Log Edited by MUSHLogger 1.0d1 for BBEdit by Orca@TF2005.
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You move south to the Repair Bay...
Repair Bay
Contents:
Silverbolt
Air Raid
Gumby Medic
Medbay Cabinet
Med-Comm
Recharging Station

Perceptor steps into the repair bay carrying a large toolcase. His yellow
  optics flash with surprise as he glances around the area. "It seems as
  if every spare utility available has been sent to New Iacon," the
  scientist says in observation of the relatively bare surroundings.
  Noticing the Aerialbots, he nods his head in greeting. "Saltuations,
  Silverbolt and Air Raid."
Air Raid continues to face his body toward the main computer as he frowns
  with concern to his commander. As he stands, he can see the main
  entrance, but not the side entrance that Perceptor came through. "So
  what is the latest on Orca and the Commander? Skydive and Fireflight are
  on a patrol over Oregon, so ... " He jolts as he hears Perceptor's
  voice.
Silverbolt nods to Perceptor... "Good to see you Perceptor." He stops and
  listens to Orca's message and responds...
Air Raid regains his composure fairly quickly. "For a 'clumbsy scientist,'
  you have the stealth ability down pat. Yee. Taking lessons from Mirige,
  sir?" he asks of Perceptor.
Perceptor frowns slightly as he looks toward Air Raid. "I fail to find the
  justification for that label," he says flatly. Holding his right hand
  motionlessly into the air, he adds, "My motion actuators are perfectly
  functional."
Silverbolt looks to Air Raid with a 'give it up' look. Then looking to
  Perceptor he says, "Perceptor... Air Raid needs this targeting unit here
  installed. It was shipped from Cybertron a while back... but he just
  hasn't had the time or the person to do it. Can ye do it for him?"
Air Raid would blink if his optics weren't hidden by the combat visor. "No,
  no. It's just that it's what the ... " he sighs. "Oh, nevermind. Please
  consider it an example of bad influences from other grunt-warriors like
  myself. Personally, I was cheering when you blasted Nova accross the
  Riley Airport in Chicago." Raid chuckles softly at the memory.
Perceptor nods his head toward Silverbolt as he says, "Installation should
  be a simple process. I just hope all the appropriate monitoring systems
  are available for the process. Metroplex seems to be on relative standby
  while the majority of resources are being diverted toward Cybertron."
Air Raid just nods, standing around a bit perplexed. Sure it's an upgrade
  for him (finally!), but this is way out of his league, and you can see
  it. "Uh ... do I need to sit down somewhere? And Silverbolt got that
  targeter from the Junkions. Not complaining. Just ... well ... I just
  hope I don't singing comercials soon, that's all."
Perceptor motions Air Raid toward one of the tables. "I will examine the
  target system prior to installation. Although Pak-Gor is quite
  well-versed in designing technology, I have found some Junkion devices
  to be ...less than dependable."
Air Raid glances around a bit, unsure for a moment. He finally shrugs, then
  rather casually hops on the medtable indicated. His main chest array
  opens up, allowing full access. "Yeah, well, I'm not too crazy about a
  Junkion part in me, but I know how well those things self-repair."
Air Raid adds with discust, "AND I've been waiting for over four years to
  get this part. So if the Junkions can spare one, who am I to complain?"
Silverbolt folds his arms watching the initial procedings.... then says,
  "Alright... I have a few things to do... you'll be alright right Raid?"
Air Raid lets out and uneasy sigh. "Yeah, I guess so. Checking up on Skydive
  and the others, eh?"
Silverbolt nods, "I thought I might. I haven't gone out for a... flight in a
  while." He gives a short salute and walks out.
Perceptor returns Silverbolt's salute and says assuringly, "I will have Air
  Raid's systems upgrade and available to you within just a few breem...
  er, minutes."
Air Raid drums the fingers of his left hand without thinking. "Be nice to
  actually keep a target-lock on an opponent again," he mutters.
Silverbolt has disconnected.
Perceptor peers toward Air Raid and inquisitively asks, "Was there something
  in particular which may have been interefering with your current
  targeting systems?"
Air Raid sighs warily. "Only twenty-some years of constant combat and
  absolutely no new parts. Yes, I admit to being a hothead, and I've been
  working on it. Ask Commander Silverbolt. But most of the S&D boys don't
  even want to supply replacement wires. Keep getting complaints that I
  'destroy what's put into me as fast as its put in' Well, I'd like to
  point out that if I got ~quality~ parts, maybe I wouldn't ~be~ in the
  Medbay so often."
