+1 confused alien nerd

[thanksoptimus]

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.

Comments

[metabee]

Metabee had been wandering around town to stretch his legs when he first noticed the truck. At first he hadn't really given it much though, it had been following him long enough that it was starting to get irritating. Or what if it was TRIDENT? They had just taken Karkat after all, what if they were targeting all the Trailblazers.

Karkat may have made a habit of getting kidnapped, but Metabee wasn't about to get that kind of mark on his record. He quickly darted down one of the side streets which turned out to be the loading zone for the nearby stores.

He crouched down behind one of the dumpsters, watching the opening of the street for any signs of the truck.

[thanksoptimus]

Orion is discouraged when the little robot runs off to the side, worrying that he's frightened him. He really doesn't like the discomfort his attempts to speak to people seems to be causing, but it's difficult to navigate these streets carefully enough in a vehicle form of his size.

He doesn't want to make them feel like they're in danger, so as he pulls up to the size street he saw him turn into, he gently tries to call out for him.

He clears his throat and then softly honks his horn.

"Excuse me. I mean you no harm."

He doesn't see the bot anymore. His mirrors shift around to no avail. Scrap, he was the only one of his kind he'd seen...

[metabee]

"Then why have you been following me around, dude?"

He was admittedly a little thrown off by them telling him where they were, but then it could be a trick. Metabee poked his head around the corner to get a better view of the truck, still ready to fire on any potential kidnappers. Forgetting his horns would probably give him away.

[thanksoptimus]

He sees the horns are is immediately relieved. At least he'll have a chance to talk, even if the little bot seems displeased with him.

"I am sorry. I only wished to speak to you discretely," he says. "Are you truly a Cybertronian?"

[metabee]

Ok that....was probably not TRIDENT then. Hadn't Sollux mentioned something about these guys?

"Uh, no. Sorry, dude."

He stepped out from his hiding place, peering up at the windows but unable to see anyone through the blacked out glass.

"Aren't they some sort of alien robots?"

[thanksoptimus]

"Oh...I see..."

While he does sound somewhat disappointed at that response, more than anything he sounds in wonderment. Where has a robotic life form like this come from, if not his home planet? He knew of other metallic species, but none quite like this.

"They are a species of robotic life form. But...if you are not Cybertronian...may I ask what you are? I have never seen one of your kind before."

[metabee]

Wow, that was the second time someone had asked him that recently.
"Uh, yeah I guess. I'm a Medabot."

He put his hands on his hips, looking up with some confusion.
"There a reason you're looking for robots?"

[thanksoptimus]

He falls silent for a few moments, caught by surprise. Maybe he was less obvious than he thought he was being!

"I suppose because I am one," he says. "Orion Pax, of Cybertron."

[metabee]

"Oh, ok. I guess I just assumed you guys were, I don't know, together? All in one group or whatever."

He was trying really hard to remember everything Sollux had mentioned in that post about the Cybertronians, but he wasn't great with details.

"If you're an alien robot why do you look like a truck?"

[thanksoptimus]

"I have unfortunately arrived here on my own," he says. "Which is the very root of my trouble. But you see, this is only one of my two forms. An altmode, as we call it. I would transform into my base mode to interface with you more appropriately, but I fear it would be...conspicuous."

[metabee]

"So you can turn into a robot and a truck? That is so cool!" Wow, he was pretty sure no one mentioned that about the Cybertronians. He would have remembered that.

"But can you only turn into a truck? I mean a bright red truck isn't exactly low profile. And why aren't you an alien truck?"

[thanksoptimus]

Wow, these are a lot of questions about things he has never given much thought to. He does he best to soldier through though.

"A 'truck' is the only mode I have scanned on this planet. I had another from my home planet but it seems to have been...excluded from my memory. I have no memory of how first I arrived here."

[metabee]

"Oh, amnesia or whatever? That's a bummer, man."

"You hit your-" he paused, looking over the truck again "-head or something?"

[thanksoptimus]

"I suppose I must have," he says, sounding somewhat exhausted with the whole thing. "I have reason to believe I arrived in a section of a crashed vessel, but I do not comprehend the circumstances."

[metabee]

"You crash landed here! Dude, that is crazy!" Wow, this guys was straight out of a sci-fi film. This was great!

"Did you check the wreck for clues or anything? That might help."

[thanksoptimus]

"I have searched what remained, but to little use," he says, and you can hear the thoughtful frown in his voice. "It has been suggested that I search for other parts of the wreckage."

[metabee]

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like a smart idea." He felt kind of bad for this guy, he sounded really confused. He probably wanted to go look for the ship now, if he'd already been talking to people besides Metabee.

Metabee had been trying to figure out a tactful way of asking but eventually gave up.
"So...before you go off on your search...could I see you turn into a robot? That would be So cool!"

[thanksoptimus]

This is really counter intuitive to his whole quest here, but it is really hard to turn down this young robots sense of curiosity. Also, it would be nice to stretch out a little.

"If a location secluded enough can be found...I suppose that would be alright."

[metabee]

"Oh, man, Yeah! That would be awesome!"

He rubbed his faceplate, trying to remember the layout of the city around here.

"I think there's an old warehouse district that is usually empty nearby, if you drive me there it wouldn't take long, and it would be on your way." He explained, trying not to sound too excited. This guy seemed pretty trustworthy, and getting to see him transform would definitely be worth the walk back.

[thanksoptimus]

Orion grunts his assent, and pops open the door for Metabee to get in. The idea of having another robot ride inside of him is definitely sort of strange, but not in a bad way given Metabee's comparative size and youth.

He follows Metabee's directions, trying to be as quick as he can while being discrete. Once they are there, be slowly pulls into secluded area and pops the door open again for Metabee to get out.

"I believe I could transform with you inside, but it would be...uncomfortable."

[metabee]

"Yeah, that sounds like it would be really weird."

Metabee jumped down from the cab, turning to face Optimus while taking a few steps backwards. There was a definite spring in his step as he gave the truck more room.

"You need me to be further away or anything, dude?"

[thanksoptimus]

"Your current proximity should be fine," he says, shutting his door and then beginning to transform. Metal plating expands and rearranges, spinning and clicking into place. Orion is kneeling when he assumes his base form, just to be careful, but at his full height he is at least fifteen feet tall.

He crouches down a bit lower, glancing around the area carefully.

"It is a pleasure to meet you more appropriately," he says.

He might offer to shake hands or something but it would be kind of ridiculous with their respective hand sizes.

[metabee]

Metabee winds up taking a few steps back and Orion transforms anyway, eyes wide. If he had a mouth it would probably be hanging open in amazement. He is actually stunned silent for a few moments.

"Dude. That. Was. Way cool!" He says slowly, looking up at the much bigger robot, a definite tone of awe in his voice. He was leaning pretty far back to keep eye contact with the cybertronian.

"Wow, you are really tall. I can see why you were worried about being spotted."

[thanksoptimus]

"Yes," he says after a moment of thought. It's the first time he's taken his base form in a while, and once again he feels strange in his skin. "Perhaps even taller than I remember being last."

[metabee]

"Oh. do you guys....grow or something?" It didn't really seem likely, but you never know with alien robots really.