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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 20, 2010 15:45:23 GMT -5
Day 23, Shockwave's suite at Club Con. semi-private, please ask before posting in.
Hook may hate being ordered around by Shockwave, but the Constucticon is always prompt.
Thus, Shockwave is expecting Hook to arrive any moment.
This does not mean that Shockwave is expecting the meeting to go seamlessly. Not at all.
The Decepticon Commander pulls up some plans on the large touchscreen panel in his room. Shockwave has gone to great pains to make sure his information is as safe here as it is aboard ship, but still, he has been rather selective about what projects he's brought planetside to work on.
Hook will probably recognize Hellbender's schematics. He may not recognize the other two plans laid out to either side, given that one of them is for an Autobot and the other, for a Transformer that Shockwave hasn't yet completed building in his reality.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 20, 2010 17:14:33 GMT -5
Hook is never late, once he's agreed to a time, but he's seldom early. Early implies some uncertainty about the time one is supposed to be present, some Scavenger-esque desire to please and show eagerness. Hook arrives exactly on time, without so much as a second to spare on either side.
He checks the door and finds it wanting, but less importantly than that, he finds it unlocked. Shrugging, Hook enters. He cannot resist stalking over to examine the Hook bait plans, and the first thing he says is not a greeting or any manner of pleasantry but, "You'll need to use thicker insulation there," and he stabs a finger at the offending part of the plan, "because in the course of use, those wires are going to rub, and the sheathing is going to become worn down, and a short circuit would be absolutely disastrous. To compensate for the reduced performance due to increased weight from the insulation, you will, of course, switch to a tironium two-twenty-five alloy for the auxiliary bracing struts."
He crosses his arms and looks up at Shockwave.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 20, 2010 22:19:15 GMT -5
Shockwave stares impassively down at Hook. It would not matter if the plans were finished and the epitome of perfection, Hook would have found some flaw. That is how Hook is.
It is, in a way, why Hook is so valuable an asset. Exhausting, yes. But valuable.
"They are not finished, Hook," Shockwave says, "But I will certainly take your advice as I move forward."
"Which, incidentally, is why I asked you here. I trust you are finally over your tantrum regarding my initial work on Hellbender?"
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 20, 2010 22:29:22 GMT -5
"It wasn't a tantrum," Hook sniffs. "Bonecrusher," his Bonecrusher, not the farce they have here, "throws tantrums. Devastator throws tantrums. I simply disagreed."
He looks over Hellbender's plans in more detail, finger hovering in the air, not quite touching the plans but sketching above them in the air. Mostly just scowling as he thinks through the plans kinesthetically, he grants, "If you're willing to let me do it right, we shouldn't have any problems."
Hook steals a glance over at the third mystery set of plans, and it takes even him a bit of staring to start to understand what's going on, and he admits, "I have a bit of experience in designing weapon Transformers. And animals."
If Shockwave didn't want Hook to comment on it, he shouldn't have put where Hook can see it.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 20, 2010 23:07:22 GMT -5
"Disagreed. Of course."
Shockwave sounds almost amused. At least, his normal slight accent seems a touch deeper, which is sometimes an indication of amusement.
Then again, sometimes it is an indication that someone is about to get a serious case of the dead.
"Providing Hellbender with his third mode will be predominately my project, though certainly I will require your exacting eye for detail during the process," Shockwave says, reaching out to touch the screen and make the corrections suggested by Hook before.
A few more touches brings up a closer view of the main transformation components of all three mechs displayed. Here, Hook is certain to notice a similarity between the design mechanisms, just as an artist would recognize another's style on sight. Obviously, these designs were created by the same hand.
"As do I Hook. The Triplechangers were my creations in my reality."
He taps the screen in front of Springer's schematic, bringing up a small picture of his own Springer to float above the plans.
"The Autobot's Springer is not my own. But he is quite similar."
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 20, 2010 23:40:48 GMT -5
Hook doesn't want to die. It would be grossly inconvenient, and then he'd never get any of his projects done. Also, there are people who need him, and what would they do without their Hook? Muddle about pitifully, he's sure.
He puts a hand on his hip and frown, squawking, "You want project lead? But you don't have the time for this!"
