Bruised egos hurt the worst.

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

After a series of vicious ego-bruising arguments, Asuka had slipped away from the observation deck to go sulk. Well, she wouldn't call it sulking, but really, that's what it was. She already hated this place and, by extension, most of the people on board. No one cared about what she'd managed to accomplish. No one cared that she was a prodigy, that she was intelligent, that she was the best Eva pilot in the world. They just wanted her to be quiet. The fact that this was partly (if not mostly) her own fault seemed to not register to her (or if it did, she was ignoring it very effectively).

She found herself just... wandering. She didn't know this place and she hated it, anyway. She didn't have anywhere to go - all she knew was that she wasn't going back so she could just be humiliated again. She found a quiet corner, away from everyone (she hoped) and buried her head in her arms. She wasn't crying - she was never going to cry again - she was just thinking, away from everyone. That was all.

Comments

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Why should I care what they think? It's not like I need their help! Or yours! I'll figure a way out of here on my own, if I have to! I don't care about her stupid purpose! I care about getting back to my world and getting back to what I'm supposed to be doing! I'm an elite pilot and all you people can do is tell me that I'm some sort of prisoner and that, oh, I'm just going to have to wait and play nice until we finally get it all sorted!"

She jabbed a finger at his chest again, "I don't care about your stupid ship and I don't care about anyone else! I just want to go home! And you can go to Hell if you think you're going to toss me into the brig for just speaking my mind! I've read the Universal Deceleration of Human Rights! You can't hold me for that."

She harumphs and reaches up to fix her hair. The ship had given her her clips, after all.

"But I guess I'll have to work with you people if it's the only way out of this stupid place. But you're not my superior officer - I'm a memember of NERV, not whatever organization you come from."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"I am the duly elected commander of this vessel and her crew, Miss Soryu, and be assured, I most certainly can and will place you in the brig if I consider you a threat to my crew and our goal. As it stands, your attitude and comments present, in my eyes, a very real threat to morale and crew integrity, so don't think I will hesitate to have security place you somewhere where you might calm down." Picard ignored the finger, instead glaring down at the girl he was facing. He wasn't very tall, but he used every inch he had over her to its advantage.

"You're a member of this crew right now, and so you will respect and obey the proper chain of command so long as you are here. Is that clear, Miss Soryu? I don't accept attitude. I don't accept elitism, and I certainly don't accept blatant prejudice such as you're demonstrating. Keep in mind that there is always someone smarter than you--" He stepped forward against the finger. "--there's always someone faster. Always someone stronger. Better. That's why we're human. Coluan. Andalite. Klingon. Vulcan. Cybernetic. Werewolf. We seek to better ourselves. We seek to improve. It's what connects us all. Remember that you're not so alone as you might think, that you're not the only one suffering, and, if you bother to try, there may just be friends waiting for you here."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"I didn't vote for you!" Asuka responds brightly, "And I didn't ask to be here, so I don't have to listen to you. You're not my commanding officer, you're not in charge of me, and I don't have to do a damn thing that you say."

OK, maybe she was a bit intimidated. Asuka wasn't very tall herself. Still, pride wasn't going to let her get in, so she glared up at Picard, "I said I'd work with you, so stop acting like you're some sort of petty dictator with absolute power over life and death already!"

Wait.

"Werewolves?"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"Yes. Werewoves," Picard replied, glad for the momentary reprieve from the battle of wills he was going to win anyway. "We have werewolves among the crew, and several of them transform at will as opposed to simply changing with the lunar cycle."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"That's... weird. But kind of cool."

This place just kept getting stranger and stranger.

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

Opening up a little was always a good sign in the captain's eyes. "I certainly found it fascinating. Now, it says in my report that you pilot an Eva. Is this some sort of humanoid mechanical battle tank like the other pilots we have here?"

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka tossed her hair back with an arrogant grin. Her moods change fast somtimes, "Well, maybe, but mine is probably better than the ones they have. Mine is the first production model Eva, actually intended for combat. It's forty meters tall and is capable of withstanding damage from a nuclear blast at point-blank range, while maintaining the safety and comfort of the pilot. It's equipped with a built-in prog-knife, along with an internal weapon rack, which fires large darts at close ranges against enemy units. It can carry a variety of weaponry, including a 120 millimeter autocannon."

She pauses, ticking off the various points on her fingers, "Did I mention that it's usually powered by an external cable, but also has an internal battery?"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"That's fascinating. I'd be interested in hearing more about your Eva unit. I could tell you about the Enterprise in exchange."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka paused, then blinked, "...you mean the aircraft carrier?"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

Picard genuinely laughed at that. "No, but it is one of the namesakes of my Enterprise. The Enterprise is a Sovereign-class starship, registry NCC-1701-E. Captain James Kirk, one of my predecessors, is aboard and serving as acting first officer. He commanded the original Enterprise, and the Enterprise A." Smiling, he tapped his chin in thought before continuing and explaining what hopefully wouldn't shock Asuka too badly.

"I doubt I'm from your future, as I've never heard of these Angels, but I'm from Earth as well. In the 24th century, admittedly, so there have been a few changes. Mostly for the better."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"A spaceship?" She blinked, tried not to let it overawe her (too much), "You guys colonized space?"

OK, that is pretty cool. Still, she frowned.

"...do the words Second Impact mean anything to you?"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, no. But we did colonize space, and our own moon, even. We've also encountered many alien species across the galaxy. Together, we formed an interplanetary government, the United Federation of Planets. I'm a captain in the Federations's exploratory and defense force, Starfleet."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"You're definitely not from my future, then. You'd know about Second Impact."

She managed a tight smile, "...well, you're doing better then humanity on my world at least. Well, at least in terms of space travel, anyway."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps. Humanity does better itself, though. It's our willingness to seek something more, I think, that drove us to the stars, and drove us to end war, and to try to end hunger, and disease."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka shrugs, "...yeah, we're kind of doing that. Except that we're doing it out of a need to survive rather than anything else."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"Every effort helps, Miss Soryu."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Well, mine matters more than most people's, but not everyone can be as good as me~"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"That's quite the opinion."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"And true. Not just anybody can pilot an Eva!"

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"I imagine not. But your Eva requires maintenance, doesn't it? Power? Ammunition?"

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah, but those people aren't elite."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"How long does your Eva's internal power last? What happens when it runs out? What happens if your ammunition isn't stocked, or any damage you sustain repaired? What happens when something goes wrong that you can't fix, Miss Soryu? Everyone's elite. Everyone is needed. Everyone is valued."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka waves a hand dismissively, "They can be replaced. I can't."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"That's the wrong attitude to have, especially since you're the second child, Miss Soryu. If they found a first, and you were the second, I'd say they could find a third."

[redheadcarrier.livejournal.com]

Asuka actually busts up laughing for a few moments, "The Third? The Third couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag without my help! I know the First and the Third and neither of them are as good as me and their units aren't anywhere near as good my own! They had to transfer me in because the First and the Third couldn't handle it!"

Which isn't entirely true, but she's not going to tell him that.