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Post by Mirage on Oct 31, 2010 0:34:27 GMT -5
Mirage is not sleeping. At best, he is dozing fitfully, shifting restlessly on the berth. When Perceptor enters the room, Mirage stiffens and his fingers twitch. He manages to keep from summoning his rifle from subspace- but only just.
He turns his head toward the scientist. "Hello Perceptor. How are the others?"
Because if Perceptor hasn't helped them first, Mirage will send the scientist right back out again. The spy has lost track of time a bit, weak and sick as he is.
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Post by Perceptor on Oct 31, 2010 0:48:11 GMT -5
"Resting," Perceptor replies, watching the tension ripple through Mirage's frame as he fitfully rests upon the berth. "Pyrite's external injuries have been tended. I will require more time to fully formulate a means to repair their processors, but they need rest now before I continue my study."
In other words, shut up, Mirage. It's your turn now.
He steps forward, hesitantly reaching out to rest a hand upon Mirage's arm, unsure of his reception, or if such an action will hurt the battered spy. He is also having difficulty trusting himself; he would, to be honest, like nothing more at that moment than to crawl up onto the berth with Mirage and hold him for a short time. Just to assure himself that Mirage is whole and there. "How are you?"
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Post by Mirage on Oct 31, 2010 15:14:41 GMT -5
Mirage doesn't protest Perceptor's touch, not really, but he can't help but flinch slightly. Not from pain, or dislike, but because Mirage is still too on edge. "Sorry," he murmurs in apology.
He starts to push himself back up into a sitting position. "I'm.. functional. Tired, and my head is pounding, but functional. How is Bambi?"
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Post by Perceptor on Oct 31, 2010 15:33:28 GMT -5
"It... it's all right," Perceptor replies, pulling his hand away. He will need to be hands-on once he starts examining Mirage's systems, but... for now...
"Bambi is resting," he answers. "The damage inflicted by the Quintessons was easily repaired." He sighs and shakes his head, a look of almost fond chagrin flitting across his features. "She is a dinobot, however. I've already scheduled her for a full systems check and overhaul to address the issues that have crept up over time. Stubborn mechs, they are, regardless of originating reality."
Definitely a fond note in his voice, but, then again, he had promised himself, for Wheeljack's sake, to look after the engineer's creations.
"But, as I said, she is resting now. So it is your turn. You may cease attempting to stall now, please."
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Post by Mirage on Oct 31, 2010 22:58:27 GMT -5
"I'm not stalling," Mirage grumbles.
"Bambi is a stubborn thing, but she means well. She is not nearly so dense as her larger cousins, that is certain."
Now that he's sitting upright, Mirage feels better. Well, not really. But at least he feels like he's facing this battle head on instead of on his back. It isn't a battle, not really, but it feels like it to the spy.
"It would probably be easiest to pull a diagnostic straight from my systems. I'm fairly badly damaged, but I'll live." Mirage says that last with a soft chuckle and shrug.
"Admittedly, I wasn't certain of that several hours ago, but I am now."
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Post by Perceptor on Oct 31, 2010 23:26:25 GMT -5
Perceptor does not dignify that remark with a response; Mirage can refute all he wishes, but Perceptor is relatively certain of his observations.
"So I gathered. I look forward to being able to spend less stressful time with her and trade information. She has quite an inquisitive mind, for all her stilted speech. As for Grimlock and his brethren... You must understand that they... were based a bit too literally upon the creatures that they resemble. And those reptilian life forms were... not known for a significant quantity of reasoning faculties." He feels a bit traitorous even agreeing that much, although, fond as he is of them, he must admit that the Dinobots are not geniuses. (The future has not occurred, and those were extenuating circumstances for Grimlock, anyway!)
Perceptor pauses, giving Mirage a thorough look over, a thin frown marring his features. "I... have another idea, actually. If you would be amenable, that is," he finally observes, his hands wringing against themselves as he formulates his plan.
