And another one of these!

[makeshiftwings]

General musebox post is go! ... Again!

Comment here with a location in the subject line (The Thor, some alien planet, Pandora, etc). You can come up with a scenario or leave your comment blank and I'll do that for you!

Comments

[makeshiftwings]

... So you crashed here.

Maybe we should look for civilization?

[sciencetank]

Quite dramatically so.

Perhaps, yes. It would be one way of locating suitable fuel for yourself.

[makeshiftwings]

They might have something you can use, too. Let's not count ourselves out of this yet.

[sciencetank]

I designed an evacuation-class starship out of a cargo freighter while under fire from Decepticon warships. "Counting myself out" isn't in my programming.

[MARCHING OFF THROUGH THE WOODS NOW.]

[makeshiftwings]

Can you tell me more about yourself, Perceptor? [ The robots back home would sometimes gain sentience, but this is a while new level. ]

[sciencetank]

What in particular interests you?

I'm a scientist, first and foremost, despite the vehicle mode -- which serves its purpose, I'll have you know. One of the only to study the ruins located within the Sea of Rust. Additionally, I was charged with restoring the old Teletraan-1 terminals across Cybertron to full functionality.

A job I was perfectly happy to see the back end of, I daresay.

[He'll keep talking for hours, if she lets him. Going off on tangents about the war, the divisions between the factions... etc.]

[makeshiftwings]

[ She actually doesn't mind. She listens intently, politely stopping him to ask for clarification every once and a while, nodding in the appropriate places.

All she's ever known are Hyperion and Pandora. This is all fascinating to her.

At least until they come across a plume of smoke in the distance, coming from somewhere at the edge of the forest. ]

Perceptor... Perceptor. Look-- what do you suppose that is?

[sciencetank]

[No one ever just listens. Well, except for Jetfire when he was being polite.]

[He stops, though, looking off in the direction she's indicating.]

Hm. Judging from the composition of the smoke heading in our direction, it isn't a secondary impact crater. Nor is there enough of it to be a natural fire of some sort...

... a settlement perhaps.

[makeshiftwings]

The only way to really find out is to take a look. Let's get through these trees.

[sciencetank]

Very well. Do hold on.

[Because the tank is about to indiscriminately smash through the trees.]

[makeshiftwings]

[ She gives a little squeal of surprise, clinging to his shoulder for dear life. ]

[sciencetank]

[He probably should have warned her better, but oh well.]

[In no time at all, they're reaching the edge of the forest, and the big scientist is... comically ducking down behind a rock. The better to observe.]

... What a wretchedly primitive little settlement this is.

[makeshiftwings]

[ She looks. Smoke from the chimneys, yes, but the lights seem electric. There might be "fuel" for them both here. ]

I guess... I guess I'm going to have to go take a look.

Do you have something that I can contact you with?

[sciencetank]

Of course.

[He's just going to hand her something small and round.]

A basic two-way receiver, designed to be placed in training modules for encryption work. It should serve your purposes.

[makeshiftwings]

[ She takes it from him, turning it over in her hands. After a moment, she closes her eyes and her tattoos begin to glow. ]

Can you hear me?

[ Yes, that is her voice on his comm lines. No, she's not moving her lips. ]

[sciencetank]

[He looks at her. Tilts his head. Taps the side of his head, as if to clear his audio receptors.]

Indeed.

How...? Is it you managed to...?

[makeshiftwings]

[ Her laugh sounds on his comm before she opens her eyes again, the light fading from her tattoos. ]

I don't really understand how, myself. It's something I've always been able to do. I'm what we call a siren- I have special abilities. The other sirens I've met can manipulate reality. Me? I manipulate technology.

[ As she says this, she takes one of the laces out of her shirt... vest. Corset. Thing. And ties it around the little device, making a sort of makeshift necklace for herself. ]

[sciencetank]

Fascinating. An organic being capable of interfacing with technology in such a way...

[He trails off, pulling out one of those datapads he seems to keep on himself like spare change.]

Do keep in touch. Just in case.

[makeshiftwings]

I will.

[ A beat, then: ] Can you let me down?

[sciencetank]

Let...? Ah! Yes. A moment.

[Excuse him while he just picks her up in one hand and sets her down. Like she weighs as much as a pillow.]

[makeshiftwings]

[ WELL, she's not exactly a big person. One on the ground, she makes the short trek to the town.

A while later, Angel's voice sounds over the comm again ]

Perceptor? There's no one here.

[sciencetank]

What do you mean?

[As he asks, his head pops up from behind that rock. With a small shrub stuck to the top of his helmet.]

[makeshiftwings]

Exactly what I said. This town is empty.

[ Lights on, fires burning, dinner cooking. It's actually a little creepy. ]

[sciencetank]

... Odd. Any sign of a cause?

[Regardless of her answer, he steps out of the bushes, making his way into the town.]

[stomp stomp stomp]

[makeshiftwings]

Not that I can tell, but I'm still investigating.

[ She does hear him coming and steps out onto the main street, a loaf of bread tucked under one arm. ]