| abstract
| - Warrens If this sprawling industrial urban wasteland ever had a name it has long since been lost to time; it is now only known as the Warrens. One of the more permanent landmarks on Cybertron, it has been the site of many cities since the dawn of the Transformers. The result is a massive three-dimensional maze of dark and gritty streets, alleys, and tunnels. Since each city was built upon the last, only the upper levels receive what little light is available. At this level, broken skyscrapers pierce the sky, casting deep and jagged shadows under the two golden suns across tangles of decayed metal and fallen statues of long-forgotten heroes. As one travels to the lower levels, the Warrens becomes more and more dangerous: home to all manner of undiscovered creatures, traps, and for the lucky, treasures. Contents: Mecha-Tiger Arachnae Fleet Glass-Enclosed Tunnel Decepticon Advanced Troops #5848 Terrorcon Watch Tower Obvious exits: Fly leads to Sky above Old Cybertron Highway. South leads to Cuprahex Sensor Outpost. East leads to Old Cybertron Highway . West leads to Istoral Chasm. Catechism is out on patrol in the Warrens. She's assigned to Cybertron, and the place has gone a bit crazy lately, what with being teleported across the stars. The Warrens are always a rough place to patrol, especially alone, and perhaps she has some company on this patrol? Ahhh the Warrens. The perfect place for a Tiger to hunt--or patrol. With a name like "The Warrens" you'd think there were nests upon nests of petrorabbits or something. But anyway, Mecha-Tiger stalks along the ground, searching for any sign of prey...or Autobots. Catechism at least has the company of fellow Seeker, Fleet, who is flying along super-man style in robot mode. There's a lot of re-exploring of their world to be done. Fleet's been a little edgy while out of doors since the shift, however, and he's still edgy now. Now and again he looks up, nervous, at the two golden suns above. Some work earlier and a conversation with Fleet about programs and versions thereof has prompted the somewhat hermitish medic-warrior to emerge from the safety of a relative base to go exploring herself. Arachnae has a hand scanner and is on foot, roaming through debris like some errant tracker looking for radio beacons. Which she is, actually. Oddly, her shoulder guards seem to have undergone some decorative change, odd frills? on them wiggling as she walks. Catechism is patrolling on the ground, and she pauses to investigate what looks like a small downward shaft. It's rather dark and small, easily overlooked. She doesn't think she's seen it in her previous patrols, but maybe she's just never been looking. She starts to edge away, but the sun brings convection and winds to Cybertron in new patterns. A gust of wind hits her broad wings, and she is sent tumbling down into the tunnel! A sudden sharp growl emanates from the Tiger as he sees Catechism suddenly seem to get swallowed up by the ground. Or she fell down something. He rushes over to investigate--his mecha-feline curiosity getting the better of him. Fleet touches down near where Catechism was walking. He takes a moment to touch his forehead towards 'Nae in a lazy-not-quite-salute greeting, then smirks faintly when he spots what's on her shoulders. When he turns back, Catechism has vanished, and Rampage is rushing towards the spot where she had been! He heads over there as well, then kneels down, spotting what she apparently fell down. "Catechism?" he calls. Arachnae looks up from her scanner, having gotten interference from the incoming patrol team. A brief flash of a smile, wry at Fleet, the wave of a few fingers (left top) and she turns on a heel, deciding to give in and see if the patrol has run into anything. The turn is in time to watch Catechism display the amazing ability to find a hole in the ground in all of this mess. At least she hopes that the aerial unit fell into a hole and that noting just ate her as she landed. "Meh?" A startled sound as she, too moves towards this new development. You climb down the small shaft and descend into a... Glass Tube Steel bands reinforce the glass tube at regular intervals. Other than that, nothing blocks your view of this impressive interstitial space between Cybertron's surface and the layer below. Lights flicker occasionally within the distant depths, and your optics seem to pick up an apparent movement in the distance, where perhaps some ancient machinery yet functions. A thick shaft the diameter of a minibot's height looms up out of nowhere as you walk down the tube, throttled by four vining