Do You Dare Move? (My Cold Still Hasn't Fully Cleared Up, and Now I've Got Internal Heat Too)

NERV Headquarters, Second Testing Site.

"All right, next comes the first official activation test. Rei, are you ready?"

"Yes."

Hearing Fang Zheng's question, Rei Ayanami nodded, and Fang Zheng smiled faintly.

"Very good. Just as I told you before, EVA isn't exactly reliable. No one knows what might happen during an activation test. But remember, maintaining control of your mental state is essential. No matter what, hold fast to your true self, just like the feeling you have when meditating."

"Yes."

"Then I'll leave the rest to you."

With that, Fang Zheng waved his hand. Only after watching Rei Ayanami enter the Entry Plug did he head to the testing site's main control room.

"From the look of it, you don't seem to think this experiment will go very smoothly?"

The moment Fang Zheng took his place beside the glass wall, Ritsuko Akagi pushed up her glasses curiously and asked him.

"Who knows?"

Facing Ritsuko Akagi's question, Fang Zheng shrugged.

"There's nothing wrong with making the fullest preparations while expecting the worst. Even a purely mechanical machine can have a mountain of problems during its first test run. Let alone something as neither-human-nor-ghost as an EVA. Honestly, I don't want anything to go wrong either, but can you guarantee me that it absolutely won't, Dr. Akagi?"

"..."

Ritsuko Akagi had nothing more to say in response to Fang Zheng's question. Just as he had said, EVA was not purely mechanical. In fact, she knew very well that many things concerning EVA remained mysteries...

Still, the test had to be done.

At that moment, Gendo Ikari, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke.

"Begin activation."

"Yes."

Hearing Gendo Ikari's order, Ritsuko Akagi nodded and swiftly issued commands.

"Connect the main power supply to all circuits."

"Main power connected. Beginning activation