Dee-Kal Talks To Dead People

Mausoleum(#3454RLntN)  &#9; Peering around this gigantic, quiet room, you feel the urge to speak only in hushed tones or not at all. The floors and wall here are pristine, with almost no features save a few stylized Autobot symbols. A row of caskets lines one end of the room. Each casket is opened to show the body of the Autobot resting within. Although there are no names on the caskets, you recognize each: Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet, Brawn and Windcharger. One casket in particular among this group now stands empty, where previously it held the body of Wheeljack. They vary in appearance, size and function, but each has made the final sacrifice for their cause. The features of each Autobot are serene and composed, helping the peaceful nature of the entire room. Behind the others, slightly raised, lies a much larger casket.  Contents: In Memoriam - Dealer Open Casket Holding the Body of Optimus Prime

Obvious exits:  Out &lt;O&gt; leads to Main Lobby - First Floor.

Among the rows of caskets of noble Autobots in final repose, one casket lies... empty. Beside it, a young mechanoid female, definitely alive, looks somewhat puzzled. "Jakki-chan, doko desu ka?" the little Junkion asks aloud, almost plaintively. "I wanted to talk to you... anata wa doko desu ka? Where are you..? Did they take you away for cleaning..?"

First Aid is passing by the mausoleum on the way to the launch bay when he overhears sounds coming from within. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he peaks inside to see who's visiting the dead. "Dee-Kal?" he asks. "Who are you talking to?" He scans the room, not seeing anyone else.

Dee-Kal looks around for some visual clues to explain the absence of her deceased confidant's body. There are none. Only a single gyro-inhibitor shell remains in the casket, one of the late Autobot's trademark weapons. She reaches inside the casket to pick it up. Before she can, she hears a familiar voice and looks up. "Master First Aid! Aloha..! I..." She blushes slightly, lavender optics turning pinkish, " I come here to smurf to Wheeljack. It.. it is something I like to do. I wanted to tell him how the tests to the shrinkamajigger are complete, and that we can smurf ahead any time now... but he is gone..!"

"You want to what to me?" But before anyone can reply to that surprise comment as the inventor walks in, his optics brighten as he darts over to grab the shell from Dee-Kal's hand. "Aha! I thought I was missing one of those." Oblivious to whatever reaction this may cause for the moment, he reaches up to unhook the launcher from his shoulder and tuck it under one arm so he can replace the shell in the chamber. "Must of gotten dislodged when they pulled me out."</P>

First Aid gives Dee-kal a confused look. "Oh... you must not have heard." Odd, the news has been all over the place. "Long story short, due to the time travel issues we faced, Wheeljack is alive again. Here, one moment..." He digs around in his knee/trunk compartment for a datapad, swiftly downloading the contents of the Autobot bulletin board onto it. He holds it out for Dee-Kal, but then hears a sound behind him. "Oh, well hey, he can tell you himself I guess."</P>

The little Junkion is quite innocently puzzled enough as it is, when suddenly THINGS happen all at once. First Aid says something and waves a datapad at her. And then the ghost of Wheeljack MARCHES in, TALKING, and GRABS the gyro-inhibitor shell from her before she can properly grasp it herself or the concept of what is happening. And what does she do? She screams, of course!</P>

Dee-Kal shouts, "AAAIIIIEEEEE!!!!!"</P>

Wheeljack looks up from recalibrating his shoulder cannon and the screech, blue optics blinking a couple of times. Light-nodes equally blinky when he turns to First Aid to ask, "Was it something I said?" Other than catching that last 'smurf' comment he missed most of the previous conversation.</P>

First Aid takes a step back at the scream, withdrawing the datapad since it apparently won't be needed. He shrugs at Wheeljack. "Well, I'll let you two get reacquainted."</P>

Dee-Kal stumbles backwards and all but falls to the floor in sheer astonishment. "Doshio doshio doshio doshio...what do I do what do I do what do I do oh my oh my oh my-!" she hyperventilates, *staring* at Wheeljack.</P>

<I>+KNUJ+ Sit-Com says, "And thank you to our sponsor, the Stagger Inn. If you're travelling, or just hung over, it's the perfect place!"</P> </I> Wheeljack looks at Dee-Kal a little closer. ".. Hey, it's one of those Junkions the others were telling me about." Looks to First Aid. Then to Dee-Kal, then back to First Aid again.</P>

"... I'm going to get this reaction a lot, aren't I?"</P>

The little Junkion claps both hands to her mouth, optics wide, and continues to stare in astonishment. Then she also looks to First Aid, then back to Wheeljack and then back to First Aid, a 'don't leave me with the ghost!' look on her face until he talks to the Protectobot medic.</P>

First Aid nods nonchalantly to Wheeljack even as he taps something onto his medical pad. He doesn't seem too worked up over all this.</P>

Dee-Kal's wings (yes, all the cutest girls have wings. It's obligatory, don'tcha know?) flicker a little, and she sees First fail to be as startled as she is. What is going on? "Na... nan da..?" She uncovers her mouth, hesitant. "I... I did not mean to trouble you, sempai-san... I only wished you to be with us in *spirit* when we smurf with our attempt to save my Master Crosshairs and hopefully restore him to health... I did not mean for you to visit in person... but..." She scrambles to her feet and bows low to Wheeljack respectfully. "Arigato gosaimashita... I am most honoured you chose to favour us!"</P>

Sit-Com comes through the door, holding an ice pack in his hand, overtop of his head. "Is this the hangover clin-- ..uh I guess not." He waves to all, "If you're hungover and you know it, clap your hands! Ooh, wait no, don't... oww.." He quickly exits, cradling his hungover noggin.</P>

Sit-Com leaves the Mausoleum.</P>

Wheeljack sighs, rubbing his forehead with one hand for a moment. "Okay, lets just take this easy. I'm not a ghost. Let's not go into the bizarre wibbliness of time mechanics and just leave it at a fluke chance I was able to be revived and.." He stops as the Junkion gets up just to bow to him. "Uh, okay..." The flash of his nodes takes on a slightly red color, approximating a blush. "Now com'n girl, there's no need to be doing that... wait, what now about restoring someone to health?" He still hasn't quite caught up on things himself, either.</P>

First Aid steps aside for Sit-Com once for his entrance, and another time for his exit, all without looking up from his datapad. He hums a little song to himself.</P>

<P>Dee-Kal opens her mouth to speak again, but Sit-Com's wacky entrance and exit combined with First Aid's nonchalant movements aside make her snigger, much against her best intentions. This throws her off her fear. Hearing more from Wheeljack makes her bolder. Her face looks a lot prettier once it is visible again, on her straightening back up. It bears a happy smile and shuttered optics as she laughs aloud.</P>

<P>"Oookay. Anyways." Wheeljack lifts the cannon up and relocks it into its place on his right shoulder. "Thanks for finding that missing shell. It would be harder reproducing more without one of the originals to extrapulate from first."</P>

<P>The little Junkion holds out both hands towards Wheeljack's and she smiles warmly. "Bah-weep granah weep nini bahn" she greets, just to be on the safe side, then forges ahead as if she and the Autobot scientist are already firm friends. Which after a sort of fashion, they were (albeit a little one-sided at the time). "Sempai-san, I have visited you for many years as my chosen confidante. Sometimes a smurf needs a good listener ne? Yours seemed a friendly face to turn to if I needed to talk things over..."</P>

<P>First Aid looks up from his datapad, not wanting to intrude on personal Deek/WJ time. "Wheeljack, I'll be in the medical ward if you need me." he turns and heads for the exit.</P>

<I><P>+JUNKION+ Sit-Com says, "I have Rumble and Frenzy in my head and they won't stop pounding."</P>

