Autobot Interim: Something's Off in Repair

[Cannonball]

Hardwire glances to the hand on his arm, sighing a bit inwardly. This was going to be a long walk, it seemed... "Donnae know any Slingshot, but I s'pose ah will shortly." Once outside, Hardwire took up residence on Xaaron's left side. Easier to swing a hammer around into his face and turn the other way and run, if needed...

"So...jus' w'ere should ah start?"

---
OOC: Moving over to the Walk and Talk thread, crossposting.

[Mirage]

Mirage looks up at Perceptor’s greeting, “My pleasure, I’m sure. You’d be the scientist Xaaron mentioned, then.” He pauses, “While I am sure you are more than qualified, I take it your relegation to medic status means that the powers-that-be have not deigned to provide us with someone equivalent to a Ratchet or even a Wheeljack then.” He shakes his head, “Instead, we get Omega Supreme, who while intimidating, requires huge resources to be fully effective, while they get Starscream and several special operatives. Always we seem on the poorer side of the tracks.” That last is said almost to himself.

At Kup’s words, Mirage can’t help but smile slightly. No, not his Kup- but then Mirage had already assumed such- but still very much Kup. This, more than Xaaron’s carefully chosen words, convinces Mirage that this whole debacle is not merely some virus-induced hallucination.

“Regardless, the advice is still good. Perhaps, had your Mirage said as much, you’d not be quite so stiff now,” Mirage replies, shrugging. He watches as Emirate Xaaron escorts Hardwire out of the garage, then continues.

“Confusing you? I think not. What little I have seen and heard indicates that my time might be singularly unique, at least when compared to you others’.” His voice softens, as his gaze fixates the ground. “I am here now, surrounded by strangers who claim my acquaintance, but who I have never met. Your Emirate spoke of some monster from his time which seeks to devour Cybertron, a thought that chills me to the core.”

“I am much out of my element here, Kup. Forgive me if I cling too tightly to perceived familiarity.”

At Kup’s request for information about…Kup, Mirage obliges, “I mainly knew you because you were part of Grimlock’s team, along with Ironhide and Wheeljack. As his team was one of our more active, I had cause to be in contact on a regular basis. Relaying intell and all that.” Mirage pauses a moment, “Perhaps I should not be using ‘you’ but it seems rather odd to keep saying ‘Kup.’ Either way this is the Kup I knew.” He switches on his trademark tech, for a moment appearing as the Kup Mirage knows.

Switching off the illusion, Mirage continues, “While you were already an Elder compared to most of us, it was not, as you just saw, quite as…obvious. It was my understanding that you had been away from Cybertron for quite some time, and had only returned after hearing of the growing tensions. Levelheaded and brooking no nonsense, you and Grimlock complemented each other rather well. Which is likely why Sentinel Prime placed you there.”

That and the fact that Kup could take a hit from the former Decepticon and still have the strength to hit back.

[Perceptor]

Perceptor carefully accesses the shoulder Kup had indicated, looking it over with a nod. "Ah, there," he observes, affecting a distracted tone as he fishes in the "affected" joint. All things considered, Kup's shoulder is in remarkable shape for a mechanism of his age. Perceptor is careful to not actually scrape anything in the joint as he mimes working in it for a few moments, pausing only when Kup looks so stricken. That moment seems to pass almost as swiftly as it had arrived, though, and now doesn't appear to be the right moment to inquire as to the cause. At least, not aloud.

He is only just fishing for the lubricant when Mirage's comments penetrate; he grows still for a moment. "No. We have not been so fortunate as to have been afforded either Ratchet or Wheeljack," he replies stiffly. Just him and the greyed out husk in the "morgue" that mocks his past efforts.

Lubricant now applied, he closes up Kup's shoulder with careful precision. "How is your range of motion, Kup?" Appearances, appearances, although the lubricant probably should feel quite good.

Perceptor sighs softly to himself as Mirage continues. Yes, it surely must be overwhelming to be thrust into the midst of this insanity, however, Perceptor cannot help but feel a brief surge of nostalgia for the Mirage from his own reality. He didn't recall his Mirage ever having been quite this... elitist.

[Kup]

Kup manages to refrain a wince at Mirage's references to Ratchet or 'even a Wheeljack.' Could he have picked a worse pair of names? He frowns, especially when Perceptor stiffens, but says nothing, letting Perceptor continue his 'work.' The veteran narrows his optics at Mirage's 'advice,' but the expression quickly turns to a faint smirk given the real reason he's there.

