Better Living Through Chemistry

Log Title: Better Living Through Chemistry Characters: Backblast, Dust Devil, Pile-Up, Scales Location: Valvolux Date: July 29, 2018 TP: The Fallen TP Summary: Scales discovers a missing element to the cure. She and Backblast try to figure out what that means for Dust Devil. As logged by  Scales Log session starting at 13:56:25 on Sunday, 29 July 2018.

Scales is at a console instead of her lab stations, tip-tapping away as she compares formulas.

Dust Devil's optics brighten as the sound of tiptapping finally stirs his boot up. He glances over in the direction of the sound before leaning back and stretching, listening to some of his joints pop as they break the dirt and debris clinging to them. He sighs softly and continues to glance around.

Scales hears the crackle of Dust Devil's movement and glances over. She waves her tail at him. "Hiya, Dusty!"

Dust Devil smiles at Scales and turns a little so he can watch her better. he really wore himself out yesterday. His readings are at least nearly back to what was considered normal for him.

Scales leans over. "I figured out what I missed," she tells him. "There's more than one part to this thing, and this bit here-" she taps the screen- "is inert to almost all reactions, but not energon. It didn't get picked up by any of the antidote procedures."

Dust Devil smiles as Scales tells him what's been going on. Hey at least the two work great together

Scales calls up the formula for your basic engex and starts comparing it to the catalyst she's found.

Dust Devil stares at the monitors intently. His optics darting back and forth as he quietly focuses on the screen.

Backblast steps into the lab with a wave "Allo."

Scales waves to Backblast. "I found our culprit!" she calls.

Backblast blinks as he saunters in "Oh?"

Scales nods. "The particulate we're getting -is- incomplete. There's a part of the poison that doesn't react to anything except energon. So it sits inert with the other stuff we've put in so far, but shows up with a fresh infusion."

Backblast blinks "Huh, interesting." He tilts his head "So we need potence, over purity?"

Scales hrms. "That's what I'm checking now." She gestures at the console, where a diagram of engex compound is sitting next to a couple more molecules.

Dust Devil eyes the pair for a moment and then goes back to looking at the screen with his readouts on it.

Backblast nods thoughtfully. "How's it looking?"

Dust Devil is still staring at the the screen, rather confused it seems. He continues to focus on it through.

Scales sighs. "I think the reason it didn't convert properly is all the extra refining engex goes through. Thing is, we kind of need some of what gets stripped out by that. As a temporary thing, to flush out the nasty stuff, it should be okay." She looks over at Dust Devil. "But it really won't feel good."

Backblast frowns as he peers at the screen, nodding. "Hm. So probably not a good idea to use it 'cept as last resort, OK."

Scales shrugs. "We can keep filtering and I can try to find a way to bind up that extra catalyst. It's gotta go, one way or another. I mean, nobody wants to go through life unable to eat properly."

Backblast nods thoughtfully. "Well, the engex did seem to inert the poison when dropped into it...hmm." He looks thoughtful, sitting down to think.

Scales gets a mischievous look. "Well, there's always the possibility that we get Dust Devil really drunk, then filter out the goo."

Backblast nods "Might have to do that as a last resort..." he sniffs. "I'd prefer not to, there could be unforseen secondary complications."

Scales snickers. "Not really a recommended medical procedure, no." She looks over at Dust Devil, and follows his gaze to the monitors.

Dust Devil frowns to himself and reaches out to touch the screen, tracing the symbols a few times. He's really trying not to listen to the planned torture.

Backblast scowls. "We need to identify what that catalyst's looking for, ideally..." He ponders. "If we can find that we could probably work out a more... targeted agent. Better to make a precise shot than carpet bomb."

Scales looks back at Dust Devil and debates with herself for a moment. Finally, she gives in and jumps from her perch onto his chest. "Rar!"

Dust Devil actually manages an ack! when Scales ends up on his chest. He stares at her, optics wide. He gives her a smile and then looks at Backblast.

Backblast sighs softly, then chuckles at Scales and Dusty. He frowns staring at the screen as he tries to work out the same thing a Scales has been - what the catalyst needs, so they can design a countermeasure.

Scales sits on Dusty's chest and looks back at Backblast. "You really weren't that far off in comparing it to a virus. It goes in, converts useful stuff into something that makes more poison." She curls up on Dust Devil's chest. "An' the way you get rid of a virus is to give it a dummy to latch onto that it recognizes but can't actually damage."

Backblast nods thoughtfully. "Hm. We'll need an advanced chemist."

Scales shrugs. "Coming up with a dummy that it'll attack is easy. Coming up with one that won't replicate like clean energon will is the hard part."

Dust Devil pokes at Scales sitting on his chest. He then points to the letters on the board. Making a face he traces them again and narrows his optics.

