mbv, Sweet Doll Ranch, Birds and Mourning
Col. Franklin: *sitting and looking exhausted as Dinobots, Technobots, and Ryan run gleefully rampant over the river banks*
Wesson: *cheerful and fruitless yelling*
Swoop: *Chasing fishies!*
Destiny: *issa muddy mud monster, and having a blast!*
Patrick: *is in jeans and a T-shirt, and is just as muddy as any of the kids, looks just as worn out as Col. Franklin*
Pumpernickel: *sittin' on his master's shoulder*
Col. Franklin: *though he just showed up looking like this* *glances up as the kitten chirps at him and lifts an eyebrow* I forget if you told me about him.
Patrick: *soft chuckle* He chose me when I met Usagi's great grandmother...
Col. Franklin: *tilts his head slightly* Japanese Bobtail? *then ducks as ENS. Falman flies overhead*
Falman: *Shifts forms quickly and lands in a crouch. If he had fur, he'd be poofkitty. As it is, he's hissing and looking at a rattlesnake near where he was standing*
Lt. Keller: No no! Slag, don't stomp on that. I can cook it for your lunch.
Wesson: *stop short with his mouth open* ... Eww.
Falman: *low hiss, tail flick*
Lt. Keller: *snags the snake and examines it, then knocks its head against a rock and walks over to the far side of his truck to butcher it where the kids can't see*
Col. Franklin: *finally manages to get tired brain out of 0_0 mode* ...Ensign Falman, are you alright?
Falman: *Shifts forms again, looking a bit sheepish* I'm alright, sir...
Col. Franklin: *nod* Good. *looks over at Slag*
Slag: *Grumping and grousing because Snarl knocked him in the mud. Again.*
Gerard: *walks over and plunks down on a gas can under the shade, grumbling that he hasn't had a decent lunch in weeks*
Destiny: *Startled squeal as she finds a crayfish... because it pinched her fingers when she was playing in the mud*
Wesson: *hurrying to see if she's alright, as is Ryan*
Lt. Keller: ...I'll cook that too. Why not.
Destiny: *Fussing and hiding behind Ryan now* *Wibble*
Wesson: Should we eat this guy for bein' a bully, Desti? *holds up the irate crawdad*
Destiny: *Squeak, ducks behind Ryan*
Wesson: Yeah. We'll get this sucker. You wanna grab one'a Swoop's fish? *heads toward the truck*
Destiny: *clickstorm, clings to Ryan*
Swoop: *heard 'fish'* Is time for cooking?
Lt. Keller: Yup. *grins at her* You want to see how to cook with mud?
Swoop: *Will bring the fish she caught over to Uncle Keller*
Gerard: *mutter mutter* And suddenly tree hen can't be gotten for love or for money. Did they have a blasted epidemic?
Col. Franklin: *tired and quiet* No. We found out they were sentient.
Gerard: o.0 *bolts with hand over mouth*
Jake: *looks up to see Gerard bolt* ??
Patrick: ... *Looks to Col. Franklin* Tree hen?
Col. Franklin: A fluffy breed of bird that was very popular in the luxury markets of France. It was found in the Asian cloud jungles about ten years ago and has been commercially bred on a limited scale since then. *head in hands* Three weeks ago two scientists who were using the birds for behavior studies found out that they could not only understand French, but translate and pass on commands to their fellows.
Patrick: ... *just went so pale, he looks anemic*
Col. Franklin: *quietly* Most the surviving members of the race have no idea what it is to be a person. They're the battery raised product of artificial insemination and selective breeding.
Patrick: *soft murmur of a curseword*
Col. Franklin: *obviously shaken and ill himself* I can't believe... I failed them so badly.
Patrick: *quietly* Is there any way we can help?
Col. Franklin: The Intergalactic Police have sent some men to evacuate the survivors to a facility where they'll be safe. I've spoken to the oldest man who lived at the research facility, and it seems that even he can barely remember anything of their origin.
Patrick: *small nod, still looks quite pale*
Col. Franklin: *sighs and rubs his face, then puts sunglasses back on and pulls a couple of photos out of an inner pocket* But that's not what I came here today to tell you. Look at these.
Patrick: *a bit apprehensive as he reaches for the pictures* *Then he's boggling at the difference between the two images. One shows a very lush patch of jungle, and the other, dated only a week later, shows stumps in water*
Col. Frankin: *grim and humorless smile* I think we found the Insecticons.
