Post Battle: A Return to the Zoo

[Perceptor]

"There is something, perhaps, to be said for the familiarity of routine," Perceptor offers in that same, wryly bland tone as he realigns components and begins working closed and welding tight the gash torn in the elder mech's leg. The small smile he offers, however, holds as much gratitude as it does amusement.

Xaaron's announcement, which doesn't sound in the least awkward or unusual to the scientist who is used to talking to his tools, his equipment, the specimens he's observing, and nearly anything else that may or may not be listening to him make any manner of odd observations, merely gets a distracted and absent nod of acknowledgment in answer. Kup's work is simple enough that Perceptor is already designing fabrication units with half of his attention, cataloging all the parts, equipment, and raw materials he will need to scavenge later.

Perhaps once all the lightly and moderately injured are cared for he can be spared to search for what he will need. Likely, however, he'll simply wait until everyone else is resting or defragging so as not to slow the pace of work. Yes, that will do nicely. Get repairs completed as best as may be accomplished, and then do his scavenging and building while everyone else is offline.

Hmm... that three-phase sub-atomic particle inducer will likely need to be built from raw materials, and if the power situation can be adequately addressed before then, they will be in need of a cubulator to produce energon. Another sub-routine begins compiling another list of materials he'll need to build that, as well...

And this would be why Perceptor, for all his fussy precision, meticulous attention to detail, and repair skill had never become a medic: medics go into combat with more than keeping their own hides intact on their minds, and absentminded professor here is absentminded and easily distracted. The middle of combat is not when a mech's medic, no matter how skilled he is at multi-tasking, needs to let his attention fragment into prioritizing treatment for the injuries being reported, compiling lists of the materials that will most likely be required to complete said repairs, and wondering if he can manage to find an oscillating frequency amplifier, or if he'll need to build that from scratch as well, and, my, start up another list of components to compile to build the primary magnetron coil assembly for a hydro-electric...

Oh dear.

[Kup]

Kup spares a wave and a nod to the departing Xaaron, and suppresses a slight smirk as he remembers just what the phrase "going to walk the dragon" is usually intended to mean back on Tinari VI. Of course, the Tinarians got pretty leaking creative with language, anyway... to Perceptor he just smirks and mutters, "Gonna have to build a routine to be familiar with first, looks like," in answer before turning his full attention to Wheelie.

Kup gives the boy a warm smile, but can't keep the sadness from his optics. Re-introducing himself for the first time with Wheelie was a little harder than it had been with Slingshot, because he had been closer to Wheelie to begin with.

"My name's Kup. I'm from... your future, or a lot like yours, anyway. I met you on Quintessa... maybe only a little ways into your future... after me and a few friends, Hot Rod, Grimlock... after we crashed there." The smile widens briefly. "You helped us get off that blasted planet, actually. Now, uhm, I know this is all pretty confusing, Wheelie. We're pretty confused here, too. But we're going to try to work together, figure out what all's going on. Erm... a lot of us have things we need to get back to, and..." Kup's face falls. "Things in your future have the potential of going... going pretty bad if you don't go back to where you were as well." Without Wheelie, Kup, Hot Rod, and Grimlock don't get off Quintessa. Without Hot Rod getting off Quintessa, the alliance with the Junkions is never formed and, more importantly, Hot Rod never opens the Matrix. Unicron is never defeated. Cybertron is destroyed. The fate of Cybertron, at least in one universe, may well rest on intentionally abandoning an innocent boy on a planet of Sharkticons and mad men. But if they do that, how would Wheelie ever trust them when the critical time comes? What a leaking mess!

Kup grimaces, and shakes his head. "We won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do, lad. And since we really don't know what's going on... well, they'll be plenty of time for explaining what we do know, right?" Then he looks back down at the orange robot, and points to the purple emblem on his chest. "But tell me, lad... what the blazes is <i>that</i> thing?"

[Wedge]

It takes a moment for Wedge to understand what Swerve's saying with his short anecdote. Optics widen in shock, quite unsure of what to make of this new information...an this new elbow. Wedge eyes the left one warily as he moves to try it out, half-expecting it to act up on its own in vengeance for its previous, rather unfortunate owner. The fit is off, if the right one is rough, the left one is a bit tight. Despite the deactivation of his pain receptors, the he can very much feel the pressure in this new one. Lubricant, he'll want lots and lots of it later. Still, it's nice to have his arms in working order. Legs can only get you so far, but when it comes to building things...they definitely won't get you too far at all.

He holds still as Swerve closes everything up. As soon as the other finishes, Wedge pushes himself into a sitting position, almost forgetting about the state of his left shovel until he looks to the side. That...that doesn't look too fun, but he's going to need that shovel sooner or later.