The junk rocketcycle pops a wheelie and "hops" into the air, the motorcycle twists about and seems to fall apart before reshaping into the form of a massive "Jury-rig" of a robot.

Scales uncurls enough to look again.

Wandering from the Golden Stopcock, Pile-Up is hummming to himself, belting out a periodic "Too-La-Roo-la-loo-ra!" while pulling what looks like a tank sized keg on a pair of repulsor lifters.

Backblast pulls an image of the catalyst molecule on his own screen. "The real problem with catalysts." He comments. "Is that they don't get used up. Most of the time, the affected molecule comes in, bonds with the catalyst... and then in the process of being attached or broken apart, detaches from the catalyst again, leaving it behind. We need something that's going to bind up with it... and then not let go." he muses, basically thinking aloud.

Dust Devil is frowning and trying really hard to focus as he traces the letters on the screen. His processors are working overtime as he continues to concentrate.

Scales hmms and hops down, acquiring a datapad from amid the clutter of the lab. She brings it to Dust Devil, holding it up where it's easier for him to reach.

Filling several flasks and tucking them away, Pile-Up leaves the keg over near where Bots in the base are more or less relaxing and begins looking about to see where folks are up to.

Backblast watches Dust Devil with a frown, smiling as Scales moves over to help. He sits down on the other side of Dust Devil to watch, wanting to help Scales pick out what Dusty might be wanting to say.

The lab, yes, perfect. Pile-Up heads to the lab, poking his head in slightly once he nears, checking to see whats going on.

Scales hmms, optics whirling in a slow spin as she considers. "Didja know, there's a difference between seein' letters as art and seein' 'em as writing?"

Backblast is with Dust Devil, staring at the screen. He lets Scales and Dusty work, instead going to get the training console. He rolls it over on a tray, and starts to break into its operating system.

He does so worryingly fast, copying over a version of the same system that's in the other consoles. Then he fires up the holoprojector, pulls up a full 3D representation of the catalyst molecule, turning it over, looking at the shape of the 'holes' in the molecule. He brings in energon, seeing how the two fit together.

Dust Devil shrugs a little at Scales comment.. He sighs again and traces the letters again. Fist clenching and he glares at the screen.

Pile-Up steps in, eyeing the holograph representation, lips pursing as his optics take in the sights, hands tucked behind his back he look to Backblast, then Scales, and Dust, brow ridge cocking up slightly when he sees letters being traced, tippy toing over to the mute autobot.

Scales hops down and puts the datapad away, instead digging out.. a soft ball. She hops back up to Dust Devil, but pauses as she spots the large Junkion sneaking in.

Dust Devil makes a face when the datapad is taken away. He then watches to see what scales is up to. Of course now he's looking where she is, seeing Pile-up. He then looks at Scales again.

Pile-Up looks to Dust Devil, then to Scales, then back again "Chex stay crunchy in milk, and some things stay the same?" head cocking to one side.

Backblast blinks and waves a moment to Pile-Up, returning his attention to turning the molecule around, trying to figure how energon fits into it so he can design a counter.

Scales tosses the ball from paw to paw. "The same connection that allows you to recognize a drawing as a symbol with meaning behind it is also the connection that allows you to follow the motion of an object and then catch it," she explains. "Chaining together discrete abilities into complicated processes- catch!" She tosses the ball in front of Dust Devil's chest.

Pulling out what looks like a cybertronian sized version of an 19th century Earth blood transfusion pump, Pile-Up muses allowed, "Jiffy oil change could do the trick, replace the old, in with the new." looking back to Backblast now, inquiringly.

Backblast shakes his head to Pile-Up "We tried that, nearly killed him." Backblast explains. "Pretty nasty, really." He sniffs. "Need to take the catalyst out, see. It's causing new energon to transform into... basically dark energon, or something not unlike it."

Dust Devil utilizes his weapons system to help him catch the ball. It's still attempted rather clumsily.

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Average difficulty.

Pile-Up nods, frowning deeper, "The Game of Operation - don't touch the sides and alleviate your patient's ills." he eyes Devil, then looks back at the screen, then GAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSP!S

Scales grins, watching Dust Devil bobble the ball, but get it. She picked a soft one for a reason! "Great!"

Backblast nods to Pile up "It's a bugger, exactly." He says. "Do you have something? Please, try and say it in Cybertronian not Junkion? Our translator's got a few bugs in the software at the moment, see."

Looking excited, Pile-Up exclaims "We're gonna drink this one to Ozzie. A good man who tried to save my ass by injecting me into yours!" he bounces a little harder struggling, a series of sparks shooting out of his audial receptors and his mouth before he gives up and says "Jack, excuse me, but I want you to factor this into your thinking, alright? You heard the man! My air supply's running out! If you don't help me, you're going to wind up with this miniaturized submersible pod floating around your insides with this teeny tiny human skeleton at the helm."

