IC inbox for Snowblind

[thewarningafter]

@beyonce

You've reached Dr. Stephen Strange. Leave a message and my secretary will get back to you.

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[thewarningafter]

[So much for keeping this conversation quiet and private.]

The nanomachines are treating our radiation poinsoning. Our otherwise fatal radiation poisoning.

[armoured]

I can't get radiation poisoning.

[It's frustrated, a sharp snap. His secrets aren't as important as this.]

How I am, how I should be, it's not possible. I'm the best choice to try this because if it works, if they're gone, then I won't be in danger from the radiation.

[thewarningafter]

[Nonsense. The kid's speaking nonsense. But...]

How are you so sure of that? Explain it to me.

[armoured]

It's... complicated.

[He's gone this far in and he needs the medical help, so deeper he goes.]

I don't have an organic body, I'm made of metal, radiation can't get to me.

->audio

[thewarningafter]

...Really.

[He keeps his voice soft, but that declaration is enough to get him out of text. Kid in armor --> kid is a robot. Thought process adjusted, though it's going to take a while for that to actually sink in despite the weird amount of sense it makes to him.]

But you do have nanomachines -- has to be similar to what they did to my cloak, adding capillaries where there weren't any.

[armoured]

Mm.

[He doesn't like this and the discomfort is plain in his voice, though it's hidden under a thick layer of grief and tension.]

I guess so, that would make sense since I can bleed here. I shouldn't be able to, I'm still hollow, but-- they changed me. If I got the nanomachines out, I think I'd be as I should be.

[thewarningafter]

As in actual blood?

[Sorry, Al, if you wanted to convince Stephen you're inorganic and fine without nanomachines, you probably shouldn't have told him that you bleed.]

[armoured]

Yeah, but it doesn't make any sense, there's nothing there to bleed.

[His secrets are smashed anyway.]

I'm still hollow, I checked, there's nothing in me to produce blood.

[thewarningafter]

[That declaration is met with a long, thoughtful silence. Theoretically a hollow metal person should operate fine without the nanomachines if he did so before coming here. From examining the cloak, though, Stephen's aware that whatever physical changes have been made to ensure compatibility must be systemic. If Al can bleed, that indicates that something in him is organic, possibly within his metal 'skin' itself.]

And...other effects? Have you been sick at all since you came here?

[armoured]

No, never.

[If that answer sounds a bit clipped with annoyance, it's because it is. He hates that he's never been sick and still Dr. Watson won't let him help.]

I've never had any symptoms of MN poisoning, I've never been sick, not even once.

[Hurt? Yes. Sick? No.]

[thewarningafter]

[Point in Al's favor. But...he can bleed and he knows it. Why does he know he can bleed?]

How about injured?

[He's already quietly opening his census in another tab...and look who's died twice. Look who's capable of dying. He lets out a thoughtful little sound.]

[armoured]

Yeah.

[He sounds cautious, guarded. He doesn't want this to ruin his chances for help.]

But that should be impossible, and I don't think it would be possible without the nanomachines. I didn't even-- I didn't even know I could bleed until I got here.

[thewarningafter]

[It's a chance that's already slipping away. Stephen doesn't give him another flat no even though that's what he means; he'll explain his reasoning here.]

Whatever system put the nanomachines in us is capable of putting capillaries in a piece of clothing. If you have blood, you have blood vessels, and we have to assume there's an organic component to your body now.

[armoured]

Even if that's true, taking the nanomachines out should give me back my alchemy and I can try and rectify that myself.

[He's by no means an expert at bio or medical alchemy, but he knows the basic principles.]

[thewarningafter]

How? Explain the methods you're planning to use.

[He's not going to immediately discount it just because the kid called it alchemy, but he's not going to immediately assume it'll be fine, either.]

[armoured]

Someone I know was teaching me about the medicinal applications of alkahestry, which is the type of alchemy used in Xing, I should be able to do enough to close up any wounds. In addition, I've seen what my brother has done to transmute my body in the past, I should be able to do it myself enough to rectify and changes they did to it.

[Maybe. Probably.]

[thewarningafter]

So you've seen it, but you've never practiced it.

We're not talking about closing up wounds, we're talking about counteracting a constant barrage of radiation.

[armoured]

I just told you that I could rectify the changes they've done to me, that means taking out the organic components.

[Theoretically.]

[thewarningafter]

I can't -- I can't trust to that.

[Possible. Theoretically possible, based on a system of magic(?) about which Stephen knows nothing and of which Al is not an experienced practitioner.]

I can't do this. Not again.

[armoured]

...what do you mean 'again'?

[Stephen's lost him now, clearly this is connected to something else that's gone wrong along the way.]

[thewarningafter]

I'm not going to be responsible for helping anyone else die. I know you think you won't, but this isn't -- this isn't something I can do for you.

[armoured]

[He sighs heavily, shakily.]

Please, Dr. Strange, this is really important and I need a doctor to help me.

[thewarningafter]

I can't.

Don't do this. We're going to find a way out of here; don't throw your life away on an experiment.

[armoured]

[He makes a frustrated noise, disappointment welling inside him.]

Fine-- Fine, I'll find somebody else to help me. Goodbye, Dr. Strange.

[And he hangs up.]