FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa Pt 1 Revisited

Due to pressing responsibilities, elsie cannot finish the recaps on
this film. Therefore, I, A.Gerard- author of the summaries- will
complete it. But first, I've decided to repost the first three parts
this week before posting Part 4. So, if anyone who missed the first
posts wish to add their comments, please volunteer.

Part 1

"1.2. There are two principles that have been cornerstones of the
structure
of modern science. The first - that matter can be neither created nor
destroyed but only altered in form - was enunciated in the eighteenth
century and is familiar to every student of chemistry; it has led to
the
principle known as the law of conservation of mass. The second - that
energy
can be neither created nor destroyed but only altered in form -
emerged in
the nineteenth century and has ever since been the plague of inventors
of
perpetual-motion machines; it is known as the law of conservation of
energy.

"1.3. These two principles have constantly guided and disciplined the
development and application of science. For all practical purposes
they were
unaltered and separate until some five years ago. For most practical
purposes they still are so, but it is now known that they are, in
fact, two
phases of a single principle for we have discovered that energy may
sometimes be converted into matter and matter into energy.
Specifically,
such a conversion is observed in the phenomenon of nuclear fission of
uranium, a process in which atomic nuclei split into fragments with
the
release of an enormous amount of energy. The military use of this
energy has
been the object of the research and production projects described in
this
report."

Henry De Wolf Smyth - Atomic Energy for Military Purposes: The
Official
Report on the Development of the Atomic Bomb Under the Auspices of the
United States Government

Southwest Amestris, 1914

The film begins with a castle in the ocean. Inside the castle, in
a room
full of gears, the owner speaks to a very familiar armored person. The
owner
Huskisson, a masked inventor in a cloak, presents his object: A metal
orb
with valves. "Thanks to our progress with the steam engine, we've
excavated
deeper than ever. Found new minerals, refined them, creating
revolutionary
sources of fuel. And it was in that search for industrial power that
we
discovered it: the ultimate element. By splitting its atom, producing
massive amounts of energy are released." Huskisson, who appears to
be
quite mad, has calls this element Uranium and asks the armored
ambassador
from Central to bring this discovery to the attention of his command.

"No," says the armored one. He knows Huskisson, for all his words,
has
created a weapon. That is the last thing this country needs. (.)

Huskisson is angered. "Is the young and promising State Alchemist
afraid?" The inventor heads to a console with levers. Suddenly, stone
slabs
mechanically rise upon the armored one, holding him in place. Drills
mechanically come out of the wall, poised upon him. Huskisson doubts
the
alchemist's altruistic intentions, saying he got his authority because
of
his alchemic powers.

"Authority?" says a figure in the shadows, a red-coated person with
a
glass bubble on his head.

Huskisson accuses the armored one of fearing his technological
invention
will make alchemists obsolete. "And the alchemists' stranglehold on
this
country will vanish." The inventor decides to see what the Alchemist
of the
People really looks like. He has the drills tear into the armor. The
helmet
falls off, and the armor collapses.

The inventor laughs maniacally, until he discovers that the armor
is
empty.

Instantly, stone stairs materialize behind the inventor.

"Huskisson," says the figure, coming down the steps. "You have made
two
big mistakes."

"Who are you?" Huskisson is surprised, and his astonishment
increases as
the hollow, headless suit of armor takes life and runs to the new
visitor.
"Brother, what took you so long? He put holes through me!"

"Sorry. I got held up." After apologizing, the bubble-headed
(literally)
alchemist faces Huskisson. "Mistake no. 1: We never cared about your
invention. We only came here because you wouldn't shut up about
it...That
and the off-chance it might help us in our own search."

Huskisson goes berserk. Mechanical arms tear through his sleeves,
springing out like accordions, plunging drills into the new Alchemist.
One
arm shatters the bubble. The other impales his right shoulder. "You'll
take
me to Central, if you value your life!"

But the Alchemist grabs the connected drill with his right hand.
Sparks
fly as his red coat sleeve and white glove are destroyed.along with
the
drill. "Mistake no. 2: That young and promising state alchemist you
were
looking for.is me!" The torn sleeve reveals an automail arm. He is
Edward
Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. The armored one is his brother
Alphonse.

