| abstract | - Sept 14 2008 IC date Sept 14 2029 Trypticon Medical Bay Several operating tables are set in a row here, and long benches line the walls. On these benches are assorted tools and equipment used in repairing damaged Decepticons. The benches near the door are for patients waiting their turn for treatment. Scattered throughout the room are various repair droids, awaiting the arrival of more wounded to repair. The room gives you the perception of being immaculately clean, with not a single tool out of place. Your olfactory sensors pick up the faint odor of the cleansing solutions used to keep the room clean and sanitary. Contents: Soundwave Cyclonus Sign Gumby Medic Soundwave is here, putting part of the old, lately disused Trypticon medical bay back in order. Putting repair drones back to work, ordering gumbies to restock bins. Installing surveillance. He checks a datapad and drops it on the counter. Geist returns home. Cybertron. New Crystal City may be well equippped and full of highly skilled personnel, but this is where it's at when it comes to perfection and purity. No salt water air. No microrganisms. No EDC vessels circling above miles of ocean threatening to find and torpedo your base while you're in the middle of having your insides altered. The sterilty and tranquility of a technologically based society is the right place for what Geist wants done. Ah, but it appears things are not quite as tranquil here as he'd have thought. "Soundwave. Have I come at a... difficult time?" Soundwave turns his head to view Geist, optic glaring. Generally if you're making a request of the tape commander, even if it's not a bad time, it is. Tersely, he orders the Sweep. "Unit: Geist." He always seems to know their names. "Define maintenance requirement, else return to duty." Cyclonus enters the bay with purpose, striding towards a computer cabinet and punching in some controls. He does not look around, but instead barks out "Soundwave. Geist. I am not /happy/" He turns around slowly and darkly. Geist is glad Soundwave can distinguish between their different voices or maybe their subtly different body language signatures. The general idiocy of most troops is a point of disappointment for this particular Sweep because it means his fellow grunts are substandard in wit. The creep-Sweep nods graciously to Soundwave. "It is high time, Soundwave, that I become a less easy target for our enemies to touch. Although I had achieved a bronze medal in the Olympic Full Combat Lightweight division... " He pauses here and then continues, "I ultimately lost my shot of achieving gold to Marissa Fairebourn and her Exo-Suit, and the extremely annoying Autobot Cosmos whom I could not evade his strikes even once. I must be better than that. This is war, not games. There are Autobot Intel officers to dispatch as well as the ego of Defcon to crush. So, I am here to be reforged into a quicker warrior than I am now." Sunder has arrived. Geist turns to Cyclonus and nods to his declaration. "I see no reason why you should be. The war continues. None should be happy until total victory is secured." Soundwave idly wonders if Cyclonus is -ever- happy. Soundwave is never happy, so he ultimately wouldn't be surprised. As for the Sweep, he simply points Geist toward a table. To Cyclonus he issues a directive, "State medical requirement." The differences between Soundwave's orders and requests are nil. It's for the target to figure out which is which. Cyclonus is never happy, he had to deal with Galvatron at all times. "Do not presume to order me, Soundwave" he utters. "I require the use of MSE facilities, or MSE will find itself... downgraded in the next financial year. The bodies recovered from the caves on Nepsa need to be dissected and examined." He states this as a matter of fact. "I require a team on this." Geist is 'in' where it comes to Soundwave's decision to agree with his assesment of his need for improvement is concerned, and he does not hesitate to comply. He moves to the designated table and takes his place upon it. He says nothing about those recovered bodies. A point of unspoken interest level to him. He did, afterall, set off a small explosive in that chamber once. An ambiguous decision. Soundwave isn't MSE. He turns from Cyclonus to go loom over Geist's prone form on the medbay table. "Affirmative," he responds to the Commander. "Provide operational requirements." A couple taps on the table's medical terminal, and scanners descend from the ceiling to start sending eerie green and red lights passing over the Sweep. Cyclonus places his arms behind his back as he addresses Soundwave. "/Galvatron/ requires a team of the best medics to examine the bodies. It has now become a wider priority. And while you are examining Geist, ensure his space systems are up to date, I do NOT want a repeat of yesterday's performance. I have had a report of what we did NOT get, I require a report of what we DID!" This last part is directed towards Geist. Geist reads as not a slouch when it comes to how fast he can move, but 'no slouch' isn't good enough for one of Galvatron's Tracker-Terminators. His readings show he has recently recovered from last cycle's space campaign against the Creon fleet. His optics say all else is behind him, there is only the here and now. And his mouth says, "Lord Cyclonus, I cannot speak for the others, but what I got for the Empire was placed aboard the shuttle. It appeared to be a sizable hunk of propulsion drive. But then again it could also have been something entirely different. What I got personally was the satisfaction of annihilating several fighters and