2023-07-03: Latenight Launch
- Log: 2023-07-03: Latenight Launch
- Cast: Chloe, General Deiter
- Where: Augmented Shibuya
- Date: U.C. 0097 07 03
- Summary: Some people have latenight snacks. Others go for latenight walks. Some residents of the Underground City go the extra 62 miles to a latenight space launch.
It's a quiet night within the underground city. The large lights that simulate that day are off, allowing people to sleep peacefully.
Unfortunately, this is not true of all of the city's inhabitants.
Some instead being to wander down the street. Passing by the plain white buildings around them, unbothered by the colourful textures that usually adorn them. This line of slowly walking people joins up with another group at an intersection. Then two more groups at yet another.
Finally they all converge at a single location at the base of a huge tower that rises into the air to reach the ceiling of this subterranean society. Most are wearing sleepwear of one type or another. A few dressed for late-night retail work. Strangely, the clothes they wear are all white. The only colour comes in the form of a few individuals whose clothes have a militaresque style to them.
One such individual places his hand on a console. A palm scan reads his ID and a large door opens. The entire group begins to file into the 'room' beyond.
-=-=-=-=-
~~ Prometheus Command Center ~ 0225 Local Time
"Lieutenant, registering numerous unauthorized personnel in elevator M5."
"Destination?"
"Hangar six."
"Override it."
"Override failed. It's reached the hangar. They're using valid codes to bypass the security!"
"Bring the security turrets online!"
"But sir, they're civilians."
"Civilians that have broken into a high security location and appear to be trying to hijack one of our shuttles. Activate the turrets and issue a warning."
"No response to the warning..."
"... Fir-"
"Belay that."
"General!"
"Let them go."
"Sir?"
"You heard me. We'll handle this in another way... One of the Makhia pilots has recently been involved in several missions with NERV, yes?"
"Yes, sir. Cadet Chloe."
"Indeed. That one... Yes, perhaps this will work... Wake her. I have a mission for her."
-=-=-=-=-
~~ South African Desert ~ 0240 Local Time
In a seemingly isolated location, deep within the desert, a large sand dunes is disturbed. It begins to split, its two halves moving to either side. Large metal plates rise out of the center of the split, pushing the sand to either side. The plates separate, revealing a darkened opening.
From within, a long platform rises out. Towards one end, an orbital shuttle sitting on a track, primed and ready for launch.
Once the platform settles on the surface, the shuttle's rockets fire. It rapidly accelerates down the track, quickly reaching the point where it curves upwards and then ends. The shuttle blasts off its rails and quickly begins to rise high into the sky, its course set for the stars and the rogue PLANT in orbit.