Chapter one - The other doctor

Parties were worse than guarding a whole shift of angry miners. As far as he had left that life behind, Crosscut could not help to think back to it almost wistfully now. At least miners dealt the insults openly. He had maybe talked to three mechas while he was here and it had taken him half a joor to realize they had called him a savage, a mannerless commoner and a dimwitted moron respectively afterwards. He really wasn't sure what he was even supposed to be doing here, but senator Alpha Trion had insisted that he'd attend. So far, he felt more like some sort of circus attraction with the way most of the other guests avoided him.

And yet he had to be here if he wanted to take his medical career seriously, all the important bots where here after all and without having important friends to cover your back and to pay your checks one couldn't even dream about affording a proper education and an own clinic in the future. That was why Crosscut would suffer all the tortures of socializing with a smile on his face, a fake one was still better than none.

There was that one mech in particular that he needed to make a good impression on. The well-known philanthropist called Monsieur Ford who had sponsored on several big medical projects in the past and of whom Alpha Trion had told him. If he managed to make a good impression… but then he would have to get past the crowd surrounding the mech first. Apparently he wasn't the only one who wanted to apply for funds tonight.

He sighed and took a sip of his energon drink, some more liquid courage would be needed if he was going to do that. When he finally made his mind and walked toward the crowd the first thing he noticed was...

"...it would be a pleasure to have you visit my clinic, Monsieur Ford," a gentle voice assured and as Crosscut took another step forward he could already see to whom it belonged to.

The mech who was talking must have been the strangest guest at this party, even stranger than the big, blue lobsteroid himself - which really wasn't easy to beat. The gaudy red paintjob, the long armored tail and the massive collar around his neck and helm, it was all giving this bot a cybercobra-like look and with a look like that he could probably pose as a material for a sparkling's nightmares.

But on the bright side, where the reptilian mech stood, the crowd had visibly thinned so grasping his chance Crosscut wedged himself carefully into the gap until he stood directly next to the red mech.

"Oh, a new faceplate. Is this fellow an acquaintance of yours doctor Viper?"

"No Sir," the one called Viper said, looking at Crosscut with cautioned interest, "a new face to me as well."

As polite as it sounded, Crosscut could sense a distrust in the other mech's voice. No wonder, meeting another triple changer at a fancy party like this one was a rather strange coincidence after all.

"My name is Crosscut, I am one of Senator Alpha Trion's proteges." He managed to introduce himself and hoped he hadn't done too bad a job of it, showing good manners was more complicated than he had anticipated. Should he have waited till someone else introduced him? But then he didn't actually know any of the mecha in this crowd. "The senator sends his greeting. He still hopes to sway your favours towards sponsoring our science project, for the conservation of our cultural heritage."

oOo

Viper hid his frown at the mention of sponsorships, keeping a professional look of slight interest on his faceplates. He wanted to say something less than professional to the new mech, but at the same time he didn't want to sound bad in front of the sponsors. He was trying to get some backing for his clinic, which was located in the lower parts of Iacon, the slums. His clinic was on it's last legs and in desperate need of financial assistance. Most of his patients were far too poor to pay Viper enough to keep his clinic going, but he never turned an in need bot from his doorstep.

He steeled himself and said with a forced air of politeness: "I was just speaking of sponsorship with these fine bots" he said, laying on compliments in hopes to sway them back to him. "I operate a clinic in lower Iacon that provides medical assistance for those less fortunate, bots in desperate need of help. It's my hope to provide this help. Not only will we have a well functioning lower caste, who are no longer hindered by their unattended injuries, they will also help contribute further to our economy by boosting manufacturing and product output of your businesses." he gestured to the listening aristocrats, selling his idea.

The blue mech listened to all this as well, with no attempt to interrupt but when Viper was done talking, Crosscut decided it was his turn to make a short speech.

