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[buffthis]

Who: Knock Out and YOU!!!
Where: All around L.A.
When: All day, TODAY
What: That talking sports car who is actually a giant space robot people have been talking about lately is out and about in L.A., being way less discreet than a Decepticon should.
Warnings: Inappropriately sensual is Knock Out's game. Approach with caution.

It's been only a few weeks since Knock Out arrived in L.A. after an extended tour in Europe, but he likes it already. He hadn't expected the vehicles around here to measure up to the ones he'd grown fond of in Italy and Germany, but the luxury car expo he'd tracked in L.A. had been a sight to behold. Admiring the glossy, flawless finishes on all of those perfect automobiles had nearly had him in fits of jealousy.

And the roads here. Knock Out can drive for miles, endless stretches of black asphalt that positively sing under his tires for hours on end. Yes, he thinks he could get used to this...he could stand to stay here for awhile.

Five years lounging around on Earth has made him slightly careless, and he hasn't been as discreet as he ought to be. But it's hard to contain himself when there's so much entertainment to be had on this planet. He can be found screaming down the California highways or cruising around the city -- occasionally, he'll send his holomatter avatar out to interact with the local life forms.

Comments

[buffthis]

The non-Cybertronian keeps pinging Knock Out's comm systems, and that raises a few red flags. He speeds up and rounds the corner, adjusting his side mirrors to watch Legion and -- yep, there they go. Following him. What gives?

Knock Out moves along at a leisurely pace, luring Legion farther away from the crowds, and yet, he's still being followed -- still being pinged. He's a little on edge, and agitated to boot -- he finally responds to Legion's comm line with a ping of his own, in the hopes they'll finally leave him alone.

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The consensus buzzes upon receiving a response.

They identify themselves to Knock Out, and request the car's identity in return.

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Knock Out does not have time for this. Okay, he has time, but -- he's not about to identify himself to some AI consensus with no real incentive. He denies the identity request (about as tactfully as saying none of your business) and instead sends a request asking what the hell Legion wants.

[chapterfiveversenine]

If Legion expressed body language unconsciously, they would frown, but they don't, and simply respond with a statement of general interest in other synthetic life.

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Hmm. Well, he supposes a name wouldn't hurt -- just a name -- and maybe he can learn a little more about this consensus. It's piqued his curiosity, at least, so he responds with his name, nothing else, and requests more information about Legion themselves -- like what, for instance, such an advanced AI consensus is doing on this planet.

[chapterfiveversenine]

Diplomatic relations and data gathering, Legion explains. Their people are engaged in a construction project, and require trade with organic species to gather resources in a reliable time frame. Unfortunately, their route back home has been cut off, and in any case humanity has been deemed unready for rapid uplift. Instead, they remain as an observer and ally to law enforcement, in order to create goodwill for the eventual arrival of the full consensus.

[buffthis]

Whatever the deal with this AI consensus is, they're really starting to bore Knock Out. A powerful consensus from an advanced race, on another planet, and all they want to do here is play goodie two-shoes? Please, give him a break. But wait -- he really should find out more...

A little bit less abruptly this time, he requests information about Legion's planet of origin.

[chapterfiveversenine]

Although its orange sun is only about 90% the mass of Sol and half as luminous, Rannoch is arid by Earth standards because it formed closer to its star and has slightly less ocean coverage. Photosynthetic life is concentrated around rivers and oceans...

Legion's dossier continues in this vein for some time - a fellow AI, after all, should be able to read and comprehend it instantly. The portions discussing Rannoch's sapient life, the quarians, are highlighted.

Curiously, in discussing geth-quarian relations, the dossier says only that the quarians created the geth two centures prior, and nothing else.

[buffthis]

Knock Out's no AI, though he can scan data a lot faster than any organic. Even so, the dossier quickly proves to be a total borefest -- all he really cares about is that the consensus was made, not born. The quarians are just another race of fleshy pests, as far as Knock Out's concerned, and he pretty much skims over those parts.

Two centuries old means they're unlikely to be a threat to the Decepticons, and they definitely haven't been in the past, as far as Knock Out knows. That's all he really needs to know -- he's certainly not going to divulge any more information from his side without good reason. With that, Knock Out closes his comm line and starts to roll away, filing the information away for later use -- if he ever needs it.

[chapterfiveversenine]

Legion considers pinging again, but given how Knock Out responded the first time, it's unlikely to turn up any results, and they don't want to look like they're initiating hostilities by trying to overload his comms.

Their platform walks around the corner and returns to people-watching. They're reasonably sure they can find Knock Out again if they need to.