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ajremixTitle: You and I Collide: Trouble on the Home Front
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: PG
Word Count: 928
Characters: Topspin, Springer
Summary: Repost. Some issues need anticipating.
Topspin entered Springer’s temporary office with his usual, “Hey, Chief!”
The triplechanger set aside some datapads he was working on and leaned back in his seat. “Old trouble or new?”
He’d long since given up trying to say he doesn’t always drop by just because there’s trouble- mainly because Springer always seemed to know when Topspin came by because of some problem or just to shoot the breeze. “I guess it all depends on perspective. An old problem with a contemporary twist, I guess.”
Springer leaned forward. “Oh, this’ll be good.” He muttered. “What is it?”
“It’s a couple things and they all have to do with Sandstorm.”
“And Fireflight?” It wasn’t really a question.
“Yeah.” Topspin held his hands up quickly. “I know none of us can stop him when he’s got that itch going, but-“
“It’s been going on for a while.” The green mech finished. He rubbed at his faceplates. “And Fireflight seems to be getting pretty attached.”
“He’s gotten into arguments with his squad over it.”
Springer’s engine rumbled unhappily. “Primus- someone couldn’t have made a worse ‘bot for him to mess with.” He looked at the medic from between his fingers. “He hasn’t shown any signs of his usual habits, has he?”
“Nope. Still being oddly civil- even nice. And I mean honestly- doesn’t seem like an act to me and the others don’t think it is, either.”
Topspin watched as his leader stood and began to pace. “I don’t want to call out any of you on your worst, but sooner or later he’ll get bored of whatever novelty he sees in Fireflight and revert to his usual tactic and dump him off.”
“Probably.”
“You and Scoop are our most emphatic. Fireflight’s got his own squad to fall back on, but I want you two to work as damage control. I want you two to keep an optic on them as often as possible and don’t get caught.” Wait, this was their recon specialist they were talking about. “Try not to get caught.”
“Understood.” Topspin waited for a moment for Springer to pause in his pacing. “There’s another problem. Well, not problem. Not yet anyway.”
“What is it?”
“I was looking over the results of Sandstorm’s last cranial diagnostic and his recent performance and it’s… well, it’s strange.”
Curious- and a little worried –Springer leaned against the edge of the desk. “What is it?”
“On the positive side, Sandstorm’s been getting a lot of rest. His processes and functions are running at a higher speed so his thinking is faster and sharper. The negative is something is affecting his efficiency levels- it’s at its lowest point I’ve ever seen on him. Not enough to seriously affect his ability, but there’s something that’s bothering him and it’s taking up a lot of processor power. I don’t think he’s aware of it.”
Springer’s optics narrowed, trying to understand this new information. “You think something is bothering him so much his subconscious functions are trying to sort it out for him?”
“That’s the short of it.”
“Do you know what it is?”
The blue and white shrugged. “Can’t say. As it is, with just one quick scan and passive observation I can’t even tell you how bad this is really affecting him, if it’s gotten better, worse or if it’s involving more than just subconscious functions.”
Springer growled. “And there’s no way we can get Sandstorm to go for another scan without a good reason.”
“Have to get an even better one for an in-depth scan at that.”
They sat quiet and contemplative, staring at some point beyond the deck. “So,” Springer asked slowly, “how bad do you think it is?”
“Making an educated guess on what next to nothing I know?”
“Go for it.”
Topspin grinned wickedly. “That’s why I like you, Springer. You never ask for the impossible.” Springer smirked back at him. “I say just keep him under close observation for now. I don’t think it’s that bad, he can still do his duty to his regular proficiency but if it falls any much more we may have to call him in for a full scan if he wants it or not.”
Springer wasn’t looking forward to that prospect. “What’re the chances of him working it out on his own?”
“Without knowing what it is, I really can’t say. But he’s a smart ‘bot. If he can figure it out, he will.”
“Is there a chance it could be a side effect from something on the planet?”
Topspin’s mouth component pressed into a thin line. It wasn’t odd for something in the atmosphere or some biological effect to throw off a ‘bot’s infradian rhythm a little, but not to this extent without affecting anyone else. “Unlikely.”
“Then this probably stems from Fireflight.”
“Highly probable.”
Springer sighed. “Far be it for me to try to deter any outside relationships, but… you’re our acting psychiatrist, Spin. What do you say?”
In return, he shrugged. “I guess all we can really do is wait. It either works out or it gets worse. If it works out, his efficiency is back up to his normal levels, if it gets worse we’ll have to call him in, figure out the problem and try to help him deal.”
“Right. Thanks for bringing this up to me.” Springer gritted his dental platting together. Great, this probably means he should talk to Silverbolt about the potential fallout- and that was not something he was looking forward to.
Note to self, he thought, punch Sandstorm in the face for the headache.
