| abstract
| - AC Command Center Once you enter this gigantic room, the first thing you notice is the big scanner sitting against the far wall. Looking like Teletran One's bigger cousin, the main computer that is Metroplex sits there checking the perimeter defenses of Autobot City. The gigantic viewer currently shows the exterior shot outside of Autobot City, a pastoral view of a wide plain surrounded by a large conifer forest. Several smaller monitors show different pictures, some of Earth by orbital satellite, others of various computer graphics, giving the viewer the current situation on Earth at a moment's notice. Next to the main computer is a FTL communications terminal used for talking to Cybertron, Junkion, and other worlds. It is linked to Blaster's main communications tower located upstairs. Along the other walls are assorted computer terminals that are used by individual Autobots for data processing and accessing information from the main computer core. On the wall to the right of the main computer is a large, recently finished portrait of Optimus Prime with Prowl and Ironhide in the background. A small caption below reads, "Until All Are One". Wheelie enters into the command room quietly, looking about intently as if in search of someone. Apparently not finding who he's looking for, Wheelie continues on into the room, looking about at people. Maybe one of them would be free for him to ask some quick questions! Blurr is standing near a terminal, examining a holographic projection that is currently showing a schematic of the device recovered from THX-11 not long ago. He looks a bit concerned, but he /thinks/ it won't tear him to pieces when he tries to run the portal... He notices Wheelie poking around, appearing to be searching for someone. "Oh, hey there Wheelie. You looking for something, or someone?" Wheelie's gaze snaps to Blurr, his expression brightening immensely at seeing his big friend. "Oh, it's you, Blurr! Most bodacious! Have you seen Apocryphacius? I've looked all over, but he seems to be hiding. I've got questions, he's got answers... I just hope he's abiding." Wheelie didn't seem so confident that he could get the info he wanted from the resident squid, but he had to try. He looks slightly worried about something, and if it's got Wheelie skittish, it must be bad. "Apocryphacius? Oh...that Quintesson mech who works for the EDC." Blurr remembers. "Well, the last time I saw him he was at Area 51." the speedster tells Wheelie. Maybe he'll answer the comms. I've got a few things I need to talk to you about myself, as well...but let's see if the Quint's available. "Well, sounds like you're in luck this cycle." Blurr grins and transforms. "C'mon, let's head over to Area 51." Wheelie nods, before transforming as well into his little car mode. "Right away, Blurr, we just might get more luck! And once I get my answers, I'll help you with what's stuck!" Of all the EDC HQ satellite bases, Area 51 shows the least amount of change from its previous state. Area 51, smack in the middle of the blazing Nevada heat, contains numerous above ground facilities and three Cybertonium landing strips. From the ground, Earth Defense Command shuttlecraft and other aerospace vehicles can be seen taking off and landing at all hours of the day. From afar, a powerful cloaking field hides their presence and confuses long range sensors into thinking normal military craft are here. Unlike the other satellite bases, Area 51 does not hide its existence; instead it hides what it truly is. Most believe it still under the control of the United States Air Force. The base's command center leads directly to the underground GroundBridge terminal connecting it to the rest of EDC HQ, and work with them to monitor the state of all EDC vehicles around the globe. Its defenses are the most conventional of them all, with massive anti-air laser turrets, missile batteries, long range radar dishes, and a whole host of tanks and soldiers here to defend the base. This room is a shuttle room. You can type '+destinations' to take an auxillary shuttle from here. Blurr has arrived. Wheelie has arrived. Apocryphacius is doing work in the motorpool, the sweltering heat of day giving away to the chill of the night now. He despises the dry heat. His faces twitch around, not settling for long, but more often than not, he wears Wrath, red and livid. He curses to himself, ".../ruined/ the alignment on this ATV. Absolutely. What did he do, drive it through a field of /taffy/!?" Blurr arrives at Area 51 with Wheelie. He does what he can to keep the sonic booms from disrupting any work going on at the motorpool, but a few windows or anything else made of glass end up shattering. "Ohhhh---! Uhh..sorry!" the speedster gives the indignant workers a sheepish look. Wheelie is gripping Blurr tightly at the top of his hood, before sliding off to allow him to transform. Looking about, Wheelie sees Apocryphacius... in his Wrath Face. That was never a good face. Wheelie felt a bit nervous about approaching him, but... lives might be on the line! He had to! For justice... right? Has Wheelie ever seen a terrified Quintesson? The way the green of the tentacles goes pale? How the optics brighten to sharp, scared pinpricks? How he stiffens, then goes limp with defeat? Apocryphacius is terrified. Blurr arrives more swiftly than sound. There simply is no warning. Then his faces twitch around, and he shivers, reaching for his welding goggles - enough to cover /all/ his optics, which he pulls on, inactive tentacles twitching. The Quintessons gathers himself, quite speechless for now. Apocryphacius transforms into his Apocryphacius mode. Blurr looks surprised at Apocryphacius' fear. He looks a little concerned. "Hey, pal. Uh...there's no need to be afraid, we won't shoot. Or punch, or try to hurt you in any way." Even though they definitely /could/. Well, he's not so sure about Wheelie, but /he/ certainly can. "Wheelie's just here to ask you a few questions." Wheelie winces a little at Apocryphacius twitching at Blurr's arrival. He'd become so used it, he forgot not everyone was so good around sudden loud noises like he was. "Apocryphacius, sorry to scare, we heard you might be hanging out here. I needed to ask if you happen to know about that arrived during Ms. Elita's show. I know you might not, but