(2024-04-08) For Gnomeregan: Recruitment and Testing

Details

Author:	Luridel
Summary:	Kerlo Quarterflash, Lode, Alaisa, Lucille, Sandy, Niksi, Teensy, and Granny show up to help with Mekkatorque's attempt to retake Gnomeregan! They're still in the recruitment and testing stage. Teensy takes some snaps. Lucy teaches Sandy about seatbelts. Everybody gets a Motivate-o-Tron. Sandy learns that he is invulnerable to being ejected out of machines. Alaisa gets voluntold into doing mechanic work. ~5200 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Siege Engineer Kerlo Quarterflash of the 7th Legion stands in his full 7th Legion armor near the High Tinker's seat in Tinkertown, alertly watching for familiar faces.

Sandy arrives in Tinker Town on the back of a green mechanostrider. The grey, metallic parts match his prosthetic! He's unsteady on the thing. It's just slightly too small for him.

Q blinks in surprise. "Oh! I've never seen a human on one of those before! Here to support the gnomes, I take it, sir?"

Ally hops down off a barrel and approaches the gathering crowd.

Granny sits with grim determination on her shaking, rattling mechanostrider. There's a good chance it's older than she is, but neither one of them is giving up the ghost just yet.

Niksi loiters about, Glub hovering close by. Spotting Kerlo, she smiles and approaches. "Mr. Quarterflash! Hello!"

[Teensy]: With a ringing cadence, a pigtailed gnome rides into Tinkertown with a big grin.

"Me neither!" Sandy answers Q. "I, uh… didn't really know which mount to get! But I am here to help the gnomes, yes!"

Lucy's mechanostrider is black to help round out the color spectrum.

[Quarterflash]: "Oh, hello there, Ms. Knockfathom! Pleasure to see you again!"

Sandy waves at everyone one by one, not recognizing anyone. Except Granny. "Hi, Granny!"

Lode has definitely got on her red goggles, for real. A mechanostrider is accompanying her with the guidance of her thumb on a remote as she eyes the growing crowd with gruff concern.

And yes, those are bunny ears on Granny's head. She takes no notice of them, but does notice Sandy. "Greetings, little boy. Been staying safe?"

[Quarterflash]: "The High Tinker should be ready to address everyone in just a moment. I will be helping herd proverbial cats today. For those who do not know me, my name is Kerlo Quarterflash, but you may call me Q."

"Hey, Lode." Ally folds her arms, looking the crowd over.

Niksi smiles around at the people gathering. "How wonderful! So many people have come to help the operations."

Sandy spots Ally. "Oh and hi, Ally!" He blinks at Granny, then nods. "More or less… yeah. I hope you too!"

"Oh! Q, hi! I'm Lucy. Lucy Moore." Lucy waves happily.

[Lode]: "Q, I like that. I remember you from Cap's talks." She nods to Alaisa. "Hey."

"Hey, Sandy. How's your leg?" Ally peers over at him.

[Gausanders]: "I'm used to it, by now!" He raises his leg as high as he can. He topples over the mechanostrider. "Oof."

Lucy blinks off her mechanostrider to appear next to him. "Yikes. You okay?" She offers him a hand up.

[Gausanders]: "I'm okay, I'm okay!" He takes her hand. "Happens all the time." That sounds better if it's a habit, right?

Sandy smiles at Lucy.

Granny glances around. "Lotta tall folks, for a Gnomeregan expedition."

Lucy helps him back on. "You should wear the seatbelt."

Sandy whispers. "There's a seatbelt?"

Lucy points it out. "Yeah, most models come with one."

Sandy blinks at the seatbelt. He gets back up on his mechanostrider, and attaches the seatbelt this time.

Q beams at the assembled group. "It's been truly inspiring to see how many humans, dwarves, kaldorei, and draenei have shown up to train with us and help us prepare for the assault. Some even plan to join the assault team!"

