Breaking Out - Prologue

Despite her quite obvious unhappiness, Nautica has been spending more and more time at the Institute, down here in the lower labs. Perhaps, in fact, it's because of her unhappiness; running into Chromia, Windblade, or Elita would only raise questions right now... questions she doesn't want to have to try to answer when Pharma might be watching the feed from the device in her head. Today is no exception; she's ensconced herself in the lab at the workstation she's claimed, looking over the notes on insecticon digestion somewhat listlessly. Trying, perhaps, to figure out if there's a way to reproduce the feeding system outside of a bug, without having to actually vivisect one as Pharma wants.

Kickback has been mostly silent in his enclosure. He's been too weak to move, too weak to protest; his once irridescent mesh is now marred and dulled by repeated surgical invasions of his body systems. He's been patient and longsuffering out of hopes of seeing Arcee again, but those hopes are beginning to dim. He's no fool, and he's come to the conclusion that this place is not a place she knows about. There is no rescue coming.

Nautica's approach makes him stir; gathering strength, he attempts to communicate in wavespeech to her, while the other two Insecticons are quiet and recharging. +See you me?+ he asks her in the unique frequency of his kind.

Though the Camien doesn't turn from the workstation, she does pause in her work as Kickback speaks. After a moment, she offers a quiet +Yes.+ in response, via that same unique speech. She's still working on her vocabulary when it comes to wavespeech, but that's an easy enough one to answer.

+Are you hurt?+ Kickback asks next. He asks it in both wavespeech and standard speech; it's a simple enough question, but the purpose in asking in both standard and wave speech is to give Nautica time to build that vocabulary. He adds in wave, Help you learn this speech. Fast.

"Only a little," Nautica offers aloud, turning back towards Kickback's cage. "Pharma -- the jet-doctor -- wants to study me, like he does you, but he hasn't taken me apart yet." A pause, and she admits, "...much." In her still-somewhat-hestitant wavespeech, she adds simply, +Thank you. Was try help, went bad.+

+Safer speech, this. I know they are listening and seeing us. Just like my old home.+ "He has taken me apart before. More than once." He looks up at the ceiling. "I KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING AND SEEING ME," he shouts, tired and defiant, flashing 'listening and seeing' in wave with his words. "Pharma lied. He won't let me see the queen ever again." Again, everything is double-spoken. Glancing at Bombshell and Shrapnel, he adds doubly, "These two are dangerous. They mean no good in anything they do. Broken, angry, hurt."

"I don't think Shrapnel is beyond hope," Nautica replies to Kickback, though she doesn't say the same for Bombshell. Perhaps she's overheard enough of Bombshell's wavespeech to at least be wary of him. In wavespeech, however, she adds the reassurance, firmly, +Will see queen. /Will/ be free. Not alone.+

"He listens, but he is soldier caste. Soldier caste defend themselves, the hive, from every intruder - he will attack if given the chance. He does not know any Hollow means him good," Kickback doublespeaks. 'hollow' is a new term that may need defining. He adds in wave, +Watch jet-doctor unlock door. I can unlock. Will be free, but only at good time. Only work once, they will learn.+

"Hollow? And I admit, I don't know a lot about hive life. If Shrapnel is soldier-cast, what caste are you and the other one?" Nautica asks, clearly hoping for that clarification. In wavespeech, she adds, +Have codes. Can unlock all doors. But will be caught before we leave. Need plan.+ She leaves unspoken the fact -- though Kickback can doubtless guess it -- that if she were to help the insecticons escape, Pharma would either fry her cerebro-cortex with his implant, or would lock her down and dismantle her for his studies next. Maybe she's got some idea to save herself, or maybe she figures trading one life for three isn't the worst math.

"Not-Beasts have holes in their body, places where something small could sit inside and drive them, or fly them," Kickback points out. "We call you 'Hollows' because you have a hollow inside you." At this point everthing said in standard neocybex is echoed in wave. "I am a scout. I find food, safe places, look for danger. I am the least of the hive-castes." He points to Bombshell. "Warper. They are the most feared, because they can make your mind their own. They can make Hollows into drones to serve the Hive. They are from the very deep hives, beneath your cities, in the undergrid." Kickback ponders how to get all of them out safely. +Warper might overpower brain-machine, but dangerous for you. I am making plan for all of us to leave alive. Will protect you.+

"I'm not certain what the analogy for what I do would be. A builder, maybe," Nautica muses, as she moves from her chair over to Kickback's cage. "But that's not quite right. I try to come up with new things, different things, things people haven't built before. To make life better." Like, perhaps, something that lets a Hollow speak wavespeech. +I will deal with brain-machine,+ she replies in that speech, her grammar and vocabulary already improving. +He says I must dismantle you. Take apart. If I do, I will make you stronger instead.+ If she's going to be forced to tinker with the insecticons, she can buff them up. Make them better able to fight their way out, when the time comes.

"Queen," Kickback offers with a little smile. "New things tend to come from queens. But you could possibly be a worker; they build and create, improving things, making them -stronger-, make them work -faster-." Subtle suggestions abound. +I am putting my trust in you. She-Hollows have always helped me. Better to extinguish in your hands than in jet-doctor's.+

"I'm not certain I'd be a very good Queen," Nautica says, with a sad smile. "I'd have to protect my hive, and I seem to have had a bit of trouble just protecting myself." She kneels down at the side of the cage, watching Kickback thoughtfully. She is supposed to study them, to understand how they work, after all. +I will not let you extinguish; you will see your queen again. I will make you stronger, to help you escape. And the others, if they will let me.+ And, you know, if Bombshell doesn't try to take over her brain.

"Why do the castes of the Hollows treat each other so cruelly? I don't understand it; in our hives we work together so that everyone is happy and has enough. I see so much evil being done here, being done outside this place. What purpose does it serve?" Kickback is struggling to understand functionism and he asks the question with a genuine plea of sadness and confusion. His limited experience is being inundated with suffering, and he gropes for answers like a war orphan.

It's a good question, and one Nautica has asked herself more than a few times. "You can survive by eating anything; we 'Hollows' can't. We need energon... and the truth is, there isn't enough of it. When there's not enough food, sometimes bots will look for reasons to cast others down, to say 'you aren't good enough, so you get less, and I can still have enough.'" She pauses, standing to move back to her workstation, turning the display for Kickback to see the screen. "That's why the jet-doctor is doing this to you. He thinks if he takes you apart and see how you work -- how you feed on things other than energon -- then he can use that to make enough food for everyone, or make Hollows able to eat other things."

The Camien shakes her head. "But he's wrong, things are too far gone. And this... this whole thing, everything that happens here... taking apart insecticons like you, taking apart possible outliers like me..." Since there's no point in hiding that, given Pharma's actions. "...it darkens our sparks if we accept it."

Kickback nods his head, understanding, and letting all of that sink in. "I have much to think about, then, before my time here is over." +There are answers to find to these problems. I will help. But escape first. Do what you must do.+ He places his hand on the iron glass near Nautica. "Be well and safe. Tired now. Need to rest again."

"Yes. I'll... work with you soon." As unpleasant as the implications of that -- the vivisection she'll have to perform -- are to envision for Nautica. +And then you'll be stronger, and soon you will see your queen again.+ And so she returns to the workstation, looking over the existing schematics Pharma has put together for the three captive insecticons. And if she's looking at systems other than just the digestive one... well, it's best to have a clear picture of the whole, right?