Clockwork Memories

++ Iacon ++

Gleaming gold, silver and blue as far as the eye can see: the capital of
Cybertron itself can be breathtaking to behold. Architecture both old and
modern reflect a sense of stately order as well as artistic beauty, with
gentle arches, gilded domes and spiraling towers that rise into the
skyline. Even the walkpaths and roads are copper and bronze, the
maintenance workers here diligently tending to them to prevent any kind of
rust and corrosion. The city itself almost seems alive, with glowing power
conduits in circuit pathways running along the streets and buildings,
powering external lights and glowing holomatter signs. Cyan-colored crystal
and glass windows reflect the hue of the sky in day, or glow from internal
lighting at night.

Populated mostly by high caste and above, Iacon is the seat of Cybertron's
government, military and intellectual class. At the end of the main road
into Iacon is Trion Square, which features an enormous video screen, every
bit as big as a combiner, constantly flickering with news feeds,
state-sponsored messages and advertisements. Translucentia Heights, the
most elite residential area on Cybertron, is nestled into a corner of
Iacon's living quarters. Energon refineries, technoversites, merchant
plazas, a nurturing creche and even a nature preserve fall within the
massive polity's boundaries, making Iacon one of the few completely
self-sufficient cities on the planet.

Contents:
Whirl
Wheeljack's Workshop <WW>
The Decagon <D>
Hall of Records

Exits:
NE [Translucentia Heights]              E [Tyrest]
SE [Senate Pavilions]                   S [Nova Cronum]
SW [Alpha Preserve]                     W [Nyon]

Skydive, for once, isn't in the hall of records. But that's more because he has a job to do than anything else. Thankfully today's survey of Iacon is good, so the report at the end will be relatively short. But that's merely in the air. As for ground survey, Skydive is slightly less enthusiastic, though does his job regardless.

With the busier sections checked out, Skydive eventually moves to the quiet parts of the city, every once in a while checking his datapad in hand while moving down the low traffic street. "Mm.. Today went by surprisingly smoothly. I may even clock out early." The mech muses to himself as he scribbles something on the pad and smirks.

Iacon isn't really the kind of place someone like Whirl would visit; it's far too classy for him, not to mention his odd looks makes him stick out like a sore thumb. This is why he tends to stick to seedier cities like Nyon, but everyone there is just as poor off as he is so he has no choice but to come to richer cities to make money. With a job right? Hahaha, no way. This is Whirl we're talking about, he's here to mug some suckers.

After wandering through the streets for some time, sticking to the alleys and shadows as he goes, he spots a potential target. Guy looks like a total nerd, sure he might be able to fly (as evidenced by his kibble) but surely there's no way he could successfuly fight off an attacker, right?

Whirl sticks close to his target, tailing him from quite some distance until they reach a quiet part of the city at which point he emerges from the shadows his was hiding in. There's a pistol clenched in his claws and he presses the barrel against the Aerialbots back. "Give me everything you have. I want your money, not your life but if you try to make a move I won't think twice."

And Skydive was having such a nice day, too. And now out comes Whirl, ready to ruin it. Stopping dead at the feel of a blaster at his back, the flier freezes instantly, one hand open and up slightly while the other remains on his datapad.

"Er.. I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong target, whoever you are. I make it a habit not to carry my money while on duty." ..On duty? That can't be good. Without turning his head, Skydive continues in that calm tone, "So why don't you just lower your gun and we can both be on our ways, yes?"

"I'm afraid it's not that easy. I've already made my presence known, you've already heard my voice," Whirl starts, the barrel of his gun pressing harder against the Aerialbot's back. "I can't just leave now without something, it doesn't have to be money." Even though he's sure the guy is lying about that, he's not going to press him on it. If he really does have money, it will come out eventually. "You got anything of value on you? What about that datapad? What's on the datapad?"

This will prove more difficult than expected... "Patrol reports. Nothing you'd be interested in." Skydive states simply, his entirety calm despite racing mind that's already formulately several ways of getting out of this. "Listen, I know it can be hard for mechs during these times, so I won't be reporting this. There isn't any reason for this to get violent.." Unless Whirl stops him, Skydive will attempt to glance over his shoulder at him, allowing the cyclops a look of his face as well.

Whirl can't help but stare long and hard at that face when Skydive dares to look at him over his shoulder. Wow, this guy has really nice lips. /Too nice./ It would be a real shame to be forced to pummel it into an unrecognizable mess.

"Patrol reports? Patrol reports for who?" The gun leaves the Aerialbot's back and now rests against his head, Whirl giving it a sharp push as he continues his interrogation. "You with the cops or something? Don't play coy, you better tell me right now or I swear to Primus I'll blow chunks of your brain module all over this street!"