Fandom: Transformers
Rating: PG
Word Count: 928
Characters: Topspin, Springer
Summary: Repost. Some issues need anticipating.
Topspin entered Springer’s temporary office with his usual, “Hey, Chief!”
The triplechanger set aside some datapads he was working on and leaned back in his seat. “Old trouble or new?”
He’d long since given up trying to say he doesn’t always drop by just because there’s trouble- mainly because Springer always seemed to know when Topspin came by because of some problem or just to shoot the breeze. “I guess it all depends on perspective. An old problem with a contemporary twist, I guess.”
Springer leaned forward. “Oh, this’ll be good.” He muttered. “What is it?”
“It’s a couple things and they all have to do with Sandstorm.”
“And Fireflight?” It wasn’t really a question.
“Yeah.” Topspin held his hands up quickly. “I know none of us can stop him when he’s got that itch going, but-“
“It’s been going on for a while.” The green mech finished. He rubbed at his faceplates. “And Fireflight seems to be getting pretty attached.”
“He’s gotten into arguments with his squad over it.”
Springer’s engine rumbled unhappily. “Primus- someone couldn’t have made a worse ‘bot for him to mess with.” He looked at the medic from between his fingers. “He hasn’t shown any signs of his usual habits, has he?”
“Nope. Still being oddly civil- even nice. And I mean honestly- doesn’t seem like an act to me and the others don’t think it is, either.”
Topspin watched as his leader stood and began to pace. “I don’t want to call out any of you on your worst, but sooner or later he’ll get bored of whatever novelty he sees in Fireflight and revert to his usual tactic and dump him off.”
“Probably.”
“You and Scoop are our most emphatic. Fireflight’s got his own squad to fall back on, but I want you two to work as damage control. I want you two to keep an optic on them as often as possible and don’t get caught.” Wait, this was their recon specialist they were talking about. “Try not to get caught.”
“Understood.” Topspin waited for a moment for Springer to pause in his pacing. “There’s another problem. Well, not problem. Not yet anyway.”
“What is it?”
“I was looking over the results of Sandstorm’s last cranial diagnostic and his recent performance and it’s… well, it’s strange.”
Curious- and a little worried –Springer leaned against the edge of the desk. “What is it?”
“On the positive side, Sandstorm’s been getting a lot of rest. His processes and functions are running at a higher speed so his thinking is faster and sharper. The negative is something is affecting his efficiency levels- it’s at its lowest point I’ve ever seen on him. Not enough to seriously affect his ability, but there’s something that’s bothering him and it’s taking up a lot of processor power. I don’t think he’s aware of it.”
Springer’s optics narrowed, trying to understand this new information. “You think something is bothering him so much his subconscious functions are trying to sort it out for him?”
“That’s the short of it.”
“Do you know what it is?”
The blue and white shrugged. “Can’t say. As it is, with just one quick scan and passive observation I can’t even tell you how bad this is really affecting him, if it’s gotten better, worse or if it’s involving more than just subconscious functions.”
Springer growled. “And there’s no way we can get Sandstorm to go for another scan without a good reason.”
“Have to get an even better one for an in-depth scan at that.”
They sat quiet and contemplative, staring at some point beyond the deck. “So,” Springer asked slowly, “how bad do you think it is?”
“Making an educated guess on what next to nothing I know?”
“Go for it.”
Topspin grinned wickedly. “That’s why I like you, Springer. You never ask for the impossible.” Springer smirked back at him. “I say just keep him under close observation for now. I don’t think it’s that bad, he can still do his duty to his regular proficiency but if it falls any much more we may have to call him in for a full scan if he wants it or not.”
Springer wasn’t looking forward to that prospect. “What’re the chances of him working it out on his own?”
“Without knowing what it is, I really can’t say. But he’s a smart ‘bot. If he can figure it out, he will.”
“Is there a chance it could be a side effect from something on the planet?”
Topspin’s mouth component pressed into a thin line. It wasn’t odd for something in the atmosphere or some biological effect to throw off a ‘bot’s infradian rhythm a little, but not to this extent without affecting anyone else. “Unlikely.”
“Then this probably stems from Fireflight.”
“Highly probable.”
Springer sighed. “Far be it for me to try to deter any outside relationships, but… you’re our acting psychiatrist, Spin. What do you say?”
In return, he shrugged. “I guess all we can really do is wait. It either works out or it gets worse. If it works out, his efficiency is back up to his normal levels, if it gets worse we’ll have to call him in, figure out the problem and try to help him deal.”
“Right. Thanks for bringing this up to me.” Springer gritted his dental platting together. Great, this probably means he should talk to Silverbolt about the potential fallout- and that was not something he was looking forward to.
Note to self, he thought, punch Sandstorm in the face for the headache.
