What a Mess

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Slipstream Shred Goa Firestorm Optimus Prime Static Shark Protofire First Aid
Slipstream is seated on one of the med tables, waiting patiently for Shred to show up. She has waved the drones out of the way since they obviously couldn't figure out what the issue was with the grounder.
Shred strides into the Repair bay, having received a transmission about a patient needing capable medical care. "Alright, I am here, which berth is he in. Somebody bring his Schematics online at the closest terminal for me so I can do my job."
Slipstream nods to the medic and moves to do as asked, "Yes, of course." she says respectfully, punching up anything that there might be on the grounder. Goa is the only one in the room other than herself.
Goa lays on his back, quite offline -- he's not in such bad shape externally, save scorched, scored paint, and the drones have long since cleaned up the floor.
Shred hrms, and she starts to run a number of systems checks on Goa, "Hmm, this looks like massive power surge Damage. Tricky. The easiest way to repair him may be to begin by dismantling his body. If we place his laser core in a stabilizer pod, it will make it easier to repair the damage, as well as to determine if there are any other faults to repair."
Slipstream listens to what the medic says then asks, "Anything I can do to assist Shred?" sounding concerned and even eager to help if she is able.
Shred hmms, "Get the drones to set up the pod, so we can keep Goa alive while working on his body."
Slipstream inclines her head and moves to command those drones to work on the pod set up. "He's that bad off huh?" she asks.
Shred nods, a dark frown upon her features as she removes Goa's laser core delicately. "I'm afraid so." after placing Goa's core in the pod, which will also provide him with some sensory input, as well as a rudimentary vocalizer unit, she brings up what her scans have shown, an energetic crystalline material in Goa's systems, she had to be careful removing the core as there was a LOT of it around there.. "We need to work out what this stuff is.. Who attacked him?"
Slipstream looks at the stuff inside and somehow knows what it may be, "Wasn't attacked." she states quickly, "He ran himself off the road and injured himself."
Shred frowns, "That makes no sense, Slipstream. How the slag did he get this crap inside of himself and cause a massive overload?"
Goa's now-vacant interior is a morbid sight. Dark grooves, lit intermittently in little villas of blue crystal, wrack the outlines of his spark chamber, and the glowing lines of energon still look damaged and unstable.
"What?" A hollow voice rings from the direction of the support pod Goa has found himself locked in. "... Slipstream?"
Slipstream frowns slightly at the questioning, shifting uncomfortably, "Maybe he should tell you.." is all she can say.
Shred hrms, "Goa, what happened to you?"
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Intelligence Stat and fails by 8! The total roll was 19.
"Uhh..." The working optic provided to him buzzes and strains under the workload Goa is providing, spazzing out trying to look all over the repair bay at once. "Shred?" He zooms in on the smaller femme. "What do you mean? Where am I?"
Shred sighs, "Goa, you are in the repair bay. somehow your body has suffered a massive infection with some sort of energized crystal. Your laser core is in a survival pod so that I can repair your body."
Slipstream says softly, "Goa should I tell her?"
+Roll: Goa rolls against his Courage Stat and succeeds by 10! The total roll was 2.
The lens freezes in place for a solid click. "... infection." The voice tones deeper, marked with anger and a tinge of anxiety, as Goa locates his own chassis in the room and zooms in another level. "Yes, Slipstream."
Shred frowns, "It is important that I know what I am dealing with."
Slipstream looks to Shred, "He was on an organic world for some time helping gather energon, the crystals may be from the energon conversion process. At least I believe I am correct from what Goa has told me." she explains.
Shred 's optics darken, "Get me a specimen jar. We will need to examine one of these crystals at length. And completely purge your systems, Goa.."
Slipstream nods and moves to get the jar as requested. "I'm sorry I don't know much more he's a little.. secretive.. about his past."
Goa has reconnected.
Shred looks to the pod, "Goa, if there is something important you are not telling me, I cannot guarantee that I can help you. I’m good, but even I can't be sure when something unexpected happens."