Patrick: *Soft groan and pinches the bridge of his nose*
Col. Franklin: That's Papua New Guinea. And look at that. *points to a corner of the denuded image, where something blue seems to be traveling at high speed*
Patrick: *Frowns at the blue object* What is that?
Col. Franklin: Fast.
Patrick: Obviously...
Col. Franklin: *offers Patrick a last photo*
Patrick: *looks at the last photo* *Startled blurt as he sees the blue blur using its speed to make symbols on the film. He knows what those symbols are* Those are Cybertronian glyphs!
Col. Franklin: I thought so. Is that an Insecticon?
Patrick: *headshake* Someone sending out an SOS. *Grim expression* We need to find out who that is.
Col. Franklin: The IGP have brought in a special operative to investigate.
Patrick: Special operative?
Col. Franklin: Yes, he's a Sauran tracker who's used to working in that sort of swampy conditions.
Patrick: *Small nod* *Quietly* When he finds what he's tracking, I'd like to speak with them.... If they need medical help, we'll need Rachel, Russell, or Bea...
Col. Franklin: You do have executive control over all people of Cybertronian descent on Earth. *leans to one side to avoid a fish skull dropped from the corner of the tarp over their heads* Except possibly for Laserbeak.
Laserbeak: Thrrpt thrrpt! *goes fishing again*
Patrick: *sigh* I think that's a good thing, honestly....
Col. Franklin: *watches the raven* Have you heard anything from Soundwave?
Patrick: *headshake* He's keeping silent, and none of his symbionts will rat him out...
Col. Franklin: *frowns* How's Kriti?
Patrick: *small smile* She and Usagi are very good friends, almost like sisters... And she's started to imprint on Russell and Serenity as parental figures... Russell is working on a portable generator for her so she can interact with people outside of the medbay.
Col. Franklin: *nods* I know Raj was told about her. Does Sora know?
Patrick: If she does, she hasn't given any indication of that...
Col. Franklin: *another nod* That might be best for now.
Patrick: *Small nod, soft sigh as he thinks about what the sniper has been through since her arrival on Earth* Yes... But if she asks... I will have to tell her the truth...
Col. Franklin: That's your call, Lt. Col. Oberson.
Patrick: *Another nod* *attention going to Snarl and Slag as they start throwing mudpies at one another* *Soft snerk*
Col. Franklin: *frowns slightly and looks around* Is Justice here?
Patrick: *looks around as well* I'm not sure...
static: *accompanied by a gentle and hopeful feeling that's nothing like Justic's eager curiosity and peace, brushes against Patrick*
Patrick: ...It doesn't feel like Justice.....
Col. Franklin: *starts a little and rubs his arms, his brows raising*
Patrick: *Explains the difference in feeling*
Col. Franklin: They all just feel like prickles to me. *looks around*
Patrick: *gently, to whoever it is that's visiting* -Who are you?-
static: *brushes him gently again* *soft, and very gentle male voice* -Who are you?-
Patrick: -My name is Optimus Prime.-
static: *soft surprise* -Optimus, sir! Ah... it's First Aid.-
Patrick: *Very surprised* -First Aid! I thought you were in the Well with Hound and Kup!-
First Aid: -No, sir. I've been here since our shuttle went down, sleeping and waiting.-
Patrick: -...Waiting?-
First Aid: -Yes. For Beachcomber. But she can't come till someone can take care of the new spark.-
Patrick: *Quietly* -Ah... I see...-
Col. Franklin: *watching his friend's face* ...Patrick?
Swoop: *Bringing fish to Uncle Mike and Uncle Patrick, headtilty when she sees that they've got someone with them*
Patrick: *Quietly, to Col. Franklin* It's First Aid... He's waiting for Beachcomber...
Col. Franklin: *frown* Waiting?
Patrick: *Softer* I think they were bonded...
Swoop: *hop hop hop over, more headtilty as she looks at First Aid curiously*
Col. Franklin: *hand to mouth* She's dying?
First Aid: *talks gently to Swoop, the memory of blue optics deep with contentment and peace*
Patrick: *Quietly* We need to find someone to take care of their newspark when it's ready to be delivered....
Swoop: *gives Col. Franklin the cooked fish, clicks to First Aid*
Patrick: *will explain who Swoop is to First Aid*
Col. Franklin: *hands full of roasted fish and eyes full of shock behind his shades* Newspark?
