AOBA (OFF):“These are the parts that were
brought in three days ago.
This is the area that's deteriorating.”
FUYUTSUKI (OFF):“The 87th protein wall...”
TEXT:“Sigma Unit D-17
87th Protein Wall”
UrsusArctos: Here's our first big sign that something's wrong. Of course, this turns out to be the first sign of the Angel's entry. Andromeda came in on a satellite, while Ireul seems to have...hitched a ride on wall paneling? As an aside, I notice that the number 17 seems to turn up a lot in Evangelion.
dzzthink: Much like the religious references, this scientific mumbo jumbo is appreciated by those familiar with the terms but also sounds excessive and confusing. These biological terms all seem to describe the genetic material and structure of bacteria. A Pribnow box is a section of the bacterial DNA where proteins can bind and transcribe DNA into RNA, which can be used to encode different proteins. The sigma unit or 'sigma factor' is one of the proteins that bind to DNA to make RNA. Genetic change or mutations is the main precursor to evolution, especially for diseases and pathogens wanting to evade their host's immune response. This is all similar to what Ireul does later on in a very pathogenic way. Given the variants we are facing during Covid-19, this episode is quite relevant.
