"J.C. Bengtson" <golbez@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:3DAF4722.6D5CCFC3@ptd.net...
> Michael Wignall wrote:
> > Shinji's mother is in Eva-01. We know that for a fact.
> > Asuka's mother is in Eva-02. We know that for a fact.
> >
> > It is established that the A-10 nerve is vital for the Eva's connection
> > with the pilot (various sources including a quote from Sadamoto
> > saying that directly).
> >
> > The A-10 nerve link is involves the connection
> > between mother and child.
>
> I kind of figured that early in the series.. the Eva basically
> substituted for the child's lost parent and that's why they couldn't use
> an adult as the pilot. But the A10 Nerve thing was lost on me.. thanks
> for the info. Thought it was just more technobabble or somesuch.

Here is the full text of that section in the D&R theatrical program:

----------
[A^10 Nerve (A^10 Shinkei)]

The Evangelion are controlled mainly by linking with the cranial
nerves of the pilot.  Of these, the most important is this A^10
nerve.  The human brain stem has four rows of neural nuclei
running vertically along its center, and the two outside rows
of this arrangement are called the A nerves.  Counting from
the bottom, the tenth nerve in these rows is the A^10 nerve.
The A^10 nerve passes from the brain stem through the lower
optic thalamus and is distributed to the sincipital portion of the
cerebral cortex comprising most of the frontal, parietal and
temporal lobes.  It is associated with higher order brain functions
such as memory, cognisance and the execution of movement,
and with emotions such as anxiety, fear, happiness and pleasure.
In addition, it is also said to play an important role in affection
between parent and child, and between lovers.
---------

> <subsequent snips for space>
>
> > Next later in the episode when Shinji is in Eva-00.
> > -----------------
> > Ritsuko: A10 Nerve connection started.
> >
> > Announce: Harmonics Level plus 20.
> >
> > Shinji: Ah, what's this?
> >         Something's directly entering my mind. What is it?
> >         Ayanami? Ayanami Rei? It's Rei, this impression is hers.
> >         Ayanami? Isn't it?
>
> You know, I never put that together. So that little Rei head
> that he sees floating for a second before the Eva goes nuts
> is actually that of the child-Rei...

I think so.

There is no way Shinji could be "remembering" that image, it
can't be a flashback, because he never met that Child-Rei.
Yet when he is in the Eva he is "contacted" by something
he recognises as "Rei-like" and he sees a child-Rei.

> > The fact is that Naoko really had no connection to Eva-00 at all.
> > Naoko was a computer scientist, she was at Gerhirn to work
> > on the Magi. That is what she didn't, she wasn't an Eva scientist
> > like Yui or Kyouko. She didn't participate in any "contact
> > experiments" with Eva-00.
>
> She did seem to be "expecting" Yui to "die" when she went into
> EVA-01's entry plug though, as her dialogue after the fact seemed
> to show. If she had no connection to the project, how did she
> know this?

I don't think she expected it, just that she hoped it would happen,
she hoped Yui would somehow be erased from the picture period.

"Those words would prove to be Yui's last. A freak accident
 wiped her from this existence. Just as I had hoped it would.
What a disgusting woman I am."

She describes it as a "freak accident", that isn't the way you
describe something you expect to happen. Yui and Kyouko
were both described as Eva scientists who worked directly
on the Evas and participated in contact experiments with
then. Naoko is never mentioned as working on the Evas at
all.

> Yui WANTED to merge with the Eva (I think.. Gendo doesn't
> seem totally aware of this because of his single-minded
> obsession to be with her again after it happens..).

Yes Yui did, Fuyutsuki certainly knew Yui's intentions (see flash
back in EoE) however I don't think Gendou knew.

> > They really is nothing connecting her
> > to Eva-00 at all... Except that fact that if Rei's soul is in Eva-00,
> > in particular if a copy of Rei's soul from the time it resided in
> > Rei-001 was in Eva-00, well then it would have plenty of reasons
> > to be made at the daughter of it's killer.
>
> Gendo was actually very warm in the short scene he's seen
> with the child-Rei, so why would it attack him at the window?

I don't think it did. Ritsuko says it is after her "without a doubt".
Gendou just happened to be in the way. The Eva _was_ going
berserk remember, this is not a clinical attack, it was a rage against
a specific target, not caring about what else was in the way.

> Ditto for the other Rei... she didn't seem to bear any ill will
> towards the other clones in Terminal Dogma (we don't know
> about the clones till the end of the series, but she is shown in
> that same area in that weird tube with the brain thing a few
> times earlier in the show).

See above. I don't think Rei was targeting either. Misato suggests
that Eva-00 was after Rei in episode 14, but Ritsuko rejects that
idea and says it was after her.

> Of course that's an assumption and all, but I just thought I'd bring
> it up since the one time it avoids the window is when Shinji is in
> the plug..

When Shinji is in the plug it smashes the window where Rei is,
which prompts Misato to suggest it was after Rei, but again, I
don't think it was after anyone by Ritsuko.

> > And yes of course Rei has Lilith's soul, but that isn't to say that
> > Rei doesn't make that soul her own, that she doesn't have an effect
> > on it. When Rei returns to Lilith, Lilith takes on Rei's shape, she
> > takes on Yui's shape in effect. This is evidence enough to show
> > that the soul can change and grow.
>
> See, now the reason I thought of my theory and not the one you
> just described is, because it means they'd have to "split" the soul..
> as, after all, everytime Rei died, they transferred her soul into a
> new body. An "empty shell" as Ritsuko called the clones in the vat.

I don't think the soul was "split". I think it was merely copied, imprinted
into the Core of Eva-00. The true nature of souls is never explained in
the Eva universe, I see now reason why Rei/Lilith's soul couldn't be
imprinted onto the Core of Eva-00.

> But at the same time, I DO agree with your statement about it changing,
> because Rei III is quite a bit different in personality then Rei II...
> and Rei I seemed almost "impish", to copy someone's else's description..

It is clear that they are also three distinct "versions" of Rei. In EoE we
see
all three of them standing over Gendou. The may all share the same soul
(originally Lilith's) but they are still different "people" in their own
rights.
Shinji specifically sees a child-rei in Eva-00, something he can't possible
"remember".

> > Anyway there are plenty of threads on this discussed in the past.
> > Go check out google groups if you want to read up on some of
> > them.
>
> I don't. If I want back issues, I'll order a magazine. If I want a
> discussion, I'll post a message. :P

I wasn't suggesting a stop to the discussion. Just that the majority
the regular posters who contributed to these topics have left the
group, and unfortunately there hasn't been many new ones to
fill their places, so the amount of discussion this topic might once
have generated (hundreds and hundreds of post) will only get
a paltry few.

--
Michael Wignall
"Tomorrow's just an excuse away..."