"Megatron and Trypticon are mine," Hook then replies, actually cheerily in this contest of 'who can build bigger'. His mouth even peels back in a rather fierce self-satisfied smile; Trypticon's a multi-changer, too, and on ever so large a scale. "Worked on Omega Supreme's transformation, as well, plus minor projects that don't bear mentioning." Hook flicks his fingertips. Stupid Scrapper and his fetish for battle taxis.
Then Hook actually thinks for a moment, and he inquires, "But you must have some reason in showing me Springer? Are we going to build a duplicate?"
The Autobots will just race to see which Springer is real.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 21, 2010 0:13:04 GMT -5
Shockwave turns his head to once more stare at Hook.
"Hellbender is mine, Hook," he says, meaning the emphasis in an entirely different way than Hook, "I will make the time."
"Besides, I am still in the planning stages. Adapting the Gillanese body into a jet alt is a bit trickier than building him from scratch."
He uses a finger to sling the image of Springer off screen. leaving behind the schematics. Another gesture and the third set of plans also slides off the screen- for now.
"Most likely not, actually," he answers, "It could make for an interesting ruse, yes, but were I going to go to the trouble of cloning someone, it wouldn't be Springer."
"I show you the plans for comparison, as some of the land-to-flight mechanisms will likely be similar. You were behind the initial placement of Midnight into his current form as Hellbender, and have done more with the Gillanese technology than myself. Plus," one headfin twitches slightly, "I imagine that you know enough about Triplechangers from your reality to be able to point out differences and similarities- for the purposes of discerning weaknesses.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 21, 2010 1:31:59 GMT -5
Hook is smart enough to know that he's in Shockwave's room, in Shockwave's casino. He looks at the walls and wonders if they're soundproofed, walking over to one and giving it a sound rap of his knuckles to listen to it ring and hear what he can hear.
"Hmph. You could just build the body from scratch, then, and do a transplant," Hook notes, at Shockwave's comment of adapting an existing design being more difficult, "if you want to take the easy route."
A real engineer would give Hellbender a third mode in a cave with a box of rocks, of course.
Hook stares back at Shockwave. Is this cloning thing a typical Friday night activity for Shockwave, then? Sling back some energon cubes; make some clones; party? "I see." Hook has no idea at all.
"I know enough, yes, to suggest that Blitzwing is a much better basis of comparison, and we happen to have two of those here, with completely different transformation schemes, even. Hellbender will want a jet mode, not a helicopter mode. He wants wings. Again, why do you show me Springer and that... other one?" Hook presses, half-turning from studying the wall to again look at Shockwave, one hand on his hip.
"...as for weaknesses? If that is my Springer we have here, his weakness would be pink cars, nothing physical," Hook finishes with a sneer.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 21, 2010 10:47:48 GMT -5
The walls do happen to be soundproof, but that was not an addition of Shockwave's. It was, however, one of the reasons Shockwave chose this suite as his own.
"Oh, yes I could do that, Hook," Shockwave says when Hook mentions a transplant, "But his current form is quite powerful; I would prefer to simply augment it."
Besides, Midnight was an experiment in adaptability. Shockwave may not have been his original creator, but why stop the experiment when it is experiencing such rousing success?
His hand glides over the touchscreen again, minimizing Hellbender and Springer's schematics and bringing up three sets of similar plans. Not identical, but similar. "My Blitzwing, yours, and Blackarachnia's. I am well aware that Hellbender wants wings. He shall have them. But again, some of the basics surrounding the designs are the same." He zooms in on certain areas to prove his point, overlaying them with the same areas from Springer and Hellbender.
One of his headfins twitches, and then he taps the screen again, all the schematics disappearing only to be replaced by lines of streaming code.
Hook has created life before. He should be able to recognize a person's essence flowing like water upon the screen.
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 21, 2010 12:26:04 GMT -5
"Acceptably soundproofed," Hook murmurs, as if 'acceptable' is a dreadful communicable disease.
