Somewhere in the residential district, a singular cybertronian wandered. He was tall, quite tall for a cybertronian. Clad in chitinous armor, with multiple limbs and claws. He looked quite vicious, and a faint odour emanated from his body.
A bit of steam, or smoke, billowed from out of his mouth, and his body had many luminescent lights, glowing incessantly. He headed towards the fighting rings,with a
excitement he kept to himself.
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“This stuff’s really hard to come by.” The shopkeeper said, “I’d rather not trade all of it.”
“That’s pretty fair. How about this:” the Junkion pulls out a couple small chips, “one kilogram split into two equal parts in exchange for 150 (currency), a backstage pass to the fireworks show tonight and authorization to hit the switch for the grand finale mortar for said show?”
“Why the two pieces?” The shopkeeper asks, checking the chips and nodding that they were authentic, “why not the one?”
“Easy: one for my alchemy friend to study and work with and one for my own projects; a pinch of which is going into the mortar you, if you accept, get to send up into the sky.”
The shopkeeper seemed interested.
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“The combat training mostly. I mean I’m all for protecting my fellow bot. But the typical knight lifestyle just isn’t for me. I’m actually just in the reserves to be honest. Not even active duty.” The copter-bot replied.
The bot could hear a debate between two individuals not too far away, though in a different direction than Breakpoint and the other knight.
“Look, all I’m saying is that a hammer is easily the better weapon.”
“How can you say that? A sword is faster and way more efficient. A hammer is huge and heavy and takes a lot of time to swing around.”
“Yeah, but a hammer is way more fun than a sword. You can’t crush things with a sword. Which is why hammers are better.”
“Well I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t prioritize fun in a life or death combat scenario.”
“Primus almighty, what happened to you?” Asked a bot from behind. They were a bulky and blocky bot that towered over most. With two halves of a bulldozer plow as shoulder pads, and two halves of a cement mixer drum covering their forearms. Their head was a little squat, and had a teal blue visor in place of proper eyes. As well as two small fins on either side.
“Unless you just look like that, in which case I’m really sorry.- ah, sorry for saying that. Not sorry that you look like that. I uh… ah slag this turned into a mess fast.”
The market place was located near the Gravitus Memorial Park. Stalls lined the streets. Artificers from all across the imperium were present trying to sell their tech. Bots from mining colonies were selling rare and valuable minerals. Representatives from Gigantion sold quality mass produced goods. And a single mage had set up a cute little shop selling house plants.
Surprisingly Solus Prime herself had set up a stall of her own. No bigger or flashier than any of the ones around her. She noticed the junkion’s hammer from afar and immediately took interest. Though chose not to say anything just yet.
Backblast was speaking to one of the bots from Gigantion. “Sir, you’re literally trying to sell me a bag of garbage. What would I even do with all this?!”
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“Melt it down for the raw material, make nice mosaic art pieces, have some spare chips and pieces, make some weapon components.” Backblast says, “seriously, you would be surprised what folks throw out and what you can make out of it.”
“Here, I’ll prove it. I’ll try to make whatever you want out of the stuff I have on me right now: if I can do it, we trade; if I can’t, I’ll move on. Sound fair?” He asks, opening the bag and putting on some goggles and gathering the items he put up for trade so someone wouldn’t swipe them.
Solus Prime would notice the hammer’s head was covered in some type of casing with some pretty heavy duty locks on it.
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The merchant folded his arms, clearly very irritated and frustrated with the junkion by now.
“Alright fine. If you can make a functioning jet engine, right here, right now, I’ll buy you’re whole dang bag.” He replied.
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Backblast smiles and cracks his knuckles and immediately gets to work, “one jet engine coming up.” He says.
Various tools and pieces from the bag went into almost a frenzy as Backblast cut, welded and worked the cables and channels. Now and then, his goggles sometimes flashing schematics of different parts of the engine.
In round about half an hour, he had built a working jet engine that used waste energon as a fuel source.
“Okay, either this thing will provide decent level of thrust or it blows up the second I boot it up.” Backblast says with a smile, “then again, I have some expertise with jets considering I have to maintain my own on a regular basis so, it should be the former.” He anchors the engine and starts booting it up.
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“I’ve tried to present my ideas to others, yes,” Coppeweb says, and he deactivates the holo-projector. “Unfortunately, what little I have to show seems to lack the substance necessary to convince them to lend me aid, or resources.”
He sighs and knocks back the rest of his engex. “Most of what I have are fanciful blueprints based on incomplete theories, like Sojourner,” he laments “I do have a prototype, of sorts- a fabrication engine- but the design is… impractical for replication and large-scale deployment.”
“The universe is lesser for her absence,” Bulwark comments, putting a comforting hand on the mage’s shoulder. “I believe, however, that in some way, the best qualities of the departed live on in those they’ve touched. So it is with Sagebrush- I see that kindness that you described within you.”
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“Wait- hold on a minute. I didn’t think you’d actually do it!” The merchant said, quickly beginning to panic.
The jet engine gradually starts up. It seemed to have some troubles at first, but soon began to run quite smoothly.
“By the allspark…” The merchant said, looking completely dumbfounded.
“Hm…” Crosswire rubbed at his chin as he thought other possible suggestions. “You could try presenting the concept to Solus. There’s no guarantee she’ll support the project, but if she does, I’d say she’d be able to work out just about any kinks it has. Or at least find someone else who could.”
The mage collected the pieces of his small memori and stood up. He looked to Bulwark with a kind smile.
