[network post--marked urgent]

[asafepairofhands]

Hello? Yeah, all right, it looks like this thing is on.

[The vid flickers on and Ratchet's face fills it, somehow more exasperated and peeved than usual.]

Look, public service health announcement, stay away from the damn stupid flowers that are popping up everywhere. They're releasing a pollen that's hyperconductive that causes an allergic reaction in both organics and inorganics. Nobody's going to drop dead, unless you're set on being a medical miracle and being the first to die of overcharge, but if you're affected, for goodness' sake, be careful until it wears itself out. If you don't release the pent-up charge or whatever periodically it's possible you'll overheat.

If you absolutely need medical assistance, I'm going to be at the first medibay trying to figure out more precisely what the fresh smelting hell is going on.

Ratchet out.

Comments

[asafepairofhands]

I'd... appreciate that. Thank you.

Probably too late to stop widespread infection now, but it doesn't seem to be actively dropping anybody dead, so I'm not that worried about it yet.

[ashandrust]

Agreed.

[He leaves the frame for a second or two and returns with a glass tube in hand. His mild, preoccupied tone grows slightly rueful.]

And if nothing else, having the option to prevent such another incident would be all the better.

[asafepairofhands]

That would be nice, yes. [He snorts.] Issues of a low-but-present threat of permanent systems damage from the side effects and questionable consent aside, it's damned inconvenient. What a pointless, brainless mess.

[ashandrust]

Pointless to us perhaps. If this is Cybertron's doing, there may be some purpose we do not yet understand.

[He fully intends to sort it all out somehow, even if only for the sake of the knowledge itself.]

...Though I find it all highly... questionable.

[What is humour.]

[asafepairofhands]

[The look on Ratchet's face tells Sentinel exactly what he thinks of Cybertron's grand plan for them to all screw each others' paint half off.]

Uh-huh. Well, I'll let you know if I come up with anything from the data. We have a trained epidemiologist on staff here, too, but we'll see.

[ashandrust]

[Genuine surprise, and he even pauses in the work that keeps preoccupying him from the conversation. He really has been out of the loop.]

Fortunate.

[He pauses, then turns away again.]

I thank you in advance for any updates.

[Then his end of the feed cuts.]