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| - Orion Pax - Medical Bay ==============================[ The Orion Pax ]=============================== This full-service maintenance bay and operations theater provides the crew of the Ark II with around-the-clock emergency repair, upgrades and mundane upkeep. All but the most sensitive and exotic of operations can be performed in these sterile and top-of-the-line facilities, with several repair tables available and a nest of overhanging hydraulic powertools to make it happen. For the most severe cases that need to await treatment until they can be delivered to Autobot City, a bank of stasis capsules lines one of the bulkheads. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ External ship broadcasts for this room are ON Type +shiphelp for help ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents: Raindance Autobot Dispenser Hatchet Obvious exits: leads to Orion Pax - Laboratory. leads to Orion Pax - Corridor - Fore. Hatchet ============================================================================== Holy Primus! It's Ratchet! Somehow he's returned from th-- oh wait, sorry.. it is his lesser known recolor counterpart "Hatchet". What, you've never heard of Hatchet? Shame on you, sir or ma'am. Shame on you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a "Gumby" Medical Drone. It can repair or heal you if you are injured and there are no player-characters around to do it instead! Commands: To restore damaged health !limits will show your current outstanding time limits (if any) ============================================================================== First Aid has been working around the clock repairing Headmasters and non-Headmasters alike since the original battle two days ago. That there was also action yesterday did nothing to ease his schedule. Having superior robot strength lets him keep up this pace. The only pause the Protectobot had was when his own systems were looked over by Hatchet. Currently he's going through the rounds, moving from one Autobot to the next. Poor little Raindance. He was just flying about minding his own business, when Galvatron threw a massage parlor onto him. The little triangular tape is now on life support in a comfy bed. A little pillow has been tucked under his nosecone and there is a half-eaten bowl of grapes next to him. It doesn't take long for First Aid to reach Raindance. The Cassettibot was one of the worst injured in the mess, and First Aid has been checking on his condition ever since. The life support system's diagnostics computer has a readout on how Raindance is doing. As the doctor returns to Raindance's repair bed, he looks the readings over. "Well I have good news for you, Raindance," he says even though Raindance might not be able to actually hear, "I think you're strong enough for surgery." Raindance raises his nosecone weakly "Will... will I walk again doc?" be manages to bleep, before falling back on the pillow. In Raindance's cockpit can be seen tucked safely his intel report on Nebulos! Yay! First Aid would smile if he had the ability, "Oh I think you'll be able to walk with Grand Slam again, yes." At least that's how he interprets that question. Gently, First Aid retrieves the intel report, closing Raindance's cockpit with a tiny 'click'. He sets it on the diagnostics computer. After taking the necessary surgery precautions, First Aid sets to work. His surgical laser fingers cut away the damaged armour so he can get access to the little bot's internals. Combat: First Aid expertly repairs Raindance's injuries. Combat: First Aid is able to repair some of Raindance's internal systems damage. "No!" cries Raindance as First Aid tells him of his horrible fate. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" As the repairs are made, the triangle starts to bleep frantically. "You're a doctor, remember the hypocratic oath? If I can't walk you have to give me your legs!" "'Hippocratic'," First Aid corrects in a good natured tone. "Hypocratic would be the oath a hypocrite takes. Like if Galvatron were to swear an oath about how others shouldn't be crazy? That would be a hypocratic oath. At any rate, you'll be able to walk with Grand Slam. Without him, well you'll have the exact same functions you had before. You're going to make a full recovery," he clarifies as tiny finger lasers move across Raindance's body. "Full recovery? NOOOOO!" Raindance cries as his attemps to secure a pair of legs fails. "Hey First Aid, I hear Rodimus bought it, uh..." he trails off. "...do you know if anyone is um... planning on using his limbs for anything?" "A full recovery is a *good* thing," First Aid says. He stops his laser repair job in order to look over the diagnostics readings. It comes in the form of a bar chart listing various functions. Raindance's fuel dispersal system has gone way up since he began sealing the leaks. Servo control and reflex actuators still read low, as this requires more indepth work. "I get the feeling you're having trouble with mobility issues, Raindance?" First Aid asks, making a successful Sense Motive roll. "What? No! How dare you!" Raindance reponds. "I'm just upset about my lack of motor functions, nothing to do with whatever crazy quack prognosis you've got!" First Aid is too nice to tell Raindance off, maybe. "Well maybe I can help," he offers. "If there's any problems you're having in your day-to-day operations, feel free to let me know and we can explore options together and find out what's right for you." He gives a tiny little arm swing to emphasis how flamboyant he can be. "Nono, its okay" Raindance responds weakly. "I'll just take Rodimus' limbs, don't worry it isn't any trouble" "Well there's three issues with that," First Aid patiently explains, "First is the obvious ethical concerns in harvesting the limbs of a fellow Autobot - one who is also going to fully recover, even. Second is that his limbs aren't going to be compatible with yours due to variations in the way you're both designed, but I'll save you the medical mumbo jumbo and just point out that you're both on a different size scale. And thirdly, Rodimus Prime needs those limbs to fulfill his duties. Come on now, Raindance, no more joking around. If there's something troubling you, I'm here to help." He pauses in the repair job for this heart-to-heart with Raindance. "Hmmm I would write a list but I have no arms!" Raindance retorts, shuffling about on his pillow. "Okay First Aid, I believe you for now, but if I see Cliffjumper wandering about with suspiciously large, flamey red legs, I'm gonna frinduzzle your aft!" First Aid chuckles at the new slang all the young Autobots use these days. Frinduzzle? Where do they come up with this stuff. Glad that Raindance is opening up to him, the Protectobot says, "I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon. So, is it the lack of hands and arms?" "The Frinduzzler was gifted to me by a race of alien buffalo who hated solder, so all their spacecraft were made of snap-together kits!" Raindance explains reasonally. "It Frinduzzles people. And yes it is upsetting to see everyone else mock and tease me with their limbs. It makes me want to cannon them all!" "So what does it mean to Frinduzzle someone?" First Aid asks as his curiosity gets the better of him. "I am glad you asked!" Raindance bleeps. "It is kinda a bit like this." A little light flashes on his nosecone and a blast of white light arcs towards First Aid Combat: Raindance strikes First Aid with its Frinduzzler attack! Combat: Raindance (Raindance) used "Frinduzzler": A Level 0 RANGED attack. Combat: You took 0 damage. Combat: First Aid has been temporarily incapacitated. First Aid is struck by the little white burst in the chest, cause he wasn't expecting Raindance /to shoot him/. The Protectobot looks like he is frozen solid. "It does that, see!" Raindance responds. "Sorry uh, I'm not that good at articulating things. That's Grand Slam's job" Combat: First Aid takes a moment to shake off the effects of the last attack. First Aid holds his head as the beam wears off. He takes a few moments to walk around, shaking his servos loose. "Please don't do that again..." he says, walking back to the table. He makes a note to disable that thing for the next time he has to operate on Raindance. "I don't know if anyone is trying to tease you, but surely your own abilities outweigh any disabilities you may have? We're all unique, Raindance, with strengths and weaknesses. While I may have hands-" surgical laser hands, lets not forget, "-you're an amazing flier and acrobat." "Well you would say that, wouldn't you First Aid" Raindance bleeps back. "You're rubbish. And yes, I suppose I am. AND I'm witty and well liked!" "Yes," First Aid says, not responding to the insult itself. "Though I'm a little bit worried about your aggressive tendencies of late... maybe a vacation is in order while we try to find some solutions to your handicap? You aren't going to continue to be considered witty and well liked if you threaten to cannon people, steal their limbs, shoot them with stun guns while they're operating on you, and insult others. You do understand that, right?" "Hmmmmm" Raindance considers this for a moment. "Really? But like, Cliffjumper calls people traitors all the time and people love him..." He pauses. "Where can I go on holiday where people wont be showing off their limbs at me?" First Aid sighs, "You're at a level far higher than Cliffjumper is, usually." He has to add 'usually'. "I think you're going to have to accept that not all Transformers are constructed equally, Raindance, and get over the fact that you don't have limbs. That doesn't mean we can't take care of the inconvenience you face due to it, though." "What!" Raindance bleeps. "But the Autobot handbook is all about equality and stuff like that. Limbs are the right of all sentient beings!" "Freedom," First Aid corrects. "Limbs is another thing entirely. And the equality in the Autobot handbook is about treating everyone equal, not everyone being alike." "Hmmm I'm not sure about that" Raindance replies, queuning up a tape on his internal systems. "Lets see what the Spoken Book version of the Handbook has to stay!" There is a click and from Raindance's internal speakers comes the voice of