Lair of the Stealth Bunnies | home
Changes Continue
(played 12/9/01)
Training Complex
A very large section comprised of several areas where the Decepticons gather for training exercises. The firing range allows users to practice their ranged weapon skills against holographic targets. The arena has five separate dueling areas to allow Decepticons to test one another in combat. Although normally used strictly for practice and sparring, the arena can be used for actual duels to settle a dispute. There is a separate area for engaging computer-controled opponents in hand-to-hand combat.
The training room is usually full of noise, people training around and all, put when Hook entered a while ago, everyone left, mostly, seeing that he came to test his new invention, nobody wants to get into the radius of the explosion... Well, let's just say that Hook's invention are prone to explode, somehow... Even his poor little Cyberdog... He just wanted to sit, but instead, he exploded... So bad...
Hook is now talking with his new friend, Scorcher, or, you could see it that way, as he tries to make his invention work, it seems, due to a few misfortune.
Scorcher looks relieved to see a familiar face, as well as somebody who is not outranking her. Let alone talking weirdly
CatsCradle slips in as quietly as always. She seems to hesitate a bit at the sight of Hook, but her curiosity wins out, as it usually does, and she perches on the nearest table, tucking her feet up underneath her comfortably
Scorcher realizes she did something wrong, but can't figure out what that could be. She also does not want to slip away with Hook's attention norm firmly turned towards her
Hook wiggles his right hand aside, toward Scorcher. "Could you give me the little energon inducer, please, it should be beside my Proton Disruptor and my small Neutron cannon." He asks, as if Scorcher was some sort of assistant or something. He pushes a few others buttons on his machine, which replies in vain. "System overload, system overload, system overload." Hook, out in frustration, shakes the machine heartily. "I KNOW YOUR DAMN SYSTEM IS OVERLOAD JUST GIVE ME A REPORT OF THE DAMAGE!!!"
CatsCradle manages to stifle a chuckle before it began.
Scorcher looks around, trying to find the equipment Hook asked for. Weapons she knows, but energon inducers? She glances at Cats entreatingly
CatsCradle gives a sympathetic shrug. What she knows about techie stuff could be painlessly engraved on her optic lens.
Scorcher finally just grabs the first mysterious device she sees and whispers to Cats "Think this is it?"
CatsCradle gives another shrug, looking as equally lost.
Scorcher just hands over the device and hopes for the best. At least it does not look like a weapon
Hook takes his invention and throws it on a wall... Nah, fear not, Hook's inventions are pretty shock resistant. He turns his head around and glances over to CatsCradle and grunts. "Oh, yes, her come another." She frowns a little. "You know I do believe that..." But before Hook can finish his sentence, the machine, on the ground, begins to go into a furry of words and that attracts the Constructicon's attention and noises. "System restored, electron surcharged, Electron Bombardement necessary for the safety of the phoenix. Discharge the Electron? Yes or No? It asks."
Hook blinks a few times and grins. "I did it!!" He turns his head around to Scorcher and nods. "Huh, yes it's what I wanted, thank." He says, taking it. Unfortunately, as he said 'yes' the invention took Hook's very command and in not even two seconds, the flashing machine fired a large beam of white energy toward Hook, letting out the said 'electrons' in front of it... And unfortunately, Hook was in front of his invention when it happened.
Scorcher yelps and dives to the side, taking the table with equipment with her
CatsCradle tumbles over backwards, pulling the table down too, but she does it without the yelp of suprise. After all, the dog exploded...why not this? Although it was worth the price of admission to see it zorch Hook.
Scorcher cautiously looks around the table and aims her laser at the mysterious device that has been talking to Hook. Just in case it is dangerous of course
Well, it was one single blast, fortunately, and it was to get rid of the electrons it had... Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you see it, Hook took the blast full on... But the blast wasn't quite weak, it sent Hook flying backward until he actually reaches a wall to stop him, with a loud -thumb-. Strangely enough, the Constructicon doesn't fall on the ground though, it's as if he remains stuck on it. Hook shakes his head a little and attempts to lift his right hand but fails. "Curse, got ionized by my own machine, now I'm stuck on this wall." Hook grumbles. "Let's see, I have a potential of 90 Ohms, this wall is made of Silicium and has an Electronegativity of .5, the discharge was about one millions of electrons per mm cubics, so... Calculating all this..." He frowns a little concentrating. "Oh dear Primus! I'm going to be stuck here for three hundreds fifty-four years, one hundred and twenty-three days, nine hours forty-nine minutes and twelve seconds!"