Then distraction comes in the form of a Predacon symbol mentioned over the radio. Kup then mentions something on Wheelie's (is that the other orange bot's name?) chest. What Wedge sees causes a momentary freeze to his systems. Seeing the Predacon emblem isn't the shocking thing. It's just seeing a Predacon emblem here and on someone who's obviously not Predacon material. He lunges forward in hopes of getting a better look. "Yeah, yeah that's a Predacon symbol alright...that means maybe I did see Sky-byte back there...what's he doing with Decepticons?"

[Swerve]

"Parts are parts, kid," Swerve mutters, seeing the look on Wedge's face. He won't add that the orange mech should be glad he had anything spare to fit at all, even imperfectly. He just shoves most of his tools back into subspace. Xaaron doesn't get much more than a brief recognition of his voice; the words are ignored entirely and deliberately.

Wedge is repaired, at least as well as Swerve can manage with what he has on hand. The mouthpiece will probably have to take care of the rest, since he managed to bring along a welder… the lucky fragger. Swerve finishes stowing things and glances around. They were waiting to finish repairs on Nightbeat, right? And Perceptor was busy with that cranky old truck, who was talking to the rhyming kid.

Good. Swerve can maybe find some leaking privacy and take care of his shoulder before anyone tries to bring it up.

---

OOC: And with a muttered curse or two, off skulks Swerve to the Interim.

[Omega Supreme]

Omega Supreme continues to stand vigilant and... operate the doors.

Shockwave was the Elevator Boy.

Omega Supreme is Door Man.

Oh, the ignominy.

---

OOC: Consider me in interim unless anyone needs me for something. Assume that the doors open and shut at reasonable times.

[Synapse]

OOC: Cross-posted from 'Outside Omega Supreme'

"Ah, yes, we should be fine," says Synapse with small bob and a polite smile. Well, would have fine. Screwdriver's sudden leap onto the body elicits a gasp and a flinch on his end as he nearly releases his hold on its arm. Synapse dogs on though after Holi, slightly shaken. He's not used to all this excitement still to say the least. Whatever happened to quiet days in a monitoring station or sorting through lab results?

The fact that his previous query went unanswered is not brought up. Instead he continues onward, the inside of Omega Supreme greeting his uneven sight once more.

Oh my, Perceptor looks slightly preoccupied with mending Kup's leg. The question of where to place the body dies before it even reaches his vocalizer, leaving him working his jaw wordlessly instead. Focus, Synapse, focus! "Ah, where would you like the...parts?"

[Wheelie]

Wheelie stares up at Kup in disbelief. He wants him to go back? Back to that hell of scavenging every day just to survive? Of wild Sharkticons and other wild mechano fauna that seems to have nothing better to do than to try and eat him? Of Quinessons out to slaughter him for no reason he could decipher?

Kup says he'll be Wheelie's friend one day? Some friend! What kind of friend would send him back to that?!

He follows his first instinct, lashing out with a punch that's probably less than mid-section high on Kup. "Send me back? I won't go! Not now, not never! No, no no!![/i]"

[Holi]

In troops Holi with Synapse and the body. It's a good thing he's a strong little Micromaster, or this might never have worked!

He glances around, gaze settling on Perceptor, and prepares to follow up Synapse's query with a greeting. The words die before he can speak them, stopped in his vocorder by Wheelie's outburst. Holi just stares, gape-mouthed. Finally, he manages to squeak out something.

"…Wh-what?"

[Perceptor]

Deep in organizing thoughts and plotting schematics and designs for various bits of equipment he is certain that they will require, Wheelie's outburst more than shatters Perceptor's concentration. Fortunately for Kup's leg, Perceptor had just finished welding the tear back together, sparing the older mech any further injury. Unfortunately for Kup, Perceptor is utterly nonplussed by the outburst and hasn't the faintest idea how to console Wheelie, and so he steps back to give the older mech space.

As he does so, he notes the arrival of Synapse, Holi, and their find of... parts, and steps over to assist them. The Seeker's body is... significantly damaged, however some components may likely yet be salvaged. Space is somewhat at a premium, however, and Perceptor would rather leave what they have left for those, like Synapse, who require repairs, than for those, like the Seeker, who lack the capability to be offended by being carefully propped up against the wall, rather than laid out on another bed. He cannot bring himself to move Optimus, however.

"Thank you both," he offers as he guides them to move the body out of the way. "Every bit of assistance is appreciated." No matter how grim. He sighs faintly, tossing another look back at Kup and Wheelie, which, oddly enough, reminds him of Holi's edited radio transmission.

"Holi," Perceptor adds quietly, "You may call me whatever you wish. I do not mind." As he had not-entirely-in-jest commented to Kup: there is familiarity in routine... and familiarity breeds comfort. Perceptor has the feeling that he's not the only mech there who could use a sliver or two of comfort where it can be obtained.

---

((ooc: Perceptor shuffles off to interim, stage right. For everyone else, it should be assumed that anything anyone needs repaired, designed, or built, Perceptor will happy to do so, or at least make the attempt. ))

[Kup]

If it is acceptable to Wheelie's player¹, Kup catches the small fist in his own and holds it gently as he speaks next. If not, the blow lands, harming nothing... physically. The words and the act of the punch hurt more than Wheelie's fist ever can.

