Letting the Jet Out of the Bag

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Goa Shark Slipstream Xaaron
Goa almost seems to be stalking in his lead down the lab halls. There's a nervous hitch to his step... looks like the mech still half-expects someone to jump out at him. In fact, he doesn't even look sure of where he is, as he pokes his head into every other open room or two -- until he lingers in one. Goa seems to slump, defeated. "Found it."
Shark had been following Goa down here, having promised to assist him with salvaging his lab. His steps are a lot more confident and assured, seeming at ease here in the underground tunnels. "Sheesh, what a mess." he states matter of factly.
Goa skitters into the lab and starts lifting this and that piece of toppled machinery, cursing loud enough to hear in the hall when he sees the far end is chemically scorched.
Shark moves to assist with lifting machinery. He peers down the hall and hmms, "That doesn't look good." states mister obvious. "Hope nothing too important is down there."
"Oh, no, nothing important," Goa grumbles, "Just a few tens of cycles of work." He grabs one or two usable-looking devices, stashing them in his cab, even as one of his claws unfolds to lift a fallen chunk of ceiling. "Looks like she really lost it after I snuck out..." he says, waning to a terse laugh. "Thick for a flier."
Shark moves down the hall, moving pieces of fallen ceiling as he goes. "Which one are you referring to, the one that took the energon you had or the one that gave her name to you?"
Goa turns to Shark, support strut hanging idly in claw. "Former," he says, grabbing it with the other and bending it to fit in an ad-hoc corner of debris, "The familiar found me out at the old observatory." Folding his arms in front of his chest, the mech informs, "There's not much else here worth taking, 'cept the data, so you can stop. Funny seeker ... she just ignored me and wandered off as soon as she saw my gear." He picks up a couple of small, wrenched electronics, scanning them curiously.
Shark hmms as he peeks into a few rooms to see if anything is worth taking in each. "You sure about just needing the data?" he calls out, going into a room to look for any data pads or disks you may need. "Sheesh how did you work down here... dusty and smells rank."
Goa strums his fingers against the side of his helmet, tosses the trash from his other hand and gives the lab one more conclusive scan. "It's quiet. Generally..." He calls after Shark, "Get the two orange discs. The others are just garbage data made to look-- they're for distraction."
Shark calls back, "Still could use the disks though if you plan not to come back here?" putting all the disks and data pads he can find into his subspace as he moves room to room.
Goa shrugs. "Just make sure you have those two." He sighs, and lets his nerves have their way for a tick as he casts a scan for other Cybertronians as far out as he can sense.
And that's when you pick up something off to the west. Shark calls out, "Found them. Coming back your way." stuffing the last of what is useful into his subspace and moving back toward where the main room is to meet up with you.
Goa decides to second-guess the reading -- wouldn't be the first time he picked up a signal because he was looking too hard -- but does make a point of sneaking out of the lab. "I'll rendezvous with you," he clicks into his radio, pausing before speaking to suppress the alarm in his voice. "Where did you want to look next?"
Shark steps out of the labs, looking a little dirty from digging around. He pauses, checking his scanners just as a precaution. "You getting a reading off to the west?" he asks.
Well, slag... Goa starts a little in his vocal processor, then realizes he voiced his thoughts. "I did. You don't think...?"
Shark considers, gesturing with his hands to take a spot off to the left while he moves off to the right to hide. Then keying his radio, he whispers. <Hope you brought something to catch her with if it’s one of the fliers come to find you.>
Goa disappears into an alcove without a word. 
Shark sighs a bit, checking through his subspace by feel. Bingo. He finds an old stun gun. <Just stay down and keep quiet.> he radios. 
Slipstream arrives from Iron Workshops. 
Slipstream doesn't like being down here, not one bit. But she heard there was energon to be found if you looked hard enough for it and she's in need of some right about now. She moves toward the labs. 
Goa hunkers down, fidgeting with one of the grenades he found. <See anything?> 
Shark watches his scanners to see where the target is moving, <Yeah, moving toward the lab.> 
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Courage Stat and fails by 4! The total roll was 16. 
Slipstream continues moving, cautiously and slowly, making her way between where the two hidden Bots are located. 
Goa forces away a squeak. He can hear the 'Con stalking around, and three encounters in as many days ... seems unwise to push his luck so. His eyes search for cover in the hall, and find none, compounding his discomfort with the situation. 
