Ep 0 - Serotype’s lab -Wed PM (?) [INCOMPLETE]
Nov 22, 2011 19:30:45 GMT -5
Post by steele on Nov 22, 2011 19:30:45 GMT -5
(OOC: I'm going to point out here that this was one RP I was working on with Shield that has yet to be completed. So this is as complete as we had it up until she left. Since this was referenced in the RP, I felt that it was appropriate to post it. I think it did happen on a wednesday afternoon, but I can't remember for the life of me. ^^; So here it is.)
Serotype had since picked a space under a console and nodded off. She was reasonably tired from staying up to work on getting her lab in order and working on Megatron’s new “toy.” She had curled up in to a small ball for a two hour recharge before getting back to work. It was a common practice by her old team to pick rather unusual places to recharge. As long as it kept them closer to their work when they woke up, they would most happily recharge just about anywhere.
Serotype was no exception. Even back with her old team, she rarely visited her berth and for the most part tried to find large enough spaces under consoles for her to get some rest. Unknown to her that about an hour and a half in, her recharge cycle would be cut short by a rather important and unexpected guest.
Harkening to the schematics Megatron had given him, Shockwave was curious as to who was occupying the lab that was situated between his and the warlord’s. Reaching for the access panel, the scientist found himself surprised when the door slid open on nearly silent hydraulics. How odd that a Decepticon would leave their quarters so easily accessible. Extending his sensors to look for possible traps, or an ambush of some sort, he was further surprised to find...nothing. Nothing at all beyond the single life signal located further into the laboratory. He strode toward the signal, optic swinging back and forth to take in his surroundings.
It was a small lab, neat and clean. There seemed to be some sort of microbiology work occurring, judging by the equipment present. But there was no scientist to be seen. The conflict between his sight and his scanners brought a small thread of irritation into his field. That was when Shockwave began to open other doors, searching thoroughly without a by you leave. And that was when he found her. A femme scientist recharging beneath one of the consoles. Optic flaring momentarily as he attempted to process this oddity, he knocked with his single heavy hand, directly on the panelling by her head.
A sound. A somewhat loud and muffled noise. It was enough to bring the recharging virologist online, albeit, somewhat clumsily. Serotype was unaware of who was there as she rolled over, stretched and rubbed her optics blinking a few times. How long had she been recharging for? Her mind was still a little too foggy to process that one along with the single brilliant red optic staring at her.
<i>…..staring at HER!</I>
Serotype’s mind was forced in to action as she just barely managed to process that someone was watching her. She jerked backwards and the top of head collided on the bottom of the console with a loud metallic clang. That was enough to merit a brief wince. Her processor was rushing to make sense of the incoming data. She had to stop herself just long enough to process who was staring at her. It was... it was...! No it couldn’t be! Shockwave as in THE Shockwave was IN *HER* lab! He was her idol and this was the first time she had ever met him! And she probably looked like a mess as in the recharging-at-weird times sort of mess. Her mind was racing; telling her to say something. ANYTHING!
“Greetings. My apologies for the mess,” said Serotype.
*That* was embarrassing.
A few interminable cycles passed as Shockwave attempted to awaken the recharging femme. He was about to reach under and drag her out bodily, but she saved him the trouble by coming awake all in a rush. Retreating several steps to put distance between himself and the flailing femme, he watched silently as her cranium was bashed into the underside of the console and she finally managed to drag herself free of it. Once the slender femme stood and presented herself, the tall mech looked her over. Like many of their class, she wasn’t an intimidating specimen by any means. All of their power lay within their fearsome intellects.
“Greetings and apology noted. I have come to see who had taken up residence in this lab and what manner of work was being conducted. My designation is Shockwave,” he introduced himself politely, single optic tracking all over the lab and landing on a series of heavy duty containment canisters. The type used to transport both delicate and dangerous specimens. Immediately his curiosity was aroused, but he did not reach for one. There was too much of a possibility that they contained something brutally virulent. “Those are of particular interest,” he said, indicating the canisters.
He made no comment on the scientist’s choice of berth options or recharge time. Science and research paused for no mechanism. It was a class trait that many of them would often work themselves into a forced stasis at their workstations.
