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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 14, 2008 10:46:24 GMT -5
Takes place the morning after the Villain Party, which if I have timelines right, means Day 12. If not, let me know and I'll fix it.
The coordinates given to Scourge will bring him closer to the eastern edge of the city, to what must have been a repair shop of some sort. Most usable materials and tools have already been scavenged, of course, but tools and materials are not what concerns Shockwave at the moment. He has his own, after all. This place has tables and lifts strong enough to support his current object of study, the husk of yet another Perceptor. Four cubes of energon rest on a shelf off to one side, two of which will go to Scourge once he arrives. It is not altruism that prompts the gift. It merely provides Shockwave with an excuse to speak with the tanker in private, to hopefully get an unbiased and honest account of the situation from one who has shown power, intelligence- and discretion.
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 14, 2008 13:46:12 GMT -5
Scourge, in tanker truck form, does not take a direct or obvious route to the coordinates that Shockwave specified. Indeed, it's pretty clear that he went a few miles out of his way just to come at this location from the second-most counter-intuitive route possible.
Not the most counter-intuitive, however.
People watch for that.
Shockwave can probably hear a cry of, "Scourge, transform!" from somewhere in the vicinity of behind him. The hulking tanker spent the rest of the night picking out shards of glass and pieces of shrapnel from his frame and then carefully polishing himself. The building did little to him, really. It would take very sharp optics to notice the tiny nicks and scratches, where his paint was scraped and where he couldn't rub in the rich, black polish deeply enough.
Scourge greets simply, his one word carrying with it the burden of expectation, "Sir."
What does Shockwave have in store for him now?
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 14, 2008 20:56:13 GMT -5
Shockwave straightens from his examination and turns toward Scourge once addressed. "You are prompt. But then, I would expect no less from a solider of your caliber." He waves his hand toward the cubes, "You may choose two. You, like myself, might not be in need, but high-grade will never go to waste."
That yellow optic flickers as Shockwave regards Scourge, "Especially when there are those that are suffering the effects of excess and could use a pick-me-up, who might do or say much for a bit of relief. Fuel and drug, all in one little package," Shockwave shrugs, "But victory and celebration have me in a thoughtful mood. Do with them what you will when you leave."
Shockwave turns back toward the table and begins to remove what armour still remains on the shell's chest. There will hopefully be enough left within for him to make comparisons and draw conclusions about another, similar, mech's systems, and their differences from the schematics he has on file.
"You mentioned wishing to observe or assist me from time to time," he says. "There is also the little matter of your vocalized attack and transform commands to attend to at some point. Perhaps sooner than later if opportunity arises to do so...discreetly." Shockwave carefully sets aside a panel. "What do you think of our position in relation to our allies'?
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 16, 2008 19:43:19 GMT -5
So Shockwave is offering Scourge the chance to play Russian roulette. If he picks the two closest to him, he is showing lazy thoughtfulnesses. If he picks the two cubes farther away, he is showing predictable paranoia. If he takes the two outer or the two inner, he is showing pattern tendencies. Scourge settles on taking the inner cube nearer to him and the outer cube father away from him.
All that goes to show is that Scourge over-thinks things.
Scourge tucks the cubes away into his cabin, and he considers the fact that Shockwave is basically advising him to try to extort his fellow Decepticons. Is that a bit of hero worship that Scourge is feeling?
No, never. Shockwave doesn't have six or more modes.
Scourge expresses his gratitude with a, "Thank you, sir," leaving it open-ended as to whether he is thanking Shockwave for the energon, the advice, or both.
He looks at the shell curiously, trying to see if it looks like anyone he knows. Shockwave doesn't need to bait Scourge with the honeyed promise of the removal of his vocal transform commands, but that does certainly sweeten the deal. He assures, "I am here to serve, sir."
Perhaps he really meant 'rule' when he said 'serve', but if he did, he doesn't show it. Scourge is yet young.
He crosses his arms, and he opines, "Precarious. They have power, numbers, and desire. They will turn on us, inevitably." It is what Scourge would do. "Our only hope, then, will be subterfuge."
Scourge adds, speaking with a casual sort of arrogance, as if he has not transgressed and has instead done exactly what he was meant to do, "The Prime wishes to spar with me. He said that he has difficulty finding a proper sparring partner."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 17, 2008 9:20:25 GMT -5
Shockwave is also giving Scourge leave to extort their esteemed allies, should opportunity arise.
Continuing to busy himself with removing various bits of armour from his subject, Shockwave notes Scourge's choice of cubes, but thinks little of them. There are more important items to consider.
He pauses in his work to pull his datapad out of subspace. Cradling the pad on his gun arm, Shockwave calls up a set of schematics, then punches in a series of commands. The pad is then placed on the table almost directly in front of Scourge, an invitation. The tanker is free to exam the schematics currently displayed or not, as it suits. Shockwave is curious as to whether Scourge actually has any aptitude for such work. Can he make the correlations and catch the similarities? And the differences?