Seaspray: "Glub glub glub, glub glub glub, glub glub gluuuuuub!" he goes Raindance clicks the tape off. "Well I think that cleared THAT up!" First Aid knows Seaspray well. First Aid made it a point to get to know the seafaring Autobot and learn his strange ways. Once again the Power of Friendship benefits him. "He's saying that we must protect life, and treat our fellow beings equally." Another flamboyant arm swing seems to be in order, so First Aid obliges. Durango has arrived. "Stop it" Raindance bleeps. "Stop waving your arms about. Go fix that loser Durango or someone while I listen to the rest of the tape." He clicks on the spoken word version of the Autobot Handbook again. "GLUB GLUB GLUB, GLUB GLUB GLUB!" goes Seaspray's voice from the tape. It is very loud. First Aid shakes his head at Raindance, "I'm not going to give up on you, Raindance. I know you're going through a tough time, but I won't let insults push me away. We're Autobots, and I want you to remember to treat your comrades as such. We're here to help. Promise me you'll be kinder to your fellow Autobots, Raindance." Red Alert has arrived. "Well..." Raindance considers. "I can't push you away First Aid, I have nothing to push with" "Emotionally, Raindance," First Aid explains. For those just joining us, First Aid is talking to Raindance, who is in the middle of getting repaired. They've stopped part way through in order to have a heart to heart. Rodimus Prime arrives from the Orion Pax - Corridor - Fore. Rodimus Prime has arrived. Red Alert steps in, gaze darting about the room immediately as he looks for potential dangers, security leaks, and so forth. He spots First Aid. "Ah, there you are. Has Nightbeat checked in with medical yet? I saw the public report, but he hasn't checked in properly yet!" "Say!" Raindance bleeps. "Durango is quite beat up, why not lash me to his body whilst you work out how to get that trout off his head and reattach it properly" "What did I just say about stealing limbs?" First Aid asks. "Honestly, Raindance..." the Protectobot shakes his head. "Listen, I'm going to go check up on the others. Your repairs will hold until you're strong enough for another look-see. Keep tight, Raindance." The Protectobot starts to head to the next patient, but runs into Red Alert before he gets there. "Hello Red. Good afternoon. No, Nightbeat hasn't checked in here yet." First Aid hopes there isn't a problem. Tracking down Nightbeat was how they all got into this mess in the first place. From Outside: Fortress Maximus has left. From Outside: Fortress Maximus lands on Nebulos Durango lies off in the corner somewhere, being all decapitated and unconsious and whatnot. It's about all one can do when one is decapitated and unconsious. Rodimus Prime is also decapitated and unconscious. Small world?! Red Alert tenses, covers his face with his hand, and mutters something about Thin Mints. He shakes his head, points at Raindance, and says, "No limbs." Then he starts checking the whole of med bay, sniffing. "Why does it smell like fish in here?" Quickswitch has arrived. "It does?" First Aid asks Red Alert as he reaches Durango's medical bed. He doesn't even need to ask what happened here as it's pretty obvious. The Protectobot removes Durango's head from the bucket. It is sort of a grisly sight. First Aid is obviously not the sort of mech to fear the sight of injuries, but in this case missing heads hits a little close to home, what with all the... you know... head... issues going on. "Oh dear, Durango," First Aid tells the hunter as if he could hear him. As the head is already off, the doctor sets to work repairing it while it's easy to handle before reinstalling it. Combat: First Aid expertly repairs Durango's injuries. Combat: First Aid is able to repair some of Durango's internal systems damage. Combat: First Aid runs a diagnostic check on Durango ==========================[ Evaluation of Durango ]=========================== Durango is conscious and COMBAT-OK. Durango is in perfect health. ============================================================================== Quickswitch has left. Quickswitch has arrived. Autobot Dispenser says, "Well... Since you asked so nicely." Combat: Autobot Dispenser refuels Assault Hovercraft 's energon reserves. Quickswitch springs up into his massive robot mode. Hatchet says, "What does this look like, a full-service bar?" Combat: Hatchet expertly repairs Quickswitch's injuries. Combat: Your COMBAT flag has been cleared. "Well, it smells like quite a few things," Red Alert observes absently as he continues to check over medical bay. "But most of those things are fairly normal, given the activities and the traffic." He pauses to look at what First Aid is doing. "Ah, yes. That report about the lake in Australia. That explains it." "Hmm?" First Aid asks Red Alert as he holds Durango's head in his arms, making tweaks with his finger mounted surgical lasers. "What happened in Australia?" The Protectobot has been in the medical bay either working on others or getting worked on himself ever since they reunited with Fortress Maximus's crew on Craniax. He hasn't had time to keep himself updated report-wise. After putting in few fixes in Durango's brain, he reattaches it to Durango's shoulders, now focusing on the injuries his body has suffered. Durango ought to be functional once again soon enough. Durango now has a head! Huzzah! To celebrate, he continues to lie on the medtable, doing a whole lot of nothing. Red Alert gestures absently towards Durango. "I'll need him awake for a full report. He radio'd in a text message that he was at the bottom of a lake in Australia and that he hates Blueshift." Red approaches the door leading to the lab and kneels next to it, but to the side (out of the way of traffic). He examines the gaskets. "Well I think everyone dislikes Blueshift," First Aid says. "I can wake him up in just a few moments." The doctor pulls down one of the massive overhead hydraulic powertools that hang from the ceiling. It seems that Durango needs a lot of work done on him. It sounds like a jackhammer going off as he removes Durango's armour and reconnects the circuitry that ought to wake him up. Durango begins to blink on and off, in and out, however one blinks. Second thought, scratch that, let me try again. Durango begins to come back online as his circuits are patched, although it is obvious that he's still a little groggy, or confused. Or maybe it's normal for someone coming out of unconsiousness to try and reach an arm out for his medic while intoning "KILL AUTOBOT..." in a low (if accented) voice. Combat: Raindance analyzes Red Alert for weaknesses First Aid can exploit. Idle message from Hazard: This message means I am AFK. I'll be happy to answer your question once I get back. "Nooo!" Raindance moans as he lays on his pillow. "Help help, he's going to kill us all!" he bleeps. "Save us... First Aid!" First Aid lets go of the overhanging power tool, and the medical bay's hydraulics automatically cause it to rise back up to the ceiling and pack away properly. Conenience, thy name is Orion Pax. "Now then, I think we c-" but then Durango wakes up, "Ahh!" He instinctively backs away from Durango's Aussie grip of death. Red Alert straightens up and stalks over towards Durango, making a grab for his arm. "That's e/nough/ out of you!" he proclaims. He attempts to hold Durango down, and looks for the medical berth restraints. Durango struggles in vain..after all, he's pretty much decimated physically. He mutters something that sounds like "TROUTMASTER KILL" before drifting off for a moment, his internal systems starting to right themselves. When he switches back online, he's just his usual confused self. "Wha...ehh?" "Man" Raindance bleeps. "I wish I were a trout. Its got a head and everything...." Red Alert continues to work on strapping Durango down. He's a suspicious mechanoid at the best of times, and Durango was just shouting 'KILL AUTOBOT!'. "Oh, and I suppose you conviently don't remember what you were /just/ doing, right?" he snaps. First Aid slowly steps back towards Durango as Red Alert restrains him. Durango switches from Evil Durango back to Good Durango. "Er, are you feeling alright?" he asks as he scans Durango for signs of craziness. He lets Red Alert handle the interrogation. Durango blinks a few times. "Eeeeyah.. I think I'm a'ight...don' feel so hot...just, weird memehriehs. I think..wait...is my head on?" "I hope he is. Uh, Red Alert, it goes without saying, keep an eye on him, man?" Quickswitch, in assault beast form, peers over uncertainly. "Yes your head is on," First Aid confirms, "And all the connectors should be properly hooked up. If you're feeling any discomfort in the head or neck area, now would be a good time to let me know." First Aid looks over at Quickswitch. "Oh hi there. Didn't see you come in. Yeah, someone ought to keep an optic on him just in case... I'm going to finish up on the first round of repairs for him and then see who's next." Poor Roddo has been so patient. Red Alert snorts. "He'll be watched if I have to put Raindance back in his walkman," Red Alert mutters, but that's mostly an empty threat. Then he sighs and shakes his head. "Primus, I hate memory black-outs. They're the ultimate /excuse./" With that, he stands against the nearest wall and watches Durango suspicously, making sure he's not going off about any more Troutmaster nonsense. Durango blinks a few more times. "Ahh...good, 'en. Good. An nah...everythin' feels fine, doc." He looks pallid, if a robot can be so imagined. Raindance has left. First Aid's next patient is Rodimus Prime. The Autobot Commander is a mess, and it's clear right from the look of it that it's going to take days of repeated efforts to get him back on his feet. "Geez," First Aid says, glancing over his shulder at Durango, Red Alert, and Quickswitch to make sure they're still doing alright. Red Alert is still glaring suspiciously at Durango and occasionally sniffing at the air. He sighs. "Durango, as soon as I feel it's safe to let you out, your first order of business is to clean yourself up. You smell like a trout." Durango shudders. "Don't remind me." First Aid slaves away on Rodimus Prime. Being the Autobot Commander, his systems are among the most complicated. Scorponok and