Gizmo
Rookie
Blue and Nerdy
Posts: 147
|
Post by Gizmo on Jan 16, 2008 23:51:48 GMT -5
It's glaringly bright here despite the odd blackness of the ground, the relentless sun pouring its light and heat down on the hard ground unhindered by even the smallest scrap of cloud. The fissured and cracked black ground seems to drink in the sun's energy, belching it skyward again in wobbly shimmers of heat that distort the horizon in every direction. Here and there jut sharp jagged boulders, some almost tall enough to be called hills, slicing out of the earth like the dorsal fins of predatory fish.
The sunlight bounces with a harsh glare off of a trio of intruders to this cruel, unforgiving landscape -- a dark red sports car with translucent bronze tires in the lead, a deep blue Dodge Viper with orange stripes behind him, and an orange bulldozer at the end of the pack.
Wedge and Swerve have both probably realized by now that Gizmo doesn't get out very often. In fact, this is his first foray outside the city since coming to Gillinan, not to mention his first extended foray outdoors in an organic environment EVER. He finds every rock, scrap of vegetation, and evidence of the local fauna absolutely fascinating, if at times annoying.
"All this dirt feels strange on my chassis," he notes. "Weird under the tires as well. It looks like it should be completely solid, but it's not, it gives slightly. I sure hope I get used to this... that and the bugs on my windshield. Anyone else got those? They don't come off when I activate my wipers..."
Posing of Swerve and Wedge done with player permission.
|
|
|
Post by Swerve on Jan 17, 2008 21:33:50 GMT -5
What with puttering along to avoid leaving Wedge far, far behind, Swerve is hardly pushing his systems and that makes the irritated growl he churns out that much more audible. Not only is he stuck with these two for Primus knows how long, Gizmo there is almost as bad as Bluestreak. His vocorder must be running harder than his cylinders.
"You act like you've never seen dirt or sand before," he eventually mutters, throttling back to glose the gap and talk more easily. Now, the bugs… Swerve had to get used to those. There wasn't an issue with little organic things that splattered all over his windscreen back on Velocitron. And he doesn't have wipers. "Try tweaking your windscreen polarity. Maybe you'll quit glitchin' if it works."
|
|
Wedge
Minor
NOT a reckless teen-bot
Posts: 413
|
Post by Wedge on Jan 17, 2008 23:33:21 GMT -5
Dirt and grit Wedge is used to, very used to. In fact, hey, it's like a second home. Smack a little darkness and dampness in and Wedge would be hard pressed not to place himself of a tunnel setting. To think that he'd actually want to get back to the tunnels after putting in all that effort to get out. Better watch out for what you wish for right?
Well, Gizmo's chattering certainly gives Wedge something else to think about. Also, having to keep up with these guys' faster paces puts the bulldozer's energy into something a bit more productive and useful. Wedge isn't about to hold everyone back. Determinedly, he ups his ante and picks up speed. It'll be horrid for conserving energy, but they'll find a town or something out there, right?
Sure, Wedge has been outside of his Autobot base back at home plenty of times. But outright roadtrip? Well, there's a first time for everything.
"You'll get used to the bugs. If they don't get on your windshield, they'll still get everywhere else," chimes in Wedge as he moves to pull in closer to the others. Yes, they'll definitely need a space bridge leading to and through this desert.
|
|
Gizmo
Rookie
Blue and Nerdy
Posts: 147
|
Post by Gizmo on Jan 18, 2008 1:13:36 GMT -5
"Seen dirt and sand before," Gizmo replies, giving the bug spatters on his windshield a final swipe with his wipers before giving up. "I'm just not an outdoorsy type like Hound. Spent most of my campaign on Earth in the Ark working on Teletraan-1, not out fighting or exploring. And I'm not glitching, I'm observing." Some might argue that his observing sounds rather like glitching, but in his CPU there's a difference.
He turns his attention back to following Swerve... and beyond the Velocitronian racer he notices something queer on the horizon. It doesn't appear to be a natural part of the landscape... more of an artificial structure of some sort...
"Anyone else see something ahead, or are my optics glitching?"
|
|
|
Post by Swerve on Jan 18, 2008 13:53:16 GMT -5
"I'll take the sand over the blasted bug things every day," mutters Swerve. Sure, he's had to get used to them, but the things are still infuriatingly messy and sticky. And annoying. And all over the place. He can only tolerate so many rounds of cleaning off that muck; he'd rather sit through a sandstorm and the refinishing that would inevitably follow.
He leaves behind those thoughts once Gizmo pipes up with something more interesting than whatever he was saying about that Earth planet.
