Colossus By Design: Season 3 - Excerpt 57

[April 24, 2168]
[STRQ Industries Underground R&D Centre]
[Nagoya, Japan]
[Japanese Mainland]

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Compared to yesterday, production has halted almost entirely at STRQ Industries' underground research and development centre; this is strange even for the complex's less busy days. Right now, the majority of employees and off-site support staff are clustered together in the cafeteria around a single table. But what could be so important as to draw in the site's personnel into this one room?

One of the engineers still on the floor quickly rushes in, apparently late to whatever news everyone's heard; he starts to push his way to the table that everyone's clustered around.


(Engineer): Excuse me, sorry, pardon me! I was tuning the tank's fluid reservoir and I--


The engineer abruptly stops after glancing at what everyone's so interested in.

On the table is the damaged physical shell of the Atlantean A.I. known as the Gorgon's Head, colloquially known by his self-styled nickname of Zeus; Jiro Ifukube and Metphies are standing next to the table.


(Jiro Ifukube): Nice of you to join us. As I was saying, the G.U.D. and Exif have supported the transfer of some of the resources that were going toward the Bilusaludo's Mechagodzilla project towards our own. You can all plainly see that the original plan has been fulfilled.

(Metphies): Of course, there are valid concerns given this A.I.'s history with the G.U.D. and the Earth's monsters.

(Jiro Ifukube): There are security measures being put in place to dissuade Zeus from trying anything funny, and we're prepared to terminate him if at any moment he tries to betray us. There's no need to worry. Alright everyone, let's get back to it.


Everyone starts filing out of the cafeteria and back to the workfloor. While there was some surprise and astonishment, such feelings quickly diminished after Jiro Ifukube said his piece on the matter; this is a testament to the normalization of such fantastical ideas in the minds of the public. Soon enough, only Jiro, Metphies, and Zeus are left in the cafeteria.

The Evangelion project's director turns towards the A.I. unit; it seems to spark and light up in response.


(Jiro Ifukube): Seems you and I are working together now, Zeus. Are you gonna cause trouble?

(Zeus): I'm dying, and I'm in no position to resist given how your resources technically outweigh my power by a wide margin. Also, you don't fear me anyways.

(Jiro Ifukube): That's true. I don't fear you. Atlantis's contributions have been normalized and made somewhat moot in the face of the combined resources of the G.U.D., the Da'at Yichud, and now the Bilusaludo and Exif. However, you can still be useful. For a bit of irony, I'll have one of our Mimetics escort you out to the workfloor.


A Mimetic Drone steps into the room and picks up Zeus's shell; the Atlantean A.I. seems to spark a bit in anger at this little joke on his behalf. Metphies is about to step out of the room as well, but he stops and turns around to look at Jiro Ifukube; the elderly project director is looking at his datapad. The young Exif high priest's interest is piqued; he walks back into the room and comes up next to Jiro once again.


(Metphies): Jiro, are you coming?

(Jiro Ifukube): Yeah, I'll be there in a bit. I was just informing Wei of the news.

(Metphies): Oh, your old pupil? How is he doing anyways?

(Jiro Ifukube): Ask him yourself. I just sent him a COMMS hail.


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[Jiran Island]
[Jiran Island Cluster]
[Pacific Ocean]
Open Territory - G.U.D.]

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On the ruined former island paradise of Jiran Island, there's a lot more commotion going on than expected.

For one thing, the larval Mothra that appeared on Roth-Ma Island has shown up unexpectedly. The little caterpillar seems to be cleaning up the island's interior; she's busying herself with sucking up the pure oxygen in the air and clearing out loose debris left behind after Gojira broke free from her restraints and engaged the Destroyer Imago.

The infant Mothra has done so well at clearing out the poisonous oxygen, in fact, that the Human personnel present can walk about freely in some areas of the island's interior without the use of HAZMAT equipment. While everyone else is busy monitoring the giant moth larva, Wei Ho is sitting on top of a large rock with datapad in hand.


(Wei Ho): Hey, Jiro.

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] Wei, you're still on Jiran Island. I'd have thought that you would be going after Gojira after she went after the Destroyer.

(Wei Ho): I was going to, but I figured I'd stay and see if there was anything important I could gather from the island's Death Lilly. And to everyone's surprise, earlier today, the larval Mothra that hatched on Roth-Ma Island showed up!

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] What?! She did?

(Wei Ho): Yeah! Hell, Anna even followed her. I have no idea why Mothra would come here, but--


Before he can finish, Wei Ho notices that Jiro Ifukube is staring, though not at him. Instead, the former Project Warmonger director is looking a bit past Wei, directly at Anna Maximoff; she's standing behind Wei, though she hasn't said anything at all. The silence that ensues is appropriately awkward, but Wei finally breaks it after a few moments without anyone talking.


(Wei Ho): Alright, you two need to get over it. We've had our differences, but right now we need to focus. The Destroyer is on the loose, and Jira is caught up in this mess.

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] Right, right....... of course. Listen, Zeus just arrived at the Nagoya complex. Evangelion Unit-01 will be ready for deployment soon, especially with his help.

(Anna Maximoff): Jiro, I want you to promise me something.

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] Of course, Anna.

(Anna Maximoff): I want you to promise me that Eva Unit-01 will only subdue her and bring her home. Nothing more.

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] Very well, then.


Now that Jiro Ifukube and Anna Maximoff have reconciled a bit, Wei Ho stands up and walks off the rock he was sitting on; Anna follows him.


(Metphies): [COMMS] While this little reunion was nice, I believe we're still on the clock here.

(Wei Ho): Sure, Metphies, sure. You know, the Bilusaludo has been awfully quiet since some of their resources were diverted into the Evangelion project. Commander Galu-gu even privately messaged me an apology for Lieutenant Belu-Be's behaviour and politely asked me if I would still consider his offer to work on the next iteration of Mechagodzilla.

(Metphies): [COMMS] That's not too surprising. Mechagodzilla is the pride and joy of the Bilusaludo as a whole. They see it as the next step in their evolution, a chance to ascend beyond their ordinary selves. Anyways, I'm rambling. I'll let Jiro take over again.

(Jiro Ifukube): [COMMS] So what about the investigation into the Axis Alliance?

(Anna Maximoff): Emmy Kano was the one to find the trail of breadcrumbs. Her and Nick left together to form a dedicated investigation party. I believe the G.U.D. is preparing to send some submarines with the two of them onboard to supervise.