heavyweaponsbot | 63rd Transmission - Audio (Backdated to midday, the 30th)

[Well this was unexpected. Bryn flipped her comm on and locked her reply to Ironhide as well as she could.]

Sure, what's up?

[This is perhaps the most awkward response Ironhide has ever given Bryn in their short association.]

... You are King's mate. He... spoke of commemorating a day. That was important to you.

How... how does... that work? With your kind?

[Bryn isn't entirely sure what Ironhide is talking about at first, but she seems to vaguely recall King mentioning that Ironhide had asked him about marriage before. Or weddings. Or something like that.

She took a stab in the dark and figured it had something to do with that, but just in case...]

You mean like...days commemorating relationships right? Not like, birthdays or some other kind of holiday, right?

[He'd give her the word, if he could fully recall it. Which, right now, he can't.

Ratchet's fascinated by humans - their culture, and everything about them. It's the only reason he's asking. He figures the other 'Bot would appreciate it.]

Yeah. That kind of thing. We... do not have "birthdays".

Well...there's a few different things. When two people are exclusively with each other, sometimes they celebrate an anniversary. Each year they're together, on the day it became official. How they celebrate is usually up to them though it's usually of a romantic nature...

[She pauses, thinking.]

Then of course there's engagements and marriages...and the anniversary becomes a wedding anniversary instead...

[He makes a disagreeable sound. Not at her, just... in general.]

That first... thing. Elaborate. What would... make something a...

[And he says the next words as if they personally offend him.]

... romantic nature.

[Bryn makes a point of not chuckling, though she definitely wants to.]

Well, it depends on the people involved. Sometimes there's an exchange of gifts. Some couples will go somewhere quiet and private to be alone with each other and...if they're at that point in their relationship they may have sex?

[She clears her throat. Moving on, moving on.]

But usually it's sort of a day to...celebrate the relationship or show appreciation for your partner. That you're glad they're in your life or that you're both together...Does any of this make sense?

[Okay, gift. He can do that. However, when The Word comes up, Ironhide just sputters, fumbling not to drop the comm.]

That--no. No one is... doing that!

[Why is everything always mating with these people!]

... Yeah. Figure something out. Maybe.

[Bryn covers her mouth. She is not going to laugh, she is not going to laugh.]

It's...it's just a physical expression of how you feel but it's not a requirement. Gifts are a good way to go. Some other sort of symbolic gesture?

[He growls - this is a sulky sound.]

No one feels that way. Not necessary. At all.

[This is a blatant lie, but eh. And then he makes an attempt to calm himself.]

I am capable of locating... gifts. Just need to think.

[Bryn wisely lets this matter drop.]

Well, I can help with gifts if you want. Maybe help you figure out how to make a day of it if you want someone else's two cents.

[Bryn is a very smart woman. Metal creaks on Ironhide's end as his shoulders relax.]

I... am considering another toaster. First one... seemed to work well.

Make a day?

You already gave him a toaster?

[Bryn made a face.]

If you give him another you might want to consider...something new as well.

And by make a day of it I mean like, celebrate the whole day? Come up with a few things to make it really special for your partner?

... Never said who it was. It... could be hypothetical. Entirely.

[Yes, Ironhide is still operating under the impression his involvement with the medic is a big secret.]

And... if the other party dislikes... punching bees?

[Seriously, that's all he's got.]

Right. Well. Hypothetically speaking, something new might be good because it's a surprise and because then it shows you went to some effort to find something else that they would like.

If the other party dislikes punching bees, perhaps you could think of something they do enjoy doing. Maybe even something they enjoying that you don't as much as a gesture of some sort?

[All Spark, he is never going to live this down.]

Hmn... Could... catch a fish. Again.

... that works?

That would work if they like to catch fish!

[He's trying to think, which is good. If it's not new, at least it's something that apparently the other person likes.]

Is there a reason they liked the toaster before? We could find something else that fits similar criteria...

They... like creatures. Such as fish.

[And hey, Ratchet could probably keep the thing alive a lot longer than Ironhide managed to.]

When you immerse the device in water... it emits a high voltage into the liquid.

[He says as if that should explain everything.]

Creatures and things that can emit high voltage?

[Well that really narrowed things down.]

Well, fish are a good start. As for devices...have you tried a hair dryer? Or uhm, a blender?

[Awkward pause is awkward.]

Yeah.

Already... had a hair dryer. Once. What is a blender?

It's a kitchen appliance. It has a tall container you put soft food items into, and then a motor in the base spins a couple small blade on the inside to cut and mix it all up.

... And it will produce an electric charge, if dropped in water?

Oh definitely. It'll probably look pretty awesome in water too.

I will... look for a blender, then.

Numbers, obviously.

[Okay, okay, more seriously this time.]

Crew IDs maybe? Notice how they snapped to when he yelled. I got a couple theories, but nothing solid, and nothing I'd want to talk about over the network.

Your grasp of the obvious is inspiring.

[He snorts]

Yeah. I saw that. Wanted someone else's take on it... but I have not noticed any missing crew, aside from the first mate. He should have noticed that weeks ago.

[He's getting better at this locking thing. Pretty soon he'll be up to unhackable, too.]

Could have something to do with unwanted visitors.

[Did you meet Eiren, Ironhide? Are you thinking what Torn's thinking?]

[This locking thing is easy when you're a robot. Good luck, Torn.]

