A Map Would Be Useful

[Scrapper]

Catching the oil in his right hand, Scrapper quickly chugs it down. Sighing in relief, he then hits his chestplate a couple of times, causing a loud noise to emit from his mouth. Listenin' to Emirate Xaaron talk, slightly confuses Scrapper. Leader of the Autobots and the Maxi-who now? Guess things work differently here...

At Xaaron's request to explain his situation, Scrapper was all too happy to oblige thanks to the oil. "Alright, let's see now," Scrapper started. "I remember dat me an' my buddy, Mix were made in some factory in Detroit. Detroit is a city on Earth, by da way. Anyways, me an' Mix were just mindin' our own business, when boom! A piece of sometin' called an AllSpark hits us an we're robots! And, uh...I don't really remember too much after dat. We got some oil...We looked at some smokin' hot sports cars...I tink we mighta helped out our Autobot buddy Bulky and, uh...Y'know I don't remember much. All I can tink of is Megatron offerin' us some real good oil ta work for da Decepticons and help dem build somethin' called a Spacebridge. They were gonna use it ta get to dis place called Cybertron. Whatever dat is."

Scrapper realizes that he's starting to get a little long winded, and decides to pause a bit before continuing.
"Megatron later got dis human and Bulky ta help us out. And, when it was nearly ready, da Autobots burst in and attacked. Den some other Decepticons attacked Megatron. All of 'em had dis screechy voice. Dunno what was goin' on den. Uh....Oh, and den dis giant yellow Autobot wit an orange face came outta nowhere and attacked da base. Den da base started ta collapse, but Mix an I stayed 'cause we had ta get da oil out. Later, me an Mix were watchin' some nice little sports cars get dere chassis removed, know what I mean? ? Heh. Anyways, Bulky finds us an' says he has a job for us. We didn't really wanna do it at first, 'cause we was official Decepticons now, but...Bulky's still our pal and he offered us oil. Plus...da Decepticons don't exactly have the best workin' conditions."

Another pause and then,"So we decide ta help Bulky an' den we find another Constructicon. Dis guy callin' himself Dirt Boss. He had some sorta ting dat makes us do whatever he wants. He even tried ta force us ta blow up some oil! Anyways, da Autobots came in an used some sorta Spacebridge tingy on us and here I am now."

[Long Haul]

Long Haul listens in silence as Scrapper tells his story. Then, once Scrapper is done, he stays in silence for some time further. Finally, he shakes his head very slowly and says, words also slow, plodding, and deliberate, much like he is, "I don't think I understood a word of what you said, 'cept for 'Megatron,' 'Autobot,' 'Decepticons,'... is 'Mix' short for Mixmaster, any chance? Oh, and that big guy sounds kinda like Omega Supreme."

Then he tilts his head to the left and rubs his chin as he goes over this in his mind.

"Well, okay. Maybe I understood a few words. But, like, not most of them, and not all put together that way."

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron is fairly pleased by the recap. He tosses Scrapper another of the small cans of oil to encourage him.

Scrapper seems to be a mechanism of simple tastes, as far as Emirate Xaaron can tell. Likes watching armourless cars. (Maybe he should introduce Scrapper to Bumblebee?) Likes drinking oil.

He rubs his chin, and he asks, rather pointedly, "Am I to understand, then, that you will work for anyone who pays you in an appropriate amount of oil, provided that the working conditions are satisfactory?"

It takes all of his tact not to just come out and call Scrapper a mercenary.

[Scrapper]

Scrapper listens to Long Haul's confusion and shrugs slightly. "Sorry 'bout dat. Some parts are kinda blurry ta me, myself," Scrapper says. "And, yeah! Mix is short for Mixmaster. You know a Mix too?"

Catching another one of the small cans of oil, Scrapper nods toward Xaaron's direction. This guy's the leader, huh? Not a bad bot. Especially compared to Megatron.

Listening to Xaaron's question, Scrapper nods. "Yeah, dat sounds about right," he says, before taking a quick chug of the oil. Afterward, he smashed the can on his helmet and threw it over his shoulder.

[Long Haul]

"Yeah, I know a Mix," Long Haul answers, although he sounds strangely glum about this fact. He looks over at Emirate Xaaron, seemingly looking for a cue on what to do or say next, but then he turns and studies Scrapper, trying to figure out how he feels, really, about this Constructicon-that-is-not-a-Constructicon.

