Stage 39 - Dummy System

Cover: Touji in his plug suit with a stunned expression and veins
streaking his face (similar to the veins when Rei/Eva-00 were invaded by
the 16th Angel)

Scene: Eva-00's severed arm lying amidst the wreckage of a house -- Rei
clutching her left shoulder in pain inside the entry plug
Operators: Eva-00 medium damage! Pilot injured!
     Recovery team proceed at once!
(Profile view of Gendo)
Gendo (quietly): Shinji, can you hear me?
(View of Eva-01 and Eva-03 faced off against each other)
Gendo (on radio): You are the only one left. You must destroy it!
(Shinji frozen inside the entry plug, his heart racing)
Touji's voice: I'm scared...
(Flashback of Touji clutching at Shinji)
Touji: I'm scared shitless. Look... my hands are shaking...
Shinji: It's okay, Touji. You can do it.
(Flashback of Touji leaving Shinji and Kensuke to visit his sister in
the hospital)
Shinji: You have to admire Touji. Having his sister like that must be
tough, but he doesn't let it show...
(Flashback of Touji angry at Shinji)
Touji: Hey transfer... Lemme borrow your face for a bit.
Touji (angry/winding up to hit Shinji): Are you trying to dismiss me!?
You think just saying "sorry" is enough!?
(Flashback of Touji at train station)
Touji: Ikari -- hit me.
(Back to flashback of Touji clutching at Shinji)
I'm sorry... I'm really sorry for hitting you like that without
realizing how you felt.

(Gendo and Fuyutsuki in the Command Center)
Gendo (shouting): What's wrong Shinji! What are you doing just standing
there!?
(Shinji comes back to reality with a start, but it is too late --
Eva-03/Bardiel leaps into the sky with a roar and comes down at Eva-01
from out of the sun.  Shinji braces for the impact with the pallet gun,
but Eva-03/Bardiel twists mid-air and plants both feet in a kick
squarely on Eva-01's chest, sending Eva-01 crashing back into some
houses.  Eva-03/Bardiel lands crouching on all fours a short distance
away.  The shocked Shinji notices the entry plug still in
Eva-03/Bardiel's back.)

Shinji: Touji! Touji -- Answer me!
     Say something if you're okay! I'll try to save you!!

(Eva-03/Bardiel plunges its right hand into the ground, and then the
hand bursts from the ground at Eva-01's feet and grabs Eva-01's neck. 
Shinji desperately struggles to remove the hand, but to no avail.)

Shinji: Ah... agh... T... Touji...

(Eva-03/Bardiel's buried arm rips up through the ground and its other
arm also stretches to grab Eva-01's neck.  Eva-03/Bardiel then closes on
Eva-01 and drives it back into a road embankment, strangling its. 
Shinji gasps/groans and the finger marks drive deeper into his neck.)

(Control center)
Operators: Trouble in the life support system!
     The pilot's in danger!
Fuyutsuki: No! Cut the synchro rate to 60!
Gendo: Wait! -- Shinji! Why won't you fight!!
(Eva-03/Bardiel strangling Eva-01 -- Shinji in the entry plug)
Shinji: I... can't... I can't fight. My friend is inside it. There's no
way I can fight...!
Gendo: You'll die!!
Shinji (straining/shouting): It's better than killing my friend!
Gendo: ..... Cut all synchronization between Eva-01 and the pilot.
Maya: !?  Did you say... cut?
Gendo: Switch the circuits over to the dummy system.
Maya: But, the dummy system still has many problems, and without Dr.
Akagi's direction...
Gendo: It'll be more use than the pilot we have now -- Do it!

(Shinji straining inside the entry plug -- suddenly the tension on his
neck vanishes and he gasps for air. Then a disk behind the cockpit seat
labeled "DRIVE A -- OPERATION DUMMY SYSTEM REI" starts to spin...)
Shinji: !?  Wha...!?

(Command Center)
Operators: Signal reception confirmed.
     Control system switch-over complete.
     Linkage of all nerves to the dummy system complete.
     32.8% of emotional elements unclear -- unable to monitor!
Gendo: It doesn't matter --
     Release the dummy system! Commence attack!!

(Eva-01's eyes shine and it reaches out to grab Eva-03/Bardiel's neck --
In the cockpit Shinji is startled as Eva-01 rises from the ground in its
counter-attack.

- End Stage 39