Shell Shock Writers:
Rating: PG-RG
Warnings: Ratchet/Azimuth. Violence.
Disclaimer: We value our lives too much to even dare think about claiming Ratchet and Alister as our own. We borrow them for an RP, so don't worry. [Put the Wargroks back into your cage!]
Summary: Everyone's nightmare is to wake up in a cold, dark place without a clue where one is. Sadly, that's what's happened to us. What's even better, we have monsters and weird encounters to endure as well. And then there's them…
Lucky, right? If I ever get out of here, I will need some therapy sessions.
Chapter 14
Whispers, undefined and inarticulate as the rustling of leaves, filled the room. The glare of the numerous gleaming eyes that displayed the intent of debating was just as pretentious as the shallow discussion they led. If one listened long enough, one would realize that the whispers were but a mere imitation of the organic habit of arguing. The actual exchange of opinions was led through an exchange of thoughts.
"We should let him burn-"
"Not enough, let him suffer-"
"Chop him to pieces, yes-"
"His body is too fragile to endure it-"
"Yes, he would die too easily - he has to suffer-"
"For the shame he has brought upon us-"
"And for our own delight, let's not forget that. "
A chuckle went through the room. Yes, unity as such was perfect. They all had the same opinion, just as one entity should have - yet that did not mean absolute harmony. Like various minds in one head, their methods differed from each other so much that it led to discord. A scream of protest tore through the constant whispers from time to time whenever a conflicting point seemed too strong to endure, just as a display of fangs seemed to be more frequent than expected.
It was only until one of the mass, the superior fracture of their collective mind, raised its thoughts and brought silence over them. With high expectations the eyes diverted to one of the few entities that sat on something similar to a throne, surrounded by those who saw themselves outstanding enough to look alike. The only trait that distinguished the superior from them was the lack of its index finger; something it either did not care to duplicate as it was a constant reminder of the shameful end of their latest hunt or it could not recreate as they had not received any new sources of energy to use.
As the superior was convinced that such a discussion, pretentious as it was, could only be led by organic entities, it had taken up a humanoid form. The grin, only a faint smirk on its lips, was a willful replica of the organic behavior they had once seen on a tape in the security files. The same was with the act of clasping its fingers together in his lap; there was no necessity in it, yet it felt more sophisticated to do so.
"Your bickering won't do any good, " it remarked, "Let's rather begin to work on a solution together, as an entity, as it should be."
Its appeal was heard - the other guards ceased their listless whispering and distinguished themselves from the mass. Some seated, some impending in the air, all had taken their humanoid shape of their exo-skeletons. Their eyes were no longer filled with pretentious intent, but with a unifying desire to bring misfortune over that dreadful, old creature.
"As we are all aware, that disgusting entity has stolen our precious from us." A hiss of agreement came as answer. "And we all are unified in our intent to let him suffer. But a creature like him cannot endure all of our visions, pitiful at it is, and will break like a doll if we are too violent. We have to narrow down our intentions accordingly. " The guard paused and waited for the others to think. When it assumed to have given enough time, it raised its hand and waved it nonchalantly just like its thoughts. "What are your suggestions?"
One of the standing Shapeshifters stepped forward. It had a hand placed on its chest, thumb oddly crooked as it looked expectantly around. "I suggest a very slow method that gradually breaks him without being obvious - at first."
"Slow deterioration, you say?", was thought with contempt from a different corner.
"Think, not say." The entity briefly removed its hand from the chest and looked idly at its fingers before resuming its prior pose.
"That doesn't change the fact that it's a boring suggestion, nitpicker."
"Wasn't it you who thought that we cannot break him too fast since that would end in the same result?" came the hiss back. "Your suggestion is as useless, or useful as mine."
"Inferior piece of mind!", was the retort. "Don't you know anything about the art of slow torture? Gradual dissection must have some artistic value, some, some style to it. Just proposing slow torture is too listless!"
"Why not suggest in detail about that special art?" The grin was hideous, challenging and mocking the other; waving fingers provoked it even more. The entity tilted the head up, half-closing its eyes in challenge too. "Except if you lack the imagination to plan your own idea you so prattle about."
"You were the one who proposed it in the first place! It is your duty to explain. That is..." A brief chuckle left the guard. "Unless you are incapable of suggesting anything artistic, thus making you a truly inferior piece of mind..."