you talked like you did, not to mention you whimpered when you spoke of the squid. If you think that you can't talk because someone's a bully, I promise, I'll chase them off, or beat them up, fully!" Wheelie punched a fist into his palm, as if ready for action against this possible bully. "I just need to know, I don't want a squall. You can trust me, honest, I'm an Autobot, after all!" With the goggles on, Wheelie is brown, and Blurr is grey. That's... doable. Blurr's reassurances do little to allay Apocryphacius's fears. They may be on an EDC base, but Blurr is so very fast that he could grab Apocryphacius and be gone before anyone noticed anything. Wheelie's words, though... make Apocryphacius laugh. Autobots are some of the last people he would ever trust. Decepticons? He can trust them to stab him in the back. Autobots are woefully erratic, and well... this is just all so bitterly ironic. "As described, he sounded like Archaeonix. I have met him, I suppose that you could say. You plan to kill him, then?" Blurr nods fervently at Wheelie's words. "Yeah, what he said. I mean, you remember me, right? We had a conversation." He tries to soothe, though the Quint still looks pretty nervous. All right, he had good reason, but still. But then he seemed to be starting to cooperate, so that was good. However, at the mention of 'kill', Blurr shakes his head quickly. " 'Kill'? Of course not! Not if we can help it, that is! We do what we can to avoid murdering people, you know? It's just that in times like these, we often don't have a choice. We're Autobots, remember?" Wheelie nodded, listening intently to Apocryphacius, up until the killing part, at least. "What? Kill the Quint? Wheelie'd never stoop so low! If he's peaceful, it's fine, I just need to know..." Wheelie folded his arms, frowning at the squid before inhaling, unnecessary as it may be. Wheelie was about to bust out some Autobot Awesome (tm) up in this joint. "Wheelie's had troubles, I don't need to expound, with Quints in the past, oh, those do abound. But Wheelie isn't bitter, he can dig up the ground, and bury those troubles where they won't ever be found. But the past few days, there's a Quint going 'round, and we... no, just me... needs to make sure there's no trouble inbound. So Mr. Apocryphacius, please don't confound my intentions or thoughts, things don't have to run aground. I'm a true Autobot, and I'm duty-bound to that everyone is truly safe and sound." Apocryphacius is indeed still scared, though now he is trying not to let it show, to keep his composure. He murmurs wryly to Blurr, "Of course you are Autobots. As if I could forget." As if he could forgot how, on the radio, the Autobots immediately started discussing the very best ways to kill Quintessons, chattering cheerily to each other about how much they like his species dead. "Archaeonix did... something or other, in the long-ago past of Earth. You would do well to ask the Autobot Torque about that matter. However, everyone in the past was put to sleep in stasis pods, to awaken in the present, so as to preserve the timestream. Archaeonix awakened before anyone else did. He could have killed them all in their slumber. He could have reprogrammed them all in their slumber. He could have made humanity bow before him and worship him as a god. He did not. You may draw your own conclusions from such behaviour." Apocryphacius starts to pace, not quite looking at the Autobots. "Sure, he didn't do that, but that just means he had some other game he was playing at." Blurr says, folding his arms. "Or still /is/. Bottom line is, we need to figure out what that game plan is and put an end to it before it's too late." Wheelie tilts his head a bit, nodding a little and pretending he understoof exactly what Apocryphacius was talking about. Long-ago past? Preserving the timestream? He had no clue about any of that. And it wasn't important to Wheelie. What has Wheelie worried is what the Quintesson COULD do, and they still had no idea. Wheelier also felt Apocryphacius still didn't trust him to follow through on his word. He'd just have to prove it with action when the time came. Wheelie looked up at Blurr, nodding before speaking up. "Blurr is right, we're still in the dark, and any trouble we face won't be a walk in the park.... but I'm not so sure that it looks real bad. There's a lot of opportunities that Quintesson had." Turning his gaze back to Apoc, Wheelie takes another walk out on the limb to try and keep things patched between the squid and the bots. "Mr. Apocryphacius, what do you say? Are things looking bad or do you think it's okay? We haven't seen Archeopterix since the trouble that day, do you think anything might be headed our way?" Apocryphacius 's faces shift, and he, quite pleasantly, play Devil's advocate, "/Do/ you need to stop his plan? Why are you making that assumption? You see, he could be in this base, watching us, this very moment. He has done similar things before. Archaeonix has some way of sneaking into a base without leaving a trace. A way of knowing certain... things." Temporal manipulation. "Archaeonix is transcendentally lonely in a way that would be impossible for you to fathom. His species - and mine - is all but dead. You Transformers destroyed Quintessa. Then most of the remaining Quintessons left the universe so as to escape a star destroying storm - that was kindled by your ancestors. All Archaeonix wishes is to go home - and to have a home to go to. You would put a stop to that? He told me that you would." Apocryphacius transforms into his Apocryphacius mode. "You're wrong, Mr. Apocryphacius. Wheelie knows that pain. It's a lonely maddening silence that borders on insane." Wheelie quickly replied, frowning. Perhaps it wasn't the exact same as this Archaeonix, but he grasped the concept well. It was something he avoided thinking about, but he could feel some empathy for this Quintesson. Wheelie let his arms fall to his sides, for once looking truly sad at the info Apocryphacius had told him. "If he is here and listening, I'd like him to know that if he wants to leave, I'll make sure he can go. I'll fight Galvatron himself worst comes to worst! He may not have a friend, but I'd like to be his first. I know he's all alone and in a hostile place, and all he wants to do is get back into space." Wheelie