Hook observes, "Most of the differences are in the... 'hardware'," he makes air quotes, "for the operating system. Mine has a lasercore," which is apparently a little glowing cube, thank you, Combaticons, "and the associated apparatus, which is the major difference from the spark chamber in yours, although there's no anti-gravs and you've done something... odd with the energon systems and the emotional processors," Hook frowns thoughtfully, "and as for Blackarachnia's," Hook shrugs, "he may as well be someone completely different. Just a few similarities in cog attachment points, and that's it."
Hook sees that Shockwave isn't going to give him straight answer or even a crooked one about Springer and the mystery man. That is a pity, but if Shockwave wants to keep Hook in the dark, Shockwave shouldn't get upset, then, when Hook does something terribly colour-blind.
He stares at the code, and a slight, ghastly smile settles on his features. "...although, yes, the motor schemas would have some basic similarities, as they all are burdened by requirements unique to multi-changers."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 21, 2010 12:54:30 GMT -5
Hook will get his answers. Shockwave is simply taking the long way around. Baiting Hook is one of the few joys to be hand in this mixed-up universe.
"This is Springer's- my Springer's- programing matrices. A perfect backup of the Wrecker before he was stolen away from me. Inserting it into a blank shell would give us a rather useful- and loyal-warrior."
Shockwave turns back to Hook, "Overwriting the existing individual would give us a loyal warrior while depriving our enemies of the same. Perhaps even giving us an agent among them."
"But for that, we must be ready to spring upon opportunity, and that, dear Hook, is why I show you these things."
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 21, 2010 14:27:38 GMT -5
Hook does not come from a universe where people get copied very often, and when they are, the copies are actually just Megatron and Starscream cosplaying with puppets, not actually alive. Hook's universe does not stand for such nonsense as Optimus Prime on a floppy disc or Sunstorms. Yes, lasercores could be removed and stuffed in boxes, but the body was then useless and inanimate.
So the idea of saving someone's brain, while that person is still alive and walking around, and then uploading it to a new body, while perfectly sensible for robots, seems a bit queer to Hook. He starts to demur, "If the code actually properly initialised, and I suspect that it might not, given-"
Then Shockwave pushes one of Hook's big red buttons. The Constructicon's hands clench into fists, and his feet widen into a fighting stance as he seethes, fairly roaring at the end, "I. Was. Overwritten. TWICE."
There is a scalpel clutched tightly in one of Hook's fists, and he doesn't even know how it arrived there.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 21, 2010 15:12:48 GMT -5
"Were you now?" Shockwave asks, tone the epitome of innocence, "I was not aware. You never have explained to me exactly what happened with Omega, and I have had only hearsay from which to draw conclusions."
He moves closer to Hook, apparently not afraid of the scalpel in the surgeon's hand.
"You are in no danger from me at the moment, Hook, and I like you just as you are in any event. But keep your weapon if it comforts you."
He fixes that impassive stare on the Constructicon.
"Tell me what happened to you and your kin, Hook," Shockwave softly commands, "The full accounting this time, if you please."
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Post by Dr. James Hook on Jul 21, 2010 15:26:38 GMT -5
Hook stares down at the scalpel dumbly for a moment. What's that doing there? He doesn't put it away, though, when he casts a hateful look up at Shockwave, who is getting uncomfortably close to invading his personal space.
Optic visor narrowed, he snaps, "I will tell you no such thing, Shockwave!"
Then, he rubs his temples, scalpel held in the crook of his little finger, as if he has a headache. Hook does have a headache. Trying to remember any of that mess is just a bit painful. Making sense of it is worse. He just knows that he's alive, and he won't be made a puppet, a slave to lines of code, a being without free-will in a deterministic universe. Hook is without constraints save those he chooses to impose upon himself.
To revoke the free will of another, to make him something he is not, is... an uncomfortable thought for Hook. He'd do it to Omega Supreme, in an instant, but the thought still unsettles him.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jul 21, 2010 15:48:21 GMT -5
Shockwave watches Hook's struggles- for struggles they certainly are- without comment. At length though, he reaches out and attempts to tilt the Constructicon's chin up.
"Hook," Shockwave says, voice still deadly soft.
"It was not a request. You have my word it will not go beyond me. I am simply tired of being blindsided by such secrets."
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