cables that spiral down into the darkness. A closer inspection reveals that its design oddly mimics the piston within a standard energon combustion engine... Glancing out into the dim twilight of the underworld, you can glimpse similar shafts spiking down towards the core at regular intervals along the surface. The tube continues to the northwest, while in the opposite direction, it comes to an abrupt halt as it intersects a metal tunnel that curves off to the east. Near the intersection, a smaller passage branches off upwards, rungs set into its walls. Obvious exits: Small Shaft Glass Tube Narrow Tunnel Fleet climbs down from the small shaft. Fleet has arrived. Rampage climbs down from the small shaft. Rampage has arrived. The Tiger pokes his nose into the tunnel and jumps down, landing on his feet. He sniffs, testing the air for intruders or other undesirables. It probably shouldn't be surprising that there's a network of tunnels down here in the Warrens, but eh. Arachnae climbs down from the small shaft. Arachnae has arrived. Arachnae slips quietly into the area. Fleet lets Rampage jump in first. That way, if something's down there that eats Transformers, it'll eat Rampage first. Then he follows, floating down on his anti-gravs. The Seeker looks around him, frowning. "Congratulations, Catechism. I think you've rediscovered why the Warrens used to be so contested." Catechism is in a heap on the floor. She gets up on her knees to see Fleet, and she frowns back at him. Catechism rubs the back of her head and replies, "I... guess so. Man, this could be a security problem. We'd better check this out." She gets back up on her feet, looking to see who has followed her down. Arachnae has tucked and folded wings in behind, locking the panels down as she, too follows after Rampage and Fleet into the hole. Drifting down with the occasional push past debris, she peers at Catechism then at the surroundings, optics glowing softly. The scanner is reset with a few keystrokes, mode to record. "Any serious damage or just scraped up?" Asked courteously. Mecha-Tiger noses this way and that, checking each direction. So far, he doesn't sense anything untoward. He starts sharpening his front claws on the side of the passageway for now. Catechism smiles to Arachnae and waves a hand dismissively, explaining, "Purely superficial, thanks." She's pretty tough for a Seeker, though not like Bandit or Fulcrum. Catechism looks around and thinkgs aloud, "Up is back the way we came... so it's either that Glass Tube or the Narrow Tunnel." She rubs her chin. "Eeenie meenie minie moe..." "One's as dangerous as the other until either are proven otherwise," Fleet observes, then he gestures towards the glass tunnel. "That one looks a bit more comfortable, though." Arachnae gives Catechism a brief smile, "As you say." The scanner is pointed down one of the corridors, the screen being studied quietly. Fingers taptap tap. "Either or. Needs remapping after the move.' Catechism has not been taking lessons from Cyclonus, master of picking exactly the perfect task to make each and every one of his subordinates unhappy, but she has been receiving an uncomfortable amount of attention from him, so perhaps it has worn off on her a bit. She declares, "The Empire laughs in the face of comfort. I'm taking the Narrow Tunnel!" You move east to the Narrow Tunnel. Narrow Tunnel This tunnel seems to run onwards for an eternity, its monotonous steel walls unbroken by branching passageways. Your internal odometer tracks the distance... as you trudge along, you realize that you have covered nearly an eighth of Cybertron's diameter! Glancing back the way you came, you realize that the entrance by which you entered this passageway is out of sight, hidden by the planet's curvature despite the rigid straightness of the tunnel. Fortunately, another egress has come into view instead... Obvious exits: East West Fleet arrives from the Glass Tube to the west. Fleet has arrived. Arachnae arrives from the Glass Tube to the west. Arachnae has arrived. Arachnae slips quietly into the area. Rampage arrives from the Glass Tube to the west. Rampage has arrived. Arachnae just smirks, trailing behind the lesson taker. Mecha-Tiger growls softly as he follows along. Catechism is thinking that, just perhaps, Fleet was right. She's a Seeker. She was made to fly, not walk, and this tunnel just goes on and on and on... and on. Catechism looks back, staring as she sees that the entrance she came in is no longer visible. She throws her hands up in the air and demands, "Just how long does this stupid tunnel go, anyway?" Arachnae