After Mirage continues, though, Kup points out, "You're not the only one running solo here, Mirage... you just seem to be the only one who's still somewhat familiar to some of the rest of us. We got one kid, a bulldozer named Wedge, who's only been able to identify someone on the other side as one from his reality. Unlike most of us, his Decepticons are a subset of another group called the Predacons. Holi... not sure what's up with him. Seems like he's got some names that match what I know, and some that run similar. He knew an Ultra Magnus, and seems to recognize Perceptor..." Kup glances at Perceptor. "But has a Rodimus Convoy instead of a Rodimus Prime." The veteran looks back at Mirage. "I don't imagine you'd have heard of a Rodimus Prime yet? Anyway, with the name problems, it's been hard to find common points. And then there's Swerve - probably the most out of place in the bunch so far, and that includes that Jazz and Bumblebee that look like someone forgot half their armor. Swerve's never even heard of a Cybertron. Got a real thick accent of some sort, and sometimes falls back into something so thick I can't really follow, but it sounds derived from Cybertronian." Kup looks around. "He can also do repairs, but it's taken some doing to get him cooperate about anything. Problem is, if I gotta kick his exhaust pipes in and drag him in here, I kinda doubt he'd be in any kind of a mindset where we want him repairing other people." The elder mutters to himself about wire-wicked, manifold-munching little punks, then shakes himself out of it and continues.

"Xaaron's reality isn't the only one with the world devourer," Kup says solemnly. "Unicron. Mine had one, but he's dealt with. Haven't heard any mention about him from any of the others." He hesitates a moment, then decides that, until they're more certain about things, it's best to keep suspicions of the forth planet to himself. Besides, if there's enough left for there to be an asteroid field, maybe it just... blew up?

Kup's optics flicker in surprise as the other version of himself comes into existence. "No..." he murmurs thoughtfully. "No, never looked like that. Visible wheels in robot mode... wouldn't have worked." Then he speaks louder. "Does sound like there're some things in common, though. I had been off Cybertron before the start of the Third War, returned soon after it got underway. Never knew of a Sentinel Prime, though, and Grimlock..." Kup has to stop speaking as he forces himself to hold in a chuckle at the thought of working for Grimlock. "My Grimlock's only couple decades old at the point I was removed from. Built on another planet entirely. By Wheeljack, in fact."

When Perceptor asks him to check his range of motion, Kup steps away and swings his arm around a few times and at different angles. "Yeah, thanks Perceptor. Much better. Why are you in here working alone, though? Shouldn't Long Haul be about?" Kup's optics brighten as something occurs to him, and he glances at Mirage. "You been warned about Long Haul yet?"

[Mirage]

Mirage is completely oblivious to the fact that he is being snobbish. He is not oblivious to the scientist’s reaction to his words. A nerve had been struck, but which kind? And should anything be done about it?

So many worlds! So many Cybertrons! It would be fascinating, perhaps, were it a best-selling holo. As it stands, however, Mirage considers it one big cluster-frag. Of course, they do seem to all have one unifying factor: Autobots fight Decepticons and vice versa.

“Actually Kup, Xaaron did mention Long Haul. It is actually not that difficult a thing to imagine; he and his were once renowned for their architectural contributions. I often wondered how they were persuaded to choose destruction over creation. Oh and no, I don't know any Rodimus Prime. Shortly before my...relocation to this planet, Sentinel Prime was destroyed by Megatron. Optimus Prime, i believe is the name, Optronix took when he was chosen by the Council."

Having come to a decision, Mirage turns to Perceptor, “I…seem to have upset you with my earlier comments. I was not disparaging your work; your Emirate spoke of you in glowing terms, and I somehow feel he does not give true praise lightly. If I mentioned anything or anyone that offended you….I apologize.”

It’s stiff and hesitant apology, but it is sincere. And has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Mirage might be in Perceptor’s tender care at some point.

[Perceptor]

Perceptor nods in agreement at Kup's comments about Holi, and then shrugs as Kup goes on. "Swerve assisted when the work load was the heaviest," he temporizes as he turns his attention back to Hardwire's radio and begins dismantling it into its individual constituent pieces.

"I asked Long Haul to accompany Jazz while he tests his repairs before he managed to fret my work to pointlessness. They are currently out exploring, however they may also be collecting supplies so that we might continue work on the first fabrication unit." Perceptor looks up and sighs at the partially finished machine thoughtfully.

"I released Jazz to guarded full activity yesterday, however, I would be much more comfortable replacing some of the components modified for his repairs with components purpose fabricated for his unique specifications. Given what he explained to me regarding how he received his initial injuries," and here Perceptor's expression turns faintly wry and a little worried, "I believe that his repairs will need to be as... ruggedized as possible under these conditions."

