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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 13:07:11 GMT -5
Finally!
It had taken some time to purge his delicate systems after that whole Rattrap debacle. He had to make use of those charge stations more often then he would have liked, and he just wasn’t built to run on that low-quality scrap. He is, after all, a high performance vehicle.
And let’s not even discuss how long it had taken to get muck and grime out of his interior, or the sand out of his joints. Mirage had polished up as best he could, but the damage the blowing sand had done to his finish was still visible. Until someone figured out enough of the language to confirm that the blue and white paint he’d secreted away in his sub-space was auto body appropriate, he would just have to suffer.
All that coupled with the voting, salvage, recon, etc had prevented him from properly testing his freshly-tuned systems. On the maps, Mirage had noted a rather interesting stretch of road to the west: a nice straightaway to start for building up speed, then several twists and turns, some gentle, some exhilaratingly tight. He was en route there now.
It had been far too long since he’d been able to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes unhindered, and he’d discovered he rather liked the way these roads sung beneath his tires. Absolutely lovely!
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 20, 2007 18:10:47 GMT -5
Rodimus Prime races the storm while he can, stopping at recharge stations when he must - he's starting to feel sluggish due to all this improper recharging, a condition that's reflected mentally due to lack of recent defragmentation - and eventually leaves it, and the desert, behind entirely, entering into the scrublands.
He's roaring along the metal highway at something approaching his top speed, 200 miles per hour, a battered red Cybertronian Winnebago all out of place on this alien landscape. He's not yet noticed the other Autobot down the road, but provided no one suddenly goes invisible, that should happen shortly.
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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 19:24:33 GMT -5
The blue and white racer isn’t listening to the radio chatter at all; instead he’s keyed up a favorite orchestral piece to max volume. His full attention is on the road, as he heads from the straightaway into a chicane. The first set of curves is a bit soft, easy- he doesn’t even slow down. Then another, shorter straightaway, followed by some much tighter sets. He slows down, but only a fraction, and starts to slide through the turns.
Oh, this is- this is fantastic! I haven’t been able to drive like this in ages!
He comes out of the chicane, and revs back up to his maximum speed. He’s noticing that he’s well into the scrublands by now when he spies the oncoming vehicle.
Ah well, at least he got to have fun for a little bit.
//Emirate, I’m in the desert borderlands. There is a red and orange vehicle approaching. Looks like he’s had a rough time of it.//
Wasn’t there some talk on the radio awhile back that a Prime had shown up?
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 20, 2007 20:04:31 GMT -5
It's only shortly after Mirage has spotted Rodimus that Rodimus spots the race car. Since his last encounter, Prime has been considering things. Optimus Prime is a name that seemed familiar both to that strange Decepticon who wore his face and to odd-voiced Bumblebee, but neither were aware of a Rodimus Prime. Being known as a Prime tends to result in opponents trying to kill him even harder than they would have otherwise. Just introducing himself as Rodimus, however, should make it easier for him to request1 another robot's designation. Of course, this other may know who Rodimus Prime is already, but if so, he should be able to figure it out based on his appearance, and Rodimus gives nothing else away with his name.
He transmits at low power over a general frequency, //Unidentified vehicle, this is Rodi-// and then cuts off. He's gotten close enough for the colors to resolve themselves, but not so close that he can pick out the details. In other words, it looks like Mirage, but the fact that he has a Cybertronian alternate mode is not yet clear.
//Mirage? Is that you?//
1 demand
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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 20:40:42 GMT -5
Wonderful! Just wonderful. Another stranger that knows an alternate reality me.
This Prime looks as if he’s straight from a warzone. Either that is the case, or he had a worse time of it in the desert than Mirage by half. He rolls to a stop, idling, and waiting for Rodimus to reach him. No point in wasting fuel when he’ll just have to turn right around and head back.
//Correct, though I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.// Yes, Xaaron told Mirage who it was. But a little confirmation never hurts.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 20, 2007 20:53:30 GMT -5
Mirage doesn't recognize him. Optimus Primes may be omniversal, but Rodimii seem considerably less so!
//Rodimus Prime,// the truck-thing answers as he closes the distance between himself and Mirage, moving to the side to make it clear that he's not a threat. //You'll have to forgive me for looking less than my best, but I've had one hell of a ride over. Are we far from your base?//
Finally, however, he gets close enough to notice something. //You've... still got a Cybertronian alternate mode, I see.// Really, so does Rodimus, but that's beside the point.
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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 21:22:59 GMT -5
//I don't envy you the trip across the desert. It is a harsh place, and the fuel available harsher. We're not terribly far out. There's the jungle first- or is the term forest? Sorry, I'm only just now learning the terms for these organic things. Oh, and the road up ahead is quite twisty; // Just a warning; Rodimus' alt doesn't exactly look like it can handle curves at their current speed.
Mirage waits till Rodimus just passes him, then does a quick turn, falling in to one side and slightly back from the Prime. At the comment about his alt mode, he continues.
