His first time onlining was on an examination berth. From one klik to another; there was awareness. N4 onlined silently, and looked around the room, taking in every single detail. There was a thing standing next to his resting place. Cybertronian. Mech. Berth. Memory cores flared up, and controlled bursts of pre-installed information washed through him.

He and the other mech were in a small grey room with a single black door and several machines standing against the walls. There was a single round lamp on the ceiling that shone into N4's optic, and automatic systems recalibrated its sensitivity. There was a cool weight against his back, -A berth- and there was a table next to him.

The mech -doctor, professor, scientist- was standing next to his berth with a gray-blue box -scanner, device, medical- and moving it steadily over N4's helm.

"...Hello. Can you speak?"

N4's processor gave him a long list of possible answers, and after a short pause, N4 went for the most fitting one. "Affirmative." He droned. The doctor nodded, and he made a quick note on the nearby computer terminal.

"Are all your systems online and functioning?"

N4's automated check-up came back clear. "Affirmative. All systems are operational." He answered. The doctor hummed happily, and N4 kept his optic resting on the mech. His processors attempted to pull up information regarding the mech, but the pre-installed packages of information had nothing to offer. N4 shook his head slightly. "I retract my previous statement- malfunction. I am lacking memory files regarding designation, locations, common history and otherwise vital information."

The doctor made a short sound -chortle, laugh, chuckle- , and moved his servo behind N4's helm. N4 felt the mech's fingers moving there, and he tried to move his optic so he could see what was going on. His systems informed him that his motor controls were offline, so he could only stare blankly as the doctor worked. The doctor-bot pulled something loose and grabbed a small device, sending a short zap through N4's systems.

"And now?"

N4's limbs were moving a little from the shock, but he focused his attentions on his processor. His memory cores were already working to file newly received information, and his logic-centre activated with a newly installed processor patch; missing information; to be required through questioning, download, or experience. Missing information is not a malfunction unless memory core states that memory files have been removed or altered.

The patch settled seamlessly in his helm, and N4 looked at the doctor.

"Inquiry; designation?"

"Yesssss, that's good!" The mech made a note, and his denta were showing in what N4's pre-installed information named a grin. "I'm Cutwire, but you'll refer to me as creator Cutwire. Got that?" N4 nodded, and saved Cutwire's designation to his memorybanks, together with a small folder detailing the mech's faceplate and colourscheme. "Now, N4. Tell me your primary directives."

N4 answered before he even realised he had pulled information from his databanks. "To study, to examine, to explore, to collect and to discover." The doctor seemed pleased, and he noted a new more things on the terminal.

"Please activate your basic vocal program." N4's optic flickered for a brief second and searched his memorybanks for the appropriate file. A small package quickly presented itself and he installed it.

"Program. Installed." His droning voice was now replaced by a dry and calm voice with a strange accent that was absent from Cutwire's speech. N4 eagerly noted it as his subject of study. "Continuing primary directives."

Cutwire didn't say anything, and N4's single optic tracked the mech as he went around the room, making notes and passing the scanner over N4's frame. Cutwire's reactions were being methodically filed in N4's 'discovery' files, and the coding to explore and experiment were burning in his processor.

What could he do with the programming patch on his voice? If he turned off his basic vocal program, would creator Cutwire notice? Would there be a new patch installed ? Would the old one be deleted?

Cutwire moved again, and N4 tried to reach out and touch the mech. His limbs still would not move and he stayed flat on the berth. N4's optic reset, and programs started running faster, eventually spitting out a few blinking lines of text.

Malfunction detected. Primary directive compromised. Report malfunction to creators.

"Creator Cutwire. Execution of primary programs impossible without motor control." N4 had slipped back into monotone, and creator Cutwire started a little. N4's processor noted that Cutwire's plating had seized up again, and the tidbit of information was compressed and neatly filed away.

"Huh? Oh- well, that is because we didn't know if your new body would listen to you. You could have damaged the frame when you woke up."

"Acknowledged."

Cutwire moved behind N4, and there were a couple of resounding clicks sounding through his helm. Then the doctor moved to the limbs, and started unfastening the restraints there. "Okay N4, be careful when you start moving. It's disorienting for new drones."

Standing proved to be no problem, and N4's pre-installed packages helped him through it. Cutwire was all over him, measuring and touching every part of his body while simultaneously making nonsense statements. N4 discredited all of them, and when Cutwire stood back up he looked satisfied.

"Logic centres are definitely working, no sign of the previous glitches, good. Are you executing your primary functions?"

"Affirmative. Discovery, exploration, study and experimentation has been in effect since onlining. Most common subject of study; creator Cutwire." That had an interesting effect on Cutwire. The doctor's optics were a little narrowed, and the corners of his mouth had turned downwards.

"Ah I see. That's good." He said, and he wrote something on his datapad. He pushed N4 back towards the berth. "Sit on the berth."

N4 did as he asked, and Cutwire started filling his ports with cables from all the machines in the room. More programming patches were installed, and N4 took everything in like he was designed to do.

At 1 joor, 22 breems, 21 kliks and 12 nanokliks, Cutwire put him back on the berth, and sent a line of code that shut down all his systems, and returned his world to the way it had been before his optic had come online.