"Inferior? Pretentious from one of the pieces the elder so easily overwhelmed before fleeing with our precious. Sharp as a laser the grin shone back, but the entity didn't care to keep visual contact. Twisting around in a move too fluid for the joints one would assume a creature of such form had, it cracked only half-way its head around. "If you so insist, however..."
"Watch your thoughts." Narrowed eyes, accompanied with a murderous grin, watched the entity. "You are just as pretentious, should you believe that you weren't part of our hunt."
"Of course I was, but you let him directly escape-"
"Enough of that." The main entity didn't need to stand up for its presence to cut through the place; its interruption was enough to bring silence upon them. "I know that irrationality has met an unsightly end, and I do know that we had to take it in to prevent its complete deterioration, but only because we have taken said irrationality in, it does not mean to become as irrational as our late fellow."
Fingers tapped against each other as the superior fracture did not even grace them with a gaze. "But enough of that, and back to our actual discussion." The entity stretched out one hand and looked contemplatively at the splayed out fingers. "Your suggestion was quite crude and colorless. Quite the disappointment from someone who oh-so visibly tries to mimic emperors of a level so much higher than one's own intellect."
The first boisterous guard bowed its head and stepped back. As much as it was convinced of its suggestion, there was no use objecting the superior alone. It would keep its suggestion to itself - for now.
"Perhaps plucking him apart bit by bit would be nice..." Another fracture thought, tapping its fingers against each other. "Just taking a limb off or two, and then reattach it. He might die of an infection, though, if we play too long and too often…"
"Or he could die of the shock after the first few times." Another voice cut in, not mocking the other thinker – strangely enough – but pointing out the problems. "We know from our other examinations how fragile the neural systems of organic life forms are. Too many impulses and their brain forces the body to shut down. Pathetic, but true."
"He should die anyway." The suggester shook its head while waving its hand once. "Besides, if we change his molecular structure just a bit, we can attach and reattach without risking an infection… And if that abomination passes out, we can always… forcefully reactivate him. He won't mind a bit of our superior essence in his organism for sure."
"No." The single syllable encompassed more than the imitated sound. Every single entity ducked under the superior's will, wincing. "This would not even be remotely enough. It does not equal the indignity he brought upon our existence." The fingers curled and formed a fist, shaking in anger before opening again. "Nobody has ever defied us like that. Us. Epitome of perfection. Physically and mentally. The elder spit on that, he struggled against us, he mocked us - and then he took what is rightfully ours."
The suggester winced and shrunk to a smaller frame. "I... I am sorry. My suggestion didn't consider this factor enough." "You are forgiven. Do not let this happen again, however."
"Perhaps we could slowly break his molecules? One by one? And induce hallucinations while we are at it," was proposed from another corner. It immediately stopped when the superior fracture of mind looked at it with anticipation, for one out of pride, for the other out of fear.
"Do continue, and do not bore me." A yawn left the entity as it splayed its fingers, examining the stump of its missing digit. "It better be a more interesting suggestion than the other ones..."
"… Well… I believe that inducing hallucinations involving our precious might do that creature more harm than simple physical pain. The mind is stronger than the body and much less resilient, as we can see with ourselves. So if we broke his mind…" The guard paused. "He certainly won't die. No creature has yet died from mental injuries yet, so as long as we keep his limbs down, he shall be at our disposal for quite a long time."
"What kind of hallucinations? Be more concrete." The superior entity admonished.
"I was thinking of... well. I cannot suggest anything definite when we have to examine that entity's deepest fears first." The guard looked aside, biting its lip as it had observed some organics do it in those recordings they had found. "But as far as we can say... Have our precious be taken apart before him, or let him see our precious performing all these deeds to his body..."
"Your indecision usually would bore me... But." A grin split the main entity's face for the first time. "This idea sounds promising. The elder seemed particularly fond of our precious and reacted quite violently as we started our examination."
"Violently indeed." An entity closest to the superior reached for its neck, narrowing its eyes in pretentious pain as it stroked over it. "That... wrench of his. It destroyed my head. Luckily it didn't damage my collar." Its fingers trailed along the metal around its neck.
"If this had happened, I would have had it arranged that he never dies, no matter how much he tried." Albeit with listless voice, the slight violent jerks of its fingers revealed the superior's discontent. "One has to admit, however, that the creature is courageous. And stubborn."