remarks dryly, "Last recorded spelunking expedition noted that the ramblings of the tunnels, theoretically encompassed the entire planet. Anyone bring a snack tin?" Mecha-Tiger needs no snack tin! He can catch one or more of the retro-rats his sensitive hearing can hear scurrying further down the tunnel. "Not me," Fleet says as he walks along with the others, "But so far it's been a straight shot." If Catechism remembers some of the things Fleet did on Alkor Zephyr to get by, she might be disturbed at the idea of being stuck down here long enough to need refueling! Catechism mimes checking pockets that she doesn't have and comments, "Nope, no picnic." Also, yeah, what Fleet might do to refuel is kind of creepy. On the other hand, Arachnae is kind of creepy, full stop. Finally, Rampage is a tiger. Straxus, she's doomed, isn't she? Wringing her hands, she picks up her walking pace, and she comments, "I think there's an exit down that way?" Maybe? Hopefully? "Well, if not, there's one the way we came. Unless it's shifted since then," Fleet observes casually as he heads further down the tunnel. Fleet moves east to the Metal Tunnel. Fleet has left. Rampage moves east to the Metal Tunnel. Rampage has left. You move east to the Metal Tunnel. Metal Tunnel Scorch patterns along the eastern walls of this tunnel stand testimony to the past path of some industrial acids, which have eaten away at the metal walls there, exposing wiring and metallic rods beneath. A few hundred meters further along, the tunnel roof has caved in, depositing a mass of shredded metal panels and tangled wires in your path. Someone has evidently dug industriously for some time in order to open up access to the passageway lying beyond to the southwest. A gaping and torn hole in the passageway at the south end leads out into a large crater bowl. Contents: Mecha-Tiger Fleet Obvious exits: Northeast West Arachnae arrives from the Narrow Tunnel to the west. Arachnae has arrived. Arachnae slips quietly into the area. The Tiger keeps going through the tunnel, pausing every so often to check for odd noises or any indication that anyone other than the retro-rats and other assorted vermin had been down here. He's disappointed that he hasn't found a stray Autobot down here. Arachnae chuckles softly, "At least the scanner isn't picking up any model 2.0.7 alphas." As for fuel, she has a full medkit, it's proper training and all. That, and she has no compunctions about eating anyone else. So to speak. The 'fringes' on her shoulders waggle, one moving to the edge of the pauldron. Catechism's optics widen, and she asks, a shiver to her voice, "What are model 2.0.7 alphas?" Does she even want to know? Do they have sharp, pointy teeth? Catechism winces as one of Arachnae's decorations... moves? Oh, creepy! Steeling herself and trying to stay on task, she comments, "Look like acid carved this pathyway." She'd know. Every time she gets a leaking cut, there's a chance her acid will get out and melt a hole in the floor. Yes, yes they do.... Fleet examines the side of the tunnel. "I'll have to take your word for it - I'm no expert in the matter." He pauses. "These things seem familiar, but the move... they've changed, I think." The Tiger growls more deeply. He can handle anything with sharp pointy teeth--at least, that's what he tells himself. For he too has sharp pointy teeth. And claws. And a working knowlege of how horror movie beasts operate. He snorts in disgust at the scent of the acid that etched away the tunnel. He's not much for conversation, but the Tiger will act if they get ambushed by anything like a 2.0.7-A. Arachnae ohs, shrugging, "Escaped combat drones with replication protocols and learning algorithms." Matter of fact tone as she swings the scanner around. Catechism rubs under one of her optics, and she asks Arachnae, "So... like us?" The path seems to be kinking to the north now, and she has to wonder just where they are. Seekers do not usually think in terms of tunnels. Arachnae replies, "Have no idea, they were on the 3rd iteration when they were.. when they escaped. Generational programming could lead to any number of possible branchings in design and materials amalgamation." "I thought those things were mostly round up by now?" Fleet asks as he continues along the tunnel. He heads North East. Fleet squeezes through the rubble and leaves to the east. Fleet has left. You squeeze through some debris and head northeastward. Transport Tube It's hard to suppress a feeling of vertigo as you traverse the glass tube on foot. Layer upon layer of Cybertron's vast interior stretches