[EVA] [Eva] Eva Manga Continuation - Stage 33

[MMKokusai]

A few days late (I was out of town), but better late than never.
Here is Stage 33 of the Eva Manga continuation by Sadamoto.

Bochan_bird
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Stage 33 "Aquarium"

Cover: Shinji as a child at an aquarium

Scene: Misato and Shinji in Misato's car
Misato: Shinji - I'm sure you understand, but I want you to forget
everything you saw there.
Shinji (subdued): Okay... but what are you going to do about Kaji? I
really don't know much about relationships between adults, but you like
him, don't you?
Misato: Even if I like him, there are some things that just can't be
helped.
(Sync ratio monitors: Shinji's sync rate is the lowest of the three
displays - Three Eva units in the cages)
Misato (continuing): Anyway, I just want you to forget about both that
giant and Kaji. You didn't see anything.

Scene: Command Center looking out at three entry plugs
Ritsuko: I wonder what's wrong with Shinji. His sync ratio has dropped
significantly... and it was rising so well lately.
(Shinji inside entry plug with eyes closed - Back to Command Center)
Misato (thinking): No wonder... after seeing that thing...
Ritsuko: Okay - the three of you can come out now.
(A door slides open and Gendo and Fuyutsuki enter the Command Center)
Gendo: How is everything?
Ritsuko: Commander!
Misato: Welcome back.
Ritsuko: No problems with any of the three Eva units. The power failure
appears to have had no effect so far.
Gendo: I see. That's good.

Scene: Pilot dressing room - Shinji sitting quietly on the bench, his
plug suit lying rumpled beside him - Rei pulls aside the curtain/divider
Rei: Shinji, what's the matter?
Shinji (looking up): Huh?
Rei: You seem a bit down.
Shinji: Hm? Well, maybe I am...
I thought I'd try what you said - try and talk with my father. But it
was no use. I'll probably never talk with him again.
Rei: ...I see...
(Asuka comes bursting in)
Asuka (sarcastically): Sorry to interrupt your friendly conversation...
Shinji (looking to side - exasperated): What do _you_ want?
Asuka: Hey! What do you mean making that face at me!?
(aside to Shinji) Did you clear up the misunderstanding with Kaji? You
know, the letter! You gave it to him, didn't you?
Shinji: Oh, that... Here (hands crumpled letter to Asuka)
It's your problem, you caused it, give it to him yourself.
(Shinji turns and starts to leave)
Asuka: Wait! What do you mean!?
Shinji (not looking back) I'm going home. Bye.
Asuka (shouting): Shinji!!
Rei: What is that letter?
Asuka (shouting): Oh, shut up! It's none of your business!!

Scene: Shinji walking through Tokyo-3, absorbed in thought and not
paying attantion to his surroundings
Shinji (thinking): I'm going to stop thinking about my father... I'd
hated him for so long - he killed my mother, and abandoned me... I
thought I'd never like him again. But from that day - the day he told me
to pilot Evangelion... Before I knew it I was secretly hoping deep in my
heart that someday I could get him to acknowledge/approve of me. But now
even that's...
-BEEEP!-
(Shinji is startled out of his reverie by the blast of an automobile
horn - Kaji has pulled alongside Shinji in a convertible [Lotus
roadster])
Kaji: What's the matter? Walking around absentmindedly like that -
you're liable to to get run over.
Shinji (startled/apprehensive): Kaji...!
Kaji: You're headed home, right? I'll give you a lift.
Shinji: But...
Kaji (laughing): You don't have to be so wary. It's okay - get in.
(reaches over and opens door) Besides, I want to talk to you a bit.

Scene: Kaji and Shinji speeding along in Kaji's car
Shinji: I'm not going to tell anybody about what happened.
Kaji: I'd appreciate it if you didn't.
Shinji: Misato also told me to forget about it.
Kaji: And if you're told to forget something, can you?
Shinji (looking down): .....
Kaji: Shinji, I think it was a good thing that you saw what you did. And
there are a good many more things that you should know as well. (Shinji
looks over at Kaji) Let's take a little detour.

