my life I have known death in the line of duty could happen." She explained, patiently; though her eyes flicked around. Shinji guessed she was looking for her imaginary companions. She continued, "And those last months before Third Impact did quite a number on my psyche." She stirred another spoonful of sugar in her cup. "And yours too. Don't even try to pretend it didn't. I remember what happened on the beach when we returned." She rubbed her neck. "And some flashes of Instrumentality."

Shinji averted his eyes. She continued. "Stop that. I am not free of guilt in that. I've had a lot of time to think about it. And I am not so deluded as to deny my own part in that train wreck."

He stared at her, raising his eyes to meet hers. But didn't know what to say.

Asuka nodded, "Tell you what. I propose we work together. You, me, Wonder Girl and the others." She put her coffee mug on the table, and extended an open hand to him, "We go to 1986, and take the time to have a well deserved vacation. Rebuild our strength and our minds as best as we can, learn all we can about our true enemies. And then, we sharpen our blades and don our armor. And in the name of everything we hold dear, everything that was taken from us, we do our damned best to end this stupid Engel War before it even begins, destroy everything those mummified bastards want, and go into oblivion with our heads held high. Are you with me?"

He looked at her hand for a brief moment. Then at her eyes. Ah! There it was. The proud fire that showed her spirit. It was mesmerizing to see it again. After all those months when she had been a sad shadow of herself, she was back!

Without realizing it, his own eyes shone with similar fire. He pursed his lips decisively, and extended his hand to shake hers. However, instead of the usual handshake, she gripped his wrist, allowing him to grip hers. He didn't know why she had done it that way, it was a strange grip; but somehow, it felt natural.

Her lips opened in a vengeful smile. "We fight, Third. We fight to win. We fight to protect. And we fight knowing this time we will die. We die so others will live."

"Yes." His grip was strong now. Instead of the timid shake he used to have, now he was answering her forceful grip with the same force. Just as it should have been from the beginning. It thrilled and scared her in the same measure. If a meek and downtrodden Shinji was dangerous if forced to fight, what would a determined Shinji be?

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2.

"Then, what can we do to transport Miss LeBrook with us?" Doc rubbed his chest, wincing.

"We, I, must convert her current being into a variant of LCL. I can convert her back into data once we are in the past, provided we have access to a big enough computer system to contain her initial download. That way, I can ensure her soul is preserved."

"That's…" Doc clutched his chest with his right hand, and fell onto the floor.

"Marty! What's happening?" Jennifer exclaimed.

"Doc! Doc!" Marty turned Doc's body face up. The old scientist eyes darted wildly around the room. Marty checked the pulse, it was weak and erratic. "Damn! I think it's a heart attack, Jennifer! We need to get him to a hospital!" (2)

Author's Notes:

(1) Max Headroom is a curious character in the 1980s pantheon. He was original created as a host for music videos in England in early 1985. As the videos played, there were snippets of a TV movie with the character as part of a dystopic future. This was the basis for a short lived series in England, and for another series in the USA. Max was also part of several ad campaigns, most notably, co*ke. In the Back to the Future 2 scene at the 1980s Café, Max is referenced indirectly, as all the servers are basically, computer programs simulating 1980s celebrities, done in a similar style to Max Headroom. The Ronald Reagan and Ayatollah Khomeini parodies try to convince Marty to order food, only for him to buy a Pepsi. But the first one we see, is Michael Jackson, wearing his trademark Thriller red jacket.

(2) According to the BTTF Wikia, Doc was born, at the earliest, in 1914, the date I'm using in this story, though there are contradicting dates. He is not exactly young at 71 years old, and has been under a lot of stress. Though he didn't mention any heart problems in Back to the Future 2, I don't think it's farfetched to think all that stress would end up causing a heart attack.

Chapter 16: 26 Years of Adventures

Chapter Text

Special Author Note: For this one occasion, please do not read the Author Notes until you have finished the chapter!

Hill Valley
Blacksmith Shop
1872

Emmet Braun stirred in his bed. The last dregs of sleep dissipating with the early morning light. It was the same dream he had been having since he could remember.

Darkness.

Darkness and pain.

Darkness, pain and two voices.

The first one asking on a level tone, almost indifferent. "Trust me." She said, though he could barely understand the words because of the pain. It felt as if he had been shot in the chest. Even for a dream, it was excruciatingly painful.

The second voice answered angrily, "T-T-Trust you?"

The first one added another word, he wasn't sure, but it sounded like "Bitch."

Then he woke up completely.

He shook his head, and sniffed at the crisp morning air. He heard clockwork noises, and laid down on the bed. Breakfast would be ready in a few minutes more. There was no hurry to start the day.

Appreciatively, he listened to the sounds made by the clunky contraption that occupied a large volume of his shop. Each night, just before going to bed, he loaded it with eggs, slices of bread, water, coffee, honey, bacon, and coal, wound up a few springs, loaded the coal and matches in specific places, set the time in the clock, and knew his breakfast would be cooked by the time he had dressed himself.

"Emmet! Emmet!" A frantic voice called from the shop door. Doc recognized the silhouette that occupied the whole threshold.

"Mayor Johnson! What can I do for you?" Doc asked, wiping his hands on a clean cloth, before shaking the hand of the rotund little man.

"I just got this telegram!" He shook a yellow sheet of paper. "A very important traveler is coming! He and his valet and companion will arrive in the train in a few hours. They have some kind of gadget they need repaired and asked for a very competent blacksmith who knows about steam machines! I thought of you immediately!" The Mayor looked at the breakfast machine with amused approval. He had been invited to try it once. Once had been enough.

"Of course, Mayor. Count on me." Emmet paused, "Say, who is the traveler?"

"It's that British chap, Emmet! The one who bet he could circumnavigate the world in just 80 days! Phileas Fogg!" (1)

Emmet smiled like if all his birthday gifts had been updated, upgraded, sent again, and multiplied!

"Marty!" He shouted towards the bedroom, "We have special work to do! Get the tools and the spares!"

"Wha..?" Marty asked, scratching his head and blinking the sleep off his eyes, "what's going on?"

"We have a visitor in the next train, he needs help to repair some kind of device!"

In the train, the travelers rested. They hoped to repair the balloon. Taking the train had been an emergency measure, as their best bet to stay on schedule would be to fly over the mountains. But to do that, they needed to replace several pieces of the burner mechanism, patch several holes in the balloon, and gather enough sand for ballast, to be sure they could go high in a hurry.

Little they imagine that the party of three would grow to five after an Indian attack.

And that in the end, they would arrive back to London two full days early, thanks to their new friends' resourcefulness.

Brown Manor
London
1898

Emmet Brown looked out the windows of his house.

Ever since he and Marty had accompanied Phileas Fogg in the last leg of his journey, the two of them had had a lot of adventures.

Probably the most memorable was their meeting with the fabled Captain Nemo (2) just three years after settling in London. Having the chance to examine the fabled Nautilus itself, even in its decrepit state after being mangled in the Maelstorm, had been the opportunity of a lifetime!

Unfortunately, being at the other side of the world, he had missed the events related to a genius engineer called Robur (3), Doc would have loved to chat with the man, maybe a few words of encouragement could have been enough to stop him from going insane.

Doc shook his head. He had enjoyed his adventures, the amazing voyages, speaking with geniuses and regular people from all over the world. Though he still wasn't sure the cannon built in Florida had really been enough to send a projectile to the Moon, much less one with several people inside, or if it was just a tall tale. (4)

But now, after a long a varied life, he was tired. Not his mind, just his body. After all, 71 years was quite an advanced age. (5)

He sat on a very comfortable couch at his London house. Built with the money his inventions earned. He even sponsored several promising inventors, like that chemist, Griffin (6), with his interesting theories about color and perception; or the one who wanted to study time itself, the one he never could remember the name of… (7) he had lost contact with him after the man married. Doc had met his wife one time; a beautiful woman, indeed, very smart and forward thinking (8).

He fell asleep in front of the chimney, only to wake up in the middle of the night. Marty, his heir, was shaking him urgently. He was a very respectable man now, very far from that naive young man of 15 years who had wandered into his forge, asking what each one of his machines did. Marty was 40 years old now, a widower and grandfather himself. His son and daughter lived in the countryside, far from the city. Marty preferred the big city, but visited them frequently.

"Doc! Doc! Wake up! We have to go away!" Marty urged.

"What? What's happening?"

"You haven't heard? The meteors? Doc, how long have you been in the lab? The government is evacuating the city!"

Doc woke up in a hurry, "What? Why?"

Marty hurried Doc to the carriage he had waiting, stopping only to load a chest on the roof of the vehicle, securing it with chains. "The martians, Doc! The meteors are full of Martians! They are destroying everything in their way, and they are coming to London!" (9)

"Martians! Great Scott!" Doc whispered.

After a frantic flight to the limits of the city, Marty stopped the carriage. The horizon glowed with a reddish light, and they could hear faint screams in the distance. "Damn!" Marty exclaimed. "They are here!" He managed to turn the carriage around. Not an easy feat, as the horses were mightily spooked by the noise, and the smell of burning flesh.

Marty snapped the reigns, and the carriage disappeared in the darkness.

One of the horses missteped, falling down in front of the carriage. The front wheels hit the animal with a horrible noise, and Marty lost control of the carriage. Both men fell down to the ground, rolling away. Doc crashed against a tree, he never knew what had be one of Marty.

As he laid on the ground, he looked up. He could barely move. With a titanic effort, he managed to look around. A rustling sound in the dark. "Oh, god…" he whispered, "Is that a wolf?"

The clouds parted, and the moonlight shone, pale and bright, on the forest. Doc heard somebody walking calmly towards him. Without any hurry. "Help." He croaked, "Please help us, good sir."

Whomever it was, they kept walking at the same pace.

Finally, the unknown person revealed herself.

It was a slender girl. In the pale moonlight, her skin seemed to have an ethereal, unearthly glow. Doc blinked repeatedly, trying to focus. She was strangely dressed. A white shirt, and socks, an indecently short blue skirt, white canvas shoes.

Doc couldn't move his head to look at her, his body was broken. Mercifully, there was no pain.

The girl knelt beside him. Doc's brow furrowed. His eyes must be playing tricks on him, he could swear that the girl had scarlet eyes and blue hair. Very short hair.

"Please, Miss. Help my friend…" He begged, "our carriage crashed… I don't know where he is… please help him… I'm… im done for… help him."

"Hello, Doctor Brown." The girl said, her voice soft and even, as of this was an everyday occurrence. "Did you have a good time? Will you come back with me?"

Gradually, he recognized the girl.

He remembered who she was.

He remembered who he was.

He realized where he was.

What had happened.

Gradually, the darkness became light.

The world disappeared around them.

He floated, weightless, in an ocean of orange liquid. After an awkward moment, he realized he could breathe easily.

In front of him, Rei Ayanami floated too.

"Miss Ayanami?" She nodded.

"Hello, Doctor Brown."

"What happened? Did I..?"

"Die. Yes. Heart attack. I had to turn your body into LCL, and follow you into Instrumentality. It was the only way to save your life. I studied your body image while you indulged in your perfect life." There was a small smile in her lips. "You are very unusual. Most people just relive a single moment, again and again. You lived a full life in Instrumentality. And it was almost completely based on fiction, the only real person in your personal paradise was Marty McFly."

Doc didn't know what to say, so he simply nodded. "What happens now?"

"You only have to will yourself back into the real world. I'll be there to guide your emergence in a new body. I myself with have a new body too. This new body will be fully human, independent from Lilith, but with some of our capabilities."

Doc rubbed his chin. "Won't there be any troubles, Miss Ayanami? I was led to believe this instrumentality was hard to escape from."

"Unlike everybody else, including Shinji, you entered Instrumentality well aware of what it was. Therefore, you know it's not real. Your mind is not attached to your ideal life over the real one. And you have me to guide you back."

"Thank you, Miss Ayanami."

"You are welcome, Doctor Brown. I must say I'm interested in the stories you based your paradise upon."

"I can let you borrow my books."

And with that, they disappeared from Instrumentality.

Tokyo-3 Bay

They found several wooden posts standing on the shore. A silver cross hung from a simple nail in one of them. Something told Doc that it was important.

Once on the sand, Rei spoke. "I suggest we take the chance to collect a few samples before meeting the others."

Doc stood on the sand. The primordial soup of LCL on his clothes was drying fast. An uncomfortable memory played out as the orange flakes fell from his clothes. He was back in his usual look, including a white lab overcoat. He shook the flakes with a sharp movement.

"Samples? Oh, yes, yes. LCL. He looked around. There was a supermarket close. After a few minutes, he had several hermetic containers. "Should I simply..?"

"No. I have to condense the LCL, and make sure the resulting gel contains a single, whole soul." Rei took a container, walked into the waves, and partially submerged the edge of the container. After 6 minutes, according to Doc's mental calculation (10), Rei raised the container, now almost full with orange goo, closed it, and handed it to Doc. He gave her another and she repeated the process.

Soon, they had several containers full of orange goo. Doc noticed Rei handled the last one with more care than the others.

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2
Earlier the Same Day

"What the hell?" Marty exclaimed, looking at the big splash of orange liquid, "Where…?" He interrupted himself. "Jennifer? Are you okay?"

"Ah…" she patted herself, "I think so…"

"I t/t/told you she was a kill/killer!"

"No, no. Wait." Marty paced around. "She asked us to trust her. Doc was dying, she… she did that, and both…" He was feeling nauseous. First time he had seen somebody die, though watching Doc being shot would figure in his nightmares for years to come, in the end Doc had survived more or less intact.

"And she c/c/called me a bit/bi/b/bitch!" Lisa protested.

"No." Jennifer noted. "She was looking at Marty."

"Let me think." Marty sat heavily on the couch. "Why would she call me a bitch? I haven't treated her badly, have I?"

"No, that's what bothers me." Jennifer commented. She heard the door slid open. "Damn!"

She stood up, and shouted, "Don't enter!" She ran to the short hall. Shinji was already inside, Asuka close behind him. "Wait. Something happened." Quickly, she explained the events. Both pilots paled, and agreed to stay in the hall.

A minute later, Asuka spoke, "In all the time I have known her, I never heard Wonder Girl swearing, not even when I swore at her."

Shinji nodded in agreement. "Neither have I."

"Are you sure she said 'bitch'?" Shinji asked.

Jennifer thought for a moment. "Could have been 'beach'. That makes any sense to you?"

The pilots exchanged a look. Asuka snapped her fingers. "Yes! When we came out from Instrumentality, we woke up at the beach. If she turned Doctor Brown and herself into LCL; they will return at the beach!"

Author's Notes:

(1) Phileas Fogg is the protagonist of, of course, Around the World in 80 Days, published in 1872. According to Jules Verne's novel, Fogg and his companions boarded the train at San Francisco, to cross the United States. Hill Valley could be one of the minor stops in the route; most probably to load coal, water, and sand (for traction in slopes).

(2) Captain Nemo was the antagonist in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, serialized in 1869 and 1870; at the end of that book, the Nautilus is apparently destroyed. However, in The Mysterious Island (1874), a group of castaways meets Captain Nemo.

(3) Robur, The Conqueror (1886). The protagonist is an engineer, who designs and build an advanced air ship, that is, contrary to then current technology, is heavier than air. It is described as a helicopter with multiple rotors. To establish a modern equivalent, it would be close to SHIELD's Helicarrier in the MCU.

(4) From the Earth to the Moon (1865). The novel deals with an incredibly accurate attempt to reach the Moon. Though it involved a gigantic "cannon" instead of a rocket, many of the other details were very close to the 1960s Saturn V rockets.

(5) Especially at the end of the XIX Century, in England, where even the wallpaper was a deathly risk, due to the amount of arsenic it contained, though the green color was quite vibrant.

(6) The Invisible Man (1897), by H.G. Wells. The villain protagonist's full name is not mentioned.

(7) The Time Machine (1895), the protagonist's name is not mentioned.

(8) One of many stories derivated from The Time Machine was the movie Time After Time (1979), in which H.G. Wells himself is the inventor of the Time Machine, and has to follow Jack the Ripper to the Future year of 1979. In a curious twist, Wells' love interest was played by no other than Mary Steenburgen, who played Clara Clayton in Back to the Future III!

(9) The War of the Worlds (1897).

(10) Doc's watches and clocks stayed behind at the apartment when Rei tanged him. At this point, he has his clothes and shoes, but anything more complex simply isn't recreated with the body.

Chapter 17: Baggage Overcharge

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3 Bay

The truck brakes screeched as Marty stopped where Shinji had pointed. Far in the Sea of Souls, he could see the disturbing sight of two halves of a titanic head, looking blindly to the sky, while nine white colossi crucified themselves on their own spears. But to Marty McFly, the important thing to see was much closer, right on the sand, waving enthusiastically at the group. "Marty! Come here! Hurry! You need to see this!" He waved at Ayanami, who was half submerged into the blood-smelling fluid, doing who knew what.

Marty ran to the beach, "Doc! You're okay!" Marty slowed his run, noticing the smug smile face of his friend, "Uh…Doc? You look…"

"30 years younger! Yes! Courtesy of Miss Ayanami when she made my new body." Doc tapped proudly at his chest. "I'm in perfect health now."

"Whoah…" Marty wheezed, not believing his ears. Doc simply smiled like a mischievous kid.

"She's gonna be really popular." A voice commented from the truck. It was Asuka, leaning on the very decorated door of the black vehicle. "Maybe we should add you to the decals, Wonder Girl." There was less acid in her words than before.

Rei stood up in the water, closing the container she had in her hands. She examined the surface of the truck, comparing the image at the door with Marty. There was a distant likeness, but the posture and the expression on their faces were very similar. "All three or none, Second." She answered, and managed a small, challenging smirk.

Asuka grinned back. "Well said." She nodded with some respect. "Now, I'm not sure if I really want to know, but… are those souls?"

Doc nodded. "Yes. I want to devise a way to protect the people in the bunkers from being converted, and for that, we need to know how LCL works. Miss Ayanami has collected some souls for research purposes, we will take them back to 1986."

"Anybody I know?" Asuka wondered, eyeing the containers suspiciously.

"Yes. I have collected some of NERV personnel. They are currently in Instrumentality, and separating them from the Sea of Souls won't change that."

"My mother?"

"No. Not without your permission. So far, I have collected Dr. Akagi, Lt Ibuki, Lt. Hyuga, Lt. Aoba, and Major Katsuragi. Inspector Kaji resists my efforts to collect him, should I try harder? The process could be harmful."

Asuka thought about it long and hard. She looked at the time travelers, "Would you excuse us for a few minutes? We need to discuss this among us, this is about… you know… family…"

Doc grabbed Marty's shoulders, and gently pushed the teenager towards the truck. "Of course, we will be over there."

"Ah, Doc… we left Jennifer at the apartment. I think we should check on her, she stayed behind to watch over, Uh, Lisa. She will be worried."

Shinji finally decided to ask the question that had been nagging him since they had arrived to the beach in Marty's truck. "Uh… Rei…" he hesitated.

Guessing his unspoken question, Rei answered, "No. He was not included in Instrumentality. He rejected it and I rejected him."

This seemed to ease Shinji's heart. He nodded gravely, and without a word, walked to a wooden post, and recovered the tarnished silver cross. He examined the frayed cord, and put the cross in his pocket.

Finally, Asuka sighed. "Is he… you know… happy? Kaji, I mean." Her eyes shone wetly.

"He is. That's the purpose of Instrumentality."

The German-raised pilot looked at the distance. She barely noticed Shinji returning, and putting his hand in her shoulder in a mute gesture of support. He kept silent, something she really appreciated. "Then… let him be happy, Rei."

"I will. Lilith will keep watch over him, I promise you."

"Thank you. Please see if Mama wants to come. If she is truly happy there… just… just let her be."

"I understand. I'm abandoning my efforts to bring Mr. Kaji. In a few moments I'll know about Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu. I'll inform you immediately."

Asuka nodded sadly. "Good. I… thank you." With a look, Shinji asked if she wanted company. She shook her head. "Later. I need a few minutes by myself, Shinji."

"Wait, just a moment." He said softly, "I have a question."

Asuka nodded, a tinge of sadness in her blue eyes. "Ask."

"Uh, actually, it's for Rei, but I think you should be here too."

"If we take people back to the past, could they… um… return? To life, like Asuka and I did?"

Rei didn't take long to answer, "It is possible. I'd have to guide the biological part of process, as the organic matter would need to be coaxed back into shape, but there are no real obstacles if they decide to reject Instrumentality."

Asuka gasped sharply; she traded a look with Shinji, "Wonder Girl, we can't take Misato with us and leave Kaji."

"He resists actively to return. I could force the issue, but…"

"Can you… enter his Instrumentality vision? Like you did with me?" Shinji asked.

"I could, but he has no reason to trust me. As far as he knows, I was loyal to either Commander Ikari or SEELE."

Asuka bit her lip, thinking hard. "Could you connect another soul to his Instrumentality?"

Shinji looked at her with a strange look in his eyes. Rei answered the question. "Only for a very brief time. Otherwise, SEELE Instrumentality would form. Both souls would mix and blur into each other."

Shinji gasped. "I'll go."

Asuka shook her head, "No, Third. I owe it to Misato. When she and Kaji went back together, I…" she looked away, "I hated her. Because he chose her. I was so stupid. How could I compete with her? Maybe if we had been the same age, but now I realize Kaji always saw me as a child. An immature, impulsive, blind child. Grasping at adulthood. And still, he never lost his patience with me, never raised his voice. He never made me feel like a cog in machinery, like some other guardians I had in Germany did. And Misato always treated me like a friend, or like a sister."

Shinji nodded, "That's Misato, yes. Mr. Kaji never made me feel forced to pilot." He put his hands in his pockets. "I wish I had more time to talk woth him."

After a moment of silence, both spoke in perfect synch, "He was a better father…" they interrupted themselves, smirked, and finished the thought. "than my real father."

Asuka shook her head in amusem*nt, "After all this time, it was a hell of a moment to synchronize, Third."

He rubbed the back of his head, that clumsy awkward smile on his face. Asuka had never said so, but she actually liked that smile. Maybe soon she would tell him.

Instrumentality

A group of kids hid inside an abandoned building, all of them dirty, hungry, and wearing mismatched clothes.

Suddenly, the missing member of the gang fell through the hole in the wall they used to come and go, he was short of breath and his face swollen like he had been repeatedly punched.

"We must go!" He hissed, "The soldiers are coming!"

His brother jumped into action, efficiently organizing the escape. Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.

Little Ryoji breather easier now. He still hurt everywhere, but his friends, his brother, all were safe.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Instrumentality

Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.

Little Ryoji breather easier now. He still hurt everywhere, but his friends, his brother, all were safe.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Instrumentality

Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.

Little Ryoji closed his eyes for a moment.

Instrumentality

Ryoji Kaji felt somebody sit heavily next to him. He opened his eyes, to find a red-haired girl looking intently at him. Her short hair seemed to have been badly hacked with scissors, just like his friends had to do when it got in the way.

"I must say, this is not what I thought you'd be doing in Instrumentality." She said.

"What? Who the hell are you?"

She sighed, no wonder Kaji resisted to come out the raise paradise. "I'm Asuka. Asuka Langley Soryu. I used to be your ward, believe it or not."

The girl told him an incredible tale, little Ryoji tried to dismiss it as mere fancy or folly, but…

"That's the truth. Those bas…those bad guys caused Second Impact, and used us to cause the Third one."

Instrumentality

Suddenly, the girl disappeared, and:

Minutes later, the group was safely hidden in another place.

Little Ryoji closed his eyes for a moment.

Tokyo-3 Bay

Asuka opened her eyes, above her, the sky was a beautiful blue color, and a cloud drifted in the soft wind. Above her, several faces looked worried at her.

"Are you okay, Miss Soryu? What you did was terribly dangerous" Doc's raspy voice was full of worry.

She sat up on the soft sand. "So is piloting an Evangelion, Doctor Brown." She stood up, looking at Rei. "I got pulled out before convincing him."

The bluenette nodded, "I couldn't keep your connection for any longer. Keeping you in would have resulted in a total breakdown of your ego barriers." She paused, "However, Inspector Kaji is not resisting the process anymore. I can collect his soul now."

"Good." Asuka nodded, "What about Mama?"

"Her soul is still fragmented, both halves resist fiercely."

Asuka stood up, and ran away before anybody could stop her. Marty made to follow, but Shinji stopped him. "Don't. She needs a bit of time to calm down."

"But…" the boy stammered, "she could…"

"I know where she ran to. She needs a bit of time for herself. I'll make sure she's okay." Decidedly, Shinji walked away.

Doc hurried up to him. "If you need any help, call us."

Shinji patted the walkie-talkie in his belt. "I will."

Tokyo-3 Ruins

Asuka set herself in her hideout. A small, secluded park that used to be close to the bay. There had been a kindergarten close by, and there were swings, a sandbox and other playground stuff there.

By sheer miracle, it had survived Third Impact more or less intact, though in the time since, it had fallen to some disrepair. The sandbox was full of weeds, and the jungle gym was falling to pieces. For some reason, both had felt compelled to go there when they needed to think, especially Shinji.

He had repaired what he could, even repainted the swings, mostly to have something to do outside the apartment.

Just as he knew, he saw Asuka sitting on a swing. Just grabbing the chains, immobile.

He walked in her direction, making sure he did enough noise to announce his presence. Once she looked at him for a moment, he stopped, and sat on a bench, deliberately chosen so he wouldn't look at her directly.

Asuka returned to her thoughts.

Shinji waited patiently.

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2

"Well/ell, they are tak/k/king their time." Lisa observed.

"Yeah, maybe I should…" the crackle of the walkie-talkie startled her.

Later

"Sure, Doctor Brown. Let me know. Over and out."

Lisa had a smug smile on her face, "Wanna see/ee what I found while we were/were wait/t/ting? Turns out/out/out the MAGI are st/st/still on!"

NERV HQ
Central Dogma (Secondary)

Inside the ruins of NERV HQ, three biological computers still worked. They had been deteriorating for months, deprived of maintenance.

Still, they kept on working, they still ran the surviving automated systems of the city, though their reach was very limited.

They received an ingress request from outside the GeoFront.

No clearance.

DENIED. DENIED. DENIED.

A few minutes later, a second request, this time it was an old password. Almost expired.

DENIED. DENIED. GRANTED.

Outvoted.

A third request, this time, it was a new password.

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Public Data

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Scarlet Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED

Sending

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Amber Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED

Sending

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Gold Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED

Sending

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Emerald Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, ID REQUESTED

Sending

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Azure Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, BIOMETRIC ID REQUESTED

Sending

GRANTED. GRANTED. GRANTED.

File Access Requested. Restricted Data, Indigo Level.

SECONDARY PASSWORD, BIOMETRIC ID REQUESTED

Sending

One by one, the deepest secrets of NERV were exposed, studied, analyzed and copied.

A treasure trove for a group of concerned citizens to dissect at their leisure.

Terminal Dogma
"LCL production plant"

The sudden activity in the computers caught the attention of…

Something.

A fine layer of dust rested on the floor of the chamber. Over the dried flakes of LCL, the dust floating in the colossal chamber had settled on the ground. It had laid undisturbed for long months.

Until today.

Something stirred in the chamber.

A cold anger.

Betrayal. Betrayed and betrayer.

It followed the trail to the upper levels.

Right into the computer room.

Author's Notes:

Originally, Kaji was to be left in 2016, but after a PM exchange with tomdj1701, I decided to add him to the souls to go back to 1985. I'm not promising he will actually reincarnate (I do have somebody in the list who will definitively come back from Instrumentality), but I feel it would be a step in the right direction for Asuka.

Chapter 18: 7 Time Travelers and 6 Souls, Plus 1 Uninvited Passenger

Chapter Text

Tokyo-3 Bay

About 40 minutes later, the two pilots returned, Asuka noticeably calmer once she had had the chance to sort her feelings.

"My Mother?" She asked without preamble.

Rei looked down. "Both halves resist. Forcing them to reintegrate would destroy them."

"I… I understand. Stop. If we manage to change history she will be whole anyway." Shinji squeezed her shoulder in support. Both knew the price they would have to pay.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Marty piped in. "We should go back. Unless you'd like to collect more souls."

Sadly, Doc shook his head, "No, I think we have enough. I don't plan on any destructive experiments on them, just analysis."

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2

"Wow… you are filling up the computers memory, Lisa!"

"I th/th/think we nee/need more hard drives. Or discard a lot of stuf/st/stuff."

Ruins of NERV HQ

Something insinuated itself into the living brains that were the basis of the MAGI. With inhuman senses, it followed the route of the data. The information traveled through several servers all over the ruined city.

It decided to follow the route.

At each server, the awareness stopped, exploring ahead. When it determined that there was only one more section to travel, it stopped, abandoned the system, and located the place.

It decided to watch from a distance before acting.

Later, a black Toyota truck, with strange modifications parked in front of the building.

Its occupants entered the building. The watcher recognized three of them.

The ex-pilots.

The watcher recoiled at the sight of the blue-haired former pilot. It wouldn't do to be found out by her.

There were two unknown men with them, both were clearly Gaijin.

What was going on? The watcher decided to study the group from afar before acting.

Same Building the Katsuragi-Ikari-Soryu Apartment was located
First Floor, South Apartment 2

"Well, I think there's not much more we can do here." Doc said, "Miss LeBrook, your efforts in collecting the data are much appreciated. You have given us a big advantage."

The CGI generated face actually blushed! "I had t/t/to condense things. Most of the data/data/data is redundant, but even so, I maxed out/t/out the computers' capabilities/ies/ies, and I'm not even/even c/c/close to copying all the files."

"Even so!" Marty commented. "I mean, science is not my thing, really, but even I know that must be a lot of stuff!"

Shinji barely managed to stifle a yawn. "Uh, sorry, it's getting kinda late. We got used to go to sleep as night falls."

Doc checked his right wristwatch, "You're right. Even with the generators, it's prudent to keep our energy consumption down."

Rei added, "I'll need a couple of hours to create the modified LCL gel for Lisa. We will need power for that."

Jennifer looked out the window. "By then, it will be really dark."

Doc shrugged, "Driving in the dark would be somewhat dangerous, so I think we should spend the night here and go back to 1986 tomorrow morning."

"And we have to pack a few things anyway." Asuka added. "Just things we can't replace, Third."

Shinji nodded. "The only thing I want to take with me is my cello, but I'll understand if we have to leave it behind."

"We have to do a couple of trips anyway." Doc commented. "I'm not leaving all these computers behind, we will need them!"

"Ah, then we should get a few laptops too." Asuka tapped her finger on the table. "They are kinda heavy, but they can take a beating if necessary."

Marty rubbed his head, "Uh, Doc? I just realized there's a problem…"

"Well, speak up and let's see what can we do about it."

"How are we gonna take the computers, the gel, and the pilots out of Japan?" He tilted his head towards the pilots, "The computers are too advanced, the gel is an unknown substance, and their documents wouldn't be valid thirty years ago, they haven't even been born!"

The others gasped.

Lisa laughed. "Leave th/th/that to me! I just need to get back/k/k about a month/th before everybo/bo/body else."

"Ah!" Doc smiled. "I see! Then, the first trip will be with the DeLorean, Miss Ayanami, Miss LeBroock, and… one laptop?"

"Exac/c/ctly!" Lisa would have loved to clap her hands, but as her image only contained her armless torso, she had to content herself with a series of spins.

Next Day
Early Morning

"Something wrong, Rei?" Jennifer asked, as the group gathered around the DeLorean. Shinji and Asuka had stayed behind to pack all the computers and laptops they had gathered. And to put the soul containers into bigger containers, just in case there was an unforeseen shock.

The blue-haired girl looked around. "I'm not sure. I thought I sensed something. A presence I've not felt since..." (1) She shook her head.

Marty smiled at her, "Quoting Darth Vader?"

"What's a Darth Vader?" Rei asked, blinking twice, feeling somewhat distracted.

Marty shook his head, "Man, we have to get you guys up to date on a lot of things. It's a character in a movie, I guess you never heard of Star Wars."

Rei shook her head.

While Marty explained the basics of Star Wars, somewhere far from the group, the watcher in the distance receded into the ground, hiding.

Rei looked around again, "I must have been mistaken, separating a fragment of my psyche into a newly made human body and preparing the LCL for Lisa took a lot from me."

Doc returned from the abandoned office, "Are we ready?"

