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Post by Mirage on Jan 5, 2009 11:25:51 GMT -5
Spinister's comment about making noise draws a wry smile from Mirage, and the spy teases, "Noisy, are you? Good to know." If his teasing is not quite as light in tone as before, well, Mirage is more than a bit upset at the moment.
He gives Swerve a blank look, then realizes something, "Ah, yes, you've no radio. They...discovered something out in the desert, out were we baited our own trap. A meteor, or some such. Those who are sensitive to such things claim it is a...chunk of a Cybertron." That last is said softly, and with such sadness. The spy sighs, then looks back to Spinister.
"A Cybertron. Not mine, not yours, the Cybertron of what ever reality this is. But still, it is a Cybertron, and it hurts me hearing that it may have come to such an end." Mirage shrugs, "Perhaps I am too much sentimental. But of this pride I have in spades, a large chunk is pride in my home. If one can fall, then so may another, and I fear that. I truly do."
Mirage is going to very, very unhappy when he finally gets a chance to talk to Springer.
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Spinister-3
Cadet
"I live for the day when no one has to fear."
Posts: 79
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Post by Spinister-3 on Jan 5, 2009 13:19:03 GMT -5
"Oh yeah. Can't shut me up," Spinister replies, evidently intent on proving his own words true.
Radios. Geeze, what is it with radios? He broke Pee-Dee's, Swerve's is broken... okay, so maybe Soundwave turned Spinister down on a date once. Total coincidence, he swears!
"Heeeey, why do we have to assume this is a bad thing? I mean, maybe Cybertron was evil here and needed blowing up, or maybe they just renovated the old place, and that bit had to go, eh?"
As Spinister jabbers, he looks Swerve over again, squinting. Hmm. Still needs more repairs.
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Swerve-3
Rookie
Maintain the Light
Posts: 169
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Post by Swerve-3 on Jan 5, 2009 21:13:14 GMT -5
If anyone should feel guilty about the constable's radio, it's Mirage. But if he does, because really, he shouldn't, Swerve might just have to slap some sense into him.
"I see," Swerve murmurs after Mirage's explanation. He has no real connection to Cybertron, nor affinity for it, so the news that some Cybertron somewhere may be in ruins carries little weight for him. It may upset Emirate Xaaron, though… oh dear. The constable sighs – it's shallow at best and he still has to bite back a wince – before carefully pushing himself away from the wall.
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Post by Mirage on Jan 6, 2009 12:20:18 GMT -5
Mirage shakes his head, "I have trouble believing that, Spinister. Were we on the other side of the mirror, in Swerve's world? Perhaps. Here...I doubt it."
Swerve looks ready to continue- or is attempting to look so, at any rate. Mirage offers the constable a shoulder to lean on again if Swerve so desires. The spy does feel guilty, and not just about Swerve's radio. If he ever finds out exactly what Swerve went through...Mirage will never be able to make amends for such torture. Never.
"Hrm. Haven't gotten an answer from anyone down hear on radio. Either we are much further out than I thought from the main, or they are occupied."
In an attempt to lighten the mood a bit, Mirage turns his head and smirks back at Spinster, "So, my dear, what will I have to do to persuade the specs for your lovely cloaking device out of you?"
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Spinister-3
Cadet
"I live for the day when no one has to fear."
Posts: 79
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Post by Spinister-3 on Jan 6, 2009 14:34:22 GMT -5
"Of course, it would explain why we haven't seen a native Transformer yet, and wonderful as we are, I suppose that someone in this reality decided it needed more of us," Spinister muses.
Spinister can see what Mirage is trying to do here 1) get the specifications for a superior cloaking system for obviously personal reasons and 2) get the specifications to use them against his alternate, a clearly noble goal. He can see that.
But he can't just hand them over for nothing. In fact, he's not sure that he can hand them over at all. He designed the system specifically for himself. Making it work for someone from a different reality, a different faction, with a different transform would require re-designing the system from the ground up. Getting Mirage's hopes up on point 1) unduly would be criminal. After all, if it was just that easy, all the Deceptions would be invisible and undetectable.
Granted, if it was easy, Spinister's Autobots would reverse-engineer it, and he can't be having with that. The more people who know, the more likely his system is to fall into ill hands.
So he teases, "Oh, if you have to ask, I doubt you can afford it."
