The Dawn of Evangelion: 01 - Genesis

Author's notes:

1 – My first NGE fanfic. There was a lot of research, both in-universe and historic, but yet there may be some mistakes. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.

2 – Concerning the continuity: I used elements from all Evangelion continuities. The original anime receives most focus, but there are elements from the manga, games and the new Rebuild movies in the plot. I've been choosing according to the necessities of the story I wanted to tell, but, at the end, everything will make sense. This story is a prequel of the Evangelion franchise.

3 – As Hideaki Anno said, Evangelion is a sci-fi story that uses symbolism and religious allegories, and it shouldn't be taken seriously, not beyond this. This fanfic supports this premise. If you feel offended with religious references outside the original context, I recommend you stop now.

4 – Translator's note: Translated to the English by RandomNumber53216, and proofread by Raax the Ice Warrior. I felt that such a story deserved to have an English edition, because of its scope and there are few fanfics that deal directly with SEELE. This is a story I would be interested in sharing with more people. I also use English as a second language.

THE DAWN OF EVANGELION

"Evolutionism is, without doubt, useful to make ordered observations of the past; if we want to delimit the way to the future with indicative signals, it must be expected that a new generation, capable to take decisions, face the great experiment that, while proceeding, starts to refute their very own evolutionism."

(Martin Buber)

Genesis

Palestine, 1947

He definitely had a sound sleep.

The engines of the airplane barked as loud as hellhounds, however they weren't able to wake him up. It was an admirable feat: they flew in a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, an American plane, used to transport paratroopers behind the enemy lines in the war that ended two years ago. The thingamajig wasn't built to give comfort to its passengers. Besides the noise, it didn't have lined chairs, only two pews, short and hard beside the windows, in each side of the plane's corridor. Besides the lack of comfort, the disposition of the pews obliged the members of the passengers to sit side to side with the crew, no matter how annoying they were.

He could say this of one of them. Incidentally, this was the reason why he woke up: Colonel Lorenz had no indoor voice. Especially when the topic mattered to him. He delved into an animated talk – granted, it was more like a monologue, since the other occupant, with an empty expression, didn't seem to be paying any attention at him…

"Deceitful ideologies are decimating humanity. All over the world, Homo sapiens try to achieve the longed last stage of evolution, in which he'd reach the fullness of spirit and the perfect synchrony with the universe. The ways those limited minds tried to reach it are only infantile efforts at best. Did eliminating minorities, the so-called 'inferior races', in concentration camps, to purify the so-called superior 'Aryan race', create any result? Did the imposition of a forced division of goods and land, the attempt to create the Soviet 'New Man', without egoism, work? National socialism, communism… Hitler, Stalin… All of them, infantile fools. False prophets from the hope of the last step of mankind in Earth."

Actually, Lorenz spat on the plate he had just eaten off. He knew of the colonel's past. They said he was one of the greatest butchers of Auschwitz and one of the most dedicated supporters of the Nazi science, even supporting research with human subjects. He escaped from the Nuremberg trials, shrouded in mysterious circumstances. However, it was strange, because he didn't stop to make public apparitions, while his most reserved friends had gotten away for definitive exiles in South America. Anyway, he lived long enough to organize that trip to the Middle East. But Gospeller started to muse with himself if it would be better for the colonel to be hanged. At least, it would shut his trap.

Trying to ignore Lorenz's ramblings, he stared at the female member of the expedition. In contrast with the old Nazi, she was a symbol of levity, elegance and perfection. The buttoned khaki shirt was a good combination with the desert climate and landscape, and they failed to obstruct the beautiful and advantaged bosom. The pants were of the same color, coming down to her knees, letting it show the lovely white of her legs. Leather boots dressed her feet, but he was incapable to imagine them as not sweet and firm – a contradictory combination that appeared to be an accurate description of her character; by the few words they had exchanged. Straight, red hair enveloped her head, reclined to the window of the airplane, covering half of her face. He felt praised when she had chosen to sit in his front, on the other side of the corridor. The distant look, however, showed she was concerned with other issues, oblivious to courtship.

Lianna Zeppelin Sohryu, Ph.D: An archeologist of the Ahnenerbe, the organization created by the Nazis to seek throughout the world vestiges of the purported superiority of the Aryan race. On the other hand, she was involved in other kinds of work.

And this was his entire pleasure.