Scene: Kaji and Shinji sitting on a bench inside an aquarium
Kaji: Shinji... How much do you know about Nerv? You probably think that
Nerv is just a special agency that fights against unknown enemies called
Angels, right?
Shinji: Well, yes... isn't it? That and trying to prevent the expected
Third Impact - although that's just what Asuka says.
Kaji: Haven't you ever thought it strange that these Angels appear only
around Tokyo-3 - as if they are aiming for Nerv headquarters? And that
Nerv has intercepting defense systems positioned overhead and the Eva -
as if they knew about it in advance?
Shinji: What are you saying?
Kaji: That it's all been planned from the start.
Your father must know everything that is going to happen. (image of SI)
He probably even knew that Second Impact would happen precisely on that
day.
Shinji (shocked): But... but how?
Kaji: "SEELE" (image of shadowy figures) That's the name of the
organization backing your father. A group of powerful and influential
people who are said to have secretly controlled the world since long ago
- and also the source of Nerv's funding. SEELE's "scripture" is the Dead
Sea Scrolls (image of SDSS) - An ancient and mysterious document that is
said to have been in existence even before mankind first appeared on
this world. If my investigations are correct, this ancient document is a
type of prophecy that describes all of human history - everything that
has happened thus far, and everything that is yet to come. SEELE and
your father have formulated a plan based on these Dead Sea Scrolls. I'm
not sure whether SEELE is using your father, or if it is your father
that is using SEELE, but I do know that these battles with the Angels
are just the opening act in this plan.
Shinji: Wait! Wait... Why are you telling me this? Why do _I_ have to
know these things? (thinking: Am I merely a cog in the vast machinery of
my father's plans? [literally" Am I merely a gear to my father?])
Shinji: What good is it for me to know these things!?
Kaji: You have the right to know the truth, and also the duty - because
you are the son of Yui Ikari - the person who created Evangelion
together with Gendo Ikari.
Shinji (shocked): ... Mother...?
Kaji: Eva, born of Adam... Your mother was the person who solved the
basic theory. She was a brilliant scientist - a pioneer in the field of
bioengineering.
Shinji (still in shock): The mother I knew wasn't a scientist... She was
just a normal mother... (raises hand to forehead - sweating/unseeing)
She was made a subject of my father's experiments, and died as a
result...
Kaji: Is that what you were told? -No, you should have seen it with your
own eyes - the very moment that your mother disappeared. You've just
unconsciously repressed these painful memories.

Scene: Flashback to Yui's sync test - Shinji with face/hands pressed up
against the glass looking out at the mass of pipes and cables
Fuyutsuki: Ikari - Why is there a child here? You know this is a very
important day.
Yui (on radio): I'm sorry, Dr. Fuyutsuki. I brought him here.
Fuyutsuki: Yui, it's your test today.
Yui: That's why. I want to show him the bright future of mankind.
(Scenes of the experiment mixed with Shinji in the aquarium holding his
head in his hands and covering his face in shock)
Shinji (thinking): That's right... I knew...
Technicians: What's wrong?
  What happened!?
  Brain waves and heart beat have both stopped!
  The subject's vital signs have disappeared!!
  Cut the circuit!
  Abort the test at once!!
Shinji (thinking) I knew about Eva...!?

Scene: Back to Aquarium
Kaji (puts arm around Shinji's shoulders): I'm sorry... You don't have
to remember it if you don't want to. But Shinji, you mustn't turn your
eyes away from the truth.

Scene: Gendo's office - Gendo sitting at his desk, Fuyutsuki working on
Shogi (Japanese chess) puzzles
Fuyutsuki: Ikari, did you report the power failure to the Committee?
Gendo: Yes - as an "accident".
Fuyutsuki: They're not the type to be satisfied with such an
explanation...
Gendo: As long as the scenario proceeds as planned, there's no problem.
Fuyutsuki: And how do you plan to take care of that man?
Gendo: We'll let him swim around for a bit more. He can be fairly
useful.
Fuyutsuki: How is the Adam Project?
Gendo: Going well - it's not even 2% behind schedule.
Fuyutsuki: And the Lance of Longinus?
Gendo: As planned. Rei is carrying out the work.

Scene: Rei in Eva-01 carrying the Lance - Eva-01 rears back and then
plunges the Lance deep into the chest of the giant hanging on the cross
in Terminal Dogma.

- End Stage 33 -
----------
Extra info: Release of the "DerMond" collection of illustrations by
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto has been delayed. While originally planned for early
August, the new release date will be September 28, plus or minus a few
days.