DarkSpark wrote:"Well well, thank you for confirming something that I've suspected for a long time...Namely, that you've become obsolete!"
Yeah, I'm obsolete only because of your little slave. But at least, I'm smarter than her. I WANT YOU DEAD! And one these days, you will be.
Why did Tarantulas have to be such an idiot? Telling her what she already knew about her status. But to the Maximals, she was useful. She was needed. She was in a place where she could show her power and control. She can be a force to be wrecking with when all her other attempts of power were snatched from her. Like the time she had control of the aliens' island of paradise. She was THIS close in showing how she was risk, not something that needed to be thrown away like some damaged circuit or drone.
DarkSpark wrote:You are a minuscule, insignificant speck in the grand scheme of things little spider, your petty ambitions are laughable! You plot and scheme to rule over a worthless band of castaways on a backwater planet with no hope of escape, while light years away TRUE conquerors plan the domination of moons, worlds, and GALAXIES! If you honestly believe that you, Primal, or even Megatron can escape the influence of the forces I serve you are in for a universe of pain the likes of which you cannot begin to imagine!...HHHRRR...And in the end...YOU WILL PLEAD FOR A SWIFT END AS YOU REGRET NOT LEARNING YOUR PLACE SOONER!
There was some fear inside of her, but she didn't think any less of such. Actually, some part of her never wished what she saw on anyone. Well, maybe Megatron and some Maximals. She glared at Rattrap like she could shoot lasers from her optics. Yet, she reveled in this information. No doubt in an uncertain future it may come in handy, especially if the Maximals wanted to target him first. Maybe that's what she should suggest? Actually, yeah, maybe she should. She chortled to herself.
Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"Hey, all I need ta know is dat yer a Predacon and yer bringin' harm ta my friends!"
Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"Her loss if she prefers bein' ruled by Megatron's iron fist."
"If I'm not mistaken, that was a misunderstanding what happened to her, but we've never been able to sit down and discuss it with her,"
Blackarachnia scowled at the Maximals at what they said. Yes, if they weren't so absent-minded and lazy to go get her, leaving her to Tarantulas to fill her mind with a false, disturbing and twisted love affair, making her co-dependent and weak yet a liability towards herself when she got in her way. Grr! "You all have some blame to thissss." She hissed at them. They might not know why, but she wasn't in the mood to explain herself.
DarkSpark wrote:She'll use you fools for all your worth and shoot you in the back once she's done! She's no damsel in distress, pitiful lost soul, or disillusioned soldier, she is poison in every sense of the word, and the only reason why I tell you any of this is because I want to kill you all myself before she beats me to it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"You underestimate her," Rhinox told Tarantulas as he defiantly and confidently peered into Blackarachnia's green optics "at him". "And you underestimate us,"
Blackarachnia had to only agree with half of that statement. But it should remain to be seen how the Maximals would do with such information she was willing to give them. As her systems shut down to repair themselves, she decided to think about her plans, dreaming of standing on the corpses of Tarantulas and Megatron. Flying out of this planet. Slag, maybe she would become a space pirate or something. Anything or anywhere, where she didn't have to be here.
Whitegrazer was meditating over the events that had transpired the last few days. Part of her wept. Part of her understood. Part of wanted all this to just end. She asked questions to herself that she knew the answers to already. The truth of the matter is that she had to be ready for this war to get even uglier, more ruthless, more trials and tribulations for this crew as well as the Predacons. These last few days mirrored the same way as the dark times she experienced back in the war. The turning point. No more fun and games. No more heroics. Just killing. Killing. And more killing. Brutal. Savage. Burning fury and contempt. During that time, she was younger, more angry and high-strung, the weight of horror she experienced and witnessed filled her spark until it became desensitized and hardened. No, that's not true. She wished to be desensitized and hardened like the others. She spat at her own empathetic abilities, cursing the feeling of pain from both her comrades and those she called enemies. She despised it. Despised it all. To the point of a tornado of catastrophic terror. A terror those around her.... screamed for her to end. And she did. She ended it all. She ended their pain and hopelessness.
But she did it the wrong way. She failed. She let the war change her. She let the pain and hurt consume her until she felt like some dead vessel. She became the very thing she hated. And it took her eons to fix and accept responsible for what she had done. She no longer wished to take the easy path. She wanted to do what was right, not what was easy. She wanted solace. She wanted to be a good. Not the High Council good, though. She despised their concepts of good. Because it wasn't good. It was selfishness. It was for power and control. They might have had convinced themselves it was for the "greater good" But their greater good was tainted in politics and games. They were no better than the Tripredicus Council. It just sickened her that they would use the Maximal ideals in such twisted ways. She believed in those ideals. She believed in her people. And she continued on believing.
There was hope. There was still a chance. She understood herself now. She understood her place in this war. Her purpose. She learned from her mistakes. Despite the fact she might not have the abilities she once had, she knew it was her own doing that took them away. She didn't take them for granted now, and would use her abilities to help her friends, those she cared about and cherished, find peace, find themselves, and save them even from-
...Whitegrazer...?
She saw a flash of Optimus inside the CR Chambers. She saw shadows, echoes. Two she recognized as Megatron and Zodiac. The other two she didn't recognize. Though, one might be an interpreatation of the aliens. The other one? She felt a tremble in her spark. Also, familiarity. But how? She never seen such a bot in her life. Tall. Giant. Optimus. Pain. Terror. Begging. Her spark cringed. Tearing. Ripping. What was going on? Optimus... Optimus. She called out to him, reaching through to him. I see them. Shadows. It must be a dream or nightmare. Whatever Optimus was seeing, it was a manifestation of his inner turmoil. She could feel his breathing erratic, his spark beating rapidly. He was calming down. Good. She could feel him reaching towards her now. He wanted reassurance. He needed to know that he wasn't alone. She embraced him with her warmth and care. I'm here, Optimus. You are all right. You are in the CR chamber, repairing. Healing. I'm right next to you. Megatron is not here. Zodiac is being handle by our friends. And whoever was the last shadow, I don't know, but I do is that he isn't here. She reassured him once more, Do not worry. I'm watching over you. I won't allow anyone to harm you.
Last edited by una on Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mystrea wrote:(Sorry I haven't replied sooner NK. Your comment about Dirge is fair so I won't sure whether to role with it or not. I compare Dirge to something like the The Terminator. In which he is a futuristic machine but is still just doing as he's told and persisting with his task to his won end. Not a free thinking sort but can still make some tactical choices)
( It's okay. Hm.. now I'm picturing Dirge say "hasta la vista baby". LOL)
Rhinox wrote:"Be careful,""It could be an ambush."
Landslide nodded, taking his grenade launcher back from Rattrap and attaching it inside his right arm, then having his arm close. [color=#] Aye,either way it probably is.. but the lads will have a better chance not being alone.[/color] He was at a bit of a disadvantage not taking his shield, but would have to make do if a conflict did arise. He didn't want to see the possibility of losing Cheetor or Ironclaw.
Landslide then made his way towards the hanger door, opening it and lowering the landing gear on the back of his legs, the two large nacelles on his back extending out and turning as four rocket engines kicked in, suddenly accelerating the heavy beetle along the ground towards and off the cliffside.
Cheetor's optics widen as he saw Dirge raise up from the water Oh Sla- he said as his reflexes kicked in, attempting to run to the side. A sudden shockwave from an explosion came up behind Cheetor, sending him fly briefly and landed on the ground with a hard thud. His audios ringing,deafened from the blast, turning to look as Dirge reached for him.