out into indiscernible blackness below, nothing between you and it other than the transparent floor of the tunnel. Fortunately, Cybertron's transport tubes are built of a material far stronger than regular glass, able to withstand amazing amounts of stress, so travel is safe enough. Theoretically. Contents: Fleet Obvious exits: Southwest East Arachnae arrives from the tunnels to the southwest. Arachnae has arrived. Arachnae slips quietly into the area. Arachnae squeezes after the group, emitting with a soft hiss, "Only 4 were reported caught and destroyed. The master unit was never located." Rampage arrives from the tunnels to the southwest. Rampage has arrived. Catechism looks sideways at Arachnae. When they were ... *what*? She asks instead, "Are they hostile?" She hurries along after Fleet, who seems to know what's going on. The Tiger's audios perk up with interest. Escaped combat drones? This was getting more interesting by the minute. Perhaps this little foray underground would be fun after all. Fleet doesn't know what's going on! He's just following tunnels! He doesn't really experience vertigo as he passes through the glass tube, being used to flight, anyway. In fact, he pauses a moment to take in the view. "It's really lovely down here," he observes. "The new sky on the surface... it bothers me. Down here, it still feels like Cybertron." Arachnae settles her 'fringe', one seemed to be dangling precariously after the squeeze through the debris. "Again, no updated information. They were when the first expedition went out to collect them. Highly so, they were.. after all, programmed as combat drones. Initially as a special request of scourges for a.. more worthy training adversary." 'Fringe' settled, she re-aims the scanner, pursing lips. Fleet seems to know about these combat drones! That's more than Catechism does. She hates not knowing about possible enemies. Catechism asks Fleet, "Why, what's wrong with a little sunshine?" Maybe the fact that, oh, the stars have shifted? Arachnae twitches, "It's creepy." "It's not home," Fleet answers. He wasn't around for that particular prophesy - he was getting his fill of another set. "It'd bother me less if there was just one of them, or we hadn't just gained three moons. But two suns and three moons... it just seems to bring Cybertron that much closer to Alkor Zephyr. Not necessarily physically, just..." he shakes his head. "The skies." "The light's too bright now up above," the Tiger complains simply. He's used to Cybertron, Gotham style. Now we have Cybertron, Metropolis style. Arachnae sends look at what she can see of Fleet, hmm, time to peruse reports. "It's too different, I agree." Mild tone. "All sunshine and light, really brings out the decay, debbris and destruction. Before it was all muted, like areally bad binge." Catechism stares at Fleet and Arachnae and Rampage. Wait, sunshine is creepy? Cybertron is not home? The light is too bright? What bizarro-land has she fallen into here? Catechism protests, "But... we can put this sunshine to work! Harness it for power. Use it for power to fix up the place." "I'm not saying it doesn't have the potential to be beneficial," Fleet counters. "Just that it disturbs me." "Well, yes.. But.. After eons of dark and decay, Catechism, this is a bit.. off-putting." The 'fringe' taptaps fingers on her shoulders, "It just takes time to adjust to it. Some of us are just a bit old and don't take rapid change all that easy." Wry smirk to Arachnaes lips. Catechism stares. Okay, yes, the sunlight is a portent of doom, she'll admit, but... can't she just enjoy it, anyway? She shrugs, crossing her arms and mutters, "Well, I like it." The Seeker continues on down the path. You move east to the Station. Station The lengthy transit tube terminates in what was once a busy waystation, but everything of any use has long since been stripped, leaving a maze of broken pipes, stripped conduits, and dark, uninviting maintenance tubes. Dirty oil and grease dripping viscously from the piping lubricate the thick steel floors, making for treacherous footing, while numerous massive steel pillars support the ceiling, making for a poor field of vision. As sturdy as the underlying structure of this station may seem, even the wide support pillars show signs of distortion and weakening. Obvious exits: West leads to Transport Tube. Up Rampage arrives from the Transport Tube to the west. Rampage has arrived. Arachnae arrives from the Transport Tube to the west. Arachnae has arrived. Arachnae slips quietly into the area. Fleet arrives from the Transport Tube to the west. Fleet has