No Goodies for Dust Devil

Log Title: No Goodies for Dust Devil Characters: Backblast, Dust Devil, Scales Location: Valvolux Date: July 25, 2018 TP: The Fallen TP Summary: Scales offers Dust Devil an energoodie to test his systems. It doesn't go well. As logged by  Scales Log session starting at 09:00:16 on Wednesday, 25 July 2018.

Backblast has moved on past the triage stage after passing with a reasonably high grade. He hums quietly to himself as he works, moving through the advanced stages of the course. At this point, technically, he's qualified to do basic and intermediate field repair, although he'd need to be observed with /acutal/ patients to be properly qualified.

Scales bounds in to check on Dust Devil and see if he's awake. She gives Backblast a wave as she passes.

Backblast gives Scales a wave of greeting, setting down his holographic tools and rubbing his optics. He beckons Scales over. "Been chatting with those Dominicons, Discretion and Delusion. Nice girls, for ex-Cons at least... they were a little concerned about Dust Devil so I gave them a rundown on his situation. They let me know a about couple of folks who might be able to help us, if Imager's theory is correct... they're with that Junkion mafia group, Evil Inc. Trustworthy, in the sense that you can trust 'em to try and stab you in the back, but... they've got experience pulling dark energon out of mechs, and leaving them intact."

Scales blinks. "That sounds.. Painful."

Backblast nods "Yeah but if it's the only option to get our Dusty his voice back..."

Scales finds a chair to perch on nearby. "Er.. are they even still around? Their space station did get blown up."

Backblast shrugs "Heard they're operating around on Earth at the moment." He admits, with a grimace.

Scales huhs. "I guess they got away, then." She hmms, thinking. "They might still have some of the dark energon that was on that thing."

Backblast nods "And if not, then they might still be able to remove it." he agrees, leaning back. "Of course we'll need to watch their backs."

Scales nods. "I was just thinking.. even a little of that stuff can be pretty dangerous. And, if they can remove it from others.. what do they do with it once they take it out?"

Backblast grimaces "I don't know or want to know." He admits. "Based on what we saw on that big station, they're storing it up for something."

Scales nods. "Or were, at least."

Backblast nods "Exactly." He agrees, with a sniff.

Scales twitches her tail from side to side like a cat. "So.. did you get that connection to Iacon set up that we'd talked about?"

Backblast grimaces "Haven't had a chance to catch up with Ty, she's been running around like a blue-arsed fly. Really need to catch up with 'er and see about finding that main hydraulic line."

Scales hrms. "Haven't gone digging into the local files, either," she reminds. "That big explosion kinda threw us all off."

Backblast nods "Mmhmm, it threw us all off." He sighs. "It's an embuggerance. Rartorata struck at the worst possible time. And to top it all off I didn't get to make the shot."

Scales sighs and nods. "I'll be glad when we get the last of that stuff out of Dust Devil. I wish there'd been more time to get a proper cure together, one that wouldn't've lingered like this, but I almost left it too late as it was." She sags a bit.

Backblast nods "We did the best we could as fast as we could." A long pause. "Wish I'd known what I've just learned. Would've been able to help a lot sooner."

Dust Devil doesn't know what they're talking about. HE just knows that he's not alone again. A slight smile appears on his face and he turns his head to look at Backblast and Scales.

Scales ohs, perking up again. "Up again! I wanted to know- have you tried eating or drinking anything? I mean, you don't really -need- to, with the cycling going on, but it might be nice." She produces an energoodie.

Backblast nods, then turns and smiles, waving to Dust Devil. "Ah, good morning."

Dust Devil's expression perks up at the mention of an energon goodie. Elita was supposed to bring him a box and either still has it for ransom or forgot about it. A smile appearing on his face as he gladly takes the treat. He waves to Backblast.

Scales grins. "I was wonderin' if not talking would mean not eating. Worth tryin', at least."

Backblast nods to Scales "Worth a shot. If nothing else it'll ungum the unused systems." He nods. "Oh, good news, all round. I passed Triage... I need to be observed by a real doctor in the field to be actually qualified, but I've passed the holographic portion."

Dust Devil is happy with Backblast's news and Dusty has no trouble having the energon treat. His expression is content for a bit. But then his face falls and he shivers a little. He turns his head away from the pair.

Scales blinks and hops across from her chair to Dust Devil's bed. "What's wrong?" She glances over the monitors.

Backblast blinks and frowns "You OK?" He says, with a frown

Dust Devil shakes his head and looks at Scales, optics showing some fear.