CatsCradle decides the world is fairly safe at the moment and climbs over the table, righting it as she goes. She folds her arms across her chest and regards Hook thoughtfully. "Three hundred years, huh?"
Scorcher first frowns, then looks panicked as her gun hand is inexorably drawn to point towards Hook. "Help" she says
CatsCradle glances over at Scorcher. "Just let it go," she suggests.
Hook tilts his head a little and chuckles. "You do not understand what it means to you? Slowly but surely, my magnetic power are going to increase exponentially and everything in the base might try to get on me! I would say, in thirty minutes, I should reach my maximum power, according to how much electrons I got shot at, do you know what that means?" He asks, smirking.
Scorcher cycles one of her incendiary missiles into her launcher ...
Hook blinks to Sorcher. "Heh! What do you think you are doing?!?" He frowns. "Killing me is no option! No, no, no!"
Scorcher realizes that frying a fellow Decepticon is going to be difficult to explain, but she is so not going to be drawn towards Hook
CatsCradle chuckles. "I think killing you would certainly be an option, but Megatron would probably get rather upset at us." Her optics glint in mischief as she picks up a metal chair chair and shoves it closer to Hook, watching in amusement as it swerves towards him and flies across the room at him.
"Of course it would be /NOT/ an option! Of course, little barbarian warriors like you cannot understand how Electrons, Proton and Neutrons are working and that, even if you kill me, that it would not remove the electrons from my body! Ah, but what do you want, I forgive you, it is now your fault if you are not as perfect as I am."
Scorcher exchanges a Look with Cats
CatsCradle shakes her head. "Trust me, Hook, if you are the example of perfection I am to be measured against, I am quiet happy to be imperfect. Now, how are we supposed to undo this mess?"
Scorcher struggles to move farther away from Hook
Hook grumbles a little. "Ah, you're just jealous of my superiority." He shakes his head. "You need... Venile... Yes Venile! Lots of Venile! It absorbs Electrons... Now go my friends! You have a quest to accomplish before I..." And before Hook can finish his sentence, a metal chair flies over him and knocks him hard on the head, putting him unconscious, poor Hook, or hooray... Yeah, mostly hooray, I figure. ;)
Scorcher realizes that as she gets farther away from the now unconscious medic, it gets easier to move
CatsCradle lets out a long sigh, then goes to one of the wall coms and radios the med bay for one of the repairons to come and bring all the Venile they have in stock. "Let his own department deal with him," she says, then with that same expression of curious mischief, she shoves a table forward and watches it slide over and splat itself against Hook. "Oh, dear... I may never have such an opportunity again," she chuckles
.
Scorcher laughs "You should not have called the repair crews yet. It would have served him right to let him hang there, and perhaps one of the guys getting "attached" to him"
CatsCradle wrinkles her nose. "No, if he said we only had half an hour before he went to critical stickiness, he meant it. I'd rather have the repair crews come now, than have to be the one to explain it."
Scorcher sighs, disappointed "It would have been so much fun to watch that. Oh well. at least we can do some little target practicing while we wait" With that she searches for some small bits of metal and drops them one at a time, trying to pain a face on Hook's chest with them
Scorcher grins "How do you think he would look with a beard and mustache?"
CatsCradle chuckles. "I think he'd know who did it."
Scorcher shrugs and sees if she can land a metal ball exactly on the tip of Hook's nose
CatsCradle shoves her table back to where it had more-or-less been and sits on top of it again. "How are you adjusting to earth?"
Scorcher reluctantly turns away from painting Hook with spare parts "It is very - different from home. Lots of dirt outside the base. Ane everybody behaves so much different. Like yesterday when Tempest was about to attack commander Spinister..."
CatsCradle grins. "We are much less formal here. And Tempest is an entity all of her own."
Scorcher says, "I can not imagine commander Shockwave allowing that kind of behaviour"
CatsCradle laughs outright at that. "He wouldn't. At least, not if he knew about it. But Tempest isn't under Shockwave's authority, is she?"
Scorcher shakes her head "No she is not. Anyway. I am really excited to be here, working with commander Megatron"
CatsCradle gives in and lets a ball-bearing fly over to *ping* off of Hook. "Well, if you're looking for tight discipline, you're in the wrong place. If you are looking for front line experience and a completely different environment, you'll fit right in."
Scorcher glares at Cats for the mere thought that she is looking for tight discipline
CatsCradle does not seem to notice Scorcher's expression, as she lets another ball-bearing plip onto Hook's forehead.
