1015/Prison Experiments

**Pharma has posed:**
    Garrus-1 is as gloomy as they come. Dark, cramped, and miserable, even for the wardens. But at least they don't have to be here -all- the time, unlike the prisoners. This cycle, however, Pharma is headed down the corridor where Vortex and Blast Off are being kept, followed by a couple of guards dragging another stasis-locked prisoner.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex is on his medberth, and has been since he was brought in here from medical. He starts to move for the first time in days, lifting his head. "Blast Off. Blast Off wake up." he hisses. "They're bringing in a new prisoner." he lifts his head but doesn't move at all from his berth. One optic still shines brighter then the other and his mask and visor and rotors are all off.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off is sitting curled up on his berth, gazing into nothingness and holding his head. At Vortex's words, the shuttleformer still doesn't move for a moment, but finally something seems to break through enough that he stirs. Straightening some, the sniper turns his head to look.

**Pharma has posed:**
    Pharma was just passing by their cells when they got up to stare at the new prisoner. He notices them moving and turns, smiling pleasantly. "Oh, I think I've seen you two before, have I? Or was it someone else? Well, anyway. Would either of you like someone to keep you company? Caliber here is new and needs a bunker buddy." he says, gesturing toward the unconscious mech.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex tries something "You know. If you wanna double up prisoners. You could put me and blast Off together and Caliber can have his own cell to himself. Therefore he wont cause any trouble and when we're together we're not likely t' cause any trouble." His words are slurred a bit and he acts like hes sustained some sort of slow recovering head injury.

**Blast Off has posed:**
When Blast off sees it's Pharma, the shuttleformer freezes, optics widening and going pale. There's not a lot of other reaction beyond the subtle hiss of vents as he stares the the medic. Why yes, Pharma, he HAS met you before. Hearing Tex speak, he is still silent a moment, but finally manages to say, voice a little hoarse, "That... makes sense. We can share and leave this... Caliber to himself."

**Pharma has posed:**
    "I don't think you heard me properly." Pharma says, his tone still pleasant. "I said Caliber needs a cellmate, not anyone else. But! If you insist on being together, that can certainly be arranged."

    He motions for one of the guards to bring Caliber over to Vortex's cell, and mutters something to the other one, who starts to open the door to Blast Off's. The guard enters the shuttleformer's cell after a moment, his weapon ready in case the Decepticon tries anything. "On your feet. Now." he demands gruffly.

    Pharma nods. "See, we can come to a compromise, and we can -all- get what we need."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex lifts his head and chuckle. "Well, I guess if its the three of us togehter.." he tenses visibly when Blast Off's cell door is open "What kinda comprmise, Autobot?" he has no idea who Pharma is or what hes capable of.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off's already tense frame grows rigid as they start coming in his cell. The sniper does get on his purple rocket feet, though, obeying the guard's orders. For now. Pale violet optics dart from gazing at Pharma to the guard to the direction of Vortex's cell. Still, he's latched onto one thing Pharma said. "...Yes, we insist. On being together."

**Pharma has posed:**
    Pharma nods. "Of course, of course!" he says, as the guard escorts Blast Off over to Vortex's cell. The other guard opens the door and throws Caliber inside, then shoves the shuttlemech in right after him. "-That- kind of compromise." he replies to Vortex's question. "Caliber gets the cellmates he needs, and you two get to be together, as you insist. See? Compromise." The doctor smiles and reactivates the energy bars across the door; they flip on with a zapping noise. "Have fun." Then he turns and starts to walk away, the two guards following him.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex grunts "Yeah. What's he want in return though.." He doesnt move at all as the two are brought into his cell. "Weird. But thank you."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off finds himself shoved into a cell with Vortex- and whoever the slag Caliber is. He stumbles forward, then lets out a soft huff... not as vehement as his usual but he HAS to keep some appearances up! Then he frowns under the faceplate at Caliber, looks up at Pharma as he begins leaving. Glancing to Vortex, the shuttleformer begins stepping towards him. "Vortex!" He takes another look at Caliber, though, muttering, "Hold the thanks until we find out who the slag this person is..." He glances to the retreating Autobots. "I don't like this."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex murmurs "Me too." hes still not moving from his berth, turning his head to looka t the newcommer. "He's out right? We can...see if hes armed or soemthing right? See if hes a mangler set in to execute us." Oh Vortex. You dont trust do you?

