Pax 'Verse, Sigma 6 Base, Learning Curve

[microbots.livejournal.com]

Four o'clock in the second morning after Drift's arrival at the GI Joe base.


Billy: *is a floof where she's sitting on the bio diesel bottle that Heavy Duty left, along with a plate of mineral candy balls, next to the landing mattress where Drift is laying wrapped in an old parachute*

Drift: *slight shift of position as his systems begin rebooting*

Billy: *soft rattle of feathers in her sleep*

Drift: *streeeetch, moves to sit up* *blink blinks a bit and carefully touches the parachute* *puzzled clicks*

Billy: *lifts her head and looks at him with one eye, and then the other*

Drift: *puzzling over the purpose of the parachute, which is of a far different material and different shape than the blankets he's used to, until he catches the scent of the candy balls* *perks up as he reaches for one of the treats*

Billy: *quiet keek as she watches him*

Drift: *nibbles on one of the candy balls with a happy expression on his face. Despite the fact that he's been fighting for most of his life, he's very childlike in his demeanor*

Snake Eyes: *looks around the door frame, his mask and visor rendering him expressionless*

Drift: *nibble nibble nibble, clicks softly*

Snake Eyes: *comes in and hunkers next to Billy, who has hopped down and is companionably nibbling candy crumbs. Does not, however, eat*

Drift: *will offer Snake Eyes one of the candy balls*

Snake Eyes: *surprise in his posture as he looks up at the young mech quizzically*

Drift: *quiet clicks*

Snake Eyes: *glances back at the door, and then pixels and reforms. Shows up on Drift's sensors now... and looks like a tall, stern faced blond and blue-eyed man* *bows head and takes the candy with both hands*

Drift: *blink blink, slight smile*

Snake Eyes: *thoughtful nibbling, and then sharing of crumbs with Billy*

Drift: *wonders how long he's been recharging*

Snake Eyes: *shows the young mech the time readout on his Sigma cuff*

Drift: *boggling slightly* Slag....

Snake Eyes: *slight half grin*

Drift: *small frown* Guess First Contact was right about me being starved....

Snake Eyes: *serious again as he nods. Then points to the bottle of bio diesel*

Drift: *soft 'heh' as he moves to reach for the bottle*

Snake Eyes: *turns it so that the handle's in easier reach, then resumes consumption of his candy*

Drift: *once he's got the bottle of bio diesel, he'll get it open and start taking small sips from it*

Snake Eyes: *finishes most of the candy, and then feeds the rest to Billy, who then hops up on Drift's parachute covered leg to preen her feathers*

Drift: *soft chuckle, will watch Billy preen in between sips of fuel*

Snake Eyes: *tilts his head, and then pixels himself back into his visor and mask*

Drift: *more chuckle as he watches that, before he's poking at the parachute again*

Billy: *watches, and then opens her beak and offers to bite the parachute* *soft sounds*

Drift: *soft snerk, streeeetch*

Snake Eyes: *flips open a cover on his cuff and starts to type*

Drift: *watching Snake Eyes, even as he continues to poke at the parachute*

Snake Eyes: *moves his arm so that Drift will be able to see the screen. Has explained what a parachute is... in perfectly grammatical, though of a strange dialect, Cybertronian*

Drift: *reading, and then his expression is going slightly puzzled. Jumping out of planes? How strange... And...* What's an airplane?

Snake Eyes: *calls up images of planes*

Drift: *slight headtilt as he studies the images* ... They remind me of Seekers...

Snake Eyes: *tilts his head quizzically*

Drift: *will explain what Seekers are, though he's not sure there are any left despite the rumors about Alpha Squad's defection and Nightbird's escape with her two seconds*

Snake Eyes: *motionless as he contemplates this, but then shuts the cuff and stands abruptly*

Billy: *startled feather poof*

Drift: *puzzled expression is a go*

Snake Eyes: *points to the fuel and candy, then to Drift. Has the mech had enough?*

Drift: *checks his fuel levels* *small nod* For now... *is still rationing, and might need a bit of sense knocked into him soon*

Snake Eyes: *looks at him, and then folds his arms over his chest. He'll wait till Drift has some more*

Drift: *slight frown*

Snake Eyes: *head tilt. Get on with it*

Drift: *going to sulk a bit as he drinks more fuel, until his tank dings full*

Snake Eyes: *short, approving nod*

Drift: *still gonna sulk a bit*

Snake Eyes: *points to him. How does he feel?*

Drift: *quick systems check* Better than I was.... *is surprised to find that he's able to 'read' what Snake Eyes is 'saying'*

