Help Unwanted

[universebeware]

Who: Brainstorm and You!
Where: Brainstorm's Workshop, which is in a slightly-quieter portion of the Cancer district.
Summary: Come Bother the Giant Robot: The Entry.
Warnings: Brainstorm is a jerk.

Unlike most of the inhabitants of Hinoto-Ri, Brainstorm is a touch too large for the given apartments. So he's acquired himself a space that looks more like a hangar than a house, but for someone like him, it works. Most of the time, the door is shut, but today, it is open. It's not that Brainstorm wants company - it's that he expects the other visitors to break their new toys at some point or another. Organics are clumsy things, and much as he loathes to interrupt his own work and research, well. Some things just have to be done, whether he likes it or not.

That, and with spring getting into swing, it's getting warmer, and some days it's easier to just keep the door open.

Those who approach would hear the sound of tools in use - and perhaps be unlucky enough to step up when he's welding, and get a eyeful of terribly bright light. Whatever he's doing when someone draws near, though, he's too busy to notice them.

At the side of the open hangar door is sign with an arrow pointing to a roughly human-scaled stairwell. It zigzags up to a platform that will put anyone who climbs it roughly at Brainstorm's chest level - high enough to not strain their necks, but low enough to still be looked down on. There's a panel on the safety railing with a large palm-sized button on it. A digital display above it displays "Press For Assistance" in multiple languages. It appears to be considerate, but it's mostly to cut down on what he considers annoyances.

--

OOC: Do come bother Brainstorm! Need something built, repaired, or if your character's curious/nosy, or whatever you wanna do!

Comments

[terminally_clever]

[BEEP BEEP BRAINSTORM. Fumi has just pressed the assistance button, and is currently standing at the top of the platform.]

You know, you should really have a service elevator installed.

[tyrantball]

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP-...um. It appears that there's a seven year old demon girl pressing the assistance button as fast as she can, giggling in delight at the sounds it's making.-BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

...sorry about that.

[universebeware]

[It takes a moment, but Brainstorm does turn to address Fumi shortly after the sound goes off.]

I could, but I think the stairs are a good deterrent for people who don't have actual issues for me. If I've learned anything from the annoying sorts of your species is that they are usually lazy and won't put forth much effort in being a bother.

[terminally_clever]

[Fumi smiles at that answer. She actually even laughs a bit, under her breath. How unintentionally appropriate.]

I certainly can't disagree with that line of reasoning. You get out what you put in, isn't that right?

[universebeware]

Very shortly, the power to the terminal goes off, the instruction panel fades, and the only sound that remains is the faint clicking of the button. Following that, Brainstorm turns around and leans down to glare at Desco.

"First, I must thank you for bringing a terrible flaw with this system to my attention. I will immediately begin work on installing a wait timer between button presses.

Second, unless you have a VERY good reason to have been doing that, get out of my workshop."

[universebeware]

Exactly. It's not 100% foolproof, but I can't quite build a mind-reader and place it at the doorway to see why people are here before they reach the platform.

[There's a pause.]

Not yet, anyway.

[He sighs, taking just a moment to mentally note that.]

So, what brings you here?

[tyrantball]

Desco draws herself up and adopts a solemn, haughty expression.

"Desco had the best reason."

The serious air she drew around herself fades away as she relaxes and grins broadly at you.

"It was fun!"

With that, she floats off the platform and heads upwards so that she's level with your eyes.

"You're really big, mister!"

[terminally_clever]

I'd be willing to help you with that, actually. But as for why I'm here...

[Fumi grins a little wider, pulling out an envelope bearing the government's official seal.]

I've been assigned to work here as your new lab assistant. Network security admin is my official title, apparently.

[likethewolf]

*Beep*

[Natsuki stands at the stop of the platform, arms folded, waiting for Brainstorm to respond.]

[skyofreverie]

[He hadn't exactly been out looking for a techie. But when he sees the shop, well, Sora can't help but climb the stairs, push the button once and wait for the mentioned assistance.]

Oh you were asking for this

[screwattack]

Well, what do you know, it turns out her exploration through the Cancer district paid off. It seemed that, while the Saggitarius district was rich in supplies, those there were more concerned with mass production factory lines and what she considered less than modern mechanical endeavors than tinkering with her jammed Paralyzer. They'd directed her to this district instead; apparently those here were more skilled with strange technology like hers.

So coming across a workshop that seemed to specialize in tinkering with these kinds of odds and ends made her rather happy. Today, the space hunter was not in her usual PED Suit, if only because those in shops tended not to appreciate it. She's wearing her 'casual' attire, a military jacket with trousers and boots. The only downside to wearing this outfit instead of her PED Suit was the more prominent appearance of the dark blue Phazon coursing through her veins under her skin. Samus only hopes that the owners of this workshop didn't mind it.

Despite her initial happiness upon discovering this place, the unusual entrance and the stairway to the top half fills her with a strange sense of dread... Something wasn't right here.

Her bad feelings are confirmed when, upon reaching the top of the staircase and the platform with the button, she is faced with the backside of an all too familiar giant robot...

With a sigh, the hunter leans over the edge of the saftey railing with her arms crossed and hits the button with her elbow, giving the robot a somewhat amused, if not impatient stare.

