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Post by Perceptor on Feb 17, 2009 22:26:02 GMT -5
"Yours is not?" Perceptor asks Springer. He has not had an opportunity to speak with this Springer, to hear about his reality and the events which had taken place there. "I am sorry for your loss."
It is a sad thing, a horribly sad thing, to lose one's home. One's whole world.
Once upon the surface, Perceptor quickly climbs the ramp into Skyfire's hold, finding a good spot to wedge his microscope form into so that he can study the rod of blue crystal that he'd remembered to bring with him from Skyfire's workshop. Once settled in, transformed, and secured, he cheerfully advises Skyfire of his status, and awaits take-off.
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Post by Springer on Feb 17, 2009 23:41:59 GMT -5
Springer glances over at Perceptor. "Yeah, the war took a major toll on Cybertron. I'll tell you about it on the way, if you're interested..." At the apology, he half-shrugs. "Nothing that could be done about it, at least by the time we realized it."
With that, Springer follow Perceptor on-board, taking his place in a seat across from where-ever Perceptor has set up his camp.
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Skyfire
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Post by Skyfire on Feb 18, 2009 19:56:02 GMT -5
Skyfire raises his ramp and seals up when everyone is strapped in or seated.
"I figure we've been all over the temple arrival point lately, so no need to check there. I'll just swing over by the beach for our first hop, and then its off to the high arctic!" Skyfire says. "Hope you're topped off on anti-freeze!"
Jet thrusters rumble as Skyfire lights them up and opens his throttle; there's a slight jolt as his landing wheels come loose from the mucky forest meadow and then all is smooth as he climbs into the sky.
He doesn't climb very high; as promised, it's a short flight. Almost before anyone has a chance to relax, Skyfire is banking steeply, turning back over the beach with the huge glassy spot...
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 20, 2009 20:24:13 GMT -5
Perceptor's microscope barrel nods up and down, the lens swinging up in line with Springer's face. "Yes, I would appreciate that, Springer," he replies. "If you do not mind. I would like to understand what led up to such a state, to attempt to safeguard my own reality from such a lamentable fate."
"And, perhaps there might be some manner in which I could assist you. Some means to revive your Cybertron. I would not wish the loss of one's homeworld upon even..." he pauses, catching himself before he says Starscream's name. He's still quite angry about Starscream's role in the deaths of his friends, but quite conscious of Skyfire's somewhat awkward relationship with the Decepticon as well.
"Upon my worst enemy. Let alone a friend."
It is hard to imagine a reality where Cybertron is.. is lost. Uninhabitable.
The rumble of thrusters is almost soothing, as Skyfire takes the short jump to the beach. "That sounds quite logical, Skyfire. Thank you." He would make a small joke about not requiring anti-freeze for his alternate mode, however, that isn't.. quite... true. Not that either Skyfire or Springer would be aware of that. "We shall endeavor to maintain a functional internal operating temperature."
Banking already. They should be arriving soon. Perceptor should simply tuck that crustal away for further study later. After all, he has Springer to grill... err... speak with.
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Post by Springer on Feb 22, 2009 9:03:09 GMT -5
Springer looks pondersome for a moment, while he dredges up the data on what went wrong so long ago...
"The war was such a strain on Cybertron, that it triggered some kind of cataclysm. I'm not sure of the specifics, as I'm not so science-minded, but the bigwig scholarly types were about it by Thunderwing, but he was dismissed. He had some idea for these strange techno-organic carapaces that would protect us from the upcoming events, but was ultimately shut down and disbarred." Springer sighs. "Thinking he knew better, he submitted himself to his process, and everything went wrong. The shell drove him completely mad, and he wound up speeding up, and even becoming, to an extent, the cataclysm he was working so hard to prevent."
For now, though, Springer stops, as they draw close to their destination...
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Skyfire
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Post by Skyfire on Feb 22, 2009 11:02:52 GMT -5
Skyfire settles down, not in the glassy spot--that crust is brittle and would shatter under his weight--but near it, in almost the same spot he set down before, the parking lot of the some alien beach structure. Fortunately, there are no vacationers or their cars about to be crushed by the shuttle. Landing gear come to rest within feet of the depressions in the pavement marking his previous landing.
"I wonder what went wrong?" Skyfire mused. "From the Maximals I've seen, it's obvious such a process is possible, and under some circumstance, beneficial. Do you suppose if Thunderwing had been more careful and in less of a hurry, it might have worked out?"
He lowers the bow ramp again. "We're down and stopped, now. Feel free to move around. You might want to check about 20 meters north of Omega's landing spot; I caught a glimpse of something that wasn't there before, but it could just be storm wrack."
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 24, 2009 17:27:51 GMT -5
"Curious," Perceptor muses, troubled. Could such a catastrophe happen to his own Cybertron? Does his Cybertron possess the ability to deactivate everyone upon it in such a manner that Springer implies? That Shockwave had implied before?
It is a frightening prospect.
"As do I, Skyfire," Perceptor replies. He isn't, however, all that eager to speed along the process of these... Maximals. He rather likes being a robot microscope. What would he possibly become? A primate of some sort? An eagle?
