Dust Devil adjusts to his new body

Log Title: Dust Devil adjusts to his new body Characters: Alpha Trion, Benin-Jeri, Dust Devil, Spike

Location: Great Dome - Iacon - Cybertron

Date: February 18, 2013 (Equivalent Cybertron time)

TP: Shattered Glass TP

Summary: Dust Devil adjusts to his new body

As logged by Benin-Jeri - Monday, February 18, 2013, 9:10 PM ---

Great Dome - Iacon - Cybertron

 * Located in Iacon, the Great Dome is the city-state's center piece. It outlines Iacon Central and provides protection to the Celestial Spires, where the government of Iacon is seated. Currently the Great Dome functions as the main Autobot base on Cybertron. Because Iacon tends to be the place that the Autobots protect best, the Dome and the Spires are of symbolic importance to them and they often refer to them to signify amazement, surprise or exasperation.


 * Contents:
 * Dust Devil
 * Benin-Jeri

Dust Devil is sitting in the corner, the young mech staring at his hand as he moves the fingers one by one. He's in his new body and apparently is still getting used to things.

Benin-Jeri stands nearby, Transformer-sized recreation of a Tri-corder in hand. He is a roundish collection of spare-parts, walking around in a vaguely humanoid shape. His face is cracked chrome with Asian features, including a black metal mustache and neatly-'trimmed' goatee. On the center of his chest is what looks like a silver lobster bib, complete with a stylised depiction of a blood-red crustacean. The robot's limbs are short and stocky, with mismatched red-painted arms, and shiny silver legs, one shorter than the other. His right hand is blue, and his left is white. Rainbow-painted striped bands seem to hold the torso together, and are connected like suspenders, complete with happy-face pins. The robot's utility belt holds a variety of weapons, including a blaster pistol modeled after Han Solo's, and an Original Star Trek phaser. A large, round, spiked buckler is attached to the robot's left hip, and is painted orange. The robot's chest is painted with the stars-and-stripes of the American flag, and his helmet has a multicoloured flamejob.

Spike wakes up out of his rest cycle and walks over to see Alpha Trion's handiwork.

Alpha Trion has integrated Spike's designs into a slimmer, faster, more agile and durable Dust Devil.

Spike looks at Dust Devil and grins slightly. "Looks like we built you bigger...stronger...faster."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Well, smaller, faster, better, cooler." His backpack plays Daft Punk.

Dust Devil laughs. "Well...same height..but other than that, I need ta check how things are gonna work out. Still getting used ta stuff."

Benin-Jeri snuck in a few modifications of his own as a surprise for Dust Devil (and Spike and Trion).

Spike smirks as at least Benin-Jeri got his reference. "Heyah, at least you have moveable parts."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "I like to move it, move it."

Dust Devil can't help but grin. He looks around him and carefully gets up. "You have no idea how much I want to run and move about but I know that I could end up indenting a wall." He raises his hands and they pull in then revealing assorted tools. He cycles through the items.

Spike looks at Benin-Jeri, hoping he won't quote that again. Spike says, "Well - easy - you're not exactly Grimlock in that form, but you may feel like it after being out of commission for so long."

Benin-Jeri says, "Welcome back... your dreams were your ticket out." He scans over Dust Devil with the Tri-corder, which emits sounds from multiple eras of Star Trek.

Dust Devil nods. "And its all thanks to all yer hard work. Now if I can get yas ta help make sure Alpha Trion is also in good workin order. He slunk out before I could get my scanners on him. Not sure if he's gonna let me make sure he's okay." At one point his arm weapon is something he doesn't recognize. He frowns and looks at it, trying to figure exactly what its supposed to do. Stretching out his arm there is suddenly a blast of air. "Gah!"

Spike's face turns a few shades of pale. "You want...me to page Alpha Trion for a tune up?"

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Ah. That's a breath of fresh air. It's from your biggest fan."

<> The college dropout, Spike says, "Alpha Trion - if you have a sec, could you report to the med bay?"

Spike looks at Dust Devil, then Benin-Jeri. "No big deal... just another tune-up. Right?"

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Right. Right. Bloody-well right."

