Ave Maria [OPEN]

[vandalization]

WHO: Karrie (VANDAL) and YOU!
WHERE: The Medbay; Solus Temple.
WHEN Sunday morning
WHAT: Vandal, awake and having broken her fever, is no longer in immediate danger of dying, so she decides to keep her hands busy.
WARNINGS: ... She's got a foul mouth when she's upset, but otherwise she's pretty tame. Also slight disturbing imagery.

DO YOU SWEAR TO FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS OF UNITOLOGY?

I DO.

DO YOU ACKNOWLEDGE ALTMAN FOR HIS SERVICES TO OUR CAUSE, AS OUR SHEPHERD INTO THE PATH OF ASCENSION?

I DO

WELCOME TO THE CHURCH, MISS NORTON, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE YOU AMONGST OUR GATHERING, PRAISE BE TO ALTMAN FOR DELIVERING YOU UNTO OUR CHURCH. MAY THE MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER MARKER BLESS YOU, KARRIE NOW AND F O R E V . . .

Waking up in a hospital that's built for creatures far larger than yourself is jarring in and of it's own right. And Karrie is entirely impressed that she is waking up at all. Maybe this isn't a dream? She feels clear headed enough. And the pain tells her that she's very awake.

Can you have dreams inside of dreams? The desert... the white

She shakes her head, sliding off the small "bed" that had been made for her and fetching her Rig which was neatly laid out nearby. The wound at her side had been stitched. She could still feel broken ribs, though. Those would take time to heal, but this place is far too strange. Surreal... to be left unexplored. At least there's no necromorphs scuttling after her here. Not that she'd seen, anyways.

Nobody around. No robots. But signs of them. She slips out into open air outside, finishing gingerly putting her rig and helmet on. She may be safe now, but who the hell knows what's out here?

She won't stray far, rather balking at the idea of earning Ratchet's ire. Instead she wanders just as far as the edge of the junk pile, poking around for a while. Thinking.

She has to think. Despite not knowing what to even do with herself. She needs a focus. Needs to ask questions.

She begins gathering a few things here and there, and after about thirty minutes she's back in the med bay with a small bag full of what appears to be useless parts. Dumping them on the floor and sitting down like a kid with some brand new legos.

In an hour, the junk she'd picked up has been assembled into two box-like devices and set up on platforms at either corner of the room. And she's fiddling now with a smaller something- like TV remote, the holo-screen of her RIG floating in front of her, and the tools from her belt storage spread out around her amongst the left over, but neatly-sorted scraps of wire, batteries and little bits of tape that she'd scrounged up.

Comments

[lifepersists]

First Aid's engine is a low, barely there vibration against Vandal's back. It's a sign he's pretty content with everything. The mechanisms and Spark under his armor hum, and every time he shifts there's a soft mechanical movement of hydraulics and pistons. Very mechanical.

But still, he makes a low verbal noise of satisfaction.

"Oh, yes. Impactor is very heroic. At his side was always Springer. They have this mutual affection. They've been together for ages since Impactor once saved his life."

He apparently found this very, very cool.

"So Pova. Opposite of the Wreckers, the Decepticons had the evil Squadron X. Squadron X did all kinds of unspeakable things and Impactor was obsessed with hunting them down. They finally cornered them on Pova in the Redan Quadrant. While an aerial battle had the flying Wreckers occupied, Impactor and Springer were pinned down in the trenches below. Springer had been pinned by a collapsing barricade and knowing Impactor wouldn't abandon his first officer, Squadron X was moving in for the kill."

[vandalization]

The way First Aid tells this, he makes it sound like every single one of the Wreckers is completely gay for each other. Not that it's a problem to her, she just finds it kind of funny. Though she hasn't seen many "girl" robots, she's not even sure that's a thing.

The whole business wasn't a huge deal back home, either though.

More amusing than anything else.

Actually, she's more interested in the feeling of sitting against a living machine. Feeling engines and systems working, turning her ear to his chest, she can hear the gentle pulse of something within.

Half listening to him talk, half listening to his systems.

[lifepersists]

First Aid really had no idea that Vandal was only half listening to him. He just took her silence for rapt attention. Finally, someone who was as interested in hearing about the Wreckers as he was!

As many people who had subscribed to Wreckers: Unclassified, he hadn't really run into many other fans. Not that Vandal was a fan, just that he assumed she was interested and that was more than he usually got.

His Spark practically flutters.

"It seemed like this was going to be it, but then Springer proposed a crazy idea. He asked Impactor to shoot through his midsection. Impactor protested, but realized that this might be their only chance. He reluctantly agreed and pressed the barrel to Springer's back. Springer shouted, 'Wreck and rule!' as he was blasted through, hitting Squadron X and affording them the few extra seconds needed for Roadbuster and and Rack 'n' Ruin to arrive and turn the battle to their favor."

[vandalization]

Somewhere in the interim, she starts to nod off. The buzz of his cheerful voice and the hum of his systems combined with the feeling of warm machinery against her back and someone's company makes her comfortable enough to actually rest.

For what it's worth, she is interested, she listens as long as she can.

It's just... nice. Slumping down on his lap. It's not the most comfortable, but she's fallen asleep working before, and this isn't so different.

[lifepersists]

First Aid is just under the impression that Vandal's gotten pretty comfortable, which works fine for him. He's not particularly finished with the story.

"The Wreckers arrested Squadron X and began tending to Springer's wound. It was all thanks to his sacrifice that Impactor was able to save them both. It seemed, finally, that this was the end of them, but celebrations were a bit preemptive. Somehow, they broke free! Impactor decided that this was their final stand and marched--"

The medic glances down at the human in his lap then, voice trailing off. It's around now that he realizes just how sleepy she really was.

"Mmm." He'll finish the story another time, then.