pullmeoutalive | And another one of these!

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.]

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

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.]

[ 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?

[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.

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

Very well. Do hold on.

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

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

[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.

[ 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?

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.

[ 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. ]

[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...?

[ 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. ]

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.

I will.

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

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.]

[ 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.

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.]

Exactly what I said. This town is empty.

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

... 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]

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. ]

Hmm.

[Time to check the air for potential gases lethal to organic systems. And scan the area for corpses, signs of violence... anything.]

Decidedly strange.

[ When he's in town, Angel's glow fades and she speaks to him normally ]

Do you think they left?

[ As for his scans- nope, nothing. It doesn't even seem to indicate that people even lived here at all. The bread in Angel's hand is real and safe enough, though.

Also, there are energy readings coming from a large tree at the edge of town. A tree on which there appear to be growing energon cubes. ]

Difficult to say. Observations aren't in line with an evacuation or...

[That's about when he notices that tree.]

[And shuts up. Completely. He's too dumbstruck by what he's looking at to form a coherent sentence. Which is some kind of miracle for the scientist.]

... I don't... believe this...

[Excuse him while he heads for that tree.]

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