Scorcher giggles "Hey. You're better at it than I am."
CatsCradle pushes the rest of the pieces of metal to one side out of temptation's way. "Must be that snipering work paying off."
Scorcher frowns in thought "I admit being surprised that we let the Autobots get away so easily the other day"
CatsCradle smiles slightly. "There are times, when you have to know when to pick your battles. We would have wasted a tremendous amount of energy trying to break down that shield they had around them. There will be other chances."
Scorcher says, "There weren't that many of them..."
CatsCradle nods slightly. "How would you propose getting past that shield?"
Scorcher shrugs, unconcerned "shoot it until it gives?"
CatsCradle says, "And by that time, we're down all that energy, and the 'bots are still nice and fresh and ready to fight. 'Sides, a shield like that doesn't give very easily."
Scorcher frowns "still. It feels wrong to let them get away like that and not even try to fry them. And now they're hiding again and they'll sent me out on long boring reconnaissance missions to find them back"
CatsCradle shrugs slightly. "There will be many other chances. And this is still too new an area for you to be bored in reconning."
Scorcher says, "Recon is always boring. You just fly there for hours and nothing happens. Nobody to talk to"
Scorcher says, "You're not even allowed to drop a bomb or anything, just to stir things up a little"
CatsCradle says, "You won't have much time to get bored here. Fighting here, is different than fighting on Cybertron. And Autobots don't hide here."
Scorcher cheers up at that, her depressive thoughts forgotten. "Hey. How about if we're having a drink?"
CatsCradle grins. "Didn't take you long to find the KT, huh?
Scorcher says, "I did hear it is easier to get the good stuff here than it is back home"
Scorcher says, "The KT?"
CatsCradle says, "The KT's kinda a bar here on-base. Just off the living quarters. And yes, the drinks are usually a better quality on Earth, because the energon is richer.""
Scorcher beams a smile "sounds marvelous"
CatsCradle chuckles softly, shaking her head. "I really am getting old, aren't I?" she says in amusement, more to herself than to Scorcher. She hops off the table. "OK. You aren't scheduled to be on duty are you? Don't wanna get nailed for you getting overenergized if you are."
Scorcher idly tosses a metal ball and is delighted to see it balance neatly on Hook's nose
Scorcher says, "Not on duty that I know of. And I promise I will be real careful"
CatsCradle rolls her optics a bit. "I've heard that before." She grins and heads for the living quarters.
**** The Kitty Twister
Ener-Bar and Grill
---
When you first enter the Kitty Twister it reminds you of the old War front recharge depots that where set up by the rough and combat hardened Mech's. This perception is not very far off from the truth as the room is decorated with Battle trophies mostly comprising of Autobot armor, heads... The trophy wall has been given some new items since Trigger-Happy Jackie has joined the Kitty Twister team. A row of serving trays line the wall behind the bar each imprinted with some unlucky mech's face. There is even a hand proudly displayed on a plaque that reads.
"The Kitty Twister takes no responsibility for lost appendages... or limbs Due to touching Jackie's skidplate."
Small repair droids buzz around in this area busy handing out ordered drinks. Each with a green KT Logo painted on their side. The owner seems to have confiscated some of the droids for personal use.
The Energon bar itself has anything a mech could want. Including the harder to find contraband energon's not permitted on Cybertron. The owner of this establishment must have some very good contacts. Over the bar hangs a sign that reads, "Any damages caused by Mech's who have over charged their circuits will have the cost of repairs deducted from their credit chips automatically without warning."
To the back of the Kitty Twister you notice some changes have been implemented. No longer is there a dance floor but simply a stage has been set up for a live band to play at
CatsCradle taps on the bar as she goes by and Jackie grins at her, sliding a drink over to her, as if it is a usual.
Scorcher looks first at Jackie, then at Cats, then at Jackie again "The same for me?"
CatsCradle picks up the drink without stopping and goes to a table in a corner of the main room. She sits and tilts her chair back against the wall, her feet bracing against the legs of the table.
Scorcher follows her, but sits down a bit more gingerly
Scorcher covertly glances at the elite warriors gathered in the room
CatsCradle notices Scorcher's glances and smiles into her drink. "They aren't all that different from the warriors on Cybertron, you know."
Scorcher whispers "are you silly? Some of them are *legends* at home"
CatsCradle sips thoughtfully at her drink. "Hmmm... guess it's kinda hard to think of someone as a legend, when you've dragged them into a repair bay, seen them drunk out of their minds, and watched one of them walking through the corridors followed by a baby chick.
