Bethany Base
Bethany Base (ベタニアベース, Betania Bēsu) is a branch of Nerv dedicated to the study and containment of the Third Angel.
The base is a joint operation between Europe and Russia[1], with all operations announced in both English and Russian. The base itself is surrounded completely by water, with most contained within a submerged unit shaped like a giant chicken's egg (the smaller end pointing down).[2] The Command Center and its staff are housed within the Monitoring Command Ship Ural II,[2] on the outskirts of the base itself. The exact location is not confirmed, but given the base's joint nature and the oceanic setting, a good possibility is the Arctic Ocean off the northern coast of Russia's European section.[3]
The base is designed to facilitate the movements of resident "seal-guarding" unit Eva-05, or vice versa. In place of umbilical cable, the Eva receives power from tracks in the ceiling via extensions on the shoulder pylons.
Mari Makinami Illustrious and Ryoji Kaji are stationed at the base at the beginning of Eva 2.0.
Allusions
"Bethany" (Beth anya) is taken from the name of a Biblical village in the New Testament.[4] Incidentally, it was home to a Mary (Maria, in Japanese) of Bethany, while Bethany Base is the location where we meet Mari.
The base is divided into sections with names taken from Dante's Inferno. The secure facility at the bottom of the "egg" containing the Angel in deep freeze is Cocytus. The Styx Shaft runs from the bottom of the base to the top. Limbo Area is in direct contact with the base's upper hull. Acheron is the donut-shaped "roof" section, equipped with Angel-sealing Hex Pillars, crowning the top of the "egg" (which penetrates the water). Malebolge is also mentioned in the background dialogue.
Notes & References
- ↑ Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance. Subtitles by squall.leonhart, et al.
- Ritsuko: With their Unit-05 lost, Europe and Russia are getting Asia involved with their claims.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Evangelion 2.0 Complete Records Collection
- ↑ If the ship's name is a geographic hint, the base could be within the Kara Sea north of the Ural Mountains and Siberia. (...coincidence?)
- ↑ Wikipedia. Bethany (biblical village). Retrieved 2011-02-19.
Organizations |
Seele | Gehirn | United Nations | IPEA | JSSDF | Wille | Kredit |
Special Agency Nerv: |
Nerv Headquarters | Nerv 1st Branch | Nerv 2nd Branch | Nerv 3rd Branch |
Nerv 7th Branch (Tabgha Base) | Bethany Base | Golgotha Base |