"Stubborn indeed." Another guard beside the superior spoke up, sighing as it ran its fingers over its face. "I would have never thought that anyone would ram a bomb into my mouth, let alone make me contract back into my base form. It was an odd experience, and certainly not one I would want to repeat." The entity stretched its limbs a little and groaned in relaxation before it continued. "I told him to stop resisting and to silently watch, but he simply couldn't. He simply followed his plan... If one can call it a plan at all, that is." A chuckle. "He might be a disgusting abomination of the universe, but at least he has the resolve to reach his goal. ... Of course, whether his path is elegant or not is another issue, but nonetheless it's one, if not the only remarkable trait of his."
"He was intent on keeping him from us." The initial suggester picked up, emboldened by the positive responses. "So he would probably respond most violently to hallucinations in which we catch our precious, too. Showing him that all his efforts were for nothing."
"Hm..." The superior folded its hands and turned its head slightly to the suggester. "It sounds delightful. Very delightful. However..."
"... However?"
"It lacks a fresh impulse, a new impetus. I fear that this procedure has been employed too many times - if not with us, then between other organisms." Slight disgust appeared on the superior's face. It hated to be compared to organic life forms, even if the comparison came from itself. "Something fresh it needs... Hm..." Moving its digits contemplatively, it watched them with a slight frown over his face-
"AH!" The entity sat up, eyes and mouth widened and fingers tingling in excitement.
The whole room jolted, a cacophony of both thoughts and noises rising as the rush from the superior rolled over them, making their optics flash and the lines of their bodies pulse. They felt frantic. Just as there were thought processes in organics and robots that worked deeper than others, they often had no access to each other's fractures of mind. Not even the two pieces right next to the superior knew what was going on - except for the delight that set them ablaze.
"Has something happened?"
"Are you all right?"
"What are you thinking?"
The entity blinked, lips barely parted by now. The eyes were filled with a peculiar sense of curious realization, and its fingers resting faintly on its chin. Then, its mouth formed into a smile, devious yet innocent as they always grinned. Turning to the other Shapeshifters, it crossed its legs and placed its fingers together before his face. "I've had quite the delightful epiphany right now. One that will satisfy the need for originality and revenge, even though the price for its completion is... considerable." The creature's giggling filled the room, met with blunt curiosity as every gaze was directed at the superior.
"What is your suggestion?"
"Hopefully it's cruel-" "And entertaining-" "Will we have a spectacle to see?" "Quite the spectacle, yes. Refreshingly new as well."
Silence. Then the room burst into protests. What had first been curiosity had turned into violent protests; screams tore from the guards' mouths, inarticulate and indefinite just as before. They could not help it, however - their disgust and fury could no longer be expressed through mere words. The wave of thoughts was overwhelming still.
"How dare you propose this-" "This is disgusting! Just to think about it is-" "How could you even think of-" "An abomination of mind! He must have corrupted your rationality!" "You as superior fracture of mind have lost it! How could we accept-" "Silence, all of you."
The stare was met with utmost delight.
"I do. But I will need a subject in order to explain."
Metal creaked as three fingers gingerly touched the abused throat. There weren't really even dents in the metal - but who were the two Lombaxes to know that beneath his suit? Besides, they deserved to feel a bit guilty. Attack him like that when he just had entered!
... Okay, the last part wasn't true, really. Though Bar had the good guess it wouldn't help his case if he told he'd been watching the two for a few seconds.
"It's your fault that you snuck up on us, Bar!" Azimuth put the wrench back into its holder and crossed his arms.
"Well, I didn't know that you two were inside here." If Bar had had a mouth, he would have pouted. Now he could only push his index fingers against each other to show his sulkiness. "I just got in, and I just wanted to get some good energy supplies before I leave..."
Ratchet couldn't help but wonder about that. "And just how did you get into part of what are Nefarious' private quarters?" He shut his mouth, intent on keeping the next question to himself, but too late. "How long have you been standing here?"
He didn't want to know if a second robot had this time seen them live... ahem. Make out.