First Aid: *quiet delight* -Ratchet and Wheeljack's? Oh, I'm glad.-
Patrick: First Aid told me so... -Her siblings are digging or eating right now... And there's one more on the way... But Wheeljack's condition's caught up to him a bit...-
Swoop: *soft chirr, curious about First Aid, and why Uncle Patrick looks so sad*
First Aid: -Poor Wheeljack. But I can't feel him, so he must be okay.-
Nosecone: *surfaces across the river in a spray sand and rock, then transforms to root mode and grins her slow grin as the engineers hop up and down and shout victory*
Patrick: -He's holding on... Ratchet makes sure he doesn't push himself too hard...- *attention going to Nosecone, grins and gives the youngster a thumbs up*
Swoop: *Will hop, hop, hop, get airborne, and then pounce on Nosecone for snuggles!*
Nosecone: *gives snuggles! And laughs too*
Gerard: *yelling at the Dinobots to go eat and the engineers to widen out that last bit of channel and then start with the hydroset concrete in the river for the first part of the dam!*
First Aid: *softly* -Is that one of Swoop's siblings? The one who was just digging?-
Patrick: -She's Swoop's niece... from a time far from this point in time by human perspective...-
First Aid: *faint suggestion of a head tilt* -A time far from this one?-
Slag and Snarl: *Gang up on Gerard with mudpies!*
Wade: *laughing instead of discouraging them*
Hans: *hurrying over to save brother*
Patrick: *Tuning out the fussy engineers as he explains Nosecone and her brothers' origins* -It is important that Grimlock not know about this...-
First Aid: *soberly* -I can understand why.- *sense that he's watching Nosecone and Swoop now*
Swoop: *loving on Nosecone!*
Lt. Keller: Lt. Col, sir, aren't you hungry?
Patrick: *Startles*
Swoop: *from where she's loving on Nosecone* Him Uncle Patrick talking to him First Aid!
Lt. Keller: *looks quizzically around the truck*
Gyp: *sees see through person! Barks!*
Chinook: *looks over, then yawns and goes after Grimlock*
Snarl: *Mudpies Wade!*
Lt. Keller: *comes over, a tin plate of fish, snake, and roasted mixed veggies, along with a big chunk of bannock, in one hand* Sir?
Patrick: *Quietly* He's the equivalent of a ghost....
Lt. Keller: *pulls up* You're pulling my leg...
First Aid: *feels confused by the phrase*
Patrick: I'm not... Do you feel the static in the air, Lt. Keller?
Lt. Keller: *frowns, but then starts* Now I do.
Patrick: That's First Aid...
Lt. Keller: *looks around* Hi. *sudden concern as he looks back to Patrick* Is he one of the folk from the shuttle?
Patrick: *headshake* He was on a different shuttle...
Lt. Keller: Oh. *offers Patrick the plate, which even has butter on the vegetables* *he's plainly wondering. But also used to not asking questions of superiors*
Patrick: *Quietly, as he accepts the offered plate* His shuttle was shot down and crashed in Virginia, near Blacksburg...
Lt. Keller: *quiet, sympathetic sadness shows on his craggy face* 'First Aid' sounds like a medic.
Patrick: He was Ratchet's second... And she's our Chief Medical Officer...
Lt. Keller: Riding with soldiers? *frowning now*
Patrick: Their shuttle was a marked medical shuttle... We still don't know who shot them down...
Lt. Keller: *hand over mouth again, his eyes showing a bit of shock and anger now mixed with the sympathy* *softly* Does he know?
Patrick: *nods* He's waiting on someone...
Lt. Keller: No, sir. I mean, does he know who did it.
Patrick: Oh... *Will ask*
First Aid: *quietly* -Yes. I know who did it.-
Patrick: *small nod* He knows who did it...
Lt. Keller: *eyes move from Patrick toward the patch of empty space that he was just looking at*
First Aid: -Telling anyone his name won't help anything.- *bit of a rise in static* -I have to go, sir. Beachcomber and the others need me.-
Patrick: *Small nod* -Be careful, First Aid...-
First Aid: *soft amusement* -I'm already dead, sir.- *and then he's gone*
Patrick: *gives the plate back, moves his glasses out of the way with one hand, will poke himself in the eyes*
Lt. Keller: *free hand on Patrick's shoulder and squeezes in gruff sympathy*
Patrick: *weeps silently*
Col. Franklin: *head in hands. Has been doing that for a little while now*
Lt. Keller: *just stands and offers what support he can*
((co-written with random_xtras))