[ INTRO LOG ]

[robotsatan]

You don't know how you got here. One minute you were walking, sleeping, maybe dead -- then you're here, your feet suddenly carrying you down an empty street. Where's here?

Any Cybertronian would recognize this as their home planet, Cybertron, but it's not a Cybertron they've ever known. It has all the familiar hallmarks, but none of the specifics -- the city isn't one anyone here could identify, and even at a glance it's obvious that no one's set foot on the planet's surface in hundreds of years. The city and its surrounding areas all bear the marks of devastating war, of dust and rust collected over centuries. With no one in sight -- right at first, anyway -- there's plenty to explore. In fact, if you start walking, you'll find that your feet may just carry you in one particular direction.

A) The crater.
On one edge of the city is a massive crater left by some wartime weapon that seems to have taken out a large chunk of the surrounding metropolitan area. At the center of the crater it's broken through the surface of the terrain to reveal what looks like it might be a promising energon deposit. There is some strange but native vegetation growing around the edges, too, that no Cybertronian would be able to identify -- small, metallic, brittle-looking sprouts that bear a curiously organic-looking fruit of some kind that doesn't look like it's intended for consumption by any natives of the planet. In one rocky nook of the crater, light catches on the surface of a pool of water, which seems strangely out of place on Cybertron. On closer inspection, it seems that somehow an underground water source has formed a spring in the crater.

B) The center of the city.
If you follow where your feet seem to want to carry you, you'll find yourself in the middle of the ruined city. It seems that the center of the city was once home to a massive forum, and some of the pillars and structures still stand. At the very center of the forum is a massive, elaborately constructed fountain, although it has now long since run dry of whatever used to fill it. One of the low, inner walls of the forum has a terminal embedded in its surface, although it looks curiously ancient, out of place with the rest of the city, and unlike the rest of the technology still left around, there doesn't seem to be any way to power it on or operate it. There are a few scattered pools of water and a few of the strange metallic plants in the city, too, but they're not quite as plentiful as in the crater.

The planet was obviously once home to a massive network of communication relays, but those have all been long since destroyed. However, with the bits and pieces left behind and a few determined minds, it wouldn't be too hard to build a working, if rudimentary, one...

Comments

[arnhaid]

B - CITY
[What. The.]

[It's about all he can think when he shows up. At first, he's sure he's just turned a corner into another abandoned street. Somewhere he should know, but doesn't. For starters, there's no bugs.]

[And when he turns back around, there's no yellow frame sulking behind him, either.]

[There's nothing. No one.]

Hey--! What--!

[His voice echos, and, for the first time in a long time, the threads of panic start to pick up in his system. The big bot starts moving faster. He's running, eventually, thundering down empty streets and around abandoned corners.]

[Someone -- anyone --]

[He's probably difficult to miss, if anyone happens upon the worried, running hunk of metal that is Ironhide.]

[scaredybot]

[When Mayday here's someone - someone big - running, he's not sure whether to run towards or away from them.

What if it's a Decepticon? But maybe it's and Autobot? But what if it's something else on this strange ruined Cybertron?

But then with the echoing in the streets, his not entirely sure which direction the steps are coming from-

That is until he turns a corner directly into Iron Hide's path.]

Eee-!

[arnhaid]

[UM.]

[An "Eee" sound is about the last thing he expects to hear. The big bot skids to a stop, barely in time to avoid smashing into a stranger. He wobbles a bit, and nearly pitches forward, but he manages.]

[And mingled with the embarrassment of nearly charging over another bot is the relief of seeing someone. The look of near panic on his face turns quickly to a broad grin.]

Hey! Where've you been? I been lookin' all over for another bot!

[scaredybot]

[Frozen mid-cringe like a particularly lanky and metallic deer in headlights, Mayday stares blankly at Ironhide for a long moment.

Then he slowly relaxes his arms and legs and begins to stutter incomprehensibly, before finally managing to get out actual words.]

M-me? I've just been- I mean, I've- um, I've been-? [He waves his hands vaguely in the direct he came from.] Uh. Around? Looking.

Looking for people. Like you.

Because you're a people. Er. Person.

Hi.