Granny keeps an eye on Kerlo, but doesn't dismount. Maybe she can't. Don't ask her. She might get snappy.

Niksi spots a few Cobalt tabards, and tugs her own on.

Sandy is totally wearing a Cobalt Company tabard.

Q is totally wearing 7th Legion armor, because that is a thing Blizzard lets us wear.

Granny is likewise in a tabard. It looks brand new. It isn't, but she totally has one too.

"Exactly so," Nix agrees with Q. "Thank you all for coming to our aid."

"It's normal! We're friends," Sandy smiles at them.

"I'm Ally Lysander. I have a good guess as to who most of you are…"

Teensy isn't wearing a tabard. "Were we supposed to get merch? I risked my life for Gnomrgan and all I got was this lousy tabard?"

"Salutations! I'm Niksi Knockfathom. This is Glub." She gestures to her very normal floating fish.

"Siege Engineer Kerlo 'Q' Quarterflash, 9th Expeditionary Unit, 7th Legion, serving under Highlord Von Zeldig. I've been given leave from my duties in Northrend for a few weeks, for obvious reasons."

Lucy looks down at her own tabard and giggles. "Oh! This is from Cobalt Company. We're Jocoza Sparkwire's mercenary group."

Granny eyes Glub. "Just call me Granny. That's what everyone does, so you might as well join 'em."

[Teensy]: "Well in this case the tabard is nice. Lovely blue. Splendid blue, even."

Lode shakes out a roughly wadded up tabard, glancing up nonchalantly like she didn't forget that or anything. The wrinkles would not please the PR minded, but odds are it won't be visible for long.

"I'm Gausanders Spellbond! I used to be on the squads for Cobalt Company!" He does a double take on Glub.

Q beams at the sight of the tabards. "It delights me to see that my beloved's mercenary company is so well represented today."

[Teensy]: "My robe's blue. It's close enough. Who's taking the newsletter snaps?"

"Are you volunteering?" Ally grins at her.

[Teensy]: "Sure! I have my Whizzgear Snap-o-matic right here. with double lensed viewfinders your photos will look like a piece of the memory!"

Lucy goes 'oooooh'.

"The… your what?" Sandy blinks.

Q's lilac eyes sparkle. "Oh! What a wonderful idea to bring a Snapper!"

"Incredible. Thanks. If we could get copies, that'd be amazing. What's your name?" Ally asks.

[Lode]: "Beloved? Oh… oh." She stares at Kerlo a while. "Well, good to know Gnomeregan is benefiting from talented people, if both the 7th and Cobalt are represented pitching in."

Teensy produces a camera with two lenses and fiddles with wheels and dials. "I'm Teensy Shadowspark, and I heard we were getting retribution!"

Q grins at Teensy. "Retribution will come, my eager friend! Today is training and preparation!"

Lode looks keenly interested in the camera, watching across at Teensy fiddling with it.

[Teensy]: The cheery stranger unfolds a set of bent bars that hold the camera for her, and adjusts the dials around the lenses. "I got it! nobody move. Say knees!"

"Knees?" Sandy says.

"Knees!" Lucy says, beaming.

[Granny]: "Knees?"

Alaisa just smiles.

[Teensy]: She snaps the photo immediately. "There! Memory captured."

Sandy is blinking and is looking confused on the picture. The best combo!

The High Tinker lowers the Forcefield of Silence he had temporarily erected around himself to help him focus on his calculations amidst the crowd, and adjusts his goggles as he surveys the group. "Salutations, friends of Gnomeregan!"

"Salutations!" Sandy bows to Mekkatorque and doesn't fall, because he has the seatbelt on, now.

Teensy waves, cheerfully.

Granny just watches, one of her bunny ears flopping in time with the rattling of her 'strider.

Lucy waves cheerfully. "Hi!"

"Hey." Ally nods.

"You have arrived at a crucial juncture," Mekkatorque continues, "as we make our final preparations to retake our ancestral home! The first thing I will need your assistance with today is pilot recruitment! We are still in need of at least twenty-six."

