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

[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.

[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...

[terminally_clever]

I had a similar role at home, so you won't need to worry about bringing me up to speed on anything. Once I have the appropriate access codes and encryptions, I'll take care of things from there.

[universebeware]

Very well, then.

[He's still rather annoyed, but given that it wasn't his call to put her in this position, that means it's not his responsibility if this winds up going pear-shaped.

There's a quiet mechanical whirring noise as his COMP deploys as one scouter-esque visor over one eye. His head tilts to the side just a bit while one hand's fingers drum against the arm they're resting on. After a moment, the device retracts.]

Check your messages in a bit, the information should be arriving quite shortly.

[terminally_clever]

I'll do that. And I assume since you already knew where to send it, I can dispense with the usual boring personal introductions and get right to work. I'm sure if you're in charge of the network, you already know everything that's in the government's file on me anyway.

[She's just assuming as a matter of course that the government is keeping that sort of information about the visitors. It only makes sense.]

[universebeware]

[There's a smug 'heh' that comes from Brainstorm as his folded-arms positioning becomes more cocky than petulant.]

Well, such is the advantage of having a mechanical brain - multitasking works a fair bit better. And if I couldn't pull together information and act on it like so, I'd be a poor network administrator, now wouldn't I?

[terminally_clever]

It's good to see we're in such capable hands, then.

[universebeware]

[What's got two thumbs and a now sufficiently-stroked ego? THIS 'BOT.]

Well, they're certainly not fancy forged hands, but they're more than capable of getting the job done.

[terminally_clever]

[Fumi smiles a little.]

Speaking of forged hands... I suppose you must get this question a lot, but exactly what sort of lifeform are you, Mr. Brainstorm? Robot is a given, certainly, but you appear to be far more advanced than most of the ones I've seen around town.

[universebeware]

[There's a rather obvious droop in his shoulders when Brainstorm realizes where this question is headed. On the upshot, however, Fumi is at least polite about it, and Brainstorm will give her an answer. Grudgingly.]

Despite my mechanical nature, I am still a lifeform, and not a mere machine. I'm simply made of metal, rather than little carbon-based squishy bits.

[terminally_clever]

Oh, of course. I hadn't meant to imply otherwise. I assume members of your race are assembled in some fashion and given life via some mechanical or electrical process rather than being born in the same way as humans and other mammals, then, is that correct? Hm... or is it something more like two of you connecting your consciousnesses and passing information concerning your construction back and forth where they're recombined randomly by a centralized processing and assembly unit? That would be the likeliest analogue to reproduction as humans think of it...

[Yeah, she's not shy with questions or speculation.]

[universebeware]

[There's a light noise not unlike someone clearing their throat.]

More like the former than the latter. Connecting our consciousnesses is a rather dangerous thing, and generally seen as terrible and unethical.

[terminally_clever]

That seemed like the more likely option.

[universebeware]

Despite my race's superiority to the average manufactured machine, there are still quite a number of similarities between us. It does make explaining things a touch easier, admittedly.

[terminally_clever]

Interesting. And what is the name of your race?

[universebeware]

Cybertronians. We hail from the planet Cybertron - rather straightforward, that. I suppose we don't exist in this universe, or simply haven't crossed paths with Earth just yet.

[terminally_clever]

That must have been an interesting day for both Cybertron and Earth alike.

[She can only imagine.]

[universebeware]

I suppose so - never been to Earth until I woke up here. Fair amount of ruckus went down, from reports I heard.

[terminally_clever]

That's unsurprising. It must have looked like a large-scale alien invasion.

[universebeware]

[There's a pause.]

...is that a jab at our size difference?

[terminally_clever]

...No, but I should have thought of that.

[universebeware]

I suppose I've been here too long and prone to expecting every other organic I meet to have a tendency to repeatedly point out just how big I am in comparison. I mean, really, it's like they think I haven't noticed by the hundreds upon hundreds of creatures that are smaller than me. I'm not blind, I can very plainly see this. And I don't go blathering on about how small you all are to every person I hold a conversation with!

[...someone's bitter.]

[terminally_clever]

Humans say plenty of unnecessary things.

[universebeware]

Yes, yes they do. If I had a shanix for every unnecessary thing I've heard in my time here, I would be a very, very wealthy fellow.