Synapse
Minor
Do not touch...please
Posts: 380
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Post by Synapse on May 17, 2007 17:44:44 GMT -5
Long Haul's sudden outburst certainly doesn't help still Synapse's nerves about the lime green bot. He eyes the transport, surreptitiously (he hopes), as he finishes wiping down his nodes. His own steady strokes with the fine material over the sensitive surface serving as a calming method of sorts. It doesn't help that Long Haul keeps on moving around the roof top. He knows that it will take some time for him to get used to having the other in close proximity. And this other Autobot, Emirate Xaaron, who is he? Synapse darts a glance at the golden colored figure not too far away.Alternate realities, different time lines (this time he looks over at Perceptor)? This whole situation is just too strange for Synapse to willingly wrap his mind around wholly.
Snap. Click. Hiss. Wriggling his shoulders lightly, Synapse checks the security of his remounted nodes. The starry sky above catches his attention again. He can't help but entertain the idea of blasting off into space and leave this confusing planet behind. He is a space craft after all. The only problem is that he has no idea where he is, that and...he can't just leave the rest of these Autobots behind. Autobots never leave their own behind. That message has been pounded enough into his memory banks to stick. But does it always apply? It didn't always seem that way during the war back on Cybertron.
Synapse wriggles closer to the wall and deeper into his corner. He'll stay here. It's the right thing to do. 'It's the only thing to do'
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 17, 2007 19:55:01 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron is a bit uncertain about handing his shift over to Long Haul. He'd feel much more comfortable is Perceptor or Synapse did another shift. However, Long Haul has to learn someday. They cannot afford to cosset or coddle anyone in such dire times. They also cannot afford a sneak attack that could have been spotted by a better watchman. This is a quandary, to be certain. Much is made of who watched the watchmen, but little is said who trains the watchmen.
Also, Perceptor has evidently given Long Haul much to think of, and a long, dark watch is a long time for dark things to brew and brood in the soul, alone and unspoken. Emirate Xaaron cannot tell Long Haul not to think about it. Try telling someone, "Don't think about Grimlock in a tutu!" First thing he'll think is Grimlock in a tutu. It would be better to keep Long Haul distracted somehow, so that he cannot get a thought in edgewise and the trains of thought cannot lay down heavy track to run at later times.
Perhaps he can fell two Seekers with one missile. Emirate Xaaron offers, "Would you like me to stand watch with you, Long Haul? We don't have fancy sensors like Perceptor or Synapse, but there's more to perception than just seeing. Perhaps I can offer some advice."
There. He's not implying that Long Haul is incompetent - just offering help. Also, it'll get his mind off whatever awaits him in his reality.
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Post by Long Haul on May 17, 2007 20:29:06 GMT -5
Long Haul is not very observant (which really, really does make him a bad choice as a watchman). He certainly misses any surreptitious glances thrown his way by node-cleaning spies, and if any other looks of concern cast in his direction register, he doesn't show it. In response to the Emirate's offer, the green mech nods his head, accepting without offense. That, and he's in a mood to welcome all distractions, anyway. "Yeah... prolly a good idea. I ain't never had to do nothing quite like this before." The transport sighs and looks out over the night. "There's been a lot of change over a quick bit... only way I'm even handling it is by focusing pretty narrow, really. Tunnel thinking. Gets me through some longer hauls, too." Then, he generally thinks about how much he hates hauling. "But I figure... if I'm gonna be looking for stuff, and I don't know what stuff, prolly focusing narrow ain't a good idea just now." OOC: Hey, Synapse, I believe Perceptor intends to ICly geek out here. For you, if you'd like to join in our conversation, feel free to jump in. Or if you'd rather ICly eavesdrop, that's cool, too.
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Post by Perceptor on May 17, 2007 22:36:37 GMT -5
Having immersed himself back in his observations, analysis, and calculations, Perceptor is all but oblivious to the quiet discussion between Long Haul and Xaaron. It isn't that Perceptor doesn't care about their respective troubles and concerns, it's that Perceptor has done what he usually does when presented with a mystery or a problem: he withdraws into his work. To the exclusion of just about all else, in fact, does he withdraw into his work, which is why Perceptor will never be known as a mighty warrior, even if he had been the most martially equipped of them before Synapse had arrived.