Turning to the colonel, Gospeller noticed he had made a little interval in his discourse, perhaps tired of talking and frustrated by thirst – as his sweat-drenched uniform showed. Taking advantage of the situation and willing to change the topic for something more amicable, since Lorenz would eventually return to his non-stop ramblings, he whispered, pointing to the scientist. "It's an interesting blend of names, isn't it?"

"For sure..." the old man answered, with a malicious smirk, "From what I know, a Japanese diplomat traveled to the Germany, in '36, to sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, or something like that, which turned them into our allies. In this trip, he fell in love with the doctor, when she was one of Ribbentrop's secretaries, the foreign affairs minister… the two of them met more times, before the war started and married. Her husband died in Hiroshima, but the wife kept the oriental surname after that."

He nodded, staring at her once more. Was she thinking about her deceased husband? No… she was a strong woman, someone capable to overcome such a loss. She couldn't be worried about him, over and over; yet she decided to keep his surname. The surname must be a homage.

For a moment, he realized he was judging persons without knowing them better. This turned out to be the source of mishappenings in the past.

"You don't seem to be excited with the discovery, Mr. Gospeller…" Lorenz murmured, visibly incommoded, "You've barely spoken since we took off."

"I just don't feel comfortable with this place... this damned region has been disputed over ever since the beginning of time. Jews, Christians, Muslims… And now even the UN wants to rip the territory in half, dividing it between the Jews and Arabs. This is just a huge bomb, colonel, just waiting to a spark to ignite it and explode. And we come here only to dig a hole in the middle of the desert."

Lorenz sighed and, for the first time since he met Gospeller, two years ago, he showed irritation. He showed it by snorting like a bull, while reclining in the seat, turning his stare to nowhere in particular, hands on his knees, reminding Gospeller of a German Buddha, and he said, in a low yet serious tone.

"Mr. Gospeller, you know the reason why my organization and I looked for your bank. Unfortunately the war depleted almost all of our resources, and obtaining new ones is vital for this undertaking. You trusted in us, and we trusted in you. There is no reason to demerit this trip!"

"I just think the trust level is not mutual... you told me almost nothing about this organization. I don't care whether is the 'Fourth Reich' or the 'SSS', but I need to have your faces known, Colonel Lorenz! More faces, besides yours!"

The old military man sighed again, this time it took longer, before returning to a straight position and answering, "And I assure you there are faces you wouldn't like to see. Like your country's authorities, which may or may not discover that your bank keeps depots from fugitive Nazis, and I'm sure your Jewish heritage wouldn't help at all in this topic..."

That man was a bastard. A Bastard with a capital B.

"I just hope to win something over this..." Gospeller murmured, resigned.

"And you will! Everyone will! Do you remember from what I talked about, the evolutionary dilemma? About Hitler, about Stalin? Nothing that mankind can create will be the real answer to this dilemma. The true solution is already in the Earth, buried in the sands of time, in this desert. Now we just need to find it."

The banker agreed, nodding his head, without any hint of sincerity. Lorenz really was a bastard. A crazy bastard.

At that moment, Lianna straightened up from the window, turning to the two men, with no definite expression on her face.

"The landing track is visible. We'll disembark soon."

If it was hot inside the C-47, from the outside it looked like an open oven. The climate was good, blue skies without clouds, however Gospeller never craved for the rain like before. In a few seconds, he regretted his thought, because storms in the desert weren't actually good events.

They exited the plane by an improvised stairway, stepping on the landing track – or better, so-called landing track, it was just a strip of asphalt in the middle of nowhere. It didn't even have a control tower. The pilot who brought them there should be a really skilled one. Lorenz mentioned something about him being a veteran from the Luftwaffe.

The harsh climate obliged the three travelers to wear their respective hats. Gospeller took a last look to the doctor's beautiful hair, the reflection of the sun burned through her red hair, before being covered by the accessory. They came to that wild place searching for a treasure, but the banker believed he had already found it, way before when they embarked in Tel Aviv.

He looked at his side. Next to the plane, a military British jeep was parked, with three men on board. Dark skin, beards, two of them wearing turbans. They were dwellers of the region, without doubt. The colonel walked to them, talking with his companions, "They will be the guides of our expedition to Qumran's site. They know the area by heart. With luck, we'll be there at the sunset."

Suddenly, Doctor Sohryu took the forward, passing next to Gospeller and grabbing on one of Lorenz's arms from behind. The former Nazi turned to her, surprised, the expression at his face capable to castigate someone just by looking.

"Sorry, herr colonel, but the situation is unacceptable," Lianna said, "We can't just arrive and investigate the site."

