I saw this yesterday and decided to write something for it as well. I do have a sort of plan for this one if I continued writing it, but for now I have left it vague in case someone else wanted to use Asuka in some way.
The Geofront was a big, big place. So very, very big with lots of corridors, lots of staff, lots of departments all doing their own special tasks that were absolutely and fundamentally necessary to the overall function of the facility. Though she was a genius if she did say so herself (and she did. Often), Asuka Langley Sohryu felt it made perfect sense that she had never ever been in Ritsuko’s main laboratory before. It simply wasn’t part of her job description to be there. Oh, what’s that? Surely the synch test area was her main laboratory? Hah! Different department entirely! Whatever foolish rhetorical person asked that question deserved to be beneath her heel!
After all, it wasn’t as though those machines were developed in the area they are now. They weren’t even the originals, most likely! No, they’d be copies made from blueprints that were built and tested and retested until they were reasonably certain they worked within expected parameters. Obviously they would keep the prototypes (and other equipment) well away from the pilots and the real testing area. Obviously, because that would be kind of stupid.
It all added up to Asuka being a little surprised to be invited to this particular location in the first place. She had no doubt that whatever it was, it was important and she would comprehend it quicker than anyone else would. (Perhaps not immediately, but she’d get it!)
After all, it was she who had been summoned. Not the idiot wimp, not the emotionless doll. The brilliant lively energetic charming beautiful genius known as The Second Child: Asuka herself! Of course she would be able to help and she would be perfectly glad to <s>show off</s> <s>prove her worth</s> assist in any way they needed! Yes, sir!
“Guten Tag!” she cheerily yelled as she strode into the laboratory. “What can... I... help you... Huh? Where is she?”
Indeed, Ritsuko Akagi was nowhere in sight. Asuka’s smile rapidly transformed into a frown, which in turn became a scowl. “Typical!” she fumed, folding her arms in front of her and tapping her foot impatiently. “I come all the way down here to help out, and she’s not even here when I arrive? Is this any way to treat their number one pilot?”
“Maybe if that number one pilot spent less time bragging and more time getting in here, she’d be even better than she already is!” a voice called from underneath the desk. From the other side, Ritsuko Akagi rose a few moments later clutching a screwdriver in her teeth and a mad twinkle in her eye. “Phwawy wawou vpwat,” she stopped, and extracted the screwdriver. “Sorry about that. In the middle of a bit of repair work, but now that you’re here it can wait for later. Please sit down, and help yourself to some water. This could take some time.”
Sit down? And where was she supposed to do that? All the chairs were doubling as storage space for some form of equipment or other. Circuitry, wires, a couple folders, papers. Was she supposed to sit on the floor? Bad enough that the Japanese sleep there, more often than not… Asuka grumbled and wandered over to a water cooler hidden in the corner of the room. For some reason, the corridor leading here seemed to be much, much hotter than the rest of the way here, and by this point she had walked far enough through it to be thoroughly parched!
“So what’s this all about?” Asuka asked, impatiently swirling her water around in the plastic cup. “In what manner can I humbly help you, NERV’s chief scientist during this time of Angelic inactivity?”
“We must not relax so easily,” Ritsuko replied. “After all, the Angels get stronger each time they come. There’s no telling what the next might be like, and so we must upgrade our own abilities to maintain whatever advantages we can.
“I see,” Asuka nodded. She ran her tongue around on her teeth. That water tasted a bit funny. Probably nothing, but still… “So of course you brought me in, because I’m much more reliable and skilled than those other two. It only makes sense, after all!”
“I suppose it does,” Ritsuko replied, almost in the same tone as one that heard a half-funny joke. “One of my little experiments is on a new plugsuit design that should improve efficiency even more than the current model. You will be coming back in tomorrow for a comparative test between both models - ah, but they are designed to look similar so you don’t know which is which, and nor will we until the experiment is completed.”
“Of course, of course!” Asuka nodded, but she was finding herself a little bit distracted for some reason. This odd taste… what was that? It was getting rather distracting now. No matter how she tried, she just couldn’t place it and that was driving her nuts! “Got to keep it double blind!”
“But that is tomorrow. I would not have dragged you down here today if that was all I wanted you for! I brought you here so that you could wear this!”