"Eh?" The racer opens his throttle and works his way forward again. "Might just be the heat," he rumbles, revving and lurching a little further ahead. Once he starts putting on the speed, it's always hard not to keep accelerating, keep upshifting. He wasn't made to go slow. "It can mess with the visual feed… but they've got these fueling stations scattered all over the leaking place out here, too. Might be one o' those." Those are the only random buildings he's ever seen out here, at any rate, and that's definitely the shape of a building rising above the heat shimmer radiating from the desert floor. If anyone wants to make a pit stop, best say so because Swerve sure isn't suggesting it.
|
|
Wedge
Minor
NOT a reckless teen-bot
Posts: 413
|
Post by Wedge on Jan 18, 2008 23:20:34 GMT -5
Building? Wedge scans his visual for confirmation. There. Past all the distortion of rising heat waves, he can make out the building. There seems to be a smaller shape a little further out from it, almost resembling a little shack.
"We should probably check it out. It'd be good if we can note what it is on the map as well as saying that it's there. Fueling stations are going to be important to note. You never know when those things can come in handy." That and he does want to keep an eye out for potential space bridge terminals. It'd be good to have some terminals near refuel stations and a terminal or two further out in this harsh desert.
Steadily, Wedge keeps moving forward, black sand crunching beneath and between his tracks and rollers. Lucky him, having caterpillar tracks are useful in areas like this, even if he isn't going that fast. Some more roads would be nice too, but honestly. The higher powers never like making things too easy for them.
|
|
Gizmo
Rookie
Blue and Nerdy
Posts: 147
|
Post by Gizmo on Jan 19, 2008 18:49:24 GMT -5
Gizmo hasn't been out and about at all and so wouldn't know a fueling station from a Starbucks, but the building here looks vaguely like an Earth service station, so he figures that's what they've found. Two main buildings, rounded at the ends like those tacky silver motor homes he'd seen from time to time on Earth, and two smaller outbuildings in the back.
"Don't need a pit stop, but yeah, we should mark this down," he replies. "Be nice to have these on the map so our scouts aren't stranded anywhere without power." As for checking the place out... he's a little apprehensive. Abandoned places like this are prime targets for monsters and spooks, if the campy horror films he's watched from time to time are anything to go by. But then, he came on this mission knowing there'd be danger, so no point in being a whiner about it.
|
|
|
Post by Swerve on Jan 21, 2008 0:53:09 GMT -5
Check it out, mark it down and keep going, don't need a pit stop, check it out anyway. This? This is Swerve wishing his teammates would settle one way or the other. Straddling the line doesn't get a racer much of anywhere; he has to pick his lane and make his move.
"Fine, we check it out!" Swerve turns hard onto the lot, tumbling sideways into robot mode and sliding to a stop on his feet, weapon in hand but not activated just yet. He throws the vehicles trailing behind him an irritable, annoyed glare. "Well?" he shouts back. "Get checkin'!" He's the babysitter and bodyguard on this wonderful little adventure. Let them do the poking about, he'll watch for trouble.
|
|
Wedge
Minor
NOT a reckless teen-bot
Posts: 413
|
Post by Wedge on Jan 21, 2008 19:43:51 GMT -5
Wedge transforms (100% complete, not-so-mint, and loose with vocal command) and sets out combing through the area. Alright, refuel station this is so that means there are probably some underground machinery that one wouldn't want to hit while digging. He makes a bee-line for the two smaller structures. But every few steps, Wedge tamps at the ground firmly with one foot, testing for feel and for where the subterranean systems end.
He reaches his destination in due time and prods experimentally at the door before twisting at the tiny knob. Looks like this place was a repair as well as a refuel station. These tools look like they could definitely be of use back at base. If not, they could just use them to melt down into spare parts, right? Mark down this place for item retrieval then, unless they might need anything now...
"Hey Swerve, you need anything? I found a tool shed and repair bay over here," shouts Wedge as he begins making (and tamping) his way around the rest of the area. Quickly, he manages to make a rough estimate of the station's perimeter and notes it. Though, his quick is probably not quick enough for some members of this team.
|
|
Gizmo
Rookie
Blue and Nerdy
Posts: 147
|
Post by Gizmo on Jan 22, 2008 9:45:30 GMT -5
Gizmo spills into robot mode and scurries for the buildings -- that and to put some distance between himself and Swerve. One of the larger buildings has a satellite dish of sorts on top. A communications device? Or something else? In either case, it's worth taking a look. Maybe there's a computer system or something in here.
It's the work of a few seconds to disable the lock and nudge the doors open. Huh, looks like a convenience store in here. The smell isn't too pleasant, but with the amount of perishable food that looks to have expired long ago sitting around, that's understandable. What looks like a cash register sits on a counter close by the door, and some sort of handwritten note is attached to it. No sign of a computer, though. Ah well.
