Out of this world Job Search

The city of Vos reaches high into the Cybertronian sky- a place of lofty spires to match lofty ideals- and high-flying mechs with high-flying ambitions to match. But not all is on the up and up here... or quite so high... though their aims are still reaching for the sky- and beyond.
Down on ground level... or even a bit underneath, something else moves and makes and- creates. In fact- there are many levels here, and Brainstorm is currently moving around level one.
The Cybertronian jet hums to himself as he moves about a big shipyard in front of a large building. It's the building he pointed Nautica towards not too long ago, and right now he moves among various pieces of machinery... aeronautic bits and pieces. For this is Vos, and that means *flight*. There might be more below, but here- on the more obvious level at least- parts of ships, wings, engines and other pieces lie about the great yard.
The blue-and-white Camien who makes her way towards the building is not one who often soars through the sky, at least not under her own power; even if she keeps ships humming as they jump between the far-flung worlds of the galaxy, the 'skies' that Nautica sails through on her own are usually those below the waves.
Still, even if she is not possessed of an aerial altmode, Vos is not unfamiliar to Nautica, situated as it is near the edge of the Mithril Sea. And so it's with at least some small degree of familiarity that she makes her way through the streets towards the address which Brainstorm gave her. Spotting the scientist moving about the yard in front of the building, she offers a wave and calls out a greeting. After all, it's only polite to warn someone before blundering into what might be an experiment of theirs. "Hello!"
From the shadows, behind some boxed up machinery, Drift watches the Cybertronian jet, optics narrowed. He's been roaming around for some time, and Brainstorm has caught his optic. He's been watching the weapons specialist for a bit now, looking on as he moves various pieces of machinery around.
He kinda needs a favor--he's recently acquired a ship with alien tech and the cannon on it is damaged badly. Neither he nor his partner in crime know how to fix it, and Brainstorm--well, let's just say Drift's been watching him and he thinks he might be able to sway the mech.
Brainstorm is just reaching in to loosen a screw on one of the assorted wings when Nautica calls his name. He lifts his head up, and his yellow optics brighten at the sight of her. "Hey!" He straightens up a bit *too* soon, managing to bump his head on an overhanging piece of equipment.
"Ow!" Rubbing the back of his helmet, he pulls out and straightens up successfully this time, his little accident already forgotten. "How are ya? Ready to join us in ADVENTURE and EXCITEMENT?" He strides up, opening his arms and looking quite cheerful. Drift goes unnoticed for now.
"Adventure and excitement, hm?" Nautica laughs, even as she makes her way into the yard. "Now I feel like I set my sights too low; I was just hoping for a better appointed lab and something more than just tinkering to do. But if adventure and excitement are on offer, maybe I have to step up my expectations."
The Camien engineer gestures around the yard with one arm, then turns her optics back to Brainstorm. "What are you working on here, anyway?"
Drift waits, watching in silence for a few more breems. His brow ridge arches when Nautica approaches. He was hoping he could approach the weapons specialist alone, but he supposes now is as good of a time as any. He climbs to the top of the boxed machinery he's been hiding behind, allowing his shadow to fall on whatever it is that Brainstorm is working on, obscuring his possibly needed light source.
Brainstorm lifts his hands up in a mock surrender, "OH WELL HEY, I guess a day job works, too." Then he seems to grin under his faceplate as he takes another step closer. "BUT ONE /STEP/ at a TIME, right? Just..." He glances over at what appears to be the spare parts of a very larger spacecraft. "Some *steps* are bigger than others!" He leans in and nudges at her briefly with an elbow. "It's all a matter of perspective, amIright?"
At the mention of his work, he brightens even more. "INTELLIGENT WEAPONRY." He points to the outer fuselage of an aircraft. "Imagine that's a Cybertronian, and he's in some sort of fight- maybe he's a guard or a police officer. His systems get damaged- what's he gonna do? How's he gonna fight? He's slag out of luck, is what he is! Except...and unless..." The scientist lifts up a finger, "There's a second set of... processors involved." He leans in. "IMAGINE if that was POSSIBLE."
That's when a shadow falls over them both, and Brainstorm looks up to see Drift. "Woah. Dramatic entrance." He gives Drift a thumbs-up. "I LIKE THIS GUY ALREADY."
"Weaponry separate from someone's main systems?" Nautica asks, looking over the bits of the spacecraft and considering it. "That opens up quite a few possibilities, doesn't it. The redundancy is good. On the other hand, it also opens up vulnerabilities. External systems might be able to be compromised."
