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Post by Perceptor on Jul 25, 2008 10:12:59 GMT -5
At least they had not interrupted truly restful rest, by all appearances. That salves some of that guilt. Now, if only Perceptor could find a way to make sure that Rodimus did get some restful rest, he'd be happy.
Perhaps once everyone is fully repaired and restored. Perhaps that might help.
"No problem," Perceptor reassures him with a brief shake of his head. "I have completed repairs on Grimlock's flight assembly and provided what armor we have materials for at the moment, which was a requirement for Grimlock to gain permission to exit the tunnels. With your permission, I would like to accompany him on a test of his flight capabilities, and then scout for raw materials."
"I recall several locations which we could reach that have silicates which I believe should be appropriate for reconstructing the lenses for my scope, and we require more materials to construct more complete armor, as well as raw circuitry to return everyone to fully operational staus."
Can Perceptor and Grimlock go out and play, Rodimus? Pleeeeeaaaaasssseeee? Grimlock has new clothes and everything! Perceptor promises not to let Grimlock rip the knees out of his brand new clothes, honest!
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 25, 2008 16:40:24 GMT -5
If Perceptor and Grimlock are concerned about the soundness of Rodimus's sleep, they're doomed to be disappointed. Rodimus does not rest well. Ever. A consultation with Emirate Xaaron would reveal that.
//Not jumpy, Grimlock. Alert. I'm used to having to be able to act the moment I'm awake. 'Jumpy' would involve me aiming at you two.//
He listens to Perceptor's request, then dips his head in a nod. "You're the expert here, Perceptor. If you say that Grimlock's in good enough condition for light duty, I trust you. Just avoid flying too high." After all, the 'Cons have more fliers. "Also, keep away from the entrance nearest the temple for now."
Rodimus doesn't tell them why they should keep away, however. He doesn't mention that even now, Emirate Xaaron, Oracle, Botanica, and First Aid1 are out there negotiating with alternate Decepticons, and that new arrivals on the scene have the potential to upset any ongoing talks. Even in light of Grimlock's apology, there's still the worry that if he knows there are Decepticons about, he'll rush out to meet them, orders or no.
1 Rodimus Prime has no reason to know that First Aid has since departed that group.
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 4, 2008 17:42:17 GMT -5
For a moment, Grimlock ponders what Rodimus said. //Oh. That good point...//
"Me Grimlock in plenty good condition for duty" he boasts, clanking a hand to his chest. Granted, Grimlock is fairly biased, but he is telling the truth. And Rodimus is probably wise to avoid mentioning why he should avoid the Temple entrance. It may do well for Kup or Rodimus to tell him about their allies on the radio while Grimlock and Perceptor are gone. Less chance of him running off before fully understanding things...
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 7, 2008 17:27:42 GMT -5
"Understood, Rodimus," Perceptor replies, nodding. With the prospect of venturing forth so close, he does not even think to ask why they should avoid that particular entrance. "We will be certain to maintain a low altitude. I will need to be close enough to observe the ground cover, anyway, so that I can instruct Grimlock when to land so that I may gather appropriate samples."
"We will also keep in contact and report back anything unusual or coordinates for deposits of raw materials whcih we are unable to collect ourselves. Thank you Rodimus."
Perceptor pats the larger mech's arm as he turns back toward Grimlock. "Well, shall we field test your flight capabilities now?"
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Aug 7, 2008 18:02:56 GMT -5
"Well, all right then. Just... well, make it back." Rodimus assumes telling a Dinobot to watch himself is pretty pointless. "If there's nothing else, I need to return to shut down." OOC: If there is nothing else, Rodimus is out of thread and hitting the sack.
We all know he's going to get waken up for the Command meeting in the Arena, anyway.
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 8, 2008 0:19:59 GMT -5
Grimlock nods sharply at Perceptor, and gives Rodimus one of those "Who do you think I am?" looks. "Of course me make it back. Me always make it back!" Now, whether he's functioning or not, that's a different story.
He turns to Perceptor, looking slightly less confident now. "How we get out?" A bit tricky to find the way out when you were asleep when folks brought you in.
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 8, 2008 5:52:41 GMT -5
"We will. Rest well, Rodimus," Perceptor replies. Not likely, given how restlessly the young Prime had been resting upon their arrival, but, as always, Perceptor has hope.
Asleep? Try unconscious in a bucket, and it might me a touch closer to the truth, there Grimlock. "This way," Perceptor instructs, leading the newly dressed Dinobot through the corridors and tunnels to an entrance away from the temple entrance.
"Given your current status and the lack of armor weight which you are accustomed to carrying, your flight capabilities should prove to be significantly enhanced. Longer range, increased maneuverability, additional thrust," Perceptor expounds as he leads Grimlock up into the sun for the first time since the battle.
There's something just uplifting about the simple process of being in the sunlight once again, especially after being enclosed in the confines of the tunnels. How odd that Perceptor has grown so accustomed to the proximity of a star in the short decades he had been on earth, especially after the darkness of Cybertron. Nonetheless, the smile he offers Grimlock is possessed of a significantly greater portion of lightheartedness than before.
"Do be careful when initiating your flight capabilities."
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 8, 2008 20:46:51 GMT -5
Grimlock's happy to see the sun as well, even if his optics recoil in overload at first.
Given a few moments, they're back to normal, and turned on Perceptor. "So since me have less armor, me Grimlock go faster. Me got that."