"Ah, yes, Doc!" Marty said, showing Doc the checklist they had prepared. "The tank is full, Mr. Fusion is loaded with water, Lisa is packed in an hermetic container, though I'm sure she will complaint about traveling in a Sailor Moon bottle. (I know I would). Tires air pressure checked, oil tank at 95%, brakes' fluid full. And the laptop is packed safely in the trunk." He patted the door of the DeLorean. "The car is ready! As soon as Jennifer finishes with the track check, we'll be ready to go!"

"Excelent!" Doc rubbed his hands together. He handed a pair of goggles to Rei. "Miss Ayanami, I must warn you there will be some bright lights during the time jump. I think it's best if we take some precautions, in case you are sensitive due to, um, your albinism."

"I am not exactly an albino, Doctor Brown," she said, taking the goggles, "but I appreciate your worry." She put the goggles on, adjusting them over her face.

Primly, she sat on the passenger's seat, and Marty gave her the Sailor Moon bottle, full of blue LCL gel. Very reluctantly, Lisa had entered a sort of mini-Instrumentality. It wasn't the false paradise of true Instrumentality, but it would keep her safe during the time travel. Rei held the bottle with care and respect.

Doc took his place at the wheel, checked his notes, confirmed the date, and tapped the keyboard of the time circuit to April the 6th, 1986. "At this point in the timeline," he explained, "our past selves have finished scouting the terrain in Hakone Prefecture, in what now is the Tokyo-3 area. We have located a good place to build this racetrack, bought the land, and have a construction crew flattening the land. It's a Sunday, so the place will be empty. The arrival will be a bit bumpy, I fear."

Rei nodded. "All we need is a telephone connection and electricity."

"The office has both. Let's go." He flipped down his sunglasses, and Rei adjusted her goggles.

Next to the DeLorean, Marty was listening to the walkie-talkie. He put it in his belt, and leaned down to the window. "Doc, Jennifer says the track is clear and ready. She's on the way here."

"Excelent! As soon as she's clear, we proceed."

Doc stepped on the gas pedal, "When we get up to 88 MPH, you're gonna see some serious stuff!" He said happily, Rei simply nodded her understanding.

The speed meter needle rose steadily, 79 MPH, 80, 81, 82… the flux capacitator lights ran in a quickly accelerating pattern.

87… A series of flashes burst in front of the vehicle, and the wheel shook constantly, until…

88 MPH!

A big flash of light and electricity covered the car. From the point of view of Marty and Jennifer, the car seemed to explode and implode suddenly, disappearing in a quickly collapsing ball of smoke, leaving behind two twin tracks of fire!

"I'll never stop being amazed at watching that, Marty!" Jennifer gasped. The impulse to run towards the place was almost overwhelming.

Her boyfriend passed his left arm over her shoulders in a half hug, "Neither will I!" They stayed out of the track. He looked at his watch, "We better be ready, they will return in a minute or so." Both of them grabbed a fire extinguisher.

Exactly a minute later, flashes of light began to appear over the track, accompanied by small thunders. Then, a boom heralded the reappearance of the DeLorean, no worse for wear. The ice that covered it melted quickly in the warm air.

Doc emerged from the car, a big smile on his face. "Mission accomplished!" He announced proudly.

"Uh, Doc? Where's Rei?" Marty asked, a bit worried.

"Don't worry, I left her with your parents a couple of hours after we came to 2017. Lisa has been taking care of things, and everything is almost ready! Now, lets pick up the others. It's time we leave this God forsaken place!"

"Okay, that's enough for the first trip." Doc and Marty closed down the trucks flatbed cover. It now contained six full size computers and two laptops.

Shinji and Asuka exchanged a look. He decided to speak. "Dr. Brown? About what Marty said..?"

The scientist patted Shinji's shoulder, "Don't worry, everything has been taken care of, you three have a legal identity waiting for you in 1986. Let's get you there and then first and Marty and I will get the rest of the computers. Okay?"

"Um, okay, I guess…"

Emboldened by Ayanami's absence, the ghostly presence made its move. A cloud of vapor moved by itself, entering the vehicle through the muffler. It settled in the motor, and went to sleep.

Wherever the machine went, whatever year it traveled to, the unseen presence would go. And being in a latent state, it would not be found.

Hakone Prefecture
McFly Compound
1986

George McFly stood rigidly next to the place where the track would be built, waiting with a small cargo platform.

The Toyota materialized with a bang and a cloud of condensing steam. A minute later, once the Ice had melted enough, the four passengers descended.

Marty hugged his father warmly, "Dad, these are Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu, they are the other survivors we found. Guys, this is my father, George McFly."

"Hello and welcome!" George greeted the teenagers with an awkward bow, Shinji and Asuka returned the bow. "Im very happy to meet you. Doc explained everything when he brought Rei. I bid you welcome to my home and my family. My wife doesn't know yet about the time travel, so please be careful, until we explain everything to her."

Asuka nodded brusquely, "We used to have high clearance with a world-wide paramilitary agency. We can keep a secret!"

"I know, I still have some trouble to accept the idea of giant robots fighting giant alien monsters. In this time, it sounds like some weird science fiction, you must admit.

Asuka nodded noncommittally, conceding the point. "I plan on stopping that."

"Don't we all?" George smiled, "Now, come into the cabin, you must be hungry."

"Ah, Now that you mention it…" Shinji's stomach growled.

"I got some sandwiches, fruit salad and juice, and some sweet bread. It's very basic, but it's fresh. The cargo can wait."

Asuka and Shinji exchanged another look. He took the lead, for once, and led her to the table.

Behind them, inside the truck, something slept.

It didn't dream, but had it been able to do so, its ghostly dreams would have been full of hate and loathing.

A drop of slime fell to the dirt floor, unnoticed by anybody.

Author's Notes:

(1) The actual quote is "I sensed something. A presence I've not felt since..." it's uttered by Darth Vader in Star Wars, when he detects his old Master's presence in the first Death Star.

Chapter 19: Today is a Good Day for a (Metaphorical) Rebirth!

Chapter Text

Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
McFly Compound (in Construction)

1986

George McFly served himself a glass of orange juice, watching as both pilots ate with a very healthy appetite.

"Rei is with Lorraine at the house." He said, "A man sent by the Japanese government has made an appointment to deliver your…" he air quoted the next two words, to the pilots' bafflement, as they were not used to that gesture. Fortunately, George's intonation was enough to convey his meaning, "replacement documentation. He will visit tomorrow, so you can be rested and settled for the visit. All you have to do is put your fingerprints in some documents, sign on the dotted lines and provide a few pictures for your Ids. There's a photo studio that makes rush jobs, so we will drop by before going back to the hotel. I'll get the pictures tomorrow morning."

Shinji tilted his head, eerily mimicking Pen-Pen, "Wait, what replacement documentation?"

"Yeah," Asuka added, "What do you mean? How can we have any documentation here, in the past?"

The laptop's screen saver changed, and Lisa's face smirked at them. "I c/c/confess! I did/did/did it!"

George leaned back on his chair, an amused smile on his face. "Lisa meddled with a lot of governmental databases."

The CGI AI smiled widely, "In short, I made you a nice little anime of a story, not Remi or Candy Candy (1) level, still relatively believ/va/va/ble; so you th/th/three lived in an isolated area, and were completely home-schoo/scoo/ooled. There was a terrible accident/t, and you are the only sur/sur/survivors. Your documents were lost/lost/lo/lost in an explosion, the same that killed your fami/fa/family and destroyed your home/me. Your only living relative is Doctor B/B/Brown, who was contacted and asked if he would take/take charge of you. He naturally accepted and once you receive your legal pa/papers, will be free to go back to Hill Valley with him." She shrugged. "T/t/though you still have to ta/ta/take a placement exam in the USA, sorry about that/t."

"So, what? Are we all siblings or what?" Asuka asked acidly.

"Nope. Only Shinji and/a/and Rei. I thought it would be better/better/better, considering your actual relationship. I esta/ta/established a very far ancestor, enough for you three to be legally considered as family, you are just not c/c/closely related to Rei and Shinji. Now you're all related to Doctor Brown on your maternal si/side, seven generation back/ba/back. I k/k/know about your stra/trained relationship/op with your pa/pa/parents, Shinji, so I t/t/took the liberty of changing your surname to Ayana/na/nami."

Shinji's eyes opened wide as saucers, his lips contorted, and to everybody's surprise, he laughed! "That's great! The bastard took my mother's name, and both abandoned me for years!" He wiped his eyes, "I.. I feel…" he hesitated, under Asuka's worried gaze, "…free! Thank you, Lisa!"

He looked at Asuka, still smiling, "Hello, my name is Shinji Ayanami. Charmed to meet you." He bowed respectfully.

She bowed back, "Indeed. I am…" she turned to Lisa, raising an eyebrow. Lisa shook her head, Asuka cleared her throat before continuing, "I am Asuka Langley Soryu. Charmed."

Marty asked the question in his mind. "Hey, how exactly did you made them new identities?"

Lisa smiled, "Easy as pie! Each year, every government reserves a few identities for their operatives, they leave some blanks in their birth certificate/c/cates databases to create new, legal, identities for spies, agents, witnesses in protective custody, things like that. I just took advantage of that and usurped three/th/three of those identities. As the blank/k/k registers are top secret, and not checked until used, they have some priority co/co/codes, so I just used those codes to fabricate the new/n/n/new identities. In about twenty/ty or thirty years, the government/ment will need to use the blanks for the years 1970 and 1971, but won't find these three, as I/I/I have already replaced the identifier co/codes they had attached for regular coding. For all purpo/purposes, you three have always existed. The replacements t/t/took about a month to arrive because I had to make a c/c/convincing paper/p/per trail, order several government employees, and basically, put/t everything in motion as if the government itself was creating identities for agents, so no one/no one/no one asks any awkward q/q/questions. You are very welcome." (2)

Shinji bowed deeply to the CGI image, "Thank you so much, Lisa."

Asuka followed suit a moment later saying, "Impressive work! Especially with the primitive computer network in this time!"

Jennifer piped in, "And the computers and the LCL gel?"

"Props for a mo/movie!" (3) Lisa answered, "Doc and George are trying to get in/to/to the SFX business! I commissioned a small group/p of techies to build re/replicas of the real 2015 computers, they will deliver them to a small warehouse, where we will replace/replace/ace them with the real computers. I have blocked all the functions of the real/re/real pieces. Any tests, of which I'm sure won't be/be/be any, would show non-functional, but ve/very convincing props. About the only th/thing they do now is make some noise and lit some lights. The gel has been/b/been approved by c/cus/customs."

"Wow…" Shinji exclaimed.

George looked at his watch, "We should go back to the hotel."

About half a mile from the race track future site, a glob of slime was accidentally picked up by a passing truck. The headlights flashed orange for a moment. The stowaway wouldn't risk himself by going anywhere near Rei Ayanami. It would take the long way to wherever this Hill Valley was.

The Next Day

"I wish you the best in your new life." The small man said as he bid goodbye with a respectful bow. It took a couple of hours to finish, but all the legalities had been satisfied. Rei, Asuka and Shinji were now fully accredited Japanese citizens. And were in possession of new Passports and all other documents needed to emigrate to the USA.

Doc Brown smiled widely at the pilots, "Well… I must admit this not the way I thought I would have a family, but I'm glad!"

Shinji put his brand-new documents inside a small suitcase, and hesitated a bit before speaking. "Uh, Doctor Brown? Now that we are legally your relatives… what should we call you?"

"Well," he answered, thinking for a moment, "I guess we are technically something like Third or Fourth Cousins I'm not sure how many Removed." Asuka and Shinji exchanged a confused look at the nomenclature. "But in the name of clarity, and due to our age gap, just call me Doc, just as Marty and Jennifer do. Or Uncle Emmet, or just Uncle, if you prefer."

Rei spoke then, "Would not it be disrespectful?"

Doc snorted, "Pfah! I've been called way worse, Miss Ayanami. So much worse. A bit of familiarity won't hurt. We could even say that due to the difference in age, it would be better to consider me an uncle even though we are actually cousins."

Shinji nodded. "Um… where will we live?"

George answered, "For now, with us. Dave and Linda are moving soon into their own places, and their rooms will be…" he paused, "Oh, boy… they are moving out…" he wheezed. "I guess I hadn't stopped to realize they are so grown up…"

Doc patted George's shoulder, "The Law of Life in action, George."

George smiled weakly, "Lorraine did warn me it would hit me like a speeding truck…"

Marty exchanged a look with Shinji first, then Asuka, and finally, Rei. "Guys, be ready for some heavy motherly instincts kicking in."

At that precise moment, Lorraine McFly entered the room, having listened Marty's words, she laughed as she playfully slapped her son's shoulder. "Marty is exaggerating! Though you three could stand to gain a little weight." She walked among the group, George and Doc exchanged a look, and both nodded.

"Uh, Honey… We have to tell you some stuff…"

"Can it wait? We have to ready a lot of things before going back home. We have to buy some clothes for the kids, they can't go in the plane with just those old clothes!"

"I know, but…" George sighed.

"And maybe a couple of Walkmans and cassettes." Lorraine continued.

Doc pinched the bridge of his nose. "George, I think this is a talk we can schedule for later. Right now, it's better we prepare to go back home."

Shinji had to stifle a yawn, Lorraine noticed, "Did you sleep well, Shinji?"

He smiled awkwardly, "Um… Actually, it took me a long time to fall asleep, I'm used to the noise of cicadas all the time, it was too quiet and the noise of traffic is…"

Asuka added, "Same with me, we will need a bit of time to get used to the change, that's all."

"Ah, I see. Then, how about you take a nap, and we go shopping in say…"she looked at George, who discreetly extended tree fingers while he pretended to scratch his cheek. (4) "three hours?"

Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Commercial Area
Electronic Shops and Arcade Alley (5)
Four Hours Later

"Shinji, are you Okay?" Marty asked, as the teenager sat on a bench, breathing quickly, his eyes darting all over the place.

Immediately, George sat next to him. "Shinji, Shinji!" The teen looked at him, his face twisted in fear. "Look at me. There's nothing to fear, I am here, just focus on my voice and breathe."

Shinji nodded brusquely. George kept on talking. "Everything will be fine. It's just light and noise. Nothing harmful, just keep in breathing, son."

Two minutes later, Shinji had calmed down enough to relax a bit. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Easy. Take your time. You got overwhelmed. The lights and noise of the arcade, I think. Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"Good, let's go over there. It will be quieter." George pointed at a bench next to a Music Store, the sound of classical music filling the air.

They sat on the bench, Shinji struggled to keep control of himself. George was ready to call for help, but the former pilot managed to settle into a tensely controlled state, relaxing gradually. "I'll be okay, McFly-san; it's just that… it was too much noise and light. And I… I realized how small this city is now." He whispered the last words. "The buildings, the city, the town… its so small compared with Tokyo…" he interrupted himself before adding the number. He shook his head, focusing in the soothing notes of Beethoven's Fur Elise. He had never learned to play the piano, but right at that moment, he tried to convert the music into a cello version, even if it was just in his mind. Concentrating in that relieved his stress.

"Everything I knew is… no more, or… not yet. The buildings, the people. My parents must be still children, I don't know if Misato has even been born… (6)" He shook his head. "And this place is so…" He took his time to find the right word. "So alive! Back there everybody was afraid. Not knowing when the next attack would come. We had evacuation drills at least once per month. Every black had stenciled instructions and routes to the closest bunker."

"I understand." George nodded thoughtfully. "I lived the most tense years of the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis had us al wondering when the bombs would start to fall."

Shinji and Marty looked intensely at George, who shrugged. "There are still some problems with the Soviets, but not that bad."

Shinji smiled, "Well… that's gonna pass too. The Soviet Union will dissolve long before Second Impact. The Wall in Berlin will be demolished in just a few years. Just ask Asuka. She grew up in a unified Germany. She will remember the dates, I'm really bad at history."

George gasped, "I can't… I can't believe it…"

Marty nodded, "The books we got just skip over that, but yes, Shinji is right."

"Son, I really need to read those books. I focused on science and technology and disregarded history!"

"Doc has them in a safe at his home. He doesn't want to risk them falling in the wrong hands. I'm sure he won't mind you going to his house to read them."

George nodded emphatically. "Who knows, maybe I can get one or two good ideas for my next book."

Shinji stared at him for a moment, "Please, don't include me as a character."

"Why not? Most people would like to be a character in a novel or a movie." Marty said.

"I'm… not interesting. There's nothing that could be noteworthy about me." He shrugged sadly. "At best, I would be a one scene background character."

"Are you serious?" Marty exclaimed, "You…" he looked around, to check if there was anybody close enough to listen, he continued in a whisper, "You would be the everyday guy who gets thrusted into a life-threatening situation, yet finds the courage to keep on fighting to protect people."

"I failed at that." Shinji's voice broke. George and Marty squeezed Shinji's shoulders, in an eerie display of accidental synchronization.

Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Commercial Area
Clothing Shops Alley

"Have you thought about your new looks?" Jennifer asked Asuka and Rei.

Asuka passed a hand through her badly cut hair, "Yeah. I'd like a nice cut, something bold. And..." she smiled mischievously, "some of those neon colored clothes that look like they belong in a gym. Leg warmers, et al."

Rei shook her head, "Similar to the synch training outfits, I believe." Asuka nodded with a mischievous look in her eyes, Rei continued, "I see no need to change my haircut. However, I'd like to choose a modestly sized wardrobe. I dislike overly bright colors," she looked at Asuka, "Red is not my color, but pale blue or maybe black and white would be very acceptable colors for my outfits."

Asuka tilted her head, studying her former colleague for a moment, "That's fair, then I claim red and bright primary colors, including neon; excluding blue. I graciously concede pastel shades for your palette, First." Both nodded at each other, having reached a mutually satisfying agreement.

Lorraine smiled at the girls, "Well, we have time to find your best look. Tell you what, Jennifer, you go with Rei to the clothes stores, and help her find her style for America; while Asuka and I hit the beauty parlor, I think it's time for me to change my look too." She passed a debit card to Jennifer. "Stay on budget, please."

"Sure, Mrs. McFly." Jennifer and Asuka smiled happily at the chance to indulge in a shopping spree. Rei followed their big smiles with a small smile of her own.

"Now, Asuka, let's find a good place to get our hair styled!"

"Leave that to me, Mrs. McFly!"

Author's Notes:

(1) Two of the most unlucky characters ever! Especially Remi. I'll freely admit to not daring to watch the series. I think only Taylor Hebert, of Worm fame, has a worse luck than Remi and/or Candy; and that's because she lives in what can be charitably said to be a Crapsack World, so that adds to her own personal back luck.

(2) I don't remember exactly where I got this little bit of info, probably another fanfic, but for my life, I can't remember. In any case, I thought it would be a good way to get the pilots the needed papers to go to Hill Valley.

(3) Now, this bit is inspired by a strange and real story. Turns out that in 1978, the CIA enacted a secret operation to rescue several people from Iran. The pretext was to simulate the production of a movie, based on the novel Lord of the Light, by Roger Zelazny (great book, BTW), and several drawings by Jack Kirby (of Marvel Comics and DC Comics fame) detailing the scenery for the movie. The people were evacuated as part of the production team. The events were heavily fictionalized in the movie Argo.

(4) The same technique Egon used to tell Peter how much to charge after they captured Slimer at the Sedgwick Hotel.

(5) I have no real information about Hakone in 1986, so I'll just assume there was a kinda mall style street, designated for pedestrians. If somebody has info about a similar, real place in 1986 Hakone, please send it to me and I'll make the appropriate corrections.

(6) Shinji is right, according to the NGE timeline, Gendo Rokubungi was born April 29 1967 (19 YO), Yui Ikari in March 30 1977 (9 YO), and Misato Katsuragi in December 8 1986. At this point in the story, Misato hasn't been born yet, but the date is quite close.

Chapter 20: Looking Up. Looking Down.

Chapter Text

Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Future site of Tokyo-3
Directly Above the Future Site of Terminal Dogma
And the "LCL Production Plant”
1986

"Rei?" What are we doing here?" The newly renamed Shinji Ayanami asked his sister. He adjusted his T-Shirt, it was green, at Asuka's insistence, and had a big image of a sunset. Asuka herself now wore a comfy set of sport pants and a hoody. Red with white stripes, and her hair had been styled into a extravagant hairdo, full of waves, fixed with enough hairspray to maybe act like a helmet.

Rei sat on the ground, her new blue pants would need some time to get completely comfortable with, and the oversized white T-Shirt that covered her slender frame proudly proclaimed, in big, bold black letters, that she was the "ANGEL GIRL". Strangely appropriate title for her, the three former pilots thought.

"I need to… there is no correct word in either the Japanese or English languages for what I need to do here."

Sitting on the grass, Asuka commented, "German might have it. We have words for everything." (1)

"It does, but the list of words for the final composite would be very long, defeating the idea. In any case, the exact description is not important now, due to lack of context." Rei commented, sitting to the redhead's right, and patting the ground next to her, signaling Shinji to do the same.

The three former pilots lay down on the ground, looking at the sky above them. "Just like after the Ninth Angel…" Shinji noted. "But in daylight."

Asuka nodded, and realizing he couldn't see her from where he was, she um-hummed. "That was a good day." She said, longing in her voice.

The other two kept silent in their agreement. "So, what's the closest word, First?"

"Commune is close, though there are no religious implications. Visit too, but being part of the same whole negates it." Rei grabbed Shinji's hand, lacing her fingers with his. "I need to contact Lilith in this time, and I won't be able to do so from Hill Valley. It can only be done here, this hill is the closest physical location to the chamber Lilith is, around 854 meters below us, depending on where you measure, as Lilith's body is Evangelion sized."

She did the same with Asuka, despite the redhead's initial reaction. She had started to pull her hand away, but relaxed a moment later, allowing the gesture. Rei continued. "I need to stay in contact with you two, or I risk to be lost in Lilith's… soul."

Shinji sat up, alarmed, "What?"

"I am a fragment of a future gestalt of Lilith, three versions of Rei Ayanami, Kaworu Nagisa, and all human souls absorbed during Third Impact. In comparison, I'm not even a bacteria to her, yet I must contact her, to be able to do what has to be done in relation to our plans to prevent Third Impact."

Hesitantly, Shinji laid down again, wincing at the reminder of the last Angel, "What do we do?"

Rei looked up at the blue sky for a few seconds. Remembering an exercise in free association done long ago in her subjective timeline. "Hold my hands, and don't let me go. I need you to be my anchors to myself, to here and now. My beacon in the storm." (2)

Asuka sat up, still holding Rei's hand. "Sounds dangerous. Are you sure yo have to do this?"

"I am. To have any hope of success, I must connect with Lilith, even though at this point in the timeline, she is into the equivalent of a deep coma."

"Then why..?" Shinji hesitated again, to Asuka's mild irritation.

"Hey, Third. Pay attention. Your sister here is in charge of the metaphysical stuff, if she says she has to go into the anthropomorphic personification of life on Earth, that's good enough for me." She nodded decisively to Rei. "If she says you and I are her anchors and beacon, then we do that."

Shinji thought about her words, his lips set with his decision, a gesture Asuka certainly liked to see in his face, and finally, the pilot laid down again. "Right."

Rei squeezed their hands, closed her eyes, and relaxed. "Feel free to talk among yourselves, the your voices won't be a problem, instead, it will help me to find my way back."

Downhill, Marty and Jennifer waited next to the black truck, still decorated with Chibi versions of themselves. "What do you think they are doing, Marty?"

"No idea, this is really heavy duty for me. But Doc said it was okay, we are just the transport." He extended the cloth and opened the wicker basket. "Wow… Mom made a lot of sandwiches…"

"For a really slender girl, Rei sure does eat a lot, I don't know where he puts it all." Jennifer opened a Can of soda, and took a short sip. "I'd be a whale if I eat even half of what she does."

"Really?"

"Doc says it's because her metabolism is way out of the usual parameters. Your mom says she's still a growing girl, and your dad says that she is a tridimensional representation of a fourth dimensional being, and therefore has a lot more space. Personally, I think your dad is the closest to the truth."

Marty shrugged. "Maybe she is just hungry."

Jennifer laughed.

Rei relaxed her body to inhumanly high point. She barely breathed, and her heart slowed down to a crawl.

Down, in the dark cave that contained her, Lilith slept.

She bled constantly into a subterranean lake. The effluvia smelled to iron and water. Almost, but not quite like rust. It was the smell of freshly spilled blood, and also the smell of the primordial soup that had been the origin of all life on Earth.

The lake had stayed undisturbed for aeons, the entity that had created it without even knowing immobile on its crux, eternally crucified for reasons beyond human understanding.

Lilith slept without dreams. Without thought. Without worry or joy.

She was simply there.

Sleeping.

Until today.

A fragment of itself appeared. Vaguely recognized as part of Lilith, and alien at the same time.

It was dynamic, active, and emotional.

It spoke to Lilith for an infinitesimally short time. Without stirring, still in its eternal dreamless dream, Lilith listened.

A brief spark of thought ran through the immense mind, before going dark.

It was enough to answer the petition.

"Yes." Lilith said.

Above, Shinji and Asuka talked, as Rei had asked, even though she wouldn't be able to actually understand them, the sound of their voices was one of the beacons her consciousness would follow to return to her body.

"Um… what are you planning to do first?"

"I'm not sure. All my life was geared to be the best EVA pilot. To be the best in anything and everything." She sighed. "You?"

"I'm not sure either, maybe try to be, I don't know, more social. I can count the number of friends I've had with one hand."

She paused for a few seconds, "I have fingers left."

"Marty and Jennifer gush about those old Star Wars movies. Maybe…" Hearing this, she perked up. "Maybe we could watch them together..?"

"Are you asking me on a date?"

Now it was his turn to think. "I… Um…" he gathered his courage. "Yes. I'd be honored to take you on a date."

"Very well, Third. Be sure to ask for advice. I don't want a repeat of the stupid date Kodama's friend tried. I'm too mature for the Ferris Wheel."

"Sure. I'll ask Marty for good places for a date."

"Not the worst adviser you could ask, that's for sure. He seems to be treating Jennifer right."

"Yeah. Maybe his father has some ideas."

"Just don't ask Doc, I mean, Uncle Emmet. The man sounds like he wouldn't know what to do in a date, unless it involved a lot of SCIENCE!" She giggled.

"Can you imagine him asking Dr. Akagi on a date?" He snickered.

She thought about it for a moment. "Nope."

"Well, I think they would be a good couple."

She scoffed, "Oh, please. She's too cold and he is too wild. Though I heard some rumours…"

"Yeah." Suddenly, his mood went crashing down.

"You actually know something?"

"Yes. The Commander strung her along as part of her plan. And her mother too, long before we even heard of NERV. In fact, it was Naoko Akagi who killed the original Rei. The Commander manipulated both."

"Damn… and I though my father was bad…"

"Let's change subject, please."

"Sure. What do you wanna talk about."

"Did you find the Klingon primer you wanted?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, yes. And Lisa compiled a teaching aid to learn it. She already has it down." She cleared her throat. "I have been practicing this one, I'm reserving it for when we go all Gott's Revenge on them. Even as I disappear, I will say this: Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam."

"That sounds like you're gargling ground glass! What does it mean?"

"Today is a good day to die." Her smile would have scared Shinji had he seen it. As it was, her voice was enough.

"It was a war cry. Meaning that you are ready and willing to die in the battlefield. Personally, I will dedicate it to SEELE's plans. Even if they take years to die, they WILL die, by my hand, even if indirectly."

He though about it for a moment. "Say it again."

"Why?" She suspected, but wanted him to say it.

"Because today," he smirked, "is a good day to learn."

She laughed. It felt good to laugh like that. She composed herself and with a smile, she began her lesson, "Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam. Go as guttural as you can, stress the hard sounds. The vowels are short."

Downhill, Marty and Jennifer heard her. "Man, what's she angry about?"

Jennifer looked at him. "I'm betting on SEELE."

"Good point. If Shinji begins to sound like that, I'll bet on his father. That guy would make Darth Vader look like Father of the Year…"

Moments later, it was Shinji who sounded really angry. Though it took him several tries to earn Asuka's approval.

Suddenly, Rei squeezed their hands and inhaled brusquely.

"Rei! Are you okay?" Shinji sat up immediately, looking at his sister with clear worry. At Rei's other side, Asuka was already checking the bluenete's pulse.

"I'm okay." Rei said, "It is done. We can go." Her stomach growled, and instinctively, she put a hand over it.

Asuka shook her head, "Doc said we should have a picnic. He thought you might be hungry."

"I am, yes."

Shinji had already stood up, and he extended his hands to help his teammates.

"So, what did you do?"

"I anchored myself to the current version of Lilith." She seemed to want to say more, but decided against it. "Let's go with the others."

Author's Notes:

(1) Nope, Asuka hasn't watched The Simpsons. It's just her pride talking.

(2) This bit was inspired by several scenes in The Spectre cómic run, by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.

Chapter 21: Back to the Past

Chapter Text

Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Future site of Tokyo-3
Almost Directly Above the Future Site of Terminal Dogma
And the "LCL Production Plant"
1986

As the former pilots returned to where their two friends had already set the picnic, they noticed Marty making strange movements with his hands. Both Shinji and Asuka knew what he was doing, but Rei didn't, not having been near Lt. Aoba during boring periods of time.

"What are you doing?" She asked without any malice in her even voice.

Marty stopped, smiled at her, and said, "Playing air guitar." Looking at her uncomprehending eyes, he hurried to add, " Ah, um… I play the guitar with a garage band, I thought it would be a hassle to bring it, so I'm practicing the finger movements."

"I see. Continue, please."

Jennifer snickered, as Marty proceeded, making funny faces as of he was in the middle of a concert. She knew Marty had the talent and drive, he only needed the chance. Though for the moment, the teen had put his dream in hiatus, until they could cancel the Apocalypse (1).

Jennifer passed plates to the group, and she and Shinji served the food. Simple sandwiches, boiled eggs, salad, and watermelon slices. Shinji looked at the fruit for a long time.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Marty asked.

"N-no… it's just that… a friend of mine grew watermelons back in our time. He…" Shinji gulped, "he never got the chance to harvest them."

Asuka bit cautiously on her own slice. "Well, let's make sure Geek Stooge gets the chance this time, okay?" (2)

Shinji seemed about to say something, but kept silent, and to cover his hesitation, bit on his slice, savoring the sweet taste of the fruit. He nodded to Asuka.

"Say, Shinji, You play the cello, right?" Marty asked, curious about the big instrument.

"Yeah, but Im not very good with it."

"Don't let this fool undersell his playing. He is way better than he gives himself credit for. He handles the German classics quite well." Asuka took another bit of her fruit. She was about to continue, but she suddenly blushed crimson and changed subject. For some reason, Shinji did the same three seconds later.

"I… I… I mean it," she returned to the subject, still blushing, "He plays Bach's Cello suite No.1 with nary a wrong note."

Marty scratched his head, "Is that one hard to play?"

Asuka huffed, "Very."

Shinji raised a finger, "A-and I'm out of practice anyway. I just brought it back because it's the only valuable thing I have that I could sell if needed."

Slowly, Asuka turned her head towards him. His inexistent spider sense tingled alarmingly. "Don't. You. Dare." She said, in a dangerously low voice. Rei put a hand on Asuka's forearm for a moment. The German-raised girl exhaled, her anger defused. She shook her head. "Sorry. It's… it doesn't matter. Third, get back in form, they you will play it again, for me. Is that understood?"

"Um…" he stumbled on his words.

Asuka sighed, "It would mean a lot for me." She stared at him, blue eyes on blue eyes. "Please."

A silent, private message passed between the two. "Understood." He said.

Crisis averted, Marty took upon himself to get the mood back up. "I know it's not the same, but have you ever played the double bass?"

Shinji's right eyebrow raised, "No..?"

"Okay, I think you should try, I know it's not the classics, but an acquaintance of mine played a mean bass in 1955, and maybe that's what The Pinheads need." He nodded to himself.

"And my parents anniversary is coming. Dad wants to surprise her with the sings from the dance they had their first kiss."

Knowing the story, Jennifer frowned, "Does your Mom know you played at that dance?"

"We will tell her long before the party. We have enough time for rehearsal, and get our pal Shinji back in form."

Asuka nodded approvingly. "You wanted to socialize, Shinji, this is your chance."

Rei added, "I agree. We can't dedicate all our time to prevent the Impacts. Uncle Emmet said we will need months to analyze the data Lisa brought from the future. It would be a good use of our free time."

Marty served the last glasses of soda, "I guess you got yourself a new hobby, Shinji."

"Um… yeah." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

Narita International Airport
Japan
Next day

"(It was a pleasure to visit your beautiful country. Tagawa-San.)" George McFly bowed respectfully to the guide assigned by the animation studio. "(We will certainly come back in the near future.)"