Thus far, Perceptor isn't much encouraged by his findings, despite having located two stars which match spectral profiles in his databanks. They're much too weak for as bright as those particular stars should be. He's pinpointed three other candidates that he's currently running through analysis which are similarly weak, although the preliminary results do seem to match three more profiles in his databanks. One by one, the results finally return, giving him five points to start with, five coordinates from his star charts and a vast myriad of space to attempt to extrapolate their position.
His scope remains trained at the sky, a subroutine almost absently tracking the unfamiliar scattering of stars above. Most of his considerable processing power, however, is utilized performing the computations and calculations required to attempt to pinpoint their current planetary location. Five points do not give him much to work with; he will be quite thoroughly engaged in his figuring for some time.
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Synapse
Minor
Do not touch...please
Posts: 380
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Post by Synapse on May 17, 2007 23:07:10 GMT -5
Interrupting Perceptor while the scientist is deep in his work is a non-disputed transgression in Synapse's mind (he has yet to combat that idea). After watching Perceptor combing through the sky for a few minutes, Synapse's attention is diverted towards Emirate Xaaron's direction as Long Haul joins the watch. Instead of switching off, the two remain side-by-side. Synapse hears their voices drifting unintelligibly towards his direction.
He quietly moves himself closer to the two, curious at their conversation and needing something to take his mind off his previous self-pitying sentiments. Perhaps he can try and join in their conversation. Synapse makes to move closer and say something, but freezes in mid-movement and quickly draws back to a safe listening distance as his uncertainty gets the best of him.
He was never a really spontaneous bot.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 18, 2007 12:32:59 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron nods, smiling slightly. He offers, "The first step is recognising what you do not know. There's nothing to be ashamed of there, either." It is far better to admit one's flaws and work on improvement than put oneself and others in danger. He doesn't say that just now, though.
He glances back at Synapse. It's not the sound of quiet movement that catches his attention - his hearing really isn't good enough for that. What attracts Xaaron's attention is the cessation of sound that was there before in the background that occurs when Synpase freezes. The lack something is as much a sign as the thing itself.
Emirate Xaaron recognises the signs of shyness, reticence, or whatever it may be in the reconnaissance agent. If they wish to function well as a unit for however long or short they may be here, they must be comfortable interacting with each other. Xaaron shifts his position so that he can address both Long Haul and Synapse and says, "The first thing about keeping watch is that you must know what you're watching usually looks like. You cannot tell if something is amiss if you never knew what it looked like in the first place. Isn't that so, Synapse?"
He looks to Synapse for confirmation, hoping to engage him in the conversation.
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Post by Long Haul on May 18, 2007 12:54:14 GMT -5
Long Haul doesn't notice Synapse sneaking up. He isn't aware of the other's approach until Xaaron's reactions draw attention to it. When this happens, however, he nods his head to acknowledge the other, and shifts position so that he can be more easily included in the conversation.
And then, when Synapse is directly addressed, he interrupts. Construction workers aren't known for their manners.
"Oh, dammit," Long Haul groans as Emirate Xaaron gives his first lesson. "Then I blew it all ready!"
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Post by Perceptor on May 18, 2007 13:15:27 GMT -5
Meanwhile, Perceptor continues to remain oblivious to Emirate Xaaron's attempts to encourage Synapse into joining the conversation, as he continues to plug away at his computations. With the spectral analysis on multiple targets completed and compared to his records, Perceptor has already sorted out, roughly, when they are, now, as opposed to in relation to one another. None of the values from his analysis varied more than could be accounted for by spacial distortion from his most recent datasets, indicating that in whichever universe and reality they have been transported to, they are all now within at least the last century of Perceptor's most recent memories, and, most likely, within a decade, perhaps two, at the most. Once he completes some more spacial calculations, that will assist in narrowing down not only their location, but the date. Improving the accuracy of their chronal location will, in turn, improve the accuracy of plotting their physical location.
Absently, he murmurs a soft, "Hmm..." to himself as another series of figures settles into place in another set of equations. He's completely settled into his work, and, unless jostled out of his thought, it likely won't be much longer before he starts talking to the stars he's studying.
In short, all is normal with the Autobot Scientist.
OOC: I will be AFK until, most likely, tomorrow, 5/20. If my turn rolls around, and everyone's still talking, and nothing else is going on, feel free to skip my turn with a mention of Perceptor still quietly sitting off to one side by himself, working. He'll be doing that until he loses stars to look at when the sun rises and/or someone gets insistant about getting his attention. Thanks guys.
