Continued from Silvercrossings, reposted

[Megatron]

Old logs: http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/logs/

Continue on after the reposts, people! :)

--

The Autobot base had been abuzz with activity and excitement since Flamestrike's reformatting.

Wraith was still awaiting her own time patiently. She knew that as soon as the procedure was complete she would be forced, under her agreement with Megatron, to return to the Decepticon headquarters. She could wait a long time for that to happen, as far as she was concerned. She was happy to linger quietly and let the Autobot activity buzz around her.

At the moment, she was perched on a ledge high above the Ark's main entrance, just below the crater. It was a nice view out here, and she was getting good reception from the human radio stations.

She glanced over as the sound of metal scraping on rock caught her attention.

"Oh, slag," Mirage said, becoming visible just slightly down the slope. "I was hoping to sneak up on you, but my foot got stuck. Did you have to pick such a steep slope?"

"Of course I did," Wraith chuckled. "Anyway, it's got the best view. It was getting a bit... Enclosed in the base, I thought I'd come out for some air. This is a nice planet."

"It's alright," Mirage said, clambering up to the ledge. "It's not Cybertron, though. But then again, as the humans say, 'there's no place like home'."

--

Wheeljack was pleased with the progress Flamestrike was making adapting to her new alt. mode. The robotic gryphon form was agile in the air and on the ground and could be formidable in close quarters combat, as some of the Ark's more eager "sparring instructors" were coming to find out.

He was currently in the lab, fabricating some parts for Wraith's upcoming re-fit. This would be a flying alt, too, but as Wraith already had the necessary processing subroutines in her CPU it was mainly a cosmetic job. He still had to address the problem of her faulty power converter, though. He wished there was another Autobot technician with more experience in cybernetic systems. Ratchet focused primarily on repairs, not upgrades, and their remaining complement of technical 'bots were field scientists and structural engineers. Perhaps they could substitute research for experience. He opened a comm. channel to Codex.

"Hey, Codex, can you spare a minute to come to the lab?"

Codex had again been watching the feed from the SeaSpy. Even though the Decepticons had so far not followed up their tanker raid with a larger operation, she remained convinced that they were planning something. Somewhat reluctantly she opened her comm. channel to reply.

"I guess I can spare a minute, Wheeljack. I'll be right there."

Disconnecting from the console, but leaving the feed running on the screen, she jumped down from the desktop to the chair to the floor and trotted toward the engineer's lab.

--

Hoist quite happily set up for the next imminent refit. He was quite intrigued by Wraith and her plight on Cybertron. Under the green 'bot's cheerful facade lay a deeply caring spark, and he hated to know about such deprivations as Wraith had described without trying to help in some manner. While Wheeljack drew out the plans for an Earth-mode refit, Hoist made sure the brilliant inventor had all requested materials close to hand.

Flamestrike took to her new form with zeal. Her initial training flights with Skyfire only served to fire her enthusiasm to explore more of this lush new world. In her off-duty time, she took to hanging about in the Dayroom, listening to the stories of such adventurous types as Hound, Trailbreaker, and the Twins. While she undoubtedly wished to see more of Prowl, the second-in-command was usually busy at his duties. She hoped he would assign her her first misison soon, so she could prove her worth to the Autobot forces (and not incidentially, to him.)

--

[Hound]

Hound considered himself lucky---he was one of the few 'bots who got to do, more or less, the same thing on duty that they enjoyed in their free time. In his case, this was exploring, rambling, moseying about and finding new places he'd never seen before. Admittedly, when he was on duty, he generally had a set path and area to explore, but it was still enjoyable.

And so, finding himself with a bit of spare time, Hound had been making his way out of the Ark, quietly trying to decide in which direction his tires would take him today... When he picked up Wraith and Mirage's signatures, up on the mountain side above the Ark. The Jeep paused, peering up in their direction.. and then started picking his way up the slope towards the pair. He didn't want to interrupt, especially since he was fairly sure Mirage hadn't had much of a chance to talk with his old friend yet, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to say 'Hello' before he headed out.