He doesn't point out that back in the reality where they were both apparently from, that he'd been quite accustomed to working alone on most projects that occupied his time and attention.

"To that effect, if you could assist in restraining him from flinging himself into attempting to single-handedly combat Decepticons who are more than twice his stature, strength, and firepower, it would go great lengths toward preventing him from once again ending up back on these repair berths in two pieces," he sighs, shaking his head.

Mirage is addressing him again, and Perceptor half-turns to listen. "No apology is necessary; you did not offend," he intones. No, Mirage, Perceptor is perfectly capable of thinking up those thoughts all on his lonesome, and being utterly helpless to prevent the Decepticons from courting away Skyfire certainly doesn't help. "As perplexing as this situation we now find ourselves in is, it would be good to see Wheeljack and Ratchet alive once more."

He returns to disassembling Hardwire's radio without further comment.

[Kup]

Kup's expression darkened. "In my reality, they were 'persuaded' through reprogramming," he says softly. "Sudden and unwilling. The Long Haul we have comes from before that. The Decepticons have a Hook with them from after. It's been pretty rough on Long Haul, though from what I've seen, he's holding up pretty well. Rodimus Prime's very new; Optimus was our previous Prime, but he was never named 'Optronix.'"

The veteran falls silent as apologies are made and declared unnecessary, though he spares Perceptor a sympathetic look as he mentions Wheeljack's and Ratchet's deaths. Concerning Jazz, though, he offers Perceptor a sheepish half-grin and a shrug. "I'll see what I can do, Perceptor, but he mighta had a good reason for picking the fight he did."

Then he turns back to Mirage, removing his 'stylus' (a thin cylinder of sharpened metal) and 'notepad' (a flat plate of metal that he's been scrawling his own peculiar code on) from subspace. He makes no comment on these objects, though, and instead explains, "We've got three, Skyblast, Bumblebee, and Jazz, who seem to be more or less from the same universe. Their reality is pretty easy to pick out from the others." The elder makes a static-snort noise. "They generally look like their builders forgot about half their armor, and sharpened the edges of what they got. I also fought a 'Con of the same sort back at the power plant.

"Jazz arrived in two pieces, screaming 'Megatron.'" All amusement goes out of Kup's expression as he adds, "If we hadn't been right there when he suddenly showed up, and we didn't have Long Haul on hand to stabilize him until we could get him to Perceptor here, I don't think he'd have made it. Not everyone who shows up here is in working order when they arrive."

The corners of his mouth pull down further, and he takes on an almost... tired aspect, as he turns and gestures to the closed off area that serves as morgue and, perhaps disturbingly, used parts salvage. "I should let you know now, because you're bound to find out sooner or later. We've had two bodies show up. Maybe they were alive when they got here, but if so, not very. One of them's a Decepticon, some sort of Seeker variant by the looks, and the other..." Kup hesitates, then plows on, "the other's the Optimus Prime of a reality like mine and Perceptor's."

[Mirage]

So it was remembrances of fallen comrades that bothered Perceptor. Mirage could understand that; contrary to popular belief, he did have friends.

Mirage turns his attention to Kup’s further explanations. As the older mech relates the arrivals of Jazz, and the deceased in the morgue, Mirage is struck by something.

“Was everyone pulled from either a combat zone, or a particularly…delicate or stressed situation?”

Mirage’s makes a mental note to check the body of Optimus Prime, for comparison. Amazingly enough, he manages not to voice his opinions about Optimus Prime. Even someone fresh from the factory could tell that would be a very bad idea.

[Perceptor]

Kup's observation about Long Haul makes Perceptor sigh. "He has not had an easy time of it," he murmurs softly, unconsciously glancing off in the direction where Omega Supreme rests outside. Neither of them had. Between the constant requirement to prove and reprove himself, and the stress and strain of Omega Supreme's and Hook's presences, however, Perceptor is privately of the opinion that the Constructibot has been coping quite admirably. Not that that quells any desire on Perceptor's part to wish to protect Long Haul from others' scorn. There's something so sadly innocent about the green mech - much like Holi, in a way - that stirs up some urge to defend and protect it in whatever manner Perceptor is able to. Fortunately, it appears that will not be necessary with this arrival. Relief at that as he sets his work aside and turns to face them both.

He doesn't have to cease working; even if he were not trying to stall on completing the radio repair, it is such a simple fix for him that not even he could become distracted by it. He is more polite than that, though, and it gives him an easy excuse to continue putting off the radio repair for another few minutes. He has, however, already subspaced a few small but vital components to prevent someone else from accidentally completing the repair before Xaaron and Kup are prepared. Once it is all laid out, it will be easy enough to claim that he is merely awaiting the appropriate replacement components to be manufactured or scavenged.