Edward leaps toward Huskisson with an alchemic-created blade on his
automail arm. He slashes off the inventor's mechanical arms. Huskisson
pulls
out a gas cartridge, blinding his opponents enough to make his escape.
By
the time the Brothers Elric catch up, Huskisson is already on a giant,
revolving crane, its arm bearing a giant mace. He flings the machine
at Ed
with destructive effect, though the Alchemist evades the onslaught.
Meanwhile, Al creates a stairway to the ceiling. Once on the top, the
younger Elric alchemically fuses the crane, halting its movements. A
clap
gives Edward the power to transform the mace into a caricature of
himself.
Huskisson damns the mystical alchemists, cursing their zealous power,
restraining physicists like him from guiding the state to a new and
enlightened age.

"Enlightenment like that?" Edward points cynically to a hole in the
wall
that reveals a pile of corpses.

Huskisson ignores the monstrous cost of his research. "Uranium
mining is
dangerous. It's the cost of progress!"

Al interrupts such ideals. "Science that doesn't benefit people is
no
science at all!"

The frustrated mad inventor calls upon his trump card: the Uranium
Orb- or
should we say, bomb- he has created. The brothers pause at his threat.
Huskisson heads for the hole and its grisly contents. "I may not
respect
your sorcery, but that hasn't stopped me from learning it. For a man
first
in atomic equations, a few circles are easy enough to understand." He
takes
out a paper with alchemy symbols.

"What are you planning now?" Ed asks with a dark suspicion.

"It's my backup plan, Fullmetal. An army of men fused with
machines. You
won't stand a chance!"

"Don't do it! That's human transmutation! Listen to me! Life only
flows
in one direction. Humans are not supposed to be brought back! It's
Alchemy's
greatest taboo for a reason!"

"Your arcane rules mean nothing to me! I'm a man of science!"

Before the brothers' eyes, Huskisson transmutes the corpses. The
Gate
opens to receive him The Gatebabies wrap him and his bomb in their
arms,
pulling him inside. The Gate closes. The brothers lament the
inventor's
mistake, a reminder of their own. The only difference is that
Huskisson lost
everything in Equivalent Exchange. The brothers promise to find the
Philosopher stone and restore their missing parts.

"Let's go," Ed swings his mood. "This whole castle is about to
explode."

Al freaks out. "Why?"

"Because I don't like it. I made some adjustments to the steam
tanks."
Sure enough, the graffiti-drawn tanks explode.

Al strongly disapproves of his brother's actions. "Why do you have
to be
so excessive? You should have told me!"

Edward dispenses with such details. "There's no point in arguing
now!
Come on let's go!"

"Go where! We're floating on water, and if I get wet I can wash off
my
blood seal!"

"Then stop whining and help me think!"

The castle sinks into the waters. Aboard a small tank, the
brothers
panic over their sinking makeshift boat. Edward proceeds to use his
brother's
helmet as a bucket to throw

the water out.

[This scene exists more to remind us of who these boys were when we
first
met them. The bomb is really not much more than a McGuffin.]

The blue sky above them gets dimmer. It is a different sky now. It
is
Earth Prime (the real world). Munich of the Weimar Republic, October
1923.

On a road, we see a laughing Edward driving a car, relating this
story to
a delighted passenger. Eighteen-year-old Ed's long hair is in a pony
tail,
and his brown clothing resembles his father's. His fellow traveler
resembles
an 18-year-old Alphonse, with blond hair and blue eyes.

"So after that, the story of the champion of the people Alchemist
spread
from a few mining regions to every corner of the continent. The end."
Ed's
enthusiasm slows when Alphonse's laughs become coughs.

Nevertheless, the passenger is enjoyed. "You know you should be a
novelist
with the stories you tell."

"You're saying you don't believe me?" Ed gets defensive.

"Oh c'mon, Ed! A place where Alchemy kept evolving and became more
important than the steam engine?" Alphonse doesn't see Ed's sadness as
he
continues. "Newton's law eclipses Alchemy, ushering in the Modern Age.
That's
a historic fact!"