From the sky in the distance two streams of Gatling gun fire came down pelting Dirge and the ground around him as Landslide flew towards the two. CHEETOR,MOVE IT! Landslide shouted, though was partially drown out by his own gunfire. Cutting the gunfire while closing in, Landslide lowered his altitude, skidding along the ground heading directly towards Dirge.
Cheetor scrambled up to his feet, taking the opportunity and started to run to put some distance between himself and Dirge, his audio software starting to re-calibrate.
(ooc: Joint flashback post between OOP and myself coming up.)
Nexus Prime stood in silence by the window to the interrogation room, his arms crossed while his gaze was fixed on the occupants inside. The admiral looked lost in thought as well as somewhat tired. Indeed the last few days had been exhausting, the process of reprogramming their captive foe having had more than a few setbacks. It had become blatantly obvious early on that whoever was responsible for creating the shapeshifter had gone through every precaution imaginable to assure that their weapon did not fall in the wrong hands. Since the shapeshifter's capture, Nexus had witnessed the insidious creature go from a cocky state where he mocked them every chance he got, to seeing him grovel on the floor in what appeared to be unbearable pain while pleading for mercy. He had seen their captive cry in defeat one minute only to laugh hysterically at them the next, then cramp up with intolerable seizures a short time later. And watching them now he found himself wishing the process didn't have to be so complicated.
He didn't feel sorry for him, exactly, since he viewed their target as little more than a weapon.. Or did he? No, he had to remain hardened, his intent set in stone. The stranger had been sent here to destroy them so in that sense he very much was like a weapon. One that had proven extremely dangerous in someone else's hands. So the solution was simple, yet still so very difficult.
That's not to say they hadn't had some limited success so far. A handful of times the changeling had almost seemed about to accept the reprogramming, only to revert back to his old ways as soon as they disconnected him from their machines. A pair of his technicians and one guard had ended up needing medical care after the most recent time that happened, leaving the admiral seriously questioning his decision to try to obtain this technology, this weapon, on behalf of the Maximals. Still his stubbornness had prevailed in the end so here he was, yet again watching his men connect the numerous wires to the shapeshifter's body.
Gaining more and more experience in this field of science and research, Optimus was gradually becoming more confident and knowledgeable in his work. Still, the days on this particular project were growing increasingly tiresome and hectic. There had been a lot of interruptions and distractions in his lab and office, bots constantly in and out, asking questions and offering suggestions, and him having to rewrite procedures and sign off on critical data that was being logged.
Heading down the corridor, focused and merely giving anyone who sought his attention a dismissal wave while carrying a data pad in his other hand, he came to the door he was in search of and knocked twice before entering, without waiting for permission to enter. "Nexus, I need you to sign this," he told the higher ranking officer while holding out the data pad toward him. As curious as he had always been, his red optics drifted past the bigger bot to the window, observing what the guys on the other side were doing.
The serious tone on Nexus' face softened a tad when he saw Optimus enter through the corner of his optic, as tended to be the care whenever his young protege was near. Nexus cared for him much in the same way humans cared for their offspring, a fact he attempted to hide from his remaining troops as not to appear to favor someone. The admiral came from a prominent line of Maximal and before that Autobot leaders, his ancestry dating back to the days of the original Optimus, yet he had no descendents of his own. Perhaps that was why his relative's namesake meant so much to him, especially now that his long military career was starting to slow down. "Very well," he told his younger comrade as he took the pad from him, swiftly bringing his finger up to leave an imprint on the screen. With most people he would have spent some time reading through what he signed, but not with Optimus.. He trusted the young science officer. In fact he planned to train him to take his own place when the time was right, even if he had never discussed such options with the younger male.
Inside the room the shapeshifter could be seen clenching his fists tightly, the procedure obviously taking its toll on him and from the looks of it it wasn't pleasant. Still he was not struggling as much as he had been, his once flippant mouth having quieted to a soft whimper. Nexus followed his protege's eyes as they settled on the occupants of the room, a faint nod following.
"They should be finishing up soon," he said.
Optimus' wandering optics quickly snapped back to Nexus when he spoke. He took the data pad back after the Admiral had signed it and looked up at him. Despite his obvious admiration for Nexus Prime, Optimus worked hard for everything he had earned thus far in his career. He was a quick learner and worked well under pressure. He didn't rely on or participate in favoritism. He did, however, have great respect for Nexus and strived to rise to his status in the professional world. Yes, he noticed how the Admiral had long since actually read most of his reports and procedures that he signed off, but he had earned his trust and lack of mistakes to get to this point. Nexus Prime was amounting to be a significant role model and mentor to Optimus, and someone he would follow to the grave. Heck, he would give his life for this legendary and exceptional Maximal before him.
Optimus nodded. He was thoughtful for a moment as he studied the experiment's posture, noticing his fists and the pain on his face. "Do you... think we should continue with this subject?" There was a hint of remorse and possibly guilt in his voice. Unlike Nexus, Optimus was still young and not yet hardened by scars, memories, nightmares and the cost of war. He still had doubts on certain aspects of their research, and it seemed to him like this experiment was reaching its limits.
Optimus' question was warranted and it hardly came as a surprise to the admiral that he was the one to ask it. Truth be told Nexus still had occasional doubts or even a passing twinge of regret about what they were doing, but such thoughts were quickly dismissed when he reminded himself of what was at stake. The socalled peace with the Predacons was shaky at best, in fact the existence of the shapeshifter proved that there were still forces opposing the Maximals.. Forces that they needed to understand in order to protect themselves against.
Nexus gave his protege a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder although the slight sigh that followed probably gave more away than he intended. "We don't have much choice in the matter," the soldier explained, briefly pausing as a particular sharp pain sent the shapeshifter and the chair he was strapped into crashing onto the floor. "They are trying to destroy us from within. This.." He paused for a brief moment, not entirely sure what to even call the changeling since he had refused to give them a name to call him by, ".. This one already took down at least three of our higher ranking officers to take their place. We have to do this to save ourselves from him and others like him that they will send in the future." He squeezed the shoulder a little harder. "Once he's on our side we will have an advantage unlike any we've ever had."
Upon feeling the veteran's hand on his shoulder, Optimus relaxed for a moment and looked from Nexus to the intriguing bot on the other side of the window. His spark skipped a pulse when the chair and its occupant crashed on to the floor, but another squeeze on his shoulder from his teacher reassured him that they were safe and doing the right thing. This made Optimus compose himself more confidently as he should have been before he stepped through the door. A slight fault but nothing he couldn't recover quickly. He trusted they were doing the right thing in order to protect their people, especially with someone like Nexus near the top of the chain of command with this exhausting and groundbreaking endeavor.
"You should get some rest," Optimus finally suggested, noticing the wariness that the Admiral was trying to disguise.
"I have lived through wars and injuries that should have finished me off a lifetime ago, and still you worry about me," Nexus mused with a certain amusement, "Don't worry, Optimus, I'll be fine. And if it eases your mind know that I will rest soon." He could not help but chuckle a bit as he turned to look at the young science officer, just as the scientists and guards inside the room managed to lift the chair back up. One of the scientists then spoke to the prisoner, his voice sounding through the external speaker system that had been set up in the observation room outside the one way mirror/window. "Code 148291.7. Repeat." The changeling lifted his head weakly, barely having the strength to even look at his reflection in the mirror now. "148391.7.. confirmed. What are.. your orders?"
Nexus immediately turned his attention back to the window, his expression one of disbelief matching that of the scientists inside the room. The computer monitors also indicated the same thing, namely that the procedure had been successful this time.