At this, Nautica gestures to the fuselage. "Imagine your hypothetical officer, standing on patrol. Taking control of his systems is incredibly difficult, but the weapons would -- of necessity -- be much simpler processors. Someone with the right capabilities might take control of them, and suddenly your officer finds his weaponry shooting his comrades. The security aspect would require a lot of careful thought..."
The Camien turns back to Brainstorm as she finishes her statement, just in time to see Drift looming there. "Yikes! Where'd you come from, anyway?"
"...." Drift doesn't seem to know how to respond, or, he's extremely irritated but isn't showing it because he needs a favor from the guy. He jumps down from the top of the boxed machinery nimbly and strides coolly towards the two of them. He gives Nautica a brief look before turning to Brainstorm. "I need a favor."
Brainstorm looks quite proud of himself, though as Nautica speaks and points out the potential fallbacks of his idea, his expression subtly shifts from one of smug satisfaction to the expression of someone who just realized his ideas may not be quite so amazing as he thought they were. But even if that WAS the case, and Brainstorm would totally deny it of course, his expression adjusts rapidly back to a confident, busy, and LOUD demeanor. "OF COURSE!" He waves a hand like *ha ha, already thought of that, PFFT*, "And that's why they have ME working on this idea, so that we can avoid getting bogged down with all those annoying details- I mean find the workable solutions- and make this thing RIGHT."
Brainstorm peers back over at Drift, watching as he jumps down and addresses them. "Uh...favor? What kind of favor?"
Perhaps luckily for Brainstorm, Nautica takes this response at face value. "Always important to consider the downsides before you're too far into the design. Don't want a system shorting out and starting a fire, a transportation device leaving bits of someone behind, or a quantum engine pod malfunctioning and ripping open spacetime." One hopes she hasn't actually done either of the latter two of those.
Then she turns her attention fully to Drift, offering him a pleasant smile despite the momentary surprise of his arrival. She'll watch her possibly-soon-to-be-colleague at work here.
"I have a ship with a laser cannon that needs fixing." His optics narrow a little. "Usually I'd demand that the job is free. But maybe this time I'll be more lenient and we can have a trade-off." He smirks at the femme. "You seem intelligent, maybe you can help him out." He laughs a little. "He might actually need it." Wink wink.
Brainstorm nods to Nautica. "YES, absolutely! I always pay attention to that...sort of... thing." He says that wiht the conviction of someone who.... probably rarely EVER pays attention to that sort of thing, though to his credit he pulls out a small datapad and quickly jots down a few notes- probably on what she just said. Brainstorm is enthusiastic, and he IS smart, really. Yes, REALLY. He's just... a bit impulsive and impatient, especially (?) in this early stage of his career.
Brainstorm's optics light up again at the mention of laser cannons. The mech DOES love his weaponry. "Oh! Laser cannon, awesome. What kind? 100-kilowatt? Lithium ionic charge? Oh! Maybe an X-ray?" He pauses, though, at the rest, and a bit of his enthusiasm seems to fade, replaced by a slight amount of uncertainty. Even Brainstorm can sense the slightly... is it dangerous? vibe this guy is giving off, and the 'Bot's highly honed self-preservation instincts may be tripping an alarm within. "Uh...yeah, trade-off.... I think I could arrange that..." He laughs nervously and looks to Nautica... possibly for help.
The Camien regards Drift thoughtfully. Nautica is not the world's most socially adept bot, but she's definitely getting 'danger!' vibes off this one -- 'demand' being one of the key words in this impression. "And what sort of trade-off were you thinking of?" she asks, even as she toys with the end of her wrench. (It's like a security blanket!) "You want him to fix the laser, what sort of payment are you offering? After all, as you heard... he has a number of projects here." A gesture to the building, and then she looks over at Brainstorm for confirmation, adding, "I imagine he'll have to shuffle his schedule to work on any side projects."
"You think you could?" Drift says derisively, smirking, "honestly. Don't get your tailpipes in a twist. /I'll/ be doing all the arranging." He shrugs. "Hell, I don't know. It's alien tech. I'd fix it myself, but one look was enough to tell me that I don't know slag about what I'm dealing with here." His ruby red optics meet Nautica's gaze steadily and he lights up a devilish smile. He puts a hand on her wrench, forcing it down gently but firmly. "Don't ask so many questions. If he wants the job, he'll take it. And as far as payment goes--just know that there will be one."