[Of course, that ignores that Newton spent as much time on his alchemy
as he
did anything more respectable by today's standards.]

"Yeah, in this world, ya mean!" Crossly, Ed turns to face Alphonse,
but
his steering hand accidentally turns the same direction, crashing the
car.

Now stranded in the middle of the countryside, the two boys try
hitchhiking. Alphonse begins to cough uncomfortably again, much to
Ed's
concern. "It's just a little cold. That's all." A truck stops before
them.
The driver is going to the carnival, the boys' destination. The driver
agrees to help them, if they don't mind his passengers: A bunch of
young
beautiful Gypsy women. Surrounded by these hot women, Ed and Alphonse
have a
nervous curiosity. "So what kind of a show are you ladies setting up?"

[And the boys are actually blushing. It's so cute.]

"You name it. Singing, theater." Ed nearly panics at the
implication.
[Imagining a burlesque show?]

Alphonse notices one lonely Gypsy. "What's your act?"

The other Gypsies speak for her. "She's a fortuneteller, and she
always
gets it right. So much so it's eerie." Another Gypsy comments that she
can
discover anyone's most guarded secret.

Alphonse wants to know his fortune. Ed is skeptical. "Cut it out!
You
know how unscientific that is?"

The young Gypsy touches Ed's arm. She tenses. "You are the same as
we
are. You have no home!" Edward shares her shock at this revelation.

One of the gypsies spots the carnival. All the women begin to chant
and
sing in their native language. The exception, the young Gypsy
fortuneteller,
gazes at Ed. Alphonse notices how forlorn they both are.

Edward fades into his younger self. Titles begin. The sequence is
bridged
with Arakawa paintings of the cast (most of these drawings adorn the
DVD
covers). Also shown are clips of the series (e.g. Hughes' death).

At the carnival is a house called Hanussen's Welt. The owner is
psychic
Hanussen, who bares a strong resemblance to Lieutenant General Archer.
"Ah,
Noah! It's been too long!" Hanussen greets the fortuneteller. He pays
her
Gypsy companions in francs (the mark has been so devalued by this
point in
history). "You're staying here now, Noah." Noah grabs her companion's
shoulder. She is being sold! Hanussen explains that her authentic
clairvoyance has gained the interest of certain people.

Three gray-garbed men enter. They are from a Lieutenant Hess,
waiting
outside. One of them examines Noah, touching her chin. Images flash
into
Noah. She gets a horrifying vision of their plans for her and runs
away.

Nearby, Ed and Alphonse put up their carnival booth. It is a giant
metal
tower where they will fire a rocket into the sky. Alphonse is excited
by the
people gathering around them. "Dr. Oberth's book on space flight has
captured the public's imagination."

As Alphonse sees to his colleagues, who refer to him as Heidrich,
Ed
decides to leave the booth for some rest. His lack of interest in the
experiment disappoints Alphonse H. A fellow colleague (a blond, blue-
eyed
doppelganger of Law the Buffalo Chimera-man) notes Ed's growing
disinterest.
"He was the most enthusiastic of all of us when we met him at Dr.
Oberth's
place."

Noah escapes through the crowd, crying for help, but the people
call her
a thief.

["Gypsies, tramps, and thieves -- We'd hear it from the people of the
town.
They'd call us gypsies, tramps, and thieves, But every night all the
men
would come around

And lay their money down.]

On a truck, a somber Ed lifts his pale arm to the sky (a tribute to
his
last action in episode 51). "As far as I traveled, I still can't
escape this
place." The truck buckles. Ed sees someone attempting to hide under
some
canvas. Ed warns her about the rocket underneath it. It turns out to
be
Noah.

Her captors appear and attempt to take her away. Ed decides to
rescue
her. "Hey, this is a carnival! Go have some fun!"

The men are not so easily convinced and pull out guns.

Ed's stunned expression melts into excitement. He raises his arms,
and
claps his hands together. Nothing happens. "Sorry, just an old habit
of
mine!" He attempts to disarm the gun hand of their leader. But he has
a
metal band.