+Roll: Shark rolls against his Agility Stat and succeeds by 3! The total roll was 11. 
Shark pops up quickly and takes his stun shot, aiming for the biggest section on the Con as he lays optics on her back, square in the wing. 
+Roll: Slipstream rolls against her Endurance Stat and SUCCEEDS PERFECTLY! 
Slipstream takes the stun shot and turns slowly toward the Bot that just tried to take her down. "Nice try." she smiles, "But not good enough." 
Goa rumbles quietly. <That's the one. Not the one that wrecked my lab.> The mech's nervous demeanor seems to fall away at this realization, and he leans out to roll the grenade down the hall, aiming for it to roll behind the jet. 
Combat: Goa attacks Slipstream with Firing a concussive shot - (ballistics) Level: 1 and MISSES! 
Shark frowns at the stun gun, figures he'd have one that hadn't been serviced in a while. Then Goa's concussive grenade misses its mark as the Con moves toward him. "Dreka." he cusses. 
Slipstream stops a moment as the grenade goes off behind her, looking to see if she can spot whom lobbed it at her. "Two against one?" she asks in a soft purr of pleasure. 
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Courage Stat and fails by 1! The total roll was 13. 
Shark frowns again, <Hope you got another one of those.> he radios, trying for the stun again on a different setting and hoping this time it will work right. 
+Roll: Slipstream rolls against her Endurance Stat and succeeds by 2! The total roll was 9. 
Slipstream grimaces a little as it takes a little effect on her, but she remains standing. She turns to face Shark, "You mechs must be hard up." she murmurs. 
Goa hisses as he steps out into the hall. "Looking for someone?" He bounces an inactive explosive lazily in his hand. 
Shark eyes the femme a moment, "Not hardly." though having taken notice she hasn't attacked either of them yet. 
Slipstream turns toward Goa, "Oh yes, I was looking for you." she purrs. 
Goa pauses to think, arm held above his head, then stashes the grenade. "Miss me?" He looks at and around the seeker wary, but all things considered... "Can I ask /what/ you were looking for?" 
Shark slowly moves out of hiding, keeping an eye on any suspicious movement from the femme Con. Letting Goa be his distraction. 
Slipstream smirks at that question, "Asking the same question that I gave an answer to, Autobot, you must be dim." she jokes. 
Goa walks up for a closer look, slowly as he gives his scanners another sweep. The Decepticon shouldn't be acting this confidently... "You know what I meant." 
+Roll: Shark rolls against his Dexterity Stat and succeeds by 7! The total roll was 6. 
Shark keeps approaching from the back side of the Con, smirking a bit at Goa goading her a bit. That's when he grabs her from behind, locking his hands on the other side. 
Slipstream eyes Goa and hmphs, "You had my answer." When Shark grabs her she struggles, but she's weak from being low on energon. "You sure you two aren't hard up?" 
Goa scurries over and unfolds his claws, pausing, then gently securing Shark's grip. "Peculiar, but let's say I believe you," he peeks around her wing, to address Shark, "... Now what?" 
Shark keeps his grip firm, considering. "Ask our questions. We gotta know." he tells him, "Don't have to even tie her up. Just hold her 'til we are done." 
Slipstream looks down at the smaller at the two who comes up to help the other keep her in places. "Questions?" 
Goa flinches. "You want me to...? Uhh... well, fine." He slips back in front of Slipstream. "Where did you know me from?" 
Shark nods to Goa, "Can't just be me, my friend." he points out. 
+Roll: Slipstream rolls against her Awareness Stat and succeeds by 1! The total roll was 9. 
Slipstream peers down at Goa, focusing hard for a while, "I don't know. Just something oddly familiar about you." 
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Interrogation Software and succeeds by 10! The total roll was 4. 
Now at the entrance to the lab, a tall mech appears, silhouetted in what light there is, standing there a moment before he walks in. 
Goa releases and moves a claw to the femme's wing, but does nothing with it. "I could say the same for you," he says, that frown of indignation returning to his face, "But I have an excuse for that, too." He taps the aerofoil loudly. 
Shark looks toward a movement, his scanner showing something coming toward them. "We got company." he announces. 
Slipstream's wings try to move away from the claw, but being held as she is they aren't going anywhere. "Don't... touch." she hisses. 
Xaaron walks into the room, golden optics looking at the three transformers present, and he hrms, "So what in Primus' name do we have here?" Unarmed as usual, Xaaron should be a familiar form to anyone, even in this timeline. 
