Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 22, 2010 11:51:46 GMT -5
OOC: Takes place on Day 1, evening-ish. Mods have given permission for this "flashback". Private thread.
Ultra Magnus genuinely did not expect to wake up.
He feels stiff from head to feet; he aches everywhere; he's still exhausted. But somehow, he's alive. His quarantine room is almost painfully quiet. It nearly deafens him whenever he shifts his weight and scrapes against his berth, so he tries not to do much of that. This leaves him lying there, propped up like an invalid, with his hands folded across his middle while he runs a tactical simulation, having little else to occupy his mind as he waits to find out if he'll be questioned further or issued a sentence. The shapes move, bright red and pale blue, across his view of the wall on the other side of the room, and he runs commands to each cluster of symbols. He's going into combat against himself.
Unsurprisingly, he keeps hitting a stalemate. Some tactician; he can't even out-manoeuvre his own formations and counter-formations. He snorts scornfully at himself before initiating another simulation. He sets up a defence, organises an attack once he finds the weak point, then shifts troops and resources to bolster the defence and flank the attackers… and eventually, this ends in another stalemate. So he starts over again, intent on ending at least one simulation with a victor.
He may be a while.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 23, 2010 16:47:42 GMT -5
Er, I am more or less assuming that I'm meant to be here, since I haven't heard anything, either way. If I'm not supposed to be here, just holla, and I'll delete this.
No one with half a microchip would believe that Emirate Xaaron just happened to be wandering by the brig while strolling the Event Horizon. No one with so much as a quarter of a microchip would believe that Emirate Xaaron just happened to be wandering by the brig while strolling the Event Horizon when Ultra Magnus awakened.
It wouldn't do to insult Ultra Magnus with a poor lie, so Emirate Xaaron simply walks briskly into the corridor of the quarantine area, hands folded behind his back, and greets plainly, "Ah. You're awake."
He then pauses and looks at Ultra Magnus expectantly, from across the barrier. What Ultra Magnus has for a reply right now, how he fills the silence, the assumptions he makes, should be enlightening. Ultra Magnus is doubtless still a bit out of sorts if he's at all mortal and flawed, and that mental wooziness makes now a perfect time for Emirate Xaaron to come a'calling.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 25, 2010 23:26:52 GMT -5
That voice breaking the silence of Ultra Magnus's very quiet corner of the ship brings the former commander out of his near trance; he pauses the simulation and shuffles it from his main view as he looks up from the wall. It takes him a second longer to sort through the slightly fuzzy memories of his arrival and attach a name to the gold and silver mechanoid watching him.
"Emirate Xaaron," he says circumspectly. "I would stand and salute, but…." He lets the effort of pushing himself into a more upright sitting position illustrate his point. "…This is the best I can do." He pauses while the stiffest of his joints twinge sharply as his weight settles, then adds, "Did you have more questions?" Because no-one would be down here simply to visit him. Ask him to improvise when the enemy crushes their defences and he will do so without a second thought. Ask him to imagine anyone giving him a social call and he will founder. It doesn't happen.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 26, 2010 21:32:45 GMT -5
"Don't break yourself on my account," Emirate Xaaron replies sharply, voice acrid, even. The pale ghost does not look well, physically, and as for well mentally... well.
Ultra Magnus assumes that Emirate Xaaron has questions, eh? Not that he might be here to let him out? Energon cube half empty, eh?
Emirate Xaaron lets his hands fall to one side, and he gestures with one, up near his head. He can't keep from smirking as he replies, "More questions? Certainly. Anything you'd like? Something to drink? You must still be tired from your... ordeal." There is no good way of putting that. "Entertainment? Between the troops, there's quite a supply of holos and video games, and there's a few card deck and board games about. If you don't mind my saying so, you don't look quite up to sports right now." The smirk turns into a good-natured smile at the end.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 27, 2010 11:19:14 GMT -5
Somehow, Ultra Magnus manages to look gape-mouthed in bewilderment while lacking a mouth as Emirate Xaaron rattles off questions that, ordinarily, Magnus would assume are meant to mock the prisoner. But while these Autobots are many things, bizarrely lenient by his standards among them, they do not seem cruel. Not, he amends privately, in the ways he expects. Not that he's yet seen. They have a Micromaster among the ranks, after all.
