Medical School

Log Title: Medical School Characters: Backblast, Scales Location: Valvolux Date: July 21, 2018 TP: The Fallen TP Summary: Backblast wants to help cure what ails Dusty. For that, he needs training. As logged by  Scales Log session starting at 09:54:37 on Saturday, 21 July 2018.

Scales bounds into the base, chipper after a long nap in the sunshine.

Backblast is currently at the research area where he and Scales have been working. He's sat at the terminal, staring at diagrams of Cybertronian neuro-processors with a frown on his face. Every now and again, he moves to the next one, takes some notes on a datapad, then moves on to the next one. Hidden from Dust Devil's view, there's a pinboard, labelled "CANNOT FORM WORDS" and "POSSIBLE CAUSES". Several things on it are linked, but... it's pretty clear: He needs medical training. Some of his hypotheses, while sound on the surface, aren't actually physically possible.

GAME: Scales PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Scales sees Backblast and stops, crouching for a pounce, before she remembers that he doesn't like to be startled. So, she aborts that and calls out "Hi! Whatcha doin?"

Backblast motions to the screen and pinboard. "Trying to learn how the frack the vocal and verbal systems work." He says. "I wanna figure out what's got Dusty silent, and... solve it. He's completely nonverbal... can't even write. It's as if there's... something interrupting the signal somewhere between the main processor and the rest of the system. I've had him plugged into diagnostics since he started recharge, there are no errors whatsoever that I can see."

Scales nods. "Nothing physically wrong with the processor. I've checked." She sits down and tilts her head at the pinboard. After some thought, she points. "That can't work."

Backblast blinks and looks at the board. He nods. "I think I need proper training." He says, removing the string that Scales indicates. "Need to learn how to do at least the basics, how it all works, or it's going to be a lot harder to solve this."

Scales nods, considering. "I c'n getcha started on that, if ya want."

Backblast nods "Please." He says, nodding.

Scales hmms, tail flicking. "Do you know the difference between the types of processors?"

Backblast chuckles "Only based on their locations within the average head." he admits.

Scales ahs. "Then let's start at the beginning, because they don't always line up the way you expect ." She hops up onto a stool, then onto a console and begins calling up images of processors.

Backblast nods "I figured as much..." He opens his mouth to launch into a story about a kill he's made... then reconsiders, simply saying "...experience."

Scales begins walking Backblast through the different types of neural processors. She sounds a lot more like a textbook when going over this stuff, but is happy to go back and try to explain it again with less jargon as needed.

The lesson proceeds fairly smoothly; Backblast is a good, if blunt student. He pays attention, asking fairly smart questions, although when he doesn't understand something he states such with all the subtlety and grace of a well-swung shovel to the face.

As a recap for Red Alert, Scales and Backblast are sat in the research area of the medical bay. They have line-of-sight to Dust Devil, who is laid out on the recharge slab hooked up to neurocircuit diagnostic sensors... all of which are showing no problems whatsoever. Backblast has put up a crime lab-style pinboard with strings linking all the possible hypotheses he's had so far, recently corrected by Scales. The little dragonbot is now teaching Backblast basic neuro-medicine.

Scales is more than happy with blunt questions. She is pleased to go back and repeat whatever she needs to, just happy to have somebody to listen to her.

Backblast listens well... so well in fact that they've started to move on to the circulatory system via how it ties into the neurological system. Occasionally, he glances at Dust.

Scales does pause after a bit to look over at Dust Devil. "Has anybody checked his filters recently?"

Backblast looks thoughtful "Last filter change was before he went for recharge... a few hours yet."

Scales nods. "Okay, good. That's the main thing I want to stay on top of, right now."

Backblast nods "That particulate's nasty. It actively resists flocculants and clumping agents."

Scales nods and grumbles a little. "I wish I'd come up with a cleaner solution, but I ran out of time."

Backblast shrugs "You use what you can. And if Imager's theory is right, you've done pretty good to develop a cure that /works/..."

Scales blinks. "Imager's theory?"

Backblast nods, pointing towards the vial of toxin. "That is... diluted blood of the Chaosbringer."

Scales tilts her head. ".. we should be keeping the old filters separate from other waste, then."

Backblast nods and points to the stack of old filters, which he's bagged up in CONTAMINANT HAZARD warning bags. "We think alike. I treated it with the same care I treat the sludge I prime Kingslayer EP-HEAT rounds with."

Scales hmms. "There's a lot of weird stories about what that stuff does, yanno."

Backblast nods "Yeah, that's why we reckon it's dilute, second or third generation."

Scales exhales a stream of smoke, giving that some thought. "Makes me wish we were in Iacon or Metroplex, and could get into the records. Make some comparisons."

Backblast nods "Might be worth seeing if we can get a sat-bounce or a radio link." A thoughtful pause. "Maybe see if Ty can locate me a major fibre-optic line to hack into, see if we've got connection to Iacon that way..."

Scales nods. "I mean, it's safe if we want to airlift Dust Devil back to Iacon, but there's still a lot of other stuff to do around here..."

Backblast nods "I don't think we can spare a care team." He agrees. "We've got to do it on-site. I'll try and hook up with Bulwark and see what he knows, if he can get us a line to Iacon, we can do some database work."

Scales ohs! "Yeah, he might know a bunch of stuff that we don't have good records on."

Backblast nods "That too, yeah." Backblast agrees, thoughtfully. "Hm."

Scales flips the tip of her tail back and forth. "I mean, Imager could be wrong. But if we can find out and make sure, we should."

Backblast nods "Agreed." he says. "It's certainly toxic enough. And if it's not... well, we're one step closer to finding out what it actually /is/..."

Scales grins. "Well, let's fix the communications problem, then! Take a break from th'medical stuff."

Backblast nods "You want to do that, while I keep an eye on Dusty? He's a bit of an escape artist, or vice versa?"

Scales ums. "You're better at it than I am," she admits, hopping up on the bed where Dust Devil is. "I c'n sit on him while you work." She grins and settles in on his chest.

Backblast nods and gives a thumbs-up, sauntering out to find Bulwark

Log session ending at 12:12:42 on Saturday, 21 July 2018.