Facelift suddenly stops, and a tiny claw extending from one of his tools holds up a small, round coupling with a thin wire leading off it.
“You know you don’t need these?” he informs Epsilon. “Completely unnecessary. Like those whatsits terrans have in their gut.”
“Show them.” Epsilon said, if Topside, Zepar or Shockwave objected to this, they’d probably tell Facelift. “I think the organ you’re referring to is called an appendix.”
“That’s the word,” Facelift replies.
“That coupling is essential for transmitting electrical impulses from the brain module to the lower body,” Shockwave states.
Facelift looks back at the part.
“Is it now?” he asks, likely feigning shock. “It is! Silly me, getting my couplings confused…”
The mad doctor sets the machine back in its proper place as he resumes work.
And that might have paralyzed me from the waist down. Epsilon thought as Facelift continued.
Zepar deployed Shadowraker to view from a fourth point, hopefully this covered every likely optimal angle of the operation.
Facelift would now find it very difficult to get away with any trickery or malpractice. Fortunately, it seemed as though he intended to properly augment Epsilon.
A brief timeskip later, Facelift steps away and disables the table’s restraints. Epsilon, now a fully-rebuilt triple changer, would feel the numbing sensation again as his pain receptors reactivate.
“Aaaand there we go!” the mad doctor cheers. “One triple-changing cyclops, fully intact, as requested.”
Epsilon looks at the others for confirmation the procedure was done properly as he tried to run a full diagnostic on his systems.
Epsilon might feel a little sore in some places, but nothing felt terribly out-of-place. The diagnostic confirmed that Facelift had properly re-assembled him, though the computer was still trying to get a sense of all the new parts and systems the hecatian medic had added to make Epsilon a triple-changer.
“I’m no doctor, but he seemed to put you back together well enough,” Topside comments.
“Facelift’s technique was sloppy and disorganized,” Shockwave critiques, “but you have been re-assembled properly, Epsilon-5.”
“Sloppy?” Facelift echoes, insulted. “That’s not what Megatron called me when Brainpan and I scraped him off the pavement on Gigantion and pieced him back together! As a matter of fact, he called me a ‘depraved, cross-wired maniac who shouldn’t be allowed within five feet of a scalpel’. It was the nicest thing he ever said to me.”
Epsilon transforms immediately upon hearing that and tests out his mobility and weapons line of sight. “Thank you so much, Facelift.” He said very happily.
He transforms back to robot mode, “So, how much do I owe you?” He asked, readying to withdraw the needed Shanix.
“Unfortunately, nothing,” Facelift growls.
“There’s a note from Corona in all these datacards specifically asking me not to charge you guys for the mod blueprints she gave you,” he laments.
“And, well, since she asked nicely…” he continues, his tone perhaps softening a little.
Epsilon checks how much he had in his account, he felt like he should pay Facelift for the amazing job he did.
Epsilon had precisely 15,480 shanix.
Epsilon withdraws 1300 shanix and has it delivered to Facelift. “Then consider this a tip for a job well done.” Epsilon said.
Facelift accepts the payment with a notable look of surprise in his eye.
“Uh… thanks…” he sputters.
“You’re welcome.” Epsilon said, extending his hand to shake.
Facelift, even more flabbergasted, accepts the handshake.
Zepar motions for Topside to say something if he wanted to.
Topside steps forward.
“Facelift of Pescus Hex,” he says, “I’ve got half a mind to have you imprisoned for crimes against cybertronian kind sneaking aboard Salvation…”
Facelift’s shoulders sink.
“Well, that’s certainly a shame,” he comments. Topside continues.
“…but the dragon and his friend seem to think it’d be better to let you run free and keep running your… business…”
The Autobot captain casts a disgusted glance at the tanks of body parts around the lab.
“…Allspark knows why…”
“I, personally, agree with them,” says Facelift.
"But, your reputation does warrant caution and I would recommend that, if you go free, you be kept watch over.’ Zepar said.
Facelift shrinks.
“Mmmmmh, not much liking that one either, I’m afraid,” he says, shaking his head.
“It’s either that or the brig,” Topside says.
“Captain Topside, there is an insecticon hive that has taken up residence in maintenance hub 33-G, is there not?” Shockwave asks.
“What are you suggesting?” Zepar asked.