MASK OR MENACE IC CONTACT

[selfequipped]

"Hey, it's Kate. Leave a message."

Comments

[hands4healing]

[Online...?]

I don't know what that means...

[selfequipped]

... Hmm, it seems like you might want a crash course of some kind in the basics of this world.

[hands4healing]

I understand the mechanics of this world, mostly. But the rest of it...
[A shrug.]

[selfequipped]

No, it's okay. A lot of us would be in the same position if ... this wasn't an utterly similar world, except for the flying cars.

[hands4healing]

Those I like!

[selfequipped]

Are they part of what you understand?

[hands4healing]

Not that they fly. But we do have automobiles back home.

[selfequipped]

But no internet?

[hands4healing]

No. I was born in 1889, in my world. From our research, it seems to be about the same technology as your world, but...we had automobiles running on steam rather than gasoline.

And automail, that's different from this world, and a lot of others, I guess.

[selfequipped]

That clarifies some things.

[A lot of things, actually. Except for one:]

What is automail?

[hands4healing]

Automail is a type of prosthetic developed in my country. I'm a fourth-generation automail engineer! Automail is designed to connect directly to the nervous system, so it moves much like a flesh limb. It doesn't have the complete range of fine motor motion, say, like a flesh hand. Someone who uses automail wouldn't be able to write with that hand. But it can give a person back his or her life!

[selfequipped]

I think we might have advancements like that back in my world. But some of them aren't on the "open" market yet. Are you saying that you had these back around 1900? I'm from the year 2014.

[hands4healing]

My great-grandfather was one of the first automail mechanics, so we've had them for a long time.

[selfequipped]

That actually makes me curious as to when the deviation in timelines happened to help produce that.

[hands4healing]

Mm?

My country's been at war since it was founded, five hundred years ago. Automail was originally designed to allow soldiers to return to the front, even more dangerous than with flesh and bone limbs. Automail can have weapons installed in it, or even be switched out with different accessories.

I have a piece or two here, if you'd like to see it sometime.

[selfequipped]

I'd definitely be interested.

Do they use it for projectiles?

[It's an area where she's specifically interested in.]

[hands4healing]

My friend has a twenty-five millimeter cannon in her knee, and I've designed an arm with a machine gun installed in it.

[selfequipped]

That sounds more practical than an arm that doubles as a crossbow, which is ... probably what I'd go for.

[hands4healing]

Maybe a rapid-fire crossbow...

[Winry's already thinking.]

But bolts take up a lot of room, even though they're not thick. With the bow piece, it could be folded against the forearm until needed, but then you'd have to string it, because it couldn't stay strung all the time. It wouldn't be a quick-use weapons, you'd have to set it up.

I'd think you could carry maybe...ten bolts? If they don't have very big heads. And you'd have to carry a string or two, too.

[In other words, it'd still probably be easier to ask for a machine gun.]

My friend has a springblade knife in her other leg. It's about calf-length, and it's high-grade steel, so it cuts through almost anything.

[selfequipped]

Does it extend outward? How does she handle utilizing it?

[hands4healing]

It came out sideways from the leg. Sort of a...whip blade, I guess? It was spring loaded, and popped out when she thought she needed it. It was really well done, but I think if I'd designed it, I would've made the sword detachable.

[selfequipped]

I think detachable would be best. Less expected. Maybe extendable once removed. I use a sword sometimes, too, but to tell you the truth, I prefer to avoid it if possible.

[It hasn't had its place on the battlefield with her for a while, at any rate.]

[hands4healing]

Mmm, I agree.

I don't really know anything about fighting...I just watch my friends and see what works for them.

[selfequipped]

Yeah, I've been doing some kind of fighting for a while. It comes with the gig.

[hands4healing]

I'm...my friends don't like it if I fight.

[A very soft smile.]