Jan 26, 2013

Prompt 6: Virus

There were many things about the Cybertronians that surprised the humans. Or simply made them stop and think. This was one of them.

When Sam had heard that Jazz had gotten a virus, he had gotten rather panicked – he knew what viruses did to his computer. He didn't want to wish that on any Cybertronian.

So when he walked into the Med Bay, fully expecting to see Jazz prone on a berth, perhaps twitching, or perhaps simply "shut down," he was surprised to see Jazz sitting up, grinning, and kicking his pedes.

"Uh... Hi, Jazz," he said, striding quickly over to the stairs installed against the wall at the head of every berth.

"Hiya, Sam!"

"I heard you had a virus," the boy said as he reached the top of the stairs and walked onto the berth.

"I do." Jazz smirked and nodded. "Though it ain't much like anythin' you humans get."

"Yeah, I figured... What do viruses do to you guys?"

"Oh, all kinds o' things. Ah remember one time, Prowler got a virus that made him speak in rhymes. 'T was funny. Ah! Watch... y' don' wanna touch me."

Sam gave him an odd look. "Why? I can't catch it."

Jazz grimaced. "Ah know. But this virus's messin' with mah energy regulation. Ah'm... Ah guess y'd call it super sensitive. 'N y' know how we've all got energy runnin' though out frames 'n armor? Well, with this virus, Ah can't c'ntrol it."

Sam nodded in understanding, and kept a healthy distance, not wanting to get shocked. "How'd you pick it up?"

Jazz chuckled nervously. "'S... 's actually a virus Ah made mahself. Makes th' energy hard t' control, but also makes meh much more sensitive. Ah was jus' on a mission... Ah use it 'lot t' keep 'ware o' mah surroundin's."

"He does this far too often," Ratchet rumbled as he strode out of his office, a datachip in hand. "Enough that I've learned to keep the antivirus ready when he comes back."

Sam frowned. "Wait. Didn't you say you made the virus yourself? Why does Ratchet have the antivirus and not you?"

Jazz chuckled and ran his hand over the back of his helm, a nervous gesture many of them had picked up from the humans. "Well... sometimes... it kinda... mutates. That's what virus's do, y'know. Ah picked up another little virus from th' Con's computer. Jus' a little thing, s'posed t' disable motor functions. Ah've had the antivirus fer that one fer a long time, but it kinda messed a bit with mah virus a'fore Ah could stop 't. Ratch' keeps a basic antivirus fer mine, and his medical codin' 'llows him t' modify it much quicker 'n Ah could."

Ratchet sighed as he handed the chip over. "Jazz is right. I just wish he wouldn't use that fragging virus as much as he does. It gets corrupted far to easily."

"Hey, Ah'm jus' givin' ya practice, Ratch'!"

"I already have enough of that without you. How is it?"

"Done 'n done. Thanks, Ratchet."

"No problem Jazz. I don't expect to see you for at least a month."

"Yup! Wanna lift, Sam?"

Sam eyed the offered hand for a moment. "I suppose. As long as you're sure that the virus is gone."

"Cross mah spark 'n hope 't die. Ow! Ratchet! It's jus' a sayin'!" Jazz yelped as he clutched his helm.

Ratchet scowled playfully. "Even so. I spend enough time keeping you from death without you joking about it, much less in my presence. Now get out."

"With pleasure!"

Jazz hurried from the Med Bay, human in his hand and virus free.