Backing away, Edward decides to use his own weapon. He twists his
pale
left arm backwards, revealing it to be artificial. He pulls a cord on
the
elbow accelerating the motor inside to a blinding speed. The
electrical
currents melt the artificial skin off the fully operational arm.
Edward
attacks the main captor again, breaking his metal-banded arm. His
accomplices aim their guns in retaliation. Edward points the rocket at
them,
ready to ignite.

Nearby, Alphonse's own test rocket performs successfully. His
sponsor and
financier, Lieutenant Hess, congratulates them on their achievement
(these
colleagues are Earth Prime doppelgangers of Dorochet, Blondie, and
Lizard
Man, the Lab 5 chimera-men, this time all very human and Aryan). He
shakes
their hands (all of them blushing). Hess then meets his subordinate,
bedraggled and injured, who reveals that the girl has escaped.

Among a path of fallen thugs and rocket trails, Edward and Noah run
away
from the carnival. "Where's your home?" Ed asks.

"I told you. I haven't got one."

At the Four Seasons Hotel, Germans gather to speak about their
recent
history. They lament the war, the harsh military life at the trenches,
and
the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, which left everyone in poverty
save
for the aristocrats and the Jews. There, Lieutenant Hess reports the
Gypsy's
escape to Professor Haushoffer (now lacking his accent from episode
51).
"She escaped? That is a problem. I was rather hoping she could find
the
Great Serpent for us." Haushoffer heads for the villa to report to
Eckart.

The next morning finds Ed, Noah and Alphonse Heidrich at a boarding
house. Wearing different clothes, the Gypsy has breakfast with
Alphonse H.
"Are you sure it's okay. Me staying here?"

"They're looking for you. There's no choice. Besides, I'm kinda
glad.It's
the first time Ed's taken interest in a girl." Alphonse continues. "I
mean
I'm not saying Ed is an anti-social person. Just doesn't get close to
anybody. Not emotionally anyway." Alphonse grows sad. "He's too busy
telling
stories about some other world."

"You mean.his home?"

"That's what he says." Alphonse gets up, heading for his new
factory.

Noah looks into Ed's bedroom. It is strewn with papers and a poster
of a
zeppelin. He talks in his sleep. "Winry, listen.about Al."

Ed wakes up some minutes later. Wearing nothing but boxers and a
harness
around his chest, he talks to Noah about Alphonse's factory. From a
cabinet
of prosthetic legs, he affixes one of them (covered in artificial
skin) to
his left thigh.

Noah is astonished by the nimbleness of his prosthetics.

"My arm and leg are gone. But my brain's still sending out signals
to
move them. These machines take those signals and amplify them." He
displays
his prosthetic arm, very skeletal compared to his old automail. "To be
honest, I don't understand them all. My dad's the one who made them."

"Where is your father?"

"I dunno. One day he just left and never came back. So I ended up
living
here with Alphonse. We became friends when we studied rockets together
with
Dr. Oberth."

Fully clothed, Ed walks down the stairs with the Gypsy.

Noah speaks. "Armor.I saw a suit of armor walking beside you." Ed
pauses
on the stairs to listen as she continues. "And then you looking up
at a
smiling face. That must have been your mother. And then a village on a
hill
and a grassy plain. You said these visions are unscientific, but to me
they're
as clear as this stairway now. Please, tell me about this other world.
What
is it like there?"

"The same as this one, pretty much. The names and things are a
little
different, and the places aren't the same. But I've seen a whole lot
of
familiar faces."

[Ed is very subdued here. You can see the toll being in this world has
taken
on him.]

"So if that world's your home, then why are you here?"

Ed grows uneasy. "In the world I'm from, my younger brother was
killed.
In trying to bring him back, I ended up here. It seems that was the
price I
had to pay.or maybe not. Maybe this is the hell I've been allotted to
for
trying the forbidden again. Two years ago I met the Alphonse who lives
here,
Alphonse Heidrich (in Romania). And if my brother Al had grown up,
he'd look
exactly the same. So who knows what is and isn't science? Or maybe
this
whole world's just a dream." Ed's calm face cannot hide the despair.