Galvatron really did a number on him, too. "So what happened to you, Durango?" he calls out. Durango fights to stay awake, as his internal systems try and take him back under so that they can get around to fixing themselves. "Ah...Blueshift. Was terrorizin' an ohphanage...tryin' teh cut 'is own 'ead off, and make an ohphan into his head... we got into it, and, uh...I was ratheh outmatched." That's an understatement. "Oh," First Aid says softly. "Well, I don't think we can have to worry about Transformers - ah, /smart/ Transformers - going through this Nebulon/Head reconfiguration willingly. There's no real advantage and it is apparently quite uncomfortable to go through. Also from what I learned from Arcana I don't think humans are eligible. What ended up happening to the orphanage, Durango?" Red Alert covers his face with his hand once more and sighs heavily. "What /is/ it with people losing their heads lately? It's like an epidemic..." Then he frowns and narrows his optics, lowering his hand so he can look at Durango suspiciously. "Or a conspiracy." "The kids made it out..the buildin's a gonnah." Durango begins to eye Red Alert suspiciously, in return. The dude is seriously giving him the creepies. "Uh, yeah, Red. I requested mah 'ead teh be removed. I wanna be cool like all the otheh kids." "Hah! I knew it!" exclaims Red Alert. First Aid is visibly glad that the kids all survived. A building can be replaced. But when Durango mentions losing his head, the doctor almost double takes. He turns away from Rodimus. "You did /what/, Durango?!" Durango smiles. "Seriousleh... I c'n see Red Alaht buyin' that, but you, Fihst Aid? Yeesh. I'm not that crazeh, mates. It was a joke." First Aid shakes his head, "Oh, thank goodness... you really had me worried there for a moment, Durango. I'm sorry, I've been up for the past two days and haven't left this room. I think it's starting to get to me." He turns back to Rodimus. Combat: Your COMBAT flag has been cleared. Combat: Removing analysis data for Red Alert. Combat: Your analysis data is now out of date. Red Alert crosses his arms and looks distinctly grumpy. "Well, maybe it wasn't /your/ idea, but it seems abnormally widespread." He rubs his chin. "I'm just going to have to find the connection..." he murmurs before adding, "which would be a lot easier if Nightbeat would check in." Durango begins to drift off, even as his neural net tries to come up with a witty way to tell Red Alert not to get a 'head' of himself. Graciously, however, Primus has Durango fall asleep before he can drop this latest bomb. A small, cute brown wallaby hops up to you. With a wallaby-wink, and a wallaby-tilt of the wallaby-head, a wallaby-paw reaches into a wallaby-pouch and pulls out....a wallaby-nom! And it's signed, "Love, Durango." First Aid's finger lasers criss-cross over Rodimus Prime's body as he removes armour, reconnects circuitry, and seals up fuel lines. Occasionally he stops and installs new parts. It's a real mess in there. "Do you really think these binary bonded Transformers are going to cause issues?" he asks Red Alert. "They are for me!" Red Alert exclaims. "I'm going to have to do two different background checks for every one of them! Now, fortunately, are close association with the humans means that we have most of the proper facilities on hand." He shrugs. "On the other hand, if we can finish this business with an improved relationship with the Nebulan law enforcement, that'll help out on my investigation over that fountain a lot." He rubs his chin and considers, thinking it over. "Binary bonding?" he asks softly, the mutters, "Bonding... bonding..." First Aid tsks, "More background checks just means that we have more allies incoming, and any way you slice it, that's a good thing." First Aid reaches into Rodmius Prime's chest to pull out a busted servo actuator. His hand brushes against the Matrix as he does. It is really, /really/ awkward operating on Primes, what with that glowing McGuffin shining at you all the time, reminding you of how important the patient is. Also some people think it's bad form to remove the Matrix in order to get at other key systems. Needless to say, it is awkward to fix Rodimus due to this. "I don't know if we can expect better relations with them. Frankly I think we're edging the planet closer to a civil war. Chalk up another planet ruined by our own dispute, huh?" he says bitterly. "Indeed," Red Alert replies grimly, optics half lowered. "I suppose it emphasizes that we don't have the luxury of just running from the business, turning our backs on it. If our war is going to end, it's up to us to end it." "We've had millions of years and failed to end it," First Aid replies. "And most of those years were in a complete stalemate. Things haven't gotten 'exciting' again since 1984. Not that I minded the war being dull, of course." "Oh, really, and what do you suggest we do?" Red replies, glancing up from watching Durango. "Just run away? Surrender? Give in? We're /not/ in stalemate now. It may look it, but the tides shift every day... I am /not/ an optimist, First Aid, but I still believe, despite the setbacks, we have made progress from only a few decades ago, when we were barely hanging on, barely holding out." "Never." First Aid assures Red Alert. The Protectobot works to install a new servo actuator as he converses with the security chief. "Oh we've definitely made progress. I remember those few decades ago. Cybertron was held by the Decepticons at all times. And although it pains me to say it, whenever additional planets do get involved, overall I think we benefit the most. Certainly having Spike and the others helping us has been of great benefit." "Agreed," the Security Director answers. "I dislike involving others in our war... for one thing, the security considerations are a /mess/... but the fact is, the whole source of the conflict is over the treatment of other species, other planets. Whether they are resources to use as we will, or should be allowed to steer themselves." He smiles faintly. "I suppose there's some irony in the fact that the faction who opposes treating other species and planets as nothing more than resources to be used and thrown away is the faction that tends to benefit the most from those very resources." The smile quirks into a faint grin. "It's the difference, I guess, between asking and demanding." First Aid hmms. "That /is/ ironic!" he agrees. "See now that is the power of friendship right there." He gives a flamboyant swing of his arm. "So have you had a chance to meet with the newcomers yet? I've spoken with Fortress Maximus and his friend Galen. Both of them seem like nice enough. Brainstorm and Arcana as well, though that was briefer since Brainstorm had undertaken considerable damage. I think they will make great friends to the Autobots again. What do you think?" Nightbeat has arrived. "I think I haven't had a chance to talk to any of them," Red Alert answers First Aid, "and will be withholding my judgement until then." He studies Rodimus, and the repairs that First Aid is making. "He fought both Galvatron and Scorponok? Scorponok's responsible for finishing at least two Primes on his own. As damaged as Rodimus is, we were fortunate." Quickswitch has left. Matches on contents of this room: Matches on carried objects: Matches on objects in the Master Room: Nightbeat has been somewhat getting slow in his injuries repaired. Part of that is the tough guy image that the detective puts on. Part of it is that he's ashamed that he's so lightly damaged when Rodimus Prime lost his head. Part of it is just that he suspects that the medics on the Orion Pax won't know what to do about Nightbeat's head. He peeks into the medical ward, though he already has a good idea of who he can expect to find. "Oh, /there/ he is!" Red Alert suddenly exclaims, looking towards the entrance to medical. He pushes himself away from the wall he had been leaning on and stands upright, then opens his optics wide. "Oh, Primus, not him, too!" "Nightbeat!" Red Alert exclaims. "Has he even had any kind of proper background check?" "They seem like good people," First Aid says. Gesturing down at Rodimus, the Protectobot nods, "Apparently, though I haven't read the report on it." Due to the aforementioned busy schedule here in the medical ward. "He's going to be down for a while, I'm afraid. His injuries are extensive." First Aid stops his work briefly and runs the diagnostics program on Prime, determining that this is all he can do at the moment. At Red Alert's exclamation, First Aid turns in time to see Nightbeat walk in. "Hello Nightbeat. How are you feeling?" Nightbeat covers half his face with a hand and mumbles sarcastically at Red Alert's less-than-enthusiatic welcome, "Yeah, I missed you, too, sweetheart." Nightbeat is pretty sure that Red Alert can hear and /smell/ what's different about Nightbeat, and he doesn't mean the light shoulder wound. He narrows his optical band and excuses, "Uhm... he's a World Watcher, yannow? Paramilitary security force?" An honourary World Watcher thanks to Galen, but whatever. Sidling over to First Aid, he quickly says, seizing the chance, "Got a shoulder wound from a Seeker, doc." Red Alert CAN hear and smell what's different about Nightbeat, and it's still a damn sight better than what Durango smells like. He crosses his arms. "That is /not/ a proper background check," he answers. "Nightbeat, you are the executive officer of Autobot Intelligence. You can't just go inviting anyone into your head!" First Aid gestures, "Step on over here, Nightbeat. I think we have one last repair bay available. Primus, we better not be expecting additional injured coming in anytime soon." First Aid thinks back to Wheeljack and Ratchet. He wishes they were here now. First Aid leads the detective over to the last medical bed. It's a simple one that lacks a lot of the overhead surgical appliances, but Nightbeat's wound doesn't look too serious so it will suffice. "I suspect he didn't have much choice in the matter," Aid mentions to Red. Nightbeat pulls out a datadisc and holds it between two fingers before flicking it over at Red Alert. He grumbles, "Watch the reel," not feeling particularly talkative on the matter at the moment. He follows First Aid over to the indicated medical