| abstract
| - Southwestern States - North America The Southwest covers such vastly different states as California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. New Mexico is a land of broken mesas and high peaks. Colorado has the Rocky Mountains running north-south through the center of the state, and the arid Colorado Plateau to the west, with its many canyons carved by the Colorado River. Spectacularly scenic Utah shares both the Rockies and the Colorado Plateau with Colorado. Nevada lies mostly in the Great Basin, its mountain ranges and high plateaus alternating with valleys running north to east. Contents: Andi Lassiter Blast Off is doing something he never thought he'd actually do. The proud "space warrior" is attempting to sneak into a human military base- but not flying in as a space shuttle, like usual. No, this is the same base he and some other Decepticons recently attacked and stole items from. Security has been ramped up, and the Combaticon is alone, save for a gumby driver. Why is he here then? After the stolen weapons and technology were investigated by Blast Off's teammate Swindle, it was discovered a certain component was missing from an otherwise promising state-of-the-art missile. Word has it that the component is probably still here. The shuttle would have taken others along on this mission, but he has recently fallen across some trouble- Soundwave is threatening to have Blast Off's rank of captain removed for failure on another mission, and thus he is not keen to involve or inform anyone of possible failure here, as well. Besides, it's just some mere humans... surely he can deal with them? So he finds himself in a large covered truck, disguised behind a hologram. The truck and disguises are courtesy of Swindle, of course, and will be added to the list of things Blast Off owes his conmech teammate... a list that never seems to go away, no matter how hard the shuttle tries. It's been, what? Two days? Two days since that Decepticon attack that left her with a minor graze of a gunshot wound on her left arm and a sprained left ankle. But even that apparently doesn't qualify her to take time away from this missile project. So, she's back, hating the fact that she has to keep this damned sling on her arm, but not so much minding that most of the security people around are refusing to let her get up from the chair they insisted she park herself on to track the inventory manifests and see what's missing and what's merely crushed. She breathes a sigh. This is BORING. Blast Off 's holo disguise works, and the gumby is able to drive him through the base's security checkpoint. Once they arrive at the targeted building, the gumby waits in the truck as Blast Off emerges. The Combaticon is still using a disruptor that interferes with scanners, so he isn't picked up immediately by the base security scans. He also is using a holo diguise that makes him appear to be a standard military jeep (much like Swindle). Approaching a cargo bay door, he inputs a few codes (also from Swindle) and... looks like he's in. So far, so good. This particular sort of subterfuge is not normally what the sniper does, but being a sniper- he is at least used to quietly sneaking about. He's light on his feet, too, and the agile shuttleformer slips in. Now inside the building, he places a feedback loop (also courtesy of Swindle... the IOU list just grows and grows...) on a security camera and starts scanning the large warehouse he's in for the exact place that missile was supposed to have been. He hasn't seen anyone here, yet, and he'd like to keep it that way. Blast Off turns off the holo disguise once the camera gets put in the feedback loop. Bored. Bored, bored, bored. Andi manages to not sigh again as she closes yet another set of schematics and flags them complete and secured. Pausing to lean back in her chair and stretch her neck, she frowns slightly at the faintest hint of vibrations she can feel through the chair. Weird. She didn't think any Autobots had been assigned to this base. Blast Off 's audios suddenly pick up a high-pitched squeak. Like the faint squeak of a body shifting in a chair. The Combaticon instantly turns to look, standing still while his HUD scans for the source of the sound. There is a spot just on the other side of some shelves that the sound seems to have come from. As quietly as he can, he sneaks over to take a look. Given his agility, he's fairly quiet for his size, but still... he's largely metallic. He brings his ionic blaster out of subspace just in case, and peers over the top of the shelves. And there sits a human- in fact.... isn't that the same human he and Dustoff just encountered? He instantly brings his gun to point at her with an annoyed huff. "It figures... this place must crawling with pests." Andi Lassiter is still sitting and frowning and