Brainstorm nods rapidly in affirmation of Nautica's salient points, then turns to look at Drift again. "She's right, I'm a busy mech. Busy, busy, busy mech." As Drift goes on, he stammers nervously, "Busy, busy, busy, busy, BUSY mech..." His fingers twitch nervously and he takes a step back... though at the mention of alien technology he stops and tilts his head. "Alien tech?" He stands there a moment more, then suddenly the nervousness vanishes and he's taking a step forward. "What...*kind* of alien tech? Where's it from?"
"Also: what sort of systems is it hooked up to," Nautica adds, glancing over at Brainstorm. "After all, repairing a single unusual component of an otherwise-known system is a very different task than having to decipher an entire alien technology base. Everything necessary to control it, to make it function..." There is, perhaps, a /small/ amount of excitement to her tone, nonetheless. Alien technology could have new technological secrets to discover, after all.
"...busy, right," Drift grins, nearly interrupting the other mech. He places one hand on Brainstorm's back, and the other on Nautica's waist. He smirks, and starts ushering them towards the back of the building, letting out a bit of a sinister laugh. Behind a number of tall, industrial storage cans is a beautiful and rare ship with an avante garde cloaking tech. If it were not for Drift uncloaking it, neither of them would have seen it. "Seriously, like I said before. Questions aren't going to do anyone any favors. I don't know, but have a look for yourself."
Brainstorm rubs his hands together, glad that Nautica seems to be sharing at least /some/ of his growing excitement. Or at least he thinks she is. "Exactly! What if it's an entirely new system? Maybe even a new power source? A new binary language? The possibilities could be endless! What if-" *erk*
He flinches slightly as Drift suddenly places a hand on his back and leads him and Nautica towards this strange ship in question. The poor 'Bot looks nervous- until he spots that ship. Then his optics widen. Hands reach towards the ship, and he rushes right towards it without a second thought. (This is NOT a cautious mech- more like leap first, look later.) "Look at that, Nautica.... have you ever seen anything like it?!"
Where Brainstorm is a scientist... Nautica is a quantum mechanic. She's remarkably good in a number of scientific and scholarly fields, almost alarmingly so, but ships are what she has lived and breathed; until the Clampdown grounded everyone, it was what she did as her actual job. She steps forward, standing right below the ship as she looks up. "No... not exactly like this."
The Camien turns around, looking to Drift with concerns momentarily forgotten. "What's the jump range on these engines? With a cloak, it must have a pretty good power plant." She steps beneath the wing, turning to gaze up. "Where did you get it? The design isn't familiar, but there are elements that could be..." She trails off, running through any number of quick assessments internally.
"Whoa, don't stasis lock from excitement," Drift says dryly. Brainstorm is kind acting like some of Drift's old buddies when they OD, and that's starting to unnerve him. Maybe he picked the wrong guy to ask a favor of...
Well, there's still the fem. Maybe she can help. "Don't know, don't know, don't know." He gives her a bored look. Then he lights up a devious grin. "Wanna take it for a spin?"
*of
Brainstorm lets Nautica deal with the ship itself- his immediate attention is quickly drawn to the laser cannons on the wings. The turquoise and white mech ducks down underneath one wing, making sure his own wings don't get in the way. He reaches up and starts running his hand along a cannon, whistling in admiration. "Oh... this is NICE. 30 metameter diameter cannon, that's probably 100-kilowatt laser... maybe 150 if it's X-ray?"
He steps over to look at the end of the barrel, "Not too much residue on this one, so..." He walks over to the other cannon and looks at its barrel, wiping a finger along the lip. "Ah. Much more scorching here- this must be your problem child, then?" For all his quirks, it does seem Brainstorm knows weaponry. WHO KNEW.
Oh, is Nautica quite obviously torn. Spaceflight is forbidden; if it weren't, she'd still be working as the engineer on the Camien delegation's ship. The fact that she isn't is why she's here, prepared to speak to Brainstorm about a new job. But she's just been presented with a ship of unknown design and origin, including the engines. Is it capable of long-range FTL jumps? How does it all work? Is there technology she could crib from? "Is the damage to more than the weapons? Does it still fly?" If it can't, after all, that removes the temptation.
Drift grins. "If it couldn't fly, I wouldn't offer," he says. "Come on." He winks, then takes her hand and leads her up the gangplank. He then leads her, still holding her hand, to the cockpit and ushers her into the shotgun seat.
He approaches Brainstorm, then gives the mech a hefty slap on the back. "Hate to burst your bubble kid, but we're gonna take the ship for a spin." He hands Brainstorm the odd, oblong shaped key. "You get to drive. But when we get back from our race around the block, you better fix the ship." His optics narrow, and he leans in close, inches from Brainstorm's faceplates. "Have we got a deal?"
