TEMPLE OF SCIENCE

[organ_pharming]

WHO: Pharma, Drift, Liege, anyone in Liege's temple that wants to poke Pharma.
WHERE: Pharma's lab or around the temple
WHEN: Now. Herp.
WHAT: Working on the cure, general shenanigans
WARNINGS: Medic snark?


Pharma instructed his acolyte to set the final vial in the test tube rack and sat back, staring at the mess that now occupied his desk. He hated a messy work station. The acolyte would just have to take care of that too. Speaking of the silent robed figure, it really needed a name... it was getting awkward just addressing it as 'acolyte'. The medic wondered briefly how it would react to being called 'First Aid'?

For now, he had nothing more to do until his test patient returned. Perhaps he'd go explore some more of the temple...

Comments

Oh Luuuuuucy, I'm hoooooome!

[sword_redemption]

Drift has learned that Pharma prefers to work alone. Alone, meaning, without Drift. Clearly, Drift reminds him of the trauma at Delphi--as if, you know, slowly oozing to death wasn't enough of a reminder.

So Drift is trying to be tactful. And helpful, as well, scanning the Junk Pile for things that might be useful.

Because Liege sure won't mind him bringing junk into his palace, right?

"Pharma!" He bounces into the work room. Because positive energy is what this place needs. He's holding a bundle of stuff. "I think you'll really like this!"

[organ_pharming]

That voice. Drift didn't actually have an unpleasant voice- it was even timbered and not grating in the least. But it still made Pharma wince every time he heard it echoing down the hallway. The medic sighed and attempted to look less pissed off before the samurai came bouncing in.

"...Is that all from the junk pile?" he asked, frowning at the pile of stuff in Drift's arms. There was enough mess around the lab without the swordsman dragging in more.

[sword_redemption]

It's the ruthless optimism, probably, that Pharma finds annoying. Now that Drift feels that a cure is just a short time away, and more, that Wing isn't infected, he has resolved that his emo frown is going to be upside down. With a vengeance.

"You know what?" Drift comes around to one worktable that has open space, dropping his bundle of stuff on it. "You're problem is you're so judgmental. I mean, just because it came from the Junk Pile doesn't mean it's, you know, junk."

In other words: yes.

[organ_pharming]

Oh Primus, he was just going to throw it all on his desk. What had he done to deserve this? Other than... infecting everyone with a horrible plague, that is.

"In my profession it pays to be a little discerning. And if it's not junk, then what is it?" he asked, sounding quite terse.

[sword_redemption]

But you don't understand, Pharma. Drift is trying to cheer you up, because you always seem so grouchy.

"Salvage!" Aha. He's way ahead of you on that game, Pharma. So come look at his salvaged....junk.

"Look!" First up, check it out. Weird glowing crystal. Cool, huh?

[organ_pharming]

Come to think of it, this was probably his punishment for that whole thing. It was ironic enough to be, after all. Pharma steeled himself and scooted closer, waiting to be impressed.

"We aren't exactly wanting for anything around here," he felt the need to bring up, if just to make Drift feel stupid. But he obediently looked at the crystal anyway. It glowed.

"A luminescent rock. Well, that would be useful if we didn't have any lighting in here." Keep trying, lotus blossom boy.

[sword_redemption]

Drift feels guilty about the whole hands thing. First, that he wasn't there to stop it from happening, and second that somehow, someone had gotten his swords away from him to do it with.

He feels responsible.

Silly, huh?

So it's his job to make up for that by cheering Pharma up.

He looks a bit hurt at Pharma's assessment. Then again, maybe Pharma just doesn't see the potential.

"Not about light, really. Not that way. Just, you know, positive energy!"

You cannot get more positive energy than mystical glowing crystals, Pharma.

[organ_pharming]

"Positive energy..." the jet medic repeated, just to make sure he heard that right. This was going to be a long day.

"Yes, I see. Goodness knows we need more of that. I'll let you keep it."

[sword_redemption]

Why are you giving Drift that look? Clearly because you are in need of positive energy.

"I think it should be here in the lab. To cheer you up." Because, clearly, you need cheering up.

"But you'll really like this, though." He digs in the pile, and pulls up a pink twisty bit of plastic . He holds it out, beaming.

[automobile_enthusiast]

When Knock Out had arranged to visit the temple of Liege Maximo to talk shop with Pharma, he'd expected an edifice similar to the volcanically hot smithcrafting complex Solus Prime called home. But this northern waste was quite a different beast indeed. He was glad Pharma had given him precise directions through the twisting, geometric corridors; without them, he would have gotten lost, and he wasn't sure he'd have an easy time finding his way out again.

But he managed to arrive successfully at the lab, poking his head through the doorway. "Knock knock," he called, rapping on the lintel as he did. "Anyone home?"

[organ_pharming]

Pharma sat up when the knock came at his door, rising from his chair with a sigh of relief. Meeting with the other medic would be a welcome distraction after having to deal with all of Drift's enthusiasm.

"Come in," he called, waiting in front of his desk for Knockout to enter. It was clean now and the acolyte was off on an errand for him.

[automobile_enthusiast]

Knock Out sidled through the door, a little grounder-model with broad shoulders and an absolutely devastated paintjob. He was no longer limping, at least-- replacing his tires had helped that immensely, even if his wheels felt unbearably drab now-- but he was still favoring the injured leg slightly.

"Pharma, I presume?" he said as he strode over, shoulders back and head high despite his miserable state. He couldn't imagine there'd be some other handless jet in the medic's lab, but it rarely hurt to be polite.

[organ_pharming]

"Guilty as charged," the jet medic replied, looking his visitor over. He wasn't kidding about being unpresentable. The amount of marring on the other bot's paintjob could only have come from being thrown off a cliff. Or being hit by something at high speeds. Like a train.