trying to figure out if those are Cybertronian footsteps when she hears the voice overhead and startles. She looks up... and sees the business end of a blaster. "Again? Seriously?" She sighs much more obviously this time, and waves at the blaster dismissively -- as if the thing weren't capable of reducing her to subatomic particles. "Look ... what's your name? If we're going to go through this whole song and dance again, can we at least be civil about it?" Blast Off blinks, not quite able to believe this mere Earthling organic is speaking to him like this. "What? How dare ... I have never...." He stands there a moment longer, a bit flabbergasted. He doesn't lower the gun, but he makes no move to fire, either. In his surprise, the business end of the barrel is even ever-so-slightly pointed away from her. "I am quite civil, as it happens. But I fail to see why I would be civil to a pest such as yourself. However... perhaps you can help me. Tell me, fleshling, where is the secondary component to the XJ-13 missile?" There's an edge to the final sentence which implies it's not a request. Andi Lassiter raises an eyebrow at Blast Off. She's already successfully put him off his game once now, and that's why she's as flippant as she is. Most Decepticons are accustomed to people screaming and flailing and running away that they don't realize humans are capable of having working brain cells. "I can check on that, I suppose. But you didn't say 'please'. And my name is Doctor Andrea Lassiter, by the way. Not 'fleshling'." She doesn't move from where she's seated, though the computer in front of her could likely very easily find the information that the mech is requesting. Blast Off has never actually had a one-on-one conversation with a human before, and indeed- this one is not acting as he'd expect at all. He stands there, glaring at the impudent organic that is daring to talk so flippantly to him. "I am not in the business of saying "please" to... mere organics." However, she did say "civilized", and that is one thing he considers himself. Plus, he does at least understand wanting to be called by one's proper name. "However.... "Doctor Andrea Lassiter", I do recommend you find that component for me. And quickly. But not with that computer. You could just send for help, after all." He still doesn't say his name, though... why should he? You don't bother telling pests your name as you threaten to destroy them. Andi Lassiter would cross her arms to add to her defiance, but... well, the sling supporting her left arm. "Somehow, I don't see you allowing me to just walk over there to ask. And if I call someone else to check, they're going to wonder why I'm not using the computer terminal right here. That's as much of a red flag as if I were to type a call for help into the thing. Blast Off 's vents expell air slowly, as if annoyed. He looks around, but he hadn't spotted the component anywhere nearby earlier. Gaining access to the computer terminal would be useful in finding the item and getting out of here quickly. And given that he's alone, he'd rather not have the bases' heightened security forces on his aft as quickly as they probably will be if he fails here. He hesitates for a moment, then crouches down near the human. He still maintains distance, however... he doesn't want to get too close to such a pest. (Also- wasn't this the one that was leaking earlier? Thankfully she doesn't appear to be, anymore...) He's just close enough to watch her carefully. Large violet-gray optics and a faceplate now loom much closer than they had before. "...Very well,..."human", proceed. Do not try anything or I shall stop you.... You do not want that." Andi Lassiter stares at those too-close violet-grey optics for a solid two seconds before turning toward the computer terminal. "You still haven't said please." Blast Off 's optics narrow and he glares at the human. There's a long moment as he debates his next move, then he points his gun at Andi's head, then says in a polite tone, "Please." It's a mix of (kind of) doing the civilized thing and showing manners as requested- and also a reminder that he IS a Combaticon, ready to live up to his job as a sharpshooter. "Now proceed." Andi Lassiter again does a good job of /appearing/ to be completely unperturbed by the weapon pointed at her head. "About time." She reaches to start tapping at the computer with her free hand, but it's slow going. Blame Triggerhappy for her damaged arm. She minimizes all of the honestly boring documents on the screen, then reopens the inventory search. "You wanted the ... which component for the XJ-13? 