It wouldn't have surprised her in the slightest if she had lost him - it happens more often than not, even when the bot she's holding a conversation with tries. But the look of interest, once she notices it, is encouraging even if she rarely needs a boost. Knock Out might not be Brainstorm but she's already come to terms that this place won't provide her with everything.

"Most likely due to the lack of demand for the creation of highly specialized, primarily noncombatant skill sets during the war. Not that both sides didn't have their fair share of technicians, of course, but I've gotten the impression that after a certain point specialization in a field was viewed as an impractical use of time and resources." If you already had someone who was a quantum mechanic and stayed away from fighting, then there's no use in training someone to replace them when their skills could best be put towards other aspects of the war effort. "That's right. Co-captained by Rodimus and Megatron."