Field Work

Log Title: Field Work Characters:  Spike, Cerebros Dust Devil, Starlock Location: Harmonex - Northwestern Cybertron Date: 1/13/2020 TP: None-TP Summary: Dust Devil's turrets acting up leads to Starlock giving Cerebros a lesson on the field.. before suspecting Dust Devil is just messing with them. As logged by: Starlock

Harmonex - Northwestern Cybertron
Spike is still on Haromex. He frowns slightly, reading Khamsin's post about unification. He reaches for his tumbler of coffee and takes another sip.

Starlock is sitting on a large bit of rubble as she watches the new post, and smiles. "...Good Job Kham." She'd nod. "...This is going to be real.. huh." She'd mutter to herself, shifting back.

Spike arches a brow and look at Starlock. "This isn't setting off any alarms for you?" Spike smiles "Or, are you just commenting on his idealism?"

Starlock glanced over, having not realized Spike was still here. "....Considering it was me that helped put him up to this, and kinda gave him an in.." She'd frown, but then smiled sheepishly "Eheheh."

Dust Devil has wandered about a bit and finally finds his way back to Spike. He's got a rather cool looking looking bit of crystal in his hands and is so covered with dust that one could almost not tell who he was other than the unique silhouette. So as careful as he is holding the crystal, he speeds up when he sees Spike and is sprinting in Spike and Starlock's direction when he misses some debris at his feet. "Hey Spike look what I fo-OW!!" The trip ends with him hitting a low lying bit of debris which once he's knocked himself against it, removes the rocky cover to show a new piece of crystal emerging and a bright flash of subspace energy. Dust lies flat on the ground still carefully holding the new bit of crystal above his head while raising said head and seeing what he hit. "Oh...hello....yer new around here. Ow..." Luckily said crystal is a bit tougher than a smallish bot.

Spike looks at Starlock and frowns in concentration. "Yeah...I just..." He sighs "I dunno, maybe I'm thinking too much about Earth, but...I always get worried about when people start saying 'it's time to forget your identities.'" He adds "Again, different era, but after World War II, we never said those in Germany should stop being Germans." He adds "Say...for example, the Decepticons finally had a reasonable leader and wanted peace, even I wouldn't say 'you have to stop being Decepticons."

Spike says, "I'm just - *'s eyes get a taste of a massive flash* 'Shit!" he gasps. Giving a few moments, he tries 'blinking' his eyes back to functionality." Spike slowly makes his way to Dust Devil, blinking again. "If you are the one who will force me to wear glasses after this...so help me..."

Dust Devil makes a face and looks around. "I thought the females of your species found glasses attractive...least that's what Chip said." He carefully transfers the crystal to one hand so that he can push up off the ground with his other. There's a frown when he does so and he glances around him with some confusion. "Ummmmm my turrets are gone."

Starlock glances to Spike and then back up at the sky, thinking. "Spike... He's not saying forget our identities, there will always be autobots and decepticon--" She'd flinch at the flash and instantly go on alert, drawing her stave, the electrical scythe blade materializing from the crystal, only to see Dust Devil and this odd crystal.. and relaxes. "Geez DD, you scared me!" She'd vent indintatly, before plopping back down ,the blade deactivating. "Had turrets set up around here?" She'd ask, indicating just how long they had not been there. She'd then vent and glanced back down to Spike. "...Once upon a time we were not always divided by fractions... Fact... We were all just known as Cybertronians at one point, we still are as a species but as a people..?" She'd muse shaking her helm. "...We have a varying old saying actually in that regard: Till All Are One." Spike regains his eyesight, although still seeing a lot of spots. "When did you last see your turrets?"

Spike nods to Starlock and grins. "I'm well aware of that saying. I spent nearly 30 years around Optimus Prime, and I've heard that phrase more than a few times."

Starlock chuckles. "That's... basically what he's saying, without saying it directly." She'd smile, letting her legs dangle. "...I agree with it... The world, and life are moving on without us who are still fighting a war that's been going on millions of years, and even destroyed the planet it started on." She'd place her hand on the datapad. "...The fighting needs to stop, and I can hear it.." She'd look to the crystals. "See it even, and I'm not about to let those still blind in their fighting stop me, or let that ember of hope flicker out."

Dust Devil looks around still confused. "nono my turrets...gunthings on my arm. Been stuck with them since the new body mods from the damn temporal thing." He gets up carefully because his balance is off. "the slag....." He's turning around in circles still appearing rather shakey but letting some of the conversation feature in. "There...should be still place fer pride in who and what you are....Dominicons threw off there Decepticon chains. Sh-shouldn't that be applauded?"

Spike tilts his head, seeing the obvious from Dust Devil. "So...yeah...they're gone...obviously." He scratches his unkempt hair. "So...when was the last time you remember having them, Dusty?"