Down from Vos' very busy skyways comes a sleek red and white flight form, with the red medical crosses emblazoned on its wings. Brainstorm would likely recognize him--it's Pharma, one of the best doctors at the Deltaran Medical Facility, as well as one of the leading medical researchers at the Institute where Brainstorm also works.
The physician touches down on the shipyard, landing near the weapons engineer and transforming up into an imposing figure who definitely looks like he knows everything. He also looks not very happy with Brainstorm. "Brainstorm, have you been taking your medication?" What, he's on drugs? Why are we surprised, he's quite -obviously- got a hyperactivity problem. He casts suspicious optics on Drift and Nautica. "And who are they?"
...speaking of -them-. One of them seems to have just handed Brainstorm the keys to a ship of unknown origin. And offered to let him drive it, if he's hearing right. Is this mech mad? "Have you lost your /bolts/?" Pharma snaps, snatching the keys hopefully before Brainstorm can take them. "I wouldn't even let him operate a simple /hover transport/ on a cycle when he's somehow decided to be wise and take the proper doses of his anti-hyperactivity injections."
Brainstorm's optics get as wide as Nautica or Drift have ever seen them get. He stares at the key, then looks back up to Drift. He doesn't even seem to notice that Drift is FAR too close now, or sounding possibly shady here. "I get to.....DRIVE?" He looks up, positively BEAMING with EXCITEMENT. "DRIVE THIS?! OH MECH YES!!!!"
Then Pharma shows up. Brainstorm chooses to...ignore him. "WELL LET US GET GOING, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, NOTHING AT ALL!!!!" He tries to rush the others into the cockpit, close the door, anything he possibly can to get going before Pharma finds some way of ruining his fun. AND OH WHAT FUN IT WILL BE! There's a little almost insane snicker of dlight as he dangles the keys. It's a bit scary, actually.
Pharma WHO?
Nautica, for her part, is impressed; she's heard of Pharma. He's a reknowned, brilliant medical mind. She's never met him, but she can respect his reputation. So, his 'who are they' is met with "Oh, I'm Nautica. I'm a qua..." But then Brainstorm's apparently hurrying up, trying to close the cockpit, and her introduction is almost certainly cut short.
Drift glowers at Brainstorm. "Wait, you're on medication?? The hell!" He groans, but scowls at Pharma. Then he sighs, resigned. "Trust me, I consider this a good deal. As long as we don't die. And I'm pretty sure we won't." He snatches the keys back from Pharma and drops them into Brainstorm's eagerly awaiting hands as he is ushered into the cockpit of the ship.
He starts seriously strapping Nautica in the shotgun seat. "You' re gonna want to hold on as tight as hell," he says. He then stands, and grabs onto a bar near a window portal, looking grim.
Brainstorm will find the keys are very odd. They latch onto his arm and suddenly, a strange needle like protrusion is sliding up his arm and into his cerebral circuitry. And as soon as it attaches, it starts reading the transmissions coming from Brainstorm's mind. All he has to do is think, and the ship will obey. Except focus is key. Actually, more like mandatory. It's safe to say that as soon as Brainstorm gets sidetracked, so does the ship.
Pharma grumbles and folds his arms. "Fine, you all have a deathwish, don't expect me to put your bodies together after you've subjected yourselves to Brainstorm's idiocy." He shakes his head and walks off. It's none of his business if other mechs want to kill themselves, really.
Brainstorm blinks at Drift. "HEY, a person can still FUNCTION VERY WELL ON MEDICATION YOU KNOW. It'S ONLY TEMPORARY ANYWAY." Pause. "I think." He shrugs, and eagerly accepts the keys again. "OH PRIMUS THIS IS GONNA BE AMAZING."
The scientist watches, fascinated, as the key meshes WITH him. He flinches once at the needle, nervous... but then his scientific curiosity takes over and he's back to being intent and observant. "Woah... Direct neural link. One binary code actually interpolating with another....I...I wonder what the after effects will be?" That actually cogent thought aside, he's back to just being far too excited for anyone's good. He lifts his hands to his head, stepping back with some surprise. "Oh wow.... Ok, wasn't expecting THAT." He glances to Nautica. "DON'T WORRY. I have this COMPLETELY UNDER CONTROL."
No he doesn't.
"That's /fascinating/," Nautica offers enthusiastically, watching the key bond with Brainstorm. "Can you imagine the possibilities for efficient operation of machinery? Or being able to connect to a ship's systems and just read the engine status as if you were feeling your own limb?"