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg

"Home's not so great," Wraith replied, with a shrug. There was a lengthy silence between the two as they looked out over the landscape. Wraith knew how Mirage felt about Cybertron, but it was a nostalgia she didn't share. He and most of the others were substantially older than she was, and remembered a golden age on Cybertron she had only witnessed for a brief time in her youth. But there was no sense sharing her feelings on the subject, knowing that it was only likely to depress her friend.

http://www.imperialsquid.com/stuff/avatars/mirage.jpg

Mirage didn't reply to Wraith's comment, knowing something about how she felt already. She was an explorer by nature, so it was only natural she wouldn't grow too attached to a single planet, home or not. The more the hostilities on Cybertron had grown, the more detached she herself had become: yet at the same time she constantly returned to offer help in her own manner. He wondered if she felt tethered to Cybertron and perhaps, in some ways, resented it. Mirage had his own share of secret resentments, so he didn't want to pry.

As he looked down from the mountain, he noticed the Autobot tracker comng up their way.

"Hey, look who it is," he said, breaking the silence. Mirage particularly liked Hound: the tracker was one of the few Autobots on Earth he considered a personal friend. The ligier gave a friendly wave as Hound approached.

[Coraxonyx]

http://lh4.google.com/moosewinkel/R6UMn9_TIUI/AAAAAAAAAO8/uOeCmcH2jWY/s288/Codex_Bust.jpg
http://lh6.google.com/moosewinkel/R2ibOsXf-mI/AAAAAAAAAKo/Ykfgo2TDowk/s144/WOTD05.jpg

The door to the lab slid open and Codex came trotting in. She nodded up at the engineer and clambered up to the worktop by scaling the drawer handles on the desk.

"What's up Wheeljack?" she asked, leaning over the lab console to look at what the engineer was working on.

"I have a research project for you," Wheeljack replied, tapping out a sequence on the keyboard. A circuit diagram came up on the screen. "This is the control module for Wraith's power converter. It's currently inoperable. That means she's unable to utilize any of the energon she carries for her own needs. It also puts her in danger any time she's carrying energon, as she's unable to regulate the energy in her systems. I would like to repair this when I do her refit, but I've never worked on a system like this before."

"So you want me to look up the information on it in the archives?" Codex asked, anticipating his request.

"Yep," Wheeljack said cheerfully. "I figure I can figure out the most effective repair if I know as much as possible about the system. Will you do it?"

"Of course I will," the databot replied with an emphatic nod. "It'll be easier to search if I find out some basic information, though. Is it all right if I ask her some questions?"

"I don't mind," the engineer said. "She wants to get this repair done, so I don't think she'll mind either. I'll call her in if you want."

"No," Codex replied. "I'll go find her. I need a break anyway. I think I've been getting kind of obsessed with the Decepticons lately."

The engineer had noticed the little femme spending a lot of time watching the SeaSpy feed lately, that was part of the reason he had asked for her help. But he just nodded and grunted. "I think she's somewhere outside."

"I'll start there," the little femme said as she climbed back down the desk. "I'll check back in with you in a bit."

"Great! Thanks Codex," Wheeljack said as he turned back to his diagram.

"My pleasure," Codex said as the door closed behind her.

[Tyrrlin]

((I hope I'm not out of turn...are the normal SC people going to post here, too?))

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a17/Tyrrlin/CiD%20icons/Hoisticon.jpg

Hoist stepped back from the berth he prepared. He cast an expert optic over his preparations and nodded in satisfaction. Striding over to where Wheeljack had just finished talking with Codex, he said, "I think we're ready whenever you want to get Wraith down here for her refit. Unless you have some last-minute additions?" He indicated the working area.