<Priv-Radio> Goa transmits, "Slipstream. Let... Let her test it, but do not, DO NOT allow Shred-- any Decepticon-- to take any amount of that crystal out of your sight. Do you understand?"
Goa pauses a long while before saying, in a weaker voice, "Don't purge anything. Be careful. My systems could be... relying on those."
Slipstream listens to that private radio and nods, "I would like to observe the testing Shred. I'm sure Goa would like to know what you find out."
Shred frowns, "Goa.. if I can't purge your systems, there is NOTHING I can do to fix you."
Slipstream mutters, "Symbotic relationship between the crystal and the one that carries it?"
Shred sighs, "Then I'm going to have to build you a new body from scratch. I'm sorry, Goa."
Goa squeaks. "Run your tests! I'm not certain of that." Uncomfortable static can be heard from the vocalizer.
Slipstream hears that panic in the grounders' voice all too well. "Run the tests, but within sight of myself and Goa. Please, ma'am."
Shred nods, and she places the specimen jar into a pod in one of the medical terminals, "This could take some time. I'm not even sure where to begin with testing this stuff, I have never seen anything like it before."
"And you should hope you never see anything like it again," the pod mutters. "... ask. I'll tell you what I know about the stuff." Goa's voice is muted. "... and can one of you close my chest up? It's ... distressing."
Slipstream moves to close up the chest area from the grounders' gaze. "Begin at the beginning." she states patiently, both to the medic and Goa. Slipstream is watching the medic take the sample and put it under a microscope to study it as she sits next to the pod where Goa's neural net rests on 'life support'.
Firestorm had stepped out as soon as she'd dropped Goa off at the repair bay, the femme having needed plenty of recharge after that taxing spark bond. Still a bit groggy, the femme made her way back into repairs with optics half open and wings drooping as she slowly came out of stasis mode. "Mmnm... still got a pain in my processors-" But she'd stop, optics widening at the sight before her. "Goa!" Sensors were fully online now as she raced to the medical table he was on, "Primus.... What'd I do..."
"Over here." A familiar voice intones from a spark support pod nearby, optical equipment already locked on Firestorm. "Not your fault. Calm down."
Slipstream looks up as Firestorm enters and the tone from the fellow seeker femme cements her own concern for the grounder. "He'll be fine, that is if Shred can remove those crystals out of his chassis." she remarks softly.
Firestorm turned in surprise at the sound of Goa's voice, eyes fixing on the strange stasis pod that Slipstream was sitting beside. "Uh... Wow.. I guess that spark bond packed more of a punch than I thought..." She rubbed her helmet, looking down to the shell of the mech, "Crystals? But I thought there were only a little..." Firestorm took a curious peek into his park chamber.
Slipstream doesn't move from her spot as Firestorm checks out what the doc had already seen within the grounders' chassis. "Shred is trying to figure out what they are and if they can be removed." she tells the other femme, "What was it like for you Firestorm?" she asks, "The merge.. what was it like?"
The vacant chamber is coated with the violet residue of lost energon. Previously inert fuel lines and the traces where the remnants of crystal had been stored were now very active, the shards seemingly having moved themselves to collect around the core. Without the laser core itself in the way, many long segments were now pointing inward, some scattered to the floor of the mech's chest.
Goa's eye slowly turns to Slipstream, but if he had anything to say, he seems to have chosen not to say it.
Firestorm grimaced at the state of his chamber, a finger prodding ever so lightly at some of the crystals. "If I could, I'd take these upon myself..." The femme muttered to herself quietly, though Slipstream's voice brought her gaze back around, making her think back on the event. "It was... strange. Like an overwhelming of mixing feelings while pain and pleasure seem to collide. And.. all of your thoughts, memories, everything somehow feel combined for a second even though it feels like hours..." Her expression seemed thoughtful as the memory made a feeling of fluttering in her spark.