Snake Eyes: *slaps him on the arm, and then turns and darts out of the room*

Billy: *warcry and follows!*

Drift: Ack! Hey! *gonna get up and give chase!*

Snake Eyes: *far up ahead there, Billy diving in his wake!*

Drift: *hurrying after the ninja!*

Snake Eyes: *passes the usual elevator and vanishes into the one used to move vehicles between base levels*

Billy: *comes back and sits on Drift to make sure he doesn't get lost. And to pick at his paint*

Drift: *hurrying towards the elevator*

Snake Eyes: *not visible as the young mech enters, but there's a feel of him somewhere beyond the ceiling panels*

Drift: *wary look for the ceiling panels*

elevator: *door slides shut and a button lights up, and then the elevator begins to move upward*

Billy: *excited rustle! And more paint picking*

Drift: *startled blurt*

Billy: *quizzical look with one eye and then the other*

Drift: *wasn't expecting the elevator to start moving... though now he's realizing that he's lost more paint... and he's going to rub at a worn area*

Billy: *looks at the hand rubbing, and then picks at her spot some more*

elevator: *stops and door opens*

Billy: *zoom! Down the hall! Keeking as she goes in a flurry of wingbeats*

Drift: *more ack, and then he's chasing after Billy*

Billy: *hard left and vanishes through a set of large double doors that slide shut behind her*

Drift: *trips over his own feet as he tries to follow, and then he's snickering softly and getting up*

corridor: *ends at these doors. There's just a wall ahead of him and to the right*

Drift: *approaches the doors*

doors: *slide open, releasing a scent of sagebrush and the memory of rain*

Drift: *surprised, but will go through the doors and look around*

Snake Eyes: *standing several meters away in what appears to be a sagebrush landscape edged in by low, arid mountains at various distances. The sky is a heavy, upside down table cloth of storm clouds, and lightening flashes across one horizon. The ninja is holding two slender blades, one long and the other shorter, crossed in front of him. His back is to Drift*

Billy: *is that keeking way up there in the sky as she zooms around*

Drift: *slight headtilt as he watches Snake Eyes*

Snake Eyes: *utterly still, his lack of movement an unspoken but very clear challenge*

Drift: *slight smirk, rolls his shoulders a bit*

Snake Eyes: *seems a piece of the landscape*

Drift: *moves to rush the ninja*

Snake Eyes: *utterly motionless till Drift is upon him, and then takes a single step to the side*

Drift: *slight stumble, whirls to try and land a blow on Snake Eyes*

Snake Eyes: *again takes a single step, this time forward, which causes Drift to over shoot*

Drift: *low growl, goes for a head-first charge*

Snake Eyes: *side step*

Drift: *frustrated sound, tries for a haymaker that will knock Snake Eyes flying if it connects*

Snake Eyes: *drops into a crouch, letting the blow whistle over his head*

Drift: *tries to land a blow on Snake Eyes' back*

Snake Eyes: *springs forward like a frog and escapes between Drift's legs, where he once more stands with his back to the mech and his blades crossed*

Drift: *low, dangerous growl. Snake Eyes is as frustrating as some of the trainers he had back on Cybertron, despite the size difference between the ninja and the Decepticons in question* *will kick backwards, hoping to land a blow on the ninja's skidplate*

Snake Eyes: *steps forward just as Drift's foot is about to connect*

Drift: *faceplants and cusses about it*

Snake Eyes: *leaps lightly onto Drift's back and then hunkers to set his shorter blade gently to the back of the young mech's neck*

Drift: *freezes when he feels the blade at the back of his neck, was trying to get his arms out from under his chest*

Snake Eyes: *three soft taps, and then hops down and hunkers next to Drift's head. Is he okay?*

Drift: *small nod as he moves to sit on his lower legs*

Snake Eyes: *offers the overly long katana to Drift, for whom it will be a tanto*

Drift: *slight headtilt, will study the blade curiously*

blade: *steel, and bearing the rippling marks of the highest quality forging*

Drift: *clicks softly as he hefts the blade and gets a feeling for its weight*

Snake Eyes: *turns his head and looks up*

Drift: *headtilting slightly, is studying the blade's shape a bit closer now, and wondering to himself if he'd be able to make something similar*

glowing eyes: *reflected in the blade!*

Drift: *a bit surprised to see that his optics are no longer red, but purplish*

blade: *now also reflects a movement behind him that is too big to be Billy*

Drift: *attention going to the movement*

big thing: *takes a swing at him!*

Drift: *startles and raises his arms to block the blow*

big thing: *just planted him in the ground*

Snake Eyes: *claps hands, and suddenly the landscape, the monster, and the Drift mark in the sandy soil all vanish, leaving an echoing room covered in a grid of black squares outlined in red*

Drift: *blink blink blink* What the slag?!