“It is an honour to meet you, Shockwave. I am Serotype,” said Serotype calmly and politely.
She watched as Shockwave pointed out her canisters.
“Those contain some viral strains I have been working on. In particular are the Energon Discharge Viruses Mark I through III. Currently, only Mark I and Mark II have been field tested. As far as other thing within those canisters, is my Neurodegenerative Virus. I have been recently requested to make an upgrade to it,” said Serotype.
That was until she went in to recharge. She felt like an idiot, really. Shockwave had been the bot of science that she had idolized for as long as she could remember. He was the rockstar of science. An ideal. Someone who she strived to be like. And as of right now, she felt like she had made a mess of it. For one thing, she had never expected him to catch her in a recharge and him suddenly being in her lab meant she forgot to lock up before nodding off. But at the very least she had the chance to talk about her work.
His single optic flared for a nanoklik, processor consumed with a deeply intense curiosity. There was no doubt in his mind who had “requested” an upgrade to her neurodegenerative, but why? Megatron had always been a very hands-on fighter, only dabbling in viral warfare. Why would he be leaning into viral weaponry now? Out loud however, Shockwave replied, “I have read your reports on the Mark viruses. Very impressive work. Their lethality is rather extraordinary.” That single optic raked over Serotype’s facial plating, memorizing her features and beginning to build a file on her. Lethal genius such as this was definitely remarkable.
That file would include her design, mannerisms, and all of the newswaves and articles of her work that he could find, amongst other things. Moving around the slender scientist, Shockwave approached the canisters where they sat on top of the table. “Please, indulge my curiosity and tell me the characteristics of your neurodegenerative? Is it for a single target, or a widespread airborne like the Mark III?” Turning his head to look at Serotype once more, “virology is one of the sciences that I have not had enough occasion to explore.”
“The original variation of NGV was meant for widespread application. It was made in to a gaseous form to be used out in the battlefield. It causes the most damage to the EMC Drive where the flight/fight response is triggered and memories are consolidated. Subjects become more and more hostile to those in their direct vicinity while their bodies consume all their resources. They are unable to recharge unless under heavy sedation. The new variant of NGV is designed for a specific target. It is more of the same except it works much faster and it is far more destructive than its’ counter part with more cycles of lethargy therefore prolonging the duration of the diease. I am working on that one currently,” Serotype explained.
It seemed to her that Shockwave had at least heard of some of her work. It was somewhat of a surprise that he had actually read some of her articles and reports from the medical and research journals. This was somewhat exciting for her. Almost dream-like to her in surreality.
There was something infinitely appealing to Shockwave in a virus that turned a mechanism’s emotional capacities against it, using them to deal lethal damage to both the mechanism in question and those surrounding it. The scientist looked back to Serotype. “How does this one transfer?”
There was something in the femme scientist’s EM field that caught Shockwave’s attention. A bubbling excitement that had yet to show itself in her vocalizations, even if it was evident the femme was proud of her work. As she should be. It was excellent and could stand to be used in several applications.
One large purple servo tapped lightly on the canister he’d been examining previously, a pause before he began speaking again. “And how could it be any more destructive? Your NGV sounds almost like a perfect virus. I would like to see it in action, if you have any data vids available from your testing stages.”
“Nothing is ever 100% perfect. The original variant took too long to manifest and while there was a strong tendency for test subjects to destroy their bodies in the process, what I am aiming for is more prolonged destruction and suffering by keeping the spark alive for that much longer,” said Serotype.
She plugged in her datapad and pulled up some videos on screen. She played a few of them.
“As you can see, the onset isn’t as immediate as I would have liked. Granted, NGV is destructive in its’ own right but it isn’t perfect. Even with the strain I’m working on now, the only way to deliver the payload is by injection only as it would be easier to control,” said Serotype, “but the fluids of the infected would be quite volatile.”
“No, it is not. Given enough time however, anything can be accomplished. Now you say,” turning from the screen to look once more at the femme scientist, “the contaminated fluids would still be volatile. How long can your virus remain active without a host?”
