Temporary Alliances

It takes a while before Pharma's attention is elsewhere, enough that Nautica feels she can make her way down to the chamber where Buzzkill and Shrapnel are penned up without being too closely observed, where he might react quickly enough to interfere with what she's about to do. In truth, Pharma probably doesn't care; doubtless he considers it simply another experiment, to see whether the insecticons will eat his 'pet' outlier. She, of course, assumes they will not, regardless of what Pharma might claim; for the moment, their interests align.
Still, when Nautica manages to get the compartment open, it's with two more cubes of energon -- one for each insecticon -- which she holds out in peace offering. The Camien femme can't help but glance up at the camera, offering a slightly defiant look towards the lens; she knows all too well that everything they do here is observed, but perhaps she no longer entirely cares whether or not Pharma sees this later.
Buzzkill hates everything about the situation she's in. She hates the small spaces, she hates being locked up like an animal, she hates not knowing what's going on, all of it. There's one thing she hates most of all, however, and that's the starvation. She considers every Insecticon her kin and Shrapnel is no exception, but there's only so much someone can take before they start to lose their humanity and become the animal their captors have forced them to be. It's only a matter of time before her hunger gets the best of her and she'll have to make the painful decision to either murder her fellow Insecticon or succumb to starvation.
Fortunately for Buzzkill, the things Shrapnel told her about Nautica were true as evidenced by her appearance with energon rations in tow. Not one to turn down a free meal, especially in a situation where she never knows when the next one will be, the wasp snatches her portion in both hands and downs it as quickly as possible, stopping only when there is nothing left. She lets out a satisfied sigh before actually acknowledging her savior. "You have my gratitude but not my trust, why are you here?"
"Do you mean here, in this room? Or do you mean here, in the Institute?" Nautica leans back against the wall, her arms folded in front of her as she regards the newest addition to the insecticon collection. "I'm here in the Institute because Pharma wants to study me, too. I'm what they call an outlier, and Pharma... he wants to take apart outliers. See what makes us work. He's taken me apart once, and put a thing in my head that... well, if I don't do what he says, he can kill me quickly, with the push of a button. But right now he figures I'm more useful in the lab, and if I don't..." She trails off, making a gesture of a bot collapsing, permanently deactivated.
When she speaks again, the Camien femme has switched to wavespeech instead; even if it's recorded, there are so few in the Institute who can actually understand it fluently, and Pharma isn't one of them. +And I'm here in this room right now because I want you -- all of you -- to stay strong. When we are ready to move, we can work together to get free. I would rather have friends -- or at least allies -- when I work to get loose.+
Wow. The non-Insecticon world is messed up. Apparently you get kidnapped, taken apart, get weird stuff placed in your head that will blow you up.. it's brutal as all hell but her kind are the ones considered savage and vicious? Buzzkill lowers herself in a cross legged sit, hands in her lap. Might as well get comfortable while they're talking. +I appreciate your encouragement,+ she replies, also taking advantage of wave speech. At this point she assumes everything done or said in the place is recorded in some way so it would explain why everyone around her has been speaking in this manner. +But you need not worry, there is nothing I care more about at this very moment than my freedom and I will do anything to achieve it, even if it means forming an alliance with someone such as yourself. What is happening here disgusts me to my very core and I long for the day I see it burned to the ground.+
+Believe me, you are far from alone. There are many Hollows who want to see it destroyed as well, me very firmly among them,+ Nautica assures Buzzkill, with a sour edge to her own words. +There are other outliers here, both Hollows like me and at least one insecticon.+ She glances over at Shrapnel briefly, as if in illustration, and then back to Buzzkill.
+Be warned, though," the Camien adds. +When you are in the lab, the jet-doctor records even wavespeech. He doesn't understand most of it, but sometimes he forces me to translate the recordings. So we all have to be careful what we say there, even talking like this.+ On pain, presumably, of otherwise having her brain fried by the module he implanted.
