The control room, also known as Akagi's office.
"The first stage of synchronization has been completed successfully. The connection with the A-10 nerve is in working order," Maya reported.
"Proceed to the second stage of synchronization," Akagi commanded.
- Second stage... I am detecting the awakening of the Core! Eva-01 has switched to self-sufficiency. All neural connections have been successfully established. Synchronization level is 58%. All harmonics are normal.
- Hmm... - Akagi took a sip of coffee from a plastic cup. - Synchronization is lower than last time... Signals?
"Eva-01 is responding to our signals as normal, no failures or interference have been detected. It's amazing, as if these three days never happened..." Ibuki added to herself in surprise.
- Yes, it's strange...
"Are you saying that all your problems with controlling the Eva disappeared as soon as Shinji got in?" Katsuragi, who had been silent until then, joined the conversation.
- As surprising as it may be, yes, it is... Maya, check the reaction of blocks five through seven.
- Yes, Akagi-sensei! ... Blocks five through seven are responding normally, no interference or signal delays were detected.
- Clear...
"Why is that surprising?" Misato asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"I had doubts that he would be able to synchronize with her at all, after everything that happened. And here, of all the problems, only the decreased synchronization level," Akagi glanced at one of the monitors. "Even the S2 engine works normally, releasing a strictly defined amount of energy. And this is amazing.
Katsuragi glanced at the monitors, then glanced at Rei, who was silently standing to the side, staring at the Evangelion through the armored glass partition, and biting her lip, thought about something. A second later, having made a decision, the captain approached the large microphone and, raising her voice, said:
- Shinji, how are you?
"Fine," came the laconic answer.
- Your synchronization level is lower than last time, try to increase it, if you can of course.
- Fine.
"The synchronization level has started to increase!" Maya exclaimed in an alarmed voice. "60% 63, 67, 70, 75, 80!"
- STOP! Shinji, that's enough! You're already at eighty percent!
- ...
– The growth of the synchro level has stopped, 82%!
"Shinji?!" Katsuragi said into the microphone, alarmed.
"Misato?" came the calm reply.
- Phew!.. - Katsuragi sighed with relief. - Don't scare me like that again.
- What did I do?
- You scared us, that's what! I thought Eva had gotten out of control again, - there was silence in response. - Okay, sit down, I won't bother you anymore, - after waiting a few seconds but still not hearing an answer, Katsuragi muttered something unintelligible under her breath and turned off the microphone. - Well, - she turned to Akagi, - and you say "lowered synchronization level". That's how he does all this?
"We need these tests to find out," she shrugged, lighting a cigarette and thoughtfully looking at Eva's head through the bulletproof glass.
"If I were you, I would try to finish in one hour," Katsuragi smiled, shooting her eyes at her friend and folding her arms across her chest again.
"That's not enough at all. Or do you take his arrogance seriously?" Akagi exhaled a stream of smoke, turning her gaze to the monitor.
- That's the point, it's not arrogance. If he's not happy with something, he'll smash everything here to pieces and not even flinch.
- Do you seriously think so?
"Believe me," Katsuragi smiled sadly. "Shinji is anyone but an obedient child who unquestioningly obeys his elders."
"Even if that's the case, we can interrupt his contact with Eva at any moment," the head of the Science Department waved it off casually, taking a sip of coffee and typing something on the keyboard.
- Yes? By the way, try it! I want to see it.
- We have other things to do now, especially...
- But you still try, consider this a request from the Operations Department.
"Okay then," the doctor's sullen gaze rested on the captain. "Cut off all nerve connections."
"Yes!" Maya exclaimed nervously, clearly out of place.
- Well? What's the matter?
- I don't know, Akagi-sensei... The signal went through, but Eva doesn't react...
- Impossible... Repeat again.
"I'm trying, but there's no result..." panic clearly flashed in the operator's voice.
"Why am I not surprised?" Misato said.
- Are you saying you expected this?!
- Not exactly that, but something like that... So, if Shinji suddenly decides to start a pogrom here, there's nothing we can do to stop him?
"Raise LCL pressure in the cockpit!" Akagi barked.
- Ah... Yes!
- Well?!
- The signal went through, Eva doesn't react!
- How is this possible!? - Akagi jumped up from her chair and in two steps, quickly, approached Maya.
"Nothing," Misato stated. "And he has no problems with energy either."
"We need to get him out of Eve somehow..." the doctor muttered after a few seconds of keyboard torture.
"Ritsuko, what are you fussing about? You put him there yourself," Katsuragi asked absolutely calmly, with a hint of surprise in her voice, looking half-turned at her friend.
– I didn't know then how it would turn out.
- And how did it turn out? In my opinion, Shinji is sitting calmly in the capsule and is not going to destroy anything, and the Eva did not even move. So don't panic.
- How can you be so calm?
- Probably got infected from Shinji. Calm down, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
- How did it "not happen"? And Eve's refusal to carry out the system's commands is normal in your opinion? We haven't even lost contact with her, the signals are passing through smoothly, but there is no reaction!
- So what? No, seriously, Ritsuko. First, Eva protects him in the hangar without power or a pilot, then during the fight with the angel, it gets energy from nowhere, even before absorbing the Core, and finally everything that it demonstrated while left without control... Against this background, a simple rejection of the program looks like a mere trifle. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Shinji will soon be able to control it without even approaching the headquarters. At least, against the general background, it would be logical...
- This is impossible...
- Isn't that too much of an impossibility? Well, you're right, I went too far with the remote control, but don't even think about trying to ignore it or use it against your will! It'll slam the door, and you won't know what hit you.
- And it doesn't bother you?
- You know, no, in the end, he is his father's son.
- And what do you order me to do? An hour a week is not enough at all.
- Write a request in full form, what did he say there? "pay extra", right? So we'll formalize his visit to the scientific department as a business trip, - Misato smiled slyly. - Although don't count on much anyway, it would be good if we can persuade him to stay for two hours a day.
- Yeah... - Akagi lit a new cigarette and exhaled a stream of smoke. - Looks like I really will have to... Maya, how's the data recording?
- It's okay, Akagi-sensei, MAGI has already started processing...
Throughout the entire conversation, Ayanami Rei had been staring at the massive Evangelion standing in the hangar, from the very spot where she had stood as soon as the Third Child left the room.