Then something Pharma said finally sinks in. "Wait, medication?" Nautica asks, turning her attention to Brainstorm. "Wouldn't that potentially have an adverse impact on the accuracy of a direct neural linkage? After all, it could well impact the ability to read intent from the pilot." TOO LATE NOW.
Drift is finishing strapping Nautica as she rambles excitedly about the fancy tech the vehicle sports. She may find it very difficult to move her arms, and legs. Hopefully it doesn't occur to her that the way she's strapped in is the way hostage or prisoner might be bound. "..." Drift is about to comment, but then the ship rockets upward. Vertically.
Brainstorm nods to Nautica, "It IS! It's weird... it's almost like an extension of myself..." He simply stands there a moment, letting himself "feel" this out, literally. There is a totally alien system meshing with his own... and who knows what the consequences of that will even be. Not that he cares. This IS Brainstorm. If you CAN do something cool, then... DO IT. Conseque-wuuut? "Oh mech... this is gonna put me SO FAR AHEAD my current team. I can't WAIT to tell 'em..."
He blinks as another system tweaks, and there's a slight twitch of his head. He stares, blankly, for a moment, then suddenly goes on as if nothign happened. "WELL! LET's GET STARTED THEN!!" He waves off Nautica's concerns. "It's nothing, don't worry. Would you want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity? Of COURSE not. SCIENCE always comes first!"
With that, he thinks about flying- and that's exactly what they do. The ship lurches forward, and Brainstorm actually goes falling backwards... until the physical link stops him, at least. "I wonder if I can make the ship more like ME, too... could the neural net work both ways?...." He looks around. "Maybe I could make this thing transform into a giant... ME. Wouldn't that be COOL?" The ship lifts up, breaking rapidly into lower atmosphere- then the upper atmosphere....
"Oh. Thank you, but you don't need to fasten me in quite so tightly," Nautica notes to Drift, polite but somewhat nervous. Perhaps because of the nature of the restraints, perhaps because Brainstorm is flying a ship WITH HIS MIND, oh Primus this can't end well.
And then UP they soar, towards orbit. "You do realize you're going to get us all arrested," Nautica points out mildly to her fellow Science sort. And, after all, you can't Science in jail. Usually.
And that's exactly what the ship does. Ship see, ship do. Brainstorm starts falling backwards, so the ship suddenly loses momentum and start plummeting back down towards the earth. Which is why Brainstorm should really be strapped in like Nautica. Then, it registers Brainstorm thought of making it look more like him and starts transforming into a giant version of Brainstorm's helm.
Except that isn't all that fun for the passengers, who are probably trying to make the best of a room that's changing shape and reorganizing it's parts. Drift ends up stuck halfway in a storage closet. "... Oh really? You think so?!"
"Hm." Nautica stares at the console where Brainstorm is plugged in, heedless of the fact that the chair into which she's fixed is now hanging from the ceiling. "That /is/ fascinating. The ship can apparently reconfigure itself based on the needs of the operator. I wonder if that means you can change the appearance of the ship entirely, but keep it still a ship."
The Camien pauses, and then adds, "We should probably deal with the fact that we're falling out of the sky, though."
Brainstorm hmmms. He doesn't want getting arrested to get in the way of his SCIENCE. Then again... he isn't one to worry TOO much about the law. "Hey, Drift, this thing have a..." Then as the thought hits him, there it is. Oh yeah. There IS a cloaking device. "HA!" Brainstorm snaps his fingers. "Protoform's play." The ship- er, Brainstorm's head, er... whatever it is.... disappears from sight. Autobot orbital patrols won't be able to find them now... hopefully. The fact that the ship is rolling along up and down like a rollercoaster doesn't even seem to register to the 'Bot.
He just hangs on tight, "This is AWESOME, isn't it Nautica?!? I should invent a ride like this someday...." as he keeps trying to transform and fly the ship at the same time. "Hey... uh, what's your name.... this ship's amazing. What happens to you when you link in?"
Drift doesn't look like he's in any shape to really talk right now. He's hanging upside down from the ceiling--wait, now he's diagonal from the cockpit... and now he's back right side up. "...." He face plants into the floor.
Brainstorm might want to take control of the cloak.. it's not only cloaking the outside, but now, slowly everything inside is starting to cloak as well. However, Nautica and Drift won't notice the difference--because the ship is only linked to Brainstorm. It won't be long before Brainstorm can't even see himself.
It's possible that, just for once, Nautica might be starting to regret her recent life choices. The ship is fascinating, but as she finds herself trying to intuit precisely /how/ the ship is doing this, she finds she can't help but calculate the number of ways in which this could go really wrong. "10,437... and climbing," she murmurs to herself. "Oh, dear."