'Secondary' is kind of vague. Secondary propulsion, secondary remote triggering mechanism, secondary targeting processor? Specificity, please." Blast Off peers suspiciously at the screen, then back over at Andi. "It was the secondary targeting processor." He watches, showing little emotion other than a slight sense of impatience. Finally, he gestures with his free hand, waving at the screen. "Hurry up, I haven't got all day." The Combaticon observes Andi's arm in a cast, noting that it might be the source of her slowness (of course, she could be delaying, but that is the area she was leaking from earlier). "If you are merely delaying me, I shall be quite displeased. Or are you ...humans truly so fragile?" He points to her cast. "I do not understand how you even survive on this mudball. Being so inferior must be a constant source of consternation for you." "It's not a matter of fragility, it's a matter of discomfort." She keeps at the computer, searching for and then locating the particular missile the Decepticon requested and pulling up the bill of materials. Secondary targeting processor... ah. There. She follows the link to that particular component and... "Crap. It says that component wasn't ready for field testing yet. I can... yeah. There's one prototype in the... damnit. It's not been accounted for." She turns to look up at the mech past the blaster. "This is the result of clumsy feet and carelessness. Tweedle Doc and Tweedle Dumbass with a gun." She means Dustoff and Triggerhappy. Blast Off leans in. "What do you mean it's not accounted for? Are you saying it was destroyed?" At the mention of Dustoff and Triggerhappy, he looks at her, puzzled momentarily. "Tweedle...? ...Oh." Being a space shuttle, he's often stuck orbiting Earth without much else to do, and thus has watched more movies than he'd care to admit. So he actually knows the reference... and is *almost* amused by it. Somehow... it's fitting. He might even be more so, if not for the bad news. "I ...see. Yes, I will admit, the one who shot this place up... is an idiot. I prefer much more finesse, which is why I came... without him this time." He doesn't tell her he's alone, of course. "However, I do NOT like that answer, "Doctor Andi Lassiter". If that component is gone, find me something else. I am not leaving here empty-handed." "Fine, fine. Pushy." Andi turns back to the computer and starts another painstaking process, this time pulling up wiring diagrams, schematics, and the like. Depending on how good Blast Off's optics are, he might see the drawing information in the bottom right of each page she searches, indicating that all of them coincide with the missile designation he'd mentioned. "The way that vault was shredded, there may not be anything left for you to leave with, sorry to say." Blast Off does see that the information relates to his area of interest, and it's not looking good. The purple in his optics intensifies slightly in frustration and he looks around the warehouse again. "There must be something here. I know for a fact that your sorry excuse of a military is conducting research here." He glares at her again. "Now find me something to leave here with, or I will leave here with... YOU. ...You must have valuable information, or why else would you be here?" Those optics look at her, studying her carefully as they shine coldly in the dim light. "I'm a physicist. I don't know anything about HOW the missiles work, I was simply asked to look at the telemetry data after a test and make sure the things fly as efficiently as possible. You want someone to help you build more of them, sorry. Look elsewhere." Andi is ... at least partly lying. She knows more about electronics than she lets on, particularly the Cyertronian-based parts. But of course she's not about to share that information with THIS nozzle. "At this point, the best I can do is /maybe/ give you a wiring diagram. I don't even have circuitry schematics for the secondary processor. No doubt those are kept elsewhere." For this exact reason. Blast Off studies Andi as she answers but he has little experience with humans, nor interest in them, and can't "read" her well enough to know if she's lying or not. She WAS just working at a computer, not actually conducting research... so there's a chance she may be telling the truth. Or not, he doesn't know. He was also stretching the truth a bit himself... while he might consider kidnapping a human if circumstances demanded, he's also rather repulsed by them. Taking her with him would mean actually placing her INSIDE his cargo bay as he flew off, and he's fussy enough about even having other Cybertronians in there... much less disgusting organics. Ones that leak, no less. Finally, he huffs. "Very well then. Do so, and be quick about it." He remains fairly close, but looks around again. Suddenly he asks, "Why do you "humans" even try, I wonder? You KNOW we are superior to you. I don't understand why you cannot merely accept that and allow us to use the resources of your planet for something better. In the end, it would simply