Dust Devil grins at Spike. "Did I mention you are my hero? Cause I'm not sure I can get Alpha to let me look him over by myself.."

Alpha Trion returns from his chambers, still looking beat-up and ragged. However, spotting Dust Devil awake, he gives everyone a tired smile. "You requested me, Spike?"

Spike keeps his hand from shaking. "Heyah, I noticed you were looking pretty harried. I'm thinking all of those missions on the other portal may have dinged you up pretty bad. Why don't I take a look?"

He adds "I mean, Benin-Jeri and I - us - both of us - just do a routine check-up?"

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "Sure, Spike. I would appreciate that."

Spike smirks, trying not to geek out. "Awesome..."

Dust Devil grins as Alpha Trion actually accepts the help. He carefully walks over to the cabinets and begins getting out lubricants, cleaners and other items for maintenance. "I don't trust myself for fine work...but I can at least be yer gopher."

Alpha Trion lays down carefully on a medtable, opening his chestplate to reveal his ancient secrets to Benin-Jeri and Spike.

Spike nods at Dust Devil. "Thanks..." He gestures Alpha Trion to a med bay table. "Just lay down for a bit - and turn your pain receptors off." He then takes a small flashlight and looks inside at the armor, which has been warped from repeated encounters of recent memory. He frowns, "Primus, who did you guys fight over there." He adds "Or I should probably ask 'who DIDN'T you fight over there?'"


 *  Dust Devil says, "wow...that is the oldest hamster on a wheel I've ever seen"

Dust Devil brings over some of the tools including brushes and tools for prying stuff. "Sorry for the ambush sir...I'm sorry I couldn't help you before this."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "Mostly I faced myself... and not in the normal, metaphysical way."


 * >> Spike finishes the repairs on Alpha Trion. <<

Spike gestures to Dust Devil. "Can you bring me two astro-liters of energon, please." He puts on some protective goggles and begins doing some minor welds. "What was that like?"

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "And your help was greatly appreciated, Dust Devil."

Spike pries a few metallic shards out that were digging into Alpha Trion's internal wiring.

Dust Devil brings the items that are requested. He also brings a pile of new wires of different gauges and lines for fuel.

Spike tries to pull out a few wires, but ends up getting them snared. He frowns, but not wanting to look like he's lost his cool, he says calmly "Dang it..hold on..."

He frowns. "C'mon you son of a ..."


 *  Dust Devil says, "Alpha Trion, valiant scientist and founder of bots everywhere, made it through all the hells of the alt cybertron, only to die at the hands of a human who we thought was our ally"

Spike says, "Theeeere we go." He removes a cluster of melted, frayed wiring and replaces it with the batch Dust Devil gave to him. He then places a port in Alpha Trion's system and activates an energon pump."

Dust Devil breaks out a brush and moves down to one of Alpha Trion's feet and begins to remove the grime and some of the damage done from their adventures. At least this is something that he can work on without doing fine detail work. "Well this will be one way to get used to usin my hands. Need to get some of this down to plain metal so we can reseal and repaint...some of this might need new panels...."

Alpha Trion tries not to feel too messianic was Dust Devil washes his feet. "It was... odd. It's unsettling to stare into the dark side of your self. To see my search for knowledge twisted..."

Spike nods as he looks and marvels at the old technology. "Yeah, but it's not exactly the type of panels you can find anywhere." He cleans out some more wounds and begins to sand some of the armored areas that were turned into shared messes. He nods, listening to Alpha Trion. "Sort of like how Prime might feel when he meets his other half." He adds "WHICH, I'm glad to say I'll never have the pleasure of meeting."

Dust Devil is trying to stay out of the way of Spike more than caring where he starts. Besides...there's nothing Messianic about grabbing a pry tool and using it to unbend a collapsed section of metal and watching the whole piece go shooting across the room. "Well that's no longer a problem...."

Spike cleans up some more areas and begins to seal some cracked fuel likes. "No wonder you're run down, you're losing energon like a fiend."

Dust Devil looks at Spike, "We could only really do field repairs and Alpha was usually tryin ta keep me alive..." He stops what he's doing to go get two more containers of energon to make up for what is being lost. He then opens a door on the wall and pulls out a contraption, dragging it over to Alpha Trion and Spike.

