Repairs: Hook and Needlenose

[Needlenose]

"Erm... my chest panels?" Needlenose offers.¹ He settles down where Hook indicates, however, and even manages to sit still. "But yeah. My internals are a bit odd. Might wanna be careful not to breach the reactor shielding, by the way." Hook may bristle at being told to be careful. Needlenose doesn't care. The micro-shielding of his reactor does it's job and then some, but there's still always at least a faint danger associated with being fusion-powered.

He looks over to Sunbeam. "Might wanna make yourself scare, Sunny. I've got my standard pistol subspaced if I need it. Go... I dunno. Look and see if they've got any long-storage organic fuel left, or something." In other words, go see if you can't find yourself something to eat.

Apparently Needlenose wants his Nebulans to come down with food poisoning. Or he's just thoughtless.

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¹ WAG on the part of the player.

OOC: Crossposting from "Repairs: Hook and Starscream." Anyone wishing to interact with Hook and Needlenose are free to follow us here. Those chatting with Starscream should in the Starscream thread.

[Wreckage]

OOC: Unless Wreckage is needed specifically for something, please consider this a post-through to Interim.

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Wreckage is neither hurried nor slothful in his descent from the mine entrance. The corpse will certainly not be any worse for his steady pace, which gives him time to look over what he can see of the town and try to spot the other Decepticons. Who was it performing repairs? Yes, Hook, the bright green and purple one there. He would be the one with whom to leave the parts supply.

Wreckage quietly approaches the repair site of the almost-jet, who receives only a quick glance for acknowledgement and nothing more. Hook gets a curt, vaguely respectful nod before Wreckage deposits the flier's corpse with neither ceremony nor callousness within arm's reach of the engineer.

His good deed for the day done, Wreckage turns and heads toward the outskirts of town. There are few clouds in the sky. He will have to make do.

[Hook]

Hook glances down at the body briefly, then at the retreating back of the white APC. Interesting. Wasn't that a courtship gesture among certain kinds of people?

Be that as it may, there was a patient to tend to. The crane ran his fingertips over Needlenose's chest, feeling for the subtle latches of his chest plates. Once he found them, he opened up the jet for a visual inspection.

[Needlenose]

Needlenose takes no notice of the APC dropping off the Seeker and, indeed, holds himself still quite well. When one carries about a fusion reactor, one learns not to fidget too much during trips to the medics.

Unlike Needlenose's wings and arm, his torso section is little more than banged up. However, Needlenose was not kidding about being a non-standard build, nor about the reactor. He appears to be running a duel-power hybrid system, with traditional energon set to feed his jet engines, while fusion power provides for almost everything else, including essential life-systems. Beyond the occasional beat to keep the energon from going stagnant, it's quite apparent that his liquid fuel system hasn't been turned on for days, nor has he needed it.

Most G1 Marvel Transformers' color systems are keyed to both brain module and fuel pump, requiring both to cease operation before they "gray out." Needlenose has obviously modified this system as well, tying it only to his fuel pump. Given the fact that his life-essential systems are run off his fusion core instead, this means that it would be quite easy for him to appear dead and still be in near-perfect working order.

The fusion engine itself is, indeed, surrounded by highly efficient micro-shielding that, while thin, is quite strong and is in no danger of being breached (unless necessary for a dramatic, plot-related moment, of course), although it takes up rather a lot of room inside him. Fortunately, most of his circuitry is considerably miniaturized compared with a standard Transformers', indicating that his skill as a microchip designer at least approaches the levels he claims them at. A quick glance shows no apparent heat-sinks, but a closer look shows, instead, a distributed heat-sink system designed into the chips that boarders on genius. Oddest of all this, however, is not the fact that the total volume of his microchips are smaller while accomplishing the same tasks, nor the heat-sink system, but the fact that both they and the various visible circuit traces are arranged aesthetically. Not only are his internals well but unusually designed, but they are pretty on top of it all.

"Let me know if you have any questions," Needlenose tells Hook, watching the other closely to see the reaction to his handiwork. The should-be-jet is quite proud of his insides, thanks!

[Hook]

"Mm." Hook studies the internals in front of him, now and then reaching out to trace a particular wire or fuel line. "A good solution to the problem of a jet with a fusion reactor. Well done."

The visual examination continues until he's certain that he understands what he's looking at. "Is there a particular reason for the disconnect between your color-controls and your laser-core? Additionally, how many cubes are required to half-fill your fuel tank? Where do you keep your transformation cog, unless you desire me to just find out for myself?"

[Dead End]

It's hard to tell with the mask and visor concealing 90% of Dead End's face, but the tilt of his head and the slow turn with which he faces Hook might hint at some unhappiness.

