Prisoner:  Cell Block NERV

by Sean Gaffney

Evangelion is (C) 2001 by Gainax, Anno, and Anno's insecurities.  I don't own 
Ritsuko, Maya, Misato, or any other Eva regular who appears in this fic.  This
fanfic will have some scenes which are adult in nature.  Reader discretion is 
advised.


     Maya Ibuki looked around the auditorium with a sigh.  The job fair was 
turning out to be a big bust so far.  Most of the companies hiring these days 
were so specialised that you didn't even go near them unless you were perfect 
for the job... and nobody seemed to be hiring computer techies.  Last year it 
seemed that had been all they were looking for.  She wasn't looking for a job 
last year, though.
     She sighed, clutching the wad of pamphlets she'd picked up to her chest.  
Like most of her classmates, she was starting to get used to the idea that 
four years in college, without any graduate work, would only earn her a chance 
to ask people if they wanted more ketchup packets.
     She was about to leave when she noticed the small booth near the door.  
She had avoided it when she came in, mostly as it seemed to be manned by a 
brash woman who was trying to give out T-shirts.  Never go for the company 
that has to give out free clothing, Maya thought at the time.  She seemed to 
be gone now, though, and the woman manning the booth was not only far more 
intelligent looking, but was also totally gorgeous.
     Maya flushed, trying to get rid of those thoughts before she walked over.  
She had managed to get through college without much aggravation about her 
sexuality... mostly as she was so shy she hadn't pursued any women either.  
Everyone just assumed she was a total wallflower, not a lesbian in hiding.  
Sometimes, though, Maya would see someone, and her sexuality would come 
lurching to the fore.  It was never convenient.  She clamped down on it now, 
and walked over to the stand.
     The woman there now appeared to be about twenty-five or so, still 
youthful in appearance.  Blonde hair, steely eyes... this woman would not be 
giving out T-shirts.  Wonderful.  Maya put on her best young, fresh-faced yet 
experienced and intelligent look.  "Hello!"
     She received a small smile in return.  "Hello.  Why should we hire you?"
     Maya blinked.  She wasn't used to companies being this... direct.  She 
composed herself rapidly and began to rattle off her qualifications.  The 
other woman listened for a while, then held up a hand.
     "I know what you've done, Miss Ibuki.  You were one of five people we 
received information on from your department.  My question is why we should 
hire you.  Try answering again."
     Maya tried not to let her mouth drop open.  She hadn't even thought the 
department knew she existed.  Her advisor had existed solely for the purpose 
of allowing her to graduate; she'd met him twice, and that was it.  The fact 
that she not only had been heard of but had been headhunted amazed her.
     And now she was screwing it up.  She tried again.  "You won't ever find a 
harder worker than me.  Plus I learn fast, and can give you even more as I do.  
If you hire me, you'll never see me slacking off, or doing less than one 
hundred and ten percent.  And I can type eighty words a minute and make three 
kinds of coffee."
     For a second, she thought she'd blown it with that last bit, but then the 
other woman's smile got wider.  "Well, all those other things are wonderful, 
but if you can make coffee, I can't see how we can turn you down."
     Maya felt her heart get two sizes too large.  She wasn't sure if it was 
the fact that she was going to be hired, or the fact that she had been on the 
receiving end of the most amazing smile she'd ever seen.
     "One last question, though."
     Maya nodded.  "Of course."
     "What's the name of our company?"
     She froze.  She could feel herself getting colder, as she realised that 
she'd never looked, hadn't even bothered to check, and she knew it was in the 
banner above, but if she moved her eyes from the other woman then she'd give 
herself away.  She was breathing faster now, almost in a complete panic.
     "See what happens when you don't take a free shirt?"
     The voice wasn't coming from the blonde woman, but from her co-worker, 
the one who had been handing out stuff in the first place.  She grinned before 
being smacked in the arm.
     "Knock it off," the blonde muttered.  She smiled back at Maya.  "I 
apologise, that was cruel of me.  I know that we overwhelmed you.  Welcome to 
ESAT.  I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, and my rude colleague is Misato Katsuragi.  You 
won't be in her department."
     Maya blinked, trying not to faint.  "You mean I'm... I?"  Words were 
abandoning her.
     Dr. Akagi got up, coming round from the booth.  "As I told you, we came 
here with a list of people.  You were on the top of that list.  You seem shy 
but promising, and didn't freeze up too much under pressure.  You'll need more 
training, of course, but that shouldn't be a problem."
     Maya stared, then bowed deeply.  "Thank you!  I'll do my best!"
     Another smile.  Maya was starting to get addicted to them.  "You'll be 
expected to report to ESAT's office a week after you graduate.  You'll get 
more details in the mail in the next few days.  And one thing which I do ask 
you adhere to strictly."  Her tone got more serious.  "ESAT's work is very 
confidential.  You can tell your friends who hired you, but nothing about 
where we are or what you'll be doing.  Am I clear?"
     Maya suspected the mere fact that she was hired would be enough to 
impress her friends, but nodded anyway.  "Of course.  I can keep secrets."
     Ritsuko shook Maya's hand.  It was a strong grip, yet not overly 
masculine.  Maya tried to give back the same grip.  "Congratulations, Miss 
Ibuki.  You'll be trained by someone else, but I'll be checking in once or 
twice.  I hope this leads to a long lasting relationship with our 
organisation.
     Maya found herself flushing, but nodded to try and hide it.  "Thank you 
again!"
     She left the building almost walking two feet into the air.  How could 
this day have been any better?

***

     Misato drove back to NERV headquarters, far too fast as usual.  "Well, 
that went pretty well."
     "I think so too," Ritsuko said, untroubled by Misato's speed.  She was 
leaning back in the seat, her eyes closed.
     "So well, in fact, that I have no idea why *we* needed to be slumming it 
at some college fair."
     "Call it departmental privilege," Ritsuko responded calmly.  "We've 
gotten some nice reports on this girl.  She's bright, but very shy.  I tried 
to hire someone like her last time, but she dropped out of the training 
program.  I wanted to make sure Maya knew how much we wanted her to work for 
us.  Well, for ESAT anyway.  And I'm sure it won't be too long before she's 
cleared to find out what her job *really* is..."
     Misato nodded.  "You've wanted a protege for a long time, too."
     "My having a protege has nothing to do with it."
     "Of course not," Misato grinned.  She paused as she shifted gears.  "She 
was scoping you out too."
     "Oh Misato, for god's sake..."