"Well, um…" Bar pushed his index fingers against each other. "I haven't been standing in this room until a minute ago, maybe… Actually thirty-two seconds, after my internal clock. And wasn't standing there, per se, I was scanning the room for possible dangerous entities like the Doctor…" His figure shrunk more and more. "I mean, since I'm fired anyway, I thought I could just as well sneak in and steal some of the best supplies in the facility to avenge myself. You know, just to make him angry and watch from afar. But either way, what I saw was, uh… Well. The scans delivered interesting results and I… kind of got curious about what was happening in this room…"
"Interesting... results?" Ears standing erect, Ratchet muttered lowly with a pause between the words. He both tapped his foot and had his arms crossed at the robot, silently telling the 'resume' hadn't convinced him while wanting a more detailed explanation.
"Well, yeah… I saw you two - I didn't know it was you, but well - moving around as if dancing and… Well… I think I saw something weird. Maybe my sensors failed me. But, but… I think, I think I saw you two… Uh… Kissing?" His frame shrinking and shrinking even more, a nervous chuckle left Bar. It was peculiarly interesting to watch him slowly bend his knees and press against the wall as the stare from the elder spoke of obliteration. "But, but I guess it's in your race's culture, that kind of action and all… I don't know about Lombaxes, maybe that's a common interpersonal habit between the members of your race… I mean, I don't think I've seen any organic kissing another from the same gender, so I am almost certain either that or my sensors were wrong since that kind of behavior would be totally weird, ha ha ha…" The death glare intensified.
Bar felt that he had just dug his own grave.
A smaller hand touched the elder's bigger. "No. Killing. The robot. Bad idea."
Curiosity won over Bar's fears. He lowered his hands only by a little and tilted his head as he looked at the faint touch between those two. "Is holding hands part of your culture too?" He suddenly asked. "It's kind of cute..." As he realized his mistake, Bar quickly slapped a hand over his 'mouth' but too late. Two sets of gem-colored fires - one emerald, one amber - licked at his frame and made him feel hotter than he had ever been in the foundry.
Why can't I shut my trap when I deal with deranged with laser weapons or invaders who carry another set of deadly devices apparently?
"Come on… I… I didn't mean to insult you… I just found it really cute and it's so sweet that you are so close to each other… Almost as close as Nefarious and Lawrence…"
"Ratchet?" Azimuth asked after a moment.
"Yeah?"
"I think we can safely say that we should make an exception once in a while." The elder cracked his knuckles. "I feel like I need some stress relief now."
"… Oh shit. OH SHI-" Bar jumped up and dashed aside, just in time before Azimuth's fist crashed into the place where his head had been a split second ago. "C-Come on, let's take it easy, okay-"
"If you get over here right now, I will be easy on you." A murderous tone lay beneath the general's voice, just as the questionable smile revealed his intentions. "At least you won't be complete scrap metal after I'm done with you."
"… I… think I have to decline that offer. FFFF-" Turning around on the spot, he slipped several times before he finally moved forward and tried to escaped the elder. Quite the hard task, considering that he couldn't get out of the room.
Because to accomplish leaving would mean getting to the door. In front of which the second Lombax stood, brows so low the eyes nearly vanished under them. In Bar's experience with organics - and, well, some robots because some robots just had similar mimic - this wasn't a good sign.
Not a good sign at all.
Too bad he was tumbling exactly towards Ratchet at the moment of this realization.
"Oh shit shit SHII-" He could barely stop himself - and inelegantly so, even - falling accidentally on the ground just before Azimuth could catch him. The general, who was too close to evade, stumbled over the robot and fell forward right onto Ratchet.
"... I'm starting to believe that someone really high up in this universe hates us." Came the muffled cursed, a bit breathless since Alister had knocked right into him.
"Pretty much." Azimuth pushed himself up, somewhat towering over the younger Lombax. "Wait a second, I'll, uh… get off you in a moment."
Bar was only now regaining his conscience as Alister had knocked him over the head - and the first image he saw instilled a peculiar thought process. And when he saw the elder noticing his stare, he scratched his shell. "So… Uh… I guess I should give ya some privacy, huh…"
The sound of a hand falling on his forehead directed his attention a bit lower to the younger Lombax. "Didn't we just notice before or did ya knock yer head that it scrambled your sensibility-filter for your mouth? You just dig your grave ever deeper and then throw nitroglycerin into the hole for good measure."
"B-but you are in a very compromising position, and he's kind of… well…" Bar looked at them in a confused way. "Since you are most presumably a couple… Isn't it normal to assume that I… Uh… should probably leave you two alone now…?"