A light smile tugged at Optimus' mouth, glancing at Nexus. Briefly, his thoughts wandered to his imagination of war. Only through archives and recorded history could he even begin to comprehend what war was like and how anyone like Nexus could lead others countless times into the front lines against those who wished to terminate them and extinguish their sparks. Again the Admiral was right. Why would Optimus bother to worry about him? Nexus had been to the Inferno and back and acted as though it had no effect on him. Not once had he ever witnessed Nexus break down from post traumatic stress of his battles. He truly was a remarkable bot, someone Optimus aspired to be someday. Well, minus the background of war perhaps. He was certainly no soldier like this legend before him. Although this facial features resembled that of Optimus Prime's, he was far from participating in any kind of Great War that would ever commend him as a great leader. Nor did he seek such recognition. He just wanted to explore the universe and change others' lives by his findings and research.
The sudden commotion caught the younger scientist's attention and his optics quickly darted to the monitors as the other bots announced the codes. Optimus subconsciously stepped closer and closer to the window in wonder and curiosity. He had to see it for himself. He laid his free hand's palm on the two-way mirror, watching with great anticipation. His crimson optics covered their subject as if expecting him to change before his very eyes like a chameleon. But the more he stared at him as he laid there obviously in pure anguish, the more he felt sorry for him. Was he weak to feel this way? He hid his empathy from Nexus Prime and straightened his posture, taking a step back from the window, still speechless.
Finally breaking his gaze from the apparently submissive shapeshifter inside the room, Nexus couldn't help noticing how emotions were playing across Optimus' face. He wasn't very good at hiding his emotions, at least not around Nexus. His young protege was indeed pure in so many ways, a fact the aging warrior almost envied him, for Nexus had long since lost that form of innocence through battle. He had the scars to prove it, including a slight limp of the left leg that the medics had not been able to fully repair. It didn't bother the admiral much, though, instead it merely went to show what kind of life he had lived and the sacrifizes he'd made for his troops..His beloved Maximals. Hopefully Optimus would never lose that innocent youthful spirit of his even though he planned to grant him a command position at some point. With any luck the rebels would be cut down before that time and Optimus would be able to enjoy his new position without having to make the same often difficult choices Nexus had been forced to make.
"See? He's ours now, our weapon against the enemies that sent him." He took note of the almost saddened look on his protege's face and gently placed his hand on top of the younger Maximal's on the two-way mirror. "I understand how you feel.. Believe me if we had another choice I would gladly have made it. But we couldn't let him go, he would have killed more of our friends.. perhaps figured out a way to do us all in."
Meanwhile the shapeshifter had started calming down, now listening to the instructions given by the two scientists. He nodded obediently to confirm for each instruction, only speaking when they requested him to.
Optimus nodded slowly without looking at Nexus. He trusted his words. Could it really have been that easy to program him? It had to have been. His fingers rubbed each other gently in his free hand, reminiscing his mentor's touch a moment before he had taken his hand away. Although Optimus seemed a little anxious, he called himself and started making notes on his data pad. "This was the right thing to do," he agreed with Nexus Prime, glancing up at him with barely enough time to meet his optics with his own before returning them to his handheld data entry device. "I just can't believe we finally succeeded. There was so much time and effort that you had put into this. You must be proud." He finally stopped tapping on his device to look up at Nexus with such wondrous and pleasing optics, smiling in appreciation for him and sharing this moment. Then he brought up a completely different topic while everyone's moods had greatly improved. "By the way, I have an intern I'd like to hire. I like him. To look at him, one might think he was better suited for wrestling or as bar bouncer, but he's very intelligent and inquisitive, and he has all of the right credentials."
"I look forward to meeting him," Nexus responded with a smile, happy to see that Optimus had at least managed to spend enough time away from his desk to find a new friend.. intern.. whatever this new guy was.
Optimus returned Nexus Prime's smile with a nod, adding, "He'll probably be stationed in the biology wing since he has high interest in biological matter, which is intriguing considering how much Cybertron lacks in those substances." But everyone knew of plant life and DNA coding thanks to their ancestors waging the Great War on that very organic world called Earth so long ago.
He punched in some more data on his device before looking back at their subject laying on the floor. "What's the next step?" he inquired, getting back on topic after his brief diversion. "Let him recuperate, I imagine. And then see how well he complies with orders and the technology? We're going to have a lot of data entry on his abilities, weapons, consumption, and anyone he can replicate. I would suggest a list of his weaknesses but I doubt he'll have very many," he assumed with a light hearted tone.
Nexus looked lost in thought for a brief moment, still not entirely sure if he was ready to believe they had broken through the security measures meant to protect their target. But as the seconds ticked by without the changeling making any aggressive moves towards his staff, the admiral allowed himself to hope. Having this shapeshifter working for them would be a huge advantage to their cause. He could very easily be used against their foes but they would have to be careful. They had never encountered one such as the shapeshifter before so there was no way of knowing what, exactly, he was capable of. In that sense Optimus' analysis made perfect sense. "I concur. We'll let him rest for a while before the testing begins."
He then looked directly at his protege, knowing first hand how compassionate the other Maximal was and how he might not be able to maintain his composure where the shapeshifter was concerned. "But let's not forget that he is a tool at our disposal. We will treat him well, of course, but until it has been proven beyond any doubt that he is loyal we will keep a keen optic on him. "
His serious tone softened a bit as he then went on to address the topic of Optimus' new trainee. Nexus wanted to know more about him, about his background and how he and Optimus knew each other.
Who was Optimus kidding? Himself, it would seem. Nexus knew him probably as well as a father knew his son. Despite how objective Optimus tried to be during these trials and experiments, he was still uncertain about their ethics and morals. But with Nexus' guidance and expertise, he was lead to believe that it was for the good of their kin, to protect them and fight for them against their enemy who was growing increasingly dangerous, unpredictable and defiant. He just had to keep reminding himself that this would all be worth it when the time came that they would need such a weapon.
...Still... Doubts lingered. And deep down, instinct disagreed. He tried ignoring it and shaking it off, but if there was thing he should be listening to, it was his gut, his spark. But he was young and did not yet possess an alternate mode full of DNA that heighten those instinct senses, so it was easier to suppress and thus impress those who were higher ranking so he could climb the ladder quicker in his juvenile career.
Nexus nodded, knowing full well that his young protege was and would continue to have doubts for a while. He had been the exact same way before getting hardened by wars and seeing so many friends perish. Now his focus was on his Maximals, to assure not only their survival but also their future victories. For he was a Prime and with that name came not only glory but responsebilities as well. And sometimes that responsebility forced him to make choices he may not necessarily want to make but still had to.. for the greater good of them all. The past had showed them just how unpredictable and dangerous their enemies could be, and now perhaps more than ever.
Well.. he'd worry about it later. For now he needed to rest.. and he would. As soon as he'd had a chance to discuss with Optimus. "That offer for a drink of energon is still on the table if you're interested. I'd be most interested in hearing all about your new project and that new fellow you're bringing in."
The young student finally lowered the data pad to his side as he looked up at the Admiral with a warmer smile, agreeing with him. The offer was so quick to sweep away his creeping fatigue and nagging responsibilities, how could he say no? They had time to spare now and to celebrate their incredible progress. "I accept. I think we could both some relaxation... and perhaps a little collaboration."
His project was still in the early stages, but he was excited about it. It came directly from the High Council, the Maximal Elders, so it was a big deal to Optimus. A very big new project.
DarkSpark wrote: "Uh...Anyone get the number of that gestalt that hit me?" Terrorsaur inquired as he awoke, still feeling uneasy despite the damage Megatron had done to him earlier.
"Of course you would be the first to emerge" Megatron spat as he grabbed Terrorsaur by the throat and poured the antidote down his gullet without explanation, pushing him aside and moving on to whoever emerged next, hoping it was someone less treacherous and more useful.