Lode seems to put on her serious face, actually, attending to the High Tinker with a focused look and a lift of her hand.

"Former GDF pilot, Niksi Knockfathom, reporting for duty, sir!"

[Mekkatorque]: "My assistant for the day, Siege Engineer Quarterflash, will distribute Motivate-o-Trons to you. Use them to disrupt the hyperfocus of gnome citizens in the area and alert them to the opportunity to serve their people!"

Lode stares at the back of Kerlo's head. "Aren't you a pilot, Q? Seren-crankin'-dipitous."

Q pales slightly at Lode's question, but then forces a smile and nods nods nods!

"A Motivate-o-Tron?" Sandy repeats, confused.

The High Tinker continues. "Once you have recruited at least twenty-six pilots, please follow Q to the training area."

Alaisa looks at Niksi. Mental note: taken.

Granny eyes Sandy. "Motivate-o-Tron motivates people. Pay attention, whippersnapper."

Q begins to distribute peculiar-looking gnomish devices. "Just point these at any gnome you see!"

Sandy is startled by Granny. "Yeah… makes sense!" He pauses. "How?"

Lucy takes hers. "Thanks!"

Granny cackles. "I dunno. Let's find out!"

Niksi murmurs to Sandy, "Gnomes can be extremely focused compared to other races. The Motivate-o-Tron will help us get their attention to alert them to the need for their assistance."

Lode raises her very long eyebrows when she takes a control mechanism, both dubious and eager.

"Alas, psychoelectric engineering is not my specialty," Q says, "but I can assure you that they do work and there are rarely malfunctions."

Alaisa examines the Motivate-o-Tron.

Granny eyes her thingamagig. "Probably zaps 'em good." She points hers at nothing and mutters, "Zap."

[Quarterflash]: "Would you feel better if I demonstrated for you once or twice first?"

"Sure, go for it!" Lucy giggles.

Sandy looks at the device. "Yeah… I'd like that!"

Q looks around and finds a nearby citizen who is clearly hyperfocused on something non-patriotic at the moment. "Pardon me ma'am, would you like to serve your people?" he asks politely while pointing the gadget at her.

[Motivated Citizen]: "Sign me up!"

"I'm half convinced some folk just get their interest held by a delightful automaton better than a person," Lode muses, as if she's never been there.

[Motivated Citizen]: "Anything for King Mekkatorque!"

Nodding, Granny says, "Zaps 'em." Satisfaction just oozes in her tone.

[Gausanders]: "Okay, seems… fine! I'll zap people!"

Teensy says, "hey buddy!" and points the motivator at a random citizen. "Do you wanna fly a contraption to take back Gnomeregan?"

The citizen says, "Sign me up!" and heads off to recruitment.

Lode nods at Sandy, it's definitely fine. This is acceptable in gnome culture.

Cackling, Granny heads out to find people to zap.

"Hi! Your king needs you!" Sandy zaps a citizen.

[Granny]: "HEY, get off your butts, lunchbox. There's work to be done to save Gnomeregan."

[Motivated Citizen]: "I'd love to help!"

Granny continues running around, chastising the good citizens who only want to help.

Q blinks at a gnome who became a rabbit for about 5 seconds. "Don't worry friends, any side effects are completely temporary!"

[Teensy]: "WOO! Gnomes! WE RIDE!"

"Is everyone ready?" calls Q over the din of purring mechanostriders.

The recruitment is alarmingly successful.

Granny yells, "Ready!"

Lode strides around on her leggy elf gait tailed by cheerful looking gnomish citizens like a pied piper for a short time and looks quite pleased about it. Soon the puffs of mechanostrider exhaust are multiplying.

"I'm ready, and my new gnome friends are too!" Sandy winks at the mind controlled gnome.

"All right, recruits! Follow me to the training area!" Q's voice rings out over the din.

