Of course it tastes different. This is a different time and place, and it was made for a different people. But the sweet and spicy flavor of the sandwich and its filling is still strangely delicious.
//Well?// Starscream asks him, then takes a peek at what Dallesh is doing through the room security cam.
//Dallesh, your friend is getting rather agitated. Let the poor thing know what's going on,// she transmits, then tosses over her shoulder to Three, "There's beer in the meal room."
"Alright, Five," she steps back. "Walk around, let's see how well you manage."
Dallesh pauses. //How should I do that? It-// a slight pause as it looks in the bucket and remembers that there are two people there, //doesn't have a host.//
At the instruction, Five promptly swings its legs over the side of the table and rises- too fast, as it happens, because it wobbles back and sits down involuntarily. Five looks up scowling, and gives a curt nod at Three's enquiring look.
The Yeerk second lowers his sandwich and turns to Starscream. "Which way?"
//The same way I let you and Five know what was going on when I transfered you. Tell it, fool.//
"Follow the drone," she tells Three, while giving Five a very slightly surprised look. She hadn't expected that to happen and scans to see what brought it on.
Dallesh frowns to itself, then lifts out one of the other Yeerks and attempts to speak to them in Yeerk.
It looks like Five attempted it too fast with an unfamiliar body and lost co-ordination for a moment. Three glances back at his leader, then follows the drone.
It works. Even the simpler shells can hear and speak in the ultrasonics. But while its talking to Phil a drone comes to collect the last yeerk.
And meanwhile, Three finds himself lead back through the busy main room and down a quiet but also busy hallway till he and his guide step into another large room which holds tables, comfortable easy chairs, and a massive holoV over in one corner that's showing the popular Decepticon soap opera 'As the World Burns'. On the other end of the room is the kitchen and the serving counter, with a menu that Three probably can't read.
Back in the lab Starscream is watching Five and waiting for her to recover.
Dallesh looks up sharply and covers the bucket with a hand. It doesn't want to let the others out of his sight in this state.
Three looks around slowly, scanning the room and staring at the holoscreen for a long minute. Then he decides not to waste time and strides over to the counter to investigate what Cybertronians eat.
Five tests its limbs carefully before trying the motion again. This time it works, and it gives Starscream a defiant look as it stands, daring her to comment.
"I'm not going to hurt it," says the drone in Starscream's voice.
Cybertronians eat a lot of things. Many are similar to human foods Three will be familiar with (and there are human foods here too), only with more sweetness to them. Others look like glowing liquids, or softly glowing rocks of various colours. And there is the beer.
Dallesh frowns, but doesn't move just yet. It's calculating the odds of being able to resist if Starscream really wants to take the hapless officer.
Three consults with his host's memory on the matter of beer, then takes a plate and dumps a half-dozen different things onto it that don't glow. Plate in one hand, beer in the other, he wanders over to take a chair and study the content of the aliens' entertainment programming. While possibly poisoning his host, but life is risk.
Meanwhile, Five gives Starscream a frown of suspicion and annoyance. It's fairly certain it's being mocked.
//Do you want to risk it finding out about your project before you're ready for it to?// Starscream asks Dallesh. //That's not one of your teammates.//
No mockery, and Starscream has already unsubspaced her datapad and is looking at it. "Your build sibling brought along an extra, I see."
Dallesh hesitates before responding. //Why shouldn't it know?//
Five's face settles into a schooled expression. Having been in the bucket with the extra, she knows very well what - who - Starscream is talking about. The term 'build sibling' takes a second to process, but she understands. "Yes. Obviously he panicked when the alarm went."
//Ah, if you're not worried about it taking the credit.// There's the sound of a shrug in her voice.
Starscream gives a soft snort of laughter. "Well, at least he didn't miss anyone that he was supposed to pick up. Do you feel any shakiness to your balancers?"
//It's not a scientist, it couldn't...// Dallesh manages to make the trail-off sound natural, though in fact it's just realised that it's giving away more information.
"He was given a big enough net." Five shifts its weight thoughtfully. "No. As tailless bipeds go, it's quite stable."
//Well?// Starscream asks him, then takes a peek at what Dallesh is doing through the room security cam.
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And meanwhile Dallesh is having a high old time with its bits of wire and components. It's on its second attempt at assembly now.
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"Alright, Five," she steps back. "Walk around, let's see how well you manage."
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At the instruction, Five promptly swings its legs over the side of the table and rises- too fast, as it happens, because it wobbles back and sits down involuntarily. Five looks up scowling, and gives a curt nod at Three's enquiring look.
The Yeerk second lowers his sandwich and turns to Starscream. "Which way?"
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"Follow the drone," she tells Three, while giving Five a very slightly surprised look. She hadn't expected that to happen and scans to see what brought it on.
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It looks like Five attempted it too fast with an unfamiliar body and lost co-ordination for a moment. Three glances back at his leader, then follows the drone.
Reply
And meanwhile, Three finds himself lead back through the busy main room and down a quiet but also busy hallway till he and his guide step into another large room which holds tables, comfortable easy chairs, and a massive holoV over in one corner that's showing the popular Decepticon soap opera 'As the World Burns'. On the other end of the room is the kitchen and the serving counter, with a menu that Three probably can't read.
Back in the lab Starscream is watching Five and waiting for her to recover.
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Three looks around slowly, scanning the room and staring at the holoscreen for a long minute. Then he decides not to waste time and strides over to the counter to investigate what Cybertronians eat.
Five tests its limbs carefully before trying the motion again. This time it works, and it gives Starscream a defiant look as it stands, daring her to comment.
Reply
Cybertronians eat a lot of things. Many are similar to human foods Three will be familiar with (and there are human foods here too), only with more sweetness to them. Others look like glowing liquids, or softly glowing rocks of various colours. And there is the beer.
"Well done," says the dusky femme approvingly.
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Three consults with his host's memory on the matter of beer, then takes a plate and dumps a half-dozen different things onto it that don't glow. Plate in one hand, beer in the other, he wanders over to take a chair and study the content of the aliens' entertainment programming. While possibly poisoning his host, but life is risk.
Meanwhile, Five gives Starscream a frown of suspicion and annoyance. It's fairly certain it's being mocked.
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No mockery, and Starscream has already unsubspaced her datapad and is looking at it. "Your build sibling brought along an extra, I see."
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Five's face settles into a schooled expression. Having been in the bucket with the extra, she knows very well what - who - Starscream is talking about. The term 'build sibling' takes a second to process, but she understands. "Yes. Obviously he panicked when the alarm went."
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Starscream gives a soft snort of laughter. "Well, at least he didn't miss anyone that he was supposed to pick up. Do you feel any shakiness to your balancers?"
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"He was given a big enough net." Five shifts its weight thoughtfully. "No. As tailless bipeds go, it's quite stable."
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