arrived. "I never said you couldn't like it," Fleet grumbles as he follows behind. He walks gently, tap-tap-tapping into the abandoned transport station. "End of the road," he pronounces lourder, looking up at the new exit. Fleet narrows his optics. "No going up there." Catechism turns to Fleet and then looks over at the opening up. She demands, one hand on her hip, "Why not? It looks passable, to me, and as safe as anything here so far." The Tiger snorts in disgust at the state of the tunnel they're in now. "Looks like the whole place could come crashing down on us," he remarks. Fleet points. "No, look /up/ there," he says, voice firm but quieter than normal. "You can see it from here. Autobot sensor." Arachnae pads after the dynamic trio, skirting a particularly large oil slick with a fastidious sidestep. "Huh..." thoughtful noise. "Old transport station. Wonder which one. Pity the scavengers took all the signs or we'd know where we were." Somewhere on Cybertron, in some robot's singles apartment, is a collection of stolen road and station signs on the wall, in addition to the tinfoil curtain, HighGrade Mirror on the wall, and the Spool. "Autobot?!" The Tiger growls savagely at the mention of their foes. "So they could be detecting us? Or we're in Autobot Territory?!" Arachnae narrows optics, "So throwing rocks at it is out, eh?" She looks upwards, "Hnnn.." You look towards the Tunnel of Retoris. The expansive tunnel was built over the ruins of the old city of Retoris which was destroyed long ago in a Decepticon raid which damaged much of old Iacon. Despite being well-lit, its condition is a stark contrast from the sections of the New Cybertron Highway which it connects. There are many scraps of metal on the ground, making driving a bit difficult, while the condensation from the top makes things uncomfortable for those who fly above the road. There is a sharp exit to the north which leads to the Iacon Plain but is well protected. Contents: Autobot Sensor #8561 Catechism does indeed look up, and she suddenly freezes. She slowly holds up one finger and notes in a hushed voice. "Ah. That. Thank you Fleet." She pauses, processing. "That's Retoris." Another cycle tick. "That's *perfect*." Her mouth peels back into a horrific grin, audio to audio. "It means we're in Autobot territory, Rampage." And then he backs slowly /away/ from the opening, steps light and almost noiseless. "It means that this tunnel /is/ a security risk, but it's a bigger risk for whichever side /doesn't/ know about it. Arachnae ahhhs softly, begining her own backpedaling as well. "Something for the uppers to learn about and use." As much as he'd love for some Autobots to come down here and find them and thus relieve his boredom, the Tiger backs away along with the others. After all, the Tiger likes stealth, and if they could somehow disable the sensor, they could use this tunnel for invasion purposes. Arachnae vanishes out of reality. Arachnae has left. Catechism nods to Fleet, and she ushers the other Decepticons back the way they came, suggesting, "We should get back to the Warrens. I have... uses for these tunnels." Dun dun dun. The Tiger wanders back the way he came, separating from the others. Perhaps he's going petrorabbit hunting... Rampage has left. Fleet vanishes out of reality. Fleet has left. ================================= Decepticon ================================= Message: 2/95 Posted Author Warrens Patrol Finding Tue Oct 21 Catechism ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SECURITY LOCKED, IRONCLAD-CLASS Catechism appears with a copy of Shockwave's beautiful map of Cybertron, which she has drawn all over with a marker. She has out a length of radio antennae, which she uses like a pointer to gesture to the map. Catechism explains, "During a routine patrol of the Warrens, I, ah, fell down a hole. Here." She points. "However, this was a productive falling down of a hole, because Arachnae, Fleet, Rampage, and I were able to discover a tunnel system that directly connects the Warrens and the Tunnel of Retoris." She sweeps the point along the map. "This is a pretty clear security risk to us, but as long as the Autobots don't know about it, it's a worse security risk to them! It provides a perfect route for insertion of the bomb squad in Ironclad. We load up in the Warrens, and they'll never see us coming until we pop out in the Tunnel of Retoris." She grins, a terrible light in her optics. "Catechism, out." End File ==============================================================================
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