“Thank you stranger. That means more than you know. My name is Nightshade by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”
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Backblast turns off the engine, “my friend, never underestimate what a Junkion can build from the contents of a scrapyard.” He says with a smile, “so, that’s one jet engine, granted it needs some work on the start sequence but that’s what you get from half an hour’s work, and a bag of scraps and parts for some cash and…”he looks over some of the wares the guy is offering, “hmm, what would you like to trade?”
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“Right,” Coppeweb laughs. “Go up to the most important woman on the planet and ramble about my outrageous pipe dream to her. Why would she even give me the time of day?”
“Likewise,” Bulwark says as he also rises. “I am Bulwark, Knight of Cybertron. I am pleased to have brought you comfort.”
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He gave a glare at the bot, his excitement ruined by the comment.
Why should he care?
“Its just how i look. Do you have a problem with that?”
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“More often than you think! The colonies can’t always get fresh energon, so they have to synthesize it from sugar crops, and there’s always some new Blight or Pest to be dealt with.”
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The merchant pressed his face his hands and sighed. “I can’t believe this…” He muttered.
The bot turned around and looked through his inventory, eventually pulling out a small disk shaped device that fit in the palm of his hand.
“How about this. A portable shield generator. If you ever find yourself in a bad scrap without any cover, just push this button right here and it’ll generate a force shield around you for a short time.”
Crosswire stifled back a laugh. “Are you serious? Clearly you’ve never talked to her. Solus absolutely loves it when artificers bring their ideas to her! All you need is a solid concept and a prototype to back it up, and she’ll give you her undivided attention.”
“Thank you Bulwark. Like I said, it means a lot.” Nightshade replied. “So then, what brings you to the temple on a festive day like this?”
“N-no! Not at all. It’s just very… unusual? Ah slag it. Let me start over.”
The towering bot suddenly split into two more average sized individuals. One with fins on her head and a mixing drum on her back, and the other with a visor and a bulldozer plow as a chest plate.
“My name’s Brick, and this is my sister Mortar. It’s nice to meet ya.” Said the dozer bot, reaching out to offer a handshake.
“Crop based energon. What a fascinating concept!” Said the smaller bot, suddenly not as nervous as he was before. He seemed much more excited now.
“My name is Quill by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner.”
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“Oh?” Backblast says, “portable force field generators are really handy. Sounds like a fair trade to me.” He slides the engine and bag of scraps to the artificer, “a pleasure doing business with you…oh, we never introduced, name’s Backblast.” He chuckles.
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The merchant took the engine and the sack and put them behind the table, then placed the shield generator in front of Backblast.
“I’m Roundabout.” He said reluctantly.
“Hey! Hammer boy! Mind coming over here for a bit?” Solus Prime shouted from across the market place.
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“Nice to meet ya, Roundabout, pleasure doing business with ya, and happy Allspark Festival.” Backblast says, taking the generator and turning around to see Solus Prime and taking a deep breath and walking up, “Sup, Solus?” He says.
(Is Liege Maximo visible?)
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“Of course I’ve never talked to her! She’s-… you may have a point,” Coppeweb concedes. “And I guess today would be a good day to do it, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ve come here to celebrate the holiday in my own way,” Bulwark explains. “I have never been one for revelry or merry-making; I prefer quiet places such as this, where I might meditate on the day’s importance, and the history behind it.”
He retrieves his sword from the floor, and secures it on the magnetic mount behind his right shoulder. “I suppose, though, that it would be unbecoming of me to stay inside all day,” he admits. “I think I will be leaving now.”
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The Prime practically towered over Backblast. All of the Primes were exceptionally large, but even then she was one of the taller ones. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her shop table. The builder had an eager grin as she looked down at the junkion.
“Hey there. I couldn’t help but notice that stellar looking hammer you got there. Clearly a man after my own spark.” She said with an eager though equally mischievous attitude.
“So, does it do anything cool? Or is it just really good at hitting stuff? Cause it definitely looks like it does something really cool.”
OOC: Liege is in the middle of the park at the moment, a fair ways away from the market place.
“It certainly is. Last I heard she had set up a in the market place by the park. Now would be a great time to pitch this Sojourner project to her.” Crosswire replied.
“I’d like to stay a little longer. Though when I do leave I’ll probably head over to the big memorial park. If I don’t see you there, well then perhaps our paths will cross some other time.” Nightshade replied.
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“Well, first I must thank you for the compliment, and since you’re so curious, this is my own personal project.” Backblast says, undoing a couple locks to show it outside the casing, “I call it the Punch Of Kill Everything, P.O.K.E for short.”
“The idea is for it to eventually be arm mounted but, if I did that, it would probably blow off someone’s arm if I did that as it is.” He says, “but it’s rather fun as a hammer, if you can compensate for the recoil.”
“And if you or any other artificers get any ideas, don’t; I already have the patents and copyrights.” He says, “but, I doubt a noble Prime,” he almost says that with a bit of venom but there is respect for Solus in there, “like you wouldn’t do something that underhanded.”
heh, not every day you catch a Prime’s optic with a project; guess I’m not in too much trouble. he thought.
(For visual, look up “Vulcan Hammer Earth Defense Force”, that will give a good idea of how it looks)
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“It looks absolutely wicked. Name could use a little work though. It’s a bit clunky. Though a good name tends to be the hardest part more often than not.” Solus replied. “That said, you haven’t actually told me what it does. Just that has recoil. Which admittedly has peaked my interest.”
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