Scales frowns at the monitors. "He's losing energy insteada gaining." She pats Dust Devil's arm and opens the panel to check the filter system. "We're on it- don't worry."

Backblast blinks and nods, turning to the diagnostic monitors and throwing them open. Keeping out of Scales' way, he begins attaching the sensor pads across Dust Devil's form. "We got this."

With the pads in place he switches the monitor on, then grabs the crash-cart and brings it closer, just in case.

Dust Devil's clean filters are quickly darkening which after a few moments has Dust Devil not looking so uncomfortable. Though his energon levels are still down a bit from the change in the energon. The young autobot GLARES at the filters.

Scales blinks, glancing back at the monitors and then to the filters. "It converted? Argh." She huffs and lets a bit of smoke drift from her mouth.

Backblast blinks and then peers at the readings himself, frowning. "Meaning there's still some residue left... good job we've been keeping him on a continuous dose of that cure you formulated." He comments. "Good news is, Dusty, that little nudge the energon goodie caused... wouldn't have been fatal. Buut at the same time, it can't have felt all that nice. Hm."

Dust Devil is still GLARING at the filters. He LIKES his energon goodies. ALOT.

Scales grumbles a bit. "Well, okay. At least we know you -can- eat, even if it's not a good idea." She gently thumps her top of her head against Dusty's frame. "Well, Imager did speed things up.. but cleaning all of it out so it doesn't keep doing this is.. Ugh."

Backblast nods "Mmhmm. The poison's constantly regenerating, we've just got to keep beating it back faster than it can go. And keep a close monitor incase it mutates or does something weird." A pause, a frown. "...dya think it might have a software component? It's making Dusty's system manufacture itself, and displaying false readings?"

He turns to the diagnostic monitoring machine, his hands dancing across it like a dramatic concert pianist. "Let's record a long-duration full-system sample so I can look for loops..."

Dust Devil isn't happy and has a rather severe case of the sulks as he sits there letting the filters take out the particulates that formed from the introduction of new fuel.

Scales sits up again. "Right. Lab time. Sorry, Dusty- I'm gonna have to take a sample." She hops down to fetch a couple of syringes. "I'm going to want to make a safe place to work with it and examine one of the old filters to see if there's something missing from that particulate. It's possible we're only scrubbing part of what needs to go."

Backblast nods in agreement with Scales, scooting his chair over to the laboratory area and clearing a secure space in the fume hood. Then he rolls back across the room to the diagnostic machine

Dust Devil didn't exactly give them enough time to test the cures or refine anything. So the least he can do is sit there quietly and let them take samples. Even though he's still mourning the energon goodie crisis.

Backblast frowns "This has got to be related." He says. "Whatever's... there's got to be a residue your cure's just not clearing. Software side, hardware side... it's not clear." He frowns. "Whenever fresh energon is brought in... stuff that's not been, well, depleted or whatever like the stuff we're flushing through him... more of the toxin gets generated, immediately the precipitant level jumps. It's got to be related to the verbal processors."

Scales draws the samples and changes the freshly gunked up filter, then closes the panel up with another pat for Dust Devil. "Which means a full flush won't do- it'll just fill him fulla junk." She leaves out that it would probably kill Dust Devil, too. No need to alarm him. Scales puts the gunky filter in a hazard bag, then retrieves one of the oldest bags and takes it with her to her workstation.

Dust Devil isn't stupid. He's dumb....err mute right now. He's still however not happy about the energon goodie issue. A frown is quickly followed by a venting sigh. He watches Scales and Backblast start working on the scientific stuff, leaving him without a treat.

Backblast nods with a growl "Mmmhmm... but then agaaain..." He looks thoughtful. "There's a human process, called dialysis. We'll need Imager present, and someone to run relay on her filter tanks. But we basically have Imager taking feed from Dust Devil, and just keep on pouring fresh energon in until it stops."

Scales hrmms. "Let's test these samples to see how fast it converts before we try that. Speed and proper pressure management would be key to making that kind of thing work." She starts setting up some metal trays and making sure they're impeccably clean.

Backblast nods "Agreed." He says, glancing at the loop on the monitoring devices. "Hm. I should probably also capture some turbo-rats or something to investigate the software/hardware side issue." He makes no mention of the ethical concerns of 'animal' testing.

Scales sets up a few things to analyze the sample of Dust Devil's current energon mix before she moves on to the old filter, carefully opening the bag and using a scalpel to extract some of the particulate. There's gonna be some chemistry going on.

Dust Devil is going to just lay back down and sulk. or try to recharge. Those two sound like they're going to be busy

Log session ending at 13:32:50 on Wednesday, 25 July 2018.