Benin-Jeri is hit in the face as the broken sharp crashes right through his larger blue optic. "Great Ceaser's Ghost!" he yells, clutching his rusty, seamed face.

Spike jumps. "Shit!" He looks at Benin-Jeri "Jesus! Go to the sink! Wash it out!"

Dust Devil winces as Benin gets taken out by Alpha Trion. Apparently it takes only a tiny portion of the great one to bring others down around him. He quickly stops what he's doing and goes to grab Benin a patch for the moment. "Sorry Benin...Here...give me a moment and I can try and find you another optic. I'm so sorry!"

Benin-Jeri quotes, "I'm all right!"

Dust Devil rolls his optics, "Spike we don't wash electric items..."

Spike frowns at Dust Devil. "Force of habit - sorry - " He looks at Benin-Jeri. "Let me finish up with Alpha Trion - Dust Devil - keep looking for that optic. I'll attach it when you've retrieved one."

Spike mutters under his breath "Good god...never a dull moment..."

Alpha Trion says, "If you need to stop and take care of Benin, it's all right."

Benin-Jeri goes to the sink and lowers his hand. Where his right optic used to be is a shard of metal sticking out of a broken ring of sensors.

Dust Devil chuckles softly and gets a few different optics out of their cases and put them on a table to wheel over to Benin. He brings some assorted tools. "Spike that contraption I put next ta ya is an energon purifier, it'll make sure that there are no particulates in the fuel line as yer replacin' stuff."

Spike frowns, getting slightly irritated. He's not stupid, you know. "I...KNOW that, Dust Devil. It was just a simple lapse of memory." He then goes back to Alpha Trion. "No worries - I'm almost done with your repairs - "

Benin-Jeri looks down with his good optic at the selection Dust Devil has brought him.

Spike looks over at Benin-Jeri. "Any of those...look good to you?" He's hoping Benin-Jeri won't think of that as a joke.

Benin-Jeri nods in response. "Aye," is his response. ;) He starts looking over the choices, seeming not very bothered by his shattered optic. Soon he hms, holding up one of the replacement optics. "Ooh. This one might actually match the other one. I haven't had a NEW optic in ages." He holds up the eye. "Can I keep this?"

Spike looks over at Dust Devil and shrugs. "Can't see why not - unless there's a shortage of optics around here."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "I don't see a problem with it."

Dust Devil frowns, "Spike I didn't mean ta insult yer intelligence, its just that the one they use here looks different from the one in metroplex...." He sighs and looks back at Benin. "Do you have the junkion quick disconnect and reconnect fer yer optics or do we need some different tools? You can have a couple if ya like...I can find you some more later if you might need some more."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Oh. Yep." He reaches up and pulls out the entire socket, taking a moment to clean out the random shard and the remains of his old eye. He seems nonplussed to be looking out of an almond-shaped hole in his face.

Spike scoffs slightly "I didn't say you insulted my intelligence!" (he didn't - but it was probably written all over his face). He takes a brief breather from Alpha Trion's repairs and walks over to Benin-Jeri. He gets a small flash light and gestures Benin-Jeri to come over. "Let's make sure there's no debris in that socket before you put another one in..."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "Of course, Benin. Anything you need."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Excellent idea, ol' chap!" He comes over and sits down, holding still so Spike can check him over. He grins a bit madly as he waits.

Spike shines a light in Benin-Jeri's socket and begins to clear out some of the glass. He gives Benin-Jeri a polite smile, but internally that grin of Benin...is a bit off-putting. He then gets a small, compressed air container and blows out the final remnents of the old optic.

Alpha Trion watches from his medtable, looking secretly happy just to have finally gotten a chance to lie down at last.

Benin-Jeri continues his off-putting Monty-Pythonesque grin, but remains politely still while Spike works.

Spike tries to angle the optic in, but the grooves don't quite fit. "Damnit..." he mutters before slowly removing the optic and giving it another go.


