01 [Video/Action]

[needlefingers]

[There are a million things wrong here, and Chromedome finds himself thinking of every single one of them. Was he kidnapped? Is his hallucinating? Perhaps he's been captured and having his mind messed with... though he's been paying attention to the little details, and they don't fit in with any mnemosurgery he knows. Yes, he's panicking just a lot little, but he manages to keep it to himself. For now.

He gathers that he's in some sort of organic colony, which is strange in itself. Still, he knows better than to run around where easily excitable organics can see him. Trying to duck behind buildings and stay out of sight is a hard thing when you're twenty-something feet tall. Eventually he gives up on that and figures out how to work this odd network device.

Casual as ever, he leans casually against a building and speaks as casually as he casually can.]

Hello! I'm Chromedome, I seem to have lost the ship I'm on and everyone on it. Any help retrieving them will be rewarded with hugs and friendship. So if anyone from the Lost Light is here I'd definitely like to hear your voice right about now.

Oh, and questions like "Where am I," and "What am I doing here" should probably be answered. As a general rule, it's never a good thing when you have to ask those questions.

One final thing: Yes, I am a giant robot. Nice to meet you.

Comments

[needlefingers]

I wouldn't know, since Cybertronians are kinda blacklisted from being part of it. Something about our 4 million year civil war and the ruining of several planets has something to do with it I think.

Their main purpose is to keep the peace in the galaxy, oddly enough.

[phantom_envoy]

Oh, yeah. Weird. I totally can't think of why you'd be unwelcome.

...I have a feeling you'd ruin a few planets just by stepping on them. A moon, at least.

[needlefingers]

It's almost like people don't like being caught up in violence that has nothing to do with them.

Hey, we didn't try to ruin planets. It's just that a lot got caught up in the crossfire.

[Well, the Autobots tried not to. The Decepticons are a whole different matter altogether.]

[phantom_envoy]

You know, most interplanetary conflicts try to respect the fact that their neighbors probably don't want anything to do with it. ...Though I guess there's no one to complain if you blow them all up.

[needlefingers]

Autobots in general tried to respect other species. All life is precious and all that, it's our way. The other side was lead by a vicious psycho who didn't care who or what got in the way of his goals.

It wasn't a fun 4 million years, but at least it's over.

[phantom_envoy]

Since you're sounding pretty happy about it, I'm guessing you won? The, er... 'Autobots'?

[needlefingers]

I guess you can say that.

[He's not able to keep the slight bitterness out of his voice. He's been with this war from beginning to end and... well, dealing with it ending is difficult somehow. It's that shocking moment when you realize you forget what peace feels like.]

Our world is being rebuilt and maybe we can live peacefully again.

[phantom_envoy]

Hm.

[Phantom Girl isn't usually one for being consoling, but she can make a small effort at least.]

I know a little bit about extended planetary conflicts, but I have to say, 4 million is a new one. Sounds like you deserve that peace and quiet.

...Maybe just go back and make really sure that the enemy's defeated. Like, really defeated. You wouldn't believe the number of times there's been Galactic War Part XIV because no one ever bothered to check the enemy commander was really really dead or that there wasn't some secret base filled with mechs somewhere.

[needlefingers]

That actually sounds like an extraordinarily good idea, but's a little bit more complicated than that. When you have two sides who have been at war for most of their lives, getting them all to get along is going to be hard.

I don't mean to change the subject or anything, but you haven't told me your name. Mind sharing? Of course I'll totally understand if you do.

[phantom_envoy]

Phantom Girl.

...I mean, it's not my real name, but only my mom calls me anything else, anyway. I'm from Bgztl - don't try to pronounce it - and I work with the Legion of Superheroes.

Sorry I can't help you much. I just got here myself. ...Guess we'll have to hold off on the hugs.

[needlefingers]

Nice to meet you Phantom Girl.

So, I guess we can start off our undoubtedly epic friendship by being ignorant newbies together.









Wait, Legion of Superheroes? I don't know why but that sounds kind of awesome. What's it about?

[phantom_envoy]

Sure. It's nice not to have someone stare at me like I'm an alien when I say things like 'interplanetary war'.

...Oh wait. ...I guess I am.

[Phantom Girl gives a small shrug.]

The Legion? It's exactly what it sounds like. And it is kind of awesome. So we've got our United Planets, which takes care of all the paperwork and that kind of thing, we've got the Science Police, which takes care of all the mundane problems, and then we've got us. The Legion.

One member from each planet, no repeating powers, and we only take the best of the best. The Legion patrols all across the galaxy to take care of... less mundane problems. You know. Anything from giant space squids destroying every cruiser in its path to Sun Eaters that, well. ...Eat suns. ...Actually, I kind of never want to see one of those again if I can help it 'cause that was like, the worst mission ever. Not even exaggerating.

[needlefingers]

[Not going to lie, Chromedome knows a few people who'd love to be on a "Science Police" squad. He doesn't know what it is, but it sure sounds cool.]

'No repeating powers'? Is that particular rule important at all?