His tone is definitely unhappy when he says, "B-but you've always fixed it before!"

The concept that Hook might not be able to fix something has never occurred to Dead End before.

[Needlenose]

Needlenose starts to raise his good hand in a theatrical gesture, then remembers something. Laser core? Oh! Brain module! "Oh, that. That's nothing. The Resurrection look was real in a couple million years back, so I made a few adjustments, let's me switch back and forth any time I want." And then, to demonstrate, unless Hook prevents him, Needlenose reaches in and with a single deft motion, disconnects his color systems from his fuel pump and instantly renders his paint job into death-gray tones similar to the Seeker on the ground beside them. "I never got around to setting it back when the look went out. Good thing, too! Saved my life not long ago!"

"The Transformation cog is down... there," Needlenose points to an area that's partially hidden by his pump. "Seized up pretty good, though. As for how much it takes me to fuel up... a bit less than half a cube gets me to half full. Filling from empty, a full cube'll send me into mild overcharge, but I usually don't have to fill from anything close to empty." He glares up at Spinister. "That's why some folks think I can't hold my energon."

The Mayhem tilts his head as Dead End complains over an inability to repair... force fields? Since when do Stunticons have force fields? Eh. Either way, he'll have to take a number. Needlenose has priority!

[Hook]

"Dead End, does your mind grasp the concept of 'unique equipment'? If so, then you are perhaps not quite as doltish as you are currently behaving." Hook removes a clamp from his toolkit and gestures at the Stunticon with it, before using it to pin a fuel line up out of the way so Hook can get a look at Needlenose's transformation cog. "While your confidence in my abilities is not misplaced, I do not have a single forcefield actuator in my toolkit. Do remember when I come from - no doubt, if I were from a year further on, I would have the necessary equipment to repair you."

"However, until such time as we can set up a proper laboratory and circuitry-creation equipment, the absolute best I can do is kludge something together from the local components. That would, however, be a waste of time that could be better used in creating the tools to make the correct piece of equipment. Do you understand?"

During that lecture, several more clamps had gone in. Hook was nothing if not thorough about making sure absolutely nothing obstructed his view of the jet's cog. And this one he didn't even have to clamp very carefully!

The crane reaches in with one hand and lightly runs his fingertips over a few non-engaged teeth of the cog. Then he attempts to force it to turn. Nothing. Hmm.

He flicks it to listen to the ring, and his visor brightens in surprise at the dull sound of it.

Time to disconnect the pain receptors then. He pulls his hand back out and sets about disconnecting certain parts of Needlenose's sensory system.

"Dead End, make yourself useful and give me the smallest of the scalpels with a type-24 blade that you can find on the third rack in my toolkit. Oh, and a sample dish."

[Dead End]

"I suppose the node generator would be an even worse problem to find parts for, if that were it?" Dead End asks as he peers at the third rack in Hook's toolkit. No need for rummaging; everything was carefully lined up in its slot, in order by size and blade-type. Now had Hook actually labeled them, so Dead End could tell the difference between a type 24 and a type 25 blade?

Yes, he had. Very small engraving, but resolvable with very short wave-length radar. No doubt Hook used his microscopic vision to read them--and knew them by look and feel anyway. Dead End carefully picked out the requested scalpel and handed it to Hook, handle first, along with the requested dish.

"Didn't I hear Needlenose mention that he is a microcircuit designer? Perhaps, if any of us survive so long," Dead End's tone makes it clear that he regards that as a comforting fantasy at best, "he could handle the circuit fabricating part of things?"

Dead End looks at Needlenose as he speaks, to make it clear he's not rudely ignoring the not-yet-flying jet's presence, and is asking him as much as he's asking Hook. He hasn't talked to this newcomer before, and doesn't have a feel for his personality, whether he's touchy or easy-going, a brooding loner or a cheery extrovert, or someone who'd watch your back or someone who'd stab you in it.

Well, Needlenose does have a certain touch of artistic flamboyance. Probably not an brooding introvert, then. Perhaps he can help Hook out. Dead End thought that with all the responsibilities on Hook--building the base, keeping all of them in good repair, and catering to Starscream's whims as his second-in-command--okay, this was Hook, NOT catering to anyone's whims--they'd probably all end up like that poor Seeker on the floor before long. Hook was only one Constructicon--and Dead End thought it unwise to point this out.

Speaking of the unfortunate Seeker... Dead End studies it for a moment. "Earth alt-mode. That rather limits who this could be, if he's from our reality. Colors too faded to be sure without checking his ident; pattern could be either Skywarp or Thundercracker. Do you suppose he was dead before he arrived down there, or died later?" Like we're all going to die, his tone implied.

