Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on May 24, 2009 19:20:33 GMT -5
"I don't know yet," Skyfire replies. "Here..." he seizes hold of the ice plug Perceptor has deftly cut around, "help me pull this away. We'll get a better idea then."
|
|
|
Post by Perceptor on Jun 6, 2009 12:33:38 GMT -5
With the cut complete, Perceptor transforms once more, leaning in to examine with hbis critical optic the neat and precise score through the ice sheet that he has created. Yes, yes, it will suffice. Not his best job, as the line wavers by a full seven microns in this ten foot sample alone, however, it will suffice.
"Yes, of course, Skyfire," he replies, leaning his surprisingly large bulk - for a mere scientist - to the task of removing the ice plug.
|
|
|
Post by Springer on Jun 6, 2009 13:19:41 GMT -5
"Got'cha, Skyfire" he answers about the same time as Perceptor. Springer steps forth, and crouches down, worming himself into covering the bottom of the plug's removal. He wedges his hands in, providing support down low as the others pull it out.
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Jun 6, 2009 13:25:16 GMT -5
The plug finally slides free, and Skyfire staggers under the weight of it before casting it aside, into the drainage channel he'd melted in the crevasse. He turns one of his landing lights on and shines it into the hole.
"Interesting. There appears to be a stack of Gillanese vehicles in some sort of hangar in there." He glances at his two companions. "I'm too large to fit in that hole--Perceptor, you or Springer will have to investigate if we're to find out anything."
|
|
|
Post by Perceptor on Jun 6, 2009 17:28:30 GMT -5
"Agreed," Perceptor replies, having stepped to one side as Skyfire had discarded the ice plug. He is now peering with unbridled curiosity through the doorway - a doorway that appears to have been blasted open in the past, based upon the damage to the metal.
"I am detecting minimal energy readings within," he adds, fishing an external light source out of his subspace. "But this does appear to be some sort of hanger. Based upon the doorways which I can observe from this point, it appears to be scaled to a typical Gillanese humanoid. Shall we, Springer?" he asks, remembering at the last minute that the Wrecker will want to preceed him for security reasons, even though Perceptor doubts the presence of any inimical life forms or systems by this point.
|
|
|
Post by Springer on Jun 7, 2009 22:37:06 GMT -5
"Minimal energy readings can still mean something, and that's not accounting for any possible organic creatures."
Yes, Springer's pride is still a little bruised by the creature from the beach. He pulls out a pistol rather than his rifle this time, and steps through the hole, and does a quick sweep.
"Clear from the initial sweep. Come on in, Perceptor."
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Jun 8, 2009 6:47:10 GMT -5
"Well..." Skyfire looks ruefully at the hole and himself. "I'll, er, study the crevasse in the meantime. If you find any interesting specimens that aren't too large, bring them out. Do get imagery of the place for analysis; it may turn out to contain resources we'll want later. I can't imagine a polar base for a warmth-loving race that would not be for scientific or military purposes."
--- skippable until finished in arctic base
|
|
|
Post by Perceptor on Jun 9, 2009 14:26:26 GMT -5
"But of course, Skyfire," Perceptor replies with a faint sniff. As if he would forget that. Heck, he'd even been planning on bumping back live video images to Skyfire as he and Springer explored.
"Thank you, Springer," he adds, stepping in after the Wrecker Commander and begining his initial explorations.
Fortunately for both Springer's peace of mind, andSkyfire's curiosity, there prove to be no surprises either of an attacking nature, or, really, of an exploratory nature. The layout is a simple facility arranged for a humanoid's convenience - specifically, a Gillanese - with fairly standard and typical scientific instruments, as well as surprisingly unimpressive military ordinance prepared for defensive use. Considering what the Gillanese had defended their primary power beaming station with, Perceptor is rather disappointed in what he finds in this arctic base. Perhaps the extreme environment had restricted what the Gillanese could use?
The only real significant find of note - other than the presence of the base materials for the ordinance, and the metals which could be gathered and recycled for use in the construction of their own ship - is that all of the Gillanese vehicles in the hanger appear to have been scavenged of power already, and based upon the few indications Perceptor can find, by another transformer.
He forwards all of this information on to Skyfire as he explains his findings to Springer during their search, making notes of it in his files for the eventual report he will provide Xaaron, Rodimus, and Wedge.
"Other than personell quarters, there is nothing else," Perceptor muses as he finally files out of the doorway. He sounds disappointed. "Ah, well. I will forward the findings on to Wedge. The metals might be of use if we begin to run short on supply during construction. If you have finished your examinations, Skyfire, Springer, we should retrieve the probe and continue before Xaaron or Rodimus recall us to base."
Because prowling around on an alien world? Definitely trumps skulking around in all-too-familiar tunnels and sewers anyday.
ooc: my sincere apologies for taking over and glossing through this, but there are things that must be accomplished soon, and we need to get moving on. Please feel free to yell at me privately, however, we had to wrap this up and move on.
Skyfire, no need to skip you. Also, feel free to pose Perceptor loading up or getting carried up or whatever you decide if you choose to move us to the surface. I am also good with a time skip to get this moved on to the next stop, within the next round or two.
Thank you, and again, my apologies.
|
|
|
Post by Springer on Jun 10, 2009 0:42:47 GMT -5
OOC: S'cool with me. ----------
On one hand, Springer's glad there was no nasty surprises in there.