[Notice he doesn't really bat an optic at the mention of a sun eater.]

So how'd you defeat a sun eater?

[phantom_envoy]

[Phantom Girl glances away with a slightly uncomfortable expression, but well. She had gotten herself into the conversation with her bragging.]

...With great sacrifices.

The Legion... lost a Legionnaire that day. It doesn't happen very often. But it was one person against the lives of billions. ...And he made his choice without us knowing. He knew what it meant for a galaxy to lose its sun.

...We just finished putting up his statue a few days ago, actually.

[needlefingers]

I'm sorry... I didn't mean to...

[Chromedome immediately regrets asking the question so carelessly. He should have actually thought about it! Thinking before you talk is a thing that he's usually pretty good at. What a time to fail at it.]

He sounds like a hero.

[phantom_envoy]

...No. I shouldn't have been talking about it so casually. [Phantom Girl glances away for a moment.] It's my fault. I say things when I should really just keep my mouth shut.

But he was.

His name was Ferro Lad. ...Andrew Nolan. Most of the civilized universe will remember him forever - Immortality, in a way.

[A brief pause.]

Although, I mean, we're kind of all supposed to be heroes, anyway. ...It's part of the name.

Anyway! Didn't mean to go traipsing into Depressoville there, sorry.

[needlefingers]

[Chromedome is quite for a moment, as if something Phantom Girl said has upset him. He refuses to touch on the subject though, he knows it's not good for him.]

It's okay, this conversation got a little more serious than I intended. Sorry about that.

[phantom_envoy]

Totally my fault, like I said.

But that's the Legion of Superheroes. ...Oh, and I think you were asking about the powers thing - See, most of the time, it's not really a 'superpower' more than it is a species trait. All Bgztlians can phase into the 4th dimension - that's me - all Saturnites are telepaths... So it's less that we're trying to be some kind of exclusive club or something and more that having the entire population of Saturn joining kind of defeats the purpose of the Legion. In a way, we're like the United Planets, but in... superhero form.

[needlefingers]

Oh I see. Taking the best of every species makes sense if you're protecting innocents. Colour me impressed, we probably couldn't get anything like that started where I come from.

So tell me more about your power, and maybe I'll tell you a bit about mine.

[If he had a face, he'd be grinning. In any case, his tone is playful and he offers her a robot wink. See? Look he's all cheerful now. Depressing time has passed.]

[phantom_envoy]

Well... It seems like something that would be easier for, um, soft, fleshy, small creatures like me. I don't know how well a Legion of giant robots would work. It would look pretty cool, though.

Anyway. I'm a Bgztlian, like I said. ...And it might be easier to show rather than tell, so why don't I come out and find you?

[Chromedome may notice that the video of Phantom Girl has changed from a view of the street to one of the sky, after which she hovers in midair for a few moments, revolving in place.]

Now let's see... Which giant robot are y -- Oh, there.

[needlefingers]

[Flying organics. Well, that's new, but so is just about everything else that's happening so far. He cheerfully waves her over and holds out his palm for her to land on if she wants.]

Nice to meet you in person.

[phantom_envoy]

[She had worked with Colossal Boy enough to feel somewhat less squeamish about the possibility of getting squished by a giant, but still, it was a little unnerving. Phantom Girl alights on Chromedome's palm and tries to speak as loudly as she can.]

I'd say it's nice to meet you in the flesh, but, you know.

[haha Phantom Girl does a little curtsey anyway.]

So... Like I said earlier, I'm a Bgztlian. To put it as simply as possible, I go through things.

[And as she speaks, she begins to sink down straight through his palm.]

[needlefingers]

[Chromedome's about to say something charming and witty, but he's visor widens when she phases through his hand. That right there is awesome and where can he sign up for powers like that.]

Wow that's pretty...

Wow.

[He laughs and holds a hand under her again, just in case she needs something to stand on. Silly, of course, but it's the the thought that counts.]

You know, you're pretty cute in person. I like your outfit.

[And Chromedome likes small things.]

[phantom_envoy]

Aww, that's sweet! Thank you. ...I like your... exterior plating and polish.

[Phantom Girl obviously didn't have the least idea what she was talking about, but regardless, she floats back up through the palm and continues until she's a bit more at face-level.]

So... you were saying something about your powers? I'm guessing it's to squish things flat?

[needlefingers]

[Chromedome raises an eye ridge at her and flexes the hand hovering under her. There's a sliiiiiikt sound as a two and a half foot long needle sprouts from the tips of each of his fingers.]

I'm a mnemosurgeon. Mnemosurgery is the science of... Well, going into a subject's mind and viewing or altering their memories. I can also inject into dead bodies and learn what the victim saw and heard in the last few minutes before his death.

The worse the death, the more painful the memories.

Anyway, I do that by injecting into key points on their head and then going from there. It's very difficult to do, and I'm said to be one of the best Mnemosurgeons out there, if not the best.

[He says that last part bitterly, he takes no pride in it at all.]

It's been a long war...