[Cyberformed] Inbox $maketracks

[makingtracks]

You've reached Autobot Tracks!
I'm out cruising right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you!

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[deceptichips]

[Reading those coordinates! And he'll be heading to the shuttle bay that matches them soon.] Yeah, works for me. Be there in a bit.

[A short laugh. Aw, embarrassment. Slightly teasing:]

Unless you had a drastic alt mode overhaul when I wasn't looking that means you have brand new requirements for lift-off!

I'll take a cube. Never hurts to have a full tank before a space flight. [Make sure to drink some yourself too, bud.]

[makingtracks]

[ When Needlenose arrives, Tracks is waiting with a pair of cubes set to one side, one half-drank. He's just doing a few stretches, mostly rotating one wing and then the other; usually he doesn't warm up for something as simple as a little flight, but with these modifications... It certainly wouldn't hurt.

He brightens and waves to Needlenose when he spots him. ]

There you are! That was quick; I haven't been here very long!

[deceptichips]

Hey. [Coming through the shuttle bay door, Needlenose waves back and marches over to where Tracks was doing his stretches. There's some lingering soreness left over in his frame from recent repair welds, but it doesn't show in his stride.]

I was in the mood to be punctual!

[Needlenose spies the untouched cube and picks it up. He produces a straw out of his subspace and sticks it into the cube.] Fuel's appreciated.

[makingtracks]

[ Tracks laughs, flicking his wings upward before slipping out of his stretches and grabbing his own cube, taking a few more gulps. There's eagerness in just how quick it is, how he puts it back down and takes a step away. He's raring to go, to feel what space flight is like. ]

It's no trouble- And it's a good thing you did! I haven't flown since that resort planet we stopped by on before you arrived, you know. It'll be good to get in the air again, even if without an air current.

[deceptichips]

[Opening a hatch in his facemask instead of taking off the mask, Needlenose drinks down the energon through the straw. (Though if Tracks looks, there's enough visible of his face to confirm there's a mouth under there.) Then he lowers the cube.]

Very inconvenient on the spacebridge's part, to kidnap me too late to get a free trip to a vacation center out of it.

[Also, yikes, that's a long time to go without open air flying.]

I'm looking forward to seeing the outside of this ship for a change too. Flying in zero gravity can be weird at first, but you get used to it.

[makingtracks]

[ And yet, still not as long as how long he'd been on the ground by the time Svelte had thrown a curveball at Tracks. He's used to it now, unfortunately. Took the edge off by going as fast as possible on the ship's small track. ]

I've never even thought about doing it, before this. I usually went in stasis for long trips- Such as on the Ark. Conserved precious energy, and kept me from going stir-crazy. They... Didn't know too much about fliers, the Ark's medics, but enough to know that was the better option.

[ With that, he takes a couple steps back and transforms. Still looking gorgeous, in his opinion; even if he hasn't been able to touch up his firebird design as well as he'd like, his blue is as shiny as ever. Primus, does he love this alt mode.

Is the other Tracks the same? Or did he have a different alternate mode?

Something he probably shouldn't dwell on.

Instead, Tracks revs his engine playfully, clearly showing off. ] Well? Are we going, or not?

[deceptichips]

[He sets the emptied cube down on the spot where he picked it up from with a clink. Fully fueled, one of the better starts to any flight rather than flying on an empty tank.

Tracks' engines revving and showboating get a smirk. This sort of behavior, from Tracks, is at least familiar territory.]

Don't get too ahead of yourself, I'm coming, I'm coming.

[After a brief check to make sure he has sufficient space around him, he gave his T-cog a spin and transforms too. And since the planet he had been on right before the R2 had been a certain mudball, the alt mode Needlenose assumes is still recognizably an Earth model he scanned to blend in and not a Cybertronian mode.

His engines roar to life and nosecone pointing towards the bay opening, he lunges forward.]

And now we're going!

pretend I have an alt mode icon

[makingtracks]

[ Now that piques Tracks' interest. But first things first- He revs his engine, and zips forward in a burst of speed. Wings extend, tail fins flip out, and by the time he's out of the hangar Tracks has taken flight.

Oh, now that feels strange. There's a stutter in his movement at new and modified systems coming properly online for the first time, a weird off-putting internal sensation that Tracks is sure will fade away in time. It doesn't hurt, and everything seems to be working fine. That's the important part. This is just... Strange, doing this out in space, not feeling air under his wings.