On the other, Springer is a bit disappointed. That's okay, however. In the next few days, he'll get to go out and play Dinobot Keepaway with some Decepticons. Shunting his pistol back to subspace, he looks up the crevasse. "I think I can jump high enough, if I really put some oomph into it. Might have to tuck you away though, Perceptor. So your choice as to whether you wanna ride up with me or Skyfire. Skyfire would probably be smoother."
What'll it be? Sit in Springer's pocket, or in Skyfire's pilot chair?
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Jun 10, 2009 20:50:19 GMT -5
Skyfire listens to Perceptor and Springer as they check out the ice-bound base, and examines the video feeds Perceptor is sending him.
"Someone else has been here before us? Judging by the frozen ice plug, not recently. No one's mentioned being here, so I assume it was a Decepticon. Might want to mention to the Emirate that this hidden polar base is known to the Decepticons, then," Skyfire muses aloud.
"No problem, I'll take Perceptor up," Skyfire says, and he does just that, loading Perceptor into his cockpit for safety. "You might want to go first--the backwash in this confined space of my jets might be a trifle warm."
--- Loading Perceptor done with permission.
Time skip nao?
|
|
|
Post by Perceptor on Jun 12, 2009 14:16:25 GMT -5
ooc: thank you Springer and Skyfire. And yes, Time skip nao, please. ----
"Likely Decepticons, yes," Perceptor agrees as they swiftly exit the ice cavern, and Perceptor makes a note of its precise coordinates for future use - both to fetch materials if needed, and to warn others if they should visit. No sense in risking anyone for simple lack of passing info along.
"Next stop is the desert, yes? and then the swamp after that?"
|
|
|
Post by Springer on Jun 13, 2009 17:08:27 GMT -5
"I s'pose that's the plan!" Springer says, crouching down. "Let's find that sensor and get out of here before our joints freeze up." With that, he launches himself fairly high, and manages to clear the top of the hole in one go. However, his landing is less than graceful. Thankfully, no one else is around to see his -second- landing fubar.
|
|
Skyfire
Major
I'm a scientist, not a....
Posts: 891
|
Post by Skyfire on Jun 13, 2009 19:35:56 GMT -5
Skyfire fires a short burst from the rockets on his back and zooms out of the crevasse in robot mode, then lands, probably as awkwardly as Springer, since he wasn't really designed for flight in robot mode. Unfortunately, the crevasse was a bit too narrow to transform inside, and too steep to walk out of. Necessity makes for strange procedures.
He staggers and falls, catching himself with outflung arms. "Sorry about the rough ride, Perceptor."
Once he gets back to his feet and liberates Perceptor, Skyfire points out the location of the buried sensor, and they quickly dig it up. That chore done, Skyfire transforms, and it only remains for Perceptor and Springer to board and secure themselves and they are off.
Skyfire launches high and keeps going; it's a short sub-orbital hop to the desert from the polar region, or a very long surface flight. Skyfire would rather go fast, and he does. If someone accused him of enjoying fast, hot reentry orbits, he wouldn't deny that, either, any more than Mirage would deny enjoying racing.
The desert... proves disappointing. No signs of Decepticons, new Autobots, new Decepticon sensors, or even dead arrivals. Someone has been to the black sand before them and scavenged thoroughly, or there have been no new arrivals here. Has moving the eye of the pattern changed things?
"Next stop, lovely downtown Swampland. Fortunately, as I recall, there's solid ground near the arrival point, plus interesting ruins," Skyfire announces as he flies cross-country.
Although he trusts his navigation sensors, out of cautionary habit he looks for the visual landmarks as well: the line of black metal maglev road crossing the swamp on its causeway, broken here and there by erosion or possibly a certain rogue mining machine.
There it is! Not far from the arrival point, the causeway bridges over a stretch of bayou...
Skyfire touches down, once again, almost on the skidmarks of where he picked up the broken remains of Midnight, so long ago. He lands carefully, letting his thrusters run until he's sure the ground still supports him. Finally, he cuts his roaring engines and lowers his bow ramp.
"Be very careful. The ground away from this small bit of causeway is very unstable and soft," he tells them.
--- time skip and posing of Perceptor and Springer done by request and with permission
|
|
|
Post by Perceptor on Jun 14, 2009 14:24:38 GMT -5
This is Perceptor's first opportunity to visit the swamplands, and so Springer... may have his hands full with scientist wrangling.
"I have been quite looking forward to this stop," Perceptor observes excitedly, all but bouncing out of his seat and heading toward the bow ramp with surprising speed. "Such hydrophillic environments are typically possessed of the most incredibly diverse ecologies!"
Except for, well, the fact that Perceptor seems to have forgotten that they're supposed to be there fetching the probe and looking for other mechs and bits of Cybertron, not indulging his scientific curiosity about Gillanan's creepie crawlies.
|
|
|
Post by Springer on Jun 15, 2009 1:37:45 GMT -5
Alas, Perceptor is a slippery nerd, and for once, gets out before Springer can stop him. Springer is quick to get to the ramp, pistol in hand, and grumbling to himself about how despite reminding Perceptor at every stop so far, the scientist still hasn't gotten that the Wrecker needs to disembark, first.
"I swear, Perceptor..." he starts, trailing off as he hits the bottom of the ramp.
|
|