be better for everyone. We could use it for something... actually civilized." Andi Lassiter stops tapping at the computer to turn the chair and look up at Blast Off. "See, that kind of attitude right there makes me want to replace the schematics with episodes of PeeWee's PlayHouse. I could get in serious trouble for helping you, even being coerced." She shakes her head. "Do you really believe all those lies that got shovelled into your spark casing? If you ignore the fact that we live on a ball of mud named after dirt, and that we're squishy, carbon-based, short-lived, apes... stop and look around at what we've achieved in our short life spans. I'm willing to bet you've been alive longer than human civilization has existed, but we're so much of a /threat/ to you and your kind that you are actively trying to eraticate us?" Andi Lassiter sighs. "Honestly, why not just wait another million years until we've all killed ourselves or gone extinct? Then this planet will be 'pest' free and you can do whatever you want with it." Blast Off is taken slightly aback by the human's gall. Or impudence. ...Or perhaps maybe it's even courage. He's not quite sure. He studies her again, crossing his arms and straightening up somewhat. "Well... we are not trying to eradicate you." He pauses to consider. "Well, SOME of us aren't. There are some... uncivilized Cybertronians, true. But many of us simply believe we have been around longer, are built better, and are wiser. We can manage this planet's resources better than YOU have been able to so far." He looks down at her imperiously. "I believe a superior species has a superior claim to finite resources, and I make no apologies for taking them. However, I will grant you have a point. I personally would rather be gone from this mudball entirely, and you would be welcome to bring yourselves to ruin... or perhaps even learn to actually do something with yourselves. But it is not my choice to make, unfortunately." This really irks him, though he doesn't say so. "All *I* can do is take the choices I have, and make the best of them." Andi Lassiter looks back up at Blast Off. "Well I'll be damned. There ARE a few free-thinkers left out there." She turns back to the computer, and after a few more seconds of tapping at the unit, she digs into her pocket and connects a miniature memory stick and transfers data to it. "They're gonna notice did this, so you'd better get out of her fast." The memory stick is removed from the computer and offered to Blast Off -- something the size of a medium Lego piece. Blast Off has been watching what Andi downloaded, and it appears to be the real thing. He then tilts his head slightly at her response, but nods and reaches down for the memory stick. His large black hand reaches for the device, trying not to squish the human's hand. Not because he's concerned about her welfare, but because he doesn't want her to start leaking on him again. Fortunately, he does have high agility, and is able to very carefully pick it up between his thumb and forefinger digits. "I intend to." He just brushes against her hand, and just manages to suppress a shudder at the contact with an organic. Then he shifts it to subspace quickly. Andi Lassiter stares up at Blast Off. "You never did tell me your name." Blast Off straightens up. Turning away from Andi, he scans the warehouse. Still no one else here. So far, so good. He takes a step towards the warehouse door, then stops and looks back at the tiny human. The Combaticon stares back for a moment, then sniffs importantly. "My name is Blast Off. Thank you for the information, Doctor Andi Lassiter." And yes, Blast Off will continue to use Andi's full name as given to him because that is her formal title and that's just the way he is. With that, he heads to the door. Andi Lassiter watches Blast Off start toward the door, takes a few deep breaths, counts to ten, then shoves her computer and its table over before throwing herself and her chair over backwards (ow. GOD, that hurt), and then fumbling for her comm while her eyes are still tearing up from hitting the floor. "...Lassiter. Intruder...took some files..." Please buy that. pleasebuythat. Blast Off heads out the door, quickly, and gets to the gumby waiting in the truck. At this point, he knows the human will trigger an alarm... so a disguise won't help him much anymore. He also knows he is *extremely* fast, and he's counting on that. The Combaticon transforms as the gumby drives the truck up and into his open cargo bay door... and he rockets off, just like his name implies. They are gone before any human can fire weapons at the brown and purple streak in the sky. He has to wonder about the human he just met, though... she is not like what he was expecting a human to be like up-close at all.
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