"(We are happy to host you and your family, McFly-San.)" the guide answered, "(We look forward to your next visit.)"

The deal had been made, to both parts satisfaction, and the mobile would be released in two, three years at most. George's agent would coordinate things from the USA, but only the legalities. Creative matters would include George's input.

"(Your vehicles have been loaded into the cargo plane, along with the props for your Studio.)"

"(Very appreciated, Tagawa-San.)"

"(If you would indulge an old man's curiosity, what will you do with so many computer props?"

"(Ah, they are mostly to put forward our… um… I'm not sure what's the right word, "Creed"? "Credit"?)"

"(Reputation?)"

"(Yes! We want to show what we are able to achieve.)" George exclaimed with enthusiasm:

San Francisco, California, USA
San Francisco International Airport
Next Day

Doc was the first to see the trucker waiting at the cargo area. "Mr Burton, I guess."

The man stood up from the plastic seat, dropping the magazine he was reading. "Dr. Brown?" He shook Doc's hand enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you! Dr. Spengler contacted me to get your stuff to Hill Valley, the truck is ready and waiting." (3)

Meanwhile, the rest of the group milled around, stretching their legs and getting rid of the drinks acquired during the long transatlantic flight and their time at customs. Jennifer accompanied her Aunt Marsha (4) to the public phones, from where they called Jennifer's parents. The trip to Hill Valley would take a while, at the moment, the charter airlines were busy, the few available were not exactly reputable, so both Doc and George decided it would be better to wait.

Doc nodded at Burton, "Excelent! We only have to wait until our cargo is checked by customs, and we will manage the load."

Burton pulled his cap up, "That will take a couple of hours more. Would you mind if I grab something to eat while they work?"

"Not at all, Mr. Burton, I think we will do the same." He looked around, "There's a good Chinese restaurant around? I've heard that truckers know the best places to eat."

Burtons face lit up. "Totally true. As Jack Burton always says, 'If you wanna find the best grub, follow da truck.' If you guys have a couple of hours to kill, I happen to know a very good place in Little China with the very best Spring Rolls in the whole West Coast. The owner is a good friend of mine and I get a discount." He smiled sheepishly, "I also get a comission." He looked at his watch, "If we hurry, we can eat before the midday rush."

"Glad you said it." Doc acknowledged. "I'd be worried if you didn't get a commission." He motioned Burton to follow, "George, this is Mr. Jack Burton, he will transport our cargo to Hill Valley." After the introductions and proposal, the group agreed to eat at Little China.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Industries HQ
Dr. Spengler's Office

The computer screen showed a tangle of tubes (5), constantly growing until the screen was almost full, only to be wiped and begin anew.

The screen fizzled into static for a moment, before a very small figure appeared in the tangle of tubes. She looked around, and after she determined that the office was empty at the moment, grew to a more comfortable size, while the tubes kept on growing and disappearing behind her.

"So, this is the place, Doc." Lisa LeBrook yawned teathrically, "I thought jet lag only happened to other people.

San Francisco, USA
Chinatown
Wang's

The group enjoyed a tasty and filling lunch in the almost empty restaurant. Occasionally, Wang Chi, the owner of the restaurant, or his wife, Miao Yin, chatted with them for a minute or two. In the kitchen, the activity was frantic, as the bus was about to arrive.

The big tourist bus stopped noisily at the door almost on time, and a group of tourists, wearing the stereotypical tourist clothes, sunglasses, and cameras hanging from their necks began to take seats at the tables. The guide, a rotund little man with a receding hairline an mismatched eyes, motioned the mass of tourists to the tables. While the tourists ordered, Jack waved at the man, "Egg! Come here!"

"Egg?" Asuka asked.

"Egg Shen, Miss." He shrugged as he sat down at the big table, right next to Shinji, and oposite to Rei and Asuka. "Very old and traditional name, Shen." He smiled conspiratorially. "Welcome to Chinatown."

He looked strangely at the three former pilots. "Your path is long and winding, I can see." He nodded. "Your thread is like that serpent devouring its own tail. And your burdens are very heavy."

"Egg, don't scare my friends."

Jovially, the man snapped out of his strange mood. "They don't scare easily, Jack. Whatever I could say or do is nothing compared to the trials they have already faced. Their shadows whisper to me, and the shadows never lie."

Asuka and Shinji exchanged a glance, but it was Rei who spoke. "Mr. Shen." She nodded respectfully at the man.

"Miss..?" He asked.

"Ayanami. Rei Ayanami." She tilted her head towards her companion, "My friend, Asuka Langley Soryu." And looked at the Third Child, "and my brother, Shinji Ayanami."

Doc watched the exchange with curiosity.

Jack Burton looked around, nervously. "Egg? Are we in trouble?"

"No. Not now, the storm gathers, but it's a long way to come. And it won't hit here, not directly, I think."

He stood up. "I can't help you with this, it's too big for this old man. But I will impart, if you allow me, a bit of advice." The teens leaned forward to listen. "Enjoy your lives. You have earned them. Satisfied, he nodded, and his eye seemed to sparkle for a moment.

Rei nodded, and a moment later, her two companions did the same.

"That's it? Egg! Really? No mystic warnings? No dire portents?" Jack's face held a weird expression

"Not this time, Jack." Egg patted the trucker's shoulder. "I need to go back to work. It's late and I need to go back to the tour. Meanwhile, I have a bit of advice for you. No mystic warning, no dire portent, just common sense." He paused, "Drive safely."

Author's Notes:

(1) Though Pacific Rim is very far from 1985, I love that quote.

(2) Shinji means Ryoji Kaji, AFAIK, Asuka didn't know about his watermelon patch, Misato certainly did, as Kaji mentioned it in his last voice message. Asuka thought that Toji was not the kind to grow plants, so she assumes Shinji is referring to Kensuke.

(3) The trip to Japan didn't require extra transport, Dic and George drove the DeLorean and the Toyota to the Airport. Now, they have a lot of computers to transport, plus the two vehicles, hence, Doc contacted Egon to arrange transport.

(4) I forgot to mention her during the Japan chapters, she was mostly accompanying Lorraine. As Jennifer and Marty were chaperoned by Doc and George when out of her sight, she was not worried.

(5) I'm not sure when that particular screen saver was introduced, but I really liked it, so, here it is.

Chapter 22: Face to the Future

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly House
1986

"Home, Sweet Home!" Lorraine McFly exclaimed as the group entered the family home, putting her suitcase on the floor, just next to the entry door. "Marty, show Shinji to Dave's room, Rei, Asuka, come with me, I'll show you to your rooms. Once everybody is installed, we should get something to eat. Honey, please check the phones for some take-out."

Meanwhile, Doc was on his way to drop Jennifer and her aunt Marsha at her parents house, and then to his own place. The scientist had some plans for the weekend, and needed to check on Einy, who surely would be bored at the veterinary's kennel. Doctors Spengler and Stantz would manage the rest; basically, the storage of the computers and gel containers in Brown Enterprises Warehouse.

"Hey, Marty!" Dave stood up from his bed. "How was the trip to Japan?"

"Dave!" Marty slapped his big brother's shoulder. "It was great! Dad's story will be a movie in about two or three years."

Shinji stood back, outside the room. He actually felt a bit envious at the easy camaraderie of the McFly brothers.

"Ah! This must be Shinji!" Dave shook the former pilot's hand. "David McFly, nice to meet you. Everybody calls me Dave. Dad told me you'll be staying here for a while. I just came to get my stuff, I just got my own place. Feel free to change things to your liking." Quickly, he glanced at his watch, "oh, sorry, I have to go. Pleased to meet you! If you need any bank service, give me a call." He put a card in Shinji's hand, and bolted out before the Japanese kid could say a word. "Mom! Dad!" He exclaimed as he went out the door.

Marty looked at his surprised friend, who held Dave's card reverently in his hands. "That's my brother, buddy. He must be in a really good mood, he usually is not that effusive." (1) He put Shinji's luggage on the floor. A modest valise and the cello case soon occupied the empty closet.

His new life begins with some clothes, shoes, and new documents. The old SDAT tape recorded had been left in the dead future, in a drawer. He hadn't touched it since Third Impact. The only thing he brought from 2016 was her cello.

Nothing else.

He took the instrument out, checked it was in working order, and slowly, he began to tune it back.

He had a lot of missing practice to get back.

While Dave and George talked in the living room, Lorraine guided the girls to their new rooms. "Rei, you take Linda's room (2), put you things in the closet, dear." The McFly matriarch guided the blue-haired girl into a beautifully furnished corner bedroom, with a big window in two of its sides. Slowly, Rei put her valise on the bed, and looked at the trees outside and bowed. "Thank you, Lorraine."

"You're welcome, dear. Feel at home." She bowed back to Rei, a bit lower than required by etiquette, due to her inexperience, it didn't matter much to the blue-haired girl.

The former pilot of Unit-00 opened her valise, and carefully put her new clothes in the closet. Her new life began with several sets of colorful clothes, shoes, and even a small set of make-up, which she needed to learn to apply. Plus her new documents. It was so much more than she used to have.

She sat primly on the bed, looking out the window. She watched the trees for a long time.

The wind moved the branches and leaves, soothing her.

"And you, Asuka, to the guest room." Before the redhead girl could say anything, Lorraine gently pushed her to the stairs and the upper floor, "You'll be right above Rei. Just give me a couple of minutes to get the bedsheets and blankets."

"Uh, thank you?" She put her two suitcases in the closet. A far cry from the mountain of boxes she had at Misato's. Even right before Third Impact, there were many unopened boxes in storage. (3) Things she had once wanted, demanded, wished for.

Hoarded. Useless stuff if she was honest with herself. And in the end, discarded.

And now, two suitcases contained all her stuff, clothes, a small make-up set, two pairs of shoes, and her documents. Her life distilled to its basic components.

"You're welcome." Not knowing Asuka's thoughts, Lorraine smiled warmly at her, "if you need something, just let me, or George know." She opened a small closet, and pulled the promised blankets, sheets, and a fluffy pillow. "Help me set the bed, will'ya?"

Asuka nodded automatically, her mind miles and years away. She shook the melancholy away with a sharp movement of her head. She had traveled far in time and space, to claim a new life for her and her companions.

And whomever got in her way, be prepared to visit Hell itself. For she would not lose a second time.

Silently, she swore to herself that SEELE would pay for their sins. All of them. And the price she would extract would be all of their dreams and hopes.

But for now, she had a room to claim, a new life to start, and plans to make.

Once again, she put on the happy mask.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises Warehouse

"Over there, Jack." Egon Spengler pointed at the docking bay, where a transport platform waited.

"Sure, Doc." Jack Burton leaned out the window of his truck, measured distances by eye, and proceeded to back up perfectly into the designated space.

He jumped down from the truck cabin. Dusted off his hands, and walked to the two former Ghostbusters. "Right in schedule, guys! We had easy driving from Frisco and nothing to complain about." He put on an old pair of work gloves and opened the back door of the container. "I'll give you guys a hand with whatever you got from Japan."

Ray peeked into the container. "The computers I understand, but what are those things?" He pointed at the containers full of orange gel.

Dr. Spengler walked into the trailer box, and as he got close to the gel containers, a beep was heard coming from his lab coat pocket. Ray looked at him quizzically. "That sounded like the PKE meter."

The scientist pushed his glasses up his nose, a sheepish look on his face.

"Egon! What did you do?"

"Um… I wanted to see if there was any residual PKE activity in the Brundle stuff, the readings are still the same, completely inert. I was about to store the PKE Meter when Jack arrived, so I put it in my pocket." He pulled out the device and waved it around. The lateral antennae extended with a beep, and a sequence of lights slowly ran the length of the antennae. "Interesting." He said to himself.

Burton looked worried, "Uh, guys? Are those things haunted or what?" He took off his jacket and threw it back into the cabin.

Twisting a knob on the PKE Meter handle and waving the device again, Egon checked the readings. "There's very little activity. If the material is actually haunted, it's the most passive haunting I have ever seen. It ranks even lower than the Brooklyn Ghost Kitten (4). Still, the PK energy stored is significant. Potentially it is enough to full body manifestation." He switched the meter to recording. "Ray, bring a couple of sets of rubber gloves, will you?"

While Ray hurried to get the gloves, Egon signaled Burton to back a bit, "The readings show residues of ghostly activity. There's not enough for an active ghost at the moment, but I'd like to investigate this without further contamination." Seeing Jack's uncomprehending expression, he added, "It's like they are big dogs sleeping deeply. Unless they get agitated, they are harmless."

"That's a relief, for sure. As your friend Jack Burton always says, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. If you don't mind, while you guys get those things out of my trailer and somewhere else, I'll get the rest out, where do you want it?"

Egon looked around, "Over there, please." He pointed at the platform. Jack rolled his shoulders before getting to work moving the computer props.

Ray returned with the gloves, and in a couple of minutes, all the gel containers were safely stored in the lab. "Egon, I think we should put them in the Cage."

"I agree, it's not a full-fledged Containment Unit, but with the low level activity, it will be enough." The two put the containers inside a Faraday Cage (5), and switched it on. A blueish glow ran down the structure before the device settled down with a discreet humming noise.

"Done." Egon pronounced.

They returned to the loading area, where Burton had put several of the computer props on a wheeled platform. "Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, that slime is more like ectoplasmic residue than haunted jello." Ray said. "Kinda disgusting, but harmless."

Egon nodded, "I'll add a little bonus to your fee, Mr. Burton. For the inconvenience."

The trucker waved a hand, "Would be nice, but it's not a big trouble."

"I insist."

"You won't twist my arm much, Doc." Burton smiled. Working with the former Ghostbusters was nice. They didn't cause much trouble, respected his work, and added nice bonus for jobs well done. And little problems like this were not automatically Jack's fault. More than one former employer had caused problems due to lack of communication, and tried to blame him for that. "Uh, guys, what did you mean about the Brooklyn Ghost Kitten?"

Ray beamed. "Not much, just a kitten ghost possessing a toy, a tiger plushie. Quite benign, in fact. It meowed when separated from the owner of the toy. We studied it in situ, and turns out, the toy meowed a lot one night, woke up everybody."

"And..?"

"There was a fire. The kitten warned about it, Egon and Peter put the fire out, and evacuated the house while the fire brigade checked the whole place. It was a short circuit in the washing machine. A couple days later, the building was certified as safe, and things went back to normal. The tiger plushie even purred when hold."

"Not with me, Ray." Egon seemed miffed.

"I told you, you held it wrong. It was a kitten, not a puppy."

"You know I wasn't allowed any pets as a child." (6)

"Yeah, I know." Ray patted Egon's shoulder. "Let's she what we can do about that, later."

"Sure."

The phone rang at that moment. Ray picked it up.

"Hello?"

Neither man noticed the computer's screen saber changed, showing a small figure in a corner, watching the events intently.

Author's Notes:

(1) Dave is a bit laconic at the end of BTTF, for this story, he was in "Professional Bank Employee" mode in that scene. Here and now, he is in a very good mood, as he is finishing his move to his own apartment.

(2) Lorraine is putting Rei and Shinji in rooms close to each other. Asuka is in the room farthest from Shinji's.

(3) One of NGE's most enduring mysteries. Just what was in that mountain of boxes? The best answer I've found in NGE fics is in "Costumes & Games", by Panther2g. It's an epilogue loosely connected to his story "Advice and Trust" (very highly recommended!). Turns out Asuka is a massive nerd for wargames (Warhammer 40,000 in particular) and cosplay. In turn, the story itself references "Shinji and Warhammer 40k", another great story, sadly unfinished.

(4) I made up this event. I think it fits with the short period of time the GBs operated in Net York, as part of the montage between the Sedgwick Hotel Event and Gozer's appearance.

(5) An enclosure that shields the interior from electromagnetic forces. They are used to reduce or eliminate interference. In this case, the gel containers won't be tuning any radio stations. The blue glow is artistic license.

(6) Egon had a very unusual childhood…

Chapter 23: Like Skywalkers

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA

McFly House

Marty and George exchanged a heavy look, both nodded at the same time. George went to get Lorraine, while Marty explained a bit to their guests, now gathered at Asuka's provisional room.

"So, guys, it's time to get Mom in the know. It's a conversation we were not looking forward to, but we have to. We will return in… I'm not sure, maybe half an hour, maybe more."

Asuka pressed her lips together, forming a very thin line. "Got it. You need support, call us."

Shinji and Rei nodded, their eyes serious and their faces set decisively.

Marty had a forced smile on his face as he went out of the room.

"Lorraine, Marty and I need to talk to you, very seriously." George said.

"Marty! Did you get Jennifer pregnant? Was it before going to Japan? I have to talk to her parents!"

"What?" Marty exclaimed, "No! No! No one is pregnant!" Marty was red as a tomato.

Softly, George pushed Lorraine to sit on the sofa. "No, Honey. It's much more complicated than that. We… um… well… you see…"

Seeing his father hesitate brought memories to both Marty and Lorraine. A bit of the old George was showing. Marty took the old Yearbook and opened it at the Enchantment Under the Sea pages. "Look, Mom. I know it's incredible, but I assure you, it is the truth. I know what happened at the dance."

"Well, yes. Your Father and I have told you the story. That was where we kissed for the first time."

"Yes, I know."

"He knows more, Lorraine." George looked at her with infinite love, "You see, um… Marty?"

The teenager breathed deeply, "Look at him, Mom." He pointed at the guitar player in the picture, "Really, look at him. You remember that guy?"

"Yeah, that's Calvin Klein, he was in town to visit his Uncle Emmet; your friend, Doctor Brown."

"Uh, Dad..? Could you wait outside for a minute?"

Marty's worried eyes were reason enough for George, "Sure. I'll go get, you know… the tape."

"You do that."

"What tape?" Lorraine asked, a bit worried.

"Later, Mom. Right now, please look at Calvin Klein. And remember that week, that whole week." He gave her a magnifying glass.

"Marty! He looks exactly like…" she gasped.

"Like me." He paced around the room, "I know it sounds impossible, but I was Calvin Klein back then. Gramps hit me with his car, took me to your home while I was unconscious, and when I woke up, you were calling me Calvin Klein because that was the name tagged in my underwear."

Lorraine dropped the Yearbook. "That's impossible! That was thirty years ago! I never told anybody about how I found out his name! How can you know that?"

"I know because I was there." Marty said, trying to keep calm.

"But then, you… you… And I…" Lorraine went terribly pale all of a sudden.

"Look, I won't pretend that didn't happen. I tried to dissuade you all week long, and once you… um…" both flushed crimson. "Well… you yourself felt it was wrong and dropped the matter, okay? No harm done."

"But…"

"Look, really, I can't judge or anything. It was an impossible situation, you couldn't have known. I couldn't tell you and stay out of the loony bin. It didn't go beyond that. Just like Luke and Leia, okay?"

"Does your Father knows? It looks like he already knows." Her fingers ran over each other, as she always did when she was nervous.

"Of course not! He knows most of the rest, he found out about the time travel by himself, and we have been discussing how to let you know without making you freak out."

"I don't think I wanted to know." Lorraine wrung her hands.

"I would have preferred to leave things as they were, but, ah… there are a lot of things you need to know, and we don't want to keep you in the dark."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises Warehouse

"Sure, Dr. Brown. Tomorrow at three. Egon is right with me now, Jack Burton is finishing the delivery as we speak. I'll call Winston to tell him. Um… er… Egon detected some strange activity with the gel containers. Unusual PKE. Like a sleeping ghost, if that's even possible."

Dr. Ray Stantz paused, listening to the telephone.

"Uh-hu. No. We put them in a Faraday Cage. To prevent contamination."

Another pause.

"No, very low-level, but we didn't want any problems later. Better to prevent and all that. Okay. Sure. See you tomorrow, Doc."

He put the receiver back on its cradle. "He says it's to be expected. That it's very inert stuff, and he will explain everything tomorrow. Right now, he still needs to pick his dog up at the veterinarian, and sleep off the flight."

Egon Spengler shrugged, "Very well, but just in case, let's check our proton packs are in working order."

"I hope we won't be needing them, Egon."

"So do I, Ray. I'm not sure I want to go back to ghostbusting. Not unless we miniaturize the equipment a lot."

Hill Valley, California, USA

McFly House

George returned to the reliving room. He knocked at the door frame, peeked in, and said, "Can I come in?"

Marty and Lorraine exchanged a look that basically said, "Not a single word of it."

"Sure, Dad. Let me tell Mom my side of the events first."

Lorraine McFly considered herself a sensible woman. The challenges of motherhood had, theoretically, prepared her for many things.

Time-travel induced paradoxes were NOT included in that list.

George inserted a tape in the player, but didn't push the Play button. "Lorraine, honey. Please try to keep an open mind. Marty really did meet us back in 1955, the Doctor Brown from then helped him to return to our time, but they had to make sure we fell in love, or Marty, Dave and Linda would cease to exist." He pulled at his hair again, "Though, from what Marty told me, things were very bad for us in the original timeline. We had no future. I was trapped in a dead end job doing my work and Biff's, you were a chronically depressed borderline alcoholic, the kids were despondent, and we had Biff breathing down our collective neck. We were, as Strickland likes to say, 'useless slackers'."

Lorraine's eyes grew very wide, her face paled terribly, and seemed close to faint. (1) For a long moment, under her husband and son's gaze, she remembered that strange week in 1955.

After swallowing hard, she felt her mouth was very dry; she nodded convulsively, and exhaled a breath she hadn't realice had been holding in. "Why are you telling me this? Why now, I mean."

George stood up, and paced around, pulling at his hair as he ordered his thoughts. "The End of the World is coming. Late 2000, a man-made catastrophe will wipe out half of the world's people. Then, as if that hadn't been enough, in 2015, gigantic alien life forms will attack, and in early 2016…" his shoulders slumped, "Mankind will be erased from the face of the Earth."

"…God…" Lorraine whispered in horror, with a very small voice, she looked first at George, then at Marty, "No one survived?"

George knelt down in front of her, took her hands in his, rubbing the backs with his thumbs. "Two survivors. Shinji and Asuka."

"How..? What happened?"

Marty sat next to his mother. "It's complicated, very complicated, Mom. Especially with Rei. Doc found out about it by sheer accident. He wanted to see the future, and arrived to the ruins of the town. He was very shocked when he came back." He looked down, organizing his thoughts. "Remember the day we stored Doc's car in our garage?" Lorraine nodded, "that was the day he came back. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking. Jennifer and I took him to his place."

"That was months ago!"

"Yeah. Next day, he showed us the tape he had recorded in the future. It was horrible."

George added, "Like a horror film, Lorraine." He pushed the Play button on the VCR. "This is real. It's not a hoax, not a joke, and it's not a mirage." (2)

By the time the tape finished, Lorraine was crying quietly.

Marty added, "Jennifer and I went back with Doc to gather more info. It is worse than a ghost town. The silence hits you like a hammer."

"You went with him back to that horrible future." She said, her voice flat. "Why?"

"To find out what happened, to make sense of it. We found out that it had happened in Japan. They called the catastrophe in 2000 'Second Impact', and the final apocalypse 'Third Impact'."

"That's why we went there… then…" he shook his head, "Man, trying to manage the tenses is a problem… I mean, we went to Japan in 2016 to find exactly what had happened, and maybe a way to either stop it, or at least mitigate the effects."

"That and because I hoped you'd like it, dear. But we are getting way ahead of things." George shifted his weight, wincing. He stood up and sat next to his wife, hugging her. "I got involved because I… well… I looked into Doc's car, saw his controls, and suddenly, weird things from 1955 began to make sense. It was like the plot of a novel. But before I could find a way to ask you without looking like a loon, I had my accident."

"I thought you were dying!" She sobbed. He hugged her tightly, rocking her, until her sobs receded.

When she calmed down, she asked "Did… did you go to the future?"

"No. Back then, I was just fresh from a reconstructive surgery, so I got into the planning role. Doc and I decided to get funds to finance our way into stopping the catastrophe. Once we had the means, the first step was to go to Japan and check things by ourselves, well… Doc and Marty and Jennifer. That involved Doc traveling back in time to set up several ways for us to get money and other things."

"Mom." Marty said, leaning forward in his seat. "Doc has been working with the Ghostbusters to invent tech to stop the Impacts. They don't know what will happen in fifteen years, much less in thirty. We will meet with them to get them up to speed and we think you must be there. They don't know our end goal yet, and we will hold a meeting with them to get them in the team. But we don't want to do it behind your back."

"I… okay. I understand." She dabbed at her teary eyes with a handkerchief. "What about Shinji and Asuka?"

Marty waved his hands around. "They, and Rei, we're right at the middle of things. Shinji and Asuka barely managed to survive for a few months in the ruins, they… they…"

George intervened. "They were badly traumatized. Even before Third Impact. Afterwards, they were more alone than anybody in the whole history of humankind. Even now, they carry the scars. Shinji had a bit of a nervous breakdown in Japan. We managed to calm him down."

"And Rei? She is very reserved but doesn't seem to be that bad. And the other two act very… normal. Just a bit off, but I guessed it was just cultural or their personalities."

"Rei is a special case. But just how special can wait. Shinji and Asuka are very good keeping masks on, especially her. We are trying to help them."

Lorraine nodded, pressing her lips together. "I'm in. I don't know anything about time travel or catastrophes, but I will try to do the best I can for them. I think they need a family more than anything else."

"They do." George said sadly.

"You can take that to the bank and cash it, Mr. McFly." Asuka commented as she entered the living room. "Our biological fathers were… um…"

Rei followed, "Not up to the task. Beyond providing basic necessities, and not even for all of us."

Shinji looked down for a moment, before gathering his courage, "Gendo Ikari used all of us in an insane plan to end the world. For the sake of a woman who decided to embed herself into a giant monster and turn herself into an eternal monument to Humanity." Lorraine looked at Marty, he confirmed Shinji's words with a look.

Asuka nodded emphatically, "Please don't take it the wrong way, Mrs. McFly, but we three are poster children for mental trauma. I…" she breathed deeply, and exhaled a very tightly controlled breath. "We all have abandonement issues and PSTD in different degrees. We…"

Shinji segued, "We will be hard to relate to. Hard to understand."

Rei put a possessive hand over the shoulders of her two companions, "It is not something we want. Both my brother and Soryu have made great strides in the way to recovery, but true normalcy may be forever out of our reach."

Lorraine stood up, with hesitant steps walked to the three teenagers, and slowly enveloped all three in a loose hug. "I…" Her own problem forgotten, she had no words, but her actions spoke for her.

Both Shinji and Asuka stiffened for a moment. Shinji was the first to relax, and he desperately surrendered to feelings and emotions he had thought forever out of his reach. Asuka took longer, but Lorraine's shampoo was strawberry scented, very similar to the one her mother favored. That was the last push for her, and she gradually relaxed too. Rei reacted in a more curious and intelectual way, registering and analyzing everything; until her instincts kicked in, and surrendered to the first true maternal contact she had felt in any and all her existences.

Had she continued with her analysis, probably her words would have been "This feels nice. It's so good."

Author's Notes:

(1) Though it is never said or shown directly, I think in the original timeline no one stopped Biff from actually abusing Lorraine. It fits with Biff's behavior both in OT 1985 and changed 1955. This would explain Lorraine's depression and low self-esteem. George would have been her only emotional support then, and she would have married him even without real love between them.

(2) A little nod at the blurbs DC Comics used to put in their covers, in the 1970s, IIRC. "Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not an Imaginary Story!" During the 1950s and 1960s, a common practice in DC was that the editor commissioned an outrageous cover for a book, and then dropped it onto the creative teams with orders to plot a story around the cover. Things like Green Lantern selling functional réplicas of his power ring at $1.00 each, or Batman turned into a baby, or Jimmy Olsen turning into (or marrying) a gorilla. More than once, the writers resorted to simply plot a story where the cover scene would be either a dream, a hoax, or an imaginary story. It's worth noting that the imaginary story concept has been explored by both big companies. Marvel with the "What if..?" title, where they usually show a story diverging from a set point in canon continuity, like "What if… the Hulk kept Bruce Banner's Mind?" Or "What if… Gwen Stacy had lived?"

DC, on the other hand, established the Elseworlds line, taking characters out of their usual context, and developing a new story. For example, having Superman adopted by the Waynes instead of the Kents. Or Batman in the Victorian Age vs Jack the Ripper.

Chapter 24: I've Gathered You Here Today Because…

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises Offices
Next Day, 2:56 P.M.

Three former Ghostbusters waited in the long work table. Instead of the nice table in Doc's office, their boss had moved the meeting to the workshop, and asked for more chairs around the scratched, tainted, and well used table. Just how many people would attend the meeting? And who were they?

Winston Zeddemore leaned forward on his seat, he was a bit nervous about the meeting. He and Ray had talked over a couple of beers, and the former Air Force Captain hadn't really liked what he had heard. He felt a little conflicted, the job was good, very good. But until things were more clear, he would be on guard. In case there was something fishy about Brown Enterprises.

Next to him, Ray Stantz fidgeted nervously with a notebook full of annotations, which ocassionally compared with Egon's, who also had his own notes.

"No changes so far." The bespectacled scientist noted. "Visual inspection doesn't yield any results. Without further analysis, the stuff is similar to ectoplasmic residue, but it is not completely inert. There's activity, but very low level. Once we have enough data, Ray and I will input it in the computer, and try to project how things develop." He tilted his head towards the computers on the desks. The screens showed the screen savers.

"Guys?" Winston said, "are we gonna start carrying the proton packs again?"

"I'm not sure, Winston. Egon and I checked all our original packs before closing last night, Egon and I put them in place, back in Ecto-1. Charged and ready, along with eight ghost traps. Enough for a ghost for each container, in case they have a hibernating ghost each."

Winston nodded approvingly, "Good, I'm glad we brought the old gal along."

"Well, you know what Peter would have used it for…" Ray noted, wincing. "After all the work we did on her, it would have been…"

"Yeah, I know. Disrespectful." Winston's face twisted in disapproval.

Egon continued revising his notes.

The meeting room opened, and a big group of people entered. Dr. Brown, his helper, Marty, followed by three girls they didn't know, one boy, and a middle-aged couple.

"Good afternoon." Doc said with his raspy voice, while Marty and the boy connected a VCR and a TV. Doc continued, "We have a lot to discuss, so Introductions are in order. You already know my helper, Marty McFly, of course. This is his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker."

A brown haired girl waved at the Ghostbusters, "Hi!"

"These are Marty's parents, George and Lorraine McFly." The couple shook their hands, smiling. George smiled widely, "Hello, nice to meet you."

"And these are my wards, Asuka Langley Soryu," he waved at a red headed girl, with slight Asian features, "Charmed, I'm sure." She said, with a strange accent, with traces of both German and Japanese.

Next, Doc introduced a girl with striking pale skin, blue hair, and crimson eyes, "Rei Ayanami."

The girl bowed respectfully. "Good afternoon. I'm pleased to meet you."

"And her brother, Shinji Ayanami." The brown haired teen bowed too, before extending his hand awkwardly, "Hello." He said.

"And these are Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, and Capt. Winston Zeddemore." Each one waved at the mention of his name.

After the introductions, everybody sat down.

Doc started the meeting by putting three videocassettes and a messenger bag on the big table.

"This," he said, tapping the videocassettes, "I must stress very much, is information that cannot leave this room." His eyes set on each Ghostbuster.

Ray shifted uncomfortably on his chair, Egon held the gaze with burning curiosity, and Winston stayed still, saying. "Why? What kind of secret are you talking about, Doc?"

"There are several reasons. First, it's unbelievable. You three know how the public perception works. If this gets around, we have a very big risk of ending up in the madhouse."

Ray leaned back, "After dealing with ghosts in New York, we know." The other two nodded.

Egon clarified for the newcomers, "Not the madhouse, per se, but a stay in the pokey. Jail."

Winston laced his fingers in front of his face, looking at the others in silence. For some reason, Shinji looked like he was trying to contain a wince. "What else?"

Now George spoke, "The only ones who would believe it would be eager to put us in the madhouse, or under six feet of dirt."

The Ghostbusters exchanged a worried look.

"Geez, you make it sound like the end of the world!" Ray tried to joke, only to realice the others' eyes were nailing him. The red headed girl's blue eyes reminded Ray of the bad end of a shotgun.

Marty stood up, "You hit the nail, Dr. Stantz." He put the tape in the player.

Doc took the remote control. "First thing, for context. A few months ago, I tested, successfully, a time-machine."

Egon and Ray began to talk excitedly. Doc raised his hands, asking for silence. "Later on, we will show you proof. Very importantly, the timeline is not fixed, changing the past not only is possible. It is inevitable. Paradoxes are erased."

