Chapter 2, Operations Director: "We don't deal in Salvation down here."

Reading over the proposal he'd been sent regarding the microwave weapons after taking a seat, he soon put in his own proposal idea and sent it to the others as well. "Actually, I believe we are further from being able to adapt the ablative armor to Evangelion scale than we are for the Microwave Weapons. Perhaps we could even get some help from Russia's remaining scientists toward the latter?" The last was directed at Iosef.

"Ah, if only." Brezhinsky shakes his head.

"I cannot take such liberties with state military secrets. I will ensure that the Microwave weapons can integrate to the targeting systems, that is within personal expertise, and bring over contracted training officers to show pilots weapon usage procedures. That is all I can promise."

"That is unfortunate, but not unexpected. I'm sure any help you can give personally would be appreciated." He looked around the table at a few of the scientists s he continued. "Do we have any evidence that proves these Microwave weapons can bypass the armor of the Angels? If not, and we have a working prototype, we still have the pieces of the last Angel we could test the weapons on..."

"We can protect ourselves and our pilots by making sure they are all equipped with a reliable, accurate, and effective weapon. It's a bit of a gamble.. But with Iosef helping the pilots train... The Maser technology is probably the best thing to aim for right now. It will give us a very damaging weapon to use against the Angels, which should make the battles shorter so that there is less damage inflicted on the Evas or the city itself."

"Regardless... It would appear that our major issue is the time line." Johann adds leaning back in his chair. "The first angel arrived here ahead of estimations and in its final moments - I think whatever that transmission it sent out may have been a giant flare painting this location as a target for the other angels." He adds extending his hand casually for a moment. "So, we need to make a decision quickly and that decision should be something we can implement fairly expediently should another angel show up within a month or sooner. Then again, we could get lucky and it could be years before another incident - but im not willing to be that optimistic yet." Johann adds pulling his hand back and meshing his fingers.

"Considering where this angel came from and our surroundings - it wouldn't be a bad idea to stash away some emergency surplus and have the engineers work on some specialty Eva frame designs or transportation methods so we could launch one or a few eva's to intercept the enemy away from the island. After-all, if this one blinked down from space, who's to say another couldn't take up Geosynchronous orbit and slowly widdle away our defenses - or for that matter attack from underwater or extreme depths that our navy or eva's cant reach..." Though it looks as if Johann has gone quite to respectively allow the debate to continue further, he's actually thinking of weaponized satellites in orbit equipped with positron turrets.

The Agent nodded softly when Johann finished speaking, before looking over the data available to him. "Then it looks like the fastest thing to research is the Microwave Energy Weapons, or we can finish Ark, get it so that the buildings can be submerged to reduce collateral damage during engagements. Which should give us more funding to put into resupplying and rearming ourselves in the future."

"Very well I have made my decision on this matter; All current funding as well as a bit of future projected funds shall go to assisting the development and implementation of Maser technologies - as well as general repairs and upgrades to the Eva's themselves. I thank everyone in attendance for their time. Dismissed!"

20+15 ark = 35 for Maser. The next 2 - Facilitate upgrades.

As the meeting draws to a close Saitō receives a message on her PDA. Glancing up at Johann she gives him a curt nod.

"Very well Captain. I've been called by the Director, but I'll see you this afternoon for the Evangelion operational status report." Folding up her reports, the Second-in-Command leaves as the Russian engineer Iosef Brezhinsky and Bradley Taylor worked out a preliminary research and development plan with the representatives from Prometheus.

The following week, as Johann chatted up the office in his spare moments of off-time, he received a routine message directing him to meet the elusive Nerv Director along with the Nerv Second down in Hazardous Materials Containment. All of his afternoon meetings were canceled, the memo informed him.