looks up and around, speaking to nowhere in general, but just in case Archaeonix was there, he wants to make himself known to the Quint. "So Mr. Archaeonix, I'd would just like to say, if you want to go home, I won't stand in your way!" Apocryphacius shakes a bit and corrects gently, "No, Autobot. Wheelie. You do not. You simply are not /old/ enough to understand." How can Apocryphacius say that with such certainty, when Wheelie is older than Apocryphacius by far? Interesting question. /Interesting question/. "That said, you would be genuinely... fine with a Quintesson-settled planet? Full of a resurgent Quintesson species? Healthy. No longer on the brink of extinction? Now I /know/ that you do not speak for your peers in making such an assertion." Wheelie stands quiet for a moment, considering all of this. The concept of Quintesson's repopulating is not a cheery prospect, to him least of all. But... this was bigger than him being comfortable with something. Everyone deserved a home to be able to go to. And they deserved the ability to go there without fear. "...Wheelie may not understand what the Quint has seen, but I know what it's like stranded on a world that's mean." Wheelie's hands clenched into fists as he looked firmly back at Apocryphacius. "If the others do not get, I will MAKE them see the light! I may not be the biggest, but Wheelie won't give up a fight! And I will changes everyone's minds with all my strength and might, because I am an Autobot, and we always do what's right!" Blurr has been listening to the conversation this entire time, not really wanting to state his true opinion on the matter. Apocryphacius is no doubt a valuable ally of the EDC, and he doesn't want to upset him, given that relations between the Bots and EDC are not the best right now. Yeah, they're getting better, but what happened with Cross is going to take a long time to heal. The speedster just shrugs dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Of course! If the Quints, including this Archoenix guy whoever he is, just wanted to go off and live in peace on a nice, friendly planet with nice hab suites and all, sure. Slag, I'd help 'em out with /that/!" ...Especially if it meant they'd leave the Autobots alone for good. Primus, he wished the universe were /that/ simple. Apocryphacius just does not believe the Autobots. It is as simple as that. Maybe these two really mean it. But the Repugnuses of the world will see to it that it never happens. However, Apocryphacius is polite, and he hides his feelings, which is uncomfortable for him. It does not come naturally (but it would, if he been given life under the light of Quintessa's star and raised among his people). "Mmm. If you say so. Well. So there you have it. Judge him harmless or dangerous as you like. I have told you of his infiltration abilities and of his goals, as best /I/ know them. Oh. And there is a security tape that he wishes to be seen. I could make a copy, if you so desire. Speaking of desires... would you wish to take energon? I could bring some." Where /are/ his manners? Oh, yeah, somewhere behind his terror. "Strong words. Yet what do they amount to, I wonder?" The heavy *TACK TACK TACK* of spider-like legs fills the air, a familiar sound to Apocryphacius perhaps, even as the spheroid form of the -other- Quintesson seems to all but bleed from the background without so much as a hint to his arrival. "The small one speaks strongly, and yet what of his peers, I wonder? When as recently as a few days ago, my presence became known, and though my actions were centered soley on their enemies, the 'Decepticons', his comrades still attempted to bring harm to me. Curious, isn't it?" Tendrils slowly writhe together, as the ovoid form slowly shifts around to show the nigh-grinning visage of a sabertoothed skull. Archaeonix has arrived. Loadout drops Archaeonix . Blurr is /this/ close to a freak-out session. But he manages to retain his composure. Instead, he's immediately in a defensive stance with his weapon drawn and ready to fire upon Archaeonix at an astrosecond's notice. His optics bore into the other Quintesson as he glares threateningly at him. "Don't. Move." he says harshly. Dimensional warping, teleporting, whatever. If you asked Blurr, he could pull the trigger /before/ the guy could activate his special warping powers. Yes, he's that fast. He wasn't the last victor of the Ibex Cup for nothing. Well. So much for that peaceful home, eh? Wheelie stands frozen and silent at the arrival of Archaeonix. Part of him wasn't entirely certain about that whole appear right in the room thing, but having seen it... Wheelie shook his head, clenching his fists and steeling himself at the surprise. This was it; put up or shut up. And Wheelie never properly learned how to shut up! Holding his head high, Wheelie marches straight for Archaeonix, stopping just shy of the Quintesson and bravely extending a hand to offer a greeting to the Quintesson and doing his best to keep it steady. "M...Mr. Archaeonix, Wheelie's my name! And I think with some work, we could see things the same! We've had our past troubles, I can't dodge the blame, but a peaceful co-existence is what I now proclaim!" Wheelie stands stedfast through it all in the hopes his plea for discussion succeeds. "Fascinating," Apocryphacius agrees, steepling a pair of tentacles. See, Wheelie and Blurr? He /told/ them that Archaeonix has this habit of coming out of nowhere and having overheard your entire conversation. He fetches four cups of energon from the motorpool energon, and then he pulls out a folding table, upon which he places the four cups. "Autobot Blurr, please put down your weapon. Energon is rather... explosive. I would know." He peers down at one of the cups speculatively. "You see what I mean, young one?" The elder Quint speaks, his body rotating about to the face of the Mastodon, the tusks dipping slightly as he speaks, "As simple as my arrival, even after your warning of such, and the reaction is instant." One tendril idly writhes in Blurr's direction. "Instinctive. Absolute. Predictable. Is it not exactly as I described it would be?" And as Wheelie steps up to offer his greeting, the body shifts around again, back to the Smilodon skull as it studies the minibot for a long moment. "A charming little one, to be sure. But you