[ AUDIO ][ Origin: Leige's Temple ]

[lifepersists]

I'm sorry for lying to everyone. I'm sure everyone is aware I was by now. It was stupid of me.

I have a lot of reasons for doing what I did, none of them important.

Until further notice I'll be found either at Vector's temple or Pharma's lab at Leige's. Please ping me if you need me.







I trust you, Drift. I said I would talk to you when I knew what I wanted to talk about.

Tell me exactly what you remember about Delphi. Everything that happened.
[ /Drift ]


Have you seen Pharma acting strangely at all in the last few months?

[ /Ambulon ]


I... haven't heard from you in a few days. Are you alright?

[ /Fort Max ]


[ He really has to think about this one. ]



I'm going to need some time to think about things.

[ /Ratchet ]

Comments

[Locked][Video]

[vandalization]

First Aid. You know if you... if you need anything, I'm here.

[Locked]

[lifepersists]

...Thank you, Vandal. I appreciate it.




Look, um. I'm really sorry.

[Locked]

[vandalization]

Sorry for what?

[Locked]

[lifepersists]

For lying to you. Pissing you off and so on.

I was... really rude, when you needed me.

[locked video]

[sword_redemption]

[Drift is not one to get upset about a lie like that. After all, he'd done just about the same.]

Everything I said to you, then, I would have said to...you(?) I mean, you, the real you. Not the mech I was talking to, even though that was you.

[Confused yet? So's Drift.]

Delphi. Well. We got this signal, a message coded in a Declassified. And Pipes and Ratchet and I went down to check, bringing MARBs in case we needed them. And then Pipes, uh, made a sort of forcible entry through the doors [He's trying to be tactful because as far as he knows Pipes might be dead.] And then this mech attacked--okay, he really looked like he was going to attack Pipes, all right? So, I, uh, yeah. I sort of killed him.

_sorry.

[locked]

[lifepersists]

[ No, actually, he gets it. ]

I'd rather just... put that behind me. I made a fool of myself and everyone I lied to.

[ He makes a small noise, regretful. ]

The message. I sent it... That's where I met you, in the morgue. You know, just after the whole... ah. Dent thing.

Then what happened?

[locked]

[sword_redemption]

[Then you deserve some sort of award. ]

First Aid. Please. A lot of weird things happened. I got, uh, turned into a girl.

[He nods. ]

Uh. You told us about the monoformers and then Ratchet wanted to talk to Pharma who was, well, you know this. [. He feels like he should be saying something more useful. ]. In that closed-off room where he'd been trapped. And then Pipes started getting sick and I got distracted and had to take him down. But I guess he must have splashed me because I got it too.

I guess you medics are immune or something. [He may sound a bit envious. ]

[locked]

[lifepersists]

...A girl? A girl what? So like... You had a gender?

[ Just way over his head. But First Aid goes quiet a moment, thinking ]

No, we're not. At least, I don't think so. Ambulon and I must have been infected but-- it must have been dormant for some reason. I've seen mechs last two, three days before the symptoms.

[video; locked]

[rstlsslegsyndrm]

[Ambulon takes a minute to work circles into the edges of his crest.] Just... That was a gigantic mess, that entire thing. Let's just... move on and not think about it. [In other words: sorry I called you an obsessed nerd, bro.]

[Then, a beat, and he frowns]

... So I'm not the only one, then. Anything on the Delphi incident - he's told me nothing. I assume he was probably taken prior to the incident like I was. But it was his recent explosion over the link with that Decepticon medic that really confused me. Especially the entire "won't work with a Decepticon ever again" bit. [shrugs] I would have figured he meant me, since he's occasionally fond of reminding me of my past, but... No. I think something's up, too. I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but he's been acting a bit more... shifty than usual.

[locked]

[lifepersists]

That would be best.

[ He knew he could count on you to ignore that whole mess until it was time to lecture him about mental illness or sorts. ]

So you know nothing about what happened-- the plague, Red Rust.