Snake Eyes: *pixels and reappears by way of answer*

Drift: ... *moves to sit up, or tries*

Snake Eyes: *encouraging gesture. Can tell that Drift's systems are demanding shut down again*

Drift: *grits his dentae and tries again to sit up. Manages it, though he's leaning forward slightly*

PINpoint: *falls out of the storage pocket he'd put it in*

Snake Eyes: *scoops the little gadget up and looks it over, his tanto now tucked into its sheath*

Drift: *cycling air softly as he tries to stay upright*

PINpoint: *looks like a wristwatch, except for the extra buttons*

Snake Eyes: *thoughtful study, and then puts a hand on Drift's arm*

Drift: *attention going to Snake Eyes*

Snake Eyes: *holds up the PINpoint. Can I have this?*

Drift: *small nod* *a bit miffed to find that he's too tired to explain that he thinks that little thing is broken*

Snake Eyes: *PINpoints the pair of them back to Drift's room, with himself standing by the pallet and Drift sitting on it*

Drift: *raised brow ridge, very soft snort*

Snake Eyes: *head tilt that seems like a smile, and then bows to the young Cybertronian*

Drift: *small nod of his head, quiet chuckle* That was fun...

Snake Eyes: *agrees, but is going now*

Drift: *another small nod, moves to lay back down on the pallet*

Snake Eyes: *turns and walks normally from the room*

Drift: *small smile, shutters his optics and powers down to rest a bit more* *will wiggle slightly to find a comfortable position, and then he's conking out*


Hour and a half later


Drift: *powering up, and blinking a bit as he wonders what woke him. It takes a few moments, but then he's realizing that things are far too quiet* *moves to sit up and look around*

big book: *now laying next to the dish with the remaining candies*

Drift: *slight headtilt, reaches for the book*

book: 'The Complete Sherlock Holmes'

Drift: *curious, will begin reading*

maintenance bot: *comes and peeks in at him, but then leaves him be*

Drift: *engrossed in the story, pays the maintenance bot no mind*

Heavy Duty's music: *finally snaps him out of the book nearly an hour later*

Drift: *looks up from reading, doesn't realize he has a slight pout going*

music: *just continues happily, though a Tunnel Rat whoop sounds first from one direction in the corridor, and then, dizzily from far in the other*

Drift: ... *raised brow ridge, moves to get up* *will go to see just what's going on*

plate of candies: *squishes and breaks under his foot*

Drift: *acks and then his skidplate is meeting the floor as he slips*

High Tech: *over the PA* Drift, you okay?

Drift: Yeah... *getting a considering look to his face as he mulls over the fact that he's tired of constantly having to duck over to fit in most parts of the Pit. He's seen that the others can appear human... But he hasn't had time to try and figure out the 'how' part... yet.*

High Tech: Did you get the book? Tell me that thud wasn't the book getting wrecked.

Drift: No... The thud was my skidplate hitting the ground...

High Tech: But you're alright?

Drift: Yeah. Might have a few dents, but that's nothing new.

High Tech: Okay. If you need anything just give me a yell. *PA clicks*

Drift: *soft chuckle as he nods* *and then he's checking to see if he's got anything in subspace, since he just had an idea come to him* *moments later, the floor is littered with all manner of odds and ends that the young former Decepticon has picked up since starting out on his journey* *slight pause as he studies the facial features of the little ivory doll Annie gave him. Then he's got a smile on his face as he shutters his optics and concentrates*

Tunnel Rat: *sound of an abrupt wall kiss, then a breathless laugh, and a swish from the hall*

Drift: *soft sound as he thinks about Tunnel Rat's appearance, as well as the appearances of the Clarkson males... And then he's got a mental image he's happy with. Soon, he's gotten the alt-mode programmed and coded correctly (he hopes), and it's time to give his idea a try...*