**Pharma has posed:**
    For the time being, Caliber is indeed out cold. It doesn't -look- like he's armed, or anything...

    He looks like he has been in a similar situation to theirs, having gotten beaten to slag on the battlefield and dragged off as a POW. He's received some medical attention, to at least keep him alive and functional.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off looks to his teammate with concern, as he hasn't been able to see him for cycles now. "Yes.... Vortex, are you alright? They wouldn't tell me how you were..." He takes another step towards the rotary, studying him all over.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex lifts his head a bit. "M' Fine. Havent been able to see out of my left optic and I can't move anything from the chin down or feel anything. But Im good. You good? They treating you well?" he asks lifting his head to look at the newcommer "He looks as slagged as we are. This is weird."

**Pharma has posed:**
    Caliber starts to stir then, groaning and sitting up slowly. He glances back and forth between the two of them, frowning. "Wh...why'd they put me in with you...not enough room or what...?" he mumbles, his voice barely audible. "Ugh...well that's just perfect, these are barely big enough for -one- mech..."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off hovers over his teammate, looking a bit like a mother hen as he examines the rotary and winces when Tex says he can't move. "You're paralyzed?" The shuttleformer sighs, then reaches a hand towards Tex as if to place it on his shoulder- then seems to decide better of it and the hand slips away again.

As Caliber stirs, the sniper turns to watch him, still frowning. As for that last part, he mutters out of the side of his mouth towards Tex, "...These are... what again?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex shrugs his right shoulder with a pain filled twinge. "Beats me. Oh hey. Hey that was a shoulder." he cackles. "A shoulder. This. Is awesome. New people to talk to. Brothers her and a shoulder. No rotors though." He pouts. "But its all good." he nods "Yeah ever since the headshot. Words get staticy and slur and cant see well either. But I'm alive right? Most people dont get shot pointblank in the head and live do they?"

**Pharma has posed:**
    "I said, these cells are barely big enough for--" Caliber starts to say, but suddenly stops, his body going rigid and his optics blazing with raw fury. With a bestial roar, he charges at Blast Off, trying to knock him to the floor. There is a wild look on his face, like he's been drugged, or otherwise manipulated. One thing is certain--he's definitely not in his right mind any more!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex snarls. "Slag!" he tries to move violently, getting that shoulder moving. "Break off a piece of him. Put it in my mouth, I'll stab him!"

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off lifts an optic ridge at Tex's rambling, but nods. "It certainly decreases the odds quite considerably, yes." Then suddenly Caliber goes bezerk... "Frag. I KNEW IT!" He KNEW there had to be something to this! The shuttleformer tries to block the mech from getting close to Vortex, lifting a foot to try and kick him off. "Vortex, you can barely move, stay back!"

Blast Off is not good at close quarter combat, but he DID practice recently with Onslaught- and it appears he might actually have learned a thing or two as he uses the mech's own velocity and motion to kick him to the side and away. "Stay back!!"

**Pharma has posed:**
    Caliber gets kicked, but it barely seems to faze him aside from stumbling a little bit. However, Blast Off seems to be the focus right now, since Vortex isn't really moving. The crazed mech charges again at the shuttleformer, not even going for any kind of strategic close quarters combat maneuver, but just flat out trying to slam right into him and crush him into the back wall.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex 's body goes ocmpletely limp as he smashes his head about trying to move. "Come on, move you. Blast Off watch out!" He seems to be freaking out a bit, tyring to get his body to obey anything.

**Blast Off has posed:**
NOPEnopenope, the shuttleformer does NOT like this up close and personal stuff, and again dodges out of the way. However, there's not much anywhere to go. He doesn't really have any tools on him, either, and Vortex can't defend himself. "FRAGGIT! STOP IT!! Come back to your sense, mech!!!" If there are any sense left to come to. Blast Off whirls around and tries to lunge at the crazed mech, clawing at his optics and trying to grab his head, maybe gain some control.