[Not Movtivated Enough Citizen]: "Work smarter, not harder! For Gnomeregan! You all got this!"

Alaisa climbs onto a spare mechanostrider, looks over the controls, and figures it out. She'll return it later.

"Aaaand forward!" Q cries.

Lucy seems absolutely delighted by the procession of gnomes.

Q salutes Captain Sparknozzle crisply. "Reporting for duty, sir!"

Granny waves at Sparknozzle.

Sandy salutes Captain Sparknozzle. "We're here to help!"

Niksi salutes Captain Sparknozzle.

"Ah, another batch of new pilots!" Sparknozzle says. "We're really scraping the barrel now, but… it's fine. I've seen worse. Now… time to get to work, you alpha builds!"

Lucy admires the mechano-tanks.

The captain surveys the group critically. "I see SOME of you are wearing fancy Cobalt Company tabards and 7th Legion uniforms and such. But EVERYONE has to go through basic training to ensure you have the proper focus and response time."

Sandy blinks. What's an alpha build, and is he one? What does it mean? What is happening? He doesn't understand gnomes anymore.

"Yessir!" Lucy giggles.

Lode grumbles some bearish agreement.

Captain Sparknozzle points toward the drill sergeant. "Get in line with the others, recruits, and let's see how you do!"

Lucy parks her mechanostrider and pushes a button on a remote to lock its controls.

[Lode]: "I'm a natural at that one."

Sandy looks around at the other tall people standing way above the gnomes in the ranks.

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: The first thing you need to learn is proper discipline.

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Show me that discipline with a proper salute when I say so!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Okay, recruits, salute!

Grumbling, Granny puts her hands to her back. "Think I pulled something."

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: When you go into combat, it is important that you know how to intimidate the enemy with a deafening battle roar!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: When I give the signal, let loose your greatest roar!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Let me hear that battle roar!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Wow, nice and scary!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Remember though, a key factor in winning any battle is positive reinforcement.

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Reward your fellow soldiers in battle with a resounding cheer. Now, cheer at me when I tell you to!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Everyone, cheer!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Fantastic!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: However, the most important part of battle is how you celebrate a good hard earned victory!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Show me your best victory dance when I give the signal!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Now, dance!

Q has the greatest salute ever. His dancing is only so so.

Sandy follows the steps asked by the drill sergeant. He's doing his best at the dance thing. His dancing skill are not as good as they used to.

Teensy salutes, roars, cheers, and dances. the soldier's life! ahhh.

Lucy goes all-in with enthusiasm. Her battle-roar is loud.

Niksi shakes that booty with gusto.

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: Superb!

[Drill Sergeant Steamcrank]: You might be the best set of recruits I've ever seen!

When the training concludes, the group files back over toward Captain Sparknozzle. "So you gnomed up and made it through, I see!" he says. "Let's move on then."

Captain Sparknozzle gestures around at the smoking heaps of machinery around him. "I'm sure you've noticed our mechano-tanks. They still need a bit of testing. Let's start with the ejection seat. You uh… might want to do this near a snowbank."

Sandy raises his hand to ask a question.

"What!" barks the captain.

Niksi puts on her diving helmet. Safety first!

Lode grips her fists at her sides in excitement for getting behind the controls of a spider tank.

"My physician and my mom- my mosterful physician said I could join today's mission but I can't be thrown out of a machine, because of my new leg. Should I… skip this part?" Sandy asks.

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "You'll be fine! It's not rocket science, recruit! Actually it is a little bit of rocket science. But mostly, just hit the button that says EJECT in five languages."

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "Aim for a snowbank if you can. If your leg falls off I'm sure someone can reinstall it."

[Granny]: Yer not bein' thrown out, you're being ejected by a mechanism. Totally different things.

Q peers critically at a nearby tank, then seems to find it satisfactory and climbs inside.

"Okay!" Sandy nods at the Captain, then at Granny. "Makes sense, okay!"