Heavy Duty's music: *goes off, and the sound of arguing echoes faintly down the hall*

Drift: *finishes transforming, tries standing. Is soon introducing his skidplate to the floor again, as he feels off-balance... and a bit cold. Will get onto his hands and knees and see if he can't find something like what he's seen the Clarksons wear while inside the snow well around the hot spring*

big green bandanna: *caught in a corner of his parachute blanket*

Drift: *pleased expression is a go, will nab the piece of fabric and work on fashioning... what was it Annie called 'em? Oh, yeah. Inside pants... *

argument in the hall: *seems to be over*

Drift: *once he's satisfied with his handiwork, he's moving to try and stand again. He's determined to get his balance worked out, and he's hoping he's got the human look down... Will slowly make his way over to the door, pleased that he doesn't have to duck to go through*

corridor: *empty, though there's a faint, muddy face print on the wall near his door*

Drift: *hand on the wall, will move to inspect the face print*

print: *yup, that's when Tunnel Rat hit the wall*

Drift: *chuckles, will listen to see if he can locate where Heavy Duty and Tunnel Rat went*

base: *seems silent except for the sounds of things running*

Drift: *well, plan B then. Walk till he finds someone! Will start down the corridor* *passes Heavy Duty's still-open door and continues on, until he comes to the control room door*

door: *slides open*

Duke: *looks over from where he's refereeing an argument between Heavy Duty and Tunnel Rat*

Heavy Duty: *sees his spare bandanna* o.0 *looks away* That is just wrong.

Scarlet: *hands over eyes and face like her hair!* Errr...

Tunnel Rat: What? *turns to look toward the door* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, MY EYES!

Duke: *shakes head and offers the kid some advice* We usually don't run around in underwear around here.

Drift: *blink blink* *looks down at his covering* This is underwear? *puzzled*

Duke: Well... around here it is.

First Contact: *glances up from her screen and looks over, then snerks softly*

Drift: *so confused*

Duke: *pats him on the shoulder* Heavy Duty, will you get him a pair of pants like you're wearing?

Heavy Duty: *sudden massive embarrassment*

Scarlet: ...You're running around in your boxers and a hologram again, aren't you?

Duke: Wait, what?

Heavy Duty: *flees!*

Drift: *blink blink* .... *raised brow*

Duke: *facepalming* Come on, Drift. I'll take you down to supply.

Drift: Okay... *doesn't quite get why Heavy Duty seemed so embarrassed...*

Duke: *pats him on the shoulder and heads for the door* So where did you get the idea for those... er... pants?

Drift: The family I was staying with before, on Gordon's Planet... They wear similar when they're in the snow well around the hot spring, and in the saddlebags.

Duke: *glances at him* Gordon's Planet?

Drift: *nod* That's what they call their homeworld.

Duke: What's it like? *his expression says he's still amazed at the realization that there are more worlds than Earth with people on them*

Drift: Cold, and a lot of snow... There's the occasional snow well, and hot spring... But most of what I've seen of the place is snow and cold.

Duke: *brows lift slightly* What are the people like?

Drift: *slight smile as he describes the Clarksons*

Duke: *and now he stops short in surprise as he turns to face the disguised mech and listens to what he's saying*

Drift: *slight pause as he realizes he's already started thinking of the Clarksons as his to protect*

Duke: *slowly* They're human?

Drift: *nod, wondering why that's so odd*

Duke: *bit of a frown* Is there an Earth in your reality?

Drift: From what I've heard, yeah....

Duke: But it's not Gordon's Planet?

Drift: I don't think so... *slight frown* The Clarksons've told me that there are other worlds with native humans on them... and that their ancestors came from those worlds...

Duke: *very surprised expression* Really? ...Whoa.

Drift: *slight headtilt, curiosity in his eyes*

Duke: *remembers their mission and starts down the corridor again* So... they live in saddlebags worn by woolly mammoths. *slight frown again* Sounds like a lousy place to be stranded.

Drift: *slight Look* It's a nice place to live.

Duke: *shoots him a surprised and doubtful glance*

Drift: *expression serious* It's a lot better than Cybertron.

Duke: Yeah, but the people eat raw meat, and spend their lives huddled nearly naked in giant sleeping bags. *frowns* If people have space travel why hasn't anyone rescued them?

Drift: ...*slight frown* They're happy there... Why mess with a good thing?

Duke: *bit of a scowl* Because they don't have to live like that. Look at things here...