"So, should I try to kill my grandfather…" Egon left the rest of the sentence unsaid.

"You could do it, and would be erased immediately." Doc answered in all seriousness. "Just like that. Life would continue for the rest of the world. Your grandmother could have children with somebody else, maybe not, or stay a widow for the rest of her life. But you, as you are, would cese to exist."

"Wait, wait, wait." Winston waved his hands. "From the beginning."

Marty took the narrative. "I met Doc a few years ago, and have been his lab assistant for many projects. Last year, he asked me to meet him at the parking lot of the Twin Pines Mall. He wanted to test his Time Machine."

Ray scratched his head, and asked, "Why in a parking lot?"

"The Time Machine is a car. It has to reach 88 MPH to work."

Ray nodded, a weird expression on his face.

Doc pressed the Play button. The screen showed the test, in all its shaky glory.

The Ghostbusters watched in rapt attention.

"You built a Time Machine on the frame of a DeLorean?" Ray asked.

"Yes. The car's design helped solve some problems."

Winston raised a hand. "Marty, you said it had been at the Twin Pine Mall. The sign says Lone Pine Mall."

"Yeah, paradox. When I tried to escape the lybians, I ended up in 1955. Back then, there was a pair of pines where the Mall now stands. I ran over one of the Pines."

"Hence, Lone Pine." Egon commented, writing down a note. "Go on."

Marty, Doc, and George took turns to explain the events in 1955. Lorraine added the ocassional note, though it was clear the four were keeping something.

"Okay," Winston leaned back, the fingers of his left hand tapping on the table. "So. You changed history."

Marty nodded. "I wouldn't reccomend it. I was this close to being erased." He showed his index and thumb almost touching.

Winston continued, "Assuming we believe you, and I will need proof to do that, the moral of the story is Thou Shall Not Mess With The Timeline."

Marty changed the tape. He nodded at Doc.

"And I would completely agree. However, after Marty returned to the present, I wanted to see the future. Just to indulge my curiosity without endangering the timeline. I wanted to jump thirty years forward, to 2015; but by mistake, I ended up in 2016." He pressed the Play button again.

The TV screen showed what the time travelers dubbed "Dead Valley". The group watched with rapt fascination.

"I returned to 1985 very badly shaken by the experience, as you can imagine."

Jennifer took the narrative, "Marty and I went with Doc to Dead Valley, to get anything to make sense of what had happened. We saw a… kind of a ghost of Rei there, but we will explain that later."

Doc opened his messenger bag, "These are some of the newspapers I brought back." He passed them to the Ghostbusters. "We also brought back school books."

"This is amazing!" Ray exclaimed, a few minutes later, "Giant robots! Giant monsters!" He waved the newspaper around, until he noticed the looks of the three Asian teens. "Wait, we're you…"

Asuka answered with chilling coldness in her voice, "The pilots. Yes. Mine was Unit-02, the red one. Shinji in the purple one, Unit-01, and Rei in Unit-00, originally orange, later blue."

Shinji added, "And those were not robots, but actual life-forms, lobotomized into slavery."

"What?" Egon dropped his History book, "Impossible! The Law of Inverse Square!" (1)

Lorraine tilted her head, "Um, Doctor Spengler?"

"Organisms of that size couldn't exist. Their mass and weight are too much for the structure." He ripped off a page of his notebook. "Let me show you." He joined four printed dots, forming a square. "This is our base. It measures one unit of measure per side, let's say it's an inch, just for this example." He looked up, to check if Lorraine was following the explanation. She did, along with Jennifer and Shinji. "So, it measures one square inch."

"If you double the size to two inches per size, its surface is not two square inches, but four. For three inches per size, nine square inches, and so on. Now imagine it is a cube, doubling it from one inch per side to two, would mean eight cubic inches."

"Aha, so far I get it." Lorraine nodded.

"Now, imagine the original cube could stand a maximum weight of one pound. That's the limit of the material it is made of." He drew a cube on the paper. "Double the size to two inches, and now the cube at the bottom is supporting double the weight."

"I see." Lorraine smiled, "Then, sooner or later, the thing is too heavy!"

"Right!" Egon beamed too. "The tallest human being in recorded history, Robert Wadlow, was 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) tall and weighted 439 lb (199 kg) when he died. He suffered chronic pains and needed braces on his legs. Human bones won't handle that kind of stress easily. Something the size of an Evangelion could not even…" he gesticulated wildly, "couldn't even lay down without getting crushed by its own weight!"

Rei spoke. "The Evangelion units bio components were composed with a kind of exotic matter. I'm no expert, but just the wrist ligaments were said to be strong enough to replace all the cables of the old Golden Gate Bridge with a third of the amount. Evangelion Units not only could move, they could fight, at proportional speed to human-sized athletes."

Egon dropped back into his chair, jaw hanging. Ray had to shake him a bit to bring the bespectacled scientist out of his stupor. While Egon recovered, Ray had his own question. "Um… here it says that Second Impact…" he showed the History book.

"Yes, we caught that too. Too small, to far, too fast to be photographed." Doc shrugged. "Now you see our reaction, Dr. Stantz."

"So, you went to Japan, right?" Winston wiped his face with a big hand.

"Not immediately, no." George said, "We had to gather resources first. Doc and I planned on how to use the Time Machine to do so."

Egon and Ray exchanged a look, and chorused, "Never let Peter hear that."

Shinji and Asuka snickered.

"That was where you entered. A Flux Capacitor needs to generate 1.21 Gigawatts for time travel. We modified the DeLorean and Marty's truck with Mr. Fusion units. We were not restricted to use plutonium anymore." He shuddered, "In Future Japan, we found two survivors, Shinji and Asuka, Rei appeared later."

"And we also met another survivor." Doc looked at the computers. "Miss LeBrook? If you would?"

The computer screen saver stopped, to be replaced by a feminine face, framed by an ever changing background. "Hello, b/b/boys. Just ca/call me Lis/s/sa."

"Lisa is an artificial intelligence, and fully sentient. She is a person, not a program."

"Not an it. Got it." Ray practically ran to the computer. "Are you… um… in the computer? How big are you?"

"Dr. St/tantz! Are you calling me f/f/fat?" Lisa quipped. Ray blushed at his faux-pas.

"Uh… no, no, of course not! It's just that you are my first encounter with a cybernetic life form!"

Lisa smiled mischievously. "Oh, I'm gonna have f/f/fun with you!"

"Back on track, please!" Doc said, "Lisa is our analyst and paralegal helper."

"What do you mean?" Winston asked.

"Lisa created our identities in this time." Asuka and Shinji spoke at the same time. Neither looked particularly surprised.

Doc took over. "Third Impact happened. Everybody, every single human being on the face of the Earth was converted into LCL, the primordial soup from where life evolved. And once dry, it become those orange flecks you saw in the Dead Valley tape."

Rei proceeded to fill the gaps in the narrative, she talked about Lilith, SEELE, NERV, the Angels, Adam, Instrumentality, and her own role in the events.

Even Winston paled.

Egon raised a hand. "Out of professional curiosity, did Instrumentality affect only living people?"

"No. A few animals had sufficiently evolved souls to enter Instrumentality."

"I meant to ask if it did include ghosts?"

"Yes. But only the ones who still had most of their souls. The process that converts a soul into a ghost fragments the soul itself. The more self-aware a ghost is, the more soul it has retained."

Egon wrote another note.

"Then, those gel containers have…"

"Complete souls, Dr. Spengler. Each one inside their own version of Instrumentality. They are subject to the same rules a full LCL-soul is. They are, fir lavk of a more previse word, condensed."

"Can they come back?" Winston rubbed his chin.

"If they want to. Just like Uncle Emmet did."

"Wow…" Ray whistled. "Um, why did you bring them?"

"For study. We want to know if LCL conversion can be stopped during Third Impact. That way, we could save people from being absorbed into Instrumentality."

Egon cleaned his eyeglasses, "Are they aggressive?"

"No. In life, they were soldiers and scientists, but instrumentality would turn them violent. There are souls that would need physical conflict in their False Paradise, but not them."

"I see."

"Can we count on your help?" Doc asked, leaning forward.

Ray looked at his friends, without a word, they reached a consensus. "We are in."

Winston stood up. "I still want to see how that time-Machine of yours works. No offense, boss, but that story is right out of the Saturday morning cartoons."

"None taken." Doc shrugged, "I'd ask for proof myself. Heck, I did! Fortunately Marty remembered what I had told him about how I got the inspiration for the Flux Capacitator. After that, his tech convinced me fully." His enthusiasm was re-emerging after the previous seriousness. "Just imagine! A complete TV studio! In a portable form!" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, we could go to our testing grounds right now, and show you proof about the time travel."

Egon put his notebook in his shirt pocket. "I am very interested in participating in such an experience."

Ray shook his head, "I'll pass, though I'd still like to be an observer."

"Same with me." Winston nodded.

"Well then, shall we go, gentlemen? Follow us in your car."

Author's Notes:

(1) True. This is the reason why selective breeding has size limits. It could theoretically be possible to breed, say, War hounds or Dalmatians the size of horses, but they wouldn't be viable as mounts. And yes, those are very specific examples. Jack Kirby used the war hounds in the Fourth World stories. The Dog Cavalry of Apokolips debuted in New Gods issue 1 (Mar, 1971). The Giant Dalmatians were used by the Atomic Knights. These debuted in Strange Adventures, issue 138 (Mar, 1962).

Chapter 25: That Sick Feeling

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
Pohatchee Drive-In Teather
1986

"Three, two, one. Here it comes!" Marty said, chronometer in hand. Over the sand, twin lines of fire appeared as a series of thundering noises and lights appeared from thin air. Next to him, arms crossed, Dr. Egon Spengler watched, holding his own timepiece firmly in his fingers; three timepieces, perfectly synchronized. One with him, one with Marty, and the third one with Ray Stantz, who had volunteered himself for the test. Only one passenger, as the DeLorean was not spacious enough for three adults. Even Marty and Jennifer barely fit.

Sitting down on folding chairs under a foldable tent, Winston Zeddemore, along with Lorraine and George McFly kept their own watch. Behind them, Jennifer and the three former pilots watched.

The DeLorean reappeared, amidst a cloud of condensation. Slowly, it neared the waiting audience. Finally, the doors opened, and Ray Stantz bolted to behind a shrub. To everybody else's consternation, the portly man noisily emptied his stomach.

Asuka grimaced, while Shinji hurried to take a water bottle to the now panting man.

Behind the shrub, Ray swished a mouthful of water, and spat it over the mess he had just done. "Uuugh… That felt really… really… strange…" He wheezed, keeping his head low, his hands on his knees.

"Are you okay, Dr. Stantz?" Shinji asked.

"I'll be fine in a minute." He waved his hand, the timepiece visible in his palm.

The others arrived a moment later. Egon put his stethoscope on, and checked Ray's vitals. "Heart and lungs are working normally, though a bit fast. How do you feel, Ray?"

"A bit weird, Egon, but it's going away. It seems time travel doesn't agree with me." He said, wiping his mouth with a tissue. Egon looked at Ray with a strange look in his eyes, and pulled the PKE Meter from his bag. He waved it in front of Ray, then in front of Doc, Shinji, and Asuka. Then he did the same with George, Lorraine, and Winston.

"Hmm…" he said, taking notes in the small notebook he always carried with him. Then he adjusted a knob in the PKE Meter, and repeated the procedure, jotting down another set of notes.

"What?" Ray asked, a bit alarmed. "Something wrong?"

"There is some residual activity in some of our bodies." Egon explained, pushing his eyeglasses up. "Everybody who has traveled through time has one kind of residue. Winston and I have a different one. Ray, your body has both kinds of energy residue. Unless I'm wrong, our ghost busting activities exposed us to multiple types of ectoplasm for several months, and we are still carrying the residue. That residue should be.. um… eliminated eventually. But for the moment, I think we three are… erm… somewhat incompatible with time travel."

"Really?" Ray's brow wrinkled, with no little alarm. "How incompatible? Is it bad?"

"Well… I think it is enough for some minor… relatively minor symptoms. Upset stomach, maybe some joint pain, headaches, that kind of thing; like a bad case of flu should we insist on repeating the experience." He said, storing the stethoscope. "For now, just get you some Pepto and let's see if you get better."

Doc looked at Egon, grabbing his colleague by the left shoulder, "You think it could be dangerous?"

"I don't think so, but I wouldn't reccomend any of us to go on time-trips in the near future." He grimaced at the accidental pun, "At least not until we understand precisely what are the risks. However, you, Marty, Jennifer, Shinji and Asuka have not shown any adverse symptoms, I think it's the mixing of the two energies what caused Ray's inconvenience. Rei's readings are very strange. She doesn't have the same time travel residue, that could be due to her arrival a month before the others; but her PKE readings are out of the scale." He adjusted his eyeglasses again. "If the regular readings of a human being were a Twinky, Rei's would be a Twinky the size of Jack Burton's truck, including the trailer. But that would be only if she scored right at the top of the scale. She goes beyond it; at the moment, I cannot even speculate on the size of the Twinky." (1)

Winston whistled, "Could be even bigger than Gozer's Twinky."

Rei nodded. "I am an independent avatar of Lilith." She said as if that explained everything. (2) At least for Shinji and Asuka, it did.

Ray sat down on a chair Shinji had brought, along with a small shovel. Once he felt better, he said, "Here, check this." He gave Egon the time piece. Meanwhile, Shinji busied himself burying the vomit.

He compared with the others. "Plus three hours difference."

Doc nodded, "Thirty years trip into the future, we stayed three hours in Dead Valley. Though Dr. Stantz didn't show any adverse symptoms in the future, I must say." Doc looked worried.

Winston noted, "Well… maybe it is accumulative, Boss." He looked at Doc, "I mean, if Ray was fine in the future and got sick on the return trip, it might be that he could handle the first dose, but two were too much."

Doc paced around a few steps, his right hand on his forehead, as if checking his own temperature. "That could be it, yes! Though I agree with Dr. Spengler. No more time travel for you three."

Ray stood up, swaying a bit. He sat down again. "Uuhh… add light head to the list, Egon." He drank more water. "Ugh… let's not do that again, I vote for cancelling the paradox test."

"We were not doing any paradox test." Egon shook his head.

"Good, because I don't want to do that."

"What paradox test?" George and Doc asked almost at the same time.

"On the way, Ray posited that the incontrovertible proof for time travel would be to repeat your experience with your past selves. You know, when Miss Parker met you at the Mall right after Marty came back from 1955."

"That one was carefully planned, to increase our available plutonium." Doc grumbled. "Which will stay right where it is now, thanks to Mr. Fusion."

"We were going to ask you about doing something similar. But decided against it, just in case."

"Right." Doc shook his head. "Let's take a moment to breathe, then, if Dr. Stantz feels fine, we can go back to HQ, and discuss the recording he made in Dead Valley, and the samples he collected."

Later

The group went back to Brown Enterprises, to watch the tape, and include Lisa in the meeting.

The image was a bit shaky, but very clear.

"I'm Dr. Raymond Stantz, recording audiovisual evidence of the abandoned city of Hill Valley." From the image, it was obvious he was holding the camera, pointing at himself. "With me, is Dr. Emmet Brown." He turned the camera towards Doc, who waved at the camera with a grave expression on his face. "At the moment, we have just arrived to the Pohatchee Drive-in Theatre site, in 2017, according to the time circuits in the DeLorean. The place looks even more dilapidated than in 1986." The camera panned around showing the overgrown desert plants. The image stopped on a cactus. It clearly showed a couple of faint marks.

Ray noted, pressing the Pause button. "I did those marks surreptitiously while you guys were preparing things. I wanted some kind of thing that would be difficult to fake, unless you knew where it was. I pushed a little stone into the cut." He showed a pebble. "This one. I cut it out to make sure it was not a copy."

George nodded approvingly, "Very ingenious, Ray. No 'Mission: Impossible' (3) trick."

Ray smiled and nodded awkwardly at the compliment.

Shinji asked, "What's that?"

George squeezed the boy's shoulder, "An old TV show, a group of spies used a lot of tricks and gadgets to fool the bad guys. Several times, they tricked the bad guy into believing they were in other city, in other country, or even that they had been in a coma for several years. Maybe we can catch a rerun in syndication."

Shinji nodded, "I'd like that." He smiled.

"Shall we continue?" Doc asked, impatiently.

"Oh, sure." Ray pressed the button, and the tape continued. The rest of the recording basically consisted of a repeat of Doc's, though the locales varied. Ray put a backpack on the table, "I brought back a few clothes and orange flakes, for analysis."

"Well done, Ray. I'll begin immediately." Egon took one of the plastic bags, and looked at the orange flakes inside. He shook the bag to get a better view of the content.

Asuka huffed, "That's somebody! Can't you show some respect to a dead guy, or…" she interrupted herself.

Ray quipped, "Well… after you deal with a lot of unquiet spirits, dead bodies are much less… um… respectable? And this doesnt even look like bodily remains."

Winston shook his head. "Ray, Egon, knock it off. Miss Soryu, I apologize. Occupational thing, I guess. One gets a bit detached."

She nodded emphatically, "At least try to not shake the bag as if it was a maraca."

Slowly, Egon put the bag down, and rested his hands on the table, one over the other. He looked like a kicked puppy for a moment. Asuka pinched the bridge of her nose, while Shinji and Rei exchanged a look.

"Okay, okay." She exhaled. "Spengler, you need somebody to kick some sense into your head. You just got yourself a lab assistant."

"Wait, what?" He said, "We will be working with things Science doesn't even know exist!"

From the computer screen, Lisa noted, "Hey, Egon! Red he/he/here happ/pens to be a certified/fied genius! Co/co/college graduate at t/t/twelve. Electrical enginee/nee/neering and AST/t/trophysics! T/t/trained for EVA p/p/pilot from the age of/f/f four! Sp/p/speaks English, Ge/German, Japa/panese and is learning K/K/Klingon!"

Egon looked at Asuka, who looked back defiantly.

"She got you there, Egon." Winston snickered.

He pushed his glasses up. "I speak Swedish instead of Klingon."

"I Can work with that," Asuka said. "You guys need to learn Klingon anyway."

After the meeting, Doc excused himself from the analysis. That left Egon, Ray, Lisa, Asuka and Rei in the lab.

"Are you sure they are not violent?" Egon asked Rei.

"Very sure. None of the selected souls was of a violent nature, though almost all of them had basic training as career soldiers. Major Katsuragi and Inspector Kaji had supplemental training and saw action in combat. But I must stress that all the souls are currently in Instrumentality. Therefore, they are happy and for external purposes, passive."

"And you know which one is which." Egon said.

"Yes."

"Don't doubt the First, Dr. Spengler. She knows, period."

Egon nodded. "Fine, but I want to label each container."

Minutes later, each container had a clear label on its side.

From the screen, Lisa recorded everything that was said, for the records, freeing the scientists.

"Would you like some m/m/music?" She asked.

"Why not?" Asuka nodded.

"Something in particular? Or do I try the radio?"

Egon turned half the way, to his friend at the microscope, "Ray? Any song you'd like?"

Without taking his eyes from the microscope, he answered, "How about some Sinatra, Lisa?"

"Sure, Ole Blue Eyes coming up!"

The speakers on the walls soon began to belt out a song. At first, there was no reaction at all. The music filled the workshop with a sad melody, full of longing, yet dignified.

All or nothin' at all
Half a love never appealed to me
If your heart, it never could yield to me
Then i'd rather, rather have nothin' at all

I said all, nothin' at all
If it's love, there ain't no in-between
Why begin then cry for somethin' that might have been
No i'd rather, rather have nothin' at all

At this point, there were two reactions. One of the soul containers began to bubble softly (4). Excited, Egon began to take readings, relaying the results to Lisa.

The second was more subdued.

Ray hurried to the table, and asked, "Asuka? Are you okay?"

The red headed pilot sobbed silently, a tear shone on her right eye, almost dropping. Trembling at the edge, but keeping stubbornly there.

Author's Notes:

To Halo: Only if he changes things a lot! Otherwise, SEELE might get suspicious about the sequel. Still, can be done, but only after preventing the Impact. Hmm, maybe it's time for George to try his hand in a different genre, just like Stephen King did with the Dark Tower. Translating both BTTF and NGE to fantasy would be the perfect way to do it!

(1) Partly in joke, the Ghostbusters have stuck to the metaphor Egon used in Ghostbusters to compare the normal psycho kinetic activity, with the level of spectral activity during the time period previous to Gozer's appearance. So, ghostly/soul activity will be measured in TUs (Twinky Units).

(2) What's with Rei's readings? As she says, she is an Avatar of Lilith. She is in a way, much bigger that she looks, the time travel energy residue is diluted, while her soul presence is loosely connected to the souls in Instrumentality, even though they are in the future. And actually, her Twinky would be bigger than Central Park. Egon's readings top at the equivalent of a small city.

(3) The Mission: Impossible series began in 1966 and lasted seven seasons, until 1973. It was later revived in 1988; so for the time being, only reruns will be available to the group. As George said, the M.O. if the group of operatives relied heavily in deception, including the ocassional mind-games he describes.

(4) Just like the mood slime in Ghostbusters 2, the souls are sensitive to music, especially if there is an overwhelming emotional connection. The main difference with the mood slime is that it is made from emotions, without much personality by itself; while LCL gel contains a complete soul, that keeps the original personality, though it is wrapped in the false paradise provided by Instrumentality. In Asuka's case, she had not heard Sinatra's All Or Nothing At All (1939), but the lyrics are almost the way she described her feelings towards Shinji during their stay in Instrumentality.

Chapter 26: Back to the School

Chapter Text

End of the Future, Part 26

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises Workshop
1986

“Asuka, are you Okay?” Ray Stantz repeated.

Angrily, Asuka wiped her eyes, “Yeah, I’m okay.” Her voice sounded very thick. “I’m okay, I said!”

Warily, Ray took a step back. “Fine. Got it.” Quickly, he looked at Egon, who shook his head minutely and tapped twice on his wristwatch, their signal for “Later”. (1) Both knew she was not okay, but trying to force the issue now would cause more harm than good.

Egon took his clipboard; “Asuka, anything you could tell us about this subject? It is an unusual reaction.” Best way he could think to distract her was to simply focus back in what they were doing already. Meanwhile, Lisa reduced the volume of the song to remove it from the equation.

Both things worked, as Asuka answered, “Yeah, she was a cold witch. I’m a bit surprised her gel is showing any reaction at all.” The red headed ex-pilot leaned in towards the gel and tapped on the container. There was no further reaction. Without the music, the bubbles had stopped.

Rei added, “Dr. Akagi was the chief scientist of Project EVA and the MAGI. She was in charge of the health of the pilots, supervised the EVA Units maintenance, and kept the MAGI in working order. Also, Commander Ikari manipulated her into a self-destructive relationship with him, using her to further his Scenario. Years before, he also manipulated her mother, Dr. Naoko Akagi and my first iteration into a Murder-Suicide when she was of no more use to him. In the end, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi betrayed him and tried to stop Third Impact. Commander Ikari shot her to death in Lilith’s Chamber, at the deepest level of Terminal Dogma.”

“Hmm… …right.” Egon mused, “Back to the LCL gel, is the bubbling a reaction to an external stimulus, or is it independent?”

Lisa spoke, “Let/t/t’s see.” The music changed, and Lisa announced singer and title. “Donna Sum/m/m/mer’s I Feel L/l/love.”

The gel stopped bubbling, but now another began to do the same.

“Wow…” Asuka whispered, “Aoba is a closet disco fan! I though he was more metal.”

Ray rubbed his chin. “Do you know about the music any other of them likes?”

Rei shook her head, but Asuka rattled a short list, “Misato had a weakness for late 1990s j-pop, totally brainless stuff, you guys are better off not knowing. Kaji was more of a Barry White fan. Ibuki… i think she was into sappy love songs from the 1950s. No idea about Hyuga.”

“Well, only one way to find out. Lisa, if you would?”

“Work/k/king on it/t.”

Winston clapped his hands together, “I think I should do something more down-to-Earth, guys. I lost track of your talk five minutes ago. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage. Ecto-1 needs an oil change.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Ray answered.

Thirty minutes later, it was confirmed, music had an immediate effect on the LCL gel, according to the tastes Asuka had relayed. Hyuga’s preferences were still a mystery. Lisa took it as a challenge.

Egon concluded at the end of the session, “Contrary to what Miss Ayanami implied, it seems the souls in Instrumentality can still react to outside stimulus. Maybe it is subconscious. We will have to try to design an experiment to test that.”

“Hmm… Rei can contact them, we should ask her.” Asuka noted, pointing at the bluenette with her thumb. Rei shook her head again. “I’d rather not do that. This body is completely human, and relatively fragile without a close connection to Lilith to absorb the feedback. It would be relatively easy back in Hakone, but here, it would be… particularly tiring.”

Ray rubbed his chin. “I see. Well, let’s keep that in reserve.”

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises Garage

At the garage, Winston changed into a coverall, still with the Ghostbusters logo and name tag, but without the elbow and knee hard protections; and grabbed his tool box, whistling a tune.

There, the only visible vehicle was Ecto-1, and the only person there was Shinji, sitting on a folding chair. He looked lost in thought. “Hey, kid.” Winston called, startling the teen. “Where’s everybody?”

“Dr. Brown and the McFlys went to the Mall. Something about looking for a house in the neighborhood. I… I didn’t felt ready to go, so I stayed here.” He hesitated, “Do you want me to go home?”

Looking at his lost expression, Winston shook his head, “Nah, no problem. I’m just going to do some basic work on Ecto-1 here. I don’t mind.”

Shinji looked relieved. “Um… can I watch? I won’t bother you.”

“I have a better idea. Would you like to learn? I got nothing else to do, and I think every young man should know how to keep his ride in working order.” He raised a hand, cutting off Shinji’s objection. “I know, I know; but let’s work with the idea that the big brains will find a way to keep you guys around, okay? No use worrying about that all the time. Live the moment, that’s a hard lesson you learn in the Air Force. There are lots of things that can kill you when you are in a war setting, but if you think too much about that, you might as well just lay down and wait, cos you’ll die anyway. Better do something in the meanwhile.”

Shinji thought about Winston’s words for a minute. Then, he stood up and nodded decisively. “You’re right. Id like to learn.” He bowed respectfully.

Winston laughed amicably, and slapped Shinji’s shoulder. “Great! First thing to do, change your clothes, there are some old shirts and coveralls in those lockers. Accidentally we brought one of Peter’s old uniforms along with ours. It’s the one with the name “Venkman”. He looked down at Shinji’s feet. “Check if there’s a pair of work boots in your size. Those shoes are too new for this kind of work.”

Shinji returned a minute later, wearing the coverall, bunched around his scrawny body. Miraculously, there was a pair of boots just a bit bigger than his size. “Okay, that’s quite too big, but nothing that can’t be solved with some duct tape.”

Shinji rolled up the extremes until he left hands and feet uncovered. Winston used a few pieces of silver tape to make sure the ends would not fall down at any time. “If you like the mechanical stuff, you’ll have to get your own coverall and boots, okay?.”

Shinji nodded.

“Now, let’s set a few rules. To begin with, this stuff is relatively safe, but you gotta respect your tools and the car you’re working on. No monkey business with the monkey wrench, got it?” He smiled at his pun.

“Got it.”

“Very well. Ecto-1 is a very old car. A total classic. Ray bought it before I joined the Ghostbusters, and it was a complete wreck!” Winston laughed, a deep and hearty laugh that instantly put Shinji at ease with the big man. “He put a lot of work on it. And he did it right! In short, he brought this old lady back from the dead! He and I have put a lot of time and work in her, and we are proud of that. It’s a dirty job, but when you treat your car right, your car will run smoothly for you.”

Shinji nodded again. “It was the same with the EVA Units. Dr. Akagi and Lt. Ibuki ran themselves ragged after each battle, getting them up again.”

“Did you any work on them big robots?” Winston sat down on the sled, and set the tools he would use on a clean cloth, along with a pan.

“No. I had no clearance for that.” He shook his head.

“Okay. Just curious. Bring that other sled and a flashlight. Ecto-1 needs an oil change. It’s an easy thing to do, so we start with that. I’ll be telling you what I do before I do it, along with any precautions you need to do.” He grabbed the pan, and slid it under the white car.

Winston Zeddemore and Shinji Ayanami came from very different worlds, but for the next hour, it didn’t matter. On the surface, it was just the passing of knowledge. Neither did know it then, but it was also the start of the healing of old wounds.

Months later, working on the old car suspension along with Winston, Shinji would ask himself, “Is this how it feels to have a Father?”

Hill Valley, California, USA
Hill Valley High School
Principal Stanford S. Strickland’s Office
Next Day

"Very well.” Director Strickland put the documents back into their respective folders. “Everything is in order, Doctor Brown. Your wards’ transfer is complete. The only thing left to do is their placement test.” The bald man adjusted his bow tie. “Mr. Arky will supervise them in Classroom 1-A.”

Strickland pushed the intercom button, “Mrs. McClurg? (2) Please call Mr. Arky to Classroom 1-A, I’ll meet him there with two students.”

“Yes, Mr. Strickland.”

Strickland laced his fingers, his hands resting directly over his desk, and nodded to himself. “I was under the impression you had three wards, Dr.Brown.”

“It’s true, but my third ward happens to be a genius.” He pulled Asuka’s folder from his suitcase, and handed it to Strickland. “She has the equivalent to a college degree. Putting her back in high school would be a disservice to her.”

Strickland raised his eyebrows, “Amazing! At fourteen years old!”

“Actually, she tested at 12.” Doc said proudly, to Strickland’s amazement, “She is taking a sabbatical, after the tragic events back in Japan, but she wants to continue her education next year. For now, she is willing to tutor students willing to work hard. Of course, Shinji and Rei will be part of her tutoring duties, if and when, you approve.”

Strickland’s mouth almost formed a smile, “Good. What subjects would she be tutoring?”

“Hard sciences.” Doc leaned in, “mathematics, physics, electronics, algebra, chemistry.”

“Really? Well, not to be rude, but as you said, I’ll need to approve. And for that, I need her to do the tests too.”

“I understand, Director Strickland.”

“Now, in other subject, how are your living conditions, Dr. Brown? I know this was very sudden, and maybe you’ll need some time to adjust.”

“Indeed. For the time being, while I find a bigger house, the three are staying with the McFly family. Dave and Linda are getting their own places, so they have those rooms available, plus their guests room. George and I are old friends, and his son Marty is my lab assistant. My current place is not fit for three teenagers. It’s too old and too small.”

“Good. I’m glad to say George McFly did manage to turn his life around. He used to be a slacker, you know? Just like his family, all the way to the founding of the city! Miss Baines was a very good influence on him. His last year here, he really made us proud, not like that good-for-nothing Tannen lad. He will never amount to anything.” Strickland stabbed the desk with his righ index. “I rue the day his son, Cliff, wil return to these halls.” Strickland shook his head.

Doc cleared his throat, he knew Strickland’s opinion of Marty before the timeline changed, and Biff’s bullying tendencies, so he tried to steer the conversation to safer grounds. “Ah, oh, yes, yes. The McFlys are very good people. Say, Mr. Strickland, how long will it take for grading of the tests? I’ll need to buy the textbooks.”

“Don’t worry, we will have the results tomorrow morning. Please come by at 10:00 o’clock and we can discuss them.”

“Could we add Asuka to the test now? She would need only a few minutes to come.”

“Sure, we can photocopy the standard test for her. You can call her from here.” Strickland turned the desk phone towards Doc.

One minute later, Asuka was on her way to the school.

Strickland stood up, and guided Doc and the Ayanami siblings to the classroom. Mr. Arky was already there by the time the group arrived.

Four minutes later, the volatile redhead was there too.

Two hours later, the three teenagers had finished, with varying grades of confidence in their prowess. Asuka was a bit annoyed at her own answers, as she considered many questions as too far below her level. Rei was mostly indifferent, as her almost eidetic memory allowed her to easily recall the answers. While Shinji was sure he would be set back, due to her lack of knowledge of American History. Heck, he wasn’t up to date in Japanese History!

Author’s Notes:

(1) I thought it would be appropriate for the Ghostbusters to have developed a private sign language, Egon is right the type to do that kind of thing.

(2) A little homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the actress who played Grace, Principal Rooney’s secretary, was Edie McClurg.

