Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
|
Post by Dead End on May 31, 2008 13:46:16 GMT -5
Dead End parted from Hook and the others with orders to go find Thundercracker. As far as Dead End was concerned, the most likely place to find Thundercracker was crushed under the rubble of the Autobot base.
Transforming in front of the big rubble pile, Dead End said so. "Thundercracker is probably crushed flat under all that," Dead End said dourly. "Pity we don't have Scrapper or Scavenger here for this. Of course, if they were, they'd be helping Hook with our no doubt massive casualties."
The morose Stunticon probed the rubble with his radar. "Too much metal in the walls to get a good picture--but I think there's some large chunks that aren't beam-shaped at the bottom of the pile, of course." He began pulling slabs of ceramacrete off the pile and tossing them to one side.
"Either Thundercracker is in several pieces, or some Autobots didn't get out in time. Perhaps they dismantled him for parts while interrogating him, or perhaps we'll find some Autobots smashed in this impromptu vehicle crusher." Dead End sounded like he wasn't sure which was more morbidly gruesome and thus more likely.
|
|
|
Post by Skystrike/Skylar Stringers on Jun 1, 2008 0:36:14 GMT -5
A slightly dinged and singed Skystrike lazily flies into sight, swerving slightly in the air once she spots Dead End. Hello comforting sight of a non-Autobot car. If Skystrike wasn’t so grumpy and paranoid at the moment, there might have been some Porsche tackling to do. She opts merely for a greeting half roll though, before transforming and landing a safe distance away on some other pile of rubble.
There’s a pause and some wary surveying of the area on the berkut’s part before she turns to peer curiously at Dead End. Then the seeker inquires, “Are you looking for equipment or the unfortunate prisoner?” No trophy there because Skystrike isn’t sure if Dead End was one for trophies.
|
|
Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
|
Post by Dead End on Jun 1, 2008 9:26:29 GMT -5
"At the moment, I am looking for Thundercracker or any other casualties that will turn up here. I hear we are missing the allied version of Perceptor," he said. "If he's not crushed under the rubble here along with the most unfortunate Thundercracker, he's probably lying in fragments somewhere else."
As Dead End pulled away slabs of rubble, he added, "However, that's a good idea. I'll set aside any equipment I find for Engineering to inspect."
After tossing a couple of ceiling beams into his evergrowing pile of sorted rubble, Dead End said, "If you're not occupied with another task, about 8 meters under this quadrant are several large chunks of metal that aren't ceiling beams."
|
|
Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
|
Post by Thundercracker on Jun 1, 2008 13:17:05 GMT -5
Sorry to disappoint you, Dead End, but Thundercracker is indeed not crushed flat beneath the rubble. He is, however, in a great deal of pain, though unfortunately not quite in enough pain to knock him offline. Though at this point he wonders if termination wouldn't be better.
He somehow manages to get his pain-wracked processor working enough to catalogue his injuries, checking his diagnostic display and various sources of pain throughout his body. As far as he can tell he's lying face-down beneath the ruins of the base, though his equilibrium systems aren't cooperating and he supposes he could be face-up for all he knows. Both legs are gone, one taken off at the knee and the other at the hip. His left arm is pinned and he gets neither feeling nor readings from it -- whether it's taken off entirely or simply suffered severe damage to the circuitry, he's not sure. Both wings are still attached, though pierced in several places, and his cockpit is smashed to pieces.
Hook's probably not even going to bother fixing me, he thinks. They'll probably just haul me out and toss me in the spare-parts bin back at base. If they bother digging me up at all...
Hey, you try getting captured by a pint-sized jet and have an Autobase fall down on your head and see if you don't come out of it with at least somewhat of a Dead End complex...
|
|
|
Post by Skystrike/Skylar Stringers on Jun 1, 2008 17:32:11 GMT -5
“Do we really have to find Perceptor?” Skystrike questioned, walking over to help Dead End remove the rubble. There was something fundamentally very wrong about these Autobots and it wasn’t only because they weren’t the do-goody team they were used to here. Just being around them was enough to prove that for her and she’d only talked to two of them.
“It’d be far easier to just leave him under the rubble. Along with any other ‘allies’ we might find here.’” She growled lowly as she hefted up a few sizeable chunks of debris.
|
|
Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
|
Post by Dead End on Jun 1, 2008 21:38:14 GMT -5
"It depends. Starscream would probably be pleased at whoever fulfilled his orders, but who knows how long his favor lasts." Dead End shrugged. "In any case, once we've lifted enough rubble to even find out he's under here, he won't be under the rubble any more."
Dead End continued to stoically heave rubble into the ever-growing pile of "rubble that was not Thundercracker or anyone else", setting aside in another pile the occasional piece of debris that was still recognizable as having been some kind of device.
Perhaps someone in Intelligence would like to analyze this. Dead End opened a private radio channel: // Scourge, sir, if you have someone in your section--or perhaps Hook's-- that can analyze it, I've been setting aside any devices I found in the remains of the Autobase. I don't know if someone would find what the Autobots left behind, or didn't leave behind to be significant. //
More rubble, and yet more rubble interspersed with the occasional crushed widget--
Dead End froze after he threw aside the rubble covering the first of the metallic bodies he'd detected. He stared for a long moment at the mutilated red and teal body thus revealed, visor glowing dimly violet.
"Oh dear. I think I've found a Perceptor. The color isn't quite right, though."
// Starscream, sir, I've found a Perceptor in the Autobase. It doesn't look quite right, however. //
The next slab to be removed dropped suddenly from Dead End's hands when he saw what was beneath it. "Oh... my!"
// Sir, you really ought to come see this... //
--- OOC: Dead End is looking at the dead shells of G1 Optimus Prime and Marvel Perceptor. Obviously, he's dug out the morgue. Someone else may come across the head of Armada Thrust. Sorry, Thundercracker, he'll get to you next
|
|
Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
|
Post by Thundercracker on Jun 1, 2008 21:56:37 GMT -5
Meanwhile, back beneath the ruins of Autobase, Thundercracker tugs experimentally at his still-functioning right arm. Nope, pinned. He's good and stuck -- he can't even turn his head more than a quarter of the way around from the debris piled atop him.
Fraggit all to the Pit, he grumbles. And just my luck my radio's out too...
He can faintly hear scrapings and voices... perhaps someone's coming to the rescue after all? Or maybe the Autobots drove off their attackers and are searching for survivors... or some local beastie is foraging...
Nothing he can do about any of those scenarios anyhow. He can only settle in and await whoever or whatever is pawing at the ruins.
|
|
|
Post by Skystrike/Skylar Stringers on Jun 1, 2008 22:56:39 GMT -5
Skystrike didn’t trust someone like Starscream to do anything but be completely unworthy of trust. She wasn’t about to start thinking that his favors are worth anymore than that either. Also, this was an alternate Autobot that they were talking about and one less of them around was one less thing to worry about.
“No one said we couldn’t rebury him if we find him.” Skystrike muttered under her breath as she dragged a bulky block of rubble out and turned to toss out of the way. Being occupied with that, the seeker missed Dead End’s discovery of Perceptor’s body.
So when Skystrike turned back, she paused, looking mildly startled at the sight. Then Dead End spoke and she gave him a disappointed look. Ah, well, at least that was one less Perceptor, even if it wasn’t the one she’d been hoping would suffer such a fate.
The berkut was about to go back to digging when her current companion suddenly dropped whatever it was that he’d been holding a moment later, the sound and the following exclamation drawing her attention back. What was it this time—?
“….” Ah, well then. Skystrike stared, optics flickering slightly. Then, she quietly uttered, “So Autobots really don’t recycle their dead very often, do they.”
|
|
Shortround
Minor
Breaker of the Fourth Wall
Posts: 272
|
Post by Shortround on Jun 2, 2008 2:03:33 GMT -5
The Decepticon's only cowardly hovercraft comes hovering along to help Dead End. How he managed to drag himself up from the sewers is a long and boring story which mostly involves walking into an apartment store.
That's why Shortround is now carrying around a rather large box of toys on his vehicle mode, marked in random Gillanan symbols.
When he gets nearby, the hovercraft transforms, putting his latest box of loot on the ground, and moves to help take away more rubble. And then he sees... That.
"You're smelting kidding me..." he swears, staring. "They found... Him?". Shortround moves to the side, kicking in his leg fans, and attempts to help move away more rubble.
Maybe he'll get find some other corpses soon...
|
|
Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
|
Post by Dead End on Jun 2, 2008 22:22:19 GMT -5
"It would seem so," Dead End said as he slowly picked up the dropped slab and moved it to one side. After brief radio conversations with High Command, Dead End shook his head very slightly and pointed at a clear spot.
"Set aside any bodies or parts you find. Shockwave is particularly interested in the Perceptor." Dead End stared down at the gray shell of Optimus Prime, his visor glowing luridly purple.
"How the mighty are fallen! I wonder if this is the same one who fell to Megatron, and who in turn mortally wounded our Leader, that day in 2005?" Dead End mused. "Two legends that no one could see ever imagine actually ending... no one except me. I see everyone coming to an end, and Cybertron itself cold and dark and lifeless in the void. In the end, none of this will matter. We will all be like him, Autobot and Decepticon alike."
Dead End carefully lifted up the dead Prime and carried him to the cleared area. After gently setting him down, he returned for the Perceptor, whom he carried with equal care.
"I did not detect any other large metal masses in that area, though there are some smaller chunks that might be smaller bots or just parts." Dead End scanned the rubble mound with his radar again; since they'd removed a fair amount of the covering debris, he could look a little deeper.
"Try digging over there," Dead End pointed to the right of where they'd been searching. "I've picked up another large chunk of metal that was hidden before."