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Synapse
Minor
Do not touch...please
Posts: 380
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Post by Synapse on May 18, 2007 16:50:02 GMT -5
A look of sheepish embarrassment crosses Synapse's face when Emirate Xaaron addresses him, but a feeling of relief falls over him when the two other make room for him to join in. He offers a nod to Emirate Xaaron's inquiry and moves closer, Long Haul's groan coaxing a smile onto his visage. "You didn't do any damage," he murmurs. "Should have seen me on my first watch, didn't know what I was looking for and nearly bumped into the pack of Decepticons the guys were chasing after." He shrugs, a way of gesturing to his nodes.
He cocks his head at Emirate Xaaron. "You sound like you've had lots of experience in the field...excuse me for asking -I know no Emirate Xaaron from where I come from- but who are you?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 19, 2007 7:46:39 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron turns his attention back off the roof, excusing, "Forgive me for the lack of optic contact, but if this is to be a watch, someone must be doing some watching. Now, such a mistake is easily recovered ground, Long Haul. Just look out and take in the details. It's easier to see differences in edges and contrasts than it is in vast fields of sameness. Look at the lamppost, there." He gestures. "If someone was passing by, the lamppost's shadow would be distorted."
He is glad that they cannot see his face, for he frowns thinly at Synapse's comment that he nearly bumped into a pack of Decepticons on his first watch. He knows that war thrusts untrained Autobots into roles for which they are not suited with little to no training. He doesn't have to like it.
Emirate Xaaron makes a noise like a strangled laugh at the comment about him having 'a lot of experience in the field' and covers his mouth. Primus, what kind of non-combatants are these, that they'd think...? He shakes off the fit of black humour and returns his expression to a sort of placid geniality. He introduces, "As noted previously, I am Emirate Xaaron. I seem to come from a different time stream entirely than you three. I am a tactician, strategist, diplomat, and part-time military chaplain, although it seems there won't be much call for that last item." He looks chagrined. "I really do not have all that much direct combat 'experience in the field', personally, although my plans usually work well enough."
He's something of an oddity - a theoretician who can actually apply his theories to real life and not fail miserably. Most of the time. Impactor was a casualty of theory and reality clashing. Reality won. Reality usually does.
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Post by Long Haul on May 19, 2007 8:34:06 GMT -5
It doesn't take much experience "in the field" to qualify as more than what Long Haul's got! When Xaaron turns his attention back off the rooftop, Long Haul's gaze follows, and he nods his head as Xaaron speaks of shadows and distortions, listen carefully. Then, as Xaaron describes his many roles, the green mechanoid's optic band dims.
He grunts. "So we've got a scout, and a planner with not much 'field experience,' and a scientist with a bit more, and a construction mech that apparently should have gobs, but ain't got none." Long Haul hehs softly. "We'd be set up real good if this planet was our only enemy." But they weren't, and Perceptor said that the Constructicons were known as much for their combat prowess as for their building, and it was Constructicon Hook that Long Haul had spoken to earlier.
Long Haul's optics dim even further, and his head lowers, but then he shakes himself out of it and turns back to watching their surroundings. "This is gonna be hard," he mutters, a bit sadly. "I already wanna call to him again."