"Oh! I can slow fall you?" Lucy offers, wiggling some feathers.

Q steers the thing toward a nice soft snowbank.

Niksi climbs into a spider tank with a gleeful giggle.

[Teensy]: "Perfect idea! it'll make it more fun, really."

"Oh, that'd be nice, but they said we're not being thrown out, so it's okay!" Sandy jumps into the machine.

Lode eyes Sandy. "I mean, no reason he HAS to be the one to eject. But between the mages and, uh, I can stand by to catch ya."

Granny peers over the controls. "Look out. Comin' through!"

Lucy stands by to snowfall anybody who needs it. (Sandy. She's slow-falling Sandy.)

Q's tank seems to almost deliberately throw him AWAY from the snowbank and onto the sidewalk. He gnomes up. He's had worse.

Nix launches from her tank with a "Wheeee!", landing safely in the snow.

Lode slides into a tank that is rather small to contain her but looks completely delighted to nudge the machine's motorized legs along, peering over the side to watch and letting the motions jostle her here and there with its gait.

Granny lands on the path, thus keeping her boots dry. Even ejector mechano-tanks know to treat her with respect.

Alaisa looks at the controls. She might be spell-checking them. Finally, she presses the EJECT button. She lands on her feet.

Sandy is thrown out of the machine, but slow falls to the floor. "Whoa! That worked perfectly! And my new leg is fine!" He nods proudly. "When I tell that to my physician!"

Lucy giggles.

Captain Sparknozzle takes notes as he watches everyone get flung out of tanks.

"This leg is fall-by-machine proof!" Sandy points at it with a grin on his face.

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "Well done, alphas! Now we're going to check the leg servos and the AEM system. Those buttons are also labeled in an idiot-proof manner. Just get in and push 'em!"

Lucy opens her mouth, raising a finger… and decides not to correct him. Surely this will never have any consequences.

Lode lands in cat-form after letting herself get jettisoned, loping around the snow for a moment after in glee. Kaboom!

Lucy scrambles into her second mechano-tank of the day, beaming.

Sandy climbs up the machine.

Q's tank seems to move only its right leg. He frowns as he pushes the Left Leg Servo button.

"Problem," Alaisa says, frowning at her machine.

Granny stands up and yells, "Mine's broken!"

[Teensy]: "What is wrong with this random collection of springs—UGH!"

Lode examines the controls. "Wow, it really is idiot-proof. Gnomish design is so great for accounting for that. Quality interfacing." She guides a tank leg to test-swipe.

Sandy nods. "Mine too!" He presses the eject button. Time to fly back out of the machine! Wooh!

Lucy sees Sandy sailing through the air and quickly throws up another feather. Whew. That was close.

"Yes, yes, I see it!" snaps the Captain. "Damn stubborn left legs… I thought Blorbo fixed that this morning! Oh well, it's… it's fine. Let's move on."

Granny ejects, then kicks the mechano-tank on her way past it.

"I think there might be a wiring issue?" Alaisa sighs.

"You THINK?" growls the grumpy captain. "Last time I trust Blorbo when he tells me he fixed something…"

"She thinks that, yeah!" Sandy answers, helpfully.

"That's my hypothesis, yes," Alaisa says dryly. "I haven't opened the panels yet."

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "You certainly couldn't do any worse than Blorbo! So you just volunteered, recruit. Report to me later."

"What did Blorbo do?" Sandy mutters to himself.

"Oh! I could probably fix 'em!" Lucy raises a hand.

"You just volunteered also, then! Talk to me later." The captain waits for everyone to gather round, then straightens his shoulders. "All right! Last but not least it's time to test the WEAPONS!" He rubs his four-fingered hands together.

Granny answers him anyway. "Didn't do his job, sounds like."

The captain points up on the hill. "There are the models that have been armed. Just face the targets and hit the button that says DESTROY in five languages! Easy as calculus."

Granny mutters something about getting snow in her boots.