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Swerve-3
Rookie
Maintain the Light
Posts: 169
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Post by Swerve-3 on Jan 9, 2009 12:54:27 GMT -5
Swerve would rather he was back to top form already, but his choices are totter along unsteadily until the inevitable abrupt forward pitch and a mouthful of dirt or take that offered support and remain upright. He tries not to lean too heavily on Mirage, but he braces himself with a hand on the spy's shoulder nonetheless. He keeps quiet aside from the occasional retry at getting ventilation working properly; it's still painful, and a quick diagnostics check reveals his self-repair still labouring to reverse the heat damage done to his control systems. He decides he's too tired to reorder the priority – he is slowly cooling down, after all – and concentrates on staying lucid enough to put one foot in front of the other.
He isn't paying much attention to the conversation, of course, but… it sounds like the other two mechs are flirting. That's… well, that's their business and he needn't be butting in anyway.
OOC: Apologies for the delay. Please consider Swerve-3 skippable by this point as there are only so many ways to describe him walking with assistance. He'll speak if addressed or interject if something comes up, and return to full posting order when necessary.
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Post by Mirage on Jan 10, 2009 16:18:23 GMT -5
Mirage snorts, "There was a time I could afford any price you'd care to name. Not," he adds with a knowing smirk, "that I think it's the amount of wealth I hold that is the issue." Of course Mirage wants Spinister's shiny tech. There is no reason to be circumspect about such desire, or the reasons behind it. Spinister does not strike Mirage as a dullard, and treating the Targetmaster as one would be beyond rude. The spy did not truly expect gaining such information to be easy, or even necessarily possible, to be honest. But it was, as they say, worth a shot. After a good bit more walking, they round a corner and come upon a stretch of tunnel that has a few more alcoves and offshoots. As they start to pass one of those rooms, Mirage stops suddenly. Perhaps he glimpsed the golden figure resting within before Swerve. Perhaps not. OOC: Cue the Awakening theme from Sleeping Beauty
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Emirate Xaaron-3
Rookie
Ate you alive since you were a child/That's when the monster first appeared in you
Posts: 162
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Post by Emirate Xaaron-3 on Jan 10, 2009 17:40:48 GMT -5
Laid out on a sort of makeshift table is Emirate Xaaron. He shows now injuries at all, and all systems seem to be functional... except for his neural net. It's simply not responding to outside stimuli in any meaningful way.
Perhaps he sleeps peacefully - he certainly looks as if he does.
Perhaps, however, his mind remains active, trapped without sensation and bounded by guilt.
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Spinister-3
Cadet
"I live for the day when no one has to fear."
Posts: 79
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Post by Spinister-3 on Jan 10, 2009 17:55:16 GMT -5
Spinister gets the impression that he may be alienating the patient a bit, but really, Swerve is just lucky that Mirage isn't a hot nurse.
Spinister gets worse than this, you see.
He wags a finger and teases, "Now, now, speculation is tantamount to questioning."
Then, a flash of gold catches his attention, and his head turns.
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Swerve-3
Rookie
Maintain the Light
Posts: 169
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Post by Swerve-3 on Jan 11, 2009 2:42:16 GMT -5
Busy as Swerve is, focusing on walking without tripping over himself, he doesn't quite beat Mirage to that sight. Once they stop, though, and he doesn't have to watch where his feet are going, he looks up.
For a moment, he thinks he might be hallucinating when he sees that golden form. He finds it hard to care as, wide-opticked and suddenly tense, he cautiously pushes away from Mirage and toward the alcove. He very nearly doesn't make it to the doorway and only remains upright because he manages to catch himself on the rock with one hand. His patched shoulder twinges painfully at the unexpected pull, but he puts it out of mind, trying to balance himself so he can make those last few steps.
The last gap goes by in a blur with his attention focused on Emirate Xaaron lying there; one, two, three unsteady steps as he staggers to his leader's side and pauses again, leaning heavily on the edge of the table for support while he looks Emirate Xaaron up and down.
Safe. He's safe and unharmed, still at rest. Swerve's relief doubles the weight of his fatigue and he sags, letting the table support him. Exhausted and injured, clinging desperately to consciousness with everything he's worth, he is nonetheless content for the first time in so many interminable, painful days; a weary but serene sort of smile eases the taut seams of his face as he permits himself the liberty of cupping one slack hand beneath his own.
"Emirate Xaaron, sir," he greets softly and simply.
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Post by Mirage on Jan 12, 2009 23:21:36 GMT -5
Mirage lets Swerve go to his Emirate, and though the spy watches warily, he does not attempt to help the contable on his way. Difficult it is, to watch Swerve struggle, but Mirage will not intrude upon this moment unless he has to do so. In fact, if Spinister moves to enter the room, Mirage will try and cut the helicopter off.
