robothell | [ INTRO LOG ]

Entry tags:

[ INTRO LOG ]

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...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's like someone has taken clippers to the film reel of Starscream's life and cut out a segment, only to reattach the severed ends into a disjointed mess.

One moment he had simply been going through the motions of a day like any other, and then in the next he's standing in an unfamiliar ruined city, surrounded by decay. Is this... Cybertron? It certainly looks like Cybertron, in many ways, but it is no part of the planet that he has ever encountered, something which is unsettling in and of itself, because he has definitely been to every major city on the planet in his time. How is it that he has no memory of this place?

He wanders. The longer he skulks through the crumbling buildings and rusting streets (steps light, eyes and wings held alert as he prowls from shadow to shadow), the more unsettled he is by his surroundings. Cybertron shouldn't look this way any longer, in fact it somehow looks even worse than it did before the Autobots (loathe as he is to admit their part in things) had revived their long dead home planet. So why does it now seem like it has been destroyed for eons all over again? It simply doesn't add up.

Truth be told, it has been a while since Starscream has been back to his home planet. For the better part of the past galactic standard year, he has been following Megatron (weary, still bearing the burden of his Unicron-altered body) on his ridiculous, repentant, soul-searching space journey; one which had taken them just about damned near everywhere except back to Cybertron. But even in their lengthy absence, there has been nowhere near enough time for the whole planet to fall apart again this badly.

What's worse is that he sees no sign of Megatron anywhere. In the aftermath of the war, Starscream-- purposeless, resourceless and bitter, with the whole world after him-- has rarely strayed far from his old master's side. Cruel as Megatron had always been to him before, following the old warlord meant a guarantee of protection, something which Starscream found himself sorely in need of, what with Predacon and Autobot alike on his tail.

At present, Starscream is reasonably certain that they can both manage themselves just fine on their own, but with the strangeness of the situation at hand, locating his Master to regroup and sort this out is definitely at the top of his list. He keeps searching, through cavernous old buildings and empty alleys, occasionally muttering out his name, scowling uselessly when there is no response. He's definitely more than a little on edge and jumpy, given all that.

It's then that Orion walks right into him, dropping the load of miscellaneous stuff that he's holding in his arms. It clatters into the rubble chaotically, and Orion fumbles back a few steps, completely surprised at running into another Cybertronian.

"Hello," he says bluntly, in his trademarked baritone, though somewhat strange to see coming out of a bot that is likely several feet shorter than Optimus Prime.

His reaction is, of course, to screech in alarm and whirl around with weapons out, and then promptly look horrified when he sees that face and hears that voice. Then terror fades into confusion, and then into- wow deja vu.

"Optimus Pr... me?" He had been all geared up to put on a big show and most likely make a break for safety, before occurs to him that he's staring down at his assailant rather than up like he had been expecting. The confusion is very plain on his face as he stands there with his mouth slightly ajar, both blasters pointed at the poor hapless archivist.

Orion just stares down the barrels of those guns, certainly looking daunted but...well, it's not like he has never been under threat since this all started. He technically has one firearm of his own, but he doesn't even consider drawing it. Instead, he carefully raising his hands, to show that he means no threat.

"...No?" he answers, obviously confused. "You have me mistaken for someone else."

Hopefully not the actual god, because that would be weird.

Starscream stares blankly, guns still out, and then his frown deepens, eyes narrowing. “Then who are you?”

He’s fairly certain he already knows what the answer is going to be.

"My name is Orion Pax," he says, indicating himself with a hand placed to his chest. He glances at the blasters apprehensively. "You can lower your weapons. I intend you no harm."

If this hadn't already happened to him once before (and seriously, what are the odds of that), he probably wouldn't listen to that suggestion, but since it has...

He cycles away the blasters. "Of course you are," he rumbles, fixing the other bot with a curious but stern glare. "I don't suppose you have any idea where we are or... what year it is, I suppose?" he's only half joking with that second question. Everything about this place is suspect and he's seen enough dimensional shit happen to not entire count the possibility of time travel out.

Orion gestures to their surroundings helplessly.

"We appear to be on Cybertron - though not one I am personally familiar with. There are differences that set it apart, once one has looked closer." He frowns more deeply, getting lost in thought.

"Well that's incredibly helpful," he growls sarcastically. "How about this: Have you any idea how you came to be here?"

"I do not," Orion says simply. This bot is being kind of rude, but Orion isn't drawing any conclusions at this point. Things are surely confusing for everyone right now.

