Artoo's surprise - open

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

Artoo rolled down Main Street, whistling to himself. He was in a very happy mood, because the Doctor had given him a present. It was something he had never had before and he was eager to show his friends in the park. He thought maybe he would go looking for John or Setsuna or Pippi or Cayce. Or maybe he would run into someone. He would like to surprise someone.

Comments

[caycep]

Cayce was eating an ice-cream cone and starting to pull together idle thoughts along the lines of we really need another party around here. She turned on to Main Street a few paces ahead of Artoo and turned to walk down the street in the same direction the little droid was going; she daydreaming enough that she didn't notice him behind her.

((Hope you don't mind. ^_^))

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Hello Cayce!" came a cheerful, somewhat childish-sounding male voice from behind her.

((Delighted. XD))

[caycep]

Cayce stopped in her tracks at the sound of her name, spoken in an unfamiliar voice. For a brief second as she turned around, she thought it was Calvin, but she'd only just left him and she didn't immediately see anyone except Artoo.

She waved at Artoo and smiled, even as she looked to either side and behind him to locate whoever had called her name. No one there, which meant—

No. Really?

"Hi Artoo," she said. "Was that—?"

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Yes," the little droid answered with a mechanical chuckle and a flash of the lights on his dome. "It was me. The Doctor asked the TARDIS to translate."

[caycep]

Cayce's expression of open-mouthed surprise slowly turned into a delighted grin.

"He did? That's great! Wow. I had no idea he could do anything like that. How does it work?"

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Did you know the TARDIS is partly organic?" Artoo asked. "She has telepathic abilities. When the Doctor goes to another planet she translates what people say for him and his friends. And she translates what they say for others. He said that she could translate my binary in your mind so that you would hear English when I speak. I don't understand all of it because these types of mental connections are limited to organic lifeforms. I know that the Jedi have a similar ability to communicate and influence directly from mind to mind, but this is not the same kind of connection, and it is stronger. More direct. I am very interested by the science of it. The Doctor says he has some books I can download to learn more."

[caycep]

"I—wow. I had no idea." She couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face. I'm standing here in the middle of my very own sci-fi movie. TV show. Thing. "Well, that's awfully kind of him ... and the TARDIS. I'm glad it worked."

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad too. I don't mind speaking binary, but when I am here and have no job and there are no computers to talk to, it is very nice to be able to chat. It makes me happy. The TARDIS is very nice to me. She likes to teach me about Time Lord technology. It is very complicated."

[caycep]

"I bet it is. Time travel and—wait, no computers? What about, what's its name, the floating suitcase?" Even as she said it, it dawned on her that she hadn't seen Skaffen-Amtiskaw in a long time.

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Fohristiwhirl Skaffen-Amtiskaw," Artoo blipped sadly. "He isn't here anymore. He disappeared too.

[caycep]

"Oh." Cayce's expression fell. The drone was a stroppy little bastard, but it apparently did have friends, and she felt bad for them. And she was annoyed that she hadn't been on top of things such that she realized it was gone. "I'm sorry." And that on top of Threepio disappearing as well.

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"He made me nervous," Artoo admitted. "I never said but I always thought he had a wire loose. But he was interesting. Threepio liked him because he was polite. I'm sure he is home and back doing his job, which if Culture drones are like droids means he's happy."

[caycep]

"I hope so. That he's back home, I mean. And I think everyone's happier when they have a purpose, no matter what you're made of." She smiled. "So you've been visiting with the Doctor, huh?"

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Yes!" he chirped happily. "I like him. He reminds me of Luke sometimes. Sometimes he needs someone to look after him. But I don't like his friend the Master. He-" the voice suddenly disappeared into a serious of blips and screeches that sounded vaguely like a bit from an old dial-up internet system.

[caycep]

Cayce was about to agree with Artoo's assessment of the Doctor and the Master (about whom, more than anything else, she hated the fact that not only did he genuinely creep her out, he clearly got great glee out of it as well). When the blips and screeches started, she looked worriedly at Artoo and stepped closer, bending down on one knee in front of him (and wincing a little; the movement pulled at the scabs left by her contretemps with the Superpowered Asshat). "Artoo? You okay there?"

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"Sorry." He sounded vaguely embarrassed. "She doesn't like it when I curse. I don't know why she would care what I say about the Master; she likes him even less than I do."

[caycep]

Cayce covered a little smile with her hand as she stood back up. She wasn't sure what was funnier: the concept of R2-D2 swearing (of course, she and her friends always had theories about what the squonking and raspberry-ish sounds meant), or the TARDIS bleeping out the swearwords.

"I'm not too keen on the guy myself," she said, once she'd gotten the smile under control. "He has a way of calling in on the radio shows I do and asking for the creepiest damn things. The Doctor's nice, though. Good taste in music." She rolled her eyes a little. "Actually, that's true for both of them."

[no1likeher.livejournal.com]

Pippi was skipping down Main Street just about then so it happens, Mr. Neilson scampered along behind her. They were heading for the fruit stand for some mango slices.

[jazz-the-man.livejournal.com]

Even transforming robots get bored, and Jazz was one to get bored easily when he didn't have his comrades and some sort of communication network around. That was the reason for the silver Pontiac Solstice rolling through the streets of the park.

When he rolled near the little droid, he stopped and honked softly. Dude, now he knew he'd seen everything - he'd seen Star Wars while they'd been waiting for Bee to contact them.

((d'you mind?))

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"I noticed," Artoo agreed. "He likes it when he makes people nervous. Don't worry, though," he adds decisively and a little proudly. "The Doctor can take care of him. I like your radio shows."

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

Artoo gave a sharp whistle in her direction.

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

Artoo's dome swiveled around and faced the car that had just honked at him. A quick scan told him that it was more than just a car, it was a computer! He wondered if it understood binary, and then decided that the TARDIS would know what to do.

"Hello," he said politely.

((Not at all! Always glad to have my chars. meet new people!))

[no1likeher.livejournal.com]

Pippi looked around for the source of the sound and noticed R2.

"Oh hi there! Did you ever find what you were looking for?"

[caycep]

"I hope so," she said. "And thanks. They're fun to do. If you want to take a look at the equipment and give it a whirl sometime, let me know. Although you'll probably get the hang of it fast."

[thbbt-beep.livejournal.com]

"I would like that!" the Droid answers excitedly. "I would have to learn more about Earth music. It would be fun!"