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Post by Perceptor on May 20, 2007 18:30:36 GMT -5
As the other continue to talk, Perceptor has managed to add another couple of stars to his growing lexicon of positional reference points, which has helped to narrow both their place in space, and their space in time. Provided that his calculations are correct, they are all at least still within the same galaxy. It is a start, at any rate. His intensive figuring is suddenly interrupted when his comm flares to life on the primary Autobot broadband channel with a singularly distinctive voice - Omega Supreme, in the toneless, expressionless manner that Perceptor is familiar with. //Omega Supreme reporting.//Thoroughly jarred out of his work, Perceptor transforms, immediately holding out a quelling hand in Long Haul's direction. "Allow initiate contact, please," he requests firmly, even as he is curing up his radio. // Omega Supreme, this is Perceptor. We appear to have been transported to another world, // he replies, making no elaborations to who "we" are; if there are other Decepticons besides Hook about, and they are monitoring the Autobot frequency, there is no need to give them a tally of those Autobots present. For all any eavesdroppers may know, "we" may simply be "Perceptor and Omega Supreme". // What is your current location, and please report your most recent timestamp before arriving on this world. // To Xaaron, Long Haul, and Synapse, it may sound as if Perceptor is leaping to a large assumption that Omega Supreme has arrived in the same, unknown manner as they had. However, given the rough location Perceptor has begun working out for the location of the world they now find themselves on, it's more an educated hypothesis than a blind assumption. He cannot imagine for the life of him why Omega Supreme would have been this far out in this portion of the galaxy. OOC: cross-posted from tfdeadzone.proboards81.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=mysteryplanet&thread=1179583509&page=1
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Synapse
Minor
Do not touch...please
Posts: 380
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Post by Synapse on May 20, 2007 19:28:51 GMT -5
Synapse inwardly shudders about the idea of having any sort of contact an actual Constructicon. Why would anyone want to do that? It's the sight of Long Haul that reminds him of who the green bot is and what Perceptor had said. As strange as it might seem, if Long Haul is actually non-hostile, then the rest of the construction team might not be so bad. Different things can be said about the Constructicons that Synapse knows.
He scans his surroundings, hoping to see no lime green other than the paint on Long Haul, and no signs of purple.
When Omega Supreme's voice booms across his comm unit, Synapse resists the urge to jump in surprise. Omega Supreme? Synapse has never had the chance to ever see the large sentinel before, but he has had rare chances of hearing that voice blaring tersely over radio waves back on Cybertron. From what he's heard, Omega Supreme is like a walking arsenal. If the Autobots need someone with plenty of fight experience, they've got it...if they can sustain him.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on May 20, 2007 19:57:22 GMT -5
"Allow me to clarify. I have little experience in the mechanics of personal combat." Emirate Xaaron still thinks that shaking a mad scientist is a valid combat plan. And he forgot that Flame was a flamethrower tank. Whoops. "I am well experienced in my vocational areas, however. I do... well, I did, up until my arrival here, lead the Autobot resistance on Cybertron. I saw the Decepticon threat coming and begged the Council to put a military leader in charge of a military problem. When they advocated surrender, I fled and went underground. Funny - I'm the one still alive. I brought together disparate and quarrelling freedom fighter cells and gave them structure and guidance. Working together, we saw the death of the Decepticon tyrant Trannis."
That's right. Emirate Xaaron is sort of like Elita-1... except she never killed Shockwave. She still has him beat on looks, hands down, so she ought not to feel too bad.
Then the voice of Omega Supreme booms over the Autobot frequency, and Emirate Xaaron is taken aback. The Omega Supreme that he knows is excessively verbose. One would almost be tempted to call him a windbag, save that he has a weapon to back up every word.
He cedes to Perceptor's desire that the scientist handle Omega Supreme. Just from body language and the way that Perceptor singled out Long Haul, he can tell that something is very much amiss here. Long Haul has been bad enough, pining for that Constructicon Hook, and if this makes it worse...
...then Emirate Xaaron will just have to deal with it. He tries to keep Long Haul distracted and says sharply, "There, you see that?"
In the darkness, if Long Haul really squints, he might be able to make out a rustling in the bushes. "There are night-flying avians. In my time standing watch, I have noticed that the larger ones are predatory." He stabs a finger in the direction of an avian that would be cream in daylight. The creature is nearly soundless, calling to mind a tiny, flexible stealth bomber. "That one is about to swoop. Wait for it. Something will emerge from the bushes soon."
And then it will be dinner.
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Post by Long Haul on May 20, 2007 20:10:43 GMT -5
Long Haul watches Xaaron, rapt, as the other recounts his accomplishments. He is impressed enough that it quite distracts him from his watch...
...but not enough that he misses the communication. His first instinct is to reply on channel, to ask his old friend what's wrong, but even before Perceptor's warning motion, he catches himself. A hand reaches out to the ledge for support, and the transport goes into a full-body slump. He looks up at Xaaron, optics a bit dimmed, then sighs and shakes his head. He does turn in the direction of the avian, and even squints, but there is an air of going through the motions to him. "I... I... look. Hook's gotta be warned about Omega. If Perceptor's right, he's in a lotta danger."
It's obvious that, even if Long Haul knows Hook is a Decepticon, he cannot quite bring himself to think of the other as an enemy as well.
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