PART I
ACT IV
SCENE III
(The garden. MISATO, KAJI, MAYA and CONN all sit together. CONN is tapping his walking stick against his right foot while he stares at the file for Project Germanicus.)
CONN: I just have no idea. For all we know Commander Ikari is in contact with Martians and this is their writing system… Good lord, what a fascinating idea! Martians! What do you think they'd look like? Like the Martians in the H. G. Wells novel "War of the Worlds" or like the Tharks from the "Barsoom" novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs? Hopefully neither, maybe they'd look like one of the more human-looking Martian races of Barsoom. (MISATO, KAJI and MAYA all stare at him.) What? I do a lot of reading. Currently I'm reading "The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins. Oh, I love books. I ever worked in a bookstore in college, a rare bookstore and saw so many interesting books. A Latin translation of Winnie the Pooh, the complete Middle English dictionary, oh, there was so much to see!
MAYA: Speaking of Latin, since Germanicus and Claudius were Romans, maybe the files are written in Ancient Latin.
CONN: That wouldn't be the case, First Lieutenant Maya. Coming from a country where Latin is the official script, I would be able to recognize it.
KAJI: Just a question here, Conn, but would you happen to know what kind of a name "Langley" is?
CONN: That would be an English surname, Special Inspector. Old English specifically, the language of the Anglo-Saxons… (Realizing.) A cultural group who traced their origins to Germanic settlers in Britain!
KAJI: (Smiling.) There you go! What kind of writing did the Anglo-Saxons use?
CONN: Runes.
MISATO: Would you say this looks like the kind that the Anglo-Saxons would have used?
CONN: I suppose so, Major, but I can't be sure and even then, I have nothing to translate them. Would that these were Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, I have a book at home that can translate those.
MISATO: Maybe if we find Project King Tut it will prove useful. Just see if you can find something that can help you translate that for now.
CONN: Yeah, yeah, okay, okay. (He ceases tapping his walking stick on his right foot.) Just a question, but what were you all doing the day of the big black out? I was stuck in the archives with Vladimirovich as he told me about people he had killed for the Russian mob.
KAJI: Stuck in an elevator with Katsuragi here…
CONN: I know the Major threatened me in regards to the last time I saw you two in the elevator, but for my own peace of mind, there weren't files all over the floor was there?
MISATO: No, Conn. There wasn't! I really had to go to the washroom though!
KAJI: (Groaning.) Don't remind me. I wasn't happy with the position we were in by the time the power finally came back.
MAYA: I was sitting at my station, waiting for the power to come back on.
CONN: Did any of you know that Vladimirovich is ex-Russian organized crime?
KAJI: Everyone did, he's very open about it, though I can only wonder what NERV Russia was thinking about keeping him around.
CONN: Do the kids know that he's—
MISATO: No, they had no contact with the archives' staff until you showed up to collect my paperwork.
CONN: Aren't they lucky not to know him?
KAJI: You don't like him?
CONN: Not particularly, Special Inspector Kaji. In fact, I hate Vladimirovich and I hope that whatever the reason for his illness it turns quite serious, and he dies.
MAYA: (Appalled.) Conn!
CONN: (Defensively.) What? He's like the half-Russian version of my—… I just don't like him.
(MISASTO and KAJI both take note of CONN's reaction as he once again begins tapping his walking stick against his right foot, this time noticeably out of irritation.)
KAJI: Conn, I was wondering… Why the walking stick? You aren't that old, and your leg is fine, so why need it?
CONN: All part of the look… Major…
MISATO: Yes, Conn?
CONN: I'm… scared.
MISATO: We all are.
KAJI: Conn, how did Claudius die?
MAYA: He was probably poisoned.
KAJI: (Sighing.) Great. Commander Ikari sure did choose a great couple of names, didn't he?
CONN: (Smiling.) Yeah, he kind of did. They are both fascinating individuals Germanicus and Claudius, two important members of the Roman Empire's founding dynasty the Julio-Claudians. I hate to admit it, but the Commander really did choose a good pair of names for these mystery projects. (Everyone stares at him in exasperation. CONN sighs.) I hate rhetorical questions.
KAJI: (Standing up.) Come on, Conn. How about the two of us chat one on one?
CONN: I don't see any reason for us to chat, Special Inspector Kaji.
KAJI: I can think of a few. (EXEUNT.)