The last few weeks had been fairly routine.  Classes at the Fraternity of the Sons, quiet evenings alone in the splendor of the last great redoubt of human culture, or training at the NERV headquarters.  Being pilots in the Evangelion program was incredibly prestigious, and each of the pilots permitted to actually get inside the secret base were essentially minor celeberties.  Today was yet another entry plug drill, sitting in that giant robot cockpit, noetic interface clipped to your head, watching the security feed on your holographic display projector.  It was like being in class, aside from the fetishistic plugsuit, and the knowledge that you might be called into battle with the space monster Gazardiel.<br/><br/>The feed from the UN security council came on.  Mario Mecci, the operations director, appeared in holographic form, speaking before a panel of old stuffy dignitaries.  "I must repeat my assertion that deploying an N2 bomb on Gazardiel will NOT be sufficient to destroy it!  That space monster has a resilient biology that can reform from a single cell, and obvious abilities to cancel out all known laws of physics.  I must beg you, the only chance we hae is to deploy the Evangelion program, to test AT field against AT field!"  Mr. Mecci said passionately, while the security council grumbled and debated among themselves.  "Your AT field theory is an interesting one, but it does not pass scientific scrutiny.  We will not put the lives of<em>Children</em>in danger merely to test out your "theory."  The American dignitary said, while the German dignitary rose to speak.  "The German people have suffered much in these last months.  Bremen, Stuttgart, so many lives lost, so much suffering.  We must do everything we can to destroy this monster!  Save your Evangelions.  We will use proven weapons of mass destruction first."  He said, while the Italian representative rose to speak last, taking a long, hard look at Major Mecci before she finally spoke.  "The city of Milan is in danger, and I must agree that we must use all of the resources we have at our disposal to defeat this threat to all of humanity.  You may have your chance, Major Mecci, but only after this body has exhausted every other alternative.  I suggest you begin evacuation of Babylon immediately."  The Italian representative said, providing sufficient votes to ensure that the measure to deploy the Evangelions ahead of the N2 bombs could not possibly pass.<br/><br/>The council voted, and the feed switched to the central NERV command center as the measure went down in flames.  "Well, that's it then."  Major Mecci said, grimly smiling very slightly, and turning around towards the upper section of the gallery, where Dr. Naoko Akagi was sitting, perched with her hands tented, remaining silent as usual.  Major Mecci spoke first.  "Balthazar, initiate emergency protocol 66.  Authorization Code: Neon Genesis Evangelion."  Mecci said, triggering a massive wave of alarms throughout NERV as the base sealed to lockdown condition.  The guards reacted with terror and confusion, which Major Mecci added to by puling a gun from his jacket and firing wildly, somehow taking down the security feed.<br/><br/>Back in the entry plug, your plugs abruptly started to fill with a strange, warm, orange fluid, drizzling in at an alarming rate.  As fast as the fluid was going, it would soon be over your head...  Surely you would be drowned!  Every security feed and communication channel provided only static.  So that was it, that was where the pilots began... Alone, and about to die.<br/><br/>(EVA pilots weren't told about the LCL, and it was omitted from all of their simulations.  Roll a willpower test to not panic with fear as you're drowned by the LCL.  On a success, increase your temporary synch ratio by 2d5; on a failure, roll for synch disruption.)<br/><br/><br/>For Shihong's character:<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body"> Major Mecci finished shooting out the security cameras, and turned to you and pointing his gun in your face while the vital signs of the pilots started to spike like crazy.  "I have a job, Sir.  My job is to stop the third impact.  Got a problem with that?  You can go to the brig, and wait for it all to pass, or you can get on that control panel and save another five billion lives."  Major Mecci growled, while the guards received their new orders, and started to secure the area.  "We had to make the pilots think they're going to die.  It helps the initial synch process.  Just monitor the board, and make sure we're getting to the startup line on all three units."  Energy flowed through the umbilical plugs, and tension ran throw the entire control bridge, knowing that they were now acting unilateraly in defiance of a UN resolution. </div></div>