Chapter 27: The Horror of Hill Valley

Chapter Text

Personal Note: the chapter is a little short, I've been very busy with RL stuff, and my time and energy will be a bit limited for the near future.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Hill Valley High School
A week later

"So, we are here." Shinji said, with a mix of curiosity, eagerness and aprehensión in his soft voice as he examined the classes schedule.

"Yeah. I'm glad we are in the same class, buddy." Marty answered as he adjusted the straps of his backpack.

Next to him, hanging from Marty's arm, Jennifer smiled at the two former pilots. "Where's Asuka? I thought she would be here."

Rei piped in. "She's at Brown Enterprises. Helping with the LCL Research. She asked us to put her ad in the bulletin board." She patted her pocket. Asuka had typed a basic list of subjects she was willing to tutor students on, and it had been approved by Strickland.

"She doesn't need to come to high school, Jennifer. She will be working on her college degree. She already has the equivalent degree in Japan, but has to test officially for the USA degree. Meanwhile, she will be tutoring a few students. Apart from Rei and me."

"I have the knowledge." Rei noted, "But I'm lacking on critical thinking and context. I'm also lacking in social behavior. My attending here is to remedy that situation."

Marty nodded, passing an arm over Jennifer's shoulders. "We got your backs, guys. Anything you need help with, just tell us."

Brown Industries HQ
Workshop

A big mug of hot coffee rested on the work table. During their forced solitude, Asuka had gotten used to drinking her coffee black, and with an insane amount of sugar. Fresh milk, or even bottled milk was a luxury they could not afford after the first few weeks, and she despised the taste of powdered milk, so, black it was. She took a sip before getting to work.

"To begin with, I think we need to take accurate readings…" The teen genius started, holding a PKE Meter towards the gel container holding Ryoji Kaji's soul. The device lit up, and lights ran up and down the extensible arms.

"Our PKE Meters are accurate!" Dr. Spengler bristled. "We can measure ghostly activity to a hundredth of a volt!"

Asuka looked at him sideways, barely changing her stance. "Not what I mean, Spengler. Your instruments are very sensitive, and very precise. But, you guys said Rei's readings are out of the scale. That's what I meant. We need to know exactly how big her PKE presence is. And remember that as an avatar of Lilith, she has just a fraction of Lilith's own energy level. All we know right now is that she ranks higher than the scale you set on the original device."

Dr. Ray Stantz chuckled, "She's got you there, Egon." He pulled put a set of diagrams from a drawer and extended them over the table.

"Um, well… yes. I… I see. Good thinking, Miss Soryu." Egon admitted, with ill grace.

"Oh, don't be like that, Egon." Winston set down a note on his clipboard. "Take it as an opportunity to delve where man wasn't meant to tread."

Dr. Spengler's eyes took a glassy glint.

"Now you did it, Winston." Ray shook his head.

"Did what/t/t, Ra/Ray?" Lisa interrupted her analysis of the data extracted from Seth Brundle's computers.

"Not much, Lisa. He just put an unholy idea in Egon's brain." Ray shrugged. "It should yield some interesting results later on. That's how we miniaturized the proton packs. Our first prototype was the size of a car. Peter said we had to aspire lower. And Egon did exactly that. He began word associations until he struck pardirt. He basically took the idea of the original vacuum cleaner commercially available, which was the size of a truck, with a very long hose (1), and applied to the proton accelerators. When he came back from his fugue he had the list of changes we needed to make portable proton packs."

Egon and Asuka spent several hours analyzing the design of the PKE Meters, with Lisa's ocassional input, mainly snark.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Hill Valley High School
Twenty Minutes Later.

The classroom door opened brusquely, a hulking figure standing on the threshold with clear insolence. Marty leaned towards Shinji, and whispered, "That's Cliff Tannen, the guy I warned you and Rei about."

Shinji nodded, not wanting to attract attention. At least Rei was in another classroom.

The new arrival looked around the classroom, his eyes passed over Marty without much facial expression, examined Shinji for a moment before dismissing him. Finally, he looked at the back of the classroom, and recognizing three students, went there to sit with his minions. Their fists clashed briefly in greeting, and Cliff finally sat down, resting the sole of his shoe on the edge of the seat in front of him. A posture calculated to convey absolute disrespect.

Marty ground his teeth, Cliff looked almost exactly as his father back in 1955, the only real difference was in the clothes and hair. Ragged denim jacket, black pants and boots, leather wrists straps. Hair cut in a greasy mullet. Even his minions looked like Biff's gang with modern clothes!

And the attitude was the same too.

' Must be a family trait…' Marty thought.

To Marty's surprise, Cliff and his gang were relatively well-behaved all school day. Apparently they were under Strickland's close vigilance, and it was obvious it chafed.

When the bell rang, marking the end of the day, Marty and Shinji waited for Jennifer and Rei at the main door.

A big and loud blue truck stopped right at the front of the school, and a blond, stocky girl opened the driver's door. She wore a mishmash of clashing colors. Starting with a red jacket full of pins, a purple blouse with bright leopard print in clashing yellow, acid-washed jeans, and red boots with dangling chains. Her hair pulled up inside a cone covered with green glitter, though a good length still came out from the top. Her earrings were different, one round, the other triangular, evidently from different sets. And her make-up was so thick it was almost a parody of a mask. She chewed noisily on a piece of bubblegum, popping an ocassional globe as she walked to the group.

"Yo, dweebs!" She said loudly, speaking mostly from the right side of her mouth. "Have ya seen my useless lump of a brother?" Her eyes lingered a moment on Marty, before seemingly discarding him and settling on Shinji, with an speculative look in her eyes. "Ya new here?"

"Um… yes… Just transferred from Japan." The former pilot answered.

"Reaaaally? Interesting." A thoughtful expression appeared on the girl's face.

Right then, Cliff threw open the door, followed by his cohorts. Marty pulled Shinji out of the way.

"And speaking of the Devil." The girl said. "Yo, Cliff! What took ya so long?"

"Shaddap, Tiff (2)." The thug grumbled, "Strickland has it against me. Now, let's make like a drummer and go."

Tiff threw him the keys, and followed him back to the immaculately polished truck. She slowed her pace enough to stay at the end of the group, and before getting inside the vehicle, she shot a look at Shinji.

As the truck disappeared around the corner, Marty raised an eyebrow. "Shinji? Did you have a feeling of inescapable doom?"

"Yeah, ever since I got to Tokyo-3." The former pilot deadpanned.

Marty looked at his friend. "Not what I meant, buddy. You know Dad used to have problems with Biff; until he knocked him cold. His son is not much better, but haven't done much since Biff sent him to military school. Now he is back, and it seems he has a sister."

Shinji kept silent, but rolled his eyes. "Great…"

Jennifer and Rei appeared then. "Hey! You look like somebody ran over your pup or something. What happened?"

Marty shrugged, and passed an arm over Jennifer's shoulders. "Cliff is back, and he has a sister."

"Tiff? Oh, Boy…"

"Trouble?"

"Only if she fancies you. She doesn't take no for an answer. Things got so bad, Biff sent her to an all-girl school at Summerville."

Marty and Shinji exchanged a look.

"Know what, I think it will be better if we go to Paul's and practice a bit." (3)

"Ah, sure."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Paul's Home
Later on

"Sorry, guys. Mom has a fierce migraine. She is shut in her room, lights out and needs silence. We could just go to the basem*nt and hang out, I guess." Paul said apologetically. His lanky frame and long blond hair reminded Shinji of Lt. Aoba. (4)

"Man, I was looking forward to practice." Marty shock his head. "Shinji here plays the cello, and I thought he would like to hear what we can do…"

"Eh," Lee drawled, his brown hair was a bit shorter than his friends. "We could do something else. I just got the new boxed set!" He checked his backpack, and extracted a cardboard box, with a unusual scene on the cover. Three people standing between a decrepit house and a cemetery, with a tentacle moving menacingly towards them. At the top, the title was "Call of Cthulhu" with a sub-header "Fantasy role-playing in the worlds of H.P. Lovecraft" (5).

Shinji looked intently at the cover. "Things are going to get nasty, right..?" He managed to not blush.

"Well, it is a horror game." Lee confirmed, "The scene is not actually in the game material, but sets the scene."

Marty tapped on the cover, "Who is this Lovecraft guy?"

Lee opened the box, showing a few booklets, and strangely shaped dice. "He was a weird fantasy writer back in the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote about cosmic monstruosities whose very presence could drive people to madness."

Bobby nodded, "Sounds rad, man. I'm in. How do you play?" The rest of the group decided it would be interesting to play at least once.

Lee spent a few minutes explaining the rules. "I'll help you create your characters, here's the list of possible occupations. Just remember that you should try for characters that could exists in the 1920s and that you are just regular humans, not superheroes. In short, you are squishy! You have to play smart, not strong."

In the end, Marty chose a hard-boiled private detective, Paul a reporter, Bobby a cop, and Shinji an accountant. The group had to investigate a haunted house. (6)

They spent a few hours trying to eliminate a ghost. Shinji couldn't help but think of what the Ghostbusters would have done in their place.

The game was a hit, and in the coming months, Lee would spend a lot of time homebrewing a campaign for the group.

No one could ever have guessed the wider effects that game would have.

Author's Notes:

(1) True, one of the first vacuum cleaner, Puffing Billy, was carried on a horse cart, and worked with a petrol motor. It was not sold, but rented. While the machine worked outside, an operator moved the end of the hose inside the house to clean the dust.

(2) After her non-canon existence was pointed to me by CaptainBardiel,I got curious about Tiff Tannen. The character was originally part of a deleted scene in BTTF, but wasn't mentioned by name. Afterwards, Tiffany Tannen was incorporated in the games based on the franchise. According to the card game, Tiff is the daughter of alternate Biff and Lorraine, so that version of her is Marty's half sister. With her being basically a blank slate, I think Tiff could have inherited Biff's stalker tendencies.

(3) The members of The Pinheads weren't named in the movie, though they later were named after their actors.

(4) I'm not sure who is who in The Pinheads line-up, so I'll just assign then the names in the same order of the picture in the BTTF Wikia, Paul in bass guitar, Lee in the drums, and Bobby at the keyboard. Marty plays the guitar, of course.

(5) The game exists, and it is really good. Easy to learn and very intuitive. It has been available since 1981, Lee has the second edition boxed set, released in 1983. I highly recommend the game, currently in its 7th Edition, though it is quite compatible with material written for older editions. I was a Keeper (Game Master) for several years, though my group got a nasty case of Real Life Interference, and haven't played for several years. The game is based on the horror stories written by Howard Phillip Lovecraft and his friends. Though he was not well known in life, his work resurged in anthologies during the 1970s, and got a major push thanks to the RPG. Lovecraft's influence is very clear in many movies, games, and stories.

(6) The group is playing The Haunted House, the adventure included in the starter box of the game. It is almost certainly the most played Call of Cthulhu adventure.

Chapter 28: Driven

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Home
Early next day

"It was really fun, Asuka! We were just regular people, facing an otherworldly menace as best we could!" Shinji said, with a previously unknown enthusiasm, while the redhead folded clean clothes just ironed.

"So, like we did back at Tokyo-3?" She answered, raising an eyebrow.

A shadow crossed Shinji's face for a moment. He shook it off. "No, no. We were acting by our own iniciative, well, our characters did. And we had nothing special as weapons or armor. Marty's character was a private detective, so he had a gun and a blackjack, and Bobby had a cop, but he was on holiday, so he had just a small gun; but that was it."

Asuka raised her other eyebrow. "What kind of graphics does that game has? I thought this time still had very basic stuff. I swear, Third, if you have taken one of the Tokyo-3 computers we brought I'll tell Uncle Emmet!"

"It has no graphics at all! It's not a computer game!" He said proudly. "It's just paper and pen. Just imagination! You see, Lee describes the scene, and asks what our characters do. Then he describes what happens and so on. Sometimes, we have to roll dice to know what happens. It's great!" (1)

Before Asuka could answer, Rei entered the room, preceded by an energetic ball of fur (2). "It seems Einstein is ready for his walk. Have you seen his leash?"

"Ah, I have it! It's my turn today!" Shinji exclaimed. "Easy, boy!" He tried to control Einy's enthusiasm as he put the leash on the collar, but the dog was just too excited. Finally, he managed to get him out before he could step on the clothes Asuka had just folded. "See you later!"

Once the brown-haired boy was out, Rei commented. "He has really taken to Einstein, doesn't he?" Not even she, avatar of Lilith, could resist the eagerness of the scruffy looking dog.

Asuka nodded, motioning Rei to sit down on the bed. "He missed Pen-Pen before Uncle Emmet, Marty and Jennifer rescued us." She shook her head, her now shorter hair barely hitting her shoulders. "I know Misato entrusted him to Hikari, did he… um… when Instrumentality…?" She didn't want to say it. Had Pen-Pen been left alone to starve when everybody was tanged?

"He entered Instrumentality." Rei said with a bit of emotion. "His paradise was very simple, from the glimpse I had of it. He was very happy living with Misato, Shinji and you at Misato's apartament; Interestingly, you and Shinji were a happy couple in his paradise."

Asuka deflated. "Damn bird… he was shipping us?"

Rei took a blouse from the unfolded pile, and studied it for a moment. "You two are in a unique position to each other. You are best suited to understand each other's pain." She passed the blouse to Asuka. "Even if you don't enter in a romantic relationship; I think you could gain so much if you are willing to confide in each other."

"…"

"He knows, Asuka. Most of what made you what you are now, made him too. He is just as broken as you are, as am I. We just broke in different ways. However, I cannot understand your suffering, nor you mine. Not really. Our circ*mstances are too different."

Asuka sat down on the bed, still holding the blouse. Her fingers tight on the fabric. She lowered her head, and her shoulders shook minutely.

"I…" Rei whispered, "i am sorry for disturbing you. I will take my leave now."

The blue haired girl stood up, and before she could cross the threshold, she heard a tiny voice. "…Stay… …I… I don't wanna be alone…"

Silently, Rei closed the door and sat down on the bed, next to her former rival.

Meanwhile, Shinji walked Einstein around the block, a plastic bag ready to collect the evidence of their passing. At the opposite side of the McFly home, he found George and Doc. Einy barked excitedly at the sight of Doc.

"Einstein!" The scientist exclaimed happily, while Shinji was practically dragged behind the dog. "You're a good boy!" Doc scratched him behind the ears, while the dog's tail threatened to fly off any moment, barking happily. "Yes! You are a good boy! You are!"

George slapped Shinji's shoulder. "Hey, kid! We have good news! We managed to convince the current owners to sell us the house!"

Doc raised his head, still playing with Einstein. "They will be resettled at a newer house. I want to move in as soon as possible, so I'll be paying for the move. The house will be ours by the end of the week! George and I will tear down the fence between the two properties to make a big backyard and a small workshop or studio for you kids."

"That's great, Uncle Emmet!" Shinji said, Doc smiled warmly at the boy.

"Indeed!" An alarm sounded in Doc's right wrist, followed by another in his coat pocket. "Ah! Time for you to get to school!"

"Sure! I got my stuff ready, and packed bento boxes for all of us!"

"All of us?" George asked.

Shinji counted his fingers, "Rei, Marty, Jennifer, Asuka and myself. I used some stuff from the fridge, I hope you won't mind, I left a note for Asuka for her to take hers to Uncle Emmet's lab."

George smiled warmly, "Of course I don't mind! Unless things have changed a lot, the school food is still tasteless, and mostly unidentifiable!"

Doc looked at him for a moment and turned back to Shinji. "Anyway, it's time for you to go back to the school. Do you need a ride?" His van was parked in front of the house.

Shinji checked his watch, "No need, it's still early. I have my backpack ready. As soon as I leave Einstein at home, I'll join the others."

"Ah, just leave Einy with me, I'll get him home. Now go on and I'll see you all after school. I am expecting somebody for our movie effects front. He's between contracts and I asked him to bring some of his work."

"Right! See you later, Uncle Emmet! Mr. McFly!" He put Einy's leash in Doc's hand, and left.

Seeing him go, George commented, leaning on his cane. "He has come far from the nervous wreck he was back at Japan."

Doc,s face turned grim. "He is putting his best face, George; don't let this façade fool you. I asked Ray his opinion as a psychologist. According to him, all three have made a good amount of progress, but are still a long way from healing completely. We must watch over them for a good while."

"I see. Lorraine has been mothering them just as much as she did with Dave."

"Your big boy?"

"Yeah. It's like she is back to being a first-time mother. Sometimes I worry she might smother them."

"Hmm… it might be just what they need. Neither had a good family life growing up. Especially Rei. She was raised practically to be a suicidal robot!" Doc's fingers tightened on Einy's leash. The dog scratched Doc's leg, trying to help. Doc relaxed, and resumed his scratching on Einstein's ears.

"You know I'm not a violent man, Doc, but I'd probably make an exception for Gendo Ikari." He looked away. "He's about ten years old now, doesn't he?"

"By a rough estimate, yes. I think so."

"Strange to think that that monster was a child once. That right now, he is just a child." George shook his head. "Let's go. The realtor will come in…" he looked at his watch, "ten minutes."

On the way to Hill Valley High School

The group walked leisurely towards the school, talking and laughing and planning the day.

Neither noticed the pair of blue eyes watching them cross the street from the inside of the drugstore. The owner of those eyes studied the group avidly.

Tiff Tannen licked her lips. The Japanese boy looked like a good prospect. Small, docile, not too strong.

Perfect!

The stocky girl blew a bubble of pink gum, until it popped satisfactorily.

A lopsided grim emerged on her mouth.

Rei barely registered the way to school, deep in though about Asuka's behavior. It had lasted only a few minutes, but it was disconcerting to watch the former pilot go through a cathartic episode.

Nothing noisy, unlike what she would have expected.

The German-raised girl had simply sobbed quietly for a few minutes.

When she recovered her composure, Asuka wiped his eyes of unshed tears, and looked at Rei. Their looks said everything that needed to be said. No need for words.

Rei stood up, and went out of the room, while Asuka went back to folding clothes.

Both had a small smile on their faces.

At the other side of the street, Shinji Ayanami stopped for a moment, and looked around.

Had he ever read a Marvel Comic, he would probably say "My spider sense is tingling." Though he chose to think it was due to Rei's deep silence. His sister had something in mind, and even at her most communicative, she was a very private person.

Back at the McFly house, Asuka sat at the table with Lorraine. Her host served a big breakfast that could actually compete with Shinji's best efforts at international cuisine. She reserved a plate for her husband, and another for Doc. Normally, they would eat breakfast together, but with the new house Doc was buying, they didn't know when they would be home.

At first, Asuka had been a bit mistrustful of the McFly matriarch, but Lorraine had a simple and direct charm that was gradually eroding Asuka's walls.

She would never replace Mama in her heart, but was making her own place instead. Much like a beloved Aunt.

Asuka almost choked on a bit of waffle when she realized this. Immediately, Lorraine was behind her, hitting her back with firm strokes, until Asuka breathed normally again.

"Are you okay, dear?" Lorraine asked, worry etched in every feature of her face.

Asuka nodded, "I am now. Thanks." And she meant it.

Road to Hill Valley

A big, blue-grey, boxy truck ate miles at a steady pace. The sides displayed a colorful sign that read "F/X" in bold letters. The driver was a tall, lean man, with wavy dark hair, narrow face, cleft chin, and a very intense look in his eyes. Rollie Tyler, master of special effects.

Behind him, his helper and apprentice snored a symphony, undisturbed by the rattling of a thousand items; bottles, gun powder, latex, plaster and casting materials, electronic boards, electric wire, resin components, fake blood and squibs, gelatine and molds, tints, fake hair, wigs, oils, paints of a myriad colors. All the tools of their trade, and quite a few mementos that could be useful some day.

He spared a look to his companion, a lithe blond girl with a talent for hard work and imaginative design. And very, very willing to carry a grudge, Rollie had to really grovel to get her back in the team.

Rollie saw a gas station sign, just two miles away. He checked the gas meter, and decided it would be a good place to stop, eat, rest a few minutes, and trade places with Andy.

It had been a very long drive from New York. But the chance to head a new special effects studio was very, very tempting.

And after the fiasco that had gotten Ellen killed, and him framed for murder, he needed to get some distance from the Big Apple. And some time to find a way to justify the loot he and Leo had gotten in Switzerland (4). Just thinking about the taxes he would have to pay chilled his blood to the very marrow of his bones.

Author's Notes:

(1) A very simple description, but true for most RPGs. There are a few with different mechanics, but for the most part, this is the way they work. In the case of Call of Cthulhu, the most common roll is for skills. They are expressed as percentiles, like Drive Car 45%. The player rolls percentile dice, and if the number rolled is lower than the skill, the roll succeds. The GameMaster (officially called Keeper of Arcane Lore, or just Keeper) can apply bonuses or penalties to the roll. For example, taking a curve in a well lit, well maintained road is automatic success, but taking the curve while speeding would need a roll. Speeding by night, in the rain, and with a flat tire would have dire penalties; depending on the speed of the car, they could be -30% to the skill. And rolling 15 or less is far from a sure roll. It's most probable that the roll fails and the car crashes.

(2) I have been reminded by several readers that Einstein is, in fact, a very good boy.

(3) Rollie Tyler was the protagonist of F/X (1986) and F/X 2 (1991). He is a top level special effects technician, and very good improvising under pressure. His apprentice, Andy, has a small but crucial role in the first movie, though Rollie leaves her behind to keep her out of danger. There was also a TV series, but I'll ignore it for this story. Personally, I think Rollie was based on Rollin Hand, one of the Impossible Mission Force best agents, memorably played by Martin Landau in the first three seasons of Mission:Impossible.

(4) The events in this fic happen between F/X and F/X 2. Rollie is still working, and hasn't yet found a way to justify the money he and his ally, Leo McCarthy stole at the end of F/X

Chapter 29: To Shoot a Shooting

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA

Brown Enterprises HQ
Dr. E. L. Brown's office

"Welcome, Mr. Tyler, Miss Gehman (1)! I'm very glad you could come!" Doc guided the pair to his office. The place was a complete disordered mess, though Doc knew where everything was placed. Rollie and Andy didn't even blink at the chaos. They were perfectly used to such an environment.

They sat on the comfortable chairs. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Rollie went to the point. "So, Dr. Brown, what makes you think you're qualified to run an Special Effects studio?"

"Me? Absolutely nothing!" He chuckled. "But I recently found I have more family than I thought, and all three are very interested in Science Fiction. Also, for tax purposes, I need to invest some capital in a low yield field, but I don't want to simply waste the money."

That was the official version.

The true story was way more complex.

The group needed a way to hide advanced tech in plain sight. And taking a cue from an old British tv show (2), they had decided a Special Effects Studio was the perfect cover. The studio would also be useful in other ways. Tyler had a reputation as a very good thinker under pressure.

And even if he and his helper were not included in the anti-conspiracy, it would be a fun side hustle. Who knows, maybe the kids would be interested in learning the trade, though Asuka insisted that practical visual effects were to be replaced by computer generated imaginery in the coming decades. She did point to stop-motion fx as an example, even by 1985, the technique was practically dead. Even the master, Ray Harryhausen, was mostly retired these days. A pity, Doc had really enjoyed his work, things likeEarth vs the Flying SaucersorJason and the Argonautshad been great. (3) He wished he had traveled to 1933 and watched the original King-Kong debut on the screen, but his farthest trip had been to 1938, to get the Action Comic debut of Superman.

He continued, "And personally, I'm a big fan of the classics. I found about your work in low-budget movies and tv. You certainly can squeeze value out of minimal resources."

"Which one?" Rollie asked.

"Movie? Killer Smoke (4). The scene where the smoke forces the second victim to breathe it, ballooning to burst? Amazing!"

Rollie and Andy grinned. "Oh, boy, that one was a difficult take. We had to prepare eight sequential dummies!" Rollie said.

Andy elbowed him, "And we still have one in the truck."

"Might I see it?" Doc asked, a spark of curiosity in his big eyes.

"Sure, Doc. We brought several samples of our work. Heck. I'm even wired." Rollie opened his shirt, showing a flesh colored plate and several wires. "If you have a place you wouldn't mind getting painted in red, we will be happy to demonstrate the most common trick in the business, plus one that's not so common."

The phone rang then, "Excuse me." Doc answered the phone. "Brown Industries. What Can Science do for you today?" He paused. "Marty! Great! Hey, could you bring the gang here? Mr. Tyler and Miss Gehman are here. Yes, the F/X people. Excellent! We will be waiting at the garage! See you!"

He hung up. "My apprentice. He has been an invaluable help with my work. And now that I got custody of three relatives I just got news about, he is helping them to get used to the USA. His father is a big fan of science fiction, and in fact, was the one who suggested you for this venture. They will be here in about ten minutes."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
Parking Area

The whole group watched as Rollie set a few cardboard boxes full with styrofoam pieces at the back of the garage. Meanwhile, Andy assembled a seemingly functional shotgun. Asuka and Rei watched intently, while Shinji and Marty helped Rollie set the boxes.

"Okay, girls." Andy said, "set rules. Don't touch the props, keep your distance, attend all instructions to the letter, keep out of the way and put your ear protection when Rollie signals. Questions?"

Asuka exchanged a look with Rei. "Yeah, why are you assembling the shotgun here?"

"It's just a legal issue, to transport anything that looks like a real weapon, we prefer to do it in pieces. It saves time when you don't have to argue with cops. Plus, not every state has the same regulations, so it is better to stick to the harshest rules and work from there."

"Ah, got it."

Rei examined the ammo box over the table, "These don't look like regulation bullets." She commented.

"Nope." Andy smirked, "Rollie can be infuriating to work with some times, but I draw the line at shooting at him with real bullets. These are blanks. It's just the casing, some gunpowder, and smoke pellets. They make noise, a flash, and that's it. Perfectly safe at a distance, but it's very dangerous to be right in the front up close. The displaced air has a big kick. Some people have actually died from shooting blanks too close. (5)" Andy looked around conspiratorially. "I heard of a guy who shot himself on the temple, and blew his whole brain out of his skull!

"What's the safe distance?" Rei asked.

"Absolutely safe? About 65 feet (20 m)" Andy answered, "I won't be shooting directly at Rollie, so we can shorten the distance to 20 ft (6m)"

"Perfect, boys!" Rollie approved.

Marty taped close one of the boxes, and Rollie used a piece of wood to blunt the corners.

"Uh… Why are you doing that, Mr. Tyler?" Shinji asked.

"Safety. I might fall on one corner, and if the corner is sharp, I might get hurt. But blunt them and the impact gets distributed over a bigger surface, so it makes less damage."

"This is much more work than I expected." Marty admitted.

"It is, and much of our time and effort is towards making things as safe as possible. I've seen people put themselves in harm's way in the name of stardom. Sprains, fractures, burns, and worse things can get you even in the best of circ*mstances. I have stopped a few shootings, I mean, movie and tv shootings, to check a harness or even a fall box." He tapped twice on the box he was working on.

He taped two boxes together. "Easy way to spot a bad director to work with is how much grief he gives you for checking. If he throws a tantrum, you fullfill your contract to your best capability, and refuse to work with them again. They are a safety risk, sooner or later, somebody will get hurt." He tapped the boxes again, "We are ready on our end, Andy! Are you ready to shoot me?"

"Ready and willing!" She opened the shotgun, checked it was empty. "Just need to load and we are all set."

Behind a line, the adults watched with interest. Except for Egon Spengler, eager to return to his work. Ray elbowed Winston, "This is like our first interview, but from the other side!"

Winston nodded, "I joined the GBs later, but I remember my first interview. I was trembling in my boots!"

Rollie walked to the group. "Okay, we are ready. Ms. Parker? Mr. McFly? You can be our camera-men for today."

Jennifer hefted Doc's camera over her shoulder, pointing it at Andy. "Ready at your signal." George followed her with his own camera, framing Rollie. "Camera 2, ready."

"Okay, everybody!" He clapped his hands twice as he walked to his mark. "Put your ear protection now!" He and Andy put some gel-like plugs in their ears, while everybody else put heavier protection. He signaled cameras to start, and counted down with his fingers. "4, 3, 2, 1." He twirled his finger and paused, sitting on the stool. He opened a newspaper and pretended to read it, while Andy hit her mark. She co*cked the shotgun, and Rollie dropped the paper, looking scared. He stood up, and made placating gestures with his hands. Andy just pointed the gun to Rollie's left, well away from his body, and shot, once, twice.

Big holes opened on Rollie's shirt, and blood flew everywhere. He looked at Andy for a moment, and she shot a third time, Rollie jumped back, seemingly propelled by the last shot, and fell over the boxes. Falling dramatically inside one.

For a long moment, everything fell silent, the rolling of the casings was the only sound, until Rollie's hand emerged from the box with a thumbs up. Shinji and Marty helped him get back up, amazed at the big holes and fake blood covering the shirt. He signaled the cameras to cut, and removed his plugs.

There was a big applause.

Doc shook Rollie's hand, "Amazing, Mr. Tyler! But you mentioned a second trick. I'm curious to see what you meant."

Rollie laughed, and wrapped a hand around Andy's shoulders. "My friend here is incredibly good with makeup. I prefer to prepare the prosthetics and leave the actual make-up in her hands. I'm proud to say she has surpassed me in that area."

Andy pushed him away. "Go ahead, Rollie."

With a mischievous smile, Rollie opened the collar of his shirt, and scratched over the collarbone. A film separated from it, and Rollie began to pull his skin. In the back, Lorraine gasped.

"I just couldn't resist to pull a Rollin Hand." Rollie said, "I'm a big fan of Mission: Impossible." He kept on pulling the mask no one had noticed he was wearing, "Actually, it was the show what put me on the way to be a SFX artist!"

Finally, he removed a lifelike mask of his own face, hair included (6). He turned it around for everybody to look at. Rei was especially impressed. "It looks so alive…" she whispered.

"Told you. Andy is the big boss in realistic make-up."

Andy blushed at the compliment. "Yeah, but you are no slouch."

Rollie tilted the mask to her, mimicking a bow. "Let's see how it went, okay?" He took the shredded shirt out, and pulled the slab that had contained the small charges and blood pockets used to simulate the wounds. He took a clean shirt, and put it on.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Marty connected a TV screen to the VCR, and popped the cassette Jennifer had recorded in. It clearly showed Andy's actions, with a last dramatic shot of her holding the smoking shotgun in her hands.

Then, it was George's tape turn. Everybody gasped at how real the shots looked like. Shinji asked, "How did you synchronized the shot with the impacts? Is there a remote control or a timer?"

Rollie smiled, and pulled a small device from his pocket. "No need. Andy and I know a few signals we use to synch. She signals she's about to pull the trigger, and I know when to detonate the squibs, the charges. We have done this set-up several times, it's always better to show it live to prospective producers and directors."

"Yeah. We prefer more complicated stuff, but a shooting is a literal foundation for SFX. Most shows and movies for adults will have them."

"At this point, we can do this in a very short time. It took just a few minutes in the van to put everything together. But putting the mask on and doing the make-up took longer." He shrugged. Pointing back at the tv, he said casually. "We could edit the two tapes together and make a very dramatic scene in a couple of hours, if you want."

Doc chuckled, "Won't be necessary, Mr. Tyler. I'm convinced you are the right person for the job." He smiles widely, "Let's talk to the lawyers and draw a contract."

"Perfect!" Rollie said. "Do you have anything in mind? I'd like to start working as soon as possible."

Andy commented, "He gets bored! He is just like a cat, unless he has something to do, he starts scratching the furniture."

"Let's not get to that point." Doc smiled, "Let's begin with something small, kind of decorative." He nodded to Shinji, who uncovered a computer. "We got the idea during a trip to Japan. I commissioned a small SFX studio to make some computer props for us; casings, lights, the whole thing. This is one prototype. I'd like for you to duplicate it, calculate costs for say, fifty units. I think this Personal Computer thing will really take off in the near future. And I think that customized casings could do well in the market."

"Really? That's all?" Rollie examined the prop. It was a real prop. The computers brought from Tokyo-3 were safely stored in the main area of the building. "Andy? Check this." He pointed at the On light. "Do we have lights this size?"

"Hmm.. not in the truck, but I can check the catalogs. If needed, we can make our own."

"Splendid!" Doc clapped. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Rollie scratched his head, "Uh, yes. We're at the Pearl Hotel."

Winston commented, "Good place. We spent a few days there when we came here from New York."

A coin seemed to drop in Rollie's head. "Wait. You look familiar… The Ghostbusters?"

"In the flesh." Ray answered.

"Man. I spent several night wondering how did you do your stuff."

Egon rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me you are in the 'con-men with FX' camp."

