Logfile from M3

New York - Business District

The Business District of New York shares a trait with the rest of the city. Its continued to build up, and up some more. Few people ever even see the dirty, slum-like ground below, instead life functions off the ground. Hovercars drive by on multilevel highways, moving to the various huge Mega Corporation Complexes. In the distance the Acropolises of the suburbs can be seen, even those behemoth structures dwarfed by the office buildings of the Business District.

Contents: Contents:

Dynatech Reploid and Energy Theogonia Building -- Crono Corp

Khan Industries

Garage <GA>: Loki's Garage

East <E>: New York - Western Downtown

West <W>: New York - Western Residential

Dr. Thomas Light arrives from the New York - Western Downtown.

Dr. Thomas Light has arrived.

The word is out: there's a Master. In New York. Totalled.

On one of the lower, open skybridges, a small crowd has gathered around a taped-off area. They stare... the general feeling is 'It's a Master, let's leave it alone'.

Said Master is Tengu Man, still wearing the livery of the Stardroid Cancer, red and blue. He lies sprawled out on the pavement of the bridge, like a marionette whose strings have been cut... here he has been abandoned. Forsaken by his own family... how very, very sad.

Dr. Thomas Light walks in, looking rather like he's..out for a walk. Which IS what he was doing, IC'ly, so this isn't so farfetched. He's even packing tools of a small type, for some reason. (Yes, it does fit. I was walking and thinking, on a project). He pauses, looking at Tengu and blinks. Looks around at the crowd, and grits his teeth.

No, no, this can't happen, he thinks. Then steps over to Tengu, right under the tape, and kneels while leaning on his cane. "Give him some room, folks. Give me some room..."

The gathered crowds step back, giving the revered doctor equally incredulous looks. What's /he/ doing here, and what does /he/ want with a Master? They can only wonder... and back off, too, but...

Dr. Thomas Light says loud enough for the crowd to hear, as he kneels heavily at the fallen Master's side. "Okay, there. Folks, keep in mind, one little thing before I do this.." He pauses, slipping his hands over Tengu Man's interfaces, checking to see with his electrical readout tools if Tengu can hear or see him, a bit worried.."Just a moment."

The readout will show minimal electrical activity. Tengu is down and out for the count. Yeah, somebody definitely did a number on him -- most of the damage looks like it was dealt by explosives. His armor is in various states of 'scorched' and 'blown to pieces'. His systems have effectively shut down, to save fuel... it's way past time for a pick-up, and they might not be able to hold out for much longer.. 'much' meaning not another few days, as it has been.

Dr. Thomas Light ahs, checking into things like life-support, not as worried as he might be with a human or someone who won't e-ring if destroyed utterly. "You see, if he's allowed to be destroyed," Light talks to the people as he starts accessing panels, to try and get at the systems that are worst damaged, "he'll just e-ring, vanish, and come back angrier. If I fix him up, he might remember a kindness...and he is a living being, he deserves help if he's hurt."

Light sighs a bit, pulling out the minimal tools he brought with him, hoping it's enough as he starts doing spot-welds of circuit pathways that show up 'damaged' with the voltmeter. Simple tools for one of the most complex jobs there is in existence...if anyone can do it, it's him.

The slightly-shocked crowd watches, some people nodding where appropriate. This is once in a lifetime opportunity, after all...

It appears that the small but expertly done job is working. Most of the damage to important circuitry has been fixed -- things like the activation sequence. There's tinny electric whine as Tengu begins to power-up. Systems begin to reawaken..not the least of which are pain receptors.

"...aaaaah, shimatta!" Tengu swears, tensing up.

Dr. Thomas Light winces, softly, as Tengu tenses. He says in his gentle, clear voice "Relax, I'll have that blocked in just a moment," as he slips his fingers into his pouch to pull out the basic pain dampening hardware, two small magnetic disks he keeps around no matter what he's doing. Feels around on Tengu's neck, then places them on the main transmission links, right on the armour, letting them disrupt flow through those specific conduction points, not letting the messages reach the upper systems of pain.

"...<what the hell? Who's that?!>" Tengu yells out in Japanese, causing many in the crowd to flinch and back off. Oh darn, the Master's awake... They fear for Light, but they're not coming any closer.

The dampeners do their work, numbing most of the pain... Tengu still tries to, weakly, to shift himself -- with his bad arm. Owch. He utterly fails to do so, not getting more than an inch off the ground before it crumples beneath him.

Light sighs, slipping his hand under the damaged arm and straightening it into a resting extension as he speaks. "Just a doctor, taking care of enough to get you home, Sir. Try to relax, if you can, you fell from a long ways up." His voice is, of course, recognizeable, but the sound of him jury-rigging the wounded arm back into basic functioning comes quickly, parts of armour falling to the side so he can systematically re-attach systems. Jury-rigging, in his case, means a complete repair with parts available and at hand, after all. "Flex your fingers for me."

"...uh...what?" Tengu blinks, his eyes widening. No -way-... it can't be...can it? He relaxes, if only slightly..nothing he can do... and it hurts, even with the dampeners. And soon he'll start to remember what happened. How he ended up this way... that'll be worse, for sure.