Slipstream smiles to the explanation and nods, "I'm utterly jealous." the total truth there. "Can you feel him now then? His thoughts and feelings?" she asks, honestly curious. She saw that gaze from that 'eye' on the pod. "Or am I asking too much?" she inquires, seemingly to the both of you.
"But you wouldn't, because they either go with me, or to the pit." Goa interjects, voice booming deeper than his own chassis's vocalizer would've been able to, presumably to drive home his point. Now he seems to be looking nowhere in particular, but his look turns to Slipstream again at her inquiry. "Doesn't take a bond to know what's on Firey's mind," he says, now with his normal twang of sarcasm, but morose.
Firestorm snorted softly, removing her hand from his chamber and standing straight. "I think so... Haven't exactly tested it out. Though it does feel like there's a small void in my thoughts.." She'd tap her helmet where the odd feeling was, supposing that would be the place where their thoughts and emotions passed through.
Slipstream hmms softly to Goa's comment, "I'm no mind reader nor pretend to be. I could presume feelings by reading body posture and the like, but that doesn't give me the full story." then she looks to Firestorm, "Maybe you could test it, slowly at first. Maybe when he's back in his body."
Goa chuckles, though it rings out more like a series of beeps, "I'm thinking of a number." The optic camera unit bobs up and down enthusiastically -- bit of a mood swing, that.
+Roll: Firestorm rolls against her Intelligence Stat and succeeds by 4! The total roll was 10.
+Roll: Firestorm rolls against her Awareness Stat and BOTCHES!
Firestorm hrmm'ed softly to herself while tapping her chin in thought. A number, eh? Optics dimmed slightly as she searched her mind, though they would turn to that void an notice a certain number in particular start to wriggle from the blackness and into her normal thoughts. "Uhm.. 36?"
Slipstream smiles, "I am not guessing right?"
Goa's spark roils around a bit in the chamber of the pod. "... lucky guess." He chuckles that series of chirps again, "Not yet, Slippy." His eye is scanning Firestorm up and down in the meantime, clearly a bit unsettled by her precognisance...
Firestorm smirked softly, prodding the stasis pod and making it shake slightly, "Heh. Guess you won't have many places to hide your secrets now, hm?"
Goa seems to unsettle like a fish in a tank. "... that won't matter if I don't have a working chassis," he says, hesitating until the other stops poking him. "Firestorm. Did your systems develop reliance on the crystal?"
Slipstream has to stop herself from stopping Firestorm from poking Goa's pod like that.
Firestorm nodded, leaning against the medical table once she stopped disturbing the pod. "Yeah. If they didn't then I'd have already taken them out. If I do now though, I'd probably go offline, but I'm not willing to risk that."
Goa stops in the middle of his scan, staring off into space, all sensors motionless. He says nothing, not even a telling warm up of the vocalizer.
Slipstream nods a little to Firestorm, "I suspect its a symbiotic relationship you and Goa have with the crystals.. possibly no way to separate you from them other than a total rebuild into a new body that isn't polluted with it."
Firestorm could feel Goa's uneasiness start to work its way over their bond and into her head, the femme frowning slightly as she kept her thoughts calm and tried to relay that into the mech's own thoughts. "It's possible. Though I'd expect an entirely new body being a shock."
"... you think?" There's a waver in Goa's voice, but it seems to calm when he continues. "I'm a foot soldier. Do the Decepticons offer that?"
Slipstream hmms, "Better than being stuck in that pod for the rest of his cycles isn't it?" she asks, "Shred seems to think he's not repairable with those crystals in him."
"Who knows what your next body would be like, if Shred wants to go that path. I've never met a bot who's gotten on, so I can't say whether you'll get a choice on the looks or not. Who knows, maybe you'll get some wings and join us seekers." Firestorm smiled softly.
Slipstream smiles a bit at that suggestion, "Imagine that, us having to teach him to fly."
"I /like/ that body. It survived me a few thousand vorns of rust. Few hundred with hazard pay." Goa seems to unfreeze spontaneously, looking between the two in an almost intimidated way. A sigh is audible from the speaker. "... what, now you're both thinking it?"