are not so naive are you, small one?" Rather than take the offered hand, one tentacle rises to tap-tap lightly on the top of Wheelie's head, even as the spider-legged Quint starts to move, despite Blurr's words. There's a shifting in his body as he steps closer to where Apocryphacius is, idly snaking another tendril out to scoop up one of the offered cups, but there's always a sense that -one- of the faces is watching Blurr the whole time. Keeping an eye on him. "No, you aren't. Look at your comrade, having pulled his weapon already. Even if you feelings are true, do you -really- think you would succeed in convincing your fellow Autobots to share that view? When already we have this...standoff at my mere presence? Do you intend to shoot me, Cybertronian? Or stand with that weapon pointed the whole time?" Idly the cup is lifted as the normal 'Quint' face rotates around to drain its contents. Combat: Archaeonix sets its defense level to Guarded. Blurr's optics widen when Wheelie just marches right up to the Quintesson. "Wheelie! Have you gone binary?! Get /back/ and that's an order!" he shouts, but the minibot pays no heed. And like hell he is putting his weapon down. Even if he did, most of his hardest hits don't actually /involve/ guns. And Wheelie is /still/ being stupid. As Archaeonix appears to pat Wheelie on the head, Blurr dashes forward and attempts to smack the tendril roughly away from the smaller Bot, his jaw clenched. "Don't /touch/ him, you slaglicking pile of scrap!" Oh, burn. And this is what happens when a Quintesson is /not/ an ally of the EDC... Combat: Blurr sets his defense level to Guarded. Combat: Archaeonix expertly evades Blurr's attack! Combat: Blurr misses Archaeonix with his Tentacle-slap! (Punch) attack! Wheelie's eyes go wide just as he'd let out his tension in a sigh. Turning around, Wheelie leapt up to grab at Blurr's arm and try to restrain it. "No, you have to stop Blurr, please don't! I can't let you break things up now, I won't!" Wheelie pulled for all he was worth at Blurr. If he couldn't get his old friend to understand, what chance did he have at convincing any of the other Autobots!? Wheelie pulls himself up to Blurr's arm, looking at him with the closest equivalent to teary-eyed a Transformer could get. "Please, Blurr, you must listen to me! He'll be fine, I promise, but we must be friendly! Can't you see, he's alone and has no one's sympathy! None of them do, all they get is hostility! I'm begging you, Blurr, this violence must cease! How can Autobots ever use violence to make peace!?" Apocryphacius does see exactly what Archaeonix warned him would happen. Blurr disappoints him. He hisses, "Autobot Blurr. You will /not/ make this into a fight in the middle of an EDC motorpool! Keep in mind where you are, and do not make me ask you to leave. I have my orders from General Faireborn concerning our guest, and I am following them." The elder Quint actually doesn't even seem to avoid Blurr's attempt to smack his tendril. Not in the traditional sense as one would think, expecting him to jerk the tentacle back out of harm's way or twist away. Even on a good day that would be difficult for anyone, given that Blurr moves so fast that he leaves afterimages in his wake. Oddly enough it's almost as if the instant that Blurr's hand moves out, the Quint is simply...somewhere else, a quarter of a body length to the right and his tentacle back in his own 'personal space'. No sense of movement, or knee-jerk reaction saving him from harm (or in this case, possibly indignity). Just a split second in time that seems to have figuratively shifted gears. The rest of the cup, which is still clutched in another tentacle, is drained as he lifts it up and pours the contents into the mouth of his 'Quint' face. "Take note of this, small one. This is what you would face against, if your thoughts are sincere. It is why you would fail. Not for want of trying on your part, but inevitably why you would not succeed in convincing them otherwise." His gaze oooh so slowly slides over in Apocryphacius' direction. "It is inevitable, is it not?" Combat: Archaeonix sets its defense level to Neutral. "Well you'll excuse me for /protecting/ my friend." Blurr counters sharply. "You'd best stay out of this, Apoc." Wheelie pulls at him but to no avail, the speedster simply brushes him aside, ignoring his desperate pleas. No sooner than Archaeonix has moved away from the slap, Blurr is all up in his face, or should I say /faces/, again almost immediately afterward. A mere fraction of an astrosecond. Come on, even Archaeonix /has/ to be impressed. "Look, Archaeon-whatever your name is." he growls. "I don't know what you're playing at, or what you want, but if you're planning on messing with us, you're making a /serious/ mistake." Combat: Created Weapon design #5. Combat: Apocryphacius has finished building a new weapon. Behold: Laudanex! "900 ccs of Laudenex, non-habit-forming, fast-acting, a needle so fine that sensors cannot even detect it..." Apocryphacius murmurs quietly to himself, pulling out his medical kit and rifling through it, looking for his finest, thinest, most painless needles, "...leaves a pinprick that only shows up under ultraviolet light, so as not to ruin handsome features." He loads up the syringe and taps it several times to remove the air bubbles. More loudly, he adds, "...and I am well aware of how you are constructed, Blurr, given as I /just/ repaired you. Now then. Blurr. I like to think I am a reasonable, rational being, but do not tell me to 'stay out of this' in an EDC base. Last warning." Wheelie is shoved aside by Blurr as he races to threaten Archaeonix. Wheelie is caught off-guard by the throw and hits the ground with an unhealthy clunk to his head. Wheelie lays there for a moment, his circuits throbbing as his optics fuzzed out a little. Wheelie felt so weak and useless. If only Optimus was here... he'd understand for sure. Moonracer's question rang hollow in his head as he lay still for a moment. Wheelie wasn't sure what to do as he vaguely heard Blurr threaten Archaeonix. If a fight broke out, Blurr would be in trouble. He had to do this not just to keep things from devolving, but to protect Blurr. Apocryphacius' threat met his ears as he regained his routine thoughts, clenching his fists again. "Blurr, please, oblige