Goa doesn't break eye contact, silently acknowledging Shark's warning. He closes grip on the wing. "Tell me what's going on, and I'll be on my way. I might even come to visit, so you don't have to get in this kind of trouble--" His head bolts to the side at the new voice. "Hey there." 
Shark gets this look on his face that his classic 'we are so busted', as he sees Xaaron. "We can explain sir." he offers with a hint of a smile. Still holding firm to the femme con in his arms. 
Slipstream squirms a bit in Shark's grip, not liking getting those wings touched. "Another one... that cinches it, you mechs are hard up." she mutters, frowning at the lot of them. 
Xaaron hrms, approaching, "Please, do explain what I am seeing, Shark. Because this looks like an unauthorized interrogation of a prisoner of war to me. We do not do such things." 
Goa lets go, practically whipping his extra set of arms back into place, and snaps to attention. 
Shark nods to Xaaron, "Something is going on and this one here seems to recognize Goa here, but doesn't know why. She's not the only one that has noticed things being off or out of place either, sir. There's decacycles of security tape I went through to find anything out of the ordinary. I have everything on a data pad that the scientists are looking over." 
Slipstream looks relieved that her wing is free of being groped, actually smiling that Xaaron interrupted the two. 
Xaaron hmms, "I see. Then let us take her to Iacon then, and examine the Data properly. It is unusual for somebody to recognize somebody else they have not met before, but perhaps they HAVE met before but something has corrupted the memory files." 
Goa holds up a hand. "Sir, I have my own theory about the occurrences," he says with a short stutter, "Otherwise I would be advocating the same methods as you." The mech looks hopeful. 
Shark hms as Xaaron gets all logical on them, "Willing to give it a go, sir. But she'd have to come along willingly since I don't got no rope on me." 
Slipstream snorts softly, "Didn't notice I have one on me did you Autobot?" she asks. 
Xaaron hmms, pausing, and he looks to Goa, "Please, go ahead and enlighten me as to your theory, Goa. " then he looks to the Femme, and sighs, "Miss, If you would come with us willingly, I can assure you that you will be better treated than this. Of course, you will have to be housed in a secure location, but we can provide a certain level of comfort, if you will cooperate." 
Shark keeps his grip firm, going quiet as Xaaron tries to negotiate with the femme. 
+Roll: Slipstream rolls against her Intelligence Stat and SUCCEEDS PERFECTLY! 
Goa looks back at Slipstream with an apologetic tint to his optics, then to Xaaron. "I believe that these phenomena could be the result of an air- or energon-borne compound poisoning Iacon. I was ... hoping to find a different Decepticon on which to test this theory." 
Slipstream locks her optics on the golden mech, slowly a smile creeps onto lips, "That include energon, old timer?" she purrs softly. She glances at Goa at his words, "Poisoning?" 
Xaaron nods firmly in response to Slipstream, "Naturally, young one. As our... Guest, we would see to your well-being, and that includes enough energon to survive in relative comfort, though of course, we are still at war, so it would not perhaps be as much as you would like." he approaches and holds out a hand towards Slipstream, before he looks to Goa, "The possibility of some sort of Toxin should be investigated as well, Goa, but I do want to see a complete report on just what has led you to this conclusion." 
Goa bows slightly, a slightly clenched jaw toning his voice with frustration. "Forthcoming." He turns back to Slipstream, smirking. "Can never be too careful about Decepticon plots, no?" 
Shark glances at Xaaron a few moments, then slowly releases the femme from his grip. All the while at ready to grab her again if she chooses to act out at all. "Goa, don't be a smart dreka okay." 
Slipstream looks toward the hand of the old timer and places hers in his, "I understand." she murmurs, she shakes her head a little at Goa, "I don't think I was poisoned." 
Goa steps back from the freed flier, shaking his head as if to dissipate something from it. "If you insist, Shark," he replies to Slipstream, "I don't either, but I would 
posit that's the point." He sighs, shying away from the chat. 
Xaaron nods, taking a hold of Slipstream's hand, "Thank you miss. My name is Xaaron, as you are perhaps aware. What is your name?" then he looks to Goa and Shark, "I should not need to give you orders on what to do. We are heading back to Iacon, alright?" 
Shark keeps an eye on the flier as Xaaron takes over. The golden mech is smooth, that much he'll give him. 
Slipstream nods, "I have heard of you. I go by Slipstream, as that one would know." she gestures toward Goa. 