bed. Nightbeat could probably just walk off the wound, to be honest, but Autobots like to keep injuries documented. He notes cynically, "This war ain't even started yet. We gotta get the 'cons off Nebulos before they do any more damage." Combat: First Aid runs a diagnostic check on Nightbeat =========================[ Evaluation of Nightbeat ]========================== Nightbeat is conscious and COMBAT-OK. Nightbeat is slightly wounded. ============================================================================== Red Alert catches the datadisc, inserts it in his datapad, scans it for viruses, activates the file, watches it, and winces. It's not that he's entirely unsympathetic to the situation. He can understand that it wasn't a pleasant experience, but still... "Why'd you run off without even logging a flight plan, Nightbeat?" His voice is low, unusually quiet for the high-sprung director, and steady, but he asks the question all the same. He's /supposed/ to ask questions. "There's a good chance a lot of this could have been avoided if you had even done that much. Instead, it's like I need a second detective just to keep track of my primary detective." First Aid wouldn't let Nightbeat just walk it off anyway. The shoulder injury is slight, and First Aid slices a tiny bit of armour out to get at the insides. Really, it's more a matter of making sure there /was/ no internal damage rather than fixing anything. "What is it?" he asks regarding the video file. Combat: First Aid expertly repairs Nightbeat's injuries. Combat: First Aid is able to repair some of Nightbeat's internal systems damage. "Nightbeat's execution," Red Alert answers First Aid. Nightbeat snorts, "If I'd logged a flightplan, you'd've saddled me with a partner, and I work best alone. 'sides... if you'd sent a partner with me, he'd have lost his head, too." He grimaces and adds, tapping his chest, "I didn't have a choice," and then points up at his head, "but I did. Or he did." The grimace deepens. "Ah," First Aid says. "Well if this shoulder is any account, I'd say he came out of the execution in pretty good shape! The wound is clean, Nightbeat. You're not going to need any additional work on you." He puts the shoulder plating back on, reattaching it. "It doesn't hurt to have another Autobot along for the ride when working, Nightbeat. Teamwork is a powerful tool." First Aid hesitates, "Which... I guess you and... I'm sorry, I don't think I've caught his... or your... um... well what I was saying is that I think you're learning about teamwork now." "And we'd have known where you /both/ are and would have had a better chance at getting you conventional repairs," Red Alert sniffs, turning towards Nightbeat. "So instead you sneak off without telling anyone in an attempt to avoid a partner, and end up with a permanent new one. Congratulations! Very clever of you!" Nightbeat insists to First Aid, "Not in my case. They just slow me down. Can't follow the way I think." Nightbeat is literally cross-wired in an illogical fashion that shouldn't even work. He glares at Red Alert and snaps, "Nebulos had a Spiral Zone radio interdiction field up! So /no/, even if I had a partner, he couldn't have radioed you. My... his name is Muzzle. There's that second detective to keep track of me you were wanting." "But we'd have known where to check when we lost contact with you!" Red Alert snaps back angrily. "And 'Muzzle' only counts as a second detective if you intend to leave him behind to tell us where you've run off to when you've gone and run off on your own, /again/." "Well I suppose there's no point in going on and on about it," First Aid says about the lack of a partner on the mission. "Hello Muzzle. It is a pleasure to meet you! I am First Aid, Protectobot doctor." At Red Alert's comments, First Aid misses the joke, "Oh no, leaving him behind wouldn't work. I've spoken a bit with Arcana and it's clear that they're going to have to stay together." Nightbeat notes bluntly, "Uhm, yeah. Muzzle's my head." As if to prove the point, Nightbeat's head tumbles off his shoulders, lands on his lap, and transforms into what looks like a small robot. In a flash, the armour vanishes, and a humanoid creature in a blue trenchcoat, fedora, and tie is standing on the headless Autobot's lap. He takes off his hat and greets, "Pleased to meet you, too, doc." First Aid watches as Nightbeat's head transforms into Muzzle. "My word!" he exclaims. He's seen this a few times before, but it was in battle and he had other concerns going on at the same time. The Protectobot holds out his finger (sans lasering) for the standard Transformer/human hand/finger shake. Presumably it can be adapted for Nebulon usage also. "I have to ask, Mr. Muzzle, how are you doing with all this?" Red Alert places the palm of his right hand on his forehead and looks towards the ceiling. "Wonderful," he mutters. "He's pretty much a little Nebulan Nightbeat, isn't he?" He shakes his head. "Well, you've made it very clear that he /doesn't/ count as a second detective, so I /need/ to know where you are. There are things I need your help looking into." Muzzle has to dip into Nightbeat's knowledge banks to figure out what a handshake is, but once he does, he does the finger/handshake thing with First Aid, and he shrugs. "Eh, I'm okay, doc. I think they actually fished out a few bullets that had been stuck in me when they ripped out and replaced my joints. Kinda wish it didn't come to this, but we gotta get the 'cons off Nebulos." He then looks up at Red Alert and blinks a few times and protests, "Hey, maybe Nightbeat's just a Transformer me! But what do you need, Captain?" "Which reminds me," First Aid says once he hand/finger shakes with Muzzle. "If we're going to have Nebulons in our bases we're going to need better facilities for dealing with organics." At least they won't have to install bathrooms everywhere - most places already have them for when the humans come visit. First Aid glances over at Red to hear the answer to Muzzle's question. Red Alert looks at First Aid. "The fountain," he explains, assuming that First Aid will figure out what he's talking about. "It happened again, you know." Then he turns towards Nightbeat and Muzzle. The sight of the headless Detective sitting there is more than a little disturbing. "About a week or two ago," he glances at First Aid for confirmation, then continues, "during a press conference in Londan, a fountain suddenly started pouring out blood instead of water. DNA analysis showed it to be, in fact, Nebulan blood, while investigating the fountain itself revealed a skull and a... set of ribcages. Four of them, fused together somehow. There were no signs of tampering at the water processing station that feeds that fountain, no trace of blood there, and nothing else fed by that station showed the blood. We were able to stop it down the drainage line. The blood was pure, undeluted, and... probably a few hundred Nebulans' worth, but despite that, closer analysis showed it all came from the same person." Muzzle looks a bit alarmed, and he starts to argue, "Facilities? It's not like we'll be here long. We'll just get rid of the Decepticons on Nebulos, and..." he pauses, closing his eyes, as he thinks through all the millions of years of war in Nightbeat's life. His eyes open, and he looks down. In a small voice, Muzzle mumbles, "Oh. It never ends." Even if they get rid of the Decepticons on Nebulos, /Nightbeat/ has a duty to the rest of the galaxy as an Autobot, a duty that Muzzle now shares. His mouth opens as Red Alert drops the news. "What? That's bananas! Why would anyone do that?" First Aid remembers the fountain vividly. They never did find out what was up with that. Red Alert has his full attention, and he nods as Red explains to Nightbeat to confirm the story. "We figured it was the Decepticons, though how they'd get that much blood from one person is hard to say, and I don't know if they have the ability to synthesize something organic like that." Decepticons suck at biology. Well known fact. "Are you alright, Mr. Muzzle?" First Aid asks. From Outside: Astrotrain arrives from the Demascus Anomaly. From Outside: Astrotrain has arrived. From Outside: Astrotrain has left. From Outside: Astrotrain lands on Nebulos Red Alert sighs heavily. "I don't know, Ni- erm, Muzzle. This is part of the problem." He looks at First Aid. "The questions go beyond that. Like I said, I haven't been able to determine how the blood got /into/ the pipes in the first place. I should note, though, that it started running with clear water before we got it shut off." He pauses. "About the time that Kup moved away from the scene, in fact," he adds, as though that's a signicant point. Then he looks at First Aid and asks, "There was a second incident. Were you aware of that?" Muzzle seems to be remembering something, and he crosses his arms. "The Decepticons on Nebulos were able to pirate the *master process pretty easily, and /Thunderwing/ made a habit of experimenting on my people when he was making his Pretender shells. With all due respect, the Decepticons ain't half bad with the organic sciences, when they put the effort in." He frowns. "I'm fine. That fountain stunt's just... sick. That's all." First Aid shakes his head at Red Alert, "I didn't know that, no. What happened?" The Protectobot steps back from the headless Nightbeat, having completed the minor work on the shoulder. From what Red said, First Aid has a bad feeling that the second incident is going to involve Kup as well. "The Decepticons do act out of spite occasionally." "Well, they didn't act this time," Red Alert says, and he sounds quite certain. "The second incident was in Metroplex. Kup was involved in a diplomatic meeting with a group of Torqulons. The sprinkler system went off, and blood began to pour out. Nebulan blood, same DNA source. All wine in the glasses also turned to blood. The Torqulons have declared the entire Autobot faction insane. Kup's managed to keep that covered up, although..." he shrugs. "They declare our whole species insane on a semi-regular basis, anyway. It's no secret that they'd like justification to experiment on the whole lot of us. Anyway, there was no sign of tampering in any of Metroplex's security systems, neither blood nor strong cleanser used in the area that feeds the sprinklers. Finally, a message appeared on the wall, in blood, during the incident. 