"What do you mean?" he replied, indignant, "I thought your preliminary analysis was enough!"

"They were just to confirm the possible location of the artifacts. But now, since we're here, we must make a detailed study of the climate and the situation of the region, and to know the inhabitants. We can't simply break into the cave and take away what there's inside it. Besides, you must remember this territory still is part of the British mandate. If we remove something without authorization, we'll have to deal with the consequences."

"This doesn't matter to me, doctor. We have a good estimation of where the artifacts are. That's enough!"

"Archeologists don't work that way, colonel."

"You worked for years to an organization that forged proofs of the supposed historic superiority of the Aryan race. Don't come to me on how to give lessons on how archeologists work!" And he let the woman, nervous, walk over to the Arabs.

Gospeller just observed the scene, mouth shut. Once more, Lianna's strong personality turned to life, even her delicate body seemed to tell otherwise. He turned his attention to Lorenz. The Colonel talked to the natives, in an amicable tone, making them to break out in laughter. Certain he promised them enormous sums of money, in exchange for a job well done. Gospeller's money.

He returned after a few instants, pointing to the vehicle that one of the Arabs jumped out, to give space to the new occupants and ordered, "Let's go!"

The desert seemed to have no end, limited by rocky walls as arid as the plain terrains. The landscape looked like a great cemetery, build for giants made of rock, destroyed in forgotten times and having their last agony, its spasm reflected in landslides. It was almost a miracle to have a conserved road cutting through that region. It seemed it waited for them. When they climbed by a slope, the surprise welcomed them: in a long distance below them, in a depression, they saw a huge extension of clear water, on its opposite side could be seen a great lake as well.

"The Dead Sea." Lorenz presented it.

Gospeller, who was already thirsty since his canteen was almost empty, felt even worse upon imagining the salt at his mouth. The view was splendid, though. He wished to see it for a little longer, but the Arab driver turned the wheel to the northwest. They were getting closer.

That was an admirable yet unforgiving place and it gave name to the artifacts they were looking for. A discovery reserved for a few persons that Lorenz, representing his mysterious organization, sought to be the first to seize: the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Nobody could say what exactly they were. They only knew that they were ancient documents crafted by the ancient Hebrew communities of that region, found by chance by natives while they walked by the caves around there. The discoverers could never imagine the true value of the findings and sold them for insignificant prices to Bedouins and other merchants. Three of them were acquired for less than thirty dollars by a random buyer. At least there weren't reports, according to Lorenz, that the manuscripts were used as goat food or turned into toys – a sad destiny for other documents in different parts of the world. Although, since their discovery hadn't called the attention of great specialists or international institutions, the colonel's group could acquire them without problems. Perhaps they wouldn't have another opportunity like that and Lorenz didn't want to waste it.

What was the true interest in those manuscripts? Gospeller still couldn't make out anything, except for that fallacious part about "evolution". But it was very probable they needed time to investigate the artifacts. According to their informants, the Arabs, upon finding the caves, lots of them, would have removed only a very small part of them. And, to have been remained hidden for such a long time, the Hebrews should have really good motives.

Soon, the road ended. The guides, in the front seat, pointed to a big rocky area, being hard to discern what was rock and what was sand. The sky started to turn red, announcing the imminent sunset. The Arab that was driving pointed to a wall, three hundred meters away, in which, taking a good look, an opening could be seen, leading to a dark hole. He spoke something in his natural language. Lorenz, who could understand him, immediately translated.

"It was there his father-in-law found the first scrolls."

It shouldn't be hard to reach the entry: the rocks in the way formed some kind of stair, a rigged stair. The colonel took the first steps, ordering the guides to stand still. However, his two companions followed behind.

"It's almost night, do you really want to go now?" Lianna asked, with a visible hesitation.

"Even if I have to sleep in the urns, we'll find those manuscripts today!" the tireless colonel replied, his voice echoing through the cave.

They reached the opening in the rock in a few minutes, after walking through the steep and slippery way, without any great problems. It was dark inside the cave, nothing could be seen inside, only for a few meters, where the faint sun cast its last rays. There was a curious smell, which reminded him of dust, however not only that. A smell of an ancient time, a secret. An invitation to discover that long forgotten place.

Lorenz, leading the march, stopped at the entrance. He grabbed a colored stone from his uniform that was immediately recognized by the archeologist: silex. Gospeller, being a layman in these issues, just stared at the funny colored rock. With the other hand, the colonel picked a piece of metal, rubbing it against the rock. Thus, he created fire, by the ancient method.

