ablankpage | Voxophone 5/??

Progress is slow, frustratingly so.

[For his own purposes, Robert still treats the journal rather like a voxophone. Others can hear it, yes, but only if they choose to, and he isn't revealing any great secrets. Besides, they've had their work stolen once. Here, justice would be easier.]

With our books and notes, we could catch up to our prior work in a matter of weeks. As it is, it will take months, if not years.

[Time he and Rosalind had to spare but time others might not think was so dispensible. After all, there was no reason for them to leave, if this really was some sort of tangent universe. Let the world Elizabeth and Booker knew reset. They would remain here.

They weren't needed in that world anyway.]

There is the further trouble of equipment, as well. The Malnosso are not generous with what can be found in the enclosure, and the time it will take to earn what we require further delays our research.

[He can't help the annoyance that creeps into his voice as he continues:]

If they would but assist us, we might further their aims as well as our own.

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[Rosalind is there, of course. The times when she is not around Robert, while more than what she'd become accustomed to, are still fairly minimal. She glances to the clock on the wall as he soncludes his recording, witing until he has finished to comment.]

Shall I time the interval until the first cry of moral outrage?

[She sounds haughty, bored by the idea - perhaps entirely, to anyone who's not used to particular pitch her voice adopts in bemusement.]

[Robert gives a wry smile.]

They're not very used to having to compromise. Entirely "moral high ground," most of them.

[Which they know all too well. They know how to compromise, make what others would consider deals with the devil. All for funding and advancement. To help their work and, really, humanity's understanding of their very world.

There's a reason their work was celebrated when it went right.]

[The pun, intended or not, earns a soft scoff in return. And, merely for curiosity's sake, Rosalind does note the time. She's spent spare corners of scratch paper on far more frivolous curiosities.]

That, at least, we should be entirely used to.

So many of them claim to want to get back to where they come from.

Yet a surprising few seem at all inclined to compromise with the people who have the most resources.

[Not that he's particularly surprised. It's like the citizens of Columbia wanting a lily-white society yet without having to do he menial tasks themselves.

Something had to be sacrificed.]

That is why I doubt that their aims are as benevolent as we are told.

Most tend to claim their aims are anything but benevolent. I have my own opinions of the matter.

Still putting work into your little tear, I take it?

It's a shame that the Malnosso do not quite seem to share your priorities.

Given how unpopular they seem to be as a general consensus among the enclosure's population, I can understand why they might not trust someone from inside it.

From my understanding, Luceti has hardly endeared itself to them.

It's certainly a complicated relationship. [He's not ready to blame the enclosure's other residents - not when he's seen proof in the tunnels of how inhumane the Malnosso had treated Lucetians in the distant past.]

I imagine you haven't heard of Mister Tony Stark's portal project.

So, what kind of experiment are you trying to work on right now?

[Experiment has never been Vash's favorite word. Even before showing up in Luceti, so he's just a bit curious. That and he's bored.] Would it really be useful to the Malnosso as well as you?

I don't believe I've heard it mentioned, no.

My partner and I are attempting to recreate our work for passing from one reality to another.

[Simple and straightforward. There's no reason to lie about what they're doing.]

From one reality to another? Sounds pretty complicated. Kinda what would have brought us all to Luceti?

Precisely like that, in fact.

Yeah, it really seems like something the Malnosso would want in on. Unless they don't really want to send everyone home like they say they do. How close were you back home?

We achieved it. Successfully transplanted an individual from one reality into another.

Of course, our notes are gone, and our equipment needs to be reconstructed.

And this is a different sort of reality than we were in, then. Judging by how it acts. So the differences there must be studied and accounted for, too.

[He lets out a low, impressive whistle. He can't even fathom what kind of work would go into transplanting people into different realities.] Sounds impressive. Were you able to get the person you sent back?

We could have if we'd tried.

[After all, the transplant one way had been successful. There was no reason to test it, though.]

But I had no interest in going back.

Oh! You were the one who went through the first trip? That must have been exciting!

Perhaps it's time that you learned. You may find it particularly relevant to your own project, as well as the Malnosso's roadblocks.

Given the ratio of the martially-inclined to any other profession, I can't say I'm entirely surprised.

[Rosalind remains unimpressed with those to whom every problem appears to be a nail. They have their utility, up to a point. But on their own, without the aid of other, subtler instruments? All but useless.]

I have the time for the education, certainly.

It was certainly interesting, I'll grant it that.

Nor am I.

[But he smiled a bit nonetheless. Because, well, that sort aren't interested in compromise. Like DeWitt.]

I abhor the very idea of being any type of educator, but then again there isn't really anything of value that I can ask for in exchange for this information. Perhaps I can simply tell you.

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