[Scrapper]

"Well I guess it's a small world after all," Scrapper asks . "Or a small universe after all...Eh, y'know what I mean, right?"

Scrapper liked these bots. Seemed friendly enough. Had some pretty good oil. And this Xaaron bot seemed like a pretty agreeable bot. Hopefully they'd have some work for him. 'Cause if there's anything Scrapper knows how to do, it's buildin' stuff.
Turning toward Long Haul, he asks, "Say, what's your name again, buddy?"

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron considers, pensive. Decepticons are known for raiding for oil (and everything else). They could likely buy out Scrapper, beating any offer of oil that the Autobots could make in good conscience, were Scrapper's... habit to become known.

So if he wants to keep Scrapper around, he has to solidly beat out the Decepticons on the nebulous quantity that is 'working conditions'.

Does he want to keep Scrapper around? He has a Wrecker in the tunnel above, and if Emirate Xaaron sent Long Haul away, they could just claim it was an... accident. But Autobots don't play that way.

Certainly, the Autobots can ill afford to allow the Decepticons to gain another trooper, and this Scrapper sounds like he has useful abilities. Also really useless abilities, like the ability to crush cans with his head. Hmm.

He smiles widely, tosses Scrapper another of the small cans (he brought perhaos six with him, total), and he suggests, "I'd like to make you an offer of long term employment, Scrapper. A contract, if you will. I think that you'll find the working environment friendly and supportive," aside from Swerve, "and the tasks varied and interesting."

"The Decepticons here, you see, are led by a fellow named Starscream, who is mainly known for trying to kill his boss. I suspect he will develop of a complex of trying to shoot himself soon, lacking a boss other than himself, as he does. He is screechy, overbearing, and thoroughly unpleasant. His second in command is Shockwave, an emotionless overgrown calculator with no ability to care about his troops' needs and feelings."

"I will be honest. The Decepticons may be able to offer you more oil than the Autobots can, Scrapper." He looks at Scrapper very intently now, watching for his reaction. "But you'll need to worry about your team-mates trying to murder you at every turn and countless political intrigues. Not exactly what I would call an enticing working environment."

[Scrapper]

Still waiting for Long Haul to come out of thought to answer, Scrapper gladly took the next can of oil. It's fate was the same as the others.

"A contract, huh?" Scrapper asks. Listening to the Emirate's words, Scrapper nods his head. He definitely remembers a Starscream...And he nay have remembered hearing Megatron talk about a Shockwave. At the sound of hearing the Decepticons have more oil, Scrapper turns his head a bit. Oil is good...But, then again...Workin' for the Decepticons hadn't exactly been the best experience in his life.

"So dat, uh, Starscream guy's in charge?" Scrapper says. "I remember dat bot...and some other bot dat looked like him. Nearly blew us all ta scrap. Yeah, I tink I'll be stayin' wit da Autobots. Don't need to be gettin' killed by my own teammates, know what I mean?"

The best part of being in an alternate universe, to Scrapper, is that he won't have to explain himself to any other Decepticons, 'cause they're most likely not where he's from! Scrapper could get used ta this place.

[Long Haul]

"Eh? My name's Long Haul," the Constructibot answers Scrapper. He's silent a moment, but something about the way he holds his shoulders suggests that he's actually fairly happy about the way all this is going. "And yeah, I know whatcha mean. Well, can guess, anyway."

He turns towards Emirate Xaaron. "But, erm, speaking of that, better make sure the others know he's around, y'know? S'pecially since he's sporting a 'Con symbol and all. Most of our guys are pretty cool, but Grimlock or Slag seem to get kinda angry pretty easy and stuff." And then there's the question of how Omega Supreme will take it all. Oh, Sigma! But at least, despite the fact that Scrapper looks rather Constructiconish, he doesn't look like any actual Constructicon from their universe.

"Once alla that's worked out, though... heck, I gotta get back to work. Might as well show him where the work sites are and stuff while we're at it, y'know?"

[Scrapper]

"Work sites, huh?" Scrapper asks, starting to stretch his joints. He hadn't actually built somethin' in a while. Long Haul sounds like he's a bot that knows what he's talkin' about. So all Scrapper needs is some instructions, some materials, and he'll be in business.

