Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour: Explorers of STOMP

Sharp crackles followed by the screwing in of a lens can be heard as Zero finishes her adjustments to Spotlight's "eye". "All done Spot. You can wake up now." Zero informs Spotlight. There is a stretch of silence before Zero once again interrupts it, "Spot?" Followed by another. "Uh.... Spot?" Followed by a huff of exasperation, "Nnnnnn. Stop ignoring me, I know you're awake." To which Spotlight does not respond.

"It's safe to assume that under normal circumstances, that robot answers you, yeah?" Grease asks, leaning against the wall opposite the door. "Did you make that thing? How'd you program it to be able to ignore people? Furthermore, why'd you program it to be able to ignore people?"
Grease blinks as spark crackles between his eyebrows. "I suppose before we get to talking mechanics, we should swap names. I'm Grease. What's your name and what should I call your gloriously complicated pile of bolts?"

OOC question:

"When he feels like it I suppose, not entirely sure, really not sure, extra specially not sure, and ze name is Zero. This is Sp-" Zero replies as she is cut off by Spotlight saying, "I am Spotlight, Spotlight clarifies as he introduces himself."

OOC Answer:

Grease grins as Spotlight starts talking, his curiosity overcoming his casualness. "Well Spotlight, since you're awake now, can you answer any of my questions? Furthermore, why describe everything you do? Are you keeping an adventure log or something?"

"I have been 'awake' the entire time. My memory banks hold no pertinent data to your query. Perhaps you are malfunctioning, Spotlight provides helpfully as he is aware of how inefficient and fault prone bio-substance beings are." Spotlight replies as Zero briefly snickers.

"Perhaps you are compensating for your inability to provide the subtle inflections of natural speech young Spotlight." Field calmly states not bothering to actually look away from an open book. "Oh yes nearly forgot. I am Professor Lichen Field."

Zero shrugs and Spotlight for his part seems to not have heard anything aside from the greeting as he says, "Greetings Professor, Spotlight says politely."

Grease's grin gets a little wider. "Well, at least this won't be a boring journey."

"Depends on what you mean by 'alive'. It's made entirely of mechanical parts and some magical gems. So, Spot-" Zero replies. "Spotlight, interrupts Spotlight." Spotlight interrupts but, Zero ignores him and continues, "can think but, he's not made of anything organic and can't reproduce if that's what you're asking. Probably. I haven't tried testing that. Nor do I think I'm ever going to. Bluh."

OOC:

Zero shrugged, thinking that a robot with the ability to think is a lot more interesting than one that can't and that studying something you don't already understand would be more interesting than one you already do.

Grease sighs. "Yes, the best way to study a machine is normally to take it apart, but the best way to study a machine you can communicate with is to have it take itself apart, and tell you what it finds. Either way, dissassembling Spotlight is clearly not on the agenda, and I don't think it knows anything useful, either. Having said that, spotlight, what sort of power source do you use? Do you have to recharge? If it's anything electric-based, then you and I might be able to work wonders together."

"I utilize magical gemstones to provide most of my power. However, I can absorb low voltages of electricity for extra that I may store in my batteries, of which I have many that would benefit from refilling regularly, Spotlight says with gluttonous intent." Spotlight replies.

"Is there any particular spot I should aim the bolt?" Grease asks, licking his lips.

Spotlight just raises a hoof and you note that the metal flaps around his "eye" twitch in an excited manner.

"Spitting in someone's eye would normally be rude, but I think it'll be fine, given the circumstances," Grease says as his teeth start to crackle with electricity. With a small *ptoo* a bolt of lightning arcs from his mouth into Spotlight. It holds for a few seconds between them, then fades.
"So, Spotlight, do you have a culture you come from or anything? I'm just checking to make sure I didn't participate in some sort of bizarre marriage ceremony just now." Grease chuckles slightly as he draws a few excess sparks off his teeth with a claw.

Spotlight blocks the bolt of lightning with his hoof and makes a strange whirring noise and replies, "Yes, we are now married by ancient Ponyforged law, Spotlight lies glibly." To which Zero gives a snort of amusement.

"Hello mates!" Something said as the ground shook from huge hoofsteps. "Any of you mates care for a drink?" The minotaur said, Approaching noisily.

"Please, if you intend to drink, good sir... Refrain from bringing anyone else down into the depths of incoherent debauchery with you. Somepony has to stay on task..." A lean young Pegasus fluttered in, previously unseen. The corners of her mouth were turned up in a wrinkled frown, her sensitive senses smelling the drink on the minotaur's breath even from a distance... She was never quite able to get used to that smell. "And the rest of you, I hope are a bit more professional... Melisma. A delight to meet you all." With a deep nod, the Pegasus folded up her wings and slowly eyed each of the creatures she would need to keep healthy.

"Negative, Spotlight says turning down the offer." replies Spotlight. "Sure!" says Zero pretty much at the same time.

"So this brings our count to a bookworm, a gearbox, an equine creature in a space suit, an dissection happy unicorn, a drunken ball of muscle, a prudish pegasus, and an accident waiting to happen." Grease said, his grin growing wider as he counted each creature off with his fingers. "Does anybody want out of this ball of lunatics yet? I have no doubt that nothing we do will go quite according to protocol, Melisma, just to warn you. I don't actually think there is a protocol for our team."
Grease stopped to think for a moment. "Actually, fun pop quiz. How many of you know precisely what we signed up for? I'm curious."