[meaningdies]

Naoya pushes the button - only once. He's not an idiot, after all. Hopefully though he's not doing something terribly important.

[universebeware]

Is that so? Most people seem to have objections to that sort of thi--

[Brainstorm looks at her, then at the envelope. He has to take a moment to zoom in to actually see the seal.]

...I've heard nothing about this.

[universebeware]

"That is a stupid reason," he snaps, then straightens up and folds his arms. "Yes, I am big compared to you organics. Now move along and go about your business, I have work to do."

[universebeware]

[After an earlier experience, Brainstorm is not inclined to turn around as readily.

However, one beep should mean it at least isn't Desco, so...]

Yes? What is it?

[universebeware]

Just a moment!

[The call comes from the back of the shop, where Brainstorm is holding a peculiar firearm - it looks like the bastard son of a grenade launcher and a flashlight.

He fires the thing down a makeshift range - what comes out is what appears to be a ball of light. Closer look shows it to be a writhing mass of curved beams of light, which is quite unstable. It hovers in place near the target for several seconds before the instability gives way and the beams lash out and disperse. The target practice dummy in the range has a number of searing hot lashes it didn't have before, and the safety screen has some new scorch marks - though it's hard to tell where they are with all the others there.]

Hmm. A bit on the small scale, but functional...

OH BOY

[universebeware]

Said giant robot turns around - he already looks weary of doing so for the half-a-second he has before he actually realizes who's there.

Then he does. And then he sighs tiredly, and leans on his worktable. "Are you here to berate me about my ethics more? Because I could do that myself. I'm reasonably certain I've got a copy of the Autobot Code lying around in my databanks, and going over it again at least doesn't tempt me with things I can't have."

[daswunderkind]

Buttons? Platforms? As if!

There was science in here and Lash could smell it! (It smelled like burning plastics, beryllium, and α, β, and γ rays.) However, as much as she wanted to interrupted him, she was far more interested to see what he was doing and using her powers, walked right up one of the walls so she could get a much better view than that silly watchpost he had placed could give her.

Everything looks so dangerous! This was great.

[universebeware]

Unfortunately, he was!

There's a sputtering sound from where Brainstorm is - hunched over a table with chemical vials on all sides, and one in each hand. One was about to be poured into the other when the button is pressed, and he tenses up and swears before awkwardly putting the vials back in a holder. He also mutters something about turning that system off and putting up a notice when he's doing delicate things, but a lot of it is drowned out in the noise of him moving things around before stepping over to the platform.

"Yes?"

[universebeware]

Everything looked dangerous because most everything was. Half-finished weapons, actually finished ones awaiting testing, tested ones, a mysterious briefcase in with the unfinished ones...

It was like porn for weapon enthusiasts.

Brainstorm was busy doing some circuit-board soldering at the moment, working on what was obviously a work-in-progress. While a lot of the gun was essentially 'naked', the barrel was enclosed, and rather wide and flat - it looks like it might launch a pair of disc-shaped things at the same time, one on top of the other. Certainly a peculiar device.

[screwattack]

Samus furrows a brow at him, curious, and even amused by the giant Autobot, staring up at him. "So you are capable of feeling guilt, then? Or is it programmed into you?" She shakes her head. "I'm not here for any personal qualms."

The hunter holds up her firearm, sideways. She's not stupid enough to aim the barrel at him, of course, not that she thinks he would be threatened by something that was practically a toy compared to his arsenal.

"I'm not always able to put on my suit in the blink of an eye... When I need to walk among civilians, for instance, I'd prefer to wear this outfit. Of course I have a firearm that I carry with me for emergency situations, a paralyzer, issued by the Federation. It's supposed to fire bursts of electrical energy, and is also capable of firing a beam that can grapple onto both people and objects and administer electric shocks. Unfortunately, it's jammed, and I don't have the tools to fix it."

[terminally_clever]

It's not my fault if the government can't keep straight who it has and hasn't sent letters to, or if you fail to read your mail.

[universebeware]

The government needs to actually make use of the blasted network and send me the appropriate correspondence over that, rather than their stupid little pieces of paper that are an incredible hassle to actually read at my size! I can't go expending fuel to use my holomatter avatar to read a bloody letter that nine times out of ten tells me something I already know!

[He huffs, then folds his arms much like a spoiled child.]

First the damned AI, and now you. Though I suppose I can't complain much. Having others around to take care of the network allows me to focus more on other projects...

[universebeware]

"Oh, I'm quite capable. Just in situations where others expect it of me, I generally feel a great deal of annoyance instead. Or amusement, in some cases."

Amusement is what shows on his face right now, though, as Samus offers her weapon and explains the problem. Where one might expect him to fly into a rant about his previous desire to get a sample of Phazon to work with being denied, and here she is looking for his help after that, he instead lowers a hand, and carefully plucks the paralyzer from her grip.

"Is that all?"

[tyrantball]

"It is not a stupid reason! Desco is the most important being in this city, so her amusement is also important!"

Rather than leave, Desco just floats further upwards so she is level with your shoulder.

"And besides, you owe Desco a favor, since she so graciously pointed out a flaw in your system! You should be grateful to be in debt to the Final Boss!"