Chapter 644: The Plot Begins
At the remote monitoring terminal, Rei Ayanami-kun recorded the telemetry with clinical detachment: "Link stable. Physiological markers within normal parameters. Motor-neural adaptation proceeding smoothly. Subject displaying violent emotional swings, presenting as extreme euphoria."
Asuka curled her lip, tossing out a dismissive remark: "Acting like a little kid getting his hands on a new toy for the first time... Is it really that big of a deal?"
She couldn't comprehend such an obsession with an organic frame; after all, she had been interfacing with colossal frames like the EVAs since childhood.
Shinji-kun offered quietly: "He... hasn't walked in a very long time. I can understand how he feels..." To some degree, he empathized with that deep longing to feel "normal" and "whole."
Aboard the Trailblazer, Ryo reviewed the incoming feeds and biometrics.
In his eyes, Jake Sully's overwhelming ecstasy at regaining the ability to "walk" merely exposed his weak-willed nature and how easily he was governed by sensory impulses. An individual whose loyalties could be so easily upended by mere physical gratification was virtually guaranteed to turn traitor.
"Log every nuance of his adaptation phase," Ryo commanded. "Focus specifically on his interactions with RDA personnel and Dr. Grace's qualitative evaluations. Monitor closely when and how he makes his initial foray into the external environment."
A successful maiden link was only the preliminary step.
Next, Jake Sully would learn to pilot the Avatar under Grace's tutelage, progressively acclimatizing to Pandora's wilderness.
And that was the exact juncture Ryo was waiting for—the catalyst that would force his collision with the Na'vi.
The Rolling Die
Several days later, Jake was cleared for mobility trials within the enclosed training yard along the base perimeter.
Like an unbroken stallion throwing off its harness, he sprinted and leaped, reveling in the uninhibited freedom the frame afforded him.
His movements were watched from multiple vantage points: through the yard's security feeds and via micro-drones belonging to the expedition team that drifted quietly overhead.
Quaritch saw a promising recon operative; Parker saw a multi-million-credit asset coming online; Grace saw an undisciplined student; and Ryo saw a game piece steadily rolling down its predetermined trajectory.
Ryo knew that, according to the "script," Jake would soon experience an "accidental" detachment from supervision during field ops, run afoul of Pandora's apex predators, and be rescued by the Na'vi.
That would mark the beginning of his infiltration into native society.
"Alert Rei-kun's detachment," Ryo ordered. "Elevate surveillance along the outer perimeter of the Omaticaya clan's territory. Keep a dedicated lock on Neytiri's coordinates. The moment the 'accident' occurs, we must secure real-time telemetry and evaluate its immediate impact on Tsu'tey's splinter faction."
Standing before the main display, Ryo looked upon the alien canopy radiating its magnificent, deadly luminescence.
Jake Sully was in position; the gears of fate were grinding into high gear.
As the unseen grandmaster behind the curtain, Ryo had laid every contingency to herd this piece across the board.
He would not only use Jake to draw the native resistance out into the open, but ensure that this time, Eywa would never be given the opportunity to stage a catastrophic ecological counter-offensive.
Every variable had to remain under absolute control.
The Forest Encounter
Events unfolded almost exactly along the "trajectory" Ryo had extracted from his main body's memories.
During a night-cycle wilderness acclimation run in his Avatar frame, Jake Sully was ambushed by a Thanator.
Amidst the frantic pursuit and chaos, Jake lost contact with his team, forcing his Avatar body to navigate the treacherous jungle in total isolation.
He maneuvered the frame clumsily, barely holding off various minor predators in a state of utter disarray.
Finally, just as a pack of Viperwolves had him pinned, an Omaticaya hunting party intervened.
Leading the charge was none other than the daughter of Clan Leader Eytukan—the agile and fiercely proud Neytiri.
Neytiri and her companions easily dispersed the Viperwolf pack.
Looking upon this clumsy "Dreamwalker" who stood in jarring contrast to the natural order, she was filled with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. Following the guidance of Eywa (claiming she perceived the Great Mother's sign), she resolved to escort the lost Dreamwalker back to Hometree.
High above in the upper canopy, a camouflaged micro-drone operated by the expedition team captured the entire encounter and relayed the footage back to base.
"Target Jake Sully has initiated contact with the Na'vi. Rescuer identified as Neytiri, daughter of Eytukan," Rei Ayanami-kun reported placidly, routing the feed to the Trailblazer.
On screen, Jake stared at the towering blue figures before him—his gaze lingering on Neytiri's fierce features and piercing golden eyes—looking both terrified and utterly captivated.
He stammered out a few rudimentary Na'vi phrases taught by Grace, though to little effect.
"Hmph, is the whole 'hero saves damsel' routine starting already?" Asuka remarked with a trace of mockery. "The way this guy looks at that native girl is certainly something else."
Shinji-kun focused on the tactical geography: "That sector... isn't too far from where Tsu'tey and her people usually operate. I wonder if Tsu'tey knows about this."
Seeds of Dissension
Reviewing the live feed aboard the Trailblazer, Ryo's eyes remained cold as ice.
Jake Sully's undisguised fascination and eager reception of the alien species reaffirmed his assessment of the man's treacherous nature.
Yet, this was the exact development he required.
"Map their return vector to Hometree and monitor how Jake is received by the clan," Ryo commanded. "Rei Ayanami-kun, have your detachment on standby. The process of the Na'vi integrating Jake will inevitably provoke internal friction within the clan. That friction is our window to deepen our link with Tsu'tey's faction."
He toggled Maine's frequency: "Maine, what is the reaction at Hell's Gate regarding Jake's 'disappearance'?"
Maine replied promptly: "Colonel Quaritch is furious, attributing the incident to Grace's poor oversight and Jake's reckless insubordination. He has dispatched search-and-rescue teams, though their search radius remains constrained. Dr. Grace is deeply concerned, adamant that Jake is alive and may have made contact with the natives. Administrator Parker's stance is to wait and see, so long as the Avatar asset remains intact."
"Very well," Ryo nodded. "Maintain observation, but do not intervene in the RDA's search operations. Let Jake 'study' among the Na'vi for a while longer."
Just as Ryo anticipated, Jake Sully's arrival at Hometree ignited intense turmoil within the clan.
Hardliners like Eytukan and the warrior Tsu'tey harbored absolute distrust, viewing him as a fresh Sky Person deception and demanding his immediate expulsion or execution.
Yet Neytiri remained steadfast in her belief in Eywa's omen, asserting that this Dreamwalker was different. After communing with Eywa through the Tree of Souls, the Tsahìk Mo'at also perceived a faint "possibility."
Together, they ultimately persuaded Eytukan to grant Jake a chance—allowing him to learn the ways of the Na'vi and prove his worth.