your friend this. We cannot let our angry make us act so remiss. I'm asking you, as a friend, just give me some time. What would HE do... you know, Optimus Prime?" The old Quint has to lean back a bit as Blurr zips up 'in his faces', his ovoid body tilting a bit at an odd angle as his Quint face scrunces up a bit with an expression that would almost be fitting if Blurr had bad breath. "I assure you, -cybertronian-..." one tentacle rises up in a slight nudging motion that, even if Blurr doesn't permit it to touch him on the chest, is still meant for the purpose of giving himself a little 'breathing space', particularly as his body shifts again and now the T-Rex skull glares back at Blurr and snarls, "I had NO intention of any involvement regarding you, your fellow 'Autobots' or your estranged relations the 'Decepticons'!" A moment passes as the Rex skull continues to glare, then shifts around to the Triceratops skull, which simply huffs once. "Ideally you would never have even known of my existence and we'd have all been much less stressed for it. But I was given little choice in the matter." Moonracer has arrived. "Then what /are/ you playing at? What do you /want/?" Blurr steps back, finally, folding his arms but still glaring. "Is Wheelie right? You just want a nice home to go to?" "And why should I tell you my business?" The old Quint counters evenly at that, body spinning about back to the 'Quint' face again. "Involving my race's critically endangered status in the universe today, hrm? On what authority do you demand this from me, when you've already pullled a weapon in my presence and your comrades have once already attempted harm upon my person, when I was even taking action against your -enemies- of all things." Another spin and rotation of his body, and now the T-Rex glares back again, "Why should -I- trust -you-?" Moonracer rushes in from the entranceway to the shuttle control and command center. She has no idea what awaits her - she hopes for the best, but prepares for the worst. Coming upon the scene she stops abruptly and tenses. It's almost instinctual, the fear of the Quintessons that grips her momentarily; she's privately amazed that Wheelie has the courage to do what he's doing. Her hand has instinctively gone to her gun, but she thinks better of it; she runs her thumb over an inscription on the weapon's handle: WWOPD. What Would Optimus Prime Do. "... Is everything okay in here?" she asks, screwing her courage to the sticking place in the face(s) of Archaeonix. His presence reminds her unintentionally of the recent dirtywork she had to do, and the mental scar she carries from it. Wheelie stood up, stumbling to his feet and staggering himself over to Blurr's side, patting his arm. "Blurr, I'm fine, I'm trusting the Quints. They've helped us already, they've earned some peaceful stints." Looking over at Moonracer entering, he waves, glad to have a little back-up on this. Now came the real challenge... trying to repair the damage. "Mr. Quintesson, I know we're hard to trust. We've had a lot of trouble, and little of it was just." Wheelie pulled a small stack of tires over, plunking himself into the small hole and grasping at one of the energon cups, nodding to Apocryphacius in thanks for the drink. "I may be small, but I stand tall, and I'd be willing to hear it all. I know my gall is not the best call, but there is no need to start another brawl." Wheelie quickly glanced up at Blurr on that last line, before resuming his talk. "You've helped Ms. Moonracer, I thank you for that, and although you could have, you didn't attack. Please, Mr. Archaeonix, I would like to help now. If you want to get home, please, tell me how." Apocryphacius looks scared of Moonracer when she arrives. (For anyone paying attention, he's looked afraid of every single Autobot he's seen, without fail.) But here's the deal. He has his orders. Blurr is blatantly disrespecting Apocryphacius in the base where Apocryphacius works. Apocryphacius does not go to Iacon and tell Blurr how to race! Moreover, 'protecting' Wheelie? Wheelie can handle his own sweet self just fine! The only one drawing a gun on anyone is /Blurr/. The only one trying to shoot anyone is /Blurr/. But those self-righteous Autobots won't see it that way. They'll feel so hurt and wounded. What a bunch of /prats/. However, since Blurr seems to be finally behaving himself, Apocryphacius tucks the syringe of sedative back into his medical kit. "Unlike you, small one. I -have- no home. Quintessa is little more than fragments spread across the cosmos." Archaeonix responds to Wheelie's words, eyeing the minibot from one side as he scuttles a bit to get a little more 'breathing' space. With Moonracer's arrival it's starting to get decidedly crowded for the old Quint's liking, and it shows a bit. "Sixty three million rotations of this world around its sun, I waited in isolation, only when I finally returned to here and now, to learn that I no longer had a home and my race faces extinction. You ask how I can get home? There is -nothing- you can do to help me. Nor do I want it." The empty cup, which he was still holding, it turned upside down and set back on the table with a faint *CLUNK*. "Do not take it personally, but it would be -impossible- for the sort of cooperation you seem to be hoping for. Your own allies wouldn't have it." He pointedly glares at Blurr for a second. "I have already made contact with those who I feel I can attempt to extend my trust to." Moonracer keeps her distance. She listens to everything going on, the positions being stated, the intentions, and of course, Wheelie's upstanding example. She lets her hands fall to her sides. "I would help if I could," she says, looking Archaeonix in the face. "I can't put together a broken planet. I don't know if there's anything remotely useful I could do. I'm pretty sure there isn't." She tries to give the old guy a friendly smile, for what it's worth. "But what I can do, I'd certainly try. I'm not going to give up on hope that there can be some kind of peace for us. For all of us. I really don't like to fight, I only do it when I have to... and only if somehow, some way, it's fighting for worthwhile peace. Everlasting peace." Wheelie listened quietly as the elder alien spoke, sipping at his energon occasionally as he spoke. Letting