Brainstorm, meanwhile, looks like he's having the time of his life. He seems to be beaming under that faceplate, "OH! I wonder if I could just *THINK* this ship into having repaired weaponry.... or maybe even BETTER weaponry than before..." He gives Drift a thumbs-up, before nearly losing his balance again and having to hold on for dear life. Slowly, the ship's weapons systems hummm to life.....
Brainstorm may never find out if he managed to /think/ the ship into repairing itself. He will, however, find out just how much weaponry the vehicle carries, because as soon as he said better, the ship transforms again, mobilizing every single one of it's sixteen cannons.
And then, they all shoot. At once. And Brainstorm hasn't the activated the ship's backfire shocks, so one can imagine what happens. It goes barreling backwards.
Drift is shaken free of the storage closet door. He manages to make his way over to where Nautica is just before the ship rockets backwards. "...okay, this joy ride is over," he growls, "help me get this guy under control..."
Yep. Definitely starting to regret recent life choices. "You did sort of fasten my arms and legs to the chair," Nautica notes, tapping the fingers of one hand against the side her leg, slowly shifting along as if searching for something. Tap tap tap. Ah, there's the edge of her wrench in its little holder! Taptap... and the wrench activates its cutter, letting Nautica attempt to maneuver the straps such that she can get free, and try to rein in her Science Friend.
Brainstorm hasn't noticed much else... this is all FAR too fascinating to the scientist. And with his mind linked, he's experiencing what it's like to BE this ship. He's a jet himself, of course, but not a ship on this massive scale... nor alien technology. It's like the best rollercoaster ride in the world to someone who LOVES amusement park rides.
He does feel the weapons launch, and does hear Drift's growl, though, and Brainstorm blinks and looks over at him. Of course, that's a distraction... which means the ship goes plunging again. "Oh! Whoops!? He tries to focus this time, and the cloaking field holds steady at least...for now. But the weapon systems have thrown the ship far off course, and Brainstorm clings to the side of the ship... starting to look nervous. "Ok... uh... what do I do?" Pause. "Wait, no, just gimme a second, I'll figure it out!..."
"Heh. Guess I can always admire a lady who can help herself," Drift says, smirking. Then he approaches Brainstorm, optics narrowed. "You can give me the keys," he snarls, and grabs Brainstorm by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
Slicing herself free from the straps, Nautica drops down next to Brainstorm's seat, holding onto the back with her left hand. "I think /maybe/ the ride is over," she notes to Brainstorm. To Drift, she adds, "But where /did/ you find this thing? It's /incredible/."
Priorities?
Brainstorm gets grabbed by the neck and lifted up, and starts flailing in a panic at the sudden physical contact, interrupting the focus in his inner mind and inner connections. Also, it hurts and it startles him. Suddenly he's not out THERE anymore, he's in here and... ow. "Hey hey hey watchit watchit OW OW!"
He blinks at Nautica, as if just seeing her again after a long time. The 'Bot is trying to focus, and it's hard. "Uh... OK..OK... I got this...." He concentrates REAL HARD and tries to start setting the ship back down.....
The ship is registering that Brainstorm is being attacked. But Brainstorm's thoughts are too discombobulated for it to decipher who is actually doing the attacking so it automatically trains its weapons on everyone in the ship except Brainstorm. Drift drops Brainstorm just as a laser blast zings through the air where his helm was a moment ago.
"Get down!" Drift yells at Nautica before shoving her to the floor, as the ship's inner artillery starts trying to turn them into a pile of slag.
At least they're headed for the ground now. A little too quickly, though. The ground is in sight within seconds--and before anyone can do much of anything to prevent a crash, it happens. Unceremoniously.
Lifting her wrench as if hoping to use it as a shield, Nautica looks for cover. "This is /not/ good," she notes to Brainstorm. "You really need to calm the systems down before they decide to turn us into..."
But whatever they'd be turned into isn't clarified, because abruptly the entire thing collides with the ground.
Brainstorm is trying hard not to panic... but isn't being very successful at it. He starts waving and gesturing to the ship itself, as if it was sentient, "C'mon c'mon... whatever you do, don't CRASH!" Of course it just seems to pick up the word "crash" from his mind and they accelarate even further downward. The 'Bot glances nervously at Nautica, "...Wow. You really keep your head in these situations, don't you?" He sounds almost... admiring. Then he snaps out of it. "RIGHT! IF we're gonna DIE then I need to..." His yellow optics widen and he stares at her. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE."