Lifting the torch, he finally moved forward on the cave, with his both companions following him closely, since it was the only source of illumination.

The cave was lengthy, it delved deep in the rock, with few turning points and becoming so narrow in some places they had to struggle to pass. Gospeller was never an adventure-prone man, and the cave contrasted with the idea he had of isolated caves: he imagined humid environments, dripping through the stalactites in the roof. But the current cave was arid, like the desert in the outside, a land of wall and dry air constricting his lungs. The stumbles in the way also didn't contribute to making it a happy trip.

The way became a slight descent, until it finally finished. The torch at Lorenz's hands showed an area, much more ample, like a subterranean atrium. The banker expected to see hieroglyphs or another ancient symbols painted on the walls, however there was nothing on them, just the temporal erosion. The glow of the fire focused for a while Lianna's face: the fascination was evident, it looked like all the divergences concerning to Lorenz didn't matter anymore.

The colonel lowered the torch. In the corners on the floor, there were many urns and ceramic jars, shut tight. Through holes in the wall, courtesy by the visit of ancient Bedouins or just the time, it was possible to see the documents, in parchments or papyrus.

"All this time..." the German murmured, marveled, "All this knowledge stored here, for so long, just waiting for someone to claim it..."

Although they could see clearly his face, his companions saw an indecisive expression at Lorenz's face. He didn't know where to start. There were so many scrolls and so many caves to be analyzed… however, when he turned the torch to his left, to explore that side of the cave, soon he saw something that made him tremble. In a wall, right above shorter vases, there was a figure fixed in the rock, in the form of two furrows meeting each other. A cross.

Unpredictably, the colonel fell to his knees in reverence. It looked very strange to Gospeller to see a religious Nazi. The doctor, on the other hand, was too focused in the archeological finding to get concerned over his weird behavior.

Still prostrated, Lorenz crawled and carefully removed the lid of one the vases under the symbol. After centuries, the scrolls had again met the air of the cave.

"Take care, herr colonel," Lianna warned, extending her arm in pre-emption, "The manuscripts are very old and very frail."

"A sign..." the colonel sighed, taking the eyes to the cross, illuminated by the torch, "It can be only a sign."

With the free hand, he slowly took one of the scrolls. He put it on the ground, opening with the maximum of care. Doctor Sohryu leaned beside him, afraid that his anxiety could destroy the document. Besides, she wanted to take a closer look at it too. Only Gospeller remained away, covered by the shadows.

Both Germans examined the manuscript. There was some kind of carving: nine spheres connected by straight lines, forming the figure of an irregular hexagon, with another sphere in the lower part, linked just by a single straight line. A smile formed at the colonel's face while he said.

"The scheme of the Kabbalah. The ten levels, or sephirah, that the power of God flows, to reach his sons, and sustain the Universe!" he explained, pointing from the hexagon, sphere by sphere, up to the last circle in the lower part, "The Tree of Life."

"Hebrew philosophy..." Lianna talked in low voice, more interested in the archeological value of the document than its meaning.

"You are wrong, mistress. This is not just theology. The ancient Hebrews knew what they talked about. The Kabbalah is the bridge between men and God. By the same way the divine power is irradiated by the ten sephirah, the cabbalist philosopher thought it was possible to make the inverse way. That mortals could equal themselves to God, obtain the maximum knowledge of Creation! For keeping the key to this true, its defenders were persecuted and executed through the centuries. But they hid their teachings here, far away from their enemies."

"Suppose I believe you, colonel..." Gospeller intervened, not really believing in anything he just said, "So it's possible that your organization suspected the location of the manuscripts to be in Palestine, right? Even before the Arabs stumbled on this cave?"

"We had no idea of its location. We just knew of the existence of this shelter of cabbalist knowledge. Only few persons in the world knew of this, very few. For this reason, we manipulated Hitler. That son of a bitch was fascinated by the occult, Mr. Gospeller. We goaded on him to search through all of Europe for the Jewish philosophers, the last guardians of this knowledge. After we obtained the information over these caves, everyone who knew of this was systematically eliminated. Hitler, at his bunker, and his generals, at Nuremberg, were some of the last ones."

He made a short pause and added:

"Would you believe me if I say that the extermination of Jews didn't have as its objective the 'ethnical cleansing', Mr. Gospeller? Knowledge is power. It always has been."

