Autobot Patrols: Arcee/Boondocker/Makeshift

[Boondocker]

Boondocker essentially flails and sputters as he's swarmed and cleaned by the little janitorbots, as the whole situation is rather cartoonish. Or like a Nascar pit crew equipped with cleaning gear. The little automatons finish quickly, and once the hickbot is de-swarmed, he looked down at himself. "Huh... Ah didn' think ah were -that- dirty" he mumbles, noting the difference in appearance now. "Neat!" He grins, giving the cleaning-bots a thumbs-up.

[Makeshift]

Makeshift pauses in his questioning to look around the room, hoping for an idea. Fairly simple control room; consoles, monitors, blinking lights, chairs, the like. There's an object over to one side that resembles a coffee maker, and one wall is lined with shelves filled with clear cases holding what appear to be computer disks, possibly data storage of some kind. Wonder what kind of programs the locals liked to watch.

Stepping over to a console, he spots an empty case sitting next to a drive with a flashing button. With a shrug, he pokes the button, causing a disk to eject. He carefully places it in the empty case, noting the writing on it; he can't read it, of course, but the doodles of laughing locals make it seem to be the same comedy program they saw on the way in.

As he turns to look at the shelves again, he doesn't notice another drive light up, cuing up the next program....

****

Outside, if anyone were to look up, they'd see the telltale flicker of lights in the sky. A low rumbling sound follows, then a growing whistle, followed by a loud KAABLAAAAAAAAAAAM as the sky explodes in red and orange. The airborne scene shifts to show Gillanese in uniform carrying obvious weapons, charging across a field as gunfire pours both ways. War machines akin to tanks and APCs move about in the background as a tough-looking soldier barks orders, gesturing with his upper arms while firing off-screen with the lower pair.

This all begs the question, who follows slapstick comedy with a war movie?

[Arcee]

Arcee instantly snaps to at the sound of the explosion, dropping into a crouch and gripping her pistol with both hands as her eyes scan the surrounding area for an attacker. Long trained in fighting Decepticons, her first instinct after having found cover is to look up, believing that they will take an aerial attack.

"What on Earth...?"

//Makeshift? Did you do something?//

[Boondocker]

The explosion rattles the hickbot to also find cover, though he's a good deal more clumsy about it than Arcee is. He dives for a building, screaming "Whut in tarnation?!", and fumbling for both his pistols this time, very nervously looking around.

[Makeshift]

//I found the console that was playing the program we saw before. It ejected the disk.// Then he turns to look at the console and sees the flashing light. //....Er, and apparently that cued up the next program. Why, did something happen out there?//

[Arcee]

//Only set off a war movie! I thought we were under attack!//

[Boondocker]

Boondocker stops for a moment, then looks up. "...jus' a movie...?"

...

Well, if he don't look the fool now...

[Makeshift]

//Sorry, guys. I should've warned you.// Makeshift looks up to the shelves again. //There's piles of other programs around, but since I can't actually read any of them.....Wait, hold that thought.//

He picks up the previous comedy disk and steps over to the sweeper robot. <What does this writing say?>

[Arcee]

Arcee shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. Fooled me too for a minute."

//It's okay, Makeshift. Really.//

***

Unfortunately, the robot picks this moment to either blow a circuit or to simply have overestimated its power supply, for its eyes grow dim and it sags into inactivity.

[Boondocker]

Boondocker sighs, replacing his pistols, slumping down on his backside. "Daggum..."

//Yeah, s'awright. Jus' a lil' warnin' next time, bud?//

[Makeshift]

//Sorry. I'll keep that in mind.//

Makeshift prods at the lifeless robot, then sighs. //Looks like my friend in here is out. Either he burned a circuit or his tank's empty.//

He looks around the room again. //Anything else I should check out in here? Maybe grab a few of these discs on the way back?//

[Arcee]

Arcee places a friendly hand on Boondocker's shoulder. "You did fine. Little practice, you'll learn to known what's real and what isn't."

//Yeah. Maybe Jazz or somebody can translate them.//

[Boondocker]

Boondocker chuckles, standing back up. "Heh, ah s'pose."

//So still no clue as t' whut started th' place back up?//

[Makeshift]

//As far as I can tell, the sweeper bot in here bashed the console with his broom, maybe setting it off accidentally. If it's anything too much more complicated, we'd need to find a tech short enough to take a look. I can poke around some more, but I can't guarantee anything. Still, might be useful in the future to have the layout of the place mapped out, in case something else comes up.// He's from a Furmanverse. Exposition and thinking out loud are part of the territory.

As he talks, he also begins pushing Not-Johnny-Five towards a berth in the wall in the rough shape of the robot. Might as well at least let the automatons keep the place clean.

[Arcee]

//Sounds good, Makeshift," Arcee replies. //C'mon out and we'll head home.//