[arnhaid]

[He keeps his hands held out, palms up. Showing he's unarmed and unwilling to start an actual fight. Especially not with someone who he could probably bend in half--]

Yeah, same here. So... calm down. Relax. I'm an Autobot, so I ain't gonna bash your face in any.

[Slowly, he holds out a hand, in greeting.]

Ironhide. It's just Ironhide.

[scaredybot]

[Mayday stares at Ironhide's hand for a long moment. It's okay, Mayday, it's just a hand, you can shake it, you've done this before...

He reaches out and gingerly clasps the offered hand.]

I'm, uh, I'm Mayday.

[arnhaid]

Good to meet you... kinda.

[Since it could be better circumstances and all.]

[He doesn't hold onto the other bot's hand for long. Just a quick shake.]

You seen anyone else?

[scaredybot]

[Don't wipe your hand, Mayday, it's not polite, don't wipe it even though you don't know who this guy is or where he's been or what he's touched-

He shakes his head.]

No, you're the first person I've met since... [He flails his arms vaguely] Since here happened?

[He resists for another moment, and then he attempts to discretely pull out a cloth and bottle of sanitizer and clean his hands.]

[arnhaid]

... Well, that ain't good.

[It's really not good. He scrubs a hand down his face, which should give the other bot time to do his thing.]

[They need to regroup. They need to find somewhere -- something -- to work with.]

C'mon. Let's keep movin'.

[staygoldponybot]

[wow. that sure is a squawking shitbaby running through the streets. what the hell is this douchebag's problem??

regardless, he's an autobot. that means as prime, sentinel is legally required to give a shit. it was in paperwork. "give a shit about people other than yourself you're doing this for the betterment of cybertron"

he sighs.] Soldier! Cease your infantile panicking!

[please, please shut up.]

[arnhaid]

[And the brakes slam on.]

[That's not Trion's voice. Nor is it Sunstreaker's. Or Trion's little drone. His head jerks around, his shoulders following in a pivot as he looks up -- ]

[And squints.]

[Who even--]

I'm fine! Just -- you don't know how long I've been lookin' for... for anyone!

[staygoldponybot]

That's just fantastic. How long have you been here, exactly?

[please tell him someone knocked him out and this is just a stupid dream.]

[arnhaid]

Couple minutes. That's all. You too?

[Because clearly this is just another Autobot and not someone important, right?]

[staygoldponybot]

[hey there's been no EXTREME DISRESPECT yet, sentinel can deal with this.]

Around the same. I can only assume from your frantic panicking that there are not many others present.

[arnhaid]

You got that right. ... Kinda. Panickin's a... whole other reason you probably aren't gonna believe.

[Hell, he wouldn't believe it if he hadn't lived through it SO.]

[staygoldponybot]

You're here now. Whatever reason prior that caused you panic is gone. [basically: stop, baby.] For now, we will attempt to communicate with the natives of this city or find any others in a similar position.

[prime barked orders, gogogogo]

[arnhaid]

I wasn't panickin'.

[So there.]

You seen any "natives" around here yet? Cause I ain't seen one.

[planate]

[ironhide you are too fucking big for this.]

Hey! I'm a someone! What's wrong?

[arnhaid]

[He jerks to a stop and nearly trips over Pipes, but catches himself at the last second.]

Hey! Hey, you're... [Deep robot breaths, big guy.] You're real. Aren't you?

[planate]

[he pats himself down, ending with both hands on his cheeks.]

I believe I am, yes!

[arnhaid]

[Ironhide barks out a laugh, and just plain scoops Pipes up right then and there, practically crushing him in a hug.]

Hah! Haha! Good! It's about time I saw somebody out here!

[planate]

[jdjfakgmsgnsdf HE DIDN'T EXPECT THAT]

G-glad to meet you too! My struts...

[arnhaid]

[There's a lot of manly back-slapping happening here. A lot. He's really happy to see you, Pipes. But don't worry, he'll set you down safely.]

What're you doin' here?

[planate]

[thank you primus]

Same as you, I reckon. Woke up here all of a sudden with no idea how or why.

[arnhaid]

Huh. That... don't sound good. At all.

... We should probably find somewhere a little more defensible than a street, then.