Kup studies the small boy for a moment of silence, expression sad and worn and making him look every one of his years, every one of his moments. Finally, he speaks, voice sincere and comforting. "I understand, Wheelie. You don't have to go back. You can stay with us." Then, if he has managed to grab Wheelie's hand, he squeezes lightly, comfortingly, and then slips off the table to give Perceptor more room.

They don't know how they got to this strange world yet, and while processors cleverer than his about such things figure it out, Kup's got time to talk to Wheelie later, to try to make him understand that he must go back. Too much is riding on Wheelie being on Quintessa when he, Hot Rod, and Grimlock crash on that planet. Wheelie's a good lad. Hopefully, he can be made to understand.

And if he can't? When a way is found to send everyone back, he still goes back. Because, as sincere as he sounded, Kup just lied to the boy. Wheelie does get rescued in a matter of years... maybe months. And the happiness of one boyish robot is not enough to scale the balance against the lives of every person on Cybertron - of every person on every other planet Unicron would have then moved on to afterwards.

Is lying to Wheelie like that the hardest thing Kup has ever done? Oh, no. Certainly not. He's lied to troops, to friends, when duty has called for it, and he's probably going to do it again.

But, while that may not be the hardest thing he's ever done, something like that is never easy.

Kup heads towards the entrance, then turns back to the others. "I'm going to scout the area, see what we can do about securing that. Radio if you folks need anything from me."

And then he is gone.

---

¹ Wheelie: Please indicate in your next post.

OOC: Moved on to the Interim.

[Wedge]

"I know, but..." Wedge shrugs. Heck, he's thankful for the parts and his mobility again, Swerve's right in that he shouldn't complain.

Gingerly, he hops off the bed and flexes his limbs before letting a soft whoosh of air escape his filters. Well, now is a good of a time as any to try to figure the place out, that and perhaps attempt to wrap his mind around the idea of a trans-dimension space bridge.

With a parting wave, Wedge trots out of Omega Supreme.


OOC: And thus he heads of to Interims

[Synapse]

Wheelie's outburst has Synapse staring for a moment, whether or not it's obvious under through his visor is debatable. He has no idea about any Unicrons, Hot Rods, Quintessons, destruction of Cybertron, and anything else the future is supposed to hold. So he tries not to, but does, observe the exchange between Wheelie and Kup awkwardly as he finishes aiding in the moving of the body.

"It's...no problem," murmurs Synapse, glancing at the floor as if marveling in its colors.

He would really like to go out and do some more scouting himself, but repairs would have to come first if he's to be any good at it. Or, at least proficient in it.


OOC: Synapse goes to interims now too.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie's fist is caught, and he's quite surprised by the reflexes on Kup. He'd not have expected that of a mechanoid of his advanced years.

What's more surprising, however, is the pain and sadness which seems to leak through his target. It shouldn't be making Wheelie feel guilty and yet, somehow, it does. He just wants to live a life free from the fear and terror he'd known nearly every waking moments and many of his sleeping moments as well. Is that really and truly so wrong? He would not have thought so.

And yet it must be. Why else would Kup have acted the way he did? Kup and these other people with the red insignia have shown him nothing but kindness, from Kup to Holi to Perceptor and the the rest. Of course, he'd thought that of the Decepticons and Predacon too, and how quickly he'd been proven wrong there.

He watches Kup go, quietly, not knowing what to do or just what he could do to make things right again. He looks around, shakes his head.

"What old 'bot said before he had to go... What mean you by this "radio"?"

[Holi]

At first, Holi just gives Perceptor a bit of a blank look once the body has been leaned against a bulkhead as best can be managed. The scientist's words haven't quite parsed yet. Once they sink in, a rapturous smile like none seen yet breaks across Holi's face. The sun peering through the clouds after a storm? It might have something on the way the Micromaster just beams.

"Al– Alright!" he chirrups, hardly believing his receptors. Perceptor has no idea how much this means to Holi, although the little bot's sheer joy may just be a clue. Why, he might not be able to wipe the smile off his face for hours at this rate. Not even to explain radio to Wheelie, though he does turn to do exactly that.

"The radio? Here, Wheelie, I can help," he says brightly. He'll have to try and cheer up Kup later; right now, he'll focus on his orange friend. He doesn't stop to wonder why Wheelie doesn't seem to know what a radio is, he's just going to address the problem. "The radio is for distance communication. Everyone has an internal radio. That means you do, too." But he hasn't used it this whole time. He sure seems young. Holi's young, too, but Holi knows how to use the radio. It's his specialty, even! Hum. Maybe Wheelie's young enough that he hasn't learned to use the radio yet?

Well, Holi is more than glad to lend a hand!

"Okay, Wheelie," he begins, "can you receive any transmissions?" Maybe he's been receiving without realising it and just doesn't know how to transmit. Or maybe his radio isn't even active. Possibilities, possibilities!