Explaining Dual!


[Scene: A mostly empty film set.  There are backdrops from NGE 
in the background, along with models of various EVAs.  Most of 
the main NGE cast is there, except Asuka, either lounging in chairs 
or eating from the small buffet that has been set up.  They're 
obviously waiting for someone and clearly bored.]

[A young man enters, dressed in casual clothes.  He wears a name 
tag that identifies him as Ammadeau.]

Amm:  So is everyone clear on why we're here?

Everyone:  No!

Amm:  All right, I'll explain.  We're going to have you, the NGE 
cast, reenact the first two episodes of Dual! to show that it isn't 
some rip-off of NGE.

Aoba:  But I thought it was--

[Maya covers his mouth with a hand.]

Maya:  You want to work, don't you?

[Ritsuko stands up and makes for the exit.]

Amm:  Where are you going?

Ritsuko(turning around):  I find that logic highly suspect.  I don't 
think I will be doing this.

[Ammadeau checks script, which he holds in his hands.]

Amm:  In this, you'll be the head of Nerv.

Ritsuko(smiling):  Then again, it shouldn't take too long.

[Ritsuko returns to her seat.]

Gendo(frowning slightly):  If she is the head of Nerv in this, what 
is my role?

[Ammadeau studies script.]

Amm:  I guess you can the leader of the Angels.  Lorenz refused to 
participate.

[Before he can say anything, Ammadeau shows Gendo what he 
would have to do in this as the head of this Nerv.]

Gendo:  That should be fine, then.

Shinji:  What about me?

Amm:  You basically play yourself, only you have visions of giant 
robots and everyone makes fun of you for it.

[Before Shinji can object, Utena runs into the room, nearly out of 
breath.]

Utena:  Sorry I'm late.  I had to rescue Anthy again.

[Ammadeau blinks in surprise at her.]

Amm:  What are you doing here?

Utena:  Isn't this auditions for duelists?

Amm:  No, it's for a reenactment of Dual!, a new anime by Pioneer 
that looks a little too much like NGE.

Utena:  First that magazine and now this.  You mean I ran all this 
way for nothing?

Amm(looking at script):  I suppose I could find a part for you 
somewhere in here... [Looks around]  Hey, where's Asuka?

Shinji:  In her trailer.  She refuses to come out until we need her.

Amm(turning to face Utena):  I guess you can have Asuka's part 
then.  Now that that's all settled, let's get started.

***

Dual!
(Performed by the NGE cast, with guest star Utena from Utena.  
Directed by Ammadeau.  Based on an anime by Pioneer.)

	Shinji was an average boy.  He went to an average school, 
got average grades, and went home to average parents.  There 
wasn't a thing that was strange about him, nope, no sir, well except 
the fact that he often had visions of giant robots battling equally 
giant alien invaders who seemed to spend most of their time 
wrecking the city around them.  Other than that, he was entirely 
normal.  Well, there was one other little thing, but we'll get to that 
soon enough.
	It was the typical day for him.  Have a hallucination on the 
way to school while other kids pointed and laughed at him.  
Feeling he was about the die from a missile he saw coming straight 
at him in class.  Having his classmates laugh at him.  Sending his 
latest visions to his web page that his classmate Kenske had 
encouraged him to set up (who was also the only person who didn't 
make fun of him).  Have the others... well, you get the idea.
	What was different that day was a message on his bulletin 
board signed 'Utena.'
	Shinji was a bit surprised to find a pink-haired girl reading 
over his shoulder.  Though even that wasn't as strange as the 
mouse-thing on her shoulder, which was eating the modem line.  It 
looked at him and said, "Chu?"
	Shinji was so startled that he nearly jumped away from her.
	"Shinji Ikari?" she asked.
	"Yes."
	"You're the one who's writing a story about having visions 
of robots, aren't you?  Is it true that you really see them?"
	Shinji denies it, of course, thinking that she would just 
make fun of him.  While Utena makes a mysterious phone call, 
Shinji has another one of his freaky hallucinations that blows up 
where he's standing.
	Utena walked before him, incidentally standing over an 
area he saw as a hole.  "You really can see it, can't you?"
	"I know it isn't reality, but it seems so real Utena-sempai!"
	"You know my name?"
	"You're well known, after all."
	"So are you."
	Shinji frowned, knowing what he was well known for.

	A few scenes where Shinji and Utena are talking, mostly 
about his odd visions.  Some extras borrowed from Ranma 1/2 see 
this, get jealous that the number one babe at school (despite 
wearing a boy's uniform) is talking to such a loser, and try to beat 
him up, but Utena saves him in the nick of time by dragging him 
into a lingerie shop, where no sane man enters unless against his 
will.  Eventually, this all leads to Utena's home.

***

[Inside house, Ritsuko is intently studying script while Ammadeau 
is preparing for upcoming interior shots.]

Ritsuko:  Do I really have to do this?

Amm:  Yeah, but it's only once.  Well, twice really.  The rest isn't 
as bad and you get to be the head of Nerv.

Ritsuko:  Maybe I should have stuck to being the head scientist.

Amm:  Kaji's still available as your replacement.

Ritsuko:  All right, I'll do it.  You don't have to threaten me like 
that.

