Shoulda Used Craigslist

[Springer]

OOC: Private thead. Takes place a little bit after Sex and Candy on Day 12.

---

Springer has made it known he was going down to Pz-Zazz to do some scouting for the mission related to Troi.

In reality, he's ditching the Event Horizon to clear his head a bit. Try and calm down. However, heading into a Pz-Zazzian marketplace might not have been the wisest idea.

It's crowded, it's frantic, and isn't doing anything to lighten Springer's mood.

He never was too good at planning, it seems.

[SceneMod]

Crowded, yes, frantic, indeed. What this sector lacks in class, it makes up for in people. A chaotic, unruly horde of people, an ongoing river of traffic, stopping for nothing.

Well, almost nothing. A small shop up ahead, a pawn shop that appears to be struggling for some measure of respectability by claiming to carry antiques, unusual collectibles, and 'specialty electronics,' seems to be causing something of a roadbump. A number of robots pause to look in the windows or glance curiously at the signs.

New! Modular Skill Chips!
Instantly Become An Expert At Anything!
Rock-climbing! Hang-gliding! Yoga! Boxing! Seduction!
Special Orders Available!

While the new chips gather a fair bit of interest, most eventually shrug and pass by. A few actually enter the ship, and of those, only a few will actually buy. Such is the nature of business - not everyone who's interested is going to buy, after all.

[Springer]

One of the number of pausing robots is our boy in green, scratching his helm a bit as he reads over the sign a few times. There's a good bit before Springer finally glances around, making sure he doesn't see anyone he knows. Then he puts on a rather self-assured grin, walking through the door. Who needs Mirage's fancy training?

There's no way this can go wrong!

[SceneMod]

The proprietor is, himself, organic humanoid, scaled to Transformers. Hey, just because his shop includes some robot-focused merchandise doesn't mean he himself is a robot. It's an elderly gentleman in a simple button up shirt that's been miss-buttoned, dusky gray wrinkled slacks, and spectacles. At the moment, he's demonstrating the features of one of his new chips to a spindly, rust-colored robot with large eyes.

"Observe the distributed heat-sink system. The component layout was chosen for maximum efficiency, as well, so the power drain to run the new chip will be practically nil. Not only is it functional, it's also beautiful!" He gestures at the chip with a smile. "Go ahead, give it a try!"

The robot opens a panel on his chest and inserts the chip. His eyes brighten as his mind is filled with instant understanding. "I... of course! It's so simple! How could that have seemed so hard before?"

The elderly man beams. "So you'll take it?"

"You bet! How much was it again?"

"Only 15 shanix, or equivalent." The proprietor gestures to a sign listing a number of currencies. "Here're the current conversions."

The robot nods. "Well, that does make sense." He pays the old man, and heads off for the nearest bar fight to test his new skills out!

[Springer]

Well, if that wasn't a good testimony, Springer doesn't know what is.

The Wrecker moves to one side to let the enlightened robot out, then steps up to the organic. "Hey, saw the sign out there... Just curious, you got anything to help a 'bot who couldn't flirt his way out of a wet particleboard box? I'm more of a combat mech, but my boss says I need to learn some social graces."

If Swindle was here, he'd be oiling himself with glee at just how much of a mark Springer was making himself look like.

[SceneMod]

Ah, but if Swindle were here, mightn't Springer be on edge?

"Oh, certainly!" the shopkeeper beams. He slides open the glass case and reaches in. "Actually, that's a very popular skill set, and I'm already hearing reports that these particular chips are extremely effective. You know, you robots are lucky to have something like this. It would be nice to learn something new, just like that." And then the older man gives a sheepish smile. "Although for this particular one, that's... maybe for a much younger man. It should do you a lot of good, though, eh?" He holds the chip up for examination.

"A beauty, huh? And despite appearances, ruggedized. Notice that I'm handling it without grounding myself. These little gems can stand up to some rough treatment."

[Springer]

Springer peers at the chip a bit before taking it from the shopkeeper. "Well, I'm no expert on such things, but if it's a tough chip, then that's a good thing..." His free hand opens a chest panel, and after a moment of fumbling, Springer gets it installed.

There is a brief pause as his system starts to pick up the program, while Springer glances around. He raises a hand - "So that's...wait... I had it, but I lost it. What gives?"

Then Springer notices a small waft of smoke in front of his face, coming from the chest panel.

"Aw, scrap. The one time I don't want my Wrecker reputation to be put to use..."