***

     Maya shivered, looking over the deserted parking lot at the set of 
buildings that was to be her new home.  She'd been picked up in a Cadillac, 
having been told to pack enough to last her some time.  Apparently she was to 
live with the other trainees at ESAT headquarters.  She shouldn't have been 
surprised, after all they were a secret organisation.  But she was still 
feeling nervous, like she was going off to camp or something.
     The layout of the building didn't help.  It looked a lot like a prison.  
A whole lot.  There was a huge open space surrounding the walls, which were so 
high she couldn't even see any buildings beyond.  It probably was a prison 
that had been converted to serve ESAT's needs, she rationalised.
     She shook herself, and started to move towards it.  She was only getting 
nervous for nothing.  Doctor Akagi had recruited her, and therefore she was 
going to do her utmost to prove how good an employee she could be.
     As she came up to the steel gates, they parted to let her inside.  She 
looked around, but no one seemed to be around.  Likely they were observing her 
through hidden cameras, or somesuch.
     "You the new one?" a voice came from behind he.  She squeaked, jumping 
into the air a bit before recovering herself.
     "Y-yes!" she said, trying to look cheerful.  "I'm Maya Ibuki, pleased to 
meet you!"
     She was facing a tall, muscular woman with short black hair like Maya's, 
but frizzy instead of straight.  She didn't appear to be dressed for the 
office... in fact, she was wearing a tank top that Maya would have thought 
most Japanese businesses would find scandalous.  But then ESAT wasn't supposed 
to be like most Japanese businesses.  The cigarette that dangled from the 
other woman's mouth added to that impression.
     "Gotta take you to see herself.  Follow me."  The other woman moved off, 
not even bothering to look back to see if Maya was keeping up.  She hadn't 
even offered her name.  Maya quickly grabbed her bags and tried to follow as 
quickly as possible without falling over.
     They walked through various dingy hallways, all of which had closed 
doors, so Maya wasn't really able to get a sense of the place.  There did seem 
to be a large inner courtyard, however, adding to her feeling that this had 
been a prison at one time.
     They paused at the end of the hall, facing the only pair of doors that 
were wooden rather than metal.  The tall woman knocked twice, and there was a 
faint buzz from above.  The woman opened the doors and entered.
     Maya followed, blinking slowly at the darkness.  The room was lit, but 
only barely.  It was laid out in such a way as to draw your attention away 
from the drab, charcoal-coloured walls towards the centre, where an ebony desk 
at least six feet across sat.  Behind it was a woman who Maya at first mistook 
for Ritsuko.  Then she knew that the atmosphere was getting to her, because 
there was no way that the two were anything more then coincidentally similar.  
They were blonde, and full-figured, but the coldness that was in this woman's 
eyes could never possibly be in Ritsuko's warm, friendly ones.  Maya shivered, 
and considered simply ducking out and leaving.
     The memory of those warm friendly eyes convinced her to keep trying.
     The blonde not-Ritsuko rose and came around the desk, offering a hand for 
Maya to shake.  It was very warm and slightly greasy.
     "Ibuki, welcome to ESAT.  My name is Miss Kanzaki, the woman who brought 
you in was Sakura.  Any troubles?"
     The taller woman shook her head.  "Like clockwork," she murmured, not 
lifting her eyes from the floor.
     Maya looked over at Sakura, surprised at the sudden change in her 
demeanour.  Her attention soon returned to the warden, however, after her 
hand, still enclosed in the other woman's, was painfully squeezed.
     "If you work hard here, I can promise you that you'll go far.  However, 
we're not here to coddle anyone.  You may find your co-workers somewhat hard.  
You'll soon get used to that, though.  Just remember to give one hundred and 
ten percent."
     Maya wondered if the woman only spoke in clichés.  Her mind was now 
screaming at her to get out of here.  "Um... thank you."  She tried to clutch 
at a lifeline.  "Is Doctor Akagi here?"
     The sharp bitter laugh that followed her question made her heart sink, 
and she began to realise that she'd arrived at someplace very, very bad.
     "You won't likely be seeing her again.  But don't worry, honey, they take 
good care of you here."  There was a slight leer to her tone now, a leer that 
Maya really didn't care for.  But she didn't feel strong enough to do anything 
about it now.
     "Sakura will show you to the quarters for your group, then you'll be 
given your first assignment.  Good luck, Ibuki."
     Of course, she still had to be polite.  "Yes, I'll do my best!  Thank 
you!"  She bowed, and the two of them stepped back out into the hallway.
     As she turned towards Sakura, the smile that had been fading throughout 
the past few minutes vanished entirely, as she saw the look on the other 
woman's face.  It was a look that a cat gave its prey before pouncing.
     "Come on.  I'll show you to your bed, and you'll want to get cleaned up 
before getting started."
     Her tone was almost sexual.  Maya shivered again.
     What had she gotten herself into?