[Needlenose]

Needlenose's antennae perk up as Hook flicks his cog. "That doesn't sound right!" he observes. Then he turns towards Dead End. "And of course I can handle the circuit fabrication! Doing that, though, will require the construction of the right equipment. I can handle most of that, too, but I'll need help."

His antennae droop as he gets Spinister's orders. While he is a trained engineer, he hasn't been a dedicated engineer in quite some time, and compared with being a full-fledged Mayhem, this feels like something of a step backwards. Worse, because he still hasn't had a chance to demonstrate to Spinister that he is a full-fledged Mayhem.

His mind is brought back to the present by Dead End's musing, and he shakes his head. "Oh, he definitely died after he got here. Left a nice little trail, even. From what I can tell, he probably arrived, oh, somewhere near the same spot I did, then tried to claw his way to the surface before biting it. I wouldn't judge too much on the Earth alt mode, though; my reality seems to follow a pretty close aesthetic sense to yours," bright pink helicopters aside, "and it's pretty common for folks who've never been to Earth to get adjusted for Earth alt modes. Y'know, just in case they get called there without much warning. Also, it's really the in thing at this point."

[Hook]

The third rack of scalpels are metal-bladed ones, but that's not terribly surprising. There are actually more matter-bladed scalpels in Hook's toolkit than laser scalpels. After all, accidentally igniting someone's fuel lines was bad form for a surgeon.

Needlenose shouldn't feel anything at all as Hook slices off a corner of one of the teeth of his transformation cog. He may get some alarms in his damage-control queue, however.

Hook places the sample in a dish and examines it closely. Hmm. This is quite the oddity. But it does explain things.

"Your transformation cog has been rendered permanently inoperable. A new one will need to be made," he informs Needlenose. "I will need a fluid sample of whatever has been injected into you to determine if it will have any long-term adverse effects, but if it does not, I'm going to leave it in you until just before replacing your cog."

Tell Needlenose what's wrong with him? That's for lesser mortals.

Oh, and Hook still has Spinister's microchip display on his shoulder.

[Dead End]

Dead End looks down at the dead Seeker. "How terribly ironic! They gloried so much in flight, and rarely went anywhere without the other... and he died alone, in a tunnel underground, crawling."

He pats the empty shell gently on the helm and asks Hook, "Are you going to want any parts off this one, such as his transformation cog? I could get started opening him up."

[Needlenose]

"Spinister already has a fluid sample. If you want another, you'll have to draw it from my lines," Needlenose answers Hook. He's not being cheeky, though. Just stating facts as they are.

At this point, unless he's stopped, Needlenose slips his hand back in and reconnects his color system, brightening those portions that are normally not gray to their normal colors. Concerning the real dead body, he says, "I don't know about you guys, but in my reality, it's grand tradition to use the dead for parts. When we don't just smelt them, anyway." Now Needlenose points at Thundercracker. "Especially that build type."

[Hook]

Well, barring Spinister spontaneously bestowing the liquid sample on Hook, the crane is going to unclamp Needlenose's fuel lines, close the jet back up, and start tending to the battle damage.

"Dead End, I'll need the left arm, right wing, and transformation cog off the spare parts. Needlenose, lie down so I can get to work on your left wing."

[Dead End]

Dead End gets out his own small toolkit and prepares to start unbolting things. No, he's not going to go dipping into Hook's toolkit unless invited. He'd like to keep his own body parts intact, thank you.

"Oh, if you hold still too long in our reality, Swindle will be disassembling you for sale. Did you know he once sold his temporarily deactivated teammates for spare parts?" First, unlatch the arm guns and set them aside--someone will probably want them later, and they're in the way.

"Really, I think his greed routine momentarily overheated his CPU--how could he not realize that Megatron just might want one of his three favorite gestalt teams rebuilt and back in action, or have just a few questions about how they were so thoroughly destroyed? That Swindle didn't have bodies to recover, I mean."

Dead End pats the dead Seeker gently on the shoulder and turns him over, muttering, "It's all right, you don't need these parts any more."

The wings are easier to unbolt than the arms, so get the big flappy part out of the way first. Dead End works steadily, and has the wing off in a surprisingly short time. "Hmm.. he was one of ours. I think this is a real F-15 wing. Didn't I hear that Skywarp and Thundercracker once had a battle with Prowl while they were scavenging some American jets for spare parts? Congratulations, Needlenose, your new wing was built by McDonnell-Douglas. You will be its third owner!"

He carefully places the wing where it'll be handy when Hook is ready for it, but not get stepped on, then gets to work removing the requested arm. "Do you want the entire shoulder assembly, or just the upper arm strut on down?"