sending an EDC Starknight packing. And with myself appearing to have suffered the most damage of our war party and coming out relatively clean, we all got out a victory of established superiority. We planned. We bided. We struck without mercy. That the fleet had minor Autobot aid and significant EDC aid was our only speed bump which allowed the remainder of the fleet to escape their doom." Sunder strides into the medical ward. He's obviously been fixed up, and the glow of satisfaction emanates strongly from his optics. He sees his wingsib Geist and greets him. "Well met, my brother," he purrs. And to Cyclonus, "Greetings, Lord Cyclonus. Discussing the Creon Fleet?" Soundwave doesn't acknowledge Cyclonus' further information, or his rant about the space battle. The results of his scans are in. "Unicronian systems superior to available components," he echoes. But this does not deter him. He pushes a button and restraints come out of the table to lash Geist down about the arms, legs and chest. And his head, where Soundwave is circling around to do.. something. With the flick of a simple tool and a wrenching *crack*, the back of Geist's skull plate comes off in the Tape Commander's hand, exposing the complex neural circuitry there. Soundwave emits, "Remain motionless. Continue speaking." In brain surgery, you keep your patient conscious. So that if you cut something important, you'll know it immediately. Geist shows not an ounce of apprehension as Soundwave puts the restraints on him. Truth be it, he finds it adds a nice ambience for those of weaker gut. "Yes, commander. You know, this reminds me of the time I had a cerebral charge implanted in my head... " He grins. Soundwave attaches various electrodes to different parts of Geist's robot brain, hooking the Sweep up to a computer terminal. How easy it would be for him to just rip out the whole thing and have one less Unicronian to deal with. But no, it's not Scourge, and it's not Cyclonus, so it would be a pointless display. "Continue.." he emits, not really listening. He's busy dissecting Geist's neural pathways, untangling the data routes governing visual acuity, flight response, and (for some reason) pain reception. Cyclonus looks to and from the two sweeps. "Indeed" he purrs to Sunder as he reads over the reports on his pad. "Tell me of your mission for Galvatron as I work, I am very busy." He starts to corrolate notes quickly. "I would like to talk to the Autobot Sheng." He passes Sunder the transcript Catechism provided. "Sunder, what does your simple hunter-mind make of this?" Geist continues his obligatory rambling, unmovable. "It was quite exhilerating to have the impending doom placed within. Never knowing if the whim of Lord Galvatron trapped in his Megatron state would swing towards desire to just see to a death... or if he'd be fed false information concerning his terms of my permitted freedom to continue serving the Empire." Soundwave turns a few dials and pushes a button. Geist is going to have a very difficult time continuing this conversation, now that it feels like his brain is in the middle of a plasma storm. Sunder's mind is hardly simple, he's one of the most intelligent of the Sweeps. However he holds his tongue, as he doesn't want to risk getting into an argument with Cyclonus when he stands to gain a good deal of favor with Command. He studies the report, rubbing his beard. "It could be very likely that this priest Catechism refers to has a radiation-induced madness. However, what he speaks of has a ring of familiarity to it. It is all quite interesting, but at the moment I don't quite know what to make of it. I would have to learn more." The Sweep puts the report down. "As to my Hunt, which Galvatron ordered, I found Jazz in an isolated area in the southern part of North America. I engaged him, and eventually managed to bring him down. He foolishly depleted himself of energon, which made things that much easier. And now I have his laser core, to deliver to Lord Galvatron at our Liege's earliest convenience." The Sweep beams, as if waiting to be patted on the head, given energon cookies, told he was a good Sweep, and sent on his way. Geist might not have a hard time if he were like Singe, but alas, his banter is ... handicapped with Soundwave's switch flipping playfulness. "I find that th....uhhk.... graaaaaaah!" He clamps his jaws tightly shut. The restraints are a good thing. He rides out the pain, experiencing it and suffering from it, but not fearing it at least. "Of course Sunder, well done. Find your energon rations doubled for the next cycle." Cyclonus hands out his hand expectantly. "I will of course deliver the core to Galvatron. He is far too busy to personally recieve each spoil of war, but be assured I will convey your pledge of loyalty." He the strokes his chin rather obviously. "Now I would like the Autobot Sheng brought in for questioning. What do you think I could use as bargaining posture..." Soundwave, unsympathetic. The Decepticon Communicator lets the electricity flow into Geist's brain, on the display lighting up several regions forced into activity by direct stimulation. These are the parts that interest Soundwave. These are the parts he changes. Response time from the sensory pathways in concordance with fine motor control. Optimization of gyroscopic indicators, for better orientation control in disorienting maneuvers. Increased pain reception on the surface sensors, for Pavlovian training against being struck by damaging blows in combat. Soundwave meticulously alters these settings, all while dumping many joules of energy directly through wires attached to the