“… A watch? No. It’s just made to look like a watch, isn’t it? What is it really?”
“Smart girl! It’s designed to measure your life signs and from that estimate your synch ratio. The device is experimental, and I would like you to help calibrate it… by spending the next three hours working out in our gym and taking a dip in the pool. Before you ask, it is waterproof. Come on, let’s get going!”
<hr>
Ritsuko had to admit, the girl was impressive. She was the least necessary pilot regarding certain plans and plots, and yet in spite of that… It was a cruel irony how talented she was, or at least it would seem that way from Asuka’s point of view. From Ritsuko’s? It was a little interesting, and little more than that. She really couldn’t have found a better test subject.
It was almost surprising how easy it was to draw her into this, really. It was one of those things Gendo once mentioned in passing: The smarter a person thinks they are, regardless of how intelligent they may actually be, it makes them much easier to manipulate.
At the moment she was jogging on the treadmill, occasionally reaching over to sip from some water. Have to keep hydrated while working out. The body produced rather a lot of sweat during a proper workout, and that water had to be replenished on occasion to maintain energy and keep going longer.
Ritsuko regarded her unknowing lab rat’s physical form, and pondered upon the inevitable results. At the moment Asuka’s striking red hair was laden with sweat, which was also pouring down her brow over her sharp, yet attractive face. She was tall, rather slim of figure and in her limbs, but judging from these results she did have much more muscle in there than first appeared.
What would change first? Her skin? Her hair or bones? Or perhaps a more specific part of her body? Those rather long, trim legs currently beating out a steady controlled rhythym upon the treadmill? Her chest, which was rising and falling with each measured breath she took? Her head? Her arms? Whichever it might be, Ritsuko could scarcely wait to see the results.
Her pondering was interrupted when Asuka stumbled forward slightly and switched off the treadmill. “How... did... I... do?” she asked between ragged breaths.
“Not bad,” Ritsuko replied. “But your performance wasn’t the test, remember. I just wanted to ensure the watch was measuring your life signs correctly.” And get you to drink lots of that “water”. Yes, that’s right. Finish the bottle, you must be used to the odd taste by now. “It seems to be working as expected. Head into the showers, and you can do what you like with the rest of the day. Just so long as you don’t take off the watch. It will continue monitoring your vitals for the rest of the day.” And let her know the exact moment things started happening.
“Hmph! Alright!” Asuka rolled her eyes. She then struck her hand out, examining the watch as if it was a new accessory. “I suppose it does have some minor semblance of style and fashion…” she observed with a sigh. Asuka blinked and wiped at her forehead. “Mein Gott, what a workout! You don’t mind if I find somewhere to rest before leaving? It <i>is</i> a bit of a walk back home!”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ve already asked Misato to pick you up. She’ll drive you home.”
“… Which will coincidentally allow you to check up on what happens to my vital signs under a high-stress situation.”
“You said it,” Ritsuko smirked. “Not me.”
<hr>
Sometimes it seemed as though she could not help but burn the midnight oil. Given the responsibilities placed upon her, given that the very fate of humanity hinged in part upon her knowledge and experience in various scientific fields… Well, it can’t be all that surprising that she spent so damned many nights in this laboratory that she had a cot set up, now can it? Too often she worked herself until the very moment her eyes were too heavy to keep open. Too often she drank enough coffee to give an elephant the jitters and plowed through until the morning light. Too often. Far, far too often. Tonight had been one of those first sort of nights and for that much her body was begrudgingly grateful for the rest.
Then there was an alarm. Nothing blaring, nothing heard outside this room. Just a beeping noise coming at irregular intervals from her computer - irregular because her mind would have difficulty ignoring the random quality and be forced to awaken to deal with it - that demanded her immediate attention. She rolled over and practically crawled to her computer to make the noise stop. Noise bad, sleep good, coffee better.
Science best.
The signs upon the computer woke her up better than any stimulant could dare to dream, and she was in her seat pouring over the results with abject fascination. Oh yes! It had started! According to surveillance Asuka was still asleep - as were the other occupants - and blissfully unaware of the rather interesting changes occurring to her body.
“And now, the real tests can begin!”
Skin or hair alteration.
Facial alteration.
Torso alteration.
Limb alteration.
Everything changes! Everything!
Something else
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