Choice and Consequence

Elita One is presently leaning over a table she has set up near her desk, a hologram glowing brightly, showing a diagram of a building. She seems to be talking to herself quietly, using a stylus to pinpoint and highlight various spots on the diagram.
Knock, knock. Nautica taps on the frame of the door, though perhaps it's more habit than actual pause; as soon as the Camien engineer notices that Elita One is alone, she steps inside. She stands there with her hands clasped together in front of her, trying -- and failing -- not to look worried, or upset, as she waits for Elita to finish what she's doing.
Elita One makes one last adjustment before she straightens up and smiles towards the new arrival, "Nautica.. welcome. Sorry, was making a few changes to the floor plans for the club I intend on opening.. plan on making it neutral grounds for /everyone/." She pauses as she notices how the other Femme seems to be holding herself then reaches up to tap one of the buttons hidden near her wrist, and a soft buzzing is briefly heard as her white-noise generator kicks in, "What's wrong?" Her voice loses it's usual joyful edge, and leaves just the iron tone of her more serious side.
"So, you know how you told me to stay out of trouble? Uhm." Nautica pauses for a moment. "I think I might not have managed that. I've been questioned by the police once, told to befriend someone and then betray them, and I think my employer might be... maybe not /evil/, but at least /morally challenged/."
Elita One would breath in.. if she actually breathed. But instead she lowers her head, closes her optics for a long moment then lifts it up again to look at Nautica, then points at a seat, "Sit." She then moves around her desk and sits down in her chair, facing toward Nautica, "To be clear... I said stay out of trouble... or tell me if you get into it.." Her hands cross on the desk as she talks, "Let us take this.. slowly. Why were you questioned by the police?"
After a moment, Nautica does take the offered chair. Folding her hands in her lap, she slumps slightly forward. "Because I've spoken several times to someone at Maccadam's who they want to bring in for questioning. A shuttle named Blast Off. And Prowl wanted to know everything I knew about him. Where he might be, what he was doing... things I didn't know."
Elita One groans as soon as Blast Off's name is spoken, and she raises her hands up to put her head into it, "Of course it would be Blast Off.." She sighs deeply and stays like that for a bit before she leans back again, putting her hands back down and returns to her more serious look, "I wish I could say I was surpsied by that... but sadly, I am not. But let me guess.. was it Prowl who... did he order you to, or ask you to, be nice then backstab him?" there is a brief pause.. "And what did you tell him?"
"It was Prowl," Nautica confirms. "And yes... when he realized I didn't know where he was, he told me to convince Blast Off to turn himself in if I saw him again, /or/ to befriend him and lure him somewhere..." She trails off, and then adds, "I did run into Blast Off again, and tried to convince him to go in; he said he wasn't guilty of the things they want him for, and I don't think he's going to."
Elita One nods as she listens, not interupting till Nautica is done speaking for the moment, "Nautica, remember that while you are moving around, you are still part of my 'crew'.. and there for I am still responsibile for you. IF he chooses to try to strong arm you into doing something that that agian, tell him to speak to me if he wishes to use you in some.. sting operation." A brief whirr is heard from her chair as she leans back in it, "I am glad all you did was /try/ to convince him, not force him, Nautica.. in the end it /is/ your choice to do something, don't let anyone here force you into letting them choose for you."
Nautica nods once, straightening slightly in her chair. "I will. And I think... I think maybe I need to stop trying to be passive, to pretend the politics here aren't my problem. Because they're not going to ignore /me/." Then the engineer pauses again, as if seeking her next words. "Uhm. That's not all, though. I'm almost /more/ worried about the place I work being maybe sort of evil. I mean... they're doing some things that seem kind of morally questionable, anyway. Like taking Kickback apart." Wait, what?
Elita One goes... still.. at that last part, "What did you say?"
Oh, right; that probably needs to be elaborated on, doesn't it. "One of my first days at the lab, I ended up being taken to help in a room where an insecticon was being held in a cage," Nautica explains. "He seemed upset, but he couldn't speak like Kickback could. They were studying him because he could generate extremely powerful electrical charges. I was worried, so after I finished my last shift I went looking for him again; they'd moved him to another lab, and Kickback was in that one too. Also held in a cage, being studied too."