Knocking a hand against his helmet, he tries to concentrate again. "RIGHT. OKAY. YES. Calm the systems down before..." His optic ridges furrow in deep concentration... but it's too late.
WHAM!!!!
Not long after, Brainstorm is sitting.... outside the ship. He looks dazedly at Nautica. "....What.... happened?"
"I don't think you're allowed to fly anymore," Nautica remarks succinctly, quietly checking herself over to make certain she's actually intact. "At least not /that/ ship."
Brainstorm rubs his helmet, still looking a bit dazed. He did his best to repair the ship, and then Drift threw them both out. Drift... didn't seem happy, either, for some reason.
Brainstorm comments, "WOW. Now THAT was a ...trip." He blinks, then slowly pushes himself up to stand. He appears a bit unsteady, though. His head hangs down as if hurting, and he starts to shake. The shaking just gets more apparent, though, and soon it's evident it's not shaking at all. No, it's *laughter*. His head lifts up to beam at Nautica. "Wasn't that AMAZING, though? Ok, a little rocky, but wow... you won't get another experience like that in awhile." He taps the side of his head. "Plus... I have files, and data to sort through now. I was *linked*... can't wait to get back to my lab and see what I can make of it all!"
He turns to look at the femme. "Oh... speaking of which.... you were coming to the lab, weren't you?" He leans in. "Lookin' for that job, right?"
"The technology's amazing," Nautica agrees. "I'd love to get my hands onto some of the components, see how they function. I'm not certain he'll want you anywhere near that ship again, though. /Or/ me, at this rate." Settling her wrench back into place, she adds, "Yes! I was. I could really use something to /do/ around here." And Science is good.
Brainstorm looks wistfully off in the direction he last saw the ship. "Yeah... maybe not, but I doubt we'd be likely to see it again anyway." Then he motions for her to follow him. "C'mon, I'll take you for a tour. I can't show you *much* of course... you'd have to be hired and have the proper clearance and all that... but I can show you around a little bit."
And soon there they are... inside the building Nautica had originally headed in to inquire at. On the outside there's not much to see. Looks a bit old and worn, but habitable. Inside is a different story, and it's very clean and modern. There's a reasonable amount of technology and someone just inside the front door who smiles and nods as they walk in. There are a bunch of cameras around, too.... and a few locked doors. But again, not too assuming. Here.
Brainstorm gestures around him. "So, as you can see, nice modern, professional workplace. No outdated, old equipment here... we strive towards the *future*."
The equipment is examined with a professional eye; as an engineer, Nautica has an appreciation for good quality tools. "And what do you research here, specifically? Just a general think-tank, or are there specific projects allocated which everyone has to work on?"
The cameras get a glance, but she doesn't think much of them; many research institutions have security cameras here and there. Plenty of institutions in general, after all. Instead, Nautica's attention falls on one of the consoles nearby, as she examines it closely. Ooh, is this what she thinks it is?
Brainstorm swings his arms wide, looking quite proud of himself and the place. "Oh, well... as you saw out in the shipyard, we research new technology such as aviation improvements and repairs," He points to the wings on his back, "I'm even a jet myself, so it's a natural. We work on problems that help both sentient flying Cybertronians and the ships they use."
He walks along, continuing his speech. "We have a few other projects on the side... this is a very... innovative place, and if there's anything new.. anything that might help us grow and expand our understanding of tech, systems... even how Cybertronians can grow and improve *themselves*... there might be someone here researching it." He shrugs, "Well here or a few other locations." He stops and looks as Nautica leans in to examine something. "Oh... uh, well... be careful. You never know what ...experiments might pop up around here." Odd... Brainstorm is saying...BE CAREFUL?
"Oh, I'm usually careful," Nautica replies, which is not necessarily truly the case. Even she seems to realize that, and then adds, "Unless forced by time constraints not to be. After all, sometimes, if an engine's about to explode, you really have to go for 'fast' over anything else."
Straightening, the Camien femme sets off towards one of the side hallways, just to peek curiously within what's over /here/? "But what sort of experiments do you mean? I'd think most would be contained within appropriate labs." Because experiments usually aren't mobile, right?
Brainstorm chuckles. "MY thoughts EXACTLY." He turns to look at her. "I like the way you think. It's like me. Caution is good... yeah..." His voice doesn't sound all that convinced, but then it strengthens in conviction. "But a true GENIUS knows when it's time to let go of old habits and try something *new*! You've got to have the courage to just make that leap of faith, ya know? Believe in yourself and all that you've learned... and don't let yourself be dictated by FEAR. So many amazing discoveries haven't even been discovered yet... because people are *afraid*. Afraid of being ALL that they can be. Paralyzed, in fact."