///Mmmmm, yes, that seems to be a sticking point with all these people who know a me. My pre-arrival timestamp was...// He gives one that places him several million years earlier, likely before Hot Rod was even created.
//If I may ask, sir, did you arrive injured?// All things considered, Mirage hasn't been too impressed with Primes... but if he's a Prime, he carries a Matrix. And that is worth respecting.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 20, 2007 22:18:56 GMT -5
//Ah, all right!// Rodimus replies in answer to the timestamp. //That explains things.// He gives his own, setting him in 2016. //The species that created the alt mode I'm familiar with wouldn't have even existed then.//
//The damages are from a Decepticon I encountered crossing the desert.// He pauses, and his voice is subdued when he speaks again. //Looked a lot like Optimus Prime. Claimed to be a part of him. Very powerful and very tough. Wielded a sword, an energy weapon, and could fire a missile barrage from his shoulders. The tanker contained a good sized battle station; several gun emplacements and multiple missile launchers. It was a... pretty rough fight, but he was washed away in a flash flood before it could be finished.//
//If you encounter him while you're solo, do not engage.//
The Boy Prime does not slow for the curves in the road, and indeed, proves that even in his current condition, his size and build are no hindrance in handling them. //These are pretty nice roads,// he observes casually to Mirage, voice now lighter and more cheered. //I'll have to see about coming back here once I've been repaired. Well, if I have any free time, that is.// The wistful tone suggests that he doesn't really expect to have free time, but he remembers days when he did.
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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 22:55:50 GMT -5
Mirage is...actually impressed by how well Rodimus is navigating the turns. It causes him to wonder who and what this Prime was before ascending. Perhaps a racer?
If cars could blink, Mirage would at the Prime's timestamp. Yes, a good bit of time separates the two. As the Prime relates his encounter in the desert, something occurs to the racer.
//I will remember that. If I may suggest moving from general burst conversations? While anyone in this vicinity should be an ally, there are too many who might hear only 'Optimus Prime' and become unduly agitated. He is, apparently, a key figure in many of the represented realities.// Mirage is trying to keep his tone neutral. He still has issues with his own Optimus.
Mirage gives his frequency, as they finish the last of the chicanes. They're heading along the straightaway that leads into the forest.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 20, 2007 23:13:47 GMT -5
Rodimus curses his own foolishness, and then replies on Mirage's frequency, //Of course. I should have switched sooner.// There's a note of self-recrimination in Rodimus's tone. The battle damages, the travel, the poor refuelings... they're really starting to affect him badly.
He provides his own frequency and then continues, //He was in mine as well. The Prime prior to my ascension. He died battling Megatron, after single-handedly turning back the tide of a battle gone very poorly for us in Autobot City, our primary base on Earth.// For some time after that, Rodimus had wondered if there was anything he could have done to prevent that outcome. If, perhaps, he had tried to aid Optimus instead of just witnessing it from the sideline?1 But eventually he reached one certain conclusion: what's done is done, and he serves his troops of today poorly when he spends too much time dwelling on yesterday.
//This Decepticon's resemblance to Optimus may make him more difficult to fight for some, but they are going to have to be warned, and they are going to have to deal with it. There's just no getting around it.//
1 The Marvel movie adaptation does not include Hot Rod jumping in the middle of the Optimus vs. Megatron battle. Guess he was just fated to die that day!
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Post by Mirage on Oct 20, 2007 23:55:14 GMT -5
//You are correct, of course. They will have to adjust.//They're zipping along under the jungle canopy as Mirage continues.
//Your time sounds similar to what I've heard of the others. Come to think of it, when I arrived, yours was one of the names Kup asked if I recognized. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to have someone who actually knows you here.// Nope, no bitterness there.
//I have no way of knowing if Optimus Prime was to be a vital to my reality or not. He had only been Prime a handful of hours before I... awoke here. His first orders were not popular ones, so who is to say?// If a car could shrug at close to 200 mph, he'd be doing so.
He can't help but notice the worn quality this Prime has. Xaaron said to bring him to the outskirts, but Mirage wonders if once Prime stops, he'll be able to start back up again. It won't be long before they hit the city at this rate. //Prime? I was asked to bring you just to the outskirts. Do you have injuries which require immediate attention? I do not know how long a delay there will be before taking you to our makeshift medical facilities, but can forward a request for a medic to be on site.//
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 21, 2007 0:21:30 GMT -5
//I'll need help soon,// Rodimus allows in response to Mirage, //but assuming nothing happens to make them worse, I'll be able to keep going for awhile yet.// He hesitates, then allows, //Although having a medic on site is probably still a good idea.// And, despite his tiredness, Rodimus continues to keep up his speed fairly well.