***

     Maya was led into a large, white room filled with about 20 bunks, half of 
which looked like they were empty.  There were only two other people in the 
room, both dressed similarly to Sakura.
     "Another one?  How many people are we going to have to put up with?"
     "Shut up, Hitomi.  This one was apparently hand-picked by one of the 
higher-ups, Ritsuko.  And the boss likes her.  If you know exactly what I mean 
by that."
     It seemed Hitomi did, as she quickly looked away.  She had longer, 
straight hair going down her back, and a small scar extending from her ear to 
her mouth.  The scar was the only thing that marred the traditional Japanese 
prettiness of her face.
     The other girl moved for the first time, gliding over towards Maya like a 
cat.  She looked very young, barely out of high school, and had a mischievous 
smile on her face.  "So the boss likes her.  That's OK, she likes us too.  She 
likes everyone here."
     Maya was staring at Sakura and the new girl, trying to figure out what 
they were discussing.  It seemed they were almost speaking a different 
language.
     Sakura walked over towards one of the unoccupied bunks.  "You'll be 
sleeping here.  And your stuff goes in there," she pointed, indicating a trunk 
nearby.  "Get everything unpacked, and we'll show you the shower and toilet."
     Maya nodded, not even finding the voice to speak anymore.  She quickly 
opened her trunk, noting there didn't seem to be anyway to lock it, and began 
to stow away her clothing.  She tried not to listen to the conversation 
happening behind her, but she couldn't help it.  She'd always had exceptional 
hearing, and they weren't being all that quiet.
     "She's Maya, and I meant it when I said the boss likes her.  No nasty 
stuff."
     "But we can still introduce ourselves, right?  I mean, she's yummy!  I'm 
gonna love getting to know her."
     "We need to find out more about her.  Any boyfriend?"
     "I doubt it, Rika.  She mentioned her recruiter, and her eyes lit up like 
stars.  She practically got wet right there."
     "She's already a dyke?  Feh.  I'll pass.  I don't like 'em unless I can 
break 'em."
     "I'll take your share.  Nothing nasty, right?  No marks."
     "No marks, no permanent damage.  And I'll join you.  She doesn't really 
know what she's in for yet, and she might get past you."
     "I'm not that much of an amateur."
     "Your tongue may be the strongest on the base, but the rest of your body 
isn't.  I can handle her easily.  Plus, you're right.  She does look tasty."
     Maya's hands had been shaking more and more as she unpacked.  That last 
comment had finally been the straw that broke the camel's back.  She 
straightened up and headed for the door, not even bothering to try and 
retrieve her clothes.
     She didn't get far.  Sakura grabbed her arm before she made it halfway.  
"Where are you going?"
     Maya was sweating now.  "I'm sorry... I can't stay.  I need to go.  
Please let your supervisor know, I just can't stay here."
     Sakura's hold tightened, and Maya winced.  "I'm sorry, Maya-chan," she 
purred, putting emphasis on the diminutive, "what part of 'top secret 
organisation' didn't you understand?  You think we let people in here, have 
them look around, and then just let them take off?"
     Maya shook her head.  "But... this isn't what they said... it's not..."
     Now she was being dragged back into the room, and over towards another 
set of double doors.  "No, it's not.  This is reality.  Your recruitment, that 
was the fantasy."
     Rika was following them, and reached out to stroke Maya's cheek.  Maya 
flinched at the touch.  "You think you're the only one?  We were all led here 
like that.  Make the best of it, maybe you'll come to enjoy it.  Or at least 
come."  She giggled.
     Maya stared at the girl, aghast, and them put a hand to her mouth.  She 
felt her stomach churn, and was lifted into the air swiftly.
     "What timing.  Over here to your right we have the toilets," and here she 
was thrown down roughly to her knees, just in time to vomit up the little 
breakfast she'd had.  She found that she couldn't stop shaking, and was for a 
moment relieved to have the other woman's hands at her shoulders.  Only for a 
moment, though.  Then the fear came back.
     She was hauled back up, and moved towards a sink.  "Water," she heard, 
and a cup was thrust in her hands.  She drank mechanically, rinsing out the 
foul taste in her mouth.  "Rinse," she next heard, and the water was replaced 
with mouthwash.
     Now there were hands at her clothing, and her blouse was removed quickly 
but smoothly.  Rika grinned at her.  "See?  Didn't even pop a button!"
     Sakura had an arm wrapped around her side, fingers brushing against her 
stomach.  Maya started to shiver again, and found herself looking at Sakura's 
cool face.
     "This can happen quietly and nicely, or it can be very painful.  And I 
know how to cause pain without it showing, believe me.  I was raped by five 
other women when I arrived here.  And I don't think I need to go into where 
Hitomi got her scar."
     Rika had divested Maya of her skirt while this speech was going on, and 
was now unfastening her bra.  Maya was still staring at Sakura in horror.
     "This is the initiation.  Welcome to ESAT," Sakura finished.  And Rika 
slowly slid Maya's panties down to the ground.
     "Now... this is our shower facility."
     "Mmmm... I was right.  You do taste delicious."

***

     Maya lay on her bunk, staring up at the ceiling.  She hadn't spoken a 
word since that afternoon.  She was beyond trying to figure out a way to 
escape, or perhaps going to their supervisor and confessing what had happened.  
She was beyond even thinking.  She just stared at the ceiling, and tried not 
to think about the reason why her body felt sore.
     Suddenly there was a quiet rustling, and a hand clamped over her mouth.  
The room was still dark, but light poured in through a high window, 
illuminating a face mostly hidden by hair, except for a livid scar that almost 
glowed.
     "I've decided to break you in after all," Hitomi whispered.
     Maya's eyes went wide, and for a moment she struggled, then stopped as 
she felt something sharp against her thigh.
     "They said not to mark you.  If I'm caught I might get disciplined."  
There was a manic look on Hitomi's face, and she licked her lips.  "So if I 
were you, I'd only do what I tell you to."
     Maya ceased her struggling, though she couldn't stop tears from forming 
in the corners of each eye.
     Hitomi grinned, and the touch of the knife was replaced by another, more 
intimate touch.  "Now... call me Ritsuko."