Drift: *eyes darkening slightly* But what if they're just not interested in seeing other worlds?

Duke: Living like that, they probably don't even know they have other options.

Drift: *frown* Like I said, they've got old stories that've been passed down about other worlds.

Duke: *blinks*

Drift: They know what else is out there. They just don't have any interest in leaving.

Duke: *visibly trying to understand this*

Drift: Like I said, why mess with a good thing?

Duke: It's just...

Drift: *quietly* I don't want to talk about that anymore... *will start talking about Eddie's baby instead*

Duke: Right... *surprised by the boy. And then surprised to find himself thinking of this alien machine as a youngster in his teens. But then he's distracted by the details Drift is relating, and the gentle smile on the Cybertronian's face*

Drift: One time, she even leaked on me...

Duke: ... *wince* At least you weren't wearing anything absorbent. *has been peed on*

Drift: *blink blink*

Duke: It's... pretty uncomfortable to have wet pants. *stops by the storeroom door and touches the wall next to it, then watches it slide open*

Drift: Oh...

Duke: *goes inside and walks over to where he thinks clothes that should fit Drift well enough to work are stacked* Here we go. Pants. *holds a pair up*

Drift: *small nod, will reach for the pants*

Duke: And here are bvds. *holds up a couple packages*

Drift: Bvds?

Duke: Under shorts. *shifts the packages to one hand as he pulls down three plastic wrapped under shirts*

Drift: Ah... *reaches for the packages*

Duke: *hands them over, along with a second pair of pants. Then adds two shirts, some socks, and a pair of boots* These shouldn't fit too badly.

Drift: *visually comparing what he's been given to what he's seen, small nod*

Duke: *startled sound as something small and brown falls off an upper shelf and bounces off his head* What the...?

Drift: ... *blinks and reaches to pick up the soft toy*

Duke: *blinks too, then grins slightly* That must be a leftover from our last Christmas run.

Drift: *considering expression* Can I have it?

Duke: Oh. Sure, if you want it.

Drift: *smiles. Intends to give it to the baby when he gets back to Gordon's Planet*

Duke: *looks at the pile of packages in Drift's grasp* Okay, I think that's everything you need. Er... unless you want soap and a toothbrush?

Drift: *blink blink, blank look* *nooooo idea what either one of those items are, Duke*

Duke: *sees this and explains*

Drift: Oooooh.... Huh.... Sure, why not?

Duke: Okay, I think they're over here. *goes around a shelf, and then blinks as he catches sight of a large bucket full of dirt... and ants* *facepalm*

Drift: *attention going to the bucket* ??

Duke: *leans down to study the creatures and sighs* Honey pot ants. I think I need to have a little talk with Tunnel Rat about introducing alien species to the US. *straightens and continues past the bucket to get some things out of a box* Soap. Toothbrush and paste.

Drift: *soft chuckle as he nods and tries to keep a hold of his clothes*

Duke: *sets the last items on top of Drift's pile* There you go.

Drift: Thanks...

Duke: *looks down at the line of marching ants on the floor* I better go talk to Tunnel Rat. Can you find your way back to quarters from here?

Drift: I think so. *watching the ants and taking care not to step on any of them*

Duke: Great. *grins, and then grabs the bucket and walks out of the storeroom to go give Tunnel Rat a piece of his mind*

Drift: *heads down the corridor once he's out of the storeroom*

Heavy Duty: *looks around from where he's standing in the doorway of Drift's room* Oh there you are. What the heck happened in here?

Drift: Happened?

Heavy Duty: *points to the busted plate fragments scattered around the streaks of smeared candy ball on the rubberized concrete floor*

Drift: Oh... I kinda stepped on it on accident....

Heavy Duty: 'N wiped out. *shakes his head*

Drift: *sheepish grin*

Heavy Duty: Lemme get one of the cleaners. *turns and smacks a hand against the wall and frowns slightly with a concentrating look*

Drift: *watching this and wondering to himself just what's going on*

Heavy Duty: *drops his hand and turns back to Drift* Okay, they'll take care of it. *frowns inside* You want different quarters now?

Drift: *blink blink* Why would I need different quarters?

Heavy Duty: *lifts an eyebrow* 'Cause this is just an empty storage room, a landin' mat, and a parachute.

Drift: *looking around, doesn't see the problem with that*

Heavy Duty: *frowns slightly* You've seen my place. Don't it look more comfortable?