Goa keeps quiet, perhaps not even aware he's been addressed. The mech is staring down the hall spaced-out-like. 
Smiling faintly, Xaaron nods, "Perhaps, miss Slipstream, however I always find that introductions are best given personally. Shall we be on our way now? I am sure that we all could do with something of a refuel." 
Shark taps Goa on the shoulder. "C'mon you. This was your idea to begin with...” 
Slipstream nods to that point. "Yes, of course." she agrees. 
-- cut to Iacon security -- 
Goa wanders back to the present. "Oh, it is." He says nothing else, then transforms, eager to roll back toward the exit of the labs and to Iacon. 
Shark moves into the doorway to keep guard. 
Xaaron leads Slipstream into the Security complex, and a large, well-appointed cell, reactivating the security field behind him. "Welcome to Iacon. This will, of course be your home for the time being, but we will take good care of you. Goa, if you could get some energon for myself and the lady I would appreciate it. Then we can discuss what has been going on." 
Slipstream hmms softly and takes a seat, glad to be off her feet after having wandered for so many cycles just looking for something to fill her nearly empty tank. "Thank you." 
Goa throws Slipstream a glance, then steps out to skate to the energon tanks nearby. He hardly seems to notice Shark as he steps by, shaking his head to himself. "Sometimes I wonder..." 
Shark let's Goa go past to get the energon. "I can elaborate on what's been going on if that would help any sir." 
Goa steps in, having little difficulty carrying an armful of energon cubes of varying size. He hands one off to Shark on the way in, then strides up to the active cell, waiting outside the barrier. 
Slipstream looks over toward Goa, the barrier lowers to allow some energon to be transferred to her. 
Goa passes it through, as well as Xaaron's share. "So," he says, sipping his own ration, "You didn't put up a fight?" 
Shark takes a sip of his as he stands in the doorway of the room. 
Slipstream takes hers and nods, "Outnumbered." she explains simply. 
Goa crosses his legs as he leans against the wall outside the cell. He shakes his head again. "... is it just you, or have the Decepticons been acting off too?" 
Shark eyes Goa at his question. 
Slipstream sips on her cube and mms, "I think you know the answer to that already." 
Goa frowns, and his hand wanders to his neck and emblem unconsciously. He turns to address Shark. "And you thought I was bad about riddles." 
Shark smirks to that, "I think she means the other flier that came after you there champ." 
Slipstream nods to what Shark says. "Yes." 
Goa turns with his back to the wall. "That's just bad luck. If it, say, happened again today," he gestures wildly with his fingers, "and energon-crazy McSeekerPants decided she just couldn't place my name, either, then maybe..." He puts a finger to the spike of his chin sarcastically, "Maybe then I'd be less cynical. Less cynical, and more locking myself in my quarters until the rest of you figured out what's what." 
Shark points out, "Goa, she answered your question. Don't get all sarcastic." he looks toward the guest of honor, "So you noticed that others are acting out of character?" 
Slipstream nods her head, "Yes." she sips on her cube. 
Goa examines his shin guards. "Sorry." Glancing over to Slipstream, he continues, "Care to elaborate?" 
Shark smirks, "Better." 
Slipstream replies softly, "Like Starscream being Lord Emperor, and the fact the Cons are losing so badly to you Bots." 
Goa snorts. "Or maybe the Decepticons were misguided in the first place." He spends a moment digging around in his memory, relieved that he's able to find the file he was looking for. "Though I always did find Starscream's rise to power ... peculiarly comical." 
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Awareness Stat and fails by 2! The total roll was 12. 
Shark chuckles softly. 
Slipstream nods a bit to that, taking another sip of her energon. "Probably as comical as Ultra Magnus leading you Bots hm?" 
Goa looks over at Shark. "I still don't get that one. You?" 
Shark points out, "Just think about it Goa. Ultra Magnus isn't the most charismatic mech that could be leading us. He's always questioning his decisions." 
Slipstream smiles a bit and looks toward Goa, "Then there's the fact I don't believe you belong with the Bots." 
Goa says, "Well, when you put it that way... It always seemed /unwise/, yes, but nothing feels 'off' about it." He frowns more, finding himself unsure how to feel about Shark's straightforwardness, but Slipstream interrupts before that train of thought gets too far off-rail. He slowly rolls his head to face her. "Missed me that much, eh?" The mech's face is as emotionally stern as they come, even through the tone of humor. "... I get that a lot." 