**Pharma has posed:**
    Caliber just ends up slamming -hard- into the wall where Blast Off -used- to be, but again, doesn't seem fazed at all. How could it be? The guy had been just as beat to slag as they were. Something was definitely off. He just sort of shrugs it off. Then Blast Off tries to grapple him, but the shuttlemech will find that the mech seems to be much stronger than he should've been, at least from the way he looked. He attempts to grab Blast Off's arm and flip him over and flat onto the floor!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex shouts a new plan "Blast Off. Pick me up. By my feet. Use me to swing at him!" Only an insane mech would offer this. Or a rotary. Or an insane rotary with nothing to lose.

**Ravage has posed:**
There's been a standing request for Soundwave to...confirm the where-abouts of a pair of wayward combaticons, one which has probably seen scouts flitting out to the far corners of Cybertron to turn over stones, peer under rocks, and...well, anywhere else a body might be buried, in all fairness.

But it's the scouting out of the more...clandestined variety that have occupied the stealthier and more shadow-loving members of the team. Which is why...there's a pair of optics peering from the darkness at the fight taking place, carefully recording what's happening.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off attempts to dodge again but the mech gains a handhold and the shuttleformer has very weak hand-to-hand strength. He's yanked up and over, landing with a \*thud\* on the floor. "I'd LOVE to, really I would, but at the moment I'm trying to get him off me.... he's a VERY RUDE PERSON!" Blast Off is immediately thrashing, kicking, twisting his torso to try and wrest himself free of the insane mech. "Just give me a moment here OKAY?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex lets out a long long chuckle. He sits upright, something sparking as he reroutes his circuits "HAHAHAHA! Vortex is back, time to play." he lurches towards Blast Off's attacker and headbutts him from behind. "Hi." He says, cackling as he tries to use his own body for a weapon.

**Ravage has posed:**
Ravage frowns...well, at least they're /pretending/ to know how to fight... The cloaked kitty frowns slightly and starts to reposition himself a bit, sizing up the actual opponent they're taking on. Of course, he's not about to intervene... that would be suicidal. His mission is simply to ensure they are there.

Still, he does take a moment to look about and see just who else might be witnessing the little...brawl underway.

**Pharma has posed:**
    Now that Blast Off is on the floor, Caliber looks about wildly for something to finish him with...

    And his optics land on the circuit slab Vortex had just managed to vacate. He picks it up and raises it above Blast Off's head, intent upon using it as a blunt weapon against the delicate shuttlemech. The headbutt from Vortex only barely causes him to stagger...

    But just as he was about to bring the thing down hard onto Blast Off, his body suddenly seizes up, and he drops the slab. His optics go dark and he falls to the floor, motionless as fuel just spurts out from every imaginable part of his frame, running across the already stained floor.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex ses the thing drop the slab on itself and winces. "That was.. Oh, man if Ons knew how we were fighting.." he lifts out a trembling hand, his body looking ready to collapse any moment as he tries to help Blast Off up. "You..you ok?"

**Ravage has posed:**
"Well, well, well...at least something went your way. I wouldn't touch it, though...and here I thought you two were adept at both combat and escaping prisons." He keeps to his cloaked shadows, still scouting the area out. "And, don't worry... I won't tell Onslaught. All he cares about is that you two get out of this place. It'll be on the battlefield when he starts caring about how you fight."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Still trying to get free, Blast Off gazes up as the stranger raises the slab to strike, optics getting wide and pale. Vortex tries to help him, to no avail... and then... the mech suddenly falls over. Vents heaving, the shuttleformer scrambles away, kicking at the inert frame. Finally getting free, he staggers to his feet. "NO I AM NOT." He swings a foot behind him to kick at the mech, then seems to think better of it, staring down at him instead. "Does he have some sort of disease or something?"

