Brain, Brawn, and the Taste Test Challenge

[Perceptor]

Takes place on Day 40 in Perceptor's tunnel hidey-holelab.

Xaaron may or may not be pleased; he threw a gauntlet at Perceptor, and the challenge has been accepted quite enthusiastically. Of course, that does mean that Perceptor is postponing completing his work on some of the new ship's systems, however he isn't about to be outdone by Mixmaster, and compounding oil formulations is a relatively simple - and brief - intermission in that project. The hardest part, really, about the project is that Perceptor himself has never been much of a particular aficionado of oil, favoring energon, instead, and so is not as familiar with all of the more prevalent and preferred formulations that he can create.

That just means that Scrapper will have quite a few samples to try when he arrives, then. Just under two dozen samples at the moment, in fact, ranging from a delicate and light blend with a very low viscosity and a faintly sweet aftertaste, to a rich, thick, almost bitter dark blend that packs quite the hydrocarbon punch and leaves a heavy electron buzz humming along the back of the fuel sensors. There's even a slightly fizzy blend of a medium viscosity, sweet amber infused with a methane hydrate that probably leans a bit more toward the "refined palate" than the "unrefined" side, but there's no harm in at least offering the sample. It's quite an easy formulation to compound, much like the medium dark, almost nutty methyl cyanide blend, or the curiously refreshing deep black polymorphic sodium perborate blend.

Hopefully at least one blend will be suitable for the Constructicon. Of course, if not, then perhaps one of the samples he is still working on will be to Scrapper's taste, since Perceptor is still... tinkering with his stillapparatus.

[Long Haul]

The first green and purple robot to show himself, however, is not Scrapper, but Long Haul, who trundles into the room with a truck bed full of spaceship construction supplies. He transforms, and those supplies are automatically shuffled into subspace. Then he turns to look back at Scrapper and gestures towards Perceptor.

"Scrapper? This is Perceptor. He's, uh, a scientist, and on the side does some engineering and repairing and stuff." Then he turns and looks at the array of oils laid out. "And apparently some bartending."

[Scrapper]

Under normal circumstances, Scrapper would have responded with a plain, "Hey. Name's Scrapper." But, something delightful passed his sensors as he entered Perceptor's lab. Oil. Sweet, savory, tangy oil. All of different varieties.

Scrapper quickly quickly transforms in the rapid spinning motion that bots from his universe tend to do from time to time and examines each and every can. He's careful not to touch any, though. Even though all of this oil is tempting, he didn't want the Autobots to kick him out. This gig was way too good.

"So, uh, you made all dis oil?" Scrapper asks with admiration.

[Perceptor]

What can he say, Long Haul? Perceptor is a bot of many talents. Most of them are incredibly dry and boring to the average mech, but one or two of them can be entertaining. You should see him try to explain redshift when he's overcharged.

"I prefer 'chemist' to bartender, actually," he replies cheerfully enough as he looks up from his distillation apparatus. "As my skills are not restricted to libations and lubricants. But for the moment, I suppose it is as apt a descriptor as any."

And, yes, Scrapper. Before you ask, this is how he normally talks. Well, mostly. Usually he uses a lot more syllables, like that geek in glasses and a lab coat with a pocket protector that never leaves the science lab and makes all the football team want to wedgie him on sight, just out of principle. Actually, come to think of it...

"To be more accurate, organics deceased millions of years ago produced a quantity of this oil, which I then modified with the use of additives and further distillation. The rest are synthetics produced by me, but, yes. Essentially, I produced this," he replies.

"Xaaron informed me that you preferred oil as a fuel rather than energon, however he could not describe what type you preferred. Therefor, I have created a wide variety for you to sample in the hopes that we may provide you with appropriate and enjoyable refreshment."

And, yes, Xaaron. It's cheap, too.

[Scrapper]

"So, all of dis is for me?" Scrapper asks, exitedly. This is perfect! As much as he loved oil, Scrapper wasn't too stingy when it came to sharing it. But this bot was giving him different varieties and flavors of oil to try.


A grating sound was heard as Scrapper rubbed his hands together. These Autobots sure knew how to seal a contract. Now which one to try first...

[Long Haul]

"Yeah, Mixmaster always preferred to be called a chemist, too," Long Haul answers Perceptor as he leans against the nearest tunnel-side/wall. "That's why we'd call him other things." Some of them much worse than 'bartender,' but such is the nature of such close bonds.

"So, Perc, you got any energon about, too?" Long Haul still has work to do, but if he's stuck here while Scrapper taste-tests lubricant, he figures he might as well grab some fuel himself. Kind of odd, though, Scrapper's obsession with oil. But hey, it makes him pretty easy to please, from the looks of things!

[Perceptor]

"Yes, of course," Perceptor replies to Scrapper. Did he not just say as much? Perhaps Scrapper had merely been attempting to be polite, which, quite frankly, Perceptor finds rather... odd... from one who is wearing that sigil so proudly. Not that he will complain at all, no. Having another ally - and denying such to the Decepticons - is always to be prefered over the converse. "Just be certain to keep track of which sample is which, so that I might be able to compound your preference at a later date."