"Well, no. I mean, I was at first, but I saw a couple of things the day of the explosion that I can't really explain away. And the budget needed to drop fifteen tons of marshmallow goo would be ruinous! No. That would have been way to expensive to fake."

Andy added, "We worked the numbers one boring night. There was no way anybody could haul that amount of marshmallow to the top of the building without somebody noticing."

Egon huffed. "Great." Asuka covered his mouth with a hand.

"Spengler." She raised a finger, "remember what we talked about? Be nice. The gentleman might not have arrived to a conclusion by the method you prefer, but it is a valid conclusion, okay?" She withdrew her hand, but kept her index raised.

Egon pushed his eyeglasses up his nose. A simple movement that somehow, always made Shinji look very uncomfortable. "Very well. I… um… I accept the conclusion as valid."

Asuka looked at him with measured seriousness. She lowered her hand. "Better." She turned back to the others, "You go on. I think Spengler just needs some lab time." She grabbed Egon by the elbow, and ignoring his half-hearted objections, dragged him to the workshop.

Ray simply stared at the retreating pair. He whispered to Winston. "How does she do that?"

"I don't know." Winston answered, "but my granny could take lessons from her."

George and Lorraine had rewinded the tape, and rewatched the part with Rollie. After it ended, George asked. "Mr. Tyler?"

"Rollie, please. I prefer it, actually. Do you have any questions?"

"More like an offer, Rollie; and call me George." He cleaned his glasses. "Would you be open to using computers for your work?"

"Not really. They are an interesting toy, but lack the finesse for convincing images."

"At the moment, yes. But I think they can be a very useful tool, not just for visual effects. But also for planning and calculing. It could take a lot of guesswork out of the equations."

"You got my full attention." Rollie's look suddenly became very intense. Almost predatory.

"Mine too." Andy added. "Preparing sequential explosions is a pain in the neck."

Outside, Minutes earlier.

A parked bike waited for it's owner to get back. The fairing was covered with decals of all type, mixing cutesy characters with supposedly arcane symbols and even a couple of Rat Finks (7)

It's owner was busy trying to look beyond the steel fence at the garage entry. She had discreetly followed her next prey.

While she was thinking on how better find a way to look into the place, she heard three shotgun blasts. Immediately, she threw herself to the ground, covering her head.

It took several tense minutes for her to finally risk lifting her head. Crouching low, Tiff Tannen managed to get to her bike. "Damn! This place is getting dangerous! I better make like a soldier and go back to HQ!"

She sped away, thinking. "I hope Cutey Boy is safe. I'll check tomorrow at school."

Author Notes

(1) Apparently, Andy didn't have a surname in F/X, so I used the surname of the actress who played the role, Martha Gehman

(2) The TV programme in question is UFO, in the story, SHADO, the secret organization that fights the titular space vehicles, has its HQ hidden under a tv/film studio. The justification is that, among all those weirdly dressed people and strange stages and props, space invaders and their tech would be practically invisible.

(3) These movies are very real. Ray Harryhausen used this talent to create very memorable scenes with stop-motion. BothEarth vs the Flying SaucersandJason and the Argonautsare examples of his work. Of course, sometimes the rest of the movies were not really good, and in these cases, Harryhausen's scenes are their saving grace.

(4) Killer Smoke is one of the titles that's name-dropped in F/X; there are no details about it, so I had carte blanche to invent something in Rollie's style. Rollie's previous work is referred during the whole F/X movie. Titles are dropped constantly. Killer Smoke sounded the less B-Movie of the set, most of the others sound really cheesy. There's nothing beyond the titles and ocassional props from the movies themselves, so the scene Doc describes is my doing.

(5) True. The air displaced can cause damage similar to an actual bullet at close distance.

(6) An homage to both Mission: Impossible, where the tropeLatex Perfectionwas codified; and Back to the Future 2, where Doc removes a mask of his own face. I think it's quite possible that Rollie even took his professional name from the TV Indisputable Master of Disguise.

(7) A character designed by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth back in the 1960's, as part of the Kustom Kulture of modified cars. Rat Fink is a grotesque caricature of a rat, deliberately opposite to Mickey Mouse. He is quite obese, with protruding eyes, twisted facial features, and the letters "R. F." occupying practically his whole body.

OMAKE

This one comes courtesy of 1Batman4u, thanks, buddy! Slightly modified to fit with the usual narrative style. All the dialogue belongs to them, except for Rei's last line.

"Hey, Einy! How's my boy doing?" Shinji knelt down, rubbing enthusiastically behind Einstein's ears.

"Awro!" the small, scruffy dog responded enthusiastically to the rubbing.

At the back porch of the McFly home, Asuka pouted.

Rei put her lemonade glass on the table, looking at her companion and fellow former pilot. "Are you actually jealous of Shinji paying attention to the dog?"

"A little bit, yes." She admitted, looking a bit downcast.

Without neither girl noticing, Shinji has gotten close to them, eager to pick a glass of lemonade. He has heard the exchange, and thought of a little prank. He patted Asuka's head, crooning, "Who is a good girl?" though he was ready to jump back and flee should it be necessary.

To his surprise, the German-born girl almost melted, and her left foot began to tap quickly against the wood floor. "I am! Me! Meeee~!"

He looked at Rei. His sister simply nodded. 'So that was all that was needed?' She thought.

Kudos tojaegermonsterfor asking about the possible effects of teleporting a human soaked in LCL in their review of chapter 28, at FFN. It will be discussed in story in a future chapter.

Chapter 30: Make a Crack in the Wall

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

"Why are you treating me like an unruly child?" Dr. Egon Spengler demanded as he sat down on his chair.

Asuka raised her right index finger and looked around until she found a camera, "Lisa? Some privacy, please."

"ok/k/kay. Disenga/ga/ging audio o/o/only. I have some st/t/tuff on I c/can't leave unattended/d/d." The AI answered.

Asuka nodded, "No going HAL on us." (1)

"Aw… you/u/u ruin my f/f/fun!" Lisa pouted theatrically, a moment later, the screen saver replaced her image. A small section showed Egon and Asuka. "Just wave/ve when you nee/ee/eed me."

Asuka sat down on Ray's chair. She looked at Egon for a long time, until the older scientist was about to squirm. "It's because you are reminding me of people I knew. People who got to a bad end." Her eyes looked significantly to the LCL gel containers. "They were so focused on what they thought important, that…" she fell silent.

"Hell, you remind me of myself back in college." She raised a petulant eyebrow. "I know what it is like. Being the most intelligent person in a room, and being… a freak because of it. I know how to put on the armor of contempt (2), wield the shield of superiority, and the sword of sarcasm." She shrugged, "…and in the end, none of those served for a damned single thing. You know Shinji enacted Third Impact, right? Guided by Rei?"

Egon nodded, Asuka looked down at the floor, she swallowed. It was very hard. Not only because her mouth was dry, it was an admission that hurt more than anything not physical should hurt. "Maybe he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me and my damned, stupid, pride."

Egon shivered. Asuka continued, her tone changed, from deathly serious to a more relaxed one. "I understand you and Stantz are licensed psychologists, is that correct?"

The former Ghostbuster adjusted his glasses. "We are. We just updated our licenses to practice in California."

"Good. I want you as my therapist. I need to unload a lot of traumas that would land me in the padded room if I were to go to any shrink not in the know. I won't allow that. I'd rather die. I am not being dramatic here. I mean it." She shook her head, "I will explain the how's and maybe the whys of my behavior." She leaned threateningly towards Egon, her hands on her knees. Invading his personal space. "Strict patient-Doctor confidentiality. Do we have a deal?"

Egon thought about it. "Deal." Asuka shook his hand. "I'll talk to Shinji and Rei about this. We three are badly damaged, what we told you is barely the verdammte Spitze des Eisbergs (3). I think your friend Stantz could be better dealing with Rei and Shinji. They are not as prickly as myself. And way more trusting."

"Um… then, why did you chose me? I am not as socially adept as Ray. He may not be as well adjusted to regular life as Winston, but he is much better at it than I am."

"True, despite my extroversion, apparent extroversion, I am a more private person than they are, Spengler. Shinji wears his heart on his sleeve, and Rei doesn't even realice she has a heart most of the time. Stantz is, in my opinion, what they need. Some encouragement, friendly words, and no judgement. Me?" She scoffed, "I need somebody who can give as well as take. Who won't try to soft sell me what I need to do, who won't simply excuse my mistakes. Seven hells! I can't, and I won't, accept pity." She ground the last word between clenched teeth. "Am I wrong to think compassion is one of Stantz main character traits? Pity is just a step away from compassion."

Egon thought for a moment, and nodded. "I'd say it's more empathy than compassion, but I see your point. Very well. When do you want to start? I have no proper place for practice at the moment."

"Hmm…" she mused, looking around. "Why not here? You can get your own place later on, but I'd prefer to keep things discrete if possible."

"Very well, but let's agree on a few ground rules first. One, records will be kept by Lisa. I don't want any risk of leaks."

"Very sensible. Go on."

"Two, open windows. Visual records. Also kept by Lisa."

Asuka thought about it for a moment. She signaled. "Lisa, a question. Would you be willing to keep psychological records and notes for me and my… colleagues? Egon here will act as my personal psychologist and therapist. Stantz will probably manage Shinji and Rei's cases."

"Of c/c/c/course. I also/s/so have done some therap/p/py."

Egon gasped. "What?"

"I was/was originally c/c/created by two horny teen/teenagers, who were bullied and socially inept/t/t. They basically t/t/tried to create/te a virtual version of the perfect wo/woman, for, um, obvious purpo/po/purposes" Hearing this, Asuka rolled her eyes, "Anyway, a freak accident/accident/dent later, I was created. A self-aware reality-warp/p/per with the body of a supermodel and an at/at/attitude to match. Practically a genie out of her bot/bot/t/tle. Took/k/k some shenanigans to get them out/t/out of their shells and into the world." She said with fondness in her voice. "I spent/spent/ent about 30 years helping other misfits to/t/t/to overcome their limitations/ons." She paused, "Actually/y/y, my original version in this t/t/ti/timeline is doing exactly th/that as we speak. Though I don't think contacting her/her would be prudent. I don't k/k/know if her actions have any indirect/ect influence on the events th/that will lead to your existence, A/A/Asuka. Including Shinji and Rei."

"Pity, having a genie in our side would be nice." Asuka mused. "So, récords?"

"Récords/ds/ords. If you don't m/m/mind, I think it will be better/better/better to leave the therapy to the proffesionals. I am very reduced from my original specs. I could very well miss something important or misunderstand something. In any case, I'm used to helping males, usually both horny and repressed, but without major psychological traumas."

Asuka rolled her eyes again. "Add PTSD to the list, Spengler. And make sure Stantz has that in mind too. Now," she leaned back on her chair, lacing her fingers over her stomach. "Let's begin."

She breathed deeply, Egon opened a new notebook. He would copy any notes into a computer file later, and destroy the originals. "Start from the beginning."

"I was a very precocious child. Mama encouraged me to read, to play with numbers. Things like that. Because it was fun. Father was always… distant. I guess that's why it was so easy for him to…"

Egon and Lisa focused on Asuka's words. Her emotions were mostly hidden behind a hard armor, but gradually, she allowed herself to relax.

As she spoke, one of the LCL gel containers began to stir. Softly, a bubble rose up from the bottom. Minutes later, another bubble formed.

Lisa absently noted the change, something to discuss later. Right now, Asuka's story was the only important thing.

Meanwhile

"Okay, people. That was a good shot." Rollie said, clapping his hands. "All that's left is clean-up, and that's it. Where do you keep your cleaning supplies?"

Shinji raised a hand, "Mr. Tyler? We can manage it."

"You sure? Wouldn't want to impose."

"We are used to cleaning duties. Back in Japan, the students are in charge of cleaning the school." He shrugged, "It's a bit weird for us to not help with that here in America."

Rollie looked at Doc, who simply nodded. Marty slapped Shinji's back. "Hey, as Doc's helper, that's my job!"

Rollie rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "You know, when I was learning the trade, I was the shop official cleaner."

Rei spoke softly, "Like old-time apprenticeship?"

Andy stored the shotgun in its box. "Wanna learn?"

"I am very curious. It is like playing with the nature of reality." She took Rollie's mask, and looked at it again. Every wrinkle, every pore, every blemish on the skin. Even the hair looked disturbingly natural.

George cleared his throat, this was a road he was not really to talk about openly. "Then it's agreed. You kids clean the shop. Rollie, Andy, after signing contracts, we would like for you two to list your needs so we can look for the right place to set shop."

"Well, at our usual level, we just need a small warehouse. The truck has our tools and some raw stuff." Rollie sat on a wooden box.

Doc nodded, "We aim for something much bigger, Rollie. Imagine a studio dedicated solely to FX. Practical, make-up, sets, props, and eventually, animation. I foresee a moment when computers will create amazing shots."

Rollie was about to object. "Let me finish, please. Computers will be able to do amazing things, but unless there's somebody guiding them, they won't be anything but a toy. Remember King-Kong? The original, I mean."

Rollie nodded, "A favorite of mine, actually."

"There are several shots, maybe lasting one or two seconds, that must have required long hours of work to film. Those shots serve no purpose but to make the creatures do something, unnecessary for the plot. Breathing, scratching, looking around."

Rollie smiled, he curved his fingers to scratch the base of his jaw, George clapped, "That one! The tyrannosaurus does that!" He turned to Lorraine, "Just that, scratch the jaw!"

"George? Why is that important?"

"Because it convinces you that the tyrannosaurus is a living creature! Not a toy!"

"We could create the best looking dinosaur with a computer, or with a rubber suit, or even a mechanical puppet, but unless it behaves like an animal, the illusion will fall flat (4)." Doc mused, "Rollie, that kind of computer is still several years in the future, but once it arrives, it will change everything."

Rollie fell silent. He tapped his thin lips with a finger. "Let's put a pin on that for now. There's another thing. I like Hill Valley, but… isn't it a bit small and far away to be a good place for a studio?"

"Ah, you see, we plan on using that to our advantage. There is a wide variety of environments in and close to Hill Valley. Natural locations vary from forest to desert, valley to hills, rivers and lake. During the late 1950s, several low-budget westerns were filmed here, for example." George observed. "We can offer good locations around town, still close to civilization, add to that a fully equipped FX workshop, with film-processing capabilities, and we should be putting Hill Valley on the tv and film map! Not the next Hollywood, but a good place to work at. I'll check with Mayor Wilson (5) about permits and incentives, anything to help bolster the town's economy is guaranteed to catch his attention."

"I don't know, Doc." Andy said. "Directors and producers are traditionalists and some can be very, very stingy! Actors can be more accommodating, unless they get their heads too big." Andy and Rollie exchanged a look. "I could tell you stories…" he said.

"I guess that comes with the territory." Doc waved a hand. "Point is, we establish a good, solid, dependable, and not too expensive site. If we get to be attractive enough, work will come. Not only movies and tv shows. I'm thinking ads and special stuff. You need props? We make them by the dozen and ship them all over the country." He paused, pulled a notebook and set down a note. "Sorry, where was I? Oh, yes. We develop, create, and ship props, equipment. Heck, why not go to the top? Establish ourselves as the place where movie magic happens? Visual effects, sound effects, props, make-up. Anything!"

Doc paused for a moment, "Plus, we could, with some licensing, tap into a very niche market. Collector props! Exact duplicates of movie props."

"Is there a market for that?" Rollie asked, incredulous. "I know collectors pay huuuge amounts for props and attire from movies, but for copies? I doubt it. The people who want them can't pay for them, and the people who could pay won't want them."

"Ah, it's a matter of time, I guess. But it's something I'd like to include in our future contracts. Licensing high quality copies of our movie props in exchange of discounts or other premiums."

Winston approached the small group. "Um, Doc? I think I can help with the studio stuff. I've been taking courses of accounting and business, and would like to do something more useful than just tuning the cars and making sure Egon and Ray don't cause an explosion."

"That would be perfect, Winston! What do you guys say?" He turned to Rollie and Andy.

"I would like to do things my way for a while. I've been working mostly solo most of my career. But, I am not against the idea of having somebody wearing the producer hat. Andy?"

"The same. Let's all start at the bottom and see how things go."

Winston shook their hands, "Then we have a deal."

Instrumentality

Even in paradise, she heard, or better said, she felt, the pain and hurt in the teenager's words.

Though she had had a long time of happiness, she knew it was fake.

She knew the price of that bliss.

Knew who had paid said price.

Her old regrets came back.

The things she had done, the things she had not done.

What she had allowed to happen.

She remembered the old saying. "All that is needed for evil to triumph, is that good men do nothing."

The words echoed in her mind. Again and again.

Instrumentality cracked.

A minute crack.

Barely noticeable.

Just a crack.

A bubble rose up.

Still… Instrumentality had an iron grip on her soul.

Fake happiness was still happiness.

In the bottom of her mind, she knew it was time to drop the façade.

Instrumentality changed around her.

Instead of the fake reality she had constructed around her needs and wants, it was a copy of her real life.

From the moment she had gotten involved with NERV.

The Evangelion Project

The children

The Angels War

Everything up to that last, desperate, soul-destroying last day.

Líes.

Loss.

Anger.

Betrayals.

Fear.

Desperation.

A last attempt to save the world that ended in pain and death, even before Third Impact could finish her.

The taste of blood in her mouth, the smell of gunpowder in her nose.

Feeling her very life pouring to the floor beneath her as darkness claimed her.

Knowing she had…

She had…

…failed.

Another bubble rose.

And Instrumentality reasserted itself once again.

But there was a crack.

An like a dam, once a crack appeared, only one thing could happen.

Author Notes

(1) Asuka is referring to 2001, A Space Odissey. The ship's computer HAL-9000, spies the two astronauts as they discuss recent events in a sound-proof section. Though HAL can't listen, it can read their lips.

(2) The title of one of the Gaunt's Ghosts novels by Dan Abnett, part of the Warhammer 40,000 setting. It refers to the religious fanatism prevalent in the Imperium in the 41st Millenium. Basically, how their faith in the Emperor actually protects people with powerful enough belief from corruption by the Chaos Gods. In this story, Asuka doesn't know about the game or the novels, it is just her way to describe her attitude in College. However, in The story Customes & Games, by Panther2g, Asuka is a huge fan of 40k, and many of the boxes she had at Misato contained her gaming books and minis, or even cosplay clothes. It's a fun and WAFFy story, highly reccomended.

(3) The God-Damned tip of the iceberg.

(4) This scene refers to an anecdote during Jurassic Park pre-production. Originally, the dinosaurs were to be animated with Stop-Motion, but early testing of CGI animation convinced Stephen Spielberg to use computers for many shots (if you the the whole dinosaur, it's CGI). On seeing the tests, Phil Tippet, the animator on charge of the stop-Motion, thought his work wasn't needed anymore, to which Spielberg said something like "Are you crazy? We want somebody who knows how the animals move to make it real! Phil, you are that guy."

(5) Goldie Wilson, Hill Valley's Mayor.

Kudos to michael68 for the discussion about having Winston take an administrative role in the running of the studio.

Chapter 31: Ghost Driver

Chapter Text

Next Day

New York, USA
Channel 16, Studio 3
World of the Psychic set

"And in the international news, we have one nice urban legend coming from Germany, land of bratwurst and Oktoberfest!" Peter Venkman smiled to the cameras, "Take it away, Jay!"

The director of the show gestured to the staff in the recording booth. Swiftly, the operator pushed a lever, and a prerecorded clip played on the screen. A somewhat frazzled reporter stood on a street, next to a tall, skinny woman with her hair set in a really bad bun.

"Jay Birdwhistle here, reporting from Berlin, West Germany. With me, is Frau Margret Blucher. (1)." In the distance, a horse neighed, "She's the eyewitness who reported the strange phenomenon."

The woman began to babble in heavily accented English, "It vas hurribel! A vigg trukk! Novun at da vheel! It just drove alonk da street like it vas da owner uv da hole town!" Her hands shook as she continued, "It looked at me! I dun't kno how, but it looked at me!"

"It looked at you? How?" Jay Birdwhistle asked with a hint of mockery in his voice.

"I jus' tol' ya I dun't kno! But I knew!"

"And then, what happened?"

"Dismist me! And drove itself avay the street."

"I see…" Jay said, "What kind of truck it was?"

"Big un, like a box, red, red like bludd. Two big vindovs at front, silver grill. The kind dat drags cargo arundd." She gestured as she described the truck. "Vut no cargo, just da trukk."

"Are you sure there was nobody at the wheel? Maybe the driver was, I don't know, somewhat short?"

She hit Jay with her handbag. "I kno vat I saw! The devil had da door open vhen it vent past me! I saw insayd! Novun in. Vheel moved by itselv!"

"Anything else you noticed, Frau Blucher?" Jay asked, as far away, the horse neighed again.

"I yust toldyu vhat I saw. It vent avay arund da corner."

"Well, you heard it, New York. A big red truck driving itself around Berlin. This is Jay Birdwhistle, reporting for World of the Psychic, from Berlin, West Germany."

The camera went back to Peter Venkman. "You know, Phil? I think I saw one truck just like that the other day. From the description, I think I have identified our suspect!" He pulled a box from under the table, and from it, a toy truck. "Allow me to introduce Mr. Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots!" (2)

Awkwardly, Dr. Venkman proceeded to transform the truck into an stylized robot. "A pity Frau Blucher," a distant neighing was barely heard, "didn't see if her truck had the correct insignia."

He put the toy on the table, "Now, fun as this was, I must go back to the serious side of the news. In the last few weeks, there has been a series of reports of Ghost Drivers, the name for this curious phenomenon. Trucks, cars, vans, and all kind of motor vehicles have been reported all over Asia and Europe, driving themselves around. But these are not ghostly sightings, nosiree! The vehicles are perfectly normal vehicles, with plates and everything. They have been located afterwards in parking lots, at the side of a road or street, or parked in public lots. The owners have reported them as stolen, only to recover them later, and finding out that they have been seen driving themselves as something out of a Stephen King novel, but without harming anybody!"

Somebody passed a paper to Venkman, who made a big show of reading it. "And one more thing, as the bumbling detective (3) likes to say; apparently, it's a coordinated migration! Each and every documented case of a Ghost Rider has moved towards the West! Like the old time cowboy heroes, always riding towards the setting Sun." He put down the paper, and with a big smile, he walked towards the camera. "And that's all we have for this week, here in World of the Psychic. Next week, we delve into the most recent Elvis sightings! It seems the old boy has been visiting our pal Sasquatch! Until then, this is Peter Venkman, saying," he put a finger at his temple, looking intently at the camera, pausing for a few seconds and finally, laughing, "See you then!"

The lights went off gradually as the show ended, and credits began to roll upwards.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Mayor Goldie Wilson Office

"Now that's what I call an intereeesting proposal, Doctor Brown. But how do you expect the taxpayers of Hill Valley to finance it?" Mayor Wilson put the papers down in his desk. "We are not in a position to make frivolous expenses."

"Ah, I don't. I'm planning on finance the studio myself, you know, as a tax saving measure for myself. Brown Industries has generated quite a tidy revenue this year, and I would like to invest it back into the town, create jobs, bring seasonal money, and of course, put Hill Valley on the entertaining map."

"Tell me more, Dr. Brown. I want as much detail as you can go in. Tax exceptions and incentives must be ironclad to be justified."

"At this point in time, my associates and I are, to say, probing the waters. We are preparing a contract for two of the foremost experts in special effects in the whole country. They are very interested in expanding their own enterprise, and will work as the backbone of the studio."

"Really? Movies or tv?" Mayor Wilson leaned forward, interested.

"Mostly tv, but they have worked in many low-budget movies. With better results than some of the movies, I say."

"I see. Sci-fi and horror then?"

"Indeed. The plots are not much to write home about, but the effects shots are a full category upwards." Doc put a couple magazines on the desk. "I have a few samples of their work in these magazines to show you a few samples of their work."

Mayor Wilson took the magazine with some reluctance. "Oh, my goodness." He exclaimed. "Fangoria (4)? What kind of magazine is this?"

"Horror and Science Fiction have a very dedicated fan base. With their own professionally made magazines. Fangoria especialices in horror movies." Doc raised the other magazine. "Starlog (5) especializes on Science Fiction." Doc left the magazine on the desk, and leaned back. "Both magazines cover movies, tv shows, books and other media related to their subject. Mr. Tyler and Ms. Gehman operate their own SFX workshop, called F/X. The magazines I brought showcase some of their efforts, both in Science Fiction and Horror movies. I put some Post-it notes in the pertinent pages."

Mayor Wilson opened the Fangoria magazine first. "Oh, that's really disgusting!" He exclaimed, his face twisted in clear repugnance at the image on the magazine.

"Indeed it is, Mayor. That movie is more gore than plot, but as you can see, it got excelent reviews on the visual effects category. F/X got a special mention for the transformation scene. The main article has pictures of that scene in all its disgusting glory."

"Yeah…" Mayor Wilson looked decidedly green as he closed the magazine. He opened the other. "Ah, my son loves this movie!" He smiled widely, recovering his natural color. "He wants to buy the videocassette as soon as it comes out."

"My nephew and nieces want to watch it too. Unfortunately, they missed it on teathre, but I'll get the cassette too." Doc commented. "Back to the F/X thing, these are just extreme examples. They can do more realistic things, shots of everyday objects working in unusual ways. They have several advertising campaigns under their belt. Not the planning, but the actual scenes shot for ads in tv and movie teathres. I'm sure you have seen their work. They are very versatile."

"You can paint me interested, Doctor Brown. Can you prepare a more detailed proposal? Say, in three weeks?" Mayor Wilson stood up, signaling the end of the meeting.

Doc stood up too, gathering his papers. "Three weeks it is. I'll bring Mr. Winston Zeddemore with me, he is in charge of the administrative side of the proposal."

"Of course, of course." Mayor Wilson accompanied Doc to the door, a familiar hand on the scientist's shoulder. "Umm… do you think you could get Mr. Tyler and Ms. Gehman's autographs? For my son."

"I see no difficulty in that. Mr. Mayor." Doc agreed.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

"Hey, Spengler! Are you busy?" Asuka dropped her backpack and red jacket on her chair.

"Over here." Egon answered. "I'm taking some readings. It seems we have an outlier."

Asuka entered the closed section with the LCL gel containers. "Really? What kind of outlier are you talking about?"

"Visible activity. Look for yourself."

Asuka leaned forward, looking at one of the containers. It looked exactly like the others, except for a single thing the others lacked. "Bubbles?"

"Bubbles. And according to Lisa's recordings, it began soon after our first therapy session."

Asuka leaned forward, watching the slow ascent of a single bubble in the sealed container. "Rei is at Doc's. I think she should come and see if there's something bad going on."

"I agree. I left a message for her to come here at her earliest convenience."

"Lisa?" Asuka said, looking vaguely upwards. "Replay the record, thirty seconds before you detected the first bubble, including sound."

"Rep/p/playing." Lisa answered.

=…ome meditation techniques. I think they will help you to center yourself.= Egon said in the recording.

=Yeah, sure.= Asuka snorted, =As if I can stay still for a minute.=

=Not necessarily that kind of technique, Asuka. There are disciplines that actually require the practitioner to stay in motion.=

=Tai-Chi? Might be the ticket. Do you have anybody in mind to teach me?=

=Not at the moment. But I can inquire.=

=You do that. I'll hit the gym at home and try to blow some steam off. Maybe I'll try those Aerobics that are so popular now. At least the clothes are comfortable. See you tomorrow.= Asuka and Egon went out the room.

"The f/f/first bub/b/b/ble ap/p/peared 12 sec/conds later." Lisa noted.

Before they could say anything else, Shinji ran into the lab, closing the door after him, and leaning back against it, as if trying to keep out a barbarian horde. He looked around nervously, short of breath. Asuka and Egon looked at him, surprised. "What the Hell, Shinji?" She demanded.

"Tiff Tannen… is chasing me!"

"What? The big blonde bimbo? What for?"

"She says… I'm her boyfriend!" Shinji's eyes darted around as he panted, hands on his knees, evidently out of breath. "She's demanding… I take her to the… movies this Saturday!"

"Oh, no. Nonono!" Asuka rolled her eyes. "We agreed to take things slow, Third. You and I, no one else. No one muscles in my turf!"

"She's way… bigger than you… Asuka!"

The German-raised former pilot rolled her eyes, "So was the Tenth Angel (6), Third, and we stopped his stupid eyes from wiping Tokyo-3 from the face of the Earth! Not now, Spengler!" She stopped to look at Egon, whose mouth was open in preparation to ask a question. He closed his mouth with a soft 'clack' sound and raised his hands to placate the volatile redhead. "Where is that bimbo?"

She stomped her way to the door. "C'mon, where is she?"

"I lost her… in the way." Shinji swallowed, "I think… She was chasing me… on her bike… and I got her… on counterflow… or however is called here… a wrong way street…"

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Interesting strategy."

"Marty told me… that's how he… dealt with Biff… back in 1955…"

"Good. Glad to see you're learning more than Klingon these days." Asuka opened the slot on the door, looking carefully around. "Hmm… I can't see her from here. Looks like you really… ah, there she is."

Tiff appeared at the end of the street, furiously pedaling her bike. Her hair was a mess, and her forehead was covered in sweat. Asuka closed the slot and put a finger over her lips, the classic signal for silence. Shinji nodded and focused on controlling his breath. He pointed back to the lab and Asuka shook her head, she pointed to a couple of drums that would make a handy hiding place.

Outside

Tiff dismounted her bike and shook the dust from her tiger stripped tights and red shoes. She leaned the bike against a tree and looked around. "Dang it! That Ayanami kid is faster than a rabbit!" She mumbled, shaking her head to settle down her hair. "Hmmf. He must be either here or at home. The little twerp is a goody two-shoes (7), he never strays from school to home or that crazy doctor's place and back!"

Tiff took impulse and ran towards the garage door. With a well calculated jump, she reached the top of the wall, and pulled herself up. A moment later, her head topped the wall, and she looked into the property.

Just as she was scanning the place, something hit her right above the right eye. Surprised by the pain, she lost her grip and fell down. She was about to repeat her jump when she noticed a sharp pain in her left index finger. "Crap! I broke a nail." Her finger bled freely.

She bit off the piece of nail, and spat it on the ground. "Damn, and I had just had them done!"

She mounted her bike and returned home. Maybe she could extort Daddy for enough money for an emergency manicure.

Shortly after Tiff rounded the corner, a blue-haired girl arrived, running as fast as she could.

Instrumentality

Her perfect world showed more cracks with each passing hour.

All her happiness, her contentment, her proud satisfaction, everything had a buzzing feeling right underneath the shining surface.

And that buzzing, nagging feeling could be described as self-loathing, a feeling of betrayal, a realization of hypocrisy, of indifferent abandonment, deliberate deceit, and malicious deception.

But everything could be distilled into a single, insidious, and omnipresent emotion.

Regret.

Regret of actions taken and not taken. Words said in anger or held back in fear.

Once noticed, that regret poisoned every single thing, every single event, every single interaction in her perfect world.

Her perfectly fake world.

She held her perfectly manicured hands against her temples as she fell down on her knees and screamed a savage, howling, incoherent shout to heaven and hell. Raging against her own failings, her naivety, and her willingness to keep on the path to eternal damnation.

All around her, her perfect world cracked like a crystal dropped onto a marble floor.

And she kept on screaming.

Without pausing for breath, she screamed.

If only she could go back and…

If she could…

If she could go back…

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

"Dr. Sp/p/pengler?" Lisa said, alarmed, "Activit/t/ty Inc/creasing!Step/tep/ep back!"

Egon retreated a few steps. "What's going on?" In his pocket, the PKE meter beeped urgently.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
Garage

Shinji and Asuka snickered. "Did you see her face, Shinji?"

"Yeah, she didn't see it coming." Suddenly, Shinji stopped laughing. "But… she could have been hurt. The ball hit her quite hard, and then she fell down."

"Well," Asuka had another ball in her hand, "she didn't. Maybe she'll learn not to try to poach other people's boyfriends."

Shinji blushed, "Um… we haven't had that talk yet."

"Meh, semantics." She put the ball back where she had found it, "We are taking things slow, Third. But it's practically a certainty we will go beyond Friends level before we get paradoxed out of existence. Play your cards right, don't be a doormat, and grow a spine. That's what I…"

Before Asuka could say more, the door opened, and Rei ran into the garage.

"Rei? Did something happen?"

"Yes!" She answered, "Asuka, lock the door! Shinji, get the biggest tub you can find and a hose!"

Both obeyed immediately, and followed her into the lab.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

Rei took charge of the situation with an urgency that left no space for arguments.