Firestorm tightened her lips as Goa snapped at them, giving a light pat to the pod. "We know, Goa. But like it or not, you might have to change bodies. It's.. just something to think on."
Slipstream smiles a bit to Goa's consternation, "It's a good grounder body Gooey, but if the doc refuses to fix it.. what choice do you have?"
Goa bounces around a bit more. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don't need to rub it in. /I'll/ have /plenty/ of time to think on it," he complains, then starts musing to himself. "... I could get used to flying. Maybe not the sensitive wing things. But I'm not going to get my ... hopes? ... up."
Slipstream hmms to Goa's comment, "You may learn to enjoy the sensitive wings." she states, a hint of a smile there. "But I suppose we are getting ahead of ourselves. Shred will have to figure out the full nature of the crystals, and if she cannot I do believe the next to look at them would be Soundwave or Shockwave."
Firestorm rolled her optics at the mention of those two, snorting softly before she'd speak, "Those two. Soundwave's got some good taste in music, so I respect him a little. But Shockwave is kinda... creepy. Always staring with that single eye."
Goa freezes up and quiets again, sending another wave of uneasiness to Firestorm through the link. "... don't like that. Don't like escalating it. Not a bit." The laser core in the pod almost seems to shudder. "But like you said, I don't suppose I very well have an option."
Slipstream hears that tone and pats the pod with a hand. "Just have to be patient and wait it out Goa."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "Hello Cybertron, and how are you today. It's a wonderful 42 degrees out, with a black sky full of stars. I'm sure some of you are out there, wondering what’s going on. Well were here to tell you that. Of course there’s that same old fight going on between the two warring factions. I see it every day, you see it...One side finds something, and the other side tries to take it. You'll have to decide for yourself which are the good guys, and which are the bad. Personal opinion really..both are destroying our world, so it's a gray area."
<Radio-NEU> Shark transmits, "Know what, if you don't like it then leave the planet cuz we ain't letting them put neutrals like you in the slag furnace. So deal with it."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "Ooo, looks like we have a caller with an opinion. So where would you put the neutrals, into a slave work force? Both factions have been accused of that as well. Sure they claim it's for protection...but are they really protecting them, or just keeping the prisoner.."
<Radio-NEU> Optimus Prime transmits, "I forgive my Autobots actions. A few of them have becoming a bit trigger happy and require disciplinary action."
<Radio-NEU> Protofire transmits, "I am quite certain the AUTOBOTS would not do such a thing."
Goa sees Slipstream's motion and decides it would be best to at least try to calm down. "Something I can do around here? Work at some files? Something?
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "I'm stuck in a box, can't turn off my radio, and I have to listen to you guys?"
Slipstream Hmms softly, "I suppose we could give you some enemy files you have been avoiding studying."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "Or are they simply better are hiding things. Both Autobots and Decepticon claim land and people. Who’s to say these people want to be claimed, or that the land should belong to either of them. Shouldn't Cybertron belong to the Cybertronians? Perhaps both sides should just take a step back."
<Radio-NEU> Protofire transmits, "alas, if it were that easy Static."
Firestorm snickered softly. "It's not like he can refuse them at the moment."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "Ah, but it is that easy. Simply stop fighting. So one group finds a whatzahooie...does the other side really need to fight for that whatzahooie. What can't they just go find their own thingamabob?"
<Radio-NEU> Protofire transmits, "it is easy for some, but not for others."
"... hardly avoiding. Priorities, Slipstream. Priorities which now lie moot much like my... what was the term Shred used, infected? Infected chassis," Goa grumbles. "Please, a link to the network would keep me from going more insane. You guys don't seem to like when my CPU fritzes."
Slipstream reaches over to see if she can shut off Goa's radio from that rather aggravating chatter on neutral. "Make a note Firestorm to find that mech on channel and fire upon him at will." meaning Static.
Goa keeps an eye on Slipstream to see what she's doing. "I could just flood the band with smarminess."