Drift: *slight shrug*

Heavy Duty: ...Not even a real bunk?

Drift: *slight, puzzled frown* What's wrong with what I recharge on?

Heavy Duty: *shrug* Nothin', I guess. Hey, Connie said you had some paint trouble. You want me to take a look at that?

Drift: Sure... *will move to set the clothes and other items on the pallet*

Heavy Duty: Uh... I'll wait out here while you change. *turns and heads down the hall a little way*

Drift: *shucks his makeshift inside pants before returning to root mode, and sighing as more paint chips off* *blink blinks as he realizes that Heavy Duty's wearing something like the green thing he found... only the other is wearing it on his head* .... *thinks that humans are so strange sometimes*

Heavy Duty: *can be heard arguing with someone out there in the hall*

Drift: *will look out into the hall after ducking*

Heavy Duty: *blinks, that hadn't really been the change he'd meant, but oh well* *jerks head* This way.

Drift: *small nod, moves to follow, is trying to resist the urge to pick at the flaking paint*

Heavy Duty: *leads him toward the big elevator, and then up to the holobay* Go ahead, I'll get my tools.

Drift: *heads on into the holobay, pokes at some of the bare metal on his arm*

Tunnel Rat: *appears at the far side of the bay as Drift comes in, then slumps to his knees* Ugh... Duke was right. I am seasick.

Drift: *blink blink* Er.... Okay?

Tunnel Rat: *meeps and looks up with wide eyes, then groans and slumps further* Oh. Hi, Drift.

Drift: *small frown* Are you alright?

Tunnel Rat: *falls right over and rolls onto his back with his knees up, then covers his eyes with his arm* No, my guts are tryin' ta riot.

Drift: *worried* Should I get First Contact?

Tunnel Rat: *slight snerk* Nah. She says it'll settle down. I just got a little nuts with this new teleporter gadget High Tech gave me ta test. *holds up his free arm to display the slightly oversize watch strapped onto it*

Drift: *blink blink* *soft snerk* So that's why Snake Eyes wanted it....

Tunnel Rat: Huh? *peeks at Drift from under his arm*

Drift: *will explain about the teleporter he grabbed out of the bowl in the place with the sign*

Tunnel Rat: Ohhh. So that's where he got it.

Drift: *nod* Well, at least it's going to be useful...

Tunnel Rat: *wan grin* Oh yeah. We're gonna really do a good ghost act now.

Drift: Ghost act?

Tunnel Rat: Yup. *sits up slowly* See, we don't officially exist. And we wanna keep it that way.

Drift: ... Huh.

Tunnel Rat: With this kinda thing we can get places faster and without bein' detected. *slight grin* And a lot cheaper.

Drift: *small nod, sees the logic in that*

Tunnel Rat: Only High Tech's makin' ours a lot fancier than that original one. These'll be able to store multiple coordinates, 'n remember where you've been.

Drift: Huh... That'd be useful... *absently picks at a spot of chipping paint*

Tunnel Rat: Yup. If you got anywhere ta go. *looks toward the door as Heavy Duty comes in with a big red tool chest on his shoulder*

Heavy Duty: *scowls slightly when he sees his best friend* Duke wants ta talk ta you about some bugs he found in supply.

Tunnel Rat: *'oh darn' expression and vanishes with a swish and a slight flash*

Drift: *soft snerk, knows what Duke wants to talk to Tunnel Rat about*

Heavy Duty: *sets the tool box down next to Drift with a soft clank* Okay now, lessee what we can do about that paint.

Drift: *nod* *slight frown as he examines another bare section of his arm*

Heavy Duty: *leans over and looks at Drift's knee* ...We don't got anythin' that'll match that. You're gonna need a full repaint.

Drift: *considering look* Well, what about a different color entirely?

Heavy Duty: It'd have ta be. I don't got any black.

Drift: That's okay.

Heavy Duty: Okay, but first we need ta get the old paint off. *stoops and picks up a large electric-powered device with a wheel shaped brush of heavy wire*

Drift: *nods* Do I need to lay down?

Heavy Duty: Yeah, I can't reach that high. *looks up at Drift's face, his eyes twinkling*

Drift: *chuckles and carefully moves to lay down*

Heavy Duty: *asks the holobay controls for an electrical outlet, and then transforms to his own robot mode... without taking his clothes off first*

Drift: *blink blink, studies Heavy Duty curiously*

Heavy Duty: *notices this* ...What?