Nevertheless, he plays along for the moment, testing the figurative waters when Xaaron's cavalier offers end on an apparently good-humoured note, as if he feels he's gently prodding an old friend. It could, Magnus tries to keep in mind, be an act. He doesn't know enough about this Emirate to be certain.
"No," Magnus agrees mildly, exhaustion still thick in spite of his dismissive tone, "I don't think I'll be arm-wrestling with Roadbuster for a while."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 27, 2010 11:43:21 GMT -5
Confusion. So Ultra Magnus was not expecting, well, Emirate Xaaron acting like a first class flight attendant. The reaction is reasonable enough.
Emirate Xaaron laughs a little at the suggestion of arm-wrestling Roadbuster, and he opines, "I'm not sure arm-wrestling Roadbuster is ever wise, if yours is anything like mine."
Not that they even have a Roadbuster here, but perhaps Springer could hum a few bars and fake the tune.
He pulls out his deck of cards and shuffles it a bit - oh, hello, there's an Ultra Magnus in here, and some Decepticon has scrawled 'deal with it' in the margin of the card. Emirate Xaaron pauses and frowns. "Perhaps not cards. It'd be a bit difficult, since in most games, you wouldn't want me seeing your cards." He puts his cards away, and then brightly, he suggests, "A board game that doesn't require secrecy, say maybe... do you play full stasis, by any chance?"
His optics twinkle with an almost avaricious curiosity.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 27, 2010 13:31:45 GMT -5
"That strategy game?" Magnus blurts out, surprised to hear of it here of all places, and from a politician; it seems strange, though Emirate Xaaron has access to the Wreckers' radio frequency. He may not be an ordinary politician. He may not be a politician at all.
So much for feigning ignorance. Magnus recomposes himself, stowing his uneasiness at his next words.
"I've… seen it played before, but never found the time to try it. Too busy hunting down dissidents." Those dissidents occasionally included rogue Decepticons, but for the most part, it was Autobot resistance. They probably had their own card games with their own choice of flavour text if any cards happened to have his likeness. He probably deserved it, too.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 27, 2010 15:00:26 GMT -5
It is surprising that Emirate Xaaron would mention a strategy game? His optics flicker, and he has to ask, "Oh ho! Yes, that strategy game. Why, is that so strange?"
Emirate Xaaron just can't resist steepling his hands just under his chin, a mere crack of a smile on his face. Then, he shakes his head sadly and reports, completely deadpan, "Well, I don't think we have a 'hunting down dissidents' board game, though I must confess, that's rather a bad way of going about it. Would you like to give something else a try?"
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 27, 2010 18:11:54 GMT -5
Ultra Magnus simply blinks, because shrugging seems rude.
"Not – not strange, exactly," he says slowly and with much chagrin. "But it isn't really the fare of those in political circles in my time." No, politicians in Magnus's time tended toward indolence, and occasionally bribery and extortion. And if Emirate Xaaron is not a politician, maybe he'll correct Magnus. Or not.
The prisoner again tries to rearrange himself, finally resorting to dragging himself backwards with a few short, raucous scrapes and propping himself against the wall behind him so he can sit up straight.
"I take it by 'something', you mean full stasis." Ultra Magnus would be lying if he said he wasn't interested.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 27, 2010 21:29:50 GMT -5
It has been a long, long time since Emirate Xaaron has been in any 'political circles'. Perhaps it would be best to clear up that fact sooner, rather than later.