"Bleh! What the Pit is going on around here?!" Terrorsaur sputtered, confused beyond all reason as to whatever he had missed, hadn't they all been struggling for survival against their own "leader" earlier?
"Saving your wretched life, that's what, remember that the next time you harbor delusions of grandeur at my expense, fool" Megatron advised without even bothering to look at him, having indulged the unreliable flyer more than enough already.
"Saving me? You SHOT me earlier!" Terror screamed, his sense of self-preservation at war with his desire to shoot Megatron, his optics burning with laser energy as he clenched his claws together.
"Shouldn't you be used to that by now?" Megatron replied without a care in the world, as he watched Inferno emerge next, his faithful but mindless insect commando.
"RRRRRRAWWWK! Will someone explain what happened?!" Terror yelled in frustration, looking for answers from anyone of the predacons present in the room, his curiosity over what he had missed winning out over any shortsighted desire for revenge...Attacking Megatron now would just get him shot again, or worse.
"Uggghh...For...The...Royalty...." Inferno mumbled breathlessly, still recovering from the damage that had been done to him earlier as he slowly returned online, the insect's mind an even more jumbled mess than usual.
"Ah, good to know your always on duty, even when offline, Inferno" Megatron complimented, pleased his loyalist was back online.
"R...Ro...Royalty! You are well?" Inferno said, torn between his usual joy to see his master and his instinct for survival.
"Indeed I am, and soon so shall you, yyyyeessss. Drink this" Megatron ordered, the ant accepting the antidote and drinking it down without a moment's hesitation even as he slowly rose to his feet.
"Oh joy, oh rapture, oh golly gee, look everyone, Subcommander Boot Licker is back, isn't that wonderful?" Inferno said sarcastically, before looking around again and asking "Where's Wasp? You know, someone actually pleasant to be around?"
"You will mind your tongue DRONE! THE ROYALTY EXPECTS DISCIPLINE!" Inferno shouted like a drill sergeant, finally acting like his old self again, rallying against any perceived slight against Megatron and his chain of command.
"Drone? Me? Have you looked in a mirror lately bug breath? You are the definition of drone!" Terrosaur snapped, refusing to be talked down to by Megatron's deluded lacky, the dumb bug wasn't even one of the chosen ones, a transmetal like himself.
"...Perhaps thing were better when they were quiet, yyyyeeesss" Megatron grumbled as he watched the two argue and bicker, reaffirming his belief that he was in dire need of new troops, one's more professional, sane, & competent than the ship of lunatics, traitors, and fools he'd been saddled with...And maybe, just maybe, his earlier delusions of his time spent with the original Megatron could be a clue in that regard...But first things first, he had to finish curing this lot of rogues so they couldn't get themselves into anymore trouble.
"Everyone out of the pool now before I decide it would be better to recycle the lot of you than waste anymore of my precious time on you" Megatron commanded, trusting the remaining stragglers to hurry up and take their medicine before he lost what little patience he had left.
OOC: I don't recall how many preds are still rejuvenating in the tanks so figured I'd give them a chance to wake up already lol. How should we handle preds with absent players but still in need of antidote?
(ooc: Sorry for late response. Last week I spent what time I had for posting doing that joint post with OOP. I was pretty busy getting everything set up for school now that I'm upgrading from an associates degree to a bachelor degree in nursing. )
"Indeed...Just when I thought I had you figured out Primal...Splendid"
Nemesis didn't respond to Megatron's muttering. Part of her felt like she'd said too much already, given the fact she'd been able to keep her past a secret until now. But with Zodiac's meddling that was no longer possible so she had decided to open up about at least some of her past. Still she couldn't help feeling exposed, not comfortable with others knowing she was different.
"Honesty...A rarity around here I will confess, but I recognize it when I hear it, and against my better judgement I believe you deserve the same in turn."
Nemesis merely looked back at him as Megatron had approached her, hiding any emotion she might have been feeling at the time due to not being entirely sure the cure had worked just yet. She was still halfway expecting Megatron to attack her, to give her an as savage beating as he had earlier. Her only consolation was knowing that no matter what he did, she would more than likely be able to withstand it. Of course it would hurt, pain wasn't something the nanomachines were able to conceal, but they were still able to make repairs at incredible speeds.
"If I ever find myself in a situation where I believe your "little friends" are going to turn their microscopic mouthparts on my person, I will shoot you in the spark without a second thought, understood?"
She didn't budge, not even move an inch, as Megatron stared her deep into the optics and relayed his message.. or threat as the case was. It hardly came as a surprise that the tyrant would try to intimidate her so she'd been prepared when he leaned in close. Despite her lack of physical response, however, she couldn't help hoping they would never get in a situation where the nanomachines deemed it necessary to use someone like Megatron as fuel. For she had no power to control them, they merely did what they had to do to preserve her life.. and therefor also their own. The fact they had taken lives in the past was a bit sickening to her, honestly. Not that she was opposed to taking the lives of her foes, but rather the manner of how they did it.
"Understood perfectly," she acknowledged.
"The powerful make playthings of the weak all the time, could have been the elders or the council, neither of them are clean despite their shallow propaganda insisting otherwise. Regardless, they shall all one day pay for their transgressions against you and those like you, once we get off this miserable rock, but not before we crush Primal's team underfoot and exploit the hidden treasures this world has to offer us of course."
A glint in Nemesis' optics revealed her excitement to hear those words. She didn't trust Megatron further than she could throw him and he certainly wasn't interested in anyone else's well being other than when it suited him. But at the same time she knew the tyrant's sense of self-preservation meant that he was telling the truth about his hatred for the elders and the council alike. And she certainly wouldn't be opposed to destroying both if given the chance.
She especially took note of Megatron using the term 'hidden treasure', wondering for a brief moment if he was thinking about the same buried secrets that she was.. The very reason she planned to stick it out here on this planet and that she needed to keep both Megatron and Tarantulas alive for at least a while longer until they had figured out the exact location of said 'treasure'. She was well versed in Decepticon history but sadly the stories did not reveal the exact locations involved. Old secrets were buried deep, but not impossibly so. She just needed a little help with digging them up.
"I look forward to that day indeed," she responded under her breath, Megatron already having turned his attention to his remaining troops.
"I understand bombs, day ain't unpredictable. That guy is, and we shouldn't be takin' any chances with 'im no matter how unconscious he appears ta be,"
Aurora merely shook her head at that. What Rattrap considered predictable, she considered extremely dangerous. That was not to say that a deceiving shapeshifter harboring a grudge the size of a small continent wasn't, but the way he.. presuming it was a he despite its feminine appearance right now.. looked at the moment made it easy to forget what he had already done and almost did. Poor Optimus.. She couldn't even imagine what must have transpired between the two of them that caused the shapeshifter to hate him so. Well.. perhaps they would get some answers after they got the cage functional.
"Aren't you exaggerating a tad here? He's got enough sedatives him him to knock out someone the size of Orcariner..," she muttered in way of response before realizing that perhaps there was some truth to the rodent's warning. After all they couldn't know how those nanomachines would effect his metabolism.
"I find her situation to be worse than being infected,
"I'm gonna have ta have a talk with de boss monkey. If he keeps takin' in strays like dis, then we're gonna have a problem."
Meanwhile the female spider kept acting crazy.. Until she finally shot herself with the cyber venom at the same time Rhinox sedated her, which seemed to put her to sleep quickly enough. This sure was turning into a crazy day..
As Megatron went around with the cure, Waspinator and Quickstrike walked over to Tarantulas, taking samples and drinking them. Quickstrike blinked noticing the pinkness he was seeing earlier start to fade away.
