| abstract | - Autobot City - Repair Bay This is the main repair bay for the Autobots. Several operating tables lie in a row here, and a long bench lines one wall. On the bench are assorted tools used in repairing damaged Transformers. Scattered throughout the room are various repair bots, awaiting the arrival of more wounded to repair. The room gives you the perception of being immaculately clean, not a tool out of place. On the left side of the operating arena are wide sliding doors that open into the recovery ward. Less frantic than the busy repair bay, it consists of two rows of immaculate beds on opposite walls for those needing peace and quiet to rest and recover from their repairs. The sounds of quiet conversations between medic and patient, or between visitor and patient, are about all that disturb the quiet. Secreted off into a corner of the Repair Bay, the Autobot operative known only as Specter is fidgeting with an instruction manual and some loose wiring on his forearm. Glancing over the notes, he afixes a couple of the wires together and attempts to spray some adhesive on.. before they become loose and fall apart, again. "Blasted.. wiring. I should have gotten educated on these advancements, before trying to fix this myself." he muses to no one, since Specter made damn sure the room was empty before. Andi Lassiter enters the repair bay in that sneaky quiet way that humans sometimes have. Maybe it has something to do with their foot coverings being made of non-metallic materials. Either entirely too concentrated in his work to notice, or Andi truly is a ninja.. her entrance isn't observed, and so Specter remains fiddling with his arm. Andi Lassiter glances around, mentally noting it's one of those seemingly rare times when the repair bay is devoid of li...wait. She tilts her head upon noticing Specter and walks toward him, still near-silently. Specter tears open another section of forearm, ripping the wires out as fast as he can see them. His head clicks to the side, when he's sure he heard something.. apparently nothing, and the pristine white Autobot is back to his dilligent work. Andi Lassiter frowns slightly as she sees the mech ripping at his own wiring. It's akin to seeing a human digging into their own flesh. She can't be quiet and sneaky any longer. "Specter? What on earth are you doing?" Head whipping around, Specter finally spots Andi Lassiter. His arm trailing at his side, the Autobot stands and looks over the manual once again. "Current technical knowledge.." he trails, glancing at the flayed wiring. "Insuffcient." Andi Lassiter says, " Really." Yes, that is sarcasm. She keys her lottle comm unit and asks for a med tech to come to the repair bay. "Why didn't you just ask someone for help?" "Because, Ms. Lassiter.." Specter pauses, not quite sure how to respond at this juncture. "I am.. incapable of such." he sorrowfully admits, flipping through the manual idly. Andi Lassiter raises her eyebrows at that. "Is is that you don't you've earned the privelege, or have the words 'request' and 'assistance' been deleted from your vocabulary?" She's not trying to sound mean, she seems to genuinely want to know. "No." Specter replies bluntly, still flipping the manual over. "It's because.." he fumbles with the words, unable to tell her the real meaning. Because no one offered, no one took the care to realize he's lost.. in this new world. "Because I don't need.. assistance." he finally finishes, turning away from Andi. Andi Lassiter doesn't know what it feels like to be in a completely alien environment. Even back in time on a Cybertron that had never even imagined humans she hadn't been truly isolated. She does get the hint that he's feeling defensive right now, though, and her expression and tone soften accordingly. "Well, you kind of look like you do. Do you want me to help you figure that wiring out?" "Do I want you to? No." Specter shoots back coldly, still with his back facing her. He fiddles once again with the wiring, trying to connect the two.. and it drops again. If only he had a third arm, or the nerve to ask for help. "Is it sorely needed? Yes." he replies in a gentler tone, turning to face her and jutting out his arm. "One.. request. Enlighten me." Andi Lassiter blinks at the harsh tone, but then smiles again as he does make a request of her. "I would be delighted to enlighten you." By this time the med tech has arrived, and he gives her a lift to the medtable closest to Specter then moves on to get her set of human-sized tools and diagnostic equipment. "If you'd be so kind as to have a seat, I can get started now, if you wish." Specter sits as he's told, arm still lifted out towards her. "Apologies, asking for.. assistance." the operative pauses as he's wont to do, glancing down at the floor. "Isn't my.. forte." Andi Lassiter smiles. "And recognizing when someone really wants help but can't ask...that's something I need to work on too." Apology accepted, forgiven and forgotten. She accepts the tools from the med tech then leans to try and get a look at the manual. "All right, so what was the goal of your attempt here?" "Streamlining the outer panel.. it's not aerodynamic." Specter somewhat cheerfully responds, in a much more relaxed demeanor around Andi. Andi Lassiter ahs and nods, careful to hide her initial reaction of 'why on earth was he digging at his wiring to change an OUTER panel?' so as to not offend the Autobot again. "All right, that sounds easy enough." She reaches to delicately touch one of the panels on Specter's arm. "This is the one you want to streamline first, right?" Specter nods, "Correct." Andi Lassiter nods also, and then indicates the wiring. "Okay, these two wires you were trying to splice..." She beckons to the medtech who offers Specter a normal Cybertronian-sized pair of needle nose pliers. "Try supporting them like this." She lifts her own pair of pliers and puts them in her hand with the chompy end of them pointing toward the inside of her elbow. She is able to grasp at air above her own forearm readily enough. "It's not very comfortable, and you won't have much by way of fine motor control, but you can at least keep those wires still long enough to complete the splice." She then sets her pliers back down and reaches to start tucking all of the other wiring back into the mech's arm. Specter slowly nods, understanding the process and what's being accomplished. "Appreciation.. Ms. Lassiter." he lets out, leaning back in the chair. Andi Lassiter smiles. "Of course. You are most welcome." She looks at her comm unit to check the time. "Oh, I think shift change is soon. Do you want me to put in the request for more streamlined panels now? Specter stands up, dusting a hand over the new streamlined panel. "Formal request.. no." Making a break for the doorway, the operative turns around mid-stride and gives Andi a wink. "Let's keep this.. our little secret." And like that, he's gone.
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