The vids she’d shown had been visceral and brutal, full of mechanisms overridden by their unchecked emotional subroutines. The coding hemmorhage leaking from the EMR must have been outrageous to produce such results. Now, would it be contained merely to the Autobots, the specific target being Megatron’s long standing enemy, Optimus Prime? Or would he also be retaining a strain of the virus to use as a threat of punishment? It was a very curious notion and warranted much more investigation.
“May I be permitted to observe more of your work in the future, Serotype? I find myself intrigued, and curious as to how you plan to negotiate your viral work on this organic planet.”
“Unfortunately, only for a short time which is what made research somewhat of a challenge. It only has a matter of hours outside the body. They need to be in an environment where it at least simulates the conditions of a host. Currently, I am developing a solution to that problem in the form of a viable test subject - a Life Unit,” said Serotype.
She seemed somewhat surprised that Shockwave, as in THE Shockwave, was asking to observe her work. This was starting to boarder on the stuff of her fantasies. Though, she did well in concealing it in her expression and body language. But that didn’t stop some of that leaking in to her EM field just a little bit.
“Certainly. I do not mind if you wish to watch. This organic planet may offer even more opportunities to advance what I already have here and perhaps then some,” said Serotype.
“A medical drone, then,” he queried, intrigued by the notion in spite of the resources such a construct would consume. Live specimens produced ever so much more reliable results, and he stated as much. “Why make a construct when a live specimen would produce far more accurate results?”
The quaver in the black and white female’s EMF was something like excitment. It was pleasant to meet another scientist who so enjoyed their work. “Yes, there are an almost infinite array of lifeforms on this planet. Being carbon based I am certain that even more can be generated, more viruses constructed. Perhaps the humans could serve a purpose in providing proper test subjects, yes?”
“There is a lack of live ones to use. Lord Megatron has prohibited my use of any crew member or ally as a subject. Therefore, a medical drone was nessisary,” said Serotype.
Which was in fact true. She had received a message from the warlord informing her that she had to make do without using any potential living research subjects found on this ship. Of course there was that lingering question. Something Megatron had brought up in the deep fuzz of her mind back when she first met him in the medbay. Something about the human populous.
“He has however, suggested that I look in to the human populous at some point. I will have to do that as soon as this recent project is finished,” said Serotype.
Serotype had since picked a space under a console and nodded off. She was reasonably tired from staying up to work on getting her lab in order and working on Megatron’s new “toy.” She had curled up in to a small ball for a two hour recharge before getting back to work. It was a common practice by her old team to pick rather unusual places to recharge. As long as it kept them closer to their work when they woke up, they would most happily recharge just about anywhere.
Serotype was no exception. Even back with her old team, she rarely visited her berth and for the most part tried to find large enough spaces under consoles for her to get some rest. Unknown to her that about an hour and a half in, her recharge cycle would be cut short by a rather important and unexpected guest.
Harkening to the schematics Megatron had given him, Shockwave was curious as to who was occupying the lab that was situated between his and the warlord’s. Reaching for the access panel, the scientist found himself surprised when the door slid open on nearly silent hydraulics. How odd that a Decepticon would leave their quarters so easily accessible. Extending his sensors to look for possible traps, or an ambush of some sort, he was further surprised to find...nothing. Nothing at all beyond the single life signal located further into the laboratory. He strode toward the signal, optic swinging back and forth to take in his surroundings.
It was a small lab, neat and clean. There seemed to be some sort of microbiology work occurring, judging by the equipment present. But there was no scientist to be seen. The conflict between his sight and his scanners brought a small thread of irritation into his field. That was when Shockwave began to open other doors, searching thoroughly without a by you leave. And that was when he found her. A femme scientist recharging beneath one of the consoles. Optic flaring momentarily as he attempted to process this oddity, he knocked with his single heavy hand, directly on the panelling by her head.
A sound. A somewhat loud and muffled noise. It was enough to bring the recharging virologist online, albeit, somewhat clumsily. Serotype was unaware of who was there as she rolled over, stretched and rubbed her optics blinking a few times. How long had she been recharging for? Her mind was still a little too foggy to process that one along with the single brilliant red optic staring at her.