"I am sorry that I could not be more helpful."

“Of course you are,” Starscream sighs wearily. He does not even remotely have the patience to put up with Orion’s sickeningly gentle nature right now, not when he’s so keyed up. “Well then... if you’ll excuse me I’m off to find someone who does remember”

He had been on the upper deck of the Nemesis. It had been raining, in the middle of a thunderstorm, he was livid. And then he wasn't, and was falling through to the air to what was unmistakably Cybertron. Dreadwing had wasted no time transforming to his jet mode, observing the planet from above.

As he flew over the ruined city, his thoughts kept returning to his last moments on the Nemesis. While he was glad his instinct to check on the progress of the Cortical Psychic Patch had kept Knockout from getting any ideas about their lord's vulnerable condition, he had not expected that there would be more to the story of his twin's demise. He knew Starscream was a coward and fool, but resurrecting Skyquake with dark energon? Leaving him wandering in such a disfigured state to wander endlessly through an alternate dimension. That, he could not forgive.

And somehow Megatron chose to keep that traitor on board, after everything he had done. To allow him back into the Decepticon fold. It was an insult! Dreadwing had held his master in high esteem, Megatron had been a fierce and noble warrior, the greatest of the Decepticons. He had been happy to lay down his life to serve his lord. But how could he serve Megatron when he was willing to reward Starscream's continued disloyalty and lack of respect?

He considered confronting Megatron about this when next they spoke, but considering what had happened that would have to wait for another time. He needed to determine his location, and figure out how to get back to the Nemesis. So far he had not seen anything that would be useful to him, everything was in ruins and thus far he hadn't spotted any signs of life. He flew lower, approaching the search with more critical eye. Which was how he spotted a gray cybertronian flitting amongst the rubble. Starscream. Returning to the Nemesis could wait. Here was Starscream, alone, outside the protection of the ship and Megatron's presence. Dreadwing had quite a lot of words.

He dived, engines roaring as he shot towards his fellow Decepticon.
"STARSCREAM!"

It's honestly pretty astounding that Starscream doesn't die from instantaneous spark failure just from the shock of seeing Dreadwing at all. Even still, the terror he feels in the exact moment that he places that voice and alt mode makes his blood run cold and his circuits seize up momentarily, and he lets out a really undignified squeal of terror. This is impossible. There must be some kind of mistake, he saw Megatron blast a hole in Dreadwing with his own two optics. Or... saw the aftermath, anyway. He had been clenching his eyes shut at the precise moment it had actually happened.

No time to wonder about the “how” right this moment. He needs to lose this guy and fast. Thank the AllSpark that Dreadwing doesn’t have him pinned inside somewhere this time, at least. In the blink of an eye he’s transformed and airborne, kicking on the afterburner and zipping away as fast as his jets will carry him. If Dreadwing wants words, he is going to have to catch the Seeker first.

Dreadwing pulled up as soon as Starscream shot past him. Having caught him off guard, Megatron's former second in command didn't have much of a lead. While Starscream may have a slightly quicker alt mode, Dreadwing was perfectly happy to take him out in the air as on the ground. The Seeker wasn't the only one experienced in aerial combat.

He put on a burst of speed, trying to close the distance between them as much as possible, before opening fire, aiming for Starscream's wings.

The Seeker yelps, pitching and rolling to dodge those shots. He'd almost forgotten what it's like to go up against someone who's actually close to his level when it comes to aerial combat.

Dreadwing has the fire power and the speed, but does he have the maneuverability...? Starscream's willing to bet not, which is why he starts zipping over and under and through the rubble of the surrounding city, banking on tight turns and slipping through spaces that his own, slimmer alt mode barely fits through, hoping to trip up his pursuer.

"Dreadwing- I have no idea how you have returned so intact and alive, but surely we can discuss whatever is bothering you peacefully!?"

Edited 2014-12-22 01:30 (UTC)

It didn't take long for Dreadwing to figure out Starscream's plan to shake him, but unfortunately it worked. He wound up having to pull up to avoid an obstacle Starscream had slipped through. He rose above the line of buildings, still tracking Starscream even if he couldn't hit him from here.

Just what was he blustering about now? He had just seen Starscream aboard the Nemesis. Did the Cortical Psychic Patch damage his mind? There was no reason for Starscream to believe him dead.

"It seems you have managed to once again confuse me with my twin, who I am certain would be as happy to see your spark extinguished as I."