--- Note to Eager Excavators: Armada Thrust's head and remaining parts are the smaller chunks Dead End has detected. The big chunk over to the right is Thundercracker.
|
|
Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
|
Post by Thundercracker on Jun 2, 2008 23:50:06 GMT -5
The bigger chunk of metal in question braces himself as the voices and sounds of digging get closer and closer. Autobots or Decepticons... or the Other Autobots, which judging by the little he'd seen would be almost worse than regular Autobots finding him...
OOC: Thundercracker's legs have been seperated from the rest of his body. Anyone who uncovers his legs first or tries to drag him out by pulling on his legs will probably discover this for themselves...
|
|
|
Post by Skystrike/Skylar Stringers on Jun 3, 2008 6:19:01 GMT -5
Skystrike shook herself out of her staring when Shortround arrived, peering momentarily down at the smaller mech and then at the boxes he’d brought. Deciding it was better not to ask, the seeker returned to the task at hand— which was apparently listening to Dead End’s tirade on the inevitability of things. She just watched the Porsche has he talked for moment, wearing a slightly quizzical expression.
“Hundred percent chance of death.” The berkut said neutrally when he finished, shrugging slightly as she watched him carry the bodies away. Dead End is a pretty car with a nice voice, but Skystrike still wasn’t interested in starting a conversation on the apparent end of all existence at the moment. The fact that they were talking about this with Optimus Prime’s dead body nearby was disconcerting enough as it is. Probably because she was having the distinct impression that Starscream was going to keep the deceased Autobot leader’s head on a wall and that was kind of creepy.
Optimus Prime’s head.
On a wall.
Staring.
Suppressing a shiver Skystrike stiffly turned back to working, this time at the spot Dead End had just pointed out. Grabbing the nearest piece of sizeable debris, she began hauling things out of the way once more. After a few minutes of digging away though, the seeker’s hands encountered a particularly stubborn piece of debris. Scowling, she took a hold of it as she dug her heels into the rubble, taking another few moments to feel for a good hand hold. Then she pulled.
The debris under one of her feet gave away and Skystrike promptly found herself halfway down on one knee, blinking at the sight of a familiar, albeit warped, black and blue foot in her hands.
“Well slag, Thundercracker.” Skystrike says to the foot. Hopefully the other seeker wasn't dying or anything. That'd be annoying after all the digging.
|
|
Shortround
Minor
Breaker of the Fourth Wall
Posts: 272
|
Post by Shortround on Jun 3, 2008 6:36:34 GMT -5
Shortround nodded to Dead End's comments, and then moved over to where Dead End said there was the larger signal and continued helping to move debris away from the pile, until Skystrike came across a foot.
Of a Seeker.
A blue Seeker.
"... Well smelt" Shortround said, staring. "That's... Gotta hurt". He winced slightly, and threw another bit of debris away. "I guess we should take it all off him rather than just drag him out" Shortround added, continuing with taking debris away.
They'll get to Thundercracker soon. Shortround doesn't want to run the risk of dragging him out by his legs though, Shortround likes staying on the good side of other Decepticons.
|
|
Dead End
Major
Yes, we're all doomed. I already knew that.
Posts: 797
|
Post by Dead End on Jun 3, 2008 7:19:19 GMT -5
"Ah, you understand," Dead End replied to Skystrike as he hauled some more debris away. Gray dust trickled down, nearly hiding the blue wingtip he'd just uncovered--then Skystrike exclaimed suddenly.
"Oh dear. Poor Thundercracker! To come all this way and be crushed in the moment of victory," Dead End commented sadly.
"Quite right, Shortround." His visor brightened noticeably as he noted the wingtip under his feet, and he started removing debris more carefully. Even so, it didn't take long for the three of them to uncover Thundercracker, or what was left of him.
He was a mess--the Perceptor corpse had looked healthier. It had only been missing one leg.
"Look around for the other leg, will you, Shortround? It's probably one of those mid-sized masses of metal off to the southeast. Skystrike, help me turn him over and see if there's enough left to bring back online and keep from crashing into cascade failure." Dead End's tone suggested that there wasn't much hope of that.
Dead End wouldn't be surprised if Thundercracker's entire torso was crushed flat and his cranial chamber pulverised, though they did look like they might be substantially intact. Hard to tell with him face down in the debris. Still, it looked like those prominent air intakes had protected his head somewhat...
There's a good reason why Dead End isn't allowed to do triage.
|
|
Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
|
Post by Thundercracker on Jun 3, 2008 8:29:45 GMT -5
The voices are finally recognizable... and unless Thundercracker is hearing things he can make out Dead End, Skystrike, and Shortround conversing. A thrill of relief sweeps through his systems... which quickly gives way to a new worry. After this, the latest failure in a string of failures since he arrived here, are they even going to bother with him, or just leave him to the "mercies" of the Autobots?
When Dead End mentions bringing him back online, he lifts his head to regard the Porsche. "Don't bother," he advises. "Already online." He glances to his left -- wow, that arm DID come off in the collapse -- then back up at Dead End. "What took you so fraggin' long?"
Yes, what a way to greet your rescuers, Thundercracker. Though it was hard to feel especially grateful when one was missing three limbs.
|
|