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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Post by Counterpunch on Jul 27, 2011 19:43:15 GMT -5
OOC: Earth Month 1, Week 2, Day 4. Open to Decepticons.A sleek blue BMW GINA 1 with a Decepticon symbol painted on its visually seamless hood speeds along US Highway 60 in New Mexico, approaching NM 52. He activates his radio, using the Decepticon channel on a low frequency, and explains, // The humans call it the VLA, or Very Large Array. 2 Not one of their more creative names. It's a radio telescope, so once we get nearer, we're going to have to stick to audio or light codes. It's that sensitive. But apparently not so sensitive that they've been able to notice they're transmitting, too. Ship's sensors say that it's the source of that signal we got on Shockwave's frequency, or one of them, anyway, so we're checking it out.// Of course, if he can get away from his 'fellow' Decepticons for long enough, he'll be doing what he can to boost that signal to try and get warning to the Autobots. //If we miss it today, we're going to draw a lot more suspicion on the approach. Place only runs tours twice a year.// 1 'Free' alternate change provided as per the Earth Disguises thread. 2 Very Large Array
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Clio
Cadet
Posts: 96
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Post by Clio on Jul 28, 2011 21:53:58 GMT -5
A rather less sleek and bright red 1990 Renault Clio follows behind Counterpunch at a safe distance, scrupulously following the driving laws of the area to the letter, much to the chagrin of her passenger. At least Clio let Patra roll down the windows and blast music, otherwise the trip would be entirely unbearable.
Patra lounges in Clio's driver's seat, one hand on the steering wheel to give the illusion that she's actually the one driving. Clio never lets Patra drive. Just because she almost ran them into a wall trying to race some schmuck that one time... Following her partner's line of thought, Clio slows down a notch, just to be contrary.
However, the slowdown is brief as Counterpunch mentions their narrow window of opportunity. Speeding up, Clio replies, //Then we had better not miss it.//
One so rarely gets a chance to observe certain strains of human scientist in their natural habitats. She'd hate to lose the opportunity.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Jul 30, 2011 19:15:12 GMT -5
A khaki hummer with purple tinted windows follows behind the French subcompact. The speakers are currently blaring "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" just loud enough to hear outside the car, but not so loud that the bass vibrates the door panels.
//You worry too much, Counterpunch. These people aren't that hard to fool, even when a truck starts talking to them. Just enjoy the fresh air!//
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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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Post by Counterpunch on Jul 31, 2011 19:14:47 GMT -5
// Didn't say today was our only chance, // Counterpunch growls. // Just that it's our best chance. //
// We should wait until the tour's well underway before we make our moves, except for your organic, Clio. // Counterpunch doesn't address Petra directly. // Using her, we can get an idea on when the tour will be returning, too. Try and find parking spaces near each other so we can talk. From here on out, radio silence. //
He pulls off onto NM 52, and it's not long before they've pulled into the VLA parking lot. Once Counterpunch has parked, no one pays much mind to the fancy sports car that arrived sans driver. Most of the human arrivals, tourists, head immediately to the visitors' center.
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Clio
Cadet
Posts: 96
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Post by Clio on Aug 2, 2011 19:18:01 GMT -5
Clio feels a twitch of irritation when Counterpunch refers to Patra as her organic. Not because it belittles the Nebulan - Clio never expects respect for non-Cybertronian lifeforms from Decepticons - but simply because its annoyingly imprecise. She dislikes seeing the vast variety of lifeforms in the universe boiled down to simply being organic or otherwise.
However, she's not one to retort, even if they weren't lapsing into radio silence, and so she simply pulls into the parking lot and offers a simple, Enjoy your tour, ma belle. And stay out of trouble.
Oh, you never let me have any fun. With a long-suffering sigh, Patra climbs out of her partner and struts confidently after the humans, handbag slung over her shoulder, sunglasses firmly in place to make her eye patch less obvious, and the many beads in her hair jingling with every step. She may have been willing to give up her Nebulan wardrobe to fit in with the locals, but she was not abandoning her favorite hairstyle.
As Patra goes into action, Clio simply watches through her and waits.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Aug 3, 2011 19:01:41 GMT -5
The S.U.V. has to circle the parking lot a couple of times and wait for someone to pull out before he can find a spot next to Counterpunch.
Swindle tunes his radio, listening for the mysterious signal.