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Post by Mirage on Nov 2, 2010 17:41:10 GMT -5
Mirage snorts, "'Not known for their reasoning'- hmpf. That's a rather nice way to put it."
Sorry, Perceptor, but Mirage isn't aware of the your current emotional issues regarding Wheeljack's kids.
Mirage gives Perceptor a puzzled look. The scientist is not usually so hesitant.
"I'm sure whatever you need to do would be fine. At least with you I don't have to worry about having my mind raped and my body violated," Mirage says, unable to keep the bitter anger out of his tone.
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 2, 2010 21:30:22 GMT -5
Perceptor manages to stifle his small frown; it isn't Mirage's fault. He's under a significant amount of stress, after what he has been through. Besides, right now isn't about the Dinobots, not even Bambi. Right now is about Mirage.
He does NOT, however, manage to stifle the flinch at hearing what Mirage has been through. Or the anger that rises yet another notch. He reaches again for Mirage, wishing he could simply pull him into a hug, but stops himself with nothing more than gently resting one hand on the spy's arm again. He probably should not even do that, given Mirage's previous flinch, but... if he is to use him Emulator to examine the new tech from the inside, as he is pondering, this touch is far LESS invasive than anything else he is about to do to his friend.
He opens his mouth to offers useless words of comfort, to start explaining what it is that he is planning... But what comes out, instead, is, "I want to hold you."
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Post by Mirage on Nov 3, 2010 7:56:41 GMT -5
Mirage is a bit more prepared for the touch this time, so he doesn't flinch. He does, however, start at Perceptor's rather unexpected declaration, and looks up at the scientist with optics widened in surprise. Certainly, the two of them are for the most part on excellent terms; Perceptor has done Mirage some very nice favors in regards to special foodstuffs, and Mirage has flirted with and assimilated the scientist into his circle in a manner.
Perhaps this world is wearing on Perceptor more than people realize. Or perhaps he just has issues with seeing friends used as Quintesson lab toys.
"Perceptor," Mirage starts as he brings one hand (rather laboriously) to cover the one on his arm, "While under most circumstances I would most certainly welcome such a comfort, right now.... right now I don't trust myself not to snap at being restrained. I wouldn't really be restrained, I know, but I have enough of my wits still to recognize that between the mental and physical pain, I am very very close to a violent break."
It's a failing of his reality, after all, even if Mirage doesn't know this.
"Get me well, and then if you want to spend a defrag cycle curled up together, we most certainly may."
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 4, 2010 0:16:27 GMT -5
Hearing Mirage's explanation merely makes that tight ball of anger spinning rapid circuits around his lasercore rotate just that much faster. He is so angry at the Quintessons right now. So very angry that he wants to hurt them back, which is such an odd sensation for him. He nods and takes a step back, trying to calm his roiling thoughts. "Very well," he finally offers, nodding.
He is having second thoughts about utilizing his Emulator, though. Such an examination from the inside is, by its very nature, intrusive and invasive. He does not wish to put Mirage through such a process, if he does not need to. It would be the simplest, most efficient, and quickest manner of undoing what was done, though, if Perceptor could acquire such an intrinsic understanding of the changes effected to the shaken spy. He will leave it up to Mirage.
"I need to perform an exam to see what was done," he requests. "Given the number and types of... of adulterations that were performed upon your systems, I am not certain that even a full systems analysis will be adequate to fully render a diagnostic of the alterations, nor how they are meant to function..."
"I would like to connect to your systems through one of my own specialized components, which will allow me to scan your systems internally and duplicate within myself what was done to you in a temporary manner so that I may examine the alterations from the inside-out, so to speak," he explains.
"The initial scan... will be somewhat... invasive." He'll be inside Mirage; hard to get much more invasive than that. "But the subsequent examination of the alterations will be done upon my own systems, rather than yours, until such point as I need to compare from an external point of view?"