Alaisa taps her fingers on her arm, thinking. Perhaps she didn't expect to get volunteered for more work.

"I'm ready to destroy in five languages!" Sandy nods. He looks around, happily. It's good to be helping again!

Lode is making excited fists again, because the only thing better than driving a tank with spider legs is a tank with spider legs and fire power.

Q maneuvers his tank toward the target with the air of someone who is used to doing such things. When he hits the doom button, a haphazard spray of bullets flies out of the entire front of the thing.

Sandy climbs up the machine, and shoots at the target. Maybe one bullet touches the target. He looks at what Q is doing. "Uh… Looks like they work just fine!.. In the hands of someone… who knows what they're doing."

Lucy tries to get a sense for the tank's effective range.

Alaisa tests out the left leg of THIS machine. Nope.

After blowing up her targets, Granny walks her tank back toward the path and ejects on the dirt. Hmph.

Lode looks reluctant to stop at the required number of test firings, but ammunition is expensive, and she restrains herself for the sake of the cause.

"Everyone's doing a fantastic job!" Q cries cheerfully to the group.

Sandy presses the "eject" button. Weeee!

Teensy can be heard yelping in outrage. "These screwball bullets couldn't hit anything except by accident!"

Lucy feather falls him at the last second.

Teensy is aiming so badly blaming it all on the machine is unfair.

Sandy still hasn't noticed that he is being slow falled. He just is invincible.

"Well?" barks the captain when they return. "Report!"

"You're best off being CLOSE to whatever you wanna hit." Lucy smiles.

"I hit the target once!" Sandy nods, helpfully.

[Granny]: "Fireball's more effective, but not everyone is as talented as I am so I suppose tanks'll do in a pinch."

[Lode]: "Yeah, the accuracy is a bit uuuuuuh…" She seems to think that qualifies as an adjective.

"I can't help but notice," says Q, "that there is a distinct lack of precision in the targeting."

"Exactly as designed!" says the captain confidently. "Remember, these are troggs we're dealing with - they're going to be swarming the tanks and running around willy nilly, so precision would be wasted here."

[Lode]: "It's gonna cause a lot of damage in a broad fan, is what I am sayin'."

The captain taps his nose and points to Lode.

Lode tilts her head, well then, it all works out, doesn't it?

The captain points to his right. "Go talk with Pilot Muzzlesprock next; we need to test the radiation levels again to ensure our projections are accurate."

"Sounds fine!" Sandy goes to talk with Pilot Muzzlesprock.

Alaisa whispers to Lucy, "I'm not actually an engineer."

Q salutes the pilot. "Hello there Sprockie! Good to see you again. Sharpgear told me he came by yesterday to help you?"

"Oh, don't worry! I'll figure it out no problem!" Lucy pats Alaisa's shoulder.

Alaisa sighs.

Muzzlesprock smiles genuinely. "Good to see you, Q. At least we kept it cold here like you're used to, hee hee. Anyhow! I see we have a new batch of radiation data collectors?"

"Always happy to collect radiation and data for my friends!" Sandy smiles.

The pilot beams at them all. "This couldn't be easier, friends. This is an auto-pilot flying machine; all you need to do is toss the Radiageigatrons into Gnomeregan's vents. They'll send us back readings, lemon-squeezy, Gelb's your uncle."

Q salutes Muzzlesprock amiably. "All right friends, everyone grab a flying machine!"

Granny frowns. "Come to think of it, I did have an uncle Gelb."

Sandy nods. Gelb is everyone's uncle now, probably. Not only Granny's.

Muzzlesprock checks quickly to make sure each machine is fully stocked with Radiageigatrons, as one does.

"Wheee!" Lucy grabs a flying machine.

Niksi hops into a flying machine. "Mmm, this takes me back."

Q may or may not be a strange shade of bluish green right now.

Granny yells, "Tree. TREE! MOUNTAIN! Don't hit th— TREE!"