Going outside, Ed greets his landlord, Gracia (the Gracia Hughes of
Earth
Prime, single with hot lipstick). A kind woman, she notices Ed's happy
expression whenever he sees her. "Who do I remind you of, your mother,
or is
it a girlfriend?"

Ed laughs it off, thanking Gracia for giving Noah some clothing.

"So the two of you are going out today? Just be careful, alright?"

Ed snickers at her motherly advice. Gracia watches them leave with
a
worried look.

At the Brauerei beer hall, some mug-swinging men complain about the
lousy
currency. The new law of gold pieces instead of marks has rendered
paper
money worthless. A constable approaches them. Officer Hughes.

The men spot Ed, asking them to join them. The invitation dies when
they
see who is with him. Hughes is especially bothered by the Gypsy girl.
Like a
lecturing parent, he calls Edward closer, wrapping his arm around him.
"You
do know that girl who's moved in with you is a Gypsy, right?"

"I hadn't noticed."

Hughes is wary. "Watch out, you and Alphonse think you're being
noble by
helping someone in need, but that's her game. Gypsies are smooth
talkers."

"What?" Ed is disturbed by what he's hearing, especially given who's
speaking.

"They trick men in order to steal their wallets, then they are off
to
their next mark. They are drifters after all."

"Well I'm a drifter too!" Having had enough, Ed turns away from
Hughes.

"Look, I'm telling you this as a friend. If something bad happens,
it'll
be trouble for Gracia!"

Edward counterattacks. "Well, how about this: Confess your love to
her
instead of bothering us. Save you some time."

This advice flusters Hughes into silence. Edward pulls Noah away.
"Trust
me, she'll be good for you!"

"Have you ever heard about respecting your elders, Ed?" Hughes'
attempt
to retain his authority is a failure.

Edward stops at an alley with Noah. "I don't think I'm being
hustled.
They're all sorts of people who'd like the power to see into human
hearts
with a touch. Especially in this country with what's going on. And I
think
they would chase you down to get it."

"So you believe my gift is real?"

"A suit of armor walking beside me. I never told anyone about that.
Not
even Alphonse." He smiles, raising his hand. "What did you see this
time?"

"Nothing strong, really. My power works best when people are
asleep."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because when they're sleeping, I can see what they dream."

At a clinic, Edward has his prosthetic hand examined by a doctor.
At
another booth, a patient is groaning about the present state of the
country
and its spineless government. He reacts negatively to any assertion
that
Germany lost the war, blaming the Jews and Communists for the
surrender. NOT
the Germans. He explodes when he spots Noah handing Edward his coat.
"What's
wrong with you? Get her out of here!"

As Noah keeps silent despite her obvious anger, Edward responds for
her.
"Why should I?" His words stop cold when he sees the patient's scarred
face.
He is an ex-soldier. "Gypsies like her are just like the Jews! They
don't
have their own country, so they come into ours and steal our money and
our
jobs until there is nothing left to take! They're just a race of
parasites!"

Back to the streets, Edward goes to a soup line and procures a dish
for
Noah. They are silent for a moment, absorbing that nasty
confrontation.
Edward apologizes. 'I'm sure it gets to you, hearing speeches like
that."

"Not really, my people have gotten used to ignorance about who we
are.
The word Gypsy comes from a myth we spread that we are fortunetellers
from
Egypt. Bohemian, Gitane, Ziguener, Nomad. Outsiders can call us what
we
want." Her sad eyes show that she isn't completely resigned.

"I see, but then how do you refer to yourselves? You must have some
name."

"Roma.It's our word for human." Noah smiles.

Edward is full of admiration. Then his face crumples into shock. A
limousine rolls by, carrying.Fuhrer Bradley!

Suddenly obsessed, Edward leaves Noah behind, following the car and
its
occupant. He wonders why a Homunculus is doing in this world.

To be continued.

Next time: It's family reunions galore! Ed's search for Bradley leads
to
meeting his brother (NOT the one you're thinking). A father and son
meet
after a long separation. A new search by Ed leads to diabolical plans
that
could mean danger to his native Earth-A, as well as meeting a person
he
desperately wanted to see!

.