Yeah. It could.

I need some air.

[On the top deck, specifically. Get it?]

[Robot, no. Smart man, very yes. He'll get it, Ironhide, you watch.

Rather than reply, he just heads up to the top deck. Ironhide will find him sitting near the railing, using paperweights pulled from the luggage deck to hold his papers in order. That one has a pretty flower inside it! :D]

[He remembers what Torn looks like from the last time the man was on the ship. It's not difficult to spot him. Without further ado, the truck rolls over to the organic, and promptly transforms. All the sparks and creaking gears included.]

What are these?

[He's looked up video, so he's at least vaguely aware of what a non-truck Ironhide looks like but damned if that's not a jarring thing to see anyway. Torn's experience with robots hasn't been so hot. ...That said, he likes what he's seen of old 'hide so far.]

Notes.

[Obviously. Well, okay, they're not all notes. That one's a wanted poster for Garrison Keane.]

I'd let you take a peek, but I doubt you can read 'em.

[Seeing as they're entirely in Precurian.]

Just trying to put together some of the pieces. You meet our not-crew friend?

Obviously.

[He crouches down, anyway, flicking his optics over the pages.]

I do not know this language, no...

[Which is strange, for him. At the question, he nods, his expression turning flat.]

... What did he say to you?

[Wow. That is a very expressive robot face you have there, Ironhide. Torn is blatantly fascinated by it.]

Not to tell the man upstairs that he's been here, for one thing.

He also gave me this. [He taps the poster of Keane.] Said he was looking for this guy. Keane. The librarian? Guy's been quiet on the network, took a bit of digging to figure out who he is. [He'd thought Keane was a passenger, at first, from Eiren's response to his question about the man.]

Some kind of bounty on him. On all the crew. [Hm. He shuffles things around a little.]

Those numbers. What's your take on 'em?

Same here.

[There's another expression for you, Torn. His good optic narrows at the image, a growl building in the massive black chest.]

I know him... He... did something to me. At a party. I would not obey his commands. So he... did something.

[He shakes his head. Considering he's not quite sure what happened at the masquerade, it's about as descriptive as he can get.]

Numbers...

[And then, once again, his expression falls flat. It's a sudden remembrance, one he'd forgotten, following the chaos of that day... His voice is thick as he speaks, gradually changing to an angry rumble.]

Below. Unwanted crew are kept in tanks... numbered like drones. One was free, down there. He moved like smoke. Helped me free... attempt to free... one of my own kind.

What happened? As a result of the thing he did to you, that is. Forced obedience?

[Interesting if true. And unsettling.]

Drones...

So if one of them is missing, that's probably bad news for crew. The one that was free, could he have been one of the numbers, you suppose?

[But what about the rest? Who or what are they? And how to prove it? It's as good a theory as he's got, but it's still just a theory.

Torn doesn't like not knowing things.]

Pain happened. Same as what I felt in the theatre... when we were killed.

[He says it bluntly, without any real inflection in his voice.]

Hmn... He calls himself "Boar". Had a mark in his audio receptor. [Ironhide taps the side of his head, where a human ear would be.] Same place the others had their number tags.

It could be him. It could be... [Another pause.] Could be the one I tried to free.

[Torn grimaces. Great. Well, pain he can deal with. Done it before.]

Mmm... Happen to note what Boar's number was?

[He writes that down--number tags on the ears. Interesting.]

...Where was the one you tried to free?

[Because if it was in the tanks, wouldn't that imply it was crew? ...Does that mean that at some point there've been Precurians on the crew? Too many questions, not enough answers. He pokes at his notes again.]

Number Seventeen, parts A and B. Twins, maybe?

No. He had removed the tag already.

[And then he goes quiet - he hadn't noticed a number on the little Autobot. He'd been too busy trying to save her.]

... Same as the others. In stasis, floating in a tank. The one called Boar showed me how to get her out.

[Ironhide just sighs. It's not exactly a fond memory, considering what he'd done.]

Could be. Or it could be meaningless.

Damn.

[Well, that was worth trying. And what Ironhide says seems to confirm the one he'd pulled out was crew or former crew.]

Could be, but I'd rather have theories, even bad ones.

[He moves the papers again, stacking some of them on top of others.]

Thanks. These are good things to know, considering how out of the loop I am.

Then I will allow you your theories.

[He straightens up, the gears in his body creaking loudly.]

I wish to be kept informed, if you find anything else.

[That's how Torn rolls. He takes everything, throws it in the pot, and then fishes around until he finds what he needs.

It ain't pretty, but it works.]

You'll be the first to know.

[...Well, no. Ashe will be the first to know. And then Jak. And maybe Phoenix. Maybe. But Ironhide will be the first after them!]

[Ironhide just nods, and turns to limp off.]

Good. Make sure of it.

Pay attention. You were down there, weren't you?

Am I not allowed to ask for opinions?

There were many places down there.

Only one with numbers of interest.

Sure, what is it?

[Ironhide sort of sounds as if he's being tortured by asking this question.]

... You and your female. Said you wanted... to commemorate some... day.

How?

[lolwat.]

...What kinda day here, buddy? Are we talking anniversary, or -

[...Wait.]

You mean getting married?

No. Not--No. That... is... eugh, no.

[Marriage - it's private, is what he's failing to say.]

Anniversary. That was what you called it.

63rd Transmission - Audio (Backdated to midday, the 30th)

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