'I know who you killed, Kup.' Security footage of the affair shows Kup muttering, 'Not again,' repeatedly." Muzzle has to wonder if Kup perhaps killed a /Nebulan/, to be so haunted by Nebulan blood, but this case is probably more than meets the eye. Pacing on the medical table, he rubs his chin and asks, "Both incidents. Did you check every length of pipe? Any possible injection sites? Or... any signs of Skywarp-era teleportation technology at work? Or a modified space bridge system? Seems like an awful lot of work to go to just to mess with Kup, though." He chews his lip. "Oh dear," First Aid sighs. He isn't worried abotu the Torqulons calling the Autobots insane for the same reason Red gives, but having someone play such cruel pranks during important diplomatic meetings is terrible. "Mr. Muzzle, what is the extent of the Nebulos records on its citizens? As we have samples of the DNA, is it possible to find the identity of the Nebulon in question?" Not every species has a DNA bank of all their citizens though, ofcourse. "The pipes and all injection sites were checked," Red Alert explains. "No sign of blood. I have Steeljaw double checking for me, but with the volumes we're dealing with, I'm pretty confident in the matter." He taps his own nose to emphasize. "No signs of any other intrusions. If they were using teleport technology, it's something we can't trace, and they arrived in a spot not covered by cameras. The pattern is pretty obvious, of course. Kup had already cancelled his next six diplomatic functions before I even went to speak with him." Muzzle explained, "About the DNA bank... it's kinda incomplete. A lot of people have died during the various recent disasters, and, ah, a lot have been born." Hey, it seems like the end of the world, there's a handy closet... stuff happens. "If you can get me a copy of the DNA code, though, I have a few contacts still in the force who don't run screaming when they see me. I can get 'em to check it." First Aid leans against a medical counter, folding his arms. This is the first time off he's had in over 48 hours. "Of course, we have no shortage of super beings with technology far beyond our own who enjoy toying with us for mysterious reasons," he says. "But this one in particular appears to dislike Kup specifically. Although... Kup's probably assembled quite a lot of people who hate him over the years..." First Aid looks over at Red, as he's the guy who has the DNA on file somewhere. Red Alert pulls his datapad from subspace, activates it, and taps at the controls for a few moments. Then he ejects a freshly minted, fully encrpyted datadisk and hands it over. "The code, the security footage, and all other notes on the investigation. But for /Primus/ sake, if you're going to run off somewhere during it, /let me know/. I can't think of a single incident where you running off without telling anyone has lead to good things!" This, of course, would be because the last time Nightbeat ran off without telling anyone (although that time, he did file a flight course), it was to throw Red Alert into hell. And the time before that, Nightbeat got framed by some random Seeker. "And you're right, First Aid. There are things beyond our ability to detect, /and/ Kup's got a long list of enemies." He pauses. "He also knows more about the business than he'll say." Nightbeat grabs Muzzle and reclaims his head. Rubbing the side of his nose, he notes, "Hmm. Kup /did/ want to kill me, but he had a pretty good reason at the time. I wonder if this is more of a semi-supernatural problem, like Unicron, or The Fallen, or Guiltor, or... whoever." He takes up the disk. He notes brightly and cheekily, "I'll tell Muzzle!" Nightbeat mutters to Red Alert, "Can't... follow Kup?" Red Alert mutters to Nightbeat, "... subtle... crash sometimes. On... hand,... doesn't maintain his... We..." You say, "I can't imagine any of those three hating Kup specifically. Nor can I imagine any of them doing something as, well, petty as 'just' spraying blood around. And not just any blood, but /Nebulon/ blood. What would be the significance of that, I wonder. At any rate, Nightbeat, Red Alert is right: You shouldn't just be running off." As Nightbeat and Red Alert start muttering to one another, First Aid coughs, "Uh... if this is a private conversation I can take care of other work..." Nightbeat raises one finger and insists cheerily, "Oh, don't go, doc." He static-coughs. "I gotta say, the timing is pretty funny. It's like the Kup incidents are designed to vex our new allies." Interesting fact: the top individuals in the Autobot Intelligence branch can hold whispered conversations while rooms apart without the use of the radio. They've just all got /insane/ hearing. Red Alert, for example, doesn't bother moving any nearer when Nightbeat mutters to him, and is, in fact, moving away when he replies. He then glances at First Aid, clamping down on the instictive, 'My, you're almost being /too/ co-operative'. Then he shakes his head. "No worries, First Aid. And... that's a point. Especially when you consider that one of the incidences seemed designed to vex our old allies, and another, to damage our reputation on a broader scale. As if it's all built around a desire to deprive us of outside support." "If the first one was intended to tick off the humans then it wasn't very well done," First Aid says. "It may have worked on the Torqulons but the humans generally aren't the sort to blame a... bizarre occurance like that on the Autobots, much less one specific Autobot." As for the whispering conversation, one would imagine the Autobot intelligence branch would be smart enough not to do so, since super hearing is hardly the domain of /only/ the intel division, and you'd never know who was also listening in. But talking in whispers is fun! Nightbeat also has a weird idea of fun. He is sitting on a medical table, but he has been repaired. The detective steeples his fingers thoughtfully. "Hmm. I hate to say this, but if Kup really does know more than he's saying, we might need to set up a... trap for him. Set up a fake diplomatic event that he /has/ to attend. To see if it happens again." Some days, Autobot Ingelligence is as big an oxymoron as Military Intelligence. Let's not forget that they've got a guy who thinks Bumblebee is conspiring with Kup to replace him... and once believed First Aid was conspiring with Dee-Kal for the same reason. He looks up, distracted, as the frequencies pick up, and just gives an absent nod towards Nightbeat. "Whatever it takes. At the moment, it's not our highest priority, but..." He hisses, darts to a terminal, logs on, and taps into it. First Aid would never conspire with Dee-Kal. ...Right? Right. The Protectobot nods at the idea of a trap, but before he can say anything, Red Alert rushes over to the computer console. "What's wrong?" he asks, walking over to see what's up. Rodimus Prime has left. "People who don't know not to share sensitive information over unsecured freqeuncies, that's what's wrong," Red Alert snaps, tone a bit higher pitched and higher strung. "Energon reserves? Attack plans? /Really/!" Nightbeat mumbles, "Could use some facsimile constructs." The detective slides off the medical table and slowly saunters over toward the site of the action. First Aid ahs and nods, "Radio security always is a problem for us..." He listens in on the plans to build a trap for whoever is causin' Kup trouble. Orion Pax - Medical Bay ==============================[ The Orion Pax ]=============================== This full-service maintenance bay and operations theater provides the crew of the Ark II with around-the-clock emergency repair, upgrades and mundane upkeep. All but the most sensitive and exotic of operations can be performed in these sterile and top-of-the-line facilities, with several repair tables available and a nest of overhanging hydraulic powertools to make it happen. For the most severe cases that need to await treatment until they can be delivered to Autobot City, a bank of stasis capsules lines one of the bulkheads. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ External ship broadcasts for this room are ON Type +shiphelp for help ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents: Nightbeat Red Alert Autobot Dispenser Hatchet Obvious exits: leads to Orion Pax - Laboratory. leads to Orion Pax - Corridor - Fore. Orion Pax - Medical Bay ==============================[ The Orion Pax ]=============================== This full-service maintenance bay and operations theater provides the crew of the Ark II with around-the-clock emergency repair, upgrades and mundane upkeep. All but the most sensitive and exotic of operations can be performed in these sterile and top-of-the-line facilities, with several repair tables available and a nest of overhanging hydraulic powertools to make it happen. For the most severe cases that need to await treatment until they can be delivered to Autobot City, a bank of stasis capsules lines one of the bulkheads. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ External ship broadcasts for this room are ON Type +shiphelp for help ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contents: Nightbeat Red Alert Autobot Dispenser Hatchet Obvious exits: leads to Orion Pax - Laboratory. leads to Orion Pax - Corridor - Fore. First Aid moves to the terminal next to Red and sits down. "About a week until he's functional again, in case you want the preview," he tells the others here. Nightbeat scowls and remarks, "That is NOT knowledge we want in Decepticon hands." You say, "Surely the Autobot messaging system is secure..." Red Alert is actually working out communications encryptions on the terminal. His optics widen at some of the conversation, and he literally shakes (actually, it's really more intense twitching) with restrained anger. "Uhm, yes, the messaging system," he answers. Then he spins on Nightbeat. "Nightbeat! You're the one who investigated them! Why /have/ they been gone all this time, anyway?" Nightbeat grumbles, "Why they left? Oh. Because courageous ol' Fortress Maximus turned tail and ran. At first, he just wanted to lure Scorponok away from Cybertron, to make the place a bit safer, but as time went on... they were pacifists. Gave up on the war. Just wanted to run an' hide." He crosses his arms. "Not all of them, mind you, but... they were doin' science on a wormhole when I met 'em." First Aid? Nightbeat has found your people. "Got blindsided by the 'cons pretty easily." First Aid isn't known for running. "This Hardhead fellow doesn't sound like much of a pacifist," he points out. Nightbeat notes mildly, "Not all of them. But, despite the warlike opinions of some, you could call the lot of 'em deserters, in the end. You heard Kup's comment about ball bearings? Yeah." "Ah. So this dedicated Autobot who, according to Bumblebee, couldn't possibly be wrong, is a deserter. Well, of /course/ we should trust them immediately and totally." Red Alert leans back, shutting down the terminal. "I am for rendering what aid we can. The people of Nebulos need protecting, after all. But I am /not/ for blindly obeying orders from some deserter, nor will I just stand by and allow myself to be /threatened/ into silence." Ultra Magnus was last connected on Tue Jan 27 20:38:10 2009; that was 24d 22h 7m 4s ago. "Well I don't want to pass judgement on these people," First Aid says, "I mean they left the war behind and in some ways it's hard to blame them for that. But I have to admit I'm not too fond of the idea of giving him leadership, even temporarily. I'd rather have an established Autobot Commander be calling the shots, and let Fortress Maximus command his own troops." Nightbeat stares up at the ceiling in frustration. He points out, "We have a chain of command. Ultra Magnus, then Kup. Even if Kup has weird stuff happening around him." "It should be Kup in charge!" Red Alert exclaims, fist in the palm of his hand. "He's the ranking Autobot Commander present, he's got the experience!" Then he blinks and stares at Nightbeat as Nightbeat points out pretty much the same thing. Nightbeat smiles lopsidedly at Red Alert and asks, casually, "So, ah, Captain... just what kinda processor you runnin' in that noggin, if you don't mind my asking?" He has an idea. Nightbeat thought the factory had rejected the rest of that particular batch, but given past experience with Red Alert... Nightbeat shakes his head. "An' point that out?" First Aid nods, "I agree. Kup should be the one in command here on Nebulos." Presumably Magnus is back overseeing the war on Earth or something. Red Alert narrows his optics and glares down at Nightbeat. "Why do you need to know?" he asks. Man, if Nightbeat ever found out that Red Alert is running off a factory reject processor, he'd never live it down! Then he shakes his head. "/For now/, I can accept Fortess Maximus's clarifications, but the situation bears watching. Just in case it changes." Foxfire has arrived. Rodimus Prime has arrived. Rodimus Prime has left. Kup has arrived. Nightbeat decides to just play it straight, and he lays the cards down on the table to Red Alert. The detective says bluntly, "Because, boss, you follow my lines of logic entirely too well. Call it a personal interest." He is standing near Red Alert and First Aid, who are forming a secret military junta to put Kup in charge. They will have a handshake and a clubhouse. "I don't think Fortress Maximus is the sort of guy who's just going to take charge when he isn't wanted," First Aid says, "But he /does/ have quite a personal stake in Nebulos and this battle with Scorponok. We can't really blame him for getting ahead of... I- I mean, for wanting to have a big part in the leadership decisions." Kup stomps in--OH CRAP HE LOOKS MAD! "Fraggin' pacifist WUSS!" he yells on his way to the energon cube dispenser. "And he got Rodimus fragged... gah! Can't believe this..." Foxfire happens to wander into the med bay at just this moment, unfortunately for him. He stops in his tracks, tensing as he detects some kind of tension, and then Kup's arrival only makes things worse. Alarmed, his turbofox instincts kick in and he promptly darts under a table. "His personal stake, his recent experiences, and the fact that he's a /deserter/ ALL call his judgement on the whole affair into question," Red Alert counts off on his fingers. "He doesn't even /know/ our current chain, and he's already giving ord- Kup!" he exclaims as the elder enters, then actually smiles with relief at Kup's anger. It's strange, but it always reassured Red Alert when he's not the /only/ cynic about. He glances down at Nightbeat, sighs, and rattles off a quick string of numbers and letters that make up the model of his primary logic processor. It's a rejected model. "W-ell, who here doesn't have any bad decisions under their belt?" First Aid asks. Flashback to Blades asking First Aid if he can hold his puppy. Flashback First Aid says 'sure'. Back in the present, the Protectobot shivers. Then Kup bursts into the room, stomping and yelling. "Whoa, whoa, Kup!" First Aid says, standing up from the terminal and turning to face the old timer. "Easy, I don't want you to blow a gasket out of stress." Nightbeat actually grins over at Kup, whose audios must be burning. He snaps his fingers and exclaims, "Kup! The man of the hour!" He glances over to First Aid and nods, "Yeah, I know Fortress Maximus has a personal stake in it. A palooza of us do now. Thing is, while the big lunk's got some good qualities, he ain't exactly role model material for the Minibots, if you know what I mean?" He nods to Red Alert and replies, sounding unsurprised, "Huh. So I guess they didn't get all of them, after all. Here's to quality control." You can use +playerinfo to look at AP you have stored from previous characters. Kup grumbles, "I'm *fine*, First Aid. Meds have been keeping my gasket in line, don't worry about it." Stepping up to the cube dispenser, which is sort of like a coffee machine for robots. An empty cube appears on a platform, and a spigot above it slowly pours in fuel. While he waits, Kup looks about the room at everyone. "You people seem unusually happy to see me for some reason, specially considerin' the mood I'm in." Foxfire peers out from under the table, ears twitching. He looks between each of the larger mechs, then takes a cautious step forward, still slightly tense. "Guys...?" "/I'm/ relieved to see there's someone /in command/ who's not taken in by this deserter," Red Alert answers Kup. He glances at First Aid. "And yes, I know we've all had lapses of judgement," really, do we /need/ to get into that in Red's case? "but with Fortress Maximus, we're talking a few million years of continuous lapse. He's been gone since before Optimus!" Then he looks down at Foxfire. "Problem, Foxfire?" First Aid tells Kup, "It's my job to worry." The Protectobot motions to Foxfire to tell him that it's safe to come out from under the table. "Well I'm not sure on what you want us to do, Red," First Aid says, "I agree that he shouldn't be in command of the Autobots while Rodimus is out. We're hoping you do that, Kup. But I don't feel right getting on this guy's case too much for striking out on his own." Nightbeat smiles and replies to Kup, "Because you're here to apply a surgical boot to an aft in need. What with being the ranking officer." Then, the detective frowns and comments in a low voice, "Uhm. My head is hungry. I should probably feed him before his stomache becomes my headache." That said, he excuses himself. At First Aid's motioning, Foxfire slips out fully into the open. He shakes his head at Red Alert. "No...I was just startled. That's all. There's...a bit of tension here." Kup squints at Red Alert, then Nightbeat, then First Aid. "Yer sayin' you want me in charge, here? Well... normally Magnus would take over, but he's back on Earth, running Autobot City." He rubs his chin, thinking. "Yeah, I don't blame you guys for not respectin' him. To be honest I was worried that the whole faction would get taken in by this guy, kissin' his aftplate. But yer right. Maximus ain't gonna run the Autobots while Rodimus is outta commission. So you people would back me up on this?" Nightbeat calls from the door, "Of course, Kup!" At least he knows Kup will kill when a killin' is needed, unless some large pacifists. Nightbeat is still a jerk, Headmaster or not. First Aid hesitates, "Well 'respect' might not be the word I'd use. He certainly acted courageously in our first battle against Scorponok's forces." First Aid used Maximus for cover throughout that battle. "I'll back you up on this, Kup, so long as we don't get too tough on Fortress Maximus. I don't think he really deserves it, and either way we need him and his forces to save Nebulos." He gives Foxfire a sympathetic look, not being a fan of all the tension either. "I'd back you up, Kup. After all, that's our established chain of command," Red Alert answers. He looks at First Aid, then shakes his head. "He did fight well on the moon, but... well, whatever consequences he might have to face as a deserter, that comes second to getting done what we need to get done. I think one thing all sides agree on is that the safety of the Nebulans is paramount here." He frowns and tilts his head as the subject of the conversation speaks up over the frequencies, then 'ahs' softly. Kup sighs warily as he takes the cube, now full at last, and holds it thoughtfully. "Ennh... Look, I can't treat that guy respectfully. I can't bring myself to do it, First Aid. He was off having a sight-seeing tour through the galaxy while my aft was getting showered with lasers and shrapnel on any number of hell-holes. Can't do it, no sir. But you're both right. Scorponok is one of the most dangerous Decepticons who ever lived, and Fortress Maximus is one of the few guys who has a chance of beating him. We'll deal with him once we boot those Decepticons off the planet." Then again, would it really be that easy? Foxfire jumps up onto a table to get a better look at the others. He's still not quite sure what kind of conversation he's walked into, but either way, the tension is bothering him a good deal. "Agreed," First Aid says to Red Alert before refocusing back on Kup. "Remember, he /did/ successfully draw out his equal in number away from the war. I'm sure that played a big part in his decision, as if he had returned to Cybertron Scorponok would have followed." First Aid puts his hand on Kup's shoulder and