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "Hey 'Bots and such, I'm thinking of a number. Who wants to guess what it is?"
Firestorm 's grin grew larger than usual at Slipstream's comment, the femme nodding, "Ooh, trust me. I will."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "Well, if you’re a Decepticon....Most of them I've meet can't count very high, so I'll go with the number 1"
Slipstream hmms to the suggestion and looks for a cable to hook Goa into so he'll have some computer time to pass the boredom. She smiles to Firestorm, "I like you already, sister." she muses.
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "Oooh, that smarts! Anyone else?"
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "Not-- all Decepticons seem that bad."
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "..nor do any of the Autobots.."
<Radio-NEU> Static transmits, "As I said folks, it's all a grey area. You all have to choose to see what you want to see. I'm just saying, take the blinders off now and then and look around at what’s really happening. What you think, and what you've been told, may not always be the truth."
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "How's it rollin' in Cubicron, First Aid? Trust you've had no more Decepticon tour buses rolling through?"
Slipstream finds the cable hook up and gets it into place for Goa. "There you go Gooey."
Goa gets out a quiet chuckle at Slipstream's sentiment. "You like her that much, huh? Slag, let's all merge and be a big happy trine. I can see it now -- Slippy, Firey, and a laser core they play catch with for some reason." Goa sounds fully amused by the idea, without that cut of bitterness that's been typical of his speech this cycle.
Firestorm chuckled softly, hefting herself up onto the medical table where Goa's body was, "Ha, keep dreaming Goa. That'd be the strangest trine I've ever seen." The femme seeker smirked happily.
Slipstream gets a slightly shocked look as Goa gushes that out so casually. Firestorm's reply seems as if she didn't believe him either. She is, for once, speechless.
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "Tour busses? ...uhh.. not that I am aware of no? Just been busy, sorta at the clinic.."
Goa might have a smirk on given his vice of pushing Slipstream's buttons, but he's unreadable without an audio stream. He is clearly aware of her stunned expression, though, focusing visuals on the flier. "Is something wrong, Slippy?"
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "..Why, why are you talking about the war anyhow? What does it matter, so long as it ends, that is good right? I mean, war-- is bad, but what else can you do but to stand up for what you believe in, right? Cybertron is.. a home of many and we.. all have our opinions, so.."
Slipstream's lips dip into a slight frown a moment, facial features going through a few emotions. Finally she says softly, "Not that strange."
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "Does it end?"
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "..of course, everything has a beginning and everything has a end."
<Radio-NEU> Goa transmits, "Then I hope we both see it, First Aid."
"... oh." Goa shifts around again, frosted glow of the spark moving side to side in the container. "... what is so strange about it, Firestorm?"
Slipstream blinks at what Goa just said on the radio.
<Radio-NEU> First Aid transmits, "...I.. am sure we will, we all will. I bet everything will work out too and the darkness will go away, then the light can return! Like the stories say."
Firestorm chewed her bottom lip as she looked at the two, especially Slip. Did she upset her..? "Uhm.. Well, I dunno.. I suppose it wouldn't be too bad."
"Maybe I'll have to talk to Shred about that new body for you two's sake..." Goa has difficulty shaking a feeling of anxiety. "I dunno."
Slipstream looks at Firestorm but not quite in the optics. "Perhaps Goa is right." sounding a little ...defeated... "I wouldn't want to disrupt the connection you two have..."
Firestorm 's optics flicked open wider than usual at Slipstream's words, "What?? That'd never happen, Slip. You're our friend. We wouldn't leave you out of anything." She leaned forward to put a hand on the other seeker's shoulder, a soft smile lighting her own face.
Goa's single optic shutters slowly to blink. "There you go with the humor programming. If you disrupted anything, Slippy, I would've let you know about it." A warble of concern, or disconcertment, hangs on the voice.
Slipstream looks toward the other seeker femmes' hand, "I'm your friend?" she asks Firestorm, realizing that she barely knows the seeker she frowns at herself.. "I've been a bad friend then.."