<i>…..staring at HER!</I>
Serotype’s mind was forced in to action as she just barely managed to process that someone was watching her. She jerked backwards and the top of head collided on the bottom of the console with a loud metallic clang. That was enough to merit a brief wince. Her processor was rushing to make sense of the incoming data. She had to stop herself just long enough to process who was staring at her. It was... it was...! No it couldn’t be! Shockwave as in THE Shockwave was IN *HER* lab! He was her idol and this was the first time she had ever met him! And she probably looked like a mess as in the recharging-at-weird times sort of mess. Her mind was racing; telling her to say something. ANYTHING!
“Greetings. My apologies for the mess,” said Serotype.
*That* was embarrassing.
A few interminable cycles passed as Shockwave attempted to awaken the recharging femme. He was about to reach under and drag her out bodily, but she saved him the trouble by coming awake all in a rush. Retreating several steps to put distance between himself and the flailing femme, he watched silently as her cranium was bashed into the underside of the console and she finally managed to drag herself free of it. Once the slender femme stood and presented herself, the tall mech looked her over. Like many of their class, she wasn’t an intimidating specimen by any means. All of their power lay within their fearsome intellects.
“Greetings and apology noted. I have come to see who had taken up residence in this lab and what manner of work was being conducted. My designation is Shockwave,” he introduced himself politely, single optic tracking all over the lab and landing on a series of heavy duty containment canisters. The type used to transport both delicate and dangerous specimens. Immediately his curiosity was aroused, but he did not reach for one. There was too much of a possibility that they contained something brutally virulent. “Those are of particular interest,” he said, indicating the canisters.
He made no comment on the scientist’s choice of berth options or recharge time. Science and research paused for no mechanism. It was a class trait that many of them would often work themselves into a forced stasis at their workstations.
“It is an honour to meet you, Shockwave. I am Serotype,” said Serotype calmly and politely.
She watched as Shockwave pointed out her canisters.
“Those contain some viral strains I have been working on. In particular are the Energon Discharge Viruses Mark I through III. Currently, only Mark I and Mark II have been field tested. As far as other thing within those canisters, is my Neurodegenerative Virus. I have been recently requested to make an upgrade to it,” said Serotype.
That was until she went in to recharge. She felt like an idiot, really. Shockwave had been the bot of science that she had idolized for as long as she could remember. He was the rockstar of science. An ideal. Someone who she strived to be like. And as of right now, she felt like she had made a mess of it. For one thing, she had never expected him to catch her in a recharge and him suddenly being in her lab meant she forgot to lock up before nodding off. But at the very least she had the chance to talk about her work.
His single optic flared for a nanoklik, processor consumed with a deeply intense curiosity. There was no doubt in his mind who had “requested” an upgrade to her neurodegenerative, but why? Megatron had always been a very hands-on fighter, only dabbling in viral warfare. Why would he be leaning into viral weaponry now? Out loud however, Shockwave replied, “I have read your reports on the Mark viruses. Very impressive work. Their lethality is rather extraordinary.” That single optic raked over Serotype’s facial plating, memorizing her features and beginning to build a file on her. Lethal genius such as this was definitely remarkable.
That file would include her design, mannerisms, and all of the newswaves and articles of her work that he could find, amongst other things. Moving around the slender scientist, Shockwave approached the canisters where they sat on top of the table. “Please, indulge my curiosity and tell me the characteristics of your neurodegenerative? Is it for a single target, or a widespread airborne like the Mark III?” Turning his head to look at Serotype once more, “virology is one of the sciences that I have not had enough occasion to explore.”
“The original variation of NGV was meant for widespread application. It was made in to a gaseous form to be used out in the battlefield. It causes the most damage to the EMC Drive where the flight/fight response is triggered and memories are consolidated. Subjects become more and more hostile to those in their direct vicinity while their bodies consume all their resources. They are unable to recharge unless under heavy sedation. The new variant of NGV is designed for a specific target. It is more of the same except it works much faster and it is far more destructive than its’ counter part with more cycles of lethargy therefore prolonging the duration of the diease. I am working on that one currently,” Serotype explained.
