re_alignment | [VIDEO]

[The video feed, when it clicks on, is a bit chaotic, the picture jerking about roughly. What landscape that can be discerned in the image, however, seems to be near the border of the badlands. Something large, mechanical, and sharp suddenly slashes into the frame and then back out again, like a weapon being thrust toward the camera.]

AAhhhhh! Cease and desist at once, you arachnid annoyance!

[Perceptor briefly flails into view for a moment, looking a bit flustered, before he ducks out of view again under another swipe of that weapon. Or rather, not a weapon, as the view shifts wildly to pan across a massive robotic spider with very large fangs lowered threateningly toward the camera.]

[As the view swings wildly again, there are muffled thuds and thumps and the thick clang of metal against metal that seem to hint at an epic struggle. Perceptor looks much more harried when he bounces into view again.]

I, ah, seem to have stumbled into a bit of an inconvenience... wherever this location is. If anyone is nearby, assistance would be greatly appreciated!

[There is an odd, almost liquid sound that splatters into the feed, and a sudden yelp from Perceptor as a stream of thick, greyish goop blasts past his head.]

As soon as possible?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The image that pops up is definitely a Perceptor. His face is mostly clean once again, though there seem to be tendrils and thin globs of something thick, grey, and sticky looking clinging to a few seams. There's a swift look of something like hope that darts across his features, before he seems to school his reaction to one of calm patience.]

My previous difficulties have been abated. Thank you.

[He worries his lower lip for a moment, before continuing on.]

You are.... Skyfire?

[Well, that doesn't look very... pleasant, but at least he's somewhat more clean than what the rest had seemed to imply. The brief flash of emotion gets a slight, curious helmtilt, but he doesn't say anything at first.]

That's a relief. I was worried I saw this too late... [Jetfire quiets, the name, similar but not, a surprise. So far, any alternates have looked at least reasonably similar... and definitely had the same designation. So why..?]

Ah, no... My designation's Jetfire. That does, however, confirm that you're not the Perceptor from the same reality as I.

[Which he'd been pretty sure of previous to starting the conversation, but confirmation was always nice.]

[Perceptor smiles faintly.]

Drift was quite adept at offering his assistance. The creature has been subdued.

[With prejudice. Heh.]

[The name correction seems to kill that faint smile for a moment, before Perceptor bravely pulls forth another one.]

Jetfire. Fascinating. It would seem that we are not from one another's base realities, but, yes, I am Perceptor. The "Jetfire" I recently knew was... quite a different individual than you. I am not certain, yet, if more familiarity to the entities one is familiar with is more desirable, or if less familiarity would be.

It is... a bit jarring. This time.

[He nods, pleased at that and... well, it's impossible not to pick up the flagging smile even if it comes back.]

You've been elsewhere than your own reality to have been able to meet alternates? And you look similar enough to the Perceptor I know I was... wondering, but certain details does confirm that we aren't. Besides the difference in my designation.

[Pausing, he frowns thoughtfully, tapping a finger against the lower arm that carries the screen he's broadcasting from. The look he casts to the side is slightly distant.]

Even just one individual from your own reality would probably be preferable, since even given the reasonable similarity of the various iterations our realities seem to be drawn from, they aren't... exactly, the same.

[Perceptor nods, his smile widening with his awakened curiosity.]

This is not the first reality that I have been removed to. I have spent the last several years within another reality that seemed to draw individuals from a vast variety of universes, both similar, and quite different.

[He nods again, knowingly, at Jetfire's theory.]

Yes, I imagine so. I am, at least, fortunate enough to have years of experience with the odd sort of Jamais vu that interacting with such similar individuals can inspire.

While I haven't spent several years outside of my original dimension, I've been in another one before coming here. That one, however, was extremely far removed from anything resembling usual reality... Even this Cybertron feels more... home and familiar than that place did.

[He nods, optics narrowing in thought.]

Here, as well as where I was previously, there was quite a disparate population. We might be having to do with multiple multiverses, since some of the humans seemingly come from realities where cybertronians do not exist.

[At that last, he chuckles quietly, expression dry but agreeing.]

Even a short stay elsewhere is probably beneficient when having to deal with a situation such as this, yes.

We had not found Earth or the humans yet. Only fellow Cybertronians, and their Nebulon partners, seemed to arrive where I most recently came from.

Curiously, despite several years of investigation and travel, we had yet to find evidence of Cybertronians native to that universe. Unicron, yes, but not Cybertron, nor its inhabitants yet.

... Curious. There seems to be some indication that depending on the nature of the place where different realities intersect, and where you end up, different individuals are drawn through.

That is... interesting. [Jetfire frowns, ignoring the faint, spark-deep unease of "where there's one, the other should, and need, always be". He doesn't understand what it means, anyway, and such an indistinct thing can't be paid attention to.] Did you ever find out why that might be?

[Perceptor shakes his head.]

Not before I was brought to this universe, no.

[He frowns, worrying about the crew of the Event Horizon. Perceptor isn't indispensable by any means, but who will ensure that everyone is properly maintained and and who will take up the work of developing a portal home again?]

There was much yet left undone there.

Unfortunate. Even if it would have no bearing here, it would have been interesting to know...

[There's a thoughtful nod.]

Well, if we can make a space bridge capable of reaching through to various dimensions, and can find a stable way to not just connect to these, but also find the particular universes we want, we should be able to send people where they want to go.

[Even if that didn't mean "going home" or to one's "original" dimension necessarily.]

Agreed, yes

[Because Perceptor hates not knowing things. It's rather his whole purpose: to learn and seek and know.]

I do have some ability and experience with constructing spacebridge portals capable of transporting individuals and supplies through points within the same reality, however, my initial attempts at breaching the boundaries between realities was less successful. Given leave, I could return to my experimentation upon that matter?

[Not having enough information to be able to draw a reasonably correct conclusion is... extremely frustrating, yes. If you have the time to research, it can, however, be fulfilling. Lack of time however...]

It's not my area of expertise, but I would be interested in lending a hand whenever you need one if you decide to pursue this... We would need more resources however, and equipment.

I would be glad of the assistance. Thank you.

[He smiles wryly.]

I have some experience with building my laboratory from scraps and debris and little else.

[He's done that three or four times in the last several years, alone. And in a universe not meant for Cybertronians, so even the tech there had been lacking.]

[There's an answering dry grin from Jetfire and a shake of his helm.]

I believe we have somewhat more recourse than that, despite the Junk Pile... at least we have familiar resources available, and in abundance... And from what I have seen, the Junk Pile could possibly yield more than merely other-dimensional, er, detrius.

Then we are already much advanced over what I have become accustomed to! [Perceptor grins.]

I shall notify you when I have selected a location and begun work, Jetfire. Thank you for your assistance.

[VIDEO]

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