Backblast sighs, throwing DD and Scales a look that says 'I hate Junkions'.

Dust Devil isn't very hepful at translating at all considering all his communications systems seem down. He tosses the ball gently back to Scales.

Scales catches it and explains. "Your language processors work- you can understand what we're sayin'. And your vocalizer works- you make noises when you're startled. It's gettin' 'em connected so they work together, that's the part you're havin' trouble with!"

Pile-Up grunts at Backblast and grabs a medical panel and brings up a hologram of himself, and Backblast - and then Dust Devil. He then super imposes the holograms of himself and Backblast and uses a stylus make them whirl through the air and go down the Dust Devil hologram's mouth. "Listen, if the situation keeps on darkening, then you gotta do yourself a favor and pop by Pirates Of The Pancreas. I mean, the top priority is to, you know, get you guys out of there, but, I mean, if that becomes impossible then you gotta treat yourself."

Backblast blinks several times. "...no." He says simply. "There are several problems with this, not least amongst them being that this shit is contagious. We've... got a possible vial treatment, in the form of the Everclear of engex - I keep it on hand for sterilizing, and it's a useful fuel-of-last-resort for making a fire, or a bomb. The only problem being... giving Dusty a full flush with that stuff is going to lead to a whole host of problems, on top of feeling /really/ nasty for several days. We're trying to find something that's going to be a bit... less rough on the poor kid, something that's not going to almost kill him. Again."

Dust Devil tilts his head listening to Scales and just shrugs since well...it's easier. He grins at her and glances back at Backblast and his new friend.

Pile-Up snaps his fingers, pauses, and then trying to give a pursed lip 'What iiiiiif' look to Backblast, adding a drawing a little pressurized spacecraft around the teeny tiny Backblast and Pile-Up drawings inside the Dust Devil drawing.

Scales continues to explain, "And it's the same with words. Recognizing shapes is optical. Language is its own thing. Connecting the two- that's the issue." She glances over at Pile-Up's drawings. "Fantastic Voyage?"

Backblast rolls his eyes "Innerspace."

Pile-Up holds up a sign that has the number 10 on it. "RC Drones?"

Dust Devil glares at Pile-up now. He doesn't need any other foreign bodies inside of him. Even if he knows two of them. He sighs and goes back to focusing on Scales.

Scales shrugs. "Same plot device." She tosses the ball back and forth a few times again. "So.. tracking a ball is optical. Moving to catch it isn't- different processors. Those, you have working together, if not as efficiently as they're supposed to." She tosses the ball to Dust Devil again.

Pile-Up looks between Backblast and Dust Devil, and then points at the 'medical' image of Dust Devil "Well, where is that gosh darn bat?"

Backblast points to the everclear Engex. "We're trying to find something to bind to this catalyst molecule like energon does, but won't... break up and then unbind." He hopes he understood what the Junk is trying to say.

Backblast adds "That's our cure-of-last-resort."

Pile-Up tilts his head a bit, "Woo-ee, uncle Jesse made a good batch of shine, Roscoe might just take to it if we can get him to put a bottle to his lips!" he drags a bottle out of a storage bin in his leg, shaking it slightly so that the dirty energon inside fizzles and pops, he then reaches behind his back and causes radiation sensors to spike as he pulls out a teeny human sized suitcase with U.S.S.R. markings on it. "The nuclear option?" setting down the bottle and the suitcase, then draws the dirty energon formula mixed with radioactive isotopes in it.

Dust Devil hears Pile-up's idea and his forcefield engages. Okay it's got all the consistancy of static cling and just makes everything seem to sparkle....but it's there.

Backblast shakes his head "No! Put that away!" He says, stepping between it and Dust Devil. "Plain Everclear pure will do fine... that will... do you hate him that much you want him to melt into a puddle? Get that shit out of medbay before I call security."

Pile-Up grunts "It could bond, superglue bonds to everything." he opens one of his fuel ports and tosses the suitcase in, his surfaces growing warm and his optics glowing brighter for a few moments.

Backblast raises his voice, pointing to the door. "I SAID GET IT OUT. Not put it away, OUT WITH IT. I won't have something radioactive /and/ as volatile as engex in this medbay! I don't even bring my own rifle in here!"

Pile-Up raises his hands palms out "In the tank processed and pumping!" glowering as he smacks his own gullet. "Liquid schwartz..." muttering as he starts for the door. "Leadbelly perk allows you to absorb rads from radiated food."