"Of course they will," Shockwave answers, "Their Prime looks upon us as if we already belong to him, and beyond that, they are Autobots. For all that attitudes are reversed that still holds true, and Autobots and Decepticon alliances are short lived."
Unless you convince them that they are at once both and neither, but that is not a conversation to be had with this one.
Shockwave levels a thoughtful look on the tanker. Rather than comment, he asks, "What effect does being in close proximity to this Rodimus Prime have on you, Scourge?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 17, 2008 19:41:07 GMT -5
Scourge discreetly scoots over to look at the datapad. He has no inherent skill in this work, no, but he is quite intelligent, and where there is a will, there is a way. He furrows his brow and narrows his optics as he looks over the schematics, trying to make heads or tails of them.
Scourge does not know enough to appreciate the black irony of Shockwave speaking about Autobot/Decepticon alliances.
He comments idly, "Autobots can be made into Decepticons, sir. Remove that Prime, and those Autobots will be without the force that holds them together, kicking and screaming. We might be able to... persuade a few of the survivors of the fallout to our side. The rest, of course, will need to be dealt with."
Permanently.
Scourge looks up at Shockwave, into that unblinking yellow optic, and he considers his reply. He goes for brutal bluntness, "He brings out my fury."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 18, 2008 21:22:11 GMT -5
Shockwave nods at Scourge's admission, "I am not surprised. His presence seems to bring out the darker emotions in an individual. Even in myself, and that says much."
Turning back to the husk, Shockwave does not immediately begin removing parts from its chest cavity. Instead he uses his needles to trace lines that still remain intact, even reconnecting loose ones where possible. He does not look back at the datapad, instead comparing from memory. One difference that may be noticeable to Scourge is that in the schematic that seems a spot of dead space, the chamber where a spark coalesced at creation. There is no such space in this Perceptor, nor an equivalent piece of machinery. Shockwave continues to talk as he works.
"Your own existence notwithstanding, it is not usually an easy thing to turn an Autobot from their programming. It must be a conscious decision, and even then, they show a annoying tendency toward regression," Shockwave muses. He taps his needle a few times on the worktable, "Of course, these Autobots are closer to the typical Decepticon mindset than most; some may prove salvageable."
"Do you wish to fight the Prime? Moreover, could you spar with him without losing yourself? Fatal damage could not be dealt under such conditions, of course." At another time, perhaps....
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 18, 2008 22:24:14 GMT -5
Scourge is a soldier, and a hole is a hole. He can call a hole for what it is, because he might be assigned to dig one if he pisses off the wrong people.
Still, he grunts, "Colours are wrong." Well, they are.
Scourge points out, "Blackarachnia was a Maximal protoform." Perhaps the solution is just to get them young, and if the Autobots have a surplus of anything, they certainly have a surplus of young idiots that Scourge could pawn off on Sky-Byte. If they fail, that's fine - it makes Sky-Byte look bad. If they work out, all the better. Either way, Sky-Byte gets to put up with the annoyance.
Scourge's programming is intact, anyway, although he does have amnesia, of a sort. It's his very spark that is corrupted.
He holds up a hand, and he clenches it into a fist, replying, "I'd like to kill him. To spar..." his fingers flex and twitch, "...would not exactly be a waste of my time, however. Even if he would learn of my fighting style, I would get the same opportunity of him, as would anyone who cared to watch," he hints. "Losing myself?" Scourge barks out a laugh. "You misunderstand me. I would find myself."
Scourge is rage. To think anything less is to delude oneself.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 19, 2008 9:28:27 GMT -5
The colors are wrong, true, but it is not aesthetics which concern Shockwave at the moment. This Perceptor comes from yet another reality, Shockwave believes, and the trick is to discover if it comes from one already represented. So far, he is unsure; after all someone decided to lock him out of several key schematics after the mandatory physicals were completed, and he has been too busy to press the point lately.
"True, Blackarachnia was such, and Jetstorm also carries a Maximal spark," Shockwave counters. "And we've evidence that they both eventually return to their root directories, so to speak. I've not examined her, but the shell program on Jetstorm is quite the piece of work. Very thorough. But not so thorough that it could not be subverted through time and effort, or an exertion of will."
Shockwave turns his dispassionate gaze upon Scourge once again. Shockwave would very much like to lay Scourge open as he did Jetstorm, to gain first hand knowledge of those systems and perhaps learn more of Scourge's unique origins. Later, perhaps, when or if Scourge proves as...sensible as he has to date.
One of Shockwave's headfins flicks back slightly, "Do not be over confident. During the battle, I glimpsed the results of his full fury. A direct attack could well prove futile. A coordinated attack, during a point when he is distracted, such as in the midst of a larger battle, however..." Shockwave trails off, then continues "He is young, brash and arrogant, emotions to close to the surface, yet he is skilled, and intelligent. He would not request such a match up without reason. Not knowing the reason make me hesitate to agree."
Shockwave nods slightly, "You are right about the information to be gained however. I will see about setting up the particulars."
