[Video]

[greater_than_zero]

[Hello again, Haveners.  Have this bot on your screens once more.  He seems to be sitting in the middle of the street this time, and has a similar look on his face as the last time he was on the network.]

Ah...if I could ask assistance from anyone with....really small hands, I would greatly appreciate it.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to come to you, but I can send you my coordinates. 

.....Please hurry.

[He shivers just as the video ends.]

Comments

[greater_than_zero]

[He doesn't turn his head, he can't, but he does smile.] I'm all right. Just startled me is all. I'm not exactly lying out on a medberth as I should be for those panels to be open.

[still_learning]

[Okay. That smile is enough for now.]

I apologize. I will try to be more careful. [And into that hip he'll look now that that panel is off. There are a few more cats in here and he'll get to removing them the same way he did with the first three. One is Not Pleased with him and he'll get a swat in thanks for his efforts, but it's not even a scratch off his paint.]

I do not think that one wanted to be moved.

[greater_than_zero]

I'm warm and apparently comfortable, I guess I can't really blame any of them.

[It's said with a little laugh. Really, all he can do is make light of this. It was his stupidity that brought this about, he really can't be, and isn't, upset with the cats.]

[still_learning]

[That laugh gets a blink out of him. Maybe a little smile. Maybe. And then he'll get to work on that last cat. It's a kitten, really. A tiny black and white one that's been watching him with such big eyes since he opened that hip up.]

[Only now that he reaches for it, he hesitates, because not only is it tiny, it's willingly crawling into his palms. And sniffing him. He stares at it and blinks, fascinated.]

[greater_than_zero]

[That is an extremely odd sensation. He feels it crawl out, but can't turn his head to look.]

Everything all right back there?

[still_learning]

[He... makes the mistake of bringing his cupped hands closer to get a better look at the kitten, seeing as it's decided it's comfy with him. Next thing he knows, he's given a gasp, it's made a leap for him, and landed itself in a spot at his wide collaring to sniff about. And curl up there. And make strange vibrating sounds.]

[Jetstorm stares at it as best he can from this distance, somewhere between startled and curious.]

I am not sure. It did not attack me, I do not think. What is it doing now?

[greater_than_zero]

[He can't see you!] The sound? Well, from what I could tell they seem to make that when they're content.

[He'll reach around with the arm that can move to try to get hold of Jetstorm and pull around and into view for a look. Sorry, minibot, he doesn't dare turn his head yet.]

[still_learning]

[Oh, sorry. Did he not walk far enough around? He was too busy watching the little furball on his shoulder, but he'll follow that hand around to let Subzero get a better look.]

It is not attacking me, but I am too small for it to get inside me. Should I leave it?

[greater_than_zero]

[A grin spreads across his face at the sight.] Well look at that. I think it likes you. I don't see any harm in it, if you want to. And if not then move it.

[still_learning]

[Oh great. Breakdown is going to love this.]

I do not think I would be able to keep it. I do not know how to care for such a creature.

[But he'll... let it sit on him for a while, at least. Maybe it's just cold. He'll get back to work and close up that hip and move to the next area.]

[greater_than_zero]

Perhaps you won't have to. These critters seem quite capable of caring for themselves.

[He thanks Jetstorm and is now able to bend so his left shoulder is more easily reached. Once that's cleared he'll be able to help with the efforts.]

Thank you, so much. I can't tell you how relieved I am none of these guys were hurt.

[still_learning]

[He'll do his part and keep right on helping out as needed. The whole time, that kitten stays on his shoulder, though it gets tired of trying to balance itself after a while and bounds down to go scamper away somewhere. Maybe it'll come back. Jetstorm almost feels bad for having frightened it away.]

I am also relieved. I do not know how to repair an organic.

[greater_than_zero]

Nor do I. I'd not even imagined organic life could get so large, let alone develop any measure of intelligence before finding myself here. It's...amazing, but I'm also seriously lacking in any real information on them yet.

[He finally closes up the last panel and offers the minicon his hand and a smile.] Thank you, Jetstorm. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.

[still_learning]

[He tilts his head at that comment, but he's not as confused about the hand offered. One considerably smaller hand comes back out to take the other bot's.]

You are most welcome. You... have not seen organic life that is as large as these creatures? They can get much bigger than this. Have you not left Cybertron in your world?

[It's not meant to be offensive by any means. He's genuinely curious and a little astounded. Not many who stayed behind during the war survived, and even he knew about that.]

[greater_than_zero]

[He shakes Jetstorm's hand...and shakes his head.] Never. There are some just starting to talk of space travel, so perhaps one day it'll be possible, but I think that may be a ways off yet.

[Confused yet?]

[still_learning]

[A little, yeah.]

You must come from long before my time. [He needs to hear about this, but first, need to deal with the infestation.]

Are you free of the creatures now?

[greater_than_zero]

[He shrugs] Seems plausible. And yes. I am, now. Thank you again.

[still_learning]

[He nods.] Please, what is Cybertron like where you are from?

[greater_than_zero]

[He grins.] It's beautiful. [He shrugs] Nothing like this place...it's thriving, alive, and...there's certainly nothing organic. I have a house on the edges of Iacon.

[Zero, you need to look up the differences between "house" and "mansion", okay?]

Politically, though, I much prefer how things seem to be here. People are people here, and I like that.

[still_learning]

[He doesn't even know what a house looks like. He's lived in apartments all of his short life. Though the other part of that explanation gets a head tilt out of him.]

I wish I could see that. But I do not understand. What is it that people are not people?

[greater_than_zero]

[Zero pulled a vent, letting it out in a soft huff.]

Right now, on my Cybertron, there is slavery. It’s a large practice, part of society, owning a slave is almost seen as a social status. There’s change coming, it’s clear if you pay attention to the political movements, but it’s hard to say if the changes coming will be for the better or not.

[On one hand they will be, on the other hand they’ll be what leads Cybertron to a civil war that spans the universe and millennia...]

[still_learning]

[Oh, that sounds awful. Maybe he wouldn't like that version of Cybertron as well as he had hoped.]

I think I would like my own time better, then. [Given how minicons are treated in his time, he'd hate to see how they were treated before.] Do you think that it will get better? I know there was war where I am from, but maybe... Maybe your Cybertron will not know it.

[greater_than_zero]

[If Zero knew his thoughts were about his size, he’d assure Jetstorm that size had nothing to do with social standing in his world. But as he’s not a mind reader, he can’t address that.]

I have my hopes. It can be hard to know for sure, but I certainly hope so.

[He hesitates a beat.] War?

[still_learning]

[He'd like to know that, but he's running on assumptions at this point. He's kinda bad about doing that.]

[There's a little nod from him, and he looks up at that question.]

I... Oh, I apologize. I should not have said anything.

[greater_than_zero]

[Maybe one day they’ll clear that up, not that it really matters here.]

No, please...I’d like to know. What kind of war? What about?