PART II

ACT I

SCENE I

(Fuyutsuki's office. FUYUTSUKI sits at his desk, CONN at his side.)

CONN: But, Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki, there has to be something that can be done. There must have been an Angel that has done something like this before!

FUYUTSUKI: I wish there had been, Mr. O'Sullivan. (ENTER MISATO.) How is Asuka, Major Katsuragi?

MISATO: Not well. The shock of losing her oldest friend has really hit her hard.

CONN: (He sighs.) Where did you find her?

MISATO: Back at my apartment. She's locked up in her room.

FUYUTSUKI: I understand that Shinji and Toji are close friends. How is the latter doing?

CONN: (Confused.) Toji? Who is Toji?

MISATO: The boy whose name you misheard as "Titania". (FUYUTSUKI turns to look at CONN with raised eyebrow.)

CONN: I must not have been paying attention.

FUYUTSUKI: Yes, clearly.

MISATO: Kaji is with Toji now. He found him just sitting on a bench in the locker room.

CONN: Has, uh, Toji known Shinji as long as Asuka?

MISATO: No, they only met this year.

CONN: (Relieved.) Oh, well, it shouldn't be as bad then… But what happens if that living Bermuda Triangle comes back?

FUYUTSUKI: "Bermuda Triangle", Mr. O'Sullivan?

CONN: (He nods.) Yes, sir.

FUYUTSUKI: Quite a specific description. Any obscure pieces of information you would like to share?

MISATO: Any people who vanished in it and escaped?

CONN: I have some memory of someone having escaped it somehow, but I cannot name the person, when it happened or how they escaped. For all I know, I could have dreamt it. Thank goodness First Lieutenant Aoba isn't here. If he was, he'd think I had with his opinion of me having my head in the clouds.

MISATO: (She sighs and slumps.) So, what you are saying is I may have lost one of my kids. (CONN gives a small nod.)

FUYUTSUKI: Not only have we lost a pilot, but an entire Evangelion as well. Any reports on an entire squadron of military planes going missing in the Bermuda Triangle, Mr. O'Sullivan?

CONN: I-I don't know, sir. All of the reports of disappearances kind of merge together.

FUYUTSUKI: So, you have no comparison?

CONN: I do not, sir. (ENTER KAJI.)

FUYUTSUKI: How is Toji doing?

KAJI: He is shaken, but alright. He feels like he lost his brother.

CONN: A feeling you are very much familiar with, Special Inspector.

KAJI: (He sighs and nods.) Yeah, I can. (He then looks at MISATO.) How is Asuka?

MISATO: Locked up in her room at my apartment.

KAJI: What about the other two? Rei and Kaworu.

FUYUTSUKI: Rei has returned to her apartment. Mr. O'Sullivan, can you go and check on her?

CONN: (Incredulous.) What me? Wherefore me? Wherefore not someone else? Wherefore I don't even know where her apartment is!

FUYUTSUKI: I can give you, her address. (He writes down Rei's address on a piece of notepaper and hands it to CONN.)

CONN: (He looks down at the address and sighs.) Anything I should know about her beforehand?

MISATO: She is Shinji's second cousin.

CONN: Maternal I'm guessing. I don't see any resemblance to Commander Ikari so she can't be a paternal relative.

FUYUTSUKI: … Yes, Mr. O'Sullivan, that is the case. The maiden name of Shinji's maternal grandmother was Ayanami and Rei is the granddaughter of her brother. (To himself.) If only that was truly the case.

CONN: I am glad to here it. I feel sorry that Shinji has the Commander for a paterfamilias. That means Rei is only related to him through marriage. Commander Ikari is a devil, if not the Devil.

FUYUTSUKI: Hold on to that thought, Mr. O'Sullivan. There may be two.

CONN: That is something I don't even want to imagine. (He proceeds to make his exit when GENDO and the eyepatch-wearing VLADIMIROVICH ENTER. At the sight of the latter, CONN begins to tremble, a well-hidden limp in his right leg becoming visible. Backing away, CONN hides behind KAJI.)

VLADIMIROVICH: (Harshly.) What are you doing here, you damned cripple? Get back to the archives!

CONN: B-But, Deputy C-C-C—

FUYUTSUKI: I have assigned Mr. O'Sullivan to go and check on Rei, Mr. Vladimirovich. Mr. O'Sullivan, proceed. (CONN attempts once more to make his EXIT, when VLADIMIROVICH grabs him by the neck. FUYUTSUKI stands up, a look of shock appears on MISATO's face and KAJI begins to reach for his gun.)

VLADIMIROVICH: (Threateningly.) If you aren't in the archives in an hour, you will be needing more than a walking stick!

GENDO: (Mildly annoyed.) Mr. Vladimirovich, release the archivist. You can threaten him on your own time.

VLADIMIROVICH: (Not hearing.) And one more thing. If I ever find your junk on my desk again, I will impale you with your walking stick! Do you hear me?