Hazardous Containment is located roughly a quarter of a mile beneath the EVA Cages, one of the last major compartments of Nerv headquarters prior to reaching the very bottom of excavation and the off-limits chambers of Terminal Dogma. As he descends the small passenger elevator Fitz can see the wireless signal on his phone gradually die out completely. Of course, regular cellphones are always useless anywhere in Nerv, but like all special-issue Nerv phones his is equipped with a secondary radio that links in to a specialized network that has connection nodes all through base. There are cable connectors linking the network of wireless receiver nodes, allowing communication between the impermeable barriers of rock and shielded steel that separate sections of the base. Apparently the shielding above Terminal Dogma and Hazardous Containment was deemed to be too crucial to allow the wireless network to travel down here however, and no such signal is allowed. Communication is instead handled through conventional wired terminals, allowing easier control and isolation of systems penetration.

When Johann's elevator opens on the observation deck he was told to arrive at, he emerges into a dark and cold chamber about as large as a drained EVA launch cage. Above, a large section of Zuriel's core is slowly being lowered into a partially-flooded Cryo vat. Far below you, various components of the Angel are arranged in a variety of advanced containment and analysis units whose functions you can only guess at. Directly in front of you on the observation platform are the Nerv Director and his assistant. Megumi glances back at you, then looks to her boss. Harlan simply takes a long, slow drag of his cigarette and speaks without bothering to turn and face you.

He smiled laughing slightly at some joke or witty comment Professor Taylor had made as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. "Could you excuse me one," He adds casually taking out his phone flipping it open and reading his message. "Hmm, well looks like we may have to cancel that afternoon meeting. I have to attend to something, but if you want to pick this up later and this meeting doesn't force me to cancel on everyone I was preparing a sort of meet and greet at O'Houlihan's pub for drinks." Johann adds with a casual nod and wave while moving, not really giving the man enough time to accept or decline as he left.

Walking through various sectors he punches in a small code and signals a personal elevator from the Catwalks of Eva Containment after strolling by to examine the machines, the repairs and the crews in action. Once inside he waits calmly holding his hands in the small of his back. As the doors to the elevator open, the change in temperature is obvious as all the warmth and humidity are sucked out near instantly. As he walks forward his eye's are first drawn to the ominous blood ruby lowering through the air and into containment below but quickly his focus changes as he is greeted. Something about the man before him seemed to echo in his mind, like the distant fragment of a memory nearly forgotten but only recalled now because sensory input matched so many variables.

"Likewise." Johann adds calmly in reply stopping a few feet behind but close enough to casually glance from side to side as he tried to place the memory in his head. 'I think it was a party. Father had been reelected for a second term as the German UN representative. What were we talking about, studies, women, horses?' He adds blinking for a moment shaking off the specifics that didn't have to do with what he was trying to remember. 'Regardless he left our conversation and went out to the terrace to talk with, someone...' The hazy profile in his mind with a cigarette in his hand slowly came into focus. 'It couldn't be him... If it is he's aged well.'

For a long moment after Johann's reply there was silence as the Nerv Commander watched the procedure going on before him. Megumi glanced back and forth at the two, an expression of mild uncertainty dwelling in her eyes, before clearing her throat. Was she unnerved by the chilly silence?

"We've received word from the clean-up team that they've recovered an estimated 93% of Zuriel's core mass. Smaller fragments of the Angel's core are occasionally turning up, but they aren't certain if they are going to uncover all of it at this point in time. It... is possible that smaller pieces of the Angel have traveled far and potentially scattered either into the ocean or across the city."

Veidt absorbed this news without any visible reaction from Johann's point of view. After a long moment of consideration he finally spoke.


"Uncertain at this time, sir.

Johann, in case you haven't seen the report yet so far the preliminary test results from the Science team have shown all recovered samples of Zuriel's mass to be completely inert: a bizarre crystalline compound, to be sure, but without any discernible energy reactions, chemical compounds, or other phenomena that would justify the Angel's AT Field generation or explain it's biological processes."

"Is that so?" Johann adds a little intrigued by the turn of events.

'So gods stage hand and AV crew is also the narrator, pulling back the curtain and announcing the scene to us all. A fascinating introduction to this show to say the least. Will he also return as an actor in this performance as well?'

"So there's a chance we'll meet the hand controlling this false bodies marionette?" Johann adds with a confident smile. "Considering how much was canceled, I assume there's more to this backstage tour?" Johann adds taking a few steps forward and to his right as his eyes drift sideways to gaze upon his commanders side profile.

'Time to get our feet wet I suppose.'