1.1 - Hydrogen. [Voice]

[alchemicals]

Okay, so, this is...

[Well, whatever this is, it's coming from someone clearly not familiar with the concept of cell phones; his voice quiets for approximately two seconds - just long enough to mutter a soft, disgruntled "This feels so stupid..." before he continues on at the same volume he had been speaking at before.

"The same volume" being one that implies he's holding the phone about a foot from his face and yelling into it.]

Yeah, so I'm out of flagpoles to run things up and no one's saluting anyway, so I thought I'd give this...radio thing a try. This is Lieutenant Colonel Kimbley of the Amestrian military - I guess I can appreciate your medical support, but this whole situation here stopped being okay as soon as this place stopped being Liore. If you want to tell me who you are or why you brought me here, that'd be great - otherwise there's going to be some problems, like your little city going up in flames.

[More fidgeting with the phone; awkward awkward awkward, I think I'm a hostage and what's this.]

Anyway. Right. Answers would be good. You have half an hour to return the damn transmission - I'd suggest you start with the answers before I start with the fireworks, this place looks like it'll go up real easy.

Comments

[alchemicals]

[...you...oh my god, you're actually a lawyer.

You're actually a lawyer.

This is going to get quite the laugh out of him, thanks!]

Thanks for the tip-off, Miles; do you dedicate all your time to helping those wayward arrivals in need of your legal expertise?

[truthsnomiracle]

Edgeworth, please. [That was firmer than it had to be.]

Is it not preferable to prevent a crime rather than dealing with its aftermath, if at all possible? Particularly a crime so senseless as the one you proposed?

[alchemicals]

All right, then. Edgeworth. Am I tacking a "Mister" onto that, too? I don't know how you legal-types prefer to be called.

Just keep in mind that you're talking to the guy proposing that "senseless" crime you're so dedicated to stopping. I don't care if it was a rhetorical question; it was stupid just the same, since it's obvious what my opinion is - whether I think that would be preferable or not.

[truthsnomiracle]

That, you can use or not as you see fit.

(The question was not, as you claim, "stupid" -- your reaction thereto lays your nature bare. Clearly, you don't regret a word of your threat as someone with a conscience who merely panicked might have.)

Regardless of your opinion of rhetorical questions, there is still no good reason to threaten civilians and your fellow kidnappees alike merely to gain information.

[alchemicals]

If you say so; the point is that threatening? Tends to work. It might not be orthodox, it might not be nice, but it gets results.

[truthsnomiracle]

Expediency justifies very little outside of matters of immediate life or death. Furthermore, while it may produce results in the short term, it denies you potential allies in the long term -- and make no mistake, there is indeed a long term to be considered in this situation.

[alchemicals]

...would it absolutely kill you to just say that you disapprove and be done with it?

[truthsnomiracle]

You've made it clear that you don't care about what my opinion happens to be. Ergo, stating that alone would accomplish nothing. By contrast, your best interests are a subject you've yet to claim disinterest in.

[alchemicals]

Yeah, and they're also a subject I have no reason to believe you have interest in. Ergo this is all just sounding like a bunch of preaching.

[truthsnomiracle]

Take it as you will, then. Simply don't expect a rescue should you find yourself at the mercy of Shadows during the Dark Hour if you fail to mend your ways.

[alchemicals]

Listen, buddy, I don't ever expect -

...

What the hell are you going on about now?

[truthsnomiracle]

Stay up through midnight someplace where you can observe some portion of the city safely. The evidence shall speak for itself.

[alchemicals]

I...yeah, I'll keep that in mind, then.

[truthsnomiracle]

Now, if you're finished overreacting to the admittedly distressing situation, I would rather leave the explanations that you most likely won't yet believe to others.

[alchemicals]

So you really did show up just to preach. Cute.

[truthsnomiracle]

If you believe that I've done nothing aside from preaching, then clearly you haven't been listening. I've told you that you'll be here for the long term and to consider your actions accordingly, that there is a time of day which is dangerous, and that there is something important for you to observe at midnight. Anything further would be dismissed by most as absurd until they've been here for at least a day.

[alchemicals]

Hey, I'm not saying you didn't give valid advice. At the same time, I'm sure a guy of your intelligence can at least kind of understand when I question your reasons why.

[truthsnomiracle]

I don't particularly care about your opinion of my motivations.

[alchemicals]

It has nothing to do with opinions and everything to do with trusting you at all. I mean, if you're the sort that would wake up in an unfamiliar place after being seriously injured in enemy territory during a fuckin' war that's getting started up, and yet still be willing to trust every sanctimonious asshole that "offered assistance," then congratulations - maybe you'd last half an hour in Amestris.

[truthsnomiracle]

It is as foolish to trust no one as it is to trust everyone. Caution is reasonable, particularly in unfamiliar circumstances and dangerous situations; paranoia, however, is a weakness.

[alchemicals]

Its not just paranoia when you're being dragged in from a life-or-death situation. But I don't expect you legal-types to know much about battle.

[truthsnomiracle]

Do not presume that you're speaking to a man who has never stared death in the face, Kimbley.

[alchemicals]

That's not what I said, now, is it?

[truthsnomiracle]

(So he's reasonably clever... A highly dangerous man indeed.)

One of the key features of battle is one's life being in immediate danger at all times, is it not? Another, of course, is being in a position where you're expected to take the lives of others who have undertaken the very same risk.