Meanwhile..
Umbra came to the end on the hover platform and stepped off it quietly, then made his way towards the crew quarter's hall. Stopping at the edge of the wall, he leaned out his leg slightly having the octopus eye on it examine the hall. The hall seemed empty. He then walked into the hallway, looking around as he made his way towards Star's room. While normally he wouldn't attempt rushing into her room like this, she did seem rather damaged from the video he'd seen.
He swiftly swung the door open, then rushed at Star, pushing her down to the floor, then shoved the vial with the cure in it into her mouth. Bout time we got your senses back.. Umbra then said, holding her down with his forearm on her collar while his tentacles pressed her damaged arms down.
OOC: this post is for basically giving the preds all something to do as well as address the issue of the captives in the brig, or rather captive since Dirge escaped or went off on his own etc. Sorry for the wait, hope everyone in the States had a good Labor Day weekend!
Phoenix wrote: She didn't budge, not even move an inch, as Megatron stared her deep into the optics and relayed his message.. or threat as the case was. It hardly came as a surprise that the tyrant would try to intimidate her so she'd been prepared when he leaned in close. Despite her lack of physical response, however, she couldn't help hoping they would never get in a situation where the nanomachines deemed it necessary to use someone like Megatron as fuel. For she had no power to control them, they merely did what they had to do to preserve her life.. and therefor also their own. The fact they had taken lives in the past was a bit sickening to her, honestly. Not that she was opposed to taking the lives of her foes, but rather the manner of how they did it.
"Understood perfectly," she acknowledged.
"Splendid, I suspected you would" Megatron replied, pleased that they were on the same page and mildly impressed that she hadn't dropped to her knees in fright as others may have done, just so long as she understood who was in charge and that he would not play favorites with her should her nanites choose to turn on him, or even if she herself did.
DarkSpark wrote: As Megatron went around with the cure, Waspinator and Quickstrike walked over to Tarantulas, taking samples and drinking them. Quickstrike blinked noticing the pinkness he was seeing earlier start to fade away.
"Welcome back one and all, it does my spark good to see my troops back online, and getting along no less" Megatron said, sounding jovial up until that last part, his words laced with venom as he granted both Terrorsaur and Inferno a withering glare that quickly silenced both of them, be it out of obedience or fear it did not matter.
"We were all betrayed by those who would claim to be the latest additions to our noble crusade against the Maximals, Zodiac and those who came with him. However, all three traitors are now safely behind bars, two here in our own brig, and the ringleader, for better or worse, at the maximal base. Best of all, their viral plague has been neutralized and thus we can now return to business as usual...As soon as the lot of you repair the damage that has been done to my base, yeessssss, can't have the maximals catch us unawares with a less than optimal fortress now can we? Nnnnnoooo, I think not. Inferno, supervise Terrorsaur, Spineback, Waspinator, & Quickstrike in the repair of the base while Tarantulas recovers from his psychotic episode in the CR tanks. As for you Nemesis, since you've proven your competency and loyalty during this ordeal, I would have you go down to the brig to check on the traitors Night Terror and Dirge, make sure they're still secured, and bring them some of the cure as well. While I relish the poetic irony of them succumbing to their own bioweapon, we can't have them spreading that blasted plague all over again. I'll decide their punishment later, for now, I have some planning to do, yesssss. Report to me anything out of the ordinary and keep the base on high alert, but otherwise do not disturb me for the time being. You have your orders Predacons, now carry them out!" Megatron commanded, trusting everyone to do their part and do it right.
"As you command Royalty! You heard the Royalty's orders drones, the colony must be restored to its former glory at once!" Inferno ordered, exerting his authority as second in command over the others as they went about their work.
"For the last time, its not "The Colony," its the Darksyde! Seriously bug, its IN the ship's databanks!" Terrorsaur groaned in annoyance, wishing the stupid ant would just be silent, even as he began to clean up the bridge to avoid Megatron's fury, sticking by Waspinator's side as usual.
"Just follow my orders drone!" Inferno yelled as he lifted heavy piles of damaged equipment over his head and went about his duty,
As for Megatron, he ignored their antics since they were doing as he had said so he flew off into the depths of the Predacon base, seeking out his personal quarters, pleased to see they had not been ruined during the plague outbreak, and quickly went inside, securing the doors behind him, eyes scanning the room for potential intruders briefly before smiling to himself, his spark beating a mile a minute in excitement as he withdrew the Golden Disks from his subspace pocket, optics drinking in their glorious sheen as though the power they contained were radiating forth from them like solar rays. After all this time, they were finally back in his possession, and this time, he would never let them fall into the wrong hands again, and was now more willing than ever to utilize their full potential as tools of warfare.
"I was hesitant to fully exploit you two before, and then you were taken from me by one who I once considered one of my own, but this time...I am ready. Show me your secrets golden disks, and I will make the best of them, yyyyesssss" Megatron spoke aloud to no one but himself as he slipped the two disks into his personal computer, inaccessible from the primary predacon mainframe so to protect against hackers, eyes gleaming with greed and wonder as the secrets of both his ancestors and the aliens who forged this world appeared on the screen before him, for him alone to see, yyyyeesssss.
Optimus... Optimus. I see them. Shadows. I'm here, Optimus. You are all right. You are in the CR chamber, repairing. Healing. I'm right next to you. Megatron is not here. Zodiac is being handle by our friends. And whoever was the last shadow, I don't know, but I do is that he isn't here. Do not worry. I'm watching over you. I won't allow anyone to harm you.
Optimus desperately tried erasing the haunting images and voices like shaking an Etch-A-Sketch, not wanting to share his nightmare with Whitegrazer as terrifying as it was to him, although it was probably useless by now judging by her response. He reached for her, almost clawing at her, to hold on, finding himself back in the green meadow. However, the once sunny skies were still smothered with ominous clouds that seemed to churn and roll, ready to unleash a severe thunderstorm. For the time being, they remained restrained.
They are always here... said Primal, tapping the side of his head with his index finger a couple times. Her voice and calm temperament helped ease his anxiety and restlessness. Optimus found it difficult to comprehend how she was still such a caring and kind soul after everything - that he was aware of - that she had been through, especially recently with being stabbed, nearly losing her life. How did she always move on? How did she carry and cope with all of her pain and memories of horror and anguish? He was close to falling into the deep end. In their meadow, he was stand-offish. He didn't reach out for a hug or even to hold her hand. His arms remained at his sides and his attention turned towards the horizon as if he had seen something in the distance. How much longer is this going to last? His question was incredibly vague, though, as if he was simply asking himself. How long was what going to last? Nightmares? The war? The voices? The pain? He avoided specifying.
He opened his orange optics in the CR chamber, his body still laying on the floor. Primal lifted his head and looked at his reflection on the mirror-like interior of the wall. There was a scar now across his mouth from the gash that had been repeatedly hit and kicked by the Predacons. He slowly and gently traced it with his fingers, feeling the indents along his lips, from below his nose down toward his chin. Disgruntled by what he saw, his face permanently scarred now, he picked himself up and converted to his beast mode. Then he sat back down in the chair, his shorter legs almost dangling, and leaned his head back, closing his bright pink eyes and slipping back into sleep while the computer finished working on the rest of his repairs. Finally, there was no more physical pain. But there was a little fear in him falling back to more nightmares. He needed to the rest, but what kind of rest was it if he was dreaming of terrors and death? He faded from their meadow as he drifted off and his systems were regulated back to normal functioning.
-----
Aye,either way it probably is.. but the lads will have a better chance not being alone.