Drift: You didn't take your clothes off...

Heavy Duty: Yeah I did. I subspaced 'em.

Drift: *blink blink* Huh.... *wonders to himself if he'd have enough room in his own subspace to do similar*

Heavy Duty: *shrugs his shoulders and removes the two large guns he'd been wearing on them, then sets the guns aside and does a little shoulder rolling before making the paint stripper buzz threateningly* Alright, let's get this done.

Drift: *going to try not to squirm too much* Yeah...


Several hours later, near the end of the day...


Drift: *no longer black, but pristine white, except for that small splotch of pilfered blue nabbed and tasted while Heavy Duty wasn't looking. Is biting his lower lip components a bit and trying to ignore the slight stinging from his frame. He hadn't realized just how severe the side effects of starvation could be, until the paint stripper had made a few small gouges in his armor*

High Tech: *looks up as the young Cybertronian comes into the control room* Oh, hey, Drift. I have something for you.

Drift: *perks* Oh?

High Tech: *sends a little hovering round drone over to offer Drift what is plainly something made to be wired into his systems* Yeah, an improved version of your teleporter.

Drift: *big grin* Cool. *yes, he's picked that up after just a couple days*

High Tech: Do you want me to install it for you? *grinning widely*

Drift: *nod* Yeah... I'm not exactly skilled with installing things...

High Tech: *cheerfully* Okay, have a seat over here with your back to the screen.

Drift: *nods and moves to sit down* *slight wince as he bumps a thin section of armor*

High Tech: *noticed that wince* Hey, are you alright?

Drift: Yeah... *and he's going to stick to that unless he has no other choice*

High Tech: *hands on hips* Do you remember what Connie said the other day when you first got here?

Drift: *slight cringe* *sigh* It's just a thin spot in my armor...

High Tech: *frowns with concern as the round drone and a humanoid one move over and start studying Drift's surface* We better get you more of those mineral balls.

Drift: *small nod, slight wince as one of the gouges gets found*

round drone: *moves up to his neck and does a manual pain override, then scoots down and examines his arms*

Drift: *soft sigh of relief* *has a few thin spots along his arms as well*

High Tech: I really wish I could fix that. But we just don't have enough of the right metals. So I guess I'll have to settle for installing your teleporter. Where do you want it?

Drift: Don't worry about it... *considering look* Well... why not here? *will point to part of his chest*

High Tech: Okay. Is there a lead to your cognitive centers somewhere there?

Drift: I think so... Considering what used to be there...

High Tech: Okay. You want to stay awake? You might have to reboot to get it working anyway.

Drift: *considering look. Weighs the pros and cons of both options* Well, since I might need to reboot anyway, I'll power down.

High Tech: *grins* Okay. I'll be careful. *has the little round drone have a closer look at Drift's chest to make sure his paint's fully dried*

Drift: *paint is completely dry* *is moving to carefully lay down*

High Tech: *has the drones get the tools he'll need, and then pauses the humanoid one as it gently lifts Drift's chest plate* *eyes widen into a stare of shock*

Drift: *powered down, or he'd be trying to avoid your gaze, High Tech. It's not just his armor that's suffered due to starvation. Several places along his support structure are far thinner than they should be. Around the area that the mech indicated, there is scarring, as though something was ripped out violently. There are scars in other areas, and some of his wiring is frayed*

High Tech: *shakes his head and sets to work on a much greater surgery than he'd planned*


Later. Drift's room


Drift: *optics flicker, small sound as he reboots. Then he's looking at his chest as it registers that there's something on it. A soft chuckle escapes as he realizes it's the stuffed rabbit. He'll move to sit up and carefully hold the plush toy in his hand as he puzzles over how he could have gotten to his pallet. It takes a few moments before he remembers that High Tech was going to install the PINpoint on his person.... Which means the rest of the JOES likely moved him*

Snake Eyes: *looks around from where he'd been sitting just outside and beside the door, his mouth moving slowly under his mask as he munches something*

Drift: *moves to get up, intends to get his clothes stored in subspace for the moment*

drone bot: *also looks in* *High Tech's voice* Hey. How do you feel?

Drift: *blink blink* Better than I was earlier....

High Tech: *drone nods* *quietly* I did another modification for you while you were out.

Drift: .... *raised brow ridge* What sort of modification?