***

     The following morning was a muted affair.  The others knew of Hitomi's 
after-hours behaviour but kept silent.  Perhaps they were afraid of reprisals 
if they admitted that they could have done something about it but didn't.  Or 
perhaps it was just Hitomi's turn last night, and tonight she'd find one of 
the others in her bed, dining on a late night snack.
      Maya had gone from horror and disgust to a sort of muted emotionless 
shutdown.  She had no idea what she was doing here, or how she could escape.  
She could only imagine some cruel joke was being enacted at her expense.  In 
any case, she had made it through the morning ablutions without being 
accosted.  Maybe if she acted like a zombie the girls would continue to avoid 
her.
     She wondered if Ritsuko knew anything about this.  Probably not. She 
simply couldn't imagine Dr. Akagi being guilty of anything like what was being 
done here.  She was probably in her office right now, waiting for her new 
trainee to arrive, a wait that would likely go on for a long time.
     Now Maya was starting to get emotional again.  She felt like she might 
cry.  She had been so happy the other day, she was ready to go work at a job 
where she'd be welcomed and listened to, and her superior picked her out 
herself.  Instead she was here, in the middle of nowhere, with a group of 
women who thought nothing of raping her wherever they felt like it.  She'd 
never felt so helpless.
     A tap on her shoulder made her jump.  Sakura was standing behind her, her 
arms folded.  "Time to go to work.  I'll show you where you've been assigned.  
It's not exactly mind taxing, but hey, it makes the day go.  Besides, if 
you're really lucky, and really good, you might get an inside job."  She 
looked wistful for a moment, then continued.  "In any case, you'll be working 
with Rika down in the basement.  You can put together a computer?"
     Maya didn't answer for a moment, till the grip on her shoulder tightened 
and she shuddered.  "Yes." she said, still using a monotone.
     Sakura nodded.  "Good, then you should be OK.  Oh, and don't be surprised 
if the boss wants to see you sometime today.  She likes to get to know her new 
people."  There was no mistaking in Sakura's tone of voice what 'get to know' 
meant.
     Maya felt her stomach try to bring up her breakfast, joining her meal 
from yesterday.  Her nausea was quelled by a hand to her throat.  For a moment 
she thought the other girl might try to choke her, but it was only a medium 
pressure, not crushing.  The hand remained there until Maya forced her stomach 
to calm down, and stopped swallowing bile.  She found herself drawn into the 
corner, and Sakura's mouth whispering into her ear, softly but sharply.
     "Listen to me.  I told you this last night, but you weren't in the best 
shape to hear it, seeing as we were about to fuck you.  This is a shitty, 
shitty situation.  We aren't fucking volunteers.  All of us went through this.  
And some of us like to have a little pleasure in our day to get our minds off 
the fact that we're fucking doomed.  And if you walk around here looking like 
we just killed your dog, we will be punished, and I would rather die than go 
through that kind of thing again."
     There was a short, shuddered breath.  "You don't have to be smiles and 
happiness and total denial, like Rika.  But at least act like you're self-
aware, dammit.  And hold down your food, we don't get a lot and don't get 
seconds.  Now, I'm going to take away my hand now.  Do you promise not to 
vomit all over me?"
     Maya tried to take in all that Sakura had said.  The woman seemed to be 
telling the truth, but still... Maya wondered if she'd be anything like that 
after months in this place.  Willing to commit atrocities on other women just 
for a fleeting bout of pleasure.
     She nodded, once.  The hand was removed and she straightened up.  Sakura 
looked her over.
     "Still look like death warmed over, but at least not like we're about to 
knife you in the gut.  Good enough.  Come on."
     They walked out the door and turned immediately to go down a steep but 
well-lit staircase.  At the bottom was a door with a large padlock over it, 
and another door leading out to a room that looked like it was once some sort 
of classroom.  Scattered around the room were bits of various computers and 
peripherals, lying on tables, chairs, and in neat piles on the floor.  Rika 
sat next to one of these piles, a soldering iron in her hand and her tongue 
sticking out.  Maya might have found the entire scene too cute for words, if 
she hadn't remembered Rika's behaviour from the previous evening.
     Rika looked up.  "Hey there, Sakura, Maya!  Ready to go?"
     Sakura looked to the side.  "I'll need to go back upstairs for a few 
minutes.  Hitomi's having a chat with Miss Kanzaki."
     There was a clatter as the soldering iron fell to the floor, and for a 
moment a look of pure terror passed across Rika's face.  Then it was gone, 
and Rika was grinning again.  "Okee doke.  In the meantime, I can show Maya 
the ropes around here!"
     Sakura walked over to Rika, and drew her finger across the back of her 
spine.  Rika's grin froze on her face, but an unspoken message seemed to have 
passed between them.  "I got you," she said.
     "Right.  Work till one o'clock, then lunch.  Any problems, come see me.  
There shouldn't be any, though."  And Sakura headed out, leaving Maya alone 
with the young girl.  She swallowed, strangely feeling more nervous than she 
had before.
     "Here ya go," said Rika, leading Maya over to another pile of components.  
"We stick em together, we make sure they work, they take em away, they bring 
new ones.  No problems?"
     "N-no," Maya stuttered, picking up a cable.
     Rika sensed her nervousness, and smiled.  "Don't worry.  Work now, play 
later."
     This did little to alleviate Maya's mood, especially as Rika's smile 
almost looked like it was fanged.  She sighed, and bent down to her task, 
trying, as Sakura recommended, to lose herself in the work.

***

     Ritsuko walked down the hall, puzzled at the stark nature of the 
facility.  For a NERV training ground, there certainly didn't seem to be any 
niceties.  They didn't even send anyone to greet her at the door.  Perhaps 
this was why her previous recruit had left.  Good thing she was checking up on 
Maya.
     She shouldn't even really be doing this.  Gendo had looked down his 
glasses at her when she suggested it, a sure sign he thought she was being 
ridiculous.  But they really needed another person in her department, and 
Ritsuko wanted it to be someone she could work closely with, not simply 
another butt-kisser wanting to get into Gendo's pants.
     *That's your job.*
     *Oh, shut up.*
     The layout seemed simple enough, and she knocked at the large oak doors.  
After a few moments, they opened to reveal a small, blonde woman sitting 
behind her desk, doing typical paperwork.  She glanced up.
     "Doctor Akagi, what a surprise.  We've never seen you here before."
     Ritsuko frowned.  The voice wasn't utterly cold, but there was something 
in the tone that made her feel quite unwelcome.  She squared her shoulders, 
revising her expectations of the meeting.  "Well, it's been rare that I've 
actually personally recruited someone.  And after you reported that one of our 
newer recruits dropped out so quickly, I thought I'd double-check to make sure 
that Maya felt welcome here."
     The other woman nodded, and rose to shake her hand.  "Well, I can 
understand that.  We generally don't like to lose recruits, after everything 
we've done to keep them here."  She moved over to look out the large plate-
glass window overlooking the inner courtyard.  "Unfortunately, everyone's gone 
off to a seminar today out in Kyoto.  Maya was a little surprised to be yanked 
off so soon after her arrival, but we didn't want her to be left here all 
alone.  That was why there wasn't anyone to meet you at the door."
     Ritsuko nodded, keeping her expression a little disappointed.  "How is 
she doing so far?"
     "So far, she seems to be fitting in very well.  The other recruits just 
love her.  A little shy, but I think that will change as she becomes used to 
being here."
     Ritsuko sighed, and moved over towards the door.  "Well, I won't keep you 
any longer--"  She cut off noticing a small stain on the carpet.  It looked 
fairly fresh.  "Was there some sort of accident?"
     "Hmm?"  The other woman looked down.  "Oh.  We were taking a computer out 
of here, and one of the girls tried to lift too much -- she's always taking on 
more than she should handle.  She ended up cracking her knee against the door.  
We sent her to the medic.  I simply haven't had the time to call in a cleaner.
     Ritsuko nodded.  "I'll see myself out, then.  I'll probably check back in 
a week or so, see if I can talk to Maya then."
     "And we'll also be sending our updates to NERV, of course."
     Ritsuko was really starting to hate this woman's tone.  It was becoming a 
struggle to keep her cool.  "Of course.  Thank you for your time."
     A nod, and she was out the door, which closed almost on top of her.  
Ritsuko's lips compressed to a thin line, and she almost stalked out of the 
building.
     The whole encounter bothered her, and not just because of the other 
woman's attitude.  The idea of what was supposedly a top-secret organisation, 
even if that was merely a cover, sending its entire group off to a seminar was 
patently ridiculous.  That combined with the bloodstain made Ritsuko's 
paranoia leap to the foreground.  And in NERV, a healthy dose of paranoia and 
suspicion was always good for job security.
     She'd have to look into this further.  She took a little glance back at 
the complex as she drove off, and hoped that Maya was doing as well as 
she'd been told...