Some of the maneuvers he's used to just feel weird too; he's not the best flier by a long shot, and this is throwing him off his groove.

He very nearly tries to call to Needlenose out loud before remembering how space works. ] Primus. Is this how it feels whenever the Seekers are out here?

dutifully pretends :> no biggie

[deceptichips]

[FRAG YEAH OPEN FLYING SPACE]

[He wasn't a spaceship nor a shuttle; Needlenose would never be at home in outer space like he would be with atmospheric flight, without the pull of gravity, even putting aside his lack of the shielding needed to withstand prolonged radiation exposure and the rest of specialized equipment for intergalactic travel. He wasn't built for it. But for short periods? It's good enough. It's flying, no walls around him in any direction. Besides the obstacle of the ship they're alongside.]

[Needlenose does a couple aileron rolls and then a barrel roll just for the fun of it. Big improvement from hours in a cell. Before he remembers, right, here to escort somebody who's trying this out for the first time.]

[When Tracks switches to comms, Needlenose does too. He slows down.]

Probably. Like fighting with anti-gravity turned on. Takes some adjustment, doesn't it?

[makingtracks]

[ Tracks watches the ease his not-brother takes flight, and not for the first time feels a pang of brief envy. It's not really meant for him, regardless; it's the same sort of thing he feels sometimes when watching enemy Seekers in flight. He wishes he had that ability.

But he doesn't, so his spin is a lot more awkward as he tries to figure out what the hell he's even doing. ]

Definitely. Primus, you could really get confused out here if you're not careful, couldn't you? I suppose you must have a lot more experience.

[deceptichips]

[It's not Tracks' fault he doesn't have jet engines. Needlenose slows down and circles above him, watching him go through the awkward fumbling of activating and operating with a new mod. As long as Tracks doesn't risk crashing into the ship or veering away into the void, he guesses it's... fine.]

I only got any once the war was in the Remote Age. They needed more fighters for space assaults. There was training.

[He wiggles his wings.] First time. You can't expect perfection right away.

[makingtracks]

Well, I doubt I'd be much use out here even with training. [ Not that he'd get any; he knows you put your resources where they'd be most useful, and they're far more useful with mechs like the Aerialbots or Powerglide.

Well, at least he's flying. That's enough for now; he won't dwell on it any more than necessary. ]

At least I'm sure I look good doing it!

[deceptichips]

What's the point of doing anything if you can't be stylish while you're at it?

[Somebody here believes in being a show-off! It's Needlenose.

He dips down from his circling, putting himself about level with Track's flight path, at a distance of a few winglengths away.]

I learned how to fly out here, sure, but even with my training, I still prefer an atmosphere.

[makingtracks]

Now that is exactly my point of view!

[ And it cheers up Tracks a good bit! He wiggles his wings at Needlenose like he sometimes does at Powerglide, cheeky and playful; he's already starting to feel a bit more confident out here. Even if it does still feel strange. Both in being out in space, and flying with a mech who really does feel like his sibling. ]

I think I'll have to agree with you. There's nothing like a good breeze beneath your wings! This'll take the edge off, though; that's really all I need. I can go a good while without flight, but...

[ He cuts off that train of thought with an attempt at a spin. Tracks wobbles, but there is mostly success! ]

[deceptichips]

[LOOKIN' GOOD IS A WORTHY CONCERN Needlenose makes a buzzing noise over the comms and performs another aileron roll, more lazily, holding steady in his position relative to Tracks' flight path.]

Starts to feel awful if you don't, doesn't it? All cramped up and hard to ignore.

[Then Tracks makes a stab at a wobbly spin of his own and pulls it off. Needlenose can't applaud in his alt so he laughs.]

Score!

[Zero gravity takes an adjustment period.] How ambitious are you lookin' to get with your maneuvers on your first test flight?

[makingtracks]

[ He keeps a steady position, fairly close to the ship. Not too close to get caught by accident, but certainly playing it cautious. There's... A lot of space out there to get lost in. He's sure Needlenose would catch him, but- Best not to chance it.

His wings still at the reminder, uncomfortable. ]

It feels like being trapped.

[ He doesn't want to talk about this. Most fliers try to get into the air in any way possible, and Tracks...

Well.

Better to breeze on by that little topic. ]

Not very, I'd say! I'd rather play it cautious, just get a feel for things- Though I suppose you'd guess that, wouldn't you?