Rattrap took a quick break to take out the beetle's grenade launcher, and seemed reluctant to give it up, but without wasting any more time, he handed it to Landslide and heard him exit the hangar as he continued working on the specialized flooring. Cutting, drilling, welding, he worked diligently to put it together. As it got a little bigger and heavier, he moved it to the floor and continued implementing his ideas. He added a sweat hose to the base so that water could seep in to ensure quicker electrocution to disable Zodiac should he get out of hand.
"Aren't you exaggerating a tad here? He's got enough sedatives him him to knock out someone the size of Orcariner..,"
"Exaggeratin'? Nope. We don't know nearly enough about dis guy and what he's really capable of. I ain't taken any chances, and neither should you or any of us. Aurora, grab that dolly over there fer me," the rodent asked of her, pointing across the hangar to it. While waiting for it, he started adding all the wiring and power supply for the force fielding. Recycling some of the damaged CR that Rhinox had already stripped, he reinforced some areas underneath.
Getting the CR in the hangar running well enough to duplicate more gas, Rhinox came over to Rattrap and helped him infuse the supply to the power grid and began calibrating the system and its circuitry. While the floor would be "floating", so to speak, the cage would be comprised of electronics and gas; like combining power bars for brig cells and those plasma nebula balls for accurate and efficient detaining of someone the likes of Zodiac and Nemesis. ((OOC: I'm really just making this up, so try not to tear me apart, NK, with your fancy technology compatibility mumbo jumbo. LoL)) With Landslide and Cheetor in the back of his mind, Rhinox hurried along with Rattrap, building this force field cage from scrap and nearly finished with it. Rattrap started running tests and making adjustments, double checking his data and workmanship. Rhinox grabbed a portable water supply for the sweat hose and hooked it up. So far, everything was working just as the Maximal Spy had planned. "I think this is gonna work," he said with confidence. His optics glanced at Zodiac, or rather the other Aurora that was still really creepy and unnerving, who was still contained by Landslide's shield. "We'll move 'im to the brig for higher security measures and more cameras." Cameras weren't broken yet and still operational. There were few of those now by this point until they could find the time to replace them throughout the corridors.
When Aurora brought the hovering dolly over ((OOC: Just speeding this along, Phoenix, hope you don't mind)), Rhinox and Rattrap lifted the large cage onto it. "I'll take this. Rhinox, you get Zodiac," the TransMetal rat instructed. "Aurora, follow us with the tranquilizers in case he starts wakin' up." With that, he also grabbed Blackarachnia and loaded her onto his platform as well, and started carting them out of the hangar and toward the brig.
Rhinox grabbed another hovering platform and dragged Zodiac onto it while he was still enclosed by the shield. He struggled a little bit but finally managed to get him on carefully so he could get him to the brig. Even though he was much smaller while replicating Aurora, his matter still make him quite heavy, especially with the shield. Without anyone occupying the hangar once they left, he closed the door that Landslide had left open and headed to the brig after Rattrap.
Reaching the brig, Rattrap gained access and went in with their new contraption, keeping Blackarachnia on the dolly while setting up the force field cage in one of the cells. Rhinox soon followed and brought Zodiac into the same cell. They helped each other to make things go quickly and double checked their work. The engineer took his time releasing the shapeshifter from the shield and was hesitant to touch him, thinking that his nanotech might react with him the same way Nemesis' did which took two Maximals' lives because of it. But since he was sedated, it was unlikely that that could happen. He hoped and calculated, anyway. At any rate, he transported Zodiac to the makeshift cage and they both stepped back after it was activated. It seemed to be running perfectly. It was small enough for him in his normal form to fit somewhat comfortably, but while he was in his portrayal of Aurora, it almost looked larger than Rattrap had wanted. No matter, it should be able to hold him no matter what size he grows or shrinks to. Too small or too big and it will automatically electrocute him and knock him down. Then they removed themselves, Landslide's shield and the hovering dollies with Blackarachnia from the cell and activated its energy bars, cameras and turrets that targeted his nanotech.
(( OOC: I hope that wasn't too much all at once, Phoenix. Optimus will emerge from the CR in my next post. I hope I didn't miss anything; am awfully tired and lose steam for this post. ))
"You dislike violence? But every time some crazy situation happens, you immediately jump into de fray with your gun blazing,"
Banshee sighed before speaking up, "I follow my instincts. I don't pull the trigger until I'm very sure there's danger..You'll be surprised that this is nothing compared to what I've faced," technically, she was right. This was nothing. A fear virus is nothing compared to being eaten alive slowly. Those horrible four...Binge, Starv, Famine and Vore. Those four and the horde caused more than just fear. Just remembering them makes her feel a slight chill running under her frame. Banshee nodded just as soon as Aurora finished patching up her arm and took cover as Blackarachnia became more insane by firing her weapon.
"Banshee, keep an eye on Zodiac, but keep your distance. We'll have to sedate him again when he begins to stir."
The female bat nodded and drew her gun, walking over to Zodiac. It would be better to put him out of his misery than to keep him to get answers.
Starshadow's optics widened as Umbra slammed opened the door, tackling her to the floor, choking from the vial's contents.
Bout time we got your senses back..
Senses? who cares! It might be something to kill her slowly and there's no way she's going to lie down to die SLOWLY. The catbot wrapped her legs around Umbra's hips and shifted her thrusters, activating them and lifted herself off the floor and slammed Umbra on the ceiling.
(The technobabble is fine OOP, specially in the case of Force fields which.. heck if I know how those work. As for the gas, all you'd need Rhinox to do is spray it on the floor plates of the cage like spray paint.)
Umbra slammed into the ceiling giving off a "oof" sound on impact, his squishy body absorbing most the blow as she continuously had him pressed against the ceiling. One of his tentacles reached behind him drawing his poison short sword, then turned and jammed the sword partially into Star's side, then started to pump poison into her system in an attempt to reduce the flow of energon to her wing thrusters.
Falling back to the floor, Umbra pulled the sword out of her Ug.. Listen well Star. I'm not here to kill you. If I was, you'd already be dead. You were infected with a virus from Zodiac, it spread among the crew like a plague.
((OOC: I really wanted to do my Blackarachnia post, but I took so much time on Whitegrazer's. Just had a hard time with it. ))
Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:They are always here...
She watched as Optimus tried, futilely, to erase what she saw. There was no shame in his resolve to try and hide away these shadows or nightmares from her. She held no pretense for what she saw. Only the feelings, intense emotions of despair, guilt, regret, and terror with sensations of past horrific agony, still pulsed through her spark. Her optics sparkled with sympathy as well as her profound empathy towards Optimus' plight. Watching him clawing at her, it reminded her of the time where she felt so hopeless, full of regret and guilt herself, burden with a horrific deed and powerful burning rage that damaged her, but the damage to herself was bearable than to the damage she caused those she grew love. A fact she took for granted, and a truth that shattered her entire spark. All she begged for was the forgiveness of those she wronged yet condemning those who didn't seem to give one inch of compassion to what happened.
She could read it in Optimus' optics. Those questions. She had shadows and nightmares just like him. But she remained silent, concealing them from his eyes as well as the rest of the Maximals she has befriended here in the Axalon. She wasn't ignoring them nor hiding them from Optimus. Her reasons... different. More complicated. It was all political. Most of it, not all, was. All dirty. Politics always was, but politics, especially back on Cybertron, was dangerous. Too dangerous for this crew. TyCross once told her that many others might have been crushed by what she had seen or done herself. What she was force to hold under lock and key. Or even worse, the greatest shadow of all, which didn't need to haunt her, as it was haunting her in reality. The only reason why she able to keep going despite it all... was because of people like Optimus, Aurora, for ones who are beginning a life, for Nemesis, Umbra, Dinobot and other Predacons, for those who deserved a chance. It sounded cliche, she knew that, but it was the truth. Though all the pain, suffering, despair, and evil, there was good and there was hope.
