PART I
ACT IV
SCENE VII
(Fuyutsuki's office. FUYUTSUKI sits behind a desk looking over a file while CONN stands ready nearby.)
FUYUTSUKI: Mr. O'Sullivan, can you go down to the archives and bring me the budget from the October of last year?
CONN: Yes, sir. (CONN makes his EXIT as RITSUKO and MAYA ENTER, causing him to collide with the latter. Flustered, CONN raises his hat.) So sorry, First Lieutenant Maya. (He turns his attention to RITSUKO.) Dr. Akagi, it seems that Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki is familiar with Project Germanicus, but not as we know it.
RITSUKO: (Confused.) What?
MAYA: (Equally confused.) What do you mean by that, Conn?
FUYUTSUKI: I mean, First Lieutenant Ibuki, that when I knew Project Germanicus, it was written in Kanji and was intended as upgrades for Unit-02. Mr. O'Sullivan has me up to speed. Now, Mr. O'Sullivan, I believe you were fetching the budget for last October.
CONN: (Nodding.) Yes, sir.
FUYUTSUKI: (Smiling.) And please, make sure you don't run into anyone else.
CONN: (A sheepish smile appears on CONN's face.) Yes, sir. (EXITS.)
FUYUTSUKI: (Turning his attention to RITSUKO and MAYA.) Now, what brings you both here?
RITSUKO: Something strange, sir.
FUYUTSUKI: How so?
RITSUKO: A dead Angel has appeared a mile a mile away from the city.
FUYUTSUKI: (Not entirely confused or surprised.) A dead Angel?
RITSUKO: Yes, sir.
FUYUTSUKI: First Lieutenant Ibuki, can you go and run after Mr. O'Sullivan and tell him to bring the file on the Angel Michael? (MAYA nods and EXITS.)
RITSUKO: (Visibly confused.) M-Michael, Deputy Commander?
FUYUTSUKI: Yes… I take it you first tried to find Commander Ikari and when you couldn't find him, you came to me.
RITSUKO: Yes, where is he? I've not heard anything about him being called away.
FUYUTSUKI: He was suddenly called away this morning, though he too knows of this Michael.
RITSUKI: Another Angel that arrived already dead?
FUYUTSUKI: It was very surprising, Dr. Akagi. The NERV branch in Turkey wasn't sure what to make of it.
RITSUKO: An Angel that appears dead on arrival is very much out of the ordinary, but most surprising was the size of this one.
FUYUTSUKI: The size of this one?
RITSUKO: The body was investigated and it couldn't have been any more than—
FUYUTSUKI: (Knowingly.) Eighteen feet tall?
RITSUKO: (Surprised.) How did you know, sir?
FUYUTSUKI: (Troubled.) That is the exact same height Michael's body is… Two eighteen-foot-tall Angels appear dead on arrival, one in Turkey the other in Japan. (ENTER CONN and MAYA, the former carrying two folders in his free hand.) Ah, Mr. O'Sullivan, welcome back. You can give the folder for the budget to me and the file for Michael to Dr. Akagi.
CONN: Yes, sir. (He gives one folder to FUYUTSUKI and the other to RITSUKO.)
RITSUKO: (She opens the folder and a look of astonishment appears upon her face.) But… This is the same Angel that just appeared dead a mile from the city!
FUYUTSUKI: Perhaps it has a double, a twin.
CONN: What do we call this one then? Lucifer? What is even the worry? If eighteen-foot-tall Angels start appearing then all we need do is call in the biplanes while they hold some poor defenseless damsel hostage while atop the tallest building of the nearest settlement… Or, we could just have an Eva step on them… Presuming all such Angels of that size are not dead the moment they arrive.
FUYUTSUKI: That there have been two Angels of that size is cause to worry, Mr. O'Sullivan. What exactly is the reason for Angels of that size? A change in strategy? What if there is one that is not dead the moment it arrives? What if this one is smaller than the previous two?
CONN: What? Twelve feet? Human-sized? I still say just let an Evangelion step on it. This dead one and any other hypothetical Angels of that size or smaller are as minnows are to Moby Dick.
RITSUKO: Or a shark compared to Moby Dick.
FUYUTSUKI: Yes… In any case, we must be cautious. First Lieutenant Ibuki, Mr. O'Sullivan, you are both dismissed.
CONN: Will you be needing anymore files from the archives, Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki?
FUYUTSUKI: That will be all, thank you. (MAYA and CONN both EXIT, leaving RITSUKO and the Deputy Commander alone.) Dr. Akagi, Mr. O'Sullivan has informed me of how you found Project Claudius. I had not been aware of such a project's existence.
RITSUKO: Then it would appear that Commander Ikari has been keeping secrets from his closest allies.
FUYUTSUKI: Indeed, thus the reason for this question, Dr. Akagi: what other mysterious files did you find?
END OF PART I ACT IV