He tsks and continues on down the hall, stopping to look as Nautica again wonders off to a side spot. He meanders over there too... "Oh, well, the application area is THAT way..." he suggests, then answers, "Well.. like I said, ALL kinds. Like... like that ship I was linked to today, for instance. What if you could plug into thoughts and consciousness anytime you wished? Or communicate with technology- or other things- in ways you never thought possible? Or develop certain... systems? We're dealing with things that move... as well as more static systems. Soo...." he shrugs, "Sometimes scientists move to different labs, so they have access to different equipment... or projects."
"Application area?" Nautica asks, glancing over to Brainstorm. "As in, where projects are actually put into field tests, or a different type of application?" She turns to look in the direction he indicated, taking a few steps down that hallway. "This place is very well equipped. Far better than what I've been able to scrape together to pass time at the embassy!"
You say "OH... heh..." The 'Bot scratches the back of his head. "Well, I meant the place you can read up about and apply for a job, actually. If you want." He pauses. "But after the tour, yeah." He nods to the femme. "Yes! Like I said, up-to-date. You can't create the tech of the future with yesterday's equipment. Slag, here... sometimes... don't have the equipment you need to run an experiment you want? *Invent it*. Creativity is *highly* encouraged." He seems to grin under his faceplate. "It's why I love it here.""
"Oh! Yes." Nautica offers an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I suppose I got a little carried away. I should definitely go check the application area, then." She gives the equipment a slightly wistful look. It would be /very/ nice to have things to do, and with equipment that wasn't scrounged and scavenged to be stuffed into the corner of her quarters in the embassy.
Brainstorm nods enthusiastically. "I think you'd fit in well here. Usually I'd take a bit more time, ask a few more questions... but anyone who goes off on an alien ship with me FOR SCIENCE..." He chuckles again. "Is A-OK in my book." He walks besides her, gesturing towards the area in question.
As they get closer, he says, "Of course, I'm not the one who decides this ultimately... but I CAN put in a good word for ya." He looks proud again. "And they TOTALLY RESPECT my OPINIONS, you know." The scientist nods his head, as if convincing not only her but himself, as well. Then he leans towards her. "And if you do get in, then... heh, I can't WAIT to show you what I've been working on!"
"I look forward to it," Nautica replies, with a warm smile for her fellow Science Bot. And then there's the application area, and she's looking inside as if all curious whether it is a normal job application area, or something more unique.
And there, inside, is a maze of fire-breathing sparkeaters and Grongorian Space Yaks ready to stomp on the unwary as they try to stay in line....
OK, not /quite/. However, there is a pleasant-looking clerk standing by a desk, and several screens showcasing what look to be impressive examples of technology. In fact, Nautica will probably recognize some fairly recent innovations in aerospace technology and engine work that are either being discussed onscreen- or even sitting there in the office on display... ready for admiration. Brainstorm walks up to one such device and places a hand on it. "This here? Remember those new extra-powerful X-ray lasers that hit the market not long ago??" He seems to grin. "MY project."
"/Very/ nice," Nautica offers to Brainstorm, in an approving tone. "Quite the display. Is that..." Her attention has been caught by one of the screens, where a particular quantum engine pod is displayed, spinning, in all its three-dimensional glory. "Is that what I think it is? With a quantum foam extrusion port, for balancing foam between two pods? It was invented here?"
Brainstorm beams again. "Yup!" He strides over to the display. "I helped work on that project. Of course, the lead mechanic got all the CREDIT..." He sighs and looks a bit put off, "...but actually *I* did the lion's share of the work! He kept coming up and asking me, Hey, Brainstorm, what do you think if we add this here? Or take out that engine relay system?" He shrugs though, putting on a noble air. "But... that's just the way it goes sometimes. Ya gotta let your Boss look good." He chuckles, and adds quietly- but earnestly. "I'll get MY day."
"Well, now I /have/ to work here," Nautica says, watching the screen with the engine component. But at Brainstorm's comment, the femme rests a hand on his shoulder and nods once. "I'm /certain/ you will, Brainstorm," she assures him. Then she straightens. "But in the meantime, I should probably go fill out that application, shouldn't I?"
Brainstorm turns to look as she places a hand on his shoulder, and he seems to straighten up just a bit, looking pleased. He nods. "Yes... and I look forward to working with you!" He winks, adding, "Thinking positive. It's a way of life."
Category:NC Institute