[Outside house, Utena and Shinji are standing around, waiting for 
the shooting to begin again.  Shinji is studying the set.]

Shinji:  This is a pretty strange house for Japan.  I don't remember 
this being part of the NGE set.

Utena:  Actually, it's the exterior of my dorm.  I don't know how 
Ammadeau got a hold of it.

[Ammdeau walks onto the set.]

Amm:  All right, places everyone!

***

	Shinji was more than a little surprised when a strange 
blonde woman raced out of the house and locked him a power-hug 
that was quickly cutting off his circulation.
	"You're the one, aren't you?  Aren't you?" the woman said 
enthusiastically as she squeezed the life out of him.
	Shinji looked to Utena and managed to choke out, "Help 
me."
	Utena frowned.  "Wait a minute, I know that voice."  She 
pulled off the blonde wig to reveal...  "Wakaba?  What are you 
doing here?"
	Soon Utena found herself once again the victim of her 
friend's enthusiastic hugs.  "This nice lady offered me the part of 
her stunt double!  I didn't even know you were working here too!  
Isn't this great?"
	"Yeah, great," Utena answered with a definite lack of 
enthusiasm.

***

[Off-stage, Ammadeau, who looks ready to tear his hair out, is 
confronting Ritsuko, who's smiling.]

Amm:  Look, I don't want to know how you found her.  Her pay is 
coming out of your salary.

Ritsuko:  Fine.

Amm:  All right, next scene everyone!

***

	The outside of the house was nice, but the inside looked to 
be about as well maintained as the Addam's Family mansion.  
Things only got worse as Ritsuko, the real one this time, lead them 
into the basement, by the light of a candle.  All sorts of esoteric 
machinery lurked in the shadows.
	"What is this place?" Shinji whispered to Utena as they 
carefully made their way down the stone staircase.
	"The lab set from Young Frankenstien," Utena whispered 
back.  "It was the only one that Ammadeau could find."
	"Enough shop talk," Ritsuko told them as she threw a big 
switch.  "We're here."
	Massive overhead lights flickered on to reveal what 
appeared to be some sort of cross between a dungeon and a mad 
scientist's laboratory.  What looked to be an old-fashioned electric 
chair sat in the middle of the room.  It was this that Ritusko 
ultimately lead them to.
	"All right, get in.  Let's get this scene over with," she told 
Shinji as she gestured to the chair.
	"No way I'm getting in that thing.  Why couldn't it be an 
entry plug or something familiar?"
	"Because an entry plug wouldn't fit in the basement.   Come 
one now, it's perfectly harmless.  I just need to use it to take a few 
readings, that's all."
	"Why does it smell of burnt flesh then?"
	"That's just because of the leather straps," Ritsuko 
explained quickly as she practically shoved him into the chair and 
started to tighten the restraints.
	"Hey!  Wait a minute here!  Why don't I get a stunt 
double?"
	Utena placed a hand on Shinji's shoulder, looking him right 
in the eyes as she said, "Don't worry, everything will be all right."
	"Yeah," Shinji said distantly, blushing heavily.

***

[Ritsuko is off-stage and is currently explaining the script to her 
stunt double Wakaba, who doesn't seem to be getting it.  They are 
both dressed in lab-coats and Wakaba is wearing a blonde wig.]

Ritsuko:  Look, it's simple.  You just do your enthusiasm bit on 
how you're going to be sending Shinji to the parallel world, that 
girl --

Wakaba:  Utena?

Ritsuko:  Yes, Utena reminds you that you promised only to study 
Shinji.  You relent and Utena 'accidentally' sits on the switch, 
sending Shinji to the parallel world.  Have you go it now?

Wakaba:  I think so, but...

[Ammadeau walks over to them, an expression of irritation on his 
face.]

Amm:  Look, I don't care which of you is in the scene, but we need 
a Ritsuko on stage right now.

[Ritsuko pushes Wakaba before her.]

Ritsuko:  Yep, she's all ready for her scene!

[Ammadeau grabs Wakaba's hand and drags her on set before she 
can protest.]

***

	"You're the one, yes you're the one," Wakaba as Ritsuko 
practically sang to Shinji as she danced around the lab, turning 
things on at random.  "I'm going to send you to the other world, the 
mysterious, magical world!"
	"I though this was supposed to be Dual, not Wanderers," 
Shinji complained.
	Wakaba immediately stopped what she was doing and 
turned to her friend.  "There's a difference?"
	"Surprisingly, yes," Utena muttered, and then said her next 
line.  "But you can't send him to the parallel world.  You promised 
that you would only examine him."
	"I did?" Wakaba asked in confusion.
	"The other Ritsuko did, don't you remember?" Utena 
muttered.
	"Oh, I guess I shouldn't have thrown this switch then," 
Wakaba replied, indicating the switch in question which was now 
moved to the 'send' setting.
	"Just great," Utena said to no one in particular as a loud 
humming began to build.
	"What the heck is going on here?" Shinji shouted in panic.  
Then there was a flash of light.

***

[Misato is standing alone in the now-empty lab set.]

Misato:  Join us next time for Shinji's adventures in the parallel 
world, where hopefully I'll get a part in this thing.