capitalh | +1 confused alien nerd

Who: Orion Pax and YOU.
Where: Around Los Angeles.
When: The same day that Megatron shows up.
What: A semi truck asks you for help.
Warnings: ???

There's no precedent for this, really. No explanation that brings this sudden transition any closer to making sense. He's never been anywhere that isn't Cybertron before, and organic based planets like this are something he's only read about in the archives.

Thankfully, he figures, he can at least peace something together in terms of appropriate interspecies diplomacy. Because while he's managed to scan an appropriately sized alt form, his last one wasn't the shape he was expecting at all. With this much going wrong, he's going to need help.

It's late afternoon when you'll have a chance at noticing the large red and blue semi truck that seems to be following you around town. It is, inherently, not very subtle. It drives slowly, pursuing you with an almost shy looking trepidation, rolling forward and then hesitating the moment you look at it.

It's sticking to less populated areas for now.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She nods slowly, mentally filing away a number of questions to make sure to throw at him later.

"Hmm... not sure how much I can help you out there... I mean, I'm not exactly up-to-date on the latest in alien crash-landings." She pauses, thinking it over.

"Maybe try Alpha Force? This seems more like their kinda deal - unless you want to keep this on the down-low?" She pauses briefly. "'Course, if it's subtlety you're after, I'm not sure why you're talking to me here, huh."

He's contemplative for a moment, his engine idling softly.

"Who are the 'Alpha Force'?" he asks, and then speaks again after a pause. "And your assistance is valuable, no matter who you might be."

"Wow, you really are new here, huh. Alpha Force is only the biggest, most badass superhero group pretty much ever." If that's exaggeration, Miko doesn't care enough to think of any counter-examples.

"They're based literally right over there," she adds, pointing in the general direction of Alpha Tower. "Not sure what they'd think of a truck asking for help, but it's worth a shot."

She grins at his addendum, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey, I'll do what I can! By the way - do you always look like a truck?" She gestures toward him in general, raising an eyebrow. "Serious question here." Maybe now she can work out how much truth there actually is to those rumors.

"No, I do not," he says simply. "I can also function in my base mode, which is a humanoid robotic body much more similar in shape to your own. Though much larger."

"Cool!" Rumors apparently confirmed, then. "Do you have, like, laser cannons or something? Do you run off electricity or do you have some kinda alien energy source?"

Meeting two aliens within a few weeks, this is some kinda jackpot as far as Miko is concerned. She has all but forgotten that this guy is actually trying to get stuff done.

"I am not armed," he replies, simply. That's not actually true, but he has no idea that his hands turn into guns. "We consume a substance known as energon - one that this planet is unfortunately lacking."

He's sort of gotten sidetracked too, at this point. It's contagious.

She looks kind of troubled at that. "Hold on, what are you gonna eat then? I mean, can you use some kinda alternative or are you just kinda screwed without this stuff?" For all she knows, he could have some supplies with him - but it seems unlikely considering his apparent circumstances.

Hmm. Yeah. He's been worrying about that too, and her mentioning it easily brings it to the forefront of his mind.

"I am not yet sure," he says, after a long moment of thought.

"You should maybe get that figured out, man - wait." Come to think of it, she had been hearing rumors about these aliens for a while now; it might be a stretch, but... "Hey, how long have you been here?" Maybe he was the only one, or maybe the others were just as lost as him, but it never hurt to try.

"I have only been here for a few of your day cycles, I am not yet in dire need of it. But you are correct, it would be wise for me to find a solution sooner rather than later," he says.

"Hey, that may not be too hard, actually!" Maybe.

"There've been rumors going around about a talking car or something - which, okay, is nothing new, really, people claim crap like that all the time - but there's been more about it than usual lately."

"I... don't really know all the details," (which is kind of embarrassing, considering the line of work she's looking at, but Orion doesn't need to know that) "but apparently someone actually met this alien robot-car a few weeks ago. Maybe that car might have some of that energy stuff?"

She feels so helpful right now.

If a semitruck were capable of perking up, he would. That is just the sort of thing he's wanted to hear.

"That correlates with other information I have been given. I am now certain that another of my kind populates this area - and if they have survived, there must be a way for others to do so as well."

He can't smile since he's a truck, but he does sound pretty relieved.

"Awesome!" She's excited on Orion's behalf, for sure - being stranded, completely alone, on an alien planet sounds kind of sucky - but there's also a distinct undercurrent of delight over the increasingly solid realization that there are alien robots and they are in Los Angeles.

"And you should be able to find them, right? I mean yeah they turn into cars and stuff so that might be a problem, but can you tell them apart from regular cars?" She's not sure whether she's imagining that alien robots have some kind of species-specific features that humans just can't see or what, but she figures there must be SOME way for them to tell.

"Unfortunately, their vehicle disguises will be effective on me as well," he says after a moment. "But I have their descriptions, and perhaps I will be able to spot unusual behavior based on insider knowledge. There are tools that might make it easier, but none that I possess."

Like an energon scanner. But if he had one of those, it would make a lot of things easier.

"Hm. Well I mean, I guess if we... run into each other again or something I can let you know if I've seen anything." Do alien robots have cell phones? Probably not. "And you can always keep an eye out for cars without drivers, or if they're like driving on the sidewalk or any weird shit like that."

"If you give me the numbered assignment of your communication device I will be able to contact you," he says. "I have managed to integrate with local communication systems."

Oh. Apparently robots do have phones. Sort of.

"...Okay, sure!" She lists off the digits of her cell number, then pauses to ask "You got that?"

"I do," the truck says. The engine rumbles, and it starts to pull away. "Thank you for your assistance."

"No problem!" She waves cheerily as he starts to leave, then turns and continues on her own way, bouncing on her toes with excitement. Robots that turn into talking vehicles: Confirmed. Now if she could just find out where the rumors came from to start with...

+1 confused alien nerd

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject