Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Aug 17, 2007 15:11:23 GMT -5
Starscream glowered as he moved to one side. That's going to cost you, Hook. Don't try to keep on pushing that envelope.
As for the 'probably third-in-command.' "Very well, Spinister. In the short time I've known you, you have impressed me considerably. So perhaps you have earned it. Consider this an evaluational period. If Needlenose was a member of this Mayhem squad, he may serve under you as well." He paused for a moment. "Furthermore, you answer only to me." Starscream pointed at his face with his thumb as he said that. "You exist outside of regular Decepticon hierarchy, such as it is."
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Post by Needlenose on Aug 17, 2007 16:31:50 GMT -5
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Needlenose answers Hook. It's not intended insolence! Really! It's just an automatic reaction. He settles himself into the spot where Starscream had occupied during repairs, and listens with some interest as his and Spinister's positions are discussed. Sunbeam follows along quietly, and then starts kicking at rocks once he's positioned himself near Needlenose.
So Spinister is his superior, and they both exist outside of the normal command structure and report only to the top, huh? So it's... pretty much the same thing as back home. Different reality. Different Starscream. Different chain of command. But some things never change.
He does cock a curious audial as Eye-fire challenges the accuracy of the Nebulans. Oh, he knows his Nebulans aren't all that accurate, so he's certainly not going to argue the point. But Spinister has Hairsplitter, so he's fairly curious to hear the response to that.
As he listens, he glances up at Hook, then jabs his thumb towards the bent wing. "I can't lie down just yet," the Actionmaster states the obvious.
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Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
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Post by Dead End on Aug 18, 2007 15:50:53 GMT -5
Dead End picks about now to wander in. "I would ask if you are busy, Hook, but I'm not blind in both optics. Or even one."
He glances at Starscream, Needlenose, and Spinister and back at Hook. "The energon is secure in the local munitions bunker, along with a fair amount of the local explosive." He quickly gives an exact count of energon cubes and explosives crates. "'Secure' is a relative term; there's only a crude seal on the door. I assume you'll have more permanent storage later."
"When you're not quite so busy, could you look at my left lower forcefield node? It's not coming back online. Probably fried either the generator node or the secondary actuator."
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Post by Spinister on Aug 18, 2007 23:01:38 GMT -5
Hairsplitter's capacities have been called out, and Spinister must deliver. There is no issue of pride at stake here. If Eye-fire is superior to his weapon, so be it. Spinister would be thrilled to have another sharpshooter around. However, he isn't as quick to dismiss organic lifeforms as some Decepticons are. Spinister withdraws a small resin disk. There appears to be a mote of dust embedded in the centre. He hands it to Hook and suggests, "Look at it under magnification. Please confirm for me what it says. Shouldn't take but a moment."
If Hook does, there is a small microchip, 0.15 millimetres by 0.15 millimetres and 7.5 micrometres thick. Engraved with was clearly some sort of laser is "Spinister" in flowing cursive and the date and distance - 2 miles.
Then, he looks to Eye-fire and asks, "Your range and target size?"
Spinister considers the position to which Starscream has just assigned him. So he has... his old job back and Needlenose as his ward? Awesome. Spinister can do that. In fact, he was doing that a few days and a reality ago. He manages to look appreciative, somehow. Maybe there's a happy cant to his helicopter blades. Spinister assures, "You won't be disappointed, my lord. Now, my two other issues were that we need to secure the area within reasonable standards, and I'd like to benchmark the capabilities of our current and future troops, both competitive abilities and abilities off the field. I can also provide remedial training for those who are lacking but have the potential to improve."
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Eye-fire
Major
In two minds about everything
Posts: 597
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Post by Eye-fire on Aug 19, 2007 4:25:52 GMT -5
Eye-fire's single optic telescopes out as he looks at the small resin disk.
"That is... far better than I expected. I may find it hard to surpass that kind of accuracy on such a small target." Eye-fire says stroking the underside of his scope, roughly where the chin should have been.
"We can do a test once we aren't needed for other, more important functions."
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Post by Hook on Aug 20, 2007 6:46:40 GMT -5
"Do not read over my shoulder," Hook outright growls at Eye-fire. He does not expect to be listened to on that matter, as none of the Constructicons ever listened when he said the same thing.
The Constructicon's optics zoom in precipitiously, threatening to induce the kind of node ache that was only solved by driving nails through one's helm. "Spinister - two miles," he says quietly. "Interesting stylization on the glyphs."
"Now, Needlenose, if you have any convenient access panels for your engine systems, now would be the time to mention them." Spinister's microchip display gets set on one of Hook's shoulder-platforms while the crane gets out his toolbox. The one that's large enough to serve as a bunker for humanoids. Fear, Needlenose. "Otherwise, you are going to sit still while I perform exploratory surgery."
Oh, wait, someone else had wanted his attention. "Dead End, if you've fried your forcefield actuator, you are, as Bonecrusher would put it, 'slag out of luck'."
---
Probably next round, Hook and Needlenose are going to disappear into their own thread for the medical stuff.
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Aug 20, 2007 15:26:27 GMT -5
Starscream grunted. He had started to get some information from his other units, but delegating that role as the numbers grew - and the belligerence grew, at that - might be a good idea. "Good thinking. Report everything to me. Starfighter is our record keeper and will need to know this too.." Starscream lowered his voice. "But before that, report to me first, and I'll tell you what I don't want him to know." Just in case, y'know. "As for securing the perimeter, what do you propose?"
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Post by Needlenose on Aug 20, 2007 17:01:15 GMT -5
"Erm... my chest panels?" Needlenose offers.1 He settles down where Hook indicates, however, and even manages to sit still. "But yeah. My internals are a bit odd. Might wanna be careful not to breach the reactor shielding, by the way." Hook may bristle at being told to be careful. Needlenose doesn't care. The micro-shielding of his reactor does it's job and then some, but there's still always at least a faint danger associated with being fusion-powered.
He looks over to Sunbeam. "Might wanna make yourself scare, Sunny. I've got my standard pistol subspaced if I need it. Go... I dunno. Look and see if they've got any long-storage organic fuel left, or something." In other words, go see if you can't find yourself something to eat.
Apparently Needlenose wants his Nebulans to come down with food poisoning. Or he's just thoughtless.
1 WAG on the part of the player.
OOC: Crossposting to "Repairs: Hook and Needlenose" and moving to that thread. Anyone wishing to interact with Hook and Needlenose are free to follow. Those chatting with Starscream should stay here.
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Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
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Post by Dead End on Aug 20, 2007 20:07:06 GMT -5
Starscream can lower his voice if he likes, but that cold, high tone of his could penetrate steel--and Dead End's audials aren't especially insensitive. Oh, fine. Cook the books. Maybe he'll keep secrets from Hook, too--that way Hook gets to guess come time for repairs. That should be amusing, in a morbid sort of way. Most of Dead End's amusement is.
"Someone could see about securing the energon bunker--the only thing keeping anyone from just waltzing in there and helping himself is the demolition charge I attached to the door. Might keep the stupider specimens from opting to blow their manipulators off just to get an unauthorized drink," Dead End says.
OOC: Dead End is sticking with Hook and Needlenose (off to the other thread) for the moment, unless someone else needs to talk to him.
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Post by Spinister on Aug 20, 2007 22:27:23 GMT -5
Spinister tilts his head, eyeing Eye-fire. It's difficult to say what Spinister might be thinking. Then, he nods once and says curtly, "That would be satisfactory. A word of advice. Don't under-estimate the meat-sacks," and Singe makes a squawking noise at the derogatory term, "just because they're meat-sacks. They might surprise you."
It's not that Spinister is a nice person or anything. He really isn't. He is a practical person. Once the Decepticons finish off the Autobots, there is a whole universe out there to conquer, and as such, it's going to be a universe that wants to kill the Decepticons down to the last drone. They will need allies. If the allies are organic, so be it.
Spinister points out, "My Lord Starscream, I'm sure that you've noticed there seem to be certain spots where members of our kind arrive. The swamp was a hotbed of activity, and it wasn't just Needlenose that showed up in the mine. That Seeker was alive when he arrived." Spinister saw the clawing hand tracks on the ground in the mine and saw the dirt on the dead Seeker's fingers. "More of our kind may arrive in the mine, and they may not be friendly. We need to consider this in constructing our temporary base here. We may also want to get some monitoring equipment out in the swamp and any other arrival points we may have observed."
That's another thing he needs to ask people, in addition to what useful skills and abilities they possessed: where did they arrive?
"Anyway, some improvised traps - stuff like Dead End just did -would be a good start. Also security systems. And redundant power systems."
He comments to Needlenose, who is still basically in the area despite being in a different thread, "Needlenose, unless you have more pressing orders from the Lord Starscream or myself, assist Hook as much as you can." Spinister adds privately, //Just don't let anything classified slip.//
Spinister's not sure that he gets the drinking crack. Maybe he takes Needlenose out for a cube in the future to celebrate them not being dead?
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Eye-fire
Major
In two minds about everything
Posts: 597
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Post by Eye-fire on Aug 21, 2007 11:19:21 GMT -5
"Meat is inherently wobbly." Eye-fire says shrugging.
_________________________________
OOC: Ready to move to interim.
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Aug 21, 2007 16:15:19 GMT -5
"I arrived in the middle of nowhere." Starscream said. "And for all we know, there might be others who do not know our frequency or who are having trouble transmitting for various reasons. The point could be argued that wherever we build a base, there are going to be people arriving, and that includes inside our bases. We are going to need some substantial defenses and auxillary power supplies, and many other things too. But for now, all we can manage are impromptu supplies whilst we establish this is our best bet for a secure location and draw up plans."
"You are igniting your afterburners before you've even taken off, Spinister. We need to consolidate ourselves before implementing monitoring equipment can even be considered."
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Post by Spinister on Aug 22, 2007 15:36:14 GMT -5
"And metal is just ore from a bunch of rocks in the ground!" Singe hollers after Eye-Fire, who is gone.
Spinister, he could stiffly inform Starscream, does not possess afterburners. He is a helicopter, not a jet. However, he has spent quite enough time enduring the company of jets to understand their colloquial parlances.
He inquires, "Were you in the vicinity of anyone at all when you arrived, my Lord?" Even if it is just a ballpark area, it may be something. "Needlenose and the dead Seeker likely arrived in the same place in the mine, if my calculations aren't off. All I'm saying is, perhaps we ought not put anything too important in that particular spot in the mine. I do understand that we have a supplies problem at the moment, but we could do a few simple things. We could use some of those explosives that Dead End found to wire up some mines under the major roads into the area. If the Autobots try to come rolling in, they'll be in for a nasty shock. Pit traps aren't too hard to do on an impromptu basis. That sort of deal."
Spinister certainly does not offer the fluid sample to Hook the thread over, and he doesn't seem to care that Hook just put away Spinister's microchip. He has a box more of those, including blanks for practise.
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Aug 22, 2007 19:49:49 GMT -5
"It sounds as if you have some good ideas for the temporary emplacements, Spinister," said Starscream, "so I will delegate the task of laying out the area to you. And no, I was in the middle of an empty field. And the person I DID locate first was someone who had already travelled here from one of this planet's polar regions." Starscream gave some rough co-ordinates of where he first woke up, in relation to the swamp where he first met Spinister.
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Post by Spinister on Aug 22, 2007 21:41:32 GMT -5
So Spinister has two main tasks here. He needs to interrogate their motley force, compile a report on their strengths and weaknesses, and present it to Starscream for editing before passing it to Starfighter. He also needs to set up defences and traps. Spinister can see that he's going to be busy. Usually, he'd prefer to have a proper demolitionist handle the high explosives, but in a pinch, he can whip up some crude mines.
He notes down Starscream's arrival location. Then, Spinister salutes and suggests, "If there is nothing else, my Lord, I'd like to get cracking on my tasks."
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