"You don't look too bad. Mostly because I have seen worse. It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?" he chuckled. "Welcome to my lab. I'd say you need to be seen about that leg but... well. Haha."

[automobile_enthusiast]

Knock Out grimaced, hand rising briefly towards his face before he realized what he was doing and dropped it again. His face was going to be the first thing he fixed once he was functional again, but until then he was just going to have to bear with it. "Mn, I've seen worse too, but that doesn't mean I want to model it personally," he murmured.

He patted the top of his injured leg. "Don't you worry about this," he said, "I can take care of it. Just haven't had the chance yet~.

"You've got quite the set-up here," he continued, glancing around the lab. There were workshops and forges in Solus's temple that seemed scaled to regular-sized Cybertronians, but a workshop was not a lab was not a hospital, and anyway he hadn't exactly received a formal invitation to make use of the facilities there. A bit of jealous hunger gleamed in his bright optics as he looked. "I have to admit I'm jealous. It's almost enough to make me lop off my own hands and see if I can't get some special treatment out of Solus."

[organ_pharming]

"Then I should get to work on that wax as soon as possible, yes?" Pharma said with a grin. "And I imagine not- looks like you need to recalibrate all the way up to the knee joint."

Knockout's jealousy warmed the medic's spark. It had been a while since he'd gotten properly envious attention. "I wouldn't, if I were you. The consequences far outweigh the benefits, trust me."

Like having to endure Drift hand feeding you. Or going to catch something and watching it just fall right past your wrist. Or, you know, picking anything up.

"Now. I assume you'd like to take a look at my components? Oh, and don't worry, its been confirmed that my disease is no longer contagious."

[automobile_enthusiast]

"If you could?" Don't mind how pathetically eager Knock Out sounds for a moment there; he just really can't abide being in a state like this. He swallows that particular vulnerability, though, in favor of a frown and a prickly little huff through his vents. "I know that. Between myself and my assistant, I'm sure I can manage it. It certainly won't be the first time I've had to perform my own maintenance."

He laughed softly. "Only if I get really desperate, don't worry~." By which he meant he wasn't really thinking about it-- he liked his lovely hands far too much to want to sacrifice them without a really good reason.

"Ah, ahaha, good to know." He grins, a little overwide now. "I was prepared to take my scans at a distance, but better not to have to, hm?" He approached to within arm's reach, holding out one long-clawed hand, palm up. "If I may?" he asked, indicating Pharma's stumps with a nod.

[organ_pharming]

"Oh, you have an assistant too? I'm glad- it just makes things so much easier. Mine is very obedient but I wish he were medically trained," the jet said, holding up his wrists so Knock Out could have a look.

Idly he wondered what side this other medic had pledged his allegiance to. There was no visible symbol on the mech and nothing about his coloration or attitude so far had pointed at one or the other.

"Done a limb replacement before?" he asked as Knock Out was doing his scans.

[automobile_enthusiast]

"Mm, that it does. I don't know what I'd do without him--" And then he paused for a moment, struck by the innocuous statement. Because, of course, he had been deprived of Breakdown's company, and those cycles had been more miserable than he'd expected.

But he had Breakdown back now. He wasn't going to question how or why, he was just going to enjoy it. He dispelled the melancholy with a little shake of his head and busied himself with his scans.

"Of course I have," he murmured as he looked over the planes of his wrists. "Just recently, in fact. My superior lost a limb during some, hm, extracurricular activities." He flicked on his headlights and tilted one of Pharma's arms just so, peering in the fresh light at the severed connections. "I still can't believe that old slagger refused such a perfect opportunity to upgrade!" He tsked disapprovingly.

I am so dim I'm sorry ;-;

[sword_redemption]

"You here to see Liege Maximo?" Drift is tracking red snowy rust in a path through the palace. Liege won't mind, right? It's all for a good cause. "I don't know if he's around. I haven't seen him in a while."

Shoosh, no you're not! <3

[automobile_enthusiast]

Knock Out startled visibly, obviously a bit caught by surprise. "Ah, Liege Maximo?" He shook his head. "No, no, Pharma, actually." He eyes the rust and edges away from it, even though he knows the disease is no longer contagious. "I don't suppose you know him?"

[sword_redemption]

Drift can be a stealthy critter. Half the time the Insecticons hadn't heard him coming. Well, over their own gibbering stupid.

"Pharma? Sure. He should be in the lab." Drift retreats a tactful distance. He does know he looks a little...gross. "I knew him from Delphi. Uh," he gives a shifty look, making sure they're not overheard. "You might want to be a little sensitive about, you know, the hands."

[automobile_enthusiast]

Knock Out laughs, not entirely kindly. "I've seen him already, actually-- in fact, about his hands." He wiggles his own fingers and grins. "I was taking a few measurements, you see~. Talking to him about aesthetics, features, important things like that."

[sword_redemption]

Oh well this was good news! "You're helping him get new hands?" Very, very big tick. Drift tsks. "I feel responsible for him losing them. I should have been better at protecting all of them."

[automobile_enthusiast]

"Building them, actually. So much easier than rummaging through junk and hoping to stumble conveniently across something."

Oh, now this sounds interesting. Knock Out cocks his head slightly, optics bright. "Oh? You had something to do with his... predicament?"

[sword_redemption]

"Yeah, that, uh, that would be kind of silly."

Drift will look a little guilty at that. Because rummaging through the Junk Pile trying to find Pharma's hands....is sort of what he's been doing. He started at where he'd found Pharma, and had slowly been circling out.

And now a little guiltier. "He said some maniac cut them off with swords. I was the only one at Delphi with swords." He droops. "Someone must have gotten them away from me."

Because he'd never attack a fellow Autobot. His blue-on-blue days are over.