And that good shouldn't be destroyed by the actions of a few.
Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:How much longer is this going to last?
She looked up at the ominous clouds hovering above them. Optimus was staring at the horizon. She stared at it as well. I have asked the very same question many times. She turned her attention towards him once again, gazing. We can only continue forward, Optimus. One step at a time, one day at a time. Whitegrazer didn't know what Optimus talked about specifically. From what has happened and what she seen already, she told Optimus what she believed. What she told herself... to keep moving on. Forward. She believed in Optimus. No matter what happens. They were all together in this. The ride might became rougher, but they would not lose themselves.
Her internal computer brightened. Her repairs were almost completed. The little intricate arms still trying to repair one of the holes. Her energon levels were still a bit low, but they weren't dangerous levels. It would take some time for her systems to replace it.
Last edited by una on Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Nemesis made a slight grimace as Megatron turned away to address the other Predacons who were now emerging from their regenerative baths. As usual it didn't take long before the squabbling began, indeed few Predacons liked each other enough to even bother to try getting along. It hardly mattered though so Nemesis waited patiently for their leader to finish.
As for you Nemesis, since you've proven your competency and loyalty during this ordeal, I would have you go down to the brig to check on the traitors Night Terror and Dirge, make sure they're still secured, and bring them some of the cure as well. While I relish the poetic irony of them succumbing to their own bioweapon, we can't have them spreading that blasted plague all over again. I'll decide their punishment later, for now, I have some planning to do, yesssss. Report to me anything out of the ordinary and keep the base on high alert, but otherwise do not disturb me for the time being. You have your orders Predacons, now carry them out!"
Oh great. She was being put on guard duty. Well, could be worse, she supposed. Perhaps she'd be able to force some much needed answers out of Zodiac's cohorts if nothing else. Besides.. It could actually be rather fun to torment them.
She gave Megatron a courteous nod to acknowledge his order, then turned to leave for the brig. The trip there was not a long one, still the narrow and barely lit corridors leading to her destination did very little to ease Nemesis' claustrophobic tendencies. It hadn't been that long since she'd been the one locked up in the Maximal brig, and years before she'd spent her entire youth in a small prison cell. She tried to ignore the growing sense of unease that weighed on her, merely putting the task at hand first. Soon enough she was standing at in front of the barren cells where she was greeted by nothing but.. silence. A quick glance proved that Night Terror was still in there, seemingly unconscious. She stared at him dispassionately for a moment, wondering where Zodiac had found this one.. Someone willing to risk death by releasing the virus, for surely he must have understood the repercussions for such a treacherous deed. Night Terror was obviously blind to how little he surely meant to the shapeshifter.
The female didn't bother opening the door, not wanting to risk an escape, so instead she merely reached through the bars and yanked Night Terror's arm a bit closer so that she could inject a sample of the cure into his arm. She then dropped the arm like it was a disgusting piece of rotten flesh, only to turn her attention to the other cell where Night Terror's over sized comrade was being held. It was suspiciously quiet and there was a peculiar smell that tickled her olfactory sensors. It took her a mere nanoclick to realize that the smell of sulfur was stronger in this area.. and it was coming from..
Her optics flashed red as she noticed the giant gaping hole in the floor. The smell was coming from the volcanic rock and lava that was now exposed. Nemesis detected no signs of movement so wherever the large wormlike creature was, he was long gone from here. She sighed as she opened a channel to Megatron to inform him of what had happened, feeling fortunate that she was not going to be the closest individual to their often irrational leader now that he was about to get these news.
"Commander.. You won't like this," she started before deciding to simply tell him, "Dirge has escaped. The only thing left is a smoldering hole where he dug his way out. The puny one was left behind, still unconscious."
(ooc: I'll post for the others when I get home from work tomorrow. Gotta get some sleep so I'll be able to start my shift at 7 am.)
OOC: My apologies in advance if some of this doesn't check out, just trying to give Megs something to start scheming again lol. I can alter it if need be.
Megatron leaned forward in his seat as his optics went over every piece of information the disks offered up to him, too much to take in all at once but he strived to do so anyway. The data found on the alien disk was, as to be expected, written in the language of the Vok, the aliens who had made earth their personal pet project up until they tried to wipe it out due to cybertronian "contamination," and as such was more difficult to interpret, but Megatron had made it a hobby of his to decipher and translate the alien's language during his time here, and as such he likely had a better understanding of it than most, allowing him yet another advantage over those who would dare to steal his disks for their own. Megatron was understandably fascinated by the possibilities to be had from reverse engineering the alien's technology, but of course there were limits to how far that could be taken...For now at least, and the alien sites were always dangerous and unpredictable, the Vok having a knack for booby traps...However, if there was a way to exploit any remaining alien relics and weapons on this world Megatron would find a way to do it, or at least keep them from falling into maximal hands. He noticed several sites of alien origins listed on the disk that could be worth further investigation later, but for now decided to settle on the more familiar yet potentially more powerful secrets of the Golden Disk.
It was still a source of wonder for Megatron, this priceless artifact left behind by his ancestor to aid and inspire decepticon descendants such as himself to achieve greatness, but like the alien disk it too could be a double edged sword if not handled carefully. He was one of the few who knew and understood the world they were on was actually ancient earth, millions of cycles into the past before the Great War between Autobots and Decepticons would begin, and as such there were many potential ways of exploiting this rather unique situation. The disk listed multiple sites of energon deposits, beneficial for sustaining an army and funding a war, but ultimately a minor advantage to exploit in the face of rewriting history itself! In theory Megatron could do manipulate the time stream any way he wanted, from wiping out a certain sentient race of fleshlings in their earliest infancy before they could become an issue for his people in the future, to assassinating the autobot in their sleep, leaving his ancestors free to pillage and plunder a world without opposition...However, considering how the Predacon sub-faction that would ultimately replace the decepticons as one of the two dominant factions of Cybertron in modern times wouldn't be created until much later in the war, doing anything that could allow for the decepticons to win the war too early could lead to the predacons never having come into existence at all, including himself.
Hence his initial hesitation to exploit the true power of the disks until now, why risk damaging the timeline and possibly removing himself from existence when he could simply acquire all the power he needed by bleeding this ancient world's rich, untapped resources dry instead? He felt for the past defeats of his decepticon ancestors and the injustice they had suffered, but was not willing to give up his own ambitions and existence for them...However, desperate times called for desperate measures and this war had been dragging on for much longer than any could have predicted when they all first found themselves stranded here...It might soon be time to gamble with the past to create a brighter future for his people after all. Fortunately however, the figments that had haunted him earlier had given him an idea on how to exploit the disks secrets without endangering the timeline just yet, and thankfully his namesake had not skimped on any potential advantages his descendants could exploit when he inscribed his message onto the Golden Disk. Megatron smirked as he beheld what he had been hoping for, a list of names, a crew manifest in fact...Of decepticons who had gone missing in action.
Before he could revel in his discovery much longer however, he was interrupted by a message from Nemesis.
Phoenix wrote: "Commander.. You won't like this," she started before deciding to simply tell him, "Dirge has escaped. The only thing left is a smoldering hole where he dug his way out. The puny one was left behind, still unconscious."
Megatron slammed his fist onto his desk and said "SLAG! Oh well, without his master to guide him I doubt our dim witted friend Dirge will pose much of a threat in the long run, especially if he was infected at any point. Let him wander the wastelands until he blunders into a maximal patrol and meets his end. Inform the others that he is to be shot on sight if spotted again, and send someone down to repair the damage he's done. Afterwards, meet me in my quarters, I may have need of your decepticon expertise."