Sandy gets on a flying machine, hearing what Niksi said as she got onto hers. "… It's taking us back where?"

Lode, who lacks pilot training, studies the meters and controls of the machine as it takes off on its predetermined route.

More yelling from Granny, "RADIAGEIGATRONS AWAY!"

Q can be heard yelling FOR GNOMEREGAN from his little plane, in the sort of tone one uses when one is trying to boost one's own morale.

Lucy considers the Motivate-o-Tron. She considers Quarterflash. She decides not to push the button.

Sandy presses the eject button on the flying machine. There is one. On his flying machine specifically. "All radiadendrons have been placed!" He says, while he's still in the air.

Q checks everyone over a little nervously as they land. "Is everyone all right? Does anyone need bandages? No mishaps I hope?" Question after question to each person who lands.

Lucy feather falls Sandy just in time! Whew.

Granny patpatpats Sandy's arm.

Sandy grins at Granny.

"Yep! I'm good!" Lucy giggles. "Sandy, can you start yelling 'EJECTING' each time you push that button? It'll help me time it better!"

Muzzlesprock checks the readings as they come in. "Oh wonderful! Levels are holding steady at 3.6. Not great, not terrible. The suits should more than compensate!"

Sandy nods. He doesn't know what she needs to time better, but sure. "Sure!"

Lode slides out of the cockpit. "All fine, Q-man. The readers seemed to take."

Q looks very relieved that everyone is fine. He immediately begins tuning up a nearby flying machine.

From behind them, a clear voice calls out "Hey! Over here!" A dark-haired gnome waves at them.

[Teensy]: "Who's that?"

[Lode]: "Hm?"

"Toby?" Q calls. "Oh of course they have you hard at work! Can we help you?" Q toddles over to him.

Toby runs a palm over his balding head, which has begun to perspire despite the cold. "I still can't seem to get this speech right," he mutters. "This is the fourth draft the High Tinker has bounced back to me. Can you help me test my latest iteration?

Alaisa whispers to Lucy, "So you think you'll be able to fix all the mechano-tanks?"

"Yeah, of course!" Lucy beams at Ally. "It'll go much faster with your help."

Alaisa sighs.

Toby passes out some little devices to each of the volunteers. "These will project an image of the High Tinker saying lines from my speech. Obviously we must allow for his charisma as a variable, you see. Try them out on people and see how they respond, then report back to me!"

Lode turns the projector device over in her hands a few times, examining visible components and giving it a sniff. To smell for data density, of course.

Lucy flips between the different available speeches.

Q immediately trots over to his pilot friend from before.

[Lucille]: "I'll meet you all back here in a little bit!"

Niksi takes one of the devices. "I'll have data for you shortly."

Sandy presses a button to test the machine. The speech is fine, but the image of Mekkatorque has 8 fingers on each hands and eyes looking in two extremely different directions. "Uh. I think my Mekkatorque is broken."

Lode immediately wanders off into Kharanos, not really looking where she is going as she walks, just fiddling with the device.

Alaisa follows Lucy as they walk around playing the different speeches. "So… it's just that I actually had stuff to do this evening."

"Oh! Don't worry, it won't take us long!" Lucy giggles.

Alaisa sighs heavily.

Niksi returns to Toby. "The subjects had…notes."

Granny snorts. "I have a few of my own."

Q returns looking rather sober, and nods at the women's comments.

"They did," Sandy ads helpfully. "First, they asked 'why does your Mekkatorque look like that?'"

Lode wanders back after a while, empty handed save for the device.

Toby visibly droops. He puts both hands to his head. "I'm a… very important person…" he says, swiping a hand across his eyes.

[Toby]: At last he folds his arms and gives the crowd a flat stare. "Fine. Lay it on me."

"The one with the fugitive search isn't even relevant," Alaisa says. She sounds grumpy.

[Toby]: "What do you mean!?"

Lode just gives a blank look in return, because she probably wasn't actually listening to the feedback while she operated and observed the projector.