He grimaces, obediently tapping his fingers on the ground. He can move them...but not /too/ well. Darn that Silo...

The aged man gets in, to dig into the damaged elbow joint. He sighs softly, seeing the damage,and says "You're going to need to get this replaced, entirely. I'll work on your legs and motor systems, to get you active enough to get home, alright?" He doesn't wait for a response, though he does seem to actually want one, as he sends pulses down the leg circuitry to check for faults and starts working on them.

"Alright," he says complacently. Tengu's very edgy though. "How are my engines, doc?" he asks casually. That's the important part. He doesn't need legs, no. Just has to be able to fly to get home... "...er...why are you doing this?"

Light sets up a system scan, to test engine capability and control, and waits for it to report back while working on the legs. It's always nice to be able to stand, he finds. "Not sure yet, I'll be able to tell you in a few seconds. As to why? You were hurt. I know, it sounds like an idiot talking. I'm used to that." His voice is quiet, he's concentrating, but not confused. He knows what he's doing.

Tengu Man sighs. He hates it when his engines are broken. Hatehatehates it. "...domo," he says softly. Thank you. "But why... you know I'll just..."

The old man shrugs gently as he gets his reports. "You'll do that if I help you or not, Tengu Man. You know that and so do I. Now hold on, I'm going to shunt your power from some blown tanks, you're a bit short on feul but with some calibration you've got enough working parts for me to get you flying." And proceeds to do so, disconnecting the feul from damaged systems and linking them to the ones he can salvage here and now. It takes a moment or two.

Tengu sighs quietly, grateful, and yet... He just...doesn't understand... So he just lets the man do his work, and tries to remember what happened, who did this to him... He has a grudge to fulfill... Wait. Wait, what was that? A memory of Crash and Guts comes up clearly. Them, leaving. Leaving him with Silo...

Light can't see what's going on in Tengu's head, not at all. All he can see is damaged and fried wiring, subsonic gear access ports that look like burnt-out toaster parts, and limited usage of basic systems. His lips press against his teeth, quietly, as he uses tools that are going to create repairs that will need repairing, wishing he had something small enough to fix this size of microcircuitry without obliterating others nearby the damaged circuits. It's really a matter of choosing what to fix, comparing it with the importance of nearby circuits, and deciding what to keep and what to lose.

He finishes up with the engines, taking a quick peek at the weapons systems, and wishes he'd thought to bring some kind of remote off switch to put in while he has the chance. No such luck, he rests knowing the Master at least got some time to talk with him. Rare, that. "You're mobile, if you'd like to get up now. Engines, anyway."

For a long time, Tengu is silent. "...they left me..." he says quietly, sounding distant. He slowly sits up, back mostly to Light, so he can still work. His blue eyes are wide, complimenting an expression of true shock and horror. "...they left me here..."

The old man looks at the Master's face, shaking his head softly as he attempts to save the good nature of the person in front of him, in shock and horror. "Don't judge them yet, Tengu. Give them a chance to explain, to tell you their side of it, before you judge too harshly. It's something that has served me well, for a long time...even if it hurts, get the facts before you act. Things were hectic, when they left you. Something could have happened you don't know about yet."

As he talks, he's testing the synchronics of Tengu Man's engines, so he can actually steer once in the air. After that, since it doesn't take him long, he double-checks the patched fuel links, and nods at it as if satisfied.

"No, no...no...they left me... they /said/ they did..." He continues staring off into space. He just can't believe it. His mind can't take anymore blows like these, but they just keep coming from the worst places, and nobody's pulling their punches. "They explained...they explained... I... no!" The renewed flow of fuel serves to revive him, but it does nothing for his spirits... "..leaving me here to...to... at the mercy of our /enemies/..."

Light sighs, stepping back as the crowd watches and listens. "Then maybe you should talk to them about it. Or maybe you should remember that, next time they have the chance to leave you behind..and not give them the chance to do that to you again." He seems to want to suggest so much more, knowing it'll do no good. "Not all your enemies are free of mercy, though. Welcome back to the living world, Tengu Man."

The crowd just sort of stands back and watches. Most of the original watchers have stayed, watching the drama unfold before them, and many more have since joined them.

Tengu swallows, closing his eyes. "They'll do it again...they'll never take me back..." he says, almost mournful. He takes a deep breath and lurches to his feet, turning around to steal a look at the doctor he towers over. Aha, so it's just as he expected... "...domo arigato, Light-sama," he says, bowing briefly. But even formality can't hide the pain in his eyes. He will not forget the damage done to him here...or the kindness. "I hope, Dr. Light, that you will not be... told off for helping me here." For lack of better words, anyway...

Light smiles, shaking his head gently. "I will not be spoken badly to, Tengu Man. There are very few people who would do that, most seem to assume I have good reason for doing things, when I do them. Or if I am, it will be because people were scared for me...and I can handle being cared for. Call on me if you need someone, if they won't take you in, Tengu. It was an honour to meet you." Light stands, leaning heavily on his cane, and inclines his head. The only bow he can do, just now, with his back paining him so. "I should go."