"I happened to be a medic myself so I have to agree with Doctor Viper. The development of medical equipment and methods is a very important thing in those turbulent times we live it. However, no improvement can be achieved with just investing in the equipment itself without researching new ways of providing the medical help. That is why I'd say the medical science should come first. It is us - scientists who bring solutions to the unsolvable problems of the society by developing better methods of helping those in need and making it all faster, cheaper and more effective for regular medics."

"It looks like we have two promising, young medics here. How interesting!" One of the aristobots beamed.

Monsieur Ford seemed quite impressed, Viper not so much.

"Indeed, very interesting…" The red reptilian narrowed his optics. "And you were saying that where exactly you were studying, doctor Crosscut? I don't recall seeing you at Iacon's Medical Academy."

"I am currently absolving the advanced courses in cpu and processor chirurgy at the academy. While I have some vorns of experience in rendering more broadly based medical assistance, I always strive to expand my knowledge. Medicine is not a static science after all, else we would still treat everything with duct tape."

Viper fought back the urge to shot the other one a death glare. Instead he smiled weakly.

"Of course, of course. But nothing helps you to learn new things more than working with actual patients."

Who in seven pits did the blue smart-aft think he was? To show off like that in front of the newly met bots, acting like some know-it-all primadonna! Did he have no shame? It took Viper several decivorns to get an invitation to a party like this one, where all the gold credit card club members would be and another few joors to master his courage to start the conversation with any of his potential sponsors. And now, when he thought all was going well, this damned lobsteroid showed up out of nowhere and stole Monsieur Ford's attention. Something had to be done, and it had to be done quick if Viper didn't want to lose his chance.

Then one of the other mechs, who had watched the whole discussion between the two medics with quiet amusement, spoke up: "I just wish those patients of yours were a bit more grateful doctor Viper. It seems that no orn is passing, where there aren't news of thefts in medical facilities in the slums, committed by addicts or reports of some brutes trying to offline each other on the open streets. Maybe if they learn that repairs are not for free they also learn to curb those violent tendencies for once."

Viper felt his faceplate going slack. This was a catastrophe, and was it really possible that any educated mecha could be that ignorant and naive?

"Well," he started "If mechs were properly provided for with medical services and unencumbered with medical fees, perhaps they wouldn't resort to criminal acts to make ends meet."

"Or perhaps it is just their nature. With those uneducated lowlifes you never know what you're going to get," the aristocratic mech replied with a fake sadness.

Viper's expression tightened and his polite half-smile looked strained at the mech's stereotypical assumption of the lower castes. It really ground on Viper's gears when higher-ups assumed everyone below them on the social status was a lesser bot because of it.

Unfortunately this one aristocrat wasn't the only one with such opinion.

"You are absolutely right, Honda-san," the elegant, middle-aged ladybot agreed and walked toward said mech, passing Viper by as if he didn't exist.

He knew that femme, he had seen her at every charity party and every important event he had attended before. They called her Miss Mercedes, she was the head of the big, industrial construction and erection company and she tended to treat bots as her personal servants. The way she ignored him completely, made Viper's energon boil in his cables. What was even worse, she took some interest in the other medic and now Monsieur Ford, Honda-san, Crosscut and her were standing there, talking, not paying attention to Viper anymore.

That was when he realized that the all hope was lost.

"Will you excuse me for a moment," he said weakly, wanting nothing more than to leave this place before anybot could see his anger and disappointment, "there is someone I need to talk to. It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mercedes, Monsieur Ford, Honda-san, doctor."

All of them noded him goodbye repeating "doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor,". Viper could swear that in Crosscut's mouth those words sounded like a hidden insult, like the unsaid "I am a better doctor than you, better give up already." Doing his best to keep his calm, Viper looked the blue mech in the optics. They shared only a moment of the eye contact but it was enough for Viper to know that this mech was the one he would hate from now on to the end of his functioning.

(AN: This is a story made by Me and Two others! 3 authors, one glorious story XD This started as a crack fic in our heads, now lookie here!

Crosscut belongs to the others: WorstCaseComics and Temarcia

Viper belongs to me! Silver :D

Please review~ we love them glorious reviews (probably going to reply to them at the end of the chapters X3 )

Till all are one!)