makes optic-contact. "And when the chips were down and Scorponok came knocking on Nebulos, Fortress Maximus fought back with everything he had. Look deep within yourself and try your best to treat Fortress Maximus with respect. Please, Kup." "But remember what Nightbeat said?" Red Alert asks, turning towards First Aid. "They were checking into wormholes when he found them. They were ready to just up and leave completely, and let Scorponok rampage about where he would. For that matter, as near as anyone can tell, he didn't start fighting /for/ Nebulos until he had one of them in his head." "I mean, granted, we don't want to cause a schism, either, but..." Red Alert shrugs. "I can be civil, certainly. /If/ they're civil with me." Kup looks at First-Aid, unsure of how to respond at first. Eventually he turns away from him, facing the wall. "I can't do it! Millions of years of hell... and he just skipped over it!" With his free arm, he punches the wall. "I'll never forgive him! Never! And Red Alert is right!" Kup turns on his wheel, looking at both Autobots. "He's always been running from this war. If he could leave it all behind him right now I have no doubt that he would." Quickswitch has arrived. "You think they would have left entirely?" First Aid asks Red Alert, having interpreted this differently. He takes his hand off Kup's shoulder as the elder turns away. He folds his arms, "Give it time, Kup. It may be too soon now, but eventually you're going to have to forgive." Hopefully the two of them will get to shoot some Cons together. That always works as a bonding experience for Autobots. Red Alert crosses his arms and looks back at First Aid. "I think it may be possible. I don't know enough about him to really discount any possibilities at this point, but information gaps make me suspicious." This probably means little. Everything makes Red Alert suspicious. "As I've said before, I'm not as given to automatic trust as most Autobots." He glances at Foxfire, frowning a little at the tense little fox. Then he shrugs and shakes his head. "Too many questions, too few answers, but it's my job to ask, and to assume the worst." Kup frowns, looking at the floor. "Time? It would take a lot of time for me to get over this. All I can guarantee you is I won't discipline him unfairly. But as far as treating just like any other Autobot that stuck it out in the war... I can't. I just can't. In any case, Red is right about that, too. He can't just disappear for a few eons then come back and expect people to follow him. Don't work like that." Foxfire forces himself to relax a little, and sits on his haunches. "Maybe not," he speaks up quietly, "but I think he still deserves our trust. He's still one of us." First Aid mulls over the possibility that Red Alert is right. "That'll have to do for now, Kup," First Aid says. He doesn't really think that Kup would put his own personal feelings above saving innocents anyway, so the Protectobot is not terribly worried. Assault Beast tilts his head, rumbling, "Ran from the war.. Inexcusable!" "I'll give that newcomer a piece of my mind when I meet him. What was his name?" The assaunt beast lifts up from the medical table and stretches. "Is he 'one of us,' Foxfire?" Red Alert asks. "Really? What qualifies being 'one of us'? I would have thought something like /duty/ would be involved," Red takes duty very seriously. "I /don't/ trust automatically, Foxfire. That's /why/ I'm in Security. My entire job is /built/ around not trusting." He sighs and shakes his head. "It's not something I expect you to understand. Most Autobots can't." He looks up at Quickswitch and raises his hands. "Quickswitch, we don't need a schism right now. The priority is Nebulos." Kup sighs, drinking a bit of his cube. "Fortress Maximus. Yeah, that sounds like a totally badass name. Well, the guy it belongs to doesn't live up to it, lemme tell ya." Foxfire snorts. "War is too much to handle for some mechs. I don't like it any more than anyone else, but I stay because I at least know I can be useful. I'm still not a fighter, and Fortress Maximus may not like it, either." He tilts his head slightly. "Isn't he an Autobot, Red? I think that counts." First Aid takes a seat on one of those stools with rollers on them that doctors always have. The Protectobot listens to the conversation as he chats with Beachcomber on the radio. "Define 'Autobot,' Foxfire," Red Alert challenges coolly. Foxfire lifts a front paw. "I believe an Autobot is anyone who wears the insignia. I assume Fortress Maximus has worn it at some point or another. That's good enough for me." Kup hrmphs in between sips. "Maybe I oughta plaster a badge on Scorponok and recruit him, huh? Come on. The insignia's just a symbol. It REPRESENTS something, Foxfire. And Maximus turned his back on it." "Hrm. You're right, of course, on both accounts," Quickswitch lays back down and folds his paws one over the other, "*I* comprehend duty, over concepts like friendship, morality, ethics. That which must be done, must be done, no shirking of duty," the beast cants his head at the fox-tape, "He is a deserter." Red Alert snorts. "Foxfire, /anyone/ can paint an insignia on them. I've worn the Decepticon insignia during investigations. Does that make me a Decepticon?" You say, "I have to agree. Being an Autobot is more than just wearing the insignia, I think. I mean it does come with it a series of ethical requirements and, yes, duty requirements as well." Foxfire lowers his ears. "I just think we should give him a chance..." Quickswitch rapidly transforms into a less than sleek laser pistol. You say, "We'll give him his chance, Foxfire. I promise." "The ethics bit," Kup says, "Is what seperates us from the Decepticons. But that being said, we all have to do things we don't always want to. Maximus didn't get that memo when he was in the Autobots." He shrugs at Foxfire. "He'll get a chance to *defend Nebulos.* After that, I'm sure we can arrange a fair hearing for him." Red Alert rubs his forehead. "Foxfire, we're here helping him clean up the latest Nebulos mess. What more do you want?" Foxfire snorts. "We'd do that for *any* civilization that was ravaged by war." Red Alert sighs, lowers his hand from forehead to rub the bridge of his nose, and looks down tiredly at Foxfire. "Your point?" Foxfire stands and jumps down from the table. "Forget it. I'm done talking to you people." Kup hehs, smirking a little. "Yeah, whatever, go kiss Maximus's aftplate for me, would ya? Hmph." First Aid follows after Foxfire, "Hey hey, come on, Foxfire. We're Autobots, we'll give Fortress Maximus every chance," he says in a kind voice. The laser pistol hovers silently, regarding each with a taut, emotionless and opticless gaze. These talk folly! Quickswitch transforms once more and lays back down on the medtable, fuming, the only outward sign the tightening of his fists. Quickswitch has left. Foxfire sighs. "I think you might be the only one who really understands me, First Aid. I don't think even Blaster or the other tapes do." First Aid follows Foxfire to a somewhat private section of the medical ward, though Red "Super Hearing" Alert will probably still be able to make out what they're saying. He pats Foxfire and says, "Oh don't let them get on your nerves, Foxfire. They're just under a lot of stress, what with old comrades coming back all of a sudden. Mark my words, Foxfire, Kup will do the right thing. He's one of the noblest mechs I know, and I'm sure he and Fortress Maximus will be able to sort it out amongst each other." Foxfire slowly nods. "I just want everything to be okay. I'm sick of this war, and I'm sick of all this distrust floating about. You're a pacifist, aren't you? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." Red Alert just shakes his head and glances towards the ceiling. Every single day, some Autobot or another comes to him and /demands/ he give the one thing that he's incapable of giving: blind trust. "If you'll excuse me," he says, quiet, so as not to interrupt the conversation in the back more than he need, but loud enough that he would be seen as rude for just walking off, "I have rounds to make. Good cycle." Red Alert heads out. From Outside: Avalanche arrives from the Lunar Colony - Craniax. From Outside: Avalanche has arrived. From Outside: Avalanche has left. From Outside: Avalanche lands on Nebulos "'Pacifist' is a pretty disputed word," First Aid says, taking a seat on another roller stool. He's a tired guy. He's been up for a while now. "I do my best not to engage in pointless fighting. I don't like the destruction it causes, the pain it inflicts on others, and the lives that it ruins. That said, when given a choice between fighting to protect others or staying behind so I don't feel bad, I think I have to choose fighting every time. That said I do think that vacations from the war are often in order." Foxfire presses his head against First Aid's leg. "I try to protect others from our war. It...doesn't always work out so well. The only thing I'm really good for is spying or sabotage." Combat: You took damage. Combat: Your stats have been reset by an administrator. First Aid fuzzles Foxfire, "Both are good!" he says. "Ask anyone, Intel is a vital part of any war effort. As for the battles themselves, yes, we don't always win. It would be nice if we did but sadly that isn't the world we live in. That said? We /have/ made great progress. Red and I were talking about this earlier. About how since 1984 we've gone from having the Decepticons ruling Cybertron with absolute control to laying claim to half the planet, cutting their effectiveness down, and saving Earth from repeated Decepticon attacks. We can do the same here for Nebulos." Foxfire rears up onto his hind legs. "Yeah...you're right. I have the instincts and fighting skills of a wild turbofox, but I can't go up against too many of the Decepticons. But I still have my bombs and holograms. That's all I really need, I suppose." "That's the spirit!" First Aid says. "Remember Foxfire, nobody has to go up against multiple Decepticons alone so long as you have backup. The Autobtos are a team, and so friends are never too far behind." Unless they ditch you to go study wormholes, anyway, am I right? Foxfire nods again. "You're all my friends...even the ones I