I don't think Knock Out would be pleased with either of us if I went careening off like a fool.

[deceptichips]

[Needlenose cooperates with the topic being shoved along. He wants to enjoy this flight after his cell visit after all. Thinking about being trapped in root would dampen the mood.]

I would, but it doesn't hurt to check. [His engine revs.] Warning, if you did forget caution and try to swan dive into the void, I'd fetch you, but you would be on your own defending the stunt to Knock Out. Hog his displease all to yourself.

[lol]

Do you know many miles tall the R2 is? We could do a loop around it.

[makingtracks]

I think you'll find I'm just fine staying close for now, thank you!

[ He laughs, wings flicking a little as he revs his own engine in return, allowing it to push himself a little faster. Tracks is definitely getting more comfortable at this, starting to test how speed affects his movement out here. ]

...I don't. Could we do a loop around it anyway, you think? That sounds like fun.

[deceptichips]

[Somebody who also hasn't checked the dimensions of the ship they're on: it's Needlenose.]

Eh, why not? It can't be more than a few miles.

[Tracks seems to be developing more of a grasp on this. Needlenose tips his front up and makes a turn to pass above him, swooping upwards, aiming towards the top of the R2.]

[makingtracks]

[ That startles a laugh out of Tracks, and engines gun again to try to chase, to try to keep up. He knows it's a lost cause, but even without the wind under his wings it's a thrill to do this again, to get a little daring. He's no jet, but he'll do his best to push himself regardless.

Powerglide would've liked this, he thinks. Maybe he would've liked Needlenose too, for that matter.

Very quietly, Tracks' radio clicks on, softly playing a song over the comms. He probably doesn't realize Needlenose can even hear it. He's enjoying himself, okay? ]

[deceptichips]

[With Tracks in close pursuit behind Needlenose, the two of them pelt up the R2's side and clear it, breaking over the edge to fly above the wide, ridged expanse of the ship's top.

Then the music starts.

Startled, it takes until Needlenose hears an organic voice warbling along with the relaxed tune for it to register what kind of song Tracks is broadcasting at a low volume through the comms.]

Earth music, Tracks?

[makingtracks]

Huh? Oh! [ The music abruptly cuts out, and Tracks' flight path wobbles a little. ] Sorry, I thought- I didn't realize it'd play over the comms.

...Yes, Earth music. [ There's a small note of defensiveness in his voice as he slows slightly. Not-brother or otherwise, he's braced for the sort of needling that mechs think is them being funny. ] It's disco - or, well, disco-inspired - if you're curious. I have a whole playlist.

[deceptichips]

[Needlenose slows too and flips over so he's flying upside-down for a moment to look at Tracks; without air currents or gravity, it doesn't make much of a difference like it would in an atmosphere. Hah, he guessed right!]

Forget to check the settings? It's fine. You can keep it on if you'd want. [Needlenose doesn't get why Tracks would select Earth music instead of Cybertronian tunes, but well, everybody's got their musical tastes? As long as Tracks doesn't play it at Rumble and Frenzy levels...]

Dis-co? I think that was mentioned somewhere in the packet I downloaded for Earth - which Earth landmass is it from? [Pause] As far as organic music goes, I like Nebulon electro-swing more myself.

[makingtracks]

North America, primarily. Oh, it got popular in Europe too! I don't have ABBA on this particular playlist, but I do have some of theirs in my files; they're a pretty popular band.

[ Tracks relaxes a bit and the song comes back on, still at the same quiet level. He hums along for a second or two, speeding up once more, then replies back without that note of defensiveness. ]

It's not the only flavour of Earth music I like! Rock and roll is alright for instance, though Blaster and Jazz like it more than I do. But disco is my favourite.

[deceptichips]

[With their many glaring and squishy limitations, what a surprise organics can create remotely listenable music, let alone in multiple genres?]

Explains why the words are in English. That's the main human language there. [He says, just because most of the humans who had cooperated with Soundwave's faction spoke english to them, not because he has any real insight in regional human linguistics. Running a search through his packet for Earth produces info that matches with Tracks' remark: Disco is a genre of dance music that appeared in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene.]

Sounds like you're compiling all your top Earth hits into your own personal disco collection. Is what you do every time you stay on an alien planet or just because you like Earth's music scene?

[Continues flying upside-down!! Because why not. The miles of the R2 pass by below them, a sheet of metal and windows.]