Chapter 3.2

Shinji turned and asked Momose first.

"Momose, you already have extensive piloting experience, so do you want to give it a try..?"

Shaking her head and sighing, Momose told him, in a disappointed tone;

"Nope, only my own Eva can really do it for me… besides, I'm sure that if I tried to get in, I'd probably… get rejected by its system…"

A bead of sweat welled up on Shinji's forehead, as he wasn't expecting to have to send out Aubrey so soon.

"Aubrey, do you think you… could…"

The blankness on Aubrey's face disappeared, as Shinji popped the question.

"Wh-what!?"

His densely black eyebrows raised and he had a wide-eyed look.

"I'm getting in that robot..!?"

Realizing he lost his composure, his facial muscles slackened, saying:

"…I see…"

Looking off the platform at the yellow mecha, Aubrey quickly submitted, saying:

"I don't think I'll be any good, but alright…"

Shinji was surprised by his willingness to cooperate, but knowing they had to move with haste, he beckoned the pilot to follow him along the catwalk.

Aubrey stuck close behind him as they moved down to a branched off part, where a ladder clipped with strange capsule-like tube.

It stuck out of the spine of the robot, its white paint labeled with:

"EVA04"

Kneeling next to the ladder that descended down, Shinji spoke.

"Aubrey Koike… Nerv selected you to be a defender of humanity…"

Aubrey's knees were weak, and he felt this fact, because each step he took down the metal bars was slow and lethargic.

"What you are up against, is something bizarre… but please, be strong."

Descending into the white pod, Shinji's voice became muffled.

"If only I were younger, I could've carried this burden instead of having to send you."

As the hatch to the pod closed, a few words slipped in before it cut off.

"Good l-"

It was pitch black in the interior, with it impossible to see anything, before a light appeared from all directions around him.

Aubrey realized he was sitting in a strange, felt covered chair, with what seemed to be a grey control stick in both of his hands.

Clutching tightly at them, Aubrey leaned back in the seat and slowly turned to look at all of the screens.

The entirety of them were pure white.

Aubrey felt a sudden drop, as the entry plug was inserted into the spine of the Eva.