Scorcher chokes on her drink "a what?"
CatsCradle laughs softly. "Starscream had a baby chicken, an earth bird, imprint on him. Follows him everywhere. Cute l'il ball of fluff."
Scorcher shakes her head, obviously finding it impossible to imagine that
CatsCradle's optics seem faraway for a moment. "Guess at some point, the "legends" just became real people."
Scorcher looks slightly embarrassed and whispers "Some of them are cute looking legends too"
CatsCradle leans forward and whispers back, "And some of them know it."
Scorcher giggles softly "don't they always"
CatsCradle leans back. "No, not always." She smiles fondly, still with the faraway expression
Scorcher clearly is torn between the desire to ask for the salacious details and the desire to be polite
CatsCradle drums her claws on the table surface. "Let's see.... Skywarp was cozying with Gryphus last I knew, so he's off-limits. Thundercracker was keeping time with Jackie over there. Megatron has his Lady, of course. Divefire is /definately/ off-limits, 'cause he's mine. Starscream thinks he's Primus' gift to the universe, but is mostly in love with himself, I think. Some of my information may be a little out of date, because I've been on Cybertron for the last couple of weeks, but that's of the last I knew."
.
Scorcher smothers a giggle behind her hand "And you manage to find time to fight a war"
CatsCradle shakes her head, ruefully. "As of late, no. And that's because of official responsibilities, not soap operas."
Scorcher whispers "I haven't met Starscream yet, but he does look cute, doesn't he?"
CatsCradle gives her a skeptical look. "And he knows it more than anyone." She snorts softly. "I dunno, I don't like the type. I think there's a lot of trouble wrapped up in that armor."
Scorcher shakes her head "I mean, just to look at. I never thought of anything. you know."
She looks acutely embarrassed
CatsCradle says, "Oh." She thinks about it a bit more, then takes another sip of her drink. "Still not my type."
Scorcher whispers "Anyway I wouldn't want to aim for him."
CatsCradle nods. "Probably wise. And the mechs outnumber the femmes anyway, here, so you'll have your choice.
Scorcher grins, clearly liking that idea
CatsCradle finishes her drink and stands up. "Anyway, I thank you for the break, but I've got a stack of work to get caught up on before I head back for Cybertron."
**** (later, again at the KT)
Megatron walks into the Kt, ordering some regular from Jackie.
CatsCradle is curled up at one of the tables in a back corner, her chair tilted back to rest against the wall, and her feet bracing against one of the table legs. She has a stack of data cubes piled to one side and she sorts through half-idly, half with real intent.
Megatron takes his energon, walking over to Cats. "May I ask what you are working on?
CatsCradle lets her chair fall back to the floor with a *thunk* and she grins. "Just sorting through files that accumulated with both Diver and I gone. The important ones I'll take back to Cybertron with me..." She points at one pile. "This is stuff that just isn't worth the bother..." She points at the second. "And these are things that aren't important at all, but just are too much fun to leave behind." She pats the third
Megatron says, "What is with the third pile?"
CatsCradle's grin turns a little sheepish. "We follow some of the TV programs here and I've been taping them for Diver."
Megatron chuckles. He points at another chair. "You allow?"
CatsCradle nudges the other chair over with her toe (...as if she'd refuse to let the Emperor sit with her...)
Megatron sits down. "What is about the... fun stuff?"
CatsCradle frowns slightly, as if she hadn't ever thought about it enough to put into words. "Well.... there were video entertainments and literature back on Cybertron that were simply for entertainment. This is rather like that, too, just..." she shrugs. "From a different planet."
Megatron murmurs: "I haven't read a good data crystal in a while... what a pity."
CatsCradle grins again, this time with some sympathy. "I think that's one of the things I like most about my job. I get to read and watch videos and call it work, disguised as research."
Megatron smirks. "So..? You should be careful who to tell our little secret." He winks.
CatsCradle chuckles, completely unashamed. "You still need people like me to translate earth terms and culture. What better way than becoming familiar with their media?"
Megatron laughs. "Your point."
CatsCradle leans back in her chair again, although not enough to tilt it off its legs again. "I was thinking..." she starts slowly, "... of setting up an Earth Orientation course at the Grinder, for those wanting to transfer here. Not a long course, just an afternoon things, as an introduction. For example, Scorcher had never even seen a human before yesterday. It might be better for our recruits if they knew what to expect before being plopped in the middle of it. If the class works, maybe we can add different cultures, depending on those willing to instruct them." She tilts her head at him. "With your permission, of course..."