out a sigh of regret, Wheelie set the cup in his lap, nodding a little. "...Wheelie is sorry he cannot aid, and that your return home was badly delayed. I don't know exactly, but I can empathize, that lack of belonging... it comes with the size." Wheelie said, motioning down as his overall smallness. "Everyone has the right to find a place to call home, it's not fair that some should forever roam. But I'm glad you found someone who can do what I can't. I'm sure for a Quintesson, those people are scant." Wheelie stood up, placing his cup back where he got it, extending his hand once more to offer a shake, raising the other back at Blurr to motion that he was perfectly okay and there was no need for alarm. Turning back, he put on his biggest smile to Archaeonix. "I know I'm not much, but if you get in a clutch and need help or some such, I hope you'll be in touch." Apocryphacius 's faces shift. Then he quietly goes, pours another cup of energon, and he sets it down on the folding table along with the others. He glances at Moonracer, not looking at her square on, and then he offers, but his voice is strained, "Something to drink?" Apocryphacius transforms into his Apocryphacius mode. Blurr just barely listens to the older Quintesson as he spoke, looking more and more impatient as the seconds wore on. He /still/ looks quite irate. "Um, I don't know about anyone else, but I just asked you what you /do/ want, Archaeonix, not what you /don't/ want. I thought you'd be smart enough to pick up on that, you know? Since you all are supposed to be these amazingly super-smart scientist." Though not as smart as Perceptor or Jetfire, in his opinion, of course. Though, no matter what the elder Quint has to say, Blurr will most likely remain convinced that he wants revenge upon all Cybertronians by annihiliating all of them by whichever means he deems most humiliating. And again Wheelie offers that hand for a shake, and again the old Quint eyes it for a moment, finally sliding one tendril out to entwine with the minibot's fingers in the briefest of grips. It doesn't seem all that enthusiastic a return of the gesture, just a cordial one for the sake of politeness. "Do not hold out hope for the impossible, small one." And as if right on cue, Blurr says his piece, and the old Quintesson is moving again, around the table and past Apocryphacius. "I will be in touch again soon, young one. There will be time for...decisions." And he keeps scuttling on past, past where Blurr stands for good measure, where he pauses for just a moment. "What I -want-..." The T-Rex skull rotates around to glare at Blurr fully again. "...is my own business." And with that, he starts to side-scuttle away slowly, moving between two armored vehicles in the motorpool and shifting around them until such a point that his ovoid form is out of sight for the briefest of moments... ...and then gone entirely. "Pfff." Blurr waves a dissmisive hand in the air. "Whatever, as if I didn't already know the answer to /that/ one." He shrugs and glances at Wheelie. "C'mon Wheelie, let's get out of here. We need to have a /talk/." Archaeonix has left. Loadout takes Archaeonix . Moonracer sighs and shakes her head at Wheelie and Blurr. "Take it easy on him Blurr, you're not his builder," she chastens. Apoc is not forgotten, however. She smiles politely to the remaining Quint and takes the offered cup. "Thank you very much," she replies. Archaeonix is gone, however, before she has anything more to say. She shakes her head. "So much bad fuel." Apocryphacius explains to Moonracer, "Autobot Moonracer. Wheelie wanted to know what I knew of Archaeonix. Now Wheelie has seen him for himself, and he may make his own judgements, as an autonomous sapient being." He takes up one of the cups and has a stiff drink. Wheelie seems ecstatic that the Quintesson actually shook his hand this time around; to Wheelie, it was a sign of success, casual as it may be to Archaeonix. Wheelie tried to restrain his over-joyed reaction, but had a little help when Blurr mentioned a talk. Wheelie suddenly looked at the floor, before nodding. "Yes sir, Blurr. We can talk, for sure." Waving sadly at Moonracer and bowing in both a gesture of gratitude and apology for his suspicions and rude behavior before, Wheelie turned and saluted Blurr, facing his punishment firmly, like a man! "I trust Wheelie's judgments. He's a good kid. His processor's in the right place at least," Moonracer says, taking a sip herself. Not bad. She waves to Wheelie with a hopeful if slightly concerned expression. "Good luck..." Poor kid'll need it. "You know, I never thought I'd be sharing a drink with a Quintesson," she confesses, looking at the cup. She raises the cup. "Here's to interesting times." Blurr transforms as the two of them make off the same way they had arrived. There is a moment of silence as they speed across the Nevadan desert before the speedster speaks up. "You know what he could have done to you, right. I mean, you might sound naive but I know you're not that stupid, Wheelie. Obviously because you're still /around/." he sighs. "Look, I know you have good intentions, and I wouldn't want you to turn into another Red Alert, but there's a limit to optism before it turns into overconfidence, either in yourself or in other mechs. And the Quints? Come on, Wheelie. You know as well as I do that they're as good as Decepticons to us." Apocryphacius replies to Moonracer, "I would much rather share energon than spill it. The interesting fact is... Archaeonix has been on this planet longer than humanity has. Significantly so. One would think that if he wished to take over this world or any such matters, he would have already done so." Looks like Quintessons don't toast. She drops the cup back down and takes another sip. "I'm in agreement with you on that," the green Autobot comments to Apoc's first statement. She is silent for a little while as she thinks about the other Quintesson's situation and plight. "I can't begin to guess what it must have been like. Or what he wants. He came out of nowhere in the Amazon... I was afraid at first that he was doing to use his tentacle on Elita like he did the two Insecticons, but he didn't. At that point I didn't see any point at trying to fire on him. It's like he was trying to help us. The enemy of my enemy, as they