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Post by Mirage on Nov 5, 2010 18:06:04 GMT -5
Mirage listens to Perceptor's explanations without comment. The spy's head drops down to his chest and his fingers grip the edge of the table a bit too hard. After a few moments, Mirage looks back up.
"If... if you think that is the best course of action, then I shall trust you to do it."
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 6, 2010 16:23:10 GMT -5
Perceptor wishes that he could simply... make things better for Mirage. Take the last few days away. Skip this whole world. Something useful. The best he can do, however, is nod gently and motion for Mirage to make himself as comfortable as he can on the berth again as he readies his Emulator for the uplink.
"I will be able to better direct the work of my Emulator if I perform a brief external evaluation of your systems," he offers softly. Y'know, so he can get in, get the work done, and get out again quickly, and without traipsing through Mirage's memories and thoughts. Perceptor figures that he would appreciate that nicety.
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Post by Mirage on Nov 7, 2010 21:49:24 GMT -5
Mirage sighs and once more lays down on the table. He can't pretend that he finds this at all easy.
"If you don't mind, I am going to cycle down my optics and shutter then. If I'm lucky, I will pass out from exhaustion," he says, then does just that.
OOC: Percy, do whatever needs doing. Also, timeskip as you feel the need.
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Post by Perceptor on Nov 13, 2010 6:10:58 GMT -5
Perceptor nods, wishing that he could... could somehow find a way to just wave his hand and make everything right again, but that is not possible. He cannot even spare Mirage the trauma of having another in his systems again - even if Perceptor were to stick with nothing bu the external examination, rather than utilizing his emulator, he will still have to open Mirage up and spend a great deal of time poking and prodding and probing. At least by using his emulator, Perceptor may limit how long he is required to do that, and, perhaps even find a means to deaden the sensation of doing so.
He waits, fiddling with the cables and such that he will use to connect to Mirage until the spy finally slips into a fitful slumber. Only then, does he finally initiate his emulator protocols and patch in the cables that will allow him to slip into Mirage's systems and copy what was done to him to his own systems for a detailed exam. As an outsider within Mirages systems, though, he does have just a few abilities and perks that Mirage does not... namely, Perceptor can find the commands and protocols to tip Mirage from his fitful slumber into a deeper, more restful defragmentation. One without dark dreams to plague him, Perceptor hopes.
Then... he begins to copy, ghosting Mirage's systems into his own, specifically the new ones, the ones that have been tampered with and reprogrammed. Already, he has a headache.
Hours, many hours later, Perceptor finally begins withdrawing from Mirage's systems, disengaging the protocols that have kept the spy quiescent and deeply asleep. Perceptor's processors are pounding with the constant ache of attempting to assimilate the foreign tech, trying to make sense of the foreign glyphs that dance and scroll across his HUD. He doesn't envy his friend, but, hopefully, what few repairs Perceptor was able to affect will help, if only a little. Nothing much - streamlining the neural pathways here and there, repairing an outright short, cleaning up the Quintesson hack job into something more befitting Mirage's elegant systems. For now, it is all that he can do, beyond fixing the small damages here and there.
Until Perceptor can translate the catalog of Quintesson glyphs scrawled upon his datapad and portions of the wall and tables, he cannot risk tampering more with what was done to Mirage. He hopes that he has managed to trigger every command, prompt, response, and glyph coded into the new tech during his examination. If not... Mirage can note anything new down that he sees, and bring it to Perceptor and Glyph. They will definitely require Glyph's assistance with translating the mass of characters he'd managed to pull out.
As he disconnects the final cable connecting him to Mirage, Perceptor is all to happy to allow his own systems to restore to his normal defaults, glad to be rid of the Quint tech he'd borrowed for long enough to study it. If only something so easy could be done for Mirage...
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Post by Mirage on Nov 13, 2010 22:49:50 GMT -5
Mirage tosses fitfully, eventually waking enough to blink up at Perceptor. Sadly, while Mirage did sleep, it doesn't appear that he actually rested.
"So, Perceptor, how fragged am I?"
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