For now, however, Kup appears to be in the mood to talk.

Jazz's reasons for ending up in pieces calls forth a rueful expression as he leans back against the workstation behind him. "It was logical to him, at any rate," he replies, rubbing his nasal ridge between thumb and forefinger for a moment.

"However," he adds, glancing back toward Mirage, "no, not all of us were. I, for example, recall having been working in my laboratory on something so harmless that-- that even Wheeljack would have been hard pressed to coax much more than an unenthusiastic fizzle from it." He forces himself to say that; he needs to quit hiding from those names. It is time and more than time that he had started moving on. After all, Long Haul has so much more to grieve about, and yet he manages to function just fine.

"The extractions points of certain mechs, however, does present some interesting challenges in determining a return point, for when such a potentiality is feasible." He does not say "if," for that would be admitting defeat before he's even had a chance to begin.

Kup may note, though, how Perceptor's gaze flickers briefly in the direction that Wheelie had vanished in, before bouncing off his own august personage. Perceptor rests his chin on one hand contemplatively, propping that elbow up against the other arm which he crosses over his chest. He looks, for a moment, as if he may continue speaking, but then censors himself, deep in thought.

[Kup]

Kup catches Perceptor's glance, but has nothing more than a faintly saddened shrug for it. He nods in agreement with Perceptor's assessment about the differing pull-points. "I was yanked out of a pretty rough situation myself, though thanks to Omega I know it gets wrapped up somehow." Of course, he doesn't have any particular assurance he, himself lives through the affair, but he keeps that to himself. "On the other hand, I remember hearing that Long Haul got pulled out a couple days in of a standard supply run, normal pre-war day to day business."

The veteran takes on a more business like manner as he strolls to the nearest wall and leans against it, metal plate held in front of him. He explains, "Now, I've started going through, doing a series of interviews to try to get an idea what skills and levels of experience we got to work with, that sort of thing. Also been using it as a chance to let folks ask me what questions they needed to know. I figure since I got you both here just now, I'll knock it out of the way. With you," and here Kup gestures with his 'stylus' towards Perceptor, "I figure I got a pretty good idea what I'm dealing with already, but in your case there's a lot of information I need to pass back to you about what's coming up."

He turns towards Mirage. "Now, you seem fairly similar to my Mirage, and I'm guessing you got a pretty comparable skill-set, but I don't wanna mess myself up by assuming too much." He pauses, looks towards the ceiling, and seems to be considering something. Finally, he speaks up again, "The timestamp you gave, in my reality that'd fit in with not too long after the wars started back up again, and going by your description, they're a relatively new thing for you, too." Of course, it is possible that 'started back up' isn't appropriate to describe Mirage's situation. On the other hand, maybe it is and in his reality, like Kup's own, information had been suppressed. "Now, you already showed me the hologram trick - my Mirage also had a cloak. That apply to you?"

[Mirage]

Feeling as if he should, Mirage explains his own arrivial, “As for my own departure point…our new Prime’s first order was to prepare for planet wide evacuation, leaving Cybertron to the Decepticons. It was not, as I’m sure you can imagine, a popular decision. That is what happens when you put a records clerk in charge of a war, I suppose.” There is a touch of sarcasm to that last comment. “I was involved in a…discussion with others over the prudence of such an order when I blacked out and found myself…here.”

Mirage glances out the door. He wants to get away, spend some time considering everything he has heard from these strangers. Also, he wants to explore the area, get a feel for the terrain. See what’s out there. And who.

“Interviews? But…I…oh very well.” Mirage settles back against the wall, arms crossed, a slightly disgruntled expression on his face. It doesn’t look like he’s leaving anytime soon.

“What do you mean ‘started back up’? Before Megatron began his rise to power, there was none of this Autobot/Decepticon nonsense. But not choosing was not exactly an option, either. Call yourself neutral and you might as well do a voluntary shut down; the Decepticons would slag you anyway. Damned honorless, creatorless piles of… ” His fists clench as his voice trails off; he had friends at Altihex¹.

After a short pause he continues, “Yes, I have a cloak. I can keep either the cloak or a disguise up for a limited amount of time. I am an excellent shot. A spy of enough skill to be known, and still enough not to get caught.”

“I told you about my Kup. Why don’t you tell me about your Mirage, and I’ll disavow any preconceived notions?” Mirage asks, his words considerably sharper than he intends them to be.