It seemed to her that Shockwave had at least heard of some of her work. It was somewhat of a surprise that he had actually read some of her articles and reports from the medical and research journals. This was somewhat exciting for her. Almost dream-like to her in surreality.
There was something infinitely appealing to Shockwave in a virus that turned a mechanism’s emotional capacities against it, using them to deal lethal damage to both the mechanism in question and those surrounding it. The scientist looked back to Serotype. “How does this one transfer?”
There was something in the femme scientist’s EM field that caught Shockwave’s attention. A bubbling excitement that had yet to show itself in her vocalizations, even if it was evident the femme was proud of her work. As she should be. It was excellent and could stand to be used in several applications.
One large purple servo tapped lightly on the canister he’d been examining previously, a pause before he began speaking again. “And how could it be any more destructive? Your NGV sounds almost like a perfect virus. I would like to see it in action, if you have any data vids available from your testing stages.”
“Nothing is ever 100% perfect. The original variant took too long to manifest and while there was a strong tendency for test subjects to destroy their bodies in the process, what I am aiming for is more prolonged destruction and suffering by keeping the spark alive for that much longer,” said Serotype.
She plugged in her datapad and pulled up some videos on screen. She played a few of them.
“As you can see, the onset isn’t as immediate as I would have liked. Granted, NGV is destructive in its’ own right but it isn’t perfect. Even with the strain I’m working on now, the only way to deliver the payload is by injection only as it would be easier to control,” said Serotype, “but the fluids of the infected would be quite volatile.”
“No, it is not. Given enough time however, anything can be accomplished. Now you say,” turning from the screen to look once more at the femme scientist, “the contaminated fluids would still be volatile. How long can your virus remain active without a host?”
The vids she’d shown had been visceral and brutal, full of mechanisms overridden by their unchecked emotional subroutines. The coding hemmorhage leaking from the EMR must have been outrageous to produce such results. Now, would it be contained merely to the Autobots, the specific target being Megatron’s long standing enemy, Optimus Prime? Or would he also be retaining a strain of the virus to use as a threat of punishment? It was a very curious notion and warranted much more investigation.
“May I be permitted to observe more of your work in the future, Serotype? I find myself intrigued, and curious as to how you plan to negotiate your viral work on this organic planet.”
“Unfortunately, only for a short time which is what made research somewhat of a challenge. It only has a matter of hours outside the body. They need to be in an environment where it at least simulates the conditions of a host. Currently, I am developing a solution to that problem in the form of a viable test subject - a Life Unit,” said Serotype.
She seemed somewhat surprised that Shockwave, as in THE Shockwave, was asking to observe her work. This was starting to boarder on the stuff of her fantasies. Though, she did well in concealing it in her expression and body language. But that didn’t stop some of that leaking in to her EM field just a little bit.
“Certainly. I do not mind if you wish to watch. This organic planet may offer even more opportunities to advance what I already have here and perhaps then some,” said Serotype.
“A medical drone, then,” he queried, intrigued by the notion in spite of the resources such a construct would consume. Live specimens produced ever so much more reliable results, and he stated as much. “Why make a construct when a live specimen would produce far more accurate results?”
The quaver in the black and white female’s EMF was something like excitment. It was pleasant to meet another scientist who so enjoyed their work. “Yes, there are an almost infinite array of lifeforms on this planet. Being carbon based I am certain that even more can be generated, more viruses constructed. Perhaps the humans could serve a purpose in providing proper test subjects, yes?”
“There is a lack of live ones to use. Lord Megatron has prohibited my use of any crew member or ally as a subject. Therefore, a medical drone was nessisary,” said Serotype.
Which was in fact true. She had received a message from the warlord informing her that she had to make do without using any potential living research subjects found on this ship. Of course there was that lingering question. Something Megatron had brought up in the deep fuzz of her mind back when she first met him in the medbay. Something about the human populous.
“He has however, suggested that I look in to the human populous at some point. I will have to do that as soon as this recent project is finished,” said Serotype.