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Cubed
May 3, 2011 7:25:48 GMT -5
Post by Turmoil on May 3, 2011 7:25:48 GMT -5
Turmoil, big as he is, squeezes down to let Misfire to provide his cover fire. Still, some of the shots singe painfully close to the plating on his back actuators. Yet another reminder of the terrible things he'd do to the one responsible for all this. Tearing fingers from their sockets one at a time came to mind. It was a happy thought that lasted until he saw the new challenge this tunnel threw at them.
Speeding up, crushing the downed and/or wounded shrikebats under his footplates, he rushed to the intersection. Given more time he would have come up with a better plan, but with the advancing water he really had only one plan to offer.
"The two fastest among us each take a tunnel to scout ahead for an exit. The rest of us wait for their reports until the water is about to submerge us. Then we make our choice, whatever it may be."
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Cubed
May 3, 2011 18:05:21 GMT -5
Post by Duskwing on May 3, 2011 18:05:21 GMT -5
Duskwing frowns after incinerating another shrikebat. "Dat'd be me, Misfire, and maybe the raven-dude there. Misfire, you any good at tunnel flying? Whatever. Youse figure it out, I'm going left."
Without waiting for an answer, he jets up, taking the tunnel to the left. Duskwing remains in robot mode, supplementing his lifters with burns from his jet engines whenever the way is open and straight. His arm guns are out and pointed forward, ready for Autobot ambushes--this is tunnel scouting, right?--or more critters. It's slower this way, but he's less likely to splat into sudden closed doors around corners--he'll do his hurrying on the way back, after he knows the route.
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Rook
Minor
Avatar by Tai
Posts: 301
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Cubed
May 8, 2011 22:10:31 GMT -5
Post by Rook on May 8, 2011 22:10:31 GMT -5
Rook hovers near Misfire's shoulder once he's released, drawing his pistol and taking potshots at any shrikebats that get too close. He hits one, sending it tumbling in a crumpled mass toward the diamond floor. He's still savoring his accomplishment when the party reaches the fork in the tunnel. He's already transforming to beast mode to follow Turmoil's orders when Duskwing jets off down the left passage. If it was him, he'd send half the group one way, and half the other, so at least some of them live. He flaps off down the right tunnel, dodging shrikebats and cawing. He's not as fast as a jet, but he's small enough that the tunnel is easy for him to maneuver in.
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Cubed
May 9, 2011 10:27:49 GMT -5
Post by Misfire on May 9, 2011 10:27:49 GMT -5
Misfire continues to lay down cover fire for a few moments. He notices how Rook stays close to him. Perhaps it is because the closer to Misfire at the moment, the safer one is. Perhaps it is because Misfire showed Rook some deference. Either way, it's nice not to be immediately shunned.
He's stepping up to do as Turmoil orders when Rook takes off first. The jet takes two steps after the crow, then stops. If there are traps either direction (and there probably are), depriving the main group of a heavier hitter could be disastrous. Rook is a member of command, but he is one of the weaker in the company, and Duskwing is... Duskwing.
"Sir," Misfire begins, using the term of respect automatically. Turmoil is an unknown, but Misfire recognizes him as a leader now. "Sir, we may not be given time to wait long, and we don't know how long those tunnels are. If we're in the sim room- and I think that's a good bet- whoever's in the control room can adjust the variables to force us to act whenever he wants."
The shrikebats are at least wary now. Misfire kept Aimless ready, just in case.
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Cubed
May 10, 2011 21:17:46 GMT -5
Post by Phobia/Pierce Fobster on May 10, 2011 21:17:46 GMT -5
“I believe Misfire is correct, sir.” Phobia quickly steps away from the corpse of a bat, mouth set in a thin nervous line. “I doubt the options either way are terribly favorable, both options created to facilitate the goal or goals of this sim.”
What was the goal though? If they were truly unlucky, the goal was just violent entertainment. Phobia has spent a long enough time under a particularly sadistic leader to not discard the option, even as it seemed unlikely under the current command. Worst option aside though, this was more likely to be a training of sorts. What training exactly though? And how to finish this nightmare as quickly as possible?
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Cubed
May 12, 2011 14:57:00 GMT -5
Post by Bonecrusher/Bane Crusher on May 12, 2011 14:57:00 GMT -5
Bonecrusher is almost disappointed when he's run out of shrikebats to smash for the moment. Crushing them was at least sort of entertaining. Now he's supposed to wait? He hates waiting.
"I say we just go right," he grumbles, eyeing the left-hand tunnel Duskwing went down. Yes, Duskwing, Bonecrusher is hoping that something horrible happens down that tunnel and that you'll get left behind to be devoured alive by shrikebats. He's just a nice person like that.
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Cubed
May 14, 2011 19:59:26 GMT -5
Post by Spinister on May 14, 2011 19:59:26 GMT -5
Down the left way, Duskwing will find the way blocked by heavy stone doors, with an ornate slider-lock mechanism that looks rather like a logic puzzle, if Duskwing has ever seen one. The stone doors are probably at least three yards thick. They can maybe blast through them, but if they have anyone smart enough to solve the logic puzzle, that is probably easier.
Down the right way, Rook will find a lot of stalactites that are very pointy and have a bad tendency of falling off the ceiling and trying to murder him. If he times it right (has Rook played a lot of video games?), they can be easily avoided, however.
Two different problems posed.