Snake Eyes: *throws an apple to him*

Drift: *catches the apple, slight pause as he notices that it smells good, and that his tank doesn't seem to be objecting to the idea of ingesting it*

Snake Eyes: *lifts his mask slightly and crunches of another bite from the apple he's got in his other hand*

High Tech: You can take a lot more kinds of fuel now. But I think you'd better keep eating at least four of Heavy Duty's mineral balls a day, and as much bio diesel as you can take, alright?

Drift: Alright... *is now a bit curious about what the apple tastes like* *will transform to alt mode, making sure he's at least got underwear and pants on, before he has a bite out of the apple* *pleased sound at the sweet flavor*

Snake Eyes: *nods, still munching his own apple*

High Tech: And get as much rest as you can.

Drift: *nods, mouth full of apple*

High Tech: *chuckles and turns the drone back toward the door* We'll get you a table so you don't wind up stepping on your stuff anymore.

Drift: *muffled 'Okay'*

High Tech: *walks the drone out of the room and away*

Snake Eyes: *quiet crunch*

Drift: *making quick work of the apple, core and all, is soon licking his fingers to get the juice off*

Snake Eyes: *hand appears around the side of the door, holding another apple*

Drift: *moves to approach* *chuckle* I've got pants on.... *will reach for the apple*

Snake Eyes: *looks up at him as he gives Drift the fruit. Is just too comfortable sitting here to bother moving again at the moment*

Drift: *chuckles again*

Snake Eyes: *finishes his apple, and then contemplates the seeds*

Drift: *curious, even as he works on eating the second apple*

Snake Eyes: *gently turns one of the seeds over with a finger, then puts all of them into one of the pockets on his belt before looking up at Drift*

Drift: *slight headtilt, raised brow*

Snake Eyes: *appears to be watching Drift eat*

Drift: *puzzled expression is a go*

Snake Eyes: *turns his head and looks down the hall, then pixels and vanishes*

Drift: *blink blink, moves to head down the hall in the direction Snake Eyes looked, finishing his apple as he goes*

Snake Eyes: *hits as soon as the apple's gone, poking Drift on the arm from where he just appeared in a side corridor and then racing away*

Drift: *gives chase, wondering if this is going to turn out like the last time he chased Snake Eyes*

Snake Eyes: *leads him to the door of a room full of trees and plants, and then into the room itself*

Drift: *looking around cautiously*

Snake Eyes: *looks around a corner up ahead. What's keeping him so long?*

Drift: *follows, keeping on alert*

Snake Eyes: *turns and RUNS*

Drift: *more of this, huh? Will give chase again, still keeping a sensor out for a potential ambush*

Snake Eyes: *leads him a merry chase till the light coming from the ports in the ceiling fades and turns to black, up and down the paths, around the fountain, through the fountain, leaping low flower beds, and across a bridge that spans a deep, pipe-lined gap*

Drift: *starting to slow ever so slightly near the end of the chase, but he's determined to catch Snake Eyes*

Snake Eyes: *suddenly right in front of him!*

Drift: *slight start*

Snake Eyes: *holds up his hands. Stop. The game's over for the day*

Drift: *nod, a slight smile on his face*

Snake Eyes: *and then pulls a piece of Hershey chocolate out of a pocket on his belt and presents it*

Drift: *curious* What's this?

Snake Eyes: *pulls the wrapper off slightly and lets out the scent*

Drift: *surprised to find that he's leaking a bit in his mouth*

Snake Eyes: *puts the candy into Drift's hand, then bows and vanishes*

Drift: Thanks... *will move to have a bite of the candy, eyes widening at the strange, but not unpleasant, flavor*

chocolate: *has almonds in it*

Drift: *crunch crunch crunch, pleased sounds as he moves to leave the room* *finds himself in the empty corridor. Considers his options and decides to return to his pallet for now... He's got a lot to think about, and he's tired*

room: *now sports a molded plastic table beside his pallet and another near the door. The one near the door holds a plate of human size candy balls, and there's a bottle of bio diesel sitting on the floor beside it. There is also a woolen blanket folded neatly on his pallet, and an open footlocker by the bottom of it*

Drift: *surprised, but then a small smile's crossing his face as he reaches for one of the candies. As he chews the treat, he'll reach for the bottle of bio diesel, before going to the pallet and inspecting the blanket. Once he's topped off on fuel, he'll move to curl up beneath the blanket and slip into recharge mode, feeling content with his day*

((co-written with random_xtras))