***

     Yukino Kanzaki watched the car drive away on a monitor near her desk, 
then got up and walked swiftly to the closet door.
     When she opened it, Sakura emerged, carrying an unconscious Hitomi in her 
arms.  Hitomi was bleeding from several welts along her back, and also had a 
head wound.  Sakura was being very gentle as she held her, being careful not 
to jostle anything.
     "Go take care of her," Yukino said, then went back to her desk as if 
nothing had happened.
     Sakura nodded mutely, and left the office.  It wasn't until halfway down 
the hall that she let her teeth grind together.
     Hitomi moaned.  "Please..."
     "It's all right now, Hitomi.  I'm going to fix you up as well as I can.  
You'll be fine."
     Hitomi wasn't listening.  "Please... more..."
     Sakura's teeth ground together more harshly, but she kept silent.
     As always.

***

     "Ibuki.  Report to Miss Kanzaki's office immediately."  There was no 
repetition of the announcement, or signoff.  It was short and sharp.  Luckily 
its words were burned into Maya's brain.  She bounced onto her feet, staring 
wildly around the room.
     Rika was staring at the wall, her mouth opening and closing.  Other than 
that, her face was totally blank.  No help there.  The more time Maya spent 
around these women, the more terrified she became.
     Maya considered bolting, but only for a second.  She was unsure of the 
layout of the building after only a day, and thought it likely she'd be 
caught.  Perhaps it was best to just see this woman, and try to reason with 
her or even plead.
     She got up and walked out of the room, leaving behind Rika and her 
insecurities.  Maya would ordinarily have tried to help the young woman, but 
after last night was still feeling upset.  Frankly, in a place like this, she 
only had enough pity for herself.
     She went over what she'd just thought, and paled.  She was becoming just 
like Sakura.  And it had only been a day.
     She needed to get out of here.
     She soon found herself facing the large wooden doors, and wondered how 
she should act.  Should she be outraged and angry?  Should she be frightened, 
and reveal what the others had done to her last night?  Or simply 
unresponsive, in hope that her lack of reaction would get the point across 
that what was happening was simply reprehensible?  She certainly felt all 
those things.
     She finally decided to simply wait and see what Miss Kanzaki did to her, 
and react accordingly.  She knocked twice, softly but firmly, and watched as 
the doors swung open of their own accord.
     It was almost exactly the same as when she had come here the day before.  
The desk, commanding the attention of the room.  And the woman behind the 
desk, seeming to draw from its power.  She looked even more fearsome, 
especially when she looked up, her teeth showing and eyes gleaming.
     "Ibuki.  Glad to see you.  Please, come closer."
     Maya did so, her hands clasped as she moved over to the front of the 
desk.  She took the time to take a closer look at Miss Kanzaki.  She wasn't 
entirely unattractive, being a short, slightly stocky blonde with the kind of 
large bust many boys were attracted to.  And a few girls, though Maya 
preferred a more slender type.  She was wearing a tight-fitting blouse and 
jacket, perhaps slightly too small, and a matching skirt.
     "Come around here, my dear.  I won't bite, I promise."  Her teeth flashed 
again.  Maya suddenly knew why the woman made her flesh crawl.  It was the way 
she smiled, the way her eyes raked across you.  She had a pretty face, and she 
used it in ways that were obscene.  Maya felt her stomach roil again.
     She moved around the desk, trying to keep her distance.  Miss Kanzaki 
kept smiling at her, her eyes raking over Maya's body.  Maya stopped, her eyes 
riveted at the ground.  Suddenly she heard the other woman get up, and then 
felt a clammy hand touch her cheek.  "You feel so soft," Miss Kanzaki 
murmured.
     Maya finally snapped, giving out a small shriek and running for the door.   
She didn't get very far.  As if expecting this, Miss Kanzaki erupted from her 
chair like a force of nature, tackling Maya to the ground and rolling her 
forcefully up against a wall.  Maya felt her head hit the wall hard, and saw 
stars.  A hand grabbed her face roughly and pinched her mouth open, while her 
prone body was straddled by the other woman.
     "You aren't leaving yet, my dear... not for a long time.  You were quite 
a find, and I intend to get to know you a lot better.  Especially as Ritsuko 
Akagi seems to think so highly of you.  And the other girls love you, I 
watched them last night.  Such a luscious  little body.  We're going to be 
very good friends."
     Maya twisted violently, trying to throw her off so that she could either 
make another run for the door, or find some weapon she could use to 
incapacitate the other woman.  Her arms flailed out, seeking anything they 
could grab.  One hand unfortunately grabbed onto Miss Kanzaki's arm, and was 
violently grabbed in turn.  Maya screamed as she felt nails break the skin on 
her forearm.
     Her other hand finally settled around a cord, presumably electrical.  She 
yanked as hard as she could, and was rewarded with both a lamp crashing to the 
ground and an electrical shock.  She arched briefly, then crashed to the 
ground, joining the lamp.  Her mind guttered and winked out.
     Miss Kanzaki got up and moved over to the lamp.  "I've always known I 
should get that properly grounded... it's far too dangerous."  She knelt down 
and picked up Maya's head, gazing at it longingly before letting it fall back.  
"And you, my dear, need to learn some proper respect.  As I said, we're going 
to be very good friends.  But perhaps I should show you what happens to people 
who aren't friendly to me."
     She stroked Maya's cheek, and then began to divest the young woman of her 
clothing.  Her breathing grew raspier as she uncovered more, and by the time 
she had Maya naked she was breathing heavily.  "Oh, my dear, you are so 
exquisite.  Not like the other sluts I have.  Your beauty is so pure and 
untouched."  She leaned down and nuzzled Maya's neck, then began kissing her 
shoulder blades, tongue drawing little circles along the skin.  "So 
beautiful..."
     Maya moaned softly, and Miss Kanzaki withdrew for a moment, lifting 
Maya's head and smashing it down violently to the floor.  Maya twitched and 
was still again.
     The other woman moaned in desire, and seemed to tremble.  Then she 
reluctantly rose to her feet.  "Oh, if only you weren't so rebellious... but 
no.  You must be taught.  I must show you the error of her ways."
     She bent down to lift the prone Maya over her shoulders.  She paused 
momentarily to get her balance, and her eyes briefly sparkled.  "Punishment, 
then pleasure," she reminded herself, and pressed a button under her desk 
before heading into the closet and down a staircase that hadn't been there two 
seconds before.