Spike looks at Starlock "I fully support any peace initiative, please don't think that I am for any more conflict." He has a concerned look on his face. "I think he's spark's on the right place, but it just seems he's sort of appointing himself as an arbiter." He adds "I just hope it's just over-enthusiasm. But just from my own reading of human history, any person that declares himself as some sort of 'savior' - they usually have other motives." He adds "I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt though, and will look forward to working with him." He peers at Dusty's turret-less arms.

Dust Devil rotates his forearms around and makes a face. "There's no open holes or anythin like that..." He looks confused and then looks at Spike. "So either this is supposed ta happen....or the powerup finally ran out?" Video gaming reference for the win! He glances at Spike, "It'll be interestin seein what workin with someone like him might be like. Not sure if Crosscut will let me or if I'll be locked up in Valvolux fer the forseeable future."

Spike looks up at Dust Devil and says in alarm "You don't think...maybe Stormfront JUST...did something in the past...like...just now, and it affected you?" He shakes his head "No, because...if he did something that affected the timeline...there's no way someone like me would know. I would just assume it's always been that way." He looks at Dust Devil and shrugs. "Either way, if you miss 'em, I can see about reengineering them on you."

Starlock shakes her head. "It's okay, I understand the worry." She'd nod. "...I think it was important he do this though, get everyone working together because a hand was extended, a neutral too at that." She'd huff, and glanced to Dust Devil. "May need a kind of activation, imagine they maybe being stored in the cavities of where they where before." She'd muse.

Dust Devil looks at Starlock and then his arms. "I....maybe?! But the new frame never came with instructions. It just...WAS....or IS....So I couldn't figure how ta completely disarm like I did with my old self." He spaces off a moment, "Weapons system not engaged....okay...got that. Targetin.....Target system unable to comply weapon not engaged. Got that...how do ya friggin engage them. Slaggin hell. Where are the flippin turrets. Stupid shareware version of an operatin system!" His own sigh sounds suspiciously like a huff.

GAME: Spike FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

Spike looks up at Dust Devil, damned if people are going to laugh at him...he's genuinely curious. "But...seriously...Stormfront has been hopping back and forth between timelines before...do you think something could have just happened? I mean...I don't THINK so...again...because we wouldn't have registered the change, but...could Stormfront's CURRENT behavior have had something to do with it?" He frowns "And again...if you REALLY want me to put some turrets on, I will. I'll be happy to."

Starlock spins her wrist. "First of all, face /away/ from us, and hold your arms out like your aiming, and start thinking, focusing on the thoughts 'weapon systems engage' try imagining where the weapons my pop out from." Starlock says, going into Doctor mode. "Likely more feeling based now, thus more natural." She'd explain, and glanced down to Spike and cringed. "Time shianangins are hard to follow."

Dust Devil points his arms away and tries to focus. But he just stands there looking confused and annoyed. "oh great....at this point crosscut would be more effective than me in battle. Hell even Cerebros!"

Spike frowns "All right...all right...calm your shit." He looks at Dust Devil. "Do you have a weapon, like...a side-arm?"

Starlock chuckles at Spike. "With him on this, relax, we'll figure it out, I'm sure they're there, just need to find where they maybe at or how to activate 'em, because if it's saying not engaged means they are likely there."

Dust Devil is frustrated still but is trying to calm down. He looks at Spike and Starlock and then kneels, taking a more meditative stance.

GAME: Spike FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.

Spike pats his exo-suit. "Well...I didn't bring any of my tools from the repair bay...so...I can't really check you out here." He gives Dust Devil a sheepish look. "Sorry, but...again...do you have a side-arm in the meantime? Not that I think you'll need it."

Spike taps the leg panel of his exo-suit and summons a rarely used pistol. He hands it over to Dust Devil. "Not that it'll do you any good, but you can use mine if it helps."

GAME: Starlock PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.

Starlock jumps down from the rubble she was on and started making her way over, humming a soft, if not somber tune, looking over Dust Devil's frame, pulling out her own set of field tools from a spot on her hips, much like Ratchet.

Spike looks up at Starlock and says apologetically "Sorry, I just thought we were going for a ride. I should have brought my tools."

Dust Devil frowns, "I have my forcefield and I have some smaller weapons...I should be fine. I...I'm just gettin overly worked up and tryin ta fix that. It's bothered me that my frame changed and there's nothin inheritantly wrong with the changes...So I can't justify a rebuild....But it's different and like I said...no owners manual." Before my turrets were housed inarm.....right here..." he points to the spot which has a similar design but clearly not where the large sweeping turrets came from.

Spike nods and says calmly "Yes...Dusty. I know, I've seen them before." He looks at Starlock. "Oh! Heyah! Would you mind waiting...JUST a second?" He pulls out his communicator.