"In my time, there aren't political circles of which to speak," Emirate Xaaron says lightly, "Though the Decepticon High Command at times does resemble a three ring circus. However, even before the war, I liked it well enough."
He spreads his hands and does offer, "Well, unless there's something else you'd prefer more. I think we have... Go? And, well, I haven't really memorised all our recreational options." Why would he?
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 28, 2010 10:21:24 GMT -5
If a nod can be apologetic, that's exactly what Xaaron gets as Ultra Magnus ducks his head after the other Autobot's explanation, taking it at face value. Xaaron says politics are a thing of the past for him, then so be it; if he's being disingenuous, the truth will out eventually. Or Magnus might be executed as a traitor. Who knows?
"Go? Go where?" Magnus frowns in acute bemusement, then tries to turn his mood again, adding with a shadow of a wry smile, "I thought I was in quarantine." Someone isn't exactly up to speed on his Earth culture. He pauses for a moment, resting his head against the wall when the room starts to swim; it passes quickly enough. He wonders privately why simply sitting up has to be so draining but does his best not to let any of that brief flash of exasperation slip through when he looks again at Emirate Xaaron. He gestures with one hand, hardly lifting it from his lap enough to do so, hand open and palm up in a nonverbal by all means, please.
He tries not to let just who he saw playing the game sour this opportunity.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 28, 2010 13:50:45 GMT -5
To be perfectly honest, Emirate Xaaron would have been one of those filthy dissidents in the tunnels that Ultra Magnus hunted, if Emirate Xaaron had lived in Ultra Magnus's reality.
Emirate Xaaron is not going to be that honest right now.
He soothes, "'Go' is the name of a game." Emirate Xaaron used to watch police procedurals with a Junkion and knows more about Earth culture than a Cybertronian homebody should ever know, though mostly the parts that pertain to pistol whipping people for overusing the word 'shenanigans'. He holds up a finger. "One moment, just let me make a call."
Emirate Xaaron puts in said call, //Clipper? Could you get me, oh, my full stasis board and pieces - they'd be in the entertainment room, one small light energon, something crisp and refreshing? One small dark energon, fuller, bitter, more savoury. A small folding table. Oh, and something nice for you, too, for your troubles? Bring it to the quarantine area of medical.//
Clipper is kind of a secretary, right? So this is sort of in her job description. (But even if it wasn't, he would have asked her anyway, because Ultra Magnus had some distinctly odd reactions to Holi, and the scientist in Emirate Xaaron wants to test this phenomenon, while the wily old buzzard in Emirate Xaaron just wants to be a bit of a devious bootleg about the matter.) Emirate Xaaron just assumes that she can carry all that, based off his own Micromasters, but if she can't, surely she can put it on a cart or something.
Politicking may be over, but scheming never ends.
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Post by Clipper on Apr 28, 2010 13:57:44 GMT -5
// Of course, sir! Right away! // she replies promptly, and sounding quite pleased to be doing something to assist Xaaron. It even falls pretty much within her previous job description!
ooc: will actually arrive in thread next round, or, if there's something that y'all don't want interrupted, the round after that.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Apr 28, 2010 23:16:29 GMT -5
"…Ah," is the stilted reply. Ultra Magnus is now trying to imagine what a game called "Go" is like. He keeps picturing races with some sort of elaborate movement rules, so he abandons this line of thought, nodding slightly in acknowledgement when Emirate Xaaron tells him to wait. Having a board brought down is Magnus's guess; he supposes it's possible to mock up a game of full stasis with cards, but he'd like to think that isn't Xaaron's method if the ex-politician can help it.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Apr 28, 2010 23:44:16 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron is noticing that Ultra Magnus is not particularly talkative. For shame! He prompts, "You said you've seen it played? Do you know the rules, by any chance? I was thinking it would be best if we played by your rules, since it's my board. My board and my rules would be quite unfair, I feel. Then again, perhaps you are used to playing by another's rules."
Certainly not by the rules of his own conscience, that much is clear.
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