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Counterpunch
Minor
The Overlord, His Peerless Highness, Arch Duke Counterpunch. The Salient Vanquisher of His Own Mind
What're you looking at?
Posts: 419
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Cubed
May 14, 2011 22:03:37 GMT -5
Post by Counterpunch on May 14, 2011 22:03:37 GMT -5
Counterpunch joins the others where the tunnel fork and slows down. He glances back towards the rising waters - seems like they've still got a bit longer, at least. He's forced to admit to himself that Turmoil's idea is a good one, though it has its down sides.
"Waiting until the last second means we're going to be rushed through whatever we find," he points out, a statement that echos and supports Misfire's concerns, although he doesn't yet move to head up either tunnel just yet.
"As likely as a sim is, though, we need to account for the chance that it isn't one. Every person here has experience in suddenly waking up in a place that doesn't seem to make much sense, and assuming that this is 'fake' and we can't get killed is a good way to get killed."
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Cubed
May 16, 2011 18:26:23 GMT -5
Post by Duskwing on May 16, 2011 18:26:23 GMT -5
skipping Turmoil due to timeout
"Whoa!" Duskwing flips around so he's facing the sudden obstacle feet-first and brakes hard with his jet thrusters, bathing the lock with flaming jet exhaust for a few seconds. He slows to a stop just in time, his feet gently tapping the door as he stops against it.
Duskwing stares at the lock for a few moments. "Oh, goody." He doesn't sound pleased.
He rotates and transforms in mid-air, then speeds back to the fork in jet mode, thrusters blasting away. Duskwing knows the route back, and one thing he can do well is fly. Fly it he does, taking the twists and turns like a mad flying toboggan, until flipping around to simultaneously transform and break to a halt in front of Turmoil.
He salutes and says, "Tunnel's clear, ends in a big stone door wit' a funky lock. Looks like somethin' the 'Structies woulda built for fun--trick door sorta thing."
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Rook
Minor
Avatar by Tai
Posts: 301
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Cubed
May 16, 2011 22:06:39 GMT -5
Post by Rook on May 16, 2011 22:06:39 GMT -5
Whatever sinister fiend is controlling this sadistic playground gave the Rook puzzle to Duskwing and the Duskwing puzzle to Rook. Thanks a lot.
Rook, while we're on the subject, doesn't generally play a lot of video games. He's more the good book/classical music/vintage energon type. He's no slouch in the agility department, however, and he can recognize a pattern when he sees one. He dodges the first stalactite easily, then alights on the fallen stone spike and cocks his head at the others lying in wait on the ceiling.
//This passage is unstable. Stalactites are poised to fall from the ceiling. Someone with good armor or good reflexes should be able to clear the way,// he transmits on an open channel. //Duskwing, what's your status?//
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Cubed
May 17, 2011 13:51:50 GMT -5
Post by Turmoil on May 17, 2011 13:51:50 GMT -5
For the best really, Turmoil needed the reports.
Considering their options, Turmoil, for one, sincerely hoped that this was all some elaborate test. But then again, what Decepticon tests weren't elaborate and deadly. But until he got his reports, Turmoil remained silent, clearing hearing the question, but hoarding his words until they mattered.
"Counterpunch is right Misfire. We have to focus on what's happening now. If there is a controller, real or fake, he will reveal himself by altering our setting. I don't think that will happen yet. We go left to the door. Duskwing, take point. Counterpunch, get up there as fast as you can and check out the door. The rest of us will bring up the rear. Move out."
//That path will only serve to handicap us in the long run, Rook Get back here, we're going left.//
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Misfire
Minor
The Chamberlain, His Incomparable Immensity, Emperor Misfire. The Accidental Butcher of Anyone He Wasn't Aiming At
Improving. Honest!
Posts: 449
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Cubed
May 17, 2011 18:01:50 GMT -5
Post by Misfire on May 17, 2011 18:01:50 GMT -5
Misfire nods sharply in acknowledgment of Turmoil's orders. As the others move out, the jet moves off to the side slightly, watching the right hand tunnel.
He won't move out until Rook is back with the party. Rook is a command figure. Leaving him to possibly get maimed or killed would look rather bad.
Well, unless your name is Starscream. Which Misfire's isn't.
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Cubed
May 25, 2011 0:11:38 GMT -5
Post by Phobia/Pierce Fobster on May 25, 2011 0:11:38 GMT -5
Phobia casts a nervous look behind him, eying the bats before doing as ordered. To the puzzle, then, he supposes. He is probably one of the group members with the agility to dodge the stalactites, but division of the group wasn’t likely to be too good an idea.
He is curious however; what was the catch with the puzzle? It can't be as simple as just solving it, could it?
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Cubed
May 25, 2011 21:25:07 GMT -5
Post by Bonecrusher/Bane Crusher on May 25, 2011 21:25:07 GMT -5
There's no justice in the universe. Duskwing came back unharmed. Then again, it's probably a good thing for Bonecrusher that the universe has no justice, otherwise he'd have seen plenty of it himself. Though there were all those times he's been stabbed in the face...
Muttering darkly to himself, he follows orders and trudges to the left.
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Cubed
May 31, 2011 23:55:48 GMT -5
Post by Spinister on May 31, 2011 23:55:48 GMT -5
The door puzzle seems to be composed of small sliding blocks set into the door. It's sort of like a game of Traffic.
But moving a block will move the corresponding wall in or out - if they aren't wary in playing with the puzzle, they may well crush themselves!
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