Suddenly there's a voice lilting at them from the shadows. Blast off freezes a second, then looks out into the hallway... of course he can't see the cat. "How did YOU get here?"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex turns his head, maybe too quickly as he continues to offer a shoulder for Blast Off. "You. How long have you been here? Look. Both of you. Help me get some parts off this guy. We can sharpen them, we're armed."

**Ravage has posed:**
"How I get to the places I get to is none of your business... truly. Don't ask questions you wouldn't want the answers to. As for...helping you get parts and pieces? No. That's yours to do." The voice seems to move about, almost like he's studying the downed mech. "But I will do something for you...mark a path out when you do get a chance to...you know, get around to getting out."

There's a soft chuff. "I'd have thought you would both be...out by now. Also...what part of 'I wouldn't touch it' did you not understand? I don't want to see both of you go berserk, flail about witlessly, and then die."

**Pharma has posed:**
    As Blast Off stares down at the corpse, there is an abrupt hissing noise and it starts to simply disintegrate, as if being eaten away by some kind of acid. Within astroseconds, there is nothing left of Caliber aside from a smoking puddle of grey liquid on the floor.

    As soon as Ravage starts talking to the two Combaticons, an alarm screeches and red lights flash in the hallway outside the cell. Footsteps can be heard as security rushes their way.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "Fiiine. Then at least get us a radio frequency. We need to tell Onslaught.." He then collapses to a heap as his body suddenly remembers hey. Im paralyzed and you're rerouting. Maybe thats a bad idea. "Slag."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off stares into the shadows a bit longer, face pinching... before he turns to Vortex. "Right." The shuttleformer leans in to start scavenging anything sharp, when.... "Euuugh..." He utters a repulsed groan and steps back as the mech dissolves. "How... revolting." He scoots a rocket foot back, trying to keep it clean. "...And messy." HUFF. He turns to the voice again, hands balling into fists. "Of COURSE I'm not touching \*that\*. Ah, I see, here to snark from the shadows then, not actually get us out." Huff indeed. He looks back up as Ravage mentions a trail. "You do that, then. We'll get out. We almost got out once, we will again. And this time we'll STAY out." Then Vortex suddenly collapses- "Vortex!"

**Ravage has posed:**
Ah...alarms. Ravage simply goes quiet and, after a good moment of thought, moves over to where Vortex is passed out and transforms. "You'd better have a good hiding spot... As far as anyone is concerned, you were speaking to yourself." And...that's that. Time to really just...hide.

Form of...data-slug!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex murmurs. "I do that. Im a crazy mech. Hey.." He lifts his head slightly and tries to look at Blast Off. "They're playing our song." he says about the alarms. "Hope they let us stay together even though our third party is nowhere to be seen and it smells like slag in here now."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex pauses. "Subspace the datapad for me? Its where you keep poetry and all that shuttle stuff." He offers. He chuckles to himself. "Yeah..." he says, any progress he had on moving seems to be gone. His slurring is worse again. "Oh the other prisoner? He exploded. For real." he says.

**Pharma has posed:**
    A security detail arrives at the cell door within minutes, glaring at the Combaticons. "An intruder was detected in this cell half a breem ago. Surrender him now, and you -might- be allowed to live." one of them demands. "You should know," another one says, "We -will- search the cell, and we will find what we're looking for, whether you help us or not."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off blinks. Wait, how the slag did Ravage get IN the cell with them? He frowns, but... Then raises his arms to flail upwards. "Fine." It's fine, it's all fine here. Yep. Just gonna sit in a corner with his enercoffee while everything burns and insist that everything's fine. His black hands drop down and he sighs, looking at Vortex. "They just \*might\* buy that, yes." For Vortex, at least. He is silent a moment, then murmurs, "Me too."

Then time to get to 'work'. Blast Off grabs the data slug and tucks in.... in a different spot than where his romance novels are tucked in. \*Ahem\*. And then the guards arrive. The Combaticon tenses... but only stares at the guards. He just sort of shrugs, as if he has no idea what the guards are talking about. "He's gone." Blast Off points to the floor and the puddle. "He disintegrated."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex chuckles. "We're all crazy mechs. All crazy mechs." He seems to have lost it again. "I'm gone, but Callie, hes really really gone. He fell all to pieces. It was a sticky, gooey situation. I think its something he ate. Or was forced to eat."

