TYPED AND ANNOUNCED TO ANYONE WITHIN EARSHOT

[lawfulreception]

ATTENTION! Er, if I could have your attention for a moment.

As some of you know, my name is Apollo Justice, camp assistant Defense Attorney and pool boy. I'm here to defend each and everyone of you in the case of the murder of Stephan Debussey

Comments

[swingbackmyway]

There ought to be a case for amendment of your contracts!

[swingbackmyway]

You haven't heard? I hope it isn't different where you're from. It's the best explanation for why I never noticed any of my friends missing at home, yet when I got here they said they hadn't seen me in months.

[lawfulreception]

Ah--! That happened to a friend of mine as well. She said she'd been here for three months when I thought she'd only been gone a few days. But I didn't think time completely stopped in some areas.

[swingbackmyway]

. . . And I had hoped time wasn't still moving in some.

[lawfulreception]

Well, maybe it's only occuring in 'my world'. Which. . .is still a big concept to grasp as is.

[swingbackmyway]

Then is your world not Earth?

[lawfulreception]

My world is definitely Earth, no doubt about that. But I've been hearing theories of alternate versions of the planet and aliens and gah! Too sci-fi for my tastes. Don't tell me you're not from Earth?

[swingbackmyway]

Alternate Earths -- yes, I've read of that theory. No, I am at least from an Earth . . . If I can believe the dates on the calendars here, though, I'm also from seven years in the past.

[lawfulreception]

More people from the past. Well um, what exactly is your Earth? I'd ask if it was anything like this one, but the swamp we're in is very much an exception to usual.

[swingbackmyway]

My Earth is . . . that's difficult to say, when I don't know what any other Earths are like in comparison. But I can say my Earth has a large population that, like the one in this swamp, exists in the midst of ordinary people and places without their knowing of it.

[lawfulreception]

--but how? It sounds a bit supernatural.

[swingbackmyway]

Precisely. They're spirits. Only we shaman and a few lucky others can see and speak to them.

[lawfulreception]

A shaman, huh? I. . . think I can actually believe that. You haven't seen any ghosts here, have you?

[swingbackmyway]

Of course I have. There's a cemetery, and we share the onsen inn with miscellaneous local ghosts as well.

[lawfulreception]

. . .the dead are rising and ghosts get some R & R in the onsen. I shouldn't be surprised.

[swingbackmyway]

Not to worry, most of them are perfectly harmless -- and in fact, don't even know you exist, either.