***

     Ritsuko sat at the table in the NERV cafeteria, sipping slowly at her 
coffee and nursing her suspicions.
     She had a few things that didn't add up, but not nearly enough to bring 
the matter to the commander.  She needed definite proof, and wasn't quite sure 
how to go about doing that.  She was a scientist and technician, not a 
detective.
     "Heyo, Ritsuko.  What's up?"
     Misato sat down next to her, and Ritsuko began to get the inkling of an 
idea.  "Misato, I'm glad you're here."
     "Oh?"
     Ritsuko moved closer, lowering her voice.  "I have a problem."
     Misato also moved in, looking serious.  "Ah, I've got you.  I thing I 
know what you're talking about."
     "You do?"  Ritsuko was surprised.
     Misato nodded.  "Not to worry, I know someone.  He's very discreet at 
taking care of such matters."
     It dawned on Ritsuko what Misato was getting at, and she forced herself 
to count to ten backwards before continuing.  "Misato?"
     "Yes?"
     "Stuff it.  I'm talking about something else."
     "Oh."  To Ritsuko's annoyance, Misato just cocked her head to the side, 
and grinned a grin that reminded her of Kaji.  "What's up?"
     "You remember that woman we hired the other day to go through the 
training program."
     "Yup.  She was a cutie.  Why?"
     "I went to see her yesterday, and wasn't able to.  The supervisor there 
told me there was a seminar the group were going to, and that I'd just missed 
her.  A seminar in Kyoto."
     Now Misato frowned as well, seeming to take the matter more seriously. 
"The entire group took off?"
     "Yes.  Very odd for a secret organisation.  There was also blood in the 
supervisor's office."
     "What?"
     "She said someone had lost their balance, and hit their head.  It seems 
logical, but adding to everything else..."
     "Don't you think you're making too much out of this?"
     "I probably am.  I'm like to be absolutely sure I am, though.  You've 
always been the private eye, Misato.  What's your advice?"
     Misato chuckled.  In college, she had been the gossip queen, with half 
her time spent checking up on various foibles of her enemies... and her 
friends too.  She leaned back and sipped her beer.
     "Well, ESAT may be a secret to the world, but it's not a secret to us.  I 
only have a Lieutenant's access, but surely you can find out about it.  See 
what the NERV records say about the base, find out who attended there that's 
now here.  Come on, Ritsuko, you don't need to be a PI to figure that out."
     Ritsuko felt mildly embarrassed, but nodded.  "Let me do some digging.  
Thanks."
     Misato got up with her.  "Oh no you don't.  You can't just tell me about 
something like this then walk away to do it all yourself.  You've got me 
curious.  And you know what happens when I get curious."
     "You get so focused on finding the truth that you don't notice you're 
bringing down the entire power structure and burying it on top of you?"
     "That was only once.  And the Dean deserved it."
     "Come on, Holmes.  Let's go look at some databases."

***

     The resulting databases did absolutely nothing to alleviate Ritsuko's 
suspicions.  It wasn't so much that the school didn't have all the right facts 
and figures, or credentials; all those were present and accounted for.  What 
did bother her was that there were so few people who came to work for NERV 
afterwards.  There were only four women who'd gone from ESAT to NERV over the 
past three years.
     Ritsuko brushed back the hair from her face.  "Why hasn't anyone noticed 
this?"
     Misato shrugged.  "We're working more and more on the main project.  And 
it's not like we don't have new people coming in from other places.  I can see 
it getting lost in the shuffle."  She sat back, leaning her chair against the 
wall.  "Everyone here assumes that if they see something wrong, it's wrong on 
purpose.  No one bothers to question anything."
     Ritsuko allowed herself a small smile.  "You question all the time."
     Misato nodded proudly.  "And that's why I'm a Lieutenant and they aren't.  
Captain soon, I guarantee."
     "I believe you."  Ritsuko frowned again.  "Miharu Watanabe.  She works in 
the computer lab, started from ESAT nine months ago.  Spotless record, tends 
to be somewhat shy and unresponsive."
     "Sounds like your girl.  Maybe she did go to the right place."
     "Misato, shut up," Ritsuko snarled, and stormed out of the lab, grabbing 
her clipboard as she did so.
     "Hey, sorr--"  Misato cut off at the steps echoing down the hall.  She 
winced and rubbed her eyes.
     "I think it's time for another drink."