((No Flamestrike this round))

[Hound]

((We going in turns on the forum, yes? What's the order? And I apologize if I'm posting out of order. >.>))

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii76/Elevensies/HoundAv.jpg

Hound returned the wave, cheerfully. It took him a few more moments to get near enough to be heard without shouting up the side of the mountain, but when he did, the jeep spoke up. "I don't want to interrupt," He explained, "Just noticed you two up here, and thought I'd stop and say 'Hello.'"

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg http://www.imperialsquid.com/stuff/avatars/mirage.jpg

Wraith stood up to greet Hound with a smile. "You're not interrupting anything, thanks for coming up! I haven't had much of a chance to talk to anyone, it's been so busy around here since I arrived."

"Wraith really likes it here," Mirage said to Hound. "You could probably tell her about some of your favourite places: I know how much you like the Earth too."

"Oh yes, that would be nice!" Wraith said. "I'm also interested in the humans. They have such an intriguing and diverse culture."

[Coraxonyx]

http://lh4.google.com/moosewinkel/R6UMn9_TIUI/AAAAAAAAAO8/uOeCmcH2jWY/s288/Codex_Bust.jpg

"Hmmm," Codex mused, trotting through the halls of the Ark toward the exit. She's somewhere outside. If I were new to Earth and a flyer, where would I go...

She walked out into the brilliant sunshine from under the shadow of the massive engines of the wrecked ship. She shaded her optics with one hand and scanned the ridgelines. Turning slowly, she caught the wink of metal and a flicker of movement high up on the crater's edge above. Oh Primus, why did the big bots always go striding around the landscape? It would take Codex all day to climb up there.

Well, maybe someone would be willing to pass on a message for her. It didn't look like Wraith was alone up there. Opening a common Autobot transmission frequency she sent a message to the little group on the heights.

<Hello up there. This is Codex. I need to ask Wraith some questions. Could you ask her if she'd be willing to talk to me? Thanks>

[Tyrrlin]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a17/Tyrrlin/CiD%20icons/Flamegryphonicon.jpg

Flamestrike was high above Autobot Headquarters when Codex sent the request to Wraith. Since the transmission wasn't directed at her, she continued her lazy circles in the sky.

Flying was a joy she had never previously experienced, at least under her own power. She was delighted that Skyfire was so willing to train her and after the first few lessons she even began studying the local "birds of prey" in order to learn their hunting techniques. She wasn't quite proficient yet, but every day saw her streaking across the clouds in practice.

Now all she needed was a mission.

((Hoist is waiting for Wheeljack and Wraith...so he's on "hold" this round. :-D ))

[Hound]

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii76/Elevensies/HoundAv.jpg

Hound was pleasantly surprised to hear that. He'd just assumed she'd be more likely to agree with Mirage on the subject of Earth, considering how devoted she was to helping Cybertron. Then he quietly scolded himself for being surprised---it wasn't like loving one planet precluded liking another.

"Sure," he replied, grinning, "I'd be happy to. I expect you haven't had much time to sight see since you got here, huh?"

Just then Codex's message came through on the open channel, and Hound glanced down, catching sight of her waaay down at the bottom. Looks like their chat might have to wait.. Ah well. Turning back to Wraith, he added, "Codex down there's asking if she can talk to you. She said she had a few questions?"

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg

"Oh, I'd love to do some sightseeing with someone who's not interested in blowing everything up," Wraith said eagerly to Hound. She then glanced down the mountain as well. "All in good time, I guess. I'll go see what Codex needs. Catch you guys later!"

Without further ado, Wraith leaped off the cliff, activating her antigrav boosters just in time so as not to crash on the ground in front of Codex. She settled to the ground gracefully, standing in front of the smaller robot.

"Hi, Hound said you wanted to talk to me?"

[Coraxonyx]

http://lh4.google.com/moosewinkel/R6UMn9_TIUI/AAAAAAAAAO8/uOeCmcH2jWY/s288/Codex_Bust.jpg

The smaller robot took a step backwards to look up at Wraith as the dark femme drifted down to the ground. She nodded.