Air Raid frowns, a bit ashamed but still firm. "Sorry to gripe, sir. Just
  tired of the same treatment."
Perceptor picks up the target system from the counter and sets it on the
  table adjacent to Air Raid. "No apology is necessary, Air Raid," the
  research replies. "Efficient target-tracking technology is extremely
  vital to what an Autobot must do when faced with a Decepticon attack."
Air Raid starts to fold his arms, the realizes if he does, he'll block the
  way. "Especially to guys like me who are built entirely for combat. I
  know I'm a medic's nightmare, but I gotta do what I'm supposed to do,
  right?"
Perceptor smirks and comments, "Any nocturnal distress caused to the medics
  is likely to result from more Autobots than just yourself." He smiles
  before snapping open the casing shell to the new target system.
Perceptor's optics flash brightly with unexpected surprise. His head jerks
  with a snap to Air Raid as he asks, "From where did you obtain this?"
Perceptor shifts his visual attention back to the device on the table before
  him.
Perceptor's head is pulled within his frame as his chest plate folds down.
  His light cannon moves into a central position atop his shoulders and
  rotates to point slightly down. His hands retract into his forearms as
  his arms rotate into place beside his main body. His legs twist oddly
  and form a base stand. Instead of a 20-foot tall robot, you now see
  before you a cube-shaped inspection unit about 6 feet in height.
Air Raid frowns. "Uh ... the targeter unit, sir?"
Red Inspection Unit swivels the lens barrel toward the unit. "Yes, Air
  Raid," he says uneasily. "I do not like being the one to this known to
  you, but this isn't a targeter unit."
Red Inspection Unit reports, "The positronic matrix contains simplistic
  circuits for determining delta positions for target acquisition, but the
  fidelity of the survey area is extremely low. I surmise it is little
  more than a scaled up interaction board for what the humans designate a
  'video game.'"
Red Inspection Unit sweeps over a circuit on the targeter. "The resolution
  of the target acquisition image processor is barely able to cover a
  square millimeter of one of your optical units, Air Raid."
The Red Inspection Unit suddenly jolts into motion as the sounds of whirrs
  and clicks emanate from it. The base straightens and form into legs.
  Along the sides, boxes turn and rotates as hands emerge, forming the
  arms. The magnifying lens rotates to point forward. The sample plate
  folds up, revealing a large Autobot insignia. At the same time, the head
  of Perceptor appears next to the lens barrel.
Perceptor stands near Air Raid's table. The scientist has a large collection
  of wires and circuits sprawled before him as he laborously inspects each
  one.
Slingshot walks in checking the main logs of the day waiting for these big
  baddies to come allowing Slingshot to save the day again. Stops for a
  second to notice Perc working on his brother. "Greatings scienst! What
  has my brother down to himself now?"
Perceptor looks up from the circuit boards and turns to nod his head toward
  Slingshot. "Greetings, Slingshot," he says to the Aerialbot. "I am
  installing some targeting upgrades to Air Raid's systems. Unfortunately,
  the unit he and Silverbolt had come to obtain was little more than an
  entertainment image acquisition processor. Therefore, I am making the
  manual changes to Air Raid's targeter on my own."
Slingshot nods. "I see, I had assumed he got in a dreadful fight with those
  nasty reavers. I thank thee noble one for working my brother. Is there
  anything I may be of service to you.
Perceptor shakes his head. "I am not aware of anything requiring immediate
  attention," he replies, "Although I did observe a new report indicating
  one of the Reavers had been sighted on the Golden Gate Bridge."
Slingshot nods with antcaption "Aye me and my other brothers are alreay at
  this moment getting ready for a massive patrol to bring those reavers to
  his knee.
Air Raid has connected.
Slingshot looks at his bro and chuckles. "My dear brother., Well this mean
  he'll actually be able to hit something?"
Perceptor smirks in response to Slingshot as the plugs a yellow wire into
  the base of one of the circuit boards. "I cannot make any promises
  regarding performance enhancement," he intones. Grabbing a small
  dome-shaped device, the scientist turns over the board and screws the
  half-globe securely into place.
Air Raid sits on the medtable and GLARES at Slingshot. "Well considering how
  many times I've taken on Scourge or Cyclonus alone and never got new
  replacement parts, I'd say it's about time. In fact, I'd like to see YOU
  do better." He sticks out his synthetics 'tongue.'