There isn't a great deal of each of the various samples - Perceptor had prepared a sampling, not a kegger, after all - but, even so, the entire quantity of oil, from all of the samples combined, should be quite enough to put Scrapper into a very pleasant mood, indeed.

"Yes, well," Perceptor muses as he turns a friendly smile upon Long Haul, "you will find that I am not nearly so vehement in my insistance upon one label or another." He grins, shrugging. "So long as I am given leave to pursue my work."

Perceptor turns then, fishing in a box that serves double duty as a table leg and a storage cabinet, pulling out a couple of energon cubes. Looks like you are in luck, Long Haul!

"I hope that this is suitable," he explains, offering both cubes to Long Haul. "I convert it myself from a small geothermal tap I have constructed further down the corridor. It does not provide much - more than the electrical conversion I had been utilizing - however, it provides enough that I need not tax our resources for my experiments or needs."

Not that he always remembers that he has his own stash when he's deep in a project, of course, but he's getting better! Honest, Long Haul! No need to toss him over your shoulder and sit on him again!

[Scrapper]

Scrapper looks on at all of the delicious cans of oil before him. Not knowing which one to pick first, Scrapper decides to just drink 'em all. Can't be too much harm in that, can it? Grabbing several cans of oil at once, Scrapper pulls his head back and tosses the liquid in. He continues to do so at a moderate pace, stopping only to wipe some oil stains off of his lower jaw.

Then, he stops. He's finished over half of the oil cans presented to him, clearly satisfied. A bellow of steam shoots out of his mouth as he starts to speak. "Whew! Megatron's stuff don't got nothin' on yours!" Scrapper says, patting his torso. "I'd drink more, but I tink my tank is full."

[Long Haul]

OOC: I am so sorry I took so long to reply. Somehow I missed that there had been a post made. -_-

Long Haul sips down his energon cube. This probably looks rather odd to anyone who hasn't seen him drink before, since he doesn't have a mouth. He simply lifts the cube to the location where his mouth would be if he had one, tips it back, and when he lowers the cube, there's less in there. He flat stares as Scrapper drinks down all that oil, and once the other's done, he points lightly.

"Erm... if you're trying 'em all together like that, how are you gonna figure out which bit tastes best?"

[Perceptor]

Perceptor watches in dismay as the odd new Constructicon begins steadily working his way through each of the samples provided with a will to refueling, rather than sampling as instructed. He would interject and attempt to prevent Scrapper from simply filling his tank with all of Perceptor's careful and meticulous work, however, he isn't sure that he could stop Scrapper from his rather single-minded mission. Would Scrapper "hit a mech with 'glasses'?"

Oh dear.

Well, on a positive note, Scrapper has not seemed to not enjoy any of the offerings. So... Perhaps he does not have a preference at all, provided that it is a sufficiently energizing blend?

Xaaron has not been jesting, apparently. Unrefined tastes, indeed.

"Ah... I am glad to hear that?" Perceptor replies to Scrapper uncertainly. "Errr... Were there any of the blends which you preferred? Or, ah, did not prefer over the others?"

Fortunately, Perceptor doesn't have Mixmaster's pride to be hurt at such cavalier disregard for his work. Or Hook's. Hmmm... Imagine Scrapper simply plowing through one of Hook's offerings with such careless abandon. The thought makes Perceptor both wince inside, and smile outwardly.

[Scrapper]

If you think Scrapper was just going to sample some tasty lookin' oil, then you are mistaken Perceptor.

"Uh, well," Scrapper says, thinking for a nanosec. "Well, dey taste pretty good all together, so I guess dey'd taste pretty good by demselves too."


That's the best Scrapper can explain it, anyway.

[Long Haul]

Long Haul snorts and straightens up, finishing off his cube. "Sounds like they're all winners, Perceptor. I'd go with the easiest to make." Then he looks between the two.

"Look, I got work to get back to. Scrapper... been thinking, since you're new and all, you might want to get to know the others before you get right on the job. Y'know. Get 'em used to someone around wearin' that thing," he adds, pointing at Scrapper's Decepticon sigil.

[Perceptor]

"Yes, I believe you are correct, Long Haul," Perceptor replies, though his tone is quite cheerful. The work had not been a total waste, after all; he had developed a means to refine any number of types of lubricant and fuel oils necessary for mainting their interstellar ship with a realistic lack of basic materials.

"I am glad that I was able to be of service to you, Scrapper. I shall be certain to produce a sufficient quantity of fuel oils to keep on hand for your refreshment from now on. Please, do not hesitate to ask if there is any other means by which I can be of service to you."

[Scrapper]

Well that was refreshing! And what Long Haul suggested sounds like a pretty good idea. Take a tour of the base. Let the Autobots know that there's at least one Decepticon not out to kill them.

"Sounds like a good idea, 'Haul," Scrapper says, speaking his thoughts aloud. He then nods in Perceptor's direction. "And keep up da good work, doc."

So, Scrapper can expect more oil like that in the future? Life's good for a Constructicon here. Scrapper then starts to make his way out of the Perceptor's lab and back into the tunnels.

[Long Haul]

"Cool. Well, see you around, Scrapper." Then Long Haul nods towards Perceptor. "Perceptor." He pauses, then glances at Perceptor. "You been getting proper amounts of offline time, right?"