"I do. Wheeljack is working on your refit and repairs and he asked me to do some research to help. I need to know a little bit about your power conversion system so that I can start looking in the right places. It shouldn't take too long. Do you want to discuss this here, or would you rather go to the lab or somewhere more private?" Codex cast a speculative optic on the other fembot. This was her first encounter with the newcomer up close.

From what Wheeljack had said, Wraith had also remained active on Cybertron during the long millennia that the Ark had been inactive and buried on Earth. However, instead of joining the Autobot cause, she had worked on her own bringing energon and supplies to neutral refugee strongholds hidden throughout the planet. Codex wondered how Wraith could still remain unallied after experiencing the deprivation and slow wasting of their planet under the Decepticons' tyrannical control. Especially now that the Autobots had their first real opportunity for victory in eons, why did she continue to traffic with their enemies?

But it was not Codex's place to question Wraith's motives. The Autobot command had sanctioned her presence in their base and approved her repairs by their technicians, so it was up to Codex to do her part. She opened a remote connection to Teletraan's database while she waited for Wraith's reply.

((LOL, which someone who is interested in blowing things up could Wraith POSSIBLY be referring to, I wonder?))

[Tyrrlin]

*is poked*

((Sorry all, I'm passing this turn...))

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg

"Oh... My systems?" Wraith asked the smaller femme, suddenly seeming evasive. "What do you need to know? I thought Wheeljack had all the necessary info already."

She seemed slightly on guard, as if suspecting the unfamiliar Autobot might have ulterior motives for asking.

http://www.imperialsquid.com/stuff/avatars/mirage.jpg

Mirage looked down the cliff, then gave Hound a faint smile. "She does that a lot," he said, referring to Wraith's sudden departure. "Don't let it surprise you. Guess we make the trek down, now... Are you out on patrol duty? Mind if I tag along?"

The ligier had nothing better to do, really, since nobody had yet asked him for his expertise in helping to train Flamestrike for their team. He assumed when the time came, someone would ask. In the meantime he may as well enjoy some company. He felt a bit nostalgic, after seeing Wraith and having her bring back an old relic from his home. Anyway, a new addition to the Autobot team had him feeling slightly more social than usual. He didn't feel like being alone right now.

[Hound]

(('pologies for being slow. ^^))

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii76/Elevensies/HoundAv.jpg

Hound chuckled, peering down the cliff face after her, "Well, can't really blame her. Its a pretty spectacular way to get down. I think we'd be better off sticking to solid ground, though."

So saying, he moved to start heading down the trail. "Nope, I'm off duty, just thought I'd go out for a drive. But you're more than welcome to come along," he added, sincerely. Bringing Mirage along meant sticking mostly to the roads, but Hound honestly didn't mind. He enjoyed the ligier's company, and it wasn't all that often that his friend was feeling social.

[Coraxonyx]

http://lh4.google.com/moosewinkel/R6UMn9_TIUI/AAAAAAAAAO8/uOeCmcH2jWY/s288/Codex_Bust.jpg

"Wheeljack," Codex smiled wryly at the thought of the engineer, "is trying to anticipate any potential complications in your refit by having me look up some information in Teletraan's database."

She looked up into the violet optics of the taller femme.

"I'm interested in knowing your manufacture date and location and if you know of any modifications made to your internals, who did them and when. Also, how did your power converter get damaged? I'm going to look up the design notes for your parts and cross check your damage against any reported incidents on file. You're welcome to come with me while I search so you can see what I find. I will be reporting my findings only to Wheeljack and his team. That'll probably include Ratchet and Hoist, but might also involve Perceptor if there's something unusual."

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on her heel, cocking her head at an inquisitive angle. Codex saw no reason to dissemble with the Neutral. She was curious about her, a lot of the Autobots were, but there was no sense in alienating her with non-pertinent questions. And besides, her circuits hummed with anitcipation at the thought of a long thorough search and data collection assignment. She enjoyed her function and wanted to get to work.