Starlock waves. "Ahh it's fine, I've had it drilled into me to /always/ bring my tools, regardless of where I am going, field medic training does that too you." She'd chuckle as she started work on the taller bot, and kept, humming... Words finally slipping out, sung along to Harmonex's crystals. "You’re not alone.. There’s no doubt Your gift Isn’t futile to be.. If we’ll be united, We'll be stronger together.. We always had the highest hope.. Not all for one but one for all.." She'd hem as she looked over his arm, tilting her head, tracing her finger a crossed it. "Hm?" She'd look over to Spike with a raised ridge.

Spike speaks into his communicator. "Heyah - can you do me a favor, and come join us in Valvolux. No..everything's fine." He pauses, looking like he's hearing a speech. "No...everything's fine. I just want you to come over." He pauses and rubs the bridge of his nose. "No...you're not in trouble..." He breathes out "Just...as a favor to me, can you please come over."

Spike looks at Starlock and ends the communication. "Thanks...sorry...I was just thinkin' this would be a good time to give Cerebros some experience in field medicine.

Starlock nods. "Thats fair, but um.. we're in harmonex, not Valvolux~" She'd smile awkwardly. "Unless we're movin?" She'd ask.

Dust Devil is still a bit...grumpy but he's doing his best to not let it bother him. "Tryin ta think what I did different..."

Cerebros walks in...a bit irked to be pulled away from not knowing why. But then he sees why. He sees Starlock working on Dust Devil. A look of anguish hits his face. "No...no! No!" He runs toward Dust Devil. "Dust Devil, are you okay?!" He looks at Starlock and says in a panicked tone "What happened to him?!"

Cerebros gives a calm-down gesture to Cerebros. "He's fine...just some stubborn internal system operations. I thought it'd be a good chance for you to get some field work in."

Spike gives a calm-down gesture to Cerebros. "He's fine...just some stubborn internal system operations. I thought it'd be a good chance for you to get some field work in."

Starlock chuckles. "He's fine, we're just trying to find where his turrets are, and as Spike said, he thinks this will be a good opportunity for you to get in some field medical practice, I agree... You've been reading the books I gave you, yes?" She'd smile.

Cerebros puts his hands behind his back and nods eagerly. "Yes! From front to back. All of them!"

Dust Devil grumbles, "And showin me pictures and waitin next ta my berth fer me ta wake so he can show me other stuff he's found. I hope I wasn't like this ta ALpha Trion..."

"Good." Starlock says as she tosses a sterilization cloth to him. "clean your hands and help me out then, P.A, see if we can't help DD here find how to activate his turrets." She'd smile.

Spike looks down, and rubs his chin thoughtfully, and puts his hand over his mouth, looking like he's thinking about something, but it's really just because he can't look at Dust Devil's face right now, because he'd crack up.

Cerebros nods and takes the cloth. He looks at Dust Devil and nods. "We're going to figure this out...together." He cleans his hands with the sterilizing cloth, first a good once-over, then, individual fingers, then on the other side of the cloth. The entire process takes a grueling 30 or so odd seconds, but Cerebros wants to be sure he's following Starlock's instructions to a 'T.'

Starlock pauses watching Cerebros and is tempted to make a joke at the Newbie, but decided against, it, once he comes over, Starlock points out a few wires. "Right these should likely lead to where the turrets are, as they connect to his brain module and neural net. When doing delicate work you need to ensure not to bump them, else you accidently disconnect them and then need to do in entire surgery to reconnect 'em, it's a pain in the butt, so that's why need to be careful, on the field, when dealing with slashing damage that may severed 'em you'd need to solder the wires back together for a quick patch, using the medical tape we have.. human electrical tape will also wok." She'd explain.

Cerebros 's optics widen in intense concentration. He peers in at the wires, turning his visor settings to a more sensitive setting. Dust Devil's intricate wire path begins to appear more like a clear roadmap.

"I see..." he says thoughtfully. He looks at Starlock then steps back two paces, letting Starlock find the connecting wire.

Dust Devil is going to kill Spike later but might as well not give him advanced warning right? He sits as still as he can and listens to what Starlock is sayin. "Course whackin myself against that crystal seemed ta be the off switch..."

Spike turns around and picks up his communication device, and walks away from Dust Devil. He's trying so hard not to laugh. He then calls up Bumblebee and begins to talk.

Cerebros looks at Dust Devil. "Ok...hold on...your turrets DISAPPEARED when you came in contact with the crystals? Is that what happened?!" Dust Devil says, "Ain't sure what happened when...I tripped came down with my hands outstretched ta protect the crystal in my hands and knocked my head inta the one. Wasn't goin fast so not like it did any damage.""