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 24, 2008 21:50:03 GMT -5
Scourge tilts his head to one side, antennae askew, and he notes, "If you had found my dead body," he speaks of it casually, as one might mention jellybeans, "before meeting me, would you have assumed it was the corpse of an Optimus Prime? How do you know this is even a Perceptor?"
He growls, "Believe nothing that Sky-Byte says of me. He and I... do not get along," as if that was not vastly obvious to anyone with half a processor cycle to spare.
Scourge crosses his arms and insists, "I am not overconfident. Do you think I will attack him directly?" His optics glint. Scourge is going to know the location of their sparring arena before anyone does, and he will know every inch of the area, and there will not be an inch left that will be hospitable to the Prime.
He conclude, "The reason should be obvious. He wishes to gauge my power directly and perhaps cripple me. I can give him what he asked for without giving him what he wants."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 24, 2008 22:34:04 GMT -5
Shockwave actually considers Scourge's question, looking the other over as if Scourge truly were a subject laid open for study, "I think not, though I would reference what information I have on Optimus Prime's build type when performing the examination. The Decepticon symbol alone would be enough to bring your identity into question, color not withstanding." After all, Scourge is not the first Optimus Prime redeco Shockwave has known, or whose systems to which he has access.
"I tend to base my opinions on personal observation, not on other's idle gossip. Sky-Byte has his uses, but giving unbiased opinions which can be trusted is not one of them."
Shockwave begins to strip the armour from the dead mech's helm. "While it is possible that this mech is not Perceptor, there are enough similarities in form and design that I can use his specs as reference points and this husk to draw conclusions about this body's reality of origin."
"I have come to a suitable agreement with the Prime. I have informed him that I need you for the next while, which is only partly true. Have you a place in mind for your sparring session, or do you need to scout about a bit more?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 25, 2008 8:55:30 GMT -5
Scourge decides that he does not like that look, but given that there are few things that Scourge actually does like, this should be little surprise. He points out, "Tide and time could have washed away my paint. Tart me up with gold optics," yes, Scourge's Optimus Prime has gold optics, as a random factoid, "and a blue, red, and silver paintjob, and would I not be an image of our enemy? A little erosion, bash in my optics and windows, and you'd have no idea my corpse was meant to be black."
Also, poor Scourge has no idea about G2, with Red Alert and Sideswipe; Prowl, Bluestreak, and Smokescreen; Grapple and Inferno; although he is starting to learn about the millions and millions of Seekers who all look alike.
However, Scourge supposes that he can stop playing Megatron's advocate, and he asks, "What conclusions are you drawing, then, sir?"
He narrows his optic in a sulky glower. What is he, some play-thing, his fate to be decided where he cannot even hear it? Scourge dismisses, "I have an idea."
A suburb of the city. This city is similar to the one the alternate Autobots know, and Scourge hardly wants to give the Prime a home turf advantage.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 26, 2008 11:28:08 GMT -5
Scourge's likes or dislikes mean little to Shockwave beyond how they can be used to Shockwave's benefit. Scourge makes good points though, and Shockwave is pleased. Not for the points, as they are all ones which Shockwave himself considered previously, but that Scourge's minds works in such a way, and that Scourge is not afraid to voice them.
Shockwave continues his examination, but he is not so engrossed that he misses that moment of sulkiness. His optic flickers briefly, but that could be because he has finally found the component for which he searched. As Shockwave removes what he surmises is the core module for this Perceptor, he speaks again.
"You also have the Prime's frequency," He tilts his head up to look at Scourge again, "You were present when we acquired it, after all, and you are not the type to 'forget' such information. I can contact him when you are ready, or you may do so, as you prefer. However, you will contact me beforehand so that I might be present."
His gaze returns to his work, "Or you can decide not follow through with the engagement. As you like."
Back to their other topic of conversation now, "As for your other question. It is too soon to draw anything concrete, but my working hypothesis is that this model is not from a reality that parallels my own, nor from one which parallels that of the Autobots' Perceptor. There are enough similarities in design, in the transform mechanisms to allow for the assumption that this is a Perceptor- or a Perceptor clone, at any rate."
"Is there one with a similar build in your reality?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Aug 27, 2008 18:36:47 GMT -5
Scourge does not need to be reminded, and he bridles at Shockwave's imposition. For that, he's going to make sure that visibility is impaired due to his traps.
He shakes his head and replies, "No, but Dead End has said that my commandos look like his Combaticons." Scourge pulls out his datascreen - a clear, floating screen, and he pulls up pictures of his commandos.
They're Combaticon repaints. It's really that simple.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Aug 29, 2008 17:55:28 GMT -5
Scourge has a nifty floating datascreen. Shockwave does not, and finds this rather vexing. He will have to remedy this lack at some point, even if Shockwave has to pull the tech directly from Scourge's innards.
Shockwave does not like being behind the curve, no he does not.
"How interesting," he murmurs, leaving off further examination of the corpse to study Scourge's screen. "They are rather similar to my own Combaticons in appearance, as well. Considering that your reality seems one to be one of the more unique represented, such similarities are noteworthy. Did your team combine?"
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