[SceneMod]

The old man's eyes open very wide, and they look all the wider because of the glasses. "I... oh my!" he gasps. He reaches towards Springer's chest. "That wasn't supposed to happen! That's never happened before! Oh dear!" He looks up at Springer very earnestly. "I assure you, sir, that's the first time that sort of thing has happened. Oh dear, oh dear..." He straightens up and frowns, staring at Springer's chest and rubbing his chin as he considers. Then he snaps his fingers. "Sir, if you have a moment, I can try to contact the designer? Perhaps he has an idea of what went wrong."

[Springer]

Springer scratches his helm a bit, pulling the charred chip out, peering at it. He frowns at it, huffing at it. "If you can, yeah..." It'd kinda really suck that not even performance-enhancing mods can give Springer any game!

Plus, Mirage would laugh at him. And Springer can't have that.

[SceneMod]

"All right! Just... just wait right there," the old man says, holding his finger up. He heads around the counter and lifts a device that looks like an old fashioned telephone that's lacking the wires to his ear. He dials the, yes, rotary dial to activate the transmit system.

"Hello? Yes, it's Richard Cranium. The distributor for your wonderful new chips? Oh? Oh, excellent! Sales are very good! They're a very popular product! But it seems we've had a problem. One of the, erm, flirtation and seduction chips burned out while being tested by a prospective client. It just... it smoked!" He pauses. "Oh, I'm not sure." He looks at Springer and shrugs. "He's taller than I am, blocky, seems to have some sort of... thing on his back, a back-pack? Vents on his helmet, varying shades of green and yellow, blue eyes, some sort of unfamiliar red face symbol." The gentlemen pauses again, and blinks. "Really?" He pauses. "You can? Why... that's wonderful!"

He lowers the communicator and looks at Springer. "He says that he thinks... erm... that is, normally it needs something to work off of, but he says your design might also factor into it." Ah, that might explain the description. "He said he was sure he could get a working chip done by later today, and that he was willing to offer a slight discount for the inconvenience of having to return. Would that be all right?"

[Springer]

The description doesn't trip anything on Springer - for one, he's too busy frowning at the burnt-out chip. For two, he's a strange 'bot on a strange planet.

However, he looks up once the older gent makes the offer for a new one, and the Wrecker gives him a thumbs-up. "Sure thing - hopefully the new one will work out better!" He places the burnt-out chip on what appears to be the main counter, and closes his chest panel. "I'll swing by later, then." Springer then turns and heads back out into the crowd...

---
A few hours later...
---

As mid-evening starts to come over Pz-Zazz, Springer returns to the shop, though almost bowled over by a grey robot making boxing motions as he leaves the shop. Springer stares for a moment, then shakes his head, stepping in. "Hey, I'm back!"

[SceneMod]

The old man beams at Springer. "Ah, you again! Welcome back!" He chuckles. "Shame you couldn't come a bit earlier. The designer just dropped these off, but he seemed to be in a hurry." He shrugs. "I think these are getting sold in a couple of nearby cities." He walks around the counter holding a small, varnished wooden box and lifts it. Inside, resting in the velvet lined interior, is... a chip that looks exactly like the one that burned out earlier.

Except not-burned out, of course.

"Here you go!" he exclaims happily. "This one only twelve shanix! And that, only if it doesn't burn out on insertion!"

[Springer]

"Well, let's see what happens," Springer answers, taking the new chip. A quick pop-open of that chest panel again, and in goes the mod.

Once more a brief pause...but this time, the program doesn't fade out, and there's no burnout. No, Springer just stands there for a few moments, slightly wobbly as understanding takes over - Mirage's advances, what he wanted him to do, the whole concept of attraction, and Rodimus' insinuations... The knowledge hits like a flood!

However, Springer shakes his head, optics flickering a couple of times. "...wow. It's all so clear now..." Then it hits him - "Ah, payment!" Springer pulls a container from subspace, fishing out the amount of cash needed, holding it out to the shopkeeper with a grin. "Thank you, sir, and pass my compliments along to the designer!"

[SceneMod]

Richard beams. "So it works? Oh, excellent! Excellent!" He reaches over to accept the payment. "I'll pass that along! I'm sure he'll be thrilled!" The shopkeeper slips the money into the register and moves to start tidying the store. Closing time's only a few hours away, and it won't do to close on an untidy store!

OOC: End thread.