It was already a little past three in the afternoon when Hideaki suggested we take a break and grab a bite to eat. We went down to the second floor: here were the break rooms and the kitchen. The space was filled with the scent of fresh coffee and instant ramen — I decided that would be enough. And, of course, green tea — my faithful companion.
"Shinji," Hideaki began, deliberately casual, with a slightly moralizing tone, sipping his coffee, "you know instant food is bad for your health. I wouldn't recommend you overdo it, especially at your age. Don't ruin yourself prematurely."
I smirked.
"I know, but as they say — everything is poison and everything is medicine, it's just about the dose. Coffee, by the way, is no saintly drink either."
I decided to tease him a little — in the form of friendly banter. To my surprise, he took it with a slight smile. We quickly found a common language. He turned out to be much simpler than he seemed at first glance... although — not quite. Beneath that simplicity, there was depth, something unspoken, perhaps a secret. But one thing was clear: it was much easier to speak with him without excessive formality.
"You sound almost like Yui," he said thoughtfully. "About the poison and the medicine. She's not as brilliant as you, of course, but she also had great potential. Also from Kyoto University."
There he is. A mysterious man. Was that a random remark, or a carelessly thrown hook? With people like him, you can never be sure — every detail might be part of the plan.
"Yui Ikari?" I asked. "Professor Fuyutsuki mentioned her. Promised to introduce us. He spoke of her with respect — almost like you just did."
I'll stick to the tactic of ignorance. I'll trust — or at least pretend to.
"Ah, Kozo Fuyutsuki..." Hideaki smiled with a touch of nostalgia. "We were classmates. It's a pity we haven't spoken in a long time."
There was a flash of sadness in his voice. Sincere, slightly aching.
"But didn't you meet recently? When I received his message about our meeting?"
"No," he sighed. "We exchanged just a few words. Work up to the neck. The higher-ups demand results. Not that I'm complaining — honestly, I enjoy what we're doing."
Indifference to the higher-ups, a stoic expression... So, it's not just his own obsession driving him forward. Seele, of course, plays their part. Maybe there's far more in the Dead Sea Scrolls than I assumed. And Seele, in turn, already sees commercial and metaphysical potential in Hideaki's ideas.
"So what kind of commotion happened here? And how is it connected to your theory?" I decided to get to the point.
"Shinji," his voice became quieter, more serious. "We should talk about that in my office. After lunch."
He's hiding something. Or just doesn't want to speak in front of others. Not a word about Gehirn, not a hint about Seele — so even this place is only formally connected to them, through him. Perhaps they chose a patient strategy. After all, there's no need to rush — I'm already in their hands. I'm with Hideaki.
After lunch, we returned to the office. On the way, there was a strange silence — like before a storm. Inside, he leaned on the table, pensively looking at the board with equations.
"Listen, Shinji." His voice was quiet, almost confidential. "What we're working on is called the Theory of the Super Solenoid. It's essentially a concept of a perpetual motion machine based on the power of the soul. Consciousness energy. I know, it sounds like pseudo-scientific fantasy, but... maybe it's real. I can't reveal everything yet. But it seems the top brass found proof. To move forward, we need to refine the theory. Shinji... do you believe me?"
So, Seele only suspects for now. They're not certain about the scrolls. But everything will change once the expedition reaches Antarctica. The theory will be confirmed — and everything will start rolling down the planned track.
"Hideaki, despite my skepticism, I've long realized that science doesn't explain everything. Especially when it comes to the soul and consciousness. I have phenomenal memory, a sharp mind, but I've always left room for the impossible. What we consider magic might simply be science, one step higher. I believe you."
And I really did believe. Not only because I knew — all this was real. Not only because I had reincarnated in a fictional world. I believed because belief is the foundation of human nature. One of its main pillars. I believed because I knew how little we truly know — about ourselves and the world.
"Thank you, Shinji." He smiled. The smile of a man who found a kindred spirit. A like-minded soul on the path to humanity's bright future.
Now I understood: he believed in Misato the same way. He believed that she and the others could save the world, carrying his inner light. The light he passed on to her.
"Enough sentimentality. Let's get to business, since you believe."
He suddenly started moving around the office, rummaging through papers.
"Damn… where is it… Ah, here! Got it!"
He handed me several folders and continued searching.
"This is the documentation. You can take it with you. These are copies, the originals stay with me."
Finishing up, he handed me two more folders and, judging by the appearance, a journal.
"By the way, I've arranged an office for you. I'll handle the passes and paperwork. Don't worry."
"Thanks, Hideaki. You didn't have to — I could've managed on my own."
"Come on. Gotta help the younger ones. We're colleagues now… and friends."
Friends... Who would've thought. He has a fire inside — wild, but hidden. He balances between calm and energetic drive. An interesting man.
It was already quite late, and after saying goodbye, I headed home. The day had been tough but productive. Perhaps... I really had found a new friend.
About an hour later I was already home. It was nearing eight. After dinner, I locked myself in my office and began studying the documents.
Hideaki never did say what the commotion was about. Although I already suspect: most likely, Seele received important information from the Scroll decryption. I don't think anyone in the institute knows. Most likely, he, inspired or shaken, caused the storm.
I dedicated the entire evening to reading. The Super Solenoid Theory... It's not just a device. It's a quantum-energetic state of matter, allowing consciousness to go beyond classical physics. It creates a localized curvature in the quantum vacuum, breaking the cause-and-effect fabric of space and time.
I was correlating this with my own knowledge. In the original anime, no one properly explained what the Super Solenoid was. And now, it's like I'm touching the essence of what was hidden behind the imagery.
It's almost like virtual reality, only deeper. Not the brain, but the soul becomes the participant. Consciousness isn't projected — it's anti-projected, immersed fully, becoming part of reality itself. But such experiments don't come without consequences. That was proven by Yui Ikari's contact. That was proven when Shinji tried to pull Rei out.
That's how, by breaking causality, the Gates of Guf were opened in the Sea of Dirac.
QSL — Quantum Subjective Layer. Not a field of matter, but a field of consciousness. The fundamental mechanism of the AT-Field. This is not just a scientific hypothesis — it's the foundation of a new metaphysics.
It's like in the double-slit experiment — consciousness affects matter. So here too lies the very interconnection scientists have missed for centuries.
The Super Solenoid doesn't generate energy — it awakens it. The energy that slumbers in the soul. The anti-projection of thoughts into the QSL. Without loss. Like a closed loop of awareness.
That's exactly what happened when Shinji fought Gendo — and when his consciousness dissolved into the Sea of Dirac. This is anti-projection. This is consciousness turned into a field.
And now there were more questions than answers.
What is the First Ancestral Race? What did they create? It's as if they tore through the fabric of the third dimension and moved into the fourth. If I unravel this... I will go beyond the bounds of this world.
In truth, I never liked the ending of Evangelion. Yes, Shinji overcame his depression — he showed that even in absolute darkness, light can be found. But he also erased his mother's wish. He became a god — but destroyed the essence itself. By restarting the universe, he erased Adam and Lilith from the timeline.
Maybe that was Yui's wish too? Maybe, like Hideaki, she wanted to save the world but became its hostage. Sacrificed herself, passing her light to her son. Believing he would carry it forward.
With these thoughts, I turned off the light.
Tomorrow is another day — and food for thought.