The banker started to tremble. For him, everything was nothing but stories told by an old madman. However Lorenz talked with so much conviction, so much impetus, that a single spark of belief enkindled his thoughts. And if the organization that man was said to represent was capable of manipulating even the Nazis, he was entrenched in something much worse than he could have imagined.

"Doctor Sohryu, help me to take these jars to the jeep," the German asked, getting up, "We're leaving."

"But colonel, even if it's your esoteric interests or not, we didn't analyze not even a tenth of the manuscripts," the young archeologist protested, "The other documents may also have precious information too!"

"These are all I need. I traveled here by something a Polish professor said in Auschwitz, my dear. 'The truth is next to a lifeless sea, buried under the sign of the Messiah'. The Bedouins just confirmed the suspicion. And the figure is at the wall, so anyone can see it."

Suddenly a metallic sound echoed through the cave. The clicking sound of a cocked gun. Lianna turned around, scared, in contrast with Lorenz's calmness. They looked at Gospeller, sweating and trembling, pointing a Colt pistol to the colonel.

"Playtime is over, Lorenz!" he said, not diverting his anxious stare from him, "Whether this is true or not... you Nazi pig, your life will end here!"

"Well, well, do you actually know how to use this pistol?" the German chortled, "Did you bring it here because you were planning to kill me from the beginning?"

"Shut up!" the banker cried, so loud it looked like the cave would go down, "You insinuated my people, my culture, died for you and the Nazi's only to get the location of this cave… is this it? If this is true, you will burn in the fires of hell, Lorenz! With Hitler and the others!"

"And now your Jewish heritage surfaces, huh? However you're wrong, Gospeller. I won't go to hell. On the contrary. This day is the first step of my journey to the Paradise!"

A shot was heard, making Lianna scream and take her hands to her ears.

However, it wasn't fired by the banker. He remained still, immobile, for a few seconds, in a terrifying moment of expectation… until tumbling forwards, with a red mark at his back.

Lorenz illuminated the entrance of the cave. Next to it, still pointing a Japanese Nambu pistol, there was man in a khaki uniform, dark and short hair, like the night, and oriental looks. He had a well-built body, the shirt partially hiding the big muscles of his arms.

"I thought you'd never come, Rokubungi," said the colonel, smiling to the newcomer.

"I didn't think the banker was a threat," he answered, in English, heavy in Japanese accent.

"And it wasn't. But your intervention was welcomed."

"I already took care of the Arabs. They won't be a problem."

"Excellent. Go back and make sure the area remains free for our exit."

"Hai."

The assassin returned by the rocky corridor, his steps being heard as they fade away. Then Lorenz turned to Sohryu, who was perplexed. She had a fixed stare at Gospeller's body, without blinking until she noticed the approximation of the colonel. She stepped back, scared, tears rolling over her face.

"A-are you going to kill me too?" she asked, crying.

"I was educated to be a gentleman, mistress. And will do so only if you turn against me. Besides, I will need your help."

"And why should I help you?" she exclaimed, her nervousness building up, "A maniac follower of a fanatic religious sect!"

"I think this definition to be overly simplistic. I seek for the common good. All that humanity will gain with the truth contained in these manuscripts. As well… A little girl in Tokyo could get seriously hurt if her mother refused to collaborate in the studies…"

"No, Minna!"

The daughter she had with her deceased husband was already four-years-old. She left her with his relatives, in the Japanese capital, before going to that expedition. Now that damned colonel threatened her.

"You can't..."

"I will, my dear, if you refuse to collaborate. I believe, it can't be that bad. I am a superior more complacent than Adolf Hitler."

Lorenz then grabbed some vases containing the scrolls, going to the outside, ordering, "Let's go."

Still trembling, Lianna saw she had no options but to follow him.

In outside, the sun was already gone and the darkness of the night covered Palestine while the first stars shone. Taking even more care in the return, since they brought the manuscripts and there was little light, both Germans reached the jeep after a while. Letting the jars in the vehicle, Sohryu struggled to not look at the bodies of the guides, next to the car. The Japanese, responsible for the deaths, waited for them, standing still, beside the car. She looked at him for a while, wondering what would be the motivations of that man, how he could be so full of coldness, before taking a seat. Lorenz also embarked, taking a last look at the scrolls.

"We can go." He ordered.

The Japanese took the wheel, conducting them by the same road. He had followed them, and knew the way. Lianna kept her head lifted, staring at the starry sky. Among many stars… she didn't know which of them could represent her uncertain fate.