There is that... silence again as Elita One somehow manages to go even more still. But this time when she moves she gets up, and walks towards where the Hammer hangs on it's display and looks at it as she finally speaks again, "And you belive they are going to take him apart.. why?" She half turns to face towards Nautica, "And where exactly is this workplace of yours?"
"No... they already /did/," Nautica says, shaking her head. "He said they took him apart and put him together again, but I'm not sure they did it properly because he said he didn't feel 'quite right'." Her hands clench where they rest in her lap. "I can't sneak him out -- I'd get caught -- but I'm going to try to keep an eye on him and his friend, to keep them safe as best I can until I can figure out what to do. I sort of think... if they're keeping sentients in cages and experimenting on them, that may not be the only thing wrong at that place." Apparently, when Nautica fails at 'don't get in trouble', she turns that failure to eleven.
Elita One's shoulders.. slump.. as she listens, "When I think I've heard the worse.." is spoken softly, but when she turns to Nautica again she walks over and kneels down next to her fellow Camien, "That just.. confirms some of the things I have heard mentioned are going on in some of the 'labs' on Cybertron, Nautica. And if any of the.. others.. are true, then this world is far more corrupt then I had ever feared." She reaches out and touches Nautica's shoulder, "But do your best to track them, Nautica, and I promise you, we /will/ get them out."
Nautica sits silently for a long moment, and then looks up at Elita with a somewhat grim expression. "Like I said, I don't think I can keep pretending this doesn't affect me. That it's all just someone else's problem, and focusing on my studies. So, since I'm there -- since they hired me, and I'm on the inside -- what can I do to help?"
Elita One nods, "I understand, Nautica.. believe me, I truly do. Some of the things Ive see HERE in the Senate building." She just shakes her head agian before looking to her again "Do.. you think you can keep it up? Just a bit longer? There are some people I can.. talk to... who I believe will not like this news... and will help me take action about it. But I NEED to know where they are keeping Kickback for as long as possible.. I promised someone I would let her know if we found him."
"Arcee, I know," Nautica replies. "She's looking for him; when we talked last, I didn't know they were holding him at the facility that I got hired at. Kickback and I aren't mentioning her by name there, because the researchers don't currently seem to realize who his 'Queen' is, just that there /is/ one out there."
Elita One poitns a finger at Nautica, "You are NOT to tell her.. not till we can get help first. She can be..rash at time, Nautica, understand?"
"Oh... she wasn't the one you promised to tell? Or do you just want to be the one to tell her?" Nautica glances at the pointing finger, and then adds, "So... all you want me to do for now is lay low, and keep an eye on Kickback and his friend, to try to keep track if they move them to another lab?"
Elita One nods, "Arcee is the one I need to tell.. but I don't want her to run off and do anything rash, Nautica." She again smiles lightly, "Yes, that is roughly what I want you to do.. if this place is like you describe it, we'll need help when we do something about it." A moment passes as she stands up, a look more suited for a huntress passing her face, "And I mean /we/, Nautica.. you said before you wished to help more? If... no.. WHEN.. this happens, I will need your help, if your still willing."
There's a moment's hesitation, admittedly; Nautica has never been one for conflict in the past. She's steady under pressure when dealing with engines, but politics? Espionage? Certainly she's /read/ about them -- what hasn't she read about? -- but lacking personal experience it has been a foreign territory for the savant, one full of nothing but uncertain footing. But then the look of determination from earlier returns, and the engineer nods to Elita One. "Yes. I am."
Elita One looks at Nautica, "Can.. I trust you still, Nautica?"
"Of course," Nautica replies, perhaps a little confused. "Why wouldn't you be able to?"
Elita One grins "Because trust seems to be a commodity on this world.. sold easily." She taps Nautica's shoulder lightly, "I wanted to see how you would react. Just how I hought you would." She walks back towards the holotable she had set up and waves to Nautica, "Come here.. there's something I want to show you."
Still a little puzzled, Nautica rises from the chair to follow Elita over to the holotable.
Elita One waves at a display.. "This is in the works atm, over in Arthiex. It's a project I started awhile ago.. to try and help ease off some of the troubles that are brewing people the casters. A club where any and all can go.. and be guarentee'd saftey, by my Hammer if necessary." The entire display shows a massive, multi-story club-like setup. After a moment she clicks in a command, and you see something appear underneath it, a few levels below the main floor, "And this is what I wanted you to see.. it's going to be a safe house for us. If any of us get into trouble, and can't get to the embassy. I intend on ensuring all Camiens I trust to know where it is.. and how to get in, and how to keep it a secret. Of which, your the first I'm telling."