//This Kup... says he's not the one from my reality.// Rodimus's voice sounds faintly saddened. It felt strange, going to meet his old friend and mentor again for the first time. //I'm guessing he figured it out based on how I answered the Emirate's questions.// He pauses. //In my reality, Kup's my oldest and dearest surviving friend, and has been second in command of the Autobots since we lost Ultra Magnus. It... feels strange to be meeting a different Kup for the first time, when there's so much history between us.//
Finally, Rodimus can't help but be curious. First off, Mirage is from a place and time when Optimus has less experience as a Prime than he does. That in and of itself is kind of bizarre! But second, he can't help but ask, //What were Optimus's first orders?//
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Post by Mirage on Oct 21, 2007 0:49:23 GMT -5
//Xaaron seems to know you. Looks like he has the opposite of my problem; only a few Autobots seem to know of an Emirate Xaaron./// By few, he means Nightbeat, but hey, who's counting?
//It is difficult. Names are little indication. Take Grimlock, for example. Please.// There's something a bit like a chuckle from the racer. //In my time, he is a former Decepticon turned Autobot team leader, one of the fiercest of our warriors. Intelligent and intimidating, if completely lacking in finesse. A tank in the both figurative and literal sense. Only Kup dares talk back to him.//
//The one we have here, who seems to be from Kup's time, I think, has an alt mode of some animal form, is fascinated with a Minibot, and has a worse grasp of proper grammar that my own. And is apparently very young. That's one of the questions newcomers get asked now- 'How old is Grimlock, as far as you know.' Still big and powerful, however. Just....not what I know.//
There's a longish pause before he answers the Prime's last question.
//Optimus ordered a planetary evacuation. He...we were abandoing Cybertron. //
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Oct 21, 2007 10:40:35 GMT -5
Rodimus listens to Mirage's description of Optimus's orders, and falls silent for a moment as he considers the other's words. Finally, he asks, //Was the evacuation abandonment, or withdrawal? Sometimes, the only way to make sure you'll be able to fight another day is to withdraw today, and sometimes there's no where to withdraw to, not anywhere on a whole planet.//
//I've made that call, Mirage,// Rodimus admits. //Seven years ago, my time, I ordered the full withdrawal of Autobot forces on Cybertron. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made, but I believed then, and continue to believe today, that it was the correct one.// Rodimus's voice takes on a faint tone of grim satisfaction as he continues, //Six years ago we returned, and were successful in regaining a foot hold on Cybertron. We've gained more ground than we've lost since, but we wouldn't have survived to see that point had we not cut and run seven years ago.//
//Emirate Xaaron would know me by reputation only, the same way I know him. I've traveled back to his time a couple of times, and I imagine he's heard about those events.//
//As for Grimlock...// Rodimus pauses. //Well, I am quite certain this isn't my reality's Grimlock. 'Yay, me Grimlock happy,' pretty much gives him away there. He seems to have a few things common with both the Grimlocks you describe, though. Grimlock was... well, he seemed old to me, but I tend to classify anyone older than Hot Rod as 'old,' and he was young enough that that's... not a particularly useful waypoint. I'm not aware that he was ever a Decepticon, and Kup's certainly never been a subordinate of his – although if he were, I'm sure he'd dare to talk back to Grimlock, because I have a hard time imagining a person Kup wouldn't talk back to if he felt the need1 - but most of the other things you describe about your own Grimlock seem to fit. In fact, he lead the forces based on Earth for awhile, while Optimus Prime was dead. He has an animal alternate mode, though - Tyrannosaurus Rex, an extinct Earth creature.//
//I'm really not in a position to compare his grasp of grammar between realities. I just label it 'bad' and leave it at that.//
1 He snarked at Primus, people. Alternate timeline, but still the same Kup.
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Post by Mirage on Oct 21, 2007 11:51:25 GMT -5
//I was not present at the ascension ceremony, so I can not confirm our new Prime's motivations. Jazz and Prowl however, were, as were several others, and the story spread quickly. It is my understanding that his comments were along the lines of, 'I can not ask you to continue to die for a cause I do not believe in1.' He stated that Cybertron was lost, and ordered the evac.//
//I...there are those who would have rather died fighting for Cybertron than simply abandon it to Megatron's madness.//
For a short distance, the only sound is the that of there tires singing upon the road. And then Mirage speaks up again.
//Please, do not misunderstand me. I do not think any such decision could be made lightly. I do not know the circumstances which lead to your own choice, and would not presume to pass judgment upon it. But for all that we have become soldiers who must follow orders, as individuals we may still question them. And I have not been a soldier long enough to blindy follow anyone. // Including Emirate Xaaron or this new Prime. // I still consider my options carefully.//
//Optronix was merely a records clerk before the Council of Ancients chose him. His only view of the war came from the data he processed. Perhaps he did only what he though was best. Perhaps the order was rescinded at a later date. Or perhaps Megatron found him, ripped his spark core from his chest as he did to Sentinel Prime. There is no way of knowing unless another arrives from later in my reality. //
They should be hitting the outskirts of the base anytime now.
1 a paraphrase as he would have heard it second hand.
OOC: want to jump to Welcoming next or go on more round?
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