(Untitled)

[schrodingersbot]

Perceptor finishes repleacing the last of the tools he and Cureall used to repair Blaze's weaponry with a soft sigh. He pauses for a moment to peek through the doorway into his office, pleased to see Cureall finally offline. He is still concerned about her, however. Though she was hiding it well, he could still sense her tension as they worked. He

Comments

[giri_guy]

*The response is immediate and jovial.* Perce! You're a lifesaver. Let me dig myself out of this quagmire of paperwork and I'll be right there. *pause* Um. Where's 'there?'

[schrodingersbot]

Perceptor cannot help but to smile a little.

/My laboratory will suffice, if that is not an inconvenience./

[giri_guy]

/Sure. See you in an astrosecond./

*True to his word, Rodimus comes pounding down the hall in short order, in high spirits.* What's up?

[schrodingersbot]

"Cureall is finally resting," Perceptor replies apologetically as he nods towards the open doorway into his office, his voice low.

"She came to me this afternoon in... considerable distress. Are you aware of any plan Spike had for sending Daniel away to a restricted access educational facility in order to 'make friends with humans his own age and be stable'? As well as restricting communications and access to Daniel from his Autobot friends?" he asks, getting straight to the point.

[giri_guy]

*blinks*

No. They would have told me if - *frowns* Did Cureall tell you if she heard this from Spike or Carly?

[schrodingersbot]

Perceptor sighs. "She said that it was Spike who told her, but that Carly was present as well. Admittedly, it was a shock to her, however she seems quite convinced that Spike does not mean to allow her, or the Autobots, to interact with Daniel again."

[giri_guy]

*frowns, deep in thought* This doesn't ring true. It's not like them to do something like that without saying anything... something's wrong.

*sighs regretfully* I hate to do this. *turns toward the nearest console, suddenly full of purpose* Metroplex, security override two-three-two, voiceprint Rodimus Prime. Show me the most recent communication regarding the location of Daniel Witwicky.

[city_awake]

ACKNOWLEDGED, RODIMUS.

*The voice comes from everywhere and nowhere - from speakers set in the walls at intervals, really, but that's not quite as dramatic. One of the cameras reorients and projects an image on the opposite wall, a bit fuzzy but still recognizeable as Spike, at his desk. The phone rings, a tinny noise thanks to Metroplex's compressed recording, and Spike-on-the-wall picks it up and begins to speak. His voice and gesture become increasingly more agitated.*

*Although Rodimus and Perceptor cannot hear what is being said on the other end of the line, Spike's end of the conversation is more than enough to reveal the truth of Daniel's disappearance. Metroplex shuts off the recording just as Spike gets up from his desk, his body language tense.*

END FILE.

[giri_guy]

*nods* Thank you, Metroplex. *turns to look at Perceptor, optics hard. Rodimus doesn't often get angry - annoyed, yes, but this cold fury he feels is something different, and infinitely more destructive.*

*makes a fist* This time it's personal.

[schrodingersbot]

Perceptor's expression has grown very serious, very hard. He knows too well how irrational the loss of one's offspring can make one behave. He steps up to the terminal.

"With your permission, Rodimus, I will begin a trace of all communications received by the Witwickys within seventy-two hours prior to that transmission up to present time," he offers, his voice tight with supressed anger. "While I do so, would it be advantageous for you to contact Spike and Carly?"

[violet_cure]

"What personal? What's going on?" Cureall steps out of the office, rubbing her optics, "This one thought she heard Metroplex."

Her optics blink as she looks up at both of them. "Rodimus,sir? Big Brother?"

[giri_guy]

*Rodimus glances at her briefly, still too angry to give in to his normal short-attention-span impulses.* Do that, Perceptor, but use the best encryption we have. The fact that Spike and Carly feel the need to deceive us means they believe whoever has Danny is capable of some heavy hacking.

*turns back to Cureall* Cureall, stay here and help Perceptor. He'll explain.

[schrodingersbot]

Perceptor nods sharply, and his hands start flying over the keys without further comment.

"As I told you before, Little One, you are not to blame for Daniel's disappearance," he comments quietly to Cureall as he concentrates on the console. "Metroplex, if you please, override all security protocols for this location. I require additional firewalls and access to the heavy encryption banks, as well as a cessation of all monitoring equipment. Purge all security data logs and monitor files for this location to a timestamp of thirty minutes elapsed, until further notice, please."

[city_awake]

UNDERSTOOD, PERCEPTOR. *a quiet ticking noise sounds from the console as Metroplex gets to work.* IT'S DONE. YOU MAY DO YOUR WORK WITHOUT FEAR OF DETECTION.

[giri_guy]

*Rodimus hangs around only long enough to ensure Perceptor has everything he needs, before turning on his heel and heading to his office. It may not look like much, but it's got some of the best security measures in the galaxy - which is why he can get away with goofing off in it so much - so it'll be the perfect place to talk to Spike and Carly.*

[schrodingersbot]

"Thank you very kindly, Metroplex," Perceptor replies absently as his hands continue to flash over the console. He barely registers Rodimus's departure.

"Cureall, it is imperative that I am not disturbed, nor that anyone attempts to observe my actions. Metroplex has ensured electronic security, however with the doors still requiring repair, I will need you to maintain guard over the entry to the laboratory," he states, though, in his defense, his voice is pitched to make it more of a polite request, albeit an urgent request, rather than an order.