[EVA] Manga continuation - Stage 53

[MMKokusaiYK]

Here is the latest Sadamoto Eva manga stage from Ace-A.

Bochan_bird
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Unrelated plug (:P) -- Watch Boogiepop Phantom.
The more I watch the anime and read the manga and novels, the more I like this
show.  It is dark and deep (even depressing in a few places), but at the same time
very satisfying.  It is also a challenge to figure out everything due to the
scattered hints (kind of like Eva) and the highly original presentation format. --
Watch Boogiepop Phantom.

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Stage 53 - Giant of Light

Cover: Giant of Light silhouetted against the wrecked girders of the Antarctic base
just before Second Impact

Scene: Giant wings of light sprouting from Antarctica. (Note: Unlike the four simple
wings shown in the TV series, the main wings branch into a number of sub-wings like
those of Rei/Lilith in EoE.)
[Telop: Antarctica -- Year 2000]
Fuyutsuki (reminiscing): Second Impact. That tragedy struck in the final year of the
20th century.

Scene: Survey vessel cruising through a glassy sea dotted with salt(?) pillars
[Telop: Antarctica -- Year 2002]
Fuyutsuki (looking out ship window): This... once a continent of ice... there's not
even a trace left. (to Gendo behind him) You are lucky to be alive. I had heard that
you participated in the Katsuragi survey expedition...
Gendo: Luckily, I returned to Japan the day before the incident, and was thus spared
the tragedy.
Fuyutsuki: I see... (turns to face Gendo) Mr. Rokubungi, you...
Gendo: Excuse me, but my name has changed. I now go by "Ikari".
Fuyutsuki: ..... So how is... Yui? She didn't take part in this tour?
Gendo: My wife wanted to come, but there is our child to look after now...
Fuyutsuki: I see... That organization of your... Seele, was it? There's no end to
the unsavory rumors surrounding it. And I can't say I like the way it forces its
will onto the (U.N.) Council.
Gendo: I see you are as fastidious as ever. Untainted organizations cannot survive
in times such as these.
Fuyutsuki: This official survey into Second Impact -- Assembling an expedition team
with only Seele personnel would have led to various complications. So we are here to
fill out the slate, right?
Gendo: ..... I'm afraid I can't answer that question. (turns to leave) Of course,
things would be different if you were to ally yourself with me. Now if you will
excuse me. (walks away)

Fuyutsuki (reminiscing): After that, the U.N. officially announced that Second
Impact had been caused by a large-mass meteorite. (Fuyutsuki reads newspaper with
meteorite headline -- looks over at documents, photographs and media scattered on
desk) But to my eyes this was clearly a cover-up (image of official making
announcement with Gendo and Keel in the background), and behind it lurked Seele and
a personage named Keel. (Fuyutsuki brooding in office) I became possessed with the
desire to know the dark truth of the matter.

Scene: Monolith 01 before Fuyutsuki -- head bowed and handcuffed in chair
01 (Keel): Professor Fuyutsuki
(A shock is applied to Fuyutsuki via the handcuffs)
Fuyutsuki (jerks): Uuh...
01 (Keel): We can't have you falling asleep on us. After all, you have not yet
answered our questions. 30 hours without sleep, food or water -- it must be
difficult for an aging body to bear. Surely you must be reaching your limit?
Fuyutsuki: Your concern is unwarranted. I'm rather tough for my age.

Scene: Hakone -- Year 2003
[Telop: U.N. Artificial Evolution Laboratory]
A surprised Yui sees Fuyutsuki in front of a building entrance
Yui: Professor Fuyutsuki
Fuyutsuki: It's been a while.
Yui: Indeed... So what brings you here today?
Fuyutsuki: I have business with your husband. So how are you doing?
Yui: Fine, thank you. I... (drops gaze) Professor Fuyutsuki, my husband said that
you had turned him down. He was quite disappointed. If a person such as yourself
could understand my husband, and stand with him, it would be a great help...
Fuyutsuki: ..... (walks past Yui with hardened expression) I'm sorry, but that is an
impossible proposition.
(Yui turns and silently watches Fuyutsuki enter building)

Scene: Gendo's office -- Fuyutsuki stands before Gendo, who sits at his desk in the
classic "Gendo pose (elbows on desk, hands clasped in front of mouth)
Fuyutsuki: Why do you hide the existence of the Giant of Light? Second Impact... You
people knew about it, right? You knew it would happen on that day. You said you were
lucky to have left the day before the incident, but was it also just a stroke of
good luck that you took all the materials with you? (opens briefcase filled with SI
materials)
Gendo: I'm surprised that these materials remained undisposed of.
Fuyutsuki; I also took the liberty of investigating your personal assets. The figure
is a bit large for an individual.
Gendo: I'm impressed, Professor Fuyutsuki. Have you considered transferring to the
Economics Department?
Fuyutsuki (loses cool): I will expose Seele and the lot of you lurking behind Second
Impact -- and your Dead Sea Scrolls as well! I've no intention of letting the people
who caused that get away with it!
Gendo (as calm as ever): Do as you like... But first I want to show you something.

Scene: Rail tram descending into the depths of the earth
Fuyutsuki: We're going quite a ways down.
Gendo: It's just ahead.
(The tunnel grows brighter as the tram nears an exit, and Fuyutsuki stares in
amazement as the tram emerges into a vast underground cavern with a network of tram
lines and a central facility under construction)
Fuyutsuki: What...?
Gendo: A cavern left by someone other than us. 89% of it is filled, but it was
originally a perfectly spherical underground cavern. (The tram approaches the
central facility) And that is the facility that is currently consuming all that
humankind has.

Scene: a room filled with computer mainframes and cables
Fuyutsuki: Akagi Naoko?
Dr. Akagi: Oh, Professor Fuyutsuki.
Fuyutsuki: You, too... What are you doing in this place?
Dr. Akagi: This place... this is the best place for me to pursue the fundamental
theory for my bio-computer. I'm going to name it "Magi".
Fuyutsuki: Magi... The three wise men from the east... (to Gendo) Is this what you
wanted to show me?
Gendo: No...
Dr. Akagi: Let me show him. This way, Professor.
(The three walk down a corridor and enter a room containing a giant mechanical
skull, spine and arms with numerous wires attached. Fuyutsuki stares in shock.)
Fuyutsuki: This... This can't be that Giant...?
Dr. Akagi: We at "Gehirn" call that giant "Adam". This is different; it is not the
original.
Fuyutsuki: Then...
Gendo: Yes! This is Eva, created from Adam by humans. This is Eva Unit 0 -- the
model for our Adam Rebirth Project, also known as the "E" Project.
Fuyutsuki: Eva...
Gendo: Fuyutsuki, won't you create a new history for humankind together with me?
(Fuyutsuki looks over at Gendo)

- End Stage 53