<P>+JUNKION+ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Monstereo says, "My prescription..."</P> </I> <P>"Yeah, sure thing First Aid." Still a little perplexed by it all, but Wheeljack has usually been good at just rolling with things. Even snickers a bit at Dee-Kal. "Wow, they still use that old Universal Greeting?" As she explains he glances over at the now empty slot, and then laughs a bit. "I suppose I was a good listener for all those years, wasn't I? Ah well." He turns away, giving her a pat around the shoulders as he does. "I guess the conversations won't be so lopsided anymore at least, right?"</P>

<I><P>+JUNKION+ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Monstereo says, "Suck it up, princess. And learn your lesson. Moderation."</P> </I> <P>Dee-Kal is made to refocus as First Aid speaks aloud. "Oya maa! Oh, Master First, you are always a good listener too, I did not mean to smurf your feelings! Please stay!"</P>

<P>First Aid shakes his head, "Sorry, Deek, but I do have work to get to. Let me know if you need anything."</P>

<I><P>+JUNKION+ Sit-Com says, "From now on Moderation is my middle name."</P> </I><SPAN LANG="EN"> <P>Dee-Kal looks apologetic and worried. "Oh no... I hope he is not offended at me. My Master will smurf my fins for footplates if I do not ensure I have made amends. Oya..!"</P>

<P>Wheeljack pffs, dismissing the concern easily. "First Aid just takes his job as medic seriously, that's all. Especially if he's got someone important under his care. All the Protectobots are like that, that's why we called them down to help on Earth in the first place." Gives the little femme another reassuring pat before withdrawing his arm again. "I wouldn't take it personally."</P>

<P>The little Junkion bites at her lower lip just a fraction, anxious for First Aid. Then returns her attention to the new... old... the other friend. She bows. "It is good to see you alive and smurfing so *well* Master Jakki-san. Welcome back to us! There is so much to catch up on that I would love to smurf with you-" Then she stops, and adopts a slightly staged 'thoughtful' pose. "But, wait!"</P>

<P>She eyes him mischievously. "Hum... I do not know...-!"</P>

<P>"Well, we can walk back to the labs and you can explain whatever it is you need to explain." Wheeljack gets as far as the doors before Dee-Kal stops, and stops to look back to her. Odd bunch, these Junkions. "You don't know what?"</P>

<P>Dee-Kal walks around Wheeljack, play-acting somewhat, but in good spirits. "Ohh, sempai-san, you counted among my best friends up to now. I always knew I could rely on you for confidentiality. You would not smurf... talk... to anyone about me behind my back, or make fun of a simple Junkette and her dreams."</P>

<P>She tilts her head and views him critically. "But things have obviously changed in your... life. I *can* still trust you with my secrets as before, ne?"</P>

<P>Wheeljack almost says something, then realizes that pointing out he wouldn't actually know anything she's said while he was 'out of it' would just sound like he was making fun of the notion and that wouldn't be very good. Eccentric, sure, but he's hardly an Autobot with tact. "My dear girl, I've been laughed at for everything from my faith in being able to make something capable out of the Dinobots to getting immobilized by my own invention and how many times I've blown up a lab in a week. I'm hardly in a position to make fun of someone else for whatever crazy ideas they have, considering the stuff I come up with!" He's taking the quirkiness with good humor, if nothing else.</P>

<P>Dee-Kal says, "Brawn is a terrible listener. He is always preoccupied with himself. And Windcharger forgets everything so you have to recap all the time. You forget what you wanted to smurf in the first place! But you are fun and you are scientific, so I knew you would be perfect."</P>

<P>She joins Wheeljack in the doorway, ready to follow him.</P>

<P>Wheeljack stifles a bit of a snickering as he steps out the doors. "Brawn always was better at talking with his fists than listening with his head. Could always count on him to have your back in a fight though."</P>

<P>Dee-Kal changes the subject. "Have you ever met my master, Crosshairs..? He is a munitions specialist. I was smurfed to work with him as a..." She ponders, then walks through the doorway to the main corridor.. "..well... he is my Master in all things. I do as he instructs. But last year..."</P>