say." She glances over. "You know, you seemed kind of... nervous, when I came in. I didn't scare you did I? I certainly didn't mean to. I wanted to help." Wheelie transforms as well, following to the best of his ability as Blurr scolds him lightly for his rash behavior. Wheelie listened silently, trying to think of a way to put it so that Blurr could understand it best. "Yes sir, Blurr, and I know it's unsure, but I could just stand aside and act so demure. Please try to see, he's not unlike me, he's trapped on a world that shows him nothing but hostility. I was the one, back on Quintesson, who survived the crash and had to live on. I was all alone, and I had to get home, and luckily I reached it and no longer had to roam. But what if our homeworld had blown up in my absence, and every other Autobot had been destroyed since. That must be what it's like for poor Archaeonix. And Quintessa is gone, that's something we can't fix. He may be a Quint, but we're Autobots. We should strive to do good with all that we've gots. Even if there's bad energon with us both, we must, serve and protect true justice... it's the Autobot oath!" Apocryphacius is still nervous. He is simply hiding it better now. He belatedly returns the toast. Apocryphacius muses broodily, "Archaeonix could work for any number of... military and paramilitary organizations here on Earth. They would be glad to have him, I am sure. Could you imagine what Silas's MECH could do if they had an Elder Quintesson on their payroll? Or he could work for any number of governments /legally/. He predates humanity on this planet. That is usually sufficient for a citizenship application. I think we are... lucky, on all accounts, that Archaeonix's desires lie offworld." And out of time. Apocryphacius plays with his cup. Moonracer is observant if nothing else. "I hope that he finds something that will make him happy. Something that doesn't have to do with warfare, suffering or death." "Wheelie, I know that but given past circumstances, we have no choice but to assume that whatever it is he's up to, it's up to /no good/." Blurr argues. "Sometimes preemptive strikes are the only way to prevent disaster. It's hard to make decisions like that, but that's what have to do in order to preserve as much sapient life as we possibly can. I mean, look at what happened with Franklin Cross and all that slag. If we always sat around waiting for something bad to happen before we /did/ anything, we'd be useless!" Blurr sighs, not really wanting to discuss this any more. "I'm just trying to protect you, Wheelie. Sometimes I think you're too optimistic for your own good. You let your guard down too easily.... Anyway. What I originally wanted to talk to you about are the comm logs we retrieved from Cairo. They've been decrypted, and Laserbeak still has the cog. For whatever reason. If we could use that technology Perceptor brought back from THX-11, we could sneak into Polyhex and the 'Cons wouldn't even have a clue how we got in, if we're lucky, that is." Wheelie was grateful for the change of subject. And it was a welcome one, at that! "Oh, a stealth mission! If they think they can hide the cog, they can keep on wishin'! We'll get that cog back, for certain, we must! And we'll do it so fast, they'll be eating our dust!" Well, mostly Blurr's, but the same still applied to Wheelie... "Just let me know, Blurr, and we can get started! We'll get that cog back and see their plans thwarted!" Apocryphacius looks up at Moonracer, his goggles making her a sort of dark grey, and he admits, "No. I am usually not. That is, however, of no concern. I, also, hope that Archaeonix finds peace. However, even if /he/ finds peace... I suspect that war will find /him/." "There has to be a way to help him stay out of the war." Moon takes another sip. "By the way, it -is- of concern if you're not okay. At least to me." "And will it be your concern the next time an Autobot threatens to kill me?" Apocryphacius asks innocently, taking a sip of his drink. That issue comes up rather often. "You're a member of EDC, are you not? EDC and Autobots are allies, are they not? That makes you my ally. I don't care what you did in the past, that's a clean hard drive to me. If another Autobot tries to kill you, they're stepping over the line, and I'll defend you just like I'd defend one of them," Moonracer says firmly, finishing her drink and setting the cup down firmly. Apocryphacius has to ask, "Why are you assuming I did anything in the past?" He touches his EDC hang badge. Apocryphacius isn't saying he did /not/ do anything in the past, mind. "Just in case I have someone come up later on and accuse you of some horrible crime," Moonracer says. "You can't help Apocryphacious! He killed ten million protoforms to make a sandwich!" she jokes, mockingly imitating what you'd expect some stuffed shirt paperwork-hugging officer to spout off. She chuckles. Apocryphacius makes a disgusted face. "...that would be a terrible sandwich." He sets his cup down. "That is benevolent of you, Autobot Moonracer." If it is true. "I'm tired of fighting. I want this war to be /over/ all ready. I'm tired of seeing lives wasted - even Decepticon lives," Moonracer sighs. "People have lost families, friends, homes... even homeworlds. I don't want to keep doing this for another four million years." Apocryphacius has lost at least one close friend. The man died on Cybertron, a long way from home. Apocryphaicus tried, but he couldn't save him. He felt sickly helpless... and then angry. He blamed himself. He still does. He also blames Triggerhappy. If Apocryphacius ever gets his tentacles on that Decepticon... He asks, curious, "What would you do with the Decepticons, if you won?" "If I could, somehow... I would give them a conscience and empathy. I would allow them to understand, and to feel, all of the guilt, pain and suffering they've inflicted on others. Just to have them look in the optics or eyes of everyone who lost someone close to them. To see that pain, and to -know- they've caused it." "And if they didn't kill themselves afterwards... I would tell them that there is still forgiveness, and still a chance for them to try to live again. That it would be harder than anything they've ever done. But that it would also allow them to fill that emptiness inside, and to actually know