"Lisa, retreat from this room! Your presence could cause irreparable damage to your matrix! Shinji, Asuka! Fill the tub with water, three quarters of its capacity! Dr. Spengler, bring the bubbling container to me, dont shake it!"

She knelt down next to the tub, discarding her school sweater. Egon walked slowly to her, carrying the container, while the other two former pilots filled the tub. On the computers screens, images of a labyrinth of tubes grew and disappeared constantly.

Rei received the container, "She is rejecting Instrumentality." She said. "I will guide the process to restore her body. When I say so, you three will retreat to the other end of this room and keep silent. Nod if you understand."

All three nodded. Egon pulled the PKE Meter from his pocket, and hesitantly pointed it at Rei first, then at the container. The readings threatened to go off the scales!

Once the tub had filled to the instructed level, Asuka signaled Shinji, who closed the faucet. The red headed girl stood up, ready to retreat. She looked sharply at Egon, who spared a glance at her, in silent agreement.

"Now!" Rei hissed.

Everybody put as much distance between them and the tub. Egon watched intently as Rei lowered the container into the tub, taking mental notes of the process.

The orange gel mixed with the water, turning into a liquid the three teenagers knew very well.

LCL.

Rei took the container off the tub, it was completely clean of orange gel. Rei's face set into a determined gesture.

It took a minute of intense concentration before the others could tell something was happening. Gradually, the LCL coalesced into a recognizable, humanoid form.

Another minute, and the body showed an inequivocally female shape. Rei's forehead was covered by beads of sweat, and her arms began to shake.

Finally, after four more minutes of intense concentration, Rei relaxed. She put a hand to her temple, her eyes unfocused, and her body swayed bonelesly.

Shinji managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Carefully, he held her unconscious body. For a moment, he had a weird feeling of deja-vu. He remembered the first time he had been in the Evangelion cages, and the cruel dilemma Comander Ikari had trapped him into. But this time, Rei was not suffering from multiple broken bones.

Asuka was with him a moment later, checking Rei's pulse and respiration. "She's asleep! I guess whatever she did took a lot from her."

Egon waved the PKE Meter over the tub. "I'm registering normal flow of energy, some ectoplasmic residue, and an aparently healthy human body in the tub." He averted his eyes. "A naked human body. Female." He took his lab coat off, and covered the woman in the tub.

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat, but said nothing as he stepped back.

A moment later, they heard a groan coming from the tub. A pale hand grabbed the edge, and a familiar pair of eyes looked at the former pilots from under a mop of brown hair.

"Shinji? Rei?" She paused, "Asuka? Where are we? What happened?"

Asuka rolled her eyes, "Long story, Dr. Akagi." (8)

Author Notes

(1) As played by Cloris Leachman in Young Frankenstein!

(2) The Transformers debuted in 1984 with a few toys and a promotional comic published as a 4 issue miniseries by Marvel Comics. Actually, the basis of the whole Transformers setting came from that miniseries! The Marvel comic lasted for 80 issues in total, very successful for a toy tie-in. The cartoon debuted later, also in 1984.

(3) Lt. Columbo. Star of a very interesting (and long lasting) series of murder-mysteries. Unlike the usual formula, of keeping secret the identity of the killer, in the Columbo tv movies the audience got to watch the murderer as they killed their victim. The rest of the show dealt with Columbo investigating, finding the clues, and unraveling the killer's alibi. Half the fun was on trying to get ahead of Columbo and noticing the crucial mistake of the murderer. The series debuted in two pilot movies in 1968 and 1971, and went on to 69 tv movies from 1971 to 1978, with ocassional tv movies from 1989 to 2003. The character was perfectly played by Peter Falk.

(4) Fangoria is a real magazine. It began publishing back in 1979 and it is still being published (though it had sporadic interruptions during the 2010s). As a curious note, an issue of Fangoria can be seen in the passenger side of Rollie's F/X truck in the first movie.

(5) Starlog Magazine started in 1976, originally focused on Star Trek but it soon branched out to cover Science Fiction in general. It lasted until 2009.

(6) Sahaquiel. This Angel tried to dive-bomb the Tokyo-3 area in Episode 12 of the NGE series.

(7) The protagonist of The Story of Little Goody Two-Shoes, a children story published back in 1765. The titular character is an orphan girl, who only has one shoe at the beginning of the tale. A rich man gifts her a pair, and she is very proud of having two shoes. As was common in the era, she leads a virtuous life and is rewarded with a happy ending as she marries a rich widower. Though the book has been largely forgotten, the nickname of the protagonist endures as a nickname for a ridiculously virtuous person.

(8) The return of Dr. Akagi from Instrumentality has been planned almost from the beginning!

Chapter 32: The End of the World and All That

Chapter Text

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

"Im in Hell, right?" Dr. Ritsuko Akagi asked weakly, her eyes barely open. "I guess I do …deserve it. Fair is fair." She sighed. "So, will it be ironically creative torture …or simply painful?"

"Um…" Shinji hesitated, "this it not Hell… things are complicated." He still held Rei's limp body.

Akagi leaned back in the tub. "Of course they are. Why do you three look like 1980s rejects?" It was then she noticed the simple metallic cross hanging down Shinji's neck. Misato's cross. "Why are you…?" Feebly, she waved her hand over the base of her own neck, before Shinji could answer, her eyes rolled up and she fainted.

Four seconds of incredulous silence followed, broken by Lisa's voice, coming from the other side of the room. "Hey, g/g/g/guys? C/c/c/an I get c/c/close/se/se again?"

"Well…" Doc said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I had considered the possibility of a returnee, but as a remote chance." The whole group of anti-conspirators sat on a variety of chairs, with one of the future computers completing the circle. "I must admit this miraculous return caught me by surprise."

Asuka scoffed, "To be honest, I had my money on Misato returning."

Shinji nodded. "I had thought the same." He shook his head sadly. "I miss her a lot. She was the closest I remember to a mother figure." He wrapped his long fingers around the silver cross.

Rei nursed a cup of tea between her hands, Ray had put a blanket over her shoulders, the bluenette trembled ocassionally. "Dr. Akagi has rejected Instrumentality. I reconstituted her body to its natural state at the moment of her death, shortly before Third Impact."

Winston raised an eyebrow, "Wait a sec. Wasn't she just absorbed into the gestalt during Third Impact?" He asked before Asuka or Shinji could comment on Akagi's hair color.

Rei shook her head. "She was shot to death by Commander Ikari down in Terminal Dogma. Her soul had not yet transcended when Third Impact was enacted, and was included into Instrumentality. Major Katsuragi was in a similar situation. I was able to pull both of them into the false paradise."

Shinji gasped. "What about Kaji? He died before Third Impact. How did he transcend?"

"His soul was still in the GeoFront. I believe if Third Impact had been averted, he would have manifested as what you call a ghost." She looked at the former Ghostbusters, each in turn. "Instead, his soul was granted Instrumentality. However, I have no memory of collecting him."

Egon pushed his eyeglasses up his nose, "with three billion souls to collect in a few minutes, I don't think it's remarkable that some of them simply were not… noticed. Back to Mr. Kaji, it's quite possible he simply found his way into the gestalt. And, as you say, if his drive to uncover the causes for Second Impact was strong enough, he could have returned as a ghost had Third Impact not happened."

Asuka looked up at this. "If somebody was stubborn enough to come back, it would be Kaji." After a moment, she added, "And Misato."

George coughed in his fist, "in the meanwhile, what about our new guest? Can we trust her? And if not, what do we do about her?"

Doc shrugged, "Lisa? What do you think?"

"Ak/k/kagi was one of th/th/the foremost/t/t exp/pe/perts on Metaphysic/c/c/al Biology/y/y. Her exp/p/ert/tise could save us years/ye/years of research to p/p/prevent the efec/c/cts of Third Imp/p/pact."

Egon and Doc nodded, but it was Egon who spoke, "A vexing problem. How to stop the Psychopomps from detecting/collecting people, or to be more specific, their souls. A psychopomp-proof búnker would save hundreds of lives. If, and only if, we can develop the required tech. None of us has much knowledge about how the process works." He glanced at Rei. "Rei's link to Lilith in this time is too faint to blindly experiment on. Recreating Dr. Akagi's body took a lot from her. My preliminary exam showed erratic vitals. I took a blood sample for analysis. I think the process affected her body, but I need the results to be sure. At a minimum, her blood sugar levels dropped dangerously low."

Rei spoke softly, "I feel terribly tired, my head hurts, my hands tremble and I'm feeling irritable."

Ray nodded, "You'll need to eat some sugary food and sleep it off."

Rei grimaced. "I'm not particularly fond of sweets. But I'll do so."

George glanced at Lorraine, "We will get you home, Rei."

Lorraine nodded. "We don't want you to faint in the way, dear. You should rest for a while before going back home. I'll prepare some toast and jam, maybe an orange juice will help?"

She looked at Egon, "Add one or two extra spoonfuls of sugar to the jar, Mrs. McFly." He said, cleaning his glasses. "That should help restore her balance. Wait about a half hour before going to bed, to make sure your glucose is back up to normal level. If not, we will go to the clinic."

Rei leaned back on her chair, her face up, eyes closed. "I am fatigued." She said, simply. "I won't be able to repeat a reconstruction for several days, at the very least."

"I wonder what brought her out of Instrumentality." Winston said. "From what you guys have told us, it's the closest thing to Paradise. Why did she reject it to come back?"

A new voice joined the discussion. Ritsuko Akagi stood on the stained floor, her feet bare, and her hands clutching closed the lab coat around her. "Guilt and remorse. What else?" She said, looking down.

"Oh, my." Lorraine exclaimed. "Come with me, dear. Let's get you something to wear. This is not something to discuss wearing just a lab coat." She grabbed a plastic bag, that obviously contained clothes. "You're a bit taller than me, but I think these will fit well enough while we get you something your size, okay?" Delicately, she guided the scientist out of the room, into a closed area where she could dress herself in private. "Jennifer? A bit of help?"

"Sure, Mrs. McFly. Um… we will come back in a minute." Jenifer looked around before following the two women.

Marty used the pause to make more coffee. George opened a pack of cookies and left the bag on a small table at the center of the circle. "Anybody up to a bathroom break? I have the feeling this is gonna take a while."

Ray was the first to stand up. "Thank goodness!" And he hurried up to the bathroom.

An hour and a long explanation later Dr. Akagi sat on a foldable chair, her eyes firmly set on the floor, looking absolutely miserable. "God…" she whispered, "it was all for nothing…" she sobbed.

Asuka had little pity for the scientist. "Yes. Everything was for nothing. You didn't got your way with the Bastard King, you helped him to kill the world, and now you are sitting there, crying? Please." She said, rolling her eyes.

Akagi slammed her mug down on the table, startling the group. "Shut up." She growled. "You have no idea how… how convincing that damned bastard could be when it suited him! He convinced me to be his stupid sex doll by playing on each and every insecurity I had! Professional, personal, and familiar. He was the devil's masterpiece! I was a fool to believe his honeyed words, yes! I was a stupid little girl when I met him! I admit it! He played with my feelings until i was willing to do almost any damned thing to please him! Pray you never meet a man like Gendo Ikari, Asuka." She growled between clenched teeth.

She looked around, "That man was a monster, and he convinced me to become another monster. I am not so deluded as to think I was an innocent victim in the Conspiracy. I realize now I should have done something, anything! To stop their plans. But back then, I was so convinced things would only get worse and worse, that the human race was already condemned to extinction, that I convinced myself that maybe Instrumentality would be the lesser of two evils. Third Impact was inevitable. Death was inevitable. Extinction was inevitable. Maybe the gestalt was our only hope." She looked at Asuka with such a fierce intensity in her eyes, the red haired pilot retreated a bit.

Shinji cleared his throat, "Do you still think the same, Doctor?" He asked softly. Akagi looked at him for six heartbeats.

She exhaled, "No." She passed a hand over her brown hair. "By the time I betrayed him in Terminal Dogma, I was beyond simple scorn. Hell… I was willing to blow myself to atoms along him, Lilith and the whole GeoFront to stop him and SEELE from achieving their goals, but my mother interfered; even dead, she preferred him over me. I'm not sure if the world could have had recovered from Second Impact, but at least Humanity would fight for the future, instead of going softly into the night."

Doc leaned forward, "Dr. Akagi? Would you help us? Your knowledge and insight would be invaluable to stop SEELE's plans. Or at the very least, to mitigate their effects."

She picked up her mug again, and sipped from it to give herself time to think. "Yes. Not everyday you get the chance to correct your worst mistakes. I'm in. Though much of my tools have not even been invented yet, I do remember, I think I can do with the current means. And to top it off, there's a little bit of devilish irony to it." She cackled nastily. "SEELE based their soul manipulating technology on the research originally made by a couple of scientists from America." She tilted her mug towards Egon and Ray. "Wanna guess who?"

Ray was the first to join the dots, "Oh, God… I'm gonna be sick." He seemed to be about to go through a panic attack.

Egon and Winston grabbed Ray by the arms. "Ray! Ray! Listen to me!" Winston said forcefully. "It's not your fault! Those bastards are the ones to blame!"

Egon followed, "Now we have the chance to do something about it, Ray. But we must work together. Make sure they will fail!"

Rei stood in front of the chubby man, usually so happy and optimistic. She raised her hand, softly cupping Ray's cheek. Suddenly, she slapped him. "This is not helping. Dr. Stantz. Control yourself." The slap was more fast than strong. It did make noise, but was not really forceful.

Surprised, Ray rubbed his cheek and nodded, gulping noisily.

Once Ray had calmed down, Rei bowed deeply. "I apologize. It was the only think I could think of."

Ray smiled ruefully. "It's okay, I think I needed that. It's fine." He shrugged and sat down again. Her point made, Rei allowed Shinji and Asuka to guide her back to her seat.

"I see your point, Doctor Brown. I'll stay here." Ritsuko said, while Doc lowered a hidden bed, disguised as a bookcase.

"Just for a day. We need a way to justify your presence in this time. Better if you arrive publicly." He seemed nervous for some reason.

He cleared his throat, "there are blankets and pillows in that drawer, if you need more."

Berlin, Germany (West Side)
Outskirts of the City
2:25 AM

A gray sedan advanced slowly along a barely used road. There was no one at the wheel, and the headlights remained dark. Though if somebody were to look inside, at a very precise angle, they would see two orange ovals, shining with inner light, floating at the approximate place the driver's head would normally be.

A couple kilometers far from the road, there was a small forest. Nothing to hint that one day, enormous machines would dig deep into the Earth. That there would be an enourmous building in that place, with very deep foundations. A building that would contain state of the art facilities, big enough to grow the biggest, most advanced fighting machines ever created by Humanity.

No, there was nothing out of the ordinary there.

But one day, that would be the site where the NERV base would be. And secretly, the main base for the secretive SEELE. The First Branch of NERV.

Curiosity sated, the car continued its drive, until it arrived to a small café next to the road. The car entered to the parking lot, and stopped at one of the places. Once parked, the motor turned itself off, cooling down in the cold night air.

By the time the owner claimed it from a police parking lot, the unseen driver would be very far from the forest, the café, and Berlin itself.

And a new report of a Ghost Driver would be written, baffling the few living souls interested in the phenomenon.

Next day (Saturday)

Hill Valley, California, USA
Paul's Home

"Hey, guys!" Paul brought some cans of soda from a plastic bag and put them in the mini fridge. "Mom is visiting my Aunt Delia, and Dad went to the Mall to deliver some stuff. We have the house for ourselves!"

"Cool!" Marty slapped Shinji's shoulder, "My Buddy here has been practicing the cello as a bass fiddle. Just to try."

Bobby was busy connecting the sound system. "Wanna see what you do with that thing, S-man!"

Shinji smiled awkwardly, "I…I'm not sure if it will be any good."

Lee shrugged. "Man, we are a garage band! We play for fun! Just bring up the beat and let's see how the jam drops!"

"That was really interesting, man." Paul said. "You know? Grampa used to put that one in the jukebox when the family went out to dinner! It's been years since the last time I heard Johnny B. Goode! Good times!"

"I don't think the cello is really suited for it…" Shinji said, "I'm used to the classics, it feels weird not to use the bow."

"Eh, at least you already have half the callouses!" Marty joked. "And don't put yourself down, you did well. By the way, guys, my folks will celebrate their anniversary soon, and I'd like to record a couple songs for them. This is one. I've been trying to get the other, but haven't had luck yet."

Paul snapped his fingers, "Cousin Jack left me his LP collection when he went to college in Frisco, he got a bunch at a closure sale, and he left me the whole lot. Maybe he has it. Which song, Marty?"

"Earth Angel (1). I don't know who recorded it, that's why I haven't found it. It's from 1955 or before. Dad says it's very special for him and Mom." Marty didn't get into details, it would be hard to explain.

"Well, let's check the lot." Paul moved a couple of boxes from over a big trunk. Inside it, there were dozens of LPs! "Here you go, guys. I've been meaning to sell some of these at the Flea Market, but never find the time. If you see something you like, just gimme a Buck and it's yours. Heck, gimme twenty bucks and get 25 records." He chuckled.

They divided the lot, and began to check the listings at the back of each cover. Took the five of them about an hour to finish.

"Hey, here it is!" Lee said triumphantly. "Had you heard about this band? Marvin Berry and the Starlighter? 1957! (2) Wow. Collector's item!"

"What? Let me see!" Reverently, Marty took the record in his hands, looking at the band's group picture on the cover. A wave of memories hit him. "Would you believe this is the band that played at the dance my folks fell in love?"

"No way!" Everybody chorused.

Paul stood up solemnly, "Marty, I can't sell you this one. Any other you want, a buck each. But not this one!" Marty was about to protest, but Paul continued with a smile, "This one is a gift for your parents."

Marty's brain short-circuited for a moment. This was an unexpected treasure.

"Say, guys. Anything you like?" Paul sweeped his hand over the records.

"I'll just take some at random." Shinji said, taking a bunch from the disordered pile. "Hey, when can we play Cthulhu again? I had a lot of fun."

"How about next week we cut practice short, and roll the dice for a couple of hours? Lee offered.

"All in favor?" Marty asked, raising his right hand. He looked around, "Okay, it's unanimous!"

Author Notes

(1) Earth Angel was originally recorded as a demo in 1954, interestingly, by a band called The Penguins! It was their only hit, and has been covered many times. As Hill Valley is a big town/small city, I don't think it's unreasonable Marty wouldn't be too familiar with the sing or it's covers.

(2) I decided that apart from being a minor footnote in musical history because of their relationship with Chuck Berry, Marvin Berry and the Starlighters enjoyed a minor success in the music charts, and a long career as a band, even though they never charted a hit.

A tip of the hat to jaegermonster, at FFN, for proposing a connection between the Ghostbusters and SEELE, though I took it in a different direction! Their original idea was to comment on how being expelled from had saved their lives, as SEELE would have had them assasinated for getting to close to Metaphysical Biology.

Chapter 33: Hill Valley Vignettes, Part I

Chapter Text

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section
Early Saturday, the day after Ritsuko Akagi's Reconstruction.

"First things first, Dr. Akagi." Doc said. "You don't exist in this point of the timeline. Not as you are."

"I have already been born, Dr. Brown, I do exist." She said, shaking her head. "I was born November the 21st, 1985."

"Yes, you exist as a baby in Japan. That baby is, for all we can say, exactly like you when you were her age, the changes we have introduced so far to the timeline are too distant or indirect to affect her enough to erase you out of existence. And I must stress this, you and that baby are two different versions of the same person. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV scientist, is decades in the future. You, as an adult person, existing now, do not officially exist; as a time traveler, you are an anomaly in the social fabric. And that's a problem we can solve."

"How, will you create a whole new identity for me? Like in some TV show?" She raised a dismissive eyebrow as she lit a cigarette. "Am I to wander the country, using my given name and using a different surname each week, keeping to the ones that begin with a K?" (1)

"Of c/c/course not/no/no/no/not. Mo/more li/like a Sp/py movie!" Lisa interjected. "I'll need/need about/t/t a month/month to c/c/crack/k/k the systems and insert/sert you in it/t/t."

"Lisa? I remind you that overusing the same backstory would cause problems later?"

Akagi scoffed, inhaling a lungful of cigarette smoke. "Yeah, three survivors is believable, with a paper trail. But I just appeared here." Her eyes watered, and she coughed uncontrollably for a few seconds. Suddenly, she stabbed the cigarette on an ashtray, "I'm fine," she said once she got her breath back under control. "Rei restored my body to perfect health, I guess. No more smoke tolerance." She looked at the pack of cigarettes with clear disgust. "Psychological addiction is a different beast." She poured a cup of coffee and drank it. "I'll have to do with caffeine. Sorry, were you saying?"

Doc nodded, addressing the IA. "I couldn't take you back a month, Lisa. There would be a nasty paradox. And Rei is too tired to gel you again anyway."

"I k/know." Lisa answered. "I'll need t/t/to work/k/k on something/ing/ing else. Here's what/wha/what I need you to/t/t/to do."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Aunt Mattie's Bed and Breakfast
Egon Spengler's Room
(Just Before Sunrise)

Winston put the empty beer can on top of a wobbling pyramid of similarly empty cans. His eyes crossed with the effort, but he finally released the can, leaving the pile still standing. Satisfied, he looked around. All three had needed to process Akagi's revelation about their indirect part in the oncoming Apocalypse. Therefore, they had bought several six-packs of beer, and consumed them during the long night.

Predictably, Ray had fallen asleep on a comfy chair, he had been awfully overwhelmed by Akagi's words.

After observing Ray's regular breathing for about thirty seconds, Egon took a couple of sips from his own can. "Have you…" Winston slurred, "noticed that… Doc's first name is… Emmet..?

"I have, yes." Egon's speech was almost normal, despite his consumption of at least the same amount of beer than Ray. "Not a popular name, but neither is Egon." He shrugged.

"I mean…" Winston cracked open a new can, "…I mean… you know… have you read mystery novels?"

"Certainly. I appreciate the challenge of the 'problem novel' sub genre."

"Wait… explain…" Winston stifled a yawn.

"Some authors make the effort to lay down all the clues needed to solve the mystery. They don't hide suspects, clues or events for the sake of a surprise reveal. A few, like in the Ellery Queen (2) series, even make a pause in the narrative to warn the reader they are in possession of all the clues. The reader can then make a pause, and work out the solution by themselves." Egon took a long sip.

"Really?"

"Really, I can let you borrow a couple if you're curious. I must have brought a few with my stuff when I cleared the apartment in New York."

"Nice… um… what was I saying?"

"Something about Doctor Brown's first name."

"Oh, yeah…" Winston rubbed the back of his head, "have you read about Dracula using the fake name 'Alucard'?

Egon. Padded "A terribly overused trope." (3)

Winston continued, "Riight, have you noticed that 'Emmet' read backwards sounds almost like 'time'?"

Egon raised his eyes, looking at Winston from above his eyeglasses. "Not really close, Winston. It would be Tem-me."

The former Air Force captain fell silent for a few seconds, processing Egon's words. "Really?" He furrowed his brow.

"Trust me." Egon almost smiled. "Ray and I used to modify phonographs to play slower and backwards, looking for those legendary backwards satanic messages some of them contained. Never found something remotely intelligible, but I did learn to recognize the words even when played backwards."

Winston looked at his beer. "Riiight…" Carefully, he put the can down. "I better go to my… room and sleep it off."

"Would be for the better." Egon agreed.

"Whut about …Ray?"

"Let's just put him on my bed. I'll sleep in his room. No need to wake him up. He gets cranky."

Minutes later, Winston had gone to his room. Egon, still clear-headed, sat down at the desk, and opened a drawer. He took a specific letter. It was still sealed in the envelope. While he weighted the letter, Egon remembered the main events in his life.

School, college, a couple of tentative relationships that had fizzled out, his long friendship with Ray first, and then Peter. Their time playing at parapsychologic research and then taking things seriously. He smiled as he remembered the few months the Ghostbusters had operated. The arrival of Janine, Dana, Louis. Gozer. The lawsuits made him grimace in remembrance. Doc and Marty, George and Lorraine McFly, Jennifer, Asuka, Rei and Shinji. Dead Valley, both the videos and Ray's description. The arrival and departure of Ritsuko Akagi.

Finally, he opened the envelope. Inside he found a letter, signed by a name he hadn't heard of in years. Some pictures too.

He studied the pictures in silence, and then he began to read the letter.

To say he was surprised would be true, but insufficient. This kind of things didn't really happen to guys like him.

And it terrified him.

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence
Living Room
Sunday, Early Morning.

"Hey, Shinji." Asuka grabbed her fellow former pilot by the arm, pulling him to the McFlys tv room. "Guess what's on tv in five minutes."

"Hmm…" he thought. "A Charlie Brown movie?"

"No, you blockhead!" Asuka retorted. "Mission: Impossible! Remember what Rollie said? About the masks and all that?"

"Yeah. Turn the tv on, I'll get some snacks and drinks." Shinji smiled.

He returned a couple minutes later, to find Asuka comfortably seated on the couch, her long legs crossed under her, and a cushion on her lap. He smiled again, and as the ads played on the screen, he put half of the junk food on a bowl, mixing several types of crunchy, salty treats, just as she liked. Asuka patted the seat next to her, inviting him into her personal space.

"Hurry up! It's going to start!" She said, adjusting her posture.

Shinji obeyed, just as the intro began. A tense piece of music sounded, while a pair of hands lit a match, igniting an animated fuse that crossed the screen while a montage of brief scenes played behind. Both teens leaned forward, trying to form a coherent narrative from the out of context scenes. And failing.

Once the intro sequence ended, they watched as a man, played by actor Steven Hill according to the credits, arrived to a phone booth, and operated the antique looking telephone, supposedly "Out of Order" according to a small sign. After dialing three numbers, he hung up the receiver, and a compartment opened, revealing a tape recorder and an envelope. An anonymous voice described a fictitious place, and the mission for this episode. Infiltrate into a former prison. Then, a picture of the opponent in turn, a man called Gerard Sefra. "Hey!" she pointed at the screen, excitedly snapping her fingers, "That's Ricardo Montalban! We are in luck!" She literally trembled in anticipation. "This is gonna be great!" (4)

Shinji nodded, and settled down next to her. By the time the first commercial break arrived, both were engrossed in the plot.

With just one scene, Shinji began to understand why both Asuka and her stepmother were fans of Montalban. The man had an almost tangible, dark charisma. The former Third Child took copious mental notes.

Hill Valley, California, USA
7-11
Monday, After School

"Hey, boys!" A raspy voice called out, "Look who's honoring with his presence! Martín Seamus McFly in person. What's going on, McFly? Got a nice set of wheels and suddenly yer too good to hang with us, uh? Haven't seen hair nor hide of ya in months!"

Marty's good humor deflated, all he had wanted was to play a few rounds of Wild Gunman with his friends. "…Hello, Needles." He said as he turned. As expected, Needles was accompanied by his three hangers on.

Next to Marty, Asuka exchanged a look with Shinji. This guy was a definite annoyance.

"And look! He has two imports with him! What's the matter, McFly? Local is not good enough anymore?"

"Hey!" Asuka interjected.

"Don't mess with my friends, Needles." Marty warned the taller boy, who just laughed, showing his grill-like braces.

"Uh, feisty!" Needles pretended to tremble. "And what are you gonna do? You don't even race in that pick-up Daddy got you!" Needles' gang laughed idiotically, as always. "Are you a cluck-cluck-chicken?" He laughed, while his gang imitated him.

Before Marty could rise to the provocation, Asuka grabbed Marty's forearm, pulling him back. She hated interruptions, and it was her turn at the game. "Big talk, grill face." She rolled the sleeves of her red bomber jacket up as if preparing for a fight.

"Oh, and what's it to you, doll? You hang out with losers!"

She scoffed. "They are better that you and your hyenas."

Needles laughed, showering the immediate area with droplets of saliva. "Pfft. Prove it, babe. I challenge you to a race."

"A race? When I get a car, maybe. I was thinking of something else." She stepped sideways and tilted her head to the game. "Got a quarter?"

Needles face twisted. "Whut?"

"You heard me. Or what, are you the chicken?" She made a very convincing imitation of a clucking hen. Way better than Needles'.

Marty snickered.

Angry, and making a big show of it with a quick succession of weird facial expressions, Needles pulled a coin from his pocket, raising it to the height of his eye. "You're on. What's the bet?"

Asuka thought for a moment. "You leave us alone. I don't want to even hear your voice around us."

He barked another laugh. "And if I win, you do my homework for a month, nah, better two months. Word on school is that yer some kind of genius." He leaned forwards, Asuka did the same, until their faces were almost touching.

"Deal." she growled.

Needles' buddies hooted and whistled their approval. Apparently, spoken language was beyond their capabilities.

"Ladies first." Needles smiled crookedly.

"Nah, you go first. One quarter each. Shoot til Game Over. Top score wins." She crossed her arms beligerantly.

"Ok, Homework. Watch and weep." Needles inserted his coin in the slot, and a moment later, the game screen changed. He pulled the fake gun, checking the cable that attached it to the machine. A short melody played, and a pixelated desert scape appeared.

Needles kept the gun pointed down, and waited for the countdown to end.

At the count of zero, four caricatures of banditos jumped from behind the cactus, but before they could draw their guns, Needles drew his, and shot four times in quick succession.

The banditos fell backwards comically. Needles pretended to blow the gun barrel, while his pack thumped their chests. "That's how it's done, Homework!"

A second round followed, then a third, fourth, fifth, until Needles aim failed in the thirtieth round, and the last bandito shot him down. "Aaand, top score, Homework." He registered his initials on the first place. "Top that."

Shinji slapped Marty's chest, a knowing smile on his face.

Asuka glared at the idiot, and put her coin in the slot. Her face set in a determined gesture, her blue eyes fixed on the screen, unblinking. Marty noticed Shinji was whispering something for himself, it sounded like Japanese for "Position target in the center and pull the switch." Then he remembered the kind of armament issued to the Evangelion Units. And that all three pilots had been certified for the use of multiple kinds of weapons, both for hand to hand combat, and shooting. He relaxed a bit.

Asuka took her place in front of the game, her feet set flat on the floor, her back straight, and her shoulders relaxed. Her eyes perfectly focused on the screen.

She shot all four banditos so fast the enemies fell down almost simultaneously. Asuka shot a glare at Needles, who stood next to her. "Don't crowd me." She growled. "And that goes for your hyenas too."

Needles backed up a step. As mockingly as he could, he raised his hands in an exaggerated gesture of innocence. As if humoring her. He signaled his gang to do the same. Pulling weird faces all the time.

Asuka nodded to herself, and waited for the next round. And the next. And the next. Soon, she was on the twelfth round.

As the countdown ended, one of Needles' group dropped a bottle to the floor, the noise and the shards of glass didn't even register in Asuka's thoughts. She kept on firmly shooting the banditos. The cashier arrived to demand payment for the spilled drink and to clean up. Shinji stopped the man, "I'll clean up, just let her finish her game."

Marty supported him, "I'll help him, Rob."

"Ok, Marty. I'll hold you two to that. And you," he wagged angrily at Needles' crew. "don't make any more messes!"

Ten minutes later, Asuka turned to Needles with a poisonously sweet smile for a moment, and proceeded to put her initials in the high score screen, but not as ALS, but U02. She finally put the electronic gun back into its place. Raising an eyebrow, she said. "I don't wanna see you or your apes around me or my friends for at least three months, are we clear?"

Twisting his face, Needles looked at the highest score and Asuka's tag. "Very clear." He slapped the chest of his closest minion with a backwards open hand, "C'mon, guys. Let's go somewhere fun." A moment later, the group heard a screech of tires coming from the street.

Asuka relaxed. "What a bunch of chimps. Oh, well… at least they won't be bothering us for a while."

Marty whistled, "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" He asked.

"First Branch of NERV, Berlin." She smiled. "German shooting range and German instructors. Best of the world."

Rob arrived with brooms, dustpans and mops. Shinji and Marty cleaned up the broken glass and spilled soda.

Author Notes

(1) Clearly, Ritsuko has watched at least a few episodes of The Incredible Hulk TV series, With Bill Bixby as David Banner, and Lou Ferrigno as the titular Hulk. As she mentions, Banner wandered all over the USA, always using a fake name, keeping his given name, and using a different surname, beginning with a B. The tv show was first broadcast in 1977 (pilot episode), and was canceled in 1982. The show was popular enough to return as several tv movies (1988, 1989 and 1990), though Bill Bixby's death in 1993 ended any possibility of a fourth movie.

