[SPOILERS] Gone to Guf. Back for Final. -- Love Gen & Fuyu
I've started this thread to begin a discussion on what happens to Gendo, Fuyutsuki, and indeed Nerv HQ at the end of 3.33. The last we see of our intrepid pair, they are standing in what looks to be a chamber similar to the Wunder's bridge, as noted by Baz in the Geofront/Moon thread
(By the way, the images in this post are all on the wiki, and are posted here using the wiki image integration system, which is super useful. Click on any image to be taken to a larger version on the wiki proper.
Thanks to Reichu for uploading these images to the Wiki as well. )
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1479 gf-bridge.jpg[/wkimg]
But where are they? And where is Nerv HQ?
All we can see is that the chamber is black all about them. However, if we return to the Wunder bridge startup sequence, you can see that in its "inactive" state, the Wunder chamber is initially a dull red, similar to standard entry plugs. Only later does the monitor become active.
LCL uncharged
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C0399 monitor1.jpg[/wkimg]
LCL charged. Monitor on.
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C0399 monitor2.jpg[/wkimg]
Notice as well the thin orange "latitude" markers on the Wunder bridge globe. These have heading markers as well. If you click on the Gendo and Fuyutsuki image, you can see that they have similar marking on their "Nemesis" bridge. But these markings are not present on the Wunder bridge in its uncharged state. This implies that Gendo and Fuyutsuki's bridge is charged and active.
But if their monitor is on, then why are the seeing inky blackness? Well, probably because the place they are in right now is indeed inky black. I'd like to propose that Gendo and Fuyutsuki have in fact gone through into the Guf.
During Fourth Impact, we get the following shot of some kind of object just inside the Chamber of Guf.
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1429.jpg[/wkimg]
Here's a zoomed in version (Click for larger image) (Thanks again to Reichu!)
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1429 crop.jpg[/wkimg]
You can see what appears to be a moonlike globe with long cross shaped struts sticking out of the six cardinal directions. Note also that thin translucent bands are extending downwards from the object. You can actually see these bands in several shots, including from inside Shinji and Kaworu's entry plugs.
However, what concerns us most here is what the bands connect to. In fact, they extend downwards to Nerv HQ.
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1418.jpg[/wkimg]
As Baz noted:
These "ropes of light" appear to be that anti-gravity system. Nerv HQ is being hoisted up, probably by the object inside the Chamber of Guf. (Was it always inside Guf, or did it emerge from Nerv HQ?). You can actually see in another shot that the ropes of light connect to the spikes on the top of the Nerv HQ "coffin".
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1440.jpg[/wkimg]
We've seen these ropes before. The Wunder used similar objects to enable its support fleet to fly.
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C0275 fleet.jpg[/wkimg]
If you look closely, you can also see that the Wunder is holding up its own wings with ropes of light as well.
So there you have it. Nerv HQ has been lifted up into the Chamber of Guf, into "Guf Space" if you will, using the same system as the Wunder uses to levitate. Gendo and Fuyutsuki's image screen shows a black void because that's what the inside of "Guf" looks like -- empty blackness.
One unanswered question here is whether Gendo and Fuyutsuki are in a bridge inside Nerv HQ, or whether they are somehow up further inside the "UFO" object. This isn't very clear, and the ropes of light on the Wunders wings make either option possible. But I would hold that the two have indeed passed through the portal and are now on the other side, which has all sorts of interesting implications.
Consequently, I'm hoping this thread will be tremendous fun!
P.S.
Note that there is one problem with this theory. The very last shot of the object inside the Guf, show as the vortex is closing, shows it to be different to the original image shown above. Nerv HQ is not shown, and the cross now appear to be below the object. Odd indeed. Has Nerv HQ been taken inside the object? Or moved elsewhere?
[wkimg width=400]Eva3-33 C1474 cropped.jpg[/wkimg]