**Pharma has posed:**
    The lead security mech glares impatiently at them and opens the door, entering the cell. "I don't know what you're talking about." he says gruffly. "Nor do I -care-. I wasn't talking about another prisoner, I was talking about an -intruder-."

    He pauses momentarily, appearing to listening to a communique from somewhere else, then turns to Blast Off. "You. Empty your compartments. Now."

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex gives a very very serious tone to the security mech. "Sir, if you cann shove an intruder up my aft while paralyzed, then I'm a better mech then I." He says with a serious nod. "Or my brother."

**Blast Off has posed:**
"What the frag was \*that\* all about, then?" Blast Off demands, pointing at the puddle, "Were you trying to..." He blinks, then quiets, shoulders drooping slightly. Now without any further words, he tries to access subspace- nothing. He opens his hands as if to show- see? Nothing. Then he \*wheezes at Vortex's next comment, optics flickering.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex realises he said that all wrong. And that part of the concussion is back again. "Um...sorry. I get my words mixed up. But you get it."

**Pharma has posed:**
    The warden glances down at the puddle momentarily and shrugs. "What was -what-?" And the rest of the detail also just as clueless. They really actually don't seem to have any knowledge of Caliber's presence here at all.

    The mech stares at Blast Off suspiciously as the Combaticon shows him empty hands, but doesn't appear to be convinced. He turns to the rest of the detail. "Take him to medical and tell the techs to put him under, we'll find out if he's -really- hiding anyone or not."

    The others nod and move toward Blast Off to force him out of the cell at gunpoint.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off stares up at the guard, armor plates flattening in fear. A wing elevon twitches nervously and he nudges a foot back as if wanting to back away... but there's nowhere to back away to. He frowns at the guard's reaction, "There \*was\* someone here, Pharma brought him in, but WHY?"

He glances to Vortex. He's terrified but what can he do? Keep an optic out for any advantage he can take, but otherwise.... He won't betray Ravage, even if he doesn't like the cat that much. He raises a hand towards his teammate. "I'll... I'll be back." His cultured voice sounds hoarse again. "It's... fine." He doesn't try fighting the guards, though he keeps his optics open, hoping for that 'advantage'.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex snarls, slamming his head ito the ground. "No! Don't take him! They'll do to him what they did to the other!" He seems desperate and afraid. "Blast Off! I'll kill you. I'll kill all of you if...he comes back like that slagger!" he says. "That slagger was Pharma? I'll kill him too!"

**Ravage has posed:**
Ravage is...listening? Aware? Probably. Either way, the data slug is busy rewriting itself with a rather crude map of the place, a few fake meet-up points and 'get out here' notes...and a few more...well, crude images of mechs posing in certain manners befitting the usual prison swill that might otherwise try to sneak contraband data in.

Just a normal slug. Probably with viruses.

**Pharma has posed:**
    "Pharma is a medic, he doesn't doesn't bring in prisoners, glitchead." The warden snaps, as Blast Off is dragged from the cell and the door is sealed behind him. Vortex is ignored. "But if you want answers, I suggest you ask him -yourself-."

    If the shuttleformer doesn't resist further, he is taken to medical and clamped to a lone circuit slab in one of the tiny exam rooms, where he is left waiting behind a locked door for whoever is going to be doing the prodding...which, by the sound of it, is going to be Pharma.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex just hopes they leave the door open. If he moved once he can again and if so. He can get out and get rrrrrevenge.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"MYself?" The circuits in Blast Off's body seem to freeze as they indicate... no, no., no.... DO NOT WANT. Pharma is the LAST person he wants to see now. The shuttleformer's steps start to drag, likely forcing the guards to shove him forward anyway. Wing elevons twitching, he tries to put on a brave face for Vortex... but once he's out of sight his spark sinks down to his rocket feet. "...." He's gonna die, isn't he?