He reaches inside and delicately snags the note. The language is unfamiliar, but maybe they can decode it back at base. Even if it's something as simple as a "Gone out, be back soon" message, it could still be useful, if only to provide them with a key to the language.
|
|
|
Post by Swerve on Jan 23, 2008 19:57:28 GMT -5
Swerve's optics are on the station and his teammates, but he doesn't quite see any of it. He still has that radio conversation with Kup commanding most of his processors' power, and only snaps out of it when he realises Wedge is yelling something at him.
"Huh?" Swerve blinks and looks up, expression slack with confusion for a split-second before it pinches into his usual frown. "…Oh." It's probably worth looking, at least. "Yeah… sure," he calls and starts over. "Might as well see if there's anything useful." He glances Gizmo's way to check on the other carformer before he vanishes behind the smaller building Wedge pointed out. Giving the garage a once-over from the small access door Wedge opened is pointless; Swerve just hoists the vehicle door up and ducks inside.
Focus on the mission. Scour the shelves for parts, supplies. It's like the old days, scrounging for what he needs to keep going. Except… except now he isn't by himself. That's right – he's searching for three now. Looks like there are plenty of small fuses he can use… wiring, even circuitboards… screws and bolts down to some of the finest gauges he could ever need. The tools are just a little too small, as always, but he might find another use for some of them. He'll be leaving here with slightly better stock than he has now.
|
|
Wedge
Minor
NOT a reckless teen-bot
Posts: 413
|
Post by Wedge on Jan 24, 2008 22:14:13 GMT -5
All right, one place marked down and identified for future use. That wasn't too bad at all. Wedge can't help but beam at his teammates--or rather--in their directions because they all seem to be pretty busy.
He casts another look around the area: the mass of black sands, the shimmering heat waves rising all around them. Wedge pauses and dials up his vision the best he can. There's an area where the heat waves seem particularly thick and visible. Is that just the heat or is that something? Wedge trots over to the perimeter of the station and peers out further. It's hard to tell, but there's something. He begins to walk out. Wedge stops though, before getting too far and waits for the others while still staring out there.
Little does Wedge know that they're actually pretty close to the maglev road that the first Autobot arrivals on Gillinan took to get to the area of their present base.
|
|
Gizmo
Rookie
Blue and Nerdy
Posts: 147
|
Post by Gizmo on Jan 25, 2008 9:14:29 GMT -5
Gizmo extracts his head and arm from the building he's been poking around in and turns toward the others. Nothing here for him to try slicing into, which is a shame. Maybe if they come across one of those towers Prime talked about, or a somewhat bigger building or a settlement...
He's about to ask Swerve if he needs a hand -- he'd like to be of SOME use on this mission even if they don't find any computer systems -- when he notices Wedge looking off into the distance. "Hey, what is it?"
|
|
|
Post by Swerve on Jan 26, 2008 15:17:04 GMT -5
Head lowered as he's hunched over and rifling a tool case for something that stands a loose nut's chance in the 500 of being useful, Swerve misses Wedge standing at the border of the station lot outside. He hears Gizmo, though, and frowns in confusion.
"Either it's some mangled piece of a wreck," he mutters in answer, holding up a spindle-shaped bar, "or it's the leakin' weirdest spanner I've ever seen." It takes him a few seconds to realise there's no response and no-one lurking behind him; scowling, he turns with item still in hand to see why Gizmo had to go asking a question and then wandering off before he got an answer. Before he can launch into a tirade, though, Swerve spies the brilliant orange glare that is Wedge against the black. Just standing there and staring. He's spotted something, then, and good or bad, Swerve just knows they'll have to investigate it. He shuffles his finds into subspace – he'll have to sort things in his kit later – and ducks back out the garage door.
The sun on his plating is more unwelcome than not after the shade and relative coolness of the garage, but Swerve scowls and puts it out of mind.
"What d'you see?" he asks even as he, too, peers into the distance, thankful for the reductive coating on his optics that cuts the sun's impact on his vision. The distortion is thick out there; something eating up the heat more than the ground? "…Hn." Swerve hates off-road driving. He's also the fastest here, unless Gizmo has been lying. "I'll check it out." He folds and drops into racer mode, then takes off across the sands, a plume of dust marking his progress.
|
|
Wedge
Minor
NOT a reckless teen-bot
Posts: 413
|
Post by Wedge on Jan 27, 2008 0:14:03 GMT -5
Wedge shrugs at the questions, though he doesn't turn back. "I don't know, guess I should go--" The rest of his statement is cut off as Swerves whizzes past, throwing up sand as he goes. "Hey! Don't go off by yourself!" But by then Swerve's might be too far off to hear.
Not to be left behind, Wedge takes a running start before collapsing into his auto mode. "Come on, Gizmo. Let's roll!" There's a moment where his treads don't quite catch onto the shifting sands, but soon enough Wedge is moving after Swerve's path.
|
|