Oh, hey, Perceptor's smiling. That's a good thing. The camp could use more smiles these days. Maybe once they take out Fake Rodimus, they'll smile more. For now, though, there's things to do. Grimlock crouches slightly, and takes to the air -- And immediately is overwhelmed with the sudden burst of speed, shooting out of the hole and into a nearby tree, causing it to shudder, shed a number of leaves and branches, a few of which tumble down into the hole Grimlock flew out of.
The Dinobot Commander grumbles, sliding out of the tree, landing on his feet and stumbling, shaking his head. "...me Grimlock okay. Not sure about tree though. No tell funny plant lady, okay?"
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 8, 2008 22:59:12 GMT -5
He'd been expecting this. Really he had. Even with having warned Grimlock, he'd still been expecting this. It is why he hadn't transformed and allowed Grimlock to carry him off immediately.
"I promise," he replies gravely, trying hard to keep a straight face. "One more attempt, now that you understand your capabilities?"
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 8, 2008 23:10:19 GMT -5
Grimlock is grateful that he won't be told on. Sure, he may be assuming too much based on Botanica's appearance, but she's...very very different to him. Social subtleties are lost on Grimlock!
"Um. Right..." Making a few noises of attempting to focus, Grimlock attempts a takeoff again, this time at lower speed. He's wobbly, but doing better. Back and forth, a couple of circles, and then attempting to navigate between trees. Not perfect, as a couple of branches are brushed, but not knocked off.
He lands near Perceptor, looking quite proud of himself. "Me Grimlock got it!"
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 9, 2008 0:59:25 GMT -5
Perceptor isn't 100% certain, either, and he'd rather not find out to their detriment. Besides, a grateful dinobot is always a good thing. It occassionally helps keep one from getting messily squished.
Speaking of which...
Perceptor watches the maneuvering with a critical optic, making sure from his vantage that there are no technical or structural deficiencies with Grimlock's flight controls. "Excellent, Grimlock!" he exclaims once the dinobot lands near him once again. Wobbly, perhaps a little rough, but perfectly servicable, and Perceptor would rather that Grimlock not be required to learn to adjust to his new weight class for too long.
"If you are comfortable, then, shall we be off?" he asks, transforming to his mass shifted smaller size for ease of carrying, even as he transmits coordinates for a position near where he had first appeared in the center of the black desert. He is more certan of those silicates there, and the lengthy flight may provide ample opportunities to spot other materials.
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 9, 2008 14:42:43 GMT -5
If Grimlock were in dinosaur mode, the praise might warrant a puppy-like reaction. For now, though, he is content to beam a bit.
He nods when Perceptor asks if he's ready to go, and picks up the scientist once he transforms.
Taking off again, he heads toward the coordinates, keeping low to the ground as Rodimus advised. And trying his best to avoid wrecking the trees.
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OOC: Time-skip?
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 9, 2008 16:17:53 GMT -5
Jungle dominates most of this area of the continent, but here and there are signs of small settlements, even simply outposts, in the process of being claimed by the vegetation once more. Likely looking - or in Perceptor's case, sensing - locations are marked for later examination, specifically those spots with significant deposits of refined ores. The metals which the Autobots are in such dire need of to complete necessary repairs. Eventually, however, jungle gives way to thinner forest, then to scrub, and eventually, dark black sands.
Realistically, Perceptor could have had Grimlock set down soon after the last of the scrub had given way to hard pack and black sand, however, not having examined the sediments at those coordinates, he could not be as certain about their composition as he is about those he'd examined upon first arriving. Without his scope, much of his more specialized, and exact, measuring and analyzing functions are significantly curtailed.
Of course, there is also the curiosity of examining one of the apparent "Matrix Points" that Nightbeat had revealed that factors into Perceptor's reluctance to land prematurely, as well. He isn't far from calling for that halt when something at the edges of his sensors catches his attention. That had most certainly not been there upon his arrival.
"Grimlock, do you see anything slightly to the right of directly ahead? Perhaps on the horizon?" he asks, being unable to "see" for himself what his sensors have picked up.
ooc: time skip ahoy!
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Grimlock
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Post by Grimlock on Aug 9, 2008 20:30:52 GMT -5
Grimlock does the best bit of squinting he can do, which in this case is to zoom in as much as he can with his optics. Given that he's not a scouting type, it isn't much, given the distance.
"Me Grimlock see...something shiny, that about all me can tell from here. Me go for that instead of where we were going?"
Having recieved a positive response from the microscope, Grimlock shifts course toward The Big Shiny Thing and kicks his speed up a bit. Curiosity abounds!
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Post by Perceptor on Aug 9, 2008 22:37:03 GMT -5
Once they are within a reasonable walking distance, Perceptor instructs Grimlock to land, wanting the use of his own optical sensors to examine the strange object - objects? - before they arrive at the object. He did promise Rpdimus that they would both arrive back to camp, after all, and it would be quite embarrassing to fly right into a trap for lack of a little caution.
Once back on solid ground, he transforms, and frowns, tilting his head. The structure is still some distance away, but its form is quite clear from their vantage.
"It is a cage," he observes, glancing at Grimlock. "A cage which appears to be constructed of some blue crystaline substance." He really wishes that he had his scope back now. As it is, the delicate looking spiderweb of bars and crystals obscures anything which may be held within at this distance, frustrating the red scientist.
"We will have to approach to discern additional details," he observes rather rhetorically. "Be cautious. I believe I detected some mass under the surface of the ground before you landed, but I cannot be certain. My sensors were not intended for that specific use."
And so, one scopeless, obviously recently repaired Perceptor walks cautiously across the black desert snads toward the cage with a half-clad Dinobot in tow.
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