Air Raid breathes out a growled sigh and nods back to Perceptor. "You were
  saying how this isn't a targeter unit. So what is it?"
Slingshot says, "Well dear brother soon you'll have a chance to prove your
  word. These new cons are coming to earth."
Perceptor steps over toward the table holding the targeter unit. He picks it
  up with his right hand and holds it toward Air Raid. "This device has a
  target image acquisition and locking processor, yes, but the fidelity of
  such acquisition is an extremely low resolution. I surmise it was the
  targeter for an interactive entertainment environment."
Air Raid smirks up at Slingshot. And cracks his knuckles. "Bring 'em on," he
  says all soft and deadly.
Slingshot nods. "Hopefully Silverbolt will decide our skills are far more
  usefull on Cybertron where we can do the most damage.
Air Raid sadly smiles back at Perceptor. "If it could lock on to anything
  for more than two seconds, it'd still be better than what I've got right
  now. Currently, I can't tell what's Autobot or Decepticon until I see
  the sigel."
Air Raid adds, "And, if I'm lucky, I can sometimes keep an infrared lock on
  them for about ... ooo ... five seconds maximum. Now you know why I've
  been begging for a new one for five years now."
Gesturing toward the table at which he's been working, Perceptor smiles
  toward Air Raid and says, "I believe I have a configuration here which
  will amplify your targeting capabilities, improving accuracy by an
  estimated 9.856 percent."
Air Raid shrugs openly. "Hey, anything's better than what I've got right
  now." He turns and nods to Slingshot. "When was the last time you got
  one of your major components replaced, bro?"
Slingshot says, "I am at peak capicaty. I took the opertunity of the quiet
  moments to get nyelf to max specs."
Air Raid gives that sly, roguish grin of his. "That wasn't what I was
  asking. I said when was the last time you got a major component
  replaced?"
Slingshot hmms and and nods. "Yes I believe I have."
Perceptor picks up one of the circuit boards. The wires protruding from it
  do not present the most aesthetically pleasing component, but it appears
  an identical device is still upon the table. "The new system utilizes a
  triangulation scheme to more efficiently recognize and track an
  opponent. Two separate delta positioning sensors will independently
  provide information about a target. These parameters will be amplified
  by tertiary input from your visual and supplementary systems."
Air Raid rolls his head (and his optics, if visable). "Looks like they need
  to replace the audio interpreter and maybe a few other parts. Either
  that or my brother's training to be a politician. I can't get a direct
  answer out of him."
Slingshot scowls. "I am not trying to avoid the question, I just like my
  parts."
Air Raid frowns at Perceptor, bewildered. "Uh ... could you translate that
  into common Cybertronian? Please?"
Air Raid frowns back at Slingshot, back in his 'big brother' mode. "Well, if
  you're not avoiding a question, then just tell me 'when' like I asked?"
  He shakes his head and smiles.
Perceptor glances around the room for a moment, then steps toward one of the
  computer consoles. He motions Air Raid over near him. Typing several
  quick commands into the keyboard, Perceptor glances toward the diagram
  appearing on the display screen.
Slingshot hmms. "Uh two mega cycles."
Slingshot straightens. "Um..if you will excuse me I must report in to
  Silverbolt."
Air Raid hops off the medtable and follows behind Perceptor. Technology is
  hardly his forte, but he tries. "See what I mean?" he says refering to
  what Slingshot said. "As I told you a few clicks ago, I still have all
  my original parts. And considering I've been running on them for over
  thirty years of constant frontline combat, that's a real strain." He
  gazes up at the image on the computer screen. "So what am I looking at
  here?"
Slingshot has disconnected.
Perceptor points toward a single green circle on the screen. "This symbol
  represents the mechanisms of your current targeting system, Air Raid,"
  he begins. On the left side of the screen, opposite the green circle, a
  red circle appears and slowly moves up and down. Perceptor points toward
  the green circle. His finger traces a yellow line toward the red circle
  as he explains, "Your current system will track a target in this
  manner... it acquires its position and locks into place. Simple to
  manufacture, and usually sufficient."
Air Raid nods, paying attention and following on to technojargon (for once).
Perceptor taps a key on the keyboard. The red circle's motion increases, and
  the yellow tracking line can noticably fall behind its tracking ofthe
  circle's path. "This performance is not particularly optimal, and the
  system I have constructed will introduce several optimizations." The
  scientist reaches down to press another key, and the yellow tracking
  line from the green circle disappears.