"Searching farmhouses? In Gnomeregan?" Alaisa crosses her arms.

[Toby]: "But… but… 'farmhouses' has such a romantic ring…"

[Toby]: "FINE!" He savagely crosses something out on the scroll he's holding.

[Alaisa]: "You want your speech to suit the occasion, don't you?"

[Lode]: "There are some above ground dwellings, aren't there? I mean, gnomes got to eat…" She eyes around at all the gnomes as if for confirmation. She's pretty sure she's seen some of you guys eating before.

"Speeches are usually better like that!" Sandy adds.

[Toby]: "I'm just… so… tired…" He rubs his eyes again. "But fine. I'll try to be more… re-le-vant." He says the last word as though it physically pains him.

"You can do it! Maybe we can help you?" Sandy asks. "Do you want coffee?"

"If you're finished destroying my dreams," Toby says flatly, "go report to the Captain." He raises a brow at Sandy. "Except you. You, go get me some coffee."

Granny offers, "Or pie?"

[Toby]: "And pie."

"I'm on it!" Sandy gets on his mechanostrider and rushes to Ironforge.

"You can do it!" Lucy points the Motivate-o-Tron at Toby Zeigear and presses the button.

Toby suddenly stands straighter. "I can do this!" he says. "FOR GNOMEREGAN!"

"FOR GNOMEREGAN!" Lucy beams at him. "You got this! You got this! Okay, bye!" Lucy pockets the remote and skips off towards the Captain.

The Captain nods to the group as they approach. "You've been busy little gears today! We're making fine progress. We should be ready to move by next week. I'm making all of you official Gnomeregan Army Reserves!"

Sandy comes back with one cup of coffee, and a hand that's burning a little. He spilled some of the hot liquid on his jumpy mechanostrider, on the way there. "Here you go! The half coffee you ask for, Mr. Speechwriter!"

"What, again?" Granny yelps.

"What an honor!" Lucy seems delighted.

Toby, recently remotivated, takes the coffee from Sandy with enthusiasm! "Thanks, kid!"

Sandy smiles at him. "Wait, what's happening? I wasn't here, I was getting the speechwriter some coffee!"

"Hell yeah," Lode affirms approvingly. "You got radiation protection for biting troggs?"

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "Yes! We have suits for everyone! Uh, let us know if yours needs… alterations. To account for unusual size or shape. Ahem."

Granny peers around in her helmet. "Or number of fingers."

[Captain Sparknozzle]: "Now go rest up, recruits! We're going to have a big week next week!"

[Lode]: "Oh sure, I'll be by for measurements." She returns to bear.

Sparknozzle jumps at the Sudden Bear.

"Aye, sir!" Niksi gives Sparknozzle a sharp salute.

Lucy smiles. "I'm ready to get to work on the mechano-tanks!"

[Gausanders]: Sandy doesn't ask any follow-up questions about the suits. He wasn't there anyway. He was getting someone's coffee.

[Teensy]: "Woo hoo! I'm gonna carouse until then! Later, skaters!"

Granny heads back, not with pie, but does produce the finest muffins in all the land.

Toby is very grateful.

Alaisa sighs and follows Lucy over to the mechano-tanks. "I don't have any tools," she tells her.

"And I'm going to go sit somewhere! My leg is starting to bother me." Sandy says, heroically.

[Lode]: Lode lingers behind to assist Lucy and learn more finer points of tank wiring.

"Oh, don't worry! I've got plenty!" Lucy takes out a toolbox.

Alaisa sighs.

"I'm really happy I could help you all! Thank you for letting me join." Sandy looks around with a genuine smile on his face.

"Of course! It was lots of fun!" Lucy waves to Sandy.

[Lode]: "Lemme give you two a hand."

Sandy waves back at Lucy, taking his hearthstone and disappearing back to Dalaran.

[Alaisa]: Alaisa looks gratefully at Lode. "Thanks."