Arachnae is seated at a comm station, riffling though files with the irritated air of someone doing something they dislike, but know hs to be completed.

Scrapper comes in from the central chamber, looking a bit lost in thought. Work goes well on the war fleet, but there are still glitches in the phase shielding... ah! Arachnae. What a lucky coincidence. Without preamble, he asks, "Have you gotten a chance to look over the phase shielding schematics yet?"

Arachnae doesn't even look over her shoulder, "Sifting through inventory to see if we have any modulator capacitors with the theoretical resonance to replace the ones in the original designs, actually." Wings flick and now she peers over, giving Scrapper a polite, if wry smile.

Scrapper pauses, thinks...oh, right. Hope those aren't the same capacitors that they charged up, threw at MSE newbies, and then made the newbies put back in storage. He nods and continues, "...that was it? Hmph."

Arachnae gives a shrug, "It's one theory, sir." polite.. "Always better to have a bit more power on hand than you think you need."

Mmm, voltage. Or was that current? Bother. Scrapper paces over a terminal to check on the details of the schematics. "Have you accounted for the new resistors those capacitors will require? Can't have them shorting out the rest of the systems, after all."Arachnae smiles wryly, "Woudln't have techs pulling the new parts if I hadn't gone over that with a fine tooth comb, so to speak." The smile fades, "Hoping to get it finished shortly, or at least aid you as well as I can, I left something.. in progress back on Earth that I should really see to."

Scrapper perks up. Projects in progress? He's got one of those. Well, more like several dozen. If not for those pesky Autobots, perhaps he could get some them finished for once. Scrapper muses, "I'm sure we've got all this well enough in hand, if the business with the phase shielding is sorted out. It'll probably be a while before all the new parts get in..." He trails off and glares at nothing specific. Maybe if their supplies officer spent more time gathering supplies and less time fighting large metal dinosaurs, they'd actually get their projects done around here.

Arachnae hrnns as she pulls back up a schematic, tracing a talontip over the power conduit lines resembling nothing more than glowing threads on the screen. "At this rate..." she shrugs, "Not exactly used to thinking on systems to this scale, Scrapper. I'm a research technician, not an engineer." age old gripe, good natured at least. "Matter of frequency, power flow and harmonic dialation mayhaps?" pause as she flicks wings behind her, studiing the screen.

Scrapper chuckles, "At least that research is being applied to a concrete goal." Then, he shrugs. "Eh, if it clears up the problem, does it really matter why it works? Often, the how is more important than the why behind it." Especially when one is trying to get a war fleet done on a deadline. Scrapper does draw the line at magic mecha-elves, however.

Arachnae looks over at Scrapper like he grew a second head, "What do you mean, does it really matter why it works? You know if we get this done and on such short notice, and if something, primus forbid, should happen to the ships, we better be well prepared to do it all over again." Wings bristle up, half fanning out before settling back behind her. "Hrmph."

Scrapper snorts and says simply, "Subspace."

Really, does anyone fully understand how that works? And how many use it daily without once wondering what the mechanics behind it are? Plenty of technologies get used without being fully understood. If not for that, they'd probably still be banging on metal sheets or something.

Arachnae pauses, and slowly looks over at Scrapper. "..."

Actually, it's a matter of matter and energy and control. But that's neither here nor there. "We should have the parts in the next cycle and I can run a test trial here in a lab before submiting my theorized alterations to you for final approval. After that, I'll have to return to earth for another project before I come back here and.." blinking, "I hate traveling.."

The space bridge is another fine example of one of those wonderful technologies that makes no sense whatsoever to 99% of the Transformers out there. Given how bumpy and chilling a ride it is, too, this may be all the better. The physics behind it have to be pretty wicked. Scrapper shrugs, gives in to curiosity, and asks, "What exactly needs doing, then?" If it's not some secret, his curiosity will likely just net him more work, which is why Scrapper is currently dodging the theoretical background behind the phase shielding; it's just more work to figure all that out.

Arachnae sends off the request for some poor technician to dig through stores to get her parts before turning in her seat to peer at Scrapper. "Cyclonus requested that I endevor to present him with a theory on how to rid the earth of the new satilitesin place.. And I have an autobot in the brig that I need to get into a seeker corpse before his core functions expire. I haven't had the time to finish *THAT* experiment and i'm running the risk of having to go out and get fresh subjects."

Scrapper pauses, and his optic band brightens. Oohh, 'Autobot' *and* 'seeker corpse' in the same sentence? Why, that sounds like a party! If one happens to be a somewhat demented sculptor of the macabre. Which Scrapper most certainly is. Talking without thinking, which happens rather more often than one would expect of a theoretically intelligent Constructicon, Scrapper rambles, "Now that latter thing sounds really interesting. Maybe even artistic...wait, Autobot?"

Arachnae smiles a wry, almost secritive smile, "I've collected three. One's so far survived the transfer. Another is on support systems but the third is in the brig and I haven't had time to tend to him and am somwhat concerned that he will expire before I can complete the transfer. Behavioral study. Problem is.. there has to be enough trauma while the subject is concious to indice amnesia."

Scrapper fully supports inducing trauma on Autobots. Entirely out of his league, not being a mechnoneuroscientist, the Constructicon blithers, "It's a little risky, just relying on trauma, isn't it?" Then, an idea hits him, an idea that trades staring at incomprehensible schematics and metaphorically bashing his head against a wall for a trip across the spooky, spooky space bridge. "Since you're so busy with all this lab work, I could go check on that Autobot for you." And maybe poke at him a little. Couldn't affect the results too much, could it?

Arachnae narrows her optics just a tiny bit, studying Scrapper as he utters that particular phrase. She contemplates, orders, verses productivity and the difficulties inherhent in procuring another autobot subject for her tests. "Properly utilized, trauma can be an effective way of instilling amnesia into a neural system providing that the threshold of endurence is met and held past the point. However, yes, it is risky relying on trauma, however, it is part of the experiment." Wings rasp as she gives the screen another look before shrugging, "If you have the time, sir, I would be delighted that a scientist as well studied as yourself would dare take interest in something so banal as behavorial studies. In fact.. there is a prepped seekers frame in my laboratory.. should you feel the urge to.. work with the transfer yourself. I can finish with this for you and submit the final analysis if you would be help me with that project. Gives you a bit of shore leave, so to speak."

Scrapper nods at vaguely appropriate times, making it look as if he actually understands what Arachnae's saying. Oh, he does a bit. It's just that he's more a big picture sort than one to get wrapped up in the fiddly details, and the mind is, alas, almost entirely comprised of fiddly details. In any case, Scrapper's far more interested in getting a chance to play around with an Autobot and a dead seeker than the actual behavioral study itself. His optics glow avariciously at the offer Arachnae makes. His speech a bit stilted from trying to conceal his delight at the prospect, Scrapper coughs and agrees, "Sounds like a deal. Even Constructicons do charity cases from time to time, after all."