Megatron says, "I agree. You cannot win a battle if you don't know your environment."
CatsCradle nods. "Exactly. It might help avoid unpleasant or disastrous suprises if the recruits were more prepared. At least," and she smiles, "let them get over their shock of what humans look like before they are set down on a whole planet of them."
Megatron says, "Inform them about the planet itself too: surface structure and - not to forget - weather. I do not need to lose a seeker due to a thunderstorm."
CatsCradle makes a quick notation on a datapad next to the piles of data crystals. "Good point. Or lost in a blizzard."
Megatron says, "The more they know about what they have to await the better, CatsCradle."
CatsCradle nods, still making notes on the pad. "I'll talk around with the instructors too, see if we can find other people who can give talks on other planets we frequently send cadets to. Either Diver or I can give the lecture on Earth, but I haven't been to very many other planets... certainly none I feel confident enough to teach about. Diktat, on the other hand..."
Megatron says, "There should be ancient data files about other planets. I doubt the cultural ones are still of use, but the they can help to inform about the geological structures of those worlds."
CatsCradle makes another note. "And we can certainly work on updating those files, too. Valckasta has an extensive library, doesn't it?"
Megatron nods. "If Thunderwing makes any trouble, just inform me.
CatsCradle nods thoughtfully. "Ravenwing might be a good one to start with. She and I have talked before."
Megatron says, "Excellent."
Scorcher has arrived.
Scorcher salutes Megatron and smiles slightly at Cats
Megatron sits at CatsCradle's table, talking with her.
CatsCradle gives another decisive nod. "I'll get started on it when I get back to Cybertron" She glances up and grins at Scorcher. "I had this idea brewing for a while, but Scorcher was the one who prompted me to bring it up this afternoon."
Megatron nods to Scorcher, greeting.
Megatron says, "I appreciate your idea, CatsCradle. And I think the classes about other planets should belong to the regular education."
CatsCradle blinks, as if she hadn't thought past the Grinder and on to the other educational institutions. "You mean... they don't already?"
Megatron says, "I don't think so. As far as I know Straxus he concentrated more on battle practice. However, I can be wrong. I cannot take care of everything myself. That is what I have my lieutenants for."
CatsCradle taps her claws thoughtfully on the table. "I like the idea of the "exchange students", sending representatives from one territory to another. Perhaps the territories have been too..." She chews on her lip, searching for the right word. "Secluded?"
Megatron pats her hand. "It was worse. There were times when the different warlords fought against each other instead off to work together.
CatsCradle looks over at Scorcher. "Scorcher, I'm in the process of putting together an orientation class about Earth. As our newest member of Earthbase, what would you have liked to have been informed of, before you arrived?"
Scorcher looks startled at being addressed, as well as by the question "Uhm. that this place is dirty?"
CatsCradle laughs softly. "All right. That can fall under "organic environment". If you get a chance, you should go to the mountains like the Alps. Plenty of clean white pristine snow. Cold, but not dirty."
Megatron chuckles at Scorcher's answer. "That is one thing we all learned very fast in the beginning."
Scorcher looks apologetically at Megatron "Also, the war is quite different here than at home."
CatsCradle taps her claws some more. "The tactics are different. Back home, it's more like guerilla warfare, or all-out battles. Here, it tends to be more technology oriented. A race for a step ahead, rather than a constant bashing."
Scorcher seems unconcerned by technicalities "I haven't been here long but I got the impression that it's almost as if *we* are the ones hiding"
Megatron says, "Because we have not only to fight against the Autobots we have to use another strategy."
Scorcher looks uncomfortable but admits "It surprised me, sir"
Megatron says, "Autobots and humans outnumber us by far. So we have to strike fast and effective out of the shadows."
CatsCradle says gently, "Also straight-out fight-to-destroy here, will also destroy what is currently, our main source of energy: this planet. And yes, we are terribly outnumbered, which is why, " and she smiles, "The elite of legendary warriors are here."
Megatron sips his energon cube. "I would prefer not having to hide, however a good warrior has to be flexible."
CatsCradle notices Scorcher's embarrassment and grins. "Don't feel bad, Scorcher. I remember one stealth who hid behind the warrior she was with when she first met the Emperor and spouted off something to the effect of calling him a Great Moment of History."
Scorcher says "Yes sir" though she clearly is confused and uncomfortable
Scorcher looks at Cats and all but says "You?"
CatsCradle nods to Scorcher with a slightly rueful grin.
Scorcher belatedly realizes that she was supposed to report back from her mission
|