<P>You leave the Mausoleum through the sliding doors.</P>

<P>Main Lobby - First Floor <P>Contents: Autobot Museum

<P>Wheeljack enters through the sliding doors of the Mausoleum.</P>

<P>Okay, so she likes to randomly use 'smurf' in place of other verbs. Fortunately someone did explain the general nature behind Junkions last night before the getting drunk started, so Wheeljack knows enough to read more into the context than the word itself. "Apprentice?" he offers helpfully when she comes up short on a term. "Can't say I remember personally meeting the guy. But I know Maximus took bots of all sorts on his mission."</P>

<P>Dee-Kal continues. "Last year something went wrong. I saw his hands were not steady as they should be. He said that I must learn to do this, and to do that, but I knew I was smurfing things that he could not. And then he went away... and did not tell us. He left Pinpointer behind - "</P>

<P>Wheeljack stops mid-step in a bit of surprise. "Okay, for the bit I've read up on the whole -Master thing, I know that's not a good sign. Even if the Targetmasters aren't as tightly intertwined as the Headmasters are." Hey, he's done some research. He's just got a lot of time to cover.</P>

<P>She pauses, and helpfully adds; "..organics from Nebulos who smurf like humans but have colourful skin; there was a crisis on that planet and so binary bonding was invented to smurf a mental organic-mechanic connection. ..hai, so." She nods. "My master is a Targetmaster and Pinpointer-san wears power armour to smurf into his sidearm. Fitting, ne?"</P>

<P>Wheeljack folds his arms thoughtfully. "Interesting, but that's stuff I can look up for myself later. Right now I'm more interested in the problem that's bringing this all up. If this is related to First Aid's seriousness, it must be a pretty rough situation."</P>

<P>Dee-Kal resumes. "They found him and brought him back from Monacus. He had been looking for a drug to stop him smurfing. But he went into a coma! They say it is like what humans smurf 'Parkinsons'. Or worse... it is in his cerebral circuitry. Something to do with fine tiny delicate tendril matters." She worries anew only for her mentor and his partner. "Also Pin-chan is affected by this. He cannot match up with Master's mind, and his body is also affected. I told Master First about the shrinkamajigger that we Junkions had..."</P>

<P>She pauses, and rests a hand on her breast panel. "Apologies. I am smurfing like a runaway train!" She smiles, calming deliberately. "Master First said we had to run tests and smurf studies to get everything just-so before we could shrink to a micro size. To smurf like in the movie Fantastic Voyage and cure him, ne..?"</P>

<P>"Actually, I might be able to help you guys cut out some of the extra time in that," Wheeljack chimes in once she's finished, as he again puts an arm across her shoulders to lead the Junkion with him towards the laboratory section. "We had to do something similar once, to remove a powerful artifact from Megatron before he blew the lot of us up! Actually, it was one of Perceptor's maintenance devices they used for the shrinking, normally used for enlarging microchips to a workable size to avoid damaging them, but I may still have the recalibration schematics lying around that would help properly synchronizing the device to safely reduce the intended operators."</P>

<P>You move upward...</P>

<P>Main Lobby - Second Floor</P>

<P>Wheeljack enters from below.</P> <P>You move east to the Laboratory...</P> <P>Dee-Kal combs a strand from her optics.</P>

<P>Laboratory -- Autobot City</P>

<P>    Lab equipment fills this room: equipment hanging from the ceiling, sitting on the benches lining the walls, and on the table in the middle. Also on the table in the middle is a terminal connecting to the main computer of Autobot City. Assorted projects lie scattered about amongst tools and other miscellaneous objects that you can't identify. </P>

<P>    Over in the North East corner of the lab sits a large security coded vault, where all the discoveries deemed too dangerous or too sensitive for general release are stored. While to the North West corner resides one of the Lab's more recent additions. The experimental Cold Fusion Reactor that drives Metroplex's faster than light systems. A number of monitors and display readouts are connected around the reactor, technicians constantly checking the experimental device.</P> <P> </P> <P>Contents: Autobot Sensor - 9615 Hidden [Hidden] Autobot Sensor - 9614 Hidden [Hidden] Pretender Repair Facility &lt;CR Tank&gt; Brainstorms's Restoration System (pp) Old Cybertronian Probe White Book Of Primus Turnover's Corner&lt;TC&gt;</P>