Preposterous.
"It is something to ponder, at any rate," he adds, pausing to listen to Skyfire's caution.
"Understood. Thank you. Shall we?" Perceptor transforms, tucking the crystal away as he does so, and strides toward the ramp, completely forgetting that Springer should probably go first, since he's ostensibly there as protection.
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Post by Springer on Feb 24, 2009 23:27:02 GMT -5
"I dunno what it was, exactly. I just know that it wasn't pretty..." He shrugs, standing. "I'll try and get it all put down in an entry about my reality that Rodimus wanted."
Yay, more reports. Springer had had enough of them in the medbay, but now he can get back to what he prefers - being out in the field. He pulls a rifle from subspace, hoisting it over his shoulder, and stepping up quickly aside Perceptor, placing a hand in front of the scientist to block his path. "Hold up, Perceptor. Lemme check it out first."
With that, Springer steps out of the bay, retracting his headfin as he heads down the ramp...and is promptly knocked aside by a large, six-legged reptilian creature.
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Skyfire
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Post by Skyfire on Feb 26, 2009 10:49:18 GMT -5
Skyfire is waiting for Perceptor to clear the ramp so he can close up and transform when Springer gets knocked down by one of the local predators.
"Springer, stop playing with the thalarion. Tiny will probably get jealous if you bring home more pets," Skyfire says with some amusement. "It's harmless to us, by the way. Your green coloration rather closely matches that of a male in mating display, so your attacker is either jealous or amorous."
Yes, Skyfire has been observing the lifeforms around the Autobase between exciting adventures. Why do you ask?
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Post by Perceptor on Feb 27, 2009 19:38:06 GMT -5
Perceptor stops short, held up by Springer's hand brushing against his sensitive mirror and speciine array. Lookie, lookie, Springer. You copped a feel and didn't even know it.
"Springer!" he calls, worried when the triple-changer vanishes in a blur of green and... limbs. He rushes out - and it's a good thing that the thalarion had been alone and mostly harmless or else he'd have just presented another creature with a tasty snack, too.
"Please do not harm it, Springer! We have had a significant enough impact on the ecology here as it is!"
Oh, yes, and be careful not to get hurt, while you're at it. Ahem.
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Post by Springer on Feb 28, 2009 1:04:48 GMT -5
Luckily for Perceptor, Springer's tumbling crash made it hard to aim, so the few shots he peppers out before Perceptor ruins his fun miss the creature.
"Oh, come on. He hit me first!"
Springer stands, brushing sand off his plating. He is not amused one bit. This trip is starting out wonderfully...
The creature retreats after having been shot at, off down the beach away from the shooty robots.
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Skyfire
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Post by Skyfire on Feb 28, 2009 9:00:04 GMT -5
Fortunately, none of Springer's shots hit Skyfire's ramp, either, or the big shuttle-former would have been just a trifle annoyed.
"I've observed that most organic predators have trouble wrapping their teeth around metal hulls--and most don't think we're edible, either. We don't give off the right aero-chemical cues." (Translation: Transformers don't smell like food). "The few attacks seem to be matters of territoriality, dominance posturing, or defensive reactions." Skyfire lectures.
"Curiously, the most dangerous organic creatures are the smallest--there are microscopic organisms that feed on metal and inorganics with dangerous alacrity. The misnamed 'Cosmic Rust' is one such organism. What is that in the surf-line to the north?" Skyfire asks.
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Post by Perceptor on Mar 9, 2009 20:56:06 GMT -5
"That's as may be, Springer," Perceptor replies, tone in full 'time for a lecture' mode, "however, you are a rational, sentient, sapient entity capable of making a rational judgement based upon the facts given you during a situation, and those facts remain that the creature cannot seriously physically harm you, while you possess more than enough ability to eliminate the creature from existance. Fair play alone dictates that you restrain yourself."
In other words, play nice.
"It looks like a body," Perceptor answers, distracted from his lecture by Skyfire's observation. He removes himself from Skyfire's ramp so that the shuttle-mech can transform as well, and begins heading for that indistinct lump to their north.
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Post by Springer on Mar 10, 2009 6:41:23 GMT -5
The Wrecker grumbles a bit, shouldering his rifle and following after Perceptor. "In my experience, underestimating something like that can get you killed. Either way, though, it's run off now, so no matter."
Maybe Springer just wants to establish dominance. Take that, nature!
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Skyfire
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Post by Skyfire on Mar 10, 2009 20:00:44 GMT -5
Skyfire closes up and transforms; for all his size, he transforms as agilely as a Seeker. He gives a quick look around, then retrieves his double-barreled proton cannon, which he cradles under one arm as he strides toward the still form awash in the tide.
The sea-soaked body of a large predator lays there, half-swamped by the receding tide. It's a great cat with immense tusk-like fangs pointing downward from it's jaws. Skyfire studies it curiously; it appears to be wearing some sort of armored harness and head-guard--and gun.
Skyfire frowned slightly. "That's odd--if one has the technology to build an energy cannon--and that certainly looks like one, why use something so primitive as a domesticated combat animal?"
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