***

     Ritsuko stomped down the hall, feeling angry at Misato for no real 
reason.  She paused as she reached the room Miharu was supposed to work in.  
It wouldn't be wise to burst in there and get her all suspicious.  Especially 
if there was nothing to Ritsuko's own suspicions but paranoia.  Although that 
was looking less likely by the minute.
     It took a while to locate the young woman, as she lying under a 
mainframe, her head and shoulders hidden from view.  Not wanting to startle 
her, Ritsuko waited until she had finished her task and pulled away from the 
computer before getting her attention.
     "Miss Watanabe, could I see you for a moment please?  I have a problem I 
need your help with."
     She looked startled but quickly nodded, and the two of them went silently 
to a small anteroom.  Ritsuko shut the door behind her.
     Best to be direct, she mused to herself, and turned to face Miharu.  "I 
need to ask you a few questions about where you trained before coming here."
     The reaction surprised her.  She had phrased the question as mildly as 
possible, but the woman reacted as though she'd been slapped.  Her entire body 
seemed to crumple inward, and she momentarily lost her balance before getting 
a hold of herself.  "ESAT?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.
     Ritsuko paused, not ready for such a definite response... especially as 
she hadn't asked anything yet.  "Why don't we sit down," she finally said.
     Miharu gratefully sank to a chair, her already pale face looking almost 
grey.  "All right."
     Ritsuko sat opposite her, trying to figure out how to proceed.  "Were you 
there when Miss Yukina Kanzaki was in charge?"
     A long pause followed.  Then Ritsuko heard Miharu whisper, barely at the 
edge of her hearing.  "I promised..."
     Ritsuko frowned.  "Promised what?"
     Miharu started to shake her head, back and forth.  "Can't tell, can't 
tell anyone.  I promised her, she made me promise, she made me... made me..."
     Ritsuko was starting to get more than a little unnerved.  She knew there 
was something wrong with the facility, but this was beginning to verge on the 
disturbing.  "Miharu, tell me."
     Miharu looked up.  Her eyes were wide.  "Tell you?"
     Ritsuko nodded.  "Don't worry, I promise you won't be disciplined.  You 
can tell me."
     Now she other woman was breathing heavily, and her eyes were slightly 
glazed.  "I can tell you... it's safe."
     Then, to Ritsuko's shock, she knelt down in front of the blonde scientist 
and began to rub her face against her leg.  For a moment Ritsuko was reminded 
of her cats before she realised what was going on.  "Miharu, what are doing?"
     "She told me... Miss Kanzaki.  I was to work at NERV, and report to her, 
and then she wouldn't discipline me."  Miharu said this in a far-off voice, 
almost as if she wasn't even paying attention to Ritsuko.
     "I was so afraid... my friends were still there, and she was sending them 
off to other places... we had gone through everything together, we were 
lovers.  But I was the only one going to NERV, they couldn't go, couldn't have 
too many there.  They went to miss Kanzaki's friends."  A tear fell onto 
Ritsuko's skirt from the girl's face.  "I miss them."
     Ritsuko stared at the girl in horror.  She had thought she was being 
paranoid.  If only it could have been paranoia.  Instead, this was looking 
more and more like some kind of sick, perverse conspiracy.
     Miharu looked up, and she smiled.  "But I can tell you.  You said you 
won't discipline me.  I promise I won't let you down.  I promise I'll be good 
to you."
     Ritsuko got up slowly.  Miharu blinked, and began to look afraid again, 
but Ritsuko held out a hand.  "It's all right.  You're right, you won't be 
punished."
     She quickly got out her cell phone and punched two numbers.  The answer 
came almost immediately.
     "Misato, it's me.  No, I'm not still angry at you.  I need you to come 
down to Level 12, then go to the science lab.  I'm in the third anteroom.  No, 
it's not something I can explain now.  No, you don't need backup, just come 
yourself."
     After putting the phone away, she looked back at the trembling young 
woman smiling up at her.
     She knew what her next stop would be.  Even if she didn't have more 
proof, Gendo was going to hear about this.

***

     Maya groaned faintly as she came back to consciousness, feeling as if 
someone had yanked hard on all her muscles at once.  For a moment she couldn't 
even move at all, but then her body slowly started to right itself, and she 
rolled onto her back and opened her eyes.
     There really didn't seem to be much difference.  The only light in the 
room came from a small slit in the window.  If this had once been a military 
installation, it was clear that here was where they put the soldiers who 
needed the strictest form of discipline.
     As memories came back to Maya she felt her stomach groan again.  She 
couldn't even try to retch anymore - it was just growling, letting Maya know 
it was essentially an acidic mess.  She needed a nice glass of milk... and a 
hot bath... and for someone to come and take her away and make sure that she 
never had to remember that she was here ever again.
     As that was unlikely, she merely rolled over onto her side and took stock 
of what she had.
     She was naked, apparently stripped by Miss Kanzaki while she was 
unconscious.  She had some mild electrical burns on her palms and a rather 
large bump on her head, but other than that appeared to be fine.  No major 
open wounds, at least.
     The cell she was in (admit it, Maya, it's a cell) was about ten feet by 
six, with a dirty stone floor.  There was a rather pungent smell coming from a 
dark corner, which Maya decided she didn't feel like investigating.  Turning 
to the opposite wall, she saw a low-hanging bunk, stripped of anything but a 
mattress.
     And occupied.  There was a small huddled shape on the bunk.
     As Maya's eyes adjusted to the light, she gasped, and brought her hands 
to her mouth.  The figure looked like she might have once been a pretty young 
woman.  At the moment, however, she simply looked like a bag of skin and bones 
waiting for death.
     Maya was starting to realise why the other girls hadn't defied Miss 
Kanzaki.  She wondered if she'd ever be seen again.
     The shape gave out a cough.  Her face was hollow and pale, and she looked 
like she wanted to move but couldn't.  Maya looked around, searching for some 
water she could give the girl (she doubted solid food would be welcome in her 
state), but there was simply none to be found.  So instead she went over and 
sat down on the bunk as gently as she could, and tried to pull the girl to a 
sitting position.
     She almost overcompensated; the girl barely weighed anything.  She gave 
out a small rasp, but her eyes look grateful.
     "My name is Maya.  Did Miss Kanzaki put you here?"  She hated making the 
woman try to talk, but Maya wanted to find out more about what was going on, 
in case there was any chance she could still get out of here.
     The girl tried to raise her head, but didn't get very far.  Maya lifted 
her chin a bit, and she squinted.  "Yomiko," she rasped, in a voice that 
sounded thin as paper.
     For a moment, they didn't say anything, the girl trying to find some 
modicum of strength and Maya trying to act calm and reassuring, and not scream 
and panic at the sight of what this girl had become after who knows how long 
in this cell.
     Then Yomiko squinted again.  "I'm sorry," she said.  "My glasses were 
broken when they put me in here."
     "It's all right," Maya responded.
     "She got tired of trying to make me do the things she wanted... hitting 
me didn't really work.  So she left me down here to die.  That's working."  
She slumped against Maya, even that sentence exhausting her.
     Maya closed her eyes, feeling despair wash over her.  She slumped back 
against the wall.  "I guess that's why I'm here too."
     Yomiko wheezed slightly.  It might even have been a chuckle.  "You didn't 
give in to her either?"
     Maya flushed, but shook her head.  "She knocked me out, and I woke up 
here."
     Yomiko smiled at that.  "If you do die, at least feel good about that.  
That woman is a monster."  She coughed, and her body trembled and nearly fell 
over.  Maya quickly clutched her closer.
     "Is Sakura still up there?" Yomiko asked after getting some strength 
back.
     "Yes," Maya said.
     Yomiko shook her head.  "She's still trying.  She hopes that she can find 
a way to stop it, and still be one of Kanzaki's lieutenants."  Yomiko's chin 
fell to her chest.  "That's why she lost me," she murmured.
     Maya didn't have anything to say to that.  And Yomiko didn't seem to be 
able to speak anymore.
     They sat there together, in the darkness, for a long time.