<P>Obvious exits: Doors &lt;W&gt; leads to Main Lobby - Second Floor.</P>

<P>Wheeljack strides into the room. Beware of exploding gadgetry...</P>

<P>Dee-Kal all but jumps up and down, clapping her hands excitedly! "You would help? Just so? Really-really? Honto ni honto?"</P>

<P>Wheeljack chuckles softly. Mostly at her excitement, considering how she was acting at first seeing him up and about. "Now what kind of Autobot would I be if I wasn't willing to help some fellows in need? I've been juryrigging machines to do things they weren't meant to for ages!"</P>

<P>Dee-Kal hees and smiles. "Arigato Jakki-san! We Junkions have a similar talent or two that smurfs us out of a tricky fix when we need it most. But it is rarely the same trick twice. I think this smurfs with traditional Autobot protocols and science."</P>

<P>Wheeljack trots over to where he left the pile of stuff that was cleaned out of the Ark when it was mostly decomissioned, and more recently dragged out of storage since most of it was -his- stuff. Starts going through it a somewhat haphazard manner, being the sort of eccentric genius he is. "It's kind of like why they couldn't just put a new laser core in me sooner. It wouldn't be the same thing. The same Autobot. Some things you need to fix directly, you can't just replace them..." After a few moments he stops and looks over his shoulder, rubbing his head with one hand. "Tell you what. When I find the file I'm looking for I'll have it sent to you so you can recheck your testing. I know it's here -somewhere-, but it's a mess after being in storage for so long."</P>

<P>Dee-Kal double taps her chest - her yellow Junk-icon front and centre. "I like you, Jakki-chan."</P>

<P>She then does something quirky. Or something else quirky, depending on how you look at it. She goes up to Wheeljack. "A moment if you please..?" And she touches Wheeljack's Autobot icon. In a slightly monotone voice she recites solemnly; "I nominate you; One of Us."</P>

<I><P>+JUNKION+ Auto-Junk Dee-Kal says, "Wheeljack Autobot. Nominated; One of Us!"</P>

<P>+JUNKION+ Sit-Com says, "One of Us! One of Us!"</P>

<P>+JUNKION+ Auto-Junk Dee-Kal says, "I accept him; One of Us!"</P> </I> <P>The young Junkette's optics switch their glow from lilac to a darker purple, just for a moment or two. Then she reverts to normal. She beams at Wheeljack, happily.</P>

<P>Wheeljack stops, blinks. "Eh?" That one, he didn't catch the meaning of. "Come again?"</P>

<P>Dee-Kal inclines her head mildly. "You have just been nominated for this month's Star Prize; a lifetime's membership with Junkion Allegiance. Watch this space for details."</P>

<P>Wheeljack blinks again. "I.. oh!" It takes a moment for it to click, but he's smart enough to catch on. "Well, that's nice of you. I didn't realize you Junkions were a separate operation besides helping the Autobots." </P>

<P>She bows a little bit then rights herself again. "We are not Autobots, and we like to smurf TV, this is true. But we are here and we also like to help." She pauses. "Unless Mom or Master Crosshairs tell me I have homework."</P>

<P>Wheeljack laughs. "Glad my being alive again didn't creep you out too much in the end! Now where did I leave those datafiles?" Goes back to rummaging through the pile. "I have really got to get an actual lab set up, it's easier to find things in organized chaos instead of a disorganized heap!"</P>

<P>On viewing his disorganised piles, Deek looks even happier at her decision. Wheeljack is a Junkion ally waiting to happen, no doubt about it.</P>

<P>"Smurfing in a disorganised heap is not bad. It is homely. We like it! But we Junkions can tidy too, if need be." </P>

<P>She pitches in and helps him to search.</P>