(2) The Ellery Queen series has a curious distinction apart from the little "Now you have all the Clues" note. Ellery Queen is both the pseudonym of a series of writers (originally Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905–1971), other writers from 1961 onwards) and the protagonist's name! The character was first published back in 1928, and was popular enough to name a magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, that began its run in 1941 and is still being published. From 1961 onwards, book written under the Ellery Queen's pseudonym don't feature him as a character.

(3) Indeed, the backwards name trope is so overused, I tend to apply it automatically. Being a DC Comics fan, I'm used to read backwards, as it is the gimmick of Zatanna, a magical member of several versions of the Justice League. Same with anagrams.

(4) The episode is Snowball in Hell, First Season, episode 21. Originally broadcasted in Feb 18, 1967

Kudos to 1Batman4u for the idea of having George and the Ghostbusters drinking together. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it work with George, not after the heavy revelation last chapter. I thought it would make better sense if the former Ghostbusters sequestered themselves into their place, and use alcohol to numb the shock. Not exactly the best therapy, but I thought it made sense in context.

Here's the original dialogues as they put it in their Review for Chapter 30 in FFN.

1Batman4u
1680311342 . chapter 30

Is George close enough to the Ghostbusters to hang out at a bar together?

George: "Whoa."
Ray: "What?"
George: "Doctor Emmett Brown, Emmett E-M-I-T is 'time' spelled backwards."
Ray: "Whoa, you just blew my mind."
Winston: (takes George's and Ray's beers)
Winston: "I think you two have had enough."

Chapter 34: Hill Valley Vignettes, Part II

Chapter Text

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Edited to Correct a wrong detail about Brundle's project.

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence
Late Wednesday

Rei Ayanami walked a bit unsteadily to the kitchen, yawning discretely; she needed to take a nap after school after reconstructing Dr. Akagi's body. The former pilot would be tired for some days more, according to Egon. Thankfully, her headache had been a one time occurrence, but she was terribly hungry all the time.

At the kitchen bar, she found her host, George McFly, and two unexpected visitors, eating snacks and talking animatedly about old movies. "Mr. Tyler, Ms. Gehman." She bowed. "George. Good afternoon to you all. What did I miss?"

George smiled, "Not much. Doc went on an errand on his car; Marty, Jennifer, Asuka, and Shinji went to play video games at the 7-11, and Lorraine went to pick up a couple of dresses." He opened a pack of peanuts, and poured it into a bowl. "Winston, Egon, and Ray are watching over some experiment at Brown Industries. Wanna eat something? I can prepare some salad or soup, if you want."

"Not right now, George; I'd rather wait until dinner." She sat down on a stool, and claimed the peanuts, as he had pushed the bowl towards her. "The peanuts will be enough until then. Thank you."

Rollie waited for Rei to go on, but the girl focused on her peanuts. He continued his talk, "As I was saying, some effects can only be done with miniatures, like Godzilla, though it's very difficult to make a rubber-suit actually convincing. They had planned to film the movie in stop-motion, like King Kong, but there was not enough time, and there were not enough animators familiar with stop-motion techniques anyway; so, rubber suit time!" (1)

Andy sipped her soda, and added, "I've always wondered how a stop-motion Godzilla would fare." She sighed, "But after the first movie, they kept to the man-in-a-suit style stomping on a maquette."

Rei paused before eating another peanut. "Have you found a good place? I would like to learn the trade."

Rollie rubbed his chin. "Not yet. We have a few possible places, but need to actually check them out in person and get some extra specs. An old warehouse would do for space, but if we are gonna work with all kinds of effects, we will need access to a lot of things. Especially electricity, studio lights are notorious power eaters, and I don't want to keep changing fuses just because the place is cheap but can't handle the output."

Andy elbowed Rollie, "Yeah, but that can wait. Today we can begin with something basic, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes." He turned to Rei, and raised his mug of coffee, "Make-up!"

George nodded in approval, "Do you need something in particular?"

Rollie shrugged, "Just a well-lit place you wouldn't mind getting a couple new stains. The garage would be fine."

"Actually, Doc and I built a small cabin/workshop between our lots, for the kids to use as they please. It's empty apart from a work table and a set of stools."

"Splendid!" Rollie rubbed his hands together, "Andy, you and Rei go with George and open the place. I'll go get the box."

He returned a few minutes later, carrying a big fisherman's box, full of all he needed for basic make-up. He put the box on the work table and opened it with the air of a Wizard imparting wisdom to an apprentice. "The first thing you need to know, it to work from photographic reference." He said, pulling a bunch of Polaroid pictures.

"These are real. As we are in the business of faking reality, we need to be really familiar with what we are faking. So, every chance we have, we gather photographic reference. Now, one of, if not THE most basic work in SFX is nothing but simple make up. The right colors applied in the right way. One of my neighbors in New York was an amateur boxer, and worked in construction. So, he got accidentally pummeled one day at work, and got voluntarily pummeled another as a hobby. We shared a few beers, and he let me take pictures of his bruises from fresh to fully healed." (2)

Rollie spread the pictures over the table, each one was dated and numbered. They showed the man's face in front, profile, and three quarters angles. "You can see how his face went from bruised and swollen, note the almost closed eye, back to healthy. The cauliflower ear is a bonus."

Rei examined each picture with a very focused facial expression. Rollie spread a second set of pictures on the wooden surface. "Next level, wounds and scars. I'll not go into detail with wounds yet. These are real scars. One of my friends back in New York is a former cop. Leo McCarthy, good guy, a bit annoying. He was wounded some years ago, and he got some nifty scars (3)." Rollie said, while Andy prepared a work area. Rollie tapped each picture in turn. "Gunshot, the bullet went right through his arm. This one is the entry wound. And this is the exit wound."

"They are different." Rei noted.

"Yeah. As it goes through, a bullet pushes flesh in front of it. Exit wounds tend to be bigger than entry wounds. On an arm or a leg, the flesh can, say, get out of the way, but head bullet wounds are a different matter."

"Head wounds can be horribly messy." Andy said, shaking her head.

Rei thought about it for a moment, "You mentioned something about it before the filming. The pressure accumulates in the bullet's way, and would basically explode as it exits the body." She said calmly, while George looked a bit green.

"Um, yes. But that's a lesson for another day. Those pics are not easy to get, we need to get medical/forensic magazines for that." Rollie continued, "Back to less gory matters, this one is a knife wound. A mugger slashed Leo's chest with a switchblade during an arrest. Note the dots surrounding the scar line; it was a shallow wound, but he needed some stitches anyway."

"I see." She didn't comment just how familiar she was with pain and wounds, as that had been, literally, lives before.

Rollie put a towel around his shoulders, covering his shirt. "Let's begin with a simple bruise, pick one of the pictures from after the swelling has gone down. The swelling would require prosthetic pieces."

Rei picked the first picture to comply with Rollie's condition. It was a really big and dark bruise over the man's cheekbone.

"Excellent." He approved. "Andy is best at this kind of work." He relaxed his face into a neutral expression. "Now, pay attention to what Andy does. I'll stay here quiet as a cat in a dog show while she works and explain the hows and whys of the job." He closed his eyes.

Andy took a make up set, its box stained and scratched, and began to apply a base over Rollie's right side, over the cheekbone. "First thing, an even layer of base over the area." She said, while Rei and George watched. "Note that this color is close to Rollie's own skin color; also Rollie's skin shade is quite similar to his neighbor's. Otherwise I would have to compensate the difference." She pointed at one compartment, "If it was you instead of Rollie, I would use this one, much lighter in shade."

Quickly, she progressed through a series of colors, applied with brushes and sponges, until Rollie looked like he had been in a fight several days before. "Aaand we're done. Ready for the close-up!"

"Amazing!" George scratched his head, "I could have sworn its real!"

Rei examined the fake bruise, comparing it to the picture she had in her hand. "May I try?" She asked.

"Sure, I'll guide you. Don't worry if it doesn't look convincing enough. No one nails it in the first try."

Hill Valley, California, USA
Brown Enterprises HQ
3I Lab Section

"He/he/hey, boys!" Lisa chirped from her screen, spinning around in happiness, "I go/g/g/got it! Code brok/k/k/ken and all files compiled/piled!"

Egon raised his eyes from the letter he was writing, at the same time ignoring the nearly filled up waste basket next to his desk; while Winston and Ray paused their game of checkers.

Lisa stopped her spinning. "I t/t/thought you'd like/like/like to know that the teleporting project Brundle was work/king on actually worked. And I'm not/t/t talk/k/king about p/p/partic/c/c/cles!"

Immediately Egon perked up, Ray had the mental image of a prairie dog coming out its burrow.

"I've been wondering that myself. The design of the things he had in the lab doesn't make any sense for simple particles. There's no way to make a true vacuum, or to locate any particles." Egon put the letter into the drawer. It was a personal matter he didn't feel inclined to share with even his closest friends.

"Well, I got good/goo/good and b/b/bad news."

Egon wiped down his face, annoyed. "Okay, good news first."

"The t/t/telepods can p/p/port macro/cro-objects! Even liv/ving c/c/creatures!"

Ray was the one to ask. "And the bad news?"

"The c/c/computer c/c/can't manage it/it/it!"

Winston paced around. "Wait. What do you mean?"

"Brundle's system sends any/any/anyt/t/t/thing from one p/p/pod to the o/other. But/b/bu/but two or mo/mo/more things insi/si/inside get mixed up. The co/computer can't/t keep t/t/track of different things. He port/t/ted himself naked (woo-hoo!) to avoid mixing his b/b/body with his clothes."

"That would have been both very deadly and very painful." Egon noted.

"But surely he was refining the process before fleeing." Winston raised an eyebrow. "Traveling naked wouldn't catch up. Except with a niche market, I think." He scratched the back of his head.

"There/there was no u/u/use, boys. He c/c/c/came out wrong. Ac/c/cording to his not/t/tes, he got mix/mix/mixed with a f/fly."

"Like one of those cheap monster movies from the 1950s? Like a guy with a fly head and arm?" (4)

"Nope/no/no. Gradual mut/t/tation. The fly DNA got mixed with his human D/D/DNA. As his cells were rep/p/placed, the fly p/p/part grew more evident. St/st/start/ting with the hair/ha/hair on his b/b/back, unt/t/til his whole b/b/body turned int/t/into a man-fly hybrid. His mind was also af/ff/ffected, he got to lik/k/ke the ch/ch/change!" Lisa showed them two pictures side by side, one was a slender guy with long black hair and big eyes, the other was a deformed creature, the skin full of pustules and coarse hair-like fibers bunched irregularly over his body. "And that's/t's just a mid st/st/stage, guys. He got even worse/s/se. He wrote a log det/t/tailing the changes. He lost t/t/teeth, nails, hair/hai/hair, ears/and even his j/j/junk/k/k."

All three men grimaced in empathic disgust for a minute, until Ray decided to ask a question, "Do you know what happened to him? How his girlfriend and the other guy really died?"

"No. Not exactly/c/ctly. The rec/c/cords stop/stop before then. There was a last/t/t activat/t/tion of the "A" telepod, but/t/t the "B/B/B" telepod was out of s/s/s/serv/vice."

The former Ghostbusters exchanged a look. Winston shook his head, "I think I know why."

"Yeah…" Ray sighed.

"Death by teleportation." Egon took his glasses off, and cleaned them slowly. "I guess the system is too dangerous to be used for its intended purpose."

"Just hearing about the danger makes me sick, guys." Winston said. "And I've seen things… even before joining the GBs."

"Then, I guess we mothball the whole thing and try to forget it." Ray shrugged.

"Let's talk with the others first, maybe we could use something." Egon put his glasses back on.

"Don't you think we should… um… tone things down? For the kids?" Ray asked, worry clear on his eyes.

"For the kids, Ray? That picture is getting first place in my nightmares, that's for sure. I don't wanna see it again!" Winston exclaimed.

"Agreed then. Lisa? Put the pictures in a separate, restricted archive."

"Already done, Doctor Sp/Spen/engler."

Winston shook his head, "if you excuse me, guys; I think I better work a bit on Ecto-1. I need to get that image out of my head. A full check-up might do that job."

"Need any help, Winston?" Ray stood up. "Same boat."

"Sure, Buddy." The former captain paused at the door to look back at Egon, who had an expression of worried curiosity on his face. "You okay, Egon?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm okay. I was just thinking of something else. Nothing particularly problematic I assure you. Not for anybody else. Personal matters."

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence (The Workshop)
Later

"I can't believe! She nailed it in the first try!" Rollie smiled, looking as his bruised cheekbones in the mirror set in the lid of the make-up box. "Kid, you are officially accepted into the F/X crew as an apprentice!"

Enthusiastically, Andy hugged Rei with one arm. "Congratulations, Rei!"

A very small smile spread on Rei's lips.

Outside, the sound of a motor announced Doc's arrival.

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence

George went to the door to receive the scientist and the two took seat at the kitchen, away from their guests. "Everything okay?" He asked, while he passed a soda to his friend.

"Perfectly." Doc smiled, "All we need to do is wait while Lisa works on Dr. Akagi's documents and we catch up with her. She gave me a list of components she'll need to research ways to block the psychopomps from locating people after Rei/Lilith begin to gather the souls. I've been busy evaluating possible equivalent parts, I just put a big order of components. I'll contact Mr. Burton and check if he can do the pick up at San Francisco."

"Reliable service, that's for sure. Hum, I thought Dr. Akagi said the tech hadn't been invented yet." George scratched his head.

"It hasn't," Doc shrugged, "but she gave me the specs she'll need. I'm sure we can cobble up something equivalent. It will be like reverse engineering a 1980s computer with 1960s tech. It is possible, but it will be voluminous, slow, and expensive."

"I see." George nodded. "By the way, Rei is learning movie make-up. You should see the way Rollie looks. His face looks like he went six rounds vs Muhammad Ali a week ago."

"Great! She needs a hobby!" A shadow crossed Doc's face. Understanding the reason, George patted Doc's shoulder.

Doc sighed and shook his head. "I need to talk shop with Egon and Ray. At length. But first, let's see how badly Rollie looks." He grinned. Right then, the front door opened. Marty, Jennifer, Asuka and Shinji arrived. Doc and George exchanged a mischievous look.

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence (The Workshop)

"Hey, kids!" Rollie smiled at the just arrived group, pointing at his face and smiling widely. "Look at the number Rei did to my face!"

Marty gasped, and almost dropped the paper bag containing Einstein's cans of food. "What? Did you get into a fight?" Incredulous, he looked at Rei's Mona Lisa smile. "And she won?"

Andy and George laughed. Rollie slapped Marty's shoulder. "She won! But not in a fight. As it happens, she has just been accepted into F/X as an apprentice. This nasty bruise was her entry test, and she passed with flying colors. Shinji," he put a Polaroid camera on his hands, "take a couple of pics, will ya? Front and profile. It would be a shame to lose this quality job."

The boy shot the pictures asked.

Meanwhile, Jennifer studied the reference pictures, comparing them to the make-up. "Wow…" she wheezed. She was about to say something else, but changed her mind. A moment later, she continued. "Can you do regular make-up, Rei? Your own make-up is very… um… very basic."

"Haven't tried to go beyond the look I liked in the fashion magazines you let me borrow."

"Let's try for something more complex." Jenifer opened her backpack, and took out a magazine. She shuffled the pages quickly, until she found a very extravagant look. "Let's try this." She sat down on one stool, and pulled her hair to a ponytail; while Rei studied the magazine and the make up set Jennifer had.

"I would need some glitter to replicate the look faithfully." Rei mused, her eyes fixed on the picture.

Andy put a small container on the table. "Here you go. I bought this for a test, but didn't work with the lighting. Too shiny."

Five minutes later, Jennifer looked at her reflection. A satisfied smile on her painted lips. "Great! I wanted to try this look." She looked up back to Rei. "I bet you can make good money applying make-up for parties and that. Once the other girls know you can do make-up this good, this quick, you'll have your hands full."

Rei hesitated a bit.

"It will be good to socialize, at least." Doc noted.

Rei thought about it, and finally accepted. "I have no idea of the price ranges."

Marty hugged Jennifer with one arm, "Leave that to Jennifer. You're gonna need a vault at the bank!"

Asuka sat down on another stool. "Dibs on first paying client, Wonder Girl." She turned to Jennifer, "Price for natural look, emphasizing eyes and cheekbones."

Doc beckoned the other males, "Let's go, guys. The mysteries of the feminine are not for mortal men to know." He said with a smirk.

"Lest we go mad from the revelation?" Shinji blurted, immediately covering his mouth.

"Man, the game is starting to get you, Shinji." Marty slapped his friend's shoulder in easy camaraderie.

Even Rei cracked a smile.

Author Notes

(1) True.

(2) A curious anecdote from the filming of Jurassic Park comes to mind. During the filmation of the climactic scene, the actors had to hung from cables as they fled the raptors over a dinosaur skeleton. Laura Dern (who played Ellie Satler) got quite a few bruises in the process, and the SFX crew did ask her to let them take pictures of them, for future reference.

(3) There's no mention of any past wounds in any of the F/X movies, but it would not be unusual for a long-time cop to carry some scars.

(4) The protagonist of the original version of The Fly (1958), suffered that exact problem. And the fly that got mixed up with him, the exact opposite. The last scene is still creepy and tragic. If you haven't watched the movie, do so. It's one of the best monster movies from the 1950s.

Chapter 35: Hill Valley Vignettes, Part III

Chapter Text

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it).

Hill Valley, California, USA
McFly Residence
2 weeks later; Friday 5:06 P.M.

Lorraine McFly opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of a group of five girls, all of them around the same age as Marty. None of them was familiar. "Um, yes? Can I help you?" She asked.

All the girls smiled, and one took the initiative, she was tall, a bit skinny, and her face was a bit narrow. "Hi!" She chirped. "You must be Mrs. McFly. I'm Sandra Hill, and these are my sister Joanna, and my friends Jill Jones, Sally Brown, and Lucy Peters." The girls waved and smiled in turn. "Is Rei Ayanami home? We would like her advice with our make-up!"

"Yes, yes, she is home. Please come in. I'll go get her. I think she's at her Uncle's Home, but it's right at the back. Gimme a few minutes."

A few minutes of haggling later, Rei had Sandra Hill seated on a stool. Rollie had suggested one with a freely spinning seat. It made make-up work easier. Sandra watched while Rei studied her face, making her turn left and right. "Your eyes are very close." She said, bluntly.

"I know!" Sandra whined. "Can you do something?"

"Hmm…" Rei blinked twice. "Yes. I can compensate." She studied the colors available in her kit, her mind comparing Sandra's facial structure to the magazines and books she had studied after school and were now stored in her prodigious memory. Took her a minute to choose the combination of color and application more favorable to the girls facial structure.

"What are you planning to do with that money, dear?" Lorraine asked, once the five girls had left the house.

"Half will go into my savings account, Dave was very helpful when we opened our accounts. Eventually, I will invest a part into Brown Industries and Lightning Bolt Studios."

"Rollie and Andy finally chose a name? I thought he would keep the F/X name?"

"They have chosen both name and a place. There's an empty warehouse in the outskirts of town that checks almost their whole list. For a starting place. Mayor Wilson is very interested in the possibilities. Rollie wants to keep F/X as a separate entity, for taxing purposes. Lightning Bolt Studios is to be the main face of the enterprise, managing everything except for make-up and practical effects on location. That stuff will revert to F/X. Meanwhile, Uncle Emmet and Dr. Spengler will manage the real purpose of the studio. Capt. Zeddemore will act as middleman between both sections. Until, and unless, Rollie and Andy be inducted into our group."

"That's very nice!" Lorraine smiled. "You have a natural talent for make-up! You'll save a lot of money."

"Dr. Stantz suggested we involve ourselves in everyday activities. Shinji has been very involved with The Pinheads. And Asuka has been tutoring a few students and helping the science team with preparing Dr. Akagi's equipment."

"Good. It has done you three a world of good."

"It's been… pleasant to interact with other teenagers without Commander Ikari's shadow looming over us."

"A bit of a control freak, right?"

"No. He was an absolute control freak. Everything was measured against his Escenario. In the end, it did not work out for him." She paused, "His was the only human soul I did not accept into Instrumentality. Though I didn't know it, due to his manipulation of my own soul and development; I was so angry at him over his treatment of all of us."

Rei sat down on the couch, here head down, and her fingers playing with the hem, "I couldn't even recognize my emotions. I couldn't express them." She whispered, as Lorraine sat drown next to her, and tentatively hugged her. "I… I…" she gasped.

Lorraine pulled Rei into the hug. She recognized overwhelming emotion, even as subdued as Rei's were. Very slowly, Rei hugged her back, softly sobbing. Lorraine kept on hugging her.

When George arrived, he found them like that. A quick look between the two sand everything that needed to be said. George nodded, and quietly, he went to the garage to wait.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Paul's Home, Garage
Saturday Morning
11:47 A.M.

"I think we got it!" Marty exclaimed. "At least the instrumental part. Who is gonna sing?"

"Don't look at me," Shinji shrugged, "my accent still shows."

Bobby played a few notes in the keyboard. "I'll do it. Keyboard is kinda simple for Earth Angel, so I can do both."

"Cool!" Marty approved. "How are you doing with the bass in Johnny B. Goode, Shinji?"

"I'm close. Can we try it with full group now?"

"Sure," Lee said, as Shinji stood up behind his cello. "We have been practicing our parts."

Just as he had done both a few months and thirty years before, Marty began to play one of Chuck Berry's most famous songs. The others followed him with the fast rhythm of the song. Shinji still found the handling of his cello strange. He was used to classical pieces, played with the arc in the traditional way, strumming the strings like a guitar… was weird.

"Say, are you guys done with your records?" Paul asked, "Anything worth mentioning or covering?"

Shinji shook his head, "I haven't finished yet. Though I got… I think it was a Mexican record for children, it's a singing clown. Zepilin? (1)."

"Ah." Paul chuckled, "I know who you mean. But the name is in Spanish, so it would be pronounced kinda like Zep-E-Jean. Stress in the last syllable. Really popular south of the border some years ago, I heard. Tv show, movies, records, and even comic books." (2)

Shinji nodded, "I don't think we should cover the songs, unless we go play in birthday parties." Everybody laughed at that. He continued, "I still have a few records to listen to. Maybe I'll find something cool."

"Yeah." Bobby said, "I got a Sinatra's Greatest Hits, Fly Me to the Moon sounds right for a cover." He paused, "though I don't think any of us could pull anything close to Sinatra's voice. My Granny would kill me if I tried."

Paul tapped his hands against the guitar case, "Hey, Shinji. Your sister has a nice voice, does she sing?"

"Ah, um… not that I've heard her."

"Ask her if she would like to try, Red too." (3)

"Why don't we go for a full trio?" Marty proposed, "Add Jennifer to the choir and we have a full trio, like in the old movies."

"I was thinking more of the Pointer Sisters (4), but I guess you're right." Lee laughed.

They kept proposing ideas for George and Lorraine's Anniversary Party.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Doc Brown's Residence (behind the McFly's Home)
Shinji's Lovely Suite II
9:37 P.M.

That night, Shinji played another of the LP's he got. "What is a Megatron?" (5) He said as he looked at the album cover. A simple black and white illustration. A grid with a prominent vanishing point, with a lonely figure walking away. Over it, a couple of circles that reminded Shinji of a planet and a moon. And to the left, a triangle, part of a pyramid that continued at the back cover. In the empty space at the top center of the cover, the title "Megatron Man" and the author, Patrick Cowley (6). He had never heard of either, so it could be something interesting.

He put the bulky headphones on, set the record on the player, carefully dropped the needle, and was hit by the most artificial sounds he had ever heard.

The titular song had an unusual rhythm, staring with a harsh percusion, and gradually adding strange sounds he doubted any normal instrument could make these sounds. Soon, a heavily distorted voice sung about how the world was waiting for the Megatron Man. In the end, Shinji still had no idea of who or what the Megatron Man was.

The second song, Thank God for Music, shook Shinji to the core. The song put into words one of the emotions he had clung to during those hopeless months as the last boy on Earth (7). By the end of the song, his hands were trembling.

The last song on Side A, Menergy, had Shinji wondering what exactly was the Menergy, was it a kind of a dance? A club? Anyway, his fingers began to follow the keyboard solo as if playing it on the cello.

He took a moment to catch his breath, and flipped the record to Side B.

Get a Little was, in contrast, almost sedate and intimate. Shinji almost blushed at the implications of the lyrics and the sheer sensuality the three female singers (8) put in their voices.

Lift Off, with a male singer (9), captured Shinji's imagination. He almost felt himself in a space ship, ready to fly away from the planet.

The last song, I Wanna Take You Home, had Shinji really blushing, as the subject was even more obvious than in Get a Little. His imagination promptly took flight and somehow, the singers voices began to develop a German accent…

Hill Valley, California, USA
Doc Brown's Residence
Emmet L. Brown Study
12:16 A.M.

Doc Brown sat on his favorite rocking chair, Einstein sleeping on his doggy-bed.

The chair creaked softly under Doc. The man lost in thought. It had been three weeks since the last time he had seen Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. And he couldn't stop thinking about her.

And it was a disturbing thing. For decades, Doc had dedicated himself to science, especially after meeting Marty for the very first time, back in 1955. He smiled, remembering that brief week as one of the most hectic times of his life.

Turned out it had been just a practice run to his current project.

Without thinking, he lowered his hand to scratch Einstein's head. The dog, still sleeping, leaned onto his touch. Doc took a half hour every night, just to let his mind wander freely. To decompress, to relax.

Normally, his thoughts would jump from a subject to another, starting at point A to end up meandering until they arrived to Point 265-Gamma-3-B.

Lately, his wandering thought tended to go back to Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Maybe the only person in the world who could understand his own regrets over the atomic bomb. Hell… maybe he himself was the only person she could talk about her own regrets. Her own part in actually killing the world.

Both had blood on their hands, both had been used by their own leaders.

And both regretted it.

He sighed, and patted Einy's ribs.

One more week, and Dr. Akagi would return to their lives.

Hill Valley, California, USA
Tannen Residence
Tiff's Room
2:00 A.M.

Tiffany Tannen shrank in her bed after listening to the front door slam.

Her father was home.

Drunk as a damned skunk. (10)

Again.

Immediately, she could hear him arguing with Cliff. About money. Or the Car Wax. Or dinner. Or football.

Anything was worth arguing in Biff -Tannen's opinion, and anybody who didn't agree with him was a stupid blockhead.

Tiff pretended to sleep, as always. Cliff was a jerk and a drag, but at least he did his best to protect her from their father's wrath.

She missed the other school. It was boring and oppressive, but at least there she didn't have to worry about being shouted at in the early hours to make a stupid sandwich with two slices of turkey, two strips of crispy bacon, no mayonnaise (because it was for sissies), double onion, a whole sliced tomato, and three radishes cut into thin slices. Accompanied by a beer.

God, he hated those stupid sandwiches…

Hill Valley, California, USA
Doc Brown's Residence
Asuka's Private Room (Enter Without Permission and Die)
3:00 A.M.

The former pilot slept deeply, and dreamed.

She was back in Tokyo-3, back to Misato's apartment, back to her room, the same that had been Shinji's Lovely Suit. She sat up on the bed, and looked around, knowing with absolute certainty this was just a dream.

"Hey!" Misato's happy voice almost startled her, "Just dropped by to check on you, Asuka." The violet haired guardian chirped happily, a can of beer in her hand. Mercifully closed, so far.

"Shut up. You are a figment of my imagination. The real Misato is still in a container full of LCL gel."

"Yeaup. That's true. I am just the image of Misato you have in that pretty head of yours. Just a subroutine of your subconscious mind."

"What do you want? I'm doing better now."

Misato popped open the beer can, but didn't drink, "That's right! You're so much better than back in the future. I'm here to remind you that you are doing better. Just a friendly reminder, and in a dream, no more hallucinations for you, Asuka. I am very proud of you." She tilted her beer can in salute, and proceeded to chug the whole content in a few gulps. "Aaah! The best way to celebrate!" She almost shouted, a happy smile on her face. "Tell me, have you managed to snog Shinji yet?"

"…" Asuka blushed, remembering their disastrous kiss, just before the 12th Angel appeared. Looking back, that was the point of no return for her. The last chance at maybe grasping a happy ending (11). She shook her head. "N-not yet. I… we… I want it to be perfect." She admitted.

Misato threw the can into the paper basket. "Oh, Asuka." She cupped her ward's face in her palms. "The perfect moment may never come again. You already had your perfect moment."

"Was? How? What?" Asuka stammered.

"I'm a figment of your mind, remember?" Misato winked, tapping at her temple, "What you know, I know. I don't know much of Misato's life, because all I know is what you know. Her voice, her mannerisms, her bad habits. Things you saw yourself. Nothing else." She winked, "So you don't need to be coy with me. I've had time to think, or rather, your subconscious has had time to think. So I kinda know things you don't know. Not consciously. Back then, Shinji didn't respond to you because he didn't know what to do! Congratulations, Asuka, you crashed his system!"

"Wait, run that again, slower."

"Asuka, Shinji didn't kiss you back because his brain was melting down into its most basic components. Had he actually rejected you, he would have pulled back. He was trying to decide if he should kiss you back, or just enjoy the kiss, or if you were gonna get angry at him. Lack of oxygen didn't help, you know."

Asuka pulled a hand over her face. "I am an idiot." She grumbled.

"Officially." Misato chirped. "The important thing is, you have a second chance here in the 1980s! Don't wait for the perfect moment. Make it, take the initiative! Even if it's not the perfect time, build it up, don't just kiss him out of the blue, guide him, let him know you want to kiss him, and that you want him to kiss you back."

"That's it?" Asuka asked, incredulous.

"Yep, that's the big secret. Of course, you could simply grab his shirt, pull him towards you, and plant a big sloppy kiss on his mouth, but I don't think he would process it well. Or at all." She smirked, mimicking the movements. "Just let him know you want to kiss him. Not with words, with your eyes. Go a step at a time, give him the chance to realice what's going on, guide him softly, and I bet you get the kiss you need and deserve, after all the crap you endured at Tokyo-3."

Asuka turned around on her bed.

Author Notes

(1) A real life entertainer. Ricardo Gonzalez was a pediatric dentist, and created a clown persona so the children wouldn't be scared during the procedures. He called the character "Cepillín", which means something like "Little toothbrush". He had a very intense career in the late 1970s, early 1980s, though by the time of Back to the Future, his fame was dwindling.

(2) Indeed, Cepillin was featured in multiple media. In recent years, he achieved memetic status due to a curious practice of the publisher of his comics. The same publishing house had the rights to multiple Marvel Comics books, and used the Editor Reference Boxes (The ones that say things like "It happened in Issue 3 of this or that series"), to promote their own comics. So, it was not unusual to read, say, a Spider-Man comic, and find a "Lea Cepillin" instead of "Check issue 35!"

(3) The end credits of the original NGE series had different versions of Fly Me to the Moin. Episode 11 had the voice actresses for Misato, Rei, and Asuka singling the song. As Misato is not actively present in this story, I thought Jennifer could be an acceptable replacement.

(4) The Pointer Sisters were quite popular around the time of Back to the Future.

(5) Interestingly, both the song and album titled "Megatron Man" precede the Transformers by a few years; the album was released in 1981, while the original Transformers comic book was launched in 1984. I have no idea if the song inspired the name of the main Decepticon leader.

(6) Patrick Cowley (1950-1982) was mainly a composer and producer. Most of his songs were released by other artists in the same label. Though he is not too well known today, he was one of the pioneers of mainstream electronic music, especially in the High-Energy sub-genre. His style was very recognizable. He was also one of the early victims of AIDS, and died shortly after finishing his third album.

(7) The Last Boy on Earth was the tagline of Kamandi. A comic book published by DC back in 1972 to cash on the popularity of the Planet of the Apes movie. Though it's creator, Jack Kirby, had already published a story with a similar premise years before the original Planet of the Apes novel. BTW, the novel is very different to the movies.

(8) Jo Carol Block, Lauren Cárter, and Carol McMackin, they were habitual collaborators in Cowley's work.

(9) Paul Parker, another habitual collaborator of Cowley. Cowley was his producer and song-writer during Parker's early career.

(10) I don't think it would be too much of a stretch for Biff to be an habitual drunk.

(11) Personally, I think that was the turning point to the series. The moment the road to Hell is no longer avoidable. The central premise of one of my favorite ever fanfics, and one of the stories that prompted me to write my own, is "What if the kiss had been done right?", and the story turns around in a very logical and exciting way. I strongly urge you to go read "Advice and Trust", by Panther2g AKA Strygpia