don't get along with." A smile appears on his muzzle. "Thanks, First Aid." First Aid pats Foxfire. Even though he doesn't have a mouth, it's clear he's still smiling. "Anytime, Foxfire. You just let me know if you need anything else." Foxfire stretches his joints a bit. "You bet. I might have to come in for maintenance one of these days--one of the risks of handling explosives, y'know." "An ounce of maintenance is worth a pound of cure," First Aid says, "You can never be too careful. So, you're going to help Kup with his operation?" "You mean the one about looking for Rodimus's head?" Foxfire nods. "You bet. I wish I could've done something to prevent it, though." "We'll get it back," First Aid says, "Or worst comes to worst we'll synthesize another one, though that'll take longer. Despite the recent going ons, heads aren't normally required for Transformers to survive." Foxfire shudders. "True...but it's creepy as the Pit, if you ask me." First Aid taps his chin, "It's... unusual, to be sure, and will take some getting used to. Of course, they used to say the same thing about Combiner robots back when they debuted." Foxfire paws at his nose. "That reminds me. Did something happen to Nightbeat? He had a weird scent coming off him. Like, some kind of organic scent. From his head, I think." First Aid just peers at Foxfire, giving him a few seconds in case he's able to figure it out for himself given all that's been going on. When he doesn't, the Protectobot explains, "Yes, he underwent the Headmaster process too." Headmaster. That's what they called it, right? "The evil Nebulons incapacitated him. He's been binary bonded with a Mr. Muzzle, also a detective. Darn convenient if you ask me!" Foxfire frowns a bit. "That explains it...should've realized sooner...how did *that* happen?" "Which part?" First Aid asks. Foxfire says, "The Headmaster part. How did Nightbeat become a Headmaster?" First Aid scratches the back of his head, "I don't know the specifics behind the process. I haven't had a chance to really examine anyone, either the Transformer or Nebulon part of the partnership, other than Arcana for a few minutes. I think he and I are going to have to have a long talk about how exactly they pulled this off." Foxfire looks thoughtful. "Yeah...you do that. I'm curious to know how this all works." "Me too," First Aid says. "But I doubt we're going to have time to go over it for a while. Saving Nebulos is top priority." Fanfare has arrived. Foxfire says, "Exactly. But find out when you have the chance. Okay?" Andi Lassiter has arrived. Kup's last pose: Kup hehs, smirking a little. "Yeah, whatever, go kiss Maximus's aftplate for me, would ya? Hmph." First Aid nods, "Will do, Foxfire," he says. For those just joining us, First Aid and Foxfire are off in one section of the medical bay having a heart to heart about the war. Kup is also in the room somewhere being old. Fanfare carries Andi into the room. Andi Lassiter sits comfortably in Fanfare's hand as he enters the room. Fanfare smiles, glancing about for someone before kneeling and allowing Andi to climb out onto the floor. He stands again, optics dimming a little in tiredness. Foxfire looks up at the sound of Fanfare's footsteps. "Everything going well?" Fanfare nods "Aye, not bad. Mes Lassiter came tae help with Rodimus." he explains Andi Lassiter steps lightly off of Fanfare's hand and walks to the center of the room where she can (hopefully) better see everything that's going on. Foxfire nods and looks up at First Aid for a report on Rodimus's condition. First Aid looks up at the new arrivals, "Hi all, welcome to the Nebulos system and to the Orion Pax. Make yourselves at home." The Protectobot stands up from the stool and leads everyone over to Rodimus. Aside from the headless issue, Rodimus still has a massive amount of damage dealt to him, though initial work hs been done. A cluster of diagnostic computers show bar graph listing his vital signs. First Aid is waiting for Rodimus to gain some more strength until he begins the next round. "Well there's the obvious," he tells Andi, lifting her up to the table if need be as he gestures at Roddo's missing noggin, "But the rest of his body is a wreck as well." Fanfare frowns a little, his face showing the concern even though his tiredness. "... Are ye going to put a Nebulan there as well?" he asks, his tiredness making him stupid as well. Foxfire jumps up onto another table to get a better look at the body. He doesn't like what he sees, needless to say. "I think you'd still need a head for that," he tells Fanfare. Andi Lassiter winces at what she sees. "That IS bad. You're sure there's nothing I can do right this moment?" "I actually don't know if you'd still need a head for that," First Aid says, "But no, we aren't planning any further binary bonding sessions unless it can't be avoided. We can make Rodimus a replacement if we aren't able to recover the original." To Andi, he says, "I've beem monitoring his life signs and doing work on his body whenever he has the strength for it. You're welcome to take over on that front if you like." Andi Lassiter nods to First Aid. "I'd be honored to, First Aid." Fanfare falls silent, frowning still as he stared down at Rodimus. or maybe he had fallen asleep Foxfire sits on his haunches. "Who did this to him?" he asks First Aid quietly. You say, "Believe me, Andi, we need all the medical help we can get. I haven't left this room in the past 48... er, well I guess it's over 55 now, hours. I appreciate you coming all this way." To Foxfire, First Aid says, "I believe Scorponok and Galvatron." Fanfare blinks and looks at First Aid in surprise "... Ye need sleep!" he states suddenly, frowning a little. Maybe he's been hanging around Andi too much. Andi Lassiter looks at First Aid appraisingly when he admits to how long he's been up and about without rest. "I agree with Fanfare. So don't make me ask him to carry you out of here like an infant." Fanfare is grinning madly at that idea. But only inside. Outside he was simply nodding, arms folded over his Starry chestplate. First Aid tsks, "I'm within my standard operating limits. Don't worry, I promise I won't overdo it, and once our mission on Nebulos is done with I'll schedule myself up for a nice long vacation." Maybe he can coerce Groove into letting him go with him on a road trip somewhere. Twitch has arrived. A certain purse belonging to a certain human woman in the medical bay (of which there is only one, currently) begins to shudder, then shake a bit ominously, before settling down again. A few seconds later, the purse starts to shake again, from side to side, bulging somewhere within until... The telltale sound of a transformation. Luckily, Twitch doesn't explode the purse out from around him, instead he transforms up and out of the purse, but his center of gravity is completely messed up as he comes out upside-down in mid-air. "WAAUGH!" He proceeds to tip over, falling to the floor with a hearty crash of metal on metal. A few moments pass as he tries to get the cobwebs out of his, and puzzle over why he can't see a thing. The reason being that the purse is now upside-down over his head, completely covering his optics. "....I'M BLIND!" Fanfare blinks at this, snapping out of his doze and he looks down at Twitch... carefully reaching down to lift the purse up... Foxfire flicks his ears and quickly peers over the edge of the table. "Twitch? Uh...I think that's Andi's purse on your head." He jumps down, grabs the purse strap in his jaws, and tries to pull it off. Andi Lassiter is startled out of her examining Rodimus' medical status -- his chart. "What the...Twitch, what were you doing in there?" As the purse is grabbed from several direction, the mechanical bird does his best to fight off an impending panic attack. "AUGH! Don't pull don't pull!" he squawks, and though his little wings can't really flap that much, he does his best to make them do so all the same as he stumbles about with the help being offered. His head tilts this way, and that, as he listens to those talking to him, and finally Andi's question. "I...I shut down after awhile when I was put in there! I was just taking a rest cycle, I'd been flying all over the place and my systems needed a rest, and then I woke up and I can't see a thing!" About this point, Andi's purse is finally removed from his head, popping to the floor, leaving the little mech blinking as his optics try to adjust to the lighting, "...wow it's bright out here!" *blink blink* Foxfire gives an impression of rolling his eyes. "You are such a dork, brother." He jumps back up onto the table he's claimed. Fanfare peers down at the little bird at that and smiles a little ".. Aye, that it is." he agrees simply. "Dork!?" Twitch exclaims, optics widening, "I'm not a dork! Why would you call me that?" Even his beak seems to droop at that, as if his little electronic feelings had just been wounded deeply. Though he does pause, head tilting to one side, "...what's a dork?" Andi Lassiter sighs, looking down at Twitch, her purse, and ALL of her purse's contents scattered all over the floor. Foxfire grins and lays down. "It's friendly teasing, Twitch. We're brothers. It's what we do." He chuckles. "Oh...something akin to a geek, I think." Fanfare chuckles softly and helps carefully gather Andi's things - mostly by pushing it inot a pile, with his big fat starry fingers. Twitch blinks again, noticing the small pile being made, then the purse, and putting two and two together, "...ACK! I made a mess, Andi! I'm sorry! I'll clean it up! Don't worry! I'll...uh..." he pauses over the pile, suddenly remembering he doesn't have any hands. After a moment, he's soon trying to put his beak to work, very carefully. Andi Lassiter just shakes her head. "Do you need my help, Twitch?" "Nphm! I gft it!" Twitch reassures with a clumsy beakful of various items, which he carefully places inside of the purse. One was a cap of lipstick that ended up falling open when he was trying to move it, and a the result is several red smears all along his beak, looking like a toddler who got his hands on his mother's lipstick and gone to town with it Foxfire facepaws at this. Andi Lassiter just chuckles at Twitch. "You have red on you."
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