Megatron then returned to his studies, his confidence growing as he dreamt of a building a new army to replace the pitiful rabble he was stuck with, and which would wipe Primal and his maximals off the face of the planet.
Elsewhere, back on the bridge the predacons continued with cleanup duty, Inferno overseeing their labor as previously instructed by his leader, the fire ant taking breaks in between lifting heavy pieces of damaged equipment and barking orders at the others to stop slacking off and return to their work, many of them grumbling unhappily under their breaths over having to do labor usually reserved for maintenance bots.
"Remind me again why WE'RE the ones doing this? Most of this is Megatron's mess!" Terrorsaur complained as he took a break from using his eye lasers to weld a console back together while Waspinator held it.
"Because you were ordered to Drone!" Inferno snapped, gritted his teeth and pointing angrily in Terrorsaur's direction, the insect having no patience for the pterosaur's slandering tongue and what he perceived as laziness.
"Oh yes, of course, silly me" Terrorsaur replied sarcastically as he returned to his welding work, giving Waspinator a knowing look to let his insectoid friend know EXACTLY what he thought of Inferno and his blind loyalty to Megatron.
"Exaggeratin'? Nope. We don't know nearly enough about dis guy and what he's really capable of. I ain't taken any chances, and neither should you or any of us. Aurora, grab that dolly over there fer me,"
Aurora merely shook her head, knowing full well that there was nothing she could say to make the rodent ease up. Then again the rat's suspicious nature had served him so well in the past. She, on the other hand, had started allowing herself to hope again.. To think that things were going to be all right in the end. It had been a bumpy ride there, for sure, but in the end they had prevailed. They were all still alive, Optimus and Whitegrazer were getting repaired, and the cause of their more recent troubles was safely behind bars. With any luck this might even help turn Megatron's views a bit, albeit that would probably be hoping for a bit much. Oh well. She could understand Rattrap's concern even though she felt he was being a little overly cautious, so she was already fetching the dolly by the time she responded.
"Planning to move your pile of stinky cheese?," she grimaced at him while pulling the wheeled platform back. Of course she wasn't really expecting an answer, since she knew exactly what the rodent was doing.
We'll move 'im to the brig for higher security measures and more cameras."
"Aurora, follow us with the tranquilizers in case he starts wakin' up."
The fuzor nodded and followed, tranquilizers well in hand. Rattrap made quick work of loading up the dolly with all his gadgets and the unconscious BlackArachnia as well while Rhinox tended to the other.. her. Glancing their way still made Aurora's fur stand on end since the shapeshifter had an eerily likeness to herself.
The fake Aurora was still dangling by the arms, legs too short to reach down to the bottom restraints in this form. Even as Rhinox started maneuvering the shield onto the dolly, the larger Maximal struggling a bit with the combined weight of the shield and the shapeshifter. Indeed the changeling might look like the much smaller fuzor but that didn't change the fact that his mass remained the same, the components making up his body merely compacted. It was this principle that limited the range of his ability to change size. Aurora's size was at the lower limit. On the other hand if he attempted to take on the form of someone very large his armor would be stretched too thin to even support his normal weight. That is unless he absorbed a large amount of metal in the process which was rarely convenient to do.
The two doses of the tranquilizers he'd been given were still in his system, keeping him well sedated for now. Of course that wouldn't be the case for much longer, considering how highly efficient his systems were at keeping everything running at max capacity. Although the shapeshifter remained unconscious, the debilitating toxins were already getting purged from his systems. Had he not received the second dose, he would likely have been awake by now.
Instead he remained perfectly still, not making a single sound until Rhinox released him from his restraints and allowed him to slide onto the floor, at which point he made a slight groan. Aurora kept her distance, having loaded some of the sedative into her weapon and kept it aimed in the general direction of her target.. or herself.. or the one that looked like her.. It was as creepy to her as it was to Rattrap if not more so, leaving the fuzor hoping she wouldn't be forced to shoot the intruder. What would she even aim for? He looked exactly like her so it honestly felt like she was about to shoot herself, something that left her with a queasy feeling in her stomach.
Fortunately the remaining assembly went without any further incident. Aurora withdrew from the brig along with Rattrap and Rhinox, leaving Zodiac alone in the modified cage. All was quiet aside from the faint buzzing from the cameras. A few more minutes passed before the thus far still form in the cage started moving. The movements were slow at first, some slight fidgeting, fingers twitching.. The fake Aurora's green optics flickered back on and the groggy creature slowly sat up, trying to take in his surroundings. He had a massive headache and felt more than a little lightheaded, not unlike waking up with a major hangover, and his vision was a little foggy for the first few seconds. It didn't take long for his optics to adjust to the more dimly lit room, however, his eyes immediately noticing the electric bars making up his prison.
Back in a cell.. But it appeared the Maximals had learned from past experiences and had taken a number of precautions this time. A brief survey of the cell revealed the presence of water on the floor. Why..? Unless, of course, they had rigged the floor as well. They certainly weren't taking any chances.
Well. There hadn't been any cell capable of holding him yet. Now would be no different.
"Sentinel.. Deactivate the electric bars," he commanded to the computer, using his own voice despite remaining in Aurora's body for now. He waited impatiently for a response for a moment but upon receiving none he gathered that the Maximals must have regained control. With a sigh his body then started to change, growing larger and taking on a male form. Aurora's furry tail shrunk as if being absorbed into the larger body, arms growing stronger and longer while taking on a transmetal hue, metallic fur visible on the chest, arms and legs. Despite the larger size of Optimus, he still had room to move around within the cell, so the shapeshifter straightened out when he spoke again.
"Recognize Optimus Primal. Stand down, Sentinel, and deactivate the cage."
Sentinel's response echoed within the walls of the brig. "Unable to comply."
"Why?"
"The cage is not connected to my security grid."
The fake Optimus' optics flashed in anger as he realized he was indeed trapped. At least until an opportunity to rectify the situation showed itself. Unable to do anything more at the moment, he waited..
"SLAG! Oh well, without his master to guide him I doubt our dim witted friend Dirge will pose much of a threat in the long run, especially if he was infected at any point. Let him wander the wastelands until he blunders into a maximal patrol and meets his end. Inform the others that he is to be shot on sight if spotted again, and send someone down to repair the damage he's done. Afterwards, meet me in my quarters, I may have need of your decepticon expertise."
Nemesis was almost surprised to find that Megatron's reaction was not quite as explosive as she thought it would be. And even more surprisingly he was putting her in charge of tending to the mess left behind, certainly a welcome change from the violent confrontation she had with Megatron when he initially thought she had betrayed him. Of course he also had some concerns about her heritage but that didn't worry her at all. On the contrary. She already knew that Megatron recently got his golden disks back so it wasn't hard to figure that he may be inviting her to his personal quarters to discuss something in that regards. After all the original Megatron's secrets were on those disks and she certainly wouldn't pass up an opportunity to learn some of them for herself.
"I will be right there," she responded, keeping her voice as neutral as she could. She then opened a channel to the other Predacons.
"We need a clean-up crew in the brig. Perhaps Waspinator wouldn't mind picking up someone else's mess for a change, hmm," she said, referring to the wasp's tendency to lose body parts all over. "Maybe if you ask nicely, Waspy, Terrorsaur will lend a hand.. and Tarantulas a few of his drones." Her tone made it clear it hadn't been a request. She then closed the channel and headed to Megatron's private quarters.
Last edited by Phoenix on Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