inside of Geist's head. It's probably remarkably unpleasant. Singe has arrived. Geist remarks through gritted jaws, "Thd-dis ... izzzzat.... unk-plezzz-unt!" The creep-sweep's optics swim with visions of stars and laser fire and the looming visage of Soundwave. Progress hurts. Sunder takes Jazz's lazer core out of subspace and hands it to Cyclonus. "Thank you, my Liege," he says, all the more pleased at the doubling of his ration. He cocks his head at Cyclonus. "Perhaps promise to return the Laser core of this defeated Autobot to them? Jazz is of some importance in their ranks as I understand; this would definitely be strong motivation for them to allow you to interrogate her." Cyclonus nods slowly. "Yes Sunder, excellent suggestion." Now that Sunder has suggested it of course, if it all goes wrong he can blame him. And then he barks out his 'torture the sweeps' order on his communicator as he pockets the laser core. What a jerk. He cocks his head at Sunder. "Is there anything else, trooper?" Singe wanders into the medical ward. Someone who doesn't know him very would think that he must have forgotten to get repaired after yesterday's attack. The truth is that he doesn't want to be repaired, but if he doesn't do it sometime, he'll just get hauled in here and sedated, and he hates that. Singe looks about ready to claw out his own optics, after Cyclonus's command. Yes, yes, he'll obey, he's a Sweep, but... argh! Sunder turns and regards the Twisted One (that would be Singe, naturally) with a raised optic brow. "He is not to torture /me/, is he?" he asks Cyclonus flatly. Soundwave steps back around to Geist's head and unceremoniously rips the wires off while the juice is still flowing. Electricity arcs wildly and the distinct smell of burning insulation wafts through the air. The terminal automatically shuts down once it loses its connection. Soundwave starts carefully replacing all the damaged circuits in the head of the Sweep. All minor stuff, nothing critical. Apparently to get the changes to stick permanently, bypassing Unicronian self-repair systems, Soundwave had to fry some parts while the new neural pathways formed. Tricky, and brutal. Cyclonus nods curtly at Sunder. "Of course. He is to torture all his bretheren. Galvatron views any result less than perfect with complete contempt. Believe me, if you were left unmolested, his ire would grow." Geist's jaw unclenches and his optics flicker with the internal neural energy spikes. Labotomized minorly in order to bypass superior designs? No worries. His voice briefly takes on a more sythesized tone as he resumes speaking, "But all in all having the device implanted was generally counter productive." His voice gradually returns to normal. Singe tromps over to the gumby medic sullenly, and he calls out to Geist and Sunder in a defeated-sounding voice, "You know what this means? This means we are *all* watching Pretty Woman." Chick flicks are about the only thing he knows that can actually cause pain to his brothers. With their armour and their attitudes, they tend to shrug off most physical pain, and trying to get inside a Sweep's head to cause mental anguish? Yeah, good luck on that one. Soundwave slams the brain case closed. "Repair completed," he explains tersely. He turns from the table, leaving the restraints up. Someone less important will have to bother with that. If Cyclonus was a lesser mech, he would run out of the room vomitting at Singe's words. Instead he simply waves a hand. "Singe, have yourself repaired this instant, I will not permit my soldiers to be in less than optimal condition." His optics sparkle. "The war gathers apace!" /Pretty Woman/?! NOOOOO! Sunder mentally screams, though outwardly he utters only the merest of whimpers. Terran flicks that appeal to the females of those species...UGH. Sunder hates those films with the fire of a thousand suns. He'd rather have Singe bite his neck. His wings flick in discomfort. "Very well," he rumbles, then sighs. Soundwave pulls out a medical scanner and runs a check on Geist. Geist narrows his optics. Cyclonus is such a censored word. He remains where he is because Soundwave's a bit of one too. All and all, not a bad experience. He wasn't executed afterall. Singe hears that whimper from Sunder. Oh yes. Pretty Woman. Singe went *there*. He sighs heavily as Cyclonus orders him to get repairs, and he asks the gumby medic, "Hey, do you think that maybe, you could use a chainsaw this time? No. Aww." Singe asks Gumby Medic to fix it. Soundwave pulls out a medical scanner and runs a check on Singe. Cyclonus did think that he had already ordered all copies of that film destroyed. Oh well, he will try again. "Excellent, excellent" he mutters, looking about the room. "You. All of you. Know this - our plans though slowed, continue apace. Our enemies WILL fall and Cybertron WILL be ours. But do NOT lose your nerve!" Sunder salutes the Decepticon Second. "Indeed," he purrs. He looks over at Singe again, sighing. The torment should probably begin as soon as possible, but perhaps they needed to wait for Geist's upgrades to be complete? Geist gives a nearby gumby medic a look that conveys it would be wise to unrestrain him now or it will be bad for them later. Singe has a whole FUTURE-DVD library of horrendous drek for those days when he really hates himself. Cyclonus will never, ever learn its secret location! Mainly because Singe keeps trying to forget it. The gumby medic finishes with his repairs, and he sighs and admits, "And I guuuuess I could use some fuel, too." Singe asks the Gumby Medic for refueling. The medic complies. Gumby Medic refuels Singe.
|