Skydive's blue optics flick up and cross slightly to eye the barrel of the gun now settled against his head. He can already feel his fingers getting twitchy, but he resists the urge to retaliate and defend himself, since Whirl has yet to outright attack him. "No no, not at all." He says quickly to try and ease the mounting tension in the air, a growing frown on prominent lips as he shows him the pad. "Traffic reports. See? Look, I think this is all just a misunder--"

A soft chime goes off, barely loud enough to be heard by anyone outside Skydive's immediately space. But it's there and is makes the mech drop into dead silence, his expression dropping. Oh Primus, he hopes Whirl didn't hear that. Anything but that...

Whirl snatches the pad out of Skydive's hands and begins to look through it, the gun never leaving the side of his head. It is as he says, the datapad reveals nothing useful; nothing but tedious and boring traffic reports. He tosses it over his shoulder as it is of no value to him. "What else do you have? You gotta have something else on you." And that's when he hears it, that noise. It's quiet but he hears it.

And he knows /exactly/ what it is.

"Show it to me." The mech's tone is flat and deadly serious. "Show it to me right now."

Yep, he heard it. This is where things go from bad to worse for Skydive, who's already clenching his fists and fixing mouth into a hard line. "Absolutely not." He says firmly, his intellectual demeanor dropping in favor of someone who knows their way around a fight. He may not look it, but Skydive spent many a cycle in the training room back in Vos.

The chime calls out again, this time a little louder to announce itself in one of the mech's torso compartments.

Whirl knows that noise extremely well, he's heard it a million times and there can be no doubt about it's origins. He HAS to see it. He HAS to hold it in his claws. He HAS to know if it was one of his, and he has absolutely no problem with taking a few drastic measures to find out. "Show it to me!" he shouts, shoving the gun hard against the Aerialbot's head.

Then he hears it again and his gaze drops to the Aerialbot's chest. It's in there somewhere and Whirl is going to get it. Without a word, he lashes out at the mech with his claws, intending to sink them between the panels on his chest and pry one of them back in an attempt to locate the source of the chime.

-Combat- Whirl hits Skydive with a melee attack!

"I will not!" Skydive challenges, clenching teeth now and pressing somewhat back against the gun. He's ready to fight to keep the source of the chime to himself.. and so is Whirl. "Ergh!" A nasty claw snaps at the mech's torso, his weaker, flying frame easily giving way to the assault and a hole being torn open.

Staggering back in alarm and shock, Skydive holds a hand to the ripped panel, but not before something small and circular on a chain slips out and clatters to the ground. It's.. a pocket watch? And rather detailed, too, the cover carefully carved in an intricate, elegant pattern to keep the delicate clockface beneath safe.

Whirl doesn't follow up the assault with another strike, one was sufficient and it revealed exactly what he was expecting it to. He closes the space between them, pistol locked on the Aerialbot. "DON'T FRAGGIN' MOVE! I WILL SHOOT YOU AND I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU MOVE!" Hopefully this threat is sufficient at keeping Skydive in place while Whirl leans down to pick up the object and examine it.

He freezes up when he lays his optic upon the watch, entire body tensing as he takes in the details. The carving is so intricate, so elaborate and technical yet it's been done so precisely that it shows not a single blemish. There's a moment of hesitation before he opens the cover to reveal the clockface underneath. Yes, there is absolutely no question now. This was one of his. He gazes upon the small, delicate gears exposed just under the surface; remembering each and every one like he placed them there just yesterday. It was truly a fine piece of work, one of his better ones from later on in his career when he had finally mastered the craft. To see it again was like seeing an old friend come back to life.

"Where.." Whirl pauses to compose himself, trying to hide the emotions in his voice. "..Where did you get this?"

Panic races through the Aerialbot at the sight of his possession laying on the ground, out in the open and exposed. Clenching dentals and looking worried, Skydive attempts to step forward to grab the watch, but it forced to stop by the dangerous threat heavy in Whirl's voice. This wasn't just a simple theft. ..Now it was something else entirely.

Watching Whirl stare at the watch and touch it so gently, Skydive can't help but appear slightly confused, especially when he's posed that question. "..It was a graduation gift from my mentor. I don't know where he got it, he never told me, but I assume he bought it from whoever made it." Brows knit in concern and he bites his lower lip slightly. "..Listen. I'll forward what credits I have to you, just.. don't take the watch. That's all I ask.."

Whirl was afraid he was going to tell him he found it at a pawn shop or (god forbid) the trash. The thought of his work suffering such indignity is almost too much to bear. Thankfully this isn't the case, at least not with this particular piece, and he feels he can relax a little bit. There's even a nice story behind it, one that implies Whirl himself was the one who sold it to his would-be victim's mentor. To see one of his watches in the hands of someone who really and honestly treasures it, even to the point that they would give all the money they had to keep it, touches Whirl deeply.

