In search of that lost time...

Here is a transcript of the LD-extra #9. It was not done by me (look at the credits page) and is based on a fansub, so I can't guarantee for its accuracy.

Shot on a bar that has oriental characteristics. Someone is pouring sake. It is Elektra (in her new look). When she drinks, you can see a ring on one of her fingers. She seem to be slightly tipsy (her speech is also occasinally somewhat blurry).

The image fades to black & white and text "Elektra -- First officer of the New Nautilus -- Age: 18 (so she says)" is overlayed on the still image. The interviewer doesn't appear, the questions are just white text on a black background.

Interviewer:

After the battle at the Kermadec Tonga Trench you disappeared. What happened?

Elektra:

The main block had lost all its bouyancy after that attack. We were sinking into the trench.

Flasback to scenes that happened then.

Elektra:

Our annihilation engine was completely drained, and our remaining emergency batteries were going fast. To top it all off, the main block -- which had already taken a pounding -- was being subjected to 8000 meters of water pressure. It wasn't built to handle that kind of pressure. We began to take water, and there wasn't any way to get rid of it. But we had one last hope. We had been lucky enough to be caught in an undersea current, and that current was headed right for a tunnel built by the Old Atlanteans. If we could make it that far, we'd be all right. But to get into the tunnel, we needed all the ship's power for the engines. To do that, we had to cut power to all systems. Those were hard times. Sitting in the dark, freezing... hoping...

This part of flashback shows Elektra sitting in a dark corner, covered with captain Nemo's coat, praying.

Elektra:

We just had to put up with it.

Interviewer:

You thought that your time was up.

Elektra:

Yes... We had prepared ourselves for the worst, so we were really happy when we spotted the light from the tunnel. That was when we could tell ourselves that we were going to make it.

The camera has returned to the bar.

Interviewer:

Well, that's certainly good news.

Elektra:

We then headed for Old Thartessos and used the Nautilus' antimatter engine to reactivate the old battleship, Exelion.

Interviewer:

So that's what happened. By the way, what happened to your hair?

Elektra:

My hair? Oh, I just felt like it...

Interviewer:

I see. One last question -- do you like that get up?

Elektra (angrily):

No, but it's a proper spacesuit, so...

Interviewer:

Ah. Oh, you're wearing a ring.

Closeup on Elektra's left hand. She has a bright (silver?) ring on her ring finger.

Elektra (first surprised, then embarrassed):

Um. Yes.

Interviewer:

Congratulations.

Elektra:

Thank you.

Black screen with the text "Filmed sometime in Tokyo at the pub "Shige-chan" in Ikebukoro." at the bottom.


Analysis

Interesting, isn't it? I've thought about it quite a bit. Actually, it tells us hardly anything. What happened to the Nautilus was already pretty obvious and mentioned in the series. And the marriage thing? Well, we don't even know when this "Interview" was recorded! I see two possibilities:

  • It could be years after the series' ending, with her married to someone she met later. After all, she's definitely lying about her age. She sure doesn't act like a widow when asked about the ring, so it's unlikely that it's still from a marriage to Nemo. On the other hand, why is she still wearing the "spacesuit", going by the name "Elektra", and claiming to be the first officer of a sunken ship?
  • The other possibility is that it's shortly befor her reappearance in ep. 36 (after that, there isn't any spare time), which would mean that the ring does indeed mark her marriage to Nemo. Sure, the extra comes right after episode 36, but the people who bought the LDs already knew the entire series. And would the first officer of the New Nautilus have had the time to get drunk in a pub in Tokyo of all places while everyone was frantically working on the ship's reactivation somewhere in Africa?

it almost seems like Gainax was deliberately trying to avoid giving away any real information in this extra. It can't be placed anywhere in the continuity. And of course the mysterious interviewer is, well, mysterious. Everyone who could ask these questions is either dead, knows the answers anyway or would be more familiar with Elektra.

I guess we just have to chalk it up as "typically Gainax".


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