"Sounds like a plan Haul," Scrapper says. "Now, uh, what exactly are ya buildin' here?"

[Emirate Xaaron]

"Long term employment. Something more lasting, steady, and reliable than temp work, you know?" Emirate Xaaron elaborates.

He snorts and shakes his head in a knowing fashion as Scrapper mentioned nearly being blown up by Starscream and what Emirate Xaaron would assume to be another Seeker. "I can almost entirely assure that the Starscream here is not your Starscream, but that sounds like a very typical thing for Starscream to do. The Starscream in my reality killed most of the Decepticon army stationed on Earth while power mad." Just not enough of the Decepticons army, and far too may Autobots, sadly. "This particular Starscream that we have here, though... there are others who could warn you of his dangers better than I can, but I can tell you that even in the short time he's been in this reality, he's betrayed one of his old friends, tried to ally with a demonic robot, and generally been a destructive menace."

"Now, do you enjoy combat, or would you prefer to avoid it?" Emirate Xaaron inquires of Scrapper. They have a First Aid who doesn't fight. He won't mind at all if Scrapper also doesn't fight, as long as he hauls his own in building things. Besides, keeping this Scrapper out of combat and away from the Decepticons might be a good idea. "No shame in either, and no pressure."

To Long Haul, Emirate Xaaron replies, "Ah, yes. That will be an interesting matter to explain, to be certain. However, as soon as we're done here, I'd like you to take Scrapper to meet Perceptor, over by Perceptor's lab." He turns back to Scrapper and explains, "Perceptor is a scientist. You will likely work with him from time to time."

Perceptor is also the molecular chemist that Emirate Xaaron contacted to work on some booze for the new recruit.

[Scrapper]

Scrapper scratches his helmet. "If ya need me, I'll fight...But only if ya really need me," he says. " 'Course I ain't exactly made for fightin' like da other Cons back home."

So their going to see some bot called Percepter, eh? Scrapper's never really met a scientist before. Maybe this Percepter guy could invent some type of oil for him ta drink. If only Mix was here to hang out with...But Long Haul seems like a pretty cool bot. And who knows? It might end up just like the good ol' days in no time.

[Long Haul]

"We're building a ship," Long Haul explains to Scrapper. "Big one. Gotta get off this rock, and have room for everyone on board."

As Scrapper mentions not being built to fight, Long Haul snorts. "Seems to be a common thread, of 'Cons being built to fight and 'Bots not. Not universal, though... we got some that don't fit in the general categories. Like Omega and such."

He looks towards Emirate Xaaron and gives a quick nod. "Yeah, I can take him to Perceptor... I'm walking around with a full load right now," and here Long Haul points to his feet - his truck bed in robot mode. "But I can keep carrying it awhile longer, no problem." He looks between Emirate Xaaron and Scrapper. "We ready to go, then, or is there anything else?"

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron assures, "If you would prefer to avoid fighting, it is no trouble. We are Autobots here, and we certainly won't force someone with an aversion to combat to fight. We're a volunteer army, after all. Just ask First Aid - a medic of ours who prefer not to engage in combat."

Inside, though, he's wondering what the war-build Decepticons of that reality are like, if Scrapper is not a fighter - Scrapper looks plenty big and strong, as it is. Emirate Xaaron will probably find out. He does not look forward to it, but he will prepare for it.

"We'll get the proper interview done later. Just one last thing before I let Long Haul take you to Perceptor - just how attached are you to that symbol there?" Emirate Xaaron points at Scrapper's Decepticon symbol.

Scrapper not wearing that symbol would probably help avoid friendly fire incidents, but if Scrapper really wants to wear it around, it's not like Emirate Xaaron can do much about it.

[Scrapper]

"A ship?" Scrapper asks, curiously. "Never been on no ship before...Never built one either." Scrapper scratches his jaw, before speaking again. "Say, you got any schematics on it? I've got a couple ideas..."

When Xaaron asks his question, Scrapper's optics immediately dart to the symbol on his chest. "Well, if ya don't mind...I kinda wanna keep it," Scrapper states. "Don't get me wrong, though! I ain't tryin' ta offend nobody. I'm just kinda used to it bein' there."

Scrapper hopes his bumbling explanation was good enough. In reality, he just though the Decepticon symbol looked cooler than the Autobot one.

OOC: Ready to leave when Long Haul is...