If Azimuth's head had been a light bulb, it would have exploded in that very instant. All anger was now replaced by embarrassment, just as much as he stared at Bar, completely flustered. "W-what are you saying? How the hell did you get the idea of us being a c-c-c-couple?"
"My data banks tell me that the combination of specific rituals," he pointed at the position, "can only be found with couples, so... Wait." Bar blinked; it was barely visible with his optics hidden behind a darkened visor. "Aren't you a couple?"
"As far as we know, we aren't." It was Ratchet who found his voice first. His body felt like in the smelter and he wished for a hole to hide but nevertheless he wouldn't let the robot just keep rambling and spouting his assumptions. It grated on his nerves - but not as much as on Alister's apparently.
No matter what really was between the two of them, Ratchet didn't want to have the other be upset any further. His previous reactions indicated that Alister did take bad on what he deemed as blows to his pride - and Bar's words were like head-butts by the Chimera.
As much as Azimuth was flustered, he was thankful that Ratchet spoke up first. He would have been but a stutterwork, had he have had to answer the robot's question, and it seemed like the younger could better handle such situations.
Then why did he feel like being stung?
Bar blinked and tilted his head. "… Oh. Sorry." The robot got on his knees and looked on the ground. "Then that was really rude of me. I'm really sorry." He paused. "… But it would have been cute still…"
Wonderful. He sounds like those fangirls of the S.A.C. movies who shipped Clank's film persona with mine. Yuck.
This went unvoiced because that was knowledge he hated thinking about. Telling it? Oh gosh, the nightmares. Damn it, Clank was like both the big and little brother he never had had. Instead he just groaned at Bar. "I know it's easy to go with the first glance but really ask before you assume such stuff." He arched and jumped up into a crouch before straightening, rubbing his sore left shoulder.
"I'm sorry..." Bar pushed his fingers against each other and pulled his knees to his chest. "But it really looked like it, and... Meh. It'd have been cute..."
"Stop saying that." As it seemed, Alister had found his composure once more. He massaged his temples, a deep frown over his eyes. "Or I am going to jump at you seriously this time."
"N-No need to, really!" Bar waved off with his hands agitatedly. If he really didn't want something, it was the elder hunting him for another round. "I'll never say it again. Promise."
"Great. Thanks." Azimuth sighed as he got back onto his feet. "Now stay where you are, and stay silent." Despite all the tumult they had been through just now he had to concentrate again. They needed to find a way out, and quickly too - just how should they do it when those Shapeshifters were surely waiting outside?
"What's on your mind?" Crisis averted just to have perhaps another brewing somewhere else, one which Alister was probably thinking about. Not that it was hard to guess what could be on the elder's mind.
"I am just wondering how Bar made it to this room without being turned into shreds by the guards." Azimuth's deepened. "They were right in front of this room, too, so it is odd that he is all right… Or…" He tapped his chin. "Perhaps that is the reason why his circuits seem to be whacked."
"Hey! My circuits are all right, just - w-wait. Guards? WHERE?" The robot winced and curled into a ball of shivering metal pieces. "Did you really just say GUARDS OH MY CIRCUIT DID I PASS THEM WITHOUT NOTICING?" Bar fell into inarticulate rambling, shaking like leaves in a storm.
Awkward silence.
"I think it would have been better if you had told him that not so directly."
"… Well, at least we know now that he really didn't notice." A sigh left the elder. "Although I can't believe that. Wouldn't they take him apart if he passed them?" He watched the robot rolling on the floor, teetering back and forth as he did so.
"Oh my circuit guards oh my circuit guards oh my circuit guards…" Bar mumbled, shivering still. "Good thing they don't like me, but still oh my circuit the guards oh my circuit…"
"What's good if they don't like you?" This didn't make sense to Ratchet. What did the robot mean?
"They don't want to eat you then." The robot shuddered, and Azimuth blinked.
"Eat?"
"Yeah, eat. They are bad. Very bad. I don't like them." Bar sounded like he was about to cry - a controversy in its entirety as robots certainly did not have tear ducts. "Bad, bad guards. Hate them."
"… I think he relapsed into a childish pattern."
"He was pretty a child in a robot's body before, too. Though I admit that is several steps... more... backwards?"
"Indeed," the elder remarked dryly. "Actually, even more than that perhaps."