The jet-doctor. Pharma. That bastard, with his smug face and his stupid hooked nose. Buzzkill would just love to break that stupid nose off his face and shove it down his throat, oh yeah, that would be so satisfying. She makes a mental note to do just that whenever the opportunity arises. It's good to have goals.
+I don't know what you mean by outlier but I can make a guess and say I'm not one, so why am I here? What does the sick doctor want with me?+ Buzzkill has a lot of questions, even more so when labs are brought up. +Why would I be in a lab? What is he going to do to me?+
+Outliers have abilities that don't match our altmode, and the Institute wants to understand us. For instance, Shrapnel can generate electricity. Another might be able to fly, even without a flight-capable altmode. Or maybe teleport. For me, I...+ Nautica trails off, trying to think how exactly to put her particular talent. +I think strangely; I can learn things very quickly, even things most don't understand, and apply them readily to situations. That's why the jet-doctor has me working in the lab under duress, rather than having put me in a cage; he figures he can use me as a tool until I'm no longer useful.+
And then Nautica shakes her head. +But he wants insecticons, too. See, we have to eat energon, but you can scavenge. You can eat raw matter and convert it into energy. From what Kickback and Shrapnel have said, it's not /pleasant/ for you, not compared to proper energon, but it still keeps you alive, yes? With energon shortages growing, the jet-doctor thinks if he can figure out how you work, he can make us able to do the same thing. To eat matter, instead of needing energon.+
"That's ridiculous!" Buzzkill shouts out loud, her posture becoming aggressive. "The ability to eat as we do is a gift to Insecticons from the planet! We are Cybertron's true children and because of that we are given abilities your kind can NEVER have! We are born survivors and we will live even after all of the hollows die!" She knows Nautica isn't down with Pharma's ideas so she's mostly saying this for his sake since he's probably listening to them right now or at the very least will at a later point in time. The wasp leans in, her gaze narrowing in on Nautica's face. +You spoke of a break for freedom. I assume there is some kind of plan you can't tell me about?"
+As I said: there are other Hollows who want to see this place burned down as badly as you do.+ Nautica leaves it at that, with just a pointed glance to the camera observing them. She's not entirely certain whether or not the room's surveillance equipment has been retrofitted to eavesdrop on wavespeech as well, and even with Pharma unable to understand more than fragmentary bits of the language she evidently prefers to play it safe. She doesn't comment on Buzzkill's remark about 'after all of the Hollows die' either, though she might look slightly troubled by it.
It's nothing personal. Nautica seems like a decent enough person, but the fact remains she is a hollow and, after the cruel treatment she has receieved at their hands, Buzzkill has a poor opinion on them though she hopes Nautica will be the one to prove her wrong. Only time will tell on that one. +Since that subject has been taken care of, we can move on. Since you're here, I am hoping you will be able to do me a favor. Is there any way you would be able to convince the jet-doctor to drop the one called Kickback in here with us? I have taken interest in his sad story and would like a chance to speak to him.+
+It's possible,+ Nautica replies, after a moment's consideration. +But it will take some doing. I would almost have to /trick/ him into it, so it might take me a bit of time. And he's going to want me to bring you out of here soon... he'll insist I take you apart for his studies. But if you're willing, I'll follow his order but use the opportunity to help prepare you better for escape; I've done so for the others already.+ She glances to Shrapnel, as if suggesting he can attest to this much. She doesn't explain /why/ she might sympathize with insecticons in the first place, however.
Buzzkill follows Nautica's glance to Shrapnel and frowns. Letting a stranger she barely trusts open her apart and do stuff to her goes against everything she's ever learned but she has no choice but to take her brother on his word that this hollow is one she can count on their side. She looks back to Nautica and gives her a stern, serious look. +..I am willing. Do what you must. For now I consider you an ally and will help you in any way I can.+
Nautica nods once. +I won't betray your trust. We're allies in this, for now,+ she assures Buzzkill. With a glance up at the camera, she adds, +I'll be back soon. Can you make sure Shrapnel gets that energon cube when he comes out of his power-saving mode?+
+Of course,+ Buzzkill replies. +He is my kin and it is my duty to help him through this.+
Category:NC Institute