He lowers his gun and maglocks it to his waist. He doesn't need it anymore and it wasn't even loaded anyway, he had used up all his ammunition in a previous encounter and hasn't been able to get more. The cyclops extends an arm, the watch held ever so gently in his claws, to Skydive. "Don't bother, I don't want your money."

Skydive waits with bated breath while watching Whirl examine the watch, so much worry emanating from the poor jet. He was ready to give everything he had to keep that watch, even the glasses off his face is it came down to it. It meant a lot, serving as a token of trust and accomplishment. Something that showed he was ready to actually do something in this world... perhaps make a difference.

So when Whirl offers it back and declines the money, Skydive is somewhat taken aback. "..I.." He pauses, eyeing the mech and receiving the watch with a practiced grace, holding it carefully yet protectively in his hands. "..Thank you." A soft frown marrs his lips and he glanced to the timepiece before looking back, studying the mech. "...I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why give it back? ..You looked as if you've seen this piece before."

Whirl was fine with having this end here. With the watch back in Skydive's hands, he turns his back on the mech and begins to saunter away no doubt to find himself a stiff drink as he could use one after this emotionally taxing encounter, but the Aerialbot's line of question makes him stop in his tracks. Who he was before the empurata is something he doesn't talk about normally; it's a personal secret that only he and an extremely select few are privy to. But this mech.. this mech who so loved his watch, was he worthy to hear the truth?

"Because I have seen it before." He glances at Skydive over his shoulder. "I made it."

Skydive almost drops the watch right there, though luckily his nerves are steeled enough at this point to keep a good grip on it. "..What?" Bright blues are wide as ever, staring at Whirl in.. well, not exactly disbelief, but certainly a mild confusion. The way he looked at it, the way he touched it and actually handed it back without question. He had to be the creator.

"That's.. That's amazing. My mentor has another piece from you.." He takes a step forward, eager to speak with this mystery mech now. "An older model, but he still uses it. This one, though.. It really does mean a lot to me, so.. thank you for making it so that it eventually came into my hands." A pause, a corner of his lips tugging slightly in thought. "Before you go.. What is your name? I'm Skydive."

The confusion on Skydive's face comes as no surprise. It's extremely hard to believe that someone in Whirl's condition, with those grotesque and terrible contraptions instead of hands, is capable of doing anything as delicate as making watches. He used to be someone, you know. Someone with actual hands.

Whirl turns around to completely face the Aerialbot as he goes on about his mentor and how he also has one of his watches, starting to feel really really bad for threatening to kill the guy and steal all his stuff. Then Skydive /thanks him./ He actually thanks him, and Whirl can't help but avert his gaze and give the ground a little scuff with his foot; suddenly feeling just a little embarrassed. "No, thank you. It.. makes me happy to meet someone who appreciates my work."

"I am Whirl," he says, still looking away.

Skydive, for once during this entire ordeal, smiles. It's warm and understanding and maybe a hint of embarrassed. "Well.. despite how this all began, it was nice to meet you, Whirl. I know it's a bit out of the ordinary to ask such a thing, but.."

He hesitates, fidgeting with his glasses a little and speaking back up in a hopeful tone. "Perhaps we could speak again sometime? And don't worry, I won't be writing this in the report." In all honesty he's curious about Whirl now. What even happened to him? A master of his trade once, now shaking down mechs for money.

Whirl is more than a little surprised when Skydive actually suggests they meet up and talk again, though it's impossible to tell with his lack of face and inability to emote. He peers at the mech out the corner of his optic, watching him fidget with his glasses for a bit. It's so nerdy but also kind of.. cute? Whirl looks away again. What a ridiculous thought.

"Yeah. Whatever. I guess. Sure. I'll give you my frequency." Wow, how did this go from Whirl trying to rob a guy to giving him his number? Well, it's not everyday he finds someone who shares his appreciation of watchmaking.

Skydive's smile grows warmer at Whirl's acceptance, the mech looking brighter even though he still has a panel ripped off. "Excellent, as will I." After the exchange of their frequencies, Skydive is left to clear his vocals, appearing out of his element somewhat. "So I suppose I'll contact you sometime. ..I think I should go and get this fixed first, however." He glances down to his injury and smirks softly. "In any case, it was nice meeting you, all things considered. I hope to see you again soon.. Whirl." Offering a curt bow of his head to be polite, Skydive turns from the mech and heads in the opposite direction, eager to get himself patched up before the end of his shift.