"A safe-house... that's not a bad idea," Nautica agrees, but then she pauses. "Only Camiens, though? It seems like it might the right sort of place for Kickback and his friend to lay low for a little while once we get them free, and things like that."
Elita One sighs, "As I said, people I trust... which for now.. is Camiens, and a few others. I intend on letting more know, or letting those I do let in make judgement calls if necessary."
Nautica watches the holo-projection for a moment more, reaching out to rest a finger just at the edge of the safe-house area. Finally, she says, "It will probably need defenses, won't it. And defenses need a good engineer to put them together." That's probably an offer, on her part.
Elita One smiles, "Why do you think your one of the first I'm telling? I'm not.. lacking in experience in how to defend a place.. but when you have a professional on hand, it would be stupid not to use them wouldn't it?"
At this, Nautica smiles; it's something she knows how to do, a way to help that actually aligns with her skills. "Then I'll do everything I can. If you send me the floorplans so far, I'll start planning out a security system. And in the meantime, I'll keep an eye on the insecticons, and try to keep them comfortable until we can get them out." She seems in a much better mood than when she entered the office; perhaps having a path forward lets her feel more confident about it all.
Elita One smiles, "Do you need anything to help you out? While your at THAT place?" She moves around the table, and pulls out a small datacrystal and offers it, "Already copied. Just... /ensure/ this does not get out, Nautica."
"Better leave it in the embassy safe," Nautica replies, after a moment's thought. "I don't think I want it on me -- even in a subspace pocket -- while I'm at the lab; I'll only study it and work on those plans when I'm back on Camien territory." Because clearly, she doesn't trust the lab. And maybe she's starting to realize she should apply her intellect to the situations she currently faces, rather than just science.
Elita One bows her head, "A good choice.. I was going to suggest here.. but that might be ackward." She twists her hand and the datacrystal disappears somewhere on her, "And I was meaning do you need.." She sighs, "A weapon or something to make you feel safer while your working here still? I don't want you to get hurt because you can't defend yourself well enough."
Nautica glances down at her trusty ever-present quantum wrench in its holder on her hip, before reluctantly adding, "I should probably learn to use a real weapon, shouldn't I?"
Elita One quietly asks as she watches Nautica, "Do you feel you need to?"
"They /took Kickback apart/," Nautica reiterates. "And I think they're planning to do the same to the other insecticon, the one that I think might be an outlier. I don't imagine I'll have a good day if they realize what I'm doing there. Plus, apparently I'm caught between the police and Blast Off and I think the person who put the bomb in Arcee might have been trying to grab me earlier." Oh, did she leave that one off the list the first time?
Elita One reaches up and rubs her temple a bit, "You... don't do things by half do you? Find some trouble, need to make multiple layers of it?" She smiles though to take any sting out, but gets serious again, "Picking up a weapon, a REAL weapon, means you are choosing to be defend yourself to the end... think long and hard before you choose to pick one up." She points at the wrench, "That is good for self-defense, very good, but a gun.. will change things. Please think long and hard on that, Nautica, them come back and I will teach you how to use one, as well as find one that will be a good fit for you."
She sarts to say more when there is a quiet beeping.. her eyes close as she growls, "Damn him.." She looks back to Nautica, "I need to go, Sentinel wishes to speak to me.. I'm sure it's about what infraction the Autobots supposedly did this day.."
"Alright." Nautica makes her way over to the door, then turns back. "I'll try to fill you in on anything new whenever we're both at the embassy, at least until this is done." If it ever /is/ done; she can't shake the feeling that Cybertron's on increasingly unstable ground.
Elita One looks over before Nautica leaves, "Nautica... if you ever need to talk, or simple.. wish to relax, you can come by.. You dont NEED to only come by when there is trouble, ok?"
"I didn't want to bother you; you've been so busy," Nautica answers. But then she offers a faint smile to the other femme. "But... alright. I'll try to remember that." And then she's gone, leaving Elita to deal with her appointment with the Prime.
Category:NC Institute