[ti]Ep 2[/ti]- Fixed Point - (Closed)
Nov 14, 2017 18:46:28 GMT -5
Post by Dart on Nov 14, 2017 18:46:28 GMT -5
A few years ago, Pyrotech’s team had been assigned up in Alaska.
There had been a wide section of ravine they’d had to scout. Thermal was usually able to do a flyover; as the only one who transformed into an aircraft, the sturdy yellow bush plane was able to take to the air. Unfortunately, the rest of them were not. In fact, their alt modes had been terrible for their assigned duty. A flame painted hearse, a 80’s Trans Am and a modern city fire fighting Peugeot were so not the vehicles one brought to mind first hand.
At least not in an area where roads were made of solid ice, wind berms, and chunks of basalt that could rip a tire off the rim or claw terrible gashes in your undercarriage.
That morning the weather had been so poor Thermal was forced to stay down. Sensors were absolutely unreliable, the sleet and wind made visibility downright useless.
Pyrotech had immediately sent Dart out to take the point.
The whole time, she'd been desperately shoving her nose back and forth in the air currents, trying to pick up any scent.
That's what she felt like right now.
Dangerous terrain. Watch your step and watch your head.
That slight flash of narrowed optic from her commander was at least a familiar warning. The crack of ice on a silvered pond, or the slip of shale underfoot on a mountain ridge.
Tread lightly.
She'd seen mechs dismiss the air commander, act as if they had one up on him. Which had always left her blinking; Starscream was incredibly intelligent. Two steps ahead. Dart had no doubt that he was turning over everything and sorting out the questions that were being asked and her answers.
It made her kind of miss that flat out straightforward (and angry) Autobot of earlier. Not the gun part. Dart never missed the gun part.
When the Autobot leader asked his next questions, his optics did not move from her. At any other time Dart would have attempted to quietly find other places to be than under that solemn blue gaze. The light from his optics washed across the planes of his face, turning the angles below into sharp shadows.
They were sensible, straightforward questions. The worst part was again, she truly didn't know the answers. She tucked them away as things to ask Marco later; no doubt he would know. Then again, right now Dart had an awful lot of awkward questions about so many things. Most of them had been literally shoved under her nose within the last six hours.
She consoled herself for a moment over the fact she'd actally drank coffee. Even if it was simulation coffee, with simulation cream and fake sugar. It was hot and it tasted like it smelled; plus the tactile sensation of the table under her arms, smooth burr of laminate, napkin twisting in her hands. Everything had felt real, so real, and that was the thing abut the simulation. Marco had pulled her in perfectly; it was so obvious that this could not be really happening and that he was telling the truth...
Yet it had also been the most wonderful, perfect moment. To wrap your fingers around the cup and truly - well, be human. Er, mostly. No one had paid the bill when they left.
Yep, so not the real world.
Dart ducked her helm. Slanted optics were thoughtful as she took everything she knew so far, what she had personally seen and experienced, and tried to match it up with the great mech's query.
"I don't know if there's any way to track that," she replied. "I think there might be, sir, but I guess you would have to figure out what the energy signature is first."
Over her shoulders, a twitch of movement, the soft click of metal. The tips of her spoiler splayed drifted back as if she was trying to pin down what the Autobot leader was asking of her.
"If you mean does it affect one mech in a group? I personally have no idea if it can be adjusted to be a radius effect or if the devices require actual, physical contact."
Dart lifted her foot and did a slight scrape at the earth.
"I think it's more likely the latter, sir, but it's not clear to me either. I'm no engineer and I don't understand the science. I'm sorry."
There had been a wide section of ravine they’d had to scout. Thermal was usually able to do a flyover; as the only one who transformed into an aircraft, the sturdy yellow bush plane was able to take to the air. Unfortunately, the rest of them were not. In fact, their alt modes had been terrible for their assigned duty. A flame painted hearse, a 80’s Trans Am and a modern city fire fighting Peugeot were so not the vehicles one brought to mind first hand.
At least not in an area where roads were made of solid ice, wind berms, and chunks of basalt that could rip a tire off the rim or claw terrible gashes in your undercarriage.
That morning the weather had been so poor Thermal was forced to stay down. Sensors were absolutely unreliable, the sleet and wind made visibility downright useless.
Pyrotech had immediately sent Dart out to take the point.
The whole time, she'd been desperately shoving her nose back and forth in the air currents, trying to pick up any scent.
That's what she felt like right now.
Dangerous terrain. Watch your step and watch your head.
That slight flash of narrowed optic from her commander was at least a familiar warning. The crack of ice on a silvered pond, or the slip of shale underfoot on a mountain ridge.
Tread lightly.
She'd seen mechs dismiss the air commander, act as if they had one up on him. Which had always left her blinking; Starscream was incredibly intelligent. Two steps ahead. Dart had no doubt that he was turning over everything and sorting out the questions that were being asked and her answers.
It made her kind of miss that flat out straightforward (and angry) Autobot of earlier. Not the gun part. Dart never missed the gun part.
When the Autobot leader asked his next questions, his optics did not move from her. At any other time Dart would have attempted to quietly find other places to be than under that solemn blue gaze. The light from his optics washed across the planes of his face, turning the angles below into sharp shadows.
They were sensible, straightforward questions. The worst part was again, she truly didn't know the answers. She tucked them away as things to ask Marco later; no doubt he would know. Then again, right now Dart had an awful lot of awkward questions about so many things. Most of them had been literally shoved under her nose within the last six hours.
She consoled herself for a moment over the fact she'd actally drank coffee. Even if it was simulation coffee, with simulation cream and fake sugar. It was hot and it tasted like it smelled; plus the tactile sensation of the table under her arms, smooth burr of laminate, napkin twisting in her hands. Everything had felt real, so real, and that was the thing abut the simulation. Marco had pulled her in perfectly; it was so obvious that this could not be really happening and that he was telling the truth...
Yet it had also been the most wonderful, perfect moment. To wrap your fingers around the cup and truly - well, be human. Er, mostly. No one had paid the bill when they left.
Yep, so not the real world.
Dart ducked her helm. Slanted optics were thoughtful as she took everything she knew so far, what she had personally seen and experienced, and tried to match it up with the great mech's query.
"I don't know if there's any way to track that," she replied. "I think there might be, sir, but I guess you would have to figure out what the energy signature is first."
Over her shoulders, a twitch of movement, the soft click of metal. The tips of her spoiler splayed drifted back as if she was trying to pin down what the Autobot leader was asking of her.
"If you mean does it affect one mech in a group? I personally have no idea if it can be adjusted to be a radius effect or if the devices require actual, physical contact."
Dart lifted her foot and did a slight scrape at the earth.
"I think it's more likely the latter, sir, but it's not clear to me either. I'm no engineer and I don't understand the science. I'm sorry."