"Still, you are right. Why didn't they attack Bar?" Ratchet rubbed his chin, gesturing with his hands. Behind him in view, Bar was rolling from right to left over the floor. As Ratchet said, "It can't be they just attacked us and then left him alone," Bar rolled back from left to right, body parts clattered.
"They didn't want to eat me," the robot repeated again while rolling. In the end he came to a standstill and sat up, hugging his knees as he did so, "because I am uninteresting. They didn't like the taste of my molecules, I guess. They are very picky. Nitpicky." Bar slowly raised his head, looking at Azimuth and Ratchet. "They examined me, too, but found me not tasty enough for immediate consumption, so I think that's why."
This answer he hadn't expected. Tail drooping, Ratchet clenched unconsciously his fists as a premonition bubbled up inside him. "... What do they find 'tasty'?"
"I don't know exactly. It varies." Bar scratched his head mask. "I've seen them devour some special sweets as if they were divine… And I think that Nefarious has given them meat buns too. But other than that… I have no idea, really."
"WHAT. You mean we've eaten something from the devices which are designed to feed these guys meat buns? BLERGH." The gagging noises were only half faked as Ratchet wanted to smash now all of the cups.
"… The irony." Azimuth groaned. "But I suppose meat buns are just as popular with them as they are in the Polaris Galaxy."
"Well, they do look yummy, but… well. Since I'm a robot, I can't really say anything about it." Bar pushed his index fingers against each other. The mask hid his face well enough that one couldn't read his expression. "Either way. There are lots of things they find delicious, and anything with interesting structure is top notch for them too."
"Top structure as maybe in taste?"
"Uh… Um. I… think so, yes. The better the structure, the more they like something. … Or someone, of that matter." The robot shivered lightly as he hugged his knees. "I hate thinking of them…"
Azimuth tilted his head a little and raised an eyebrow at the mood change. Perhaps it was really uncomfortable for the robot to think about them. Kneeling down, he patted Bar on his shoulder. "Look, if you get out of here, you will never see them again, right?"
If the shadows behind the visor were any indication - it was too obscure that one could really say - Bar was blinking at him as if he was mad. Or just as long mad as it took the robot to remember that Nefarious didn't know he was alive, so he was free to go. This had been also the reason he snuck into this area, collecting goods while searching for a way out. "You are right! How could I forget that I'm free of my obligations to Nefarious? Thank you so much, you're a real friend!" He leant forward as if to hug the elder but then thought better of it. "No offense but you really don't look cuddly - too many hard muscles."
"… I wonder whether I should be offended or amused." Azimuth smirked, if only faintly. "That doesn't change, however, that you will have to pass the guards when you leave the room again."
"Nah, that won't be the case." Bar got onto his feet and brushed off the dirt on his protection clothing, then started to open it a bit below. To both Lombaxes' surprise the protection clothing turned out to be a coat of quite the heavy kind; it seemed rather light, still, when Bar started to stretch a little. "Mmh, much better. Next time you chase me I will outrun you." He chuckled and raised his head. "Ah well, where did I let off? Oh yes. I won't see them again. I'd be nuts if I used THAT exit even only once more."
This brought an idea to Ratchet's mind. "Say, Bar, have you found a clue where a different exit might be? At best one which doesn't crawl with guards." The robot may have been in this section longer and found something out they had yet to discover.
"Of course I have! Do you think I would go into this room otherwise?" Bar knocked against his chest, the broad and proud smile shining through even the mask. "If there hadn't been another exit to this room, I wouldn't have come here. I mean, what should I do if Nefarious suddenly stomped in here and there was no other exit? I'd be dead in a split second!" The robot shook his head before he continued. "Either way, I know another way out. Am I not awesome?"
"Yes yes, you are awesome." Ratchet waved off, Bar luckily not seeing the motion. "Where is this other way?"
"It's right here." The robot waved towards the Lombaxes while walking along the wall. "It's hidden behind the wires and all, but it's there." He pushed the cables aside and laid bare the exit. "Ta-da!"
He squawked as they closed up on him. He had never a chance with Alister opening the exit before he and Ratchet together shoved the robot through. "Hey hey, not so fast!"
In synch, visors slid shut over each Lombaxes' face. Neither said anything as they scanned the path ahead, just their tails moving. Bar found the sight oddly similar to two robots working in synch. Whatever readings they had been looking for the Lombaxes finished apparently when they looked at each other, then back to him.
Bar suddenly felt like being in front of a truck.