Chapter 636: Avatar
"So, do you understand now?" Dr. Grace looked at the three youths, each wrestling with their own emotions, her voice weighed down with weariness from weathering decades of conflict, yet carrying a spark of stubborn conviction that refused to fully die out. "The so-called 'coexistence,' under the RDA's current model of exploitation, is nothing more than a shattered illusion. Unless their fundamental goals can be altered—or a counterbalancing force emerges that is willing to take a different path."
Her gaze swept pointedly across Rei Ayanami-kun and the others.
"What about the Avatar Program?" Rei Ayanami-kun asked at the opportune moment, steering the conversation toward another key point of Ryo's interest. "In your view, can this technology itself still serve as a bridge for communication?"
At the mention of the Avatars, Grace's eyes brightened slightly; this was the culmination of her life's work.
"Theoretically, it remains the most effective tool humanity has to understand the Na'vi and Pandora." Grace spoke with the singular passion of a devoted scholar as she walked over to the two link pods resting like sleeping giants, looking down at them with a complex gaze.
"Through the link, you can truly feel the forest breathe, grasp the vast complexity and elegance of the Eywa neural network, and experience Na'vi culture and emotion firsthand... It is not merely remote-piloting a body; it is a metamorphosis of consciousness, a form of empathy that transcends species boundaries." Her fingers brushed lightly across the cold chassis of one of the pods, her gesture holding a subtle, unmistakable fondness.
Soon, however, her tone darkened under the weight of reality.
"However, the project's funding has been slashed drastically, and the primary research vector has been derailed by Quaritch's people, leaning further and further toward military reconnaissance and terrain mapping." She let out a long sigh, turning her gaze toward the other link pod—a unit that sat pristine yet exuded the desolate quiet of abandonment.
"Moreover, without suitable drivers and without the trust of the Na'vi, an Avatar is ultimately just an expensive, hollow shell incapable of truly integrating into their society." She paused, her voice dropping lower with palpable grief. "We even lost an invaluable driver—Tom Sully. He was killed in an accident back on Earth. His carefully cultivated Avatar body remains in cryo-stasis, with no one capable of taking his place to pilot it."
Her eyes lingered on the idle pod for a moment before she shook her head.
"A properly trained driver is far rarer than the Avatar itself. Losing him was not just a loss for the program; it meant... we lost another potential bridge to the Na'vi. Now, corporate management simply views it as a failed investment—an expensive asset gathering dust." Her words carried profound sorrow over a lost life, coupled with a deep sense of powerlessness regarding the program's future.
She looked at Rei Ayanami-kun once more, curiosity warring with stubborn fascination: "In contrast, your ability to directly perceive and interact without needing an Avatar... is nothing short of a miracle. If you were willing to cooperate in our research, we might be able to uncover an entirely new pathway..."
"That is non-negotiable," Rei Ayanami-kun's refusal was as flat and unyielding as before, devoid of emotional fluctuation.
Grace sighed, recognizing that pushing further was pointless.
She turned to probe another angle: "Then what about you 'Seekers'? What is the objective of this 'other side' of yours? If it is not merely about mining resources, what do you want from Pandora? And how do you intend to navigate this crisis?"
The question cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Adhering strictly to the response strategy approved by Ryo in advance, Rei Ayanami-kun delivered an ambiguous yet suggestive answer:
"We seek knowledge and understanding—including unique biological forms, consciousness linking phenomena, and the generative mechanics of superconducting minerals. We likewise believe that endless conflict serves the interests of no party. We hope to establish a more efficient interaction model capable of minimizing unnecessary destruction and resistance."
This answer carefully avoided sensitive targets like Amrita, centering instead on "knowledge" and "efficiency." It overlapped neatly with the values of a scientist like Grace while subtly drawing a line between themselves and the RDA's brute-force methods.
Grace nodded thoughtfully.
"Minimizing resistance... far easier said than done. The Omaticaya clan, especially under the leadership of their current clan leader Eytukan and the warriors who lived through the destruction of Hometree, harbor deep-seated hatred for any Sky Person. Unless... you can deliver concrete actions directly relevant to their survival that prove you are different from the RDA, you will never crack that wall of ice."
She paused, adding, "For instance, intervening against some of the RDA's more destructive operations, or helping resolve crises they cannot easily handle on their own that aren't caused by humans. But that demands deep intelligence networks and surgical execution."
She shared additional insights regarding the internal atmosphere of the Na'vi clans. Though she no longer had access to their inner circle, peripheral observations and long-range recon through Avatars revealed that the tribe was not entirely homogeneous. Alongside their burning rage, certain members of the younger generation felt lost about the future, though their voices were drowned out by the prevailing militant climate.
Consolidating the Puzzle
The exchange continued at length.
Rei-kun's squad secured a wealth of historical context, sociological analyses of the Na'vi, and essential data regarding the operational mechanics and limitations of Avatar technology.
Grace, in turn, learned of an external faction holding an alternative stance and possessing unique interface capabilities—a revelation that dropped a stone of uncertain hope into the despair of her work.
Departing the research station, the squad withdrew swiftly back to the outpost.
Ryo listened attentively to the comprehensive debriefing, focusing on the historical nuances and Grace's strategic assessment of the regional balance.
"Dr. Grace corroborated the root cause of the broken trust and emphasized the steep difficulty of rebuilding it," Rei Ayanami-kun summarized. "She believes tangible, differentiated actions are mandatory to shift the status quo. She displayed an intense scientific interest in my perceptual abilities, which was denied."
Asuka remained visibly heated: "If you ask me, we ought to teach those wreckers in the RDA a real lesson! They're the source of the whole mess!"
Shinji-kun offered his perspective in a quiet voice: "If... if we could do something that genuinely helps the Na'vi, like Dr. Grace suggested, wouldn't that make it possible to..."
Ryo listened in silence, his fingertips tapping rhythmically against the smooth surface of the console with faint, measured clicks.
His face was composed, his eyes fixed on the data feeds across the display as his mind synthesized every detail from Grace's account against his broader operational framework.
Grace's debriefing was the final vital puzzle piece, outlining the full anatomy of the war between the RDA and the Na'vi while validating his prior assessments: corporate greed and a history of broken oaths were the primary engines behind the stalemate.
This reality rendered any hollow verbal diplomacy backed by neither strength nor concrete action completely useless—and potentially counterproductive.