Firestorm rolled her optics with a light smile, patting Slip, "You're nowhere near it. I may not have had many friends in my life, let alone just plain acquaintances. But you and Goa are the only ones out of them so far that've been beyond decent to me."
Slipstream nods a little, "When I said I was jealous.. I meant it Firestorm." she looks at Goa a moment, "She knows doesn't she?" asking curiously, figuring the connection made it clear.
Goa's optic twitching evidences that the mech has gone into some kind of analytical mode, carefully watching every centimeter of how Firestorm is handling this. In reply to Slipstream, he begins a bit of a monologue. "... Slipstream. You wanted to know about merging? You experience, perhaps not gain, but appreciate the memories of the other. Firestorm--" He motions at the other seeker, perhaps to gain her approval, but probably not, "Has been through a lot. Maybe more than me. You saw how even that much reduced me to a quivering pile of wreckage." He looks away a moment, then resumes, "Are you sure you would want to share that?"
Firestorm had gotten a slight indicator on what was going on with Goa and Slip when the two had merged, not wanting to say anything even though the other femme brought it up. She moved her hand away, lips tightening shut as she let Goa talk this one out.
Slipstream's face is concerned, worried even. she nods to Goa, "You know I do Gooey." she whispers softly, "But I don't know if that's fair to you or Firestorm, especially considering the fact you are in a life support pod talking through it because of your merge with her.. and those crystals.. and that whole running yourself off the road incident."
"Not because. Not her fault. Not anyone's fault, maybe..." Goa trails quietly through that last clause, "It was inevitable. It took me decacycle upon decacycle going in and out of lock to ... sequester that crystal away," he explains, "I had a very long time to adjust in and out. Muddling it around introduced it back and it's wrecking everything. Just... just like it did the others. With the mercy of my processor out of reach..." He's silent for a long while, thinking back, considering he might have done well to tell Shred that -- he makes a note as he continues digging in the databank. Trying to recompose and distract himself, he leafs through a bit of the education he gleaned from his data connection to Firestorm-- "All's fair in love and war."
Slipstream looks toward the pod and strokes it with a hand. "You realize you will not be hiding a thing if I were to merge with you.. all your secrets.. everything you haven't wanted me to know.. laid bare." looking to Firestorm, "Same with you my sister. Everything you seen, experienced, secreted away will be exposed." she pauses, "Just as my history will be open to you. this is not a decision to be taken lightly."
"That's what I was getting at," Goa replies simply. "The only secrets I keep are to prevent anyone else going through what Firestorm did. I trust you in that regard. ... Pining for the others in your line, Slips?" He has a knowing tone -- that's not what he's getting at.
Slipstream nods a bit, having considered Goa's words, "You can move crystal inside you all you wish Gooey, but something as intimate and spark bearing as a merge exposes all weaknesses, all dreams, all nightmares, it bears it all for others to see and experience as if it were you that went through them." she then gives a nod, "I miss them.. I didn't get a chance to connect to them like you have with Firestorm."
Goa chortles, sounding more natural than the bleeps. "Enthusiastic much?" He hums and ponders... "Yeah, I'd think bonding with 9 others would be a bit of a handful."
Slipstream flicks Goa's pod with her middle finger, "Don't make me regret wanting to be with you Gooey."
Goa snickers, "Aww, I thought I got all that out of the way already. Stop poking that."
Slipstream states, "Obviously you haven't dear grounder." yeah that's the humorless femme for you.
"All the better to corrupt you with." The voice now sounds distracted, and the network link hums with activity.
Slipstream smirks, "You'd like that too much wouldn't you."
Category:Logs
Category:2010 Logs
Category:Slipstream's Logs
Category:Shred's Logs
Category:Goa's Logs
Category:Firestorm's Logs
Category:Optimus Prime's Logs
Category:Static's Logs
Category:Shark's Logs
Category:Protofire's Logs
Category:First Aid's Logs