(Barcode 2011-10-03, forcibly migrated to wiki)

Russian Intrigue

• at some point, NERV let the world govs know in private what the upcoming issue was (angels), requested funding/support to defend against them
  • reason they have so much support internationally was that they had massive supporting evidence: blue/red signals, footage of juveniles, projection of angel power, study on AT fields, realistic projection of eva performance (also explanation that they’re the only things we could build with AT fields), offers to provide general Eva tech to each nation, etc.
• probably attack on osip’s camp around here.
• most countries concede cash; Russia refuses. Starts secret development on TRIDENT.
  • Reason: evas will be pretty fucking powerful, would disrupt their current superpower status; given their biomechanical nature it might be possible to use biological/chemical warfare against them, so developing their own line seems unadvisable; if they have their own weapon that can beat AT Fields/Angels, they may just yet keep a hold on their superpower status
• Osip’s drafted at 18; having made friends with some military personnel at the camp over the years and fearful of the conditions inside prison, he joins up (inner justifications: well, we’re done expanding *now*, how awful can it be? also, prison otherwise)
• Later: NERV spies learn of TRIDENT project
• project isn’t over-budget, but *is* over-*time*. They have a giant machine ready, but it generates no AT fields. Its armour is impressive but its current armanent does not penetrate AT fields.
  • Fluff to be written: military-style “Megajoules of energy exerted by weapon vs armour test” with the TRIDENT’s chin gun, find a modern nuclear bomb’s output, * this by 2 [for N2 Mine output], and make that AT Field Minimum Projected Strength).
  • Chin gun will be an automatic version of a nautical weapon, as per pallet canon in the tabletop fluff
• The next idea was to make it fast enough to stay away from Evas while pelting it with AT-breaching weapons.
  • They don’t have any but they’ve spied on the positron(?) weapons that NERV is developing.
  • Intent also to make a weapon that can be used against conventional armies reasonably well: There is an internal proposal for “Project Bolter”, a weapon that uses a positron charge in conjunction with a high-explosive shell. Projects reasonable performance against AT fields and effectiveness against conventional weapons platforms.
• NERV informs Russia that they know what they’re doing, and that they know that the TRIDENT can’t hope to hurt an Eva in its current state. Standard intimidation plays employed here.
• Russia buckles and opens to negotiations (informs them “we still have quite a few nukes thank you, even if we can’t kill the evas we could still scorchedearth what’s left of the globe”)
• Agreement comes to fruition, the UN is (secretly again) informed. TRIDENT development and supply will continue and remain in Russia as they choose, but the TRIDENT must be moved to NERV’s main base of operations, wherein the Angels are predicted to strike. Information collected by on-board systems within the TRIDENT will be transmitted to Russia.
• Layout of Eva defense project is given to Russia. Age match is encouraged given the eva projects’ preciousness and the necessity of defending each unit and pilot - empathy amongst pilots is of paramount, as opposed to typical military doctrine.
• Russia starts pilot screening process. Osip passes, but amidst the TRIDENT training has but a few months to learn Japanese.
• Russia transports the TRIDENT’s crew, parts, and supplies over to Japan in unmarked freighters. Many, many unmarked freighters, over the period of a (few?) months. (small fluff bit will go here on the subject of Osip arriving)
• Osip is brought over once the TRIDENT is assembled. Starts training; frequently involves simulation time with the only other pilot on-site - Lou. The two are kept separate (as Lou has adjustment issues to be dealt with?) otherwise, occasionally being on lunch at the same time.
• Board Game Incident

T-RIDEN-T Pilot Screening Process

the TRIDENT is pretty unnatural no matter your discipline, so experience isn’t a massive issue.

• All fresh recruits are given a detailed personality test (Under the guise of “recruitment concerns”, emphasizing empathy.
  • Osip gets by due to the nature of his disposition and the immediacy of his response to the papers (though depression is given as a note.)
• Passed subjects are evaluated on previously documented skills and the results of their basic training.
  • Osip passes through good shooting, experience with non-synchronous transmissions (worked as a truck driver back on camp), and previous experiences with other languages (Georgian).
• These passed subjects were inducted into the TRIDENT program. Trained on simulators (and later, for the especially good ones, the real thing). Washouts were retrained, kept as service personnel within the program to maintain project secrecy.
  • Osip passes.