[Tyrrlin]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a17/Tyrrlin/CiD%20icons/Flamegryphonicon.jpg

High above the Ark, Flamestrike saw Hound and Mirage start off on a trek. Oooh, I wonder if they'd mind some company? Swooping low, she hailed the two friends. <Mind a shadow? If this is an open excursion, I'd love to come along...> came the wistful request.

((Hoist is waiting for Wraith's arrival and Wheeljack's answer))

[Hound]

((Just fyi, I will be waiting for Mirage's post b'fore replying myself. ^^))

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg

Wraith shifted her weight, trying to appear casual. "Oh, you wouldn't really ask a fellow femme her assembly date, would you?" she asked, coyly. "As for the converter, it just wore out over time from excessive use. It was the only way I could get across large expanses of space, aside from hitching rides. After Shockwave forbade Astrotrain to take me along I didn't have many options open. Nobody goes near Cybertron these days."

http://www.imperialsquid.com/stuff/avatars/mirage.jpg

Mirage glanced upwards, giving Flamestrike a casual wave. "It would be our pleasure," he said, assuming outright that Hound wouldn't object to the company of the new recruit.

[Hound]

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii76/Elevensies/HoundAv.jpg

"Right, what he said," Hound agreed with a grin, and gave Flamestrike a friendly wave, as well. Mirage's assumption was correct---he certainly didn't mind, and since Mirage didn't, either, then that was fine. He had to admit, he was kind of curious about her, and how she was adapting to her new flying alt-mode.

[Coraxonyx]

http://lh4.google.com/moosewinkel/R6UMn9_TIUI/AAAAAAAAAO8/uOeCmcH2jWY/s288/Codex_Bust.jpg

"I wouldn't say nobody goes to Cybertron," said Codex thinking of several recent trips made by both the Autobots and Decepticons. "But I can appreciate the difficulties you may have encountered attempting to befriend the Decepticons."

The little 'bot frowned. She wasn't programmed to be coy and didn't wish to alienate Wraith by criticising her.

"I apologize if my inquries bother you. I can, of course, use the parts specifications you gave to Wheeljack as the basis for my searching. I will go do that now. Sorry to have disturbed you."

And with that, the little femme turned on her heel and began trudging back toward the entrance to the Ark.

[Megatron]

http://www.imperialsquid.com/comics/rp/avatars/wraith.jpg

"Hey, it's no bother," Wraith said, taking a few quick steps after Codex. "And of course you're right, some still go to Cybertron, but few outsiders. You know, in some places Cybertron is thought to be a cursed place. A lot of superstitions revolve around it."

She was trying to be friendly in her own manner. Everyone was different, of course. Codex seemed very professional and serious, so perhaps a similar approach would be better.

"I don't mean to be mysterious, Codex, it's just that I have some secrets I need to guard. It's a lot of responsibility. I know it's rude to ask for help while being so evasive, but you're the only ones I can trust to help me. Ultimately I believe our goals are the same, even if our methods are vastly different."

[Tyrrlin]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a17/Tyrrlin/CiD%20icons/Flamegryphonicon.jpg

Flamestrike took up a covering position overhead the two adventurers. <Excellent. You two have much more experience with Earth than I do, and I'd like to learn as much as I can before my first mission.> Her anti-grav generators whined slightly as she spread her impressive pinions, before dropping out of audio reception range.

((Hoist is still awaiting a reply from Wheeljack))

[Hound]

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii76/Elevensies/HoundAv.jpg

Reaching the road that led out of the base, Hound transformed and, waiting a moment for Mirage to do so as well, "rolled out." Sorting through the various roads and paths he knew of nearby, he quickly decided on one that led them through some nice scenery, with the added bonus of having paved roads and still not being incredibly close to human civilization.

To the aerial member of their little party, he replied, cheerfully, <Well, Flamestrike, if you've got any questions, don't hesitate to ask. We'd be happy to help.>