CONN: T-That's dispropor— (VLADIMIROVICH begins to squeeze.) Yes, sir! Understood! (VLADIMIROVICH releases CONN and he EXITS.)

VLADIMIROVICH: (He turns his head in KAJI's direction and notices that the inspector is now holding his gun.) What? Are you going to shoot me for disciplining a half-Irish cripple, you damned long-haired hippy?

KAJI: If you went any further, I very well would have, Rurik.

MISATO: (With barely restrained anger.) Half-Irish cripple?

GENDO: That is enough. Mr. Vladimirovich. Return to the archives and do be gentle with the archivist if he returns late.

VLADIMIROVICH: (Confused.) But, Commander, how can you say such a thing? Someone as openly contemptuous of his commanding officer as that subhuman—

GENDO: The archives are understaffed as it is. Do not cripple one of your subordinates anymore than they already are… Unless I give the order.

VLADIMIROVICH: Yes, Commander. (He takes one look at KAJI, shakes his head and EXITS.)

GENDO: Special Inspector Kaji, Major Katsuragi, you are both dismissed. (They EXIT, leaving GENDO and FUYUTSUKI alone.) I understand that there was an Angel attack.

FUYUTSUKI: Yes.

GENDO: What is there to report?

FUYUTSUKI: Unit-01 was lost.

GENDO: (Visibly agitated.) Yes… At least both Unit-01 and Unit-02 were not lost.

FUYUTSUKI: It is well you have a contingency plan, Ikari, but that Angel may return.

GENDO: What of it?

FUYUTSUKI: It was focused on Unit-02 unless Unit-01 intervened. What will happen if it takes Unit-02 as well?

GENDO: That is nothing to be concerned about. With only Unit-01 we must go ahead and proceed with Project Shikinami. Unit-02 can be repaired, but if the pilot is killed then her clone will need to step in.

FUYUTSUKI: And what if Unit-01 should return?

GENDO: Return, Professor?

FUYUTSUKI: Yes, Ikari. Return.

GENDO: What is lost is lost. Shinji is lost to me just as Tiberius' son Drusus was lost to him, but unlike that Emperor of Rome during the final days of Christ, I am unaffected. I always hated Shinji, Professor. He was competition for Yui's attention, a rival.

FUYUTSUKI: Just as a daughter such as Rei would have been.

GENDO: …Yes… We must make sure Shikinami is perfect. Conditioned to be completely obedient, better than her genetic source, superior and with no memories of my late son.

FUYUTSUKI: We are being premature, Ikari. Shinji might yet return.

GENDO: From what, Professor? The undiscovered country? The Realm of Hades? Valhalla? Call it what you want, but to expect Shinji is anything less than dead is pointless.

FUYUTSUKI: Yes, so you say… Have you begun to think about what you are going to tell the council in regards to the loss of Unit-01?

GENDO: Not particularly.

FUYUTSUKI: Kiel will no doubt be quite baffled to hear what has happened. An entire Angel and Evangelion do not simply vanish.

GENDO: Baffled? I was thinking something else entirely.

FUYUTSUKI: And what would that be?

GENDO: …

FUYUTSUKI: Ikari?

GENDO: Do you hear it, Professor?

FUYUTSUKI: I do not hear anything.

GENDO: Listen very carefully, Professor. Once you do, you shall hear God laughing.

FUYUTSUKI: What reason has He to laugh?

GENDO: He watches the comedy of life, but in time it will be my turn to laugh.

FUYUTSUKI: Without Yui?

GENDO: Wherever her soul is, I will find it. When I am the new Adam and have created a new world, I shall call her soul forth from wherever it now resides and then shall she and I be together forever with me hidden in the warmth of her breasts. (Exeunt.)

NOTES

Originally Part II was going to open differently with something inspired by a dream I had, which I have dubbed "The Trial of Conn O'Sullivan", in which Conn is put on trial by Yui herself. I wish I could say I remember why he was on trial, but sadly, I can't. Besides, I am still thinking of maybe holding off on the mind screw, especially since a four-page long mind screw might be too much.

Maya was originally going to be in this scene, among others. The fact that only Kaji reaches for his gun and not Misato too is due to the fact that Misato's reaction was originally Maya's, though I do plan to have Misato drawing her gun on Vladimirovich in a later scene.

When it comes to the character of Rurik Vladimirovich, he was originally supposed to be Conn's uncle Orson Changezi, his initials being a reference to the military dictator Oliver Cromwell, infamous for his actions in Ireland. Due to wanting to keep Conn's personal life out of the play, I ultimately just decided to have Vladimirovich be a foreign counterpart to Changezi.

Gendo's "comedy of life" line is a reference to the last words of Augustus, or so Suetonius claims: "Have I played my part well in the comedy of life? Then applaud!" Likewise, the bit about "God laughing" is a reference to the film "The Fall of the Roman Empire" where antagonist Commodus says to protagonist Livius "If you listen very closely, you can hear the gods laughing!"