Stage 62 -- distance

Cover: Kaworu in plug suit amidst darkness and vapors

Scene: Seele monoliths around Gendo
Seele: The Lance of Longinus is irrecoverable by our hands.
(Lance in orbit around moon)
Seele: Why did you use it?
Seele: The Eva Series have not yet reached the scheduled number.
Gendo: Destroying the Angel had priority. It was unavoidable.
Seele: Unavoidable? Your excuse should be more persuasive!
Seele: Your recent behavior is difficult to overlook.
Gendo: Regardless, the Lance cannot be returned. Which makes it
pointless to continue this discussion further. If you will excuse me.
(rises to leave)
Seele: Ikari, if you proceed any further at your own discretion, you
will no longer have a seat here.
Gendo (looking back over shoulder): ..... I'll bear that in mind.
(leaves room)
Seele: Is that also... unavoidable?
Seele: Ikari, do you intend to betray Seele?
Seele: In the first place things would not have come to this had you
been more serious about your duties. We hope that you will inform us
beforehand next time, Tabris.
(Kaworu sits silently on a folding chair in the shadows)
Seele: Are you listening?
Kaworu (smiling): I heard you. But it couldn't be helped, could it? The
Lance was used so suddenly, and it would have seemed strange for me to
stop it. (sticks hands in pockets and leans back in chair) But isn't it
unwise for me to be here? I am officially a member of Nerv now.
Seele: We are aware of that. Just do not be remiss in your contact. If
Ikari shows even the slightest subversive behavior, you are to inform us
at once.
Kaworu: I understand. I'm also sticking close to the Third Children,
just like I was told. Still, humans are curious creatures. (background
images of Shinji) They have too much interest in things other than
themselves. They get angry, flustered, desperate and even consumed over
other humans. I do not tire of watching it, though.
Seele: Humans are like that. But when our Project is implemented, humans
will be freed from those onerous troubles.

Scene: Nerv HQ hospital, 1st Cranial Nerve ward -- Shinji stands
silently beside Asuka's sickbed, Asuka stares vacantly at the ceiling.
Shinji abruptly strikes his folding chair with his fist.
Shinji: Damnit!!!
Shinji (thinking/rubbing hand): Why... Why is it that when most needed,
all I can do is watch?
(Rei stands in the corridor outside the door, unnoticed by Shinji. She
starts to walk away, but is stopped by a voice from behind.)
Kaworu: Hey, you. Have you seen Shinji?
(Rei turns slightly surprised to see Kaworu)
Kaworu: Oh? Might you be the First Children? I saw you throw the Lance.
I thought you'd be a tougher looking girl.
Rei: ..... Who are you?
Kaworu: Nagisa Kaworu. The Fifth Children.
(Rei and Kaworu stare silently at each other)
Kaworu: You are the same as me.
Rei (narrowing eyes ever so slightly): No. (Kaworu is drawn up short) We
are not the same. You and I may closely resemble each other, but we are
not the same.
(Kaworu returns Rei's stare)

Scene: Synchro test facility -- Rei, Shinji and Kaworu in test plugs 00,
01 and 02, respectively
Ritsuko: Try lowering it another 0.3.
Maya: Okay.
(Mental Toxicity Level graph, slight beeping)
Fuyutsuki: Is this data certain?
Makoto: Affirmative. All systems are operating normally.
Maya: MAGI also confirms no data error.
Ritsuko: How can that be... We had him take a synchro test just as a
tentative trial... Who would have thought that he could synchronize with
Eva-02 without rewriting the core?
Maya: But it's unbelievable! No... system-wise it's impossible.
Misato: But it's true. So first we have to accept this truth, and then
look for the reason.

Scene: Shinji showering in a shower stall
Shinji (thinking): A synchro test... It's meaningless if I can't pilot
Eva when it counts. Still, I wonder why they didn't tell us the results
this time?
(Shinji hears the sound of his stall door swinging shut behind him, and
turns to find Kaworu in his shower stall)
Shinji (shocked/shouting): WHAA!!
Kaworu (calm): Lend me some soap.
Shinji (shocked/shouting): SOAP!? There's soap in your stall!
Kaworu (holds up tiny piece of soap): It's too small to use, see?
(pushes past Shinji) Oh, here's some soap. Don't mind if I borrow it.
(Kaworu turns back around to see Shinji looking at him strangely. He
then turns further until the two of them are standing face-to-face about
4 inches apart with Shinji cringing back against the stall wall.)
Shinji: Stay away from me!
Kaworu: Why? You take a strange dislike to anyone drawing within a
certain distance. Yet on the other hand you clutch and grasp at other
people. That's weird.
Shinji: It... it's not weird! It's normal. Nobody feels comfortable when
someone they don't like draws closer than is necessary.
Kaworu: ..... You don't like me?
Shinji (lowers gaze): ..... No. And I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem
likely that I will.
(Kaworu lowers his gaze, Shinji leaves the stall, covering himself with
a towel)
Shinji: You can use this stall. I'm done/leaving.

Scene: Shinji getting dressed
Shinji (thinking): Honestly... What on earth is he thinking? I've been
getting jerked around ever since we met, and it's really tiring. (leaves
dressing room)
Shinji (muttering): Why does everyone jerk me around?
(Shinji sees Rei get on the down escalator and rushes after her)
Shinji: Ayanami! (Rei looks back) Are you going home?
Rei: Yes... What about you, Ikari? Are you going to visit Asuka today as
well?
Shinji: It's the least I can do. Though I know it won't help even if I
go. ..... It feels like so long since we've talked.
Rei: Really? Yes, I guess so. With her (Asuka) like that, it doesn't
seem right that just the two of us can talk pleasantly as if nothing had
happened.
Shinji: Yeah, I guess not...
Shinji (thinking): The distance between Ayanami and me has shrunk
steadily since the time we met, but I wonder if this sense of distance
will shrink further from here on.
(Flashback of Shinji and Rei in Nerv HQ garden (Stage 54) with Rei
asking "May I touch your hand... once more?")

Scene: Misato and Makoto driving in Misato's car
Makoto: The Marduke reports on the matter are classified.
Misato: Just as I thought... I'm really at a loss this time. I'm using
all of MAGI's resources to try and find any data on him, but his true
identity is still unknown. Who is that boy?
(Misato notices something out the window)
Makoto: Katsuragi!
(Misato's cellphone rings)
Misato (answering): Hello. Yes. I know. Because I just confirmed it
visually.
(The helical ring Angel Armisael floats in the sky

- End Stage 62