"Unlike you, my brother was a loyal soldier, and gave his life for our cause. And yet you had the audacity to rob him the honor of a warrior's death."

Edited 2014-12-22 02:06 (UTC)

Starscream's mind is racing to try and make sense of this whole mess. How is Dreadwing even here? He seems just as angry as that day on the Nemesis...

"I don't know how you came to be here, or if you're some kind of angry spirit or some similar nonsense, but, you have been out of action for quite some time now, so I'll forgive you for having missed some important information! I have mended my ways, abandoned my disloyal behaviors! Megatron has long since forgiven me, surely you can find the strength within yourself to do the same!?" He keeps flying low where he can keep breaking Dreadwing's line of sight and, hopefully, stay out of his line of fire. "Or surely with enought time you have been able to think of something I can do, or give to you to help make up for misdeeds?!"

Was Starscream really trying to convince him that he was a loyal and trustworthy person? That was rich.

"It has been mere minutes since Megatron chose to accept you back to the Decepticons, moments after you confessed your appalling transgression against my brother. You cannot truly expect me to believe that you speak the truth? Your dedication to spreading falsehoods is sickening. Megatron has made a grave mistake, allowing you to live, one I intend to correct."

"What are you blathering about?!" Starscream shouts, dropping all attempts at being polite. "It has been years since any of that happened!" He skims the surrounding area for some sort of inspiration, or a secure shelter that he can hide out in. "The more you speak, the less I am certain that you are not some sort of delusional specter who is somehow trapped in the past!"

This was ridiculous, how could Starscream believe such a large amount of time had passed. Unless his brain had been damaged by the Cortical Psychic Patch.

But for the patch to work Starscream had been put into stasis, there was no way he could be up and about so quickly. And surely Starscream would have changed tact by now if he realized his lies were not working. He may be a disgraceful traitor, but even he wasn't that dense.

"If you are so certain, then offer me proof that in this instance you happen to be speaking the truth.

Proof? Hell. "I don't exactly have anything on me at the moment that would suffice as such," he says a tad irritably. "Especially considering that I don't even know what part of Cybertron we are on! So how-" Ah. Wait. He has an idea.

"Megatron! Assist me in locating Megatron, he must be somewhere here on the planet, and surely he will corroborate my claim!" Or shoot Dreadwing dead again. Either way it's a win for Starscream. "Only stop shooting at me long enough for us to locate him! and if it turns out that I'm lying... you can both, ah, rip my spark out, or whatever such physical punishment seems suitable to you." He shuts his mouth and ducks inside a burnt out building, all senses on full alert as he awaits a response.

Dreadwing circled over the group of buildings Starscream had disappeared into. The fact that Megatron was willing to keep Skyquake's fate a secret had shaken his faith in their master's trustworthiness. He knew Megatron could be conniving and deceptive, but usually such treatment was reserved for traitors like Airachnid. Surely Dreadwing had proven himself enough to deserve the truth.

He had been planning on confronting Megatron about this eventually, and at this point there seemed little reason to wait. He could afford to let Starscream live a while longer, if only to clear up the dilemma of their current predicament.

"Very well, but make no mistake, I will not hesitate to end you if this is but one of your elaborate schemes."

He dived, transforming to land on one of the nearby rooftops, waiting for Starscream to emerge with clenched fists. He was not happy with this turn of events at all.

"I would expect nothing less," Starscream says with forced brightness, but there's a miserable edge to his words. He's dragging his feet on coming out from his hiding spot, mainly because he doesn't trust even Dreadwing to not blow him full of holes the second he's within sight. What a fucking rip-off. This whole business was over and done with ages ago from his perspective, to the point where the names Dreadwing and Skyquake barely even counted as part of his vocabulary anymore, and now, suddenly, he's being made to suffer for his decisions again? What kind of sick world did he end up in, here?

Wow Starscream quit stalling. If Dreadwing had irises he'd probably be rolling his eyes right about now.

"I give you my word, I will not fire upon you until after we have located Lord Megatron. Remove yourself from whatever hole you are hiding in so we may begin the search." There you go Starscream, an explicit honor-bound oath, what more could you possibly want.

"I'm coming, I just- my foot got stuck between some rubble," he snaps defensively. "Give me a moment."

He gulps and vents in deeply, and then steps outside to stare Dreadwing in the eye. His wings are definitely not shaking with fear. Nope.

...he keeps them tucked back so hopefully it's less obvious.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ INTRO LOG ]

B- THE CITY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: B- THE CITY

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject