"Medics have firewall override protocols," Knock Out agreed absently. "They're necessary, given injured mechs rarely have the wherewithal to drop theirs in the midst of getting blown halfway to scrap."

"Not much of a story," he shrugged. "He liked experimenting on unsparked protoforms. He was always convinced he could create new and better soldiers for the war, but most of the time his efforts produced... let's say, lackluster results. His commanding officers were rarely pleased with him; protoforms aren't exactly an unlimited resource. There was nothing wrong with his methodology, the creations just never seemed to take properly. But the way he'd describe his work, get so excited for this test or that output... that's where you remind me of him."

Knock Out verified with the surgery itinerary and passed Tyl his first tool. "I haven't spoken to him in... seventy, eighty thousand years, maybe? It's been a while. I don't recall where he was stationed last... he may be offline now, who knows."