Dust Devil's forcefield gets more tangible as he focuses, drawing back towards Dust Devil a bit as it tries to take shape. In moments theres a full fledged forcefield and Dust Devil's optics brighten for a monent before there's an audible **SNAP** Forcefield is gone and Dust Devil is out like a light with a little ozone smell coming from him.

Scales blinks and goes to check on Dust Devil. The blue smoke escaped..

Backblast frowns "Fragging Junks. Don't bring anything like that out in medbay, OK? If you got it, I don't want to know! If I know about it, it's a risk to my patient. I get very... touchy... about risks to my patients."

Pile-Up points at Backblast "Heads in the box man! Putcher mind outside of it dude!" planting his hands on his hips "Racist!"

Scales quickly finds the damage. It's almost nice to be changing a blown capacitor.. or a whole set of them. That's a lot easier than all the chemical work she's been doing lately.

Backblast looks flapperghasted at this. "My only concern." He says, tersely. "Is the concern of my patient. It's just a matter of observation that you junks require smegging translators... and it's only you lot that pull out bloody radioactives in a MEDBAY. Additionally... I am a high-functioning sociopath, with psychopathic tendencies. I have no space for prejudice in my spark. I dislike everyone. Equally."

Pile-Up's left arm comes up, hand retracting and a sort of Backblast handpuppet popping up "I'm a high functioning sociopath!" his right arm comes up with a Sasquatch puppet "I'm Bigfoot! We're the same!"

Backblast draws his pistol and aims it at Pile-Up. "You have six seconds to leave this medbay before you become a patient in it."

Pile-Up shrugs and turns, walking out of the medbay, his right arm up again, with a puppet of a bird popping up, making a rubber chicken squawk as he steps out.

Scales glances over but keeps doing what she's doing. However, her wings are half-spread, as if she's ready to jump at any moment.

Backblast keeps his pistol aimed at the space where Pile-Up was for several seconds, before he holsters it with an audible growl. "If anyone of the many species in the universe /were/ to inspire hate in my soul." He snarls. "It would be the Junks. I judge them all as I meet them... but no other of the races has the same capability to drive me INSANE."

He turns, punching an empty locker to vent his frustration.

Scales sighs, relaxing a bit and finishing up. "That one.. seems a bit more obnoxious than some of the others I've met," she says judiciously. She checks the monitors. At least Dust Devil didn't seize or flatline.

Backblast nods "I know, I used to know a lovely Junk lass. Dee-Kal... short for Decaffeinated Low-Calorie Soda-Yo!? New Trial Size! Same Great Taste!... she gave me the Mr. Yuk decal I have on my hatch and lenscaps."

Scales blinks. "Okay, that's a new one," she comments. "They get some odd names."

Backblast nods "They do. But she was a nice lass. Didn't... seem to mind that I'm a sociopath."

Scales shrugs. "What you do matters more than how your brain works."

Backblast chuckles, softly. "That's what I tell myself, on the bad days."

Scales grins. "hey, you're easier to get along with than Slag." This is admittedly a low bar.

Backblast snorts and laughs. "Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Scales settles on Dust Devil's chest, tucking her paws under herself. She puffs out a perfectly round smoke ring. "I think ya got plenty of confidence. Just not always in the right place."

Backblast chuckles "Yeah, maybe." He sits down. "I was a hitman, before the war, you know that? Not just taking out Cons, but..." He sniffs. "If someone had the shanix, all they needed to do was tell me who. I'm... not a nice bot."

Scales nods. "I think you mentioned that before." She tilts her head, thinking. "The thing is, you don't have to be nice to do the right thing."

Backblast smiles "I'm finding that out." He laughs. "My old... colleagues, what would they think of me? Getting morals. Doing the 'right' thing instead of the profitable."

Scales hmms. "Do you miss them?"

Backblast thinks long and hard about that question. "No." He says, quietly. "I find myself... ugh, Primus damn me for being a sentimental fool, I find myself /liking/ people."

Scales giggles, but quietly smothers it. "It's nice to have friends, though. People who miss you when you're not around, an' might come lookin' for ya if ya went missing."

Backblast nods a little, with a smirk. "It's... new." He admits. "Don't... really know how to deal with it, you know? I'm a hitman. We're not usually welcome at parties." He laughs.

Scales grins. "That's okay. I mean, nobody's a perfect friend alla time."

Backblast chuckles "That's true." He agrees, sniffing. "Thanks."

Scales ducks her head. "Yer welcome?"

Backblast smirks again "Just don't let anyone know I'm going soft. I'd like at least /some/ respect from my former colleagues. Lack of respect from that sort of person is... dangerous."

Scales nods. "Sure thing."

Log session ending at 22:34:50 on Sunday, 29 July 2018.