 *  Dust Devil says, "Benin is NOT getting an eye patch! I think his evil twin had one and that was creepy"

Thonk! The optic slides in. "Theeere we go."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Liiiiike a glove!"

Dust Devil moves over to Alpha Trion. "Thank you fer comin' back over. I'd have worried about ya not gettin' repairs until the junkions offered ta make you their leader."

Benin-Jeri immediately focuses the optic to look directly at Spike.

Alpha Trion smiles. "I'm afraid I would not make much of a leader for Junkions... I seldom have time to properly appreciate Earth culture. Maybe Blaster, perhaps?"

Spike studies Benin-Jeri. He raises his arm and extends an index finger and slowly moves it left to right. "See if you can follow where I'm pointing..."

Ben quotes, "Ah, gran'pa... a few more field repairs, and you'd be one of us, one of us." He follows the finger with the new optic, while the other optic wheels around like Mad-Eye Moody's.

Alpha Trion raises the skeletal claw that replaces the hand Dusty Devil cut off, and studies it musingly.

Spike nods, getting a weird chill from that eye. "OK - looks great." He then looks over at the skeletal claw.

Alpha Trion turns the claw around in a half-circle, lost in thought.

Spike looks at Alpha Trion. "Everything OK?"

Benin-Jeri refocuses both of his optics, that do now almost-match for the first time in ages. "Thanks, doc!"

Alpha Trion realizes he's being addressed, and turns his head to look at Spike, while lowering the claw. "Yes," he says quietly.

Dust Devil smiles faintly, "I AM really sorry about cuttin' off yer hand..."

Alpha Trion looks over at Dust Devil, and smiles wearily. "I'm glad you did. It was necessary."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "It got into my hand, and it went bad." He makes chainsaw-noises.

Spikegives an utterly confused expression. "What...like it was possessed?"

Alpha Trion says, "No, no... it more got into my mind."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "It's a trap - get the ax."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "It was the sword of my mirror self."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "...twisted and evil."

Dust Devil sighs. "The sword had an evil....aura. It affected those around it. And it definitely liked violence"

Alpha Trion nods in vague agreement with the general crux of Benin-Jeri's quotes.

Spike says, "So...the hand was holding the sword that belonged to your 'evil' - sorry 'mirrored' self - and it was like...attaching itself to you?""

Humans... they're so naive.

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "No, no... the sword was evil -- well, had an evil aura, as young Dust Devil so aptly described it. It ... fed one's darkest desires."

Dust Devil nods. "I ended up carryin' in fer a while....until I sent a package back with the evil autobots..."

Spike nods, taking this all in. "Sounds like a helluva ordeal."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "It was. The Old One wasn't the only mirror into the darkness of my own soul."

Spike blinks. "Oh? Who else?"

Alpha Trion sighs. "Myself. With the Terminus Blade in hand, my desire for knowledge became overpowering. I was briefly willing to... kill, to get what I wanted." He sounds suddenly as old as he actually is, reformed body or no.

Benin-Jeri is speechless for a change, not wanting to disrespect Trion with an offhand quote.

Spike looks on. Looking slightly uneasy, he says "And now that blade is...destroyed? Or is it like in some sort of limbo, or does it still exist?"

Dust Devil shrugs, "I failed to keep it out of the evil bots' control. And so the bomb they left for us was returned fer lack of payment." Dust Devil doesn't sound particularly happy with that failure.

Spike suddenly yawns, looking beat. "OK - if it's all right by you guys, I'm going to turn in." He shakes his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if it's jet lag or what, but adjusting to Cybertron's time zone is brutal."

Benin-Jeri quotes, "Sleep well, Spike. Thanks for the look-out."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "I only hope that bomb will be the end of them." He sounds very, very tired.

Dust Devil frowns and works on making sure Alpha Trion's energon is purified. He then goes to lubricate all of the old man's joints. He smiles, "Sir, I'll work with Benin and Spike on fixing your arm. In the meantime...I hope you can rest."

Alpha Trion says vaguely, "Thank you, Dust Devil. You've always been a good son." He then slips into a deep and restful sleep.

Benin-Jeri gets to work helping Dust Devil and Spike repair Alpha Trion's extensively-damaged systems.