Shark mmms, "I think you need more convincing." 
Slipstream finishes off her cube and sighs softly, "I don't understand it, but yes I suppose there's something about you that tells me I should know you as one of the Cons." 
Goa notices her finish the cube and realizes the one in his hand is still full, also noticing he's lost his taste for it. "What do you mean, Shark...? I'll let my theory go, if that's what. This entire thing has me too upside-down for logic anyway." 
Shark states, "You require more proof that what I've been saying is correct. Your theory is all right, just how would poison get that widespread so quickly." 
Slipstream eyes that cube in Goa's hands, licking her lips hungrily. 
Goa quietly passes it through the barrier behind himself, if only to have it out of sight. "In retrospect, I trust Iacon's energon distribution system is designed precisely to avoid that sort of contamination." He peeks back at Slipstream, trying to remain aware of how much information falls from his vocals. "So my next, more difficult guess was air- or maybe repair- borne. Difficult, but not impossible." He examines the ceiling. "Femme's got a point about Starscream, but ..." Goa trails off again, as usual. 
Shark again tries to make a point, "So you are saying it's the energon that's poisoned? Okay then, test it." his cube still has some energon in it, "You are the energon expert yes?" he grins a bit at him. 
Slipstream eyes the energon then takes it from Goa, "Thank you." is whispered, then she retreats back from him. "It's not the only thing that is off. Bots and Guard from Crystal City working together? C'mon..." 
Goa looks relieved by the change of topic. "No, I was saying that's unlikely. I'll test it either way, but whatever it is, deja vu or mass hysteria, someone smarter than me is at work here." He tilts his head at Slipstream, but says nothing. 
Shark hmms softly at that comment from their guest, then nods to Goa. "Well the scientists might figure it out, or they might not, either way if things continue to be 'off' we'll have to do something about it." 
Slipstream sips on the second cube now, being quiet for the moment. 
Goa glances to the femme. "I don't suppose there's been any plotting, any kind of industrial accident over in Polyhex that I should know about? If I'm supposed to be a Decepticon, and all." 
Shark smirks a bit. 
Slipstream shakes her head, "Not that I'm aware of... the Lord Emperor is at the mercy of you Bots." 
Goa smiles. "I'm sure you're raring to go help me interrogate /him/, Shark." More muted, "Not that I'd pass up a chance to give that dismissive, pit-bound neoharpy a piece of my mind..." 
Shark shakes his head to that, "No need to go after Starscream when he's holed up in Polyhex, Goa. I think we have learned all we can from our guest." 
Slipstream finishes off her second cube, "Does that mean you'll be releasing me?" 
Goa says, "I know, I know. Wouldn't make it any less satisfying, at least for me, though." Turning so his shoulder squeaks up against the wall, he says, "Oh, that I don't know." His expression lies on the spectrum from smug to confused, but tends towards the latter end. "Xaaron put you in here, so I'm not sure it's within our authority... Shark?" 
Shark points out, "Xaaron invited her, she came of her own free will. Do you got more questions of her or something?" is asked of Goa. 
Slipstream goes quiet, waiting to see what happens. 
Goa shakes his head. "Can't say I do. I don't spend enough time here to fully understand protocol." 
Shark nods and moves from the door, hitting the deactivation for the force field, "Then escort our guest out." 
Slipstream steps out with a hint of a smile, glancing toward Goa. 
Goa salutes Shark casually, gesturing and turning to lead Slipstream out of the city. "Wish me luck; apparently I'm low," he calls behind himself. 
Shark steps back and salutes back, "Off with you then." 
-- cut to outside of Iacon dome -- 
Slipstream is escorted out to freedom. She glances at Goa, "I trust the defenses won't shoot me down if I take flight?" 
Goa shakes his head. "They know you're here." He takes in an eyeful of the Cybertronian sky, expression almost mournful. "Sorry about your wing. I didn't know what to expect." 
Slipstream's flexes her wings, looking at your expression. "I accept the apology. Good cycle." she jumps up into the air, flies up a bit and transforms. 
Goa pauses to consider, then decides it may as well be prudent to offer the flier a salute too. "Good cycle, and good luck." 
Slipstream flies off towards home.
Category:Logs
Category:2010 Logs
Category:Shark's Logs
Category:Goa's Logs
Category:Slipstream's Logs
Category:Xaaron's Logs
Category:Time Warp TP