You were an Autobot when you joined us. You know Pharma's feelings about Decepticons. There must be-- No, he knows things we don't and he's not telling us. How he mysteriously lost his hands, cut off by Drift's swords. That is one thing that's been bugging me. I saw the stumps. They were clean cuts, not a butchering an unpracticed swing would do.

[locked]

[rstlsslegsyndrm]

[First Aid, you're too sweet! :')]

I'm aware of most of the details regarding what the Red Rust did to its victims, but nothing in regards to its properties, or the so-called cure Pharma used on Drift. But no one seems to know how it spread. Without sufficient data, I'm left to speculate.

... Do you think he might have attacked Drift in some way? I mean, I am very well aware of his hostility for Decepticons, but I don't think he would engage in a fight unless in self-defense or to stop Drift. I may not know him well, but Drift doesn't seem the type prone to violent outbursts. Unless the virus caused some sort of mental breakdown - No, no. [grumbles] In a delirious state of mind, I doubt he would have made any clean cuts; even for an expert swordsman, that seems farfetched.

The fact Pharma's refused discuss or release any details on the whole mess is disconcerting. If he has nothing to hide, then he wouldn't keep his silence. And I know Pharma tends to keep to himself, but this... No, I don't think "it wasn't important" is a legitimate excuse for why he refuses to address the topic, either.

[locked]

[lifepersists]

[ First Aid makes a grim, thoughtful sound. ]

It was just the two of us working on the plague victims together, for five days. I have... quite a bit of experience with it. Pharma had been locked inside the quarantine room. [ Now, were to begin? ] We allowed two Genericons fleeing the DJD into the facility. They had a branched spark and were suffering from proximity pains, so we scheduled them for an operation. But... before the operation there was... The Big Bang. A loud boom, and then the crying started. After that, anyone who had contact with the infected also were. We took to drawing X's on their faces-- just, you know. Stay the hell away.

[ Well, that was a long story. ]

See, I'm just... confused over the details there. Pharma won't talk about it. Never in my experience did any of the infected become... hostile, as such. Sometimes they might wander off but... harmless things. I think there was a reason why Drift attacked him, and I'm pretty sure it was Drift at this point. And another detail-- how did Pharma become infected? Because he was in quarantine all that time...

There must have been a fight.

[Voice/Audio]

[dontasktrix]

What's wrong with lying? [Really, so many apologists around lately.]

[Voice/Audio]

[lifepersists]

If it ends up hurting someone, then it wasn't worth it at all.

[Voice/Audio]

[dontasktrix]

I don't see how a bot's gonna know beforehand which lie will hurt someone. Besides, hurting others is just part of life. Don't need lying to do that. And, sometimes lying does turn out to be the best strategy. You know? When you say "Those dents don't even show", or, "I'm on your side."

[Voice/Audio]

[lifepersists]

I don't really want to hurt anyone though! Not unless I absolutely have to.

And I-- [ Well, sometimes a little fib is fine but. He felt so guilty lying to Wing before. ] Sometimes.

[Audio | locked ]

[raceme]

First Aid..do you..wanttodosomethigntonight? To distract ourselves?

[WHY IS SOCIALIZING SO HARD:]

[Audio | locked ]

[lifepersists]

Oh... Blurr. Are you sure you want to?

[Audio | locked ]

[raceme]

I.......think it could do us some good.

[Audio | locked ]

[lifepersists]

...Yeah, I'd like that, Blurr.

VIDEO;

[engrishdetective]

Tsk, like lying is a thing that doesn't happen.

In the grand scheme of things, I think yours was entirely harmless.

[lifepersists]

It wasn't, though. Not entirely.

[engrishdetective]

What makes you say so?

[Locked]

[docbot]

... I understand.

[He'll pack First Aid's things up into a neat little package, for whenever he next decides to visit the medbay in the Solian Temple. If he ever decides to visit.]

[Locked]

[lifepersists]

Thanks.











[ Awkward silence. ]

I realize, it wasn't...