Air Raid gives that wry grin of his. "Remember, sir, I'm a soldier, not a
  doctor. It's not my business to understand quantum physics, but to be
  one of the guys who protect the little guys and do what it takes to win
  this war. Just as long as it recognizes who's who and can hold a target
  lock like I used to, I'll be happy."
The green circle dims for a moment before it suddenly splits in two. The new
  circles are slightly smaller. Their form becomes 3D as the viewscreen
  shifts perspective and depicts the circles as tiny spheres. Perceptor
  nods toward Air Raid and says as if he didn't hear the Aeriablot, "This
  is where the new system will perform extremely well. I have implemented
  a smaller, dual-tracking targeter." The green spheres glow for a moment,
  then yellow lines extend from each one toward the red target sphere in
  the form of a 3D triangle. The scientist points toward the red sphere
  and says, "Dual-tracking will allow you to maintain a significantly more
  dependable lock upon your target. The units will collaborate to delivers
  to you an efficiently optimized acquisition lock."
Air Raid's smile falters a bit. The technobabble is starting to lose him ...
  again. "Uh ... sure!" he says as enthusiastically as he can. "Sounds
  like something that will help on the frontlines."
Perceptor switches the screen off and gestures toward the installation
  table. "It will certainly operate to your advantage, Air Raid," he says.
  "It will only take several minutes to install. I only need to connect
  the transfer wires to your systems and solder the boards into secured
  positions."
Air Raid nods, getting serious and on the same 'mental wavelength' as
  Perceptor. "Do you need me to go offline?"
Perceptor shakes his head. "Takes your systems temporarily offline will not
  be required. I will not be accessing any of your vital systems," he
  replies.
Air Raid nods slightly again. This is back to the level of business that he
  understands and is comfortable with. "Yes, sir," he answers
  straightforward. He marches over back to the medtable and hops back on,
  shifting his front forward and mentally commanding his main chest
  compartment to open. "Just please don't comment too much about the
  second-rate workmanship in there. I know it's there, but there's little
  -if anything- I can do about it."
Perceptor smirks and gives a quick nod toward Air Raid as he assembles a
  small array of tools on the tool tray. He lifts the loosening wrench and
  removes the protective casing around the old targeter system. Perceptor
  sets the casing on the tray and begins to remove the weapons
  connections.
Air Raid idly hums as he lets Perceptor work on him. Nothing much he can do
  (or understand), so he opts for the most sensible thing he knows, and
  that's staying out of the way of someone who knows what they're doing.
  Silence prevails, only interrupted by the soft sounds of Perceptor's
  tinkering.
After removing the targeter unit, Perceptor extends the connection cables on
  the new dual-track system. He holds the unit level before himself before
  leaning carefully forward. With masterful dexterity, the Autobot
  scientist succesfully snaps it into place under securing clamps. He then
  grabs a pair of pliers and begins to connect each of the communications
  cables to the dispatching board.
Although situations like this have happened millions of times before, it's
  still an interesting image of one Transformer reaching into the main
  bulk of another's body. But considering he's not damaged (this time) and
  that's he utterly aware of what's going on, Air Raid doesn't seem to
  mind. Except for the boredom. So he continues to hum softly, not really
  aware that he's humming the theme to 'The Magnificent Seven.'
Perceptor completes the connection initializations and remarks, "I have
  finished connecting the targeter to your systems. Let me replace the
  protective casing, then we will need to test the acquisition and lock
  procedures with your weapons systems."
Air Raid grins at the last sentence. "With pleasure," he says with that
  infamous roguish smile of his.
Perceptor fetches the casing from the tray and bolts it over the new
  targeter system. He smiles toward Air Raid and says, "The system has
  been installed. You may go ahead and secure your chasis. Testing can
  commence in the training chamber."
Air Raid's main chest armor folds down with a chorus of mechanical whines
  and firm 'clink's. He hops off the table again and sweeps his right arm
  up, summoning his Pulse Rifle with only the smallest of thoughts. "I'll
  try to go easy on the training drones," he says. "I know how peeved
  First Aid, Grapple, and the others are that I mangled that last three."
Perceptor chuckles. "That is what they are here for," he remarks.
Air Raid starts the trek down the ramp, chuckling as well. "Indeed they are.
  Thanks again, Commander."
Perceptor nods toward Air Raid. "You are quite welcome. Please let me know
  if the new system operates to your liking."