what it means to be content and at peace - with others, but more importantly, themselves," says Moonracer. Apocryphacius stares at Moonracer for a very, very long moment. Then he smiles. Apocryphacius pulls off his goggles and places them neatly on the table. He tries to take a good, long look at her. Her image makes him flinch, but he needs to get used to looking at Autobots without the goggles eventually. What she suggests is one of his darkest thoughts and desires. Only he wouldn't stop with the Decepticons. Or with Transformers. Apocryphacius isn't going to admit that right now. Instead, he just asks, "You have no due process on the matter?" "I'm not sure," Moonracer says. "I don't think anyone actually stopped to consider if such a thing would be possible. Or if the higher ups would think it's even desirable." One of Apocryphacius's big problems with the Autobots is that they just do... whatever. No due process. No codified laws. No precedent. Now, he knows that they do have /some/ laws. They just don't have enough for his liking. And sometimes they ignore them. Drives him batty. However, the Quintessons simply replies politely, "I see," and he picks up his cup again to sip it. "Oh! While I'm here, there's something I always wanted to say to a Quintesson," Moonracer adds. "And you seem like the perfect one to say it to." "Thank you for giving us life." Say what? "I know there's been wrong done on both sides of this fight, and that our species certainly don't get along, but... without your species, we wouldn't exist. I thought it might be nice to say thank you, at least once." Apocryphacius looks undeniably startled and flustered. He glances away, and he finishes his drink. Apocryphacius says stiltedly, "Well. Thank you. I am by no means the correct person to address, however. Just consider me a cousin." He looks down at his tentacles. "Many, many times removed." "Isn't that what all life is?" Moonracer asks. She stands back up and sets her cup down. "Thank you again for the energon, but I'd better get back to base. I may need to make sure Wheelie isn't getting the third degree." "It takes some courage to admit that our species are related, Autobot," Apocryphacius observes. "Be safe. I do hope that Wheelie will be all right. I suspect that he will find that his opinions are... unpopular." "I'll stick by him. Someone has to make sure that doing what's right is encouraged, not punished." The green female heads for the door and out of sight. ================================== Autobot =================================== Message: 3/134 Posted Author Sprint to the Quint Sun Dec 16 Wheelie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *The Autobot spinny fades out of view, revealing a stalwart salute from Wheelie, looking as serious as his little frame will let him.* "Wheelie's here to try and steer the fear of a Quint being somewhere out there! Blurr was helpful in finding Apocrphacius and the news that we got was... somewhat boadacious! Mr. Private Quint gave us the skinny on Mr. Archaeonix, none of it was tinny! He's a Quint who was sleeping for quite a long time, but woke up early with no reason or rhyme. Mr. Apoc said something about a stream being preserved, but he didn't attack; we were being observed! And then Mr. Archaeonix showed up from the wall, and I did my best to prevent a brawl! Blurr was nervous, but I tried to be nice, I even offered a handshake. Twice!" Wheelie somehow snaps to attention even moreso than he already has, remaining perfectly motionless in his adherance to report duty. "Wheelie may not be the best, as strong, smart or wise as all the rest. But I think Mr. Archaeonix isn't quite so bad, he's in the same spot that Wheelie once had. He's alone, and he's lost, he has no home to see. We should keep our tabs on him, but not harass him constantly. He's done nothing bad, he's actually helped us out, so I can't much trouble with him being about. Mr. Apocryphacius seems to trust him alright, and I don't think we any right to start a fight." Wheelie's saluting arm has apparently gotten tired, as he changes salutes to the other arm, looking up a bit above the camera. "The Autobot creed says we fight any misdeed, and we need, yes indeed, to see that succeed! To other a bandage to those who may bleed, and see those enslaved are once again freed! We've had a bad history with Quints, I concede, but even they deserve justice in times of much need. And so, I must plead, that as we proceed, we we do not exceed our preventative need. I must end this screed, before the mess hall stampede, that we take heed that we stick to real justice with all due speed! I don't mean to impede, nor to mislead, but I hope this is something that is largely agreed." *Wheelie's steadfast salute fades back to the Autobot spinny, before another voice behind the camera pipes up.* "Uhm... you can stop saluting now Wheelie, we're off the air... no, really, we're off. Go get something to eat... okay, suit yourself..." ============================================================================== ================================== Autobot =================================== Message: 3/135 Posted Author Archaeonix Sighted Sun Dec 16 Blurr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Another Autobot spinning logo, but this time's Blurr! He looks quite concerned, his expression rather severe. "Okay, I know there's been some...speculation regarding this Archaeonix character and what he can do. Now I don't know what he's playing at, but after seeing him with my own optics I can tell you at least one thing: He's dangerous. Do not engage him alone, and do NOT believe a /single/ word he says unless you have a /very/ good reason to think he /isn't/ telling you some fragging huge-aft lie." ...Yeah, that means you too, Wheelie. "If he thinks he can fool us into trusting him after the Quints helped that human terrorist Xabat try to destroy Cybertron, then he's seriously mistaken!" The speedster smashes a fist down onto the terminal he is sitting in front of for emphasis, and the camera vibrates a bit from the impact, causing the image to BLUR a bit. (Ha, ha.) "Stay sharp, Autobots. Blurr signing out." BLIP! End transmission. ==============================================================================
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