***

     Gendo Ikari sat at his desk, hands poised over his chin, looking for all 
the world as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
     Ritsuko had just finished explaining to him what had been happening the 
past few days.  There was an anger in her eyes he didn't think he'd ever seen 
before, not even when her mother died.  Katsuragi was standing behind her, 
looking angry as well, if not the white-hot fire of Ritsuko's rage.  And 
between them stood a young woman Gendo had never seen before, looking at 
Ritsuko with almost religious fervour.
     Nevertheless, Gendo remained stoic.  Always fall back on what you were 
best at.
     He glanced over at Fuyutsuki.  "Recapitulate for their benefit."
     The commander shrugged slightly, refusing to have blame shifted towards 
him.  "The training schools were all given thorough examinations before giving 
them a contract.  Miss Kanzaki's passed with flying colours.  We didn't really 
give it another thought, especially as our timetable is getting busier every 
day.  All the schools have a low retention rate.  NERV doesn't hire just 
anyone.  Even the best of them only give us about 15% of the trainees.  It was 
assumed that the remote location of the school and the rigorous curriculum 
were what caused it.  And until today, none of the graduates had shown any 
aberrant behaviour."
     There was a pause while Gendo watched the others take this in.  He 
watched Ritsuko in particular, whose lips were pressed together so tightly he 
wondered why they weren't bleeding.  She was keeping herself from speaking, 
probably knowing that she'd made her point and that anything further would 
only serve to displease him.
     Her point displeased him as well.  He held out a hand, and Fuyutsuki put 
a file in it.  He reviewed it for several minutes, not looking up.
     Finally he spoke.  "Get me the files on the other schools."
     Fuyutsuki nodded, as if he had expected it.  He left quickly.
     Gendo looked up.  He briefly debated the wisdom of telling Ritsuko that 
NERV security would handle it, and then decided he didn't really want to 
arrest her for assault this evening.
     He glanced over at Watanabe, the most recent graduate of Kanzaki's 
'program'.  She was hiding behind Katsuragi, looking as if he was going to 
kick her at any moment.  She was useless as a researcher now.
     He waved a hand.  "On your way out, bring her to the medical wing.  We'll 
have her talk to the psychologist.  If there needs to be more done, then we'll 
find out what it is and do it."  He was phrasing his words very carefully, 
making sure he didn't trigger a blow-up.  Ritsuko had been about to say 
something, but had subsided.
     He allowed himself a sigh, feeling he deserved one after all this fuss.  
Then he looked over at Ritsuko.  "Katsuragi will go with you.  You will not go 
over there alone."
     Ritsuko nodded.  "Fine."  Next to her, Misato nodded as well, looking a 
little surprised.
     "Use discretion.  Do not go in there carrying a bazooka or a 
flame-thrower.  If necessary, NERV security can take care of any ringleaders.  
Your priority is Ibuki."
     Ritsuko nodded again.  Misato was starting to look a little wary, 
however.
     "You are not being given permission to kill.  Disable these people.  I do 
not want to hear about a building full of corpses."
     Another nod.  He was wondering if Ritsuko was even taking in what he was 
saying.
     "You may leave as soon as you drop off Watanabe at the medical wing and 
go to the armoury.  Lieutenant, a word in private first."
     Misato's wary expression grew larger.  She nodded, however, and passed 
care of the trembling Watanabe to Ritsuko.  The doctor seemed to accept her 
hand without even thinking.
     Gendo waited a minute or two before speaking, to put her in the right 
frame of mind.  "Now, Lieutenant, what do you think I'm going to say to you?"
     Misato barely paused for a second.  "Make sure Dr. Akagi returns, make 
sure that we aren't discovered, and don't pay any attention to the security 
team that you're going to send after us to clean up."
     Gendo nodded.  "One more."
     Misato sweated a little.  "If I fail at any of these, you'll stick my ass 
in confinement so fast I won't be able to see straight."
     "As long as we understand each other.  Good luck, Lieutenant."
     "Yes, sir."  And with that, she was gone.
     Gendo smiled slightly.  He liked Katsuragi.  She had potential, 
especially when she wasn't drinking herself into a stupor.
     Fuyutsuki came back in, carrying a much larger stack of folders.  He set 
them down, and opened the first.
     Gendo picked it up, and started leafing through it.  After a moment, his 
eyes narrowed.  "All hirings are approved through me from now on.  And that 
includes trainees."
     He waited for Fuyutsuki to say something.  The old man's knuckles 
clenched slightly on the edge of the desk.  But in the end, all he said was 
"Of course."
     Gendo did not like being made to look the fool.  He would ensure that it 
would never happen again.

***