Kup might consider that, based on this little tirade, Mirage is quite unlikely to blithely swap allegiances. However, he might also be curious about exactly what type of "discussion" Mirage had been involved in before arriving on the planet.

---

¹ War Within Vol 1 Issue 1: the Deceptions blow up a compound at Althihex housing around twenty non-aligned. The building was clearly marked as neutral territory.

[Perceptor]

Perceptor nods absently at Kup's explanation about having information for him. He isn't tuning the elder mech out, however he is occupying his CPU with turning over thoughts which have been percolating since his arrival here - or rather, more specifically, since discovering that Decepticons have also been brought to this world and this reality. Of course, his conclusion depends highly upon determining by which mechanism and for which reason the individual mechs were brought here, and by which mechanism it can be reversed, however... What occurred once, could, theoretically occur again. What happened to this world, may have, in theory, happened to other worlds in other realities.

Mirage's sharp tone, however, breaks him out of such ruminations. Chin still in hand, he cants a concerned look at the spy, before offering Kup an inquiring glance. Perhaps Kup should concentrate on completing Mirage's interview first, to assist the newly arrived mech in finding some sort of balance with his new situation? Kup can pass along future information to Perceptor anytime - it isn't as if the scientist is very hard to find, after all, and even Tiny can likely travel more quickly than the microscope-former.

Although Perceptor does have questions he would like to ask of Kup later. After Mirage is settled.

[Kup]

Kup frowns as the mention of planetary evacuation comes up. That certainly doesn't fit with his history, even if it could be argued that a records clerk might have been a better choice than a dock-worker (What the blazes were you thinking, Alpha Trion? Ah, well... seemed to work out all right.). It's not the word 'discussion' but the hesitation before it that gets a considering look from Kup. A few indecipherable scrawls are made on his metal plate.

When the questions start, though, Kup answers, although his tone takes a more guarded edge than it had had previously. "In my reality, at least, the war our Megatron and Optimus Prime were involved in wasn't the first between Autobots and Decepticons. That one had been wrapped up some nine million years prior, though a lot of younger folks didn't used to know about it. The government our efforts established came up with the genius idea of preventing future wars by not letting the wrong sort, or any sort, hear about any 'wrong-headed ideas' that had kicked off the last one. Pretend it never happened. Of course, all they really succeeded in doing was making sure they were completely unprepared when history repeated itself."

"Our Mirage? Well, sounds like the skill-set's about the same. Voice matches, and you look like you've got his build from Cybertron. In fact, you remind me very much of our own Mirage back when I first returned to Cybertron, when the war was pretty new and he was pretty new to it. Ours had... settled some before some of these other folks, like Perceptor here, got to know him." Kup's lip smirk slightly, but there is no humor in the rest of his expression. "Learned to deal with us 'commoners' a bit better, I guess."

Kup lets silence settle for a moment, save for the count of another scratch or two, plus any other work Perceptor may be doing. Then he looks up. "So... what'd'ya wanna tell me about these... discussions you were having?" he asks, making sure to leave close to the same level of hesitation before saying the word that Mirage had.

[Mirage]

Mirage listens to Kup point out even more differences between their realities while trying to get a hold on his emotions. He would not embarrass himself. He would not!

Suppress history? Ridiculous! What were those of Kup’s time thinking? Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. He shifts about a bit, seemingly searching for a more comfortable position against the wall, but really trying to relieve some of the tension building up in his joints. At Kup’s comment about dealing with ‘commoners’ he can’t help but shrug. He’d never admit it of course, but many of the ‘commoners’ he’d met since the war started were actually decent sorts, for the most part; however, Mirage can’t imagine ever becoming accustomed to war.

He’s about to ask to be dismissed when Kup asks his last question. Mirage goes completely still, but manages to avoid stiffening, or showing any emotion at the question.

“There were many such discussions. As I said, it was not a popular decision. For that matter, I heard talk that Grimlock had suggested staging a coup, if this new Prime proved…less than useful. And where Gimlock went, so did his team.” He attempts to lock optics with Kup for moment. The implication is clear. Nevermind that Grimlock’s suggestion was made prior to the evacuation order. Or that he had no confirmation that Kup was actually at that gathering in Praxus. Misinformation and misdirection. Business as usual for the spy.

[Perceptor]

In what may be a first, Perceptor has no actual comment. He's merely listening to both Kup and Mirage. He's come to the conclusion that, regardless of how familiar a mech may appear, that there is still no guarantee that they might come from the same reality. Holi's recognition of himself being a prime example of that, and so the varying histories presented by both merely get filed away for the moment.

As does the evasiveness of the spy's answer to Kup's question.