Cerebros folds his arms, nodding intensely. Dr. Cerebros is on the case. "Ok...ok...And...when you got up...THAT's when you noticed your turrets had disappeared, is that correct?"

Starlock hems. "Sounds like you may manually triggered a possible safety housing mechanism, like sheathing a blade." She'd murmur in thought.

Cerebros steps aside Starlock and plays the role of the observer. He looks at Starlock "But...couldn't he just manually...'reactivate' them?"

"In theory, but if he didn't know he had that.. he probably wouldn't know how to do it again.. without smacking his head." She'd knit her brows. "An example of this is actually within our transformation cogs, if we smack at the nap our necks hard enough, it will trigger a spasm and force us to transform into our alt-modes, as opposed to naturally doing it." Starlock explained.

Cerebros nods intensely at Starlock's words. "Right...understood..."

Dust Devil frowns, "It's frustrated me fer a while that I couldn't put all my weapons away. I don't normally have weapons out all the time....especaially not rather imposin ones like the turret's blades. But I couldn't see how ta transform them back either."

Cerebros folds his hands and looks at Starlock. "So...what happens when we get his turrets out again? Is there a way to 'train' Dust Devil to retract and display these things at will?"

Dust Devil makes a face. "If its possible ta be able ta do this at will it would be nice. There's times that bein as small as possible includes not havin turrets out so I can squeaze through things."

Cerebros looks over at Starlock. "That sounds like a reasonable request. Do you think there's anything you can do to help?" He adds eagerly "I'll donate any parts from my components if he needs anything!"

Dust Devil says, "Yeah he's not using most of his processor....I could always use more room fer animated movies and air simulations." Dust Devil grins and pretends he is behaving.

Cerebros bows his head slightly. "He's right...As my estimations, I'm only using 83.23234 of my processors on a given time, I could donate ten percent of my reserve processing power to Dust Devil, and would still have some left over for extra processing duties."

Starlock smacks Cerebros lightly upside the helm. "Need to stop with that part donation thing, can /easily/ just fabricate or build new parts if needed." She'd huff, scolding the younger bot. "You are important." She'd say simply, before looking back to Dust Devil, squinting at him in thought. "Yes, it's totally possible to train him, but REALISTICALLY, something already exists to get them in and out, else he wouldn't /have/ them." She'd point out... Before her optics settle into a half lidded position, as she walks up and /also/ qib-slaps Dust Devil upside the back of the helm.

Cerebros 's optics widen to Starlock. "Why did you do that?!"

Dust Devil gets swatted by Starlock and there is another bright flash. Dust Devil's arms are raised to try and protect his head and there are his turrets again. "Hey! Bot Abuse!"

Starlock gives them a flat look. "Because you're both being dumb, and need to be trained not to be dumb." She says dryly in a very ratchetesk fashion. "Besides wasn't even /that/ hard."

Cerebros tilts his head "Sorry...how was I being dumb?"

Dust Devil looks at his arms that have the weapons back. "Ookay...is there an on off switch I'm not aware of or does percussive therapy work?"

Cerebros looks at Dust Devil. "I theorize it could be one of two things...one...the most likely...the unexpected blow you received 'stunned' you, and as a result, triggered some sort of reflex to cause your turrets to reappear." He adds "The second...less likely possibility, is that you were designed to have an area on the back of your head ... activate and inactivate your turrets...much like a common switch."

"Unsure." Starlock says to Dust Devil as she puts her hands on her hips, now wondering if he was screwing with them... She'd look to Cerebros. "You're always putting yourself /blow/ others, when you are just as important, yes, it's really telling how willing you are to help someone else, but you're doing it to a /self deprecating/ point, something like part donation should only be done in /extreme/ circumstances." She'd explain. "We can live without a T-cog, a T-cog can also be rebuild or fabricated so as long as their not bleeding to death from energon loss, it can wait till their in a safe environment." She'd nod before listening to the two talk. "Both are entirely possible."

Dust Devil sits and tries to figure how he got the turret out. He stares and tries focusing on everything. "Dammit....And she's right. Ya also give people around a bad idea on how bots treat their members. "

Cerebros puts his hands on his side and nods. He looks at both Starlock and Dust Devil. "...if I'm not needed anymore, I should head back to the diplomatic quarters."

Starlock crosses her arms. "You're still needed, you are learning after all." She'd nod and moved to put her arm around him. "I understand needing to feel needed...But please..You also need to remember to take care of yourself." she'd smile at him. "Can't help anyone if you're also bleeding."

Dust Devil reaches forward to grab Cerebros with both arms, "Hey wait...let me walk ya back ta the base..." And of course the turrets disappear again. "Lovely...you can be my protection til we figure this out."

GAME: Cerebros PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Cerebros pauses and holds his hands up. "Woah! Back up...please."