"There is much between them," Mirage murmurs, looking over to Spinister, "They care for one another, though I do not think either admit or realize the extent of that caring."
"I do not doubt that he is as much a villian as you claim, mind you; I had opportunity to speak with him at length. It is only for Swerve that he betrayed information on his Autobots. And Swerve is a good mech, one who deserves a chance to make a different choice." Mirage sighs, "But he will not, if it means leaving his Emirate, or seeing Xaaron come to harm."
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Emirate Xaaron-3
Rookie
Ate you alive since you were a child/That's when the monster first appeared in you
Posts: 162
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Post by Emirate Xaaron-3 on Jan 13, 2009 18:31:34 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron make no sign of having noticed anyone here. He seems no closer to awakening than a stone.
He can sense other Transformers, sometimes, via some sense that conventional science has never adequately explained, but that has only functioned when very near, and perhaps even that paranormal ability is offline.
Perhaps his mind really is online, just insensate, and is too wrapped up in his own self-pity and guilt to feel what is right next to him.
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Spinister-3
Cadet
"I live for the day when no one has to fear."
Posts: 79
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Post by Spinister-3 on Jan 13, 2009 18:48:42 GMT -5
Spinister stays out in the tunnels and leans casually against one of the walls. Thoughtfully, he replies, voice low, "I'm not sure that I like where you're going with that."
Emirate Xaaron is evil, and Swerve is good, but Swerve won't leave Emirate Xaaron.
Mirage is a killer. Spinister can see that much plainly.
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Swerve-3
Rookie
Maintain the Light
Posts: 169
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Post by Swerve-3 on Jan 14, 2009 15:30:35 GMT -5
For a few laboured beats of his pumps, Swerve's quiet joy at seeing Emirate Xaaron safe blinds him to his leader's unresponsiveness. It does sink in, slowly, and his smile falters as his crippled processors churn through the realisation.
"…Sir?" he prompts, voice hoarse, and dares to give the hand beneath his a gentle shake. Concern knits furrows into his brow and his ventilation catches when Emirate Xaaron remains still and silent. He feels ill and shaky far beyond his injuries. This is terribly wrong. Mirage said he was well! But…. No, no, Mirage had told him Emirate Xaaron was unhurt, but had collapsed and would not wake; it must have slipped Swerve's mind amid all the metal-eating plants and overheating. He ignores the lingering pain and forces himself to take a slow, bracing cycle of air, forces himself to settle into calm again. He rests his weight on one hip at the edge of the table so he has a free hand to lightly pat Emirate Xaaron's shoulder.
Please, the constable asks no-one in particular as he watches that face for any sign of response, please let Emirate Xaaron be all right. Let him wake.
"Sir," he murmurs in a deliberately lighter tone, "please… wake up." It's hard not to pat Emirate Xaaron's cheeks instead, but that might be a little too forward on Swerve's part no matter how much this dormant state worries him. Emirate Xaaron collapsed after attacking Mirage, or so the spy has told Swerve. It must have been horribly traumatic. What if something internal was damaged and no-one has realised it? What if his leader has been lying here slowly dying of some unfound injuries? What if… what if none of the Autobots care because he might have assaulted one of their own? Or because of his association with Swerve, who brought the evil Autobots down on their heads by his own stupidity? What if…. So many possibilities. Too many for Swerve to process right now, not if he doesn't want to pass out on the spot from forcing more work on his already overwrought systems. He has to hold onto hope. "I think you've had… a long enough nap by now."
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Post by Mirage on Jan 14, 2009 19:19:09 GMT -5
Mirage settles against the wall outside the room, across from Spinister. They will have to wait for a medic to find them; Mirage is quite sure Swerve isn't going anywhere.
The spy tilts his head to one side, a slightly puzzled, if otherwise guarded, expression on his face. "And where do you think I am going?" he says, tone equally low.
They had been flirting, and perhaps they will continue to flirt in moments to come, perhaps not. Mirage had been rather subtly suggesting that Spinister's Decepticons could gain a rather valuable asset, but only if they were willing to not harm the Emirate. After all, Mirage does have a touch of the romantic in his spark, and he believes love can be a powerful redeeming force. Love. Devotion. Six of one, half dozen of another.
That Spinister looks on Mirage and sees a killer, though...that would hurt the spy fiercely. A hunter he might be, be he is no trophy hound, nor does killing come as second nature to him. He is not an assassin.
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