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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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Post by Counterpunch on Aug 4, 2011 14:53:03 GMT -5
That signal is the same as the one that drew them to Earth. The question, of course, is which of the many antennas in the array the signal comes from. Still, there's a fairly obvious one to check first. As soon as the parking lot has cleared of humans, Counterpunch says quietly, "It's time, then. We'll start with the center." He pulls out of his parking spot and towards the access road, driving at a moderate pace. Granted, he's a bit... sporty... for a maintenance vehicle, but it'll have to do.
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Clio
Cadet
Posts: 96
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Post by Clio on Aug 5, 2011 20:08:37 GMT -5
Clio says nothing, but follows Counterpunch after a moment, keeping at a safe driving distance. Part of her attention is with Patra and the tour, but not so much that she can't do her job here and now. Which is a shame, since watching humans is so much more interesting than tracking down signals. But, a 'Con has to earn her keep, after all.
Hopefully they can finish up this job quickly.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Aug 6, 2011 14:14:44 GMT -5
Swindle is a drab-colored SUV, and other than his purple-tinted windows looks every bit the maintenance vehicle after driving here through the dusty desert. He follows Counterpunch out of the parking lot and down the access road, alert for humans or other trouble.
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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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Post by Counterpunch on Aug 7, 2011 20:26:07 GMT -5
A black SUV with dark tinted windows pulls into the parking lot just after the drab-colored SUV with purple-tinted windows leaves.
Unlike the last SUV, however, this one doesn't even bother to park.
The dark-skinned, black suit, sun-glass wearing man driving it glances a moment at the man riding shotgun. "Do we turn off the radio transmitters and cells?" he asks, tones very clipped and formal. "We'll still be able to track the signal, but we'll be delayed if we have to call for back-up."
The vehicle heads right towards the service road, unknowingly following the Decepticons.
Meanwhile...
Counerpunch pulls up to the center antenna. He pauses a moment to look around, then transforms, waving Swindle back from them. "You stay in that mode and keep an eye out," he hisses.
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Clio
Cadet
Posts: 96
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Post by Clio on Aug 8, 2011 21:58:07 GMT -5
Halting behind Counterpunch, Clio transforms, moving over to the central antenna to begin inspect it for any obvious tampering.
"Any signs in particular we might be expecting?" she asks Counterpunch in a low voice.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Aug 10, 2011 18:27:15 GMT -5
"May as well save the batteries. I'm not getting any reception anyway," replies the less tanned, but equally black-suited and sun-glassed man in the passenger seat, flipping open his cell phone to check for bars and turning it off.
"You got it," Swindle calls back, sotto voce, parking in the middle of the access road, blocking both lanes. If he had some traffic cones he'd put those out too. He's playing the part of a service vehicle after all. Sadly, the most similar thing he has is landmines.
The black SUV pulls around the corner. The khaki one risks another whisper. "Counterpunch, we've got company."
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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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Post by Counterpunch on Aug 10, 2011 20:21:37 GMT -5
"What?!" Counterpunch hisses. "Blast! Clio, transform!" and he falls back into vehicle mode himself. He was sure there weren't any scheduled maintenance tasks planned for this antenna for this time. What would prompt an unscheduled visit?
Darker MIB nods, reaches over to turn off the SUV radio (which isn't exactly like most radios in many ways), then, with the same hand, flips open his cell and turns it off.
Why he still has a flip phone in this day and age is anyone's guess. Maybe it just helps him feel like Captain Kirk.
He frowns, his brow pulling together behind his sunglasses, as they pull into view of the tan SUV. "Maintenance crew?" he wonders out loud, then looks around as he starts to pull over to the side, willing to drive partially on the ground to go around if he has to. "Don't see the driver."
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Clio
Cadet
Posts: 96
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Post by Clio on Aug 11, 2011 10:24:23 GMT -5
Clio lets out a small huff of annoyance before dropping back into vehicle mode. She dislikes being interrupted when performing important tasks. She hopes whoever it is moves on quickly so she can get back to work. The sooner she gets back to work, the sooner she can get back to things she actually wants to do.
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Swindle
Major
This space for rent.
Posts: 571
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Post by Swindle on Aug 11, 2011 18:44:50 GMT -5
Swindle just sits there. The other SUV is close enough that the passengers ought to be able to see that's he driverless, despite his tinted windows, and driverless cars, as a rule, do not move. It'd be so easy to just deploy his scatter blaster from his roof and blow the meddling humans to kingdom come, though . . .
"Neither do I," the man in the passenger seat responds. He leans forward in his seat as they move around the other truck. "Okay, now those are some out-of-place vehicles," he says, eyeing the subcompact and the fancy sports car and giving his partner a meaningful look.
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